3 1 2012

VOICE the georgetown

0

UNIVERSITY ADDRESSES PAYCHECK DELAYS PAGE 4

WOMEN’S LACROSSE WINS OPENER PAGE 7

MIYAZAKI REWRITES BORROWERS PAGE 10

Georgetown University’s Weekly Newsmagazine Since 1969 w March 1, 2012 w Volume 46, Issue 8 w georgetownvoice.com

2 the georgetown voice

march 1, 2012

comments of the week “Thankfully, my kimono conveys the appropriate level of gravity for the occasion.”

— Talbotism Junkie, ”GUSA Roundup: There’s no crying in student government”

“Can we please get a count of how many #1 votes were given to Chicken Madness?”

— The Stewards,“Breaking: Clara Gustafson and Vail Kohnert-Yount win in record-setting election”

“Silly Communists!”

—American, “GU Occupy teach-in addresses in-

come inequality in America”

“maybe if DPS spent more time on the street and less time patrolling dorms trying to catch people drinking this wouldn’t have happened”

— jimbo, “Public Safety Alert: Sexual assault at 36th and N

Talk Back

blog.georgetownvoice.com || georgetownvoice.com

classifieds Rent this spacious 3-bedroom apartment at 1681 35th Street.

Pretty block. Close to campus. Great parking. $4,050. Available June 1. More details at HoyaHousing.com or Facebook “Georgetown Rentals.”

Offered by Charles Sullivan, Re/Max Metropolitan Realty.

301-526-7894 (cell) or 301-947-6500 (main office)

nicododd.com

Voice Crossword “Big Names at the Big East” by Tyler Pierce 1

2

3

4

5

6

8

9

10

15

14 17

18

20

21

23

24 27

30

7

31

35

36

37

53

54

55

22 25

26

29 33

34

39

40

42

43

44

49

13

19

38

48

12

16

28

32

45

11

46

41

47

50

51

52

57

56 59

60

63

64

65

66

67

68

Across 1. IQ group 6. Genghis, for example 10. Prison weapon 14. French love 15. Type of steak sauce 16. Bugs or Sylvester, for example

61

58 62

17. Walk-on sensation 19. Character on an ancient temple 20. Singer Redding 21. Postal service 22. Type of acid 23. Part of A.A.R.P.: Abbr.

24. Sophomore from Massachusetts

27. Like Bender from Futurama 29. Misplace 30. Union station?

33. Cat call?

35. Place for sweaters?

38. Revered coach 42. Bronze or Iron, for example 43. Besides 44. Stationed 45. Graph prefix 47. Top secret?

48. Freshman from Missouri 53. Recipe abbr.

56. It might be seen on a coat of arms 57. Were now?

58. Wisey’s specialty cookie 59. Tortoise bully 60. Senior who is the shortest on the roster 63. Brown shade 64. Not awake 65. Not dead 66. Derriere 67. Nude 68. Potato, to a hick Down 1. Captain’s superior 2. Ham it up 3. Like a pitcher’s perfect game

4. Phoenix team 5. It’s measured in degrees 6. Iota follower 7. Blacksmith of Carvahall from Eragon 8. Blackbird 9. Conservative beginning?

10. Light at a rave 11. One of the 72 Koranic virgins 12. Special bond?

13. Article featured in an SNL short featuring Ben Stiller 18. Jemima, e.g.

22. Greyhound, for example 25. Take the honey and run 26. Sounds from a lea 27. Embargo 28. Scrap 30. 1977 double-platinum Steely Dan album 31. Journal 32. Every day article

answers at georgetownvoice.com

33. Incisor counterpart 34. GERMS, essentially 35. Bro’s sibling 36. Pizzeria order 37. Abet 39. Achilles, e.g.

40. ___ Wan, Anakin’s teacher 41. Henpeck 45. Charlatan 46. Able 47. Wee warbler 48. Robe color for a monk 49. Vestige 50. ___ firma 51. Stunning weapon?

52. Eat away 53. It may have alleles 54. Wait 55. Type of face 58. Cantina cooker 60. The “one” in a one-two 61. Lawyer’s org.

62. Tabby

Are you a logophile?

Share your love of words and help us write crosswords.

Email crossword@georgetownvoice.com

editorial

georgetownvoice.com

VOICE the georgetown

Volume 46.8 March 1, 2012 Editor-in-Chief: Sean Quigley Managing Editor: Leigh Finnegan Blog Editor: Jackson Perry News Editor: Vanya Mehta Sports Editor: Kevin Joseph Feature Editor: Rachel Calvert Cover Editor: Richa Goyal Leisure Editor: Heather Regen Voices Editor: Connor Jones Photo Editor: Lucia He Design Editors: Julia Kwon, Kathleen Soriano-Taylor Projects Editor: Rob Sapunor Crossword Editor: Scott Fligor Assistant Blog Editors: Ryan Bellmore, John Sapunor Assistant News Editors: Soo Chae, Morgan Manger Assistant Sports Editor: Stephen Criss, Abby Sherburne Assistant Leisure Editors: Mary Borowiec, Julia Lloyd-George, Kirill Makarenko Assistant Photo Editors: Julian De La Paz, Abby Greene Assistant Design Editors: Amanda Dominguez, Madhuri Vairapandi Contributing Editors: Geoffrey Bible, Nico Dodd, Tim Shine

Staff Writers:

Geoffrey Bible, Mary Cass, Will Collins, Jane Conroy, Emma Forster, Daniel Kellner, Morgan Manger, Kelsey McCullough, Eileen McFarland, Matt Pacana, Paul Quincy, Adam Rosenfeld, Jake Schindler, Melissa Sullivan, Fatima Taskomur

Staff Photographers:

Nick Baker, Sam Brothers, Helen Guo, Kirill Makarenko, Tim Markatos, Jackson Perry, Matthew Thees

Copy Chief: Kim Tay Copy Editors:

Keaton Hoffman, Tori Jovanovski, Claire McDaniel

Editorial Board Chair: Gavin Bade Editorial Board:

Tiffany Brown, Rachel Calvert, Patricia Cipollitti, Nicolo Dona Dalle Rose, Leigh Finnegan, Julia Jester, Cole Stangler, Julia Tanaka

Head of Business: Keaton Hoffman Business Staff: Sara Ainsworth, Zoe Disselkoen, Megan Fitzpatrick, Charmaine Ng, Aarohi Vora

The Georgetown Voice

The Georgetown Voice is published every Thursday.

This newspaper was made possible 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: The Corp Cover Design: Richa Goyal

the georgetown voice 3 SMELLS LIKE BACON

Crimes expose twisted safety priorities On Sunday, February 26, Georgetown students received email alerts from the Department of Public Safety regarding two crimes committed that day against students within blocks of the front gates: one sexual assault and one armed robbery. These reports are worrisome not only because the very occurrence of such crimes so close to campus is shocking, but also because the language employed in the reports perpetuates a blamethe-victim attitude with regard to sexual assault that is harmful and irresponsible.

It is clear that Georgetown students still have reason to feel unsafe in their own neighborhoods, and clearer from the DPS crime reports that they and the University do not feel responsible for the fates of students who, in their view, subject themselves to danger.

The sexual assault crime report describes the incident with three short sentences, and then reminds students about the dangers of walk-

ing alone at night and the shuttle services that DPS provides. Though the armed robbery also occurred at night and three blocks further into the depths of West Georgetown, its report contained no such advice. The implication that the female student is to blame for this reprehensible crime because she did not take SafeRides to get a single block from the Lauinger steps is one that cannot be tolerated. This attitude is damaging to the psyches of the victims and contributes to the rampant under-reporting of sexual assaults that plagues college campuses.

In the unending battle that is the Campus Plan, the University has implemented an increased Metro police presence around campus. But these officers, as well as those employed by DPS, have devoted the majority of their time to petty operations, like breaking up parties that could bother the area’s residents. This is a clear example of the Univer-

sity prioritizing the demands of the neighbors and their insatiable desire for quiet over the safety of its students. Both violent crimes occurred well within areas patrolled by these officers, the sexual assault in East Campus itself, and could have been prevented if DPS expended more energy trying to protect students instead of targeting them.

That Georgetown students cannot feel safe around their own campus despite the high concentration of police on patrol is an outrage, and it shows how twisted the priorities of University officials have become. This weekend, their failings were on display with horrible consequences for students. This highlights the dire need for the University to put more resources toward preventing attacks and helping victims, instead of targeting normal student activity for the neighbors’ sake. It is imperative they get the message before another student is needlessly put in harm’s way.

OCCUPY THE HILLTOP

Georgetown undervalues alternative opinions On Sunday, the Georgetown Occupy contingent facilitated eight hours of workshops and teach-ins in Red Square, in direct response to a Wall Street Boot Camp training session that occurred on the same day.

Georgetown students, faculty, and even alumni from the Chimes a capella group contributed to the vibrant discussions of the day.

Despite attendance of some faculty members, there was a noticeable absence of University administrators. Staff members from the Center for Multicultural Equity and Access and the Center for Social Justice passed the teach-in throughout the day, but never stayed or expressed support.

The director of the LGBTQ center, Shiva Subbaraman, declined a verbal invitation to attend, stating that as an administrator she did not want to be involved in the politicized event. It appears that the voices of administrators indebted to a long history of campus activism have been co-opted into an attitude of institutional passivity, highlighting how the Georgetown environment

marginalizes alternative, left-leaning voices.

The University has historically upheld this precedent through dismissing or actively suppressing student voices for a more just Georgetown. In 2005, the Georgetown Solidarity Committee’s Living Wage activists fought an uphill battle securing support from the CSJ. In 2006, hundreds of students from MEChA de Georgetown mobilized against an on-campus speech by George Simcox, founder of the Minutemen border patrol vigilante group. In response, Vice President Dan Porterfield erected a fence—a literal border— segregating students from the main event.

According to GU Occupy activist Rob Byrne (COL ’12), this has been a consistent pattern in the intervening years. “Whenever students organize around the systemic problems at Georgetown, the administration responds by only targeting them aesthetically through a labyrinth of University committees and working groups,” he said. “Other times, they simply wait for student activists to graduate, allowing the problem to go away.”

When we look at the whole picture, it is clear the Georgetown community is not living up to the promise of “pluralism in action.” The choices of Subbaraman and others not to attend the teach-in was likely not based on any animosity towards the Occupy movement or its goals, but it is endemic of a pattern within the University higherups. It may be easy for mainstream liberal voices to attain legitimacy and recognition from the University, but truly alternative groups are often dismissed. That is acceptable when the individuals involved are violent or hateful, but that is not the Occupy contingent. The rhetoric of Ann Coulter and George Simcox, both of whom were welcomed to campus, fits much better into these categories. Regardless of one’s attitudes toward the movement, anyone who went to the teach-in Sunday knows that GU Occupy’s opinions deserve legitimacy and consideration on our campus. It’s time that everyone—both the administration and student body—realize that as well.

LINEQUALITY

Racial prejudice alive and well in America

This month, several media outlets have been criticized for their use of racial slurs in coverage of New York Knicks point guard Jeremy Lin’s ascent to stardom. ESPN.com published an article about Lin with the word “chink” in its headline, a clear allusion, intentional or not, to the racial epithet, and Fox Sports reporter Jason Whitlock publicly apologized after tweeting a joke about Lin’s sexual capabilities. Saturday Night Live responded with a skit in which four reporters, two black and two white, made racial jabs at Lin. The script flipped when a white reporter began making jokes about blacks, and the others admonished him for his offensive allusions to social conditions still stifling the growth of black communities—which they had all done to Asians moments before.

Lin’s rise is certainly unexpected for Americans. We form expectations for one another based on what we’ve seen to be true in communities of which we have

never been a part. Whether it’s stereotypes of crime rates attributed to blacks and Latinos or academic achievement and athletic ineptitude for Asians, we still regularly create boundaries between groups using racial distinctions. The debacle surrounding Lin shows these harmful and ill-founded racial constructions still play an important role in American society and have an impact beyond the realm of sports.

