The Hoya Guide: Feb. 10, 2012

the guide friday, february 3, 2012

the weekly magazine for life on the hilltop

BUILDING OUR HISTORY

Behind the Scenes With Jack Crew

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Qdoba vs. Chipotle: The Burrito Showdown

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Cherry Tree Massacre Slays Audiences

this issue 3 lifestyle 4 10 food&drink 12 art&culture entertainment 14 hilltop

red square roundup // hide & seek

jack crew // zaarly

qdoba v. chipotle // rockland bbq

walking in egypt // cherry tree massacre

girl meets world // paralytic stalks

nextissue

8

DESIGNING THE LEGACY OF GEORGETOWN

History is everywhere at Georgetown, and perhaps no where more than in its structures. A mixture of young and old, classic and brutal, functional and aesthetic, the architecture on the Hilltop tells stories of history that date back to Georgetown’s founding in 1789. But there is not just one history, but three: a history of construction, a history of ERICA WONG FOR THE HOYA aesthetics and an unfinished history still waiting to be discovered. Only by looking at the history of its structures will we be able to guess as to where the campus on the Hilltop is going.

COVER PHOTO BY ERICA WONG FOR THE HOYA

soundbite

FEATURE: DAHLGREN LIFESTYLE

In next week’s issue, learn about the history and development of Dahlgren Chapel, the center of Catholic life at Georgetown, including the story of Col. Ulric Dalhgren’s attmpt to assasinate Confederate President Jefferson Davis.

the guide

Connor Gregoire, Editor-in-Chief Steven Piccione, Guide Editor

Upasana Kaku, Executive Editor Suzanne Fonzi, Managing Editor

Corrections and Clarifications If you have a comment or question about the fairness or accuracy of a story, contact Executive Editor Upasana Kaku at (202) 687-3415 or email executive@ thehoya.com.

Chris Bien, Photo Editor Remy Samuels, Layout Editor Samantha Randazzo, Copy Chief

General Information THE GUIDE is published each week during the academic year with the exception of holiday and exam periods. Address all correspondence to: THE HOYA Georgetown University Box 571065 Washington, D.C. 20057-1065 The writing, articles, pictures, layout and format are the responsibility of THE HOYA and do not necessarily represent the views of the administration, faculty or students of Georgetown University.

Signed columns and cartoons represent the opinions of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the editorial position of THE HOYA. Georgetown University subscribes to the principle of responsible freedom of expression for student editors.

THE HOYA does not discriminate on the basis of age, gender, sexual orientation, race, disability, color, national or ethnic origin. © 2012. THE HOYA, Georgetown University twice weekly. No part of this publication may be used without the permission of THE HOYA Board of Editors. All rights reserved. THE GUIDE is available free of charge, one copy per reader, at distribution sites on and around the Georgetown University campus. Additional copies are $1 each.

Victoria Edel, Deputy Guide Editor Alex Sanchez, Deputy Guide Editor Bethany Imondi, Deputy Guide Editor Leonel De Velez, Deputy Photo Editor Sari Frankel, Deputy Photo Editor Christie Shely, Deputy Photo Editor Zoe Bertrand, Deputy Layout Editor Jessica Natinsky, Deputy Layout Editor Emory Wellman, Deputy Layout Editor Nikita Buley, Deputy Copy Editor Emily Perkins, Deputy Copy Editor

Editorial: (202) 687-3415 Advertising: (202) 687-3947 Business: (202) 687-3947 Facsimile: (202) 687-2741 Email: editor@thehoya.com Online at www.thehoya.com

girls meets world VictoriaEdel

Expect to misinterpret platonic texts, the reasons why your crush agreed to get dinner with you and everything he has ever said while watching a basketball game.

omglol :o :( :/ :)

Wasted Wizard — Daniel Radcliffe admitted that he was frequently drunk while filming Harry Potter. Maybe he should have backed off the butterbeers.

Plastic Dreams — Joan Rivers has admitted to having 739 plastic surgery procedures. We didn’t think she looked a procedure over 639.

Dream (Baby) Girls — Jay-Z and Beyonce have filed a trademark application for Blue Ivy’s name. There go our plans for a Blue Ivy flower shop.



Iron Baby — On Tuesday, Robert Downey Jr. and his wife welcomed their first child, Exton Elias. Only Sherlock Holmes could deduce what this name means …

saywhat?

“

I’m just very amused by 5-year-old humor.

Don’t get me wrong: I do destroy men on a weekly basis. It’s like a hobby. I’m like a praying mantis.

- Ke$ha to Glamour

RED SQUARE ROUNDUP improvfest

feb10

hilltop

gpbmovie

feb10

Friday, Feb. 10 at 8 p.m.

Gaston Hall

Friday, Feb. 10 and Saturday, Feb. 11 at 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m.

ICC Auditorium

Be sure to come to the kickoff of the 16th annual ImprovFest in Gaston Hall this Friday.

Headlined by Washington Improv Theater, the event will surely be one of the funniest nights of the year, so come show your support for Georgetown’s very own improv team.

feb10

Don’t miss Tower Heist, a comedy starring Ben Stiller and Eddie Murphy. After losing their pensions in a Ponzi scheme, they plan to exact revenge on the man responsible by robbing his apartment.

vaginamonologues

feb10 Friday, Feb. 10 at 9:30 p.m.

McSherry Building Meditation Room

Friday, Feb 10 and Saturday, Feb.11 at 8 p.m.; Feb 12 at 2 p.m.

Davis Performing Arts Center $10

Take a break at the end of this hectic week and join a 20-minute silent meditation, including a short reading and a brief discussion. Both experienced meditators and newcomers are welcome to join this activity.

With all proceeds going to help victims of violence in Haiti,“The Vagina Monologues” is a captivating production that portrays the lives of women from all across the world. The event is brought to you by Georgetown women, so come out to support a great cause.

hide&seek

nightmeditation

The photos onleft theisleft an example ofof what appear in &Hide Thetwo photo on the theare complete image last will week’s Hide &Seek Seek, but for next on campus is the photo on the right? challenge.

Canweek: you finWhere d the location in the photo on the right?

lastweek

potomac panorama Village A rooftop offers majestic views of the river — and Lau.

findme findme

chris bien/THE HOYA all photos leonel de velez/thehoya

2.10.12 | the guide | 3

lifestyle

The Dog Days Aren’t Over on the Hilltop Jack Crew Cares for Beloved Mascot Charlie Long Special to The Hoya

H

e’s the big man on campus: sitting front row at basketball games, driving flocks of adoring girls into hysterics with his mere presence and strutting around surrounded by a loyal posse. He is not a famous actor or future senator, but John S. Carroll, the most recent embodiment of Georgetown’s affable canine mascot.

While everyone knows Jack as an integral part of campus life and one of the most visible members of the community, not everyone knows the members of his less-visible personal entourage, Jack Crew, a spirited group of roughly 20 Georgetown students that is essential to the care and well-being of Georgetown’s beloved mascot.

In 2003, the current Jack, then a 12-week-old puppy, arrived on campus to fill the void left by the departure of John P. Carroll, the previous Jack, and his caretaker Fr. Scott Pilarz, S.J. In 1999, a student initiative endorsed by Pilarz had brought back to the hilltop the first live mascot since the 1960s.

