Best of Opinion
From The Hoya’s TedXGeorgetown 2015 series, Darius Baxter (COL ’16) writes a letter about the special powers his dog, Princess, had.
“Princess was no ordinary dog, she had special powers. Princess had the ability to cheer you up when you were down. She was able to fit into tiny places I couldn’t reach when she knew she had done something wrong. Princess had super speed and a bark that could wake everyone on the block at 6 in the morning. But the power that trumped them all was that Princess was born without fear.”
Hoya Historian Matthew Quallen (SFS ’16) details the somewhat-twisted story of a former Georgetown University staff member.
“One article makes mention of an annual ‘Pebbles’ birthday party’ on the third floor of Ryan Hall. Students frequently entered [Pebbles] in Alpha Phi Omega’s Ugliest Face on Campus fundraiser. One year, the nomination claimed that ‘the department of health once condemned Pebbles’ face.’”
VIEWPOINT: The Georgetown That Saved Me
Lexi Dever (COL ’16) discusses her experiences as a transgender student in the Georgetown community.
“But it is. It will always be. You have that going for you. But whether you like it or not, I have made my home here. I have found a space where I can exist. You are correct on one thing: Georgetown does go against the Catholic Church in its acceptance of the queer community. In the ideal that we should respect each other, Georgetown embodies Catholicism better than the Vatican itself. Georgetown has made a space for me and for the queer community.”
VIEWPOINT: Transcend Hate, Appreciate Humanity
Parisian Benjamin Lillian (COL ’18) reflects on the Paris attacks.
“Paris stood strong against the Hun and Mongol hordes, it rose again after the Nazis. It will stand strong and beautiful again after this hate. Let this not only be a cry for Paris, but for love around the world and a city that embodies pluralism, and does not want to overshadow the anguish of others. Instead, it wants to bring a wake-up call to collective appreciation on a global and human scale.”
VIEWPOINT: End the Stigma, Start the Dialogue
Clare Mallahan (COL ’16) writes about ending mental health stigma and reforming CAPS.
“I joined the Georgetown University Student Association Mental Health Committee to help determine ways to reduce the stigma of mental illness. My name is Clare Mallahan and I suffer from depression. This does not make me crazy or sick; it makes me one in four adults in the United States. At Georgetown, we need CAPS reform and administrative change, but right now, we also just need more dialogue. I know I’m not the only one on this campus who suffers from these issues, but sometimes, it can get pretty lonely. No one likes to admit they are not happy all the time, but it is the truth. The more we speak up, the more we engage in dialogue, the more we take some of the heavy weight off our shoulders, the more we can accomplish.”
Harold A. Maio • Jan 1, 2016 at 6:17 pm
—-“I joined the Georgetown University Student Association Mental Health Committee to help determine ways to reduce the stigma of mental illness.
It is interesting that we can be taught “stigmas”. I am not sure at what age we learn them, nor at what age we overcome the lesson.
College was where I overcame some of my prejudices, it is sad to see the above prejudice survives in this student.