The Hoya Guide: Dec. 7, 2012

the guide december 7, 2012

Mitchell Scholar Talks Future of Science G6

the weekly magazine for life on the hilltop

American Cuisine Gets Tasty Makeover

Heroes to Honey Boo Boo: G11 The Year in Review G13

HEALTH AND this issue 8 MENTAL MOVING FORWARD lifestyle 3 10 food&drink arts & 12 entertainment center stage | surviving endless summer

black & orange | life beyond leo’s

behind the screens | ‘the night circus’

nextissue

The typical Georgetown student often complains about a self-imposed hectic schedule revolving around classes, extracurriculars and social events.

It’s a constant balance that inevitably creates a lot of emotional and physical stress. Sometimes, however, that stress is not just a product of a busy routine. While students may not immediately recognize the signs, depression can significantly contribute to a downward spiral in academic and personal spheres. However, bringing attention to this issue and encouraging discourse about mental health can mitigate the stigmas surrounding it.

COVER DESIGN BY LEONEL DE VELEZ AND SHEENA KARKAL

soundbite

THE GUIDE GETS MERRY ONLINE CONTENT

You won’t find us in print until after the New Year, but look for exclusive online content at thehoya.com. We’ll cover all the season’s brightest moments, including Hugh Jackman in Les Miserables. Pick up our next issue Jan. 18th.

the guide Braden McDonald, Executive Editor Victoria Edel, Managing Editor Hunter Main, Copy Chief Zoe Bertrand, Layout Editor Leonel De Velez, Photo Editor Kim Bussing, Deputy Guide Editor Nicole Jarvis, Deputy Guide Editor Emily Manbeck, Deputy Guide Editor Chris Grivas, Deputy Photo Editor Erica Wong, Deputy Photo Editor Kyle Hunter, Deputy Layout Editor Jessica Natinsky, Deputy Layout Editor Shannon Reilly, Deputy Copy Editor Jamie Slater, Deputy Copy Editor Sean Sullivan, Deputy Copy Editor

Danny Funt, Editor-in-Chief Sheena Karkal, Guide Editor Corrections and Clarifications If you have a comment or question about the fairness or accuracy of a story, contact Executive Editor Braden McDonald at (202) 6873415 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. © 2012. 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) 687-3947 Facsimile: (202) 687-2741 Email: editor@thehoya.com Online at www.thehoya.com

MariahByrne Page 7

“Mother Earth’s rather frequent dances were a reminder for me to be on my toes and that I should always bring my phone to school.”

omglol >:( :) :/ :O

SWIFT RECOVERY Having just broken up with Connor Kennedy, Taylor Swift has moved on to Harry Styles of One Direction. No, Taylor, just no.

ROYAL GLOW The Royal Family recently announced that Kate Middleton is pregnant. Is it bad that we’ve already contemplated her baby names?

THE RANCH IS ALIVE Carrie Underwood will play Maria in NBC’s The Sound of Music. We wonder how Julie Andrews feels about this.



SAME TODDLER, NEW TIARA Barbara Walters named reality star Alana Thompson one of her most fascinating people. Say what, Honey Boo Boo child?

saywhat?

“

I did go to the bone-zone with a ghost.

— Ke$ha, confirming her supernatural escapades to Conan

”

lifestyle

Editors’ Picks FLEETWOOD MAC

‘MAN OF STEEL’

On Tuesday, the band announced that it’ll go on a worldwide tour in 2013. If the idea of Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham singing “Dreams,” “Go Your Own Way” and other Fleetwood Mac classics isn’t exciting enough, the group is promising new material as well. The best part of this is that the band is coming to Washington, D.C., on April 9. We’ll be clicking the refresh button on until the tickets are released.

A new poster for the upcoming Superman film was released this week and has superhero fans abuzz. The Man of Steel, who will be played by British actor Henry Cavill, is pictured wearing not only his iconic costume but also handcuffs.

Though we’re not sure yet why America’s favorite good guy is going to jail, we’re heartbroken that Superman is being sent off in shackles.

THELINEOFBESTFIT.COM

BLOG.ZAP2IT.COM

THE HAWKEYE INITIATIVE

VINO2GO WINE TUMBLERS

We appreciate this tumblr that points out the utter ridiculousness of how women are portrayed in comics’ graphic designs. The blog’s contributors replace unrealistic images of “strong female characters” with self-drawn pictures of Hawkeye from The Avengers. While these women are fighting fictional crimes, the Hawkeye Initiative is fighting a real crime against women: unfair and derogatory representation.

For those looking to tote wine around in something more sophisticated than a plastic water bottle, Vino2Go wine tumblers provide a great alternative for taking your wine anywhere, sippycup style. The only downside? The tumblers are see-through, so they may not be as socially acceptable — or legal — around parents or in movie theaters as we would like. If you think the Vino2Go is weird, you should put a cork in it.

THEHAWKEYEINITIATIVE.TUMBLR.COM

THEPRODUCTFARM.COM

appyhour

the apps that will make you love your favorite gadgets even more

Umano

Rolling Stones

price: free

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Looking for a cool new way to stay up to date on the news?

Perfect for any wired-in, hyperinformed Georgetown student, Umano is a new app that allows you to get your favorite articles read to you by professional actors from around the world. Umano also lets you share the most interesting articles you find with your friends and make playlists out of your favorite news.



For any Stones fan, or general fan of rock music, this official app from the band that gave us Exile on Main St. is essential. Created with extensive input from the band and its fans, this app is beautiful, easy to use and full of surprises, including ticket giveaways and exclusive video content tucked away for dedicated fans to find.

JERROD MACFARLANE Special to The Hoya

Tonepad



price: free

It’s time to make some music.

Tonepad is a new app that allows everyone, from those who gave up playing an instrument in middle school to talented musicians, to make their own digital music creations by tapping on the notes that appear oncreen.

The app also features a fun and mesmerizing interface that only serves to further enhance the process of making music.

12.07.12 | the guide | 3

lifestyle BRIGHTENING THE COMMUNITY GU Art Aficionados Team Up to Tackle Mural CARLY CIANCI Special to The Hoya

W

ith so many museums, land- decided to assist students from grades marks and memorials at their one through eight at Sacred Heart Bifingertips, artists can certain- lingual Catholic School in painting a ly find inspiration in Washington D.C. mural on their playground.

From photographs of the Capitol steps Goncharova, who interacts with the in the winter to landscape paintings of school for the community-based learnthe sunrise over the Potomac, art cap- ing component of her “Reading, Teachtures the beauty of this city and the ing, Social Reflection” class, decided to eye of viewers. And while some of these channel her volunteer efforts into an art artists like to project after nowork in private, ticing that the others enjoy inchildren’s play“All I had to ask was ‘What do teracting with ground, essenyou like about this?’ and they others and look tially a parking to their commuwould all raise their hands like, lot, had a bare nity to act as a wall leading up ‘Pick me, pick me.’” muse. to the school enThe only art trance. club on campus, “We’ve done — Michelle Stearn (SFS ’15) the Georgetown minor outUniversity Art reaches, but Aficionados strives to do just that by this has been much more hands-on, fostering art appreciation and creat- and much more of a commitment,” ing projects for interested students. said GUAA President Stephanie Jasson Sponsoring events like outings to lo- (COL ’14). “It took over a month to plan cal museums, photo weeks and panel and execute, [and] it was the first of discussions on painters and exhibits, many to come, hopefully.”

GUAA has just started its own kind After clearing the project with the of community outreach program. In- school administration, a group of spired by an idea of member Masha GUAA board members travelled to Goncharova (COL ’14), a former staff the school Nov. 16 to talk with the writer for The Hoya, the organization first grade students about their perceptions of art and how they wanted those ideas translated into the mural.

The lesson plan consisted of three steps: decision, organization and execution. Board members like Goncharova and Michelle Stearn (SFS ’15) showed the students PowerPoint slides of various paintings to provoke artistic reflections that would then be used in planning the mural.

“I would show a slide and ask them what they thought about and their reactions,” Stearn said. “All I had to ask was ‘What do you like about this?’ and they would all raise their hands like, ‘Pick me, pick me.’”

Stearn explained that it was hard for her to believe at times that the students were only six years old and had such a good grasp of complex subjects.

In the end, the children expressed that themes like the city versus naPAINTING CHANGE Students think up ture, a dove representing peace, their ideas to embellish the blank wall at school symbol and the earth should be incorporated into the final project. their school’s entrance.

4 | the guide | 12.07.12

ARTISTIC ENGAGEMENT Masha Goncharova (COL ’14) and Michelle Stearn (SFS ’15) teach students about art and gather ideas for their mural project.

GUAA board members purchased all the materials and supplies using their club budget. They travelled to the school over the course of a few weekends to clean, prepare the surface for painting, design, grid and color block the wall in order to prepare it for the students to paint. “[This preparation] was really good because the school’s participation was really just the kids. There was no downside for them, so they were really enthusiastic on all fronts but also because we were supplying the materials

for the project,” Jasson said.

On the final day of the project, the board members worked in shifts as each grade level came out to paint their part of the mural.

“They absolutely loved it. The kids were just so excited. They would pretty much do anything just to be involved in the process,” GUAA board member Michelle Yaw (COL ’15) said.

At times, however, the Georgetown students found the enthusiasm a little overwhelming.

