Opinion

Thoughts from the Georgetown community.

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

Voices

Some extremely inconvenient truths

It snowed a hell of a lot this week. Amid the record-breaking snowfalls, school closings, and panicking weathermen came the unfortunate but predictable conservative reaction that this kind of anomalous blizzard somehow debunks the theory of “global warming.” The argument—that rare instances of severe cold prove that temperatures are not in fact trending upwards over the long term—is seemingly raised after every dramatic winter storm.

By February 10, 2010

Voices

Party and bullshit: The hassles of entertaining

It started out as a nice evening with a few friends at a Nevils apartment, as it always does. Then someone’s friend’s little sister brought her Harbin cluster-mates, someone’s cousin and all his friends and acquaintances showed up, and a few dozen texts and tweets later, the apartment was flooded with thirsty, rowdy strangers.

By February 10, 2010

Voices

Hoya pride swallowed amid a crowd of apathy

As a fan, it’s hard to repeat the same chant over and over again. It’s time we switch it up a little. “WE ARE GEORGETOWN” and “HOYA SAXA” are good when thrown into the mix, but we need to diversify our portfolio further. How about getting into the other team’s head. Call out a specific player—“SMITH IS RATTLED” will work, for example, when Smith messes up twice in a row. Or try the simple “CRY ABOUT IT” when a player thinks he’s doesn’t deserve a foul. Get creative—you have four whole syllables to work with.

By February 10, 2010

Voices

Rebuttal: A look at the pro-life perspective

Andrew Zipperer’s recent article, “Protesters’ pro-life arguments prove ill-conceived,” (Georgetown Voice, February 4, 2010) showed a vast and astounding ignorance about the pro-life movement it attempted to analyze. While it’s honorable that Zipperer made some effort to understand the protesters he met at the January 22 March for Life, he failed to deliver a balanced or holistic view of the pro-life movement.

By February 10, 2010

Editorials

Don’t give GUSA power over your funds

The long-standing rift between the Georgetown University Student Association and the advisory boards that dole out funding to clubs has come to a head, with potentially disastrous implications for student organizations.

By the February 4, 2010

Editorials

Pass medical pot; Support democracy

Twelve years after District of Columbia voters expressed their overwhelming support for legalizing medical marijuana, the local government is finally poised to put the will of the people into effect. A bill currently under review by the D.C. Council would provide long-awaited relief to those suffering from many serious ailments while minimizing the risk of congressional interference.

By the February 4, 2010

Voices

The ethics of Super Bowl advertising

Was there ever really a time when athletes could be considered paragons of morality? Years before Tiger Woods slept with every cocktail waitress in the greater Orlando area, the American public gave up trying to look up to sports stars as role models. And between Janet Jackson’s nipple, Prince’s giant penis-guitar, and any beer commercial ever, the Super Bowlbowl should have even less moral credibility.

By February 4, 2010

Voices

Paralysis on the operating table: Awake and afraid

On January 3, while many of you were still celebrating the new decade with themed parties or family vacations, I was preparing myself for a routine tonsillectomy. Aside from getting my wisdom teeth out, this was my first surgery, so I was not quite sure what to expect—other than a really sore throat and lots of ice cream.

By February 4, 2010

Voices

Protesters’ pro-life arguments prove ill-conceived

A quarter of a million activists descended on D.C. this past weekend to advocate for the sanctity of human life. As a liberal vegetarian seeking to understand the nuances of the pro-life argument, I ventured down to Constitution Avenue—notebook in hand—to question the marchers in the 37th annual March For Life.

By February 4, 2010

Voices

Islamic studies: The jihad against ignorance

But as I perused the January 7 issue while home over winter break, one article caught my attention. It was Cal Thomas’s column, “Administration reluctant to call a war a war” that caught my attention. The piece, notable for both its absurdity and a rather unflattering reference to Georgetown, demonstrates not just the ignorance of one small-minded small-town man, but a frighteningly widespread misunderstanding of Islam.

By February 4, 2010

Editorials

GU has wrong mindset on wireless

At a town hall meeting on the issue of wireless internet access, Associate Director of Academic and Information Services Donna White betrayed a disturbingly resigned attitude regarding the University’s investment in technological progress, declaring, “Georgetown is never going to be on the leading edge.”

By the January 28, 2010

Editorials

Keep Duke Ellington School in Georgetown

To anyone unfamiliar with the management style of D.C. Public School Chancellor Michelle Rhee, The Washington Post’s report that her department had recently evaluated the cost of moving the Duke Ellington School of the Arts out of Georgetown would scarcely seem like a reason to panic.

By the January 28, 2010