Voices

Lost in the margin

Last Saturday, Illinois Governor George Ryan emptied the state’s death row, declaring the system “arbitrary and capricious—and therefore immoral.” Governor Ryan commuted 167 death sentences to life in prison. This bold move by the governor came at the conclusion of three years of study of the death penalty system in Illinois that was spurred on by the discovery of 13 innocent convicts in the state’s death row.

By the Voice Staff January 16, 2003

Voices

thenightisortahadwitgod

Mommy told me to go into my cold room where the windows never close and simply concentrate on the inside of my eyelids with my hands slapped together. She told me to close my eyes as hard as I could so tears can gather in a tight place in my eyes. She told me to wait until the tears dripped at gaining speeds on my clasped hands just from my deep concentration.

By the Voice Staff January 9, 2003

Voices

Adventures in Legoland

In the classic screwball farce Airplane, Ted Striker has a drinking problem. Specifically, he has a problem getting the drink to his mouth. Similarly, I have a gambling problem. Don’t worry, mom and dad. I’m not going broke. The bets rarely rise higher than a $4 Vittles sandwich, maybe once in a while I bet lunch at the Tombs.

By the Voice Staff January 9, 2003

Voices

What do I know?

French has two verbs for “to know,” each with a different connotation. One verb means “to know” in the sense of knowing a fact. The other means the sense of “being familiar with.” In English, we have one verb and are left to find ways to distinguish between its shades of meaning.

By the Voice Staff January 9, 2003

Voices

First Amendment: freedom of business?

“Away in a sweatshop where no one can see, the immigrant seamstresses work constantly. Conditions are awful, the pay is absurd—the boss he will fire them if they say a word.” Our voices harmonized and we moved onto our second song: “God bless you wealthy men, good news I have to tell: The market’s up, you’re making more each time you buy and sell.

By the Voice Staff January 9, 2003

Voices

Letter to the Editor

The Nov. 14 issue of The Georgetown Voice published an article regarding the South Asian Society’s annual cultural show Rangila, “Rangila Expands its Focus.” Though the review’s overall positive assessment of the show is greatly appreciated, the article seems to highlight Rangila’s entertainment value while at the same time downplaying the show’s purpose as a forum of cultural exchange.

By the Voice Staff December 5, 2002

Voices

How to make your mom cry

There are times when I want to fall on my knees and give thanks that I’m not entrusted with teaching English to non-native speakers. The number of nuances in our language make me shudder at the prospect of this task. I would rather explain exceptions to grammatical rules 365 days a year, however, than be faced with the challenge of defining some of our more elusive words.

By the Voice Staff December 5, 2002

Voices

Christ in tights

For the past six or so years, my sister’s ballet company has hijacked our Thanksgiving travel plans. The company puts on an annual performance of The Nutcracker that weekend, and my family usually attends all of the five or so showings. This is usually not too unpleasant, as I enjoy both Tchaikovsky and costumes with lots of ruffles.

By the Voice Staff December 5, 2002

Voices

You know how I do … Holla!

Sup sup MTV! Welcome to my crib! This is where it’s at, down here in the dirty dirty, you know. I’m doing it! Wearing my robe, doing my thing! Now let me show you around. Come on in! OK, here’s the front hallway, you know. Got the Oriental rug goin’ on, got it down in Chinatown for like thirty dollars, you know, pee stains and shit, I’m keepin’ it real.

By the Voice Staff December 5, 2002

Voices

I dreamed a little dream gone wrong

I know a lot of people that have Attention Deficit Disorder, and they are some of the most interesting and creative people I have ever met. I, however, seem to have the opposite problem. I am able to focus on incredibly boring material for long periods of time.

By the Voice Staff November 21, 2002

Voices

Letter to the Editor

In response to your article “Out and a Scout” (Nov. 14), I, an Eagle Scout, would like to address a few issues that were omitted. The issue of homosexual scoutmasters runs much deeper than the moral objection on the surface. For one, a scout’s parents have a legitimate objection to allowing a homosexual to have unlimited access to their boy four to six times a month, especially on overnight camp-outs.

By the Voice Staff November 21, 2002

Voices

Over the river and through the woods

As Thanksgiving break nears, I am counting down the days until I can sit on the couch and have members of my family bring me things. However, earlier this semester my mom told me that the family would be spending the holiday at my grandfather’s house in Florida, which only means one thing: road trip.

By the Voice Staff November 21, 2002

Voices

Correction

The Georgetown Voice takes mistakes seriously. We will correct all factual mistakes in our stories and publish appropriate clarifications as soon as possible. In “Rangila expands its focus,” on Nov. 14, the Voice incorrectly referred to Vidhya Iyer (CAS ‘03) as Bidhya Iyer.

By the Voice Staff November 21, 2002

Voices

Ode to life

I can write the saddest poem of all tonight. To think I don’t have her. To feel that I’ve lost her. To hear the immense night, more immense without her. And the poem falls to the soul as dew to grass. What does it matter that my love couldn’t keep her. The night is full of stars and she is not with me.

By the Voice Staff November 14, 2002

Voices

Darn-all the bathrooms

I am a simple man. Although I have the relative good fortune of living in the wealthiest state in the world and occupy a position of seemingly infinite upward mobility, my needs and desires are few. I have no use for the highly coveted bling- bling of Lexuses, flashy jewelry, high-powered video game machines or even fine dining at the District’s various five-star restaurants, though my financial station and societal privilege may one day entitle me to these things.

By the Voice Staff November 14, 2002

Voices

Sunday Night Syndrome exposed

Mornings are my favorite time of day because the endless possibilities of life are upon me. I relish my first cup of coffee and sing out with the morning birds about the hopefulness that each new day brings. As the morning drifts into the afternoon and the sun moves across the sky, a sense of foreboding comes over me as I realize that the night is fast approaching.

By the Voice Staff November 14, 2002

Voices

‘Gonna make you sweat, bay-bee!’

“You have a sweating problem, Peter,” one of my friends told me a few weeks ago while recounting a list of my flaws. I could not disagree. While a sweat problem is better than, say, a smack problem or a child-molesting problem, it’s still an issue. I should clarify.

By the Voice Staff November 7, 2002

Voices

Letter to the Editor

Georgetown University has a secret court system on campus that adjudicates crimes as serious as rape and murder. While they describe it as an “educational system” that doesn’t function as a substitute for a court of law, the reality is that it does.

For some crime victims, like rape victim Kate Dieringer, who spoke out in the Voice (“The girl who whimpered rape,” Oct.

By the Voice Staff November 7, 2002

Voices

The struggle for art in a corporate world

Langa is a black township on the outskirts of Cape Town, South Africa. Driving into the township, coming off the exit ramp from the N2, you are greeted by a sign. A large billboard advertising Coca-Cola (certainly not a unique image in the iconographic landscape of South Africa) underlines the phrase “Welcome to Langa.

By the Voice Staff November 7, 2002