Enjoy your break! SaxaSpeak will return on January 7th, 2009

Photo Credit

SaxaSpeak will be back in full force next semester and looking to expand, so stay tuned!

Catching up with Ewing, Hibbert & Wallace

• Patrick Ewing Jr. signed this week with the Reno Bighorns of the NBA Development League
• Hibbert Returns to Verizon Center Floor
• The Hoya catches up with Wallace in Slovenia
  

Word of the Week: Clinquant

clinquant |ˈkli ng kənt|

adjective
glittering with gold and silver; tinseled.

MLA Awards First Book Prize to Professor Dana Luciano

The Office of Communications reports:

"The Modern Language Association (MLA) of America has awarded the 2008 Prize for a First Book to Georgetown English professor Dana Luciano, for “Arranging Grief: Sacred Time and the Body in Nineteenth-Century America” (New York University Press 2007).

In “Arranging Grief,” Luciano, an associate professor of English, presents a new perspective on the history of sexuality by thinking through the connections between the body, time and attachment. She argues that the pronounced 19th-century attention to grief and mourning should be read as a response to cultural anxieties over various aspects of modernization, including the modernization of time itself."

Legislation Would Restrict Inaugural Alcohol Service to 4 a.m.; Require License Fee

The Washington Post reports:

"D.C. Council member Tommy Wells will propose legislation aimed at rolling back some of the provisions in the council's emergency legislation that would allow bars and nightclubs to serve alcohol until 5 a.m. and stay open all night for inauguration week Jan. 17-21.

Wells (D-Ward 6) gave D.C. Wire a rundown of what he intends to propose at the council's legislative meeting tomorrow:

* Restrict alcohol service to 4 a.m., same as on New Year's Eve. (On normal nights, establishments must close at 2 a.m. on weekdays, 3 a.m. on weekends.)
* Require nightclubs to pay $250 and bars and restaurants $100 for a license to be able to participate in the extended hours.
* Give Police Chief Cathy L. Lanier the authority to revoke the extended hours on an individual basis for establishments that abuse the privilege."

2 hours from DC to NYC by rail? In the future, maybe.

The Washington Times reports:

"Congressional transportation leaders plan to announce today that the federal government is seeking contractors to build a new $30 billion to $40 billion high-speed rail line between Washington and New York that would be used exclusively by passenger trains.

Amtrak's current Northeast Corridor rail line is shared with freight and commuter trains, which can significantly increase the length of time it takes for passengers to arrive at their destinations.

The rail line for which Congress seeks contractors is the first of a series of nationwide high-speed passenger rail lines the government is considering funding, according to a congressional aide.

The new rail line would carry passengers between Washington and New York in no more than two hours, compared with nearly three hours now on Amtrak's high-speed Acela trains. Slower Amtrak trains can take as long as four hours for the trip."

Comic Tuesday: On test taking

Comic Credit

Alumni in the news: the Blagojevich scandal

Two Georgetown alumni have made headlines recently for their (fortunately) benign involvement in the unfolding scandal enveloping Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, who faces federal corruption charges for allegedly trying to sell President-elect Barack Obama's vacant Senate seat.

Georgetown alumnus, Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan (pictured left), has asked the Illinois Supreme Court to remove Governor Blagojevich from office. The Chicago Tribune reports that Madigan has considered running for Governor in 2010 and has been considered as a candidate to fill the very Senate seat in question.

In addition, Georgetown alumnus, Illinois Lieutenant Governor Pat Quinn (pictured right), is next in line for the governorship should Blagojevich resign or be removed from office. Bloomberg News reports that Quinn has been described as a "an amalgam of Socialist leader Eugene Debs, labor organizer Mother Jones and government gadfly Ralph Nader".

Is college too much to ask?

Georgetown's Anthony Carnevale (pictured above), training and employment and director of the GU Center on Education and the Workforce, recently took on education researcher and provocateur Charles Murray in a lively debate over whether college is an appropriate goal for the majority of America's youth. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports:

"In essence, Murray contends that it’s cruel to steer kids to college when most lack the intellectual chops to handle it and will flounder. America holds a romanticized view of education, he says, and propagates a fairy tale, unsubstantiated by the hard truths of inborn abilities, that students are limited only by their ambition and will.