“By the middle of the day I think we

lifestyle had like 20 kids at once and we only had five brushes,” Stearn commented. “And, of course, all of them wanted to paint the bright colors. None of them wanted to paint the white.”

Because of the nature of the project and the time commitment involved in preparing the wall, only GUAA board members were able to get involved rather than the entire group.

“We embarked on this massive project knowing we had to do it in a short period of time because we were only designated one day to work with the kids officially,” Yaw said. “In a sense, we would have liked a lot more general body participation. ... The thing about GUAA’s structure is that the board is the main group of people who organizes things and the rest of the members are on the Listserv, and it’s a very lowcommitment type of thing.”

Nonetheless, the school’s parents, students and teachers expressed genuine appreciation for GUAA’s help in making their parking lot playground a happier, brighter place.

“They all seemed really grateful, which surprised me because it didn’t really take that much effort on our part. Of course we wanted to do it but … I guess that the little effort translates into a lasting impression,” Stearn said. “Hopefully, if we do this right it will last, I don’t know, maybe ten years?

That would be enough for me.”

ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF MASHA GONCHAROVA

A COMMUNITY EFFORT With the help of the Georgetown University Art Aficionades, students of all grades at Sacred Heart Bilingual Catholic School have collaborated to brighten up their playground with a new, colorful mural.

georgetown babel

Battle of the Sands: May the Best Coast Win

L

ast summer, I spent two weeks in Los Angeles visiting my cousin and a few of my friends from Georgetown. Besides the fact that the daily agendas of Angelenos revolve around the area’s absurd traffic situation and lack of public transport, I loved just about everything about Southern California. The weather was fabulous (to the point that a waitress complained to me that 75 degrees was scorching), everyone there was as obsessed with movies and television as I am and there was no shortage of vegetarian food or fro-yo for an herbivore like me.

Yet I think that if I had stayed there any longer, I would have started to talk completely like a Californian. To be honest, I am probably more prone to adopt a SoCal manner of speaking than most East Coasters, considering that two of my best friends at Georgetown are from Los Angeles. Even before I took the trip to the West Coast, I found myself starting to hang onto my vowels longer. If you don’t know what I mean, just watch one or all of “The Californians” sketches from Saturday

Night Live. Obviously, the characters’ “What are you doing here?” accents are rather exaggerated in these Another trait of California vernacportrayals, but the notion that linger- ular that SNL nails is the obsession ing onto vowel sounds makes a person with produce. At least one character sound like a surfer bum or a valley girl, per episode will boast about a fresh regardless of his or her actual intelli- fruit or vegetable, whether it be dates, gence, is still pretty accurate. sun-dried tomatoes or real California Even so, the word pronunciation avocados (but pronounced as “ah-vuhisn’t even the funniKYAH-dohs,” naturalest part of each sketch. ly). My cousin actually I personally find the told me that I can nevwhole obsession with er truly be considered automobile transpora Californian if I contation — specifically tinue to despise avocafreeways — hilarious does; she also added because every time I that I will have to trade AllieDoughty watch “The Califorin my sneakers for tennians,” I feel like I am nis shoes if I ever plan sitting at Leo’s with my friends, befud- to move to the West Coast. dled by their back-and-forth about the Of course, there are also intrastate 405 and the PCH. I recently watched differences in language due to factors an episode with one of said friends, of culture and geography. In a state as who happens to be a blond, board- vast as California, it’s not really surprisshort-wearing guy who surfs and ing that northerners and southerners regularly describes things as “gnarly.” frequently mock one another (the forThat being said, even he couldn’t stop mer are made fun of for saying “hella” laughing when Fred Armisen’s and and the latter for essentially everything Bill Hader’s characters battled it out to else that I already mentioned). But see who could take the longest to say, based on its size, you might not expect

New Jersey to vary so much in terms of the jargon of its residents. For instance, a few weeks ago, when I was mooching a ride home for Thanksgiving off of my friend who lives about twenty minutes away from me in the Garden State, we had some very profound conversations, including one about the phrase “hoitytoity.” When my friend admitted that he had never heard of the expression before, I described it as meaning “uppity” or “pretentious.” He responded by saying, “Oh, like ‘shi shi foo foo,’” to which I answered, “Huh?” Language barriers don’t just occur from country to country, coast to coast or state to state; they arise between towns and sometimes even next-door neighbors. But if there were a competition between the Pacific and Atlantic states, would the final word be West Coast, best coast, East Coast, least coast?

Because West Coast worst coast, East Coast, beast coast will always sound pretty awesome to me.

Allie Doughty is a senior in the College. This is the final appearance of GEORGETOWN BABEL this semester.

12.07.12 | the guide | 5

lifestyle

centerstage

MORE THAN MEDICINE Student Awarded Science Scholarship

DENVER BURTON Special to The Hoya

Wardah Athar (COL ’13) is not a typical science student. While many neurobiology majors may be pouring over orgo textbooks in Regents as their ticket to medical school, Athar is busy applying her studies outside of the classroom. A recent recipient of the Mitchell Scholarship, which will fund her graduate studies in Dublin, Ireland, Athar will be focusing on a union between medicine and research in order to further medical developments. In her free time, she is also completing a certificate in Islam and Muslim-Christian understanding and is heavily involved in research on campus.

What else are you involved in on campus?

What led you to do research here at Georgetown?

I’ve conducted research in a developmental neuroscience lab since my freshman year, so I spend a lot of my time in a white lab coat playing with mice and cackling evilly to myself (but really). I’m also a member of the Carroll Fellows Initiative and the Howard Hughes Scholars Program and am cochair of the Undergraduate Research Ambassadors, so I’m really invested in highlighting undergraduate research on campus, helping other students find research opportunities and just generally telling everyone how awesome research is. I’m also the current president of the Muslim Students Association.

Lastly, I’m a teaching assistant for BIOL101 and a leader for the ESCAPE retreat program.

Honestly, I kind of fell into it. I started here staunchly pre-med, and I just wanted to get done with undergrad so I could go to med school. Luckily, though, I met a professor, Maria Donoghue, during an Intro Bio seminar and really clicked with her. I went to one of her lab meetings, she offered me a spot to work there in the summer, I took it and I’m still working there nearly four years later.

Working in her lab gave me this sense of ownership of my work that I hadn’t gotten from any of my courses, and that ownership was really what caused me to fall in love with neuroscience and with research. I just think it’s so cool that when I get results from an experiment, I’m the first person in the whole world to know that small piece of science. Yes, my friends and family have alerted me to the fact that this is super dorky.

SPOTLIGHT

What would you say are the biggest benefits to being involved in undergraduate research?

Favorite TV Show?

“Modern Family” Favorite Song?

This changes pretty frequently, but one of my current favorites is Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline”

Research gives you ownership of your work. You get real expertise, real knowledge, in your research area, and that’s very difficult to come by as an undergrad. So even if you don’t want to be an academic or a researcher later in life, it’s valuable to develop this extra skill set and to obtain real expertise.

Favorite Georgetown memory?

Snowpocalypse!

What was it like to win the Mitchell Scholarship?

Favorite Place in DC? The Washington Monument during cherry blossom season

It was insane. I knew that they call everyone on the same day as the interview, so the waiting was driving me crazy. Still, though, when I got the call that evening, I was just in shock. I had

6 | the guide | 12.07.12

COURTESY JIM MCCORMICK COURTESY JIM MCCORMICK

ARIEL POURMORADY/THE HOYA

MAKING BRAINWAVES IN NEUROSCIENCE Wardah Athar’s (COL ’13) research furthers medical developments through a better understanding of brain functions. some friends over and they were jumping up and down and screaming while I was still talking to the Mitchell director, and then I called my parents in Saudi Arabia, where it was about 3 a.m.

It was all very surreal, and I’m just incredibly thankful for the opportunity.

Looking forward, my Mitchell year will be a great way of not just studying neuroscience but also of building ties between American science and Irish science. I’m also really excited to travel!

The 12 Mitchell scholars are spread out all over the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, so there’s a lot of travelling between cities to visit each other and also a lot of traveling to other places in Europe. I didn’t go abroad during my time at Georgetown, so I certainly plan to make up for it next year.

What does this mean for your postgraduation plans?

After my Mitchell year, I’m hoping to enter a joint MD/PhD program to become a physician scientist. I’ve always wanted to practice medicine because it’s a tangible way of making an impact and serving others, but I’ve realized that medicine alone isn’t enough. We need to better understand how the brain functions before

we can create new treatments, and the only way to do that is through research. I think that marrying research and medicine is a way of having a meaningful, immediate impact while also looking to the future and creating a knowledge base that will help us develop more sophisticated medical techniques in years to come. I love the idea of using individual medical cases to inform research projects and then using discoveries from those projects to better treat future patients.

What is the most valuable thing you’ve gained from your research experience?

The realization that failure is a part of life. In all honesty, 97 percent of the time, our experiments don’t work. We believe that the science gods have a very mean sense of humor. We have to keep redoing experiments and changing them and troubleshooting them before we can even begin to think about getting real data, and that’s a very humbling experience. It’s not that I think anyone should accept failure but rather that we will all encounter it at one point or another, so the only solution is to get up and throw yourself at the problem again, from a different direction.

lifestyle surviving endless summer

Bidding ‘Adios’ to a Semester Abroad

C

osta Rica might not observe Thanksgiving, but surviving a whole six months of the pura vida has given me plenty to be grateful for.

