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: School is for learning?

As I was on my way to New York City for Columbus Day weekend, the guy next to me on the bus decided to strike up a conversation. “How do you like Mill?” he asked. He was referring to On Liberty, which I was furiously marking up with my pen. I had already decided I was going to spend the weekend tackling my flood of homework.

By October 14, 2010

Voices

Oh Columbus Day, Columbus Day, why do you exist?

When I first saw Columbus Day on the Registrar’s calendar as a freshman last year, I was amused to find that we had the day off. For many students in this country, Columbus Day is just a novelty, and many states and school districts have never used it as an excuse to cancel school. Students, however, really shouldn’t just dismiss Columbus Day out of hand.

By October 7, 2010

Voices

Silencing a mute: RJC ends, student rights stay the same

As a second-year member of the Residential Judicial Council, I could not be happier with the Office of Residential Life’s recent decision to suspend and restructure the council during the 2010-11 academic year. Some students have complained that they have lost a voice in the University’s judicial process, but the truth is they never really had one in the first place.

By October 7, 2010

Voices

Corporal punishment, my daily dose of café-au-hell

The Corp is the single worst organization at Georgetown University. It operates in a fantasy land where bad business practices can still yield a profit, where employees face virtually no risk of being fired short of stealing from the company, where employers provide rivers of free alcohol, and where customers continue to patronize businesses that provide terrible service and sell goods at inflated prices.

By October 7, 2010

Voices

Carrying On: Some like it flat

About a month ago, in an orientation speech for my study abroad program in Copenhagen, a Danish government official explained to my fellow Americans and me how expensive it would be for us to live in Denmark. Thanks to an unfortunate exchange rate, it costs about 5.5 kroner to purchase $1 dollar. Here, a cheap cup of coffee costs about 22 kroner. Smirking, the speaker said, “Don’t blame us—blame your parents.

By October 7, 2010

Voices

Scoring a goal: African citizens beaming with pride

“When I get older, I will be stronger, they’ll call me freedom, just like a waving flag! And then it goes back, and then it goes back, and then it goes back, oh!” This summer little kids ran through the streets and waved their Ghanaian flag to the rhythm of that K’naan song whenever Ghana, or any African country, was playing in the World Cup, which was unique in how successful it was in bringing people together.

By September 30, 2010

Voices

OCSL and SNAP stuck in logistical and ideological snafu

Life on the Village A rooftops last year was a good time. Every weekend, the parties made the week worth wading through. I figured it was only going to get better when my friends and I decided to move into an off-campus townhouse for our senior year. Unfortunately, that is not exactly what happened. In reality, leaving campus doesn’t actually mean you’re free from Big Brother’s scrutiny.

By September 30, 2010

Voices

Congress is our name and procrastination is our game

I love American politics. I love it because it mirrors the way I think and live as a typical college student. Congressmen and college students alike sit in large lecture rooms and ignore what the speaker is saying. Both Congressmen and college students fail to complete crucial readings, forcing themselves to bullshit their way through the relevant sessions.

By September 30, 2010

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