Fr. Christopher Steck, S.J., a chaplainin-residence and professor of theology, assumed responsibilities for the new puppy. Steck’s intention in reintroducing a live mascot was to raise a dog that would be shared by the entire community and bolster school spirit. With this goal — along with the taxing responsibilities of taking care of a bulldog puppy — in mind, Steck decided to delegate care to an eager student body through Jack Crew.

Although some form of Jack Crew had existed under Pilarz, the group was smaller and commitment was given on a situational basis. Members of the crew and Pilarz would accompany Jack to the dinner parties of Fr. Otto Hentz, S.J., where the puppy would prowl the floor for stray pieces of food and engage in one of his favorite pastimes, sucking on scotch cubes from Hentz’s glass. Under Steck, the Crew became more structured with formal membership and clearly delineated duties.

Each member of the crew has his or her own responsibility to the dog. They

4 | the guide | 2.10.12

are needed for scheduled walks each day at noon, 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. and act as chaperones for appearances at sporting events and campus functions. Coheads John Kenchelian (COL ’12) and Iveta Bakalova (COL ’12) are in charge of coordinating responsibilities for the 2011-2012 crew.

To join the crew, prospective applicants must have attended Georgetown for at least one semester, be involved in on-campus organizations and be prepared for an eccentric interview.

“There’s a long wait list.

We keep a record of pretty much everyone who’s applied, and it’s about a semester long. Fortunately, it’s not too bad because we have people graduating and going abroad,” Kenchelian said.

Once selected from the list, applicants meet with Steck where they are asked to complete two tasks: sing “There Goes Old Georgetown” from a point of his choosing and put their hand in Jack’s mouth. An act of lion-taming bravery?

Not so much, Kenchelian admits.

“The hand in the mouth thing is just in case he chokes on something. That’s a problem with that breed of dog, as they have constricted airways,” Kenchelian said. During one Christmas season, Jack decided to chew on a Christmas ornament, reducing his mouth to a mess of fragmented glass shards and saliva.

Both Kenchelian and Bakalova touched on qualities that are consistent in many members of the group, obvious traits such as school spirit and affection for animals.

Most Jack Crew members were active participants in their high school communities and continue to be involved here at Georgetown. During his time at Georgetown, Kenchelian has been active in Jazz Band, WGTB, Hoya Blue and 1634 Society, while Bakalova has participated in Hawaii Club, Phonathon, Equal Action, GU Energy and various theater productions.

AMANDA SODERLUND/THE HOYA

lifestyle Many members gravitate toward the group due to positive animal experiences in their pasts or withdrawal from their furry companions at home. Bakalova grew up on a farm in Bulgaria surrounded by an array of animals, and Kenchelian spent much of his childhood with a faithful Labrador retriever.

Kenchelian notes that Jack has become something of a family pet for many members of Jack Crew.

“People share a passion for the dog, and for most people on the crew, it’s interesting how we would view him not as a celebrity as much as everybody else does. To us, he’s another responsibility that we have and most of us take it as such,” Kenchelian said.

Though, as it is with any celebrity, there is much more to Jack than meets the eye. “A lot of people talk about Jack walking his walker, and that’s definitely what it is,” said Kenchelian.

These 20 personal assistants know the real Jack, for better or for worse.

His pet peeves? Traffic cones, boxes outside of his reach, snapping flags on a windy Copley lawn and the costumed imposter Jack mascot.

But his attendants know how to read the star’s emotions, Kenchelian continued, “You’re taught

Q & A

that a high-pitched bark means he wants something, a low-pitched bark means he’s [angry] and he’s going to attack something.”

His star treatment includes a climate-controlled room, drinks from a water bottle, rides around campus in golf carts and a carefully-monitored diet.

And as it the case with many ailing celebrities, his attendants must be conscious of his health and well-being. He takes eye drops to reduce the risk of eye infections, joint medicine to prevent hip dysplasia and arthritis, and for seasonal allergies, he’s often tricked into a few Benadryl concealed in a tablespoon of peanut butter.

While Jack has maintained his youthfulness over the past decade, Kenchelian noted, “As he gets older, our job will be more and more important.”

Jack gives his crew experience with responsibility and scheduling as well as a great conversation starter with future employers, but the real motivation behind joining the crew is what he does for others. When asked, Bakalova smiled, “You might be having a bad day, and you run into him and it makes your day just a little bit better.”

file photo: THE HOYA

LOVE FOR THE CREW Jack has no love for his imposter, but adores his Crew caretakers.

Can men and women just be friends?

“I think they can be friends to a certain point, but it usually ends up with one feeling stronger about the other.”

“Yes, but not if the girl is really, really good looking.”

Kyon Saiidnia (COL ’12)

Bridget Gribbin (COL ’14)

“Yes, because the friendship gives you lots of different perspectives because guys and girls are totally different.”

Danny Ingels (NHS ’14)

“Yes, because not every relationship has to be sexual.”

Stefan Gavrilovski (COL ’15)

2.10.12 | the guide | 5

lifestyle

center stage Taking Care of Business: Online Startup Lets Buyers Set the Price Carlos Cheung (MSB ’13) is at the center of a new and exciting start-up frenzy called Zaarly, an online service that allows users to post items they’re looking to buy and how much they’re willing to pay for them. From sofas to personal assistants to concert tickets, virtually anything can be found on Zaarly’s website, which is already active in 10 cities across the United States and is growing fast. Carlos Cheung sat down with the guide— who helped set up the D.C. franchise and is now the campus CEO for Georgetown — to learn more about this promising venture.

Can you start by telling me what Zaarly is?

Zaarly is Craigslist in reverse. You

braden McDonald Hoya Staff Writer

post what you want, when you want it and how much you want to pay for it. It’s in real time and is locationbased. For example, I could post that I want a macroecon textbook and I’ll pay $40, and that I want it within two days. That’s a cool thing, because you can buy it for less than at a bookstore, and the vendor will sell it for more than what they would get when selling to [a] bookstore. … We’re going to be initiating a profile feature, kind of like eBay’s, so users can rate people anonymously. … Your profile, data and phone number are kept secure because we act as the middleman, the intermediary between sellers and buyers.

D.C.-based or do you have national reach?

We started initially in May with seven cities. This fall we started out with 20 universities. We’re expanding to more universities and more cities in the coming months.

How is it different from the classifieds?

How do you make sure people don’t try to sell things on Zaarly?

We have people going through each post, and if it’s a sale we’ll take it off.

We have algorithms that take things off that are [sales] or illegal, … things with profanity, drugs [and] whatnot.

What is your role within Zaarly?

I run the D.C. and Georgetown franchises. I have a budget, I have a team, I have VPs on my team and people under the VPs that execute things. They call us campus CEOs. I started out running D.C. operations for a while because Zaarly needed someone to fill that role.

The cool thing about this is it allows us to get experience as students. We’re practically running our own version of a small business. We get full autonomy.

We can be as creative as possible.

How well has Zaarly been received within the Georgetown community?

We have a total of close to 500 people signed up at Georgetown. It isn’t too big right now, at 10 percent of the school. … I think if we keep pushing it and get maybe 20 percent of the school signed up people will be proactive in checking it out more. We’ve only been operating at the school level for a semester, so hopefully this semester we can get more people to sign up. We’re looking at starting a private hub just for Georgetown students to increase student security.

Michelle cassidy/The Hoya

HILLTOP CEO Carlos Cheung, middle, is the Georgetown CEO for the online service Zaarly.

6 | the guide | 2.10.12

How are you raising awareness of Zaarly?

