VOICE The Georgetown
September 30, 2016
SEPTEMBER 30, 2016
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THE GEORGETOWN VOICE Volume 49 • Issue 3
staff editor-in-chief Kevin Huggard Managing editor Graham piro news
executive editor Ryan miller Features editor Caitlyn cobb news editor lilah burke assistant news editors margaret gach, cassidy jensen, isaiah seibert
culture
executive editor Brian Mcmahon Leisure editor michael bergin assistant leisure editors Amy guay, caitlin mannering, Devon O’Dwyer Sports editor robert ponce Assistant sports editors Tyler pearre, phillip steuber
“New patriotism” by patricia lin
opinion
contents
Editorials
Carrying On: The Courtesy of Courage Caitlyn Cobb Open Access: Is Georgetown PrEPed? Rebecca Zaristky Illusions of Inclusivity: Looking Beyond Snapshots of Diversity Kaei Li 2016 ANC Election: Meet the Candidates Jake Maher Ace Cosgrove Is Making Noise Michael Bergin Slave Descendants Respond to University Proposal Margaret Gach Miss Peregrine’s Is Dark but Unspectacular Carlos Miranda Visions and Revisions at the Renwick Gallery Ryan Mazalatis
editor@georgetownvoice.com Leavey 424 Box 571066 Georgetown University Washington, DC 20057
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The opinions expressed in The Georgetown Voice do not necessarily represent the views of the administration, faculty or students of Georgetown University, unless specifically stated. Columns, advertisements, cartoons and opinion pieces do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editorial Board or the General Board of The Georgetown Voice. The university subscribes to the principle of responsible freedom of expression of its student editors. All materials copyright The Georgeton Voice, unless otherwise indicated.
Executive editor kenneth lee voices editor Lara Fishbane Editorial Board Chair Daniel Varghese Editorial Board Jon Block, Kevin Huggard, kenneth lee, graham piro, ryan miller
halftime
Leisure editor Danielle hewitt assistant leisure editors Dan sheehan, claire smith Sports editors Jonny Amon, Chris Dunn
design
Executive editor Emma Francois Spread editor Alli Kaufman Photo editor sarah jane kim cover editor patricia lin assistant design editors Megan Howell, Lindsay Reilly, Abbey Roberts Staff Designers Samantha Lee, cate o’Leary
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copy chief Anna Gloor editors Clara Cecil, Claire Goldberg, Isabel Lord, Gabriella Wan
online
podcast editor Jon block
business
general manager Naiara parker senior associate, finance and alumni outreach Jessica ho
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THE GEORGETOWN VOICE
READ MORE ON GEORGETOWNVOICE.COM OPINION Pretty Pepper Spray Won’t End Sexual Violence Sienna Brancato reflected on the gendered approach to combatting sexual assault and argued for increased prevention efforts. Red Square
NEWS
TARYN SHAW
Meal Exchange Program Causes Backups in Hoya Court Isabel Lord covered the expansion of the meal swipe program in Hoya Court and the North Gallery of the Leavey Center. Hoya Court
TARYN SHAW
LEISURE A Pleasant Derivative: The Magnificent Seven Evokes Happy Nostalgia Graham Piro reviewed The Magnificent Seven, a remake of the 1960 Western classic starring Yul Brynner. The titular seven
SPORTS
IMDb
Who Wore It Best: NFL Color Rush Edition In this commentary, Emma Francois and Alli Kaufman ranked the NFL jerseys of 32 teams for the 2016 fall season. The 32 color rush jerseys
NFL
EDITORIALS
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SEPTEMBER 30, 2016
Kneel with GU Football Players and Cheerleaders
Last Saturday, in the middle of Homecoming weekend, the Georgetown University football and cheerleading teams lined up on the sideline of Cooper Field for the national anthem, played before the start of every football game. This game, however, 11 of the 85 active football players and 17 of the 19 varsity cheerleaders did not stand. They knelt. The athletes’ decision to kneel during the national anthem is a political statement, a continuation of an ongoing national protest which originated in the NFL when San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick sat down for the national anthem during a preseason game on Aug. 26. For Kaepernick, and the numerous NFL, NCAA, high school, and other athletes who have followed suit, the decision to sit (and later kneel after Kaepernick decided it was a more respectful form of protest) is an objection to the racial inequality and police brutality that the American flag represents to many members of the African-American community. This is precisely why 11 Georgetown football players and 17 Georgetown cheerleaders chose to kneel. They have since spoken out about this decision. “We just felt that, with everything going on in the nation, it would only be right to kneel to raise awareness and make a platform for conversation,” safety David Akere (COL ’18) of the football team said. “[This conversation] is reaching out to people and making people think. It’s raising awareness and raising consciousness which is important.” This Editorial Board supports the legitimacy of this manner of protest and recognizes the seriousness of the grievances that these Georgetown student-athletes have chosen to highlight. We are deeply saddened by the continued injustice many Afri-
can-Americans face, as evidenced by the recent police shootings of two black men, Terence Crutcher in Tulsa, Okla. and Keith Lamont Scott in Charlotte, N.C., in addition to countless other unnecessary and tragic shootings. We also strongly believe that the conversation the Georgetown football and cheerleading teams have brought to our campus is a crucial one. It deals not only with racial oppression, but also touches on the intersection of freedom of speech and patriotism. While most acknowledge that freedom of speech grants athletes the right to speak out, there has been elevated media controversy surrounding the decision of many, principally Colin Kaepernick, to not stand and honor the American flag. Critics feel that it is disrespectful and unpatriotic to sit or kneel during the national anthem, which many view as a symbol of the freedoms for which many brave service men and women have given their lives. While this Editorial Board certainly acknowledges and deeply appreciates the sacrifices of our current military service members and veterans, we also view the attempt to raise awareness of racial injustice as another form of patriotism. These professional and student-athletes love their country, and it is out of this love of country that they strive to promote awareness and change. “When we kneel, the first thing we like to think about is showing honor and reverence,” said Akere. “When I kneel before the field, I’m praying. It’s a religious sentiment to me.” The controversy surrounding the manner in which these athletes protest does a disservice to their advocacy. For every minute of airtime and every article devoted to exploring whether these athletes should be protesting in some other way, media outlets are taking away valuable time that can be used to dis-
cuss the true focus of the protest, which is the issue of racial oppression, specifically police shootings of unarmed African-Americans, and how to solve it. Student activism is an essential part of fostering growth and improvement on a college campus, and the Hilltop is no exception. Our campus has benefitted from the awareness that student activism, especially from student athletes, can bring. The GeorgeJake Glass and ELIZABETH PANKOVA town men’s basketball team’s decision in 2014 to wear “I Can’t Breathe” warmup shirts helped to spark an important dialogue about the death of Eric Garner and racial oppression. The decision of 28 Hoyas to kneel during the national anthem has reignited that conversation, and this Editorial Board is hopeful that it will produce meaningful solutions to racial injustice on campus at Georgetown, in the Washington, D.C. area, and in the United States as a whole.
