In this week’s column, Emlyn counsels a daughter who is worried about her mother’s alcohol consumption and helps a sophomore decide whether or not to get a meal plan next year. Be sure to submit your questions after the jump.

Dear Emlyn,

My mom and my dad recently got divorced. When I went home for break this year, it seemed like my mom was drinking heavily. I never saw her drink, but she would buy a handle of vodka, and the next day it would be half gone. The day after there would be a new one. She never seemed drunk, but she must’ve been considering how often she purchased vodka. I’m worried she has a problem, but I don’t notice anything else wrong. What should I do?

Sincerely,
Concerned Daughter

Dear Concerned,

Good for you for being so observant and caring—your mom is lucky to have you. First of all, I wouldn’t jump to any conclusions. Since your mom, as far as you can tell, was never visibly drunk and you didn’t even see her chug vodka sours, don’t sit her down and have a major intervention just yet. If possible, I’d suggest talking to another trusted adult at home, someone like a neighbor or a friend of your mother’s that’s around her while you’re off surviving the daily grind on the Hilltop. They can keep an eye on her and check in on her periodically, and maybe they’ll be able to get a better idea of what’s going on. In the mean time, try to Skype with her a lot and maybe invite her to visit you for a weekend or something. I can’t imagine that the post-divorce stage is a walk in the park, so just do your best to be there for her and support her.

Here’s the thing that you should prepare for—if your mother is an alcoholic, there’s only so much you can do. It’s the same for people who are depressed, suffering from an eating disorder, coming to terms with the fact that nothing will ever be as good as Breaking Bad, etc. Suffering people can only change if that’s what they wish to do, which means that it’s just not possible to make your mom better in the blink of an eye—she’s got to be willing to accept your help and undergo some sort of treatment. You may be in for a tough couple months or years, but it definitely won’t hurt to be the kickass daughter that you already are—make sure she knows she can have honest conversations with you, offer to help move her in to a treatment facility, or help her find AA meetings in the vicinity. Good luck. Read the rest of this entry »

This week was bittersweet for Vox: In much-beloved Voxy Gurl’s last week as Vox editor, we saw three students win Marshall and Mitchell Scholarships and students starting to insult each other over Facebook, now through a third party! Amid the joy and sorrow, we found out that Georgetown was ranked #8 for most stressful school in the country, which was appropriate given impending exam-season. Here’s the best of what you group of mostly-trolling commenters had to say.

After Vanya Mehta / Voxy Gurl changed her byline to read “Vanya Voxy Gurl Mehta,” voxy socksy had this to say:

Your byline craze is getting out of hand! Before soon we’ll have “Vanya Voxy Gurl Tits XOXOXO <3 Mehta-worldpeace.”

voxy roxy defended our lovely editor:

hey. she keeps it classy.

Read the rest of this entry »

 A spork at Leo’s

Eating at Georgetown is something we all do. Three times a day if we’re feeling healthy. Perhaps a Chicken Madness from Wisey’s, or ladies lunch at Pie Sisters. Leo O’Donovan Dining Hall, however, is the mecca that every student at Georgetown must commit to for two years, unless you’re lucky to live in an apartment your sophomore year.

Okay, lucky is a stretch. Some people stick with their meal plans till the end of their four years at school. Seniors Eating at Leo’s (SEALs) are growing every year, despite the general complaints from the student body that Leo’s does not have what it used to once. Students hailing from as far as Glover Park make their treks to Leo’s with backpacks and Tupperware ® for the treats they will hide in their pockets to bring home some banana chowder.

Some seniors did leave their meal plans due to the totalitarian nature of the establishment. Eliminating the Make Your Own Pizza stand was a huge hit for most students.

“Why would you get rid of the one thing that makes Leo’s tolerable? You’re out in the frontier making your pizza pulling yourself up by your bootstraps. It’s freedom. That’s all I have to say,” Mark Waterman (SFS ’13) whispered under his breath. But that wasn’t allll he had to say. “The idea of separating the worker from the product of its labor, me being the worker and the pizza being the product of my labor.”

Without the make your own pizza stand, some students feel they’ve been reduced to childlike standards.

“I like making my own pizza,” Bruce Thomas (SFS ’13) shouted across a rowdy Leo’s table. “I feel powerless, impotent. Like some small child. And it really does taste like heated up Lunchables instead of like actual tasty pizza.”

Read the rest of this entry »

Hoyas took a little time away from Halloween celebrations on Wednesday night to thank dining hall workers who ensured students had food amidst the Frankenstorm that reached its height on Tuesday afternoon. The dining hall remained open for part of Monday, and workers distributed thousands of Grab ‘n’ Go meals for students to ration during the storm.

In the GUSA office in the Leavey Center, over 50 students wrote thank-you cards to campus workers.  Students dropped by to make several cards in recognition of the sacrifices and risks Leo’s workers made to support the entire Georgetown community.

ANC candidate Craig Cassey (SFS’15) originally proposed the idea. “The workers sacrificed time to go home to their families working hard and long to replenish depleted food in Leo’s and Grab ‘n’ Go stations….it is important that we thank them and give them hugs to show our appreciation,” he said.

Leo O’Donovan’s had half of the usual number of staff workers due to the storm. However, workers were still able to make twice as much food. According to University spokesperson Stacy Kerr, over 7,600 meals were produced on Monday and most of the Leo’s staff stayed the night on campus. A Leo’s manager could not be reached in time for comment.

“We even received an e-mail telling the students that the university shut down, yet Leo’s workers remained committed to making 4,000 more sandwiched meals,” GUSA President Clara Gustafson (SFS ’13) said. “The student body appears satisfied and grateful for the food preparation and being able carry out meals as well as double swipe at Grab ‘n’ Go stations.”

