Broadside

Broadside GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY’S STUDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1963

April 8, 2013

Volume 89 Issue 20

Mason shows its pride (STEPHEN KLINE/BROADSIDE)

Pride Week’s annual drag show featured professional and student drag queens and kings performing in one of the most popular events of the year Page 10-11 News

Lifestyle

Opinion

Sports

Study by Center for Regional analysis finds shifting change in federal workforce

International student describes experiences applying to schools across the globe

A case for why everyone should experience sports fandom

The trap and skeet team brings back a national championship from San Antonio

Page 4

Page 14

Page 16

Page 19

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April 8, 2013

Mason in the News “Our federalism brief merely claims that Congress lacks the constitutional authority to enact DOMA[Defense of Marriage Act] because the law exceeds the scope of Congress’ enumerated powers. That conclusion is perfectly consistent with the view that state laws banning gay marriage violate individual rights protected by the 14th Amendment.”

- Ilya Somin, law professor said to ABA Journal about the legal repercussions of retracting DOMA on the basis of violating state’s rights.

“Lord, watch over us and let Kevin be OK during this tough time. The Lord does everything for a reason, and He will get us through this.”

- Luke Hancock, former Mason basketball player now at the University of Louisville, to teammate Kevin Ware when Ware suffered an injury that shattered his right leg. According to USA Today, Hancock took Ware’s hand and started the prayer to show him that he was not alone.

“The cutbacks are still real, they’ll be identifiable. But I don’t think they’ll be as noticeable to John Doe Citizen. They’ll be spread out and more likely absorbed within the expanding economy.”

- Stephen Fuller, director of the Center for Regional Analysis, said to CBSNews.com about the the sequester cuts. He notes that the effects won’t be as noticeable this year, but will have an impact in the future.

News

Broadside

Letter from the Editor-in-Chief As I look back on the last three years and towards my last two semesters, I’m discouraged. College is a great experience with many benefits, but I have found myself discontent with the structure of education.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying I haven’t enjoyed or found benefit in my time at Mason. I have learned a lot and grown substantially in my three years at college, but I don’t believe that I have had a practical education.

The problem is the system. The workforce requires anyone wishing to make more than minimum wage to have at least a bachelors degree, four full years of schooling, before anyone considers paying you more than minimum wage.

There is a clear distinction between myself and some of my peers, though. As a humanities major, I am not studying a skill set. My classes are largely theory based and I am not sure that I am any better prepared to enter the workforce than I was three years ago.

Sure, I am much more well versed in the names of communication theory, have a basic knowledge of astronomy and will soon be able to read classic literature in Latin, but are those skills worth the tens of thousands of dollars I’ve invested?

Advanced study in subjects like the humanities are important, but I find it sad to see my classes full of students who chose a communication degree just to struggle through their four years earn and that piece of paper they are

required to have for success.

If I could redesign higher education, I would redefine what it meant to go to college. Not every subject matter should necessitate four years of school, general education should be completely reworked and work-study programs would more fully prepare students for the real world.

It is a touchy subject to rate how difficult one major is over another, but I struggle with the idea that I need just as much time to earn a bachelor’s degree in communication as someone studying biology.

The four year standard for all degrees simply doesn’t make sense. In my degree program, I would have been much better suited with an internship program that injected me into the workforce to learn on the fly.

In a perfect model, I would have loved to alternate my semesters between studying and internships, like a trade school. Having a deeper understanding of a topic, something that is sometimes best learned in the classroom is important, but there is no textbook that can truly prepare you for your first real job.

My primary goal in seeking out a college degree is to earn that well-paid dream job, and sometimes I feel like higher education is out of touch with that idea. I understand and agree with the concept of being a well-rounded student and employee and agree that general education classes are important.

But after sitting through astronomy, quantitative reasoning and American history, I can tell you that those are not skills that will ever be

relevant in my career or life. Here’s my solution: instead of quantitative reasoning, why not a class on how to balance a checkbook, negotiate a fair mortgage rate and file my taxes?

How about instead of teaching theories and specifics that do nothing to lend to a skill set, we teach practical application life skills that will foster a successful and independent adult life.

Everyone deserves the chance and opportunity to continue their education, but no one should be forced to. Attending college should be about a desire, not a demand.

For an in-class writing prompt a few weeks ago, I likened college to a spin class. At first I was motivated and excited for the challenge I knew I was about to face. I started off strong and easily kept up with the pace, but the energy wore off quickly. The hills got steeper and the pace picked up, alternating between slow and agonizing climbs and quick sprints. Now, as my junior year winds down I’m feeling fatigued.

In spin class, pushing through the last agonizing 15 minutes makes the end even more rewarding, because you know you have truly done something beneficial for yourself. I’m afraid my spin class and college metaphor ends there.

Colleen Wilson

Editor-in-Chief

Number Week of the

34.1%

The increase in total number of salaries paid to the federal workplace between 1998 and 2011. Read more about the study done by graduate students at the Center for Regional Analysis on page 4.

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News Photo of the week: Free hugs

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April 8, 2013

3

News&Notes Finest Four

Mason has achieved Finest Four status in Enviance IT’s competition for the most sustainable university in the nation. The national champion, announced April 9, will win a $5,000 grant and a trip for a faculty member to the Enviance user Conference in San Diego, Ca.

Women’s history month celebrated Alumna Danielle Blunt created the Girls Inspired and Ready to Lead Inc. organization to hold an empowerment conference. The conference took place at Mason in March and hosted more than 50 girls in middle and high school.

‘Lying About The Past’ course gets attention

(MICHAEL CASHELL/BROADSIDE)

MONDAY

THURSDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

April 8, 2013

April 11, 2013

April 11, 2013

April 12, 2013

Double Doah: Amazing Race

Cabrera lecture, “Being Global”

“Click, Clack, Moo”

Refugee Film Fundraiser

The Office of Housing and Residence Life will host an Amazing Race-style game. The event is part of International Week. At the event, students can receive a passport for a chance to win a study abroad scholarship.

North Plaza, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m, free of cost.

Theatreworks in Prince William County will present the musical “Click, Clack, Moo.” The onePresident Angel Cabrera will hold hour musical is a comedy based a lecture titled “Being Global.” on a children’s book by Doreen The lecture is hosted by the Cronin and Betsy Lewin.The center for Global Studies as part show is about a farmer whose of the Globalization Dialogues. animals have discovered the Provost Peter Stearns will give use of computers, but he does the introductory remarks. His not like the technology and lecture wil feature stories from takes it away. The show is rechis recent book “Being Global: ommended for kindergardeners How to Think, Act and Lead in a through fourth graders. Hylton Transformed World.”

Performing Arts Center at the Meese Conference Room, Prince William Campus, 10:30 Mason Hall, 3 p.m. to 4:30 a.m. and 12:20 p.m.

The Working Group for Displaced Populations will be showing Nickle Cuty Smiler on Friday, April 12 at 3 p.m. at the BlueRidge Classroom. The film is a documentary about a Burmese family fighting to survive as refugees. For every Nickle City Smiler DVD that is sold, $6 will be donated to a refugee resettlement center.

Blueridge Classroom, 3 p.m.

The higher education community has been giving Mason’s ‘Lying About the Past’ history course some attention. The course’s main project is to create an elaborate hoax of a historical event and place it on the internet. The Chronicle of Higher Education notes that the course has only been taught twice and was created by associate professor of history T. Mills Kelly.

Senior circuit court judge to join law school Judge Douglas Ginsberg of the United State Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit will be joining the law school this summer. According to JD Journal, starting July, Mason will have two antitrust scholars as faculty.

Krasnow Institute to work on BRAIN The Krasnow Institute for Advanced Study will be partnering with the White House’s Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Nanotechnologies (BRAIN) Initiative.