Some of the most essential members of this campus community are some of its least visible. Each morning, long before students and professors begin to walk the halls of Georgetown’s buildings, members of the maintenance and facilities staff work to prepare the campus spaces for their use that day. Without these workers, Georgetown’s day-to-day functioning would cease. In light of the facilities and maintenance workers’ ongoing contract negotiations with the University and several recent incidents of disrespect towards these members of the Georgetown community, this Editorial Board urges the University and its students to engage with the stories of its workers, support their campaign for higher wages, and acknowledge their important contributions to our campus community. For all the important work facilities and maintenance staff does on campus, they are continually some of the most disrespected members of the Georgetown community. Staff members have to deal with long hours, uncooperative and sometimes abusive management, and unreasonable, backbreaking assignments. Most recently this disrespect has come in the form of understaffing in various campus buildings. This places an undue strain on workers. According to current staffers, Georgetown has not hired any additional workers to cover the work in the Healey Family Student Center (HFSC) since the building opened two years ago. In an email to the Voice, University Media Relations Manager Ryan King wrote that the area was covered by maintenance and facilities staff, who were reassigned to other areas during the construction of the HFSC, and returned once the construction had ended. Yet, according to some of the workers
assigned to the HFSC, these assignments are in addition to their work in other areas of campus. It’s unclear whether the space was ever regularly cleaned before construction began; it was a space students generally avoided due to its sorry state. In the same email, King acknowledged that they still have not filled the ten new facilities staff positions needed for Arrupe Hall and the Thompson Athletic Center. In failing to properly fill the need in these spaces, the University continues to place an undue burden on the current staff, and ensures that the important work integral to the operation of our University does not get completed. Perhaps the largest example of the mistreatment of campus workers came during last January’s blizzard. Many facilities and maintenance employees stayed on campus overnight, forced to sleep wherever there was space, all without overtime pay, just so that campus could continue running through the storm. Transgressions like these should not repeated by the University or tolerated by its students. We believe that the University must hire new staff to cover maintenance and facilities for Arrupe Hall, the Thompson Athletic Center, and the Healey Family Student Center. By failing to provide an adequate workforce in these areas, the University does a disservice to both its employees and students. Employees are overworked, and are often asked to maintain large areas on campus. Because of this, not all of the work can get finished, and students, faculty, and other community members use suboptimal campus spaces. Students often complain about the lack of responsiveness to work orders that they place, and the blame
for this can be directly linked to a lack of staff within the maintenance department. We also believe it is the job of students to stand up for workers on this campus, from whom so much is benefited. This . Editorial Board calls on all students to contact administrators to demand that worker justice is achieved on campus. As such, we believe that students should be allowed to be present in negotiations between the University and SEIU Local 1199. Earlier this month, members of the Georgetown Solidarity Committee were denied access to the ongoing negotiations between the University and the workers’ union. It is the position of this Editorial Board that these students should be present in these meetings, as their presence increases the transparency of the process as well as shows a sign of student support for campus workers. In refusing to allow Georgetown students to be present for negotiations, the University is unable to be held accountable for their actions, many of which have prolonged the current contract battle. The policies that this Editorial Board endorses are ones aimed to better the working, living, and studying conditions of all members of the Georgetown community. In making stronger efforts toward respecting campus workers, the University would better fulfill its mission to promote Jesuit ideals, especially those outlined in the Just Employment Policy. Georgetown has the opportunity to become a model employer with their current negotiations with union workers. Doing so will ensure that these rights are protected in the future and that students and faculty can live and work in environments that are as clean and safe as possible.
Stand with GU Facilities and Maintenance Workers
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THE GEORGETOWN VOICE
The Courtesy of Courage
Carrying On: Voice Staffers Speak
Rejecting Fear-based Migration Politics
Adam Semprevivo
We are afraid of many things. We fear the prospect of children dying in Nigeria when the impending famine hits or becoming paralyzed because Boko Haram is blocking efforts to eradicate polio. We fear the impacts of terrorism, both at home and abroad, a topic about which you have certainly heard. Most of us also fear the rising oceans, the hazy skies, or the lost futures of the millennial generation and any generations unfortunate enough to come after us, unless you have decided not to think about that too much. And maybe you are afraid for, or of, the waves of refugees and migrants arriving in Europe and the U.S. But allowing our fear to prevent us from helping them is wrong. When we are asked to help, rather than care from a distance, a different fear takes precedence. An online donation is one thing, but bringing the problem to our backyards is another. Maybe that’s the difference between a charity drive for starving children half a world away and the question of whether or not we want to accept refugees. And today, we are not only balancing our desire to help with our desire for safety and familiarity. Today, there are people actively asking us to prioritize our fear of migrants and refugees, and foreigners generally, over our sense of responsibility. This fear can drive us to do ugly things. I am tired of all the darkness fear is bringing into the mainstream. Isolationist, nationalist rhetoric drove Brexit, fuels Trump, and is highlighting latent racism and bigotry throughout Western countries. The ones who pay the price for this rhetoric are migrants and refugees who come to start over to set up new lives and build new homes. They face unknowns larger and more terrifying than most of us can relate to. I grew up moving often, and I’ve come to appreciate what I call the two-year rule: it takes two years to completely build a life in a new place. This is no universal law, but it has held true
for me. It held true in Frankfurt, Germany, and in Fairfax, Va., right across the Potomac from here. It’s still true now: This is my third year here at Georgetown, and I’m finally feeling at home. But I say this as a German-American who grew up speaking both English and German, who moved between the U.K., Belgium, Germany, and the U.S., attending international schools much of the time, and always near (relatively near) at least one half of my family. I say this with all the privileges of my white skin, never having been profiled as a threat to my new community’s way of life because of my race. I never stood out too much, I never felt my presence was a cause of fear or anger. I could argue there is plenty of culture shock to be had switching between Brussels and Virginia, or London and Houston and back again, but relatively speaking it was all pretty homogeneous. What rule is there for a total reset? A forced move to a new culture and language, knowing that you are unwanted and unwelcome, at least for some? It takes courage I cannot fathom, faith in people I do not have. All of us who argue against presence of refugees in our communities are succumbing to a selfish terror. Here in D.C. and at Georgetown, we have prime seats for the endless drama on the national and world stages, and the pattern is oppressive. Brexit pushed its way to reality on a wave of xenophobia. In Denmark, there is a a similarly anti-EU and anti-immigrant party, the Danish People’s Party, giving voice to those who argue that migrants don’t suit Danish culture. In Germany, the far-right Alternative für Deutschland is gaining absurd amounts of support, and Chancellor Angela Merkel— centrist if one ever lived, and a conservative one at that—is the most prominent proponent of mercy and defendant of migrants who I can hear above the noise. Centrist and leftist groups losing
ground to right-wing populists is a trend that may reflect the future of the EU. And in the U.S., Trump, a presidential candidate for a mainstream party, is normalizing hatred on all fronts. You can see that xenophobia on an even larger scale now, with the majority of state governors across the country refusing the admittance of refugees (without any real power to do so). This is cowardly. These actions are fueled by fear and rationalised by self-interest. The unimaginable leap that migrants and refugees take in the hopes of a better life, for themselves or their family, deserves our respect. We need to rise above our own fears—be they fears of terrorism, fears of lost cultural values, fear of an overtaxed society—and applaud their courage. Treat others as you would wish to be treated—this value is nearly universal, overwhelmingly simple, and can be attributed to many different religions. It becomes especially important in times of crisis. While we may argue this is not a time of crisis simply because we don’t see the crisis here, there is crisis, and refugees need our help, not our hate. A lot of us on this campus aspire to be leaders in foreign policy and international affairs after graduation. I hope we can all remember the political theories we learn here and also keep the following at the forefront of our minds: Those who come to our countries to build new lives have been indescribably brave. We owe them the courtesy of courage and the basic hospitality we owe all humanity.
