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GEORGETOWN STUDENTS ATTEND HISTORIC CLIMATE RALLY PAGE 4

LACROSSE SUFFERS OVERTIME LOSS IN SEASON OPENER PAGE 6

VAGINA MONOLOGUES BRINGS GIRLY HILARITY TO THE DEVINE PAGE 10

Georgetown University’s Weekly Newsmagazine Since 1969  February 21, 2013  Volume 48 Issue 7  georgetownvoice.com

I’m gonna pop some tags

2 the georgetown voice

february 21, 2013

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Voice Crossword “Timely Beginnings” by Tyler Pierce 34. Automobile sticker fig.

35. Inert gas 36. Country club figure 39. Official 41. Gun, as an engine 42. Porn theater 46. Fragrance 48. Maniacs 49. ___-friendly 50. Perlman of Cheers 51. Puking on the floor for example 56. Lower oneself 58. “Thanks ___!”

59. Eye amorously 60. Small amount 61. Two tablets, maybe 62. Hightails it 63. “Wait a ___!”

64. Scorch 65. Cold cuts, e.g.

DOWN ACROSS 1. New Zealand bird 5. Concert souvenir 9. Germany’s Dortmund-___ Canal 12. Biblical plot 13. Yellowfin, e.g.

14. Flimsy, as an excuse 16. Rip apart

17. Mozart’s “Madamina,” e.g.

18. Weather map area 20. Some plastic surgeries 22. Construction site sight 23. ___ to the throne 24. Phlegm 26. Line to the audience 28. Extraterrestrial vehicle 31. Campaigned 32. Dead meat

1. The width of a cut 2. Thought 3. Consorting with prostitutes 4. Truly 5. Flight segment 6. Gang’s domain 7. Condo, e.g.

8. Sheep cries 9. The Lord of the Rings figure 10. Emperor Aurelius

11. Kind of muscle 15. Lassitude 19. Office fill-in 21. Emulated Pinocchio 24. Teatime treat 25. The “p” in r.p.m.

26. Chair part 27. Drain 28. Mix-up 29. Latin feet 30. Ere 33. Nabisco cookies 36. Discontinue without ending 37. “Losing My Religion” rock group 38. Female gametes 39. Density symbol 40. Effortless 42. David Crosby, once 43. Moaned in pleasure 44. Not ours 45. Grinder 47. Improve something unsatisfactory 49. Complete 51. Stationer’s stock 52. ___ vera 53. Artist Bonheur 54. Elbow-wrist connection 55. “___ we forget” 57. The West Wing network

Answers to last week’s sudoku

Answers to last week’s crossword

editorial

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VOICE the georgetown

Volume 48.7 February 21, 2013 Editor-in-Chief: Keaton Hoffman Managing Editor: Gavin Bade Blog Editor: Connor Jones News Editor: Matt Weinmann Sports Editor: Steven Criss Feature Editor: Julia Tanaka Cover Editor: Neha Ghanshamdas Leisure Editor: Julia Lloyd-George Voices Editor: Sara Ainsworth Photo Editor: Miles Gavin Meng Design Editors: Amanda Dominguez, Madhuri Vairapandi Projects Editors: Alec Graham, John Sapunor Back Page Editor: Tiffany Lachhonna Puzzles Editors: Andrew Duverney, Tyler Pierce Contributing Editors: Leigh Finnegan, Kevin Joseph Assistant Blog Editors: Isabel Echarte, Ryan Greene, Caitriona Pagni Assistant News Editors: Lucia He, Julia Jester, Jeffrey Lin Assistant Sports Editors: Chris Almeida, Chris Castano Assistant Cover Editor: Lauren Ashley Panawa Assistant Leisure Editors: Alex Golway, Kirill Makarenko Assistant Photo Editors: Andres Rengifo Assistant Design Editor: Teddy Schaffer

Staff Writers:

Emilia Brahm, Rachel Calvert, Will Collins, Emlyn Crenshaw, Brendan Crowley, Umar Khan, Alex Lau, Lindsay Leasor, Keith Levinsky, Claire McDaniel, Liana Mehring, Joe Pollicino, Cole Stangler

Staff Photographers:

Rebecca Anthony, Max Blodgett, Julian de la Paz, John DelgadoMcCollum, Kat Easop, Matthew Fried, Robin Go, Kirill Makarenko, Tess O’Connor, Matt Thees

Staff Designers:

Karen Bu, John Delgado-McCollum, Christy Geaney, Mike Pacheco, Tom Pacheco, Sebastian Sotelo

Copy Chief: Morgan Manger Copy Editors:

Kathryn Booth, Grace Funsten, Tori Jovanovski, Rina Li, Natalie Muller, Sonia Okolie, Caitriona Pagni, Ana Smith, Dana Suekoff, Kim Tay, Suzanne Trivette

Editorial Board Chair: Patricia Cipollitti Editorial Board:

Maitane Arana, Aisha Babalakin, Gavin Bade, Nico Dona Dalle Rose, Keaton Hoffman, Julia Jester, Caitriona Pagni, Julia Tanaka, Galen Weber

Head of Business: Aarohi Vora The Georgetown Voice

The Georgetown Voice is published every Thursday.

This newspaper was made possible in part with the support of 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.

Mailing Address: Georgetown University The Georgetown Voice Box 571066 Washington, D.C. 20057

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Email: editor@georgetownvoice.com Advertising: business@georgetownvoice.com Web Site: georgetownvoice.com The opinions expressed in the Georgetown Voice do not necessarily represent the views of the administration, faculty or students of Georgetown University, unless specifically stated. Unsigned editorials represent the views of the Editorial Board. Columns, advertisements, cartoons and opinion pieces do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editorial Board or the General Board of the Georgetown Voice. The University subscribes to the principle of responsible freedom of expression of its student editors. The Georgetown Voice is produced in the Georgetown Voice office and composed on Macintosh computers using the Adobe InDesign publishing system and is printed by Silver Communications. All materials copyright the Georgetown Voice. All rights reserved.

On this week’s cover: Neha Ghanshamdas (SFS ‘14) in Buffalo Exchange “Thrifting” Cover Photo: Miles Gavin Meng (MSB ‘13)

the georgetown voice 3 PICK YOUR POISON

Tisa/Ramadan promise much-needed change

Two weeks ago, the Voice Editorial Board laid out our priorities for this year’s Georgetown University Student Association executive candidates, naming among our key issues the expansion of the “clear and convincing” evidentiary standard to off-campus incidents, reform of the sexual assault reporting system, student engagement, and social justice. After interviewing each of the teams who granted us an interview, we have decided to endorse Nate Tisa (SFS ‘14) and Adam Ramadan (SFS ‘14) for the GUSA presidency and vice presidency this coming year, as their understanding of what Georgetown’s student body needs best aligns with our values.

Realistically, given the bureaucratic and term constraints of GUSA, tickets can only expect to accomplish a limited number of the policy goals enshrined in their ambitious platforms. Keeping this in mind, the Voice asked each ticket to identify two issues they would not want to leave GUSA without addressing. Tisa/Ramadan chose changing the way sexual assaults are handled on campus and expanding Georgetown’s free speech policy.

These are priorities this paper shares.

According to national statistics, 1 in 4 women and 1 in 33 men will be sexually assaulted during their undergraduate careers.

Here at Georgetown, sexual assaults are largely underreported, which is why Tisa/Ramadan hope to increase the visibility of these crimes by reforming the code of conduct to clearly define sexual assaults, establishing an amnesty policy by which survivors are free to report assaults without fear of incurring alcohol-related sanctions, and, more broadly, educating students and student leaders about how to recognize sexual assaults.

Regarding free speech at Georgetown, Tisa/Ramadan believe an expansion of student expression plays a crucial role in empowering students and fostering dialogue about contentious issues. They call for the entire campus to become a free speech zone—with certain respectful exceptions—and for allowing currently-unrecognized groups such as H*yas for Choice, sororities, and fraternities to have increased access to benefits. Tisa/Ramadan see greater institutional support for these groups as necessary for the preservation of the pluralistic ideals of a Jesuit university.

Tisa/Ramadan’s commitment to promoting sustainability on campus is also admirable, particularly their plans to enact a campus-wide plastic water bottle ban. Coming from a ticket with deep ties to the Corp, the prime culprit of wasteful plastic bottle sales at Georgetown, this pledge appears sincere. Beyond bottles, by budgeting $4,000 to distribute recycling receptacles in campus apartments, Tisa and Ramadan display a more significant commitment to the environment than other candidates.

A strong GUSA ticket, however, is not just about ideas; experience matters, too. Tisa currently holds the third most important elected position in GUSA as speaker of the senate, a larger role than that of any other candidate involved in student government. He also has tangible achievements to his name within GUSA, most notably doing much of the legwork behind outgoing GUSA president and vice president Clara Gustafson (SFS ‘13) and Vail Kohnert-Yount’s (SFS ‘13) hallmark “clear and convincing” reform.

Ramadan, on the other hand, is a GUSA outsider with experience in a variety of student groups. Ramadan’s enthusiasm for improving student life at Georgetown and his understanding of how everyday students interact with the administration will prove invaluable for GUSA leadership. Ramadan, like Tisa, is charismatic and a good communicator, crucial skills for the student representatives who will actively engage with the administration. We believe no ticket is better prepared to implement the reforms it so passionately pursues than Tisa/Ramadan.

The rest of the field, though qualified in some areas, fails to appropriately balance a knowledge of the issues most disaffecting students with the leadership skills necessary for enacting lasting change.

Jack Appelbaum (COL ‘14) and Maggie Cleary (COL ‘14) are two qualified Georgetown insiders who, through their leadership roles as chair of the Student Activities Commission and chair of Georgetown University College Republicans, have experience working closely with the administration. But the primary focus of their ticket, student group funding reform, is radical in all the wrong ways.

Appelbaum/Cleary would shift funding power to a newly-created commission

that would control the entirety of the Student Activities Fund and be comprised of voting representatives from each student group. Although it has the trappings of democracy, such an approach would make funding contingent on the preferences of representatives who may not understand or care about a club’s mission.

Though funding reform is certainly important, subjecting the finances of each group to the power of the mob is not the way forward. On other issues, Appelbaum/Cleary defer to empowering student groups to act on their own.

This paper prefers a more active approach to broad-based reform than that which Appelbaum/Cleary seem likely to provide.

While we applaud Shavonnia CorbinJohnson (SFS ‘14) and Joseph Vandegriff (COL ‘14) for their commitment to transparency and their progressive agenda, we do not see them as having the leadership abilities to implement their ambitious agenda. In our interview, they seemed less informed about what students need and how GUSA functions institutionally than Tisa/Ramadan or Appelbaum/Cleary.

Although we find the outsider perspective of candidates Spencer Walsh (MSB ‘14) and Robert Silverstein (SFS ‘14) refreshing, they also did not exhibit the appropriate knowledge and experience required of the GUSA executive. Lastly, the Cannon Warren (SFS ‘14) and Andrew Logerfo (COL ‘14) ticket, while entertaining, lack the substance necessary for serious consideration.

Ultimately, Tisa/Ramadan strike a good balance between understanding the most important issues facing students and possessing the skills and experience necessary to fix those issues. We’re impressed with the commitment Tisa/Ramadan have shown to students and the concrete plans they have to solve the greatest issues threatening their wellbeing.

Adept in both policy and personality, Tisa and Ramadan are the best candidates for GUSA president and vice president. We hope you will check their name first when you head to the polls today.

Members of the Editorial Board associated with a GUSA campaign recused themselves from the endorsement process and were neither present during the candidate interviews nor did they have a vote in the internal selection process.

TOXIC PIPE DREAMS

Activists demand Obama reject Keystone XL Last Sunday, the world witnessed the largest rally against climate change in U.S. history.

In a powerful demonstration against the irresponsibility of government leaders and their friends in the fossil fuel industry, over 40,000 concerned citizens gathered on the National Mall to demand President Barack Obama use his executive power to once and for all deny TransCanada, a Canadian energy company, permission to construct the controversial Keystone XL pipeline.

If built, Keystone XL would transport crude oil from the tar sands of Alberta, Canada to Steele City, Neb., from where the oil would be redirected to refineries across the country. Environmentalists are rightly concerned about this project, which would facilitate the extraction of some of the dirtiest oil on Earth. It is estimated that up to 240 gigatons of carbon are locked in the tar sands of Alberta, half of what scientists estimate we can burn if we are to stay below an already destructive 2 degree Celsius increase.

