The Hoya Guide: Jan. 27, 2012

the guide friday, january 27, 2012

the weekly magazine for life on the hilltop

EGYPt: one year later

Off the Beaten Path: Dumbarton Oaks

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John Mulaney’s New in Town

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Dessert Alert: Pie Is the New Cupcake

this issue 3 4 lifestyle 10 food&drink art&culture 12 14 entertainment hilltop

red square roundup // hide & seek

john mulaney // relay for life

pie sisters bakery // market to table

spring tv preview // photo essay

girl meets world // chairlift

nextissue

8

LOOKING AT EGYPT ONE YEAR LATER

On Jan. 25, 2011, a revolution Cairo, Egypt began in Egypt. After 18 days of revolt, the regime of then president Hosni Mubarak fell, leaving the nation in a state of both triumph and uncertainty. Now, one year later, thoughts of celebration and protest remain. As thousands of people flooded Cairo’s Tahir Square this week to mark COURTESY MARIEM DIAZ the revolution’s one-year anniversary, the future of Egypt remains uncertain as it straddles two eras: before and after revolution.

COVER PHOTO BY SARAH AMOS

soundbite

FEATURE: NAIL ART LIFESTYLE Check out next week’s issue, in which Samantha Randazzo will share her expertise in the growing nail art trend which has recently taken the internet by storm.

the guide Upasana Kaku, Executive Editor Suzanna Fonzi, Managing Editor Chris Bien, Photo Editor Remy Samuels, Layout Editor Samantha Randazzo, Copy Chief Victoria Edel, Deputy Guide Editor Alex Sanchez, Deputy Guide Editor Bethany Imondi, Deputy Guide Editor Christie Shely, Deputy Photo Editor Sari Frankel, Deputy Photo Editor Zoe Bertrand, Deputy Layout Editor Jessica Natinsky, Deputy Layout Editor Emory Wellman, Deputy Layout Editor Nikita Buley, Deputy Copy Editor Emily Perkins, Deputy Copy Editor

Connor Gregoire, Editor-in-Chief Steven Piccione, Guide Editor Corrections & Clarifications If you have a comment or question about the fairness or accuracy of a story, contact Executive Editor Upasana Kaku at (202) 687-3415 or email executive@ thehoya.com.

General Information THE GUIDE is published each week during the academic year with the exception of holiday and exam periods. Address all correspondence to: THE HOYA Georgetown University Box 571065 Washington, D.C. 20057-1065 The writing, articles, pictures, layout and format are the responsibility of THE HOYA and do not necessarily represent the views of the administration, faculty or students of Georgetown University.

Signed columns and cartoons represent the opinions of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the editorial position of THE HOYA. Georgetown University subscribes to the principle of responsible freedom of expression for student editors.

THE HOYA does not discriminate on the basis of age, gender, sexual orientation, race, disability, color, national or ethnic origin. © 2010. THE HOYA, Georgetown University twice weekly. No part of this publication may be used without the permission of THE HOYA Board of Editors. All rights reserved. THE GUIDE is available free of charge, one copy per reader, at distribution sites on and around the Georgetown University campus. Additional copies are $1 each.

Editorial: (202) 687-3415 Advertising: (202) 687-3947 Business: (202) 687-8350 Facsimile: (202) 687-2741

girl meets world VictoriaEdel

Chances are, strumming “I’m Yours” on a ukulele for my crush will only end with my being embarrassed, instead of his realizing his love for me.

omglol ;) :D :( :|

California Curls — Katy Perry is coming out with a line of false eyelashes.

No word yet on whether they’ll make your eyes shoot fireworks.

Perky Hour— Starbucks has announced some of its locations will sell wine and beer. And somehow, it’s become an even more popular spot for college students.

Wilted Rose — Heidi Klum has reportedly filed for divorce from her husband Seal. Guess everything wasn’t heavenly in this angel’s life.



Kiddy Chanel — Suri Cruise has won the Best Dressed Celebrity Child Award, proving that even if money can’t buy love, it can buy meaningless titles.

saywhat?

“

My friend, there is no end to Trapped in the Closet.

- R.Kelly

”

hilltop

RED SQUARE ROUNDUP nationalopera

jan27

highlighterrave

jan28 Saturday, Jan. 28 at 9:30 p.m.

Copley Formal Lounge

Friday, Jan. 27 at 1:15 p.m.

McNeir Auditorium

Craving a great party reminiscent of Club Lau? Well now’s your chance to get in on the action with the Spring Highlighter Rave, an on-campus dance party with good food, great times and a chance to cut loose. Free white T-shirts will be handed out at the door, so no excuses for staying clean this Saturday night!

End your week by enjoying a program of arias and duets from popular operas sung by the Washington National Opera’s Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program. This is a rare opportunity to experience the magic of the opera at Georgetown, so be sure not to miss out this great free performance!

gpbmovie

jan27

jesuitmass

jan29

Friday, Jan. 27 at 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m.

ICC Auditorium Watch Drive, a crime thriller featuring Ryan Gosling, as a stuntman, getaway driver at night, and Carey Mulligan. The movie follows Gosling as his driver job contracts him to more than what he bargained for. Drive has received rave reviews, and viewers will surely be entertained as the adventure unfolds.

hide&seek lastweek

Sunday, Jan. 29 at 8 p.m.

Gaston Hall Take part in this festive celebration for the kickoff to the annual Jesuit Heritage Week at Gaston Hall.

This event will replace the Sunday night masses in Dahlgren Chapel. For more information, go to jesuitweek.georgetown.edu

The photo on the left is the enlarged image of last week’s Hide & Seek. Where on campus is the photo on the right?

findme

all photos leonel de velez/thehoya

1.27.12 | the guide | 3

lifestyle

Clever Comic Stands Up and Delivers John Mulaney Premieres Special Peter brigham Hoya Staff Writer

D

uring his time working as a writer for “Saturday Night Live,” Georgetown alum John Mulaney (COL ’04) built a solid reputation as a stand-up comic. He’s done double duty as an “SNL” writer and an actor on the satirical current events segment, “Weekend Update,” as well as appearing on other shows, including VH1’s “Best Week Ever” and “Late Night With

4 | the guide | 1.27.12

Conan O’Brien.”

In 2009, Mulaney released a comedy album, The Top Part, that solidified his reputation as a rising star in the standup field. Mulaney’s sophomore album, New in Town, will be released Jan. 31 after airing on Comedy Central Jan 28.

New In Town is the culmination of a vision Mulaney has been developing since the release of The Top Part. Since releasing that album more than two years ago and refocusing on performing and writing new material, he has kept the dream of a second album in the back of his mind. The material on the album comes from an hour-long special that Mulaney performed in August.

The idea for the special came to him in January 2011. However, busy with projects for his position at “SNL,” performing and other priorities, it was hard to find time to write the material necessary for a 60-minute show. “Even though I’d been working on stuff for over a year and a half, most of the jokes that ended up in the special were written in the six months leading up to it!”

Mulaney said.

In spite of the time it took to prepare for this special, Mulaney isn’t going to kick back just yet. “I just wanted to get a new hour out there so I could move on to the next one,” he said.

