Ant's Eye View

By Annu Subramanian

Being a college freshman sure does hold up a distorted mirror to reality.

I think I’ve lived in a bubble-like vacuum surrounded by a high fence my whole life. Suburban life in San Diego is not exactly “the real world.” College, as I was frequently reminded by my parents and big sister, “is going to be tough, but the best time of your life.” According to all of those campus spokespeople that talked at me during my first few weeks, college is going to strain me but help me realize the person I am. It’s going to teach me to manage my time, money and energies. The twelve episodes of ABC Family’s Greek that I watched before coming here sufficiently forewarned me for the… ahem… joys of frat parties, late nights, and techno playlists on loop.

But really? So far college is nothing like anything anyone told me. I can’t see any other point in our lives when, after trashing our rooms in Thurston and sleeping in until noon, we can be treated to brunch on the Vern and housemaids to clean up our messes. Wow, that sounds even worse in writing than it even is in real life.

Anyway.

Some observations I’ve made as my first semester comes to a close:

1. Everyone is an adviser. In the first three weeks alone, I was offered stress-management advising, nutritional wellness advising, meetings with a GPS adviser (whose role in my personal success was as lost to her as it remains to me), and unsolicited advising on how to use the free weights at the gym from this guy who was really red-faced and sweaty. With all these appointments to meet with advisers, when am I going to have time to actually do my homework, have stress to manage, find time to eat poorly, or achieve personal success?
2. Don’t be gradual in the introduction of your weirdness. Yeah, my favorite food is ice. And I think everything tastes better with ranch on the side. And the fact that it is freezing out does not mean that I will unceremoniously curb-stomp my flip-flops and replace them with boots. And I am currently obsessed with an Icelandic band whose song titles I still can’t pronounce. I know I’m strange. But trying to be “normal” is a feat that it seems all college freshman, myself included, attempt. The best memories I’ve had since coming to school, though, began when my roommates and I stopped being self-conscious and started being silly. The comfort that accompanies allowing our idiosyncrasies to be apparent and then finding people who love us for them is what forging friendships is about.
3. Mexican food in DC = fail. That doesn’t mean I don’t keep trying to find an adequate burrito here (and I’d love suggestions!), but it seems that for now I’ll still be waiting patiently for my return home in order to partake in my other favorite food.

So all that advice was right. College is stressful. And fun. And exhausting. And a new experience everyday. All that forewarning should have prepared me for everything. And yet, I don’t think I was ready for the eagerness that I feel each morning (okay afternoon) when I wake. My classes were fascinating and my professors helpful. My roommates are great and I’ve made some amazing friends. I played in the “snow” for the first time in over a decade. It seems that already, GW is embracing me, and allowing me to carve what I hope is a niche that I can call my own for the next three and a half years.

I’ve begun penning a college experience that is distinctly my own, and I got to realize that all by myself.

Everything Happens for a Reason

It’s hard to believe yet another semester is coming to an end. I feel like it has only been a few weeks since the start of school. It only feels like a few months ago I was a sophomore and a year ago, if that, I was finishing pledging and my first semester of college. It feels like just yesterday I was walking down the grassy path at my high school to receive my diploma and take the first step towards my future. It feels like all of this has happened so fast, but college is almost over. You may argue with me about that, but try to see it this way: I’ll be gone all of next semester, then the summer will fly by, first semester senior year will happen even faster than this semester did, and then I will be taking the first step towards my future, yet again.

It’s hard to believe that everything happens for a reason. It’s hard to believe this because I don’t know what the reasoning is. I know that life changes every day. I know that plans don’t always remain the current plans and often get edited, altered, or deleted from your mind. I know that one day I will know what all the reasons were, but as for now, I don’t know any of it.

It’s hard to believe that I still don’t know what I want to be when I grow up. Yes, I have some ideas, but who ever really knows? I was sitting in the Starbucks in DuPont Circle this weekend, typing my responses for the SMPA195 take home final when a man sat down in the chair adjacent to me and commented on my pink computer case, pink Blackberry case, and bright purple bag. What started as a superficial conversation about the intensity of my accessories turned into something much more interesting.

He was a reporter for the Herald, Wall Street Journal, and the Post. Then he gave it all up for business. He told me this and paused. Then the conversation went in a totally different direction. He began asking me questions about GW, my education and what I plan on doing with an undergraduate degree that will ultimately cost around $250,000, when you include expenses, textbooks, travel costs, mental health, and partying. I gave him the same response I give everyone: I want to go to business school and get into advertising. So he asked me a few questions about my interests, why I want to do that and where I want to go to school. I spitfire responses then kept talking about my plans for the future until I was blue in the face.

It’s just dawning on me now that all of what I said is theoretically bullshit. Since everything happens for a reason (yes, I do truly believe this. After years and years of trying to believe otherwise I simply cant because I always get proved otherwise) the plans I make, career aspirations I have, goals and dreams I plan on achieving are all a waste. What ever will happen will happen, right? I’m not implying that I wont strive for a JD/MBA from NYU or Columbia with a focus in Marketing or Public Relations, but ultimately, my education that costs about the same as a nice house in Virginia isn’t what’s going to get me there. It may help, but ultimately if it’s meant to happen, it will, just like everything else.

So, in the mean time, I’m going to enjoy the three semesters I have left and wait for things to fall into place. After all, that’s all I can do, right?

-Missy S.

The Few, The Stressed, The Long-Distance Daters

Hi. I'm Ashley, and I'm in a long distance relationship. Hi Ashley.

For anyone who has ever been in a long distance relationship- you have my sympathies. My boyfriend studied abroad this semester in Jordan, which is six hours ahead of D.C. time. To make the situation more complicated, we were apart over the summer, as well. I was living in D.C. for a job, and he lived at home in Massachusetts, so I spent the summer flying back and forth. Oh wait there's more- we only started dating in April! That's right- my relationship has lasted nine months, and the past eight of them has been long distance. If there's an award for optimism and patience- they better give it to me.

Since I presume most people have not experienced this type of situation, allow me to vent and list the signs that "You Might Be in a Long Distance Relationship":

• If you have "dates" with your GMail account, you might be in a long distance relationship.
• If you spend prolonged periods of time staring at pictures on Facebook, you might be in a long distance relationship.
• If you are always in a constant countdown until you will see them again, you might be in a long distance relationship.
• If you strangely feel like you should go to sleep because it's nighttime where they are, but it's only 6 p.m. in D.C., you might be in a long distance relationship.
• If you always answer "Restricted" or "Unavailable" calls to your phone because it might be from an international calling card, you might be in a long distance relationship.
• If your brain goes into immediate panic when another female makes any appearance your boyfriend's Facebook, you might be overly paranoid, but you might be in a long distance relationship too.

