Voices

Voices is the Op-Ed and personal essay section of The Georgetown Voice. It features the real narratives of diverse students from nearly every corner on campus, seeking to tell some of the incredibly important and yet oft-unheard stories that affect life in and out of Georgetown.

Voices

From Hoosier to Hoya: a guide to incoming transfers

During my first few weeks at Georgetown, I was asked the question approximately 343 times: “So, why did you transfer?” At first, I would give long-winded explanations, getting tangled in my own reasons and excuses to explain why I decided to leave Indiana University. I learned to avoid this. There are tons of reasons I could list: desire for a strong international relations program, longing to explore a world outside of the Midwest, hopes for a challenge. Or even the more candid responses: a disappointing Greek system, regrets of choosing the safe option, following a boyfriend. Eventually I learned that I really didn’t need an excuse to offer other people. Just knowing that my first year wasn’t just right is reason enough.

By August 26, 2011

Voices

Carrying On: Check me out

Though most of my West Coast-bred friends scoffed, Tuesday’s 5.8-magnitude earthquake really upset me—mostly because I didn’t feel it at all. As my Facebook news feed blew up with first hand accounts of the quake, I sat at my desk with an acute sense of disappointment. Somehow I had missed what would surely become one of the biggest news stories of the end of the summer. I had to disappoint the family members who had emailed me asking for an eyewitness report. Worst of all, I had to come home from work and listen to everyone telling me how cool it was to feel an earthquake as if I hadn’t been in DC at all.

By the August 26, 2011

Voices

Carrying On: A colorful past

When I heard that Sean Penn had won the Academy Award for best actor for his role in Milk, I was curious to see how Penn’s portrayal of a dairy farmer garnered the attention of the Academy. It was only later that I learned that Milk, contrary to my assumption, is a biographical film detailing the life and struggles of Harvey Milk, a gay rights advocate and the first openly gay person to be elected to public office. Call me ignorant, but how was I supposed to know that?

By April 28, 2011

Voices

Look who’s coming to dinner: An open invite to new elites

“Are you smart enough to eat here?” When I go out to eat, these are not typically the first words out of the host or hostess’s lips. But then again, Number 68 Project isn’t your typical restaurant. Part of a new “pop-up” restaurant fad, this originally London-based dining experience has made its way to the District and brought with it a new outlet for creative chefs, intrepid diners, and elitist aspirations.

By April 28, 2011

Voices

Tapping into thirst for space

The merit of a single idea is based on three different factors. First, it has to be the right idea. Second, it has to be the right time. Third, it has to be the right place. On Tuesday night, the GUSA Endowment Commission—of which I was a member—made the correct choice in allocating the full amount of the $3.4 million available to both the Healy Student Space proposal and the Georgetown Energy proposal in its primary recommendation.

By April 28, 2011

Voices

Money with a mission

Vice President Joe Biden often says, “Don’t tell me what you value; show me your budget, and I’ll tell you what you value.” When looking at the final recommendation from the GUSA Endowment Commission, which passed up supporting the Georgetown Social Innovation and Public Service Fund in favor of allocating $3.2 million to the Healy Pub proposal, it’s difficult to tell what, exactly, our community values. The commission had the opportunity to get behind a more balanced proposal—one that would have suggested allocating $2 million to developing student space and $1 million to the SIPS Fund—but by a single vote, the commission elected not to even consider it. This proposal would have impacted many students by expanding student space, and at the same time, empowering students to positively impact the world by investing in their own ideas and potential.

By April 28, 2011

Voices

Monetizing modern art

In a recent Wall Street Journal profile of superstar art dealer Larry Gagosian, the author explains that a decade ago, the abstract work of Cecily Brown would only sell for around $8,000. However, all that changed when curators from the Tate and the Museum of Modern Art, at Gagosian’s encouragement, began to buy Brown’s work. Today, Brown’s paintings are sold for around $800,000.

By April 13, 2011

Voices

Constant news updates won’t tell you the complete story

Every once in a while, I try to emulate the majority of my classmates by actually following current events. But despite my valiant effort to watch CNN and Fox News this week, I am not significantly more knowledgeable about the issues that affect the world than I would be if I had spent the time sleeping.

By the April 13, 2011

Voices

Knicks’ success hearkens back to its old winning Spree

As a lifelong Knicks fan who has spent the last decade allowing myself to be convinced that the likes of Antonio McDyess, Stephon Marbury, Steve Francis, Penny Hardaway, Eddy Curry, Zach Randolph, Malik Rose, Don Chaney, Larry Brown, and Isiah Thomas could contribute to a competitive Knicks team, it’s incredibly rewarding to watch the current squad putting up big numbers in the win column.

