the guide september 28, 2012
the weekly magazine for life on the hilltop
A CITY IN FLUX
THE GENTRIFICATION OF H STREET
Living on Less: Life With the Poor
G4
Funny Business With Demetri Martin
G13
Modern Problems At the Emmys
G15
G WORD: this issue 8 THE H STREET’S IDENTITY CRISIS lifestyle 3 food&drink 10 arts & 12 entertainment mr.georgetown | pardon my french
la tomate | burleith bartender
demetri martin | pitch perfect
nextissue CHEAP, TASTY EATS
Washington, D.C. was the first city in the nation to have a majority-black population. By 2010, that status changed. This was in part due to the gentrification that has swept across the nation’s capital since midcentury. Neighborhoods like U Street, Adams Morgan and Logan Circle have changed in permanent ways. Next among them is H Street, an area that’s turned into one of the country’s hippest. But, with this gentrification comes a loss of local character profoundly felt by lifelong residents. Sarah Amos takes a look at the challenges of change.
COVER PHOTOS BY ARIEL POURMORADY, DESIGN BY LEONEL DE VELEZ
soundbite
FOOD&DRINK
Ever feel like the amazing food that D.C. offers will break a college student’s budget? Well, the guide has scoured the city for an array of the best places for a tight budget. ERICA WONG/THE HOYA
the guide Sarah Kaplan, Executive Editor Steven Piccione, Managing Editor Leonel De Velez, Photo Editor Emory Wellman, Layout Editor Zachary Gordon, Deputy Guide Editor Nicole Jarvis, Deputy Guide Editor Sheena Karkal, Deputy Guide Editor Bethany Imondi, Contributing Guide Editor Chris Grivas, Deputy Photo Editor Zoe Bertrand, Deputy Layout Editor Jessica Natinsky, Deputy Layout Editor Kyle Hunter, Deputy Layout Editor Hunter Main, Deputy Copy Editor Shannon Reilly, Deputy Copy Editor Jamie Slater, Deputy Copy Editor
Connor Gregoire, Editor-in-Chief Victoria Edel, Guide Editor Corrections and Clarifications If you have a comment or question about the fairness or accuracy of a story, contact Executive Editor Sarah Kaplan at (202) 687-3415 or email executive@thehoya.com. 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. 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
ARIEL POURMORADY FOR THE HOYA
NicoleJarvis Page 5
“The best part of this method [was] the accompanying scenes, since Rosetta Stone teaches through matching vocabulary to images. Nothing made me laugh harder this summer than the images of very concerned women talking while holding feathered hats. ”
omglol :( :/ :P :|
MEDICAL MARIJUANA Chris Brown failed a drug test, leaving his situation in a purple haze. He claims that he smoked marijuana legally in California. BOOT & RALLY Rihanna puked at her VIP table in Las Vegas, but went on to spend time and dance at the famous strip club Spearmint Rhino.
HIGH ROLLER Michael Phelps recently won $100K in a poker game in Vegas, a performance Ryan Lochte surprisingly only rated at one and a half swims.
X FACTOR Simon Cowell took Carmen Electra out on a seemingly good date, although his fellow X-Factor judges disagree on her potential.
saywhat?
“
Did I get escorted by security? Yes, I sure did.
”
— Eric Stonestreet on getting kicked out of a Dodgers game
lifestyle
Editors’ Picks CRIMES AGAINST HUGH’S MANATEES
THE KILLERS
The highly anticipated Battle Born is the first album from The Killers since the band went on an extended hiatus in 2010, and we’ve reviewed it for you on thehoya.com. The members have explained that the hiatus offered them time to catch up on their personal lives and grow as artists, as many pursued solo careers during that time. We think it paid off.
Yet another hilarious tumblr, this one steps it up a notch by providing a daily comic strip with animals making hilarious, pseudoprofound comments and observations. Who would want to know the inner thoughts of hibernating bears and a lonely octopus? Well, you’ll be pleasantly surprised that you do. CRIMESAGAINSTHUGHSMANATEES.TUMBLR.COM
NEONTOMMY.COM
TINA FEY
BRAVOTV.COM
LOOPER
Tina Fey is on a roll. After looking stunning at the Emmys — popular opinion says she was Best Dressed — Fey is moving on to her last season of the hit show that propelled her to fame, “30 Rock,” and is rumored to have signed a contract with NBCUniversal. There’s no sign of the busy comedy queen slowing her endless production of original, witty hits.
appyhour Hopstop
price: free
Hopstop is perfect for those who have no idea how to get around the city (or have iOS 6). Hotstop provides detailed maps for almost 70 cities within the United States, Canada and Europe, and allows you to pick from multiple modes of transportation. Other benefits are a metro schedule, time estimates of how long it will take to complete a trip and the option of emailing, texting or printing out your directions.
This new Hollywood blockbuster features timetravelling hitman Joe, played by Joseph GordonLevitt, as a target for elimination . The twist? Joe is being hunted by a future version of himself played by perennial action star Bruce Willis. Looper combines action, adventure and mystery all against a gritty futuristic backdrop. This is not a movie to miss. Check out our review online. ROTTENTOMATOES.COM
the apps that will make you love your favorite gadgets even more
InstaTable
price: free
Are you overwhelmed juggling your classes, clubs and social life? InstaTable can help organize even the most complex collegiate schedules. This time management app is easy to use and features tools to color - code, prioritize and add notes to your tasks for optimal organization. Even the price is college studentfriendly
CAROLINE DESANTIS Hoya Staff Writer
Tips & Tricks iPhone Secrets
price: $0.99
Whether you’re a novice or veteran iPhone user, this app will teach or remind you everything there is to know about your iPhone, from how to save battery life, to how to secure your data. The app is set up like a book and provides 140 tips on how to optimize iPhone usage. No matter how frequently you utilize your iPhone, this app is useful for the tech-savvy and tech-challenged alike.
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lifestyle Living on A Dollar a Day Filmmakers Document Lives of Rural Poor sarah kaplan Hoya Staff Writer
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s an economics major at Claremont McKenna College, Chris Temple understood the numbers of poverty. He had studied the financial problems faced by developing countries. He knew that 1.1 billion people — about 15 percent of the world’s population — live on less than one U.S. dollar a day. But he had no idea what living in poverty actually felt like. “I had a really good academic understanding of extreme poverty, but didn’t have any way to connect at a deeper level,” Temple said. “I wanted to put a face to poverty.” So in the summer of 2010, Temple flew to rural Guatemala along with his
friends, Zach Ingrasci, Sean Leonard and Ryan Christoffersen, to experience poverty for himself. Funded by Whole Planet, the philanthropic wing of Whole Foods Market, the group spent 56 days interviewing their neighbors, eking out a crop of turnips from a rocky mountainside and trying not to spend more than one dollar each day. All four were 20 years old at the time. “It was overwhelming. … You’re living so close to the edge,” Ingrasci said. “But it transformed all our lives being able to live in a community and develop real relationships with our neighbors.” Temple and Ingrasci made a movie about their experience titled Into Poverty:
INTO THE JUNGLE Life in the Guatemalan jungle is a far cry from the life of a student at a liberal arts college in the United States.