We’ve done a big social media push.

The old traditional face-to-face contact has been the best way — tabling, really getting people to check us out, have been most effective. We’ve had a lot of giveaways like free pizza, shot glasses and iPhone cases.

How are you financed?

At first we got funding from Ashton

Kutcher and Demi Moore. We got $1 million from them and others from Silicon Valley … back in February.

With that money we ran a beta test at South by Southwest [a music festival in Austin, Texas, and within 48 hours we had about $10,000 worth of transactions. ... After that we kept pushing with the money that we had.

In October we raised over $14 million from Kleiner Perkins Caufield and Byers, a venture capital firm. We also had Meg Whitman, who’s now the CEO of Hewlett-Packard, join our board. Basically everything has been going crazy.

Some things you didn’t know about Carlos Cheung: His nickname is Zarlos.

During his free time, he enjoys mentoring kids.

He has his own startup called Mindful.

He enjoys wrestling and competed wth his varsity team in high school .

He owns four rice cookers.

lifestyle

Modern Love Stories Are Tech-nically Complicated the 20-something transition BrookeBerger

V

alentine’s Day is around the corner, which is often reason enough to send young romantics into a tizzy about not having someone with whom to spend it, or about trying to figure out what to do for the person with whom they’ve been flirting for weeks. But the truth is, it doesn’t have to be Valentine’s Day for one to realize that the definitions of love, romance and dating are radically different from what they used to be.

For current 20-somethings, issues of love and romance are more ambiguous than they’ve ever been. Because the way we communicate has changed so drastically with the advent of cell phones, texting, Facebook and Skype,

there are higher stakes on relationships than there were before we felt the need to be in constant communication with everyone we know.

Has an older person ever told you that he used to get only five minutes to talk to his girlfriend on the landline each night? Well, those days are long gone, and maybe to our own detriment. Now the worry is not whether we’ll get five minutes on the home phone but whether or not they decided to Facebook chat us while we were both online, or why it’s taking someone so long to respond to the text message we sent five minutes ago. Quite simply, being involved with someone means having to be aware of both his physical and virtual presence at all times. And that’s exhausting.

So it’s worth asking ourselves whether our ability to be in constant communication has made it more taxing than exciting to be interested in someone. Perhaps we hear and see too much of people because of all the

ways we’re now connected. This inevitably takes away some of the mystery and excitement that comes from thinking about — and not being in constant communication with — another person. Instead of looking forward to the time we will get to see or hear from someone, we spend time overanalyzing what someone said (or didn’t say) in a text message.

And then there’s the infamous label.

The crazy demands of constant communication have contributed to the changing definitions couples place on themselves. We’ve all heard them: We’re just hooking up. We’re exclusive. And finally, to call someone your boyfriend or girlfriend has become synonymous with making an enormous life decision, and understandably so. Committing fully to someone now carries with it new demands and higher expectations.

On the other hand, maybe this prevents us from rushing into things that we’re not ready to do. Being a 20-some-

thing nowadays is tiring enough as a single person. We’re trying to do well in school, get an internship or job or just figure out what the next week will bring.

Adding another person into the equation is sometimes a welcome distraction, but it can be an overwhelming one, too.

The good news? Regardless of whether we’re in relationships on Valentine’s Day, the great thing about being a 20-something is that there isn’t a rush to make life-changing decisions about romance yet. Maybe this Valentine’s Day should be less about scrutinizing romantic gestures (or lack thereof) and more about realizing that perhaps the true point of romance is that it shouldn’t have to be this complicated.

Brooke Berger is a junior in the College. She can be reached at berger@ thehoya.com. THE 20-SOMETHING TRANSITION appears every other Friday in the guide.

Georgetown Student Athletes Run in Triathlons VICTORIA NGARE Hoya Staff Writer

E

very day, hundreds of people descend upon Yates Field House and engage in routine forms of exercise. You have your standard treadmill runners, weight trainers, elliptical and Stairmaster gurus and your occasional jacks of all athletic trades. But twice a day, a group of elite athletes makes its way to Yates to train for a grueling race that includes a 1.5-km swim, 40km bike ride and a 10-km run. These people are members of the Georgetown Triathlon Team. Team members Alex Villec (COL ’13) and Caroline Stout (COL ’13) work hard to balance training for triathlon events with a full course load at Georgetown, all while trying to maintain a thriving social life.

With only three members at its inception, the Georgetown Triathlon Team has grown to include 30 competitive triathletes and nearly 80 members on its roster. Each semester, the team competes in anywhere from three to six USA Triathlon-sanctioned events.

Along with their daily workouts, triathletes somehow balance their rigorous academic schedules and active social lives. There are no team-established minima in terms of GPA or course load requirements; each team member must decide how much he can afford to put into the triathlon team without sacrificing other aspects of his George-

town experience. According to Stout, keeping that balance can mean missing a few practices during midterm and finals weeks.

While physically challenging, triathlons are also very much a test of mental stamina. Consequently, triathletes must be prepared to meet both challenges. According to Villec, there are three important things a successful triathlete needs to master. “[You must have] a belief in and commitment to,daily incremental progress, steadfast focus on a set of goals and the ability to prioritize toward those ends and a relatively high pain threshold,” he said.

The motivation to become a tri-athlete is different for each individual.

Some are inspired purely by the physical challenge. For others, being a triathlete gives them a chance to reach that state in which mind and body are fully in sync. Whatever the case may be, most people who aren’t triathletes think that members of this community are essentially crazy. When asked how she would respond to such an accusation, Stout said, “Everyone is fighting a battle. I like to know what mine is.”

This coming April, 14 Hoyas — seven males and seven females — will head to Tuscaloosa, Ala., to represent the Georgetown Triathlon Team in the USA Triathlon Collegiate Nationals.

SARI FRANKEL/THE HOYA

HOYA HEROES Georgetown’s Triathlon Team trains dilligently throughout the school year in order to compete at the highest athletic levels.

Each one of them will face the difficult task of pushing his body and mind beyond a limit most human beings will never know exists — at least not from personal experience. The triathletes will arrive at the racecourse early in the morning to set up transition sta-

tions and to survey the course. Before the race, they will meet other college students as competitors. But from both Villec and Stout’s past experiences, they will leave with new friends who endure the same challenges they do on a daily basis.

2.10.12 | the guide | 7

Listening to Architecture: What Georgetown University Says Today

Andrew Toporoff Special to The Hoya

B

uildings and places tell stories. Their narratives reflect the forces that produced them and the values of the people within.

They articulate ideas, providing a visual manifestation of history and shifting cultures.

However, there is not just one history of Georgetown, but three: a history of the construction, a history of the aesthetics and an unfinished history into which today’s students enter, add meaning and further the tale that began in 1789.

After the opening of the Rafik B. Hariri Building, on the eve of the completion of the new science center and as renovations to New South Hall and construction of a new athletic center approach, it is worth revisiting the narratives that have defined the halls and spires of Georgetown University so far.

Old North If Healy Hall is the face of the university, then Old North is the heart.

From its founding to World War II, Georgetown saw the construction of buildings such as Old North and Healy and more contemporary buildings like Copley and WhiteGravenor, which were built in the Collegiate Gothic style. During these formative years, the university worked to establish a reputation of excellence and symbolic prestige, an effort that was reflected in its architecture.