We continue to view race much of the time as a black-white binary, and a figure like Lin who bucks this dichotomy can often bring out racial stereotypes usually concealed by the culture of political correctness that surrounds other racial groups. This has negative implications for the economic and social standing of all groups included in the distinction or not, as it shows we still expect different things from different races. These different expectations undoubtedly set social boundaries for what individuals can do and be in today’s America.

Racial divisions formed this way are prevalent on Georgetown’s campus as well.

It’s a sad, unspoken reality that Georgetown is largely a segregated campus, and the refusal of students to bridge racial boundaries limits not only our knowledge of others, but of ourselves.

“Cultural immersion” for students of all races usually means study abroad, but really it can just be sitting with someone at Leo’s who doesn’t look like you. The attention that Lin has garnered from his basketball talent is an opportunity to reconsider our social construction and treatment of race at Georgetown, in which we, despite our political corectness, impose and reinforce racial boundaries. Calling Lin an anomaly means that we still set different innate standards for different races, and this is proof that race not only still exists, but that we continue to separate and limit ourselves by using it as a discriminatory compass in social interactions, on campus and off.

news

4 the georgetown voice

march 1, 2012

New GUSA executive discusses semester priorities

by Vanya Mehta A week after winning the GUSA executive election, President-elect Clara Gustafson (SFS ’13) and Vice President-elect Vail Kohnert-Yount (SFS ’13), are planning their transition strategy and selecting their cabinet with the help of Jake Sticka (COL ’13), who will act as their Executive Chief of Staff.

In an interview with the Voice, the newly elected executives said that they are recruiting for the new vacant cabinet positions, and will accept applications over the course of spring break. “Recruiting the most diverse and talented cabinet

possible is really important to us, and that determines a lot of our agenda for the next year,” KohnertYount said.

Gustafson also highlighted the importance of publicizing the jobs’ availability to the entire student body. “There are always students we have in mind for these positions, but making sure that the whole student body knows that those are open to anyone who is passionate about those subjects is really important,” Gustafson said.

The two cabinet positions they’ve prioritized are the Sustainability Chair and the newly created Secretary for Social Justice. “We

Gustafson and Kohnert-Yount will select new cabinet after spring break.

lucia he

think that right now at this point in Georgetown’s trajectory, it’s important to have a person in GUSA who’s advocating for social justice,” Kohnert-Yount said.

This year, Gustafson and Kohnert-Yount have had the rare opportunity of a week-long transition period between the two executives.

They were able to meet with last year’s President and Vice President Mike Meaney (SFS ’12) and Greg Laverriere (COL ’12) to discuss priorities, and allow the outgoing executives to pass on GUSA knowledge.

The former staff will meet with Gustafson’s future staff as well.

“I think it’s great that we have this transition process,” Sticka said.

“It wasn’t implemented in the past.” “[GUSA] is a great institution, and we don’t want to lose out on the institutional memory in the turnover,” Kohnert-Yount said.

“We want to build on the institution that they built because they did such a great job.”

Meaney and Laverriere did not have this transition period when entering office. “I definitely wish we had a formal transition. I believe the meetings during these weeks are extremely beneficial to explain where Mike and I succeed and also where

Student Life Report released

by Matthew Weinnman Last Friday, the Student Life Report Committee released its final product, a comprehensive and sweeping look at almost every aspect of student life at Georgetown.

Examining the school’s five advisory boards, the Georgetown Program Board, intellectual life outside of the classroom, and general University policies governing student life, the report makes a wide array of proposals, from changes in how money is allocated for student groups to making top University administrators more accessible.

In its discussion of institutional improvements, the report tackles club finances, and recommends that control over the General Student Activity Account should no longer lie with the Student Activities Commission, noting that it “only advises a plurality of Georgetown’s student organizations.” The report proposes giving control of the account to GUSA, a suggestion GUSA President-elect Clara Gustafson (SFS ’13) agreed with.

“I am inclined to agree with the Student Life Report, since the GSAA is [responsible] for all gifts given in regard to student activities” Gustafson wrote in an email.

“It will be necessary though to work with all stakeholders to codify an official process for the allocation of the GSAA funds.” The report also suggests that fees imposed a month or more after an event be waived, and that student organization officers have online access to their groups’ financial records.

The report also examines sanctions on student group, and the lack of a uniform procedure for hearings and guidance on what types of sanctions apply—the entire process is “on a case-by-case basis.” The report suggests the creation of a formal appeals process, which would be similar to the one for students found guilty of Student Code of Conduct violations.

On the subject of administrative accessibility, the SLR proposes institutionalizing discussions like the Hoya Roundtables, the establishment of office hours for University President John DeGioia and the Vice

President of Student Affairs Todd Olson, and at least once-a-semester meetings between DeGioia, GUSA executives, and the chairman of the Student Group Union, who would represent student interests.

Newly elected SGU chair Aman Shahi (COL ‘13) wrote in an email that “the SGU Executive Committee is very supportive of the idea of regular meetings between administrators and student leaders.” Creating regular communication would “allow GUSA, the SGU, and the administration to cooperate to serve students in a more unified and effective manner,” Shahi wrote.

Olson said he likes the idea of institutionalizing the Hoya Roundtables. He wrote in an email that he has seen “commitment and enthusiasm from a wide array of senior administrators for continuing and institutionalizing these gatherings.”

“I am open to a variety of ways of meeting with students and discussing issues of interest,” Olson wrote. “[Administrators] think through the best approaches to engaging students even more broadly.”

Mike and I made mistakes,” Laverriere wrote in an email.

On SAFE reform, the new executive recognizes that overseeing the next steps is a serious responsibility. “We want to make sure that the University doesn’t back out on their word in the written document that they signed,” Gustafson said. She plans to keep up with the steering committee heads for each proposal to ensure that all goes according to plan.

“I think when we sat down with Mike and Greg, they said one of our biggest responsibilities as executive this year is to make sure that the SAFE reform proposals are implemented well,” Kohnert-Yount said. “This is a great opportunity to make amazing, institutional and lasting change at Georgetown…literally once in a lifetime, and we’re not going to blow it.”

Another important issue in their platform is gender-neutral housing and making Georgetown a better place for LGBTQ students.

“We’re very realistic about the gender-neutral housing issue. I think that for various issues related to the identity of our university as a Catholic university there is going to be a lot of push back,” Kohnert-

Yount said. They plan to apply for an LGBTQ “Rainbow House” on Magis Row as a pilot experience for gender-neutral housing.

On holding the administration accountable, Kohnert-Yount asserted the importance of persistence.

“You really have to demonstrate why a change is going to make Georgetown a better place…the administration likes to drag their feet…because it’s a big institution and a lot of inertia. It takes a lot of force to move an inch,” she said.

She also mentioned the Center for Social Justice’s struggle to find a new director. “That’s going to be one of our top priorities as well… so in a year we can feel that there is hopefully a new director in place, but nothing something that needs to start now,” she said.

Both reflected on the number of vital initiatives facing them this semester−from SAFE reform to the search for a new Provost, redesigning Leavey Center, the New South Student Center, and Campus Plan negotiations. “We are at this critical juncture, and we believe that when all these big decisions are being made about Georgetown’s future, that students should have a seat at the table,” Kohnert-Yount said.

HR addresses paycheck issues

by Vanya Mehta In an email to student University employees last Friday, Vice President of Human Resources Mary Anne Mahin apologized for errors in Georgetown’s new computerized payment system that has left a number of student paychecks delayed or missing this semester.

“First and foremost, please accept our sincere apology for any inconveniences this transition may have caused you.

Unfortunately, system changes of this magnitude present a number of challenges,” Mahin wrote. “Our top priority is making sure that any students who have not received their earned compensation are paid for the time they have worked, that any stipend recipient’s concerns are addressed, and to make systematic changes so that students receive payments due them on schedule going forward.”

According to University spokesperson Stacy Kerr, the Student Employment Office has established a working group to address the problems with the new system, and processed 58 checks or direct deposits since last Monday, with another 32 cases pending.

“Their systematic issues should be resolved quickly hopefully even today, and if the students were not paid that should be fixed in just a few days,” Kerr wrote in an email to the Voice. “[The Student Employment Office] invited any student experiencing problems to come directly to them to resolve their issues.”

The computerized payment scheme, called Georgetown Management System, was implemented at the beginning of the semester. It is unclear how many employees have been affected by the system’s errors.

news

georgetownvoice.com

the georgetown voice 5

Student groups submit proposals at FinApp Budget Summit

by Morgan Manger Last night, the GUSA Finance and Appropriations committee met to prepare a preliminary budget to be passed after spring break, based on last Sunday’s annual Budget Summit, during which student group leaders submitted proposals for student fee money allocation.

Among the groups and advisory boards applying for funding are the Center for Social Justice Advisory Board, the Georgetown Program Board, and the Club Sports Advisory Board.

This year, GUSA has $960,000 to allocate—$200,000 more than last year’s budget because of SAFE reform proposals. Despite this increase, the amount of

money the groups are requesting is well above that, at approximately $1.5 million.

“Because of the increase, advisory boards, and all these different groups that apply for funding, have realized we have more money available…so they’re asking for more money,” FinApp chair Colton Malkerson (COL ’13) said.

The Student Activities Commission was allocated $90,000 last year but this year asked for $205,961. “Under our new funding system, we’re able to see the full requests of our student organizations… [and] they’re able to tell us exactly what they want or need,” SAC Chair Jack Appelbaum (COL ’14) said. “Working off of

Fiscal Year Allocations

2012

Requested for 2013 PAAC - $40,000

PAAC - $255,640

CSJ - N/A

CSJ - $51,500

SAC - $90,000

SAC - $206,961

GPB - $83,000

GPB - $175,000

ABCS - $250,000

ABCS - $278,250

KaThleeN SORiaNO-TaYlOR

Liberty and justice for some

Back in April, D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray and a number of City Council members received significant press coverage for their arrests during a protest for District voting rights. While all the politicians were released with a slap on the wrist—a $50 fine and no charges filed—there was another similar and lesserknown set of arrests made that day, and the activists targeted have not been so lucky.

The scene of the “crime” was outside of House Majority Leader Eric Cantor’s (RVa.) ceremonial D.C. office.

Activists Antonio Davis, David Goode, and 10 other people were arrested as they protested Republican-proposed cuts to HIV/AIDS funding and District needle exchange programs. But instead of the usual lax treatment for these offenses, Davis and Goode could spend six months in jail.

The prosecution initially offered a “Deferred Prosecution Agreement” in which the

activists pledged to stay away from the Canon Office Building, pass three drug tests, and perform 32 hours of community service. If they did this within four months, the charges would be dropped. Davis and Goode failed the drug tests twice, eliminating any legal alternative to a trial.

The HIV-positive activists both have legal prescriptions for medical marijuana to treat pain, control side effects of other drugs, and stimulate appetite, but as the spokesman for the U.S. Attorney for the District said, “The U.S. Attorney’s Office requires defendants to pass drug tests to qualify for diversion.” They have shown no intention to shift their stance.

The case has been transferred twice to different prosecutors, and each time the 12 activists have been ordered to complete the community service hours again. They have all complied. Davis has had to

those requests we were able to extrapolate a number.”

The Club Sports Advisory Board also asked for a funding increase. The board received $250,000 last year, and this year they asked for $278,250. “A portion of that increase is so that we can fund new teams – mixed martial arts, swimming, and fishing,” Club Sports Chair Sean Gallagher (COL ’12) said. “Also, we’re spending right down almost every last penny that we were allocated this year, [and] that raises some concerns about unforeseen costs next year.”

Gallagher also cited a desire to increase the amount of money that ABCS can give to teams heading to national competitions. The current cap is at $4,000 per team, but ABCS hopes for a higher number.

Some groups are requesting SAFE money for the first time, like the Lecture Fund, which asked for $85,000. The Fund had previously been under SAC, but due to an increase in events from non-SAC affiliated groups, the fund worked closely with SAC and GUSA to move toward making an independent proposal. commute each time from his native Philadelphia for five court appearances. He worries the case will jeopardize his career as a paralegal.

“I’ve been prescribed medical marijuana because it’s the only the thing that helps me in my condition,” Davis told the blog DCist. “I do not use marijuana as a substance to get high.” For the time being, Davis has stopped using marijuana,

city on a hill

by Gavin Bade

A bi-weekly column on campus news and politics and lost over 20 pounds since he quit—a very serious consequence for an HIV patient. Adding insult to injury, D.C. PreTrial Services stopped testing for marijuana in January, but the prosecutor is still pursuing these violations because Davis’ case predates the change.

