The Hoya Guide: March 30, 2012

the guide

the weekly magazine for life on the hilltop

friday, march 30, 2012

A� � C��������� Balancing Catholic Identity With Interfaith Community

The Artistic Side of Video Games

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A Fad Heats Up: Hookah on the Lawn

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Jed Feiman’s Take on College Life

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

red square roundup // hide & seek

hookah // center stage

estadio // lebanese tavern

the art of video games // julien isaacs

girl meets world // thEEsatisfaction

nextissue

8

THE STATIONS OF THE CROSS

In the 1990s, one student led the charge to revive religious symbolism on campus and put the university to the test. Crucifixes in the classroom are a common sight at Catholic universities.

Yet at Georgetown, they have a complex history, and the battle over their presence reveals tensions over Catholics identity as a whole. Religious symbols on campus can be used to trace Georgetown’s evolving faith community, from the Second Vatican Council through the emergence of an interfaith dialogue and, most recently, the politics of secularism.

SARI FRANKEL/THE HOYA

COVER PHOTO BY SARI FRANKEL

soundbite

GEORGETOWN SPECIALITIES FOOD & DRINK

In next week’s the guide, find out about some of the best food in Georgetown in our special issue. From pizza lovers to sweet tooths and vegetarians to carnivores, we’ve inclluded the most delicious and wallet-friendly delicacies for you to try.

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 Mairead Reilly, Contributing 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

girl meets world

There’s also no bad time for a hug. When you see your crush, when you see your best friend, when someone says something particularly witty, it’s time for a hug.

VictoriaEdel

omglol :) :| :( :P

Transformations — Movie star and model Megan Fox is pregnant, which will surely help in the fight against ugly babies.

Glitter on the Floor — Special editions of The Flaming Lips’ new album will come literally with a sample of Ke$ha’s blood. We’re upset that her blood isn’t just glitter.

Cowabunga — Michael Bay is producing a “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” movie titled Ninja Turtles. Maybe he’ll name the turtles after Disney Stars.



Free the Whales — An animal rights activist covered Kim Kardashian in flour because of her furs. Somehow this isn’t the worst thing to happen to her this year.

saywhat?

“

Everything about Rio makes you want to dance. I’m just so thankful my brother isn’t here, because he might do it, and that would not be cool.

- Prince Harry on his trip to Brazil

hilltop

redsquareroundup abissa 2012

march31

spring kickoff concert

Lohrfink Auditorium 7:30 p.m.

Free

McDonough Gymnasium 9 p.m. $20 with GoCard

Originally a West African music and dance festival, Abissa has found its way to the Hilltop.

Join the African Society of Georgetown this weekend for a celebration of African culture which will include a performance showcase and fashion show.

Get ready to feel young, wild and free with GPB as they bring this season’s most soughtafter rapper to our very own McDonough Gym. Let the week blow over you while you dance your homework away with Wiz Khalifa this Friday night.

GU Nomadic Theater

march31

march30

reslife laser tag

GPB

luau ‘til the world ends

UltraZone Laser Tag 8 p.m. $5 for students

april1

ICC Auditorium 3 p.m. $12 in advance, $15 at the door

For only $5, you can relive your favorite middle school activity this weekend: Lazer tag.

Head down to UltraZone Laser Tag to legally shoot at your friends and wreak havoc in the dark. Nothing could be better.

Don’t miss out on the Hawaii Club’s largest luau on the East Coast. Bring a little Hawaiian flavor into your life for a fantastic cultural experience of Pacific food and dance.

Goodbye midterms, aloha Georgetown. playlasertag.com

hide&seek hide&seek

hawaii club

The photo on the left is the complete image of last week’s Hide & Seek challenge. Can you find the location of the photo on the right?

lastweek

findme

leonel de velez/The Hoya

BETWEEN THE LANES For better or worse, Lau’s signature book stacks will be forever imprinted on our memories.

Courtesy club filipino

FESTIVE FUN Club Filipino brings the culture of the Philippines photos leonel de velez/thehoya Christie Shely/the hoya to the hilltop with events throughoutall the year.

3.30.12 | the guide | 3

lifestyle Spreading Smoke on the Water: HOOKAH TREND GROWS ON CAMPUS JASMINE WEE Special to The Hoya

A

s the weather gets warmer, stu- legal way to get a “buzz” while hangdents flock to Healy Lawn to en- ing out with friends, especially during joy a sunny afternoon. They nap those times when people aren’t feelon the grass, throw a football around ing particularly energetic.

“I think more people are smoking and congregate around a laptop with music blasting. But some students hookah,” said Jay Factor (COL ’14). “It’s draw attention to themselves by tak- fun and it’s a social thing. People see ing part in a less traditional spring other people doing it on the lawn and activity: People lounge on the grass they decide to experience it themsmoking hookah as the fragrant scent of flavored tobacco wafts through the air.

A hookah, otherwise known as a water pipe or narghile, is used to smoke flavored tobacco, called shisha.

As someone inhales through a wooden — Alexandra Dudziuk (SFS ‘12) mouthpiece, the smoke passes through the water within a decorated vase. While the device’s history traces selves.”

While the popularity of hookah back to the Middle East, its presence at Georgetown seems to have increased smoking slowly spreads across campus, over the past years as more students there are students, like Ana Cenaj (COL buy their own hookahs, looking for ’12), who have tried it, but who aren’t another way to enjoy a beautiful day particularly big fans of the activity.

“I suppose I’m not much of a risk takoutside or a relaxing evening indoors.

There are many reasons as to why er,” said Cenaj, who has only smoked one would partake in this growing hookah twice in her life out of curiostrend. Many students find smoking a ity. “The negative media attention of water pipe to be a fun, relaxing and smoking has turned me off to the whole

concept … I imagine [the health risks are] similar to smoking a cigarette.”

Still, she doesn’t believe that the wellknown detriments of inhaling smoke have turned other students away from water pipes.

“They enjoy the relaxation that comes with smoking,” she said, “[and] I imagine some smoke to fit in.”

Hookah appears to be a small but growing trend on campus, as one can often spot students smoking out on Healy Lawn. Many of these students were introduced to the practice by their friends who already took part in this cultural phenomenon. In particular, many international students exposed their American friends to the experience, which is more common in other countries, especially in the Middle East.

Hao Shen (SFS ’13), who smoked hookah during the summer with a friend, rarely smokes during the regular school year.

“While I don’t think it’s a huge trend with the whole campus, it’s definitely trendy among international students, mainly students from the Middle East,” Shen said.

As the number of hookah smokers on campus slowly rises, this practice is growing even more steadily in the Georgetown neighborhood.

Wael Mahmoud Dib, a native of Lebanon and the manager of Georgetown’s Zenobia Lounge, a well-known hookah lounge in the neighborhood, has seen the business grow over the years with increased popularity with students.

“Many people who are 20 to 25-yearsold come, so yes,” Dib said, regarding the question of whether or not students come to Zenobia purely for the shisha. “You can’t smoke if you’re under 18, so if someone looks particularly young, we will always check their ID.”

“For my roommate and her friends, it’s more of a cultural thing. Most of them are from the Middle East, so smoking hookah is a greater part of their culture.”

CHRIS BIEN/ THE HOYA

HOOKAH ON HEALY Among college students, hookah smoking is becoming popular.

4 | the guide | 3.30.12

lifestyle What he did notice among college-age smokers was that usually four or five people would come together and order food, while only one or two of them will smoke hookah.

“They usually come on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays too, but they leave early on Sundays,” he said. “But we’re busy every night after 7 p.m. and we get customers of all sorts — embassy people, Middle Eastern people, students, people working nearby.”