By April 13, 2011

Voices

Possible Republican candidates are praying for victory

The religious right is back on the Road to Victory. Early in the 2012 election season, socially conservative members of the GOP are attempting to rally their conservative Christian constituents, tapping into a formidable grassroots mechanism rooted in evangelical communities. The Tea Party, meanwhile, is making moves to secure the allegiance of the institutions that shape the religious right and its electoral potency.

By April 13, 2011

Voices

A tough late-night call

Georgetown has been grappling with the issue of sexual harassment for some time. From hate crimes to sex crimes and everything in between, our campus community has been plagued by an unhealthy and often dangerous sexual dynamic. The situations in which harassment are most likely to occur often involve alcohol, which sometimes makes the decision of how to react to it more difficult.

By April 7, 2011

Voices

The quality of children’s television is no longer All That

A month ago my friend sent me an email titled “START GETTING EXCITED LIKE NOW,” with nothing but a link to a screenshot of a press release from Nickelodeon Studios in the message’s body. They were announcing plans to produce brand new episodes of cartoon classics like Hey Arnold!, Rugrats, Angry Beavers, and Doug, with production to commence on Mar. 14. Like any other kid who grew up with the shows that made the network an instant nostalgia inducer, I was ecstatic. Turns out it was a hoax pulled off by some punk ass kid in California that knew a little Photoshop. Damn high school kids.

By April 7, 2011

Voices

Student leads the way by being a committed follower

Some people, when they’re looking for music recommendations, turn to Pitchfork or other indie blogs. I simply open up iTunes and check out the top 100 songs. If I don’t have one of the top 10, I get anxious and download whatever I’m missing immediately. I’m a trendaholic.

By April 7, 2011

Voices

Lead me into tempeh-tation and deliver me from cheese-vil

Growing up in a conservative Christian household, observing Lent has always been an intricate part of my cultural and religious identity. But this year I wanted to abstain from something that would truly challenge my willpower—my Diet Dr. Pepper fast from last year didn’t quite cut it.

By April 7, 2011

Voices

Dancing into the hearts of Georgetown’s Best Buddies

Ever since I began Irish dance lessons in second grade, the month of March has always been filled with performances. Whether marching in my town’s parade or dancing at black-tie events, during the week of St. Patrick’s Day, my dance shoes almost never leave my feet.

By March 31, 2011

Voices

More practice space is instrumental to musicians’ growth

When I made the decision to go to Georgetown last spring, I knew what the school was known for and, well, what it was not known for. The strengths, which in my eyes outweighed any drawbacks, included its relatively small size, location in D.C., and academic reputation. But my decision still meant making sacrifices. As a musician who plays many instruments, including piano, guitar, and (my personal favorite) drums, I found Georgetown had relatively few outlets to satisfy a non-music major’s cravings for jamming.

By March 31, 2011

Voices

The Times, it is a changin’

The New York Times has always held a special place in the hearts of liberal elitists like myself. When I was young, I grabbed the Los Angeles Times on Sunday to read the color comic strips. Decidedly uninterested in the latest shenanigans of Calvin and Hobbes, Garfield, or that cheeky bunch over at Family Circus, my parents went for the Gray Lady’s news and opinion sections. Long after our subscription to the L.A. paper was cancelled, the New York Times remains an integral part of my family’s breakfast routine. It is considered a grave offense to throw the paper away before both of my parents have the opportunity to read it.

By March 31, 2011

Voices

A mural dilemma: Looking for inspiration on the Leo’s wall

Like almost every Georgetown student, I don’t enjoy much of the time I spend in Leo’s. But it’s not the food that bothers me. I love the “Flavors of Home” line, I love the sweet potatoes and the white sauce on the boiled noodles, and I love making myself waffles downstairs. People who complain about the food in Leo’s are either spoiled or not hungry enough. But, though it has nothing to do with the dining hall’s gastronomic offerings, my lunches and dinners are still unsatisfying.

By March 31, 2011

Letters to the Editor

Letter to the Editor: Support the Healy Pub

The vision of a University Center in Healy basement belongs to Sue Palmer Johnson, the Director of Student Activities in the early 1970s. I was fortunate to work with her, other administrators, and many fellow students in opening the Café in 1973 and the Pub in 1974. Since those beginnings, numerous friendships were made and fond memories are now shared by the many employees and patrons of the Café and Pub during its 14 year existence. However, the issue today is not about the past, but the future. There is an apparent need for student study and social space.

By March 28, 2011

Voices

Finding faith in the last place you would think to look

Though I had already convinced my parents to let me take Elmo as my confirmation name, I ultimately chose Anthony. My last minute decision was in part because I wasn’t actually ballsy enough to pull off the irony of entering Catholic adulthood with a name that conjures up nothing but images of childhood. But mostly it was because St. Anthony, the patron saint of lost items, was the only saint I had ever actually prayed to. I’m sure St. Elmo, the patron saint of sailors, would not have appreciated my summers spent at camp purposely capsizing boats, either.

By the March 24, 2011