I know that I might be a bit behind on my holidays, but I’m feeling pretty sentimental as I procrastinate on preparing for my final classes tomorrow and the end of my time in Costa Rica.

I’ve loved almost everything about my experience here — the friends I’ve made, the trips I’ve taken, the opportunity to just take a semester to learn more about another culture and myself. I was expecting to encounter all these things, but there was something particular about Costa Rica that I was not prepared for: earthquakes — and how I will miss them.

It’s probably weird to express gratitude for a form of natural disaster, but honestly, the earthquakes I’ve experienced have been pretty fun. The ground shakes, everyone goes outside and we all freak out a little about how bad the earthquake could have been. All in all, Mother Earth’s rather frequent dances were a reminder for me to be on my toes and that I should always bring my phone to school. It’s also pretty

cool that I can say that I’ve lived through Like Georgetown, UCR is in its country’s a magnitude-7.5 earthquake (which hap- capital, but the idea of the university not pened while I was at school without my only allowing but encouraging you to phone, if you didn’t get that). No big deal. attend a national rally is beyond compreI’m also incredibly grateful for the hension. Sure, I’m thankful for getting to amount of sleep that I’ve been able to get. skip a few classes this semester, but I’m Maybe it’s the fact that I live with a fam- more appreciative of the environment ily that includes a couple in their late 50’s of political awareness and participation and a ten-year-old, but I’ve that UCR fosters. I only started calling it quits at wish Georgetown took the 9 p.m. Nevertheless, I’m same measures from time going to miss watching to time.

“CSI” with my host parents In all seriousness, what and then tucking myself I’m actually the most in for the evening. I have grateful for in this whole MariahByrne resigned myself to the fact experience — and what it’s that my current routine going to be the hardest to isn’t sustainable and is probably consid- leave — are the people I’ve met here. After ered pretty lame back at Georgetown, but sharing lazy beach days, bubble tea study I’m sad to see it go. parties, and impulse ice cream runs, it I’m excited to get back to the Hilltop for kills me that I won’t be able to see any of sure. Georgetown has a very politically ac- the other students in my program next setive student body, but it has nothing on mester. I went into my program — which the University of Costa Rica. And by this, is run through the University of Kansas I mean to say that I’m going to miss the — knowing that I would be the only stuuniversity’s rector cancelling classes more dent from Georgetown, but I didn’t realthan once this semester to permit stu- ize what that would mean at the end of dents to participate in political marches. the semester until now. I also don’t really

know what I’m going to do without the constant support of my program directors. Sure, my deans can provide academic advice, but honestly, what administrator will be able to tell me where the closest sex shop is (real thing I had to know for a homework assignment) and put up with 10 a.m. dance parties in her office? Nonetheless, the people that I’m thankful for most of all are my host family. I know I’m the 30th-or=so student to come through their house, but I’m afraid that they’re never going to know how grateful I am that they put up with me all semester and that they welcomed me as a member of their family these past few months. I wish I could explain exactly how wonderful they are, but unfortunately, I have neither the emotional capacity nor the word count. If any one of you — my friends, program directors or host family members — happens to find this piece, know how much I love and appreciate you. Pura vida.

Mariah Byrne is a junior in the School of Foreign Service. This is the final appearance of SURVIVING ENDLESS SUMMER this semester.

Decking The Halls With Christmas Cheer

EMILY MANBECK Hoya Staff Writer

T

them on a plate and enjoy them yourself with hot cocoa or a tall glass of milk.

he holiday season has finally arrived. With the winter holidays just around the corner, the only thing saving us from descending into the depths of finals despair is the thought of celebrating the season with our family and friends. While we must wait until after our exams are over to enjoy the holidays with our families, we begin to get into the spirit here by listening to Christmas music, watching Christmas movies, decorating and making delicious treats with our closest friends.

Personally, I feel that I can enjoy holi-

day cooking and decorating most when they are kept short and simple. Though I love the look of a fully lit and ornamented Christmas tree and the aroma of freshly baked gingerbread, I know that I don’t have enough patience, with all the studying ahead of me, to acquire and assemble all the materials I would need. For those of you who want to express your holiday cheer but don’t have the time to go all out, here are a few easy ideas.

PAPER SNOWFLAKES If you’ve ever seen the movie Elf, you’ll know how awesome Buddy is at decorating. After all, he can draw the “Mona Lisa” onto an Etch-a-Sketch. However, not of all of us — myself included — can be that inventive during finals season. These paper snowflakes are great for those of us with no artistic ability because they require little effort yet still result in unique creations that will look lovely hung in your dorm or apartment.

Paper (8 1/2-by-11 inches) A pair of scissors A pencil 1. Fold a corner of the paper down and EMILY MANBECK/THE HOYA

UNIQUE CREATIONS Paper snowflakes are simple and elegant.

cut off the bottom portion (where the crease is) with scissors to make a large triangle.

2. Bring the corners of the triangle’s

base together briefly to find the center point of the longest side. Make another small crease at that point.

3. Fold in the right corner of the base at a 60-degree angle,. Fold the left corner in the opposite direction at a 60-degree angle.

4. Fold this new figure in half and cut off the uneven parts of the base.

5. Draw a design with the pencil along the sides of this new triangle, and cut away the shapes.

6. Unfold the snowflake and flatten it out on a smooth surface. If you make a bunch, connect them with a piece of yarn to make a string of snowflakes.

HOLLY COOKIES My aunt makes these cookies, along with those of the sugar and gingerbread varieties, every year for the holidays. They are absolutely my favorite holiday treats because they not only look like holly leaves — I’ve also seen them in the shape of wreaths — but also taste delicious. If you want proof of how yummy they are, Santa, who is arguably the ultimate connoisseur of cookies — sorry, Cookie Monster — once left me a note on Christmas morning asking me for the recipe. Put a few in a tin to make a wonderfully festive gift for your friends, or you could just put

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract 2 teaspoons of green food coloring 1 stick of butter 1 bag of small marshmallows (about 10 ounces) 4 cups of corn flakes 1 container of red cinnamon candies Wax paper, cut into square or rectangular pieces Pam (or any nonstick spray) 1. Combine the marshmallows and

butter in a large bowl. Melt in the microwave for two to four minutes.

2. Stir this mixture for about a minute to get rid of any air bubbles.

3. Add the vanilla extract and green food coloring to the mixture and stir for another minute.

4. Stir in the corn flakes while the marshmallow mixture is still hot. Allow it to cool for one to two minutes.

5. Spray the wax paper pieces with a thin coat of Pam. 6. Scoop dollops of batter onto the wax paper with a spoon. (You may form the batter into wreaths if you like.)

7. Sprinkle each holly cookie with two or three cinnamon candies.

12.07.12 | the guide | 7

The Lonely Path

Depression at Georgetown

B

en Perotin (COL ’14) was depressed for four months before he realized something was wrong “I had an extremely lowered mood, lack of appetite, hopelessness, suicidal ideation [and was] completely withdrawing socially,” he says, speaking with a sort of clinical precision.

He taps his fingers on the desk as he enumerates each symptom of the illness that struck in full force during his freshman year.

“There were some times two years ago that I didn’t leave my dorm, other than to maybe eat … for maybe a week at a time. It was completely debilitating.”

And yet, for a long time, Perotin never realized that the feelings that kept him from eating, from engaging with his friends — even from getting out of bed — were signs of depression.

“I was thinking, ‘Maybe I’m just in sort of a funk,’” he said. “I don’t think anyone really realizes when they have something like that. It’s very hard to self-diagnose when you’re actually in the situation to put two and two together and be like, ‘Oh, I am depressed.’”

The realization came when he was at home over winter break. His parents noticed that he was different physically — he had lost 20 pounds — and emotionally.

They asked what was wrong, and he told them. “[My mom] was like, ‘This is more serious. … This is depression, what you’re describing. And we’re going to get you help.

This is not something you could or should handle by yourself,’” Perotin said. “And I cried. Because it felt good at some level, because I was like, ‘Okay, they’re supporting me. They’re going to help me. They’re not mad at me.’ … But at the same time, it was just, ‘Oh my god. This is really horrible.

This is worse than I thought it was.’”

Isolating as his depression may have been, Perotin is not alone in his experiences. A survey conducted by the American College Health Association in spring 2012

found that almost 11 percent of college students had been diagnosed or treated for depression within the previous 12 months.

Nearly half of respondents also reported having felt as if things were “hopeless” during that period, and 86 percent reported feeling overwhelmed by all they had to do.

These numbers are roughly the same as at Georgetown, where about 10 percent of the student body goes to see Counseling and Psychiatric Services each year, according to CAPS Director Phil Meilman. Most students are seeking help for depression and anxiety.

“Throughout the day, I’ll have moments where I just feel overwhelmed with anxiety,” Joe Donovan (COL ’13) said. “Everything tightens up. … I’ll be walking down the street and I’ll just want to curl up in the middle of the street.”

Donovan has dealt with depression since his freshman spring — for nearly three years. He attributes the depression mainly to the academic and extracurricular pressures he felt in college.

