Broadside

April 15, 2013

Broadside GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY’S STUDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1963

Volume 89 Issue 21

(VINCE GOMES/BROADSIDE)

International Week 2013

iWeek celebrates students from more than 100 countries and recognizes the diversity of Mason’s campus while remaining a unified community Page 10-11 News

Lifestyle

Opinion

Sports

Nobel Prize winner speaks to students as a part of International Week festivities

Mason Ambassadors held GBAY auction to benefit student scholarships

Construction at Mason has a competitor for noise as cicadas make their return

Students weigh in on athletes transferring after the A-10 conference move

Page 5

Page 12

Page 16

Page 18

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April 15, 2013

Mason in the News “They’ve heard of George Mason when it comes time to pick a university. They’ve heard of us because of intercollegiate athletics. The fact is so many universities have decided that it’s an integral part of the intercollegiate experience.”

- Ron Shayka, senior associate athletic director, said to the Washington Examiner about student athletes gaining interest in Mason athletics following the Men’s Basketball team’s success in the Final Four in 2006

“The typical answer given for many black problems is racial discrimination. No one argues that every vestige of racial discrimination has been eliminated. But the relevant question is: How much of what we see can be explained by discrimination?”

- Walter Williams, economics professor, said in his syndicated column about the roots of high African-American unemployment

“This data from this study suggest that meditation may help students who might have trouble paying attention or focusing. Sadly, freshmen classes probably contain more of these types of students than senior courses because student populations who have difficulty self-regulating are also more likely to leave the university.”

- Robert Youmans, assistant physiology professor, said to The Inquisitr about the study that he colead about the benefits of meditation is beneficial before class.

News

Broadside

Letter from the Editor-in-Chief I have to admit, a few weeks ago, I was quite ignorant about the IsraeliPalestine conflict.

I had a very basic understanding, from tidbits I’d picked up from the news, classes or pieced together from conversations, but by no means would I consider myself well-versed in the subject.

That lack of knowledge has made the past week rather challenging as I’ve navigated the often conflicting, always heated sides of the situation.

For the past week, the I have been working with the staff to read, research and consult outside sources.

However noble our intentions to educate ourselves on the long lived conflict, I worry that it will never be enough.

There is no correct way to please everyone in a situation with such deep emotional, cultural and historical lineage that I doubt that I could ever truly understand.

Not everyone will appreciate or agree with the way we covered the issue, but I promise you that we have done our best.

In the interest of fair coverage, we reached out to both Students Against Israeli Apartheid (SAIA) and the Israel Student Association (ISA) to comment on the campus boycott and the

situation in general. In the editorials section, Hala Numan, a regular columnist and member of SAIA, shares her passionate opinion on the topic.

In the news section, a story on campus protests by the SAIA on page 6 details their boycott of Sabra hummus.

We were able to reach Miranda Lapides, co-president of ISA, for a comment on the Sabra hummus boycott, but at the time of publication had not received an editorial from ISA to run as a point-counterpoint to Numan’s piece.

My hope was to provide students with the opportunity to read both perspectives and make an educated decision about where they stand on the issue.

The struggle of how to cover such incendiary events is just one of the many difficulties in running a student media organization. The Mason community, that I consider myself a dedicated part of, is a very difficult one to please.

I foresee and welcome many letters to the editor on the topic in the upcoming weeks.

But before you sit down to write a mean spirited attack, I ask you to step back for a moment and think.

Remember that the students from both SAIA and ISA are your peers, and deserve respect and consideration.

Remember that the staff of Broadside, from staff writers to the editorial team, on top of grueling class schedules and a semblance of a personal life, spend countless hours each week to bring you the news of our community.

I hope that this issue sparks conversation across campus. I hope that students who, like me, had a weak base of understanding about Israel and Palestine will take time out of their day to sit down and do their own research.

I hope that students on either side of the conflict consider taking the time to sit down and think about ways they could work together and provide a model for international relations.

Remember that as a university, our greatest strength is our diversity, part of being a student at Mason is to accept and work with the myriad of races, ages, religions and sexualities that makes up our university. These are our classmates, our friends, our neighbors and our fellow Patriots.

Colleen Wilson

Editor-in-Chief

Number Week of the

$33,000

The amount of money Mason Ambassadors have raised for student scholarships over the past three years. Read more about their annual event GBAY on page 12.

Broadside wants you.

Applications are now being accepted for the 2013-2014 editorial staff. Interviews will be held for managing, news, lifestyle, opinion and sports editors and assistant editors.

Email cover letters and resumes to

eic@broadsideonline.com

News

Broadside

April 15, 2013

3

News&Notes Mason to Offer New Opportunities to Study Science Communication Mason now offers new opportunities to study science communication at the Fairfax campus.

Graduate study opportunities include: MA with concentration, Graduate certificate, and Doctoral study.

The department also offers graduate specializations in health communication and strategic communication.

For more information contact Katherine Rowan or the Department of Communication.

Native Plants Society Donates ‘Flora of Virginia’ to Mason Mason’s Ted R. Bradley Herbarium recently added a copy of the official and newly revised “Flora of Virginia”.

The book contains keys for identification, taxonomy, habitat and status, and detailed descriptions of each plant.

The book will be an invaluable resource for students, faculty, and visitors to the herbarium.

(STEPHEN KLINE/BROADSIDE)

A school bus with wounds from 6,000 bullets was on display in front of Southside on April 8 to 10. The bus was an exhibit by Canadian artist Viktor Mitic. His purpose was to create a discussion about gun violence given the mass shootings over the past year. Submit your photo, eic@broadside.com

MONDAY

WEDNESDAY

April 15

April 17

Arlington campus will hold a special public forum to discuss the environmental and economic implications of singleuse plastic water bottles. The forum will begin with the screening of the documentary, Bag It, followed by a panel of experts who represent the Washington Aqueduct, Arlington County, and the Nature Conservancy.

Founders Hall Auditorium, 6:30 p.m., free of cost.

The New Century College’s Center for Consciousness and Transformation, the Center for Field Studies, Mason’s Center for Living Entrepreneurship, and InBodied Living will host a “WellBeing in Action” fundraiser for the Maijuna community project.

The fundraiser will raise money for the indigenous group in the Peruvian Amazon in order to fund a water, sanitation, and hygiene project.

SUB I, Quad Lawn, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Tap in: Say “Well-Being in Action” No to Bottled H20

THURSDAY

April 16

FRIDAY

April 12

Stress-out Refugee day Speaker Film Fundraiser As part of National Stress Out Day, Active Minds will host speaker Maggie Bertram, the Program Manager for Student-Led Initiatives at Active Minds, Inc. Maggie Bertram draws from her past experiences in order to engage audiences with her humor, sincerity, and remarkable intellect.

She will discuss how to manage a more balanced life.

The HUB, Rooms 3-5, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

The Working Group for Displaced Populations will be showing Nickel City Smiler on Friday, April 12 at 3 p.m. at the Blue Ridge Classroom.

The film is a documentary about a Burmese family fighting to survive as refugees.

For every Nickel City Smiler DVD that is sold, $6 will be donated to a refugee resettlement center.

Blue Ridge Classroom, 3 p.m.

Annual Scholarship Celebration Dinner Recognizes Students The annual Scholarship Celebration Dinner on April 4 honored five outstanding students, including the first-ever Black scholars Endowed Scholarship recipient.

Seth Robertson, Mackenzie Snider, Jacqueline Koromah-Mitchell, Ryan McCreedy, and Nancy Xiong all received scholarships based on their incredible contribution to the Mason community and academic excellence.

April 8 Corrections - In the PRIDE Week Drag show story titled “Annual Drag Show Packs JC”, it was incorrectly stated that there were 16 performances instead of 19.

E-Cleff’s name was spelled incorrectly. We apologize for the errors.

4

News

April 15, 2013

Getting a minor degree; worth extra time, classes?

Adding a minor to a bachelor’s degree is one way to fulfill elective credit requirements.

Whether students want to add to their degree or learn more about a secondary interest, there are more than 100 minors at Mason to choose from, with more added every year.

