April 18 issue by Student Media George Mason University

Wednesday is 4/20, a national marijuana smoking day. Check out Broadside’s quick reference guide to find out more about marijuana culture.

George Mason University’s Student Newspaper

Pg. 6

April 18, 2011

Volume 87 Issue 20

www.broadsideonline.com

Science and Technology I & II addition to be ready by Spring 2013 New building will link existing buildings, provide lab space Gregory Connolly News Editor

Photo by Gregory Connolly

Construc on on an addi on to Science and Technology I and II is expected to be completed by Spring 2013.

The 50,000-square-foot addition that has blocked off a significant area near Student Union Building II and will link Science and Technology I and II will be finished by Spring 2013. The addition is part of a plan to modernize the two buildings and provide more space for laboratories, said Martha Wescoat-

Andes, the associate dean of administration for the College of Science. “The renovations are necessary because the spaces are being upgraded,” Wescoat-Andes said. “The lab areas, including office space, are being totally reconfigured. Many of the programs are all moving, so there’s a different use of space.” Wescoat-Andes said one of the objectives of the projects is to

Earth Week aims to keep Mason green Laura Bolt Administration Beat Reporter George Mason University will be hosting a series of events to celebrate 2011 Earth Week, which will run from April 17–23. There will be over 25 events occurring on all three campuses. Events include a Coke recycling competition in the North Hall of the Johnson Center from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday, as well as a sustainability showcase in the lobby of Dewberry Hall from noon to 4 p.m. On Wednesday, from noon to 3 p.m., activities for

Sustainable Food Day will include food and music in the Quad. Later that night there will be a ﬁlm screening of the movie “Tar Creek” in Johnson Hall Room E. On Thursday, there will be an environmental expo on the North Plaza from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., An open mic will be held at the Johnson Center Friday, which is Earth Day. “More events mean more opportunities for us to engage the Mason community,” Said Colin Bennet, coordinator of Mason’s Sustainability Outreach.

Bennett says that one of the The full schedule of events can be found on the Mason Earth main concerns for Mason is climate neutrality, which Mason is Week 2011 Facebook page. According to Bennett, The committed to achieving. He says Office of Sustainability has been that Earth Week is an important planning this year’s festivities chance to raise awareness on this since December 2010. He notes issue, which “has countless other that this year is unique in that it benefits such as reducing our deis the first year that other entities pendence on oil, increasing our have been involved in planning national security, saving us their own events, which were money through decreased ensupported by the Office of Sus- ergy costs and improving our tainability. These other entities health.” For Bennett, the extent of include the Environmental Action Group, Recycling and Waste this year’s events is a positive step Management, University Life, Weekends at Mason and others. See EARTH, Page 4

Task force holds first of two meetings

bring together the core sciences so they’re located in the same area. The project will add signiﬁcant teaching lab capacity, oﬀering undergraduates the ability to participate in more research opportunities. In addition to the new space, a 100,000-square-foot renovation of Science and Tech II is underway which is expected to be completed by spring 2013. A renovation of Science and Tech I is in the plan-

ning stages, though no dates have been set. The new building will house new programs, like the forensics program, Wescoat-Andes said. She said that forensics has been particularly popular amongst students. A new school called Physics, Astronomy and Computational Sciences will be housed in Science and Tech I.

See ADDITION, Page 3

Despite weather, I-Week a success PSA wins dance competition

Photo by Jacob McClernon

Ramy Zabarah Style Editor Inclement weather did not hinder the success of this year’s International Week. Highlights of last week’s festivities included the popular dance competition and various culture nights hosted by student organizations. “Every year it gets better and better,” said Sara Morrisroe, assistant director of student organizations at the Office of Student Involvement. “People who have been here always expect it to be better.” This year’s I-Week slogan was “Celebrate,” a theme intended to highlight the importance of celebrating cultures in a campus that takes pride in its diverse population. “My favorite part of International Week was being able to try local foods of different countries without having to travel abroad,” junior conflict analysis and resolution major Nicole Miles said. “I love falafel.” Sodexo, featuring Mason’s most talented chefs, catered Friday’s closing ceremony, showcasing dishes from around the world. Over 1,000 people attended this year’s dance competition in Dewberry Hall, according to Morrisroe. The Pakistan Student Association won the contest. Students met the dance competition with positive reviews. “I thought this year’s dance competition was a lot better than last year,” junior bioengineering major Brittney Wooley said. “There seemed to be more people and there was a lot more energy.” The Office of International Programs and Services and the Office of Student Involvement combined their efforts to organize yet another successful I-Week in an effort to increase the opportunities for students to learn about the many cultures represented at Mason. “It’s a great time for students to get a taste of each culture,” Morrisroe said. “I’m happy when students are happy.”

STANDING UP FOR ANIMAL RIGHTS

Students, faculty discuss their interaction with Mason Police Department Reuben Jones Connect2Mason News Editor An official university Task Force formed earlier this month to seek input on “interactions and experiences” with university police held its first of two open meetings Tuesday afternoon. All Students, faculty and staff were able to sign up prior to the meeting, and 11 people who had signed up spoke. Each open meeting has 24 time slots for brief statements. The Task Force is co-chaired by Peter Pober, Chair of the Faculty Senate and Rose Pascarell, associate vice president of University Life. According to Pober, the meeting was “extremely professional” and students very were respectful. Pober also said he was “extremely pleased” with the meeting. In addition to the Task Force, Chief of Staff Tom Hennessey announced in his email to Mason that the university has hired Tomlinson Strategies, LLC, an external consulting firm specializing in institutional safety, security assessments and law en-

forcement issues, to “review the police policies and procedures that led to the arrest on a felony chare of student Abdirashid Dahir earlier this month.” The Task Force is scheduled to meet with resident advisors Thursday and will hear from more students, faculty and staff in their next meeting on April 20. At the time of publication, six people have signed up to speak. Interested persons are encouraged to sign up to speak at www.bit.ly/gDxTXY "Our goal is to hear as many voices as we can during the time period allowed. So far, mostly students have signed up to speak, but we encourage faculty and staff to add their voices," co-chairs Rose Pascarell and Peter Pober said in a recent Mason Gazette interview. The Task Force will also continue to accept written statements of up to 1,000 words in length at taskforc@gmu.edu. The task force will submit an interim status report to President Alan Merten in May and then a final report with outcomes and recommendations in mid-June. Photo by Monika Joshi

Protestors hand out pamphlets alleging circus animal abuse Thursday. See story on page 5.

News Event Calendar

Broadside

31 Monday, April 18, 2011

Mason psychology professor discusses curiosity, learning

Monday, April 18 New Lifeguard Certification Course Aquatic Fitness Center 10 a.m. -- 6 p.m.

Curiosity is key in social relationships Nathan Dorfman Staff Writer

Catholic Daily Mass Johnson Center, Gold Room Noon

Tuesday, April 19 Baseball: Mason vs. Coppin State Spuhler Field 3 p.m. Ringling Brothers Circus: Barnum’s Funundrum Patriot Center 7 p.m.

Wednesday, April 20 Pancakes for Parkinson’s Johnson Center, North Plaza 9 a.m. -- Noon APA Student Game Room Social SUB II, Club Corner Pocket 6 -- 9 p.m.

Curiosity is the key to a fulﬁlling life. That is, according to best-selling author and George Mason University assistant professor of psychology Todd Kashdan. “Curiosity is a mindset which involves recognizing new information and seeking out new experiences,” said Kashdan, who in his 2009 book “Curious,” educates readers about curiosity’s ability to enhance well-being. Sometimes in the college classroom, students’ curiosity is curbed by a pressure to succeed. “Mason is generally run by strict guidelines for what you need to do to get good grades,” said Kashdan, who believes that the most eﬀective teachers help students tap into their curiosity and enable students to connect the subject to the real world. But not all teachers have this capability. “Teachers tend to focus on

Thursday, April 21 4th Annual Bike to Mason Day Johnson Center, North Plaza 8 a.m. -- Noon Awesome Environmental Expo Johnson Center, North Plaza 11 a.m. -- 4 p.m.

