The Hoya: The Guide: February 19, 2016

the guide FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2016

Hilarity Descends Upon the Hilltop LINDSAY LEE

Hoya Staff Writer

Every fall, our usual swarm of peers transforms into a parade of leather folio-holding, suit-clad, stress-filled balls of anxiety. Georgetown has a reputation for sending a large portion of its students into traditional, straight-edge jobs following graduation that have equally traditional, straight-edge processes for getting hired. But how do students who choose less traditional career paths achieve the specific forms of success they desire? Uniquely equipped to answer this question are alumni Nick Kroll (COL ’01) and John Mulaney (COL ’04), who helped shed light on their own versions of atypical success as two of the most recognizable names in today’s comedy scene.

See COMEDY, B2

ILLUSTRATION BY NAAZ MODAN/THE HOYA, PHOTOS: COURTESY CHRISTIAN FRAREY, CLAIRE SOISSON/THE HOYA

THIS WEEK FOOD & DRINK

FEATURE

Cyrano de Bergerac Mask and Bauble adapts classic French romance

Beard Papa’s

The Wisconsin Avenue branch of this popular Japanese cream puff eatery opened earlier this month. B5

MOVIE REVIEW

Zoolander 2

Ben Stiller returns as male model Derek Zoolander in the sequel to the modern comedy classic. B6

ALBUM REVIEW

The Life of Pablo

Kanye West’s musical genius shines through in his seventh album. B7 LAUREN SEIBEL/THE HOYA

THEHOYA.COM/ GUIDE

In Mask and Bauble’s latest adaptation of the French play “Cyrano de Bergerac,” which runs from Feb. 18 to 21 and 24 to 27, Greg Ongao (SFS ’16), left, plays the titular Hercule-Savinien Cyano de Bergerac and Taylor Rasmussen (COL ’16) plays Roxane.

ELEANOR TOLF AND TOM GARZILLO Hoya Staff Writers

@thehoyaguide

In its third event of the school year, the Mask and Bauble Dramatic Society will

bring “Cyrano de Bergerac” to Poulton Hall. Veteran Georgetown actors and new performers alike have worked to stage this timeless tale, a fictionalization of the life of HerculeSavinien Cyrano de Bergerac.

Funny, sincere and as charmingly awkward as the character Cyrano himself, the play features a distinct lyrical and comedic style that still holds up nearly 120 years after the original play was written.

Directed by Nicholas Norberg (COL ’16) and produced

by Annie Ludtke (MSB ’18), “Cyrano” combines romance, wartime drama and mystery.

See CYRANO, B3

B2

the guide

THE HOYA

friday, FEBRUARY 19, 2016

FEATURE

ILLUSTRATION BY RAY TIERNEY

Since they first met as members of GU Improv, John Mulaney (COL ’04) and Nick Kroll (COL ’01) have worked together on various comedy projects including their act as George St. Geegland and Gil Faizon, two eccentric, elderly men from New York City, on “Kroll Show” and currently on their live show, “Oh, Hello.”

Georgetown’s Comedy Legends Alumni take the stages of Gaston and Warner Theater

MULANEY & KROLL, from B1 Kroll is notable for his role in the popular FXX comedy, “The League,” his Comedy Central show the “Kroll Show” and appearances on popular series including “Parks and Recreation.” Mulaney’s standup specials, “New in Town” and “The Comeback Kid” are available on Netflix and have been widely watched and extensively quoted. In addition, he produced numerous memorable sketches during his time as a writer on “Saturday Night Live,” including his co-creation of Bill Hader’s character, Stefon.

This year, Kroll and Mulaney embarked on a joint project, “Oh, Hello,” in which they embody two characters they debuted nearly 10 years ago on “Kroll Show.” The touring show played at the Warner Theater in downtown Washington, D.C., on Sunday, Monday and Wednesday. However, their partnership began many years before this exciting new venture.

The duo met on Georgetown’s campus in Kroll’s senior year and Mulaney’s freshman year, when Mulaney tried out for The Georgetown Improv Association, then known as the Georgetown Players Improv Troupe. They both found a mentor in fellow Georgetown comedy legend Mike Birbiglia (COL ’00), and as they say often in their show “Oh, Hello,” the rest

was history.

“We got very lucky that we met such a good group at Georgetown and started our careers that way and now I think about how … almost 15 years later, that we’re still performing together and having so much fun. It’s just the most gratifying thing, both to be on stage and also to say I’ve been performing with this person for so long,” Kroll said in an interview with The Hoya.

The two recognized the strange fact that Georgetown has produced so many comedy titans despite its reputation as a school centered on consulting, finance and government.

“It is funny because Georgetown isn’t known as a comedy school, and yet there are a number of very funny people that came out of it. But I think it’s almost the fact that it wasn’t this comedy college that allowed for people to find some people they like working with and find what they like doing,” Kroll said.

When asked what they would have done if they had not gone into comedy, Mulaney said at Gaston,“I cannot answer that question. I wanted to be a nightclub entertainer like Ricky Ricardo and then a comedian from about the time I was 3 or 4. I’ve never had another plan and I’ve never had another skill. Truly.”

Kroll echoed that sentiment, stating that he knew he could not be a tradition-

al student any longer.

“I similarly never had anything I could do or was good at before. It definitely was not going to be more school,” Kroll said.

Kroll’s distaste for rigid academia was most clearly demonstrated by his unique ability to fall asleep involuntarily anywhere, even in the classes of the most interest to him.

“When I was at Georgetown I took a bunch of modern art classes. I loved Picasso and I would go into a lecture specifically on Picasso and I would fall asleep.

And I would never find myself falling asleep doing comedy,” Kroll said.

Finding the thing you “wouldn’t fall asleep doing” was a prominent theme of the talk they gave in Gaston Hall on Tuesday in an event hosted by the Georgetown Lecture Fund. The two displayed their easy wit in every sentence and response, but below the humor there was a clear message for the students in the audience.

“I was more scared of regret than rejection,” Kroll said of his decision to pursue comedy during the event. “I didn’t want to look back and feel like I didn’t try.”

The pair urged students to find the thing about which they were truly passionate, the thing that did not feel like work, and to follow it to their fullest every day, even if it seemed unstable or

COURTESY LUKE FONTANA

John Mulaney (COL ’04), left, and Nick Kroll (COL ’01) play George St. Geegland and Gil Faizon, two recurring characters from Comedy Central’s “Kroll Show,” in their currently touring show, “Oh, Hello.”

risky. Of their vocation specifically, they you’re always surprised to find out went stressed that this was not something to to Georgetown. I think in some sense be attempted without full commitment. that might be a rejection of GeorgeThe pair’s tenacity and hard work town’s rigid structure. There are people have resulted in widespread success. like Brit Marling, Mike Birbiglia, who Their most recent venture, “Oh, Hello,” kind of just maybe get bored and, not was one of the most difficult shows to necessarily lash out at the Georgetown get tickets for in New York and, after a system, but kind of just reject it and go successful off-Broadway run, they have their own way. And I think that’s a really taken the show on the road. inspiring thing that they’re willing to During their show in the Warner The- forego that traditional path in order to ater on Monday night, they displayed, follow a more artistic pursuit.” yet again, their strong abilities to think Olivia Hinerfeld (SFS ’17), the moderaon their feet, read the room and play off tor of the event at Gaston Hall and a longeach other with a banter that can only time fan of the duo, said she was struck develop from working so closely for by Kroll and Mulaney’s advice. many years. The characters, Gil Faizon “I was impressed by their feedback and George St. Geegland, are two eccen- about pursuing one’s dreams without tric, elderly men from New York. They a back-up plan at Georgetown. I feel like feel equally too we are often enstrange to be real couraged to aggresand yet so familsively pursue Plan iar that you swore A, but to always you grew up next keep Plans B, C, D to them. In a reocand E in our backcurring sketch on pockets,” Hinerfeld “Kroll Show,” the said. “I know that two pranked conpersonally, I am testants by giving now considering them sandwiches what I think of as overfilled with A and quesJohn Mulaney (COL ’04) Plan tuna. tioning whether These loud-mouthed geezers spoke or not I am ready to throw my entire self with such a strange cadence that it soon into the pursuit of this dream.” started to feel as though there were an Hinerfeld said she believes Kroll and echo in the room: The laughter from Mulaney’s success was not necessarthe audience was often punctuated by ily a rejection of what they had experivarious people repeating the strangely enced at Georgetown, but rather a nonpronounced words to their neighbors, traditional product of things they had mid-chuckle. They brilliantly played learned while undergraduates. to their audience, making jokes about “I think that being in an environD.C.’s inability to function with 1 inch of ment that doesn’t generally lend itself snow and comparing the design of New to comedy forces students to become South to that of a women’s prison, while more creative and aggressive in how also making pointed and intelligent they pursue this discipline. I would jokes about theater’s strange customs as imagine that this tenacity would transa whole. late to success in the real world, since It was clear that, while just about ev- aspiring comedians are encouraged eryone in the audience was a big fan of to start working diligently from a very Kroll and Mulaney, not everyone knew early point,” Hinerfeld said.

Faizon and St. Geegland. About 10 minHearing Kroll and Mulaney take a utes into the performance, St. Geegland retrospective look at the path that led gurgled at the audience “You didn’t to their current successes and reflect on know what this was going to be! And you how their Georgetown experience instill bought a f---ing ticket!” fluenced them inspired many students Despite the lack of familiarity with in the audience to think more critically these two Upper West Side-dwelling se- about their passions. nior citizens, the audience couldn’t get “A career in comedy or some other enough of them. It was easy to have fun creative pursuit is definitely something because it was clear they were having I dream about. The feasibility of that, fun — their energy was contagious and however, has made me hesitant tothe material was fresh and engaging. wards actually pursuing that path, but “Everything about this has been so I think seeing Mulaney and Kroll has refun. It was so fun to perform off Broad- invigorated that passion,” Tierney said. way and on tour and in bigger theaters With their speech and show this past it’s even more of a thrill. It’s the most fun week, Kroll and Mulaney showed felI’ve ever had in comedy,” Mulaney said. low members of their alma mater that Ray Tierney (MSB ’16), a senior hoping with a drive to make things happen for to pursue comedy, said that Kroll and themselves and a sense of humor about Mulaney’s humor, in addition to the life, they could also find their own work of alumni comedians such as Brit brand of success.

Marling (COL ’05) and Jim Gaffigan (MSB Not even an overloaded tuna sand’88) , may have made an impact on other wich sneakily served to you by Gil students’ Georgetown experiences.

Faizon and George St. Geegland should “I think there are a lot of people that get in your way.

“

Everything about this has been so fun. ... It’s the most fun I’ve ever had in comedy.”

the guide

friday, february 19, 2016

OLD SOULS

THE HOYA

B3

Arts FEATURE

Sarah Dankens

Is Real-Life Conversation A Lost Art?

I

looked on anxiously as my sister typed out a few words, furrowed her brow and then deleted them with a sigh. As the clock on our kitchen table ominously reminded us that time was running out, neither the nimble movements of her fingers nor her clear absorption in the subject could hide the fact that she was struggling to find the right words.

“How much longer?” I inquired, frantically tapping my foot. “You can’t keep him waiting any longer!” The importance of syntactic perfection was not lost on me, but nonetheless deadlines had to be met.

We breathed a collective sigh of relief as the ping of her computer notified us that the deed was done, but my relief was shortlived. While the aforementioned melodrama might seem perfectly reasonable had my sister been sending off her latest history paper to a professor or resume to a potential employer, the anxiety felt a bit misplaced when I considered that it was only a response to some cute guy’s text.