“There’s been a tremendous amount of growth in minors since they started them,” said Paul Bousel associate director, Academic Advising & Transfer Center.

Although there are currently more than 100 minors offered at Mason, the minor program has not been around too long. 1990-1991 was the first catalog year to provide minor programs of study.

“I was here before there were minors. There was a time when we didn’t have minors,” Bousel said.

When students seek help from Mason’s Academic Advising and Transfer Center to decide on a major, minors are not always brought up in conversation.

Paul Bousel, associate director of the Academic Advising and Transfer Center focuses more on the transition of students from undeclared majors to actual majors of study.

“We don’t insist on anyone doing a minor. It’s an option. You don’t have to pick a minor,” Bousel said.

The requirements to obtain a minor include taking 15-21 credits of courses in the field of study.

As a result, students who pick up a minor should plan ahead of time.

“If you do a minor, you’ll be here

beyond 120 credits, which you can do, but many people don’t want to stay here longer than they have to,” Bousel said.

There are some minors that involve more credits than others.

A foreign language minor requires intermediate courses prior to choosing the language as a minor.

According to the Academic Advising and Transfer Center, if you are a student who has not been exposed to a language such as Chinese, you would have to take 12 credits of Chinese coursework before taking courses for the Chinese minor. In completing the Chinese minor, students would have 27 credits of Chinese language courses, 18 of them will come out of your elective credits.

“Somebody who is a senior with six elective credits left wouldn’t be able to do the Chinese language minor unless they plan to stay here longer,” Bousel said.

Transfer students and students who switch majors may not have enough room within their elective credit courses to pursue a minor.

However, majors such as communication and economics in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences allow room for students to pursue a minor because there are a lot of electives available.

Resources such as Career Services and the Academic Advising and Transfer Center provide information on career paths for the various programs of study that Mason offers.

For students who wish to

Broadside Tweets of the Week

supplement their degree to make themselves more specified for the job market, minors can have a positive effect.

“We suggest that students don’t assume they can’t do anything with their degree. If someone is looking for [a minor], the IT minor might make you a little more marketable. You might have skill settings in information technology that you wouldn’t get otherwise,” Bousel said.

The information technology minor was started by a history professor at Mason in order to allow students to become more marketable.

“The information technology along with the Mathematics for School of Management Students minor (MSOM) are two of the popular minors provided at Mason,” Bousel said.

It is known for students to change their major throughout their college experience.

This is also true for minors. If students no longer feel that they need to continue a minor, they can change or drop their minor.

It would then become a regular elective course. Students could also obtain a double minor if they choose.

“You don’t have to have one to graduate. Some students do the coursework and declare the minor later on. You’re not locked into anything,” Bousel said.

SAFFIE KAMARA STAFF WRITER

Quick Facts

Minor Requirements • Minors require between 15 and 21 credits of study.

• At least 8 credits of the minor must be applied only to that minor and may not be used to fulfill requirements of the student’s major, concentration, an undergraduate certificate, or another minor.

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• Students must have a minimum GPA of 2.00 in the coursework applied to a minor.

• At least 6 credits of the minor must be completed at Mason.

The total number of minors available as of the publication of this issue. Information is according to advising.gmu.edu.

#YOUR TWEET HERE Want your tweet to be featured in Tweets of the Week? Hashtag your tweet with #gmu or tweet us @MasonBroadside.

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April 15, 2013

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Nobel Prize winner speaks at International Week Wole Soyinka speaks on the role of Africa in the New World Order In Dewberry Hall, students sit around tables, watching rapt as a group of dancers sway to the beat of drums. The women swing their skirts in an arc, evocative of scythes slashing through crops.

This is Yoruba dancing, a traditional West African dance performed by Professor Jim Lepore’s Afro-Cuban dance class to precede a Q&A session by Nobel Prize-winning writer Akinwande Oluwole “Wole” Soyinka.

Soyinka visited Mason on April 12 as a part of the university’s annual International Week program, giving a pair of talks. The first, entitled “From Cleopatra to Mandela: The Role of Africa in the New World Order,” was a panel discussion on Soyinka’s career as well as the state of contemporary Africa.

Soyinka talked about a wide variety of topics, from the legacy of late author Chinue Achebe to the place of Africa in the 21st century world and his hopes and fears for the future of Nigeria.

Later in the evening, he read from his own work in an event called “Poems of SelfRetrieval, Cultural Security and Recollection”.

Born on July 13, 1934 in Abeokuta, Nigeria, Soyinka is a poet, dramatist, novelist, essayist and professor-in-residence at Loyola Marymount University.

He played an active role in Nigeria’s fight for independence and the ensuing civil war.

In 1967, he was accused of conspiring with Biafra rebels and was held in custody for almost two years—an incident that inspired his career as a writer, intellectual and political activist. Soyinka won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1986, becoming the first-ever African to receive the honor.

“One of the great things about Soyinka is that he is not a writer who is there in his ivory tower... No, he is a writer that [has been] present since the beginning of his career,” said Rei Berroa, a professor of Spanish and Latin American culture at Mason.

Berroa invited Soyinka to come to Mason as a guest speaker after recommending him for the Trieste Poesia International Award in 2012.

International Week at Mason originated in 1981 and is co-sponsored by the Office of International Programs and Services and the Office of Student Involvement, though the individual events are sponsored by different groups across the university.

The Wole Soyinka event, for example, was sponsored by the department of modern and classical languages.

In addition to guest speakers like Soyinka, the committee consisting of students and staff advisers responsible for I-Week hosted an opening ceremony parade, dance

competitions, film screenings, food tastings, cultural nights and academic forums, among numerous other events.

Judith Green, University Life’s executive director of international programs and services (OIPS), emphasizes the richness and diversity of Mason’s International Week program.

“Everyone gets a seat at the I-Week Table,” Green said. “Any campus group can sponsor something related to global, international cross-cultural learning or experience and it can be included.”

One of the great things about Soyinka is that he is not a writer who is there in his ivory tower... No, he is a writer that [has been] present since the beginning of his career Rei Berroa, a professor of Spanish and Latin American culture

OIPS helps the Mason community to connect with people from different cultures, nationalities and ethnicities and to learn about international issues.

Green expressed her gratitude for having the opportunity to include Soyinka in this year’s schedule.

“International Week is very important because it gives presence to something Mason takes pride in, which is its internationalism,” Berroa said. “I remember there were something like 120 nations represented at Mason. It means that probably there are more than 100 languages spoken every day on this campus.

So, if we are that kind of university, we have to have some kind of celebration...This week, we celebrate what it is to be international and how we can make the world a better place for everybody if we can understand who we are by understanding who is the ‘other.’”

And in the process of learning about the world and trying to solve its problems, enlisting the knowledge and experience of a Nobel Prize winner seemed a good first step.

AMY WOOLSEY STAFF WRITER

(MAURICE C. JONES/BROADSIDE)

As part of International Week, Nobel Prize Winner Wole Soyinka spoke to students about the late author Chinue Achebe as well as Africa’s role in a changing world.

1986

The year that Akinwande Oluwole “Wole” Soyinka won a Nobel Prize in Literature.

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April 15, 2013

News

Broadside

(VINCE GOMES/BROADSIDE)

Students Against Israeli Apartheid is collecting signatures for a petition to eliminate the sale of Sabra hummus on campus.

Pro-Palestine students protest hummus on campus Students Against Israeli Apartheid boycott Sabra hummus to create discussion

As part of their pro-Palestine campaign, Students Against Israeli Apartheid (SAIA) are hosting a boycott against Sabra Hummus on campus.

As senior Tareq Radi walks through North Plaza and the Johnson Center with Palestine’s flag in his hands, students often stop him and ask him about what he is carrying.

“A lot of times when we’re outside just having the Palestinian flag,” Radi said. “Even coming up here [in the Johnson Center] people see me they’re like, ‘Hey, can I talk to you? I want to join.’”

Radi is the vice president of SAIA an organization representing the pro-Palestinian movement to delegitimize Israel. SAIA acts in accordance to the boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement which has a three point plan, including “1. Ending its occupation and colonization of all Arab lands and dismantling the Wall 2. Recognizing the fundamental rights of the Arab-Palestinian citizens of Israel to full equality; and 3. Respecting, protecting and promoting the rights of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes and properties as stipulated in UN resolution 194,” according to their website.