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Living on One Dollar; it will be screened ing them back,” he said. “Microfinance in Gaston Hall Wednesday night. The can help change that situation.” film follows the stories of three of their Raising awareness about microfinance neighbors in the small village of Pena initiatives, which grant small loans to enBlanca. trepreneurs in developing countries, was Anthony, a one of the primary 24-year-old workgoals for Temple’s “As economics majors, we ing to support his and Ingrasci’s were really interested in the family of eight, film. [kinds] of financial services was their first “We were refriend in the comally interested in these people had available munity. On one microfinance but to them. We were essentially realized there was of their first days creating the financial diaries no engaging mein Guatemala, Anthony invited dia around it,” Inof people’s lives.” Temple, Ingrasgrasci said. “There ci, Leonard and needed to be some— Chris Temple thing that would Christofferson to his home for a trainspire members ditional feast — a of our own genonce-a-year extravagance. eration … [and] show our peers the tools “It was this really impactful moment they need to become an effective changewhen someone who has so little was will- maker.” ing to share,” Temple said. The film is composed mostly of scenes Through Anthony, the group got to filmed during the group’s stay in Guaknow Rosa, also 24, who was forced to temala. Each week, the group would drop out of school to work in her fam- upload videos to YouTube documentily’s fields but is now pursuing a nurse’s ing their daily life and the lives of their assistant degree, and Chino, a precocious neighbors, providing insight into the dif12-year-old who dreams of returning to ficulty of living on a dollar a day. the school he dropped out of at age 7. The four rented a one-room home with According to Temple, the residents of a dirt floor. They could only eat one meal Pena Blanca were constantly looking for a day, but each meal required five hours ways to negotiate the constraints of pov- of work — hauling fire wood, building erty. a fire, monitoring the pot of beans as it “We were amazed at how incredibly slowly came to a boil. innovative and intelligent our neighbors “It was without a doubt the hardest were,” he said. “For our neighbors, a dol- thing I’ve ever done in my life. I went to a lar has to be stretched to feed children, liberal arts university. This wasn’t a world pay for education, pay for medicine or an I’d faced every day,” Temple said. “[Going] emergency or a wedding. … But small op- to bed hungry every night, [waking] up portunities had a huge effect on people’s on a dirt floor covered in flea bites. … You lives.” would wake up every morning and not Ingrasci pointed to Rosa, who was want to get out of bed because you had funding her education with the profits no food, nothing to look forward to. … from her weaving business, which she But that’s the reality for so many people.” started with a microfinance loan. The experience quickly took its physi“She was the best example of [how] cal toll: Ingrasci lost 22 pounds during microfinance was allowing [members] the eight-week trip; Temple lost 20. of the community to change their own “The physical elements of it were very lives,” he said. “The people down there … apparent and overwhelming … but menshowed us that these are things that can tally it was even more challenging,” Temhelp people empower themselves and ple said. “[In America] I’d spend a dollar bring themselves out of poverty.” whimsically, but here … there’s this kind Temple agreed. of element of being so stressed all the “People are really innovative and it’s time on how we budget our money.” just the situation they’re in that’s holdAside from the five-hour effort that
lifestyle cooking required, the group spent most of their days interviewing their neighbors, asking about their lives and financial plans. “As economics majors, we were really interested in the [kinds] of financial services these people had available to them,” Temple said. “We were essentially creating the financial diaries of people’s lives. Where were they saving money? Where were they getting access to loans?” Temple told the story of a system of “Rosca” loans developed by Anthony and his friends. At the beginning of every month, a group of 12 men would each contribute $12 to a pool of money. Every month a different member of the group would be given the entire $144 pool to spend on school fees or to start a business. “Seeing how important that lump sum of money was for them, it was a really innovative service,” Temple said. The group also taught English to local children. They exchanged English, Spanish and Xochical — the local Mayan language — studying in a room dimly lit by candles and flashlights. Chino, the boy featured in their film, was among their best students. “He had the most incredible drive to learn,” Temple said. “He was a phenomenal example of a child who was left behind. When he does get that chance, we have no doubt he has the ability to succeed.” According to Ingrasci, the experience
left a lasting impact on the way he views the problem of global poverty. “It made us realize that we can do something about it, that our peers can do something about it,” he said. “Once you get past that guilty feeling of being ashamed of what you have, you realize that we have incredible opportunities as young people with social media and technology to create a change.” In addition to producing and screening Living on One, Ingrasci and Temple have become involved in the Student Microfinance Movement, which provides students with educational materials about microfinance and encourages them to become involved in the effort. But beyond the numbers-based process of economic studies and microfinance loans, Ingrasci and Temple hope that their film will help students connect to the issue of poverty on a more personal level. “It’s a story that can really resonate with Georgetown students, who are already so active and have opportunities and a global perspective,” Temple said. “It puts a face on statistics … [and] allows us to realize that every time we talk about these abstract numbers … there are real stories and real hopes and real dreams behind all of [them].” “Into Poverty: Living on One” will be screened in Gaston Hall on Wednesday at 7p.m. The screening is sponsored by The Hoya.
ALL PHOTOS LIVINGONONE.ORG
TURNING THEORY INTO PRACTICE Economics was just a collection of numbers until these students lived the finanical reality of povery in Guatemala.
pardon my french
A Study in Failure: My Summer Foray into French
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his summer, I did a lot of things. I worked as a hostess at a local chain restaurant, I interned at a local political campaign, I spent some quality family time in scenic Moose Junction, Wyo., and I discovered the single greatest television show to ever air on basic cable: “Storage Wars” on A&E. Before any of these opportunities presented themselves, however, I, in the throes of early-summer boredom, tasked myself with a few serious challenges. These ranged from (working out three times a week) to the brainy (finishing a book a week for the entire summer). But then I challenged myself to the ultimate task: I decided to start teaching myself French. This decision elicited many different types of responses, ranging from disbelief, to encouragement, to mock anger for not learning Italian. Still, I was determined to learn the language of the Impressionists and the City of Light. By my fourth day back in California (I get bored quickly), I had gotten my hands on Rosetta Stone French software and had promised a commitment of at least 45 minutes of dedicated study each day for the entire summer.
Going into this endeavor, I thought I and “The women eat white rice,” along knew the process for learning a foreign with my personal favorite, “The cat is language. I had taken Spanish classes in the shoe.” in school from first to 11th grade and The best part this method were the finished up my carerra de espanol with accompanying scenes, since Rosetta the AP Language exam and the SAT Stone teaches through matching voSubject Test, both of which excused cabulary to images. Nothing made me me from the Georgetown College lan- laugh harder this summer than the imguage requirement when I arrived on ages of very concerned women talking the Hilltop. I thought I knew what while holding feathered hats. After almost two entire months to expect. I would of dedicated study, I filearn the conjuganally had learned how to tions, I would learn string together a few dethe verbs, I would clarative, present-tense learn the vocabulary sentences. Je m’appelle and I would be set! It would be easy! I’d Nicole. J’ai dix-neuf ans. NicoleJarvis be arguing foreign Je suis des États-Unis. All policy with attractive rather useful, I suppose. Frenchmen in no time! Then, it happened. My family vacaI was so wrong. I should have real- tion. A blissful week of time away with ized far sooner that Rosetta Stone, my family in Wyoming, with little to which is designed for busy professional no Wi-Fi and even less of an opportuadults, would take a different approach nity to slip away to stare stupidly at my to language learning than the San Di- computer screen and loudly attempt to ego Unified School District, which is pronounce l’ordinateur portable and designed for stupid pubertal teens. In- voiture (yes, it turns out laptop and stead of learning anything practical, I car at the two hardest words for me to found myself diligently learning how pronounce). So I gave myself a vacation to say phrases like “Is this your hat?” from studying, too. It was truly the be-
ginning of the end of my French career. Once we got back to civilization, family came to stay at my house, then, another mini trip to San Francisco. Each trip pushed me further and further away from my goals and closer and closer to an actual summer vacation. Once this flurry of family and travel ended, so did my mission to learn French. It’s ok, though. I have accepted my ultimate failure at not only this summer assignment, but all of my summer assignments. I stopped working out in July. A Dance with Dragons and Jane Eyre took way more than their allotted week to read, and I didn’t watch “Mad Men” or “Breaking Bad.” But now I have a grasp of basic French vocabulary and sentence structure, and I still have the software if I am ever struck by a sudden desire to remember how to say, “The boys do not wear blue ties.” At least I learned how to say, “Parlez-vous anglais?” because we all know that’s all I will ever really need to know. Nicole Jarvis is a sophomore in the College. PARDON MY FRENCH appears every other Friday in the guide.
9.28.12 | the guide | 5
lifestyle
centerstage
THE FIGHT FOR LIFE Cancer Survivor Inspires Pre-Med Community
katrina yeh Hoya Staff Writer
During her junior year of high school, Lauren Antognoli was diagnosed with stage 2 Hodgkin’s lymphoma. After going through a rigorous six-month treatment, she emerged a survivor — the cancer is officially in remission. Now enrolled in Georgetown’s Post-Baccalaureate Pre-Medical program, Antognoli hopes to achieve her lifelong goal of becoming a doctor. Antognoli has been involved in the Prevent Cancer Foundation, where she currently serves as a liaison to its board of directors. She has also used her unique experiences to mentor others that are going through similar situations and hopes to continue the fight against cancer. What was your initial reaction when you were diagnosed with cancer? I was 17, a junior in high school. Around January of 2002 I noticed a lump on my neck. I thought it was just an enlarged lymph node but it kept getting bigger, so my mom took me to see the family physician. When we met with an oncologist, he said that judging on the looks of my scans, I had cancer. After [the doctor] took a biopsy, it was narrowed down to stage 2 A Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
SPOTLIGHT What’s on your iPod now? A few new albums by The Naked and Famous but mostly old stuff like Grateful Dead, CCR and ’90s alternative. Favorite television show? “Parks and Recreation,” “Girls,” “The Bachelor”/ “The Bachelorette.” Favorite movie? Goodfellas. Favorite quote? “The question is not whether we will die but how we will live.” Favorite food? My grandma’s lasagna and meatballs.
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When I found out, it was a lot of emotions, but I was more shocked than anything else; I didn’t even cry or anything because it all happened so quickly. Basically, the day after my biopsy results, we jumped right into planning my treatment. It didn’t sink in, but I had to call my teachers, friends and family to tell them what was going on. The words were coming out of my mouth, but it was just me saying, “I have cancer,” even though I was just trying to understand it myself. It felt very unreal to me. What was the hardest part of going through treatment? I did chemotherapy for about six months. The treatment started off pretty easy and I remember thinking that it was nothing. All of a sudden, it just hits you like a truck — and it gets harder every treatment. I felt a lot of fatigue and started losing my hair 20 days into the treatment. Aside from the chemo, I took up to 21 pills [in] a day. Every drug has its side effects, and I had to take more drugs that counter those side effects. Physically the chemo and the pills were the hardest part by far. There was a lot going on at once in my body, and it was definitely a physical challenge. What were some of the greatest challenges you faced as a teenager battling cancer? Especially as a female teenager, you’re worried about your appearance and you want to look good but I was completely out of control of my own body. These drugs were taking over my body, but at the same time I needed them to sur-
Courtesy Jim McCormick
AMY LEE FOR THE HOYA
SURVIVOR Lauren Antognoli, a student in the Post-Baccalaureate Pre-Med program, was inspired by her cancer diagnosis to work towards ending the disease. vive. I lost my hair, I had extreme weight fluctuations; I had bone pain all the time. I barely looked like myself. Also, as a teen you want to establish independence from your parents, but I actually became even more dependent on mine. The second I got sick, I was pulled back into being completely dependent on my parents. My mom had to drive me to every treatment and give me my pills. That was hard, especially because my friends were off doing other things that I couldn’t do. People also looked me at differently; some of my friends stopped talking to me. I went to junior prom in a wig and had to sit down for most of it.
coming a doctor. When I got sick, I was immersed in the world of medicine and instead of being someone studying to be a doctor, I was the patient. After treatment I needed a break from all of this so when I went to college I decided not to major in medicine. I majored in sociology and anthropology, but I found a lot of that related to illness. I’m thankful that I didn’t dive straight into pre-med because I was allowed to look at the medical world from a different perspective, but after taking some time off, I regrouped and felt ready to become a doctor.
