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• Power Shift Summit Comes to Mason: Environmental Initative Promotes Discussion

  News1 October 27, 2009 at 2:15 pm Comments are Disabled

  Amanda Cheek, News Editor The Energy Action Coalition held its Virginia Regional Power Shift 2009 event at George Mason University this past weekend from Friday to Sunday, where 114 students, volunteers and presenters traveled from all across the state to create a dialogue between students and organizers on generating and promoting environmental awareness and clean energy coalitions. The 3-day conference included 25 workshops on varying green topics relating to environmental economy, social change and environmental legislation among others. Attendees included students from over 10 colleges and schools across the state, as well as individuals that were not students, but were interested in promoting green ideas and fighting global warming. Power Shift is held annually across the country by the Energy Action Coalition, and is made up of several regional conferences across the United States which happen simultaneously. The EAC is made up of 50 youth organizations from all over North America which are dedicated to promoting the student and youth clean and just energy movement, according to its website www.powershift09.org. “Mason seemed like a great location to have an event and the students from GMU’s Environment Awareness Group were really enthusiastic to help host [the event], so EAC and CCAN […]

   

• Mason Looks to Contain the Panthers in CAA Matchup

  Sports October 23, 2009 at 5:09 pm Comments are Disabled

  Yasin Jama, Broadside Correspondent The George Mason men’s soccer team continues CAA play as they host the Georgia State Panthers on Saturday night at 7 p.m. Mason enters the game with an 8-3-1 overall record and a 3-1-1 record in conference play. Mason has won six of the past seven games, with their only loss coming at home to the Towson Tigers. The Patriots are led by a potent offensive attack from junior forward Victor Freeman. Freeman is among two players that lead the team in goals. Freeman has four goals, three assists, and 11 points. The other leader in goals is sophomore forward Draymond Washington, who also has four goals, two assists, and 10 points. However, goalkeeping has been a major key for Mason’s early success this season. Senior goalkeeper Sean Kelley leads the CAA with 43 saves and is second in the league with five shutouts. When Kelley is playing well, the team is tough to beat. The Patriots will face a very young and struggling Panthers squad, which enters with a 3-5-1 record and a 1-4-1 record in conference play. Two of those three victories were on the road. Freshman Gimel Gordon is the team leader with […]

   

• Shuttle Driver Arrested on DUI Charg­­es: Employee Had No Previous Infractions on His Record According to Reston Limousine

  News1 October 20, 2009 at 3:29 pm Comments are Disabled

  Emily Sharrer, Editor-in-Chief A Reston Limousine employee is awaiting trial for charges stemming from an Oct. 8 arrest for driving under the influence while operating a George Mason University shuttle. Frederick Bromm, of Lorton, Va., was driving the Gunston Go-Bus shuttle with no students on board at the time of his arrest according to Josh Cantor, director of parking and transportation for the university. According to Tony Simon, general manager of Reston Limousine, the Mason Police Department received a call from somebody on the road who noticed the shuttle swerving just before Bromm’s arrest at 8:27 p.m. Bromm reported for duty around 3 p.m., according to Simon, and had not been drinking when he started his shift and checked in with supervisors from Reston Limousine. Cantor said that in the five hour time period Bromm was on duty, he made between five and six one-hour loops and there was no clear indication of when Bromm began drinking. “It’s kind of a mystery as to when he started drinking and how much he drank,” said Cantor. “Procedure wise, I think everything was done appropriately.” “It’s a very unusual situation,” said Simon. “We’re extremely appreciative to the people who noticed the vehicle […]

   

