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NO MORE SUSHI HAPPY HOUR PAGE 4
LADIES CRASH THE DANCE PAGE 6
MICHAEL LEWIS COMES UP SHORT PAGE 10
Georgetown University’s Weekly Newsmagazine Since 1969 w March 18, 2010 w Volume 42, Issue 23 w georgetownvoice.com
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march 18, 2010
comments of the week
Haven’t you heard?
“Let’s secede, brethren! The University should be its own legal community, free from the shackles of Georgetown Neighborhood and its crazy residents.” —If they can do it...“CAG president announces “Save Our Neighborhood” campaign against Georgetown’s 2010 Campus Plan”
“And while they shut down their nuisance, they proceeded to be a nuisance by blocking a main outlet to M Street. Way to go Fenty. You can’t get snow off the ground but you can stop take out pizza.” —Ali “Mayor Fenty applauds local leadership in remarks at the closed Philly
Pizza”
“This is why we can’t have nice things.” —John “Third Eye Blind is playing the Georgetown Spring Kick-Off Concert in April”
“It’s not like I knew there was a university with college students in the neighborhood when I moved here…”
Catch the Hilltop’s latest on
Vox Populi
—Jacob “CAG president announces “Save Our Neighborhood” campaign against Georgetown’s 2010 Campus Plan”
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Voice Crossword “This and That” by Mary Cass and Jaclyn Wright
ACROSS 1. Sparrow or Morgan (abbr.) 5. Practicer of Eastern religion 10. Attempt 14. Flu 15. Perpendicular to a keel 16. Zip
17. Uncool 18. Tiny 19. Spoken 20. Former Louvre entrance fee 22. Tournament success ingredient 24. Formerly Guinea’s currency 26. Take to court
G e o r g e t o w n ’s B l o g O f R e c o r d S i n c e 1969 blog.georgetownvoice.com
27. Chicago’s hrs. 30. They get cut down in April 32. Rice Krispie 37. __ __ mode 38. Utopian 40. Farm measure 41. Keepsake 43. Lottery winnings, maybe (abbr.) 44. Cobwebbed room 45. Computer company 46. Lean 48. The best (abbr.) 49. Workshop in space 52. Find in a dirty magazine 53. Some nouns (abbr.) 54. Tint 56. Dry 58. Bright 63. Plan 67. Tibetan teacher 68. Concur 70. Among 71. Always 72. Machinery’s noise 73. Pleasant 74. Cozy rooms 75. Rocklike 76. Crafts’ complement
answers at georgetownvoice.com DOWN 1. Leg muscle 2. Seaweed substance 3. Shoe brand 4. Adolescents 5. Bothered 6. Computer giant 7. Tidy 8. Hills’ complement 9. German letter topper 10. Winter weather 11. Tropical root 12. Jewish month 13. Hesitate 21. Jaded person 23. Mediterranean par example 25. Things 27. Poker player’s need 28. Smooth 29. Add up 31. Boat movers 33. Consume 34. Something a child might do
35. Sound a bird might make 36. Religious groups 39. South American animal 42. Sick 44. Top level of a house 47. Flower shop 50. Put together 51. Rules for a group 55. Octet 57. Capital of Bangladesh 58. Ran away 59. Wash 60. Prophesy 61. Boat movers 62. Group of three 64. Arabic commander 65. Make money 66. Totals 69. European sea bird
Are you a logophile? Share your love of words and help write crosswords. E-mail crossword@georgetownvoice.com.
editorial
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VOICE the georgetown
Volume 42.23 March 18, 2010 Editor-in-Chief: Jeff Reger Managing Editor: Juliana Brint Publisher: Emily Voigtlander Editor-at-Large: Will Sommer Director of Technology: Alexander Pon Blog Editor: Molly Redden News Editor: Kara Brandeisky Sports Editor: Adam Rosenfeld Feature Editor: Tim Shine Cover Editor: Iris Kim Leisure Editor: Chris Heller Voices Editor: Emma Forster Photo Editor: Hilary Nakasone Design Editors: Richa Goyal, Ishita Kohli Literary Editor: James McGrory Crossword Editor: Cal Lee Contributing Editor: Daniel Cook, Dan Newman Assistant Blog Editors: Hunter Kaplan, Imani Tate Assistant News Editors: J. Galen Weber, Cole Stangler Assistant Sports Editors: Nick Berti, Rob Sapunor Assistant Cover Editor: Jin-ah Yang Assistant Leisure Editors: Brendan Baumgardner, Leigh Finnegan Assistant Photo Editors: Jackson Perry, Shira Saperstein Assistant Design Editors: Robert Duffley, Megan Berard
Associate Editors: Matthew Collins, Lexie Herman Staff Writers:
Jeff Bakkensen, Cyrus Bordbar, Tom Bosco, Aleta Greer, Victor Ho, Kate Imel, Satinder Kaur, Liz Kuebler, Kate Mays, Scott Munro, Katie Norton, Sean Quigley, Justin Hunter Scott, Sam Sweeney, Keenan Timko, Tim Wagner
Staff Photographers:
Keaton Bedell, Max Blodgett, Jue Chen, Matthew Funk, Lexie Herman, Lynn Kirshbaum
Staff Designers:
Marc Fichera, Kelsey McCullough, Dara Morano, Holly Ormseth, Marc Patterson, Miykaelah Sinclair
Copy Chief: Geoffrey Bible
Copy Editors: Aodhan Beirne, Caroline Garity, Keaton Hoffman, Matt Kerwin, Molly Redden
Editorial Board Chair: Eric Pilch Editorial Board:
George D’Angelo, Emma Forster, Molly Redden, Chris Heller, Imani Tate, J. Galen Weber, Dan Newman, Will Sommer, Brendan Baumgardner, Cole Stanger, Juliana Brint
LIGHT UP MY LIFE
Spring for transparency in the District Washington’s local government is theoretically supposed to be open to the public, but corruption scandals and everyday laziness often prevent the District from achieving that goal. The introduction of the Open Government is Good Government Act by Councilmember Muriel Bowser (D-Ward 4) last Tuesday brings the operations of Washington’s local government closer to full transparency. Bowser introduced her legislation to coincide with Sunshine Week, the week from March 14 to March 20 that celebrates access and openness in government across the country. Bowser’s bill relates to open meetings laws in the District. Currently, legislative groups such as the D.C. Council only have to hold open meetings when “official action” occurs. This has come to be interpreted as only applying to meetings where votes are cast, meaning that councilmembers can meet in closed-door sessions to come to agreements on everything that will happen in public—and it’s entirely legal. Bowser’s bill would require all policy-making bodies to open
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On this week’s cover ... Big East Tournament 2010 Cover Photo: Jackson Perry
all of their meetings to the public as long as a quorum is present. It’s good news that Bowser’s bill has gained six co-sponsors in Council, although Georgetown’s councilmember, Jack Evans (DWard 2), has not offered his support. In Georgetown itself, this bill would change the way our Advisory Neighborhood Commission operates. Currently, the commission only meets publicly once a month for votes on resolutions and to hear community comments. However, commissioners can meet privately in “executive” meetings that are closed to the public. As a result, there is little discussion over often-contentious resolutions at the ANC’s public meetings. According to a source familiar with the meetings, these executive meetings are scenes of much more acrimony and debate than the public meetings. Opening them would give Georgetown community members a better understanding of the ANC and a greater opportunity to influence the resolutions it passes. While Bowser’s legislation will improve
meetings, another part of government transparency in Washington—the District of Columbia Freedom of Information Act, is deeply flawed. DC-FOIA is intended to provide all government documents—with privacy and security restrictions—to citizens who request them. DC-FOIA can be a valuable tool for getting information to the public, but Washington has an incredibly restrictive release policy, with some departments refusing to even release their request logs. Although DC-FOIA requests are supposed to be processed within 25 business days, administrators often treat the mandated response time as a joke. Others, like the members of the ANC treat the whole DC-FOIA process as a nuisance, threatening to stop talking with reporters who file the requests. If passed, Bowser’s legislation would be a valuable tool for citizens interested in holding the District’s government accountable. The next step should be the reform of Washington’s powerful, but hamstrung, Freedom of Information laws.
W.W.J.D.?
No love or benefits from Catholic Charities A famous bearded carpenter once said: “So in everything you do, do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” As wise as Bob Villa is, the actual credit for that line belongs to an older, swarthier carpenter—Jesus. Although they claim to follow his teachings, Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Washington certainly appears to be lacking his characteristic compassion. In response to the District’s recent legalization of gay marriage, Catholic Charities will deny benefits to new employees’ families and require all new hires to sign a Catholic loyalty oath. In the lead-up to the passage of D.C.’s gay marriage bill, Catholic Charities tried to derail marriage equality by suggesting that they would be unable to continue to provide services if they were forced to recognize the partners and families of gay employees. Catholic Charities relented once the bill was passed, but their attempt to coerce the D.C. Council—using the
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city’s poor and underserved as bargaining chips—was decidedly unchristian. For years, the Catholic Church has been a strong defender of workers’ rights, ensuring that its employees have a living wage and safe working conditions. Now, Catholic Charities is abandoning that noble tradition, uncharitably and immorally denying benefits to their own workers. In order to continue operating in the District, Catholic Charities decided the partners and families of all of its employees, both gay and straight, should be denied benefits. Even stripping employees of benefits wasn’t enough, though: the organization has also instituted a new policy requiring employees to sign a pledge ensuring that they will not “violate the principles or tenets” of the Catholic Church. Catholic Charities did not have to take this path. In San Francisco, where gay marriage is also legal, the Archdiocese decided to ex-
pand the meaning of domestic partner to anyone designated by the employee as a member of their household, providing a creative loophole that ensures future employees receive coverage. This allows the Church to cling to tradition and avoid recognizing same-sex relationships while simultaneously providing benefits to all of their workers equally. Catholic Charities does much good throughout the District and the neighboring areas, but there’s no escaping the fact that its disappointing behavior throughout the debate over gay marriage was manipulative at best. At countless points, Catholic Charities said it was willing to abandon the poor and needy of the greater Washington area for the enforcement of a minor and incredibly intolerant piece of Church doctrine—a model one can only hope is not repeated elsewhere as gay marriage is legalized in other parts of the country.
