Posted on

Meet the Campaign Managers of GUSA 2015

Campaign Managers

While 4E has covered the videos introducing this year’s GUSA candidates, some of the key election players were missing – notably, the campaign managers. These people work behind-the-scenes advocating for their man or woman, and we at 4E like to recognize them for their hard work. Without further ado, meet the campaign managers…

Katie Bolas (Tim and Reno)

Katie Bolas

Katie (SFS ’15) used to be pretty heavily involved in College Republicans and Philodemic Society. Then she went away to London for a year and since then has not been as involved as she would like. As a senior, she is currently most involved in “Please Let Me Into Your Law School” club. Funny enough this is often mistaken for the ice cream and chocolate connoisseurs club.

How did you come to be campaign manager?
Tim simply asked me. We both live in Northeast Ohio and so we met for lunch over vacation and he made “the ask.” He was really nice about it. He just complimented me for a solid five minutes and then asked if I could help out. I think he thought I was going to say no, which would explain the showering of niceties, because this is a position that is generally taken by a junior who wants to become Chief of Staff and not a senior on her way out. What can I say? I think he and Reno would make killer GUSA executives.

What is the role of campaign manager?
I am sure people will give you glamorous answers as to exactly what being a campaign manager entails, but it’s the opposite of that. I would liken it most to being a police officer standing in the middle of an eight way stop with cars coming from every direction at high speeds and not prepared to stop.

If the Tim and Reno campaign could endorse another ticket, which would it be and why?
It would be Abbey and Will. Abbey and Will have a plan. We certainly do not agree with their entire platform, but we do agree with a lot of it. They have concrete ideas coupled with experience.

What is the most surprising thing you have experienced during this campaign season so far?
How seriously people take themselves. I think this is something that the Luther-Rohan campaign has done a great job of pointing out. Don’t get me wrong, we take our ideas and the possibility of Tim and Reno becoming GUSA executives very seriously, but hopefully not ourselves.

What is the spirit animal of your campaign?
That is actually Ellie Valencia’s official title. Need I elaborate?

Presidential candidates oftentimes have a pump-up song associated with their campaign. What would be the song most associated with your campaign?
There is absolutely no consensus on this question. Tim is always listening to Katy Perry so he would most definitely pick something like “Unconditionally.” Reno is more of the rock guy, he likes Weezer, and would pick “The Greatest Man That Ever Lived.” I listen to Lady Gaga like it is my job because she is obviously the best so I would pick any of her songs.

Preston Marquis  (Sara and Ryan)

Preston Marquis

Preston (SFS ’16) is currently involved in the IRC, NSO and GUSA (as Treasurer). He was previously involved in SAC and the Dip Ball planning committee. 

How did you come to be campaign manager?
I knew Sara previously from her role as the GUSA Secretary of Transfer Affairs. She always struck me as someone with a lot of focus and direction. Towards the end of the semester last year, she and Ryan approached me about coming on board. I honestly hadn’t envisioned doing much with any ticket this spring but after talking with the two of them, I got a sense that they genuinely wanted to revitalize GUSA’s way of doing business — and that was an opportunity too good to pass up.

What is the role of the campaign manager?
I’ve really focused on bringing together a strong team of performers, empowering/enabling these individuals to go out and do their jobs well and ultimately aligning our actions with Sara and Ryan’s overall direction for the campaign. In my mind, the CM’s role is to organize the flow of information for the candidates and ensure they feel supported as they structure their vision for Georgetown. On the internal side, I believe another job is to help folks working within the campaign feel connected, valued and recognized for their contributions, which is at times challenging when you build such a large organization in a short amount of time.

If the Sara and Ryan campaign could endorse another ticket, which would it be and why?
We are cross endorsing with Chris and Meredith because we share their values. We admire their positivity, their clean and honest campaign and their belief in a diverse and pluralistic GUSA.

What is the most surprising thing you have experienced during campaign season so far?
There seems to be a significant disconnect on the Hilltop between GUSA and a lot of Hoyas, which surprises me given the potential of student government to make a real impact in the undergraduate experience at Georgetown. I think a great example of this is the recent agreement between GUSA and the Division of Student Affairs to implement a cost sharing mechanism for sign language interpreters at student activities. As an institution wrapped in advocacy, GUSA can and does create positive change on behalf of students but somewhere over the past few years it has seemingly lost its ability to connect and communicate with the student body at large. The next Executive needs to reverse this trend and I believe Sara and Ryan have the experience and leadership skill-sets to do so.

What is the spirit animal of your campaign?
President John J. DeGioia

Presidential candidates oftentimes have a pump-up song associated with their campaign (like “Signed, Sealed, Delivered” for President Obama). What would be the song most associated with your campaign?
While my personal choice would be “September” by Earth, Wind, and Fire, if I step back and look at things objectively, I’d have to say “Do You Believe In Magic” really captures the energy and essence of our campaign.

Randy Puno and Tim Yim (Chris and Meredith)

Randy Puno

Tim Yim

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Randy (COL ’16) is the president of Club Filipino, a SAC Commissioner and Chair of the GUSA Fund. He is also Marketing Director for TEDxGeorgetown, an upperclassman facilitator for Spirit of Georgetown and an ambassador for International Pre-Orientation. He’s also performed for GU Children’s Theatre, where he plays a character by the name of Mr. Muffinhead.

