Lifestyle

• Mason Students Seeing Stars: Astronomy Night Gives Students a Look at the Heavens

  Lifestyle October 27, 2009 at 2:57 pm Comments are Disabled

  Pras Gustanto, Staff Writer Dr. Harold Geller and George Mason University go back a long way. After getting his undergraduate degree from the University of the State of New York, Geller proceeded to get both his Masters and doctoral degrees at Mason. He rose from being an adjunct faculty member to full-time faculty in 2000 and ultimately became the current observatory director for the College of Science. Each semester, an estimated 1,200 students flock to Geller’s telescope for research and entertainment. As the director, he helps manipulate the campus observatory telescope in order to provide viewers with what he calls a “better vantage point above the fourth story roof.” He adds that inquiring minds are able to see how a professional telescope facility works. But it hasn’t always been easy for Mason to be able to see the heavens from this vantage point. The first observatory telescope was built in 1975 by students Chipper Peterson, Bob Veenstra and John Whalan. Within four years, the observatory was torn down to make way for the Field House. An observatory was built around the Baseball Fields in 1980, but it too was torn down due to damage from a truck accident. And due […]

   

• In Bed with Billy: What Can Anal Sex Do for You?

  Lifestyle October 27, 2009 at 2:54 pm Comments are Disabled

  Billy Curtis, Sex Columnist For scores, centuries and even millennia, women have been letting themselves be engaged in an act that is not only unnatural to their body, but painful when improperly experienced. I’ve always wondered why girls let their boyfriends, or just guys in general, do this to them. I know, you may be thinking, This kid is gay. He has to love anal sex, doesn’t he? Yes, I do enjoy anal sex and yes, I am obviously a gay man; therefore, I have the necessary functional tools, as well as the desire, to enjoy such things like anal intercourse. Girls do not have a prostate gland and thus, I don’t think getting anything shoved up their bum would give them any sort of pleasure. This begs the question, what can brown really do for them? I can imagine that some girls are more afraid of anal sex than they are of bugs and spiders. While smoking a cigarette outside with some co-workers the other day, one decided to blurt out that her boyfriend had been trying to get her to try anal sex, which further led to the question of why men are so fascinated with having anal […]

   

• Improv Expert Visits Mason: Wayne Brady and Company Crack Up Students at the Patriot Center

  Lifestyle October 20, 2009 at 3:12 pm Comments are Disabled

  Patrick Wall, Style Editor Few entertainers today can really be called the triple threat. The days of performers being able to sing, dance and act may seem like a distant memory to some, but the spirit is kept alive in one man—Wayne Brady. Yes, this might seem a bit dramatic; maybe even over the top. But to be fair, that’s the kind of spirit Brady brings to the table with his performances. And a zany brand of comedy is exactly what he brought to George Mason University when he visited the Patriot Center last Saturday. By now, everyone knows Brady’s resume: he entered the hearts of audiences as the star of the improv comedy show Whose Line Is It Anyway? where he showcased his singing, dancing and acting talents. After winning a Primetime Emmy for his work on the show, Brady entered the realm of daytime television in 2001 with The Wayne Brady Show. He is now set to host the remake of the popular game show Let’s Make a Deal. But for many college students, Brady’s most well-known work came from his 2004 appearance on Chapelle’s Show. One popular catch phrase later, Brady was back in the spotlight. When […]

   

• The Art of Birth: Local Artist’s New Art Exhibit Draws Praise, Criticism at Mason