How do you think being diagnosed with cancer has changed you as a person?
Any advice that you would give someone that has been diagnosed with cancer or a life-threatening disease?
Being sick really allowed me to focus on what was important to me in my life, and I realized that I didn’t need to worry about the little things. What you’re wearing today or who likes who doesn’t matter; it’s more about what makes you happy and what improves your quality of life. I took it a day at a time and all of this gave me a really unique perspective, which I am very thankful for.
I think it’s really important to educate yourself on the disease and be an advocate for yourself. I was lucky to have my mother as my advocate; if she didn’t take me back to the doctor for that second checkup I probably wouldn’t be here. I really encourage people to work hard to get the best care possible. If you have questions for a doctor, don’t feel bad about asking. You’re so out of control for what’s happening in your body and the one thing you can control is how you’re going to live your life, how you take care of yourself and who you surround yourself with.
Did you always want to become a doctor? Or was it inspired from your experiences? I was actually always interested in be-
lifestyle ring by spring
Technologically Challenged in a LinkedIn World
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eing successful in the working world requires a few things. First, full competence and literacy … Check. Second, a college degree … working on it. Third, three to four pantsuits … ehhh, I’d rather not. And finally, a working comprehension of html. … Now this presents a problem for me. Last semester, as I’ve mentioned before, I wrote a column titled “Grandma Goes to Turkey.” It was called such because of my tendency to enjoy things that any sprightly gal by the name of Gertrude, Peggy or Mildred would also enjoy, not to mention my use of terms like “sprightly gal.” But, as I’ve also mentioned, a free Avicii concert on the shores of the Bosphorus changed me. So upon my return to Georgetown’s stomping grounds, I felt refreshed and more open to the idea of a strobe light. I still share one tiny little characteristic with Peggy, Gertrude and Mildred, however: I have no idea what html is nor have I ever “tweeted” (still not even sure if that’s the verb form of Twitter). Google Docs stresses me out,
Dropbox sounds like gypsy magic, a any future-conscious college senior “Cloud” is still just a metereological would, been browsing various job phenomenon to me, and every time I listings and finding that there are get an email that says I’ve been invit- always one or two glaring problems ed to LinkedIn, I violently respond: “I for me under the “Desired Attributes” DON’T NEED YOUR ONLINE DATING category: Full understanding of social media? Well, I can change a FaceSERVICE YET! LEAVE ME ALONE!” book status like no one Not to mention, I else, but I only just got can’t for the life of me Timeline.Able to operfigure out why people ate Adobe Bridge? Umm, take pictures with like a drawbridge? It’s their iPads. Stop it. You just a lever, right? Abillook ridiculous. Pick up ity to run a blog? Well, your iPhone 5, which MeaganKelly I had a tumblr once, but is sitting right next to I lost track of it. People it, and use that. You didn’t wait in line for three hours be- skills? I have that! I would people skill fore the Apple store opened for noth- the hell out of your office. I want to overcome this problem, I ing, right? Also, I find Kindles to be excessive. What’s wrong with a book? really do, but I just can’t bring myself You look smarter with a good, old- to register for those “how to” classes fashioned paperback and a pen. Show at the Apple store. I’m afraid the 70-year-old man to my left who just me that chick. I want to hire her. Basically what this comes down got his first personal computer from to is that I am 21 years old, literate, his grandkids would start to ask me about to have a college degree, could questions that I wouldn’t be able to own a pantsuit if forced to, and yet answer. It’s hard being a member of still have no applicable skills for this this fast-paced generation when your fresh, young job market. I have, as grandfather has the TMZ app on his
Mr. Georgetown: 12 Tributes, 1 District
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ollege experiences are molded by the quirky traditions and odd rituals that only other students and alumni would understand. At Georgetown, where practically every aspect of student life is infused with that spirit, Homecoming Weekend is more than just another hallmark event. Sure, the tailgate and football game draw alumni and students to campus, but the pinnacle of the experience is undoubtedly the Mr. Georgetown Pageant. If you don’t already know someone in the pageant, you’ve probably seen posters in Red Square or at least heard rumors about the dance routine. The Mr. Georgetown Pageant, a Hilltop tradition since its founding in 2005, is back, and this year, the participants aren’t just contestants — they’re tributes. “We thought the Hunger Games theme would add a little more flair and make the pageant more interesting,” Tiara Kawser (MSB ’15), the special events chair for the Georgetown Program Board, said. Every year, each club on campus has a female member nominate a senior male to represent the organization in the pageant. This year, the 14 contestants hail from a wide variety of orga-
nizations. From Mr. Caribbean Culture Circle Malik Stevens (COL ’13) to Mr. Residence Life Danish Zaidi (COL ’13), seniors with very different interests and personalities will show off their talents to the audience. After the opening performance by Groove Theory, the contestants will “fight to the death,” which has the campus buzzing with excitement. This more suspenseful format has upped the stakes, so naturally, the contestants are upping their sex appeal. “There are a few parts of it that may be a little risque, but people will think it’s fun,” Stevens said. After the contestants have been introduced, they will start the first round, which will start with a question-andanswer portion. Next will be the highly anticipated swimsuit competition, in which the tributes will strut their stuff for the audience. While presenting yourself half-naked to a large crowd in Gaston Hall may be most Georgetown students’ nightmare, the Mr. Georgetown contestants are unabashed. “I’m looking forward to being in my swimsuit. It’s going to be 1960s style: Think high-waisted, Elvis dancing on the beach,” Stefane Victor (COL ’13),
iPad and you have duct tape keeping your battery in your cell phone. I can’t really say for sure where my aversion to technological advances comes from. Perhaps it was the one desktop computer that we all shared in my house until I graduated high school. Or was it that a video game system didn’t exist in my house until, well, after I started college and my brothers moved to the West Coast? (Convenient timing, Mom and Dad. Well played.) Sure, without all the extraneous technological distractions I may have excelled quite well in my primary schooling (though I never won a spelling bee), but now I’m about to be a college graduate and have no idea how to use Twitter — apparently a currently desirable professional skill. Essentially, what I’m saying is I really should’ve had a PlayStation long ago. Who would have guessed something like that would help me find a job? Meagan Kelly is a senior in the College. RING BY SPRING appears every other Friday in the guide.
BETHANY BLAKEMAN Special to the Hoya
Mr. Black Student Alliance, said. The fun atmosphere will turn into suspenseful excitement when the judges eliminate four of the tributes after the first round. The judge panel is comprised of Henry Thaler (COL ’14), last year’s victor Jed Fienman (COL ’12), Assistant Director for Student Programs, Tanesha S. Stewart and theology professor Tod Linafelt. In true Hunger Games spirit, the judges will be decked out in eccentric wigs and costumes and cannons will blast to declare the fallen. In the second round, the 10 remaining tributes will suit up and again strut their stuff as part of the formal-wear competition. Only five will advance to the final round of the night: the talent portion. All of the contestants have a talent piece ready to perform, but only the final five will have the opportunity to showcase their talents on the stage in Gaston. “I did this not only to represent BSA and try to win for them — because someone from BSA has never won the pageant — but also to get the chance to perform solo on the stage in Gaston. Having the chance to perform up there would be the highlight of my entire Georgetown experience,” Victor said. Doors open at 7 p.m. tonight at Gaston
NATALIA ORTIZ FOR THE HOYA
BUST A MOVE Contestants of all experience levels will dance on stage. Hall. Tickets are $10 pre-purchased and $13 at the door. Get there early to secure your spot to see these guys duke it out as they show Georgetown what they are made of.
