The Hoya: The Guide: April 10, 2015

the guide FRIDAY, APRIL 10, 2015

The cinematic season

C

oinciding with the peak bloom of the famed cherry blossoms, film premieres and festivals proliferate in Washington, D.C. More than 2,000 miles from Hollywood, the city may not be considered the prime magnet for film production — yet these old and new cinematic endeavors are turning the area into a temporary filmmaking Mecca.

Amid the anticipation for the city’s annual International Film Festival, Georgetown’s own film scene is buzzing with the Georgetown Film Festival “Long Story Shorts” and Mesbah Uddin’s (SFS ’15) feature premiere of “11:59.” Film fans have a lot to look forward to throughout the month of April.

COURTESY ALL LIGHTS FILM SERVICES

MICHAEL FIEDOROWICZ, KATHERINE PIETRO & BRYAN YUEN Hoya Staff Writers

Georgetown University Film Festival: ‘Long Story Shorts’ The inaugural Georgetown University Film Festival is bringing the Cannes, Sundance and Tribeca festivals into the comfort of the Healey Family Student Center.

Beginning yesterday and extending into this weekend, the festival will premiere over 30 student and professional films. Ranging from purely narrativebased storytelling films to documentaries to abstract forms, and broken up into premiere dates by category, these films explore themes of identity, friendship, dreams, crisis, poverty and family.

The film festival was founded with the dual purpose of providing aspiring filmmakers, student and professional, a place to showcase their work, and giving the Georgetown community an opportunity to explore the world of filmmaking through interacting with new short films and their filmmakers. The

DATE: April 10 to 11 INFO: gufilmfestival.com PRICE: Free student work stretches beyond the D.C. metropolitan area, pulling from prominent film schools across the country.

What distinguishes “Long Story Shorts” from other professional and university-level film festivals is the mix of student and professional filmmakers.

These filmmakers are as equals in a film festival setting, giving audience members the opportunity to appreciate amateur films as they would professional ones.

“Long Story Shorts” is particularly convenient for Georgetown students, not only because it will be held on campus, but also because all the films are shortform, which means they are under 40 minutes. This way, students and community members can view three or four films in the time it would usually take to see just one movie, all for free. And with the wide variety of films presented in the festival, watching multiple of the short films in a row will not become redundant or boring.

COURTESY EVA VON SCHWENITZ

Georgetown’s film festival “Long Story Shorts” is an outlet for students and professionals alike.

Over 1,500 short films were submitted by filmmakers around the world, and just 33 were chosen to be shown at this year’s festival.

“We have films from foreign countries like Croatia and Mexico, animated films, student films, as well as an Academy Award-recognized film,” Managing Director Charlotte Hansen (COL ’17) said, “Film is about so much more than what we see at our local multiplex, and we really wanted to bring a small part of that to Georgetown.”

The event coordinators split the festival into numerous categories in order to make the number and diversity of films more cohesive.

“This year, we have six different programs: ‘Girlhood,’ ‘Documentary,’ ‘Worlds Above,’ ‘A Film is a Film,’ ‘Fun Fresh’ and ‘Quirky and Obstacles,’ ” Artistic Director and Head Programmer Katie Shaffer (COL ’17) said. “There are so many talented filmmakers on college campuses across the country, and we hope that this festival will serve as a platform for these individuals to showcase their work.”

Although the event is sponsored by the Film and Media Studies Program, anyone was welcome to submit their work.

“While some filmmakers are students at the high school or collegiate level, others have showcased

COURTESY MESBAH UDDIN

their work at festivals like Sundance,” Shaffer said.

The submissions process was made possible through the leadership of professor Sky Sitney, who mobilized students in her Film Festival Studies class to get the job done.

“To sort through submissions, we divided them up among our class and outside volunteers, with each screener generating an online review for each submission. From those reviews, a smaller programming committee re-watched and ranked the recommended films to create programs for the festival,” festival co-chair Evan Sterrett (COL ’15) said.

Because the festival receives a multitude of submissions from such a variety of filmmakers, there is a notable diversity of genre in the program. There are animated films such as “A Girl Named Elastika,” which has already won awards at animation festivals around the world, “Eloise, Little Dreamer” and “Deadly.”

The festival will screen four documentaries, which include stories of an Olympic boxer, a juvenile detention center in Uganda, the infamous killer Patricia Krenwinkel and an island that is slowly reversing its sustainability. For the more expert film buffs, there will even be films in parody and cinema verite styles.

“While some of the films being shown are light and comedic, others tackle more serious subject matters such as race and poverty. The programs themselves are organized around a central theme. Overall, we will be showcasing a wide variety of films with different story lines and messages,” Shaffer added.

In “Girlhood,” for example, there are stories about everything from a girl leaving home for adventure, animated entirely from thumbtacks and rubber bands, to a teenager going through an identity crisis when fitting in doesn’t solve anything. In “Worlds Above,” filmmakers explore different realities, whether it be virtual, heightened or abstract. “A Film is a Film” examines the role of art, and cinema in particular as an art form, and its ability to break down barriers of time, ideology, disability and gender.

However, it’s not just the films that students can to look forward to.

“While attendees of the festival will have the opportunity to watch incredible films made by students and professionals alike, there will also be opening and closing parties, and a chance to watch live musical performances by Georgetown students,” Shaffer said.

See FILMFEST, B2

THIS WEEK ARTS FEATURE

LIFESTYLE

Japanese Culture in Bloom Now in its 55th year, Sakura Matsuri is a standing spring tradition NICOLE ONG

Special to The Hoya

Dystopia With a Comedic Twist

Mask & Bauble’s production of “Urinetown” adds elements of comedy and music to a world of bitter exploitation. B3

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

From Songwriter to Singer

The talented songwriter Greg Holden is finally stepping out of the shadows to leave his own mark on the musical world. B5

FOOD & DRINK

An Unsuccesful Mix

DGBG may have great service, but its French-American cuisine fails to impress. B6

THEHOYA.COM/ GUIDE @thehoyaguide

The cherry blossoms are forecast to be at their peak this weekend, just in time to splash Washington, D.C., with a burst of color for the National Cherry Blossom Festival. Sakura Matsuri, the grand finale of the event, is set to be a spectacular one-day celebration.

Held right after the National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade this Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon, Sakura Matsuri is a street festival dedicated to showcasing Japanese culture through performances, food and vendors. From perennial favorites like the culinary showcase “Taste of Japan” to newly introduced initiatives like the “Experience Japan through Education” pavilion, Sakura Matsuri promises to bring decades of Japanese-American cultural exchange and friendship to new heights this year.

In Japan, “Sakura” refers to cherry trees in bloom. Seamlessly blending traditional and modern Japan, the festival offers something for everyone and anyone who has even the slightest interest in any aspect of Japanese culture, from “taiko” drumming to J-pop performances to sake-making.

Interest in Japan and Japanese culture is at an all-time

DONELLA SMITH

Sakura Matsuri draws thousands to its street festival attempting to display Japanese culture. Despite the festival’s Japanese influence, only around a tenth of visitors are of Japanese origin. high. As the largest Japanese cultural festival of its kind in the United States, Sakura Matsuri draws about 40,000 visitors annually, of which only about 10 percent are visitors of Japanese origin or descent, according to Mark Hitzig, Executive Director of the Japan-America Society of Washington D.C. — the sponsor and organizer of the festival.

“About 80 to 90 percent of the people who come have an interest in Japan — they’ve been

to Japan, or they want to go to Japan … you have all these people interested in Japanese culture, and they all have a different reason [why],” Hitzig said.

This, he says, differentiates Sakura Matsuri from other similar cultural festivals in the area, where most of the participants are of that particular ethnic or cultural origin.

In its 55th year, Sakura Matsuri has blossomed from being a small festival held at Freedom Plaza to a large-scale national

event spanning Pennsylvania Avenue from ninth Street to 14th Street for a full 980 by 930 feet. Amazingly, the JASW office in charge of running the entire event has remained the same size throughout the years, with three to four fulltime workers and only two of those working on Sakura Matsuri. Thus, it requires a massive mobilization of temporary staff and volunteers to work See SAKURA, B4

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the guide

THE HOYA

friday, APRIL 10, 2015

film FEATURE

films flourish in local spring events FILMFEST, from B1 This may be the first year of the event’s creation, but it is optimistically marked to set a precedent for an expansive annual tradition. “Since this was just our first year, we were slightly limited in terms of how many programs for which we could expect audiences, and how many panels [and] break-out activities we could sustain. I’m excited to see the festival expand in coming years — maybe even to include a feature film portion, editing workshops, filmmaker panels, or networking roundtables,” Sterrett said.

Today and tomorrow will be packed with showings: the documentary series premiering at 3 p.m. on Friday, followed by the films under the category of “Worlds Above” at 5 p.m. On Saturday, there is a new group of films being shown every two hours: “A Film is a Film” at 2 p.m., “Fun, Fresh, and Quirky” at 4 p.m. and “Obstacles” wrapping up the festival at 6 p.m.

In addition to aiming to strike a chord with college students struggling with their own crises and imperfections, Schmitt hopes that the movie can help to join the dialogue on mental health issues.

“All of us believe in the power of film to expose truths and tell stories that we didn’t know ourselves about society” Zawail noted. “We really felt like this film offers a unique opportunity for

town, there were 48 comic strip panels made by two animators, there was a leading actor who took it to the next level; it was brilliant to work with the cinematographer,” Uddin said.

The collaboration was essential to the production of the movie, according to Uddin.

“We had an army of supporters, we always had five sets of eyes ensuring that we made the film the best it could

ington, D.C. International Film Festival, is a chance for hidden cinephiles to finally discover themselves.

The festival aims to expand the stereotypical movie-going experience by stepping back from the paparazzidriven films of Hollywood and entering into the realm of international cinema, where storytelling takes a less glitzy approach.

Featuring a Mexican romance-com-

— Katherine Pietro

Student Film Premiere: “11:59” “11:59” is a microcosm of the beauty that is Georgetown — a dedicated group of passionate people with different expertise coming together to make an impactful piece of art.

The film is a rare production, in that it is a full-length movie in which everything from the writing to the acting to the production has been executed by students. Directed by Mesbah Uddin (SFS ’15) and starring Jack Schmitt (COL ’15), “11:59” explores the life of a chronic procrastinator and his accompanying mental health issues. It is a movie that is both an impressive artistic feat, but also a thoughtful didactic reflection on the troubles of today’s

DATE: Sat., April 11 at 7:30 p.m.

INFO: eventbrite.com PRICE: Free college student.

While chronic procrastination itself might not be the riveting topic that normally makes a blockbuster, associate producer Nabeel Zawail (SFS ’15) notes that “procrastination” brings to light some deeper issues that involve one’s character. It is a movie exploring the personal crises that erupt in students’ lives when factors such as family, schoolwork and health are in play. One of the movie’s strongest qualities is its relatability. It is meant to be an honest look at the struggles of college students, which, according to Zawail, “doesn’t shy away from anything.”

Jack Schmitt (COL ’15), who plays the protagonist, Sidney Phillips, said, “I really want audiences to be able to relate with Sydney, to laugh with Sydney, and to empathize and understand his struggles because no one is perfect, but we can all walk along side with him, spend the time in his shoes.”

COURTESY KINO LORBER

This month, the highly anticipated Filmfest D.C. will bring together a variety of international feature and short films. students to begin a conversation about the nuances and complexities that are involved with mental health.”

Recently, the issues surrounding mental health at Georgetown have gained more traction among student groups and the student government.

The February election of GUSA executives Joe Luther (COL ’16) and Connor Rohan (COL ’16) helped spark that conversation.

Yet the movie is not meant to be purely instructive — it is first and foremost a good story rather than an informational piece with an agenda.

“This isn’t a psych lecture about all the different things this is one person’s undertaking and we are hoping that this story offers a prism into that world” Zawail commented. “This is not a documentary, it’s not a lecture, it’s a film.”

Even though the movie will likely be remembered for its examination of mental health and the stigma surrounding mental health issues, the movie also showcases the impressive talent within the arts community at Georgetown.

Of the facets of the movie, the talent pool at Georgetown excited Uddin, even before starting production.

“One of the things I was really looking forward to was really bringing in different talent and I could not have been happier,” he said.

While the movie absolutely showcases Uddin’s skills as a director, he pointed out that it also needed plenty of other talented artists.

“There was an original song done for this film by a student singer at George-

be and I am really proud of all of the collaborators,” Uddin said.

While the cast and crew is excited about the upcoming premiere, the production was filled with plenty of “blood sweat and tears, but also a lot of fun” according to Uddin, and it will take maximum effort all the way until the premiere date to turn the movie into a success. Dedicating the time and energy required for such a major project was no easy task for the cast and crew either.

“We find a way because it is something that we are all very passionate about and all wanted to see through,” Schmitt said.

After months of seemingly endless work, the movie is finally emerging as a reality, a feature for Georgetown students’ viewing pleasure.

“This is a movie everyone on campus has to see and will enjoy seeing,” business producer Abdulla Al Shirawi (MSB ’16) said.