That doesn’t mean that he’s churning out album after album of the same thing, though. Mulaney sees definite change between The Top Part and New in Town. He believes that his first album, while entertaining, was disorganized and lacked a central theme, while New in Town is more focused and refined. “My first album was a lot of fun, but it was kind of just a bunch of jokes about different things, some personal, some not,” he said. “The stuff on this new special and album gives me a chance to really make fun of myself and my life and what a stupid idiot I am.”

At times, his jokes poke fun at life

FUNNY MAN ON CAMPUS Georgetown Grad and “SNL” writer John Mulaney (COL ’04) is releasing a Comedy Central stand-up special this Saturday.

“The stuff on this new special and the album gives me a chance to really make fun of myself and my life and what a stupid idiot I am.”

— John Mulaney (COL ’04) on the Hilltop he once called home, though he holds Georgetown in high esteem and notes that those quips are more about his own collegiate debauchery than particular elements of the university. According to Mulaney, his jokes are “more often about [his]

terrible decisions while [he] was there than, say, jokes about what it is like to have a world-class Jesuit education.”

As he navigates the waters of a new career as a professional comedian, he also benefits from the connections and relative schedule flexibility afforded by

lifestyle his writing position at “SNL.” But he hasn’t been able to transfer all of the skills he gained as a writer to his new work in standup.

“Writing-wise, stand-up and sketch writing — the kind for … comedy scenes [on ‘SNL’] — have always been kind of separate in my mind,” he said. However, the nature of working in a performance-oriented environment such as that of “SNL” means that he can devote the necessary time and mental energy to both. “What is nice about the schedule at ‘Saturday Night Live’ is that we are immersed six days a week when we’re there, but when we don’t have a show, we get the week off to do what we please. That is normally when I turn on the standup part and try to craft jokes and go on the road,” he said.

Performances on “Weekend Update” may have helped him to form a fan base that has come to be useful now. “The times I have been on ‘Weekend Update’ certainly helped me in that people saw them and maybe found me special or came out to see me do shows,” he said.

That may perhaps be fitting, since it was from a chance rendezvous with a stranger that Mu-

Q & A

laney derived the title for his new album, New in Town. “It’s a line from a joke I have about a guy I met on the street. He told me four horrible things that were happening in his life and the last one was, ‘I’m new in town!’” he said.

“Without going into the other stuff he said, it was not the most dramatic one to close with.”

Mulaney also had high praise for the Comedy Central network, which backed the “New in Town” special. “Comedy Central is great and they take stand-up very seriously. It was a lot of fun to work with them,” he said.

When the New in Town album is released Tuesday, Mulaney will be in Hollywood, a city he considers to be “filled with decent people with good intentions.”

Asked if he had any parting words for those deciding whether to watch “New in Town”, he delivered an enticing promise, displaying the wit only a stand-up comedian can muster on a moment’s notice. “Towards the end of the special, a treasure map flashes on the screen for a brief second,” Mulaney said. “Only by watching — or by buying the reasonably priced DVD — can you see the map and locate the chest of gold ducats.”

All Photos Courtesy Mindy Tucker

JESUIT-TAUGHT JESTER Mulaney values the lessons of his Georgetown education.

what is your favorite tv show?

“Everybody Loves Raymond. I see my family in their family.”

“Friends — a lot of seasons.”

Manasi Parekh (COL ’15)

“Seinfeld — like the characters.”

Nathan Bu (SFS ’13)

J.C. Sites (COL ’15)

“Modern Family. It shows diversity in different families in American life.”

Jade Yoo (SFS ’13)

1.27.12 | the guide | 5

lifestyle

center stage Walk This Way: Relay for Life Co-Chairs Gear Up for This Year’s Event Since the inaugural Relay for Life event in 2006, students from Georgetown has managed to raise $1.4 million for the American Cancer Society. Relay for Life has become an integral part of the Georgetown experience. Each year, hundreds of Hoyas come together and reach out to their families and friends asking for financial support in the fight against cancer. More than 200 students take on the difficult task of leading the fight. Matthew Archambault (COL ’14), Ryan Muldoon (COL ’13) and D.J. Wise (COL ’13) sat down with the guide to discuss their experiences as this year’s co-chairs of Relay For Life, which will take place on April 20.

What inspired you to get involved in Relay for Life?

Wise: Fighting cancer has always been something my family believes in. In 2004, my dad was diagnosed with lung cancer ... by Christmas of

Victoria Ngare Hoya Staff Writer

’04 he was cleared of cancer in his lungs. One to one-and-a-half years later, he was diagnosed with brain cancer and passed away on Aug. 12, 2006.

At Georgetown, I saw an opportunity to fight cancer in such a tangible way.

What can people expect at this year’s Relay for Life?

Muldoon: The committee has been working to completely revamp Relay.

There will be a giant stage for the performers, a boardwalk for games and fundraisers and food.

Wise: But the most important aspects of Relay will remain the same: the Survivor’s Lap and the Luminaria Ceremony, [which honors those who have been touched by cancer and those who have lost their battle with cancer].

Beyond raising money, there is an integral human connection to this event.

In what ways will this element of Relay

for Life be incorporated into the event?

Muldoon: It doesn’t matter what aspect of Relay it is, we could not remove the element of the survivors, the cancer patients, those who have lost their battle with cancer and the caregivers. If it weren’t for them, we would not have a reason to fight.

Archambault: For every cancer patient, there is a caregiver that’s with them throughout their treatment.

What have been some of the challenges of planning such a large-scale event?

Wise: One of the biggest challenges every Relay has is getting people to sign up early. The way I look at it is cancer survivors and fighters can’t wait until April to fight back, [so] there’s no reason that we should wait until April.

Archambault: Uniting the message between the event chairs, committee chairs and the general committee and getting everyone on the same page is also a challenge.

What sorts of programs or activities do the funds raised by Relay for Life support?

Muldoon: In our very own backyard, the Lombardi Cancer Center here at Georgetown has a number of researchers who are receiving grants from the American Cancer Society to do innovative and groundbreaking research.

Archambault: Gardasil, the HPV vaccine, was developed at the Lombardi Cancer Center and partially funded by the American Cancer Society with funds from Relay for Life.

Wise: A lot of people have to travel far to get cancer treatment, but they may not have places to stay and hotel stays can get expensive. Hope Lodges provide patients and one caregiver with a place to stay that is close to their treatment center at no cost to them.

Victoria Ngare/The Hoya

HOYAS WITH HOPE Matt Archambault, D.J. Wise and Ryan Muldoon, this year’s Relay For Life co-chairs, gear up for Sunday’s event kickoff.

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What do you hope people take away from this year’s Relay for Life?

Archambault: My goal is that anyone who comes as a participant leaves as a relayer. I hope the event opens people’s eyes to this entire world of Relay. People who relay, especially on a national level, are of a different breed than those who don’t.

Some things you didn’t know about D.J., Ryan and Matt: D.J. has an irrational fear of bees.

Ryan really despises condiments of all varieties.

He can do ketchup in limited situations, but mayo and mustard really freak him out.

William Clark of Lewis and Clark is Matt’s great x eight uncle. He’s a direct descendant of Clark’s brother.

D.J. is the supervisor at the Georgetown phone-a-thon.

Ryan’s dad is a graduate of Syracuse, and his sister is a graduate of Villanova, so Big East basketball is a really sore subject in his family.