The initiative will navigate the inner workings of the brain using a magnetic resonance imager.

April 1 Corrections The photo credit for “Mason Players produce play written by alumnus” incorrectly attributed Clayton Austin as the author.

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News

April 8, 2013

Broadside

Mason study shows federal workplace decreasing

Characteristics, including number of women in the workplace, also changing As a major employer of residents of the Metropolitan Washington Area, the federal workplace is often seen as a defining characteristic of this area. This federal workplace, however, is changing. Joanna BiernackaLievestro, a graduate student research assistant at the Center for Regional Analysis, has found that the federal workplace is decreasing after 12 years of gains.

“I think this particular topic is pretty relevant to the current economy in the region,” Biernacka-Lievestro said. “I thought it would be interesting to see how the federal workplace is changing, along with the characteristics of this federal workplace.”

Lower government service (GS) grade-level jobs decreased, while higher level managerial positions increased. The federal workplace also faces an age problem.

“What we have learned from the area is that one of the research findings is that the workforce is aging,” Biernacka-Lievestro said. “We have the issue of aging in the federal workplace, and what is going to happen when these people retire.”

Biernacka-Lievestro has also found other characteristics changing within the federal workforce. Between 1998 to 2011, the total

number of salaries paid to the federal workplace increased by 34.1 percent. According to the research, the proportion of females in higher level positions has passed that of males.

“Females are moving up, especially in the pay level,” Biernacka-Lievestro said. “They are getting managerial positions and making more money than they did in the past.”

Director of the Center for Regional Analysis Stephen Fuller notes that for young adults looking for employment, the federal workforce may present opportunity.

“It is an excellent time to enter the federal workforce as all agencies are experiencing increasing retirements of older workers leaving a wide range of opportunity available for new workers. The salary structure is comparable to the private sector and younger workers often find themselves in positions of responsibility far greater for their age and years of experience than they would in the private sector.”

The research shows that within the Washington DC Metropolitan area, the years 1998 to 2011 saw the average age grouping move from ages 45-49 to ages 50-54.

“I suppose it could mean opportunity. The large volume of retiring federal workforce can trigger the process of promotions within the federal government, opening the lower-level

Modal range of age Number of workers with in the federal workforce 5 years experience

55 54 53 52 51 50 49 48 47 46 45 44

2011 increase

of 125.2%

1998

positions to be filled by young people,” Biernacka-Lievestro said.

The federal workplace often adds jobs when the economy is bad and decreases in jobs when the situation is recovered, following a

When you live in D.C., people often assume that you work for the federal government. But, in fact, the federal workplace is decreasing, and more people are working for the private sector.

Joanna Biernacka-Lievestro

cycle.

“The biggest factor is the reduction in federal spending that was mandated in the Budget Control Act of 2011, but it is also the normal cycle- government tends to add jobs when the

Over the past two years

2000 jobs have been cut due to federal budget cutbacks

Number of workers with 35 years experience

2011 increase

of 112.3%

Total federal workforce salaries

34%

1998 1998

2011

1998-2011 ( GRAPHIC BY STEPHEN KLINE/BROADSIDE)

economy is bad or there is a war. Well, we have had both of those over the past ten years,” Fuller said.

According to Fuller, 22,000 federal jobs will be lost over the next five years, which adds up to 31,000 jobs of our peak.

“But we added 40,000 jobs over the last decade. So, it isn’t like the federal jobs are disappearing- they are just evening out, which they tend to do,” Fuller said.

Not only is the federal workplace aging, but more people than before are now working in private sector jobs as opposed to the federal workplace. The research suggests that the private sector is growing, although Biernacka-Lievestro cannot be certain, as the data concerning where people begin working after leaving the federal workplace cannot be tracked.

“When you live in D.C., people often assume that you work for the federal government,” Biernacka-Lievestro said. “But, in fact, the federal workplace is decreasing, and more people are working for the private sector.”

Within the federal workplace, BiernackaLievestro says that people who have worked in the federal workplace for less than five years are being hired, with the researching showing that these workers with less than 5 years of experience increased by 125.2 percent between 1998-2011. Because the workplace is aging and the number of older workers has increased, Biernacka-Livestro believes that these new hires are older than 55.

According to Fuller, federal government workers who retired tend to have higher incomes than newer workers. This led the federal payroll to decrease for the first time since 1996. This trend is also mimicked in the private sector.

“One can imagine there will be an decrease in demands for Audis and Mercedes and an increase in demand for lower priced cars or smaller apartments or houses or more renting units than owner units,” Fuller said.

JANELLE GERMANOS STAFF WRITER

To read to full study, scan the QR code

News

Broadside

April 8, 2013

Avoiding registration woes Tweets Week

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of the

#GMUProblems: Registration

Social media provides students a way to share their thoughts, feelings and opinions with the Mason community.

The twitter handle and hashtag GMU problems has a pulse on the students and the problem they face on campus each day. Broadside is looking into whether each problem is one specific to Mason and whether any solutions are available.

What’s the problem?

Between navigating PatriotWeb, understanding complex major requirements and managing account holds, registering for classes can be a stressful experience.

In addition, the mad dash to find the perfect harmony of class times and desired professors can quickly become a headache.

The most effective way of avoiding registration woes is to think ahead and be prepared.

Anderson notes that it is just a matter of taking some time.

“If you’re waiting until nine o’clock on Tuesday to search through the schedule and figure out what class you’re going to take, what time of day you’re going to take the course, which instructor you want; if you’re trying to find those kinds of things at the moment your time ticket comes, then you’re going to have difficulties, “ said Dawn Anderson, Associate Registrar of Operations and Registration. “Preparation is key.”

Check for holds Holds are listed under the Student Record link in PatriotWeb. Oftentimes, holds are the last resort in an attempt to communicate with the student about a problem with the student’s record.

There are a variety of reasons why a student account may have a hold, including financial obligations, non-academic or academic suspension and admissions discrepancies.

If a hold is present on an account,

PatriotWeb will often list the reason for the hold a number to call in order to get rid of the hold.

Being proactive The schedule of classes is posted on PatriotWeb at least a month before registration starts. Students have time to find the information about classes and research professors, times and class sizes that would best suit their needs.

Some external resources such as schedulizer.com provide students an easy way to choose the class and fit their classes together.

Scheduling conflict Some classes necessary for graduation are only available during specific time slots or semester blocks.

Poor planning can lead to delayed gradution if necessary classes are not available during specific time slots or if they are only offered every other semester.

Seeing an advisor each semester can avoid this problem from occurring in the first place.

In case the problem does arise, an advisor may be able to arrange an opportunity to accommodate for the problem.

Degree Evaluation Anderson suggests running a degree evaluation each semester before registration.

In PatriotWeb, the Degree Evaluations link is available under

the Student Records link.

From there, click on What-If Analysis, and it will sort the classes registered for into the requirements for the major, concentration and minor selected.

The Degree Evaluation program updates real time. So, Anderson suggests running the degree evaluation after registering for classes and looking at what those classes do or do not fulfill.

Meet with advisor Having a face-to-face discussion is vital in figuring when to take the classes required for a major.

Anderson suggests for students to meet with an advisor each semester before registration opens.

“I think the most difficulty that students have is that they are not speaking to someone else,” Anderson said. “They are doing it on their own.

And when you do it on your own you can have issues.”

The schedule of classes is posted at least a month before registration begins. So that time frame would be the best time to see an advisor to help scheduling classes.

The advisor will also notify students of classes that are or are not available during each semester.

“Using the tools that are available to you is really the best way to succeed here,” Anderson said.

