Mar. 3, 2014

BROADSIDE AND CONNECT2MASON PRESENT

FOURTH ESTATE Mar. 3, 2014 | Volume 1 Issue 18 George Mason University’s official student news outlet

(KATRYNA HENDERSON/FOURTH ESTATE)

WELCOME TO SONGDO

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Mar. 3, 2014

LETTER FROM THE

EDITOR-INCHIEF We’ve already made it to the halfway point of the semester, and I haven’t run this organization into the ground -- arguably -- but I’ll take this space to talk about something that I hope is evident about the vision of this publication under my control.

Last issue and over the past couple of weeks on gmufourthestate.com we published a few opinion columns that created a lot of discourse in the form of comments on the website and letters to the editor in print.

As it goes, a lot of this discourse took the form of contentious back-and-forths, strongly worded letters and even a cameo from a reincarnated George Mason.

This is to say, all of this discussion -- in my mind -- is a great thing.

I’m of the thought that an opinion section of a studentrun news organization should be an open forum for all voices around campus to speak their mind on issues relevant on campus and in the world.

Mason prides itself on its diverse student body, and I want to highlight the diversity of culture, ideology and ideas.

In the past, this idea of an open forum of ideas has led to accusations of bias for the organization as a whole. That, what is being written by columnists, reflects the thoughts and opinions of those on the editorial staff.

I can assure you this is not the case under my direction.

This year, I have encouraged my editors to express opinions as they become relevant to culture at Mason, but anything written by editors or otherwise reflect individual views.

Yes, specific editors -- myself included -- can and will take stands on certain issues and topics but I can tell you

personally, it reflects just on my thoughts and vain, poorly-executed attempts at humor.

That’s how I can write to you about an ancient Roman practice of slapping fertility into women with goat pelts, or my news editor can write a treatise on objectification on college campus and weave in a line about her ‘box.’

Thoughts expressed in any column found in Fourth Estate will draw support from some and outrage from others. I hope this open forum will lead to less polarization of thought.

That might seem counter-intuitive, but I believe that the process toward finding a compromise inherently requires some divisiveness. I don’t want to turn the opinion section into an echo chamber where I dictate the thought and discourse of the publication.

Instead, let’s all just listen and read what others have to say. You might think some opinions are way off-base, but in digesting the myriad schools of thought on topics and issues, we can hope to better understand discussions on the whole and see where each side is coming from rather than dismissing ideas wholesale.

I will continue to encourage my staff and anyone in the Mason community who wishes to express an opinion germane to Mason culture to write to us and let their voice be heard.

Hau Chu

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Editor-In-Chief

Daniel Gregory Managing Editor

Alexa Rogers News Editor

Suhaib Khan Print News Editor

Genevieve Hoeler Lifestyle Editor

Sara Moniuszko Print Lifestyle Editor

Stephen Czarda Sports Editor

Darian Banks Print Sports Editor

John Irwin Photography Editor

Amy Rose Asst. Photography Editor

Aysha Abdallah Design Editor

Walter Martinez Visual Editor

Rawan Elbaba Copy Chief

George Mason 5.062” x 5.187”, Smith School of Business

Katryna Henderson Illustrator

Kathryn Mangus Director

David Carroll Associate Director

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

HAU CHU EDITOR-IN-CHIEF GMUFOURTHESTATE@ GMAIL.COM

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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.

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 provided.

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

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(AMY ROSE/FOURTH ESTATE)

Photo of the Week: Ibsen comes to Mason Feb. 27-Mar. 2 saw the Mason Players stage of production of Henrik Ibsen’s much-criticized and beloved 1890 play, “Hedda Gabler” in the TheaterSpace.

How do you feel about Mason opening an international campus in South Korea?

“I think it’s interesting to see how Mason is expanding its horizons on an international scale” - Brandon Mohabir, sophomore, IT “As a Mason student, I think the Songdo campus in Korea shows the direction we want to go as a university. Becoming a large global presence is what Dr. Cabrera wants to do and I think it’s going to better the university” -Saber Chowdhury, junior, Community Health major

“I think it’s really random that it’s Korea. I thought it would be somewhere at least in the United States, like the west coast” -Janelle Ducusin, sophomore, kinesiology

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Mar. 3, 2014

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(WALTER MARTINEZ/FOURTH ESTATE)

Class councils disbanded CHRISTOPHER MORRISON STAFF WRITER

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ince its founding at the start of the 2011 school year, Mason’s class councils have been organizing programs and events for their students to create class identity and spirit. However, at the end of this school year, all class councils inside the Office of Student Involvement will be disbanded.

“We are closing the program because we have decided that the programs that [class councils] were putting on are [programs] that our different offices could do,” said Assistant Director of Programming for the Office of Student Involvement, Michelle Bennett. “We just don’t have enough staffing to be able to oversee that type of thing in our area.”

Over the past three years, each class council has initiated a variety of class activities as well as raising awareness for important class information. “[Class councils] were to create spirit initiatives and class camaraderie through events that were focused toward their classes and then also to provide services that directed information towards their certain classes,” Bennett said.

Over the past few years, the class councils have decreased in size as the organization has reorganized the positions. Currently, there are four students for both the freshman and sophomore classes, while there are two students for the junior and senior classes.

“We have decreased the size to try and refocus the organization,” Bennett said. “All of the positions were based on liaison positions to different areas, when we shrank it we focused in on one person doing more on the programming, one

person doing more of the outreach, one person being the president and one person doing more of the PR.” According to Bennett, each class council focuses on important information and opportunities that typically apply to the specific year for the class.

“For instance, juniors tend to go on to study abroad so when you are in your sophomore year the student officers would often let their class know when all of those opportunities were coming up,” Bennett said. “And seniors are interested in getting a job, so [class council members] would work a lot with career services to make sure to let you know about all of the career fairs and resume stuff.”

According to Bennett, the most significant aspect that class councils brought to the Mason community was that it helped to establish a unified class identity throughout the different classes.

