Recent Posts

• Con Gun Control

  Editorials January 29, 2013 at 8:32 pm Comments are Disabled

  The issue of gun control is one of the most contested ones in our country. Every election cycle it’s discussed, but it’s normally pushed under the rug because at the end of the day most politicians don’t want to go near the issue. Every time our nation sees a tragedy such as the movie theatre shooting in Aurora or the evil attacks on elementary schoolchildren at Sandy Hook Elementary in Connecticut, the first thing people, especially the media, resort to is increasing gun control. Increasing gun control will not stop these sorts of tragedies from happening. Even with more gun control, people will still find a way to acquire weapons on the black market. The bigger issue here is the mental health of these evil attackers. I am not against increasing background checks on all weapons purchased, so we can stop those with problems from acquiring weapons and ammo, but it is not the government’s place to tell me which weapons and magazines I can or cannot buy. Areas that ban guns completely, known as “Gun Free Zones”, such as here on Mason’s campus create a dangerous environment for people to be in. I pray that we never see the […]

   

• Pro Gun Control

  Editorials January 29, 2013 at 8:28 pm Comments are Disabled

  As a kid raised in rural Vermont, guns are nothing new to me. I have never found it to be surprising or unsettling to know that my neighbors, classmates and teachers all own guns. During certain times of the year, hunting is a perfectly viable excuse to miss school. So it may strike you as odd that I’m the one writing about why we need more gun control in this country. But it is impossible to ignore the events in the past decade, let alone the past year. Towns like Aurora, Colorado and Newtown, Connecticut now carry with them the heavy burden of what happens when evil is given access to tools to perpetrate such evil. As a nation, we cannot idly allow events of such a nature pass by through our news cycle without doing anything to prevent the next one from happening. Gun control is by no means a singular issue; it is a multi-dimensional problem with no single solution. I do not want to ban guns, but there is absolutely no good reason that guns with the capability to slaughter twenty children and six adults in less than an hour should be legal. For anyone. We need […]

   
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  Guest speaker gives lecture on terrorist motivation

  Arlington and Prince William January 29, 2013 at 8:26 pm Comments are Disabled

  Dr. Adam Lankford, a criminal justice professor at the University of Alabama, has set out to debunk that it is religion or bravery that causes terrorists to go on suicide missions. Dr. Lankford spoke last week at the Arlington campus for an event hosted by Terrorism, Transnational Crime and Corruption Center. The lecture provided a forum of discussion between professors, scholars and some of the most influential minds in national security to share their thoughts and gain insight on Dr. Lankford’s new book, “The Myth of Martyrdom: What Really Drives Suicide Bombers, Rampage Shooters, and Other Self Destructive Killers.”   Dr. Lankford’s book notes that there are variables to review and apply to the Islamic world and the U.S. that are directly related to the role of organizations and social approval that affect suicide bombers, rampage shooters and self-destructive killers. These variables can change the landscape and through his research he provides analysis of what it would take to change the occurrence of suicide attacks. “To merely dismiss these individuals as ‘crazy’ or ‘monsters’ wrongly behests the root of what makes them suicidal,” Lankford said. Dr. Lankford has written for The New York Times, Foreign Policy, Wired, The Daily Beast, […]

   

• @GMU_Problems: Snow

  News1 January 29, 2013 at 8:24 pm Comments are Disabled

  Mason Has Problems Social media provides students a way to share their thoughts, feelings and opinions with the Mason community. The twitter handle and hashtag GMU problems has a pulse on the students and the problem they face on campus each day. Broadside is looking into whether each problem is one specific to Mason and whether any solutions are available. This week, some students were upset over the decision by the university to not cancel classes on Thursday after overnight snowfall. According to David Ferris, director of Emergency Preparedness and Response, the delay was the best decision they could have made given the circumstances. He credits a system of preparedness, an accurate assessment of conditions and the experience of the people making the decision, to getting it right.   Assessing the conditions The University uses sources such as the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association to understand the circumstances that drivers will face. Forecasts that predict icy rain in combination with snowfall, a mix that causes dangerously slippery roads and sidewalks, are taken into consideration. With access to road cameras, they are able to assess road conditions before making a decision. When the snow accumulates […]

   
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  Fueled by the Fans: Okoloji Shines in Patriots Debut

  Multimedia, Sports November 19, 2012 at 2:10 pm Comments are Disabled

  Believe. That is the men’s basketball team motto for this season. Each player wears a bracelet with the word believe written on it. The Patriots believed as they opened  their  season  Friday  with  a 63-59 win over Virginia at the Patriot Center. It was their first ever win over Virginia in school history. The bracelets, given by Hewitt, represent their belief in each other and as a team for this season. “He [Coach Hewitt] said I believe in you guys.  I fell like we can do a lot of great things with this team.  I’ve been through a lot of teams and for him to say that shows he really believes in us,” Anali Okoloji said.  “We belong here.  We have to prove to people that we belong here.  Even though we’re a CAA team, we are actually one of the better teams in the country.   That is what I think.” In front of a sold out crowd, junior guard  Bryon  Allen  drained  the  go ahead three with only a minute left in regulation as the shot clock expired. Allen,  who  finished  with  13  points, was also responsible for an early steal that  electrified  the  crowd  and  got Mason off […]