“When Old North was built, it was surely one of the grandest works in Washington, after the Capitol Building,” Elizabeth Prelinger, a professor in the Georgetown University art department, wrote in an essay titled “From Her Spires and Steeples Beaming: Mission and Image in Bricks and Stone.”

Construction on Old North began in 1795 with a $400 donation and was completed in 1809 thanks to the help of students, administrators and faculty who all aided in the effort. The building, designed in the Georgian style, originally housed multiple facilities in order to address the university’s land and monetary constraints.

General George Washington visited Old

Chris Bien/the hoya

erica wong for the hoya

Healy Hall North after the revolutionary war, becoming the first of 13 U.S. presidents, including Abraham Lincoln, Gerald Ford and Bill Clinton, to speak from its steps. Decades later during the Civil War, enrollment dropped to an all-time low of 17 students, and many of Old North’s rooms were used as temporary hospitals for soldiers.

According to John Glavin, a professor of English and an expert on Georgetown architecture, Old North was replaced as the university’s flagship building when Healy Hall was constructed. Though he says that the university has tried to undo the overpowering effect of Healy through building a grand staircase and redecorating the interior of Old North and refurbishing Dahlgren Quadrangle, the building no longer retains its former prominence.

Glavin lived in Old North as an undergraduate during the building’s time as a dorm and laments that because of the Georgetown Public Policy Institute, Old North no longer plays an important role in student life. “[Old North] is no longer easily accessible to the public. … [It is] not part of a student’s ordinary experience.”

erica wong for the hoya

MAINTAINING A LEGACY Old North, one of the oldest buildings on campus, opened its doors in 1795 and was visited by notable figures like Washington and Clinton.

Few buildings are as synonymous with American higher education as Healy Hall.

The story of Healy can be traced back to University President Patrick Healy, S.J., who served as the first African-American president of a predominately white college from 1873 to 1882. Healy designed the building to face the Capitol and to reflect the Jesuit foundation and presence at the university. The construction of Healy Hall, more than any other building, epitomizes the university’s quest to establish itself.

“Healy is announcing that Georgetown is, or aspires at least to be, a university in the capitol city in the United States. It squarely belongs here, and it is very much a part of the culture of the capitol of the United States,” Georgetown historian Fr. Emmet Curran, S.J., says.

Using bluestone from a Virginia quarry, construction on Healy Hall began in December of 1877. The grand building was designed to house classrooms, offices, a library, a student dormitory and an assembly hall. According to Curran, the architects who designed Healy, J.L. Smithmeyer and Paul J. Pelz, went on to work on the Library of Congress and the Canadian Parliament. The exterior of Healy was completed by 1879, but the interior wasn’t finished for another 20 years.

A constant lack of financial support threatened construction throughout its duration, and as the landmark went up, monetary battles sapped President Healy’s health.

“Patrick Healy broke his health trying to raise the more than $400,000 that it cost. He never came close to raising that,” Curran says.

The debt that the university incurred from the construction also contributed to Georgetown’s consistent financial misfortunes. “[Healy’s] successor, [Fr. James A. Doonan, S.J.], was left with enormous debt, which he paid off by selling off some property. … There was a debt for decades,”

erica wong for the hoya

erica wong for the hoya

The Jesuit Cemetery Curran said.

Though Healy lived into the next century, he never recovered from the stress, as if he had transposed his soul into his grand achievement.

“Healy Hall in many ways physically embodies the soul of the school. Its grandeur signaled a new era in both the architectural and the general history of Georgetown, and it has become a visual symbol of the campus and a material embodiment of the ideals of the college,” Prelinger wrote.

By his death in 1910, Healy was already hailed as “the second founder of Georgetown.”

Today, Healy Hall is a National Historical Landmark and still the flagship building of the university. It now houses Gaston Hall, Riggs Library and the Philodemic Room along with classrooms and the office of the university president.

From the clock tower that paces the day to the mosaic seal that affirms students’ reverence for Georgetown, Healy Hall, though not the first building, is the grandest one.

Not all centers of Georgetown history reside within the walls of buildings, and beyond the towering heights of Healy and the elegance of Old North lies the Jesuit cemetery, the burial ground of 350 Jesuit priests.

Fr. Ryan Maher, S.J., associate dean of Georgetown College, said he has fond memories of the cemetery from his time as an undergraduate.

“Even then, and even more now, I loved it,” he said. “I loved it. I think it is because of the Catholic instinct that the dead are not dead.”

University records indicate that on Aug. 16, 1808, the burial of Father Thomas Kelly near the southeast corner of Healy Hall marked the first grave in the cemetery. In 1854, the cemetery was moved to its current

Chris Bien/the hoya

Looking Towards the Future location next to the Intercultural Center in order to accommodate the construction of Maguire Hall.

Today, the cemetery remains exclusive to Jesuits and is the final resting place of 16 university presidents.

Even for those who do not share his Catholic imagination, Father Maher recommends the cemetery as a place of contemplation.

“Each gravestone represents a life in service to people and to Georgetown. … It is the perfect place to be quiet and ask as our starting point, ‘What is the point of this university?’” Maher said.

As a dean, he enjoys the cemetery as a place to pray, visits the Jesuits who were most significant in his life and reflects on the idea that we build on what we have inherited.

After World War II, the university entered a new phase: expansionism. “[This period] was characterized by the functional, expedient building as Georgetown rapidly expanded the hospital facilities and increased student housing to provide for veterans in search of a college education and the rising number of women on campus,” Prelinger wrote.

At this time of rapid expansion, the university prioritized efficiency, both of speed and cost, in order to accommodate the changing campus. Along with the growth of the student body, the 1950s and 1960s saw a boom in scientific and research fields.

The combination of a growing student body and research capabilities saw a rise of over a dozen new buildings on campus, including McDonough Arena (1951), New South (1959), Harbin Hall (1965), Lauinger Library (1970), with its much-criticized Brutalism architecture, Villages A through C (1980 – 1986) and the Intercultural Center (1982).

The rapid expansion of the campus sacrificed aesthetic in order to increase cost and building efficiency.

“New South obviously represents the

cheapest kind of construction available,” Prelinger wrote. “Harbin Hall was Georgetown’s first high-rise dormitory, reflecting the contemporary hegemony of the skyscraper in American culture. … The building was evidently thought to be sensible in terms of space-saving.”

The three narratives of Healy Hall, Old North and the Jesuit cemetery hardly begin to scratch the surface of Georgetown’s storied tradition, and even so, they are still in flux.

With the opening of a new business school, the ongoing construction of a new science center and a new athletic facility next on the list, new narratives continue to emerge.

Prelinger’s essay on Georgetown’s architecture includes the letter William Gaston, Georgetown’s first student, wrote to his mother after visiting the school for the first time. Gaston remarks, “A more beautiful situation than this in which the [Georgetown] College is, could not be imagined. … Everything that could make it either beautiful or useful, it stands as if it were made on purpose for the erecting of some building.”