“11:59” will premiere tomorrow night in Lohrfink Auditorium, and Baked and Wired cupcakes will be served at the event.

— Bryan Yuen

Filmfest D.C. College students lead hectic lives — sometimes so hectic that they don’t even have time to check out the newest movies.

Rarer, still, is the opportunity for a university student to explore an interest in international cinema.

Filmfest D.C., the 29th annual Wash-

edy, “Happy Times,” an Israeli thriller, “The Man in the Wall” and three films from the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, this year’s film lineup is extremely diverse. In its history, the D.C. International Film Festival has brought over 1,000 feature and short films from 55 countries to the Washington audience.

The actual film selection process is varied and ensures that there is no preset guide to the process of selection.

DATE: April 16 to 26 INFO: filmfestdc.org PRICE: $13 regular, $10 student “We don’t go in with any predisposed intentions,” Festival Director Tony Gittens said.

This year’s films, though, are highlighted by several specific groupings and efforts. They are thematically divided into comedy films, “The Lighter Side,” films on music, “Rhythms On & Off Screen,” films on social justice, “Justice Matters,” crime thrillers, “Trust No One,” and films on jazz — “Reel Jazz.”

At the same time, the festival has two other initiatives that are less themedriven. The “Impact Project” hopes to bring the festival’s social justice films to a wider audience through organized programs and presentations. The other is a group of four film screenings being shown under a joint effort from Filmfest D.C. and the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities called “Sister Cities the Lens.” The effort hopes to honor Washington’s Sister Cities Pro-

gram by showing films from the international capitals of Paris, Rome and Seoul.

However, the beauty of a film festival does not lie simply in the chance to see multiple interesting works in a short time. What makes a festival truly special is its interactive component — the opportunity for audiences to talk with and listen to people deeply involved with cinema. With over 20 guests each year, Filmfest D.C. has some particularly exciting opportunities.

Right from the start, on opening night, April 16, the festival will be premiering “Tango Glories” (Argentina), where the director, Oliver Kolker, will be present. In an intriguing addition, the screening will be followed by a reception and actual tango dancing for the audience.

The festival also offers the additional excitement of watching films that will be judged by juries for new awards.

From the Circle Award, meant to promote the film that most deserved increased recognition, to the Filmfest D.C. Audience Award, given to the documentary voted the most popular by the audience, there are many opportunities to evaluate films as victors.

All of the awards will be announced on the exciting closing night at Lincoln Theatre.

In another interesting festival-specific event, on April 23, two of D.C.’s most influential film critics, Ann Hornaday and Arch Campbell, will sit down at Landmark’s E Street Cinema at 7 p.m. to discuss their passion. Ann Hornaday is the chief film critic for The Washington Post and a 2008 Pulitzer Prize finalist for her criticism. Campbell is also showered with accolades as he was selected Washingtonian of the Year in 2015 and he is a winner of eight local Emmy Awards. Their conversation is bound to be an impressive and fascinating one.

“More than anyone ever in the history of this city, these two have been on top of the hill in terms of people listening to them and wanting to know what they think,” Gittens said of the Hornaday-Campbell discussion.

Going into its 29th year, the festival has made some improvements to its operations. The biggest benefit that will likely please patrons of previous years is that the screenings have been consolidated into two primary venues, Landmark’s E Street Cinema and the AMC Mazza Gallerie, which will hold multiple screenings for convenience.

College is often touted as a time to discover yourself. Opportunities such as Filmfest D.C. are a chance to do just that. International cinema is an artistic gift worthy of everyone’s attention in the United States. The festival provides the opportunity to turn away from Hollywood for 11 days and explore a drastically different experience. With over 20,000 people attending in 2014, Filmfest D.C. is a chance to join a unique community that is both global and distinctly local in its scope.

— Michael Fiedorowicz

center stage

Learning How to Breathe From CEO to spiritual traveller, Jason Garner challenges the contemporary notion of success Rhiannon catalano Hoya Staff Writer

Jason Garner spent the first 37 years of his life climbing the corporate ranks. He quickly went from being a flea market parking attendant to being CEO of Global Music at Live Nation. After the death of his mother to cancer, Garner realized that he was not leading the life he had wanted to lead. He went from working with rockstars to learning from monks at the Shaolin Temple in China and spending thousands of hours sitting cross-legged at the feet of timeless masters of mind. In light of his new book, “And I Breathed,” Garner shares the lessons he learned on his spiritual journey.

You went from running a flea market to being CEO of Global Music at Live Nation fairly quickly. Did you ever feel that your road to success was too fast, or that your fast-paced success made you miss out on vital life experiences?

In retrospect that was definitely the case. At the time, like all of us when we are caught up in the midst of climbing the mountain we are just going and going, and certainly I was just going and going. I was trying really hard to change my family’s situation. I grew up poor and I was raised by a single mom. I was intent on making money and changing that story. Now having the opportunity to look back, I look back and say that I was so busy caring for the health of the business, or my

COURTESY MO ghoneim

Jason Garner gave up his career in the corporate world to embark on a spiritual journey that would change his lifestyle completely.

financial health that I neglected my physical health, my emotional health and my spiritual health.

have really looked to put together a wellness and spirituality program that really works for me.

What was your main reason for writing “And I Breathed?”

As I was going through the shift in my life that occurred after my mom died, I really felt alone and like I was the only person in my shoes who was feeling scared, who was feeling insecure, who wasn’t sure what their life was all about. As I started to study and learn with the teachers I was blessed to learn with, I began to realize that it is a much more universal condition.

Deep inside, many of us are feeling these same fears and insecurities.

I wanted to write a book that could become a friend for people on that path of fulfillment and that path of transformation.

Do you ever miss the fast-paced life of the concert industry?

No. There is this misnomer that spirituality is easy or that meditation is easy. I always laugh when people say that; and invite them to sit down and close their eyes for a few minutes and watch the fastpaced emotions that come at us and the fast paced thoughts that come.

I am just in a different phase of life and I look back grateful for my time at that job, and now I am enjoying a new part of learning.

In your book you talk about the many lessons you learned from Daoist masters, travelling China, and studying with Buddhist monks. However, what important lessons did you learn as CEO of Global Music at Live Nation?

There is this tendency to think that something learned in business is not as important as something learned from a spiritual master. One of the things I learned from my mentor at Live Nation, Michael Rapino, was the idea of always questioning, always asking why, always looking at the reason behind doing things and the reason why we are told to do things.

There is this real sense that a great future and a great presence are made up by writing our own rules when the current rules don’t suffice anymore.

I think I have carried that forward, that entrepreneurial quality of questioning, changing and pushing the boundaries, into spirituality where I

It was not until you had already achieved success in the music industry that you realized you needed something more. It would appear to be much easier to walk away from success and declare it overrated once you have already achieved it.

Why should people at the start of their careers believe you that conventional success isn’t worth it?

I really believe that we are all on our own path. One, I don’t have an agenda I am trying to sell; it was really just an attempt for me to share my life lessons. Two, in one sense it is easy once you have made some money to have the courage to try something new. But I do not necessarily believe that having success is easy to walk away from. When we look around the world we actually see the opposite — that it is really hard to walk away from success. It is really difficult whether we are defined by a job, or defined by a salary, or defined by a car, or whatever it is in terms of physical possessions that we define ourselves by. It is

hard to walk away from that and say, “I am going to look inside and find a new way to define myself.” All of us are simply walking our own path and along that path we find messages that resonate with us. For the people my book resonates with, that makes me very joyful. For the people it doesn’t, that’s OK too.

Spirituality is a term and theme that is brought up constantly in your book.

How do you define spirituality and do you believe it is necessary to be spiritual in order to become successful?

I am open to everyone’s definition and everyone’s belief for themselves. Success is a very personal metric. As I said at the beginning, for me, success does include spirituality and does include a connection to the spirit inside me. I talk a lot about real-life spiritually, which ended up being tools that help make my life more joyful, that help make my life happier. For me those are things such as yoga, meditation and nutrition; and taking time to breathe and just connecting to something beyond the rat race. I think spirituality can really be that simple, just the practice of living a happy life.

What do you want/expect readers to take away from your book?

I hope that they take away a big hug. I hope they take away the sense that they are not alone; that we are all in this together figuring life out and that there is no one path. Instead, there is this constant opportunity to look at ourselves in the mirror, to love ourselves and understand ourselves a little better.

And then to go out and do our best as we live our lives.

the guide

friday, APRIL 10, 2015

LIFE UNLABELLED

THE HOYA

B3

Theater FEATURE

A Musical Dystopia

Mask & Bauble produces an upbeat satire

Patrick Bylis

The Truth Behind the Stereotypes ‘T

here are just so many gay guys at Georgetown.”

I hate this sentence, and I hear it way too much. Frequently, this line of thinking leads people to believe that Georgetown is some kind of “gay-topia,” that Georgetown guys who are not straight go through college having never experienced actual problems related to their sexuality or gender expression. Though I really do wish this were true, it is very far from reality. Here are some ways in which this thought process is beyond problematic (though it is by no means exhaustive): There is not an infinite amount of gay men at Georgetown. When compared to other Catholic schools, maybe even when compared to some other non-Catholic schools, Georgetown may have a “sizable” amount of out gay men. Though their struggles are unique and are sometimes different from our own, other queer men, such as those who identify as pansexual or bisexual, being added to that number makes it even more “sizable.”

Let’s not get it twisted, though --- Georgetown is still an incredibly straight space.

Within classes, (non-Pride or LGBTQ Resource Center) events, parties and other spaces in which I know the most people in the room, I am often one of a handful of people within the entire out LGBTQ community, let alone out queer men, present.

Moreover, it is a fact that the vast majority of people at Georgetown identify as straight, and the fact that there are more queer people here than that one out gay guy at your high school does not necessarily mean that we are “everywhere.”

This thought process frequently leads to ignoring dynamics of privilege and power within the LGBTQ community at Georgetown. In so many ways, I am beyond privileged. I am able-bodied; I am cisgender; I am white; I am a man; I come from an upper-middle-class family. Within the LGBTQ community on Georgetown’s campus, cisgender, white men like myself always have the most exposure, and as a white, cisgender man, I do not have to worry about feeling comfortable in queer spaces on campus.

This privilege can play out in an especially dangerous way when one wrongly paints Georgetown as a “gay-topia.”

Once it is assumed that (white) (cisgender) gay guys have no problems related to sexuality at Georgetown, discussions surrounding how struggles vary and exist on a deeper level for asexual people, transgender people, queer people of color, queer women, queer men who are not gay or any other person within the LGBTQ community at Georgetown often become that much more difficult to legitimize and make visible. It is wrong to assume that gay men do not have any problems; it is worse to take this assumption about gay guys, apply it to the entirety of the LGBTQ community and subsequently ignore how privilege works within that community.

Georgetown can be --- and often is --- a heteronormative and homophobic environment. As my Spanish class knows all too well, I am constantly pointing out, usually loudly, the ways in which class discussion, materials and assignments are heteronormative beyond belief. (Pienso que es un poco heteronormative a causa de…) Contrary to what my Spanish textbook leads one to believe, queer people did, in fact, exist before struggles for marriage equality began in the early 2000s. Within the past year alone, two hate crimes stemming from homophobia, one on campus, have been committed against students. Though it could be a whole lot worse, my mere existence as a queer man at Georgetown can sometimes be at best uncomfortable and at worst extremely dangerous.

This culturally ingrained atmosphere at Georgetown does not exist in a vacuum; it exists within a society that is homophobic and heteronormative. Fewer than 20 states have legal protection against discrimination in both the private and the public workplace based on sexuality or gender identity. Forty percent of youths experiencing homelessness identify as LGBTQ. Fortyone percent of transgender people have attempted suicide. I wouldn’t be able to get married to Zac Efron in 13 states. The subconscious of each student, professor, staff member or any other person who is affiliated with Georgetown has been educated, informed and influenced by homophobia and heteronormativity to some extent. This subconscious does not simply evaporate because one is at Georgetown; rather, left unchecked and unanalyzed, it informs all that one does here. I really do wish I could say that I were completely comfortable and at ease expressing my sexuality and my masculinity in any way that I desire the moment I stepped onto Georgetown’s campus, but that’s simply not how it works.

If we ever want to make Georgetown a better, more inclusive place, breaking down false stereotypes and assumptions is a great place to start.

Patrick Bylis is a sophomore in the College. LIFE UNLABELLED appears every other Friday.

Justin Kotwicki Hoya Staff Writer

Imagine a post-apocalyptic world where the earth has all but run out of water. Society is split between the wealthy elite in power and the poor population that must abide by their exploitative rules. Mask & Bauble’s new musical “Urinetown” depicts this future society, but as its name suggests, there’s a new spin on this classic dystopian problem. In a comedic attempt to conserve what is left of the water supply, the elite charge ridiculous prices to use the restroom at the expense of the poor. It is this humorous twist that drives the plot and makes this musical a decisive success.

The musical perfectly captivates the audience with its outlandish storyline, its catchy songs and its hilarious character relationships. Yet beneath this comedy it strikes a deeper note, embedding into itself subtle commentary on the status of the contemporary world. It addresses some of the key environmental issues that the world is facing today, and the abnormally upbeat tempo only accentuates this message.