What seems ludicrous to me is not the fact that we agonized over whether a particular sentence required one or two exclamation points, or whether the smiley face emoji came off as overly enthusiastic — especially considering that she wanted to be “just friends.” What seems ludicrous is not the fact that we spent 13 minutes painstakingly drafting a four-line response. What seems truly ludicrous is that our scenario was by no means atypical. When did communication begin to occur through monkey emojis rather than conversations over tea or family dinner?

When was the last time you actually sat in front of someone and had a meaningful, in-depth conversation?

LAUREN SEIBEL/THE HOYA

This process is undeniably associated with the advent of texting. Think about your own interactions on a daily basis. When was the last time you sent a text message? According to the Pew Research Center, 18-to-29 year-olds send and receive an average of 87.7 text messages per day. Based on these statistics, if you are between the ages of 18 and 29, it is overwhelmingly likely that you have texted someone in just the past 20 minutes. I know I have.

Now, when was the last time you actually sat in front of someone and had a meaningful, in-depth conversation? I’m talking about an interaction where you shared your thoughts, reflected on your surroundings, and perhaps even expressed your fears or uncertainties. I am guessing probably not in the past 20 minutes.

The number of relevant, face-to-face interactions I have pales in comparison to how many conversations I maintain through a screen.

What I am realizing more and more is that conversation through a screen can hardly do the same as an exchange in person. Texting is calculated; it is thought through. Directly speaking to someone, however, is more genuine, more spontaneous. There is no time for editing. There is no such thing as a delete button for when you utter regrettable words. If my sister had faced that boy in person, she wouldn’t have had 13 minutes — let alone 13 seconds — to formulate a sensible response. Yes, it would have been more stressful and yes, her ensuing panic may have caused her to spurt out words more brutally than necessary. But at least the reply would not have been edited more times than her latest history paper.

In-person conversation is an art, one that requires interpersonal skills and social tact, and that is rapidly evanescing as modernity progresses. That being said, I do not mean all virtual communication is devoid of meaning, because that certainly is not the case. I am but one of many who have received text messages that have pulled at my heartstrings and left me in a whirlwind of emotions. But conversations over text rarely reach the same depths as real discussions. They seldom evoke the same intensity of feeling because it is much less risky to type out an apology or a declaration of love than it is to stare vulnerably into someone’s eyes and say it. Texting is safe, but speaking is brave.

I must ask, are we hiding behind the safety of our screens? Have we entered into an era where the excessive use of “LOL” is preferred to those moments of explosive laughter that leave us bent over, while tears of joy stream down our cheeks? As society progresses and virtual communication becomes ever more prevalent, those meaningful discussions will only become more infrequent. So I dare you to instill some old-fashioned bravery into your life. Ditch the safety of your phone screen and replace a portion of those 87.7 messages with some quality conversations.

Don’t let the art of in-person conversation die out. Revive it.

Sarah Dankens is a sophomore in the School of Foreign Service. She is an alternating columnist of OLD SOULS, which appears every other Friday.

For its third play this year, the Mask and Bauble Dramatic Society will adapt the classic French story, “Cyrano de Bergerac,” which tells the tale of the titular Cyrano, a poet, musician and cadet who falls for the heiress Roxane.

Love Nose No Limits

Theater troupe brings 19th-century story to life CYRANO, from B1 Cyrano, the titular poet, musician and cadet, has his sights set on the beautiful heiress Roxane. Only three things stand in his way: the amorous intentions of the powerful Count de Guiche, Roxane’s love for the new guard Christian and the peculiar enormity of his nose.

Although many characters in the story may engage in deception, the play itself is very self-aware and carefully toes the line between comedy and tragedy. It is rife with humor, and in the first five minutes the audiences is treated to at least 20 noserelated puns. Still, this light-heartedness is dampened just as quickly as it appears when the audience learns how this abnormal feature leads Cyrano to doubt his own worthiness of love.

The paradoxical emotions evoked by this storyline are emboldened by the flexible style of the script and stage direction, which include catchy songs, a Mrs. Doubtfire-esque nursemaid and a plethora of jabs at the uncomfortable fact that the main romance of the story is between cousins — second cousins, as Cyrano repeatedly points out. The tunes are charming and lovable, even with their crude subject manner and suggestive poses.

Mask and Bauble’s adapted performance isn’t a typical rendition of “Cyrano.” Mask and Bauble Director Nick Norberg chose this version, adapted by Aaron Posner and Michael Hollinger, because of how diligently Posner and Holinger worked to make the 19th century humor more accessible.

Norberg said.

Ludtke and Norberg, both aware of the show’s potential to seem outdated, said they are especially eager to emphasize the more modern aspects of the story, which explores the complexities of personal relationships and affection, as well as the effects of different kinds of insecurities. “[It’s] a pretty timeless message that is always nice to be reminded of,” Ludtke said.

Norberg said he sees value in a message beyond romantic cliches.

“Cyrano is [made up of] characters who go about their daily lives wearing masks,” Norberg said. “They have a perfect exterior that they think the world wants to see.”

One of the first steps in removing our facades, he argues, is to learn to laugh at them and at ourselves.

The cast and crew of “Cyrano” are delightfully skilled at expressing the emotional range of the story. With four cast members who have never acted at Georgetown, two of whom had never been in any play at all, Ludtke and Norberg were understandably cautious. However, both came to embrace the fresh take it brought to the script.

“We got to work through a lot of disagreements and questions that people had with the scripts and with their characters,” Norberg said, adding that he was reassured by the cast’s questioning and critique and felt that the characterization benefitted.

“We got to work through a lot of disagreements and questions that people had with the scripts and with their characters.”

NICHOLAS NORBERG (COL ’16) “Cyrano de Bergerac” Director

Ludtke agreed. “It’s one of the most wellrounded pieces of theater I’ve seen in a very long time,” Ludtke said.

The play will run for the next two weeks, and tickets can be purchased online and in the Davis Performing Arts Center box office.

“[The characters] have a perfect exterior that they think the world wants to see.”

NICHOLAS NORBERG (COL ’16) Director, “Cyrano de Bergerac”

Norberg recalled seeing the play in high school and noting its similarities with another famous play about love. “[It was] a funnier, more interesting, all around better Romeo and Juliet story,”

LAUREN SEIBEL/THE HOYA

Taylor Rasmussen (COL ’16), left, and Jonathan Marrow (COL ’18) play Roxane and Christian de Neuvilette in the Mask and Bauble Society’s “Cyrano de Bergerac.”

B4

the guide

THE HOYA

Friday, February 19, 2016

Feature

This week’S TOP FIVE

Top 5 Grammy Surprises

1

1.

Album of the Year: Taylor Swift ‘1989’

The prolific Queen of Pop took center stage at the Grammy’s again this year to receive the award for Album of the Year in a field that included Kendrick Lamar, Alabama Shakes and The Weeknd. Notoriously snubbed in 2014, Lamar returned with an album good enough to sweep the Rap category, leaving one wondering where his near-perfect project fell short. In addition, Alabama Shakes’ blues rock masterpiece “Sound and Color” topped charts around the world without a big name to carry it and on its own merit, but fell short of the Grammy’s top spot.

RCA RECORDS

Bullet for My Valentine’s Matt Tuck discusses the band’s musical influences and plans for the future, as well as the inspiration behind its latest record.

Q&A: Matt Tuck Talks Musical Inspiration Rhiannon Catalano Hoya Staff Writer

Welsh heavy-metal band Bullet for My Valentine has been around for what seems like forever. Formed in 1998, they released their fifth record in 10 years — “Venom” — in 2015. The band is currently on tour and will be through the end of 2016. They will perform at the Fillmore Silver Spring on March 1. The Hoya sat down with lead singer and guitarist Matt Tuck two weeks ago to talk about his musical beginnings, the band’s latest album and its current tour.

You started in music playing covers of Metallica and Nirvana songs. What made you start writing and performing your own music?

I’ve just been creative. Growing up listening to music and being in a band with your friends, once you start that kind of life when you play cover of songs of your favorite band, you just get to a certain level, for us anyways, where stuff starts more creatively and you start writing your own riffs on the guitar and put chord sequences together, and dabble in writing lyrics.

It is something that just came naturally once we were able to play songs as a band, just to step into that more creative side of writing our own music.

Let’s talk about your latest album. Why did you choose the name “Venom?”

We always like to name our albums after a song that is on the record. “Venom” was something we just thought was very catchy, snappy. It had a “V” in it, which we wanted to incorporate into our artwork.

This is our fifth album, which is the “V” Roman numeral, “V” for “Venom,” for Bullet for My Valentine.

“You Want a Battle? (Here’s a War)” is one of the most popular songs off the new record. What was the inspiration behind the song?

The inspiration behind it lyrically was just letting people know what it was like for me growing up where I did, in school and being a victim of bullying. The song is very dark and it’s a song about feeling like s--t for no reason, and then eventually finding that strength mentally and physically to eventually stand up for yourself and make something positive out of it.

“Venom” sounds like your most aggressive and darkest album yet. Do you feel as if your music is going in a different direction compared to your previous work, or just evolving?

We are evolving all the time from album to album. Our song-writing is always getting better and better. This time around we really wanted to make something of a statement metal record. We have always dabbled in certain different genres — metal and hard rock. Metal is what we were always known for. This time around

we wanted to show people that when we want to be, we can be a proper heavy metal band. This time around we wanted to capture something that fit that criteria of aggressive and exciting.

What other artists and bands have influenced you musically?

It’s still the same stuff that was inspiring us when we were growing up; they are still the bands that we listen to today. …

Metallica, Pantera, Slayer, even the lighter kind of hair metal stuff. … Mötley Crüe, Def Leppard. It is the stuff that is considered classic rock nowadays, but that is the stuff we grew up listening too, and that is how we got our sound, that aggressive heavy metal sound.

What is the first album you ever bought?

It was two in the same day. And it was Metallica’s “Black Album,” and the other was from a band named Shock the Messiah.

What’s the last song you listened to on your iPod? I think it is going to be one of our tracks if I am very, very honest. The last song I listened to was “Worthless” by Bullet for My Valentine.

Do you have a favorite venue to play?

One favorite venue? No. We have been fortunate enough to tour the world numerous times and play lots of amazing venues. To pick one, that would be really super hard. I can tell you the most unique we have played was on the Slipknot tour last summer, and it was the Red Rock Amphitheater.

You are currently on tour. What can fans expect from your live shows?

Just a showcase of everything from Bullet for My Valentine from day one to right now. A band that’s on fire live. We have been doing this for a long time; we always work super hard on our live shows to make it the best it can be. It’s just a kick-ass heavy metal show with a ten-year career encompassed in an hour and a half. We brought along self-contained state-of-the-art lights and rig on this tour so it looks amazing as well, which is something we haven’t done before. We always kept it quite simple. It’s loud, it’s heavy, it’s bright and it’s pretty cool. We are really proud of this one.

Your latest album “Venom” has been out since last summer. What is next for Bullet for My Valentine?

Just more touring really. Our touring schedule is booked up from now until the 10th of December, so it is just more of the same really. We hope to get new music out by the end of the year if we get a chance to get into the studio and do some fun tracks. We just want to go into the studio and write some songs, feed the fans and do something fun.