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“I think what they brought is some class realization,” Bennett said. “A lot of that will still continue. We really amped up our preamble stuff through our office and [Orientation and Family Programs and Services] throughout the years to really kind of ignite that.”

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On May 1, the class councils will hold a final “class wars” competition where students will be able to compete in games and activities with their respected class.

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“We are going out with a bang and having one big last event at the end of the year for all of the classes,” Bennett said.

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MASON BUSINESS PROGRAM PROVIDES OPPORTUNITIES TO STUDENTS VERNON MILES ONLINE NEWS EDITOR

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“George Mason can be a complicated place,” said Keith Segerson, executive director of MEC “especially to someone on the outside, who doesn’t understand that, doesn’t understand academia. I can serve as a resource to local government and business to facilitate our engagement. Much of that benefits students for workforce development, internships, project work, career opportunities and those types of things.”

The MEC’s connection with the rest of the university can seem initially tangential. The business incubator that composes most of the office building often hosts companies that have little to do with the university, but according to Segerson, these businesses can work more closely with education than most students realize.

“Student classes, like business classes, public policy classes, who want case study work, we will identify companies willing to work with these classes. They’ll break up into groups… and they work to develop a business plan, market analysis, things that are relevant to their course work.

It’s on a real life company, it’s not a textbook, it’s working with real business,” Segerson said. “So the students benefit by working in industry and the businesses benefit with research and guidance with research and support they’d normally have to pay for separately.”

In the past, the business and public policy classes have helped figure out what location a company can best market its product and provide

(AMY ROSE/FOURTH ESTATE)

etween the business incubator program and the recent deal with Autonomous University of Nuevo León, overseen by the State Department, the Mason Enterprise Center is becoming an integral part of Mason’s image. According to the Mason strategic plan, the MEC’s role is to supply small business owners with counseling, training, networking, mentoring and temporary office space. The university-based economic development enterprise provides business owners with access to resources to help them develop their companies.

Beyond aiding businesses, the MEC has recently been making an effort to connect with Mason students.

financial reviews. Beyond the classroom, companies that work in the business incubator also approach the MEC seeking potential interns.

“We can help with internship opportunities.

Students can go to the career services and we get a call saying there are students interested in internships with small, local companies and we can help make those introductions,” Sergerson said.

One company in the MEC’s business incubator, Conffianz, has hosted interns from several universities across Virginia, but most have come from Mason. The company specializes in overthe-counter cosmetics for Latina women.

“Our current intern is a senior,” said Peter T. Snizter Jr., the managing director for Conffianz.

“When she first came on, she was supporting our promotional efforts and marketing events. Then she worked on some customer service initiatives.

Most recently, she’s been putting together a proposal for social media.”

Snizter also mentioned that there could be job opportunities for a Mason student in the near future.

“We’re looking for a new intern in the spring, looking specifically into the US-Hispanic market,” Snizter said. “The candidate needs to be fluent in Spanish, but doesn’t have to be a business major, just enthusiastic about the beauty

industry and Hispanic culture.”

But Segerson says there are benefits to Mason students beyond classroom workshops and internships.

“If there are students who are entrepreneurial in nature, who have a business idea and have developed intellectual property and want to create a company around that, they can give us a call and we’ll give them help for free,” Segerson said.

Looking towards the future, Segerson shares President Ángel Cabrera’s vision of an increased international focus. Two particular upcoming projects are pushing this emphasis for the MEC. “We’re interested in setting up a program at the [Songdo] campus that would work with local entrepreneurs that have high growth, high value companies that have the potential to go international,” Segerson said. “We would do some training and vetting in Korea with our expert as well as Mason faculty and then vet and select those entrepreneurs that have the best opportunities for success in the US and bring them here to establish a business with them… our students can then benefit from internship opportunities.”

Segerson also related a story about a shortage of affordable housing in Malaysia. He met with a Malaysian government agency tasked with building 80,000 units of affordable housing this

year. To this end, the agency has requisitioned modular housing, but there’s not an adequate workforce to build the infrastructure to install it.

“They don’t have the skill set. It’s quite a dilemma. We’re working to create programs that can help train their workforce, and they’re interested in sending students from Malaysia to George Mason for four years of training.”

In addition to decorations from China, Korea and a map of Turkey, there are two framed documents on Segerson’s wall that the executive director was quick to point out: the Administrator of the Year award from Mason (1999-2000) and his Master’s Degree from Mason’s School of Management.

“What we’re doing is working to create a stronger economy by developing new businesses and growing established ones that create new jobs that mason graduates would be qualified for,” Segerson said.

This article was originally published on Feb. 27 at gmufourthestate.com

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Mar. 3, 2014

(Photo Courtesy of Sangmin Kim)

Songdo Campus Special

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EVENTS

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February 26th Move-In Day

March 3rd

First Day of Classes

March 9–10

Opening Celebration

M

arch 3 marks the beginning of a new opportunity for Mason as the new Songdo campus in South Korea will hold its first classes of the spring semester.

Opening celebration events will take place on March 9 and 10. Mason alumni, business, education and media contacts will be invited to attend the opening ceremony events, said Events and Outreach Director Jim Burke.

“There will be remarks by President Cabrera, by high-ranking Korean government officials including the Mayor of Incheon and special recognition of each member of the Mason Korea Class of 2018,” said Vice President of Global Strategies, Anne Schiller.

A ribbon cutting ceremony for the Mason Korea building, which will be ready for classes in 2015, will also take place on March 10.

Six American students and about 35 Korean students moved onto the campus on Feb. 26 and

“Our new students and their families, and our Virginia students now in Korea, met the faculty and the Mason Korea staff, enjoyed a video greeting from the Fairfax campus, listened to a presentation by the President Zingraff of Mason Korea on the importance of Academic Integrity and began to grow together in Mason spirit,” Schiller said.

Since the campus will include students of a multitude of backgrounds, two International Peer Advisors will be engaging all of the students to help create cross-cultural connections. The advisors will help organize events to help students come together.

Despite cultural differences, Mason Korea students share the same valued characteristics of students on the main campus.

“Our students in Korea are creative, globally aware and academically talented, just like our students in the States,” Schiller said.