Like any good musical worth the price of admission, it doesn’t take itself too seriously, and director Sean Craig (COL ’16) implements such smooth intricacies that sometimes you find yourself asking whether or not characters intentionally behaved the way they did in any given movement.

The answer is yes. The characters do a fantastic job of making the viewer question everything he or she sees, subverting the believable actions of theater performers that one normally takes for granted.

Having a musical in which the characters, or at least some of them, are aware that they are, in fact, putting on a musical allows for an audience-character interaction that is seldom experienced. With a cast that knows what the elements of a stereotypical musical are, it takes away all preconceptions one might have about the fate of the plot and leaves you in suspense all the way to the final number.

“Our show deals in the dirty business of deconstructing itself before the audience’s very eyes,” Craig commented.

“Urinetown is hilarious, it’s sweet and it takes turns that no one expects. There’s

something different to enjoy with every scene, whether it’s the choreography, the lighting, or a subtly hysterical line,” producer Emily Grau (COL ’16) said.

The show certainly wouldn’t be what it is without the incredible vocal talent of the characters and diverse genres of music they draw from.

Theater groups will often go to the a cappella groups on campus to find talent for these musicals.

“Urinetown” is no different, and its fast-paced, melodious numbers will blow you away.

When asked about his favorite moment in the show, Matt Beshke, (COL MICHELLE XU/THE HOYA ’18) who plays Bobby “Urinetown” combines humor, great acting and thematic Strong, remarked, “Per- elements to create an all-around entertaining show. sonally, I love jamming the musical’s satirical nature. out to my song, ‘Run, Wade’s performance is what initially Freedom, Run!’ It’s such an energetic number to be a part of, and I even get to experi- bridges the gap between the audience and ment with some gospel-inspired singing the musical and continues to break down and conducting, which was a blast to say the fourth wall throughout the plot. By the end of the show, the audience feels as the least.”

His portrayal of Bobby Strong is compli- if they too are a character that has been to mented by his love interest Hope Cladwell, Urinetown and left incredibly entertained.

Financial strain, corporate greed, the who is played by Reagan Lawn (COL ’16). Her performance of an affluent, sheltered rich camaraderie of societal suffering, police girl that is experiencing the world outside brutality, the battle between good and evil, of her pricey classroom education for the right and wrong — whether it is a classic first time is a journey that sheds light on theme that has seemed to transcend the the divide between socioeconomic classes. performing arts for centuries, or a social isHer vocal solos seem to highlight the live sue that we seem to be at the crux of in this orchestra, which truly give the entire musi- day and age, “Urinetown” has it. cal a new dimension of life.

If you like musicals, laughing, and sing“[‘Urinetown’ taught me] that bathroom ing and want to interact with a perforjokes never get old, that not everything has to mance in a unique and creative way, check have a happy ending, and that even if an end- out “Urinetown.” It is a happy, heartfelt ing doesn’t exactly turn out how you’d like, it journey ingeniously pulled off by its proprobably more accurately reflects the nature duction staff, complete with a cast of inof the situation,” said Colton Wade (SFS ’18), credibly talented actors that are guaranteed who plays Officer Livestock. Indeed, the clas- to leave you wide-eyed, elated and introspecsic jokes never fall flat, and the message that tive as you exit the theatre. ideal happy endings are not always possible “Urinetown” will be in town from tonight is made acceptable and comfortable through at 8 p.m. to Saturday, April 18 at Poulton Hall.

Arts Feature

Novel Digs Up Provoking Questions ADRIANNA SMITH Special to The Hoya

Fans of Kazuo Ishiguro’s “Never Let Me Go” have been waiting 10 years for the next novel by their favorite international bestselling writer. Unfortunately, most followers will likely be disappointed with his result, “The Buried Giant.”

Ishiguro is a remarkable storyteller, particularly because each of his books explores an entirely different genre than its predecessors. His two most famous novels intersect only because they take place in mid20th-century England: “The Remains of the Day” is a quiet romance of a butler adjusting to post-war life, and “Never Let Me Go” is a science-fiction bildungsroman of teenage love cut short by technology. “The Buried Giant” makes an even greater departure from Ishiguro’s earlier works, rooting itself in the mythical world of King Arthur.

“The Buried Giant” is a peripatetic journey of forgiveness — an old couple unearthing the early memories of their marriage and two knights debating the diplomacy implications of violence and vengeance across tribal lines.

The protagonists, Beatrice and Axl, are an elderly, affectionate couple, who, like most elderly couples, have trouble recalling the past. But we quickly learn that their errors are in fact part of a collective amnesia which afflicts all the villages in the land.

Querig, the she-dragon, is the cause for

this mist of forgetfulness. Intriguingly, the reader eventually learns that her magical breath has been part of a strategic move to keep peace among the fighting factions of the Britons and Saxons (the novel is set in the century after Britain defeated the Roman Empire).

Ishiguro explores the idea of forgetfulness on a micro and macro level. Axl and Beatrice set us off on the journey that becomes the novel’s central plot in their quest to reunite with their son, despite not being able to remember anything about him. And Sir Gawain (yes, of the Green Knight) and Wistan, a Briton and a Saxon, respectively, explore the usefulness of forgetfulness in its utility to preserve peace, however artificial.

On March 22, Ishiguro drew a packed house to Sixth & I Synagogue through an event coordinated by the local independent bookstore, Politics and Prose. There, he spoke about the current and recent conflicts in countries such as Yugoslavia, South Africa and Bosnia which inspired “The Buried Giant.” He was drawn to questions about the successes and failures of reconciliation in these countries. When is it better for a nation to remember things and when is it better to forget?

This theme would have been much more effective had Ishiguro chosen to ground these questions in a more realistic setting rather than in his fantasy world of ogres and dragons. These complex, powerful ques-

KATHLEEN GUAN/THE HOYA

Set in a fantasy world, Kazuo Ishiguro’s latest book explores the effects of societal amnesia.

tions lose themselves in the setting of the novel.

One of the most frustrating aspects of the book was the many loose questions and plot threads left unanswered. Most fundamentally, Ishiguro never completely explains the rules of the world he has created (how does each village function as its own kingdom? Why do the Britons and Saxons hate each other?).

Furthermore, there are countless wisps of memories alluded to but never elaborated upon even once the mist finally does lift. Even the relevance of the title is never made clear. Most of these details are minor events in the book, but they accumulate and comprise the majority of the stories Axl and Beatrice encounter throughout their journey. The failure to tie these stories together and return to unanswered questions makes the reader feel as disoriented as Axl and Beatrice under the shedragon’s breath.

“The Buried Giant” is a story that explores the role of memory over time, and it does take some time to get through. The novel is unlikely to appeal to the majority of college readers because there isn’t much we can relate to. Simply put, none of us have lived more than two decades, let alone been married for three or four. Another detriment: The plot often moves at the pace of this elderly couple.

Nevertheless, Ishiguro addresses some fascinating questions on the role of memory in our relationships, a theme he is famous for using in his other novels. In one of the more poignant moments of the book, Beatrice asks Axl how they know they love each other if they cannot recall any of their memories together: “But then again I wonder if what we feel in our hearts today isn’t like the raindrops still falling on us from the soaked leaves above, even though the sky itself long stopped raining. I’m wondering if without our memories, there’s nothing for it but for our love to fade and die.”

In today’s world, it is impossible for urban young adults to escape their pasts. Because we record so much of our lives online, our photos, our emails and our relationships live on, in some form or another, forever.

But suppose for a moment that the dragon’s breath were somehow able to overtake our digital and human memories, forcing us only to live in the present with fleeting memories of the past. What, then, would we do? How would we define our affiliations to our communities and our loved ones?

This is the kind of ambiguity with which Ishiguro loves to play. Though not altogether successful in its delivery, “The Buried Giant” is an attempt to ask these provoking questions of people thrown into fantastic situations.

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THE HOYA

Friday, april 10, 2015

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COURTESY ERIC SMITH

Sakura Matsuri takes place every year alongside the Cherry Blossom Festival. The one-day event offers a plethora of Japanese cultural activities, including cooking, music and education.

Annual Japanese Festival Promotes Cultural Exchange sakura, from B1 to ensure that the festival is organized and executed smoothly.

One of these volunteers is Arisa Ishita, a second-year Georgetown graduate student who works as the public relations coordinator for Sakura Matsuri.

“Although it can be tough and time consuming, I really like working here and being a part of this organization,” she said. Such is the passion and drive among Ishita and her fellow volunteers working to ensure that the festival is a success.

As a result of the organizing committee’s work, visitors to Sakura Matsuri this year can anticipate even more varied and interesting ways to experience Japanese culture.

The festival is hosting a number of performers specializing in many different types of Japanese music and art. Fans of J-pop can look forward to seeing acts like HIDEKING project, while those more inclined toward the traditional can enjoy the drumming of Bonten, a Japanese drumming troupe, or even the shamisen duo HAZUKI. Beloved animation characters like Doraemon and DOMO-kun will also be making their appearances at the festival.

Of course, one cannot forget Japan’s cuisine — arguably one of its most known exports. Awarded United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (recognition as an addition to the Lists of Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2013, the sheer number of Japanese eateries around the city attests to its popularity in America. Sakura Matsuri’s “Taste of Japan” showcase will offer samples of over 25 Japanese restaurants.

In addition, the Culinary Arts Pavilion will feature renowned Japanese chefs like Chef Tatsuo Saito, who will demonstrate how to cook Japanese food throughout the day. To wash all that food down, those of age can also look forward to the Kirin Beer Gardens and the Hakutsuru Sake Tasting Pavilion.

What may be of particular interest to Georgetown students is the new Experience Japan through Education Pavilion being introduced this year. Other than

the long-running Japan Exchange and Teaching Program, three universities — Waseda University, Temple University (Japan Campus) and International Christian University — will be participating in the pavilion to share with visitors the different ways of experiencing Japan through studying or teaching there.

With all the buzz surrounding Sakura Matsuri, the cherry blossoms must not be overlooked. Besides looking beautiful, the cherry blossom trees are significant in representing the lasting Japanese-American friendship. The first cherry blossoms to appear in Washington, D.C. were donated by a Japanese ambassador in 1912, and the annual celebration of the cherry blossoms honors the continued cooperation between the two countries.

“To learn about your culture, you have to teach it to others,” Hitzig said. Citing his own personal experiences teaching English in Japan through JET, he said he learned more about American culture his year abroad than he ever had in prior years living in America.

In all, Sakura Matsuri is not just a street festival designed purely for entertainment and springtime frivolities.

“Our goal is to educate people about Japan and the Japanese-American relationship, so one way of doing it is through outreach, the biggest of which is this festival,” Hitzig said.

The spirit of cultural exchange and mutual understanding between Japan and America is captured in the microcosm that is Sakura Matsuri and, by extension, the National Cherry Blossom Festival. Although Sakura Matsuri lasts less than a day, its missions and goals in educating and edifying its visitors are worthy ones. Of course, if one is interested in engaging with Japanese culture at a deeper level after visiting Sakura Matsuri, the JASW is a good resource with which to start.

Admission for Sakura Matsuri is $10 for visitors aged 13 and above. Tickets can be purchased on the day of the festival or in advance online at www. sakuramatsuri.org.

POLITICAL DIGEST

The Changing Social Dynamics of Safeway

W

e won’t try to hide it: Grocery shopping is if you were looking to meet new people, it was one of our favorite things to do. Maybe it’s time to make an excuse to go grocery shopping. the neatly arranged food items that appeal One alumna who preferred to remain anonymous to our obsessive-compulsive tendencies. Maybe it’s claimed that she intentionally bought only three the world of new ingredients that appeal to our sense or four items during each trip, for the sole reason of culinary adventure. It’s hard to pinpoint exactly that she would have to frequently return to the why, but grocery shopping is one errand in which we grocery store, thus increasing her exposure to the dating pool. have always taken great pleasure.

Nowadays, Georgetown’s grocery options are fairly It’s also interesting to note that Safeways around diverse. Many see the appeal of the organic foods D.C. earned other nicknames, but none were quite found in the aisles of Whole Foods, despite the long as flattering nor stuck quite as well as the Social trek up Wisconsin Avenue. Others find the creative Safeway. For example, one Safeway franchise in Dumarketing and pre-made options at Trader Joe’s pont Circle that was tight on space and thus never more appealing. Some of us acquiesce to paying out- had a wide selection of food items was dubbed rageous markups for the convenient staples found in the Soviet Safeway. Another, hidden deep within Vittles or Wisey’s. And the laziest among us simply the Watergate Complex was the Secret Safeway. order online for their groceries to be delivered right The Safeway that used to be located on Georgia Avenue in Petworth was known as to their front door. But the most verthe Stinky Safeway for an inexplicasatile option — and by far the oldest ble, persistent smell that permeated — is the Social Safeway. throughout the store. We were hopWhile shopping at our local ing to experience this phenomenon Safeway is now a fairly pedestrian for ourselves, but we’re sad to say the activity, this was not always the Stinky Safeway was closed, bulldozed case. For years, the Safeway on Wisand rebuilt just a few years ago. consin Avenue was one of the only Katy Berk and Ditching its outdated building and large supermarkets in the GeorgeDavid Chardack drab, fluorescent lighting, the Social town area. In the 1970s, as more Safeway was also rebuilt just a few and more young professionals and ambitious political minds flocked to George- years ago. In May 2010, to celebrate the new faciltown’s colorful townhouses, this Safeway became ity — which was largely touted as the largest, besta common focal point for local residents. Perhaps equipped supermarket in the D.C. area — Safeway it’s difficult to imagine given today’s shopping ex- threw itself an opening gala. According to stories perience, but it was not unusual for Georgetown’s in local news outlets from the time, the party was young and ambitious crowd of political minds to packed with 600 of the District’s most influential flock to Safeway after work to do their day-to-day people, ranging from Republican bigwig Rep. Roy Blunt of Missouri to the District’s own Del. Eleanor shopping.

