After almost three years of anticipation and delays, Epicurean & Co. opened its doors to a select group yesterday in a pre-grand opening ceremony before it officially opens on Wednesday.

The invitation-only event, open to Darnall residents and selected faculty, featured a large sampling of Epicurean’s buffet-style menu, including lobster, sushi, steak and salads — all free of charge.

Only a Democratic victory in the upcoming presidential election will allow for a renewed and focused effort against international threats and stability in the Middle East, Sen. Joseph Biden (D-Del.) said in a foreign policy speech Tuesday in Gaston Hall.

The ongoing violence between the Israelis and Palestinians can be resolved peacefully with the United States as a major Palestinian ally, Palestine Liberation Organization Ambassador to the United States Afif Safieh said yesterday in the Intercultural Center Auditorium.

Yesterday marked the 60th anniversary of Israel’s creation as an independent state. On Copley Lawn, the Georgetown Israel Alliance hosted a birthday party. There was free food, hookah and a moon bounce.

And there were protesters.

For J. Craig Venter, 10 years is too long to wait: He wants to increase production of synthetic alternative fuels replacing fossil fuels within the next year or two.

Venter, the man who mapped the human genome in 2001 and one of Time Magazine’s 100 most influential people, detailed his current work on synthetic fuels, among other projects, in the Intercultural Center Auditorium Wednesday.

Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kan.) pushed for a confluence of faith and politics during a discussion with University President John J. DeGioia Wednesday night in Copley Formal Lounge.

Green business is good business, according to New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg in a speech Tuesday in Gaston Hall.

The current political climate in the nation’s capital gives the Democrats a distinct advantage in the upcoming presidential election, ABC News’ Chief Washington Correspondent George Stephanopoulos told a capacity crowd in the Intercultural Center Auditorium on Tuesday.

Honoring Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (D-S.D., COL ’93, GRAD ’96, LAW ’96) for her role in advocating issues prevalent to students, the Georgetown University College Democrats presented her with the inaugural Alumna of the Year award yesterday in the Gervase Conference Room.

Ted Leonsis (CAS ’77) may be an AOL emeritus vice chairman, film producer of “Nanking” and owner of the Washington Capitals and Washington Mystics, but he returned to his alma mater yesterday to discuss his film, life and the Internet with a class in the Intercultural Center.