Dib believes that this is the most popular he’s seen hookah smoking in the three years Zenobia has been in business.

Although there is no way for him to know if his clients are from Georgetown or not, Dib estimates that college students make up a large part of his business.

“60 percent of my customers are older than college age, while 40% are college students. Probably 80 percent of the college-age hookah smokers are Arab or Mediterranean.”

Dib’s observations agree with most interviewees’ assumptions that many Georgetown students smoke hookah occasionally for recreational purposes, but the students who habitually smoke

it tend to be of Arabic or Mediterranean descent. This is partially because hookah smoking is a cultural tradition and prevalent in the Middle East, as well as in parts of the Mediterranean and South Asia.

This has been the experience of Alexandra Dudziuk (SFS ’12), who started smoking hookah out of curiosity because her Lebanese roommate introduced her to it.

“For my roommate and her friends, it’s more of a cultural thing,” Dudziuk said. “Most of them are from the Middle East, so smoking hookah is a greater part of their culture, given Islam’s ban of alcohol consumption … but I do think that it has become trendy.”

Whether Georgetown is a hookah-friendly campus or not, some students believe that hookah smoking has become more prevalent on campus. But for many students who have not been exposed to the practice, either because they are not Middle Eastern or Mediterranean or aren’t close friends with those who are, hookah smoking remains an occasional activity to be enjoyed on exceptionally sunny days on Healy Lawn as the semester draws to a close.

STEVECORTES.COM

A WORTHY INVESTMENT Cortes’ book discusses investing in emerging markets.

LEONEL DE VELEZ/THE HOYA CHRIS BIEN/ THE HOYA

INTERNATIONAL INFLUENCE Some Georgetown students were introduced to hookah by their international peers who come from countries where the practice is more popular.

WHAT’S YOUR CAFFEINATED CODE? LARGE COFFEE:

You frequently stay up past midnight, huddled over your laptop reading blurry PDFs and trying to understand just what you’re supposed to be getting out of them. You need this coffee, or you’ll become openly belligerent toward most of the people in your seminar. Try to stay awake for most of your class.

MOCHA:

Ordering a plain old hot chocolate would have felt a little too immature, but you really need a sweet fix after a rough day. Maybe it’s raining, or maybe you just took an economics midterm — we understand. Go forth and drink your well-deserved reward. You can work it off at Yates tomorrow.

ICED TEA:

You “don’t drink coffee” but feel a little left out by everyone else with a cup. Maybe your hometown lacks the Starbucks locations that have become ubiquitous in other cities, or you never saw the appeal of overpriced, bitter water. But now you’re in college, and so you’ll order an iced coffee next time.

VICTORIA EDEL Hoya Staff Writer

LATTE:

You like to keep things sophisticated with this classic beverage. Lattes are neither as simple as coffee nor as complex as other espresso drinks, but you don’t mind spending a bit more for this middle-of-the-road treat. Of course, the chance to flirt with the cute barista provided no incentive for your purchase. And, milk is good for you, right?

CHAI:

You weren’t really sure what this was when you first ordered it — you just heard a bunch of other people do it. But now you’re addicted to the heavenly combination of milk and tea, even if your wallet takes a hit every time you enter the library.

It helps that you enjoy the way you look with a coffee cup in your hand.

ITALIAN SODA:

You cast aside soda and coffee because your tastes will be satisfied by nothing short of this strange, sugary concoction.

You’re not sure what makes it Italian, but you won’t let that stop you from making this indie purchase. You like to think that lime and pomegranate matches your unique personality.

3.30.12 | the guide | 5

lifestyle

centerstage

A Long Way From Home: Medieval Historian Makes Return to Georgetown Steven pICCIONE Hoya Staff Writer

Next fall, Georgetown will welcome home a good friend, professor Jo Ann Moran Cruz. After completing her undergraduate degree at Harvard University and receiving her Masters and doctorate from Brandeis University, Moran Cruz came to Georgetown and eventually co-founded the Medieval Studies program. A leader in her field, she was featured in a History Channel special about the Black Death in 2006. She’s lived in the District for 30 years, but not without a few detours. She taught at the SFS campus in Doha, Qatar and is now wrapping up her term as dean of the College of Humanities and Natural Sciences at Loyola University in New Orleans. This fall she returns to the Hilltop to resume teaching.

How did you come to be a dean at Loyola University of New Orleans?

The search firm that was looking for a dean was [one] that I have worked with before, and they tend to take notice of people they think might be good in different positions, so they approached me while I was a professor here [in early 2008]. ... The official beginning of my position was in January 2009, but I was there through the summer of 2008. I had a previous commitment to teach in Doha, so I couldn’t go there right away.

the dean is, on the one hand, an advocate for the faculty; on the other hand, the dean is a member of the higher administration of the university, so you’re in this pivotal position. There are stresses and strains in being in that position.

What are the most rewarding qualities of being a dean?

For me, I was able to come to Loyola, and there was a [school] agenda of things I needed to do. New faculty needed to be hired [and] I needed to make sure all of the faculty governance was in place What courses for the faculty have you taught as a whole, at Georgetown, [as] there and do you were budget know which problems ones you are throughout teaching next the university. semester?

This was all I know I’m — Jo Ann Moran Cruz post-Katrina. teaching the There were first part of “The History of the Middle Ages”[Hist also morale problems for the faculty 230], and I believe I’m teaching “His- there because... about 60 percent of all tory and Legend,” which Professor Stefan the faculty at Loyola lost their homes or had such severe damage to their homes Zimmers has taught before. that they couldn’t move back right away.

As for your role as dean at Loyola, what Many faculty lost all of their research. Either they lost their computers, archives, are the greatest challenges?

The position of a dean is difficult, because labs... Quite a number of faculty left. ... It

“I highly recommend the life of a university professor.

There are seasons to being an academic professor. You can really focus on research and writing.”

6 | the guide | 3.30.12

loyola press

AVID ACADEMIC Professor Jo Ann Moran Cruz, dean at Loyola University in New Orleans, will return to teach at Georgetown this fall. was a difficult situation in 2008, and so from my perspective, one of the joys of it is that the faculty that I have worked with are absolutely wonderful people, and the administration has been supportive. Even though the work is hard, or has been time to time, the people on campus are wonderful. My own feeling about my time at Loyola is that it has been a gift to me.

Was there any point in your undergraduate or graduate career that made you want to become a historian?

It was a history course on the Middle Ages that I took in my junior year [at Harvard University]. But I was still, as an undergraduate, doing political theory in the government department. At the end of my junior year, or beginning of my senior year, I took a course on the intellectual history of the Middle Ages, and

that’s what set me in that direction.

Are you glad to be back at Georgetown?

I’m very glad to be back at Georgetown because I miss teaching. I did teach one of my favorite courses [at Loyola]: “Age of Dante.” ... It was very difficult to teach a course and also be a dean. So I’ll be very happy to come back and be teaching, doing my research and writing.

Do you think students should consider careers in academia?

I highly recommend the life of a university professor. There are seasons to being an academic professor. You can really focus on research and writing. You can go into administration, as I’ve done from time to time. And you can, if you decide to, really focus on your teaching.

It’s many lives fixed into one career.

lifestyle

Breaking Out and Exploring the District the 20-something transition BrookeBerger

T

hink you know everything there is to know about where you’ve been living? You’re probably wrong. After almost three years of living in D.C., I’m always blown away by the number of places that I’ve yet to see or hear about. For many of us at Georgetown, we create a bubble that prevents us from venturing out to all of the cool things going on just a short walk or Metro ride away. Boredom or disillusionment may actually just be a symptom of failing to break out of the bubble, so here are a few tips to expand your horizons in any city.