According to many who lived in the area at Holmes Norton (D). Between the 10 open bars and the time, Safeway attracted an eclectic mix — the newly invented cocktail for the occasion — the Soneighborhood’s doctorate candidates, lowly under- cialtini — the party opening was dripping in expengraduates, congressional aides, White House staff- sive champagne and Belvedere vodka.

It’s hard to say what happened to this reputation ers, D.C. power-attorneys, K Street lobbyists, and the occasional member of Congress could be seen in such a short time. Certainly, some Georgetown browsing the aisles for their basic sundries. Deals locals who are also major players in politics must were made, handshakes were exchanged, and re- frequent the Wisconsin Avenue establishment, but lationships were formed waiting in the checkout the aura of excitement and romantic grocery shopline. At any rate, it became widely known by 1980 ping adventures of the past seem to be rare now at in the District that the Safeway at Wisconsin and the Social Safeway. Perhaps the Whole Foods up the block has eaten into Social Safeway’s clientele, and 35th Street was, in fact, the Social Safeway.

While we searched for the exact origins of this Georgetown’s climbing rents don’t make it the yupname, it remains unclear exactly who coined the pie Mecca it once was. At any rate, Georgetown stuterm and when it gained traction in the local com- dents should be proud that their local grocery store munity. Safeway officials contend that the term is has perhaps the most colorful history of any in the in reference to the political deals that were formed country. there. However, faculty and alumni familiar with the heyday of the Social Safeway agreed that the Katy Berk and David Chardack are juniors in nickname refers to the flirtatious encounters that the College. POLITICAL DIGEST appears every often occurred there. Before Tinder or OKCupid, other Friday.

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HOYA HISTORY

“Suspects Captured in Cafeteria Heist” April 5, 1974

On March 23, 1974, the Darnall cafeteria was robbed of approximately $3,500.

Food Services Director John Bengiovi stated that a similar attempt to rob Darnall cafeteria again occurred on Saturday, March 30. He reported that two individuals were recognized on March 30 as suspicious individuals also seen on March 23. The police sent officers to the cafeteria after the two were noticed. The Darnall manager confirmed the presence of the suspects, and the officers then approached them to put them under arrest. Bengiovi’s response also indicated that none of the money from the original robbery was recovered.

SUMMER PALACE | BEIJING, CHINA

KATHLEEN GUAN/THE HOYA

the guide

FRIDAY, APRIL 10, 2015

THE HOYA

ARTS FEATURE

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FACE THE MUSIC

Seeing and Feeling Live Music O

DANIEL SMITH/THE HOYA

The Gracenotes, pictured above, are just one of the many talented a cappella groups on campus. The ever-popular a cappella scene is merely a facet of the diverse and dynamic arts scene on campus, featured in the second annual Arts Week.

Student Expression at Arts Week QUENTIN AUSTER Hoya Staff Writer

After the success of its inaugural year in 2014, Georgetown University Arts Week is back.

From April 11-18, students will be able to experience a diverse set of events and activities promoting the arts at Georgetown.

Arts Week was started as a way to celebrate and promote student art, drawing from the strengths of various art groups across campus.

This year, the week will include creative activities, musical performances, dance workshops, improv shows, theater productions, pop-up student galleries and open-mic nights, just to name a few. Some are serious productions, willing to delve into thoughtful discussions about issues such as sexual assault. Others leave room for fun, such as a karaoke night, which will be held at Bulldog Tavern.

The theme will be “Arts And…,” which is meant to reinforce the far-reaching and wide-ranging impact of art in all aspects of students’ lives. To many students at Georgetown, this is an important and liberating message in light of the way the relevance of the arts on campus is downplayed too often.

“People don’t seem to view the arts seriously --- they are often seen as a hobby, if that, and I feel that it is the first ‘activity’ to nix when someone is feeling overwhelmed or stressed.

There is so much emphasis placed on government, and finance, and resumes, and GPAs

and just general success that people seem to simply forget about the arts,” said Arianna Calabrese (SFS ’17), a member of the GUSA Arts Week Subcommittee.

This is a common and harmful sentiment, one that is difficult to shake. Georgetown is a very competitive school that places high professional demands on its students, which makes programs like Arts Week all the more essential in promoting student involvement in the arts.

“For a campus like Georgetown’s, which can sometimes feel pre-professional and intensely intellectual, it’s undeniably refreshing to promote the arts and foster their development. After all, so much of college is about self-expression as a means to understand ourselves and connect with those around us. Arts Week helps us showcase a medium of student expression that sometimes is underappreciated at Georgetown,” said Claire Doyle (COL ’17), another member of the GUSA Arts Week Subcommittee.

In fairness to Georgetown and its culture, there are elements of the arts that not only exist on campus, but also thrive. Theatre and a cappella groups hold steady as reputable and popular, but their notoriety is not shared evenly among all genres of the arts.

“Visual arts have also been traditionally underrepresented on campus,” said Enushe Khan (MSB ’17), Arts Week Treasurer and the GUSA Senate’s Chair of Student Life. “With little/no gal-

lery space, it is difficult to interact with student artwork.”

Khan also points to the music department and student artists as groups that are either underrepresented or up against barriers to gaining any meaningful visibility at Georgetown. “Freelance artists and musicians have a very difficult time finding practice space. For example, guitarists or drummers not involved in the Guild of the Bands are unable to reserve practice space or equipment. Artists not involved in an art class do not have access to studio space. This creates a major problem for students who use art as a means to relax or de-stress, and not as an academic pursuit,” she said.

Arts Week is one of the few remedies to this issue. It opens up artists to audiences, as well as opportunities for collaboration with each other.

“The week is intended to bring arts to the forefront and emphasize the important role that artistic expression plays in an education of the whole person,” GUSA Arts Week Subcommittee member Megan Howell said.

Howell’s point brings up an interesting irony in Georgetown’s aversion to the arts.

Georgetown is an institution that promotes the education of the entire self. The phrase cura personalis is one no student can escape hearing at least a dozen times throughout his time on campus. Yet ingrained in Georgetown’s structure is, if not obstacles to engaging in the arts, a lack of significant incen-

tives for individuals to express themselves through art in all its forms.

The importance of the arts to one’s education is difficult to specify in exact terms, but their ability to enhance growth and learning is equally trying to deny.

“Art is about learning to think for yourself, learning to express yourself and exploring those different modes of expression; it’s about learning to see in a new light, from a different perspective; it’s about originality and endless possibilities; it’s about celebrating the process, not the product; it encourages vulnerability, connectivity, and, in essence, it honors the human experience.

These aspects are fundamental to our life as humans and to our development as moral, empathetic and open-minded men and women,” Calabrese said.

Of course, the arts are not for everyone. But those who do find solace and inspiration in the arts do not enjoy the same opportunities to pursue their passions as students with other interests. Practicality aside, the arts have a place on this campus. They can never fully be removed. However, at times, their merits must be drawn out and showed to the campus at large.

If only for a week, Georgetown University Arts Week hopes to bring the arts from the sidelines to center stage. From there, it is up to Georgetown’s student body to determine whether they will stay.

INTERVIEW

Songwriter Steps Onto the Stage Greg Holden describes his experiences releasing his first studio album RHIANNON CATALANO

I was gaining fans all around the world, which was really amazing.

Greg Holden is relatively unknown for a platinum-selling, American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers Pop Award-winning artist because the majority of his commercial success has come from his penning of Phillip Phillip’s smash hit, “Home.” With his recent signing to Warner Brother Records and the upcoming release of his sophomore album, “Chase the Sun,” Holden is ready to gain acclaim as an artist in his own right. He is opening for Delta Rae at the 9:30 Club tonight.

What was the process behind writing Phillip Phillips’ song, “Home,” and how did he end up getting to record it?

I wrote that with Drew Pearson in Los Angeles about three years ago. The goal was to just write a simple message. I had a friend who was going through a lot of difficulty, and lyrically the song was just about letting them know that someone was there for them and that they were not completely alone. We wrote the song, and it was just one of those things. Our publishing companies pitched the song to American Idol. It was kind of a lottery ticket to be honest. We were given this amazing opportunity to have the song heard on a large scale.

Hoya Staff Writer

What made you want to become a professional musician?

Was music something you were always passionate about?

I came to music quite late, actually. I was 18 years old when I started playing. For me, it was a need to write music and try and release some of the tension from my early life. I never really had a plan to learn a lot of covers and just be a general musician. It was always about song writing. I decided to “professionally” take it up about six years ago when I first moved to New York because I felt that I needed to do something extreme, like leave the country that I came from, in order to scare myself into committing to music fully.

You gained a large following with your “Not My Living Room” tour YouTube videos. What was that experience like?

It was very organic, and it took a bit of time. What I really liked about it was that people were connecting to my songs. You see a lot of covers on YouTube, and you see a lot of people getting views because they are doing covers. For me, I felt really grateful that people were connecting to my music.

Not only that, but because of YouTube and this worldwide access,

Was it weird for you to not be the one singing the song?

It was a little strange, but it was a whole new wonderful experience. I got to sit back and watch this happen without being completely in the foreground. I was not a part of the intensity that was happening around Phillip Phillips. I got to sit back and learn from that experience.

Your upcoming album, “Chase the Sun,” was inspired by a seven-week trip to India and Nepal.

Why was the trip so inspiring?

I was traveling through the poorest state in India, called Bihar, in Northern India, and I noticed how little everyone had.

The poverty was overwhelming.

But, what was the most inspiring to me was that everyone seemed to be smiling, everyone seemed to be happy. I live in a very gentrified neighborhood in Brooklyn, and when I came home, I noticed that everybody had everything and no one was smiling. It really changed my perspective on a lot of things.

COURTESY MYRIAM SANTOS

Songwriter Greg Holden released his first studio album, “Chase the Sun,” finally stepping out into the music scene as a singer.

Your last album, “I Don’t Believe You,” was brutally honest, while “Chase the Sun” is more optimistic thematically. Was this a shift you intended on making or was it accidental?

It was not planned. I never could have predicted what would happen in India and how my mind would change. However, I went on that trip knowing something was going to change. When I came back, I had a more positive outlook, which heavily influenced “Chase the Sun.” I think now I am able to say something that might inspire people, rather than depress the crap out of them.

You moved from England to New York in 2009. Do you feel as if moving to New York had a big impact on your musical career?

Massive. Absolutely everything.

New York was always the goal for me. It was where I wanted to end up. It will continue to inspire me, whether I live here or not.

What other artists and bands have influenced you musically?

I have always been influenced by people who write more of the social-commentary kind of stuff, like Bruce Springsteen and Bob

Dylan. For me, they are saying something, they are saying something important, and they are saying something that could inspire people in a different way than just the typical love song. I have always been more inspired by people whose goal seems to be to rustle a few feathers. That is what I really like to do. I really enjoy rustling feathers and just making people think a little bit harder when a song is on.

Do you have a favorite venue to play?

You know what’s funny, it is actually 9:30 Club in D.C. I’m not even kidding, I love that place. It is one of the most popular venues in America, isn’t it? And it’s so good.

They give you cupcakes when you get there.

Once this tour finishes and “Chase the Sun” is released, what do you see next for yourself?

More touring. I am going on tour with Ingrid Michaelson on the West Coast in June. Then I will probably be heading to Europe over the summer. This is about making sure as many people as possible hear my new album. It is going to be a very busy year, but I am so excited.

n the night of its Tuesday album release, Alabama-born, Philadelphiaraised Waxahatchee brought a new breed of intimate punk to Black Cat. Waxahatchee, the newest indie-music incarnation of lo-fi darling Katie Crutchfield, captivated the crowd with raw lyrics, balanced against a backdrop of pounding rock.

Named for the creek near Crutchfield’s childhood home, Waxahatchee weds philosophical musings about loss and life with punk and classic ’90s indie-rock. While show openers Nox and The Goodbye Party set the stage and transformed the already alternative Black Cat into a bastion of grunge (well, the modified, hyper and socially aware 2015 version of grunge), Waxahatchee stole the show with its guitar rock.