“It takes a human rights-based approach so

the first call is to end the occupation—so you know the occupation of the West Bank and Gaza—and the next one is to tear down the apartheid wall,” Radi said, adding that the last one is “the right of return for all refugees.”

SAIA has started by boycotting Sabra brand hummus on campus. Sabra has been affiliated with a company accused of giving money to Israeli forces.

Sophomore Miranda Lapides, co-president of Israel Student Association, believes that the boycott will hurt more than it will help.

“This boycott is an attempt at a boycott divestment sanction (BDS) movement, which has largely failed because its only goal is to delegitimize the state of Israel—it is not for peace,” Lapides said in an email. “The Israel Student Association wants a peaceful future for Israeli and Palestinian children to live as neighbors, not enemies. This is an attempt to grab people’s attention and spread propaganda.”

Radi noted that the purpose of the boycott is to create pro-Palestine attention.

“The boycott, we’re using that as a vessel to explain to people because then they say, ‘What are you guys doing’ and I can get you and say ‘Hey, let’s talk about this,’” Radi said.

Sabra hummus is partially owned by Strauss

The boycott, we’re using that as a vessel to explain to people because then they say, ‘what are you guys doing’ and I can get you and say ‘hey, let’s talk about this’ Tareq Radi, vice president of Students Against Israeli Apartheid

Group, which SAIA and the BDS movement claim support the Golani and Govati Brigade in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). In an article published by Forbes Magazine in January of 2011, the chairwoman of Strauss Group stated the company’s support of the IDF. “For us, Israeli soldiers are not army; Israeli soldiers are our kids,” Ofra Strauss said to

Forbes Magazine. “And when children of this country are in need, we will be there. Any boycott on our product is [a vote] against all the good things that we do.”

Redi noted that the boycott’s purpose is not to create an economic problem. He also said that is not the direct way to fix any problems in Palestine but rather a means to get people’s attention about the topic.

“Boycotting is not about economic pressure,” Redi said. “It’s a delegitimization campaign. It’s a way for exposure. It’s a vessel to spread truth that the western media doesn’t show. Most of the world has been silent.”

SAIA has been in various places on campus asking students and faculty to sign their petition to eliminate Sabra hummus from campus.

They have a paper petition as well as an online petition.

“The goal is once we have a lot [of signatures] to show, like the campus is, we’re not, we don’t want to be complicit with this,” Radi said.

At this time, there have been no attempts to open dialogue between SAIA and ISA. NIKI PAPADOGIANNAKIS NEWS EDITOR

News

Broadside

April 15, 2013

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Students protest additives and food labels at the FDA Environmental science major Skyler Kopko was one of many at a protest against the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in College Park, on April 8.

But instead of picket signs, Kopko and the other members of the Environmental Action Group (EAG) had soup.

“It’s kind of like a sit in but we ate soup,” Kopko said. “People brought donated vegetables for us.”

The EAG is an on-campus club that campaigns for environmental protection through action and education, encouraging students to take action for a plan for the future.

The Eat-In protest was organized by Occupy Monsanto, an organization aimed at getting people to take action against Monsanto, an agriculture company who uses Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) in the growing of their crops. “[Occupy Monsanto] are working against GMOs and unsustainable farming,” Kopko said.

The protest’s demand was to have required labeling on all GMO foods.

“The protest was for more transparency on the GMO’s in our food,” Skyler said. “Currently it’s not labeled whether foods contain GMOs. Companies can voluntarily say, ‘Oh we don’t have GMOs’, but right now is not required for a company to disclose whether they have GMOs in their food.

The Eat-In protest brought the attention of some police forces due to the large number of people on the street corner, but no conflict arose.

“It was a totally peaceful protest,” Kopko said. “There wasn’t any civil disobedience or violence that a lot of people expect from protests.”

(COURTESY OF SKYLER KOPKO)

Proponents of labeling genetically modified organisms gathered at the FDA for an Eat-In protest on April 8.

Even though the event was peaceful, it was noticed by onlookers as well as the FDA employees.

“It took up a whole street corner, where the FDA building and the Metro are, so people just driving by saw it,” Kopko said. “The people in the buildings couldn’t ignore it; it was right there, right by all of their windows.”

The protesters peacefully tried to get the attention of the FDA. “Every fax machine in the building got a memo about the Eat-In,” Kopko said. “So they were totally aware that we were there. It’s a really good way to bring a lot people together.

[Rather than] just sending in a letter or something, having it one day together at one time created a big visual message that a lot of

people care about what they are eating.”

Skyler and Occupy Monsanto argue that the FDA should require labeling GMOs because of the consumers’ right to know.

“We want to be able to see you know which foods we’re eating have these GMOs in them,” Kopko said.

Kopko believes that more initiatives such as the protest will create the path that will lead to GMO labeling.

“More protests like this let the power know that we want labeling on the food—we want to know what we’re eating. So whether that’s writing letters or joining in protests people need to make it known that they want transparency.”

Kopko mentioned that The European Union

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currently labels their food.

“Countries in Europe, they have GMO labeling on their food so it’s not totally unheard of.”

The opposition comes from companies like Monsanto.

“Monsanto, it’s in their best interest to not label foods, so they are really fighting against labeling,” Kopko said.

Labeling GMOs is one of the causes that Mason’s Environmental Action Group (EAG) supports. Kopko is part of EAG’s leadership which has organized several events for Earth Week and Earth Month.

NIKI PAPADOGIANNAKIS NEWS EDITOR

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April 15, 2013

Lifestyle

Broadside

(VINCE GOMES/BROADSIDE)

Students scrambled around campus to finish eight challenges in the Mason edition of the Amazing Race.

(Left) Students celebrate after winning Beyoncé tickets after the race. (Right) Students received medals for participating in the event.

Housing creates Amazing Race for iWeek To kick off International Week, the Shenandoah Neighborhood organized the Amazing Race. On Monday from 6-9 p.m., 15 teams of two raced around campus to beat one another in logical clues and physical speed.

The Amazing Race, Mason edition, is modeled after the reality TV series “The Amazing Race,” where teams of two race around the world and accomplish challenges and tasks in order to get to the next stage of the race. Participants of Mason’s version raced around campus to locations such as the RAC and Mason Pond, and ran as far as President’s Park for the finish line celebration.

“Our neighborhood DHRL (Director of Housing and Residence Life) challenged us to step it up a notch, as far as all of our programs in our neighborhood this year. Especially this event, so we did,” said Resident Director Ashya Majied.

One of the rhyming clues started with the

line “from the field to the track, from the sweat running down my back,” which lead teams to the RAC. The Amazing Race clues are clues that build upon one another. Once this clue was solved, teams raced to the RAC. Once there, participants had to quickly score baskets before receiving their next clue.

The first team solved the eight clues in less than an hour, while the last team used over two hours to complete the race.

The winners Breanna Boyd and Robert Dooley not only won bragging rights to being Amazing Race: GMU 2013 winners, but each received a ticket to the Verizon Center to see Beyoncé on July 29. Second place competitors each received a Keurig hot beverage machine.

Racers in third place each received a Mason sweatshirt blanket. All teams were rewarded with a metal of participation.

“I liked the competitive edge. There were

15 different teams so it was nerve racking, but you had to keep going,” said winner Robert Dooley.

Advertisements for the event were done with posters around the housing and residence life neighborhoods, a blurb about the event on the iWeek website, and an event page on Facebook. Ashya worked with Head Resident Advisors Mabinty Quarshie and Gabby Porcaro to make the event such a success.

“During the actual event, people were doing their jobs. Everyone came and pitched in, and it was really a group effort,” said Ashya Majied.

The Amazing Race was the final event for an even bigger event hosted by the Shenandoah Neighborhood. ‘Doah Nights features a series of game-show like events that students can participate to show off their game-show skills and have fun as a community. The Amazing Race brought in both a tie with the

neighborhood’s game nights and the university’s iWeek. All the challenges within Amazing Race related to different locations around the world.