NIKI PAPADOGIANNAKIS NEWS EDITOR

#YOUR TWEET HERE

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

6

April 8, 2013

News

Broadside

Free speech zone attracts students with a cause

(JENNY KRASHIN/BROADSIDE)

(Above left) Inspired by the series “The Hitchhikers’ Guide to the Galaxy”, Jessica Kane is in a Facebook competition to become the next Towel Day Ambassador. Fans of the series created Towel Day, celebrated on May 25, to honor the legacy of author Douglas Williams after he passed away.

(Above, Above Right) This past Thursday, Mason Students for Liberty set up a free-speech wall on North Plaza without official authorization from university officials. Mason Students for Liberty is an independent, libertarian-oriented group that focuses on campus activism related primarily to civil liberty issues.

(Left) During Pride Week, students from Campus Crusade for Christ (CRU ) stood in North Plaza with signs apologizing for Christain treatment of the LGBTQ community.

Broadside

TEDx

News

April 8, 2013

The second annual Mason TEDx talks, an independent offshoot of TED talks, quickly sold out.

Artists, scientists, researchers and other professionals from the Mason community shared their take on TED’s motto “ideas worth spreading”. The event was held on Saturday, April 6 in the de Laski Arts Building. President Angel Cabrera was in attendance, as well as Provost Peter Stearns who gave opening remarks.

Crococillin, the new penicillin “We are each other’s angels” Dr. Monique Van Hoek,

Associate Professor of the National Center Biodefense and Infectious Diseases and the School of Systems Biology Monique van Hoek used stuffed animals at her TEDx Talk to show the different species that have antimicrobial material.

She emphasized the need to be creative in finding a solution to such a problem and suggested looking in the natural world for a solution. One solution may be found in animals such as komodo dragons,Chinese king cobra, alligators and crocodiles.

Hoek likens using crocodile blood to create the newest antibiotics, which she hopes to name crococillin, to the creation of penicillin. Hoek is a microbiologist who teaches at the Prince William Campus in Manassas, Va and is a researcher at the National Center for Biodefense and Infectious Diseases.

She spoke about the importance and history of antibiotics, and said that if a new form of antibiotics is not found or created, the world will enter a second Dark Ages of antibiotic resistance, in which more people will die from minor cuts that become infected.

7

Mathematics is like music

Heather McDonald,

Dr. Michael Randy Gabel,

Professor of Theater and Head of Playwriting and Dramaturgy Concentration

Associate Professor of Mathematics and Integrative Studies in the New Century College

Heather McDonald spoke about Charles Darwin, who she noted spent only a small portion of “The Descent of Man” talking about competitiveness and his idea of survival of the fittest. She said that he wrote about love and that the way to survive with each other is to celebrate one another for having the most empathy.

McDonald, describes herself as a playwright, teacher, director and mother, but she said that her plays have a universal tongue. In McDonald’s most recent play, “STAY”, there is a line, “maybe, just maybe, we are each other’s angels,” echoing Charles Darwin’s idea of empathy.

Drawing from other TEDx Talks and other colleagues, McDonald notes that in the global world, if each person was introduced to one another, the sense of other would erode, and it would be harder to point a gun at another person or rape someone’s child.

Dr. Michael Randy Gabel used humor to discussing the nature of mathematics and how kids are not taught about theorems or conjecture, but are hindered by a teacher’s curriculum and state mandated multiple choice tests.

Gabel also used pop culture references, reminding the audience how the scarecrow from the “Wizard of Oz” stated the pythagorean theorem, though it was incorrect. Gabel, associate professor of mathematics and integrative studies in the New Century College, argued that mathematics can be as creative as music, if students are allowed to be creative.

He goes through the steps of creating a theorem and likens them to creating a song.

Gabel notes that the importance and ability of mathematics can only be reached through creativity.

Its potential extends to creating a theorem that a physicist can use to create a theory that an engineer can use to create something world changing.

Broadside wants you.

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

Email cover letters and resumes to

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8

News

April 8, 2013

Broadside

F R E E

M O V I E

S C R E E N I N G

Cohen Media Group and OSI Films invite you and a guest to an advance screening of Blancanieves at the Johnson Center Cinema:

Thursday, April 11th @ 8:00 PM

Free for you and a guest with your current GMU ID.

“This Film is a Wonderment!

A Visually Stunning film.”

Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

“This Film is a Wonderment!

A Visually Stunning film.”

Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

“A Winner! Delightful, Sweet and Poetic.”

The performances are excellent!”

Dennis Harvey, Variety

“The Best Spanish Film of the Year!”

“This Film is a Wonderment!

A Visually Stunning film.”

Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

“Stylish and Sublime!”

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“The Best Spanish Film of the Year!”

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“The Absolutely Most Original Film of the Year!”

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Advance your academic progress Steve Dollar, The Wall Street Journal without giving up your summer.

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“The Best Spanish Film

Coastal Carolina University offers four flexible of the Year!”

Pedro Almodovar graduate sessions for an array of undergraduate, COHEN MEDIA GROUP and study abroad courses for both enrolled presents 1col (1.8”) x 5.25” = 5.25” and visiting students. The University’s close proximity to the Myrtle Beach resort area allows for serious study without giving up opportunities for summer jobs and summer fun.

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Broadside

A Dunne deal As his face greets the brisk morning air, Charles Dunne wheels out his 4-speed mountain bicycle.

Dressed in dark navy slacks, black dress shoes and a thick jacket, Charles straps a plastic helmet atop his head. He takes a deep breath and prolongs his exhale.

Then he’s off.

Cycling four miles up and down the moderate hills of Fairfax, Dunne coasts onto Mason’s campus. Parking his bike outside Southside, Dunne is now ready to ride the day as Mason Dining’s customer service representative.

The line for Southside is backed up three feet to the elevator for lunch at noon. The slow, mundane shuffling of anxious feet harmonizes with the chatter of students engaged in various conversation.

James K. Conant, a professor of Public and International Affairs, heads straight to the salad bar after entering the campus’ all-youcan-eat dining hall.

He crafts a salad of mixed greens, small vegetables and ranch dressing.

Next, he ladles noodle soup into a dull green ceramic bowl and retires to a booth near the back of the hall. Upon sitting, Conant realizes he forgot silverware. He finds a fork for his salad and a spoon for his soup.

Conant returns to his seat, ready to enjoy his lunch. As he attempts to eat his soup, he notices not much soup can fit in the spoon, and eating it suddenly becomes tedious.

That’s when Conant approached Dunne.

“It’s very hard to eat soup with a tablespoon and not a soup spoon,” Conant said. “So Charles went to bat for me.”

Dunne immediately abandoned his post at the cash register and began circling the hall in search of soup spoons at every station.

No soup spoons by PastAmore.

LifestyLe

April 8, 2013

9

Customer service representative Charles Dunne takes extra iniative to serve patrons at Southside

No soup spoons by Changing Colors.

No soup spoons by Wrapped Up. Charles was puzzled by the sudden disappearance and was compelled to approach Southside Manager Mark Arnold about the issue.

“It took a while to make it all happen, but the soup spoons reappeared,” Conant said. “It makes me feel better every time I come here because I know somebody is looking out for the customer.”

Dunne has maintained friendly connections with faculty, staff, and students during his six years at Mason because of his willingness to help.

As the customer service representative, he is the link between the customers and Sodexo, the company that runs Mason Dining. Many students know Charles by first name, and he makes a conscious effort to reciprocate the gesture because of a lesson he learned while taking courses at Dale Carnegie, a company that helps further develop communication and leadership skills.

Before Dunne and his wife immigrated to the U.S. from Ireland in 1967, he worked in England. Throughout the two years he worked there, he was known as Pat. In England, it’s common for Irishmen to be generalized as Pat because Patrick is a common Irish name. Dunne, however, found it insensitive. Then, on the first night of classes at Dale Carnegie, Dunne’s instructor said something that changed him forever.

“The most important thing you have is your name,” the instructor said.

