VOICE The Georgetown
August 31, 2016
AUGUST 31, 2016
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THE GEORGETOWN VOICE
staff editor-in-chief Kevin Huggard Managing editor Graham piro
Volume 49 • Issue 1
news
executive editor Ryan miller Features editor Caitlyn cobb news editor lilah burke assitant news editors margaret gach, cassidy jensen, isaiah seibert
culture
executive editor Brian Mcmahon Leisure editor michael bergin assistant leisure editors Amy guay, tatiana lebreton, caitlin mannering Sports editors robert ponce Assistant sports editors Tyler pearre, phillip steuber
opinion
Executive editor kenneth lee voices editor Lara Fishbane
halftime
“fuschia portrait” by Megan Howell
contents
Editorials
Carrying On: A Political Coming of Age Kevin Huggard What Is a University? Joe DiPietro Cultivating Camaraderie: Addressing Loneliness on the Hilltop Claire Doyle Debt and Diplomas: The High Cost of Graduation Isaiah Seibert Kicking it Off: Soccer Season Previews Tyler Pearre and Chris Dunn Campus Plan Deciphered Michael Coyne A Makeshift Memorial: City of Ghosts at the Flashpoint Gallery Mike Bergin The Voice Summer Reading List Leisure Staff
editor@georgetownvoice.com Leavey 424 Box 571066 Georgetown University Washington, DC 20057
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The opinions expressed in The Georgetown Voice do not necessarily represent the views of the administration, faculty or students of Georgetown University, unless specifically stated. Columns, advertisements, cartoons and opinion pieces do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editorial Board or the General Board of The Georgetown Voice. The university subscribes to the principle of responsible freedom of expression of its student editors. All materials copyright The Georgeton Voice, unless otherwise indicated.
Leisure editor Danielle hewitt assistant leisure editors Dan sheehan, claire smith Sports editors Jonny Amon, Chris Dunn
design
Executive editor Emma Francois cover editor patricia lin Spread editor Alli Kaufman assistant design editors Megan Howell, Lindsay Reilly, Abbey Roberts, cate o’Leary
copy
copy chief Anna Gloor editors Clara Cecil, Claire Goldberg, Michelle Kelly, Isabel Lord, Bethania Michael, Hanh Nguyen, Kate Phillips, Gabriella Wan
online
podcast editor Jon block
Staff writers
Ben barrett, amanda christovich, Michael Coyne, elizabeth cunniff, nicholas gavio, andrew gutman, christian hallmark, susanna herrmann, Jake Maher, noah nelson, brendan pierce, tyler walsh
staff designer samantha lee
business
general manager Naiara parker senior associate, finance and alumni outreach Jessica ho
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THE GEORGETOWN VOICE
read more on georgetownvoice.com
The Pre-frosh Preview is the Voice’s guide for new students at Georgetown. In it you will find tips on all aspects of life on the Hilltop, written by those who have just undergone many of the same experiences you will soon face.
Money Matters: Financial Aid, Work-Study, and On-Campus Jobs Being a Hoya is expensive. To make it a little bit less so, learn here about financial aid at Georgetown, how to navigate work-study on campus, and what to look for in an on-campus job.
The Four Freshmen Dorms Heard your dorm is the best freshman dorm? Or maybe the worst? Look here to get an idea of how the four freshman residence halls stack up against one another.
Getting Fit at Georgetown For the athletes and gym addicts out there, this article discusses all manners of exercise on campus, from varsity sports all the way down to pick-up basketball at Yates.
Mental Health at Georgetown Here you will find advice on how to keep your mind healthy while at Georgetown. Learn what techniques others have found helpful for managing Breaking the Georgetown stress, and see what mental health services are available to you. Bubble D.C. has a lot to offer. Look here for tips on where to start as you explore America’s capital.
EDITORIALS
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Dear Incoming Students,
Welcome to Georgetown. You have more time left here than any of us on the Voice. That makes us all a little jealous, but we’re trying to channel that feeling in a productive direction by offering you some unsolicited advice. The ICC is the big brick one with the solar panels. Weekend brunch is Leo’s at its best, but any other weekend meal is Leo’s at its worst. None of the freshmen dorms are that much better than the others, despite what you may have heard about Darnall. Those are the basics. Here’s a little bit of the deeper stuff. To start, let go of what everyone’s told you about this being “the best time of your life.” It’s not completely wrong, and you’ll probably look back fondly on these four years, but it makes college seem like a place without difficulties. Sure, during your time here you’ll experience some of the highest highs of your life, but also some of the lowest lows. Be ready for that. Everything won’t always work out for you, but you can probably manage the consequences. When you can’t, that’s what your friends and university health services are for. Ask for their help. Having said that, while you are here, things sometimes will go your way. But don’t let success get to your head. Keep in mind the stereotype that exists of a cer-
AUGUST 31, 2016
tain kind of Georgetown student. This archetypal student is sustained by self-importance, and convinced that their achievements are entirely the results of their own talent and effort. Their daily activities are résumé builders and their groups of friends are synonymous with their LinkedIn connections. In subtle ways, you’ll probably feel pulled in this direction. You’ll sense that you have to wear certain clothes, or not wear certain clothes, or get the proper summer internship, or take a course with the appropriate vaunted professor. You will feel like everyone else is perfect, and that you must constantly match their perfection. Here’s a secret gleaned from our experiences on this campus: they’re not perfect. The ones who try their hardest to seem that way grow less convincing with time. So be flawed and weird. We need that from you. It deflates some of the ego and self-importance that unfortunately tends to build up around talented, ambitious people at an elite institution. That’s another thing—you will soon find yourself surrounded by people with equal or greater talents than your own. Don’t be thrown off by that, and remember that you deserve to be here.
And while you’re here, use your talent to contribute to this strange and wonderful place where we all live and study. Stay informed about issues on campus and in the wider D.C. community. Go into the city as often as possible. There’s a lot to see out there, and too many of us take for granted that we can take occasional late-night strolls to the empty steps of the Lincoln Memorial. That’s a pretty incredible thing to have a few miles from your college campus. Take advantage of it, and don’t ever become so worldly and unimpressed that you can’t still get excited about something like a bunch of marble stacked ever so carefully atop reclaimed swampland. The oldest among us are just about done making our mark on this place. A lot about our time here has been good, but we’ve also failed in some ways. Do better than we were able to do. At the moment, it’s hard to picture it, but this will be your place soon. Take good care of it. And if we haven’t yet convinced you that the imperfect can survive at this school, feel free to swing by the Voice office in Leavey 424 and take a look for yourself.
Much Love,
The Voice
.
Kevin Huggard
Pay Attention to the Task Force The Association of American Universities found that of 27 universities, an average of 23 percent of female undergraduates reported experiencing non-consensual sexual contact. This spring’s Sexual Assault and Misconduct Climate Survey, the results of which were released early this summer, found that almost one in three female undergraduates at Georgetown reported experiencing non-consensual sexual contact. This is unacceptable. Fortunately, our administration seems to be taking swift action to address this issue, including the creation of a Sexual Assault and Misconduct Task Force beginning this semester. Some proposed changes to policy include a resource awareness campaign and an increase in mandatory online training for students. The survey will also be reissued every two years to ensure that the data stays up to date and that the administration can track the impacts of its new policies. It remains to be seen whether this Task Force will be effective in implementing these measures, but it is incredibly important that it does so. The posters on the results of the Climate Survey that the school has put up around campus ahead of New Student Orientation are a good first step. Further steps are needed, and it will be critical for students to pay close attention to the work of this Task Force and ensure that those steps toward ending sexual violence are taken.
