Archive

Lez’hur ledger: There are no winners at the Air Sex World Championship

So here’s the thing about showing up to the D.C. leg of the Air Sex World Championship alone: it’s awkward. Like, hanging out alone at the back of an indie rock concert by yourself awkward, with the fear that everyone around you will think you’re some kind of pervert.

By Brendan Baumgardner October 7, 2010

Should have stayed Buried

Perpetual frat-boy Van Wilder trades in his iconic red Solo cup for the confines of a coffin in Rodrigo Cortès’s new thriller, Buried. From the very first scene of the film, the audience is also resigned to this tragic fate, as the camera stubbornly remains trapped inside of the coffin for the entire 94-minute duration of the film.

By Sam Thompson October 7, 2010

Tragic but “fun”

Anyone who read Macbeth in high school knows the basics of the tragic play: it’s long, heavy, and ominous, and its costumes and sets echo its grim themes. But, as director and professor Nadia Madhi explains, her interpretation of Federico Garcia Lorca’s Blood Wedding is intended to be anything but the typical tragedy.

By Leigh Finnegan October 7, 2010

Critical Voices: Salem, King Night

This year’s buzziest new genre boasts the most ridiculous title the Internet genre-naming gods have ever bestowed (and that includes “purple” and “chillwave”): “witch house.” So named for its ethereal synths and ominous, DJ Screw-influenced beats, this new genre includes bands with names as ridiculous as oOoOO.

By Matthew Collins October 7, 2010

Critical Voices: Sufjan Stevens, Age of Adz

In 2004, Sufjan Stevens announced an audacious plan to write an album for each of the fifty states, beginning with 2003’s Michigan and moving south to Illinois in 2005. Then, in 2009, Stevens announced that the “Fifty State Project” was nothing more than a publicity stunt, and that he was starting anew.

By Luke Howley October 7, 2010

Literary Tools: No, but I saw the movie

Adapting a book can be a tricky business. On rare occasions, an adapted movie can transcend its source, but more often than not, it loses some of the elements that readers loved. Book snobs, the lot of pretentious bastards that they are, often rightly criticize adaptations for failing to live up to original texts.

By Chris Heller October 7, 2010

Suffer for Fashion: Dirty jeans, done dirt cheap

Jeans may have won their first fans during the California Gold Rush, but proper jean care has come a long way from simply plunking down your pan and dunking your dungarees into the stream in between sifting sessions. Some have caring for denim down to a science, but is the extra effort worth it?

By Keenan Timko October 7, 2010

Oh Columbus Day, Columbus Day, why do you exist?

When I first saw Columbus Day on the Registrar’s calendar as a freshman last year, I was amused to find that we had the day off. For many students in this country, Columbus Day is just a novelty, and many states and school districts have never used it as an excuse to cancel school. Students, however, really shouldn’t just dismiss Columbus Day out of hand.

By Peter Stanton October 7, 2010

Silencing a mute: RJC ends, student rights stay the same

As a second-year member of the Residential Judicial Council, I could not be happier with the Office of Residential Life’s recent decision to suspend and restructure the council during the 2010-11 academic year. Some students have complained that they have lost a voice in the University’s judicial process, but the truth is they never really had one in the first place.

By David Freenock October 7, 2010

Corporal punishment, my daily dose of café-au-hell

The Corp is the single worst organization at Georgetown University. It operates in a fantasy land where bad business practices can still yield a profit, where employees face virtually no risk of being fired short of stealing from the company, where employers provide rivers of free alcohol, and where customers continue to patronize businesses that provide terrible service and sell goods at inflated prices.

By Julie Patterson October 7, 2010

Carrying On: Some like it flat

About a month ago, in an orientation speech for my study abroad program in Copenhagen, a Danish government official explained to my fellow Americans and me how expensive it would be for us to live in Denmark. Thanks to an unfortunate exchange rate, it costs about 5.5 kroner to purchase $1 dollar. Here, a cheap cup of coffee costs about 22 kroner. Smirking, the speaker said, “Don’t blame us—blame your parents.

By George D'Angelo October 7, 2010

Editorials

GU finds just enough rope to hang themselves

The University’s false announcement last Thursday that a noose had been found in the basement of Healy Hall was foolish and careless. Administrators were rash in announcing that a troubling crime had occurred on campus before they knew the facts of the case. But just as troubling was how the administrators responded to what they believed was yet another hate crime on campus.

