Archive

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

Editorials

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

Editorials

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

Editorials

Keep Wal-Mart’s rotten business model out of D.C.

The largest retailer in the world, Wal-Mart has always promised to bring low-cost goods to suburban and rural Americans. Recently, the company has announced plans to build four locations in the District of Columbia. However, given the company’s poor labor practices, historical intolerance of unionization, and damaging effects on the surrounding community, the D.C. Council should demand that Wal-Mart amend its predatory business practices before it opens its doors in the District.

By the Editorial Board January 27, 2011

Activism finds a “voice” at Busboys & Poets

On Sunday night at the K Street Busboys and Poets restaurant, Chris Shaw, an eloquent, friendly-looking, middle-aged man, recalled one of the strangest compliments he had ever heard. “He said to me, ‘You’re a homeless bum talking like Shakespeare, man.’” In a sense, this praise that Shaw, a George Washington University grad school alumnus, received during his years as a homeless man in D.C. could summarize the entire open mic night. It was the first monthly installment of the 2011 Voices of a Movement series, which D.C.-based nonprofit One Common Unity is staging to spread awareness about pressing social problems.

By Leigh Finnegan January 27, 2011

“Pixel Vision”: A digital decade of Georgetown art

Think about the computer your family had in 2000. Can’t remember it? That’s understandable. Technology has advanced so rapidly in the past 10 years that the digital world of turn-of-the-millenium seems completely foreign in today’s world of iPads and e-books. But if you want a refresher course on just how far technology has come, you’re in luck—“Pixel Vision: The First Ten Years” opened in Georgetown’s Spagnuolo Gallery on Jan. 19.

By Claire Ferguson January 27, 2011

Jones, Affleck in good Company

September 18, 2008, starts out as normal as any other day for The Company Men’s three main characters. The hunky, 30-something breadwinner (Ben Affleck) arrives at the office in his silver Porsche, followed by his 60-year-old coworker (Chris Cooper), who has worked there for decades, and the company’s curmudgeonly old executive (Tommy Lee Jones) looks weary from the pressures of the markets falling around him.

By Mary Borowiec January 27, 2011

Critical Voices: Cold War Kids, Mine is Yours

The second track on Mine Is Yours, the latest album from Cold War Kids, is entitled “Louder Than Ever.” That could be the mission statement for the whole album, whose anthemic songs are filled with sweeping riffs demanding to be played at full volume. However, lest they grow stale, Cold War Kids intersperse their louder songs with pockets of calm melody.

By Amanda Wynter January 27, 2011

Critical Voices: Fujiya & Miyagi, Ventriloquizzing

Fujiya & Miyagi’s latest release may challenge its audience with some pre-listening confusion—what do you expect from a band whose name was lifted from that of the martial arts master from The Karate Kid? Apparently, it sounds like a talented duo of British synth masters. And with this week’s release of Ventriloquizzing, the group’s fourth studio release, Fujiya & Miyagi deliver a series of edgy electro compositions and artfully layered beats that would make even the staunchest of karate masters tap his foot.

By Sam Harman January 27, 2011

Amuse-Bouche: As long as it’s not in a box

This past December, I resolved to graduate to big-girl wine. I was growing tired of buying bland, acrid magnums of Little Penguin and Barefoot, and with Safeway just four blocks away and stocked with hundreds of wines at decent prices, there was simply no excuse not to upgrade. This posed just one problem—the Georgetown Safeway sells hundreds of wines. The three solid rows of bottles are foreboding and seemingly without an entry point.

By Molly Redden January 27, 2011

Fade to Black: No Oscar grouchiness

The Golden Globes, a catastrophic mess of erroneously categorized nominations, are finally over. And although the awards ended up in the right hands, the Hollywood Foreign Press has a long road to restoring its image. As if to counteract that embarrassment, the Academy released the Oscar nominations on Tuesday, and, proving that good taste still exists somewhere, left trash like The Tourist and Burlesque out of its pool.

By Mark James January 27, 2011

Power outage forces students into snow

In the midst of the largest snow storm of the school year, hundreds of students in East Campus have been displaced as a result of a power outage.

By Rachel Calvert January 27, 2011

To some residents, GU’s plan is a friend, not a foe

At the January 20 ANC2E meeting, D.C. Student Speak, a District-wide student blog, questioned whether Jennifer Altemus (COL ’88), the president of the Citizens Association of Georgetown, represents the citizens of Georgetown in opposing the plan.

By the Voice Staff January 27, 2011

Porterfield in last lecture to seniors: “Stay out of jail”

Seniors packed into the Faculty Club on Tuesday evening to hear Senior Vice President for Strategic Development Dan Porterfield (COL ‘83), who will become the president of Franklin & Marshall College on Mar. 1, deliver his last lecture.

By Chris Heller January 27, 2011

Provost funds vets’ part-time grad advisor

On Tuesday, Vice President for Student Affairs Todd Olson announced that the Provost’s Office will fund a part-time position for a graduate student to work with veterans on campus.

By the Voice Staff January 27, 2011