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A Landscape Transformed: The Story of H Street’s Shifting Identity
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sarah amos Hoya Staff Writer
alking down Northeast’s H Street Corridor on a Friday night, it’s easy to see how this burgeoning neighborhood has quickly earned itself the title of D.C.’s hippest. Just ask Forbes (the go-to source for all things hip), which last week ranked the area No. 6 in “America’s Best Hipster Neighborhoods.” Two weeks ago, the H Street Festival showcased the area’s trendy and youthful vibe. In addition to the standard food, drinks and entertainment, the festival featured performers who created live murals, a tattoo contest and three floors of music, ranging from electro-funk to vintage hiphop, at the Rock N Roll Hotel, sponsored by Pabst Blue Ribbon. That festival was indicative of the area’s changing identity. Looking beyond the newly opened yoga studios and ironically-themed bars, H Street has historically been known more for its crime than its creativity. But a recent gentrifying trend has drastically altered the character of this D.C. neighborhood. “I’ve been on this block for the past 10 years, [and] it’s definitely a big change,” Tameca Herbert, a local shop owner, said. “It used to be ghost town here. …. You’d never see this many people walking on H Street.” The corridor, which runs from Union Station to 17th Street NE in the heart of D.C., was a bustling commercial district until the 1968 riots following the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., left shops damaged in their wake. The neighborhood hadn’t been able to shake that dark history — until recently. Just last Friday Herbert opened a consignment boutique on H and 12th Streets called Diva’s World, which sells reasonably priced vintage clothing for women. A native of the District, Herbert had previously owned a shop on 4th and H, but after the rent doubled from $2,500 per month to $5,000, she relocated in favor of a location closer to the buzz of the 1200 block. Diva’s World stylist Mark Williams added that the boutique has seen a bubbling of activity since opening last week. “A lot of people are excited about it being in this area,” Williams said. “People come in and they say that this is the best thing to happen here, because they had to go so far for consignment and vintage [before].”
Its location next to a vibrant night scene makes for good business, according to Herbert and Williams. They open Diva’s World from noon to midnight, allowing bar hoppers to stumble into the hot pink boutique as they’re making the rounds. “We had one girl come in here and she picked out a cute little skirt and a top, and she said, ‘I’m just [going to] keep this on and go bar hopping,’” Williams said. Williams and Herbert both hope the neighborhood will become D.C.’s new shopping destination — Herbert even called the area “the new Georgetown.” “You can eat, barhop, [got to a] happy hour, hop in a cab or take public transportation, and it’s all here,” Williams said. “Unfortunately it’s taking business from other areas, but you know there’s enough room for everybody, right?” Despite Williams’ optimism, the “G” word — gentrification — brings up uncomfortable questions about race and class. H IS FOR HIPSTER The H Street Corridor, once known for its crime, is becoming one This process, in which longtime residents of the city’s trendiest locations, pushing out local businesses, like barber shops. of the neighborhood are forced out beLon Porter, who is black and a native do, but it leaves their hands.” cause of a rise in housing prices and cost Still, Porter’s business is his main focus. of living, complicates the sunny story of H of Northeast D.C., also sees the neighbor“There may be some gentrification in Street’s meteoric rise. It’s becoming clear hood’s change as an improvement. that there are winners and losers in this “Before this happened, this was like the master plan of things, but I’m not at quickly growing neighborhood. the wild, wild West down here. I see a lot that level,” he said. “I’m trying to make my Herbert recalled a wig shop that recent- of good in it,” he said. Porter remembers business grow, and I’m more concerned ly closed after rent shot up from $2,000 per a time when H Street was synonymous with that.” month to $10,000. But others are concerned about the conwith drugs, boarded-up houses and empty “The woman [who] used to own a wig streets. sequences of these demographic shifts. shop was there for years. She was there Nicknamed “Chocolate City” in a 1975 But last year, Porter opened up a locksince I was a little girl,” Herbert said. “She smith shop, Georgetowne Lock, in the song by the funk group Parliament, the had to move out this year. Now it’s a hoo- neighborhood; the rent at his former loca- District has historically been a black culturkah bar, but that wig shop had been there tion in Glover Park was “too damn high,” al center. Beginning in 1957, Washington forever. She cried. She had been there a re- he said jokingly. However, Porter admits was the first American city to have a maally, really long time.” the rent on H is higher than what it used jority-black population, peaking in 1970 “I wouldn’t say that I don’t sympathize to be, and he worries about the fate of the at 71 percent. But last year’s census data with them, but at the same time, things neighborhood’s older residents. show that in the past 10 years the District are changing,” Williams said. “It’s the 21st “A lot of black people who have lived has witnessed a dramatic change in democentury, so people can’t expect everything here for years, they’ve gotten old now,” he graphics: The white population rose 31 to stay the same. … But I don’t look at it as said. “I don’t know whether they sell their percent, as the black fell eight percent, slipa bad thing.” place or give it to their kids or what they ping below 50 percent of the population
for the first time since the initial majority everywhere,” Lautermilch said. The process started earliest in Logan was established. D.C. is home to the three most whitened Circle in the ’70s with young, educated, zip codes in the last 10 years other than progressive, upper-middle-class profesBrooklyn. For example, the 20001 zip code, sionals. It was a depressed market, with directly adjacent to the H Street corridor, good housing stock and proximity to went from a 5.8 percent non-Hispanic work and public transportation, and the white population in 2000 to 32.8 percent individual buyers of property put “sweat equity” into homes, according to Lauterin 2010. Maurice Jackson, Georgetown associ- milch. But the process isn’t the same in H Street’s case. ate professor of “H Street is the history and Af“You have to ask, ‘Does story of the city rican American government destudies, is pessime moving in, does that ciding the area mistic about this wash out the cultural needed to be change. gentrified,” he “The city ittraditions that were said. According self [is] losing. there?’” to Lautermilch, It’s not just a D.C. governblack thing, it’s — Assistant professor the ment has implea thing for the whole populaBrian McCabe mented several projects in recent tion,” he said. years that are Jackson, who wrote an essay titled “Pricing the Soul out changing the area’s economic and racial of Washington, D.C.” for The Chronicle of makeup. One of these projects is the $1.25 Higher Education last June, said the area million H Street NE Retail Priority Area is unique in its diversity and the opportu- Project Grant, which will award individunities it provides to learn about the rich al grants of up to $85,000 each to small businesses along the corridor. The city African American history of the city. “[It’s] not just a loss for black people, but picks and chooses which shops to invest it’s a loss for white people, too, and for the in — places that couldn’t get grants were city as a whole. That’s why I phrase it ‘pric- hair salons and convenience or liquor ing the soul out of D.C.’ You aren’t just stores. An important player in this drama is pricing the black people out of D.C.” While the black population just lost its Joe Englert, a Pittsburgh native who has majority, the gentrification process has made a career of opening themed bars been going on for years. Beginning in the and restaurants in gentrifying areas such 1970s, a rumor known enigmatically as as U Street and the H Street Corridor. “He’s created a strip that yuppies — well “the plan” began circulating around the city, suggesting that influential city gov- maybe not yuppies, hipsters at first in ernment officials were trying to regain 2006 — like,” Lautermilch said. Englert first opened the Argonaut, a white majority in the nation’s capital. This urban legend didn’t gain much trac- which on its website claims the title “H tion, though. Most people recognize that Street’s true neighborhood gathering ongoing demographic changes are the re- spot.” He then opened the Rock N Roll Hotel, Granville Moore and the H Street sult of a variety of factors. “[Gentrification] doesn’t mean every Country Club. “[It’s] a caricature of a place that hipwhite person moving into D.C. has an ulterior motive, and it doesn’t mean every sters would like,” Lautermilch said of the black person moving out of D.C. doesn’t H Street Country Club. “[Englert] created want to,” Jackson said. “It’s a myriad of that base, [and] since then city governproblems. ... There are many things that ment has been supporting development we have to think about. Therefore, it be- of that space.” Understanding the ins and outs of local comes a collective responsibility of the government can be a tricky process. Vetwhole city.” How exactly the city can — and does — eran businessmen like Englert easily capiinvolve itself in the issue of gentrification talize on initiatives like the Retail Priority was explored by Cole Lautermilch (SFS Area Project Grant, but not every H Street ’14) last summer through a Georgetown shop owner has been able benefit from Undergraduate Research Opportunities these programs. “It’s very interesting in terms of licensgrant. Working with assistant professor of sociology Brian McCabe, who taught the ing, loans [and] approval, when you see class “Urban Studies: The City” last spring, what’s going on and what’s happening,” Lautermilch looked at how D.C.’s local Amari Elbay, another H Street shop owner said of the idea that city government is government influences demographics. “Some things I found in my research picking which shops to invest in. “Where were, surprisingly, that the process of are all these people getting these loans to segregating and gentrifying happens in a fund these clubs, housing, condos?” Elbay, born and raised in the District, very systemic way,” Lautermilch said. Over the summer, he sifted through said that in spite of the successes of some news archives to pinpoint when gentrifi- of the shops and restaurants on the strip, cation took place and constructed a map he knows many who tried to get club or depicting how the process has moved liquor licenses but were unsuccessful. “I don’t know if it was a financial situthrough various parts of the city. “Gentrification doesn’t look the same ation or a situation where people just
couldn’t make it happen, but it’s just interesting,” Elbay said, unsure if there were other forces at play. Neither Elbay nor Herbert received any grants. “There was no funding. It was just hardearned money for here,” Williams said of the boutique’s startup. Herbert said working extra hours and saving up allowed her to splurge on a more expensive space with a better location. Local government’s crowning achievement in the revitalization plan is the D.C. Streetcar project, which, after years of planning, is scheduled to open along H Street in the summer of 2013. The streetcar would benefit the revitalized H Street Corridor more than other neighborhoods, because the closest metro, Union Station, is 12 blocks away. “My prediction is that it will be huge in driving further gentrification,” Lautermilch said. But with a price tag of $1.5 billion dollars, the project had a hard time getting off the ground. This July, D.C. Councilman Marion Barry attempted to slow construction progress, saying that the project cost more than it was worth. “It doesn’t seem like a well thoughtout plan,” Barry said in an interview with The Washington Post. “They haven’t even figured out how to get over the H Street Bridge.” Despite the impact of programs like the Retail Priority Area Project Grant and the streetcar plan, many say that gentrification is more of an outcome of natural fluctuations in interest than specific government initiatives. “Part of the gentrification story has
always been a set of people looking for a new area, an authentic area,” McCabe said. “Whether it’s H Street now, or U Street 10 years ago, or even the Georgetown neighborhood, which was a predominately black neighborhood until the early 1900s, history is repeating itself.” The important thing, McCabe tells his students, is to consider the impact of this inevitable process. “We might value diversity, we might value living around people that are different than us — different cultural traditions in the same place — but you reach this tension whereby you have to ask, ‘Does me moving in, does that wash out the cultural traditions that were there?’” he said. Lautermilch, who this semester is living by Eastern Market, an area he describes as “gentrifying, mostly gentrified,” asks similar tough questions. “I think regardless of my intentions, I am, wherever I chose to live, a gentrifier,” Lautermilch said, admitting that his educated, upper-middle-class background fit the category of the resident who is traditionally slated as “gentrifier.” But Lautermilch recognizes that the process isn’t just black and white. “I ask myself, ‘Does my presence make it harder for longtime residents? Or can I be a part of the community?” Lautermilch said.
