Recent Posts

• No More Mr. and Ms. Mason; Gender-Neutral ‘Mason Majesty’ to Replace Former Titles

  News1 February 15, 2010 at 2:47 pm Comments are Disabled

  Yasmin Tadjdeh, News Editor This year, not only will the homecoming queen be without a vagina — homecoming will be without a queen. Starting this year, following last year’s crowning of drag queen Reann Balslee as Ms. Mason, homecoming will no longer have the Mr. and Ms. Mason competition, but will opt for just one winner, known as Mason Majesty. “We, [being] Student Activities and Program Board, discussed that we wanted to be more inclusive to all persons on campus — no matter how they identify . . . [The removal of the Mr. and Ms. Mason competition] has been in discussion for years,” said Assistant Director of Programming in Student Activities Michelle Davis, noting that it was not brought about specifically because of a drag queen winning the Ms. Mason title last year. Citing Mason’s diversity, Davis said it made sense for the competition to be gender-neutral. Davis did not consider the altering of the competition to affect the tradition of the pageant. “It’s the same tradition, going with the times, evolving with the times,” said Davis. Last year’s Ms. Mason winner, Ryan Allen, also known as Reann Ballslee, was enthusiastic about the change to the competition this year. […]

   

• New Year’s Resolutions; Can’t Keep Your Resolutions? No Problem!

  Editorials February 15, 2010 at 2:08 pm Comments are Disabled

  Stephanie Tran, Staff Writer So you’ve been back to college for about three weeks, managed to finally get to the right classrooms, reunited with all your friends . . . and are now trying to forget the New Year’s resolutions you quickly made and even more quickly forgot. You’ve probably dropped your resolutions for several reasons or excuses, depending on how honest you are with yourself: no time, not enough energy, too much schoolwork. When making resolutions, you should try to avoid making resolutions that, well, you doubt you can keep. Sounds pretty obvious, doesn’t it? The Harvard Health Publications website lists common mistakes that you’ve probably already made when making your resolutions Jan. 1. Maybe your resolutions are too vague, too numerous or too lofty. In addition, making resolutions that conform to other people’s expectations or values instead of your own takes away the biggest force behind fulfilling resolutions: your personal motivation. You need to make resolutions for the right reasons and in the right way, then you’ll be more likely to stick to them. With this advice in mind, reconsider those resolutions you made rashly and evaluate them. Then follow the Harvard Health Publications website and break down […]

   

• Eastern Shore to House Freshmen; Living Learning Communities to Reside in Facility

  News1 February 15, 2010 at 2:02 pm Comments are Disabled

  Ethan Vaughn, Asst. News Editor When the Eastern Shore housing area opens for the fall 2010 semester, it will be welcoming only freshmen. The new dorm building, which first housed students last fall, will be used to accommodate some of George Mason University’s Living Learning Communities (LLCs). The suite-style housing, which has no more than four residents to a bathroom or 16 to a common room, has been home to a mix of upperclassmen and freshmen this year and some Mason students are not happy with the transition. “ That’s really stupid,” remarked Jon Zerbonia, a senior administration of justice major. “Liberty [Square] and that stuff used to be all seniors, but then they opened it up to freshmen because so many people are trying to live here. I haven’t been able to live on campus because of the lack of housing. There’s no point in making [Eastern Shore] all freshmen. It actually kind of makes me mad.” Denise Taylor, the director of Housing and Residence Life, called the idea of Eastern Shore being changed into an all-freshmen area a misconception. “Eastern Shore was built specifically for Living Learning Communities,” Taylor said. “The only reason it wasn’t all LLC housing […]

   

• New Jazzman’s Locations; Locations Open At Fenwick and Art and Design Building

  News1 February 15, 2010 at 1:54 pm Comments are Disabled

  Brenda Shepard, Staff Writer For those on campus who love Jazzman’s Café in the Johnson Center, brace yourselves for an exciting development in Mason Dining: there are now more Jazzman’s to go around. Sodexo Food Services has introduced two new locations for the coffee shop on the Fairfax campus. The Art and Design Building (formerly known as the School of Art Building) and Fenwick Library are both featuring new carts that provide students delicious Jazzman’s food and drinks. “The Sodexo brand is recognized on campus,” said Denise Ammaccapane, resident district manager for Sodexo. “Now, [for Jazzman’s], there’s a mama and papa and a baby where students can get the same quality food.” Hungry students studying in Fenwick no longer have to leave the building to grab a snack or a coffee boost, and early morning classes in the new Art and Design Building are no longer a problem for students looking for a pick-me-up. After the first Jazzman’s cart was unsuccessful near the Sandy Creek Parking Deck, employees at both the Art and Design Building and Fenwick Library expressed interest in having it. Instead a new, smaller cart was designed and approved for both buildings. Many students are excited about […]

   

• Students Feel Brunt of Pricey Books; Bookstore Insists Prices Dictated by Publisher