Hmm I've managed to depress myself, but I'll leave you with one more thing: 9 days left :D

Paper or Plastic?

Either choice you make will cost you five cents come Jan. 1 at drug and grocery stores in the District.

The D.C. City council unanimously voted to pass a bill that requires D.C. businesses that sell either food or alcohol to charge residents who use disposable bags. Mayor Fenty signed the bill in July. The fee, however won't apply to "bags used for newspaper, produce, hardware, frozen foods, plants, bakery items, or prescription drugs," Fenty's administration assures. My question is why this fee isn't being applied to retail stores as well. Many people who can afford to shop at retail stores could probably afford to purchase reusable shopping bags. However, I presume part of the reason could be a shoplifting issue, although I still think the District should either go big or go home with this bag experiment.

There are places that litter comes from other than the grocery and drug store bags. Maybe pollution in the Anacostia River will be reduced by the fee, but I predict that there will be more litter on city streets. Maybe the answer to this problem would be to start a city-wide recycling campaign in conjunction with this bag fee. I am constantly seeing plastic bottles, cardboard boxes, tin cans, and newspapers chucked into the "Trash only" receptacles on campus. How hard is it to throw these items in the recycling bin right beside the trash? I'm sure that this is not just a GW phenomenon...but a city and nationwide one. And what about residents who may not be able to afford this new bag fee, or depend on disposable bags to keep their belongings in? The answer: Fenty's administration has been working with their "Skip the Bag Save the River" campaign to prepare residents by distributing 122,000 reusable bags to seniors and low-income residents. The District Department of the Environment has also partnered with CVS and Safeway to distribute bags to the public. CVS will even reward Extra Care Card users with one dollar per four instances of reusing a bag.

So, this holiday season, it may be a good idea to scratch "reusable shopping bags" onto your wish list underneath "iPhone" or "Northface fleece." Those nickles could really add up next semester.

When I asked my roommate, Christina Carlisi if she had heard about the bag fee, she said that she had no idea.

Just thought I'd give you a head's up.

Watch an ABC 7 newscast here.

-Kimberly Kroll

A Blue Jean Dilemma

The first time I wore skinny jeans I declared that I was never going back. The way they felt, the way they looked, the years older I felt out of my baggier pairs was enough to have me committed for life, ready to pay the $120 plus that come along with a commitment to a good pair of skinny jeans.
A few days ago I opened my drawer of jeans, a drawer that holds 25 pairs to be exact. 25 pairs is a lot of pants. Of the 25 pairs only 5 are skinny jeans, pairs that I just keep rotating whenever I feel like throwing on the old blues. I had a feeling of nostalgia for my old blue jeans, a saw a few Seven brands, Paper Denim & Cloth, Citizens, even some Abercrombie and Fitch jeans from high school, I MISSED them. I got a pair out, luckily they still fit, and they felt GOOD. I thought “screw it” and went into my closet to put the rest of the days outfit together. I didn’t know how. I was so accustomed to the tighter skinnier fit that I didn’t know what to pair with my flared leg, lighter wash, more beat up NON-skinny jean. I couldn’t grab a pair of boots and tuck the legs in or wear a long nice shirt like I would with the skinnys, I really didn’t know HOW to wear them. And, then there is the WHOLE other issue of what shoes to wear with skinny jeans. Sneakers and converse looked way too manly to me, boots would give the impression of a cowgirl, and flats made the jeans drag on the floor as I walked. Finally, I started to feel crazy so I settled on my Tom’s shoes and a t-shirt, it would have to do.
I left to the house and went to photography class. I did feel a little strange but at the same time liberated, my legs could breathe, I recalled memories from those old jeans, and I felt pleased with myself for giving them a shot. When I got home from class my roommate complimented the jeans, “I like those, are they new?” she asked, “You have no idea,” I thought to myself. I then went to the blue jean drawer took out a few more pairs, dusted them off and decided they too would be worn, SOON. Maybe the age old adage is true, you can never go wrong in jeans, skinny or not.

-Tace Samet

Gridlock on Capital Street

Charles Klein

There comes a point in one's political life that he becomes just completely and utterly irritated with the legislative process. Do not let the Schoolhouse Rock video fool you! There is nothing fun nor exciting for that matter about the process. Moreover, if the video was done in scale to the amount of time it takes for a bill to become a law, it would be longer than the Lord of the Rings Trilogy and Titanic combined.

During the year 2008 many promises were made to us by politicians seeking election. One of which was a guarantee made by Barack Obama to introduce health care reform that would solve the problems with Medicare and Medicaid and get our budgets back on track. While Obama has kept his promise by placing health care on the top of his to do list in 2009, the representatives that we believed would help bring such reforms to bear have failed.

The reason that this particular issue is important to me is because my family, like many others in this country, is struggling to meet the financial burdens of having two children in college. I know that I am going to the most expensive school in the nation (as is my sister) and I am truly thankful for the opportunity that has been offered to me by George Washington University. My father just recently spent five and a half weeks in the hospital due to issues concerning his kidneys and blood pressure. The reason that he fell into such a state of disrepair that he required a hospital stay is because he could no longer afford the prescriptions that he needed to take in order to keep his blood pressure under control. He did not qualify for any disabilities nor is he currently eligible for Medicare, and without a job he has no health insurance.

Watching how the country has taken to the idea of a public option has sickened me. I know that there was a healthy minority of folks that did not like Obama nor did they support his domestic agenda. What surprises me so much is that the Democrats/people who did vote for Obama now seem to be hypercritical of the policies they voted him and their representatives to enact in office. The fact that the Democrats reaching a broad agreement on health care reform is newsworthy illustrates exactly what I am talking about.

Aside from the effectiveness of state run media in Europe, there yet more things that Americans may learn from our comrades across the Atlantic. John Oliver, while speaking at the Economist event that was held at the Jack Morton Auditorium last weekend, referred to Britain's National Health Service as their "n" word. He remarked that they get to use it, but its a dirty phrase for any American politician to say. An idea that ought to be more morally repugnant is how in the wealthiest and best country on Earth so many of its citizens cannot get the health care they need in order to survive.