The double-standard for city officials and less-powerful activists mirrors systemic problems of unequal treatment for

“It made sense to go to GUSA independently for funding,” Lecture Fund Chair John Gwin (SFS ’12) said. “That way we could consider the SAC and non-SAC groups on a more equal footing, because it did not seem fair for SAC to be footing the bill for a lot of non-SAC group events.”

Since the groups’ total requests are much higher than the money available, FinApp had to decide which demands to prioritize. Malkerson said that it was difficult to decide where to make cuts, but that FinApp tried to minimize the effects on students.

“We really want to provide funding where there is the most urgent need and go there first,” Malkerson said. “We’re looking to minimize the impact on clubs and maximize the effect of the student fee.”

The preliminary draft budget that was released last night showed the majority of organizations receiving less money than they requested. SAC will receive $150,000, about $55,000 less than their proposal.

Appelbaum said he realized that it was unlikely that SAC disadvantaged populations.

It’s not just in this case where the wealthy and powerful get off easy while those with lesser means suffer inflated consequences. Our justice system is full of examples, like mandatory minimum sentencing for crack users while wealthier white cocaine users are treated favorably. False confessions are often extracted from overwhelmingly disadvantaged populations, due to the ineptitude of public defenders and the prohibitively high price of quality attorneys.

This case makes it painfully clear that lawmakers need to iron out differences in state and federal marijuana laws. Davis and Goode both assumed—correctly under state and District law—that they were using the drug legally. They bought from legal domestic sources, had the most legitimate of reasons for their medical permits and clearly presented no harm to society. The easiest thing to do would be to simply decriminalize marijuana usage and save

would receive the full funding it asked for, noting that there were not sufficient resources to fund everything. He said that blanket cuts would be made to all SAC organizations since the organization did not receive its full request.

“We take all of our groups budgets and total them,” Appelbaum said. “[We take] the difference between the amount we have to allocate and the total budgets and make an acrossthe-board percentage cut to meet whatever resources we have.”

Club sports will receive $228,087, about $50,000 less than they had requested at the summit. Gallagher was still optimistic that the organization would be able to take the cuts in stride. “[There will be] a little bit of penny-pinching across the board” Gallagher said. “It might mean raising the dues back up for some teams, or it just might mean one less trip for some teams.”

The draft budget was released Wednesday night, and now clubs have seven school days to appeal their allocation. The week after spring break, FinApp will hear appeals and pass a final budget to go before the entire Senate. countless man-hours and billions of dollars each year, but the least our public officials can do is show a bit of rationality in their prosecutions and respect not only for the letter, but the spirit of the law.

This is just one example of politically and socially disempowered individuals denied their 14th Amendment right to equal protection under the law, and it points to the fundamental flaws in our legal system. Until we have a justice system that treats our mayors as common citizens, this country will fall short of the ideals upon which it was founded.

The way that such an irrational legal process persists in this country shows that it is high time for everyone from students to activists and politicians to take action to fix this broken system, and help revive the true American promises of justice and equality.

Feeling low? Get green with Gavin at gbade@georgetownvoice.com

sports

6 the georgetown voice

march 1, 2012

Baseball looks to continue hot start in Florida

by Steven Criss With winning records in each of the first two series of the season, the Georgetown baseball team has jumped out to a 6-2 start, including a stretch of five consecutive wins. For a team that had great worries about offense after last season, the offensive tear that ensued over the first weeks is a very positive sign. Scoring more than ten runs in each of the five straight wins, the team has shown that it is capable of the run production necessary to win.

Still, Head Coach Pete Wilk does not want the team to get ahead of itself. Early in the season, the Hoyas have not played their most challenging opponents. Although he is satisfied with the offensive performance so early on, he remains realistic and understands that the competition will only get better.

“I’m happy with where we are,” Wilk said of the team’s hitting. “I think we’ve got a good approach working for us from a lineup standpoint. We have a plan going up to the plate and we’re executing that plan for the most part.”

Pitching, on the other hand, has not met expectations so far.

With too many walks putting excessive runners on base, the pitching staff only made it more difficult to keep the opposition’s run count down. To improve enough to compete successfully in conference play, the pitchers will need to stay healthy, and work on locating better up on the mound.

But there are some positives when it comes to pitching. Some pitchers performed well over the past few weeks, and as the rest get more innings in, the staff

could gain an edge by the time Big East play comes around.

Wilk echoed similar sentiments about his pitchers. “I think we pitched okay and pretty good, but we certainly haven’t pitched great,” he said.

“I think we have the potential to be pretty good on the hill if we stay healthy. Will Harris has given us one really good start. The first start was excellent and his last start was just pretty good.”

A very important issue as the team gets closer to Big East play is keeping up the skilled defense behind the pitching. Sitting at the top of the Big East so far in terms of fielding percentage, Georgetown wants to lighten the burden on pitchers by making the necessary plays in the field, something Wilk harps on with his group.

“If we can keep our level of defense where it is now, we’re going to be better regardless,” he said. “Because we are playing really good defense for the most part, and obviously that helps your pitching when you’re playing a high level of defense.”

Next week, the team will be traveling down to Florida to play an exhibition game against Major League Baseball’s Washington Nationals, currently in spring training, where they will face some of the best prospects in the game.

Wilk said he wants everyone to share the benefits of this opportunity. “It’s still going to be quite a challenge, still going to be quite a thrill,” he said. “I’m going to try my best to get everyone in that ball game with the exception of a few pitchers. I want everyone to be able to say that they played in that game.”

After the game against the Nationals, the team will stay

GEORGETOWN SPORTS INFORMATION

Andy Lentz had 4 RBIs in the Hoyas’ win over Cincinnati this past weekend.

in Florida for the remainder of the break to play in the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational. While their opponents will not be the toughest of the year, they will still provide a chance for the Hoyas to play essential innings and gain experience before they return to D.C. It will be a long stretch

of baseball before they return, but Coach Wilk is keeping the expectations high throughout.

The focus is on playing quality baseball for each inning of every game.

“When you got nine games, including the Nats, in ten days and these guys have nothing else to worry about, you know,

it’s basically baseball for ten straight days,” Wilk said. “It’s great. I want to continue to play at a high level and come back obviously with a winning record on the trip which would allow us to keep our winning record where it is now. I would be disappointed if we at least didn’t do that.”

the Sports Sermon “I can’t be Clipper Darrell. They don’t want me in the suit. They don’t want me to do anything anymore.” -Super fan Darrell Bailey on his rift with the Clippers gameplans. In Marquette’s brutal collapse against the Hoyas in January, Golden Eagles head coach Buzz Williams could not stop raving about Sims’ development.

“Obviously, he’s put in a lot of time and effort in becoming the player he was,” Williams said.

“Not so much statistically, that’s obvious in his growth and improvement, but more so his ability to have the offense run through him similar to what it was when everything was going through Greg Monroe.”

This season alone, Hoya fans have witnessed elements of all Thompson III’s marquee players in Sims. Elements of Hibbert’s post game, developed after years of being labeled a “project,” pose a striking similarity to Sims’ inside game this year. At the top of

Wright’s tragic hand injury derailed the season.

Even after the Indiana PacThis season, though, Sims alers selected Roy Hibbert with the lowed his coach to return to his 17th pick in the 2008 NBA Draft, reliable ways, perhaps more efGeorgetown fans were not panfectively than Monroe because of icking about their prospects in the the personnel around him. After upcoming seasons. After all, Big dismantling Notre Dame on his Man U got commitments from Senior Night, Sims earned praise two of the best big men in the from yet another opponent for country—the 2012 class boasted that passing, this time from Notre All-American stud Greg Monroe, Dame’s Mike Brey. and 32nd-in-the-country Henry “Sims is so good with the Sims only sweetened the deal. ball,” the coach said. “They play But, two years down the line, off him. That’s a unique team that with Monroe strolling to the NBA he’s the lead assist guy. I’ve reDraft podium to greet Commisally never seen anything like that. sioner David Stern, Sims loomed They really play well off him.” as perhaps the biggest disapThompson has often said that pointment in John Thompson his big man had a little too much III’s tenure on the Hilltop. fun over his first three years in Fast forward a little more, to college. Sims never struggled one year after the yeoman work of from a lack of talent, just one center Julian Vaughn of dedication. His Pete Rose Central sustained the Hoyas turnaround is reDa bettin’ line in yet another disflected by his matuappointing season. rity, one far beyond Dookies Margin Hoyas Sims had once again his years and reflec(underdogs) (duh!) failed to even ap- (favorites) tive of his coach. All proach expectations. of his words reflect Luck Pure speed his coach’s philosoRG III His junior year, it USA Jerseys Italy seemed, produced phies, and trickle the perfect opportudown to the rest of Rum & Coke Sweetney Rum cake nity for him to shine. the Hoyas—don’t But he didn’t, and he knew it. the key, the Hoyas haven’t had a look ahead, stay within the sys“The first three years, I guess better orchestrator for the Princ- tem, and rely on your teammates. you could say it was a learning eton offense since Monroe’s days.

While toeing the company experience – it was rough, espe- Greatest of all, though, is Sims’ line, Sims also made his expectacially those first two,” the Balti- leadership ability, displayed tions for this season known at the more native said a year ago. “But mainly by his defensive work and beginning of the year. He wanted I think now I’ve figured it out. I’m communication, à la Green. to leave his mark on Georgeworking harder than I ever have Granted, the 2011-2012 Hoyas town. Once he graduated, people in my basketball life.” would not be near the top of the should remember the name HenThis past summer included college basketball world today ry Sims and the contributions his a boot camp from then-unem- without the contributions of guys Hoyas made to the Georgetown ployed NBA stars Hibbert, Mon- like Jason Clark, Otto Porter, and basketball legacy. roe, and Jeff Green. He called it Hollis Thompson. But, unlike last “Going into the season, I was a “brutal summer” because of year, they can win in many dif- expected not to do anything, just the beating he took, but feels ferent ways – a credit attributed be another guy on the court,” he he greatly benefited from the mainly to Sims’ versatility. said. “I’ve tried my best to prove tough competition. It seems that Ideally, Thompson would like that wrong.” in just three months, after three to have an elite passing big man With a turnaround for the full years, Sims finally put it all running the show on offense. ages, Sims didn’t just deter a together.

Last season, he did a masterful few doubters. Rather, he comSuddenly, the awkward last- job changing his style to suit the pletely flipped the script for two man-off-the-bench became the team’s strengths, which worked legacies—his own, and that of the centerpiece of opposing teams’ with great success until Chris 2012 Hoyas.

by Kevin Joseph

sports

georgetownvoice.com

the georgetown voice 7

Lacrosse beats Hens in opener Track preps for NCAA meet

by Abby Sherburne Yesterday afternoon, after an early two-goal deficit, the Georgetown women’s lacrosse team surged past the Delaware Blue Hens to a decisive 16-7 victory. The game was the season opener for the Hoyas but the fourth game for Delaware. The Hoyas overcame their jitters, closing out Delaware on a 6-0 run in the last seven minutes of play.

After overcoming the early deficit, Georgetown held Delaware goalless for the remainder of the first half, while they scored seven of their own goals. Junior Dina Jackson led the first-half effort, scoring a hat trick.

“Dina is our offensive leader,” veteran Head coach Ricky Fried said. “We rely on her to step up, and not only call the offense but still play at a high level.”

Pre-season All-American Sophia Thomas was relatively quiet in the first half, due primarily to nerves.

“Probably the biggest thing is being indecisive,” Fried said. “You

know, getting into the game and seeing different looks. That’s one of the things want to make sure we focus on—being decisive with the ball.”

She did just that in the second half of play, coming out to nab her own hat trick and help spur the Hoyas on. Thomas also caused four turnovers and controlled three ground balls, all which point to her offensive prowess. “You can see she was very decisive in the second half,” Fried said, impressed with the turn-around. “[She] played at speed, and she’s pretty darn good when she does that.”