  News1 February 15, 2010 at 1:52 pm Comments are Disabled

  Ethan Vaughn, Asst. News Editor The official bookstore of George Mason University defended its price practices, saying it does not have control over the skyrocketing cost of college textbooks. According to a study by the California Public Interest Research Group, the amount charged for university texts is rising nationwide at up to four times the rate of inflation. With the soaring financial burden of educational materials, which are often packaged with CDs, workbooks and unique access codes, The Washington Post estimates that 60 percent of American university students forego buying all or some of their books. “The publisher determines the price of the book,” said Jonathan Howard, assistant general manager at the George Mason bookstore. “By contract, we can only mark books up 25 percent,” added manager Barbara Headley. “That’s pretty standard, and across the board we mark books up by that rate. That covers shipping and the cost of operating a bricks-and-mortar facility.” Bookstore management asserted that while other “brick-and-mortar” bookstores that do not serve universities are able to maintain lower prices, they lack the guaranteed selection that the George Mason bookstore claims to offer. Headley said that she was “not allowed to disclose” the percentage of textbook profits […]

   

• How Snow Days are Decided; Safety and Financial Loss Taken into Consideration

  News1 February 15, 2010 at 1:38 pm Comments are Disabled

  Ethan Vaughan, Asst. News Editor George Mason University’s closure policy is independent from that of area public schools, a fact that will come as no surprise to students who trudged to class in early February while Fairfax County classrooms were shut due to inclement weather. While Mason was closed for four days during last week’s back-to-back blizzards, it often remains open even when road conditions make it difficult for some to come to class. “Our priority is to stay open,” said Dan Walsch, George Mason University press secretary. “One would be hard-pressed to think of a time when we were closed for four days straight. ­­­We did have two days last semester during finals where we had to close, and I think there might have been one last year.” Walsch said the university contends with many factors when choosing whether to close, including road conditions, campus navigability, input from police, county, and city officials and the financial impact on the school. “There is a cost factor involved,” Walsch said. “It involves paying overtime and double time for some employees. There are about 5,000 people living on campus, and they need to be fed. That doesn’t change just because we’re closed. […]

   

• 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 […]

   

• Construction Continues: On-Campus Developments Far From Over

  News1 February 15, 2010 at 12:56 pm Comments are Disabled

  Reuben Jones, Broadside Correspondent If you are tired of waking up to the smell of asphalt and burning rubber, your dreams of a construction-free campus are unfortunately far away. According to Tom Calhoun, the vice president of Facilities, this summer will be even busier with construction than last summer which saw the building of the RAC, Engineering Building and the Art and Design Building. Beginning as soon as this April, the newest building of many to come is expected to open. The Aquia Building is being built by West Hall and, when completed, will be the permanent home for the University Data Center. The building will also serve as a temporary location for classrooms and offices that will be affected by the Thompson and West Hall renovations. The 157-unit Masonvale housing center should be completed by April of 2010. Masonvale contains townhomes and stacked flats for George Mason University staff and faculty. Expected to be finished this summer is the addition onto the Performing Arts Center. The addition will add “dance and orchestra practice and performance spaces and a Wellness Center,” according to the Mason facilities website. The much-anticipated Mason Inn is also expected to finish this June and to […]

   

• Smartphones Storm Campus: Students Following National Trend Scoop Up Phones

  News1 February 15, 2010 at 12:55 pm Comments are Disabled

  Lauren Jost, Connect2Mason Reporter Blackberrys, Droids and iPhones, oh my. Smartphones have begun to dominate the cell phone market, as well as the George Mason University campus. Many students can be found walking around campus with their phones in hand, texting and chatting away. Smartphones, such as the iPhone, allow students to check e-mail, play games and listen to music, among other functions. “It will be two years this summer,” says senior Steve Brown of his iPhone anniversary, who says he uses his iPhone for the unique applications. “I was driving to work today [and] I used the Maps application in my iPhone to check the traffic between the two different routes. It saved me a bunch of time, and I reflected back on how often it has saved my butt. I wonder where I’d be without it — probably late.” Apple, creator of the popular iPhone, reported a record sale of 8.7 million iPhones in its first fiscal quarter of the 2010 year. This is a 100 percent unit growth from their earnings in the same quarter last year. Motorola, Inc.,Verizon Wireless and Google launched the smartphone Droid in response to Apple’s iPhone. The Droid, which works in a […]

   

• Mardi Gras Madness

  Lifestyle February 12, 2010 at 11:50 am Comments are Disabled

  Pearson Jones, Asst. Style Editor Whether you call it Fat Tuesday, Shrove Tuesday or Mardi Gras, everyone knows that the day before the Lenten season is reserved for some of the most outlandish festivities. George Mason University is looking to honor this ritual. Homecoming Week is upon us once again and it’s bringing with it the traditions, music and spirit of Bourbon Street. This year’s theme is Mardi Gras, an idea inspired by the student Program Board’s slogan “Unmasque Your Spirit.” Monday 2/15 Mardi Gras Madness 12:30 p.m. JC Atrium A spinoff of Mason Madness, Mardi Gras Madness will be this year’s Homecoming Pep Rally featuring the homecoming pageant contestants, the Green Machine pep bad and Mason dignitaries. “The Big Easy” Pageant 8 p.m. Dewberry Hall Come check out this year’s pageant contestants as they strut their stuff to earn your vote. Tuesday 2/16 Can-Can for Cans 3:30-4:30 p.m. SUB II Ballroom Watch student teams construct can-structions. The event will include students who will build structures out of non-perishable cans that will later be donated to a local food bank. Show Us Your Talent 8 p.m. Dewberry Hall Mason’s got talent and a lot of students are willing to prove […]