10 25 2012

VOICE the georgetown

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STUDENTS CONTINUE TO STUDY WITH GLUTEN-FREE AT GEORGETOWN PAGE 5

SOCCER PREPARES FOR BIG EAST PAGE 7

ON CLOUD NINE PAGE 10

Georgetown University’s Weekly Newsmagazine Since 1969 w October 25, 2012 w Volume 47, Issue 11 w georgetownvoice.com

GERMS 30th Anniversary

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october 25, 2012

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Voice Crossword “Season’s Greetings” by Tyler Pierce

ACROSS 1. Slugger Mel 4. Early blueswoman Rainey 6. Chop (off) 9. French tea 12. Gov’t agency which deals with 38-Down 13. Follow, as rules

15. “Andy Capp” cartoonist Smythe 16. Compass reading 17. Wagon protected camp, in South Africa 18. Kind of cream 19. Guitarist’s setup 20. Hobbling gait 21. Religious splinter groups 23. “___ the ramparts...”

24. “Hurry!”

25. “Don’t __ your scab!”

26. Manipulate 27. Scrawny 28. On land, to a seaman 29. Pierce 31. Kind of term in a series 32. Put away 33. Scottish cap 35. The sun in Spain (which unlike the rain doesn’t stay mainly in the plains) 37. Drummer’s setup 38. Fish hawk 41. Back talk 43. Colorless 46. Mask and ___ 47. Dumptruckful 49. Annex 50. Irish cream brand 51. Able to see right through 52. Attorneys’ org.

53. Toyota model 54. It’s usually about 12 percent alcohol 55. Lennon girlfriend Amy 56. Annoy 57. Zephyr 60. Calligrapher’s purchase 61. ___ chi (martial art) 62. Flood stoppers 63. Nada 64. Yang’s opposite 65. Corrects 66. Homosexual

puzzle answers at georgetownvoice.com DOWN 1. Burdensome 2. Smallest 3. Apropos holiday special 4. Malediction 5. Any impenetrably hard substance 6. You might have one up on someone 7. Mine find 8. Endures 9. Apropos holiday venture 10. 10,000 square meters 11. Excreted 14. Apropos holiday message from the constructor 20. Shoot the shit 22. Bounced back, as sound 25. Faux ___ 30. Hair-cutter 34. Like most metals 36. Deified 38. Result of overeating 39. Honshu warrior 40. Not no 42. Opportuneness

44. Macedonia neighbor 45. With no emotion 48. Anonymous John 58. “The One I Love” group 59. Adam’s madam

ARE YOU A LOGOPHILE? Share your love of words and help us write crosswords.

Email crossword@georgetownvoice.com.

editorial

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VOICE the georgetown

Volume 47.11 October 25, 2012 Editor-in-Chief: Leigh Finnegan Managing Editor: Keaton Hoffman Blog Editor: Vanya Mehta News Editor: Gavin Bade Sports Editor: Kevin Joseph Feature Editor: Connor Jones Cover Editor: Neha Ghanshamdas Leisure Editor: Mary Borowiec Voices Editor: Claire McDaniel Photo Editor: Lucia He Design Editors: Amanda Dominguez, Madhuri Vairapandi Projects Editors: Christie Geaney, Cannon Warren Puzzles Editor: Tyler Pierce Assistant Blog Editors: Morgan Manger, Isabel Echarte Assistant News Editors: Julia Jester, Matt Weinmann Assistant Sports Editors: Chris Almeida, Steven Criss, Keith Levinsky Assistant Leisure Editors: Will Collins, Julia Lloyd-George, Kirill Makarenko Assistant Voices Editor: Sara Ainsworth Assistant Photo Editors: Julian de la Paz, Matt Thees Assistant Design Editor: Lauren Ashley Panawa

Staff Writers:

Maitane Arana, Jane Conroy, Alex Lau, Jeffrey Lin, Shom Mazumder, Caitriona Pagni, Paul Quincy, Heather Regen, Abby Sherburne, Melissa Sullivan, Fatima Taskomur, Ambika Tripathi

Staff Photographers:

Rebecca Anthony, Max Blodgett, Matthew Fried, Kirill Makarenko, Tim Markatos, Gavin Meng, Tess O’Connor, Larissa Ong, Andres Rengifo

Copy Chief: Tori Jovanovski Copy Editors:

Patricia Cipollitti, Grace Funsten, Morgan Manger, Rina Li, Sonia Okolie, Caitriona Pagni, Ana Smith, Dana Suekoff, Kim Tay, Suzanne Trivette

Editorial Board Chair: Rachel Calvert Editorial Board:

Aisha Babalakin, Gavin Bade, Patricia Cipollitti, Nico Dona Dalle Rose, Katerina Downward, Keaton Hoffman, Julia Jester, Linnea Pittman, Cole Stangler, Galen Weber

Head of Business: Aarohi Vora Business Staff: Sara Ainsworth, Zoe Disselkoen, Meghan Fitzpatrick, Charmaine Ng

The Georgetown Voice The Georgetown Voice is published every Thursday.

This newspaper was made possible in part with the support of

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BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE ‘HOOD

Code of Conduct should not reach off campus Last week, Vice President of Student Affairs Todd Olson raised the standard of evidence for on-campus incidents to “clear and convincing,” maintaining the status quo of “more likely than not” for alleged violations of the student code of conduct committed off campus. While this change will certainly improve the Code of Student Conduct, the system remains far from fair. At the very least, the code of conduct should apply equally to all students, and ideally, students living offcampus would be subject only to D.C. laws.

In a meeting with the Voice, Associate Vice President Jeanne Lord referred to the student code of conduct as an “educational tool” meant to instill a sense of the responsibilities and duties inherent in living in a campus community. However, off-campus students are more members of the community than oncampus residents. They should respect their neighbors and abide by District ordinances, and the University should trust the District law to appropriately regulate behavior.

The most high-profile Code of Student Conduct violations that occur off-campus have to do with noise or disorderly conduct.

The District also regulates both of these offenses. In fact, all D.C. residents are subject to an already onerous noise ordinance, which makes any “unreasonably loud noises between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. that are likely to disturb one or more persons in their residencies” an arrestable offense.

As Olson pointed out, the standard of evidence is lower for the Code of Student Conduct than for the law, as the punishments are also much less grave. However, it also stands to reason that students found in violation of the Code of Conduct would not be convicted under the D.C. statute for, say, disorderly conduct. In this sense, the University is over reaching, treating its students like its charges, rather than as members of a community founded on mutual respect.

A university should not dictate the conduct of its students living off campus. George-

town, however, has a stake in students’ behavior when they live in the backyards of the neighbors sitting across the table in particularly heated Campus Plan discussions.

Olson alluded to the unique circumstances of off-campus students, explaining, “We have not made a change for incidents off campus. We take the interests of everyone involved in our community seriously…and we take interest in the perspective of our local neighbors and community neighbors seriously.”

In the wake of these drawn-out, contentious discussions, it is hard to see the University’s intrusion into the behavior of offcampus students as anything but pandering to neighborhood interests.

Students living as part of the neighborhood should be attentive to their responsibilities as D.C. citizens and local community members. But the University should not impose its own behavioral standards on the legal adults who are enrolled here.

GROSS INDECENCY

Ethics Charter amendments overly vague Georgetown students head to the polls for Election Day in less than two weeks.

And while those who have switched their registration to D.C. do not have a chance to make much of an impact on the presidential race, their votes could be crucial to determining the success of three major charter amendments that will be on this year’s ballot. While these amendments lay the groundwork for expelling public servants who have betrayed the public trust, their language is vague and unspecific, leaving the door open for potential misapplication and abuse. Students should vote no on Charter Amendments V-VII. The Charter Amendments VI and VII would make D.C. Councilmembers and the Mayor ineligible to remain in office or ever hold office again if convicted of felonies while in office, respectively. The motivation behind this amendment is clear: the District has been plagued by financial scandals, including the 2012 case of former Councilman Harry Thomas Jr., who used his public position to steal over $350,000 in city funds.

These amendments would ensure that corruption is met with the appropriate response: disqualification. Unfortunately, the term “felony” encompasses a wide range of crimes, beyond actions that explicitly violate the public trust.

Only crimes involving grievous breaching of the public trust, such as extortion, acceptance of bribes, or willful misuse of public funds, should result in automatic disqualification from office, especially when that disqualification is permanent. Because they avoid mentioning particular crimes, these amendments give Councilmembers undue power in deciding which crimes should be grounds for dismissal. For example, Councilmembers could oust an unpopular colleague to win political points.

Charter Amendment V is even less specific than VI and VII. The amendment would allow the Council to expel a member on a five-six vote upon demonstrating that Councilmember’s “gross failure to meet the highest standards of conduct.” What the highest standard of conduct is, and what

could be deemed a failure, is not explicitly defined.

Councilmembers who use their elected office to commit a crime or receive unearned benefits should absolutely be ejected from the Council. But gross failure to meet the highest standards of conduct could be spun to facilitate a Councilmember’s crusade against a particular type of crime, furthering his or her moral or political agenda.

The residents of the District of Columbia have been tolerant of corrupt officials for too long, but these amendments invest Councilmembers with undue influence over the dismissal process, which should be left to the electorate.

The effort to force law breaking officials out of office is well-meaning, but it must specifically target abuses of the public office.

Otherwise, talented and well-meaning officials could be disqualified from serving the District for a crime that does not relate to their public obligations. Students should do what they can to prevent this ambiguity. Vote no on Charter Amendments V-VII.

SCHOOL’S IN SESSION

Campus Progress, a project of the Center for American Progress, online at CampusProgress.org. Campus Progress works to help young people — advocates, activists, journalists, artists — make their voices heard on issues that matter. Learn more at CampusProgress.org.

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On this week’s cover: “G.E.R.M.S.” Cover Photo: Whitney Leaming

Schools best poised to help homeless teens Late last week, Fairfax County Public Schools officials announced they expect the number of homeless students in their school district to top 2,500 this year, a new record for a county that remains one of the most affluent in the nation.

As reported by The Washington Post, this year’s homeless student population in the Fairfax County school district will be more than 10 times the number counted only 15 years ago, underscoring a disturbing trend throughout the nation as a whole.

This summer, the Department of Education announced that the number of homeless students across the nation topped 1,065,000 in the 2010-2011 school year—the most recent national data available—a 13 percent increase from just a year before.

While commentators are quick to blame the increase in homeless youth on the lingering effects of the economic downturn, it is not enough to assume the problem will go away

when unemployment normalizes. Instead, governments of all sizes should be looking to the public education system to identify and assist students without a roof over their heads.

Schools are the ideal institution to identify homeless youth and connect them with support systems inside and out of the education system. However, students simply sitting in the classroom will not often reveal their struggles to teachers or administrators. That requires a deeper, more personal relationship between the student and school employee.

The best way for government to make sure these relationships are being forged is to give struggling students personalized attention from teachers and support staff like counselors. This necessarily means employing more of them, for there is a limited number of students each staff member can impact.

Unfortunately, when school budgets get tight, educational support staffers are often

the first people out the door, and state education funding cuts have forced this phenomenon across the nation. Little data exists on the number of support staff cut since the beginning of the recession, but the Hamilton Project, a division of the conservative Brookings Institution, estimates that over 220,000 teachers lost their jobs from 2009 to 2011.

Among other things, these rampant layoffs mean that fewer teachers are dealing with the needs of more students. They have less time to interact personally with those who have specific personal needs like homelessness. Recharging educational spending across the nation won’t fix many of the problems contributing to the high rate of student homelessness, but it is absolutely essential if we are serious about identifying these students, connecting them with the appropriate support systems, and making sure they have the ability to overcome the obstacles inherent in their situation.

news

4 the georgetown voice

october 25, 2012

Epicurean owner may be indicted for criminal contempt

by Rio Djiwandana On Oct. 17 D.C. District Court Judge Robert Wilkins issued a show cause order for criminal contempt against Epicurean owner Chang Wook Chon for allegedly failing to comply with court orders pertaining to two lawsuits brought against him by his employees.

An order to show cause requires an individual to appear in court to provide legal or factual reasoning why legal action should not be taken against him or her. In this particular situation, Chon is allowed to defend himself against the criminal contempt charges alleged by Judge Wilkins, but if he cannot provide an adequate defense, he will be indicted on the charges.

The criminal contempt charges were made in response to Chon’s alleged use of threats and intimidation tactics with employees who had filed lawsuits against him for withholding overtime pay. As previously reported in the Voice, Chon

has faced three lawsuits over failure to pay overtime: two filed in 2010, the other this year. The previous suits were reopened this year, and the suit filed this year was settled on Sept. 12.