Senseless Summer Yates Fees The many Georgetown students who spend their summers in D.C. can look forward to the benefits of a less crowded campus, fireworks on July 4, and access to Yates Field House. While most students could use Yates freely over the past summer, anyone who had spent a semester abroad during the previous school year was denied access to the gym. The current University policy is that students must have paid for two consecutive semesters in order to have access to Yates over the summer. Not only did the University fail to adequately notify students of this policy, but they are also denying students who studied abroad a privilege available to everyone else. All students pay a Yates tuition fee every semester they are on campus, but nowhere is it made clear that this fee is used to provide summer access to Yates. This past summer, students who studied abroad had the option of paying $213.62, according to Yates student-employee Alex Roberds, to access Yates over the summer. In comparison, the fall 2016 fee for Yates is $210, which means that students wishing to pay the fee for the summer would be charged more for a shorter period of Yates access. The current University policy needlessly punishes students for choosing to study abroad, and should be changed to allow all students access to Yates over the summer.
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THE GEORGETOWN VOICE
A Political Coming of Age
Carrying On: Voice Staffers Speak
Finding Lessons in the Time of Trump This is a strange time in American politics to come of age. But before we get into that, here’s a little about me: I’m from the Boston area. I’m an aspiring member of the media. My political views are varying degrees of left of center. And I’ve spent my time in school studying the Arab and Muslim worlds. Add that to that the fact that I go to school in D.C., and I’m basically a caricature of everything that the supporters of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump are loudly rejecting in this election. Which, if I’m being honest with myself, is something that makes me kind of proud. It shouldn’t, since there’s more than enough blame to go around in this election season. This election is my first as a voter. It will almost definitely, in some way or another, shape my thinking about politics. It would be a shame if the only thing I were able to take away from it is smugness. I want something else, something productive, and challenging, to learn from the chaos that is presidential politics in 2016. There’s plenty out there to find. To start, it’s clear that wide swaths of this country feel ignored by their national institutions. This sense of alienation seems to be chief among the factors propelling Trump’s candidacy. The resulting anti-establishment movement has the potential to destroy the Republican Party. Depending on who you ask, it may have already done so. But it also should spark some serious self-reflection among liberals, especially those like myself with political views that are very much still in development. Has the Democratic Party worked to find a message that can give a sense of hope—or of any future at all, really—for Middle America? Not as far as I can tell. I don’t often place myself in the shoes of Middle America. I’m usually far too busy dreaming up far-fetched ways to save the Middle East for that. But I could understand the outrage at coastal elites who seem to care far more about protecting mountains and trees than livelihoods. I say this not to excuse the ideas that this outrage has produced. A lot has been said about the danger of the ideas put forth by Trump’s movement, and it’s pretty difficult to exaggerate the cruelty and idiocy of some of its proposed policies. But, if the ideas are dismissable, the outrage isn’t. One of the qualities that I most admire about the American left is its willingness to accept, as a starting point, that when large blocks of a societal group claim to be facing some sort of structural obstacle, there probably exists a legitimate grievance. This is the fairly basic form of respect that Democrats in this country extend to minority populations fighting to overcome the stubborn inequalities that still exist in our society. But when it comes to the parts of this country that are mostly white, and care far more about their own slowly fading livelihoods than any larger notion of equality, the left seems to find it much harder to accept that there might actually be a problem.
Or, they see the problems, and just can’t be bothered to care. All of which makes it nearly impossible for liberals like me to offer a way forward for the parts of the country that we sometimes think of as dead weight on the journey of progress, if we think of them at all. And, really, it shouldn’t be very hard for the Democratic Party to offer a vision of the future for Middle America that is more impressive than the one espoused by the Republican nominee. In terms of policy, it seems pretty clear at this point that Trump is a novice, if we’re being generous, or an idiot, if we’re being blunt. It would only require that liberals put some real effort behind solving these problems. We just need to care, if only a little. For me, at least, the lesson of this election is that when you largely ignore a decent portion of the country, the neglected will go to great lengths to make themselves heard. And after all, here at Georgetown, a lot of us are basically training to become part of the much-maligned “Establishment.” Given my own job aspirations, that could easily be where I’m heading, in some way or another. If current polls hold, and the specter of Trump fades from the collective nightmares of much of the political class in this country, the root problems will remain. If we all get the jobs we’re angling for at the moment, we’ll have to deal with whatever protest candidate rides the next wave of anger in ten years, or 30. We might as well start caring now. Given demographic changes, American liberals probably won’t need the middle of the country to win the electoral math in national elections in future decades. The young and left-leaning among us could continue to ignore those troubled regions and probably not see our political agenda suffer all that much. But that’s also a pretty cynical, if not downright immoral, way to view governing. And beyond that, I can’t see how anyone who views the ongoing creation of a new American underclass with indifference can be considered progressive in any meaning of the word that I know. Much has changed about the United States since it occurred to me, a month or so before my freshman year, that I’d be a senior in college in D.C. for the 2016 presidential election. As I saw it then, all the manic-ambition and frenetic energy of the capital would be focused toward one thing, and I could watch from a not-so-safe distance as the gears of our democracy churned in performing their most important function. It seemed like there could be nothing more fascinating than a front-row seat for the latest episode of the most significant bit of democratic politics that has ever taken place. I didn’t count on this process also being a little bit terrifying. But from everything I remember of 2012 and 2008, and from what the people who have been voting in presidential elections for decades tell me, the rhetoric usually isn’t this bad. And, if national institutions and liberals like myself can find a way to engage again with the middle of the country, I don’t see any reason why things can’t improve. Let’s make sure they do.
TRUMP STINKS
“Where is this anger coming from?”
“How can we FIx this?”
...
Sam Lee
by
Kevin Huggard
He is a senior in the SFS.
VOICES
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AUGUST 31, 2016
What Is a University?
Preserving Academic Freedom on the Hilltop
“The university is something more than a brick and mortar establishment for centralizing information.”