SPRING CLEANING
Epicurean: Take food safety seriously You might expect that a restaurant that deals with raw fish and cafeteria-style service would take care to stay sanitary. However, that doesn’t seem to be the case at Georgetown’s own Epicurean. Recently released inspection reports from the District of Columbia Health Regulations and Licensing Administration revealed four “critical violations,” as well as five violations deemed “non-critical.” Although the August report acknowledges that all nine violations were “corrected on site,” the careless nature of the violations is unnerving. Epicurean was cited for storing food inside refrigeration units without a cover, storing eggs in a way that could contaminate sushi, having unclean food contact surfaces, and leaving refrigerated food undated. All of these constitute critical violations according to the D.C. Food Code. Sadly, this poor showing actually constituted an improvement
from the previous inspection, conducted last February, which cited a whopping thirteen critical violations, including inadequate refrigerator temperatures, unlabeled food, and a report of a sushi chef washing his hands without removing his gloves. Epicurean needs to clean up its act. The restaurant is considered a “high-risk” establishment by the HRLA, meaning that there is extensive handling of raw ingredients and advanced preparation of food items. It is highly irresponsible for any eating establishment to consistently use improper storage, preparation, and presentation methods, but it’s especially negligent when the restaurant is a high-risk establishment. While the reduced number of critical violations in the most recent inspection does suggest improvement on Epicurean’s part, the restaurant still lags behind other Georgetown
eateries. Leo’s was found to have only one critical violation, and a very minor one at that. (The bread counter lacked a sneeze guard, but that violation was quickly corrected.) The Tombs had only one critical violation, and only one violation was found at the Corp’s three on-campus establishments. Considering that campus walls are still decked with instructions of proper hand washing techniques in the wake of last year’s Norovirus outbreak, it’s a travesty that Epicurean remains so nonchalant about the health of its customers. We’ve seen how quickly a food-borne illness can spread through a community living in such close quarters, and one would hope Georgetown’s eating establishments learned something from last year. Epicurean, it seems, has not. Until they can prove they’ve cleaned up their act it might just be better—and safer—to stay away.
news
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march 18, 2010
Health inspections yield violations Local assaulter convicted by Matthew Kerwin Seven popular Georgetown eating establishments received critical health code violations in 2009, according to health inspection reports obtained by the Voice. Of the violators, Epicurean and Company was the most egregious, with a total of 17 critical violations identified. A February 2009 inspection report cited Epicurean for 13 critical and seven non-critical violations. The inspector observed raw and partially cooked food stored above vegetables and cooked food, hot and cold foods held at improper temperatures, and a sushi chef handling raw fish with bare hands. Despite these violations, Epicurean remained open because employees were able to immediately correct all but four of the violations. The threshold for immediate closure is six criti-
cal violations that cannot be corrected while the inspector is present. When Epicurean was inspected again in August 2009, the restaurant received four critical violations and five non-critical violations. Some of the critical violations were of the same type observed in February, such as eggs being stored above sushi and food lacking labels with eat-by dates. All of the violations were corrected at the time of the inspection. The manager of Epicurean could not be reached for comment. The other restaurants whose health inspection reports the Voice obtained had far fewer critical violations during 2009. Cosi received three critical violations in August, while The Tombs, Leo’s, Tuscany Cafe, and Midnight Mug all received one critical violation. Not all of the critical violations
Jackson Perry
Epicurean and Company was cited for improper food storage.
received by other eating establishments were as serious as storing raw food above cooked food. Leo’s critical violation, for example, was due to a lack of a sneeze guard over bread in a self-serve area, while Midnight Mug was cited because an employee was not wearing a hair restraint. D.C. restaurants have five days to correct critical violations. In the reports the Voice obtained, restaurants often corrected violations during the inspection. Non-critical violations, such as failure to post signs about proper hand washing and dirty floors, must be corrected within 45 days. Vicki Griffith, the director of quality assurance for Clyde’s Restaurant Group, which owns the Tombs, explained that The Tombs deals with violations by reexamining training and working closely with the health department. Griffith added that the Tombs welcomes the visits of the inspectors. “Part of [the inspectors’] charge is to enforce the code but also to instruct,” Griffith said. Thanis Hutuyana, a manager at Bangkok Bistro, agreed. “If [the inspectors] come out, and let us know, and it’s going to be better,” Hutuyana said. —Additional reporting by Molly Redden
by Holly Tao Todd M. Thomas, 24, was sentenced to 26 years in prison last Friday after a D.C. Superior Court jury found him guilty of 11 separate crimes, including burglary and assault of Georgetown students. While some local media outlets, including the Washington Post and Saxaspeak, identified Thomas as the “Georgetown Cuddler,” the victims in Thomas’s case were male and Thomas has not been found to be connected to other cases of sexual assault on and near Georgetown’s campus. Thomas was convicted of charges of sexual abuse and assault. Thomas pled not guilty to all charges. Thomas was arrested on August 22, 2008 after a Georgetown student living four blocks away from campus awoke in the living room of his residence to find Thomas caressing his shoulders. After the student yelled, Thomas left the residence but later reentered it. A second Georgetown student at a different residence awoke and called 911 when Thomas caressed his calves. The Metropolitan Police Department arrested Thomas in a vehicle two blocks away from the incident.
In two other cases, victims testified that they had awoken to see Thomas sitting on their beds, in another two cases he had fondled the victims’ genitals, and in one case, he had touched the victims’ feet. The crimes Thomas was found guilty of all occurred between July 2007 and August 2008. According to a court memorandum on March 12, one of Thomas’ main defense was an evaluation by Dr. Ronald Koshes, a psychiatrist hired by the defense authority, concluding that Thomas is “not dangerous, nor is he a sexual predator.” In a letter to the court, Koshes wrote that Thomas was a “victim of malt liquor.” Thomas testified that “when he drank, he felt more relaxed … and he obsessed less about others would think.” However, the prosecution, lead by U.S. Attorney Ronald Machen, Jr., rejected this argument, noting in a Memorandum in Aid of Sentencing, that none of the victims had reported that Thomas was intoxicated when he assaulted them, and that “alcohol in and of itself does not cause a person to unlawfully enter a stranger’s home and try to force them to engage in sexual conduct.”
Catholic Charities changes benefits after gay marriage legalization by Cole Stangler Catholic Charities in the District of Columbia has enacted two significant employment policy changes in response to the District’s recent legalization of same-sex marriage. New employees will no longer be able to receive health benefits for their spouses and will be required to pledge that they will not violate the tenets of the Catholic Church. Although new employees will not be able to provide health benefits to their spouses, they will still be covered under the new policy and be able to provide benefits to their children. According to Catholic Charities spokesperson Eric Salmi, the less than 10 percent of Catholic Charities’ 850 employees in the District who currently take advantage of spousal health benefits will continue receiving those benefits. In addition to the change in spousal benefits, Catholic Charities added language to its hiring letter requiring all new employees to promise “not to violate the
principles or tenets of the Church,” though Salmi said that this policy is not a direct response to the samesex marriage legislation. Catholic Charities and the Archdiocese of Washington both testified before D.C. City Council prior to the same-sex marriage legislation’s passage, outlining their opposition and expressing their concern that the bill might limit their ability to continue to provide social services in the District. “We had three goals,” Salmi said. “One was to stay true to Catholic teaching, the second one was to stay in compliance with D.C. law and thereby keep this excellent partnership with them, and the third was to continue to work in a community with the 16,000 people we served last year. We looked at a wide range of options and decided this was the best way forward for us.” Gay rights organizations, like the Gay and Lesbian Activists Alliance of Washington, however, are not satisfied with the policy change. “This decision by the Archdio-
cese, and it really is the Archdiocese that’s really calling the shots here, it’s cold and heartless and arrogant and shows a continued willful denial of reality and it’s unnecessary,” GLAA Vice President for Political Affairs Rick Rosendall said. According to Salmi, the policy change was necessary in order to continue to maintain the organization’s founding principles. However, Rosendall said that Catholic Charities could have opted for a different approach in order to maintain their religious values while continuing to provide spousal health benefits. Rosendall highlighted benefit plans at Georgetown University and the Archdiocese of San Francisco, in which employees can designate any domestic partner as their recipient of health benefits. Nancy Polikoff, Professor of Law at American University, agreed that Catholic Charities had other options besides eliminating all spousal health benefits. Polikoff also argued that because
federal law does not require samesex partners to be covered, Catholic Charities could have changed their employee benefit plan in order to comply in that manner. “They had the option of reorganizing their employee benefit plan in a way that would’ve been perfectly legal and allowed them to discriminate,” Polikoff said. Catholic Charities’s new hiring clause also raises some legal concerns, because it requires all new employees to abide by the tenets of the Church. Rosendall said that the clause might be subject to discrimination laws because Catholic Charities often operates outside a core religious function when the organization uses public funds to provide social services. Salmi said Catholic Charities does not believe this is an issue. “We don’t discriminate,” Salmi said. “We are an equal opportunity employer. When we’re considering candidates for a position, all we look is their qualifications to carry
out the work.” Polikoff, however, believes that there might be a legal case to be made against the new policy. “I’m sure that if they actually were to refuse to hire somebody who crossed out that paragraph, I’m sure that will get tested in the courts about whether that’s something they can legally do,” Polikoff said. Arthur Spitzer, legal director of ACLU in D.C., said that he was unsure whether his organization would support such a challenge. “The Supreme Court has never said that the fact somebody receives public funds means that they have to pledge or act in a non-discriminatory way. And that’s been an ongoing debate for the last five to six years,” Spitzer said. “It’s a philosophical and legal argument that doesn’t have a clear answer at this point … Somebody might well bring a case, but I can’t say whether the ACLU would support that or not. If somebody wanted us to bring such a case, we would certainly think about it.”
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Still feuding with GUSA, SAC warns clubs of cuts by Kara Brandeisky The Student Activity Commission may decrease allocations to clubs next year, SAC Chair Ethel Amponsah (NHS ‘11) warned in an e-mail sent to SAC-funded groups Tuesday. Amponsah told clubs that the Georgetown University Student Association currently plans to cut SAC’s budget by approximately 15 percent, which will affect club funding unless SAC agrees to all six of GUSA’s advisory board recommendations. While SAC has adopted three of GUSA’s reforms—lump sum funding, an appeals process, and the ability of groups to retain profits—GUSA Senator Colton Malkerson (COL ’13) said SAC has been resistant to holding open votes, redistributing its reserves to clubs, and changing the way SAC commissioners are elected. Since the e-mail went out, club leaders have been considering how proposed cuts may affect their organizations. “My very first reaction [to Amponsah’s e-mail] was, ‘This is like a bad divorce,’” Erwin Knippenberg (SFS ’11), former president of Amnesty International, said. Knippenberg said he has worked with SAC for three years. “It sounds that SAC doesn’t need to make all those reforms, or immediately, it just needs to be a bit more conciliating. A little compromise both ways wouldn’t
hurt, and holding student clubs hostage is shameful on both sides.” In her e-mail, Amponsah wrote that SAC may need to decrease clubs’ standard operating budgets, which would potentially harm groups like the Georgetown University Grilling Society. GUGS President Greg Bohn (COL ’11) said he was not too concerned because GUGS recoups the money in profits and remains fairly self sufficient, but the dispute between GUSA and SAC “creates uncertainty,” since the group sometimes requires start up money at the beginning of the year. Other organizations are considering scaling back programming or paying more out of pocket for events. International Relations Club Chair Michael Karno (SFS ’10) said that if its funding is cut, members may have to pay more to travel to Model UN conferences or SAC may decide to cut the number of trips. College Democrats President Bryan Woll (COL ‘12) said if SAC cuts allocations rather than cutting back on programming, College Democrats leaders will probably pay for events out of their own pockets. “It’s just the wrong way for student groups to operate, and it sends the wrong message that to operate a student group you have to spend your own money,” Woll said. “It’s not fair or sustainable.” Woll said that while College Democrats support GUSA’s six rec-
Support student loan reform As the House nears a crucial vote this week on the controversial healthcare bill, it appears more and more likely that Democrats will bundle influential legislation on student aid reform with the healthcare amendments they are attempting to pass using reconciliation. If passed, the bill would fundamentally change federal student loan programs by ending the practice of federally subsidizing private companies that give loans to students, instead giving federal loans directly to students. Regardless of your views on healthcare reform, every Georgetown student should be pushing to have this legislation included in the reconciliation bill. The reform of the federal student loan system is long overdue and dearly needed for students struggling to pay for college in today’s weak economy. Although the exact language of
the legislation has not yet been determined, it is expected to increase the value of individual Pell Grants, or at least prevent cuts to the program using the money saved by ending subsidies to private lenders. Pell Grants are given by the federal government to students who demonstrate outstanding financial need. This year, Georgetown has started to address its lack of socio-economic diversity by increasing available scholarship money through the 1789 Initiative. Increased federal aid will only boost these efforts. More generous Pell Grants would provide money to students from the poorest backgrounds, students that often choose not attend or apply to Georgetown for financial reasons. The legislation is expected to secure funds for middle class students as well, not just the poorest students. About 55 percent of Georgetown
ommendations—especially lump sum funding and increased accountability—it has had a good relationship with its SAC commissioner this year. Woll said he would like to see the conflict resolved because it unfairly puts students in the middle. “We don’t appreciate being put in this situation,” Woll said. “The burden of the standoff is now on our shoulders.” Knippenberg said SAC’s plan to cut down on funding to clubs seems like political maneuvering to gain sympathy. On the other hand, he said he thinks GUSA is using the GUSA Fund to act as an alternative to SAC, which he does not think is a viable solution either. “My one fear with that is that GUSA seems to be plagued with favoritism and nepotism,” Knippenberg said. “SAC is harsh, but SAC is harsh on everybody … [the GUSA Fund is] a brand new process. I don’t know how fully set up it is.” Amponsah said she is disheartened that the disagreement is affecting student clubs, but that GUSA’s recommendations require more deliberation before they are implemented. Amponsah said making SAC more accountable to student organizations is something SAC wants to look into, but she is unsure about how to create a system where all 87 SAC-funded clubs have a say. According to Amponsah’s estudents receive some form of financial aid, according to Andy Pino, Georgetown’s director of media relations. Much of this assistance comes from the Perkins Loan Program, which is expected to be extended for another year under the proposed legislation. The Perkins Loan program gives funds to participating universities, which then loan the
saxa Politica by J. Galen Weber
A bi-weekly column on campus news and politics money out at a low interest rate. The interest paid on the loans goes into the pool of money that universities can loan out in later years. Georgetown has used the Perkins Loan Program for several years and would benefit from its continuation. The good news for Georgetown students is that many groups on campus have worked to get the legislation passed. Georgetown’s Office of Federal
Jackson Perry
GUSA’s budget maneuvers have led to a standoff with SAC.