“Georgetown has not been a healthy place for me. There are these pressures to succeed that only fit within a very narrow definition of success,” Donovan said. “It’s a way of living that fits some people, but it doesn’t fit me.”

Donovan said he interpreted the exhaustion, disappointment and slipping grades that accompanied his anxiety as signs he needed to work harder. He forced himself to buckle down on schoolwork, but the self-imposed pressure just worsened his depression. By his junior year, Donovan found himself unable to get out of bed some mornings.

“There’s this disconnect between my

SARAH KAPLAN Hoya Staff Writer

thoughts telling me what to do and actually doing it,” he said. “Trying to translate thought into action is like trying to crawl out from under a heavy curtain. It’s a lot easier to lie there and let it trap you.”

Like Perotin, Donovan had trouble identifying his emotions as depression. He felt he had to have a particular tragedy to justify his depression, such as a grave illness or a death in the family.

“It was easy for me not to accept my own struggling as legitimate,” he said. “It took a while before I was able and willing to look at what was going on inside.”

According to Meilman, this struggle is typical of the students that go to CAPS. “People have different capacities for recognizing emotions. Part of our job is to help students achieve a better self-understanding, recognize issues and engage in problem solving,” he wrote in an email.

Once students realize they are depressed, the prospect of asking for help can be daunting. This can be particularly difficult at a school like Georgetown.

“There’s a stigma at Georgetown for not being perfect … and an exceptional pressure to to keep the facade up,” biology professor Heidi Elmendorf said.

Elmendorf, who herself suffers from depression, teaches a “Foundations of Biology” course that centers on mental health issues. Every student in the class writes a research paper about a particular aspect of mental health, and Elmendorf devotes a full day of class to discussion of her own — and her students’ — experience with mental illness.

Common misconceptions about depression made it difficult initially for Elmendorf to discuss her personal experiences with students, but over time that became

a motivation to share her story.

“The fact that I had to think to myself, ‘Woah, would I really tell them this?’ made me think, ‘Well now that’s part of the problem, isn’t it?’” she said. “I became even more committed to sharing it with my students because I thought that that was the exact sort of thing [in which] you need to tip the scales toward openness.”

Lydia Valentin (COL ’16), who took a yearand-a-half-long leave of absence after experiencing a severe depressive episode during her first semester at Georgetown, took Elmendorf’s class in fall 2010 and recalled being shocked by Elemendorf’s discussion of her own illness.

“It was so remarkable because you would never know. She’s there every morning with so much enthusiasm and so much eloquence. It’s just incredible to hear that she’s struggling with this thing that takes such a toll on so many people, that takes such a toll on me,” Valentin said.

According to Elmendorf, many of her students’ reactions are similar to Valentin’s.

“I think it’s because I don’t look like many people’s perception about what it’s like to be depressed,” she said. “People somehow see depression as the thing the successful person is not, and there’s a misconception that if you’re depressed, you’re just getting by.”

For Perotin, the opposite is true. He believes his drive stems largely from his depression.

“I always say the reason I’m successful is that I have this insatiable desire to succeed and this crushing weight of expectations,” he said. “A lot of successful people are very troubled. And it’s not like I want to be depressed to be like them … but I do I re-

It was easy for me not to accept my own struggling as legitimate. It took a while before I was able and willing to look at what was going on inside.

ally want to relax and just be okay with my life? … How can you be successful if you’re happy — ever?”

Michelle Johnson (COL ’15), a psychology major who went through a period of depression and anxiety during midterm season this semester, said that a lack of dialogue about these illnesses is part of what

required more extensive therapy.

“I can understand from their perspective why the whole medical leave of absence might be an appealing option, but it needs to be handled in a better way, because it makes the student feel like they don’t have a choice,” he said.

Donovan, who first visited CAPS during

Depression gives me challenges in life, but the silver lining is it has given me empathy and capacity to be there for my students …

In that way, I think of it as a gift. makes them so isolating and dangerous.

“At Georgetown, people joke all the time about how stressed out they are [or] how little sleep they got, but it’s sort of taboo to talk about your actual stress. It’s taboo to say, ‘This is affecting me seriously,’ and that’s really dangerous,” she said.

When her mother pointed out how much she had changed and persuaded her to ask for help, Johnson turned to professors and her dean — all of whom reassured her and offered their support — but she never sought professional counselling.

“I think I saw CAPS as an extreme that wasn’t necessary for a case like mine, and that might have been a mistake,” she said.

“We don’t want to be associated with … ‘psychiatric services.’ We don’t want to admit to ourselves that we’ve gone that far.”

Elmendorf said that this attitude toward CAPS is common.

“Going to see CAPS feels like … a formal declaration that you’re officially struggling,” she said.

Instead, many of Elmendorf’s students come to her asking for advice, just as Johnson sought help from her professors. Elmendorf says her own depression makes her a particularly appealing “sounding board” for students trying to figure out what they are feeling.

“Depression gives me challenges in life, but the silver lining is it has given me empathy and capacity to be there for my students, which I think is the job of adults on this campus. … In that way, I think of it as a gift,” Elmendorf said.

Donovan and Perotin both went to see CAPS, but neither had particularly positive experiences. Both agreed that counselors at CAPS were well-intentioned but ill-equipped to handle the kinds of severe depression they described.

Perotin said that his counselors at CAPS pressured him to take a medical leave of absence during the spring of his freshman year when they saw that his illness

his junior spring after struggling with depression for almost two years, also said that the counseling was not hugely helpful. “[The counselor] basically told me ‘I have no idea what is wrong with you.’ And I was looking for direction at that time, so to hear someone say that they didn’t know what was wrong was not a comforting thing,” he said.

CAPS, however, would argue that Donovan and Perotin are anomalies. Meilman declined to comment on Perotin and Donovan’s experiences, but according to a CAPS survey of students who have used their service, 90 percent of students said they benefitted from counseling and half said that the guidance they received helped them academically.

Valentin said that counseling from CAPS has been a critical component of addressing her depression.

She regularly met a CAPS counselor before taking her leave of absence in the middle of fall 2010 and resumed therapy with the same counselor upon returning to Georgetown this fall.

“It’s hard to connect with anyone, but he’s been really helpful,” she said. “He listens … but at the same time he helps me discern my behaviors. … He helps me to see the qualities that I never see in myself. He gives me that vicarious strength.”

Nearly every student who suffers from depression must find his own way of cobbling together a coping strategy. Donovan, Perotin and Valentin all take medication that helps them deal with their illnesses.

They seek outside support as well — from friends, family and professors but also through hobbies like writing and music.

“I am still struggling with this, but the thought of doing it all without my family, without my support system … I’m incredibly lucky to have that,” Donovan said.

Valentin stressed the importance of unexpected acts of kindness in hedging against her depression. She recalled an afternoon in O’Donovan Hall when a girl she didn’t know smiled at her as she walked by. Valentin was so surprised by the anonymous smile that she started smiling back.

“Smiling at a stranger makes a world of difference,” she said. “We’re all going through something. Maybe that’s the only smile someone will see in their entire day, and people who are suffering so greatly inside can have at least one positive thing happen to them.”

Perotin said he tries to keep his mind occupied in order to prevent negative thoughts from seeping in.

“If I give myself too long without anything to think about … these interior voices always crawl back up and are like, ‘You’re worthless, no one likes you, you have no future, you’re always going to feel depressed,’” he said.

To keep out these thoughts, Perotin listens to music constantly — while walking to class, while waiting for a bus — and immerses himself in schoolwork and mock trial.

“I think that the times that I’m most

myself. ... But emotionally and personally, I’m more afraid it’s just a part of me. And then it’s pure willpower. You can argue all you want, but in the end, you have to will yourself on and continue living your life and use that as a way to spite it.”

Donovan agreed.

“Depression is something that is, if not universal on this campus, then close to that. But no one talks about it. ... Everyone puts on that mask, and then it becomes easy to feel isolated,” he said. “A lot of the conversations about these things tend to happen on a one-to-one basis. … But if the conversation was brought into a group setting, then it becomes a community issue, and that’s how we can start to have an institutional change.”

Johnson emphasized the need for a broader conversation about mental illness on campus. She said she’s amazed sometimes to find out that some of her friends who never seemed to have a problem are actually struggling with depression.

“It’s shocking how good we are at concealing these things,” she said. “But this is an issue that spans kids our age, and we need to be able to talk about it.”

According to Elmendorf, Georgetown has made efforts to expand discussion about depression on a more institutional level during her 14 years teaching here. Her “Foundations of Biology” course is part of the Engelhard Project, an interdisciplinary program initiated in 2005 to bring discussion of mental wellness issues into Georgetown classrooms. More than 50 faculty members in 25 departments teach Engelhard courses each year, incorporating discussion of mental health into their syllabi in a variety of ways. Elmendorf said that the Engelhard Project has helped launch a broader conversation about mental health on campus.

“I think having brought the discussion into the classroom makes it feel like it’s a part of who we are in an important way,” she said.

Donovan concurred, explaining that openness has been helpful to combating his own depression.

“I do think that dealing with depression has shaped me in a lot of ways. It’s taught me that I need to be honest with myself, that I can define meaning and purpose in my own ways. It’s helped me be a better listener … and led to a lot of really wonderful relationships,” he said. “But at the end of the day, I don’t know what conquering depression will mean, or what that would look like.

But I’m confident that I will.”