“Based on the evidence presented in the hearing, the judge found probable cause that Mr. Chon had violated a previous court order by talking about the case with his employees in a way that prevented them from having a fair opportunity to advance their case,” said Darin Dalmat, attorney for the plaintiffs in the overtime wage lawsuit.

Part of the evidence presented in last Wednesday’s hearing included a testimony by plaintiff Marvin Hercules, one of Chon’s former employees.

“Towards the end of 2011, probably in December, I received another letter about [the overtime pay] case,” Hercules said. “It came from court and said that I should come to court on December 14, … Shortly after I received this letter, Mr. Chon

called me to his office and asked me whether I had received it.”

Chon told Hercules that he could have the day off to go to court and gave Hercules directions to the courthouse.

“He also told me that it wouldn’t do me any good to go, because my case was already closed. Finally, he told me that he wanted to give me a piece of advice: if I wanted to keep my job, I shouldn’t go,” Hercules said.

Until the criminal charges against Chon are resolved, however, the single remaining lawsuit against him (which was reopened for Mr. Hercules) will be put on hold.

Chon’s case is rather peculiar for an overtime wage complaint. “[It is] exceedingly rare for a judge to issue an order regarding criminal contempt for an overtime [wage] lawsuit,” Dalmat said. “Even my boss, who has been working in law for more than 20 years, has never encountered a situation like this before.”

Chon’s criminal contempt charges have been referred to the U.S. Attorney of the District of Columbia Robert Machen. Even if these charges are rejected by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Judge Wilkins has the authority to appoint another prosecutor to Chon’s case.

Therefore, there is a very high chance that Chon will be prosecuted in court for these alleged criminal contempt charges.

The consequences Chon will face if found guilty are still unclear, part of which depends on the form of jury selected by Judge Wilkins. A bench trial would result in up to a maximum of six months in prison with a $5,000 fine, while a jury trial could possibly result in a more severe punishment. Mr. Chon also still has the option of pleading guilty, and the U.S. Attorney’s office has not made any decisions regarding which charges they will persue.

It is also unclear how Chon’s alleged criminal contempt charges will affect the fate of his res-

taurant. “On one hand, I hope [Epicurean and Co.] will continue to stay in business,” Dalmat said. “On the other hand, I believe that the employees should receive proper compensation for working overtime.”

Although Chon declined to comment on the case, Kim Jandrain, Chon’s attorney, released a statement with respect to the show cause order.

“An order to show cause regarding criminal contempt is a matter that must be addressed with the utmost seriousness and care. Our client and we are approaching it that way,” Jandrain said. “Given that it is a criminal matter, we cannot comment on the merits, other than to say that we look forward to the matter being heard on the merits.”

With the evidence still in question, Chon’s guilt is far from being assessed. “Mr. Chon will have his day in court to defend himself,” Dalmat said. “Though he should have allowed his employees to do the same.”

Piracy blog puts Georgetown students among top BitTorrent users

by Miles Gavin Meng As it turns out, Georgetown students are infamous for breaking laws other than the drinking age.

On Oct. 13, TorrentFreak, a blog about internet piracy, ranked Georgetown University 41st in the nation for BitTorrent usage.

Topping the list of most downloaded files were an episode of Suits, the movie Sucker Punch, and the season finale of Pretty Little Liars. Among the top fifty files were classics like Avicii - Levels and the 2001 Ben Affleck masterpiece

Pearl Harbor, a movie FilmStew called “not as painful as a blow to the head, but it will cost you up to $10, and it takes three hours.”

The data comes from littleknown Polish company Kalasoft, whose ScanEye software tracks all peer-to-peer BitTorrent downloads in the United States and abroad. More unnerving, however, is their proprietary technology’s ability to pinpoint the exact geographic origin of your connection and the file being downloaded. Company representative Grzegorz Kaliński was loath to discuss the software any

Mypiracy.net

Polish company Kalasoft can pinpoint the location and files of a BitTorrent user.

further: “I will not give You [sic] details about our technology, but it works pretty good.”

Georgetown’s top fifty ranking surprised few. “I thought we’d be at least in the top twenty,” lamented one Georgetown torrenter, who preferred to remain anonymous legal reasons. “Now that Blockbuster is gone and there aren’t any Redboxes around, I just stream movies online. If I need music, I’ll just go to The Pirate Bay. It’s really easy.”

University Information Services at Georgetown was quick to point out that regardless of how convenient it may be, piracy is illegal. “The University’s Acceptable Use Policy prohibits the use of University resources for those purposes” and “Piracy is dangerous, as these sites may contain malware that can infect your computer and damage your data,” said Lisa Davis, UIS Vice President for Information Technology/ Chief Information Officer.

A common concern among students was anonymity with the transition to the SaxaNet wireless network, which requires users to log in their NetIDs. UIS, while insisting that the university “does not monitor the content of student internet traf-

fic,” stressed that “you are never truly anonymous on the Internet. Your computer has a visible address that can be connected back to you. SaxaNet protects your data and the University network but it is no more or less visible to external groups than the older network or an ISP.” The University receives a number of complaints about students downloading copyrighted material, and handles them “in accordance with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.” Upon receiving a complaint, UIS forwards it to the Office of Student Conduct, which considers such actions “Category A” or “Category B” violations of university regulations, specifically the Computer Systems Acceptable Use Policy in the Code of Student Conduct.

Any sanctions or punishment “would be based on the nature of the regulation violated,” according to Emily Peebles, Program Manager in the Office of Student Conduct.

Students remain undeterred in their file sharing. When informed of companies like Kalasoft monitoring BitTorrent activity, another torrenter explained, “I don’t really know

how that stuff actually works, so ignorance is bliss I guess. I really like the entertainment, so it’s worth it. Then again, I’ve never been caught. That would probably change my tune.”

Others were more troubled by this news. “I had no idea it was that obvious,” another unnamed torrenter said. “Can they really see everything I download? Can I take something back?”

UIS recommends students “take advantage of and support popular and easy ways to appropriately acquire digital content,” whose “innovative new business models promote fairness for all and abandon sites that do not respect copyright.” In spite of their convenience, many of these pay-per-download services like iTunes and Amazon Instant Videos have failed to displace illegal streaming and downloading among Georgetown students.

“I love Netflix, but plenty of times when I get a craving for a movie, they don’t have it,” a torrenter said. “Some of these websites even have movies that just came out in theaters. They usually have subtitles and look like they were filmed in a Soviet prison but I don’t have to pay $12 for a movie ticket.”

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the georgetown voice 5

Gluten-free students still fear illness from eating at Leo’s

by Rebecca Anthony A year after staff at Leo J. O’Donovan Dining Hall began labeling gluten-free foods, complaints are again arising from gluten intolerant students about how Leo’s addresses their dietary needs.

One of the biggest problems gluten-free students face is crosscontamination. While they have their own microwave and toaster, some gluten free students still find themselves getting sick after using their designated appliances.

“So many of my symptoms have come back since coming here,” said Anne Gilliland (COL ‘16) who has Celiac disease.

“There’s definitely cross contamination. I usually get a really bad stomach ache when I have [gluten], and I usually start feeling achy after continuously consuming it from cross contamination.”

Unlike the vegan and vegetarian section of Leo’s, where one must use a clean, meat-free plate before obtaining food, there are no such stipulations for the gluten-free section.

Gluten-free students also feel an element of trust is lacking be-

tween them and the Leo’s management. “If they’re going to provide those resources of the fridge, and the labels that used to be on everything, I’m going to trust the fact that there are going to be these labels and that the fridge is going to be stocked, and that’s not happening this year as much ” said Nevada Schadler (COL ‘15).

“It’s that breaking of trust that I think is really important.”

Many times, when foods are specifically labeled as “glutenfree,” they do in fact contain traces of wheat or gluten. ”Now that they have the labeling system,

LUcia He

Students say Leo’s gluten-free section has left much much to be desired this year.

‘Drunken’ misses the point

“They don’t get much ruder than this bunch who seems to feel the need to host a party anytime they can,” writes Burlieth resident and former American University photography professor Stephen R. Brown under a video depicting a 37th Street party. His website, “Drunken” Georgetown Students, launched in April 2010, is once again in full swing, cataloguing the drunken debauchery of Georgetown students and “young professionals” in their own back yards.

While DrunkenGeorgetownStudents.com certainly brings the conflict between 1st Amendment rights and privacy infringement to the foreground, Brown’s hobby has deeper, more local implications for town-gown relations.

Brown is, of course, justified in his dissatisfaction with students; after all, the controversial 2011 D.C. noise ordinance explicitly prohibits any sounds “likely to annoy or disturb other persons in their residences,” behavior the ordinance has yet to effectively stymie. The unreasonable nature of

you see that things that shouldn’t have gluten in it, do, like rice,” explains Sara Ainsworth (SFS ‘14), “a rice dish should not have any gluten in it, ever, and yet it does.” Every week a new menu is emailed to students with these dietary needs, but more often than not, the menu does not reflect what is actually being served.

[Full disclosure: Ainsworth is a Voice staffer.]

Leo’s management did not respond to requests for comment before the Voice went to press.

A common request by members of the gluten-free community

his blog, however, arises from the way in which he ventures outside his residence to actively document drunken behavior of what he incorrectly calls “pigs in a poke.”

This attitude toward students on the part of the more grumpy neighbors is, in effect, the result of the 2010 Campus Plan, two years and many more stubbornly fruitless Advisory Neighborhood Commission sessions in the making. Brown represents the resulting dissatisfied extreme, but viewing Georgetown students through barnyard animal-colored glasses does no justice to the final compromises reached in July; both the students and the neighbors suffer as a result.

Those attending Georgetown perceive the vocal minority as a mean, brewing suspicion and animosity toward the victims of the real world extending past Reservoir Road. Any action by the surrounding communities meant to deter crime, then, becomes an attack on the liberty of students.

The Citizens Association of Georgetown’s camera initiative,

for instance, appears to target weekend partiers, even though CAG President Jennifer Altemus assured the neighbors in a letter that the cameras, installed in the homes of volunteers, are meant only to “act as a deterrent to crime and assist the Metropolitan Police Department with criminal investigations.”

While the cameras are managed by CAG, not the individuals whose houses the cameras adorn,

Saxa politica

by Kirill Makarenko

A bi-weekly column on campus politics and policy the precedent has been set for students’ skepticism in spite of lack of proof. Any house could have a camera; any student’s photograph can be used in the prosecution for drunk and disorderly conduct.

Drunk and disorderly conduct, of course, is a crime, one further codified by the aforementioned noise ordinance. However, college students subject to decades of expectations of traditions involving alcohol are rather difficult to reeducate.

is that the Leo’s staff know more about the limitations that glutenfree students are faced with. “I wish that the staff themselves were a little bit more educated on the subject, because some of them are really great. A couple of people at the grill completely understand, but then other people you ask don’t know anything about it,” Gilliland said.

Similarly, Schadler recalls a time when she tried to ask a Leo’s staff member for the contents of the sandwich without the bread: “I went up to the sandwich station the other day and said ‘I can’t have the bread, but can I have what’s inside?’, and the Leo’s worker said, ‘I’m really not supposed to give you this without the bread,’ and I tried to explain that I had an intolerance. It was just this back and forth.”

When gluten-free students eat foods that contain traces of gluten, they are aware of it almost immediately. Symptoms range from extreme tiredness to vomiting, though it differs for every person affected by a gluten intolerance or Celiac disease.

While health concerns are a recurring problem for gluten-

Unfortunately, the neighbors appear to disagree. The packs of howling, roving drunkards ruining a peaceful weekend must be fixed, and Georgetown must sweep the Burleith streets clean of such rubbish.

With removal of party registration restriction, Student Neighborhood Assistance Program vans prowling the streets, and SafeRides shuttles following set routes for the benefit of students, the University is doing what it can to reign in off-campus activities.

What neighbors like Brown fail to understand is the impossibility of restricting students to an already crowded campus. The proposed measures to convert the Leavey Hotel and Conference Center into a dormitory housing 385 beds by 2025 is already designed to keep 90 percent of undergraduates on University grounds. As a school already largely isolated from the District, Georgetown cannot afford to further restrict student movement.

Students also must examine their actions from the point of view of the opposing party on the opposite side of Reservoir.

free students, they struggle with food variety and choice as well. In the beginning of the week, the Gluten Free fridge offers an assortment of muffins, breads, and donuts, but once the fridge is out, it’s out. The lack of gluten-free options has caused Caly Silverwood (MSB ‘14), the founder of the former group Gluten-Free Foodies, to not renew her meal plan this year. “I’m not on a meal plan.