Such a moral imperative for action has yet to result in much of anything in the gridlock that has become our legislature. Even with a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate and a sweeping majority in the House, those who free rode on the promise of change we can believe in have failed to deliver one of their major campaign promises. I remember thinking on November 5, 2009, now I will be able to be proud of the things the government I elected into office will do for me. Instead now a year later I could not feel much more pessimistic about the process.

I certainly hope that health care reform gets passed and every citizen of our great nation will be able to get the care they need. For now I will have to accept the small gains of having a leader who does not say things like, "Rarely is the question asked: is our children learning."

"The Best Four Years of My Life"

Ever since I can remember adults have ALWAYS talked extensively about "the best four years of their lives" aka COLLEGE. I went to a prep school growing up that was very college oriented and looked forward to the experience that I would soon come to know as "the best four years of my life". I had two older sisters ahead of me, one who went to Connecticut College in New London and the other who was in The School of Foreign Service at Georgeton University. I visited both of them and was enamoured by things that I saw. They had tons of events to attend such as football and basketball games. They had a myriad of parties to go to on all different nights of the week. They made their schedules so they could have three day weekends every week. But mostly, I was estatic by the fact that I would be surrounded by boys. I started at an all girls school in Kindergarten and had been there my entire life. Don't get me wrong, I am in love with my high school and would not have done it any other way. But, I definitely could not wait to be introduced to a world of boys beyond just the weekends but actually be able to debate with them during classes.

As I finally reached my senior year of high school, it was time for me to decide where I wanted to apply. I put all my eggs in one basket and applied early to GW. I knew I had a better chance of getting in as an early applicant and I wanted to be in Washington D.C.. The day I received an email from them I sat quietly in my room and opened it. My fate was decided in this email and I had nerves flowing in all directions in my body. When I read "Congratulations" I didn't need to read further before I started jumping up and down screaming. My mom and brother rushed into my bedroom and we jumped in a circle for 5 minutes expressing the joy of finally getting into college, an achievement I had been working toward for my entire life.

But as I sit here, almost finished my second semester of senior year, I am happy to say that these were not the best four years of my life. In fact, it took me a year and a half to even begin liking this place. I know a lot of that has to do with the fact that I grew up in an area that is different from most. Many of my new peers at this school told me they had no intentions of going back to their hometown after graduating college, something I have intended to do and still plan on doing since I was in the middle school. I have for sure made some of the best friends ever here in college and have had some of the most amazing experiences, but what kind of life would I be living if the best four years are soon to be over? I loved my childhood but I couldn't wait to move onto college. I love college but I cannot wait to see what my future holds. I think life is meant to be full of many different experiences. I think that if you pinpoint one point of your life and say those will be your best years, then you are preventing yourself from having tons of different amazing experiences.

Last week I started training at a potential internship with BBC. After the first day of only being there for four hours, I could not wipe a smile off my face. I called everyone in my phone book on my way back so excited to tell them of the amazing four hours I had just experienced. I went back again another day that week and once again left with an incredible excitement. It made me realize that college has given me the ability to find my passion which is writing. I love to write and have only expanded on my skills since I have been here. BBC offers a look into broadcast journalism. If I had never gone to GW there's a good chance I would never have become so interested in journalism and therefore would not have been able to explore the many options that journalism holds. I am in the process of applying to jobs for next year and each time I read a job description that entices me I become more excited for what is in store for after graduation. I feel that each stage in my life is a stepping stone for the next. I hope you agree with me that while college is INCREDIBLE and there will be a plethora of things that I will miss here, I know that my journey only continues and for that I am overjoyed.

-Justine Karp

The end to a long semester... a stream of consciousness post

In a little over an hour, I will be taking my last exam of the semester. While I am thrilled to be done with schoolwork until January, the thought of entering into my second semester of junior year is frightening. Two and a half years of college has flown by so fast. 

Watching many of my senior friends begin their job searches makes my stomach churn. I enjoy the bubble of college life, but the end of another semester reminds me that this bubble will one day burst, and I, like everyone else, will have to face the realities of the real world.

But for now, I am going to cram for my impending media law exam, and push the horrible thought of ever leaving the safety of college life out of my brain.

Good luck to everyone on finals.

Emily

Banning Laptops in Class: Why Professors Are Dead Wrong

Although normally averse to citing the GW Hatchet in any form, (my apologies to Emily Cahn) a November 12th front-page story caught my attention. 

In "Professors call laptops a class distraction," writer Madeleine O'Connor reported that some professors have passed sweeping policies banning laptops from their classrooms. Prompting this drastic action is the entirely accurate assumption that students (often in large lecture halls) are engaging in activities other than copious note-taking and listening with rapt attention. Some of these rogue tendencies include, but are not limited to, browsing Facebook, posting on Twitter, checking email, reading blogs etc.  

In the course of the article, one political science professor - Chris Deering - even managed to brag to O'Connor that he is quite keen on detecting when someone isn't giving him their undivided attention. 

"I don't have to be looking at somebody and I can tell that something's going on. My peripheral vision is just fine," he said. 

How impressive and profound. 

I would be compelled to ask: has Deering yet come to the realization that he is a professor of higher education, not some high school teacher stuck supervising snotty kids in fourth period study hall? This type of absurd fascism, where teachers are obsessively breathing down the necks of their pupils and handing out hall passes so that they may go use a toilet, is reserved for lower rungs of American education, not prestigious universities. 

This is barely a complex issue. In sum, if a college student (who was presumably admitted on some notion of academic merit) wants to wake up, get dressed, eat breakfast, and arrive at a 9:35 a.m. lecture all with the intention of "screwing off" and failing to take adequate notes, then that's their prerogative. When that individual receives a well-deserved D+ on the midterm for a total lack of initiative, they have nobody to blame and no tenable logic to rely on. 

One of the great things about America is that we live in a free society where laziness is not rewarded; the shrewd and the driven are the ones that lead and achieve. How are we supposed to prepare individuals for the real, working world if we shamefully and constantly infantilize them? 

And finally, in response to the often utilized assertion that laptop use is "distracting and unfair" to the students that are actually determined to learn and receive their true tuition's worth? Simple nonsense. Not I - nor any friend or acquaintance with whom I have ever shared a course - has ever been significantly impacted by a fellow student's in-class laptop shenanigans. If anything, they benefit from it. After all, in a lecture of 200, that's one less number to compete with...