Caitlyn Cobb is a junior in the College.
VOICES
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SEPTEMBER 30, 2016
Open Access: Is Georgetown PrEPed? Adam Semprevivo
Georgetown Health Services has recently begun offering Truvada, more colloquially known as PrEP, to the student body through the Student Health Center. Truvada is a pre-exposure prophylactic drug for HIV. When taken regularly, Truvada reduces the risk of contracting HIV by 90 percent according to its website. Generally, Truvada is prescribed to those who are currently HIV-negative but are judged to be at high risk of contracting HIV through sex—men who have sex with men, sex workers, and people who are regularly having sex with HIV-positive partners. It’s a relatively safe drug, and clearly very effective. Still, it’s important to note that it is recommended that Truvada is not a substitute for use of condoms and other precautions, and these should still be used. So why don’t more Georgetown students know about this new opportunity to take charge of their health? Well, the Student Health Center actually doesn’t advertise it. For a potentially life-saving drug with so few down-sides, I would have thought that the University would put out an announcement alerting the student body to the fact that they were now offering it. This did
“Simply having a drug is meaningless if the students who need it cannot access it, and true access depends on information.” not happen. In fact, any information about PrEP is nowhere to be found on their website. Why might that be? It may be related to the University’s policy of not prescribing contraception to students, or the reluctance to discuss sex altogether on campus. However, this policy does not alter students’ behavior, just the safety with which they engage in it. Either way, many Georgetown students are having sex. Some Georgetown students are probably also having unprotected sex, and having sex with HIV-positive partners. The University cannot ignore this fact any longer—not when students’ lives are needlessly being put at stake. It’s also important to discuss the role that the stigma surrounding HIV may be playing here. While such sentiments have faded over the years, HIV is still a highly stigmatized disease. Not only does it result from activities we wouldn’t necessarily like to discuss at the dinner table, but HIV also affects largely the “undesirables” of society: gay men, sex workers, and intravenous drug users. In the years since HIV has been present, society has seemed to
agree that we don’t necessarily want these people in our midst, and this has contributed to a silence around the disease. Perhaps it is this stigma that lead to the Student Health Center’s reluctance to advertise Truvada— they may be reluctant to be associated with a disease that’s been vilified for so long. This shame surrounding HIV is a common problem, and many movements like HIV Equal and Mr Friendly are striving to eradicate it. Still, the fact remains that the most effective way of erasing silence is to create dialogue. The Student Health Center could do this easily, simply by sending an email or posting a flyer advertising their new services for the academic year, including Truvada. CAPS did this for new student groups they were offering this fall, so there is no reason the health center cannot do the same. Whatever the cause, it is clear that the University needs to be more clear about the services they offer. Simply having a drug is meaningless if the students who need it cannot access it, and true access depends on information. HIV prevention is crucial, not only for the Georgetown student body, but for public health at large. Be that as it may, it is important not to understate the importance of simply offering Truvada. If it is offered, students who are aware of the drug and feel that it is a good choice for them are likely to request it, and thus will decrease their chances of contracting HIV. It is likely that the conversation and information will spread throughout the LGBTQ+ community at Georgetown and have a ripple effect. However, the general awareness of Truvada is lacking, even among the LGBTQ+ community, and many who need it may not be aware of its existence, let alone that Georgetown Health Services offers it, putting them at unnecessary risk of infection with a deadly pathogen. Leaving access to such a vital drug up to word of mouth is irresponsible, and the University should be doing more to advertise for this medicine. It shouldn’t just end with Truvada, though. The University needs to take a stand against HIV. While most universities in the U.S. provide free STI testing, it has been more than a year since free HIV screening was offered on campus, and many students understandably feel reluctant to use their parents’ insurance to get tested. This leads to students being unsure of their status—unwilling to subject themselves to questions from their families, but also unable to access resources in any other way. It is crucial that the University make these resources available to students, and that students are aware of how to access them to make the best use possible of their time at Georgetown and go on to live happy, healthy, and successful lives.
Rebecca Zaritsky is a freshman in the College.