I went twice this semester, and I felt that the gluten-free food choices were more limited than last year,” she said.

However, Silverwood does mention some of the positive changes that happened at Leo’s in the spring of 2011 with the urging of her group. “We did have positive impact on the offering at Leo’s. They did do a gluten-free option for Grab ‘n Go.” Silverwood also suggests that Leo’s offer a gluten-free pasta for those with these dietary restrictions. “We were talking about providing one meal—even if it were just a gluten free pasta—a week. It doesn’t have to be much, but just something that gluten free students could go to and get a hearty full meal.”

In the real world, functional humans work to maintain a living, and booming Katy Perry or Drake songs playing late into the night are not conducive to much-needed rest.

In spite of GUSA’s assertions on the Campus Plan, the students are not crushed between a careless University’s appeasement and the neighbors’ irrational cruelty.

In fact, the administration is the party cursed with the mission of balancing support for students and unyielding complaints of the off-campus residents.

Both the neighbors and Georgetown undergraduates must abandon preconceived notions of the tyranny of the rival community; such conflict does not facilitate cooperation and sustainable coexistence in such close quarters. When all participating parties demonstrate some semblance of empathy, perhaps we will be able to avoid another two-year-long drag of passing something as elementary as a campus plan.

Report Kirill’s drunken behavior at kmakarenko@georgetownvoice.com

sports

6 the georgetown voice

october 25, 2012

Volleyball dominates DePaul for first Big East win

by Keaton Hoffman On Sunday Oct. 21 the Georgetown women’s volleyball team (715, 1-8 Big East) was able to heave a huge sigh of relief, as it finally ending a 14-game losing streak, beating DePaul (7-15, 2-7) in straight sets (27-25, 25-20, 25-17). It was a huge win for the Hoyas; the victory was the first against a conference opponent so far this season as well as the team’s first win at home.

“They should just be really proud of themselves,” said Head Coach Arlisa Williams of her team.

“We scored a lot of points and played really low-error volleyball, and that’s what we needed to do.”

The first set was the closest.

The Blue Devils kept the score neck-and-neck throughout, forcing a tied score at 25, but sound passing and a stellar kill from sophomore middle blocker Dani White allowed the Hoyas to edge out their opponent 27-25.

From there, the team’s confidence grew. A string of serving aces from several players and consistent hitting from sophomore outside hitter Alex Johnson—who was back in top form after a series of disappointing offensive performances against Notre Dame, Pitt, and Villanova—allowed the Hoyas to build and maintain a steady lead during the second set. In the end, the Hoyas took the set 25-20, their first back-to-back set win since the team’s bout with College of Charleston in early September.

By the third set the Hoyas were on fire. Junior setter Haley Lawrence was able to assist kills from every front row player in what was perhaps her strongest and most unpredictable setting performance to date. In quite the role reversal, Georgetown was the team dominating this time, ending the match with a 25-17 win.

Offensively, the Hoyas fired on all cylinders. RS sophomore outside hitter Elizabeth Riggins and RS junior opposite Annalee

Abell both had nine kills, in addition to White’s 11 and Johnson’s game-high 12. What gets lost in box score’s kill counts, however, is the passing that got them there.

The Hoyas’ passing was better than ever against DePaul. The team’s primary passer, sophomore libero MacKenzie Simpson had her best match of the season, digging a total of 24 balls in just three sets.

Over the season she’s averaged just above four digs a game; against DePaul she averaged eight. Of her teammate and fellow digger, freshman defensive specialist Emily Gisolfi had only the highest praise.

“MacKenzie is great. She’s always solid, she’s always steady, and she’s a great libero,” Gisolfi said.

Gisolfi, who had 11 digs of her own on the day, also credited RS junior Whitney Jencks for the team’s improved passing game.

“Whitney has great leadership on the court and she just brings confidence to all the other passers,” said Gisolfi. Though not shown in the dig tallies (she had just four on the Blue Devils), Jencks’s passing is getting more controlled and she is passing more nails than she has previously this season.

“Personally I’ve struggled a little bit this season,” said Jencks, “but over the past couple of games myself and the team as a whole have really stepped it up.”

In another boost to the Hoyas’ defense, freshman outside hitter Lauren Saar returned to the court this weekend after being out with an injury since Sept. 15. Though playing exclusively from the back row, Saar managed 7 digs, impressive considering her limited court time and inevitable rust. “Lauren Saar makes a big difference in the back row for us. I don’t think that any of us fully realized how much we’ve missed her these last five weeks,” said Coach Williams.

Saar was just happy to be back.

“It felt great. I love getting back into it,” Saar said. “It’s been a bummer being out, but just being with

ANDRES RENGIFO

McKenzie Simpson digs 24 balls against DePaul.

my team and being able to get into practices and finally playing is just an awesome feeling, and we got the win as a plus. It’s just awesome.”

With an end to the cursed losing streak and a spring in their step, Georgetown volleyball now turns its attention to arguably its toughest match thus far Friday at home against Marquette (18-4, 8-1 Big East).

“I am so energized, we needed this bad,” Gisolfi said. “Even though we were losing, we’ve always been fighting every game.

We come into practice and we’re working hard every time to get better. We’ve never given up, so this was good for us, and we’re going to take this and use our energy and bring it to Marquette.”

Going into a match against the Golden Eagles at 8 p.m. in McDonough Arena, Coach Williams emphasized the importance of taking a deep breath and moving forward. “We just got to take the confidence we have after this, one day, one point, one practice at a time.

That’s all we can do.”

the Sports Sermon “If he wants to put on a jersey and line up, I’ll welcome that. But I don’t think Jerry is going to be doing any kicking of my posterior.” -Justin Tuck responds to Cowboys owner Jerry Jones coverage got ESPN the highest ratings imaginable. Even if I griped about the continued coverage, I found myself tuning in anyway. Stories like Tebow’s and persisting rumors like the yearlong Dwight Howard trade saga capture far too much time on the airwaves.

Aside from those rare anomalies, at the end of the day, success is the big equalizer for this bias. Perhaps the smallest market in the NBA, Oklahoma City, features the best young team the league has seen in a couple of decades. It makes sense, then, that Kevin Durant and company garner plenty of national media attention despite Oklahoma’s relative obscurity on the professional sports scene (the Sooners

est night out or Josh Beckett’s last meal at KFC. The Los Angeles Lakers are Instead, without the monone of the biggest brands in eymaking headlines, we have United States sports. The Dallas muddled coverage of actual Cowboys and their iconic star baseball—great for the true share a similar pedestal—sussports fan, but not ideal for rattained success over the past few ings. Plenty of people will still decades has created a lasting tune into the series, especially if it luster for both organizations. By stretches to six or seven games--it and large, though, the majority is the World Series, after all. of popular sports teams lie in Just taking a look at the past our vicinity. When it comes to five years, though, shows the sports, the East Coast rules.

East Coast trend to be true. When Turn on SportsCenter on the Yankees and Phillies faced off any given night and that East in 2009 in a battle of insufferable Coast bias becomes immediately fanbases, the series averaged 11.7 evident. ESPN has improved its million viewers per game. Comcoverage on West Coast teams pare that with just 8.4 million the over the past few years, in connext year when the Giants and junction with some new offices Rangers faced off and the differin Los Angeles. The network has ence becomes immediately apeven taken things to parent. Any Yankee Pete Rose Central the next level and series over the past Da bettin’ line moved some of its 15 years approaches shows to a set in LA. that 11.7 million Dookies Margin Hoyas Even with the setnumber, with most (underdogs) (duh!) ting change, though, (favorites) of them flying past, the focus remained and the same goes Tigers Kung Fu Panda for any series inGiants on the same few Giants Eastern powers.

Buffet line volving Boston.

Tigers During baseball The numbers Aldridge Hoya southpaw Monroe season, if a Yankee disparity is clearly or Red Sox player so much as and Cowboys help them stay evident and isn’t offset by a ribreaks a nail during batting relevant otherwise). diculously skewed West Coast practice, it will get more covWith a sustained level of suc- schedule. Take the World Series erage than an extra inning af- cess, the Packers have established for instance—all the games air at fair between the Padres and a national brand name similar to 8 p.m. in our time zone, primeDiamondbacks. For those living the Cowboys. Thus, their success time for East Coasters. San Franthree hours over, it is certainly means higher ratings—they tran- cisco residents three hours in an annoyance, and probably scend the small-town Wisconsin the other direction, on the other seems unfair on the surface. market in a way their Milwau- hand, probably have to leave But ESPN, like any other net- kee counterparts the Bucks and work early to catch their beloved work, relies on high ratings to Brewers cannot hope to match.

Giants play at an absurdly early sustain a successful product. Yes, There are some similari- five p.m. It’s a trend that carries that’s why we saw around-the- ties to the Wisconsin predica- through sports; the heart of colclock coverage of Tim Tebow’s ment and this year’s World lege football schedules starts up every waking move last season. Series. While Detroit and San in the early afternoon on SaturHe won games in dramatic fash- Francisco aren’t small markets, days, somewhere between 9 and ion, created controversy with his they are separated from the 10 a.m. out West. strong Christian faith and meme- East Coast, highlighting the There’s no fix to the inconable moves, and sparked endless East Coast bias that exists with gruence. But at the same time, debate because he was just never sports media. If the Yankees there simply doesn’t need to be all that talented. or Red Sox were the American one—the East Coast is the epiDespite the polarizing League representative, there center of the sports world on a split between Tebow worship- would certainly be round-the- number of levels; the left coast is pers and Tebow haters, any clock coverage of A-Rod’s lat- just along for the ride.

by Kevin Joseph

sports

georgetownvoice.com

the georgetown voice 7

Soccer prepares for Big East Tennis ends fall campaign

by Keith Levinsky The Big East Quarterfinals in women’s soccer will be déjà-vu for the Blue and Gray (14-2-2, 8-1-1 Big East), as the team will face either DePaul (8-9-2, 3-6-1 Big East) or Villanova (7-8-3, 5-4-1 Big East), its final two opponents of the regular season.

The good news for the Georgetown women’s soccer team is that it enters Sunday’s Big East Tournament Quarterfinal as the number one seed in the division. The bad news is that the Hoyas could potentially play the team that handed them their first Big East loss of the year, Villanova.

This time, though, Georgetown will be playing on home turf at North Kehoe Field.

The Blue and Gray will be looking to avenge its first Big East loss of the year.

“Well, you would think [there is a revenge factor] since we lost the first time. You would be hoping for that,” said head coach Kevin Nolan.

“On the other side, they have beaten us once now so they have the confidence of playing us again. I have

always said that it is very difficult to beat a team twice.”

Georgetown defeated the Blue Demons in extra time, 1-0, on North Kehoe on Oct. 14. In the regular season finale at Villanova last Friday, the Hoyas fell to the Wildcats 1-0.

The loss ended Georgetown’s nine-game unbeaten streak. The goal surrendered to Villanova was only the Hoyas’ second goal allowed in the past 10 games. Georgetown’s stout defense is helmed by junior Alexa St. Martin, senior Claire Magnolia, junior Mary Kroening, and freshman Neela Mohan. The Hoyas lead the Big East in goals allowed per game with 0.61 goals per game.

Statistically speaking, Georgetown’s offense ranks as one of the best in the Big East. The Hoyas are second in the Big East in goals with 44 and goals per game average with 1.94. Sophomore midfielder Daphne Corboz tops the Big East and Georgetown in points and goals as she has racked up 16 goals and six assists.

Nolan attributes part of Corboz’s success this year to her move from outside midfield to center midfield.

SOPHIA KLEYMAN

Daphne Corboz needs to be in top form when Big East play gets underway.

Eli-te is an understatement

During one of my first few days in Argentina, my five-yearold host brother, Nico, and I were playing some soccer when he asked me: “Who is the best football team in the United States?”

Initially confused as to whether he was inquiring about American football or soccer, I responded confidently with, “the New York Giants, of course.”

To much of my surprise, Nico has grown to like the Giants; it appears I’ve brainwashed him into developing a sense of appreciation for Victor Cruz’s post-touchdown salsa dance and Tom Coughlin’s incapacity to evoke any sense of emotion. While there’s no pigskin with which he can practice his carrying or throwing, we’ve been making due with a rugby ball so he can practice emulating his favorite player--Eli Manning.