Despite the late run by the Hoyas, they were stumped early in the second half. The women were held scoreless for the first 13 minutes, and the ball was controlled by the Delaware offense.

But Fried was not disheartened. “The players did a really nice job of not reacting to [Delaware’s] momentum, and just continued to plug away,” he said. “Even when things weren’t going particularly

Jordy Cumberpatch scored one goal in the Hoyas’ season opener.

MATTHEW THEES

Reviving the Dunk Contest

I love the Dunk Contest. I always have. The athleticism, anticipation, and excitement are largely unparalleled in sports—that is, when the competition is done right. Thus, as I witnessed the shambles of this year’s edition, I wondered how things could have gone so wrong. Though the contest was created to showcase the league’s most exciting stars for the enjoyment of the fans, it has devolved into an unwatchable charade of high-flying clowns, no more gripping than the trashiest of reality television programming.

Maybe you were still able to enjoy it, but right when TNT analyst Kenny Smith opened by interviewing P. Diddy to plug his new network, it was clear that the evening was heading downhill. Chase Budinger’s Woody Harrelson in White Men Can’t Jump costume was good for a quick laugh, but five minutes of build-up to see him dunk over the sub-six foot Diddy was simply a letdown.

I’m not one of these guys who loves to reminisce about growing up watching Michael Jordan and Dominique Wilkins go headto-head every year in the ‘80s. I wasn’t even born when those guys were blazing the trail for a whole generation of dunkers. However, I did grow up watching Kobe Bryant, Vince Carter, Tracy McGrady, Amar’e Stoudemire, Dwight Howard, and at least a dozen more former and current stars strut their stuff on All-Star Saturday. When you stack those names up against the 2012 field of Chase Budinger, Derrick Williams, Paul George, and Jeremy Evans, there’s no denying the event’s talent has been diluted.

The players, not the league, are at fault for this trend. LeBron James, undoubtedly the most glaring omission from the list of contestants since he entered the league in 2003, sets the precedent for NBA stars to dodge the event. LeBron even announced on television that he would be competing in 2010 before withdrawing his name from the

great for us, they stayed true to the game plan.”

Fried said that they did struggle with their offense last night. “While their goalie played well, I thought we could’ve stuck a few more of those shots.”

Still, the team was able to get its groove back. This was especially evidenced by the Hoyas’ dominance in time of possession toward the end of play. The ball motion was better, as the Hoya front-line looked to involve teammates and attack the goal.

The Hoya defense was also a key contributor to the team’s effort, led by sophomore goalie Barb Black. She saved 10 goals, making some gutsy defensive moves. One of them was costly for the Hoyas, as Black came out and fouled Delaware attacker Abbie Hartman when she was in the crease, causing her to sit out the next play. With the open shot at the empty net, Hartman was able to score easily. She snagged another goal within a minute, but after that she and the Blue Hens were shut out, while the Hoyas went on a six-goal streak.

Going forward, the Hoyas will be able to experiment with their lineups even more. With a deep, athletic bench, the mid-line can be flexible in bringing in fresh legs. Seniors Kelly Barnes and Carly Napora are strong defenders, which could bolster the lineup even more.

The Hoyas face Villanova in Pennsylvania on Saturday. The Blue Hens have already beat the Wildcats, but the conference game is nonetheless very important for the squad.

The opening draw is set for noon at Multi-Sport Field. field to allow himself to “rest,” despite mustering the energy to play in the All-Star game the next day.

James, Derrick Rose, Kevin Durant, and Dwyane Wade have all shielded themselves under the guise of being self-proclaimed “game dunkers,” which, despite the hollow logic, apparently excuses them from the competition. What LeFraud and his boys are missing is that the dunk contest is not for the players, but for the fans. It’s a way for players to give back for the support they

Double Teamed

by Daniel Kellner a rotating column on sports receive throughout the year, not for them to stroke their already ballooning egos.

Furthermore, even with their average ability, this year’s contestants didn’t even seem prepared to compete. Williams took more than ten tries on his final dunk attempt to realize that he was physically incapable of completing the off-thebackboard, between-the-legs move

by Melissa Sullivan This weekend, the Georgetown men’s and women’s track and field teams completed an arduous but successful few days of running at the Big East Indoor Tournament Championship. These victories provide confidence and motivation as the team looks forward to the NCAA Championship, which begins on March 9 in Nampa, Idaho, at the Jackson Indoor Track.

The women are led by Emily Infeld, who won three Big East titles during her races earlier this season. The senior has high hopes for the Hoyas in the NCAA Championship after this past weekend, saying the team thrives off Associate Head Coach Chris Miltenberg’s strategy.

“We have continued training hard and keeping our normal training routine,” she said.

“Coach [Miltenberg] has been great at teaching us to treat this as any normal meet.”

Though they didn’t win the Indoor Championship like the women, the men’s team also raced well in the Big East Championship. The runners placed in the top 10 in many of the individual categories against top competitors, ultimately placing them eighth overall with 42.5 total points.

Director Patrick Henner, for one, said he is excited for the

he was trying to do, as if he had never even practiced it. Budinger’s second dunk was an almost identical imitation of a power-windmill done by Williams earlier in the contest, as if he hadn’t been watching or had no backup plan. Not only do the competitors have less ability now, but their approach to the event is disrespectfully haphazard for one of the great NBA traditions.

Yet improving the field of contestants is only part of the problem for the Dunk Contest. The showmanship and props, which used to be tastefully sprinkled into the event, have now overwhelmed it.

While it used to be cool to see Gerald Green blow out a birthday candle over the rim or Dwight Howard easily jam on a 12-foot hoop, now almost every dunk needs some kind of gimmick, often subtracting from the overall product. Paul George’s glow-in-the-dark dunk would have been awesome, if he had just taken off the neon Velcro and turned on the lights so people could actually see what happened.

To fix this mess, let’s start with a few basic rules. No more motor

upcoming meet. “I think we’re putting out a great team,” he said. “We just want to go out there and race well and compete, and if we do that then we’ll have a good outcome.”

Like Miltenberg, Henner will not be changing the Hoyas’ strategy before Nationals.

“We’re just doing standardtype training that we would do this time of year regardless,” he said. “[Our team] has proven great results, so we won’t really change anything.”

Despite the strong competition in the Big East, the Blue and Grey are in for their toughest test next weekend, facing off against other top teams at the NCAA Championship.

Miltenberg and Henner agree that University of Washington will be a tough contestant to beat for their teams. Henner mentioned Oregon as another top contender, and Miltenberg noted BYU. Infeld added Tennessee and Stanford to that list, and also noted Big East rival Villanova.

The Wildcats placed third overall in the Big East Championship with a total of 89.5 points, while their men’s team placed fourth overall with 83 points.

“There are so many great teams and individuals,” Infield said. “There is such great competition throughout the NCAA and it should be an exciting race, and close for a few teams.”

vehicles, stickers, costumes, or rap moguls in the Dunk Contest. Period. Instead, let’s give every dunker two or three minutes to just dunk, not once, but however many times and ways they can or want in the allotted time. Not only will this allow “game-dunkers” to just improvise as they would in the run of play, but players won’t have the time or incentive to build excitement with props and gimmicks before ultimately letting us down. Secondly, tell LeBron, D-Rose, and the rest of the “game-dunker” crew that they can’t play in the All-Star game unless they help save the Dunk Contest and partake next year.

Ideally, the negative publicity generated by the 2012 Dunk Contest will encourage a better product next year, but I’m not optimistic.

The props will still be there, and the stars will still opt out. The only consolation I can take away from this year’s spectacle is that it probably can’t get any worse. Well, at least let’s hope not.

Show Dan your creative tricks at dkellner@georgetownvoice.com

feature

8 the georgetown voice

march 1, 2012

BEHIND THE COUNTER How the Corp balances its motto of “students serving students” with its role as a social institution

By Connor Jones JULIAN DE LA PAZ

“One of the reasons I came to Georgetown was because of the Corp,” said Stephanie Wolfram (MSB ’13). “I came here during a random weekend, someone was showing me around and showed me the Corp, and I thought it was awesome that students were running this business.”

Even though a concussion prevented Wolfram, who is the Corp’s incoming Chief Operating Officer for 2012-2013, from making the application deadline in her first semester, she still maintains, like many Corpies before her, that her time at Georgetown has been defined by Students of Georgetown, Inc. Founded in 1972 by then-student body President Roger Cochetti (SFS ’72) as a way to protect the rights of students, the Corp has grown from a few small co-ops in the 1970s to a veritable corporation, offering seven services that bring in over four million dollars in revenue per year. In 2011, Corp Philanthropy donated over $40,000 to student programs and initiatives.

Calling itself the world’s largest entirely student-run business and non-profit, the Corp acts as one of the University’s flagship organizations—Blue & Gray tour guides prominently feature the Corp to prospective students. But while the Corp is genuinely a business enterprise, the fact remains that it is run by undergraduate students. The Corp inhabits a unique space—as a multifaceted business, it copes with health inspections and day-to-day operations; as a student organization, it is a social outlet for its employees. Emails forwarded to the Voice anonymously by Corp employees reveal that the organization sometimes struggles to internally

balance these roles and its status as a non-profit that must answer both to the University and to the District government.

***

As a non-profit unaffiliated with the University, the Corp is subject to inspection and regulation by the District government. When the D.C. Department of Health sends an inspector to campus, the Corp triggers a lantern system to make sure its employees are on guard and healthcode compliant.

According to emails obtained by the Voice, when a health inspector was on campus, at least from a period from Apr. 28, 2011, to Oct. 13, 2011, the senior management would declare “Code Black,” during which health regulations were to be more strictly enforced.

During a “Code Black” on May 2, 2011, outgoing Chief Operating Officer Brooke Heinichen (COL’12) wrote in an email that “All employees on shift today must wear closedtoed shoes and have their shoulders covered. All coffee employees must wear hats. No scoopers in chai buckets, ice machines, or left on counters.

No standing water (put the spoons under running water).”

“Code Black” was called at least three times in 2011. From the emails, it appears that coffee employees were only required to wear hats during these periods. Consequently, Heinichen requested that Corp employees collect any extra hats: “Any Corpies who can bring hats to any Corp service will save the day! As many hats as possible, as soon as possible.”

When initially asked whether there was a special protocol during health inspections, both outgoing Chief Executive Officer Alex

Pon (COL ’12) and Heinichen responded negatively. “People are just supposed to stay clean on shift,” Pon said. When the Voice asked Heinichen about her “Code Black” email, she said the Corp inherited the term from previous classes “as a way of saying be on your game, the health inspector is here.” Heinichen insisted that all Corp establishments are always health code compliant.

Available inspection records did not reveal any major health code violations.

In the same interview, Heinichen said that hats are not required attire for coffee-shop employees. However, the Voice received an internal email to the Corp’s senior management sent after the interview when the hat question was asked. In it, Heinichen wrote, “Hats are the only thing that we technically do wrong.”

According to D.C. Health Code (Subtitle B, section 502.1), as long as employees serve unpackaged foods—like muffins and bagels— they are required to wear hair coverings. In fact, in anticipation of this feature, the Corp instituted a company-wide policy requiring all employees to wear hats. During the Voice’s investigation, former Vice Chair of the Corp Service and Outreach Committee Andrea Wallach (NHS ‘13) notified Midnight Mug’s staff of a new Corp-wide policy.

“Everyone is required to wear hats on shift,” the Feb. 27 email to the Midnight Mug listserv reads. “[T]he health code demands it. There is no excuse for not wearing a hat on shift (and this includes people working outside the hours of usual health inspector visits) … THIS CORP-WIDE POLICY STARTS IMMEDIATELY.”

In a recent email to Corp senior management, Heinichen abolished the term “Code Black” from the Corp’s vernacular: “Let’s get rid of the term Code Black—eradicate it from use,” she wrote.

***

As one of the biggest and most visible institutions on campus, the Corp acts as a support group and a social outlet for its employees.

“What I found in the Corp is a family,” Wolfram said. “I got here and I really was struggling with the adjustment coming so far from home…I just had the hardest time making friends and finding my place. And I got in [the Corp] and I found a support system and people that supported me and helped me through all of my problems.”

