Articles by: Cody Norman

 

• An Aquatic Affair

  Sports October 16, 2012 at 2:32 pm Comments are Disabled

  This coming weekend, the swim team will compete in its most difficult meet to date against the University of Delaware. In its first meet against American University, the team took first place. In their most recent meet at Loyola University, Mason defeated Loyola 213-87 while falling United States Naval Academy 169-130 in a close race for the win. Stand out swimmers included freshman Kyle Sockwell, who took first place in the 200 backstroke with senior Austin Witherow following close behind. Sockwell and Caleb Williams have been excellent additions to an already first-rate team. “This team is the best we have had in years and we have a great chance at winning the conference title,” Witherow said. The team has been intensely preparing for the meet this coming weekend with practices twice a day, six times a week. They alternate their workouts by doing lifting, running, and a variety of swimming sets. The team also credits certain innovations within the athletic department, including longer swimming pools. “During practice, we are able to swim a long course of 50 meters, rather than the usual 25. I feel this gives us an edge over the competition, as no one else is able to […]

   

• Every Stroke for the Team

  Sports October 16, 2012 at 2:31 pm Comments are Disabled

  A year ago, the Mason Men’s Crew Club competed in the American Collegiate Rowing Association Championships in Georgia. McKinney, President of the Mason Men’s Crew Club, remembers the start of the race being calm and collected, with no one joking around or talking. He and his team had been training for this. Those next six minutes would determine how their hard work would pay off. After counting down his last 20 strokes and hearing the beep of the team’s finish, McKinney knew that his team had finally medaled. Since McKinney joined during his freshman year, he has been able to see the team grow. The team made petite finals at the Dad Vail Regatta and finished third out of 33 teams at the ACRA Championship. With these accomplishments under its belt, the team hopes to make it back to these competitions and improve on its finishes from last year. A sense of teamwork comes about from any timed sport, but especially from rowing. Every team member relies on everyone else and everyone needs to be doing his best for the team to succeed. Cooperation is needed from every member of the boat from the beginning launch to the last twenty […]

   

• From Mason to the Mountain Tops

  Sports October 16, 2012 at 2:30 pm Comments are Disabled

  Waiting for that first snowfall around the beginning of winter is exciting for everyone, but for members of Mason’s Ski and Snowboarding Club it means it is finally time to hit the slopes. Founded in 2010 by student snowboarders and skiers, the club is expanding and growing. Last year, most of the team’s trips took small groups to Liberty in Pennsylvania, but the club is planning to travel to even bigger resorts this season. “We’re planning a big trip to Killington in Vermont over winter break and [another] one over spring break to Mt. Tremblant in Canada,” said president Chris Mullins. Whether you are just starting to practice on the bunny slope or are the next Shaun White, the club has a spot for you. Current members of the club include people who have never been to the slopes people who go often. “This year, we’re really trying to hook up people who are experienced with new snowboarders and skiers, so they can learn faster and don’t have to pay for lessons.” These winter sports can be expensive, especially with a season starting as early as November and lasting until March.  With  equipment, a lift ticket and skis or a […]

   
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  This is Madness: This is Mason

  Sports October 16, 2012 at 2:29 pm Comments are Disabled

  It is almost upon us – the Patriot Center, the Green Machine, the T-shirt gun, the cheerleaders and of course, the teams. Mason Nation is more than ready for basketball, but before tip-off on Nov. 9, the glowing embers of Patriot Pride need to roar into a full fire storm. For 14 years, Mason has been partaking in a tradition that ignites our Basketball season spirit Mason Madness. On Oct. 14 at 9:30 p.m., students and local Mason fans will get a good look at the sports programs that have been kept under wraps since March. With featured performances from independent artists and Mason clubs such as UrbanKnowlogy, the Green Machine and The Masonettes, the event is always a huge hit. Originally held in the RAC gym, Mason Madness was a glorified high school pep rally with pull out bleachers in a tiny gymnasium. “Hard to believe that is where the varsity teams played when you look at the Patriot Center today,” said  writer for Creative Services, Buzz McClain. “But it worked, and as you can see, the crowds at the games have grown and the basketball program has developed to what it is now.” Other sports teams have also […]

   

• Smashburger: Home of the Smashburger

  Lifestyle October 16, 2012 at 2:28 pm Comments are Disabled

  When campus food gets old and boring, it’s time to start venturing out and exploring the dining options around town. You can always fall back on old favorites like Chipotle and other fast food restaurants, but if you are looking for some service with a great meal, then the place to go is the newly opened Smashburger on Fairfax Blvd. Smashburger is an original experience from the way that the burgers are made to the great value of service. So, let’s start with the burgers. The burgers start out as meatballs that are put down and actually smashed on the grill. It creates two seared outer layers that keep all the juiciness that burger-lovers desire inside. Burgers can be custom-made with imaginative combinations of buns and toppings. For a restaurant that handles orders like a fast food restaurant, the service is amazing. After ordering your meal, you sit down and relax as servers bring out orders, check on how everything is going and clean off tables. Smashburger is a great place to treat yourself to a little pampering without breaking the bank. It would be a great place for first dates, club gatherings or even somewhere nice to take the […]

   

