Voices

D.C. schools changing for a better future

There may now be fewer Catholic elementary schools from which to choose from if the Archdiocese goes through with its plan to change eight schools that have until now participated in the D.C. voucher program into charter schools. The proposal has sent up a predictable storm of protest among parents, which is unfortunate, since such protest obscures the brightest prospect for education in D.C. in many years.

By Louisa Aviles October 4, 2007

Voices

Carrying On

My mother thinks of herself as a modest hippie. After years of being a single parent in a very traditional town, she feels “out of the rat race” and free from the country-club concerns of our neighbors. She lives relatively uninhibitedly, even while affectionately inhibiting my brother’s and my lives. So I was only mildly surprised when I learned that she had decided to pick the drums.

By Kent Elliott October 4, 2007

Editorials

Administrators should have acted, not reacted

Why didn’t the University tell students about the hate crime that took place just off campus until after the Metropolitan Police Department arrested a Georgetown student in connection with the assault three weeks later? And after the crime was made public, why was the University’s response so minimal until students demanded more?

By the Editorial Board October 4, 2007

Editorials

Law Center must stand its ground

In the face of recent opposition from religious groups, the Law Center must stand its ground and continue to fund students’ academic pursuits, even when they contradict Catholic doctrine.

By the Editorial Board October 4, 2007

Editorials

A student hangout, with a twist

Georgetown may be short on campus hangouts—not including Leo’s or the second floor of Lauinger—but there is good news on the horizon.

By the Editorial Board October 4, 2007

Voices

No soapbox for Ahmadinejad

Free speech is an important right we have as Americans, and as human beings. When Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad spoke on Monday at Columbia University, I hope he learned a few lessons about the value of free speech. I hope he takes those lessons to heart as he returns to a country where his government exercises complete control over the press.

By Or Skolnik September 27, 2007

Voices

Carrying On

My father hates goodbyes almost as much as he hates paying for parking.

The day of my flight to Georgetown, he pulled into the drop-off lane at the airport and pressed a twenty into my hand. “Well,” he said. “Good luck.”

By Sarah Harman September 27, 2007

Voices

No justice, no peace in Jena, La.

The much-reported Jena 6 incident serves as a reminder that the fight for civil rights is still a relevant social movement. The case is today’s most notable example of social and racial inequality.

By Jheanelle Brown September 27, 2007

Voices

Practicing humility

When I need to get away, I go to a crypt. No, I don’t frequent tombs for kicks (Save a certain bar on 36th St.). It’s more chapel than crypt, but the solemnity remains the same. It was once the Crypt of the North American Martyrs; today it’s the Copley Chapel. Small as it is, it serves a very special function, for me anyway.

By Tyler Stone September 27, 2007

Editorials

Batons are for relay races, not DPS

University President John DeGioia’s plan to arm officers with batons and mace will put both students and officers at risk.

By the Editorial Board September 27, 2007

Editorials

A victory for free speech at Columbia

The decision to host Ahmadinejad was remarkable not just because he is, in the words of Columbia President Lee Bollinger, “a petty and cruel dictator,” but because of the widespread criticism it provoked.

By the Editorial Board September 27, 2007

Editorials

Keep Catholic education alive in D.C.

Turning these schools into charter schools will be an enormous disservice to families who want Catholic faith—or intellectual rigor—to be a part of their kids’ schooling.

By the Editorial Board September 27, 2007

Editorials

Let students speak out on party rules

If the University expects students to abide by a suddenly strict alcohol policy, there should be good reasons for it, and students deserve to hear what these reasons are.

By the Editorial Board September 20, 2007

Editorials

Petraeus falls into the quagmire of lies

General David H. Petraeus’ testimony on the Iraq War last week couldn’t have been better. Unless, of course, he had announced that the surge had actually done what it was supposed to do—or rather, what he was supposed to do.

By the Editorial Board September 20, 2007

Letters to the Editor

Voice website offensive

As a member of the Georgetown alumni, I wanted to comment that I find your website header of someone walking over the University seal offensive.

By Letter to the Editor September 20, 2007

Letters to the Editor

How Hoyas can change the party policy

By this point, every Georgetown student could probably extemporize a five to ten minute speech elaborating the new alcohol policies that have been put in place, and provide a detailed, well-reasoned argument as to why each of them sucks magnificently. What is not clear, however, is how the student body can engender any sort of change. While the ‘GU Students for Stopping the Madness’ Facebook group has some worthwhile events planned, I believe that the most assured way of getting the administration to change these policies is to hit them where it hurts the most … the wallet.

By Letter to the Editor September 20, 2007

Voices

Spreading our moment

Many of us at Georgetown wish to help these billions of people by committing our undergraduate studies to understanding the complex dimensions of global poverty and development, evaluating the mistakes and successes of the past and exploring innovative ways to effectively and responsibly address them in the future. The International Development Certificate provides a broad framework of study for student wishing to work in this field. Unfortunately, only students in the School of Foreign Service are allowed to pursue it. Students in other schools at Georgetown University should also have access to the certificate and its benefits.

By Courtney Ivins and Bryn Bellamy September 20, 2007

Voices

Peace out and we’re selling your stuff

While most parents get empty nest syndrome, mine were too excited about my departure. They celebrated my empty room with constant house parties, a month long vacation touring China and Japan and what seems to be an epic redecoration project. But worst of all, they’ve started to sell my stuff.

By Vivian Chen September 20, 2007

Voices

It’s a people-watching party

My window is my favorite part of my Village A apartment. My room is too small to hold two desk and two beds, so I put my desks by the window in the living room, directly across from the old Jesuit residence, west of the library. The view has become quite a distraction. I’d much rather people-watch out my window than study Italian or stare at my computer screen.

By Nicole Bush September 20, 2007