The organization’s social ties are strengthened by the parties it throws for its employees, including welcome parties, a Christmas party, and a yearly blowout at the Georgetown Holiday Inn. In celebration of the Corp’s “victory against the Department of Health”—the receipt of a nearly perfect health inspection certificate— Heinichen wrote in a May 2011 company-wide email that “I’ve arranged a huge party at the Holiday Inn on Wisconsin tonight with an open bar just to celebrate.”

At the beginning of the Voice’s inves-

tigation, Heinichen and Pon were asked in interviews if company funds were ever used to buy alcohol for official Corp parties. “The money comes primarily from tips, and employees contribute to the purchase of alcohol,” Pon said. “The Corp does pay for limited amounts of food and things like that. We also have an employee appreciation party at the end of every semester, and that’s sort of like room rental, and that sort of thing.”

Later, when asked about the mechanism through which employees contribute to buy alcohol at Corp-sponsored parties, Heinichen said “it’s informal.”

“There is an allocation in HR to pay for the venue and the catering.

If people drink before or have alcohol, it’s not anything we have jurisdiction over or fund,” she said.

“It’s not something that I regulate. It’s something that some social leader in the store decides t o

feature

georgetownvoice.com organize completely independent of our stores’ operation.”

According to internal memos obtained by the Voice, the Corp’s human resources budget was almost exclusively devoted to parties in the past. However, in recent years, management has rethought its HR budget, with an eye towards boosting legitimacy as a non-profit.

In an internal memorandum dated Jul. 6, 2009, entitled “Human Resources Budget,” then-Chief Operating Officer Phillip Goodman (SFS ’10) explained how the main office HR fund was expanded to be more than a party fund. “Traditionally, the human resources (HR) budget has primarily funded solely alcohol-related activities; very few line items on the fiscal year 2009 (FY 2009) budget covered expenses that were wholly non-alcoholic,” Goodman wrote. “In FY 08 we spent approximately $29,000 on HR and $35,000 on philanthropy.”

In large part, the memo describes changes Goodman wanted to make to the Corp’s financial structure. To him, these changes were important for improving the Corp’s legitimacy as a nonprofit: “When the IRS looks at our tax filings that are based on the prior year ’s a c counti n g records, it may investigate spending on HR versus living up to the organization’s mission; the mission that enables the organization to be a not-for-profit company under US tax code.”

He explained that such a substantial but otherwise unspecific HR budget would look odd to auditors. “A larger HR budget will draw more attention from the IRS than a smaller one or one clearly aligned with philanthropic contributions; our philanthropy budget and spending in a given year should well exceed our HR budget and spending.”

In Goodman’s view, decreased scrutiny from the IRS was just one potential benefit of expanding the function of the HR budget. “An HR budget that incorporates more than just spending money on parties would: (1) facilitate the realization of our new focus on professional development; (2) make our HR budget less of a ‘party slush fund’; and (3)

reduce the rather controversial nature of our current HR budget,” the memo reads.

Outgoing Chief Financial Officer Scott Munro (COL’12) wrote in an email to the Voice that all eventor party-related expenses are and have been filed under the Human Resources expense for the Main Office and Accounting. The Main Office HR expense was $31,847 in 2010 and $27,294 in 2011, according to the Corp’s Annual Report 2011, the most recent available report.

In response to the 2009 HR budget memorandum, Munro recognized that Corp funds are and have been used to purchase alcohol. “I will level with you and say that a portion of our budget ends up getting used for alcohol,” he wrote in an email.

Yet Munro said much of the Main Office HR Budget is used for food and venue at the Holiday Inn. “In terms of the 27,000 dollars in MO [Main Office] budget. Like I said, a large portion of that goes towards the Holiday Inn rental charges, which do include alcohol fees, but they also include a substantial fee for space, DJing services, and other auxiliary services that the Holiday Inn provides us.”

Although acknowledging that company funds are used to purchase alcohol, Munro emphasized that the money used to purchase alcohol has been decreasing since the memorandum in 2009.

“The Corp has changed a lot over the past 4 years,” Munro wrote.

According to him, the amount used on alcohol “is immensely minimal compared to the overall HR budget, and in those cases it’s not designated for alcohol use ONLY. Each service is allotted…maybe 20-60 dollars a party [not including the Holiday Inn party], depending on the size of the service. This money can be used for food, decorations, and a small amount of alcohol. If you’ve ever hosted a party 20 dollars is barely enough for anything BESIDES food and decorations. This money is not designated for alcohol, in any way shape or form.”

A significant portion of the Corp’s party funds are allocated towards the Holiday Inn—“well over 60 [percent],” according to Munro.

The Corp’s public position has consistently been that the Holiday Inn checks participants for identification during their employee appreciation parties and welcome parties for new hires. “They card at the Holiday Inn,” Heinichen said.

Victoria Gamlen (COL ‘12), a two-time Holiday Inn attendee and former Corp employee at Hoya Snaxa, corroborated this policy.

“Everyone, including myself, was carded before entering the ballroom and then given a wristband if they were able to drink,” she said. “I was never encouraged by my managers to bring a fake ID.” Some managers, however, do encourage their employees to subvert Corp carding with fake IDs.

the georgetown voice 9

Worth the wait: Many Georgetown students rely on Corp services for their daily caffeine fixes.

Stephen Murray (COL ’12), thenHoya Snaxa Director of Personnel, addressed the carding issue in a December 2011 email to his staff: “Bring your fake, open bar at the Inn.” Another email dated December 2008 shows then-Director of Vital Vittles Dave Shevlin (MSB ‘10) encouraging Vittles employees to come with fake IDs in tow: “Bring your ID that says you’re 21 (wink wink) or find a Corpie that looks like you.”

Neither Pon nor incoming CEO Michael West—who replaces Pon as acting CEO today—responded to a request to comment on encouraging underage Corp employees to use fake identification.

The organization caught flak

“

duct to discuss the Corp’s “possible connection with this incident.”

By all accounts, Corp management changed its party policies in response to the incident. “Last semester we dealt with Student Conduct in an annoyingly serious reprimand about hazing,” Heinichen wrote in a Jan. 12, 2012 email. “[A] nd we cracked down by separating any party content off of our storesanctioned listservs and by banning the term initiation.”

Heinichen went on to enumerate what this no-initiation policy would look like from then on. “Don’t, under any circumstances, force or pressure a new or old hire to drink, and actively stop others from doing so. In

As many hats as possible, as soon as possible.

—Brooke Heinichen

from the University last semester for one of its initiation parties.

Earlier this year, the Office of Student Conduct contacted the Corp about dangerous levels of alcohol consumption at a Corp event.

Director of Student Conduct Judy Johnson sent an email entitled “Alleged CORP Initiation” to a group of senior Corp members regarding incidents on Sept. 25, 2011.

“According to the information forwarded to the Office of Student Conduct from the Department of Public Safety (DPS), a student was discovered in [a New South bathroom] in need of medical attention due to excessive alcohol consumption,” the email reads. “According to the DPS report, the student was allegedly involved in an off campus CORP ‘initiation.’” Later in the email, Johnson requested that the recipients meet with Student Con-

every email that contains an address for a party, include a message that no one will be forced to drink,” the email reads.

“This is annoying, and I recognize that. You can write it off by saying, ‘Mom wants to remind you that no one is forced to drink alcohol at X event,’ or ‘Brooke needs you to know that...’ Put the fun-killing on me. That’s fine.” Later in the email, Heinichen referenced two new hires who were put under Georgetown Emergency Rescue and Medical Service’s care, calling it “unacceptable.”

New CEO Michael West emphasized that the Corp takes allegations of hazing very seriously and builds disclaimers to that effect into their interview policies. “The Corp does not engage in hazing of any kind. There is absolutely no pressure to drink at any event,” he wrote in an email to the Voice. “We begin

JULIAN DE LA PAZ

every New Hire Interview with this disclaimer, and we hold true to it.”

According to West, the initiation in question was essentially a misunderstanding. “Previous to this incident, The Corp did not engage in hazing of any kind,” he wrote.

“We welcome, we don’t initiate…It’s a party that got the wrong label attached to it.”

***

When asked about what they wished for the University at large to know about the Corp, employees consistently respond about how much time and energy they spend trying to serve fellow students.

“What I wish that people saw more is how every decision we make, we obviously think about the wellbeing of the company and the employees,” Wolfram said. “Georgetown students are at the forefront of our minds.” Whether it’s opening Uncommon Grounds at precisely 8 a.m. every day to serve the regulars, or moving thousands of boxes from the path of a hurricane, Corp employees emphasize the company’s motto of “students serving students.”

Munro said he thinks the student opinion of the Corp—and the attendant press coverage—should focus more on the Corp’s relationship with the University. Although the Corp does a service by training future business people, it still has to pay rent. “If you want to know the real travesty about The Corp, it’s that even though we give so much back to the community, teach 264 Hoyas how to run a business, and attract potential students to Campus, we still pay the University upwards of $270,000 in rent every single year,” he wrote in an email to the Voice.

“That’s the real story in all this, but nobody ever bothers to comment about it, because it doesn’t make The Corp look bad,” he wrote.

“Just a thought from someone who will be graduating soon, has seen too many stupid articles written, and would like to see one that actually makes a difference written.”

leisure

10 the georgetown voice

march 1, 2012

Ghibli makes a big splash with Arrietty’s little world

by Julia Lloyd-George For Arrietty Clock, carrying a sugar cube through the kitchen is a Herculean task. At only three inches tall, the young girl, a member of a group of miniscule people known as “Borrowers,” is in an unusual situation, and as protagonist lends a unique vantage point to Studio Ghibli’s newest film The Secret World of Arrietty. Based on Mary Norton’s novel The Borrowers, this latest marvel from the famed Japanese animation company uses new techniques to revitalize an old classic.

Ghibli, the creative force behind such anime treasures as Spirited Away and My Neighbor Totoro, is known for its talent for crafting enchanting fantasies that feature brave young heroines. Rather unlike the princesses of classic Disney creations, these characters are celebrated more for their courage and imagination than their beauty.

Written by Hayao Miyazaki and directed by Ghibli animatorturned-director Hiromaso Yonebayashi, the film is designed with an artistic eye for detail that mas-

animated feature that is a rarity in a contemporary scene dominated by 3D animation. This attractive style creates an ideal backdrop for Arrietty’s plot twists.

ter he spots Arrietty, since the sight of a Borrower has always brought trouble in the past.

The inevitable friendship between the two becomes the life-

As an animated feature, Arrietty relies on a star-studded cast of voice actors to energize its characters. This includes an uncharacteristically stoic Will Arnett, who gives a lively

voice to Arrietty’s father. His character is the polar opposite of Arrietty’s worrisome mother, who is voiced

by Amy Poehler. Though Poehler’s character is meant to provide comic relief, she succeeds only in becoming an annoyance. Lines like, “Why is my first thought always that your father got eaten by the cat?” fall flat, in a charming film that simply doesn’t need the up-front humor.

The film’s true diversions are found in Arrietty’s adventures, as the task of “borrowing” requires navigating the cavernous walls of the cottage like a mountain range.

It is these scenes that illustrate the scale of the human world relative to that of Arrietty’s, where stamps serve as art and water droplets assume the substance of bucket loads.

Whether she is fleeing from a cat beneath the shelter of a leaf or scaling a kitchen counter, Arrietty makes her size a marginal issue in comparison to her indomitable spirit. Through expert graphics and surprisingly sympathetic human relationships, Arietty will make its audience believe that the most fascinating things in life are found in the most overlooked places.

menu’s simple offerings provide a stark contrast to the restaurant’s interior.

However, the dedication to details is visible in the establishment’s cooking as well. The vital ingredient to the success of District Kitchen is Drew Trautmann, part-owner and head chef. As he explains on the restaurant’s website, a focus on the “importance of pristine seasonal ingredients,” taught to him by award-winning Seattle chef Tom Douglas, allows him to “showcase ingredients at their peak.”

An emphasis on the quality of the produce makes the menu somewhat vague—“seasonal vegetables” or “ask your server” appear multiple times in every category from snacks to desserts. Still, the surprise ingredients, under Trautmann’s watchful eye, come together to exceed expectations.