Continued on Page 7

students accommodated

35 Mason students overall

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Miles

March 9 will feature a vision lecture by Provost Peter Stearns entitled “World History and Regional Powers.” However, the official opening ceremony will take place on March 10.

attended a new, two-day student orientation.

The orientation involved meeting the Mason Korea faculty and staff as well as a presentation

by Mason Korea Provost and Interim President, Matthew Zingraff.

from Seoul

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from downtown Songdo

REEM NADEEM BEAT REPORTER

2000

10-15 minutes

CLASSES BEGIN AT MASON’S CAMPUS IN SOUTH KOREA

majors offered

THE NUM6ERS

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“Admissions requirements were the exact same as the main campus so we worked with the admissions office here because they actually review all the applications,” Burke said.

Due to the limited number of majors offered on the Songdo campus, there was no formal application process for the American students that are studying in Songdo. The six students were recruited based on their majors and credits.

The only requirement was that the trip would keep students on track to graduate on time, according to Burke.

The recruitment process for the spring semester was narrow due to the limited number of majors being offered at the campus. Fall recruitment, however, will be broader. The Class of 2018 consists of Economics and Management majors, however more majors will be offered

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soon after this semester, according to Schiller.

(Photo Courtesy of Sangmin Kim)

CLASSES BEGIN, Continued

Mar. 3, 2014

“Global Affairs will be on the ground next year.

We expect to launch our MBA in 2015 with more majors and graduate programs to follow soon. In summer 2015, the Office of Global Strategies will launch a new study abroad program at Songdo, and we are very excited to get the word out about it,” Schiller said.

In the upcoming fall semester, Mason plans on reaching out to students in China, Japan, Indonesia and Malaysia.

“The idea has been this campus is Mason’s foothold in East Asia and it really is treated that way and recruitment will sort of reflect that in the fall entry point,” Burke said.

According to Burke, Songdo was chosen because of its proximity to Seoul and its location in a region with much to offer all fields of study.

“Having a global mindset is a defining characteristic of Mason’s students and faculty members,” Schiller said. “Our new strategic plan makes a promise –we will offer a meaningful international experience to every Mason student.

Mason Korea is a lynchpin in Mason’s larger global vision. It gives us a base of operations in a dynamic world region.”

2008

2009

2012

South Korean government approached Mason

$1 Million grant from South Korean government and Mason began detailed planning

Februrary: Faculty Senate endorsed campus

2014 February 26th: Move in Day March 3rd: First Day of Classes March 9th & 10th: Opening Celebration Events

Data compiled from Office of Global & International Strategies

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Songdo Campus Special

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(Photo Courtesy of Sangmin Kim)

MASON PROFESSORS PREPARE FOR CLASSES ON KOREA CAMPUS DANIEL GREGORY MANAGING EDITOR

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s the new campus in Songdo, Korea opens, Mason stands on the edge of a new frontier.

President Kennedy used that turn of phrase to describe the unknown challenges facing the United States entering the 1960’s. For Mason, Songdo represents a new avenue through which the school could grow both its prestige and influence in East Asia.

The actual campus, at least for the moment, even resembles a modern frontier settlement on the outskirts of the massive development project that is the city of Songdo.

“Where we are, if I’m looking out my window, what I see are kind of empty tracts of land, large empty tracts of land,” Professor Karen Rosenblum said. “And in the far distance I see high rises and some building construction. Then if I look out my other windows, I see campus.”

When classes begin on Monday, Rosenblum, an associate professor of sociology at Mason and a recipient of two Fulbright Lectureships, and the other faculty and staff members will already have been in Songdo for two weeks preparing for the semester.

Of the six full-time professors, three come from the Mason community. In addition to Rosenblum, she is joined in Songdo by her husband, anthropology professor, David Haines, and mathematics professor, John Kulesza.

“We’re all pretty seasoned faculty so there’s not a lot of prep it’s more like settling into being in Songdo,” Rosenblum said. “We’ve been working on our syllabi, but all of these are courses that all of us have taught before at Mason.”

For Rosenblum and Haines, this is not their first experience teaching in Korea.

Both earned grants from the prestigious Fulbright Scholarship Program, a state department funded program designed to increase international educational exchange for student scholars and teachers.

“We both have had Korea experience, and they just called us up and asked ‘Do you want to come back and join the campus?’”

Rosenblum said. “We have always found Korea so fabulous to be in and we couldn’t say no.”

Part of the appeal to Rosenblum lies in the rapid growth Korea has sustained, especially considering that the Korean War ravaged the country only half a century ago.

“Korea is really interesting. It is a fully developed country, and in many ways much more developed than the U.S.,” Rosenblum said. “After all, Korea is Samsung and LG. You really feel like you are kind of at the cutting edge of technology here.”

In addition to a rapidly growing country economically and technologically, Korea offers a fascinating culture and a diverse ecology great for outdoor activities.

“Korea gets huge migrating birds populations, so I’m looking forward to bird watching,” Rosenblum said. “Also, the food

in Korea is just fabulous. Koreans are very proud of their food and they should be. It’s really fabulous food, so it’s nice to be back in Korea and have access to that.”

While extracurricular activities provide exciting opportunities outside the classroom, the past two weeks primarily entailed working with other faculty to prepare classrooms for the start of the semester.

So far, the Mason Songdo experience has impressed Rosenblum. From the students to the campus, she sees Mason Songdo fulfilling its goals. Given its location in East Asia, Mason Songdo has the potential to grow its enrollment rapidly. Sharing the grounds with the State University of New York at Stony Brook, there are about 200 students currently on campus.

“I think they’ll get a lot of students from China and Indonesia, and more generally abroad,” Rosenblum said. “I expect that the [campus] will double pretty quickly.”

Over her time teaching abroad, the things Rosenblum learned build on one another as she enters a new international classroom. While she learned more about the best way to teach international students, she was reminded of the benefits of a global education.

“You do realize that cultures are different, and it does come out in the classroom,” Rosenblum said. “That’s the whole point of teaching abroad and being a student abroad, to get that up close experience of being someplace that might look similar, but it is probably very different.”

