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VOICE the georgetown

A SIGN OF THE TIMES THE STORY OF DEAF STUDENTS AT GEORGETOWN

BY CAITRIONA PAGNI

Georgetown University’s Weekly Newsmagazine Since 1969 w February 27, 2014 w Volume 46, Issue 23 w georgetownvoice.com

2 the georgetown voice

february 27, 2014

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Voice Crossword “Going Greek” by Allison Galezo

38. Raw information 39. Title preceding Rev. 40. Pictograph 42. Half of a chocolate candy 43. God of truth and music 45. She rode a white bull, in more ways than one 47. Symbol of Artemis 48. God of virginity 49. In stitches 50. Slugger Sammy DOWN

ACROSS 1. King of the Gods 5. Queen of the Gods 9. Track 11. Online party notice 13. “Acclimate a...”

14. Fatal 16. Puppy bite 17. Pride and joy of Prometheus 19. Somme summer

20. Laceration 22. God of the wild 23. Chilly powder?

24. Titan of rivers 26. Get up 27. God of the harvest 29. They decide the destinies of the gods 32. Flying stallion 36. God of war 37. Surveillance device

1. Greek circle of animals 2. Pass by 3. Coding language 4. Sweet 5. Ultimate Greek biddy 6. Eternally 7. Slowing, in mus.

8. God of wisdom 9. Bath alternative at Italian spas 10. Shell currency 12. Use as a dish 15. Crude 18. Wage before

overtime 21. God of the underworld 23. Valuable violin 25. Super ___, where you’ll find Donkey Kong 26. Portion, abbrev.

28. Tofu’s cousin 29. Hannibals’ favorite legume 30. Tapas menu item 31. Choir section 33. Wooden clogs 34. Paradise 35. Capital of Yemen 37. Circus employee 40. Radiate 41. Shades 44. Special education principle that everyone gets the same curriculum 46. “Grease” soundtrack record label

Last Week’s Answers:

editorial

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VOICE the georgetown

Volume 46.23 February 27, 2014 Editor-in-Chief: Connor Jones Managing Editor: Julia Tanaka General Manager: Nick Albanese Blog Editor: Isabel Echarte News Editor: Claire Zeng

Sports Editor: Chris Almeida Feature Editor: Lucia He Cover Editors: Noah Buyon, Christina Libre Leisure Editor: Dayana Morales-Gomez Voices Editor: Steven Criss Photo Editor: Ambika Ahuja Design Editors: Pam Shu, Sophia Super Page 13 Editor: Dylan Cutler Creative Directors: Amanda Dominiguez, Kathleen Soriano-Taylor, Madhuri Vairapandi Editors-at-Large: Caitriona Pagni, Ana Smith Assistant Blog Editors: Minali Aggarwal, Ryan Greene, Marisa Hawley, Kenneth Lee, Laura Kurek Assistant News Editors: Shalina Chatlani, Lara Fishbane, Manuela Tobias Assistant Sports Editors: Chris Castano, Brendan Crowley, Jeffrey Lin, Joe Pollicino Assistant Cover Editor: Neha Ghanshamdas Assistant Leisure Editors: Emilia Brahm, Daniel Varghese, Joshua Ward Assistant Photo Editors: Gavin Myers, Joshua Raftis Assistant Design Editors: Leila Lebreton, Andie Pine

Staff Writers:

Sourabh Bhat, Max Borowitz, Grace Brennan, Emmy Buck, James Constant, Abby Greene, John Guzzetta, Kevin Huggard, Julia LloydGeorge, Jared Kimler, Claire McDaniel, Dan Paradis, Max Roberts, Abby Sherburne, Jackson Sinnenberg, Deborah Sparks, Chris Wadibia, Annamarie White

Staff Photographers:

Marla Abdilla, Katherine Landau, Alan Liu, Muriel van de Bilt, Annie Wang

Staff Designers:

Dylan Cutler, Mike Pacheco, Corrina Di Pirro

Copy Chief: Grace Funsten Copy Editors:

Eleanor Fanto, Sabrina Kayser, Samantha Mladen, Dana Suekoff, Suzanne Trivette

Editorial Board Chair: Julia Jester Editorial Board:

Gavin Bade, Emilia Brahm, Patricia Cipollitti, Steven Criss, Isabel Echarte, Lara Fishbane, Juan Daniel Gonçalves, Ryan Greene, Lucia He, Quaila Hugh, Connor Jones, Jeffrey Lin, Ian Philbrick, Ryan Shymansky, Ana Smith, Julia Tanaka

Managing Directors: Mary Bailey-Frank, Allison Manning The Georgetown Voice

The Georgetown Voice is published every Thursday.

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

Office: Leavey Center Room 424 Georgetown University Washington, D.C. 20057

Email: editor@georgetownvoice.com Advertising: business@georgetownvoice.com Website: georgetownvoice.com Vox Populi: blog.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 Gannett Publishing Services.

All materials copyright the Georgetown Voice. All rights reserved.

On this week’s cover: A Sign of the Times Cover Design: Christina Libre

the georgetown voice 3 SAPE WHISTLE

Confusion on sexual assault policy widespread The GUSA elections have brought to light not only the importance of addressing sexual assault on campus but also the large amount of misinformation and confusion surrounding this issue. The GUSA debates, platforms, and online comments have successfully sparked a dialogue surrounding the topic. They have also, however, served to further confuse students.

In particular, different campaigns’ opinions on Title IX issues at Georgetown have led to sharply contrasting views between tickets. Thomas Lloyd (SFS ‘15) and Jimmy Ramirez’s (COL ‘15) policy point on this issue drew sharp criticism from many commenters on Vox. The policy states that they would “require that the Title IX Coordinator be the sole point person to whom any incident of sexual assault or harassment is reported by the survivor if the survivor intends on pursuing campus action via the Student Code of Conduct.” Students commented on the inadequacies of this policy, ranging from confidentiality to practical issues due to the volume of cases.

Dr. Jeanne Lord, the Title IX coordinator, is legally mandated to investigate and respond to sexual assault cases. Lord, however, would not necessarily be able to keep survivor confidentiality due to the 2011 Dear Colleague Letter of Title IX. Trevor Tezel (SFS ‘15) and Omika Jikaria (SFS ‘15) also believe that Lloyd/Ramirez’s policy is a misinterpretation of Lord’s role. They instead propose increasing the number of advocates, specialists, and confidential counselors in Health Education Services and Counseling and Psychiatric Services. Ben Weiss (COL ‘15) and Sam Greco (SFS ‘15) have similar policy proposals, as they want to add additional confidential resources on campus in addition to a SAPE-trained deputy secretary to address these issues. Such sharp differences in policy show candidates themselves must take initiative to fully understand its complexities.

Candidates have also been criticized for not being SAPE trained, which is hypocritical for platforms such as Weiss/Greco’s, which suggests that all GUSAmembers complete sexual assault training.

Even Singer/Silkman’s suggestions to add a sexual assault component to NSO and for peer educators to visit freshman floors for short training and discussion programs was met with criticism, as Peterson says SAPE coordinators have their own outreach programs and are already adding a sexual assault component to NSO. Though some students laud GUSA’s commitment to the problem, Peterson believes GUSA should focus on exerting its authority to help increase the budgets of these groups so they can carry out what they have started.

There is no single answer as to how to prevent and address sexual misconduct on campus, and GUSA campaigns have fostered a campuswide discussion on the issue. This dialogue could have served students better had candidates been more informed in regard to their own proposed policies and the University’s existing policies.

Just as campaigns cannot use the term “sexual assault” simply as a buzzword, students cannot debate the issue without first knowing the facts.

BREWING TOLERANCE

Brewer made right decision with Ariz. bill veto

Arizona Governor Jan Brewer vetoed an amendment to the Religious Freedom Restoration Act that would allow businesses to deny service to anyone on the basis of a “sincerely held” religious belief. Critics hold that the bill was authored with intent to discriminate against Arizona’s gay community.

The Center for Arizona Policy, a proponent of the measure, insists that the legislation enables business owners to “live out their faith.” While Gov. Brewer made the correct decision to veto Senate Bill 1062, that the bill even ended up on her desk is problematic.

S.B. 1062 aimed to amend Arizona’s Religious Freedom Restoration Act, a state law modeled off a federal bill of the same name; the RFTA prevents “substantial burdens” to one’s religious practice, including ”burdens” imposed by general laws. Congress originally crafted the bill in 1993 to respond to the 1990 Supreme Court decision in Employment Division v. Smith that ruled religious groups were not exempt from laws that applied to all

U.S. citizens. With S.B. 1062, Arizona’s legislature hoped to manipulate a law into a justification for thinly-veiled discrimination against gays. Several of the bill’s authors said publicly they hoped the bill to be a spring-board for a future negative vote on same-sex marriage.

Brewer’s decision to veto the bill both prevents discrimination and preserves religious freedom. A business owner interacts with the public, that undoubtedly does not share all of his or her beliefs. If religious practice interferes with another’s religious beliefs, it contradicts religious freedom. S.B. 1062 therefore was in contradiction with the law that it was trying to amend. Allowing businesses to deny service on the basis of religious belief is not a valid manifestation of religious freedom.

Legally, the grounds on which a business can refuse service are highly regulated by federal and state law, as well as precedent. A business’s refusal of service has typically won in the courtroom when the refusal was based on the safety of customers and staff. Moreover, the Fed-

eral Civil Rights Act ensures for all citizens the “full and equal enjoyment of the … services … of any place of public accommodation, without discrimination or segregation on the ground of race, color, religion, or national origin.”

While sexual orientation is not yet federally protected, legal precedent exists. In California, the Civil Rights Act protects sexual orientation from discrimination. Furthermore, New Mexico’s Supreme Court ruled in August that a photography business’s refusal to photograph a gay marriage was in violation of anti-discrimination laws. Therefore, this bill would have allowed unlawful and unethical discrimination against a group of people.

Arizona’s bill passed its legislature against all logic and legal precedent, therefore, Brewer’s decision to veto the measure, while expected, was justified. S.B. 1062 was not about religious freedom, but the fear of what some people do not understand, and consequently reject—and that must never be grounds for the creation of a law.

U MAD BRO

Venezuela, Ukraine crises both deserve attention

Last Wednesday, a group Georgetown students protested outside the building of the Organization of American States against the government of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro for its violent response to anti-government demonstrators. Despite greater national media coverage of the ongoing crisis in Ukraine, Georgetown students have demonstrated remarkable organization and political awareness in response to the situation in Venezuela, befitting the University’s international involvement and reputation. Georgetown students should recognize the severity of both situations. Each merits activism and is significantly important for regional relations in the future.

Numerous articles circulated on social media have lambasted American media for its apparent favoritism for the Ukraine over Venezuela, with some even claiming conspiracy. It’s important to recall, however, that the Ukrainian situation is far more developed than that of Venezuela thus far. In the former case, demonstrations quickly

escalated into violence, leading to the deaths of over 77 protesters and policemen, the ousting of President Viktor Yanukovych by Parliament, and the freeing of anti-regime political prisoners.

In the latter, although 13 protesters and government agents have been killed and students continue to protest in cities across the country, radical political shifts have yet to emerge. Allegations of reportorial negligence and conspiracy are as unfounded as they are unhelpful.

