News

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

News

City on a Hill: Performance pay for DCPS

The announcement yesterday that the Washington Teachers’ Union has filed a lawsuit against the District of Columbia Public Schools for the allegedly improper dismissal of more than 70 teachers confirms that things really are getting ugly on the D.C. school scene. DCPS Chancellor Michelle Rhee heated things up earlier with the announcement this summer of a tiered pay proposal, which would introduce merit-based pay and extra bonuses for teachers willing to give up tenure for a year of probation.

By August 22, 2008

News

New DPS head has checkered past

Controversy hounded Jeffrey Van Slyke, Georgetown’s new Director of Public Safety, while he was the head of the University of Texas’s police department. He reacted flippantly to a racial profiling accusation, was charged in a sexual assault suit settled out of court, presided over the infiltration of a campus group, and armed his police with shotguns and semi-automatic rifles. Van Slyke’s past was first covered by the Voice’s blog, Vox Populi.

By August 22, 2008

News

Assault case closed

Prosecutors ended their seven-month-long investigation into September’s bias-related assault of a Georgetown student after determining they lacked the necessary evidence to prove that their prime suspect, Philip Cooney (MSB ’10), committed the crime.

By April 24, 2008

News

Working group proposes alcohol policy revisions

After two semesters of debate and six meetings, the Alcohol Policy Working Group has unanimously approved five recommendations regarding Georgetown’s alcohol policy. The recommendations, including an increased keg limit in certain residences and the removal of the prohibition against beer pong, will be formally announced to the Disciplinary Review Committee this afternoon.

By April 24, 2008

News

GUSA and SAC clash over Club Fund

In the wake of criticism of the Student Activities Commission’s new funding guidelines, the Georgetown University Student Association will try to start a fund to allocate money to student groups independent of SAC. The “Fund of Second Resort,” which GUSA’s Funding Board will vote on this Monday, is designed to provide money to clubs who propose major events mid-year, after SAC, which funds most clubs and activities on campus, has approved its annual budget.

By April 24, 2008

News

Next stop: Georgetown?

The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority’s Board of directors will discuss the possibility of building a new Metro line with a station in Georgetown at their meeting today. The proposed line would link Georgetown, Rosslyn, and parts of downtown and Northeast D.C, according to the Examiner.

By April 24, 2008

News

NEWS HIT: Fine time

With the May 1 deadline for taxicabs to switch from zones to meters approaching, a District of Columbia court ruled on Monday against cab drivers who challenged the legality of the switch.

By April 24, 2008

News

Saxa Politica: Sexy, not Dowd-y

I’ll admit that, upon first hearing about GUSA President Pat Dowd’s (SFS ‘09) ambitious $40,000 Summer Fellows program, which would give 20 students free summer housing so that they could pursue unpaid internships that would be otherwise unavailable, I was skeptical. Given the interminable amount of time it takes most collaborative initiatives at Georgetown to get off the ground—former GUSA President Ben Shaw (COL ‘08) spent almost a year trying to get free newspapers on campus—the apparent ease with which Dowd and Vice President James Kelly (COL ‘09) were approved for funding (on April 14) and released a GUSA Summer Fellows application (April 15) was both surprising and commendable. The feat, however, would have been impossible without the cooperation of the GUSA Senate.

By April 24, 2008

News

Epicurean opens, finally

Worth the wait? Epicurean & Co. Restaurant officially opened its doors to the public yesterday, serving free food throughout the day. From 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Epicurean, which has... Read more

By April 24, 2008

News

ONLINE EXCLUSIVE: Armed male sexually assaults student in LXR Saturday

A female Georgetown student was sexually assaulted Saturday morning in LXR by an armed black male, according to an announcement from Georgetown’s Department of Public Safety.

By April 24, 2008

News

EcoAction: they speak for the trees

As Leo J. O’Donovan Dining Hall goes trayless for the month of April, EcoAction is celebrating Earth Week next week by hosting a variety of earth-minded activities, from a tree-planting to a dramatic reading of Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax.

By April 17, 2008

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City on a Hill: So long Solberg!

Commander Andrew Solberg recently left his post as the leader of the Metropolitan Police Department’s Second District, which includes Georgetown. Hopefully his replacement, Commander Mark Carter, will change MPD’s attitude toward Georgetown students.

By April 17, 2008

Editorials

The Pope visits D.C.

As part of his first trip to America, the Pope will speak with 200 Catholic university and college presidents today. Since he arrived on Tuesday, Pope Benedict XVI met with President Bush and various Washington dignitaries, celebrated his 81st birthday and held mass at Nationals Park this morning. Prior to tonight’s discussion, at the Catholic University of America, several Georgetown papal experts speculated about what issues the Pope will address during his stay.

By April 17, 2008

News

GUSA passes funding budget

The Georgetown University Student Association Senate voted 24 to zero with four abstentions to approve the $310,000 Student Activities budget for next year, allowing GUSA President Pat Dowd (SFS ’09) and Vice President James Kelly (COL ’09) to go ahead with their Summer Fellows program. Representatives of the six funding boards and GUSA drew up the budget at the Funding Board meeting last Wednesday.

By April 17, 2008

News

Biden harangues Bush

“We cannot afford another four years of Republican stewardship over our national security,” Senator Joe Biden (D-Del.) said at the outset of his lengthy denunciation of the Bush Administration’s policies in Gaston Hall on Thursday.

By April 17, 2008

News

H*yas hold Choice Week

On Tuesday, about 50 students and teachers stopped by a H*yas for Choice table in Red Square to guess the number of condoms in a large jar. The game was one of many activities, from a pro-choice panel discussion to a sex-education trivia night, that H*yas for Choice has sponsored this week as part of the second annual Choice Week at Georgetown.

By April 10, 2008

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Brownback backs religion in politics

Senator Sam Brownback (R–Kan.) emphasized the importance of faith in public policy to “ensure that human dignity is at the center of everything” during a talk last night in Copley Formal Lounge. Following a short address, the Senator, who is best known for his evangelical religious views, talked with University President John DeGioia and answered questions from the audience.

By April 10, 2008

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Union Jack: Of mortgages and MSBers

It was easy for people like me—freshmen, liberal arts majors—to ignore 2007’s rumbles of a subprime mortgage meltdown. I barely blinked in December when Bear Stearns, one of the largest underwriters of mortgage bonds in the nation, announced losses of $854 million. But for Georgetown students readying themselves to enter the banking and finance job market this fall or next, these economic tremors are making the employment search an uncertain task.

By April 10, 2008

News

Bloomberg goes green

“For far too long environmentalism has gotten pitted against economic development,” New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said Tuesday in Gaston Hall. “Going green is the best and indeed only pro-growth strategy.”

By April 10, 2008

News

Funding boards hash out next year’s budget

At last night’s annual funding meeting, Georgetown University Student Association President Pat Dowd (SFS ’09) and Vice President James Kelly’s (COL ’09) proposed GUSA Summer Fellows program was allocated $10,820.35—$29,000 less than they had requested. Representatives from GUSA, the Student Activities Commission, the Georgetown Programming Board, the Center for Social Justice, the Performing Arts Activities Commission, the Advisory Board for Club Sports and Media Board divvied up next year’s $310,000 Student Activity Fees. In addition to detailing their funding requests, many of the boards discussed plans for reducing their reserve funds, which cumulatively total more than $800,000.

By April 10, 2008