But emotionally and personally, I’m more afraid it’s just a part of me. And then it’s pure willpower. You can argue all you want but in the end you have to will yourself on and continue living your life, and use that as a way to spite it. happy are during finals week,” he said, laughing. “I don’t do vacation well.”

Even so, Perotin said there are days when determination is all that keeps him going.

“Sometimes I can treat [my depression] as an invasive organism ... like it’s a bully in my head and I have to actively defend

food&drink Burger Joint Shows Off Its Grill

JERROD MACFARLANE Special to The Hoya

 BLACK & ORANGE

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ometimes, I really need an adventure. That is not to say that I spend all day coming up with imaginary excursions or that I constantly need an adventure fix in order to make it to the weekend, but I love getting outside of my comfort zone and stumbling upon new ideas and experiences, and I don’t mind a good surprise every once in a while. It often seems the greatest pleasure that food can give is surprising you, whether you are the cook, the eater or both. This bolder side of food does not always result in the creation of masterpieces — I have plenty of experiences in the kitchen that attest to that — but it makes the successes even more surprising and delightful.

This past weekend, I was both surprised and delighted by the food at Black & Orange, a burger joint located on Connecticut Avenue. The menu is simple and consists essentially of eight burger variations that can be ordered “pink” (medium) or “no pink” (well-done), “welterweight” or “heavyweight,” at a quarter pound or half pound respectively.

This simplicity, which is echoed in the restaurant’s pared-down decor, belies

1300 Connecticut Ave. NW cuisine: Burgers price: $$$$ the richness of the food that is offered.

Black & Orange abandons the typical American cheeseburger for more innovative twists; the Curried Away features a house curry blend, onion, cilantro and hot chilies on a hand-crafted burger while the Pardon My French boasts black truffle oil and thyme. Looking for something simpler? Square One consists of just sea salt and fresh black pepper.

Black & Orange’s chefs hand-craft each of the meat patties daily, ensuring that the beef in their burgers is fresh and of the highest quality. They then cook these patties to perfection on a large steel grill, the hallmark of the business.

For those who aren’t in the mood for a burger, Mr. Pollo is a grilled marinated chicken breast with pico de gallo, hot cherry peppers and chipotle mayo, while Old MacDonald offers a vegetarian option that includes portabella mushrooms, hazelnut sauce and goat cheese.

While I was looking over the menu in the restaurant, eight choices suddenly seemed overwhelming. After a few mumbled words and false starts,

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JERROD MACFARLANE FOR THE HOYA

BEEFING UP THE CLASSICS Black & Orange puts its own flair on the ordinary burger, fusing international flavors with traditional American cuisine.

I tentatively ordered The Rogue State with a side of fries. After only five minutes, a server brought me my very welcome meal. First came the fries, which were — and I don’t say this lightly— perfect. Crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, these fries were incredibly satisfying. My burger, consisting of a delectable, hand-formed blend of premium beef, house spices, chipotle and cilantro, was unlike any in my recent memory.

Unlike other burger specialty restaurants like Thunder Burger, Black & Orange invests great care and focus into what goes on between their

a weekly review of the blogosphere’s best recipes

Chicken and Dumplings

Peanut Butter Cookie Oatmeal

passthesushi.com

foodess.com

Chicken is the most versatile of all the meats, and this recipe is a perfect example of poultry’s range. Combining two culinary superstars — chicken and dumplings — is a surefire way to create a delicious meal that can be easily customized in innumerable ways.

If you’re looking for a way to spice up breakfast or just a new way to satisfy your sweet tooth, this recipe will leave you satisfied. Infusing a breakfast favorite — oatmeal — with a little sugary treat, it is delicious and easy to prepare.

10 | the guide | 12.07.12

buns by creating innovative recipes that consist of everything from Asianinspired soy-sauce-and-ginger-laden burgers to patties blazing with habanero peppers. This creates a delicious and unique experience of an American classic. I recently read an article about the proliferation of burger joints in Paris despite the lack of any real new improvements or changes to the burgers. On this side of the Atlantic, however, we have not encountered this problem. And with so many of these inventive burger places in D.C., I’m happy to say that Black & Orange is one of the best.

Putting an Exotic Twist On Tasteful Cuisine ZACH GORDON Hoya Staff Writer

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hen I think of innovative and modern cuisine, neither wood nor grain comes to mind. But under head chef Kyle Bailey, Birch and Barley offers groundbreaking, delicious food.

Birch and Barley opened in 2009 to rave reviews from major publications, including The New York Times, The Washington Post and Food & Wine Magazine. Located in Logan Circle, the restaurant offers a stylish, friendly and unique atmosphere that pairs perfectly with its new-American cuisine. When I first walked in, I momentarily thought that I had somehow apparated to Hogwarts due to the appearance of lights floating throughout the dining room. Once I realized how ridiculous of a thought that was (you can’t apparate into Hogwarts, duh), I realized just how cool this restaurant was. A warm, welcoming ambiance fills the restaurant because of the dimly lit lights suspended from the ceiling via fishing wire throughout the entire building.

When we got our menus, I became a little worried. There were three sections: starters, pasta, and flatbreads and entrees, each with no more than six options. This initial concern quickly passed, though, as I began to examine the contents of this menu. Everything looked delectable.

Our server brought over some of their complimentary artisan bread and began explaining the menu in more detail. Unfortunately, I was too busy sampling the bread offerings in front of me to listen to what he was saying. Never before had I seen such an interesting variety on a premeal bread plate. This breadboard had three different options, each unique and delicious. I began with the pretzel bread paired with grainy homemade mustard.

Next were tender and flaky biscuits, and last the house-made, grain-filled wheat bread.

After much deliberation, I ended up ordering a seared skate wing; for those

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TANTALIZING CHOICES Beer and food are paired to create irresistible options.

 BIRCH AND BARLEY 1337 14th St. NW cuisine: American price: $$$$ wondering what skate is, it’s a stingray.

After finishing off our second breadboard in about five minutes, I decided to take a look around the space. The entire restaurant consists solely of the dining room and visible kitchen. I personally love getting the opportunity to watch my food being prepared, so this was a feature I really enjoyed. I tend to be a bit judgmental about restaurants when it comes to the bathrooms — nice, clean bathrooms tend to indicate a great restaurant, while dirty bathrooms usually point to a subpar establishment. I was more than glad to find that the bathrooms at Birch and Barley were not only nice and clean but also had some pretty hip and modern decor, which fits well with the general theme of the restaurant.

As our meal arrived, I immediately began trying to figure out whose dish I wanted to sample first. I’ve always had the attitude that, when dining out in a group, food is pretty communal. Skate, it turns out, is a lot like a slightly firmer grouper and doesn’t have too strong of a flavor. Served with pumpkin, chestnuts, dandelion greens and ricotta, it felt like I was eating an ideal fall evening. Other dishes included honey-glazed duck breast, braised goat pasta with yogurt curry and pan-seared scallops. All three were delicious, but the duck was the most notable. Served with wild rice and brandied cherries, the meat was juicy and sweet, while still full of ducky flavor.

We also tried of the sides: truffled herb mac & cheese and maple-glazed Brussels sprouts. The mac & cheese was creamy and savory, while the Brussels sprouts were partially caramelized and easily one of the best dishes I’ve had at any restaurant.

Birch and Barley was a grand slam: everything we got was incredible, each offering an interesting take on common cuisine. This restaurant comes with the most glowing recommendation. The only reason I’m giving it four instead of five stars: I can’t enjoy the immense variety of 555 artisanal beers for a few more years.

food&drink life beyond leo’s

A Very Tacky Christmas

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n the 13th day of Christmas, Christmas sweater. With the rise of my true love gave to me an the hipster in the past few years, ugly ugly Christmas sweater and or weird fashion has been accepted as not a pear tree. the height of cool. Therefore, it makes As someone who is totally obsessed perfect sense that the hipster would with Christmas, I can never wait for latch onto anything made from unBlack Friday, In my house — tradition- comfortable wool, jingle bells, seally on Black Friday — we decorate quins, fake snow, crocheted reindeers and string lights while listening to and other festive touches for his or her Christmas music for about nine hours preferred outerwear of choice. Given straight. My home goes from judicious- that the hipster has now (ironically) ly and simply adorned to non-stop, become mainstream, everyone has in-your-face Christmas, and I couldn’t clawed his or her way to the back of enjoy this transition any more. I love a parent’s closet to find these gems the sophisticated and from the confused tacky paradox of Christearly 1990s at least mastime; we all know once. Don’t deny that these two ideals to you haven’t done this; which we all should asthe payoff is too great, pire: the white and gold as you get to ironically “winter wonderland,” love and wear a tacky BrendanQuinn in which people drink Christmas sweater — snow-chilled chamit’s the most wonderpagne, and the intense North Pole ex- ful time of the year! plosion, with houses decked not only For my last recipe of this semester, with boughs of holly but with enough I’m sharing the Fantastically Festive multicolored light, deer, angels and/ Fruit Cake. Baking a fruit cake is the or Santa inflatables to illuminate a definitive way to be ironically festive small developing nation. I decided because this is the baked good that upon coming to college that my dorm every single person actively despises. rooms and apartment would always Don your tacky sweater, blast Mariah be of the multicolored variety around Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is Christmas. I get to be ironically, or at You” and serve up your slice of holiday least self-consciously, festive. I want to cheer. You sure as heck know that’s decorate as loudly and cartoonish-ly what I’m doing this weekend. Christas possible before I leave the Hilltop mas Brendan is here. and before I move to some place where there are town-imposed guidelines for Brendan Quinn is a junior in the Christmas decorating College. This is the final appearI personally cherish the ultimate ance of LIFE BEYOND LEO’S this sesymbol of holiday irony: the tacky mester.

festive fruit cake INGREDIENTS

1 teaspoon of vanilla 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder 1/2 teaspoon of salt 3/4 cup of white sugar 3/4 cup of flour

3 eggs 1 pound of candied pineapple 3/4 cup of candied cherries 1 pound of pitted dates 1 pound of Brazil nuts

Preheat your oven to 300 degrees and line a bread loaf pan with parchment or wax paper.