In countering Murray, Carnevale attacked his major premise, “that there is something in each of us that is innate and fixed, that doesn’t change over time. … It is true that cognitive ability affects people’s prospect in life, but it’s also true that people’s prospects affect cognitive ability.”

In looking at high-scoring first-graders across incomes, Carnevale says 75 percent of the more affluent kids will still test high in fifth grade, compared to only 45 percent of the poorer students. That gap is not created by some inherent deficit in the children, he says, but to the quality of the educational opportunities afforded the two groups.

“If you come from a poor or working poor family, there’s a 60 percent chance that you won’t be able to ‘be all you can be,’ because our stratified, segregated and underperforming education system will fail to develop all your talents,” Carnevale says, citing the research of Eric Turkheimer at the University of Virginia. Murray’s embrace of an education elite —- that cognitively gifted 10 percent —- is not only morally repellent, says Carnevale, but economically ruinous. The nation will face a shortage of 10 million B.A. graduates within the decade, he says, so it is vital public policy to encourage more high school students toward college."

President-Elect Obama's Weekly Address

President Bush dodges shoes thrown by Iraqi journalist

Too bizarre not to post:

This Is How Georgetown Goes Generic

The Washington Post reports:

"Even as retailers put on a cheerful face for Christmas shoppers, the pain is palpable and spreading. At Wisconsin Avenue and M Street NW -- the place Georgetown developer Anthony Lanier calls "the corner of Main and Main" -- the hurt takes the form of customers who just aren't there anymore.

"I can't tell you how many people I run into now who say, 'Oh, Nathans, I used to go there all the time,' " says Carol Joynt, the owner of the saloon and restaurant that has graced that Georgetown crossroads for four decades.

"We're run better than Lehman Brothers, but banks don't want to lend us money, and we're not going to get any bailout," Joynt says.

"Everything's up in the air," says George Heon, one of a handful of family members who are weighing selling their Georgetown properties, renting them out to national chain stores or working out a deal with their existing tenants. "But Georgetown isn't the same kind of draw it used to be, because so many other parts of town have gentrified."

Photo Credit

#19 Georgetown Upsets #17 Memphis in Overtime

DC Sports Box reports:

"WASHINGTON, D.C. – Facing adversity throughout the majority of the beginning of this season, the Georgetown Hoyas proved they could come back after losing two of their top players last season, and rekindle the team chemistry, when they took down visiting Memphis Tigers today in a rough-and-tough battle that ended in a 79-70 win.

It was a give-and-take game where the Tigers clearly dominated rebounding 53-36 but the Hoyas were sent to the free throw line for 36 attempts, connecting on 27, whereas Memphis went 11-15.

“I have to tell you, my hats off to John Thompson and the job he’s done,” said Memphis Head Coach John Calipari. “To lose what they had and to have a team that had that much desire to win anyway and the swagger they have, I got to give it to them. There was a time where there was a chance we could have given them eight and ten and they just said ‘nope no way’”."

Music Video Friday

TGIF? Kind of. Some Hoyas have exams tomorrow :( 

Georgetown vs. Memphis: Two Looks

Head over to ESPN.com to check out commentary on the Georgetown Memphis match-up by two of Georgetown's own, Ted Bauer, a Georgetown alumnus and an associate producer for ESPN The Magazine and Ryan Pitino, a current Georgetown undergrad and son of Louisville coach Rick Pitino.

Read their thoughts on tomorrow's game, here.

Tip off is 2pm tomorrow at the Verizon Center. Go Hoyas!

Inaugural Rules Bar Overnight Camping

The Washington Post reports:

"Federal officials said yesterday that no one will be allowed to camp overnight on the Mall before the presidential inauguration and that spectators will be barred from staking out spots along the parade route until 7 a.m.

Sgt. Robert LaChance, a U.S. Park Police spokesman, said that it is "not legal to camp on the Mall" and that tents will be banned. Although the Mall is open 24 hours, it might be swept in a check for bombs during the night, he said.

To accommodate the crowd, the entire Mall is being opened to inauguration spectators for the first time, with Jumbotrons showing the noontime ceremony at the Capitol.

Metro will start running trains at 4 a.m. on Inauguration Day, a federal holiday in the District. Unlike at the Capitol or on the parade route, backpacks, chairs and strollers will be permitted on the Mall, he said. People can also take food and coolers there. But authorities are discouraging people from bringing many items on Metrorail because trains will be jammed."

