Today is partly cloudy and muggy with a high of 79.

To masticate today:

• Jeopardy Jim: The name of the Georgetown student who will compete in the college national championships of Jeopardy: who is Jim Coury (SFS ’15)? Coury will advance to the final round for a chance to win $100, 000 and to compete against Jeopardy winners of all ages. Stay tuned!
• Bend it like sickle-cell anemia: DC United defender Robbie Russell will be retiring from pro sports to study at Georgetown Medical school.

What to look out for:

• Look, ma, no carbon emissions: Today is annual Bike to Work day, in case you were thinking of getting to work in some other fashion. If you’re Joseph Gordon-Levitt, every day is work to bike day.
• Release the river: Construction on the D.C. levee on 17 St. has been shut down once again for nebulous reasons, although the main contractor has been fired.  Vox will keep you posted on whether floodwaters spill over the National Mall or not.

Dear class of 2017,

Welcome to your first post on Vox Populi, the blog for on-campus newsmagazine the Georgetown Voice. We will continue to delight and inform you over the next four years and beyond.

You’ve made it through years of hellish workloads, early mornings, late nights that have turned into early mornings, sports practices and Model United Nations, years of working toward a perfect GPA, getting into your dream school, and all-around overachieving. So congratulations, and welcome to Georgetown, where it will be completely, utterly, earth-shatteringly similar.

A few things will be different from high school, however, and that’s why Vox is here with the Prefrosh Preview—a weekly post to help you maneuver your way through your first year at Georgetown. We’ll cover topics ranging from academics to the party scene, so be sure to check back on Thursdays for updates.

The first key difference between Georgetown and your high school, and here Vox is definitely underestimating the number of kids who went to Phillips Exeter, is that your high school does not have the same kind of rich history and traditions that Georgetown does, tailgates excluded.

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The second installment of sci-fi king J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek reboot hits the ground running and doesn’t stop until the credits roll.  It achieves what few sequels do: it is better than its predecessor.  Into Darkness picks up shortly after the events of 2009’s Star Trek, following on-again-off-again-captain Kirk (Chris Pine), calm, cool commander Spock (Zachary Quinto) and the rest of the crew of the USS Enterprise as they travel to distant worlds both known and unknown, seeking the truth and fodder for some really great-looking explosions.

Design and artistry aside, the story does support itself without relying on the visual spectacle of deep space and futuristic sets to distract its viewers.  At its core, the film is the logical progression from where Star Trek left off.  Where the former set the scene, throwing our characters together and getting them acquainted, Into Darkness tells the story of how the Enterprise, with Kirk at the helm, establishes itself as one of Starfleet’s best: a strong, capable family that is damn near undefeatable.

With this film, we learn more about the politics, both domestic and interstellar, that shape the world we’ve been transported to. We are introduced to these new complexities by the film’s villain, John Harrison (Benedict Cumberbatch).  He’s not the first terrorist-with-a-heart-of-gold to grace our screens of late (take note of Loki – The Avengers, and Raoul Silva –Skyfall), but he is perhaps the most interesting and well-developed of his type.  Breaking from his usual posh, academic typecast, Benedict Cumberbatch (of the BBC’s Sherlock, and Spielberg’s War Horse) steps into his first true action role flawlessly: action and villain both work on him.  Kirk and Spock work hard to smooth out their bumpy start in the first film and finally become the dynamic duo Trekkies know and love.  Pine and Quinto’s wit and chemistry is electric and paced perfectly, qualities echoed by the entire supporting cast’s performances.

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The long-standing criminal case against Epicurean owner Chang Wook Chon reached a conclusion on April 29 during a hearing in which District Judge Robert L. Wilkins of the U.S. Attorney’s Office decided that plaintiff Marvin Hercules should have the opportunity to prove that he is entitled to the money owed to him from a separate civil case filed against Chon on May 2011.