Nevertheless, Georgetown students’ relative lack of political involvement in the Ukrainian crisis compared to the Venezuelan one departs notably from this trend. One reason may be that the Venezuelan student leaders who have emerged to spearhead action against the Maduro government are without analog in the Ukrainian case. The Venezuelan situation has also united disparate political ideologies under a single cause. On Wednesday, some critics decried Maduro’s socialist policies and ties to Cuba while others lamented human

rights violations and economic disparity. A campus solidarity effect is also at play, since many of the Venezuelan protesters are students themselves.

This unity is harder to discern in the case of the Ukraine, where rival political entities who share nothing but their distaste forYanukovych are already squabbling in the wake of his removal. Higher international stakes, including Russia’s response to the upheaval and the question of the region’s energy and political future, also make the issue more complex.

But similarities between the two cases should motivate Georgetown students to stay both active and informed. Like Maduro, criticism of Yanukovych preceded the current demonstrations, and questions remain about both countries’ future direction. Issues of human rights and self-determination are at stake in both cases. Politically active students at Georgetown should regard the Ukraine and Venezuela as two equally significant international issues and should also seek to recognize the commonalities, rather than differences, between them.

news

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News Hits Official GU sexual assault resource website launches President John DeGioia announced a new University policy on sexual misconduct and the launch of a website detailing Georgetown’s resources for survivors of sexual assault in a community-wide email on Tuesday.

The new policy, which defines sexual misconduct and procedure for complaints and reporting, was approved by the Board of Directors this month and will be incorporated into student, faculty, and staff handbooks and codes of conduct, according to DeGioia’s email.

DeGioia also wrote that the website is intended as a “central resource” for the community. The website includes contacts for information and support, avenues for reporting sexual misconduct, and rights for the accused.

The new website marks the first time Georgetown has offered an online source for those affected by sexual assault, according to Vice President of Diversity and Equity and Title IX coordinator Rosemary Kilkenny.

“Having one space where all available resources are very easy to access to students is a great advancement,” wrote Georgetown Emergency Response Medical Service Director of Public Relations Kate McClellan (COL ‘14) in an email to the Voice.

—Alissa Fernandez

GUSA joins with 28 other College to offer JUPS Jesuit student governments major starting fall 2014

by James Constant

CCC

What’s a Hoya enters third month The Georgetown University Student Association completed its third and final month of What’s a Hoya for the academic year on Tuesday. The theme of “pluralism in action” centered on diversity on campus and included issues of race, socioeconomic class, sexual orientation, and gender.

Speakers provided a variety of perspectives on diversity. “Gender can be exploded onto a spectrum,” said Thomas Lloyd (SFS ‘15), who spoke at the Monday session on topics such as cross-dressing and the gender binary.

“I truly believe that human nature wants to categorize people into boxes to comfort itself,” said Shilpa Chandran (SFS ‘15), another speaker during a talk on intersectionality.

According to Megan Murday (SFS ‘15), one of the What’s a Hoya coordinators, the program coordinators took into account feedback from the previous two months and is incorporating “greater opportunities for students to discuss the topics during the session itself.”

—Katherine Riga

february 27, 2014

In hopes of expanding collaboration between Jesuit student governments, the Georgetown University Student Association became the twenty-eighth and final member of the National Jesuit Student Government Association on Sunday after the Senate approved GUSA President Nate Tisa’s (SFS ’14) signature on the NJSGA constitution.

The Senate passed the measure with unanimous approval except for three neutral votes of “present.”

The NJSGA is, according to its constitution established in February, “dedicated to the enhancement of the educational, social, and cultural environment on Jesuit college and university campuses throughout the country.” It is the only entirely student-run conference of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities out of 34 AJCU conferences in total.

According to Tisa, plans for the NJSGA originated last summer at the 2013 National Jesuit Student Leadership Conference at Santa Clara University in California. The delegation from Creighton University proposed the NJSGA as a means to improve

communication between Jesuit schools. It is also intended to serve as a communications body between the student governments and the Jesuit Association of Student Affairs Administrators.

Tisa said joining the NJSGA will help GUSA resolve on-campus issues with the help of other Jesuit universities. “During the satellite campus conversation last semester, we asked the other Jesuit schools if they had ever dealt with similar issues before,” Tisa said.

GUSA Senate Speaker Sam Greco (SFS ‘15) said GUSA also hopes to discuss common free speech issues. “We may have some solutions other schools don’t have, other schools may have solutions we don’t have,” Greco said.

According to Vice President for Mission and Ministry Fr. Kevin O’Brien (COL ‘88), administrators of Jesuit universities have been collaborating for years. He expressed approval that the NJSGA will allow student governments to do the same.

“Whenever there’s an opportunity for us to network outside of Georgetown, it’s a very good thing,” said O’Brien. “We can learn best practices and we bring them back to campus.”

by Noah Buyon Georgetown’s Program on Justice and Peace announced on its website Tuesday that it will offer a JUPS major beginning fall 2014. The new major is intended to complement the program’s existing certificate and minor options, according to Director of the Program on Justice and Peace Randall Amster.

“We know that a number of juniors have expressed interest in declaring the major, so we will indeed be graduating the first major class next spring,” Amster wrote in an email to the Voice.

Amster was not able to estimate how many juniors would declare, but wrote “we expect the major to grow steadily in the years to come, and the minor/certificate to grow as well–especially since the latter will no longer carry a thesis requirement.” He added JUPS currently graduates 15 to 20 minor and certificate students each year.

Maggie Ferrato (COL ’15), Gianna Maita (COL ’15), and Kyla McClure (COL ’15), who began advocating two years ago for the JUPS major, worked with JUPS faculty and College administrators to craft a working proposal.

“We submitted it to the [College] Executive Committee for feedback, and then to a subcommittee for additional refinement.

In the end, the proposal was unanimously approved by the ExCo, and finally approved by the Board of Directors this semester,” Amster explained.

According to Maita, the major will offer students the “freedom to pursue what they are passionate about,” rather than declaring a major of less interest and “only feeling passionate about their minor in JUPS.” The three students’ advocacy “fortuitously” occurred at the same time as the hiring of two professors, Elham Atashi and Randall Amster, according to JUPS Professor Mark Lance. “For the first time we had the staffing to make a major possible,” he wrote in an email to the Voice.

Lance added JUPS has multiple new courses in the works, including a research methods course, and will finalize them in the coming year.

Maita stated she plans to graduate as a JUPS major. “I arranged my courses so that I could declare as soon as it was possible,” she wrote.

Clinton recognizes men for service to women and peace

by Julia Jester Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton presented the second 2014 Hillary Rodham Clinton Awards for Advancing Women in Peace and Security in Gaston Hall on Tuesday. This year, the honor was presented to British Foreign Secretary William Hague, founder of the Panzi hospital in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Dr. Denis Mukwege, and Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization Anders Fogh Rasmussen, who was not present due to a conflicting NATO meeting.

Clinton stated the awards were deliberately all awarded to men. “That is not a mistake, it is a message,” she said. “This is not a women’s issue. This cuts to the very core of who we are as

human beings. … When women are excluded and marginalized, we all suffer.”

Executive Director of GIWPS Melanne Verveer concurred, saying in a separate interview with the Voice that “It seemed very fitting to recognize … three men who have played an extremely important leadership role … in hopes that others will see that this isn’t just about women.”

When asked if GIWPS had received any criticism over awarding only men, Verveer said GIWPS has received an overwhelming positive response and outpouring of emails, tweets, and phone calls.

“I think people were moved, and in this fast-paced world, when we often seem to forget what’s important, these kinds of

Hillary Clinton presented the GIWPS awards. compelling opportunities bring us together,” she said.

In his acceptance speech, Mukwege said, “Rape is not only an attack on women and girls, it is an assault on humankind,” and argued the only way to put an end to sexual violence is to engage men and boys.

Hague continued the sentiment, calling for an end to rape as a weapon of war.

Prior to the event, Hague had joined Secretary of State

Gavin Myers

John Kerry in an announcement of a ban against issuing U.S. visas to any foreigners implicated in wartime sexual violence, which Hague applauded.

“I believe that the sort of measure that [Kerry] just announced … is exactly the sort of thing that governments should be doing … to address [sexual violence],” said Hague.

For more on guest speakers, check out Vox Populi at blog.georgetownvoice.com.

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the georgetown voice 5

Corp partners with TerraCycle to ‘upcycle’ Following its establishment three weeks ago, the new Georgetown division of the TerraCycle non-recyclable waste collection program will send its first shipment of materials to the company facility in March.

TerraCycle is a New Jersey-based upcycling firm that collects “difficult-to-recycle packaging and products” from organizations like schools and repurposes the waste into new sellable products, according to its website. The Georgetown University Student Association Senate passed a bill establishing a Georgetown TerraCycle collection program on Feb. 9.

The Georgetown program collects Brita water filters, ink cartridges, beauty products, and Solo cups through a group of bins outside Vital Vittles. GUSA will regu-

larly ship the waste to TerraCycle each time the collection reaches minimum weight requirements.

As of Feb. 24, it has collected 207 Solo cups, one Brita water filter, four shampoo bottles, and seven ink cartridges.

According to GUSA Undersecretary of Sustainability Caroline James (COL ‘16), TerraCycle was placed outside Vittles because it saw high foot traffic and was a “more central location to bring [waste] to than the GUSA office.” Co-Chair of the GUSA Senate Sustainability Subcommittee Mandy Lee (SFS ’17) admitted, however, progress has been “definitely ... slow.”

TerraCycle reimburses groups for products sent, although according to James, the payment will likely be small. According to Lee, the proceeds will be given to a charity partner yet to be determined.

TerraCycle is also supported by the Office of Sustainability, which helped procure plastic bins, and the Corp Green Team, which provided the spot outside Vittles, helped plan logistics, and utilized its social media platforms to advertise.

“This has really been a student driven project,” Director of the Office of Sustainability Audrey Stewart said. “I’m looking forward to learning about the outcomes of the effort.”

Although TerraCycle has been at Georgetown for just under a month, Lee hopes to see an expansion of the program in the near future.

“We’re designing what could be a dorm launch for TerraCycle. ... We’re also looking into establishing an Eco Reps program [that will help implement TerraCycle in dorms],” she said.

work in the Polish underground, by the Georgetown University Press.

According to Jan Karski Educational Foundation President Wanda Urbanska, a “generous group of Georgetown alums” associated with the Foundation helped fund the reprint and free distribution of his book to Georgetown students.

The panel will feature U.S. Ambassador to Poland Stephen Mull (SFS ‘80), director of the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace, and Security Melanne Verveer, and Security Studies Program professor Robert Egnell. The discussion will focus on the responsibility to protect, the idea that the state has a

responsibility to protect its citizens from mass atrocities.

The dramatic reading of Karski’s book is being produced by Artistic Director of the Davis Performing Arts Center Derek Goldman and will feature American actor David Strathairn as Jan Karski.

mocked by City Paper, but no one can deny he’s the candidate with the most developed proposals for extending public transport and bike accessibility, especially in low-income areas.

Wells leads the pack again when it comes to ethics. He is the only candidate who has eschewed corporate contributions, a decision that, if nothing else, was not fueled by political convenience. Wells had only

Bowser’s is a campaign of shallow platitudes. In a recent interview on WAMU’s Kojo Nnamdi show, she could provide no specific answer on how her policies would differ from Gray’s, opting instead for “people want to know that we’re getting our city ready for the future.” That gives the impression of a political opportunist—someone comfortable with the status quo who only got in the race because the incumbent looks vulnerable. It’s also emblematic of a pattern in Bowser’s interviews and debates: she leans heavy on the generalizations.

