Articles by: skline

 

• A Tale of Two Dentists

  News1 April 2, 2012 at 3:58 pm Comments are Disabled

  This may be a bit of an assumption, but chances are you’ve heard at least one or two things about the current state of the U.S. economy. Leaving aside all preconceptions of politics, it’s important to step back and take a good, hard look at what each side, Republicans and Democrats, actually want to do rather than say about the economy. Understandably, sound bites concerning “failed stimulus” and “fat-cat bankers” are much easier to process, emotionally and rationally, than a flow chart and equations. Would you rather listen to a live briefing from the Congressional Budget Office on the latest deficit and spending statistics or have a nice man in a suit and tie explain it to you over a TV dinner? Or perhaps neither choice appeals to you, and you think, “How could I possibly understand all this, anyway?” Well, you’ll no doubt be pleased to know that it’s quite easy to understand the finer points of economic policy. All you need to be able to do is tell a story. Imagine for a moment that there is a patient sitting in a dentist’s chair. Let’s call this particular patient the U.S. economy. For the past few years, the […]

   

• Chicago Should be Known for Corrupt Politicians, not Mason

  News1 April 2, 2012 at 3:57 pm Comments are Disabled

  As Ron Paul stated in the CNN Arizona debate in February, “It isn’t the oath to our party; it’s the oath to our office to obey the law, and the law is the Constitution.” In our case, the law is also the Freedom of Information Act. Normally, abiding by FOIA shouldn’t be a big issue for Student Government. However, given the fact that we had undergone secret ballots, misinformed the student body and failed to update all our minutes and legislation, I’d have to rethink where we stand as an organization. I’m from Chicago. I had to live with corrupt politicians for 15 years. Usually, the scandals have to deal with selling someone a seat in office, not discrimination or ousting them from office. I am not a veteran senator, but I have been a senator long enough to understand that we have a number of individuals who can’t separate personal sentiments from business. We have a lot of “type A” personalities in the organization who have a tendency to vigorously retaliate against any form of constructive criticism. When a movement like Occupy GMU conducts an event, we shouldn’t be offended or mock them because they state the changes they […]

   

• The Positive Impact on Greek Life at Mason

  News1 April 2, 2012 at 3:56 pm Comments are Disabled

  It’s April and Greek Week 2012 has just concluded. As someone who has been an active member of a Greek organization for the past four years of college I can truly say that my experience at George Mason University would not have been what it was had I not been a part of Fraternity & Sorority Life at GMU. I was appalled to have read the article last week “explaining” what Greek Week is about and the fact that it is considered a “burden” on the rest of the Mason community. The following is an unbiased, neutral position regarding the positive impact GMU Greeks have on the Mason community. As you all know, every spring, GMU Greeks participate and compete in several events that make up Greek Week.  This year, there were several major changes made in order to build more unity among all four councils (PHC, IFC, NPHC and MGC).  For the first time, Greek Week incorporated NPHC and MGC and encouraged chapters to participate by pairing with another Greek organization. Not every organization chose to participate, but those who did become a part of a new tradition in Greek Life at George Mason that will hopefully continue to […]

   

• Well, We’re Not Here to Sell Cookies

  News1 April 2, 2012 at 3:55 pm Comments are Disabled

  Will Rose’s recent piece attacking Student Government (“Is Student Government Just for Fun?” March 26, 2012) makes me wonder if he knows what we do, what we have the power to do and if he, as a columnist for Broadside, even reads the Broadside. While I was initially annoyed by his piece, I’m now thankful for the opportunity to address his concerns and set the record straight. This is a bit of a challenge because his insults were chock-full of contradictions, and his article was more of an assault against SG rather than respectful, constructive criticism. In short, Will, we’re not here just to give away cookies. Many students don’t know what SG really is for and what we are working on. As a recent appointee to the Student Senate, I have been part of a massive amount of work by this organization to support our mission in the last two months. In that same issue last week, Broadside published three separate articles on the work SG is doing to extend the add/drop deadline, the SG Academic Advising Expo and the creation of the Shared Governance Task Force to explore opportunities for giving students real decision-making power rather than expecting […]

   

• Vote Liam and Moe

  News1 April 2, 2012 at 3:54 pm Comments are Disabled

  Vote Liam and Moe On March 28, 2012 Michael Jordan and I officially suspended our campaign for student body president and vice president. Many people have asked me why I endorsed Liam Hennelly and Moe Ahmed. I am now going to present my logic for you: There are three tickets left running: Williams/Foster, Hennelly/Ahmed and Lavine/Shahin. I wish all of the luck in the world to Lavine/Shahin, but, statistically speaking, a write-in campaign does not have as good of a chance as the two on the ballot. I’m now left with Williams/Foster and Hennelly/Ahmed. I went to the Student Government debate held on March 28 to listen to each campaign plead their case to the student body. The Williams/Foster campaign slogan hit me across the head: “Putting the Student Back into Student Government.” This has to be the most hypocritical thing I’ve heard in the past two weeks. Williams/Foster, you are what’s wrong with Student Government. How can you run a campaign on putting “student” back when you are the ones who took it away in the first place? Williams/Foster is part of the same leadership team where a committee chairman stated, “I feel like we’ve forgotten that [we’re here […]

   

