November 4, 2013

IV

BROADSIDE AND CONNECT2MASON PRESENT

FOURTH ESTATE Nov. 4, 2013 | Volume 1 Issue 9 George Mason University’s official student news outlet

PIN IT TO WIN IT

On Nov. 2, the Patriot Center hosted the National Wrestling Association All-Star Classic, a world-class wrestling tournament | page 18 (JOHN IRWIN /FOURTH ESTATE)

2

News

Nov. 4, 2013

In this issue

FOURTH ESTATE

Letter from the Editor-in-Chief

Combating homelessness and hunger in the community | 4-5

COLLEEN WILSON EDITOR-IN-CHIEF gmufourthestate@gmail.com

Focus on learning outside of the classroom leads to co-curricular model | 6

Women’s soccer team makes strides in A-10 | 17

Fall is my favorite time of the year for lots of reasons. The holiday season is upon us, pumpkin products are for sale everywhere and it’s finally crisp enough to pull out cozy sweaters.

But year after year, politics and voting fail to rank high on the list.

Like most everyone else, I’m tired of the ads, tired of the over-enthused campaign volunteers that lurk in every public arena and tired of the phone calls and leaflets.

But on Nov. 5, I’ll still be voting.

Local elections certainly don’t seem as exciting as the presidential race, but they are just as important, if not more.

It may seem distant from your life, but the gubernatorial election will have a significant impact on each of us as students at Mason.

Social issues could define whether LGBTQ faculty and staff will gain health benefits.

Healthcare arguments will sway whether or not we can continue to remain on our parents’ health insurance until 26.

And you don’t have to go very far to find

a Mason student who is concerned about transportation.

This country was designed to give the states autonomy and power, and as a voting citizen, it is your part to engage in that conversation and decision.

If you have a job, live in a home, go to a doctor, attend school or participate in a never-ending list of social activities, your life is touched by the actions of state and local politicians.

Big-level topics like Syria and nuclear arms are important, but I can almost guarantee that everyday life is impacted much more heavily by laws, policies and politicians at the local level.

Even if you don’t particularly like either side of the political spectrum at the moment, I encourage you to take the time to get out and vote this week.

We have a brief spread on pages 10-11 that outlines some of the key issues and the stance the two major candidates for governor take on each one.

But don’t stop there.

Do some research yourself and learn more about the candidates and what issues hold true for you.

My political stance has evolved in the three years I’ve been eligible to vote and I anticipate that it will continue to, especially as the two major parties scramble to define themselves for a new generation.

It’s imperative that as citizens we remain informed and engaged and then make that extra step to participate.

I’ll see you at the polls on Nov. 5.

Why FOURTH ESTATE ?

Prior to Broadside, the student newspaper was called The Gunston Ledger.

It was changed in 1969 to better represent the politically out-spoken student body at the time.

A “broadside” was a pamphlet used during the American Revolutionary War to help spread information. While Broadside has become an important part of life at Mason, we believe it no longer represents the overarching goals of student-run news.

Though not specifically outlined like the three branches of government, the concept of a fourth estate referred to journalism and the media as an important tenet in upholding justice and liberty through establishing an informed public.

These historic roots coincide with the transforming industry of modern journalism.

LA Theatreworks performs “The Graduate” at the Center for the Arts | 13

gmufourthestate.com

News

FOURTH ESTATE

Nov. 4, 2013

3

Online at

gmufourthestate.com Mason Inn taskforce With no hope of recovering financially with the current business model, President Ángel Cabrera called upon university representatives to form a Mason Inn Task Force to find alternative business models for the Inn. http://www.gmufourthestate.com/ content/mason-inn-task-forcemake-drastic-changes-hotel’s-business-model

POLL: What type of caffeine do students prefer?

Caffeine addiction feels like an essential part of many American college students’ lives. This week, Fourth Estate Lifestyle will be covering how caffeine impacts Mason’s campus and how it affects our bodies and the brains that we use this drug to stimulate. http://www.gmufourthestate.com/ content/poll-what-type-caffeinedo-students-prefer (JOHN IRWIN/FOURTH ESTATE)

Photo of the Week: Once Upon a Scream Housing and Residence Life put on a haunted trail for students on Halloween night.

Q. How do you feel about the staff senate vote to extend benefits to LGBTQ couples?

“I think that’s awesome.

That’s so great to hear that Mason is such a progressive university, especially in a state like Virginia.”

Antonia Arnautki.

Freshman

“Go for it. I think it’s beneficial.”

Chris Gopasin, senior

“I think it’s really awesome that Mason is diversifying and extending benefits to LGBTQ couples.”

Alexi Buitrago, freshman

“That’s great and they should have done it a long time ago.”

Sarah Garner, Senior

“I don’t think it’s necessary. You can get the benefits applied in different ways.”

Mike Antonacci, staff

“That is awesome. I do support equality for gay people.”

Bryan Kopsick, Freshman

4

Nov. 4, 2013

News

FOURTH ESTATE

1,534 $1,000 amount Sodexo donated to the Student Meal Assistance Fund

Number of homeless people in Fairfax County as of Jan. 2012

20

Mason students who self-identify as homeless

Fairfax community works to fight homelessness, hunger (JOHN IRWIN/FOURTH ESTATE)

Yara Mowafy spearheaded the initiative to provide meals for homeless students on campus.

JANELLE GERMANOS NEWS EDITOR Senior Yara Mowafy first thought of the idea of donating unused meal plans to homeless students while working on a project for a communication class.

Two years later, donating meal plans is out of the question, but Mowafy has managed, along with senior Jordan Bivings, to set up a Meal Plan Assistance Fund for homeless students. The fund is located in the Office of Advancement and Alumni Affairs.

Students in need of emergency meal assistance are either referred to the Office of Case Management and Student Support or can self-identify to this office.

According to Mowafy, many Mason students are unaware that homelessness is an issue for other students and a problem in Fairfax County.

“There are a lot more people than we think there are that need help. The figure last year was 12, this year it is 20 students who self-identify themselves as homeless. These

are the ones that are brave enough to come into the office and get help. I’m sure there are a lot more that just aren’t saying anything about this,” Mowafy said.

While Mowafy was working on her original idea of donating unused meal plans to local homeless shelters, FACETS, a non-profit that helps individuals suffering with poverty in the Fairfax area, put her in contact with Bivings, president of Mason Meals.

“She told me that through FACETS she was aware that there were Mason students who go to their shelter and identify themselves as homeless,” Mowafy said.

Bivings started Mason Meals in spring 2011 when she was in a Mason Cornerstones class and was given an assignment to work with FACETS. “We were in shock as to how many homeless people actually live in such an affluent county like Fairfax,” Bivings said. “We decided to come up with Mason Meals.”

Bivings had also originally hoped to donate left-over meal plans to students or families in the area, but realized that wasn’t possible due

to Mason dining and Sodexo restrictions.

“Finally, three years later, we have an effort that stuck, which is the Student Meal Assistance Fund,” Bivings said.

Mowafy began asking her professors if they had ever been in contact with homeless students and found out that some students had mentioned to their professors that they were indeed homeless.

“FACETS admits that they have had homeless students before. The more research I did, the more I realized that this population does exist,” Mowafy said.

According to Claire Forman, assistant director of University Advancement and Alumni Affairs, University Life and Sodexo have worked out an agreement in which University Life will distribute Southside meal vouchers to students who are in need. The money donated to the Student Meal Assistance Fund will pay for these vouchers.

Margaret Olsewska, director of Student Support and Case Management, is responsible for the distribution of the vouchers.

“This fund is here for true emergencies. It’s

of a very limited scope. It’s very short term, a couple of days or three days. We don’t put a time limit on it because everybody’s situation is different, but the program is here to assist students on a very limited basis,” Olsewska said.

Mowafy originally worked with Mason Dining and hoped to have unused meal plans donated, but found out that was not possible with the current budget.

“The idea of donating unused meal plans was just not possible with our contract with Sodexo. It just didn’t allow for it. We have something that is called the missing meal factor, and the budget is built around the predetermined number knowing that students are not going to use all of their meals,” Mowafy said.

Sodexo provided an in-kind donation of $1,000 to the fund.

“We worked this fall with Yara to work out the process to implement the program and follow the resolution from Student Government that by helping this program the price of the meal plan would not be

News

FOURTH ESTATE

Nov. 4, 2013

5

(AMY ROSE/FOURTH ESTATE)

(PHOTO COURTESY OF JORDAN BIVINGS/MASON MEALS)

increased,” said Mark Kraner, the executive director for Campus Retail Operations and Auxiliary Enterprises.

“When the meal plan prices are generated the number of meals used is one factor that determines the price. If that number increases the cost of the meal plan would need to increase.”

According to Foreman, staff members who lack meal plans would have had no way to contribute to Mowafy’s original idea, but the new fund allows those who don’t have meal plans to still donate.

“This makes it a lot easier for her to explain what the program is, makes it easier for Sodexo to actually provide some assistance to these students, makes it easier for Mason to track the funds, and makes it easier for people like me who might want to make an actual cash donation to be able to do that.” Foreman said.