Tim (SFS ’17) is the VP for the Taiwanese Student American Association as well as on the board of Club Filipino. He’s been a SOCA representative previously, and he’s worked for CSJ in their DC Reads program. He is currently a TA for the Chinese Department here and is also involved in a couple of other organizations as well as programs and jobs on campus, but doesn’t want to bore us with the list.

How did you come to be campaign managers?

Tim: Chris was my RA freshmen year and when he asked me to help him run his campaign, I said yes on the spot because I knew him to be a good man with kindness. I also knew him as being a nice guy who had some genuine ideas to fix GUSA’s over-inflated self-worth and distance to the people. It’s about connecting to individuals as much as representing them, engaging them to help them understand that the office can do so much better.

Randy: When Tim first approached me about joining a GUSA campaign, I was honestly very skeptical. I wasn’t very optimistic about GUSA, especially after being on a losing team the year before. But when he mentioned “Chris Wadibia,” it excited me. Everyone knew him as Georgetown’s Nicest Man, and I knew he would be the right guy for a GUSA that needed change. When I first met him, he greeted me “Hello, Randy, my friend.” And the rest is history.

What is the role of the campaign manager?
Tim: Now that’s the million dollar question. Campaign managers literally need to be able to do anything. From any of the standard three things: door-knocking, tabling, flyering to setting up logistics, preparing for debates, outreach efforts, as well as just making sure everything is running smoothly. To put it simply, our job is to ease the burden of Chris and Meredith, so they can do what they do best, meeting with people and making a tangible difference. We just take care of most of everything else, and provide counsel when needed.

Randy: Traditionally, campaign managers coordinate everything. They make sure everyone knows their job and executes it. But our team is nontraditional. Instead of having lines of authority, we value horizontal leadership. Every single member of our team signed on because Chris and Meredith personally reached out to them. No one is doing this because they were promised a position in GUSA or because they have a higher agenda (we have many seniors on our team). Everyone on our team gives of themselves because they love Chris and Meredith — which makes the campaign managers’ job simply to channel that passion and energy into effective campaigning.

If the Chris and Meredith campaign could endorse another ticket, which would it be and why?
Tim and Randy: It would definitely be Sara and Ryan. Chris and Meredith are both good friends with Sara and Ryan, and we believe that our views for Georgetown are most closely aligned with theirs. GUSA should be personable and individuals should be passionate about the change they are going to enact, instead of the lip-service and fluff in long platforms they provide. Sara and Ryan understand this in the same way Chris and Meredith do.

What is the most surprising thing you have experienced during campaign season so far?
Tim: The lengths that certain campaigns are willing to go to get elected. This is after all student government, not the White House, and being on the receiving end of character assassinations and false rumors is quite disheartening to see. This campus isn’t and shouldn’t be split into 5 different sections representing each of the campaigns, we are all Georgetown students who want what’s best for the Hilltop, and dirty politicking in the background shouldn’t be what determines the winners.

Randy: I’ll go with something more positive. If you were in Red Square on midnight of the start of the campaign season, you know what I’m talking about. At roughly 12:20, as other teams were finishing up hanging banners, Chris and Meredith led a mob of 50 people out of White Gravenor to hang our beautiful (and Healy-less) banner. We screamed and howled and even turned Red Square into a dance floor. The amount of energy in Red Square was electrifying, and I’m pretty sure no one has ever started a GUSA campaign with the same buzz and noise that we had that night.

What is the spirit animal of your campaign?
Tim and Randy: Left Shark. Much like left shark, we will continue to swim against the current for change. He also digs us.

Presidential candidates oftentimes have a pump-up song associated with their campaign (like “Signed, Sealed, Delivered” for President Obama). What would be the song most associated with your campaign?
Tim and Randy: Lose Yourself by Eminem (the soundtrack of our first video).

Arman Ramnath (Joe and Connor)

Arman Ramnath

Arman (SFS ’16) is involved in the Corp, working at Hoya Snaxa. He is also involved in the Georgetown Student Tenant Association and Georgetown Running Club. 

How did you come to be campaign manager?
I first met Connor Rohan at 2:00 am at the bottom level of an underground parking garage just over the Key Bridge in Rosslyn. This began an information-based relationship that went on the length of many years. The information he shared eventually led to the resignation of a president. When Connor and Joe Luther announced their campaign I immediately signed on to help because of the work we had done in the past.

What is the role of the campaign manager?
Essentially, my role is to handle all the illegal and corrupt campaign related activities and make sure they never get traced back to Joe and Connor. Joe and Connor are bringing a utopia to Georgetown, and I’m supposed to make sure legality doesn’t inhibit this goal. The rest of the team calls me a “fall guy.” I’m not really sure what that means, but I think it’s a term of endearment.

If the Luther-Rohan campaign could endorse another ticket, which would it be and why?
Definitely the Calvin Coolidge and Charles G. Dawes ticket from the 1924 Presidential Election. They were committed to cleaning up America after Warren G. Harding’s Teapot Dome scandal.