“Being able to partner with International Week was a blessing because it really complimented what we were doing. We were able to put an educational component to each of the challenges,” said Ashya Majied.

The Office of Housing & Residence Life strives to create meaningful programs for students, and the Amazing Race is one of many successful events hosted for students.

“Each neighborhood and our Residential Education Team work hard to create programs and experiences that we know students will learn from and enjoy,” Ashya said.

DARLENE ALEGRADO STAFF WRITER

Broadside

Lifestyle

How to get to Mason from the other side of the world: Part Two

April 15, 2013

9

Mason Makes Careers Every week, Broadside features a student or alumnus with a great internship or job to highlight the opportunities and potential earning a degree at Mason offers.

Over the series of three articles, Stepan Gordeev shares his experiences as an international student

(PHOTO COURTESY OF SCOTT HUGHES)

NAME: Scott Hughes GRADUATION: 2003 DEGREES: BS Public Administration Master’s of Business Administration JOB: Hughes Financial Services, LLC Financial Planning Advisor/ Managing Partner

How would you describe your job/place of work?

We are a growing independent financial planning company with two managing partners and three additional employees.

My father and I started the company in May of 2009. We provide financial planning and wealth management services to more than 300 families. Many of our clients are either near or in retirement.

(PHOTO COURTESY OF STEPAN GORDEEV)

I am a student from Russia in my freshman year here. In the previous article, I described my experience with US exams preparation, applying and being admitted to Mason. This time, I am going to tell you about last summer—when I was already admitted but didn’t yet know what to do.

The first thing I had to do was decide where to go—to one of the Russian colleges or to Mason? My whole life, I was prepared to go to a Russian university, with all its cons and pros.

When I applied to Mason, I didn’t think the choice would be that hard. As it turned out, leaving everything and everybody behind is not so easy. I spent a lot of time thinking about this. In one of the corners—superior education, more developed economic state and a whole new experience. In the other corner— my own familiar culture, family and old friends. I asked many people about their opinion, and guess what? Exactly half of them tried to convince me to stay and not go to the land of imperial greedy capitalist-consumerists.

Another half passionately argued that there is nothing in Russia to stay for, and only in Europe or America can I “see the world” and become successful. Even my own parents took opposite positions. As you can see, I chose Mason. Was it the right decision? I don’t know, and I don’t

really think about it. I enjoy my current life, and I am happy that I am here.

After making the decision, I started to prepare for the college. The first thing on my list was language. My English was pretty good—at least I thought it was. I was the top student in my English class since I can’t remember when. I read many books in English and enjoyed watching TV shows and movies in English.

However, I didn’t have any experience in speaking American English. So, I decided to take some classes. After some research, I found out that there are only four Americans in my town—by the way, the town’s population is 1 million people. One of them is a CEO of a large company, another doesn’t really do anything in particular and the two others give lessons. I went to one of them, and in the very first class, I understood how much I needed to learn.

My teacher used phrases and words I had never heard of. He made references to Star Trek I didn’t understand. And God, how he enjoyed spending time with Russian women, most of whom still stick to the traditional distribution of roles in the family. Our classes were 90 minutes long, and I came out exhausted every single time, not of his stories about his romantic adventures, but of speaking.

I have never had to speak English

for so long. My tongue was just dying because of all the new sounds it had to repeat over and over. Again, I was pretty good in English class, but switching to the American version and speaking it all the time was still an intense experience.

Now I can say that those lessons really helped me. At least I learned Spock’s fancy hand gesture.

In July, I went to orientation. I have been to the US before, but this time, I came not as a tourist, but as a student.

It made me look differently at the things around me. I started to notice the not-sogood side of America and faced many things that were extremely contrary to my culture that I didn’t pay attention to before. It took some time to get used to all of it and become comfortable.

Sleeping in advance, I spent my last weeks before the first semester taking online courses at Coursera and Udacity.

Now I understand that I hadn’t slept long enough to substitute all the hours of sleep I wouldn’t get later.

Nevertheless, I was about to start my first term and meet a lot of new people.

How did it feel? How does US college education and life differ? What was the hardest thing to get used to? You will find out next week!

STEPAN GORDEEV BROADSIDE CONTRIBUTER

How did your courses or involvement in student organizations at Mason help you with your job?

With my undergraduate work, I started to realize that with hard work and analysis I could trust in my observations and conclusions. I grew personally quite a bit, with the help of the long-term friendships that started while in college. The one organization I was a member of was the Kappa Alpha Order. Many of my closest friends and network of supporters are my fraternity buddies from Mason. It is ironic because I never thought of myself as a fraternity guy (and still don’t).

The greatest attribute of these friendships is that it fostered a positive encouragement to excel wherever possible, and I have people who know me well enough to tell me when I am wrong.

You need that network in your corner. Whatever organization you become involved with, enjoy and foster those friendships forever. To the credit of George Mason University, it is astonishing when I see the collective success of my classmates today.

With my graduate work, I returned to Mason in the parttime MBA program, after already being in the workforce for several years. I was able to build on my own skill sets in an atmosphere with other professionals. The class that I am most thankful for was Investments by Dr. Michael Ferri. The MBA program was a great experience, and the highlight of that time was a trip to Chile, where I could see that many of the economic principles the U.S. economy was built upon helped that country and its infrastructure quite a bit.

What advice would you give students applying for similar jobs?

In my opinion, those that are the most successful are the ones that have a long-term view on their career. If I had to start in the field today, I would seek out successful planners and wealth managers and willingly start as an intern or at the bottom and work my way up. Too many companies in the financial services will hire as many young professionals as they can and require they sell products to as many people as they can. Those same companies know that the vast majority will not make it. Stay away from those kind of organizations, and seek companies that truly care about the client’s wellbeing—not what you are able to sell to the client.

MELANIE MILES ASST. LIFESTYLE EDITOR

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Lifestyle

April 15, 2013

Broadside

International Week celebrates its 33rd anniversary Students from more than 100 countries are celebrated during the week of April 6-14, and each year, student organizations and offices create events that will expand the community’s knowledge of Mason’s diverse campus. iWeek also launched its new logo this year, as a result of doing away with iWeek themes. The highlight of iWeek 2013 is how Mason can celebrate cultural differences and remain a unified community.

(JENNY KRASHIN/BROADSIDE)

Students were invited to share their favorite international poems on North Plaza during one of International Week’s many activities.

(VINCE GOMES/BROADSIDE)

Students from across the world celebrate at Mason by carrying their country’s flag across campus in a parade that started off International Week.

Poetry on the Plaza On April 11, the writing center filled East Plaza with spoken poetry. The event, held from 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m., invited students to share their own favorite international poems, in either English or their native language.

“Every time I’ve moved to a new place, I’ve packed up my poetry first,” said Paula Beltrán, who serves as one of the writing center tutors who helped put the event together. “Reading your favorite poetry is like calling home. The poet Sabines says this about the moon, but I think he would agree that it applies to poesía too: there is no better tonic than [poetry] in precise and regular doses.”

Though this was the first time the event was held, the writing center plans to turn international poetry reading into an annual event, held each iWeek.

International Dance Competition On April 9, iWeek held their annual international dance competition from 12-2:30 p.m. at the Center for the Arts. This was the second year the event was ticketed due to the inability to remain in Dewberry Hall, as the size of the event has significantly grown over the past two years.

Student organization dance teams — the Afghan Student Union, Arab Student Association, Filipino Cultural Association, Hellenic Society, Hispanic Student Association, Indian Student Association, Nepalese Student Association, Pakistani Student Association and the Saudi Student Association — competed to perform at the International Dinner Dance on April 12.

This year was also the second year the dance competition could be streamed live on the Internet, so family, friends and other universities could watch the competition from around the world.

(GOPI RAGHU/BROADSIDE)

Nine student organization dance teams competed at the International Dance Competition to perform for the International Dinner Dance on April 12.

Lifestyle

Broadside

Tastes of the world As a portion of iWeek 2013, there will be a chance for the Mason community to not only sample culinary creations from other cultures, but to actually experience the cultures.