- Jared Pliner 

Vitamin D: Good for the Body and the Soul

The last year has brought some of the hardest moments of my entire life. Both of my grandfathers passed away close to or during finals of both semesters last year. Coming back to school, I couldn’t get into the groove of things. Even though I was surrounded by a wonderful support group of friends, I felt alone. I didn’t want to go to class. I felt anxious all the time. I was literally sick for six weeks. And some of my grades are suffering as a result. I even ended up withdrawing from one of my classes. One day, I realized that I wasn’t going to magically get better. I started going to the University Counseling Center, which was very helpful in getting me to at least acknowledge my problems—I couldn’t run away from them anymore, I had to cope.

On a slightly different note, my Granny is a health nut. She used to run weight loss clinics across the country and constantly tries to shove all sorts of natural vitamins, extracts, minerals, and oils down my throat. She had been seeing a lot recently about the benefits of Vitamin D in various articles and shows. Aside from building bone strength, it actually can increase your serotonin levels, mimicking the effects of many antidepressants. She knew about the trouble I had been having, and like a good grandma, she sent some to me in the mail.

For an assignment in a different class I had to create my own website. I decided to do some further research on this whole Vitamin D and depression business and turned up some really interesting information. For all the specifics you should check out http://www.ashleynorred.com/.

Despite everything she told me and everything I found, I haven’t started taking the Vitamin D, so I can’t actually tell you if it works or not. But as I mention on my website, I think what most students are missing is a purely fun, non-school related hobby. GW is full of some of the most career oriented students I have ever seen, and I think everyone could use a chill pill. On my website, I mention the fact that I went and bought some painting supplies. That was the first step, and it took me a while to actually sit down and paint. But this weekend that’s exactly what I did. I sat on the ground for 7 hours and just created something. It didn’t have a deep meaning. And I didn’t finish what I was trying to do. But it felt good to not worry about anything else and simply focus all my energy on something I thoroughly enjoyed.

-Ashley Norred

Friday Mornin' Platanos and Collard Greens - By Kori Clanton

I left behind the institutionalized halls of my college dorm room this morning in search of culture. Walking along the brick lines sidewalks headed to the Foggy Bottom metro stop, I hopped the blue line in need of a wash and set from Giovanni's; a small Dominican salon nestled amongst the culturally rich street of Adams Morgan. This salon attracts female students from all over the District who are trying to maintain the "flow" and the little cash they have in their wallets.

On Friday mornings I head to this place to reclaim my sanity and revitalize my tresses. Echoes of Spanish talk shows and afternoon novellas compete with the drone of dryers, each hovering over the head of a woman with gigantic rollers and a black net scarf securely holding them in place. Today, like most days the salon is full of women whose skin tones all reflect a common ancestry, but whose ethnicities are as varied as the restaurants that line the streets outside.

"Senorita!"

Sylvia, my middle-aged Dominican hair stylist, calls for my attention and directs me towards the sinks in the back of the salon. I can't help but feel simultaneously included and excluded at the recognition of her call. Our commonalities only reach so far, and our limited knowledge of each other's languages prevents us from sharing in a conversation of either.Yet, I accept this proverbial name and her warm smile as a welcoming sign of affection.

Earlier I waited in the gray chairs lined up against the front window of the shop and contemplated which magazine to read. A small but incredibly bright young girl sat beside me in her grandmother's arms chatting and laughing as if she were twice her age. Her grandmother, identifiably a black woman, exchanged laughter with bits of knowledge about everything from the construction taking place outside, to telling her how to sit like a "big girl" in the chair. I looked past the fairness of her girlish skin in comparison to her grandmother's dark brown hue, until Spanish words flowed with ease from her small lips. Grandma didn't quite catch on as her granddaughter proceeded to flip the script and teach her a word or two. I gave up fumbling through wrinkled pages of an old Vibe magazine wondering if this little girl was Black, Latina, or a combination of the two. Deep inside I questioned why it even mattered to me. I heard her scream out "Mommy!" as a tall Hispanic woman walked in her direction smiling with open arms. At once, it all seemed to make sense that she was a combination of both; child who bore the history and heritage of two minority groups.

Sitting there as a black woman, I understand the society that she will soon face. Would she grow up considering herself Black, Latina, or simply feel comfortable in being her? My thoughts occupied a realm she'd yet to consider. For now her age maintained her innocence in a society that will soon enough ask her to choose sides, check a 'box', and negotiate her place in the social construction that is, race... I walked away wishing she'd never have to. But reality often ignored our desires, existing within a mind of its own.

Why I love my state-owned television networks...

Government-run media outlets would be worse that media owned by big companies. That’s basically what someone (Jared, if I remember correctly?) said at the end of the class yesterday. Okay, I know, I am French, citizen of a ‘nanny state’, so I may be a little biased when it comes to government intervention... but clearly, I don’t agree with this theory that public ownership of media is necessarily bad.

Let’s take a look at what we are doing in France. (I am aware that I am always talking about France... I did not know that I was such a patriot before coming to the USA...)

We have six “big” television networks in France: three of them are government-owned, three of them are privately-owned.

Among the private channels, we have:
- TF1 (30% marketshare), owned by Bouygues, an industrial group which earns a lot of money from state contracts (Martin Bouygues, the CEO, was the groomsman at Nicolas Sarkozy’s second marriage and is the godfather of Louis Sarkozy)
- Canal+ (3%) is part of the Vivendi Group: it is a premium television network (like Showtime or HBO), but it also broadcasts for free four hours a day.
- M6 (12%) is part of the German media conglomerate Bertelsmann.

Among the public channels, we have:
- France2 (18%): generalist channel
- France3 (12%): regional channel
- Arte (2%): Franco-German channel (can be compared to PBS)

And who broadcasts the best newscasts? The best news magazines? The best political shows? In my mind, it is definitely the public networks, not driven by purely commercial motives and therefore less obsessed by their ratings.
> France 2 for instance broadcasts a daily political interview in its morning shows, two 30-minute newscasts, a weekly and a monthly political magazine, and several investigation magazines.

Just to understand the huge gap between public and private networks in France, let’s take a look at TF1. The private channel does not broadcast any political magazine, and its "news" magazine are more trashy than informative...

