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THE GUSA SABOTAGE: OUR NEW FAVORITE MOVIE

The GUSA executive campaign season is always high-tension, dramatic, suspenseful and relevant to everyone on campus. Do you know what else is high-tension, dramatic, suspenseful and relevant to everyone on campus? Awesome and entertaining action movies.

Well, thanks to GUTV, we can get a glimpse into what it would be like to meld these two things together. Enter “The GUSA Sabotage.” It hasn’t even been released yet, but I just know that it’s going to be my favorite movie of all time. Here is a list of five things I think could be expected from this movie:

1. A fight scene worthy of the next Bond movie Because let’s be real: Who doesn’t want to see Dalvin Butler get up from his Hoya Experience interviewer’s chair and just dropkick someone directly in the face?

2. A surprise cameo Will it be DeGioia endorsing a candidate? Will it be current GUSA executives Clara Gustafson and Vail Kohnert-Yount passing on their titles? Or will it be The Hoya’s campus news editor, Emma Hinchliffe, writing a tell-all front-page piece about the titular “GUSA sabotage”? Only time will tell.

3. A lot of shots of well-known Georgetown landmarks Just so that the target audience gets the satisfaction of getting to say “Oh! I totally know where that was shot”. Maybe it will be a new line in the Blue and Gray tours: “So here are the exorcist stairs and here is the place where Ben Bloom shot his most famous scene in The GUSA Sabotage. No flash photography please.”

4. Aggressive Red-Square flyering and Lau 2 tabling Because it just wouldn’t be a GUSA campaign (fictional or not) without them.

5. Bradley Cooper will be in it Wishful thinking, but maybe the Georgetown grad will grace us with his presence in what is sure to be an Oscar-worthy role for him.

So Hoyas, did I miss anything? What else would you like to see in “The GUSA Sabotage”? Leave a comment here on the blog and who knows? Maybe director Nicholas Sennott will see it and incorporate it!

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Today in Hoya History: Leavey Center Suggestions

Screen Shot 2013-01-30 at 1.42.24 AMOn this chilly 31st of January, you’ve probably been thinking about the upcoming weekend, the bipolar weather we’ve been having, whether Georgetown is going to crush St. John’s on Saturday (answer: yes) and whether you’ll be attending the upcoming Cherry Tree Massacre extravaganza (answer again: yes). But you might be interested to know that on January 31st, 1995, the students of Georgetown were thinking about something far, far different: the Leavey Center! Just as we’re in the process of taking student suggestions for the new student center in New South, the students of 1995 were doing the same.

According to the January 1995 archives of The Hoya, the GU administration had just received student input for plans to remodel the main floor of the Leavey Center. (Renovations, which were funded by a $2 million grant from MBNA Bank of America, occurred in the Summer of 1995.)

According to Dean James A. Donahue, “The [Leavey Center] is cold [and] the building is uninviting,” echoing the thoughts of many students and faculty at the time. (I personally thought he was talking about Lau.)

Plans from students aimed to move the Office of Student Affairs to the 5th floor (where it is currently located) and expand the career center (which also occurred). Other suggestions included adding more space for student groups such as WGTB, Uncommon Grounds, the office of performing arts and the Women’s Center. Georgetown University Student Association Vice President Ned Segal even proposed adding “pool tables and televisions” to the Center while still keeping “areas to study.”

The 1995 renovations ultimately shaped the Leavey Center into the space we know and love today. Unfortunately, the revamping also required the removal of the building’s video arcade. (That’s right. Leavey had a video arcade. And yes, we’re disappointed it’s gone, too.)

