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VOICE the georgetown

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WHY JOHN THOMPSON III DESERVES AN EXTENSION

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MEET THE 2012 HOYAS PAGE 8-9

SUGAR LEADS THE WAY FOR GEORGETOWN PAGE 16

Georgetown University’s Weekly Newsmagazine Since 1969 w November 8, 2012 w Volume 47, Issue 13 w georgetownvoice.com

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november 8, 2012

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Voice Crossword “Presidential Quibbles” by Tyler Pierce 34. Chopin works 36. Fan setting 38. Phi follower 39. Patton boner?

43. .0000001 joule 44. Not bright 45. Slightest 46. Tore down 49. Elton John or Paul McCartney 51. Entangles 52. Spick-and-span 54. Concept 56. Dance with no dancers?

62. Film genre 63. Whopper topper 64. It kills bugs on contact 66. Chinese mafia 67. Hospital figure 68. Like hand-me-downs 69. Like hands after a pen explosion 70. Fencing weapons 71. Catbird seat?

ACROSS 1. Comedian Sandler 5. Under 10. Blow up 14. Chanel of fashion 15. Neurological precursor to dopamine and norepinephrine 16. Kidney stone mineral

17. Conflicted 18. Helper 19. Word with heat or meat 20. Sign up to consider?

23. “I’m ___ you!”

24. Cry of surprise 25. Spongebob thinks Mr. Krabs is one 28. No longer working: Abbr.

30. Musician Hill

DOWN 1. Play part 2. It may get into a jamb 3. Piece of property 4. Popular bike brand 5. Great time 6. Reviewer 7. Prospector’s find 8. Press 0 for one 9. Covered with warts

puzzle answers at georgetownvoice.com 10. Siddhartha 11. Wisey’s best type of cookie (Inarguably) 12. Cold cuts, e.g.

13. Wished 21. Ensepulcher 22. Big galoot 25. Alien on American Dad 26. The Barber of Seville, e.g.

27. Stoppers 29. Varnish resin 31. More frostburnt 32. Not these 33. Some people can’t take them 35. Bummed 37. Fly catcher 40. “Pay attention!”

41. Cigarette brand 42. First test 47. Liveliness 48. Animal house 50. Nucleic acid 53. Do penance 55. Foes of the Geats 56. Con 57. Godsend

58. Swim’s alternative 59. Emerald Isle 60. Alleviate 61. Binds 65. Banned insecticide

ARE YOU A LOGOPHILE? Share your love of words and help us write crosswords.

Email crossword@georgetownvoice.com.

editorial

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VOICE the georgetown

Volume 47.13 November 8, 2012 Editor-in-Chief: Leigh Finnegan Managing Editor: Keaton Hoffman Blog Editor: Vanya Mehta News Editor: Gavin Bade Sports Editor: Kevin Joseph Feature Editor: Connor Jones Cover Editor: Neha Ghanshamdas Leisure Editor: Mary Borowiec Voices Editor: Claire McDaniel Photo Editor: Lucia He Design Editors: Amanda Dominguez, Madhuri Vairapandi Projects Editors: Christie Geaney, Cannon Warren Puzzles Editor: Tyler Pierce Assistant Blog Editors: Morgan Manger, Isabel Echarte Assistant News Editors: Julia Jester, Matt Weinmann Assistant Sports Editors: Chris Almeida, Steven Criss, Keith Levinsky Assistant Leisure Editors: Will Collins, Julia Lloyd-George, Kirill Makarenko Assistant Voices Editor: Sara Ainsworth Assistant Photo Editors: Julian de la Paz, Matt Thees Assistant Design Editor: Lauren Ashley Panawa

Staff Writers:

Maitane Arana, Jane Conroy, Alex Lau, Jeffrey Lin, Shom Mazumder, Caitriona Pagni, Paul Quincy, Heather Regen, Abby Sherburne, Melissa Sullivan, Fatima Taskomur, Ambika Tripathi

Staff Photographers:

Rebecca Anthony, Max Blodgett, Matthew Fried, Kirill Makarenko, Tiffany Lachhonna, Tim Markatos, Gavin Meng, Tess O’Connor, Larissa Ong, Andres Rengifo

Copy Chief: Tori Jovanovski Copy Editors:

Patricia Cipollitti, Grace Funsten, Morgan Manger, Rina Li, Sonia Okolie, Caitriona Pagni, Ana Smith, Dana Suekoff, Kim Tay, Suzanne Trivette

Editorial Board Chair: Rachel Calvert Editorial Board:

Aisha Babalakin, Gavin Bade, Patricia Cipollitti, Nico Dona Dalle Rose, Katerina Downward, Keaton Hoffman, Julia Jester, Linnea Pittman, Cole Stangler, Galen Weber

Head of Business: Aarohi Vora Business Staff: Sara Ainsworth, Zoe Disselkoen, Meghan Fitzpatrick, Charmaine Ng

The Georgetown Voice The Georgetown Voice is published every Thursday.

This newspaper was made possible in part with the support of

Campus Progress, a project of the Center for American Progress, online at CampusProgress.org. Campus Progress works to help young people — advocates, activists, journalists, artists — make their voices heard on issues that matter. Learn more at CampusProgress.org.

Mailing Address: Georgetown University The Georgetown Voice Box 571066 Washington, D.C. 20057

Office: Leavey Center Room 424 Georgetown University Washington, D.C. 20057

Email: editor@georgetownvoice.com Advertising: business@georgetownvoice.com Web Site: georgetownvoice.com 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. Unsigned editorials represent the views of the Editorial Board. 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. The Georgetown Voice is produced in the Georgetown Voice office and composed on Macintosh computers using the Adobe InDesign publishing system and is printed by Silver Communications. All materials copyright the Georgetown Voice. All rights reserved.

On this week’s cover: “Georgetown Basketball” Cover Illustration: Matt Dever (COL ‘16) Cover Photos: Julian de la Paz (SFS ‘15)

the georgetown voice 3 LEGALIZE GAY

Diversity Chief should support gay marriage In mid-October, Gallaudet University placed Chief Diversity Officer Angela McCaskill on administrative leave in response to her support of a petition which called for Maryland’s controversial gay marriage law to be put to popular vote.

The petition in question, which McCaskill signed following a Sunday church service, did not explicitly support the overturn of Maryland’s current pro-gay marriage law, but merely called for the issue to be voted upon.

McCaskill and her supporters view her decision to sign the petition as an action in support of the democratic process, and not, as her opponents claim, an action of homophobia.

“I’m dismayed that Gallaudet University is still a university of intolerance, a university that manages by intimidation, a university that allows bullying among faculty, staff

and students,” McCaskill said at a news conference.

During her tenure as Chief Diversity Officer, McCaskill has been well liked by the university’s apparently thriving LGBT community, as well as throughout the student body as a whole. Despite this, many Gallaudet students feel that, although McCaskill has not publicly revealed her stance on gay marriage, her support of a petition which could potentially limit the rights of the LGBT community is inappropriate for an individual in her position.

Although she has stated publicly that she is not against “being gay,” McCaskill has never publicly stated her position on gay marriage. Her unwillingness to publicly support gay marriage creates a very small definition of diversity that excludes an important sector of the university’s community.

Gay marriage is a civil rights issue.

It is irrelevant whether the state’s decision not to recognize same-sex marriages—or call them “unions” as a way to set them apart from heterosexual marriages—is motivated by animus toward gay people or by concern for the definition of marriage. Either way, establishing tiers of recognition targets a specific group of people, undermining their status as equal citizens.

Given her role as Gallaudet’s Chief Diversity Officer, which makes her an advocate for the equality of all students regardless of race, gender, and sexual orientation, McCaskill should take a progressive stance on the issue of gay marriage. Change requires activism, and McCaskill’s passivism on the issue thus far calls into question whether she is the right person to play the role of Diversity Officer in the Gallaudet community.

TUH-RUST

Trust principals to best spend extra money At the end of the 2011 fiscal year, the District contracted a $240 million surplus, mostly thanks to an estate tax windfall, increased income tax withholding, and automatic traffic ticket enforcement. City Council recently passed an initiative to allocate $7 million of the surplus to D.C. Public Schools and another $7 million to D.C. charter schools.

While the Council is specifying what the public schools have to spend their allowance on, charter schools have much more leeway in deciding where to spend their money. The $7 million going to DCPS must be spent on infrastructure and internet connection setup. The $7 million portion that will be going to D.C. charter schools, on the other hand, can be used for facilities or essentially any other funding priority.

The decision to allocate some of the budget surplus to education is commendable, even if only a small portion. But the Council should not dictate what the public schools spend this extra money on. Instead, it should trust local principals, teachers, and parents to know what individual schools need most.

Public Schools Chancellor Kaya Henderson has made principals responsible for reforming struggling schools. In some cases, Henderson hand-picked people for the position over the heads of teachers and administrative staff. Henderson has invested her principals with incredible responsibility. And the onus is on them to improve struggling schools.

We should trust these people to spend the money where their schools need it most.

This is not to say that the D.C. Council should not give indications on where funds should be directed; it is more than apt to specify that this windfall should go to classroom resources or infrastructure.

But beyond that, the council should let schools address their individual needs.

Proponents of charter schools point out that their independence allows them to be creative and explore innovative education strategies. Let public schools do the same, and make improvements that will best improve their students’ experiences.

Various schools in distinct parts of the District need different things. Not all consider internet connection a priority—some schools have more pressing needs, like books and chalk. The best way to tackle the various issues is to defer to those who work with the institutions every day.

OCCUPY THE RED CROSS

Occupy Sandy provides model for disaster aid Last week, various Caribbean nations and much of the American Eastern Seaboard were ravaged by Hurricane Sandy, the largest Atlantic hurricane on record, reaching 1,000 miles in diameter.

The storm devastated large parts of the U.S., leaving millions without power and claiming over 110 lives so far. As of yesterday, close to 200,000 customers were without electricity in New York City, one of the country’s hardest-hit regions, just in time for a winter storm that is slated to hit the area in the next few days.

Sandy’s effects have been met with a phenomenal relief effort—the American Red Cross alone has raised more than $85 million, and some estimates put the total aid raised at $92.3 million. However, institutionalized restoration efforts have left some holes. A local, grassroots effort called “Occupy Sandy” has stepped up to offer much-needed aid and supplies to New York City neighborhoods most adversely affected by the hurricane.

After the disaster, organizers from the waning Occupy Wall Street movement teamed up with the climate activism group 350.org to coordinate the distribution of volunteer help and donated resources in hard-hit areas of the city.

While Wall Street’s lights kept shining bright as ever since Sunday, 11,000 Manhattanites remained without power over the weekend. In more ways than one, Hurricane Sandy managed to expose the inequalities of the city’s most gentrified borough, where according to the most recent census the wealthiest fifth make more than 40 times what the lowest fifth reported. Moreover, in the less affluent outer boroughs of Queens and Staten Island, nearly 80,000 and 30,000 people, respectively, remain in the dark.

Occupy Sandy concentrates generally on smaller communities where government relief has not yet arrived. Individuals and groups willing to help refer

to the Occupy Sandy website, which specifies the needed supplies and directs volunteers to distribution hubs short on hands. Unlike established shelters or aid organizations, many of which had stopped collecting non-monetary donations or were only looking for volunteers with special skills, Occupy Sandy is willing to take anyone who wants to help.

This is in line with the effort’s premise of community, solidarity, and mutual aid, and grows naturally from the Occupy spirit.

Occupy Sandy’s diffuse grassroots approach provides a model for natural disaster relief because it looks inward for help. It works because it responds directly to local needs, as expressed by the people on the ground, and can act rapidly in the face of emergency. As climate change makes these kinds of disasters increasingly frequent and unpredictable, Occupy Sandy provides an empowering blueprint for effective community relief.

news

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november 8, 2012

Ph.D. student-professor benefits fall short of other schools

by Thomas Ferry As the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) moves to unionize adjunct faculty on the Hilltop, one group of instructors is being left out— Ph.D. students who teach undergraduate courses.

About 700 Ph.D. students currently teach undergrad classes or are teaching assistants to professors, many of whom are concerned their pay and benefits do not stack up to those of other universities.

Paul Musgrave, president of the Graduate Student Organization, is a Ph.D. candidate in the Government Department.

He claims “the big issue here is to what degree the graduate students perform their duties as employees.”

“I have had no complaints about my job,” Musgrave said.

“This is not a question of us against the administration.”

However, referring to how the University treats and compensates its student instructors, “There is still progress to be made,” he said.

The majority of Ph.D. students who teach on the Hilltop are paid with a nine-month stipend worth $22,000, an increase from $18,500 only a few years ago. Musgrave attested that total is not enough to cover the high cost of living in the District, adding that health coverage is “not good” because it does not cover dental or vision care.

Although these Ph.D. candidates teach classes and collect a salary from the University, they are not considered full employees on the grounds they are still students.

Thus they are not covered by the University Just Employment Policy, which mandates living wages for Georgetown workers.

Michael Paarlberg, another Ph.D. student in the Govern-

ment Department, doesn’t buy that distinction.

