January, 2012

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Jan. 30, 2012

OHRL Nixes Room Retention, Group Priority

 

The Office of Housing and Residence Life has made changes to the housing selection process which includes the elimination of room retention, priority for groups and a new $300 security deposit. OHRL is doing these things to reduce uncertainty in the housing selection process.

This year, those with the least amount of credits will be given priority in housing selection. This is designed to give underclassmen a better chance at living on campus, said Jen Frank, assistant director of Housing Services. At an information session Thursday, some were concerned that this threatens senior privilege.

“We do acknowledge that some portion of seniors will be on the Guaranteed Waiting List from the start of the process,” Frank said. “We really think that the older students are more suited to deal with that ambiguity of being on the wait list.”

Those seniors will still be guaranteed housing on campus, just maybe not in the location of their choice. Students also will no longer be able to retain the same housing they have now, but instead will reenter the housing pool each year.

Another change is that group applicants will be given priority over individuals in the housing selection.  “[Students] spend all their time and energy on roommate and suitemate problems, and the community doesn’t get built because there’s all that negativity there,” said Frank.

The idea is that people who know their roommates ahead of time are more likely to have a positive roommate experience.

There will also be a new $300 deposit that students must pay after selecting their housing. OHRL instituted this to make students commit to living on- or off-campus.  They will credit the deposit back to students’ accounts in October, Frank said.

Last year, the OHRL website crashed during housing selection. In order to reduce traffic, selection this year will be staggered so that students will be given a widow of time to select their housing. Group applicants will choose a leader to login and choose their housing. The OHRL website will also feature a new tool called Room Locator, which will allow students to see which rooms they can select as they become available, said Myra Gibson, housing services coordinator at Eisenhower, at a Housing Selection Forum Thursday.

The additional 600 beds that will come from the opening of the Whitetop and Rogers dorms next could make up for the 500 or so people who apply but are not guaranteed housing. It will also mean more choices for upperclassmen that are the last to select housing.

“This is the year to do that change,” Frank said. “Because if we do it any other year more people will end up on the wait

News
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Jan. 30, 2012

BOV Talks Korea Branch, Athletics

 

The George Mason University Board of Visitors met Wednesday to discuss and update several endeavors that the university is currently undertaking.

One of the most important items presented at the meeting was an update on Mason’s efforts to establish a branch in Songdo, South Korea’s Incheon Free Economic Zone. According to the Songdo Task Force, Mason has not finalized the plans for the foreign branch because it has not received a post-five-year financial analysis from its Korean partners.

There is still hope amongst administration officials that the information can be gathered in time for a tentative March 2013 opening of the Songdo branch.

Another major talking point of the meeting was the budget for Mason’s athletic program. In a PowerPoint presented in part by Thomas O’Connor at the meeting, it was stated that only two percent of Mason’s budget goes toward athletics. This means that of the $858.9 million that Mason has at its disposal, athletics receives only $17.4 million.

It was also stated that Mason’s athletic program is not self sustaining; fully 75 percent of the combined athletic program’s revenue is generated through student fees, according to the PowerPoint.

The collaboration between Mason and the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, Va., was also mentioned at the meeting.

The institute is operating a zoo at Front Royal, the purpose of which is to protect endangered species.

“They have 3,200 acres in Front Royal,” said Daniel Clemente, vice rector of the Board of Visitors, who recently visited the zoo. “[There were] cheetahs living in their natural habitat, not in cages. All that was between us was chicken wire.”

Another item discussed at the meeting was the efforts of Mason graduate Zainab Salbi, who founded Women for Women International, an international women’s rights advocacy group.

The next meeting is planned for March 21.

 

Sports
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Jan. 30, 2012

Walk-on to Sing National Anthem at Homecoming Game

 

Walk-on junior Jordan Baird is a unique talent.

He has been on “American Idol.” He performed live for Simon Cowell on “The X-Factor.” And he will be singing in front of a sold out Patriot Center on Saturday night as the men take on Old Dominion to put an exclamation point on Homecoming week.

by John Powell

Right out of high school, Baird packed his bags for Orlando in hopes of landing a deal with a major record label. He excelled through four rounds of “American Idol” before being eliminated and, thus, winding up at Mason where he is pursuing a degree in music.

“Something like that happening right out of high school -- it was just a blast,” Baird said. “You can take something away from almost any experience. So that was a really big learning thing for me.”

Despite his lack of playing time for the Patriots, Baird is enjoying the grind of a long basketball season and continues to work hard, preparing himself for the opportunity that he might one day be needed on the floor.