Looking for further suggestions, The 1995 Hoya also decided to ask students for input on what should be placed into the remodeled Leavey. Some Hoyas’ ideas were spot on and others were … well … take a look for yourself:

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The 12 of ’12

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Welcome back to campus, my fellow Hoyas! It is the new year, which means Yates is going to be filled to the brim by the usual “exercise-more-regularly-as-my-new-year’s-resolution” people (don’t worry, they’ll all be gone in a week or two), we brace ourselves for the inevitable baby boom that will occur on 9/21 and we all struggle to remember to write 2013 instead of 2012 on top of our papers. We at The Fourth Edition wanted to take a moment to remember some of the key moments at Georgetown in 2012, which was a monumental year in more ways than one. They say a picture says a 1,000 words — and I’m too lazy to write more than five sentences — so here you have it: 12 photos from The Hoya that sum up the not-so-apocalyptic year of 2012. Enjoy and Happy New Year!

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Get to Know Your GUSA Senator

Last week, the Georgetown University Student Association for the 2012-2013 school year met for the first time. You elected them. You RSVPed to their Facebook groups, saw their flyers and may have met the candidate when they knocked on your doors. But how well do you really know your GUSA senator? We made a point of getting to know the person behind the Senator by asking them the following questions:

  • What has been your favorite moment at Georgetown so far?
  • What’s the number one thing on your Georgetown or D.C. bucket list?
  • What is your favorite late night snack?
  • What other extracurriculars are you involved in?
  • What’s the best class you’ve taken at Georgetown? or, alternatively: If you could design a class, what would the class be?
George Spyropoulos (COL ’14)
District: At-Large
Hometown: Athens, Greece
Favorite Georgetown moment: Swimming (well, more like splashing, really) in the Dahlgren fountain to celebrate the end of finals last Spring.
Top of Georgetown or D.C. bucket list: Finding that underground tunnel connecting Healy to the White House.
Favorite late night snack: Tuscany (any day of the week #noshamewhatsoever)
Other extracurriculars: International Students Association (organizing iWeek this year), social chair of the Hellenic Association, member of the Speech and Expression Committee; I also run an online news source on Greek politics and I’m working as a TA for the Classics Department.
Best class at Georgetown: Witches and Witchcraft (history dept.) with Professors Leonard and Games; top-notch intellectual conversation made cool! Often involves talks of werewolves, demons, and even… poisonous beer in medieval Estonia! Taking it this semester and absolutely loving it!

Cannon Warren (SFS ’14)
District: At-Large
Hometown: Memphis, Tenn.
Favorite Georgetown moment: Freshman graduation. My 12 friends and I got a keg during study days, wore robes, played Pomp and Circumstance and gave speeches on what life lessons we had learned, but had to finish the keg in 2 hours.
Top of Georgetown or D.C. bucket list: Steal the clock hands by climbing the tower.
Favorite late night snack: Fruit snacks
Other extracurriculars: Astronomy club, outdoor ed, and climbing club
Best class at Georgetown: My proseminar, The History of the Mexican Revolution
Nick Fedyk (SFS ’14)
District: At-Large
Hometown: Rochester, N.Y.
Favorite Georgetown moment: Biking down to the White House and going crazy after the death of Osama bin Laden.
Top of Georgetown or D.C. bucket list: Camp out in the early morning for a GU-Syracuse basketball game.
Favorite late night snack: Utz Extra-Dark Pretzels and seltzer.
Other extracurriculars: The Hoya Sports Columnist, Knights of Columbus, WGTB sports talk-show host, intramurals
Best class at Georgetown: Problem of God with Professor Sanders…it really sparked my interest in theology, which is part of the theme of my CULP major.
Ben Mishkin (SFS ’13)
District: Off-campus
Hometown: Tenafly, N.J.
Favorite Georgetown moment: Walking at 7 a.m. to the Verizon Center after a blizzard for the Villanova game my freshman year.  The streets were deserted; there were no cars out at all essentially and we could walk down the middle of Pennsylvania Avenue.
Top of Georgetown or D.C. bucket list: Tie between hitting up Amsterdam Falafel and finally getting around to seeing the Cherry Blossoms.
Favorite late night snack: Sabra Supremely Spicy hummus with toasted pita bread.
Other extracurriculars: I’m a Managing Editor for the Georgetown Journal of International Affairs and serve as a committee chair for the IRC conferences NCSC and NAIMUN.
Best class at Georgetown: Freshman year, Humanities and Writing class, True Fictions with Prof. Marcia Morris.  We read Russian historical fiction novels, including 6 weeks reading every word of War and Peace.  I’d read it every year if I could find the time.  It’s more than 1,200 pages and feels legitimately rushed.

