News

What’s happening on campus and in D.C.



News

Saxa Politica: Sandy brings out the best

Just after 6 p.m. on Oct. 28, Georgetown students rejoiced; University spokeswoman Stacy Kerr sent a broadcast email to the campus community cancelling Monday classes in anticipation of Hurricane Sandy’s onslaught.

News

Homeless residents improvise to weather Hurricane Sandy

Georgetown students took advantage of the two days of cancelled classes resulting from Superstorm Sandy by studying, sleeping, relaxing, or raging safely inside their heated residences. However, other members of the Georgetown community and greater D.C. area were not so fortunate.

News

Frankenstorm ravages the coast, but the Hilltop is spared

Hurricane Sandy, affectionately dubbed the “Frankenstorm,” led to widespread panic—and increased liquor sales—as it unleashed a blanket of destruction across the Eastern Seaboard.

News

ANC candidates prepare for election day and life as a commissioner

As Election Day draws closer and Georgetown students head to the polls in what may be one of the most hotly disputed elections in U.S. history, the two names that come to their minds will undoubtedly be Barack Obama and Mitt Romney. However, come Nov. 6, Hoyas voting in the District may be surprised to see the names of two of their classmates: Advisory Neighborhood Commission Student Commissioner Candidates Craig Cassey Jr. (COL ’15) and Peter Prindiville (SFS ’14).

News

Union Jack: When faced with two evils, vote neither

In the summer of 2004, Michael Moore got down on his knees and begged his fellow guest on Real Time with Bill Maher, then-presidential candidate Ralph Nader, to drop out of the race. At that time, Bush and Kerry were in a dead heat in the polls—and just four years before that, Nader had led an energetic left-wing campaign that won almost three percent of the popular vote, resulting in a wave of accusations from liberals that the consumer advocate was directly responsible for Al Gore’s failure to carry Florida, and thus, the electoral college. Proponents of the “spoiler” argument pointed to Bush’s razor-thin margin of victory in the state as evidence that Gore would have won the election had Nader not been on the ballot.

News

Gluten-free students still fear illness from eating at Leo’s

A year after staff at Leo J. O’Donovan Dining Hall began labeling gluten-free foods, complaints are again arising from gluten intolerant students about how Leo’s addresses their dietary needs.

News

Epicurean owner may be indicted for criminal contempt

On Oct. 17 D.C. District Court Judge Robert Wilkins issued a show cause order for criminal contempt against Epicurean owner Chang Wook Chon for allegedly failing to comply with court orders pertaining to two lawsuits brought against him by his employees.

News

Piracy blog puts Georgetown students among top BitTorrent users

As it turns out, Georgetown students are infamous for breaking laws other than the drinking age.

News

Saxa Politica: ‘Drunken’ misses the point

“They don’t get much ruder than this bunch who seems to feel the need to host a party anytime they can,” writes Burlieth resident and former American University photography professor Stephen R. Brown under a video depicting a 37th Street party. His website, “Drunken” Georgetown Students, launched in April 2010, is once again in full swing, cataloguing the drunken debauchery of Georgetown students and “young professionals” in their own back yards.

News

Deans and professors clash over seminar schedules

This semester, Dean Chester Gillis of Georgetown College has cut the number of seminar courses that may meet once a week dramatically, inciting significant discontent from many faculty members.

News

Solar panel proposal moves toward ratification by ANC and OGB

The recently announced contract between the University and Solar City, a solar power company, is bringing change to students’ utility bills, GUSA’s budget, and Georgetown’s environmental impact, as well as opening the door to future renewable energy projects on campus.

News

LOC suggests Georgetown should sever ties with Adidas

The Licensing and Oversight Committee recommended last Friday that Georgetown end its contract with Adidas no later than Dec. 15, due to the company’s violation of Georgetown’s Code of Conduct for Licensees. The company has refused to pay the $1.8 million owed in severance to workers of the PT Kizone factory in Indonesia for violation of local labor laws.

News

The unhappy consensus

Keeping in line with the ritual of every election over the last 40 years or so, this fall’s contest is the most important one yet. At odds, we’re told, are two fundamentally different visions of America.

News

GU improves recycling and waste disposal practices

Over the past few years, Georgetown’s waste disposal programs have made considerable strides to minimize student waste and maximize recycling.

News

Kennedy Institute kicks off environmental ethics education programs

On Oct. 10, the Kennedy Institute of Ethics kicked off its new Environmental Justice Salon Series, led by Margaret Little, as part of President DeGioia’s Engaged Ethics Initiative. This new series is aimed at bringing together students and faculty to learn about pressing issues concerning the natural environment, and engaging them in constructive discussions.

News

Dance groups compete for a slot at the Verizon Center

Georgetown has finally caught on to the reality television craze. Sponsored by the Athletics Department, Hoyas Got Talent is a dance competition among five Georgetown dance groups — Georgetown University Dance Company (GUDC), Black Movement Dance Theater (BMDT), GU Jawani, the Step Team, and Groove Theory. Georgetown students, using an app on the Athletics Department’s Facebook page, can vote for their favorite dance group, and the winner will receive the chance to perform during a halftime show at a Georgetown men’s basketball game at the Verizon Center.

News

Saxa Politica: Clearly Unconvincing

On the evening of student government senate elections, student rights supporters scored a major victory in a referendum put forward by GUSA supporting a burden-of-proof alteration to the Student Code of Conduct. The recommendation for raising the evidentiary standard in all cases except instances of sexual assault was first proposed in April by the Disciplinary Review Committee. In the vote, the current “more likely than not” standard received a total of 93 votes, while the now well-advertised “clear and convincing” proposal received 2,507.

News

Adjunct professors move towards unionization with SEIU

In response to the growing presence of Service Employees International Union organizers on campus, Georgetown’s provost Robert Groves addressed an email to all faculty members reaffirming the University’s respect and support of the right of employees to unionize. The SEIU, which represents 2.1 million workers in the healthcare, property, and public services sectors, began work this semester to unionize adjunct professors on the Hilltop.

News

On first anniversary, Occupy shuts down bank, K St

Starting this past weekend and throughout this week, Occupy DC is celebrating its one year anniversary. Last Saturday, Occupy Our Homes DC had actions at all the Bank of America locations across the District, aiming to shut them down for their Saturday business hours. On Monday, Occupy DC held a protest in McPherson Square on K Street, the symbolic home of lobbying in the District.

News

College Dems and Repubs come together to host debate watch party

For the first time in recent memory, the Georgetown chapters of the College Democrats and College Republicans hosted a presidential debate-watching party together. The two groups came together in Lohrfink Auditorium Wednesday night to experience and discuss the event that would become the most tweeted political event in U.S. history.