It’s that time of year again. Just as we’ve begun to settle into our routines of paying little thought to the academic obligations that await us in Washington, we are called to relinquish the liberties of vacation with at least slight wistfulness. A special few of us—approximately one fourth—are greeted for the very first time by deans, community directors, RAs, and NSO volunteers in color-coded shirts. For all the enjoyments that a new academic year can bring, and there are many, it is tempting to pause and consider whether our time might be better spent. If ever there were a time to ask ourselves why we annually return to this thing we call a “university” and, indeed, why we attend it at all, it would be now. Foregoing the prescriptions of degree requirements and add/drop, could we not by independent study extract from books and other resources the same knowledge we might obtain Healy Hall gets its tan on. from a university? Like those of most irreverence down whatever path one’s faculties good questions, I believe the answer is of reason discover is the foremost basis of both apparent and nuanced. The university is something more than a a higher education. Therefore, the university brick and mortar establishment for centralizing exists contingent upon a collectively reinforced information. In fact, much to the chagrin of its environment that is decisively supportive of solicitors of donations, the institution would looseness in speech, neglect for external approval perform no less effectively its fundamental from political and emotional interests, and liberty role in the absence of such luxuries as athletic in questioning even those causes self-styled as complexes, student centers, and performance noble beyond reproach. Since a university must pursue as lofty spaces. The university is principally a concept, a goal as unimpeded inquiry, attaining such defined by certain intrinsic characteristics a state is a perpetual work in progress. The necessary for the incubation of inquiry. “Well,” one might ask, “that’s all well and mere incorporation of some body called a good, but hasn’t that been the purpose of the last “university” does not a true university make. eleven or so years of compulsory education?” Insofar as an environment of open discourse Here, we must differentiate between the and free inquiry is to be nurtured, professors “higher education” in which we engage and the are no more responsible than students for elementary education that has so far sustained us. playing the role of educator. The effect of this At the nexus of this divide lies the dilemma of is that developing the capacity for rational and what it means to educate. The distinct purpose informed thought emerges from communityof higher education is to transcend the mere synchronized perspectives on liberty in thought medium of raw knowledge acquisition and and speech. Properly speaking, then, each of us impart a capacity for independent inquiry, a that works toward that end is not a “member” of means of rigorously and methodically testing the Georgetown community, but a “participant.” If I might offer my humble advice to the reality through reason alone to arrive at truth. Yet, if neither first-rate facilities nor newest participants in our university as they knowledge itself are sufficient conditions for a acclimate themselves to higher education, it is this: higher education, then what are? In short, what be shocked; be offended; be uncomfortable— is required is the often too-cumbersome and gravely so. This offense is for the betterment of perilously neglected idea of open discourse and the offended because it exposes them to opposing its derivative, academic freedom. The ability to thought. Do not be deceived into believing you charge without hesitation and (if necessary) with are benefitted by a space in which you are “safe”
Wikimedia Commons via Georgetown SFS
from the opportunity to prove the impressive ability and fortitude of the mind in the face of unsettling dissent. Fleeing such challenges can provide one an excellent elementary education but no higher education. To this end, insecurity in your convictions and dissonance in what you regard as truth become welcome challenges. By no means is this to say I recommend abandoning the values and information obtained over the course of years of elementary education. Instead, what I suggest is to approach study with what is commonly given the sobriquet of an “open mind.” However, openmindedness does not mean giving due respect and consideration to the contrary views of peers; that is simply the civility presumed of anyone serious about pursuing the truth. An open mind entails challenging your own beliefs and, at the first sign of comfort that you’ve secured the ethical or intellectual high ground, challenging yourself anew. Just as this critical inquiry offset our preceding inheritors of the Jesuit tradition in higher education from the mere students of information, so too does it offset and define the university of today.
by
Joe DiPietro
He is a junior in the College.
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THE GEORGETOWN VOICE
VOICES
Cultivating Camaraderie
Addressing Loneliness on the Hilltop There’s something really impersonal about many of the “back to school” tips and articles circulating this time of year. They focus on our school-social life balance, our involvement in clubs, our academic goals, the bad habits we think we’ll finally shed. But they rarely address what—to me—is the crux of a uniquely fulfilling college experience: “the opposite of loneliness.” Admittedly, “the opposite of loneliness” is not a concept I came up with. It’s one Marina Keegan introduced in her Yale convocation speech a few years ago, and it seemed to resonate with students across the country. The opposite of loneliness is a rough combination of mutual respect for our peers, love, acceptance, and camaraderie. Loneliness has such strong connotations that we often associate it with physical isolation, but it comes in much subtler forms. It’s similar to not feeling understood by those around you and to feeling slightly out of place. These unsettling emotions are more manageable, and sometimes inevitable. I think many of us have learned to accept that a mellow loneliness will follow us from one context to the next, and we know it’s rare to exist in a community where we feel like “we’re all in this together.” We might feel this sort of camaraderie in smaller circles with coworkers or friends or classmates, but it’s not comparable to feeling like an entire community of people—many of whom strangers—are united behind some intangible thing. Obviously, there’s no “how-to” for self-fulfillment in college. I haven’t yet met two people who have navigated college identically, and yet I’ve met many more than two who can attest to their contentment and happiness at Georgetown. But I do think Keegan’s concept is one that merits more attention and intentionality than we provide it when we think of how best to spend our college years. Indeed, we are usually thinking of how best to spend our college years. We make pacts with ourselves to be committed to our hobbies, or to explore D.C., or to drop that one extra thing to have time for ourselves. Because we all know this: our preoccupation with the things we do on a daily basis carries us from one day to the next, until we realize that we never did whatever we had originally promised ourselves we would do.
There’s impressive willpower and enormous value in injecting our busy lives with a small dose of this “sanity-restoring” stuff, whether that be a weekly yoga class, or a resolve to make dinner with our friends more often. What’s equally important, though, and what often gets obscured by these more tangible efforts, is a larger reflection about what kind of culture we want to cultivate on campus to foster “the opposite of loneliness.” I’m certain that many Hoyas do graduate with this feeling, but I’m willing to bet there are students wondering why they don’t feel lonely, exactly, but also don’t not feel lonely. Something close to the “opposite of loneliness” can come from our roommates, our teammates, our club-mates, our soulmates—if we’re lucky. I definitely feel most content thinking about the moments I have spent in good company; my most vivid memories from the time I’ve spent at Georgetown aren’t glamorous or exciting: a circle of people sitting on a hardwood floor listening to music, a dangerously silly game of President, chalk drawings in Red Square, conversations that stretch into the night. But how do we extend this feeling of “we’re all in this together” to the general atmosphere on campus? I don’t really have any answers, but I have observations and ideas, and I think the question is worth mulling over in any way we can. Instead of thinking exclusively about how best to spend time (a.k.a. what to do) in order to leave college feeling content, I wonder what we might stand to gain from being more deliberate about our attitude toward our peers. It’s easy to make assumptions about others, whether it be that the typical Georgetown student acts a certain way, or that a kid who does a certain major must have a certain personality. I wonder what we stand to gain from having our default be respect and acceptance of differences that make us uncomfortable or that we find bizarre, of people who challenge the social norm in ways that we aren’t used to, of behaviors or attitudes that indicate life goals and perspectives incongruent with our own. I think a collective feeling of “the opposite of loneliness” can’t be achieved unless we cultivate a sense of college-wide camaraderie despite such vast differences
within our student body. Georgetown isn’t a small school, and I’m not sure if there’s really one dominant vibe on campus that resonates—or not—with each student. But I do think it’s possible to avoid feeling alienated from our peers if we know that respect and acceptance—not judgement— is our collective default. One other concept surfaces when I think about cultivating this shared feeling of acceptance: humility. “We are all just a bunch of knuckleheads.” This is my friend’s favorite response to my anxiety about my achievements and my regrets, my selfdeprecation and my, “I wish I’d done this,” and, “if only I had thought of doing that.” It rings a bit harsh, but the intention, I think, is a good one: For 99.9 percent of us, if we’re not being humble, we’re deluding ourselves. It means acknowledging the circumstances that have allowed us to arrived at where we are. It means tempering arrogance and not taking ourselves too seriously. But it also means not being destructively self-critical when we compare ourselves with other people, a perspective that sours the way we perceive our relationships with our peers. If you’re lucky, “loneliness” (or a feeling like it) won’t resonate at all with your experience as a Hoya. If it does, you already know that any attempt at a “guide” to college fulfilment is grossly inadequate. Still, it’s unacceptable to be resigned to a campus atmosphere that isn’t conducive to collegewide camaraderie. If it’s hard to achieve this sense of “we’re all in this together” now, I guarantee that it’ll be harder later, when we’re out of college, living and working in places of greater diversity around people who have even less in common with us. In a way, college is the perfect space to cultivate such a fulfilling feeling. By developing an honest and humble understanding of ourselves and looking at others without prejudgments, it’ll be easier to feel some unspoken connection with students we’ve never met; we can begin to approach “the opposite of loneliness” on the Hilltop.