Yesterday for instance, what were the reports on the 30-minute midday newscast of Jean-Pierre Pernaut?
1. The weather (0:40)
2. Letters sent by French children to Santa Claus> what a good editorial choice! (1:48)
3. Soccer game between France and Ireland (8:34!!!!)
4. Swine flu (4:28)
5. Traditions in United Kingdom (1:34)
6. A cell-phone bill of 159,000 euros (1:54)
7. A company who has troubles hiring plumbers (2:49)
8. Should parents be able to choose the birth place displayed on the ID card of their baby? (02:10)
9. Twilight 2 (1:58)
10. Chantal Goya, a French singer successful in the 80s (2:32)
11. The Christmas tree in Strasbourg (1:32)
12. The good weather on the French riviera (1:38)
13. A dance school in Paris (4:23)
14. How to cook beef? (3:27)

It’s really funny to watch, especially if you like to learn about French traditions. I love when they are doing a report about traditions from my region, but come on, is that really news? That’s what happens, in my mind, when the newscast is only driven by commercial motives... you are trying to get more and more viewers, and you forgot your watchdog role.

Government intervention is not always such a bad thing... don't you think?

By Mathieu D.

Go - Go Music and The Real DC Experience

- A performance by Backyard Band or BYB

Go-go music is a reflection of a culture ignored by tourists and outsiders who know nothing of this city beyond what they see at the National Mall. A subgenre of funk developed in the 1970’s and 1980’s by Chuck Brown, the godfather of go-go, turned into a guide for any outsider to learn about Washington, DC. To know about this city is to know about go –go. Deeply rooted in mostly black communities since its humble beginnings, contributions made by different bands has created considerably one of the most unique and underrated genres of music out right now.

If you’re a fan of go-go, you’re either in a band or you know someone in a band. As a band member, chances are that you come from one of the many neighborhoods in the DC Metropolitan area. You represent your neighborhood and you give them a higher profile because you get to give them shout outs throughout the songs. A relatively recent practice, this indicates which neighborhoods are highly represented in the go-go songs and come out in high attendance to the several shows, referred to Washingtonians as go-go’s. Unfortunately violence often time follows people at the go-go becoming a constant problem that has forced authorities to come in high numbers and even involving the gang unit. Violence in the go-go is also a reflection of a violent culture that has spilled into our streets and schools.

Wale, one of the fastest rising rappers to come out of this area is often with UCB, or the Uncalled for Band. This is a go-go band that has been around for a long time and have the laid-back rhythm heavy style that made go-go real popular in the first place. They accompanied Wale at the MTV Video Music Awards and will appear on Wale’s debut album, Attention Deficit, coming out on Tuesday. They are one of the few bands that revolutionized the sound of go-go and continue to do so with a loyal older fan base along with the Backyard Band and the Total Control Band. Younger fans might enjoy Takeover Band, Reaction Band, or Tru Expressions. They made a completely different but more upbeat sound that reflects what’s popular in hip-hop these days.

Granted that the sound is one that is not easy to fall in love with, no one can deny that people are becoming more curious about this music. Local bands often travel to different states, playing at school with a high percentage of students from DC. As more people hear about go-go, the more likely it will be accepted. If you haven’t listened to it already, already do so. A couple songs that out of towners like are Sexy Lady by UCB and Welcome to DC by Mambo Sauce. Be aware that these are touriss friendly songs and not even the true representation of go-go. If you want to know more, look up the other heavy hitters I mentioned and you will take a look in the real DC.

- Samuel Collins, Jr.

Being a "Real" Person...

By Missy S.


A few weeks ago, I got a phone call from my dad. I was comfortably studying for an art history exam, so I let the call roll over to voicemail. While taking a study break, I listened to his message. What my dad had called to tell me was that putting cookie dough batter in the refrigerator for 12 to 24 hours prior to baking makes better cookies. Curious as to why this was, I called my dad back while taking a study break. He explained to me that it just does, which was rather unsatisfactory, but what he proceeded to say was quite possibly the most disturbing thing he has ever asked me.

“What are your plans for the future?” he probed. I was in shock. As a junior, with second semester quickly approaching and college coming to an end, this was the last thing I want to think about.

My inability to answer the question didn’t stop my dad from probing. He continued to ask me if I’m going to graduate or law school, where I’m considering going, when I’m applying, when I’m taking the LSAT and GRE, what programs I plan to do, and what I plan to do after all of that, if that’s what I decide to do after college.

My dad majored in landscape design. Needless to say, he never even considered taking the LSAT or GRE.

I couldn’t break from the shock. The fact that I had to think about all of this in addition to memorizing about 200 pieces of art that I couldn’t care less about was mindboggling.

In an attempt to make the horrifying questions stop, I responded, “I want to get an JD/MBA with a focus on marketing from Stern or the Business School at Columbia, but we will see from there what happens.”

Thinking this would satisfy his curiosity, I was content with my answer and began to feel relieved.

I couldn’t have been more wrong. The questions kept coming. He asked about every detail possible. He was asking me specific details about both programs, when I would be taking the standardized tests, and even where in New York I planned on living.

This had to stop. I put my foot down. “Honestly,” I said, at this point out of frustration, “I can’t think about next week let alone next year or the year after. Is this a conversation we really need to have now?”

“No,” he responded, the relief began to set in again. I should have expected what he was about to say. “You’re right, we should be discussing your study abroad options.”

Wonderful, another subject I had absolutely no desire to think about.

After a few minutes of discussing the pros and cons of each program I applied to, we hung up, my dad satisfied he got some answers, and me, well a wreck. Thinking about the future is horrifying. My roommate and I have even imposed a “no future” rule, because we both panic when the future comes up.

Perhaps I’m just not ready for “real” responsibility, even though I should be ready for it at this point in my life. I’ve always been self-sufficient. I got my first job when I was 13 (although it wasn’t exactly challenging). Since my freshman year in high school I’ve juggled work, school, sports, and other extra-curricular activities, and excelled. But the anxiety of a “real” life and being a “real” person is just too much for me to handle.

If it’s not the responsibility factor, could it be that I feel lost? My parents have always told me to get my goals. They never limited me in any way, they never said no, and they certainly never let me think I couldn’t do anything I put my mind to. I think this is the root of the problem. Ever since I was a kid, I always had lofty goals. Obviously I realized that some things were out of reach, but not others. When people put me down and told me that GW wasn’t an option I should consider, I proved them wrong, I got in, and I went.