What is the most surprising thing you have experienced during campaign season so far?
I’m incredibly surprised that we are the only campaign to provide a kissing booth to the student body. This is just another example of how we are truly understanding of students. The other campaigns have had numerous opportunities to provide essential services like a kissing booth, yet have all failed. I personally am surprised by the apathy of my fellow campaigns when it comes to truly aiming to serve the Georgetown student body.

What is the spirit animal of your campaign?
Our spirit animal is Vojtek, an adoptive bear to a company of Polish troops during World War II. Vojtec helped move ammunition and fought for what he believed in, just like our campaign. He also drank condensed milk out of a vodka bottle, which is something our campaign team greatly enjoys as well.

Presidential candidates oftentimes have a pump-up song associated with their campaign (like “Signed, Sealed, Delivered” for President Obama). What would be the song most associated with your campaign?
Our campaign song would be Miles Davis’s “Sanctuary.” It’s colorful, unique and promotes an image of a perfect world in which all of life’s negatives are eliminated.

Ken Nunnenkamp (Abbey and Will)

Ken Nunnenkamp2

Ken (MSB ’16) is a member of GUCR, a former GUSA Senator, Vice Chair of the Intellectual Life Committee and is a member of the Student Library Council. He went abroad to the Villa last fall. 
How did you come to be campaign manager?
Abbey and I have been friends since freshman year. I did a lot of work with her in the Senate, and I worked with her and other student leaders on sexual assault policy for students studying abroad while I was at the Villa last semester. When she was thinking about running last semester, she messaged me and we talked about it extensively. She talked me through a lot of the problems at this university and inspired me to help her change them by running for GUSA. Will, Abbey and I talked a number of times, and since I’ve worked on campaigns outside of GUSA I felt like I could contribute that logistical approach to help support Abbey and Will. After many late-night Skype chats and Viber calls, I was happy and excited to help them in any way they wanted or needed.
What is the role of the campaign manager?
Well, I’m a manager for the most part, taskmaster sometimes and partymaster as often as they’ll let me be. I help make sure that various different parts of the campaign are working together to help us realize our broader vision of bridging the gap between two Georgetowns, and I help Abbey and Will get done whatever needs to be done. For me, the most important part of my job is helping Abbey and Will communicate their vision for Georgetown in a positive and informative manner.
If the Abbey and Will campaign could endorse another ticket, which would it be?
Like Will said in the VP debate, we’ve been very impressed with Tim and Reno’s commitment to bottom-up, policy-driven change at Georgetown, and we’re proud to be cross-endorsing with them.
What is the most surprising thing you have experienced during campaign season so far?
My answer to this one is easy: I was so surprised by the huge amount of support Abbey and Will received from day one. They have the best ideas, the best chance of making a difference and the know-how to get the job done, but it amazed me how people from all walks of life and across all grades came out to support them from day one. I shouldn’t have been that surprised, because their dedication to the future of Georgetown is what convinced me to come on board, but I can’t express my own thanks enough for the great team of people who have rallied in support of Abbey and Will.
What is the spirit animal of your campaign?
Queen B, Beyoncé herself.
Presidential candidates oftentimes have a pump-up song associated with their campaign (like “Signed, Sealed, Delivered” for President Obama). What would be the song most associated with your campaign?
I’d have to say that Uptown Funk is probably the closest to answer this question. However, Eminem’s Not Afraid (Abbey’s favorite song) is our pump up song and motivates us all to work harder for a better Georgetown!
Photos: Facebook

 

Posted on

GUSA Presidential Debate Drinking Game 2015

GUSAHeader4-2Alright people, you know the drill. The GUSA Presidential Election Debate is tonight at 7:30 p.m. and, as per usual, The Hoya will be live-tweeting all the festivities.

Keeping with tradition, here’s a little drinking game to spice up the night. If you have any questions or rule suggestions, hit us up in the comments or tweet us @thehoya4e.

Stay classy and stay responsible, Hoyas.

For 21+ students only

Take a small swig:

Every time a candidate or a question uses the word(s): 

  • Administration
  • Future generations
  • Transfer students
  • Free speech
  • H*yas For Choice
  • Pillars
  • Platform
  • 2018 Plan
  • Allocation of space
  • Jurisdiction of the GoCard
  • Broken
  • Students Against Restrictive Housing Policy
  • Waffle iron
  • Jesuit values

*Every time a candidate mentions a running mate in an answer

*Every time a candidate uses a campaign slogan in an answer

*Every time there is a reference to or tweet from Omika Jikaria (SFS ’15) or Trevor Tezel (SFS ’15)

Take a big swig:

*Every time The Hoya quotes a candidate while live tweeting the event

*Every time there is a mention of a cross-endorsement

*If Joe Luther (COL ’16) starts crying about his dad

*If someone mentions that we might have a snow day tomorrow 

Take a shot:

*If someone makes another “Rise Up” erection joke

*If Meredith Cheney (COL ’16) is in the room holding a brick

*If GUSA Elections Commissioner Fletcher cuts someone off

*If former GUSA President Nate Tisa (SFS ’14) suddenly appears

Finish your drink and take a naked lap on Healy lawn:

*If Sara Margolis (COL ’16) is actually in a secret society

*If someone mentions the To Kill A Mockingbird sequel

Posted on

4E Reviews GUSA Campaign Videos

GUSA 2015 Vids

Well, well, well. GUSA 2015 is upon us! Last week, we were introduced to the five pairs of candidates gunning to be our next Prez and VP. Each pair has since released official campaign videos, and we’ve taken it upon ourselves here at 4E to review them. Let’s dive in, shall we?