  Lifestyle October 20, 2009 at 3:09 pm Comments are Disabled

  Marian McLaughlin, Staff Writer When Jessica Clements was pregnant with her first child, Sam, she was terrified at the idea of birth. She tried to find photographs, videos, anything from our cultural media depicting birth, but became frustrated at how censored and unrealistic this topic was. So Clements decided to cope with pregnancy and birth by creating a series of realistic and raw paintings, sparing no details. Now comfortable with birth, Clements has three children: her son Sam, her daughter Sierra and her show, “The Origin of the World,” a series of 10 paintings that show different women in the process of birthing their children. One of the most explicit paintings is “Charity and Izaiah,” which portrays a breeched birth on a square canvas. It is abstract in a sense that it is difficult to tell the point of view of the subject. The process of birth is often depicted with the soon-to-be mother lying down on her back, but here, Charity seems to be sitting, possibly trying to gain leverage through labor by arching her back and placing her arms behind her. Only a portion of her body is visible, from her torso to her mid-thighs, which makes the […]

   

• Wild Things a Ride Into Fantasy: Children’s Classic Story Makes for Heartwarming Adapation

  Lifestyle October 20, 2009 at 3:05 pm Comments are Disabled

  Alex Hylton, Staff Writer Every so often, a film comes along that is absolutely wonderful, marking a real achievement in filmmaking. It’s a film that delightfully taps into the imagination of a child but allows adults to marvel at its grandeur. It becomes something more than what is shown on the surface and delves into real emotions and themes that reach out and touch our hearts. Where the Wild Things Are is one of those films, adeptly exploring the dynamics of life and the paths many children take to learn and grow to be born again into a mature, young adult. Based on the beloved book by Maurice Sendak, Where the Wild Things Are begins with Max, played by Max Records, facing a number of troubles. His father has long since left, his mother is too focused on other things to give him much attention and his sister is neglectful, allowing her friends to bully him without intervening. Max is lonely and friendless, his only reliable companion being his imagination. One night, his bottled up frustration explodes into aggression and he runs away only to find a sailboat which drifts him out to sea, eventually landing him on a strange […]

   

• Watching the Watchmen: Who is Securitas?

  Lifestyle October 20, 2009 at 3:03 pm Comments are Disabled

  Evan Benton, Staff Writer When roaming the dormitories of George Mason University late at night, even the least-observant resident may notice the black-suited men and women that roam them, too. Armed with thin black rods that resemble lightsabers, these black suits travel from dorm to dorm, stopping at particular doorways to scan these rods at corresponding sensors. They continue their appointed rounds until daylight, maintaining a schedule that sees them seemingly monitoring Mason’s dorms while its resident students are sleeping. But, in college, many students don’t keep normal hours. “I do my laundry later than most people—mostly because you can’t seem to get an open machine before midnight,” said Sreeram Mohanan, a sophomore computer engineering major. “And every single time I’m doing it late at night, I see [them] in the student lounge watching television.” Watching television? The emblem on the collars and lapels of the men and women in question display the word “Securitas,” with a corresponding logo of three red circles. One of the largest private security companies in the world, Securitas, Inc. operates in over 40 countries, with close to 250,000 employees. Services provided are specialized guarding and mobile services, monitoring and investigations. Mason’s housing office hired […]

   

• Local Restaurant a Hidden Gem: Bernie’s Delicatessen Features Mouth-Watering Subs, Friendly Atmosphere

  Lifestyle October 20, 2009 at 3:01 pm Comments are Disabled

  Rob Bock, Broadside Correspondent About six months ago, I went to Bernie’s Delicatessen on Chain Bridge Road in search of a delicious meatball sandwich. SubConnection and Gold Rush weren’t cutting it anymore, and I had heard good things about Bernie’s from my roommate. So I went in and $7 later, I ate one of the best meatball subs I’ve ever had. The soft, fresh Italian bread perfectly held the provolone cheese, the sweet marinara sauce and the delicious meatballs in place. On that day, I swore to return to Bernie’s to see if they had anything that could top my meatball sub experience. Turns out, they do. I had a chance to speak with Bernard Socha, owner of Bernie’s Deli. After having co-owned Wagshal’s Deli in Washington, D.C. for around 20 years, Socha and his family opened Bernie’s Delicatessen and Gourmet Market two years ago to work closer to home. Business has been picking up slowly but surely since then, and for good reason. Turns out Bernie’s cooks its own corned beef, roast beef and roasted turkey every day, in addition to fresh potato salads, bread and desserts made daily without preservatives. When I asked Bernie himself what I should […]