“Personally speaking, it’s hard for me to see how graduate assistants, in their capacity working for Georgetown, do not meet the definition of employees,” he wrote in an email to the Voice. “We perform services under the control and direction of the University, and get paid by the University, our employer, to do them.”

“Grad students at many of the largest public universities— including the University of California system, University of Michigan, University of Washington, and the SUNY system— already have unions, have better compensation and benefits and more voice in the terms of their work than we do,” Paarlberg continued.

Emily Howard, Communications Co-Chair in the Graduate Employees’ Organization at the University of Michigan, con-

firmed Paarlberg’s claims, saying their union has won them wage and benefit increases. “[Graduate Student Instructors] and [Graduate Student Staff Assistants] at the University of Michigan have won many benefits through the process of [collective] bargaining,” she wrote in an email. “As of now, we have zero-premium health and dental care (this covers other qualified adults, such as domestic partners), full tuition waivers, and of course, we receive wages for the work we do.

“We’ve also successfully bargained for things like paid maternity/paternity leave, a child-care subsidy, job training, English language training for international GSIs, and work-load caps, all in addition to salary increases,” Howard added.

She also said that “legally, GSIs and GSSAs were declared to be employees by the Michigan Employment Relations Commission in 1981.”

When questioned about the discrepancies between compensation and benefit plans, Georgetown University Assistant Vice President for Communications Stacy Kerr wrote in an email that “graduate students are ‘students’ primarily. They are here primarily for their formation as Masters or Doctoral degree recipients. If their employment experiences conflicted with their studies and educational progress, we are not well serving the graduate students.”

In the future, Musgrave and other graduate students hope they can continue to build on progress already made with the administration to improve their lot.

“We have productive relationships with the Provost and [Vice President of Student Affairs] Todd Olson,” he said. “We have made a lot of ground over the years, yet there is still progress to be made.”

ship to raise support for programs such as the Environmental Initiative.

In a recent interview, he explained the structure of the donation, and how the allocation of the funds was determined.

“This is a distinctive gift because it was the result of a prolonged collaboration between faculty, academic leadership, and the donor,” he said, “the result of which was to produce an unusually detailed plan for how the $20 million commitment will be used to advance the objectives and ambitions of the Environmental Initiative.”

The donation will be used to fund a series of seminars and programs designed to educate students and spread awareness about environmental issues on campus.

Initiative leaders also hope the new classes will advance the recruitment process for three new faculty members by attracting distinguished members in the field of environmental studies to campus.

“The expectation is that the three hires will be in the core disciplines of the sciences—biology, chemistry, and physics,” Moore said. “They will be well-established researchers who have demonstrated a capacity or interest to do what is, although based in science, highly interdisciplinary.”

Beyond additions to the payroll and class lists, the donation will enable the university to continue to fund environmental research grants

and scholarships. These grants and scholarships will allow a greater integration of faculty and student involvement in environmental studies—an aim bolstered by an additional $250,000 commitment from the Initiative’s own budget.

When asked about student involvement, Moore was enthusiastic about their opportunities for collaboration with faculty “From the very beginning, one of the highest objectives of the donor was that there would be palpable effects felt by the undergraduates and graduates,” he said. “The grant agreement with the donor, and the University’s own plan, envisions the creation of a Georgetown Environmental Initiative advisory board on which we expect there will be diverse representation, including both undergraduate and graduate student representation.”

He added that the Initiative’s reach will extend into both the

classroom and laboratory. “In the grant funding process there will be a high priority attached to proposals that create fields and other research opportunities for students—undergraduates and graduates—as contributors to the larger studies,” he said.

“Over time, students will feel a very direct impact in their classrooms and laboratories, and in offcampus learning experiences from programs that are directly funded by the Initiative.”

Matthew Hamilton, Associate Professor of Biology and Chair of the Environmental Initiative Steering Committee, also expressed desire for ample student involvement in both the planning and implementation processes of the Initiative.

“I think that the students are critical to the mission of any university, but particularly here at Georgetown,” he said. “What we’re hoping is to provide as many

opportunities to students as we do to faculty; those things are intertwined. We want to see the students bring ideas to bear in energy, and they’ve done that. The faculty looks at that and says, ‘Look at this enthusiasm, and these great ideas, maybe these students will be interested in getting involved in what I am doing.’ There is a lot of positive energy that comes from when students interact with the faculty, and we recognize that.”

In addition to this sort of collaboration, Initiative leaders are also hoping for the creation of an administrative center to help further unify and empower environmental innovators. Planning is still in its nascent stages, but Hamilton says the center would advocate for the creation of new majors and minors across all disciplines that focus on the interdisciplinary nature of environmental issues.

As to where the new office might be located, Hamilton has one particularly ambitious idea.

“I believe that the renovation of the Heyden Observatory is a fantastic potential idea, and I really like the metaphor of that. It could be a great symbol for the way we experience the environment, and the impact we have on it,” he said. “We can imagine a historic building like that, coupled with a newer wing, that represents the old and the new. Who knows?

Maybe we can even get that old telescope working.”

Georgetown Environmental Initiative sprouts with $20 million donation

by Scott Dennis The Georgetown Environmental Initiative has officially been launched, thanks to a $20 million donation from an anonymous family affiliated with the University. The Initiative aims to orient the Georgetown community toward advancing the study, understanding, and implementation of sound environmental policy.

The donation was announced to the student body via email on Thursday, Nov. 1. “Institutions around the world are creating a growing body of research on the environment and sustainability,” wrote John DeGioia, President of Georgetown University, in the email. “[A]nd we think that Georgetown is uniquely positioned to make vital contributions to this effort.”

The Initiative, led by a steering committee of professors and administrators, has three main goals: to foster and spread awareness and education concerning the environment; to fund interdisciplinary research, particularly that which concentrates on humans’ interactions with and effect on the environment; and to strive to implement environmentally-friendly public policy.

R. Bartley Moore, Vice President for Advancement at Georgetown, is responsible for development and fundraising and helps coordinate the University’s academic leader-

Kirill makarenko

Professor Hamilton hopes renovate the Observatory for an environmental center.

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the georgetown voice 5

Obama supporters mob White House, GOP faithful dismayed

by Miles Gavin Meng Here at the Princeton Review’s second most politically active university in the nation, the Georgetown University College Republicans and College Democrats held election parties Tuesday night in anticipation of the 2012 election results.

More than 200 College Democrats set up camp in Sellinger Lounge, where the voice of CNN’s Wolf Blitzer was drowned out by cheers as the network gave President Barack Obama an edge in Florida.

“I absolutely love it. Events like this are why I came to Georgetown —so I could be a part of this political atmosphere,” said Anna Roosevelt (COL ’16).

The College Democrats had spent more than a year campaigning on the President’s behalf, going door to door within the District and organizing trips to Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Ohio. President of the College Democrats Joe Vandergriff (COL ‘14) beamed at their efforts.

“Voter registration was a huge deal. We worked with the Republicans and with GUSA to really push that,” he said. “We had a large effort outside campus and a lot of volunteer opportunities with the D.C. Federation of College Democrats. We gave kids real first-hand experience with how to talk to voters, make friends in the process and meet people from all around D.C.”

JUlian De la PaZ

Students at the College Democrats watch party celebrate Obama’s victory.

Sandy brings out the best

Just after 6 p.m. on Oct. 28, Georgetown students rejoiced; University spokeswoman Stacy Kerr sent a broadcast email to the campus community cancelling Monday classes in anticipation of Hurricane Sandy’s onslaught.

In spite of grumblings concerning the University’s dragging of feet, the decision came just one hour after the federal government announced its closure. For an organization struggling to overcome strangled communication channels and miles of red tape, Georgetown handled Superstorm Sandy remarkably well.

“The decision is driven primarily by safety,” Kerr wrote. In spite of concerns regarding students’ wasted tuition, backed-up class schedules, and unearned salaries, the well-being of students was appropriately placed above all else, even though the end goal might have been more to avoid liability, not to protect students.

As always, the one problem which surfaced in the University’s deliberations was the lack of updates sent to students prior to the Sunday evening announcement.

The students only received one email from Campus Housing regarding preparation for Sandy in on- and off-campus residences the Saturday before the storm, with no indication of Georgetown’s plans.

Such gaps in information prevent professors from being able to restructure their syllabi and students from beginning assignments designed to make up for the missed classes, a common practice with the advent of Blackboard’s unfriendly yet ubiquitous user interface.

Fortunately, the broadcast emails took off shortly after the closing announcement. Everything from the Lauinger opening times to the Grab ‘n’ Go availability at Leo’s to the safe spots for power on campus was sent to the students, ensuring the highest possible availability of information. Georgetown University President John DeGioia, Vice President of Student Affairs Todd Olson, and Department of Public Safety Chief Jay Gruber even visited Leo’s early Monday afternoon to converse with students and employees, an astonishing and welcome display of sympathy from the administration.

Meanwhile in the ICC Auditorium, the College Republicans enjoyed pizza and applauded as Fox News called Georgia and Tennessee in Governor Mitt Romney’s favor.

Derek Faraldo (COL ’16), a new member of the organization, was thrilled to be apart of the occasion.

“I’m very excited for this election, going for Romney, of course,” he said.

“The returns look really close and it’s definitely going to come down to Florida, Ohio, and Virginia.”

Though fewer in number, the Republicans made their presence known, cheering as the GOP retained control of the House of Representatives. The mood quickly turned sour as the network gave Wisconsin to Obama.

“I’m not going to lie, it’s really hard to be conservative on a college campus. There aren’t many of us,” lamented Maggie Cleary (COL ’14) Chair of the College Republicans, “But I’m in my happy place here among all the Republicans watching Fox News—that’s something I guarantee you can’t find many other places on campus.”

Under Cleary’s direction, the College Republicans have kept quite a busy schedule and, in spite of the election results, have no intentions of

slowing down. “We have meetings every week. We’ve been doing a lot of campaigning,” she said. “Once during the week we go to phone bank. We’ve had a bunch of events with the D.C. Fed, a bunch of social events, a bunch of social events to build cohesiveness within the club, a few debate watches. We’re going on a shooting trip at a gun range in a few weeks to exercise our Second Amendment rights.”

Divisive issues among students were the expected ones-—women’s rights, marriage equality, and economic policy took the forefront. “Religious liberty was most important to me. As a Catholic and an American, I feel the current administration’s actions are a substantial overstepping of power in our lives,” said Republican Louis Cohen (COL ‘15).

The other side held markedly different views, “I like Obama because he’s for things like equal marriage rights and rights for women, which I know Romney has very different views on,” Roosevelt said.

“When it comes to the economy, I feel like it’s more up to the people than the president.”

As the networks awarded more electoral votes to Obama, chatter among the Democrats turned to the

Just after 10:30 a.m. on Monday, a broadcast email sent out to students and staff confirmed Georgetown’s closed status for Tuesday, a move that, on the whole, was responsible—yet, as it turned out, unnecessary.

After all, D.C. metro bus and rail systems resumed operation on Tuesday afternoon, and the worst of the superstorm had passed by 3 a.m. Tuesday morning. The shelter-in-place order, however, which was issued on Monday evening,

Even on Monday, Facilities workers and administrators earned commendation for their actions. Though they are expected to report to work despite dangerous conditions, Facilities employees were awarded twice the usual salary, and many stayed overnight, according to Kerr.

DPS staff members received the same compensation, with many working 24-hour shifts, well above the allowed 16 hours, a rule lifted in emergency situations, said Kerr. Generally considered the enemies of the students, DPS officers and Facilities staff members appear genuinely passionate about students, if not their jobs. Ideally, such dedication should hold true even without a superstorm bearing down on D.C. The only employees on University property who were not paid emergency compensation or overtime wages were Leo’s workers. Aramark did not explain the company’s decision to pay regular wages in spite of hazardous conditions, but did allow workers to stay home with no penalty.

Still, half of the staff reported for duty, preparing twice the usual

Saxa Politica

by Kirill Makarenko

A bi-weekly column on campus politics and policy extended to 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday, requiring continued closure of the University.

Still, Georgetown correctly anticipated the fallout from the storm; Facilities workers had inspected 91 percent and resolved 59 percent of the 308 maintenance requests through Thursday, numbers that likely would have been lower had Facilities been responsible for maintaining normal operations of the University on Tuesday.

night’s celebrations. One eager freshman shouted, “If Obama wins, we’re all running to the White House!”

Their wish came true when, at 11:12 p.m., NBC called the election for Obama. In seconds, cheers of “Four more years” erupted across campus while students sprinted toward 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. The entire area devolved into irreverent pandemonium.

“People were really pushing and shoving, even though Obama wasn’t actually there, which I didn’t realize until after,” Alex Miller (MSB ‘13) said. “The first time I went [in 2008], I got right up to the gates but there were police keeping people back. I know a lot of Georgetown people went, I ran into a bunch there.”

Not every student at the White House was an ardent Obama supporter. According to one anonymous sophomore, “I don’t know anything, so I didn’t vote.”