For more events and activities, check out: today.gmu.edu

April 11

POLICE FILES Grand Larceny HQ Warrant served on Tarah McWhorter, 21 (GMU), of Winchester, VA and transported to Fairfax ADC where she was released on a $2,500.00 unsecured bond. (53/Colson)

Does the pressure to get good grades interfere with your desire to learn course material?

What YOU said...

April 12 April 14

April 13

Theft From Building Johnson Center A laptop reported stolen while left unattended from the Johnson Center. Estimated loss $1200.00. (45/Arnold). Accident University Dr Vehicle 1 struck vehicle 2. Estimated Damage 4,000.00. (36/Gannon) Credit Card Fraud Potomac Heights Victim reported fraudulent charges on their credit card. Total Loss $268.60 (20/Brudvig) Vandalism Lot R Person(s) unknown broke two of the gates leading into Lot R. (29/Capizzi)

Police Files are taken verbatim from www.gmu.edu/police. Broadside does not make any changes to public records.

tered by aspects of adult culture, Kashdan said. “Adult culture fosters obedience and social appropriateness,” Kashdan said. “These get in the way of curiosity.” It is impossible to know what motivates human curiosity, but Kashdan believes eagerness is an important factor. “The sensation of eagerness motivates us to try new things,” Kashdan said. “If rewards came from being immediately satiated, we would focus on short-term gratiﬁcation.” If immediate rewards provided great satisfaction, curiosity would more than likely be minimal. Kashdan is part of the larger positive psychology movement which developed in 1998. “We study what’s going right with people and societies,” Kashdan said. For more information on curiosity, positive psychology and Kashdan’s work, visit toddkashdan.com.

come. “Act in ways you normally don’t,” Kashdan said. “You’ll fail anyway at ﬁrst, so do it intentionally.” Kashdan emphasizes that rejection should not be taken personally. “You only own 50 percent of the conversation,” Kashdan said. Kashdan believes that human curiosity can be limited by a need for certainty. “Certainty keeps us in the past, while curiosity draws us to the future,” Kashdan said. Curiosity is also essential to human growth. “You can ﬁnd happiness without curiosity,” Kashdan said. “But without curiosity, you’re not growing, you’re not evolving. You’re done.” Rules and regulations also hurt curiosity. “Rules should guide us, not govern us,” said Kashdan, noting that when followed to an extreme, rules turn individuals into mindless drones. Curiosity can also be fet-

“I play games during class. It’s boring, not very interactive, just them talking to us. I don’t feel pressured by my teachers to succeed. I’m learning to get good grades, not because I’m interested.” Photo by Gregory Connolly

Cameron Chappell Sophomore Criminology

“Yeah, it does. You lose interest. In my stat class, I love math but my professor and I aren’t on the same page and I can’t understand the way he teaches. It makes me lose interest in math.” Photo by Gregory Connolly

“Not really. My mom always told me to get good grades. I’ve been dealing with the pressure my whole life, so it’s not really a problem.”

Kristin Macdonald Freshman Athletic Training

“Not really. I’m just as curious if I don’t get good grades because I’m curious to know more.” Theresa Speck Freshman Chemistry

Shaquille Robertson Freshman Undeclared Photo by Gregory Connolly

Possession Of Marijuana Northern Neck Anton Goncharov 19 yrs. (GMU), and Azret Mirzov 18 yrs. (GMU) were issued summons and released. (32/Guston).

obedience and making sure there are no problems in covering all syllabus materials,” Kashdan said. Kashdan, who regularly teaches a class on the science of well-being, advises students preparing for exams to see the broader picture and ask themselves: “Why are we learning this?” According to Kashdan, curiosity is also integral to social relationships. Kashdan advises limiting small talk when meeting new people and treating conversations as experiments. “Almost nobody likes small talk for more than two minutes,” Kashdan said. “Small talk censors ourselves and we know where the conversation is going. Throw things out there. Experiment with diﬀerent sides of your personality and expose them.” Sometimes in social encounters, a fear of rejection can prevent a person from seeking new opportunities. Kashdan believes this fear must be over-

Man on the Street

Narcotics Violation Monroe Hall Edward Desciora 19 yrs. (GMU) of Manhasset NY was arrested for possession of marijuana and a controlled substance without a prescription. (32/Guston). Information only Mason Pond Parking Deck Subject reported being struck in the face by a garage arm gate. The individual refused medical treatment. (48/Surber)

The number of years Mason has held an International Week.

Photo by Gregory Connolly

Mason professor brings apps to classroom Students looking into possibility of learning through augmented reality Michael Lagana Broadside Correspondent In a world of tweets and status updates, graduate students in George Mason University’s College of Education and Human Development are working to make app-based learning a reality. The college has been exploring the possibilities of app-based learning for the past year, as well as developing prototypes that have been tested in the ﬁeld, said Brenda Bannan-Ritland, an instructional technology associate professor. “Last year we took on the problem of iPhone applications and how developing iPhone apps could be used to promote educational outcomes,” Bannan-Ritland said. Bannan-Ritland’s students have been investigating the possibilities of learning through a process known as augmented reality. Augmented reality is the layering of new images and information on the real world by placing a translucent image over the image being captured by a

camera. Users can, for example, working on, is to allow users to see a line of scrimmage in a foot- better contextualize information ball game or what a particular that they learn. Augmented reallandmark or historical site may ity is not being developed to appeal to a speciﬁc group of learners; have looked like in the past. rather, it is being According to developed for wide The New York “Augmented real- implementation, Times, augmented reality apps are ality is just another from children to ready widely availform of emerging adults. R e c e n t l y, able on the mobile technologies to some of Bannanapp market, with names like Google embrace in rela- Ritland’s graduate students went to a Goggles. Many of tion to using its Richmond classthese apps overlay features and afroom to test a progeographical information on top of fordances for the totype of an augmented reality images or maps on good of educagame that helps smartphones. By students study hisdoing so, they give tion.” tory. Bannan-Ritusers a more interland’s students active experience ﬁrst went to Richin searching for -Brenda Bannan-Ritland, mond and excertain locations Associate Professor of plored the city, such as gas staInstructional Technology taking pictures of tions or restauhistorical sites and rants in relation to where the user is currently lo- overlaying them with images of how those sites looked during the cated. The educational purpose of Civil War, contextualizing the hisaugmented reality, which the Col- tory learning process and giving lege of Education and Human De- students a visual point of refervelopment graduate students are ence.

Another group of BannanRitland’s students also produced a conceptual prototype of an augmented reality app that guides visitors through George Washington’s Mount Vernon estate. Students identiﬁed and analyzed a learning problem that visitors to Mount Vernon had and developed the app to be a “virtual interpreter” and estate guide, Bannan-Ritland said. According to Bannan-Ritland, augmented reality and mobile device-based learning has not experienced widespread implementation in the American education system, and is only recently getting more attention from the education community. “Augmented reality is just another form of emerging technologies to embrace in relation to using its features and aﬀordances for the good of education,” Bannan-Ritland said. As Mason’s graduate students continue to work on augmented reality-based learning programs, Bannan-Ritland is hopeful about the future of her program and the possible inclusion of this technology in other departments.

Broadside

News

Monday, April 18, 2011 | 3

Foundation of addition to Science and Technology buildings to be laid in May ADDITION, from Front

Photo by Gregory Connolly

Work is underway on the addi on that will link Science and Technology I and II as well as renova ons to Science and Technology II. When the project is complete in spring 2013, the College of Science will have far more lab space at its disposal.

“We’re really excited about this [project],” Wescoat-Andes said. “Faculty and students and administrators have been waiting a long time, and the fact that we’ve received state funding and can build is great.” The project is classified as a capital project, meaning the money came from the state, said David Andrews, associate manager of public relations for Mason. Andrews said the design phase for the Science and Tech project began in February 2009, with design being completed by April 2010. Construction of the addition began in January with Photo by Gregory Connolly much of the utility work hap- A large renova on to Science and Technology I is also being planned, pening over winter break. though no date has been set for work to begin. “They’re going to lay the cilities Office and the contrac- Hall and Presidents Park. The foundation sometime in May,” tor must ensure that students Fine Arts Building will also be Andrews said. “The actual and employees can get around renovated, though that project building will rise up this sum- the construction area safely. is not expected to begin until mer. The building [addition] “They fenced off sufficient 2012. will occupy some of the empty area to work while maintaining “Thompson Hall is so space between Science and the pedestrian walkways and re- dated that they recognize it as a Tech II and the parking lot next routed the pedestrians,” An- building that needed to be rento Student Union Building II drews said. “So far it’s worked ovated,” Andrews said. “Same and David King Hall.” thing with the Park and Fine out very well.” Andrews said safety is the Other renovations on the Arts Building.” number-one priority for the Fa- horizon include Thompson

INTERNATIONAL WEEK IN PHOTOS

Photo by Jake McLernon

The 31st annual Interna onal Week ran from April 9–16 and featured several events including a dance compe on, ballet performances, food sampling and a showcase of cultures. Vendors set up shops in the North Plaza for much of the week.