A city’s food scene can say a lot about its makeup. Since D.C. offers an enormous variety of historic, trendy

and cultural eats, taking the time to find some historic, cheap or hole-inthe-wall restaurants can be a delicious incentive to venture away from home.

You can always make the trip over to historic Ben’s Chili Bowl on U Street, which boasts some high-profile clientele. Fans of “Top Chef” might like to try Spike Mendelsohn’s Good Stuff Eatery on Capitol Hill for its burgers and milkshakes. And while the restaurant Citronelle is located in Georgetown, the gourmet and upscale restaurant makes for a dining experience that pushes the limits of the bubble.

Beyond restaurants, D.C. has another dimension to its food scene: farmer’s markets. Attracting vendors and artisans from all around, these markets are great places to go to buy fresh produce, browse for unique knick-knacks or connect with different people from all over.

One great spot is D.C.’s Eastern Market, which houses vendors of all varieties.

Here you can grab lunch, buy ingredi-

ents for a nice dinner later in the day or assemble your own flower arrangement to bring home with you. Exploring markets in the city is a different and delicious way to learn more about what’s going on in your neighborhood at the local level.

Museums often get a bad rap. It seems the only time people choose to go to one is when they feel obligated to when travelling. Museums, however, can be an affordable and educational way to break up your typical weekend routine. You just have to choose a museum that suits your interests. If you’re into world cultures and international exploration, you might want to try the National Geographic Museum, which regularly hosts free events. If espionage and secrecy is more to your liking, then consider visiting the Spy Museum in Penn Quarter.

Dinner and a movie can get old, too.

If you’re looking for an original date idea, choosing a show at a local the-

GU Step Team Dances Up a Storm

S

tep dancers uses their whole body to create different beats and rhythms. When the members come together, they combine to create innovative formations and sounds that are beautiful to the eyes and ears.

Stepping has become popular partially because of its use by black sororities and fraternities. This type of dance is so popular, in fact, that a national step competition was the focus of the movie Stomp the Yard.

Though stepping became a staple at many universities during the 20th century, the Hilltop was without a team until Georgetown University Step Team was founded in 1998. “[The founders] wanted more diversity in terms of different dance and artistic groups on campus,” GUST President Stephanie Frenel (SFS ’12) said. “Our mission is to promote unity and diversity through the art of stepping, and I think we’ve done a pretty good job.”

Because of the group’s focus on togetherness, they don’t hold auditions; everyone who shows up to rehearsals is a member. “What turns a lot of people off from other dance groups is having to audition, because they don’t think they’re good enough,” Frenel said. But GUST focuses on teaching members of all experience levels a new type of movement.

Like most of the group’s members, Frenel had never stepped before college.

ater is a fun way to get out into other parts of the city and a reasonably inexpensive way to get surprisingly good entertainment. The theater isn’t just for old people, either. Here in D.C., the Royal Shakespeare Company just finished its modern interpretation of Shakespeare’s “The Two Gentlemen of Verona,” which included U2 music and iPhones. If more mainstream theater is your thing, the National Theatre also offers discounted tickets to students.

Long story short, there’s a lot to do even when you think you’ve exhausted all your options, but it does take a conscious effort to get out and try something new. Whether you decide to go to the park, try a new restaurant or watch a ballet at the theater, I guarantee that you’re going to feel good about doing it.

Variety is the spice of life, after all.

Brooke Berger is a junior in the College.

THE 20-SOMETHING TRANSITION appears every other Friday in the guide.

VICTORIA EDEL Hoya Staff Writer

“It was something I always wanted to do when I was younger, but I never had time to do it. I sought out the Step Team when I came to Georgetown.”

Melissa Clansky (NHS ’13), one of the group’s two captains, fell in love with the group during her first days on the Hilltop. After seeing GUST perform at a pep rally during New Student Orientation, she knew she wanted to be a member.

“My sister went to Georgetown and she always saw them perform, so [she told me] ‘You should join it,’ and then Step Team performed and I loved them,” she said.

GUST performs primarily at events on campus. They’ve shown off their moves at Student Activities Commission Fair and on the stage in Gaston Hall during Unity Live and Groove Theory’s showcase. In the past, they’ve even made appearances during halftime at basketball games at Verizon Center.

On Friday, the group will host its annual show, this year called “Steppin’ Outta Line.” In addition to GUST, the show will feature a competition between four high school step teams from the D.C. metro area.

Though this skilled team can make handling syncopated rhythms look easy, Frenel explained that it’s not as simple as it can seem. “I think the most challengCHRIS BIEN/THE HOYA ing part is making the muscle memory STEP IT UP Georgetown University Step Team brings the art of stepping to the Hilltop, of the different rhythms that we do,” she said. with their annual show and competition this Friday in Lohrfink Auditorium.

3.30.12 | the guide | 7

The Problem of God

W

laura Engshuber Hoya Staff Writer

Georgetown’s Evolving Catholic Identity

hen Fr. William McFadden, S.J., came to Georgetown University in 1963, a crucifix occupied a place of honor at the front of every classroom. Before class began, students were asked to face the cross and say a simple prayer. cared about Georgetown’s Catholic identity to revel in it.”

It was a time before the Second Vatican Council modernized the Catholic Church, and strict adherence to Catholic doctrine was the standard.

“Students were required to attend Mass, and they had to stamp these little cards on the way out of the chapel to show that they had gone,” McFadden recalled. “A lot of it was for show, such as saying the prayer at the start of class. In actuality, it was really a way to get students to quiet down before class.”

Students were also required to go on religious retreats. Every Friday, buses lined up in Healy Circle to cart students from one of the residence halls to a nearby retreat center for the weekend.

But two years after McFadden came to Georgetown, Vatican II changed the Catholic Church — and the university along with it.

In 1968, the curriculum was overhauled, and as a part of it, the theology requirement was lowered from four to two courses. But McFadden said though religious practices were no longer mandatory, the university’s Catholic community flourished.

“Retreats became a voluntary thing and attracted students who actually wanted to go. And I found that when the theology requirement was lowered but extended to all students and not just Catholic ones, more students actually ended up taking elective religion classes overall. It allowed those students who really

STATIONS OF THE CROSS And so things remained for the next 30 years. But in 1996, Sister Elizabeth Fiore, V.H.M. (COL ’99), then a freshman, could not find a crucifix to pray under in the classroom in which she was studying. In the years after Vatican II, the university had not installed crucifixes in newly constructed buildings.

Enraged, Fiore published a letter in the August 1996 edition of the independent Catholic journal, The Academy.

“Society needs the reminder of the crucifix. Indeed, Georgetown University has flourished for over 200 years because she has needed the reminders of the cross. Now she must return to those reminders,” Fiore wrote. “Where Dante has reserved the hottest place in hell for those who are indifferent in the face of conflict, he has reserved the coldest place for those who partake in treacherous acts of betrayal. Georgetown students, be not puzzled if you suddenly feel a draft when you sit in class.”

Fiore, now a nun with the Monastery of Visitation in Georgetown, organized the Committee for Crucifixes in the Classroom, and during the next year, the group unsuccessfully worked to petition the university to place crosses in every classroom on campus.

“We didn’t remove all the crucifixes or make a decision to not hang them up purposefully,” English professor John Glavin, who also gives tours on the religious iconography on campus, said.

“It’s just that when we built new buildings, crucifixes were never put up in the rooms. When students started protesting, we faced the question of what to do about it. We asked faculty, and many felt uncomfortable lecturing with the cross overhead.”

After forming a task force to evaluate the situation, the university announced a new policy in 1998.

“We decided there would be crucifixes, but they would have a historic or aesthetic importance,” Glavin said.