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THE GEORGETOWN VOICE
VOICES
Illusions of Inclusivity
Looking Beyond Snapshots of Diversity Over the summer, a picture on Speaker of the House Paul Ryan’s Instagram went viral for its lack of racial diversity. The photo was of a group of interns, all of whom appeared to be white. Sensing an opportunity to yet again brand Republicans as “racist,” Democrats responded by organizing a giant group selfie of all the Democratic congressional interns to highlight their diversity. These photos and the discussion surrounding them symbolize how simplified the concept of diversity has become in American politics. A casual consumer of news wouldn’t know that the group of interns in Paul Ryan’s photo was not, in fact, his personal office interns, but the audience of a lecture open to all Congressional interns. They wouldn’t know that the number of interns who signed up for the event was so large that the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration and the Committee on House Administration— the two groups that run the intern lecture series—had to do a random drawing to decide the attendees. Thus, it is not that Paul Ryan only has white interns, but that the sample of congressional interns who were interested in what Speaker Ryan had to say only contained white-looking individuals. While this fact has its own implications, particularly for the Republican party, it distracts us from the broader problem: the word “diversity” has become a tool instead of a goal. What the politicians failed to grasp in the Great Selfie War of 2016 is that skin color does not wholly constitute diversity. It is only easily accessible because you don’t need to get to know a person in order to identify his or her race. The Democrats forgot to acknowledge the possible ethnic, religious, socio-economic, sexually-oriented, and—perhaps the most polarizing of all—ideological diversities when criticizing Paul Ryan’s photograph. But beyond recognizing diversities that a camera cannot capture, Democrats forgot that their own interns are not particularly diverse beyond appearances. After all, only a certain demographic of students can afford to complete an unpaid three-month internship, while having to find housing, buy meals, and pay for transportation. Unfortunately, that demographic excludes students from the poorest and most underrepresented families. The most concerning thing to me was the way in which Democrats responded. For anyone who claims congressmen do nothing but bicker and campaign, this would be a prime example. Democrats had a golden opportunity to open a dialogue with Republicans and work towards making the federal government a more inclusive employer. Not only might it have resulted in better opportunities for disadvantaged internship seekers, the Democrats would have had the political advantage. No one could accuse them of being petty or fault them for not trying. For the sole purpose of having the last word, Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson posted a picture of progress presented as ideal, congratulated the Democratic party, and closed the discussion. This is a greater trend that’s become more and more pronounced throughout the election cycle. In the first Democratic debate, when asked how her administration and policies would be different from President Obama’s, Hillary Clinton answered: “Well, I think that’s pretty obvious. I think being the first woman president would be quite a change from the presidents we’ve had up until this point, including President Obama” as if simply being a woman is enough. There were plenty of women who fought against the 19th Amendment, and there are many women today who deny the ability of a woman, any woman, to be president. While Clinton’s proposed policies do attempt to improve women’s economic opportunities, healthcare, and safety, the rhetoric is still dangerous. The Democrats seem to think that simply by virtue of not being conservative, they can claim to promote diversity. They champion diversity these days to wield it as a sword against Republicans, rather than see it as a goal in and of itself. Just as each individual holds many different identities, those identities do not define a person’s actions or thoughts. Democrats claim to be crusaders for greater diversity, but to what degree do they actually work toward these claims? In my experience this summer, Democrats appeared to use diversity for rhetorical purposes whenever it was politically
Paul Ryan takes a selfie with congressional interns
instagram..com
advantageous, and forget about it after the moment was over. I interned in the office of a Democratic senator and I was in the second picture. I was in that picture despite my reservations because, as a minority, I felt somewhat obliged to be in it. A friend and fellow intern decided not to attend because he had other obligations and as a white male, didn’t feel that he had much to contribute. The concept of diversity is predicated on equality, and yet the very act of taking a “diverse picture” sets different expectations for different people. Diversity in politics, if discussed at all beyond a self-righteous, political jab, is a very over-simplified and exploitative term. Diversity is an acknowledgement that humankind loves to divide itself and a commitment to equalize those divisions. Society thrives when people participate and understand each other. We all have different backgrounds and perspectives, and a representation of these perspectives allows for the best policies in a democratic society. The next time Republicans act in a discriminatory way, as they are sure to do with Donald Trump as the nominee, Democrats should invite them to work together instead of closing the debate with an act of false superiority.
Kaei Li is a sophomore in the SFS.
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SEPTEMBER 30, 2016
2016 ANC Election: Meet the Candidates By Jake Maher On Nov. 8, residents of the Georgetown neighborhood will turn out to vote on the members of Advisory Neighborhood Council (ANC) 2E. ANCs are neighborhood committees which advise D.C. government agencies on policies that will affect residents. Because the University is within ANC2E, the commission also has a role in making decisions that impact students. ANC2E encompasses the Georgetown, Hillandale, and Burleith neighborhoods, as well as the University itself. According to Reed Howard (SFS ’17), the current commissioner of Single Member District (SMD) 08, the ANC influences policies affecting trash disposal for offcampus students, noise violation punishments, and the Student Neighborhood Assistance Program (SNAP), among others. Relations between the ANC and the University have been uneasy in the past. Tensions flared in 2010, when disputes between the University and the ANC over Georgetown’s 2010 Campus Plan were settled in court. This conflict led to a number of unpopular compromises for the University, including a three year minimum on campus residence for undergraduates, and stricter enforcement of noise violations. In response to the events surrounding the 2010 Campus Plan, there was an increased interest on campus in student representation on the ANC, and the Georgetown Community Partnership was created. As a result, the 2017-2038 Campus Plan was a much more collaborative effort, and the ANC2E approved it unanimously. According to Howard, a major goal of the ANC going forward will be to enforce this plan. “The ANC commissioners representing Georgetown University will have a particularly important role to play when it comes to the implementation of the campus plan. Much of their work will be about shaping how the plan is lived out,” he wrote in an email to the Voice. ANC2E is divided into eight SMDs, each of which is represented by one commissioner. As the election comes closer, the Voice has prepared a guide to the representatives from SMDs that include the University and the nearby area.
1 4 8
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2 3
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5 The Eight Single Member Districts (SMDs) of the Georgetown neighborhood.
OpenStreetMap Contributors & Jake Glass
SMD 01
Ed Solomon Ed Solomon is running unopposed for reelection to be commissioner of SMD 01. With a number of veteran ANC commissioners stepping down or facing a contested election this year, Solomon, who has served on the ANC since 2005, will be one of the most experienced commissioners in the next term. Solomon has an established record of service to the community, with a focus on safety. “One of my goals is that our community stays safe, not just for residents, but for University students too,” he said.
Solomon is the chair of ANC Safety Committee, and is the liaison between the ANC and the Metropolitan Police. He was also involved in the development of DC Alerts, a pilot program which went on to become the basis of AlertDC, the city’s mass emergency communication program, as well as the basis of Georgetown University’s HOYAlert. Solomon is also in regular contact with the University through his position as chair of the Safety and Student Life Committee of the Georgetown Community Partnership, and considers his relation to the University to be positive. “I’ve had
excellent relations with all the student presidents running back the last three or four, and [done] lots of work committed to putting into place the programs that students are requesting,” he said. Regarding the most recent campus plan, Solomon, who voted in favor of approving the plan, is optimistic that it will continue to be implemented through the next term. “I don’t think there will be any speed bumps, as far as the collegial relation we have between the community and the University,” Solomon said.
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THE GEORGETOWN VOICE
SMD 03
Rick Murphy Rick Murphy is one of two candidates running for the contested position of commissioner of SMD 03. Having lived in the Georgetown neighborhood for 13 years, he believes that his personal attachment to the area is his greatest strength as a candidate. “I’m well connected to the neighborhood, I’ve been here for a long time, and I’ve practiced law for many years, which may come in handy,” said Murphy. “I know what it’s like to be a resident.” Murphy is a part of the Environmental and Landlord Initiative, a working group within the Georgetown Community Partnership that monitors garbage removal in the area surrounding the campus and the safety of off-campus Sutherland Asbill & Brennan housing by cooperating with the D.C. Department of Regulatory and Consumer Affairs and local landlords. He has also provided legal help to Ed Solomon, the chairman of the Fair Skies Initiative. The initiative leads an effort to minimize noise due to air traffic in the neighborhood and the University by changing the northbound departure flight path from Ronald Reagan National Airport. In Murphy’s opinion, his main priority as ANC commissioner would be to continue to collaborate closely with the University and maintain the positive relationship that allowed the current campus plan to be approved. “The work that led to the current campus plan…was very successful, very collegial,” he said. “People had different points of view but they worked them out, and we need to continue that, because I think the relationship between the University and the neighborhood is the best it’s been since I’ve been here.”