• Professor Arrested for Public Drunkenness: Adjunct to be Removed from Payroll

  News1 October 20, 2009 at 3:27 pm 2 comments

  Rachael Dickson, Broadside Correspondent An adjunct professor who was arrested for drunkness on the George Mason University campus will no longer be employed by Mason past the month of October. According to George Mason University Police Logs, Charles “Chip” Hauss was arrested on Oct. 5 at 6:43 p.m. for being Drunk in Public in Enterprise Hall. The arrest occurred less than 40 minutes before he was supposed to teach his weekly Introduction to International Politics class, according to the class profile and syllabus available on the Department of Public and International Affairs website. Assistant Chief George Ginovsky of University Police said he was not prepared to give out any more information on the incident than what was available on the blotter. “At the end of this month he will no longer be on the university payroll,” Mason Press Secretary Dan Walsch said. A woman who would not identify herself answered repeated calls to Hauss’s phone number and said he would not comment. As of Oct. 15, Hauss’s profile is not accessible via Mason’s PeopleFinder or the Public and International Affairs website. According to Patriotweb, that Monday night class is now taught by Sonja Taylor. Since he was hired by Mason […]

   

• Mason Art Students Build Berlin Wall Memorial on Campus: Interactive Cold War Replica Comes to Free Speech Zone

  News1 October 20, 2009 at 3:26 pm Comments are Disabled

  Brenda Shepard, Staff Writer Lives changed on Nov. 9, 1989 when people from East and West Berlin were allowed to meet freely once again. The Berlin Wall was not just concrete and wire, but a representation of constraint—Cold War hatred and inequality. Twenty years later, many still remember images of people tearing apart the concrete and shouting for joy. In celebration of this event, George Mason University students will have the opportunity to participate in a re-creation of the Berlin Wall. The project, “Freedom without Walls: Fall of the Berlin Wall, 1989-2009,” is being presented with the help of many different facets of the university. The German word “Weltanschauung” means “a world outlook”, which was the guiding idea for the wall between East and West Germany to come down. A replica of the Berlin Wall will be placed under the clock in the Free Speech Zone and students will have the chance to put their own expressions on it. On the anniversary date, Nov. 9, the replica wall will be torn down at 1 p.m. “Most of our students, especially freshmen and sophomores, were not even born in 1989. Hence the fall of the wall is a distant and possibly […]

   

• A Lower Budget and a Higher Student Enrollment: President Merten Delivers the 2009 State of the University Address

  News1 October 20, 2009 at 3:25 pm Comments are Disabled

  Sonya Hudson, Managing Editor President Alan Merten discussed the budget and student enrollment in his State of the University Address delivered on Wednesday, Oct. 14 in Dewberry Hall. Virginia, like most states, is experiencing a revenue downfall, which also falls on higher education institutions. “At Mason, the result is a reduction of $17.5 million or approximately 15 percent from our operating fund for this fiscal year,” said Merten. “This means in the past year and a half we have had over $45 million taken from our budget – money that will probably not be replaced. And while federal funds ease the pain this year and next, the cuts are still severe and the band aid is temporary.” Merten explained how this budget cut will impact George Mason University. It means not filling research, staff and faculty positions that are currently available. Non-personal spending for conferences, travel, equipment and training will be deferred and IT contracts will be reduced. “Further, it is very likely that all state workers will be furloughed for one day over the next 10 months,” said Merten. “A final determination on this will be made sometime soon.” Despite these financial difficulties and sacrifices of faculty and staff, […]

   

• Breastival Unites Campus and Community: Third Annual Festival Raises Awareness of Breast Cancer and Promotes Yearly Examinations

  News1 October 20, 2009 at 3:23 pm Comments are Disabled

  May Fakhriyazdi, Broadside Correspondent Did you know that in 2009 alone, 269,800 women in the U.S. were diagnosed with some sort of cancer? Did you also know that 15 percent of those people were more specifically diagnosed with breast cancer? According to the American Cancer Society, about 40,170 of those 15 percent will die from breast cancer this year alone. Students who attended the 2009 Breastival held at George Mason University on Wednesday, Oct. 15 would have known these not-so-fun, but interesting facts. This was the third annual Breastival held on the Fairfax campus. Many different organizations, clubs and individuals, (both affiliated and unaffiliated with Mason), worked to put together this event. It was run by exhibitors such as the “American Cancer Society”, “I’m Still Me”, “Young Survivor Coalition” and many more student organizations such as the Student Nurses’ Association and Zeta Tau Alpha. “This year’s event was different from the years past in many ways. There were more interactive boob-related games, hot give-aways and new vendors, and the Bras Across D.C. campaign,” said Danielle Lapierre, assistant director of the Office of Alcohol, Drug and Health Education, who was on staff for the event. Brestival, which took place in the […]