by
Claire Doyle
She is a senior in the SFS.
“Instead of thinking exclusively about how best to spend time (a.k.a. what to do) in order to leave college feeling content, I wonder what we might stand to gain from being more deliberate about our attitude toward our peers. ”
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AUGUST 31, 2016
Debt and Diplomas: The High Cost of Graduation
Celebrations can be expensive. Americans spend an average of $830 at Christmas, and the average American wedding costs a whopping $32,641. While not all Hoyas celebrate Christmas, and marriage is not on the radar of many students here, there is one potentially expensive event we all will hopefully celebrate in the near future: graduation. In addition to seemingly obvious costs like travel and lodging, there are often hidden costs associated with graduation. Many graduates are surprised at how much they spend on other associated costs, like clothes for themselves and their families, and meals at restaurants in the city. According to a survey sent out by the Georgetown Scholarship Program (GSP) to recently-graduated members of its program in the class of 2015, the average student in GSP spent $838 at graduation. When allowed to select two items from a list of possible stressors during graduation or to describe their own, 72 percent of respondents said that graduation costs were a stressor. Financial burdens, though, were not the only concern. 36 percent of respondents had other concerns related to graduation events, such as what they or their families would wear. For example, Senior Ball was a black-tie-optional event in the past; however, starting with the class of 2016 there was no dress code. The survey also allowed students to write reflections anonymously, which touched on both financial and emotional burdens some low-income students face at graduation. “Now that I think about it, there were certain things that I took as a given because my family didn’t have the funds to handle it—like going out to dinner or lunch to celebrate the day or not being able to take my siblings to Senior Ball when a lot of my other peers did,” one student wrote. “My family and I got creative and handled it but hearing from my family members about
their overwhelming experience and culture shock wasn’t helpful either.” Another student wrote, “One of the reasons my family did not want to go to Senior Ball was because they did not feel comfortable enough to go.” Echoing a similar sentiment, a third student wrote, “I
“In the past five, ten years it’s all really snowballed, and become that much more scaled up and maybe a little over-scaled.” attended the ball with my family, and they were so overwhelmed that we left early.” At Harvard, around 60 percent of students come from the wealthiest three percent of American families.
GSP director Missy Foy (COL ’03) said the numbers are roughly the same for Georgetown, basing the calculation on Harvard’s research. On a university campus where the majority of students are from an affluent background and where the cost of attendance just reached a high of $70,140, some low-income graduating students have to make sacrifices that students from wealthier backgrounds do not experience. “I remember coming by a list of, you know, how much it costs for a student to take a family out to dinner or something after graduation, which seems like a very easy thing to think about, but when it’s someone who’s coming from such a lowincome, it becomes a barrier, it becomes an issue,” said Francisco González (SFS ’16) who was also on the GSP Student Board for two years. “They have issues like, ‘Do I bring Grandma to my graduation, or do I not bring Grandma?’, ‘Do I bring one of my parents, or do I bring both of them?’” The challenges low-income students face near graduation are not unique to Georgetown.. According to a 2015 article in Harvard Magazine, the Harvard financial aid office provides some assistance to students with a significant financial need to help offset the estimated $2,000 cost of graduating; however, these programs are not always well-known. Additionally, by the time some graduating seniors experience these challenges, they have already graduated and left campus, which may make on-campus dialogue around the issue challenging. Despite the high costs that graduates today face, the celebrations were not always as burdensome to lowerincome students. Maria Devaney (School of Languages and Linguistics ’94), a member of both the GSP Executive Board and the University’s Board of Governors, described some of the changes to the celebrations that
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THE GEORGETOWN VOICE
Average Graduation Cost
$838 SENIOR BALL TICKETS
LODGING
CAP AND GOWN
FOOD
CITY TRANSPORTATION
FORMAL ATTIRE TRAVEL TO D.C. Wikimedia Commons
have taken place over the past several decades. “My class was the first to do two things … and not in a good way,” Devaney said. Her class increased the scale of both Senior Ball and the Senior Auction. According to Devaney, in the decades before her time, Senior Ball was known as Barefoot Ball and took place in front of White Gravenor. Several years before her graduation, Senior Ball moved to a hotel, until her graduation when it was held at Union Station for the first time. For Senior Auction, the event moved from the Hall of Nations in the Walsh Building to a hotel and also increased in ticket price and item price, Devaney said. “In the past five or ten years it’s all really snowballed, and become that much more scaled up and maybe a little over-scaled.” Devaney thinks reinstating the Barefoot Ball would be one way to alleviate stressors low-income students face at graduation. “There could be a lot of fun options. Going back to Barefoot Ball on the steps of White Gravenor could be so fun, and it would really bring it back home to Georgetown.” GSP and the greater Georgetown community are working toward solutions to alleviate some of the problems low-income students face at graduation. According to Foy, GSP provides a $200 grant to each of its graduating seniors in a program funded by an anonymous donation for graduation expenses. In addition to the grant, within GSP, the Strategic Partnership and Advocacy Committee (SP&A), recently rebranded as the Outreach and Strategic Partnership Committee, is spearheading initiatives for graduating students. The SP&A started a partnership with Residential Living to provide discounted housing for the families of graduating families. They have also targeted financial concerns surrounding Senior Ball by partnering with the Senior Class Committee to remove the dress code and sponsor discounted tickets to the event for graduating students and their families. Continuing to build off the progress they have made, the
SP&A hopes to develop further programs to alleviate costs for low-income students and their families at graduation. The committee has grown significantly in the past year in order to accomplish this.
“‘Do I bring Grandma to my graduation, or do I not bring Grandma?’, ‘Do I bring one of my parents, or do I bring both of them?’” “They have a much larger SP&A section where, for the previous years, there were just two of us … there are so many issues to tackle and they really wanted to be able to focus on graduation issues as well as other issues,” said Quaila Hugh (COL ’16), an SP&A chair for the 2015-16 school year.
