Recent Posts

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  Not so bad boys? A day in the life of the police who protect and serve the student body at Mason

  News1 September 20, 2010 at 5:28 pm Comments are Disabled

  It’s almost 11 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 11, and the night reveals a small form on the floor, crouched against a wall behind Student Union Building II.

   

• Parking Pains: ‘We don’t have a parking problem… The problem comes in how close to your building you can park’

  News1 September 13, 2010 at 5:00 pm Comments are Disabled

  With 5,400 students living on campus and many more who commute, the 12,400 parking spaces at George Mason University’s Fairfax campus see their fair share of use. “We don’t have a parking problem,” said Mason Press Secretary Dan Walsch. “The problem comes in how close to your building you can park.” Walsch said the number of spaces available throughout the day — though some may be in a less convenient location than others — meets the needs of the university community. “I understand the inconvenience people may feel if they cannot park as close to where they need to go,” Walsch said. Carola Sierra, a junior athletic training major, characterized the parking situation on campus as “horrible.” “I once had to park at University Mall by McDonald’s,” Sierra said. “Every time I come to campus I have to drive around for 10 minutes to find a space. I’m always running and it’s a pain.” “With a university this size, they [parking] does a good enough job,” said Patrick Graham, a senior sociology major, “but good enough can still make it difficult for the individual.” Graham said he knows there are complications with the logistics of parking in a school the […]

   

• Commuting to campus: Patriots weigh in on rift between commuter and on-campus students

  News1 September 13, 2010 at 4:59 pm Comments are Disabled

  For years, George Mason University has been acclaimed for being one of the most diverse schools in the nation, bridging the distance between local and international students. Yet with each new semester, there seems to be a growing divide between two particular types of students — those who live on-campus and those who commute. “When you’re a commuter, the only time you spend on campus is car-park-walk-class-walk-car-drive-home. You don’t hear or see that much,” said junior Becca Marshall, who drives about a half-hour from her home in Reston to Fairfax for classes. This new divide is creating a social rift between commuters and on-campus residents, where interaction is limited. “Besides classes I wouldn’t say there is that much [interaction],” said Marshall. “Everyone has their friends, and I’m sure some commute and some don’t.” Living at home with parents or family members can be a hassle, especially if a curfew is involved. “The people who live with their parents don’t have the nightlife like on-campus residents,” said sophomore nursing major Tina Hughes, who resides in the Chesapeake residential neighborhood. “There’s not a lot of opportunities to meet people.” Many commuters have a good reason for not living on campus. Most have […]

   
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  FIFA comes to Mason: soccer facilities to be used if US receives World Cup bid

  Sports September 13, 2010 at 4:55 pm Comments are Disabled

  At 5:45 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 7, FIFA officials came to look at Patriot Stadium to see if it could be used as a practice facility for the 2018 World Cup. U.S. Soccer has submitted a bid to host the famous world soccer championship in either 2018 or 2022. However, they seem to be focusing on the 2018 bid. They are competing with England, Russia, Belgium and the Netherlands, who have submitted a joint bid, and Portugal and Spain, who have done the same. Indonesia and Mexico have dropped out of the running. As part of the process, FIFA officials have visited prospective countries since July 19, looking at practice fields as well as host stadiums. This is where George Mason University comes in. The university’s soccer facilities were used for the 1994 World Cup as they may be in 2018. “It’s a visibility issue. It would be great for the students to know that the university is on a world scale. Now, in 1994, it was a practice site and we got great exposure. So I think for the students to have that type of feeling is great for the university,” said Mason’s Assistant Vice President and Director of Athletics […]

   

• Mason men swing into season

  Sports September 13, 2010 at 4:48 pm Comments are Disabled

  The George Mason University golf team is in high gear in the week going into their first tournament. The team is looking ahead to the Maryland Intercollegiate on Sept. 18-19. It will be their first official event of the fall. Hosted by the University of Maryland, it takes place at the River Marsh Golf Club in Cambridge, Md. The players who will represent Mason at the Maryland Intercollegiate will be the ones with the lowest four scores at a practice tournament played the week before. Coach Scott King is highly optimistic. In his blog on the Mason athletics website he says, “all eight on the roster have a chance to make it … we’re all playing good right now.” The practice tournament will be 18 holes played at the Country Club of Fairfax. There may still be a chance for a ninth member to join the Mason roster depending on the results of another practice tournament. The team, as well as the remaining tryouts, will play in a 36-hole event the weekend of Sept. 11-12. It will take place at Laurel Hill Golf Club in Lorton, which is a home course for the Mason team. It is the last chance […]