“[College basketball] has been a dream come true,” he said. “We know our place as walk-ons. But just because you know your place doesn’t mean you can’t be working for something more.”

On Saturday evening, Baird will be called upon to sing the National Anthem before the Patriots take on the Old Dominion Monarchs. The sold out Patriot Center will be the second-largest crowd he has ever performed for but says he will not be nervous during the song.

“The singing part isn’t what’s nerve-racking,” he said. “The two minutes leading up will be the nerve racking part. But it will be great. I’m looking forward to it.”

 

 

 

Sports
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Jan. 30, 2012

Back With Philly Swag

 

Two seasons ago, redshirt sophomore forward Janaa Pickard led the team with 45 blocks in 30 games as one of the women’s basketball team’s most consistent defenders off the bench. In preparing for last season, she sustained an injury that is becoming all too common for teams needing to play rougher: She tore her ACL during the preseason.

by John Powell

It was an unfortunate, freak injury.

“The exhibition game last year, most people probably don’t even remember, we’re up in our full-court pressure,” Coach Jeri Porter said. “She’s on the ball. She goes one way, her leg goes the other and [she] didn’t see a minute on the floor for us last year.”

For a team relying on new blood to transform the program from perennial underachievers to competitors -- a lofty goal in itself -- the loss of Pickard for the 2010-11 season would prove difficult to overcome. The Patriots went 13-17 overall and 7-11 in the conference for an eighth-place finish and a first-round loss in the tournament.

Pickard worked as much as possible during the offseason and at the midway point of the conference schedule, proves she did not miss a beat.

Through 18 games she totaled 33 blocks, good again for the team lead. She became a scoring force, even on a team where Taleia Moton seems to drain every shot she puts up. Her 9.1 points per game is good for third on the team.

“I kind of jokingly told her yesterday after practice that I’m starting to see a little bit of that Philly swag coming back,” Porter said, “because every game she’s getting a little more mobile, and looking a little more like herself.”

That’s not to say the transition was not difficult. Support staffs always help.

“I never had any serious injuries,” Pickard said. “But I had my teammates and my coaches push me through it and tell me to keep working and that I’d get back eventually.”

It may have been her first transition -- from playing in high school to playing in college -- that led to the injury in the first place. The player and coach each have a different view of that transition.

“Transferring from high school to college was about confidence,” Pickard said. “Once you develop that confidence, it helps the shots go in.”

Porter’s take is more telling; it shows a possible reason that specific injury could have occurred.

“I think the biggest transition for her coming out of high school was the physicality. She was always kind of a finesse jump shooter -- long, athletic,” Porter said.

For a finesse player, the transition to a more aggressive defensive and offensive style of play was difficult. Combined with a confidence that she could do more on the team, she played more aggressively. The quicker style of play put her body ahead of her legs for the accident.

But the season off hurt nothing. It gave her a year to develop as a stronger player and gave her time to better understand her coach’s system and become a smarter player.

“For a kid like Janaa, it’s huge,” Porter said of the year off. “She’s super smart, [has a] really high basketball IQ. We’ve even talked about what kind of things she saw sitting last year that she can now use to her advantage.”

The time transformed the player into one of the leaders while still young in her Mason career much like how teammate Taleia Moton’s year off and Sherrod Wright’s year off on the men’s side marked a visible improvement.

“I develop every year as a person, as a player. I don’t know. It just happens,” Pickard said.

She came in with a blocking strength and with more time on the court. Her rebounding and scoring numbers should improve as she becomes more physical and her body catches up to her style of play.

“She’s a kid that we’re really excited about,” Porter said. “With two more years beyond this one and the skill set she’s got, we just think that the sky is the limit for her.”

And Pickard is content where her career stands.

“I’m just happy to contribute to this program as long as I can.”

 

 

 

 

Sports
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Jan. 30, 2012

More Than a Game

 

The life of a college student.

Despite the workload and other scholastic challenges involved in a semester of academia, students all over find the time to workout their thumbs through video games.

The Mason recreation department capitalized on students’ thirst for video games and challenged them to participate in an NFL Madden Tournament on Thursday night in Corner Pocket.

Sixteen participants began the tournament at 7 p.m. in Student Union Building II, playing four rounds until junior Health, Fitness and Recreation Resources major Isaac Johnson walked away as the champion.

“I can only play a couple games in a row,” Johnson said. “Otherwise, I get tired. So that was difficult.”

Despite playing a couple games a day, Johnson came into the tournament at a major disadvantage.

