Opinion

Thoughts from the Georgetown community.

Editorials

Interhall’s policy is smokin’

Last week Vice President of Facilities and Student Housing Karen Frank informed Georgetown students in a March 12 on-campus e-mail that she will implement Interhall Council’s proposal to adopt a smoke-free residence hall policy. According to Frank, smoking will be prohibited in all residence halls, apartments, and townhouses as well as near entrances and air ventilation intake systems, effective at the end of this semester.

By the March 18, 2004

Editorials

Display some lead-ership

Since the Environmental Protection Agency announced the presence of dangerous levels of lead in the District last month, Washington has been buzzing with anger and fear as people worry about the safety of their drinking water. Many criticize the EPA’s testing standards, while others have blamed city officials for failing to foresee the potential lead problem and deal with it accordingly.

By the March 18, 2004

Voices

Eagle Scouts gone wild

“And now we … we … uh…” Armando stepped down from the podium to confer with Scoutmaster Miller. The two huddled together against the church basement’s wall, seemingly unaware that they were in plain sight of the forty or so individuals assembled. Uncomfortable silence filled the room as the ceremony to induct my good friend John into that venerable brotherhood, the Eagle Scouts, ground to a halt for the third time in the ten minutes it had lasted thus far.

By the March 18, 2004

Voices

Keyboard confessional

VOICES BY ROB ANDERSON Forgive me Father for I have sinned. I’ve stopped going to confession. Well, I haven’t stopped, but I don’t go to a priest anymore. See, there’s this website now, Father. It’s called grouphug.us. It’s just, I don’t know, a lot less awkward than honestly confessing my sins to an 80-year-old man sworn to a life of poverty and chastity.

By the March 18, 2004

Editorials

‘Eternal Sunshine’ lights theaters

Have relationship woes and gripes? Does your girlfiend spend more time decorating potatoes than hanging out with you? Don’t be too quick to complain about idiosyncrasies. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, written with the eerie intelligence of the famed Charlie Kaufman (Adaptation, Being John Malkovich) and directed by Michel Gondry (various Bjork videos), the film clearly executes its message-that perfect relationships are elusive.

By the March 18, 2004

Voices

Skipping rocks across “the pond”

“I wish I was back in Barcelona! Its fantastic there, the people are so beautiful! The sun is always shining and the culture is fabulous!” Jane Hoya is especially enthusiastic about her dearest Espa?a, and it sounds like a very nice place, but I sure am tired of hearing about it.

By the March 18, 2004

Editorials

Firing Esherick: the first step

Late Tuesday night, Georgetown issued a statement from University President John J. DeGioia firing men’s basketball head coach Craig Esherick. Esherick, who took over from Head Coach Emeritus John Thompson in 1999, had just finished leading the Hoyas to a 13-15 season, making the team ineligible for postseason play for the first time in 31 years.

By the March 18, 2004

Voices

Yokohama nights

VOICES BY SCOTT MATTHEWS “She a friend of yours?” I ask, gesturing toward the girl grinding with an older, sweaty American businessman as he awkwardly contorts his mis-shapen carcass in a grim parody of dancing while 50 Cent blares over the sound system. My friend’s response is lost under the heavy bass, but I can tell from her expression that her answer amounted to something like “hell no.

By the March 4, 2004

Voices

The ugly truths of women and war

During the early months of the Iraq war, a new type of “friendly fire” was cheerfully revealed by the media to be sidelining troops: female soldiers were being taken out of action by pregnancies conceived while on mission. But the tales revealed in a front page New York Times article last week were altogether different.

By the March 4, 2004

Editorials

WGTB Recommends …

The WGTB staff listens to virtually every new release that comes out on CD and vinyl. They have donated their list of their best and most-played albums. 1. Xiu Xiu-Fabulous Muscles 2. The Walkmen-Bows and Arrows 3. Blonde Redhead-Misery is a Butterfly 4. Charizma and PB Wolf-Big Shots 5.

By the March 4, 2004

Voices

Helping you help yourself

Isn’t volunteerism great? I really admire people who spend their weekends selflessly dishing out soup to the homeless or visiting shut-in convalescents. With every sandwich distributed or item of clothing donated, volunteers infuse society with optimism and hope for a brighter future.

By the March 4, 2004

Voices

Letter to the Editor

“Vote your conscience” Sonia Mukhi’s piece on presidential politics and negative campaigning (“Fragmented Democrats cannot succeed,” Feb. 26) begins and ends with an unfounded assertion that John Kerry is the better Democratic nominee, while the entire middle is a de facto endorsement of John Edwards.

By the March 4, 2004

Editorials

Racism: a tradition of toleration

EDITORIALS Four years ago, a rash of high-profile hate-based incidents occurred at Georgetown. In response, students and administrators cooperated to address serious omissions in the student code of conduct regarding bias-related offenses. Now, a new movement is preparing to tackle another form of racism, one that is more subtle and pervasive.

By the March 4, 2004

Editorials

Sen. hatches bad gun law

It’s safe to say that Senator Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) doesn’t live in the District. It’s also safe to say that from his house in the posh Federal Heights neighborhood of homogenous Salt Lake City he has little grasp of what the introduction of handguns would do in America’s most murderous city.

By the March 4, 2004

Editorials

Learning from botched elections

When students return to campus after Spring Break, a month will have passed since the Georgetown University Student Association held elections for its presidential and vice-presidential positions. The student body, however, will still not know the outcome of that election.

By the March 4, 2004

Voices

Fragmented Democrats cannot succeed

As election time approaches, all disheartened and disillusioned with the current administration are dealing with a difficult internal conflict. On one hand, we have to work to remove Bush from office. On the other, our efforts appear frighteningly fruitless.

By the February 26, 2004

Editorials

Human rights for the District

Once again, the world must deal with a government that denies its citizens basic human rights. Again, the world must wrestle with how to ensure that democracy and freedom prevail. Economic sanctions? International observers? Regime change? Not this time. Now, the human rights violation is in the United States-specifically, right here in the District of Columbia.

By the February 26, 2004

Editorials

Think Nader, vote Democrat

Ralph Nader ended weeks of speculation on Sunday by announcing that he will run for president this November on an independent ticket. Nader’s intention to run has been met with hostility from Democratic Party leaders, many of whom blame Nader, the former Green Party nominee, for President Bush’s victory over Democratic hopeful Al Gore in 2000.

By the February 26, 2004

Editorials

Hoyas sold on auction

On Feb. 17, the FRIENDS Initiative’s Hilltop Auction raised over $3000 by auctioning off dinners with various faculty members to student bidders. Proceeds from the auction will go to student groups in the Office of Volunteer and Public Service. The University, FRIENDS, and participating faculty and students should be commended for initiating this new event.

By the February 26, 2004

Voices

I’ll teach you to speak Aramaic

VOICES BY BILL CLEVELAND Three years ago, Fr. William Fulco, S.J. received a phone call from a production company asking him to help translate a movie script. “Hey, Padre, its Mel. I’ve got a project for you,” said a voice on the other end of the phone. As a professor of Ancient Mediterranean Studies at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, where he teaches courses like “Near Eastern Archaeology” and “Intermediate Classical Hebrew,” his litany of languages includes Aramaic and Latin.

By the February 26, 2004