Recent Posts

• Possible Smoking Ban on Campus: Students Have a Right to Smoke if They Choose

  Editorials October 27, 2009 at 3:40 pm Comments are Disabled

  William Curtis, Opinion Editor I can never say which is my favorite, the after-eating cigarette, the while-drinking-coffee cigarette or the after-crapping cigarette. They all manage to calm me down and make everything better. Over the span of time, the sanctity of cigarette smoking was so well-accepted that in a world I can never imagine . . . you could even smoke on a plane during a flight. Now, the times have clearly changed. First they took regular buildings, then some states took restaurants and bars, and now you want to take away the only thing us smokers have left, the outdoors? It’s bad enough that we only have 15 minutes to move from one class to another, that certainly isn’t enough time to sit, relax, and have a cigarette when you have to walk all the way across campus just to get to class on time. I mean, why don’t you just outlaw cigarettes all together? I send these notions of disapproval to the members of George Mason University’s Environmental Action Group, whose action towards protecting the universe one Solo cup at a time are greatly appreciated . . . until you try and take my nicotine away. On their […]

   

• Sexy or Scary: What to Wear for Halloween?

  Editorials October 27, 2009 at 3:38 pm Comments are Disabled

  Stephanie Tran, Broadside Correspondent What’s the first thing that you think of when someone says “Halloween”? Probably orange and black, haunted houses, candy and of course, costumes. Pretty innocent, right? Sure, except that while browsing for costumes in a store or online, you’ll see several blatantly sexy costumes being sold. Of course, costume companies market these costumes towards adult women and teenage girls, but the funny thing is that, well, isn’t Halloween supposed to be scary, not sexy? According to an Encyclopedia Britannica Online article on Halloween, “scary beings such as ghosts, witches, and vampires” became a part of Halloween over the years. Passing over arguments over whether or not vampires are attractive or not and ignoring ghosts as being, well, dead. Witches, it can be argued, are hardly attractive, never mind sexy: old, ugly women with large noses and warts, probably carrying a broomstick and sporting a pointed hat. In short, not even remotely sexy. A quick search on websites such as CostumeHub.com soon proves you wrong. Typing in “witch” and filtering only the “sexy” costumes introduces the viewer to six sexy witches. While three of these witches sport the typical pointed hat and one even touts a broom, […]

   

• The Absence of Letters to the Editor

  Editorials October 27, 2009 at 3:37 pm Comments are Disabled

  Evan Benton, Staff Writer While editing the Opinion section two weeks ago, I noticed a glaring omission, something even a casual reader of the Broadside Opinion section would notice the lack of: no letter to the editor. There’s a reason why I, in particular, noticed its absence. The Letter to the Editor section is a magical section. It allows anyone, even those that wish to remain anonymous, to say anything their little hearts desire. Someone writes a piece on a controversial topic that is so against everything you believe in and you want to go into Broadside offices with a shotgun? Write a scathing letter instead. Have an issue with anything that involves George Mason University but can’t seem to find a section for it? Get out your laptop and send in some beautiful opinions. The Letter to the Editor section is especially wonderful because the writer of the letter can call out another writer in particular, almost like slapping them with the proverbial black glove and shouting “At dawn, sir!” And if that writer is so disgusted by this unmitigated, passionate bashing that he or she needs to defend himself and reply—then there’s another letter to the editor. It […]

   

• Weapons of Mass Employment: Finding the Perfect Job, in a Not-So-Perfect Economy