While Johnson plays at home on his XBOX 360, he was forced to make the switch to a Playstation 3 in the tournament.

As well, he typically plays online as the Detroit Lions but, because contestants could not update the standard 2012 rosters, Johnson adapted and elected to play with the 2012 NFC Champion New York Giants.

Johnson led at the half 14-7 and completed the victory by a final score of 23-14.

“The first game was the toughest,” Johnson said. “I went with the Cowboys in the first game and was matched up with the Steelers. I won by a touchdown but the game was really close.”

As a junior, Johnson still has one year left to compete in the tournament and plans to capitalize on the opportunity, aiming for his second straight title in 2013.

 

 

 

 

Sports
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Jan. 30, 2012

Oft-Injured Forward Sidelined Again

 

Paris Bennett started the first exhibition for the Patriots to open their 2011-12 campaign. He also started the second, before an injury sidelined him for 10 games, the reason fans have not heard his name much since then.

by John Powell

Returners came back with a vengeance and underclassmen -- even freshmen -- had a chance to step up. A second injury in three years cost him more than any other player could.

“I think if he doesn’t get injured, he’s playing a lot more,” Coach Paul Hewitt said. “He had a bad ankle injury versus Marquette and subsequent to getting back on the court, he had a bad blister on the back of his foot. All those things contributed to a situation where certain guys got ahead of him.”

Starting guard Andre Cornelius missed 10 games at the beginning of the season, but came back and upended the starting lineup, moving in where Hewitt rotated underclassmen at the top of the key.

Forward Mike Morrison missed nearly all of his offseason games coming back from an injury of his own, but came back knowing his starting job would not be in jeopardy.

Both upperclassmen had something that Bennett could not claim. Not age, not their class, not even the number of minutes they played in years past, but the fact they had already established themselves as role players.

Cornelius returned as a point guard who liked to shoot – before he was moved to the shooting guard role – and Morrison returned as the team’s strong, physical hype man.

“[Cornelius] was one of three guys that had the most minutes that were played out of all of us,” Bennett said of last year’s point guard.

It was Bennett’s second experience missing a chunk of playing time. After breaking his wrist his first year, he was sidelined alongside teammate Vertrail Vaughns, making both of them redshirt sophomores this year. Vaughns came back keeping his unorthodox shot, draining treys from every part of the arc, eyeing the six-man spot after Isaiah Tate left. Consistency gave him a starting job.

“Coach feels like, in that situation, they could go in,” Bennett said. “He’s the coach, he’s got to make decisions. I can’t do anything about that.”

The backcourt has undeniable depth to stay around for a few more years and the frontcourt has all of the team’s experience as well as the youth to back it up.

“Right now, Bryon [Allen]’s playing pretty well,” Hewitt said. “Sherrod [Wright]has really put together some solid games. [Cornelius], the second half, has been stepping up, making big threes, shooting the ball well. Vertrail, defensively, on the ball, is really, really tough. Corey [Edwards is] a good basketball point guard.

“Paris can play. Ryan [Pearson]’s probably the Player of the Year in the league. Mike [Morrison] is a big-time 5-man. Erik Copes is a shot-blocking rebounder. It’s nothing about him. It’s more of a numbers crunch.”

For a first-year coach, the aim is to win games and to see how different players could have an impact on the game. In that regard, Bennett should have had the upper hand.

“Early in the season at practice, I was very impressed with his knowledge. There was a game, there were a couple of practices where Bryon was out with the flu or something like that and [Bennett] ran the point,” Hewitt said. “He’s a very smart player. He’s going to be a heck of a coach one day.”

2011 was not the first time Hewitt saw the guard. Before Rivals.com named Bennett as the top small forward recruit in the CAA, Hewitt saw him play at St. Patrick.

“The first time I saw him play, I think I was there for Kyrie Irving. He’s always been a good guy,” Hewitt said. “I remember seeing him playing a high school game, might’ve been his senior year in Trenton, he got popped in the mouth.”

Even after that game, where -- if Hewitt’s memory recalls correctly -- he missed the postseason with a concussion, Bennett pushed through in getting recruited by Mason.

This is only one more step on a bumpy road.

“I’m proud of how he’s handled everything. He’s been terrific,” Hewitt said. “I’m sure he’s frustrated. I understand it, but I’ve always told players you go back to your room, you scream and yell and shout because you’re frustrated. That’s fine, but when you’re part of a team, you have to stay ready and have a positive outlook.”

With motivation like that from his coach, Bennett is certainly not taking a back seat to his own recovery. There are seemingly no thoughts of transferring, just thoughts on working for another opportunity.