University Registrar John Pierce, who was involved in the task force on the issue, said that the university solicited don-

“My time at Georgetown has definitely strengthened my faith,” he said.

Today, the university offers two Catholic Masses per day on weekdays and as many as seven on Sundays. Sunday evening Masses draw up to 300 students each.

Kristen Focella (MSB ’12) is a Catholic tions, and the crucifixes were then student who goes to Mass every week. placed in classrooms along with plaques Though Focella said she does not agree explaining their origins and historical with many of the Church’s teachings, her faith has also increased during her and artistic importance.

Those crucifixes are not front-and- time at the university.

“Coming to Georgetown, I’ve gotten center in classrooms. The university installed them based on where they best fit more exposure to other religions, but in each room, Pierce said, adding that he also to my own. I don’t believe in everyhas not received any complaints about thing the Church says, but I find more that I like. It’s given me a new viewpoint.” the icons since that time.

But while Catholicism continues to According to McFadden, Fiore’s battles with the administration had little play an important role at Georgetown, to do with the actual symbol of the cru- shifting demographics have led to increased calls for interfaith dialogue and cifix.

“This was really about identity politics. more resources for non-Catholic stuGeorgetown’s Catholic character has noth- dents. Currently, 47 percent of students ing to do with crucifixes in classrooms. identify as Catholic, 27 percent as nonCatholic ChrisIdentity does tians, 6 percent not hang on as Jewish and 3 something like percent as Musthat,” he said. lim.

“Rather, this In 1999, young womGeorgetown an felt that hired Yahya Georgetown Hendi to lead was not relithe Muslim gious enough c h a p l a i n c y, and was castmaking Georgeing about for a cause. This — Fr. William McFadden, S.J. town the first American unibecame that versity to hire cause.” a full-time imam. When the university Pierce agreed.

“There was immense pressure at the hired Rabbi Harold White more than 40 time, both inside and outside the uni- years ago, it also became the first Cathoversity, about the crucifixes. They were lic university to employ a full-time Jewconsidered a symbol of the permanence ish chaplain. White estimated that when he came to Georgetown, Jewish students of our Catholic identity,” he said.

Kieran Raval (COL ’13), Grand Knight made up about 1 percent of the student of the university’s chapter of the Knights body.

As the Jewish and Muslim communiof Columbus, argued the crucifixes are part of an important tradition that keeps ties have expanded, so have the resources devoted to them. This past fall, the Georgetown’s Catholic identity alive.

“It’s a tradition to carry on, not for the Jewish chaplaincy moved into a new sake of nostalgia, but because George- space in the Leavey Center, the first time town is based on certain truths.” Raval the group has had an on-campus gathsaid. “Other perspectives increase a vi- ering space. Around the same time, the brant atmosphere, but at the end of the Muslim chaplaincy moved its Friday prayers to a newly renovated Bulldog day, we are rooted in Catholicism.”

Alley to accommodate increased attendance. Future renovations to the Leavey BEYOND THE CROSS For some Catholic students, being at Center will create more permanent Georgetown has reinvigorated their faith. homes for the two groups.

“The resources available to students Raval said that his time at Georgetown and as a member of the Knights of Columbus of different faiths, particularly Jews and Muslims, has definitely increased have strongly influenced his views.

“This was really about identity politics.

Georgetown’s Catholic character has nothing to do with crucifixes in classrooms.”

during my time at Georgetown,” Jewish student Mara Hollander (COL ’12) said. “Additionally, we’re getting the appropriate amount of the space that we need for services and other religious activities in the planned renovations of Leavey.”

Hollander said that the university’s emphasis on Catholicism and the prevalence of religious iconography does not bother her.

“As long as they’re part of the architecture, it’s OK. They’re symbolic of Georgetown’s Catholic values, and I try to find values that I share with Catholicism so that I can appreciate them.”

Hendi has also spoken out in support of the crucifixes on campus.

“I will put up a fight if anyone tries to remove the crucifix from classrooms.

I am convinced that the cross is an important religious symbol for all people,” he said at a conference in Rome in May 2004.

Today, the Intercultural Center is the only academic building on campus without crucifixes. Rather, the Torah, Qu’ran and scriptures or symbols significant to other religions are prominently displayed near the main elevators on each floor.

Hollander said that while the university’s Catholic identity was initially a concern for her as a freshman, her attitude has changed over the past four years.

“After I got into Georgetown, I applied to The George Washington University and American University, because I wanted to be in D.C. but really didn’t want to go to a religious school.

Then I came to visit Georgetown and attended Shabbat services here,” she said.

“I found that there was an outlet for me to practice my religion.”

While the university offers structured resources for students of other faiths, those for unaffiliated students are less prevalent. At Georgetown, atheists and agnostics make up more than 12 percent of the student body, the third-largest group behind Catholics and other Christians.

Vice President for Mission and Ministry Fr. Kevin O’Brien, S.J., said that unaffiliated students are welcome to attend retreats, religious services and social justice and education programs. However, there are no official student groups on campus for atheists or agnostics.

Jessica Schieder (SFS ’12), who said she identifies herself as spiritual but not belonging to any organized religion, said that she has not seen any outlets on campus for students like her.

“One effort that I haven’t seen is for non-believers,” she said.

THE POLITICS OF IDENTITY Schieder highlighted Obama’s 2009 speech in Gaston Hall as an example of the challenges Georgetown faces in reconciling a historic Jesuit identity with increasing diversity and a desire for global prestige. In April 2009, 10 years after the university decided to install crucifixes in classrooms, the president came to speak on economic policy in Gaston Hall. The White House requested that the IHS symbol, which denotes Jesus Christ, be covered up to provide a simple background not highlighting any faith.

The university complied.

“It was appropriate. The president was speaking at an academic institution. He wasn’t there because it’s Catholic,” Schieder said. “At the time, there was so much discussion of international religious issues, especially with Islam, so it’s good that he chose to be neutral in his presentation and that the university was accommodating.”

But many students did not share Schieder’s point of view, and the university’s decision sparked an outcry.

Focella recalls being distressed over the university’s decision.

“I was extremely displeased when they covered up the school’s symbols. I think sometimes Georgetown will compromise its Catholic identity in favor of prestige.

The symbols are good and tasteful and mark our heritage, and sometimes they don’t get as much respect as they should,” Focella said.

The next time Obama spoke on campus, it was in McDonough Arena against a blue backdrop, and the issue of religious symbolism did not arise.

Raval said he feels there is a need for greater affirmation of Georgetown’s Catholic identity.

“There are definitely areas where the university could be stronger. The university has had chances to reaffirm itself as Catholic, most recently during the Sandra Fluke [LAW ’12] controversy. There was room for a firmer statement affirming our catholic, jesuit identity,” he said.

Others, like Hollander, said they were content with the university’s focus on spirituality and interfaith efforts.

“I’ve come to find that I really appreciate that Georgetown places an emphasis on Jesuit values, because they’re values I share,” she said. “I like the emphasis on inter-religious dialogue, and I’ve found that generally people are really excited to learn about religions they don’t understand.”

CATHOLIC FOUNDATIONS Georgetown’s Catholic identity can be seen in many forms on campus.

food&drink Serving Dinner With A Spanish Accent victoria calleja Special to The Hoya

 ESTADIO

L

1520 14th St. NW cuisine: Spanish price: $$$$

ocated in Logan Circle, Estadio — the Spanish word for “stadium” — serves up incredible contemporary Spanish cuisine that certainly will have your taste buds dancing a traditional flamenco.

Though not within walking distance from campus, this Spanish tapas restaurant is well worth the short taxi trip.