Chris Bien/the hoya hansky santos/the hoya

erica wong for the hoya

HILLTOP: A HISTORY Healy Hall, left, completed in 1879, is the home of Riggs Library, Gaston Hall and the Bioethics Library.

erica wong for the hoya

Traditional aesthetics The Georgetown Observatory, left, and a spiral staircase in Riggs Library, right, exemplify the elegance of new constructions during the 1800s.

food&drink Chipotle Crushes in Battle of the Burritos Comparison of Two M Street Staples steven piccione Hoya Staff Writer

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n the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson wrote: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.” However, I am almost certain that Jefferson was not thinking about Mexican restaurants. For years, M Street has played the role of battlefield between two contenders from south of the border: Qdoba and Chipotle. Although on the surface, this rivalry seems to be another Pepsi-Coke, Burger King-McDonald’s or even Georgetown-George Washington (this is where you laugh), in actuality, one’s palatable preference represents a dietary dilemma of gastronomical proportions. Not until the Georgetown community as a whole accepts Chipotle as the superior restaurant will sanity resume its presence at

37th and O Streets. In order to show the weak of heart and stomach the true path to burrito nirvana, I shall delve into details of my experiences at both establishments, examining the very fabricos of these “Texican” eateries.

Like the hundreds of misguided souls on campus, I too headed to M Street two weeks ago to partake in the discounted comida in order to see what this hokey pokey was all about, but unlike the diners in Qdoba, I was undercover. After waiting in line for three-and-a-half centuries, I finally arrived at the counter and ordered a steak burrito with sour cream, cheese, corn salsa and lettuce.

After paying a few hard-earned dollars for this newborn baby-sized burrito, I was able to secure a seat near the

Flickr.com

MORE LIKE “QU-DON’T-BA” Qdoba, the inferior Mexican Grill, cannot match the culinary delights of its M St. counterpart.

10 | the guide | 2.10.12

Flickr.com

MEXICAN MAGIC Chipotle, king of burritos, serves up hardy and delicious meals for students on a budget. window. I like to watch people watch me eat. I tore off some foil and took a large bite. My initial reaction: wet. Talk about piso mojado. Why is my burrito wet? I excused this disturbing reaction and continued to critique my culinary prey. The more I ate, the more I realized that there was something missing: flavor. How is it that grilled steak and the like could be rendered tasteless, especially to a man with an acute sense of taste? I was confused, distraught, underwhelmed and scared.

Being the dedicated cilantro scholar that I am, one week later I decided to continue my research. It was seven o’clock, high time for high burrito enthusiasts flocking to M Street for some more of that bargain bread. Unlike the masses, however, I walked past Qdoba and entered Chipotle. Instantly, it hit me. I discovered the one good thing about “half-off Qdoba”: half the line at Chipotle. Unlike the compañero down the street, I didn’t lose years of my life waiting in line for the Henry Ford of culinary assembly lines to ready themselves for my order. To maintain a platform to compare the two restaurants, I ordered the same thing as I did at Qdoba. Fun fact: You pay full price one more day a week at Chipotle, but you get a free fountain drink with your GOCard seven more days a week than at Qdoba.

I found a seat in a booth, ripped off a piece of foil and attacked. Burrito bliss. The tortilla was warm, the corn was incredibly sweet — or can that savory nectar be from the meat? — the lettuce was crispy, and don’t get me started on the steak. It was succulent

and spicy. Although the rice was salty, it was balanced by the luscious sour cream. I sat there enjoying every bite in a burrito-induced trance, thinking about the preposterous idea that Qdoba could be better than Chipotle.

Are those who believe Qdoba to be the better restaurant doing so because they’ve never been to Chipotle? Are they just angry that they haven’t been accepted into the prestigious Chipotle community that so many seek to join? Or are they simply delusional?

I understand that many students are on a tight budget, and trust me, this Guide Editor is not rolling around in any type of dough, but I can’t seem to buy into this belief that Chipotle is in second place. One of the main arguments that I’ve heard on the streets is, “Steven, Qdoba has queso!” Well folks, I looked into this “queso,” and honestly, it’s nothing more than glorified Cheese Whiz.

At the end of the day, is this contest between two pseudo-Mexican restaurants worth the hassle of argument? With all of the bleak economic conditions, international conflicts and structural flaws in our society and government, is it in good taste to discuss the Battle of the Burrito?

Yes. People need to understand that if they truly believe that Qdoba is better than Chipotle, then they should have declined their acceptance into Georgetown University and chosen the more fitting route of living at home in their mother’s basement, hoping that one day they might figure out why the moon revolves around the Earth. My opinion is rough, but so is life.

food&drink

Rocklands BBQ Rocks ELIZABETH GARBITELLI Special to The Hoya

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nce upon a college education, a man named John Snedden grilled up whole pigs for his frat house. Snedden went on to develop his own blend of sauces and opened up a small store in 1990.

Twenty-two years later, employees at Rocklands Barbeque still are barbecueing like it’s the first day the restaurant opened, and trust me, this Glover Park barbeque joint is well worth the walk.

The main event at Rocklands is the flame-grilled ribs — your choice of baby-back pork, spare-rib and even barbequed beef ribs. Not a rib fan?

Order up some sauce-slathered pulled chicken or chopped pork on a soft hamburger bun instead. Ribs intimidate me, so I opted for the barbeque pulled chicken sandwich. Despite the restaurant’s booming business, it is important to note that Rocklands’seating space is sparse. Bump elbows while you wait and snag a spot at the standing tables if you can, but fear not if your fellow barbeque afficionados don’t budge — Rocklands would be perfect for a takeaway picnic at one of Glover Park’s nearby green spaces. Fingers crossed, we’ll have some more days in the high 60s before spring officially starts, so you can actually do that with a group of fellow Hoyas.

Rocklands is one step ahead of you with platters and by-the-pound servings that will satisfy bigger groups.

For the adventurous, there’s also the Rocklands Pearl, which, according to the menu, is a layered serving of macaroni and cheese, barbeque baked beans, chopped pork and Rocklands’ Barbeque Sauce, served “stacked for easy eating.” For such a big shebang, it comes to $6.49, less than a Wisey’s wrap.

Not Always Easy as Pie market to table

 ROCKLANDS BBQ 2418 Wisconsin Ave. NW Washington, D.C. cuisine: BBQ price: $$$ Oh, and don’t miss the sides. Throw out your diet plans and go hog-wild (no pun intended). They’ve got a slew of cozy Southern accompaniments for your meaty entree — baked beans, collard greens, mashed potatoes, fried okra, Texas corn pudding and coleslaw. We also tried the macaroni and cheese, which put Kraft to shame and tasted even better with a sprinkle of cayenne pepper on top. While you eat your weight in ribs and sides, cool off in Southern fashion with a tall order of the signature sweet tea or some oldfashioned root beer.

Bottles of diverse barbeque sauces line the left wall of this rib shop so you can pick up some barbeque magic to bring home for later. The only complaint I have about this establishment was a personal one — the sauce could have packed a little more heat, but I run on the very extreme spicy side of the spectrum, so take that with a grain of cayenne.

This might be the only place to get your barbeque fix before you can fire up your own home set, but believe it or not, you might not need your own grill after you get hooked on Rocklands’ own.

ROCKLANDS.COM

QUEUING UP FOR BARBEQUE Rocklands is a popular location in Glover Park for its barbeque; unfortunately, this bustling business makes for big crowds.

BethanyImondi

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ny day my dad makes pie at home is a day to celebrate — not because there is something going on, but simply because my dad is channeling his inner housewife and baking a dessert worth skipping dinner to enjoy. Whenever he does bake, my dad tends to lean toward the classic all-American apple pie.