• Stuck in a Time Warp

  Lifestyle October 16, 2012 at 2:28 pm Comments are Disabled

  The night air was chilly as a small crowd formed outside of the University Mall Theatre. It was a Saturday night, and I was waiting in line with friends to buy tickets to see the Rocky Horror Picture Show. As I glanced around at my surroundings, I saw a variety of excited Rocky Horror fans dressed in everything from fish net stockings and top hats to sparkly golden underwear and bow ties. We eventually made our way to the front of the line and purchased our tickets for the show. After buying our tickets and being stamped with a pair of lips on the hand, we went inside the theatre only to wait in another line. While waiting, we saw a big group of people ahead of us with giant red Vs on their foreheads. I thought it was just another weird costume for the show. My friends and I started to chat with people in line around us, and we met a Northern Virginia Community College student named Caroline who comes to the show every weekend. As we started talking, we asked questions about what it was like and what goes on during the performance. That was a BIG […]

   

• One if by Land, Two if by Sea, Three if by Flying Saucer

  Lifestyle October 16, 2012 at 2:27 pm Comments are Disabled

  The idea of the end of mankind in the form of an alien invasion has loomed in people’s minds since the 1940s with the beginning of space exploration. Since then, Hollywood has created countless possibilities regarding what our first interaction with extraterrestrial life may be like. Extraterrestrial creatures may be vicious carnivorous beasts like in “Alien,” or have psychic powers and be technologically advanced as depicted in Independence Day. They might even be cute and cuddly like the Ewoks of Star Wars. Perhaps they will be nonsensically violent and weak to the sound of country music as shown in Mars Attacks! Believers and conspiracy theorists alike claim that we have already been visited in places like Roswell, Stonehenge and the Pyramids. Their evidence lies in photographs of debris, strange groups of lights and firsthand accounts from the edge-of-town crazies talking about probes in their heads.  Many of these theories and sightings have been debunked with more realistic explanations or have been revealed to be frauds. “Scientifically speaking, there is no evidence to support this hypothesis,” said professor of physics, astronomy, and computational science Harold Geller. Many people out there want to believe we are not alone in the universe, and […]

   

• Escape Post-Midterm Stress at Great Falls National Park

  Lifestyle October 16, 2012 at 2:25 pm Comments are Disabled

  As the humidity and heat of the summer fade, cool breezes usher in chilly nights and dew-soaked mornings. With a fantastic, firecracker explosion of color, fall is here! Just look at the red, gold, green, yellow, brown and orange colors of the trees. It’s difficult to fully capture the colorful magic of the season without a trip to Great Falls National Park. Located on the Potomac River in Fairfax County, Great Falls Park is best known for overlooking a canyon of seething, bubbling waterfalls, particularly impressive after a rainfall. The park includes a pleasant, grassy picnic area perfect for tossing a Frisbee around, eating, and lounging about. A visitor’s center contains a colorful and informative museum about the history of the land including the Native American tribes and early English settlers that used to call the area home. Hiking trails span the length of the park, allowing you to choose your own adventure by skirting the length of the Potomac on the River Trail or by losing yourself among the many tall trees that crowd the Ridge Trail. The longest trails are 3 miles long. The park encourages mountain biking and horseback riding. Particularly adventurous sorts can go rock climbing […]

   

• The Carouser Report: Coming Back to Reality

  Editorials October 16, 2012 at 2:25 pm Comments are Disabled

  I feel alive when I go to parties. The grip social media holds on me is lessened with every swig I take.  In my pocket I carry the control device, which dominates my daily life.  It becomes a useless piece of gigabytes after several drinks. Trying to use the keypad becomes impossible. A simple sentence is turned into random coding that will never be deciphered.  I am free. The people that surround me, in our celebration of collegiate camaraderie, are all I have now. Social media is a black hole. The lives we once lived have been sucked deep within. We spend our days wired to a social network from which there is no unplugging.  Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter are part of our daily routine, and there is no escaping the internet- ego we have created. But come Friday evening, a storm gathers on the horizon. We gather for our ritualistic festivities, and begin losing ourselves in a frenzy of fun. Soon enough we’ll be nothing more than cavemen. We lose the ability to coherently use technology. Lightning cracks and notifications cease. Perhaps in the process of going to parties and getting a bit sloshed, we’re leaving the daily realm […]

   

• Student Government Holds Flash Lectures

  News1 October 16, 2012 at 2:22 pm Comments are Disabled

  A recent culture trend has inspired Mason Student Government to put their own spin on the movement known as flash mobs. Instead of gathering people to spontaneously dance in a public place, professors will be performing unprompted lectures on different subject areas. Similarly to flash mobs, the lectures will happen at random times around campus with only a slight warning. Student Government will be announcing the events with slight warning of 20 to 30 minutes through social media. Twitter hashtags and retweets will be used to spread the word, as well as Facebook statuses. The idea of conducting flash lectures began last spring after Provost Peter Stearns suggested the idea. Other nearby universities that were participating in similar event inspired him to bring the lectures to Mason. From that point, Leslie Cook, a former member of Student Government who recently graduated, began this student-lead initiative. She created a major success amongst the Mason campus.  Successes that Phil Abburscato, student senator of Student Government, is continuing this fall with a new set of lectures. Based on last years turn out, a few students attend the lectures because of the social media announcements. However, the majority of the crowd is drawn in […]