Common to both parties on election night, however, was a strong sense of national pride in our democratic system. As Faraldo said, “Whoever wins, let’s hope the country can come together. We have some big issues ahead and hopefully we can have some compromise. Let’s hope for the best for this country.”

amount of food for the students, according to Kerr.

“I was motivated by helping the students,” Leo’s worker Martina Hamilton told The Hoya.

Employees did receive accommodations at the Leavey Center Hotel and Conference Center, as well as letters of thanks from students, an initiative proposed by then-ANC candidate Craig Cassey Jr. (COL ‘15).

The startling takeaway from the hurricane is, in the end, the immense cooperation among students, administrators, and University staff members over the course of and after Sandy. This collaboration is only surprising because it is clearly achievable, but not at all present under normal operating conditions.

If all members of the Georgetown community lived every day as though Sandy were ravaging their beloved university, the constant conflict and tug-of-war between departments and community groups would at last begin to come to an end.

Blow Kirill like Sandy by emailing him at kmakarenko@georgetownvoice.com

basketball preview

6 the georgetown voice

november 8, 2012

Otto-matic presence reassuring for young Hoyas

by Steven Criss “He just shows up, he brings his lunch pail, and he works.”

Head Coach John Thompson III laid it down very simply when describing the manner in which sophomore Otto Porter handles the hype and expectations levied upon him this season.

After a breakout season last year in which he went from practically unknown to one of the top freshmen in the Big East, Porter has been a major topic of conversation in the college basketball world, and for good reason. With an array of preseason honors so far, including Associated Press Preseason Honorable Mention All-American, Fourth Team Preseason All-American, and the All Big East First Team, Porter is looking to be the spark Georgetown will need offensively and defensively on a team absent of seniors.

Before becoming Georgetown’s young standout, Porter was a small-town boy from Sikeston, Missouri who had never played any AAU basketball or attended highprofile camps. He was a genuine, homegrown ballplayer with most of his guidance coming from his father and Gene Bess, both his and Otto Sr.’s college coach.

The Porter name has become nearly synonymous with basketball in this small area of southeast Mo., as both of Otto’s parents were state champions at Scott County Central High School, as well as three of his uncles. The low exposure made a transition to the quiet Hilltop a seemingly perfect fit.

Even so, Porter’s transition wasn’t the easiest—he famously didn’t ride a plane until his official visit to Georgetown.

“It was just a culture shock for him,” said junior forward Nate Lubick of his teammate’s transition. “It was actually pretty cool seeing, you know, how amazing he thought every city we were in was.”

Surrounded by basketball talent, Porter learned to play the game with a more old-school style, instead of the flashy, dunk-hungry attitude instilled in most youthful players.

His moves have been described as

smooth and composed, with the ability to make an impact even without the ball in his hands. Much of his style of play can be attributed to his avoidance of the AAU route.

“Otto is as grounded as they come. He understands that it’s not about him. It’s about us,” said Coach Thompson of Porter’s outlook on the game.

This attitude showed immensely last year, with Porter putting up unexpected numbers. He finished the season fourth on the team with 9.7 points per game, while leading the Hoyas with 6.8 rebounds per game. He made an appearance in each of Georgetown’s games and began to start consistently shortly after Big East play began.

His control and discipline were exemplified by his team-leading 52.5 field goal percentage. He scored in double digits 14 times over the season, and snagged 10 or more rebounds on seven occasions. His versatility was key to the team’s ability to surpass expectations, as Porter aggressively performed on both sides of the court.

“It’s not just him believing the hype,” junior guard Markel Starks said of Porter’s mentality. “It’s going out doing what everybody expects him to do. I think his expectation is to win. He’s going to do everything necessary for this team to win.”

Porter attended several camps over the summer, including Kevin Durant’s and LeBron James’s, and is focusing hard on getting stronger. Without any seniors on the team this year, he will need to step up his role and be able to contend against the larger, more powerful players in the league.

And so, with the rigors of the Big East, adding muscle was another key component of his offseason regimen. “It was a main focus this year, get bigger and stronger,” he said. “I definitely did get bigger and stronger, spent all summer in the weight room and just in the gym.”

With the added strength, Porter was able to incorporate more of an interior element to his offensive game. “Practicing with the big guys, post moves and stuff

JULIAN DE LA PAZ

Otto Porter is the key to the Hoyas’ success this season.

like that, just evolved my overall game,”he said.

Several NBA draft boards have Porter in the top 15. These projections show that Porter has come a long way since his freshman season, in which he was very contro-

versially left off the Big East All Rookie Team.

Although his high placement could spell out a shortened Georgetown career, Porter’s contribution this year is well anticipated.

“Otto Porter is a worker,”

Thompson said of his star. “He understands that he can get better. You go and see different people and different faces, but his work ethic, his caring, his understanding of the game are unchangeable.”

the Sports Sermon “Do I think he can play? Yeah, absolutely, but he put his pants on just like I do.”

- Markel Starks on Florida guard Kenny Boynton but one team, it’s likely on a sour note. Sure, the attentive Hoya fan will point to Otto Porter’s exploits against a number of opponents, perhaps how he tore apart the Syracuse zone in his only matchup with the Orange last season.

But the lasting memory from his spectacular freshman campaign will be the missed jumper that would have sent the NC State game into overtime.

In the end, however, that constant knee-jerk reaction is simply not fair to Thompson. The former Princeton coach resurrected his father’s program from the doldrums of the Craig Esherick era.

His teams over the past eight seasons have been consistently successful, and he put Georgetown on the map once again with a 2007 run to the Final Four. It’s true that the postseason success has not matched that fairy-tale level since,

Such an extension would, of course, indicate that the incumbent My three years at Georgetown coach’s deal is up in 2013. This isn’t have been marked by three preto suggest that he’s going anymature NCAA Tournament exits. where, or that Georgetown will be I’ll admit that the heartbreak exploring their options. has been pretty difficult, considerFrom a basketball perspective, ing the excitement and paranoia Thompson has ably adapted to these Georgetown men’s bashis personnel on an annual basis, ketball teams provided during a fact lost on a number of resultsthe season—a win over Duke in oriented Hoya fans. Once he lost front of a raucous Verizon Center Greg Monroe to the NBA, for incrowd in 2010, a magical run to stance, he opened up the floor for that year’s Big East Tournament Austin Freeman and Wright the final, and beating the Orange in following season. Sure, the Hoyas Syracuse with those fresh black ran their Princeton sets to perfecjerseys a year later marking just tion, but when the opportunity the greatest of those moments. arose, they sped up their game to But for all of those adrenalinetake advantage of that team’s athcharged victories, there have been leticism. gut-wrenching losses to end those The difference with Thompseasons. The thought of little DJ son is that, after Georgetown, his Cooper and Ohio shooting a team players know how to play smart with Greg Monroe out of the gym basketball. Roy Hibbert, Jeff still gives me nightmares. I cringe Green, and Monroe haven’t been when I think about hindered by the mePete Rose Central Cincinnati breaking thodical Princeton Da bettin’ line Chris Wright’s hand offense in the NBA; and derailing our on the contrary, they Dookies Margin Hoyas season a year later. have been lauded (underdogs) (duh!)

Even against NC (favorites) for their basketball State, it felt so close— IQs and their ma2011 Lubick Beach Bod a winnable game 2012 Lubick ture passing ability.

Box which would have The main arguDuh Jack exorcised those postment for keeping McDonough Flips n’ Shit Boat season demons once Thompson is one of and for all. but that’s the nature of single- stability. If Georgetown locks his In the end, though, all the loss- elimination tournaments. contract up, Thompson won’t be es had one thing in common: they If anything, Thompson de- going anywhere. In such an unall fell squarely on Head Coach serves an extension, and a lengthy stable conference, an elite coach John Thompson III’s shoulders. one at that. I want to see what oth- can keep a program above water For the past three seasons, er coach could come in and recruit and in the national picture.

I’ve heard the same thing over incredible talents like Greg MonTo me, JTIII is that man. No and over again: A bad loss for the roe and Otto Porter to a school one else has such a strong connecHoyas would result in quiet grum- with facilities lacking as much as tion to the Hilltop. Name Coach X bling about Thompson and all of Georgetown’s. That Nerlens Noel to replace him and it may or may his supposed coaching blunders had us on his final list of schools is not produce benefits. But even if which cost the team in crunch a small miracle. it did, these other coaches could time. Those grumbles got even Typically, Georgetown doesn’t easily see past the tradition of more vicious at the season’s end. announce contract extensions for Georgetown basketball and use “It’s the Princeton offense, it their athletic programs. Football the position as a stepping-stone to hinders our athleticism,” some Head Coach Kevin Kelly, for in- a bigger position with better faciliquipped. “Why the hell is Beni- stance, was reportedly extended ties and a lot more money. mon even in the game?” others a couple of seasons ago, prior This is no stepping-stone for griped (alright, that point was to his team’s meteoric rise from Thompson. The Hilltop is the probably valid). the bottom of the Patriot League. pinnacle for him– he’s home at Whatever the complaint, it’s a They made an exception in Coach Georgetown, where he should be, fair reaction from sports fans. For Thompson’s case, announcing a and the University needs to make all the good times, we remember six-year extension in 2007, after sure he doesn’t go anywhere anyhow things ended, and for all his team’s Final Four run. time soon.

by Kevin Joseph

basketball preview

georgetownvoice.com

the georgetown voice 7

On the record with women’s Head Coach Keith Brown

by Chris Castano The Voice sat down with Keith Brown, the first-year head coach of the women’s basketball team.

Q: What started you down the path to becoming the head coach of the Georgetown women’s basketball team?

A: Basketball has always been a passion of mine. I played in high school (I was pretty good). I grew up watching Magic Johnson, prodigy of the NBA. I loved stats.

One of the things my mother did to help me learn to read was to buy me basketball magazines because I didn’t want to read anything else. She got me involved in sports and she got me involved in reading, so basketball has always been a part of my blood.

Q: What do you tell parents Georgetown has to offer their child?

A: Georgetown is a special place. I don’t recruit kids; I give them the opportunity. What you find out by being here at Georgetown is that it’s the opportunity that lasts you a lifetime. The education is second to none. The community is second to none. The alumni connections and the relationships you build are second to none. I like to tell parents that their daughters will be going to school with future doctors, lawyers, sena-

tors, and representatives. They just don’t know it yet. Georgetown is not a hard sell. It hasn’t been for me.

Q: Is coaching teens different than college students?

A: Athletes are athletes.

Kids are kids. They’re young ladies. Anything that happens is the end of the world. When they’re teenagers and they turn 20, nothing changes. It probably magnifies it. They’re still the same. They listen more now. As they get a little older and they think they know a little more about basketball, they start asking more questions.

Q: What intrinsic qualities do you think you possess that are going to help you run this program?

A: I am a communicator. I’m also a great listener. I am also loyal to a fault. Georgetown has given me the opportunity of a lifetime. I’m fulfilling my dreams. I think that combined with my basketball knowledge, my recruiting skills will allow this program to run smoothly. up?

Q: Are you switching the system

A: No. Absolutely not. A lot of the system we have here now I brought when I came.

Our motto is that we’re going to pass and rebound the ball as

much as possible and we’re going to pressure you. We created a formula here at Georgetown that other schools have started to follow. You’ll remember five or six years ago, we didn’t win many games. Our staff tried to create an environment where we played differently than anyone else in the country.

Q: How do seniors graduating and transfers affect your team? What are you losing?

A: With the seniors, we lose experience. When someone transfers, it means Georgetown wasn’t right for them. Now we have Sugar, who’s one of the best players in the country. We have juniors and sophomores that didn’t really get a chance to play last year. We’ll make up for the lack of experience.

Sometimes the seniors turned off because they had heard it all before. These kids’ [Brown’s current squad’s] antennas are up. That’s going to be their biggest impact on the team: they want to learn.

Keith Brown brings a new energy to the Hoya bench.

of damage is Rutgers. From a recruiting standpoint, Rutgers is stacked. They may not gel as a team quite yet, but they’re loaded with talent.

Q: Who are the teams to watch out for this year?

A: Well they go to the final four every year, so I have to pick UConn. Obviously Notre Dame is a team to watch out for. One team that I think can make a transition and do a lot

Q: How should the students be showing love for the Hoyas? What can we do to get behind the team?

A: If you don’t have anything to do on a Wednesday or a Saturday night, come to the games.

Getting behind the team would go a long way to support the legacy that we’ve built. I’m beggin’ you kids, please come out and see the

The national basketball community has low expectations for the Hoyas as they begin the season unranked, but they have the capability to quickly change these perceptions with a few early wins, just like they did last season. Steady presences at the head of the team, à la Clark last year, are crucial in sustaining a positive outlook through the thick and thin of the schedule.

Although Starks started the majority of Georgetown’s games at point guard last year, he was not the only option for this role during the 2011-2012 season.

“I’ve worked through some adversity. Personally, it’s been the best thing for me,” he said.

The “adversity” Starks is referring to is his miscommunication with Coach Thompson near the end of last year. Following Georgetown’s blowout loss to Seton Hall on Feb. 21, Starks was benched against Villanova and did not start for the rest of the year.