In a large bowl, combine the Brazil nuts, dates, cherries and pineapple. Next, sift in the flour, sugar, salt and baking powder. Mix well.

In a smaller bowl, combine the eggs and vanilla; beat until foamy. Pour this over the fruit mixture, and mix well before pouring into the pan.

Bake for an hour and a half or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Let it cool for an hour before drizzling brandy or rum on top, letting it soak in. Top it off with powdered sugar.

12.07.12 | the guide | 11

arts&entertainment behind the screens

Recovering From Finals Stress at a Matinee

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s the semester draws to a close Lewis have teamed up to present a and all our procrastination wonderful and striking depiction of comes back to haunt us, our the beloved President Lincoln and longings are directed at the time a bring to life the dramatic events short three weeks from now when leading up to the abolition of slavwe will actually be able to consume ery. Day-Lewis brings yet another more eggnog than we do coffee. brilliant performance, making him While sleep will obviously be given — in my opinion — an early favorite priority once the idea of free time is for a best actor nod at this year’s Osreintroduced into our lives, a short cars. Spielberg artfully exposes the trip to the movie theater can pro- tough decisions Lincoln faced over vide a nice change of pace from the the issue of slavery in a way that depths of Lau — one that, if we are makes you anxious throughout the honest, might end up taking place movie, even though the final result is already known to the viewer. This during study days as well. film has been out for In the spirit of prea while now, but if paring for this unfayou still have the opmiliar idleness, I have portunity, definitely compiled a short list take advantage of this of options to help great historical film. with your recuperation from our two weeks of finals mayEduardoGueiros ‘DJANGO UNCHAINED’ hem, whether you run If you are a Quentin down K Street or wait until you go home to catch these Tarantino fan, you probably already know about his latest movie’s imnew releases. minent release, but if you’re not, you should know that it comes out ‘THE HOBBIT’ Peter Jackson returns to Middle Earth Christmas Day. Django Unchained with the first installment of his three- is the story of a former slave, played part adaptation of the prequel to his by Jamie Foxx, who is recruited by a critically acclaimed Lord of the Rings bounty hunter (Christoph Waltz) to trilogy. This installment tells the sto- take down a band of slave-hunting ry of how the infamous “One Ring” criminals only Django has ever laid came to be in the possession of such a eyes on. As payment, the bounty harmless creature as the hobbit Bilbo hunter promises to aid Django in Baggins (Martin Freeman). A brand his quest to find his beloved wife, new cast of endearing characters take who has been taken by a cruel plancenter stage while many familiar faces tation owner (Leonardo DiCaprio). promise to make appearances. Look The film promises to provide Taranforward to a riddle contest between tino’s trademark blend of extremely Bilbo and Gollum (played once again graphic violence and inappropriate

by Andy Serkis) and a group of boister- dry humor. Although this is not a ous dwarfs. So far, the majority of fans movie you should be looking to see have been cautiously optimistic that with your parents during Christthis film could match the success of mas, it is definitely one you should its predecessors but have also been try to see, especially if you are open apprehensive about the possible dam- to unique cinematic experiences. age a sequel or prequel could cause I’m excited to see Christoph Waltz to their beloved franchise. The movie take on the role of another Taranpremiers in theaters on Dec. 14, so tino villain after his award-winning you can decide for yourself whether turn in Inglorious Basterds as a teror not to save it for your vacation days rifying Nazi. or to run from Lau to the theater and my your own judgments.

Eduardo Gueiros is a junior in the College. This is the final appear‘LINCOLN’ ance of BEHIND THE SCREENS this Steven Spielberg and Daniel Day- semester.

12 | the guide | 12.07.12

Dark Winter Drama Chills Audiences ALLIE DOUGHTY Hoya Staff Writer

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he opening scene of Deadfall is ut- and moving sentiment. terly confusing to me. The shot is Though Addison’s killing spree throughcomposed of a snowy landscape, yet out the course of the film is questionable, when I hear the voice-over of Eric Bana’s it allows for several exhilarating action secharacter, I immediately wonder, “Is there quences— namely an extremely fast-paced that much snow in Australia?” Then, the snowmobile chase showcases director Steslight Australian accent shifts to a South- fan Ruzowitzky’s knack for maintaining ern drawl, and I’m reassured that Addison the theatrical edge while simultaneously (Bana) is in fact an Alabaman who, along conveying emotional wounds. with his femme fatale sister, Liza (Olivia The acting is surprisingly solid all Wilde), is on the around. Even opporun in Michigan’s site such iconic film Upper Peninsula veterans as Spacek after pulling off a and Kristofferson, casino heist. Sure relative newcomer enough, Bana hails Hunnam proves DEADFALL from Down Under, that he can hold his starring: Eric Bana, Olivia and while the actor own as the ostensiWilde, Charlie Hunnam apparently has difbly proud and musficulty covering up cular yet remorseful his native accent in Jay. Williams is cona few scenes, for the vincing in his role, most part he portrays Addison with the though his character seems written as rathperfect balance of callousness and what er flat. Wilde takes an unusual and mildly seems like genuine compassion for such a impressive departure from her typical nut job of a character. character. Rookie screenwriter Zach Dean When the siblings encounter a major is probably much to thank for the well-laysnag in their plans after their getaway car ered characters, and Shane Hurlbut’s camis totalled in a brutal accident, Addison’s era work is absolutely lovely, though somedomineering nature surfaces, and he de- times captures the excruciating violence in cides that they should split up and travel too direct and abrupt a way. separately to Canada to make faster time, at The entire film assumes a Western which point their mutual gazes make no outlaw feel but with a melancholy and effort to hide their incestuous desires. refreshingly contemporary twist in the Meanwhile, former Olympic boxer Jay frigid North. One should note that while (Charlie Hunnam) is released from a prison Deadfall may feature a stark, wintry setin Detroit and begins to make the trip to his ting, it’s certainly not the best Christmas parents’ farmhouse just in time for Thanks- pick-me-up to get you through to the end giving dinner. After speeding away from of the semester. the confrontation with his ex-trainer, Jay picks up a hypothermia-afflicted Liza and the two begin a steamy relationship that confuses the woman who has been cared for and ogled by her brother for her entire dysfunctional life.

In the midst of all of the excitement, Jay’s pumpkin-pie-wielding mother (Sissy Spacek) and grudge-holding father (Kris Kristofferson) end up being forced to host Addison at their home in a riveting Thanksgiving dinner hostage situation. The suspense is amplified when Jay arrives with Liza, his new girlfriend of sorts, much to the chagrin of MUTUAL FILM COMPANY Addison. Add to the guest list the local deputy, Hanna (Kate Mara), as well as her chauvin- ON THE RUN Eric Bana and Olivia istic father, Sheriff Becker (Treat Williams), Wilde star as a no-good sibling duo and the rest is just a gory climax of tension in Deadfall.

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arts&entertainment

Indulge in a Night Under the Big Top

New Rom-Com Fails to Score

KIM BUSSING Hoya Staff Writer

BREANNA MORET Special to the Hoya

B

etween economics midterms and biology labs, it can be easy to forget that in all of our lives, we need a little magic. Erin Morgenstern’s The Night Circus is the perfect whimsical novel to fill your winter break with a little romance, a little adventure and a lot of opportunity for escapism. Another take on the popular magic realism genre, The Night Circus is the perfect companion for a glass of eggnog and three full homework-free weeks.

The Night Circus is one of those books you wish was a movie; although well written, Morgenstern’s imagery is much better suited for the big screen than a few hundred pages of text. The novel draws readers into the Cirque des Rêves, a world with parties as extravagant as those from the pages of The Great Gatsby, romance pulled from Water for Elephants, and magic reminiscent of everyone’s favorite boy wizard, Harry Potter.

Although this combination has yielded one of the year’s most talkedabout books — it has already gotten a film deal with Summit Entertainment — I found it to be a bit cliche and uncertain about just how much it wanted to venture into the realm of fantasy.

Set in a traveling circus of magical performers, the book explores the ageless rivalry between two competing wizards, Prospero the Enchanter and the mysterious Mr. A.H. The feud pairs two young, magically inclined surrogates, protagonists Celia and Marco, against each other. Oblivious both of each other and of the fatal consequences of their mentors’ game. Celia and Marco are primed from birth for a competition against each other. Does it sound like a bit like The Sorcerer’s Apprentice? Yes. Does that change the fact that it’s the kind of book you pull out for a plane ride home to keep you pleasantly distracted from your lack of leg room? Not at all.