According to Tithi Patel, a chair of GSP’s Outreach and Strategic Partnership, there are several initiatives they hope to develop over the course of the year. Some of these plans include discussions with Residential Living to move discounted housing for the families of graduating students from New South to Village C West; possible partnerships with area business for discounts for graduating seniors and their families; and talks of creating a cap-and-gown closet. “Buying robes and caps … will cost money, and for a ceremony that is going to last maybe an hour and half to two hours, some people don’t really see merit in buying or spending money on extra stuff like that so it will be really cool if we could get alumni to donate some of their robes,” said Patel. Many people are optimistic because of the University’s continued response concerning the issues low-income students face at graduation and with the increasing awareness on campus regarding these issues. Devaney thinks that the University has made progress with regards to increased awareness, but she believes that there is still further progress to be made. “The next step following the conversations should be to put solutions in place that strengthen our university community, and I think to have other options for graduating students and their families in addition to senior ball would be an excellent start.” Patel thinks that there is more on-campus dialogue surrounding these issues now, but that there is room for improvement. “We’re really pushing … to get more people, whether they are part of the low-income community or not, to really start thinking about the different issues that affect low-income students on campus, whether that’s the first day of school or the last when they’re graduating.”
By Isaiah Seibert
12 10
AUGUST 31, 2016
Kicking On Goal: Women’s Soccer Ready for Big East Run By Chris Dunn
When the Georgetown women’s soccer team (3-1-0, Big East) failed to advance past Hofstra in the first round of the 2015 NCAA Women’s Soccer Tournament, it was only fitting that the Hoyas did so in a shootout. As Head Coach Dave Nolan said after the loss, “At some point, the season has to end, and for most teams it ends on a loss. For us it ends on a tie.” In 2015, Georgetown wasn’t like most teams. For the Hoyas, the 2015 season was one in which they showed flashes of brilliance, but were unable to translate these into consistent success. Take, for example, their 3-1 victory on Oct. 8 over St. John’s—the team that would eventually become the number one seed in last year’s Big East Tournament. The Hoyas certainly came to play on that fall afternoon at Shaw Field, but the team’s win was followed by a disappointing 1-0 loss to Butler on the road. Georgetown would deliver an impressive second half of their season, only to be upset in both the Big East and NCAA tournaments in the first round. Last season’s appearance marked the fourth straight NCAA Tournament berth for the Hoyas. Early exits have been a theme for the Georgetown squad throughout these last few postseasons, as they have failed to make it past the second round in each of their last four appearances. While Georgetown has struggled wit h consistency and the postseason in the past, 2016 could be the year this changes, with the Hoyas fielding one of the more promising rosters in program history. The excitement among members of the Georgetown team is noticeable, with returning players looking to quickly move on from what proved to be a dismal postseason in 2015. “We finished on a pretty low note last year, so we’re pumped to be back and ready to get the season going,” said junior defender Taylor Pak in an interview with Georgetown Athletics. The rest of the Big East recognized the Hoyas’ strength, and Georgetown was unanimously named the preseason favorite to win the conference by the Big East’s coaches. Four Hoyas were selected to the preseason All-Big East team, among them junior midfielder Rachel Corboz, who was named preseason Offensive Player of the Year. Corboz is coming off a spectacular 2015 season, in which she was named Big East Midfielder of the Year and was listed on the National Soccer Coaches Association of America’s All-American Third Team. Corboz led the Hoyas in goals last seasons with 10, and finished third in scoring in the Big East. The preseason awards serve to both validate what Georgetown already knows, which is that they are a top-tier contender in the conference, and to remind them that they need to play up to their expectations. “It’s obviously awesome to receive that recognition, but it also puts a target on our back,” said senior forward Grace Damaska. “We have to make sure that we are that top team every time we step on the field.” If Georgetown is to succeed this year, it will be because of its strong offense. Along with Corboz, the Hoya offense includes Damaska and Crystal Thomas, a graduate student forward, both of whom were also named to the preseason All-Big East Team. For the Hoyas, success in 2016 is focused around one central objective: winning the Big East. “It’s something that we’ve never done, and it’s been our goal ever since I’ve been a freshman, and I’m sure before that as well,” Corboz said. Coach Nolan agreed, stating that the two things he focuses on are being in contention for a Big East championship and making it to the NCAA Tournament. But he added that, “If we fall
short of that, but we’ve gotten the best out of this group, then it’s a success … I’d like to think that our best is good enough to get us what we want.” Before the Hoyas can begin to think about Big East play, they must weather the storm of a grueling non-conference schedule, which has handed them one 3-0 loss already at home to No. 3 Stanford (3-0-0, Pacific Twelve) on Aug. 21, and includes games against No. 22 Rutgers (3-0-1, Big Ten), No. 7 West Virginia (3-0-1, Big Twelve), and No. 4 Virginia (4-0-0, ACC). In last year’s tournament, Rutgers reached the NCAA Tournament semifinals, and Stanford, Virginia, and West Virginia all advanced to the tournament quarterfinals. Although such a series of tough games early in the season may seem daunting, its benefits are twofold: Georgetown will get to test itself against some of the best in the nation, and the team can look to boost its chances for an at-large bid in this year’s NCAA Tournament. “We need to have a good out-of-conference resumé,” Nolan explained. “The thinking behind it is to try to match up against some good teams in the region and in other regions.” Corboz reiterated the importance opening the season well for NCAA tournament purposes, claiming that Georgetown will need to step up its play early on in the season in order to boost their Rating Percentage Index (RPI) ranking. In the 13 years that Nolan has been head coach of the Hoyas, the program has gone from obscurity to national recognition. Georgetown has now appeared in the NCAA tournament four straight times, and attracts recruits from all over the country. Still, the Hoyas are looking to move past the realm of notable teams and into the group of the nation’s elite squads. As the 2016 season shapes up, this goal appears within reach, given the team’s star-studded offense, a defense strengthened with the return of graduate student defender Marina Paul, and an impressive freshman class. Georgetown has the talent to sit atop the conference come November. “Now,” Corboz says, “we just have to prove ourselves.”