This difficult stretch has taught him to lead by example.

“You have to set an example for the younger guys,” Starks said.

“You have to set an example not just on the court, but off the court as well. You have to set a standard

that we are here to participate in the sport, but we are here as students as well. Being a leader on and off the court is different.”

As Georgetown’s starting guard, Starks is in some impressive company. The junior is hoping to follow in the footsteps of players such as Jonathan Wallace, Chris Wright, Austin Freeman, and Jason Clark.

“It’s a challenge. You are surrounded by a lot of alpha males,” Starks said of leading. “You have to set an example. It’s not about who talks the best, who can bench the best, it’s about who can show the best.”

If Starks has big shoes to fill, Lubick has giant shoes to fill as the leader of the frontcourt at Big Man U. The junior forward knows there is much for him to overcome, but he is optimistic about the prospects for the season. “Losing Henry, being inexperienced up front, but you know we make it work,” he said. “We had a good offseason, these guys worked hard. Similar to last year, we need some guys to step up.”

In the past, Lubick’s hustle game has made him a prominent member of the team, but his work in the offseason to get slimmer hopefully has made him a more dynamic player.

REBECCA ANTHONY

girls. They play so hard. It’s tough to go to other universities where the teams aren’t as good and see that they have more fans in the stands than we do. I challenge the students to come out. You know what? Find something for me to do to make them come out.

Q: Favorite WNBA player?

A: It has to be Monica Wright.

Now, I’m totally biased because I coached her back in the day. Rebekkah Brunson is a close second.

She and Monica both play on the same team.

Juniors Starks and Lubick step up to lead Georgetown

by Chris Castano With the departure of Henry Sims and Jason Clark, the 2012-2013 Hoyas were left without a senior to head the team. And with a team full of freshmen and sophomores, juniors Nate Lubick and Markel Starks need to fill the leadership roles in this year’s squad.

“We will see what happens here,” said Head Coach John Thompson III of this year’s squad.

“It’s not always the oldest, and I’m not saying it won’t be, but I think that we have some strong personalities in each player.”

Though Coach Thompson thinks leadership could come from a number of different places, the players already look to Starks and Lubick as the most seasoned to lead the Hoyas through their daunting schedule.

“They both have the most experience,” sophomore forward Mikael Hopkins said of the duo.

“They played a lot as freshmen, they both started last year as sophomores, so they are the leaders of the team and we’re going to go however they go. If they’re doing good then we are going to be doing good.”

Nate Lubick needs to improve from shaky 2011 season.

MAX BLODGETT

“I think I worked on my body a lot, keyed in on some areas, you know, whether they were giving me some trouble, that I needed to improve on,” he said. “I worked on my shooting a lot, just honed up a lot of strengths, scoring ways for me during the offseason, shooting the ball sort of closer.”

Hollis Thompson, the only would-be senior, gave up his final season to go to the NBA, where he went undrafted. His exit gave Starks and Lubick their current opportunities, in which they have embraced helping out the group of freshmen which will play a large role in the frontcourt.

“Yeah definitely, you know, I mean it’s just teaching these guys the ropes. I mean as he was saying, the Big East is a tough schedule...a really tough league to be young in,” Lubick said. “And, you know, the biggest part is just getting these guys acclimated to the way that we practice, the way that we workout, the way that we play and that’s gonna be a lot on [Starks’ and my] shoulders.”

The new leaders are ready to spearhead the Hoyas’ charge into the intimidating, opportunity-filled season ahead.

8 the georgetown voice

basketball preview

november 8, 2012

basketball preview

georgetownvoice.com

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om

Date

Opponent

Time

11/11/12 11/14/12 11/19/12 11/20/12

vs. Duquesne vs. Liberty vs. UCLA Indiana/ Georgia

6:30 p.m. ET 7:00 p.m. ET 8:00 p.m. ET TBA

11/24/12 11/30/12 12/04/12 12/08/12 12/10/12 12/15/12 12/22/12 01/05/13 01/08/13 01/12/13 01/16/13 01/19/13 01/21/13 01/26/13 01/30/13 02/02/13 02/09/13 02/11/13 02/15/13 02/20/13 02/23/13 02/27/13 03/02/13 03/06/13 03/09/13

vs. Mount St. Mary’s vs. Tennessee vs. Texas vs. Towson vs. Lomgwood vs. Western Carolina vs. American at Marquette vs. Pittsburgh at St. John’s vs. Providence at USF at Notre Dame vs. Louisville vs. Seaton Hall vs. St. John’s at. Rutgers vs. Marquette at Cincinnati vs DePaul at Syracuse at Connecticut vs. Rutgers at Villanova vs. Syracuse

12:00 p.m. ET 6:30 p.m. ET 7:00 p.m. ET 12:00 p.m. ET 7:00 p.m. ET 12:00 p.m. ET 12:00 p.m. ET 2:00 p.m. ET 9:00 p.m. ET 11:00 a.m. ET 7:00 p.m. ET 6:00 p.m. ET 7:30 p.m. ET 12:00 p.m. ET 7:00 p.m. ET 4:00 p.m. ET 12:00 p.m. ET 7:00 p.m. ET 9:00 p.m. ET 7:00 p.m. ET 4:00 p.m. ET 7:00 p.m. ET 9:00 p.m. ET 7:00 p.m. ET 12:00 p.m. ET

A 6-foot-10 center from Sumter, S.C., Bolden seems to be in the long-term plans for the Hoyas. Bolden’s athleticism may be his strong point, but he is a very raw talent, especially on the offensive end. Bolden is dangerous in the open court, as he runs the floor well and is widely known for his ferocious dunks. This season, he could prove to be a very capable defender off the bench for the Hoyas.

A 6-foot-2 guard and walk-on from Dallas, Allen could be the new garbage time fan favorite of the Hoya faithful. If Allen has any impact this year, it will be at the end of games where the Hoyas have a substantial lead.

n Bolden

9:00 p.m. ET

do an Br

vs. Florida

Allen

11/09/12

o

MEN’S BASKETBALL 2012-2013 Schedule

A 7-foot center from Jacksonville, Florida, Hayes is much better on defense than he is on offense.

However, this does not come as a surprise; Hayes grew over 9 inches in three years during high school, and has yet to grow fully accustomed to his new physique. Hayes will be a key reserve for the Hoyas due to the squad’s dearth of big men, if he can manage to stay healthy and improve his raw offensive game considerably.

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theless, the depth they can potentially provide is likely the key to the Hoyas’ prospects this season.

“If the freshman class continues to grow and as long as they fit in, then we have a chance to be a contender,” Thompson said.

If they are to turn heads and play at an elite level, it will show early. The grind of the Big East schedule will be revealing, but these young Hoyas will have a chance to prove themselves to the nation from day one.

“Coach didn’t design the schedule for nothing,” Starks said. “The schedule is designed to show that we can play some ball. As much as people don’t want to give us credit, I think we can play.”

Hayes ley ad Br

ing to go with,” he said. “I’m not looking at this in any way shape or form as a committee effort.”

In that sense, things seem to be working themselves out, as Thompson announced sophomore Mikael Hopkins will start at center for the Hoyas, likely joining Lubick, Starks, Porter, and Whittington.

For these Hoyas, the front end seems to be set. Beyond that, though, roles are a mystery, as Thompson needs to develop his freshmen at a rapid rate. Hightouted guard D’Vauntes SmithRivera and sharpshooter Stephen Domingo lead the group, but they don’t have the luxury of a trip to China to mesh like Porter and his teammates had a year ago. None-

vid Da

McDonough Arena hasn’t hosted a Georgetown men’s basketball game since 2009. But Georgetown’s on-campus arena is still updated at the end of each season, with a banner acknowledging the team’s latest postseason appearance.

The banners tell a story, of both exhilarating stories and a number of disappointing finishes, with the latter in greater frequency over the past few seasons. Those truly special seasons, though—a national championship in 1984 and Final Four appearances in 1985 and 2007—are featured prominently on the front wall.

“Georgetown basketball always has something to prove. You want to be on that wall,” said junior point guard Markel Starks.

“That’s the goal. It’s nice to have those banners, but we want to be on that wall.”

For the 2012 Hoyas, such expectations seem lofty, if not downright outlandish. After all, the Hoyas lost their top three scorers with the departures of seniors Henry Sims and Jason Clark and junior Hol-

Still, the majority of their first two seasons have been marked by inconsistencies. Lubick, despite starting last year, often saw limited minutes in crunch time.

Starks, meanwhile, found himself in Thompson’s doghouse after an outburst at the end of a blowout loss to Seton Hall in February.

The move relegated Starks to the bench in favor of freshman phenom Otto Porter. This lineup shift had an added benefit, as it helped the Hoyas stumble upon their newest weapon—length. All of a sudden, Big Man U has transformed this season into something of a wingspan nightmare for other teams.

That evolution starts with Porter, who entered college under relative anonymity. After a stellar freshman season which saw him exploit his role in the Princeton offense with 9.7 points per game, Porter burst onto the national scene with preseason accolades and inclusion in the majority of early NBA draft projections. His preternatural ability to find the ball in the right places, evidenced by his team-leading 6.8 rebounds last season, is without a doubt a key to Georgetown’s success this season.

“I think he got better at controlling the tempo of the game, which is something that you usually hear with point guards,” Lubick said of his teammate’s improvements.

“That’s what makes Otto special.”

“22 is still 22,” Thompson added of his ballyhooed star. “He works as hard as anyone, he cares more than most. He’s a terrific teammate.”

Of course, with Porter alone in the fold, length is not much of an issue. But with his penchant for rebounding and versatility to play three positions, fellow sophomores like Greg Whittington are able to slide in and fulfill duties at other spots. That’s an extreme advantage for Thompson; the thought of a 6-foot-8 shooting guard in Whittington will make opposing offenses squirm.

The versatility is there for the Hoyas, even more than it was last year. Players can slide over and play multiple positions on the floor, though perhaps at the expense of the dominant big man Thompson is used to having. That concern doesn’t seem to be reflected in the locker room, starting with Thompson.

“Someone’s going to stick their neck out, and that’s what we’re go-

Every scouting report uses the same word to describe 6-foot-7 wing Domingo: smooth. After forgoing his senior year of high school, Domingo’s commitment was a pleasant surprise to the Hoya faithful, and his smooth (there it is) jump shot has already drawn comparisons to Hollis Thompson. His high school stats--only 13.3 points per game and five rebounds per game--are a little worrisome, but his inclusion on the FIBA U17 World Championship team is very encouraging. For Domingo to see any significant minutes this season, his shot will need to be on; if not, we may not see much of him until next season.

a iver

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By Kevin Joseph

Easily the most highly touted of this year’s freshman class, the 6-foot-3, 230-pound guard from basketball factory Oak Hill Academy is expected to make an immediate impact for the Hoyas this season. He has already drawn numerous comparisons to Georgetown great Austin Freeman, including from his own high school coach Steve Smith, who told the Voice, “I think he’s better than Austin coming in there as a freshman. He’s quicker, he’s more mobile, and he’s athletically similar to Austin.” Look for SmithRivera to put his scoring prowess on display this season, and maybe even work his way into the starting lineup.

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clean slate, same goals lis Thompson. The three players emerged for the Hoyas last season, in a campaign that ended in heartbreak with a loss to North Carolina State in the NCAA Tournament’s Round of 32.

And so, for the vast majority of pundits, an NCAA Tournament appearance would mark the season a success. The Hoyas enter the second-straight season unranked in all national polls, failing to garner even one vote in the USA Today Coaches’ Poll.

Just like last season, they don’t seem to care all too much.

“I think the thing that helped us last year was that we didn’t worry about rankings or anything,” said sophomore guard Jabril Trawick.

“We just worked hard and everything else came into position.

You don’t worry about that; you just play hard and everything will speak for itself.”

The attitude worked just fine for the Hoyas at this time last year, as they were able to turn heads with a 13-1 start, flying into the national rankings shortly after a strong showing at the Maui Invitational.

Aside from those select games against Kansas and Memphis, though, the Hoyas’ out-of-conference schedule was underwhelming. Not so this season, as the team has to run the gauntlet through a brutal stretch of games against national contenders.

That grind starts tomorrow, with a pivotal matchup against Florida on the USS Bataan, an aircraft carrier in Jacksonville, Fla. The rest of 2012 is marked with a number of similarly challenging games against UCLA, Texas, and Tennessee, to name a few. Instead of easing his greenhorn unit in with a number of overmatched opponents, Head Coach John Thompson III felt a team with 10 freshmen and sophomores could use a trial by fire.

“I just thought it was important to test this group,” the ninth-year coach said. “I may be sitting here months from now thinking this was crazy. But who knows?”