SMD 03
Greg Miller Greg Miller (SFS ‘14) is Murphy’s challenger for the position of commissioner of SMD 03. Miller, who joined the Transportation and Parking working group of the GCP as an undergraduate and is still a member, now works for Georgetown University as the Sustainability Coordinator in the Office of Sustainability. Miller has had significant experience as a resident of the community, first as a student at Georgetown University and currently as a resident of the Georgetown neighborhood. “I believe that I am a unique candidate for this office because I have experienced our community from many different perspectives,” he wrote in electgregmiller.com an email to the Voice. Miller’s campaign is centered around ideas for reform in a number of specific areas of policy. Ensuring safety and convenience in terms of local transportation, maintaining a healthy environment within the neighborhood, and preserving Georgetown’s public spaces are among Miller’s priorities. Miller also hopes to maintain and further develop the current positive relationship between the University and the ANC and to continue to take student perspectives into account. “I hope that our ANC will continue to work with all of our constituents, including students, to improve our community experience for all,” he wrote.
SMD 04
Mara Goldman Mara Goldman (SFS ’19), the incumbent commissioner of SMD 04, is running unopposed for reelection this November. Goldman began to serve in June 2016 after the departure of Kendyl Clausen (SFS ’16), and as a result has not served a complete term. However, Goldman was on the ANC in August when the 2017-2038 Georgetown Campus Plan was proposed, and voted to approve the plan. She feels that the campus plan is the result of improving community relations. “[It] was the product of years of work and cooperation between the University Administration and the Community and linkedin.com reflected a new era of collaboration and communications between the two parties,” she wrote in an email to the Voice. In her next term, Goldman hopes to build off of the positive relationship between the ANC and the University that has come about in the wake of the plan’s approval. “In this upcoming term, I hope to work with a new commission in maintain collegial relations between the students, the university, and the neighborhood,” she wrote. Goldman feels that her position as both ANC commissioner and student at the University gives her the opportunity to advance student interests in community. “Student presence on the commission gives us a voice in all this community development. As a commissioner, I have access to meetings with University Administration as well as community leaders,” Goldman wrote. “I consider myself a link between the community, the student body, and the university administration.”
SMD 08
Zachary Schroepfer Zachary Schroepfer (MSB ’19), another student candidate, is running unopposed for the commissioner of SMD 08. Schroepfer has had experience in developing relations between the University, the community, and local government, having been a part of the Master Planning and Community Engagement working groups of the GCP, as well as the D.C. and Federal Relations committee of GUSA. Improving housing for students through his involvement in the ANC is a main priority for Schroepfer. “The administration and the neighbors have agreed that we need to renovate housing, because it’s abysmal in a lot of places,” said Courtesy zachary schroepfer Schroepfer. “By the end of this semester we’re going to have a timeline of when which buildings need to be renovated according to this professional consulting group which has provided this information for us,” he added. Schroepfer also expressed his interest in improving relations between the University and the surrounding neighborhood through his position as ANC Commissioner. “We’re meeting with neighbors because no longer do we want this idea that it’s students versus neighbors, and we’re competing for who has more power in the neighborhood,” he said. “Why don’t we say, ‘What’s best for both of us?” Schroepfer also worked as part of the GCP on creating the 2017-2038 campus plan. “I collaborated in assisting the finalizing of the campus plan,” he said. According to Schroepfer, as the only students on the ANC, he and Goldman will have a unique responsibility to advocate for students through their positions as commissioners. “We’re the only student representatives who are in the D.C. government,” said Schroepfer.”If we see student’s rights being violated within the district, we’re the liaison to say that this isn’t right.”
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SEPTEMBER 30, 2016
Isabel Lord
Isabel Lord
Ace Cosgrove is making noise: “You know it!?” asked Ace Cosgrove, half-surprised. After a quick nod, he passed his mic over to the fan and stepped back, letting him finish out several lines of his verses. This is the musical attitude of the Maryland-born rapper, showcased in his performance at Landmark Music Festival in September 2015. Sporting a Suffolk University baseball jersey, Ace spent most of the show off the stage, rapping from within the crowd and jumping around with the audience. While New York has Governor’s Ball and Chicago Lollapalooza, this was the first major, recurring music festival that the District could call its own. Landmark’s goal was to raise funds to preserve the national monuments while showcasing local businesses and some new faces in the often unnoticed D.C. music scene. For the 25-yearold Ace Cosgrove, it was an opportunity to dramatically advance his career. Ace is young, yet confident in his public statements. In a crowd, he’s easy to spot; his unofficial trademark is the mess of dreads heaped on his head. Sitting at the Whole Foods near Washington Circle, he recalls the day five years ago he decided to never get his hair cut again. “I was broke; I lived at Poolesville so there’s nowhere to get your haircut at. Anyway, I was like ‘Yo I’m not trying to keep going out of town and pay $20 for a haircut; I’m not cutting my hair until I get a gig,” said Ace. “And we had some little open mic gig at like the bar in Gaithersburg I was like, ‘Yo this is horrible; I’m not cutting my hair.’ I just never cut my hair.” Although participating in the D.C. music circuit, including the annual All Things Go Fall Classic festival next month, Ace is a proud Maryland native, and wants his listeners to know where he comes from. Born Adrian Aaron Eskridge Jr., Ace was raised in Gaithersburg. Despite his current pursuits, Ace never really thought much of rap as a career. “Nah, I mean I used to rap