As much as I love to spend time in the kitchen and become covered in flour, I prefer to leave the piemaking to my dad. Although I have experimented with many different and difficult recipes, such as beef Bourguignon and handmade gnocchi, something about making pie scares me. More specifically, making pie crusts scares me. Considering that the cookbooks I rely on for my baking recipes include Mastering the Art of French Cooking and The Joy of Cooking, I consider it to be sacrilegious for me to use a premade crust when following a recipe from one of the greats like Julia Child.

Unlike cooking, baking is all about precision. Ingredients must be carefully measured to ensure accurate recipes. Temperature is also critical for the ingredients; for example, adding eggs to a bowl of still-warm

melted chocolate could produce scrambled eggs. Even the state of matter of the ingredients is important — whenever butter is included in a recipe, it is often identified as a chilled or room-temperature solid or, alternatively, melted into a liquid. All of these things matter when making a pie crust.

For me, my fear of making pie comes from the fear of screwing up the crust. Making pie dough from scratch typically requires combining the dry ingredients with very cold butter and then pulsing them together with ice water until the dough comes together. While it doesn’t appear that difficult on paper, I have mentally psyched myself out about it, even though pie is one of my favorite desserts. One of the beautiful things about pie is that no matter what time of year it is, there is an ingredient suitable for a delicious dessert. During the winter months, the produce selection is somewhat limited, but with so many bananas available at Leo’s, this pie is perfect. Even though I am still afraid of pie crusts, the decadence of this creamy concoction makes me forget that I cheated with the crust, at least for a few bites.

Bethany Imondi is a junior in the College. She can be reached at imondi@ thehoya.com. MARKET TO TABLE appears every other Friday in the guide.

bananapuddingpie INGREDIENTS

1 (nine-inch) pie crust, baked 3/4 cup white sugar 1/3 cup all-purpose flour 1/4 teaspoon salt 2 cups milk

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

3 egg yolks, beaten 2 tablespoons butter 1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract 4 bananas, sliced Chocolate syrup

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a saucepan on medium heat, combine the sugar, flour and salt. Slowly add milk. Stir constantly until the mixture is bubbly. Continue stirring and cook for about two more minutes and then remove from burner.

Stir a small quantity of the hot mixture into the beaten egg yolks, then add egg yolk mixture to the rest of the hot mixture.

Return to heat and cook for 2 more minutes; remember to keep stirringhing has a smooth butter and vanilla. Remove the mixture from the stove; add butter and vanilla. Stir until the whole thing has a smooth consistency.

Bake for 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool. Drizzle with chocolate syrup. Chill for at least one hour before serving.

2.10.12 | the guide | 11

art&culture photoessay Photo Journeys: Taking a Step Back

It wasn’t until my last year of high school that I realized my time at home in Shanghai was quickly running out. With this in mind, I began to take what I call “photo journeys.” While not as adventurous as they may sound, my journeys allowed me to explore some of the more hidden aspects of my surroundings with nothing more than a metro card, solid walking shoes and a camera.

The results were more than decent pictures — they led to a deeper connection with, and understanding of, a city that I came to love even more. Shanghai is certainly not recognized for its walls, yet they possess a unique beauty that I came to discover and capture by observation. Looking with a photographic eye, seemingly random aspects of a building, an alleyway or a shop front came to life .

Photography is not the only avenue to achieve this sort of introspection and attachment. So why not take some time to reflect upon what it is about this place that brings out who you are and what makes your experience stand out among others?

Katrina Yeh

would you like to be featured in the next photo essay? email guide@thehoya.com

12 | the guide | 2.10.12

art&culture

Shining Light on A Revolution Margaret viator Special to The Hoya

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evolution.

Dismantlement. Recovery. Election.

This is the way much of the world has viewed the political upheaval in the Middle East, particularly in Egypt: like a never-ending newsreel, one event after another. However, the fragile situation in Egypt is very real, vibrant and eerie at the same time. It is depicted with honesty in Coerte Voorhees’ (COL ’12) recent short documentary, Walking with the Egyptians.

Voorhees originally came up with the idea for the documentary during his independent study last semester. “This was really my first experience in making documentaries,” he said. “I have more experience with narrative films, but making this film was truly exciting. I got to work with a variety of perspectives.”

This variety of perspectives included those from some of Georgetown’s own experts, such as John Esposito, founding director of the Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding, John Voll, Islamic history professor and associate director of the bin Talal Center, and Natalie Khazaal, professor of Arabic and Islamic studies, who all contributed to the film.

“Here at Georgetown, we have such an opportunity to be surrounded by the world’s experts.

They are the number-one consultants on what’s going on over there. They give a very up-to-date analysis. Doing that was really exciting,” Voorhees said. “It makes my job really easy.”

The documentary focuses in some ways on the revolution’s seemingly fluid motion while simultaneously negating that very aspect of the upheaval. The opening credits spill over various Egyptian landscapes and hide among cars travelling down the highway.

Minutes into the film, shots of various monuments in Egypt fade into D.C.’s Washington Monument and then our very own Healy Hall, where interviews with Middle East experts first appear.

The film also focuses heavily on Jonathan Wright, former Reuters Cairo bureau chief, and prominent Egyptian actor Karim Kassem, whom Voorhees met and befriended during a summer film program at University of Southern California.

An active participant in the Egyptian revolution, Kassem knows what the Egyptian youth want. A vivid clip in the documentary depicts a police attack against him.

Even more prominent than the obvious military presence displayed throughout the film is the degeneration of Cairo into abandoned historical monuments and mountainous piles of trash on the side of the highway.

“I originally went to Egypt when I was 11 years old. At that time, I was completely mesmerized and in awe. When I went back this time, I was a Georgetown student, and my eyes were … open in a different way. I noticed the tremendous poverty, the lack of tourists and the military presence more than anything,” Voorhees said.

One of the most defining and horrifying moments of his trip was when he and his father were nearly kidnapped from their taxi en route to see the ancient pyramids. Luckily, they escaped and returned to the United States in order to edit the film and turn it in on time.

The short documentary will likely screen twice this semester, once at an event sponsored by the bin Talal Center, the second at Georgetown Film & Music Festival.

Perhaps the most noticeable aspect of the film is its incredible raw footage, which Voorhees says was a result of the necessary stealth involved in filming Egypt. A year after the revolution, the tourism industry has completely flattened, and there is still an unspoken aversion to foreigners during such a fragile time.

“I was the only American around,” Voorhees said. “Most of the time, I felt like a total outsider.”

Anything But a Massacre alex sanchez Hoya Staff Writer

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n Friday, Feb. 3, the Georgetown Chimes kicked off the 39th annual Cherry Tree Massacre. Since its inception in 1974, the event has grown to become the largest a cappella festival of its kind on the East Coast and one of the Georgetown campus’ most beloved traditions. Every February, the Chimes host Georgetown’s favorite a cappella groups as well as many others from across the country. This year’s event will feature such favorites as the GraceNotes, Saxatones and Phantoms, as well as groups from other East Coast universities, including Princeton, the University of Pennsylvania and Villanova.

The Chimes began the second show of this year’s Cherry Tree Massacre with a strong and light-hearted opening performance which included a song addressed to Georgetown’s four undergraduate schools.

In it, the group poked fun at the stereotypes of the students from each of them, from the SFS “nerd” to the MSB “bro” to the student in the College who changes his major twice a week, and they conveniently forgot to address the NHS until they had nearly finished.

