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

Carrying On: Stars unaligned for GU Observatory

Every time I tell people I’m the President of Georgetown’s Astronomical Society, two things happen. First, they laugh. Then, they ask me if I can give them a tour of Georgetown’s Heyden Observatory. The observatory never fails to intrigue people, but this universal fascination makes the current state of the observatory all the more pitiful.

By September 30, 2010

Voices

Fellow Hoyas, you have the right to remain silent

It’s been a long week and you’re at a friend’s townhouse, apartment, or dorm room. Music is playing loudly, conversation is even louder, and people are imbibing. Suddenly, three loud bangs on the door. Then, silence. Someone rushes to turn off the music.

By September 23, 2010

Voices

ESPN’s bias boosts Northeast, bullies the rest

With the San Diego Padres vying for the lead in baseball’s tightest division contest, every game is a big deal. And since I’m away from home, I have to rely on national broadcasting, largely ESPN, for any coverage of the team that I’ve loved since childhood. But there’s a problem.

By September 23, 2010

Voices

Logophile gives cruciverbialism a try, and she likes it

Crosswords are a dying art. There are some word puzzle enthusiasts at schools like Georgetown, but the truth is, this classic time-waster simply doesn’t get the kind of attention it used to, thanks to the vast catalog of computer and video games we can procrastinate with instead.

By September 23, 2010

Voices

Carrying On: GU should prioritize poverty studies

In 1919, Georgetown recognized the United States’s rapidly expanding role in global affairs and established the SFS to train young diplomats. Predating the establishment of the U.S. Foreign Service by six years, the SFS has arguably become Georgetown’s most prestigious institution, and its alumni have affected the course of history.

By September 23, 2010

Voices

The nation of Puerto Rico, an unrealized dream

“But you don’t look Puerto Rican...” I get that a lot. I’m light-skinned and somewhat blonde, have a German last name, and speak English without a heavy Latino accent. But yes, I am Puerto Rican, born and raised.

By September 16, 2010

Voices

Affirmative action neglects real disparity: Wealth

In the heat of the 2008 presidential campaign, Barack Obama said something important about the role of affirmative action in college admissions that should give pause to those who favor the status quo.

By September 16, 2010

Voices

A lifelong world traveler unpacks her global identity

“Can you pass the rubber?” Yes, I am now aware that in the U.S., I should use the word “eraser.” A rubber, I have realized, is a condom. But so goes my cultural adaptation to life in the U.S. I also spell “humour” with a “u,” I can’t pronounce “literally,” and I get annoyed when I can’t use the passive voice.

By September 16, 2010

Voices

Carrying On: The unsexy reality of an ad agency

This summer I found myself interning for two months at an advertising agency. I know what most of my fellow TV buffs out there are already thinking: Mad Men. I was curious to see if the fictional world of Don Draper’s 1960s Madison Avenue philandering had any resemblance to the modern world of marketing.

By September 16, 2010

Voices

Prevent sexual assault by blaming the perpetrator

When we make jokes about “The Cuddler” or suggest that girls who wear “slutty” clothing should expect sexual assault, we are telling any rapists or would-be rapists in our midst that we don’t take these crimes seriously. When we imply that victims are responsible for preventing their own assaults, we give perpetrators the green light to keep assaulting.

By September 9, 2010

Voices

American public apathetic to Afghan War brutality

This October, the United States will enter its 10th consecutive year of war in Afghanistan. When you come to terms with what this reckless and increasingly desperate military adventure really means—especially considering the 50,000 troops still stationed in Iraq and the hundreds of American military bases abroad—it is reasonable to ask whether the United States is managing an empire.

By September 9, 2010

Voices

Contemplation in action star: Ethics at Georgetown

Bradley Cooper’s (COL ’97) appearance at Georgetown was one of the liveliest and most popular on-campus speeches in recent memory. The A-list alum discussed topics ranging from college advice to underwear preferences. But one serious inquiry stood out from the otherwise light-hearted question-and-answer session.

By September 9, 2010

Voices

Carrying On: “Jai No” for this Hoya

I am a failed Indian. At least, that’s what another Indian girl clearly thought when she told me I was saying my own name wrong. “No, no—it’s pronounced ‘Sath-in-derr, not ‘Sat-in-dur.’ You have to soften the ‘t’ and roll the ‘r’ more,” she explained. There I was, a freshman sitting in my common room, seething with rage. Who the hell did she think she was, being that abbrasive when I had merely introduced myself out of politeness?

By September 9, 2010

Voices

Polarization at Georgetown kindles political fire

The second week of my freshman year at Georgetown, I talked my roommate into attending a H*yas for Choice meeting with me. Not for political reasons, but, clever freshman that I was, so he and I could “meet girls who will remember to take their birth control.”

By September 2, 2010

Voices

The 27 levels of compatibility I’m not looking for

The perfect man is out there. He’s dating your best friend. Or maybe they hooked up at Thirds last March and now he’s off-limits. He’s your boyfriend’s much older brother. He’s not your boyfriend. Perfect guys are out there, but for whatever reason, you’ve never actually met one who’s perfect for you.

By September 2, 2010

Voices

Power comes from within … the Earth’s crust

I’m a believer in climate change, but I can see why skeptics are hesitant to embrace the science behind it. But climate change or no, one thing about the way we produce energy in the U.S. is certain: all of our major energy resources are non-renewable.

By September 2, 2010

Voices

Carrying On: Bringing down a cult of personality

Ayn Rand’s works encourage everyone to act in their own self-interest. Her ideology is a reaction against the statist control of the economy that fascism and communism sought in 1920s and ‘30s Europe. But the American welfare state is far from the totalitarian state of Atlas Shrugged, Nazi Germany, or Soviet Russia.

By September 2, 2010

Voices

Going from ghastly to gourmet at Leo O’Donovan Hall

Many freshmen find the dining hall experience is a source of anxiety that frustrates smooth transitions to college life. Here at Georgetown, that anxiety manifests itself in a single institution: the Leo J. O’Donovan Dining Hall. Upon arriving, most freshmen flock to Leo’s with family in tow, nervous about the quality and diversity of the food available.

By August 27, 2010

Voices

Freshman again: The trials of a transfer student

Think about how you felt when you first moved to college. Think about all of your anxieties, hopes, and expectations. Think about how you thought it would be perfect. Now imagine you hated it and left. That’s what it’s like to be a transfer student at a new school.

By August 27, 2010

Voices

Carrying On: Sperm: It’s all about the potency, baby

What am I worth? This is a question that is difficult for almost anyone to answer off the cuff. If you want to answer that question in its literal sense, you might calculate the net value of your expected lifetime earnings or assets. But how do you really calculate the value of a person?

By August 27, 2010