The Office of Student Support and Case Management deals with a wide range of student issues, which according to Olsewska, includes homelessness.

“We do have some students that are homeless in the sense that they are truly living in cars or they are couch surfing, sometimes sleeping outside or in one of our buildings. Those students, and students overall, are referred to my office a lot of times by faculty, also staff, some students self-identity,” Olsewska said.

Olsewska said she has met with four homeless students since starting her job three months ago.

“There are probably many students who are homeless that don’t identify as such, and we’ll never know about them,” Olsewska said.

Olsewska said that when meeting with a student, she discusses the student’s situation and ways university services may help.

“I do a lot of referrals. With students who are homeless we also share information about homeless shelters in the area, because that might obviously be an option for students,” Olsewska said.

Homelessness is not exclusive to Mason students, however. The Fairfax County Office to Prevent and End Homelessness was created in 2008 by the Fairfax

(Left) Mason meals often makes sandwiches for homeless people, accompanying them with notes. (Above) Fairfax County offers several homeless shelters, including the Katherine K. Hanley Family Shelter.

County Board of Supervisors to implement the county’s ten-year plan to end homelessness. The office has reported that at least 1,534 people were homeless in Fairfax on Jan. 25, 2012.

“The ten-year plan lays out a roadmap between the adoption of the plan in 2008 to 2018 for the prevention and ending of homelessness,” said Thomas Barnett, Program Manager at the Office to Prevent and End Homelessness. “In the past, all services for the homeless were centered on meeting their basic needs of sheltering, but without a clear answer as to what came next, so that is really where the ten-year plan started.”

According to Jolie Smith, director of development at Shelter House, Inc., which operates several housing shelters around Fairfax County, lack of affordable housing is a major cause of homelessness in Fairfax County.

“Many lose their job, have health issues, or face domestic violence,” Smith said.

At the Katherine K. Hanley Family Shelter, operated

by Shelter House, Inc., families can stay for up to 45 days. While staying at the shelter, case managers help families find permanent affordable housing.

“The focus is housing,” said Elisa Holden, senior community case manager at Shelter House, Inc. “We get them into housing first.”

Braddock Supervisor John Cook has also expressed his support for affordable housing.

“One of the things we want to do in the county is to provide housing that is affordable for people with lower incomes. The main idea there is helping to find people a place to live that they can afford on the income they are making. The private sector needs to create more housing for people at the lower-income level,” Cook said.

According to Bivings, Mason Meals will continue to help students at Mason and residents in Fairfax County.

“Our main goal now is to figure out how we can make sure that [students] know about this fund, and how we can help people in Fairfax County,” Bivings said.

CLASSIFIEDS Help Wanted

Help Wanted

NOW Hiring!

Math Instructors Needed Immediately for Mathnasium of Burke. Please send your resume to: burke@mathnasium.com.

Compensation starts at $12/hr and bonus may apply. www.mathnasium.com/burke

GMU Student Wanted for afterschool homework assistance/ tutoring/activity supervision for 5th and 7th grade boy & girl 3 Xs a week. Close to GMU, right off Braddock Rd by Centreville High School. Please send an e-mail with bio if interested to: eholter@american.edu

Toddler Teacher Hours: 10:00-6:30 (may consider PT 12-6:30)

Child Care

Montessori school is currently looking for experienced lead afternoon teachers to work in our toddler (ages 18 months-3 years) classrooms. Candidates should have prior curriculum planning experience, documented experience with toddlers, and strong classroom management skills. Resumes to office@restonmontessori.com Snow Plow drivers needed for VDOT subcontractor, $25 $30/hour, 12 hour shifts. Send resume to livingcolour@cox.net.

In Fairfax.

Phone 703-698-0014.

Chrysi's Daycare Is looking for loving day care assistant. Care for children 3 months- 5 years.

Has enthusiasm for children.

Available from 9-12/ 3-5 pm Monday- Friday.

CPR and first aid Certification Position is Paid $10 per hour 1 week paid vacation NO HEALTH BENEFITS TOTAL WORKING TIME M-F 20 HRS. Call (703)-941-8758 To place a classified ad, email classifiedads@broadsideonline.com or call (703) 993-2880

6

Nov. 4, 2013

Co-Curricular learning model on the horizon DENISHA HEDGEBETH STAFF WRITER Mason’s University Life department is spearheading a new initiative to develop co-curricular learning as part of their five-year strategic plan.

While not a part of the regular curriculum, a co-curricular activity enhances and applies the knowledge learned in the classroom.

“The basis of co-curricular learning is saying that what happens outside the classroom holds just as much relevance as what happens inside, and vice versa,” said Amy Snyder, director of special projects for University Life. “It’s connected… what you’re learning in your classes, you’re applying it and practicing it, and so that’s a co-curricular experience. You get to cross the threshold from the classroom to experience outside the classroom, and that all complements your overall learning.”

According to Rose Pascarell, the vice president of University Life, co-curriculum involves student participation on campus.

The co-curricular model will offer four tracks, including global and multicultural proficiency, civic learning and community engagement, well-being and career-readiness.

Students will be able to pick a track to focus on to find out what activities or experiences outside the classroom would contribute to one of these tracks.

The four areas were picked based on which student competencies are gaining prominence in higher education and the professional sphere.

“When you think about career readiness, we’re in an area of time when there’s a lot of demand by employers for students to have certain competencies,” Pascarell said. “And with the world becoming more global, there is a lot of proficiency to be developed around diversity and multiculturalism.

With civic engagement, we see a decrease in it when students get to college, and we want to reverse that trend. And, finally, there’s a new movement on well-being, which focuses not only on traditional definitions of healthy, but also how to develop resilience.”

Snyder adds that literature review also played a big part in determining the four tracks.

“There were a number of us last year that spent a lot of time reading and learning and distilling and figuring out what are the best practices,” Snyder said. “What are the literature, the data and evidence and what makes sense for Mason and our students.”

Both Pascarell and Snyder say that they are exploring badging and other markers to add credential to co-curricular learning activities.

It is currently unclear if and how these activities would show up on a transcript.

“There are a lot of different models around different schools on how it may or may not show up on an academic transcript. But to be able to demonstrate your co-curricular learning experience for whatever comes next for you is really important,” Snyder said.

“So that you can be able to articulate not only what you got on your academic degree upon completion but also those experiences that you had outside of the classroom that contribute to your credentials, qualifications and ability to be successful.”

Snyder says that although the program is still a work in progress, there has been a growing interest in a co-curricular learning model for years.

“There have been a lot of conversations about it. Now we’re trying to figure out how to package it in a way so that students can easily say, ‘I’m interested in civic engagement’ or ‘I’ve done all of that but I didn’t realize that it contributes to the well-being track, and if I do X, Y

News

FOURTH ESTATE

(AMY ROSE/FOURTH ESTATE)

Co-curricular is based on the idea that outside classroom learning is just as relevant as learning in class, according to Amy Snyder, director of special projects for University Life. Here, Chi Omega hosts a Make-A-Wish Benefit Concert, an example of civic learning and community engagement event students participate in on campus. and Z, I can get a well-being badge,’” Snyder said. “So we’re not quite at the point where we can say what those requirements are, but it’s to package it so that students can be able to articulate their learning and engagement in a way that’s useful to them as they navigate their Mason experience and consider what comes next.”

The final outcome of the first phase will be in January when each of the groups will produce their design for the co-curriculum. Phase II, which is slated to happen in February, will begin the implementation phase.

“We need to do the assessments, bring our external partnerships in, and we need to market and brand it.

We need to be able to really give this thing some legs,” Snyder said.

While the program is still in Phase I, Pascarell said the goal is to have an initial launch by fall 2014.

“There are six groups currently working to develop this co-curriculum. They’ve done everything from identify the focus to develop learning outcomes, an inventory of programs that happen on campus, which ones to map these areas and which ones could map to these areas,” Pascarell said. “And what we don’t offer that we really should be

offering.”

The groups, or committees, are comprised of University Life faculty and staff, students and non-University Life faculty and staff.

“We have representatives from a number of different units within University Life, and then we have external teams,” Snyder said. “I work with the civic learning and community engagement team, and we have Wendy Wagner and Patty Mathison on our team because they’re content experts. So we have some faculty and academic colleagues that we’ve invited onto these teams who are experts and partners.”

According to Snyder, since the co-curricular program is part of the five year-strategic plan, the current phases are part of the starting process.

“We’ve done some of the foundational part, now we’re just kind of getting our arms around the model to help create a co-curriculum, and call it that,” Snyder said. “Not just our University Life programs and services. We want to say here’s a co-curriculum that adds to the student experience and student success.”

“There are a lot of different models around different schools on how it may or may not show up on an academic transcript. But to be able to demonstrate your co-curricular learning experience for whatever comes next for you is really important.”

-Amy Snyder, director of special projects for University Life.