Matt gets really uncomfortable if he doesn’t have two pens and a pencil in his left front pocket.

lifestyle

What Studying Abroad Does (and Doesn’t Do) for You the 20-something transition BrookeBerger

O

ne of the major decisions an early 20-something has to make in college is whether to study abroad. When asked to describe their experience abroad, returning students usually claim that it was “amazing” and “life-changing.” Although studying abroad is both of these things, it’s this way for some unexpected reasons. It’s the little things — the experience of actually living in another country — that make studying abroad worth it.

First, travelling is not the same as living. Most students are under the impression that going abroad is akin to a four-month vacation. Although a portion of studying abroad can include travelling to other countries outside of your home base, the vast

majority of the time is spent adjusting to normal life in another country. There’s a lot more that goes into living in another country than being a tourist in it. Public transportation must be mastered, food labels deciphered and laundromats found and used. These mundane tasks are important, however, for discovering cultural differences.

Studying abroad can be a very uncomfortable experience, and it’s supposed to be. You’re told when you leave that you should anticipate culture shock before you experience assimilation, and most students leave the United States with the expectation that they’ll feel entirely at home by the end of their program. But this discomfort isn’t gone after the first few weeks. Discomfort exists throughout the entire experience; it’s occasionally discouraging to be pointed out as American, or to get lost in a city with which you thought you were completely familiar. If not for these occasional moments of discomfort, it would be far

more difficult to embrace the host culture as one distinct from your own.

The “studying” part of studying abroad is often not the only priority for students. And it shouldn’t be.

Although there’s a lot to be learned from the classes taken while abroad, much of the learning takes place outside of the classroom. In the very act of travelling, learning takes place while trying to navigate a foreign city or to communicate with someone who doesn’t speak English. There are museums to visit, plays to see and different foods to try. Although your classes will take place at your host university, the countries that you visit will be the places you learn the most.

While making foreign friends is important and a nice way to get another perspective on a foreign culture, you’ll make American friends while studying abroad, too. It’s even possible that you’ll meet people from your own university that you didn’t know before your departure.

Going abroad should be about meeting all kinds of people, American or not. Not only will you have friends scattered across the globe, but you’ll also have friends across the United States, from California to New York.

Finally, study abroad is not only something you enjoy; it’s something you survive. Living abroad is a challenging experience, but it’s one that you’ll be incredibly proud of yourself for completing. There are definitely times of homesickness and frustration, but the times spent making new friends and discovering foreign places far overshadow any struggles. Completing a semester abroad can be very important for a 20-something. It not only opens your eyes to a different part of the world but also makes you more appreciative of your own country and excited to return back to the Hilltop.

Brooke Berger is a junior in the College. She can be reached at berger@ thehoya.com. THE 20-SOMETHING TRANSITION appears every other Friday in the guide.

Small Museum Leaves a Bigger Impression NICOLE JARVIS Special to The Hoya

F

or many people, one of the draws of going to school in Washington, D.C., is the city’s rich cultural history. There are more galleries and private collections within this 10-mile square than can be fathomed, though most visitors and students rarely look beyond the wellknown and expansive museums on the National Mall. Of all the smaller collections throughout the city, one that shines through is the Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection, located right here in Georgetown.

What makes Dumbarton stand out from the rest is its focus on its collections. Instead of drawing work from every major period of art history, Dumbarton Oaks features a highly specialized collection of Byzantine and pre-Columbian art as well as that of the European masters. The works of Byzantium and South America are some of the most influential in history, and rarely do they receive as much attention and focus as they do at Dumbarton.

The gallery also features rotating special exhibitions that highlight these underrepresented eras, in-

cluding its current exhibit, “Lasting Impressions: Body Art in the Ancient Americas.”

Another unique aspect of the Dumbarton Oaks collection is its proximity to residential Georgetown, a short 20-minute walk from the front gates. The beautiful Federal-style house was purchased by Robert Woods Bliss and his wife in 1920, and they expanded on it throughout their lives to accommodate their growing collection. Arguably the most impressive part of the house, however, is the garden, which has been meticulously cultivated and maintained since the Blisses donated the house to Harvard in 1940.

Dumbarton Oaks is a place where not only to view art and culture, but also to study them. According to the museum’s website, “Dumbarton Oaks is a research institute of Harvard Universtiy that exists to further and publish research ... in numerous overlooked areas of study beyond those highlighted in the collections, including Slavic and Near Eastern Studies, Andean South America and the unique Garden and Landscape Studies program, which focuses on

COURTESY CHRIS GRIVAS

HISTORICAL ROOTS Georgetown’s own Dumbarton Oaks boasts a sizeable collection of art compiled by Robert Woods Bliss and his wife. ‘garden history, landscape architecture and related disciplines.’”

So if you are looking for a way to spend an afternoon surrounded by artistic beauty without making the trek

into the city, look no further than the beautiful Dumbarton Oaks Collection.

For hours and more information about the history of the gallery, visit doaks.org.

1.27.12 | the guide | 7

law, military trials of civilians and human rights violations as still-unsolved issues. “The fundamental structure of the state remains unchanged,” she said.

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SARAH AMOS FOR THE HOYA

COURTESY MARIEM DIAZ

COURTESY MARIEM DIAZ

COURTESY MARIEM DIAZ

COURTESY MARIEM DIAZ

COURTESY MARIEM DIAZ

SARAH AMOS FOR THE HOYA

SARAH AMOS FOR THE HOYA

EGYPTIAN UPRISINGS (All photos) The tumultuous events on the one-year anniversary of the Egyptian Revolution that ousted Mubarak. Uncertainty plagues the streets.

picking up the pieces echoes of a revolution in tahrir square

C

AIRO, EGYPT — As the crowds marched to Tahrir Square Wednesday, a sense of excitement coursed through the dusty air. Young boys sold Egyptian flags. Vendors smoked sweet potatoes in wheeled wood burning stoves, weaving their carts amid the throngs of people. The national colors of red, white and black bedecked both graffitied lampposts and painted faces. ­The day was declared a national holiday to mark the first anniversary of the 18-day uprisings that brought down former president Hosni Mubarak on Jan. 25, 2011. Although many of the hundreds of thousands of protesters refused to call it a celebration, the overall mood in the streets of Cairo was that of proud defiance. For the youth who helped

define the early stages of the revolution, it was a day of mixed feelings.

“We’ve been so close to danger,” Sarrah Abdelrahman, a 24-year-old youth activist and award-winning video blogger, said. “Normal 24-year-olds don’t talk about ways to prevent getting eyes poked out from rubber bullets.”

But the successes of the revolution, which

allowed for the first freely-elected parliament since 1952, the freedom to form political parties and an opening up of the media, still haven’t convinced many protesters.

“But what are we celebrating? We’re still fighting for the same thing,” Deena Abdelmonem, a senior studying at The American University in Cairo said. Many Egyptians

Sarah Amos Hoya Staff Writer share Abdelmonem’s frustration, disillusioned by slow progress since the revolution began a year ago.

