This week on Vox. Julia “TB” Tanaka took the wheel and learned  what it means to be Vox overlord. Turns out it’s not a task for the weak-hearted. Fortunately, in addition to her immunity to 19th century epidemics, she has the support of frequent Voxer Pop Punk Kid:  

The blingee chicken wings are making me really hungry. Hungry for more Vox.

Don’t fret, Pop Punk Kid, there’s more Vox to come! For ButterKing, TB is the whole package:

You’re more beautiful than any unicorn

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This week Vox underwent a regime change. In a clash of titans, Baby Connor “Sparklecakes” Jones conceded his throne as Vox overlord to Julia “TB” Tanaka. Although discharged of his duties, Jones’s legacy will never be forgotten. Frequent Vox reader and casual troll, GFK, could barely contain his emotions:

meh

Life post-Vox can be an adjustment for some. However, before Jones can rebuild the scorched ruins of his social life and return to the world of the living he has one last debt to pay. Zombie Muammar Gaddafi said:

where’s the obligatory 4/20 post? did you “forget”?

Following the ban on the on-campus keg limit, Vox has been buzzing with excitement about the upcoming Georgetown Day festivities. What’s more, she finds herself uncharacteristically impressed with GUSA, and she is not alone.  heading to dixie said:

Wait, GUSA actually did something? No lie, slightly impressed

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Yesterday, as a part of a nation-wide Integrated Education Series, representatives from Sustainable Williamson held an open forum at Georgetown about their recent efforts to bring sustainability to communities in the coalfields of West Virginia.

Project developer, Eric Mathis, described the efforts of Sustainable Williamson as an attempt to bring the seemingly irreconcilable worlds of coal mining and renewable energy together under Six Components of Sustainability that serve all aspects of the community’s life. “A large area for me is that dichotomy between renewable energy and fossil fuel,” said Mathis. “For that debate translates to Republicans being fossil fuel to being renewable energy nobody had really ever come together to talk about productive mechanisms.”

According to the USA Census Bureau 28.8 percent of Williamson’s population live below the poverty line, which 75 percent higher than the national average. West Virginia provides approximately 40 percent of the country’s energy, and coal mining forms the base of its economy.  Sustainable Williamson sees this dependence on coal to be detrimental to developing sustainability in the region and has partnered with organizations such as the HUB to help Williamson develop alternative economic niches.

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Yesterday, the GUSA Senate passed a number of acts and resolutions pushing for more liberal enforcement of the rules on Georgetown Day, the issuance of GOCards with smart technology, the consolidation of university internet portals, and measures for sustainable development on campus.

Students to administrators: Let us party
The Resolution for On-Campus Social Life, which will be most immediately applicable to the upcoming Georgetown Day celebrations, calls for the removal or non-enforcement of the on-campus keg limit and that day-time socializing be monitored and regulated in the same manner as a weekend night.  Senator Ben Weiss (COL ’15), who introduced the bill, hoped it would avoid a repeat of the distasteful regulation of celebrations during last year’s Georgetown day and, given the recent crackdowns on off-campus socializing, promote incentive-based participation  in the Campus Plan.

Let the University track where we go in real time!
Senators Shwetta Wahal (SFS ’16), introduced a resolution advocating for a GUSA partnership with the GOCard Office in adding RFID chips in addition to the magnetic strips on GOCards. RFID chips would provide greater cost and time efficiency by allowing for one-touch scanning which would lengthen the life of student GOCards and remove the need for multiple swipes. (Vox is elated to think of everything she could do with the seconds of time that RFID chips would save her).

GUSA likes big words like “omnibus”
For the first time in GUSA history, the senate passed an omnibus bill (a combination between a resolution and an act) introduced by Senator Nicolo Dona Dalle Rose (SFS’14). [Nicolo Dona Dalle Rose is a former Voice staffer.]  The bill’s long-term goal is to consolidate the myriad website portals into a succinct system that won’t prompt you to endlessly enter your NetID and password. In the short term, the bill calls for GUSA to create a guide to the various portals so students have a guide to the mess that is Georgetown on the web.