There are also immediate risks associated with Keystone XL. Tar sands crude contains massive amounts of heavy metals and cancercausing toxins, and the extraction process is extremely energy-intensive. The per-barrel greenhouse gas emissions associated with the extraction and refinement of oil from tar sands are estimated to be 3.2 to 4.5 times higher than the conventional crude oil currently produced in Canada or the U.S. TransCanada’s Keystone 1 pipeline, which runs from Alberta to Illinois, experienced 12 spills in its first year of operation. Additionally, contaminants from tar sands mines regularly flow into water streams, directly affecting already marginalized First Nations communities and surrounding wildlife.

Potential spills from Keystone XL would further pollute waterways and destroy farmland along the entire 1,700-mile route within the U.S. The numerous dangers associated with this project raise the question of how

much our government is willing to sacrifice at the expense of the health and well-being of the people it is supposed to represent.

Given that we are already experiencing some of the highest temperatures on record, it will take more than stopping the construction of Keystone XL to avert or mitigate climate change. However, acting to stop this project is a necessary first step in building climate consciousness and mobilizing citizens to take control of their future.

With last Sunday’s demonstration, Obama is being held accountable for the environmental promises made during his State of the Union address earlier this month. Facing pressure from tens of thousands of activists, the president will have to say no to Big Oil lest he put at risk not only his credibility and legacy as a progressive leader, but more importantly the future of the planet. The people have spoken— hopefully we can count on the president to join them by putting people before profits.

news

4 the georgetown voice

february 21, 2013

Forward on Climate Rally draws 40,000 to capital

by Julia Jester This past Sunday, nearly 40,000 people stood together on the National Mall in the Forward on Climate Rally and challenged President Barack Obama to live up to his inaugural promise to combat climate change. Led by environmentalist groups 350.org and the Sierra Club, the rally was the largest environmental demonstration in history, with speakers ranging from 350.org founder Bill McKibben to actress Rosario Dawson.

The Sierra Club’s website writes, “President Obama must move America forward on climate in 2013 with decisive action to reduce dangerous carbon pollution. His legacy . . . rests on his leadership in the face of an unstable and uncertain climate future.” The rally aimed to convince Obama to reject the Keystone XL pipeline, which many fear will doom the planet to the catastrophic effects of climate change if approved.

Proponents argue it would provide thousands of American jobs and increase the country’s energy security.

Former GUSA Secretary of Sustainability and a founding member of Georgetown Energy, Jessica Robbins (SFS ’12), emphasized the

LuCIA He

Protestors took their opposition to Keystone XL directly to the White House. diversity of the rally, specifically mentioning Tom Steyer, both a venture capitalist and environmentalist. “[He spoke] about the importance of looking to business to solve these problems as well,” Robbins said. “It’s not just about the government legislating change, it’s about Americans and citizens across the world getting creative about how we can find a way to live sustainably in this new economy—that was a very powerful thing.”

As for the scope of supporters at the rally, Robbins said, “There was a contingent of Canadians speaking from their side of the border, which was really interesting and showed a lot of international and cross-country collaboration on these issues.”

Elaine Colligan (COL ’15) also spoke about the magnitude of the event. “I think it shows that environmentalism is becoming more of a mainstream issue that the people identify with,’” she said. “They’re seeing it now as a societal and an American issue, not as a niche issue for ‘environmental people.’”

Colligan called the rally a well-organized party, with great music and chants such as “Hey! Obama! We don’t want no climate drama!” However, she believes more speakers could have been featured, including Jill Stein. “I thought they could have also gotten university students to speak.

I didn’t see any university representation,” Colligan said.

As for McKibben’s speech blaming oil companies, Colligan had mixed feelings. “There hasn’t been a way to put an environmental bottom line together with a financial bottom line…I wish he would have mentioned that,” she said. “But as far as getting the crowd rallied and speaking to everybody’s hearts, he was great.”

McKibben’s speech was moving for Vice Chair of Georgetown Eco-Action Daniel Dylewsky (COL ’15). “[McKibben] made the comment that 20 years ago . . . he wanted nothing more than to see a movement spring up around that cause, and now he was standing in front of 40,000 people engaged in just such a movement,” Dylewsky said. “I think a lot of the activist rhetoric on climate change takes on a somewhat negative tone, and it’s empowering and important that we acknowledge how far we’ve come, even in the face of still greater obstacles ahead of us.”

Despite the size of the protest, Obama has yet to acknowledge or address the demands from the rally.

Some attendees hope that this presents an opportunity for Georgetown to be an active environmental leader.

“President [John] DeGioia just announced a $20 million environ-

mental sustainability initiative,” Colligan said. “So I actually think the administration is much more active than they ever have been; that’s probably due largely on the part of the students, and I’m really grateful that students have done that.”

Robbins also stressed the importance of the rally for Georgetown. “I think at Georgetown … we focus on participating in the political process, working within the system, effecting change by writing policy and engaging with business, and that’s how we can effect change,” she said. “But I think that it’s really exciting to see such a large contingent of Georgetown students out there participating in the rally, because it’s events like this that I think really mark the progress of the movement.”

The Forward on Climate Rally was a historical moment for the environmental movement. Robbins said, “Overall I believe, and hope, that it signals broad-based constituent support for President Obama and his administration to continue moving forward on key issues like rejecting Keystone XL, passing climate legislation, and generally bringing climate change into the national discourse and onto the agenda.”

Student group endorsements indicate potential GUSA frontrunners

by Ryan Greene

Based on endorsements, two tickets have emerged as clear favorites in the Georgetown Univeristy Student Association presidential campaign: the ticket of Nate Tisa (SFS ’14) and Adam Ramadan (SFS ’14) and the ticket of Jack Appelbaum (COL ’14) and Maggie Cleary (COL ’14).

Tisa/Ramadan developed a broad base of support in both student groups and current and former members of student government.

Applebaum/Cleary, however, have the backing of outgoing GUSA president, Clara Gustafson (SFS ’13), and vicepresident, Vail Kohnert-Yount (SFS ’13), as well as other student groups.

“Vail and I have learned that listening and relationship building are as much a part of this job as anything else,” Gustafson said. “Jack and Maggie are the best listeners and will engage anyone who wants to talk in a discussion about any issue.”

Gustafson also said Appelbaum and Cleary have the most potential to reform Student Activities Commission funding for stu-

dent groups. “They are especially well versed in funding reform and have the most revolutionary ideas that will give the ownership of our money to us,” Gustafson said.

With the recent revelation of Appelbaum’s involvement with the Stewards, Gustafson reaffirmed her support of Appelbaum/Cleary, emphasizing that such news should have no bearing on the election.

“The idea raised by some other candidates that Jack’s hard work and dedication to improving life on the Hilltop is any less commendable or valid because of the recent news is absurd,” Gustafson said.

Though Gustafson and Kohnert-Yount have declared their support for Applebaum/Cleary, other notable members of GUSA and the wider student community have chosen to endorse Tisa/Ramadan.

GUSA Senate Vicespeaker Zach Singer (SFS ’15) is Tisa’s campaign manager. Additionally, GUSA Chair of Intellectual Life George Spyropolous (COL ’14) endorses Tisa/Ramadan. “Nate and I are on the Senate leadership team and this has given me a front row seat to Nate’s extraordinary ability to negotiate with administrators in order to

lobby for his fellow students,” Spyropolous said. “[The] GUSA senate has shown tremendous progress under his leadership.”

Vetone Ivezaj (COL ‘13), GUSA Chair of Sustainability, commends Tisa and Ramadan for their commitment to sustainability at Georgetown. Ivezaj praises Tisa’s prior success in this area. “Nate was a strong advocate for creating the first-ever Subcommittee on Sustainability,” she said. “He recognized a need on campus and took a risk that has paid off.”

The three most prominent campus media outlets—the Voice, The Hoya, and GUTV—have each endorsed a different ticket. Highlighting Tisa/Ramadan’s commitment to free speech and sexual assault policy reform, the Voice endorsed the ticket in a web-exclusive editorial on Tuesday. Last week, The Hoya editorial board chose to endorse Appelbaum/Cleary as a result of its belief in the ticket’s ability to effectively represent students and bargain with administration.

GUTV endorsed the ticket of Shavonnia Corbin-Johnson (SFS ’14) and Joe Vandegriff (COL ’14).

“We really like the diversity aspect

of the campaign and that is why we decided to endorse Shavonnia,” said Bailey Holtz (COL ’14), the News Director of GUTV. “We realize that we are not as well established an organization as, say, The Hoya or the Voice, so we think that we will have a small effect on the decisions of the students.”

Many groups have declared endorsements for Tisa/Ramadan.

Both H*yas for Choice and GU Pride endorsed Tisa/Ramadan, mentioning the ticket’s commitment to dialogue, diversity, and support of campus-wide free speech as issues they strongly support. Tisa served on the GU Pride Board last year and would be Georgetown’s first-ever openlygay GUSA executive, if elected.

Cannon Warren (SFS ’14) explained that his campaign is not very concerned with official endorsements. “I would describe my campaign as one full of unofficial endorsements,” he said.

“We think it’s a new way to run a presidential campaign that ends up with less hurt feelings.”

The ticket of Spencer Walsh (MSB ’14) and Rob Silverstein (SFS ’14) did not respond to repeated re-

quests for comment on any endorsements they had received.

Some groups have chosen not to endorse any candidates. The Georgetown College Republicans abstained from endorsing any of the tickets. “We believe that it is in the best interest of the Georgetown community for students to individually and objectively evaluate the tickets for GUSA Executive and vote for the ticket that they, as individuals, feel best represents their priorities and values,” said Alex Cave (COL ’15), the group’s president.

Likewise, the Georgetown University College Democrats opted out of an endorsement. “Our board was of the opinion that [endorsing a candidate] did not significantly contribute to the goals and mission of our organization,” said Trevor Tezel (SFS ’14), President of College Democrats. “We are a large group with a number of members who are active in various campaigns and decided against endorsing one ticket.”

Results of the elections are expected to be released Thursday evening. The winning ballot will be sworn in by the current GUSA executive before the end of the semester.

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the georgetown voice 5

On the record with former ambassador Melanne Verveer

by Claire Zeng On Wednesday, the newly established Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace, and Security was officially launched in a series of remarks by President DeGioia, Dean Lancaster, and the executive director of GIWPS and former U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women’s Issues, Melanne Verveer. A panel discussion featuring many prominent women’s rights activists and government officials followed.

GIWPS was first announced in 2011 when then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton revealed her U.S. National Action Plan on Women, Peace, and Security during a speech at Georgetown. Ambassador Verveer is a long-standing promoter of women’s rights and a close friend of Clinton, having served as Clinton’s chief of staff when Clinton was first lady

and as chair and co-CEO of Vital Voices Global Partnership, an international women’s rights nonprofit, prior to her appointment to the State Department. Verveer is also a proud Georgetown Hoya, graduating from the Georgetown School of Languages and Linguistics (which merged with the College in the year 1994) in 1966 before attaining a graduate degree in Russian in 1969. She met both her husband, Philip Verveer (COL ’66), and Bill Clinton (SFS ’68) during her undergraduate years.

The Voice sat down for an exclusive interview with the ambassador after the panel.

What makes Georgetown a unique place for this women’s institute?

Why specifically Georgetown?

I think this is an important time for Georgetown. It is an academic institution of international renown.

Every place I have traveled, both in

Ambassador Verveer delivered remarks at the institute’s launch.

FACeBOOK

D.C. reaches higher ground

Last week, anticipation for medical marijuana in the District heightened, as its first medical pot dispensary announced it plans to open as soon as April. David Guard, General Manager at Capitol City Care on North Capitol st. told a local television station he is already seeing demand for his product.

“We get knocks on the door almost on a daily basis now ... from MS patients to cancer patients and AIDS patients,” he said.

But even with a waiting consumer base, Guard’s business may be on shaky ground. Medical marijuana as an idea hasn’t done all that well in D.C. as of late. Six potential dispensaries are licensed to open around the city in coming months, but it remains to be seen here, as in other states, how the federal government will treat them.

