Articles by: nicolew

 

• Feels just like just like I'm walking on broken glass: International Week performers treated for minor foot injuries

  News1 April 12, 2010 at 11:50 am Comments are Disabled

  By Kevin Loker, C2M Executive Editor Two dozen students were transported to Health Services for treatment of minor injuries obtained during the annual International Week Dance Competition last week. Record-breaking temperatures heated up the black-carpeted outdoor stage, resulting in blisters for 24 of the competition’s barefoot performers. “The problem was first noticed after the Pakistan Student Association finished their performance and the African Student Association started theirs,” said Assistant Director of Student Activities Sara Morrisroe, who oversaw the event. “It was noticed by members of the team once they came off the stage. We immediately assessed the members and recommended they consult Student Health Services.” Students incurred no cost from their treatments, according to an e-mail correspondence with Lauren Long, the director of Student Activities, the organization that oversaw the event. “I informed all the remaining contestants that shoes or socks were required to be on stage,” said Long. Two members of George Mason University Bhangra and one member of the Mason Hellenic Society, which performed shortly after the Pakistan Student Association and African Student Association, also received treatment for their injuries. “The remaining dancers for the rest of the event were all fine,” said Long. For past dance competitions, […]

   

• Professors kiss furlough: Financial woes softened temporarily by savings

  News1 April 5, 2010 at 12:47 pm Comments are Disabled

  By Kevin Loker, C2M Executive Editor Thanks to a safety net of savings, George Mason University can worry a little less when it comes to the immediate impact of the state’s financial crisis on university operations, and the resulting monetary blows to its students and faculty. A little less, and only for now. Senior Vice President Morrie Scherrens told a packed room of faculty and administrators at a budget forum last week that rather than furlough Mason employees for one day — a move that seemed more than likely at last month’s forum — the university instead planned to absorb the $900,000 blow of the state-imposed furlough. “Oh, very good,” said one faculty member as the room, not expecting the announcement, burst into applause. Despite the $5.6 million hit the university took at the end of the legislative session, units and departments will not receive any additional budget cuts this fiscal year, and the cost of the move will be covered by a level of savings that Scherrens says the university had hoped to use if matters had gotten better later in the fiscal year. “We positioned ourselves so if the budget did not deteriorate beyond our projections, we could […]

   

• Board of Visitors takes a stand: University upholds previous nondiscrimination policies

  Editorials March 29, 2010 at 12:36 pm Comments are Disabled

  By Gleason S. Rowe, Student Representative Board of Visitors The George Mason University Board of Visitors (BOV) took a firm stance this past Wednesday on Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli’s letter regarding nondiscrimination based on sexual orientation. Specifically, Cuccinelli believes that universities that have policies enumerating sexual orientation as a category under which discrimination is prohibited should remove them due to the fact that the commonwealth has not included such categories in its policies. He stated in his letter that “Such invalid policies create, at a minimum, confusion about the law and, at worst, a litany of instances in which the school’s operation would need to change in order to come into conformance.” His recommendation has undoubtedly had contentious reaction throughout the commonwealth. Soon after the attorney general’s letter was received, Rector Ernst Volgenau, the leader of the Board, took action. He promptly drafted a statement on behalf of the Visitors and himself stating that “the Board of Visitors extends its full and unconditional support to all members of the university community and encourages continued focus on diversity and mutual respect that has become our hallmark.” Rector Volgenau’s response was swift and well-received but there was more definitive action to be […]

   

• George Mason unveils GBAY: Students receive scholarships through auction

  News1 March 29, 2010 at 12:25 pm Comments are Disabled

  By Kevin Loker, C2M Exectutive Editor When the idea of an auction that would raise money to fund scholarships for students in financial need came up in passing conversation in the halls of the Admissions Office this past January, Dean Andrew Flagel suggested to two interested Mason Ambassadors that if they really wanted to make everything work smoothly, they should wait and take some time to plan the event for next year. One of those students, sophomore Dani Miller, did not agree. “No, we’re doing it now,” she said. And so started a two-month frenzy of speedy brainstorming, continuously securing supplies and co-sponsors and sleeplessly orchestrating a huge collaborative and campus-wide volunteer effort. The end result is “GBAY,” George Mason University’s first annual bidding match in which a student can win such privileges as being chauffeured in the Mason Dining golf cart to and from class for a week and, at the same time, help fund a fellow student’s way through college. “It’s been a lot of hard work, but the rewards are worth it,” said Brittany Burkhart, Miller’s fellow Ambassador and co-organizer of the event. “It’s great for everyone in the Mason community because they’re really giving back to […]