With no seniors on the roster, the job of preparing such a young group falls on Starks and fellow junior Nate Lubick. Both players have had some spectacular moments for the Hoyas over their first two seasons, the most notable being Starks’ electrifying 20-point performance against Louisville last season.

the georgetown voice 9

rotation Mikael Hopkins Sophomore forward Mikael Hopkins also had underwhelming statistics (2.4 points per game, 1.1 rebounds per game) last year, but he showed flashes of brilliance. Hopkins had his best stat-line against NJIT on December 3 when he totaled 12 points, three rebounds, one assist, and two blocks. He made his biggest impact, though, in Georgetown’s overtime loss at Syracuse. The Maryland native needed to step in and play important minutes, as then-senior Henry Sims and then-sophomore forward Nate Lubick got in foul trouble. He played 19 minutes while grabbing 4 rebounds, and limited the Orange’s star center Fab Melo to 11 points. The Hoyas hope Hopkins can help Nate Lubick fill the massive void left by Sims, who graduated last spring. He certainly thinks so.

“It’s my time to shine,” Hopkins said. “I’m getting the opportunity to play so hopefully I’m going to go out here and show everybody my skills and what I can do.”

Jabril Trawick Jabril Trawick was often overlooked for the Hoyas in the backcourt last season, shelved behind Jason Clark and Markel Starks on the bench. But when he did see the court, the tenacious Philadelphian made his presence known with gritty defensive play and a penchant for getting to the rim. He’s also got hops--during Midnight Madness, he dunked over teammate and center Tyler Adams.

Other aspects of his game needed work, but he went into the offseason cognizant of these areas. “I knew my outside shot and handle was something I needed to be more effective to stay on the court,” Trawick said. “I definitely tried to improve that.”

The sophomore guard likely won’t be a starter this season, as the Hoyas look to bother opposition with the length of Porter and Whittington. In that sense, though, Trawick will see the court at point guard more in 2012. With an improved dribble and outside shot, he should have no problem filling that role.

Greg Whittington In 2011-12, sophomore guard Greg Whittington emerged as one of Georgetown’s top defenders.

The 6-foot-8 versatile forward used his length to defend some of the best players in the Big East. His strong defensive play helped to ignite the comeback against Marquette, which the Hoyas went on to win 73-70. He averaged 4.3 points per game and 2.9 rebounds per game in 20.1 minutes per game, doing a great deal of his damage from behind the three-point arc.

The sophomore forward has been consistently weightlifting this off-season.

“I’ve been working hard this whole summer preparing myself for this year, getting ready for whatever the challenges that come my way,” he said.

While his overall numbers aren’t particularly impressive, Whittington appeared to become more comfortable in the final 10 games of the year, and he elevated his play. In that span, he shot 58.6 percent from the field and scored 6.8 points per game, including a career high of 15 points in a win over Notre Dame on Feb. 27. He will likely parlay that experience into a starting role this season.

by Brendan Crowley, Kevin Joseph, Keith Levinsky, and Joe Pollicino

georgetownvoice.com

basketball preview

the georgetown voice 10

RUNDOWN

*Home dates in bold.

1. Notre Dame Experience is huge when it comes to the rigors of the Big East, and that’s why we went against the grain by picking the Fighting Irish to come out on top-Notre Dame returns all five of its starters this season. Jack Cooley returns up front for what seems like his ninth year of eligibility, while the team’s electric backcourt of Jerian Grant and Eric Atkins returns to anchor the veteran group.

Jan. 21

9. Connecticut With the retirement of longtime and legendary head coach, John Calhoun, now-Head Coach Kevin Ollie looks to make the best out of what will be one of the more inexperienced teams in the league. Junior guard Shabazz Napier will look to fill the void left by the NBA departures of Jeremy Lamb and Andre Drummond as the Huskies battle NCAA sanctions.

Feb. 27

2. Syracuse The team we all love to hate has a pretty cushy out-of-conference schedule in its Big East swan song. The Orange reload this season with a potent mix of experience and talent; Brandon Triche and James Southerland will be expected to fill in the void at the top of the team’s vaunted 2-3 zone, while Michael Carter-Williams is expected to have a breakout season. We still hate them.

Feb. 23 & March 9 (The Big One)

10. Villanova Just like Pittsburgh, the Wildcats had a disappointing season last year, as they missed the NCAA tournament for the first time in seven years. They may be absent from the tournament again this year, as they lost the lead scoring combo of Maalik Wayns and Dominic Cheek. Senior forward Mouphtaou Yarou and sophomore forward Jayvaughn Pinkston will have to step up their scoring production dramatically if the Wildcats want to even think about dancing.

March 6

3. Louisville Conventional wisdom says the Cardinals should win the conference with Big East Conference Player of the Year Peyton Siva and First Teamer Gorgui Dieng. The core, combined with prolific sophomore scorer Chane Benahan, should help Head Coach Rick Pitino live up to preseason expectations. But after struggling to a 10-8 conference record with a similar core last season, we think they will hit the same bumps in the schedule this year, especially against the Hoyas.

Jan. 26

11. DePaul After a season of improvement in 2012, DePaul will look to build on the groundwork laid by Head Coach Oliver Purnell over the past two years.

Cornerstones Cleveland Melvin and Brandon Young will both return to the lineup as juniors. Six of their top seven scorers return this season, and they’ll look to translate that into a rise up the standings.

Feb. 20

4. Georgetown Last year, the Hoyas were heavily disrespected by the conference, predicted to finish 10th in the Big East. They turned heads and finished tied for fourth; this season, the coaches took notice, picking them to finish fifth. We think this is fair, but also believe the freshmen will come along faster than expected, helping Georgetown replicate last year’s finish.

12. Providence Last season, Ed Cooley’s new system instilled a new level of discipline into Providence. They formed a more cohesive unit, and the Friars blossomed in an environment rife with order. With a talented recruiting class, star point guard Vincent Council and Providence will try to get the results the team needs to move up the ranks in the Big East.

Jan. 16

5. Cincinnati Yancy Gates and Henry Sims provided a battle for the ages in last year’s Big East Tournament. Both are gone, but the Hoyas’ heartbreaking double-overtime loss that day is reflective of the Bearcats’ rise over the past few seasons. We see that trend continuing this season, as they return Sean Kilpatrick, who torched the Hoyas for 27 points last year, alongside floor general Cashmere Wright. Also, they broke Chris Wright’s hand in 2010.

Feb. 15

13. Rutgers Last year, Mike Rice’s game squad included seven freshman and no seniors on scholarship. There were a few breakthrough wins versus Florida and Connecticut, but ultimately lack of experience mooted any chance Rutgers had at making a name for itself. This year, the team looks forward to a few more surprise wins, but ultimately, the season will most likely end in disappointment for the Scarlet Knights.

March 2

6. South Florida After being stuck in the league cellar for much of their short Big East existence, South Florida has emerged as a contender under head coach Stan Heath. The Bulls are now one of the best defensive teams in the Big East, yet are challenged at times on the offense. If sophomore guard Anthony Collins can give them consistent scoring and strong leadership on offense, he could be a sleeper for Player of the Year.

Jan. 19

14. St. John’s Last season was slightly disastrous for St. John’s. After losing most of its starting lineup to graduation, it is amazing the Red Storm managed a 13-19 mark overall and a 6-12 record in the Big East. Coach Steve Lavin has brought in another large recruiting class, but it’ll take more than numbers to fix the problems staring St. John’s in the face.

Jan. 12

7. Pittsburgh Despite a disappointing last season in which Pittsburgh failed to make the NCAA tournament, head coach Jamie Dixon and the Panthers look to rebound with a strong recruiting class.

Freshman center Steven Adams, a top-five recruit, has the potential to make an impact early on. If senior Tray Woodall can continue where he left off before he suffered an abdominal injury last year, the Panthers will be a tough team to beat on any given night.

Jan. 8

15. Seton Hall In 2012 Head Coach Kevin Willard barely managed to drag his team into the NIT. The team’s top scorers, Jordan Theodore and Herb Pope, have both graduated and left a gaping hole which Willard believes only quality transfers can fill. That the Pirates have only just made it into national polls for the first time in 11 years says it all. It’s a transitory season over in Jersey.

Jan. 30

8. Marquette After a visit to the Sweet 16 last season, Marquette looks to rebuild quickly after the departure of Darius Johnson-Odom and Jae Crowder, last year’s Big East Player of the Year. However, thanks to the transfer of top scorer Trent Lockett from Arizona State, the rebuilding process should be a quick one for head coach Buzz Williams and the Golden Eagles.

Feb. 11

By: Chris Castano, Kevin Joseph, and Joe Polllicino

All pictures courtesy of the Big East Conference Communications Department

50 shades of blue and gray

georgetownvoice.com

the georgetown voice 11

50 shades of blue and gray Here’s the eighth installment of the Voice’s serial romance novel-cum-murder mystery, “50 Shades of Blue and Gray.” The next chapter of this steamy thriller is all up to you—send your 1,000-1,500-word submission, under your real name or your fake one, to editor@georgetownvoice.com by Monday night at 10 p.m., and we’ll pick our favorite for next week’s back page.

The wind bit into Tony as he headed down the hill back toward campus, and water from the storm poured down over his bare, chiseled abdomen. He knew what he had to do. The Exorcist stairs were his next stop. It was time to alert the authorities. It seemed that putting DPS in his phone freshman year would finally have a purpose.

The wind buzzed around his phone as he pressed it to his ear, “I’d like to report an emergency,” Tony yelled into his phone.

“Let me guess, there’s a hurricane?” the officer barked gruffly.

“No, there has been a string of murd—” the phone beeped as the call dropped. Of course, zero bars. If those assholes in the debate society hadn’t badgered against the AT&T and TMobile merger maybe we could make some fucking calls on this campus, Tony thought to himself as he walked past the shuttered Leo’s dining hall.

As a thunderclap shook Tony, he saw in his mind’s eye the pool of blood around Corinne’s crumpled body. Funny how peaceful Corinne looked—maybe there really was something about the high right before death. The last time Tony chased a high, the DMT source had dried up after everything ended in a bungled mess on the Harbin patio one Saturday morning a few years earlier.

Another reverberation of the storm’s fury brought Tony back to the present. What the hell was he doing thinking about drugs at a time like this? The rain was coming down in straight sheets, no doubt making any efforts to find this murderous woman a herculean task.

Who could this woman even be? What could he have done to anyone to make them kill to get back at him? Tony knew he was no saint, but surely with the exception of a few Franzia-blurred misunderstandings there was no reason anyone would be out for his life. Tony wiped the water from his eyes as he surveyed the area at the top of the Exorcist stairs. With another deep rumble, a tree crashed down behind Tony and everything around him sank into darkness....

A strange awareness crept over Tony, and he struggled to his feet. His clothes were different; a heavy rain slicker and baggy jeans had been replaced by a half-buttoned white dress shirt and fitted cream-colored slacks. He had also been transported at least a few feet, to the Car Barn rooftop. The chill of the storm had vanished from the air, replaced by a warm breeze that wrapped itself around Tony. It was the late afternoon and the setting sun painted the sky a deep amber.

Before he had time to consider his new clothes and location, the creaking of a door made Tony’s head whip around. Onto the rooftop, with the sun at her back, strode Corinne with effortless grace, not so much walking as gliding closer to Tony. Her beautiful golden hair shimmered in the auburn sun and her deep soulful eyes drew Tony to her. The gentle breeze made Corinne’s scarlet sundress dance slowly through the air revealing a bit of her thigh, only to hide it again at the next moment.

“Corinne?! It can’t be! I saw you! I saw...” Corinne pressed a finger to Tony’s lips and smiled alluringly,

“You always did talk too much, Tony. Nothing could ever keep me from you.”

Throwing his astonishment aside, Tony wrapped his hands around her waist and brought Corinne to him. Her warm body enveloped his, as the breeze had done a few moments ago. He gently stroked her hair away from her face and pulled her lips to his. This was a kiss that wiped Tony’s mind clean; he couldn’t think, only feel.

Corinne broke from their passionate embrace and flashed her beautiful smile again, this time even more sensually.

In one fluid motion Corinne slid out of her sundress, the sun behind washing her soft skin in an ethereal glow.

Slowly, Corinne worked Tony’s pants off as he unbuttoned his shirt. In moments, Corinne found herself backed against the wall of the rooftop. Gently, Tony slid his hand between her quivering thighs, and Corinne shuddered with pleasure. Getting on his knees, Tony bent to give Corinne even more. As she ran her hands through Tony’s hair, it was Corinne’s turn to forget everything. Rolling waves of ecstasy shook her entire body as she climbed closer and closer to climax.

“Oh Jack, all I ever wanted was you. Now take me, take me, Jack.”

Tony stopped dead. “Jack? Are you serious?”

Instead of replying, Corinne gripped Tony’s wrists with uncanny strength.

“What are you doing, Corinne? Calling me by the wrong name and trying to rip my hands off is definitely not sexy!”

Suddenly, Corinne vanished, replaced by a dull ache that seemed to consume every part of Tony’s body. “It must have been a dream,” Tony realized with a mix of confused emotions. But why did his wrist hurt so much...

