Sept. 20 issue

Fall for the Book events started yesterday and will continue all week. Dive deeper into your favorite books wih the authors themselves as they stop by campus. For a detailed look into some of the participating authors, check out this week’s style section.

George Mason University’s Student Newspaper

PG. 6

www.broadsideonline.com

September 20, 2010

Volume 87 Issue 4

Not so bad boys?

A day in the life of the police who protect and serve the student body at Mason

Book it to the festival After a dozen years, Fall for the Book is a Mason tradition Matt Snyder News Editor

Photo By Antonieta Rico

George Mason University Police Officers Jorge Feliciano and Emily Ross review some paperwork on top of a patrol car Sunday, Sept. 12 on an adjacent road to campus.

Officer for a night

Antonieta Rico Crime Beat Writer

It’s almost 11 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 11, and the night reveals a small form on the floor, crouched against a wall behind Student Union Building II. “Are you OK?” asks George Mason University Police Officer Jorge Feliciano.

A soft voice replies “My arms hurt … ” Minutes before, Feliciano responded to a report of a young couple having an argument by SUB II. The caller said a young woman had fallen to the ground. A young Photo By Antonieta Rico man fitting the description given by the Officer Jorge Feliciano pats down a Fairfax, Va., caller said that the woman had become man who was arrested for use of false iden fiemotional and run off. ca on to avoid prosecu on and driving a car After speaking with Feliciano, the without a driver's license Sunday, Sept. 12 on a woman agrees to come out from behind road near campus. the building. She says that she is fine, that she just needed to be alone. She says her arms hurt when she becomes emotional and denies that she fell, but Feliciano can see smudge marks on her legs. Feliciano said one of the hardest things about being a police officer for him is seeing any type of abuse.

However, as a member of the Mason Police Department, the majority of the calls Feliciano responds to are thefts, auto accidents and alcohol-related calls, he Photo By Antonieta Rico said.

For the Mason police officers, the Officer Emily Ross gives a field sobriety test to a young woman Sunday, Sept. 12 on Roberts Road. university setting comes with unique chalThe young woman was pulled over a er she ran lenges.

Police Officer Emily Ross is slowly losa stop sign on campus. The results of a breathalyzer showed that she had a blood alcohol con- ing patience. It’s after 2 a.m. on Sunday and tent of .09, which is just over the legal limit, Ross she is sitting in her patrol car waiting on a sober ride for the young woman she pulled said. over. Ross saw the woman, who said she was a student at Mason, blow through a stop sign on campus. When she pulled her over, a breathalyzer revealed she had a .09 blood alcohol content, which is just over the legal limit The young woman is crying. Ross wants her off the streets. Ross decides to write her a ticket for the stop sign and let her call two sober drivers to pick her up.

The young woman says she will call her Photo By Antonieta Rico parents.

“I’m hoping this will have a more posiOfficer Emily Ross checks the informa on on a tive affect on her,” Ross said. As officers at driver license a er she pulled over a young the university, police have the option to use woman who had run a stop sign on campus their own discretion in handling some of Sunday, Sept. 12. the cases they come across. Besides strict enforcement, police can also choose to send them to classes, warn them or refer them to the Dean of Students.

Almost 30 minutes later the parents have not shown up. When someone finally drives up, it is two of the woman’s friends.

Fed up, Ross tells them to “Just go!” From her patrol car, Ross watches in disbelief as the two sober drivers pull out on the road and proceed to drive away, into the oncomPhoto By Antonieta Rico ing traffic lane.

Officer Emily Ross talks with a young woman Ross’s patrol car lights go back on. she pulled over a er she saw her run a stop “People will assume the worst of you,” sign on campus Sunday, Sept. 12. The young said Ross. “They’ll love a firefighter before woman had a blood alcohol content of .09, just they love a cop.” But Ross said that she can over the legal limit, Ross said. make a difference with college students.

She turned down a career opportunity to work at the Alexandria Police Department in order to stay at Mason. “I didn’t want to give up the community,” Ross said, “These kids have more of a chance.”

Feliciano said some students assume police are just trying to ruin their college experience, but really, it’s the well-being of the students that the police have in mind.

Feliciano has recently been on the lookout for fraternities that shuttle underage freshmen off campus to drink then drop them back to the university. He said that he has found drunk freshmen wandering about campus, and some have even ended up in the emergency room.

“We are there just to make sure they are safe,” Feliciano said.

Whereas some universities employ security guards to maintain campus security, Mason uses a state-certified and nationally-accredited patrol force.