“The old regime has not gone away. It has regrouped,” Dina Shehata, a senior researcher at the Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies in Cairo, said. Shehata cites the continuation of the state of emergency

This political plateau has alienated many young people who stood at the front lines of the revolution last year. According to Shehata, youth involvement has diminished in the past year because Egyptians now see parliament — not the protesters — as the legitimate representatives of the people.

“I think the role of the youth now is the voice of conscience, or a pressure group, that will edge whoever is in power to respect freedoms and so forth,” she said. “But they have failed to organize themselves as a political actor.”

From the parliament’s 498 seats, only eight members went to The Revolution Continues Alliance, a coalition dedicated to answering the demands of the protests.

“They’re not government people,” Abdelmonem said. “They’re revolutionaries.”

Marwan Abdel-Moneim, also a senior at the AUC, explained that parties such as the 25 of January Youth Movement did not succeed at the polls because of poor funding and lack of political experience.

“Their campaigns were really bad. You wouldn’t see them in the streets,” he said.

According to Abdel-Moneim, rumors of electoral fraud cast a pall over the legitimacy of elections in the minds of the protesters.

But, he admits, “This was the best election we’ve had. Other elections were even messier.”

Compared to the more established parties, such as the Muslim Brotherhood’s decadesold Freedom and Justice Party, startup candidates don’t stand much of a chance. But the fundamental stumbling block for youth revolutionaries is the anarchic flavor of their movement.

“It’s not that the people who have been protesting want to be a part of the system or want to be a part of power,” Abdelrahman said. “It’s a revolution on the system itself. …

We don’t want power to exist, because power corrupts.”

Abdelrahman said that parliamentary elections may placate the public, but problems remain with the ruling military junta, the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces.

According to Amnesty International, the council has committed human rights abuses — from trying civilians in military courts to killing protesters — that in some cases exceed the brutality seen during Mubarak’s rule.

Recently, the junta has come under fire for subjecting some female jailed protesters to “virginity tests” and torturing others.

“How can you be concerned about parliament when you still have people being killed in the street?” Abdelrahman said.

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Calls for SCAF’s exit were loud and insistent at Wednesday’s gathering in Tahrir Square. A popular Arabic chant among anti-SCAF protesters translates to “Down, down with military rule!” Another group marching to the

square brandished a larger-than-life effigy of the council’s leader, Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, and shouted for his removal. If their message wasn’t clear enough, signs emblazoned with the Twitter hashtag #f***SCAF emphasized the point.

SCAF has promised to hand over power to parliament at the end of July, but in the mean-

In the past year, four AUC students have been arrested and a number injured in the protests.

Ahmed Aboul Einen, an AUC senior, was leaving the protests on Jan. 26, 2011 with two female AUC students when an armored personnel carrier began shooting teargas canisters nearby.

“I think it’s that sudden feeling of ownership over the country. Because once you feel that you own something, you want to make it better, you want to make it prettier, you want to make it the best. ...

They’ve converted us to parents of the revolution.” time the council can essentially overrule the legislature. Anti-SCAF activists suspect that the council will never hand over power and have rallied for an immediate transition.

“This whole charade of ‘democracy’ under a military dictatorship … wastes our time,” Abdelmonem said. “I think we should be devoting all our time and efforts to getting rid of the military council. … In order for true democracy to exist, we have to get rid of this oppressive force.” She boycotted the recent parliamentary election, claiming that the council used it to divert attention.

In spite of these allegations of abuse, the council has maintained an approval rating of over 80 percent. Abdel-Moneim credits this to Egypt’s historical trust in the military.

“Egypt really glorified its army in the past.

The army is really put on a pedestal here,” he said, adding that abuses committed by the military are often covered up due to its control over state media.

“The military really humored the protest-

The three students attempted to hide from the plainclothes State Security police but were seen. Officers strangled one of the girls with her scarf and slapped the other, turning to Einen after he stepped up to defend them.

“He said, ‘Let the girls go, I want the guy,’” Einen recounted. “Six guys grabbed me, one on my left, one on my right. They tied my hands up with a scarf. I don’t know how many people were beating me, because they were behind and in front of me.”

The beating lasted for 10 minutes as the officers questioned Einen about his involvement in the protests. After an elderly bystander told the officers that Einen was not protesting, they lightened up, he said.

“It turned from beating me for being a protester, to beating me to scare me from becoming one.”

Einen didn’t sustain serious injuries and was back in the square protesting two days later. He said that fellow protesters he knows have fared worse; a friend of his was shot beneath his eye with a rubber bullet. Of the 18

“When people are attacked in the square and you’re risking your life, you don’t hold up your smartphone and [say], ‘protect me, Twitter.’ ... No, you protect the square with your flesh and blood. You risk your life.

You don’t risk your Twitter account.” ers earlier in the year,” Abdel-Monein said.

“Everyone thought, ‘Oh look at the army, they’re protecting us, they want our revolution to succeed.’”

But after the fall of Mubarak, the military’s interest did not necessarily lie with the people, he said.

The AUC senior has many graduating friends who will have to complete Egypt’s mandatory military service. Stories of former protesters being drafted into the organization they once opposed are common.

“If they know that you’ve participated in the revolution, they’ll make your life hell during the army,” Abdel-Moneim said. “They keep tabs on everyone. They check your Twitter. They stalk you.”

days of the January uprisings, Einen was out in the streets for eight of them.

“I don’t have a personal motive. It’s just the right thing to do,” he said. “And we finally had a chance to kick these people out and we took that chance.”

But Einen says that although a vocal minority of AUC students have spoken out about the revolution, most are actually apathetic.

“More people have not protested than those who have, and more people do not support it than do,” he said. The university has ties to the old regime — Mubarak’s wife, Suzanne, and his children, Gamal and Alaa, are all AUC alumni, as are several children of National Democratic Party politicians. But according to Einen, the overall reason for diminishing support for the revolution isn’t political but stems from a desire for stability.

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“Many people feel that the longer the protests continue, the more the country becomes unstable,” Shehata said. “I think the elections have shown that many people prefer the reformist rather than revolutionary path.”

But for activists such as Abdelrahman, the fatigue of the majority is no deterrent.

“A lot of people don’t understand. A lot of people, even in my family, don’t understand. They think it’s just adrenaline, or think like, ‘Oh, these kids and their rock and roll,’ and stuff like that,” she said. “But it’s really something that shook our lives and changed us and kind of converted us.

When you’ve gone through such a huge, life-changing experience, you’re devoted to that cause for life.”

The video blogger and activist, who graduated from the AUC last year, has gained a following of over 20,000 on Twitter. Even in this age of instant information, change is slow, she said.

“It’s not going to be as quick as posting a Twitter update or a Facebook update. It’s going to be very difficult. It’s going to be a long time,” she said. “I’m 24 years old. Me and a bunch of people are not going to give up until we die.”

She stressed the importance of on-theground demonstrating, debunking a popular misconception in Western media of the “Twitter revolution.”

“When people are attacked in the square and you’re risking your life, you don’t hold up your smartphone and [say], ‘protect me, Twitter,’” she said, flashing her phone for emphasis. “No, you protect the square with your flesh and blood. You risk your life. You don’t risk your Twitter account.”

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A year since the uprisings began, Egypt is straddling two eras: before Jan. 25, 2011, and after. Since taking their first breath of fresh air after years of oppression, young activists are striving to make their voices heard. Many of the demands of the protesters have not been met, but what has been most successful about the post-Mubarak era has been the ability to challenge the status quo.

