Recent Posts

• Alumnae helps impoverished children: Through Teach for America, former student aids at grade school

  News1 March 29, 2010 at 12:24 pm Comments are Disabled

  By Ethan Vaughan, Asst. News Editor “I had a parent come up to me, crying. She said, ‘My child can read.’” That moment epitomized what got Marissa Herrmann out of bed early every morning five days a week, kept her going in the face of economic obstacles and gave her the strength to face down a classroom of teenagers who sometimes begrudged her presence. Herrmann, 23, is a participant in Teach for America, which sends high-achieving college graduates to public schools in impoverished areas in the nation. According to the group’s mission statement, its goal is “to build the movement to eliminate educational inequity by enlisting our nation’s most promising future leaders in the effort.” At an age when many of her peers are lugging backpacks and sitting behind desks, Herrmann is at the front of the classroom, responsible for instilling knowledge in the minds of special education students at Southeast Middle School in Baton Rouge, La. While a senior at George Mason University and majoring in communication, Herrmann applied to the Teach for America program and was subjected to a rigorous selection procedure. “It was the craziest interview process I’ve ever been in in my life,” Herrmann said when […]

   

• Nondiscrimination policy unchanged: Board of Visitors ignores Cuccinelli’s advisement

  News1 March 29, 2010 at 12:21 pm Comments are Disabled

  By Kevin Loker, C2M Executive Editor The Board of Visitors resolved yesterday to continue protection for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender members of the George Mason University community under the university’s nondiscrimination policy. Mason’s governing body reaffirmed the current “institutional commitment to nondiscrimination,” maintaining the protected classes within University Policy 1201. The resolution comes over three weeks after Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli wrote a letter to all state universities addressing the inclusion of ‘sexual orientation,’ gender identity’ and ‘gender expression’ in the institutions’ nondiscrimination policies. In the letter, Cuccinelli advised the state institutions to remove the language from their nondiscrimination policies on the basis of current Virginia state law as determined by the General Assembly. The letter was later leaked to the public, sparking outrage, confusion and protest. While most of the discussion that produced the resolution occurred during closed executive session, Press Secretary Dan Walsch confirmed Thursday that the BOV’s conclusion would leave the policy unchanged and unadjusted unless a serious external legal change occurs. “If at [a point] in the future a new state law is passed that requires all state agencies and entities to make some changes, then we will comply with the law,” he said.

   

• Lot I Closed for Construction Commencement: Housing project to add 600 beds to campus

  News1 March 29, 2010 at 12:20 pm Comments are Disabled

  By Yasmin Tadjdeh, News Editor Students parking on campus just lost an option. Recently, Lot I, a surface lot, was closed to begin construction on the Northwest Housing VIIIA complex. Students who previously parked in Lot I, which was used heavily by students living on campus, were given an option of getting a refund or parking at another location on campus. “[People with Lot I permits] were all given a choice — either downgrade to a general lot permit and be refunded $115, [the] difference between [the] general lot and Lot I pass, or [a] free upgrade to the Rappahannock Deck reserved area, [which are] levels four [through] five,” said Director of Parking and Transportation Josh Cantor. “I think most have come in, but I think we still have a few stragglers. [It] seemed to be about a 50/50 split of which option people chose.” According to Project Manager Nancy Pickens, the housing complex will begin construction soon. “The project consists of 600 beds of student housing in two buildings,” said Pickens. “One building will consist of apartment-type living and the other will have suite-type rooms. Construction should begin shortly with the opening of the facilities scheduled for August 2012.” […]

   

• ‘Virginia is for all lovers’: Protesters unite at Mason Law School to attest Attorney General Cuccinelli’s proposed change to university discrimination policies

  News1 March 29, 2010 at 12:19 pm Comments are Disabled

  By Emily Sharrer, Editor-in-Chief Despite cold temperatures and sporadic rain, a combination of students, faculty and staff of George Mason University’s law school, passersby and members of Pride Alliance gathered on Tuesday to protest Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli’s visit to the George Mason School of Law in Arlington. The demonstration was in response to Cuccinelli’s controversial letter, leaked earlier this month, in which the attorney general advised state institutions to remove ‘sexual orientation,’ ‘gender identity’ and ‘gender expression’ from the language of their nondiscrimination policies on the basis of current Virginia state law as determined by the General Assembly. [Student Media recently received an op-ed written by the attorney general defending his position.] About 65 protesters were present for the protest and rally. Many of them held signs, some of which read: “VA is for all lovers,” “hate is not a family value” and “who remembers Matthew Shepard?” “I felt good about it,” said protest organizer Cathryn “Kate” Oakley, a second year law student and president of the Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Law Association (GALLA) at Mason’s law school. “I felt that there was a really good amount of support from the community.” Speakers for the protest included Pride Alliance […]

   

• Protesters Rally Against Ringling Bros. Circus: Animal Rights Collective Organizes Demonstration

  News1 March 29, 2010 at 12:14 pm Comments are Disabled

  By Yasmin Tadjdeh, News Editor For some students, the idea of a menagerie of animals coming to George Mason University is not one that settles well with them. Beginning this past Thursday, the Patriot Center hosted The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. The circus, which performs annually at Mason, will be here until Sunday, April 4. However, its opening day was met with protests from various local animal rights groups, including Mason’s own Animals Rights Collective. At the demonstration, protesters gave out literature against the circus and animal cruelty, carried signs that read “Ringling Beats Animals” and wore body television screens, which featured videos from the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals organization. Michael Dupuy, a junior systems engineering major and member of the ARC said, “By hosting the Ringling Circus, [Mason is] directly supporting animal cruelty.” According to the ARC’s website, gmu.edu/org/arc, they are “a group dedicated to raising awareness about animal rights on our campus and within the surrounding community. ARC was founded by a group of students that came together to protest the Ringling Brothers Circus on campus and to organize events pertaining to animal rights and vegan outreach . . . Our events […]