Everyone has her or his own opinion of Eli. Some think he’s overrated and the Giants owe most of their success to their defensive line, and others think he’s

a good leader for his defending Superbowl champ Giants. Personally, I lie somewhere in the middle—as a huge Justin Tuck fan I am biased to love the defense, but I feel that this season Manning has done well, leading the Giants to a 5-2 record and a spot at the top of the NFC East division.

After the embarrassing loss to the Dallas Cowboys during the NFL season opener, Manning has communicated his capabilities through his numbers: 2,109 total passing yards (the highest total in the NFL this season) and a 63.8 completion percentage.

Though my access to ESPN’s website has been pretty limited (the Internet at my Argentina abode isn’t Saxanet steady), but I was able to view some clips of Stephen A. Smith referring to Manning as “the best fourth-quarter quarterback in the last year and a half.” I agree. Reminiscent of our very own heart-attack Hoyas, the Giants, and thus Eli Manning, have thus far been able to bring ev-

“Daphne moved into the middle this year from out wide last year, her favorite spot,” Nolan said. “She had a chance to step up and show everybody what a good player she was.”

Junior forward Kaitlin Brenn ranks third in the Big East in points with nine goals and eight assists.

“Between those two and what we get from wide players like Colleen Dinn and Sarah Adams, we try to balance that together and attack,” Nolan said.

So far this season, neither DePaul nor Villanova has as dynamic an offense as the Hoyas. The squads are tied for 12th in the Big East in goals.

Georgetown had difficulty finding the back of the net against these two teams that have posted mediocre defensive numbers this year. The Blue Demons are sixth in goals allowed while the Wildcats are ninth.

“I expect our game between the DePaul-Villanova winner to be a tight game regardless,” Nolan said.

“I wouldn’t think it would be anything but a tight game because at this stage of the season if you lose, you’re done.”

If the Hoyas are able to advance past the quarterfinals, they will play either Louisville or South Florida.

On the road Georgetown tied Louisville, 1-1, on Oct. 12.

The Hoyas will begin their quest for a Big East Tournament championship at 1 p.m. at North Kehoe this Sunday Oct. 28.

“I feel like this year is probably the first year in a long time that [the tournament] is wide open,” Nolan said. “We have as good a chance as anyone else.” erything together in the last quarter and clinch some key victories.

During the second game this season against the Buccaneers, the Giants scored 25 points in the last quarter, and this past weekend they managed to get 2 touchdowns in the last few minutes of their game against their division rival Washington Redskins.

Sporty Spice

by Melissa Sullivan

A bi-weekly column about sports

Manning may not be the best quarterback in the NFL—though he’s currently ranked in the top10 passing rating leaders, it’s tough to objectively compare him to the likes of Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers, Atlanta’s Matt Ryan, or even his older brother, Peyton Manning.

Smith, however, believes that “[Eli] is better than his brother.” He goes on to list more comparisons to Peyton

by Chris Almeida After successful performances at the Georgetown Classic and the Margaux Powers Tournaments, the Hoya tennis programs took their momentum into the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Regional tournaments with mixed results. The men traveled to the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Va. and played decently well, while the women struggled somewhat at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Va. The men’s team was coming off particularly impressive showings at the Georgetown Classic, where senior captain Charlie Caris won both the singles and doubles draws. For the Margaux Powers tournament, the Hoyas traveled to Providence to face teams from Brown, the University of Pennsylvania, and Boston College.

In Rhode Island, the veterans and younger players alike showed well. Both freshman Kevin Katz and sophomore John Brosens went undefeated in singles play. Then the two teamed up in doubles play to win two of their three matches. Another doubles team of Caris and junior Casey Distaso went undefeated in their doubles play, and posted a combined 3-3 record in singles.

The Hokies of Virginia Tech were the thorn in the side of the men’s team at ITA Regionals, knocking out all four of Georgetown’s singles competi-

and claims that “[Eli’s] ability to shove aside the mistakes, to have no memory of what ails him…and go out there and pressurize those situations and do what he does,” are some of the more powerful aspects this quarterback has to contribute.

While it is true Eli has more Super Bowl rings than his brother, Peyton has 15 years of experience and consistent success to Eli’s 9 years of unpredictable play. Still, the rings are king in the NFL, so I have to agree with Stephen A. here.

On the field, Eli has visible chemistry with Cruz and Ahmad Bradshaw, and he’s also developed a successful passing relationship with rookie wide receiver Rueben Randle. A recent graduate from Louisiana State University, Randle has averaged 12.3 yards per catch during his first seven regular season games; for a new addition to the team, this relationship proves to be very promising for the future of the franchise as well as for the rest of the season.

In addition to Randle, Man-

tors. Three of the four Hoya men, however, reached the second round of the tournament. Sophomore Shane Korber defeated a player from the University of Maryland Baltimore County before losing to one of the seeded Hokies. Caris fought out a threeset battle but ultimately fell in the Round of 64.

The doubles team of freshman Daniel Khanin and Shane Korber soundly defeated a pair from Old Dominion University before losing in the second round to a fifth-seeded George Washington University team. Milner and Brosens beat a team from Norfolk State and then dropped a match to a pair from the University of Virginia.

The women struggled in singles play during the ITA tournament, but junior Kelly Comolli got a win over a player from William and Mary before losing to a second seed from UVA. The doubles teams had more success, with both pairs winning their first matches. Comolli and senior captain Vicky Sekely made it farther than any other Hoya competitors by gaining a first round bye and winning their second round match against a duo from Temple University. In the Round of 16, the Hoya pair fell to a team from Virginia Commonwealth University.

The Hoyas now begin their offseason, and resume play in January at the VCU 4+1 event in Richmond.

ning continues to give other wide receivers chances for game-day success. Ramses Barden, a member of the team for four years, has increased in playing time since he joined the Giants in 2009.

Manning has more than just a great arm, though; he also communicates well with the players along the line. Martellus Bennett, a new Giant for the 2012 season, has seen plenty of action so far. He has seen much improvement from his tenuous time on the Cowboys.

While his success cannot solely be attributed to a new quarterback, it is clear that he and Manning can communicate well to ensure the success of their team.

Smith concludes with a comment about the Giants as a whole saying, “the reigning, defending, Super Bowl champions have an elite quarterback…that’s always closing.” Eli Manning has been a great leader and has proved that nobody can question his dominance, even his kin.

Get behind center with Melissa at masullivan@georgetownvoice.com

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8 the georgetown voice

october 18, 2012

Georgetown’s dark knights GERMS’s 30 years of keeping the community safe

By Julia Jester

crew chief (the 80), driver (the 81), and two assistants (the 82 and 83). An elected board consisting of a president and three vice presidents, who then appoint other leadership roles, oversees the over 100 GERMS members. Volunteer crews are on duty 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and receive approximately 1,000 calls per year.

9:30 p.m.—“So, I have an important question for you guys. What movie are we watching tonight?” asks Miller as they enter the Village C office. The on-duty and standby crews decide on Finding Nemo. During the film, after Marlin and Dory barely escape the jellyfish swarm, Miller cracks an EMT joke: “Oh look, Marlin is checking Dory’s level of consciousness.” As the EMTs piled on the couch laugh, the sense of camaraderie among the crew instantly becomes apparent. Yet, soon after the movie ends, the radio tone goes off and the mood suddenly shifts.

Dani Soldin (COL ’14) and Jonathan Filicko (NHS’ 13) perform rig checks.

“It’s [an] amazing thing to look back on your college career and realize something you were part of in the early days is really still something that is still important to the community today.” Not many people can say that, but Chris Callsen (COL ‘85), a founding member of Georgetown Emergency Response Medical Service, can.

Callsen was a student when Robert Doherty (COL ’83, MED ’87) started the collegiate EMS program in 1982 after, according to Callsen, a student fell from the fifth floor of Healy Hall and the D.C. Fire Department arrived on the scene 25 minutes later, but not in time to save the student’s life. “That [incident] crystallized the thought that had been brewing in some people’s heads that something needed to be done,” Callsen said. The Voice could not

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find the student’s name or verify any details of the incident.

According to Callsen, DCFD’s lengthy response time “was potentially a lifethreatening problem for the Georgetown community.” The tragedy sparked the founding of GERMS, which has grown to become a vital part of the Georgetown community.

Over the years, however, misconceptions, stereotypes, and misinformation have plagued GERMS—tainting its image and muddying its mission. Having evolved from a desk and a golf cart at its inception 30 years ago this week, GERMS is a unique and often misunderstood organization. Earlier this semester, GERMS offered the Voice a chance to ride in on one of their ambulances for a night to see the personal and operational dynamic of the organization.

8:00p.m.—The GERMS night crew finishes dinner and the day crew officially transfers the radios and ambulance key to the night crew, led by GERMS president Taylor Miller (COL ‘13). As we climb into the ambulance, the dim lights and hip-hop music blaring through the speakers essentially turn it into a party bus.

COURTESY GERMS

One of GERMS’s early recruitment posters.

“That’s what people say, it’s true, they do use the word ‘nerd,’” Lindsay Kolowich (COL ‘13) said of the impression that EMTs take themselves too seriously. “I think it’s funny because everyone at Georgetown is a nerd to some degree. ... I don’t know how to defend that [impression] other than that we have a freaking fantastic time, all the time.”

These Georgetown students volunteer their time to care for other students whose party habits go awry.

The typical crew consists of an acting

“Honestly, GERMS is one big family,” said Avery Alatis (COL ‘14), a member of the standby crew that night. “There is a certain degree of bonding that is inevitably going to come out of two of you being puked on by the same person at 3:00a.m. on a Saturday, so you end up making a lot of really close friends.” However, the lighthearted character of GERMS is frequently overlooked.

“What people may not realize is that the friendships that are formed within GERMS not only last the four years, they also sort of come back every now and then there’s a GERMS marriage or GERMS baby,” said alumni and former GERMS president Colin Brody (COL ‘11). “Adults who met through GERMS will have the ambulance at their wedding ceremony at Dahlgren.”

“Before going into GERMS, I thought they took themselves way too seriously, and that’s completely not the case,” Eric Jepeal (COL ‘14) said. Kolowich admires the ability to see both the candid and professional sides of members. “It’s really cool to be in the office joking around … everyone’s really great, and then the tone goes off and everyone is super serious and you go out and you get to see people be really professional.”

GERMS’s professionalism would translate well into the medical field—although only just over 50 percent of GERMS EMTs are pre-med. “You can kind of tell who the pre-med kids are, but there’s no divide at all,” explained Kolowich. As a government major planning to enter foreign service, Kolowich sees GERMS as beneficial to any student. “I’m going to have medical skills for the rest of my life, so if someone collapses in the middle of an auditorium 25 years from now, I’m going to know exactly what to do. It’s invaluable.”

11:30 p.m.—The crew arrives at New

South in response to an alcohol-related call.

The members assess the patient and decide it would be in her best interest to be taken to the hospital for observation. They get in the ambulance once again, except this time there is no music or revelry—only lights and complete focus. The ambulance arrives at the hospital by midnight, and the GERMS crew thoroughly looks over the patient one more time before leaving her in the hands of the medical staff at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital.

“I personally love the idea of students helping students because we’ve all been there,” Jepeal said. “Especially when the freshmen come inand they go a little crazy at first. ... I think it’s more like the Georgetown family overall that’s taking care of each other.”

“Whether the problem was too much to drink at the Tombs the night before … or something as acute as a student falling through a plate glass window and had an arterial injury, students felt comfortable that students were there to help them,” Callsen said. “I think that’s what created that initial foundation of trust that has grown and been the core of university acceptance.”

Yet while the organization receives many calls, GERMS fights the perception that its quality of care does not match 911-dispatched EMTs, despite undergoing the same training process. “We have literally the same skills as all those other people,” Kolowich said.

“Just because we’re college kids, does not mean t h a t w e cannot d o the job

georgetownvoice.com just as well.”

Additionally, GERMS has the benefit of knowing campus inside and out. “If we get a call to Darnall 523 or something, we know exactly how to get there,” Miller said, “whereas D.C. fire has to sit there and wait till DPS tells them how to get to Darnall, and then figure out how to get to whatever room I just said. So I think from an operational standpoint, it’s just quicker response times.”

Although GERMS EMTs have the advantage of being able to directly relate to their patients, Kolowich sees this as a potential hazard. “I think it depends on the issue because if I had an embarrassing emergency, and I knew that students that are in my classes could respond, that’s where the danger is,” she said.

Alatis, however, thinks the benefits outweigh the dangers. “Sometimes it seems like GERMS is all about the weekend nights and the drunk kids, but we do see a lot more than that,” she said. “For example, somebody who’s been sexually assaulted, they probably don’t want to talk to some big, beefy stranger. It’s going to be a lot easier to talk to somebody their own age.”