Among the failures of the much-hoped-for revolution, Abdelrahman sees glimpses of success that continue to motivate her.

“I think it’s that sudden feeling of ownership over the country. Because once you feel that you own something, you want to make it better, you want to make it prettier, you want to make it the best. It’s like having children, I guess,” she said. “They’ve converted us to parents of the revolution.”

“A lot of people would say, ‘Parliament is bad, the military is bad, you’re getting arrested, the public is not with you, the media is militarized … ’” she said, rattling off innumerable challenges. “My common answer, to them and to myself, is that I don’t have any hope in anything but myself and my generation and my revolution.”

food&drink Try, Try This American Pie

New Bakery Opens in Georgetown michael hennessy Special to The Hoya

 PIE SISTERS

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3423 M St. NW cuisine: Desserts price: $$$$

hen one thinks about dessert in Georgetown, the first thing that comes to mind is cupcakes. But we have enough of those. So when I heard that a pie shop opened up around the corner from my house, I was very excited. The shop is owned and run by three sisters, who grew up baking pies together, hence the name.

The sisters have a motto: “Any time is pie time, morning, noon or night.”

They are right in saying so.

When I walked into Pie Sisters, I smelled happiness. The quaint little shop has a few tables and a bar along the window for eating your delicious pie in-house. Its reclaimed wood floors and open layout goes nicely with the mood of this dessert epicenter. But the thing that really catches your eye is the pie and, boy, do they have pies.

Their menu is quite extensive, and selections range from sweet to savory, all of which go well with a cup of coffee. Pie Sisters sells slices of classics like as apple and key lime as well as more exotic pies like Ap-

ple Sour Cream Crunch.

If asked, they will even warm your pie and add some whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

They also have “cuppies,” which are cupcake versions of pies that come in a variety of f lavors,including the mouth-watering Bourbon Pecan. If you wish, you can also buy a whole pie for your pleasure. Take note, however: If you want to place a large order, call ahead and give at least 24 hours notice.

The first thing I had was a slice of the double-crusted apple pie. Served warm, it could not be better. Both the bottom and top crust were f laky and complemented the perfectly roasted apples hidden inside. Bite after bite it just got better, until I realized there was none left. These sisters know how to bake. One thing I have not tried, but am very excited about, is their savory pie. It could not

happyhour

be a better time to dig into a warm and tasty meat pie, which come in several varieties, in both nine-inch pans and “cuppies.”

Conveniently located at 3423 M St. NW, Pie Sisters is a great place for a post-dinner dessert date or to solve your midday sweet tooth cravings.

Prices are fairly reasonable with “cuppies” going for $4 and a regular slice at $5.50. Pie Sisters opened Jan. 5 and is open from Tuesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. The Pie Sisters might give the other sisters on the block a run for their money.

Erica Wong for

the h oya

Dishes you have to try: bourbon pecan “cuppy” cupcake-sized pie

apple sour cream crunch pie request it warmed and a la mode

A weekly roundup of some of the best shots, mixes and punches.

ESKIMO JOE

+

Fight the winter blues like the Inuits by drinking like one! Warm up to a comforting mix of cinnamon and milk with an exciting twang of menthol. Be it at home with the folks by the fire, with half of campus at a weekend rager or alone in your dorm room — this drink will 1 part Bailey’s irish undoubtedly satisfy your taste buds. cream 10 | the guide | 1.27.12

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1 part green creme de 1 part cinnamon menthe schnapps

1 part milk

food&drink

Fiola Pairs Up Perfection It’s Easy Eating Green

KYLE O’DONNELL Special to the Hoya

market to table

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very time Hoya parents come to D.C., they are faced with the daunting task of finding a restaurant that offers delicious cuisine and suitable ambience. Due to the numerous options the District has to offer, parents and children alike often play it safe and stick to the core locales.

While the restaurants in Georgetown are accessible and offer upscale dining sure to impress parents visiting for the weekend, these restaurants are incomparable to Fiola.

Fiola, a new restaurant from the renowned Fabio Trabocchi, offers unMARRAKESHDC.COM pretentious and comforting Italian cuisine. However, it is unfair to classify EURO-FUSION Fiola serves quality Italian Fiola as being solely an “Italian” restau- and Spanish cuisine in a setting that is rant. While Trabocchi hails from the Le both intimate and elegant.

Marche region of Italy, his wife Maria, a Georgetown alum, brings in her own Trabocchi pointed out several D.C. power Spanish influence from a Majorcan players, including two Supreme Court background. Maria Trabocchi says that justices, three highly influential lobbythe cuisine is indicative of the global ists and a handful of congressmen. Fiola nature of our society. Through social offers a comfortable atmosphere perfect media and technology, she explains, for a romantic dinner (Valentine’s Day Fabio Trabocchi pulls inspiration from is right around the corner!) drinks with a variety of cultures. The restaurant friends or a private party, for which they have two private boasts influences rooms available. from Italian, SpanThe exposed stone ish and other Mediand good lighting terranean cultures. make you feel as While Fiola looks if you were in the at the global comFIOLA Trabocchi home. munity, the restauThe Trabocchis rant is rooted in lo678 Indiana Ave. NW and their knowlcal ingredients and edgeable staff take businesses. The vegWashington, D.C. pride in their cuietables come from cuisine: Italian sine and service. local farms and the They are readcattle are naturally price: $$$$ ily available to pair raised. These meafood and wine that sures do not go unnoticed. The ahi tuna crostini I ordered cater to your individual tastes and are inwas paired with a roasted tomato and vested in your enjoyment of the establishcaper spread and freshly baked artisan ment. However, make your reservations bread. While light, the antipasto was well in advance. Fiola is rapidly gaining bursting with freshness, a perfect pre- hype for all the right reasons. lude to the rest of the meal.

Fiola offers weekday lunches that Meal Highlights: change daily, depending on the avail- Ahi tuna crostini: Served with a roasted toable fresh ingredients. The handmade mato spread, which is seasoned with capasta’s pairing with seasonal flavors pers, fresh greens and a hint of citrus. The keeps Fiola in the moment and in line tomato and tuna spread is paired with with culinary trends. On one cold grilled crostini drizzled with olive oil. winter afternoon, the menu boasted sausage, rosemary and tomato soup Farotto: A lighter substitute for Tuscan with buffalo mozzarella toast. The Farro that comes with large portions of baby artichoke salad with blood or- lobster meat and mushrooms. This rustic ange and homemade Sicilian black dish is a healthy option that doesn’t sacolive salt offered a unique balance of rifice taste. bold and light flavors. The cotechino moderna sausage tortellini brought a Fiola hazelnut chocolate tart: This decalittle bit of comfort to my bleak win- dent, handmade dessert is paired with ter afternoon. hazelnut and chocolate that doesn’t The merit of the food lures an im- weigh you down. The smooth chocolate pressive clientele that enhances the contrasts with a sprinkling of crushed dining experience. At my lunch, Maria nuts on top.

