Articles by: jdavis15

Section 124: A Fan’s Perspective

Sports February 7, 2011 at 7:50 pm Comments are Disabled

A record crowd of 9,840 eager fans showed up to watch the George Mason Patriots take down the Old Dominion Monarchs 62-45 in a big conference game, extending their winning streak to nine. Junior Ryan Pearson led Mason in their win with a nice double-double, scoring 18 points pulling in 11 rebounds. The Patriots defense was a major factor in the win, holding the Monarchs to an awful 27 percent during the contest. Although Mason faltered early in the game, allowing a 5-0 ODU run in the first 5 and a half minutes, a tip-in shot from Mike Morrison sparked the Patriot offense. A pair of lay-ups and a monster dunk got the Green and Gold back in the game. With less than four minutes left in the first half, and the game tied at 19-19, Isaiah Tate scored a clutch 3-pointer that gave Mason the lead for the first time in the game. The Patriots shot well from long range, with Andre Cornelius again performing well (67 percent) and Cam Long dropping two from behind the arc. The Patriot Center hosted a roaring crowd throughout the entire game, and it was easy to see the players brought everything they […]
Wide Word of Sports

Sports February 7, 2011 at 7:45 pm Comments are Disabled

I recently sat down to read an article on Yahoo by Jason King, a college football and basketball writer for the website, about basketball IQ.
Mason defeats the Hofstra Pride

Sports February 7, 2011 at 7:44 pm Comments are Disabled

The George Mason women’s basketball team hit 8 of their first 11 shots and never allowed the Hofstra University Pride to take the lead, en route to a 76-70 win at home in Colonial Athletic Association play Sunday afternoon. Senior guard Brittany Poindexter led four Patriots in double figures with 20 points. Redshirt senior center Angelee LaTouche, who averages 4 points and 6.4 rebounds per game this season, recorded her first double-double this season with 10 points and 11 rebounds against the Pride. LaTouche displayed toughness from the start which helped set the tone for the Patriots. “Rebounding has been a huge factor in our wins,” LaTouche said. “Being a leader, as the team captain, going after the boards made a crucial impact on my team to do the same.” The Patriots grabbed 11 more rebounds than Hofstra, helping them stay ahead of the Pride from start to finish. Their effort on the boards and hustling for loose balls made it easy to keep the lead. “When we start well and carry the lead throughout, I think it just helps us play hard for the entire game and not really feel like we have to use any extra energy to […]
CAA Basketball Midseason Breakdown

Sports February 7, 2011 at 7:42 pm Comments are Disabled

After another week of winning for the George Mason University Patriots, the CAA is theirs for the taking. Major conference wins against Hofstra and Old Dominion increased the Patriots win streak to nine games. With only six games left in the regular season, the race for the postseason is in full force.
Only fools rush in on Valentine’s Day

Editorials February 7, 2011 at 7:35 pm Comments are Disabled

It seems like wherever I go or whatever I’m doing, I am surrounded by love birds. Our country has an entire day dedicated to love – Valentine’s Day. The holiday is undoubtedly one that people either love or hate. Cynics hate Valentine’s, but couples adore it. It seems virtually impossible to walk through campus on Valentine’s Day without witnessing couples hugging, kissing and exchanging gifts. It can be hard to take the holiday seriously when it seems to revolve around hideous giant pink teddy bears, tacky Mylar balloons and boxes of Whitman’s chocolate. This time of year, girls and guys alike seem to constantly talk about their significant other. I feel like every preview of an upcoming movie is for a predictable love story. The plot is always as follows: they meet, fall in love, hate each other and then fall in love again. When I turn on the radio, nine times out of ten, a sappy love song is playing. Society has fallen madly in love with love. The concept of love itself is inexplicable. Love is supposed to be this amazing experience that makes people feel like they’re dancing on clouds. Some individuals develop the unrealistic, romanticized notion […]
Egyptian Aid