Christopher Wadibia and Meredith Cheney

First of all, PROPS for the soundtrack. Set to the hard-hitting instrumentals of Eminem’s “Lose Yourself” and the inspirational poetry of “Our Deepest Fear” by Marianne Williamson, the video is titled “Find Your Light”. Shot in #artsy black and white, it features clips of the candidates doing cool, Georgetown-y things (Christopher speechifying, Meredith running to the Lincoln memorial) while other Hoyas show off a variety of impressive skills. Overall, by showing how ordinary Hoyas can do extraordinary things, this video sends a great and empowering message. Very much in keeping with the #DIGNITY2015 campaign.

Abbey McNaughton and Will Simons

A heartfelt “Meet the Candidates” vid. Backlit by Coldplay (classic), Abbey and Will talk about their high schools, how they came to love Georgetown and how they want to bring the student voice into GUSA. It’s cool to feel like the candidates are talking straight to you and fully describing their campaign message of “Rise Together.” Also a fan of the candid laughing shots near the end. GUSA candidates are people, too!

Tim Rosenberger and Reno Varghese

How did they get it to snow while they were filming their campaign video??? For some reason, the fact that this 30-second intro video was shot on a snowy day in Dahlgren acts as a huge plus. With a message of “For the Love of Georgetown,” Tim and Reno keep it short and sweet, outlining their favorite things about Georgetown (#GSProud! IRC!) while gently encouraging the viewer to check out their website. Which I then did. Love the logo, guys.

Sara Margolis and Ryan Shymansky

This video opens with Sara and Ryan talking about their favorite colors (Sara’s is a tie of crimson, gold and Carolina blue, which I can respect), favorite Wisey’s foods and other favorite things – a cute opener that is able to effectively introduce the candidates’ personalities a little bit. The candidates then extol the virtues of student advocacy before launching into a montage, in which Ryan shows off dope patriotic socks and Sara writes “Believe in Georgetown!” on a whiteboard with impeccable handwriting. Seriously, if GUSA campaigns were judged off of “Handwriting Displayed in Campaign Video”, I’d know who my vote would go to.

Joe Luther and Connor Rohan

The music of this video gets me super amped. Was this taken from “The War” by Ken Burns? With a campaign promise that “We’re here to annihilate anything you don’t like and to make Georgetown a utopia,” this ticket’s going to be tough to beat. No more terrifying steam whistles? No more bees? No more living in fear of Jesuit ghosts? Yes please.

So there we have it – 5 pairs of candidates, 5 campaign videos. In the words of the dude who hosts “Iron Chef,” WHOSE CUISINE CAMPAIGN VID WILL REIGN SUPREME? Vote below!

[cardoza_wp_poll id=34]

Posted on

Best of 4E: 2014 Edition

Best of 2014

2014 is over! That’s right folks, another year has come and gone, and what do we have to show for it? Well, in 4E’s case, a bunch of articles. We’ve compiled a list of 4E’s 25 greatest hits written this year, ranked in order of page views. Read on and enjoy:

Georgetown-Themed Pickup Lines. An instant classic. Any of these lines were and are perfect, whether you’re chatting with that hottie in Problem of God or meeting Bill Clinton.

Lau is Soul-Crushing. And will never not be.

Mr. Georgetown 2014. Go back to the article now and change your vote to Thomas Lloyd, so you can say you were right all along.

Embassy Row Trick-or-Treating. Culture and candy, a feast for the brain and the sweet tooth.

Healy Clock Hands Went Bye-Bye. Until they were replaced one day later.

Naming the HealFamStuCent. That’s the nickname we decided on, right?

Georgetown Day Eve. Less than four months until Georgetown Day 2015!

Second Semester Senior Shenanigans. For all the SWUGs out there.

Tombs Cancels Wine Night. Sorry, SWUGs.

Things Students Would Never Say. Never say never! Someday the HFSC seating will make sense!

JesRes Dorm Deets. Housing Is Coming.

Georgetown Students = Olivia Pope. Uh, we wish.

Georgetown 2048. We know you still play it.

Wills and Kate Come to DC. Come back soon, friends!

Georgetown Reacts to Ferguson. Many extremely insightful words from faculty and students alike.

If a GUSA Campaign Doesn’t Have a Video, Are They Even Running for GUSA? Hint: The answer is no.

Top Hoya Comments Ever. Because Internet commenters are the best!

Reiss Pathway Forever In Our Hearts. I dreamed a dream in time gone by…

HFSC Open for Business. Bringing another factor into the “Where should I go to study tonight?” game, which inevitably ends in hiding under the covers and watching old “30 Rock” episodes. 