RICHARDS CROSSES THE BALL INTO THE BOX
GUHOYAS.COM
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THE GEORGETOWN VOICE
g It Off Puzzle on the Pitch: New look Men’s Hoyas Plan to Piece Together Success By Tyler Pearre
Nothing about the 2015 Georgetown men’s soccer season was predictable. The Hoyas, who entered the season ranked third in the nation, weren’t supposed to be held without a goal in their first three games. And they certainly weren’t expected to respond as they did. Behind the leadership of a skilled senior class, the Blue and Gray rebounded from a rocky start to the season with an unprecedented undefeated streak of 18 games. Within that streak, the Hoyas posted six consecutive shutouts and 14 consecutive victories—both program records—en route to a perfect conference record and the Big East Regular Season Championship. The team carried this momentum into the postseason, capturing the first Big East Tournament Championship in program history. Georgetown entered the NCAA tournament as the third overall seed, which guaranteed the Hoyas home field advantage through the quarterfinals of the tournament. But a season filled with firsts would end in an all too familiar fashion: a penalty kick loss prior to the College Cup. The Blue and Gray fell to Boston College, 1-1 (5-4), in the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA tournament, just as they had the year prior in the Elite Eight round to Virginia. Following the season, the team lost six starters—including the program’s all-time leading goal scorer, forward Brandon Allen, and the entire starting defense—to the ranks of Major League Soccer. Replacing so much production from last year’s starting lineup may pose challenge the Hoyas will face as they prepare for the upcoming season. Despite this transition, Head Coach Brian Wiese sees an opportunity for younger players to earn more playing time. “The encouraging thing is that a lot of our returners, who may not have started last year, are starting to look more like veterans,” said Wiese. “We are cognizant of the players we lost, but you have to take stock of what you have, and I really like our group.” Wiese’s optimism is shared by other coaches in the conference, as Georgetown (0-2-0, Big East) was projected to finish second in the preseason Big East Coaches Poll, just three points behind rival Creighton. Nationally, the Hoyas were ranked No. 10 entering the season, but the team’s loss to No. 2 Akron (2-0, Mid-American) in the season opener will likely cause this ranking to fall. One reason for Wiese’s confidence in the new look Hoyas is the return of sophomore goalkeeper JT Marcinkowski, who was named last season’s Big East Freshman of the Year and this year’s preseason Big East Goalkeeper of the Year. Marcinkowski recorded nine shutouts during his breakout freshman campaign, and attended several United States U-20 National Team camps over the summer. Marcinkowski is the only returning starter on the defensive end of the field, making his experience and leadership all the more valuable as the Hoyas look to recreate their stellar defensive units of years past. Marcinkowski is not the only Hoya earning preseason praise, however. Both he and junior midfielder Arun Basuljevic were named to the TopDrawerSoccer.com preseason Best XI team. The duo were also voted to the preseason All-Big East First Team. Last season, Basuljevic started every game and recorded the third most points on the team (16), with six goals and four assists. Additionally, freshman forward Achara was named to the TopDrawerSoccer.com preaseason freshmen watch list. The team will need his attacking prowess and blazing speed to replace the void left by Brandon Allen. It is not uncommon for younger teams to lose focus when many expect greatness heading
into a season, but Coach Wiese feels as though his group is fully prepared to deal with the expectations surrounding it. “For the past four or five years the team has been ranked nationally going into the season, so I think our guys are used to that kind of pressure being there,” said Wiese. “We’re not going to get sidetracked by what other people are saying about us.” The Hoyas may have a slew of talented players on the roster, but the team will need to build the chemistry and trust necessary to succeed. Many of the players set to play noteworthy minutes this season have not received a significant amount of playing time in the past. As such, the Blue and Gray scheduled a very difficult stretch of games to open the season, playing five of their first seven games away from the Hilltop, including games at No. 2 Akron and at No. 4 Maryland within the first week of the season. In Wiese’s eyes, this tough non-conference schedule will force the team to “grow up quickly” and allow the players to “learn a lot about themselves.” “Playing in tough environments against really good teams … these are big tests,” the coach noted. “Getting these experiences under our belts is going to be extremely important for us.” Ultimately, the talent throughout the Georgetown roster is impossible to deny, but there may be some growing pains as the team transitions from a senior-laden starting lineup to one filled with “a pool of unknown identities,” as Coach Wiese remarked. During the 2016 preseason, the team tied both Elon and Duke, before falling to No. 17 Virginia. The Hoyas opened their season with a heartbreaking loss, conceding a goal in the 90th minute at No. 2 Akron. The team then fell to unranked West Virginia (1-1, Mid-American). The Blue and Gray will have to quickly rebound from the disappointing 0-2-0 start to the season as they prepare to take on No. 4 Maryland (0-0-1, Big Ten) on Friday in College Park. Building a team capable of winning the Big East and competing for a national championship is not an overnight process, but the team is confident that if they can come together as a cohesive unit, they have a chance to be special once again. “We have some new guys but I don’t think we want to change our identity or style too much,” said Wiese. “The goal is getting us to play well as a team and playing some fantastic soccer ARCHARA RISES FOR A HEADER GUHOYAS.COM by the end of the year.”
AUGUST 31, 2016
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Campus Plan, Deciphered
By Michael Coyne
Next year, Georgetown will officially adopt its new campus plan, a rough blueprint for how the University wants to develop its property in the future. This new plan will last from 2017 to 2036–fifteen years longer than the current plan, which was created in 2010 and went into effect in 2012. The Voice has gone through the plan and highlighted several changes to campus that could significantly affect future Georgetown students. Continued Construction The most significant area of development for the plan is the proposed student life corridor in the center of campus running from the intersection of Tondorf and Prospect Streets near Leo’s past Harbin Hall to Darnall Hall. The plan also calls for the development of a new academic facility south of Regents Hall, the construction of a new building on the site of the current Harbin Patio, the expansion of Harbin’s existing ground floor, and the renovation of the Leavey Center. In theory, this development would unify extracurricular, academic, residential, and dining spaces. That being said, this corridor necessitates extensive construction near several residence halls—future residents of the Southwest Quad, VCW, and Harbin Halls, among others, may have to deal with significant noise pollution. New and Improved Yates The campus plan does not outline a short-term plan to replace Kehoe Field, which was deemed too unsafe for student use in spring 2016. However, the plan does include a project to develop a new Yates field house on the current site of Shaw Field. This new iteration of Yates would incorporate “various synergistic uses,” such as a hotel conference center within the new student gym. North Campus Green Space The Kober-Cogan Building across the street from Darnall has been abandoned since 2010. The new plan calls for it to be demolished to make way for green space at the north end of campus. This green space would extend over the current hospital parking lot. The plan includes provisions to develop a new entrance for the Leavey Center to provide access to the new open space.
Campus Plan TIMELINE
Changes at Lau The plan also mentions the possibility of expanding Lau into the parking lot that presently sits to the south of the library, adding 144,000 square feet to the floor plan of the building. This expansion was apparently a part of the 2010 campus plan and never came to fruition, so while a bigger Lau is definitely a possibility for the future, this change is not set in (brutalist-inspired) stone. New Residential Spaces No new student housing buildings are listed in the campus plan. However, the University aims to house an increasing percentage of students on campus over the course of the plan. Converting St. Mary’s Hall to residential space, adding permanent student living space to the Leavey Center and (a significantly renovated) Reiss, and expanding Henle and Village A are all listed as potential ways to increase the number of beds on campus.
Proposed conditions outside of Rafik B. Hariri Building
Georgetown University Campus Plan 2017-2036
Cooper Field Integration? In fall 2015, Georgetown received a $50 million alumni donation to upgrade its football facilities, and Cooper Field is slated to undergo significant development and expansion in the next few years. The campus plan does note that a revitalized Cooper Field could complement the new student life corridor and offer “a more open and integrated experience” on campus. However, beyond this superficial reference, the plan does not discuss how the revitalization of Cooper Field will be integrated with the new corridor project to prevent the two construction initiatives from interfering with each other. Proposed conditions outside Regents Hall
Georgetown University Campus Plan 2017-2036
Current campus plan introduced
June: New campus plan introduced
August: Pedro Arrupe S.J. Hall opens, last major construction component of 2010 plan
2010
2016
2016
2009
2012
2016
2017
Georgetown establishes a new goal for sustainability: all new buildings and renovations will be certified at least LEED Silver.
