Broadside October 17 Issue by Student Media George Mason University

Broadside

Opinion Monday, October 17, 2011

Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down

Broadside

George Mason University’s Student Newspaper Gregory Connolly, Editor-in-Chief

Monika Joshi, Managing Editor Jared Barrale, Copy Chief Justin Lalputan, News Editor Ahsan Zaman, Asst. News Editor Jeff Giorgi, Opinion Editor Allison Smith, Asst. Opinion Editor Erin Powell, Style Editor Becca Noris, Asst. Style Editor Cody Norman, Sports Editor Pat Carroll, Asst. Sports Editor Stephen Kline, Photography Editor

Thumbs up to Mason Madness. That’s how you kick off a season.

Benjamin Shaffer, Copy Editor Xavia Warner, Copy Editor Jacquelyn Rioux, Copy Editor Lauren Ransom, Designer Michelle Buser, Designer Sana Bhatti, Designer Dylan Hares, Staff Reporter John Powell, Collegiate Athletics Liaison Jacques Mouyal, Business Manager Kathryn Mangus, Faculty Adviser David Carroll, Tech Adviser

Thumbs up to Parents Weekend. The staggering amount of people on campus showed just how much parents really cared.

Thumbs down to construction on 495. Maybe at some point in the next 50 years we won’t be able to say that.

The letters, columns and views expressed on this page are solely those of the writers. They do not reﬂect the views of Broadside or its staff, unless otherwise noted.

Thumbs down to Occupy Wall Street. Well, I mean I’m sure someone feels that way.

Broadside is a weekly publication printed each Monday for the George Mason University and surrounding Fairfax community. The editors at Broadside 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 editorin-chief should be notiﬁed at the information given above. Broadside is a free publication. Limit one copy per person. Each additional copy is 25 cents.

Le Reader Rage

The World Has Me Down It’s Hard To Write When Everything is Bleak I feel u n i n S spired this week. E Sure, the N world is I filled with O tons of R Opinion events Editor w o r t h writing about — Occupy Wall Street, the death of Steve Jobs, heck even the newest episode of “South Park” provided witty commentary that might be worth tackling — but I’m just not feeling it. Perhaps that’s because I’m far enough into the semester that I’m starting to feel burned out. Or, maybe it’s because writing about all the things wrong in this world on a weekly basis is just exhausting. This whole year, starting back in January, has just been like one long wak-

JEFF GIORGI

ing nightmare for the world and I think looks like more of the same. TwentyI’m just starting to become numb to it somethings demanding change and reform. Such a large movement based all. Earthquakes, crooked politicians, around such a small demographic. Why the slaughter of 77 people in Norway: At are we so divided? Religion, race, sexuality: It’s like some point, how can you not just choose we’re not meant to be a to put up a wall? I united people. We crefeel like we should Earthquakes, ated a world designed to honestly be gathercrooked politicians, segregate and now we ing supplies and the slaughter of 77 just resign ourselves to building bomb shelpeople in Norway: ters, so sad and dark fight over ending the At some point how disputes we’ve created. are the times we live can you not just But what are you in. choose to put up a going to do? Personally, I know I’m wall? I’m probably just going coming across as a Debbie Downer, but to keep going through it’s just how I’ve the motions, doing my best to not let the uglibeen feeling. I look at the protests going on in ness of the world overtake me. If that means just spending some of New York, and now D.C. and Norfolk, and just wonder what, if any, impact they my days on the couch with a case of beer will have. I feel like I should be excited and some video games — where I’ll unby the prospect of change, but it just doubtedly hear more racially and sexu-

‘Occupy’ is Far From United Amidst the Protests, No Voice Stands Out Allison smith s e n i o

Got a rage comic you want published in Broadside? Email opinion@broadsideonline.com

Don’t Miss an Issue! Check out Broadside each Monday. Distribution points include: Johnson Center Enterprise Hall Starbucks Robinson A Innovation Hall Student Union Building I Student Union Building II

Asst. Opinion Editor

McPherson Square in downtown D.C. was alive last weekend with protest signs and angry chants as more than 100 people took part in the Occupy Wall Street demonstrations spreading throughout the country. The edges of one end of the park were scattered with sleeping bags, blankets and cardboard signs, and the main sidewalk was complete with an information table, food supplies and a “take one, leave one” cigarette box. Most of the protesters gathered on the grass where organized “assembly meeting” speakers shouted scheduled times for various workshops about talking to the media and handling the police. The group would creepily repeat what another speaker was saying line-byline, and then shake their hands in the air in unison when they agreed with a speaker. But aside from the unorthodox collective mentality, their message was in no way uniﬁed. I was pleased to see veterans and military person-

nel in uniform holding antiwar signs. It brought back memories of the days when the antiwar movement actually existed. There were signs about everything from advocating free health care to demanding jobs and better pay. Some simply claimed they were the “99 percent” — the group that is not part of the wealthiest 1 percent — and wanted to end capitalism all together. I was surprised at how anti-government many of them were, but then demanded so many things from

