Hello, populi of Vox!

Over my many years as a student and writer, I’ve come to realize that generic introductions are the bane of most people’s existences, so I’ll spare you. I’ve been graciously handed the keyboard keys to the gates of Vox Populi. I’ve reported before for this blog, as well as done the occasional thing for the print edition, but the future we have together is steeped in dark mystery.

I guess what I’m trying to say is, that as the editor of the blog of a student newspaper, I am burdened with glorious purpose. Along with me on this quest are my brave assistant editors Ryan, Izzy, Laura, and Minali.

In this terrifying time of transition, in which I hopefully learn how to use WordPress, I understand that some questions and doubts will arise—how has this blog been able to cover serious, hard-hitting issues with such grace and aplomb? Will you continue to use aggressive blingees to tempt me away from schoolwork? What’s it like to be the first openly Japanese-American female to edit Vox?

I’ll be sure to keep you posted. At this point, I actually have no other option. In the meantime, if you’d like to join us, give us a tip, or just check in, please do so! Also, be sure to follow us on Twitter and Facebook,  and grab a copy of the print edition at various locations on campus, including your dorms, the ICC, Leavey, or at your local barbecue.

This is it for me, Vox. I was elected five months ago, so now it’s time for me to sashay away.

Sometimes in the course of the semester, what we cover is really exciting, and, other times, it’s painfully, painfully boring. For instance, every week Vox covers what our favorite campus leaders talk about at their meetings in Gaston. You know them as GUSA Roundups.

One week, my assistant editor Caitriona agreed to write the post. This particular GUSA meeting was dragging on for hours, and the only thing she had to occupy her was her notes, which she decided to entitle “WEEKLY GUSA CIRCLEJERK.”

Somehow, she was seated near GUSA President Nate Tisa, who happened to see her notes. I’m fairly certain that Tisa looked at every Voice reporter differently after that day.

Vox takes its work seriously while not taking itself too seriously. And I’m proud to say that, this semester, I think we’ve lived up to that ethos. (Even if it did devolve into our own circlejerk at times.)

Mostly, though, any success Vox stumbled upon this semester is credit to my assistant editors Isabel Echarte, Ryan Greene, and Caitriona Pagni. We worked as a team this semester and I was incredibly lucky to have them.

Anyway, this will be my last post as Vox editor. Ryan and Izzy will stay on as assistant editors next semester, whereas I’ll be returning to the print side of things as managing editor (my election for which is in literally minutes). In the meantime, it’s been real.

As the illustrious reign of Voxy Gurl comes to an abrupt end, readers will surely ask themselves “Why did she have to leave us so soon? Who will feed our internets!?” While readers and Vox-ers alike cope with their feelings of abandonment, from the green chair in Leavey 424, a new Vox editor is elected.

You may remember me from my reporting over the summer, or from my post in the Voice‘s print edition. We had some good times: I was there when the campus plan was finally approved, I was there when Catholic groups lost it over Kathleen Sebelius, and I reported on Georgetown’s tech business culture.

But, now, Vox, I’m all yours. Along with my trusty assistant Vox editors Isabel Echarte, Ryan Greene, and Caitriona Pagni, Vox will continue to bring you all of Georgetown’s good, bad, and wtf.

While all of Georgetown may not be in on the fun, you all know you can’t live without us. Breaking news left and right, busting chops, and going renegade, Vox reminds Georgetown not to take itself too seriously.

So while the role of university mouthpiece may or may not already be filled, Vox, for one, loves some good ol’ fashioned muckracking. We may not be too keen on offering up recipes; we’re much too busy getting down.

No matter what happens, Vox will be here for you, so join us, give us a tip, or let us know how we’re doing. Follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook, and read the print edition if you get a chance.

Till the Voice inevitably ousts me in April, you know where to find me.

New Vox matriarch here. Your one and only source into the scandalous lives of Georgetown’s elite.

My right-hand muckrakers, assistant blog editors Connor Jones and Morgan Manger, will be lurking the grounds of Red Square, Copley Lawn, and Leavey esplanade for the latest on midget tossing with President DeGioia and lazy students who can’t manage to do their own laundry.

As I embark on what I expect to be a simultaneously glorious and painful journey, here lay my top four Vox Girl mantras:

1. One good scandal deserves another. Wonder who’s going down next? Step aside and allow Vox’s talented staff to expose Georgetown’s deepest, darkest secrets. Or just post a picture of an adorable puppy.

2. One thing about being on the top of the world … it gives you a long, long way to fall. So to all Vox commentors; well, bring it on.

3. There’s nothing Vox likes more than a good catfight.

4. When words get in the way, there’s really only one thing left to do. Play tic-tac-toe repeatedly. Against yourself.

While I might be off to a slow start during these first weeks, look forward to procrastinating with access to coverage on Georgetown Day, free food, relaxation techniques for finals, and Senior Week shenanigans.

And who am I? That’s one secret I’ll never tell.

You know you love me. XOXO,

Vox-y Girl

Since I took over Vox in November, we’ve been through a lot. Now, alas, our time together has come to an end. Come Monday, Vox will have new masters. Since I’m not one for teary goodbyes, let’s just remember what the last five months have given us.

Barely 48 hours after I figured out WordPress was one word, a Georgetown student was arrested in Cairo, Egypt for allegedly throwing Molotov cocktails at state authorities.

