Articles by: Cody Norman

 

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  Fueled by the Fans: Okoloji Shines in Patriots Debut

  Multimedia, Sports November 19, 2012 at 2:10 pm Comments are Disabled

  Believe. That is the men’s basketball team motto for this season. Each player wears a bracelet with the word believe written on it. The Patriots believed as they opened  their  season  Friday  with  a 63-59 win over Virginia at the Patriot Center. It was their first ever win over Virginia in school history. The bracelets, given by Hewitt, represent their belief in each other and as a team for this season. “He [Coach Hewitt] said I believe in you guys.  I fell like we can do a lot of great things with this team.  I’ve been through a lot of teams and for him to say that shows he really believes in us,” Anali Okoloji said.  “We belong here.  We have to prove to people that we belong here.  Even though we’re a CAA team, we are actually one of the better teams in the country.   That is what I think.” In front of a sold out crowd, junior guard  Bryon  Allen  drained  the  go ahead three with only a minute left in regulation as the shot clock expired. Allen,  who  finished  with  13  points, was also responsible for an early steal that  electrified  the  crowd  and  got Mason off […]

   
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  A Trip to Eastern Market

  Lifestyle, Multimedia November 19, 2012 at 2:00 pm Comments are Disabled

  Dream of the ancient cities of the Middle East, and chances are, you will picture large extravagant palaces, curved, domed architecture and the occasional flying carpet. Think Aladdin! But the clearest image that will come to mind is that of an open air market. Located in the center of town, it is filled with the hustle and bustle of merchants peddling their wares, elders swapping stories and people browsing and bargaining for goods. Believe it or not, Eastern Market, located in Washington DC, is just this kind of market place. It contains all of the hustle and bustle of an open air trading bazaar, yet it is suitably integrated into its Southeast DC neighborhood. At this sprawling marketplace, come enjoy fresh food, snacks, art work and music while experiencing a unique slice of DC culture. The heart of the market is located on 7th St SE between North Carolina Ave SE and C St SE. On the weekends, the street is closed to traffic and vendors set up tables one after the other under shaded awnings to peddle their wares. Of particular interest, keep an eye out for Anthony Reddix and his giraffes, woven from strips of aluminum cans. Expect […]

   
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  Mason Takes LEAD on Sandy Relief Efforts in Student’s Hometown

  Featured, Multimedia, News1 November 19, 2012 at 1:57 pm Comments are Disabled

  Incredible winds ravaged the area of Ocean Township. Trees and power lines crashed to the ground. Just as the storm began to take form, a neighbor’s tree fell through the roof of Jordan White’s home in Monmouth County, New Jersey and created a large hole in the ceiling, allowing rain to pour directly into the house. When Hurricane Sandy began pushing its way up the shoreline in the Northeast United States, winds broke the sand dunes and eliminated any hope of isolating the devastation on the beach. In short time, sands covered the streets in Ocean Township and blocked much of the drainage systems in the surrounding area. As a result, White’s home, along with many others in the area, were severely flooded from the storm. “It’s just a house, so it can be replaced,” said White, a leadership consultant in the LEAD Office. “Everyone in the house is okay. The hardest part for me is the town.” To add insult to injury, White’s family regained power just in time to lose it as a result of the more recent snowstorm that further devastated the area. White’s family, like many others in the area, is currently living in a house […]

   
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  Mason Alumnus Angela Panayotopulos Publishes Novel Set in Greece During World War II

  Featured, Lifestyle November 19, 2012 at 1:51 pm Comments are Disabled

  A Greek American, Angela Panayotopulos was inspired by her cultural roots and began piecing together a story about war in Greece while enrolled in a creative writing course at Mason. She became so immersed in the topic that, during the course, the brief story became so convoluted with information that her peers began suggesting that she turn her work into a novel. “There was just so much going on,” Panayotopulos said. “Most of the class said, ‘Whoa! This isn’t a story; it should be a book.’ So I said, ‘Okay, then let it be a book.’” Born to parents who are 100 percent Greek, Panayotopulos always got a blend of Greece and American culture growing up. With that unique background, she became very inquisitive about the world around her and developed a curiosity for all types of people. “[Mason] was my first choice because of the diversity,” Panayotopulos said. “You can really live out your cultural diversity there.” Early in her college experience, Panayotopulos truly began to embrace her Greek background. She and a friend started the Greek Club as a way to teach people about Greek culture and dance. “I always happy to be a Greek American,” Panayotopulos said. […]

   

• Transition Resource Center in Search of Peer Advisors

  News1 November 19, 2012 at 1:49 pm Comments are Disabled

  Seemingly against her will, Taren Henry was required to enroll in University 100 during the fall semester of year freshman year. Henry was in a class full of other athletes, many of whom were coming off morning practice and wanted to do nothing but sleep. “[University 100] was a required class for us, unfortunately,” Henry said.  “At least that’s how it felt at first.” To Henry’s surprise, Michelle Davis, the course instructor, and David Bier, the peer advisor, made the class extremely interactive and took the opportunity to get to know each student as an individual. “We all became a little family,” Henry said. “I still see some of the people who are still here and we all call each other by our ice breaker names.” After just one year running track, Henry made the decision to leave the team and pursue other interests on campus. Unlike many other athletes who give up their respective sports, Henry stayed at Mason and used her newfound friends from University 100 to land a job in the Office of Student Involvement, where she is currently the Public Relations Director of Program Board. “I never wanted to leave Mason,” Henry said. “But, as far […]