   

• Wide Word of Sports: News Flash: VA/DC sports are overrated

  Sports September 13, 2010 at 4:47 pm Comments are Disabled

  It is officially football season. It’s the season of touchdown celebrations and post-sack dances. It’s the season of game winning field goals and head-rattling wallops. And, most importantly, it’s the season of over confident Redskins fans who seem a bit too excited for another disappointing, underachieving season – which, by the way, is one of my favorite parts of football season. And that, my friends, is where we are going to begin this week’s installment of the Word: Word on the street is that Skins’ fans are expecting a record that falls somewhere in the neighborhood of 10-6. Those who are feeling a bit bold are going as far as saying that the Skins will finish at 10-6 in a worst case scenario. Interesting. Keep in mind the Redskins finished 4-12 last season. Someone please explain to me how anyone in their right mind can believe that Mike Shanahan and Donovan McNabb are worth six wins. Clinton Portis is bound to be out nursing a hangnail by week three. Albert Haynesworth – the one weapon, outside of Brian Orakpo, that poses any sort of threat to opposing QBs – may be dealt because Shanahan would prefer to hold on to […]

   
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  Too far from home: Mason unable to bring home a win from Rutgers

  Sports September 13, 2010 at 4:42 pm Comments are Disabled

  The George Mason women’s volleyball team opened up the Rutgers invitational tournament with a loss to the Rutgers Scarlet Knights on Friday, Sept. 10. The Patriots were defeated in five sets by the host Scarlet Knights. Junior Noelle Fanella had a team high 15.5 points as well a lead with 14 kills. Sophomore Danielle Cook had a team high .571 shooting percentage. Sophomore Lauren Goodell led the team with 31 assists. Freshman Laura Spencer led the team with 3 blocks. Junior Kelly McCarter led with 16 digs. The Patriots battled back from a 2-1 deficit in the match only to lose in the fifth set by a score of 15-10. The Patriots hoped to rebound against the TCU Horned Frogs and Princeton Tigers the following day. The Patriots troubles at the Rutgers invitational tournament continued Saturday morning when they were swept by the TCU Horned Frogs. Fanella again led the team in scoring, this time with 10.5 points. Fanella also led with 6 kills for the Patriots. Senior Fernanda Bartels led with a .800 shooting percentage. Bartels also led with 19 assists and 18 digs. Laura Spencer again led the team with three blocks. The Patriots troubles in Rutgers continued […]

   
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  Qualified, but cut: Championship round rained out

  Sports September 13, 2010 at 4:39 pm Comments are Disabled

  George Mason University’s men’s tennis has officially begun its fall season. The Mason Fall Invitational took place over the weekend.

   

• MMA Canceled

  Sports September 13, 2010 at 4:25 pm Comments are Disabled

  The Shine Fight Grand Prix Lightweight MMA Tournament at the Patriot Center originally scheduled for Sept. 10 was cancelled because the promoter was unable to obtain a license from the Virginia State Athletic Commission. The license could not be obtained due to concerns over the health of the fighters possibly going through three fights in one night. Barry Geisler, general manager of the Patriot Center, said, “Sometimes things like [cancelling the event] happens. It stinks. But it happens.” The bout was moved to an American Indian reservation in Newkirk, Oklahoma and carried on as originally scheduled on Friday evening.

   

• Patriots put down the Greyhounds

  Sports September 13, 2010 at 4:22 pm Comments are Disabled

  Volleyball Preview George Mason University’s women’s volleyball team will be travelling to take on the Stony Brook Seadogs Virginia Cavaliers. The Patriots’ first opponent in the Virginia Tournament is the Stony Brook Seawolves. Coach Deborah Matejka-DesLauriers has taken her team to the American East championship five times during her tenure as Seawolves coach. The Patriots conclude the Virginia Tournament by playing the Cavaliers. The Cavaliers went 12-19 a year ago. George Mason University’s women’s volleyball team defeated the Loyola Greyhounds in four sets on Sept. 8. The first set was a stalemate with twelve ties and four lead changes. The Patriots ended up winning by a score of 25-21. The Patriots won the second set by a more convincing 25-18. In the third set, the Greyhounds were temporarily able to fend off elimination by defeating the Patriots by a score of 25-22, but in the fourth set the Patriots bounced back for a 25-22 win. The win improved the Patriots record to 4-3 on the season and the Greyhounds fell to 4-4. The win was a team effort for the Patriots. Senior middle blocker and opposite hitter Holly Goode led the Patriots with 15 points in the match. Goode also […]