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BethanyImondi

Y

ou wouldn’t know it from my diet now, but when I was younger I was “that” kid. When told I couldn’t leave the dinner table until after I had finished my vegetables, I would sit in my chair moving my carrots around with my fork until my mom had no choice but to let me free. I was also the one who only ate the holiday green bean casserole because of its fried and crispy topping. And even more shameful, as an Italian, I was the one who would eat my way around the floating specks of green in the bowls filled with my great grandma’s wedding soup.

Yes, I was one of those vegetableavoiding children. Maybe if vegetables came in ice cream-form I might have enjoyed them more, but for much of my childhood, vegetables were the enemy. Gradually, however, I came to realize that vegetables were enjoyable to eat. When boiled and glazed with brown sugar, those sides of carrots are worth every forkful. While we all know that the fried onions do make the casserole, I now happily finish the green beans at the bottom of the dish. And my spoon no longer dodges the escarole in my grandma’s soup.

Fortunately for my parents (or unfortunately, depending on how you look

at it), fights over vegetables are a thing of the past, replaced instead by arguments over grades, home curfews and boys.

Having recently become a vegetarian, I have officially committed myself to an herbivore lifestyle and embraced it. Except for the challenge of finding new vitamins to replace my gelatin-based gummy supplements, adjusting to a meat-free diet has been reasonably painless, and the season’s bounty makes it easy to create simple, hearty meals to satisfy a growling stomach.

In the midst of the winter season, one of my favorite vegetables is kale. A type of cabbage, kale comes in either green or purple form. A simple sauteed preparation with a dash of red pepper flakes is a nice change to a boring side of spinach, and when baked into chips, kale is a healthier alternative to fried potatoes. Once roasted, kale offers a contrasting texture when added to salads. For those resolving to eat more healthfully in 2012, kale works well in those infamous “green monster” smoothies. Even if you think you aren’t the biggest fan of eating green, maybe consuming kale in its purple form will convince you of vegetables’ benefits.

Bethany Imondi is a junior in the College. She can be reached at imondi@ thehoya.com. MARKET TO TABLE appears every other Friday in the guide.

parmesanwhitebeankalesoup INGREDIENTS

large handful of kale, stems trimmed 2 ½ cups vegetable stock ¾ cup canned white beans, drained 1 cup dried, short-cut pasta, such as shells or elbows

freshly ground black pepper, to taste salt, to taste grated parmesan serves 2

1.

In a covered pot, bring a few inches of water to a boil. Once boiling, salt the water, then add the kale and cover. Cook for 10 minutes until the kale is tender. Drain. Once cool enough to handle, cut the kale into bite-sized pieces.

2.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, bring vegetable stock to a boil. Add the white beans and the kale and cook to heat them through. Then add the pasta and cook until tender, according to package directions.

3.

4.

Once pasta is cooked through, remove saucepan from heat. Add salt to taste and a generous amount of pepper.

Serve hot topped with grated Parmesan.

1.27.12 | the guide | 11

art&culture Baseball Hit Steals Readers’ Hearts Kourosh Shaffy Hoya Staff Writer

POPTower.com

TVGUIDE.com Courtesy MLKPhotos for Georgetown

SPRING INTO THE NEW YEAR Networks stack their midseason lineups with both dramas like “Alcatraz” (left) and comedies like “Are You There, Chelsea?” (right).

Spring TV Lights Up Screen katrina yeh Special to The Hoya

W

hether someone is seeking a new TV show as a fresh addition to his current favorites or is ready for a change from what the networks are offering, he is in for a treat. The upcoming premieres of new TV shows this season have something for everyone, starting off with the positively reviewed drama “Alcatraz.” With J.J. Abrams as its executive producer, “Alcatraz” features Jorge Garcia of “Lost” and Sarah Jones of “Sons of Anarchy” in an exhilarating thriller. It is centered on a chilling search for prisoners who disappeared from the famed island prison following a mysterious homicide. With a cast and crew familiar to this genre of TV, “Alcatraz” is a promising show that already has many viewers at the edge of their seats. “Alcatraz” airs Mondays at 9 p.m. on Fox. For those who are craving a good laugh, have no fear. Fans of Chelsea Handler’s raunchy humor can get a taste of what her life was like as a 20-something-year-old. “Are You There, Chelsea?” is based on Handler’s bestselling 2008 memoir (Are You There, Vodka?

It’s Me, Chelsea) and follows Chelsea Newman (Laura Prepon), an outspoken woman, and her group of friends. Handler is not exclusively behind-the-scenes, however, as she plays Newman’s pregnant older sister, Sloane. Although the show has had somewhat of a slow start, it earned one of the best ratings for its current time slot, so those interested should definitely take a look. “Are You There, Chelsea?” airs Wednesdays at 8:30 p.m. on NBC. Another comedy launched by a familiar face is “Rob,” with Rob Schneider as its lead character. Schneider plays a somewhat nerdy bachelor who marries a gorgeous MexicanAmerican woman (Claudia Bassols) following a six-week courtship. The show documents the challenges that come with a quick marriage. For example. Rob must assimilate into his new wife’s family, although they treat him like an alien. Only after various interac-

12 | the guide | 1.27.12

tions does Rob start to understand that not only has he married a new wife, he has also married into a whole new culture and family. “Rob” opened with fairly negative reviews; however, for those curious about experience family antics and dysfunction, perhaps this is the show for you. “Rob” airs Thursdays at 8:30 p.m. on CBS. Fans of Broadway music and “Glee” should be pleased to hear about the new musical drama, “Smash.” It features Katharine McPhee (“American Idol”) as a relatively fresh theatre singer who faces off against experienced veteran Megan Hilty for the lead role of Marilyn Monroe in a new Broadway show.

With a great cast that also includes Debra Messing, Anjelica Huston and Uma Thurman, this highly anticipated show should have much to offer its viewers. Along with showing the competitive aspect of landing a lead role, it offers a closer look into the behind-the-scenes aspect of putting together a Broadway show. “Smash” premieres on Feb. 6 at 10 p.m. on NBC. Of course, a dose of reality TV cannot be excluded from the mix. “Fashion Star” is a clothing design series that is looking for not only the next big designer, but a promising and marketable brand. Hosted

by Elle Macpherson, the show features 14 contestants — mentored by designer John Varvatos, Jessica Simpson and Nicole Richie — squaring off against one another for the final prize: to have their designs sold in stores. They will also face weekly challenges and compete to win the highest bid from buyers from various retailers, such as Saks Fifth Avenue, Macy’s and H&M. Producers of the show vow that it will not be another “Project Runway.” Furthermore, the audience can also be more actively involved, as the winning designs will be put up for purchase each week. “Fashion Star” premieres March 13 at 9 p.m. on NBC.

A

paricio Rodriguez is a true legend: Hall of Fame shortstop for the St. Louis Cardinals, Holder of the NCAA record for most consecutive baseball games without an error;,Author of the ultimate shortstop’s manual.

Never heard of good old Aparicio?

Then you clearly have not had the pleasure of reading author Chad Harbach’s debut novel, The Art of Fielding.

Aparicio is a character within Harbach’s book who writes his own book by the same name. Aparicio serves as a role model for the novel’s protagonist, Henry Skrimshander. Henry is a quiet, reserved teenage boy who loves playing baseball for his high school team and cannot figure out what he wants to do after graduation. Everything changes for Henry, though, when Mike Schwartz, a charming and persuasive college baseball player, recruits him to play for the Westish College Harpooners of Wisconsin.