After the host group’s cheeky introduction, the GraceNotes performed. This year, the university’s only all-female a cappella group — and co-host of Georgetown’s fall a cappella concert, the D.C. A Cappella Festival (DCAF) — is headed by Victoria Corless (COL ’13), who began the group’s performance with a mellow rendition of Rihanna’s “We Found Love.” Corless’ performance was followed by a soulful “Come Round Soon” by Faith Otey (COL ’15) and a comical take on TLC’s 1999 hit, “No Scrubs”

by Diana Kolar (MSB ’12).

Georgetown’s premiere all-female a cappella group was then followed by its favorite all-male group, the Capitol G’s, whose performance included solos from Marco Mocchetti (MSB ’12), Jack Hale (COL ’11) and Juan Ricafort (SFS ’11), as well as a hysterical tribute to the underappreciated women of America with a medley of MIKA’s “Big Girl (You are Beautiful),” Queen’s “Fat Bottomed Girls,” Bubba Sparxxx’s “Miss New Booty” and “Baby Got Back.” The Capitol G’s website touts that the group’s recipe for a successful performance includes “powerful vocals, engaging stage presence, worldrenowned dance moves, and a touch of college humor.” None of these ingredients was in short supply during the group’s time onstage, and each contributed to a riotous performance.

The Saxatones, Georgetown’s “newest and hottest” co-ed a cappella group then took the stage with spirited renditions of contemporary hit songs such as David Guet-

chris bien /the hoya

ROCKAPELLA Ryan Fuchs (COL ‘12) sings out with the Saxatones. ta’s “Without You” — performed by Ryan Fuchs (COL ’12) and Luke Connor (MSB ’12) — and Paramore’s “Misery Business,” sung

by Megan Hickey (COL ’12). The standout moment in the group’s performance was undoubtedly Caroline Holkeboer’s (COL ’12) rendition of The Band Perry’s “If I Die Young,” which she delivered with such earnest enthusiasm and emotion that single handedly stole the show.

Following the Saxatones’ strong performance, the GW Vibes from The George Washington University tackled Mumford & Sons’ “Awake My Soul.” The GW Vibes were the only visiting a cappella group who performed at the Feb. 4 show; however, upcoming groups such as the John Hopkins Octopodes and the UNC Loreleis will be performing at the Feb. 11 and Feb. 25 shows, respectively.

Finally, The Chimes returned to the stage to conclude the show with a farewell song delivered by the group’s six senior members — Matthew Gorey (COL ’12), Tony Freeman (SFS ’12), Alex Newton (SFS ’12), Garrett Schuman (COL ’12), Justin McCarthy (COL ’12) and Brian White (MSB ’12) — as well as a spirited performance of Georgetown’s fight song for which the group invited alumni in the audience to join them onstage.

Two shows are taking place in the coming weeks, the first on Feb. 11 and the second on Feb. 25. Tickets are $10 if purchased in Red Square or $12 if purchased either online at georgetownchimes.org/cherrytree-massacre/ or at the door. Cherry Tree Massacre is one of Georgetown’s most anticipated events of the year for a reason, so come take part in this nearly 40-year-old campus tradition.

2.10.12 | the guide | 13

entertainment Friends Sans Benefits just like Ron and Kim on “Kim Possible” and Freddie and Sam on “iCarly” (did I just lose my limited street cred by listing Disney and Nickelodeon shows?).

And of course, there’s Corey and TopanVictoriaEdel ga from “Boy Meets World.”

Movies are the same. In Breakfast ’m a big fan of romantic comedies, at Tiffany’s, Holly thinks she and Paul but it’s difficult to find ones that are just friends. Luke and Leia have aren’t horrible. When Harry Met awkward sexual tension until they Sally comes as close to perfection as realize they’re related, Pepper Potts is this genre will ever come. The con- more than Tony Stark’s assistant in cept doesn’t sound great: Billy Crystal Iron Man and Ashton Kutcher and Jen(Harry) stars in a romantic comedy in nifer Garner are best friends who fall in which he isn’t in love with Meg Ryan love in the horrible Valentine’s Day. It’s (Sally), and then he is. There’s no Nich- the oldest, most tired cliche, and yet it olas Sparks-style melodrama and no comes up over and over again. Doesn’t Katherine Heigl-esque faux clumsiness. that lend it some truth?

It’s something my mom likes to tell Crystal and Ryan shine on screen, bringing both the humor and romance me when I complain about boys: “Your that every romcom ought to have. I father and I were friends before we datnever thought Billy Crystal could make ed.” OK, but does that mean I can’t have any platonic me swoon, but relationships at the end of the with straight movie, when he It’s the oldest, most tired men without declares his love, cliche, and yet it comes having it turn saying, “I came up over and over again. into “The One here tonight beWhere Victocause when you Doesn’t that lend it some ria’s Friend is realize you want truth?

Awkwardly to spend the rest in Love with of your life with Her”? somebody, you Then, of course, there’s the flipside want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible,” I can’t to this declaration: I could fear that my help it. Yet, that’s not the most memo- male friends want to get with me (and, to be honest, I’m about 99 percent sure rable line in the movie, not even close.

Much more memorable is Harry’s this isn’t true), but I could think that insight that “men and women can’t this is awesome, that it is inevitable that be friends because the sex part always my friendships will bloom into more. I gets in the way.” Sally freaks out, but could spend all my time pining after the movie only confirms it — Harry and boys who don’t love me now, assured Sally can’t be friends, so they fall in love. by Billy Crystal that they soon will.

This is obviously a very stupid apAt first, Harry’s claim seems very dated. I, like Sally, immediately want to say proach, but one that I have embarrassthat men and women can be friends, ingly fallen into myself more times but Harry’s whole point is that we than I’m proud of. I recommend not don’t realize our male friends’ desires. interpreting When Harry Met Sally I can never know the truth of this state- this way. If you do, expect to misinterment. I can never ask my friends about pret platonic texts, the reasons why it and expect an honest answer. So I’ll your crush agreed to get dinner with you and everything he’s ever said while look to the next best place: television.

Television completely believes Har- watching a basketball game.

So, this Valentine’s Day, watch When ry’s theorem. On “Friends,” Ross, Rachel, Monica and Chandler all fall in Harry Met Sally, but not with your love. On “How I Met Your Mother,” Rob- friends of the opposite sex, because it in, Ted and Barney form an awkward will be awkward, and unrequited love love triangle, as do Britta, Annie and sucks for everyone.

Jeff on “Community.” The cast of “Glee” shuffles partners, and Pam thought Victoria Edel is a sophomore in the ColJim was just her friend on “The Office.” lege. She can be reached at edel@theGordo and Lizzie were obviously going hoya.com. GIRL MEETS WORLD appears to end up together on “Lizzie McGuire,” every other Friday in the guide.

girl meets world

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14 | the guide | 2.10.12

No Risks in ‘Safe House’ JEREMY TRAMER Hoya Staff Writer

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he tagline on the poster for Safe break through into the backseat midway House is “No One is Safe.” And through the ensuing car chase. Frost inindeed, it’s true. Denzel Washing- explicably attempts to choke out Weston ton’s Tobin Frost and Ryan Reynolds’ as he drives, despite the fact that they Matt Weston, along with a grab bag of are zooming through city traffic at 50 anonymous henchman, spend most of miles per hour. Weston completely gives Safe House’s two hours blazing a trail of up guiding the car in favor of fighting off destruction through Cape Town, appar- strangulation, and yet they miraculously ently hell-bent on killing as many inno- survive (but not before causing at least a dozen cars to crash at high speeds). Even cent civilians as they can.