News

FOURTH ESTATE

Nov. 4, 2013

Simulation and Game Institute comes to Mason

7

(Above) Students work on computer game design in the current space at the Prince William Campus. (Right) The inside of Little Arms Studio, a small company that partners with the Simulation and Game Institute is housed in Prince William

(NIKKI HOLDEN/FOURTH ESTATE)

NIKKI HOLDEN STAFF WRITER The Simulation and Game Institute will soon move into Bull Run Hall on Mason’s Prince William Campus as part of Mason’s computer game design program. The institute will provide students with opportunities for research, education and business development. Kyle Bishop, who graduated from Mason’s game design program in 2013, started his own company, Little Arms Studio, which has partnered with the SGI. “The job market is extremely competitive right now in the game design world. Most jobs, even entry level jobs, want applicants to have two or more years of experience,” Bishop said.

“I figured we could make our own jobs doing what we love to do.”

As part of the economic component of the SGI’s mission, emerging companies such as Little Arms Studio can partner with the SGI for a small percentage equity fee. The partnership benefits these emerging companies by providing state of the art office and studio space, receptionist and concierge support, business planning advisors and mentors and accounting services.

“The help we’ve received allowed us to hit the ground running and avoid some pitfalls that we may have otherwise fallen into,” Bishop said.

Director Scott Martin sees the SGI as an incubator of sorts, helping to grow and develop

new student companies. After about a year of close support, the companies would graduate and hopefully move into the tech park adjacent to the Prince William campus.

“SGI is a good opportunity for us to grow, legitimize ourselves and receive exposure,” said Christian Tamburilla, a game design student at Mason and co-founder of Bruxe Studios.

Beyond administrative and facilities support, the SGI provides an opportunity for the participating companies to form a community.

Tamburilla is excited to participate in such a collaborative environment.

“Communication with many great minds will eliminate the subjective aspects surrounding development. I think everyone’s advice will be highly valuable,” Tamburilla said.

The SGI is also partnering with existing game design companies. Companies that locate or expand at the SGI or Innovation Technology Park may qualify for incentives through Prince William Department of Economic Development.

Zaah Technologies, the makers of Techno Kitten, already have a campus location in Fairfax but will also be expanding to the new SGI facilities at Prince William.

Shannon Sleger, a senior in the game design program, has been working for Zaah since late September. Sleger said the ability to intern or work with an established company on campus makes interning more convenient.

“There are not a lot of game design companies in this area, and it’s difficult to find an opportunity,” Sleger said.

8

Nov. 4, 2013

News

FOURTH ESTATE

Dispute on new parkway sparks conflict on sustainable transit SUHAIB KHAN STAFF WRITER The proposed bi-county parkway between Loudoun and Prince William counties is dividing area officials who believe the highway will ease traffic and advocates of sustainable transit.

The parkway, which is planned to connect Loudoun County Parkway and the Route 324 bypass in Prince William County, will allegedly ease traffic in the west of Fairfax and will be one of the only major north-south highways in the region.

The parkway has become a politicized issue, dividing community leaders and county officials alike. President Cabrera recently expressed his support for the parkway, stating that it will have a positive impact on Mason.

This statement drew a critical response from Stewart Schwartz, the director of “Coalition for Smarter Growth,” an organization located in Washington D.C. dedicated to promote transit-oriented communities.

“We have been opposed to the highway,” Schwartz said. “We have long promoted a better way to grow in the Washington D.C. region. Our policy has been to focus on transit and transit-oriented communities.”

Transit-oriented refers to communities with more transportation options as opposed to standard auto-oriented communities. These options may include both public transportation as well as organizing communities in such a way that walking is a viable option.

According to Schwartz, the best examples of these communities are Old Town Alexandria, the new Mosaic district in Merrifield, Reston Town Center and the new plan for Tysons Corner.

“These areas have high capacity transit within easy walking distance,” Schwartz said.

“They have been shown to vastly decrease the amount of driving.”

However, Supervisor Michael Frey of Fairfax County believes that the parkway is the only solution to the inevitable growth the region will soon face.

“It’s absurd to think that we can have all of the growth in that area and not provide a north-south corridor for it,” Frey said. “We have Route 28 as a regional highway, and if you look at a map and start moving west and look for any other similar road, you won’t find it until you hit I-81.”

In addition to providing a much needed north-south route, Frey also believes that the

“If GMU is looking towards the future, we need to be looking at a more sustainable way to grow.

We strongly encourage major institutions such as GMU that are located next to high capacity transit to be a part of a mixed-use walk-able community and not contribute to making the situation worse.”

- Stewart Schwartz, the director of “Coalition for Smarter Growth” highway will ease congestion in the west of Fairfax.

“If you look at Pleasant Valley Road in Centerville, the traffic is moving east while trying to find a way north,” Frey said. “There are folks trying to get to I-66 too. But all these people are trying to get to work, but we haven’t improved any of the roads in this area and we wonder why there’s so much congestion.”

However, Schwartz has a different idea of what contributes to the congested roads of Fairfax. In an open letter to President Cabrera criticizing his decision to support the parkway, he stated that Mason’s “isolated, suburban campuses without good transit access magnify our traffic problems.” He also said that the parkway would propagate auto-oriented development, which would worsen the traffic situation.

In Schwartz’s view, the younger generation has a tendency to gravitate towards cities with transit-oriented communities, and he calls upon Mason to embrace this future.

“If GMU is looking towards the future, we need to be looking at a more sustainable way to grow,” Schwartz said. “We strongly encourage major institutions such as GMU that are located next to high capacity transit to be a part of a mixed-use walk-able community and not contribute to making the situation worse.”

(WALTER MARTINEZ/FOURTH ESTATE)

News

FOURTH ESTATE

Nov. 4, 2013

9

Mason pioneers online student discount store EVAN PETSCHKE BEAT REPORTER A student ID card offers discounts in various stores and shops across the country.

Shopping online, however, often lacks such conveniences.

Mason is the first school to partner with Affinity Discount Stores, Inc. to create an online discount mall specifically targeted toward students, offering a collection of the best discounts on the internet.

The Mason Discount Mall, which launched in September 2013, verifies customers are students upon registering through the National Clearing House. Once registered, students have immediate access to discounted products from name brand and mainstream stores and websites.

“We realized that students and other communities could get significant discounts in stores but not online because merchants could not prove that they were students,” said Glen Gulyas, chief operations officer of Affinity, who co-founded the site with CEO Mike Rowan. “What is unique about the site is that when students want to capitalize on the offered discounts, the site can verify them instantly through the National Clearinghouse to prove they are a registered student.”

Mason receives a portion of the profits made on every purchase through the store.

These proceeds will be used in various ways across campus.

“We will share more than we keep. Ultimately, the majority of the profits will go back to Mason,” Gulyas said.

The main idea of the store is to benefit students by offering them the best deals on the web while also putting money directly back into Mason.

“The intent is to return money back to do

“What is unique about the site is that when students want to capitalize on the offered discounts, the site can verify them instantly through the National Clearinghouse to prove they are a registered student.”

-Glen Gulyas, Chief Operations Officer of Affinity positive things in the community, and for us it is giving back to Mason through things such as scholarships,” said Mark Kraner, executive director of Campus Retail Operations and Auxiliary Enterprises.

The details regarding where Mason plans to allocate the proceeds have not yet been decided. Student Government has been recruited to take part in making these decisions.

“We have not yet met with Vice President Gregg Toney and Director Mark Kraner to discuss where exactly the money generated by purchases on the site will be going. However, scholarships for students is on option that is floating around between those involved in the decision-making process,” said Matt Short, secretary of University Studies for student government.

Those involved are currently looking into the best ways to decide the most effective use of the proceeds. They are considering the possibility of conducting polls in order to gather

The Mason Discount Mall provides discounts for students, with a portion of the proceeds going back to Mason. input from the rest of the student body.

The discount mall includes over 1,200 merchants, providing discounts on everything from textbooks to technology, clothing to makeup, travel deals and more. Some participants include Amazon, Best Buy, Forever 21, Sephora, Vans, Alex and Ani, Campus Contacts and Hilton Worldwide.

Aside from just students, discounts are available through the mall for parents, faculty, staff and alumni.

“Most merchants are happy to offer the same discounts to faculty, staff and parents.

Anyone can use the store, and everyone who uses it directly supports Mason,” Gulyas said.

The site also offers buy-back options, where people can sell used items back to the site and collect credit in return. As part of certain dis-

counts, customers may also receive cash back.

Customers can either keep this cash or donate it back into the Mason fund.

All of the merchants offer the same products through www.masondiscounts.com that they would through their own individual website.

“I hope the site becomes a major success among the student body,” Short said. “It is a win-win all around for students, as they get the full student discounts on sites, they get cash back, the university gets a share of the profits to be put towards an area of the student’s choosing, and it provides a market place for different companies to compete for student business.”