Mason police is a “fully fledged, full service police department,” said George Ginovsky, assistant chief of police. The force is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforce-

ment Agencies and is authorized up to 57 police officers.

Police are required to go through a state certified police academy, Ginovsky said.

The campus police have full arrest powers at all Mason campuses and also carry firearms. Ginovsky said their jurisdiction extends to the campus and adjacent roads, but in emergencies, police can also make arrests outside of those boundaries.

The department also runs a police cadet program.

“Police cadets are paid, and I emphasize paid, employees of the police department who are not armed and don’t have arrest powers,” said Ginovsky. “[They] perform various security tasks on campus.”

Ginovsky said they are almost always hiring cadets, and he encourages students interested in a law enforcement career to apply.

A good relationship with students is “vital,” Ginovsky said. To that end he welcomes any student who would like to learn more about campus police to do a ridealong with the police. A request form for a ride-along is available at the Police and Safety Building in front of the Rappahannock River Deck.

Feliciano and Ross also said they think that building a good rapport with students is important. Feliciano said he welcomes students to ask him questions or talk to him.

“Stop by,” Feliciano said. “We are there for them.”

The six-day Fall for the Book festival enters full swing this week, with visits from 150 authors on subjects ranging from literature to non-fiction. The ever-growing event will feature authors, skits, dance and storytelling to present literature in a fun, engaging atmosphere.

The literary festival that began 12 years ago to advance children’s education has expanded to a week-long event and continues to spread from George Mason University to Northern Virginia, the District of Columbia and Maryland, and includes major names such as Greg Mortenson, the author of Three Cups of Tea: One Man’s Mission to Promote Peace ... One School At A Time.

“Over the dozen years we’ve done it, we have seen it become a tradition on campus where the faculty and students look forward to it,” said William Miller, director for the festival and Mason’s graduate writing program.

The festival is a “double win for faculty and staff,” Miller said.

“Some of our events are patterned very specifically for classes, and we match the events to classes wherever possible. …

The students bring to the event their inquisitive minds.”

The high-visibility event actually began as an annual literary event in Charlottesville run

by Mason’s former rector Randolph Church, who figured a similar festival would take off in Fairfax. He was right.

Mason was the original home and remains at the heart of the event, due to having “some of the best facilities for large scale events,” according to Miller. But in recent years, because some participants were not too thrilled with trying to get onto campus, key parts of the program have been established at surrounding venues instead.

“It lets them reach out to diverse attendees of all ages,” Miller said.

This year, non-Mason events include The Help novelist Kathryn Stockett’s appearance at Reston CenterStage Theater, a standing-room only event that may attract as many as 700 people tomorrow. Many will have to see it broadcast in overflow space. Tickets for that event are required and are limited to two per person.

Back on Mason campus, Miller said that Fall for the Book “provides a core of writers that come … that gives them high visibility that says to the students ‘reading and writing are important parts of our culture.’

Even in the time that books are being read on Kindle and whatever devices, it doesn’t change the fact.”

Out of the box Alice in Chains to play at the Patriot Center Patrick Wall Style Editor The 1990s was the era of long hair, flannel and ripped jeans.

Bands like Pearl Jam and Soundgarden sold out stadiums around the world, combining guttural vocals with scorching guitar licks.

The time of grunge may have ended in the mid-1990s but for many bands, the rock did not stop. In the case of Alice in Chains, performing Sunday at the Patriot Center, even the saddest story in grunge music could not keep the band down.

Alice in Chains rose to national prominence in 1990 with the release of Facelift.

The album featured the band’s signature song, “Man in the Box.” Critics and fans were intrigued by the traditional grunge sound infused with the combination of vocalist Layne Staley’s garbled vocals and guitarist Jerry Cantrell’s smoother style.

While the band seemed unstoppable following 1992’s

Dirt, things did not stay that way.

Staley’s well-documented heroin addiction stalled the band’s recording process and prevented Alice in Chains from touring.

A handful of commercially successful albums followed, culminating in the band’s performance on MTV Unplugged.

However, their 1996 performance would be the band’s last for nearly a decade. Staley never officially quit the band, but he did not tour and spent the last few years of his life deep in a heroin addiction before his death in 2002.

But in 2008, the band headed back to the studio to record a new album, Black Gives Way to Blue, with their new vocalist, former Comes with the Fall frontman William DuVall.

Alice in Chains will be performing with former ‘90s alternative rock v e t e r a n s Deftones and Mastodon. Tickets are available through the Patriot Center ticket office or by calling 703573-SEAT.