Former NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue named the chairman of the board at Georgetown University

The Washington Post reports:

"Former NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue has been named the chairman of the board at Georgetown University.

The school has announced this morning that Tagliabue was selected unanimously by its board of directors.

He is to serve a three-year term beginning next July 1.

Tagliabue is a Georgetown alum. He played basketball at the school, graduating in 1962, and delivered the commencement address there in 2006, shortly after announcing his retirement as NFL commissioner.

He was officially succeeded as commissioner by Roger Goodell in September 2006 after overseeing a period of extended labor peace and explosive financial growth for the league during his 17-year term."

You can now send text messages via Gchat

Gmail fans rejoice. Google explains how to do it here. 

Saxaspeak Tweets

For those of you who use Twitter, Saxaspeak now has an account and has automatic updates when we have a blog post, so log on, follow us, and we'll follow you.

Have a story or see something around campus news-worthy? Send us a message tagged @saxaspeak and we'll make sure to post it on the blog.

Happy tweeting, and good luck with the rest of finals!

Word of the Week: Esculent

esculent |ˈeskyələnt| formal
adjective
fit to be eaten; edible.

noun
a thing, esp. a vegetable, fit to be eaten.

ORIGIN early 17th cent.: from Latin esculentus, from esca ‘food,’ from esse ‘eat.’

GU Alumnus gives $75M to the Hilltop

Robert L. McDevitt (C '40) recently passed away in September after a long-lived life of 90 years. Despite his self-proclaimed private life style, Mr. McDevitt decided to leave his fortune, made from IBM stocks, in a way that would undoubtedly bring him out into the public: he's giving $75 million to Georgetown University. The money will go to endow four professorships: Catholic theology, religious philosophy, law and computer science.

However, McDevitt and his wife, Catherine, who passed away in April, didn't stop there. They had no children or immediate relatives to whom to give their $250 million fortune, so they passed it all around, giving major donations to several Catholic institutions, including Le Moyne College and the Roman Catholic Dioscese of Syracuse.

President DeGioia had this to say:

"The McDevitts' generosity supports one of the university's most critical priorities, securing and strengthening Georgetown's faculty excellence into the future. I am deeply grateful to the McDevitt family for their recognition of the important teaching, research and scholarship conducted by our faculty. I am particularly moved that this gift supports areas of personal meaning to them that are so critical to our ongoing efforts to enhance our academic quality and Catholic and Jesuit mission."

Thank you Mr. McDevitt, and rest in peace.

EVENT: STUDYBREAKCOFFEEHOUSETALENTSHOW

• What: GUSA Grassroots is sponsoring this open event for all Hoyas who want to see some of the talent on campus. There will be entertainment and food sponsored by GUSA Grassroots.
• Where: McNeir Auditorium
• When: Saturday, December 13, 2008; 6:30pm - 8:00pm

If you would like to sign up to perform please email your NetID, Name, and act to: gusagrassroots@gmail.com


Facebook event.

Georgetown thumps SSU

Savannah Morning News reports:

"WASHINGTON - Savannah State athletic director Bart Bellairs sat with three of his children one row behind the Tigers bench late in the first half, a look of disbelief on his face.

His men's basketball team missed 25 of its first 30 shots here Monday night against nationally-ranked Georgetown. The Hoyas led 57-15 at halftime and coasted to a 100-38 win before 8,013 fans at the Verizon Center.

"We came out sluggish," said SSU freshman Anthony Jones, who had nine points but missed nine of 12 shots from the field. "Of course we are embarrassed. You can't expect to lose by 60 points and not be embarrassed."

"I really think we weren't there mentally," said SSU forward Chris Linton, who missed his first seven shots from the field and finished with a team-high four turnovers.

There is some consolation for Bellairs and SSU: next season Georgetown, one of the most recognizable brands in college basketball, will play at Tiger Arena."

Comic Tuesday: Bailouts

EVENT: OPEN TO CLOSE AT TOMBS

WHAT: OPEN TO CLOSE AT TOMBS

WHEN: TUESDAY, DECEMBER 9...11:30AM-1:30AM

WHY: BECAUSE WE CAN

Come join in on a timeless tradition of Open to Close at Tombs. Participants must arrive no later than 11:30AM and remain in Tombs until close at 1:30AM.