FREE TICKETS FOR MASON STUDENTS! THE VISION SERIES College Athletics in the United States Craig Esherick, speaker November 4 at 7:30 p.m. FREE HC

KEYBOARD CONVERSATIONS® WITH JEFFREY SIEGEL The Glory of Beethoven November 10 at 7 p.m.$19, $30, $38 CA 2 Free Tickets per ID avail. NOW

WORLD BLUES Featuring Taj Mahal November 15 at 8 p.m. $23 $38, $46 CA 2 Free Tickets per ID avail. Nov. 5

JAZZ 4 JUSTICE November 8 at 8 p.m. $20 adu., $15 stu./sen. CA 1 Free Ticket per ID avail. NOW

MFA THESIS EXHIBITION: NAHID NAVAB November 11 – 15. FREE FG

JAZZ 4 JUSTICE November 15 at 8 p.m. $20 adu., $15 stu./sen. HC 1 Free Ticket per ID avail. Nov. 5

PARSONS DANCE November 9 at 8 p.m. $23, $38, $46 CA 1 Free Ticket per ID avail. NOW

CA CENTER FOR THE ARTS

MASON DANCE COMPANY: FALL CONCERT November 14, 15, 16 at 8 p.m.

November 15 at 2 p.m. $15 adu., $10 stu./sen. HT 1 Free Ticket per ID avail. Nov. 5

FG FINE ART GALLERY

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

Center for the Arts

FAIRFAX

HUNGARIAN STATE FOLK ENSEMBLE Hungarian Rhapsody November 16 at 8 p.m. $30, $38, $46 HC 2 Free Tickets per ID avail. Nov. 5

MFA THESIS EXHIBITION: STEVEN SKOWRON November 18-22 FREE FG

MASON WIND SYMPHONY: GRADUATE CONDUCTORS CONCERT WASHINGTON SYMPHONIC BRASS November 19 at 8 p.m. $10 adu., $5 stu./sen. CA From Bach to Classic Rock November 17 at 4 pm.

1 Free Ticket per ID avail. Nov. 5 $22, $36, $44 CA SITI COMPANY- Café Variations FAIRFAX SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA 2 Free Tickets per ID avail. Nov. 5 November 22 at 8 p.m.

November 16 at 8 p.m.

JAZZ WORKSHOP CONCERT $22, $36, $44 CA $25, $45, $60 CA 1 Free Ticket per ID avail. Nov. 5 November 18 at 8 p.m. FREE HT 2 Free Tickets per ID avail. Nov. 12

HC HYLTON CENTER

HT HARRIS THEATRE

7 0 3 - 9 9 3 - 7 7 5 9 o r h y l t o n c e n t e r. o r g / s t u d e n t s

Hylton Performing Arts Center PRINCE WILLIAM

10

Nov. 4, 2013

News

FOURTH ESTATE

(KATRYNA HENDERSON/FOURTH ESTATE)

Professor and political analyst predicts McAuliffe to win governor’s race JULLIANE WOODSON STAFF WRITER As Election Day approaches, members of the Mason community are eagerly watching the polls to get an inkling of who will win Virginia’s gubernatorial election – Dr. Michael McDonald first among them. His pick to win?

Terry McAuliffe, the Democratic candidate for governor.

“Polling indicates that McAuliffe has an eight point percentage lead if we look at the average of all the polls. There’s some variation around that, but on ballots we expect McAuliffe to prevail on election day,” said McDonald, an associate professor of Public and International Affairs and a well-recognized political analyst.

Nothing is set in stone, however. The race has been tough for both McAuliffe and Ken Cuccinelli, his Republican opponent. Both candidates suffer from poor favorability ratings and a slew of ethical issues.

Although McAuliffe is predicted to win, McDonald sees this election as hinging on voters’ opinions on Cuccinelli.

“If you look at the dynamics of this election, those people who are supporting Cuccinelli actually do like him,” McDonald said. “People who are supporting McAuliffe, they like him as well, but when you drill down and ask them why they’re voting, what you see is that people are saying their vote is against Cuccinelli.

What this race has become is a referendum on Cuccinelli.”

McDonald considers Cuccinelli to be a

lightning rod, attracting extreme disdain from his opponents and extreme devotion from his supporters.

As for the Libertarian Party candidate, Robert Sarvis, McDonald observed that Sarvis seems to be drawing support from both candidates, yet he tends to draw more votes from Cuccinelli than from McAuliffe. Sarvis offers those Republicans that are unhappy with Cuccinelli an alternative other than McAuliffe, who would be unlikely to gain their vote.

However, McDonald doesn’t see Sarvis as having a great impact on the election outcome. Sarvis is drawing around ten percentage points, not enough to win an election.

“Typically, minor party candidates don’t win a lot of votes. Often what we see is minor party support evaporates when we get to elec-

tion day,” McDonald said.

However, Sarvis’ finish could be vitally important for future Libertarian campaigns. If Sarvis gets ten percent of the vote, Libertarians will automatically receive ballot positions in future Virginia elections.

As for voter turnout, McDonald expects it to be around 25 percent or lower for young people. He encourages students to get informed and be more active in the political process.

“If you care about your school, if you care about the quality of your education then you should become informed about the positions of the candidates. They’re the ones that are going to help determine policies and the sort of learning environment you’re going to have at George Mason,” McDonald said.

FOURTH ESTATE ENERGY/ ENVIRONMENT Cuccinelli has strongly opposed Environmental Protection Agency regulation. He is a strong supporter of the coal industry, wants to prevent energy taxation and plans to increase Virginia’s investment in the extraction of natural gas. He is a climate change skeptic and used his position as attorney general to question climate scientist Michael Mann from the University of Virginia about environmental data Cuccinelli claimed was skewed.

McAuliffe plans to create more clean energy jobs by investing in wind technologies such as offshore wind energy turbines.

“The fact that he believes in climate change is a big deal. That’s a really positive step towards a lot of the issues we’re facing,” said Laura Field, co-president of Mason’s College Democrats.

McAuliffe plans to ensure air quality and water supply, protect the Chesapeake Bay and protect coastal communities by investing in coastline research. McAuliffe plans to ensure local control of fracking.

HEALTHCARE

Cuccinelli opposes the Affordable Care Act and subsequent Medicaid expansion.

During his time as Attorney General, he was the first to file a lawsuit arguing the healthcare law as unconstitutional.

Cuccinelli currently supports a full repeal of the Affordable Care Act. Cuccinelli would like the healthcare system to be more heavily influenced by doctors and families instead of the government.

McAuliffe is a supporter of the Affordable Care Act and plans to tackle the healthcare changes directly by working with local healthcare providers.

He supports the expansion of Medicaid because he said this expansion would bring 33,000 jobs to Virginia. He plans to provide comprehensive workforce training for new workers in order to smoothly transition to this new healthcare system.

News

THE ISSUES CHELSEA MORRIS STAFF WRITER

Nov. 4, 2013

11

SOCIAL ISSUES Cuccinelli opposes abortions unless the life of the mother is at risk.

He believes that marriage should be between a man and a woman and supports the ban on gay marriage that was voted into the Virginia Constitution in 2006. Cuccinelli is also a supporter of the VA anti-sodomy law.

TERRY MCAULIFFE

KEN CUCCINELLI

DEMOCRAT

REPUBLICAN

Terry McAuliffe formerly served as chairman for the Democratic National Convention and worked on Bill Clinton’s 1996 reelection campaign and Hillary Clinton’s 2008 presidential campaign. He is currently the Democratic candidate for governor in Virginia’s gubernatorial election.

Ken Cuccinelli spent eight years as a Republican member of the Senate of Virginia, is the current Attorney General for Virginia and is now running as the GOP candidate for governor in the Virginia gubernatorial election.

McAuliffe has been quoted saying that he would sign a bill overturning Virginia’s ban on gay marriage if it came to his desk.

He supports existing Virginia laws where abortion is legal and opposes any sort of personhood legislation.

“A welcoming Virginia is a Virginia that brings in more jobs,” Adamczewski said. “When you have a governor who is accepting to the LGBTQ community and would be willing to consider, when it came down to the state level, trying to push for a reversal of the Marshall Newman amendment more people are going to want to move to Virginia.”

JOBS/ ECONOMY

TRANSPORTATION

HIGHER EDUCATION

Cuccinelli stresses the importance of affordability and accountability within his higher education platform.

“Ken has said that he wants to keep education in Virginia affordable and keep it of a high quality,” said Joseph Caladera, senior president of the College Republicans. “That doesn’t necessarily mean provide the lowest-cost education possible but keep it affordable and get your bang for your buck.”

McAuliffe believes that in order to strengthen the higher education system, Virginia must invest more in community colleges and workforce development programs.

He intends on keeping tuition low and financial aid high. He said he will address the increasing cost of tuition and invest more in education with the savings that come from the expansion of Medicaid coverage.

Cuccinelli plans to reduce the individual income tax to 5 percent and the business income tax from 6 to 4 percent. Caladera said that a key component of Cuccinelli’s economic plan is to “keep taxes low so people have more money in their pockets to go out and spend and help the economy.

The more money the people have, the more power the people have.”

His “Economic Growth and Virginia Jobs Plan” also includes a provision for a small business tax relief commission to eliminate outdated exemptions and loopholes.