2

Best song: ed sheeran ‘thinking out loud’

3

best rock album: muse ‘drones’

Grammy sweetheart Ed Sheeran was nominated for four awards Monday night and came away with a pair for Best Song and Best Pop Solo Performance. Sheeran’s love song represents neither a big step forward artistically, nor does it reinvent music’s most popular topic. While the song set the record for Spotify plays, it also sparked a Tonight Show parody featuring Jeremy Renner. Alongside songs by the Weeknd, Ellie Goulding and Kelly Clarkson, “Thinking Out Loud” simply falls flat.

Muse has captivated audiences around the world with over-the-top productions, revolutionary lyrics and a sound uniquely its own. After winning the award in 2010 for its magnum opus, “The Resistance,” the band’s most recent efforts have left fans wondering where the band they loved had gone. While “Drones” is ostensibly a return to its pure rock roots, it is perhaps too ambitious, feeling disjointed and reminiscent of Spinal Tap. What is truly surprising is the dull and uninspiring field atop which “Drones” reigned supreme, and that the band failed to appear to accept the award.

4

best new artist: meghan trainor

5

best music video: taylor swift

American pop singer-songwriter and record producer Meghan Trainor, best known for hit singles like “All About That Bass,” and “Dear Future Husband,” took home the title for Best New Artist at this year’s Grammys. Nominated for both Record of The Year and Song of The Year back in 2015, Trainor’s title as a “new” artist raised a few eyebrows. Some notable contenders who perhaps more accurately belong in this classification included country artist Sam Hunt and English singer-songwriter James Bay.

In addition to winning Best Album and Best Pop Vocal Album, Taylor Swift also captured the award for Best Music Video with “Bad Blood.” Directed by Joseph Kahn, this elaborate video features an array of stunning visuals and striking costumes. With guest stars like Selena Gomez and Kendrick Lamar, this epic follows an action-packed plot of a female hero battling her enemies. Swift emerged victorious against stiff competition from Song of the Year winner, Ed Sheeran.

“Have no fear of perfection, you’ll never reach it.” - Dali

RCA RECORDS

Formed in 1998, Welsh band Bullet for My Valentine released its fifth record in the last 10 years, “Venom,” in 2015 and will play at the Fillmore Silver Spring on March 1.

ROBERT CORTES/tHE hOYA

the guide

friday, February 19, 2016

THE HOYA

B5

RESTAURANT review

A Peek Into a Peruvian Palette NAzca mochica



1633 P St. NW | Cuisine: Peruvian | $$ Brian davia

Hoya Staff Writer

The latest addition to Washington, D.C.’s wide array of ethnic eateries, Nazca Mochica is conveniently located just two blocks from Dupont Circle on P Street, specializing in a contemporary version of authentic Peruvian fare. Serving a selection of dishes rooted in Peruvian cuisine with a modern twist, the restaurant offers innovative tastes, but slightly disappoints with its entrees.

Although somewhat limited in its offer-

ings, the menu at Nazca Mochica is decently varied. To start the meal, my table elected to sample an appetizer known as causitas, which consisted of a soft potato and pepper mixture topped with four distinct toppings: tuna ceviche, piquillo pepper salad, chicken salad and pork belly. This dish was nearly flawless in its execution. The potato balls provided a slightly sweet base for each savory ingredient on top, a delectable pairing that melted in our mouths.

The high quality of the dish’s fresh ingredients was exceedingly evident in the taste and texture, making its price of $15 more than reasonable.

The restaurant exudes an ambiance of subtle sophistication, maintaining a somewhat formal appearance without overwhelming the diners.

NAZCA MOCHICA

Nazca Mochica offers a contemporary version of authentic Peruvian fare.

With expectations set high by the appetizer, we were left disappointed with our entrees.

The seco de cordero — a lamb stew — and the aji de gallina — a chicken dish in a spicy, chilibased aji sauce — arrived with exquisite plating accompanied by an enticing aroma. Laid atop a well-seasoned rice and bean patty, the stew component of the dish overpowered the complementary elements on the plate. The combination of ingredients could have been successful, but it failed to strike a balance.

Similarly, the sauce on the aji de gallina overwhelmed the other ingredients on the plate.

However, every other element of the plate was cooked perfectly, as the potatoes, egg, rice and herbs surprisingly mixed together harmoniously. With the two dishes priced at $18 and $24, respectively, it is certainly an above-average price range for two average entrees. However, the portion sizes are large enough and of high enough quality to justify the prices.

Our concluding plate to the meal consisted of a trio of alfajores, described on the menu as Peruvian cookies, with a dulce de leche cream

NAZCA MOCHICA

Nazca Mochica offers its diners an engaging atmosphere with an intriguing layout and attentive staff, contributing to a unique Peruvian dining experience. in the middle. Presented beautifully on a small square plate and dusted with powdered sugar, these cookies tasted even better than they looked. The cookie itself resembled shortbread, with the silky smooth dulce de leche cream providing a pop of sweetness in the middle.

Amounting to what could be called a Peruvian Oreo, the alfajores provided an essential and delicious palate-cleansing close to the meal.

Even if a price of $9 may seem steep for three small cookies, they were definitely worth it.

The restaurant exudes an ambience of subtle sophistication, maintaining a somewhat formal appearance without overwhelming the diners. A few notable features include etchings mimicking those of ancient Peru, as well as an open kitchen slightly offset from

the primary dining area. The layout is intriguing, providing an effective point of conversation without at all feeling obtrusive. The staff remained attentive throughout the meal without hovering over our table.

Nazca Mochica proved to be a unique dining experience, blending traditional Peruvian dishes with modern flavors. The decor also worked effectively, as it produced an appealing combination of Peruvian culture ties with a fine dining atmosphere.

With excellent appetizers and desserts, the only real area of weakness was the entree selection.

While the featured plate in a meal usually dictates it as a whole, here the appetizer and dessert stole the show.

RESTAURANT review

‘World’s Best Cream Puffs’ Come to Wisconsin Avenue Beard papa’s



1332 Wisconsin Ave. NW | Cuisine: Bakery | $ Mary cate whelan

nilla cream with a velvety texture. While the outside of the cream puff is crisp and golden brown, it has a surprisingly fluffy interior.

Beard Papa’s, a Japanese bakery claiming to The buttery outer shell perfectly balances the have the “world’s best cream puffs” with a cus- sweeter vanilla filling. The dulce de leche driztomize-your-own concept, opened its doors on zle ties the entire pastry together, making for Wisconsin Avenue earlier this month. With over an exciting combination of flavors.

100 locations worldwide, the successful franchise Next, we tried the Paris-Brest with chocolate that started in Japan in 1999 is celebrating its cream filling. Beard Papa’s Paris-Brest has the tenth year in the United States. With a variety of consistency of both an American doughnut flavors and combinations, Beard Papa’s legend- and a Spanish churro. As I bit into this golden ary cream puffs definitely live up to their presti- pastry, the rich chocolate cream gushed out. gious title.

The Paris-Brest is flakier than the traditional Beard Papa’s offers a wide array of pastries cream puff, yet it is still moist and soft on the along with three choices of interior. The chocolate filling flavors. The pastries cream has a richer flavor include cream puffs, smallthan the sugary vanilla, Beard Papa’s Paris-Brest er cream puffs, dulce de the flavor is not too has the consistency of both but leche drizzled cream puffs overwhelming. The rich and Paris-Brests. The clasan American doughnut and and smooth chocolate fillsic filling flavors are vanilla ing adds tremendous flaa Spanish churro. and chocolate, along with a vor to the crunchy, buttery varying flavor of the week. pastry.

Each beautiful cream The major disappointpuff is meticulously filled and sprinkled with ment of Beard Papa’s was the filling-of-the-week a delicate cloud of powdered sugar on top for a flavor: berry. The berry cream simply fell flat commouth-watering and aesthetically pleasing end pared to the standards set by the other desserts. product.

We tasted a smaller cream puff with berry filling The must-have at Beard Papa’s is the dulce topped with powdered sugar. The berry cream de leche cream puff with vanilla cream filling. was sweet and fruity, as promised, and exuded The cream puff is the size of a palm of a hand both a yogurt-like flavor and consistency. Howand is elegantly drizzled with dulce de leche, a ever, it did not mesh well with the fluffy cream sweet caramel sauce. Each bite of the pastry is puff and was almost too sweet. met with an explosion of a smooth, thick vaAnother aspect on which the eatery could improve is its setup. The entrance to Beard Papa’s bakery opens with cheery, bright yellow walls.

While the color scheme is welcoming, the environment of the bakery is not conducive to sitting down and enjoying a cup of coffee or cream puff, as the lighting and environment are almost cafeteria-like. There is limited seating, and therefore no space to enjoy the delectable desserts.

While the ambience was not the best, the service was excellent. Although we were initially overwhelmed by the new concept and the plentiful choices, the employee was patient and helpful as we mulled through the menu. He explained how the process worked and was patient as we deliberated between the delicious options. When we were unsure which creams to pick, he offered samples of each flavor and he took the time to generously fill our pastries with the thick cream before carefully placing them in boxes so they would not get ruined. The price of the cream puffs is also extremely reasonable. An original cream puff is $3, and five mini puffs are $4.75.

Due to its proximity to campus, fair prices BEARD PAPA’S and mouth-watering cream puffs, Beard Papa’s The dulce de leche cream puff is the must- will surely become a new sweet spot among students. have option at Beard Papa’s.

Special to The Hoya

BEARD PAPA’S

Beard Papa’s signature is the customize-your-own cream puff option, which it offers in addition to Paris-Brests, dulce de leche drizzled cream puffs and mini cream puffs.

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the guide

THE HOYA

Friday, February 19, 2016

on the record

movie review

Zoolander 2

 Starring: Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson Directed by: Ben Stiller Hannah Kaufman Hoya Staff Writer

Following the recent trend of Hollywood franchises returning to the big screen with their original casts — from “Star Wars” to “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” — “Zoolander 2” released Feb. 12, is a comedy that may not have the most nuanced and original plotline but successfully delivers the nostalgic punch that faithful audiences of the original expect to see.

“Zoolander 2” follows the familiar pair of male fashion models, Derek Zoolander (Ben Stiller) and Hansel (Owen Wilson), as these long-vanished washouts struggle to catwalk back into the limelight. Invited to Rome to take part in a high-end fashion show, the two models face a generational culture shock as they encounter the quirky younger designers and models who have come to dominate the scene since their absence. At the same time, Derek hopes to win back the love of his estranged son, Derek Zoolander Jr. (Cyrus Arnold), who by chance or fate happens to be living in an orphanage in Rome.

Beneath these coincidental events is a James Bond-esque conspiracy — cue the jazzy spy music and luxurious speeding cars — where pop stars like Justin Bieber are mysteriously murdered in their attempts to protect an ambiguous “Chosen One.” With the help of Interpol fashion agent Valentina (Penelope Cruz), Derek and Hansel attempt to uncover the sinister plot lurking beneath the runway.

The original “Zoolander” movie came out in 2001, marking a 15-year gap with its newly released sequel. This timespan seems to have worked in the franchise’s favor, as it allowed for Stiller, who directed both films, to resurface memorable punchlines from the original film while introducing a fresh layer of content. In the opening, Stiller eases the audience into the second film with a convenient montage of all the events that took place from 2001 up until 2016, allowing him to quickly jump right into the thick of the story.

Both “Zoolander” movies are essentially a parody of the exclusive and elusive fashion world. As such, all the old tropes return with fervor. From Derek’s famous portfolio of facial expressions including Magnum and Blue Steel to his School for Kids Who Can’t Read Good and Wanna Learn To Do Other Stuff Good Too, and carrying through to the ridiculously evil schemes concocted by the fashion elite, the goofiness of Ben Stiller’s screwball humor holds up to that of its predecessor.