   
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  A Trip to Eastern Market

  Lifestyle, Multimedia November 19, 2012 at 2:00 pm Comments are Disabled

  Dream of the ancient cities of the Middle East, and chances are, you will picture large extravagant palaces, curved, domed architecture and the occasional flying carpet. Think Aladdin! But the clearest image that will come to mind is that of an open air market. Located in the center of town, it is filled with the hustle and bustle of merchants peddling their wares, elders swapping stories and people browsing and bargaining for goods. Believe it or not, Eastern Market, located in Washington DC, is just this kind of market place. It contains all of the hustle and bustle of an open air trading bazaar, yet it is suitably integrated into its Southeast DC neighborhood. At this sprawling marketplace, come enjoy fresh food, snacks, art work and music while experiencing a unique slice of DC culture. The heart of the market is located on 7th St SE between North Carolina Ave SE and C St SE. On the weekends, the street is closed to traffic and vendors set up tables one after the other under shaded awnings to peddle their wares. Of particular interest, keep an eye out for Anthony Reddix and his giraffes, woven from strips of aluminum cans. Expect […]

   
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  Mason Takes LEAD on Sandy Relief Efforts in Student’s Hometown

  Featured, Multimedia, News1 November 19, 2012 at 1:57 pm Comments are Disabled

  Incredible winds ravaged the area of Ocean Township. Trees and power lines crashed to the ground. Just as the storm began to take form, a neighbor’s tree fell through the roof of Jordan White’s home in Monmouth County, New Jersey and created a large hole in the ceiling, allowing rain to pour directly into the house. When Hurricane Sandy began pushing its way up the shoreline in the Northeast United States, winds broke the sand dunes and eliminated any hope of isolating the devastation on the beach. In short time, sands covered the streets in Ocean Township and blocked much of the drainage systems in the surrounding area. As a result, White’s home, along with many others in the area, were severely flooded from the storm. “It’s just a house, so it can be replaced,” said White, a leadership consultant in the LEAD Office. “Everyone in the house is okay. The hardest part for me is the town.” To add insult to injury, White’s family regained power just in time to lose it as a result of the more recent snowstorm that further devastated the area. White’s family, like many others in the area, is currently living in a house […]

   
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  Mason Alumnus Angela Panayotopulos Publishes Novel Set in Greece During World War II

  Featured, Lifestyle November 19, 2012 at 1:51 pm Comments are Disabled

  A Greek American, Angela Panayotopulos was inspired by her cultural roots and began piecing together a story about war in Greece while enrolled in a creative writing course at Mason. She became so immersed in the topic that, during the course, the brief story became so convoluted with information that her peers began suggesting that she turn her work into a novel. “There was just so much going on,” Panayotopulos said. “Most of the class said, ‘Whoa! This isn’t a story; it should be a book.’ So I said, ‘Okay, then let it be a book.’” Born to parents who are 100 percent Greek, Panayotopulos always got a blend of Greece and American culture growing up. With that unique background, she became very inquisitive about the world around her and developed a curiosity for all types of people. “[Mason] was my first choice because of the diversity,” Panayotopulos said. “You can really live out your cultural diversity there.” Early in her college experience, Panayotopulos truly began to embrace her Greek background. She and a friend started the Greek Club as a way to teach people about Greek culture and dance. “I always happy to be a Greek American,” Panayotopulos said. […]

   

• Transition Resource Center in Search of Peer Advisors

  News1 November 19, 2012 at 1:49 pm Comments are Disabled

  Seemingly against her will, Taren Henry was required to enroll in University 100 during the fall semester of year freshman year. Henry was in a class full of other athletes, many of whom were coming off morning practice and wanted to do nothing but sleep. “[University 100] was a required class for us, unfortunately,” Henry said.  “At least that’s how it felt at first.” To Henry’s surprise, Michelle Davis, the course instructor, and David Bier, the peer advisor, made the class extremely interactive and took the opportunity to get to know each student as an individual. “We all became a little family,” Henry said. “I still see some of the people who are still here and we all call each other by our ice breaker names.” After just one year running track, Henry made the decision to leave the team and pursue other interests on campus. Unlike many other athletes who give up their respective sports, Henry stayed at Mason and used her newfound friends from University 100 to land a job in the Office of Student Involvement, where she is currently the Public Relations Director of Program Board. “I never wanted to leave Mason,” Henry said. “But, as far […]

   

• The Carouser Report: Wino Revolution

  Editorials November 19, 2012 at 1:48 pm Comments are Disabled

  I love wine. Correction: I love super crappy wine. I am realizing this as I read the headline of the Huffington Post: The Rocky Mountain High just got a whole lot higher. “God, I love America,” I laugh to myself as I guzzle down my sixth glass of the evening. I swirl the reddish nectar around in the glass and begin to float off into that deep introspective space your mind sometimes takes you to, especially when you’ve been drinking too much wine. As I wander off, I begin to ponder what place wine holds in relation to the college booze culture. Beer has obviously made a name for itself, there is no denying that. But it has always been a drink consumed in large quantities. Even liquor, the most rotten and foul of all booze, is cherished by many. But wine is something different altogether.  It represents a change in drinking etiquette. We have taken the bourgeois aspect out of wine drinking and replaced it with our beastly binge drinking instincts. We are heathen gods when it comes to downing wine. Have you ever witnessed a round of slap the bag? It’s barbaric: slapping the bladder of wine, while […]