Wells’s answer was that he would take control of education reform, something Gray has ceded to DCPS Chancellor Kaya Henderson. Top of the list would be to ensure every child in the city has a school within walking distance, a necessary reform given the school closures during the Fenty and Gray administrations.

That rhetoric reveals a theme in Wells’s candidacy. When asked about an issue, he actually gives an opinion, addressing the city’s problems with a specificity and passion that reflect his history as a social worker and child

by Deborah Sparks

Jan Karski was a professor at Georgetown for 40 years.

JOSHUA RAFTIS

GU to commemorate Karski, Polish resistance fighter

by Dan Paradis To celebrate the hundredth birthday of Georgetown professor Jan Karski (PHD ‘52), the Jan Karski Educational Foundation and Georgetown University will be hosting a panel discussion on April 24, moderated by Acting SFS Dean James Reardon-Anderson, followed by a dramatic reading of Karski’s 1944 book, Story of a Secret State.

During World War II, Karski worked for the Polish underground, smuggling himself in and out of the Warsaw Ghetto. He subsequently made his way to London and D.C. to alert the Allies of the Holocaust.

After the war, he immigrated to the

United States, received his doctorate from Georgetown, and taught at the SFS for 40 years. He passed away in 2000.

“A friend of mine calls Karski the real James Bond because of what he did, jumping out of trains, being tortured and escaping, all the rest of it,” said Robert Billingsley (SFS ‘68), a former student of Karski’s and advisory board member to the Jan Karski Educational Foundation. “[He embodied] Jesuit tradition and service for others.”

The panel and dramatic reading are the culmination of a series of celebrations that began last January with the republication of Story of a Secret State, which documents Karski’s

Wells: effective and ethical

The District of Columbia loves a good political drama, and whether it’s mayoral scandal or bribery and embezzlement on the D.C. Council, we’ve gotten a whole lot of it over the past four years.

Maybe that’s what makes this year’s mayoral race such a disappointment. At a time when the city seems primed for a dynamic alternative to the status quo, the race is narrowing to a two-way contest about as interesting as my freshman economics lecture.

Part of the reason could be that incumbent Mayor Vincent Gray (D) is trying to play it safe.

He’s proposed almost no new ideas, hoping to ride to victory on the back of good economic fortunes and divert attention away from his alleged involvement in a shadow campaign that has already seen three of his staff plead guilty to crimes. The staleness of his campaign is surpassed only by that of his closest challenger, Councilmember Muriel Bowser (D-Ward 4), who picked up an endorsement from the Washington Post this week.

Those factors play a role, but the bigger reason for the snoozer of a race may be that the candidate with the most ambitious and specific policy proposals has failed to capture the hearts of the local media. That candidate is Councilmember Tommy Wells (D-Ward 6).

On almost every issue, Wells’s record and platform reflect a candidate with deeper policy knowledge and a greater propensity for action than any other contender.

Although he opposed the Large Retailer Accountability Act, he was a vocal proponent of raising the minimum wage and is the leading councilmember in the fight to decriminalize marijuana. He’s a white guy, but clearly understands the racial implications of the drug war, as well as the need to raise wages.

Wells, more than other candidates, also has a solid environmental record. Among his accomplishments is the implementation of the District’s plastic bag tax, with all revenues going to clean up the Anacostia River. His emphasis on a “walkable, livable” city may have been maligned by the Post and

City on a Hill

by Gavin Bade

A tri-weekly column about D.C. news and politics. about $170,000 on hand on Feb.1, far behind Gray and Bowser who have $560,000 and $791,000, respectively.

Lackluster fundraising is certainly a factor in why Wells remains relatively unknown, but it also indicates he’s not afraid to stand by his principles. Bowser loves to cite the modest ethics reform she shepherded through the Council, but come election time, she was content to be a big-money candidate.

The biggest difference between Bowser and Wells, though, comes in their proposals and rhetoric.

welfare advocate. His proposals for homelessness, affordable housing and jobs show those progressive motivations have only strengthened since he was elected to the Council.

Wells is no perfect candidate.

He’s spent too much time on his now-abandoned “walkable, livable” theme rather than housing, homelessness, or schools. But Gray’s constant evasiveness about the shadow campaign should all but disqualify him, Bowser is an empty shirt, and Councilmember Jack Evans (D-Ward 2) is too separated from the issues affecting residents on the east side of the city. The rest of the candidates all fit similar categories.

At the end of the day, Wells is simply the most ethical and prepared candidate to lead the city. As activist and GreaterGreaterWashington.com blogger Ken Archer put it, “I’m supporting Tommy Wells because he is the only true progressive running for mayor, and that matters now more than ever.”

Be a white guy and still understand implications of drug wars with Gavin at gbade@georgetownvoice.com.

sports

6 the georgetown voice

february 27, 2014

With March looming, Hoyas “just got to get wins”

by Joe Pollicino With the regular season soon wrapping up and the commencement of some conference tournaments as early as next week, college basketball fans will soon welcome the beginning of March Madness. The question, however, remains whether the Georgetown men’s basketball team (16-11, 7-8 Big East) will or will not partake in the madness. After yet another week of inconsistent play, including an 82-67 road loss to Seton Hall (14-13, 5-9 Big East) and a 74-52 home win against Xavier (18-9, 8-6 Big East), that question appears far from resolved with three games remaining in the Hoyas’ regular season.

Against Seton Hall this past Thursday, Georgetown struggled right from the tip-off. The Pirates dictated the pace and the tempo early on in the first half, using their hot shooting to jump out to a 37-28 halftime lead they never turned back from. The Hoyas failed to muster much of anything on the offensive end as they shot 42 percent from the field, compared to the Pirates’ 55 percent. With the win, the perennial cellar-dwelling Pirates swept the Hoyas in the regular season for the first time since the 200203 season, an ominous sign for Georgetown fans as the Hoyas did not make the NCAA Tournament that year.

Sophomore guard D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera provided the only bright spot for the Blue and Gray, scoring a team-high 20 points on 8-of-14 shooting while dishing out three assists. Smith-Rivera converted all three of his threepoint attempts as well. In contrast, senior guard Markel Starks could not find his form from the outside, as he went 0-for-3 from three-point range. For the game,

Starks scored 13 points, a total much lower than where the Hoyas need him in order to remain competitive.

Just a little over 36 hours after the deflating loss to Seton Hall, the Hoyas regained their form against Xavier in a wire-towire victory. In an effort to stem the tide of slow starts for the Hoyas at beginning of games, Head Coach John Thompson III inserted junior guard Jabril Trawick into the starting lineup to replace freshman forward Reggie Cameron. The move certainly paid tremendous dividends for the Hoyas, as Trawick scored 13 points on 5-of-8 shooting, distributed four assists, and brought a much-needed defensive intensity to the floor.

“Just when he is on the court, we are a better team,” Thompson said of his decision. “I liked bringing him off the bench because we were getting a fusion off the bench. But we were just getting too many slow starts. We risk not having as much coming off the bench, but it turned out okay today and we are probably going to stick with it.”

After his prior disappointing performance, senior guard Markel Starks rediscovered his shooting touch, scoring a gamehigh 22 points on 7-of-14 shooting. Starks, who was named to Big East Weekly Honor Roll for his play, also handed out four assists while only turning the ball over once. During the contest, the Hoyas only had three turnovers, their lowest total of the season.

“I think we just took great care of the basketball today. I also think our attention to detail was there,” Starks said. “We’ve missed that at times through the year, but it was a joy to play today. If we can sustain that effort and level of competitiveness ev-

JOSHUA RAFTIS

Men’s basketball needs to beat Marquette to keep their postseason hopes alive.

ery day, then we are going to do big things.”

After a disappointing past few games, the Georgetown frontcourt unit provided much-needed production on both ends of the floor. Senior forward Nate Lubick scored nine points and pulled down a game-high nine rebounds, junior forward Mikael Hopkins added eight points, and senior forward Aaron Bowen contributed seven points. Senior center Moses Ayegba also produced four points and three rebounds, before a second-half ankle injury

limited him to only 16 minutes of playing times. “[The frontcourt] had constant effort and they were a presence on the defensive end—on the boards, blocking shots. If our frontcourt shows up, we usually play well as a group,” Thompson said.

The Hoyas’ hope to bring the same effort into their next game on Thursday night, when they travel to face Marquette (16-11, 8-6 Big East) at 9:00 p.m. The Blue and Gray will look to avenge their earlier loss to the Golden Eagles, who defeated them 80-72 at Ver-

izon Center on Jan. 20. While Thompson and his players say they only approach one game at a time, they realize that the Blue and Gray’s closing stretch will determine their postseason fate, both for seeding in the Big East Tournament and most importantly, the NCAA Tournament.

“Is this the time of the year you start picking your head up and looking around and saying, ‘Where do we stand?’ Yes,” Thompson said prior to the Xavier game. “But we know we’ve just got to get wins.”

the sports sermon

“If there’s a Lord of the Flies remake. I want in” - Roy Hibbert via Twitter

by Chris Almeida The Big East, the old Big East, was the first league I ever loved.

Though, in this league, the Hoyas sometimes struggled through tough seasons lined with ranked conference opponents, there was never a shortage of excitement.

Weeks rarely went by without an opportunity for a big win, and thus, a season-changing moment.

Things fell apart last year when the league was dismantled in the name of football and media deals.

Teams were looking to jump ship, and made plans to depart to the Big Ten and the Atlantic Coast Conference. The Hoyas, along with the other schools in the Big East without Football Bowl Subdivision football teams, split from their old conference, which was struggling to find replacements for Syracuse, Pittsburgh, Notre Dame, Rutgers, and Louisville, to form a new league which would retain the Big East name as well as the conference tournament at Madison Square Garden.

The conference became a ten team league with the regular season consisting of home and away matchups between every team.

There is little debate that even with the additions of Creighton and Xavier (two of the newcomers, the third being Butler), who are sitting first and third, respectively, in the conference, as well as the resurgence of Villanova, the conference is weaker than it once was. Say what you may about it having the fourth best Ratings Percentage Index in the country. When you go from watching what was, objectively, the best conference in basketball to seeing

what has turned out to be a supercharged mid-major league, it is a disappointment.

The Hoyas’ strength of schedule has managed to stay away from taking a major hit, but it is now clear that prestige of opponent is only half of what makes a game exciting. Of course, Kansas and Michigan State are some of the superpowers of the basketball world, but the emotional investment that existed within the old conference doesn’t come to the surface in random non-conference matchups.

There was always something different about when UConn made the trip to town, or when a big game with Notre Dame or Louisville loomed on the schedule. No matter how bad things got in the old Big East, the chance for redemption was always just around the corner.

Of course, our brightly-clad friends from upstate New York have to be mentioned. The Orange, who spent the past few weeks atop both national polls, have been in the news about the “new best rivalry in college basketball,” a reference to their two heated and closely contested games with Duke this year.

Games against Syracuse were different from the rest.

In grade school, I turned down plans with friends, skipped rehearsals, and made every preparation necessary in order to see the Hoyas face their perpetually strong nemesis. The pregame hype at the Phonebooth before Syracuse games gave me chills. I felt crushed after losses and euphoric after wins. That’s the way that college basketball is supposed to feel. Rivalries don’t come overnight because two good teams play each other and ESPN promotes

the game: they are built on tradition.

There is little tradition in the new Big East, and as a result, very little reason to be excited. The Hoyas have every game on national television, but on Fox Sports 1, the ugly stepchild of the sports world, a channel with subpar commentating teams that has delayed a Hoya game to show practice NASCAR laps. You read that right.