The Chinese Corner was an opportunity to receive information on how to learn about the Chinese culture. In the JC on April 8, from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m., students from the Confucius Institute displayed the experiences they have gotten from going to the Confucius Institute, learning about the Chinese language and meeting professors from China.

Global Sips @ The Ridge was offered all throughout iWeek, April 8-12 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the new campus study and

April 15, 2013

11

hang-out spot, The Ridge. Students, faculty, staff and Fairfax community members were able to try different international hot beverages. Coffees, teas and hot cocoa were staples among the drinks being offered to the Mason community as a way to make culinary links between cultures.

The Chinese Tea Ceremony & Tasting, held on April 11, from 1 to 2 p.m., was another opportunity for the Mason and Fairfax community to learn about a culture through food. Featured at North Plaza, hundreds of students sampled different teas, all from China, as well as learned about how tea is an important part of daily life in China.

Let’s do the time warp: 1920s Night (JENNY KRASHIN/BROADSIDE)

The Chinese Tea Ceremony & Tasting gave the Mason community a chance to sample different teas while being immersed in the Chinese culture.

Polyglot Performances For the sixth year in a row, international theater took over the JC Cinema. Taking place Tuesday, April 9 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., the event brought plays, songs and poetry performed by students in the work’s native language.

“We are very proud that this annual event presents performances in as many as 10 different languages this year,” said Sufumi So, adviser for the Japanese Studies minor. “Students learning these languages at all levels are participating as performers. It is great to see them use the languages they are learning for artistic expression.”

The event was sponsored by the Department of Modern and Classical Language, along with the University Life Programming Committee.

Mason students and community members were able to experience the 1920s with the Global Crossings Living Learning Community on April 10 from 5 p.m to 7 p.m. Members from the Mason Swing Dance Club taught the Charleston, and 20s-inspired drinks, snacks and music filled Hanover Hall. Throughout the event, the Mason community members could go back in time and learn about the global events, happenings and changes during the decade.

“We’re going to be doing a decade-themed party every iWeek, so next year it will be a different decade,” said Heather Ward, associate director for internationalization and outreach.

Global Love To learn more about intercultural relationships, and relationships in general, WAVES (Wellness, Alcohol and Violence Education Services) sponsored Global Love on April 10, from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. in the JC. Mason community members were able to learn about the different types of food that symbolize love and friendship from around the world, while offering discussion on how to bridge cultural gaps and build cultural similarities in relationships and friendships.

Celebrating culture Throughout International Week, Mason student organizations got the chance to showcase the highlights of their culture in a series of culture nights.

On April 9, from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., the Hellenic Society, Arab Student Association, Lebanese Student Association and the Rumi Intercultural Dialogue Club hosted their Mediterranean Culture Night. The night featured these Mason organizations and groups as a way to offer a diverse representation of the Mediterranean culture.

On April 10, three culture nights were held.

The Israeli/Jewish Culture Night, Iranian and Afghan Culture Night and South Asian Culture Night were held in The Hub Ballroom, JC Bistro and Dewberry Hall, respectively. All three events were scheduled between 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Assistant Director of Programs and Outreach for International Programs and Services Birgit Debeerst said that having the three cultural events at the same time offered

a lot of cultural interaction between the organizations, which is a huge theme to iWeek.

April 11 was African Culture Night—hosted by the African Student Association and Ethiopian Student Association—and AfricanAmerican Culture Night. Both events were held in the JC from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. and offered the Mason community an opportunity to experience African and AfricanAmerican culture through food, music and discussion.

April 12 was a celebration of Bacchanal, a Caribbean carnival celebration with music and dance, hosted by the Caribbean Student Association. The event was held on North Plaza from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.

On April 14, from 6:30 p.m. to 10 p.m., the Filipino Cultural Association held a Philippine Culture Night in Dewberry Hall.

The Mason community experienced the Filipino culture through tasting food and listening to music from the Philippines.

(MAURICE C. JONES/BROADSIDE)

RYAN WEISSER LIFESTYLE EDITOR

MELANIE MILES ASST. LIFESTYLE EDITOR

Throughout International Week, several Culture Nights were held to highlight and celebrate different cultures from around the world that have found a home at Mason. (Above) The Mediterranean Culture night featured dancers performing traditional dances from the region.

Lifestyle Broadside Mason Ambassadors raise general scholarship funds 12

April 15, 2013

(STEPHEN KLINE/BROADSIDE)

The GBAY silent and live auction has been held every year since 2010 in an effort for Mason students and community members to fundraise for the Mason General Scholarship Fund.

The fourth annual GBAY auction and student scholarship benefit is making strides to financially help current and future Mason Patriots.

This year’s auction was held on April 11 at 5 p.m. in the JC Atrium, and the event has been hosted by the Mason Ambassadors for the past four years. The Ambassadors are a group of students selected by Mason Ambassador Advisors and the executive board of the Ambassador organization every year in order to spread their Patriot pride across campus — especially among incoming Mason students. Their goal for GBAY is to raise money to assist students who have exhausted their financial aid and still need help paying a steadily-increasing tuition.

“In 2010, Dean [Andrew] Flagel, who before going to Brandeis [University] was the dean of admissions at Mason, thought it would be cool if a student organization raised money for students. So, he approached the Mason Ambassadors,” said Claire Forman, the assistant director of annual giving for Mason’s development office, which is in charge of incoming donations to the university. “He thought it would be great for students to not only share their experiences and pride for Mason with other students, but to also keep Mason’s current students here.”

Over the past three years, the GBAY event has raised about $33,000 for the Mason General Scholarship Fund, which awards Mason students money for tuition expenses if they are unable to make tuition payments.

“Our students and faculty members have been becoming increasingly aware of what an issue this is,” Forman said. “And it’s great to see students giving back to students and impacting life at Mason for other students. This general fund can benefit five to 10 or more students a year.”

This year, about 60 people registered for the event, which auctioned off a number of valuable and priceless items to Mason students, faculty, staff, parents and Fairfax community members. All auction items were donated by offices at Mason, as well as community members and organizations.

“We’ve got some awesome stuff up for auction, like the reserved parking passes, gift cards and chances to name your own burger at the Rat,” said Brian Palomo, a

freshman at Mason, who joined the ambassador program this year.

Other items up for grabs were four passes to the National Aquarium, wine tastings at local vineyards, ski and snowboard packages, a personal tour of the Pentagon Memorial and even a lunch with President Angel Cabrera.

“That’s such a really great price!” said a student bidder, who was watching the price of a full-year, reserved parking space for any parking area on campus go up to $260. According to the Mason Parking Services website, an annual pass to park on the fourth level of the Rappahannock parking deck is $600.

Each year, involvement in the auction has increased, and Forman expects that throughout the next few years — with added outreach to Fairfax community members and Mason alumni — GBAY will become a larger event.

“Just over the past couple of years, involvement has gone up. It used to be a lot of faculty and staff members getting involved, but now Mason students and even their parents are doing this to help other students,” Forman said.

The Mason Ambassadors have also applied for The Sillerman Prize, a $5,000 grant that will go toward a U.S. university student organization that engages their peers in charitable giving, creates a philanthropic environment on their campus, fosters a lifelong charitable giving and develops a program or model that other universities can adopt for charitable giving endeavors. If the Mason Ambassadors win, they will be given the title of Generous U as well as receiving the grant.

“We’ll find out if they won the award and grant at the end of the month,” Forman said. “It’s not an opportunity a lot of student organizations get, and I’m so proud of the ambassadors for impacting Mason life. The students are very invested in this experience, and I think there’s nothing better. They’ve put a lot of blood, sweat and tears into this, and it’s really making an impact on the future of Mason’s students.”