with my homies on the phone. Like you know we used to do little freestyle bullsh*t, but nah I didn’t take myself serious,” he told the Voice in between bites of a beef quesadilla. Growing up in Montgomery County was not necessarily a dangerous, hardship-filled life, but it certainly had its difficulties. With his father incarcerated until he was in his early teens, Cosgrove was raised by his mother along with his younger sister. “I grew up in like not a bad neighborhood, but I grew up in a pretty f*cked-up, random sh*t would just happen it was just,” said Ace. “It wasn’t like strictly section eight, but it was not the best neighborhood to live in.” Through high school, Ace found a job managing a friend, Gino Cosgrove, trying to connect him with producers and set up gigs to launch his rap career. Gino passed away in 2011, and in the wake of the loss of his friend and work, Ace found himself living in a friend’s recording studio. It was there he began to listen. “I would just see bomb-ass people come through and I would say, ‘Yo I could probably be better than them,’ and I just picked it up and, yeah,” Ace said. To honor his friend, he adopted Gino’s last name Cosgrove as his own. Although outwardly confident, Ace speaks with humility about his creations. He writes Facebook posts promising his fans that better music is coming soon, and he acknowledges that his music has evolved and could always improve. Ace released two mixtapes in 2014, Simple Criticism and Us vs. Robots, among a flurry of singles. With each step forward, he sees himself improving. “I mean just start writing and I’m like, ‘I could probably do better, I could do better, I could do better, I could do better.’ Now it’s better than what the f*ck people in here are coming with,” he said. Cosgrove’s rap has a peculiar, whimsical quality. It is youthful, emphasized in live performance by his lanky build
and the sparse mustache on his upper lip as he speaks rapidly with enthusiasm and a willingness to laugh. In performance, his voice takes on strange manipulations, hitting high pitches, or breaking rhyming cadence altogether for the sake of getting his words across. In his most recent single “Platinum Golddigger,” he raps, “Drunk driving, is not cool / It claimed the life of my homie Dale from middle school / Learning curve / What don’t kill you, make you stronger like Crossfit.” Self-described as “Real-Life Rap,” Ace is more concerned with his consistent message than with musical complexities. “I don’t be trying to hit people with like crazy ass bars I be trying to just tell people how it is, you know what I’m saying? I try to make it like detailed, more than complex,” said Ace. “I don’t have time to just write dumb sh*t and spit; I don’t have time for that sh*t, man.” Ace enjoys the work of Chance the Rapper, Kanye West, and Kendrick Lamar, particularly in this period of socially conscious, social justice-oriented rap. To him, these are the important rappers, the rappers speaking to what is going on in American society, but they are not the ones we hear on the radio. He’s looking for substance and recalls Lil Wayne as someone he connected with while listening to the radio as a kid. He thinks for a moment, then starts singing the hook to “Georgia Bush.” “That’s not even the music I have a problem with. I have a problem with, ‘Bitches, hoes, let’s go to a party,’ I have a problem with that sh*t. It’s cool for one song, but no one wants to hear that sh*t,” said Ace, laughing. “I wonder what their IQ level is. No substance, there’s no substance, man. That sh*t was here today and gone tomorrow. It’s bullsh*t, man.” Ace believes there is an inherent responsibility in being a musician, given the unique position in the public eye. More
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THE GEORGETOWN VOICE
Isabel Lord
Daniel varghese
Rap, Social Justice, and Getting the Hell out of the basement than news, more than political speeches, music can send a message to those who might not otherwise hear it. Ace sees the radio filled with repetitive wastes of opportunities for change, harming the social awareness, and even the intelligence, of the public. “If you’re talking social justice sh*t like that a white person who doesn’t experience that sh*t first-hand, they hear it in the music,” Ace said. Ace has honed his craft since he started rapping back in 2011, and his message is strongest in some of his latest work, including his September 2015-released album, Baby Need Food. Songs like “Black / Flawless” and “Freddies Dead,” the latter of which refers to the Baltimore native Freddie Gray, who died while in police custody in April 2015, show that his rap is a message of change more than a concern for what type of music could bring him to mainstream fame. “I mean I’m black in society man; I’m trying to f*cking survive being black in society,” said Ace. “And then you see us not surviving whether it’s from police brutality or us killing our f*cking selves, really you know? I’m just trying to survive, make it in America. It’s hard for black males, man.” Morose stories of dead friends, loneliness, romantic trouble, and social injustice fill his songs. His album title for Baby Need Food is about providing for a child, a struggle every parent knows, particularly as half of Americans currently live paycheck to paycheck. With these issues in mind, Ace is concerned with the utopian idealization of life in mainstream rap, with its images of perpetual wealth, sex, and partying. Making art out of reality is his path. “I think that’s all that comes out of my rap is that I’ve been in f*cked-up situations. That’s all I talk about is f*cked-up sh*t, man,” he said. The words mean more than anything, and sacrifices of conventional rap standards are a fair tradeoff.
You’d never peg Ace as a dark, introspective person. His tone never shifts to despair on these records, and sometimes after he spoke, he stopped to smile from ear to ear. After he finished eating we moved our conversation outside for a smoke break. We were soon interrupted by a fan. Ace greeted him with a full smile and gave him a cigarette before we continued.
“I’m just trying to survive, make it in America. It’s hard for black males, man.” He continued about his lyrics, “If you were to put that sh*t on rap genius it’d be some sad, like damn these guys are like, emo… and saying some pretty f*cked-up shit and maybe just in a happy way, turn a negative to a positive.” There’s an unmistakable influence of funk-style bass, reggae, and even ’80s-esque new wave synth to keep his songs true to his inherently fun-loving, crowd-diving self.
wAce still plays with the same band that he came up with in his rap career, and his songs are written to be performed with the rich sound of saxophones, guitars, keyboard, drums, and bass. In pursuit of his rap, Ace still resides in Gaithersburg, currently living in the basement of his friend and fellow rapper Uno Hype’s mother, Ms. Clare. Hype and Ace are both members of Hostile Youth, an artist “collective” of rappers all hailing from Gaithersburg, hoping to succeed as musicians and foster an artistic community in their hometown. Ace and his band, in between practices for the All Things Go Fall Classic, are working on a new project called Ms. Clare’s Basement. Although he is vague on the details, he described it as, “It’s gonna be very like jazzy, but you can like dance to it. We’re trying to include some sh*t that people can dance to but still be predominantly jazz and funk.” Ace knows that this is the time to keep working and stay loyal to what he believes in. “I just want people to be inspired, to know that someone is with them there in their f*cking struggles; that’s all I want. That’s all the f*ck I want. I don’t have time to do this bullsh*t; I don’t have time to bullsh*t with people, man. I’m trying to inspire people, man,” said Ace. “If I can do it, you can do the same f*cking thing, if not better than me; you know what I’m saying.” Rap is not easy, but Ace is a small testament to persistence and the generosity of his genre. Rap can be whatever you desire with a creativity and tenacity. Although the rap scene in D.C. is small, there very well could be a new voice emerging as Ace’s portfolio grows. Until then, he’s rapping, living in a basement, and down to book house parties.