The District Salad, for instance, comes at this point in the year with iceberg lettuce—although the menu leaves room for any local greens—seasonal carrots, parsley, and Dijon vinaigrette.

While this combination would not turn any heads at a standard restaurant, District Kitchen’s crisp, seasonal produce works with the

peppery house vinaigrette to create a potent flavor that destroys any doubts about the quality of the ingredients.

Despite offering only eight choices, the main courses also fail to disappoint. The Angus steak, served on a bed of lettuce and parsley with a side of spiced mashed potatoes, puts many of the most prestigious steakhouses to shame. A slightly burnt crust creates an initial burst of sharp

flavor that is quickly followed by the rich, tender texture of the meat’s center. District Kitchen offers a choice of two sauces to complement the steak: a traditional house steak sauce and a horseradish-based dip garnished with the same seasonal vegetables that accompany the restaurant’s dishes. The latter gives the steak a powerful kick that surprisingly does not overwhelm the meat’s otherwise mild flavor.

More of this luxury, however, comes at a hefty cost. The simple salad rings up at eight dollars, and the steak, which is based on the market price, can cost over $30. While frequent visits will empty a diner’s wallet, Trautmann’s quality ingredients and experienced style are well worth the price of District Kitchen’s dishes. Now, when your parents come to town, you can suggest something other than 1789.

terfully contrasts Arrietty’s hidden realm with the lush painted landscapes of the outside world. The combination of hand drawings and computer-generated imagery strikes a balance between precision and impressionism, producing an

When we are first introduced to Arrietty, voiced with liveliness and spin by Bridgit Mendler, her carefully constructed world is being interrupted by the arrival of human named Shawn. The boy’s presence becomes problematic af-

blood of the film, developing in gradual stages that each mark turning points in the plot. Though it is one of the film’s principal charms, however, this friendship lacks the humor and warmth that one would expect from such an odd pairing.

IMDB

“Come, child, I will show you a magical world filled with wonders. Just hop into the back of my unmarked van.”

This District ain’t big enough for more than one Kitchen

by Kirill Makarenko Amid the variety of D.C. restaurants springing up under the banner of organic and cruelty-free produce, District Kitchen manages to maintain a competitive advantage that differentiates it from the grass-fed herd. While this newest member of the Woodley Park restaurant community serves up what appears to be classic mid-Atlantic cuisine, the twist on traditional recipes and the ever-changing house specials add variety to the otherwise predictably bland buffet of green D.C. eateries.

Perhaps the most striking feature of the restaurant is its décor. While many D.C. establishments have adopted a similar minimalist style, District Kitchen takes the maintenance of its image to an extreme.

From the naked bulbs arranged in chandeliers, which cast shadows onto the faded brick walls and aged wooden shelves at the bar, to the open candles on the tables illuminating the unadorned paper menus, District Kitchen holds a strict adherence to the style. With such complex focus on design, the

Kirill Makarenko

District Kitchen is so hung that even Childish Gambino would be jealous. Just look at all that meat in their window.

georgetownvoice.com

“We all have clear motives for killing our bosses.” — Horrible Bosses

the georgetown voice 11

lez’hur ledger

Campaigns from radio to Reddit Reviews, Haiku’d

by Mary Borowiec

“There is no democracy without elections. And there can be no elections without the press.”

Historian Doris Kearns Goodwin made this declaration in a world of print and radio, long before today’s era when Twitter consistently breaks news faster than the New York Times. Nonetheless, Goodwin’s observation still holds true, and the quote invites visitors into the entrance of the Newseum’s newest exhibit, “Every Four Years: Presidential Campaigns and the Press.”

On display until 2013, the exhibit provides a refreshing break from the constant bombardment of election predictions by looking backward. Chronicling a history of presidential campaigns and the media coverage that shaped them, “Every Four Years” brings visitors on the campaign trails of presidents past, and introduces them to the different tactics used by politicians and the press in the race to the White House.

Pleasingly straightforward and easily accessible, “Every Four Years” begins with a look at the birth of newspapers and their influence on William McKinley’s Front Porch Campaign in 1896.

From newspapers, the exhibit quickly jumps from radio to tele-

vision to the age of the Internet to showcase how rapid advances in technology have changed the face of presidential campaigning.

Though a relatively short exhibit—it only spans two rooms of the massive Newseum atrium— ”Every Four Years” succeeds in balancing brief but informative blurbs with multimedia features and, most interestingly, cool campaign paraphernalia. Highlights include JFK’s debate notes, which are displayed next to a ‘60s-era television playing clips of the first televised Nixon-Kennedy debate.

The exhibit also brings Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s famed fireside chats to life with a prominent display of the large, metal microphone the president spoke into.

Besides these and another 120 artifacts housed in the exhibition, a special subsection of “Every Four Years” focuses on humor as news. Saturday Night Live costumes from the 2008 Palin-Clinton skit famously played by Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, combine with Stephen Colbert’s Doritos jacket to highlight the rising impact of parody in presidential elections.

The role of the press in campaigns is further explored in the exhibition by looking at the media’s unparalleled role in shaping a candidate’s image. And with displays on political scandal and

Imma let you finish... college

Declaring an album a “classic” is a meaningless exercise that I will leave for the writers at Pitchfork. Glowing reviews, no matter how abundant or how laudatory, are ultimately irrelevant—an album reaches that magical pinnacle when it strikes a chord for you alone, bringing you back time and again.

A few weeks ago, I revisited Kanye West’s commercial debut effort, The College Dropout. I had completely forgotten how this album formed a defining moment in my life, switching me from a naïve middle-school nerd who liked Blink-182 to a badass 9th grade nerd who was into hip-hop. My deepest assessment of the album at the time? “This is really cool.”

Returning eight years later to look at one of the best hip-hop albums of the 2000s showed me its complexity for the first time, and what it has done for rap since.

Having created four monstrously profitable albums since College Dropout, Kanye has molded himself into one of the 21st century’s megastars, readily exemplified through his work with Jay-Z on Watch The Throne. His beginnings as a stellar producer on Roc-AFella Records releases were quickly overshadowed by his effect on the rap industry as a whole. On College Dropout, Kanye stealthily alternates between his classic chipmunk soul production style and a sly, honest humor with a surprisingly conversational tone. Humor and thought-provoking stories personalize songs like “Breathe In Breathe Out” and “Two Words.” Technical rap talent was clearly never his to claim—instead of channeling a blistering pace like Twista, featured on “Slow Jamz,” or using intricate wordplay, Kanye infused every song with his worldview.

As confusing and contradictory as

“selling the spouses,” “Every Four Years” appeals to more than just political diehards. The small exhibit is rounded out by a film feature in the Newseum’s Big Screen Theater that compiles some of the most effective and provocative political ads in television history.

The impact of technology is reflected throughout the exhibit as interactive features show how political campaigning and public involvement in elections have changed. Most notably, the exhibit concludes with a polling booth, where visitors are asked to vote on who they think will win the upcoming election. This feature not only allows visitors to see how other Newseum-goers weighed in—currently with 60 percent for President Obama, 19 percent for Mitt Romney, nine percent for Ron Paul, and eight percent for Rick Santorum—but it also opens a virtual dialogue as visitors are encouraged to leave their name, hometown, and comments about the election.

“Every Four Years” brings a fresh perspective to the art and history of packaging the president. Running in a time when the media is saturated with campaign updates, the Newseum’s newest exhibit brings a powerful timeliness and sense of living history to its visitors.

his philosophy may be, Kanye’s charisma is central to his message.

With amazing dexterity and fueled by braggadocio, tribulations, and shameless self-promotion, Kanye crafted more of a persona in one album than many rappers have in their entire career.

Regardless of where The College Dropout ends up on the charts

Blast That Box

by Matt Pacana

a bi-weekly column about rap music 50 years from now, it will always hold one of my personal top spots.

And it’s not because of the literary praises that any magazine or myself could extol on the album. It is because of the musical metamorphosis the entire hip-hop industry went through—and that I experienced firsthand—after hearing this excellent record. Be it Hey Arnold as a kid, or College Dropout as a goofy high-schooler, the moment

Wrath of the Titans Perseus is back Thrusting his massive trident Into hairy beasts.

A Thousand Words Finally, a film Where Eddie Murphy’s lines are Shortened by the plot.

Mirror Mirror Harvard director Casts the Evil Queen wisely: Julia Roberts.

Friends with Kids It’s exactly like Friends with Benefits without All the benefits.

Gone As bad as Taken But with Amanda Seyfried (wait, she’s the killer!)

The Lorax Zac Efron’s voice just Makes this poor version of Seuss A form of abuse.

—Kirill Makarenko, Julia Lloyd-George, and Heather Regen

on which you are able to look back and recognize the significance that popular culture has had on your life is powerful. Kanye’s public antics are balanced by his genuine, if puzzling, sincerity. In some twisted reality, it is comforting to identify with an immensely successful rapper marred by the relationship mistakes most people associate with normal life, and who is not directed by the controlling hand of a public relations expert.

It is because of The College Dropout that I write this column and passionately read music blogs. When I am preparing to get overly competitive for an intramural basketball game, the five songs from “Get Em High” to “School Spirit” are my anthems of choice. I will brazenly plug Kanye West to any friend who has yet to experience what I believe is absolute gold, and one of the greatest musical endeavors of the past ten years. It might seem over the top to feel so strongly about one album, and I might even be able

to scour my own music library for something better. However, the satisfaction of sharing a definitive musical success with a new friend or rediscovering an album in your closet that was lost, whether it be from Kanye West or Aretha Franklin, is unbeatable.

Despite the legacy he will leave behind due to a towering ego and consistent public miscues, hip-hop needs Kanye West. An unforgettable producer and a genre innovator, his debut album will be remembered as the inflection point between the machismo gangsterisms of 50 Cent and the electrowhininess of Kid Cudi. The College Dropout is the hip-hop album that changed me into a music aficionado. At the end of the day, reviews are meaningless—it’s about what you take from the album. Kanye West, thank God you dropped out of college.

Apply to Ghetto University at mpacana@georgetownvoice.com

leisure

12 the georgetown voice

march 1, 2012

C r i t i c a l V o i ces

Tate Tucker, Virgin Liberation, Independent Last year, a video of then-freshman Tate Tucker (SFS ’14) rapping in front of Lupe Fiasco during Michael Eric Dyson’s sociology class went mildly viral—partially because the words “Georgetown” and “rapper” aren’t often seen in the same sentence. From the video it was clear that Tucker had talent, but there, as well as on his debut mixtape Blue Dreams, he sounded like he was trying a bit too hard, cramming too many rhyming words into the same line and often running out of breath. A year older now, Tucker is much steadier and restrained on his pleasantly surprising new EP, Virgin Liberation, nine songs of his strongest material yet.

The most obvious improvement is the production—from the epic melodrama of string intro “The Liberation” to the early-aughts Dipset

soul of “Long Ride” to the menacing G-funk on “West Coast Back,” the whole thing sounds like it would bang through car speakers (it sounded pretty good on my headphones).

His delivery is engaging and varied, and when he breaks out the doubletime quick flow it sounds impressive since he uses it sparingly. He’s always had an ear for assonance, but calming everything down makes his lines sound better and gives them more weight. Tucker’s songwriting has gotten better, too; most tracks have at least a loose concept, even if it’s just wanting to make it big or “I’m from the West Coast.”

All of which is great—who doesn’t want a classmate who can rap? But being a Georgetown student doesn’t factor much into his identity here (he only says “Georgetown” once). He casts himself as a cool dude from California—“just a bro from the 310 who likes ‘dro and hoes”—who wants to grow up to be a popular rapper, as soon as he gets around to growing up. It’s all very Chiddy Bang, rap songs with synths about parties and not wanting to get older. There are still a couple of cringe-worthy moments, although far fewer than on Blue Dreams. It’s not his fault that it sounds a little strange to hear someone who might be in your CPS class complain that people are “tryna flex on [his] street credibility,” but it does.

Study geometry with Hexagon

A few days ago, I was studying for a midterm, which obviously meant I was looking for anything to do other than study for my midterm. The Internet, as always, provided. Through my haphazard blog-reading and linkclicking I eventually arrived at the Flash-based game Hexagon, made by the appropriately titled Distractionware. In five seconds I knew I wasn’t studying any time soon.