Dunne couldn’t get over that idea. He recalls his dislike for being called Pat and has since been dutiful in remembering people’s names. On a daily basis, Dunne interacts with 800-1,000 people in Southside during his shift

(MAURICE C. JONES/BROADSIDE)

Charles Dunne, the customer service representative at Southside, has worked at Mason for six years.

from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Dunne says his six years at Mason have been a delight, mostly because of the students.

He meets students fresh out of high school and watches them grow into mature, intelligent young adults. Dunne’s adoration for Mason and his job is just one reason why Arnold calls Dunne a wonderful man.

According to Arnold, Dunne takes time every day to walk around Southside and ask people how their day is. With a contagious grin and red glowing cheeks, Dunne radiates happiness toward people and offers sincere

interest in everyone.

Dunne’s secret to being consistently happy at work is a disciplined mind.

“I’ve learned that when I get off my bicycle, I’m going to leave all my problems at home, and I’m going to go in with a good attitude,” Dunne says. “Since coming to George Mason, I’ve learned that.”

NICOLE LEWIS STAFF WRITER

Speech archive records hundreds of international accents For more than 13 years, Mason linguistics professor and phonologist Steven Weinberger has administered the Speech Accent Archive, an online resource with hundreds of voice samples from native and non-native English speakers.

The site, which receives over one million hits per month, lets visitors recognize and compare the world’s accents.

Weinberger created the site after deeming it beneficial to students taking his English phonetics courses. All linguistics majors at Mason use the website to conduct research or to help improve site fluidity.

“We needed to know what non-native speakers sounded like,” said Weinberger. “Actors who are learning an accent, speech pathologists and linguists find the website to be valuable. It’s also good for everyday people who are interested in the way different people talk. The beauty is that everyone is reading the same paragraph, so you can easily make comparisons.”

The website allows nearly anyone in the world to submit

samples of themselves reading a standard passage. The speakers must first fill out a short form that provides information on their native language background.

After the recordings are collected, Mason linguistics students work to organize and sort the information based on the speaker’s age, the birthplace of the speaker or the natural tongue of the speaker.

“We study more than 250 languages and see how they are similar,” said Justin Voigt, an instructor at the English Language Institute at Mason. “We find the allowable sounds of other languages and use those to compare to those in English. Once they say the paragraph, we record them and we measure the sounds they make.

The samples illustrate that accents do not mean that the speaker is incompetent.

“Humans are naturally biased. They think their way of speaking is the best. I think this perception comes from fear of others

— we all fear someone who looks, acts or sounds different,” Weinberger said.

The Speech Accent Archive is always looking for new participants and it’s never too late to learn something new, according to Weinberger and Voigt.

“We’re soon going to ask for students to participate. We’re starting a big accent drive,” Weinberger said.

Voigt was initially an English major, but switched his focus to linguistics after discovering his interest in languages.

“I think English majors should take linguistics courses.

They’ll be able to understand how sounds work and, in turn, become better writers,” said Voigt.

KOESHA QUIGLE STAFF WRITER

10

Lifestyle

April 8, 2013

(STEPHEN KLINE/BROADSIDE)

Broadside

(JENNY KRASHIN/BROADSIDE)

Annual Drag show packs JC

(JENNY KRASHIN/BROADSIDE)

Not a single chair or table was open in the Johnson Center at 9 p.m. on April 5. Students were leaning against the kiosks near the Atrium’s pop-up stage, and some were even lined up along the walkways, trying to do anything to avoid being stuck viewing the annual PRIDE Week Drag Show on the second floor of the JC Atrium.

The PRIDE Week Drag Show is held at the end of Mason’s PRIDE Week.

PRIDE Week takes place every April, and is Mason’s way of celebrating an anniversary of the active movement toward human rights for the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community, which began in 1969 and the early 1970s. The drag show is an anticipated event — co-sponsored by the Office of LGBTQ Resources, Weekends at Mason, and the Patriot Activities Council — and features not only Mason student entertainers, but drag queens and kings from the D.C. area. “[The Drag Show]represents a fun and entertaining side of the week,” said Alex Gant, the coordinator and emcee of the drag show. “PRIDE Week is a mix of serious discussion about rights and activism, addressing the challenges that face LGBTQ identified people and

how to move forward for equality and justice for the LGBTQ community. It is full of all different types of events, and the drag show represents the entertaining and fun performance of gender. Drag is something that makes a caricature of traditional and stereotypical gender roles, which is something that directly impacts the LGBTQ community.”

Pandora Boxx, a professional entertainer and drag queen from season two of “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” was the co-host of this year’s drag show.

Through humorous performances of her own, like the impersonations of Kristen Wiig from the film “Bridesmaids,” and the banter created on-stage, Pandora made the show a light-hearted event.

“I love the people here at George Mason University!” shouted Pandora on stage, who pumped up the school spirit and Patriot pride at the event.

Gant and Pandora introduced 16 performances for this year’s drag show, making the event last nearly three hours. The performances included student performers, such as: Amanda Playswith, Jessabelle and BJ Bottoms, Mona Ryder and Penelope Kills.

“I like to mix up the drag kings,

drag queens, bio king and bio queen numbers, fast paced and slower paced numbers and engaging numbers versus not as engaging numbers to make a great flowing two and a half hour set,” said Gant.

Professional D.C. drag queens and kings also got to run the stage.

Performers like E-Clef, Mister Gay Mid-Atlantic United States Xavier Bottoms, Destiny B. Childs, Regina Jozet Adams and Ophelia Bottoms perform regularly in the D.C. area, and for some, this is not their first time at Mason’s PRIDE Week Drag Show.

“The audience this year really loved Pandora Boxx, and a lot of the audience members know some of the performers from previous years,” Gant said.

PRIDE Week events were held throughout the week of March 31-April 7. Holding the drag show at the end of the week was deliberate.

“It helps to encourage folks to see the strong LGBTQ and ally community at Mason,” Gant said. “We invite students to see the event and feel welcome to watch and participate in the event.”

RYAN WEISSER LIFESTYLE EDITOR

Broadside

Lifestyle

April 8, 2013

11

(PHOTOS BY JENNY KRASHIN/BROADSIDE)

12

Lifestyle

April 8, 2013

Broadside

Graduate Fulbright award student studies in Norway It’s March, and the cold is nearly unbearable. People are layering wool garments on top of wool garments to fight the bitterness of a Norwegian winter.

Bundled individuals are strapped in their frosted skis and are waiting anxiously for the 45 kilometer ski marathon to begin. Mason graduate student Mona Anita Olsen is one of these anxious marathoners who is thrilled by the adventure the Fulbright Student Program is offering her.

“It’s been eye-opening on so many fronts,” said Olsen, who is completing entrepreneurial research in Norway as a part of earning her Ph.D. in Education at Mason, as well as being a Fulbrighter. “I had friends to teach me how to ski. Number one: it’s so hard. Number two: I have a lot of respect for skiers.

The joke was that I won the purple knee awards! I fell A lot!”

Olsen said. “But seriously, I learned a lot from this experience.

Without having a vision I’m not as strong of a person as I think I am, so this was a great experience.”

The Fulbright U.S. Student Program awards grants to individuals in the U.S. who wish to teach or complete studies and research abroad. Fulbrighters, as Fulbright students are titled, stay in the country they specify interest in for an entire academic year.

The program fosters intercultural cooperation as American students travel to foreign countries to learn about other cultures through home-stays, class work and daily life experiences within the host communities.

“There was a four percent chance for getting into the program,” said Olsen, who waited about six months to hear back about her application status. “But this was my first choice.

It’s something I’ve wanted to do since my undergraduate studies at Cornell [University]. It all just happened so fast, but it was all so fantastic.”

But Olsen credits a Mason education for making her experiences as a Fulbrighter even better than she expected.