But ever since I got to GW, I’ve felt lost. I was one of those people who actually believed that applying to college undeclared was a smart choice. That was one of the biggest mistakes I have ever made. No, applying undecided wasn’t the issue, but putting off deciding was. If I had some idea of what I wanted to major in, I wouldn’t have used trial and error to decide what I’m interested in.

Here in lies the problem: I’ve always known what I’m interested in, but I never knew how to apply it or how to make a career out of it. Now that I do, I feel screwed. I feel unprepared for my future, which is ultimately why I’m terrified to grow up and be a “real” person.

Luckily, I’ve devised a plan. Put off “real” responsibility for as long as possible, enjoy life’s road bumps, and take everything with a grain of salt. Who knows, one wrong turn down the road of life could actually be the best thing you’ve ever done.

Next Post… The Globe’s Obit?

After layoffs and talks of selling the paper, the New York Times announced that they were not prepared to sell the Boston Globe. Then they laid off 100 people in their own offices. I was already scared for the Globe, as my hopeful future employer (hey anyone from the Globe who might be reading this… I’m interested), but now I’m convinced that the paper is heading down the drain (no offense). The reporters at the paper have been fighting off the Times since the recession hit to avoid drastic layoffs. I heard they all took pay cuts so that more people could keep their jobs. But they only came to that decision after lengthy negotiations.

It seemed like the best deal for everyone when the New York Times began to talk about a sale. They even went as far as entering into negotiations with some top bidders. One of the potential buyers was the family who originally owned the paper. Here I was, hoping they would go back to the good-old days when the newspaper would be owned by a family aware of the importance of quality news and willing to spend the money to produce it. But no, those hoped were dashed last week when the Times announced they had decided not to sell. I think it was a sad day for the Globe and it will surely be remembered as such the day they decide to shut down Boston’s best newspaper.

So, please New York Times, sell the Globe. Because if it disappears, then all of us Bostonians will simply be stuck with the Herald.

Lindsay Corcoran

Annu Subramanian

I love New York. I’d like to think that New York loves me too. But it seems that there are conflicting views on whether the city, with its sprawling avenues and bright lights, is very conducive to love itself.

This Friday, the much-awaited second installment in the short-film montage series about love in big cities premieres, and this one takes place in none other than the Big Apple. New York, I Love You is the sequel to the highly acclaimed French anthology film Paris, Je’Taime. It consists of eleven short, independent movies about love in the city, and if it is anything like its predecessor, will make any single girl want to quit her job, move to a metropolitan area and sit in a downtown park waiting for a handsome man to whisk her away. I can’t wait to watch the movie and fall in love eleven times as well as see NYC onscreen and portrayed in so many different ways. And with an all-star cast (including Zach Braff and Bradley Cooper, with whom I’d gladly fall in love a thousand times over), love has never looked so good.

Now if only the city were really that romantic.

This article makes love in the city that never sleeps seem like quite a nightmare. Apparently nowadays holding onto a relationship is either a borough-exclusive phenomenon, or a huge pain in the neck. What I find most interesting about this is the fact that a long-distance relationship in NYC might imply a couple where the man lives in Brooklyn and the woman in Manhattan. The directors of New York, I Love You probably didn’t factor gridlock traffic into their picture-esque depictions of couples smitten in Soho and embracing on Ellis Island but maybe they should have; the point of these urban anthology films is to be at least a little true-to-life. All of this complaining about an hour-long commute makes me think that romantic sayings like “I’d follow you to the ends of the Earth” are probably dead but hey, it gives rise to a whole new class of cheesy pick-up lines like:

"Baby I’d make three transfers from the F to the N to the D train just to B with U."

"No man is an island, so won’t you take the commute to the Hamptons to keep me company?"

"I can treat you like royalty at my pad in Queens."

Perhaps even:

"I’d love you even if you moved to Jersey."

Yeah, I went there.

She Who Has the Will to Win

by Kimberly Kroll




















The George Washington Women's Rugby team is almost done with its 2009 fall season.


Wait, GW has a rugby team? Girls play rugby?


Absolutely.

GW's division two club rugby team currently holds for its 2009 fall season a record of five wins, one loss on its A-side (which is comparable to a first string), and two wins, three losses on its B-side.


Of these five wins, two of them count towards deciding the team's position in the Potomac Rugby Union (PRU) Championship November 7th and 8th.

The last obstacle before this championship is GW's third and last league game of the season, against Towson.


There is a history with Towson.


But before the juicy stuff, here's some important background:

The PRU's division 2 college women's teams all played one another for the title of PRU champions in fall of 2008. Every match against a PRU member team counted towards each team's record.


This year, that has changed. The league has been divided in two: there is a BLUE group, which GW is a part of, with St. Mary's, Catholic, and Towson. The RED group consists of Georgetown, Salisbury, American, and UMBC. This year GW's games against only those teams in the BLUE group count towards its PRU championship seed. Last year every game against teams in both groups counted.


Back to Towson. Last fall season, the GW women's team was undefeated. They had won every game, but had one more team to play: Towson.


So as the last week in the PRU season approached, a tangled competition triangle created itself. Georgetown had only lost one game (to GW). Towson had only lost one game (to Georgetown). GW hadn't lost any games, and was set to be the sole winners of the title: PRU champs.

The Towson game made things complicated.


GW drove two and a half hours to play Towson under the lights in a misty rain which lasted the entire match. Some might argue Towson just had a great game that night. Some might argue the referee was unfair. Some might argue that GW just didn't have the best game they could have. Either way you cut it, Towson won by one try, which in rugby is like a touchdown but worth five points. This created a three-way tie between GW, Georgetown, and Towson.


GW lost the league tie-breaker because they had less points overall for the season than both Towson and Georgetown did. GW didn't continue on to compete at the national level.

But they are still PRU champions for Fall 2008.


This year, the Towson game holds a weight of importance in the minds of the GW women ruggers. As they dress up in costumes on Halloween night, they hope to do so with a taste of victory on their lips from their match earlier that day.


GW Rugby has a difficult time playing for fans, partially because not many people know about the team, and also because it is very difficult to get permission to play on the closest rugby pitch to GW's campus: the "Holocaust field", located behind the Holocaust Museum at 15th and Independence, where they were able to schedule a few of their games at the last minute this fall season.