4E Blogger Is Also Georgetown Confessions Phenom. He was written about thrice. THRICE!

Last-Minute Costumes. You’re not fooling anyone with your “Georgetown Student” costume, bud.

Who Stole the Hands? We know it was you, Joey B. Ugh, you’re such a Scorpio!

Which Georgetown Alum Are You? Are you more Patrick Ewing or Nick Kroll? The answer may surprise you!

Concert for Valor Mix. Heard Ri-Ri and Bruce killed it.

Thanks to all our readers for a wonderful year! Catch you guys in 2015!

Posted on

Third-Year Meal Plan Requirement: The Conspiracy

Conspiracy

When news of the possible third-year meal plan requirement broke this past week, students were infuriated, and rightly so. In case you didn’t hear news from any campus news source whatsoever, GUSA announced in a press release that the administration is considering implementing a third-year meal plan requirement.

While the most obvious reason for doing this is to boost revenue, my inner conspiracy theorist doesn’t buy it. The university can’t seriously be considering this plan — that they had to know would outrage students — without some ulterior motive. And 4E is here to wildly speculate about what those motives could be.

To distract students from the massive impending construction Unfortunately, this Monday, the East Reiss pathway and Leavey bridge will be closed indefinitely due to construction. By introducing this ridiculous meal plan proposal, the administration was clearly trying to pull students’ attention away from the construction to this new annoying university endeavor. Then, when the meal proposal magically doesn’t pass, we’ll all feel a sense of victory as we inconveniently walk around the west side of Reiss without complaint.

The university seriously screwed up their budget With the cost of the new HFSC and Northeast Triangle construction, financial constraints have to be pretty high right now. They’re probably too embarrassed to try to solicit more alumni donations, and so they have to resort to literally siphoning money from current students. Probably the most likely explanation.

They’re using this to cover up some other thing that students would get more upset about This is the best conspiracy theory because it’s open-ended. Maybe UIS is responsible for hacking Snapchat? Just think of all the stories we don’t know about because we’re all up in arms about this new proposal instead of looking for another piece of journalistic gold.

And now you know what went through my mind when I heard this news.

Gif: imgur.com; Photo: hdwallpapersfactory.com

Posted on

Staffer of the Week: Matthew Gregory

946711_10151589349718386_117958106_nName: Matthew Gregory
Position on The Hoya: News writer
Year: 2017

Why did you earn staffer of the week?
I covered the GUSA election for the Hoya between February 13 and February 27, reporting on anything from the platforms to the debates to individual issues like free speech and diversity. It was a lot of work -I wrote about fifteen articles in two weeks -but it was great to get to know all the candidates and see the different plans they had for making the university a better place. Plus, I got to write some pretty interesting and controversial pieces, like the one about the Stewards, which received 79 comments, including a novel by DPE’s own Terry Boyle.

What’s your favorite part about working for The Hoya?
I definitely think the people you meet, the connections you make, and the experiences you have have all made the Hoya especially rewarding for me. In January, I got to cover an event at the White House with the President and First Lady, and stand about ten feet from where they were speaking, which was one of the most amazing experiences I’ve had at Georgetown so far, and during GUSA, it was really incredible to be at the center of all the action and report in real-time was happening with the candidates. I met some incredible people, and it’s these relationships that I think will be the most valuable thing going forward.

What is your favorite dessert and why?
Cream puffs at Leo’s…not because they’re really amazing or anything, but because it’s so rare when they have them, and it really makes my day when they do.

Lupita Nyong’o or Jennifer Lawrence – and why?
I’m going to go with Jennifer Lawrence, I guess, but not the crazy one who lights the microwave on fire in American Hustle, more of a Hunger Games type.

Who is your dream date and why?
Lindsey Duke, UCF Quarterback Blake Bortles’ girlfriend. And why? I’m pretty sure any picture would answer that question…

Posted on

4E News Recap

hoya newz recapMissed what was happening on the Hilltop this week? 4E has got you covered with some of The Hoya’s most recent headlines:

Tezel, Jikaria Win Executive Race Trevor Tezel (SFS ’15) and Omika Jikaria (SFS ’15) won the GUSA 2014 executive elections.

Women Leaders Set to Own It Pick up your tickets now for GUWIL’s leadership summit, featuring notable speakers, workshops and networking events.

The Rise of “The Right Way” and “The Progressive” The respective publications of the Georgetown College Republicans and Georgetown College Democrats build their presence on campus.

JUPS Major Wins Approval The Justice and Peace Studies program received Georgetown College’s approval to create a major, after a yearlong student effort.

Warren Talks Foreign Policy Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren delivered the 2014 Whittington Lecture on Wednesday.

Bowser Battles Gray at Debate Mayoral candidates, lead by Council member Bowser, sparred with the incumbent Gray during a debate Wednesday evening.

Campaign for SFS Study Space Succeeds in ICC The SFS Academic Council and the Office of the Provost have made progress with proposed ICC renovations.

Asian American Students Confer in DC Both GW and Georgetown played host to the 2014 East Coast Asian American Student Union Conference, promoting the Asian American Pacific Islander community.