Like any of Ben Stiller’s comedies, “Zoolander 2” doesn’t hide behind nuanced dialogue or subtle displays of emotion.

Beyond these favorite moments inherited from the cult classic, Stiller ushers in new themes that play on the tropes of a millennial generation. Justin Bieber’s overdramatized death in the opening scene begins a laugh-worthy motif of poorly timed selfie sprees, launching the film’s subsequent allusions to pop culture. Combined with the countless celebrity cameos by stars across the spectrum — Neil deGrasse Tyson, Katy Perry and Ariana Grande, to name a few — “Zoolander 2” emphasizes the technologically and social media-driven culture that has risen since Derek and Hansel’s fall from fame after the first film.

Perhaps the funniest moment that sums up this generational friction is the scene glimpsed in the film’s trailer, where the androgynous model named All, played by a hilariously straight-faced Benedict Cumberbatch, encounters the aging Derek and Hansel for the first time alongside their incomprehensible hipster designer Don Atari (Kyle Mooney).

The movie’s over-the-top comedy provides line after line of relatable dialogue,

Sam Abrams

PARAMOUNT PICTURES

drawing this power both from the nostalgia of the original and the familiarity of its pop culture references. However, there are scenes where the derivative humor falls flat, such as with the nonsensical visits from Hansel’s hippie crew and their yawn-inducing sexual debauchery, which is meant to be reminiscent of the first film’s bawdy nature. Likewise, there are moments where the pop culture references overwhelm the film to the point where some audiences might feel disconnected or miss the joke completely. It would probably take two or three viewings of the film to be able to pick out every bit of millennial influence embedded into the scenes, such as Skrillex’s surprising cameo as the DJ for the upcoming fashion show in one music-dominated scene.

On a serious note, the movie’s reputation as a well-known parody of the fashion world allows it to tackle contemporary themes that touch on the more controversial and often taboo topics plaguing the industry.

Zoolander’s hesitation to accept his overweight son, as well as Valentina’s failed modeling career — on the grounds that her breasts were too big to fit standard clothing sample sizes — are just two examples of a series of societal biases taken for granted by the characters in this cutthroat culture.

Like any of Ben Stiller’s comedies, “Zoolander 2” doesn’t hide behind nuanced dialogue or subtle displays of emotion. Overall, it is a feel good movie with a hint of critical self-reflection, and, even then, it never takes itself too seriously. The film attempts to follow faithfully in the original’s footsteps through its undisguised humor, and in this respect, “Zoolander 2” succeeds with a glitter bomb of flying colors.

The Club  Starring: Antonia Zegers Directed by: Pablo Larraín Hoya Staff Writer

In one of 2015’s most critically acclaimed Brazilian dramas “The Club,” director Pablo Larrain presents a chilling and psychologically complex tale of a group of ostracized ministers living together in a secluded waterside Chilean town. Opening today at Landmark Theatres E Street Cinema, the drama won the Jury Grand Prix at the 65th Berlin International Film Festival, and was the Brazilian entry into the Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film, though it was not eventually nominated.

The film follows five men and one woman who form a “club,” the elite membership of which no one aspires to obtain. Rather, this club represents a kind of retirement home for spurned priests forced by the Church to serve their penance quietly and out of sight.

However, rather than serving their penance, Fr. Vidal (Alfredo Castro), Fr. Ortega (Alejandro Goic), Fr. Silva (Jaime Vadell), senile Fr. Ramirez (Alejandro Sieveking) and the dutiful “retired” nun Sister Monica (Antonia Zegers, the director’s wife) live a life of relative comfort and corruption; they drink, watch television and enter their prized greyhound, Rayo, in local races with the purpose of squeezing money out of their fellow villagers.

An early crisis in the film forces the Church’s hand and a Vatican crisis counselor Fr. Garcia (Marcelo Alonso) to pay the house a visit with

the presumed intention of shutting it down.

A madman named Sandokan (Roberto Farias) has wandered into their village, yelling accusations at the Church, intent on enacting revenge on the priest who abused him as a boy and the Church that covered it up. This crisis proves a rude interruption to the ministers’ clandestine existence, forcing them to confront their past discretions and acknowledge that their ordinations do not relieve them from responsibility. The audience is also forced to confront the reality of this unpleasant subject, which is too often overlooked or ignored.

The pious Garcia is confronted with the difficulty of reconciling his own faith and loyalty to the Vatican with his personal need to help the damaged priests in his care. As the film progresses, we learn of the various past transgressions of the persons in the house, which range from pedophilia to the abduction of bastard babies, and the ways in which the priests attempt to deny or defend these actions. While the general criminality of each minister’s past is well understood, Larrain shows his genius by maintaining the storyline while refusing to disclose the full story, leaving much of the priests’ biographies up to our own imaginations.

Sergio Armstrong’s cinematography scans across seaside landscapes, with the actors illuminated by fuzzy light that reduces them to silhouettes, reflecting the darkness of the biting tale that is to follow. These images of backlit silhouettes against darkening skies, along with

his week, Atlanta rapper Future, born Nayvadius DeMun Wilburn, became the fastest hip-hop artist in history to have three No. 1 albums after his latest offering, “EVOL,” debuted at the top of Billboard’s Top 200 Albums chart. To put that in perspective, the last time an artist has had three chart-topping projects so quickly was Herb Alpert in 1966. Future has been one of music’s most prolific artists over the past year, releasing three mixtapes and three albums since January 2015.

This accomplishment, achieved in less than seven months, runs counter to the prevailing logic about album releases. The gradual album rollout, featuring several lead singles and music videos before the release of the full work, has been replaced by rapid-fire offerings that satiate eager fans’ desire for new music. In this age of instant gratification, who can blame Future for giving the people what they want at an unprecedented pace?

Future began his ascent to superstardom with the release of his Zaytoven-produced mixtape “Beast Mode” in January 2015. Although not a “lyrical artist” like Kendrick Lamar or J. Cole, his raspy, Auto-Tuned singing and rapping won over longtime hip-hop fans and even mainstream celebrities like Kendall Jenner with its blend of exuberant energy and subtle humor.

Future followed up “Beast Mode” with an even more promising mixtape, “56 Nights,” in March.

Produced by Southside, the mixtape was named in honor of frequent Future collaborator DJ Esco, who was held in a Dubai jail for 56 days after being arrested on narcotics possession while on tour with Future. This project birthed the hit single “March Madness,” which climbed into the top 10 most -purchased songs on iTunes despite its being available for free download online. “56 Nights” marked a turn into a darker, more drug- and sex-infused world for Future, a confident but troubled villain whose beats and rhymes you can’t help but listen to.

In this age of instant gratification, who can blame Future for giving the people what they want at an unprecedented pace?

movie review

Skye Graham-Welton

The Future Of Hip-Hop Is Here T

MUSIC BOX

the low-key lighting and almost washed-out interior images, create an uncanny, uneasy mood reflective of the themes that permeate the film.

The film could have easily ended on a note of complete despair, void of any hope for forgiveness or redemption. However, while Larrain does not satisfy his audience with a hopeful ending, he still applies a strange and unexpected form of twisted justice in the final scenes by serving an ironic form of punishment on the members of the club. Still, the film leaves the audience emotionally struck.

This stark meditation on faith and religion is marked by Larrain’s focused direction and an exceptional cast. Though different in point of view and style, “The Club” is similar to another acclaimed film from 2015 — awards season frontrunner “Spotlight” — in both subject matter and the depth to which both films explore their themes. Audiences who were intrigued by the story behind “Spotlight” should also consider the more bleak and equally thoughtprovoking drama that is “The Club.”

His chart-topping albums, “Dirty Sprite 2,” released in July, and a joint LP with Drake entitled “What A Time To Be Alive,” released in September, helped him develop a cult-like fanbase that found solace in his ballads: sometimes sung, sometimes rapped accounts of codeine-induced dreams and the swell of emotions that come when you mix fame, money and drugs. Future impressively held his own with Drake on WATTBA, widely considered Future’s top competition for the title of best rap artist over the last 12 months.

Future’s reflections on everything from drugs to expensive watches are balanced by his clearly unhealthy relationships with women after his breakup with R&B singer Ciara. The dichotomy between professional success and personal struggle, a relationship he explores in every release, makes him so fascinating to listen to.

Some have accused Future of glorifying lean use. Lean is an illicit substance created by combining promethazine and codeine with Sprite to form a beverage that gives the user a euphoric rush. However, these criticisms are unfounded when one considers the negative light in which Future frames the drug. “Wake up in the house, I look around. … I see hell everywhere,” he raps on “Live From the Gutter.” Rather than glorify the drug, the sinister atmosphere that hangs over many of his songs actually conveys the opposite message.

Between his very public and ugly breakup with Ciara and his obvious struggles with drug use, it is incredible that Future has produced so much quality music in such a short span. It remains to be seen whether the Atlanta rapper will continue to sit atop the rap game and shake off his emotional and narcotic dependencies, or whether his “Purple Reign” will end in disaster.

Regardless, millions will be there to listen.

Sam Abrams is a junior in the College.

He is one of two alternating columnists of on the record, which appears every other Friday.

NEW NETFLIX RELEASES CHarlie’s Angels

Better Call Saul

Like sunday, like rain

starring: Cameron Diaz, drew barrymore

STARRING: Bob odenkirk, jonathan banks

starring: Leighton meester, billie joe armstrong

“Charlie’s Angels,” the spinoff of the iconic 1970s TV show, not only made its blockbuster premier in 2000 but has now made its official Netflix premier as well. The movie follows three confident and determined women — the “Angels” — as they work under the direction of the elusive Charlie to fight crime. Using their skills in martial arts and disguise as well as employing the power of their beauty, the three women pursue thrilling turns of events in their private investigation. Classified as an action film, “Charlie’s Angels” will satisfy a hunger for adventure and suspense as well as shine a spotlight on female ability and strength.

As of this month, the TV series “Better Call Saul” — prequel to the Emmy Award winning modern classic “Breaking Bad” — finally joins its counterpart on Netflix. Although it serves as a complement to its sequel, “Better Call Saul” also brings its own uniqueness with an action-packed plot as well as a distinct touch of comedic influence. For any fan of the show’s more widely acclaimed sequel, this series will offer satisfying context while being equally as engaging. For anyone new to the two series, however, the prequel certainly delivers enough suspense and drama to stand alone.

Although a seemingly unlikely co-star duo, Leighton Meester and Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day feature in the drama “Like Sunday, Like Rain.” The story exposes the crisis of 23-year-old Eleanor who finds herself without a family or a job and must quickly re-establish these two crucial elements of her life. It is in this sudden moment of desperation that Eleanor accepts a job as a nanny for an exceedingly wealthy 12-yearold cello prodigy. As a musician herself, the two characters form an unexpected friendship as they both learn to live, learn and move on.

NETFLIX

“Like Sunday, Like Rain” stars Leighton Meester and Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong.

the guide

friday, February 19, 2016

THE HOYA

album review

MUSIC

New Releases

The Life of Pablo Kanye West



Tom Garzillo Hoya Staff Writer

Ever since a pink Polo-clad Kanye West broke gangster rap’s stronghold on mainstream hip-hop with his debut album “The College Dropout” in 2004, the Chicago rapper, producer and fashion designer has constantly shifted the paradigm of music. West is a shape-shifter, perched at the precarious intersection of critical acclaim and controversy, who has relentlessly reinvented his sound from the lush soul of his earlier work to the primal minimalism of 2013’s divisive “Yeezus.”

