Opinion

Thoughts from the Georgetown community.

Voices

SCOTUS hearing, but not listening, on same-sex marriage

Last week, the Supreme Court herd oral arguments in two gay rights cases involving Proposition 8 (which banned same-sex marriage in California) and the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA, which... Read more

By April 3, 2013

Voices

Justices ignore historical context in aff. action cases

The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear Schuette v. Michigan Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action, after hearing Fisher v. University of Texas earlier this term. “Another affirmative action case?”... Read more

By April 3, 2013

Voices

NCAA culture of impunity a threat to university life

In March 2010, LaMichael James was charged with menacing, strangulation, and assault of his ex-girlfriend. In February 2011, Darrell Williams was charged with rape and sexual battery. In December 2012,... Read more

By April 3, 2013

Voices

Carrying on: Sexism in science sucks

Sitting in a large intro science class in Reiss 103 last year, I was struggling to keep my eyes open. The lights had been dimmed for the PowerPoint presentation, and... Read more

By April 3, 2013

Editorials

Unpaid internships unlawfully exploit Hoyas

The season of applying for summer internships is upon us, and with it come questions about the legality of these positions. Many will be unpaid, forcing cash-strapped students to choose between valuable work experience and making enough money to pay rent. Considering the legal, economic, and ethical status of unpaid internships, the consensus is clear: Pay your interns.

By the March 21, 2013

Editorials

District living wage legislation shows promise

This Wednesday, businesspeople and activists crowded into City Hall for the D.C. Council’s public hearing for the Large Retailer Accountability Act. This groundbreaking piece of legislation would require large retailers, or firms with stores larger than 75,000 square feet whose corporate parent rakes in profits upwards of $1 billion, to pay their D.C. workers a living wage.

By the March 21, 2013

Editorials

President disappoints on environmental front

In February, President Barack Obama forcefully declared that the U.S. government can no longer afford to ignore key environmental issues. Unfortunately, EPA insiders have made public that his administration is looking not only to delay implementing clean energy regulation, but also to reduce restrictions and allow for more lenient greenhouse gas emission standards.

By the March 21, 2013

Voices

Foreclosure a reminder that four walls do not make a home

We have to be out of our house by August 1. The word “foreclosure” sounds so foreign—it brings to mind images of credit rating agencies and the “millions of Americans”... Read more

By March 20, 2013

Voices

Transparency of social media puts rapists on the record

On Aug. 12, 2012, a 16-year-old girl named Jane Doe woke up naked in a Steubenville, Ohio basement she didn’t recognize. From what I can imagine, she felt shame and... Read more

By March 20, 2013

Voices

Angels of the desert illuminate humanity of immigrants

Walking solemnly into the courtroom on a warm Arizona day, I’m immediately confronted with the smell of sweat and the sight of 40 migrants seated in the rows to my... Read more

By March 20, 2013

Voices

Carrying on: Insecurity of the unknown

Among Georgetown seniors, the conversations tend to get a little repetitive—who did what with whom at Tombs last night, who’s going to Tombs tonight, how awesome it is to be... Read more

By March 20, 2013

Editorials

Gtown should pursue serious housing reform

On Feb. 24, GUSA passed a resolution introduced by Sen. Abigail Cooner (SFS ‘16) to increase the transparency of Housing Services' room change policy. While the bill successfully identifies an issue that continues to plague students—the lack of a clear operating procedure for filling housing vacancies—it is limited in scope and effect.

By the March 14, 2013

Editorials

Tougher stance required to prevent wage theft

Worker rights activists gathered at City Hall on Monday, March 4 in a display of support and solidarity for workers testifying about their experience with wage theft in the District. The Wage Theft Coalition presented the D.C. Council with wage claims amounting to $260,000 owed to a group of forty workers.

By the March 14, 2013

Editorials

Maryland progresses with disposable bag tax

Last Friday, Maryland legislators introduced a bill in the House of Delegates that would impose a 5-cent fee on both paper and plastic disposable bags, the first tax of its kind at the state level. Modeled after D.C.’s own 2009 bag tax, the proposed fee would both reduce pollution of Maryland’s waterways.

By the March 14, 2013

Voices

To invest in America’s communities, divest from fossil fuels

Two weeks ago, I attended the Power Up! Divest Now! Student Convergence at Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania. Students working on divestment from across the country gathered to learn from each... Read more

By March 13, 2013

Voices

Chavez sparked the revolution, time to set it on fire

Hugo Chavez is dead. As a Venezuelan of my generation it’s a reality I find difficult to accept, or even wrap my head around. Chavez came to power in 1999—in... Read more

By March 13, 2013

Voices

Unregulated drone wars threaten U.S. prestige abroad

The Senate has finally confirmed John Brennan as the director of the Central Intelligence Agency, yet controversy over the Obama administration’s drone program still lingers. The criticism came to a... Read more

By and March 13, 2013

Voices

Carrying on: Birth of a self-made man

The thought of being my own boss is surreal. Taking on some kind of entrepreneurial endeavor, making my own hours, being responsible for a group of people, and doing things... Read more

By March 13, 2013

Editorials

Stewards scandal highlights need for integrity

Last week’s election erupted into controversy when an anonymous source revealed presidential hopeful Jack Appelbaum (COL ‘14) to be a member of the Stewards Society. Exposing Appelbaum and his campaign manager to be members of this secret society was irrelevant and ultimately accomplished nothing beyond distracting student voters from the issues at hand.

By the February 28, 2013

Editorials

Sequester woes offset by D.C. emergency fund

Last month, D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray made an announcement thousands of city officials across the nation wish they could make themselves. The District had accrued a $417 million surplus in fiscal year 2012, and has put it all away in its emergency fund. This brings its rainy day savings to almost $1.5 billion.

By the February 28, 2013