   

• SUB II To Be Revamped; Major Renovations Set to Re-energize Building

  News1 February 15, 2010 at 1:31 pm Comments are Disabled

  Reuben Jones, Broadside Correspondent Once the home of Mason’s dining hall, Ciao Hall, Student Union Building II has since turned into a building of very little activity and few signs of life. This is all set to change, however, with a major renovation planned for the building. The goal of the updated facility will be student activity, and with that comes a host of changes. The second floor of SUB II, which formerly housed Ciao Hall, and is now empty, will be completely revamped. One of the most significant changes will be the introduction of a burger restaurant called the “Original Burger Company.” The restaurant is a Sodexo concept and according to Regional District Manager of Sodexo Denise Ammaccapane, it will be “kind of like Five Guys.” Customers can pick their toppings for their burgers from a simple menu. Each food item will be the same price and the restaurant will have some salads and chicken sandwiches, although Ammaccapane says the priority dish will be burgers. The reason for a burger restaurant on campus comes from a survey conducted last year by dining services. From 4,400 people surveyed on what type of food they would like on campus, “the burger […]

   

• Letter to the Editor: Board of Visitors Attempts to Deal with State Budget Cuts

  Editorials February 2, 2010 at 7:12 pm Comments are Disabled

  This Wednesday at the most recent Board of Visitors meeting, one issue stood out above the rest that were discussed: the budget. It is no secret that the proposed plan by former Gov. Tim Kaine may not be pleasing to many Virginia residents. Education was among the top areas that has taken a significant hit. George Mason University’s budget has been cut several times over the last few years. This has left the Board and the administration with the difficult task of working to decrease the potential financial shortcomings. As the entire Board assembled for the afternoon portion of the meeting, Dr. Alan Merten gave his customary President’s Report on the university to the Board. He began by saying that the leadership at Mason is what has brought the young institution to the heights it has quickly reached, and I cannot help but agree. While President Merten was not referring to himself, few students probably realize the amazing job he has done with regard to fundraising during his tenure at the university. President Merten regularly meets with political leaders from all over the state to continue to keep Mason and its strong programs fresh in their minds. With help from […]

   

• In Bed With Billy: Friends with More than Benefits

  Lifestyle November 17, 2009 at 4:34 pm Comments are Disabled

  Billy Curtis, Sex Columnist Relationships are meant to be complicated. Throughout life, as we grow and change, so do the associations we have with people in our lives. Maturity levels rise, lessons teach what previously wasn’t known and sometimes, even friends can end up being something more. I never really thought about dating a friend and the option never really presented itself to me. But after doing some extensive research on my close friends and relatives, I realized that most of their relations began as a simple friendship. I witnessed such an account with my friends, Catherine and Kyle, just last year. We all had been friends for quite some time and, after awhile, my friend Latham and I began to notice some peculiar behavior between our two friends. The covert stares that they thought no one was noticing, or secret smoochies that went on behind closed doors, were all clear indications that something was going on. My entire group of friends and I found it even more hilarious that we knew they were dating before they even did. After a couple of weeks, and after their realization that we all knew what they were up to, they casually came […]

   

• The Ultimate Yankee: Even After 15 Years, the Captain is Still on Top

  Sports September 22, 2009 at 2:56 pm Comments are Disabled

  Chris DeMarco, Staff Writer One has to wonder if the New York Yankees knew what they were getting when they picked shortstop Derek Jeter in the first round of the 1992 Major League Amateur Draft. The Yankees have the Houston Astros to thank for not listening to one of their scouts, Hal Newhouser, who advocated using the first pick on Jeter, and selecting Phil Nevin instead. All Jeter has done since then is accumulate a collection of accolades, including the Rookie of the Year award, an All-Star MVP award and a World Series MVP award. No one would have thought that the rookie shortstop for the Yankees would have turned out to be this amazing, let alone make the starting lineup for the Yankees in 1996. Manager Joe Torre, who was in his first year with the Yankees, took a chance and it has paid off big time. It seems that no matter what Jeter accomplishes, he still ends up being labeled as “overrated.” A lot of critics undermine the worth of Jeter. A lot of people claim that his age is catching up with him and that he does not play the position as well as others in the […]