Housing Rules Shift To Seniors Seniors will receive priority housing selection for 2015-2016, while juniors will retain eligibility advantage.

Posted on

An Open Letter to GUSA Campaigns

An open letter to gusa campaignsDear GUSA campaigns,

I understand that all you want to do is impact change on the Georgetown community in your own respective ways, and I wholeheartedly support and appreciate your dedication to being men and women for others. However, as a potential voter, I feel as if a lot of my needs aren’t being met. I thought this open letter would be a good forum for us to hash a few things out. Hopefully we’ll see eye-to-eye by the end of it. As in, Wednesday night.

The Top 5 Reasons I’m Just Not That Into You

1. “Vote for (Insert Here)” While this sentence makes me aware that you want my vote, my third grade grammar workbook informs me that this is an imperative sentence. My problem with this is that I have a lot of excess teenage angst in my system and I don’t like being told what to do. Maybe you could rephrase it. For example, “Vote for (Insert Here), if you’re into that.” Alternatively, “Vote for (Insert Here). Don’t vote for (Insert Here). Do what you want. This is America.”

2. Door-to-Door Knocking I only open my door for two reasons: class and the promise of food. Your campaign is offering me neither of those things. Let me paint a picture for you. I’m in my room, vulnerable and nine times out of 10 watching cat videos on YouTube. Then, along you come and disturb the peace. I’ll open the door and listen to your spiel because I’m awkward and overly polite, but I won’t like it.

3. Paper products After you’ve interrupted my shut-in lifestyle with your presence, then you want to push all these fliers and pamphlets all up on me. Come on now. It’s 2014. Go green. Go social media. We’re millennials. If it’s not a gif, a blog post or a blog post with gifs in it, I’m not interested. Social media is your friend. I can throw your paper products in the recycling bin as soon as you leave. You know what I won’t throw away? My laptop.

4. Candy Let’s talk about your sales pitch. If I’m going to stand in my doorway and listen to you drone on about yourself without even asking about how my day went, I would like incentives. Incentives of the food variety. Candy. I’m not talking about lollipops either. Lollipops are weak. I’m talking about premium chocolates. Specifically, Godiva. Now, I know what you’re thinking. “Alexis, we have a budget. Be reasonable.” NO EXCUSES. If you adopt the social media marketing strategy I mentioned earlier or even take it a step further and pull a Beyoncé: The Visual Album and tell no one you’re running, imagine all the money you’d have to allocate to chocolate.

5. Beyoncé Do not promise something that you can not deliver. I understand that you’re trying to keep your campaign fun by capitalizing on the fact the Beyoncé is American royalty, but no. Stop teasing me: A vote for you is not a vote for Beyoncé. Beyoncé regularly visits that great big White House down the road. She is serious. There is no making light about affiliations with Queen. If someone ever spotted her at Saxby’s, I’d without a doubt skip classes in hopes of casually running into her and becoming Blue Ivy’s nanny. You’re playing with my dreams, people. Not cool.

Thank you for reading this and I hope we can resolve these issues before election day. After all, I vote Wednesday.

Warmly,
Alexis

Gifs: tumblr.com, wordpress.com; Photo: weheartit.com, gustudentassociation.org

Posted on

This GUSA Race Is Madness!

The past few weeks have been a storm of information about the upcoming GUSA elections. We have watched the campaign videos, played the drinking games and dissected each campaign’s graphic design skills. But in the midst of it all, there has been growing support for a candidate unlike the rest: Chicken Madness.

Chicken Madness and his once arch-rival Hot Chick have decided to run together for GUSA president and vice president. The campaign started a few weeks back when a mysterious man by the name of Jack Wisemiller sent many Georgetown students a Facebook friend request. In the time it took for every freshman to ask his roommate, “Did we meet a Jack Wisemiller at NSO?”, the Facebook account had already gathered hundreds of friends and followers.

The reason for Jack Wisemiller’s Facebook? To spread the word about writing in Chicken Madness and Hot Chick on GUSA election day! I was a little shocked when I heard the news. I thought to myself, How could two undeniably delicious sandwiches run our student government? But after some serious contemplation and soul searching, I have discovered some qualities about this dynamic duo that every potential GUSA president and vice president should aspire to.

5 Great Qualities of Chicken Madness and Hot Chick 

1. They can motivate the student body 

Whether you are running on the track at Yates or studying in Lau on a Saturday afternoon, nothing keeps you going like the idea of a Chicken Madness. If it weren’t for this Wisey’s classic, no one would get anything done. I don’t know how many times I’ve heard, “Alright, 20 more minutes of reading and then I’m hitting up Wisey’s!” Keep it up, Chicken Madness.

2. They are (uniquely) committed to diversity

In any political race, candidates pay close attention to the role of diversity among the people they wish to represent. The Chicken Madness and Hot Chick pair are truly diverse. Chicken Madness, a savory grilled chicken delicacy, is there when you need comfort food. Hot Chick, on the other hand, is a spicy chicken tender sub that never disappoints. Those are some diverse flavors if I say so myself.

3. They have a sick campaign slogan

Chicken Madness and Hot Chick

“Two sandwiches… One Georgetown.” That slogan is tough to beat.