If you can't make it the whole day/night, stop by and hang out for a while.

EVENT: FREE DRINKS IN MIDNIGHT MUG

• What: Get $3 toward your cup of caffeine curteousy of the Georgetown Program board
• Where: Midnight Mug, Lauinger 2nd Floor
• When: Tonight, 7:00-9:00pm
  

Facebook Invitation.

Academics invent a mathematical equation for why people procrastinate

The Daily Telegraph reports:

"Prof Piers Steel, a Canadian academic who has spent more than 10 years studying why people put off until tomorrow what they could do today, believes that the notion that procrastinators are either perfectionists or just lazy is wrong.

Prof Steel, who admits to becoming distracted by computer games himself, argues in a new book that those prone to putting things off suffer from a vice of their own - impulsiveness.

The psychologist, from the University of Calgary, has subsequently formed an equation for why people procrastinate, which began by studying 250 college students.

The equation is U=EV/ID.

The 'U' stands for utility, or the desire to complete a given task. It is equal to the product of E, the expectation of success, and V the value of completion, divided by the product of I, the immediacy of the task, and D, the personal sensitivity to delay."

Georgetown's planned retreat center under fire

The Winchester Star reports:

"Georgetown University’s preliminary offer to pay an annual donation in lieu of county real estate taxes to allow development of a student retreat center in the Blue Ridge Mountains is not acceptable to some Clarke County officials.

“This is a county giveaway, and I don’t like it,” said William “Chip” Steinmetz, a member of the Clarke County Planning Commission who questioned the terms of Georgetown’s proposal.

For two-and-a-half hours Friday morning, the commission debated Georgetown’s application for site-plan approval and a special-use permit for an educational and religious center at 18715 Blue Ridge Mountain Road.

The property is designed to be used for faith retreats, among others, and could be used up to 26 times per year at a maximum occupancy of about 80 people.
Although Georgetown currently pays taxes for the property — in 2008 it paid $9,335.50 — the Catholic school’s officials plan to apply for tax exemption.

“It seems to me the taxes should be paid based on the value of the property,” Steinmetz said. “There’s a few million bucks going into this for something.”

EVENT: Midnight Breakfast

• What: Take a break from your work, and come get served a late-night meal by your favorite Georgetown professors, administrators and staff members!
• Where: Leo's
• When: Tuesday, December 9, 2008 at 10:00pm-midnight
• Cost: Free, Just bring your GOCard to Leo's!

Brought to you by the Freshman and Sophomore Class Committees, What’s After Dark, Student Affairs and Dining Services

Holiday Concerts in the District

City blog dcist.com has put together a comprehensive list of holiday concerts (many of which are free) in the DC-area this month. Check it out here.

Weekly Address from the President-Elect: December 6, 2008

Applicants Flock to Teacher Corps for Needy Areas

The Washington Post reports:

"Like many Georgetown University seniors, Olubukola Bamigboye has no shortage of postgraduate options. She has a line on an internship with a high-profile fashion magazine, is considering law school or might train full time for a spot on the 2012 U.S. Olympic track and field team.

But Bamigboye is focused on her second-round interview at Teach for America, hoping to win a stressful job in one of the nation's worst public schools, where, at best, she might earn $45,000 next year.

Her chances of landing a spot: less than 15 percent -- lower than the admission rate to Georgetown itself.

In its 18th year, Teach for America has emerged as the most popular nonprofit service organization among college seniors in the United States, with 14,181 applications received this year and as many as 23,000 more expected by the end of February -- all for fewer than 5,000 teaching spots."

Photo Credit

The Wright stuff; Hoyas rout American

The Sports Network reports:

"Washington, DC (Sports Network) - Chris Wright scored 22 points as No. 20 Georgetown crushed city rival American, 73-49, at the Verizon Center.

DaJuan Summers and Jessie Sapp added 14 points apiece for the Hoyas (5-1), who have won two straight after a loss to Tennessee.

Derrick Mercer and Garrison Carr recorded nine points each for the Eagles (4-4), who have dropped three in a row.

The Hoyas reeled off the game's first 13 points, then continued to pour it on throughout the first half. Sapp's jumper with 3:11 left provided Georgetown its first 20-point lead of the contest at 32-12, and Wright's three with seconds left before intermission put the home team up 40-12 at the break.