McAuliffe plans to invest in clean energy jobs and believes that investing in education and transportation will bring more jobs to Virginia. McAuliffe plans to encourage job growth, by making the creation of clean energy jobs a priority.

“Virginia, compared to the other states, is doing very well with its budget but when you have a sector that’s growing so much as clean energy you’re definitely going to bring in a lot of jobs and in areas where things like manufacturing have been outsourced,” said Megan Adamczewski, co-president of Mason Democrats.

Cuccinelli opposed the landmark transportation bill signed by Gov. Robert McDonald (R) this year. He instead proposes that transportation authority be delegated out to local and county governments.

The proposal would diminish VDOT power and put authority in local hands concerning congestion, road capacity and the maintenance of secondary roads.

McAuliffe supported the landmark transportation bill signed by Gov. Robert McDonald (R) this year. He plans to pursue similar bipartisan policy when approaching future transportation problems.

He also believes that Virginia infrastructure is inefficient and outdated, so investments need to be made in a more modern, efficient system.

12

Nov. 4, 2013

News

FOURTH ESTATE

Changes to Ultimate Meal Plan cause confusion ALEXA ROGERS STAFF WRITER Mason students with the “Ultimate” meal plan may be in for a shock the next time they try to swipe in their friends at Southside.

Students still have unlimited access to Southside, but they will only be able to swipe their ID card once every 30 minutes. The change was made after the Mason Card office noticed that students were sharing their meal swipes at Southside with their friends.

Sean Kelly, a freshman finance major, discovered this change after he tried to use an extra swipe to bring one of his friends into Southside two weeks ago. The cashier told him that he could not share his swipes and that he could not swipe his card again for another 30 minutes.

Neither the Mason Card Office nor Mason Dining had informed Kelly in any way that the change had been made to his plan.

According to the Mason Card Office website, the Ultimate meal plan includes unlimited entry into Southside exclusively and $100 in Bonus Funds. The website does not display any rules for how to use meal plans, such as if swipes can be shared amongst peers.

“The Ultimate meal plan is for a single person to use as often as they wish but has no sharing available. This is not a change from past years,” Mark Kraner, executive director of retail operations at Mason Auxiliary Enterprises, said in an email.

Trevor Autry, a freshman psychology major, also experienced issues with his ID card when he tried to swipe his friends into Southside last week. A manager informed him that sharing meal swipes was not supposed to be allowed with the Ultimate meal plan, but that the computer system continued to let it happen.

According to Kraner, a new software program called Atrium was implemented for Mason ID cards in August. The software was supposed to deactivate the sharing feature on meal plans starting at the beginning of the school year. When it was recently discovered that the program was allowing students with the Ultimate meal plan to swipe numerous people in at a time, the Mason ID Card Office officially deactivated the sharing feature.

Kraner said that the lack of communication between Dining Services and students with the Ultimate meal plan was an “oversight.”

“The card office staff corrected the programming and did not reach out to the students because they felt that the plan was working as designed,” Kraner said.

Both Kelly and Autry consulted the Mason Card Office about their experiences and were able to change their plans to the 19 Meal Flex plan.

“I’m still a little angry about it. I paid for the Ultimate meal plan and [had to change it] to the 19 meals per week…they didn’t reimburse my Bonus Funds either,” Autry said.

(JOHN IRWIN/FOURTH ESTATE)

Some students with the ultimate meal plan were frustrated that Mason dining failed to inform them of the new policy.

Kraner said that sharing has never been allowed with the Ultimate meal plan, citing the price of meal swipes as the main reason.

“With [sharing of the Ultimate meal plan] a person could invite the entire campus for every meal,” Kraner said.

Jorge Negron, a freshman global affairs major, originally heard about the changes during conversation with friends. He initially dismissed the change as gossip. However, after continuing to hear about them, he decided to look into the changes late last week.

“The upsetting change is not being able to swipe for other friends [at Southside],” Negron said. “If this is a true and permanent change, I find it upsetting considering on-campus freshmen are required to have a meal plan paid before the start of the school year.”

Katie Wilkins, a sophomore psychology major, believes that students should be able to use their own discretion with their meal plans.

Though Wilkins is on the 10 Meal Flex Plan, she thinks it’s unfair she has to have one at all.

“We’re forced to get meal plans [and] they’re my meal plans. I should be able to use them how I want,” Wilkins said.

Despite the recent changes to the Ultimate meal plan, Kraner still believes it is a worthwhile choice for students that enjoy smaller meals.

“The ultimate plan was designed for those that wanted to eat smaller meals more often during the day,” Kraner said.

However, students are not as easily convinced.

“It was an abrupt change,” Kelly said. “They could have handled it better.”

$1,975

Check out the online version of this story at gmufourthestate. com and join the conversation. http://www.gmufourthestate. com/content/changes-ultimate-meal-plan-cause-confusion-among-students

the cost of one semester’s Ultimate meal plan

FOURTH ESTATE

Lifestyle

Nov. 4, 2013

13

L.A. Theatreworks brings “The Graduate” with a radio-style twist

(PHOTOS COURTESY OF MATT PETIT)

The Graduate is the raunchy, stark story of a young man attempting to fit into the functioning adult world, only to meet the Robinsons.

GENEVIEVE HOELER ONLINE LIFESTYLE EDITOR L.A.. Theatre Works presents “The Graduate” which reveals the other, darkly comedic side of college graduation at the Center for the Arts.

“The Graduate” was originally a novel that was adapted into the famous Dustin Hoffman movie in 1967. The novel was also adapted for the stage by Terry Johnson in the West End before coming to Broadway in 2002.

L.A. Theatre Works adapts the stage version of “The Graduate" into a “unique hybrid radio theater-style,” according to their recent press release.

The producing director for L.A. Theatre Works, Susan Loewenberg, said, “We thought this would be a wonderful comedy to take out on the road. It's the kind of thing where the title is well-known from the movie but it's one of those plays that's not overdone and hasn't been seen a million times. It's very close to the movie, but it's not exactly the movie.”

Matthew Arkin, who plays Mr. Robinson in the touring production said, “It's really a hybrid because this is sort of a lost art form in this country. L.A. Theatre Works is one of the only theaters doing old classics and

contemporary classics and preserving them in this form. In the old days when all we had was radio, they often recorded in front of audiences.”

“When we tour around the country, we take a play we've already recorded and do it in the same manner that we do it in Los Angeles—where we record a play in front of the audience—but when we do it [in L.A.], it is certainly not as elaborate as when we do it on the road,” Loewenberg said.

The visual production value is greater for the shows L.A. Theatre Works tours with.

“It's a highly theatrical version of what we do in Los Angeles. We can't be as free with the microphones and with everything else [in L.A.] because we're very concerned about getting a good recording,” Loewenberg said.

There are costumes, set pieces and fixtures and the actors have no scripts like they typically do in the radio format.

The only reminder that this is a radio play comes from the microphones which are situated in front of the audience, downstage, and from the sound effects the actors make throughout the play.

For the tour, rehearsals are slightly longer and more elaborate as well.

“We rehearse initially the way we would rehearse a regular play. The actors will look at each other so we feel that connection in the scene and so we can figure out what the scene is about,” Arkin said. “But when the microphones are brought in, everything is done straight out. So if we are acting a scene where we're having an argument or a passionate lover's quarrel, we're both facing straight out. The audience is seeing us front-on even though we're still arguing with each other. It's like the audience is watching it in split-screen.

It's a heightened reality.”

"The Graduate" is a comedy for an older audience, but Mason students should be able to feel a distinct connection between the play and their own lives.

“The idea of suddenly going over this precipice where you've been coddled and protected by your parents for twenty-two years, then quite suddenly they say 'Okay, off you go!'

College is not the ticket that it once was. It's amazing; we've gotten to a point in our culture where [they say] 'Yes, you're going to get out of college—which everyone told you was the ticket—and now you're going to have to move back home because the best job you're going to find is Starbucks or working at Barnes and

Noble,'” Arkin said.

This play casts a comedic but somewhat realistic light on how life will feel after graduation.

“I think it will speak to students. It's when you're coming to the end of your four years in which you've been in a cocoon relative to what you're going to face when you get out,” Loewenberg said. “And when you come to the end of that I think it's an adjustment for people. You're trying to get a job, go to graduate school, get an internship before graduate school, but you have to face the reality of 'Okay, I'm out there. I'm a grown up now.

I have to make some really tough decisions.'”

This story was originally published on gmufourthestate.com

14

Lifestyle

Nov. 4, 2013

Fourth estate

Mason Makes Careers Each week Fourth Estate features a student or alumnus with a great internship or job to highlight the opportunities a degree from Mason can provide MARY OAKEY ASSISTANT LIFESTYLE EDITOR Emily Haslebacher is a senior government and international policies major. She had an internship over the summer for eight weeks in which she worked for the British Parliament under Emily Thornberry, a member of Parliament who also sits on the Cabinet.

Did you find the program through Mason or on your own?