   

• The Carouser Report: Wino Revolution

  Editorials November 19, 2012 at 1:48 pm Comments are Disabled

  I love wine. Correction: I love super crappy wine. I am realizing this as I read the headline of the Huffington Post: The Rocky Mountain High just got a whole lot higher. “God, I love America,” I laugh to myself as I guzzle down my sixth glass of the evening. I swirl the reddish nectar around in the glass and begin to float off into that deep introspective space your mind sometimes takes you to, especially when you’ve been drinking too much wine. As I wander off, I begin to ponder what place wine holds in relation to the college booze culture. Beer has obviously made a name for itself, there is no denying that. But it has always been a drink consumed in large quantities. Even liquor, the most rotten and foul of all booze, is cherished by many. But wine is something different altogether.  It represents a change in drinking etiquette. We have taken the bourgeois aspect out of wine drinking and replaced it with our beastly binge drinking instincts. We are heathen gods when it comes to downing wine. Have you ever witnessed a round of slap the bag? It’s barbaric: slapping the bladder of wine, while […]

   
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  Student Discovers Supermassive Black Hole

  Featured, Multimedia, News1 November 19, 2012 at 1:47 pm Comments are Disabled

  Washington, D.C., may be the political center of the United States, but Mason provides its students with numerous opportunities that extend beyond the government. Take, for example, Nathan Secrest. The second-year graduate student, who is currently working toward his PhD in physics with a concentration in astrophysics, discovered a miniature supermassive black hole in the NGC 4178 galaxy while conducting research for the School of Physics, Astronomy and Computation, otherwise known as SPACS. That may not sound like a big deal to someone who cannot tell his brown dwarfs from his red giants, but within the scientific community, it can have major repercussions. “The reason why this discovery is significant is because of the size of the SMBH and the galaxy it is hosted by,” Secrest said in an e-mail. “[We] do not know very much about intermediate mass black holes.  How are they formed?  What percentage of the total black holes in the universe do they comprise?  Also, NGC 4178 is a bulgeless spiral galaxy.  This is important because the larger SMBH masses have been found to correlate very tightly with the properties of their host galaxy bulges,” said Secrest. At first glance, this information seems too complicated for […]

   

• Everyday Should Be Veterans Day

  Editorials November 19, 2012 at 1:43 pm Comments are Disabled

  As the cold weather begins to set in, students have begun setting their sights on the Thanksgiving break that is rapidly approaching. Others look forward to the winter holiday season or simply an extended break from the tedious and mundane college class schedule. No matter in which category you reside, this a time of gratitude and a season of giving.  It is an occasion of celebration, and an opportunity to show appreciation for those who have given everything for the well being of this great nation: the United States Armed Forces. While Memorial Day is appropriately set aside to honor our fallen heroes, those who made the ultimate sacrifice, Veterans Day is intended to honor all of our military veterans – including the nearly 23 million living men and women – who have dedicated their lives to service. Unfortunately, oftentimes, the mention of veterans brings about connotations of warriors. It promotes images of barbarians, instead of figures of service and sacrifice. As Hurricane Sandy inflicted destruction across the East Coast, members of the Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard gathered at March Air Reserve Base in California, preparing to trek more than 3,000 miles to assist their fellow Americans. […]

   

• Lacrosse Prepares to Repeat Strong Spring Season

  Sports November 5, 2012 at 12:11 pm Comments are Disabled

  Going into their fourth and final season as part of the women’s lacrosse team, seniors Ashley Argyros and Caitlin Formato believe that this is their year. “It’s the best year.  We’re having fun this year,” said Argyros and Formato, stating that this year has a whole different feel to it.  “The vibe from the coaches to the players is just different.” Led by  coach Lauren Hay, the team finished their fall ball season with their best record since Argyros and Formato arrived at Mason.  Fall ball, although it does not count towards anything, gets the team prepared for the regular season, which begins in the spring.  Going 7-3-1, they have shown improvement in all aspects of their game, beating teams they would not have matched up against in years past. Most recently, the team hosted a tournament as part of their fall ball season.  A big part of the tournament was to emphasize breast cancer awareness.  Teams are encouraged to wear pink for former player Kiersten Jauschnegg, who graduated last year.  Jauschnegg lost her mother to breast cancer. “We make sure we have pink headbands and whatever we can find we try and do.  Last year we wore pink jerseys,” […]

   

• Masonettes Enrich Dancer’s College Experience

  Sports November 5, 2012 at 12:10 pm Comments are Disabled

  After the buzzer sounds, the crowd settles back and the teams head to the locker room, the floor is taken over by energetic dance moves. The Masonettes have been getting the crowd excited the whole game, but halftime is their time to show off all their hard work. One member that knows all about the time spent to try to perfect routines is Lindsey Iandolo, captain of the Masonettes. She is now a senior, but her dedication to the team started even before auditions. “I have been dancing since I was two years old, so being able to continue my dancing career was a major factor in picking a college,” Iandolo said. When she saw Mason’s program, she decided that it was something she would love being a part of. She audition was a grueling 7-hour process, but all the work paid off when she found out that she had made the team. Now began the practices three days a week for the big performances. “At first it was nerve wracking to perform, but now it is a lot of fun to perform and have everyone see the results of our hard work,” Iandolo said. On top of all the […]