Tony opened his eyes and struggled to make out any shapes. His head burned more than last year’s Newman’s Day festivities. Had he suddenly been doused in a bath of off-brand vodka, or perhaps paint thinner? In an attempt to feel the lump on the back of his head, Tony realized that his wrists were secured to the walls with belts that had to have been stolen from the varsity weight room.

“I know college is a time to experiment, but twice in one night is too much of a good thing even for me,” Tony uttered through gritted teeth. As the words left his mouth Tony heard a rustling, and a small black robed figure stirred from the darkness in front of him.

A mousey voice trimmed with ice slid into Tony’s ears: “Glad you are able to rejoin us this evening, Tony. I was beginning to grow bored with your stubborn slumber.”

“Who the hell are you and what are you doing?” Tony shouted.

“Now, now, Tony, I don’t think you are in the position to be asking the questions. Although... I must say I am quite fond of the position you are in.” Tony followed the

saccharine voice to its origin, but was met with something definitely not human. A thunderclap and the following lighting illuminated the space just enough for Tony to realize that he was staring into the face of Guy Fawkes.

She must have noticed the look of confusion in his eyes, “Why yes Tony, I thought I’d pick a face you’d be able to put a name to.”

Her voice drew out each vowel, making Tony wonder who this woman could be, or perhaps he was grasping for anything to make sense of the chaos flowing in and around him.

“I hope you are enjoying our little game as much as I am, Tony. We’ve just started to play.”

— Mr. & Mrs. Ernest Duckworth

leisure

12 the georgetown voice

november 8, 2012

Daniel Craig proves he’s a tux-worthy Bond in Skyfall

by Julia Lloyd-George Bond is back. After a rather torturous hiatus of four years, the famous franchise is up on its feet and has hit the ground running with Skyfall. American Beauty director Sam Mendes has managed to breathe life into a series that many considered to be on a downward spiral, and though the original material of the Ian Fleming spy novels has dried up, the writers have managed to come up with an entertaining storyline that doesn’t stray too far from the films’ roots.

All the traditional Bondisms are in the brew, but there’s also a recognizable consciousness of modernity—a formula which seems perfectly poised to springboard the Bond franchise in a new direction, leaving fans stirred instead of shaken.

With Skyfall, Daniel Craig has returned as the rugged 007 that we all know and have mixed feelings about, though it’s safe to say he does an excellent job of play-

ing a pop culture icon 50 years in the making. His Bond is not so clean and rigid, a much more human character than the smoothtalking spy of generations past.

Much more likely to make mistakes, he misses shots and gets out of breath. At least 45 minutes pass before he appears in a tuxedo. It’s easy to bemoan this development as a shift away from the beloved classic, but in reality it makes Bond a more credible hero; a willingness to show the spy’s weaknesses only adds to the film’s strengths.

But action junkies should not despair—excellent chases and visually dynamic fight scenes abound. One of the film’s most explosive action sequences occurs close to the film’s beginning, involving a motorcycle chase that ends with Bond falling off a bridge. How he comes back from this supposed death is the driving force of the plot, as he must learn to regain his old skills in the face of a changing MI6 and threats from a mysterious hacker.

Javier Bardem makes a decent villain, though his agenda— a quest for revenge against M (Judi Dench)—is a bit of a stretch.

Meanwhile, the Bond girls are a bit of a disappointment, as they take a backseat role that doesn’t allow for much agency or dynamism. However, these are minor fallbacks in a film which otherwise consistently hits the target.

The intersection of new and old is a major part of what makes this particular installment so strong. Utterly aware of its legacy, Skyfall brings back a lot of the excitement of the older, Sean Connery-era films which has fallen by the wayside over the years.

The return of Q in the form of an excellently cast Ben Whishaw was one of the most welcome reincarnations.

At the same time, the film makes a point of not taking itself too seriously. The exploding pens and ejecting car seats of films past become fodder for gentle teasing, and though Skyfall certainly has a foot in the

of dramatic movement within the piece, the hip-hop section midway through helps revitalize the number. The performers are relatively coordinated, lending their own styles to the somewhat repetitive choreography and effectively creating a performance where the audience has as much fun as the dancers.

The sole full-company routine of the show is set to another Beyoncé record, but this time,

with staccato, fervent movements contrasted by calmer ones showcasing fluidity within the group.

BMDT members Jaclyn Markowitz (COL ‘14) and Bernadette Nelsen (SFS ‘14) drive the piece as the lead dancers, and they certainly steal the show.

Dominique Atwood, guest choreographer of Dadas Dynasty, utilizes the remaining company members to add drama to the lead dancers; however, Markow-

past, there’s no sense of reverence here. This proves a big part of what makes Skyfall so likable.

The Bond series has been through many eras, mostly marked by the arrival of new actors to fill the honored role. Many diehard fans wax poetic about the era of Connery or even Pierce Brosnan, when the tuxedos were spotless and the villains had fluffy cats. Craig represents a

shift toward more gritty action, and away from that clean template. And although that ended very poorly in 2008’s Quantum of Solace, Skyfall marks a triumphant return.

At one point, Bardem’s villain asks Craig’s Bond what his hobby is. “Resurrection” is his response, and this glorious Bond revival hardly allows for a counterargument.

Collider.com

“Bloody hell, Q never programmed in the number for Roadside Assistance.”

BMDT’s Fire in Her Eyes ignites Walsh’s Black Box Theatre

by Julia Jester If “Gangnam Style” is the extent of your knowledge about the current dance world, the time has arrived to experience Georgetown’s Black Movements Dance Theatre. Appropriately titled for its emphasis on girl power and ethnic culture, Fire in Her Eyes opens this weekend at the Walsh Black Box Theatre. And what the show lacks in technical consistency, Fire makes up for with the dancers’ passion, highlighted in energetic performances which mix a myriad of styles.

BMDT, typically regarded as a predominantly Afro-infused dance group, stays true to its cultural roots while expanding its repertoire to a more contemporary audience. With a variety of pieces ranging from modern to jazz and incorporating several contemporary lyrical routines, BMDT’s fall performance not only adapts to an evolving dance world, but also reflects the technical growth of its dancers.

Its main crowd-pleaser routine is “Givin’ it All,” a smooth jazz and hip-hop mixture to Beyoncé’s “Love on Top” choreographed by Courtney Hodge (COL ‘14). Though there is a lack

Gavin Meng

“At least one Fox News pundit reported dropping dead after Obama’s win.” the mood is drastically different.

Just as showiness has its place in “Givin’ it All,” emotional drama takes over the stage in “Circle of Life,” using Beyoncé’s “Starting Over” as the backdrop for a haunting performance filled

itz and Nelsen’s genuinely passionate performances are captivating enough to stand alone.

The lead dancers, with the help of the supporting corps, portray the struggles of human relationships through a series of free-spirited

movements and stunning execution of technical dance elements, revealing their depth and skill as performers. In addition to both dancers’ impressive technique, Markowitz’s unique movement quality and Nelsen’s elegant lines are showcased in each pose, pirouette, and penche.

While the audience will enjoy the Beyoncé routines of the show, the true standout performance is a soft yet powerful contemporary routine which reveals beauty and strength through a routine of subtle, controlled movements.

Also choreographed by Hodge, this small group contemporary dance to Meshell Ndegeocello’s “Bitter” incorporates sustained dance elements and an excellent use of levels to produce a beautiful routine. Reminiscent of So You Think You Can Dance group numbers, the piece tells a story from start to finish, beginning with a strong intro starring Nelsen and Hodge herself. Devoid of flash or an overwhelming amount of tricks, the dance reverts back to the original purpose of dance performance—personal expression and the translation of emotion into movement.

This year’s BMDT fall concert reflects growth and artistic

progress for the dance group.

Distinguishing itself from the also technically-based Georgetown University Dance Company, this year BMDT added a male dancer to its roster. Staying true to its mission, BMDT performs a true modern routine choreographed by faculty director Alfreda Davis, and company members perform to a spoken word piece written and delivered by Vivian Ojo (SFS ‘14).

The company is filled with dancers of diverse backgrounds and experience levels, which both benefits and hinders the overall showcase. The dancers’ unique, individual styles allow for interesting pieces; however, the group struggles to stay in sync at times, and often abandons basic technical elements, such as controlled arm movements, straight legs, and pointed toes.

If the group’s technical level matched its dramatic level, the show would come closer to emulating that of a professional company. However, the passion of the dancers is undeniable and nearly compensates for any technical shortcomings. If nothing else, Fire in Her Eyes will broaden your limited horizons with a pleasant, culturally-rich performance.

georgetownvoice.com

“When life gives you lemons, just say, ‘Fuck the lemons,’ and bail.” — Forgetting Sarah Marshall

the georgetown voice 13

Student One Acts brought to life Critical Voices

by Liana Mehring The Donn B. Murphy One Acts Festival is a celebration of Georgetown’s own aspiring playwrights.

The festival features two readings of original student works-inprogress: “Finch/Robinson” by Jack Schmitt (COL ‘15), which examines race relations through the lens of Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, and “Family Pictures” by Lydia Brown (COL ‘15), which tells a tale of high-profile family drama surrounding the indictment of the director of the CIA for war crimes.

The main act of the night, however, is Spiritual Ecstasies by Katie Mitchell (COL ’15) and directed

by Kathleen Joyce (COL ’15). The work takes its name from a line inOscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray, when a character becomes engrossed in a book and describes the experience as “one hardly

knew at times whether one was reading the spiritual ecstasies of some medieval saint or the morbid confession of a modern sinner.”

Drawing inspiration from this line, the play endeavors to imbue three disparate narrative voices with the passion of spiritual ecstasy.

The play features three unnamed characters who are arranged in an arc facing the audience. Props are minimal; the characters are seated isolated from one another upon a plain bench, chair, and stool, respectively.

They never interact, but rather take turns addressing an unseen male character upon whom they unleash alternating tirades which deal loosely with transcendent human experiences.

On stage right is an amicable young hockey player in a bright red jersey. He’s attempting to justify his life as a full-time hockey

Conniie YanG

“You know what they say, the longer the hockey stick...”

Let’s not put labels on it

In the broadest sense of the word, foodies are harmless. They’re just a group of people intensely curious about food. They flock to every new restaurant, they memorize José Andrés’ cookbook as though it were the Bible, and they scour farmers’ markets for heirloom varieties of little-known vegetables.

Though doing such things may seem ridiculous, foodies are, in fact, nothing more than hobbyists.

The deep annoyance with foodies, specifically, is their unfortunate pick of passion. Model train makers don’t irk anyone, because humans don’t need to build tiny train tracks to survive. We might hear them talk about their passion every once and a while, but it’s not always the topic of conversation.

On the other hand, the object of foodies’ affection is all around us.

We need to eat to live, and while

we all enjoy food, a friend who tells us the cultural history of salt every time we pick up the shaker is simply not welcome at the dinner table.

Because foodies have the opportunity to wax about their cooking forays three times a day, seven days a week, they tend to get annoying.

Yet not all foodies have bad intentions. They don’t all aim to upstage others with their seemingly infinite knowledge of Indian cuisine or their stories of how they met the head chef at such-and-such restaurant. Most foodies just really like food, and their enthusiasm, while grating, can even be endearing.

So it’s with reluctance that I’m blaming them in part for the results of California’s elections this week. As an absentee voter from the Golden State, I don’t just get a ballot sent to me every four years— I receive a whole book. Because of

player to his nine-to-five desk job brother. Describing the rush of the game, he experiences transcendence by becoming the game, by becoming in his words “a hard right turn” and sending the puck smoothly, powerfully, and naturally into the net.

At center stage is a furrowbrowed priest addressing a young parishioner who has brought his newborn baby for baptism.

Clutching the bible and staring unwaveringly at the audience, the priest laments the disorientation and alienation of modern city life. Transcendence for the priest is achieved through breaching distracted minds and creating a sacred mental space for peace.

To stage left is an earnest and sensual young photographer addressing the object of her longsuffered and unrequited love. She explains how she counts her life in images like the moment a greenwinged Luna Moth landed on a red-rusted window frame by his neck. Transcendence for her is realized through delicate attunement to one’s body and expression of one’s physicality.

With understated staging and passionate verbal expression the play conveys three distinct experiences of athletic, spiritual, and sensual transcendence. A smartly written and ardently acted play, Spiritual Ecstasies isn’t quite out-of-body, but definitely exceeds expectations.

our hyper-democratic proposition system, Californians vote on what seems like thousands of initiatives every election.

This year, propositions included banning the death penalty and tempering the three-strikes system, but the measure into defeating which companies from Monsanto

Plate of the Union

by Heather Regen a bi-weekly column about food to DuPont poured $45 million dollars was Proposition 37. If passed, the measure would have made it mandatory to label all foods containing genetically modified organisms, or GMOs. Not everyone who supported Prop 37 was a gluten-free vegan, either. Some conservatives lauded the measure as a matter of promoting free markets and expanding

Aerosmith, Music From Another Dimension!, Big Machine Records “You are about to enter a great adventure, and experience the awe and mystery from your ultimate fantasies to your deepest fears.” A Twilight Zoneesque voice issues this ominous warning to kick off Music From Another Dimension!, Aerosmith’s first release of original content in 11 years. The “deepest fears” to which this voice refers could be of the likelihood that, in the time that has elapsed, the band has lost its touch, and can no longer produce quality music. Fortunately, these concerns last only until the first drum beats bring in the powerful riffs, proving that Aerosmith is still alive and kicking—vigorously.