Gabrielle Hanley is a sophomore studying Government and International Politics.

1. What made you interested in studying at Songdo?

I already had an interest in Korea and its culture, and when I read about this new city that was extremely tech friendly and green, I was fascinated. Songdo is very innovative, another selling point for having a Mason campus there.

2. Have you ever done a study abroad program before?

Yes, during high school I studied for a semester in Korea as part of the State Department’s National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y). It is wonderful to be back here.

3. Why did you decide to go to Songdo?

The Office of Global Initiatives at GMU offered me a position as a Peer Adviser, which entails engaging the students in the vibrant university life of George Mason University.

4. How long will in Songdo and what are your expectations going into your semester?

I will be with the Mason campus in Songdo until June, and then I will be in the city of Wonju to study with the Critical Language Scholarship program. This semester, my main goal is to really help integrate the new students into the GMU community. I, along with my fellow Peer Adviser, Rachel Rockrohr, are trying to instill the Mason spirit on this new campus. I want to be a good resource for these brave new students, as well as represent George Mason University in the best light possible.

5. What classes will you be taking and how will they contribute to your degree?

I will be taking ANTH 399, ANTH 330, SOC 352 and Korean 330. One of the Anthropology classes will count for my final Honors College requirement, and they are all focused on East Asia studies. I’ve already met the professors from Fairfax and they are incredibly engaging. I can’t wait for classes to start.

6. How do you feel your experience in Songdo will enhance your education, both instructively and globally?

This experience in Songdo is an asset to my educational path. Not only is studying at an overseas Mason campus an asset to my major in Government and International Politics, but Songdo itself is truly on its way to becoming a global city. There are expatriates living in here and many opportunities for foreign and domestic business. The United Nations Green Climate Fund’s headquarters is even located here.

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Mar. 3, 2014

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(KATRYNA HENDERSON/FOURTH ESTATE)

HEAL Your Body Week TATYANA WHITE-JENKINS STAFF WRITER

HEAL Your Body Week, part of National Eating Disorder Week, is dedicated to raising awareness about eating disorders to the Mason community that takes place the last week of February each year. The acronym stands for Healthy Eating and Love Your Body, which are subjects that are promoted during this week.

Dr. Joan Mizrahi, a licensed clinical psychologist at Mason said, “It’s a way of calling attention to eating disorders and providing education and resources so that people can learn more about how to help themselves and/or help a friend who has an eating disorder.”

This week-long event is hosted by the HEAL Your Body task force, consisting of Mason students and faculty who commit themselves to raising awareness about eating disorders and having a positive body image. The task-force is also comprised of many departments at Mason, including W.A.V.E.S, Student Health, Dining Services and Recreation.

“It is something we are concerned about. I think eating disorders are a big problem in this country and on campus and it is really important for people to be aware of the issue and to know some of the ways in which the culture contributes to the problem,” Mizrahi said. “It’s also important for people to know how to get help and help their friends.”

Laura Martinson, a graduate student at Mason, echoed Mizrahi’s concerns about college students stressing over body image.

“Disordered eating and negative body image plague college campuses. Someone may walk across campus looking perfectly healthy, but their mind is filled with self-critical thoughts about the

extra brownie they just ate, stressing over how many calories they need to burn at the gym, and worrying about how they will look in a bathing suit over spring break,” Martinson said. “These things can be extremely detrimental to a person’s well-being, self-esteem, ability to form healthy relationships and physical health.”

Martinson is a part of the Mason Clinical Psychology program and is heavily involved with the HEAL task force. She helps develop programming and presentations for HEAL Your Body Week, and also speaks about eating disorders and body image.

“When I heard about the task force a few years ago, I knew it would be a great way to get involved with a diverse group of individuals to promote awareness of and make efforts to prevent disordered eating on campus,” Martinson said.

“It has been very fulfilling to support a cause I am passionate about in the college community.

Most of my work in eating disorder-related work in graduate school is focused on research and directly working with individuals in therapy so this allows me to make a difference on a broader level.”

The events of HEAL Your Body Week included a kiosk in the JC that gave students free hot chocolate, t-shirts and information about eating disorders and body image. There was also an activity for people to participate in to learn about positive and negative body images.

“We have an activity where people tear out pictures in magazines and are identifying photos that show positive versus a negative body image,” Mizrahi said. “We ask people to make a collage with the photos that show a positive body image and shred the photos that show a negative body image.”

Along with the kiosk, other HEAL Your Body

Week events included a screening of the documentary “Someday Melissa” in the JC Cinema, sponsored by BeYoutiful, a student organization, followed by a panel of experts to answer any questions about eating disorders. On March 1, students were encouraged to participate in the National Eating Disorder Association walk that was held on campus.

HEAL Your Body Week allowed the Mason community to gain knowledge and awareness of the issues surrounding eating disorders and negative body image. The week was an opportunity for students to learn how to not only help themselves through body image issues, but how to help their peers as well.

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Benefit Concert to raise awareness of human trafficking

cars you meet in

ARRIELLE BROOKS ONLINE LIFESTYLE EDITOR

representation to medical care for every rescued individual, but donations provide most of the funds for each service.

On Feb. 25, the Hub Ballroom was abuzz with students as the Gathering, a student-run Christian organization at Mason, held its End It Movement Cenefit Concert.

That is why, in hopes of raising more money than before, the End It Movement is promoting the A21 Campaign at various locations and events. The Gathering learned of the partnership at a religious conference in January, which gave birth to the End It Movement Benefit Concert to raise awareness at Mason.

Performers such as Jordan Baird, ELIM and the Gathering’s own Embassy Worship gave energetic performances that night for the sake of raising awareness on modern day slavery.

With over 27 million people stuck in slavery to this day, the concert served to inform the public about these individuals’ struggles and raise money for their rescue and their physical and emotional care.