Nox was exactly what one would expect from the band opening for the band opening for the main act. Better than a high school or typical college band, the Washington, D.C. all-girl trio conquered complex polyrhythms with apparent ease while belting out words that could barely be heard over the deafening bass. Their self-appointed label — “teenage pop-ish rock ’n’ roll band” — says it all.

Sure, Nox’s technical skill was present, and they’ve made it big enough to be playing gigs at the Black Cat, but they had the stage presence of self-conscious teenagers. Overly insecure in everything related to the crowd, it was as if Nox was hiding in their own heavy music. The guitarist and the bassist, maybe in a cliched attempt to be hardcore, played their respective instruments with disheveled hair covering their faces. Even though it established the night’s grungy atmosphere, Nox was about as memorable as the countless other teen bands you’ve been dragged to over the years.

It was when The Goodbye Party took the stage that the real show began. Unlike Nox, The Goodbye Party knew exactly what it was doing in both arranging their set and filling the space with garage-rock chaos. Its mix of heavy yet finely tuned arrangements, guided by the wicked guitar riffs and vintage wooden keyboard, echoed throughout the recesses of the club. Front man Michael Cantor had the perfect voice for the occasion: His tenor could hold a note but was not sugary by any stretch of the imagination.

T h e Goodbye Party u s e d noise extremely w e l l ; their entire l o - f i Margie Fuchs set was r a w and real, perfectly paving the way for Waxahatchee.

Waxahatchee swept onto the stage dressed as the modern version of the southern gothic. Draped in black, sporting ripped jeans and signature hairstyles ranging from ’50s call girl to ’70s shag, Crutchfield and her four bandmates brought the roaring crowd to silence before they said a word. Their look, which was more than an artistic aesthetic, recalled the band’s diverse array of musical forefathers while simultaneously nodding to their own eclectic combination of punk, lo-fi and grunge styles.

From the first haunting piano ballad to the last rousing, guitar-soaked song, Waxahatchee’s southern roots were clear. Its swampy, upbeat rock was more melodic than The Last Goodbye’s Philadelphian urban grunge but still maintained the same interest in noise, albeit in a different way.

Whether playing a slower, emotional number — usually meditating on loss, a common theme — or an in-your-face anthem, Waxahatchee had fantastic tone and layering.

Each song was a treasure to be unraveled. On one level were the lyrics, on another were the guitars and heavy drums, and on yet another were the piano’s melodies. Each layer added greater depth to the music, making it not just a song or a set list, but an all-encompassing emotional experience.

If nothing else, Waxahatchee was intensely personal and raw. Crutchfield’s crystalline voice, with its echoes of southern twang, turned each new song into a confessional about the losses attached to growing up and the questions remaining once you’re “grown.” Sung with Crutchfield’s uncut alto, the proclamation, “When I am gone, at least I won’t be thinking,” in “Air” turns from resembling a morbid existential crisis to a poignantly realistic statement about the truths of life and the suffering life entails.

Waxahatchee’s lyrics personify the reality of loss through wordplay and anecdotes — such as, “I left you out like a carton of milk” — that translate into universal statements.

Musically, Waxahatchee was built on standard guitar rock. The guitarists were very riff heavy, using a lot of open cords and hefty drumbeats, enshrouding Crutchfield’s vibrant yet rough voice with noise. Watching Waxahatchee live, I not only saw it, but I also felt it. I felt the drums reverberate throughout my body, felt the lyrics deep in my conscious and my heart. Waxahatchee was amazing live because it was real in every aspect of their performance, from the lyrics to the guitars to the self-deprecating interactions with the audience. With their vocal harmonies, phenomenal hardcore instrumentality and quirky stage presence, it’s no wonder why Waxahatchee is quickly gaining traction.

Margie Fuchs is a junior in the College.

FACE THE MUSIC appears every other Friday.

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the guide

THE HOYA

Friday, april 10, 2015

RESTAURANT REVIEW

Food Fails to Match Its Buzzing Environment DGBG

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931 H St. NW | Cuisine: American | $$$$ David Rapp

wine list beneath our noses before offering us a selection of disappointingly cold fresh breads, accompanied by a cylindrical serving of salted butter on a small slate slab — a classy touch.

DBGB offers an impressive array of both French and American dishes, and its menu is a little bit bistro, a little bit diner, a little bit fine dining and a little bit je ne sais quoi. Ranging in price, sophistication, taste and style, variety is without doubt its most impressive feature. If you want to eat like a Parisian prince, you may; oysters (market selection), foie gras ($12), truite au aard et auage ($28) and the chef’s selection of artisanal cheeses are all available to you. If, however, you want to keep it strictly stars and stripes, then the Maryland crab ($16) and either the Yankee burger ($15) or the fried chicken ($26) ought to do the trick.

This restaurant also boasts an impressive variety of housemade sausages ($13 each), made from either pork or lamb, each with a different accompaniment, such as basil fried rice ($8), or perhaps hash browns accented by a red onion creme fraiche ($16).

Even though this dish was neither American nor French, my guest and I ordered the crispy calamari ($13) to start.

Special to The Hoya

On a warm Wednesday evening in a well-kept area of downtown D.C., my guest and I arrived at what the Washingtonian declared as D.C.’s 82nd best restaurant, Chef Daniel Boulud’s DBGB. The name originates from “CBGB,” a club that used to be next to Chef Daniel Boulud’s New York restaurant. DBGB is Boulud’s attempt to pay homage to the evenings that he used to spend there.

The steel and glass entrance hall opens into an amber-lit wood-panelled dining area of the self-described ‘French-America’ kitchen-bar. There is a backlit ‘clubstyle’ bar area, and diner-style seating areas which flank the restaurant’s interior.

Along with the gentle undertones of Ministry of Sounds’ deep house compilation, these elements give off the ambience of New York City’s East Village. As for its clientele, DGBG attracted what can only be described as the government extras in Kevin Spacey’s “House of Cards.”

Within less than a minute of being shown to our seats, a young waitress approached us, offering us a choice of either still, sparkling or ice water. She slid an impressive French and American

Served in a deep, white bowl with a generous helping of a spicy pickled pepper infused kaffir lime cream, the beer-battered squid was magnificently crispy, and wonderfully moreish. Unfortunately however, the extent to which the calamari was fried detracted from the subtlety of what, in my opinion, ought to be a rather delicate dish. I struggled to taste the squid, and after a while I became a bit overwhelmed by the greasiness of this dish.

As for our main course, my guest ordered the overpriced Yankee burger ($15) with a side of french fries ($8). Being the more adventurous party, I decided to indulge in the lamb and mint merquez sausage, served with braised spinach and chickpeas ($15). Both dishes were thoroughly disappointing. My guest described his burger as “nothing special”— an appropriate description for an oversized tomato and a near flavourless beef patty served in a semi-dry sesame bun.

As for my dish, the meager lamb sausage was overpowered by the chilli-like sauce with which it was served, and aside from the mint leaf which was inelegantly placed in the centre of the meal, I could hardly taste the mint. The spinach was wet and flavourless, but the chickpeas were remarkably sweet — although they were few and far between.

Thoroughly disappointed by both our starters and our mains, we attempted to salvage what had begun as such a promising evening by ordering the baked Alaska for two ($21). Again, the service was astounding, and in a matter of minutes, our server was dousing a half-baked

RESTAURANT review

Cuisine With Unmet Potential rOOFERS uNION

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Hoya Staff Writer

Overlooking the city from an upstairs vantage point in Adams Morgan, Roofers Union lays claim to a notably scenic and vibrant location in the D.C. area. Sporting a modern, almost minimalist interior design, the restaurant is adorned with wooden floorboards, iron table sets, warm lights hanging from the ceiling, and glass paneling all across the street-facing wall.

However, beyond the appealing restaurant design and location, Roofers Union doesn’t appear to have much more to bring to the table — no pun intended. In a word, between service and food quality, the whole experience tends to veer toward mediocrity.

It’s hard to feel like customers are getting the most bang for their buck when the waiters seem fairly apathetic to the restaurant and its food, or when the meals brought to your table lack substance, interesting flavor or texture dynamics. While I like dipping sauce or a pinch of salt as much as the next person, dousing seemingly bland foods with the same spice or sauces until they are swimming in the plates upon which they are served is not ideal.

Granted, American food is challenging because it tends to demand more attention in the seasoning department. But for a restaurant that has been bold enough to adopt American food as its specialty, Roofers Union struggles to match its ambition with an equally confident and successful menu.

Venturing over right before sunset to take advantage of one of the best views in the area, we began with the artichoke dip, with pretzel chips ($10) and the chicken wings, marinated in a Sriracha honey glaze ($8).

However, these selections served as a rather disappointing kickoff. The artichoke dip was a bit too heavy and surprisingly bland, leaning desperately on the top layer of cheese for flavor support. While the pretzel chips

were a nice addition to this starter plate, they were also underwhelming, and seemed like they were intended more for functionality than taste or flavor appeal. These chips were nothing more than vessels for eating the dip, and were borderline, if not completely, stale. In the end, the dish fell apart because none of its components could stand on their own. The Sriracha chicken wings, on the other hand, had a lot more kick, but were completely drenched in the Srirachahoney sauce, which was far too overpowering for the wings.

For the entrees, we tested out the grilled flatbread, topped with an eggplant ragu, tomato, pickled red onions, braised lamb, mint, charred scallion and fresh goat cheese ($15).

Needless to say, the combination was bizarre. All of the contrasting flavors clashed with each other unfavorably and the whole dish seemed desperate.

Perhaps this concoction was a little too adventurous, and would be better served with fewer ingredients, or as two separate flatbreads. We also tried out the hunter sausage, made with beef and pork, Dijon mustard, sauerkraut and served on a pretzel roll with hand cut fries. This dish was by far the

RECIPES Spinach lasagna rolls www.yummly.com/ Total time: 1 hr.

1 lb. lasagna noodles 15 oz. ricotta 1 cup shredded mozzarella ¼ cup grated parmesan

best plate out of all the menu items we ordered, significantly less overwhelming but still not necessarily a winner.

The ambiance of Roofers Union is very laid-back and easygoing, and features live music on the weekends and wine night every Wednesday at 5 p.m. with half-priced bottles. Without a doubt, the view overlooking the brightly colored buildings lining 18th Street from the second floor was hard to beat, adding to the expansive, open space boasted by this restaurant and bar. However, the wait staff was overly nonchalant and dismissive at times, which contributed to the laid-back vibes, but also made for poor service.

Their brunch, on the other hand, offered every Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., suggested promise, with classics like eggs benedict and more fun, adventurous options like doughnut holes.

With a California native who has trained with Top Chef finalists and other award-winning, internationally renowned chefs, the restaurant has just what it needs to take off and maximize its potential. It is nearly there, but requires more attention in the seasoning department and a better execution of the flavor dynamics.

derfully to lighten a dessert that has the potential to be slightly overpowering.

However, I couldn’t help but feel as though I had just paid for what was just a plate of ice cream which, judging by the speed with which it was delivered and the texture of the ice cream, had been sitting in the freezer for the duration of the evening.

pistachio and vanilla ice cream dome with a raspberry sorbet center covered in melted meringue with Chartreuse and setting it alight. The meringue was a soft, marshmallow-like texture, perfectly browned by the liquor flame, and although the ice cream was slightly freezer burned, it was exceptionally creamy, and the raspberry sorbet worked won-

INGREDIENTS

2446 18th St. NW | Cuisine: American | $$$$ Daria Etezadi

DAVID RAPP/THE HOYA

DGBG offers a vast, interesting array of French and American foods in an exciting venue. While the service was efficient, the food itself disappointed.

Servings: about 7 1 large egg 10 oz. spinach (can be frozen, but thaw and drain before mixing) 2.5 cups marinara sauce

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Heavily salt a large pot of water and bring it to a boil. At full boil, add lasagna noodles.

As the pasta cooks, combine spinach in a bowl with ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan, egg, pepper and a dash of salt. Mix until well-combined.

Once noodles are cooked to al dente (they should feel firm but not crunchy), drain in a colander and allow to cool.

Spread a thin layer of marinara sauce on the bottom of a glass casserole dish.

Lay out a few noodles on a paper towel. Place a few tablespoons of filling on each noodle and spread to cover from edge to edge, creating a thin layer. Roll up the noodles and place in the prepared casserole dish.

Repeat until all filling is gone. (You may have extra noodles, but these can serve as backups in case other noodles rip in the rolling process.)

Pour the rest of the marinara sauce over the rolled up noodles. Make sure to cover all exposed parts of the noodle, as this will keep the noodles soft and moist while baking.

Easy Fudge And nutella Cookies

http://www.yummly.com/recipe/external/Easy-5-Ingredient-Fudgy-Nutella-Cookieswith-Sea-Salt-963457 Total time: 20 minutes Servings: about 2 dozen cookies

INGREDIENTS

1 cup Nutella 2 tbsp. brown sugar 1 egg ½ cup flour + 1 tbsp.

Coarse sea salt for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 350F. Combine all ingredients besides salt in a large mixing bowl and blend by hand or with an electric mixer on medium until well combined.

Place dough in freezer for 10 minutes.

Remove from freezer, roll dough into approximately 1-inch balls, and place on an ungreased baking sheet.