In the final season of Henry Sims, Jason Clark, and Hollis Thompson, the Hoyas men’s basketball team gave us reason to believe in Louisville in December, basis to hope in Syracuse in February, and cause to despair in Columbus in March.

The process to get the University’s 2010 campus plan approved will never end.

The most intense GUSA presidential election in memory included defaced flag posters, a Herman Cain-inspired campaign video, an amusing vice presidential debate, a hungry vice presidential candidate, and ultimately a new Executive in Clara Gustafson (SFS ’13) and Vail Kohnert-Yount (SFS ’13). In non-election news, the multi-year effort to reform the Student Activities Fee endowment saw the easy passage of three referendum proposals that finances a student-run innovation fund, solar panels on townhouse rooftops, and parts of the New South Student Center.

In March, our beloved, if aging, Jack the Bulldog suffered an ACL injury from jumping on a couch. Within weeks, a new mascot-in-training, Jack Junior, was announced and officially welcomed into the hallowed ranks of Hoya mascots. This semester also saw many more Vox Pups and even one Fox Pop. And going where no paper has dared go before, the Voice published its first-ever Shark Week issue.

As for news that made us shake our heads, the University got rid of the widely popular beer garden and inflatables from Georgetown Day, University donor Saudi Prince Alwaleed reportedly employs dwarves as “jesters”, and former Hoya basketball star Dikembe Mutombo was supposedly involved in a multi-million dollar conflict minerals scam.

Keep calm and carry on.

After Leigh’s illustrious reign ended last Friday, you were all definitely waiting with bated breath for word of her replacement and wondering, “Who’s the handsome and winningly humble stallion who thinks he can run Vox Populi next?”

Well, wait no longer! I’m that stallion. But call me Jackson. Or Ace. I answer to both.

Taking over as blog editor, I feel a bit like a degenerate uncle forcing my well-off brother to let me sleep on his couch while I scare his children with my surprisingly lucid invective about existentialism. Sure, I’ve visited Vox from time to time, but now you’re stuck with me all day and all night. If it helps, Leigh might stop by once in a while to post pictures of puppies (or cats dressed as puppies).

Riding shotgun are my esteemed assistant editors, Ryan Bellmore and John Sapunor. While you probably recognize Ryan, John’s new to the blogging game. I would ask you to be nice to them, but who are we kidding? You’re all animals.

Anytime you’ve got a tip, question, complaint, or screed against the Occupy D.C. protesters or the neighbors, let us know in the comments. If you’re looking for something less public, I’m here, and here too. (But don’t forget about Vox‘s Twitter and e-mail accounts either.)

Enough of the small talk. Let’s get started.

Yesterday, Demi Moore announced that she and Ashton Kutcher are officially ending their six-year marriage. Tragedies like this make us realize the sad reality that most relationships, no matter how perfect, must eventually end. And so, it is with the deepest sadness that I tell the wonderful, trusty readership of Vox Populi that I’m breaking up with you.

But we had a good run, right? Over the past semester, we witnessed a slew of controversial speakers, a Halloween shooting in our neighborhood, Georgetown’s reception of the ever-important Bieber Bump, and the most unexpectedly controversial feature this blog has ever seen. Our months together were some of the best I’ve had, and I’ll miss waking up hours before class every morning to scour the Internet, looking for something to fill a 2:00 p.m. posting gap.

But we can still be friends, right? I won’t be going far—just getting offline, away from Twitter, and back into the print side of things. I’m sure I’ll still pop up here every once in a while, and I get the sneaking suspicion that come Monday, you’ll have moved on and found yourselves a new editor.

Photo from CNN.

Elections are done. The Voice has spoken: Geoffrey Bible will now write Saxa Politica, a print column about on-campus politics, and Nico Dodd will be our Contributing Editor. But then who will keep you from paying attention in class? Who will brighten your life with all the news that you need, and some that you don’t?

Meet your new Vox Populi overlords: Sam Buckley, who is well-versed in every aspect of the paper (including our latest Features section); Leigh Finnegan, who made sure you took Leisure seriously; and John Flanagan, who wrote Saxa Politica last semester and ensured you never missed the latest crime!

Don’t worry, though. Your Vox daddies will visit from time to time. Nico will still bring you the latest from the bowels of Lau at 2am with Vox Talks, and Geoffrey will continue to remind us how bad we are at Twitter!

Many thanks to Geoffrey, Nico, and Chris Heller for showing us the ropes. Hopefully we’ll do you proud… or else the commentariat will probably eat us.

It’s been a great few months and it pains us to leave, but it’s something that needs to happen.

Pretty soon our reign as editors of this beloved blog will be over. Although Nico and I are sad to leave, we are confident that you will enjoy the work of our new blog editors: Leigh Finnegan, Sam Buckley, and John Flanagan.

During our time here we brought you coverage of the Campus Plan hearings, our obsession with food trucks, brought back Vox Talks, reported on the students evacuated from Egypt, and found out how offended our commenters were by the names at Tombs trivia.

No matter how much you hated on us, we truly loved reading all of your comments. As we all know, Vox would not be half as good without our commenters.

Like previous blog editors, we will probably be creeping around here from time to time, but until then, thanks for the memories!