Archive

Amidst revolution, students witness history

Earlier this week, 15 Georgetown students studying at the American University in Cairo were evacuated from Egypt. Three of the students, who were set to begin a semester abroad at the American University in Cairo in the midst of an uprising against Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak that began on Jan. 25., will return to campus on Thursday to finish their spring semester.

By Chris Heller February 3, 2011

Students face fines, arrest under amended D.C. law

Noise violators can now incur up to 90 days in jail or $500 in fines under a newly amended disorderly conduct law. Under the amendment, which unanimously passed last November by the D.C. Council, took effect on Tuesday, outlawing any “unreasonabl[y] loud noise between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. that is likely to disturb one or more persons in their residences.”

By the Voice Staff February 3, 2011

Endowment growth a welcome development

Well-endowed has never been the first adjective that comes to mind when describing Georgetown, but that is slowly changing. Last week, the University’s endowment was ranked 67th largest in the country by the National Association of College and University Business Officers, up four spots from 2009 and a full 10 spots from 2004. This climb reflects prudent fiscal management and bodes well for Georgetown’s financial future.

By the Editorial Board February 3, 2011

Outage response leaves students in the dark

It’s been a rough couple of weeks for students living in the East Campus. On Wednesday night students in LXR and Nevils were hit by a power outage that lasted into Thursday morning. The situation was exacerbated by the largest snowstorm of the year, which hindered efforts to restore power. The well-being and safety of the students, who were forced out of their pitch black rooms into the storm, should have been the top priority of administrators that night, but, as is often the case, the University’s response was marked by poor communication and poor planning.

By the Editorial Board February 3, 2011

Gov’t may reduce federal aid, warns GU officials

On Wednesday, Dean of Student Financial Services Patricia McWade and Associate Vice President of Federal Relations Scott Fleming hosted a meeting to discuss potential cuts in federal aid for the coming academic year and discuss ways for students to get involved in the debate as the White House and Congress prepare to begin the process of creating a budget for fiscal year 2012.

By the Voice Staff February 3, 2011

University stuns with capable Cairo response

Students studying abroad in the Middle East understand that living in the tumultuous region comes with a degree of risk. But for the 15 Georgetown students studying in Cairo, that risk became a reality on Sunday. The University’s decision to pull the students out of the country when it did was appropriate, and it conducted its evacuation effort amidst massive protests with surprising quickness. Georgetown should be commended for its well-organized response, but its support should continue as these students adjust to the rest of their semester.

By the Editorial Board February 3, 2011

Saxa Politica: A bright future for GUSA?

Too often, student government can devolve into self-promotion with little substantive achievement. But having voted in Student Activities Fee Endowment reform and launched a new, usable website last semester, the Georgetown University Student Association looks poised for a strong semester. If last Sunday’s meeting is any indication of the sessions to come, the Senate appears to be maintaining its momentum with a set of initiatives that will make important contributions to student life.

By John Flanagan February 3, 2011

Wright powers Georgetown past Louisville to extend streak to five

Even though Georgetown got the victory over Villanova on Saturday, it was hard to look past Chris Wright’s stat line: zero points. Against Louisville two days later, Wright was once again impossible to ignore, but for very different reasons.

By Tim Shine February 1, 2011

Georgetown unleashes storm against St. John’s

While the winter storm caused chaos outside the Verizon Center on Wednesday night, the Hoyas had no trouble handling the Red Storm on the court. In front of a late-arriving crowd, Georgetown trounced St. John’s 77-52, avenging a three-point loss earlier this month at Madison Square Garden.

By Adam Rosenfeld January 27, 2011

The Sports Sermon: Top of the class

If you were to ask NBA fans or coaches, most would have told you that the 2010 NBA Draft had one prize. Sure, there were 60 selections total, but after the season, lottery teams had their eye on one just player—John Wall. This hasn’t always been the case though with the first overall pick.

By Nick Berti January 27, 2011

Hoyas shut down Big East elite

When the Georgetown women’s basketball team suffered a crushing 80-58 loss to Notre Dame on Jan. 18, head coach Terri Williams-Flournoy called it a great wake-up call. The team certainly heard that call with a win against Villanova last Saturday, followed by an even more impressive win against West Virginia.