ALL PHOTOS ARIEL POURMORADY FOR THE HOYA
FRESH LOOK New establishments, like H Street Country Club and Georgetowne Lock are capitalizing on the neighborhood’s booming business culture.
food&drink Le Tomate Elevates Italian Basics EMILY MANBECK Hoya Staff Writer
LE TOMATE
1701 Connecticut Ave. NW cuisine: Italian price: $$$$
S
ituated in the heart of Dupont Circle, La Tomate offers the perfect location to take a moment in your busy day to enjoy a meal with friends. With both indoor and outdoor seating, this bistro is ideal for simply sitting back and watching the D.C. hustle and bustle. As waiters charm tables with humor and attentive service, the dishes satisfy the taste buds of those craving traditional Italian favorites or those looking to try something new. Upon entering, it’s hard to miss the clean and modern look. Mirrors are juxtaposed against white walls, Italian posters decorate the back room, deep red chairs contrast with the polished, hardwood floors. After we took our seats, we received menus, water and a basket of warm bread with olive oil. For starters, we ordered the prosciutto sampler and the bruschette miste. La Tomate is famous for its Prosciutto Bar, which serves prosciutto from all over North America and Europe, so we would have been remiss if we had not tried its different variations of smoked ham. The sampler presented us with four different types of prosciutto, each thinly sliced, per-
fectly balanced between saltiness and bitterness, and so tender that it melted in our mouths. Next was the bruschetta miste, which was fantastic. Made with special ingredients selected daily by the chef, this appetizer contained two types of bruschetta. We enjoyed the fresh yellow and red tomatoes atop lightly toasted baguette slices, but the mozzarella, olive and sweet pepper topping was clearly the winner in terms of taste. The creaminess of the cheese, the tanginess of the green olives and the juiciness of the peppers blended together nicely and left a flavor that was anything but bland. In my opinion, the quality of an Italian restaurant is based on how well they serve the basics (think lasagna), so I chose the pasta al pomodoro as my main course. Having mistakenly accepted the option of whole-wheat pasta, I expected my selection to negatively affect my dining experience, but it did not. The consistency of the pomodoro sauce was spot on. It was actually a chunky sauce instead of a liquefied tomato soup. It was not overly rich or sweet and exhibited freshness with
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Latomatebistro.com
MEAT ME IN ITALIA The Prosciuitto Bar at Le Tomate is just one reason to visit the exemplary, traditional Italian restaurant. the additional basil, oregano and garlic. As someone who does not like al dente noodles, I appreciated that the chef cooked the pasta completely without leaving it too chewy or too soft. All in all, this dish left my cravings for a hearty and savory Italian meal fully satisfied. Along with these more traditional entrees, La Tomate offers many nightly specials to its guests. One of my friends even to its guests rabbit from the specials options. Having felt slightly nervous to try it, I must say that it was actually quite good. Served in a
light marsala sauce with potatoes, the rabbit meat tasted just like chicken, though it was a little thicker in consistency. If your budget is less than $30 for an appetizer and main dish, I would suggest straying away from the fish and meat entrees, since their prices range anywhere from $19 to $28 an item. Fortunately, there are many other choices in the college budget range. I would definitely recommend La Tomate to any student looking for a restaurant with delicious Italian food and friendly, efficient service.
a weekly review of the blogosphere’s best recipes
carrot cake cupcakes
kale chips
mysanfranciscokitchen.com
heartofgoldandluxury.blogspot.com
These slightly healthier-than-normal cupcakes are packed with delicious ingredients such as carrots, pecans and cinnamon that lend these sweet treats a moist and fragrant taste. This is a much better alternative to standing in line to fulfill your cupcake cravings.
These delectable chips can serve as much healthier substitute to traditional potato chips. Here is a quick, simple recipe perfect for anyone looking to incorporate more greens into his or her daily diet.
10 | the guide | 9.28.12
food&drink
A Chocaholic’s Paradise Just Across M Street cAITLIN dEsANTIS Special to The Hoya
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eorgetown’s 33rd Street may be famous for its cupcakes, but it could just as easily be known for it’s fabulous chocolates. J. Chocolatier stands on just the other side of M Street. Look for the blackboard sign on the corner of M and 33rd that leads to the quaint, yellow townhouse covered with poppy flower decorations. Step inside, and you will be pleasantly overcome with the rich aroma of cacao. Two display cases are filled with tempting cookies and chocolates. There are so many options that it’s almost overwhelming because everything looks so delicious. J. Chocolatier specializes in artisanal chocolates made on site, offering both bars and truffles in a variety of intensities and flavors. The store prides itself on using the finest all-natural, seasonal ingredients and its truffle selection is constantly changing, so there’s always a new confection to try. The truffles are simply divine. The fleur de sel caramel truffle oozes with molten caramel, and the subtle notes of salt balance the sweet caramel. Another favorite is the “ugly” butter chocolate, which is J. Chocolatier’s unique version of a whipped cream truffle. The whipped butter and chocolate filling is dense when you bite into it but smooth as it melts in your mouth. Other truffle flavors include spicy chipotle, rose and lavender. Although J. Chocolatier specializes in chocolates, it also sells baked goods, offering about six different kinds of cookies, including classics like chocolate chip, oatmeal and snickerdoodles. For the true chocolate lover, the dark chocolate sparkle cookie is both crunchy and soft and will satisfy any chocolate craving. Don’t worry if you have bakery-related
J. Chocolatier 1039 33rd St. NW cuisine: Dessert price: $$$$ health restrictions: Gluten-free cookie aficionados will go nuts for the flourless peanut butter cookie — a gooey cake with crunches of peanuts, chocolate chips and peanut butter chips. Aside from chocolates and baked goods, J. Chocolatier’s ice cream sandwiches, made by combining its cookies with homemade ice cream, are not to be missed. Selections include a classic chocolate chip cookie with vanilla ice cream and a lemon cookie with strawberry ice cream. Beyond everything edible, the classic Georgetown atmosphere of the shop, including exposed brick walls and hardwood floors, gives J. Chocolatier a coffeeshop vibe. Like most Georgetown shops, J. Chocolatier is small with limited seating, but if you’re lucky enough to get a seat at one of the two tables painted like cacao beans, it‘s definitely a good place to sip some hot chocolate with friends or finish a paper. The next time you find yourself on 33rd looking for something sweet, cross M Street and check out J. Chocolatier. Relax, indulge and enjoy some of the finest chocolate treats in D.C.
burleith bartender
Keep It Simple, Stupid
S
ome time ago, I was at a party ple ratio, and it works. Many classics are sours. A gimlet, and had to step away from the kitchen for a bathroom for example, is gin, lime juice and break. Upon returning, I found a simple syrup, which is equal parts few guests who had tried — unsuc- sugar and water. A whiskey sour is cessfully — to mix a drink of their whiskey, lemon juice and honey. own creation. Apparently, it tasted A daiquiri is rum, lime juice and off, so they added more ingredi- syrup. There’s a good reason to think ents. I don’t remember what went into the drink, but they used al- about drinks in terms of ratios. most a little bit of everything they First of all, you can scale your drink easily. Second, could find. you start thinking I recently started about ingredients in making my own proportion to each ice cream, and I’ve other, which means started to realize that you start to think cocktails are a lot like about how different ice cream. How many PrestonMui flavors interact with ice creams have more each other. Finally, than three key flavors? The best ice creams, like good it’s easy to memorize drink recipes; cocktails, showcase a few flavors an old-fashioned is 9:1 whiskey to sugar, for example. with clarity. Once you understand the simple Two weeks ago, I shared with you a recipe for a classic margarita that sour, you can fiddle with it. Perhaps required only three ingredients: you want to add cranberry juice, tequila, orange liqueur and lime but cranberry is sweet and tart, juice. It did not include strawber- so you reduce both the sweet and ries, coconuts, shaved ice or store- the sour. (That’s how the cosmopolitan is made.) Eventually, you bought “sour mix. The margarita is an example of start to add more and more flavors, the “sour” family of cocktails. All of and the drink gets more and more these cocktails follow a simple for- complicated, but as long as you’re mula of approximately two parts li- thinking carefully about the ratios quor, one part lemon or lime juice every step of the way, you’re on soland one part simple syrup, orange id ground. Start simple, and then liqueur or grenadine. The exact complicate. proportions are adjustable, but you get the general idea; There’s a base Preston Mui is a senior in the College. liquor that’s tempered with sweet BURLEITH BARTENDER appears every and balanced with sour. It’s a sim- other Friday in the guide.