Upon walking into the restaurant, I immediately felt a sense of nostalgia for my trip to Spain a few years ago. The decor utilizes reclaimed 19th-century Spanish tiles and marble, as well as reclaimed timber and wrought iron for three large, communal tables. A terracotta color palette serves as the base, with walls boasting bullfighting and flamenco murals. (For an extra treat, walk into the ladies’ restroom to find Cristiano Ronaldo’s athletic body adorning the sidewall.) The restaurant features a concrete bar as well as a marble countertop overlooking the open kitchen. A private dining room is also available for larger parties. The outstanding aroma and flavors of the cuisine only compliment the restaurant’s lively atmosphere.

Along with proprietor Mark Kuller, who is the owner of highly acclaimed Proof in Penn Quarter, Executive Chef Haidar Karoum traveled extensively throughout Spain to develop Estadio’s menu. Options range from tradi-

tional dishes such as tortilla española with a creamy aioli and sweet hot peppers — arguably the best tortilla I have ever had — to more eclectic dishes, such as an open-faced montadito of foie gras mousse, smoked duck breast and caramelized onions layered upon homemade bread. These dishes were only the beginning of a delectable culinary adventure.

On my visit, my dining companion and I started with blistered shishito peppers and a few chorizo pintxos, small spears of chorizo, manchego and pistachio-crusted quince. The creamy taste of the cheese and the sweet-andspicy chorizo was only made better by the sweet quince paste that perfectly balanced out the saltiness. While we easily could have eaten several more, we decided to save room for the remaining dishes.

The croquetas de jamón were little morsels of soft, flavorful ham with a light, crispy exterior. Served with sweet pickled cucumbers and a creamy, mild roasted red pepper sauce, these made yet another knockout dish. Naturally, we had to get more chorizo, so we followed up with a bowl of roasted baby chorizo with crunchy, homemade potato crisps. From there, we moved on to the traditional salt cod frituras served with greens and a creamy tartar sauce.

By this point, we were extremely satisfied

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estadio-dc.com

SPANISH STANDOUT With its food and its decor, Estadio transports diners to Spain. but could not help ordering two desserts. The Moscatel sherry float was a sweet, refreshing finish. Both of us fell in love, however, with a deconstructed and far superior version of a French pain au chocolat. Crispy toasts sat alongside a soft ganache of semisweet chocolate drizzled with fruity olive oil and sprinkled with sea salt.

Prices range from $2-$6 for little appetizers and pintxos, $5-$11 for tapas and $12-$16 for small plates. Stick with pintxos and tapas and you will leave very happy for around $20$30 per person, but I certainly recommend splurging a bit, as you will not be disappointed with anything Estadio has to offer.

tortilla espanola

aioli, sweet hot peppers

croquetas de jamón with piquillo emulsion

soft chocolate ganache with olive oil and sea salt

a weekly review of the blogosphere’s best recipes

EASTER PEEP FONDUE

CHOCOLATE COCONUT MACAROONS

Food Network Blog blog.foodnetwork.com In honor of Easter, dunk those delicious sugarcoated marshmallow Peeps in the only thing that could make them better: chocolate. Follow this easy recipe for fondue by melting the chocolate of your choice. If you want to get even more creative, layer the chocolate-covered Peeps for a festive s’more.

Pamela Salzman pamelasalzman.com Need a good, Passover-kosher dessert recipe? These chocolate-dipped coconut macaroons are an easy way to satisfy your sweet tooth during Passover. To make them, simply combine the macaroon ingredients in a large skillet and heat until sticky. Cool, dip in melted chocolate, and you’re done!

10 | the guide | 3.30.12

dishes you have to try:

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pamelasalzman.com

food&drink

Small Plates Satisfy Big Expectations

Scouting Out Dessert market to table

MAIREAD REILLY Hoya Staff Writer

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f, like me, you have a short culinary attention span — that is, you experience the extremely first-world problem of losing interest in even the most delicious dish after only seven or eight bites — food from east of the Mediterranean is made for you.

Like tapas or dim sum, mezze, the specialty of Arlington’s Lebanese Taverna, provides a varied experience for even the most attention-deficient of palates.

Lebanese Taverna, a long-running business with 10 locations throughout the DMV area, offers an extensive mezze menu, traditional entrees, sandwiches and even a make-your-own-hummus bar.

Though Middle Eastern, North African and Mediterranean cuisines share a lot of common ground, the same dishes are made with a different twist in every region. Lebanon, with its French colonial influence, has long been credited as the home of the most refined food of the Middle East, thus giving the institution high standards to uphold.

For me and my dinner companions, Lebanese Taverna was a chance to enjoy all the familiar foods we’ve missed since returning to America from our semester in Jordan; for others, it will be a culinary adventure.

Either way, it’s a tasty experience. We visited the restaurant’s location in Arlington, a county with one of the highest Arab-American populations in the country. Since the restaurant was packed when we visited, they must be doing something right.

In a big group, it’s easiest to order a few waves of mezze — each diner will spend the same $15-$20 that she typically would on a single entree, but everyone will get to try more dishes. As a group of Arabic students, my party and I knew what we wanted, but the explanations are detailed and clear, so visitors new to Lebanese cuisine can figure out just what they want. We started with

DOWASHINGTON.COM

DIP IN Bread plays a starring role in every meal at this Middle Eastern hotspot.

 LEBANESE TAVERNA 5900 Washington Blvd.

Arlington, Va. cuisine: Middle Eastern price: $$$$ a wide selection and kept a menu for a second round, trying not to eat too much bread and oil before our meal arrived.

Bread is crucial for a Middle Eastern meal, and Lebanese Taverna does not disappoint. Their small flatbreads come warm out of the oven and are just slightly sweet; best of all, the basket is bottomless. I was most excited for ful, a fava bean spread that’s much harder to find in the States than its chickpea cousin hummus.

The Taverna’s ful was thinner than I prefer and a bit bland; I’d suggest ordering it with extra spice. The baba ghannouj, mashed eggplant, was creamy and savory but a bit too cold for my taste.

Where Lebanese Taverna really shines is in its fried food. First, the fries. The American-style tubers were authentically doused in tangy sumac spice, which somehow makes french fries more addictive (yes, that’s possible). The fatayer bi jibne, small pies filled with feta and mozzarella, were the perfect combination of sweet, flaky pastry and salty cheese, while the kibbeh, fried stuffed meatballs, boasted a delicious blend of beef, bulgur, nuts and spices. The lubieh bil zeit, though not fried, was also a hit — an addictive stew-like blend of beans and tomato that’s perfect with bread.

If you decide you’re not interested in any method of cooking, try the kibbeh nayeh, a raw meat dish that’s the equivalent of beef tartare. Only about half our table was adventurous enough to enjoy the plate, but it’s a signature dish of Lebanese cuisine and worth a try at the Taverna if you’re a culinary risk taker.

We headed out to Arlington for our Middle Eastern foodie fix, but Lebanese Taverna has a more accessible location in the District, right near the Woodley Park Metro. Both boast comfortable seating areas indoors and out. Whether you’re trying something new or familiar with the taste of the Levant, Lebanese Taverna is a good choice for a nice dinner out, especially for groups.

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BethanyImondi

t is officially spring. Now we can wear flip-flops and pastels and sip iced coffee as we procrastinate on Healy Lawn. With the arrival of the season also comes the arrival of an array of fresh produce and ingredients. Yet even with the farmers’ markets teeming with new products, there is one thing above everything else that I’ve been craving: Girl Scout cookies.

Girl Scout cookies are the antithesis of what this column is meant to be about.

Originally, I decided that every other week I would choose a seasonal ingredient, write a personal anecdote about it and then include a relevant recipe. Since last fall, I have written about everything from tomatoes to carrots to kale in order to reveal the versatility and deliciousness of cooking or baking with fresh produce.