“All I’ve got to do is keep playing hard. I know if I work hard, I’ll keep getting better,” Bennett said. “I love it here.”

 

Style
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Jan. 30, 2012

Liam Neeson Dances With Wolves in ‘The Grey’, Except Instead of Dancing With Them, He Kills Them

 

You may think you’re a badass, but until you trek across the Alaskan wilderness with next-to-no supplies while a pack of savage wolves is stalking you, you can go ahead and just sit down.

“The Grey” stars the baddest of badasses, Liam Neeson, in pretty much the same role he played in “Taken” and “Unknown.” The difference here is that instead of punching thugs, he’s punching wolves. This begs the question: Why do we keep putting Chuck Norris on a pedestal when clearly Liam Neeson is the new standard for all things manly?

In case you’re unfamiliar with the premise of the film, it’s about an oil-drilling team and their fight for survival after their plane crashes in the northern Alaskan wilderness. As if things aren’t bad enough, shortly after they come to terms with the direness of their situation, the band of survivors encounters a pack of wolves that make their journey home all the more dangerous.

The theme of man versus nature is one of the oldest tropes in literature. Director Joe Carnahan, known for his films “Smokin Aces” and “The A-Team” takes a tenser and more tightly wrought approach to action in this film. It’s not about explosions and spectacle here; it’s about survival.

Carnahan made another film earlier in his career, “Narc” starring Ray Liotta, and with “The Grey,” it’s apparent that that was the film he chose to channel.

“The Grey” could have easily been an action film devoid of characters, laced with placeholders whom we would just be waiting to watch die. Instead we’re given well-developed characters with multiple layers to explore. So when the inevitable comes, and characters start to die, you feel it.

Another underlying theme tackles the question of which group is stronger and more capable of surviving. It’s a pack-versus-pack situation. There are a few moments throughout that really highlight this idea including a howling scene that I won’t spoil for you.

Make no mistake: This is a man’s man-type of film. I recommend making this one part of a guys’ night out. Go out with your friends, enjoy the film and then hit up the bar and debate who among you is more capable of surviving nature. Just don’t actually try to go out and survive in the wild. Stick with your backyard for now.

 

 

Style
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Jan. 30, 2012

Smartphones May Damage Relationships

 

We have all noticed that most George Mason University students are on their phones when walking from one class to the next. A majority of students are on iPhones or application-savvy smartphones. According to CNET, the popular tech media website, over one-third of the U.S. population owns a smartphone. This means that every third person sitting in your class right now has one.

On what would seem like a completely irrelevant note, many couples are also calling it quits and many friendships are now losing value. So what does this have anything to do with smartphones? It has to do with smartphones because many blogs and editorials are now seeing a correlation between deteriorating relationships and this popular technology.

There are more than a few reasons why your beloved iPhone is keeping you single — reasons like distractions.

Half the time when you’re on a dinner date and your phone keeps vibrating, you will eventually check it. And this will lead to the infamous line, “Sorry, what’d you say?” or playing Temple Run on your iPhone while tweeting about your date. Now that’s a really bad first impression and will probably be your first and last date.

Miscommunication is another common problem. There probably have been times when you sent a funny, sarcastic text to your significant other, but he or she wasn’t in the joking mood. Miscommunication is probably the most frustrating problem with smartphones. A text cannot only be misunderstood but also misread and misinterpreted. Even a simple “OK” can come off seeming slightly annoyed. The phone — like the future of your relationship — is in your hand. So just call the person.

What about secrets? Most people have probably been in an incident in which their significant other’s phone went off and they rushed to silence it. What about those mysteriously flirty messages on his phone from some other girl? Smartphones have damaged many relationships because unfaithfulness is easier when you can just text or download an entirely separate app to communicate with other people that your better half never has to know about.

Then there’s the blame game. When you’re annoyed with a friend you’ll most likely ignore them. Unlike a friend, a girlfriend or boyfriend will continuously call and text. A whole day of ignoring calls and texts will get you nowhere. Once they show up on your doorstep what will you say? Probably something unimaginative such as, “My phone died,” or, “I just got all your texts!” Congratulations on using excuses that stopped being viable five years ago.

Smartphones, or any cellular phone, have benefited relationships tremendously as well. But as we readily adapt to this common technology we also find loopholes to abuse this privilege. This puts a great deal of stress on any relationship. Using a smartphone will become almost necessary in the future, but we can’t forget to give an actual hug and kiss to the ones we love. “XOXO” simply will not suffice.