This is a shame because the film’s best for an action movie, this required a pretmoments are the brief conversations be- ty extreme suspension of disbelief. tween Frost and Weston. Frost is a former The rest of the movie consists of CIA agent who was one of America’s top Weston continually losing and recapoperatives until he went rogue nine years turing Frost, all the while pursued by ago. He has 14 different identities and is ruthless killers who have no problem now wanted in 36 countries on four conti- gunning down civilians in their quest nents. Weston, meanwhile, is a young CIA to steal the chip from Frost. The action employee who has spent his last year as scenes are nothing special, and there is a the “housekeeper” of bit too much shaky, a secret government close-up camera safe house in Cape work during fights, Town, which mostly without ever pullentails a lot of sitting ing out to show the around. He craves an wider scene. opportunity to prove So what is on this himself, so that he chip? Frustratingly, SAFE HOUSE can earn a transfer we never really find to an embassy in Euout. We are only starring: Denzel Washington, rope. Typical of an told that it conRyan Reynolds action movie, Safe tains information did you know?: Zac Efron was House is very light about “corruption” considered for the role of Weston. on character develin the intelligence opment, and no one community, and other than these two that Frost plans to has any sort of back story whatsoever. sell it for a hefty fee. Well, I don’t want Frost shows up in Cape Town to buy to get into a whole Wikileaks debate, but a mysterious microchip from a British can you really blame the CIA for pulling guy, and within minutes, he has been out all the stops in order to stop sometracked down by a team of assassins one from leaking massive amounts of of unknown origin who want the chip highly classified intelligence, even if it for themselves. Frost finds himself sur- does detail “corruption?” Isn’t corruprounded, and in his desperation, he tion the whole point of intelligence? sees the American Consulate down the When Weston finally gets ahold of the street and decides to make a break for chip and leaks it to the world, we don’t it. He doesn’t run there, mind you. De- have enough information to make a spite constantly being hunted through- judgment on whether this was the right out the film, we never once see him thing for him to do. run. He just walks briskly, at least once The best scenes in the film were the to his own detriment when those chas- ones in which Frost and Weston were ing him run and catch up. Was this in alone and Frost was attempting to get Washington’s contract or something? It inside Weston’s head. The dynamic bedoesn’t make much sense. tween them was too often interrupted Frost is taken to the safe house, where by violence, when a bit more exploraWeston finally gets a taste of action when tion of it could’ve set Safe House apart the team of assassins comes to grab him. from the countless other action movies It is Weston’s job to protect his house- that don’t bother to create compelling guests, so he escapes with Frost and characters. Unfortunately, Safe House they commandeer a car. Weston forces ends up as little more than a run-of-theFrost into the trunk, only to have Frost mill action movie.

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entertainment

Indie Rockers Descend From the Top WIL CURIEL Hoya Staff Writer

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he indie band from Athens, Ga., of Montreal, has made a name for itself by mixing esoteric chamber pop with personal and introspective lyrics. However, on the band’s latest work, Paralytic Stalks, it has gone too far, leaving an album that confuses and disap-

COURTESY POLYVINYL RECORDS

set by its first song. “Spiteful Intervenpoints more than it provokes.

Paralytic Stalks opens with “Gelid As- tion” spirals through drum fills, piano cent,” which sadly proves to be one of riffs and a backup chorus that amount the better songs on the album. It begins to little more than a failed attempt at pessimistic and with frontman Kevanalytical pyschin Barnes’ vocals, pop. One of the bubbling up from main downfalls underneath layers of Paralytic Stalks of heavy reverberation, followed by an is a penchant for explosion of sound academic yet nonthat feels like the sensical lyricism.

PARALYTIC STALKS first gulp of air after Indie rock argua few panicked minably gained much artist: of Montreal utes underwater. of its success from song to download: “Gelid Ascent” “Gelid Ascent” mimsongs with archaic ics the giants of ’60s and obscure writsong to skip: “Authentic Pyrric and ’70s prog-rock ing that harkened Remission” with soaring guitars back to the Victoand troubling synth rian era. Unfortuchords that match nately, of Montreal the unease in Barnes’ lyrics. misses the mark this time, instead writFor the most part, the rest of the album ing lyrics that might as well be from the is unable to keep up with the standard journal of an angst-ridden — albeit brainy



newreleases “Wowowow”

Cursive // I Am Gemini

ABBY REUTZEL Hoya Staff Writer

Rock veterans Cursive remain true to their unique sound in “Wowowow,” a track that goes from upbeat pop to slow and thoughtful in a matter of seconds.

“Lafaye”

“Bruises”

Band of Skulls // Sweet Sour

SADDLE CREEK



— teenager.

Throughout the album, the listener plays psychoanalyst to Barnes’ wandering descriptions of trust issues, paranoia and estrangement from his parents. Using techniques like call and response falsetto harmonies that sound similar to Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody,” of Montreal attempts to delve into the dark side of the human psyche, only to bounce to something completely different in a display of scatter-brained stream of consciousness that bypasses creativity completely.

The last four tracks of the album are excruciating. Tortuous guitar solos drag on only to be cut off without resolution, and the songs each clock in at upwards of seven minutes, making for a baffling 37 minutes of noise. Sadly, Barnes’ attempts at intimate and dark music become frustrating and signal that it may be time for of Montreal to move on from the sound for which they have become so well known.

School of Seven Bells // Ghostory

VAGRANT

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The newest track from these British rockers starts slow and unassuming, but soon enough, the band’s powerful sound comes through and the track remains steady. It’s a good rock tune but nothing special.

VAGRANT

 This trio’s newest single is ethereal and absolutely beautiful. Not only are Alejandra Deheza’s vocals light and airy, but they are wonderfully accompanied by their signature abstract lyrics.

2.10.12 | the guide | 15

best bets

friday Get a taste of international music at the Kennedy Center as Tatsuya Nakatani and his percussion ensemble perform on the Millennium Stage. The Nakatani Gong Orchestra will capture you with its haunting melodies.

Get ready for a gong-tastic experience that will be sure to please and broaden your cultural horizons.

Where: Kennedy Center, 2700 F St. NW When: Friday, 6 p.m.

Info: (202) 467-4600 Price: Free Metro: Foggy Bottom-GWU (Blue and Orange lines)

country wanderings

saturday Even if you don’t have a sweetheart by Valentine’s Day, you can still take part in the holiday by running for charity … in your undergarments. All donations and registration fees for Cupid’s Undie Run will go to the Children’s Tumor Foundation. Festivities for those 21 and over will precede and follow the race, which is a 1.1-mile lap down Pennsylvania Avenue.

Where: The Pour House, 319 Pennsylvania Ave. SE When: Saturday, 12 p.m.

Info: (202) 546-1001 Price: $30 Metro: Capitol South (Blue and Orange lines)

Allie Doughty and Jane Xie Special to The Hoya

-web leslie

sunday Ever feel like you need to get into the city more? Take a trip to the National Building Museum and catch the Unbuilt Washington exhibit. Whether you know D.C. well or not at all, these unrealized architectural designs will give you a new perspective and appreciation of the city. Can you imagine having a pyramid-shaped Lincoln Memorial?

Where: National Building Museum, 401 F St. NW When: Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Info: (202) 272-2448 Price: $5 Metro: Judiciary Square (Red line) and Gallery Place-Chinatown (Red, Green and Yellow lines)