Articles by: Cody Norman
 

  • Mason Cable Network: Green Machine Vlogs

    Multimedia October 1, 2012 at 3:45 pm Comments are Disabled
     

  • Spreading the Smiles

    Editorials September 27, 2012 at 9:19 am Comments are Disabled

    As Mason students continue to embark on their fifth week of school, the stress and multitude of to-do lists are in full swing. Class readings, exams, presentations, group work, jobs, extracurricular activities, families, friends; how are we supposed to keep up with it all without exploding? There are the typical answers, such as time management, going to class and studying. To me, the one answer that is the most important is to keep a positive outlook. We all have days where our moods may be less than stellar, but do we really like feeling that way? When you have a positive outlook, there is no time to be unhappy because you are too busy being productive in order to keep up with the fast-paced trend that life brings. Lucky for us all, Mason is one of the friendliest, most welcoming places in the area. Looking back, the first conclusion I made as a freshman was about how nice everyone was. Just to make sure that I was not the only one who felt this way, I asked other students what they thought about the impression given off by Mason. “I felt that Mason did a good job of making the […]

     

  • Martyrs for Mitt

    Editorials September 27, 2012 at 9:19 am Comments are Disabled

    The Republican Party has nominated a Mormon millionaire as its candidate for the highest office position in the United States, which is, of course, the presidency. Mitt Romney is not an easy candidate to champion. He has adjusted his stance on more than a few issues, is viewed by many as unprincipled, and, as recent events have shown, is a bit of a gaffe machine. But at the end of the day, Mitt Romney is the Republican nominee and as a voter who has a number of views that align with those of the Republican Party, I feel it is my duty to not only give Governor Romney my vote, but to stand up for him. It’s not easy to be an advocate for Governor Romney and his running mate, Congressman Paul Ryan. I have been ridiculed, mocked, and laughed at. I have had my Romney Ryan stickers torn from my door far too many times. I have been called “ignorant” or “insensitive”, I have been told that I am as “out of touch” as the public has declared my candidate. I know I am not alone. I know that especially on a college campus, standing up for Mitt Romney […]

     

  • We Are Home to Accessibility

    Editorials September 27, 2012 at 9:18 am Comments are Disabled

    Here we are at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia, home to many great restaurants on and off campus. According to Google Maps, we are just 20 miles from the National Mall in Washington D.C., 14.5 miles from the Manassas National Battlefield and 19 miles from Arlington National Cemetery. There are many different places we can visit as students here at Mason. But the question is, do we take advantage of all the opportunities we have here at Mason? According to freshman Tosca Lanfranconi, “It’s very easy to get around the area because of all the shuttles. I have not had one problem getting somewhere because of lack of transportation”. I have to agree with Tosca because Mason could easily not put this much of an effort in allowing students to leave campus, but it does. Not only does Mason have CUE buses that take Mason students around Fairfax for no charge, but also free shuttles to the Vienna/ Fairfax-GMU metro station. As Mason students, we have the ability to travel through Fairfax and the nation’s capital, thanks to the shuttle and CUE buses. It’s the perfect system for us as Mason students because not only do we get our […]

     
  • Photo Courtesy of Women's Rugby Team

    Rugby, a Ladies Game

    Sports September 24, 2012 at 3:42 pm Comments are Disabled

    Rugby is a tough, physical sport that, while not popular in the United States, has a global appeal. The women of Mason’s Rugby Club are a combination of girls with previous experience and ones who are complete novices to the sport. Sherwin “Squirrel” Birashk, head coach of Mason’s Women’s Rugby Club, would have fallen into the latter category. “I started playing when I was 15. I was actually a baseball player, but I didn’t make the junior varsity squad,” said Birashk, who is affectionately known as Coach Squirrel. Birashk is a Mason alumnus who played for the Men’s Rugby Club from 1996-99. Back then, a women’s rugby club did not exist at Mason. While Birashk acknowledges that there is a different gender dynamic between the men’s and women’s teams, he knows that the girls he has coached are just as tough as the guys. “Back then, it was just starting to pick up a little. We had a couple of girls who just kind of wanted to come play around during our practices,” said Birashk. It would not be until about 10 years later in 2009 that Mason’s Women’s Rugby Club would officially be formed. Birashk came on as head […]

     

  • Women’s Volleyball Continues Tradition of International Recruitment

    Sports September 24, 2012 at 3:40 pm Comments are Disabled

    Mason is a place of diversity, which can be seen and heard every day with a simple walk around campus. A great deal of international recruiting is done to bring a diverse range of players to the school.One team taking advantage of international recruitment is the women’s volleyball team. Ever since two girls from Hungary were recruited in 1993, there has been at least one international player on the team. Coach Pat Kendrick continues to bring great opportunities to international recruits. The first big thing that all of these girls and every international recruit must go through is meeting NCAA eligibility, along with the countless paperwork. Just like every student at Mason, they must have certain SAT scores and meet certain standards. However, for international students, extra things like at least a 6.5 in English as a second language exams must also be obtained to attend Mason. These requirements can be very intimidating to international recruits. Sometimes, they cause other schools with fewer requirements to recruit players who would not be eligible to play at Mason. Kendrick explained that high school and collegiate level sports in other countries are not as established as they are in the United States and […]