mail, SAC recently learned that the new recommendation for its reserve fund balance is $150,000, rather than the old figure of $215,000. Director of Student Programs Erika Cohen-Derr said that both the Office of Student Affairs and the Office of Financial Affairs reevaluate target reserve account balances and occasionally readjust the targets, as they did a few weeks ago. In cutting their Student Activities Fee allocation, the Finance and Appropriations Committee hopes that SAC will use their excess reserves to fund clubs, but SAC is instead considering using the excess funds for capital improvements like increasing student space. But Amponsah said she is “adamant” about the issue of closed votes. She said SAC has received a lot of negative feedback from both the student body and the University about its decisions, and she would not want individual commissioners Relations is working in support of the legislation, which it should be. Assistant Vice President of Federal Relations Scott Fleming (SFS ’72) said that he and his office had been in direct contact with congressmen and aides on the Hill about the bill, and that Georgetown-affiliated associations have written letters in support of the legislation. Although the University itself has not written an official letter in support of the legislation, Fleming said that his office has been advocating for the legislation informally. Georgetown’s College Democrats have also pushed for the reform, calling senators to voice their support for the measure. College Democrats President Bryan Woll (COL ’12) noted that the issue of student aid reform was of special importance to the College Democrats and to Georgetown students. “It’s something that really brings politics home for students,” Woll said. “This is an issue students
to be attacked for their votes. Amponsah said she sees the conflict as a power struggle, and she may “review whether engaging with GUSA is worthwhile.” Malkerson said regardless of what GUSA allocates to SAC, clubs will be guaranteed adequate funding. “If clubs feel as if they are being harmed, that is not the fault of GUSA,” Malkerson said. “That is a decision that SAC commissioners have made… to spend their reserves on something else … If [clubs] can’t get [funding] from SAC, they can get it from the GUSA Fund.” Malkerson said he believes GUSA and SAC will reach a good outcome. “We’re going to get it right,” Malkerson said. SAC will meet with its Finance and Appropriations Committee liaison, Greg Laverriere (COL ’12), on Thursday.
can really relate to and see how legislation on Capitol Hill can have an impact on their lives.” The College Republicans criticized the decision to insert the student aid bill into the reconciliation bill, saying healthcare and student aid should be considered separately. The reality, though, is that neither the student reform bill nor the healthcare bill can reasonably expect to garner the 60 votes needed to avoid a filibuster in the Senate, and reconciliation is the only hope for both bills, which explains why they have been tacked together. Whichever political strategy is employed, every student should support the passage of this reconciliation bill, because all students will benefit from the diversity that comes when students from all backgrounds can afford to attend Georgetown. Want to debate the process with Galen? E-mail him at gweber@george townvoice.com
sports
6 the georgetown voice
march 18, 2010
Hoyas earn five seed in first NCAA berth since ‘93 by Nick Berti In a season full of excitement, the women’s basketball team experienced another thrilling moment on Monday night. This time, though, it was off the court. At the Monday selection show, the Hoyas learned they had received a bid to play in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since the 1992-1993 season. The team has known they would get a spot in the tournament for a while now, due to their impressive resume, but when they found out they were given a five seed and would face 12 seed Marist in Berkley, California on Saturday, they could barely contain their joy. “We’re really in, I was so excited, my heart was pounding, skipping a beat, the whole nine,” junior guard Monica McNutt said. “But we worked really hard, so there’s no doubt in my mind that we deserve it and we’re going to do well.” It was somewhat surprising to see that the Hoyas would be traveling to the West Coast to face a team from New York, when nearby Norfolk, Virginia was another possible destination, but the selection committee has a funny way of doing things “I’m not surprised, I knew we would go out West, for some reason I told my coaches we’re going out West,” Head Coach Williams-Flournoy said. “There was no way they were going to send me back home to Norfolk, Virginia.” Jetlag won’t be as much of an issue as the lack of games the team has played recently. By the time they step onto the
court in California on Saturday, the Hoyas will have played only one game in the last 19 days. Although that rest may be a cause for concern, the squad has stayed focused. “I think just going to the NCAA Tournament and understanding the value and the importance of the NCAA Tournament has been enough to keep them interested,” Williams-Flounoy said. If the prospect of playing in the tournament wasn’t enough to keep the players focused, the coaches have kept them hard at work, correcting some of the mistakes that led to an early exit in the Big East Tournament when they lost a heartbreaker to Rutgers in double overtime. “Our four coaches have a way of keeping us in tip-top shape,” McNutt said. “This week we’re really focusing on ourselves and sharpening up things that we do and getting ready to play this team. We don’t have a choice, we will stay sharp.” The NCAA Tournament will be the culmination of a historic season for the Hoyas. In the beginning of the year, they burst onto the scene with a 16 game winning streak that pushed them into the national rankings for the first time in 17 years. They eventually reached No. 11 and cemented their status as an elite team by beating juggernaut Notre Dame and finishing with a perfect 13-0 record at home. The remarkable campaign was mostly a result of the Hoyas defensive prowess. They had the highest turnover margin (8.32) in the entire country and finished third in steals per game with 13.4.
HILARY NAKASONE
Sweet Sugar: Ta’Shauna Rodgers will be a crucial part of the Hoya’s success.
The Hoyas’ achievements are the product of many different things aligning at the right time. The last two recruiting classes have brought in a lot of young talent and Williams-Flourney’s emphasis on tough defense and fast-paced offense fits the new players’ abilities and attitudes. “We [sophomores] all had this same vision, we all wanted to make it to this day, so I feel like our class really did start new things,” sophomore forward Latia Magee said. The upperclassmen have not always been part of winning teams at Georgetown, and their early frustrations on the Hilltop have
made this season even more meaningful. They have the ability to let their younger teammates know how great an opportunity this is. The Hoyas are going to need contributions from both their old and young players to make a deep run in the tournament. They are in the Memphis region, a group full of teams with talent and experience. Georgetown’s first opponent, Marist, is making their seventh straight trip to March Madness. If the Hoyas can take care of the Red Foxes, they will likely face fourth-seeded Baylor in the next game. The Lady Bears have freshman phenom, center Brittney Griner, who is dominant
in the post and can dunk a ball with ease. A trip to the Sweet 16 would be nice, but with a likely match up against Pat Summit and Tennessee in Memphis, the Hoyas will definitely have their work cut out for them. “When it becomes one and done, it kind of makes things a little bit different,” WilliamsFlournoy said. “You have to play as hard as you can for that one game because the next game is not guaranteed.” The Lady Hoyas look to win their first NCAA Tournament game in seventeen years against Marist on Saturday at 8 p.m. in California.
the Sports Sermon “That’s a bang-bus region.” — CBS Sports commentator Clark Kellogg on the Midwest Region of the 2010 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournement. tickets. The plan was perfect … too perfect. About half an hour outside of Philly, the Amtrak slowly decelerated to a halt nowhere close to an actual stop. The news was not promising: engine trouble. We were told the engineer was working on it, but he didn’t know what the problem was. About 30 minutes later we began to creep forward, eventually regaining full speed. After arriving in Philadelphia, we were told that in the interest of safety, they would be
that the delay would be anywhere from two hours to all night, and Many a wise man has said that we could receive rations in that it’s not about the destinathe third car. My friend and I nodtion, but the journey. Last week, ded in agreement. It was time to I experienced quite the journey make moves. in an attempt to arrive at a celeWe asked if we could exit the brated destination—the Big East train and try to catch a cab as we Championship game at Madison stopped at a tiny station in Edison, Square Garden in New York City. New Jersey. When we stepped out I arrived back on the Hilltop of the train at 7 p.m., we entered a late last Friday night after a long monsoon. After 35 minutes in the week of purely academic actividriving rain trying to grab one of ties in Florida. Upon landing, my the few cabs before the other fifty friends and I kept our phones off or so people on the forsaken platand avoided all posform, we snagged a Pete Rose Central sible contact with taxi with a Georgeanyone set on telling town alumnus and Da bettin’ line us the outcome of his two daughters Dookies Margin the Georgetown vs. to the city. After an Hoyas Marquette semifinal (favorites) hour and 15 min(underdogs) (duh!) matchup. As soon as utes of the slowest Efficiency we arrived back on Work Breaks Bracket pools driving possible, we campus, we ordered arrived at the StubMLB Cocaine Rangers a Wingo’s feast, then Hub ticket office in England No Becks USA huddled around a Times Square. We computer monitor and watched replacing the engine—great. After got the tickets and hopped back in the game on ESPN360.com. four announcements claiming the the taxi, at which time our driver Thankfully, our Hoyas prevailed fix would only take 15-20 more revealed that he did not know in a landslide, continuing their minutes, we finally left the sta- the way to MSG. It was already post-season run. Understanding tion. We were now an hour and 45 9 p.m.—the game’s official start that this was an opportunity not minutes late—so much for a full time—so we bolted out of the taxi to be passed, my friend and I de- dinner, but the night was still not and sprinted along the streets of cided to pull the trigger and get to close to in jeopardy. New York. the Saturday Big East ChampionWe were well on our way We arrived at the arena, comship Game. when the train slowed to a crawl pletely soaked, and just in time to In the matter of 30 minutes, we between Trenton and Newark. hear the final note of the national had booked a train, tickets to the We were told that due to weath- anthem. We made it. The game game, and a bus back. This was er, there was high traffic getting itself was fantastic, and nearly an most definitely going to happen. into the city, causing delays but hour after running through the The following day, we head- not seriously impeding our trip. rain in the city, I was selected to ed to Union Station to catch our After 20 minutes spent covering spell “GEICO” with my body on 1:25 p.m. Amtrak. We were due less than a half-mile, we stopped. the MSG floor during halftime. to arrive at Penn Station at 4:45, Power outages and flooding of In the end, the Hoyas lost. leaving plenty of time to meet the tracks at Newark Airport had Was it a heartbreaking end to the up with my roommate, have a stopped all trains from coming day? Yes, but the journey made it relaxing dinner, and pick up the or leaving the city. The word was all worth it.
