Recent Posts

• Communication class helps orphans: Students raise funds for peers

  News1 April 19, 2010 at 1:10 pm Comments are Disabled

  By Reuben Jones, Staff Writer Buying textbooks, purchasing school supplies and decorating a school dorm room can all be expensive challenges for cash-strapped college students. But for students without parents, and those who do not have family resources to count on, the challenge can be even harder. This is a problem one class at George Mason University hopes to put a dent in. COMM 389: Public Relations for Associations and Nonprofits has 26 students dedicated to the assignment of raising money and supporting the Orphan Foundation of America (OFA). LaKesha Anderson has taught the class for the past four semesters. She explains that, in the class, students learn to “write persuasively for nonprofits and develop a grant proposal.” Every semester she has split the class into groups to focus their efforts on different nonprofit organizations. This year, however, she decided to have the entire class focus on one organization. This has been a welcomed change. “Everyone is really into it, and the class is very involved,” said Anderson. The Orphan Foundation of America began in 1986 and, since then, has awarded millions of dollars in scholarships and grants to more than 3,500 students. The communication class is organized into four […]

   

• Students go from YouTube to Mason: Video applications now part of admissions

  News1 April 19, 2010 at 1:05 pm Comments are Disabled

  By Rashad Mulla, Staff Writer Prospective George Mason University freshmen had a new way to impress admissions officials during this year’s application cycle: one-minute video essays. About 150 potential students took advantage of the option to include a supplemental video essay as part of their applications for fall 2010. The video gave high school students another opportunity to stand out from a record applicant class of more than 17,000. Mason accepts less than 50 percent of applicants, said Andrew Flagel, dean of admissions. The concept is novel — Mason is one of at least four schools that encourage video applications — but it will not make a huge impact on admission decisions, Flagel said. “It’s fully incorporated into the application, but it’s not meant to replace the written essay,” Flagel said. “The dominant issue, by far, is a full review of the student’s academic record.” Despite its perceived minimal impact, student demand was one of the reasons the admissions office decided to implement the video essay option. Until fall 2000, Mason conducted interviews with many applicants. During the fall 2000 admissions cycle, Mason interviewed about 5,000 of the 7,400 applicants, according to Flagel. The process was tedious, but allowed for […]

   

• The tradition continues: Musical guests, games planned for Mason Week celebration

  News1 April 19, 2010 at 1:04 pm Comments are Disabled

  By Sandra Evans, Broadside Correspondent It is more than likely that you have seen the fliers all over campus — George Mason University’s annual Mason Week is here! Mason Week will be held this week, with the always-popular and highly anticipated Mason Day to be celebrated Thursday, April 22. The day will feature a live performance from the dance-rock band Cobra Starship. “Mason Week took a lot of time, planning, research and preparation,” said Mallory Wuhrer, the special events chair for GMU’s Program Board. “The whole Program Board pitches in to make this week a success.” Wuhrer noted that the biggest struggle was obtaining the carnival rides, but Program Board was able to successfully secure five. Wuhrer said she is “personally excited to see Mason Day come together . . . [and] to see the sky darkening, carnival lights turning on, hearing Cobra Starship outside and seeing students having fun.” The fun-filled week will kick off today at noon at North Plaza with Ice Cream for Mason Week, which will feature free ice cream and other giveaways. There will also be a station for tie-dying shirts. Then, on Tuesday, Rock The Plaza will take place from noon to 2 p.m. […]

   

• Mason celebrates Asian students: ODPS to host Asian Pacific Heritage Month events

