It was cold today. Really cold. I’m not just saying that—it’s a fact. Well, it was pubished in the Washington Post, anyway. The floppy-haired weatherman on Channel 5 even said records might be set tonight. The historic low was in 1895, at one degree above freezing.

So, if you’re considering skipping class because that walk to the ICC sounds like too much punishment, don’t worry. It’s going to warm up tomorrow, to a high of, um … 28. The mercury may not drop to zero, but trust me, no one should make fun of you for wearing long johns.

Posted by Austin Richardson, Blog Editor

Once again we gather to celebrate the colorful pageant of Georgetown life. Here’s what’s new:
- What kind of college student wants to be a Priest? Noreen Malone meets Hoyas who think they’ve found their vocation in this week’s cover story.
- The Voice Editorial board endorses Jake Styacich (COL ’09) and his running mate, John Dougherty (SFS ’09), for President and Vice President of the Student Association.
- Intrepid reporter Kate Mays delves into the GUSA race, discovering just how serious, ridiculous and pants-less these candidates can be.
- What’s it like to call Hoya’s B-Ball for thirty plus years? Clare Malone profiles Georgetown institution and all-around-good-guy Father William McFadden.
- Lauren Gaskill takes the Voice from trashy to classy with an insightful review of the new Jasper Johns exhibit at the National Gallery of Art.
- In the Voices section, I wrote about the importance of recently-passed Father Robert F. Drinan’s legacy. But I’m not just self-promoting. These pieces are good, too.

Thanks for reading! Remember, we’re available for criticism, questions, and, yes, even compliments at thevoice@georgetown.edu

— Tim Fernholz, Managing Editor

It’s election season again at Georgetown, which means in a few weeks and after numerous appeals Martha Swanson will have handpicked a successor to Twister. Nevertheless, students will still be granted the privilege of participating in mock elections, and it appears this year’s ultimately meaningless battle for hearts and minds will be fought on YouTube. Here’s a breakdown of the videos: Read the rest of this entry »

Georgetown, no longer content with the traditional housing lottery, has decided to kick things up a notch this year with a real lottery. For just two dollars, students can buy a raffle ticket that gives them a chance to win some quality housing like a Henle apartment, a Village A apartment and an LXR single. Each student is limited to six tickets, so a group of five potential roommates could potentially drop $60—not an insignificant sum.

This raffle, however, is not just another petty fund raising opportunity. Rather, it makes an already screwed-up housing selection process even more unfair. Georgetown should stay as close to a simple housing lottery as possible and avoid exploiting the freshman lust for a sweet party pad. Worse, the proceeds are benefiting Interhall, a student organization. Why, then, can’t the Voice raffle off some choice housing too?

Posted by Sam Sweeney, Voices Editor

(An Occasional Ruben Review)

The Tombs
1226 36th St., NW

The Tombs Ruben, appearing at first glance to be a promising subject, rather disappoints. While the bread is initially buttery and crisp, the bottom slice soon becomes a soggy mess. A dependency on an (excellent) corned beef overwhelms the lacking sauerkraut, creating a poor ratio of meat to kraut. Not enough French dressing.
7.0 out of 10 Delicious Points

Posted by Tim Fernholz, Managing Editor

The Voice hits the street once again. What’s inside?

- For years, the Medical Center has been a drain on the University’s budget. But Anna Bank sees signs of a renaissance in this week’s cover story.

- The rite of custom brings us together at a defining hour—no, it’s not the State of the Union, it’s the yearly fracas of the GUSA executive elections. Kate Mays finds out who’s in the running.

- Remember when we beat Duke last year? That was great. Remember that controversial sign that was in the crowd? The Athletic Department didn’t, either, until they put it on the season tickets, writes Katherine Brand.

- Austin Richardson careens down the Arizona highway asleep before encountering a Cactus Priest.

- Feeling particularly punchy this week, the Voice Editorial Board takes on both the Hoya and the State of the Union.

- Editor-in-Chief Chris Stanton wines and dines you in the Voice’s new column, Goes Down Easy.

That’s all she wrote, folks. Don’t forget to stay in touch—hit us up at thevoice@georgetown.edu.

Posted by Tim Fernholz, Managing Editor

The latest edition of the Voice is out, and here’s what’ll you find inside:

- Our intrepid Chris Norton takes on the Atlas District for this week’s cover, where nightlife impresario Joe Englert has a vision to turn a run-down Northeast neighborhood into the new Adams Morgan.

- Ricky Schramm, a senior forward and co-captain of Georgetown’s soccer team, has been drafted by the MLS. Kathryn Brand sees what’s on his mind.

- Why did protestors interrupt Georgetown’s MLK Jr. celebration? Kate Mays investigates.

- The University has joined with the Citizens Association of Georgetown to hire a former military sniper to patrol the neighborhood. Mike Bruns finds out that “[Snipers] are trained to watch.”

- P.S. Hepburn and Dan Cook review the new Clap Your Hands Say Yeah and Menomena albums. What, you don’t like indie rock?

- Defying all expectations, the Voice comes out against the President’s troop surge in Iraq.

Happy reading, folks. Don’t forget to tell us what you think at thevoice@georgetown.edu.

Posted by Tim Fernholz, Managing Editor

Mommy want a martini in the middle afternoon? Safeway will soon be able to help that. According to employees at the store, the supermarket just got its liquor license approved. We couldn’t speak to their manager—he’s apparently out of town for the week—but we can certainly speculate about the possible implications of this. Perhaps now you’ll be able to find bread, baby food and booze all in the same aisle.

Posted by Clare Malone, Features Editor

They say D.C. is the Hollywood for ugly people, so if you’re sick of gazing at the pulchritude in US Weekly while you work out at Yates, try looking around the gym instead for some political heavyweights.

Adrian Fenty, for instance, has been a member of Yates for quite some time. Though his attendance has dropped off since the beginning of his mayoral campaign, he still occasionally shows up for an early morning swim, accompanied by an imposing-looking but friendly security detail. His crawl isn’t quite as smooth as his political maneuvering, unfortunately.
If the objects of your star-gazing lie along the other end of the political spectrum, then you might want to drop by the natatorium when the Hoyas have a home swim meet. Justice Samuel Alito often comes to cheer on his daughter Laura, a freshman standout butterflyer.

Keep looking–I’m sure there are more politicos sweating it out at Yates. Who knows, maybe you’ll see our own Madeline Albright bouncing along girlishly on the elliptical next to you, or perhaps spot George Tenet showing off one of his famous slam-dunks in a game of pick-up basketball.

Posted by Noreen Malone, Contributing Editor

Annexing a school district is nothing for new DC mayor Adrian Fenty, and he doesn’t have to tell anyone how much he blew on his inaugural ball. But has he been immortalized in an off-putting cartoon version of himself? Finally.

This particular bit of mayoral fan art is from his office’s children’s section. You can color Abe Lincoln’s beard, or rearrange a jumbled picture to reveal a prehistoric skull.

It’s more compelling, though, to think about the mayor. Why is his jacket pocket so small he can’t fit his cell phone inside? Why did his tailor use robin’s egg blue and light purple, both decidedly not power colors? Why is his nose an upside-down Ionic column?

Besides the mayor, my favorite part of the Kid’s Korner is George Washington and Abraham Lincoln playing tic-tac-toe. Historians debate which was the better president, but Washington always goes for the corners, and that’s enough for me.

Posted by Will Sommer