4. They unite the students at Georgetown

Whether you live on or off campus, Chicken Madness and Hot Chick bring people together. As you stroll into Wisey’s ready to pick up your delicious Chicken Madness or Hot Chick, you can run into just about anyone. From that study buddy you crammed for finals with last semester to that freshman roommate you lost touch with over the years, you can always bond over your love for a good ‘ole Wisey’s sandwich.

5. They can’t knock on your doors

Enough said.

Photo: facebook.com

Posted on

Behind the Designs of the GUSA 2014 Election

We have been inundated with GUSA information since Feb. 13, but the campaign has been most visible on our Facebook newsfeeds and the walls of nearly every public space on campus.

It’s easy to forget that the graphics and logos of these campaigns are, at the end of the day, what people will think of when they hear the name of a candidate. An eye-catching profile picture might even entice you to click on their website link and read their platform.

In recent years, the demand for high-quality graphics has risen, so we took the time to sit down with the designer of each campaign and talk to them about the process and the product. We then showed the various campaign images to graphic design professor L. Collier Hyams, who has never taught any of the candidates and has been entirely removed from the campaign, for an objective expert opinion.

The following interviews with the graphic designers have been condensed. The critiques by Professor Hyams are published in their entirety.

Lexi Dever (COL ’16) – Thomas and Jimmy

Screen Shot 2014-02-22 at 8.20.21 PM

First, I had to kind of figure out what a solid campaign logo would be because I normally don’t work on campaign logos. I decided I wanted to go with, first and foremost, a unique color because I figured everyone would be doing blue and gray. In the end, no one did blue and gray but I chose shades of green, blue and purple because green represents a new beginning, blue represents the university and its history and purple represents equality.

The whole process took about a week. Once I kind of figured out what I wanted to do with my design, I spent more time working on it and spent a few hours a day if not more just working and cranking it out.

Once I finished the logo design I gave them some advice on how to use it and made them instructions in a branding packet. The whole campaign, from the beginning, was meant to be very versatile. I want it to be used in as many ways as possible.

All the custom typeface and color application of the 1968 Mexico Olympics was well thought out and is very trippy and very ’60s and it really inspired me.

Also, the success of the Obama campaign and how visually powered that was is still fresh in our minds. No campaign before Obama had a logo. It was always just text or a style, but not a logo. There has been a shift towards that element since the success of the Obama campaign. I obviously didn’t want to mimic it, but just the application of it and the ability to have a brand become influential in the campaign itself.

[dmalbum path=”/wp-content/uploads/dm-albums/t and j/”/]

LCH:

Well, this has a gothic feel to it, it’s got a little contemporary stuff going on but it’s gothic. I think that’s going to definitely bring in a certain sort of interest or personality. I see it as a C and I don’t know what the C is for. I also see it as sciences. As far as a campaign, so far, it’s the most developed but I don’t know if it’s saying what they’re trying to say. Color theory is fine, looks good that way. It’s done well.

JJ Jimenez (COL ’15) – Zach and Dan

Screen Shot 2014-02-22 at 8.26.04 PM

Going into the designs, we wanted to go with something kitsch and something very simple. Zach and Dan were very adamant about name recognition because at the end of the day, the logo or icon isn’t running for GUSA. They are.

The one thing that’s really important for me is to make sure the designs are replicable and consistent through everything. So you have the puzzle nubs, you have the dotted line, you have the text, you have all that. That’s the one piece that is so important to me when I’m designing things for whomever. Whenever we change the medium for anything it has to be recognizable.

This year, I’m actually on the team. (JJ has worked on two other campaigns in his time here at Georgetown). So when we’re on the team I’m like, “Hey, let’s do this, let’s push this, let’s do that,” so I’m a much more active part of this team.

What I’m making is by no means art. The stuff I make is, in my mind, far more utilitarian, in the sense that it’s trying to communicate something, it’s getting a message across.

[dmalbum path=”/wp-content/uploads/dm-albums/z and d/”/]

LCH:

It’s a pretty standard thing to have half navy blue, half green. But there’s some thought into this [cover photo], but do I think it looks like a campaign ad? No, I think it looks like gummy bears or clothing or something. (See third photo in above slideshow)

But it’s curious with the whole puzzle idea, so I think that would grab somebody’s attention. There are some weird things like things aren’t centered exactly right but that’s the only thing that would point to it being amateur as opposed to professional. This looks very slick.

So there’s not a single campaign design, there are a bunch of different designs. Well, the puzzle is the hook but the only thing that really holds it together is the names Zach and Dan. You’ve got the dotted line as sort of a theme but this could be a Gap commercial or a fraternity party, I’m not sure what it is. Out of all of these, I can’t actually tell what the people are supporting or doing so I don’t see any position. It’s fun, it’s trendy, but I don’t know what it is. It’s like a popularity contest. But it’s intelligent.

Innocent Ndubuisi-Obi (SFS ’16) & Martin De Leon (SFS ’16) – Trevor and Omika

1743590_591795367578369_1151375739_n

Innocent: I’m not really involved in GUSA. The design I did wasn’t like, “Oh, I’m so gung-ho for GUSA so let me design something for these guys to win.” Someone just approached me and they wanted a design done and I love doing designs so I was like, “Alright, I’ll help you guys out. I’ll make the base, hopefully you can stay within the same brand, but you have your creative liberty to do what they want.”