  Editorials October 27, 2009 at 3:34 pm Comments are Disabled

  Brandon Minster, Broadside Correspondent President Barack Obama has a lot on his plate. Between adjudicating misdemeanors in Cambridge, Mass., opining about the proceedings at the MTV Video Music Awards, demonizing a non-friendly news agency, and advocating for a college football playoff, no one can really blame the man if unemployment is on its way past 10 percent. Clearly he’s busy. Not to fear. While our country is shedding high-wage technical jobs, others are growing in those very sectors. If you happen to enjoy sunny Mediterranean climes, pistachios that get your fingers all red, gasoline that costs less than 50 cents per gallon, and oppressive Islamic republics, scores of jobs await you in the promising field of nuclear technology. According to Mark Hosenball in Newsweek, Iran followed its 2003 “halting” of its atomic weapons program by, well, immediately restarting its atomic weapons program. In Iran’s defense, though, it should be noted that, since even Denny’s now closes for Christmas, every business can be said to “halt” every once in a while. It’s the length of the halting that matters. One man’s halt is another’s dramatic pause. The problem is the nature of diplomatic language, which doesn’t really differentiate between halting and […]

   

• Meal Plan Limitations: Why Eating Off Campus Should be Easier

  Editorials October 27, 2009 at 3:32 pm Comments are Disabled

  Kenny Tindal, Broadside Correspondent Throughout my freshman year, when we were still allowed to have the Freedom meal plan, I wished I could use my money off campus. Even now there are many nights where I opt to stay on campus and eat at Taco Bell than go out to Old Town or University Mall because my Freedom was so high, but my wallet was so thin. I think it is only natural to want to explore and see what is out there, and when you are from a different county or even state and your outside funds are not limitless, and it is hard, knowing you probably should be eating on campus instead. George Mason University should be encouraging their residential students to leave campus, and see what Fairfax has to offer them. Students who have a flexible meal plan usable off campus will find themselves out in Fairfax and exploring more. The universities solution to off campus dining is Mason Money, which can basically turn your Mason ID card into a debit card; usable at many places on and off campus, such as University Theatres at University Mall, and Chipotle on Lee Highway. Students can add money to […]

   

• The Sport of Warlocks: Muggle Students Look into Forming a Quidditch Club

  Sports October 27, 2009 at 3:29 pm Comments are Disabled

  Ryan Comer, Broadside Correspondent A new intramural sport is literally sweeping through college campuses. Quidditch, the beloved wizard sport in the Harry Potter series, is now accessible to Muggles: no magic needed! Some of you may be wondering: “How do you play Quidditch without a flying broomstick?” I, myself was curious, so I sat down with the president of the Quidditch Club at George Mason University, Katie Dever, and executive board member Chloe Kingsley-Burt, and asked them. They explained that the Muggle version of the game is actually very similar to the version in J.K Rowling’s books (albeit, without flying broomsticks). There are, as in a normal Quidditch game, seven players per team: three chasers, two beaters, one keeper and one seeker. Bludgers are replaced by a more benign ball (a dodgeball), however, as the girls explained, it is still a contact sport. “You can punch someone in the face and not be ejected,” explained Dever. However, “you will have to sit out for a penalty period.” Indeed, the game sounds exciting, even more so when you factor in the Golden Snitch. Because of a shortage of actual flying Snitches, Muggle Quidditch uses a person (usually a track athlete, explained […]

   

• Earthquake in the East: NFC East Rivals Play Monday Night

  Sports October 27, 2009 at 3:27 pm Comments are Disabled

  Patrick Wall, Style Editor Monday Night Football features division rivals with a lot to prove tonight as the Washington Redskins play host to the neighboring Philadelphia Eagles. Last week was forgettable for both teams. The Eagles’ normally potent offense sputtered against the Raiders’ defense and could not muster a touchdown in an embarrassing 13-9 loss in Oakland. Playcalling was largely to blame, as the Eagles ran the ball only 12 times all game. “[The] Raiders out-coached us and they outplayed us in every phase of the game,” Eagles Head Coach Andy Reid said after last week’s game. “[They] did a heck of a job and we didn’t. And it hurts.” Play calling has also been an issue for the ‘Skins. General Manager Vinny Cerrato stripped Head Coach Jim Zorn of his play calling duties following last week’s 14-6 home loss to the then-winless Chiefs. Washington’s locker room has been a somber place in recent weeks. Several players openly questioned the team’s direction last week. Cornerback Carlos Rogers made news when he called out team owner Daniel Snyder, saying that everyone in the organization was responsible for the team’s struggles, starting with Snyder. Redskins quarterback Jason Campbell will be starting on […]