  News1 April 19, 2010 at 1:00 pm Comments are Disabled

  By Matthew Harrison, Broadside Correspondent George Mason University’s Office of Diversity Programs and Services (ODPS) is hosting events on campus for the annual Asian Pacific Heritage Month (APAHM) throughout April and May. Normally, Asian Pacific Heritage Month kicks off on May 1, but because of finals, Mason moved the events back to accommodate its students. ODPS has hosted several events starting on April 1, where students performed open mic comedy, read poems, danced and sang about Asian heritage. “A shared history, culture and achievements can help students connect to build a stronger community,” said Dr. Shaoxian Yu, associate director for ODPS. The events offer students of Asian heritage, and non-Asian heritage, a unique opportunity to be exposed to different cultural backgrounds, customs and knowledge of the Asian culture. “At George Mason University, our hallmark is diversity, and these events offer students the bigger picture of Asian heritage,” said Yu. Asian Pacific Heritage Month will host a festival on Friday, May 7 from 7 to 10 p.m. located at the Center for the Art’s Concert Hall. This event will showcase a diversity of music and Asian American art. Past APAHM events, such as Filipino Culture Night, had over 100 students in […]

   

• Cherry blossoms in full bloom: National Cherry Blossom Festival wraps up festivities after succesful two-week run in capital

  News1 April 19, 2010 at 12:58 pm Comments are Disabled

  By Genevieve Timpone, Broadside Correspondent The National Cherry Blossom Festival wrapped up festivities on Sunday, April 11 after a two-week run. According to the official National Cherry Blossom Festival website, each year Washington, D.C. holds the festival in order to commemorate the date of March 27, 1912, when a gift of 3,000 ornamental cherry trees was given to the city by Tokyo Mayor Yukio Ozaki. In 1915, the United States responded in kind with a gift of dogwoods to the people of Japan. The purpose of these gifts was to establish greater kinship between the two countries. The festival has been held every year since, with a suspension only during World War II. Today there are 3,750 cherry trees, most of which are of the Yoshino species, the most popular variety in Japan. This year, peak bloom occurred on March 31, close to the expected peak bloom date of April 1. The average bloom date is April 4, but unseasonably warm or cold weather conditions make it difficult to predict, with peak blooms sometimes occurring as early as March 15 (which was the case in 1990), or as late as April 18 (which happened in 1958). National Park Service Agency […]

   

• Possible arson: Housing cart catches fire

  News1 April 19, 2010 at 12:46 pm Comments are Disabled

  By Yasmin Tadjdeh & Ethan Vaughan, News & Asst. News Editors Early Thursday morning a Cushman brand Housing cart caught on fire near Dominion Hall, causing approximately $7,000 in damages, said a police official. At 4:23 a.m. last Thursday, the George Mason University Police Department was informed of a fire near Dominion. However, by the time the GMUPD and the City of Fairfax Fire Department arrived, the fire had been extinguished by Securitas officers, said Assistant Chief of the GMU Police George Ginovsky. “Security officers from Securitas were on the scene and extinguishing the fire with fire extinguishers,” said Ginovsky. “The speculation from the [City of Fairfax] Fire Department is that someone threw a lit cigarette on the seat. It could be an accident, but we’re treating it as an arson.” According to Ginovsky, security officers on scene were unable to obtain any security footage or witnesses, making it unlikely that the case will be solved. If anyone has any information regarding this incident, please contact the GMUPD at (703) 993-2810 on their non-emergency line, or at (703) 993-4111 on their crime-solvers anonymous tip hotline.

   

• Condom heist in SUB I: Second theft baffles officials, police investigate

  News1 April 19, 2010 at 12:44 pm Comments are Disabled

  By Ethan Vaughan, Asst. News Editor Employees at the Office of Alcohol, Drugs and Health Education (OADHE) were stumped last week when, for the second time this school year, unidentified thieves stole hundreds of condoms and other contraceptives from the clinic. “I have no idea [why this happened],” said Danielle Lapierre, assistant director of the OADHE. “[The condoms] are free.” The most recent incident happened on Tuesday between 3:30 and 4 p.m., and was apparently part of a coordinated effort. “The students said they had arranged with me to take the entire supply,” said Lapierre, a generalist who speaks with students about safe sex. “The receptionist told them to double check with me.” The two young men, described as East Asian and Caucasian, then walked to the back of the clinic and returned to the front, indicating to the official on duty that they had met with Lapierre when in fact no such meeting took place. “When I came back, the entire basket was gone,” Lapierre said. “But there was this one lonely little lube [bottle] left.” Lapierre filed a report with the Mason Police, listing the items stolen as condoms, lubricants and dental dams. While the police department is […]