by Adam Rosenfeld
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Hoyas named co-champions by Tim Wagner While most of the Georgetown student body travelled home or to exotic vacation destinations last week, the men’s baseball team took its annual trip to Florida for the Rollins College Baseball Week. The tournament was a huge success for the Hoyas, whose overall record of 4-2 earned them the title of cochampions. Georgetown also had five players—junior first baseman Dan Capeless, senior shortstop Tom Elliott, sophomore designated hitter Rand Ravnaas, senior pitcher Tim Adleman, and sophomore starter Will Harris—named to the All-Tournament team. The Hoyas started off the week strong with a 6-3 win against Rollins and a 13-11 victory over Penn, but faltered with consecutive losses to Maine and Penn in the following two games. Georgetown rallied in the final two games, defeating Maine 10-6 and Rollins 8-5. Their 4-2 record was tied with Maine’s for first place. One of the main reasons for the Hoyas’ success in the tournament was strong pitching. Senior Tim Adleman and sophomore Will Harris in particular provided a strong foundation for Georgetown’s victories. Tim Adleman finished the tournament with a stellar earned run average of 1.98 in his 13.2 innings pitched, the best mark among any pitcher that logged more than eight innings in the tournament. In the opener versus Rollins, Adleman pitched 8.2 innings
and allowed only three unearned runs on six hits, with one walk and a pair of strikeouts. In the team’s 10-6 victory over Maine later in the week, Adleman met a little more resistance in five innings pitched, allowing three earned runs on eight hits and striking out three batters. Will Harris followed Adleman’s lead, also winning two games in the tournament. He started in the 13-11 win over Penn and struck out three during a five inning outing. In his
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Big bats drove the Hoyas to victory. next game, he threw 5.2 innings and gave up four runs on seven hits with two strikeouts to defeat Rollins 8-5. This solid pitching performance led to success in other aspects of Georgetown’s game, especially fielding. Coach Pete Wilk previously said that it is important for his pitchers to stay
The tourney before the Tourney When I discovered that Georgetown’s spring break— a vacation I’d be spending at home with my parents as my main social contacts—would coincide with this year’s NCAA conference tournament week, I knew it was inevitable: I would be spending serious time in front of the TV. Instead of watching scantily clad young women on sandy beaches, I was watching Houston’s Aubrey Coleman, wondering what that thing was on his neck, and Arinze Onuaku potentially end Syracuse’s season. I felt as much emotion that a human being possibly can while sitting firmly in one location for an extended period of time—the absurdity of listening to the outrageously over-
dramatic CBS announcer Gus Johnson nearly wet himself as he commentated the final seconds of an already decided Conference USA title game in front of a mostly empty crowd in Tulsa, Oklahoma; the humiliation of my home state Connecticut Huskies throwing in the towel on the first day of the Big East Tournament to an overmatched and untalented team from Jamaica, Queens; the joy of the Hoyas knocking off ‘Cuse and the crushing pain of the team falling in the final to the second-most obnoxious team in our conference. There’s nothing better to combat ennui than reading that ESPN’s Joe Lunardi has somehow updated his bracket predictions for the fourth
ahead of batters so that his team can have success in the field. His team did just that in Florida, finishing the tournament leading in fielding percentage, committing only six errors and carrying a .976 fielding percentage. Georgetown also brought the lumber to match the strong pitching performances. Junior Dan Capeless and senior Tom Elliot led the Hoya offense. Dan Capeless batted .381 all week, with three doubles, one triple, one home run, and six runs batted in. Capeless finished with a slugging percentage of .761 and hit a solo home run in a 10-6 win over Maine on Saturday. He and Elliot led the team in extra-base hits with five apiece. Elliot batted .360 for the week and led the team in RBIs and runs scored with 7 each. He hit a two-run home run in the 6-3 win over Rollins on March 8. Elliot finished the tournament with two doubles, one triple, and two home runs. Sophomore Rand Ravnaas proved to be another notable hitter for the Hoyas, finishing with a batting average of .400 in four games, hitting three doubles and one triple and scoring five runs. In the 13-11 win over Penn, he walked four times while hitting a double, a triple, and scoring three runs. The Hoyas finished second overall in batting with an average of .308. The Hoyas now stand with a record of 8-6 overall. They look to continue their Sunshine State success in a three game series against George Washington that will begin Friday at 3 p.m. at Shirley Povich Field. time in 24 hours. I might not be working hard, but I know that America’s most compulsive bracketelogist is fanatically making calculations by the minute in front of multiple TV screens—and that’s a really entertaining thought. There’s something incredibly appealing about the barrage
Backdoor Cuts by Cole Stangler
a rotating column on sports of college basketball that comes with conference tournament week—perhaps even more so than the first couple rounds of March Madness. Despite the fact that the overwhelming number of games makes it impossible for any functioning member of society to follow
the georgetown voice 7
Georgetown to face Ohio by Tim Shine Last Sunday afternoon, the members of the Georgetown men’s basketball team were as happy to be sitting in Leo’s as they had ever been. That’s because they weren’t there to eat—they were watching the NCAA tournament selection show in the dining hall. Most of the Hoyas were experiencing this excitement for the first time, after last year’s disappointing National Invitation Tournament showing. Georgetown was awarded the third seed in the Midwest Region, setting up an opening round matchup with the 14seed Ohio Bobcats tonight at 7:25 p.m. The Hoyas will look to carry the momentum from their run to the Big East tournament finals into the Big Dance. “We definitely found a rhythm,” sophomore big man Greg Monroe said of the conference tournament. “We found out exactly what we can do and what we have to do to win games in a tournament scenario, on a big stage.” Only two Hoyas have played on college basketball’s biggest stage, juniors Chris Wright and Austin Freeman. They know their teammates are in for a whole new experience. “I just think it makes it that just more competitive,” Wright said of the NCAA tournament. “People are going to lay everything out on the line and people are just going to be really focused and intense. It’s special. A lot of crazy things happen in
what’s happening in all conferences, the massive scramble to earn a spot in the NCAA tournament is almost as important for smaller mid-major teams as actually winning in the tournament itself. Getting your school a spot in a nationally-televised tournament is an accomplishment itself. Just ask the Wofford Terriers, the Robert Morris Colonials, or the Sam Houston State Bearkats. March Madness is cemented in our popular sports lore for all the improbable upsets and the stunning frequency of dramatic finishes. Some people say that this beautiful competition is American to its core, showcasing can-do spirit and the possibility for anybody to win the whole thing. I love March Madness and I love patriotic metaphors even more, but I disagree. What’s infinitely
the NCAA tournament.” Based on their seed, the Hoyas are expected to advance past the Bobcats. Georgetown’s first round opponent, however, is riding a hot streak. Ohio was only the ninth seed in the MidAmerican Conference tournament, but they won four straight games to earn their spot in the Dance. Junior guard Armon Bassett was the key to Ohio’s run. A transfer from Indiana, Bassett averaged 29 points per game in the MAC tournament and has NCAA tournament experience from his time as a Hoosier. If the Hoyas do get past the Bobcats, the most difficult region in the bracket awaits them. To make it to the Final Four, Georgetown could have to face a giant-killing Tennessee squad, Ohio State and likely national player of the year Evan Turner, and the number one overall seed, Kansas. But the road ahead is not of any concern to the Hoyas now. “I looked at it [when the brackets came out] and haven’t thought about it since then,” head coach John Thompson III said. “We’re worried about Ohio.” Thompson’s players echo his sentiment. They’re just happy to get a taste of March Madness, and they aren’t taking anything for granted. “This is the most important game of my life so far,” Monroe said. “I’m very anxious. It’s the biggest stage I’ve ever played on, and I’m ready to get it started.”
more American to me is sitting on my couch, eating food, and flipping the channel repeatedly until it satisfies me. Like any true American, I participated in some serious overconsumption last week. It’s not that I can’t do that again for the real tournament, but conference tournament week has a magic of its own. It’s where the real hardcore fans get their jollies. But all good things have to come to an end. When talking about all that basketball I watched begins to degenerate into something resembling one of Dick Vitale’s rants, I know I’ve gone too far. Luckily, I have classes during the first two days of the NCAA tournament. Take a seat on the couch next to Cole at cstangler@georgetownvoice.com
feature
8 the georgetown voice
march 18, 2010
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Empire State of Mind:
Hoyas do the Wright thing in New York by Tim Shine As the West Virginia Mountaineers celebrated on the court and the strains of “Take Me Home, Country Roads” echoed through the tunnels of Madison Square Garden, the Georgetown Hoyas sat down for a press conference. They did not have much to say. The Hoyas had just lost to the Mountaineers in the Big East Championship finals, in a game that came down to the final seconds. Chris Wright had been just inches away from tying the game as time expired, but his shot fell short and Georgetown’s week in New York ended with a 60-58 defeat. Judging by the funereal at-
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Give us a sign: A small, dedicated group of Hoyas hung out behind the basket all week.
gan. The Hoyas had convinced many people, including the selection committee, that they were a potential Final Four contender. But at that moment, there was no way they could look to the future. “It’s hard to analyze that right now just because I’m extremely disappointed,” Georgetown head coach John Thompson III said. “We’ve got three guys up here with me that are extremely disappointed. We have a locker room back down the hall with a bunch of other guys that are disappointed.” Seated alongside Thompson were Wright, Greg Monroe, and Austin Freeman. Their coach
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Wright and Freeman returned to the Big East tournament finals as veteran leaders. mosphere as they addressed the press, it may have seemed like the Hoyas season had just come to the end. But that couldn’t be further from the truth. If anything, Georgetown’s experience in the Big East tournament was a rebirth. After ending the regular season on something of a slide, losing four of their last six games, the Hoyas vanquished three opponents in three days, and came within a three-pointer of being crowned the best team in what many consider to be the best conference in college basketball. Georgetown’s performance was impressive enough to earn a number three seed in the NCAA Tournament, up from projections as low as six before the conference tournament be-
did not need to point out their disappointment—it was visible in their sullen expressions, in the way they hung their heads in their hands. Earlier in the season this group had said there was no such thing as a moral victory, and they backed up their talk on Saturday night. They had come to New York with one goal: to leave as Big East champions. And they had failed. “Me and Austin, being the leaders of this team, we emphasize that we didn’t come out here to beat Syracuse or to beat one team,” Wright had said after the Hoyas’ quarterfinals upset of the Orange. “We want to win the whole thing.” But even if the Hoyas would not acknowledge any
moral victory, they could not ignore the three actual victories that they earned in the tournament. Georgetown accomplished something in New York. The young Hoyas, many of whom were playing on the biggest stage of their basketball careers, entered the crucible of the Big East tournament, and they thrived. Few had expected Georgetown, the tournament’s eighth seed, to make a deep run in New York. Their season-ending woes, kicked off by a loss to lowly Rutgers, earned the Hoyas with the dreaded inconsistency label— they were talented, but couldn’t be trusted to come to play every game. Well aware of the doubters, this squad entered the postseason with something to prove. “I think this team is playing with a chip on its shoulder,” Wright said during the tournament run. “We’re really coming out and being aggressive and attacking people, because we know what we can do and we know what we’re capable of.” Now people know what the Hoyas are capable of. They’re capable of beating three tough teams in three days. They’re capable of taking down an NCAA tournament number one seed. And not only did Georgetown show its capabilities, it showed it can and will fulfill them. Indeed, the Big East tournament seemed to be the Hoyas’ time to right the wrongs of the regular season and disprove any conclusions that were drawn from previous failures. Their trip to New York turned into a Tarantino-esque tour of revenge—albeit without a Hollywood ending. All four of Georgetown’s opponents had beaten the team earlier in the year, and at least in the case of the first three, the Hoyas emphatically exacted their vengeance. The players quickly admitted that the opportunity for payback gave them some extra motivation. After they earned their berth in the finals, Wright, Monroe, and Freeman—George-
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Ride the Moose: Monroe dominated Marquette to put the Hoyas in the finals. town’s “Big Three”—were asked if revenge was a motivating factor, and they answered quickly, in unison: “Yes.” “For the record, yes,” Monroe reiterated, making sure no one misunderstood what the Hoyas were playing for. The first victim of the firedup Georgetown squad was South Florida, who had dealt the Hoyas an embarrassing home loss in early February. There was no hope for an upset this time around. Georgetown took the lead early and never looked back, winning by a margin of 20 points. The Bulls, however, were little more than a tune-up. Georgetown was the higher seeded team, and USF suffered the disadvantage of playing on one
day’s rest. Twenty-four hours later, the Hoyas would have to play from that same position, against no less a team than Big East regular season champion Syracuse. And the Orange, of course, had already beaten the Hoyas twice. It didn’t help matters that, after the elimination of St. John’s, Syracuse was the closest thing to a home team at the Big East tournament. The color orange was ubiquitous around Madison Square Garden that afternoon. It was unavoidable— an hour before tip-off, the Syracuse band took over the concourse outside Tower A of the arena, creating an impromptu pep rally and an intimidating sight for any Georgetown fans coming to the game.