Photo by Jake McLernon

5K for victims’ rights Walk remembers former student Jeffrey Giorgi Asst. News Editor National Crime Victims’ Rights Week was held this year from April 10–16. For the past 15 years, George Mason University has hosted an annual 5k walk in honor of Victims’ Rights Week, and in remembrance of Aimee Willard. “The very first year was cosponsored between my office, Sexual Assault Services, and University Police, Director Connie Kirkland said. “The first year we had 19 people.” This year’s attendance amounted to 400 runners comprised of faculty and students. While home on vacation during the summer of 1996, a student in the athletics department, Willard, was murdered. “Aimee’s Army is our staff that comes together in honor of

Aimee,” Associate Athletic Director Nena Rogers said. “All of the athletic department supports Aimee.” The 5k event is organized by several groups on campus including Sexual Assault Services, the athletic department and the university police. “We’ve been able to collaborate to have this event,” said Sgt. Patricia Millan of the university police. “It helps to fund our program, which is the Rape Aggression Defense class, which helps teach women basic self defense against rape aggression.” Normally the walk is held during the middle of the week, but this year it was held on Friday, which perhaps worked out for the best. “When you get weather like this, it’s a good event,” Millan said. “I think it helps bring people together.”

Photo by Peter Flint

Freshmen Ka e Teague and Tori Mitros helped by handing out water.

Photo by Peter Flint

Students make their way up a hill past the Sandy Creek Parking Deck.

Photo by Peter Flint

Mason has hosted a 5k for Vic ms’ Rights Week for the past 15 years.

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Sustainability outreach coordinator talks Earth Week EARTH, from front toward making Earth Week “truly institutionalized at Mason.” He notes that “every day is really Earth Day.” He encourages the Mason community to remember that “Our actions have an impact on the planet, which in turn has an impact on our health and our happiness. When people start to make these connections, their behavior changes. Even seemingly small things like turning the lights oﬀ or eating less meat can have a huge impact, especially when large numbers of people are doing them. And small changes lead to bigger changes. They also inspire changes in other people. Every single person at Mason has the ability, as well as the responsibility, to make the world a better place; with hope, Earth Week will help them along that path.”

Daejayon Volunteer Association to host Earth Week Fashion Show Laura Bolt Administration Beat Reporter Daejayon, an international volunteer association for university students, will be hosting a fashion show on the Quad April 28 to support Earth Day. The fashion show, called “Daejayon goes GREEN on the runway,” will feature models wearing clothing made entirely of recyclables. There will also be speakers, a DJ and dancers. Admission to the event will be on a donation basis, which will go toward Daejayon’s charitable works. The President of the Mason Chapter of Daejayon, Christina Matthews encour-

ages students to attend, saying, “I really encourage students to attend this event because they will have a better understanding of what is happening to our environment at this time, but also, they will be able to feel the love and comradery that Daejayon has to offer.” Daejayon is a worldwide organization that works with social welfare programs and governments to promote a healthy environment and social welfare. This is the first event Daejayon will host at a Virginia school. Their next goal is to continue to work with local non-profit organizations and plant over a million trees in Northern Virginia.

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Broadside

The number of video game stations in the newly opened Corner Pocket.

Monday, April 18, 2011

Senior inspired by South Africa Student educates communities on health while studying abroad

Photo By Monika Joshi Protestors a empt to sway circus patrons from suppor ng the animal cruelty they say goes on behind closed tents.

Students protest circus’ treatment of animals ARC to petition for university ban on Ringling Bros. circus Monika Joshi Copy Chief The return of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus to George Mason University has drawn protests from about 20 animal rights activists, including members of the university’s Animal Rights Collective. “Pictures don’t lie!” shouted one protestor at Thursday’s demonstration, pointing to a poster of a roped elephant’s legs being pulled in opposite directions by trainers. The photograph, as well as video footage of elephant and tiger abuse shown later that night, were captured by animal rights organizations like People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, who say that Ringling Bros. animals are regularly beaten, chained and neglected. Through the protests, scheduled to coincide with circus

performances throughout the week, ARC aims to educate people on the mistreatment of animals in circuses. The group was oﬃcially recognized as a student organization in 2009 and has been leading anti-circus protests every year since. “Most circus patrons are receptive to our message, and I believe many will reconsider supporting the Ringling Bros.’ cruelty the next time,” said ARC member Jason Von Kundra. The student group plans to deliver a petition with over 2,000 signatures to the university before the end of the semester, asking that the circus be banned from Mason. “We are asking that our administration do the right thing by banning animal circuses from campus,” said Von Kundra, a junior earth science major. “We hope to send a strong message that

abusing animals is not entertainment and that the Ringling’s ‘Cruelest Show on Earth’ has no place at Mason.” Barry Geisler, general manager of the Patriot Center, said he sees no reason why the circus should not be allowed on campus, given that it garners high community interest and ﬁnancial return for the university. “We’re going to get more people in this week and a half than we get for an entire basketball season,” said Geisler. “So there’s obviously strong community support for the event.” According to Geisler, the circus animals were inspected by Fairfax County Animal Control on Tuesday and no action was required. “No one’s ever found any alleged abuse,” Geisler said. “There’s never been any abuse. They get inspected every single year.”

The protestors, however, contend that there is no way to train animals to perform circus tricks without inflicting pain and punishment. Christine Kauffman, a Mason alumna who helped found ARC, also questioned the value of the inspections conducted at the university. “Obviously the handlers aren’t going to beat an animal in front of an animal control officer,” she said. “They’re going to do it when no one is watching.” Following the last performance of each night, protestors hold a candlelight vigil to honor the circus animals. “[People] may forget about us when they go in,” said ARC member and senior history major Anthony Murray. “But when they leave, it’s the last image they see.”

The power of social media Facebook users wary in search for jobs Delesia Watson Broadside Correspondent Social media sites like Facebook are great for networking and keeping in touch with people everywhere. But when it comes to companies hiring and ﬁring employees, Facebook has become the new background check. Tom Hoog, chairman of the Insight Committee within George Mason University’s communication department, always checks potential employees’ Facebook proﬁles before hiring them. “[Inappropriate content is] going to need a strong explanation to give them a fair opportunity,” said Hoog, a for-

mer CEO of Hill & Knowlton. “I often ask [potential employees] what they were thinking at the time.” While some job seekers feel this violates their rights to privacy, others think it is OK. “I think it’s fair for employers to look on Facebook,” said Christine Weithman, freshman business management major. “Depending on where you work, clients or customers could look at your Facebook [proﬁle] and see what is on it, so it is important for it to be appropriate.” While some employers use Facebook to ﬁnd incriminating information on possible employees, others use it as a

proactive hiring tool. “I would consider Facebook to be primarily for social purposes,” said Lauren Hill, lead talent recruiter at Strayer University. “I do sometimes look at my Facebook network to see if anyone I know would be a good match for any of the positions that I am working on. I primarily use LinkedIn to be for networking purposes.” Recently, a ﬁrst-grade teacher in New Jersey was suspended after calling her students “disengaged, lazy whiners” on her Facebook proﬁle. These types of stories are occurring more often and bosses are taking employees’ online presence more seriously.

“I think an employee being suspended or fired can be fair if the photo or status was something of an extremely inappropriate post and could affect the future of the company,” Weithman said. Although many students are worried of future employers’ concern with their Facebook profiles, some are not, like junior communications major Kevin Navarrete. “It mostly depends on your line of work,” Navarrete said. “I’m a firm believer in freedom of speech. If I can’t throw an F-bomb here and there, then what is free speech?”

photo courtesy Mary Raﬀael Mary Raﬀael while in South Africa.