 

 

Style
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Jan. 30, 2012

SUB 1: The Gathering

 

Anyone who’s ever eaten at the Rathskeller, or any other dining facility in the lower level of Student Union Building I, has probably noticed the crowd of people that usually forms just outside the doors of the RAT. To the average passerby, that’s all it is — a group of people huddled around, playing a card game. But what game could possibly keep people so invested that they find themselves in the same place most days? One word: “Magic.” Magic: The Gathering is a popular card game played by an estimated 12 million people around the world, in which players assume the roles of warring mages as they summon creatures and cast spells to attack their opponents, draining their life until only one man is left standing.

“If you were to try and sum up Magic in 10 words or less, you couldn’t,” said sophomore economics major Nathan McBrady. “There are just too many styles of play.”

Indeed, Magic is a game that is easy to learn yet extremely difficult to master. Here at George Mason University, it’s less about the competitiveness and more about having fun with friends.

“I was just wandering around, looking for Chick-fil-A,” said freshman computer game art and design major Rudy Wielman. “I came in here, I think, the third week of last semester and just started playing.”

The group that hangs out outside of the RAT is non-exclusive and welcomes any and all players, even if they’ve never picked up a deck before.

“I had never played till I sat down and said, ‘Hey, this looks fun. Could you teach me how to play?’” McBrady said. “Anyone can just come up to this group and want to learn how to play, and someone will give them a deck and teach them how.”

Despite the game’s popularity, a negative stigmata endures, one that is often applied to Magic players in much the same way as it is to players of other fantasy-based games.

“What people need to understand about this game is that it’s played across every age spectrum, every major, every race and every gender,” said junior Latin America studies major Brett Oye. “If you go to tournaments, you’ll play against anyone from electrical engineers to doctors. And as long as you’re willing to laugh and not take it serious, you’ll have fun playing it.”

Whether you play video games, fantasy football, LARP or any other activity that requires participants to enter a fantasy world, we all role play at some point. And while some of you may laugh and make snide remarks, take a moment and think about this: Most Magic tournaments offer over $200,000 in cash prizes to winners, including $45,000 to the top player.

Not bad for just a card game.

 

 

Style
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Jan. 30, 2012

TV is Not What it Used to Be

 

For the great majority of Patriots, growing up on the Eastern Seaboard during the '90s evokes memories that fill one with the nostalgic longing for yesterday. In neighborhood playgrounds across the states, Pokémon battles erupted among elephant pants-clad elementary schoolers, Pluto was still a planet, a hot plate of Pizza Pockets awaited in the kitchen after school and Walkmans were all the “rage.” Times were good but even better once Saturday morning arrived, when one ran down to the family basement and binged on all the new cartoons of the week.

These days, kids don’t get excited over Saturday mornings like they once used to. The Millennial generation is now coming to an end and the new additions to our society, Generation Z’ers, are not given the justice they deserve from television programming. The moral education that was once provided through shows such as “The Wild Thornberrys”, Rocket Power, “Zoom!” and “Doug” have been replaced by mindless humor, inappropriateness and bad role models. This does not bode well for the future.

As children, the Millennials were graced by a set of programs that exemplified the changing morality of our nation. Becoming less conservative and embracing all the diversity that was becoming a part of the classroom was a big theme in many TV shows. However, shows today are becoming a bit too “modern” with lewd material much too mature for a younger audience being shown on a regular basis. Watching Cory make all those dumb errors, and then have Mr. Feeny give him a moral education has been replaced by clubbing adventures in “Jersey Shore” — a show that gains more than 50 percent of its audience from the “tweens” of today. The all-too-adult content of this show is introducing a type of dangerous revelry that kids see as the norm, and this is true for much of today’s programming.

Perhaps the greatest disappointment of today is the lack of role models. In the ‘90s, American teens had an actor or actress who they could look up to, from Amanda Bynes to Frankie Muniz. In the 2000s, these role models turned into irresponsible individuals who made poor decisions. From DUIs to underage pregnancies, current actors represent a small percentage of modern teenagers who are not fit to give anyone any advice! The steady degradation of suitable television role models within our society is inevitably leading to a less-wholesome upbringing for many children in America.

Overall, the quality of television is definitely declining within the United States. The type of content shown has gone from innocent and helpful to mature and vulgar. Today’s kids are definitely at a risk with all of these negative external influences. What this bodes for the future of America is unclear, but it’s definitely foreseeable that as innocence dies out, kids will be absorbing content that is neither appropriate nor safe for their growing minds.