Recent Posts

• Mason Defeated by Pride in Conference Battle

  Sports October 27, 2009 at 3:21 pm Comments are Disabled

  Cody Norman, Broadside Correspondent The George Mason University men’s soccer team lost its second-straight Colonial Athletic Association game, losing to the Hofstra Pride by a final score of 2-0 on Wednesday night. After the loss, the Patriots’ record fell to 8-5-1 overall and 3-3-1 in CAA conference matches. With 10 points, the Patriots are in sixth place in the conference with only four contests remaining in the 2009 season. On the other hand, the Pride continue to hold the lead in the CAA standings. Despite having a 7-5-1 overall record, five of their wins have come against conference opponents. The Pride took a 1-0 lead midway through the first half after a 25-yard shot by midfielder Rob Youhill found the upper-right corner of the net. Youhill notched his fifth goal of the season. They added to their lead in the final minutes when Hofstra forward Johannes Grahn beat senior goalkeeper Sean Kelley on a penalty kick for the final goal of the contest. Grahn added his team-leading sixth goal of the season. The Patriots missed on their best scoring opportunity just moments prior to the Pride’s first goal. After a cross from the right sideline found sophomore forward Draymond Washington […]

   

• In My Own Words: Volleyball Moments in the Globalized World

  Sports October 27, 2009 at 3:20 pm Comments are Disabled

  Fernanda Bartels, Staff Writer There are two things in particular that make volleyball more enjoyable for me. The first one is the people involved in the sport: Teammates, coaches, fans, supporters, alumni, parents, friends, trainers and even the opponents. These people make the experience of volleyball memorable. Because I am a “people person,” I really value these interactions and try to take the most of them. For me, the interaction with people transforms simple moments into something extraordinary. Twenty years from now, when I look back over my collegiate volleyball years, I am positive that I will still remember every person that made a difference for me during those years. Maybe I will remember a joke someone made during a trip or a habit one of my teammates had. I hope I can also remember matches that stood out or the unbelievable plays that are worth telling my kids. For me, the opportunity to visit different places is the second thing that adds the most to the experience of playing volleyball. This season, we had the opportunity to walk around Boston. We went downtown to walk around the markets, try some local food and do some shopping. Other than Boston, […]

   

• Getting in the Halloween Spirit: Local Attractions Offer Wide Array of Options for Halloween Revelers

  Lifestyle October 27, 2009 at 3:17 pm Comments are Disabled

  Patrick Wall, Style Editor Who says Halloween is just for kids? While the kids might be the ones who get to dress like superheroes and not get laughed at, college students can have just as much fun. George Mason University, Washington, D.C. and the northern Virginia area have several events planned for Oct. 31. If you’re looking for something to get you and your pals into the Halloween spirit, check out these events, both on campus and off: On Campus For those who want to have some holiday fun without leaving campus, Mason has Halloween covered. On Oct. 27, Mason Housing will be providing mini pumpkins for students to paint. The event is open to everyone. On Oct. 29, the Northern Neck dorms will play host to a Halloween party. The event will feature prizes for best dressed and scariest costumes. For those who prefer to rock out on Halloween, Mason is offering a little something for the metal head in all of us. On Halloween night, cartoon metal band sensation Deathklok will be sharing the stage with Mastodon at the Patriot Center. Tickets are on sale now and are available for $35 and can be purchased at the Patriot […]

   

• Repeat Offenders: Six Overused Halloween Costumes You Should Avoid

  Lifestyle October 27, 2009 at 3:13 pm Comments are Disabled

  Julia Harding, Broadside Correspondent Every year, college students are faced with the challenge of choosing a costume for their Halloween adventures. Unfortunately, most students continue to make the same mistakes over and over again: Wearing the same ridiculously lame costumes from years prior. Halloween is the best holiday to show off uniqueness, so people should take advantage of it instead of wearing the same attire their best friend wore last year. To help out, Broadside is here to talk about which costumes to avoid this year. Unless, of course, you want to be part of the average, boring and ultimately lame agenda. Here’s a list of the top three most overused, annoying costumes for men and women. Men Pimps: Really, guys? Do men actually think that this is appealing to women, even on a night of fun? Sorry gentlemen, but your grills and pimp cups aren’t much of a turn-on for the ladies. Seriously though, this is definitely one of the most overdone costumes because every man who wears this outfit is obviously out to stroke his own ego. Perhaps men think that their cheap, bedazzled pimp canes are an extension of their manhood. The answers to why men degrade […]

   

• Halloween Playlist

  Lifestyle October 27, 2009 at 3:11 pm Comments are Disabled

  Emily Sharrer, Editor-in-Chief The drinks have been bought, girls have found the smallest costumes they could possibly fit into and the Facebook invites have been sent out. So, with Halloween just around the corner, it’s come time for frat bros and general party throwers everywhere to begin making crucial choices about what songs to put on this year’s “Halloween Mix ‘09.” But not just any songs will do. To make sure your guests stay longer than the drinks hold out, your Halloween mix has to be equal parts funny and cool, conventional and current. To give your party the right vibe, I suggest pulling from this list of Halloween-inspired songs. Enjoy! “A Nightmare On My Street” – DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince “Monster Mash” – Bobby “Boris” Pickett “Thriller”- Michael Jackson “Spooky Scary Skeletons” – Andrew Gold “Don’t Fear the Reaper” – Blue Oyster Cult “Ghostbusters” – Ray Parker Jr. “Hell Sent” – Bone Thugs-N-Harmony “Bat Out of Hell” – Meat Loaf “Black Magic Woman” – Santana “Werewolves of London” – Warren Zevon “Dead Man Walkin” – Bruce Springsteen “Somebody’s Watching Me” – Rockwell “People are Strange” – The Doors “Suicidal Thoughts” – The Notorious B.I.G. “Abracadabra” – […]