While D.C. Fire and EMS charges on average $400-$500 per ambulance ride regardless of the distance, GERMS care and transportation to the hospital is free.

Treatment once students arrive at the hospital, however, is not. “People don’t know that GERMS is free, but the ER is not … If it comes with the misconception that the ER is also free, then GERMS gets blamed,” Alatis said.

1:00 a.m.—Just as GERMS approaches campus, they receive a second call from Village A. This time the patient is a student visiting from another university. At first reluctant to cooperate and intimidated by the presence of a DPS officer who accompanies GERMS on every call, the student calms down o n c e t h e E M Ts e x plain what

feature

EMTs relax in GERMS’s Village C office before calls start coming in.

GERMS is. Once the fear of getting in trouble disappears, the patient becomes compliant and the EMTs determine that he does not need to go to the hospital. He even says that GERMS should talk to his university to get a similar EMS program installed there.

Georgetown’s EMS program is the only one of its kind in the greater D.C. area, though in 2008, George Washington University created a similar EMT service called EMeRG. According to GERMS medical director Dr. Kori Hudson, “GERMS has been around a lot longer and is a little bit more established.

Because Georgetown is a closed campus, it’s easier for us to be responsible for all EMS calls within our boundaries.

GW being spread out kind of integrated into the city a little bit more makes it harder for them to do that.”

In addition to logistical restraints it faces, EMeRG has a tainted reputation.

“There’s a really negative stigma with them on campus at GW because when they have alcohol or substance abuserelated incidences, they report it to the school, and the school gets the frats and sororities in trouble,” Jepeal said.

American, Howard, and Catholic Universities all lack student-run ambulance services altogether.

“I think that the biggest misconception among the Georgetown community is that GERMS will get you in trouble, which is not helped by the fact that DPS comes with us to calls,” Alatis said.

“But ... DPS doesn’t come with us to get anyone in trouble, they come with us to make sure that we’re safe. Because if we get a patient who is swearing at us or spitting at us, we don’t really need to be dealing with that.”

Even The Hoya perpetuated this myth of DPS intimidation in an Aug. 30, 2012 editorial: “It has become standard procedure for Department of Public Safety officers to accompany the Georgetown Emergency Response Medical Service on calls--which would be fine, except that DPS reserves the right to report students for what they discover at the scene. In potential matters

the georgetown voice 9

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of life and death, students should not hesitate to phone for help for fear of being caught drinking underage or using illegal drugs.”

Miller emphasized the danger of propagating this mistaken belief. “If someone was to be in trouble, and someone didn’t call because there was underage drinking or drug use or someone just breaking the law and got hurt breaking the law or something like that, then I think that would be crazy just because of a rumor going around.”

1:30 a.m.—The crew gets back to the office, where the EMTs work on charts for 20 minutes before the radio tone goes off yet again. The third, and final, call of the night comes at 1:45 a.m. and they head to Darnall.

After going through an almost identical process as during the first call, the patient is cared for and left at the hospital overnight for observation purposes. Shortly after 3:00 a.m., the crew returns to the office, debriefs, and catches a few hours of sleep before the day crew arrives in the morning.

This weekend, GERMS is celebrating its 30th anniversary, and it has been around for so long for a reason—it has become an essential part of Georgetown life.

Miller attributes the success of the

organization to the fact that the EMTs are volunteers rather than paid workers. “I think the biggest [reason] is just the way it fosters volunteerism in students and a sense of ownership that it gives students in that as students, GERMS is our organization,” said Miller. “We can’t fall back and blame a faculty member who’s in charge. If something goes wrong, then students deal with it.”

Despite misconceptions and stereotypes, GERMS has cemented itself into the Georgetown community. From its beginnings operating out of a converted hearse, the service has treated countless students and exhausted nine ambulances.

“We’ve definitely come incredibly far from when we’ve started. And part of the really cool part of the 30th anniversary is that we’ve been interviewing a lot of alums, many of whom were here the very first year GERMS started,” Alatis said. “And they come here to this office, and they see our new ambulance, and they just say, ‘Wow. We had a desk and a golf cart. You guys have a dedicated office, and two ambulances, and so many more members, and so much standing in the community.’ It’s very cool how much we’ve been able to do.”

Over the past 30 years, GERMS has used every expansion to better care for students at Georgetown. During the 2008 norovirus outbreak, GERMS treated over 100 patients in four days.

GERMS has even sent EMS crews to help with the previous three presidential inaugurations, which has improved both GERMS’s and Georgetown’s reputation in the district.

“GERMS as an organization, and all of its members, are widely respected for the services that they provide to the University Community. I don’t even think they always realize that there are people in the University Administration as well as in the Department of Health, the DC City government, and DC Fire/ EMS who all have great respect for what the GERMS are doing,” Hudson said.

“These officials often can’t believe that such a well-run organization is entirely managed by its student members. It makes me proud to be a part of what they are doing.”

Robert Doherty opens champagne to consecrate a new ambulance unit for GERMS.

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leisure

10 the georgetown voice

october 25, 2012

Cloud Atlas passes by audiences without a silver lining

by Julia Lloyd-George It seems Hollywood has taken the concept of past and future lives beyond the context of New Age spiritual beliefs and transferred it onto the big screen. In the overly ambitious Cloud Atlas, an epic conglomerate of stories spans 500 years and involves more characters than any reasonable person would care to count. Based on the acclaimed novel by David Mitchell, the genre-bending film involves six different plot lines that intertwine over centuries, which include a post-apocalyptic era and an Orwellian future-scape.

The idea is that every character experiences reincarnations in each period, with every actor playing several roles. If you’ve ever wondered what Tom Hanks would look like with cauliflower ears or what Hugo Weaving would look like in drag, Cloud Atlas serves up the answer on a $100 million plate. The problem is that these admittedly ridiculous costume changes can often dis-

tract from the heart of the story, which seems to explore the ways in which we can endure beyond our prescribed time on Earth. The typical epic themes of everlasting love, courage, and triumph in the face of adversity also apply.

The screenplay, written by the directors—the Wachowskis of Matrix fame and Tom Twyker, director of Run Lola Run—is, needless to say, more daunting than most.

Dismantling the novel’s straightforward narrative structure, the film breaks down each story into thousands of slices so that it comes across as a quilt of thematically similar scenes. The viewer may be following a stowaway slave sprint across a ship’s mast one moment and an escaped clone dodge bullets on a narrow bridge in a futuristic Korean city the next.

The Wachowskis are certainly no novices when it comes to constructing visually arresting action films, as every frame of Cloud Atlas seems to demonstrate—breathtaking panoramic shots are hardly an endangered species, while the

highly demanding production design manages to hit the spot for each and every period.

When the idea for this big screen adaptation was first conceived, many deemed it unfilmable, dismissing the possibility.

The Wachowski-Twyker team has clearly risen above these doubts, succeeding in crafting an epic tale that somehow throws romance, mystery, science fiction, action, and even some comic elements all in one incredibly mixed brew.

It is impossible not to laugh at debt fugitive Jim Broadbent’s escape attempts from a retirement home or be compelled by the cliffhanger-filled plot involving muckraking journalist Halle Berry. Some of the best acting, however, comes from the most unexpected places.

While stars like Hanks, Berry, and Hugh Grant deliver rather hohum performances, lesser-known actors like Bae Noo-Da and Ben Whishaw rise to the occasion in pleasantly surprising ways. As a “fabricant” clone that manages to

and runs until Jan. 13, 2013. The exhibit is the first to survey his career since the artist’s unexpected death of pneumonia at age 73 in 1997.

Impressive for the range of subjects Lichtenstein explored during his prolific career, the exhibit lets the 135 pieces on display speak for themselves—when not using comic book-style blurbs in his pieces, that is. Beyond short descriptions explaining the thematic organization of the exhibition, which is broken

with Lichtenstein’s clean, bright style. Further, the exhibit’s stark arrangement, whether stylistic or an oversight of the curator, is quickly remedied by the comprehensive $5 audio guide.

Though descriptions of his work may be lacking, the exhibit’s layout flows well, whisking visitors around the many rooms and expertly juxtaposing his trademark “War and Romance” pieces such as “M-Maybe,” alongside

start a revolution in an authoritarian cityscape, Noo-Da is particularly striking as she holds together each scene she inhabits with a quiet authority that often escapes even the most practiced of actors. Whishaw is similarly arresting as a bisexual composer gradually churning out a masterpiece that wouldn’t be appreciated until centuries later. Still, it’s difficult to appreciate these golden nuggets when they must so quickly give way to chunks of an entirely different narrative.

As much as I desperately wanted to love Cloud Atlas, I was left with the sense that there was something essential missing from this patchwork of stories. From the opening credits, the viewer is strapped to a rollercoaster ride that leaves little room for investment in each character or any reflection at all. It’s a classic case of style winning over substance, with little more material substance than the changing form of a passing cloud.

imdb

“There are times when life doesn’t always seem like a box of chocolates.”

Lichtenstein: A Retrospective redefines pop art at the NGA

by Mary Borowiec In 1964, Life Magazine inquired of pop art icon Roy Lichtenstein, “Is he the worst artist in the U.S.?”

While this question might seem both ironic and a moot point in the face of Lichtenstein: A Retrospective, the 15,000-square-foot exhibition now on display at the National Gallery, this query illuminates an important characteristic of Lichtenstein’s work: his uncanny ability to simultaneously “delight and outrage” in his mastery and innovation in the pop art genre.

This unique combination of pleasing and offending runs throughout A Retrospective, as viewers are invited to revel not only in Lichtenstein’s characteristic use of the comic book-style, Ben-Day dots, and the two-dimensional depiction of mass consumer objects, but also in the truly revolutionary nature of his work. As the exhibit progresses from comics to landscapes to nudes and beyond, it astounds in the way it captures the many phases of Lichtenstein’s dynamic career and the artistic style which he made distinctly his own.

A traveling exhibit first displayed at the Art Institute in Chicago Lichtenstein: A Retrospective opened at the NGA on Oct. 14, 2012

National Gallery of Art

Mickey’s homoerotic voyeurism is a fundamental part of this exhibit. up into 14 sections, from “War and Romance” to “Landscapes,” each work is only accompanied by its title. In spite of the dearth of information for viewers, the stark contrast of each piece with the white walls and high ceilings fits well

less stereotypically-Lichtenstein pieces. Consequently, the evolution of works from famous pieces, such as “Look Mickey” (1963) and the “Oh…Alright” comic-esque blue-haired heroine, to his paintings and sculpture on “brush-

strokes” to the Chinese inspired landscapes of his late career offer a multifaceted image of the artist.

Even in the divergence from the traditional comic book genre, Lichtenstein’s unmistakable stamp on each work ensures continuity despite the subject matter, which allows the viewer to see how his work organically evolved through new forms of experimentation.

The transformation of the Benday dot, for instance, from his early comic pieces to his later abstract works such as “Imperfect Sculpture,” parallels Lichtenstein’s artistic progression. The display of Lichtenstein’s four famous paintings in the “Artist’s Studio” series (1974) best captures this development as Lichtenstein revisits some of his most iconic work by following in the Western artist tradition of painting one’s own studio, drawing inspiration from Henri Matisse’s “Red Studio” and “Pink Studio” in these near life-size depictions.

Reunited for the first time in this exhibition, “Artist’s Studio No. 1 (Look Mickey)” kicks off the exhibition as Lichtenstein satirizes his own work and the comic book-style that made him famous in this rendition of an artist’s studio showcasing “Look Mickey,” “Couch,” and other homages to his earlier work.

The other three panels of “Artist’s Studio” bring Lichtenstein’s personal retrospective in full circle, perfectly complementing the exhibit’s exploration of his relationship with historical figures from Pablo Picasso to George Washington.

While each panel of “Artist’s Studio” opens a window into Lichtenstein’s distinct style, the last of the four works, “The Dance,” proves the most intriguing as Lichtenstein parodies Matisse’s “Still Life with Dance,” altering the original work’s composition in his characteristic pop art form.

Other highlights beyond the ubiquitous “War and Romance” series include Lichtenstein’s survey of mirrors as a subject, commenting on the irony of art as a reflection of nature, which for Lichtenstein is utterly depthless. Lichtenstein’s self portrait, a simple t-shirt and a rectangular mirror in place of the head perfectly captures this self referential quality of his work as it evokes a sense of our material culture alongside an impersonality that is distinctly Lichtenstein.