Hexagon is everything that makes video games compelling, condensed and refined to medicinal purity. If a traditional game you would buy in a store constitutes a meal, Hexagon is straight high fructose corn syrup. There’s no substance to it, but the play is so sweet that you just want to keep going.

The game is incredibly simple.

You control a small triangle that you rotate around the titular hexagon while an endless stream of bar-

riers flows toward you. The object is to navigate the triangle to one of the sides of the hexagon where there’s an opening in the barrier.

This isn’t particularly unique— iPhone smash hit Temple Run is based around the same concept of continuously dodging approaching obstacles.

Visually, Hexagon kind of resembles the minimalist design and straight lines of the classic arcade game Tempest, except if the developers at Atari were really in to club drugs. It’s all bright colors and flashing lights; the hexagon even pulsates to the beat of the game’s droning (yet surprisingly tolerable) electro-techno soundtrack. In other words, unless you just dropped acid, you’re not playing Hexagon for the graphics.

Instead, it’s the game’s ability to balance its frustrating difficulty with the ever-present hope of suc-

That’s not to say that he doesn’t pull it off. Virgin Liberation is an enjoyable, cohesive listen, and it’s better than anything last year’s campus frat-rap sensation Mike Stud recorded. For a guy whose songs are mostly about wanting to stay young, he’s already matured a lot. Who’s to say Georgetown students can’t “spit that real?”

Voice’s Choices: “Lazer Tag,” “Long Ride” —Sean Quigley

Rotary Club, Second Year in Swine, Total Sonic Media If Wilco raided the Velvet Underground’s wardrobe, stole the Kinks’ haircuts, and then teamed up with Cursive, you’d end up with an image of Rotary Club’s newest album. The band’s experimental, ever-changing lineup packed in a thick sphere of homages on its sophomore attempt cess that kept me coming back. It needs to be said that Hexagon is almost comically hard. To pass each of the game’s “levels” the player must survive for ten seconds—you’ll be lucky to make it to the second one on your first try. Of course, another chance is just a push of the space bar away, and why not try again? It lit-

God Mode

by Tim Shine

a bi-weekly column about video games erally costs you only a few seconds.

Those seconds quickly pile up, however, once you get lost in the frenetic pace and constant positive reinforcement of every second you add on to your high score. There’s zero friction involved in the game experience— you’re always right back to dodging for your life—so you don’t even have a moment to consider how much time you’re wasting.

Second Year in Swine, but while the LP weaves in plenty of innovative subtleties, Rotary Club’s sound plays it safe by catering to fans of major alternative artists of both recent and long-gone years.

In the opener, the groovy “Get a Room,” the protagonist lays out complaints against those whom he feels just don’t understand love the way he does. Singer Tom Devaney seems to placate himself more than the prudish onlookers taking offense to his PDA as he sings, “lip-locked, luminous, no one can see / Don’t take offense to these unruly passengers.” Behind his lyrics, a blend of cello, post-Beatles revivalism and French à-go-go challenges the classicism of his imagined onlookers. Later on, “Union?” emulates a despondent Morrissey chatting on about his apathy towards a relationship, but in a Joseph Gordon-Levittsinging-drunk kind of way. “Misery loves company / And there’s a line behind you,” Devaney wails.

The album also includes a number of jam-session songs, such as “Millie’s Variety,” a daunting track with a little march to it and a lot of reverb. Mid-way through “The Shameful Demotion of Pluto,” you’re stuck with a Television-esque stretch of mathematical bopping.

However instrumentally inclined this track may be, the vocals are prominent, and strangely reminisNow, I don’t think Hexagon is going to end up there with Super Mario Bros. or Tetris as an all-time classic. I doubt it could even be some kind of time-sucking phenomenon along the lines of Farmville. Hexagon is the video game equivalent of candy—after a while, you’ll become sick of it (if you’re particularly photosensitive, expect sickness to set in much sooner).

Still, that doesn’t change that it is compelling as any game I’ve ever played for those first few minutes.

Playing Hexagon, I was reminded of the Halo series. Hexagon’s geometric obstacle course doesn’t have much in common with shooting aliens, but its gameplay is at the essence of Halo. The game designers at Bungie, the studio behind Halo, developed a mantra while making the first person shooter: “30 seconds of fun.” While Halo featured a complex, sprawling world and an intricate narrative, at its core the game was designed as a series

cent of campfire sing alongs.

While the whole of the album varies in style, it has a muddled and adult feel throughout. “Multicolored Rings,” touching on this confused middle-aged man theme, has Devaney singing softly, “but don’t bleed, don’t bleed blue / It’s alright, it’s alright, blue’s entirely fine to bleed.”

He adds some instrumental variation on “Cat Piss Styx,” and manages to pack in thick, bluesy guitars.

As well as drawing on heavier, more distorted sounds, a few tracks, including “Capsule” and “Multicolored Rings,” play off the late rebirth of folk music.

As a slew of artists are turning to folky roots music for inspiration, Rotary Club’s latest effort joins the trend. However, the band also makes sure to include nods to the major outfits that have sparked innovation and led to the musical possibilities at which we’ve arrived. Second Year in Swine would be nothing without the weirdness of the ‘60s, the post-punk revival of the early 2000s, or even the broken cage of music induced by experimentalism.

Rotary Club caters to nostalgic fans and wannabe hipsters—you’ll either enjoy the conglomerate of homages, or you’ll appreciate something new.

Voice’s Choice: “Get a Room” —Will Collins of discrete gameplay experiences.

They were brief and intense, and they were repeated over and over again to create a massive game.

That philosophy is hardly unique to Halo. The people at Bungie simply articulated the universal truth of game design—no matter how big a game, its success depends on its most basic mechanics being fun. In that way, Hexagon represents brilliant game design, just without any artifice.

Of course, presentation is an important part of any video game as well. Presented without a filter, Hexagon’s unadulterated gameplay can’t hold up over time. But that’s not a bad thing—the game is awesome while the novelty lasts. The fun might be fleeting, but on the bright side, I think I passed my midterm.

Study for your next midterms with Tim at tshine@georgetownvoice.com

page thirteen

georgetownvoice.com

the georgetown voice 13

Spring Break 2012 Edition Congratulations!

Today is your day Classes are out Break is here, hip-hip hooray!

Next thing you know You’re in the back of a van But your shadow will show It doesn’t look like a man!

And once you’ve earned your pardon You must watch the Big East You return to Madison Square Garden To watch the great Georgetown Beast.

You have brain cells to kill And you have shoes to lose.

But no travel plans yet, So many to choose!

For you’re just getting out of a hungover haze And up in the front of the car you can see Sitting right there, with a menacing gaze A great, big, bright blue chimpanzee.

They’re in the Championship game Against the Syracuse Orange And the next rhyme will be the same Because nothing rhymes with Orange.

You’ll start out the gates Get in line for the cabs, You spent hours in Yates To get those great abs.

You’ll go to the gorilla guerilla camp And you’ll come up with an escape plan You’ll make green bananas and then you’ll make ham Which will trick them into believing your scam.

And you’ll watch Georgetown win You’ll celebrate on the floor with the team You’ll cut the net from the rim It’ll be just like a dream.

Off to Reagan you zoom For a plane flight, oh my!

You check your watch and kaboom!

Your flight’s at BWI!

You’ll run straight through the towns Shop at malls and bazaars Parade in Rio with clowns And somehow fit in their cars.

And you’ll end up back where you started At Georgetown, in your very own room.

Off to Towne, where you’re once again carded And classes approach, the thought is your doom.

After missing your flight You pause for a second And decide to hitchhike, For your trip, you must mend!

But sometimes you’ll fail Things won’t go splendidly well You’ll wind up in jail Forced to watch The Lorax in your cell

And back in class your professor will ask “Why, how was everyone’s Spring Break?”

And you’ll reply, and you’ll sip from your flask “My break was just fine—now go jump in a lake!”

Now you’re in the back of a flat-bed And crossing the border Drinking age rules you’ve shed, And beer costs just a quarter!

You’ll sip margaritas with Sneetches And stars on the beaches But unfortunately the water Will be filled with leeches And you drink and you drink Beer, wine, vodka, and rum Your mind’s gone, you think And then you’re cold on your bum You’ll wake up in dark places In zig-zaggedy nooks With mysterious faces Giving you very dirty looks.

JULIA KWON

voices

14 the georgetown voice

march 1, 2012

To the old, new social networks hard to pin down

by Iris Kim Last Thursday, a couple of my friends and I were asked to appear in a news segment for CNN. What hard-hitting story marked my national television debut? No, it wasn’t an in-depth commentary on Harry Potter—it was a piece on not-so-new social media sensation, Pinterest.

Pinterest is the youngest member of the social network family, an invite-only site where users can “pin” pictures that they find on other sites or “repin” pins that appear on their newsfeed. Users can comment, like, and repin to personalized “boards” that categorize all the different pins. I equate this to a highly organized bookmarking method—a way to easily find that recipe for jalepeño macaroni and cheese or those shoes from Madewell. Women have long read fashion and lifestyle magazines, folding down the pages of things that appeal to them, things they want, or things they want to come back to at some point. Pinterest takes this casual browsing to another level by making it web-based, with the ability to share with likeminded friends.

When the camera crew arrived at a friend’s house to film real college girls in their element, pinning up a storm, we had no idea what the premise or spin of the story would be. Still, I had a hunch that the site’s explosive surge in popularity had instigated it. There are currently about 10 million users, and invites are being requested at such a frenzied rate that they have gotten backed up.

It was clear from the beginning of the shoot that the approach to the story lacked a basic understanding of social media, exemplified when it was later entitled “The Politics of Pinterest.” We were asked a slew of questions that exposed this out-oftouch-ness. Would we start using Pinterest more than Facebook or Twitter? Would it one day replace other social media platforms? Would a political candidate using Pinterest spark any interest and support?

Yet again, this was an example of an older generation attempting to understand my generation’s use of social media platforms. The shoot was much like when our parents call and ask us how to upload photos to Facebook, or what a hashtag stands for, and we roll our eyes. This is a personal call to anyone attempting to condense this

social media “thing”—you need to realize that Millenials’ use of social media cannot be pegged down or compartmentalized, especially by those who have no understanding of the technology themselves.

First, older people need to understand that our generation has no qualms about existing on multiple platforms of social media. We have Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram, and maybe, for some, Google+. We generally do not replace one with another, and most do not have any problem simply adding one to the mix. Our interviewer informed us that social media experts have predicted that Pinterest will come out on top, edging out Facebook and Twitter as the preeminent social media tool. We laughed. Who exactly are these experts?

Older folks need to realize that each platform is substantially different. Our interviewer mentioned the notion that the picture-based nature of Pinterest is a muddling down of our form of web expression. He said that Facebook posts have been watered down to 140 characters on Twitter, and finally all we have are pictures—implying that this is just a microcosm of the dumbing down

of website content and our attention spans. This gross generalization reveals the misunderstanding that all social media platforms are similar in goal and use. Facebook is for your social life online, Twitter is for the especially vocal and text-based sharing, and Tumblr is a more focused microblog for the slightly geekier and Internet-obsessed. Now, Pinterest is for shared interests, craft ideas, interior design envy, and shopping wish lists. The social media “race” is non-existent.

As for political candidates who want to connect with the general population through social media, they need to reconsider where to put their efforts. Using social media is a great cost-effective marketing mechanism that manifests itself in truly genius ways sometimes, but only sometimes. Some platforms work better than others for a specific person or organization. Online news sources make sense on Twitter, as do celebrities and brands. They can even survive through “liking” on Facebook, although to a lesser degree, since Facebook is about a social community. Fashion and lifestyle blogs, which are inherently picture based, do very well and make more sense on Pinterest. No one is selling

himself or herself on Pinterest; they are selling other people’s objects, tastes, and trends.

Instead of seeing all social media platforms as the same breed, people need to differentiate between them for the benefit of marketers and users alike. It is the very different nature of Pinterest that has caused it, according to the Guardian, to increase in popularity while usage of Google+ has decreased.