In many ways, “The Life of Pablo” is West’s first release that doesn’t shake the sound of rap to its core. Blending sonic elements from across his entire discography rather than delving into uncharted territory, the album is a reflection of a man with a lot on his mind. It is an intricate masterpiece that forces the listener to balance undeniable artistic genius

NEWSWEEK

West released his seventh studio album “The Life of Pablo” early Sunday morning.

with crass provocation. In other words, it is a microcosm of West’s legacy and everything that makes him such a compelling figure.

Like the widely publicized, constantly changing notebook paper West shared on Twitter that displayed the album’s track list and title, TLOP is an amalgam unlike anything West has done before.

The standout track “Ultralight Beam” kicks off the album with a burst of gospel, featuring an angelic choir, soaring vocals from Kelly Price and a scenestealing verse from Chicago native Chance the Rapper. It is beautifully crafted and genuinely touching, a pristine creation that proves West is still capable of surprise and mindful of his roots.

While West has previously been satisfied with revamping his style from album to album, TLOP sees evolution from track to track. He recalls the art-pop warmth of his magnum opus “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy” on tracks like the Metro Boominproduced “Father Stretch My Hands Pt. 1” and the sublime “Waves,” a gorgeous song bolstered by the vocal talents of fellow lightening rod Chris Brown.

Brown is one of the many perfectly curated guests on TLOP, serving as a reminder that one of West’s greatest talents is his ability to draw the absolute best out of those with whom he works.

The influence of “Yeezus,” West’s most sonically abrasive and experimental album that he would later describe as “a protest to music,” is loud and clear on TLOP. “Feedback” and “Freestyle 4” cut through speakers with caustic synths, clattering bass and nightmarish strings. Tracks like these embody the darkness that plagues any creative vanguard, and West doesn’t shy away from embracing his frenetic personality. “Name one genius that ain’t crazy,” he asks on “Feedback.”

Some of West’s best production – “Gold Digger,” “Stronger,” “Blood on the Leaves” – has been built around the sampling of iconic songs by well-known artists: a rebellion against the ethos that samples should be obscure deep cuts pulled from dusty record bins. West stays true to form on TLOP, deploying Nina Simone’s “Do What You Gotta Do” on the track “Famous,” where Rihanna delivers the song’s powerful hook over a hypnotic Swizz Beatz instrumental.

“Famous” is also home to what has quickly become the album’s most controversial lyric, in which West raps that “me and Taylor [Swift] might still have sex” and takes credit for her success. Crude musings on women are nothing new to West, and TLOP will certainly not dispel allegations of sexism.

As public backlash against misogyny in rap contin-

DEF JAM RECORDS

ues to grow, West nonetheless seems content to play the villain and take advantage of the free publicity that comes along with being pop culture’s most infamous provocateur.

The album’s eclectic first half gives way to trio of deeply personal tracks in which West reflects on the struggles of being in a celebrity family under constant scrutiny. Whether it be the fear of jeopardizing his relationship with wife Kim Kardashian on “FML” (backed by a haunting hook from The Weeknd), the difficulty in finding authentic connections in “Real Friends” or the feelings of guilt and redemption on “Wolves,” West takes a step away from the divine persona he forged with “Watch the Throne” and “Yeezus” to humanize himself.

“Wolves” is the emotional conclusion of the album, but West pads out TLOP with a series of bonus tracks, including the previously released “No More Parties in L.A.” featuring Kendrick Lamar and a revamped version of the Nike diss track “Facts.” If nothing else, these extra songs are a testament to just how hectic the assembly of the album was: on “30 Hours,” West references the Madison Square Garden fashion show and listening party that was held just days before the album appeared on Tidal.

TLOP may be West’s least cohesive album, but that also makes it his most genuine. After all, if his life’s work has taught us anything, it is that his mind works in chaotic and unpredictable ways. The ability to pull beauty from that chaos is West’s greatest gift, and few artists are as willing or able to explore themselves so exhaustively. “I been thinking about my vision, pour out my feelings, revealing the layers to my soul,” West sings on “FML.” That vision, though anarchic, is what makes TLOP yet another classic album from the most influential artist of the 21st century.

Lissie

Emily Troisi Hoya Staff Writer

Following a 12-year stint living and performing in California, folk-pop artist Elisabeth “Lissie” Maurus decided that she was ready for something new, moved to Iowa and bought a farm. This challenging move and acclimation to Midwestern culture was accompanied by the release of her third album, “My Wild West,” last Friday.

The album is decidedly rawer than the rest of her catalogue, which is not surprising given the source of inspiration. Known best for her covers of other popular songs, such as her famed 2010 rendition of Kid Cudi’s “Pursuit of Happiness,” Lissie provides an intimate look into her mind as she parses through her transformational move, one track at a time. The album is both steady and soulful and; every track is just as good, if not better, than the one preceding it.

Originally from a small town in northern Illinois, Lissie has a voice that is anything but small: throaty, booming and reminiscent of Miley Cyrus or Stevie Nicks. She puts her whole body into singing each song, as evidenced by her live performances. If you are unfamiliar with Lissie, it may be due to the fact that huge, national tours are not high on her priority list, as she is an artist content with honing her craft for her own personal enjoyment. However, she did tour with Lenny Kravitz in 2008, and is currently touring in Western Europe.

“My Wild West” debuted at No. 9 on the iTunes chart in the U.K., compared to the No. 34 spot she initially occupied in the U.S. Arbitrary markings of popularity aside, “My Wild West” is a rock-solid album from an industry veteran that does a lot more than sound pretty; it takes listeners on a journey

BEST BETS Human Security in the face of violent extremism

black georgetown remembered

Join the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace and World Affairs in hosting UN Special Representative Zainab Hawa Bangura for an illuminating lecture on the value of women in resolving sectarian violence. Bangura, who is the United Nations special representative on sexual violence in conflict, will be presented with the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security’s 2016 Hillary Rodham Clinton Award for Advancing Women in Peace and Security.

New York Times journalist Alissa Rubin and actress and political activist Ashley Judd will also participate in the discussion.

Honor the vibrant yet little-known history of the black community of the Georgetown neighborhood by attending the celebration of the 25th anniversary edition of “Black Georgetown Remembered.” First published in 1991, “Black Georgetown Remembered” tracks the multifaceted adventures of the black community on campus. The featured panelists include Valerie Babb from the University of Georgia, Kathleen Menzie Lesko from the Huntington Library, Vernon H. Ricks, Jr from the Mount Zion United Methodist Church and Monica Roaché from the Georgetown Advisory Neighborhood Commission.

Where: Gaston Hall When: Monday, Feb. 22 at 4 p.m.

Price: Free info: guevents.georgetown.edu

Where: Gaston Hall When: Wednesday, Feb. 24 at 7 p.m.

Price: Free info: guevents.georgetown.edu

Sia has released yet another single off of her latest album “This is Acting,” this time with a new verse featuring Sean Paul. Originally intended for Rihanna, the track has a distinctly reggae groove that suits Sia surprisingly well. Above a bouncy, tropical beat, the singer-songwriter confesses that she doesn’t “need dollar bills to have fun tonight.” Perhaps the most radio-friendly of Sia’s latest singles, the song demonstrates the versatility that has made Sia a fixture on the airwaves as of late.

gwen stefani ‘make me like you’ At last, Gwen Stefani gets it right. After a year and a half of single release misfires, the singer has struck pop anthem gold with “Make Me Like You.” The track captures the pure, vibrant and cheeky pop that bridges Stefani’s solo sound and her more pop-rock work as the lead vocalist of the ‘90s staple No Doubt. Signaling a true return to form for Gwen, the song will remind fans of what made the “Hollaback Girl” singer a star in the first place.

After releasing one of the UK’s smartest pop songs last year, British pop up-and-comer KStewart has teamed up with the U.K. producer/singer MNEK for a new one called “Be Without You.” The track is a retro romp that harkens back to ‘90s R&B pop, channeling Mariah Carey’s early hits in a manner that resembles the work of Ariana Grande. In fact, the similarity is a little too striking, for the effect of distracting the listener and proving that Stewart should leave the high notes to Grande.



greater than the one from California to Iowa.

The first and last full-length songs on the album, “Hollywood” and “Ojai,” are the two cities in which Lissie split her 12-year Californian residency. The former is moody, featuring a powerful piano number a la Sara Bareilles. Lissie opens with the line: “Maybe it’s time that I was leaving / I got a long way to go / I’m through with all that makebelieving,” contemplating both her time in California and impending 2,000-mile move. This musing gives way to Lissie belting: “Oh, Hollywood, you break my will like they said you would … You broke my heart just because you could.”

“Ojai” marks the album’s stripped down acoustic moment, featuring little more than Lissie’s voice and her guitar. Like the lyrics in “Hollywood,” those in “Ojai” read like a goodbye letter to the Golden State. As she croons, “Ojai / I don’t wanna leave you behind / but you know that I made up my mind,” listeners are left knowing that while she is ready for the next chapter in her life, California will always hold a special place in Lissie’s heart.

By the end of the album, Lissie has become confident in her decision to move. However, her initial indecision and questioning shines through in earlier, and arguably more prominent, tracks on the album. For instance, “Shroud” features beautiful harmonies, powerful vocals and a steady beat that will leave you tapping your foot if not bobbing your head. A good rainy day song, “Shroud” perfectly captures the essence of confusion and indecision. Lissie repeats, “I feel like I have lost my mind,” at the top of each chorus and more eloquently explains, “In a shroud / all my curtains have come down / And inside / I can barely mutter a sound.” This song speaks to, and offers hope to,

Sia ‘Cheap Thrills’ (feat. pitbull)

sam feldt ‘Drive You home’

album Review

My Wild West

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LIONBOY

anyone who has ever felt bogged down and unable to move.

Other noteworthy tracks include “Sun Keeps Risin’,” which has a Stevie Nicks vibe, “Daughters,” whose feminist message is wrapped in a poppy, upbeat melody, “Don’t You Give Up on Me,” which has a driving acoustic guitar/bass duo and “Hero,” for its relatable lyrics about finding yourself.

It is difficult to highlight any one song off this album as particularly exceptional, because not only are they individually stunning, but they each depict an important aspect of Lissie’s transformation. To successfully complete Lissie’s transnational journey with her, it is important that listeners follow her from “Hollywood,” to “Ojai,” and every track in between. “My Wild West” is an album for people in the process of making a change in their lives and in need of a soundtrack to aid in their reflection. It promises booming vocals, rhythmic tunes and provocative lyrics, all of which will narrate a journey through the listener’s own Wild West.

hozier ‘cherry wine’ In a new music video for the song “Cherry Wine,” Hozier teams up with O s c a r- n o m i nated actress Saoirse Ronan for a haunting depiction of domestic violence. Released just before Valentine’s Day, the video initially gives the impression of two young lovers in a stable relationship, but as the song unfolds, we see Ronan wiping away makeup to reveal a large bruise on her eye. The track itself makes clever allusions to the bittersweet nature of both cherry wine and an abusive relationship, ultimately making for a powerful, if subtle, statement that is sure to stay with you.

Art soiree’s 6th annual political cartoon exhibit “road to the white house”

An insightful look at dc life: the city of conversation

Some of the most famous editorial and political cartoonists of both national and international newspapers and magazines will cluster around a collection of cartoons on the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election in this thought-provoking showcase of recent political cartoons. Many of these cartoons have served as catalysts for debate on hot political topics for the elections.