Even though the group of over 20 workers who had also filed lawsuits in the civil case against Chon received their due money, the payment owed in unpaid overtime wages to Hercules was interrupted by a criminal case in which Chon persuaded the involved plaintiff not to go to court, and to which Chon pleaded guilty in March.

During the hearing held this April, Judge Wilkins found that “there’s clear and convincing evidence of misconduct by defendant Chon. And the Court finds that that misconduct prevented Mr. Hercules from fully and fairly presenting his case.”

The judge’s decision to grant Hercules an opportunity to re-file the original civil case in order to get his due payment came in response to a claim made by Chon and his attorney Barry Coburn. They said Hercules should not have the right to refile his original civil case after the conclusion of the criminal case, but Wilkins denied the request.

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     Today is partly cloudy and muggy with a high of 86.

To masticate today:

• Caps fall short: The Washington Capitals led by their pirate captain Alexander Ovechkin were defeated 5-0 by the New York Rangers Monday night in game 7 of the first round of the playoffs, bringing their season to a close.
• Commencement events start tomorrow: Commencement events run from May 16 to 19 and begin with a general Senior Convocation at 2 pm on May 16 and end with the Law School commencement at 3 p.m. on May 19. Expect heavier traffic and tougher parking during these days, especially on Saturday, when the College holds its commencement at 9 a.m.

What to look out for:

• Circulator fare hike: The Circulator bus may have its route extended to include Glover Park and the National Cathedral, but this change will be accompanied with a rise in fare. In some cases, fare will be double what it is now.
• Preserving the National Cathedral: The Washington National Cathedral won a $100,000 grant to help repair damage sustained during an earthquake in August 2011.
• Fighting school closure however they can: The D.C. Council’s education committee voted unanimously to give parents a full year’s delay between any school boundary changes and when those changes go into effect. The vote is just one of several ways that the education committee is making its presence known during school budgetary decisions.

Vanya may have trouble with doors, but you should see what she can do with Microsoft Windows.

Tim can be found tearfully singing “My Heart Will Go On” and clinging to the Healy statue after graduation.

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While the Georgetown University Class of 2013 revels in their upcoming graduation with Senior Week, recent employment numbers may put a damper on their celebrations. Frighteningly high unemployment numbers for young college grads from the month of April indicate a need for more federal assistance to students. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has responded with a  reexamination of student loans and debt.

The current job market for college grads is unsurprisingly terrible. The April employment data show that, while unemployment for 18-29 year-olds is officially 11.1 percent, adjusting for young workers who have given up on looking for jobs raises this number to 16.1 percent.

“It is a rough time to be a young person in America,” President of Generation Opportunity Evan Feinberg said. “The effective youth unemployment rate is 16.1 percent, and with about 2 million college students graduating this month, there is no sign of an economic recovery for my generation. Half of all graduating seniors aren’t going to find meaningful work in the coming months.”

The bleak prospects for grads prompted the CFPB to launch a “Request for Information Regarding an Initiative to Promote Student Loan Affordability.” The results of their outreach, released last week, conclude that the biggest stumbling block for students is debt from private loans, which do not provide nearly the same benefits of federally-granted student loans.

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Better than a cup of coffee, the Morning Digest will provide you with what you need to be prepared for the day: a daily round-up of links, local news, and important events on campus and around D.C.

Today will be sunny with a high of 85.

To masticate today:

• 2013 Commencement speakers: The speakers  for the 2013 commencement ceremonies have been announced. This year, the lineup includes Lithuanian president Dalia Grybauskaitė for the SFS, Democratic Senator Matthew Cowan from Massachusetts for the MSB, Dr. Lisa Simpson, CEO of AcademyHealth, for the NHS, and  Lisa Shannon, founder of Run for Congo Women and the Thousand Sisters Campaign, for the College. 
  