Current campus plan approved
June - July: Draft of the proposed 2017 campus plan posted on the University website with open comment forums
January: New Campus Plan goes into effect.
13
THE GEORGETOWN VOICE
LEISURE
A Makeshift Memorial:
City of Ghosts at the Flashpoint Gallery
By Mike Bergin
The two artists seem to emphasize the crudeness of their medium at times, constructing their pieces with an intentional lack of refinement. Perhaps this is to take the perspective of the inexperienced artist capable of using the very same machines Friebele and Iacovone used in their yearlong residency with the D.C. Public Library. A hologram of Martin Luther King Jr., created using a flat-screen television laid flat with a pyramid of plexiglass, sits on a shoddy table made of crooked 2x4s (“MLK Hologram”), and projections of DC homicide statistics are made with a series of flexible lamps clipped onto boxes (“2013-,” “2014-,” “2015 Homicide Project”). At times, however, the simplicity of their work appears more like plain poor craftsmanship than inspiration to budding artists at times. This is quite apparent with the works that utilize 3D printing as wisps of plastic protrude over nearly every fine cut, preventing much appreciation of detail. The two are focused on their messages more than the physical artistry of their exhibit, presenting designs that are innovative in concept, but less impactful than desired in execution. MLK Jr. is undoubtedly a running theme in the exhibit, an homage to the library in which they worked as well as to his legacy as a tremendous civil rights activist. Such a storied figure included with such simple works feels hackneyed after the initial introduction at the door, included in name only to supplement Friebele and Iacovone’s commentary on the gentrification and poverty maps projected on the back and right walls of the gallery. Although they do not necessarily excel at general social commentary, the artists thrive when tapping into the nostalgia of a city that has seen massive infrastructural overhaul in recent decades-- or, as they put it-- “[The] Tensions of rapid change and collective amnesia.” They approach this subject with a cold haziness. The projectors showing homicide stats from past years are less in focus. And their cynicism for their gentrifying city is embodied in “Future Monument for Chinatown, D.C.
2016”. Hip and gable roofs and ornate archways are stacked in between traffic cones. “Winds of Time (over 100 years)” shows a slideshow of morose scenes in the city. A weathered man in Chinatown stands, staring off in the direction of the camera. Behind him a sign reads, “Alas this is the so called human rights…” to be cut off by his torso. Pencils strike the slideshow screen at random points with a loud pulley dragging them to different locations on the canvas. Only between pictures can one see that it is creating an abstract drawing that can only be described as specks of dust in the wind. Friebele and Iacovone’s approach is dark and critical, highlighting a dizzying confusion in the city through their strange and eclectic works. Originality falls by the wayside at times, but their messages still ring true. Their exhibit is dark and clawing for the past as they show the D.C.’s poverty and death rates, demonstrating how gentrification keeps the city divided. The only hope is in community, and in heroes like Martin Luther King Jr. The most tangible hope they can leave you with are his words. My quote, taken off the receipt paper, reads as follows: “Before you get through eating breakfast in the morning, you are dependent on more than half of the world. So let us be concerned about others, because we are dependent on others. Now if life is to be complete, we must move beyond our self interest. I do not know what the future holds, but I do know who holds the future.” Although Friebele and Iacovone use their art to highlight their city’s suffering, a grim present does not condemn the future. Art will withstand the test of time, and change may eventually come with it. Future Monument for Chinatown, DC 2016 Mike Bergin
Art, from graffiti to public sculpture, lies on countless city streets; its subjective beauty can come to define neighborhoods or endlessly evince messages of social change. But often, it is the inaccessibility of art that proves attractive to viewers. The skill of an artist is impressive because their instruments accomplish very little when placed in another’s hands. Urban communities, particularly Washington, D.C., have tried to change this by providing public programs, allowing individuals to learn and create art for themselves. Billy Friebele and Mike Iacovone call attention to the power of accessible art through their collaborative exhibit, City of Ghosts, located at the Flashpoint Gallery through Sept. 10. Friebele and Iacovone are co-founders of the Freespace Collective. Their goal is to emphasize art in community engagement and public spaces. All of the artwork seen in their exhibit was created using machines from the “Fab Lab” at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, located directly across the street from the gallery. The Lab provides tools, including 3D printers and soldering equipment, for free to the public to create their own works of art. Using the tools of the people, the artists begin an examination of the change and continuity of their city. The narrow, barebones gallery with plain, white walls and unfinished stone floors is dark, and one cannot quite make out any individual work without standing directly in front of it. After opening the doors, the viewer is greeted by a partitioning wall with a small, charcoal gray head sitting atop a small wooden box. Next to it are the instructions, “1. Press Button 2. Release button after desired length 3. Tear the paper and take the text.” Looking more closely, the head is a 3D printed copy of Martin Luther King Jr. The face’s features are dull, muted. What is lost in the dark gray gives an interesting ambiguity to the piece. This face really could be anyone. After following the instructions on the wall, a small piece of receipt paper slides out of the base the head rests upon and each guest then receives randomized quotes from his speeches.