Celia, Prospero’s daughter, lands a position at the travelling Cirque des Rêves, where she’s hired as an illusionist by the flamboyant Chandresh LeFevre, who is unaware that real magic exists. To put it in more familiar terms, she belongs at Hogwarts, and he’s just a Muggle. Marco, A.H.’s apprentice, works as LeFevre’s assistant, and gradually, the two teens discover that they are competing against each other in a battle whose rules and con-

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omantic comedies are not only terms of audience emotions; half of it notoriously disposal and often functioned as a comedy and the other extremely similar to one an- as a family drama. George goes back other, but they’re short, fluffy and re- and forth between seducing these socquire a necessary understanding that cer moms and interacting with his they in no way resemble reality. This, family. The movie would have better though, is the basis for their appeal. served itself by picking one genre and The newest sticking to it, and rom-com on the as it happened, circuit, Playing I preferred the for Keeps, does latter storyline. not depart from Butler, Biel and this standard.

Noah Lomax PLAYING FOR KEEPS There are no sur(who plays Lewis) starring: Gerard Butler, Jesprises: a deadbeat give surprisingly dad comes back believable perforsica Biel to his ex-wife mances that disand son to make play the complexamends, begins ity of divorced to bond more with his family, screws families and the depth of George’s up, later proves his dedication and reconciliation efforts. Lewis is just (spoiler alert) the entire family has about the cutest little boy ever, and his a happy ending. It’s almost exactly scenes with Butler show a depth bewhat you would expect based on the yond his young age. The relationship trailer. That all being said, however, between father and son is the one that I found myself enjoying the movie. develops continually throughout the Granted, I am a sucker for any sort of movie and is the one audiences will feel-good movie, so I admit that I do care about most because of the screennot have the most critical eye when time it receives as well as the chemisit comes to romantic comedies. try between the pair.

Keeps stars Gerard Butler, looking Jessica Biel also gives a strong perstudly and causing swoons with his formance but is limited by her role as famously debonaire Scottish accent, Lewis’ concerned mother. Her scenes as George Dwyer, a recently retired in- with Butler show great conflict and ternational soccer star whose ex-wife unresolved emotion between the two Stacie (Jessica Biel) ropes him into of them, but it’s a relationship that coaching his son Lewis’ soccer team. doesn’t receive enough screen time.

George agrees in his delayed decision It would have been more interesting to finally grow up, even if he’s not yet to delve into the relationship between willing to relinquish his womanizing Lewis’ parents and their subsequent ways. The supporting cast features a divorce. It would have helped the aunumber of big stars for an everyday dience understand and connect with movie; Dennis Quaid is the rich and them more as a couple. manipulative father of one of the Somewhere between wooing kids on the team, and Uma Thurman women and getting to know his son, makes an appearance as his wife, George vies for a sportscasting job who makes advances towards George at ESPN. His struggle for the normal throughout the movie. and stable 9-to-5 job gives a look into Soccer moms throwing themselves George’s need to redefine himself afat George become a trend throughout ter retiring from soccer and falling the movie: Catherine Zeta-Jones uses out of the public eye. This soul-searchboth her connections at ESPN and ing conflicts with his parenting duGeorge’s hopes for a sports casting po- ties and eventually leads to George sition to seduce him, and Judy Greer, being forced to decide on what is his playing a recent divorcee with mercu- true priority. rial moods, also seeks George’s attenI would recommend this movie as tion. Seeing these different women long as you know what you’re getting going after George makes for a few into. There are a few good laughs, and funny moments, and you can tell the Gerard Butler is certainly not bad to actors are having fun with some of look at for 90 minutes. All in all, it’s the more ridiculous scenes. a cute movie, but with steep theater The biggest problem I had with the ticket prices, it’s one best saved for a movie is that it tried to do too much in Redbox trip once it’s out on DVD.

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THE NIGHT CIRCUS

written by: Erin Morgenstern sequences still remain elusive to them.

To Morgenstern’s credit, she does create a more unique method of passive warfare than wands or light sabers: Marco and Celia compete against each other by adding more and more elaborate tents to the circus. Carousels with mythical, living creatures, gardens made entirely of ice, a cloud maze where even the laws of gravity are defied — nothing is off limits for these young talents.

Predictably, the two magicians end up falling madly in love, and although the romance is a bit lackluster, it’s entertaining enough to not detract from the rest of the book, and there’s little enough of it to make skimming over it not distract from the plot.

Morgenstern’s jumps between decades, characters, and cities capture the dynamically shifting nature of the circus itself.

The Night Circus is Narnia without the wardrobe, a Fitzgerald novel set in a circus that disappears during the day, a Disneyland for your imagination. Although it followed a bit too closely in the footsteps of other blockbuster sensations for my tastes, it’s still the novel that should end up in homebound backpacks and on nightstands this winter break.

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The Pop Culture Year in Review While some might still believe that this is the year of the apocalypse, we really hope that Honey Boo Boo won’t be the last cultural mark we leave behind if we’re ever discovered by extraterrestrials. Just in case, The Hoya staff got together to pin down the best and worst of popular culture in this year filled with heroics on the court, the movie screen and even on Mars.

MOVIES: A TIME FOR HEROES The odds were certainly in our favor this year at the movie theater, starting with the adaptation of The Hunger Games, the smash hit dystopian novel by Suzanne Collins. We were cheering for Jennifer Lawrence’s Katniss Everdeen from the very first time she strung her bow, and watching the violent brutality of the arena and the other tributes play out on the big screen brought our favorite book to life. Not only was this a popular movie, but it left was a smart one, leaving us with questions to consider about poverty, government and courage.

The Dark Knight Rises, was a dark and emotionally trying masterpiece that more surpassed its lofty expec-

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tations. Christian Bale’s broken and reclusive hero is drawn back into the fight against crime by Tom Hardy’s well-spoken masked mercenary Bane, whose quest to free the citizens of Gotham from freedom itself leaves no life untouched. Anne Hathaway’s knife-stiletto-wearing Catwoman was pretty fabulous, too, as was Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s stellar performance.

The Avengers was in many ways 2012’s ultimate superhero movie, combining the protagonists from Marvel’s last five movies in one jam-packed slugfest. Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, the Hulk, Hawkeye and Black Widow make this movie colorful, loud and chockfull of unrealistic violence — so much so that it pretty much establishes itself as the opposite of the dark and brooding Dark Knight Rises.

This year, audiences were given a true cinematic treat with the superb Skyfall. The newest entry into the Bond franchise sends our favorite operative out to discover the mastermind behind the theft of a hard drive containing vital British intelligence secrets. The movie has all the aspects of a great Bond classic — the glamourous Bond girl, the disarmingly charismatic villain and the dramatic chases through exotic locales ranging from the slums of Turkey to Macau to the London underground. This movie makes every viewer reconsider her decision not to become a secret agent.

WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS This was an incredibly eventful year for the world of sports. The New York Giants beat the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl for an embarrassing second time. Starting with basketball, the career of King James was buoyed by his first career title in June with the Miami Heat, putting him back on track to winning over the hearts of basketball fans across America after his infamous, image-destroying decision to leave the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2010.

The beginning of the NFL season got off to a rocky start, as hapless replacement referees stirred up a storm of controversy. After some dodgy calls and angry, bitter fans’ complaining incessantly, the league decided that having fair games was worth paying

14 | the guide | 12.07.12

the real referees a bit more money.

Baseball, meanwhile, continued to pretend it’s still America’s pastime and that people still care that it exists. Giants-Tigers World Series, anyone? Didn’t think so.

As for the NHL — actually, there hasn’t really been an NHL season due to yet another lockout. Sorry Canada, but at least you still have curling.

Lastly there’s the Texas A&M freshman quarterback and Heisman Trophy Finalist Johnny Manziel. Most of the buzz about Manziel has been about his outstanding and outof-nowhere rookie campaign, but his nickname, “Johnny Football,” is easily the worst in sports.

Yes, ESPN, he plays football and his name is Johnny.

We get it.

WHITE HOUSE

MEMES ON MEMES People will do a lot of stupid stuff to become “Internet famous,” even if it doesn’t mean much in the real world.

In 2012, we nevertheless saw a variety of new Internet trends appear, for better or for worse.

This year, we saw the popularization of a variety of different image macros — an image with overlaid text — a meme. This summer, one meme that inspired the Internet community was the “Ridiculously Photogenic Guy.” This meme is an image of a random marathon runner’s beautiful likeness with exclamations of love and affection for him. Although short-lived, it had a lasting impact on the Internet. Shortly after its decline in popularity, other memes of various “ridiculously photogenic” people and animals began popping up everywhere.

A meme almost everyone is familiar with, “McKayla Is Not Impressed,” sprang up after pictures surfaced of McKayla Maroney’s silver medal ceremony in the vaults final of the London Olympic Games. In the photo, her mouth is pursed to the side and her face is full of sass.

Even President Obama got on the bandwagon, striking an “unimpressed” pose with her this fall in the Oval Office.

Animals have always been popular on the Internet.

One of the more popular animal-based memes of 2012 is “Grumpy Cat.” This isn’t just any ordinary cat, though — it has big round eyes with what looks like a furled brow and a frowning mouth, giving it the appearance of a grumpy old man. The short-lived craze “Texts From Hillary” was a weeklong saga of Internet fame.