By Michael Bergin
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SEPTEMBER 30, 2016
Slave Descendants Respond to University Proposal I
n the three weeks since Georgetown University President John DeGioia released the proposals of Georgetown’s Working Group on Slavery, Memory, and Reconciliation, activists and descendants of the men and women who were sold 178 years ago by Jesuits have had the chance to reflect on Georgetown’s response to its troubled past. Their verdict? This is only the beginning. Sandra Green Thomas, who lives in and works for the city of New Orleans and is a lead organizer in the descendant community, welcomed the proposals as the first step in the University’s efforts to bring descendants back into the Georgetown community. “I think it has the potential to be successful,” said Thomas. “I can’t judge for everyone and anyone whether it is sufficient, but I think it has the potential to be successful.” The working group was convened just over a year ago by President DeGioia to address Georgetown’s historical ties to slavery, including the potential renaming of “Mulledy” and “McSherry” Halls — named for Georgetown Jesuits who oversaw the 1838 sale of 272 slaves to Louisiana plantations in order to pay off some of the school’s debts. In November 2015, after the group’s first two months, slow-moving deliberations and lack of transparency sparked student sit-ins and protests. On Sept. 1, 2016, the report of the working group included an official apology from the University for its role in slavery, an offer of legacy status for descendants applying to Georgetown, the renaming of the two halls, and the establishment of an institute for the study of slavery as well as a living memorial in remembrance of the University’s enslaved people on campus, sometimes referred to as the “GU272.” According to Stacy Kerr, assistant vice president of communications at Georgetown, these past weeks since the announcement have seen the University begin to engage with the descendants and the Georgetown community as to how best implement the proposals in the working group’s report, as well as discuss their feedback. Richard Cellini (COL ’84, LAW ’88), described his reaction to the proposals as optimism tinged with disappointment. Cellini, the founder of the Georgetown Memory Project (GMP) which has traced over 2,500 descendants of 209 out of the 272 slaves since its beginning just one year ago, cited the lack of involvement of the descendants in the working group as one of the main shortcomings of the process. Despite the GMP’s report to the University back in December 2015 that descendants of the GU272 had been found, the working group did not include them in its deliberations, nor were the descendants given advance notice of the report’s contents this September.
By Margaret Gach While Thomas would have preferred to see descendants incorporated into the working group’s process, she explained that it is up to Georgetown as an institution to decide how it would approach its history. “I think Georgetown University is determining in and of itself what Georgetown wants to do,” she said. “Ultimately, they handled it in the manner that they saw fit.” One of the most prominent proposals to come from the working group was the preferred admission status—similar to the legacy status given to applicants whose family members are alumni—that will be given to descendants who apply to the school. Cellini notes that this is a fine gesture, but does not reach the heart of the problems some descendants face today: unequal educational and economic opportunities before they even get to Georgetown. “Georgetown is offering dessert to some people who haven’t had any supper,” said Cellini. “Legacy admission is sort of the cherry on top of a long, successful educational career for somebody who will require much more substantial assistance in achieving admission to Georgetown. The right place to start is not legacy admission status; it’s prenatal health care.” While the University’s appeal to descendants to apply to Georgetown is clear, some people also find it limiting. Karran Harper Royal, an activist for improved public education in New Orleans and one of the lead organizers within the descendant group, concurs with Cellini’s call to expand the preferred admission status to a broader range of assistance. She emphasized the importance of providing greater educational opportunities to those who have inherited a playing field unleveled 178 years ago. “If wealth can be carried forward, certainly the generational trauma and strife can be carried forward,” said Harper Royal. “Education is the great equalizer, and there’s no price you could put on our ancestors for what they lost and what has been lost generation to generation.” Harper Royal said that Georgetown was on the right track, but the nature of legacy admissions did not fully address descendants’ needs. She mentioned that Georgetown will not be the right educational fit for her own son, but says she would still like to see the University aid her son in achieving his ambitions as needed. “We just need to create a process to make sure whatever the educational aspirations are for the descendants, that they can be met,” said Harper Royal. “But legacy is good; we’ll take that and then some.” Descendants have begun that process through the creation of a charitable foundation in which they hope Georgetown
and the Jesuits will partner. The ultimate goal is to endow the foundation with at least one billion dollars. Thomas explained that the foundation is not to collect reparations for her ancestors’ labor, but rather to uplift and educate the community as a whole, both inside and outside Georgetown, about the history of slavery and the effect it has left on the nation. She has openly invited Georgetown to take their relationship further, but said it is up to the University to accept it. Cellini also urged Georgetown and the Maryland Jesuits to accept that invitation and provide the bedrock for the foundation with descendants in the lead. From there, other organizations–Jesuit high schools and colleges, financial institutions, and those who have benefited from the history of slavery–will be welcomed to aid the foundation further. “It’s a way to turn a very, very bad chapter into a very, very good chapter,” said Cellini. “They are asking for charitable investments in a shared future. It’s a little surprising that it’s the descendants and not the Jesuits who are advancing this proposal.” While Thomas, Cellini, and Harper Royal are still looking for ways to expand upon what Georgetown has already offered, they also emphasize the value of the University’s taking these steps in the first place. In the months since the formation of the working group, Georgetown has been in the national spotlight and at the forefront of trying to answer the question of how institutions that benefited from slavery can face their past and move forward in the present. Harper Royal hopes other institutions follow in Georgetown’s lead and begin examining how their pasts and presents have been influenced by the legacy of slavery. Thomas views Georgetown’s proposals as an opportunity to engage the nation in healing its ever-present racial tension. Cellini wants the Georgetown community, especially its students, to continue to engage in reflection and discussion. All look forward to a new stage in the partnership between Georgetown and the descendants of the men and women who built it from the ground up. “We [at Georgetown] are all literally beneficiaries of the involuntary sacrifice of the GU272: we are not disinterested bystanders,” said Cellini. “I would encourage Georgetown undergraduates to look beyond themselves and try to imagine what it’s like to be 19 or 20 and be one of the descendants’ children and imagine what they would want for themselves. That’s what’s at stake here: our ability to lift our eyes off the Hilltop and look beyond the Potomac.”
THE GEORGETOWN VOICE
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SEPTEMBER 30, 2016
LEISURE
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IMDB
By Carlos Miranda
Miss Peregrine’s Is Dark but Unspectacular
O
n a tiny grey island in Wales, there is a colorful home for children. These children are peculiar; they have unique qualities that make it hard for them to live in the ordinary world. From the girl who floats on air to the boy who can reanimate corpses, Miss Peregrine keeps them all hidden away in her magical sanctuary. Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children employs director Tim Burton’s characteristically dark approach to fantasy to immerse audiences in an adventure, but this narrative ultimately does not prove compelling due to the film’s flat characters. Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, based on the book of the same name, focuses on Jake, a boy who lives a boring life in an ordinary Florida suburb. Following the mysterious death of his grandfather, he decides to travel to Wales to find Miss Peregrine herself and learn more about his grandfather’s unusual life. There Jake finds the children from his grandfather’s stories and discovers a peculiarity of his own—as young-adult fantasy novel protagonists are wont to do. With his ability to see the invisible monsters that are hunting his friends, Jake must navigate this strange new world to save Miss Peregrine and peculiar children all over the world. Eva Green’s performance as Miss Peregrine is remarkable, conveying her character’s otherworldly shrewdness and grace. Green is as essential to the movie as Miss Peregrine is to the plot. Miss Peregrine is an “ymbryne,” a powerful kind of “peculiar” charged with caring for children because of their ability to create a time loop—a repeating instance of a particular day. Burton described her to Entertainment Weekly as a scary Mary Poppins, but she does not come off as scary so much as motherly. She is fearsome, to be sure, but only in the way a protective mother can be. Green is wholly convincing, and when the
villain forcibly takes her from her children, it’s Miss Peregrine’s sadness that compels the audience to sympathize with them. What makes this movie entertaining is how it immerses the viewer in the world of “peculiars” through its visuals and
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Burton uses color to establish the magical nature of Miss Peregrine’s: the verdant grounds around the house contrast shockingly with the overcast dullness of the surrounding Welsh island, and the inside of the home is richly decorated with ‘40s decor.