AUGUST 31, 2016
LEISURE
14
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SUMMER READING LIST
Glen Weldon’s
“The Caped Crusade”
NPR’s resident book and comic book critic, Glen Weldon, emerges with a witty, comprehensive history of one of pop culture’s most famous icons. “The Caped Crusade: Batman and The Rise of Nerd Culture” is a blessing for those seeking to understand how the franchise changed and relapsed over time due to the social impacts that surrounded it. Weldon flaunts his clever sense of humor, particularly
when commenting on the absurdity of certain eras in comic book history from the interplanetary battles of Batman in the Space Age to the 2000’s school of hyperrealism. His blunt, comical writing style is also laced with personal experiences as a fan. His passion for the comic books is quite apparent through his seemingly insider knowledge of the franchise. As the subheading suggests, “Crusade” is not strictly about what occurred during production; it’s also about the fans: their feelings, their responses, their frequent backlashes. Weldon comments on the fan-created magazines and (eventually) websites that became forums
of their own for Batman fans. He follows Batman through the decades, noting the many times the franchise gave in to mainstream expectations to cyclically return the demands of the nerd super-fandom. His approach is graciously accepting of Caped Crusader laymen, providing a straightforward understanding to any curious reader. Weldon presents himself as a student of history and nostalgia through this work, providing knowledge that the nerd-world both deserves and needs, particularly in these troubling times of DC’s franchise reboot. He serves as a traveler’s guide to an unexpectedly rich subculture. Mike Bergin
15
THE GEORGETOWN VOICE
“Harry Potter and the Cursed Child”
19 years after the Battle of Hogwarts, the wizarding world again lies in peril in “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.” Our favorite boy wizard has settled into adulthood and struggles to relate to his middle child, Albus. Harry’s son is stifled by the expectations of those who wait for him to follow in the footsteps of The Boy Who Lived. and he is ridiculed when he fails to do so immediately. Much like the original series, “The Cursed Child” brims with suspense and adventure. Escapades into time and space, with the help of a Time-Turner, make the story a compelling read and allow us to delve back into familiar settings such as Harry’s Triwizard Tournament and even Godric’s Hollow. As always, the forces of light must triumph against those of darkness to save everything our beloved characters hold dear. Although it is to be expected, as “The Cursed Child” is only a script. The new book lacks the same stunning character development and detailed description that made J.K. Rowling’s world so magical. When Rowling ended the series with her masterful epilogue, she did so by giving just a glimpse of Harry and the wizarding world’s future. This so-called eighth book in the series disrupts that final, fleeting look by making points that are far-fetched and overly dramatic. While “The Cursed Child” may allow fans to indulge in their nostalgia, is it worth the bittersweet aftertaste? Caitlin Mannering
Stephanie Danler’s
Robert Worth’s
Amy Schumer’s
“A Rage for Order”
“The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo”
Hope, followed by chaos, leading to despair. It’s a familiar narrative for the Arab Spring, yet Robert Worth’s “A Rage for Order” tells it with such aching closeness that it takes on fresh power. He weaves together the personal and the structural with a rare effortlessness, his strength lying in his ability to place a reader in the world of his subjects without wasting a word across his 234 pages. “Rage” begins in Egypt’s Tahrir Square, and no knowledge of the massacres and autocrats to come can prevent one from getting caught up in Worth’s telling of the square’s soaring utopianism in the early months of 2011. The story then dips in and out of Libya, Yemen, Syria and Tunisia, becoming darker as it goes. In one especially powerful section, two Syrian women—longtime best friends from different sects—find themselves pitted against each other in their country’s civil war, their friendship steadily dissolved by the hatred bubbling around them. There is no lack of tragedy in this book, yet, for all the horror shows required of any account of the Arab Spring, it deserves praise for rejecting the easy path of cynicism. It finds hope in Tunisia, closing with an account of that country’s shaky move toward democracy. Worth’s account is a captivating retelling of the recent chaos of the Arab world, and for that alone it should be applauded. “Rage” does more than just this, however, allowing its audience to experience a sense of the tumultuous mood swings that define this era in Arab politics. Kevin Huggard
Blake Crouch’s
“Sweetbitter”
It’s tough to approach “Sweetbitter” with anything but high expectations. The debut novel by Stephanie Danler netted a reported six-figure, two-book deal and publishing giant Knopf ’s famous hound logo stamped on its spine. The rapturous reviews clamoring for a say on its jacket prime you for perfection. The hype is well-deserved. Drawing from her own experiences as a waitress and manager, Danler chronicles youthful Tess’s first year working in a high-end New York restaurant, replete with alien parlance and servers who wax philosophical and snort lines in equal measure. Thankfully, Tess is a sponge, absorbing the interactions of passion, power, and desire through unironic eyes. Danler’s tendency to eschew character development in favor of brilliant depictions and cerebral quips is a surprisingly small shortcoming considering her genius for description: Heirloom tomatoes taste like “summer lightning,” softening joints are “butter going to room temperature,” and rain “[collects] like quartz on my wrist.” These details render hangovers, taxi sex, and the highbrow conversations of restaurant staff simultaneously symbolic and hyperreal, familiar yet otherworldly. This aesthetic approach enables “Sweetbitter”’s premier triumph. It captures not only the rarefied restaurant life but that equally privileged, messy state of being: to be young and hungry in New York.
Amy Guay
As a feminist and a comedy-lover, I am the textbook demographic for Amy Schumer’s new humorist essay book, “The Girl With the Lower Back Tattoo.” While this memoir is rarely laugh-out-loud funny, it’s definitely read-with-yourlips-slightly-upturned funny. And the humor is almost always in Schumer’s signature self-deprecating and self-loving style. If I had a buck for every time a paragraph ends in “JK, JK” or an exclamation point, I’d be able to afford a J. Crew sweater. Unexpectedly, it’s the many chapters where Schumer sways from the celebrity-book-writing formula where she strikes gold (she’d use a sex metaphor here, but we can’t all write like “Schu”). When Schumer writes about her father with M.S., her humor seems accidental, like a coping mechanism, and readers feel the agony and love. Stripped of the pressure of trying to empower or explain, her stories about past boyfriends, abusive relationships, sexual assault, and the Louisiana shooting at her film showing in 2015 had me shaking with anger, sadness, and fear. Not because she paints her life as being damaged or unfair, but because the stories are so genuine, and above all, normal. This is a book you’ll want to marry, not date; it’s challenging, provoking, and rewarding. That’s the magic of a great memoir, and that’s exactly the reason why we can’t help but fall into the “Schu” squad, because we’re all human, all imperfect, all being held together by plastic zippers—just like Schumer reminds us of over and over in her amusing, heartfelt way. Emma Francois
“Dark Matter”
Multiverse theories and quantum physics typically make for dry, scholarly writing. In the hands of Blake Crouch, however, these topics make for gripping fiction. His novel “Dark Matter” tells the story of Jason Dessen, a college professor who wrestled with his decision to give up the pursuit of his dreams as an inventor in order to start a family. One night, he finds himself abducted by a masked stranger and thrust into a new world he does not recognize. He has achieved the creation of his invention, yet this success has come at the cost of not having a family. Dessen finds himself torn between two lives: one in which he has made huge strides for science, and one in which he has found happiness with his family. Dessen is no fearless, muscle-bound protagonist who can solve every issue in his way, and this makes his character all the more compelling. He is a man of science, and he finds himself questioning his own mind and his perception of reality as the story progresses. Crouch seamlessly blends Dessen’s emotional struggles in with headier science and ensures that the reader never becomes too lost. After a fairly straightforward first half, Crouch kicks into high gear, throwing twist after twist at the reader. The mindbending plot keeps the novel’s pace fast and engaging, but it is the compelling personal story of the protagonist that reveals itself to be the true heart of the narrative. Graham Piro
Jesse Ball’s
“How to Set a Fire and Why”
Deadpan and wry, Jesse Ball’s protagonist, Lucia Stanton, is of the Holden Caulfield breed of narrators: too cynical and intelligent for their circumstances. Kicked out of her previous school for stabbing a fellow student with a pencil, and left abandoned by the death of her father and institutionalization of her mother, Lucia faces her world alone, with only her astute skepticism. She trudges each day between the converted garage she lives in with her aunt and the uninspiring high school she attends, always with her late father’s Zippo lighter on hand, knowing it promises her freedom. Lucia’s passion for fire and freedom leads her to discover the school’s arson club, which provides her mind refuge from the dullness of her world and also from the grief she carries. Though much of Lucia’s brilliance is lost amidst the brain-dead society she lives in and to the unstructured plot of Ball’s novel, Lucia’s take on arsonry gives way to some seriously poignant moments. From the absolute bottom, Lucia finds small ways to reclaim power in a world that seems structured against her. She reminds us that we have power both in igniting the fire, and also in choosing not to, allowing the world to continue its existence only with our permission.
Lara Fishbane
LEISURE
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