• Mason Not Allowed to Recognize Domestic Partnerships

  News1 April 2, 2012 at 3:53 pm Comments are Disabled

  Director of women and gender studies Suzanne Scott’s passion for social justice has earned her the respect of her colleagues. But unlike many of her peers, if either Scott or her companion were to become ill and leave the university, she would not be covered by her partner’s insurance. That’s because domestic partner benefits of any kind are illegal under Virginia law, which prevents George Mason University health insurance policies from covering the partners of unmarried employees. “It is a real hardship for people at Mason that they cannot offer it,” said Scott’s partner, Lynne Constantine, a professor in the School of Art. “At our ages, especially at my age, that kind of security is important,” Scott said. For many years, health insurance coverage for the couple’s children had hinged upon Scott’s employment at Mason. Although Constantine is for all other purposes a mother of four children, Scott is their biological parent. Constantine cannot adopt them because Virginia law only allows for the spouse of a birth parent to adopt a child. In Virginia, both gay marriage and gay adoption are llegal. This means that if Scott’s health insurance were to be terminated, Constantine’s insurance could not be extended to […]

   
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  Garrett/Jordan Removed from Ballot

  News1 March 26, 2012 at 4:23 pm Comments are Disabled

  Michael Jordan and Donald Garrett have been removed from the ballot for student body president and vice president after posting what the Election Dispute Commission ruled to be a campaign advertisement on Facebook before the start of the official campaign period. The EDC made the decision after a hearing Thursday. Garrett and Jordan are filing an appeal that will be decided next week. Senator Nick Guerin was the petitioner of the grievance against Garrett and Jordan. On March 14, Guerin noticed that Jordan and Garrett’s Facebook profile pictures had changed to the same image, according to his testimony. Guerin presented the EDC with screenshots of the respondents’ Facebook profiles which showed a graphic depicting the letter M, a peach and the letter D. Both the petitioner and the respondents acknowledged it was referencing the EDC hearing to impeach Garrett on March 2. Garrett resigned from his position as senator in the opening remarks of that hearing. Garrett alleges that Student Government violated the Freedom of Information Act when some members met without him to discuss a resolution to impeach him. In January, Jordan unsuccessfully sued Matthew Short, chair of the Government & Academic Affairs Committee, after the G & A […]

   

• Virtual Computer Lab Online

  News1 March 26, 2012 at 4:21 pm Comments are Disabled

  Classroom and Lab Technologies’ Virtual Computing Lab is currently available for use by students. The VCL allows students to use programs such as Microsoft Word, MatLab and SPSS free of charge. Mason developed the VCL as a joint venture with Virginia Commonwealth University. According to Mike Fletcher, manager of Computing Sciences in CaLT, the VCL was originally designed by North Carolina State University and launched in 2006 but underwent major changes and was relaunched by Mason in October 2011. The VCL is a way for anyone with Mason credentials to remotely access programs available through on-campus labs. Mason students can access programs offered through the VCL anywhere in the world. According to Fletcher, the VCL works through a type of computing called virtual machines. “Virtual machines is really running an operating system inside another operating system,” Fletcher said. This allows anyone using the VCL to use programs licensed by Mason as if they were running on a home computer. “Once you initiate the remote desktop connection, you get windows that look just like your home computer,” Fletcher said. Programs currently available through the VCL include Microsoft Office, SPSS, MatLab and SASS. More programs, such as Photoshop and AutoCAD, are currently […]

   
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  Experience Your Education

  News1 March 26, 2012 at 4:19 pm Comments are Disabled

  Nathalia Peixoto, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering, loves to build things and watch her students do the same. “Most professors want to lecture,” Peixoto said. “But I want to build something — or maybe destroy something and then fix it.” Peixoto is one of seven faculty members involved in George Mason University’s bioengineering program, which started in July 2011. Currently, she runs the neural engineering lab on campus. Peixoto has lived in the United States for the last 10 years, but she earned her master’s degree in her native Brazil at a university she describes as lecture-based and very traditional. Peixoto emphasized that she would much rather study engineering independently through a hands-on approach. “I was a little bit rebellious,” Peixoto said. Peixoto compares her graduate education in Brazil to sports training. “It was a lot of practice, but I wanted to play ball,” she said. Peixoto said she considers teaching students to be the most fulfilling aspect of her work. “It’s interesting to see students developing new ideas,” Peixoto said. “If students’ thoughts go in all directions, I try to focus them. And if students’ ideas are too focused, I try to spread them apart.” Peixoto is […]

   
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  Women’s History Month

  News1 March 26, 2012 at 4:18 pm Comments are Disabled

  Suzanne Scott has been the director of the women and gender studies program at George Mason University since 2009. She became a teacher after successful careers as a writer, business owner and mixed-media artist. No matter what she’s doing, the issues of social justice and equality always factor into her work. Scott grew up in Raleigh, N.C. Her childhood shaped the way she approaches race and class. “Even when I was four and five years old I was worried about the racial issues in the south,” Scott said. “When we would go out in public, I would see how differently African-Americans were treated. It was different from what I knew it to be like at home.” Although Scott came from, in her own words, a “good, liberal, progressive-type family,” she said uncovering and exploring her own and others’ prejudices has been a lifelong journey. While running a communications business, Scott began freelance writing about social issues. “The real ‘a-ha moment’ for me was when I fell in love with a woman,” Scott said. It was then that two other issues became central to her work: gay rights and feminist theory. In 2000 she decided that she was old enough to […]