   

• Taking the Lead: Penn Badgley Opens Up About New Thriller

  Lifestyle October 20, 2009 at 2:58 pm Comments are Disabled

  The Stepfather is a new film that portrays a family whose lives are threatened by the new addition of an unhinged stepfather. This recently released thriller movie stars Penn Badgley and is giving the Gossip Girl cast member his first chance at a lead role in a major production. Badgley took the time to talk to a few colleges about the experience. How will this film be different than other thrillers? Well, there are actually, I think, a surprising number of differences between The Stepfather and a lot of modern thrillers or horror films. First off, it is a thriller. It’s not straight-up horror. It’s not a slasher the way that I think maybe the original was in 1987. It’s a simpler, story-driven thriller. It isn’t full of twists and turns. I think for that reason, people might not be getting what they’re expecting going in, but they’ll be pleasantly surprised. What personal touches did the writers made to separate this film from the 1980 version? First off, I think the biggest difference we had was that I thought it was an eerie, creepy slasher film, like much more in that ‘80s vein of the cult genre picture. This is […]

   

• From the Bathroom to the Big Time: Local Band Set to Release Sophomore Album

  Lifestyle October 20, 2009 at 2:54 pm Comments are Disabled

  Nicole Ocran, Staff Writer Writing songs in the bathroom may sound strange, but frontman Brad Rhodes of Melodime appreciates its simple solitude. To escape the craziness of growing up in a household full of older siblings, at 10 years old, he retreated to the basement bathroom of his house to begin the writing process. This Northern Virginia band’s latest endeavor, The Bathroom Diaries, Vol. 1, is a nod to Rhodes’ songwriting tendencies. Although now, the rest of the band—keyboardist Sam Duis, drummer Tyg Duis, bassist Nate Thomas, and violinist and George Mason University music major Katie Shanta—play a large role in the production. Rhodes, Sam and Tyg have been together since the band’s inception. Rhodes was first introduced to Tyg in high school by a mutual friend and soon after, they recruited Tyg’s brother, Sam. “They’re brothers so, [there is a] package deal with that,” said Rhodes. “It was just us three for awhile. In the spring of ’06 was when we kind of got serious about it and started playing together. Then, the two new members, Katie and Nate; they were brought on [about five months ago].” The group has been slowly but surely climbing up the ranks. “D.C. […]

   

• The “Pack” is Back: The Top 10 “Frat Pack” Films

  Lifestyle October 20, 2009 at 2:51 pm Comments are Disabled

  Ross Bonaime, Staff Writer Last weekend, Vince Vaughn’s Couple’s Retreat opened with a surprising $34 million dollars, proving that the films of The Frat Pack—movies featuring Vaughn, Ben Stiller, Luke and Owen Wilson, Jack Black, Steve Carell and Will Ferrell—still have a chance against films from Judd Apatow’s crew. In honor of this box office victory, here are the top 10 films from The Frat Pack: 10. Zoolander The world’s two top models face off against the evil creator of the piano tie in Ben Stiller’s Spinal Tap of the fashion industry. Stiller and Owen Wilson are ridiculously dumb as the two models and Ferrell as the villain is one of the most over-the-top antagonists in recent memory. 9. Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby The first and best of Ferrell’s sports parodies, Ricky Bobby was the epitome of a racer stereotype. His father told him “if you’re not first, you’re last,” so when he does lose a race to Jean Girard, played by Sasha Baron Cohen with arguably the worst French accent ever, Bobby starts to go a little nuts. And if anyone knows how to go crazy, it’s Ferrell. 8. Step Brothers Speaking of Ferrell being crazy, […]