Look out for the GW women's rugby team. They'll be traveling up the East coast in Spring 2010, because spring season is tournament season, but they'll definitely be back next fall to compete against their PRU counterparts, and still have some unfinished business this fall as well.


The GW women's rugby team is my family, by the way. I play fullback. I hope we win that game next Saturday, but if we don't, we'll just get them next time. We always do great things.

"She who has the will to win cannot be beat let's go," we chant before games.


Last spring season, we went on to earn second place of the division two college women's teams at the Beast of the East Tournament in Rhode Island, the largest rugby tournament on the east coast. We also won third place at the Cherry Blossom Tournament held locally in Maryland.

Please, stop the clichés !

By Mathieu D.

Last month, the Washington Post published an article entitled "For French, U.S. Health Debate Hard To Imagine". Indeed, it’s true that from a purely French perspective, this American debate can seem "altogether surreal," as the newspaper Le Monde commented. The most surreal, in my mind, is not the debate itself, but its extremism. I went to the Tea Party on September 12, and I was horrified by the comparisons made between Obama and dictators such as Staline or Mussolini - something impossible in my country, even if we also love freedom of speech - that could be a topic for another post.

But what struck me in this article was how France was depicted and I have to say, I was really disappointed to read so much clichés in an article from the Washington Post. Of course, articles about the US in French newspapers are not always good either, so that's why I think it’s interesting to think about our ethnocentrism.

The article started by a reference to the "olive trees in the hills above Marseille," which was followed by a critic of the French health-care bureaucracy, "so extensive and intricate that it has inspired urban legends." Really? I would love to hear some of these legends. I mean, of course, French bureaucracy is well-known, and criticized, but I don’t think that the health-care system is the most representative for this case.

I think the journalist also made a mistake, by saying that "chief among (the steps made by the government) was a steep reduction in reimbursements for routine care, such as visits to a doctor, from the long-standing 80 percent to about 65 percent." Not exaclty. Reimbursement rates changed, but if I remember correctly, visits to a doctor are still reimbursed at 70%, even if deductibles went up.

The funniest thing was this sentence : "Despite their reputation for guzzling red wine and eating fatty cheese, French people have for years enjoyed a longer life expectancy than their counterparts in the United States, currently at 80.98 years compared with 78.11." Guzzling red wine and eating fatty chesse? Are you kidding me? Why such a bad cliché in what could be a very interesting article?

And then, two weeks ago, the Washington Post published another article about France, focusing on a riot, led by some anarchists, which occured in the city of Poitiers. First, I have to say that I love the map included in the article, where the name of the town is misspelled -- Poiters instead of Poitiers.

"The wanton destruction, which lasted for about 90 minutes early Saturday evening," said the journalist, "was a dramatic reminder that France and other European nations, below their surface of stability and wealth, harbor tiny bands of ultra-leftist activists who still want to combat the market economies and parliamentary democracies on which the continent's well-being is founded." Scary, and somewhat excessive. Yes, some people in Europe are criticizing capitalism, but most are part of the democratic debate: discussing the interest of market economies does not mean that you are crazy.

I still don’t understand why the Washington Post chose to run this national story, and focused on this ultra-left threat which is, in my mind, a really marginal phenomenon.

To end this with something funnier, if you want to see a lot of clichés about France, you should definitely watch ABC every Sunday night at 10pm. Since last week, a French actor - Gilles Marini - is playing in the TV show Brothers and Sisters. Look at these two videos : I’m living in the French countryside, and I have NEVER seen an artist like that, living in an old farm. And Carla Bruni in background music (first video)? American screenwriters should learn that she is not the only French singer !

Fighting Fox: A Losing Battle?

It has been exactly two weeks since White House Communications Director Anita Dunn called Fox News "a wing of the Republican party" and failed to recognize the organization as "a news network, the way CNN is."

Days later, the White House continued the assault with a timely notice to the network that President Obama would grant no interviews to the its programming until at least 2010.

Then, just last Sunday on ABC's "This Week with George Stephanopoulos," White House Senior Advisor David Axelrod took it even further:

"They're not really a news [organization]...and the bigger thing is that other news organizations ought not to treat them that way, and we're not going to treat them that way."

Thus, there are a few appropriate questions that call for critical answers:

1) Why is the Obama White House - headed by a visionary executive that campaigned on a platform of post-partisanship - resorting to paranoia and tactics reminiscent of the Nixon administration's affinity for blacklisting political enemies? Can we expect taped locks and botched late night break-ins at Fox News Washington in the near future?

2) In the midst of the abysmal situation(s) and growing instability in Afghanistan - coupled with U.S. unemployment figures that continue to bloat - is the White House's foremost concern really a petty schoolyard shoving match? In truth, the only winner thus far has been Fox News! Last week, Rupert Murdoch painted the following picture:

“There were some strong remarks coming out of the White House about one or two commentators on Fox News. And all I can tell you is it has tremendously increased their ratings.”

3) If flagrant bias, "pushing a point of view," entertainment masquerading as news and shoddy journalism are high on the White House's list of pet peeves, then why not stonewall MSNBC with identical fervor? Are Keith Olbermann, David Shuster and Rachel Maddow more reserved and objective than Bill O’Reilly, Sean Hannity and Glenn Beck?

In his September address to a joint session of Congress on the issue of health care reform, President Obama said:

“The time for bickering is over. The time for games has passed.”

It would be most unfortunate if these resonant words died under the Capitol Rotunda.

- Jared Pliner

85 days and 85 nights without meat

In an effort to challenge myself over this past summer I decided to test how long I could go without eating meat. So, I became a vegetarian, or technically a pescatarian, allowing myself the occasional fish to keep getting protein. This decision has opened my eyes to all new kinds of food and I have a whole new respect for those who have given up meat.

I now eat vegetable sandwiches all the time, a sandwich without meat was a concept foreign to me prior to my change in eating habits. While there have been many positive aspects to my switch to the vegetable side three months ago, such as food conscientiousness, feeling healthier, learning and understanding more about what I am eating, and pleasing mom by increasing my veggie intake, there has been one issue… I think about meat ALL THE TIME!


-Tace Samet

An Open Letter To Gary Bettman

Dear Mr. Gary Bettman,

Why did you have to take my beloved NHL away from ESPN and put it on Versus? Back in the day I could sit down on my couch with a soda and some chips and enjoy a hockey game commentated by Gary Thorne and Bill Clement. Barry Melrose would come on at intermission and tell me why my Colorado Avalanche were killing the Red Wings.