“Luv XXX” launches Music with crunchy arpeggios and heavily assaulted cymbals driving Steven Tyler’s vocals as he growls about “love three times a day.” While such topics coming

consumer choice. But companies on both sides of the industrial food machine—from grain and agrochemical suppliers to big labels like Coca-Cola and Kraft—were terrified of the measure. If California mandated GMO labeling, they would have to mainstream their products to fit the West Coast’s tighter standards, and every U.S. customer would be armed with more information about what’s in packaged products.

The question of GMOs isn’t a black-and-white issue. Genetically modified crops helped drastically alleviate hunger during the Green Revolution, but they have also sparked major health concerns.

Their place in the industrial agricultural system and their innate dependence on toxic pesticides only furthers environmental degradation. Because they pose complicated problems, consumers deserve the right to choose whether or not

from 60-year-old men are somewhat unnerving, all is forgiven in the throwback rock ‘n’ roll grit of the album.

Tracks like hurtling love song “Oh Yeah” and heartfelt ballad “Tell Me” are reminiscent of ‘70s rock, in that they are entirely emblematic of the genre, maintaining a formula that has existed for nearly half a century. This familiarity is not unwelcome; on the contrary, the mature style still maintains addictive riffs, rough vocals dripping with Tyler’s quirky wit, and the reckless abandon of the dying age of rock ‘n’ roll.

Despite its deep roots in the past, Music does not neglect the modern age. “Can’t Stop Lovin’ You,” for instance, is a duet with Carrie Underwood, who adds American Idol-trained smooth vocals and a touch of twang to balance Tyler’s coarseness.

Though it is over an hour in length, Music From Another Dimension! ends all too soon. The closing track, “Another Last Goodbye,” closes Aerosmith’s album on a powerful piano- and string-backed note punctuated by Tyler’s anguish. The listener can only hope that the title is not directed at the audience.

Voice’s Choices: “Can’t Stop Lovin’ You,” “Tell Me” —Kirill Makarenko

they want to support GMOs. And the only way to give consumers that ability is to label food products that contain them.

On Tuesday, Prop 37 failed to pass. The enormous amount of money spent by its opposition went toward misinforming voters and painting a ridiculous narrative about an important issue in food politics. Monsanto said Prop 37 was the work of foodies fussing over ingredients. We can still treat food as a hobby, but it will always be political as well, and we can’t lose sight of that when measures like Prop 37 show up on our ballots. Unfortunately, the recent conversation and culture surrounding food has been less concerned with GMOs and more concerned with how our whimsical meals look on Instagram.

Lobby Heather at hregen@georgetownvoice.com.

voices

14 the georgetown voice

november 8, 2012

Jazzed up: An afficionado’s elegy to the genre’s greats

by Chris Almeida I think we need to be a bit more careful when throwing around terms like “art” and “genius.” These words, in an American context, apply to things works like those of Ellington, Gershwin, Whitman, and Emerson. Today, they have come to describe the work of artists like Kanye West, Justin Bieber, and Taylor Swift.

These artists fill up arenas instantly, sell millions of records in seconds, and bring a furor in their wake anywhere in the world. If I had something bad to say about these three artists, I would probably enrage somebody within hearing distance, no matter where I was on campus. On the other hand, if I were to say that Miles Davis was a clueless moron, chances are that nobody would have any type of opinion on what I was saying, if they even knew who I was talking about.

I enjoy listening to modern music written by groups that understand the studio—Grizzly Bear’s Shields was inspired, yet topped out at 37 on iTunes dur-

ing its opening week—and I even like some mindless rap music every once in a while (though I can’t stomach any post-Graduation Kanye). However, it’s lonely where I am, and more so, I find myself discouraged when I open Twitter to find people proclaiming, “Taylor Swift is one of the greatest songwriters ever.” Swift is a one-trick pony, and unless I am horribly mistaken, playing 1-4-5 progressions on a guitar and complaining about painfully immature teenage romantic problems—or as the world would like to inform me, her now “adult” romantic problems—is not exactly the formula that puts one on the same ground as Mozart.

The jazz fanatic is an endangered species. Among the younger generation, they practically don’t exist. Aside from my big-band companions, I can count the jazzers that I know on one hand. Artwork is commonly overshadowed by contemporary trends, but what has happened on the music scene, both locally and globally, is a crime. I’m no raging jazz purist; I’m open to other styles of music,

but it saddens me to look at the music scene and see what it has become. The most popular artists have cheapened music to a disgusting spectacle of substanceless promotions and publicity.

Jazz is a unique art form, an amalgamation of technical skill and unadulterated portrayal of feeling through improvisation.

The spontaneous nature of jazz makes it one of a kind, a form of art that bares the soul and the mind to the listener, a form where the music could start anywhere and end anywhere, where the same song could say any number of different things, revealing itself to the players as it shows itself to the audience every time it is performed.

However, the lightning-fast licks of Charlie Parker and the work of all of his predecessors and protégés is being forgotten. The hundreds of Ellington compositions are immediately written off as “boring elevator music,” if not completely unknown by the modern generation.

Most people know names like Duke Ellington and Louis Arm-

strong, but who’s Johnny Hodges?

Who’s Sidney Bechet? Who’s Billy Strayhorn? These were some of the greatest players and composers in history, men who were as closely aligned with Louis and Duke as Pippen was with Jordan, but they are nobody to the vast majority of the music-listening population. What we are doing in the modern day is throwing away one of the only true American art forms, comparable to shutting down the MLB or setting Mark Twain’s novels ablaze.

Now, music is not so much art as a promotional monstrosity.

Gimmicks like Justin Bieber have made millions from exploiting social trends and mob mentality in the easily influenced youth. Pop music has gotten its claws into the teens and 20-somethings of today, and doesn’t seem to be letting go any time soon.

It’s depressing to look at the state of music, where trained musicians in the fields of classical or jazz who have devoted their entire lives to a craft, who have spent hours and hours striving to gain virtuosic command of their instru-

life philosophy is, or what it means to be a part of a community of knowledge-seeking individuals.

Those questions were always a side note to what I did learn, which can be summed up in a box neatly divided into four squares, with one column and row labeled “cooperate” and the other labeled “defect.”

This box is known in game theory as the Prisoner’s Dilemma.

This dilemma is applied to a variety of situations where there is both cooperation and competition in the international system. The diagram often demonstrates that while cooperation may be the best

overall outcome, two parties will choose to defect, or will choose the overall suboptimal outcome.

Last week, I was late to a lecture-style class taught by an extremely engaging professor and established author in the field of international relations. He maintains a policy that favors absence to lateness. In other words, not showing up to class is better than showing up five minutes late. To explain this policy, he uses the logic of collective action to demonstrate that individual rationality leads to a collectively suboptimal result.

“Suppose that every time a student is late, I become distracted for a minute. Multiply that minute by the 65 students in the class. It becomes costly for the collective experience,” he wrote to me when I asked why he held this policy.

From a student perspective, this policy immediately calls into consideration a number of points.

First, a student who is engaged and interested in a subject should not be penalized for wanting to come to class and be engaged for as much of it as possible. Second, each student pays about $3,000 in tuition for every course, and the opportunity cost of showing up late, on an individual basis, severely outweighs not being there at all. Lastly, in a lecture-style class, collective input isn’t even encouraged in the first place. Therefore, there is little incentive or reason to be concerned about the experience of the person sitting next to you,

when there is no class discussion going on.

My professor provided a counter-anecdote explaining how tuition costs reinforce the collective action problem.

“In our society, lateness is acceptable in certain settings, but not others. So, we don’t like it when someone shows up late to a $10 movie, but we live with it. When it comes to more expensive tickets— opera, symphonies, even Hoya basketball games, people are not allowed to walk in late (you have to wait for a break). Considering what tuition costs, I prefer to think of your classroom experience as more valuable than the movie experience.“ Given the number of classes the average student has in one week, alongside part-time or full-time jobs and on-campus activities, this argument doesn’t quite convince. If I had to go to 10 operas in one week for nine months in a year, I’d probably be late to at least two.

Perhaps I am too idealistic, or too influenced by Hindu philosophy, but I believe classrooms and teacher-student relationships are sacred, and shouldn’t be lowered to the level of game theory, collective action, or the prisoner’s dilemma.

Surely, each student’s learning experience is dependent on collective input and cooperation is essential to the most optimal learning environment. However, the classroom deserves a better place in society; I believe it should not just be a

ment, who work tirelessly to understand composition and theory, will most likely struggle to hold down a job, and one which is not particularly lucrative in the first place, while One Direction and other similar acts will ride their creatively impaired, fad-following, thoughtless fan base to fame and financial success.

So, at the very least, give jazz a chance. Don’t just write it off as “musicians’ music.” It has textural diversity and emotional range, not just fast lines and technical displays. This music is dying because it fails to spark interest in youth.

So, next time you’re looking for something to listen to, go to YouTube and look up some John Coltrane or Clifford Brown, when you have a free weekend, go and see a show at Blues Alley, and please, think twice before you call Red or good kid, m.A.A.d city “brilliant.”

Chris Almeida is a freshman in the College. He likes jazz in his face, but he’ll admit that it’s a dangerously easy vowel switch to something very dirty.

Late? Look no further, laggard learner, than collective action

by Vanya Mehta After my freshman year in college, high-brow, intangible theories were dead to me. I took a full course load of philosophy and liberal arts courses that left me begging for a practical education, yearning for a movement away from all the different “-isms” and toward action verbs. I transferred from a liberal arts program at NYU to the School of Foreign Service with this hope in mind.

Looking back, the past three years of my education haven’t left me with a better sense of what my

TEDDY SCHAEFER

This guy’s got his priorities straight: coffee trumps all, even that deadline.

place where we receive a grade, but also a space where we develop and learn how to be decent and accepting human beings.

Game theory may be applicable in many scenarios where there are high payoffs and big powers at play. A classroom, on the other hand, shouldn’t mimic the competitive and self-interested nature of the average nation-state.

Ironically, when forced to work within this zero-sum framework, I choose to defect. Just as rarely as we see cooperation in the international system without incentives, as a student I have no incentive to lose out on an entire hour of learning just for the fear of humiliation or potential cost towards my peers.

Although a matter of opinion, I do not see my lateness contributing enough harm to my fellow classmates to see it worth losing the accompanied $3,000 price tag, and I see many of my peers agree.

I’m not saying you should be disrespectful, or frequently or intentionally late, but if you stand in front of the door and the Healy clock tower rings, I say: go to class. Be a knowledge-seeker. Make the most of your education; before you graduate and enter into the “stag hunt” survival game of the real world.

Vanya Mehta is a senior in the SFS. She went to the doctor, and they told her she had a bad case of senioritis. The only cure? More cowbell.

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15

Disenfranchised doyenne fumes at dark side of democracy

by Sara Ainsworth The U.S. is infamous for its low voter turnout. The Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance ranks it 120th out of 169 voting countries, putting it behind such bastions of democracy as Bahrain, Iran, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

It’s a commonly held belief that low voter turnout rates are due to apathy, and a widespread belief that “my vote doesn’t count.”

The former is true to some degree, particularly in this election.

And the latter is also true, not only because some votes are weighted more than others, but also because a significant number of votes are not counted. The biggest issue of voter turnout is that American citizens are literally being disenfranchised.

This is the first presidential election that I can vote in, and I am keen to exert my right. So like a good citizen, I finished my voter registration for the state of Texas in September and mailed in my absentee ballot request almost three weeks before the election. It did not arrive until Monday, Nov.

KAREN BU

At least she didn’t have to wait for hours in the cold to vote, that shit sucked.

A History of Bro’s

Frederick Douglass once perspicaciously noted that “food to the indolent is poison, not sustenance.”

Okay, now that I’ve gotten all the bros to stop reading, I’m going to explain how I discovered the source of the History Channel’s destruction.

Once upon a time, the History Channel aired one-hour documentaries about just what you’d expect from a channel of that name—history. The subject matter was languid and pedantic, but at least it made you smarter. But, why do I see Swamp Land and Ancient Aliens when I tune into the History Channel these days?

The answer: Bros.

I found myself watching television on an average Sunday night when a herd of bros planted

themselves into the couch. After surrendering the TV for a couple of minutes to escape their noxious body spray, I came back to exactly what I expected--a standard trashy television show. Then I saw what channel this program was on: the History Channel.

Wait. Isn’t trashy TV reserved for Jerry Springer and Home Improvement reruns?

Nope, not anymore. The History Channel has now managed to fill its roster with hick gems like Swamp People, Cajun Pawn Stars, Big Shrimping, and Hairy Bikers. Folks, you can’t make this shit up.

So legions of bros presumably lounge in front of this garbage every couple of days and hike up the ratings for these asinine programs. These bastards

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5. Absentee ballots in Texas have to be received by 7 p.m. on Election Day. Well, there goes my vote.