Tiffany Hsueh (COL ’13)
GUSA district: Off-campus
Hometown: North Brunswick, N.J.
Favorite Georgetown moment: Georgetown v. Duke basketball game my freshman year. It was such a electrifying game and I guess it didn’t hurt that Obama and Biden were there too.
Top of Georgetown or D.C. bucket list: White House tour!
Favorite late night snack: Chocolate chip cookies (I just learned how to bake them fresh!)
Other extracurriculars: Facilitator on Leaders in Education about Diversity (LEAD)
Best class at Georgetown: Any and all of my Justice and Peace Studies classes

Sheila Walsh (COL ’14)
District: Townhouses
Hometown: Saratoga Springs, N.Y.
Favorite Georgetown moment: My favorite moment at Georgetown happened during my freshman year, on the night President Obama announced that Osama bin Laden had been killed. I’ll never forget leaving all of my stuff in Lau (the night before I had to deliver a final presentation) and sprinting to the White House alongside fellow Hoyas as we shouted and chanted. That night I felt myself simultaneously at the center of Georgetown, Washington, D.C., and the greater international community.
Top of Georgetown or D.C. bucket list: Attend a performance at the Kennedy Center.
Favorite late night snack: Pretzels <3
Other extracurriculars: Blue & Gray Tour Guide Society; Rangila; NSO
Best class at Georgetown: Faith, Social Justice & Public Life with Professor Jim Wallis

Vetone Ivezaj (COL ‘13)
District: Alumni Square and Nevils
Hometown: Rochester, Mich. (not New York)
Favorite Georgetown Moment: Winning the final race my novice year of rowing against Navy
Top of Georgetown or D.C. bucket list: Blowing up a mattress before the sun rises to float down the Potomac with friends while eating cookies and cream ice cream.
Favorite late night snack: Sour Patch Watermelon
Other extracurriculars: Women’s Lightweight Rowing Team, Resident Assistant for Alumni Square and Townhouses, Teaching Assistant for Principles of Macroeconomics
Best class at Georgetown: Political Economy of Institutions and Development with Professor Raj Desai, but I am currently loving Ecological Analysis with Professor Gina Wimp.

Nate Tisa (SFS ’14)
District: Village A
Hometown: Rochester, N.Y.
Favorite Georgetown moment: Homecoming weekend Sophomore year — most of my freshman floor had a huge reunion in the morning and then headed to the tailgate together. The seniors I had gotten to know through GUSA and The Corp were there in their 21-year-old glory, and I had a blast spending the day out with them. This year was definitely a huge contrast — being an upperclassman makes me feel old!
Top of Georgetown or D.C. bucket list: Find the stolen set of clock hands.
Favorite late night snack: Tortilla chips and Sadie’s New Mexican salsa (courtesy of Deputy Blog Editor Martin Hussey)
Other extracurriculars: I am proud to say I currently serve as the VP of Political Affairs for GU Pride. I also work for The Corp at Uncommon Grounds and intern at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce affiliate Global Intellectual Property Center. In addition, I write a bi-weekly column for The Hoya called Contemplation in Action. Keep an eye out for the next one on Friday the 12th!
Best class at Georgetown: Without a doubt, Intro to Women’s and Gender Studies with Professor Nadine Ehlers. Unfortunately, she had to leave Georgetown for a post in Australia this year. Close seconds are Comparative Political Systems with Langenbacher and my SFS freshman proseminar, Intelligence Law with Professor Lotrionte.

