Many economic laymen like myself have been befuddled by the rise and subsequent stagnation of the unemployment rate in the U.S., even though just last week a group of economists said that the recession has been over since 2009.
Elizabeth Perry / Asst. Opinion Editor Much to the alarm of one George Mason University smoker, there is no place on campus where one can purchase cigarettes. The selling of alcohol, however, is permitted in a bar where students are free to drink on campus grounds. Why would a university agree to have a substance as mind altering as alcohol available on school property, but prohibit the sale of cigarettes? The effects of cigarettes are far less detrimental to brain activity and response time than alcohol. While it is true that tobacco is more dangerous to an individual’s physical health than alcohol, the threat of cigarettes to a smoker’s immediate safety and that of those around him or her is slight to nonexistent in comparison to alcohol. There is no record of someone being injured or killed in a car accident caused by a driver’s overdosing on cigarettes. There is, however, the proven statistic that 17,000 people are killed in alcohol-related accidents every year in the U.S. Similarly, it would be preposterous for a woman to claim she was raped on account of being too buzzed from cigarettes to defend herself. If anyone has ever woken up beside a stranger […]
Moore and the spaghetti monster Mr. Moore’s insulting attack on the Flying Spaghetti Monster is both troubling and disturbing to those students that have been touched by his noodley appendage. The Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, or Pastafarianism, is just as real as any other religion and very relevant. In a pluralistic society that prides itself on inclusion and religious tolerance, Mr. Moore’s article has no place in polite circles. Attacks on the belief structure of any other religion would be met with disapproval by other student organizations. I can only hope that there is a similar outcry against this senseless attack on the followers of the FSM. Perhaps Mr. Moore needs to realize that we are a secular society and that a belief in something without any empirical evidence does not qualify him as a spokesman for anything. The Secular Student Alliance does believe in fostering tolerance between religious faiths, it simply does not believe in the need for divine intercession to determine good behavior. Christians in particular are quick to call anything that doesn’t give deference to a non-existent sky fairy an attack on their faith. It is not; it is simply a statement of belief. I […]
From Sept. 25-27, members of the Environmental Action Group will be participating in Appalachia Rising, a mass mobilization in the District of Columbia to end mountaintop removal mining, a devastating form of coal production. Unlike traditional mining that extracts coal from underground, mountaintop removal mining does exactly what the name implies: The tops of mountains are blown off in order to reach the seams of coal underneath. Not only is mountaintop removal mining an environmental catastrophe, it is also a violation of human rights x it destroys the homeland of coalfield residents and damages their health through toxic substances that contaminate their air and water. To date, more than 500 mountains in Appalachia have been destroyed, over 2,000 square miles of streams and rivers have been buried and an estimated area in excess of 1 million acres lies in ruin. The goal of Appalachia Rising is to demand a permanent end to mountaintop removal and a just transition to a clean energy economy in Appalachia. Appalachia Rising will consist of two major parts. The first part will focus on providing participants with the skills they need to be effective allies in the fight against mountaintop removal mining. On Saturday, informational […]
On March 19, President Barack Obama graced this campus with his presence. His topic was the health care reform bill that was to be voted on that weekend. It passed by a razor-thin margin and was signed into law. Now, almost six months later, are the promises he made to this university and the American people panning out like he said they would? Throughout the push for this law, he repeatedly made the claim “If you like your doctor, you’re going to be able to keep your doctor. If you like your plan, keep your plan.” However, while there’s no explicit provision in the law that mandates this, the law of unintended consequences is running rampant throughout and this is no exception. That month, CBS featured a small-business man from Pennsylvania who owned a 120-person business. Under the law, he would be mandated to meet the government’s prescribed standards for insurance or face a $750 per worker fine. He offers generous coverage now. However, in an economy where businesses are cutting costs, it would be much less expensive if he dumped his employees’ coverage and took the penalty. The problem is that the workers would lose their coverage whether they […]