How, then, could I write about Girl Scout cookies when they are not only not fresh, but also mass-produced, packaged goods, even if they’re sold for a good cause by girls wearing vests covered in badges and pins?

The answer is simple enough: because they are in fact versatile and delicious.

Despite being made in commercial bakeries, Girl Scout cookies are beloved by many who eagerly await the day when their sister, cousin, niece, neighbor or even the child they babysit touts an order form and asks for a count of what kind and how many boxes of cookies to order.

The peanut butter filling and chocolate coating of Tagalongs make them a favorite for some. For others, the combination of caramel, chocolate and coconut places Samoas as the superior cookie. Preferring the simple, I was always a fan of more traditional shortbread Trefoils. Arguably, though, the most popular cookies are Thin Mints. Mint-flavored wafers dipped in a thin layer of chocolate, they’re a dessert and a breath freshener in one.

In an attempt to keep some of the integrity of this column, I decided that this week’s recipe would include Girl Scout cookies and a hint of the season: mint. While this recipe for grasshopper pie does not actually call for fresh mint, make like Paula Deen and proclaim it as the vegetable component of the dish and use it as a garnish. The appearance of something fresh on the pie will help you forget, at least briefly, how very, very far from the market it came to appear on the table.

Bethany Imondi is a junior in the College. MARKET TO TABLE appears every other Friday in the guide.

easy mint grasshopper pie INGREDIENTS

16 thin mint cookies 4 tbsp. butter 3/4 cup milk 24 large marshmallows

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

1/4 cup creme de menthe liqueur 2 Tbsp. creme de cacao 1 cup heavy whipping cream, whipped

Using a food processor, pulse cookies into crumbs. Combine crumbs with butter.

Pat into bottom and sides of a nine- to 10-inch pie dish. Refrigerate for at least one hour.

In a saucepan over medium heat, heat the milk to a light simmer. Do not allow to boil.

Add marshmallows and heat slowly until melted. Remove from heat and cool.

Add creme de menthe and creme de cacao, and mix well. Fold in whipped cream. Pour into chilled pie shell. Freeze.

Serve with additional dollop of whipped cream and sprigs of fresh mint.

3.30.12 | the guide | 11

art&culture

It’s Game Time: Smithsonian Goes Geek

TAKE IT FROM A SENIOR Life’s Not Fair

CHARLIE LONG Special to The Hoya

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For a Monday afternoon, the exhibit was much busier than I expected. Also surprising was the wide range of visitors. Whether gender, race or age — it seemed as though there were no dominating demographics, certainly indicative of the indiscriminate mass appeal of gaming.

The history the exhibit presents is interesting enough, but the experience truly comes to life through visitor interaction. Families were unabashed as they duked it out for high scores on Pac-Man and animatedly debated the respective merits of Sonic versus Donkey Kong.

Part of the allure of the exhibit, what differentiates it from others on sculpture or painting, is the ability to shake that stifling museum feeling — the feeling that you’re a little kid quarantined in an expensive antique store, bound to unbreakable silence.

I lost the feeling myself somewhere between my fourth and fifth game of Super Mario.

Perhaps where the exhibit is most successful, though, is in its ability to unite generations. Little kids and their dads walked through the exhibit together, one marveling at Atari and the other marveling at a PlayStation 3, but both sporting grins from ear to ear.

The nostalgia in the room was nearly palpable.

Melissinos has high hopes for the exhibit, “I want everybody that comes to this exhibition and experiences the materials and work that has gone into this to understand that video games are more than what they thought they were when they came in,” he said.

It’s true that visitors probably won’t leave the exhibit drawing parallels between Da Vinci and that friend who spends his Sunday nights knocking out kill streaks on Call of Duty, hands lightly caked in Nacho Cheese Doritos powder. But, after spending just a few moments in the exhibit, it would be tough to argue that video games should not be considered an art form.

Also important is how games will undoubtedly impact future perceptions of our culture.

As Shakespeare’s plays have been important to understanding 16th-17th century England, games like FIFA, Call of Duty and Wii Fitness will certainly reveal our own cultural nuances of recreation, global relations and health.

Certainly art and entertainment, video games are worth a certain level of appreciation from all. The Smithsonian’s “The Art of GAMES.KITGURU.NET Video Games” exhibit, while not a typical disVIDEO KILLED THE RADIO STAR New Smith- play, challenges conventions and captures the sonian exhibit focuses on video games. essence of the gaming medium. re video games art?

Chris Melissinos, the curator of D.C.’s new “The Art of Video Games” exhibit, certainly thinks so.

Fan boys, rejoice.

Melissinos said that, “We are invited by [an] artist to inject our own morality, our own worldview, our own experiences into the game as we play it. What comes out is wholly different for everybody else that experiences it, and that’s why it’s important — because there’s no other medium that affords the world this incredible opportunity.”

The celebration of this medium is tucked into the second floor of the Smithsonian American Art Museum on Eighth and F Streets NW, a quick walk from the Gallery Place-Chinatown Metro stop.

The exhibit is divided into three rooms, each with a specific focus. The first room includes pictures of graphic art and video interviews with 20 prominent industry developers, and the second room affords visitors an opportunity to play five classic games on large projector screens. The third room emphasizes the progression of gaming through the display of historic consoles and their top games.

Although the rooms are separate, a unifying futuristic theme blends the three parts together seamlessly. With blue lighting, fluorescent paint and rows of flat screen TVs, it felt as if I was in the Smithsonian circa 2050 not 2012. The theme may not mesh perfectly with the marble floors and high arches of the rest of the museum, but its whimsical setting works given the fantasy of the medium it represents.

12 | the guide | 3.30.12

JedFeiman

I

recently got into a heated discussion with two of my closest friends at Georgetown, Edward Downey (COL ’12) and Katherine Gore (SFS ’13). In between doing no homework, watching TV and writing facilities work orders, we found ourselves arguing about whether or not life sucks. Both Ed and Katherine took the position that existence is indeed fair.

I, however, disagree. Take it from a senior that there are many problems with Georgetown that could be easily solved: Firstly, the entire admissions/ housing system needs to be overhauled. If I had my way, firstyears would start out in townhouses.

This would be a much easier transition to college life: Let them leave their comfortable homes in the real world and enjoy the foul, sticky, vomit-filled residences of townhouses in Burleith or West Georgetown. Freshmen should cook their own food and should be constantly disoriented, an effective way to meet new friends here. Much more effective than dances and carnivals in Leo’s.

Likewise, seniors should be stuck in VCW or Harbin to transition from college life to the real world.

There is no way that my apartment next year will be any larger than my room in Darnall. I also know nothing about Washington, D.C.; NSO should be saved for seniors.

But why should there be a limit on how many years one can attend Georgetown in the first place? It frankly makes no sense to me that one must start their “real” job after four years. How arbitrary is that? Many of us do not want to leave Georgetown, Rhino and all of the comforts of undergraduate life and would rather continue paying for a quality education. Let the market work: If recent graduate Damian Grossman (COL ’11), for example,

wants to continue paying tuition and subsequently learning more (he does), that helps both his whole person, cura personalis and Georgetown’s finances. After eight or nine years of school, he would be doubly smarter than regular people.

Alice Roosevelt Longworth once said, “The secret to eternal youth is arrested development.” That is another good solution. Instead of electing to learn more and more, perhaps seniors should stop their intellectual engagement entirely.

If, for example, Brendan Glass (COL ’12) chooses not to use turnitin.com in courses that require it, doesn’t complete his course evaluations, or, even worse, elects to stop using his iClicker in class, when he fails his classes, Georgetown should require him to continue his education. It is Georgetown’s job, after all, to ensure that Brendan’s mind is not dead.