Erin Powell Asst. Style Editor If you ask students where they have traveled recently, their responses will probably include home or the beach. If you ask senior Mary Raffael where she’s been recently, she’ll tell you she made an 8,000-mile voyage last summer to South Africa. Raffael, a global community health major, participated in the 2010 Building Bridges in South Africa program, designed to give students an opportunity to experience global health issues and culture within small townships. “Prior to the trip I changed my major a couple of times and was unsure about what I wanted to do,” said Raffael. “I started volunteering with different HIV organizations in D.C. and it spiked my interest. [The trip] was a very spontaneous decision.” As part of the BBSA Program, Raffael and her peers participated in various internships, immersing themselves in global health fieldwork. “Half of our time was spent in class and half of our time was spent in the internships doing outreach on campus,” Raffael said. “I was the only one out of the group who had experience and training doing HIV testing, so I had to go alone a lot of the time.” During her particular internship, Raffael spent much of her time doing public outreach and educating locals about HIV. “South Africa starts [its] day early so I would have to be up at five or six in the morning,” Raffael said. “Two or three days of the week we would go restock condom dispensers, then do education for the community in rural townships along with do HIV testing and counseling. “Sometimes it was relatively easy and sometimes it was relatively hard. There were days when I had a 50 percent positive rate. We had stations where we would draw the blood, do counseling, group education and the results. I was giving all the results. It was awful how many positives there were.” Dealing with a positive HIV result was difficult for many of the people, but Raffael knew she was making an impact in their communities by helping them. “Sometimes I was gone for 12 hours,” she said. “It would definitely take a toll on your energy,

but it was totally worth it. The work that you do there makes it so much more powerful. We would come back at night and have a community dinner. We all kept daily journals which was a part of our assessment as well.” Because of leftover racial prejudice from apartheid, Raffael faced apprehension from some members of the community. “[During apartheid], many white people were rich and moved into cities, while many black people had to move out of cities into these shabby townships,” Raffael said. “There was still a little bit of mistrust [with the people I encountered] because I’m white. They’ve heard of white people putting HIV on their condoms so they don’t want to use them. It’s understandable, but there are still barriers to get through culturally.” Another difficulty Raffael encountered was the language barrier. “A lot of people do speak English, but South Africa has 10 to 15 different languages,” she said. “It’s hard because if people haven’t had any education we couldn’t communicate with them, and that was the at-risk population we were trying to reach.” In certain townships, Raffael and her peers were able to stayed with local families to experience how they lived. “One of the most impactful parts of the trip was when we stayed with some kids that we were partnered with [as part of a big sister/little sister program],” Raffael said. “My sister’s dad had died of HIV and her mom was positive and not doing very well. They didn’t have any running water, appliances or electricity. It made a big impact, seeing how appreciative she was of everything and how happy she was. The things that we worry about at home seem so silly once you see that.” Raffael has since applied for her master’s degree in social development at the University of Cape Town, and is hopeful she will return to South Africa within the next year. “I look forward to volunteering again,” she said. “It opened my eyes to how important development is. You can read articles about it and see it on the news, but until you’re actually there it really doesn’t hit you.”

Broadside

| Monday, April 18, 2011

Style

For pot smokers, Wednesday, April 20, more famously known as 4/20 or an international day to smoke pot, is the one of the most anticipated day of the year. Hundreds of thousands of wacky tobacky enthusiasts will gather in San Francisco’s near the famed Haight-Ashbury District on “Hippie Hill,” head to Boulder, Colo. to indulge in weed smoking or just kick back at home for a pot-hazed celebration that transcends Christmas, Fourth of July and Halloween. For those who aren’t familiar with marijuana culture, this quick guide will give you a look into the fads, must-have items and stoners in popular culture that you need to familiarize yourself with in order to understand the ins and outs of the holiday and the subculture.

STONER MUST-HAVE ITEMS

YOU MIGHT BE A POTHEAD IF... Terms like “dank,” “chill” or “far out” are part of your everyday vocabulary. We know you think it’s dope to talk like that when you’re smacked, and I’m sure that stash is ﬁre, but “irregardless” will never become a real word. Sorry, midnight tokers.

You own the “Planet Earth” box set.

You frequently dream of someday settling down in Amsterdam, even though you’ve never been there. You can make a bong out of just about anything. Alright, you crafty bastards, you think you’ve mastered the art, but here’s one you’ve probably never tried: You’re going to need a PVC pipe, some vaseline and a housecat. preferably one you won’t miss.

You often tell people to “smell this nug.” You’re paranoid by just about anything. Have you ever swallowed a lit joint because you thought you heard someone knocking? Was that Bob Marley poster looking at you funny? Ever thought smoking out of an aluminum can was going to give you cancer? We thought so.

You carry on unsolicited conversations about time travel for hours at a time.

HOW TOKERS STAY ENTERTAINED “Smoke Two Joints” by Sublime is your ringtone. “Ownage pranks” - Youtube

“LOST” – ABC.com o As if the plot wasn’t confusing enough.

“Time Warp” – Discovery Channel, Youtube

Anything on the Food Network o The best food you’ll never make.

Your go-to summer outﬁt consists of a sublime shirt, a drug rug, board shorts and hemp sandals.

You look like this:

“Double Youtube

Rainbow”

STONERS IN POPULAR CULTURE

Cheech & Chong

Zach Galifinakis

John Lennon

Dave Chappelle

Michael Phelps

Seth Rogen

Tim Lincecum

Harold & Kumar

Bill Maher

Robert Plant

Wiz Khalifa

The Dude

Broadside

Style

Monday, April 18, 2011 |

Photo By Gregory Connolly

Rolling with the changes Traveling salesman vends music and movies at North Plaza

Do you want to own a Tower Records? “That’s the best line in ‘The Social Network,’” said Scot Pearlstein, a traveling vendor who spent part of International Week at George Mason University selling used CDs and DVDs. “The Internet has ruined my business. There are a lot of people who like to have the physical version of the media, but people aren’t willing to pay anything for them anymore.” Pearlstein began selling media 15 years ago after he realized he could make a lot of money doing it. At the time, he was a working as an acupuncturist in California. “I’ve probably been in this business eight years longer than I should,” Pearlstein said. “I’ve rolled with the changes. I mostly sell collectable stuﬀ on Amazon. I don’t do too many college campuses anymore.” Pearlstein said he travels to campuses near his home in Florida and Mason twice a year. Like he

does at Mason, he sets up several tables outside and covers them with thousands of DVDs and CDs— everything from You, Me and Dupree to 2001: A Space Odyssey, Nickelback to Bob Dylan bootlegs. “I really enjoy coming to Mason because I feel like I’m well supported and there are plenty of students here,” Pearlstein said. “I don’t get ripped oﬀ here.” “Unlike many campuses, people here don’t look at me like I’m crazy for selling these for $5,” he said. “Some people think $5 is a lot of money, but they don’t understand that I have to buy these things and that I put a lot of work into this business.” Pearlstein carries a resurfacing machine so that the inventory he sells is in good shape. The biggest sellers are classic rock, 70s soul and Christian music, Pearlstein said. “Gospel in particular sells great,” Pearlstein said, “both on Amazon and on the campuses.” Pearlstein said International Week 2011 is likely his last trip to

Mason. “The traveling is not cost-effective too much anymore, with hotels and gas,” he said. “I have a minivan to carry everything up here. It’s a lot of work, and I’m getting old.” Pearlstein’s visit to Mason last week was cut short by inclement weather, and he was only able to open shop for two days. “I didn’t work for a few days because of weather-related reasons,” Pearlstein said. “That really puts a damper on things. I’m up here staying in hotels, and they’re not cheap. It did give me the opportunity to go around and buy inventory.” Even though he has thousands of DVDs and Blu-Rays around, the temptation to take out movies to watch isn’t strong. “I go to Red Box or stream it off Netflix,” he said. “I generally don’t go to my inventory to watch movies. If it’s something I haven’t seen, I’ll pull it out ahead of time, but now I’ve seen everything. I’m a big movie buff. If it’s not horror and it’s a good movie, chances are I’ve already seen it.”