RYAN WEISSER LIFESTYLE EDITOR

FREE TICKETS FOR MASON STUDENTS! UNIVERSITY SINGERS & WOMEN’S CHORALE CONCERT April 14 at 7 p.m. $10 adu., $5 stu./sen. HT 1 Free Ticket per ID avail. NOW

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TEN-MINUTE PLAY FESTIVAL April 26 at 8 p.m. April 27 at 2 p.m. & 8 p.m. $12 adu., $8 stu. TS 1 Free Ticket per ID avail Apr. 16 MASON OPERA The Magic Flute April 26 at 8 p.m. April 27 at 2 p.m. & 8 p.m. $20 adu., $15 stu./sen. HT 1 Free Ticket per ID avail Apr. 16 THE ACTING COMPANY As You Like It April 27 at 8 p.m. $24, $32, $40 HC 1 Free Ticket per ID avail Apr. 16

THE ACTING COMPANY Of Mice and Men April 28 at 4 p.m. $20, $32, $40 CA 2 Free Tickets per ID avail Apr. 16

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Lifestyle

April 15, 2013

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LIFESTYLE

April 15, 2013

BROADSIDE

Mason at the movies

This week, the Office of Student Involvement (OSI) will host screenings of two critically-acclaimed, Academy Awardnominated films, free for Mason students.

Wreck-It Ralph On April 20 and 21, OSI Films celebrates Siblings Weekend with its free screening of Disney’s clever, hilarious and heartwarming “Wreck-It Ralph.”

Wreck-It Ralph (John C. Reilly), the villain of an arcade video game, longs to be as beloved as the game’s hero, Fix-It Felix, Jr. (Jack McBrayer). So, he abandons his game in search of one in which he feels he belongs. Traveling through several video game worlds, including the first-person shooter “Hero’s Duty” and the candy-coated kart racing game “Sugar Rush,” Ralph finds a kindred spirit in Vanellope Von Schweetz

(Sarah Silverman), a spunky “glitch.” Together they battle the forces that threaten to shut down the game world forever, and Ralph must find it in himself to finally become a hero.

“Wreck-It Ralph” is so unbelievably creative and witty. Its fascinating worlds are fully realized, and its characters are lively and likable.

The eye-popping visuals and thrilling action sequences are perfectly complemented by slapstick humor, nostalgic cameos from classic video game characters and heartfelt scenes that pack an emotional punch. Its imaginative premise is a breath of fresh air and, although it

(JENNY KRASHIN/BROADSIDE)

(PHOTO COURTESY OF ANTHONY GODINHO)

utilizes familiar storytelling elements, each is presented in a fresh, unique way.

Silver Linings Playbook Premiering on April 20, the JC Cinema will present the stellar comedy-drama “Silver Linings Playbook.”

After spending eight months in a mental institution for bipolar disorder, Pat Solatano (Bradley Cooper) moves back in with his parents (Robert De Niro and Jacki Weaver) and struggles with rebuilding his relationship with his estranged wife.

Things get complicated when Pat meets Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence), a mysterious and free-spirited woman who harbors issues of her own.

When Tiffany offers to help Pat if he does something for her in return, they develop an unexpected bond.

It’s miraculous when we come across a romantic comedy as smart and sweet as “Silver Linings Playbook.”

While it requires a certain suspense of disbelief and tolerance for romcom clichés, there is an honesty and rawness to the film that is so refreshing. The dialogue is clever, the drama feels real and you genuinely come to care about the characters.

Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence give fearless and breathtaking performances, and David O. Russell’s surehanded direction and attention to character details and development make “Silver Linings Playbook” an absolute delight. Despite

Bryan Loy

Movie Reviewer

(PHOTO COURTESY OF WOLF GANG)

predictability, it’s an extremely pleasant little surprise with a lot of heart.

The Patriot Activities Council hosted a fashion show with students at the Paul Mitchell School at Tyson’s Corner to showcase beauty throughout the ages.

Patriot Activities Council hosts Paul Mitchell fashion show The Patriot Activities Council teamed up with future professionals of the Paul Mitchell, the School at Tyson’s Corner to co-sponsor their end of the year, runway event -Inspiration Through the Ages -- on April 13 from 7-9 p.m. in Dewberry Hall.

This year, Paul Mitchell presented their seventh annual fundraiser to raise money and awareness for charitable organizations within our local Northern Virginia and metropolitan areas.

The theme of the runway event was: “The future and past of beauty and fashion.”

“This is our third annual show at George Mason, and every year for our fundraising we like to do a fashion show that showcases our future professionals’ talents. So, we thought it would be a cool way to go back in time and show different styles and trends,” said Melissa Steinburg, public relations and marketing specialist for Paul Mitchell.

The runway show was divided into sections based on different fashion eras, such as the Regency era, Victorian era, the New Romantics, the 20th century and the Oriental era. They gradually showed the abrupt change in our world of fashion and how each era holds cultural significance to many people during that time period.

Every year, fashion trends and styles are ever-changing. They are constantly being recycled from older generations and brought back by the newer generations and are making

quite the impact.

“I love how this show reminds me a lot of our Mason students,” said Shannan Moore, a sophomore pre-nursing major.

Students within the Mason community are always expressing themselves by forms of personal expression.

“We really enjoy George Mason and it’s diverse campus within our community,” Steinburg said.

Paul Mitchell, the School in Tyson’s Corner is mostly known for its state-of-the-art beauty and cosmetology school and for its promising future professionals. Each person contributes to the school by adding a different outlook on style and by representing a very unique flare.

Tickets were sold for $25, and the proceeds were donated to the following 11 charitable organizations: the Magic Johnson Foundation, Habitat for Humanity, American Humane Association, Morris Animal Foundation, Food 4 Africa, No Limits, Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, Gary Shine Foundation, Cancer Schmancer Foundation, Andrew Gomez Dream Foundation and the Boys and Girls Clubs of America.

“It’s always been a good turnout -- a mix of Mason students and then a mix of friends and family and people who always come to support our school,” Steinburg said.

CHRISTEN ROBERTS STAFF WRITER

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OPINION

April 15, 2013

15

Israeli Apartheid: the new South Africa Oh, the good days we live today: the times of oppression and institutionalized racism are most definitely behind us. We Americans pride ourselves on the utmost principles of universal human rights declared by the UN: of all persons born free and equal and having the right to life, liberty and security.

It’s great that we call ourselves a democratic society while financially assisting in the institutionalization of an ongoing apartheid system in Israel – while funneling over 30 billion of your hard-earned U.S. tax dollars in military aid over the span of a decade to an oppressive Israel to ensure that Palestinians civilians are being denied the universal rights valued intrinsic to all humans.

They’re being stripped of these rights only to be maimed, shot, brutalized and ethnically cleansed.

Former president of South Africa and veteran of South African apartheid Nelson Mandela has brazenly remarked on the ongoing Israeli apartheid and occupation of Palestinian land. In 1997, at the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, he remarked on its atrocious realities, “That injustice and gross human rights violations were being perpetrated in Palestine. But we know too well that our freedom is incomplete without the freedom of the Palestinians” which we are yet to witness.

In his book “Palestine Peace Not Apartheid”, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter’s condemnation of Israeli violations: “this perpetuates even worse instances of apartness, or apartheid, than we witnessed even in South Africa.”

This should immediately place us on alert to

question our national financial support for Israel: a state that has broken dozens of UN declared international laws as well as no regard whatsoever to the 4th Geneva Convention and is yet to be held internationally accountable. Some of the laws violated include, but are definitely not limited to: Geneva Conventions IV, Article 49– that is “it is illegal to colonize occupied land or transfer non-indigenous population to that land”.

Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have been displaced from their legally owned lands. As well as the illegal dispossession that Israeli citizens commit to this day by occupying land not originally given to them in the UN partition plan, dispossessing even thousands more.

Next up is Israel’s illegal practice of ethnic cleansing as they are consistently “forbidding civilian populations the right to return to their homes following the end of armed conflict” which is in direct violation of international law and UN resolutions, Geneva Convention IV, Articles 45, 46 & 49 and UN resolution 194. Israel has taken Palestinian lands, forced native populations from their land, refusing their residency on what was their land, and denying employment on that land.

The Israeli government enacts laws to keep over 6.6 million Palestinian refugees from returning home.

There’s also the illegal Israeli apartheid wall – dubbed the “Berlin Wall” which makes obvious historical parallel considering that The Berlin Wall, which was 96 miles long, and Israel’s reaching 403 miles in length. The average height of the Berlin Wall was 11.8 feet, compared with the height of Israel’s wall — 25 feet.