A spot on “national television” and the occasional big-name opponent can’t compensate for the extermination of rivalries. This year is particularly disheartening because the conference shift has lined up with the worst Georgetown season in recent memory.

I’ve seen Duke and North Carolina, and even UVA, a school with a non-existent basketball tradition, snap up our opponents, and with the help of a completely objective ESPN, monopolize the national spotlight while the struggling and now Fox-sponsored Hoyas quietly shrink into irrelevance. And, like a scorned lover, I can’t help but hate everybody that is drawing happiness from the source of my pain.

We did get the raw end of the deal, and now all we can hope for is that the Hoyas, hopefully sooner rather than later, play themselves to a level of relevance that cannot be ignored.

If we have seen anything from what has happened to the Big East, the ACC, and the AAC, it’s that all of the people who are really concerned about the basketball world are powerless to control its landscape. The men calling the shots couldn’t care less about entertainment or nostalgia or tradition. They don’t care that you care.

And that’s a damn shame.

sports

georgetownvoice.com

the georgetown voice 7

Women’s basketball down but not out Lax gears up for Big East

by Maxim Borowitz The Georgetown University women’s basketball team (9-19, 3-13 Big East) lost to Big East rival Villanova (20-6, 10-5 Big East) in a tightly contested matchup on Sunday, falling to the Wildcats 65-52.

Villanova started strong with excellent performances from the perimeter, and would bank on strong outside shooting to lead them to victory. Center Emily Leer and forward Lauren Buford combined to sink 12 of the team’s 13 three-pointers, each shooting 50 percent from downtown.

Despite their struggles defending the perimeter against the Wildcats, the Hoyas managed to stay competitive by taking the ball inside. Natalie Butler, riding a strong season, added 12 points and 13 rebounds for Georgetown, causing matchup problems for Villanova throughout the game. Forward Andrea White added 16 points and nine rebounds herself. White led the

Hoyas in scoring, while Butler had her twenty-first double-double of the season, an impressive mark for any player, let alone a freshman.

Coming out of the halftime break, Villanova started strong, although Georgetown eventually began to stymie their assault. The Hoyas would then go on a run to cut the Wildcats’ lead to only two points. The experienced Wildcats had an answer at every turn, nonetheless, going on an impressive run that led to a 13-point victory that belied the competitiveness of the game.

Despite the numerous disappointments and setbacks that this year’s team has brought, Head Coach Jim Lewis was optimistic about both the team’s recent performances and its ability to grow moving forward.

“I wouldn’t say we weren’t playing well,” Lewis said. He would go on to say that his team is “playing much better now,” and the effort to become better as a collective team “has been a process” that has seen the players

learn the “ability to really grow as a team” along with discovering how to “learn and respect differences” among different players.

Despite strong play at the beginning of the season, the Georgetown women struggled to win as the season continued. The Hoyas found themselves unable to beat many of their Big East rivals, repeatedly playing intense and competitive games that went into overtime. The strong performances that the Hoyas were able to put together against Big East rivals were still encouraging. In regards to his team’s struggles at the beginning of the conference schedule, Lewis was nothing if not positive, saying, “We had a lot of very competitive and close losses.”

Despite the struggles, Lewis believes that the team has become much better as a unit. “We have grown into a real team of sisterhood,” Lewis said, even if the Hoyas’ recent performances, particularly within the Big East, do not clearly reflect a team that has made a large improvement.

Beyond his praise of his team’s ability to improve on all fronts, Lewis seems most excited to finish out the season on a strong note. “The season’s not over,” Lewis said, as he was clearly anticipating the final home game of the season, expected by many to be a sellout. That game will be played on March 1 in McDonough against Big East rival Providence.

The Georgetown men’s lacrosse team (2-1, Big East 0-0) is preparing itself for conference play in two weeks against St. Johns (2-0, Big East 0-0). The team looks to, at the very least, equal last year’s semifinal showing in the Big East playoffs, but faces a conference that appears to be very competitive.

In his second year as head coach, Kevin Warne does not have to face the challenge he had last year of implementing his personal brand on the program. He said, “Now that players are getting used to the staff, and understand what the standards are,” the team as a whole is more cohesive. This collective understanding in the team is essential to the next few weeks, where Warne says, “We’ll find out a lot more about ourselves.” The rest of the Big East is also now well aware of the Hoyas’ style of play, a change from last year where Warne’s system was shrouded in mystery until the beginning of the season.

The team has had some turnover from the 2013 season, most notably the replacement of all three defensive starters from last year. The chemistry of the team has become one of unity. “No one really cares about the credit, they

just want to win games,” Warne said. There is also a spirit of not putting pressure on individual players to carry the team, ensuring that no one is forced to always step up.

Even with this unity, Coach Warner still says “this team will go where [graduate student] Tyler Knorr and [redshirt junior] Jake Healy take us.” Knorr, a captain, was a second-team All-Big East Selection last year, and Healy had several strong performances in the net to close out last year.

What their performances provide is stability, ensuring that there is not too much reliance on any specific individual on the team.

Ultimately, this year will be a battle for the Hoyas because of the depth and strength of the Big East. Two big fixtures to look out for are the nationally televised games against Loyola (2-1, 0-0 Big East) on March 19, and against Denver (4-2, 0-0 Big East) on March 26. The latter team is new to the Big East, but will be Georgetown’s first real test in the conference, as it was ranked the preseason number one, and has been to the last two NCAA tournament semifinals.

The Hoyas’ next home game is against Harvard (1-1, 0-0 Ivy) on March 8 on Multi-Sport field at noon.

great game shouldn’t end in such an awful way. We’ll give Vitale the benefit of the doubt on his second point: no one wanted to see such an incredible matchup end so abruptly and ungracefully. But the idea that Tony Greene should have adjusted the way he was refereeing because of the situation is ludicrous. Boeheim was closer to half court than he was to the coaching box, was waving his finger in Greene’s face, and was cursing every third word.

First half or second half, exhibition game or NCAA title game, Boeheim’s antics warranted an automatic ejection.

When asked for his opinion on Boeheim’s actions, Duke Head Coach Mike Krzyzewski answered, “I applaud him. We are both pretty old and still care.” This response had me thinking: would Boeheim have been criticized for not coming to the aid of Fair, whom he believed had avoided the offensive foul? In other words, did Jim Boeheim have

to react the way he did? In this situation, the answer again is no. If a Syracuse player had been punched in the face, attacked by a fan, or had something happen to them that wasn’t a realistic part of the game, I would want to see Boeheim out there fighting for his players’ livelihood. But a disputed offensive foul call with the game’s result still in doubt? Boeheim needed to show more self-control.

By the end of the regular season, Boeheim’s outburst will be a distant memory. More likely than not, Syracuse will still earn a number one seed in this year’s NCAA Tournament and compete for a national championship. That being said, Jim Boeheim’s actions cost his team the chance to win a marquee game Saturday night. And for that reason, in this situation, he cannot be defended.

Share your input with Brendan at bcrowley@georgetownvoice.com

by Sourabh Bhat

AMBIKA AHUJA

Women’s hoops, despite their struggles, is headed in the right direction.

Livin’ la vie Boehim

At this point, you’ve probably seen the video. After a controversial call in the final seconds of a men’s college basketball game between Syracuse and Duke, Syracuse Head Coach Jim Boeheim became unhinged, almost ripping off his coat while he berated official Tony Greene with a series of not-so-discreet expletives. As the “conversation” turned increasingly sour, Greene issued a double technical foul on Boeheim, ejecting him from the game, much to the Duke crowd’s delight and his own team’s dismay.

The question that media pundits have asked is whether Boeheim’s actions, now a viral YouTube video, were justified.

First, let’s address the actual play that set Boeheim off. With just 15 seconds to play and Syracuse trailing by two points, Syracuse star forward C.J. Fair drove baseline

and was met by Duke forward Rodney Hood, who attempted to take a charge. At first glance, Hood seems to be in perfect position. However, upon closer examination, some late movement by Hood suggests that C.J. Fair should have been going to the line for two shots. Basically, the video tells a different story every time you watch it. Tony Greene had to make a 50/50 judgment call, and he decided that Hood had position.

End of story.

Back to Boeheim: should he have reacted the way he did? The simple answer is no, because, unequivocally, the double technical issued on Boeheim cost his team a chance to win the game. In a world where Boeheim had stayed in control, Duke would have likely been put on the free throw line with a chance to extend their lead to four points, at best. Instead, the double technical gave Duke four

free throws (two per technical) and possession of the ball. Duke guard Quinn Cook hit three of four at the charity stripe, and then teammate Tyler Thornton made one of two, extending the lead to six and putting the game out of reach.

Logic aside, a counter-argu-

Rise and Fire

by Brendan Crowley

A bi-weekly column about sports

ment exists. The camp of college basketball fans, known for their preservation of the unwritten rules of basketball, leaped to Boeheim’s defense. Among them was Dick Vitale, ESPN’s color commentator for Saturday night’s game, who wasted no time in defending Boeheim’s actions on-air. Vitale lamented Greene’s decision to give Boeheim any technical fouls, saying that he had a right to react in such a controversial situation and that such a

feature

8 the georgetown voice

february 27, 2014

NON-HEARING STUDENTS HAVE ADAPTED TO LIFE AT GEORGETOWN—BUT WHAT COMES NEXT?

By CAITRIONA PAGNI “My first two weeks here freshman year were horrible. I cried every night because that was the first time I had to be in the hearing world 24/7.”

Heather Artinian (COL ‘15) is a Justice and Peace Major. She is a student, an activist, a friend, and a daughter. She’s also deaf, and these memories are her first on the Hilltop.

After Artinian’s initial struggle to adjust to college life as well as the hearing world, she ultimately found a home at Georgetown. “There was one point when I was just sitting in the common room, and people were talking … about football. I was wearing a New York Jets T-shirt … and someone said to me, ‘Oh, you’re a Jets fan? You’ve been really quiet.’ and I was like, ‘I’m Deaf, so I can’t really hear much’ and he said, ‘That’s no problem, my name is Scott.’”

Other non-hearing students relate to Artinian’s arduous search for a community at Georgetown. “It was easy for me to make friends here, but it was very hard to keep friends because it is hard to understand them,” said Nia Lazarus (COL’16). “For me, I had to make sure my friends were the type of people who cared enough to learn how to sign for me. I don’t want to read lips all day long. It’s not ideal.”

Lazarus, along with a growing group of hearing and non-hearing students, has set out to make Georgetown inclusive of Deaf culture. Last spring Lazarus co-founded GU Signs, Georgetown’s only American Sign Language club, which became a SAC-funded group at the end of the 20122013 academic year. The group organizes trips to Gallaudet University, the only culturally Deaf university in the world, and sign language lessons, and participates in Deaf cultural events, such as ASL poetry slams at Busboys and Poets in order to raise awareness of Deaf culture among Georgetown students.

“I would like to see more interest in the Deaf community and knowing that it is a community and not just a disability,” said Molly Smith (COL ‘17), GU Signs’ freshman representative.

••• Within the deaf community, the word ‘deaf’ can take on a number of meanings.

When referring to hearing loss alone, deaf remains lower case. “Deaf” with a capital “D” or “Deaf culture” refers to the common experience of a self-defined linguistic minority with a unique history and language.