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All the Wright moves: The junior guard drove through opposing defenses all week.
But it was hardly as if the Hoyas were walking into the Carrier Dome. The all-inclusive set-up of the Big East tournament, and the aura of the Garden, prevent any matchup from becoming like just another home or away game. “It’s crazy,” Freeman said. “It’s a lot of fun just to be playing in the Mecca of basketball, in Madison Square Garden, and in New York.” Especially in the first days of competition, the arena is a mixture of the entire conference, with fans of every school taking in the other games while waiting for their team to play. Even a sizable fan contingent can be overwhelmed by the support of thousands of spectators whose allegiance is up for grabs. And then there is the spectacle that naturally arises from a big-time sporting event in the heart of New York City. The media flocks to the games, the fans who have obtained the limited student section tickets are a little more boisterous, and celebrities, from President Bill Clinton (SFS ’68) to director Spike Lee (a fervent Georgetown supporter), look on from courtside. “If you can’t get excited to play in this building, in this tournament, you should be doing something else,” Thompson said. The Hoyas were certainly excited, but they needed no special motivation against Syracuse. The way their biggest rival had defeated them previously— first mounting a comeback en route to a blowout, and then withstanding a furious Georgetown rally—left the Hoyas with the knowledge that they could outplay the Orange. And in their third attempt, Georgetown did. The Hoyas hung tight with the Orange all game, never lapsing and allowing the kind of run that allowed their previous matchups to get out of hand. Syracuse, however, did stumble, and Georgetown took full advantage, going on an 18-2 run in the middle of the second half that secured the lead and the victory. With a final score of 91-84, the Hoyas clinched their biggest win of the
season. The key to beating the Orange had to be Wright. Considering the competition, the junior guard unquestionably played his best all-around game of the season, scoring 27 points, grabbing six rebounds, and handing out six assists. “He really had a great game,” Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim said. “I thought when he plays like that, that’s when they beat people.” It was no surprise then that Wright was on top of his game for the entire tourney. After being snubbed for every level of All-Big East honors earlier in the week, he earned a well-deserved spot on the All-Tournament team, posting per game averages of 19.3 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 4.8 assists in New York. But the numbers don’t tell the whole story with Wright— the most impressive aspect of his game didn’t show up on the stat sheet. The point guard found the delicate balance between his role as facilitator and scorer. He worked to make his teammates better, but he had the sense to know when he needed to take over and score a crucial basket. As a player whose biggest criticisms had been inconsistency and poor decision-making, Wright’s play was a revelation. By the end of the tournament, the Hoyas could put the ball in
Wright’s hands with the utmost confidence, trusting the junior to make the right play. In the Big East tournament, Georgetown’s most vocal leader only had to lead by example. “I think it was time for me to step up a little bit,” Wright said. “We just needed plays to win the game and I tried to do whatever I could to help us.” Wright’s teammates were no slouches either. The point guard was joined on the AllTournament team by Monroe, who challenged Wright for best Hoya performance of the week in their semifinal beatdown of Marquette. The sophomore big man was a threat for a tripledouble all tourney, and against the Golden Eagles he nearly got one, with 23 points, 13 rebounds, and seven assists. Monroe’s display in Madison Square Garden showed why he is a likely NBA lottery pick, and inspired some to question whether he belonged in the same class as Ewing, Mourning, and the other great Hoya centers of yore. The sophomore was a dominant interior presence at points, but nearly as often he was showing off his highlytouted passing skills. He let the game come to him, and didn’t worry how the nature of his game jelled with his 6-foot-11inch frame. “My nature is to win,” Monroe said. “Hitting the open man, scoring myself—when those opportunities present themselves I’m trying to take advantage of them.” The Hoyas all did what they needed to win. When Freeman’s three-pointers weren’t falling, the junior guard started going inside. Despite throwing up on the sideline in multiple games, junior forward Julian Vaughn persevered to give Georgetown valuable minutes in the frontcourt. Seldom-used freshman Vee Sanford made the most of his time on the court, hitting a teardrop floater to give the Hoyas the
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The agony of defeat: Wright broke down in his teammate’s arms after losing.
the georgetown voice 9 lead for good against Syracuse. Sophomore guard Jason Clark was the Hoya role player who made the biggest splash, averaging 16 points in Georgetown’s three wins, and filling in gaps on offense and defense wherever he was needed. “We call Jason ‘Loose Change,’ because you never think about him,” Thompson said. “But if you keep collecting that loose change all of a sudden it adds up. Jason makes the hustle plays. He usually guards the opposition’s best perimeter player. He’s an underrated offensive player. He does the little things that make teams win.” Of course, Georgetown wasn’t perfect, as the loss to West Virginia made clear. Every Hoya couldn’t be on all the time. Clark only had two points against the Mountaineers, and Vaughn picked up three fouls and fouled out in a span of 20
is—particularly for the coach— but I think they appreciate the effort the guys gave, and we appreciate the support.” The selection committee appreciated Georgetown’s effort in New York as well, rewarding the Hoyas with the number three seed in the Midwest Region. They tip off their tournament tonight at 7:25 p.m. against 14seed Ohio in Providence. With the distance of time, the sting of the last-second loss to West Virginia lessened, and the Hoyas were able to appreciate what they accomplished in the conference tournament. “We found a rhythm,” Monroe said. “We found exactly what we can do and what we have to do to win games in a tournament scenario, and on a big stage.” It may not have been enough to win the Big East, but that rhythm could carry Georgetown
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Orange Crush: Jason “Loose Change” Clark scored a tourney-high 17 against ‘Cuse. seconds. Perhaps most egregiously, the Hoyas got destroyed on the boards, allowing West Virginia 38 rebounds to their 24, including 20 offensive boards. In the end, Georgetown couldn’t stop the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player, Da’Sean Butler. With ten seconds left in the game, the senior forward, guarded by Monroe and Freeman, somehow found his way to the basket and rattled home the winning shot. That left Wright with four seconds to mount a frantic drive down the court, but his desperate shot clanged off the front of the rim. He could do nothing but break down in Clark’s arms as the Big East champion Mountaineers celebrated. Less than 24 hours after that crushing moment, however, the Hoyas were ready to move on. They returned to campus and received heroes’ welcomes in Leo’s, where the team gathered to watch the NCAA tournament selection show. “Everyone out there understands that we did play well in New York,” Thompson said after the show. “We came up short. I think everyone realizes to some disagree how disappointing it
far in the NCAA tournament. The Hoyas all said that they have always had confidence in their team, and in New York they made that confidence evident to everyone else, proving they could compete with the best in the country every night. But the Hoyas did not come into Madison Square Garden as a team fully formed. They grew over the course of those four days, their bonds forged by shared triumphs and failures. The morning after the championship loss, they had already begun to realize what had happened. Clark took to Twitter: “This last week I really realized how much I love my teammates and how much we stay together,” he wrote. By the time Georgetown prepared to leave for the NCAA tournament, the pain and sorrow present Saturday night had apparently faded. And while the Hoyas could not forget the game that got away, they looked back with a hint of fondness. “That week we learned so much about our team, so much about ourselves,” Monroe said. “We accomplished a lot of things in that one week that we couldn’t have over the season.”
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10 the georgetown voice
march 18, 2010
Director Bong Joon-ho on Mother and incest South Korean director Bong Joon-ho has been making criticallylauded films for over a decade, striking international box office gold in 2006 with The Host, the highest grossing South Korean film of all time. His latest movie, Mother, follows one woman’s struggle to prove her mentally-challenged son’s innocence after he is accused of murder. Through a translator, Bong discussed Western cinema, the role of sex in film, and the importance of actors’ input with the Voice’s Mark Stern. In Mother, there’s a very strong Hitchcockian influence in terms of story and style. Are you inspired by Hitchcock, or other classic directors of suspense? I do like Hitchcock quite a bit ... With Mother, I wasn’t trying to be conscious of Hitchcock and his style, but as we were making the movie, I noticed that some elements were very similar to Hitchcock’s films. I watched Psycho quite a few times while working on Mother, and the mother-son relationship there really contributed to the connection between the mother and son in my film. Mother has strong incestuous undertones, but the exact nature of the mother-son relationship is never made explicit. How did you decide where to draw the line between what is shown and what must be inferred? I did want to make the audience guess whether or not the two were crossing the line, but more importantly, I wanted to focus on the fact that both the
mother and the son are incapable of having normal sexual relations. You can divide all the characters in the film into two groups: those who are capable of having sex and the ones who are not. The mother and the son are both incapable ... It’s not that they don’t desire sex; they just aren’t able to have it. Conversely, the murder victim has sex all the time, yet she is forced to do it for a living, as much as she despises it ... and so her sexual relations are not normal, either ... Much is revealed about the characters through their bedroom activities. Although the tone of Mother is extremely dark, there’s a strong element of humor throughout the film. What do you think is the role of comedy in a dramatic film? Having the comical scene break up sad or scary moments [is] as instinctive as putting one foot in front of the other while walking. I also think that unexpected humor makes movies much more realistic. In our daily lives, we all experience that combination of many distinctive feelings coming together at odd times. We may be tempted to giggle at a funeral, or find ourselves incredibly lonely at a party. It’s a phenomenon that I can’t help but include in my films. The performances in Mother are extremely naturalistic. How much freedom do you give your actors to interpret their characters? All actors are unique, and
Under no circumstances should you ever drink The Bong’s water.
IMDB
their styles are all quite different. It’s the job and responsibility of the director to bring them all together and harmonize the different styles. In the case of Mother ... I had complete control over the acting. But in the case of The Host and Memories of Murder, I gave the actors more space.
Did you have Kim Hye-Ja in mind for the role of the mother as you were writing it? Generally, a director writes a script [before working] on casting, but for Mother it was the reverse. That whole role was written for her ... If Kim Hye-ja had refused the role, there would be no film.
How do you feel about the lingering rumors that your film The Host will be remade soon in America? I hear they’re working on it right now, but honestly I don’t have anything to do with it. I won’t know anything about it until everybody else does.
“At least I’ll always have my long, flowing locks to keep me happy ... Oh no. Oh no no no.”