Google+ was too much overlap— we already had our lives on Facebook and our interesting articles on Twitter. Pinterest is something new, in the guise of old hobbies and habits. So here is my advice for those on the outside trying to break into the world of social media for their own benefit: instead of attempting to belittle our intelligence and pigeonhole us into dumbed-down stereotypes, try and engage a generation that is used to having access to pretty much anything through a simple Google search.

would be outlined. Further, a number of the proposed bills would curb health insurance coverage and funding of health centers that provide abortions. The most well known of these bills is House Bill 462, which requires any woman who wants an abortion to get an ultrasound during which she could see the fetus and hear its heartbeat.

Medical practitioners would have to verify the procedure, and the state would verify whether or not the woman chose to look at or listen to the fetus.

Just last week, cries of “statesponsored rape” were heard across the nation about the bill, as at the time it required an internal, transvaginal ultrasound if the fetus was

too young to detect with an external ultrasound. Leaving out opinions on abortion, inserting a foreign object into an unwilling female looks to many people like forceful sexual assault. Within the past few days, however, the governor of Virginia has assured that the ultrasound would not be invasive.

Each of these bills would make getting an abortion much more difficult, if not impossible. They are designed to shame the woman, or tack challenging requirements onto the procedure. The ambiguous wording of these bills has also perplexed Virginia’s citizens and stoked fear of the possible consequences of their enforcement if the bill is ratified. For instance, some fear that the personhood bill, which has reportedly stalled in the House of Representatives, may specify that not reporting a miscarriage will be grounds to suspect that the fetus has been illegally terminated and evidence for criminal punishment.

There has been a fervent backlash across the country to the proposed legislature, including from many Virginians. However, the loudest rumblings about these controversial bills are from women and in politics. The Republican primary race, since touching on birth control issues in recent debates, is still reeling to fix damage from comments along the same lines of the Virginia bills made by prospective presidential candidates regarding the cur-

rent administration’s birth control policy. Encouraging disapproval of Republicans among women, who represent more than half of the population, cannot be something the party is aiming for at this time.

Likewise, the independent and moderate voters that decide the outcome of presidential elections could now be out of Republican reach. The controversy in Virginia, largely brought about by its conservative politicians, is in no way helping to resolve this political fiasco.

If these laws are passed, women will feel the most detrimental effects on their reproductive rights.

No woman plans to have an abortion, but when faced with a drastic medical circumstance, all women should be able to make the best decision for their health and livelihood. This decision is being endangered by the personhood bill.

Ignoring opinions on abortion, it is ludicrous to assume that the first instinct of a woman who experiences a miscarriage is to not to turn to her husband or family, to assess her medical situation, or even cry, but rather to report it to the government to prove that she is innocent of damaging her fetus. Many women who experience a miscarriage already feel guilty and blame themselves, wondering if they could have changed something to prevent such an occurrence. These bills place women’s health on the sociopolitical backburner.

In fact, the supposition that abortions will never occur if they are illegal or difficult to access is almost equally ridiculous. Abortions will always happen, and if there is a lack of counseling, communication, or medical support, there will be an increase in abortions that are desperate and potentially lethal. I do not mean to argue for abortion, but rather to point out the failures of legislation that ignores the negative outcomes that could arise from suppressing women’s contraceptive and emotional rights. These bills represent the worst step for women’s health in over a hundred years.

In the next few weeks, it will be interesting to follow feminist reactions to these pieces of legislature.

Feminists are hardly ecstatic over something that disregards women’s emotions after suffering events like miscarriage or rape, and forces unnecessary procedures and possible restrictions to contraceptive access.

The female gender has been determinedly fighting for equality since before the invention of the birth control, and these recent pushes for legislation prove that this fight is far from over.

Iris Kim is a senior in the College. Her next CNN appearance will be to talk about Muggles and their infatuation with puppies.

Virginia is for lovers, unless you love women’s rights

by Ana Smith With presidential campaigns intensifying in the face of the upcoming elections, attention has recently been drawn to the state of Virginia and its numerous reproductive rights bills targeting issues like contraception and the definition of personhood. News of these bills, currently being discussed in the state’s legislature, has spread over the past few weeks, appearing across the country on news channels, political satire shows, and even Saturday Night Live.

Under these bills, a fetus would have the same rights as a person from the moment of fertilization, and restrictions on contraception

WENDY PIERSALL

Virginia wants to make this a person, but it’s obviously a lima bean.

Ana Smith is a freshman in the College. She’s only opposed to invasive internal probing when it’s statesponsored.

voices

georgetownvoice.com

the georgetown voice

15

Finally, an online home for politically-minded loudmouths

by Ambika Tripathi Recently, Votizen, a new media startup, has grasped the attention of entrepreneurs and policymakers alike—including the 2012 U.S. presidential hopefuls. The startup seeks to change how our democracy works by using a national database of 200 million voting records to connect to friends on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn on the basis of ideological preferences. Sean Parker, the founder of Napster and an early backer of Facebook and Spotify, is leading among a group of investors eager to pour money into this seemingly groundbreaking project.

As a new media venture, Votizen is innovative in that its primary purpose is not to parallel and outcompete already existing social media sites, but rather to unify them under one system.

Like previous presidential elections, the 2012 election will bring with it an onslaught of political finger-pointing, mudslinging television advertising, and a lot of indecisive voters. It is during this time that Votizen hopes to curtail the unfortunate effect of petty and negative party politics. Through interconnecting users, everyone from a typical soccer mom to a political junkie will be able to spread campaign material and mobilize

“I pledge allegiance, to the social media, and the votes it’ll get me.”

FLICKR

“I’ll make a man out of you”

Princesses, distressed damsels, and sidekicks—for years these roles have composed the majority of female roles in children’s literature and film. Even Pixar, with twelve animated major productions since 1995, has yet to produce a film with a female protagonist. This comes as no surprise, given Joel Stein’s recent description in Time magazine of Pixar as a corporation run “by 12-year-old-boys” who sword fight, play dress up, and ride around the halls on scooters.

This June, however, Pixar plans to remedy this imbalance with their first ever female leading lady in the film Brave. The movie, produced by Mark Andrews and Brenda Chapman, features a skilled archer named Merida who unleashes chaos in a kingdom when she defies her parents and custom. The storyline, though currently vague,

promises an independent woman seeking to carve her own path on screen while remedying the gender imbalance off-screen.

Like many little girls in the nineties, my earliest idols were Cinderella, Snow White, and Kimberly, the pink Power Ranger. For hours, my friends and I would play house or lie in a bed of makeshift roses waiting for our respective Prince Charmings to awaken us. With few exceptions, the idols of our youth encouraged us to wait for a man to propel us into our futures.

In spite of Pixar and Disney’s efforts to equalize the playing field, the overall presence of strong female character in children’s film is scarce. In part, this is because girls tend to be less discriminatory with regard to the gender of the main character, likely due to the abundance of young girls have grown ac-

Let the Voice be your voice. We accept opinions, letters to the editor, personal experiences, and creative writing that are exclusive to the Voice. Submissions do not express the opinion of the board of the Voice. The Voice reserves the right to edit submissions for accuracy, length, and clarity. To submit, email voices@georgetownvoice. com or come to the Voice office in Leavey 424.

Opinions expressed in the Voices section do not necessarily reflect the views of the General Board of the Voice.

grassroots actions on specific issues that they find important.

These exchanges, Votizen hopes, will facilitate those previously disenchanted by corrupt party politics to become more involved in American democracy by recognizing the importance of actually exercising their right to vote.

Besides promoting discussion in the realm of major elections, Votizen would be open to anyone interested in American politics. Specifically, this group would target the over a half a million people who run for one form of office or another in the United States. These candidates, with a lack of media spotlight, often do not have a forum for discussing issues. Votizen provides access to this type of forum, whether it is lend support or opposition to a U.S. presidential candidate or local school board hopeful.

Currently, research says that American students are severely lacking in knowledge of the political system and grassroots mobilization. Because of Votizen’s easy, open accessibility, it appears that the site will be not only a great tool to promote voting, but also a pragmatic way in which to ignite student interest in government and politics. Instead of simply logging customed to books with male protagonists. In a recent study, sociology Professor Janice McCabe discovered that “males are central characters in 57 percent of children’s books published each year, with just 31 percent having female central characters.” Though it seems that few young boys want to watch girl heroes save the day, it’s also clear

Carrying On

by Kate Imel A rotating column by Voice senior staffers

that we’re not requiring much flexibility of our young viewers. Producers and writers have constructed and played for years into the same stereotypes they are now attempting to debunk.

Male protagonists, in fact, suffer from much of the same stereotyping as female protagonists in children’s film and literature; they often appear as action figures or delinquents, and display “typical” male behaviors. Even Pixar’s breakthrough “chick flick” features a Merida as a master archer and fight scenes to entice young male viewers. In fact, when production of Brave came to a standstill, Pixar Chief

on to Facebook to post more pictures on their walls, high school and university students will be able to click on campaign ads and write on wall-to-wall debates about relevant issues.

Instead of using money to sway voters with attacks on political opponents, candidates will have to rely on the issues at hand and their own ability to find solutions to problems, specifically economic and strategic, which plague the United States today. In doing so, Votizen forces candidates to reach out to local networks instead of simply successful businesses for campaign donations towards their funds.

Despite these breakthroughs in the field of politics and education, the new media start-up does raise some points of concern. Parents and education officials already see the increasingly tech-driven world as a threat in terms of security. There have been innumerable crimes and deaths that have resulted as a product of social networking sites, and so many security problems have occurred that existing sites like Facebook have made efforts to curtail private information on their pages.

However, Votizen appears to be blurring the lines between personal and public information. In terms of

Creative Officer John Lasseter fired Brenda Chapman, his first female director, and hired Mark Andrews.

Andrews, who is a bit of a character himself and known for, among other shenanigans, challenging co-workers to swordfights, added more action to the film. When asked why boys would come see the film, Lasseter responded with “Because it’s awesome! It’s got awesomeness in it! It’s got bear fighting in it!” And he’s right—I know few grown men who could argue with the awesomeness of a bear fight. In breaking with the conventional submissive female character, Pixar opens both its characters and its viewers to new possibility outside the confines of typical female and male roles of the past, while aiming to please both girl and boy demographics.

Nonetheless, children’s film is far from overcoming the gender imbalance. Though it is becoming increasingly more common for producers and authors to push the envelope, it has also become common for the strong female character to be the token strong female character. The strong female character is the exception, rather than the rule, in children’s film. Roberta Trites, an English professor at Illinois

face-to-face contact, people are often reluctant to reveal their personal beliefs, specifically with regard to political stance. Votizen makes this concealed information public, raising the question as to whether or not personal political beliefs will be simply used for educational, or confrontational purposes.

Furthermore, Votizen harbors the potential to make some groundbreaking societal changes in the field of education and politics. In becoming more connected through social media, it appears that people of all ages will become more knowledgeable and cognizant of their surroundings in the real world. Sitting in front of their computers, Americans will have access to various perspectives, and be able to use these viewpoints to challenge, defend, or even change their moral and ideological beliefs.

Votizen’s success essentially depends on the interests of the people to become more educated, and more importantly, involved in the political process.

Amika Tripathi is a freshman in the SFS. She swears she doesn’t work for Votizen, and doesn’t even plan to vote this fall.

State University, criticizes the progress of studios like Pixar, which “undercut those characters’ efficacy by having one per movie, as if having one strong woman makes it OK to depict all other women in the movie as nincompoops.”

The culture we construct defines the roles our children will attempt to fill. The presence of strong female politicians, activists, and athletes does nothing if that influence doesn’t trickle down to our child’s first introduction to society—stories. And it isn’t just female characters that need to break out of their molds. Male characters need to do it as well, as our society is far more dynamic than many films and books depict. More often than not, people blur the lines of the traditional molds they attempted to fill. We’re no longer jocks or cheerleaders or nerds or tomboys; we’re a little bit of everything. It’s about time that children’s literature and film reflect this dynamism in more than just a few token characters.

Kate Imel is a senior in the College.

She’s also a master archer, but only if Everclear shots count as good markmanship.

JULIA KWON

No matter where you go, you know where to find us. blog.georgetownvoice.com