   

• Mason Devotes Month to Challenging People to Walk in Others’ ShoesShining a Light on Disabilities:

  News1 October 20, 2009 at 3:22 pm Comments are Disabled

  Yasmin Tadjdeh, Asst. News Editor This October, George Mason University will be celebrating Disability Awareness Month. The month will consist of several events to promote the advancement of members of the Mason community with disabilities and shine a light on their struggles. Disability Awareness Month, which includes events such as a student panel on Oct. 19, a conference and the Out of the Darkness Walk among others, has been a work in progress. Shoshonna Roberts, a graduate assistant for Program Board, has been planning Disability Awareness Month since August. Roberts, who has high hopes for turnout at the events, has been pleased with previous events this month. “We had a great speaker, Dr. Tyler Cowen, this Tuesday who lead a discussion on autism and the language we use.” Roberts hopes that Disability Awareness Month will educate the Mason community on people with disabilities. “I hope to educate faculty and students with and without disabilities throughout the month . . . The event that I am most looking forward to is the student panel on Monday, Oct. 19 . . . it is a great opportunity for students and faculty to come and learn about the triumphs and challenges some of […]

   

• Mason Holds First Official Alcohol Awareness Week: Challenging College Students to Think Before Drinking

  News1 October 20, 2009 at 3:21 pm Comments are Disabled

  Amanda Cheek, News Editor Among the many things that George Mason University has strived to educate students of is alcohol abuse. This topic has never had an entire week devoted to it, however, and the first-ever Alcohol Awareness Week will be taking place this week at Mason. The Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life and the Office of Alcohol, Drug and Health Education have collaborated to make this event possible, but taking the lead in planning the actual events of the week fell on the shoulders of Courtney Webber, the vice president of risk management for the Panhellenic Council at Mason. “One of the goals [of being the Risk Management Chair] was to sponsor an event during National Collegiate Alcohol Awareness Week. Well, since I like to dream big, I thought why not do a program for the entire week?” said Webber, a tourism and events management major and senior at Mason. After organizing a committee of six chairs from each of the Panhellenic sororities and a seventh chair representing the Interfraternity Council, Webber and the committee decided on the events of the week and how they wanted to promote AAW. After working over eight months promoting and organizing the […]

   

• Mason Madness: Fans Pack Patriot Center to Receive Preview of This Year’s Basketball Season

  Sports October 20, 2009 at 3:19 pm Comments are Disabled

  John Powell, Asst. Sports Editor Doc Nix led the Green Machine, President Alan Merten shot a t-shirt out of a launcher, head coaches Jim Larranaga and Jeri Porter started a chant of “George Mason,” and the fans erupted the whole night. The Patriots’ basketball is back. “I’m really pleased with the energy from the crowd, the players put on a good show. The Green Machine has been working so hard and everything came together for us,” said Doc Nix of the great crowd reaction, a direct result, he believes, of his Green Machine. Urbanknowlogy 101 had an incredible performance, combining their incredible dance style with songs like “You’re a Jerk,” “Heartless,” and “Break-up.” Porter, the women’s head coach, was introduced, giving a special call-out to the Green Machine, calling it “the best [pep band] in the country.” The Green Machine performed to get the crowd pumped up for the coaches. “As a band, I think we really get the crowd pumped,” said Green Machine member Kevin Thompson, a freshman music major. The arena dimmed, and then, coming from green smoke, Larranaga appeared, jogging to the center of the stage to the familiar chant “Larr-a-naga.” “Over the years, there has been […]