I actually picked up a flyer about it my freshman year just outside of the global education office and I thought about it for a while.

I compared and contrasted the different programs and decided that it was the program I wanted to do because I could get class credit for it and I could graduate early. They told me that I could get any internship I wanted.

When did you apply for the program and how were you paired for your internship?

You apply to get accepted into the program and once you get accepted into the program, you then send in a cover letter which tells a company over in London about you, what you want to do, what kind of major you have, what kind of internship you are looking for, what your experience is and what you are looking to get out of the program.

Then the company called Inglobal Education takes your cover letter and they start to ask around with the different employers that they have done business with and they can send your cover letter to and then you get matched up with an employer and then that is the company that you have your internship with.

You are guaranteed an internship no matter what.

I worked from 10-3. Some days I would work in Westminster Palace where actual parliament takes place, but then some days I would work in the Constituency Office.

What type of work did they have you do?

Your duties depend on where you are working. If I was in the constituency office I would be responding to mail from people that vote for Emily, from the people that she represents.

We had a major problem with mice over the summer, so I got a lot of emails, lots of phone calls about mice so that is what I would do in the constituency office and then when I worked in Westminster I would work on policy.

I would write back to constituents about different policies that Emily had final voting on, the way that Emily did vote and the way that Emily viewed a policy.

I could write to other members of parliament to get their support on things. Daily work was that we would come in in the morning, make a cup of tea for everyone in the office, go upstairs and turn on all the computers in the office.

Typically we would have a big stack of actual hard mail from the night before so we would copy those into the scanner, make sure they were filed properly in the computer system and the filing cabinet that we had and then you would start responding.

Who did you shadow in Parliament?

Emily Thornberry is both a member of parliament and she sits on the Shadow Cabinet so I worked for her.

How many days did you intern for and how long was your program?

My program was eight weeks. You work three days a week during normal business hours.

What was one of your most exciting moments while interning?

I got to go on a field trip one day and drop off questions for the Prime Minister and we actually had to go and drop off the questions in the Prime Minister’s Office.

Emily Haslebacher in a phone booth in London during her summer internship (Photo Courtesy of Emily Haslebacher)

Fourth estate

Lifestyle

Pumpkin spice lifestyle

Nov. 4, 2013

15

MEET THE AUTHOR

QASIM RASHID author of The Wrong Kind of Muslim

(COLLEEN WILSON/FOURTH ESTATE)

COLLEEN WILSON EDITOR-IN-CHIEF I love pumpkin. Pumpkin everything. Each fall, I go nuts with pumpkin baking, cooking and all around eating.

Soup, cake, ice cream, pie and pancakes, you name it, I’ve tried it. So when I found a recipe for these pumpkin spice latté cupcakes,

I knew I had to give it a try.

Though my love for pumpkin is undying, the idea of coffee-flavored baked goods was a little unnerving. I’ve always found coffee flavorings to be much too strong, but to my surprise, the flavors melded perfectly and were subtly sweet and strong.

I really liked the simple light whipped cream sweetened with a touch of confectioners sugar in lieu of the usual heavy cream cheese frosting you find with pumpkin products.

With the drizzle of caramel sauce, the cakes were dead ringers for their $5-per-cup liquid counterparts. I almost wish I had miniature green straws and tiny paper cups to complete the Starbucks look.

Come and meet the author of “The Wrong Kind of Muslim” Qasim Rashid at our event “Persecution of Women and Minorities in the Muslim World.” Qasim is a leading voice for young muslims, CNN describes him as “an effective source on a wide range of religious issues” When:

Thursday November ber 7, 2013

Where: George Mason University on Uni Univ versity ve t ty Mason Hall RM D003 4400 University Dr.r.r Fairfax, VA 22030 Time:

6:30 PM to 9:00 PM

RSVP:

register at http://goo.gl/i8j4Hc

Email

nvapublicevent@gmail.com

Refreshments will be served. ed ed.

RISK MANAGEMENT WEEK DAILY TIPS

Pumpkin spice latté cupcakes Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease cupcake tin.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, espresso powder, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt. Stir together and set aside. In a separate bowl, blend together the pumpkin, granulated sugar, brown sugar and oil. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. With the mixture on low speed, add the flour mixture in two additions, mixing just until incorporated.

Fill cupcake tins about three-quarters full. Bake until the cupcakes have risen and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, or about 18-20 minutes.

Transfer the pans to a wire rack and let cool for 10 minutes.

To make the frosting, place the heavy cream in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachFor the frosting: ment. Whip on medium-low speed at first, gradually 2 1/4 cups heavy cream, chilled increasing to high speed. Blend in the confectioners’ 1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar sugar gradually. Whip until stiff peaks form, being careful not to over-beat. Use a pastry bag fitted with To finish: a star tip to frost the cooled cupcakes. Sprinkle with Pumpkin pie spice pumpkin pie spice. To shape the whipped topping, Caramel sauce freeze before drizzling with hot caramel sauce. Serve frozen or de-thawed.

INGREDIENTS For the cupcakes: 2 2/3 cups flour 3 tbsp. instant coffee 2 tsp. baking soda 2 tsp. baking powder 1 tsp. ground cinnamon 1/4 tsp. pumpkin pie spice 1 tsp. salt 1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin puree 1 cup sugar 1 cup brown sugar 1 cup canola or vegetable oil 4 large eggs

Monday - Risk Management is everyone's job, all year long.

Effective Risk Tuesday - When two cars collide, we can guide.

Vehicle accidents should be reported to the Management helps police and The Office of Risk Management. protect people, Wednesday - Don't leave it around, or it won't be operations, and found. Small electronic items should be resources , placed in a secured desk drawer or cabinet allowing campuses when not in use. to meet their Thursday - Property Loss? contact us. Inventory missions. your department's property regularly. All Brought to you by The Office of Risk Management

property loss, damaged, or stolen should be promptly reported to The Office of Risk Management.

Friday - Use a Spotter, or you'll end up on the police blotter. Passengers should be used as spotters anytime backing is necessary.

The Bottom Line? Campus risk management is everyone's job, all year long.

Help us create a culture of risk management!

The Office of Risk Management

www.risk.gmu.edu

Phone: 703-993-2599

Fax: 703-993-2339

e-mail: risk@gmu.edu



Nov. 4, 2013

Colleen Wilson Editor-In-Chief gmufourthestate@gmail.com

Opinion

Pro-choice movement’s Boogieman

Andrew Stevenson Managing Editor

Niki Papadogiannakis News Editor

Janelle Germanos News Editor

Mary Oakey Asst. Lifestyle Editor

Will Rose Opinion Editor

Hau Chu Sports Editor

Daniel Gregory Asst. Sports Editor

John Irwin

Photography Editor

Walter Martinez Design Editor

Jill Carter Copy Chief

Katryna Henderson Illustrator

Kathryn Mangus Faculty Advisor

David Carroll Associate Director Fourth Estate operates as a publication of Broadside.

Fourth Estate is printed each Monday for George Mason University and its surrounding Fairfax Community. The editors of Fourth Estate have exclusive authority over the content that is published.

There are no outside parties that play a role in the newspaper’s content, and should there be a question or complaint regarding this policy, the Editor-in-Chief should be notified at the email listed above.

Fourth Estate is a free publication, limit one copy per person. Additional copies are 25 cents payable to the Office of Student Media.

Mail Fourth Estate George Mason University Mail stop 2C5 4400 University Drive Fairfax, Va. 22030 Phone 703-993-2950

FOURTH ESTATE

MICHAEL GRYBOSKI COLUMNIST Late October is the season for frightful imagery, tales of boogiemen and monsters under the bed.

Efforts by people to scare themselves and others have entered the political realm as well.

Enter Elvira Razzano’s column last week portraying Republican gubernatorial candidate Ken Cuccinelli as an “anti-woman” menace to society.

As with other ideological enemies of Cuccinelli, Razzano portrays the conservative politician as anti-female due to his staunchly pro-life views.

“Ken Cuccinelli poses a severe threat to Virginia women, especially college women, who tend to utilize the services he threatens more than most,” wrote Razzano, adding that Cuccinelli’s policy ideas are “based off of a partisan agenda.”

This is an ironic claim for the author to make given that to buttress her arguments against Cuccinelli she cites nothing but partisan sources. These include the left-leaning Center for American Progress, the avidly pro-choice organization NARAL and the Guttmacher Institute, which has historical ties to the Planned Parenthood Federation of America.

As a result, much of what was argued by the author has already been corrupted by a partisan lens, including the claims about Cuccinelli threatening birth control access.

Razzano echoed anti-Cuccinelli rhetoric from the campaign trail when she claimed that in 2007 while a state senator, Cuccinelli sponsored a “Personhood Amendment” that would have “outlawed” many birth control methods.

According to Politifact, a fact-checking website that has weathered its share of liberal bias allegations, this claim against Cuccinelli, found in several attack ads,

received a “pants on fire” rating on the site’s “Truth-o-Meter.”