By the Editorial Board October 6, 2010

Editorials

Low voter turnout signals loss of faith in GUSA

Last week’s Georgetown University Student Association Senate elections were a disappointment. With just 1,006 students voting, this year’s senate elections had a 14 percent voter turnout. Only eight out of the 20 elections were contested. Three of the candidates who ran unchallenged didn’t even win with a majority of votes—more people voted for write-in candidates.

By the Editorial Board October 6, 2010

Editorials

RJC receives suspension, possible work hours

The Residential Judicial Council was created as a way for students encourage their peers to uphold community standards. However, for the past decade, the council has been a weak and poorly publicized disciplinary body adjudicating only the Code of Conduct violations that hall directors chose to forward to it. When it returns next year, the council should be independent of hall directors and have a broader purview.

By the Editorial Board October 6, 2010

A Social success

There is an important scene early in The Social Network, bass heavy dance music throbs as the screen cuts deftly between two symbolic set pieces. The first is typical montage material: the first party of the year at Harvard’s most prestigious clubs, a debaucherous scene of hedonistic excess.

By Brendan Baumgardner October 1, 2010

Tombs manager lays his career to rest

Last weekend, William Watts had a lot to handle. Homecoming Weekend brought a flood of customers to the Tombs, and a private party had reserved F. Scott’s for the evening. At the same time, these were just the last few days of his 35-year career managing three Georgetown restaurants. Just one last push.

By Chris Heller September 30, 2010

¡Ay caramba! Muchas peliculas

Between limited releases and an Oscar category that nobody pays attention to, Americans don’t give foreign films the credit they deserve. But not the American Film Institute—they’ve been offering D.C. an outlet for foreign films for decades. At the head of their current battle: the Latin American Film Festival.

By Mark James September 30, 2010

Hoyas stage comeback on historic homecoming

Every sports team has its fair share of doubters. But after Saturday’s homecoming game, you can consider the skeptics of the Georgetown football team answered. The Hoyas proved that their conference-opening win against Lafayette was no stroke of luck by beating defending Patriot League champion Holy Cross 17-7 in a dramatic fourth-quarter comeback.

By Daniel Kellner September 30, 2010

Lez’hur ledger: Frolicking freaks at FreeFest

At 9:59 a.m. on a Saturday in July, I entered an epic Internet battle. The stakes? A free ticket to the Virgin Mobile FreeFest. My challengers? The 30,000 others vying to see Pavement, LCD Soundsystem, M.I.A., and Ludacris without dropping an obscene amount of cash. By 10:03 a.m., the ravenous hordes had claimed all of the available tickets.

By Emma Forster September 30, 2010

The Sports Sermon: Carmelo’s decision

There is no question that in the world of professional basketball, this past summer was the Summer of Lebron. But as the buzz around the king wears off, Denver Nuggets forward Carmelo Anthony has stepped up to take over the spotlight.

By Nick Berti September 30, 2010

Critical Voices: Mark Ronson & The Business Inl., Record Collection

Mark Ronson can play a mean guitar, but his extensive knowledge of rap, funk, and soul was what got him noticed in the first place. Ronson’s past two records have been slick, sample-heavy dance records that hint at his formative years as a club DJ. The formula is no different on his newest album, Record Collection.

By Matthew Decker September 30, 2010

Georgetown snaps streak

It’s no secret that the Georgetown men’s soccer team has struggled mightily after getting off to a great start in the 2010 season. Even though they beat Northeastern and Michigan State on opening weekend, which led to a top 25 ranking, the Hoyas have been winless since then.

By Adam Rosenfeld September 30, 2010

Critical Voices: Lazerbeak, Legend Recognize Legend

As the primary producer for the Minneapolis-based alternative hip-hop crew Doomtree, Lazerbeak has been responsible for the bass-heavy beats heard behind rappers P.O.S., Dessa, and Sims. With hip-hop credentials like these, and Doomtree’s reputation for aggressive, punk rock- infused hip-hop, you might expect Lazerbeak’s first solo album, to be filled with club hits.

By Akshay Bhatia September 30, 2010