Articles by: Cody Norman

 

• The Carouser Report: All-American Collegiate Beer Review

  9/11 Commemorative Issue, Editorials, Special Issues September 16, 2012 at 2:08 pm Comments are Disabled

  ‘Merica. We love our beer. Nowhere is this more apparent than college campuses across this great nation.  From Juneau, Alaska to Tallahassee Florida and everywhere in between, college partiers are pounding cases of these great American beers.  They want it cheap, chuggable, and easy to forget the next morning. Below are the top five most All-American collegiate beers for your drinking pleasure.   Natural Light: 4.2 % ABV The most iconic of all collegiate beers, Natural Light, also called “Nattie” is first up on the list. If you’ve never beer bonged one of these suckers, you’ve most likely never been to college. Introduced in 1977, this beer been knocking partiers-goers out ever since.  Part of the Anheuser-Busch Family, the empty carcasses of this great beer are sure to be found at every college party. Drinkability: There is a reason college kids love this beer so much. You can drink a ton of it and never feel full. There isn’t much to say in terms of taste. Long gulps from your garden house will yield the same flavor. Cost: It doesn’t get much cheaper than Natural Light. If your scour your couch, car, and piggy bank for some extra change, you […]

   
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  Mason Professor Enlists Student Engineers for Project in Peruvian Amazon

  News1 September 16, 2012 at 2:00 pm Comments are Disabled

  Each individual in the village stood in anticipation along the riverbank. It was 1999, and after a long boat ride through the Peruvian Amazon, Dr. Michael Gilmore ended his trek at one of the four Maijuna villages in the region. Pulling a piece of paper out of his pocket, Gilmore went down the list of five names that he received from famed ethnobiologist Jim Duke a year earlier. Not one was present. “I probably spoke third grade Spanish back then,” Gilmore said. “And that’s probably too kind; maybe second grade Spanish. When none of the five names were there, I got even more nervous than I already was.” A year earlier, Gilmore was unexpectedly handed the reins to lead an ecotourism group to the Peruvian Amazon, despite his unfamiliarity with the land, when his PhD advisor forgot his passport. It was then that he met Duke and learned about the Maijuna people. Fortunately, as Gilmore stood in front of the crowd on the riverbank, an 18-year-old Maijuna man recognized Gilmore from the prior year and welcomed him into his home. From 1999 to 2004, Gilmore spent time working with the Maijuna for his Ph.D. dissertation on ethnobiology, which is the […]

   

• The Carouser Report: Work Hard, Play Harder

  Editorials September 16, 2012 at 1:58 pm Comments are Disabled

  The last rays of summer sun are finally fading into the western sky. It’s about that time when college kids begin trading in their swimsuits and wine coolers for books, pizza, and light beer. The silence that lulled over the campus’s landscape will now be replaced with the beats of party music and clinking of beer bottles. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome back; it’s party time. With my decision to take on this column, I may have become a martyr for the cause. All dreams of a respective writing career are most likely out the window. But as a weekly reader of this publication, I felt it was time for serious assessment as to how the collegiate booze culture could be properly represented. All it took was a visit to the newly elected Editor in Chief, asking if he had any space for a party writer on his staff. With some reluctance, and a fair warning, I was given this column. Perhaps you are wondering what qualifications one needs for such a prestigious job. To begin with, one must have plenty of practical experience within the college culture. This can be attained with a six year college career, and a goal […]

   

• Green Colleen: A Cheap and Easy Solution to Your Scheduling Woes

  Editorials September 16, 2012 at 1:55 pm Comments are Disabled

  Each year, as soon as the school year begins, a black hole slowly opens up in my life. Almost instantaneously money and time disappear, and my living space shrinks down to a fraction of the space that I’m used to at my parents house. This time, I’m coming in as a junior, halfway done with college. The thought is as equally terrifying as it is thrilling, and I like to think that in my time at Mason so far, I’ve learned a few tricks and tips to make college living a little easier. Cooking, and eating, are a passion of mine. Though I’m currently living in a dorm with a kitchen, I’ve also got some great recipes for easy homemade microwave meals. Grocery bills can add up quickly when you move into a room with a kitchen, so I’ll also share some of my favorite recipes and menus for cheap and quick dorm eating. I love recycling and up-cycling to turn old or unwanted things into something new and exciting. It’s also a great way to save money and have fun getting creative and crafty. I’m a firm believer in making your space your own, so I’ve completed several D.I.Y. […]

   

• Newly Released MobileMason Delivers Useful Information

  Editorials September 16, 2012 at 1:51 pm Comments are Disabled

  When I first downloaded the new MobileMason app on my iPhone a few days ago, it is safe to say I was a little hesitant. More than once, I’ve downloaded applications that I thought were going to be extremely handy, then been disappointed when the design and follow through of the application just wasn’t there. MobileMason, on the other hand, has landed a new spot on the first page of my applications, right next to my text messages, so that I can check it frequently to keep up with all of the exciting interactive features. My favorite feature is definitely the map section, which features interactive campus maps for Fairfax, Prince William and Arlington. The great part about the MobileMason maps is that you can type in any building that you’re trying to find and the application will give you a detailed map with distance and approximated walking time. For freshmen, visitors and people like me who get lost on a regular basis, this feature will be a lifesaver. Having Blackboard integrated into the application is one of the biggest reasons why I’ll be using MobileMason every day. My professors are constantly changing assignments and adding things to their courses, […]

   

• It Gets Better, Freshmen

  Editorials September 16, 2012 at 1:47 pm Comments are Disabled

  It was three years ago, nearly to the week, that I turned off Rt. 123 and made my first move toward the independent life of a college freshman. I was excited, yet terrified, for what the next four years had in store for me. Like many of you, I was moving into a crowded, uninviting room with someone I had never met and I was unsure about the prospect of living with a complete stranger. You might be experiencing some of these feelings right now. They are completely natural. Within a week of enduring this new life, I was ready to tap out. I was trapped within the walls of my cinderblock room and was forced to listen to my roommate convince his girlfriend that she did, in fact, love his big, voluptuous rooster. I was forced to shimmy my way around dirty clothes and piles of trash when entering and exiting my room. And I was forced to sit and smell the stench that reeked throughout our room. I do not do well with starting conversations, so it was an increasingly difficult task for me to develop friendships. That was it. I was ready to pack up my things […]