Although GU Signs is the only student group at Georgetown that specifically promotes Deaf culture, Georgetown has found

other avenues to engage Deaf culture. Last fall, Visiting Professor Sylvia Onder, who teaches Turkish Studies in the Department of Arab and Islamic Studies and the Department of Anthropology, taught a class called “Culture and Identities” in collaboration with Gallaudet University. 20 Georgetown students and 17 Gallaudet students enrolled in the class, and, as a part of the curriculum, students were required to take a field trip to Gallaudet and participate in group video discussions with Gallaudet students.

Deaf culture has also made its way into the arts at Georgetown. In October of 2011 the University put on “Visible Impact,” a play featuring a mixed cast of hearing and non-hearing students from Georgetown and Gallaudet. The play was conceived and directed by Professor Susan Lynskey and dramatized the social issues facing the Deaf community and the

“ my

first

the notable and extensive research contributions made by Georgetown University to our knowledge of sign language history and of Deaf communities,” Supalla wrote in an email to the Voice.

••• Beyond exploring different aspects of Deaf culture in faculty research, Georgetown provides several resources and services to support the academic pursuits of its Deaf students as well as students with other forms of hearing loss. In their academic work, Deaf students and students with hearing loss rely on the Academic Resource Center to reserve interpreters for classes and events and to make exam accommodations. The process is often inefficient, however.

“Georgetown does their best to make accommodations for students like me.

Whenever I ask for interpreters I get them,

two

weeks

here freshman year were horrible .

i

cried

every

night because that was the first time i had to be in the hearing world intersection of biology, language, and culture in creating Deaf identity.

“Both Deaf and hearing students created a bilingual diversely-able, cross culturally democratic space, aesthetic, and model for theatrical and civic practice.

They equally shared the responsibilities, challenges, and successes in transforming ‘translation’ into ‘access’,” Lysnkey wrote in an email to the Voice.

In addition, as recently as Feb. 14 of this year, Georgetown’s Center for Brain Plasticity and Recovery and the Sign Language Research lab hosted a lecture series on sign language research. Dr. Theodore Supalla of the Department of Neurology, who conducts research on the linguistic properties of ASL, delivered the introductory address entirely in sign language.

“This kind of activity is the first of its kind for Georgetown. The series aims to publicly highlight, strengthen and expand

24/7.”

but sometimes it’s hard because there will be a last-minute event and I have to let the ARC know in advance,” Lazarus said.

Anne Riordan, advisor for disability and learning skills at the ARC, agrees and explains that these complications often emerge because the ARC works with two external interpreting agencies and, due to high demand, students must submit a request at least four weeks in advance in order to secure an interpreter at a class or event.

Artinian claims that some departments show reluctance to provide for interpreters because no central funding scheme exists to pay for them. “We have no disability center. If I ask for interpreters, it’s through the Academic Resource Center, and it’s a battle, not necessarily with the ARC, but with the departments here because it is all about money,” Artinian said.

“The system we have has been a bit bureaucratic, a bit clunky, and we need

to improve it,” Vice President of Student Affairs Todd Olson said.

According to Riordan, in the near future the University plans to increase the number of accessible events on campus by introducing a streamlined process for reserving interpreters for events.

“One of the things I am hoping to try and implement with some of the partners here on campus is having standard language so everybody is required to have language-regarding accommodations on their fliers,” Riordan said.

In addition to issues of accessibility and inclusivity, culturally Deaf students and students with hearing loss have also expressed frustration that Georgetown does not offer ASL courses on campus.

Georgetown students interested in taking ASL must do so through the Consortium of Universities in the Washington Metropolitan Area. Membership in the Consortium allows Georgetown and other member universities, such as George Washington University, American University, and Gallaudet, to share access to library resources, conduct collaborative research, and cross-register for classes not offered at Georgetown. In the past, students have used the consortium to take a variety of classes including Modern Irish, Interior Design and Caribbean Literature.

However, the University does not financially compensate students for their travel expenses commuting to and from Consortium classes.

While students who choose to take classes at other universities through the consortium face challenges of scheduling and transportation, University faculty and administrators feel that the benefits of offering credit for ASL classes at partner universities such as Gallaudet and George Washington University outweigh these costs.

“We could start up an ASL language class here on campus, but we’ve got a consortium university right across town that’s actually a specialist, where you can get all kinds of classes in ASL all different levels and so forth,” Onder said.

“Georgetown takes language instruction seriously; when we offer a language, we want to make sure that we have the resources to offer the language at a quality, level of intensity, and duration consistent with other language offerings on campus.” Associate Dean Sue Lorenson wrote in an email to the Voice. “For this reason, and due to limited resources, our focus must be on languages which have a clear curricular connection to academic departments and programs. ASL does not meet that criterion.”

georgetownvoice.com “It’s something I definitely hope for, but greater awareness for the Deaf community here, connecting with the Deaf community here, having a real teacher of ASL to come— these things take time,” said Timothy Loh (SFS ‘16), co-president of GU Signs. “I don’t know if that’s something we [GU Signs] can really bring about.”

Emma Lance (COL ‘16), who took ASL classes at Gallaudet in the summer and fall of 2013, was unable to register for an ASL class at Gallaudet this semester because the course had no available spots for consortium students.

“Gallaudet needs to give priority to their students first during registration, understandably. This means that I don’t find out if I have a spot in an ASL class there until two days before their classes start,” Lance said. “I’ve gotten to meet some wonderful people because I took classes through the consortium, as well as learn a lot about Deaf culture. However, I think the process of going through the consortium office can seem arduous to some.”

For Lazarus, the lack of ASL classes on campus reflects larger issues facing Deaf students at Georgetown. “We have enough recognition of religious differences, race, sexual orientation, different cultures that we have. We need to have more recognition of the disability culture. We need some sort of recognition of all of us as a whole,” said Lazarus, who identifies as both culturally Deaf and disabled.

Many Deaf people consider themselves a linguistic minority, however, and do not identify as disabled. Artinian, who was born deaf, but received a cochlear implant when she was young, identifies with both the hearing and the Deaf communities and

feature advocates to bridge the gap between the two. “Everyone should have the right to choose if they want to be in the Deaf community or if they want to be in the hearing community. I choose to be in both.”

“I actually see myself in the mainstream community. I know that I am obviously a member of the Deaf community because of what I was born with, but my whole life has been an effort to be a member in mainstream community,” said Benjamin Reiser (COL’17), who was born with hearing loss and chose to receive a cochlear implant.

The struggle of Deaf students for visibility and accessibility extends throughout the entire disabled community at Georgetown. “We need to just be better,” said Robin Morey, vice president of campus facilities and operations.

Since Morey’s appointment last year, he has set out to change Georgetown’s culture into one of accessibility. As a part of this effort, all the pathways in the Southwest Quad have been repaved, and a student focus group has been created to bring attention to areas of the campus that need to be more accessible. Additionally, construction of the Northeast Triangle and the Healy Family Student Center has been tailored to be conscious of accessibility.

This spring, a working group will begin discussions about establishing a disability cultural center and increasing awareness of the disabled community on campus. “We have made some good starts on some of these issues. … The place where we have some growing to do is in the the public policies and structures,” Todd Olson added.

Disability activists on campus hope that, if established, a disability cultural center will make disabled students a vis-

ible campus community. “The disability community has not received institutional recognition,” said Lydia Brown (COL’15), disability rights activist and author of the blog Autistic Hoya. “There is so much opportunity for Georgetown to be a pioneer, to be a leader in actually putting diversity into action and yet the administration has consistently failed to put forward any plan to create a disability cultural center.”

Brown said that she has approached President John DeGioia on several occasions about establishing a disability cultural center. DeGioia’s office failed to respond to multiple emails sent over the course of a month asking for a response to this claim.

“It [a disabily cultural center] will bring voice to the disabled people on campus because right now we really don’t have anyone we can go to. I love Georgetown. They have been great to me. But there is always room for improvement,” Artinian said.

Olson acknowledges that, oftentimes, disability issues have been overlooked. “I think, frankly, we have done better with other diversity inclusion issues than we have with disability issues so far.”

Only three universities in the United States have disability centers. Among this group is the Syracuse University Disability Cultural Center, which opened in the fall of 2011. As the center has evolved over the past three years, it has taken on a variety of roles at Syracuse, including event planning, advocacy, networking, and collaboration with campus partners to create an accessible campus culture.

According to Diane Wiener, director of the Syracuse University Disability Cultural Center, the center has played an integral

the georgetown voice 9 role in fostering the development of disability culture at Syracuse.

“Yes, it could have happened that this [disability culture] would have happened anyway on it’s own. … Simultaneously, I also think it has to do with the way the center was set up and who peoples the center, and it has to do with the students, most of all, who foment change on the campus,” Wiener said.

Even though the Syracuse Disability Cultural Center has become instrumental in fostering Syracuse’s disability culture, this change came about largely because of student activism.

While groups such as GU Signs have seen growth since its establishment last spring, progress will take a collaborative effort across all communities on campus.

“If Georgetown is really going to be open to all kinds of diversity, they have to think about how many students does it take to make a group. Part of what’s developed is hearing students who are interested in ASL are participating in this group,” Onder said.

At Georgetown, other institutions focusing on diversity, such as the LGBTQ Resource Center, came about because student activism called University administrators into action. “We’ve really found over time to work toward the most vocal concern of students that’s out there,” Olson said.

With the establishment of a disability cultural center, students such as Lazarus hope to achieve the one thing that has eluded them at Georgetown—a voice.

“Right now we just need a disability center. We can incorporate everyone. We need some sort of recognition of all of us as a whole.”

PHOTOS BY JOSHUA RAFTIS

leisure

10 the georgetown voice

february 27, 2014

Nomadic Theatre’s pool (no water) quenches creative thirst

by Emilia Brahm In the posh living room of a townhouse on 37th Street, an insistent bass shakes the alcohol stained cups littered on the floor and resonates up to the colonial crown molding. Drinks and drugs in hand, six artists are devolving into debauchery—and it looks like a hell of a lot of fun.

“The Group,” as they call themselves, is performing Nomadic Theater’s production of pool (no water). “The Group” is comprised of Emma Clark (SFS ’13), Nicholas Phalen (SFS ’16), Ben Prout (COL ’15), Grayson Ullman (COL ’16), Shannon Walsh

(COL ’15) and Amanda Weise (COL ’16).

The play is an intimate show—only 11 audience members can view it at once—performed exclusively in a townhouse. Producer Jack Cassou said of the setting, “Unlike in a traditional theater, we couldn’t use elaborate lighting instruments and beautifully crafted moving set pieces to take you from one world to the next.”

Through “interactive performance,” pool (no water) succeeds in bringing you deeper into this world by focusing on the parts of human nature we rarely choose to showcase.

“The other girls just wouldn’t accept that I was the Rachel Green of the group.”

The importance of being cultured

As an SFS student, I pride myself on my perceived cultural sensitivity and awareness. Having grown up in a multicultural household, I was always the one who brought “weird” food for lunch that my friends looked at curiously.

But those lunches were only Italian and actually not all that different from the American diet.

I’ve come to realize that just having an intimate knowledge of European culture does not transfer to understanding all of the many other traditions that exist.

My first time eating at Yechon, a Korean and Japanese restaurant in Virginia, was quite an experience. I grew up in northern New England, raised by two very European parents. Sure, I frequented the local Thai food kitchen, but I was not exposed to the East Asian cuisine very often.

The salmon at Yechon was excellent, cooked to the perfect

degree. But it was served with fresh ginger, a combination I had never experienced before.

Used to small doses of ginger in desserts like apple pie and gingerbread cookies, the combination was shocking in my mouth.