With his status as “the worst artist in America” debunked, A Retrospective affirms the revolutionary nature of Lichtenstein’s work and its enduring ability to reevaluate what constitutes great art.

georgetownvoice.com

“i own the hotel, and i live there. my life is very much like monopoly.” — two Weeks Notice

the georgetown voice 11

lez’hurCoupe ledger is the perfect place to coop up with coffee The

by Kirill Makarenko D.C.’s restaurant scene appears to have just about everything, ranging from free-range beef and specialty veggie burgers to cruelly prepared foie gras and cannibalistically raised chicken. Apart from the occasional IHOP or Denny’s, the city’s one overlooked attribute has been the dearth of 24-hour service in the area. Luckily, the creators of the Diner in Adams Morgan—one of the few nonchain restaurants of its kind— have provided a Columbia Heights-based sister restaurant that fills this terrible void.

The Coupe, which serves as a diner, bar, lounge, and coffee shop, promises to serve “early birds, night owls, and everyone in between.” While avoiding an explicit promise of quality, the establishment does not disappoint on its simple, unambitious mission: fulfilling late-night (or anytime) hunger cravings.

As an amalgamation of 24hour food services under one roof, The Coupe sets high expectations for an appropriate atmosphere, one which suits an undoubtedly diverse clientele.

A resulting orderly incongruity dominates the interior: assorted couches and seats surround a coffee table in the lounge area that blends into a fully-stocked bar showing the Redskins game on a flat-panel TV to the right of the entrance.

To the left, a classic diner materializes, featuring booths lining the windows, tables for two at the center backed into a low dividing wall, and countertop seating facing a second television set.

Brick columns supporting the wide windows, metal tile insets in the ceiling, and minimalist lighting fixtures, as well as white ceilings and beige walls, wrap the entire room in a bright, presentable package.

Free WiFi and outlets at nearly every seat add functionality to the pleasant interior.

A central selling point of The Coupe is a built-in Tryst coffee shop, mirroring the 18th St. diner location. The menu outlines the origin of each brew, as well as the specific preparation process, neither of which is an empty marketing strategy; the beverages are truly well-crafted. La Golondrina, for instance, hails from Cauca,

Dear Emlyn, put a sock in it

Dear Emlyn, So there’s this guy. I really like him, and he’s established in multiple ways that he likes me, but he’s failing to take our attracted-friends relationship any further. This weekend, he’s going to be dressing up for Halloween as a really slutty Scarecrow, with some of his friends going as slutty Tin Man and Lion. They also have a Dorothy, which is some other girl--a.k.a. not me.

I feel really jealous that he’s not mine, and he’s going to be going around strutting his stuff and I can’t even be a part of their group. What do I do?

—Unsexy Dorothy :( Dear Unsexy, Well, you know how the saying goes—if you’re not in his Halloween costume group, he doesn’t love you and you will die alone. I suggest staying in this Halloween weekend, watching The Notebook alone, and crying into your Pillow Pet. After all, what’s the point in celebrating a holiday when you can’t spend it clicking

your heels and trying to make “There’s no place like home,” sound really sexy? Who needs candy from trick or treating when you can buy your own pints of Ben and Jerry’s?

On the other hand, no one really says, “If you’re not in his Halloween costume group, he doesn’t love you and you will die alone.” That’s because the saying is fucking stupid. Don’t let this ruin your lovely Halloween season, or even your day—you are over-thinking something that this guy probably hasn’t thought about for more than five seconds. The good news is that going as Dorothy to a Halloween party is way overdone; you’ll probably stand out more to him if your costume is a bit more eccentric—think Cady Herring à la Mean Girls. Just an idea. Ask what parties he’s going to and make an appearance at a few, but overall just have fun with your friends and make it the

Colombia, and exudes potent aromas of chocolate and caramel with subtle hints of cherry and citrus.

Each cup arrives with a side of often decapitated animal crackers, à la that scene in The Godfather, with a camel instead of a horse. Such animal cracker cruelty, however, does not serve as an omen for the breakfast, lunch, and dinner dishes offered all day long.

Traditional, predictable breakfast items such as eggs made-to-order served with sides of grits, hash browns, or sausage and bacon are certainly passable (though, really, how do you screw up bacon?). One pattern exhibited by the chef is a liberal use of garlic, particularly in the grits and hash browns. The resulting plates, if not inedible, are certainly unappetizing—a problem ameliorated by request or a hefty helping of ketchup and other condiments.

A substantial lunch and dinner menu, headlined by The Coupe Burger, awaits post-bar customers as well. The patty, which mercifully avoids garlic, is topped with firm, fresh mushrooms, crispy Tabascobest Halloween possible. Wallowing is about the only thing less sexy than a slutty Scarecrow Halloween costume.

Dear Emlyn, I walked in on my roommate doing the dirty and I got really upset and sort of enraged. I feel bad for doing that—I mean, it is college, and people are going to have fun. Sure, she should have warned me and could have avoided my freak out, but it’s too late and

you’ve Got issues

by Emlyn Crenshaw a bi-weekly advice column now things are awkward between us.

The awkwardness is because I got so mad, not really because of what she did. How do I resolve this issue?

—Roommateus interruptus Dear Roommateus, Ah, college—a time of intellectual stimulation and awkward encounters with naked people. I must compliment you because in the wake of your

fried onion rings, and thin layers of cheddar, lettuce, and tomato. The thick, half-pound beef patty itself is juicy and rewardingly filling, but hardly deserving of excessive praise.

In fact, none of the ingredients are particularly effective; even the Tabasco sauce fails to stand out in the mundane frying batter, unable to lift The Coupe Burger out of the ranks of ubiquitous similar meals clogging D.C.’s menus—and arteries.

Aside from boasting an exquisite coffee collection, The Coupe fails to impress in terms of culinary craftsmanship. The establishment’s real draw is nothing more than the 24-hour format and welcoming ambiance, which lends itself well to student all-nighters, an inevitable side-effect of midterm season. After all, a leather lounge chair and a steaming mug of Ethiopian coffee beats the cramped Lau stacks any day.

Kiriill maKareNKo

Adding a diner to a list of favorite coffee shops does not make you less hipster. surprise discovery you seem to understand something that a lot of people probably miss in situations like this. People—yes, including your roommate—are going to have sex in college, and yes, probably in your room! Accept this immediately and be ready to confront it, because it’s not going to matter all that much whether you want your roommate to be doing the dirty or not.

If she wants to and has a willing partner, things are going to go down. Chances are, she can’t help it—everyone knows the soft lighting and subtle décor of a New South room are some of nature’s strongest aphrodisiacs.

So good for you, Roommateus. Realizing that the problem here lies not in the sex itself but in your roommate’s failure to notify you about what’s going on in the room is a big step, and now that you understand this you can hopefully avoid a major freak out if (God forbid) it happens again.

Talk about what happened ASAP, and don’t worry about it

being too awkward. Out of respect for your roommate’s sex life, you shouldn’t have freaked out, but out of decency and respect for you, she shouldn’t have kept you uninformed. You’re both in the wrong in some sense, so the talk won’t be that bad because you both should be apologetic. Set up some sort of communication plan for the next time either of you wants the room, like texting, “Hey, can I have the room for an hour?” or scrawling a secret message on a hanging whiteboard.

The only other thing I can think of is hanging a sock on the doorknob, although I’m not sure how well that would work. People (or washing machines) can steal socks, you know? Even so, some swear by it—my dad says he used the sock method faithfully, making it number one on the list of things I wish I never knew.

Send Emlyn your slutty Halloween costume ideas to ecrenshaw@georgetownvoice.com

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12 the georgetown voice

october 25, 2012

C r i t i c a l V o i ces

Taylor Swift, Red, Big Machine Records Musicologists can at last sleep soundly knowing that the simmering debate over Taylor Swift’s genre has indisputably ended. Red, Swift’s fourth studio album, boasts powerful dubstep pulses, refreshingly mature themes, and a timid but not unwelcome push into instrumental experimentation, pointing to one unavoidable conclusion: the former teen country-pop star is growing up.

Swift does not abruptly abandon country music altogether; the title track is backed by a twanging electric guitar and a steady banjo rhythm as the 22-year-old recounts yet another breakup.

Even on “Red,” however, the lyrical content is more forceful. “His love was like driving a new Maserati down a dead-end street,” concludes Swift, as the listener realizes that the days of

high school drama and pickup trucks are gone.

The more upbeat, blatantly pop tracks on Red could easily have migrated over from a Katy Perry record in terms of both quality and subject matter, especially given “Part of Me” and “I Kissed a Girl” co-writer Max Martin’s input into Red. “22,” for instance, is dominated by a kick drum and electronic rhythms which almost entirely obscure the acoustic guitar struggling to be heard. The vocals perfectly match this instrumentation, as Swift shouts assorted adages promoting living with reckless abandon.

“I Knew You Were Trouble” emulates this formula, pushing into a full-blown booming dubstep chorus complete with Swift’s occasionally distorted and simplistic, repeating lyrics.

In spite of the commanding instrumental lines, the measured, more meaningful love song from Swift’s repertoire is in no way absent from Red, as “All Too Well” epitomizes this style. Clocking in at nearly six minutes, the track is the longest on the album, but not a second is wasted. A soft flattop paves the way for a crying electric slide as Swift once again reminisces about her fondness for the occasional relationship gone wrong. A drum set, a subdued series of piano notes, and crunchy guitar chords build to quivering, potent

Pumpkins: Spiced and spiked

“Life starts all over again when Starbucks starts selling pumpkin spice lattes in the fall and doesn’t fill the cup all the way to the brim on account of all that God-damned whipped cream, Daisy.”

Of course, F. Scott Fitzgerald didn’t live long enough to actually contemplate the phenomenon that is Starbucks’ pumpkin spice latte, but the Internet had the courtesy to pretend that he did when it recrafted one of his most famous lines.

And while it’s still true that “life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall,” pumpkin-spiced everything now challenges cold weather and crimson leaves as the definitive sign of the season. It may be 78 degrees outside, but if the baristas in green aprons are selling their sweet, spiced lattes, autumn has arrived.

However, this culinary season of clove and cinnamon reaches far

beyond Starbucks: pumpkin pancake mix, nutmeg apple cider, and pumpkin roobios tea now line the shelves at Trader Joe’s.

What’s startling about this commercial, pre-packaged pumpkin season is its lack of natural counterparts. In an industrialized food system that makes glistening GMO strawberries available in January, real seasons have virtually disappeared from our supermarkets. Michael Pollan, activist journalist and champion of the food movement, vehemently indicts this seasonal erasure from a philosophical standpoint.

“Now there are tomatoes all year round, grown halfway around the world, picked when they were green, and ripened with ethylene gas. Although it looks like a tomato, it’s a kind of a notional tomato.

I mean, it’s the idea of a tomato,” he declares in Food Inc. Tomatoes

vocals at the chorus before subsiding into a lone acoustic guitar that fades into silence at the conclusion.

At over an hour in length, Red is a massive album, made even more so by the vast array of content and experimentation pumped into the 16 songs. While not completely convincing, Taylor Swift’s cautious evolution is certainly a step in the right direction and, at the very least, provides her with more options for complaining about her seemingly endless boyfriends and breakups.

Voice’s Choices: “Red,” “Stay, Stay, Stay” —Kirill Makarenko

Titus Andronicus, Local Business, XL Recordings Titus Andronicus derives its name from a lesser-known Shakespeare play about bloodlust and revenge set in the final years of have lost their appeal—and their flavor—as a result of the demise of defined agricultural seasons.

Still, pumpkin spice season lives on. Though gourds and squash are actually harvested in the fall, there’s no such thing as the best month for buying pumpkin latte syrup. Theoretically, Starbucks could offer their famous lattes all year long, just as we do tomatoes.

Plate of the Union

by Heather Regen a bi-weekly column about food Instead, the coffee shop recreates the specialness of the season by refusing to sell us pumpkin spice lattes at any other time—and I’m okay with that. I’ll mourn the destruction of natural seasons along with Pollan, but that won’t stop me from celebrating an autumn full of pumpkin chai cupcakes, acorn squash pasta, and cinnamon clove

the Roman Empire. In keeping with this namesake, the indiepunk band never shies away from the themes of violence or aggression in their songwriting or production. Local Business, the outfit’s third album, is no different—it’s wonderfully frenetic.

Starting with “Ecce Homo,” a guitar-heavy track whose title pays homage to Pontius Pilate and Nietzsche, Local Business feels like an extended rant. Instead of constructing songs around catchy choruses, Titus Andronicus chooses strings of belligerent verses, interjecting a chorus here and there and relying on the screaming guitar and like-sounding vocal style to bring everything together into a cohesive album. From “My Eating Disorder” to “Tried to Quit Smoking,” Business covers a diverse subject matter, but compiled lyrical frustration produces something wholly complete.