In college, Henry remains as shy as ever — a shyness the reader will likely come to find endearing — in every facet of his life, except for on the baseball field. He lives and breathes baseball, and he lets himself be heard and really shines in both practices and games. He is wholly dedicated to the sport.

The common reader with no baseball knowledge or interest may thus far be decidedly against reading this novel, but he would be wrong to judge this book by its cover (literally and figuratively). Harry’s intense love for baseball is merely the backdrop to a story that goes so much further than any sport can: It explores the human condition.

The main story of this novel is not baseball related. It is about love. To what extremes will we, as humans, go for the cause or preservation of love?

Are we wrong to go as far as we do? Do humans inherently doom themselves by falling in love?

Henry has a roommate, an intelligent gay student named Owen. The two forge a close friendship, made closer by the fact that Owen is a Harpooner as well, though he never plays and often spends his time in the dugout reading. When Henry makes a rare error in one game during his junior year, the

ball hits Owen square in the forehead, sending him to the hospital with a severe concussion. Henry’s game — and subsequently, his whole life — falls apart. He loves his friend and cannot bear the fact that his mistake hurt him. How can you live with yourself after causing harm to a loved one? In the first few games after this crucial error, Henry continuously messes up: His love for the game and his love for being great at it drive him insane.

When Henry starts falling apart, Mike tries to rescue him. Mike loves Henry and has cultivated Henry’s talents, working with him tirelessly to improve. If you love somebody, can you let him wither away before your very eyes? Through Mike, Harbach explores the sacrifices one is willing to make to save the life of a loved one.

And then there are Guert Affenlight, the 60-something college president, and his 23-year-old daughter, Pella, who moves in with him after her marriage crumbles. Of these two characters, I will say no more, for much of the genius of this novel comes from the way their lives become intertwined with those of Henry, Mike and Owen.

Ultimately, The Art of Fielding is an unbelievably enjoyable and masterfully written message about love and the human condition, explained through the interconnected lives of five members of a college community.

Little Brown And Company

GRAND SLAM Chad Harbach’s debut novel touches on the pains of baseball and life.

photoessay

art&culture by christie shely

Putting Things in Perspective Society tells us that everyone sees the world in a diverse way, but sometimes it can be difficult to imagine how anyone could see life differently than we do ourselves. When I was younger, my siblings and I fought constantly, and my parents always told us to consider each other’s points of view. While I didn’t take this advice seriously as a kid, I eventually learned to apply it to everyday life, particularly in the field of photography.

For example, each of these photos offers a new perspective on the subject, ranging from everyday objects such as puddles and pianos to diverse aspects of nature. These nature photos from Arizona, California and Wyoming represent the beauty I saw not only in the subject itself, but also in the angle and composure of the shot. These photos offer a small insight into my perspective of the world and will hopefully encourage you to look around in a new way.

would you like to be featured in the next photoessay? email guide@thehoya.com

1.27.12 | the guide | 13

entertainment If You Can’t Say It, Sing It that a lot of his songs said something to the effect of “I love you so much, but I’m just going to stay quiet about it.”

I think that’s the reason why there are so many love songs. Instead of VictoriaEdel telling someone that she loves him, Taylor Swift writes a song about it. y friend and I got into a fight And, instead of telling someone I love about Adele. “Rolling in the him, I sing Taylor Swift’s song in the Deep” or “Someone Like You” shower, get my feelings out and then came on the radio, and I immediately hide them for the rest of the day. It’s a began to sing along loudly. My friend vicious cycle. said that he does not like Adele beIn a few movies, people do use love cause she only writes love songs. At songs to tell people the way they feel, first I was outraged, but then I realized instead of concealing it. These are ofhe was basically right. Adele constant- ten the most iconic moments in a film ly sings about love, lost and found.

— Heath Ledger’s dance for Julia Stiles I wondered if this was a phenom- in 10 Things I Hate About You, Adam enon unique to Adele. In my highly Sandler’s serenade for Drew Barrymore unscientific studies of my music library on a plane in The Wedding Singer and and the top songs list on iTunes, it the boom box scene from Say Anything seems like it’s not. Artists across genres all immediately come to mind. And are obsessed with love, though I think while I’d love to be on the receiving end female artists, like of one of these Adele, sing about grand romantic it more often. gestures, I know it Instead of telling someone won’t be happenFirst, I think female artists ing for me — or I love him, I sing Taylor are unfairly presSwift’s song in the shower. you — any time sured to write soon (unless your and to perform life is a romantic love songs, especomedy). cially newer artists.

It’s actually kind of sad. Romantic Sara Bareilles’ first sincomedies and sitcoms, movies and gle, “Love Song,” was about just that. television, are the only places where Her record company told her that she people are willing to explicitly state needed to write a love song, and she their feelings. And since it’s a movie, told them no, in song. I think that as a there’s no doubt that things will turn society, we expect women, more than out well. Even if that person rejects men, to sing about love because falling them, they’ll probably meet someone in love, getting married and the ac- else, someone more worthy of the gescompanying pressures are things that ture. One hundred twenty minutes we consider feminine experiences. later, it will have been worth it in one This is not to say that there have way or another. The problem is that in been no male romantics — William real life we never know if it’ll be worth Shakespeare, John Keats and Bruno it. Chances are, strumming “I’m Mars all come to mind — but I think Yours” on a ukulele for my crush will we expect women to fall in love, to be only end with my being embarrassed, consumed by its pursuit and its loss, instead of his realizing his love for me. more than we expect it from men. Pop Instead, Adele, Jason Mraz, Taylor music most often limits the feelings of Swift and everyone else who ever wrote a man to those about sex. a song, will keep writing about love In the end, most songs, regardless instead of saying the words they need of the artist’s gender, are about these to say. And you and I will keep buying two things, love and lust, which are the songs, screaming them at parties obviously related. I think it’s because and ignoring the feelings in them. But these are the two hardest things to maybe if I’d learned to play piano, I’d be talk about. Over Thanksgiving Break, able to make some money from it.

I saw Jason Mraz perform at Carnegie Hall where he played a lot of his older Victoria Edel is a sophomore in the Colsongs and talked about going through lege. She can be reached at edel@thehis song catalogue as he came up with hoya.com. GIRL MEETS WORLD appears the set list. He said that he realized every other Friday in the guide.

girl meets world

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14 | the guide | 1.27.12

Extremely Emotional and Incredibly Long BETHANY IMONDI Hoya Staff Writer

M

ost of us can remember exactly Academically adept in real life, Horn where we were and what we connects well with the role and his emowere doing on the morning of tional outbursts appear both natural Sept. 11, 2011. For nine-year-old Oskar and jarring.