Politifact said the claim hails from a Washington Post editorial that argued that the Personhood Amendment would have “provided an opening” to ban certain forms of birth control.

Outside of speculative claims by some, no solid evidence was ever produced proving Cuccinelli specifically advocated for banning all or even some birth control methods.

Lack of evidence, of course, never stops people from saying or writing things to malign public figures.

Neither, when making various vicious claims against someone, do other possible factors come into play when describing past events.

In her column, Razzano blamed Cuccinelli’s policy efforts for the closure of two abortion clinics in Virginia, one in Hampton Roads and the other in Fairfax County. Dubbing the actions “reprehensible,” Razzano did not bother to mention the other issues these clinics had.

First, there is the one in Hampton Roads. Known as the Hillcrest Clinic, Amy Jeter of the Virginian-Pilot reported in April that the closure was not just because of increased standards, but because of a “a drop in demand

for pregnancy terminations.”

“Costs of supplies and staffing have risen…while the number of women seeking to end their pregnancies has declined,” wrote Jeter.

Second, there is the Fairfax County clinic, known as NOVA Women’s Healthcare.

Reportedly the busiest clinic in all the Commonwealth, for her own reasons Razzano opted to not mention that the facility had long been dealing with legal issues regarding its conditions.

Tom Jackman of the Washington Post reported NOVA had legal problems regarding rent issues and questions surrounding the supposed care they were providing.

“In addition, the filings said, NOVA clients had been seen regularly inside the building ‘lying down in corridors . . . and, in some instances, even vomiting.’

One filing said witnesses would testify that this was a daily occurrence,” wrote Jackman.

That the author overlooked these and other shortcomings of the clinics regarding their care quality showcases the same type of mindset that let nightmares like Pennsylvania’s Kermit Gosnell get away with horrible ethical violations for years.

And while a Gosnell reference may be clichéd, fact is there are

Cartoon Corner

others throughout the country only now being held accountable because of the rush of new regulations.

The author sought to portray Cuccinelli, who, while a student at the University of Virginia, vigorously campaigned against on-campus sexual violence, as anti-woman. This reasoning is constructed upon the assumption that to be anti-abortion is to be anti-female.

This would be a strange reasoning for nearly half of women in America, according to a Pew Research report published in January around the 40th anniversary of Roe v. Wade.

In a survey of over 1,500 adults, Pew found that 49 percent of female respondents found abortion “morally wrong,” which was actually slightly more than male respondents who totaled 45 percent.

There is no question that Cuccinelli is strongly pro-life, or as some may say, extremely anti-choice.

But to claim him to be anti-female based on biased sources, poorly organized correlations and false attack ads is just plain wrong and blatantly misleading.

Everyone has to have a boogieman, especially apparently during this time of All Hallows’ Eve.

by Leilani Romero

FOURTH ESTATE

Sports

Nov. 4, 2013

17

Women’s soccer reflects on first season in A-10

(MAURICE C. JONES/FOURTH ESTATE)

HAU CHU SPORTS EDITOR The Mason women’s soccer team was relaxed but focused as they started practice the day before leaving for Philadelphia for their last two games of the regular season.

The team was getting ready to take on Saint Joseph’s University and La Salle University, two Atlantic 10 opponents. While the team entered the weekend having won four of their last five games, the season had not come without its share of struggles.

“We had a really good start followed by a bit of a slump,” said Head Coach Diane Drake. “We had lost some players to injury and had a little bit of an emotional phase to the season, and we had to reconnect and find out who we were.”

In the first season in the new conference, the team has performed well in conference games. This season serves as a bounce back after finishing 3-6-1 in conference play and 7-11-1 in their final season in the Colonial Athletic Association.

The team is hoping to cement its improved conference play by

making a run in the A-10 tournament, which runs from Nov. 7-10 in Richmond. Despite the A-10 tournament on the horizon, the team was focused on their final two opponents on the schedule.

“You can’t look ahead [to the conference tournament],” Drake said. “You can talk about it, but you can only worry about the next game on your schedule.”

Drake believes that the team has now regained enough healthy players to be considered one of the top teams in the conference healthwise and is hoping to use its depth and healthy bench to tough out the fast A-10 tournament schedule turnaround.

The team attributes its success this year to their ability to control games defensively.

“Our defense started out really strong and now our defense is even stronger than it was right out of the gate,” Drake said. “Just making better decisions and linked in as a unit all the way, front to back.”

The numbers back the thoughts of the team. This is the first year that the women’s soccer team has had seven or more shutouts in a season

since 2009, when the team posted 10 shutouts.

Senior goalkeeper Lyndse Hokanson credited the players in front of her for the team’s success in keeping the opposition off the scoreboard.

“I have the fortune of getting credited with shutouts and a lot of times I think it’s pretty unfair because a shutout is a team effort,” Hokanson said. “And so I’ve contributed saves here and there but that is to complement the effort of our backs and the rest of team this year in a defending mentality.”

Mason is in the middle of the pack in the A-10 at number 6 of 13 teams in goals allowed with 23.

Coach Drake knew before the year started that the team would have to play a tight, defensive style of game to succeed.

“It clearly felt like that we said [in the preseason] we were going to be one of the stingiest defensive units around,” Drake said. “And we weren’t really sure exactly where we were going to get the goals from — you know, we were losing our leading goal scorer for several years.”

Both players and coach agreed that for Mason to make a deep run in the A-10 tournament, the team needed to pick up their game on the offensive side of the ball.

“We’ve got to score more goals.

We’ve had a lot of close games of late, one goal games, some in our favor some not in our favor,” Hokanson said. “We’ve defended well and we’ve created opportunities, we just haven’t been able to put them in the back of the net.

While Hokanson has been content with the quality of scoring chances generated, some of the difficulties on offense can be attributed to generating a quantity of shots, where Mason ranks 12th in the conference with 175 shots.

In addition to finishing on the scoring chances they do create, junior defender Paige Babel believes the team needs to work on their setups in offensive sequences.

“We’re fine-tuning our possession and our final pass to goal,” Babel said.

The responsibility to control the offense on the field falls in large part with senior midfielder Jazmin Cardoso, who is seen by her teammates and coaches as the calming presence on the field. Her pace with the ball determines Mason’s play and tempo.

“Coach is like, ‘Jazmin, you need

to relax the team, you need to calm them down, bring the ball down and keep the ball,’ and I think that’s one of the biggest roles I have on the team,” Cardoso said.

While Mason has had success in conference play, the out of conference opponents have dented the team’s overall record, due in part to the tough schedule, where the team fell to then-ranked University of Maryland and the regular season champions of the CAA, James Madison University, and the Northeast Conference, Saint Francis University.

“You’re talking about a lot of teams that are successful in their own right and getting a chance to make that cross and play with the best of other conferences shows that has obviously translated well to us coming into the A-10,” Hokanson said.

Looking forward to the A-10 tournament, Cardoso and her team want to control the pace of games and echo Coach Drake’s desires to play more consistently.

“I think just playing the same level throughout the whole game,” Cardoso said. “And not having ups and downs like we have had throughout the season and not letting the other team dictate how we play.”

18

Nov. 4, 2013

Sports

Fourth estate

(JOHN IRWIN/FOURTH ESTATE)

All-Star Classic brings world-class wrestling to Mason HAU CHU SPORTS EDITOR For one eventful evening, Mason was the center of the college wrestling world.

On Saturday, Nov. 2, Mason and the Patriot Center played host to the 48th annual National Wrestling Coaches Association’s All-Star Classic.

“For our program, [the event] gives us great exposure, it puts us on the national scene,” said Mason head wrestling coach Joe Russell.

“A who’s who of wrestling will be here and I think that’s great for our program and building insight [into the program].”

Coach Russell thinks that the event will help Mason recruit wrestlers and give them name recognition that they currently lack.

“A lot of the times I call recruits now, they’re not sure if we’re Division I or not,” Russell said.

“I have to assure them we’re Division I, we’re the same division as Penn State. I have to tell them where we’re located, especially [recruits] out of the area.”

The All-Star Classic itself was a pre-season exhibition showcase that featured the top collegiate wrestlers from around the nation.

Coach Russell said that the event initially started as a postseason all-star showcase, then moved to a mid-season event and finally

settled as a pre-season event to preview the collegiate wrestling season.

The event this year was structured like a boxing or mixed martial arts match, where there was an ‘undercard’ and a main event.

The main event featured seven defending NCAA champion wrestlers and nine of ten current number one-ranked wrestlers in the nation. The All-Star Classic is unusual because it featured some wrestlers moving up a weight class to fight other nationally-recognized opponents. Such fluidity occurs because the event is an exhibition and not counted toward official NCAA records.

The final match of the night came in the 149-pound weight class matchup, where twotime NCAA champion wrestler Logan Stieber of Ohio State University moved up a weight class to take on the defending champion of the weight class, Kendric Maple of Oklahoma University.

Stieber and Maple traded points back and forth and wrestled to a final tiebreaker. Stieber was able to ride out -- where a wrestler maintains the start position for 30 seconds -- Maple in the tiebreaker to earn the victory.