Wright drained another trey a little less than three minutes into the second half for a 30-point Georgetown lead, and American's best charge left it behind by 21, 61-40, with 6:15 to go as Stephen Lumpkins hit a jump shot."

EVENT: Georgetown Flea Market

What: Flea Market
Where: 1819 35th St. NW (Parking lot across from Safeway on Wisconsin)
When: Today, till 5pm

"Since 1972, the world-famous Georgetown Flea Market has enthralled the D.C. area, attracting bargain lovers and collectors of all kinds, and was immortalized in Larry McMurtry's Cadillac Jack. With 100+ vendors every weekend, you can find everything from antiques to vintage clothing."

Hoyas Return Home to Welcome Another Neighbor

Tip off is @ 1:00 pm @ the Verizon Center. Go Hoyas! The Washington Post reports:

"After playing three games in four days in a 5,000-seat venue far from home, Georgetown returns to Verizon Center today to face yet another area foe in front of an at least mildly divided crowd.

American, rather than Maryland, serves up the challenge this weekend. And though the Eagles don't have an NCAA championship banner hanging over their home court, Georgetown Coach John Thompson III says that his team's mind-set is much like it was on the eve of Sunday's game against Maryland at the Old Spice Classic.

"When you play a local team, all bets are off," Thompson said this week. "Everything goes out the window. You forget about scouting reports. You forget about what you've seen just because of the familiarity they have with us and we have with them."

EVENT: King concert feat. Aretha Franklin

• What: a musical celebration of Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy
• Where: The Kennedy Center (co-hosted by Georgetown University)
• When: Jan 19, 2009 at 6:00 PM
• Cost: Free, Tickets will be available at the concert hall on the day of the show.
  

More information.

EVENT: Holiday Open House

The Georgetown University Off Campus Resource Center will be hosting a holiday open house tomorrow (Saturday) from 10am - 1pm. Stop by to learn about off campus student life at Georgetown. Information about student resources will be available. In addition, free food and drinks will be served.

The Georgetown University Off Campus Resource Center is located at the corner of 36th and N St., NW.

MUSIC VIDEO FRIDAY

Friday has a new feature. Self-explanatory. Turn up your speakers. TGIF.

The Friday Hoya

Headlines include:

• Remembering a Fighting Spirit, An Inspiring Faith
• GU Alum Arrested in Prop 8 Protest
• GU Student Assaulted on Campus
• Georgetown Set for Second Battle of D.C.
• Hoyas' Midfield General Marches on to World Cup Finals
  

Politics and Public Service: It's What We Do

Yet another Georgetown alumnus will be joining the ranks of the Obama administration. Alum Mike Donilon will serve as chief adviser to the Vice President.

Donilon shares Georgetown basketball season tickets with friend and former Georgetown-roomate Mark Salter, a senior adviser to Senator John McCain. Donilon will also work with Terrell McSweeny, a Georgetown law graduate, who will serve as Domestic Policy Advisor to the Vice President.

Bradley Cooper's new movie

Actor & Georgetown Alum, Bradley Cooper (COL, '97), (perhaps most notably of Wedding Crasher fame) has a new movie coming out in February. "He's Just Not That Into You" is a star-studded romantic comedy set in Baltimore. Cooper's got quite a racy scene with Scarlett Johansson @ the 1:43 mark. Preview below:

He's Just Not That Into You trailer

EVENT: "A Christmas Carol" in Red Square

• What: free hot chocolate & a performance of "A Christmas Carol" by Mask and Bauble
• Where: Red Square
• When: Friday, December 5, 2008, 5:00pm - 6:00pm
• Cost: free
  

Facebook invitation.

This Week's Voice: Movies, Music, and Strippers

The Voice waddled back from its Thanksgiving dinner and produced this issue for your enjoyment:

• In our cover story, we rank the Top 10 Movies and Music of 2008.
• Georgetown mourns Jenny Faenza and considers a possible hate crime on Harbin patio.
  
• An RA discovers his residents with a male stripper.

He was dressed as a fireman.