The Guardian
Lewis’s Big Short takes on Wall St. by Sam Sweeney In financial parlance, to short something is to bet that it will fail. If I were to short your grades this semester, for example, I would be gambling that you’ll sleep through one final and bomb the rest. You get a 2.2 and I get a fat check. If, on the other hand, I had shorted the market for subprime mortgage-backed securities a few years ago, a lone visionary betting my money on a seemingly impossible global financial meltdown, today I would be a very wealthy man. I’d also likely be featured in The Big Short, Michael Lewis’s new book on the financial crisis. While Congress and the public spent the past two years hunting for the villains responsible for the collapse, Lewis was looking for its prognosticators. After Wall Street came apart at the seams, there was no shortage of Johnny-comelatelys claiming to have predicted the disaster. The people Lewis profiles are the real thing, though. Not only did they see the impending disaster, but they bet big on it. They shorted the system. Lewis finds an eccentric
bunch, from the one-eyed California fund manager with an Aspergers-fueled obsession for fine print to the rude but brilliant financial analyst convinced the goal of the system is to “fuck the poor” and the Wall Street snake who saw the tidal wave approaching but only wanted to sell flood insurance. Watching the crisis unfold through their eyes certainly has its advantages. Lewis’s guys were the only ones who knew what was going on as Wall Street churned out a mountain of worthless paper, stamped AAA by the rating agencies, that later imploded upon itself in spectacular fashion. What seems so obvious now—that lending $800,000 to a broke grandmother isn’t a good idea, and betting many times that amount against her defaulting is a worse one—was understood by very few as it unfolded. Lewis tells their stories with a fluency and ease that takes the edge off the dry inner-workings of collateralized debt obligations. The downside is that focusing on people who stand to benefit as the world around them crumbles gives us a twisted perspective on the global
financial catastrophe. Reading this book, it’s hard not to await the eventual disaster with a morbid excitement, its widespread devastation distorted by the billions upon billions the protagonists stand to gain. Then there’s the larger issue that all of these characters are, to a certain extent, outsiders on Wall Street. They can explain the how of the crisis, but the why eludes them, and it eludes Lewis too. On one hand, it’s hard to fault him for the narrative. After all, if you imploded the global financial system with a compact incendiary device of your making, you’d be unlikely to rehash your mistakes with a reporter over drinks in the Village too. But greed, stupidity and hubris can only go so far in illuminating the psychology of those who caused this crisis. Some day, perhaps, the Ivy League-educated dolts who crashed the system, took billions from the federal government, and still run the banks today will come clean. Until then, we’re left with these ballsy loners who saw through Wall Street’s bullshit—and called them on it.
georgetownvoice.com
“There’s a Donkey Kong kill screen coming up. ”—The King of Kong
the georgetown voice 11
D.C.’s “other” venues Another overpriced café by Brendan Baumgardner
Even though the first official day of spring isn’t until Saturday, this rash of warm weather we’re experiencing is a sure sign that the season is here. With this uncharacteristic warmth comes a renewed sense of freedom—the icy roads and perilous puddles that kept us trapped on campus are finally a thing of the past. And while the return of Village A rooftop parties is certainly something to celebrate, there is still so much more out there. Why not celebrate our newly rediscovered mobility by rocking out at some of the smaller, often overlooked venues on U St.? One spot worth your time is DC9, a bar near the corner of 9th and U St. NW. This hole in the wall doesn’t boast the cheapest drinks in town, but the surprisingly tasty burgers and fries make up for that just fine. The venue’s real attraction, however, is the music. DC9 regularly books great acts for its tiny upstairs stage, from local regulars Imperial China to Philadelphia shoegazers A Sunny Day in Glasgow. Mix in frequent DJ sets and the weekly Liberation Dance Party, and you’ve got one solid hangout. Should DC9 be too crowded, you can always check out The Velvet Lounge. Located right around the corner on U St., The Velvet Lounge caters to much the same crowd as DC9. It’s a true dive with punk rock sensibilities—wall-to-wall patrons, sticky floors, and an unusual odor. While the Lounge’s many sup-
Fashion tip-off March Madness is finally here. Tonight, as Georgetown squares off against the Ohio University Bobcats in its first game of the tournament, fans in living rooms and common rooms across campus will don their game-day t-shirts and glue themselves to glowing television, hoping for NCAA glory. During the rollercoaster that was the regular season, we witnessed the Hoyas break into the top ten, and then cool down to finish the season at the 22 spot. During these stretches of wins and losses, we’d like
porters praise the grit and grime as authentic, its detractors are just as vocal. Regardless, there is one thing about The Velvet Lounge that everyone can agree is awesome: They’ve booked Wheatus of “Teenage Dirtbag” fame to play in May. If dive bars and rock music aren’t you’re thing, there’s a wonderful alternative only a couple blocks away. Bohemian Caverns is a historic jazz club located at 11th and U St. NW, with a remarkable pedigree. Founded in 1926, some of jazz’s biggest innovators have graced its stage—Cab Calloway, Ella Fitzgerald, and D.C. hero Duke Ellington, to name a few. Though the faux-rock interior may be a little hokey for some, there is no denying the quality of the artists. The prices may be a bit higher (cover can be between twenty and thirty dollars on busy nights), but the quality of the performances are always worth the cost. As far as D.C. venues go, few have a richer history than the Bohemian Caverns. For a concert that balances quality and intimacy, you can’t do much better than these three venues. The Black Cat is a great place, but it would be a shame to spend four years at Georgetown and never check out the littler guys. They support local artists, they are chock full of personality, and they’re typically a whole lot cheaper than the 9:30 Club. So, in celebration of spring and with the burdens of the semester only about to get heavier, why not get out there and try something new?
to think that Hoya Hoops fans continued to wear gray to every game and sport Georgetown apparel around campus to support the team and show school pride through thick and thin. After all, according to a msg. com poll, Georgetown has the best fans in the Big East. While we might not be quite on par with the Cameron Crazies and Krzyzewskiville, we do have the unique advantage of showing our pride through political sports activism (especially you seniors, who remember a certain run to the White House after a certain Elite Eight win). It’s no question that what you wear on game day says
by Leigh Finnegan As a lowly, jobless college student whose parents don’t respond to my weekly pleas for cash as promptly as I’d like them to, the thought of lunch at a Georgetown café makes me think about my starving wallet rather than my grumbling stomach. So in January, when Puro Café opened on Wisconsin Ave. within sight of the not-so-cheap Café Bonaparte, I expected it wouldn’t become my new go-to for a coffee pick-me-up and croissant. And after visiting the Europeaninspired coffee house, my suspicions were confirmed. According to its slogan, Puro Café prides itself on being “Natural. Simple. True.” While the modern, European-style interior certainly isn’t overly complex or intricate, its look is far from organic. The décor is almost entirely a vibrant shade of white, with two red, art-nouveau style crystal chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. The seating consists of low, square chairs, with small square tables of the same height, made from frosted glass perched on rather incongruous hunks of brown wood. While trance plays in the background, a large flatscreen television shows models strutting the runway in the latest European fashions. As a café, one would think the star section of the menu would be the coffee selection. And Puro holds true to its moniker, offering the standard espresso and latte se-
a lot about your level of support for the team. But what goes mostly unnoticed is that what fans wear on non-game days can say a lot about the team itself. A professor of mine once boasted that he could guess the
Suffer for Fashion by Keenan Timko
a bi-weekly column about fashion Georgetown basketball team’s season performance within a couple wins or losses without watching the team play or looking at box scores, but simply by observing how many students sported their Georgetown sweatshirts instead
lections, with the only extraordinary item being the “Nutellino,” a Nutella-infused latte. While the coffee beverages are gratifying and impeccably prepared, one thing stands out as disappointing—perhaps mimicking the teeny tables and tiny chairs, the beverages are tragically small. A $3.25 macchiato is a mere shot of espresso with a small dollop of steamed milk on top, served in a white mug that looked straight out of Munchkin Land. Maintaining its air of simplicity, Puro’s food menu boasts a small but sufficient selection of salads, paninis, flatbreads, and soup. The price, however, seems almost unnatural. The arugula, walnuts, and fig salad was refreshing and satisfying, and the portion size was perfect for lunchtime—for its $10.75 price tag. From the carnivore’s menu, the chicken panini was classic and conventional, but the tenderness of the chicken and delicious sourdough bread brought it far beyond the grilled chicken sandwich you’d find
at any old restaurant. But once again, the sandwich’s taste was soured by its cost, which was upwards of thirteen dollars. Aside from the cringe-worthy prices, the eating experience was hindered by the practical consequences of the restaurant’s minimalist furnishings. The small table could hardly accommodate the trays and glasses of two people. The very low height of the chairs and table made eating uncomfortable. The knee-high tables force anyone taller than five-foot to hunch over uncomfortably and awkwardly try to avoid kneeing the glass off its tree stump. At the end of my meal, once I’d finished my thimbleful of coffee and my dining partner and I had polished off our shared dessert panini (basically a grilled berry sandwich, but surprisingly appetizing), Puro Café had made its mark on my well-being—my taste buds may have been happy, but proved no math for my achy shoulders and depressingly light pockets.
In Georgetown, even our coffee shops have chandeliers.
of those from different schools. The better Georgetown appeared on the court, the more blue and gray appeared on the front lawn. From what I’ve noticed, I cannot say I disagree with him. While it’s a lot easier to pay attention to and support a team when they’re on the rise, the true fans are the ones who will keep their Georgetown shirts on (or off, if you’ve got body paint) regardless of win or loss. Unfortunately, too many students opt to pull on that North Face the morning after a disappointing game. Without getting into an argument over whether it’s valid to still feel allegiance for your home state university or if it’s accept-
PurO CaFÉ
able to keep that sweatshirt from the school you were rejected by in your wardrobe (F.Y.I. There is a great clothing donation receptacle right near Lau for when you’re ready to move on), I think we should at least try to do one thing: for the duration of the tournament, let’s live up to the claim that we bleed blue by wearing gray on game day. Proudly donning Georgetown apparel will be a sign of solidarity for our team in the tourney. At the very least, we can make that professor think that Georgetown basketball hasn’t lost a single game all year. Paint Keenan blue and gray all over at ktimko@georgetownvoice.com
leisure
12 the georgetown voice
Critical Voices
Daughters, Daughters, Head Records
Hydra
Coherence is a trait that most musicians strive for in their songwriting. Rhode Island band Daughters, however, originally took a different approach, seeking instead to create disjointed structures and illogical rhythms. Their debut not-so-full length album, 2003’s Canada Songs, barely reaches longer than ten minutes, which is actually longer than most can endure. Vocalist Alexis Marshall’s shrieks layer in perfect disharmony with a shrill collection of minor seconds courtesy of guitarist Nicholas Sadler, all while a throbbing rhythm section punches out a sorry excuse for a time signature. The band refused to limit itself to this sound, though, and 2006’s Hell Songs made sure Daughters wouldn’t be forgotten in a mere blur of discordance. Marshall
The age of Aziz It’s still pretty early in 2010 to start making bold assertions about any purported albums of the year, so brace yourself for this one: Aziz Ansari has already released the best comedy album of 2010 with Intimate Moments for a Sensual Evening. It’s not only the best of 2010, it’s the best comedy record I’ve heard since Mitch Hedberg’s 2003 classic Mitch All Together. And in case Ansari wasn’t making enough waves with his standup act, his RAAAAAAAANDY rap mixtape, co-produced by TV on the Radio’s David Sitek, is poised to become a ubiquitous dorm-room staple. If you’re confused about the eight “A’s” you see above, don’t
traded in his high pitched howl for a voice best likened to the demonic possession of a drug-binging Elvis Presley, and the band’s musicianship took its first step towards coherence, while still refusing to completely dismiss its signature dissonance. With its latest eponymous release, Daughters has stepped even further out of line from its contemporaries in the grindcore scene. Daughters’s sound is equal parts abrasion and pop sensibility, and for the first time the band seems to understand the benefits of carrying consistent rhythms for longer than a few measures. While this may be bad news for long-time fans, it’s great for obtaining a new audience. Songs like “The Hit” and “The Theatre Goer” reflect the band’s transition toward accessibility, and even demonstrate a degree of radio friendliness. They each carry steady, obliterating rhythms and riffs reminiscent of label mates Harvey Milk and the Melvins-worshipping Big Business, but still push boundaries thanks to the vocal delivery and swelling atmospherics. “The Dead Singer” hums like a four and a half minute revival of The Jesus Lizard with a consistent drone and thumping low end that wouldn’t feel out of place on Liar. “Sweet Geor-
gia Bloom” deconstructs the blues in a way that would make Robert Johnson turn over in his grave, augmented by Marshall’s rockabilly croon. But the most remarkable part of this album is delivered in “Our Queens” and “The Unattractive, Portable Head.” Here, Daughters’s newfound catchiness thrives. The former starts off with a buildup that reaches its breaking point around halfway through, and after crashing into a decompressing silence, comes back full force with swagger and tambourine. The latter finds its grooviness in the simplicity of a handclap. With these tracks, the band has created songs that will force fans to dance with their feet instead of their fists. If recent swirling rumors of Daughters’s demise prove true, the band couldn’t have created a more fitting end. Daughters carries trace elements of the band that wrote Canada Songs seven years ago, but shows that in the band members’ progression toward coherence, they’ve realized that music can more of a punch if people will actually listen to it.