Two weeks ago, Broadside featured a story about an incident involving three students who were injured in a car accident caused by another student, prompting a lawsuit. The story “Riding in cars with boys” was pitched by the lawyer of the person filing suit, who is referred with the alias Lindsey White. On the surface it seems that the defendants in question are getting their just desserts but after digging a bit deeper, that just might not be the case. The defendant was found at fault for the accident by the Fairfax County court system and he absolutely should be responsible for the medical bills and monetary loss due to injury of everyone involved. People must take responsibility for their actions. However, suing Alpha Epsilon Pi, the local chapter and its president for $20 million is undeniably wrong. Perhaps White felt she deserved more compensation, but my guess is her lawyer convinced her she was entitled to it. This is a growing trend in our society. Too many people think they deserve riches beyond their wildest dreams because of tragedy. From suing McDonald’s for hot coffee to bringing a lawsuit against the Winnebago company for not advising a driver that […]
Thank you, diligent readers, for the recent influx of letters to Broadside regarding the vulgar and apparently hard-to-love columnist duo, Michatalie. There hasn’t been this much buzz surrounding Broadside since Alan Moore began penning columns for us. So far, the pair has made us laugh, cringe and drop our jaws as they let freshmen know the major do’s and don’ts of college and told readers how to achieve the perfect ChipOrgasm — much to the chagrin of many of you readers. Here’s what we think our readers are missing about Michatalie’s column: they are not being serious. Yes, they are vulgar, use foul language and aim to shock, but they do it all for laughs. So when they say you should attend every fraternity party in one night or not purchase $5 veggie cups, they want you to laugh with them and have enough sense to know you shouldn’t actually aim to be the latest girl in a guy’s beer-stained bed. In a letter to the editor this week, John Morgan questions Broadside’s standards since we choose to print this column. Yes, we do have standards, ones that we try to uphold vehemently every week. We swear by our style […]
Last Wednesday, hundreds of new and returning George Mason University students walked through the Student Organization Connection Carnival held at North Plaza to see all the different student organizations with which they could get involved. Just a few feet outside of Southside Dining Hall, the return of the Smart Markets, Inc. farmers’ market was a living testimony to the result of student activism at Mason. In fall 2009, Auxiliary Enterprises at Mason decided to bring a farmers’ market to campus. According to Mark Kraner, Assistant Vice President of University Services, “The campus market was always scheduled to be a spring-to-fall market.” Following the low attendance last spring, University Services discussed whether the Mason farmers’ market would return to campus. While attendance was used as one indicator of Mason’s support for the market, the members of the Rescue the Mason Farmers’ Market Facebook group, which numbers over 900, and numerous student e-mails demanding the return of the campus market showed overwhelming support. When asked about the impact student e-mails had on whether the market would return, Kraner responded, “Hearing from the campus was positive and reinforced the decision that Auxiliary Enterprises made to locate a market for the campus.” The Rescue […]
Someone once told me that the difference between Democrats and Republicans is that Democrats feel and then think, and Republicans think and then feel. To this day, I still have trouble deciphering not only which is better, but also whether or not this statement is true. Certain issues within this country, such as illegal immigration and free health care, undoubtedly demonstrate the desire of Democrats to make life easier and more enjoyable for all people in this country despite their citizenship or financial standing. Republicans, however, believe that certain principles stated in the Constitution should prevent the U.S. from using its citizens’ earnings to benefit the less fortunate and those who dwell illegally in this nation, despite the suffering this may cause them. The issue of whose perspective is more justified, the Democrats’ or Republicans’, is one of the relentless hands tearing apart the unity of the U.S.. Having been raised in a very right wing home, I grew up having certain beliefs ingrained in my mind that I never questioned until certain circumstances forced me to, namely the presidency of George Bush. Until his decisions began to yield extreme anger and hatred among the American people, I had never […]
Same-sex marriage has come up again and again over the past few years. This is a topic that lends itself to sound-byte answers and diametric choices. But I think we must truly and honestly analyze the real and complex issues this topic engenders.
ANNOUNCEMENT: Merger between C2M and Broadside 
Mason Week celebrates road to Cabrera’s inauguration 
Women’s lacrosse look forward to A10 after winless season 
Ten Minute Play Festival brings talent to the stage 
Study abroad offers students a chance to work with the African Wildlife Foundation in Kenya
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