GUSA teams up with Captain planet
The Senate ended by unanimously passing a bill introducing sustainability measures on campus such as the distribution and proper use of recycling bins in all buildings as well as monthly initiatives to promote practices such as composting among students.

With all the deer culling, blessed golf carts, and Guy Fawkes wannabes crowding our Facebook news feeds with their social commentary on Georgetown confessions, the lives of Hoyas have gotten a bit loopy of late.

It seems that you’re all psyched about the prospect of a new Irish pub in the area. However, when it comes to authentic ethnic drinking and debauchery, HI is a step further than your average gent:

I hope they serve Irish Car Bombs for breakfast.

Pft, Vox was weaned on Guinness (yes, that’s a challenge). It doesn’t appear  that everyone is up for some good craic. Up the Ra said:

Where do all of you posers get off demanding an authentic Irish pub? The closest thing you have to a motherland is New Jersey.

Oscar Wilde once said if you give a man a mask you’ll see his true face. Apparently, if you give Georgetown students masks, you’ll see a bunch of horny bigots.  Georgetown Confessions has shocked and appalled the student body with its racially and socially charged confessions, and Pop Punk Kid has had enough:

Who runs Georgetown Confessions? They have absolutely no discretion when it comes to what gets posted. It’s Georgetown CONFESSIONS, not “Georgetown Run Your Mouth Off Anonymously”.

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This week’s feature takes a look at food issues facing vendors in the District—problems such as the availability and affordability of locally-grown products. The piece also delves into community initiatives that work in cooperation with small farmers:

Dialogue surrounding the ethics of animal treatment and the impact food production has on the environment has increased, while stores such as Whole Foods, which embraces a moderately green identity, are increasingly in vogue. According to a study conducted by the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture at Iowa State University, conventional food distribution uses 4 to 17 times more fuel and emits 5 to 17 more CO2 emissions than the local systems. In addition, according to the New Economics Foundation, a think tank based in London, local purchases “are twice as efficient in terms of keeping the local economy alive.”

News reports on the conclusion of the legal battle regarding the ownership of the Jack’s Boathouse site that Vox had for you in brief yesterday.

In Leisure, Liana Mehring previews the steamy drama that unfolds during Spring Awakening.

The Sports section has a recap of Men’s lacrosse fourth-quarter loss to Villanova yesterday.

Voices has a piece arguing that proponents of Michigan’s Proposal 2 ignore the context of affirmative action in history and encourages the Supreme Court to take such facts into consideration as they decide the case.

Finally, the Ed Board applauds the efforts of the Georgetown adjunct community to unionize.

Yesterday, the National Park Service finished out its deer population management program in Rock Creek Park for the year, killing 20 wide-eyed, innocent deer. The meat from the 20 deer killed will be donated to local food banks. (Waste not want not, I guess.)

Last week’s culling was part of a long-term plan to reduce the park’s population by approximately 150 deer over the course of three years. Although the park’s deer number is at approximately 400 —80 deer per square mile, many locals and animal rights activists oppose the plan, calling it unnecessary and inhumane. In a statement to the DCist, PETA senior cruelty case worker, Kristin Simon, said:

Science tells us that lethal control just doesn’t work to reduce deer population in urban settings, and in fact can make things worse. We would like the park service to focus on integrative and adaptive wildlife management plans that target food sources.

In addition to PETA’s undeniably unbiased opinion, in early March five park locals mounted a lawsuit against the park, claiming they had an emotional connection the park’s deer (all 400 of them) and asserted that deer contraception provided a reasonable alternative to the shootings.

Despite these appeals for mercy, the courts threw out the lawsuits and the massacre of all the Bambis and Bambi’s Moms went on as planned.

Protestors gathered outside the park over the course of the culling, waving signs that Vox would usually be all for, such as “birth control, not bullets.” They even held candlelight vigils at night for the slain bucks and does.

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This golf cart is so blessed right now

Yesterday afternoon, Fr. Kevin O’Brien, gave a commencement blessing in Red Square to the Center for Student Programming’s new golf cart.

