<<Freshman Forward Strikes Again
Creating Awareness
Liz Hodges and her finishing moves breathe life into Patriots SPORTS • Page 11
The Wizarding World Returns The new, interactive website Pottermore will attempt to satisfy fans thirsty for more Harry Potter STYLE • Page 6
Month-long activites planned to educate community on HIV/AIDS NEWS • Page 3
George Mason University’s Student Newspaper www.broadsideonline.com
October 17, 2011
Volume 88 Issue 6
MASON MADNESS
Men’s and Women’s Basketball Start Season With A Bang
Photo by Gopi Raghu
Members of George Mason’s men’s and women’s basketball teams gather after introductions at Friday’s Mason Madness. The men’s basketball team is hosting an exhibition game Oct. 31 vs. Lycoming. The women’s season starts Nov. 11 with a home game against American University. See SPORTS for more photos.
2010 Crime Statistics Released Campus Alcohol and Drug Referrals on the Rise Antonieta Rico Staff Writer Alcohol and drug referrals at George Mason University jumped in 2010, according to the latest Annual Security Report released by university officials Oct. 1. Report statistics show 511 liquor laws referrals from the Fairfax campus and student residences combined, compared to 291 in 2009. Drug referrals for the combined Fairfax campus and student residences increased this year to 123 from 65. Actual arrests for alcohol offenses dropped on the Fairfax campus, while drug arrests rose slightly from 2009. Referrals for drug and alcohol violations are made to the university’s Office of Judicial
Affairs and are handled through the university judicial system. They are not considered criminal or civil proceedings, according to the Judicial Affairs website. Part of the increase in referrals can be attributed to two incidents last fall, one of which was a police raid on an off-campus house, said Lt. Kevin P. Barrett, Mason University Police coordinator for the ASR. On Sept. 3, 2010, a joint operation by the Virginia Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control and Mason police yielded almost 30 referrals. That same weekend, Mason police made another 12 referrals at a separate off-campus house party. Additional referrals made by the Office of Housing and Residence Life also contributed
to the increase, Barrett said. “The two reasons why, in my opinion, the numbers for referrals were higher [this year] are because more referrals were made by housing and we had a couple of incidents that occurred off campus, but were referred to Judicial Affairs,” Barrett said. The ASR also showed an increase in burglaries on both the Fairfax campus and student residencies from eight in 2009 to 34 in 2010. The jump can be attributed to stricter reporting procedures, which would have previously classified some crimes as larcenies but now qualify as burglaries for the latest ASR report, Barrett said. Most of the crimes that occur on Mason are property crimes, which do not fit the cri-
teria for reporting on the ASR, said Maj. George Ginovsky, assistant chief of police at Mason. “The overwhelming type of property crime is simple theft,” Ginovsky said. Most of those crimes are thefts of laptops and textbooks left unattended on campus. To read the complete 2011 Annual Security Report, including crime reports for the Arlington, Prince William and Loudoun campuses, in addition to other university properties, log on to the University Police website at gmu.edu/depts/police/annualsecurity.htm. You can also stop by the police headquarters on University Drive on the Fairfax campus for a hard copy.
Wanda Sykes Performs at Mason Comedian a Hit at Mason Family Weekend Comedy Show Tina Corinteli Broadside Correspondent It was 30 minutes till start time, and floods of people were rushing in through the doors of the Patriot Center on Saturday night. The majority of the audience was students, guiding eager family members to their assigned seats. As the clock approached eight, the chaos that once ensued near the concessions dwindled to several people still rushing to snag a bag of popcorn or, in one case, figuring out which stall of the bathroom someone’s grandmother got stuck in, and helping her out before the show started. The lights grew darker, the audience became quiet and the opening act emerged from the back of the stage. “Tonight, you’re going to
hear stuff you have never heard before,” warned Keith Robinson, the opening act for the Family Weekend Comedy Show. “Come on now. It’s college.” The cautionary statement, directed primarily at the younger audience members, rang true throughout the entire two-hour show. Both Keith Robinson and Wanda Sykes touched on topics that probably wouldn’t be considered appropriate at the dinner table. Robinson, a self proclaimed “situational racist,” was very engaging with the audience, often calling upon guests sitting in the front. Age was a recurring theme in his jokes, so the combination of students and parents present proved to be the perfect audience to refer to and use in building up to his punch lines.
See SYKES, Page 4
Photo by Jake McLernon
Comedian Wanda Sykes performed at the Patriot Center Saturday night. Comedian Keith Robinson opened for Sykes.
Teach For America Employs Students Nationwide Effort to Better Education in Low-Income Areas ‘See Spot Run,’” Brown said. “Even though the goal is huge, the goal by sending a member Teach For America is a na- [of Teach For America] is to get tional, educational non-profit them on the level. It’s completely organization that allows univer- possible.” Teachers from TFA also sity graduates to spend two years in schools in low-income com- have an impact on high school munities to help improve stu- students. Even though a student dent graduation rates and may graduate from a high school narrow the achievement gap. It is in a low-income area, they may not be readthe brainchild ing or doing of Wendy “The retention rate of math at an apKopp, the curpropriate teachers is greater rent CEO, who level, which proposed the than that of someone may cause isidea for her majoring in sues when it undergraduate education.” comes time to thesis while at tackle the colPrinceton Unilege workversity. -Joey Brown, Mason l o a d . “Teach for Coordinator for Teach For Members of America sends America TFA work to enthusiastic, make sure qualified stuthat high dents with a school gradubachelor’s degree to try and help [students in ates are reading and doing math low income areas],” said Joey at a level that will make them Brown, Mason coordinator for competitive, viable college stuTFA. Members of TFA receive dents. Statistically speaking, memtheir teaching license upon combers of TFA have a noticeable impletion of their two years. There are 43 regions in pact on the education system. areas, such as New York City and “More often than not, the sucLos Angeles, and applicants ac- cess rate is great,” Brown said. cepted into a program are al- “And the retention rate of teachlowed to specify where they ers [who teach past the required would be most interested in two years] is greater than that of someone majoring in educateaching. The program has no major tion.” Once someone begins requirements and all majors are teaching, they are technically accepted. Applicants should bear employed by a school, and act as one thing in mind, however. “Your major is most likely if they are a regular, brand new not whatever you’re going to be teacher. Their TFA status is not teaching,” Brown said, “but be- disclosed to other teachers. cause they’re enthusiastic, they However the member is allowed know they’re making a differ- to disclose that information should he so choose. ence.” Students can join Teach For According to Brown, teachers can have a gigantic impact on America if they have a 2.5 GPA students in low-income commu- and complete a five-step applicanities. For example, a fifth grade tion process. The next applicaclass in such an area might only tion deadline is Oct. 26. be reading at a first-grade level. Interested students can contact “Instead of reading things like Teach For America for more in‘Harry Potter,’ they’re reading formation.
Justin Lalputan News Editor