Schell, the memory of listening to his Other names that round out the cast father’s voice on the answering machine include Viola Davis, John Goodman and from the inside of the World Trade Cen- Jeffrey Wright. In her minor role as one ter torments him every day. of Oskar’s encounters, Davis is compasBased on the 2005 novel of the same sionate and empathetic, but her charname by Jonathan Safran Foer, Extreme- acter and talent deserve more screen ly Loud and Incredibly Close follows the time. Wright, as the man who knows story of young Oskar, played by Thomas the truth behind the key’s past, gives a very emotional — Horn, on his jouralbeit short — perney to discover the formance that emmeaning behind the phasizes the truth mysterious key he of the six degrees finds in the blue vase of separation theoin his father’s closry in New York. et. Clinging to the EXTREMELY LOUD AND But while the memory of his dad, INCREDIBLY CLOSE movie has big the exceptionally instarring: Tom Hanks & Sandra names on the cast quisitive Oskar plans list, it is difficult an elaborate scavenBullock ger hunt across New to look beyond the did you know?: The protagonist is York City, mapped by fact that the plot a vegan, Francophile and pacifist. elaborate coordinate focuses on an ingrips and nourished nocent little boy by apple juice. gallivanting alone Throughout the course of his journey across New York. Questions abound as to across the city’s boroughs, Oskar meets why Oskar is allowed to leave his Mana variety of memorable characters. Per- hattan apartment without any supervihaps the most interesting is the stranger sion, and the absurdity of the journey renting out a room in his grandmother’s itself makes it seem even less logical. apartment. Without speaking any words Moreover, while uplifting, the story throughout the film, the man (Max von drags on for an excessive two hours. The Sydow) befriends Oskar and accompanies continual switches from flashback to the boy across town, teaching him impor- present make the action seem haphaztant nonverbal lessons about confronting ard, and there are moments of insenfears and knowing when to let go. sitivity that make the film difficult to Although his screen time is limited, watch. When Oskar vocally rejects his Tom Hanks plays the role of the Man- mother, leaving her nearly speechless, hattan jeweler Thomas Schell, Oskar’s there is a brief moment of discomfort father, in a jovial, affectionate light. His and unsettlement that derails the audiinteractions with Horn are some of the ence’s ongoing sympathy with the film’s most uplifting of the film, highlighting protagonist. the strength of the father-son relationAs with many movies, Extremely Loud ship. Equally compelling is Sandra Bull- and Incredibly Close struggles with its ock, playing Oskar’s despondent mother transition from the bookshelf to the Linda. Even before Oskar sets off on his movie screen. The contrivance of the adventure, the distance between her and plot depends too much on viewers’ emoher son is painstakingly evident. tions and lacks a true depth because of Horn’s performance as the sensi- its excessive sentimentality. Everyone tive and earnest Oskar is remarkable, has a personal story about 9/11, and Osespecially considering his lack of pre- kar’s is certainly worth telling. However, vious acting experience. Producers ap- while Oskar tries to move forward after proached the boy after he won more the loss of his father, his story never rethan $30,000 on “Jeopardy! Kids Week.” ally advances anywhere.

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entertainment

Something Shrugs Sophomore Slump WIL CURIEL Special to The Hoya

I

n 2008, Brooklyn-based electronic pop duo Chairlift lived the dream of most indie bands. They released a record, appeared in an iTunes commercial and were signed to a major record label. But instead of chasing even more success, the band’s members went their separate ways to

COURTESY UNIVERSAL REPUBLIC

pursue various side projects. Three years In the album’s first few lines, Polacheck lets later, with their second album, Something, the listener know that she is comfortable in Chairlift not only sticks to its tried-and-true any role, be it that of a vengeful psychopath or jaded socialite. synth-pop formula, The album’s highbut improves and light comes with expands on it to “I Belong in Your show just how versaArms,” a breathtile the band can be. less homage to the The album opens band’s 1980s influwith “Sidewalk SaSOMETHING ences. The song fari,” an extremely brings to mind the poppy tune with artist: Chairlift likes of Depeche a scattered drum Mode or Blondie cirloop and lead singer song to download: “I Belong in ca “Heart of Glass.”

Caroline Polachek’s Your Arms” The synthesizer signature airy vosong to skip: “Cool as Fire” shimmers and gliscals. The song is tens while the skitgenuinely unnervtering beat makes for ing in the best way possible, with its theremin-esque guitar an infectious groove.

The multiple changes of pace can unforcoupled with Polachek’s lyrics about hunting down her enemies and running them tunately grow tiresome; songs like “Take It over with her car. Her emotion is palpable, Out on Me” and “Cool as Fire” prove slugand her sincerity is conveyed immediately. gish and even boring.

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newreleases “Holy Touch”

Foxy Shazam // The Church of Rock and Roll

 Over the past few years, Foxy has really grown as a band, and this is never more apparent than in their newest single. The song is fun, fast paced and heavily influenced by classic rock.

ATLANTIC RECORDS

Still, Something is quick to redeem itself.

The simple lyrics and snap-along melody of “Ghost Tonight” make for a song that’s much more accessible, if not a little forgettable. In addition, “Amanaemonesia” raises the quirk factor of the album without becoming ridiculous and overblown, something that has plagued many similar bands of recent years.

The second half of Something is much stronger than the first. The surreal sound of “Frigid Spring” is engrossing and reminiscent of an early Beck album. “Guilty as Charged,” the album’s closer, is a testament to just how adaptable Chairlift can be. The duo spans multiple genres while simultaneously maintaining a sound that is distinctly its own. Polacheck laments in the album’s final seconds: “If I gave you what you’re asking for / You wouldn’t want it anymore.” That’s where she’s wrong. Something is exactly what fans bored of the same indie synth-pop have been asking for, and they will certainly ask for more.

ABBY REUTZEL Special to The Hoya

“Dour Percentage”

“Ghost”

Ingrid Michaelson // Human Again



Ingrid delivers once again on her newest single. The instrumentals are understated, allowing Ingrid’s haunting vocals and intricate, poignant lyrics to shine.

INTERSCOPE RECORDS

of Montreal // Paralytic Stalks

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of Montreal’s new single is eclectic and fun — just like the band — with catchy melodies and anthemic choruses. “Dour Percentage” is good, but it’s far from the band’s best work.

BIG MACHINE

1.27.12 | the guide | 15

best bets

friday Start your weekend with a night of comedy at The D.C. Improv Comedy Club and Restaurant as improv troupe ShawnMikael(s) performs alongside special guest Matt Cooper of National Journal. All proceeds will be donated to the Stone and Holt Weeks Foundation!

Where: The Improv, 1140 Connecticut Ave., NW When: Friday, 8 p.m.

Info: (202) 296-7008 Price: $25 Metro: Farragut North (Red line)

shots in the dark

saturday If you love music and romance, make the short trip across the Potomac and take part in Noche de Boleros, presented

by Teatro de la Luna. Performers will sing passionate Spanish ballads as you drink, dine and dance — this night of love which will surely get you ready for Valentine’s Day. Where: NRECA Conference Center, 4301 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, Va. When: Saturday, 7 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.

Info: (703) 548-3092 Price: $30, $25 for students Metro: Ballston (Orange line)

ALLIE DOUGHTY & NICOLE JARVIS Special to The Hoya

-chris bien

sunday Crash! Take a break from the ordinarily preppy Georgetown atmosphere with a destructive good time at Monster Jam at Verizon Center. Come see monster trucks tear up the track and everything else in their path for what is sure to be an adrenaline-filled experience.

Where: Verizon Center, 601 F St. NW When: Sunday, 2 p.m.

Info: (202) 628-3200 Price: $36 Metro: Chinatown (Red line)