fret. Randy (abbr.) is a character Ansari created for the movie Funny People and has since adapted for use in his standup routine. As Ansari’s vulgar alter-ego, Randy allows him to make smutty jokes that would otherwise seem more off-color than funny—contemplating oral sex in an igloo, how epic it would be to die from an “underwater cunnilingus accident,” you get the idea. Success has come quickly for Ansari, despite the fact that he’s still a relative newcomer to comedy. He started doing standup in 2004, got his first break with the MTV sketch-comedy show Human Giant in 2005, and has since gone on to star as Tom Haverford in NBC’s Parks and Recreation. A six-year rise from stand-up to stardom would have nearly impossible 20 years ago,
but Internet success, coupled with his now-classic “Shittiest Mixtape Boombox Blast” from 2005, accelerated his ascent. What sets Ansari apart from slew of other talented comedians, however, is the integral role that he gives celebrities— particularly musicians—in his
Voice’s Choices: “Sweet Georgia Bloom,” “The Unattractive Portable Head” —James McGrory
Yr Blues
by Daniel Cook a bi-weekly column about music routines. In Sensual Evening, he tells extensive stories about R. Kelly and Kanye West (with whom he has developed quite the rapport), and references other artists from M.I.A. to Modest Mouse. He’s clearly making fun of them in certain respects, but there is also a detectable sense of
march 18, 2010
Reviews,Haiku’d Opening March 19th
Repo Men Watch your hearts, ladies. Jude Law will tear them right out. (Not a metaphor.) The Bounty Hunter Oh, Gerard Butler. Leonidas is weeping. Stop doing rom-coms. Alice in Wonderland Everyone’s so pale, And why are their heads so big? Fuck you, Tim Burton.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid Wasn’t this a book? Only wimps like to read books. Cool kids read haikus. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo That’s quite a tattoo ... It looks just like a dragon. (Yep. That’s about it.) Opening March 26th Hot Tub Time Machine It’s a tiny pool! It’s a time travel device! What a bargain buy. Opening April 9th
She’s Out of My League This flick looks so sick. Some dude jizzes in his pants. Comedy gold, bro.
The Runaways Dakota Fanning, We thought you were still like ... nine. Don’t sing about sex.
—Brendan Baumgardner, Leigh Finnegan, and Chris Heller
gushing admiration, even within the absurd world of fame and show business. In a way, he’s a glorified fanboy, and through his fandom he acquires a unique ability to hone in on specific, hilarious aspects of celebrity. This hilarity shines through in “AAAAAAAANGRY,” the first single off the Randy Mixtape. The track is an impeccable tirade against a laundry list of popular rappers, berating them for not turning in “their verses” on time. He calls out Mos Def for failing to release a timely Black Star follow-up, Clipse for how much they rap about slinging cocaine, and Dr. Dre for selling headphones rather than making music (“Beats by Dr. Dre headphones? What about some Verses by Dr. Dre verses?”). Such procrastination, delayed release
dates, and merchandising are obvious, chronic conditions of the rap world, but it’s Ansari’s the right-on-the-money digs that give the whole routine legs. In a way, Ansari is the new, harder-working Fred Armisen. His jokes aren’t cheap like “Weird Al” Yankovich’s and don’t rely on impressions like Jimmy Fallon’s. He isn’t (constantly) flirting with the offensive, like Bo Burnham, or with stupidity, like Stephen Lynch. Unlike his peers, he doesn’t need music to punctuate his jokes, but instead uses his routines to pinpoint the music culture’s absurdity. Maybe it’s just the man-crush talking, but I think we’ve found ourselves a game-changer here, folks. Make Dan feel Raaaaaaaandy at dcook@georgetownvoice.com
fiction
georgetownvoice.com
the georgetown voice 13
General AsHcombe by Anastasia Baran
She sat quietly in the winter night, watching as the air turned her breath into a soft, white mist, curling slowly away from her person. She had what they all wanted, that is, a soldier of her own, and not just a soldier, but an officer. Marietta wanted so badly to be happy, to want the General the way he wanted her, but try as she might, it just wasn’t in her to love him properly. Bunching the floral-printed fabric of her newest dress in her fists, the girl obstinately shook her head, visibly disagreeing with her own thoughts. It wasn’t right that she feel this pressured into trying to love a man. Why couldn’t her mooneyed sisters just let the matter be? Just because she had a soldier in her own personal camp, so to speak, did not mean she had to accept his suit. No, Marietta wasn’t that kind of girl. Obligation and a fancy title weren’t enough, would never be enough…there just had to be love there and she wouldn’t accept any other way. Marietta was shocked at how long she had let the matter drag on, pushed ever further by those two impetuous twins, Josephine and Grace. She had toyed with the poor man for so long, switching up her sentiment almost daily, she was practically running the General ragged. It’s a curious thing, she thought, how when people are constantly pouring possibilities into your mind, you start forgetting the present, the reality of the situation. The girl had been ready to accept tonight, ready to buy into the illusion her sisters had been painting for a month or
more. But, it would seem her soldier had finally lost heart, unable to deal with her neverending mood swings. The man was sick at heart, unable to accept the paltry amount of love
Marietta felt her heart breaking for him. He had finally realized the superficial nature of her regard for him, or had heard the hollowness of her words. In that moment she knew he
eyes and put a finger to her lips. A military man through and through, his turn was as precise as ever.There was a pride in his heartache, and the only thing she heard as he walked
JIN-AH YANG
she was willing to ration out to him for the rest of their ill-fated lives. When he turned to her with that look of pained defeat on his face, with his gleaming eyes and windswept locks,
would never be able to forgive her and that she would never be able to forget his anguish. Marietta attempted to issue forth some half-formed apology, but the General looked into her
softly away was the clink of his medals against the gold buttons on his dress uniform, an almost silent reminder of just what she was giving up. It was unfair and painful for
both of them, but it had to end that way. At present, Marietta was sitting on the front porch hating not just herself but Josephine and Grace as well, not to mention her parents who had rabidly pushed this match down her throat. To be the wife of a general, even a Yank-born general, was a prospect most young belles would kill for these days. In fact, the girls in town had been rather cold to her as of late, ever since the General had escorted her to the McAllister girl’s debut. Well, she thought, they can have him. This Southern belle certainly won’t be taking up any of his time any more. Marietta knew she wouldn’t feel right for a long time, that it would pain her every time she had to remember the sadness in his ice-blue eyes, before he walked out of her life forever. What’s more, the girl knew she’d have no respite from the hurt for weeks, perhaps months. God only knows how her parents would react in the morning. Their outrage would know no bounds. A small part of her didn’t care; it wasn’t their life that would have been spent in malcontented despair, spent constantly punishing oneself for pulling the wool over the eyes of a great man. She just hoped that she would never have to look him in the eyes ever again, never have to fake a polite conversation in the street, because that would be torture. That was the one prayer she sent up to God that night, as she lay feeling empty in her bed, that she never had to see the wretched results of her crass dealings with General Ashcombe.
voices
14 the georgetown voice
march 18, 2010
You had me at hello, so why the silence now? by Kate Imel In many cultures, a casual hello is expected during sidewalk runins, a wave across the bar to a classmate is the norm, and even a smile to a current fling wouldn’t be out of the ordinary. But at Georgetown we suppress the wave, the hello, the smile. We walk with heads held high and cell phones held higher, not because we really have so many people to text or call, but because the cell phone is a barricade behind which we feign ignorance to passing glances and mumbled hellos. When we see someone we casually know, we meet them with the flicker of our phone’s backlight and clicking fingers. In passing, we do just about anything to avoid eye contact. While buzzing cell phones and the five minutes until class rush provide worthy scapegoats to the lack of greeting, I believe that our silence is actually rooted in narcissism. What we have to do today is important. We’re busy, too busy, to say hello. So we stuff our hands deeper into our pockets or we nonchalantly text a message that could easily be sent at a later time, because, like so many of our peers around us, we are busy, important, and rushed. In doing so, we exude the very arrogance we find so off-putting in oth-
ers. Like much narcissistic behavior, our absent greetings are really a form of insecurity: we’re afraid that our waves, our nods, and our hellos will be met by silence. Thus, we perpetuate the very behavior we at first criticize. In the past, greetings were meant to check up on people and to welcome them, but it seems that now greetings are only given when they serve our best interest. We say hello to current professors but fail to recognize previous ones. We say hello to a classmate we might be working with or someone we expect a favor from later, but we don’t acknowledge the people whose presence in our lives has already come and gone. We slide past them, silently, and in doing so make it clear that they are no longer important to us. Although the self-absorbed sidewalk scene is not unique to Georgetown, it was one of the first things that struck me as an incoming Hoya. At the expense of sounding like a loud and proud Texan, I will say that at home we say hello to just about every acquaintance. It would be rude not to. In doing so, we foster an environment where strangers and newcomers feel welcome, rather than an environment where strangers are overwhelmed by the anxiety of who to address
and how. Although the north versus south stereotype is often overstated, I will admit that I do experience this phenomenon when traveling through cities on the East Coast. I am always refreshed when I step off the plane in Dallas and am consistently greeted by a stranger asking how my trip was or how I am doing. The formulaic “hellos” and “how are yous” may seem insincere, but the act of greeting each other is important in making us aware of the people around us. It makes us acknowledge that the lives they lead, though separate from our own, are equal in importance. Ultimately, these seemingly trivial conversations enable us to drop our guard and develop a sense of camaraderie, albeit short-lived, with our fellow man. Some of the most eye opening conversations of my life have occurred with strangers on a plane, when I take the time to unplug from my iPod and just listen. Sometimes there’s nothing more powerful than the conversations that ensue with strangers who we’ve barely met. You might be surprised how open you become once you break the initial barrier of hello. Unfortunately, in acclimating to my new collegiate environment, I conformed. I quickly learned that at Georgetown it’s best to keep to
oneself while walking. I noticed this when, upon returning home, I was criticized for my newfound “Yankee” tendencies. I now sometimes hesitate before returning a greeting, and even then I am prepared to pretend my slight wave was merely an act of tucking my hair behind my ear, in an effort to save face if necessary. What stands out the most is not the absence of the response, the hello, or the casual smile and nod, but rather our overall ignorance of this absence. In a generation so unaccustomed to silence, constantly overwhelmed by the static of music and television, it is curious that we somehow have lost our desire to speak spontaneously. In our efforts to maintain our daily soundtrack and keep the impending silence at bay, we have unconsciously atrophied our ability to speak fluidly. Are we so insecure and selfinvolved that we can only meet eye contact with a quiet “hi” and downcast countenance? Ultimately, in our hesitance to greet our peers, we unconsciously perpetuate the cycle of arrogant self-interest. This arrogance, albeit rather subtle, speaks volumes. While a greeting consists of few words, it is both a sign of respect and a signal of welcoming for fu-
ture encounters. The absence of hello, therefore, can be viewed as a sign of disrespect and disinterest. The smile and wave across Red Square can often be a determining factor in new friendships. With the majority of our opinions based on first impressions, the initial greeting is crucial. It’s precisely for this reason that our parents encourage us to have strong handshakes and make eye contact when we meet new people. A strong greeting is a mark of strong character, confidence, and above all, a mark of open-mindedness and welcoming. While expecting a sea of waves in Red Square is a bit idealistic, it might be nice to have our greetings met with un-pocketed, cell phonefree hands. Maybe if we stopped using our cell phones as a crutch for awkward situations and uncomfortable run-ins, we might actually find that saying hello isn’t such a chore. We might even find that it’s pleasant to recognize those around us rather than skirt past them in an attempt to go unnoticed.
Kate Imel is a sophomore in the College and a staff writer for the Voice. She’s not fixing her hair, she’s waving at you—wave back.
