Editorials

Opinions from the Voice’s official editorial board.

Editorials

No more futile concessions on Campus Plan

Last week, the University announced a series of concessions in the bitter fight over the 2010 Campus Plan, including the addition of 250 undergraduate beds either on-campus or at a satellite location and the introduction of a hard enrollment cap of 15,000 students. Administrators agreed to these conditions after weighing suggestions from the District Department of Transportation, the Office of Planning, and the community. However, signals from the Advisory Neighborhood Commission and lessons from previous campus plans show that such concessions are nothing more than useless and unwise capitulations.

By the April 7, 2011

Editorials

Erasures controversy reveals Rhee’s errors

When Michelle Rhee resigned as chancellor of D.C. Public Schools last fall, she left behind a legacy of school closings, teacher accountability, and rising test scores. But those apparently weren’t the only marks left during Rhee’s tenure. According to a report from USA Today last week, classrooms in 96 schools were flagged for an inordinate number of erasures on correct answers on the 2008 D.C. Comprehensive Assessment System. Over the past three years, dozens of D.C. schools have seen a statistically abnormal amount of corrections on standardized tests, implying that teachers possibly cheated to significantly improve test scores.

By the April 7, 2011

Editorials

Student interns deserve pay and class credit

Few things are more coveted at Georgetown than a prestigious internship. Landing one has been universally accepted as the best way to secure a paying job after college. Unfortunately, students on the Hilltop find themselves constrained in the internship search by the University’s burdensome requirements for internship accreditation, along with employers’ growing preference for unpaid interns. Getting employers to fairly compensate interns will require action by the Federal government, but more immediately, Georgetown should reform its accreditation process and stop funneling students into menial, unpaid positions.

By the April 7, 2011

Editorials

Funding proposal for Healy Pub holds promise

No proposal to spend the $3.4 million Student Activities Fee Endowment has received as much attention as the “Bring Back Healy Pub” movement, and for good reason. The proposal is well thought-out and shows great promise for the University’s campus culture. Crucially, it would provide students a place to meet and socialize other than Lau 2. Both the endowment commission and the Georgetown community should embrace this historic opportunity and bring back the Healy Pub.

By the March 31, 2011

Editorials

Uribe’s tenure offers lesson for University

As Álvaro Uribe approaches the end of his yearlong appointment as a Distinguished Scholar in the School of Foreign Service, his tenure offers some clear lessons for the administration on how to handle high-profile and controversial guest scholars. When Uribe arrived, there were reasonable concerns about his record on human rights, but the University promised that the ex-Colombian president would provide students with a “unique perspective” and be a catalyst for fruitful debate. Instead, the administration has sheltered Uribe, preventing the type of open and honest interaction with students that could have justified his appointment.

By the March 31, 2011

Editorials

At 35, Metro should continue focus on growth

Thirty-five years ago this week, the Washington Metro opened for business. The original system was a mere 4.6 miles and consisted of five stations from Rhode Island Avenue to Farragut North. Today, Metrorail is a 103-mile system with 86 stations and an annual ridership in the millions. Its growth is impressive, but it is threatened by the organization’s growing budget shortfall, which is estimated at above $40 million dollars. If the Metro wants to continue serving the city, it should embrace opportunities to expand its reach, while making selective cuts to close the budget gap.

By the March 31, 2011

Editorials

SNAP suffers from arbitrary enforcement

Although the stated goal of the Student Neighborhood Assistance Program is to protect students’ safety, for most students, the sight of SNAP’s flashing yellow lights is a distressing one. On Thursday and weekend nights around Georgetown, SNAP is more often seen as a dour party police. By minimizing the interactions between Georgetown students and the Metropolitan Police Department, SNAP serves a legitimate purpose within the West Georgetown and Burleith neighborhoods. But the program has some unfortunate policies too, such as breaking up parties when there has been no complaint from neighbors, which must end.

By the March 24, 2011

Editorials

Taxing universities won’t solve D.C. budget woes

With the District of Columbia facing a steadily rising $300 million budget shortfall, it is understandable that D.C. officials are looking for novel ways to raise revenue. However, D.C. Councilmember Mary Cheh’s (D-Ward 3) recent proposal to strip Georgetown and other universities in the District of their tax-exempt status is not the answer. Georgetown is, after the federal government, the largest employer of D.C. residents, and taxing the financially constrained institution will only hamper its growth and ability to employ new workers.

By the March 24, 2011

Editorials

Bringing newspapers to campus worth the cost

When the Collegiate Readership Program was abruptly canceled this past September, Georgetown lost a valuable program. It was heartening to see the newspapers return a few weeks ago. The readership program also returned with some much-needed reforms that will help lower the program’s cost and ensure that more undergraduates have access to the papers. At an initial cost of $6,500 per semester, the price tag for the initiative is large, but it is easily one of the wisest purchases the Georgetown University Student Association has made.