ELEPHANT CELEBRATES BIRTHDAY

Photo By Peter Flint

Sarah the elephant celebrates her 10th birthday with a special treat from Georgetown Cupcakes.

Photos By Peter Flint

Game on! University game room opens at new location, video gaming screens part of upgrade Mohammad Rizwan Broadside Correspondent The Corner Pocket is back and better than ever. George Mason University’s game room is now in its new location in Student Union Building II. Oﬃcially opening on Monday, Corner Pocket will have seven 9-foot billiards tables, four full-size pingpong tables, a foosball table and an air hockey table. Additionally, 16 video game stations will allow students to play games on PS3, XBOX 360 and Wii. Several TVs have also been added for sports events. It took nearly a year of construction to complete this project, but SUB II has become a fun-ﬁlled attraction on campus. “The new game room is nearly twice the size of the old game room, and we

have added new features for everyone to come and have a good time,” said Adil Shamsher, recreational assistant for Corner Pocket. Among the new additions, the new Original Burger Company, located next door, shares a lounge with Corner Pocket. “Students can enjoy lunch and then come right over to the game room to relax after a busy day at school,” Shamsher said. The previous Corner Pocket opened in 1998 in the basement ﬂoor of Student Union Building I and was a place where students could enjoy a night away from studying. Although available to all students, most of the students who use the game room are residential since many commuters are not as aware of what it oﬀers. Student Centers has

increased its efforts to promote the game room to all students. “I was walking back to the Johnson Center when I noticed the sign for the relocation of the game room,” said junior biology major Sonul Gulati. “I was so excited to find out about this. I really want to try out the new video game stations.” With its new location, Corner Pocket has something to offer for just about anyone. “We’re hoping that our new location will help increase student activities on campus,” Shamsher said. “Several student organizations have already reserved the game room for a game night for all of their members. We want everyone to come on out and have a good time and have a chance to meet new friends.”

TONIGHT!

Free Tickets for Mason Students! Faculty Artist Series: Laura Kobayashi, violin Mon., Apr. 18 at 8 p.m. Free/Non-ticketed HT

Faculty Artist Series: Anna & Friends, Anna Balakerskaia, piano Mon., Apr. 25 at 8 p.m. Free/Non-ticketed HT

Faculty Artist Series: John Healey, piano Tues., Apr. 19 at 8 p.m. Free/Non-ticketed HT

Opera Gala Concert Tues., Apr. 26 at 8 p.m. $ 20 adult, $15 student/senior HT Limited Free Student Tickets Available Now

Russian National Ballet Theatre: Sleeping Beauty Tues., Apr. 19 at 8 p.m. $ 30, $38, $46 HC ff ppd Half Price Student Tickets are available now Visual Voices Series: Matt King, speaker Matt King: Recent Sculpture Thurs., Apr. 21 at 7:30 p.m. Free/Non-ticketed HT Orpheus Chamber Orchestra Arabella Steinbacher, violin Sat., Apr. 23 at 8 p.m.; $28, $48, $56 CH Free Student Tickets Available Now The Vision Series: Thomas Lovejoy, speaker A Wild Suggestion for Climate Change Mon., Apr. 25 at 7 p.m. Free/Ticketed CH ppd

=Pre-performance Discussion

Thomas Brawley Memorial Concert Sun., May 1 at 3 p.m. Free/Non-ticketed HT Keyboard Conversations® with Jeffrey Siegel 1911: A Century Celebration! Sun., May 1 at 7 p.m. $ 38, $30, $19 CH ff ppd Free Student Tickets Available Apr. 19

Mason Wind Symphony & Symphonic Band Thurs., Apr. 28 at 8 p.m. $ 15 adult, $10 student/senior CH Limited Free Student Tickets Available Apr. 19 Ten-Minute Play Festival Apr. 29 & 30 at 8 p.m.; Sat., Apr. 30 at 2 p.m. $ 15 G.A., $10 Student/Staff/Senior/Groups TS Limited Free Student Tickets Available Apr. 19 Chorale Broadway Showcase Sat., Apr. 30 at 8 p.m. $ 15 adult, $10 student/senior HT Limited Free Student Tickets Available Apr. 19 Trisha Brown Dance Company Sat., Apr. 30 at 8 p.m.; $22, $36, $44 CH Limited Free Student Tickets Available Apr. 19

Mason Vocal Jazz: A Cabaret Evening Fri., May 6 at 8 p.m. Free/Non-ticketed DL Mason Dance Company: May Concert May 6, 7 at 8 p.m. $ 15 adult, $10 senior, $7 student HT Limited Free Student Tickets Available Apr. 26 School of Music Scholarship Beneﬁt Concert Sun., May 8 at 7 p.m. 20 adult, $15 student/senior CH Limited Free Student Tickets Available Apr. 26 $

ppd

Flutopia & Champagne Flutes Tues., May 10 at 8 p.m. Free/Non-ticketed CH

=Family Friendly BB=Black Box CH=Concert Hall DL=de Laski/3001 GT=Grand Tier III HC=Hylton Center HT=Harris Theater TS=TheaterSpace OR TH E RF

Call 703-993-8888 or visit cfa.gmu.edu/students

AR TS

Center for the Arts

News Editor

CENT

Gregory Connolly

20 YEARS 19

9 0 – 2 0 10

Opinion Broadside

Monday, April 18, 2011

Broadside

Cruelest show on earth returns

George Mason University’s Student Newspaper Emily Sharrer, Editor-in-Chief Sonya Hudson, Managing Editor Monika Joshi, Copy Chief Gregory Connolly, News Editor Jeﬀrey Giorgi, Asst. News Editor Justin Lalputan, Opinion Editor Ramy Zabarah, Style Editor Erin Powell, Asst. Style Editor Cody Norman, Sports Editor Pat Carroll, Asst. Sports Editor Peter Flint, Photography Editor

Benjamin Shaﬀer, Copy Editor Marine Jaouen, Copy Editor Jared Barrale, Copy Editor Liz Milligan, Designer Michelle Buser, Designer Dylan Hares, Staﬀ Reporter Scott Miller, Advertising Director Jacques Mouyal, Business Manager Kathryn Mangus, Faculty Adviser David Carroll, Tech Adviser

Protesters are right, circuses are cruel to animals and should not be supported Justin Lalputan S o p h o m o r e

Editorial Policy The letters, columns and views expressed on this page are solely those of the writers. They do not reﬂect the views of Broadside or its staﬀ, unless otherwise noted.

Broadside is a free publication. Limit one copy per person. Each additional copy is 25 cents.

Correction: In the March 28 article “Students frustrated by I-Week flag policy” and in the April 11 article “Students protest for right to fly flags” Palestine’s flag should have been listed as one that is allowed to hang in the Johnson Center.

Flags at Mason There are more important things to fight over

S E N I O R

Opinion

Columnist College students never cease to amaze me. The causes they champion often are legitimate, but sometimes they back some real head-scratchers. I’ve tried to label many of these, from the sheer silliness of the Student Secular Alliance to the failed eco-radical movement. Taking their place with those underachievers are protesters angry at a handful of flags being disallowed from participation in George Mason University’s International Week. The melodramatic image of a student blindfolding and gagging himself in Broadside last week would have been comical if it had not been so over the top. There are people all over the world who are denied free speech, free elections, freedom of religion and other basic human rights. But these students feel discriminated against because they can’t submit their flag to some school-sponsored I-Week? Trust me, there are more fruitful battles to fight. Considering the brutal and oppressive history which the Kurds (the main proponent of these protests) have had to endure, one would think they would understand this more than most people. The audacity to label this an “equality issue” is overzealous and bizarre. This isn’t a discrimination issue and these students don’t appear to even know the meaning of the word. If not having your flag raised during Mason’s I-Week is the biggest injustice in your life then consider yourself lucky. Sadly for them, when they get to the real world, they’re in for a rude awakening. Frankly, I think college students just have too much time on their hands. Some students aren’t stimulated enough and feel the need to protest anything just for the heck of it. Judging by the smiles and

laughter of the protestors at this event, I doubt they are really taking it all that seriously, proving my point that this protest was conceived more out of boredom than outrage. If I start a club dedicated to the heritage of Petoria, should I be allowed to fly a flag with a picture of Peter Griffin emblazoned on the front? Although I generally disagree with the school on many issues, on this one they made a choice that seems logical. And, furthermore, you can’t cave to some half-assed protests by a dozen students or so. Doing so would set a dangerous precedent where any enthusiastic student with a bullhorn and poster bearing some slogan written in Magic Marker could make devastating policy changes. The accompanying conspiracy theory behind this flag exclusion centers on the Chinese government pressuring Mason officials due to their professed hatred of the people of East Turkestan. While I wouldn’t put it past the Chinese government to be so petty, I sincerely doubt they even know about Mason’s I-Week, let alone care about any of the planned activities. They’ve got enough problems and don’t have the time to be concerned with such a trivial matter. And how would flying or not flying a flag during this week make any difference to them? Would the people of East Turkestan, so emboldened by this act of civil disobedience, rise up and conquer their oppressors in Beijing? I think not. This whole situation is indeed inconsequential but it does showcase a larger issue: College students are often so detached from reality they insist on fighting the most pointless battles. The world is bigger than Mason and students have their whole lives ahead of them to witness true pain and suffering all over the world if that’s of their choosing. In the meantime, hang your flag outside your dorm room to show your national pride and move on. Life is too short to waste time being so enraged and taking on such meaningless endeavors.