By Abby Sherburne January 27, 2011

Tennis set to open season

With the fall season long over, the Georgetown men’s and women’s tennis teams are eagerly anticipating their upcoming season. During the past few months, head coach Gordie Ernst has had both the men and women play in tournaments to prepare for the main part of the schedule and improve their results after last year.

By Melissa Sullivan January 27, 2011

Backdoor Cuts: Football lost in translation

With two of the league’s most storied franchises, the Green Bay Packers and Pittsburgh Steelers, set to clash in the Super Bowl, the buzz around the National Football League has arguably never been higher. But even though football reigns supremacy as America’s favorite sport and the NFL is earning its best-ever TV ratings.

By Daniel Kellner January 27, 2011

Carrying On: Need for freedom of Twitter?

Once something is on the Internet, it’s there forever. From awkward pictures to secret government communiqués, the Internet has revolutionized the spread of information. Two summers ago, the Internet transformed the death of a young Iranian woman named Neda into “probably the most widely witnessed death in human history,” according to Time. Thanks to Twitter and YouTube, the unintentional martyr became a global symbol for the growing opposition to the oppressive Iranian regime. A mere decade ago, the death of a civilian in the chaotic streets of Tehran would have quickly become a statistic. Today, a photo shot on a cheap cell phone can crisscross the world in a matter of seconds, tweeted and re-tweeted across every national, lingual, and cultural boundary.

By Jackson Perry January 27, 2011

The Golden Globes reveal the golden era of television

As I settled in to watch the 68th Golden Globes two Sundays ago—I was one of dozens who did so—I couldn’t help but notice an unusual occurrence. No, it wasn’t host Ricky Gervais’ scathing monologue, in which he told Johnny Depp that the trend of three-dimensions in movies applied to everything except the characters in The Tourist. Nor was it Robert De Niro’s awkward acceptance of a lifetime achievement award, which featured off-the-cuff immigration jokes and heavy silence from a crowd that is usually prone to courtesy laughs.

By Jeff Sutton January 27, 2011

Obamacare is not sufficient for frustrated future physician

For the last two years, Democrats and Republicans have drawn battle lines over health care reform. As a pre-med student, I look with dismay upon this current mess, but Tuesday’s State of the Union address offered an encouraging sign when Presdient Barack Obama indicated his willingness to consider the Republicans’ suggestion of medical malpractice reform.

By Scott January 27, 2011

It’s all relative: Finding family in a Finnish playboy

When I was a young child, my older sister had a necklace with a bird on it that had been a gift from my father’s cousin. It was a small ceramic bird that whistled when you blew into its mouth. Throughout my childhood, this bird symbolized the mystery of my father’s rarely mentioned cousin. His name was Raimo, and he lived in the city of Turku, Finland making these bird-whistles that we saw in every crafts store during our summers in Scandinavia.

By Kristiina L January 27, 2011

Features

Grassroot Hoyas: Taking the field against AIDS

As the world’s attention was focused on the World Cup, a group of Georgetown student athletes in Johannesburg participated in a powerful and inspiring event far from the din of vuvuzelas. They were taking part in Team Up, a project in which 10 D.C. middle school students were brought to South Africa to raise HIV/AIDS awareness.

By the Voice Staff January 27, 2011

Obama on message with energy and education

Much of the talk in the media leading up to Tuesday’s State of the Union address focused on how many of his goals President Barack Obama would concede going forward, given the new makeup of Congress. Even with his approval rating back above 50 percent, it was unclear if Obama would reaffirm the more progressive ideas in his agenda or commit only to moderate goals. It was reassuring that the president did not disappoint his supporters and crafted a refreshing, sensible speech that transcended political squabbling and presented a new path for the nation.

By the Editorial Board January 27, 2011

Athletes’ priority enrollment needs limits

For student athletes, class registration is a balancing act between meeting Georgetown’s extensive academic requirements, qualifying to play under NCAA standards, and leaving enough time for hours of practice and study. In order for athletes to have more control over their schedule, the University offers some of them priority registration, which allows them to enroll in classes before the registration period for the general student body. Unfortunately, as the Voice reported in its Jan. 20 issue, athletes’ priority registration has become a detriment to the academic experience of some students.

By the Editorial Board January 27, 2011