“I have to say this is my first time blessing a golf cart,” Father O’Brien admitted at the onset of the blessing. Despite O’Brien’s apprehensions, however, it appears the Lord smiled on those assembled on that blustery afternoon, “This [golf cart] is so blessed right now,” said O’Brien. “There will definitely be no accidents.”

Former GUSA President, Clara Gustafson (SFS’13), relieved the blessing went off without a hitch, said, “You know as students we need all the protection we can get.”

The cart, which was funded by the GUSA Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee at the 2013 Budget Summit, is the first cart on campus intended exclusively for student groups.

The cart will be available for student use through the CSP tomorrow. All drivers must be at least 18 years of age, have a valid driver’s license, and, to Vox’s relief, complete the Student Activities Golf Cart Certification. Vox shudders at the thought of some of you joyriding around campus at the speed of a lazy bicyclist.

Following the blessing, Gustafson led a sparkling cider commencement toast for the newest addition to Georgetown’s golf cart armada: “To all the students whose tuition paid for this golf cart…”

Cheers!

This week, in what may have been the longest senate meeting on record, GUSA held elections for Speaker, Vice-Speaker, Chair of the Intellectual Life Committee, filled a vacancy in the Finance and Applications Committee, and approved President Nate Tisa’s (SFS ’14) nominations for the executive cabinet. Following elections, the Senate approved the 2013-14 GUSA budget and ended the meeting by passing an initiative to strengthen GUSA’s relationship with Student Counseling and Psychiatric Services (CAPS).

Personnel changes, essentially
Former senator George Spyropoulos (COL ’14) was elected speaker of the senate and Sam Greco (SFS ’15) was elected vice speaker. Both had been heavily involved in GUSA and left behind their seats former positions for what Senator Cannon Warren (SFS ’14) described as “scheming” underclassmen to fill.

Senator Shweta Wahal (SFS ’16) took Spyropoulos’s place as chair of the Intellectual Life Committee and Senator William Bowers (COL’16) filled Greco’s spot on FinApp. Following the elections, the Senate affirmed Tisa and Vice President Adam Ramadan‘s (SFS ’14) nominations for the executive cabinet. (A full list of cabinet nominations can be found on GUSA’s facebook page.)

The Senate expressed enthusiasm over their selections, and, as usual, ended the proceedings very pleased with themselves.

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FEATURED EVENT: March Madness Kickoff

As the NCAA teams enter the round of 64 during the kick-off weekend of NCAA March Madness, some may be content to lounge on the couch and fill in their bracket, but if you’re looking to do the crawl, here are a few places to get in on the action:

SPORTS:

Friday March Madness Schedule:

• Albany Great Danes v. Duke Blue Devils 12:15 p.m. ET
• Cincinnati Bearcats v. Creighton Blue Jays 2:45 p.m. ET
• Ole Miss Rebels v. Wisconsin Badgers 12:40 p.m. ET
• La Salle Explorers v. Kansas State Wildcats 3:10 p.m. ET
• Iona Gaels v. Ohio State Buckeyes 3:10 p.m. ET
• Iowa State Cyclones v. Notre Dame Fighting Irish 9:45 p.m. Et
• Florida Gulf Coast Eagles v. Georgetown Hoyas 6:50 p.m. ET
• Villanova Wildcats v. North Carolina Tar Heels 7:20 pm ET
• Florida Gators v. Northwestern State Demons 7:27 pm ET
• Oklahoma Sooners v. San Diego State Aztecs 9:20 p.m.
• Western Kentucky Hilltoppers v. Kansas Jayhawks 9:50p.m.ET
• Minnesota Golden Gophers v. UCLA Bruins, 9:57 p.m. ET
• Temple Owls v. North Carolina State Wolfpack 1:40 p.m. ET
• Pacific tigers v. Miami Hurricanes 2:10 p.m. ET
• Long Island U. Blackbirds/ James Madison Dukes v. Indiana Hoosiers 4:10 p.m.
• Colorado Buffalos v. Illinois Fighting Illini  4:40 p.m.

See full music and events listings both on campus and  in D.C. after the jump!

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