By the March 24, 2011

Editorials

Georgetown science facilities need renovation

The global challenges of the coming decades, from climate change to the growing strain on water and food resources, will require innovative scientific research. The continuing global relevance of American colleges and universities rests heavily on their ability to break new ground in confronting these problems. The promise of adding 35 new science faculty and the construction of an entirely new science center show an encouraging commitment to the sciences, but Georgetown must do more to support a field that is increasingly crucial to the direction of the world’s economic, social, and political future.

By the March 17, 2011

Editorials

Support federal funds for National Public Radio

The past several weeks have been bad ones for National Public Radio, as congressional Republicans continued their relentless effort to cut the organization’s funding. Under the guise of fiscal prudence, Republicans have deemed federal money for NPR wasteful, but in reality that verdict is the result of shrewd political calculation. If Republicans manage to slash federal funds for the program they will damage news media standards and lower the level of public awareness in America, all to cut an almost negligible expense from the federal budget and strike against a media outlet they view, incorrectly, as an adversary.

By the March 17, 2011

Editorials

Broad focus key for Endowment Commission

This past Tuesday was the first meeting of the Commission on Student Activities Endowment Reform, which has been tasked with spending the $3.4 million left over after SAFE reform passed last fall. The group will meet once every week until Apr. 25, when they will submit their plan to Georgetown University Student Association’s Financial Appropriations committee. The committee should keep some key things in mind as they begin their work. Specifically, committee members should appreciate the importance of looking at the big picture, making a long-term impact, and listening to the students, who this money really belongs to.

By the March 17, 2011

Editorials

SAC makes changes, but more are needed

This past Monday the Student Activities Commission passed a constitutional amendment allowing it to amend funding guidelines partway through the semester. This change and another reform meant to improve the appeals process were in response to vocal discontent with SAC’s new funding process. But this was a small step, and true reform will require SAC to scrap its new programming arc approach, while increasing its transparency and feedback to clubs.

By the March 3, 2011

Editorials

Support bill to make birth control more accessible

Georgetown students may complain about the inability to buy any form of birth control on campus, but for some D.C. residents contraceptive medicine is even less accessible. However, a bill before the D.C. City Council would enable women to obtain the pill directly from a pharmacist. The D.C. Council should pass the bill, ensuring that as many of the District’s women as possible are able to take control of their reproductive health.

By the March 3, 2011

Editorials

Gray’s patronage, spending, raises questions

Vincent Gray swept into the D.C. mayor’s office partly on his promise to weed out corruption and restore legitimacy to the city’s government. Two months into his term, Gray has failed to uphold that promise. The unscrupulous behavior of his administration may not be criminal, but it has seriously eroded what little trust D.C. residents still have in their government. Gray needs to clean up his image.

By the March 3, 2011

Editorials

Charlie Joyce and Paige Lovejoy for GUSA

In a Georgetown University Student Association election that features high-profile running mates, a deluge of YouTube commercials, and cliché campaign slogans, it can be easy to miss the presidential ticket marked by sound judgment, competence, and a clear work ethic. Charlie Joyce (COL’12) and Paige Lovejoy’s (SFS’12) campaign has made few waves, but their combined experience and knowledge of the issues make their ticket the most effective and refreshing choice for executive.

By the February 24, 2011

Editorials

Defend Pell Grants against political assault

For the past two weeks, House Republicans have been preparing to square off with President Barack Obama and Democrats over next year’s budget. Some 800 Georgetown students who receive Pell Grants will have a serious stake in this fight—billions of dollars in federal student aid hang in the balance. Republicans would like to cut the maximum Pell Grant by $845 per year and eliminate more than $1.8 million for the Federal Supplemental Education Opportunity Grant program.

By the February 24, 2011

Editorials

RJC needs real reform, not a hasty makeover

When the Residential Judicial Council disbanded in October 2010 in order to reorganize, there was hope that with time to reflect on its shortcomings, the RJC would return ready to be an important voice for students in Georgetown’s opaque disciplinary process. Unfortunately, the proposed reforms announced Feb. 16 do little to address the fundamental issues that have plagued the RJC in the past. If the reforms are adopted as proposed, the RJC will return just as ineffectual and insignificant as it was before.

By the February 24, 2011

Editorials

Support Leo’s workers in unionization efforts

Georgetown students may dislike the Leo J. O’Donovan Dining Hall, with its mediocre food, limited space, and exorbitant meal plan prices. For the people employed at the dining hall by Aramark, a large foodservice company, the experience is even worse. Workers report having their hours randomly reduced, and they work for meager pay and benefits under disrespectful managers. Such treatment of workers is unacceptable and it is commendable that Leo’s workers have decided to fight back against their poor treatment by forming a union.

By the February 17, 2011

Editorials

Sentence in DMT case reveals judicial injustice

On Friday, the D.C. District Court handed down its decision in the case against John Perrone and former Georgetown student Charles Smith, who were accused of manufacturing the hallucinogenic dimethyltryptamine in Smith’s Harbin dorm room. The penalty for producing DMT, a Schedule I controlled substance, can be up to $1 million in fines and 20 years in federal prison. Thankfully, the defendants each received three years probation in a plea-bargain agreement with prosecutors—but that is a far cry from the sentence an average defendant would receive.

By the February 17, 2011