   

• Patriots Score Another Win: Omolyn Davis Scores a Hat Trick as Patriots Rally in Overtime

  Sports October 27, 2009 at 3:26 pm Comments are Disabled

  John Powell, Asst. Sports Editor The George Mason University Patriots soared past the William & Mary Tribe 3-0 Friday night, led by junior midfielder Omolyn Davis’ hat trick. The Patriots picked up the win in overtime, winning for the first time in Williamsburg since 2000. The Patriots (12-4-2, 4-3-2) are in fifth place in the Colonial Athletic Association, now ahead of the Tribe (10-7, 4-5) in the season’s overall standings and in conference play. A Tribe member, junior defender Kaitlin O’Conner nailed a goal off freshman goalkeeper Katie Frey’s hands at the 50-minure mark for the first Tribe goal of the game. The Patriots, never down during the entire game, allowed a goal with 54 seconds left in the game, sending the contest into overtime. Freshman forward Tiana Kallenberger was credited with assists on the first two goals. “Tiana continues to play much older than a freshman. Our seniors continue to lead this group. I am very proud of their character,” said Head Coach Diane Drake of Kallenberger’s success in feeding the ball throughout the game, as stated by GoMason.com. Kallenberger was also given a yellow card in the 86th minute by referee Andrew Chapin. Senior forward Theresa DeLucca was […]

   

• Slip ‘n’ Slide, but No Sweat: Libero Records First Collegiate Kill as Mason Cruises to a Victory over the Tigers

  Sports October 27, 2009 at 3:23 pm Comments are Disabled

  Brian T. Chan, Sports Editor Caution: The gym floor may be slippery. The women’s volleyball team committed a few errors early in the match and had trouble staying on their feet, but the team (17-6, 6-2) swept past the Towson Tigers (25-23, 25-22, 25-17) on Friday night, winning their fourth consecutive match. With the Delaware Fightin’ Blue Hens falling to the last-place James Madison Dukes in a huge upset on Friday night, Mason remained third in the Colonial Athletic Association, but crept closer to the conference leader. The two powerhouses clashed at the RAC on Saturday. For Mason, they are competing on all cylinders in what turns out to be an enjoyable season. “It’s always more fun to win, and we’ve been working really hard,” said sophomore outside hitter Noelle Fanella. “It’s really showing, and I think a lot of people are really excited about how well we’re doing. Compared to last year, it is a lot more fun.” After Mason took a 5-3 lead in the first set, the Tigers responded with the next six points and eventually built a 16-12 lead. Mason committed five attack errors in the Tigers’ first 10 points. While staying positive, Mason came together […]

   

• Sports at a Glance

  Sports October 27, 2009 at 3:22 pm Comments are Disabled

  Ryan Dempsey, Staff Writer NFL Former Chicago Bears running back Cedric Benson believes the Bears did everything in their power to keep him from signing with another team. Benson was released in June 2008 after being arrested two different times for alcohol-related issues. Benson will finally come face-to-face with his former team, as his new team the Cincinnati Bengals, host the Bears. Benson has insisted that he is not out for revenge, despite having bad feelings. “I heard all the rumors that were said coming out of Chicago,” Benson said. “Even the Bengals told me all the things, that they would call and inquire about me and get nothing but negative things. Just that I didn’t work hard, that I was, I guess, a prima donna or I didn’t work hard on the field, just wasn’t focused, just anything negative that they could say, it was said. I’m sure that contributed largely to me not getting picked up right away.” NBA There are a lot of things a team can do in attempts to improve their team, but what about relocating? The New Jersey Nets, who have not had a winning season since the 2005-06 season and who have started […]