Opinion

Thoughts from the Georgetown community.

Voices

“I am the Lord of the Dance,” said he, nervously

I sat in the auditorium waiting for my turn. Each camper stood, said his or her name and something he or she enjoyed doing, and sat back down. It was simple, and by the end of the exercise we knew at least a little bit about every other kid. As the girl next to me sat down, I stood up and told every other nine-year-old at Camp Rae my name. Next I told them the only thing I enjoyed doing, the only thing I was actually good at, and frankly the only thing I didn’t quit within a week of starting: Irish dance.

By the March 4, 2010

Voices

Post-irony is real, and so what?

What we’re left with today is often called “post-irony,” although the term does a poor job of describing the state of things. We now have a smarter form of irony, irony used as a scalpel as opposed to a mallet. And it makes sense—even if irony can no longer serve its original purpose, it’s become such an integral part of American culture that it has become subtly embedded in everyday use.

By March 4, 2010

Voices

Facebook: Trying to resist the universal influence

Facebook is a big part of my life—I can’t deny that. I, like many of my friends, check it obsessively, especially when procrastinating or waiting for someone to post pictures from last weekend. But since I haven’t yet found myself online chatting on a Friday night instead of going out to dinner with friends, it hasn’t seemed like a problem.

By March 4, 2010

Editorials

Keeping Sex Positive Week productive

This week, you may encounter some unexpected, in-your-face activities around Georgetown—perhaps some student “guerrilla theater” volunteers demonstrating sexual positions in Red Square, or students in drag crowding The Tombs on Wednesday evening. It’s all part of this year’s Sex Positive Week.

By the February 24, 2010

Editorials

Don’t delay, launch investigation of Barry

A much younger ex-girlfriend. Angry voicemails. Run-ins with the United States Park Police. When Councilmember Marion Barry (D-Ward 8) was arrested for stalking his ex-girlfriend last July, all the right plot ingredients were in place for another installment in the tragicomic saga of Washington’s former mayor.

By the February 24, 2010

Editorials

GU makes strong move on DPS wages

Crime doesn’t pay, but, thankfully, now Georgetown’s Department of Public Safety does. Earlier this month, Allied International Union, which represents DPS officers, accepted the University’s proposal for a three-year contract that guarantees a $2.50 per hour pay raise and an increased starting salary for new officers.

By the February 24, 2010

Voices

Intellect virtually absent in the online classroom

Usually after asking me for technological aid, my grandfather loves to tell me about the era before computers defined communication—proudly showing me his old but still functional typewriter. Many truly gifted writers, he says, never made the jump from typewriter to computer, preferring the ability to interact with text in ways computer screens don’t allow.

By February 24, 2010

Voices

Yoga’s not about looking good in your lululemon

Georgetown students love their exercise. Anyone who goes to Yates around 5 p.m. knows that you have a better chance of getting into Otto Hentz’s Problem of God class than finding a vacant treadmill. The alternative is sharing the sidewalk with the swarms of outdoor runners—huffing and puffing along, looking miserable. But Georgetown has another category of over-zealous athletes, easily recognizable by the yoga mats sticking out of their backpacks.

By February 24, 2010

Voices

My brother Kyle: A special lesson in human value

As the Winter Olympics come to a close, the time comes once again for us to return to our routine TV schedules, oblivious to the physically disabled who are competing in the Winter Paralympics. The games resemble the Winter Olympics, with patriotic fanfare and fierce competition, except these athletes are, of course, handicapped. With only five sports—alpine skiing, biathlon, cross country skiing, wheelchair curling, and sledge hockey—the Paralympics is a minor spectacle compared to the lavish and gaudy celebration that precedes it.

By February 24, 2010

Voices

Real fans tailgate … why don’t we?

A couple of days into the new year, I found myself standing in the middle of a massive parking lot wearing three pairs of pants. I tried to shield myself from the harsh, freezing wind by taking shelter against the side of a Winnebago that probably had not seen a good day since the Carter Administration. Around the lot, men huddled over fires in metal trash cans, evoking scenes from every post-apocalyptic film ever made.

By February 24, 2010

Editorials

Vote Wagner-Hampton on Tuesday

The Voice editorial board endorses Matt Wagner (SFS ’11) and Emmanuel Hampton (COL ’11) in this year’s Georgetown University Student Association executive election.

By the February 18, 2010

Editorials

GU has mixed record on snow response

During the record breaking snowstorms that left 36 inches of snow in their wake, the University performed well in keeping critical services up and running.

By the February 18, 2010

Editorials

Congressional funds needed for Metro

Last Friday’s nearly disastrous Red Line derailment was merely the latest in a string of unacceptable Metro accidents and near misses.

By the February 18, 2010

Voices

Constantly risking Winter Olympic absurdity

For the sake of the modern world, I really hope the ancient Greeks were wrong in their religious beliefs. Maybe the gods have been ignoring our lack of animal sacrifices for the past couple millennia, but all those myths about an angry god not getting enough worship and going on a killing spree make me a little nervous for the future of civilization.

By February 18, 2010

Voices

What would Betty Freidan do?

When I was younger, my mom refused to let me watch two Disney movies: Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty. I asked her years later about what I thought was a strange prejudice against the delightful animated fairytales, and she explained that she didn’t want me growing up absorbing stories of women being saved by a white knight.

By February 18, 2010

Voices

It’s easy to quit smoking—I’ve done it tons of times

It’s mid-February, which is the perfect time to evaluate all those attempted resolutions of only six weeks ago. The new year ushers in a sense of determination that has the potential to last, but usually disappears within a few weeks, a few days, or even a few hours—usually about when that New Year’s Eve whiskey buzz turns into a New Year’s Day headache. I, like so many before me, took it upon myself to throw away that nasty habit that comes at an unreasonable price in packs of twenty.

By February 18, 2010

Voices

No on-campus cura personalis for sick Hoyas

You wake up one morning to find your throat as raspy as Bob Dylan’s. You trudge to class, yet you can’t help but cough at the least opportune moments and, despite your best attempts, you are that loathsome person whose nose just won’t stop running. But it’s not a cold. It can’t be. Georgetown students can’t afford to get sick. We have classes, commitments, jobs, and social lives. Maybe it’s nerdy, but in general, the only thing that we Hoyas hate more than the flu itself is missing a day of school.

By February 18, 2010

Editorials

No remorse in shutting down Philly P

What do you call a take-out pizza place poorly masquerading as a sit-down restaurant? Closed. In the aftermath of this week’s snowstorms, Philly Pizza & Grill, which was supposed to have its final Board of Zoning Adjustment hearing this Tuesday, has been granted a stay of execution until February 16.

By the February 10, 2010

Editorials

Guards should swipe for student safety

The Department of Public Safety has started a well-intentioned “pilot” security program in Copley Hall this month, requiring student guards to verify students’ GoCard photographs and then swipe each card before allowing them access to the building. The new procedure addresses some of the biggest weaknesses of the student guard program, and should be expanded to all residence halls.

By the February 10, 2010

Editorials

Circulating from Dupont to Rosslyn

Tired of waiting for those dinky blue Metro Connection buses? You’re in luck: Georgetown students and residents will soon have a new, affordable way to get to the Rosslyn Metro Station. Last week, the D.C. City Council approved preliminary plans for a Circulator route that will run from Dupont Circle to Rosslyn.

By the February 10, 2010