Life should not exist outside of college. I really don’t understand my peers’ fascination with financial independence and moving to other places. We have built our own successful community here. It has taken a lot of effort, and it works. When we’re in our seventies, I still want to live in a world with Rangila, Relay for Life and SAC commissioners. And once the hotel in the Leavey Center is renovated, we’ll have plenty of space for a Georgetown retirement dorm.

Am I the only one who really loves Georgetown? The only one who wants to be here forever and stand the tests of time? We will be lost among everyone at Georgetown, just like my friends Ed, Katherine, Damian and Brendan, none of whom are real people.

We will only be remembered if we can be here forever. And while the Medical Center should look into halting death, Georgetown has so many other things to spend money on, like renovating buildings, paying unionized Leo’s workers and football scholarships.

Life sucks.

Jed Feiman is a senior in the College.

TAKE IT FROM A SENIOR appears every other Friday in the guide.

arts&culture

All That Glitters is Gold: Georgetown Student Sparkles in New Exhibit JOANIE GREVE Special to The Hoya

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or Julien Isaacs, it all started with an Amazon order of glitter. Isaacs (SFS ’12) had been involved in art long before he came to Georgetown, but it wasn’t until this year that he had the “epiphany,” as he called it, to use glitter as his medium.“I needed something that was totally modern, something with very little history, and something that I could fully explore the enormous potential of,” Isaacs said. “I found that in glitter.”

Isaacs’ upcoming show at Tryst Coffeehouse, which opens on April 5, is all about the glitter. The show includes 14 of Isaacs’ “glitters,” and most of them portray modern pop-culture icons, including Lady Gaga, President Obama and Snooki off “Jersey Shore.”

These glitters are, in a way, Isaacs’ attempt to acknowledge the significance of these cultural icons. “Part of me wants to honor them by memorializing themthrough glitter,” Isaacs said.

“It’s called ‘The Divine Chaos’ because chaos is the seed of all individuality, and extreme expressions of individuality cause chaos, like ripples in society, but, at the same time, that’s what makes people celebrities. And, to that celebrity, there is a divinity that we attribute to them, so it’s like the divine chaos.”

To Isaacs, glitter is the best, most original way to memorialize someone because it shows light.

“I’ve been on a long quest to capture light. [It] is the most beautiful thing in the world … especially the movement of light. It’s not just light itself; it’s the

sparkle. It sparkles at you,” Isaacs said.

“What’s more beautiful than putting someone in light?”

Isaac’s journey to “capture light” through glitter has come a long way.

Originally, his main medium was oil painting, but he felt he couldn’t find his individuality in oil painting.

“Everyone does oil paint … no one does glitter,” he said. “I feel like this is my chance to spread my glittery wings and get some glitter residue all over D.C.” Isaacs has already seen traces of that “residue” in his life, both literally and metaphorically. Isaacs said that the basement of his house looks like a “glitter beach” or “treasure island” because, “At my house, the glitter literally gets everywhere … I look at that in the positive sense. This is one medium that can literally get everywhere in the world.”

The glitter has already started to spread around Georgetown’s campus.

In The Midnight MUG, Isaacs displayed five of his glitters depicting chihuahuas, which have received positive feedback from students.

He has also given away dozens of his glitters to students to hang in their apartments. Isaacs said he wasn’t sad to see them go though.

“The things you give to the world will eventually come back to you in surprising ways, so I was totally OK … I want to spread the glitter gospel all over campus,” Isaacs said.

This “glitter gospel” might be Isaacs’ last artistic mark on Georgetown before he leaves for San Francisco after gradu-

ation to pursue a master’s in fine arts.

He plans, however, to take his newly discovered glitter passion with him to art school.

“When I’m in MFA, I really hope to explore the meaning of glitter because I think it is the most beautiful thing I have to offer the world, and I want to explore it to its full potential,” Isaacs said.

Still, the idea of moving forward isn’t entirely without nostalgia for Isaacs.

“There’s a lot I’m going to miss [about

Georgetown], but, at the same time, I’m OK to close this chapter and start a new [one] because, at the end of this chapter, I discovered something that I really think can prove to be an everlasting foundation for the rest of my life artistically.”

For people who want to see all the glitter in person, Isaacs said they are more than welcome to come to his art show at Tryst on April 5 at 7 p.m. but under one “glitter “glitter gospel” condition: “You have to dress in sparkles.”

nme.com

all photos courtesy julien isaacs

3.30.12 | the guide | 13

entertainment Love and Other Hugs: Embracing the Awkward much (actually, I’m sure I have more than one friend who thinks this, but he’s the most vocal). This friend tried to change my ways by using economic theory. Envision each hug as a cookie. If I have one VictoriaEdel cookie, it’s highly valued. If I have 10 cookies, the value of each cookie decreases. He n the first episode of “Pushing Daisies,” attempted to apply this concept to hugs.

Charlotte “Chuck” Charles is astonished If I hugged him every day, each hug was when her boyfriend, Ned, tells her that worth less than if I hugged him once a he doesn’t like hugs. She tells him, “Then semester.

When he first said this, I was pretty you haven’t been hugged properly. It’s like an emotional Heimlich. Someone puts hurt. I give phenomenal hugs, and obvitheir arms around you and they give you ously he should be grateful. But, I’ll admit a squeeze and all your fear and anxiety that he had some semblance of a point. come shooting out of your mouth in a big Hugs can be overused, and I sometimes approach that point. At the same time, wet wad and you can breathe again.”

The problem for these lovers is that even if I’ve hugged my friend one hunthey can never hug. Ned, who runs a pie dred times, that doesn’t mean that the shop, can also bring the dead back to 101st hug can’t have its own specialness. life, a power he uses to solve murders. He Hugging never gets old.

As a professed “hug-aand Charlotte holic,” watching that epireunite when sode of “Pushing Daisies” she’s the vicThere are very few made me feel sad for Ned tim, but Ned, things in the whole and Chuck. It was all so unable to send bittersweet — to finally his childhood world better than a be with the person you sweetheart back perfectly timed and welllove, but to never be able to the grave, to express it (although lets her stay executed hug. the two eventually did alive. The consehug by wearing bee keepquence is that ing suits, it did not hapthey can never pen until a season later). touch, never kiss and “Pushing Daisies,” which was premanever hug. And yet, it’s completely adorturely cancelled in its second season (the able.

When I first watched this episode and DVDs are worth the investment), had heard Chuck talk about a hug as an emo- amazing costumes, vibrant colors and tional Heimlich, it affected me because fantastical plotlines; it was a fairytale. But that’s exactly how I feel about hugs. There one of the things that made it a great show are very few things in the whole world was that even for all its whimsy, its characbetter than a perfectly timed and well-ex- ters’ problems were realistic. Ned lacked ecuted hug. In a hug, you can say things confidence in himself and sometimes in that can never be said aloud. It might Chuck’s love. Chuck, having faced death, mean “I love you” or “I missed you” or “I wanted to experience all of life’s joys. know you’re in a bad place right now and Kristen Chenoweth’s Olive, a waitress in there’s nothing I can do to make it bet- Ned’s pie shop, expressed all the angst that ter, but know that I care a lot.” That is the comes along with unrequited love (a song “emotional Heimlich,” when all the sad- and dance I’ve done myself).

I knew that I would love this show in ness and worries are pushed away by love.

There’s also no bad time to hug. When the pilot when Chuck made the hugs you’re seeing someone for the first time comment. Because there’s nothing more in a while, it’s time for a hug. When human than wanting a hug: A hug tells you’re leaving someone, it’s time for a you that a person cares enough to wrap hug. When you see your crush, when you their arms around you and squeeze. see your best friend, when someone says something particularly witty, it’s time for Victoria Edel is a sophomore in the College.