DARIA ETEZADI/THE HOYA

With acclaimed chefs working in the kitchen, Roofers Union has a great deal of potential, but the overly bland menu options fall flat.

BEST BETS Keynote by the Hon. Omar Abdullah

Slow Falling Bird

WHERE: Gaston Hall When: Tuesday at 5 p.m.

INFO: guevents.georgetown.edu Price: Free

WHERE: Davis Performing Arts Center, Gonda Theatre When: Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. info: guevents.georgetown.edu price: $10 student; $18 general

On Tuesday, Omar Abdullah, a former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir (2008-2014), will provide the keynote at the Kashmir Conclave. The current president of the J&K National Conference party, Abdullah belongs to one of India’s most influential political families.

Written by playwright and Georgetown professor Christine Evans, this play revolves around the realities that immigrants are faced with when arriving in Australia’s waters. The work explores conditions of citizenship and territories in today’s world of tight border security.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until center feels soft but not mushy.

Remove from oven and let cool until cookies are set, then sprinkle with sea salt.

ON CAMPUS Spring Sing

HSA’s Holi 2015

WHERE: Gaston Hall WHEN: Saturday at 7:30 p.m.

INFO: guevents.georgetown.edu Price: Price: $7

WHERE: Copley Lawn WHEN: Sunday at 11 a.m; Saturday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.

INFO: facebook.com PRICE: Free

Georgetown Superfood and Georgetown Saxatones, are bringing their contagious energy to Gaston Hall on Saturday for their second annual combined showcase. Amid the chaos of the final few weeks, this is a great opportunity to relax and take break while listening to students’ music.

The Hindu Students Association of Georgetown will be hosting their celebration of the Holi festival on Sunday morning on the Copley Lawn. Full of fun, Holi is a mess of color — participants are traditionally showered with colored powder in a celebration of love and life.

the guide

friday, april 10, 2015

album Review

Kintsugi

Death Cab for Cutie Anna Shuster Hoya Staff Writer

Death Cab for Cutie is one of those alt-rock staples that the music world will never really shake.

After all, few tracks are as ingrained in the style of a genre and the psyche of a generation as “I Will Follow You Into the Dark.” Album after album, they’ve dropped singles that have lingered in our collective musical consciousness: “Title and Registration,” “Cath,” “Soul Meets Body,” “Stay Young Go Dancing,” and the list goes on.

With these classics and a whopping total of seven studio albums behind them, the boys of Death Cab for Cutie have returned with 45 minutes of indie bliss in the form of their latest record, “Kintsugi.”

From the opening track, “No Room in Frame,” it’s clear that the band hasn’t changed much. We’re greeted with Benjamin Gibbard’s familiar voice and Death Cab’s

THE HOYA

MUSIC

New Releases

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signature smoothness, and it’s just as easy to get sucked into the calm, almost aquatic introduction to this track as it was to disappear into “Home is a Fire,” the leading track from “Codes and Keys.”

Even with the jazzy piano elements incorporated into “Black Sun,” the intro riff and vocals undeniably resemble the moodiness in “Meet Me on the Equinox.” It’s certainly a great song and catchy in its own right, even offering the occasional glimmer of a pop sound we haven’t yet heard from the band, but there’s also a strong sense that they haven’t strayed far from their musical roots.

Thematically, the band continues to flirt with the merger of sadness and sweetness. The name of the album, “Kintsugi,” is a homage to the Japanese technique of repairing shattered pottery with lacquer mixed with silver or gold, turning the visible damage into an integral, beautiful part of the work of art. It follows, then, that this record ex-

ATLANTIC RECORDS

Death Cab for Cutie released its newest album, “Kintsugi,” in which it impresses while maintaining its traditional smooth sound.

alts the beauty in brokenness.

Gibbard’s lyrics deftly maneuver through this theme. The verses in “Little Wanderer” clearly struggle with finding something to hold onto in a long-distance relationship: “I count the hours on my hands / doing the math to the time zone you’re at / is an unseen part of the plan.” The gentle swell of guitars and dreamy harmonies carry this lover’s lament through to an ultimately happy ending, but the next few tracks hit harder.

“You’ve Haunted Me All My Life” gives a whole new emotional depth to the album. It opens with a simple, dark guitar and a bass drum reminiscent of a heartbeat, and continues with this simple, heartbreaking orchestration as Gibbard sadly croons.

Following that is “Hold No Guns,” which has a lighter, sweeter guitar sound, but the levity in Gibbard’s voice only adds to the pain of the chorus’s question: “My love, why do you run?”

Not every track is sad and acoustic, though. The ironic “Good Help (Is So Hard to Find)” bounces with a snappy drum beat and arcing, energetic guitar riffs, and “The Ghosts Of Beverly Drive” brings a fun beat, catchy chorus, and funky bass-and-drum bridge befitting its status as a leading single off the album.

Although most of the rest of “Kintsugi” is tonally consistent with the band’s penchant for calm, slow jams, there are glimmers of indie pop sprinkled in. The synth and machine beats in “Everything’s A Ceiling” show that Death Cab has at least taken a baby step into the dance/ pop world of its indie peers, but they abandon that effort as Jason McGerr’s drums and Chris Walla’s free-spirited

“Sparks” by Hillary Duff  ATLANTIC RECORDING CORPORATION

guitar break the song open into a hopeful, airy bridge replete with harmonies and soaring riffs.

McGerr’s drums are a significant force on this album, powering through two of the last three songs. Though the spacey harmonies of “El Dorado” fail to live up to the intense, rolling guitars on the track, the penultimate song more than makes up for it. The deft, triplet-filled drums of “Ingenue” create a fantastic base for the cinematic, building guitars, and the bass drum kicks the song perfectly into a fantastic climax.

The album closes with a soft piano and a re-introduction of the semi-aquatic themes introduced in “No Room In Frame.” “Binary Sea” feels vast and calm, resplendent with metaphors and saturated with images and sounds recalling a deep ocean, fading into pensive silence.

Overall, this album is extraordinary in that only this band could have created it. Hearing Gibbard’s voice again has the familiar feel of putting on an old, well-loved sweater, and the metaphors ring with his usual lovesick optimism.

Like every Death Cab for Cutie album, this one has its fair share of songs that will get stuck in your head; I was humming “Little Wanderer” after just a few listens.

Essentially, this album has continued the same musical road Death Cab for Cutie has been treading since ’98 — but really, did anyone want it to change?

Album Review

American Nights

Plain White T’s Brian Davia

Special to The Hoya

Having not released a full album in over four years, the Plain White T’s new album was surrounded by varied expectations. Although it produced past hits, including “Hey There Delilah” and “Rhythm of Love,” the band has been unable to maintain this success in recent years.

Its most recent attempt is no different.

The new collection of songs in “American Nights” promised to provide listeners with a rejuvenated interest in this American alternative band, but unfortunately, this album fails to deliver anything spectacular.

Lacking the subtle pop-punk qualities that once elevated the band’s music, the majority of these new songs fall into the now hackneyed category of indie-pop.

Songs such as “American Nights” and “Stay” attempt to capture the essence of a catchy indie-pop tune, yet their predictable lyrics

and formulaic sound are ultimately forgettable. Sadly, this becomes a constant theme, as each song blends together in a stream of mediocre melodies.

Each song reveals an attempt by the Plain White T’s to infuse their lyrics with personal experiences and emotions. When successful, this combination has the power to craft both powerful and relatable pieces. However, in the majority of the tracks, the music comes across as phony and forced. Multiple songs on the album, namely “You Belong” and “Love Again,” fall directly into this trap. The execution is flat, stripping away any potential for a lasting classic.

In the past, the Plain White T’s have reached the top of billboards with their soft rock and harmonious tunes. Yet for some reason, they decided to venture in an entirely different direction for this album. Glimpses of their past appear in the crisp and poignant vocals of “Someday You’re Gonna Love Me,” but their offbeat

HOLLYWOOD RECORDS

The Plain White T’s have strayed far from their hit “Hey There Delilah” in their new album, failing to show the potential they possess.

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Hillary Duff’s new single “Sparks” is far removed from the days of “The Lizzie McGuire Movie” but pretty predictable for today’s popular music.

The song begins with a whistle motif similar to that of Flo Rida’s “Whistle” and follows it with a baseline and synths to set the tone as a club song. As expected from the genre, the strong base and synths lead into Duff’s heavily auto-tuned vocals.

While the song has all the right trappings to be a successful pop song, the whistle motif doesn’t hit particularly well or produce the necessary effect to evoke the emotion Duff probably intends.

“All That” by Carly Rae Jepsen  Although she may have become an overnight star because of her hit “Call Me Maybe,” Carly Rae Jepsen’s new single “All That” is far from a bubbly pop song. The former Canadian Idol winner showcases a more soulful side of her artistry with this slow soft-rock ballad. The song is one that will take the listener back to the ‘80’s with its smooth and jazzy instrumentals.

Carly Rae Jepsen unexpectedly demonstrates her talent as an emotional performer in this tune. Though not fantastic and certainly not likely to be the viral hit of the summer, “All That” surpasses the song quality of Carly Rae Jepsen’s previous hits.

“35 MPH Town” by Toby Keith 

 rhythms dampen these moments.

Without any real standout song, the album can only hope to pick itself up with some sort of binding feature that elevates it as a whole. The first track highlights the theme of the American teenage experience, fitting perfectly with its title, “American Nights.” Yet, this potentially uniting factor quickly degenerates into trite tales of lost love. Again, rather than conveying a sense of legitimate emotion, the music comes across as flatly generic. This persists all the way through the final track of the album, making it almost a relief to be done listening.

The missing substance, in terms of meaningful lyrics, at least allows the listener to focus on other elements of the musical composition. “Time to Move On,” one of the more effective tracks, places its emphasis on a flexible vocal performance, incorporating an underlying mix of drum and guitar beats. This allows the enjoyable and impressive fluctuations of the singer’s voice to be heard as opposed to being drowned out.

In a way, this is closer to the soft rock method used to produce the band’s biggest hits.

Yet, this vocal prowess and subtle instrumental balance is lost in other songs that rely on seemingly ambiguous sounds. “Here Comes That Sunrise” begins with a trumpet intro that immediately dissipates and comes off as out of place. The transition into a boring beat for the remainder of the song only worsens the situation. The listener continually waits for the melody to intensify, but this wish never comes to fruition. Bits and pieces prove to be

MRI

captivating for moments, but they do not maintain the feeling. With the interest of the listener teetering on the edge, achieving a consistent attentiveness over the course of a song, let alone the whole album, proves to be an arduous task.

Again trying to stray away from the methods of their past successes, the Plain White T’s lack relaxing tunes among their new collection. On past albums, a low-tempo track like “1,2,3,4,” or “Hey There Delilah” soothes the listener and connects one half of the album to the next. Choosing not to include this type of song is another glaring absence and mistake. In the band’s past work, songs that did not seem cohesive or were laden with sounds that didn’t quite mesh were offset by these lighter pieces.

All in all, “American Nights” by the Plain White T’s can be chalked up as a swing and a miss.

The band’s attempt to change gears with an unfamiliar style of music, instead of sticking to its previous techniques, was its most pivotal pitfall. Snippets of vocals were able to remind the listener of the punk-pop band’s past successes, but they were few and far between. There still remains an opportunity for the Plain White T’s to rekindle their past prominence, but returning to their roots will be the immediate and necessary first step. Hopefully, “American Nights” will merely serve as a slight detour on the band’s path to restored prestige.

Toby Keith’s latest single “35 MPH Town” is exactly what listeners should expect from Keith in the best possible way. Keith showcases his deep and powerful country vocals in this lyrically beautiful song. The simple but powerful instrumentals of the guitar and drum are all he needs to set the nostalgic tone of this classic country tune. As expected, the song tells a serious story that starts out a bit messy but finds itself as it goes on. While still a good song for country lovers, this is not a single that will stand out among Toby Keith’s hits.

“Good Thing” by Sage the Gemini (Feat. Nick Jonas)  Relatively unknown rapper Sage the Gemini teams up with former Jonas Brother Nick Jonas for this catchy hip- hop single. While “Good Thing” doesn’t completely highlight Nick Jonas’ abilities as an independent singer, he effectively provides the vocals to contrast with Sage the Gemini’s smooth flow.

With a smooth beat and calm synths, the song is chill hip-hop. This single won’t blow away those who expect to feel the energy of a song. Though neither Sage the Gemini nor Nick Jonas performs exceptionally well, they make for an effective combination and above average product worth a listen.

AROUND TOWN National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade

The annual event is finally here and you will not want to miss it. Peak bloom of the Japanese cherry blossoms is set to take place this weekend, and the celebratory parade will pay homage to the culture and the beauty that they bring to the area.

Where: Constitution Avenue from 7th to 17th Streets When: April 11 at 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Info: Washington.org Price: Free

Road Works: Films Inspire Writers

2015 Festival of New Spanish Cinema National Math Festival You will not want to miss this film show. Experience a culmination of Spanish arts in this touring film festival for all ages. Splurge on tickets for shows that people will be coming from around the metropolitan area to attend, shows that have been winning awards and honors for their excellent cinematography, acting and music. From short films to award-nominated works, a wide range of films will be on display.