Editor

As some of you may already know, the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus is back at George Mason University. It is advertised as the “Greatest Show on Earth,” however, one thing that it doesn’t advertise is the accusations of animal cruelty that groups such as People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals constantly make. Let me start by saying that I’m not some hippie environmentalist who thinks that we should scrap all our technology and return to being one with Mother Earth. That’s not me at all. What does bother me, however, is when people abuse animals for

Broadside is a weekly publication printed each Monday for the George Mason University and surrounding Fairfax community. The editors at Broadside have exclusive authority over the content that is published. There are no outside parties that play a role in the newspaper’s content, and should there be a question or complaint regarding this policy, the editorin-chief should be notiﬁed at the information given above.

Alan Moore

Opinion

nized an 8-month-old baby elephant which fractured its hind legs doing a stunt that trainers forced it to do. Since 2000, the United States Department of Agriculture has cited Ringling Bros. for violations including improper handling of dangerous animals, unsanitary feeding practices and causing trauma and physical harm to two elephants. Obviously information from PETA must always be taken with a grain of salt, but the information from the USDA tells no lies: Ringling Bros. have a history of mistreating its animals. But what really gets me mad is not only are the Ringling Bros. mistreating animals, they are doing it here at Mason. Aren’t we the school whose goal is to be environmentally friendly? Aren’t we the ones who generate almost no trash at Southside so that we can protect nature? Doesn’t it seem a tad bit hypocritical that we are so pro-

environment, yet we are directly supporting people who routinely harm animals that live on the same Earth that we are trying to protect? The sad thing is most people don’t even care. They don’t care about any of the deaths that I mentioned or the countless more that have occurred. Instead, all they want to do is be entertained. Fine. They can do whatever they want. But I will not be supporting this circus in any way, shape or form. They treat animals horribly, and despite this fact, people still go watch their shows and support them. I’m not asking people to change their lifestyle or become an animal rights activist; I’m asking them to see that the practices of Ringling Bros. are just plain wrong and we should be working for change. You can say that the circus is coming to Mason, but to me, it feels more like the house of horrors.

The war on drugs and you The failure of the war and how it affects mostly non-violent offenders Paul Panasiuk S o p h o m o r e

Opinion

Columnist

Drugs may be part of a wild night out for some high school and college students, but people’s lives, ﬁnances, families and careers are devastated every day by a half-witted war on drugs. Despite federal and state governments spending more than $50 billion a year and hundreds of billions over a few decades on control and prevention, drugs are still on the streets and have proliferated further within American society. Every year since 1996, FBI statistics reveal more than 1.5 million nonviolent drug arrests in the U.S., with 858,408 marijuana arrests in 2009 alone. This constant barrage of mostly possession charges costs state and local governments hefty sums of money for court and im-

prisonment fees. When the government spends hundreds of billions on a war, the American people have expectations: an end in sight, a reasonable goal and an exit strategy. How many more billions must be spent and nonviolent offenders locked away in order for the drug war to be a success? The United States now boasts the largest prison population and the highest incarceration rate in the world, with 1 in every 99.1 adults in a local, state or federal prison. During Prohibition in the United States from 1920–33, the maﬁa became increasingly wealthy and powerful as they controlled the alcohol trade on the black market. Similarly, the criminalization of drugs has incentivized gangs to spring up in nearly every American community and form business networks throughout the U.S., Mexico and other countries. Federal drug regulation causes prices to rise, giving these organized gangs a nearly unlimited and never-ending income source. By legalizing and regulating

drugs the same as any agricultural or consumer product, money would almost immediately transfer from the hands of these powerful gangs to the hands of entrepreneurs, investors and farmers. Businesses associated with the industry would create an incalculable amount of tax revenue and jobs. Urban ghettoes would experience a renaissance as gangs were dismantled, drug dealers found themselves unemployed, and once-illegal producers competed with large legal businesses that produce a cheap and quality product. The perpetual cycle of poverty would be broken as fathers and mothers would not be put in prison because of the War on Drugs, and families would be less likely to fall victim to gang violence. The social fabric not only in urban ghettoes, but across the nation would be renewed. Gangs would be drastically scaled back because the money that keeps them alive would be removed. The nearly 200,000 teenagers

who are refused financial aid each year because of federal drug prosecution would have the chance to receive an education and start a career. Those against legalization often argue that drugs will seep in the hands of young children, and everyone will pick up a pipe and smoke it. In actuality, drug legalization has little or no affect on an increase in use, and often leads to a decrease. In recent years, Portugal decriminalized all drugs despite insistence from politicians that chaos would ensue. Society did not break down into chaos, no one dropped out of school and use of heroin actually declined. Although most drugs are terrible for your health, the economic and social effects of drug prohibition are wide-ranging. The current system has been shown to be a complete failure. Individuals should have the responsibility to say no if they so choose, and be able to say yes without fear of prosecution and incarceration.

Quote of the Week:

“Longboarding is always going to be there, and some of the guys we ride with are in their forties and are still kicking it.”

Want to share your opinion? Submit your letter to the editor or artwork to: opinion@broadsideonline.com Note: 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 brevity, clarity and grammar. Material containing libel, racial slurs, personal attacks or obscenities may be edited or rejected. The author’s name, class year (and/or title where appropriate), major and daytime phone number must be included for veriﬁcation of authenticity. The deadline for submission is Thursday by 10 p.m.

purposes of mere entertainment. That makes me feel sick. According to PETA, Ringling teaches their animals to do tricks by beating them and putting them through abusive, torturous training. Elephants are trained to do their tricks through the use of instruments called bullhooks, training tools that, according to PETA, “look like ﬁre pokers.” One manner in which they train baby elephants is by forcing them into unusual positions (such as forcing them to stand on their high legs on a platform), hitting them all over their bodies with the aforementioned bullhook and then using electric prods. The impact on the animal’s well-being is intense, and it is not unusual for animals to die or become injured by this type of mistreatment. Speaking of deaths, in 2004, a lion died of heatstroke as Ringling Bros. crossed the Mojave Desert, and they eutha-

—Kyle Lange, senior longboarder

Editorial Board: Emily Sharrer, Editor-in-Chief Monika Joshi, Copy Chief Sonya Hudson, Managing Editor Justin Lalputan, Opinion Editor

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.

Phone: 703-993-2950 Fax: 703-993-2948

Broadside

Opinion

Monday, April 18, 2011 |

“I think that the circus is a great thing for the kids. The USDA needs to continue to ﬁne them. There are other ways to train animals.”

Man on the Street How do you feel about the circus here on campus and the allegations made against them by animal rights groups?

“I think the circus is pretty cool. I do respect animal rights, and if the circus is abusing [animals], then I’m totally against that. ”

B. I feel that change is needed, but they don’t need to stop having the circus. C. I could care less about the animals. The circus is fun. D. I don’t trust the allegations. The circus is fine the way it is.

Nishant Patel Freshman Civil Engineering

Photo by Gregory Connolly

“I think the circus is a great family environment. I don’t really trust the allegations. I think more times than not, the organizations [such as PETA] try to make something out of nothing.