Follow the Ferris clan through one of the most salient stages of recent U.S. history, from the end of Carter’s presidency through the Reagan era and into Obama’s inauguration. Hester Ferris, a Georgetown hostess, transforms her house into the soiree cave where D.C. politics turns peaceful and feasting. Attend this unique comedy, which offers an insightful snapshot of the theater of DC life, where the politics of conversation inevitably accompanies the thoughtful process of policymaking.

Where: The Ritz-Carlton Hotel, 3100 South St. NW When: Feb. 19 to 20 Price: $20 info: http://washington.org/dc-events

Where: Arena Stage, Mead Center for American Theater, 1101 Sixth St. SW When: Now until March 6 Price: $40 info: http://washington.org/dc-events

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Sports

THE HOYA

softball

Women’s lacrosse

GU Preps for Defending National Champ UMD Claire Schansinger Hoya Staff Writer

The Georgetown women’s lacrosse team (0-1) will travel to play No. 1 Maryland (1-0) — the defending national champion — Saturday, following a 10-6 loss in their season opener against the Delaware Blue Hens (1-0) last Friday despite the Hoyas’ early lead.

Although Georgetown did not get the victory it wanted, Head Coach Ricky Fried emphasized that there were more positives than negatives in his team’s performance.

“The biggest negative was our shooting,” Fried said. “We were 6-for-29. … If we can’t shoot at a higher percentage than that we are going to be in trouble.

Positives were that we got good quality shots. We had nine different players taking those shots, and we won 60 percent of draw controls. Defensively, we were able to hold them to a settled offense and there were no transition opportunities.”

Senior attack Corinne Etchison and graduate student attack Morgan Rubin led Georgetown in scoring with two goals apiece, while freshman midfielder Francesca Whitehurst totalled two assists in her first collegiate game.

Junior attack Colleen Lovett scored the first goal of the game within the first two minutes, and sophomore midfielder Hannah Seibel scored right after to put Georgetown up 2-0 within the first five minutes of the period.

On the defensive end, junior goalkeeper Maddy Fisher had three saves, while senior goalkeeper Megan McDonald also had three saves after entering the game during the second half.

Etchison agreed with Fried that the offense must play stronger and finish on a greater number of shot opportunities.

“We showed that we have a lot of potential and a lot of young new faces,” Etchison said. “Our major weakness was our shooting, and we really struggled. We aim to be over 50 percent and that just wasn’t the case. I think we have a good group of girls who really understand what they are doing and we just need to clean up our stick work and our shooting.”

Shooting will be a crucial element in Georgetown’s upcoming game against Maryland on Saturday. The teams faced off last season when the Hoyas lost 12-3, the Terrapins outshooting them, 29-19.

Fisher played the whole game in the net and had nine saves. The first 10 min-

utes of the game were scoreless, as the Hoya defense held steady against the high-powered Terrapin offense. Lovett, then-senior attack Caroline Tarzian and current senior midfielder Kristen Bandos scored for the Hoyas.

The Hoyas are 4-21 all-time against the Terps with a mark of 1-11 at home. In recent seasons, Georgetown fell to Maryland 19-10 in 2014 and 8-5 in 2013.

Fried acknowledges that Maryland is one of the toughest opponents his team will play all season, but he knows what Georgetown needs to do in order to slow down its opponent’s offense.

“We need to keep them out of transition. They’re a transition, settled, go-togoal team and if we allow them to play that style — if we allow them to play like that — it’s going to be a really long day for us,” Fried said. “We need to control the tempo of the game, and we can’t allow them to push fast breaks. If it does get settled, we need to be really organized and engaged on the defensive end of the field because they are very athletic and very capable.”

Maryland was unanimously projected to win the Big Ten championship in the conference coaches’ preseason poll, and senior midfielder Taylor Cummings, senior defender Alice Mercer and sophomore attack Megan Whittle were all named preseason First Team All-Americans by Inside Lacrosse. Maryland beat William and Mary (0-1) 19-7 on Sunday, and Cummings caused five turnovers, scored four goals, had two assists and picked up two ground balls. Junior midfielder Zoe Stukenberg also scored four goals while adding one assist, while Whittle tallied a hat trick.

Coming into the game, Maryland was 32-9 all-time in season openers and 9-0 in season openers under Head Coach Cathy Reese. The Terps added 10 new athletes to the program this season, seven of whom were named in Inside Lacrosse Magazine’s Top 50 freshmen rankings. Maryland is currently on a 41-game win streak on its home turf and has not lost in College Park since March 10, 2012.

The players can expect to see some intense practices leading up to the game, but Fried and the players are prepared and motivated.

“We just need to play fast to assimilate what Maryland is going to do,” Fried said.

“We play differently, but we need to get into the routine of not getting a rest on defense. We need to get back and force them to play a seven-versus-seven game.”

Men’s Basketball commentary

Losses Doom NCAA Bid The Georgetown men’s basketball team’s sophomore leap that Monroe and Porter (14-13, 7-7 Big East) season may not techni- experienced under Thompson’s tutelage.

Peak, despite his early-season struggles, cally be over, but in reality, it is.

With showdowns looming against two appears to have made that leap and is top-10 teams — No. 8 Xavier (23-3, 11-3 Big now the frontrunner for Big East Sixth East) and No. 1 Villanova (23-3, 12-1 Big Man of the Year. Besides 18 and 23-point East) — as well as a tough road game at Mar- performances amid an effectively seasonquette (16-10, 5-8 Big East) and a final home long cold streak, Copeland has been instand against a streaking Butler team (18-8, consistent and reckless with the ball.

In the team’s 72-64 loss to Seton Hall 7-7 Big East), Georgetown’s odds of finishing those games at least 2-2 — and above (18-7, 8-5 Big East) on Wednesday, Copeland went 3-of-8 .500 on the season from the field for — are slim. just six points. In Unless the team Georgetown’s 75is 16-15 entering 72 loss to Provithe Big East tourdence (19-8, 7-7 Big nament, the odds East) last Saturday, of the Hoyas havthe sophomore ing any kind of forward had 12 postseason are points, but on just also slim. Based on Paolo Santamaria 4-of-10 shooting. both NCAA tourPeak, however, has nament and National Invitational Tournament selection excelled, scoring in double figures in nine trends, Georgetown would realistically straight games, including minimizing his need to win 19 or 20 games to make the foul trouble that limited his playing time former and to finish above .500 to make and scoring output earlier this season.

Peak’s overall game is relentless, as he the latter.

The Hoyas have lost seven of their last consistently attacks the hoop, before ei10 games, trailing by double digits at ther drawing fouls or finishing through contact. Moreover, his outside game has some point in each of the losses.

While the team has generally managed improved significantly — he is shooting to rally late, it really is just too late this 14 percent better from three-point range time. Many fans have struggled to find than he did last season, up to 38 percent a bright spot in a season that started off this season.

The real surprise, however, has been with Sweet 16 aspirations, marked by the supposedly season-saving return of the the stellar play of freshman center Jessie sixth-leading scorer in school history, Govan. With senior center and co-captain senior guard and co-captain D’Vauntes Bradley Hayes sidelined for the rest of the Smith-Rivera. The return of Smith-Rivera season with a broken left hand, Govan fueled pundits to propel the Hoyas up has stepped into the starting lineup and the rankings, with ESPN power ranking is already exceeding expectations. While the team No. 23 in its early season rank- Govan’s 52 percent shooting from threeings — rankings that were derailed in the point range was already a surprise, his first game of the season, a regrettably ability to face up to the basket and finmemorable double-overtime home loss ish through contact down low has given hope to the future of the center position to Radford (14-12, 7-7 Big South).

Despite the early-season bumps in the with Hayes graduating after this year.

Govan notched a career-high 27 points road, fans and players remained optimistic, citing growth and development as a in Wednesday’s loss to Seton Hall on 10time-intensive process — a process that, of-13 shooting from the field and 4-of-5 in one of the few shimmers of light this from the three-point line. Govan’s deseason, may have finally come to fruition. velopment, amid a nearly losing season, For all of the program’s shortcomings should give fans hope for the future.

Even the most elite college basketball this year, Georgetown basketball has historically excelled at developing play- programs have down years, and while ers. Under Thompson, players like Jeff Georgetown was expected to perform sigGreen, Roy Hibbert, Greg Monroe, Otto nificantly better than its record shows, Porter, Hollis Thompson and Henry Sims there still remains a small chance that bloomed from inexperienced freshmen it wins out. That small chance begins on to productive college players and sea- Saturday when it faces Xavier at home. soned NBA players, with five of the six Tipoff is set for 12 p.m. and the game will still seeing regular minutes in the league. be televised on Fox. This season, both sophomore guard L.J. Peak and sophomore forward Isaac Co- Paolo Santamaria is a sophomore in peland were expected to take the fabled the College.

Friday, February 19, 2016

FILE PHOTO: JULIA HENNRIKUS/THE HOYA

The Georgetown softball team picked up one 13-6 win over Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne and took two losses in its first spring tournament in Charleston, N.C., last weekend.

Softball Faces 5 Florida Games Sophia Poole Hoya Staff Writer

The Georgetown softball team (1-2) will compete this weekend in Jacksonville, Fla., playing five games over three days. The team will take on Penn State (1-4) and Pittsburgh (4-1) on Friday, followed by another matchup against Pittsburgh and one against Radford on Sunday. The Hoyas will end the weekend’s play with a game against their hosts, the Jacksonville Dolphins (3-3) on Monday.

“Overall, I thought our energy was good, and I really liked our presence offensively and defensively,” Head Coach Pat Conlan said of the team’s first tournament. “I thought for our first weekend out it was a really solid start. ... I really liked our energy, and I liked our presence, and I think that those two things are going to take us a long way this year.”

Conlan said she hopes that the team will combine this energy with a strong week of practice to notch more victories during this weekend’s five games.

While the Hoyas were strong on offense, they gave up a total of 20 runs in three games — a total they would like to see cut at the upcoming tournament.

With a team plagued by injuries and an active roster of only 13 players, Conlan has been trying to keep the practices in order to prepare for the demands of a five-game streak. One of

the team’s main priorities at this point is ensuring that the current active players avoid injuries similar to the ones some of their teammates have experienced.

“We definitely just work to prevent injuries with a small roster, and I think five games back to back is definitely tolling on your body, so [it’s] really good we have an awesome trainer that works on that,” sophomore outfielder Theresa Kane said.

In order to prepare most effectively, Conlan has tried to get players into live action situations that mirror the competition they will be facing this weekend.

“We hit quite a bit today and we put our pitchers in a situation where they were throwing live to our hitters, and in return our hitters get to see live pitching, so it’s a win-win for both the offense and the pitching staff, so that was definitely a plus,” Conlan said.

While the recent weather in Washington, D.C., has impeded practice schedules, Conlan hopes that getting her team out on Florida dirt for a few pretournament practices will help in preparing for game time.

The team’s only experience on dirt so far this season was at its tournament last weekend in Charleston, S.C. For the 13 Hoyas available to step onto the Jacksonville fields this weekend, a five-game stretch may be daunting. None-

theless, Conlan believes that the team can rise to the occasion.

“We’ve been talking all year about [how] this is who we have, this is who we are, and it’s kind of like all hands on deck.

We have our core lineup that we’ll continue to go to and then have to make some adjustments through the lineup,” Conlan said. “We need players to be the best possible version of themselves.”

The Hoyas have yet to face any conference opponents, and this tournament is an important opportunity to foreshadow how Georgetown might fare in these upcoming Big East games.

“Our goal this year is to make it to the Big East Tournament and making a name for ourselves in the Big East, and I think coming through with a few wins this weekend would get us ready for what we are going to face in conference,” Kane said.