A number of Advisory Neighborhood Commisions, including ours, have objected to dispensaries in their neighborhoods, and last year

the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia prosecuted two AIDS activists arrested at a rally after they tested positive for cannabis during their parole. Both had medical marijuana cards to treat HIV/AIDS, but this was not enough for federal prosecutors to lay off.

That untapped market and who comprises it should provide the impetus the city and the federal government need to fast track the dispensaries into operation. The time for medical marijuana has come, and D.C. has an opportunity to act as a model for the nation on how to manage and regulate it.

Marijuana was never meant to have the stigma associated with it today. Although listed as a Schedule I drug along with cocaine and heroin, it was put on the list only temporarily in 1970 pending the results of a government study on its health effects. The study ultimately found marijuana’s harmful effects were so negligible for non-heavy users

my White House years and in my State Department years, I have met countless Georgetown graduates, many of them in our diplomatic corps around the globe. To now have this be a significant part of what Georgetown can contribute to, I think, makes a lot of sense.

Women are often written out of history, yet they have played a very significant role in many of these efforts, and we want to be able to have a center for research and a center for scholarship. We can begin to create that record in a very significant way and bring in top researchers and contribute to the scholarship and exchange that with parties all over the globe; I think it will be a major contribution from Georgetown.

I think, beyond that, we can be a place to spotlight discussions like we’ve had this afternoon on a range of topics, from the role that women play in combating terrorism to specific regional challenges. We can also be a place for international collaboration.

What research questions are you looking to answer? What areas of focus are key?

This frankly is an area in which there is not the kind of record that you have, let’s say, in economics.

Women’s economic participation today is buttressed by countless studies, data, and research of all kinds from myriad sources. We don’t

have that kind of record in terms of women’s contribution to preventing conflict, to peace building, to postconflict reconstruction. We have a lot of work we need to do.

What happened in a given country where women were at the peace table, what difference did they make, what could have happened that didn’t happen? There are reams and reams of questions that need to be asked.

Do you think Georgetown had an influence on your career choices, your ideals that you’ve kept with you?

Well, there’s no doubt about it.

I was here at Georgetown when we didn’t even have any women in the College, so Georgetown has mirrored the kind of progress that women have made, that you have women in the School of Foreign Service in the same kinds of numbers as guys, that women are in the Law School in very significant numbers.

But there’s no doubt, this institution has had an enormous influence on me, both in terms of the academic foundation it provided me but also that sense of constantly working for others, that sense of service that this place is imbued with sense of internationalism that you don’t find on so many campuses. So, it’s a chance for me to give back now to everything that Georgetown has given to me.

that personal use should not be illegal. But the political realities in the Nixon-era battle against the doobiesmoking counterculture meant the drug remained on the list.

Fast forward 40 some years and the discourse around weed seems to be changing, albeit slowly. Compared to commonly-prescribed narcotic pain drugs or powerful sleep aids, marijuana has proved a safe and effective medication for millions of patients.

of marijuana legalization referendums in Colorado and Washington State this past November and its status as California’s top cash crop to ascertain the momentum behind the marijuana revival.

The remaining critics of medical pot usually raise concerns about security and black market sales—making sure dispensaries don’t sell to recreational users as well as patients. In this respect, Capitol Care seems to be moving in the right direction. To comply with what Guard says are the strictest regulations concerning medical marijuana in the country, the store will employ a security guard to check users’ IDs and medical cards against a Department of Health database.

Depending on how difficult it becomes to get a medical card in the District (it’s pretty easy in other places), D.C. could well become a model of strict and responsible medical marijuana legislation.

Of course, it would be more sensible to simply legalize pos-

City on a Hill

by Gavin Bade

A bi-weekly column about the District Preliminary trials and user testimony even point to its effectiveness as an alternative to anti-psychotic drugs in treating Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, but the Department of Health and Human Services will not allow studies to proceed because cannabis is still illegal under federal law. Even so, one only needs to look at the passage

Contraception has been a controversial subject at Georgetown for a long time. Do you think this is something that conflicts with the idea of women’s rights?

Well, there should be nothing controversial about the role of women in peace and security. If anyone wants to drum up controversy, I think they would be completely out of line, so hopefully we can go forward and make a contribution, and we can really make a difference for so many around the globe. We’re hoping for that.

You were and are very good friends with Hillary and Bill Clinton. If you had three words to describe Hillary Clinton, what three words would they be?

Committed, principled, brilliant.

Do you have any advice for Georgetown students who want to get involved in women’s rights?

We want to get as many students as possible involved in this. One of the things I’d like to know is what more could be done for the women students at Georgetown, what kinds of discussions, projects, what would make a difference, and particularly in respect to the institute, to really have a great deal of student participation in myriad ways.

This is, after all, a university, and that means educating students who come here. That has got to be one of our priorities as well.

session and sale of small amounts of cannabis and save the countless man hours, millions of dollars and thousands of needless incarcerations involved with the enforcement of marijuana prohibition. But, until that happens, it’s only humane that the District and especially the Feds allow patients with chronic or terminal illnesses access to this safe and effective medication.

If the D.C. government is as progressive as it purports, it will publicly state its opposition to the federal government’s anti-cannabis position, and facilitate the opening of a large medical marijuana market, complete with strict regulations and taxation.

Perhaps if the nation’s capital can prove the sky won’t fall if some of its citizens have open, legal access to pot, the federal government could be persuaded to end its misguided war on weed.

Get high with Gavin at gbade@ georgetownvoice.com.

sports

6 the georgetown voice

february 21, 2013

Men’s lacrosse drops season opener in overtime

by Chris Castano The Georgetown men’s lacrosse team endured an up and down opening game against the Lafayette Leopards on Saturday, ultimately losing 11-10. After a strong first half, the Hoyas faltered on defense in the second, allowing their opposition to secure the win. The game was not without its highlights, as senior attacker Brian Casey put out a Big East Honor Rollworthy performance.

The Hoyas will not dwell for too long on their loss, although they will still take what they can out of the experience.

A lot of time remains between now and the start of the Big East tournament in April.

“Sometimes that’s just the way the ball bounces,” said Head Coach Kevin Warne. “When a team holds a lot of possession, you need to keep that sharp mental focus and know things are going to happen. Some teams will lull you to sleep and that’ll be when they get you.”

The game began largely in Georgetown’s favor, as Casey scored two goals less than two minutes into the contest. Sophomore attacker Reilly O’Connor and senior midfielder Jason McFadden added two more goals to the Hoya’s tally with eight minutes still to go in the first quarter.

Lafayette would not stay silent for long. In the final minutes of the first quarter, junior midfielder Jake Mann scored to put the Leopards within three goals of Georgetown. The Blue and Gray successfully endured a two-man deficit, only to see Mann fire a huge shot from the top of the box, making the score at the end of the first quarter 4-2.

The dawn of the second quarter saw sophomore mid-

fielder Charlie McCormick step up his play. McCormick scored his first collegiate goal when O’Connor picked him out just in front of the crease. He put the ball away to make the score 5-2 in favor of the Hoyas.

Not one to be outdone, Casey stepped back out of the shadows to score yet another goal, this time owing his goal to junior attacker Jeff Fountain. Fountain lost his defender behind the net and quickly passed the ball to Casey. The Leopard goalkeeper could only gaze morosely at the scoreboard as the ball sailed past him into the net, advancing the score to a 6-2 Hoya lead.

Lafayette attacker Brian Bock then scored as he swung around the cage and put the ball in the Hoya net. The Hoyas would not be satisfied with the 6-3 scoreline and thanks to McCormick and senior defender Chris Nourse, put away two more goals to dominate the board with a score of 8-3.

Lafayette came out strong after the break to tighten the match. The Leopards scored three unanswered goals before Casey assisted an O’Connor goal, taking the score to 9-6.

The Leopards really got going in the fourth quarter as they embarked on a five-goal scoring run, featuring sophomore attacker Sonny Round’s third and fourth goals of the game, shortening the Hoya lead to just one at 9-8. During the run, sophomore midfielder Keegan Lawton and Bock both scored to give Lafayette the lead.

Warne said of their inconsistent performance, “I think it was a tale of two halves. We did what we needed to do in executing the game plan pretty well in the first half. The second half saw a loss in posses-

MILES GAVIN MENG

Zac Guy contributed to the early lead with an assist just 30 seconds in.

sion for us. We also lost a lot of the 50-50 groundballs which hurt us a lot. I think Lafayette was able to get those balls at important times of the game, like the third quarter. We didn’t have possession a whole lot.

Even the smallest breakdown meant we didn’t have a chance at success.”

Casey came up huge for the Hoyas as he scored the tenth Hoya goal after picking up his own rebound. A score of 10-10 sent it into overtime where Lafayette’s John Floyd scored the winning goal to end the game at 11-10 Leopards.

The Hoyas are back in action when they host rival Navy at noon on Feb. 24.

“Anytime you think of the Naval Academy, you think of tough, athletic guys who are good on the ground,” said Warne. “I think that’ll be a major factor in the game. When you play the Naval Academy, you know you have to be ready to play 60 minutes, because they are.”

the Sports Sermon “If Derrick Nix hadn’t destroyed MSU’s momentum by ball-tapping Cody Zeller ... the Spartans might have beaten Indiana.” - Mark Titus of Grantland lebrities, while also connecting with them on a more personal level. Being a Laker became an induction into an elite club, instead of just another organization. From Magic and Kareem to Kobe and Shaq, Buss had a way of building teams brimming with excitement and lore.

He founded a tradition and an attitude within the Lakers that made winning championships a must and everything else just not good enough.

In the past three decades, Buss gave Los Angeles a sports team that it could continuously be proud of. Angelenos could never hold on to the success of the Dodgers, Kings, or Rams for long, but with the Lakers, winning was always possible. Over

sponsibility has been granted to daughter Jeanie Buss, who runs When people talk about business operations, and son Jim sports, they always argue over Buss, who runs the basketball which players are the greatest side. In only this short amount and the astounding feats that of time, the effects of the waning some of these athletes are able to influence from their father can accomplish out on the court or be seen in the organization. field. Not often enough do fans With the Lakers possibly lostalk about what goes on behind ing out on a spot in the playoffs the scenes in a sports organizaand Dwight Howard tentatively tion. How those great players looking around for a trade, the end up on certain teams and who absence of Dr. Buss will become makes the decisions that build even more apparent in the comfranchises is rarely that popular ing weeks. Following in the footof a topic. With the passing of steps of a true basketball visionDr. Jerry Buss this past Monday, ary will be exceedingly difficult the role of the owner should be for his children, and stressful as getting more attention. well on the fans of LA. With the Buss was the charismatic results of the current season, Los mastermind behind the Lakers Angeles hopes that the sloppy organization for the past three play is only a short bump in decades, buying the the success of their Pete Rose Central team in 1979 with the Lakers and that Jim Da bettin’ line return on a real estate did pick up some of investment. He transhis father’s savvy Dookies Margin Hoyas formed the lackluster after all. (underdogs) (duh!)

Lakers into the most (favorites) The respect for successful basketball Buss throughout Orange Safety School the sports world Hoyas team in his 34 years Kidd-Gilchrist and made the team Who’s the Boss? is immense—and Jordan a household name rightly so. He exThe Field Balls Indiana around the world. pressed an aspect What he did for basketball was the 34 seasons Buss ran the Lak- of belief and expectation in his enormous. What he did for LA ers, the team won 10 champion- players that fostered a culture was invaluable. ships. The city was able to lay of success for decades. He did Unlike many other owners, claim to a show that was not not just throw money at playBuss brought a new methodol- only entertaining to watch, but ers and sign contracts to bring ogy to the game that attracted redeeming in its victories. skill into one arena. He created both players and fans alike. He This Hall of Fame owner a Laker community that playbrought star power. He recruit- was able to encourage an un- ers would always feel a part ed exciting, talented players deniable sense of loyalty in his of, extracting their full potenthat would dazzle crowds and star players by giving them tial on the court and lifelong turned an ordinary basketball power in the organization and support when their playing game into an experience to be including them in vital deci- days passed. remembered. With the allure of sions. Buss nurtured friendships The statistics and accomliving in sunny Southern Cali- with his players, most famously plishments speak for themfornia and having Hollywood displayed when he and Magic selves, but Buss’s Lakers did as their playground, Buss used Johnson would party together, more than just win. They gave Los Angeles to bolster desire to but also shown in his care for Los Angeles some sway in the play for him within the league’s those who wore the Laker jersey. sports world and a sense of best competitors.