After the heavy hitting tracks at the beginning of the record, Business eventually settles into a growling groove. By “In a Small Body” the music has eventually slowed to a relaxed yet equally angsty pace before the final push on “Tried to Quit Smoking,” which, at over nine minutes long, borders on epic. With tension slowly building over the first few minutes before crescendoing steamers. Fall’s culinary bounty— commercially manufactured or not—should be taken seriously.

Which is why pumpkin spice lattes alone won’t cut it. If you’re prepared to spend upwards of $5 on a fancy caffeinated drink on a Sunday morning, there’s no excuse for drinking unseasonal pink lemonade Burnett’s on Saturday night.

Fall is an opportunity to try Blue Moon’s autumn sampler, with its harvest pumpkin and caramel apple spiced ales. Fall is a reason to splurge on Angustura bitters, to lend a splash of color to your drink with notes of ginger, clove, and dry orange. It’s a chance to throw out the old Coca-Cola and Sprite mixers and replace them with apple cider and cinnamon hot chocolate.

Autumn drinks are anything but untraditional. Pablo Neruda waxed poetic about them in his Book of Questions, in which he also pondered the meaning of

and fading into silence, the final sounds of Local Business perfectly mirror the notes on the album’s opener—a satisfyingly round finish to the listening experience.

Artfully combining diverse musical influences, Business has it all. The melodies are catchy, the layers are subtle, and the tracks seamlessly blend into each other.

Debating whether a track is more Springsteen or Blink is essentially pointless—can anyone monopolize anguish?

Lyrically, Titus Andronicus fails to stretch itself beyond its sophomore effort The Monitor, but the band still satisfies with a mocking gravitas: “Okay, I think by now we’ve established/Everything is inherently worthless/And there’s nothing in the universe.”

Following in the footsteps of its Shakespearean namesake, Local Business achieves a near-violent quality as it broaches or, more aptly, tramples—every issue under the blood-red sun—but violence has never sounded so good. This potpourri packs a punch of skillful guitar riffs and screeching syllables that seamlessly fuse together into a satisfying final product.

Voice’s Choices: “Tried to Quit Smoking,” “Ecce Homo” —Michael Mouch life. “How old is November?

What does autumn go on paying for with so much yellow money? What is the name of the cocktail that mixes vodka with lightning bolts?”

We’ll never know the name of Neruda’s mysterious autumn cocktail, but last week I found something that came close. As I entered a Henle with the sign “It’s about to get seasonal” on the door, I was greeted by an impromptu bar crowded with tonic water and gourds. The drink of the night was the dark and stormy—ginger beer mixed with spiced rum. Sharp and dry, the ginger beer lit up the cocktail even as the rum mellowed it out.

More than any pumpkin spice latte could, this drink declared the season—fall is in full swing.

Invite Heather to drinks at hregen@georgetownvoice.com or she will turn into a pumpkin at midnight.

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14 the georgetown voice

october 25, 2012

The horror! British-style austerity looms over USA

by Julia Lloyd-George It was in the throes of the civil rights movement during the ‘60s that Bob Dylan first sang “The Times They Are a-Changin’,” but things haven’t exactly gone static since then. Though political gridlock and shallow histrionics seem to be running the town these days, what many disillusioned voters may not realize is the vast potential for change from this election.

True, four years ago a majority of us were swept up in a tide of euphoria driven by an energetic rhetoric of change that, for the most part, was bound to be just that. It was a natural high and an unsustainable one—voters’ optimism was practically set up to be crushed as political realities came into play.

Nevertheless, I may take the liberty of borrowing some eyeroll-inducing political rhetoric myself when I say that we now stand at the fork of two very different paths. The importance of the choice we make in November cannot be overemphasized. While I’m no political expert, I can’t help but believe I’ve seen shadows of the unfavorable change that may

come to us in another country I call home: England.

I recently went to see one of my favorite authors, Zadie Smith, give a reading of her new book, NW. Her third novel revolving around the lives of north Londoners, NW examines the themes of race, ethnicity, gender, and national identity which anchor all her work.

In a Q&A session following the reading, an expat Londoner asked Smith about the political undercurrents in this portrait of a changing global city. She responded by pointing to the changes that have occurred over the past few years with the formation of a coalition government helmed by Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron.

“It’s a different England than we bargained for,” she said.

“Change can be painful.”

She was referring to the extreme, austerity-minded cuts in public expenditures that touch all areas of British life. Even the most prized British institutions haven’t been spared from Cameron’s thrift: the National Health Service and the subsidization of university-level education have both faced the axe.

While Americans may see these cuts and the ensuing protests as mere mosquito bites for a “welfare state” that has been spoiled by seemingly endless government benefits, they present significant problems for vast swathes of Britain. For many, austerity means an end to education or losing access to a life-saving medical procedure.

Though the British political system is certainly different from that of the U.S., the narratives of people who have suffered from cuts to that system contain important lessons for Americans at this pivotal political crossroads.

It’s essential to recognize that Americans, like their allies across the pond, could be facing such results if Republicans are able to institute widespread privatization and budget slashes in the coming years. After all, the preCameron U.K. is an example of the very “socialist, liberal, European” system that Mitt Romney et al. have decried.

Furthermore, the Republican Party is far less moderate than that of the British Conservatives.

Cameron, though certainly of the Eton/Oxford-educated up-

per echelon, hasn’t exactly gone around denouncing nearly half of the electorate as lazy victims.

Cameron’s party certainly doesn’t tout many of the hard-right social policies that Romney has been supporting on the campaign trail, as Cameron himself supports abortion rights and same-sex marriage. Nevertheless, he’s a figure that voters should pay attention to as a shadowy echo of the economic policies that could drift across the Atlantic.

The devastating cuts for both defense and domestic programs set to occur in 2013 if Congress fails to reach a cost-cutting compromise could be just the beginning of a long downward spiral into extreme austerity. Though it has more than its fair share of naysayers, “Obamacare” is a significant change that has benefitted many Americans and which will certainly be torn to the ground in the wake of a Republican victory. I know it’s saved my parents thousands of dollars on something as basic as a dental appointment for my disabled younger brother. It’s also afforded another of my brothers, a filmmaker who is still struggling

dent is perhaps most noted during President George W. Bush’s two terms. Despite being constantly mocked, Dick Cheney has been lauded as the most influential vice president of all time. His post was not solely ceremonial—he served as the President’s closest advisor and a key player in various policy decisions. He was instrumental in defining what constitutes torture, ensuring that climate change was all but ignored, and shaping budget and tax policy. If anything, Dick Cheney demonstrates the potential of the position to shape the direction the country takes.

In this century in particular, both parties have been guilty of fielding controversial choices for

vice president. In 2000, former Vice President Al Gore chose Sen. Joseph Lieberman (I-CT) as his running mate. An open supporter of liberal causes such as repealing “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” and the right of the LGBT community to adopt children, Lieberman is also criticized for his hawkish approach to national security. Most alarmingly, Lieberman has been a great proponent of increased surveillance on the American public and a noted opponent to Internet free speech.

Governor Sarah Palin, the first Republican female vice presidential candidate: what a waste that historic moment was. Not only did she lack the credentials or pedigree, but she was also an insulting choice to garner the “women’s vote.”

The question of her eventually becoming president was not all that remote a possibility, considering Sen. John McCain’s previous bout with melanoma and various war wounds. She was, and is, completely incompetent, and yet in the event of the tragic death of Sen. McCain, she would have led the nation.

In this election season, the GOP has chosen yet another newbie candidate who lacks the experience to be trusted with the position of Commander-inChief should that be necessary.

While the current presidential race may be between President Barack Obama and Governor Mitt Romney, it is just as important to

consider that either Vice President Joe Biden or Senator Paul Ryan could be president as well. Vice President Biden is far from the most presidential and eloquent man to take his post in recent memory, likely due to his almost 40 years of experience in public office. He is well respected on foreign policy, civil liberties, and crime, and is generally considered a moderate. He lacks neither the background nor the charisma to be a competent president.

Paul Ryan, on the other hand, is brand new to the arena. He has little foreign policy experience, a very questionable plan for reducing the federal budget, an appalling environmental record, and a religious doctrine that alienates non-Christians. How and why does the GOP keep choosing vice presidential candidates that they would never field as presidential candidates?

There was a time when great care was taken in choosing a vice president, when there was a very real possibility that he or she would have to step up and run the show.

This country has seen men like Lyndon B. Johnson, Harry S. Truman, and Theodore Roosevelt take the helm when their predecessors met untimely deaths. Each one of these men was responsible for a very important piece of American history: LBJ passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Truman dropped the bomb that ended World War II, and Roosevelt busted the monopolies

with the realities of that wonderful industry, insurance he otherwise wouldn’t have had. I hate to think what dismantling that system would mean for people who need it even more.

Comparing two different political systems has its flaws, since these are governments which operate in their own idiosyncratic ways and have their own unique legislative branches—juxtaposing a C-SPAN-televised session of Congress with a gathering of the House of Commons should prove that much. Nevertheless, there’s still a lot to be learned from policies across the pond and the effects they have had in our current economic climate. With the failed tactics of Bush in the rearview mirror and Cameron’s austerity measures in the side, breaking out of an insular viewpoint might be worth considering as we make our own decision about who will occupy the Oval Office.

Julia Lloyd-George is a sophomore in the College. She thinks Congress might do well to be more like a House of Commons debate — that shit’s hilarious.

America’s heirs apparent actually important, need to be sane

by Sara Ainsworth In less than three weeks Americans will go to the polls with but one idea in mind: who will be the next president of the United States.

Little thought will be given to the name that sits almost inconspicuously below “President”: that of “Vice President.” This is a huge mistake. Few Americans seem to remember that if the president were to die or get ill to the point of incapacitation, then the country would be stuck with an individual to whom they paid little attention.

Vice presidents have played key roles in policymaking throughout U.S. history, and in recent times the importance of the vice presi-

The election comes down to crazy eyes or creepy grin. Choose wisely.

KAREN BU

and created thousands of acres of national parks. These men were not chosen for the highest office directly by the electorate, but they nonetheless had all the presidential qualities required. Even Chester Arthur, whom the history books often forget, reformed the U.S. Civil Service, creating a meritocracy instead of one based on cronyism.

Lest we forget, however, that others who came to power in a similar manner and were not nearly as successful. Andrew Johnson botched the Reconstruction of the South, Calvin Coolidge allowed laissez-faire to lay the groundwork for the Great Depression, and Millard Fillmore signed the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850.

These men serve as a reminder of the carelessness of certain presidents in choosing their successors.

There needs to be a greater level of accountability on behalf of presidential candidates and voters as to the quality of vice presidential candidates. While many ignore them, choosing to focus solely on the presidential candidates, these men and women are heirs apparent. It is time that we as a nation start recognizing them as such.

Sara Ainsworth is a junior in the SFS. The only thing worse than the laws Millard Fillmore passed is his unfortunate name.

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the georgetown voice

15

“Personally pro-life”: Unity required among Catholics

by Eileen Marino At the Vice Presidential debate a few weeks ago, the candidates were asked, among other questions, to reflect on their Catholic faiths and the role faith has played in shaping their views on abortion. While both candidates brought up contentious, discussion-provoking points, none surpassed Joe Biden’s opening remarks.

Describing himself as “personally pro-life,” Biden went on to say that each woman’s circumstances are different and that he has no right to impose his personal beliefs on those who choose to undergo an abortion.

I’ve been struggling with this type of answer for years; it is typical of most of the Catholics I know who personally believe an unborn fetus is a person who cannot be killed, but respect other people’s rights to differing opinions. For me, though, that position is untenable under Catholicism. Catholic social teaching holds as its primary tenet the fact that every human being, particularly one who cannot defend his or her self, reflects the dignity of God and is deserving of protection. No one is in greater need of such protection than the unborn— they can’t speak for themselves, fight back, or prove their worth.

AMANDA DOMINGUEZ & MADHURI VAIRAPANDI

According to my study of all 15 seasons of ER, this heart rhythm is deadly.

Catalogue backlog

Early adulthood is a time of both self-discovery and self-doubt, so it’s by no means a new phenomenon that a work of art defines and inspires solidarity within a generation that is coming of age. The online publication Thought Catalog, though, is no Rebel Without a Cause.

