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Mason Improv Association Finds Their Niche in D.C. Metropolitan Area

Lifestyle October 19, 2011 at 3:30 pm Comments are Disabled

A wise man once said, “No one hands you a script when you wake up in the morning and says, ‘Here are your lines for the day.’” Truer words were never spoken. No one ever hands the Mason Improv Association a script. However, every time they hit the stage, they still manage to show people a good time. Founded in the fall semester of 2010, the seven-member group has gained significant momentum and presence in the George Mason University and D.C. performing arts arenas, having performed in several local college competitions. “I love it,” said founder and senior English major Paul Laudiero. “I think everyone should do it.” Laudiero has actively participated in the D.C. improvisational comedy scene for the past two years since he transferred to Mason. He identified a deficiency of comedy on campus and immediately did something about it. Since then the M.I.A. has packed shows in the Theaterspace and Black Box venues of the Performing Arts Building, and most recently in the Johnson Center Bistro. The M.I.A. performs in the long-form improv style, as opposed to short-form style that was demonstrated most of the time in “Whose Line is it Anyway?”. The long-form format is more […]
AIDS Awareness Month Underway at Mason

News1 October 19, 2011 at 3:29 pm Comments are Disabled

HIV/AIDS Awareness Month is taking place during the month of October at George Mason University. “The month is planned to bring awareness to HIV and AIDS issues, as well as the impact that it’s having on our community within Mason and our community within Fairfax and the northern Virginia area,” said AIDS Walk Captain Sarina Stephenson. “It’s very important because a lot of students, as well as faculty and staff, don’t necessarily understand often the impact that it’s really having on a classmate or a co-worker or a professor that could be teaching them,” Stephenson said. “So I think a lot of times it’s overlooked at how close this issue hits home for us on our campus as well as around the world, and I think it starts with realizing how it impacts you as a college student and how it impacts other students around you and then taking that to another level.” AIDS Walk is part of HIV/AIDS Awareness Month and will take place on Oct. 29 at 9 a.m. by Metro Center Station in Washington, D.C. Free shuttles will run throughout the day from the Shenandoah Parking Deck stop to the Vienna metro station. “George Mason’s team could […]
AcademyHealth Student Chapter Opens on Campus

News1 October 19, 2011 at 3:26 pm Comments are Disabled

AcademyHealth Student Chapter is a new organization at George Mason University. The student chapter officially became a recognized student organization by Mason on Oct. 10 and was recently recognized as an AcademyHealth Chapter by the AcademyHealth organization. “AcademyHealth is a professional organization that tries to bridge health services research with health policy and advocate for both sectors,” said Tracy Immel, co-president of AcademyHealth Student Chapter. “The student chapters serve as almost a vehicle for developing future leaders in health services research and policy.” According to Immel, Mason was the right place to begin this student chapter. “We have so many people in our school who are centered on health and policy, that it was a really good place to facilitate the development of leaders in those fields,” Immel said. “[The student chapter] is another opportunity to provide to students that will help them grow as professionals, which is obviously the mission of the George Mason health administration and policy department,” Immel said. While graduate students initiated the student chapter, students of all years are encouraged to join. “We are still reaching out to undergrads,” Immel said. “It’s open to undergrad and masters students and Ph.D. students and nursing. It’s not […]
Mason Students Support South Sudan

News1 October 19, 2011 at 3:24 pm Comments are Disabled

George Mason University Cru, formerly known as Campus Crusade for Christ, is currently hosting “Love South Sudan,” an event that is trying to raise money in an attempt to send 54,000 harvester packs to needy families in the Republic of Sudan. The reason for sending harvester packets, which are essentially gigantic seed packs, is to help create a stable food source in South Sudan, said Mason Cru member Julie Manausa, a sophomore majoring in conflict analysis and resolution. “The country is one of the poorest countries in the world, which blows my mind,” Manausa said. Mason Cru accepts donations, and has also been selling T-shirts with the “Love South Sudan” design emblazoned on the shirt for $20. The proceeds go towards purchasing the aforementioned seed packets. According to Manausa, even though the “Love South Sudan” T-shirts are only $20, they can have a large impact on the lives of those who receive the harvester packets. “Each T-shirt we sell provides sustainable crops for 40 families,” Manausa said. “So it’s 20 bucks and you’re helping out 40 families.” According to Manausa, Mason students have contributed to the cause, but there are others who are apathetic. “Some students completely blow us off […]
Teach For America Employs Students

News1 October 19, 2011 at 3:23 pm Comments are Disabled

Teach For America is a national, educational non-profit organization that allows university graduates to spend two years in schools in low-income communities to help improve student graduation rates and narrow the achievement gap. It is the brainchild of Wendy Kopp, the current CEO, who proposed the idea for her undergraduate thesis while at Princeton University. “Teach for America sends enthusiastic, qualified students with a bachelor’s degree to try and help [students in low income areas],” said Joey Brown, Mason coordinator for TFA. Members of TFA receive their teaching license upon completion of their two years. There are 43 regions in areas, such as New York City and Los Angeles, and applicants accepted into a program are allowed to specify where they would be most interested in teaching. The program has no major requirements and all majors are accepted. Applicants should bear one thing in mind, however. “Your major is most likely not whatever you’re going to be teaching,” Brown said, “but because they’re enthusiastic, they know they’re making a difference.” According to Brown, teachers can have a gigantic impact on students in low-income communities. For example, a fifth grade class in such an area might only be reading at a […]
Wanda Sykes Performs at Mason