No matter what major you are or what clubs you’re a part of, if you have a car you have most likely dealt with the wonder and splendor of Lot K. In the vast maze of parking spots that stretches across what feels like half of the Fairfax campus, students, faculty and staff alike have probably come across these five types of cars at some point. These cars, like the 6 p.m. rush hour, complete a major part of the Mason commuter’s experience at Mason.

1. The Ninja Nissan You see a parking spot gleam in the distance after driving around in circles for almost 10 minutes in desperate hope. The drive is peaceful, and you nearly reach your target when suddenly another car appears out of nowhere and slides neatly into the space. It takes, along with your possible parking spot, your hopes and dreams as you grumble in your car and passively roll away.

2. The Cumbersome Camry

3. The Good Samaritan Saturn It’s 6:45 p.m. and the line of cars begins to pile up as commuter students hurry home. You join this line and wonder why you haven’t moved in about five minutes before realizing that the car two cars in front of you is letting every car pass them by with a good natured wave of the hand.

You are torn between respecting the friendly,

4. The Pedestrian Bopping along the asphalt towards one of the various exits to Lot K, the Pedestrian often remains respectfully to one side so that the frantic other commuters can find a parking spot. Yet, some that bound only to the laws of the songs in their hearts can be found traipsing the middle of the lane while anxious—yet not barbaric—vehicles they are blocking must slow to a crawl until the swaying walker gets to the sidewalk. Other pedestrians, hyper-aware of their surroundings, will wait until the driver is waving with wild abandon before they timidly hurry across the crosswalk.

5. The Abandoned Accord That car has been sitting in Lot K since time itself began. Snow piles the size of young children surround the car as it slowly becomes one with the miniature mountains that litter the Lot K. Yet, the car is not hidden in the back of the parking lot out of harm’s way, but sits directly in the front row. It teases the other drivers nestled in their cars as they reach the ten-minutes late bench marker of the day, and taunts the people walking back to their cars which are hidden somewhere amongst the trees behind the lot.

GENEVIEVE HOELER LIFESTYLE EDITOR

Each year, the End It Movement encourages its supporters around the globe to draw red X’s on their hands for a day and spread knowledge about the persisting issue of slavery. This year, however, the End it Movement partnered with A21 for a more hands-on approach. “[The A21 campaign] basically take[s] women out of sex trafficking, and put them through a year program and kind of rehabilitate them. It’s a great cause,” said Jessica Shasteen, a Mason senior and one of the Gathering’s organizers for the concert.

Yet the price is steep.

It takes A21 about $3,000 to save a woman from the human trafficking industry and place her in a Crisis Care Shelter, where she will complete a 12-step recovery program. A21 provides everything from education and legal

Guests that attended the concert were provided with donation envelopes and encouraged to donate any amount they could. Yet, the event also allowed students to enjoy a wide range of refreshments and music with enthusiasm.

“I think music speaks to everyone,” Shasteen said. “So, whether you believe in God or not, or whether you believe in this cause or not, you’re going to hear this music and something’s going to move you. We just knew that this would be a good way at reaching people.”

The atmosphere was indeed inviting. Musicians performed both religious and secular songs, both with a club-like modern twist that the audience enjoyed. As guests danced and clapped along to each performance, the breaks in between were punctuated with different End It Movement and A21 Campaign videos.

“This isn’t just about the Gathering, you know,” Shasteen said. “It’s about the people that are stuck in slavery. So I’m hoping that more organizations hop on, and they see what we’re doing here and they duplicate what’s going on.

I don’t know how quickly it’ll move, but I know that I’m in it for the long run.”

(HANNAH KREIDER/FOURTH ESTATE)

In a nearly full parking lot, you roll past a line of cars. Suddenly, you think you see a spot, but alas. It is a relatively compact sedan sitting in the middle of two parking spots. Unsure whether to blame the car, the snow that blurred the parking spot lines or fate—you make a valiant attempt to see if your car could possibly fit in the narrow space left in one of the spaces before pressing onwards.

respectful nature of that kind person and unhappily resigning yourself to the fact that you will not be home in time to watch the beginning of “Community.”

The Gathering drew inspiration for the concert from the End It Movement and the A21 Campaign, two international organizations dedicated to liberating people in bondage. Both groups reach out to schools and various communities about prevention strategies against human trafficking and activist opportunities.

“Nobody knows that 29 million people are still in slavery,” Shasteen said. “If we hadn’t gone [to the conference], we wouldn’t even know about this in the first place. It was basically our core leaders, and none of us came back the same.”

IV ESTATE

lifestyle

Mar. 3, 2014

11

12

Opinion

Mar. 3, 2014

IV estate

Colleges Should Not be Punished for Endorsing Divestment

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ctivists from both sides of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict seek to advance one policy’s interest over the other. One Pro-Palestinian endeavor is the Boycott Divestment Sanctions Movement, which seeks to eliminate United States economic ties to Israel.

The movement has had mixed results with some businesses, colleges and others saying yes to BDS and others including Mason’s administration proclaiming a resounding “no.”

In response to this movement, two United States Congressmen have recently introduced a bill to cut certain government funds from public institutions that opt to endorse divestment.

Dubbed the “Protect Academic Freedom Act,” the bill was sponsored by a Republican and a Democrat and seeks to make any college that “is participating in a boycott of Israeli academic institutions or scholars” to “not be eligible to receive funds or any other form of financial assistance” under the Higher Education Act of 1965.

There is something inherently bizarre about calling a measure meant to punish, with state power, colleges who make a conscious decision about their own policies. The title of the bill is not the only issue with the proposed legislation.

There is a question of enforcement. Who can be punished by the bill? It is not just colleges that participate “in a boycott of Israeli academic institutions,” but also, according to the bill text, “any significant part of the institution, or any organization significantly funded by the institution [that] adopts a policy or resolution, issues a statement, or otherwise formally establishes the restriction of discourse, cooperation, exchange, or any other involvement with academic institutions or scholars on the basis of the connection of

such institutions or such scholars to the State of Israel.”

refuse to send their children to specific institutions.