A win, or multiple wins, in this weekend’s tournament would be an inspiration to the team. Being only the 11th team in program history leaves room for this group to create a legacy for the program and build on the accomplishments it has already made.

“It would be a confidence boost and definitely bring us in with a stronger idea of how our team is going to work together,” Kane said.

The first game of the weekend is set to begin Friday at 9 a.m. in Jacksonville, Fla.

Baseball

Hoyas Open 2016 Campaign Ryan McCoy

Hoya Staff Writer

The Georgetown baseball team is preparing to open its season with a trip to North Carolina to participate in the Wake Forest Invitational this weekend. Georgetown will face Wake Forest, Virginia Military Institute and University of Maryland-Baltimore County over a period of three days.

The team will look to repeat the success it saw last season when it made the Big East championships for the first time in 29 years. With the departure of senior record-setting catcher and designated hitter Nick Collins to the MLB draft, Georgetown will look to gain more consistent offensive contributions from the entire lineup. Collins, an eighth-round pick by the Oakland Athletics, was named the season MVP last year after batting .370 with seven home runs.

Senior catcher Eric Webber, one of the team’s three captains, said that there are several players on the roster who have the potential to have extremely successful seasons.

“I think in general we’ll be more consistent all around,” Webber said. “But I think guys like [junior outfielder] Beaux Hall, [sophomore] Michael DeRenzi in the outfield and whoever ends up playing first [base] — whether it’s [junior] Joe Bialkowski, [sophomore] Alex Bernauer, or [sophomore] Bennett Stehr — all those guys have the potential to have pretty good years offensively.”

Head Coach Pete Wilk expressed his confidence in this

year’s team, pointing specifically to Georgetown’s depth among its pitchers.

“I think we have a pretty good chance. Nothing’s a given, and it’s a tough league. We lost a lot offensively last year, that’s my concern. But we’ve never had a pitching staff with this kind of depth, and I think we’re going to defend at a high level. And as everybody knows, if you can pitch and catch, you’re going to be in a lot of baseball games. I like where we

“I want the team to go out there and compete, give 100 percent, and I think the rest will fall into place.”

PETE WILK Head Coach

are,” Wilk said.

One of the strongest members of Georgetown’s pitching staff is senior co-captain Matt Smith. Smith, who was named to the preseason all-Big East Team by a vote of the conference’s coaches, had an ERA of 2.80 last season to go along with a program record 78 strikeouts.

“Obviously, it makes you feel good,” Smith said. “For me, it’s just a sense of understanding around the Big East that I’m someone not to be taken lightly.

Personally, I go out and do what I do best, which is pitch. So, it doesn’t really change my outlook. It’s great, but, in the grand scheme of things, it doesn’t mean anything for the season.

I’ve got to go out and do my job.”

However, the team’s offseason preparation has been made difficult by the recent spate of bad weather in Washington, D.C. Playing at Wake Forest will give Georgetown the opportunity not only to compete, but to play on an actual baseball field— something they’ve been unable to do as of late.

“I mean the goal is obviously to win. It’s been a tough offseason for us, given the weather. I don’t remember the last time we were out on an actual baseball field. I want the team to go out there and compete, give 100 percent, and I think the rest will fall into place,” Smith said.

Wilk also expressed concern over the lack of on-field preparation, explaining that it might have an impact on the team’s defensive play.

“I’m concerned about how we’re going to get our outfield and infield reads off the bat. I think we’re probably, through no fault of anybody’s, going to be a step slower. Eventually, I think that’s going to be one of our great strengths, the ability to play defense. But, these first couple weekends with our lack of ability to play the ball off the bat in practice, it’s bound to show up,” Wilk said.

“It is what it is, and we’re going to go out and compete with the best we have.” That will be the mantra for the season as the Hoyas look to build on a memorable 2015 campaign.

sports

FRIDAY, february 19, 2016

THE HOYA

B9

men’s basketball

men’s lacrosse

GU Looks to Finish Against Top Teams The Fighting Irish have made it to the Final Four three of the last four the college game for the freshman seasons, and have lost to the eventual players. Georgetown graduated both national champion in each of those of its top two scorers from last season three seasons. An experienced team, — Bo Stafford and Reilly O’Connor. The Notre Dame returns eight starters two led the team on attack and com- from last year, including its three bined for 56 goals, leaving a clear void starting defenders and goalkeeper. in the Hoya offense after graduating.

Star senior attack Matt Kavanagh However, Bucci said that this year’s returns for his final season at Notre freshmen have stepped up to fill key Dame in fifth place for points in prooffensive roles. gram history. Last season, George“[Freshmen] Dan Bucaro and Chris town managed to slow Kavanagh on Donovan have offense, holding replaced Bo Stafhim to one goal ford and Riley and two assists.

O’Connor as Rather than starters in attack p r e o c c u py i n g and have been themselves with doing a great job the Fighting so far. The upperIrish’s position classmen have as the top-ranked helped them treteam in the namendously, and tion, the Hoyas we’re excited to are focusing on see what they their own game can do this year,” heading into Bucci said. their season deJOE BUCCI Sophomore but.

Graduate Student Midfielder midfielder Craig “We played Berge will look to replicate his im- [Notre Dame] last year so we look at pressive freshmen season, which things they do and we do against he finished as the team’s third lead- each other, but mainly [are] focusing ing scorer with 37 points. Berge be- on ourselves and making sure we’re came the first Georgetown freshman ready for game day this Saturday,” to earn All-America honors, as he Parke said. was named an honorable mention Last year, the Hoyas fell in a close for 2015. This year, Inside Lacrosse and hard-fought 14-12 contest to the named him to the 2016 preseason Fighting Irish.

All-America second team.

Parke noted the frustration in losWarne describes Berge as a player ing close games to top teams. who cares more about winning than “We had a lot of close games that individual accolades. ended in losses last year by one or two “Craig is one of the most unselfish goals to top-10 teams, so we’re lookplayers that we have. I don’t think ing to take the next step and finish he cares if he scores a goal or has any off those teams this year,” Parke said. points, he just wants to win,” Warne Bucci also stressed the importance said. of finishing out close games after the On the defensive end, sophomore team’s failure to do so last season. goalkeeper Nick Marrocco returns as “We are not going to talk too much the team’s starter in the cage. In his about wins or losses but about effreshman season, Marrocco started fort on the field and finishing close all 16 games and sported a .549 save games, which we failed to do last percentage. year,” Bucci said.

IRISH, from B10

“The upperclassmen have helped [the freshmen] tremendously, and we’re excited to see what they can do this year.”

The Water Cooler

NCAA Rule Changes Affect Game Strategy IPPOLITO, from B10

number of possessions per game is up by 4.2 and scoring is up by 6.5 points per game. Before the rule change, per-game scoring was down 12 percent from the 1990-91 season, and it was clear that many teams, including high-ranking teams like Virginia, were content with bleeding the shot clock and winning lowscoring, defensive games. The strategy worked well for some teams but took its toll on the NCAA, television ratings and attendance. People did not and still do not want to pay to watch what they perceive as boring basketball.

Aside from simple scoring, the changes have also affected the strategy that teams implement on both ends of the floor. As is the trend in other college and professional sports, the rule changes have noticeably impacted major offensive categories besides points — teams are also becoming more efficient. For instance, last season only 12 teams finished with an adjusted offensive efficiency rating over 110. This measures the number of points teams score per 100 possessions, adjusted for the quality of the opponent. Currently, there are 20 teams who exceed that threshold.

This increase can be partially attributed to the faster pace of play the reduced shot clock forces and the increased flow of the games that results from tweaking timeout rules.

Fans lamenting that this is just the latest example of leagues changing rules to benefit offenses are partially right. Just as there are more teams with increased offensive efficiency, there are also fewer teams with stellar defensive efficiency. This season only 27 teams have a defensive efficiency below 95, compared to 37 teams from last season. This makes sense because points scored for one team also count as points against for another. Teams are not necessarily playing worse defense per se — rather, they simply have to play more of it. Over the course of a 40-minute game with added posses-

sions and more fouls, the only logical outcome is that more points are going to be scored due to some combination of defensive fatigue, increased shots and more free throws.

In the Big East, these changes are having a noticeable effect as well.

Last year Villanova was the only team to finish the season averaging more than 75 points per game, and six teams averaged fewer than 70.

This season only two teams are averaging fewer than 70 while five are scoring at least 75 points per game, and Butler leads the conference with almost 81 per game. Naturally, not all of this can be attributed to just the rule changes, but there is no doubt that the changes have helped most of the teams in the conference in some way.

According to advanced statistics, one prominent team that could make a deep run in the NCAA tournament is Villanova. The Wildcats boast one of the most balanced teams in the country and excel on both ends of the floor. The 2016 Pomeroy Ratings rank Villanova as the fifth most efficient defense and the fourteenth most efficient offense; the only other comparable team is Virginia, which is ranked 12th and seventh in the same stats, respectively. Ironically, both teams are known to disappoint during tournament time, but the anarchic nature of this basketball season has left no clear-cut favorite.

This college basketball season has been particularly interesting. There are perhaps a dozen teams that could conceivably win the national championship. Luckily, the NCAA has done its part to make the games more competitive and offense based without taking away anything from defenses; if anything, they put the onus on offenses to improve. It might be difficult to pick the team who is going to win it all, but the game as a whole has undoubtedly won.

The quicker pace of college basketball this season forces teams to adapt game plans and improve their efficiency on both the offensive and defensive ends of the court.

Michael Ippolito is a junior in the College. The water cooler appears every Friday.

DANIEL SMITH/THE HOYA

Sophomore guard L.J. Peak scored 10 points and recorded one assist in Georgetown’s 72-64 loss to Seton Hall on Wednesday night. Peak is second on the team in scoring this season, averaging 11.4 points per game.

Turnovers Seal Hoyas’ Loss PIRATES, from B10

“Jessie played well in a loss,” Georgetown Head Coach John Thompson III said. “He’ll be able to do that, he’ll be able to score.”

The star of the game, however, was Seton Hall sophomore guard Isaiah Whitehead, who had an answer for every run the Hoyas tried to make. Whitehead totaled 22 points, six assists and two rebounds.

“He’s really playing well,” Thompson said. “He’s playing at a high level right now in all aspects of the game — not just scoring. He’s so improved this year because he’s realized that the more he passes, the easier the game gets for him.”

A layup from Delgado gave the Pirates the lead with 15:58 in the first half and they did not look back. A turnover by Georgetown junior forward Reggie Cameron led to a fast-break layup for Seton Hall sophomore guard Khadeen Carrington for two of his 18 points on the night, which extended the Seton Hall lead to 11.

The Georgetown offense was stagnant throughout the whole game, preventing it from keeping up with Seton Hall. For the game, the Hoyas shot 23-for-61 — 37.7 percent — from the field and were an alarming 6-for-27 — 22.2 percent — from beyond the arc. Georgetown could not get inside the paint, settling for too many outside shots with the shot clock winding down.

“I think there was a stretch — definitely in the first half and maybe a small stretch in the second half — where we were taking too many

outside shots,” Thompson said.

Willard said that Seton Hall effectively shut down Georgetown offensively, forcing the Hoyas to take those low-percentage perimeter shots.

“I thought we had a good feel for what we wanted to do defensively for them.”

The two teams traded three pointers midway through the first half, with Govan and senior guard and cocaptain D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera each knocking down one. Carrington and Whitehead answered to keep the Seton Hall lead at nine points.

With time winding down in the first half, sophomore guard L.J. Peak – who had 10 points on the night – led the Hoyas on a run to get back into the game. Whitehead ended the Georgetown momentum by canning a three with 1:04 remaining to give his team a 32-28 lead.