Of mice and men: A boarding school bildungsroman by Talia Dutcher A few weeks ago, I woke up suddenly in the middle of the night and heard a soft, yet distinct, rustling sound coming from the corner. I looked to my right—no, it wasn’t my roommate, she had taken two Nyquil before falling asleep and hadn’t stirred since. As my mind continued to race, I quickly settled upon the only possible conclusion: it was the resident mouse paying me my nightly visit.
I would like to consider myself a veteran of the mouse-catching business. As a dorm prefect during my senior year of high school, I was accustomed to waking up at 3 a.m. to the sound of an underclassman girl screaming, “MOUSE ... TALIA!” It was as if being a year older had somehow endowed me with a superior ability to capture mice. Annoyed and half-asleep, I would tell them I’d call someone in the morning to set up traps and offered them the option of sleep-
JIN-AH YANG
Move over Ratigan, The Great Mouse Detective has a new arch nemesis.
ing on my floor. I always smiled when I put forth this seemingly hospitable suggestion, knowing very well that the mice simply traveled from room to room, and the floor was undoubtedly the worst place to find yourself in the midst of a mouse infestation. Nevertheless, the girls would set up shop on my carpet and sleep soundly the rest of the night. Now granted, not every girl on the hall was hysterical at the sight of a mouse, but nonetheless, someone had to be responsible. In order to keep everything running smoothly, the school seemed to think it necessary to have a leadership role for every aspect of campus life. Every time I opened my e-mail, I found another application for a leadership position, whether it was heading the newly established philanthropy group, or a sitting on a committee that would constructively criticize our dining hall food. Even though the school gave out leadership opportunities as if they were candy, the positions still came with high expectations. The abundance of positions was meant to provide all students the chance to develop their skills as leaders and to contribute to the inner workings of our tightly-knit
community. What you chose to involve yourself in was in every sense a reflection of your personal interests. The Philanthropy Council consisted of those students who spent their Spring Breaks in Guatemala volunteering, the Young Democrats consisted of those students who campaigned everyday for Obama, and the Honor Council really did consist of those students whom you could trust. When the spring of my junior year rolled around, there was never a doubt in my mind that I wanted to apply for dorm prefect. Prefects were seniors trained to act as role models and peer counselors to the younger students living on their hall. Essentially, we had to always be willing to sacrifice our own personal time in order to meet the needs of our underclassman hall-mates. As undesirable as this role sometimes seemed—especially at 3 a.m. when I was confronted with rodents—being able to play such an integral role in the lives of other students taught me more than I could have imagined when I took that initial step of filling out my application. Back in Village C West, the irritating rustling that interrupted my slumber inevitably continued.
The following evening I rallied my floor and took real action. It wasn’t that I knew how to take care of a mouse problem specifically, but my time as a prefect on a hall full of screaming girls prepared me to handle this less extreme rodent infestation with ease and confidence. I didn’t personally murder the little guy, but by the end of the night our floor had expertly joined forces and rendered our resident mouse decapitated and lifeless in the barren stairwell. Leadership goes beyond the confines of titles such as “prefect”—it’s about being willing to sacrifice yourself for the good of the group. While investing in mouse traps and dedicating hours to soothing the nerves of the zemmiphobic girl on your hall may not seem like the most enjoyable of experiences, the strength of any community depends on our willingness to set aside our own lives and kill a rodent every now and then.
Talia Dutcher is a freshman in the College. Her top college choices were Oxford and the Sorbonne. Georgetown was her safety.
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The Blarney Stone: Voice Staffers’ Legendary St. Patty’s Days What’s “Hubris” in Gaelic? St. Patrick’s Day is the closest my conservative Irish-Catholic neighborhood in New York City gets to resembling Bourbon Street. We hold what can charitably be described as a parade—the old ladies of the Golden Age Society, the kids from the local elementary school, and the volunteer firetruck. The parade is actually held on the first weekend of March, and I decided to go home one year in college to visit a few friends on spring break. Wandering the streets of the neighborhood in the morning, I came
across ninth and tenth graders tasting beer for the first time. I laughed as they grimaced through the first few gulps. My friends and I began drinking around 10:30 a.m., and after a few beers we were ready to “go to the parade.” By noon I was six beers in and showing no signs of slowing down. The last thing I remember from that day is downing Irish car bombs with my friend and her mom at six in the evening. I woke up the next morning to see the DVD menu for Atonement playing on a loop on my computer screen and a half-eaten hero resting on my chest. —Dan Newman (SFS ‘10)
San Pasquale Over my senior spring break in high school, my Humanities class went on a two-week guided tour of Italy. We took full advantage of the experience—the culture, the priceless artwork, and the absence of a legal drinking age. St. Patrick’s day did not seem to be a huge deal in Florence, but a group of us doggedly raced from piazza to piazza in search of some English-speaking, green-beer-brewing nightlife. Once inside the only Irish pub for miles, we waited at the bar for our share of ale mixed with
Checks and balances? Not at GU
When I first heard that the Georgetown University Student Association wanted to strip the advisory boards of their votes on the Funding Board, I thought it was a joke. I know GUSA senators sometimes demonstrate an inferiority complex about their perceived inefficacy, but this seemed to be an outrageous power grab, even for them. Moreover, I was convinced that it couldn’t be done. I should not have been so blasé. Not only was GUSA successful in taking control of the reserve funds it’s been complaining about for years, in February it took over the entire budgeting process. Now, the six advisory boards—the Student Activities Commission, the Center for Social Justice Advisory Board for Student Organizations, Media Board, the Performing Arts Advisory Council, the Advisory Board for Club Sports, and the Georgetown Program Board—are simply that: non-voting entities that present their budgets and “advise” GUSA’s Finance and Appropriations Committee on where to allocate funds. As a member of the Voice who was on the GUSA beat for a year and an editor of countless stories about GUSA and funding politics, I am used to taking a disinterested, if occasionally bemused stance on
student government goings-on. Until this year, GUSA and SAC’s antics served mostly to fill news sections and blog budgets. But it’s time to start taking GUSA seriously. Its short-term solutions to funding reform could have unintended, yet dangerous, long-term consequences. In 2006, GUSA set the precedent for this year’s radical restructuring of the budgeting process. ThenPresident Twister Murchison (SFS `08), along with his Chief of Staff Eden Schiffman (COL `08), and Deputy Chief of Staff Matt Stoller (COL `08), set out to completely overhaul the then-GUSA Assembly. The Accountability and Reform Act expanded the student senate, shifted GUSA from at-large representation by class to residencebased representation, and granted GUSA “plenary power to appropriate all Student Association funds.” Ninety-three percent of the 3,386 students who voted were in favor of the ARA. With the funding reforms of the ARA, GUSA was able to create the Finance and Appropriations Committee, whose six members each have votes in the annual funding allocation process. (Before the ARA, just one GUSA representative had a vote.) Accountability increased
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as advisory boards were required to disclose how much they held in reserve funds. Unfortunately, the ARA was not able to temper the animosity between GUSA and SAC. I think blame can be placed on both sides: SAC’s allocation decisions to individual clubs can be myopic at best, and its attitude toward requested reforms has been frustratingly stubborn. In turn, GUSA has tried to solve the SAC problem through threats and stonewalling. Last spring, the budget almost didn’t pass because some GUSA members, including President Calen An-
Carrying On by Kate Mays A rotating column by Voice senior staffers
gert (MSB `11), threatened to reject it if GUSA didn’t get its requested $60,000 from the reserve funds for a GUSA-run “Georgetown Fund.” After some wrangling in the fall, the advisory boards and Finance and Appropriations Committee did come to an agreement on a $30,000 GUSA Fund: $26,000 would come from the reserves and GUSA would provide the last $4,000 from its own budget. I don’t so much have a problem with the Fund—if GUSA senators want to act as supplementary SAC commissioners, that’s their business. I do have a problem with how GUSA is trying to fix SAC, and by extension, the other advisory boards that don’t actually need to
the georgetown voice a blue liquor with, I kid you not, a large skull emblazoned on the label. “Well aren’t ye a sight fer sore eyes,” a voice straight out of Once called to me across the bar. Had this pickup come from anyone else, I most likely would have smiled politely and taken my mug of green beer elsewhere. However, the leprechaunesque old Irish man standing at the bar wasn’t the type to alert my stranger-danger warning. I thought it would be rude to snub him, especially on his country’s patron saint’s day. As it was, I accepted an evening’s worth of free beer from the old Paddy and ended up dancing a pseudo-jig all night to the Chieftains. I wasn’t even late to our visit to the Uffizi the next morning—there’s the luck of the Irish for you. —Emma Forster (COL ‘13)
Sip’N’Slide The sleeves of my green New York Knicks t-shirt were ripped off, my bathing suit was soaking wet, and my legs were covered in foam
be fixed. Last fall, GUSA listed six reforms that it wanted the advisory boards to adopt. Most already had, aside from the stipulation that boards spend down their reserves to 10 percent of their yearly allocation, a short-sighted notion for boards like GPB and Media Board that need much larger reserves for big events or damage control. Senator Nick Troiano (COL `11) later admitted that the 10 percent was an “arbitrary” number. I would have hoped that the GUSA senators would have done a bit more research before calling for reforms and taking over the funding process. When I went to a “club summit” in the fall as the Voice’s “club leader,” I was shocked by how little the senators knew about any of the non-SAC advisory boards’ funding processes. For starters, I was the only club leader not affiliated with SAC at the meeting, and the senators seemed unconcerned by the discrepancy in attendance. By my count, SAC clubs were the only ones complaining. Similarly, the survey results on which GUSA based its immediate need for budget reform were disproportionately heavy on dissatisfactory SAC responses, while the feedback from the other funding boards was largely positive. Nevertheless, GUSA’s Finance and Appropriations Committee voted in February to strip the other advisory board members of their votes, mostly to teach SAC a lesson about disregarding its reforms. While every other advisory board received close to, if not all, of its requested budget, SAC was given just $12,500 of its requested $37,000. Although that amounts to less than
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as I stood in the middle of a Village B apartment last St. Patrick’s Day. It was hard to believe that a slip-n-slide could fit inside such a tiny Georgetown apartment, but on a day where green beer flows like water from a fountain, nothing is inconceivable. The slippery mat started at one end of the apartment and went straight down the hallway, only to be stopped by a collection of pillows that padded the inevitable crash into the wall. I looked down the hallway, bent down, and jumped. For a short three seconds, soap splattered in my eyes, water soaked my clothes, and I flew down the narrow hallway, crashing into the wall. The room exploded in cheers. I tiptoed around the slip-n-slide and walked across the apartment to the inflatable kiddy pool to rinse off. Someone handed me another frothy green beverage as I kicked back, relaxed, and enjoyed the start of Georgetown spring, the best time of the year. —Tom Bosco (MSB ‘12)
half of their request, SAC actually got off relatively easy—several Finance and Appropriations Committee members wanted to allocate nothing to SAC. SAC definitely needs reform, but this is a petty and damaging way for GUSA to go about it. GUSA is dragging the rest of the funding boards into its fight with SAC, and using the Student Activities Fee money as leverage. Rather than communicate with the funding boards individually, respecting those who are transparent, accountable, and effective, GUSA ostracized all of them. Why not work together with the compliant advisory boards to try to hold SAC more accountable, instead of withholding club funding as a punitive measure? The advisory boards are not children that GUSA can send to their rooms for misbehaving. In the fall, I met with a Finance and Appropriations Committee member to discuss GUSA’s proposal, and he assured me that this was a measure to enforce its reforms with SAC that wouldn’t affect the other funding boards. And so far it hasn’t. But I can’t trust that institutional memory is enough to preserve the intentions behind this year’s exercise of GUSA’s “plenary power” over student funds. In several years, I doubt that the precedent GUSA set in taking over funding allocation will still include the clause, “but only to fix SAC.”
Kate Mays is a senior in the College and former editor in chief of the Voice. She thinks Calen is much cuter than Jason.
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