the right ratios cucumber gimlet Muddle 4-5 slices of cucumber in a cocktail shaker. Add gin, lime juice and simple syrup in a 2:1:1 ratio. Shake with ice and strain. Garnish with a slice of cucumber. It’s extremely refreshing and tastes like summer.
boston sour Construct a whiskey sour (whiskey, lemon and honey or simple syrup) with your preferred ratio, and add one egg white. Shake with ice and strain. The frothed egg white gives the drink a light texture and a beautiful layer of white foam.
jack rose
ALL PHOTOS CAITLIN DESANTIS FOR THE HOYA
Combine Laird’s Applejack, lime juice and grenadine (equal parts sugar and pomegranate juice, simmered) in an 8:3:3 ratio over ice. Shake and strain. This is a classic cocktail from the prohibition era that was nearly forgotten for decades — and my personal favorite.
CHOCOLATE FEVER J. Chocolatier has treats to satisfy any chocolate craving.
9.28.12 | the guide | 11
arts&entertainment amplify
Stars Prove Less Than Stellar in Concert
C
anadian baroque-pop band pleasant surprise. However, from that Stars returned to the 9:30 Club point onwards, it was a constant backon Sunday night after two and-forth between their latest songs years. While the band played a few fa- and ones that I listened to on the 2005 vorites to please their older fans, more “The O.C.” soundtrack. Maybe I’m just than half of their set was tracks from nostalgic for the Stars songs I played in their latest album, The North, whose middle and high school, but the song 44 minutes consist of mostly forget- order the band chose really put me table tracks interspersed with some off. They neither presented their new album as a whole in order to give the catchy, cinematic gems. Luckily, Stars chose opening acts audience a taste of how it sounds live, worth mentioning. The concert nor did they play many of the songs opened with Chicago-based Califor- from their earlier albums that really nia Wives, whose sound blends that defined who Stars was as a band in its of Stars and Silversun Pickups. A stan- younger, more active years. The band dard four-piece rock setup yielded a took the audience for a ride on a musical roller coaster, and pleasantly upbeat, chill I can’t say I had much sound, smoothed out fun. Though certainly by raspy, shy vocals. “Todependent upon one’s kyo” and “Marianne” liking for The North, were memorable, but otherwise, most of their the show’s structure songs sounded similar. was generally confusAlliePrescott The relaxed mood they ing and bizarre. instilled in the audiOne thing to be said ence, though, was no preparation for for Stars, though, is that they always the act that followed. deliver a passion that clearly demonIndeed, Toronto artist Diamond strates their love and appreciation of Rings was nothing less than a theatri- their fans. Having seen them in concal act. The performance started with cert a few years ago, I knew to expect three young men in black clothing the emotional, poetic words of gratiwho wouldn’t have looked out of place tude from singers Torquil Campbell playing the role of the Jets in West Side and Amy Millan. Torq made a point Story. As the audience took that in, to thank the audience for spending Diamond Rings made an entrance in money on concert tickets during all white. these tough times, and Amy reminded Like a taller, gender-bending version everyone to vote. Though the band of Swedish pop star Robyn, his dancing members are making their way into was just as wacky and reminiscent of their forties and slowly losing the enconvulsions as are some of the moves ergetic element of their performance, in her music videos. He played flam- it’s clear that they appreciate their boyant, appealing songs with forward, younger fans and will always try to metaphorical lyrics, thumping beats empathize with them. Few bands presand catchy electronic riffs. He and his ent themselves as down to earth these men in black had no problem getting days, but Stars does. Stars champions the audience pumped for the main act a maturity that is much appreciated but couldn’t bridge the genre gap be- when we consider artists who sometween their band and Stars. times get caught up in the musician As is expected at any sold-out con- lifestyle rather than make actual concert, the audience roared when Stars nections with their audiences. walked on stage against a simple backAs a whole, Stars put on a great drop of apartment buildings, remi- show. Neither the opening acts nor the niscent of their latest album art. They set Stars chose made much musical opened with “Theory of Relativity,” sense, but the element of passion they their first single from The North. By put into their music was laudable. following it with “Fixed,” a track from 2010 album The Five Ghosts, Stars put Allie Prescott is a junior in the Colforth the idea that they would play lege. AMPLIFY appears every other tracks both new and old, much to my Friday in the guide.
12 | the guide | 9.28.12
‘Blaguards’: An Irish Blessing A
Emily GRau Special to the Hoya
s I patiently awaited show time in the Keegan Theatre, I came to a strange realization: The audience members directly around me all had Irish accents, and “bloke” was being tossed around with an unusual frequency. Had I unknowingly stumbled into an Irish-exclusive club meeting? Was I really doing a theater review for the guide or was I being punk’d? Not this time, but the eclectic audience reflected the content of “A Couple of Blaguards,” an autobiographical, humorpacked depiction of two Irish brothers. “A Couple of Blaguards” is a twoman comedy written by brothers Frank (author of Angela’s Ashes) and Malachy McCourt. Drawing from their own experiences, the brothers first explore the trials of growing up poor in Limerick, Ireland. Never leaving time for a dull moment, they reminisce about everything from religion to family to Irish culture. The second act switches focus to the brothers’ struggles with jobs and women after immigrating to America. While many of the play’s topics deal with the trials of human experience, stories of poverty and death are routinely balanced with the perfect amount of humor. The story is relatable and hysterical all at once.
omc.SEOTAMOTNETTOR
The plot of “Blaguards” progresses in a series of vignettes. The two actors impersonate everyone from priests to grandmothers, quickly switching from character to character. These hilarious portrayals, partnered with the script’s quick wit, make “Blaguards” the perfect comedy. In the two-hour production, it was rare for three minutes to pass without the audience bursting into laughter. The production’s ambiance is essential for its success. There is no flashy lighting or sound effects; the set is minimal. This simplicity adds a homey feel, or perhaps an Irish pub feel, in which to spend time reminiscing. “Blaguards” feels less like a production and more like brothers telling stories to old friends; it is casual and intimate. Suddenly, the audience is clapping along to Irish melodies and cheering the brothers on, and when the actors break character, you feel like you’re in on the joke. You’ll laugh and then continue to laugh for so long that you’ll forget that you have no earthly idea what a “blaguard” is. Venture down to Keegan Theatre in Dupont Circle to see the production, which continues through Oct. 14.
keegantheatre.com
DOWN-TO-EARTH DUO The simple set enhances the nostalgic feel of the brothers’ interactions.
the EVERYMAN’s COMEDIAN Finding Hilarity in the Ordinary
arts&entertainment
abby reutzel Hoya Staff Writer
D
emetri Martin isn’t your average standup comedian; in fact, his road to comedy is unlike most of his counterparts’. He received an undergraduate degree in history from Yale University, then followed his dreams to New York University School of Law. While his first month of law school went smoothly, he explained that things began to unravel in the second month. “I realized that I just wasn’t excited to be there,” Martin said. “Twenty-four is just too young to be filled with dread all the time.” About halfway through his second year of law school, Martin decided he would pursue something he could look forward to in the morning: comedy. In the 15 years since this decision, Martin has enjoyed one of the most interesting and varied careers of any stand-up comedian in recent record. He’s gone from playing six-minute sets in dingy New York clubs and writing for “The Daily Show” and Conan O’Brien to starring in feature films and having his own, short-lived sketch comedy show on Comedy Central, “Impor-
tant Things with Demitri Martin.” Martin’s comedy is sharp, witty and clever, and it reflects just how smart a guy he really is. Although he doesn’t use his history degree or limited knowledge of law in his day-to-day life, his college experience definitely helped him develop skills he needed in comedy. “College was helpful in a way because I learned how to write papers and briefs. I had to work with deadlines and do my homework,” he said. On Sat., Sept. 29, Comedy Central will be premiering Demetri’s second stand-up special, succinctly titled “Demetri Martin. Standup Comedian” — his first stand-up special since “Demetri Martin. Person.” The highly-anticipated special is sure to please diehard fans of this funny man. He presents his routine as pretty simple: it’s just him telling jokes. His one-liners are sharper than ever before and are supplemented by his trademark props: a drawing pad and marker. His material is still observational, which he attributes to his time living in New York.
COMEDYCENTRAL.COM
MOCKING THE MUNDANE Demetri Martin is known for his stage props, which usually include his ‘Large Pad,’ to unnecessarily clarify simple concepts.