GIRL MEETS WORLD appears every other Fria hug.

One of my friends thinks that I hug too day in the guide.

girl meets world

I

14 | the guide | 3.30.12

With A Sense of Disappointment RIANNA FOLDS Special to The Hoya

A

mazon.com knows me too well. Don’t get me wrong; I’m a total book Every morning I wake up and snob, so the “Man Booker Prize Winner” have a new email lying in wait: sticker on the cover would normally be “20 percent off the Best Books of 2011!” enough reason for me to read it and exor “Critics Love This Amazing Read!” En- pect to love it. After I finished (the only ticed, I open the email to discover which reason I even got that far was because I book I have to buy next. Unfortunately, wanted to solve the mystery of the randue to my limited funds, I am unable dom bequest), I was underwhelmed. to purchase all of the books I want. This To me, The Sense of an Ending did means that the same “Amazing Reads!” not live up to its reviews. I did not find it tend to cycle through my inbox, and for to be the perceptive memoirs of a nostalthe past few months The Sense of Ending gic, aging man. If I wanted that I would

by Julian Barnes has been one of them. read Willa Cather’s The Professor’s I finally decided to check out The Sense House (we’ve already established I’m a of an Ending from Lau (yes, you can actu- book snob, so stop judging me), which ally do that) and is far more achsee what all of ingly nostalgic the hullabaloo and a much betwas about. My ter read. first impression The Sense of was that it was an Ending falls short. At 150 at because it THE SENSE OF AN ENDING flfails pages, it’s more to provide of a novella than any truly percepauthor: Julian Barnes a full-blown tive insights into epic novel. In the point of view it, middle-aged of a man reliving divorcee Tony memories of his Webster narrates a coming of age/com- youth. The style is simple and understating to terms with imminent death story ed, which contributes to the brevity but (who knew that was possible?). paints a too-sparse picture of Tony’s life.

The first half of The Sense of an End- Amazon.com let me down this time, ing focuses on Tony’s adolescence, but I’m going to save you the trouble which comes back to haunt him later. and advise you to avoid this book.

During high school, Tony and his pals befriend Adrian Finn, a somber but brilliant boy who changes the dynamic of their friendship. Tony and his friends all separate to attend different colleges and eventually drift apart. This is due, in part, to a rift between Tony and Adrian, which is caused by some awkward girlfriend swapping.

Forty years later, Tony is divorced (still no luck with the ladies) but content nonetheless. His life gets turned upside down by a mysterious bequest from his college girlfriend’s mom. This leads Tony on a journey that involves lots of awkward conversations with said exgirlfriend, maybe that wasn’t the best way to handle that situation regrets and reminiscing about the good old days.

AMAZON.COM Maybe it’s because I’m not old enough yet or because I have no soul, SAPPY STUFF Barne’s acclaimed but I do not get the appeal of this book. novel falls short of expectations.

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entertainment

Can’t Get No Satisfaction With awE naturalE SHEENA KARKAL Special to The Hoya

I

tried to give awE naturalE — THEESatisfaction’s debut album — a fair chance, I really did. But in nearly every song, I couldn’t help but feel that there was something slightly off. I cringed through some of the out-of-step percussion rhythms and vocals, and by the end I just felt like I was trying too desperately to like it.

SUB POP

I clutched at the fact that the lead vo- to enjoy their musical boundary challengcalist, Catherine Harris-White, has a stun- ing. Or maybe I’m just missing the point. ningly haunting voice with obvious influ- Maybe the construction of these songs is ences from jazz idols like Billie Holiday and meant to make listeners really pay attenElla Fitzgerald. I paid close attention to the tion — after all, easy-listening music is often just background raw lyrics and the music. These artists smooth, gentle patare very much interns of Stasia Irons’ your-face with their rapping. Still, these admittedly unique undoubtedly talentspin on hip-hop. ed artists somehow AWE NATURALE Not to mention left me feeling pretthat their inspiring ty displeased at the artist: THEESatisfaction lyrics challenge the end of this album. song to download: “Deeper” typical preconcepAlso, the beginning song to skip: “Awe” tions of the genre of awE naturalE felt through promoting more jarring to me the empowering than the rest, but perhaps I was just more accustomed to the ideals associated with ’90s hip-hop.

Still, I could recommend a couple of duo’s style by the end.

The Seattle-based duo is hailed as a fresh, songs from this album. “QueenS,” alnew addition to the hip-hop scene. From the though it contains repetitive vocal loops, little I could gather, they are relatively well- provides evocative lyrics clearly imploring liked. Perhaps I’m just not hipster enough listeners to be true to themselves. Another

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newreleases “Need Your Love” The Temper Trap // The Temper Trap

STEPHEN CHOI Special to The Hoya

“Bloody Mary (Nerve Endings)” Silversun Pickups // Neck of the Woods

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 Heavy on sounds and vocals, The Temper Trap’s new single is a strong lead into the rest of the band’s sophomore album. However, once the rush of this release fades, all that remains is ambivalence about the band’s future.

GLASSNOTE RECORDS

song, “Earthseed,” starts with slightly discordant piano and an eerily far-away voice.

It’s definitely captivating, with minor chord progressions that will cause shivers. “Needs” is similarly hypnotizing, and includes almost tribal-sounding drumbeats. “Deeper” is rhythmic and combines meaningful rapping and pleasant vocals in a fashion that seems to deviate from the rest of the album. Some more forgetable tracks are mostly instrumental, like “Juiced,” which I honestly felt quite neutral about, or “Crash,” which sounded like a collection of false starts to me.

While there is some evident creative potential in this hip-hop duo, I found this album difficult to listen to, with tunes almost chaotically unaligned and repetitive. Maybe give this unique album a listen, if not just to test your boundaries. Perhaps you’ll find a better appreciation for the discord than I did by finding some hidden pattern within the intricate weavings of vocal and instrumental melodies.

“Go Right Ahead” The Hives // Lex Hives

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It’s no coincidence that Silversun Pickups use the word “bloody” in their latest single — if My Bloody Valentine ever attempted a smooth summer soundtrack aimed at the masses, this would be it.

DANGERBIRD

The Hives’ new single is repetitious to a fault, but nonetheless wildly frenetic, sneering and fun. “Go Right Ahead” is from the group’s upcoming album, due June 5, and hopefully it serves as a sign of what’s to come.

A&M

3.30.12 | the guide | 15

bestbets

friday Not going to the Wiz concert and want something a little more cultural to do? “How to Disappear Completely and Never Be Found…” is an award-winning dark comedy that explores the concept of identity in the 21st century as it follows the story of a man trying to differentiate between reality and holograms.

Where: H Street Playhouse When: 8 p.m.

Info: theateralliance.com Price: $35 Metro: Union Station (Red line)

Zach Gordon Special to The Hoya

flowers blossom - rebecca goldberg

saturday Take advantage of the Cherry Blossom Festival and do what your friends keep telling you to: fly a kite, but this time, during the Blossom Kite Festival. Watch the kite shows or bring your own. Don’t stress if you are kite-less this weekend, because there will be a station where you can make your own.

Where: Washington Monument When: 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Info: nationalcherryblossomfestival.org Price: Free Metro: Smithsonian (Blue and Orange lines)

sunday This Sunday is your last chance to go to the Faberge Egg Festival at the Hillwood Estate. Learn about Russian history and how these eggs were made. Although this type of event is targeted toward families with children, it’s never too late to learn about the seasonal traditions of Russia.

Where: Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens When: 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Info: hillwoodmuseum.org Price: $10 with student ID Metro: Van Ness (Red line)