E. I’ve never been to the circus.

What YOU said... Submit your opinion on this poll at broadsideonline.com

Chris Carr Sophomore Sports Management

Photo by Gregory Connolly

CLASSIFIEDS Help Wanted

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Miscellaneous

Client Representative Computer Packages Inc., a privately owned international company and leader in Intellectual Property Management for 42 years, is seeking a Client Rep. to work in our Rockville, MD location. Strong computer skills and experience with client support preferred. Bachelors degree preferred - Recent grads welcome to apply. Excellent benefits and opportunity for growth. Resumes to cpijobs@computerpackages.com or Mail to Computer Packages Inc, Attention:Human Resources, 414 Hungerford Drive, Third Floor, Rockville, MD 20850

Web Programmer/ Developer Computer Packages Inc., a privately owned international company and leader in Intellectual Property Management for 42 years, is seeking web programmers to work at our Rockville, MD location. CPi offers excellent benefits and opportunities for growth in technical and client contact skills with potential for advancement. ASP and .NET experience preferred. Please send resume to: cpijobs@computerpackages.com or Mail to Computer Packages Inc, Attention: Human Resources, 414 Hungerford Drive, Third Floor, Rockville, MD 20850

Spokesmodels needed for a new social website part-time, call Chris no experience necessary (703)655-7273

Donate blood to support AIDS research in Dr. Yuntao Wu's laboratory at Mason! Donating 100 - 150 ml (1/2 - 3/4 cup) blood. Donors must be HIV negative, healthy, non-pregnant, weigh over 110 pounds, 18 years & older. $20 compensation. Email: aturne11@gmu.edu or call 703-993-8548; 703-993-2831, leave contact information.

Lifeguards/Pool Operators, FT/PT, VA/DC/MD, flexible schedule, free training, competitive pay, must be able to swim, call 703-996-1300 ext. 128.

Child Care Sitters Wanted. $12+/hour. Register free for jobs at student-sitters.com

GET

MASON NATION

America has grown so controlling that even what students eat has become regulated

G R A D

Photo by Gregory Connolly

A. The circus is horrible and it should be banned.

Even the lunches Brandon minster

Jade Donaldson Sophomore Psychology

S T u d e n t

Opinion

Columnist

America used to be the land of the free. It said so in our national anthem. Now the national anthem is being supplanted by a song about how beautiful America is. Keep your beauty; I’d rather still be free. The latest example of lost freedom comes from Little Village Academy, a public school in Chicago, Ill. Principal Elsa Carmona has prohibited students from bringing food to school because the food they brought wasn’t healthy enough. According to a Chicago Tribune article, Carmona set the policy six years ago. “Nutritionwise, it is better for the children to eat at the school,” she said. She then cites the school’s ability to give students an evidently hard-to-find beverage called “milk,” which has been linked to increased cancer rates and early-onset puberty. Never mind all that. If the school wasn’t in the food policing business, children could be less healthy. Add this responsibility to ones which schools have already assumed, such as sex education and instilling morality, and schools have a fairly full plate. Luckily, they freed up some time when they stopped educating. Students have protested, but not for the right reasons. Instead of claiming their natural right to property, students are incensed at the poor quality of the cafeteria food. Presumably a five-star cafeteria would make the rule just fine with them. Parent Miguel Medina

thinks the policy is a good idea. “The school food is very healthy, and when they bring the food from home, there is no control over the food.” If only the home had some sort of responsible adult, Medina’s concerns could be addressed. There would be an authority figure in place to oversee food purchases, and to monitor what was eaten and how much of it. Unfortunately for Chicago children, it’s impractical to expect the principal to be in each of their homes. A radical home-restructuring plan which would center the home’s authority in a figurehead called a “parent” is evidently too controversial for use in many Chicago homes. According to this plan, the parent would be responsible for his children, instead of waiting for the school to oversee all aspects of their lives. “Oh,” some might moan, “what about those parents who would be irresponsible?” Parents have a right to irresponsibility. It is a logical decision in the face of conflicting requirements. Parents choose less healthful food to afford greater amounts of food. Carmona’s decision has forced parents to buy the school lunch, which is more expensive, which means it is more likely students aren’t getting any food during the day at all. Students protest that, if they could, they would make healthy choices. They give examples of lunches they would bring, lunches filled with fruit and vegetables. These students have failed a civics lesson. The correct answer is, “I would bring 18 Twinkies for lunch, and anyone who doesn’t like that can kiss my freedomloving ass.” At least that used to be the answer, back when we were the land of the free.

550

AppleFCU.org

Sports

Broadside

The number of times that junior swimming and diving athlete Ashley Danner has won the George Mason Student-Athlete of the Month award. This is the most wins for a student-athlete in George Mason University’s history.

Monday, April 18, 2011

NEED for

SPEED Photo Courtesy of King Barua

Senior King Barua skates down hill on his longboard.

Senior longboarders open up about skating culture on campus Pat Carroll Asst. Sports Editor People have always been drawn to the thrills of speed. Whether it is zipping along the interstate in a new sports car or careening on a steel roller coaster, speed is king. The sport of longboarding provides those who crave this speed with a thrill like no other. George Mason University, like many college campuses, is a hot bed for longboarders. It gives students a way of transportation other than walking and biking. Aside from being a means of getting around campus, a couple longboarders take their craft a little more seriously than most. Seniors Kyle Lange and King Barua are those passionate skaters. Lange and Barua’s need for speed began in their freshman years as a means of transportation from class to class. But over time they have taken their hobby to

new heights. “I started longboarding my freshman year as a way to get away from my roommate because he wasn’t fun to hang out with,” said Lange. “He was from the beach and had a skateboard, and he would let me use it. It was a great way for me to get away and it was really relaxing.” Barua, a self-proclaimed ambassador of longboarding, became interested in longboarding when he was introduced to Lange through a mutual friend. “I was a commuter student coming in and needed a faster way to get to my classes,” Barua said. “Then I met Kyle through [a mutual friend] in high school and we started talking and I asked him to teach me how to skate and that’s how it all started.” Longboarding was created in the 1950s on the west coast. Over the past decades the sport has branched out across the country and the world. It was designed by surfers to mimic surﬁng mo-

tions on land. There are many diﬀerent styles of longboarding like free riding, slalom, butt-boarding and dancing to name a few. Though the west coast is the king of longboarding due to its rich history, longboarding on the east coast has become more popular over the past decades, especially in coastal areas and on college campuses. “The west coast is bigger, faster and better in my opinion compared to the east coast, Barua said. “The east coast is a smaller community of riders but it’s making progress.” Both Barua and Lange ride with a group of East Coast riders who travel up and down the east coast, competing in races and skating in diﬀerent styled competitions. Throughout parts of Florida, Georgia, the Carolina mountains, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Canada, the two have taken their love of longboarding to the next level.

“Longboarding is very tempting, very fun [and] spontaneous but being a student, you have to regulate yourself and not go too far.” said Barua. “I would love to pursue a downhill career but it takes a lot of money and especially a sponsorship which I don’t have, so it’s going to have to be a hobby,” “Longboarding is always going to be there and some of the guys we ride with are in their forties and are still kicking it,” said Lange. Since the two started longboarding, they have seen a dramatic change in the way that longboarders perceive other longboarders on campus. “Longboarding used to be a community thing here about two years ago. We used to go out skating at like 11 p.m. and skate to around two in the morning and hang out at East Coast Board Shop and everyone got along,” Barua said. “Now it’s like these three people and these three people skate and if you’re not in our crew,

then screw you. The mentality has changed and the sense of community is just not there anymore.” The two even tried to organize a longboarding club on campus. After it was all said and done, they decided to not go through with the process and instead continue to skate freely. “The thing with a club is that people who like to skate just want to skate,” Lange said. “They don’t want to deal with the organization of the club itself. A lot of kids come from the beaches like Virginia Beach and bring their longboards to campus and the culture as well, so there’s not a need for a formal thing.” “Now, more people are wearing ﬂip ﬂops and Ray-Bans while longboarding and I just don’t want to be involved with that crowd of longboarder,” Barua said.

See BOARDING, page 11

Mason Scoreboard

Photo By Peter Flint

Cam Long is one of two candidates for the NBA dra from the CAA.