     
  • Photo by Amy Rose

    Harmouche Aids Patriots in No. 20 Ranking

    Sports September 24, 2012 at 3:37 pm Comments are Disabled

    This past week, Mason had the honor of having one of its freshman soccer players named the CAA Rookie Player of the Week. Ghiles Harmouche, midfield for the team, scored two goals in two games against St. Peter’s and St. Francis.  Upon hearing about this nomination, Harmouche said he was proud to be an asset to the team and that the title helped his confidence as an incoming player. Harmouche is a Fairfax native and knew he wanted to stay close to home. Luckily, he already had contact with a few Mason soccer players in leagues around the area and he knew that Mason fit perfectly into his career as a soccer player. “I like Mason’s style of play; other schools like to play chase, or play with the ball at their heads, but I prefer the ball at my feet. That’s where I am best, and I saw that same style of play in Mason’s team,” said Harmouche. He has also come to really appreciate the camaraderie among the team. Harmouche said they are extremely close, and “like a family, we help each other out, work hard at soccer, and have fun, as well.” Harmouche has played soccer for […]

     
  • Photo Courtesy of NBC4

    Mason Student is Redskins Calendar Cover Girl

    Multimedia, Sports September 24, 2012 at 3:33 pm Comments are Disabled

    There is no bigger fan of the Washington Redskins than Lindsey McCormick. McCormick was born and raised in the D.C. area and quickly adopted her family’s passion for the hometown football team. She bled burgundy and gold. More telling, however, is the tune that echoes throughout her home each time the doorbell rings, “Hail to the Redskins”. “I don’t know whether to answer the door or cheer,” said McCormick, a three-year veteran on the Redskins cheerleading squad and a current Mason student. A competitive dancer throughout high school, McCormick tried out for the Redskins cheerleading team at 19 years of age. She spent one year on the non-dancing ambassador group before earning a spot on the sidelines every Sunday for her favorite team. “I love to dance and I love the Redskins,” McCormick said. “I had the urge to continue my dance career; I didn’t want to stop dancing. But it wasn’t until I got older that I started to think, ‘Dancing and Redskins together might be a good idea.’ It was the best of both worlds.” Since her debut on the sidelines in 2010, McCormick has dedicated a vast majority of her time to the Redskins organization. While other […]

     

  • Green Colleen: Dorm Dining on a Dime

    Editorials September 24, 2012 at 3:27 pm Comments are Disabled

    Staying on budget in college can be a big challenge, whether you mismanage your weekly meal plans and run out before Thursday or have trouble scraping together your change for an $8 tray of sushi in the JC. On those desperate nights, students often turn to the epitome of all college food: Ramen noodles. The prepackaged meals are filling and flavorful and often retail for around 10 cents a package, a third of the price of a cup of water on campus. But as your college career drags on and money stretches even tighter, the basic flavors of Ramen noodles can quickly turn bland and boring. To solve those noodles woes, revolutionize the standard meal with a few extra ingredients for different flavors. I transformed my Oriental flavored noodle package into my version of a homemade peanut pad thai. The add-ins I used this week cost only a few dollars each, and most can be saved and used again and again. The sriracha chili sauce added a spicy kick that the basic noodle packages don’t deliver. I’m not a big fan of spice, so I appreciated how the chunky peanut butter bit through the heat and provided some relief. The […]

     

  • The Carouser Report: Fear and Loathing on Main St.

    Editorials September 24, 2012 at 3:25 pm Comments are Disabled

    The quintessential party  is played out weekly for a host of onlookers who take pride in knowing the age-old traditions of college.  Rarely seen are the nights when these characters, with their admiration for booze, go searching for an answer to life’s question at the bottom of a bottle. It was late afternoon. My associate and I were sitting on the patio of a local dive bar drinking rum and cracking peanuts, intermittently ordering wine spritzers to keep the buzz running strong. The bar seemed a safe distance from the burdens and monotony of education that plagues those who have neither left youth nor entered adulthood. Our journey began when two middle-aged women, who had been knocking back tequila shots with gusto, approached us.  A conversation began, but was abruptly interrupted when one of them leaned over and asked if we knew where the party was. On a Tuesday night?  I gave her the number to the local Party City. I felt it was time we kick it into fourth gear as we ordered another round.  Within an hour, we were no longer adhering to social norms. I began spreading gibberish throughout the bar about two female undercover cops who […]

     
 
1 … 10 11 12 13 14 15