Econ Rap George Mason professor Russ Roberts economics rap has developed a following on YouTube. STYLE • Page 5
Front Royal on Up and Up Construction has begun on George Mason’s Front Royal collaboration with the Smithsonian Institute. NEWS • Page 3
Homecoming 2012 The Patriots’ defeat of Old Dominion brought life to the theme “Where Magic Happens. Check out the photos from Saturday. SPORTS • Page 10
George Mason University’s Student Newspaper Volume 88 Issue 13
February 6, 2012
www.broadsideonline.com
Revolutions Per Mason Hardcore Punk Band Rise Against Electrifies Sold-Out Patriot Center
Mason Forensics Team Places First at Tourney Tournament Featured 17 of top 20 Forensics Programs Nationwide Michael Lagana Broadisde Correspondent
Hardcore Punk Band Rise Against took the Patriot Center by storm Sunday. Rise Against is known for their progressive politics, vegan diet and Straight Edge lifestyle. Their concert sold out and attracted people from outside the Mason Community. Check out more photos on page five.
Mr. Nichols Goes to Washington Mason Professor Tapped to Work on Medicare Panel the other applicants. Of the 73 people taking part in the Advisors program, Nichols is the only economist. “Most people are either physicians or nurses or Len Nichols, director of the Center for Health Policy Research and Ethics of the College of Health people who work in hospitals,” Nichols said. “I’m and Human Services at George Mason University, one of the few who come at it from a cost-first perhas been selected by the federal government to par- spective, but all of us are focused on a three-part aim: achieving better health, ticipate in the Centers for better patient care and lower Medicare and Medicaid Services costs simultaneously.” Innovation Advisors Program. “Right now nobody’s The way the Advisors Pro“The Innovation Advisors shown them the map gram works is that the 73 particProgram is part of a larger effort [in terms of health care ipants are broken down into by the Center for Medicare and groups. Medicaid Innovation to basically reform] and they Each member of the group engender change in the health haven’t seen it, and works on his own individual care delivery system,” said they don’t believe it. I’m projects or plans to improve the Nichols, who was selected alonghealth care system, but also side 72 other applicants from here to show them the keeps in touch with his group around the nation. map.”” members and lets them know There is widespread recoghis progress or any difficulties, nition that America has to spend Nichols said. less on health care, or at least -Len Nichols, George Mason Nichols’ personal project slow the rate of growth costs, University Director of the entails finding a way for physiNichols said. Center for Health Policy and cians to get paid which also alNichols, who is an econolows them to thrive in a world Ethics of the College of mist, says that the best way to rewhere people spend less on duce health care spending is not Health and Human Services health care, while improving paprice or benefit cuts, but rather tient care at the same time. through incentive realignment. “Right now nobody’s shown them the map [in Essentially, there has to be a link connecting the self-interest of clinicians and people who run hos- terms of health care reform] and they haven’t seen pitals to the social interest of reducing cost and im- it, and they don’t believe it,” Nichols said. “I’m here to show them the map.” proving patient care, Nichols said. Nichols believes that innovations need to be The program essentially infuses the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services with outside ideas, tailored to fit local conditions. “America is large and and the overall goal is to make the health care sys- diverse,” Nichols said. “The concept of one-size-fitsall is never going to work here.” tem sustainable and affordable. However Nichols is unique when compared to
Justin Lalputan News Editor
Home of the Brave Baird Walks Line Between Music, Basketball which he calls a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. “We know our place as walk-ons, but just because you know your place doesn’t mean you can’t strive for something more,” Baird said. “I’m always working hard in practice, and you never know when they might need us and might put us in, so you just have to keep on Jordan Baird working hard. Overall it’s just been an awesome experience. With almost 9,800 pairs of The guys are great.” eyes pointed his way, Jordan After landing a record deal Baird, junior music major and last summer Baird released his walk-on for George Mason Unisingle “Grateful.” When basketversity’s basketball team, ball season started, he had to opened the Homecoming game choose between music and baswith the national anthem. ketball. Baird “Choosing first started between music “We know our place as singing beand basketball fore kinderwalk-ons, but just was a decision garten, because you know your I had to take taking after time to make place doesn’t mean you his mother — but it wasn’t and older can’t strive for a hard one. brother. Bassomething more.” Playing college ketball was basketball is a another inonce-in-a-lifeherited tal-Jordan Baird, junior music time opportuent; Baird’s major, basketball team nity,” Baird father and walk-on said. brother both “I got to played. He is be on a Divithe first in sion I team. his family to That’s the kind of thing little play at the college level. kids dream about. I didn’t think After high school, Baird it would ever happen to me. I didn’t immediately follow up on just put my music on pause for a his basketball career after a deal while.” with Shenandoah University fell through. However, he did end up as a walk-on for the Mason team, See BASKETBALL, Page 11
Colleen Wilson Asst. Sports Editor
The George Mason University forensics team placed first at one of the nation’s largest forensics tournaments in Austin, Texas. Bradley University of Peoria, Ill., and the University of Texas at Austin jointly held the tournament, called Hell Froze Over, on Jan. 14–15 in Austin. The name of the tournament refers to the traditional rivalry between the schools that host it each year. According to Peter Pober, director of forensics, the tournament featured 17 of the top 20 forensics programs in the nation, making for an extremely competitive weekend. The competition was two days long, and it featured a number of events, including speeches, performances and monologues. The topics that were covered at HFO encompassed national and global issues ranging from American foreign policy toward Iran to the War on Drugs. Participants were allowed to choose which topic they wanted to present, but they were required to conduct an extensive amount of research before heading to the competition last month. Forensics teams view the HFO tournament as a warm-up for the national competition. This year, Mason’s team had to prepare intensely and arrived on campus one week before leaving. Describing the preparation for the tournament, co-captain Nick Cox, senior health science major, discussed the problem of getting the team in sync following winter break. “One of the biggest challenges that wasn't really unique to our team but was happening [to teams] around the nation was coming back from winter break,” Cox said. “We practiced for a week by ourselves while campus was empty to get our speeches together.” However, Cox and co-captain Michael Scott, junior geography major, also noted that coming back early worked to the advantage of the team. “One of our advantages was that we did show up a week early to start working hard on everything we had. We even showed up in Texas a day early and got a feel for the campus and the rooms we were going to be in,” Scott said. Members of the team representing Mason garnered numerous awards for making it to the final or semi-final rounds of the tournament. Bria Woodyard, freshman environmental and sustainability studies major, made it to the final round and placed second in of one of the more difficult events of the tournament, the CommunicationAnalysis event. Communication-Analysis involves studying a particular communication, such as a protest, and utilizing published methods to deliver an effective analysis of the effects of that particular protest or event. Becoming a finalist in this event is rare for a first-year student. “It was just a lot of me getting help from my teammates,” Woodyard said. “[Communication-Analysis] was one of the tougher events [of the tournament], but I said, ‘Hey, I’m going to do it!’”