The Hoyas trailed by eight points at halftime after Whitehead hit a tough shot over freshman forward Marcus Derrickson and freshman guard Kaleb Johnson. After halftime, the Hoyas did not do much to fight back, allowing Seton Hall to get out to a 51-36 lead after another Whitehead three-point shot.

Georgetown tried to bounce back, but allowing the Pirates to enter into the bonus with eight minutes left in the game quenched any hope of mounting a serious comeback. The Pirates’ last 21 points of the game were scored off free throws, as the Hoyas could not stop sending players to the line.

Another three from Govan with 1:03 left made it 66-59, but then

two Carrington free throws and a turnover by Smith-Rivera ended any hope of a comeback and sealing the Hoyas’ fate.

Now in sixth place in the Big East, the Hoyas will play host to No. 8 Xavier (23-3. 11-3 Big East) on Saturday afternoon at Verizon Center. At this point in the season, the Hoyas hope to win four straight games to capture the tournament championship to secure an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

The Hoyas only have one fivegame winning streak this season, with four of those wins coming against mid-major teams. Georgetown will need to improve on its performance against Seton Hall to earn a win on the road against Marquette, which is as talented as it is deep. Led by sophomore guard Trevon Bluiett and junior guard Myles Davis, the Musketeers defeated the Providence Friars (19-8, 7-7 Big East) at home Wednesday night by a score of 85-74. Marquette is second in the Big East in scoring at 79.7 points per game and is also second in rebounds per game with 41.4 while Georgetown is ninth with 35.6.

With senior center Bradley Hayes sidelined after an injury, Govan will need another spectacular performance to compensate down low.

“We just have to fight. We’ve been fighting, I mean the team is still scrapping, but we just have to find a way to manufacture wins,” Thompson said.

Tipoff is scheduled for 12 p.m. and the game will be televised on Fox.

women’s basketball

Wildcats Boast Sharp Shooting WILDCATS, from B10

“I think it was great because we went up there and beat them on their home court and anytime you get an away win that is also good,” Adomako said.

“It was a great way to start off our fourgame winning streak.”

Villanova boasts the top defense in the Big East, allowing only 57.8 points per game. They are the only team in the league that gives up fewer than 60 points on average. “[Villanova’s] offense slows you down.

They want to shorten the possessions,” Adair said. “They hold you to a certain number of points offensively because

they slow the game down. They walk the ball down the floor. They are really not looking for an up-tempo game.

They want to use 28 seconds of that shot clock and that is why you see a lot of low [scoring by opponents].”

The Wildcats also lead the league in made three-pointers, averaging 8.9 per game. Identifying Villanova’s key shooters and playing defense beyond the arc will be critical to Georgetown’s success.

“We have to make sure it’s not easy for them. A three is like a layup for them,” Adair said. “We have to be on our defensive game because I think in order for us to be successful and get the win, we have to get stops. We have

STANLEY DAI/THE HOYA

Junior forward Faith Woodard scored 21 points and grabbed eight rebounds in Georgetown’s victory over Seton Hall last Saturday.

to limit those wide open threes and we just have to make it hard for them to run their offense.”

Battle echoed Adair’s sentiment, emphasizing the importance of containing Villanova’s three-point offense.

“Every single time we talk about Villanova we talk about how they shoot at least 40 threes per game. That is what they are good at. They know to shoot threes. They know how to get people open to shoot threes and that is what their plays are set up for. We just have to be able to get on the three-point line to be able to cover them, get a hand in their face and prevent them from getting the ball up,” Battle said.

The Hoyas will look to take advantage of their speed against the Wildcats.

Georgetown has developed an effective transition game this season and plans to utilize that strength this weekend.

“I think we’re one of the better transition teams in this league,” Adair said. “[Transition] is where we are really good. A lot of teams in this league — not just Villanova — have trouble with that.”

A second win over Villanova this season would be a significant accomplishment for the program and would also give Georgetown crucial momentum going into its last two games of the regular season - momentum that the Hoyas will try to build on and carry into the postseason.

“We’re playing our best ball right now and we’re heading into March.

That is when you want to keep growing and developing as a team,” Adair said.

“We want to continue building this resume down the stretch and … we want to make sure we continue taking steps forward.”

Tipoff is set for 12 p.m. at McDonough Arena.

SPORTS

Men’s Basketball Georgetown (14-13) vs. No. 5 Xavier (23-3) Saturday, 12 p.m.

Verizon Center

FRIDAY, FEBR UARY 19, 2016

WOMEN’S LACROSSE Georgetown will play against No. 1 Maryland on the road this Saturday.

See B8

TALKING POINTS

“

NUMBERS GAME

We have shown everybody that we can play against anybody in this league.”

HEAD COACH NATASHA ADAIR

5

MEN’S LACROSSE

MEN’S BASKETBALL

GU Preps for ND in 2016 Debut SEAN HOFFMAN Hoya Staff Writer

The No. 14 Georgetown men’s lacrosse team will begin its season this Saturday when it takes on No. 1 Notre Dame. The bar is set high this season for Georgetown, after finishing with a 10-6 record last season and losing in the Big East championship game to defending national champion No. 2 Denver.

Head Coach Kevin Warne expressed his high expectations for the season.

“I think our guys have learned a lot from last year’s disappointments, and I think we’ve seen a lot of improvements in areas that will help us,” Warne said. “I

just like the way we’ve been practicing and our upperclassman leadership.”

Warne has turned to the team’s three captains for this upperclassman leadership. Graduate student midfielder Joe Bucci, senior midfielder Corey Parke and senior defenseman Nic Mahaney were selected by their teammates as this season’s captains. Returning to the team as a graduate student, Bucci was selected as a captain for the second year in a row.

The captains understand the responsibilities ahead for the 2016 season and are ready to step up as leaders on and off the field.

“It’s definitely a great honor,” Parke said. “To have your teammates select you

The number of games the softball team will play over a span of three days this weekend.

[as captain] is something that you look forward to ever since you start playing lacrosse.”

Warne praised the captains’ ability to embrace the team’s core values and understand what is necessary in order to improve the team.

“I think [Bucci, Mahaney, and Parke] have seen things we need to improve on, the things that have worked well and what to continue to build on those things,” Warne said.

The upperclassmen have stepped up not only to improve their own game, but also to help ease the transition to See IRISH, B9

DANIEL KREYTAK/THE HOYA

Freshman center Jessie Govan scored a career-high 27 points in Georgetown’s 72-64 loss to Seton Hall this past Wednesday.

Govan Scores 27 In Lackluster Loss AIDAN CURRAN Hoya Staff Writer

FILE PHOTO: CLAIRE SOISSON/THE HOYA

Graduate student midfielder and co-captain Joe Bucci scored 12 goals and tallied one assist during the 2015 season. Bucci also took 26 shots on goal out of 51 shots total on the season for a .510 shots on goal percentage.

THE WATER COOLER

What little hope Georgetown fans had that the Georgetown men’s basketball team (14-13, 7-7 Big East) would make the NCAA tournament took a hit Wednesday night when the Hoyas fell to Seton Hall (18-7, 8-5 Big East) by a score of 72-64.

In the first game of a stretch where the Hoyas needed to go 4-1 or 5-0 to have a prayer at grabbing a spot in the NCAA tournament, Georgetown trailed nearly the entire game after it lost the lead with 15:58 left in the first half.

Freshman center Jessie Govan was the bright spot for the Hoyas on Wednesday, scoring a careerhigh 27 points, going 4-of-5 from

three-point range.

Seton Hall Head Coach Kevin Willard complimented the freshman center on his play after the game.

“I thought Jessie had a great game, banging some threes. He had two really big threes, one that cut [the lead] from 15 to 12 … that was a big momentum changer, and then he hit one late.”

Govan also notched seven rebounds, two blocks and two steals. Additionally, he boasted his best defensive performance of the season, stifling Seton Hall sophomore center Angel Delgado, who scored just seven points on 3-for-9 shooting from the field.

See PIRATES, B9

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

After Split Results, GU Faces Nova MOLLY O’CONNELL Hoya Staff Writer

Michael Ippolito

Faster Pace Improves College Ball

T

he past few years of college basketball were holistically humdrum during the regular season. The pace of play was purposely sluggish, coaches abused rules to maximize the number of timeouts and scoring trends were at 20-year lows.

These factors combined to create a product that, again, prior to the bubble watches and conference tournaments in March, was almost unwatchable.

And I’m not just talking about Georgetown basketball — the problem was nationwide.

Thankfully, the NCAA realized this and showed unusual responsiveness by enacting several major rule changes for the 2015-16 season that may reverse the tide and make college basketball entertaining

The 2015-16 rule changes in NCAA basketball have improved game quality. year-round, such as reducing the shot clock, adjusting timeout rules to improve the pace of play and shaving off time to push the ball to the front court. Such alterations could start to give some insight about which teams are ready for a late-season tournament run and which should be on upset alert.

The biggest rule change was reducing the shot clock from 35 seconds to 30. Five seconds may not seem like much, but already the average See IPPOLITO, B9

The Georgetown women’s basketball team (14-11, 7-8 Big East) will look to beat conference rival Villanova (16-10, 9-6 Big East) for the second time this season when the two teams face off Sunday.

The Hoyas enter the matchup after a split decision last weekend. Georgetown beat Seton Hall (18-7, 8-6 Big East) 73-65 Friday before falling to St. John’s (18-7, 9-5 Big East) by a 12-point margin Sunday afternoon.

“Seton Hall was a great, gutty, gritty team win. ... Our kids were dialed in from start to finish. They were focused. They were hungry for it. They wanted that game,” Head Coach Natasha Adair said.

“Against St. John’s we were just a step slow. We tried to rally, but we dug too big of a hole … We didn’t start the same way we did against Seton Hall and I think that gave [St. John’s] too much momentum early.”

The Wildcats, who also faced the Red Storm and the Pirates last weekend, come into Sunday’s contest following a split decision as well. Villanova earned a 12-point victory on the road at St. John’s and then fell to Seton Hall 60-50.

“Everything is being played close in the Big East. You can lose to any team and you can win against any team — it really doesn’t matter in this league,” senior guard/forward Logan Battle said.

Villanova currently sits in third place in the Big East standings.

The Hoyas rank seventh in the league.”

“We have shown everybody that we can play against anybody in this league. Winning against Villanova twice would be a great thing because they are ranked third [in the league] and that puts

STANLEY DAI/THE HOYA

Freshman guard Dionna White scored 21 points in Georgetown’s 63-55 loss to St. John’s last Sunday.

White leads the Hoyas in points with 14.6 points per game and in rebounds with six per game. us in a better position,” Battle said.

In the previous matchup between Georgetown and Villanova this season, an 8-2 run in the last two minutes of the contest gave the Hoyas a 57-51 victory and ignited a four-game winning streak – the team’s longest of the season. “[That win] was huge,” Adair said. “We had seniors that hadn’t

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beaten Villanova, juniors that hadn’t beaten Villanova. Villanova is respected nationally. That was a great win. That was a good program win, a good team win, but it was win that we worked for.”

Georgetown was paced by freshman guard Dionna White when the two teams met in late January. White led the Hoyas

with a game-high 20 points and a game-high 11 rebounds. Sophomore guard Dorothy Adomako scored 13 points for Georgetown and Battle chipped in another 12 points. Sophomore guard Alex Louin and sophomore center Megan Quinn led the Wildcats with 11 points apiece.

See WILDCATS, B9