The first part of the undercard highlighted the global community of wrestling and its return to status as an Olympic sport in 2020 and 2024. Junior World Champion Kyle Snyder

from Maryland defeated Canadian Yiannis Narlidis, 10-0. Helen Maroulis, also from Maryland, defeated Marcia Andrades from Venezuela, 8-0.

The second half of the undercard was meant to showcase local collegiate wrestlers. David Terao of American University defeated Chris Donaldson, a Division III All-American from Ursinus College, 7-5.

The match of interest to Mason fans involved Mason sophomore Sahid Kargbo, moving up a weight class to 149 pounds from his usual weight of 141 pounds just for this match, taking on Luke Bilyeu from West Chester University.

Kargbo fell behind early, 3-0, but scored a pin fall against Bilyeu, the only pin of the event, to end that match at the 5:33 mark.

Even though it was an exhibition match, Russell made sure Kargbo took the event seriously and used it as an experience to grow as a competitor under the national spotlight. “[Kargbo] is fun to watch and gets better every day,” Russell said. “You know, he looks at it as an opportunity to grow. We’re not taking it lightly, whenever you step out there you want to be ready to go.”

There are strict weight regulations in collegiate wrestling, and with Kargbo moving up a weight class, he will have to sit out for a couple of weeks before he can return to practices and

competitions. Russell is fine with paying that price if it means showcasing a Mason wrestler in such a major event.

“It’s not ideal, but to have him compete in this event, the positives far outweigh the negatives so we’ve definitely accepted it,” Russell said.

Mason and the Patriot Center were chosen to host this year’s NWCA All-Star Classic by the Greater Washington Wrestling Business Network. The group features local businessmen who were wrestlers in their youth careers.

The main event can be seen on two-week tape delay on the Fox College Sports network.

Local listings will provide the exact time to be determined.

Coach Russell and the wrestling team used the event as a fundraiser for the team and also as a means of re-connecting with Mason wrestling alumni. “[The event] is going to be great for our alumni; getting them back on campus, get them excited about us hosting this event,” Russell said. “Something we hope they’re proud that we’re hosting and kind of drawing them back into the program, which I think will be positive.”

Sports DG’s guide to a bangin’ tailgate Fourth estate

DANIEL GREGORY ASST. SPORTS EDITOR

With basketball season set to begin on Friday, time draws nearer to one of my favorite events on the Mason calendar: the Homecoming tailgate.

At many major universities with large athletic programs, students, alumni and fans consider the tailgate almost as important as the game. In some cases, non-sports fans go to a game just because of the tailgate.

Tailgating is a Community Thing Tailgates are always more fun with family and friends. They provide another excuse to get together with family and friends to enjoy good food and a few frothy brews.

People with season tickets tailgate with other people with season tickets. In cases like Mason when tailgates only occur once a year, groups still form to enjoy the opportunity.

Regardless, you want to surround yourself with people you want to spend several hours

with before watching your favorite team.

Whether it is through a borrowed bottle of mustard or an extra hamburger bun, chances are you will make friends with your tailgate neighbor. Everyone is a little friendlier after a few beers.

Tailgating is a Drinking Thing Tailgating is not all about drinking. Good food and good people hold their places at tailgates. But tailgating is a lot about drinking.

I don’t make the rules, I just play by them.

One of the largest tailgates in college football, the party before the Georgia Florida football game, is dubbed the world’s largest outdoor cocktail party. If drinking weren’t important, it would be called the world’s largest outdoor potluck.

From stall to stall, drinking games abound, especially at college tailgates. Do not be surprised to see tables for beer pong or flip cup or a full grown man do something juvenile like shotgun a beer or take a beer bong.

You may want to judge these men, but please honor the sanctity of the tailgate. This is the one place where they can behave like college kids again.

Any heavy drinking often leads to problems.

Sadly the occasional fight or drunken fool can ruin the otherwise merry ambiance. One piece of advice: don’t be “that guy” or “girl.”

Nov. 4, 2013

19

(PHOTO COURTESY OF JAKE MCLERNON)

Don’t be that girl who gets arrested. Don’t be that guy who starts a fistfight. Don’t be that girl or guy who passes out in the car before the game. You paid too much money to miss the game in the back of your car or a squad car.

You’re also a major buzzkill.

Make Your Tailgate a Success If you want to throw a bangin’ tailgate, I have a couple of tips for you.

First, make sure you have good food.

Whatever you make, make sure it’s awesome.

Feed people well, and they will want to come back and contribute. Cook hamburgers and hotdogs if you want, but make sure to cook them well. Be brave and mix it up. Try and pair your food with the opponent playing your

team. For example, if your team plays a team from Maryland, make some crab cakes.

Second, bring games. Whether you bring a cornhole set, a football or a table for flip cup, always have something to do other than just stand around and talk. You do not constantly have to be doing activities, but it is way better when you have the option.

Lastly, choose your group wisely. The best tailgates happen when you go with good friends and everyone contributes. Think to the advice given earlier. Could you imagine if you had to tailgate with “that guy” every weekend?

That just ruins the experience.

Start the countdown. 102 days until the 2014 homecoming tailgate .

On The Rim & Out The Door® Pricing Every Tire Includes: Shop Online @ currysauto.com Voted Best of NOVA

Oil Change

19

$

99*

GET FREE FREE FREE FREE

Oil & Filter Change Brake Inspection Tire Pressure Check Maintenance Inspection 4- Tire Rotation

*Includes up to 5 qts. of Conventional oil, new oil filter, chassis lube (where applicable), and free undercar inspection. Tire rotation has no cash value. An additional $2.50 filter or waste recycling fee applies in most areas. See ad legal. With this coupon. Most vehicles. Not valid with other offers. Additional charges may apply. See store for complete service details/conditions. Exp: 1/31/14

FREE Mounting FREE Balancing

FREE Valve Stems FREE Tire Disposal

FREE TPMS Transfer* FREE Alignment Check

PLUS, FREE LIFETIME ROTATIONS WITH ALL TIRES!

Scheduled Maintenance recommended %* • Factory scheduled maintenance.

10OFF

• Our service protects your factory warranty!

*See store for complete details. With this coupon. Most vehicles.

Not valid with other offers.Exp: 1/31/14

FAIRFAX 9909 MAIN STREET (703) 691-1091 OPEN WEEKDAYS 7AM TO 7:30PM | SAT: 8AM TO 4PM

Located at the intersection of Burke Station Road and Main Street behind Fairfax Motors.

Flat Tire Repair

FREE

*

Bring In Your Flat And We Will Patch & Re-Mount It For Free! *Limit 1 per person and or customer. Commercial or heavy duty vehicles are excluded. Additional charges may apply. See store for complete details. With this coupon. Most vehicles. Not valid with other offers. Does not cover rim leaks.

Exp: 1/31/14

tires from

49

$

99 installed!

*A 9.99% charge will be added to the retail list price of all service work, not on tires, not to exceed $39, and represents shop supply and equipment costs and profits (does not apply in New York). An additional $2.50 filter or waste recycling fee applies to oil changes (does not apply in New York). Additional parts, service & labor may be required at additional cost. Not responsible for typographical errors. Photos/art for illustration only. Prices with this ad only (tires, coupons and/or promotions) and do not include taxes. Promotions/coupons not valid with other offers and apply to most vehicles. Not all services and/or tires available at all locations. Certain restrictions and limitations apply. See store for complete details, including promotional and/or rebate information.

20

Sports

Nov. 4, 2013

Workout of the week Landmine shoulder press

MICHAEL SNOWDEN STAFF WRITER In each of the campus fitness facilities lies a piece of equipment waiting to take your workout in a different direction.

This tool is called the landmine, a rotational device that can be used to work the entire body.

Loading one side of your body engages your core and your glutes.

In addition to challenging your entire body, the landmine is safe. Using this equipment helps target the entire body with less weight stressing the joint than if the landmine was not used.

One of the simplest exercises to perform with this tool is the half-kneeling shoulder press. To perform this exercise, begin by grabbing the end of the barbell with your right hand and get down into a kneeling position with your right knee down on the ground and your left foot forward.

The next step is to bring the barbell down to your shoulder and then push it straight up in the air.

You can now bring the weight back to shoulder height to complete one repetition.

Throughout the exercise, brace your core tightly to prevent your body from leaning or rotating.

Fourth estate

IV

JOB OPENING. Fourth Estate is seeking a Lifestyle Editor. Preferred candidates will enjoy stories about the arts, health, fashion, food and the community. Please send a resume and writing samples to gmufourthestate@gmail.com

YO U R PA S S I O N + B U S I N E S S M I N O R = E X PA N D E D C A R E E R O P P O RT U N I T I E S

MINOR IN BUSINESS

som.gmu.edu/minor

Complement your major with the practical business skills you acquire in the Business Minor.

A basic understanding of finance, management, marketing, and information systems gives you a unique perspective that makes you more attractive to future employers.

SOMBusMinorAd.indd 1

9/26/13 2:39 PM