“Mason is so practice-oriented, and I think that really prepped me well for being in Norway and being a Fulbrighter,” Olsen said. “I hope that everyone could have Fulbright experience, but it’s hard. You have no structure. If I hadn’t been entrepreneurial at Mason, I would have struggled here [in Norway].”

Mason’s Writing Center also helped Olsen with her Fulbright

Student application.

“We went over it word for word for weeks,” Olsen said. “When you apply you have to have a letter from the university and you need a sponsor. You need someone to say that they believe in your research and that your research is worthwhile.”

But research is only a fraction of what Olsen does in Norway.

She is a part of the Start-Up Weekend Stavanger team, which is a part of an international group of educators, leaders and entrepreneurs whose goal is to instill inspiration and empowerment in individuals, teams and communities.

“It’s been extraordinary!” Olsen said. “I’ve been able to be a part of the mission to foster mutual understanding between cultures. The academic work has been fun, but to meet the people and learn the language — some of the non-academic experiences have been priceless.”

Sometimes Fulbrighters work in the countries they are stationed in for multiple reasons, such as financial reasons, social reasons or to learn more about the culture.

“Norway is a very expensive country. A gallon of gas is about $12. That is absolutely breathtaking! Especially for someone who’s used to $4 a gallon,” Olsen said. “I decided to get a job, but it’s very difficult to find a job here. Knowledge of the Norwegian language is required. I finally got a job, but I guess no pain no gain. It was very humbling, and it ended up being a fantastic and challenging experience. Having the ability to work in a different country that has different social norms is an experience I’m lucky to have.”

While in Norway, Olsen also got the chance to represent Mason at other cultural outings. She took the Mason banner with her to the Reindeer Races in the Arctic, close to Russia, and she also got to show her Mason pride in Dublin, Ireland, for the St. Patrick’s Day Parade.

Olsen will take her educational and cultural experiences with her back to America in time for her May graduation with the class of 2013.

RYAN WEISSER LIFESTYLE EDITOR

(PHOTO COURTESY OF MONA ANITA OLSEN)

Mona Anita Olsen participated in a 45 kilometer ski marathon during her research studies in Norway.

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Broadside

LifestyLe

Mason at the movies

April 8, 2013

13

Mason Makes Careers

Every week, Broadside features a student This week, you’ll have the opportunity to see three incredible movies that received over- or alumnus with a great internship or job to whelming critical acclaim and Academy Award nominations on Mason’s campus. The Office highlight the opportunities and potential earning of Student Involvement will host screenings of these films in the Johnson Center Cinema, a degree at Mason offers. free for Mason students.

(PHOTO COURTESY OF JAKARTA FAIL/FLICKR)

(PHOTO COURTESY OF WOLF GANG/FLICKR)

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey The long-awaited prequel to “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy, “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,” will end its run at the JC Cinema April 6-13. This first part of a trilogy adaptation from J.R.R. Tolkien’s famous work of fantasy is about a fussy and reluctant creature named Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman), who is called upon to join a ragtag team of thirteen dwarves to help reclaim their stolen kingdom and treasure from a mighty dragon.

Led by the wise wizard Gandalf the Grey (Ian McKellen), the fellowship embarks on a perilous quest that involves trolls, goblins, the fearsome creature Gollum (Andy Serkis) and many other dangers.

Though smaller in scope and stakes

than “The Lord of the Rings,” part one of “The Hobbit” is an action-packed cinematic experience that’s a marvel to behold. New Zealand’s stunning scenery and state-of-the-art special effects make for a visually thrilling film. Incorporating material from Tolkien’s extensive liner notes and appendices, director Peter Jackson affectionately fleshes out a somewhat slim children’s novel into a rich, ambitious epic.

Unfortunately, this causes the film to suffer from an excessive length, clocking in at almost three hours, and the first 45 minutes are especially slow going.

Despite these pacing issues, though, this unexpected journey is one well worth takin — full of dazzling visuals, an amazing cast and storytelling that will transport you to another world.

Django Unchained On April 13, OSI Films will premiere “Pulp Fiction” director Quentin Tarantino’s latest masterpiece, “Django Unchained.” In the South, two years before the Civil War, German bounty hunter Dr. King Schultz (Chrisoph Waltz) buys the freedom of slave Django (Jamie Foxx) and hires him as his assistant to track down wanted criminals for the reward money. Their exploits lead them to the Mississippi plantation of the ruthlessly evil Calvin Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio), who has enslaved Django’s wife, Broomhilda (Kerry Washington).

Determined to rescue the damsel in distress from Candie’s clutches, Django and Schultz hatch a plan for revenge that ultimately arouses the suspicions of Candie’s trusted — and equally

ruthless — house slave, Stephen (Samuel L. Jackson).

Tarantino’s films are always stylistically daring and intriguing, and “Django Unchained” is no exception. It certainly doesn’t pull any punches — the depiction of such unyielding racism, the blood-spattering violence and the near-constant use of the N-word may offend some — but the film’s brutality is balanced with bursts of pure giddiness.

And it works surprisingly perfectly. The outrageous revenge plot, some incredibly witty dialogue, an outstanding cast and gory, over-the-top excess culminate in a subversive Spaghetti western-style commentary on both the horrors and the lunacy of slavery. It’s bloody, unapologetic, daring and one of the most wildly entertaining films of 2012.

Reportero Finally, on April 10 at 6:00 p.m., GMU Film and Media Studies will host a screening of the documentary “Reportero.” The eye-opening film chronicles the true-life story of veteran reporter Sergio Haro and his colleagues as they practice hard-hitting investigative journalism on the drug

cartels of Tijuana, Mexico — considered to be one of the deadliest places in the world for the media. The screening will be held at the Meese Conference Room in Mason Hall. Admission is free, and an exclusive Q&A session with award-winning filmmaker Bernardo Ruiz will follow the screening.

Bryan Loy

Movie Reviewer

(PHOTO COURTESY OF DEVYN JOHNSON)

(PHOTO COURTESY OF DAVID GLIETZ)

Name: David Glietz Graduation Date: May 2014 Degree: Public Administration Minor: Chinese, Information Technology Internship: IT Project Management

How would you describe your place of work?

I’m interning at the Executive Office of the President for the Office of Administration for the Office of the Chief Information Officer.

How did your degree and/or courses at Mason help you with your job?

A lot of my classes have a research component to them, so those classes have prepared me well for being able to research and synthesize information, which is something I do almost every day I intern. Last semester, I helped Dr. Travis in the PIA Department by helping her gather information about Virginia local governments as part of my GOVT 304 class, and then continued working with her after the class had ended. I also work in the Classroom Support office on the Fairfax campus, and working there has exposed me to working in an office environment. As a Resident Advisor, I have learned to be very adaptable, a very useful skill in my internship.

What’s the most exciting part of your job?

I’d say the coolest thing is the level of trust that the full-time staff have in the interns. When I got the position, I was honored they hired me, but my expectations were doing things like making copies. But even on my first day, I was actually going to meetings and I’ve even gotten the chance to lead a few. One of the most exciting things I’ve gotten to do during my internship is when I was taken to a Marine One landing. I got to see the helicopter pick up President Obama at the West Wing, which was really awesome.

What advice would you give students applying for this internship?

I’d say don’t apply just to apply because you think you’re going to be working at the White House. Apply because you really want the internship and convey that you want and are qualified for the internship in your resume and cover letter.

RYAN WEISSER LIFESTYLE EDITOR

14

LifestyLe

April 8, 2013

Broadside

How to get to Mason from the other side of the world: Part One Over the series of three articles, Stepan Gordeev shares his experiences as an international student I am an international student from Russia in my first year at Mason.

Just a year ago, I couldn’t imagine myself in such a position. I didn’t even consider U.S. colleges as an educational option. What has happened during this year? How does it feel to be a foreigner in this country and at Mason in particular? I’ll try to answer these questions in the following paragraphs.