Ben Weiss (COL ’15)
District: Henle Village
Hometown: Long Beach, N.Y.
Favorite Georgetown moment: At 1:00 a.m. on Ash Wednesday last year, I casually ran into Joe Biden leaving Dahlgren Chapel in a full tuxedo.
Top of Georgetown or D.C. bucket list: Going to the inauguration of newly re-elected President Obama this upcoming January.
Favorite late night snack: A caprese sandwich from Vittles/Midnight Mug
Other extracturriculars: Georgetown University Rugby Football Club and College Dems
Class to design: It would be called “Profiles in Courage,” and would use case studies to discuss the capacity for an individual to change the course of American history.

Elizabeth Oh (SFS ’15)
District: Copley Hall
Hometown: Plainview, N.Y.
Favorite Moment at Georgetown: Getting elected GUSA senator, obvs.
Top of Georgetown or D.C. bucket list: In Georgetown, get up on our bell tower, in D.C., get up on the dome of the Capitol.
Favorite late night snack: Jalapeño Chips
Extracurricular Activities: Intern at the CMEA, Communications Coordinator in Hoyas for Immigrant Rights, Pianist in Chamber Ensemble, jazz and Jesus.
Best Class at Georgetown: Professor Mitchell’s PST class
Class to Design: It would look at musical theory and history together.

Sam Greco (SFS ’15)
District: Southwest Quad
Hometown: Originally Connecticut, now Palm Beach County, Fla.
Favorite Moment at Georgetown: Watching Georgetown beat ‘Bama in the Village C Alumni Lounge and everyone exploding with excitement.
Top of Georgetown or D.C. bucket list: Climb to the top of Healy Clocktower
Favorite late night snack: Wingo’s if they’re open.
Other extracurriculars: Blue & Gray Society, GUSA Executive External Committee for Food Service, Model UN.
Best Class at Georgetown: SFS Proseminar, “Policy & Strategy: The Pursuit of National Goals in Crisis” with Keith Hrebenak as the professor.

Jemm Della Cruz (SFS ’16)
District: Southwest Quad
Hometown: Originally Isabela, Philippines; but now Waldorf, Md.
Favorite Georgetown moment: Realizing that it’s 5am and that I’ve been sitting in our common room for hours just talking to a friend about theology, philosophy, diversity, love, GUSA, and life. I thought it was remarkable that, without meaning to, the conversation helped me prepare for my Problem of God midterm. Georgetown is filled with amazing people and I’m excited to be a voice for SWQ!
Top of Georgetown or D.C. bucket list: Skydive with views of the city.
Favorite late night snack: Twizzlers! But for midterm season — biscottis and coffee.
Other extracurriculars: Cristo Rey Tutoring, Club Filipino, Eco-Action
Class to design: Like Map of The Modern World combined with a historical component. Its syllabus would reveal several fieldtrips into the city. The class would take advantage of the museums and numerous resources that are only minutes away from campus. Students would learn about how the political boundaries of the world developed into what they are today through primary sources that are showcased in exhibitions throughout D.C.

Chandini Jha (COL ’16)
District: Freshman South (New South and Village C West)
Hometown: Bethesda, Md.
Favorite Georgetown moment: Walking into NSO and seeing all the OA advisers dancing to “Gangnam Style” on chairs. It was at that moment I knew I’d fit in just fine.
Top of Georgetown or D.C. bucket list: Going paddle boating on the Tidal Basin during the cherry blossom season.
Favorite late night snack: Frosted Flaked with extra sugar on top, also known as “diabetes in a bowl”
Other extracurriculars: College Dems, the Secular Student Alliance (new to Georgetown this year!), Parlimentary Debate, International Relations Club, H*yas for Choice.
Class to Design: Advanced Napping 201: not for beginners. Any lecture over 200 students fufills the prerequisite class, Napping 101.