Eventually, it seems, every Internet craze seems to fizzle out as soon as the next big thing comes along. Alas, this is simply how the Internet works, which is probably good. Imagine if that weird dancing baby from 1996 or the Numa Numa dance were still a part of our lives.

ALL OUR OBSESSIONS What started out as bad Twilight fanfiction has developed into one of the most simultaneously celebrated and derided pop culture phenomena of the year — Fifty Shades of Grey. The novel, written

by British author E.L. James, is the first in a trilogy chronicling the tempestuous and questionably kinky relationship between innocent Anastasia Steele and mysterious real estate magnate Christian Grey.

This year, Curiosity touched down on the surface of Mars and began transmitting the highest resolution images o f the surface of Mars ever produced — not to mention that the mission’s commander, Bobak Ferdowsi, with his starry mohawk, is a bona fide babe.

Apple fans had more than enough reason to celebrate this year with the introduction of the iPhone 5 and the iOS 6 software for its products.

While the new Apple-created maps function has been universally identified as useless

— inaccurate roads and no public transportation options are major drawbacks — the larger screen, increased resolution and higher megapixel camera, as well as updated software for the Siri interface, made the iPhone 5 something to celebrate.

There were many aspects of the Olympic opening ceremonies we could include on this list — Queen Elizabeth II’s parachuting out of a helicopter with James Bond, a tribute to the inventor of the Internet and some super-enthusiastic independent Olympic athletes may initially come to mind — but the defining moment of the ceremonies was the Internet realizing that men’s aquatic sports are really the perfect excuse to admire some perfectly chiseled abs.

From the thousands of Tumblrs created for glorifying the godly sculpted bodies of swimmers such as Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte to the complete Twitter and blogosphere obsession with British diver Tom Daley, it’s kind of absurd how crazy the Internet went.

TV: AMERICA’S TRUE PASTIME Even though this year has brought the beginnings of the final seasons of well-known series like “The Office” and “Gossip Girl,” the new TV shows of 2012 have proven that they can fill the voids that those old shows will leave. The year saw the rise of female comedians, medieval fantasies and interesting — to say the least — reality television.

“Girls” and “The Mindy Project” were the big comedies of this year. Created by and starring Lena Dunham and Mindy Kaling, respectively, these comedies explore the personal and professional lives of two radically different women. While in HBO’s “Girls,” Hannah Horvath, an aspiring writer played

by Dunham, struggles to get her life together in New York City, single physician Mindy Lahiri (Kaling) searches for the perfect guy and attempts to jump-start her career in FOX’s “The Mindy Project.” “Girls” was a cultural moment — a dirtier, rawer and more controversial “Sex and the City.” We also saw Lena Dunham naked a lot more than we might have wanted to and were scarred by her character’s creepy boyfriend Adam.

“The Mindy Project” has yet to match its potential, but hopefully 2013 will treat it well.

The epic “Game of Thrones” continued this year with a fanbase that only grew; based on the Song of Ice and Fire book se-

ries written by George R. R. Martin, this HBO show has met critical success among fans of the books and TV critics alike. As Ben Wyatt from NBC’s “Parks and Recreation” explains, “It’s a crossover hit! It’s not just for fantasy enthusiasts! They’re telling human stories in a fantasy world!” Other fans include a cat on YouTube who sings the iconic song. We may have watched that video a little too much already in anticipation for Season 3.

One of the year’s disappointments was the delayed return of “Community.” Season 3 left us looking for more, and hopefully next semester will bring back the Greendale 7.

If you didn’t already love Alana Thompson of “Toddlers & Tiaras,” also known as Honey Boo Boo, TLC gave you even more reason to adore the seven-year-old pageant diva when they gave her a show to add to their reality TV roster. Filmed in Honey Boo’s rural Georgia home, crass jokes and redneck language — Honey Boo Boo calls spaghetti “sketti” and pronounces the word recognize “redneckogize” — characterize this family that has captured America’s heart. It even beat out the Republican National Convention in viewer ratings when it premiered this August. Actually, we’re not sure this was one of our best moments as a country this year.

MUSICAL MAGIC Musically, the year was at times lackluster. Maroon 5, once a stalwart of inventive music, proved that they’ll never match the ingenuity of Songs About Jane, their perfect original release. Lana Del Rey was amusing mostly because of the backlash to her autotuned singles, not because they were very good.

Mumford & Son’s provided more of the same — which was great, but not legendary.

But there are two songs that defined the year — Carly Rae Jepsen’s “Call Me Maybe” and PSY’s “Gangnam Style.” The latter was remarkable primarily because it’s one of the first songs that’s not in English, except for the “Hey sexy lady” line sung on every chorus and a few other fragments, to dominate American and European airwaves.

Of course, its fun music video, funny dance and addictive beats also helped.

Yet despite the ubiquity of “Gangnam Style,” 2012 will always be the year of “Call Me Maybe.” On the surface, this song isn’t special — it’s just another over-produced pop song. But it’s one of the best-selling digital singles of all time, so there has to be something else there.

Call us crazy, but we believe the popularity of “Call Me Maybe” can be attributed to our desire to be like Carly Rae Jepsen. “Call Me Maybe” isn’t about playing hard to get. It’s the opposite of a mixed message.

604 RECORDS

It’s the bold declaration of the person we all want to be: the one who’s open with his emotions, knows what he wants and tries to get it.

This new year, let’s resolve to be like CRJ — and not just because we want to be rich and famous and star in a music video with an incredibly attractive man.

The other artist who defined this year in music was Macklemore.

With his breakout hit “Thrift Shop,” he appealed to both hipsters and hip-hop fans with his ode to the Salvation Army. In his song “Same Love,” he preached the gospel of marriage equality in a year that saw unprecendented gains for the cause.

“It’s Thanksgiving,” the worst song of November and ode to a holiday associated solely with pie, helped close out an otherwise mediocre year with some humor. Too bad we were laughing at, not with, young Nicole Westbrook.

HBO

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bestbets

cabo san lucas, mexico — ariel pourmorady

on campus

LIGHTING OF THE GU CHRISTMAS TREE Friday, 5 p.m. — Dahlgren Quad

Join the Georgetown community in kicking off the holiday season. Come to Dahlgren Quad for carols, cocoa and the official lighting of the Christmas tree.

Mask & Bauble will also perform an adaptation of “A Christmas Carol.” This night of tradition will be a festive way to get you in the Christmas mood.

GUBDT MASQUERADE BALL Friday, 8 to 11 p.m. — Copley Formal Lounge

If you’re craving a night of elegance and mystery, make your way to the GU Ballroom Dance Team’s Masquerade Ball. After a lesson at 7 p.m., dance the night away and help yourself to treats at the chocolate fountain. Wear your formal attire and bring a mask for a night of glamour, though masks will also be available there as well. Tickets are $15 at the door.

UNIVERSITY ADVENT CELEBRATION Saturday, 8 to 9:30 p.m.— Dahlgren Quad

Celebrate the beginning of the Advent season with the university’s annual Advent Mass. The ceremony will begin with an invocation in Dahlgren Quad, and then attendees will proceed to Gaston Hall for the Mass. The University Chapel Choir and the 7:30 Mass Choir will sing hymns at this event, making it a perfect way to contemplate the religious aspect of Christmas. Afterwards, enjoy refreshments and caroling in Riggs Library.

CMEA WAFFLE STUDY BREAK Monday, 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. — McShain Small Lounge

If studying for finals left you feeling stressed and hungry, the Center for Multicultural Equity and Access’ study break is just what you need. Stop by McShain Small Lounge on Monday afternoon for warm waffles to end your hunger pangs and stay for music, board games and the opportunity to win men’s basketball tickets.

around town saturday

friday

sunday

If you’re feeling the need to explore the arts, take a trip down to the Kennedy Center and see the NSO Youth Fellows. These young instrumentalists are trained by professionals, and their talent shows. This performance is a great excuse to dress up and hear some classical music.

Plus, the Kennedy Center looks too festive during the holiday season to miss.

Few things are as enjoyable as a holiday-themed bar crawl.

One of the most popular affairs of the season, this event will allow you to get great drink deals at bars throughout Dupont Circle. Be ready for lots of laughter and songs with tons of participants dressed in their Christmas finest. The merrier the clothes, the better. There will be games offered throughout the event as you move from bar to bar.

The zoo has never been better – or brighter. While the animals still fascinate, the 500,000 plus lights illuminating the zoo create a winter wonderland that will fill you with awe.

Pretend you’re a kid again and explore the night’s exhibits, which include the Reptile Discovery Center and Great Ape House. If you can’t make it this weekend, don’t worry — Zoolights happens every weekend through New Year’s Day.

WHERE: Kennedy Center WHEN: 6 p.m.

INFO: kennedy-center.org PRICE: Free METRO: Walk

WHERE: Dupont Circle WHEN: 2 to 9 p.m.

INFO: dcsantacrawl.com PRICE: $15 online, $20 at the door METRO: Dupont Circle

WHERE: National Zoo WHEN: 5 to 9 p.m.

INFO: nationalzoo.si.edu PRICE: Free METRO: Woodley Park/Adams Morgan

EMILY GRAU & BREANNA MORET Special to The Hoya