Editorials February 7, 2011 at 7:33 pm Comments are Disabled

For nearly 30 years, the president and dictator of Egypt, Hosni Mubarak, ruled the country with an iron fist. Citizens were jailed for political dissent, torture was not uncommon and journalists could be fined for opposing the government. The protests this past week have brought out the true Mubarak, when he shut down social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter and closed the popular Al Jazeera news bureau in an attempt to quell the rebellion. The refusal of Mubarak to relinquish his seat and allow for immediate fair and free elections shows his unwavering loyalty to his malfeasant cronies and plutocratic government instead of the largely impoverished and disenfranchised Egyptian people. The revolution may not be of interest to Americans. However, in 2010, the U.S. sent over $1.55 billion in aid to Egypt. A vast majority of that money, about $1.3 billion, was specifically military aid. Not nearly enough was spent on infrastructure or education. The streets of Cairo are very hilly and cracked and lack sidewalks and traffic lights. Centralized planning under Mubarak gridlocked government and created an inefficient bureaucracy that halted modernization reforms. Estimates from 2005 put those living below the poverty line at 20 percent with […]
Students have to leap hurdles to Track and Field house

Editorials February 7, 2011 at 7:32 pm Comments are Disabled

Are you like me – incredibly successful and devilishly sexy? If so, maybe we’re alike in other ways as well. Perhaps you, too, have registered for a 5K this spring, only to remember later that spring is preceded by winter, and winter is no time to prepare for a 5K. What can the two of us possibly do? Our success and sexiness can do a lot for us in life, but it can’t physically move us three miles. What not to do, I can tell you, is try to use the Field House track. Don’t even think about it. The chances you will be able to find out when the track is actually available and that you will be free during that limited window are laughably slim. Do not be misled by the hours prominently posted beside the Field House front door. While most organizations take the view that posted hours should correspond roughly to actual hours, the suits at the Field House have a more liberal interpretation. The sign might lead you to believe, like I once did, that a facility that is said to be open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. is, in fact, available for use […]
Moments that make you go “aw…”

Lifestyle February 7, 2011 at 7:27 pm Comments are Disabled

1. “Titanic” Jack embraces Rose as an instrumental rendition of the age-defining “My Heart Will Go On” plays in the background. Spoiler Alert: Little did they know that was the last sunset Jack would ever see. Aw… 2. “The Notebook” “The Notebook” – After a dramatic revelation in which Allie discovers that Noah had written her every day for a year, they passionately kiss in the pouring rain. Aw… 3. “Lady and the Tramp” Sharing a plate of spaghetti has never been so romantic, especially when the lovers are two adorable pups! Aww… 4. Say Anything “Say Anything” – Who needs iPods and Segways when you’ve got a boombox and a lawnmower? John Cusack can blast music outside our window any day. Aw… 5. “10 Things I Hate About You” When bad boy Patrick Verona “sacrifices himself on the altar of dignity,” by singing “Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You” during Kat’s soccer practice, Heath Ledger reminded us that hot bad boys have feelings too. Aw… 6.“Top Gun” Before Tom Cruise starting shoving Scientology down people’s throats, he showed men everywhere how to master the pickup line by singing “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling” as Maverick. Aw… 7. “Casablanca” […]
Colors of love

Lifestyle February 7, 2011 at 7:18 pm Comments are Disabled

Red seems to be the defining color of love. It is the color we think of when we picture Valentine’s Day – like roses, lips and hearts.
Q and A with Spirit of King recipient Mark Hopson

Lifestyle February 7, 2011 at 7:14 pm Comments are Disabled

How long have you worked with George Mason University? MH: I’ve been with Mason for a little over six years now. How has your experience at Mason helped shape your views and teaching methods in the field of multicultural and diversity education? MH: Well, there are two things that automatically come to mind. One is I’m reminded on a regular basis to never take anything for granted, to never assume that our students are willing or desiring to be educated around difference at first. Not all students find that information to be as valuable as I do. So I am reminded through what we call cultural conflict or intercultural crashes or bumps in the road of life that there is a need for education and consciousness around difference. Conversely, I am also reminded that there are people, individuals and groups, who are actively seeking information and consciousness around these issues and so one can never assume that the classroom isn’t full of progressive, active leaders. I want to give credence to those students who take risks in the classroom and across campus to make sure that multiple voices are heard. The Spirit of King Award is being presented to you […]