Buss kept his personal identity when it came to standHe wanted people to im- health problems out of the pub- ing behind a team. The city and mediately associate the city lic spotlight over the past years its fans will always be indebted of Los Angeles with his team and slowly transitioned leader- to Dr. Buss for his competitive and to do so he provided his ship of the organization over spirit and his ability to put on a players the platform to be ce- to his children. Most of the re- real show.

by Steven Criss

sports

georgetownvoice.com

the georgetown voice 7

Basketball pounds DePaul to remain at top Shortened debut for baseball

by Keith Levinsky and Joe Pollicino On Wednesday night, No. 11 Georgetown (20-4, 10-3 Big East) proved why it sits atop the Big East in a bucket-fest victory over DePaul (11-15, 2-11 Big East). The Hoyas’ 90-66 win at the Verizon Center yielded their highest point total of the year.

Freshman guard D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera racked up a careerhigh of 33 points. Smith-Rivera became the first Hoya to score this many points since Victor Page scored 34 in 1996. The freshman guard shot a sizzling 10-of-12 from the floor including 5-of-6 from three point range.

“He’s coming along,” said Head Coach John Thompson III. “He puts the ball in the basket. As the year has progressed, he’s gotten a little more comfortable. He knows where his shot are coming from. He has the ability to score like he did today, but he also has the ability to get others involved and get his teammates shots.”

Smith-Rivera was not the only Hoya to have a hot night, as Georgetown shot 60 percent. Three other Hoyas, junior forward Nate Lubick, sophomore guard Jabril Trawick, and sophomore forward Otto Porter Jr., scored in double figures. Lubick recorded 15 points, 3 assists and a team-high of 8 rebounds.

The Hoyas were dominated on the boards, though as DePaul outrebounded Georgetown 33-29 and 18-5 on the offensive boards.

“We needed to focus a little bit more at the defensive end,” said Thompson. “For the entire game, [DePaul] did a very good job on the boards. Going into the game, the thing that we wanted to take away from them was their second shots and their transition baskets and early on I don’t think we did a good job with that.”

The game was not decided early, as the Hoyas let the Blue Demons hang around in the first half. DePaul jumped out to a 7-2 lead after some sluggish Hoya defense. Georgetown would respond, though, as Smith-

D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera led the Hoyas with a career-high 33 points.

ABIGAIL GREENE

Athletes easily shed scandal

The best of times, the worst of times—no matter the situation, there is a group of people who will have your back. With Oscar Pistorius, it is expected his family and close friends will remain by his side despite his alleged murder of South African supermodel and girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.

But Pistorius, a groundbreaking Paralympic athlete, has a much bigger following than your everyday murderer. Pistorius was born without legs and still managed to run in the 2012 Olympic Games with prosthetic limbs. While he did not win, his story was an inspiration to millions.

We have seen plenty of disappointment from our athletes so far in 2013. Manti Te’o turned an inspirational story of persevering through his girlfriend’s death into a farce and in the ultimate turn of events, Ray Lewis won the Super Bowl and screamed, “When God is on your side, all is forgiven!”

Lewis, who likely used performance-enhancing drugs to

recover for the Ravens’ Super Bowl run, was once charged with the stabbing murder of two men.

He was let off when prosecutors failed to locate the suit he wore that night. Since then, he has rebuilt his image, ironically, as a savage on the field.

During the buildup to the Super Bowl, we heard whimpers only from the families of the two victims. It was all drowned out by the football junkies, those who couldn’t see past Lewis’ status as the best middle linebacker in the history of the game.

Repairing one’s image is pretty easy in sports. It’s nice to be afforded the chance for redemption, but based purely on athletic ability, it is ridiculous.

A couple of days ago, Pistorius’s agent, Peet Van Zyl, came out and said, “I can tell you that we have had overwhelming support for Oscar from a lot of fans from a global scale.”

Are you kidding me? Based on what? It is likely that Van Zyl is ex-

Rivera’s first of many three-pointers began a Georgetown 10-2 run that put the Hoyas ahead 15-11 with 11:17 left in the half.

Even so, the Blue and Gray could not shake DePaul until right before intermission. In the final 6:17 of the half, Trawick scored 7 points to help Georgetown take a 43-29 lead at halftime.

“We got to a point where we were just trading buckets. We realized we needed to defend and rebound,” said Lubick. “I think that really changed the game as we got a line of stops and finally boxed out and rebounded. We were able to score in transition and get something going.”

The Hoyas continued to add to their lead in the second half as Smith-Rivera took over. Less than three minutes into the half, SmithRivera scored 7 straight points to make the score 54-35 and put the game out of reach.

The Hoyas are now setting their sights on a meeting at No. 8 Syracuse’s home court on Saturday at 4 p.m. The contest will be the last between Georgetown and Syracuse at the Carrier Dome with both teams in the Big East. Syracuse is leaving for the ACC next year, and according to Syracuse.com, 35,012 are supposed to attend the game, which would set an NCAA attendance record.

Syracuse has won its past two games but has stumbled before, losing three of their last seven. After this offensive showing, the Hoyas will be riding the high into the Dome this weekend in hopes to take sole control of first place in the Big East. aggerating and even posturing to improve the character portrayal of his client. But the middling “global support” Pistorius receives is reflective of the brittle pedestal on which we anoint our athletes.

The problem with that fragility isn’t that it is easy to tear down an athlete. That can happen and sometimes for the

Double-Teamed

by Kevin Joseph A bi-weekly column about sports

wrong reasons. Rather, the issue occurs because that pedestal is so easy to build back up.

Take a look at Kobe Bryant and Ben Roethlisberger—both charged with varying degrees of sexual assault in the primes of their career.

Both lost endorsements (Kobe lost Nutella, particularly devastating) and both lost a ton of respect.

For both athletes, though, it marked a temporary setback, particularly for the Mamba. Bryant regained the majority of his endorse-

by Brendan Crowley The Georgetown baseball team (0-2) kicked off a highly anticipated campaign this past weekend in Spartanburg, S.C. The Hoyas started the weekend against Wofford University (3-1), falling 6-5 in 10 innings.

Wofford opened up the scoring in the third inning, scoring 2 runs on 2 hits, benefiting from a costly error by Georgetown junior first baseman Steve Anderson. Georgetown answered with their first run of the season in the fifth inning via a home run by sophomore third baseman Ryan Busch, but the Terriers responded with two of their own in the bottom half of the inning.

The Terriers would extend the lead in the sixth, adding another run to raise the Hoyas’ deficit to 4. But Georgetown refused to go quietly. In the seventh, they rattled off 4 runs knotting the score at 5. The Hoyas capitalized on a hit, 2 walks, and an error by Wofford right fielder Josh Hyman, to push the game into extra innings.

In the bottom of the 10th, however, Hoya reliever Charlie Steinman was unable to stop the Terriers, giving up an earned run on a sacrifice bunt by Wofford’s Eric Brenk, cementing the victory for Wofford.

The Hoyas’ second game of the weekend, which only lasted six innings due to a puzzling snowstorm, brought a second

ments and added some he didn’t have before.

I’ve asked a number of college athletes—George Mason’s Sherrod Wright, Providence’s Bryce Cotton, and Kansas’ Ben McLemore among them—whom they admire most in the NBA. They will usually flirt around with a couple of names, but Bryant is always the consensus.

It’s for the tireless work he puts in, his competitive drive, and the consequent success it brings. People love to hate on Bryant, but not because of that 2003 sexual assault case. The gains he made since that time haven’t been solely pecuniary, as the incident has been forgotten. Instead, it’s admonishing the success and reveling in every failure Bryant faces that fuels his haters.

The turnaround is different for Bryant, though, as well as for Lewis. Te’o presents a bit of middle ground—he had a sob story, one that we assumed motivated him.

It inspired people and was thus even more devastating when the truth was revealed. But his naive-

consecutive loss, this time 7-4 against UNC Asheville.

The snow-shortened contest was a back and forth battle, as the teams traded leads four times, with UNC Asheville finally pulling ahead after the Hoyas surrendered 3 unearned runs in the sixth inning, losing their lead and eventually the game.

Despite the loss, a few individual performances stood out for the Hoyas. On the mound, the pitching performance of sophomore Matt Hollenbeck was far more impressive than the box score suggested. Although he surrendered 6 runs, only 3 were earned, and Hollenbeck’s 5 strikeouts in five innings exhibited his ability to handle a lineup. Offensively, Steve Anderson provided the hit of the day—a two-run double in the third that helped the Hoyas rally to a brief 4-3 lead.

Despite these positives, the Hoyas will have to look to cut down on errors moving forward, as they proved to be a major factor in both games.

Due to the snow, the Hoyas’ third game versus USC Upstate on Sunday was cancelled, ending the road trip early for the Hoyas.

Next up for Georgetown are three games in Davidson, N.C., as part of the Davidson Tournament, including two games versus Davidson University (2-0), which won consecutive matchups against George Washington to start their season.

té—dumb jock, immature college kid—played a large role in forgiveness. In actuality, he was made a mockery of more than scorned.

With Pistorius, it’s a little different. Athletes with disabilities are well aware of their limitations. He defied that. He was a true hero for simply defying insurmountable odds. He did not win, but qualifying for and competing in London was enough for those admirers.

To me, that’s the highest pedestal an athlete can reach. Pistorius inspired for far more than his athletic prowess. But with that lofty status, the fall becomes even more devastating.

Pistorius was not the first Paralympic athlete to compete in the Olympics—he’s actually the 10th.

There were some before him and surely will be plenty after him, especially as technology improves.

Holding our athletes on a pedestal is one thing. Clinging to a murderer freefalling from one is another matter entirely.

Ask Kevin what he can get away with at kjoseph@georgetownvoice.com

8 the georgetown voice

feature

february 21, 2013

thrifty sense: D.C.’s second-hand scene

Three years ago, I was torn from the fashion capital of the world to find myself trapped in a world full of green, salmon pink, and seersucker. I was a chain-smoking, bitter New Yorker, turned suddenly into a disgruntled resident of D.C., the capital of the U.S., and Georgetown, the world’s biggest country club.

My after-school shopping retreats went from the thrift store Housing Works on East 23rd St. to chain stores like H&M and Zara. Not surprisingly, I didn’t want to look like everyone else.

The megalithic fashion factories could not quench my sartorial thirst. With only the vintage boutique Annie Cream Cheese within proximity, I anxiously awaited the occasional weekend trip home to New York City where I would reserve at least an entire day to get thrifty. But being persistent as I am, I did frequent the District’s then-meager vintage shop circuit, and established a superficial relationship with a saleswoman who called me whenever something “good” came in.

Even so, it was nothing like New York, a candyland for any fashionista. I couldn’t walk down the street and find an oversized sherpa vest from the 1970s or casually come across a Mulberry Alexa designer bag for less than a fraction of the original price. I couldn’t pour my heart out to store owners about that one satchel that I had been yearning for, and have them empathize with me. But as a consummate “thrifter”—a patron of specialty discount thrift stores and vintage boutiques—and college student, I became too broke to indulge in frequent weekend trips to Manhattan, and I decided to give this city another chance. After all, D.C. had eventually become home. This past weekend, I took a special trip for this feature, back up to New York, and around the Washington D.C. thrifting scene I had reluctantly become acquainted with.

It had been a while since I made one of my usual downtown thrifting rounds, so I decided to revisit some old haunts. New York City boasts an unparalleled diversity when it comes to secondhand trade. It is home to a large number of thrift stores right in the heart of Manhattan, in addition to a network of vintage and consignment boutiques.

And although the industry has been around much longer than it has in D.C., success remains unwavering. Even on a blustery day in February, with temperatures below freezing, every thrift and vintage shop on East 23rd St was bursting at the seams. Customers even had to be thrown out by management (including your intrepid writer who was caught indulging in some heavily discounted Helmut Lang) after closing time had passed.

Customers in the Big Apple are cutthroat. “We have not had one window for the past month that has not sold out. Individual objects go on sale every other week, and since the anticipation builds up, 10 a.m. on the day that it goes on sale, it sells out,” said Tatiana Smith, an employee at City Opera Thrift Shop on 23rd St. The same goes for Housing Works, another

thrift store with outlets all over Manhattan. The items in the windows are only available for auction, and almost always sell out. There is such a quick turnover that you can stop by a few times in a week and you will see completely new sets of items.