I was wary at first. The unique flavor reminded me of perfume, an idea which repulsed when I was eating. But once I got used to the sweetness, I was able to appreciate its combination with the salmon much better. In fact, by the end of the meal, I was wishing for more.

I began to think more closely about the other aspects of my meal. The waitresses who served us, all of whom were highly attentive and unintrusive, were very different from typical waitresses I’d had in the past.

These waitresses barely spoke to us, and didn’t overplay the chattiness, as is usually the

But lets get back to the party.

Diving into drugs and art offer potent distraction from the life of artists in New York in the midst of the AIDS epidemic, fierce artistic jealousy, and friendship troubles. When “The Group” goes on a binge, just a foot away from you, stripping and gyrating while knocking back drinks and doing lines of cocaine, they kiss and caress indiscriminately. But the actors seduce you, too, with the promise of “feeling alive.”

They say, “humans, let’s human each other.”

On stage, even under the natural interior lighting, the character’s flaws are magnified. They

DAYANA MORALES GOMEZ

case in classic American restaurants. By force of habit, I expect that servers will make lots of forced, friendly conversation. In truth, this new service was a sigh of relief.

Although I am sure there are aspects of Yechon that have inevitably been Americanized, to the outsider’s eye it all seemed

Eating Out

by Sabrina Kayser A bi-weekly column about food very authentic. Even my friend from Korea who brought us to the place called it real Korean food. Such high praise was good enough for me.

Most of us in the SFS, and probably Georgetown in general, have both a deep and long-held interest in the rest of the world.

I have thought of myself as culturally aware and knowledgeable both in the realms of history and current world politics.

recount their journey to the titular pool in sunny California, visiting the one member of their cadre that became a success.

The flow of the dialogue and group cohesion is magical. Such concordance is no surprise, given the original format of the piece: Mark Ravenhill wrote it as a “non-demarcated stream of consciousness that could be delivered and articulated by any number of people,” in the words of Director Hannah Hauer-King (COL ’14).

Hauer-King decided to present six characters. Upon choosing the cast, Hauer-King set about shaping the character ’s identities and delegating lines.

Each character is masterfully carved out of Ravenhill’s clay: all of them are convincing and unique.

On the whole, the acting is smooth and well crafted, but Amanda Weise (COL ’16) stands out for her inimitable zeal. Exceptionally believable currents of emotion and fervor drive her every blink, pose, and gulp of whiskey.

Once in California, “The Group” resents the successful, better version of themselves. They call the artist that hit it big “absent.” “None of us was meant to be wealthy!” they shout.

Maybe my understanding was much more limited than I had previously thought. This experience made me uncomfortable, not by virtue of the different cultural practices that I was attempting to understand, but because of my own ignorance.

Of course, my fellow diners and the lovely servers were not to blame because the problem was not external: rather, it was an internal discomfort caused by a feeling of failing myself. I was not as worldly as I had thought.

It was a delicious meal notwithstanding my lack of cultural background, and after wobbling out of the restaurant with wellformed food babies, we visited the Korean bakery next door. It had a huge array of traditional sweets, notably genuine Italian gelato. I didn’t understand the combination.

The shelves were full of Korean flaky pastries filled with tropical jams, but the signs on the walls advertised caramel

The successful artist says, “When I think of the suffering. …

I want to rush back and make art.”

But, she has her pool, her gallery openings, her personal trainer and her sexy pool boy. She has absented herself from the ugly—at least on the surface.

Because “The Group” can’t do the same, they are fraught with frustration and jealousy.

They only can feel “good again when she is weak.” The southern California art goddess must fall off her pedestal and crack—quite literally— for “The Group” to bear her success. In fact, a tragedy comes to pass to their popular hostess.

“The Group” goes on to show how they take out their jealousy on the victim of the tragedy in the most reprehensible act they have ever committed.

All the actors excel at an unabashed portrayal of the dirty side of human nature. “If [only] we could forget,” says one member of the group, we wouldn’t need the drugs, the sex, the alcohol, or even the art to drown out the parts of ourselves that we don’t want to face.

There is no easy path to redemption offered by pool (no water). But the play offers a much better morning after than a night of blackout drinking.

macchiatos and croissants. Apparently these pastries weren’t even completely authentic.

I was a little disappointed that it wasn’t a purely traditional bakery, but then I realized Koreans are also feeling the effects of globalization, and that I shouldn’t constrain such a bakery solely to “traditional” sweets.

This was a Korean bakery in America. I didn’t know how to appreciate that. My whole experience in the restaurant next door had taught me that I, a European American, could love Korean barbeque. I guess I should have seen it coming that Korean Americans would surely love gelato.

There’s a learning curve for my insensitive Western palate, but my first new goal is to finally learn to use chopsticks respectably. Maybe I should have enrolled in the School of Foreign Sustenance.

Get cultured with Sabrina at skayser@georgetown.edu

georgetownvoice.com

Roofer’s Union is a total knockout

by Micaela Beltran I learned two things after eating at Roofer’s Union Restaurant. One: I really like restaurants with big, arresting windows. Two: This place’s brussels sprouts need a P.R. agent because they are seriously delicious.

Located in Adams Morgan, Roofer’s Union has a fittingly quirky feel.

When you walk up the stairs into the restaurant, the room opens up with a clean but rustic interior design. Roofers’ uniforms hanging in the back of the room play with the name of the restaurant, though Daniel Lobsenz, the general manager, says that the name has no significant meaning.

The head chef, Marjorie Meek, also the head chef of Ripple in Cleveland Park, wants Roofers’ Union to dis-

the georgetown voice 11

“Overall, it just smells like the color brown.” — Tangled

play her unusual take on American food using a more relaxed setting.

The jovial main menu is divided up into five sections: Snacks, Stuffed, Stacked, Simple, and Sweet. English nerds, take note of the alliteration.

After some recommendations from our server, we ordered the fried brussels, trotter arancini, fried chicken thigh sandwich with a side of sweet potato fries, and chicken sausage in a pretzel roll. For dessert, we had a sundae with pretzel crumbs.

The fried brussels were easily the best thing on the table. The lemon and honey glaze was a perfect compliment. The trotter arancini covered in a garlic aioli came in at a close second. Both of these can be found in the appetizers section (Snacks) on the menu. Both ‘Snacks’ had that ad-

Ambika Ahuja

Our bar selection will help you get over your visceral reaction to our prices.

dictive allure only food that’s slightly crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside can exude. What set the fried brussels apart, though, was their balance of delicious sensations of tart, savory, and sweet.

Our brussels sprouts and arancini served as a good segway into our more carb-heavy main courses. Even the pretzel roll and homemade potato chips did not disappoint—this place is a dream for carb lovers.

All of the food was flavorful and deliciously seasoned. Certain dishes’ seasoning was occasionally overpowering; the Chicken Sausage, for example, was a bit salty—but even that I gobbled up happily.

The meal ended with a sundae with pretzel crumbs. In this luscious finale, saltiness was welcome and much enjoyed. It was a satisfying finish to a delicious meal.

The tavern influence serves as the menu’s anchor, while head chef Meek succeeds in fusing homely, everyday ingredients like chicken thighs and sweetbreads with her elevated gastronomical vision.

Whether you go for the “Snacks,” the “Stuffed,” or the “Stacked,” you can count on a belly full of carbs and a mouth full of satisfaction. It’s surely a match made in heaven.

Roofers Union 2446 18th Street NW roofersuniondc.com

Battle of the Voices

D.C. competition brings talented vocalists to Georgetown

by Jackson Sinnenberg Forget the glitzy, over-popularized reality TV shows like The Voice and American Idol. This Friday, Feb. 28, Washington college students are leading the initiative to claim back the singing competition in the name of community-building and supporting local music.

Georgetown will host the first ever D.C.-area collegiate singing competition, Battle of the Voices.

The event was created from a partnership between Georgetown’s Black Student Alliance and Grammy U, a Recording Academy program aimed at supporting university artists.

Enushé Khan (MSB ‘17) will represent Georgetown. The other contestants will be making their way in from the University of Maryland, Trinity College, Howard University, and George Washington University.

The musical and personal backgrounds of the competitors run the spectrum—one participant hails in from Dubai while another is in the process of establishing herself as a professional artist. What does not differ is the strength of their voices.

From Whitney Houston-style belting to India.Arie smoothness, these women represent a fine collection of vocal techniques and styles.

Judging the competition will be a panel of music professionals along with Miss District of Columbia, Bindhu Pamarthi. Among the big industry names are Grammy-nominated producer Chucky Thompson, notable for his work with Notorious B.I.G. and Mary J. Blige, and up-and-coming R&B artist Carolyn Malachi. Each contestant will perform one song before the panel.

While the focus of the event is the competition of the five young ladies, the true purpose of Battle of the Voices is still to build and celebrate community through the use of music. The night will have much more than just the competition. There will be performances by the Duke Ellington School Youth Choir, group song performances, and presentations on local music.

This competition, while primarily a way to showcase the talents of the five competitors, also serves as a celebration of the artistic D.C. collegiate community.

The proceeds of the event will go to the Duke Ellington School of Arts, hopefully supporting the District’s next generation of musical artists.

Gaston Hall Feb. 28, 8 p.m. $10

Photographs guide an Unintended Journey

by Elizabeth Tucker The world is a delicate place.

No matter how hard we try to manipulate its resources to our own advantage, there are short but potent moments that remind us of nature’s unconquerable power and might. In these times of utter destruction and despair, we become conscious of our own fleeting existence and insignificant size in this powerful planet.

“Unintended Journeys” is a photographic exhibit in the Museum of Natural History seeking to explore humanity’s fragile yet intrinsic relationship with the environment. The exhibit highlights five recent natural disasters in Bangladesh, New Orleans, Haiti, Japan, and East Africa.

Through compelling photographs, the exhibit demonstrates the often awesome yet terrifying power of nature in relation to humanity’s vulnerability and ultimate dependence on its surroundings.

Building off of the concept that visual media influences how society views and reacts to global events, “Unintended Journeys” hopes to help viewers interact with photos in a more objective way, promoting persons from victims to humans in order for visitors to better understand mankind’s challenges and successes.

The exhibit begins with a disaster close to home: Hurricane Katrina. This hurricane displaced one and a half million people. Although it provides some textual information about the implications of the hurricane, the visual moments captured on film make the disaster come alive. The photo of a wooden coffin lying in the middle of a grey deserted highway instills in the viewer a sense of loneliness and helplessness. The adjacent photo of residents waiting amid debris and bleak sky on the side of the road for evacuation aid further illustrate the chaos and hopelessness that unexpected natural disasters create in

communities. These photos remind us of our powerlessness to the ways of the world.

The exhibit switches its attention to the flooding in Bangladesh.

The photo of five people carrying jugs above their heads while quietly wading in an endless sea of murky water extending to all corners of the frame emphasizes our smallness in this vast world.

“Unintended Journeys” goes on to explore the implications of the tsunami on Japanese society. It then travels to East Africa, looking at themes of violence and desperation in relation to desertification.

The exhibit becomes especially powerful in its representation of the earthquake in Haiti. In the shadows of dark buildings, among trash and debris, walks a couple, hand-inhand, illuminated by a bright fire in the background. The life of the fire in contrast to the tiny couple teaches us that not only are we not invincible, but that the world and environment

“We’re following the leader wherever he may go.” have a mind of their own. We cannot tame them despite how hard we try.

Although “Unintended Journeys” captures moments of destruction and agony, the exhibit ultimately instills hope.