   

• In a league of its own (albeit a bad one)

  Lifestyle March 25, 2010 at 11:00 am Comments are Disabled

  By Josh Hylton, Staff Writer My father once told me about a game he used to play with my uncle before I was born. Every year, my family would head to the beach and my dad would sit with a beer in hand and rate passing women on their looks. He used a scale of one – 10 and would debate with my uncle over who was the best looking. My dad was never the classy type. She’s Out of My League deconstructs this game, though perhaps “deconstruct” is the wrong word, as that would imply the film has an air of intelligence about it. It does not. You see, Kirk, played by Jay Baruchel, is a five. He is a lanky, skinny, nerdy guy who looks at beautiful girls and immediately dismisses his chances with them. That is until Molly, played by the beautiful Alice Eve, accidentally stumbles into his life and falls for him. She is, as his friends put it, “a hard 10,” and we all know a 10 like her could never love a five. Kirk is already pessimistic and self-conscious, and his friends only play into those fears. The toxic combination threatens to ruin his […]

   

• Broadside Interviews: Stars of She’s Out of My League

  Lifestyle March 25, 2010 at 10:59 am Comments are Disabled

  The names Alice Eve and Krysten Ritter may not be universally recognizable, but given Krysten’s past work in popular romantic comedies like 27 Dresses and Confessions of a Shopaholic and Alice’s upcoming role in Sex and the City 2, you can expect that to change very quickly. Both are put in the spotlight in She’s Out of My League, which opened on March 12. Broadside recently spoke with the two ladies about their movie. Have either of you ever dated someone you’d consider out of your league or a guy that others would consider too good for you? Krysten: I’ve dated people who others have thought that maybe I was out of his league, but I didn’t think so and now I’m currently dating somebody who is out of my league. [Alice and her boyfriend] are on equal footing. They’re both really hot. Alice: I think he’s out of my league. He’s cleverer than me. For this movie, you were working with a first-time director and Jay Baruchel, who is usually relegated to supporting roles. Was there any hesitance going in knowing this or did you have faith in the material? Krysten: It can go either way for first-time directors. […]

   

• From Stand-up to Standout: Top five actors who have made the leap

  Lifestyle March 25, 2010 at 10:57 am Comments are Disabled

  By Ross Bonaime, Staff Writer This week, Ben Stiller will be taking a break from comedies like the Night at the Museum and Meet the Parents series for a more serious turn in Noah Baumbach’s Greenberg, a film about a middle-aged man trying to figure out his life. Stiller is one amongst several notable comedians who have tackled heavier, more dramatic roles with great success. With Stiller’s recent turn as a launchpad, here are the top five comedians to take on serious roles: 5. Jamie Foxx After Foxx’s first dramatic role in Oliver Stone’s Any Given Sunday, it was easy to forget about his awkward, comedic past. With movies like Collateral, and his greatest role as Ray Charles in Ray, Foxx is stepping up as a promising young actor. 4. Will Smith Who would have thought that The Fresh Prince would eventually earn two Oscar nominations? Yet Smith has, for his love-him-or-hate-him role as The Greatest himself in Ali and for his role as the father who will do anything for his son in The Pursuit of Happyness. Even with a fantastic career so far, Smith still has many penetrating roles ahead of him. 3. Robin Williams A good rule […]

   

• From the vault: Stomping the Pavement

  Lifestyle March 25, 2010 at 10:53 am Comments are Disabled

  By Ian Crocker, Broadside Correspondent When thinking about the year 1992, what comes to mind? Gangsta rap? Flannel shirts? Nicktoons? Maybe the 90s are a forgotten memory — a period of time that was much like today in that the underground had become the mainstream. With the sudden and widespread recognition of albums like Nirvana’s Nevermind and Dr. Dre’s The Chronic, popular music had shifted. While “Smells Like Teen Spirit” blasted at every jock-laden party around, the independent music fan wondered what was left to look forward to in terms of ingenuity and edginess. Enter Pavement and their debut album, Slanted & Enchanted. Not only did this ’92 release showcase a talented young group, but it also laid the blueprints for bands decades later. The best way to describe Slanted & Enchanted’s sound would be to compare it to a night of cheap whiskey on the rocks — it goes down smooth yet comes up harsh. With jagged guitars and lyrics resembling the spoken word, Pavement constructed a splintered sound unheard of at the time. The album’s opener, “Summer Babe,” sets the stage with an effervescent bass line and noodling guitars juxtaposed with the start and stop musings of lead […]

   

• When the levees broke…

  Lifestyle March 25, 2010 at 10:51 am Comments are Disabled

  By Patrick Wall, Style Editor T he images and videos have been burned into the American conscience: families separated by rising waters, survivors desperately searching for food and scrambling for shelter on rooftops. Even after four and a half years, the events of Hurricane Katrina remain an open wound on the American psyche. To commemorate the tragic events, George Mason University will be screening Trouble the Water, a documentary chronicling the story of two survivors of the hurricane. Kimberly and Scott Roberts, the film’s creators and stars, will be at the Johnson Center Bistro at 6 p.m. on Thursday, March 25 to talk about the documentary and their experiences in surviving the storm. The documentary will be screened in the Office of Diversity Programs and Services, located in SUB I on Monday, March 22 from noon – 5 p.m., Tuesday, March 23 from noon – 7 p.m. and Wednesday, March 24 from noon – 5 p.m. The screenings are free. The event is sponsored by the Office of Diversity Programs and Services, African and African American Studies, Women and Gender Studies, Amnesty International GMU, Black Student Alliance, Somali Student Association, Akoma Circle, George Mason University Department of Communications, Program Board […]