EVENT: The Capitol G's A Cappella Concert

• What: Performance by Georgetown's newest a Capella group, The Capitol G's.
• Where: Uncommon Grounds
• When: Monday, December 8, 2008, 8:30pm - 9:30pm
  

facebook invitation

Washington ranks third among best-educated cities

The greater Washington area comes in 3rd behind Boulder, CO & Ann Arbor, MI in Forbes' ranking of the best-educated cities. Forbes reports:

"The Washington region boasts a lot of well-regarded universities--George Washington, Georgetown, University of Maryland, George Mason, to name a few--but it's the Federal Government and the armies of corporations and lawyers buzzing about the region that keep all the college degrees employed. An example of the District's diploma power? The D.C. area is less than half the size of L.A., but both cities have around 100,000 Ph.D.'s."

Word of the Week: Saxatile

saxatile
adj.

growing on or living among rocks

EVENT: Victoria's Secret Fasion Show Tonight

The annual Victoria's Secret fashion show airs tonight on CBS at 10:00 pm EST.

Film.com reports:
The show was taped two weeks ago at the newly remodeled Fontainebleau resort in Miami Beach. A performer who often wears fewer clothes than the average VS model, Usher, will provide musical accompaniment.

College May Become Unaffordable for Most in U.S.

The New York Times reports:

"The rising cost of college — even before the recession — threatens to put higher education out of reach for most Americans, according to the biennial report from the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education.

Over all, the report found, published college tuition and fees increased 439 percent from 1982 to 2007, adjusted for inflation, while median family income rose 147 percent. Student borrowing has more than doubled in the last decade, and students from lower-income families, on average, get smaller grants from the colleges they attend than students from more affluent families.

“If we go on this way for another 25 years, we won’t have an affordable system of higher education,” said Patrick M. Callan, president of the center, a nonpartisan organization that promotes access to higher education."

EVENT: Interfaith Vigil for the City of Mumbai

Where: Healy Steps
When: Tonight, 8:00pm - 9:00pm
HOSTED BY: Georgetown University Student Association (GUSA), Hindu Student Association (HSA), Jewish Student Association (JSA), Muslim Student Association (MSA)

Facebook invitation:

DC Restaurants/Bars to be open 24 hours a day for inauguration weekend

The Washington Post reports:

"In the mood to celebrate President-elect Barack Obama's inauguration at a D.C. bar? For four days in January, they'll be open 24 hours a day.

Under emergency legislation approved by the D.C. Council yesterday, any District establishment with a liquor license, including restaurants and nightclubs, will be allowed to serve alcohol until 5 a.m. -- three hours later than usual -- and serve food round-the-clock from Jan. 17 until the morning after Obama's swearing-in on Jan. 20.

The bill, an idea of the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington, was introduced by council member Jim Graham (D-Ward 1), who represents the nightlife-heavy neighborhoods of Adams Morgan and Mount Pleasant"

EVENT: Uncommon Grounds Open Mic Night

What: Open Mic
Where: Uncommon Grounds in the Leavy Center
When: Tonight, 9:00pm-11:00pm
Cost: Free

PERFORMERS WANTED::
-Contact Ian (iem2@georgetown.com) to sign up or just show up at UG

Facebook invitation.

EVENT: Guild of Bands Fall Band Blast

What: a medley of rock, pop, jazz, hip hop and metal, featuring the following student bands:

That's Okay (Daniel Alexander, Pat Cohen, Miguel De Leon, Amir Hammand, Layth Elmusa)

Ocelott (Daniel Cook, Ezra Finney, Kiran Gandhi, John Russell, Justin Scott)

Live Nudes (Ezra Finney, Alex Kennedy, Neil Mathew, James McGlinchy)

Captains of Industry (Sandy Glassberg, Michael Lee, Brian Reardon)

William (Ethan Diamond, Noah Gimbel, John Russell, Rich Umbrecht)

A Born Idler (OW Bussey, Sean Croft, Danny Murphy)

Where: Walsh Black Box Theatre
When: Friday, December 5, 2008, 8:00pm-11:00pm
Tickets: $5, With credit card on-line at: http://performingarts.georgtown.edu
Or at Davis Center Box Office; Call: 202/687-ARTS

Facebook invite.

Bye Bye Taxi Fuel Surcharge

Beginning tomorrow, DC cabs fares will no longer include the $1 fuel surcharge that has been in place since November 2007.

The average gas price in DC right now is about $1.91 a gallon.