“When I lived in New York, I was a big walker. And just by walking around and not talking to anyone, you notice a lot more than you usually would,” he said. For this special, he decided to pare down the act and focus on the jokes, which he feels are most important. There are no set decorations or fancy acting pieces with his friends in costumes, like there were in his first special. Instead, the focus is on Martin’s stage presence and his ability to deliver the one-liners he has become famous for. The subjects he covers in the special are the same hilariously mundane ones we’re used to him mentioning, avoiding topics that are too serious or related to politics. He has always found politics overwhelming, even though he was a White House intern for President Clinton during the summer of 1996. “[Working at ‘The Daily Show’ with Jon Stewart] was an interesting experience because Stewart would always talk about and stress the importance of relevance.” That experience has stuck with Martin ever since. He describes his natural state as more “irresponsible and disconnected from topical stuff.” “I like writing stuff about dogs, chairs and trees; stuff that isn’t going to change anytime soon. I want to tap into stuff that has a longer shelf life and that’s more immediate and simple,” Martin said. This is only his second nationally televised comedy special, but he does a great job of keeping his cool. Early on, he used to feel more pressure when filming and recording something. “[Recording live specials is] a lot like leaving a voicemail message for someone since you can’t get it back,” he said. What he likes about filming specials, however, is having access to the editing process, which takes a bit of the pressure off. His most recent performance was filmed at the Skirball Center for the Performing Arts in New York City a few months ago, and judging from the audience reaction in the special, it did indeed go well. Although Martin isn’t on tour right now, nor will he be any time in the foreseeable future, he is working on many projects. He recently finished filming a movie which he’s hopeful will make its way to Sundance, although nothing is for sure. He has also finished writing a movie which could be green-lit sometime this year. Michel Hazanavicius, director of the Oscar-winning film The Artist, is interested in directing. In terms of television, this special is the first we have seen of Martin since the second and final season of his sketch comedy
HIS BEST LINES Employee of the month is a good example of how somebody can be both a winner and a loser at the same time. A drunk driver is very dangerous. So is a drunk backseat driver if he’s persuasive. I think it’s interesting that “cologne” rhymes with “alone.” I want to make a jigsaw puzzle that’s 40,000 pieces, and when you finish, it says “go outside.” show “Important Things with Demetri Martin.” Regarding his first foray into running a television show, he says, “I don’t want to do another show like ‘Important Things’; after that, I’m not really interested in being myself on a show. I’m more interested in being a character.” He wrote a pilot for an animated TV show that, if picked up this fall, would mean we’d hear Martin every week. Even if you’ve never heard of Demetri Martin before, then there’s no need to feel out of the loop or be disinterested in his new special. One of the greatest things about his comedy is that it doesn’t require any special knowledge. There are no complicated references or running jokes that an outsider wouldn’t be able to understand. Martin’s jokes revolve around human nature. “Human nature hasn’t changed too much since humans have been around. Technology, content and daily life have changed at a much faster rate. At the core, human beings aren’t that different from how they were in Shakespeare’s time or in Ancient Greece.” Demetri Martin’s new special premieres this Saturday at 10:00 p.m. on Comedy Central. His startlingly true observations highlight the humor in ordinary situations, making his brand of comedy hilarious for slapstick and deadpan fans alike.
9.28.12 | the guide | 13
arts&entertainment small screen obsessions
Humor Doesn’t Always ‘Pitch Perfect’ Hits All Run in the Family
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mmy voters were a little lazy happy-sounding background music with their comedy choices this during this voiceover. Episode after year. Predictably, ABC comedy episode, it gets a bit nauseating to “Modern Family” took home mul- have everything tied up in such a tiple major awards this past Sunday, neat bow. Contrast that with a show like including, most notably, best comedy. All six of its adult cast members HBO’s “Girls,” which found comwere nominated for acting, with Ju- edy in the often-directionless lives of lie Bowen and Eric Stonestreet taking Brooklyn 20-somethings, never tryhome the awards for best supporting ing too hard to definitively answer actress and actor, respectively. Steve the questions it posed. There need Levitan, one of the show’s creators, not be direct lessons in comedy, something that “Modern Family” — also won for directing. Needless to say, “Modern Family” as a show to some extent meant for, got a lot of Emmy love. But consid- well, families — doesn’t quite recogering the other worthy nominees nize. Of course, “Girls” is inherently in each category, along with its of- different from “Modern Family” as ten not-so-hilarious third season, far as intended audience goes, but that does not mean makes me wonder: that similar rules canWhy the “Modern not apply. Family” fixation? “Girls” is not afraid In many ways, to fumble with things. “Modern Family” Creator, writer and captures something star Lena Dunham difficult for today’s embraces the unrecomedy shows in BridgetMullen solved, makes use of that it manages to be the confusing and both widely popular and critically lauded. Emmy voters highlights the unexpected. Often, seem preoccupied with rewarding this actually makes things funnier; the show for that, as if to say to au- other times, it helps the audience diences, “See? We like more than better understand the psychology of just niche cable shows.” It’s a kind of the characters. “Modern Family,” while also very pandering to the masses. Point illustrated: I got a text from my mom on character based, sometimes reduces Sunday night about the show’s best its players to mere two-dimensional comedy win. I told her I was disap- figures in an effort to keep its forpointed that the other great talent in mula going in order to close the the category was ignored, to which book at the end of each episode and she replied, “Yeah, but ‘Modern Fam- then open back to the first chapter ily’ really is the best.” Now, I would the following week. This is not unjust like to say that I watch a lot of usual in comedy, but in the everthe same television as my mom and changing climate of TV, shows need think she has good taste in TV, but to take risks in order to continue to she doesn’t really watch comedies, be critically acclaimed, though this besides “Modern Family,” making it does not always gel with popular apimpossible for her to say whether it peal. It is too soon to tell if “Modern is actually better than the other comFamily”’s fourth season, which preedies in the category. And it just wasn’t. Especially last miered Wednesday, will be more season. Certainly less innovative of the same or if it will seek to mix than some of the other nominees things up, but considering that viewin the category, “Modern Family” ers and voters keep saying yes to the seems to have subscribed to a very de- way things are, there is not much rivative form of its original episodic incentive for the show’s writers to structure, in which 1) characters act make any changes. silly, 2) other characters get annoyed at the ones acting silly, 3) everybody Bridget Mullen is a sophomore in hugs at the end, and one character the College. SMALL SCREEN OBSESstates the moral of the episode in a SIONS appears every other Friday voiceover. There is also always some in the guide.
14 | the guide | 9.28.12
The Right Notes KATHERINE FOLEY Hoya Staff Writer
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capella music is one of those trends and she makes a mean cameo appearance that I never got into. as a sexually-repressed a cappella judge. Her Granted, a lot of my apathy for off-color jokes within the first five minutes set singing without music comes from my bit- the tone for a witty farce of a musical that is terness about my own inability to sing in also a coming-of-age story. any context; I love a good DCAF show — the I should make it very clear that the muannual festival held by Georgetown’s Phan- sic in the film was actually fantastic. If you toms and Gracenotes — just as much as the love mash-ups of summer pop songs and next Jane Hoya. But the new movie Pitch actual a cappella performances with pretty Perfect managed to win me over in a way I sweet choreography, you’ll love this movie didn’t think possible. from the get-go. But even if you don’t, Pitch Pitch Perfect, based on the novel by Mickey Perfect is witty enough to suffice as smart, Rapkin, is directed by Jason Moore. It stars “Glee”-esque humor for just over an hour Anna Kendrick as Beca, the angsty college and a half. first-year who wants nothing to do with her Yes, the plot might be so embarrassingly new home at Balpredictable that I ton College, where don’t even need to her alternative style write a spoiler alert. (conveyed through But despite the fact smokey eye-makeup, that I knew that Beca extra ear piercings and Jesse would fiPITCH PERFECT and love of disc jockeynally get together starring: Anna Kendrick, Rebel ing) just doesn’t quite after the big national fit in with the preppy competition and that Wilson, Brittany Snow norm. Beca gets roped it would end on a into singing in an cheesy “Kumbaya” all-female a cappella note, I still found mygroup who is stuck in its old ways, perform- self enjoying the movie. ing boring musical arrangements. Screenwriter Kay Cannon’s script had pheAlong the way, she befriends Chloe (Brit- nomenal dialogue. He globs a generous dose tany Snow), Fat Amy (Rebel Wilson) and even of snark and self-criticism into every scene, the completely neurotic captain Aubrey which elevates the film. Wilson was the best (Anna Camp). And then there’s her adorkable at delivering the dry, self-deprecating lines, love interest, Jesse (Skylar Astin), with whom which actually made me laugh out loud. She she has a Ross and Rachel-esque romance. clearly stole the show. Things are complicated by the fact that he’s I am a huge supporter of such humor; I in the campus’ all-male a cappella group, her think Banks recognized that there’s a huge group’s rival. The Balton Bellas must come stigma about how some a cappella groups together to beat the Treble Makers in the na- and other aspects of college take themselves tional collegiate a cappella championship. too seriously. So when you see Wilson demWhile some of the actors seem obscure, onstrating her “horizontal running” as a producer Elizabeth Banks certainly is not, form of cardio or one of the girls referring to her vagina as a man on a regular basis, it’s funny. Additionally, what I appreciated most about Pitch Perfect was the way it actually breached sexual boundaries in a normal way. The film does a fantastic job at poking just enough fun at college students’ budding sexual adventures to make it totally accessible without pushing any kind of agenda. So while I wouldn’t say this is an earthshattering cinematic adventure, it’s definitely a hilarious comedy. A light-hearted, ROTTENTOMATOES.COM self-mocking film, Pitch Perfect is in tune STIGMATIZED Rebel Wilson steals the with what we need to take a break from our show as the fast-talking Fat Amy. all-too-serious collegiate lives.