It was the fall of 2011, when I was starting my senior year of high school. In Russia, we take college admissions tests at the end of senior year, no exceptions. You can’t take the test several times and pick the best result. You have only “one shot, one opportunity to seize everything you ever wanted.”

Imagine how nervous and how concerned about this exam we were. All my classmates started preparing for the tests, and so did I. Dozens of books, expensive tutors, nights of studying...

I had finally gotten some work to do, and I was enjoying it.

An unexpected thought crossed my mind—maybe I can do more than I’m going to do? Maybe I can work harder and get more in return? Maybe this is the best year for working on my future life?

Meanwhile, the socio-political situation in Russia was becoming more and more alarming. I respected our irremovable president as a strong leader, but I didn’t like his methods of governance. A lot of my friends and relatives started to push another unexpected thought: “You speak English, you can work hard and nobody knows what will happen to this country in five years. Why not study abroad?”

The combination of these three factors—inspiring workload, controversial situations in my country and the influence of family and friends—forced me to make a very surprising decision: to apply to American colleges.

The last acceptable SAT and ACT tests in most colleges are the ones held in January and February, respectively.

The last acceptable TOEFL, required for international students—December.

It was late October, so I had about a month to prepare for

TOEFL and about three months for SAT II and ACT preparation. Also, I still had to go to school and prepare for Russian college tests. That was tough.

I didn’t know anything about those tests. I soon found out that they are very different from Russian ones. In my senior year of high school, we have to take two to four USEs (Unified State Exams)—Math, Russian and optional subject tests.

Each exam lasts about three hours, and multiple-choice questions are accompanied with short- and long-answer questions.

Have you ever done combined logarithmic inequalities, solutions to which take four letter-size sheets of paper? Examinees have plenty of time to think on questions, life purpose and the inception of the universe. I faced a slightly different approach for the SAT and ACT. Sixty minutes for sixty questions, only multiple-choice with a guessing penalty.

Questions do not test students’ knowledge of formulas, rules and well-established methods. They test students’ problemsolving techniques.

That was very new and very interesting for me. I found some study guides and started preparation. I scored a 105/120 on the TOEFL, a 700 on the SAT II Math I, a 530 on US History and a 29 on the ACT. Not perfect, but not too bad for a complete newcomer.After all the tests were taken, I switched to the usual life of a Russian senior — going to classes, reading test prep books and taking countless practice tests.

However, my transition to the “normal life” was soon interrupted. I was reading my Facebook feed when a new email notification popped up on the screen: “Congratulations Stepan!

You’ve been admitted to George Mason University.”

There I was with an admission letter — which was soon delivered in a fancy folder with the GMU label, complete uncertainty and a few months left until orientation.

What does America look like from the East European point of view and how different is the college life?

STEPAN GORDEEV BROADSIDE CONTRIBUTER

At George Mason

University

CALLING ALL GRAD STUDENTS! NOW LEASING! Prince William Campus

LIVEBEACONHALL.COM CALL: 703.933.7040

(PHOTO COURTESY OF STEPAN GORDEEV)

Stepan Gordeev, an international student from Russia, explains his experiences applying to Mason from the other side of the world.

BROADSIDE

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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 Editor-in-Chief should be notified at the email listed above.

OPINION

April 8, 2013

Challenge of being on the right side of history

When the Supreme Court heard oral arguments for and against DOMA and Proposition 8, committed people from both sides passionately expressed their views in the real world and on social media.

On Facebook, many Mason students changed their profile pictures to have a light red equal sign with a darker red background.

It was an image advanced by the Human Rights Campaign, a major gay rights group. Amidst the variations and the parodies, one thing beyond all else got on my nerves.

On the ubiquitous ads for the red equal sign, HRC said people should “be on the right side of history.”

What the HRC does not realize is that their demand is harder to accomplish than they let off. History, or historiography, teaches us that one’s position on the right or wrong side of history can change with time and place.

John Brown, militant abolitionist seen as the catalyst for the American Civil War, has been declared both visionary and insane by different scholars.

Brown’s sanity and competence vary widely from textbook to textbook. The Radical Republicans, who pushed for dramatic changes to Southern culture after the Civil War, have been portrayed

as vindictive by one generation of historians and then pioneers of racial equality by another.

Other examples include Christopher Columbus. Since 1492, Columbus has seen his reputation rise and fall and rise and fall, depending on social sensitivities, patriotic views, and other factors.

Even today, portrayals of Columbus vary widely between modern Native Americans and Italian-American communities.

HRC wants people to join them because history might judge them poorly, but they give far too murky a view on the matter.

Do they think opposing same-sex marriage is the wrong side of history, or do they believe something like opposing the Supreme Court striking down DOMA and Prop 8 involve being on the wrong side of history?

There is a difference, for many support same-sex marriage yet oppose it being legalized via judicial fiat.

Charles Lane of the Washington Post argued that a Court decision striking down the laws “would be one of the most activist in history, sweeping aside dozens of democratically enacted state and federal laws.” “…this case is not a no-brainer, for either side. At least I don’t think the lapidary phrases of our Constitution contain a definitive answer,” wrote Lane.

Eric J. Segall, law professor at Georgia State University, wrote in a Los Angeles Times op-ed that “marriage equality” groups should use the Legislature instead, for the result of a Supreme Court victory could be a very extreme backlash.

Segall drew from history, writing that all Roe v. Wade did was strengthen the pro-life movement, making the abortion debate escalate and continue to the present day.

Does the HRC believe that Segall and Lane, both of whom support same-sex marriage legalization, are on the “wrong side of history”?

If someone changes their Facebook profile picture to an HRC-approved icon because they want to be “on the right side of history”, then they should be pitied more than anyone sincerely committed to either side of the marriage definition debate.

For while historians may vary on which side they see as just in a given ideological conflict, they are far more amiable towards one who follows their conscience than one who simply waves whatever flag is trendy.

Michael Gryboski Columnist

The circus invades Lot A

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16

OPINION BROADSIDE How positive peer pressure can be a beneficial tool

April 1, 2013

Well past their days of adolescence, college students and adults still fall into the trap of peer pressure and are influenced by the lifestyle of their peers.

Peer pressure has come to develop a negative connotation due to how it defines how people think and the influences the choices they make While peer pressure is more commonly associated with alcohol or drugs, it can also manifest itself in beneficial ways.

Peer pressure is not always bad, and being influenced by your peers can help you reflect on yourself.

When students come to college, most are forced to become more independent.

Self-efficiency is crucial when it comes to time management, taking care of yourself and staying on top of the everyday tasks.

People develop habits− some good, some bad. I know when I came to college, I didn’t know what I was doing.

I had much more freedom that I had to balance with my new

responsibilities.

The responsibilities definitely outweighed the chances for freedom, and I had to figure out how to manage everything sufficiently. A form of peer pressure played a key part in helping me get into the swing of things.

Peers can teach you good things and help you change for the better or push you towards something positive, like giving up a bad habit.

Adopting good habits from my peers was helpful to me on an everyday basis. I have also noticed that your peers’ choices and ways of life give you a glimpse into the world outside the four walls of your dorm room.

What they think about certain things, how they perceive situations, and how they react to different circumstances exposes you to a greater mindset.

Being part of a larger group of peers shows you the variety in human behavior.

Peer pressure can help you grow as a person. It can also shape your personality.

Everyone should be a fan I consider myself to be a fairly plain sports fan. I have no incredible knowledge of the Redskin’s history or stats, nor could I tell you what Mason basketball’s season record was off the top of my head.

That being said, I was on a sports-talk radio show for a semester. So, I think it’s fair to say that I can hold a worthwhile conversation about sports.