   

• Dress Up on a Dime: Look Ghoulish Without Breaking the Bank

  Lifestyle October 27, 2009 at 3:09 pm Comments are Disabled

  Gabriella Leone, Broadside Correspondent Halloween costume prices can be just as scary as the holiday, but with some do-it-yourself tips you can have an original and affordable costume this year. The first place to look is your own closet. Be creative! Look at what you have and try to put something together. For example, if you want to be Michael Jackson this year, you probably already own some key pieces. Black pants, black flat shoes, a simple white t-shirt and white socks are items that can typically be found in your closet. Now all you need is a metallic glove, a flashy black jacket or blazer and a black hat. You can pick all these items up at a costume or thrift store for around $30 and jazz them up with glitter glue. You can even be Thriller-era Michael Jackson with red pants and a red jacket or vest, two items that you can get for a total of $30 if you look at department stores like Kohl’s, Macy’s and Sears. The Joker is a popular costume, and an easy one, too. Instead of buying purple pants and a blazer, wear a dark suit with a green shirt and dark […]

   

• Bunny Man: Fairfax’s Own Urban Legend

  Lifestyle October 27, 2009 at 3:08 pm Comments are Disabled

  Emily Sharrer, Editor-in-Chief Since at least 1903, area residents have been haunted by the legend of the Bunny Man, Fairfax’s own urban legend, fueled by many different incidents reported in Clifton, Va. for over 100 years. While most Northern Virginians are familiar with the age old tale of the Bunny Man and the infamous Bunny Man Bridge, an overpass of the Southern Railway located on Colchester Road about 20 minutes from George Mason University, many out-of-staters are unfamiliar with the tale. So for those who don’t know how the story goes, I’ll give you a brief run-down of the legend of the Bunny Man. There are many different variations of the tale, though most involve a man dressed in a bunny suit attacking people with an axe. In 1903, there was an asylum in Clifton, a small town of no more than 300 people. Residents passed a petition to move the facility to a new location, called Lorton Prison. On a fall night in 1904, the convicts at the Clifton asylum were loaded onto a bus and driven to the new facility. Somehow, however, the bus swerved off the road and many convicts escaped into the night. Police were able […]

   

• The Terrifying 10: Our list of the Scariest Movies of All Time

  Lifestyle October 27, 2009 at 3:06 pm Comments are Disabled

  Ross Bonaime, Staff Writer As Halloween rolls around this week, it is time to reflect on a yearly mainstay of the season: the scary movie. While Saw VI comes out with its latest iteration on how to convolutedly kill people within a ragged plotline, I implore you this Halloween to check out some of the films that are actually frightening. With that, here are the top ten greatest scary movies. 10. Let the Right One In Vampires may have regained popularity with Twilight, but this Swedish film did it much better. Oskar is a kid who falls in love with Eli, a little girl who moved in next door, and just so happens to be a vampire. The film succeeds by not glorifying vampirism and showing how horrifying and lecherous being a vampire truly could be. 9. The Blair Witch Project This low-budget handheld horror film redefined how easily movies can be made and just how terrifying a movie with a small budget about three friends lost in the woods can be scarier than the typical big-budget horror fare. Cloverfield and Paranormal Activity – say thank you. 8. The Sixth Sense Remember when M. Night Shyamalan was being called the […]

   

• Cobwebs and Cocktails: Halloween Recipes Sure to Bring the Spirit to any Party

  Lifestyle October 27, 2009 at 3:03 pm Comments are Disabled

  Katie Miller, Staff Writer As the night for spooks and sweets approaches, many of you are scrambling to pick costumes, decorations, and of course, treats for your nightly Halloween festivities. Being an ambitious and easily excitable cook, I like to go all out with party themes by incorporating the food into the overall package. When I think of Halloween, I imagine the contrasting effect of bright orange pumpkins with jet-black cats; walls of cobwebs littered with multi-colored leaves; people dressed like our favorite movie stars walking next to our most feared monsters. All of these can be used to create truly Halloween-y party foods and drinks. For those prospective Martha Stewarts out there, you may desire a more challenging approach to your Halloween eats. My olive eyeball hors d’oeuvres are sure to both disturb and satisfy. Take your favorite soft cheese (feta, goat, mozzarella,) squish onto a serving tray (with or without crackers) and then top each blob off with a green olive, with the pimento facing up. The key here is to get the olives with the pimentos to give the full eye ball effect. The more traditional among you may be looking for the ease of age-old Halloween […]

   

• Tricks for Treats: Students Weigh in on Scandalous Halloween Costumes

  Lifestyle October 27, 2009 at 3:02 pm Comments are Disabled

  Gabriella Leone, Broadside Correspondent In the movie Mean Girls, Lindsay Lohan’s character goes to a Halloween party dressed as a zombie bride by covering herself in a snowball of white fabric, a black wig, fake teeth and dripping blood. Her costume is creative, but at the party people give her weird looks and ask her why she’s dressed so scary. Lohan’s character then learns that “Halloween is the one night a year when girls can dress like a total slut and no other girls can say anything about it.” It’s nothing new that on Halloween women will be wearing lingerie, barely there dresses and exotic, fetish-like costumes. There are dirty coppers, naughty nurses, vixen pirates and the oh so many, oh so wrong, sexy Disney-inspired costumes. In America, sex sells and gets you attention, but what kind of attention are women drawing to themselves on Halloween? Most guys at Mason, and a few from other schools, expressed that they like how women dress on Halloween. Mechanical engineering major and George Washington University senior Matt Mostafaei said he loves the way girls dress. “What other time of the year than Halloween do you get to see girls dress skanky and not […]