Archive for September, 2011

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  Getting to Know Mason’s LLCs

  News1 September 26, 2011 at 7:42 pm Comments are Disabled

  George Mason University is home to 13 Living Learning Communities, each of which offer many benefits for residents who join them. LLCs are sections of resident housing, sometimes even whole floors, where students with similar interests and majors elect to live near each other. Enrollment into an LLC is not described as a complicated procedure. When students sign up for on-campus housing, they have the opportunity to join one. After submitting the general housing application, residents must also complete a separate LLC application where they answer three questions: why they wish to join the LLC, how it will help them in their future career and something unique about themselves. After this process, candidates may then have to attend interviews to determine if they are a good fit for the LLC of their choice. In addition, residents may be required to attend summer orientation and the LLC Brunch, as well as attend classes pertinent to the LLC of which they belong. “We’re really tight knit,” said art and visual technology major Jenna Krashin, who is a member of the Mindful Living LLC. “We have class once a week, and we go on retreats … [The upper classmen are] going on another […]

   
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  West Campus Connector Planning Continues

  News1 September 26, 2011 at 7:41 pm Comments are Disabled

  The intersection of Braddock Road and Ox Road is one of the busiest in Fairfax County, so the hope is that the upcoming West Campus Connector project will assuage some of the congestion. “The actual site and whether it’s an underpass or bridge hasn’t been determined yet,” said Josh Cantor, director of parking and transportation for George Mason University and a co-chair of the transportation and traffic master plan. “There will be a connection that will either go under or over Ox Road somewhere between Mason Pond Drive and University Drive.” The $15 million project was green-lit last semester after the Virginia Department of Transportation offered the money. No timetable has been approved officially, though Cantor said he hopes construction can be finished by fall 2013. Mason will oversee construction of the project. “This became a high priority from the county and VDOT’s perspective because while it helps the university tremendously, one of the major issues we dealt with in the master planning process is the traffic on Braddock Road that has a definite impact on the nearby community,” Cantor said. Cantor said the project could cut traffic on Braddock Road during peak hours by as much as 30 percent […]

   

• Mason Point Guard Andre Cornelius Arrested

  News1, Sports September 26, 2011 at 7:38 pm Comments are Disabled

  Andre Cornelius, senior point guard for the George Mason University men’s basketball team, has been suspended from the team pending the outcome of credit card fraud and larceny charges, resulting from his arrest Friday, Sept. 16. Mason has since announced that Cornelius will be subject to a judicial review in addition to a criminal trial. “[Cornelius] has been summarily suspended pending the outcome of the legal proceedings and an investigation by the university’s Office of Judicial Affairs,” said Maureen Nasser, director of communications for the athletic department. Cornelius appeared in court Tuesday, Sept. 20 for his arraignment at the Fairfax County Courthouse. He did not have to answer to any charges at the arraignment, but the defendant did introduce his attorney, Councilman Manuel A. Capsalis. A basketball team manager also accompanied Cornelius at the arraignment hearing. It is unclear at this time why the team manager was present in the courtroom. Both Cornelius and his attorney are expected to return to the Fairfax County Courthouse for the preliminary court hearing scheduled for Nov. 15 at 2 p.m. According to the Mason Police Botter for Sept. 16, Cornelius was arrested by Mason police for credit card fraud and credit card larceny. […]

   
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  Stephen King Visits Mason

  News1 September 26, 2011 at 7:34 pm Comments are Disabled

  Author Stephen King visited George Mason University on Friday as part of the Fall for the Book festival. Mason awarded King the Mason Award for “extraordinary contributions to bringing literature to a wide reading public.”As part of the event, held at the Center for the Arts, King spent time talking about his inspirations, had a question-and-answer session and read excerpts from his upcoming book titled “11/22/63.”

   
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  Fifth-Year Senior Takes Advantage of Opportunities That Come With Playing Collegiate Soccer

  Sports September 19, 2011 at 6:09 pm Comments are Disabled

  Casual newspaper readers do not see the names of defenders in the headlines of their sports section. For that matter, neither do soccer enthusiasts. But George Mason University’s men’s soccer coach Greg Andrulis has relied on fifth-year senior Eric Zuehsow for the most of his career. While Draymond Washington was a forward when he came in with the Patriots and was reeled back, as were junior Paul Andrews and sophomore Alex Herrera, Zuehsow has shown off his defensive work as a long-time fixture of the Patriots defense. That is not to say that his style of play has stayed the same. “My first year, I was battling fitness. My second year, battling injuries,” Zuehsow said. “It was, ‘I’m two years into this, it’s kind of tough.’ I had a good summer going into my junior year and finally got things rolling again.” He found his start in the game as most college and pro players have. He started micro soccer when he was young and worked his way to playing club soccer and defending for Broad Run High School. It was in Ashburn that he caught the eye of Andrulis and his coaching staff. When looking for colleges, he put […]

   

