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

A petition to the Academy on behalf of How to Train Your Dragon

I’ve never been big on award shows, nor do I consider myself a movie buff. I admit that I have made bets on Oscar ballots, but I would be willing to bet on anything, as long as I can make it a competition among my family or friends. This year, however, I plan on following the Academy Awards with as much passion as I bring to family-night Scattergories. How to Train Your Dragon, reeling from its defeat at the Golden Globes, will most likely go head to head with Toy Story 3 for Best Animated Film.

By the January 20, 2011

Voices

A student’s search for artifacts a century after rediscovery

I always imagine that great wonders in this world are discovered intact, uninhabited, and preserved. I imagined that American explorer Hiram Bingham stumbled upon Machu Picchu much like Disney explorers unearth El Dorado or Atlantis, but as I sat on a large stone slab—perhaps once monument to a priestly order or perhaps just a stone—I learned Bingham’s discovery of Machu Picchu was actually a rediscovery.

By January 20, 2011

Voices

Pooh preview delights, but fans will have to bear letdown

After watching only seconds of Disney’s new trailer for Winnie the Pooh, which features copious honey references, a so-depressed-it’s-kind-of-funny Eeyore, and as much nostalgia as possible, I looked into purchasing a ticket for opening night. Apparently the pre-order service is not provided six months in advance.

By December 9, 2010

Voices

Two of a kind? Born as a twin, living as an individual

One September day of my senior year in high school, my twin sister and I were riding the Metro when a stranger did a double take and walked over to where we were seated. Right on cue, he began rattling through the usual list of questions, and some new ones.

By December 9, 2010

Voices

Capitol punishment: Resume requires political betrayal

Last semester, like so many other Georgetown students eager to get their foot in the political door, I braved the Hill as a congressional intern. Although I was reluctant to sacrifice my class-free mornings and Friday afternoons, the prospect of observing the democratic process was too exciting to pass up.

By December 9, 2010

Voices

Carrying On: Compromising Values

Back in late 2004, when George W. Bush was poised to win a second presidential term and Barack Obama was still a lowly state representative campaigning for a Senate seat, you probably would have shrugged if anyone had asked you about the long-term fiscal position of the country. Everything seemed to be fine.

By December 9, 2010

Voices

Department of Public Safety, why do I feel so unsafe?

“I’m off duty in 15 minutes. You can fuck up your lives all you want after that.” That is not exactly what you would expect to hear from a Department of Public Safety officer on a Saturday night—yet I have. Underage partying and subsequent DPS party-busting are regular weekend activities at Georgetown.

By December 1, 2010

Voices

Kanye West remains a fan’s beautiful dark twisted fantasy

It’s been just over a week since Kanye West released his latest album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy , and the verdict is already in: it’s a classic. MBDTF debuted as the number-one album in the country. It has received perfect ratings from Pitchfork, Rolling Stone, and countless other publications.

By December 1, 2010

Voices

SAFEguarding student life: Vote yes on fee reforms

“As students concerned with building a campus community … we believe that a current systematic neglect of student life issues means a neglect of the whole person. The Main Campus manifests this neglect primarily in areas of the funding of student organizations and activities.” These words are not recent.

By December 1, 2010

Voices

Carrying On: Porterfield reconsidered

Anyone who has used CHARMS, Georgetown’s online roommate matching service, knows that first impressions are sometimes incredibly wrong. One of my current roommates and I unknowingly talked for the first time through CHARMS, but we did not decide to live together freshman year. We were in the same New Student Orientation group.

By December 1, 2010

Voices

Sports fanatics drowning in unlimited Internet streams

On Monday night, for the first time in my two-plus years at Georgetown, school was in session and I was not at the Verizon Center for a men’s basketball game. When the Hoyas played Tulane, I had plans I couldn’t change, so I missed my first home game while school was in session.

By November 18, 2010

Voices

Bulking up, SAC looks to improve allocation procedures

Most people would call me crazy for spending six hours of my Monday nights in a room with 13 other people discussing student activities. If I were to think about it logically, I would probably agree with them. However, this is part of the job of a Student Activities Commission Chair.

By November 18, 2010

Voices

Wingardium Leviosa: Pottermania continues to reach new heights

There’s magic in the air as fans all over the world are preparing themselves for the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1, set to arrive in theaters tonight at midnight. The buzz surrounding the film is by no means temporary.

By November 18, 2010

Voices

Carrying On: The taxes are too damn high

Imagine that one day you unintentionally discover a very simple cure for the common cold. With few side effects and relatively cheap ingredients, this cure is a miracle drug. You make the first several doses yourself in a makeshift kitchen laboratory, but soon realize that you’re going to need more money.

By November 18, 2010

Voices

There are two sides to every brain, why not use both?

Two weeks ago, knee-deep in midterms with no end in sight, I was sitting in a Lau cubicle staring at a pile of books and an empty Microsoft Word document. As an English major, I’ve written plenty of literature papers, but this particular essay was giving me a massive case of writer’s block.

By November 11, 2010

Voices

Slipping on a peel, Hoya flounders in Japanese job market

“I’m sorry to say that this time, we are unable to offer you this job...” This phone call rejection, which I received this summer, did not come from a law firm, top-notch investment bank, or government bureaucracy. It wasn’t from the White House or a marketing company.

By November 11, 2010

Voices

Modern art: Refreshingly abstract

What if I told you that the cardboard box sitting in the trash room of your dorm is a piece of art? Modern art aficionados might be impressed with its artistic flair and the provocative stance the piece takes on human consciousness. But what if, for you, it’s just a box?

By November 11, 2010

Voices

Carrying On: Isolationism in Italy

When I was 12, I read Cornelia Funke’s The Thief Lord, a novel about two runaways who become thieves in the city of Venice. I instantly fell in love with its romantic portrayal of Italy and read it over and over again.

By November 11, 2010

Voices

To national detriment, Golden State voters defy the high

California has been through a rather tumultuous decade of politics: a recall election in 2003 featuring bodybuilders and child actors; the 2008 ban on gay marriage; and in Tuesday’s election, a failure to legalize the state’s most popular recreational drug. In many elections, the nation watches the West, and we always manage to disappoint.

By November 4, 2010

Voices

Censure for censor? Accepting a blogger’s remorse

At least once a week, I censor my peers. This is an aspect of my job as editor of Vox Populi, the staff blog of the Voice, that I rarely question. Inappropriate comments, like those that include slurs or offensive language, always catch my attention as if they have flashing lights attached to them.

By November 4, 2010