The only true way to express your love for a team is to go to their games and scream your head off, sending nothing but the most creative vulgarities you can come up with to the opponents while providing constant praise for your own team.

In a home game environment this is incredibly easy, to the point that you really no longer matter. You are part of the mass.

Unless you can come up with something especially vulgar, or happen to be able to scream especially loud, you will blend into the rest of the screaming mass you’re seated around.

There’s nothing wrong with this. You are still doing your part by adding to the general ruckus, but it’s tough to convince yourself that you’re making an actual impact on the game.

In fact, I believe it’s every fan’s dream to somehow affect the game, and this is why we develop stupid superstitions like sitting in the same spot for every game.

This is also why we scream. We assume that by creating as much noise as possible, we will somehow distract the other team and cause them to make a mistake.

I want to step back and break this down for a second: sure we can be super loud and cause the opposing team to have some kind of communication error in the noise, but is it not just as likely that our own team will suffer

a similar problem? Just sayin’.

There is, however, one way you can take a step closer to affecting the game as a fan: go to an away game.

Be that one fan who screams while the home-team player is shooting his free throws.

I’ve done it, and it’s stupid how much fun it is.

If the basketball court is small enough, as it typically was in the CAA, you’re easily going to be heard, and therefore, your verbose ways of degrading the opposition is most effective.

Plus, it’s super easy to get under all of the home team fans’ skin, which is incredibly fun.

As long as you stay smart about it, I’m all for being that guy. I love it when people do it at Mason games because then I get to give them merciless amounts of trouble.

That being said, I’ve been to the Philadelphia Eagle’s stadium for a couple skins games and there’s not a snowball’s chance in hell that I’m going to rub a win in people’s faces there. I value my life, and I suggest you do the same.

I really believe that every Mason student should be required to attend at least one Mason basketball game. It’s really the only time you see unbridled school spirit.

Going to an away game is extra effort reserved for fanatics like myself. That being said, don’t hold back when you make your way to a Mason game. Scream a little. Look stupid. Even if you have no idea what’s going on, it’s still fun.

Hail to the Redskins.

Stephen Kline

Design Editor

Depending on whom you choose to spend your time with, peer pressure can influence inspiration, whether it is to quit smoking or inspiration to apply for a job.

If you surround yourself with people who have your best interest in mind, being influenced by them can be beneficial.

Attending college is supposed to be about receiving an education.

Not just an academic education either, being in college teaches you about life and what it takes to live life.

Not only can peer pressure be a positive thing but it can also steer you in the direction you need to go.

Elise Baker

Opinion Editor

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Sports

Broadside

April 8, 2013

17

Mason falls to Santa Clara in final game of CBI

(STEPHEN KLINE/BROADSIDE)

Despite a strong performance from junior Sherrod Wright, at left, Mason was unable to hold a lead they developed at the beginning of the game. Above, freshman Patrick Halloway reacts after the final buzzer of game three.

(JENNY KRASHIN/BROADSIDE)

The nets came down for the final time in the 2012-2013 season at the Patriot Center.

Unfortunately for the Patriots, it was the Broncos of Santa Clara University who stepped up to cut them down.

On paper, it looked as though Mason would be outmatched in the series, as Santa Clara had a highly efficient offense on the season, living and dying on their efficiency from beyond the arc.

In the second tier postseason tournament of college basketball, coach Paul Hewitt was looking to participate in this tournament to gain postseason experience for the young team by electing to compete in the College Basketball Invitational. The CBI began in 2008 and was most notable for being the tournament won by Virginia Commonwealth University in 2010, the year before the Rams would go on to shock the college basketball world by advancing all the way into the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament in 2011.

In a best of three series played over the

course of last week, the Patriots first traveled out to Santa Clara, California for game one of the CBI last Monday night. It was a game where Mason’s biggest lead of the night against the Broncos was four points with 9:43 left in the first half. Once the Broncos rallied and grabbed hold of the lead, they never looked back the rest of that night, going on to win the game, 81-73.

Santa Clara senior guard Kevin Foster led the night in scoring with 28 points, going seven of 15 from the field and five of 11 from three-point land.

Mason forward Jonathan Arledge continued his solid play from prior rounds of the CBI to lead the Patriots in scoring in game one with 21 points and going an efficient eight of 12 from the field.

Both teams traveled back to Fairfax to host game two of the series and game three if necessary. Due to the northern Virginia regional college fair on Wednesday and the Green Day concert on Thursday, the Patriots

packed the RAC on Wednesday night to force a game three.

In front of a noisy, capacity crowd of 1,280, the Patriots accomplished a 73-66 victory forcing a game three back at the Patriot Center.

After an off game in game one, junior guard Sherrod Wright stormed back as the focal point of coach Paul Hewitt’s offense in game two, finishing with a game-high 20 points and a double-double with 10 rebounds.

The intimate setting of the RAC was beloved by the Mason players and coaches. Coach Hewitt seemed to be open to the idea of a future preseason or early regular season game to be held once again in the RAC. Coming off the emotional high of game two, Mason would have to maintain focus, but issues that have plagued the Patriots all season reared their ugly heads.

Mason took hold of game three early and went into halftime leading 37-33. With 11:53 remaining in the game, Mason trailed the Broncos 55-50, and after efforts to regain

the lead, Mason would not go ahead of the Broncos the rest of the way ultimately falling 80-77.

Foster would be named MVP of the CBI and led the Broncos in scoring with 24 points.

It was an intense head-to-head battle with Wright in a battle of opposing key players.

Wright ended the night tied with Foster for the scoring lead with 24 points as well for Mason.

Mason and the Fairfax faithful can be proud of the team’s performance in the CBI and is a much stronger note to end the season on than the heartbreaking loss to Northeastern in the semifinals of the CAA tournament.

Mason now looks to build on this experience and use it to better compete as the newest member of the Atlantic 10.

HAU CHU STAFF WRITER

18

A pril 8, 2013

Workout

of the

Week

SpOrTS

Streching: Utilizing the foam roller

(JENNY KRASHIN/BROADSIDE)

During a workout connective tissue called fascia can become very tight, just like a muscle would. The fascia can be targeted with a foam roller, which can be found in the stretching area of the gym. Pressure and stretching that the foam roller creates can help loosen the fascia and can improve mobility.

The foam roller is usually located in the stretching area by the mats.

These seemingly simple little pieces can provide immense relief after a tough workout. Using a foam roller correctly can be equivalent to giving yourself a massage.

You can choose where to use the foam roller based on what feels sore, and it is much cheaper than a massage.

Just beneath the surface of the skin, connective tissue called fascia connects all of the muscles together.

Fascia is meant to provide stability and support, but it can also experience tightening similar to muscles.

Pressure and stretching is a good way to release the tension. Pressure causes the fascia to loosen and stretch. This

loosening can improve mobility in the area and lessen pain.

Tightness in a specific area is often due to the fascia instead of the muscle, which can be easily solved with a foam roller.

When using the foam roller, you should concentrate only on areas with muscle underneath.

Rolling over bones and joints will do no good and it will probably just hurt more.

Try moving the roller under a muscle to test it for soreness or tightness of any sort. Slow, controlled rolls are important to provide adequate pressure across the entire muscle.

If a muscle is tight, it may benefit you to spend a little extra time working that muscle before moving to something else.

For a particularly uncomfortable or sore area, keep the foam roller stationary

to allow the muscle to relax itself around the roller.

This will prepare the muscle for more intense and beneficial rolling.

Foam rollers come in a variety of sizes to suit different needs and are an affordable option to purchase for home use.

Foam rolling should be performed at the end of your workout when your muscles are warm and ready to be stretched. A foam roller is a good way to avoid soreness the day after a workout and it can increase flexibility and comfort throughout the body.

