See our editor’s picks for the top ten movie moments that will put in the mood for Valentine’s Day.
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George Mason University’s Student Newspaper www.broadsideonline.com
February 7, 2011
Volume 87 Issue 13
Budget forum discusses looming tuition hike
There’s no place like home
Exact increase for financial year 2012 unknown Gregory Connolly News Editor Provost Peter Stearns and Senior Vice President Maurice Scherrens hosted a budget forum Thursday to discuss financial year 2012. One of the topics was tuition for the upcoming year. As it stands right now, a 10.2 percent increase in tuition for in-state students and a 6 percent increase for out-ofstate students would be necessary to remain solvent, though Guilbert Brown, chief budget officer for George Mason University, stressed that this is not a final figure and the administration is actively seeking ways to reduce the increase. “This is not a done deal,” Brown said. “This is up to the Board of Visitors, and we are continuing to work on further review. This is something that Dr. Scherrens emphasized. We are not finished looking for ways to mitigate that increase.” Stearns said he “would love to be able to reduce [the 10.2 percent] figure.” He said this is early in the process to be indentifying a figure and that the administration wants the final figure to be lower. “We know it’s burdensome,” Stearns said. “We’re trying to do a lot of things to make sure it won’t be worse than that.” Mason Press Secretary Dan Walsch said forums like Thursday’s are a great way to inform members of the Mason community of the budget.
“It’s a good opportunity to keep people in the loop as to where things are, what the university is thinking and what options we have,” Walsch said. Stearns said it’s important to be open about the budget situation and that transparency creates a “decent mood.” “The news isn’t great, but I think people appreciate being told what the situation is so they don’t have to speculate,” Stearns said. “I hope and believe that we’re quite candid about things, and I think the atmosphere is good.” The budget is in a state of flux as support for the university’s general fund has decreased from 40 percent in 2008 to 25 percent currently. “The 25 percent figure is the projected general fund support for the education and general budget in financial year 2012,” Brown said. “This budget covers most of the core instructional support activities. It does not include research or auxillary services like housing, dining and parking and it does not include capital outlay.” The general fund, known as the education and general budget, is $390 million for financial year 2011. In financial year 2012, the figure is going to be approximately the same, Brown said. “We’re not looking at a significant increase in the budget, we’re just looking at a shift in how it’s paid for,” Brown said.
See FORUM, Page 2
Ryan Pearson celebrates a er a hard fought victory over Old Dominion University.
Mason rallies behind sell-out crowd to dethrone Old Dominion at the Patriot Center Cody Norman Sports Editor Nearly 10,000 students and fans packed the Patriot Center on Saturday afternoon to watch George Mason collide with another top CAA conference opponent, the Old Dominion Monarchs, and continue their run toward an NCAA tournament berth.
The 2011 Wizard of Oz themed homecoming was fitting for the physical match-up because, for the Patriots, there really is no place like home. Mason has yet to lose this season when playing in front of their home crowd and improved their unbeaten mark to 12-0 with a convincing 62-45 victory over the Monarchs. From the opening tip, the
sell-out crowd of 9,840 rocked the arena and cheered Jim Larranaga’s team to victory. On Old Dominion’s first possession of the afternoon, guard Ben Finney launched a three-point attempt that fell short of the rim, provoking chants of “Air ball, air ball” that echoed throughout the Patriot Center. That same energy ran
through the Patriots during the first half as they managed just four points in the first ten minutes of play. Mason’s first eight possessions of the game saw the Patriots miss five consecutive shots and commit three turnovers. But their strong defensive effort kept the game close.
See BASKETBALL, Page 9
Psychology professor wins state award Award is highest honor for faculty at state universities Gregory Connolly News Editor George Mason University psychology professor Eden King will receive the 2011 Virginia Outstanding Faculty Award. The award is the highest honor for faculty at Virginia colleges and universities. “I don’t feel like this award belongs to me,” King said. “I feel like it belongs to my students and my colleagues and my mentor from grad school. I wouldn’t be anywhere without them.” King said she feels indebted to colleagues in her program, Industrial and Organizational Psychology, at Mason. “I probably wouldn’t even have a job if it weren’t for all these people,” King said. King came to Mason after earning her doctorate from Rice University in 2006. “[Mason] is a really interesting place to be,” King said. “I was very excited by the offer. It was definitely an exciting job opportunity for me because of first and foremost the program here at Mason is really well respected.” King said she was pleased to discover the diversity in the undergraduate population. “Mason is a place where it’s still figuring out what it’s going to be,” King said. “Rather than being at a place where all the traditions are already set.” King said she specializes in
industrial organization psychology and is interested in understanding people in the context of the workplace. “I think the stuff that’s most interesting to people is where I’ve looked to see how people who have stigmas are treated when they apply for jobs,” King said. King said she has asked experimenters to go out and apply for jobs. In some cases, the applicants were made to wear something that makes them look like a stigmatized person. “In one study, we had women apply for jobs and they either wore traditional American clothes or wore a hijab and an abaya to appear to be a Muslim. We were interested in seeing how they were treated.” King said the Muslim women Eden King were treated negatively. “I’ve always felt compelled by social justice concerns,” King said. “I hadn’t given it a lot of thought until I was asked to apply for this award. They asked me to reflect on my chosen discipline, and what I figured out in that reflection is that I learned from my parents very early on that being different from everybody else doesn’t mean you’re less than anybody else.” King said her father has a physicall disability which helped
See AWARD, Page 2
photo by Peter Flint
How to stay safe during winter storms Antonieta Rico Crime Beat Reporter After the last winter storm some streets in the George Mason University area looked like scenes out of a zombie movie. Deserted cars littered the roads. People walked about in the snow, looking lost. Some women were even spotted wearing high heels. What would happen if disaster hit again? What would you do if Mason let out classes, and you encountered the traffic
from all the area’s federal workers heading home, and a perfect storm of rain, sleet and snow once again hit? Could you survive a snowpocalypse? To make sure you are one of the last ones standing, here are some tips from the experts on how to survive worst-case winter storm scenarios. How to survive being stuck in traffic for 12 hours during a snow storm “The worst scenario is
not being prepared for it,” said George F. Brown, the National Incident Management System exercise and training officer for the City of Fairfax. He said the key is to maintain “situational awareness.” He recommends students stay updated on weather conditions and know when a storm is predicted. Inside your car you should have a winter kit, he said. According to Kristin Nevels, a spokesperson for AAA Mid-Atlantic, the following items should be in your car winter kit: • Shovel • Ice scraper • Bag of kitty litter • Battery booster cables • Reflectors or flares • A blanket • Water and snacks • Cell phone with charger “Being prepared physically and mentally helps you deal with a situation like that,” Nevels said. “If you are stuck or stranded in your car it is probably best to stay in the car. It’s easier to find a car than a person, and trying to walk in the roadway is very
hazardous,” said Andrew Wilson, fire marshal for the City of Fairfax, in an e-mail. “If you have gas, then run the engine for a while every so often to conserve fuel and stay warm. Ensure that snow does not build up and block the exhaust,” Wilson said. Brown added that people should leave one of the car windows slightly open. One of the most important things to do is make sure your car has gas, said Brown. “In the wintertime, never let it go below half a tank,” he said. Although not recommended, Brown said if you must abandon your car, make sure you leave a note. “Write your contact information down and put it in the dashboard so when they start moving the car someone might be able to call you,” Brown said. Brown suggests people have their car ready for the winter conditions. For a checklist, go to www.bt.cdc.gov/disasters/wi nter/beforestorm/preparecar.asp.
See WINTER, Page 2