• Unlike the NFL, NBA Lockout May Be For Real

  Sports September 19, 2011 at 6:07 pm Comments are Disabled

  The autumn season is one of my favorite times of the sports year. It marks the beginning of the football season – NCAA and NFL; the end of the baseball playoffs; and, my personal favorite, the tip-off to the collegiate and professional basketball seasons. Every single night there is bound to be an intriguing sports spectacle available on the television screen. Unfortunately, however, the National Basketball Association could throw a wrench in the anticipation of sports fans throughout the nation. Similar to the National Football League this offseason, the NBA’s collective bargaining agreement has expired and owners have locked out the players, jeopardizing the beginning of the professional basketball season. To the casual fan, this doesn’t seem like such a big deal. Hell, the NFL season started on time. But it is not that simple this time around. I was never convinced that the NFL was going to miss significant time due to the collective bargaining disagreement. The two sides were never really that far apart. Their argument, more or less, consisted of one rich man agreeing to give another rich man an extra couple bucks for ice cream. This NBA lockout, though, is incredibly complex. The two sides, the […]

   

• Fantasy Football Weekly

  Sports September 19, 2011 at 6:05 pm Comments are Disabled

  Cheers Matthew Stafford The Detroit Lions quarterback had an impressive 294 yard, four touchdown outing against the lowly Kansas City Chiefs this past weekend. If healthy, Stafford can be the catalyst the Lions need to make their first postseason appearance since 1999. Jeers Chris Johnson Again? Thats right. Johnson rushed for 53 yards on 24 carries and averaged 2.2 yards per carry in Sunday’s win against the Baltimore Ravens. It was Johnson’s second consectutive game in which he ran for less than 100 yards. The Titans did win the game, but the fourth best rusher from 2010 has been nothing more than mediocre thus far. Hopefully, this is his last appearance of the season in “Jeers.”

   
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  Clock Ticking on Nike Mags Availability

  Sports September 19, 2011 at 6:04 pm Comments are Disabled

  22 years ago, when “Back to the Future Part II” hit theaters , Nike designer Tinker Hatfield designed and unveiled the most famous shoe never made available to the public: the Nike Mag. Unavailable, that is, until now. Marty McFly’s infamous kicks are now being auctioned off on eBay by Nike to raise money for The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research. Fox’s role as McFly, and the unforgettable hover board scene, helped solidify the shoes as one of the most recognizable of all-time. According to back4thefuture.com, each shoe features “electroluminescent outsole, space-age materials and a rechargeable internal battery good for 3,000 hours.” Many notable celebrities have already bought their own pairs, including San Francisco Giants closer Brian Wilson, Oklahoma City Thunder All-Star Kevin Durant, and rappers Tinie Tempah and Kid Cudi, who bought four pairs for himself. As of Sunday night, there are only 150 pairs left, with each auction starting at $0.99, and shoes are going fast. With the Nike Mags in the limelight, here’s a list of other top rated shoes of all-time, according to kicksguide.com:

   

• Generation Snookie: What Price Are We Paying for Reality TV?

  Editorials September 19, 2011 at 6:01 pm 1 comment

  Gym. Tan. Laundry. These are the keys to success — or at least are being communicated as so to the next generation. I love a decent guido brawl as much as the next person, but what are the messages that reality television programs send to children? The vain, morally bereft generation — I begrudgingly admit to be my own — is robbing the next generation of what little innocence remains out there. Would domestic violence or intimate behavior captured by night-vision cameras pass as acceptable television programming in the ‘90s? The recent phenomenon of reality TV caters to every carnal desire a viewer might have. Between the sexual, dating and competitive elements included in programs like MTV’s “Real World” and ABC’s “The Bachelor,” we can indirectly partake in activities otherwise unavailable to us in our own lives. In what dimension could anyone take three months off of work to go do the equivalent of speed dating in some exotic location or binge-drink their way into stardom? The fantastical elements of these reality stars’ lives have us entranced, but how is a generation that grew up accustomed to watching these scenarios going to learn how to differentiate between reality television and, […]

   

• Say Goodbye to the Postal Service

  Editorials September 19, 2011 at 6:00 pm Comments are Disabled

  The days of letter writing may soon be officially over as the United States Postal Service races toward bankruptcy. The most trusted federal agency of 2010 is not only riddled with billions in debt, but has yet to find funding for $5.5 billion owed to a retiree pension and health benefit trust fund. By year-end, Congress will be forced to reform the Postal Service or watch it close thousands of locations and eliminate nearly 220,000 employees. Realistically, members of Congress will toss billions of dollars at the problem and postpone necessary reforms to avoid getting themselves booted out of office in the 2012 elections. Simply put, the Postal Service is run like any other inefficient, bureaucratic monster muzzled with government labor regulations when it could be a prized beacon of modern commerce. The Postal Service financial debacle could easily be fixed were a 2006 law repealed that impractically requires the agency to fund 75 years of retiree health and pension benefits in only 10 years. While seemingly common sense, the unpromising future of the repeal is likely to force the Postal Service into default for the first time in history come Sept. 30 when the payments are due. The best […]