When I first started practicing Buddhism at age 11, I became the odd one out in my family of Catholics and atheists. Piles of sutras, Buddha images, and prayer beads crowded my room. I took a trip to see the Dalai Lama at Emory University during my sophomore year of high school, and I constructed…
Voice Staffers’ Favorite Summer Reads
By: Ryan Mazalatis, Brynn Furey, Elizabeth Pankova, Sienna Brancato, Inès de Miranda and Samantha Tritt08/30/2019
The Bluest Eye Toni Morrison I read The Bluest Eye in the eleventh grade, and it had a sense of realness that books hadn’t yet held for me. It wasn’t rooted in an awful event, which can provide comprehensibility for younger audiences. Instead, it was based on the tragedy of human experience, of the black…
The Best of SpongeBob: Remembering Stephen Hillenburg
By: Ryan Mazalatis and Parker Houston12/28/2018
Animator and marine biology teacher Stephen Hillenburg passed away on Nov. 26. Hillenburg’s most famous creation was the Nickelodeon show SpongeBob SquarePants, where he served as director, producer, and writer. He was 57. Currently the fifth longest-running American animated show, SpongeBob SquarePants has won many accolades, including four Emmys, six Annie Awards, and 15 Kids’ Choice Awards. Writers…
The Meme Files: Spongebob Edition
By: Brynn Furey, Ryan Mazalatis and Parker Houston12/19/2018
Welcome back to The Meme Files! In this series, Halftime staffers pick memes to cover, exploring their background and appeal. In this edition, we look to honor the incredible legacy of the late Stephen Hillenburg, creator of Spongebob Squarepants. Spongebob Squarepants is, to put it lightly, one of the most influential children’s shows on television….
The Ballad of Buster Scruggs is an overwhelming examination of Westerns
By: Ryan Mazalatis11/16/2018
What can be added to a genre that is already oversaturated, filled with stereotypes and clichéd movie tropes? The age of the Western has come and passed, yet directors Ethan and Joel Coen still found space to carve out a unique vision of the Western era in The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, expanding upon the…
Critical Voices: BROCKHAMPTON, iridescence
By: Ryan Mazalatis09/28/2018
BROCKHAMPTON, a self-described “boy band” from San Marcos, Texas, has confronted both fame and controversy in their sudden rise to the top. Before founding the band in 2015, the 13 current members (none older than 26) met on an online forum dedicated to Kanye West. In 2016, they released their first mixtape, ALL-AMERICAN TRASH. Since…
Concert Preview: Car Seat Headrest, Sept. 20, 9:30 Club
By: Ryan Mazalatis09/17/2018
Car Seat Headrest is undoubtedly one of the most prominent and talented alt-rock bands out there. The band has a distinct sound, contrasting slow, chill beats with moments of harder, more intense guitar riffs. Founded in Leesburg, Virginia in 2010, Car Seat Headrest quickly became one of the most famous indie bands originating from the…
Sights Unseen Exposes the Cracks in the Surveillance State
By: Ryan Mazalatis09/14/2018
The information age has revolutionized the ways humans connect with each other. Most Georgetown students do not remember a time before the emergence of cell phones or the Internet and are accustomed to having access to seemingly limitless information in the palms of their hands at all times. While the technological revolution has certainly had…
Joe Biden at the Anthem
By: Ryan Mazalatis02/16/2018
In modern America, political discussion has become taboo among friends and family. The country is engulfed in a sense of division that’s unprecedented in modern political history. The US finds itself weakened on the world stage, and our future seems uncertain. The shadow of Donald Trump and the moral corruption of Washington looms large over…
Preview: Vice President Joe Biden’s American Promise Tour, Feb. 6, The Anthem
By: Ryan Mazalatis01/28/2018
Throughout his decades-long career as a U.S. politician, Vice President Joe Biden has acted as an inspiration and moral compass for all Americans, regardless of political affiliation. His message is one of hope and progress: the idea that any American, given the chance, can overcome all odds and change the world. This message propelled him…