One of the images of Haiti shows a multitude of people with their hands raised high; their faces bowed in fervent prayer. The forming of community grounded in faith shows that despite nature’s destructive power, society can over-

museum of natural history

come struggles through tenacity and togetherness.

The natural disasters caught on film illustrate the dangers of becoming too confident in our own abilities. A brief reminder of our powerlessness as people in the world just might help us change our relationship within it.

Unintended Journeys National History Museum Feb. 7, 2014 – Aug. 13, 2014

leisure

12 the georgetown voice

february 27, 2014

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

Beck, Morning Phase, Capitol Records On its first track, “Cycle,” Beck’s new album Morning Phase begins like its namesake part of the day: very slowly, but then all at once. A gentle orchestra holds two notes, which evolve into a full, moving chord that fades to nothing as the next track begins. This ebb and flow between epic and subdued are major musical motifs of the record. This solidifies Beck’s position as one of the industry’s pre-eminent pioneers of indie music.

The album is lined with lavish orchestral arrangements, courtesy of Beck’s father, composer David Campbell, an established artist in his own right. As a musical giant, he has worked in film scoring and pop music with artists like Justin Timberlake, Paul McCartney, and Beyonce.

Beck uses the orchestral arrangements in their pure and unadulterated forms, allowing the natural beauty of the symphonic sound to shine through.

A prime example of this occurs on the track “Waves.” The song contains nothing besides the orchestra and Beck’s voice, which resonates over the gorgeous accompaniment. The composition plays with conventional chordal structures, at times dissonant, yet never unpleasant. Toward the middle of the song, the melody crescendos as Beck repeats “Isolation,” which becomes a mantra as chords crash over the listener.

But for the majority of Morning Phase, Campbell’s works serve as a mere canvas for Beck to paint on, using his personal instrumental talent to build additional melodies and add myriad voices to the melodic framework of the album. Indeed, in some of the songs, the orchestral instrumentations fall into the background and slip past our consciousness.

The final track “Waking Light” displays this fusion, exhibiting Beck’s ability to create grand compositions with a wide variety of seemingly insignificant parts. The track begins with a synthesizer and piano duet, as Beck croons “Waking light, it grew from the shadow/Brace yourself.”

Don’t cry over neutral milk

I need some fresh air and a break.

I’m run down and I can’t keep going on like this. It’s not my schoolwork that’s got me feeling overwhelmed, though. It’s my choice in music.

A friend and I were talking the other day about our tendency to listen only to sad music. This friend had just introduced me to Neutral Milk Hotel’s heart-wrenching album In the Aeroplane Over the Sea. It takes the listener on a scary ride through a land rich in fantasy imagery that pulls at the heart strings.

Apparently some of the songs are influenced by Anne Frank’s story and her death in the Holocaust.

“And I know they buried her with others / Her sister and mother and five-hundred families,” from the track “Oh Comely.”

Although Neutral Milk Hotel gets made fun of and stereotyped as whiny and melodramatic, I think that when you really pay attention to their cryptic storytelling and wailing instrumental melodies, you see

how terribly melancholy it can be.

My friend’s and my penchant for such tragedy in our favorite songs got us thinking about why we bother listening to sad music at all. It makes our taste in music an easy target for other people to pick on at best and leaves us feeling downtrodden and overwhelmed at worst. Have I pigeonholed myself into liking music that can produce only sadness?

There is no easy answer to this question. It’s always perplexed me why humans have a fascination in producing sad art forms, found throughout history in everything from Shakespearean poetry to contemporary movies.

The clearest explanation is the cathartic power of sad art. For both the artist and the audience, sad art creates a way to let negative emotions out. Even when something isn’t directly relatable, there’s power in letting empathy wash over you and experiencing that emotion internally for yourself.

The drums then enter with a slow beat, ornamented with simple bell hits. They are soon joined by simple distorted vocal harmonies, as the orchestra re-enters the scene. All of a sudden, we have an expansive and full sound that emerges from nothing. As soon as the track hits its finale, it ends, in a fiery guitar solo, with a spark of distorted noise. A fitting end to a gloriously smooth album.

Voice’s Choices: “Morning,” “Waking Light” —Daniel Varghese

St. Vincent, St. Vincent, Loma Vista / Rebublic Records Watching videos of Annie Clark, better known as, St. Vincent, move her fingers up and down the frets of Many believe that the etymology of “tragedy” comes from the Greek, meaning “goat song.” Theory holds that driving a goat out into the wilderness to atone for a town’s sins accompanied performances of tragic plays: a literal scapegoat. People have been letting their emotions and fears out with art for thousands of years. Perhaps it’s the image we have of the tragic artist trope—that

Deadbeats

by Ryan Greene A bi-weekly column about music good art can only be born from pain.

Nothing is more potent than music in creating empathy in the listener. Books are read, movies are watched, but music is experienced.

At concerts, the audience dances and sings along because they know the songs so well that they have become a part of their own life.

Only some people, however, listen to music this way. A lot of people look for fun or a sense of humor in

her guitar so effortlessly, almost transiently, gives me chills.

Truly one of the best female guitar players I have seen, Clark began topping out the Billboard charts in as early as the release of her sophomore album, Actor, in 2011. While sounding unique has become quite difficult in the ever-expanding alternative rock scene, Clark manages to produce hypnotizingly original music in every single one of her albums.

St.Vincent, the artist’s newest record, is certainly no exception to this trend. With songs like “Birth in Reverse,” and “Digital Witness,” Clark displays a clear and emotional message about the modern, technological era of lost sentimentality and maintains her characteristically uncategorizable sound with with anti-harmonic guitar riffs and just the right amount of distortion.

Self-titling one’s album is a move that often represents an artist’s confidence. It is a shift towards the defining sound. I found this record to be the perfect way to distinguish her extraterrestrial vibes and rhythms. It shows the range of Clark’s incredible guitar skills and her improvement as an artist that has already made a statement in the indie rock arena.

St. Vincent reflects Clark’s experience in putting together records that their favorite artists. Even I’ll admit that it’s undeniably heartwarming when an entire party of my best friends sings along to folk classic “Wagon Wheel,” but I would never listen to it on my own time. Some people revel in feel-good music.

I think I need more of that in my life. I yearn to put on some easy pop music or funk jams, but I find myself stuck listening to the same old sad subgenres. I’ve come a long way over the past several years in testing new types of music. I will never refuse to listen to a song or album that a friend recommends. But rarely do I like something that isn’t melancholic. I’m ready for something new.

I wish people on the other side of the spectrum, however, were as open to change as I am. When I try to share music with people, they often react with hostility. I realize a lot of the stuff I like isn’t peppy ear candy, but that’s the point. It’s supposed to challenge the way you feel. It should be difficult to stomach. It’s only after getting into artists like this that their vibes and stories start to make sense.

can keep the listeners on the edge of their seats with a contrasting sequence of slower and more fast paced tracks. In “Rattlesnake,” the synthheavy track is simple until, without warning, the listener is reminded what St. Vincent is all about.

The album moves forward with this sound, though there is the occasional interruption by tracks like “Prince Johnny,” which really highlights Clark’s sultry, captivating vocals and transports the listener into a different universe.

There’s a lot of merit in St. Vincent’s dedication to sounding different and her ability to develop music that is unlike any other. Sure, the songs are weird, but it can’t be denied that Clark’s work is a testament to creativity and originality.

St. Vincent’s each and every note is poignant and memorable. After the second or third play, you’ll begin to hear every unique aspect of Clark’s sound and soon find yourself utterly obsessed. One of the musical highlights of my year, St. Vincent really leaves a mark on the alternative rock world. Clark is saintly, indeed.

Voice’s Choices: “Prince Johnny”, “Digital Witness” —Shalina Chatlani It can be incredible to discover that a song you love is a true story.

The best example of this is Brand New’s “Limousine (MS Rebridge)” from The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me. The song portrays a real-life limousine crash that happened on Long Island, New York in 2005. The limousine driver and the seven-yearold flower girl at a wedding were killed by a drunk driver.

In “Limousine,” Brand New touch on everything from religion to whether the drunk driver deserves forgiveness.

Heavy stuff, I know, but it leaves me feeling tuned in to life’s preciousness. I think other people should try to find something similar in music.

Neglecting to do so means missing out on the best of the world’s most emotionally-intense artform. Now I need to find an artist that’ll leave me feeling tuned in to life’s happy times. Just no country songs. I can’t.

Cry yourself to sleep with Ryan at rgreene@georgetownvoice.com

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— Dylan Cutler

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14 the georgetown voice

february 27, 2014

Moving us toward a more interconnected Georgetown

by Trevor Tezel and Omika Jikaria Our time on the Hilltop has been characterized by a growing rift between the essential components of our community. Students have become increasingly divided, administrators have become increasingly subservient to outside parties and neglectful of the student body they exist to serve. GUSA exists to unite students and advocate on their behalf, drawing from their ideas, to effect change at the administrative level. But when GUSA itself becomes disconnected from its constituents, it has failed in its purpose. Our campaign is aimed at bridging these divides: between students; between students and administrators; and most pressingly, between GUSA and the students it represents.

As a deputy chief of staff for the current GUSA executive, Trevor has a strong record of connecting student groups with the administrative resources they need to accomplish their goals. GUSA need not be a bureaucratic middleman between students and administrators— rather, it directly serves students

by bringing together student experts and advocates and the administrators who can serve their purposes.

We have drawn criticism over the last two weeks for our 26-page platform. Its length is entirely due to our drive to truly represent students, and in it we hold ourselves to a concrete timeline. We approached hundreds of student leaders from all over campus, among them cultural groups, athletic teams, arts organizations, and unrecognized clubs. Their expertise formed the bulk of our platform. We are confident that our platform can be accomplished through deep and intentional collaboration with the student groups who helped write it.

Among the many student experts we consulted, cultural groups face a particularly deep disconnect from the administration. Their work to create social change at Georgetown—notably, #BBGU and related Twitter campaigns, the donation of Rangila funds to international charities, and the recent East Coast Asian American Student Union Conference—is admira-

ble and essential in a campus community struggling to combat deep cultural divides and the silencing of minority voices.

As evidenced by President DeGioia’s recent assertion that he is “not aware of institutional oppression,” the administration is shockingly disconnected from student advocacy.

The Student of Color Alliance is an invaluable funding body, but as an arm of the University-run Center for Multicultural Equity and Access, its advocacy capacity is limited, and it does little to pursue some of the primary administrative policy changes that would strengthen the position of cultural groups.

Our Multicultural Council, designed in collaboration with dozens of campus cultural groups, will fill these needs. One year ago, GUSA executive candidates Shavonnia Corbin-Johnson and Joe Vandegriff and their campaign manager, Neil Noronha, sought to create an institutional student forum that would address problems, foster relationships and friendships, and streamline communication between GUSA and traditionally

neglected cultural groups.

As Noronha developed the idea further in the year after that ticket’s loss, we approached him to provide the resources, labor, and spotlight of an executive campaign that would allow the initiative to gain traction across Georgetown. A dedicated and experienced team consisting of Noronha, Eng Gin Moe, Rodrigo Castellanos, and Adan Gonzalez developed a formal pitch that they presented to each cultural club at the start of 2014.

Though the council is certainly not perfect, the response was overwhelmingly appreciative of the attempt to bring to light conversations that had been swept under the rug.

Primarily, the Multicultural Council provides network access both to the rest of campus and within the diversity community. Campus leaders, representing their groups as well as those of their region, will opt in to participate in workshops that allow them the opportunity to seek co-sponsorships, raise awareness of particular issues they face, and promote their own programming. The coun-

cil’s other central role is to collaborate on and offer strategic policy recommendations to the GUSA executive, thereby giving too-often overlooked student communities a voice in the creation and modification of university policy.