Tim Rosenberger (COL ’16)
District: Freshman North (Harbin and Darnall)
Hometown: Cleveland, Ohio
Favorite Georgetown moment: The surrogates debate hosted by College Republicans and College Democrats or Lunch in the Park with FOCI
Top of Georgetown or D.C. bucket list: See the original American Flag at the Smithsonian
Favorite late night snack: Brownies
Other extracurriculars: College Republicans, Protestant Ministry, Capital G’s, Honor Council
Best class at Georgetown: Liberal Arts Seminar with Professors DelDonna and McCann

Billy Bowers (COL ’16)
District: Freshman North
Hometown: Las Vegas, Nev.
Favorite Georgetown moment: Catching a touchdown in the rookie round robin for ultimate frisbee.
Top of Georgetown or D.C. bucket list: run to the monuments.
Favorite late night snack: Tuscany Pizza.
Other extracurriculars: Sigma Alpha Epsilon, Georgetown University Grilling Society and Ultimate Frisbee.
Best class at Georgetown: Intro to Biblical Literature; Professor Mitchell is really funny and knows so much about the topic he lectures on.

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Stuff Georgetown Kids Like: Acronyms

If you want to fit in at Georgetown, you have to speak the language. And no, I’m not talking about Arabic or Spanish or Chinese — I’m talking about acronyms. So much more than collections of letters, they’re more like a way of life.

I’m talking more than the standard OMG, LOL here. From schools to clubs to buildings, our campus is full of acronyms. Some of them are fairly straightforward, like NSO, VCE and GUSA. While the B in MSB can stand for either “Business” or “Bros,” either way it wouldn’t be too hard for an outsider to figure out what you were talking about. ICC is another one of these. Although, since it’s the Bunn Intercultural Center, shouldn’t we refer to this building the BIC? A question for the ages.

But then we have a crop of more confusing acronyms. GUASFCU? The pronunciations of our dear credit union’s acronym vary. Some give it a hard C, while others say it with a Ch sound. And some people say the GUA- then resort to mumbling incoherent syllables. And since when does GUGS rhyme with jugs? There’s some linguistic trickery going on there.

Continue reading “Stuff Georgetown Kids Like: Acronyms”

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10 Things to Do Other Than Vote in the GUSA Election

I know, I know. All the GUSA people will hate me for this. For every word I write, there is an angry SFS student or government major wagging their finger at me and muttering about civic responsibility and how ‘a vote is your voice’….etc., etc.,.

BUT (and this is a big but) part of journalism (err…blogging) is giving voice to the voiceless. And if you could’t tell, there’s an underrepresented majority that have been silently enduring the GUSA campaign shouts.

All the hullaballoo this year has been off-putting. Straw polls? Vice Presidential candidate debates? Really? Why can’t all that time and organization be used for something….that, um, actually helps the campus?

A good friend of mine even told me today that a person campaigning in Red Square forced a flier into their pocket, after they had refused to take one. Uncalled for if you ask me.

So, I’m abstaining from the vote this year on the moral grounds that I think there are more important things students should be doing besides running campaigns that are, in my opinion, really just ego and resume padding.

Here are 10 things you can do today and tomorrow (in lieu) of voting that will actually benefit the universe. And a bonus? They’re good to do even if you DO want to vote in the GUSA election.

Continue reading “10 Things to Do Other Than Vote in the GUSA Election”

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GUSA Takes Youtube (Updated)

Now that GUSA elections are in full swing, the walls of Red Square are three layers deep in campaign flyers and candidates are releasing their campaign videos. Past classics have ranged from 2007’s  Vote in a Box to last year’s Most Interesting Man at Georgetown. So what does this year have to offer? With seven official tickets in the race (plus Chicken Madness’ inevitable write-in campaign), we’ve got a lot of videos to look at.

Murph and Mike We were surprised by Murphy Kate Delaney’s rap skills – she’s not the next Kanye, but she’s decent (and VP Mike Appau is pretty solid too). The lines, “Who’s Murphy my dude?/Match my bows with my shoes/Mikey’s straight out of Ghana/Like a Georgetown Obama” were a moment of genius. And we were honored by the shoutout in the beginning – “So I ball so hard, everybody’s trying to vote me/But first the Hoya needs to quote me.”

Sax|Crouch Tyler Sax and Michael Crouch’s campaign emphasizes the voice of the students, and their video shows them joining quite a few of Georgetown’s clubs, from WGTB to Groove Theory. While we get the impression that these guys spend literally all of their time together (besties!), they’re showing off a fundamental aspect of their campaign platform. Also, they’re not the best dancers in the world.