A few purchases later I was back in the D.C. area, and decided to trek off the beaten path to discover what I had been missing. A friend who was similarly dissatisfied with the secondhand fare in the District told me to venture out, so I did.

On Monday morning, I walked into a vast warehouse: a bustling, noisy space with 30-foot high ceilings and a seemingly infinite number of overflowing aisles. Everything from second-hand underwear to floppy disk holders and rare vinyls took up temporary residence here, like a humane society for knick-knacks. As I waded through the musty sea of sweaters and old soccer cleats, I almost crashed into young shirtless boy tearing through the store.

His mother soon caught up and handed him a pile of worn, oversized t-shirts to try on. I had arrived at a traditional thrifting epicenter.

Located in a strip mall about 14 miles outside of D.C., Unique Thrift runs solely on donated items. “If we have donations, then only our business will go up,” said Kamala, who declined to give a last name, a store manager at Unique Thrift.

In exchange for donations, customers are awarded points that can go toward their future purchases. This system, along with a tax write-off, and the knowledge that profits are going toward charitable causes, serve as incentives for customers to donate their belongings. All of Unique Thrift’s profits go to the Lupus Foundation of America, American Veterans, and the National Children’s Center.

However, traditional charity thrift stores, as I came to discover, are rare in the District. “Because the rent is so high here you can’t be a charitable organization and have a superstore-sized Goodwill in the District and be able to pay for it … Around here you pay between I’d say $85 and $115 per square foot for retail rent, so you just can’t afford to be a charitable organization and be inside the city,” said Megan Gay, Manager of Junction Vintage & Resale Boutique on U St. This is quite the opposite in Manhattan, where there is a plethora of thrift shops in all five boroughs. Just on the single 23rd St block between 2nd and 3rd Ave., there are five thrift stores, each one donating their profits to a unique cause.

In the District proper, however, there are only two thrift stores; Martha’s Table on 14th and V St., which benefits Food for Friends, and a Salvation Army way up above Howard University, almost at the D.C.-Maryland border.

Gay spelled out the distinction between thrift, vintage, and consignment. “Thrift [stores] accept donations and usually it benefits a specific charity in some ... form, so either all of your profits or a portion of your profits have to go to charity. Whereas some place that’s like us that’s a vintage store, we go out and we do all of our own buying.

We own all of the inventor … we clean it, we repair it, we bring it in.

“If some place is a consignment store, that means that individual clients bring their clothes in, and the brick-andmortar consignment store resells it for them. The inventory actually belongs to the clients and the store sells it for them and then they split the profits,” said Gay. She explained that vintage stores each tend to have a focus, whereas consignment stores are essentially a physically present form of Ebay.

Thankfully, within the District, a more urban phenomenon is on the rise, one that is beginning to resemble the thrifting scene at home. Small, independent vintage and consignment boutiques have begun to crowd neighborhoods including the U St. Corridor, Adams Morgan, and Dupont Circle, forming a new camaraderie in the city’s growing neighborhoods.

feature

georgetownvoice.com

by Neha Ghanshamdas

“Up until three years ago it was us, Meeps, Annie Cream Cheese, and Remix [that] were the only four vintage stores in the District. Now, in this neighborhood there’s about 15,” said Gay. Today, the District has become so saturated with vintage shops that Gay and her colleagues have stopped buying locally. “There’s such a glut of shops that are doing vintage, that we actually go far field ... we go all the way up to New England, all the way down to Florida. We don’t shop in town anymore,” she said.

Gay attributes the surge of vintage in the District to a host of factors. The resilience of the economy in D.C. gives owners opportunities to open new shops. In addition to financial stability, “vintage and resale, and especially consignment, have become more popular because people realize that they have money in their closets.”

She also noted that “there was a definite difference when [Barack] Obama came into office. Style in D.C. just completely changed and people were willing to mix vintage into their wardrobes and do stuff with it.” Upon the President’s first inauguration, more and more people settled in the District.

According to Gay, “It was who was working for him. It was younger. It’s not just Republican versus Democrat, it’s just the youth of the people that came to work for the administration.” D.C.’s changing demographic had a profound effect on the vintage business.

Another member of the vintage store community, Salvatore, concurs. Salvatore inherited the business now named Rock it Again from his mother. He migrated 3 years ago from New York to D.C. to join the District’s budding vintage industry. He placed particular emphasis on what he calls the new epicenter of thrifting: the U St. Corridor.

“I look at D.C. as what I would call the pond. If you throw a stone into a pond, that’s where the first ripple starts.

It’s the biggest ripple, D.C. is the capital. I often tell people, look, this is where the money is,” said Salvatore.

He thinks U St. is going to follow in—and perhaps surpass—Georgetown’s footsteps as a major shopping district.

“Stores don’t have a long shelf life in Georgetown,” he said.

Rent is exorbitant, goods are overpriced, and the dearth of parking spots makes shopping difficult. Of U St., he said, “You have [the restaurant] Busboys and Poets up the street, and there is a ton of construction. This is becoming the new megacenter.”

Store owner Salvatore brings his own vintage philosophy to U St. He looks back at old Hollywood icons whose fame was bolstered through their trendsetting fashion choices, such as Audrey Hepburn and Cary Grant. “The good classic American pieces are the older pieces,” he claims. They do not exist in current retail outfitters. “So why not go for it again? That’s why it’s called Rock It Again.

“All the craftsmen actually created stuff for the human form,” Salvatore continued. “Older stuff was tapered to fit the contour of your body. Today everything is mass produced. You could get really tapered pieces, however you would have to pay a lot more.” Instead of succumbing to what he calls the “carbon copy syndrome” and buying what everyone else is, there is a growing desire to be unique. “With the advent of social media, for some reason, you see individualism coming out more.” Vintage gives you that something unique, as no two pieces are alike.

Salvatore’s philosophy became evident as I walked through his artfully constructed showroom. Old Ferragamo ties and shoes peak out of antique wooden armoires, thick tweeds and structured jackets hang alongside silk wrap dresses and slacks, and pearl earrings from the ‘50s shimmer atop the teak dresser.

A few blocks down in Adams Morgan, Cathy Chung, the manager of Meeps, has recently renovated her vintage boutique, which now caters to the young professional de-

mographic of D.C. With reasonably priced fare, including vintage college t-shirts and sweatshirts, she hopes to “attract ... people who live and go to school in the city.”

“There are a lot of great locally-owned boutiques in the area that people might not realize. It’s a great neighborhood to walk through.” She too has seen the increase in vintage shops in recent years and claims that “with the change in administration there was a demographic shift.” According to Chung, there are more young people “in tune with the urban lifestyle, and because of that there are more people who are interested in fashion and different types of fashion.”

All three managers are members of a supportive, tight-knit business community. Although they are all lumped into a monolithic vintage category, they each have their own niche, focus, or speciality. “For us it’s more important that people frequent our shops and neighborhoods versus going to big chain shops,” said Chung. Owners even send their customers to a neighboring shop to find something that they don’t have.

Such a spirit of camaraderie is unheard of in the Big Apple. New York City certainly boasts an unparalleled selection of secondhand fare, dispersed throughout a large number of thrift stores in the heart of Manhattan. The high turnover rate in merchandise—you can walk into a completely different store Friday than you visited Monday—ensures there is truly something for everyone. But this means it’s competitive. This means that if I call back on Thursday evening to ask about a bag I saw at Tokyo Joe on the Lower East Side on Tuesday afternoon, the woman scoffs at me on the phone. How silly of me, this is New York City.\However, New York has seen long-lived success, whereas the District has only recently launched its thrift/vintage/consignment endeavor. It simply does not have the resources to fill its streets with traditional charity thrift stores, so it’s making up for it with independent vintage boutiques. It is a numbers game, and D.C. is just going to have to catch up. Nonetheless, after a financially exhausting weekend, I found that we don’t have too far to go.

As I wandered through Salvatore’s store, my eye was immediately drawn to a Harley Davidson motorcycle leather jacket. Weighing at least 6 pounds, it carried with it the biker tales of its previous owner. Worn in from black to a deep charcoal gray, the jacket was embellished with a Harley logo and heavily lined with sheep’s wool. I would have never found this three years ago in D.C. Perhaps I will give this city another chance.

Photos taken by Neha Ghanshamdas (SFS ‘14) and Gavin Bade (SFS ‘14) at City Opera Thrift, Unique Thrift, Rock It Again, Goodwill, and Foundry.

the georgetown voice 9

leisure

10 the georgetown voice

february 21, 2013

Moving and hilarious, Vagina Monologues hits the spot

by Liana Mehring The Vagina Monologues are a triumph of abrasive femininity, bluntly delivering those thoughts and experiences that are otherwise expressed with wincing embarrassment and diluted with euphemisms. What is most striking about this delivery is that it is accomplished exclusively by Hoya women. This production of The Vagina Monologues is produced, directed, and performed completely by Georgetown’s own. You might recognize these women from around campus or from your classes, and witnessing their passion and ferocity on stage will both shock and inspire you.

This year’s production was directed jointly by Jordanna Hernandez (COL ‘15) and Lindsay Horikoshi (NHS ‘16). Kat Kelley (NHS ‘14), who produced the show with Deanna Arthur (SFS ‘14), said she saw the show in high school and fell in love.

“Every story is brave and powerful,” Arthur said. “The Vagina Monologues break the silence on women’s bodies and sexuality.

They are raw, they are honest, and they are empowering.”

Sponsored by Take Back the Night, The Vagina Monologues is a performance in conjunction with V-Day 2013, an effort aimed at ending violence against women and girls worldwide. Halfway through the performance, a short film is shown of women across the world being beaten, mutilated, and forced into unwanted sexual activity. The film is incredibly affecting, indeed horrifying, until it concludes with a message of strength and solidarity showing women

across the globe defiantly raising their fists against their experiences of gender-based violence.

The video spotlights this years V-Day campaign to globally combat violence against women. The campaign is called “One Billion Rising” and 10 percent of the net profits from the show will be donated to the V-Day 2013 Spotlight Fund. The remainder of the net profits will be donated to D.C. SAFE Inc., a local D.C. charity. This is reason enough to pay the $10 student admission price, however The Vagina Monologues are sure to give you a whole lot of bang for your buck.

The show consists of individually and jointly delivered monologues. Each monologue touches upon some aspect of the female experience from sex, love, masturbation, rape, female genital mutilation, birth, and orgasm.

Throughout all of these monologues, the vagina is a common symbol of female empowerment and individuality. The color pink, also, is a common motif throughout the play. Each actor wears at least one article of bright pink clothing and are otherwise dressed in the everyday look of jeans, tshirts, and sneakers.

Though the tone of Monologues is essentially serious, as gender violence and painful memories take center stage, the performance is tempered by a generous amount of comic relief.

The vagina, typically an object of embarrassment or abuse, becomes the subject and agent here; in the process, an undeniably comedic voice emerges. Actresses discuss everything from the emotional state of their vaginas to what they would wear—“lots of leather”

kaT easoP

“If you have a vagina and you know it, clap your hands and make this face!”

and “Harry Winston diamonds” range among the responses.

While the entire production is spellbinding, there are several performances that command the audience’s particular attention. One skit recounts the story of an old woman, for whom an embarrassing sexual

encounter during her teenage years had caused her to give up her sexuality and describe her vagina now as a “locked cellar.”

Not until her ‘70s did she even attempt to masturbate and explore that area of her body upon which she had focused a lifetime of shame and embarrass-

Pow! nails a home run

How do you take your meat—if you do? Well-done or still bloody? Are you queasy at the thought of slaughter or do you ignore the source of your Leo’s, Tombs, or 5 Guys burger?

Liao Xiaotong, protagonist of Mo Yan’s newest novel Pow!, adores his meat from pasture to plate. He wouldn’t turn his nose up at even the bleakest casserole left at late night.

In fact, carrion might just be the star character in this comical, magic and folklore-infused narration of a childhood, loosely based off the author’s own.

It may surprise you to hear that this is the work of last year’s recipient of the Nobel Prize for literature. Is this comic 386-page ode to meat and immaturity the serious, level-headed work of the 2012 Nobel laureate? Or must it be some pretentious, post-modern, allegorical meditation on the absurdity of life, especially under the repressive Chinese government?