I really like helping people create their own brand. So when they approached me about doing it, the first thing I asked was, “What is the feel of your group? What do you guys want the feel to be? What is your approach going forward?” And they said they really liked the Jack and Maggie campaign from last year and so I sort of had the framework because I’m really good friends with JJ, so I knew his design process.

So, we just went with very plain, something nice for the eyes. The color scheme was their idea. They wanted teal and gray so I found the right mix of teal and gray.

The great thing about the design is that you can do a lot with it. It’s in an elementary phase where if another designer came on board and wanted to add something to it or change it a little bit, you can do a lot with it, it’s very flexible. So that was the whole goal.

Colors are an important thing too, you pick colors that are different, it can’t be blue and gray. They have to be warm colors and they have to make sense. Teal is a weird color, not a lot of people use teal, but the teal and gray works, it’s really nice and it’s really soft. I was thinking about profile pictures and about what you would want to see popping up.

Martin: They brought me on board for mostly communications and social media work. I serve also to help with their image in general. I did their photo shoot, I’ve been doing their variations of posters. I wasn’t in the platform-building process, I came a little bit later than that. As soon as I actually knew what they were doing, I became very impassioned about it and have become 24/7 about it. It’s been crazy but it’s been so much fun.

[dmalbum path=”/wp-content/uploads/dm-albums/t and o/”/]

LCH:

Similar take [as Thomas and Jimmy]. … It looks like the same designer. … Is it the same designer? Now, the color, what is the color about? What is teal related to? Here’s one thing that’s curious. If you look at the last presidential campaign, there are particular blues and particular reds that are used. And then, the Obama campaign is the wrong blue. So the original question was, “Why is that that color? That’s a mistake.” But then you realize, “Well, no, it’s a manipulation, it’s an advertising tool.” This is different for a reason, what is that reason. So maybe I’m just too interested in deconstructing it, but the teal means something and I’m not sure what it means. Is it just because it goes well with the gray? This one has a hardcore political current regime thing going on. They could have played with line weight, but it’s so Obama that it’s not even funny.

Brittany Berlin (COL ’16) & Scott Syroka (COL ’16) – Ben and Sam

1890406_1458666361016546_253081710_o

Brittany: I really don’t have much to say about it. One of my friends asked me to draw a bulldog and a sledge hammer, I didn’t really know what I was doing it for until after the fact. I really had little to no involvement; I’ve only met Sam once and it was after the campaign was up and running.

Scott: Ben and I knew each other through G.I.V.E.S. and I had designed Puppy Playtime posters for G.I.V.E.S. so that’s why they approached me to do theirs.

They gave me a lot of a freedom. They just emailed saying, “We need sixth sheets,” or “we need fliers for people’s doors,” so they would tell me what they wanted on it, like their Twitter or link on Facebook, and I had the leeway to draft something up.

They let me know whenever they need something or when they need something edited. I know the platform, I’m there for the meetings, but my focus is the design aspect. I’m not grinding out policy details by any means.

[dmalbum path=”/wp-content/uploads/dm-albums/b and s/”/]

LCH:

I walk through all the construction sites so to me this immediately has something to do with a campaign that is either for or against or somehow making construction work on campus better.

You can tell what these guys stand for, though. This one is relying on the cuteness factor of the bulldog. I’ve got some issues with the general design of the bulldog, it could be better. It’s not quite cutesy enough, it’s almost cutesy enough to be cutesy and it’s not quite detailed enough to be believable. It’s kind of in between. Like the hat’s in the wrong position and the handle of the hammer should extend out. If it’s going to be cartoony, it should really be cartoony.

General comments from Professor Hyams:

I think I’m out of touch with the generation and in terms of what is important. When I was in school I would be looking for something that affects my particular position or need as a student, but I’m not sure if that’s what’s necessary these days.

Well, the puzzle has a good strong feeling. The Trevor and Omika design is impressive but a weird color. The bulldog has the cuteness factor.

Well, from this year I thought the C stuff is the strongest (Thomas and Jimmy). All completely different approaches but the best design group is the triangle background one (Thomas and Jimmy).

One of these Zach and Dan ones is really smart (the cover photo), but they have too many different ideas. They’re not really focused.

The Ben and Sam stuff has the cute factor and you know what they’re doing. The one sheet and the door-knocking ones are interesting because they’re so different from the rest of the campaign; it looks like two different people did them.

In terms of if you just saw them, the one that would appear to be the most serious is Thomas and Jimmy. I think the Zach and Dan one is not bad too. The teal one could be really strong but it’s teal and we don’t know what that means. My initial reaction is that I wouldn’t go for that one. Even though it’s pretty strong and they’re probably a really good team, just the presentation is wrong.

[cardoza_wp_poll id=23]

Note: The graphic designers were interviewed in the order seen above and Professor Hyams was interviewed separately after of all the designers. He was not privy to any information given by the designers at the time of his interview.