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sound. Burton uses color to establish the magical nature of Miss Peregrine’s: the verdant grounds around the house contrast shockingly with the overcast dullness of the surrounding Welsh island, and the inside of the home is richly decorated with
’40s decor. The selective use of color creates an atmosphere of fantasy reminiscent of Burton’s take on Alice in Wonderland. The resplendent sets around Miss Peregrine’s home also lend themselves to contrast with the villains, who cast an ominous darkness over their own scenes. The score also complements the story well, with music by Michael Higham (Inception) and Matthew Margeson (Captain America: The Winter Soldier) swelling at key moments to move viewers to elation or trepidation. Despite the pleasant feeling of adventure, the story in Miss Peregrine’s is uncomplicated and easily resolved, and the characters are not very well developed. Perhaps due to its being based on a novel, the film sacrifices depth for breadth. The villains are not introduced until late in the movie, and they are only cartoonishly evil. Mr. Barron, played by Samuel L. Jackson, is on a generic mission to kill the peculiar children in his pursuit of immortality, and his assorted henchmen border on buffoonish. Even the main characters—Emma, and especially Jake—are stilted and flat. Jake saves the children regardless of his complete lack of skills, and develops a romance with Emma for no apparent reason other than the movie being of the young-adult genre. When two of the other children also declare their love, it feels as if the writers are merely trying to check all the novel’s boxes. Despite this, the film’s charm will likely overpower a viewer’s disbelief, so audiences shouldn’t be too bothered by the slightly shallow story. Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children is a pleasant and enjoyable movie where the kids beat the bad guys and save the day. Burton creates a fun adventure for audiences, who get swept up in the magic of the lovable peculiar children. But as with so much magic in our world, if you focus hard enough, you can’t help but see the strings.
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THE GEORGETOWN VOICE
Steven Young Lee, “Vase with Scroll Pattern,” 2014, porcelain, copper pigment, glaze. Collection of Faith and Corey Berger, St. Louis, Missouri. Image courtesy Duane Reed Gallery.
By Ryan Mazalatis
A
rt is a constant struggle to balance culture and a sense of personal identity. Often artists must walk a fine line, expressing their own outlook on society while still creating a piece that is relatable to a diverse audience. Visions and Revisions, open through Jan. 2017 at the Renwick Gallery, tackles this idea of identity in art. In doing so, the exhibit examines the challenge of using traditional art forms to express modern ideas: humanity’s encroachment over the natural world, the clash of different cultures in an increasingly diverse America, the movement of peoples and demographic change in the identity of a city, and the sense of nostalgia that pervades American culture. The exhibit features four distinct artists: Jennifer Trask, Steven Young Lee, Norwood Viviano, and Kristin Morgin. Each hails from a different part of the United States, and each uses their unique backgrounds to express the essence of living in contemporary America. The first artist on which the exhibit focuses is Trask. Trask, who resides near Lake Tahoe, found inspiration for the piece in her college biology classes. The natural world is the focus of both her work and the materials she uses to create it. Peacock feathers, snake vertebrae, giraffe femurs, beetles, and other objects from nature are used in a way that blends in with, rather than defines, her art. With her use of both natural and synthetic objects to make various decorative pieces, Trask forces the viewer to question mankind’s obsession with maintaining control over the forces of nature. Her pieces, simultaneously beautiful and grotesque, express the absurdity of the distinctions that humanity makes between the civilized and the wild and find stunning complexities in the structures of living things.
LEISURE
Culture Visions and and Revisions Identity at the in the Modern Renwick Era: Gallery As the viewer moves out of the room dedicated to Trask, they encounter the work of Steven Young Lee. Lee, who was born in Chicago, currently resides in Helena, Montana. During his career he has traveled throughout Asia, and he was inspired by the traditional ceramics he observed around him while abroad. This appreciation of tradition is apparent in his work, but he gives it a modern, American twist. Lee places various American images (buffalo, eagles, and the national colors) throughout his pieces. In addition to this, he “deconstructs” his works, allowing holes and cracks to form in his vases and incorporating these imperfections into their aesthetic. This “deconstruction” allows Lee to depart from cultural tradition and capture his individuality in each piece. This clash between Asian tradition, American imagery, and at times humorous imperfections allows Lee to express his identity as an Asian-American. “Cup Panels,” for example, is a series of miniature vases, each embodying Asian tradition, but together forming the colors of the American flag. In a society that is constantly growing more diverse, Lee allows an American audience to visualize how cultural traditions help to shape the country they live in. In his search to express his identity, Lee helps to give a modern, diverse America its own. After the immersive works of Lee, the viewer sees a dazzling array of glass pendulums of different lengths hanging from the ceiling. Below is a world map, with different cities labeled and pinpointed by the shadows of the pendulums. This is the work of Norwood Viviano, who uses his art to capture movements in human geography over time. Each pendulum represents a city, its length corresponding to the city’s
Kristen Morgin, “Sweet and Low Down,” 2005, unfired clay, wood, wire, cement and glue. Collection of Kristen L. Morgin. Image courtesy of the artist and Marc Selwyn Fine Art, Beverly Hills. age and its width corresponding to the size of the city’s population through the years. Some cities, such as Beijing, hang low to the floor and blossom towards the top, a stunning representation of the ancient city’s rapid population growth. Younger cities, such as Sydney and New York, form shorter yet equally beautiful pendulums. In his fusion of art and geography, the Detroit-raised Viviano calls attention to the forces that both shape the modern metropolis and destroy its cultural identity. His pieces give visual meaning to geographic and demographic statistics, allowing the viewer to clearly see the reaction and growth that changing populations cause in both cities and entire nations. In a fourth and final room are the works of the last guest artist, Kristin Morgin. Born in Brunswick, Ga. and currently residing in Gardena, Calif., Morgin uses unfired clay to create realistic depictions of what first appear to be weathered antiques.
Morgin fabricates a false sense of nostalgia and story throughout her pieces. This lets a viewer gauge how their perception of the past affects them, and also points to how society’s idealization of the past prevents us from fully appreciating the present. One of Morgin’s most prominent pieces, “Sweet and Low Down,” is a life-size sculpture of a worn down 1951 Mercury, a classic piece of Americana. The artist’s utilization of her audience’s sentimentality allows her to fully reveal how the stories of the past shape our modern life. Visions and Revisions is an exploration of the forces that shape modernity, whether it be humanity’s struggles with nature, the increasing cultural diversity of modern American society, the movement and growth of populations, or society’s perception of the past. With this exhibit, the Renwick Gallery has found a way to connect art to the complexity of the present.