Thankfully, it isn’t the latter. Mo’s novel is a pleasure for its creativity, clever narration, and transportation to a different place—not just to a Chinese village, but to a world of meat gods and fleshy magical realism.

The author grew up in Shandong province on the center of the Chinese coast in a farming village, and was forced to drop out of school at a young age to work. Mo has focused all of his writings on that region and lifestyle—“I hope to make tiny Northeast Gaomi Township a microcosm of China, even of the whole world,” he said. Of becoming an author after such humble beginnings, Mo said, “I must admit that were it not for the 30-odd years of tremendous development and progress in Chinese society, and the subsequent national reform and opening of her doors to the outside, I would not be a writer today.“

This is about as political and subversive as Mo gets, which has been hugely frustrating to many literary figures. Salman Rushdie, of The Satanic Verses fame, called him a “patsy” for the Chinese government. Mo didn’t sign the petition for Liu Xiaobo’s freedom, a fellow intellectual who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2010 while in detention for “inciting subversion of state power.”

Mo says he’s proud of being able to stay impartial.

In the acceptance speech for his Nobel, Mo responded to these, virtually his only, critics: “As a member of society, a novelist is

under the Covers

by Emilia Brahm a bi-weekly literary column entitled to his own stance … but when he is writing he must take a humanistic stance, and write accordingly. Only then can literature not just originate in events, but transcend them, not just show concern for politics but be greater than politics.”

Pow! is greater than politics.

At Georgetown, if you aren’t reading Hillary Clinton’s biography, you’re reading a history of the Cold War, or a classic novel you can reference in conversation.

I’m guilty of partaking in this kind of esoteric activity myself.

When was the last time you read a 400-page book that made you smirk, squirm, and smile on every page? Try it over Spring Break and feel what a relief it is.

The real treasure in Mo’s refreshing novel is the narrator, a meat-obsessed 20-something relinquishing his childhood to become a not-so-saintly monk. Above all else, he adores meat—“My dilemma suddenly became clear—my stomach could only hold so much, but the amount of meat in this world stretched out into infin-

ment. When she had her first orgasm, she cried. At the end of her monologue she expresses a sentiment that I believe every woman in attendance of The Vagina Monologues will feel upon leaving the theater: “I never told anyone about this before and I do feel a little better.”

ity. And all that meat longed for me to eat it, which was in perfect accord with my desires.”

This know-it-all, immaturely self-assured tone marks the entire text, whether the character is speaking as a child or as narrator recounting his past. His graphic descriptions of the butchering process are plentiful too—no way to read around them.

I’m not the biggest carnivore out there by any means— I’ll take my meat well-done, if at all, thank you very much.

I’d like to think I have a high tolerance for gore—I’ve seen an animal beheaded, smelled its metallic blood, seen it skinned and hung to dry, and am certainly not a vegetarian.

Still, some passages really made me cringe—Liao Xiatong’s town butchers inject dirty water to bulk a still living animal’s size and weight, dye it, and coat it in formaldehyde to preserve the aforementioned changes. It’s a bit much to bear.

But it’s worth reading, if you can get beyond the graphic details. Pow! does not force you to rebel or “think” in a grand, intellectual sense, but it takes you away and makes you laugh. Even the Nobel committee doesn’t require revolution or subversion of its awardees— the medal for literature quotes Virgil, saying that winners “enhance life which is beautified through art.”

Pow! is charming and fun, and thus beautifies life. It is an unpredictable journey of youthful flaws, candor, digressions and lots of soliloquies on the virtues of meat.

Maybe Mo’s other stories are more serious, more revolutionary. But Pow! is hot, local, and finely cooked—no formaldehyde preservatives in sight.

Make impressive sound effects with Emilia at ebrahm@georgetownvoice.com

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“When the world slips you a Jeffrey, stroke the furry wall.” — Get Him To The Greek

the georgetown voice 11

Daikaya forecast: It’s raining ramen Oscar short and sweet

by Rio Djiwandana After an unbearably long day of walking from class to class in damp and depressing weather, I couldn’t wait to head to Chinatown to grab a steaming bowl of soup at Daikaya, D.C.’s latest ramen joint.

It took me quite a while to find the actual place—and no, it’s not because I’m directionally challenged; it’s because Daikaya didn’t have any actual signs (in fact, the entire front of the restaurant was just a plain black wall).

The inside of the restaurant, however, was a completely different story. Looking around, I thought I had stepped into one of those oldschool ramen shops from Naruto, though trendy, modern detailing worked in harmony with the typical fixtures you’d expect in a traditional noodle spot.

Service-wise, I found the staff to be welcoming and hospitable.

I was seated almost instantly, and my waitress was very friendly and knowledgeable about the menu.

She told me that most other ramen restaurants that make Tonkotsustyle ramen (which is pork brothbased), Daikaya’s ramen is made Sapporo-style (which is clear and miso-based), and that Daikaya imports its ramen directly from Nishiyama Noodles in Sapporo, Hokkaido, which is renowned for making noodles with “special Japanese water and flour.” In fact, my waitress recommended that I eat my ramen before any other parts of my meal because the Nishiyama noodles actually dissolve into the broth when left idle for too long.

Daikaya’s menu was pleasantly simple. There were only four main options: the Shio Ramen (made with salt broth), the

Rio Djiwandana

“I’ve always said humans need more animal blood. It keeps the spine straight.”

Shoyu Ramen (made with soy sauce broth), the Mugi-Miso Ramen (made with barley-miso ramen), and the vegetable Shio Ramen (basically a vegan version of the Shio Ramen). According to my waitress, the most popular were the Shio and Mugi-Miso, though the Shio tastes more elegant and subtle compared to the Mugi-Miso, which she described as “bold” and “in-your-face.” In the end, I decided to try the gyoza (a Japanese crescent-shaped dumpling filled with pork and cabbage) and the Mugi-Miso.

My bowl of ramen came out in about five minutes, and I quickly realized within a few seconds of my first bite that my waitress wasn’t lying about its flavor. Although my order was tasty, I felt like I was eating a giant slab of steak or a big juicy hamburger in noodle soup form. The gyoza, which came out a few minutes later, was much more subtle in flavor than the MugiMiso; it took me a few bites and several long minutes of chewing to conclude that I liked it.

Ultimately, while Daikaya may not serve the best ramen I’ve ever had, its great service and wonderful ambience still make it a great restaurant to try and visit. My overall experience there was definitely worth the $10-15 I paid for my meal, and the next time I’m craving ramen after a basketball game at the Verizon Center, you’ll know where to find me.

by Will Collins We all know Hollywood loves a happy ending, but the Oscar-nominated short films this year have managed to instill a sense of hope into their tales of struggle without artificially inducing conventional closure of the cheesy variety. In more ways than one, these brief snapshots offer a more valuable insight into the human condition than many of their featurelength counterparts.

“Asad” and “Buzkashi Boys” are both set in war-torn countries, their protagonists young boys attempting to overcome their circumstances in unusual ways. Set in a Somali fishing village, “Asad” treads the line between wry humor and ethical introspection, as its young hero faces a moral dilemma between piracy and fishing. Yet here, as with the other short films, there is no climax-induced change, only the pondering of a short snippet of human life. “Buzkashi Boys” considers the fate of continuing a family’s long line of blacksmiths in Kabul, Afghanistan, as a group of rebellious boys creates tension.

“Curfew” looks and feels geometric, as if Wes Anderson were doing the cinematography. However, dealing with

a deferred suicide, it held an ultra-realist appeal. Practically the polar opposite, the fantastical “Death of A Shadow” tells the tale of a dead soldier given the opportunity to work for a mysterious figure that collects the shadows of the dying. The soldier desires to get back to the woman he loves, but he makes a detrimental choice out of jealousy. “Death” emphasizes the harshness of fate, though the soldier is able to accept his lover’s decision. Though outcomes are different in each of these films, they both explore the complex tension between longing for and avoiding death.

“Henry” is immersed in the mental state of an elderly musician dominated by his misconceptions of reality and the relapse of his memories. By far the most depressing of the shorts, it captures a man’s love for his wife through the lens of dementia, without directly acknowledging it as such. Its excellent sense of paranoia and misunderstanding put it near the top of the rankings.

The plotlines of each film are nuanced just enough, as if to avoid becoming roaming and unfocused. They constitute a humble genre for the big screen, yet their understated pathos ensures that they won’t be overlooked.

Mike Birbiglia returns to GU, aims to kill with laughter

by Tim Barnicle Mike Birbiglia (COL ’00) won “Funniest Person on Campus” his sophomore year at Georgetown—let’s see if he’s still got it. His latest one man show, “My Girlfriend’s Boyfriend,” will run for five nights at the Davis Center’s Gonda Theater beginning Monday, Feb. 25.

Make no mistake—this is a love story. “I just delve into a lot of painful and awkward childhood experiences anywhere from my failed first kiss to my failed first relationship to my failed everything else,” Birbiglia wrote in an email to the Voice.

The 90 minute or so show examines a man looking back at his romantic trials and tribulations, though Birbiglia’s style extends far beyond that of typical romantic comedy. The New York Times

called it “ridiculously enjoyable” and the Chicago Tribune went as far as to say it proves Birbiglia is the closest thing to an everyman comedy has today.

His return to campus comes fresh off an announcement that this show will soon be made into a taped-for-television comedy special next month and a feature film sometime after that. Birbiglia said, “it’s quite different from the show and it’ll probably take a different name, but the seed of it is from the show itself.”

This process follows the same pattern as his previous project, Sleepwalk with Me, which began as standup and ended up winning the 2012 NEXT audience award at the Sundance Film Festival.

The idea for a Georgetown return started with English Professor John Glavin, who teaches

script writing. “That’s where I started taking writing seriously,” said Birbiglia. Prof. Derek Goldman, Artistic Director at the Davis Center explained, “this opportunity came to us through Prof. Glavin when Mike reached out looking for a place to do some performances in advance of his concert taping next month.”

Goldman said that, due to the heavily booked Davis Center, “small mountains” had to be moved to book the event but in the end, “it was one of those rare things where the stars were aligned.” Thank Orion that they were, because the venue played a key role in this upcoming return.

“The other reason I wanted to come, was that when I was at Georgetown we didn’t have anything like the Davis Center,” Birbiglia said. The Davis Center

was not opened until 2005. “We were always performing in a black box,” he said, “so I’m really excited for the school—it’s beautiful and I think it’s the perfect playing space.”

However, the most important question Birbiglia had to answer was a “Marry Boff Kill” chal-

lenge involving fellow Georgetown comedians Nick Kroll (COL’01), Jim Gaffigan (MSB’88), and John Mulaney (COL’04): “I’d marry Nick Kroll and then as a couple we’ll decide who to boff and who to kill.” We’ll see if they can attain Jayoncé celebrity couple status.

Courtesy Mike Birbiglia

Upon witnessing the magic of the MSB, Mike changed his name to Brobiglia.

leisure

12 the georgetown voice

february 21, 2013

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

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Push the Sky Away, Bad Seed Ltd. A band that successfully released 15 albums certainly earns the right to poetic license and work packed with perplexing content, but a limit on such creativity should be observed. The Australian group Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds become an unfortunate testament to this fact with the release of Push the Sky Away, an album so tumultuous in quality of music that the entire LP is nearly unbearable. Wildly swinging between refreshing spiritual revelations and sex-fueled rants by an apparent drunk old man, Push the Sky Away is salvaged only by its soothing instrumentation.

Lead track “We No Who U R” begins on a rather positive—though melancholy—note as Cave’s coarse vocals evoke a wave of sadness

to the backdrop of ringing guitar notes and flute interludes. “Wide Lovely Eyes” takes the tone in an entirely new direction with grand vocal harmonies, swift guitar chords, and a vocal style that can hardly be called monotonous, though only when compared to the remainder of the album.

In “Water’s Edge,” Cave drowns the initial appeal of Push the Sky Away and launches into a lusty, unrefined whispered tirade detailing uncivilized interactions between “city girls and country boys” on a beach.

Though the racing bass and Eastern violin style could fit the theme, Cave’s grating delivery serves as an immediate turnoff.

“Mermaids” epitomizes the conflict between quality and what can only be considered quality in a world devoid of anything else. “She was a catch/We were a match/I was the match/That would fire up her snatch,” declares Cave over distorted chords before exhausting all possible “ch” rhymes in the English language.