Left-brained Hoyas, here is your place to shine.

The National Air and Space Museum is holding the first annual National Math Festival to demonstrate the way mathematics can be applied to everyday life. Activities for all ages and professional demonstrations make the magical world of math seem all the more interesting. Learn about careers in the field and explore the works of famous mathematicians

Where: Freer and Sackler galleries When: April 12 at 2 p.m. to 12 a.m.

Info: asia.si.edu Price: Free

Where: AFI Silver Theatre When: April 9 to 12 Info: spainculture.us Price: $12 per show

Where: National Air and Space Museum.

When: April 16 to 18 at 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Info: Washington.org Price: Free

This exhibit, in connection with the exhibit “The Traveler’s Eye: Scenes of Asia,” follows adventurous writers who have travelled throughout Asia and gained inspiration from their journeys.

They then synthesized their travels into films that express their experiences and interests, making this a unique exhibition that all viewers will find particularly interesting, regardless of any cultural familiarity with Asia.

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Sports

THE HOYA

Saxa Synergy

baseball

GU Stands Out, Rejects The One-and-Done Trend A

2006 rule change in the NBA draft on going straight to the pros after one seastipulated that players must be both 19 son, Georgetown is molding them into better years old and one year removed from men. Starting with Iverson in the mid 1990s, high school in order to declare for the draft. the program has helped save players’ lives As a result, we now live in an era of one-and- and give them second chances. It has imparted the values of a school built on making done players in college basketball.

With a plethora of one-year college stars men and women for others, showed players like Kevin Durant, Anthony Davis, John Wall, the importance of education and fostered a Derrick Rose and DeMarcus Cousins, the unique sense of community.

Unlike many of the basketball alumni of NCAA has become, for better or for worse, a necessary stepping stone to the NBA. Be- blue-blood programs like Kentucky, Kansas cause of their talent, the aforementioned and Duke, players come back to the Hilltop to players could very well have skipped college finish what they started. Jeff Green (COL ’12) and been drafted into the NBA. Instead, they and DaJuan Summers (COL ’10) came back to were forced to attend one year of university, earn their degrees after leaving early for the pros in 2007 and 2009, rewhich became a year they spectively. Even players who used to improve their games did leave early but have not and attempt to win an NCAA yet come back to graduate championship. Only Anthony still represent the GeorgeDavis, of those names, suctown values everywhere ceeded in achieving the latter. they go. Otto Porter, drafted Traditional programs are third overall in 2013, has becoming a minority in the been seen buying lunch for NCAA, and, even worse, they and eating with homeless are becoming increasingly people around D.C,. showunsuccessful in the NCAA Paolo Santamaria ing a level of care that is Tournament. Wisconsin is atypical of stereotypical selfpart of a minority of schools centered NBA players. that tends to keep players for In perhaps one of the four years, but even a group The basketball program of seniors could not bring offers more than just most touching college basketball stories in recent down the likes of Duke’s star freshmen power. In a game a pathway to the NBA. memory, Georgetown and Head Coach John Thompson that proved representative of college basketball today, the young guns of III gave senior Tyler Adams an experience Duke toppled the fan favorite and symbol of he probably would have missed at another what many think the college game should school. Diagnosed with a medical condition that rendered him unable to play in his be.

Nevertheless, in this era of one-and-dones freshman year, Adams could have easily lost in college basketball, Georgetown stands out his scholarship to make room for a physically able player, but Thompson let him keep from the crowd.

While Georgetown has sent its fair share of his scholarship and bestowed invaluable collegiate players to the pros, including Patrick coaching experience onto Adams. When AdEwing, Sleepy Floyd, Alonzo Mourning, Dikem- ams suited up for one play on Senior Day, be Mutombo, Allen Iverson, Jeff Green, Roy Hib- the eyes of the nation were on Georgetown bert, Greg Monroe, Henry Sims, Hollis Thomp- and Seton Hall, who, in an incredible disson and Otto Porter, Georgetown has also done play of sportsmanship, let Adams slam it more for its student-athletes than just help home before being subbed out of the game.

Does Georgetown have the year-in-andthem become better basketball players — all year-out caliber of NBA talent that Kentucky while continuing its winning program.

Though the program has not been past the does? No. But when the national spotlight Sweet 16 since 2007’s Final Four run, nearly turned toward Georgetown basketball as every year, the Hoyas have brought their A- Adams embraced Thompson and the entire game for the regular season. Georgetown team and tears rolled down his face and the and the Thompson family are still consid- faces of many others in the Verizon Center, ered basketball royalty, the Hoyas still land it was clear that Georgetown basketball was highly touted forward and center recruits about more than any one game. Despite the and the team is able to overcome challenges upsets, the criticism and anything else punin its schedule, evidenced by its dismantling dits may say, at the end of the day, “Hoya of upstart Eastern Washington in the tourna- Saxa” means more than basketball. And it always will. ment.

Being Georgetown means being a school that values something greater than basket- Paolo Santamaria is a freshman in the ball. While the Kentuckys and the Dukes of College. Saxa Synergy appears every the world are crafting players who are intent Friday.

Friday, APRIL 10, 2015

FILE PHOTO: MICHELLE XU/THE HOYA

Senior shortstop Ryan Busch recorded two hits in the Hoyas’ 10-4 win over Coppin State.

Busch is fifth on the team with 27 hits this season and has played in all 28 of the team’s games.

Collins Shines in 4 Games

CREIGHTON from B10

RBI. Sophomore third baseman Jake Kuzbel drove in two runs on two hits, and senior shortstop Ryan Busch and freshman right fielder Michael DeRenzi also recorded two hits each. The Hoyas’ offense finished with 10 runs on 13 hits in the game.

Busch was hit by a pitch to lead off the game. He then advanced to second on a throwing error and moved to third on Collins’ fielder’s choice. Senior first baseman AC Carter singled in Busch for the first run of the game, and Collins eventually came around to score on a wild pitch that put the Blue and Gray up 2-0.

Five more players scored in the second inning when the Hoyas batted around. DeRenzi contributed a sacrifice fly, and Kuzbel added a two-run double.

After advancing on a double steal, Kuzbel scored on a wild pitch. Sophomore left-fielder Joseph Bialkowski completed the rally with a sacrifice fly to score Collins and build the Hoyas’ lead to 7-0. The outcome was never in doubt in the later innings.

“We hit really well,” Ryan said.

“It was good to see the offense back out there especially after not scoring many this weekend.”

The Eagles matched the Hoyas’ 13 hits in the loss, but Georgetown’s pitching limited Coppin State to four runs.

“We made big pitches when we had to,” Wilk said. “[Mathews] came in, bases loaded, nobody out, and got out of it.”

Prior to its 10-4 victory over Coppin State, Georgetown opened up Big East play with a home series against Creighton on April 2. The Hoyas won the first game of the three-game series behind senior left-handed pitcher Matt Hollenbeck’s strong performance. He pitched six plus innings, giving up two runs, one earned, on three hits and recorded six strikeouts. Carter hit an RBI single in the bottom of the eighth, which was the deciding run as the Hoyas triumphed 4-3.

“We’ve been telling our guys [that they] can play with anybody in the country and they’ve proven it,” Wilk said.

In spite of its initial success against Creighton, Georgetown

was unable to secure the series victory. In the second matchup between the two teams, the Blue Jays scored all four of their runs after a miscommunication on a fly ball to top the Hoyas 4-2.

Just a few hours later in the second game of the doubleheader, Georgetown was down 4-1 in the bottom of the ninth. The Hoyas almost completed the comeback after scoring two runs in that inning, but they left the bases loaded to end the game and fell by a final score at 4-3.“Hopefully, [those games were] a confidence builder,” Wilk said. “Only coming away with one was a very big disappointment because I really thought we outplayed them.”After the brief break from conference play, Georgetown is back against Big East opponents when it faces Villanova (12-15) this weekend.

“If we play like we did against Creighton, we are going to be really happy with the results,” Wilk said.The first pitch in Philadelphia on Friday is scheduled for 3:15 p.m. The games on Saturday and Sunday will begin at 1:15 p.m.

sports

FRIDAY, APRIL 10, 2015

THE HOYA

B9

Men’s lacrosse

Hilltop to Host Matchup Between Rivals GU and ’Nova PROVIDENCE from B10

thought the guys did a good job of following the game plan.”

Freshman goalkeeper Nick Marrocco continued to be a bright spot for the Hoyas amidst the challenges of the past week. Though he took the loss in goal against Denver, Marrocco recorded a career-high 22 saves and followed the performance with 18 saves against Providence.

Marrocco’s performances earned him both Big East Defensive Player of the Week and USILA National Defensive Player of the Week accolades.

Beyond the impressive statistics that he has already recorded during a breakout rookie season, Marrocco has stepped up to fill an important leadership role for the defense.

“It’s really important for [Marrocco] to direct the defense and to be the comforting voice back there to go, ‘Hey, don’t worry about it — if you make a mistake, I’ll bail you out.’ But at the same time, he commands the defense to make sure we do all the right things to do during our game plan,” Warne said.

Georgetown returns home this weekend for a matchup against conference foe Villanova (5-5, 0-2 Big East). Villanova has struggled during Big East play so far, suffering consecutive losses at the hands of No. 16 Marquette (9-3, 2-1 Big East) and Denver.

Warne emphasized that the Hoyas will need to come out to a quicker start on Saturday than they did against the Friars, given that the Wildcats will likely take the field

with a sense of urgency following their losses to two Big East teams. “[The Wildcats are] going to be really excited to get in here … because their backs are against the wall with two conference losses,” Warne said. “They’re going to come in here looking to knock us off, and we have to make sure we defend the home turf and make sure we take care of what we need to care of on Saturday.”

With its conference schedule winding down in the next few weeks, Georgetown is keeping its goals simple.

“Some coaches try to overcoach in the last month of the season, but our guys have been have been full-time lacrosse guys for eight months now, so there’s no new offense or ride or clear that we’re seeing,” Warne said. “We just have to get better at the fundamentals and almost do less and keep it really simple.”

Quinzi says that the offense shares this mentality.

“We’re all just trying to do what we’re taught and doing the right things instead of making a big play and just playing as a unit,” Quinzi said. “We really don’t care who gets the credit, so we’re just trying to win.”

Opening faceoff is scheduled for 3 p.m. at the MultiSport Facility.

FILE PHOTO: ERIN NAPIER/THE HOYA

Freshman attack Stephen Quinzi had two goals and one assist in Georgetown’s 9-6 victory over Providence on Saturday. Quinzi has started all 11 games for the Hoyas, and he has 14 goals and six assists so far this season.

Track & Field

the water cooler

Leonard Highlights Spurs’ Defense Two Runners Finish in Top 10 IPPOLITO from B10

FLORIDA from B10

tion to qualify for the NCAA East Preliminaries.

At roughly the same time on Saturday, some 700 miles north of the University of Florida, graduate student Madeline Chambers — one of the Hoya runners who had been sent to Williamsburg, Va. for the Colonial Relays — took her place at the line.

After a senior year riddled with injuries, Saturday marked Chambers’ return to the outdoor-track stage, and the Hoya veteran proved she was back in a big way. In a race that reminded Hoya fans of her All-American status, Chambers turned in a 16:24.26 in the 5000m event, finishing second only to her fellow All-American teammate, senior Katrina Coogan.

“It came back quicker than I

thought,” Chambers said of her conditioning on the track. “I didn’t have a stellar indoor season, but it was a step in the right direction that I needed to take, and for me, my focus is the outdoor season and making it to NCAA Finals.”

Luckily for Chambers, her coach foresees her success continuing throughout the outdoor season.

“Madeline is one of those athletes that can race at a higher level than her fitness level, so she’s always been a great competitor,” Henner said.

“She’s just managed to put together back-to-back training seasons, so I think she’s going to be ready for a great outdoor season.”

The Hoyas will continue their outdoor campaign this Saturday in Fairfax, Va., for the George Mason Invitational.

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NBA by a full point.

Though no team should expect to fully lock down sharpshooters Stephen Curry or Klay Thompson, the Spurs are the only team that can beat Golden State, and Kawhi Leonard is the biggest threat to a Warriors’ championship this season. Golden State rookie Head Coach and former Spurs point guard Steve Kerr knows that; he called Leonard the best player on the floor after Sunday’s game, and other coaches widely acknowledge that Leonard has the unique ability to take over a game with his defensive ability.

Leonard suffocates players near the three-point line and is one of the best in the league at discouraging those shots. Taking away the three from Harden and Curry deals a mighty blow to the style of play that the Spurs’ top foes have relied on all season.

So, like the sun rising or the seasonal blooming of the cherry blossoms here in Washington, expect the Spurs to make a deep run into the playoffs and challenge Golden State for a berth in the NBA Finals.

Michael Ippolito is a sophomore in the College. THE WATER COOLER appears every Friday.

Commentary

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is third among all NBA power forwards with 8.8 win shares, meaning his contributions directly account for nearly nine of his team’s 53 wins, and has the seventh best defensive plusminus in the league.