   

• The battle continues: More than 100 Sodexo employees go on strike, management says workers claims are unfounded

  News1 April 19, 2010 at 12:42 pm Comments are Disabled

  By Kevin Loker, C2M Executive Editor With support from the Service Employees International Union, over 70 food service workers, claiming dissatisfaction with wages, working conditions and treatment from management, marched through George Mason University’s North Plaza Thursday, continuing a recent push to unionize. Beginning at 6 a.m., the on-campus Sodexo workers went on strike, as part of a ‘national week of action’ against food giant Sodexo, according to Bianca Agustin, a representative for the SEIU. Throughout the day the strike grew to include over 100 employees. According to Agustin, seven states have filed unfair labor practice charges against Sodexo and their management, who workers claim harass and intimidate them on the job and will not allow them to join a union. “We want to be able to have a future here,” said Angelica Hernandez, who works at Southside. According to Hernandez and 27-year Sodexo employee Ana Urias, the workers decided to go on strike to demand better benefits, salaries and working conditions. “We want to be able to choose to have a union so we can defend our rights,” said Urias, who works at Jazzman’s in the Johnson Center. Around 1 p.m., the workers began marching to campus, where they […]

   

• Protest over Confederate History Month: College Dems lead rally

  News1 April 19, 2010 at 12:18 pm Comments are Disabled

  By Evan Benton, Staff Writer A small group of protesters joined together Monday at the North Plaza outside the Johnson Center to protest Governor Robert F. McDonnell’s controversial decision to proclaim April “Confederate History Month.” The protesters, organized by the George Mason University College Democrats, were made up of students, concerned citizens and local politicians eager to speak and listen. Led by Frank Anderson, co-president of the student group, half a dozen people took turns stepping up to the podium and speaking into a loudspeaker. “I thought I was in 1965 when I read the newspaper the other day and saw ‘Confederate History Month,’” said Herb Smith, one of the vice chairs on the Fairfax Democratic Committee. “How can that not be [seen] as offensive to African Americans? How can that not be offensive to all Americans?” Curious bystanders were encouraged to pick up one of the many handmade signs, which featured sentiments such as “USA not CSA,” “McDonnell Doesn’t Speak For Me” and “Bob is Backwards,” with the starred red cross of the Confederate Flag filling in the “o” in Bob. Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, who recently gained attention on campus for his controversial letter regarding nondiscrimination policies at […]

   

• Battle of the Bands Take Two

  Lifestyle April 18, 2010 at 10:03 pm Comments are Disabled

  There can only be one. Five bands came to compete in George Mason University’s musical gauntlet, but only one was chosen. Last Thursday, House of Echo, Rites of Ash, I Am the Kaleidoscope, Find the Focus and The Automatics shared two dueling stages in the Johnson Center, Dewberry Hall. The rules were plain and simple. The last band standing would be promised a gig to musical prominence. Plugged in and tuned up, the feuding bands met on Mason’s campus to determine who would be opening up for Cobra Starship on Mason Day. In the end, I Am the Kaleidoscope was hailed the victor by three judges. The venue was lacking in an attending audience but the bands still performed like they had sold out The Garden. All the bands proved they had the necessary energy to keep up with a crowd as large as Mason Day’s. I Am the Kaleidoscope’s presence though was the only one that wasn’t at risk of being eclipsed by an already well-known band like Cobra Starship. Find the Focus, the acoustic based duo of Mason sophomores Spencer Wolf and Mark Cruz, opened up the event while late attendees were still trickling in. The subtle, chord […]