He soon mercifully transitions into more smoothly sung verses with soaring acoustic guitar-backed choruses that explore religious and other faith claims through vibrant yet relatable conceits and hyperbole, continuing the rollercoaster

Abrams fuels war of the nerds

Despite Star Wars fans’ best efforts, a Disney-owned sequel to the franchise is in the works. Still, the situation could be worse. George Lucas has abdicated his tyrannical control, Lawrence Kasdan, the co-writer of Episode V and VI, has been brought on board as a creative consultant, and J.J. Abrams has agreed to direct.

Wait, J.J. Abrams—the dude that directed Star Trek—is directing Star Wars: Episode VII? That’s some ninth circle of hell shit.

Putting the two most fanatically followed sci-fi franchises into the hands of a single filmmaker is dumbfounding, considering the huge pool of talented scifi oriented directors capable of overcoming Star Wars’ Episode I-III slump. And considering the animosity rampant in the Star Wars/Star Trek rivalry, the move comes off as more than idiotic— it’s straight up heretical.

Okay, Star Trek was a pretty good film. Entertaining to Trekkies and laymen alike, the Abrams-directed film managed to successfully reboot the Star Trek universe with its fresh cast, captivating plot, and impressive special effects. So, the people in charge of producing the next Star Wars started taking notes, realizing that the only thing larger than the box office numbers for Episodes I-III were the unquantifiable number of rants aimed at George Lucas’s transformation into the maniacal manipulator of a sacred franchise. Star Wars VII’s main goal became avoiding the infuriating reactions provoked by The Phantom Menace and its two equally shitty sequels In the meantime, Disney purchased Lucasfilm in 2012, spurring the production cycle for the next Star Wars cycle. The deal was met with mixed public sen-

of a journey between pleasure and painful confusion.

Perhaps subconsciously, Nick Cave recognizes the repeated failings of Push the Sky Away. “I hope you’re listening,” Cave repeatedly mumbles on “We Real Cool,” though at that point of the album, the words will likely fall on deaf ears. In spite of the album’s occasional successes, the concept of agreeing with the above track’s title is laughable.

Voice’s Choices: “We Know Who U R,” “Wide Lovely Eyes” —Kirill Makarenko

Beach Fossils, Clash the Truth, Captured Tracks With a number of low-fi surf-inspired bands releasing music lately it’s easy for some of them to get lost in the mix—especially since they all timents—Lucas haters responded with “after Lucas’s irreversible damage, Disney couldn’t make it any worse,” and less invested fans probably saw Disney’s purchase as a guarantee of quality entertainment for future Star Wars sequels.

As Disney began to prepare the foundation for Star Wars VII, intense fan speculation

Reel Talk

by John Sapunor a bi-weekly column about film began as to who would direct this colossal movie event. Rumored considerations for the part included Jon Favreau (Iron Man), Gary Ross (The Hunger Games), Matthew Vaughn (XMen: First Class), and even Ben Affleck. Some other unlikely but interesting potential candidates ranged from Duncan Jones (Moon) to David Fincher (The Social Network, Seven, Fight

seem compelled to choose names involving the ocean, beach, or other trite references to surfing or the coast. With their second album Clash the Truth, Brooklyn rockers Beach Fossils don’t do much to distinguish themselves in this somewhat crowded field, as the band fails at achieving any musical growth while losing some of the charm from their first record. The end result is an album that while certainly solid lacks enough vitality or innovation to make it particularly memorable.

Filled with reverb and ending with chanted vocals by Dustin Payseur, opening track “Clash the Truth” sticks out more than most of the other songs. The second track “Generational Synthetic” continues the record’s solid opening streak and features a clean riff that harkens back to the simple yet classic playing of early surf groups. This style of play pervades the album and, while certainly pleasant, is largely responsible for the sense of monotony that comes from listening to Beach Fossils.

The fifth song, “Modern Holiday,” marks the first of three ambient instrumentals on the album.

With no real riffs, these short floating tracks provide a nice break from the other, less adventurous pieces.

If the band had fleshed out these Club). But instead of merely mimicking Star Trek’s move to a fresh new director, Disney decided to straight-up copy its rival by signing on Abrams.

This move is caustic to both Star Wars and Star Trek. Having one director in charge of two disparate sci-fi universes runs the risk of overlapping tropes and styles, not to mention giving two traditionally competing franchises similar tones and themes. And if anything, the fanboys behind this franchises pride themselves on what separates them from each other; a common director may not necessarily remove all of these disparities, but the differences between the two will begin to erode both stylistically and thematically.

This is only speculation, but Abrams has not shown much range in his styles and themes— we’re talking about the director of Super 8 and two Star Trek movies (he also produced Cloverfield and co-wrote Armageddon—the

songwriting experiments to a greater degree, Clash the Truth would have gained freshness that it otherwise lacked. As they stand, they are little more than echoes of what the album could have been.

By “Taking Off,” the band unabashedly embraces the sort of simple songwriting they excel at. With a surfy bassline and clean picked guitar backing up Payseur’s monotone vocals that are practically dripping with apathy, the song works well and exudes a cool, relaxed vibe.

Nonetheless, this track perfectly exemplifies my contradictory opinions surrounding Beach Fossils. On one hand, it’s hard to fault them for sticking to a sound that they do well; at the same time, I can’t shake the feeling that I’m listening to the same damn song over and over again.

For anyone into the genre or needing a dose of vaguely summery music during these long winter days, Beach Fossils’ latest effort isn’t a bad choice. Clash the Truth was certainly worth a listen and by no means a bad album, just one dogged by a feeling of inertia and unrealized potential.

Voice’s Choices: “Taking Off,” “Ascension” —Sam Wolter guy has a propensity to work on sci-fi movies involving aliens, as long as you count Steve Buscemi for the last one).But enough with the ranting. Abrams did a fine job with Star Trek, and the sequel looks pretty good.

With Abrams directing, the worst case scenario for Star Wars VII is an extremely entertaining popcorn movie. At best, he could restore George Lucas’s detractors’ hopes with a philosophical, well-acted/written sci-fi masterpiece. And you can’t forget Disney’s new presence in the franchise, a potential booster for special effects and overall quality control. Seriously, as long as the movie doesn’t transform into a Jar Jar Binks sitcom, it has all the makings for a solid Star Wars sequel. Wait a minute—what if J.J. is short for Jar Jar? Then we’re all fucked.

Show John your bright red light saber at jsapunor@georgetownvoice.com

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— Madhuri Vairapandi

voices

14 the georgetown voice

february 21, 2013

Phone sex can get you off, but it can’t get you in

by Ana Smith As Valentine’s Day passes and we begin to round off another year, those of us in longdistance relationships find our hearts’ desires once again called into question.

The typical long-distance college relationship is stereotyped by a faithful freshman staying true to his or her high school sweetheart of many years. While this is accurate in many cases, it certainly should not be used to belittle the situation. Distance dating is painful, confusing, and difficult. We come to college in the middle of a strong and healthy relationship, willing to give it a chance, not wanting to give up on something that works perfectly well. We live with our hearts in two places, unsure of what the right direction is. If families that go through military deployments and hard career commutes can cope, why can’t we?

It’s common knowledge some long-distance relationships last and some do not. It is admittedly

easy to stand against them. It can be argued that college is our one time to be free, without commitments. This is when it is OK to be a little selfish, to dabble in different ideologies and experiences. No one wants to be stuck with their heart and mind somewhere else while something extraordinary is around them. No one wants to be in a semi-relationship, unable to even see each other, doomed to be lacking a very important factor during the best time of their life.

But still there are factors that cannot be ignored. Love is what it is. If you are in it, you can’t control it. That special someone is important to you, you love them, and there is nothing inherent within your relationship that means it does not work and you should not be together. You work wonderfully as a couple. If you give up on this, are you giving up on something that some people never get to experience? What if they’re “the one?”

There is nothing wrong with wanting to hear his/her voice during that weekly call. There is nothing wrong with being in love during

college. We wonder if it’s worse to have one foot on campus and one where our significant other is, straddling the miles in-between, or to be miserably mourning your loss by yourself in a completely foreign environment. Perhaps a decision is postponed because of the fear of making the wrong choice.

I honestly cannot say which answer is correct. I have tried to present the good and bad of longdistance relationships, but I don’t think there is a right answer. It is up to the couple, and I don’t see how someone can feasibly force their emotions in one direction, essentially obliging themselves to stop loving someone. In my experience, a sincere phone call was enough for me until we could see each other over breaks. It was worth it for me, but not for my significant other. I put everything I could in it, but it simply wasn’t what he wanted. We dated up until the beginning of my sophomore year at Georgetown and still, I think it could have worked.

As hopeless as it sounds, it really just seems to be that there

are no right answers. I cannot truly comprehend someone else’s emotions in the matter.

My suggestion to those of us Hoyas still tangled in this dilemma is to do what makes you happy. If it works, just let it be.

Some of us aren’t cut out for it and some are, as testified by those of us who make it.

We hear almost everywhere that love is enough, that their physical presence should not be the most important. I am one of those believers, but not everyone is. I maintain that if you are in this conflicting situation, it is simply your misfortune to be in it. Maybe it seems tough-hearted, but I believe it’s just something to be beared. It is what it is; get over it.

The choice doesn’t have to exist. I had two conflicting blessings occurring at once, but that doesn’t mean one had to be chosen over the other. That’s just life—it’s never ideal or fair. Why do we expect it to be in this period of our lives, in college? I came into college in the middle of a

ously missing: Best Director for Kathryn Bigelow.

There are 10 Best Picture slots and only five Best Director slots; obviously some directors won’t get the nod. But rarely has a film won Best Picture without winning Best Director. By neglecting to nominate Bigelow, the Academy effectively destroyed any chance of Zero Dark Thirty winning Best Picture. Not only that, it ignored the depth of artistic craft Bigelow employed in directing the movie, largely because of political rhetoric.

It’s a strong but attestable accusation. Sens. John McCain (RAriz), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif), and Carl Levin (D-Mich), in an unbelievable display of modern bipartisanship, sent a letter

to Sony executives condemning the portrayal of torture in Zero Dark Thirty, asking them to “correct” inaccuracies. Actors Martin Sheen, Ed Asner, and David Clennon have openly discouraged members of the Academy from voting for the film. Naomi Wolf, noted feminist author, called Bigelow “torture’s handmaiden.”

Heavyweights have piled pressure onto an institution notorious for shying away from any debate more grave than Björk’s latest taxidermy-come-fashion.

Critics are understandably concerned that the film not only overstates the role of torture in the hunt for bin Laden, but that it portrays it in a positive light.

The content of the film, however, is a clear stand against the morality of torture.

The controversial opening scenes in question are difficult to watch. The suspected terrorist is waterboarded, forced to stand for extended periods of time, and sexually humiliated. The attention to detail—after being starved for days, the detainee desperately clutches an empty juice bottle, nearly crying when the interrogator tries to tug it away; the reek of shame as he is walked around a grimy cell in nothing but dog collar—is intense.

The climax of the scene is when the interrogators attempt to force the date of a suspected attack from the detainee, beating him senseless until he offers a day: “Tuesday.”

They continue to brutalize him,

demanding more information, finally threatening to shut him away in a cramped box. He begins to scream the days of the week in order, praying that the right piece of information will save him.

It’s clear that the treatment of the detainee is deplorable. It is also explicit that not all of the information he gave under duress was actionable. Most of the torture scenes are shown as dead ends: part of the greatness of Chastain’s performance is how she depicts frustration, sorting through the endless haystack of tapes of interrogations and files to find her needle, suffering the deaths of colleagues and danger to herself to complete the mission.

The cruelty depicted in the film made both torture’s critics and its proponents uncomfortable. John Rizzo, the former Chief Legal Officer for the CIA during George W. Bush’s presidency, helpfully let us know that “The box in the movie is not the kind of box that was used.”

I don’t give a shit about the size of the box. Zero Dark Thirty is not a documentary. Its intention was never to be an archive— it was to present an interpretation of events through the lens of creative movie-making.

The discomfort is a testament to how art can spark dialogue.