Several academic institutions, Mason included, have chapters of the Students for Justice in Palestine and the Students Against Israeli Apartheid. These groups, like their opponents, hold campus-approved events showcasing their viewpoints and receive money from the Student Funding Board to do so. Does that mean that Mason, a university whose administration refuses to endorse BDS, can still be deprived of government funds because “any organization” on campus endorses BDS? The way the bill is currently written, probably. For the bill, defending academic freedom apparently means crushing intellectual debate.

Another point to consider, in addition to those above, is that, ultimately, when an American college decides to participate in the BDS Movement, they are creating their own punishment.

Another enforcement issue is in the realm of intention. An academic institution may cut business ties with Israel for reasons other than the regional conflict. Back in 2009, Hampshire College’s board of trustees cut ties to some companies that did business with Israel. While hailed by pro-BDS forces as a victory, the board denied that their decision had anything to do with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

For a college leadership to decide to cut themselves from that type of intellectual, social and political innovation is to limit the very immersion of knowledge the typical American university prides itself on providing.

Hampshire divested from numerous companies in 2009 due to issues regarding “socially responsible investments” and “without reference to any country or political movement.”

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Increasing research certainly has its merits for a growing university such as Mason. Research brings more donations, better-known professors, new majors, more prestige and new opportunities for students. Stressing research comes at a price, and that price is often less emphasis on teaching.

University professors seeking tenure must show a strong portfolio of published research in addition to performance in the classroom. At large research universities, the emphasis is usually placed on the

From enforcement issues to misguided punitive measures, the “Protect Academic Freedom Act” does things oft contrary to its very name. If a college administration wants to approve a BDS measure or even entertain the idea, they should be free to do so.

After all, approving such a measure is a punishment unto itself.

How will the proposed bill differentiate between colleges that remove ties to Israel without malice to those who do? Gauging the internal reasoning of school boards can be problematic, especially in cases like Hampshire when Pro-Palestinian activists massively propagated a false interpretation of the board’s decision.

MICHAEL GRYBOSKI COLUMNIST

There are less coercive ways for those who oppose divestment to seek a change of heart from academic institutions. Alumni can always withhold or withdraw donations and families can always

LETTER TO THE EDITOR n a recent blog post, Fourth Estate Executive Editor, Frank Muraca, explained that all four candidates for Mason’s new provost are committed to a common goal: more research. This comes as no surprise considering the university’s new strategic vision calls for Mason to earn a Carnegie Foundation “very high research activity” ranking.

All but the most strident anti-Israel voices still acknowledge that the Middle Eastern country in question has a lot going for it. Israel has many things its neighbors often lack, including a stable democratic political system, a large free press and major technological advancements that have international reach. Long before the Arab Spring began, Israel’s Arab population had the right to hold public office, vote, and publicly protest their government’s policies.

former. Because job security is dependent on being published, even those professors who prefer being in the classroom are required to dedicate an increasing percentage of their time to research.

These professors are only able to teach one or two classes a semester, and a growing number of professors teach no classes at all. As a result, more and more classes are taught by distracted professors, graduate students and adjuncts who only teach part-time. Guess whose education suffers? That’s right, the students’.

Since Mason is obviously moving in a research-oriented direction, the nagging question is this: Is there a way to improve our university’s research and provide students with the best teaching possible?

I say there is.

Let’s separate the requirements professors must meet to gain tenure. Allow those professors who enjoy teaching and excel

at it to stay in the classroom, and let those who prefer research and publishing to do what they do best. Not only would students learn from the best instructors, but those interested in research could work with some of the best and most focused researchers in their field.

I’m excited to watch Mason grow into a prominent research university. I just hope the new administration keeps the students in mind as it begins the process.

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opinion Letter to the editor: In response to “A Distorted View of Equality” IV estate

I

n last week’s opinion piece title “A Distorted View of Equality” by Michael Gryboski, the columnist took a very one-sided view of LGBT rights and their relation to racial civil rights. The writer presented a biased view not grounded in good evidence and utilized slippery-slope style reasoning to distort the LGBT movement, civil rights and history.

First, to equate one person to an entire movement is disingenuous to the movement itself. To say King was the only member of the civil rights movement to have mainstreamed it is preposterous. I encourage Mr. Gryboski to read about the life and views of Bayard Rustin, a major civil rights leader and contemporary of King’s. Also, to use one quote from King to support anti-LGBT views is to not consider the context in which it was said. In the 50’s and 60’s, homosexuality was commonly held as acquired “deviant” behavior and associated with mental illness, with gay men and women at risk of being locked up in psychiatric institutions to “correct” this behavior. King’s views for his time were contemporary common views, just as Jim Crow’s mentality was considered to be mainstream for much of the white south.

The fight for civil rights would not be a

fight if it didn’t push against “common beliefs” and stereotypes.

The main contemporary opposition to LGBT rights originates with conservative religious groups. These groups are still stuck with the same views of the 50’s and 60’s that homosexuality is a “choice.” This archaic view is still held despite massive amounts of scientific progress, studies and evidence to the contrary. Look up the positions and findings of both the APA and AMA to see the progress that has been made in the last few decades in understanding the LGBT community.

Mr. Gryboski likes to pretend that the LGBT movement somehow hijacked the civil rights movement to the chagrin of the current civil rights organizations, but he is ignoring the evidence. For example, groups like NAACP, the NAN, the Rainbow PUSH coalition and the Urban Institute either have positions or found in support of LGBT rights. In 2012, the NAACP voted unanimously (with the noticeable abstention of religious leaders on their board) to support marriage equality. Roslyn M. Brock, the chair-woman of the board, stated “We have and will oppose efforts to codify discrimination into law.”

The examples Mr. Gryboski used to

highlight equality “discrimination” against the anti-LGBT community are extremely poor and lacking context that paints them is a far poorer light. Mr. Gryboski cited the former University of Toledo Vice President as being fired for writing a “perspective piece” that was using her public office to spread religion. She said, “There are consequences for each of our choices, including those who violate God’s divine order” speaking in her role as a VP for a public university. The referendum being refused in D.C. was not a slap against democracy; it was refused because it violated the D.C. Human Rights Act of 1977, since it specifically targeted homosexual couples. In both these cases, Federal courts have upheld the acts of the institutions supporting LGBT rights.