Rather than a showy campaign promise, this initiative is being showcased during the election to bring attention to problems in Georgetown’s multicultural community. No matter the outcome of this election, we will pursue the Multicultural Council in GUSA under the direction and support of the groups it is intended to serve.

Born out of experience in and partnership with cultural groups at Georgetown, the Multicultural Council will be a groundbreaking advocacy and collaboration tool for student groups that are too often silenced. We have made this initiative central to our platform and plan to pursue its implementation from day one. It is just one arm of our streamlined effort to ensure that GUSA truly represents the voices and passions of the student body.

Freedom of speech a core issue for Georgetown’s future

by Ben Weiss and Sam Greco Freedom of speech is a fundamental right. Georgetown’s religious affiliation does not give the University administration the right to curtail speech, period.

We were incensed when we learned that GUPD forced H*yas for Choice out of Healy Circle on Jan. 20. The administration knew that any student group, and any individual for that matter, is entitled to protest and speak freely in Healy Circle.

Students have been entitled to

do so since 1989, when the University and the student body sat down together and hammered out an agreement that finally set Georgetown along a path towards unabridged freedom of speech.

But after years of poor engagement with the University, this fundamental right has languished. We appreciate the Tisa administration’s recent efforts to pressure the administration for a memorandum of understanding and ensuing clarification of free speech at Georgetown. But,

LEILA LEBRETON

Stand your ground against the doorknockers, it’s time for elections.

as we await the administration’s response, we want to make it clear that should the university fail to provide unwavering support for unrestricted speech at Georgetown, we will be prepared to fight.

Indeed, free speech, along with sexual assault reform, is one of the two initiatives for which the GUSA Executive must be prepared to fight. With the relationships we’ve made with university officials and our superior ideas for reforms, we’re the best team for the job.

We have both worked extensively with the university administration in the past and the rapport we’ve developed with these officials uniquely positions us to pressure the university in ways that other tickets couldn’t. We know these people, and, as a result, we will take a collaborative approach for reforms for which other tickets would have to be combative.

Our free speech reforms are two-fold. First, we propose that a Special Representative for Free Speech be added to the GUSA Executive cabinet who can aid any student who feels their rights regarding free speech are being violated. This Represen-

tative will be a student who has extensive experience in fighting for student rights, especially the absolute right to freedom of expression. Furthermore, the Special Representative will act to enforce a universal Free Speech Zone throughout campus.

In order to facilitate the work and speed in which the representative can respond, the representative’s personal contact information will be readily available to all clubs on campus, recognized or otherwise. We understand that these issues sometime require immediate, timely responses, and we look to address that issue with our Special Representative for Free Speech.

This representative will be able to respond to any complaint regarding the violation of the right to free speech on campus and cite official university policy in order to resolve the issue.

Additionally, the representative will be able to contact the proper administrators and authorities if needed. Finally, the representative will be an active advocate for the expansion of the right to free speech on campus so that every student can express their opinion on any topic without the fear of repercussions.

Secondly, we want to allow any student to reserve any room at any time for any event so long as the room was not previously reserved. Moreover, we will centralize this booking system, adding it to our proposed student hub/website Hoyalife.com. In a Ben & Sam administration, the ability to reserve space on campus would be extended beyond clubs to individual students, ensuring the right to free speech anywhere on campus.

Georgetown University must be a place where students, regardless of background or opinion, can voice any idea, any belief, without fear of derision or discrimination.

While Georgetown’s Jesuit traditions and values do occasionally conflict with student interests and initiatives, free speech is an absolute right for everyone, regardless of content. We will work to defend that right.

Free speech is a basic and absolute right for every human being. It’s time GUSA and the university started treating it as one.

A joint opinion article by Zach Singer and Dan Silkman along with Thomas Lloyd and Jimmy Ramirez appears on the Voice website, georgetownvoice.com.

voices

georgetownvoice.com

the georgetown voice 15

The revolution will not be televised: Venezuela’s story

by Juan Daniel Gonçalves Much is happening in my dear country of Venezuela. Mass protests converged nationwide on Feb. 12, our national youth day, when students took out to the streets to criticize the heavy-handed repression of their peers in other parts of the nation. It is quite complicated for someone who does not have ties to the country to understand the many problems we face, but I will try my best to explain the situation.

First of all, there are no guarantees of basic democratic rights in Venezuela. Students are subject to violence from government-sponsored paramilitary groups whenever they go out to protest, despite having a constitutional right to manifest their

concerns. There is also no freedom of speech. The Venezuelan government has created a machinery of hegemonic communication control, forcing media outlets to either shut down or engage in self-censorship at the risk of having their license revoked.

Public media cannot be trusted because it is riddled with disinformation and scapegoating. Just as in the Arab Spring, Twitter has become the tool used by Venezuelan protesters to communicate.

There are also instances of severe human rights violations with protesters being held in jail without trial, some even raped by state security officials while in custody. The existence of political prisoners dates back to the Chavez era. Case in point, under this government’s leadership, Venezuela

Mi arma es mi voz, my voice is my weapon.

LEILA LEBRETON

Arizona bringing back Jim Crow “You can’t sit with us!” Gretchen Wieners screams across the table at Regina George. The veins on Gretchen’s forehead pop out in indignation.

This scene is one of the most iconic from Tina Fey’s Mean Girls, quoted comically to tease friends who deviate from the socially predetermined standard. So why am I referencing it now? Because this temper tantrum is exactly what Arizona’s legislature said business owners across the state can do to its homosexual citizens.

Last week, Arizona’s legislature passed S.B.1062, which grants businesses the right to deny service to anyone if it is based on religious grounds. But the bill was designed

to counteract same-sex marriage rulings that may arise in Arizona in the future, which makes this measure no better than those from the days of Jim Crow Laws.

Jim Crow Laws legally justified racial segregation and the right of businesses to deny or give inferior service to colored people across the nation. Segregation was done in service to society, to God for goodness sake—or so all the “good, pious Christians” said. Decades later, the same excuse is being used in the creation of the new discriminatory bills across the nation.

And just recently, Arizona had a new bill that was little different from a Jim Crow Law with the words “colored people” crossed out and

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has retired from the Inter-American Court of Human Rights.

Additionally, Venezuela has one of the highest inflation rates in the world. Ever since January 2013, there has been 56 percent real inflation and a whopping 200 percent increase in the price of the black market dollar.

Because of stringent capital controls, the black market rate accurately reflects the plummeting purchasing power of the Bolivar, especially since the majority of products consumed are now imported. Chronic food shortages also plague the country’s citizens—national production of edibles is dangerously low because of strict pricing controls and widespread nationalization of industries.

Furthermore, violent crime is commonplace, and so is impunity.

Venezuela has one of the highest murder rates in the world, with NGOs estimating that 24,763 killings occurred in 2013, a homicide rate of 79 people per 100,000 inhabitants. Also, out of every 100 murders, there are only nine arrests. These don’t necessarily translate into convictions.

Bearing the weight of these injustices, the Venezuelan people have taken to the streets to protest for an improved quality of life, citing the historically high prices of oil throughout most of the Chavez-Maduro rule.

So far, the government has promoted a rhetoric of political polarization, appealing to socio-economic differences by demonizing the opposition movement as being “bourgeois, fascist, murderous puppets of the United States of America.” In another example of hateful discourse, the governor of Carabobo state called on Bolivarian citizen militias via Twitter to deliver a “fulminant attack” on opposition protesters. Coincidence or not, Génesis Carmona, a Carabobeña beauty queen who was present at an anti-government rally in her home state, died on the same day from a direct gunshot to the head.

The support bases of Chavez’s legacy are progressively manifesting their discontent with the oppression witnessed in the country. Most importantly, the Bolivarian government is no longer supported by the majority of Venezuelans, the small claim they had towards legitimacy.

The preservation of Chavismo is not a matter of a struggle between the political right and left. Chavismo may have started as an ideology, but it has now devolved into a group of bureaucrats who seek to retain power at all costs. I do not have a fixed political affiliation, yet I still feel saddened for all of my socialist friends who have been betrayed by this government.

replaced with “anyone I don’t like” in the margin.

When I heard about the bill, I imagined my mother choking on her coffee—remembering all the things she’d done for the civil rights movement. I thought of all the times her family was reassigned in Alabama because my reverend grandfather preached equality, all the times they were threatened by the KKK

that hatred and alienation don’t flow from God, but from sin. They showed that you can’t pick and choose Bible verses to justify “religious actions”—you can’t stone your adulterous wife, you can’t execute your teenager for being a smart ass, for God’s sake you can’t alienate your neighbor for being a ginger.

Besides being outdated and cruel, many of these Biblical rules are kept out of our laws because of the separation of church and state. Doesn’t making a group of people second-class citizens count as blurring this line? We could make all these allowances in the name of religion, but we don’t—because it would be immoral, ironically enough.

But according to the Arizona State Senate, you can conjecture about someone’s sexual orientation, or anything in particular, and refuse to serve them, if you can prove it’s for religious reasons. Here’s what they haven’t answered: How will you know if someone is gay or bisexual—by keeping a registry of the state’s homosexual citizens? Would business owners be allowed to presume someone’s sexual orientation,

Carrying On

by Ana Smith A rotating column by senior Voice staffers

members in their congregation, all the tears she’d shed when trying to instill in me the idea that the best way to serve God is to not withhold love from anyone. Honestly, I thought about what all the activists in the civil rights movement were thinking about with this new Arizona bill and what it could lead to for another group of oppressed people.

These activists fought to prove that religious beliefs weren’t good enough excuses to abuse people,

Leftism needs a fresh, genuine proponent in Venezuela.

As for now, we cannot lose momentum. Pressure is building up and if we manage to keep on fighting, this government will have to face three options: immediately meet protester demands, leave the country, or wait for some true patriots in the Armed Forces to rise and support the people’s cause. I prefer the second option.

The new Bolivarian aristocracy has already exploited enough of Venezuelans’ trust and should not be given a second chance, while a coup d’etat is always ill-advised because it is inherently undemocratic. Although this government did not rise to power by playing a fair game, a coup would degrade the Opposition to the same level as their oppressors.

As of Feb. 22, 12 Venezuelans opposing the regime have been confirmed dead, murdered by either government-sponsored paramilitary groups, the National Guard, or the National Intelligence Service. Abuse of power always comes in the same color, albeit different ideological hues.

Juan Daniel Gonçalves is a junior in the MSB. To find out more, look for Juan Daniel around campus. He is the tall one, with the charming accent.

or if they’re a divorcee, or deny them service based on race if their excuse seems plausible enough?

In truth, we can respect people’s religious beliefs without allowing them to perform wrongdoings.

And when Governor Jan Brewer (R-Az.) and the United States’ other Christian politicians are trying to pick and choose verses to sneak into Arizona law, I hope they remember that, to Jesus, the most important laws of all were to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and … Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Luckily, Gov. Brewer saw this truth when she vetoed the bill in Arizona on Wednesday, despite the fact that its legislators still voted for it. If politicians in other states do this when the bill arrives in their legislatures, they will see that the only religious option is to vote against it, and business owners will see the beauty in breaking bread with God’s children, great and small.

God’s greatest gift of all was love, not hate. Love lets us grow and prevents us from becoming cold, hard plastic. Without it, you’re just a Mean Girl, Arizona.

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