John and Lauren It’s “halftime at Georgetown,” and this sendup of Chrysler’s Super Bowl commercial features John Morris and Lauren Weber for only 9 seconds of a 2-minute video. Instead, we get a voiceover from a deep-voiced stranger, talking about how “this campus can’t be knocked down with one punch.” The sweeping panoramas of campus are pretty, but we’re left wondering what their campaign is actually about.
(Ed note: Lauren Weber is a member of The Hoya’s board of directors.)

Clara and Vail This is one of the few videos that clearly states the candidates’ campaign platform. Clara Gustafson and Vail Kohnert-Yount outline their goals for GUSA over some peppy flute music. The freeze frame after they jump off a bench in the Observatory garden is a nice touch.

Colton and Maggie Speaking from Gaston Hall, Colton Malkerson and Maggie Cleary also outline the points of their platform. They also give a thorough record of their experience on GUSA. It’s a clear video, but we wish it had some music, dancing or panoramas of campus – something to spice it up a bit.

Dan and Markel A parody of a Hermain Cain ad, the campaign manager for Dan LaMagna and Markel Starks boasts about how his team will “put the student back in Georgetown University Student Association.” The music is a bit loud, but it’s a line for line sendup of the original (minus the “We would NOT f***ing be here right now.”). Bonus: They’re the only ticket with a video solely dedicated to the VP candidate.

Tisa Walsh While Nate Tisa and Shelia Walsh don’t appear to have released any video campaign just yet, we’re hoping it’s because there’s something epic in the works. We’ll update if/when that happens. Nate Tisa and Sheila Walsh released their campaign video yesterday, adding a Georgetown-centric video to the “Sh*t ____s Say” meme. While we’re a little confused by the fixation on peer advisors (is reforming that program part of their platform?), the “last night at Brown House…” line made us laugh.

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GUSA Vice-Presidential Debate Drinking Game

Wednesday night? Nothing to do? We here at The Fourth Edition would like to spice up the night (for those of you who are 21 or over) by offering up a drinking game to play during the GUSA VP debate! Hurry up and get yourself a 30 rack from Towne, curl up on the couch with your laptop and enjoy the show (we think it’s viewable here, but we aren’t actually sure). Rules after the jump.

Continue reading “GUSA Vice-Presidential Debate Drinking Game”

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‘Better Georgetown’ Goes Viral

by Michelle Cassidy

The team over at GUSA has released a series of videos advertising the SAFE Referendum, voting for which takes place January 24-26 (in those polling booths they’re setting up in Leo’s). The videos feature interviews with student leaders from Georgetown Energy, the SIPS Fund and the New South Student Center Plans.

Changes to the plans for the New South Student Center (video featured above) include a new terrace on the south side and changes to the first floor, funded by a $2.05 million gift. Design plans for this terrace included in the video show everything from a game room, dance studios, fire pits and “possibly a pub,” according to Taylor Price (MSB ’10) who is featured in the video. Construction is scheduled to be completed by August 2014, according to GUSA. If this student center turns out to be as exciting as this video makes it seem, we might consider sticking around for a couple of years to take advantage of it.

Georgetown Energy’s part of the referendum would allocate $250,000 towards making our campus just a little more green via the addition of solar panels to 37th St townhouses and the creation of a “Green Revolving Loan Fund” that would support eco-friendly projects. Their video features Issei Nino (COL ’12) in his breakthrough role as a dancing sun (check out the video at 0:54 if you don’t believe us).

The SIPS Fund, according to their website, wants to use the SAFE money as “an innovative use of our collective resources to help improve our community and world by investing in … our fellow Hoyas.” With a $1.25 million endowment, SIPS would student projects based on Jesuit ideals. Their video outlines the possibilities for social change via student and alumni projects that could be funded by SIPS.

Links to the full text of the proposals are available on bettergeorgetown.com.