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

An unlikely subculture

Waiting in line has become cool. People dressed in strange costumes, attempting to resemble characters from the films, gather to wait in line days before tickets go on sale. These fanatics only come out of their mom’s basement once a year, and when they do, they are dressed as Yoda.

By the November 6, 2003

Voices

A hipster’s life of longing

I’ve spent the better part of this past year trolling through various movies, with the help of Netflix.com, the local arthouses, the well-appointed new Loews on K Street and a car.Of the many, from subte and profound to bombastic and Bruckheimerian, only one has truly captivated me: Kill Bill, Vol.

By the November 6, 2003

Voices

The greatest column ever written

VOICES BY SCOTT MATTHEWS “My temple should be a house of God,” he proclaimed, voice cracking as he strained to hit the high notes. “But you have made it a den of …” “Hold it … today High Priest Caiaphus ‘The Dick’ Cheney is set to speak here, and in accordance with our policy of tolerance and free speech we have limited free speech to the designated tolerance zone, which is fifty cubits hence.”

By the October 30, 2003

Voices

Jack your lantern

Think you carve a pretty pumpkin? You’re probably wrong. Pumpkins carved from a pattern aside, pumpkin carving is like singing: While everyone else is terrible, you think you’re really something. Turns out you probably should save it for the car or the shower.

By the October 30, 2003

Voices

An authentic Red Sox fan

Until this year’s American League Championship Series, I thought I knew what it meant to be a Red Sox fan. I have lived in New England all my life. I got my first Sox cap in third grade. Since coming to Georgetown, my mom has faithfully sent me all the team news from the local paper.

By the October 30, 2003

Voices

Correction

“Taking out the trash” (Cover, Oct. 23) states that Georgetown University reached a peak recycling rate of 43 percent in 1996. However, this figure does not account for waste produced during move-in and move-out. The actual rate at that time, accounting for those figures, was between 16 percent and 18 percent, according to University Recycling Coordinator Pat Dollar.

By the October 30, 2003

Voices

Six degrees of Schwarzenegger

VOICES BY BILL CLEVELAND Five years ago, Jesse Ventura was elected governor of Minnesota in a tightly contested three-way election that pitted him against another local mayor and Hubert Humphrey’s son. Ventura served one term as governor, then left to return to the private sector, because he figured he could make more money there.

By the October 23, 2003

Voices

Redefining pathetic

Every so often, a friend offers to me the following conclusion about his current state of affairs: “My life sucks.” When such feelings of overwhelming self-pity are related to me, the complainer typically has recently had something extremely embarrassing or unfortunate happen to him.

By the October 23, 2003

Voices

I’ll mess with Texas

I’ll admit that adjusting to life on the hilltop has been something of a challenge for me. I know you may be thinking, “don’t worry, everyone goes through the trials and tribulations of leaving home for the first time, making new friends, adjusting to a roommate, et cetera.

By the October 23, 2003

Voices

Correction

In the review “The Illusion captivates” (Leisure, Oct. 16) incorrectly credits Sorell Richard as the set designer. The set designer was Tomasina Lucia (SFS ‘04).

By the October 23, 2003

Voices

Words of warning from California

In June 2002, Shaquille O’Neal ascended to the podium at the Los Angeles Lakers’ third consecutive victory parade. The Lakers’ 4-0 sweep of the New Jersey Nets had been a foregone conclusion, but the Western Conference Championship Series had stretched the team to its limits.

By the October 16, 2003

Voices

Living in the border region

I have read that the term “culture shock,” is used more for its well-known connotations rather than its literal dictionary definition. In other words, we throw the expression around a lot, but its precise meaning is limited to a specific situation. It’s not just confusion or awe due to the sheer difference of a new place or society.

By the October 16, 2003

Voices

Everybody don’t do the Bartman

VOICES BY DAVE STROUP I write this as the Cubs are down by three to the Marlins in game seven of the National League Championship Series. As you read this, you will know how the game came out. However, I am not watching the game. Instead, I am here writing about the tragedy of game six.

By the October 16, 2003

Voices

Pizza, sex and Santa Claus

Being a student guard isn’t all about fast women and loose cars like so many people think it is. It takes a lot more to be one of Georgetown’s elite, as the following excerpts from the diary of a retired guard proves: 8:15 p.m.-Arrive for my 8 p.m. shift right on time, try not to acknowledge the angry glares from the previous guard as he packs up his science fiction novels and coloring books.

By the October 9, 2003

Voices

A toast to integration

Recently there has been much discussion regarding the need to revise the current alcohol policy on campus. The FRIENDS group brought the debate to the forefront once again by submitting a proposal five weeks ago to revise the current alcohol policy.

By the October 9, 2003

Voices

Letter to the Editor

Overlooked arts community

I read your article detailing the groundbreaking ceremony for the Performing Arts Center and its implications for the new Program in Performing Arts and the University community overall with a great sense of anticipation (“Arts center construction begins,” News, Oct.

By the October 9, 2003

Voices

Correction

The photo caption for “At VMI, turnovers cost football first win” (Sports, Oct. 2) attributed Andrew Crawford as a sophomore. Crawford is a junior.

By the October 9, 2003

Voices

Gettin’ my betrothal on

VOICES BY DREW LIN Most students who desire to spend time in a foreign country fritter away countless hours in time-consuming language classes ruminating on subjunctive usage, memorizing declensions, and chicken-scratching kanji character sets (the academic equivalent of gulag slave labor) .

By the October 9, 2003

Voices

The blunt end of the hurricane

When the lights went out, I was sitting on my couch, watching a Harrison Ford movie. In retrospect, I wish I had been up on the Village A rooftops catching Isabel full in the face. Instead, after a muddy round of tackle football, I retreated indoors, possibly due to my roommates’ infectious paranoia in the face of Mother Nature.

By the October 2, 2003

Voices

Life as a washed up celebrity look-alike

VOICES BY SCOTT CONROY I notice her gaze out of the corner of my eye. She’s hovering above me, as I sit at a table in Darnall, where I’m enjoying a meal with a friend. I make eye contact, and she flashes me a coy smile. Shooting a quick glance behind her shoulder, she receives a wave from her friend, indicating that she should go through with it.

By the October 2, 2003