Cam Long prepares for NBA draft

April 13: Baseball vs. Navy – W 13-6 April 13: Women’s Lacrosse vs. Virginia – L 14-7 April 15: Men’s Volleyball vs. Princeton – W 3-0 April 15: Baseball @ Hofstra – L 9-5 April 16: Baseball @ Hofstra – L 5-2 April 16: Men’s Volleyball vs. Ohio State – L 3-0

Will the Patriots’ star be on an NBA roster next year? Matt Smith Broadside Correspondent As we near the 2011 NBA draft, America’s focus is on premiere prospects. While Derrick Williams and Kyrie Irving are all over ESPN, lesser-known players are preparing to keep their professional basketball aspirations alive. One such player is George Mason University’s own Cam Long, the 6-4 guard who led the Patriots to a 27-7 record and a tournament berth. Long, recognized as a ﬁrstteam all-CAA selection, will hope to land somewhere in the second round of the draft. Nbadraft.net has Long going 52nd in the draft, joining Jamie Skeen as two legitimate prospects coming out of the CAA.

Now, why would a team want to select Long, when there are power conference players available? The answer is simple: Long is a perfect bench player who would immediately improve the second unit of any NBA squad. Long will likely find his niche in the NBA as both a shooter — he shot 43 percent from 3-point range — and as a superb perimeter defender. If his ability to finish around the basket with both hands translates to the next level, he could turn into a solid offensive player. Add rebounding and the ability to steal the basketball to the equation, and you have a versatile threat. Although NBA scouts will inevitably scrutinize his every

physical talent, there is one thing that can not be questioned: Long’s mental makeup is exactly what you look for in a potential draft pick. He is poised even in pressing situations, but still possesses an intense level of competitiveness. While Long lacks experience against top-flight collegiate teams, he has all the potential to become the next George Hill. Long also brings to mind players such as Gary Neal and Arron Afflalo. Recently, mid-major standouts have made a splash in the NBA, and who’s to say Long isn’t next in line? If the folks in the head offices of NBA franchises realize what the students of Mason already know, then they will not hesitate to select Long.

Game of the Week Softball vs. Drexel Weekend Series: April 22-23 Though they enter this week with a record of 12-20, the women’s softball team has performed particularly well on their home turf. Junior inﬁelder Tori Dudley is hitting a team-best .274 with one homerun and seven RBIs for the Patriots. She will lead the way as Mason welcomes the last-placed Drexel Dragons to Fairfax for a weekend series.

Broadside

Sports

Athletes of the Month

Monday, April 18, 2011 |

Senior Spike Night

Ashley Danner Junior swimming and The two events are her best diving athlete Ashley Danner as she won All-American honhas become quite familiar ors both this season as well as with the George Mason Stulast season. In the 100-yard dent-Athlete of the Month. breaststroke, Danner ﬁnished The March winner has won with a time of 59.23 and in he seven awards in her career, 200-yard breaststroke she had which is the most for any stua time of 2:08.52. Along with dent-athlete at Mason. her personal accolades, Danner Danner ﬁnished third in led the George Mason women’s Photo Courtesy of Gomaon.com the 100-yard breaststroke and swimming and diving team to seventh in the 200-yard breaststroke at the 33rd in the national team rankings. NCAA Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships in Austin, Texas.

Photo By Stephen Kline

Men’s volleyball finishes regular season with win Krista Germanis Broadside Correspondent

Chris Carrington Sophomore track and field athlete time of 1:47.30 in the 800 meters during Chris Carrington had a strong the indoor season, making month, picking up the George him eligible for the NCAA Mason Student-Athlete of the Championships. Month and CAA Player of the Carrington became the Week award. first individual All-AmeriThis is Carrington’s first can since 2007 when Ryan Student-Athlete of the Month McCoy was named an Allaward. American in the triple He finished sixth in the jump. Carrington and the 800 meters at the NCAA InGeorge Mason men’s 4x400 Photo Courtesy of Gomaon.com door Track and Field Champirelay team finished 10th in onships with a time of 1:50.03. He posted the event. the fourth-best time in the nation with a

Students seek out new skating spots in DC BOARDING, from page 10 “No one skates the way that me and Kyle do because they don’t necessarily have the drive and the passion when riding, which is not a problem at all. It’s just not the way we skate.” The change of culture on campus, and the exhaustion of skating spots on campus has caused Lange and Barua to test many dif-

ferent areas throughout the region to skate. From Occoquan to areas in D.C., the two are always in search of a new spot to unleash their speed. “I commute on my board every day but most of my skating is done oﬀ campus now,” said Lange. Both Lange and Barua are resident advisors in the Central Neighborhood in Brunswick and

Dominion respectfully and have been caught up in their duties to skate every day. “If I had my way I would skate every day but I’m a resident advisor so I have that responsibility to serve other people’s needs other than my own,” said Barua. “I love the high you get when you do something you’ve never done before like ‘Oh my god, did I really just go that fast?’ It’s my drug.”

Photo By Stephen Kline

Men’s Volleyball came away with a win in Friday’s match but were unable to hold oﬀ Ohio State on Saturday.

The George Mason men’s volleyball team came away with a 3-1 victory over the Princeton Tigers Friday night at the RAC. Although the Patriots dropped the first set, they came back strong, winning the bestof-five match in four games (2830, 25-16, 25-19, 26-24). With the win, the team improved to 16-9 overall and 8-2 in the Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association. Sophomore Mark Jones led the Patriots with 15 kills, five aces and four block assists. Sophomore Michael Kvidahl and junior Shaun Sibley followed with nine and six kills, respectively. Sophomore setter Javier Perez totaled 36 assists, filling in for Brandon Joyner who filled a vacant spot in the middle for the Patriots. The first set was a closely fought battle with 10 ties and, with the score tied 24-24, the match went into “overtime,” with a see-saw battle to 28-28. Princeton then scored two unanswered points to close out the game 30-28. Mason was not to be denied. The Patriots came out on fire in the second game, jumping to a 12-3 lead behind three

service aces by Jones. The team never looked back, closing the second set with a 25-16 victory. Mason followed with a 25-19 victory in the third set. The players clinched the match with a win in the fourth set, which was a very intense game throughout. Again, the teams battled to a 24-24 tie, but this time it was Mason that came out on top after two Princeton attack errors. “Our team starts with our depth,” junior Joe Norton said. “For [setter] Brandon Joyner to step up and be middle shows that our team is well rounded.” The George Mason men's volleyball team (16-10) gave No. 9 Ohio State a scare, but lost 30 to the Buckeyes Saturday night (23-25, 29-31, 16-25). In the first set, Ohio State jumped to an early lead and led by five points (15-10) midway through the game. But Mason went on a 6-1 run to tie the game, behind the offensive play of Norton and Jones. The Buckeyes scored to break the tie, but the teams went back and forth and were tied again at 23, when Ohio State’s Jason Tobkin scored on a kill and the Patriots lost the

final point and game on an attack error, losing 23-25. In the second set, Mason again fell behind early (10-6), but battled back behind the spiking of Jones to tie the game at 13-13. And, just as in the first set, the two teams were tied at 23. Mason took the lead at 2524 and had three more chances to win the set, but could never pull out the two-point margin to win. Tied at 29, Mason succumbed to the Buckeyes on two attack errors, losing 29-31 in “overtime.” In the third set, Mason fell behind and this time stayed behind, losing 25-16. Jones led the Patriots with 17 kills, three digs and one block assist, while Joyner had 35 assists. Sibley, Eric Lucas and Norton also contributed important points at key moments of the game. Junior Lance Rogers says that he “feels decent going into the playoffs — we’ve done well with the teams going into the playoffs and will probably meet up with Penn State. The last time we played them we had a close game and were missing like, six players and this time we’ll be stronger.”

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| Monday, April 18, 2011

Broadside

COLLEGE NIGHT! Tickets only $15 in advance online!

BEATING ^ THIERRY HENRY Forward – #14

VS D.C. United vs New York Red Bulls CHARLIE DAVIES Forward – #9

Thu. April 21, 8:00pm – RFK Stadium Come out and support the Black-and-Red as D.C. United’s archrivals return to RFK for a nationally-televised battle! Tickets available on gameday for $20 with valid college I.D.