I never had to go far up on my dial, since ESPN was a culturally relevant channel carried by all cable providers. The Stanley Cup Playoffs were actually televised on at least three channels simultaneously thanks to ESPN having three stations available to broadcast live coverage. All of the Stanley Cup Finals games were available for everyone to watch on ABC or ESPN, instead of being available on one obscure channel no one had ever heard of five years ago.

Yes Mr. Bettman, Poker had eclipsed your league in terms of television ratings. This was at a time when the league was at its most un-followable moment, right around a lockout year with few players with any transcendent appeal. You, Gary dearest, took the money that was offered to you by NBC and Versus not realizing that in the process you doomed the sport you love so much to anonymity.

How can anyone who is new to the sport take it seriously when the coverage of it is preceded by men with funny southern accents fishing for bass and is followed by loggers sawing through trees? The average American must think "What is this game called hockey? Must be pretty boring and irrelevant if its on this channel." Bam, one possible fan lost, Monsieur Bettman.

The NHL is at its most appealing point since the league boasted none other than Wayne Gretzky. Take a look at how well the Capitals do in terms of support in Washington, DC. The district, and its suburbs, is one of the more demographically diverse areas in the nation. You do not have to be white in this town to know who Alexander Ovechkin is or why he is so great to watch.

The league is chock full of young marketable stars, surely you are aware of this Mr. Bettman. Wouldn't it make sense to try and get them out there on a network of relevance? The numbers for the Stanley Cup Playoffs and Finals last season were some of the best the NHL has seen in years. And yet Gary, if these playoffs had been on ESPN and ABC just imagine how the company owned by Disney could have made those numbers grow to even higher heights?

Gary Bettman, when the time comes to decided where to take the league's television rights again, please, do take whatever ESPN offers. I want to remember what it felt like being a kid watching Peter Forsberg score on Chris Osgood. I want to remember not having to go so high on my dial to find one of my favourite sports. Gary, I am so tired of watching Daniel Negreanu & Co. play Texas Hold 'Em. Put them back where they came from, not on television.

Hell Gary, even the NHL video game last season won best sports game. Let's capitalize on this momentum Gary, I know we can make the NHL relevant again.

Yours,

Charlie Klein

Relieving stress, one gormet meal at a time

by Emily Cahn

Stress seems to be my best friend this semester. With a full course load and a demanding job at The Hatchet, coping with stress has become one of my top priorities. While it may not be good for my waistline, cooking has become my mode of stress relief. Whether I am baking peanut butter chocolate chip brownies with dark chocolate ganache on top, or cooking up a whole wheat pizza with ground turkey, mozzarella cheese and topped with arugala salad, the time I spend in the kitchen helps put me at ease.

Stress relief means different things for different people, but for me, the smell of a gormet meal reminds me of home, and thinking of home takes my mind off of the mounds of work I have waiting for me to complete.

I also find that cooking makes me feel accomplished. Eating is a necessary task, however when I am able to cook a particularly challenging meal, it is also a rewarding experience.

Pictured below are some photos of my recent successes in the kitchen.

In order: Peanut butter chocolate chip brownies with dark chocolate ganache, baked apples with pecans, and whole wheat pizza with Mediterranean salad on top.

Snack Insanity

by Ashley Carufel

After midnight, my brain stops functioning normally; however, excessive schoolwork occasionally forces me to stay up.
Last Wednesday I had to prepare for two midterms and write a three-page paper. Since I procrastinated like a pro, I knew from the start that I had a long night ahead. I secluded myself in a computer lab in Ivory Tower, and there were two obnoxious guys already in there. Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Annoying were giggling at techno music and anime shorts, and my patience was thinning.
"Hey, can you watch our shit? We're grabbing a Pita."
Around 2:30 a.m. the Tweedles left me to cure their munchies, but my brain had turned to the dark side- my body was swaying like Ray Charles as I typed, my hair was inxplicable from raking my hands through it, and my feet- well they were fine, they're feet. Anyway I was staring at the wall, but the asinine techno music was making it impossible to focus on anything. Like I said- I lose normal brain function after midnight. Well the Tweedles had a lot of "shit": several bags, three jackets (for 2 guys?), their laptops...and a box of Cheez-Its.
Cheez-Its are awesome. Cheez-Its are salty. Cheez-Its had to be mine immediately. You would of thought I was staring at Brad Pitt in cheese cracker form- I. wanted. their. Cheez-Its.
Operation Cracker Nab became a battle of my morals over my sudden hunger. Everytime someone walked by the glass door to the lab I would jerk in fear that the Tweedles would catch me making eyes at their gold box of joy.
I was never the fastest kid in gym class. I got winded carrying a pumpkin uphill last weekend. But my friends, I tell you- I would have won an Olympic medal.

I took their box of Cheez-Its.
They were stale.

Post 1 by Justine Karp

On my walk to class every day I pass at least 2 or more homeless people who are always sitting in the same spots. For the past three years I have been quick to walk right by and not make eye contact. I have always been a big advocate against giving homeless people money because many times they will take it to feed their drug or alcohol addiction. But I have always had the thought of bringing them food. I don't know what struggles they have been through and I can be sure that they will be extremely happy to accept any amount of food offered to them. I have found one man on my walk who doesn't even have a sign or a cup begging for money. He literally just sits on the street usually rocking back and forth trying to get through the day. A few weeks ago I decided to buy him a sandwich on my way to class and he accepted it graciously. Another day I was carrying a bag of sliced apples and knew I wouldn't be able to eat them all and gave them to him. Once again he was very thankful for the food. I know I am only helping one person and that a sandwich is not going to change his life. However, I feel that I am fortunate enough to have food on my plate three meals a day and have decided that a simple gesture such as that means a lot to him. I feel it is so important to help people out in any way you can no matter how much you help them. I always walk away an then watch from afar as he enjoys his food and I am glad he can have at least that meal that day.

Hello Everyone: Our goal here is to get comfortable with writing in the blogging style. It doesn't mean that you forget good grammar, or use those awful shorthand abbreviations that people use when texting, but rather that you adopt a more conversation writing style and be more willing to offer your opinions online.

You should offer opinions, make personal observations, tell stories, describe things you see around the campus that you'd like to share with the class. Liberate yourself.

Mike Shanahan