I know that I’m not alone in this experience. As I stood in the Village A mail room on Saturday, Nov. 3 hoping to open my box and find my ballot, I was in the company of three other Georgetown students hoping to receive the same electoral packet. Out of the four of us, only one of us got the golden ticket.

Now, I would understand if Georgetown was in New Jersey or New York, and a number of students hadn’t received their ballots due to the devastation from Hurricane Sandy. For D.C., though, there is no excuse. Sure, we didn’t have mail service on the Monday or Tuesday before the election, but there is no reason for ballots not to have arrived by the weekend before the election. If the issue is slow mail, then ballots should be given priority mailing. Ensuring that citizens can vote should be the government’s primary concern.

There is evidence that the government may not necessarily be interested in everyone voting, what with the new voter ID laws, limited early voting in Florida, and Election Day not being a holiday. All of those allegations involve in-person voting; absentee is a separate issue.

Absentee ballots go through five stages: mailing in the ballot request, processing of the appli-

cations, sending out the ballot, receiving and filling in the ballot, and mailing the ballot in on time.

Let’s look at that process in real time: My absentee ballot request was mailed on Oct. 17 from my house in Texas, less than 10 miles away from the county election office. It took over five business days for this to be processed and mailed to me on Oct. 27. It then took six business days (four, minus Sandy) for the ballot to arrive on Nov. 5. The final one-anda-half steps are now redundant.

The parts of the process attributed to the government took too long. There is no reason for it to take that many days to process an absentee ballot and send it, especially since Texas has implemented extended early voting so as to reduce the number of people applying for absentee ballots. There is also no reason for it to take that much time to arrive. The state and federal governments (the latter, in the case of the postal service) need to do a better job protecting a citizen’s right to vote and start prioritizing voting.

This is a pressing national issue. In 2008, 30 percent of votes were from absentee ballots. Of that 30 percent, it is estimated that one-fifth were not counted. That means that 6 percent of all ballots cast were not counted. No wonder people feel like their vote doesn’t count—for many, they don’t!

have taken away my favorite one-hour specials on Hitler’s mistresses, and History Channel’s conspiracy specials on Shakespeare’s venereal diseases have been substituted with juvenile UFO cover-up shows (“You wanna know why Arrested Development got canceled after three seasons? Aliens.”). While the History Channel may have never

off with. Holy hell, these people aren’t even aware of the petulance they’re supporting! They left before the episode finished, and I, of course, continued where they left off. As expected, the show felt like the offspring of The Waterboy and The Blair Witch Project. Entertaining? Yes. Historic?

By no means whatsoever.

So where does the knowledge-hungry yet lethargic consumer find his daily dose of history now that the History Channel has betrayed its most avid followers? PBS is a step in the right direction, but that may be taking the word “history” a little too literally. We want pop-history, not Robert Caro interviews. The Military Channel and History International also offer a decent dose of Civil War specials, but the narrow focus may polarize general audiences; on top of this, they usually aren’t included in cable and satellite providers’ standard packages. There’s really no place left to turn to but the library, but despite our educators’ best efforts, the amount of voluntary reading the average American engages in is utterly depressing.

Therefore, the only way to solve this problem is for bros

Carrying On

by John Sapunor

A rotating column by Voice senior staffers

held itself to pristine standards, this new dip into reality programming indicates that something is undoubtedly wrong with our society. And bros, you’re not the only contributor to this problem. Still, you’re the first people I caught watching this stuff, so it’s you I’m going to pick on.

As I sat in the living room, watching the bros congregate around the TV, I noticed one thing; they weren’t paying attention. Swamp People was merely background noise for their backand-forths about who fucked who and what hand they jerk

This issue needs to be addressed, and alternatives methods for absentee voting looked into.

30-plus states allow overseas and military voters to vote by email.

New Jersey has extended this to absentee voting in the wake of Sandy’s destruction, while also requiring a paper ballot. More states need to look into instituting online voting for absentees, overseas or not. We live in the 21st century; if our president can have a secured BlackBerry then I think that we can figure out a way to have secure online voting.

In fact, why not let all voters vote online? More than three-fourths of the U.S. population uses the Internet. This will alleviate the issue of people who can’t get off work, the huge lines at polling stations, and people who “just don’t have the time.” Everyone with access to Internet has time to send an email.

If the U.S. really wants a “government of the people, by the people, for the people,” then state governments and the federal government need to stop this history of disenfranchisement. Because, dammit, I want to rock the vote.

Sara Ainsworth is a junior in the SFS. She doesn’t only rock the vote, but give her enough beer and she’ll rock your socks off, too. to recognize what channel they turn to before they completely zone out. There’s got to be at least 3 or 4 million bros in this country, so habitual avoidance of History Channel programming could have a formidable impact on Swamp People’s ratings. Like most things in bro culture, this little behavioral shift should spread like a contagion.

Within a few months, the History Channel should be playing your favorite Stalin biography instead of a two-hour report on the imminent Dec. 21, 2012 apocalypse.

Let’s end this discussion with an anecdote that exemplifies what constitutes history and what constitutes the History Channel’s pseudo-history. When Ali G spoke to Gore Vidal about the definition of history, Mr. G recounted the high school story of how he fingered a girl and let his friends smell his finger for ten pence. The girl subsequently told Ali G he was history. Ali G took this statement to heart and posited the question to Gore Vidal: “Is I history?” Yes, Ali G, you are more historic than any of these gator-stalking rednecks will ever be.

TAKE IT FROM THE TOP

By Brendan Crowley This winter, Georgetown women’s basketball fans won’t be seeing many familiar faces on the court in McDonough Arena.

With the departure of seven seniors, one transfer student, and Head Coach Terri WilliamsFlournoy, it is up to eight returning players, three freshmen, and eager first-year Head Coach Keith Brown to continue the program’s impressive three-year run. Over that period, the program has been revitalized, reaching at least the second round of the NCAA tournament each season.

To be frank, it won’t be easy. The void left by the seniors is vast, as the group was chock-full of impressive accolades. Each one won at least of 20 games in her four years at Georgetown, making the class of 2012 the winningest class in program history.

Last season, the senior class accounted for 53 percent of the team’s scoring, anchored by Tia Magee’s 11.1 points per game. Apart from current senior Sugar Rodgers, who led the Hoyas last season in scoring with 18.5 points per game, a mere 9.9 points per game are returning to the Hoyas this year. This is an especially bothersome statistic

Women’s Preview

considering most of this scoring happened at the end of alreadydecided games.

Brown, for one, doesn’t seem worried. Though he acknowledges the team’s lack of experience, he believes it has loads of potential, which he attributes to the players’ unrelenting desire to improve.

“It’s like we got one senior and nine freshman,” Brown explained, “because they didn’t get a chance to play because of those other kids.

But where seven seniors kind of turned it off sometimes because they heard it…these kids’ antennas are up. They’re like sponges, they want to learn, they’re soaking up more information. I think that’s going to be the biggest impact on this team.”

Brown hopes his team’s ability to absorb information will translate into team success on the court, allowing for those inexperienced individuals to thrive.

Senior captain Sydney Wilson, a 6-foot-6 center, is one of the most promising candidates. She was part of a staunch interior presence for the Hoyas last year, leading the team in blocks with 24 on the season. However, with the departure of her partner in crime down low in

Magee, Wilson will be expected to bolster her influence in both scoring and rebounding, where she averaged just 3.2 and 3.8 per game respectively.

“Sydney Wilson needs a great year,” Brown said. “If we can get post presence, we think we’re going to be really good.“ Brown also has high hopes for many of his underclassmen.

“We think that [sophomore forward] Brittany Horne is going to shoot the ball well,” he said. “[Freshman guard] Logan Battle, if she figures it out, she’s gonna be really, really good. She’s athletic, she’s long, she makes plays, we just got to get her going in the right direction…I’m expecting Jasmine Jackson, who’s a sophomore at the point guard spot, I’m asking her to step up. We got 10 kids and I’ll play every one of them, so I’m looking for everybody to step up and get some scoring.”

Brown’s all-inclusive style of coaching is a reflection of his offensive and defensive philosophies, both of which stress constant movement and less structure.

“Instead of running so many plays, now we run an offense that’s more continuous,” Brown said.

Sugar, sugar how you get so fly?

By Joe Pollicino

After an offseason filled with change for the Georgetown women’s basketball team, one member remains constant: senior shooting guard Sugar Rodgers. Sugar, by far the premier

REBECCA ANTHONY

Sugar Rogers presses up front.

player on the team, has been the leading scorer for the Hoyas the past three seasons, averaging 18.3 points per game during her career on the Hilltop.

Yet Rodgers, the third-leading scorer in the Big East last year and second leading scorer in Georgetown women’s basketball history, is hungry for more, working a lot on her game this offseason to cement her legendary legacy at Georgetown.

“Offensively, I’ve just been doing some of the same things I was doing last year, just improving on some of the mistakes I made,” Rodgers said. “I worked on basically everything. Better shot selection. I took some bad shots last year, but I worked on that. In the summer I worked on dribbling and my mid-range [jumpshot].”

Last season, Rodgers led the Hoyas in scoring in 25 of 32 games, averaging 18.5 points per game. She was also third on the team in rebounds, second in assists, as well as first in free throw shooting percentage and steals. She was named Big East Player of the Week three

times and named to the Big East Weekly Honor Roll seven times.

Her stellar play from last season has not gone unnoticed, as the preseason accolades continue to pile up. Rodgers was a selection to the Preseason AllBig East Team, one of only four players to be a unanimous pick.

Also, for the third consecutive season, Rodgers is an Associated Press preseason honorable mention All-American as well as a WBCA preseason honorable mention All-American.

Sugar was also named one of 60 candidates for the Senior CLASS award, which is given to seniors with notable achievements in competition, community, character, and the classroom. Sugar is also the first women’s basketball player in Georgetown history to ever earn First-Team All-Big East recognition three times.

Her own personal goals for this year are built on the team’s success.

“You always have those goals in the back of your mind, but my goal is to win and to get farther than last year in

“So when it breaks down they can always know how to get back into the offense. I think right now we’re running a true offense…they got to do more reads.”

“Our motto is we’re going to defend, rebound, and share the ball,” he added. “And we’re going to apply as much pressure on you as possible, all the time...We play differently than anybody in the country.”

Star point guard Rodgers echoed Brown’s emphasis on an active style of play.

“Same principles as far as defense…Defend, rebound, share the ball. Pressure, pressure, pressure, trap, trap, trap,” she emphasized.

“The usual. Offensively, we’ll push

the ball in transition and try to get some easy buckets.”

As for where the team is at mentally, Rodgers referenced her team’s high level of enthusiasm.

“Everybody’s excited,” Rodgers said. “We ready to rock and roll.”

When the Hoyas’ season opens this Friday at home versus Sacred Heart at 7 p.m., Coach Brown hopes to see this same type of excitement from the student body.

“I think that if our student body can show us the love…that support would go a long way to continue the legacy that we started to build,” he said. “They play so hard…anything I can do to help them [the fans] come out, I’m willing to do.”

Hoyas celebrate during Midnight Madness. the NCAA Tournament,” said Rodgers. “We haven’t been to the Elite Eight, so I would like for us to get there this year.

The individual accolades only come with the team’s success.

The end goal is to get my degree and hopefully go to the WNBA.” Last year, the Hoyas were ousted in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Rodgers hasn’t forgotten that, and looks forward to a better performance in the postseason.

“I was disappointed that we didn’t go farther. I wanted to go at least back to the Sweet 16 like we did the year before,” she said. “I’m not going to stay satisfied because you can never be satisfied.”

This offseason, former Head Coach Terri Williams-Flournoy departed the Hilltop to take the head coaching position at Auburn. With former assistant coach Keith Brown, who recruited Rodgers as a McDonald’s All-American, filling in, the senior does not expect much to change and has high hopes for her and her teammates this year.

“We have very high expectations for this year, especially with Coach Keith,” Rodgers said. “We have the same defensive principles. We are a defensive team. Offensively, we are going to push the ball in transi-

LUCIA HE

tion and try and get some easy transition buckets… Coach’s expectations are high but he is a loving and caring coach. He’s a big teddy bear.”

That sustained postseason success has made anything less an unbearable thought for Rodgers and her fellow seniors.

Having that postseason success may be a little harder to attain this year, especially with an inexperienced roster after the Hoyas lost seven players to graduation. Rodgers, as the most experienced player on the team, has taken become an active leader for the team in her role as captain.

“We talk [to the younger players] in their ear a lot,” Rodgers said. “They have to be able to come off the bench and make plays. The people who didn’t play last year now have an opportunity so they have to be hungry and ready to play.”

Rodgers and the Hoyas are eager to start the season. Although they may be inexperienced, they can’t wait to get out on the court and prove themselves.

“I’m pretty excited, the team’s pretty excited,” she said.

“We’re ready for the season.”

For the next chapter of “50 Shades of Blue & Gray,” see page 10.