As well as designated Israeli sniper posts all mounted across the wall. The International Court of Justice of 2004 cites The United Nations Charter

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Letters to the Editor are welcome and are printed on the basis of space, quality, and timeliness. All submissions are the property of Broadside and may be edited for clarity, brevity and grammar. Material containing libel, racist slurs, personal attacks or obscenities may be edited or rejected. The author’s name, class year (and/or title when appropriate), major and daytime phone number must be included for verification of authenticity. The deadline submission is Thursday by 6 p.m.

All unsigned staff editorials are written to represent the view of the Broadside staff, a diverse set of opinions determined by the members of the editorial board. Letters to the Editor, columns, artwork and other commentaries strictly represent the opinions of the authors and do not represent the official opinion of the newspaper.

and General Assembly resolution 2625, ruling the Israeli separation barriers illegal. And we can’t forget that Israel also holds 1.7 million Palestinian civilians under siege on the Gaza strip over which 50% are children.

But really, why do we feel such a fear of speaking out when our government is financially supporting these atrocities against humanity? Isn’t it our responsibility to ensure that our government stays in check instead of exploiting us and our tax dollars that could have otherwise possibly paid your tuition? Is it because we do not feel that we are allowed to speak out? Or simply because we are ignorant? And if it is due to the latter – that is no simple matter at all. We must salvage ourselves from this ignorance and reach an understanding of this humanitarian crisis in order to intellectualize and prosper as the human race.

But you know what? Don’t even take my word for it. Do your own research. Listen intently to the all narratives and locate the history that has been buried under hundreds of rugs and make your decision. Trust me, when everything tumbles to dust only to settle in our future children’s books, you want to be on the right side of history. It is in our hands to start a revolution.

But, first, you must start a revolution of the mind by becoming knowledgeable. In that way, we can always pride ourselves in speaking the truth. Free!

Free! Palestine!

Hala Numan

Columnist

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OPINION 16 BROADSIDE 17-year cicadas expected to invade the coast later this spring April 15, 2013

If you have not heard, the 17-year cicadas are making a very large appearance this spring. For those of you not familiar with the cicada, they are those large bugs that look like an oversized fly.

You also may remember them by their sound or mating call. I think their mating call resembles a drill drilling into something, so it is definitely not a sound you hear everyday.

They make the loudest sounds out of all insects, so be ready for a noisy spring. If this description still does not ring a bell, then maybe you remember their crunchy shells you found sticking to trees or scattered on the ground when you were in between the ages of 16 and 18.

These bugs may seem frightening but in reality they are harmless. First off, they live majority of their life underground which is weird yes but they only come above ground for one reason, and that is to mate.

The male cicadas are the ones who make the extra loud

noises because they are trying to attract a mate for themselves.

Second, if you were to Google what a cicada looks like, their appearance itself might not sit well with you. Their size alone with their giant wings is somewhat unsettling and then there are their blood red eyes on both sides of their head.

The good news however is that they don’t bite. They do have sucking mouth parts but cicadas drink the sap from plants, so no worries!

Lastly, I think it is important to know that their exoskeleton shells cannot hurt you either. I remember the last time cicadas emerged-I was younger and completely creeped out by the transparent, crusty looking casings.

I did not know they were empty until I accidentally stepped on one and heard it crunch. But since cicadas live most of their life underground, it makes sense for them to get a new shell when they come to visit us every 13 or 17 years.

A cicada’s appearance can be frightening to someone who does not know much about these insects.

Hopefully now you have a little more insight about the

cicada and will not worry as much when you see one.

Just remember that the only weapon they have is being obnoxiously loud and that they cannot bite because the only thing on their mind is attracting a mate.

However, if you still are not a fan of the cicada, the good news is they are only expected to be here for the warm weather. As for where they are expected to emerge, the eastern portions of the United States win.

So if you plan on taking a long vacation to avoid these earsplittingly loud bugs just remember to steer clear of Virginia all the way up to New York.

Elise Baker

Opinion Editor

Continue I-Week diversity

Keep calm and weather on by Manny Alfaro

Once I viewed the opening ceremonies of International Week as people passed through North Plaza with flags and different attires, I began to gain an admiration for the week.

My personal favorite part of the week was the 81 flags hanging throughout the JC. These flags lit up the room and mesmerized Mason students with their differing patterns, illustrations, and colors.

The students began dialogue after gaining a strong interest in all 81 of the represented countries.

When they ate, studied, and walked through the JC I’d hear a group of people contemplating the flags country of origins.

Conversations like these were the main attribution for my admiration.

International Week facilitated exploration for each student to gain some sort of new knowledge.

Whether that was learning about traditional Irish attire, the design of Saudi Arabia’s Flag, or a deeper understanding of Hispanic dishes, we all learned something new.

But don’t let the closing ceremonies end that exploration.

Continue to learn about the wide variety of cultures that are on Mason’s campus.

Go to a cultural club on campus like: the Indian Student Association, CRU, Hillel, the Korean Student Association or any other one that interests you.

Play the Sporcle flag quiz to gain more knowledge on flags of the world.

As an avid user of Sporcle I can full-heartedly say that that quiz imparted valuable information on the flags of the world.

Explore new cuisines. Fairfax is comprised of a plethora of restaurants with different types of recipes.

With these options there is a great chance to find a new food never consumed before.

Now International Week can be everyday, rather than just five.

Through these new lessons gained, we will become a greater community that is knowledgeable about our environment.

International Week was created to continue to present diversity of Mason’s campus and showcase a wide variety of different rituals, attire, and food to the student body.

So explore and escape your comfort zone, with this you will gain a greater knowledge of the cultures we are surrounded by.

Nate Falk Columnist

BROADSIDE

OPINION

Registration Frustration The time has come for class scheduling. For some, picking classes is as easy as picking your favorite ice cream. For others, such as myself, it takes careful planning and coordinating.

I’m a communications major, and I still have trouble finding the right classes to take. So, I have no idea how students who are undecided find classes. There are so many options, especially after you have completed all the general education classes.

Thank goodness for advisors. Not to brag, but the academic advisors in the Communications department are extremely helpful.

While the advisors do what they can to inform us about the classes that we should take, the decision ultimately rests with the students.

And that’s were things get tricky. Business majors, Physics majors, English majors, and so on, all have to take the same classes.

This can become a problem if a student has a late registration time. Every semester, it feels like every person in my major wants to take all the classes that I want to enroll in.

This is why it’s good to have back up classes or multiple versions of your schedule. I ran into similar problems when I was making my schedule for this semester. Two of the classes I wanted filled up before I could register and then, when I tried to replace those classes, they did not fit into my schedule. Another goal students strive for is having days off during the week.

Amongst my friends, I know having Fridays off is preferable. After not having classes on Fridays my previous three semesters, it does not even feel right going to my Friday class this semester. With scheduling, you have to be flexible.

And don’t dread being waitlisted, especially if your first or second in line. Patience is a virtue.

Meghann Patterson Columnist

A case for community service In the eighth grade, my tiny kindergarten through eighth grade school required that all students complete 10 hours of community service in order to attend the class field trip, at the end of the year.

At the time, 10 hours seemed like devoting your entire life to a cause. Then in high school, I participated in a program that required me to complete at least 100 hours of community service. Needless to say, I longed to be back in eighth grade.

Both of my grade school conundrums represent a current trend in the way our generation views community service We have institutionalized service to such an extent that it no longer operates the way it should. Rather than being selfless and altruistic, it has become a means to reaching a selfish end. Our provisional assistance to someone or something is meant to serve a more permanent purpose in our own lives rather than someone else’s.

This is not to say that examples of selfless community service do not exist, or that everyone who participates in community service is an inherently selfish person.

However, this is meant to say that the

moment we create a system that makes community service an obligatory responsibility, it ceases to be the very thing we mean for it to be.

Growing up, my father consistently drew a line in the sand whenever I had a crisis over whatever it is that teenagers go through—the line separated what I wanted versus what I needed.

Most of the time, it is important to choose what you need. You need to do your homework rather than go out with your friends. You need to save your money, rather than spend it on going to the movies.

With community service, we must foster a system where it is something people want to do, not something people need do.