Is Duncan past his prime? From a statistical stand point, absolutely, but there should not be any doubt that he is still able to make significant contributions on a nightly basis.

Essentially the same can be said about both Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili — their statistics are not as impressive as they used to be, but the wins just keep piling up.

What makes the Spurs one of the most impressive teams in basketball is their diversity and selflessness. If James Harden or Russell Westbrook has an off night, the Rockets or Thunder, respectively, will almost always lose. As a result, Harden has to play 37 minutes a game, because he is by and large the only major force behind Houston’s success this season.

By contrast, the Spurs have just one player who plays more than 30 minutes a game: Kawhi Leonard at 31.6, tied for 52nd most in the NBA. Regardless of whom they play in the first

round, San Antonio is almost guaranteed to be the most rested team in the West, so even if the Spurs never have the best player on the court, they will have the most effective group of five.

Compared to their two most prominent challengers in the West, Houston and Golden State, San Antonio’s style of play is going to be a major asset.

Houston attempts over 33 three-pointers per game but shoots less than 35 percent from beyond the arc. If threes aren’t falling, Houston is not winning.

Similarly, James Harden has become infamous for throwing his body into defenders and drawing foul calls and free throw attempts. If the referees hold their whistles or if Houston, a poor free throw shooting team at 72 percent, fails to make free throws, Houston is poised for an early exit; their model is not sustainable for a grinding seven-game series.

To counter the seemingly unstoppable force that is the Golden State offense, the Spurs have Leonard. Leonard, who earned the title of 2014 NBA Finals MVP by stifling LeBron James, racked up seven steals in a blowout of Golden State last Sunday. When Leonard is on the floor, the Spurs allow just 96.8 points per 100 possessions, which would be the best mark in the

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DC Ready for All-Star Game T

he Midsummer Classic is finally headed to Washington, D.C. The 2018 MLB All-Star Game, officially awarded to Nationals Park on Monday, will be held in a stadium that will celebrate its 10th anniversary and hosted by a club that will be in its 13th year in MLB. In that 13-year span, the Nationals have served as a model organization for baseball. They created a sustainably successful franchise in a gleaming new ballpark, revitalizing a city that is captivated by its new team. The announcement is another proud and welldeserved landmark in the development of the franchise and a mark of achievement for its owners and management.

Many throughout the city believe that the Classic’s arrival in Washington is long overdue, and this sentiment is coupled with frustration toward the blurry process that the league uses to assign these games. Economics, marketing, favors owed as well as good old-fashioned lobbying are all factors, making it difficult for fans to read into the selection pattern.

The 2014 game, for example, was held in a gleaming, four-year-old Target Field in Minnesota, and the 2017 game is slated for five-year-old Marlins Park in Miami. On the other hand, the Classic has been shipped to a fair number of older stadiums. The 2015 and 2016 games will be held in Cincinnati and San Diego, respectively, where the parks will be 12 years old. And again, Nationals Park will be 13 in 2018.

So while there is precedent for brandnew parks hosting the game, there is also precedent for the opposite, and thus fans should not be offended by the delay in the game’s arrival. With the position the Nationals have put themselves in, all signs points toward the All-Star Game coming in the midst of a continued upswing in the product the club puts on

the field and the venue it plays in, allowing the club to show itself off in the best light possible. Washington has set itself up for the future, and the 2018 All-Star game will allow the team to prove it.

Nationals Park still feels new to many D.C. residents, in large part due to the sluggish progress of development in the area — just the walk down Half Street from the Metro to the stadium feels rugged by professional sports standards. On one side of the street, a lot has gradually transformed from an abandoned gov-

Matt Raab ernment complex covered in neat graffiti to a construction site. On the other side of the street, an outdoor bar complex surrounded by shipping containers gives off a welcoming, but decidedly unfinished vibe.

Development is happening, and Team President Mark Lerner expects the Half Street area “to be almost done or finished” by 2018, per The Washington Post. As development moves forward, the area surrounding Nationals Park will take on an urban, populated atmosphere. Storefronts and restaurants, currently nonexistent in the area around the stadium, are expected to pop up. In preliminary developments like the yard north of the stadium, the hope of businesses centering on baseball are coming to fruition.

At those ballgames, fans will see a team that has set itself up to be relevant for the future. The Nationals have proved themselves capable of improving, with both savvy trades and smart drafting as well as one of the better farm systems in the league. At the same time, they are willing to spend big dollars (see Max Scherzer’s $210 million contract).

In 2018, the Nationals might be a decidedly different team, with almost every player on the roster due for free agency before then, but the organization has shown that it is capable of handling turnover — in this offseason alone, the impending free agency of Jordan Zimmermann has been countered with the acquisition of Scherzer, and a smart three-way deal with the Rays and Padres brought shortstop prospect Trea Turner aboard to be a potential long-term replacement for Ian Desmond. The club has the pieces to maintain a quality product for the foreseeable future.

Altogether, the 2018 MLB All-Star Game will truly be a showcase for the Nationals franchise. It’s still a long way off — current Georgetown freshmen will graduate before any Home Run Derby is held. However, it can still be said with confidence that the Nationals will be a relevant force in baseball come 2018, an accomplishment for a relatively young team. There is no guarantee of division titles, but winning is now the norm in Washington, and MLB is finally ready to put the city in the spotlight. Even if it took 13 years, this is another accolade to add to a growing pile, and for once, it is time to step back and bask in the glow.

Matt Raab is a sophomore in the School of Foreign Service. His sports column AROUND THE DISTRICT appears every Tuesday.

SPORTS

Men’s Lacrosse Georgetown (7-4, 2-1) vs. Villanova (5-5, 0-2) Saturday, 3 p.m.

MultiSport Facility

FRIDAY, APRIL 10, 2015

TALKING POINTS

TENNIS Georgetown split decisions away at Morgan State and at home against Richmond.

See thehoya.com

HOYA HIGHLIGHTS

“

NUMBERS GAME

We really don’t care who gets the credit, so we’re just trying to win.”

FRESHMAN ATTACK STEPHEN QUINZI

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The Georgetown women’s golf team’s margin of victory in the Hoya Invitational.

MEN’S LACROSSE

Marrocco Anchors 9-6 Victory

BASEBALL

ELIZABETH CAVACOS Hoya Staff Writer

JUNIOR CATCHER NICK COLLINS #33 Hit .600 (9-for-15) over four games against George Mason and Creighton Recorded three doubles and a home run in aforementioned four games Named to the Big East Weekly Honor Role Reached base in every game in three-game Creighton series

TRACK & FIELD

SENIOR KATRINA COOGAN All-American Finished first in the 5000-meter event in the Colonial Relays Finished fourth in the 3000m at the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships

MEN’S LACROSSE FRESHMAN GOALKEEPER NICK MARROCCO #1 Made 18 saves in a 9-6 win over Providence.

Coming off of a tough conference loss to No. 5 Denver (8-2, 2-0 Big East) on March 28, the No. 17 Georgetown men’s lacrosse team (7-4, 2-1) got back on track in Big East play with a 9-6 win over Providence on Saturday.

Saturday’s game in Providence, R.I., got off to a relatively slow start as senior midfielder Joe Bucci put Georgetown on the board five minutes into the game, thus scoring the team’s only goal in the first quarter.

Providence answered with just under two minutes left in the first period to knot the score at 1-1.

The Hoyas suffered through a 16-minute scoring drought after Bucci’s first goal, but they picked up the pace in following two quarters.

The Hoyas tallied three more goals throughout the rest of the first half and notched five more in the third quarter.

Despite the uneven pace of the game, the Hoyas made enough plays to establish a lead that would carry them through another scoring drought that lasted the entire fourth quarter.

“I don’t think we played our best game offensively, but we started to pick it up in the second and third quarters especially and played really well toward the end,” freshman attack Stephen Quinzi said of the effort.

Quinzi had two goals and one as-

FILE PHOTO: STANLEY DAI/THE HOYA

Senior attack Bo Stafford led the Hoyas with three goals and two assists in their 9-6 victory over Providence. He has scored 21 goals this season. sist during the game, and senior attack Bo Stafford led Georgetown’s offense with three goals and two assists.

Given the quick turnaround from the loss on the road against Denver earlier in the week, Head Coach Kevin Warne believes that Georgetown ultimately accomplished the goals that

THE WATER COOLER

TRACK & FIELD

Spurs Poised for White, A Postseason Push Coogan D Lead GU eath, taxes and the San Antonio Spurs winning seem to be three of life’s surest certainties.

Currently positioned as the sixth seed in the stacked Western Conference, the Spurs are sitting at 53 wins and are just a game and a half behind the Houston Rockets and the Memphis Grizzlies for the Michael Southwest Division lead and the second seed in the West. By now, making the playoffs and piling up wins is a formality: This is the 17th 50-plus-win season in the Tim Duncan-Gregg Popovich Era. For years, fans of the other 29 teams have been waiting for the Spurs’ inevitable decline, and

year after year they are left disappointed. This year should be no different as San Antonio is in an amazing position to make a run at its third consecutive NBA Finals appearance.

Any conversation about the San Antonio Spurs’ consistency and unparalleled success over the past 18 years Ippolito must begin and end with Tim Duncan.

As he approaches his 39th birthday, Duncan still averages nearly 14 points and nine rebounds per game, all while playing five-and-a-half minutes fewer than his career average. He

Hoya Staff Writer

FILE PHOTO: ALEXANDER BROWN/THE HOYA

See FLORIDA, B9

Named Big East Defensive Player of the Week

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See IPPOLITO, B9

BASEBALL

Balanced Offense Keys Blowout Win After a tough weekend in which the team dropped two out of three games to Creighton (17-9, 2-1 Big East), the Georgetown baseball team (14-14, 1-2 Big East) quickly jumped ahead of Coppin State (2-23-1, 1-11 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) on Tuesday by putting up seven runs in the first two innings en route to a 10-4 victory.

Junior catcher Nick Collins shined in the series against Creighton and in the victory over Coppin State. In four games, he batted .600 (9-for-15) with a .667 on-base percentage and a 1.000 slugging percentage. He had one home run, three doubles and five RBIs during that stretch.

Head Coach Pete Wilk, who thought Collins had a somewhat slow start to

JIMMY MCLAUGHLIN

Sophomore third baseman Jake Kuzbel drove in two runs on two hits in Georgetown’s See CREIGHTON, B8 10-4 win over Coppin State. Kuzbel is second on the team with 33 hits this season.

Named USILA National Defensive Player of the Week

Hoya Staff Writer

See PROVIDENCE, B9

Joe White wants you to know he isn’t your typical freshman runner.

Coming off an indoor season in which he ran the 800-meter leg on one of the nation’s fastest distance medley relay teams, the freshman burst out of the gates this outdoor season firing on all cylinders. This past weekend at the University of Florida, White set a new personal record in the 800m with a time of 1:47.57, good for 11th place on the all-time record list at Georgetown.

“A lot of the time with freshman runners you’ll see them have a really good race and then a really bad race,” Director of Track and Field Pat Henner said. “The thing that’s impressed me the most about Joe is that pretty much every time out, he has run either a good or a great race.”

One of the keys to White’s success could be seen toeing the clay alongside him at Saturday’s Florida Relays in Gainesville, Fla.: graduate student Billy Ledder. As the oldest member of the Hoya’s stable of middle-distance runners, Ledder has assumed a critical leadership role for the team both on the track and in the locker room.

“Give Joe and the young guys all the credit — they’re incredible athletes — but without the leadership of Billy Ledder, those guys wouldn’t be as good as they are today,” Henner said. “On a daily basis — on the track, off the track, travelling — there becomes a synergy in the group and someone has to spark it, and I think Billy has done a great job of it.”

According to White, this synergy has made all the difference in his first year on the Hilltop.

“In high school it was a lot different because I didn’t have many people to train with,” White said. “Going from training with no one to having such a great group of guys to train with I think has really helped me get into my groove, and the great times are coming with it.”

The scene that unfolded Saturday was made that much better as Ledder clocked in just tenths of a second behind the freshman phenomenon with a time of 1:47.89 in the 800m. White and Ledder placed highest amongst the group of Hoyas that traveled to Florida this weekend, finishing sixth and seventh overall, respectively, and simultaneously placing themselves in strong conten-

Has a .533 save percentage, good for 19th in the nation.

EMMA CONN

it had going into the game against Providence.

“I thought we handled the game well,” Warne said. “[We were] coming off a tough week after Denver, but I thought the guys responded well. … I

the season, has now seen his veteran player hit his stride. “[Nick Collins] has been Nick,” Wilk said. “He’s one of the best guys in the league and he’s playing like it now.”

Freshman right-hander Jimmy Swad got the starting nod on Tuesday, pitching three innings of one-run ball and earning his team-leading fourth win of the season. Junior right-hander Tim Davis and sophomore righthanders Simon Mathews, Nick Leonard and David Ellington each threw scoreless innings of relief. “[Swad] gives us the chance to win when we do start him in the midweek,” Wilk said.

Junior center fielder Evan Ryan led the offense with three hits and an

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