The Independent: December 2008

Some headlines from this month's Indy:

• Cover: Shaping a Generation: Hoyas impact the role of youth in politics
• News Feature: Rocking out in the Recession
• Commentary: Proud to be an American?
• Point/Counterpoint: It's a Wonderful Life vs. A Christmas Story
• A&E: Seasonal Soup for the Weary Soul

Check out the website or newsstands near you for more content, and be sure to visit our blog for continuing coverage of our stories as well as daily features!

REMINDER: Museum of American History has reopened

The Smithsonian Museum of American History reopened November 21st after two years and $85 million in renovations.

Among scores of other exhibits, Lincoln's manuscript for the Gettysburg address will be on display until January 4, 2009.

More museum exhibits here.

You’re Leaving a Digital Trail. What About Privacy?

The New York Times reports:

"HARRISON BROWN, an 18-year-old freshman majoring in mathematics at M.I.T., didn’t need to do complex calculations to figure out he liked this deal: in exchange for letting researchers track his every move, he receives a free smartphone.

Now, when he dials another student, researchers know. When he sends an e-mail or text message, they also know. When he listens to music, they know the song. Every moment he has his Windows Mobile smartphone with him, they know where he is, and who’s nearby.

Mr. Brown and about 100 other students living in Random Hall at M.I.T. have agreed to swap their privacy for smartphones that generate digital trails to be beamed to a central computer. Beyond individual actions, the devices capture a moving picture of the dorm’s social network."

[continue reading]

Comic Tuesday: On paper writing

Comic Credit

GU Alum tapped for National Security Adviser

Georgetown alumnus, Retired four-star General James L. Jones (SFS '66), has been picked by President-elect Obama to serve as National Security Adviser. The New York Times reports:

"WASHINGTON — James L. Jones, a retired four-star general, was among a mostly Republican crowd watching a presidential debate in October when Barack Obama casually mentioned that he got a lot of his advice on foreign policy from General Jones.

“Explain yourself!” some of the Republicans demanded, as General Jones later recalled it.

He did not. A 6-foot-5 Marine Corps commandant with the looks of John Wayne, General Jones is not given to talking about his political bent, be it Republican or Democrat. And yet, he is Mr. Obama’s choice for national security adviser, a job that will make him the main foreign policy sounding board and sage to a president with relatively little foreign policy experience."

With Obama's decision to retain Robert Gates (GRD, '74) as Secretary of Defense, Georgetown alumni will occupy two of the most important national security positions in the new administration.

EVENT: EcoAction Winter Wrapping Paper Spectacular

• What: EcoAction will be selling holiday wrapping paper from Earth Presents, a Bethesda-based company that makes 100% recycled wrapping paper. All proceeds will go to the World Wildlife Fund.
• When: Thursday, December 4, 2008; 10:00am - 5:00pm
• Where: Red Square
  

Monroe is Big East Rookie of the Week

The Big East just named Greg Monroe (C' 12) as Rookie of the Week for his play in the Old Spice Tournament. The article states:

"Monroe was tabbed as BIG EAST Rookie of the Week after he averaged 12.7 points and 4.3 rebounds while shooting 65.0 percent from the floor and helping the Hoyas finish third in the Old Spice Classic in Orlando, Fla. His highest scoring total was a 15-point effort in a 90-78 loss to No. 12/12 Tennessee."

Congrats, Greg!

Monday Rankings Watch - 12.01.08

Associated Press: #20 (Up from #21)

ESPN: #18 (Down from #16)

Pomeroy Rating: #7

The Hoyas are currently 4-1 (0-0) and play their next game against American University on Saturday, December 6 at 1:00 PM at the Verizon Center. For those serious basketball fans, American has a Pomeroy Rating of 174.

Editorial Note: The blue unis are baller this year.

GU Alum for Transportation Secretary?

Georgetown alum Steve Heminger is being floated as a possible candidate for Transportation Secretary in the Obama Administration.

Heminger is currently Executive Director of the California Bay Area Metropolitan Transportation Commission

Weekly Address from the President-Elect

GUMC Professor Named to Defense Health Board

Blue & Gray reports:

"The U.S. Department of Defense has named Georgetown professor Dr. William Blazek, S.J. to its Defense Health Board to provide independent scientific advice and recommendations on matters relating to the promotion of health and the delivery of health care to about 9.2 million members of the military and their families."