Column by Column by Danny

DannielLehnert Lehnert

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BROADSIDE

Play by play Life lessons from sports Persistence is determination. Persistence is about perfection. Persistence comes from having the will to work through any condition.

Your team might be getting shut out. Your department might be facing some unforeseen challenges.

Your friends or family may not want to listen. The challenge in front of you might be a minor nuisance or the biggest thing you have ever had to face.

Regardless of what it is, you must be persistent if you want to persevere.

Persistence, just like how every coach will describe every sport, is entirely mental. You have to want it, you have to know you are going to get it and you have to be prepared to take a hurting for the results. If you are not mentally ready to be persistent you will fail.

You can break down the source of all failures into three categories: outside sources, bad luck or personal weakness.

Sometimes the other guy is too damn big, too smart, somehow superior to you and you can’t always compete with that, it happens. Sometimes the fish don’t bite and your shots won’t fall. You’re doing everything right, but fate just seems to be against you. Don’t fret, it happens. But when you give up, when you take yourself out of the race, that is the worst kind of failure because it comes back to weaknesses in yourself.

Whatever thought that sauntered across your prefrontal cortex that broke your will to keep plugging along, we all know where it came from. It came from that large gap on the X Ray where you appear to be missing a backbone.

How do we handle the pressure? The frustration? The mind numbing repetition or blistering pain? You handle it by staying calm.

Don’t sweat the petty things, or the important things, for that matter. Don’t get nervous about anything. Don’t worry about what is going to happen. Worrying is far and away the most useless thing our minds can do. When things hit the fan and the stakes are raised you just take a deep breath and remain calm.

Staying calm will prevent you from getting frustrated. You remain calm by understanding that what you are doing is hard. Yes it might suck. Yes your boss is unreasonable. No it’s not fair. But guess what? That’s ok, and it doesn’t change anything. When you get frustrated you slip up. You lose hope and emotions get the best of you. Stay calm and accept the challenge.

Now that you’ve got your head in the right place, things will get a little bit easier, not a lot but a little bit. The hard part now is staying in that zone and not losing your calm, collected focus.

I’m not saying you can’t get a little angry and light a fire under your butt, but remember to not let your emotions run rampant.

The balancing act of finding personal motivation, remaining calm and accepting the difficulty of a situation create persistence. Persistence is the only way to persevere. A quote I often tell myself at 3 a.m. on those really miserable nights of cramming in work is, “Remember that guy who gave up? Yeah me neither.

Column by

Bryan Dombrowski

BROADSIDE

SpOrTS

April 8, 2013

19

Trap and skeet wins DIII national championship Mason’s club trap and skeet team travelled to San Antonio, Texas, for Nationals during the week of March 25.

The team competed in six events over the week and took first place all around for Division III schools.

While Mason is Division I in most athletics, trap and skeet Divisions are based upon the number of shooters a team has. Division III allows one to seven. With this win, Mason is automatically moved up to Division two for next year.

There are no precursors or playoffs to attend Nationals for trap and skeet. If teams can afford to travel and attend, they go.

This creates a huge field of competition that varies greatly in strength, including some of the best and worst squads from around the country.

There were more than 50 schools present and 500 individual competitors in San Antonio. Mason was competing against some familiar faces from Virginia Tech, University of Delaware, University of Virginia, University of Maryland and West Point.

They also went up against some west coast and midwest squads they have never shot with before.

Mason’s squad has been hitting everything up to Nationals, winning two of their previous tournaments with large fields in the fall semester, including a home tournament in October.

Junior Raymond Alexander attributes a lot of the squad’s success to their experienced coach, Gary Olin, who has been involved with the team for more than 10 years.

“It is hard to get better without someone there to tell you how to fix what you are doing wrong,” Alexander said. “He gives us his input and we all just try our best to do it.”

Some key shooters were seniors Pete Walton and Michael Campbell .

“I have been pleased with how I have been performing, especially with it being my first actual competition,” Walton said. “You step up to shoot and you’re full of anxiety because you don’t want to miss that first bird and start doubting how your day is going to go. Once you hit that first target, then it’s game time.”

After the first day finishing seventh in Five stand, the team was feeling a little uneasy about the their performance but were confident about the rest of the competition.

“The next few days are going to be our best events. So, I think we will hit some targets and win some trophies,” Alexander said.

The next day, the team brought home their first trophy placing third in International skeet.

“When we placed third in our weakest event it made things look good for coming in on top overall,” Walton said.

The team took third place on March 28 before their best events: International trap, American skeet and American trap over the weekend.

One thing that separates trap and skeet from other sports is the lack of knowing how other teams are doing. The events are not shoot offs, so each team or individual competes in turn.

“It creates a pretty stressful environment,” Alexander said. “You don’t know how other people are doing, but you just got to go out and do your best. Although, it does relieve some of the pressure of other sports.”

Trap and skeet, in a way, is like gymnastics where you are scored and have to wait for results, but the turnover time on scores in gymnastics is significantly faster and still allows performers to know what the situation looks like going into their event.

(PHOTO COURTESY OF JEN WALTON)

After dropping from Division II to Division III this year Mason will return to Division II for trap and skeet after finishing first at Nationals.

While Nationals have come and gone, the season is far from over. The team plans for some wins at smaller tournaments this month, including traveling to Maryland and Delaware.

“Compared to a lot of the east coast schools we are just so much more practiced,” Walton said. “Obviously we aren’t up there with the schools in Texas, but the support Mason gives us really gives us an advantage over those other squads.”

Mason won first place with a score of 1443/1800 targets, beating Purdue University’s 1417/1800 and University of Louisville Lafayette’s 1399/1800. Mason took first in American trap, American skeet and International trap individually, while finishing third in International skeet and sporting clay.

BRYAN DOMBROWSKI SPORTS EDITOR

Active classes offer students alternative credit options With registration approaching, stop and think of some classes that might make the next semester a little more bearable.

If sitting in class listening to a professor for an hour sounds like torture, then take advantage of some of the classes that many Mason students overlook.

There are a lot of classes that will remove students from the typical classroom and give them a more hands on and physical challenge.

Mason has classes that can meet anyone’s taste of what it means to be more involved than just taking good notes.

They could also eliminate the need to hit the gym that night. Classes such as, PHED 138: Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, PHED 158: Underwater Hockey or PHED 134: Self Defense for Men and Women.

These classes teach unique skills and also

could become a future hobby for students. On top of that, it will help get the blood pumping for the day.

Not so much into sweating? Not a problem.

Classes like Introduction to Yoga and Introduction to Meditation still can get you out of a normal class setting and start beginning to use and understand the body.

If general education requirements are still on the to-do list, then check out several different classes that could possibly meet those requirements. DANC 118 or 119 both could meet a general education requirement.

These two dance classes, which are African or Afro-Latino, teach students about the cultures of different areas through several different dances. There are also several different theater classes someone can take, even if they are not a theater major.

Even if it’s someone’s last semester here at Mason and they just need some credits to fill their schedule, there are a lot of options that may cross some items of their Bucket List.

Scuba diving, rock climbing, kayaking and snowboarding all sound like activities for vacations, but they could meet those last one or two credits someone needs to have a full course load.

All these courses are different than any English or history class someone will ever have to sit through, but people need to be a little more careful when signing up for them.

First off, check and recheck with advisers from specific colleges that these courses will meet those general education requirements for them or if they count physical education classes towards the 120 credits needed to graduate.

The last thing anyone wants to happen is for a student to be one credit away from graduating because they did not check their colleges regulation.

After being sure that signing up for the class is okay, make sure that the physical demand of the class will not be too much to handle.

Mason is all about being innovative, so if one of these classes seem like the best thing ever, take a chance and register for it.

JENNIFER MILLER ASST. SPORTS EDITOR

20

Sports

A pril 8, 2013

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