Service of any kind is better than none, but service that is rooted in generosity and selflessness does more than the kind that is driven by personal devices.

Aaron Locke Managing Editor

April 15, 2013

@MasonBroadside

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Sports

April 15, 2013

Broadside

Women’s rowing finding the right combinations

(MAURICE C. JONES/BROADSIDE)

Women’s rowing found the right combinations for their boats at the Occoquan Sprints. They were able to have all their boats finish competitively.

The women’s rowing team took the water on April 7 in Occoquan, Va. for the Occoquan Sprints. The race was only the second official race of the spring season. Because it is still early in the season, the team used the race to try different combinations of rowers for their boats.

“We had a lot of lineup switches and, as a result, we gained, overall as a team, a lot of speed throughout our two Varsity Eights and both of our Varsity Fours and also the Novice Eights,” senior rower Bridget Hally said. “I think the expectation was to go in there and race our own race, and I think all boats accomplished that. So we were very happy with the results.”

The changes to the lineup came after the opening spring race of the season at the Murphy Cup in Philadelphia on March 30.

Coach Geoff Dillard was not entirely satisfied with the results at that event and felt the tweaks were necessary to keep pace with other teams.

“I think coming off the first race, we did not necessarily race our own race. So, we were definitely looking to keep our heads in the boat and knowing that if we did that, the results would take care of itself,” Dillard said. “And I think we accomplished

that this weekend, and we were incredibly competitive with the field. We were in a lot of tight races this weekend and that is where we wanted to be. So, I think we were very successful this past weekend and definitely met our expectations.”

The Occoquan Sprints saw Mason’s team place three boats, the Novice Eight and both Varsity Eights in their respective petite finals, with all other boats finishing competitively in the field.

“I think we took a really big step at the Occoquan Sprints. I think the girls saw the value in the race and got a taste of what it takes to be successful. And we have already seen it carry over to practices, and when they do that on a regular basis, of course they are going to get faster,” Dillard said.

Mason’s rowing team now looks to build on the results at the Occoquan Sprints as a springboard for the rest of the season.

This weekend the team travels to Camden, New Jersey for the Knetch Cup. “Last weekend’s performance is definitely preparing us for the second half of the spring season, especially this weekend being such a big regatta for us. We are rowing a variety of

boats, and I feel like we will find the boat speed and see the results that we have been working toward this season,” junior coxswain Nathalie Rosado-Burgos said.

Because of Mason’s move to the Atlantic 10 for next season, all spring sports are ineligible for CAA postseason play.

Unfortunately, this includes squeezing the rowing team out of the the CAA Tournament. Coach Dillard and the team are unfazed. The team is now focused on the Dad Vail Regatta in Philadelphia as their personal postseason race.

“We are really excited at participating in the Dad Vail, and we are also really excited about the move to the A-10 next season because we should be really competitive in that conference.

Because the A-10 has more teams participating in women’s rowing, we will match-up better against A-10 schools than we did CAA schools. In this weekend’s race we will be facing A-10 schools as well as CAA schools, and we just want to prove ourselves,” Dillard said.

HAU CHU STAFF WRITER

Man Street on the

How do you feel about athletes transferring after the move to the A-10?

“If you feel you need to transfer to be able to compete, then you definitely should. If you don’t think you are in the right conference, then you should transfer.”

“It’s unfortunate for our team, but it also opens spots for new people. It has it is advantages and disadvantages.”

- Shane Tudor, freshman

- Melissa Thompson, sophomore

“It offers more space for new recruits. It may be a bad thing also because we are losing quality athletes that may already have a name at Mason.”

“With any big decision, there will be people that don’t agree. In the long run, you have to think if this will be best for them because they aren’t just athletes they’re students too.”

- Edgar Zepeda, freshman

- Brittany Suggs, graduate student

SportS

Broadside

Workout

of the

Week

April 15, 2013

Play by play

Spring Training: Running

Life lessons from sports

1.

2.

Spring is finally here!

What better way to enjoy the weather than going outside for a run? Running may seem basic, but there are actually many factors to consider if one plans on logging some miles this year. Let’s cover some of the basics to help you enjoy your run.

1. Shoes Purchasing running shoes is literally where the rubber hits the road. A good pair of shoes increases comfort and can help prevent injuries. The process can be overwhelming. So, do your research and get properly fitted by a sales associate. How long should a pair of shoes last?

Generally you should be replacing your shoes every 300-400 miles or every six months. It is also important to consider what type of surfaces you will run on.

2. Warm up and cool down

Each run should begin with a warm up and end with a cool down. The warm up raises the temperature of the muscles for optimal flexibility and efficiency.

It also serves to slowly raise your heart rate, which helps minimize the stress on your heart. On average, your warm up should last between 5-10 minutes. The importance of the cool down is to maintain good blood flow and to allow the heart rate to gradually return to resting levels. The cool down should also last about 5-10 minutes.

3. Stretching Stretching is something that should be done every time you run. When practiced properly, stretching can help prevent injuries, reduce muscle soreness and has the potential to improve performance. One way to do this is to implement dynamic stretching into your warm up routine. Examples of dynamic exercise are walking lunges, hurdle walks, high knees and T walks. When you

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3.

(JENNY KRASHIN/BROADSIDE)

finish your run, be sure to utilize a foam roller. Regular usage increases flexibility, decreases muscle tension and helps prevent injuries. After rolling, finish up by performing some static stretching to give your body that final stretch.

Running in warm weather The key is to stay hydrated. Water is pivotal to your body’s ability to function.

Exercise performance is impaired when the body is dehydrated by as little as 2 percent of the body weight. Be sure to drink plenty of fluids during and after your run.

The next thing to consider is keeping cool. Wear light-colored, loose-fitting clothing that will allow your body to breathe and cool itself down naturally.

If possible, a run early in the morning or later in the evening is a good option to avoid the heat.

COLUMN BY NATHAN MALINSKI

“Don’t worry about those other guys, just run your race,” words every track coach should tell their runners. Or the any-sport substitute: “Just play your game.”

You cannot waste your time thinking what the opposition is planning to do- they are going to use their talents and try to take away your strengths. It works the same in every sport. What it comes down to is being able to play your game regardless. If your game is pace pushing, fast breaks, slow and steady, hard defense or attacking on the transition- you know if you play it right it will work out for you.

The every man’s way of saying this is just do you. It may sound like an overstated piece of advice, but there is a reason it’s said so much. It is because nothing else anyone else does, thinks or says really matters. None of those things have power over you unless you relinquish it to them.

It may help to think of your work or your life as a race, but understand that this isn’t the Olympic 100-meter dash or the Boston Marathon. It is more like a 5k fun run. There are no winners and no losers. You cannot go out trying to set a personal or course record, but you shouldn’t just stop halfway through. You may be trying to come in before someone you know, but you aren’t aiming to leave everyone in the dust.

Competition is a fundamental aspect of life, but the lives we have built for ourselves no longer require us to be in fight or flight 24-7. Step back and relax for a second, breathe and enjoy what you are doing. If you don’t like what you’re doing, don’t do it!

If you think you do not have a choice in your situation; first of all you do, and second you’re not running your race. Do not try and measure yourself to see how you stack up against everyone else that comes along. I can assure you they are not coming from the same place, and whatever has brought them to be here now has been a road of struggles and triumphs very different from your own.

You see, it is a fun run. It doesn’t matter how fast you get to the finish because you are going to get there eventually along with everyone else. Don’t think about other people’s plans of how they are going to get through this because they aren’t you.

Tune out the competition because they don’t matter. Accept the challenges in front of you because they don’t matter. Forget about the struggles you’ve been through because they don’t matter and don’t start thinking about what you’ll do when you finish because it doesn’t matter.

Don’t take this the wrong way and assume some nihilistic stance on the universe. Just stop worrying about the things that you cannot control or do not matter. That’s how you accomplish the things that need to get done and how you find enjoyment in what you are doing. This is your race, you’ve been training for X years of your life to get here, and you are going to do fine. Now run.

Column by

Bryan Dombrowski

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Sports

A pril 15, 2013

Broadside

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