arts&entertainment
P!nk Turns A Little Blue
New Releases
ABBY KEEBLE Special to The Hoya
aBBY REUTZEL
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!nk’s a rock star, and she doesn’t need or want you. She told you herself in her song “So What.” Since her breakout single in 2001, “Get the Party Started,” P!nk has provided consistently entertaining and often hilarious inyour-face hits. She’s dissed the stupid girls, and she’s told those who’ve hurt her they don’t matter. That’s what makes her awesome; she’s the perfect artist to turn to when you’re fed up, done, pissed off, don’t want to deal and need someone who understands where you’re coming from. Been dumped? So what: You’re a rock star. Ladies night and that creepy older dude won’t back up? Ask the DJ to dedicate “U+Ur Hand” to your special man; he should get the message. My first impression listening to P!nk’s new album, The Truth About Love, was that my kickass, ball-busting, lawn-mower-riding, underdoganthem-rocking idol seemed downtrodden and heartbroken. The song “The Truth About Love” concludes that love is “all a lie.” “Chaos & Piss” finds P!nk abandoned, hiding. In “Where Did The Beat Go?” she croons “How long is lonely supposed to last?” I wondered, “what happened to you, girl? Who did this to you?” I was longing for that spunk I’d come to know and love. I found it on “Blow Me (One Last Kiss).” It’s her had-enough, back-up, self-praising anthem. Through lyrics like “I am sick, whiskey-dick, no more battles for me” and “You think I’m just too serious, I think you’re full of shit,” classically combative P!nk shines through. Her kickass spirit is back, yet that underlying sense of sadness is there. P!nk’s new album is a fusion of witty, in-yourface P!nk, but with the heartbreak of Adele. This isn’t to say that P!nk has never written sad songs — there was “Who Knew” and “Please Don’t Leave
Hoya Staff Writer
“9TH INNING” I MISSY ELLIOTT
After producing cringe-worthy songs for middle school dances years ago, Missy Elliot and Timbaland are back with Missy’s first work in seven years. This time around, synth horns and dark hooks will make for better brooding than awkward grinding.
thatgrapejuice.net GRAPEJUICE.NET
NEW LOOK P!nk still delivers her characteristic punch, but her lyrics are tinged with sadness. Me,” both sad odes to lost love — but I never expected sadness to be a dominating theme in her work. This album is going to get a lot of girls through break-ups. They’ll sing, scream and sneer their way through each song with ease. But for the first time I find myself questioning if P!nk will bounce back from this one. For all our sakes, let’s hope that’s a yes. For now, P!nk rocks on through what appears to be her disillusionment with love, motivating herself and us with songs like “Try.” She sings, “Just because it burns doesn’t mean you’re gonna die. You gotta get up and try.” I just hope that P!nk takes her own advice and never feels like she’s less than perfect. It just seems like she needs a pep talk after this one. I’m not sure I can handle losing her kickass spirit. After all, who else’s songs can I dance to when I’m in a bad mood? Until her next album, this one will make due. Even rock stars are allowed to have bad days.
“BLUE WHALE” | FRANK OCEAN
Frank Ocean’s summer album channel ORANGE received widespread critical acclaim, but that didn’t stop him from churning out new material. Though autumn is certainly in the air, Ocean’s tropical vibe is perfect for imagining a relaxing day by the water while ignoring the crushing weight of midterms. “THREE WHITE HORSES” | ANDREW BIRD
Pluck-along guitar, haunting harmonies and stirring lyrics seem to mark Andrew Bird’s newest track. The stripped down instrumentals, which include a trembling Theremin and a subdued drum beat, make this track stand out. Like any respectable folk artist, Bird recognizes the need for an equine ballad in his
Mumford’s Back and Better Than Ever
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veryone has a favorite band. One that can make good days better and can comfort you on the bad ones. A band that has an embarrassingly high
mumfordandsons.com
MATURE SEQUEL Mumford & Sons’ new album is an upgraded version of their first.
number of plays on iTunes and an even higher number of performances in the shower. For me, that band is Mumford & Sons. I discovered Mumford at their performance at the Grammy Awards with Bob Dylan and the Avett Brothers a couple of years ago. I was immediately drawn to their foot-stomping melodies and heartfelt lyrics, and apparently I was not alone. Millions of fans of the British folk-rock darlings catapulted their first album, Sigh No More, and its hit singles “Little Lion Man” and “The Cave” to the top of the charts and the band to international fame. With so much success with one fairly concrete formula, some fans feared Mumford & Sons would fall prey to the allure of changing up their sound — a la Radiohead, Green Day, Linkin Park and many others — or would not be able to sustain their graceful arc into stardom. Fortunately the band’s newest album, Babel, silences the doubters.
RAP-UP.COM
Babel presents a whole host of new, decidedly Mumford creations that cross the entire folk-rock spectrum, from the rollicking, energetic first single “I Will Wait” to the more quiet and sincere “Reminder” to the dark and brooding “Broken Crown.” All of the songs on the album are cemented by the powerful vocals of lead singer Marcus Mumford, who certainly has one of the most unique singing voices in music today. However, the best track on Babel is “Lover of the Light.” Swelling banjo accompaniment, amazing harmonies, emotionally heartfelt lyrics — if there is a quintessential Mumford & Sons song, this is it. While all of the songs on Babel could have fit in just fine on the previous album, upon a second or third (or in my case, eighth) listen, the lyrics start to truly sink in, and it becomes apparent that this band has matured since its 2009 debut. While Sigh No More had
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NICOLE JARVIS Hoya Staff Writer
its Shakespeare references, those highminded touches were superficial. On Babel, every track speaks on a far deeper emotional level than those on Sigh No More, and though the two albums may sound similar, this new collection shows a new depth in songwriting from the four members of the band, all of whom are credited writers on every track aside from an amazing cover of Simon & Garfunkel’s “The Boxer.” As tumblr blogger plantagenet said about their old album, “Mumford & Sons basically play dubstep music, but instead of waiting for the bass drop, you spend the whole song just waiting for the inevitable frenzied banjo strumming.” While this statement still rings true for Babel — and it’s true that very little has changed on the surface — with this new album, Mumford & Sons has grown up and successfully avoided the sophomore slump with joy and grace.
9.28.12 | the guide | 15
bestbets
victoria falls — abby keeble
on campus
TRADITIONS DAY Friday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. — Red Square & Healy Circle Begin Homecoming Weekend by celebrating Traditions Day, a fun, celebratory fair that include activities such as powderpuff football, a Wingo’s wing-eating competition, a dunk tank and a capella performances. Check out homecoming.georgetown. edu for the full schedule.
GPB PRESENTS: BRAVE Friday, 7:30 p.m. — Copley Lawn Determined to carve her own path, Princess Merida defies custom and unleashes chaos in the kingdom. Armed with an ill-fated spell from an old witch, Merida embarks on a journey to undo a beastly curse, discovering true bravery on her way. If you miss it on the lawn, see it in the ICC Auditorium Saturday.
TEDx GEORGETOWN
Friday, 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. — Lohrfink Auditorium At TED at Georgetown, 16 speakers will give presentations, including Wei Jingsheng, the prominent Chinese dissident, and No Malice, hip-hop artist from the Grammy-nominated group Clipse, will speak about topics such as soft power to power drinks. Check out tedxgeorgetown.com/speakers for more information.
CONTEMPORARY Artist in China: Ai Weiwei Thursday, 5 p.m. — McNeir Auditorium
Curators from the Hirshhorn Museum, the Tokyo Mori Art Museum and the Freer and Sackler Galleries will have a panel discussion on the art of Ai Weiwei, China’s most famous and controversial contemporary artist. Students can meet the acclaimed speakers at the reception after the discussion.
around town friday
saturday
sunday
Start your night with this cultural showcase. Listen to live performances, learn to make musical instruments and take tours of the museum’s displays at the Asia After Dark event at the Sackler Gallery. You can also get your face painted and enjoy specialty cocktails at three separate bars, then dance the night away when the venue transforms to an electronica dance party.
Head to the SW ArtsFest to get some goodies at a bake sale, play on a moon bounce and experience a festival of decorated bikes — all while enjoying live music from local musicians. You can also pick up some fresh produce at the farmer’s market or search for something new at the flea markets. Selections from this year’s DC Shorts Film Festival will also be screened.
Explore the revamped Arlington Planetarium, and learn some interesting skills. They are offering instruction on everything from making ice cream from liquid nitrogen to creating can-and-string radios. You can also learn about radio astronomy through a lecture and exciting hands-on experiments.
WHERE: 1150 Independence Ave. SW WHEN: Friday, 7 p.m. - 11 p.m. INFO: asia.si.edu/asiaafterdark PRICE: $30 METRO: Smithsonian
WHERE: 401 M St. SW WHEN: Saturday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. INFO: swdcartsfest.org PRICE: Free METRO: Waterfront
WHERE: 1426 N. Quincy St., Arlington, VA WHEN: Sunday, 1 p.m. - 4 p.m. INFO: friendsoftheplanetarium.org PRICE: Free METRO: Ballston
Abby Keeble & Kelly LUI Special to The Hoya