Bigelow intentionally directed scenes parallel to the shocking images from Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo Bay to provoke visceral disgust. Those images remain a pitiless blow to the ideal

love story, and maybe that’s just my misfortune that it took place when it did. I simply could not force myself to stop liking someone or end something that was worth it, incredible.

Take time to enjoy college, but that does not necessitate that you end everything. If that person fits well with you, you should not feel compelled to strike them off just because of a little distance. Love is more powerful. And if college freedom is chosen over your relationship, know that that does not mean it is over forever. To revisit my first question, I think we college students can do it, too. There is no comprehensive reason why we cannot; I believe that powerfully in love. But, I will say that not everyone experiences college or long-distance love the same way.

Ana Smith is a sophomore in the College. The only long-distance relationship she has ever mantained is with her rabbit, Pancakes.

Academy shoves ‘torture’s handmaiden’ into a Hurt Locker

by Julia Tanaka The Academy Awards definitely has a high school lunch table element to it. It’s the biggest bling-out of the Hollywood year where the celebrity elite applauds each other’s artistic efforts and secretly hopes nobody else wins. Somebody’s bound to get snubbed—this year, however, the nominations have stirred special indignation.

Zero Dark Thirty has been nominated for Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay, and Jessica Chastain has been nominated for Best Actress in a Leading Role for her depiction of Maya, a CIA agent hell-bent on finding Osama bin Laden. There is one nomination, nonetheless, that is conspicu-

CHRISTY GEANEY

We’ve all seen it coming. Bringing Seth MacFarlane on is equivalent to CPR.

of American integrity and respect for human dignity.

To accept that we were so afraid in the wake of 9/11 that we succumbed to inhumane methods is necessary. To deplore torture as morally abhorrent is crucial. To deny that it played a role in our intelligence operations is to ignore the complexity of the issue. We can admit that torture played a role in the hunt for Osama bin Laden without lauding it; we can hate it without denying its occasional efficacy.

To brush off Zero Dark Thirty with the pragmatist argument that torture is wrong simply because its role was overstated, because it showed an inexact cost-benefit, is easy. There is a stronger argument—while torture may be effective, regardless of the security costbenefit, it is still wrong.

Bigelow deserves the Academy’s acknowledgement that her artistic point of view is valid. She deserves better from the Academy than to be snubbed because it’s cowed by controversy. The bloodstain of torture will forever mark the fabric of our history, and to reprimand Bigelow, her cast and her crew for bringing the darkness to light is to try bleach out the shadows in our story.

Julia Tanaka is a sophomore in the SFS. She has a girl-crush on Bigelow and filmed a Harlem Shake to her as tribute.

voices

georgetownvoice.com

the georgetown voice

15

Arabic department mimics chaos of Tahrir Square

by Sara Ainsworth Since I can remember, I have wanted to study Arabic. The Arab world has always had some inexplicable draw for me: I am fascinated by its culture, food, and history. So when I chose to attend Georgetown, I immediately enrolled in Intensive Modern Standard Arabic.

For the first two years of my college career I was a slave to Arabic spending hours learning a new alphabet, grammatical structure, and vocabulary. Hav-

AMANDA DOMINGUEZ

Attention habibis: shitstorm ahead.

ing previously only studied Romance languages, I have found that Arabic is a horse of a completely different color. I tend to be good at learning languages, and thus have been continually frustrated by my inability to grasp Arabic these past three years.

Despite focusing all of my efforts on the intricacies of the language, I still find myself afloat in a sea of fatHas with no life raft in sight. Every time my Arabic teacher says, “Khalas there is the grammatical rule that never changes,” I know that in two weeks I will learn that there are at least twelve exceptions. Fundamentally, I have come to realize in my past three years of study that while my study habits are sometimes questionable, the bigger issue lies in the way in which we learn Arabic here at Georgetown.

Our university has arguably the best Arabic program in the country, with the exception of the University of Texas at Austin. The textbook that is used

by Arabic programs across the country is published by Georgetown University Press, and even within GU, Arabic is one of the most popular languages of study. With so many interested

Talkin’ ‘bout my generation

At the end of every year, Lake Superior State University releases a list of “banished words,” or words which have been so overused throughout the preceding 365 days that they have lost all meaning and should never be said again. When I looked at 2012’s list, though, I was disappointed. Don’t get me wrong, I hate “fiscal cliff” and “YOLO” as much as the next grumpy old man, but the word I’ve grown to hate over the past year, the one that makes me roll my eyes and make exasperated noises every time another one of my friends discusses an article with it in the headline, escaped the cut—millennials.

But it’s not just the word that I think should be cut out of our dialogue. It’s the vast majority of the repetitive, trite, ridiculous dialogue that the word is constantly associated with, and the overarch-

ing, overblown connotations that accompany it.

Over the past year, we’ve seen even our top news outlets—see The New York Times’ ubiquitous January article about the “end of courtship” in an age when the kids would rather sext—hop on the millennial bandwagon. We’ve seen pages upon pages of commentary about the generation epitomized

by Girls (which, as nobody seems to catch on, is largely satirical), a generation completely new and different because of social networking and a bad job market and new parenting techniques that coddled our self-esteem by eliminating such atrocities as soccer trophies and grades below 80.

I, for one, find it hard to believe the constant commentary from our news sources accomplishes anything other than pointing out the obvious, and then extrapolat-

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students, it would make sense that Georgetown would live up to the high standards that have been attributed to it. Unfortunately, this is not always the case.

As most Arabic students will tell you, the department is incredibly disorganized ,and the way in which we learn the language is often not conducive to life in an Arabic-speaking country.

An important factor in determining the quality of an academic program is looking at how organized it is. Programs with fantastic professors and resources can be hindered by an inability to set clear syllabi and disseminate information to students.

This is exactly the issue that the Department of Arabic and Islamic Studies faces. While professors are dedicated to their students and extremely knowledgeable, it is also undeniable that there is a complete disconnect when it comes to administration. I have never had an Arabic class that followed the syllabus. Inevitably, the professor changes it in class and then is frustrated when students do the homework according to what was said in class and not what was written on the syllabus. As an Arabic student, you are constantly run-

ing and generalizing until it looks like a piece from The Onion. If you just look out your window at a 20-something or two walking down the sidewalk, you’ll notice that—provided you live in an area with a high enough average income—you’ll see a smartphone or two pretty quickly. They’re probably texting, or Facebooking, or

Carrying On

by Leigh Finnegan

A rotating column by Voice senior staffers

Twittering, or maybe even all at once, and they might be wearing some fancy high-tech gloves that allow them to do so without drying out their hands in the cold weather.

All of these activities, along with different dating rituals, different means of communication, and a somewhat different worldview are characteristic and unique to the generation born in the late ‘90s/ early 2000s, things that are drastically different from what our parents grew up with and how they saw the world back in their day.

But do you know what other generation was different from its predecessor? Every single one.

That’s why we have the word “generation” in the first place—to highlight the cultural and behav-

ning from classmate to classmate trying to figure out what exactly is due for the next class.

When you finally figure out what is due, you realize that the amount of homework that you have been given will take you at least the next four hours. And Arabic is every day. Imagine the amount of time that Arabic students spend working on their homework, on top of the time they spend figuring out what it is. Homework, of course, is only half of it. When exams come around, you have no idea what will be tested and more likely than not at least half of it will never have been covered in class. The students you see walking out of class with dazed looks on their faces? Arabic students. As a classmate of mine said, “We all got 20s out of 100 last semester because we had no idea what was going on.” It’s one thing for one person to perform poorly on a test, but quite another for an entire class to do so.

The worst part of the lack of communication is that it often prevents students from moving on in the language. A friend that came back from studying abroad in Jordan told me that the department failed to contact her

ioral shifts that occur when kids hit the age when they have the means and abilities to live and behave differently from how their parents did. And what’s so ridiculous about the amount of attention that millennials are getting is that the overarching idea seems to be that we’re so incredibly and irreconcilably different from the generations that came before us. This is false.

Sure, our parents don’t understand why we choose to Snapchat instead of date. Just like our parents’ parents didn’t understand why their kids wanted to wear tie-dye and grow their hair past their ears, and our parents’ parents’ parents didn’t understand why their daughters wanted to wear pants.

This sense of our being the only generation to ever break the norms of our parents’ generation because of technological advancements and shifting priorities might be one that is legitimately unique to our generation, probably a symptom of collectively never being told “no” as children.

And in many ways, the millennial obsession is a positive-feedback loop—articles are written about what the kids are doing these days, but said kids seem to be the main audience for these articles.

Thrilled that The Huffington Post is offering us new insights

about a placement test. When she began to worry and contacted them, she was told that she had two hours to complete it. I will likely not receive Arabic proficiency because I was told in Spring 2012 that I could take Arabic Media and then receive proficiency, but when I walked into class in January I was told that this was not the case. I know that I am not alone in this issue.

Fundamentally, many Arabic students that enter Georgetown in love with the culture and the language find themselves disillusioned. This is a direct result of the lack of organization and clear expectations within the Arabic department. For a language that demands so much investment, it is unacceptable that students are not given clear direction. The quality of our Arabic education is unparalleled, but if the department doesn’t get its act together, it’s bound to lose students to Chinese, cementing their world domination.

Sara Ainsworth is a junior in the SFS. She has taken to calling her friends habibi, eating pita with everything, and smoking shisha at noon.

into our own lives, we share them on Facebook and the Twitter machine with our millennial friends, and, seeing how many page views they generate, the news outlets hire small armies of urban, white 20-somethings to write more articles about the same thing. This self-absorbed generation has reached a peak of self-absorbency (self-saturation?), where we’re obsessed with reading about our own lives, because it makes us feel special, just like we’ve always been told we are.

Twenty years from now, when we’ve been usurped as the topic of our own fascination by our children—provided that the Times was wrong, and we’re capable of settling down long enough to have children—we’ll be just as lost as our parents are about how they use their technology and communicate in what feels like a foreign language. As special as we think we are now, we “millennials” are destined to become the un-hip older crowd that every previous generation has graduated to before us, and maybe by then the term and its surrounding non-hype will have finally died out completely. Until then, at least YOLO is officially done.

Artist_Spotlight Alexandra Waldon Atlanta, Georgia College, Class of 2015 Major: Psychology Minors: Justice and Peace, Theater Tell me a little about your art.

I’ve been acting, singing and dancing my whole life, I’ve also picked up the guitar for a few years now.

Are you involved with the arts at Georgetown?

I sing in the Phantoms and have been in five Georgetown theater productions on campus. I also love getting together with friends to jam, and we will all sing and play guitar, occasionally bring out a tambourine or a some type of percussion — it’s a load of fun.

What was your favorite show?

The beginning of this year I was involved in a production called Far Away, which is an absurd theater piece by a playwright, who I adore, named Caryl Churchill.

Absurd Theater?

Yeah, essentially a genre identical to “Abstract Theater” which presents elaborate and nonsensical plots—this type of theater lets the audience and the actors bring in their own connotations rather than the author explicitly mapping out his/her own intent. I got to make the text relevant to me and draw my own personal connections.

What kind of connotations?

Ya know, I think something Georgetown does really well is stage modern theater within a context of greater social significance; this year the department’s theme is War and Peace. Our show Far Away was essentially a sci-fi piece about the World at War. It allowed me to attribute my own cultural and political opinions to the work I was involved in drawing from my own experiences to

make sense of the absurdity. It also challenged what I believed theater was capable of.

Did that change anything?

It changed everything. I’ve been involved in the arts my whole life, but I had never considered how art could be used to grapple with issues of dire social relevance. To me, the greatest works of art are works that transform how we see the world and how we act on it. Ya know, I think Rothko is sensational, but what is he really saying about us?

Who is an artist that you are getting at?

Take Ai Wei Wei. Here is a guy who has been arrested, abused—an abhorrence to the Chinese government—and why? Because he has something to say about the injustice he sees in the world, and he says it through his art, regardless of the circumstances.

Do you approach your art this way too?

I definitely did not think so before Georgetown. I think I’ve undergone a dramatic transformation as an artist. I want to work with art not as means of sheer entertainment, but as a tool for social justice.

How do you do that or do you plan on doing that in the future?

I currently volunteer for GMC daytime homeless shelter, where I’m working to develop an acting class for the community; I think acting is a great form of expression with real therapeutic benefits. As for the future, I’m not sure yet, but I know that my art, and my time at Georgetown, will continue to shape my future and my own opinions about my work.