What to look out for:

• D.C. Schools: Today, the first arguments will be heard in federal court against the closure of 15 schools in the District. The plaintiffs, organized by advocacy group Empower DC, claim that the closures “disproportionately affect poor and minority children and therefore violate a number of civil rights laws.”
• Glover Park-Burleith Farmer’s Market: The Glover Park-Burleith Farmer’s Market will be re-opening for the summer tomorrow morning at 11 a.m. Hardy Middle School on 34 St. and Wisconsin Ave.
• EU Open House: Every year in May, the European Union embassies open their doors to the public. This Saturday, 27 member countries will be open to visits  from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. See if your Maps knowledge is still fresh, and make sure to check out soon-to-be member state Croatia.

In characteristically late fashion, the University announced today who will be giving Georgetown’s 2013 commencement addresses. Each school has a separate speaker and the list includes several scholars, journalists, high-ranking government officials, and a sitting head of state.

The School of Foreign Service’s commencement speaker will be President Dalia Grybauskaitė of Lithuania. She was inaugurated as the first female president of the Balkan Baltic state in 2009. She’s known as the “Iron Lady” (of Lithuania) and is credited with pulling the country out of its economic crisis after 2008, doing so without taking financial aid from the International Monetary Fund. “I never really had this goal—to become president,” she said. “I saw Lithuania sliding deeply into crisis, and I wanted to help the government get our country out of those troubles.” She also holds a black belt in karate.

The School of Nursing and Health Studies gets Dr. Lisa Simpson (not to be confused with the Simpson’s television character), the president and CEO of AcademyHealth, a nonpartisan, nonprofit research institution dedicated to advancing the field of health services research. According to her bio page, “Dr. Simpson has worked to raise the visibility of the field of health services research and its contributions to improving the quality, value and accessibility of care, reducing disparities, and improving health.” (All Vox got from that was that she likes health.)

The commencement speaker for the McDonough School of Business will be Senator William Cowan, Democrat from Massachusetts. He was appointed by Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick to fill the seat that John Kerry vacated when he became secretary of state. A prominent lawyer in Massachusetts, he served as Patrick’s chief legal counsel for two years from January 2011 to November 2012.

Finally, Georgetown College’s speaker will be Lisa Shannon, the founder of Run for Congo Women and the Thousand Sisters Campaign. According to her bio page, she was the “first national grassroots activist in the United States working to raise awareness of the forgotten humanitarian crisis in Democratic Republic of the Congo.” Run for Congo Women has sponsored over 1,400 war-affected women from the Congo and raised over $12 million.

Needless to say, this year’s crop of graduation speakers is bound to be less controversial than last year’s affair.

See the rest of the commencement speakers after the jump.

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Better than a cup of coffee, the Morning Digest will provide you with what you need to be prepared for the day: a daily round-up of links, local news, and important events on campus and around D.C.

     Today will have scattered clouds with a chance of rain, with a high of 75.

To masticate today:

• OCAF, Student Housing do the bureaucracy shuffle: Yesterday, Vice President for Student Affairs Todd Olson and Vice President for Planning and Facilities Management Robin Morey announced that OCAF and Student Housing would be moving to the Division of Student Affairs effective July 1, 2013, among other office changes. 
• Question Time: Jim Coury (SFS ’15) has advanced to the semifinals in the College Championship of the show Jeopardy. Tune in on May 15 to watch the semifinal round.
• May Madness: Point guard Tre Campbell confirmed that he has committed to play basketball for Georgetown, last night via Twitter . He joins power forward Isaac Copeland as part of the incoming class.

What to look out for:

• Going to get law schooled: Yesterday, the American Civil Liberties Union filed two separate cases against Metro Transit officers. The teenagers represented in the cases allege that Metro Transit officers assaulted them, then invented charges in order to justify the arrests.
• Bus-spotting: Several changes to the D.C. Circulator have been proposed this week. Under the new plan, put forth by  Councilwoman Mary C. Cheh (D-Ward 3), Circulator fares could double, from the current fare of $1. The revenue from the increased fare would go towards expanding Circulator routes, including the Georgetown-Rosslyn and Georgetown-Union Station loops. Of course, if public transport is just too plebeian for you, D.C.’s cabs will be taking credit cards by the end of August, so buckle up.