News1 October 19, 2011 at 3:22 pm Comments are Disabled

It was 30 minutes till start time, and floods of people were rushing in through the doors of the Patriot Center on Saturday night. The majority of the audience was students, guiding eager family members to their assigned seats. As the clock approached eight, the chaos that once ensued near the concessions dwindled to several people still rushing to snag a bag of popcorn or, in one case, figuring out which stall of the bathroom someone’s grandmother got stuck in, and helping her out before the show started. The lights grew darker, the audience became quiet and the opening act emerged from the back of the stage. “Tonight, you’re going to hear stuff you have never heard before,” warned Keith Robinson, the opening act for the Family Weekend Comedy Show. “Come on now. It’s college.” The cautionary statement, directed primarily at the younger audience members, rang true throughout the entire two-hour show. Both Keith Robinson and Wanda Sykes touched on topics that probably wouldn’t be considered appropriate at the dinner table. Robinson, a self proclaimed “situational racist,” was very engaging with the audience, often calling upon guests sitting in the front. Age was a recurring theme in his jokes, so […]
2010 Crime Statistics Released

News1 October 19, 2011 at 3:16 pm Comments are Disabled

Alcohol and drug referrals at George Mason University jumped in 2010, according to the latest Annual Security Report released by university officials Oct. 1. Report statistics show 511 liquor laws referrals from the Fairfax campus and student residences combined, compared to 291 in 2009. Drug referrals for the combined Fairfax campus and student residences increased this year to 123 from 65. Actual arrests for alcohol offenses dropped on the Fairfax campus, while drug arrests rose slightly from 2009. Referrals for drug and alcohol violations are made to the university’s Office of Judicial Affairs and are handled through the university judicial system. They are not considered criminal or civil proceedings, according to the Judicial Affairs website. Part of the increase in referrals can be attributed to two incidents last fall, one of which was a police raid on an off-campus house, said Lt. Kevin P. Barrett, Mason University Police coordinator for the ASR. On Sept. 3, 2010, a joint operation by the Virginia Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control and Mason police yielded almost 30 referrals. That same weekend, Mason police made another 12 referrals at a separate off-campus house party. Additional referrals made by the Office of Housing and Residence Life […]
Responding to Adversity: Mason basketball has what it takes to win

Sports October 3, 2011 at 11:25 pm Comments are Disabled

Just two weeks remain before the George Mason University basketball season kicks off with the beloved Mason Madness event and I, for one, am getting more and more excited by the day. So much uncertainty surrounds our talented team with the well-documented changes having taken place this offseason. The Patriots have gone from a shoo-in top-25 team to start the regular season, to a borderline NCAA tournament qualified. .Yet, it is the uncertainty that excites me about this team. They respond to adversity as well as any group of guys I have ever seen. With or without Andre Cornelius, who will likely miss at least some time with felony larceny charges pending, the Patriots’ strength for the 2011-12 season will be in the painted area. Returning forwards Ryan Pearson, Mike Morrison and Jonathan Arledge, as well as newcomer Erik Copes, will have to control the basketball in order for this team to succeed. They will have to dominate the painted area; rebounding and scoring in volumes to make up for the lack of production from the backcourt. New assistant coach Roland Houston could be an outstanding hire in this regard, as he specializes in footwork and back-to-the-basket moves from solid […]
Out of Spotlight, Mason Hockey Takes the Ice

Sports October 3, 2011 at 11:24 pm Comments are Disabled

Fall has arrived and it’s starting to show. Leaves are changing colors, there is a chill in the air and sports fanatics are dusting off their team colors. It is one of the most exciting times of the year in the sports industry: Football is kicking off, baseball is wrapping up, and the hockey season is set to be in full swing. Though George Mason University does not participate in all of these sports at the Division I level, the Patriots are, in some capacity, involved in all three of these sports. But what many students aren’t aware of is the Mason ice hockey club team. The team has been around since the ’90s but hasn’t received much attention since its founding. “Most of the Mason community doesn’t know that we even exist,” said Ernest Capasso, the team’s general manager. “So we would just like for people to learn about the team and come out and see a game or two.” The team has some exciting games taking place throughout the fall semester including their first home game at the Prince William Ice Center on Oct. 14 against Radford University. They will also be matched against some highly respected schools […]
Freshman Midfielder Has Found a New Family at Mason

Sports October 3, 2011 at 11:22 pm Comments are Disabled

RICHMOND, Va. — When most freshmen walk on campus, their aim is to find new friends, find off-campus parties and overcome homesickness. When Verneri Valimaa, the Patriots’ midfielder, walked onto campus, he was met by a family that was already in place. That was, in fact, one of the reasons he chose to call George Mason Universtiy his home in September of his senior year in high school. While Mason’s assistant coach and main recruiter, Nick Carlin-Voigt, went all-in on Valimaa, it was not the Floridian’s only offer. He may be as good in class as he is on the field. He was staring down offers from the likes of Ivy League schools like Harvard and major conference schools like teams in the Atlantic Coast Conference. He was a member of the Mu Alpha Theta mathematics honor society while attending American Heritage Academy. The academy was ranked first for Mu Alpha Theta in private schools and second when private schools were thrown in to the mix. “Verneri was injured his sophomore year and ended up having a great senior year and being named Gatorade Player of the Year,” Carlin-Voigt said. “He’s a player that had ACC interest. He could’ve gone […]