I wondered how an individual could truly be free if the state could forcibly demand him to submit to such a society at gunpoint and have no freedom to make choices for himself. that same government as if it were God. One self-described socialist I spoke to claimed that we would achieve true freedom if only we could all have free education and health care handed to us by the government. His love for European-style socialism ran so deep that he apparently didn’t have time to think about the impending Euro and debt crisis ravaging Greece and many other European countries, brought on by the very

Want to share your opinion? Submit your letter to the editor or artwork to: opinion@broadsideonline.com

Note: Letters to the editor are welcome and are printed on the basis of space, quality and timeliness. All submissions are the property of Broadside and may be edited for brevity, clarity and grammar. Material containing libel, racial slurs, personal attacks or obscenities may be edited or rejected. The author’s name, class year (and/or title where appropriate), major and daytime phone number must be included for veriﬁcation of authenticity. The deadline for submission is Thursday by 10 p.m.

same idealistic policies he was advocating. I wondered how an individual could truly be free if the state could forcibly demand him to submit to such an ideology at gunpoint and have no freedom to make choices for himself. Apart from the rather incoherent arguments I encountered, the issue that bugged me the most came from those demanding the government to forgive their student loans. Now, I actually happen to have a hefty amount in student loans, but I have never once asked the state to take money from another individual to give to me because I made a poor choice. People forget that they were in no way forced to take on debt. There are literally thousands of schools in the U.S., from in-state schools with resident tuition to community colleges. It is simply irresponsible to go to an unaﬀordable school and expect someone else to pay it back. So while I agree with the protesters that our current political system is far from “by the people, for the people,” putting more power into the hands of government leads to less personal freedom and more state control. The more personal choices the individual makes, the better. Otherwise we run the risk of losing our rights altogether and submitting to a system no one wants.

Editorial Board: Gregory Connolly, Editor-in-Chief Monika Joshi, Managing Editor Jared Barrale, Copy Chief Jeffrey Giorgi, Opinion Editor

ally based verbal assaults — then so be it. I suppose that’s something to be grateful for, a way to escape reality. I don’t know, maybe it’s just the gloomy weather that’s been perpetually hovering around our campus since the semester started. Or maybe it’s just the increasing workload of my classes, but I’m simply feeling bleak this week. Just look at the stories in this week’s section. There’s a story about us arming criminals, a story about horrible parenting and even one about a famous musician referring to our president as Hitler. How are you not supposed to just shake your head in dismay at all of that? With luck, next week I’ll be out of this slump I seem to have fallen into. After all, “Arkham City” comes out Tuesday and I’m really excited about that. To add to that, I hope that between now and next week, I won’t have to read another story about a kid who was bullied to the brink of suicide.

Student Government Monthly Welcome back to another edition of Student Government Monthly. During October, SG will be busy hosting numerous events for both the student body and our surrounding communities. On Thursday, following the Senate meeting, SG members will walk with administrators and university staff throughout campus at night searching for any unlit areas, problematic features and safety hazards. A compiled report will be presented to administration for necessary changes. This is an annual tradition that SG undertakes to maintain a safe and friendly campus environment. Moving forward to the next week, Oct. 23 to 30, SG will be holding three big events, starting with the AIDS Walk Kickoff on Oct. 25. The event will be held on the Johnson Center North Plaza from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The event will include giveaways, free food, performances and, most importantly, guest speakers who will be presenting educational statistics to help educate George Mason University about the AIDS pandemic. SG hopes this event inspires students to participate and walk with our own Mason team at the AIDS Walk on Oct. 29 in Washington, D.C. For more information regarding the AIDS Walk please visit aidswalkwashington.org. Two days later, on Oct. 27, SG will be teaming up with Virginia21, a non-partisan, non-profit lobbying organization focused on higher education issues, in a statewide campaign called “What’s Your Number?” This campaign highlights the problem of student loan debt by educating students

All unsigned staff editorials are written to represent the view of the Broadside staff, a diverse set of opinions determined by the members of the editorial board. Letters to the editor, columns, artwork and other commentaries strictly represent the opinions of the authors and do not represent the ofﬁcial opinion of the newspaper.

about how much debt they are taking out, as well as demanding more funding for financial aid. The event on Oct. 27 will be held on the SUB 1 Quad from noon to 3 p.m. At the event, SG members will be talking to Mason students to hear their personal stories regarding student debt. Additionally, there will be computers set up for students to sign a petition that will be presented in a news release, sent to Governor Bob McDonnell, and brought forth to the Virginia State Assembly by Virginia21 in November. If Mason students want to get a head start, the petition can be signed at virginia21.org/whatsyournumber. Remember to sign it! Student debt is an integral part of American collegiate life. Please share your story with us, and make your voices heard to our state elected officials up for reelection on Nov. 8. Finally, to conclude the month of October, SG will be continuing the tradition of Witch Watch. This year, Witch Watch will be held on Oct. 30 from 1 to 5 p.m. in the Hampton Roads area near Rappahannock Parking Deck. Witch Watch is an SG initiative that brings together the Mason and Fairfax communities. Parents from the community bring their children to Mason's Fairfax campus to trick-or-treat and engage in other fun activities at various tables displayed by Mason organizations and offices. If any student organizations would still like to sign up for a table at “Witch Watch,” or would like to learn any further information about SG, please visit our website at sg.gmu.edu.

Phone: 703-993-2950 Fax: 703-993-2948