I understand the view Mr. Gryboski is trying to support but he does not seem to recognize equality as a universal human right, instead it is only for those that fit his religious and political views. As King once said “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere,” I hope Mr. Gryboski can learn to understand this.

ANDREW KECK SCIENCE EDUCATION PH.D CANDIDATE

Why do we still have global poverty?

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he United Nations Children’s Fund works in more than 190 countries and territories to provide relief for global poverty. UNICEF works towards providing immunizations, vaccinations, clean water, education and emergency relief. According to UNICEF, one billion children live in poverty worldwide every day, killing 22,000 children every day.

The travesty? Global poverty is entirely solvable and yet remains a preventable mess for no good reason. The U.N. Food and Agricultural Organization estimates that $30 billion a year is needed to end world hunger. In 2010 alone, Congress and the White House allocated $693 billion toward military spending. The United States is the only country in the past or present that could end world hunger and still have the most expensive military on the planet by far.

The Borgen Project is doing something to help. the Borgen Project is a national campaign that works towards making the reduction of global poverty a focus of U.S.

foreign policy. Some people claim that the U.S. does enough already, but the reality is just 0.2 percent of the United States Gross National Income goes to improving living conditions for the world’s poor. There are many misconceptions surrounding global poverty, and The Borgen Project believes it is important to raise awareness to the issues and correct any errors people may have.

In addition to basic advocacy, the Borgen Project also fundraises for the cause and lobbies Congress to support global poverty reduction initiatives. For example, the Borgen Project contacts Congress members about The Water for the World Act (H.R. 2901). This bill would improve the well-being, education, economic opportunity and safety of 2.5 billion people in a world without basic human rights. By focusing on countries with high water-related diseases, like under-nutrition and pneumonia, Water for the World will save many lives.

When the Borgen Project was created in 2003, the number one goal was to create an influential organization that would have

the access and the ability to lobby for the world’s poor. The only way to achieve this goal is to motivate people within all 435 congressional districts to support the cause. Making a 30-second phone call to a congressional leader can at least bring attention to global poverty.

As Americans, we are very lucky. We are typically not one of the 100 million impoverished people who do not have access to clean, drinkable water. While it is easy to do nothing, it is also easy, especially in this case, to make a difference. Bring attention to the Foreign Aid budget, donate a dollar every once in a while to those who need it or just talk about the issue. Neglecting it does not solve anything.

CONOR HAINES COLUMNIST

Mar. 3, 2014

13

Class of

2014

Senior Portraits March 4–6 Attention Seniors: Senior portrait sittings for Mason students graduating in 2014 will be offered outside the Johnson Center bookstore this Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday (March 4-6) as part of the Commencement Fair.

Schedule an appointment for your portrait sitting online at www.OurYear.com or by calling 1-800-OUR-YEAR™ (687-9327). Enter school code 700. Walk-ins are handled on a first come, first served basis and a $10 sitting fee is required.

To pre-order your official copy of the 2013-2014 GMView Yearbook+DVD, visit www.gmu.edu/ org/gmview or reserve your copy in person at the Commencement Fair. We accept cash, check, Visa, and Mastercard.

Don’t miss out on this once in a lifetime opportunity to preserve your Mason memories!

Don’t forget to Pre-order Your GMView Yearbook+DVD Today!

14

sports

Mar. 3, 2014

IV ESTATE

DARIAN BANKS PRINT SPORTS EDITOR

T

he women and men that can be seen on the sidelines of the basketball games dressed in head to toe peppiness leading the crowd despite the outcome of the games receive little recognition for the accomplishments they achieve on and off the court.

Mason’s cheerleading team is comprised of two teams: the Green co-ed competitive team and the Gold all-girl sideline team. Both teams have around 50 girls and a few guys in total.

“Where ever the co-ed team can’t fill in, the all-girl team comes in as a backup,” said Kaitlyn Mason, of the green team. “Sometimes it’s hard to cheer for all-girl, but if you have the right mindset as wanting to get better and progress to be on the all-girl team then it’s fun and I enjoy it.”

The teams come together for larger events like Homecoming and Mason Madness, but are separated at games with the co-ed team standing in front of the student section to help lead them and the all-girl team standing in front of the band.

The cheerleaders attend every game while balancing their own academic schedules, team-mandated appearances and cheerleading practice being the number one priority.

“The whole schedule you just write the word cheer and wherever you have the space between the letters is where you fit something,” said Barrie

Monroe, of the green team.

Their schedules change from fall to spring leaving slightly more space between the letters of cheer, but the time commitment is still constant.

“In the fall semester, the co-ed team has practice Monday through Thursday from 6-9 we have practice and morning workouts on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6 a.m. just for an hour. We also have random events on campus for things that they would like to see our faces at,” said Emily Perry, of the green team. “We also host stunt clinics to raise money for our uniforms and for Nationals.”

Although the NCAA does not recognize cheerleading as a sport, the participants are still student-athletes who must balance their schedules around prior commitments except without the help of the athletic department.

“We are allowed to use study hall, but we are not provided with tutors,” said Lexi Lawrence, of the green team.

With hard classes for some working toward degrees in nursing, biology and government and international politics, some of the women reached out for additional scholastic help, but were turned in the same direction as general students.

“I recently emailed for a tutor and they just referred me to the general tutor for the session that all of the students are provided,” Perry said.

The cheerleading program does cost money even though it is not recognized as an NCAA sport, which adds to the relationship between the athletes and the athletic department.

“It’s hard for them because we do cost money and we’re not raising as much money as we should,” Perry said.

The time commitment that cheerleading requires is hard to balance alone, but the women are not provided with academic advisors specific for athletes to ease the stress of school and cheerleading.

Instead, the women are expected to balance all of the appearances the athletic department requires without the incentive of any recognition to at least be considered a sport.

“I always tell people when they say cheerleading is not a sport that when you have physical education, you had a basketball unit and football, but you don’t have people practicing flips because not everyone could do it,” Lawrence said. “I could put a ball in a hoop and I know it’s harder than that for them, but that’s how I feel when they talk about cheerleading isn’t a sport.”