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What is this specimen? It’s sugary, it looks like a doughnut, and reminds me of my study abroad  semester in Spain. But  no. Churros at Leo’s. Not possible.

Apparently, it’s “Maximum Mexican” day at Leo’s. The last time you were at at the dining hall, you checked the box for grilled chicken, specifically wrote “no bun, please, just chicken” and got a grilled cheese instead (true story, photographed below). Now, you get to the dining hall and some man in a chef’s hat smiles at you as he arranges tiny plates of mango cilantro salad and some kind of weird Mexican cinnamon sticks. Isn’t mango season in June?

Sure, biting into the churro might make you feel like you’re about to chip a tooth, but hey, this is unreal. This is about as weird as the time they served cilantro-infused grapefruit water. We appreciate Aramark’s efforts to maximize the Mexican spirit, but can’t help but wonder if these “action desserts” are just a way to distract from what we all really miss and love: making our own damn pizzas.

Read the rest of this entry »

During the first Hoya Roundtable of the new school year, students had the chance to voice their concerns about the facilities at Georgetown. As usual, students were concerned about the most important facility at Georgetown: Leo O’Donovan Dining Hall.

Moderated by Chief Operating Officer Christopher Augostini, the Hoya Roundtable included the new Provost Robert M. Groves, Chief Business Officer for University Services Debbie Morey, Interim Vice President of Facilities Frank Tiscione, Associate Vice President of Auxiliary Services Margie Bryant, Marketing Manager Kendra Boyer, and Chief Operations Director of Dining Robert Tobin.

Groves began the Roundtable by introducing himself and reaffirming his dedication to creating a better environment for students. “One of the big things were trying to do is to integrate the financial side of the house with the academic side of the house a little more fully,” Groves said.  “That sort of integration should makes us better.”

Tiscione also announced a plan to develop a new facility to house students on Georgetown. “We hired a consultant to come in to help us with that. The original thing was to build an addition on the Leavey Center,” Tiscione said. “But we wanted to take a holistic approach on that and really take a comprehensive look at some other potential possibilities.”

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The Department of Health recently released a secondary, “follow-up” report that took place on September 24th for the Leo J. O’Donovan Dining Hall. The report shows that Leo’s passed in every single category. There were no observations that required critical action, and the inspector also added that Leo’s now has a written health policy on how to deal with food-borne illnesses.

On September 13, the DOH discovered six critical and two non-critical violations in the dining hall. The violations ranged from unclean food contact on surfaces to incorrect cooling temperatures for food.

Now that Leo’s is back in good shape, Vox will be sure to notify our Leo’s mole rat to lay low for a bit.

Last week, Vox Populi had the great fortune of an opportunity to interview the famed ANC Commissioner Ron Lewis, a man who has gone so far as to endorse 100 percent students housed on campus to now becoming a crucial advocate and negotiating partner for the university.

We asked Vox readers what their burning questions would be for Commissioner Lewis. King DeGioia, Esq.‘s primary concern was for Lewis’s physiological development over time:

Ask if him rumors that he’s aging Benjamin Button style are true, and if he really is currently in the fetus stage.

Others, like Herman Cain, were more concerned with his sex life.

FMK: Emma Watson, Mila Kunis, and Megan Fox (pre-pregnancy)

Read the rest of this entry »

Yesterday, D.C.’s Department of Health released its annual health inspection report on Georgetown’s Leo J. O’Donovan Dining Hall, identifying six critical violations and two non-critical. Leo’s is in the third level risk category. The report form states that “six or more critical violations that cannot be corrected on site during the course of the inspection results in an automatic suspension and closure of a food establishment.” Fortunately, the two of the critical violations corrected on site to keep our dining hall up and running.

The “routine” inspection report took place on September 4, 2012 around noon. According to the Health Regulating and Licensing Administration, most permitted food service establishments in the District receive two unannounced food safety inspections each year. The last Leo’s inspection report is dated April 2010.

Of the critical violations, the inspector, Ross Gateretse, cited Leo’s for “unclean food contact surfaces, can openers, ice box drop panels, reach-in and walk-in coolers.” Equipment, food-contact surfaces, and utensils must be clean to sight and touch in order to pass this mark. This violation was corrected on site. Another violation held that cutting boards were “not smooth and have numerous grooves.” The inspectors requested replacement of cutting boards within the next five calendar days.

Area Supervisor Ronnie Taylor from the Food Safety Division of the D.C. Department of Health said that any violations are “concerning,” especially when marked critical. These types of violations impact public health directly. Taylor also added that the violations corrected on site are “not too big of a deal.” However, several critical violations are cause for concern.

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This week’s Feature delves into the lives of women in Georgetown’s ROTC program.

““Sometimes I feel like it is a love-hate relationship,” said Chloé Nalbantian (COL ‘15), a cadet in Georgetown’s Army Reserve Officer Training Corps program. To her, even though the camaraderie and team spirit of the squad is rewarding, the ROTC program is a huge physical and psychological commitment.”

On the Editorial page, the ed board calls for Leo’s to be more efficient with their waste by composting more.

In News, Julia Jester investigates the controversy surrounding the student group Trebizond Investments, who’s slogan is “become the 1%”.

In Sports, Keith Levinsky discusses Georgetown football’s win last week and their upcoming home opener against Wagner.

Julia Lloyd-George reviews Georgetown alum Mike Birbiglia’s (COL ‘00) film Sleepwalk with Me in the Leisure section.

And finally, in Voices, John Sapunor reflects on how coming to Georgetown allowed him to have intellectual independence for the first time.