A collection of short opinion pieces emphasizing sincerity, the site ends up overgeneralizing about the 20-something experience, pigeonholing us as overly self-conscious, egocentric, and ungrateful.

Posts on the site highlight some of what seem to be the defining characteristics of our generation: insecurity (see “5 Types Of People Who Shouldn’t Be Allowed At The Gym”), isolation (“On Loneliness”), overanalysis (“Possible Reasons Your Text Message Has Gone Unanswered”), and nostalgia for things that were really just okay at the time, and didn’t happen that long ago anyway (“TGIF vs. SNICK”). Most articles cover a

pretty depressing selection of subjects ranging from unrequited love to failed job interviews, with the occasional cutesy love note thrown in. Thought Catalog essentially amounts to validation for the unconfident 20-something that, yes, everyone else is just as much of a loser as you are.

Regular readers have to have noticed that the majority of posts feature pretty much the same young adult as a narrator. Having graduated college and chosen the big city over their hometown, the Thought Catalog 20-something stereotype nevertheless feels out of place and disconnected from both of these contexts. Authors who are “just like you” confess that they see themselves as overgrown children masquerading as adults, caught somewhere between being a college student and a full-fledged grown-up.

The Thought Catalog narrator can’t really manage time or mon-

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Catholics also understand their obligation to defend others, but so few of them remember that ‘others’ includes the unborn.

My question is this, then: How can we as Catholics say we recognize the life of the unborn, but approve of other people murdering those whom we stand to protect?

Standing by any injustice, no matter how small, equates to agreeing with and validating that behavior; the people watching others harm their fellow human beings are just as, if not more, responsible for any atrocities that unfold, if only because passive acceptance is in essence, support. There is no validity in calling yourself a supporter of human dignity if you do nothing to protect it.

During the Holocaust, more than 11 million people were savagely killed. In my opinion, the saddest and most disappointing part of this statistic is that all of those deaths were preventable—not one of those people would have died had enough other people stood up to the perpetrators. And then I think of abortion, which kills one in three American children. And, contrary to the common pro-choice quip, 99 percent of those children are killed not because of rape, incest, or

the life of the mother, but because their parents simply do not want them. They do not want to be parents; a baby would inconvenience them. So we keep letting them die.

It’s as simple as that. We are killing for convenience; we are witnessing a genocide and no one seems to think it’s an issue because this is a personal decision that only the mother has the right to make.

I’m a woman, and I support women’s rights to absolute equality. But abortion is not just a woman’s problem, because it involves two lives. A woman has the right to choose when her own life is at stake, but she has no right to determine if another person lives, regardless of if she wants a baby, if she can afford it, or if she has a partner to help her raise it. Regardless of how much a baby is wanted, it is still a baby, still worthy of its own right to choose.

It is important to mention that I believe the only way to stop abortion is by offering mothers more choices. If we give women resources to take care of their children, continue with their education and enjoy their youth while raising a child, or, if they so choose, helping her put her child up for adoption, then abortion becomes a less appealing option.

ey as responsibly as his or her parents can but is full of all sorts of wisdom on love, sex, friendship, and experiences supposedly common to today’s 20-somethings.

Simultaneously cripplingly selfconscious and utterly narcissistic, he or she overthinks every last social interaction and pretends everything is okay, even when-spoiler alert!--it really isn’t.

Thought Catalog assures readers that everyone obsessively Facebook stalks an ex after a breakup,

ing Thought Catalog will probably make you more interesting” when they publish the same articles 10 or more times a day? Between the odd literary submission (and does anyone really read those?), posts on Thought Catalog merely indulge our cravings for evidence of other people’s weirdness, for some reassurance that their Facebook profiles showcasing their seemingly perfect lives are actually totally bogus.

Thought Catalog recognizes its own flaws, or at least to some extent. Snarky lamentations of our generation’s inability to read anything not written in the form of a list serve to acknowledge the site’s irksome overuse of the device.

Occasionally the narcissism and general whininess rampant on the site prompt someone to pen a welldeserved “Don’t you people realize how privileged you are?” post (see “32 Problems We’re Lucky to Have”). There’s also a vaguely amusing dimension of Thought Catalog revolving around self-parody, perhaps born of critiques like mine, such as “How To Write A ‘How To’ Article.” Recently a more breakingnews function has emerged, which invites discussion of a meme of the moment, be it legitimate rape or a binder full of women.

The site has been lauded as a sanctuary of sentimentality and sincerity in the sharp, snarky

Carrying On

by Tori Jovanovski

A rotating column by Voice senior staffers

that everyone has “that one friend” that they’re not sure why they keep around, that everyone is embarrassed of the person they were in high school, that everyone sometimes chooses Netflix’s reserves of Arrested Development over going out. Explorations of the nuances of modern relationships and communication beg readers to post them to each other’s Facebook walls with the comment, “OMG so true!!!”

Certainly, there’s something to relate to in most of the stories; I’m not even out of college and I’m already feeling lost and uncertain. But how can the site’s “About” page claim that “Read-

And while that is important, the point I want to stress the most is that abortion is the only choice that’s wrong. It isn’t wrong because it encourages women’s rights or sexual liberty. It’s wrong because as a society, we are hurting a defenseless group of people to give women those rights. No matter how much a woman has the right to choose, she has no right to choose for a life that is not her own.

So the term ‘personally prolife’ means nothing to me, if only because it’s an oxymoron. I can understand those people who support abortion because they believe a fetus is not yet a person. What I cannot support or understand, however, are those who know in their hearts that an unborn child is a person, and still feel it is acceptable to let other people murder them. That’s what frustrates me when I hear quotes like Biden’s. It’s a shame that a group of people so proud of their commitment to the weakest among us can so complacently watch them suffer.

Eileen Marino is a sophomore in the NHS. She’s also doesn’t like Biden because Paul Ryan is infinitely more attractive. P90X and blue eyes are deadly. world of the Internet, but the honesty it purports to value so highly is undermined not only by cookie-cutter opinion pieces but also by the appearance of sponsored posts. Corporations use this feature to take obvious advantage of readers’ self-centeredness: Skype, for instance, is responsible for “How To Survive Any Long-Distance Relationship,” and Nissan for “7 Reasons Why You Should Go On a Road Trip.”

A journey into the archives of Thought Catalog, whose earliest articles date back to 2009, turns up a list of contributors virtually unrecognizable to today’s reader.

Full of reviews of literature, music, and theater, the site apparently used to be pretty cool—until, like, everyone started reading it. Although it’s still not as bad as the unabashed display of superficiality and materialism that is Pinterest, Thought Catalog doesn’t show off our generation’s best qualities.

We get it, we’re not perfect: we’re vain, technology-dependent, and plagued by insecurities and phobias. But somehow I feel like beating a dead horse can’t be helping.

Every generation is entitled to its own expression of the angst of young adulthood; I guess I just wish ours wasn’t made entirely of whiny opinion pieces. I think we can all agree how annoying whiny opinion pieces are.

50 shades of blue and gray Here’s the sixth installment of the Voice’s serial romance novel-cum-murder mystery, 50 Shades of Blue and Gray. The next chapter of this steamy thriller is all up to you — send your 1,000 to 1,500-word submission, under your real name or your fake one, to editor@georgetownvoice.com by Monday night at 10 p.m., and we’ll pick our favorite for next week’s back page.

After reading over the note the Wingo’s guy gave us, I glanced at Corinne and asked, “What do you make of it?”

“I have no idea, but maybe we should go the observatory. After all that’s what the first note said and I just want to figure this shit out,” she responded. Grabbing my hand she pulled us in the direction of Yates, whispering, “Plus, the observatory is on my Fuckit List.” Her voice sent shivers down my spine.

Even after this crazy night, something about her still drove me wild.

“Wait, Ryan isn’t here anymore. Should we try to find him?” I asked.

“No, he passed out while we were at his house. He was really drunk. Besides, it’ll be more fun if it’s just the two of us.” As we walked away I heard the faint sounds of Rihanna’s “S&M” pulsating from the Wingo’s man’s cart. Corinne leaned into my ear once more and murmured, “I love this song.”

This time I felt it in more than just my spine.

Crossing Harbin patio, I heard the drunken ravings of a freshman boy who had collapsed in the dirt patch outside the door.

“Christ, I don’t miss freshman year,” I thought to myself.

“My pickup lines didn’t work, bro. None of them! What the fuck? I’m a fuckin’ Corpie; that shit should count for something,” he whined.

“Forget her. Let’s go to Rugby House. I’m sure, ‘You’re on my to-do list,’ will land one of the biddies there,” his friend consoled, grabbing his hand and pulling him up into a bro hug.

Corinne rolled her eyes, scoffing at their pitiful attempts. She laughed, “Freshmen never learn, do they? At least you don’t have to worry about finding a girl to take home tonight. I’m all yours.”

Suddenly solving this murder mystery was the last thing on my mind. I considered throwing her over my shoulder and heading straight back to Village B, but she pulled me back in the direction of the observatory.

As we reached the top of the Yates hill, the moonlight glimmered off of her silver handcuff necklace. I pulled her hand and whispered in her ear, “I’d like to see you use those on me,” not knowing where such an impulse originated. These lustful fantasies strayed far from my prior vanilla experiences. Smiling seductively and purred, “Just wait ‘til we get you up…to the top.”

Seized by a penetrating desire, I pushed her up against the observatory’s wrought-iron gate, gripping her thighs and thrusting her against the fence. “I have a key,” she gasped, pulling it out from between her breasts, “Let’s go inside.”

It took every ounce of willpower not to tear through her clothes right then and there. I grabbed the key from her and pulled her violently towards the entrance. Throwing open the first door, I shoved the key in the lock and beheld the observatory for the first time.

But of course that wasn’t what I was thinking about when I had a beautiful girl standing within arm’s reach.

As I turned around to face her, I felt a sharp blow to the back of my head and collapsed. The last thing I saw as the world dimmed around me was Corinne’s shocked face staring down at me. *** Blinking rapidly, I tried to figure out what had happened to me. As I slowly regained consciousness I tried to bring my hand down to push my hair out of my face, only to find my arms were bound above my head. I looked down, trying to figure out what I was tied to. Suddenly I realized I was hanging a foot or so in the air.

I struggled against the ropes which I now found were also holding my feet against a gilded wooden plank. When I looked a bit closer, I noticed that the board I had been tied to was shockingly similar to the Healy clock hands that had been stolen last spring.

A cold wind blew in from somewhere behind me, sending the board and me whirling. Spinning around, I saw the observatory’s dome. In my dizzy haze I realized the board was hanging from the telescope. As the spinning subsided, a dark figure appeared in the doorway. “Who are you?” I shouted, wishing I had use of my limbs to defend myself.

“It’s me,” Corinne reassured me.

“What happened?” I fumbled over my words.

“Someone snuck up behind us and knocked us out. I woke up tied up just like you to the other clock hand. Luckily he didn’t tie my hands tightly and I was able to escape.”

“Oh, shit. Did you see who it was?”

“No, it was dark. It was just someone big.”

“Okay. Well, come help untie me. I want to be able to protect you if he comes back.”

“No,” she replied in a suddenly authoritative voice, “I prefer to have you up there. I think this might be just the position we need.”

My mind reeled, switching from confusion at the situation to anger at the attacker, to now this sudden lust at Corinne’s suggestion. But somehow I didn’t mind.

She strutted towards me and ripped my shirt open, running her nails along my abs. She slowly undid the button of my jeans and unzipped them with her teeth. I struggled against the ropes, wanting nothing more than to take her in my arms and throw her against the wall.

“Hold still or I’ll have to punish you,” she taunted, smirking up at me. Seized by a moment of lust she ripped off my boxers and clawed her hands down my sides. Driven crazy by the sheer thrill of the sensation, I thrust my hips forward. With this, the rope snapped and sent me crashing into Corinne. She grabbed hold of me as we fell to the ground together.

With a mischievous gleam in her eyes, she flipped me over, leaving my feet tied to the board and my hands bound above my head. She threw her own clothes off and climbed on top of me. We locked eyes, and she gave me a look filled with a burning passion. I winced a little bit as my bare skin rubbed against the hard, wooden board behind me, but I still felt a wave of pleasure rush over me as she ran her fingers down my abs. Her nails left red streaks down my body. Suddenly, she pressed her lips against mine, biting my lower lip and pulling my head up to meet hers. Arching her back, she pressed herself against me, moaning my name until finally gasping out in ecstasy. Hearing my name and feeling her on top of me pushed me over the edge. I felt her body tense up against mine until she finally lay down on top of me, breathing heavily.

— Mr. Holmes and Ms. Adler