Other women have been on both sides of the argument participating in other sports than just cheerleading and have a true appreciation for what it entails.

“Whenever I hear people say, ‘I should’ve been a cheerleader because it’s easy,’ my eyes just get really big,” Monroe said. “Because when I was in

high school I was on the basketball team, I was captain of the volleyball team, I ran cross country and track, so, I’ve done a little bit of everything.”

“So me, being a college cheerleader now, all my friends in high school are like, ‘how did you end up cheering?’ And I’m like, I don’t know – it’s different, it’s great – and when I hear people say [it’s not a sport], I’m like, you don’t even know what we do. Because, we make it look so easy.”

The basketball games are a large platform for the teams to gain the respect lost from people thinking that cheerleading is not a sport.

“It’s hard for students on campus to recognize what both programs do. So we really press the importance of how we look at the basketball games, so we have a good representation of what Mason cheerleading is about. That’s what is going to help the school appreciate us more,” Perry said.

For more about the pressure the cheerleaders face, visit gmufourthestate.com for the full story and a video clip of the chat.

(AMY ROSE/FOURTH ESTATE)

Cheerleaders look to each other for support

sports

IV ESTATE

Mar. 3, 2014

15

workout of the

WEEK

tricep kickbacks T

(AMY ROSE/FOURTH ESTATE)

his week's workout is primarily for the ladies, who know that since warmer weather is just around the corner and will be pulling out all of their short sleeves. For some, that might be frightening because we have to show our arms that were easy to hide during winter. But now, it's time to take care of that little problem area. This exercise will hopefully bring you a little more comfort with showing your arms off. It is called tricep kickbacks. One can perform this with a dumbbell or a cable machine. I am going to demonstrate with a dumbbell.

Blankenship finds softball serenity

First, you will want to start off very light to make sure your form is right.

Pick up the weight in a neutral position. I suggest that you slightly bend over so you can keep your upper arm parallel with the ground.

Next, you extend your hand out behind you. Make sure that you are keeping your elbow still so it is just your forearm that you are moving.

Then, once you have extended your hand out and feel tension in the back of your arm on opposite side of your bicep, you will bring your foreman back to start position to line it up with your elbow. Your elbow will be parallel with the ground.

Repeat this eight times with four sets.

For guys, I challenge you to superset this with tricep pull-downs, doing 10 reps for three sets.

ANDREA FINFROCK COLUMNIST

DANIEL GREGORY MANAGING EDITOR

she dropped the other sports and began playing softball exclusively.

ric Ozolins needed to react quickly when Brooke Blankenship took batting practice.

“I noticed I was better at it than I was at the other sports,” Blankenship said. “I loved hitting. You don’t really get that same kind of experience with basketball.”

“She hit some line drives that I can attest to as I got hit by it a couple of times,” said Ozolins, Blankenship’s head softball coach at Deep Run High School in Richmond Va. “She wasn’t my favorite person to throw soft toss to let’s put it that way. The thing would come back at you and then hit the net. Thank god the net was there, but sometimes I swear it would go through the net.”

Hitting is where Blankenship has excelled throughout her softball career. In high school, she had seasons where she hit over .500 and has the most hits in Deep Run High School history. Now at Mason, she’s quickly moving up the record books too. Currently she’s 5th all-time in homeruns and 8th all-time in doubles. She also has two full seasons left to play at Mason.

E

Check GMUFourthEstate. com for subsequent video of these workout exercises.

Well, Ozolins might have a bone to pick with Blankenship, a junior softball player batting third in the Mason lineup.

“That was kind of my goal was to hit him every time,” Blankenship said. “[He] probably [knew] because I would do a little victory cheer after I hit him.”

Not much has changed since high school when it comes to hitting line drives.

Blankenship leads the Mason softball team into this new season in the Atlantic 10 coming off back-to-back first-team all-CAA softball selections. Additionally, before the season began, Blankenship was named preseason first team all A-10.

From a young age, Blankenship began playing sports. As a child she played soccer basketball and softball, but pretty quickly she took a liking to softball. Soon enough,

As a freshman in high school, she started at shortstop halfway through the year, and did not relinquish that spot for the rest of her career at Deep Run. During that time Blankenship helped the team to a state tournament run her freshman season and a regional tournament berth her sophomore season.

When she reached Mason, Blankenship again began playing right away her freshman season. While she felt comfortable about playing right away in high school, the transition to college left with some doubt when the season began.

“It was a big jump for me going from high school to college but I definitely became more confident throughout the season just because I was doing well,” Blankenship said.

Well might be an understatement referring to Blankenship’s freshman season. As a freshman, she hit .349 and led the offense in eight different statistical categories. Her play that season earned her first-team all-CAA honors and all-rookie honors.

Blankenship approaches softball with a relaxed confidence. This approach helps her feel comfortable in order to succeed on field and in the batters box.

From “jamming out in her car” and playing hacky-sack before games, Blankenship tries to stay loose on game days.

“Some people on our team like to get really pumped about [games] and maybe sometimes even pissed,” Blankenship said. “I don’t know why, that’s how they get ready for [games]. I’m just like ‘loosey-goosey guys, stay relaxed.’”

In a relaxed and loose environment, Blankenship finds this is when she performs her best. This also translates when it comes to playing new opponents. Entering the A-10 will present Mason with new competition, but that likely will not bother Blankenship.

“I don’t know much about the sports world so I don’t know the big names softball teams,” Blankenship said. “Sometimes I don’t even know who we’re playing that day. I just go out there and play whoever comes my way.”

16

Mar. 3, 2014

sports

IV estate

I’m Going.

Are You?

Mason Nation, including music major and Green Machine band member Alex Interlandi, is planning to turn out in full force at Mason’s inaugural Atlantic 10 Men’s Basketball Championship in New York City from March 12-16 at the Barclays Center.

FREE student tickets are available to Mason’s tournament games.

For ticket information, visit Mason2NYC.com or call 703-993-3270.