2|

News Event Calendar Monday, Sept. 20, 2010 Fall for the Book: Child Development Center Book Drive JC, Sandy Spring Bank Tent 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Broadside

31

The number of days for the George Mason University v.

University of Maryland commuter challenge.

Monday, September 20, 2010

Obama a ‘belt tightener’ Journalist Beinart discusses Obama’s foreign policy

Buddhist Psychology 101: Ryo Imamura JC, Meeting Room G 6 - 8 p.m.

Tuesday, Sept. 21, 2010 Library Workshop: Tuesday Tours @ 10 Fenwick Library, Main Circulation Desk noon - 1 p.m.

Azucar Salsa Dance Lessons JC, Dance Studio 6 - 8 p.m.

Wednesday, Sept. 22, 2010 Mason Players: Krispy Kreme Fundraiser JC, Lot K, SUB I 8 a.m. – 12 p.m.

Commuter Challenge: Kick-Off Event Hampton Roads, The Pilot House 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Thursday, Sept. 23, 2010 Center for Asian Pacific Economic Cooperation: Dr. Carol Hamrin JC, Cinema 1:30 – 2:45 p.m.

Panel Discussion: NYC Islamic Center JC, George’s Restaurant 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.

For more events and activities, check out: today.gmu.edu

POLICE FILES

Photo By Ezekiel Watkins

Journalist Peter Beinart gave his assessment of President Barack Obama’s foriegn policy in the Johnson Center Cinema on Thursday.

Kathy Morgenegg Broadside Correspondent What kind of foreign policy is President Barack Obama employing abroad?

Journalist and political commentator Peter Beinart addressed Obama’s foreign policy in the Johnson Center Cinema, saying Obama’s preferred approach is using the “soft power” of the U.S.’s economic strength to sway countries.

But constrained by the ail-

Problems common in new buildings, but students still happy Edmund Cotter

Sept. 15

Sept. 13 Sept. 14

Suspicious Activity Johnson Center An officer responded to the report of suspicious activity inside a ladies restroom. Incident referred to the Dean of Students. (58/Duangrat)

Medical Assist Science & Technology I A GMU student felt dizzy and fell to the floor, hitting their head. The student was transported to Inova Access for further evaluation. (37/Radfar)

In spite of problems and “new building quirks,” a ribbon cutting for the Hampton Roads dormitory went off to the sound of a brass band and the acclaim of George Mason University President Alan Merten on Thursday.

The dorms are “another success for [Mason],” said Merten.

“We have created another village on campus.”

Students and faculty walked through a soft drizzle to The Pilot House, where ceremonies were held and an enormous cake

News Editor

Sept. 16

Grand Larceny Presidents Park Person(s) unknown removed a 14ft light pole that was lying on the ground waiting to be installed. Loss estimated at $1,000. (39/Ortiz-Durant)

Theft From Building Aquatic & Fitness Center Complainant reported theft of a cell phone. Loss estimated at $600. Case is under investigation. (22/Barton)

Police Files are taken verbatim from www.gmu.edu/police.

Broadside does not make any changes to public records.

shaped like the new dormitory was sliced and mobbed by a student body eager for fake trees and roofs made from hard icing.

Some students reported a few problems with the dormitory.

“The elevator breaks down a lot,” said sophomore undeclared major Andrew McLarty. “Other than that, it’s pretty cool.”

“The water in the shower used to be freezing,” said junior economics major Robert Kramer.

“The shower handle would not go up all the way. When I turn it up, though, the water often becomes scalding.”

Residence assistants said

they could not comment on the building’s technical troubles, but two other residents complained about the water temperatures.

“It’s just a new building,” said Bradley Menard, assistant director of the Office of Housing & Residence Life. “It’s common for any new building on campus to have its problems. The main issue was water filtration.”

But neither rain nor building quirks put a damper on Thursday’s festivities, which featured platters of spare ribs, pizza and fried green beans.

McLarty called the new building “pretty cool” and sopho-

more nursing major Melanie Keagy, a resident, was also enthused. “It’s so much better than Presidents Park.”

“This is a great opportunity to build a community,” said Associate Residence Life Director Hollie Chessman. “The study lounges in the building are great.”

Students were in good spirits over their new space, but McLarty pointed out one other design flaw for the ribbon cutting: “What I don’t get is why the cake only has four stories when the building is actually seven.”

COMMUTER CHALLENGE TO KICK OFF THIS WEEK Gregory Connolly

Trespassing Liberty Square Jeremy Rogers Ross, 21 (non-GMU) was arrested for Trespassing. He was taken to the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center and ordered held on $1,500 bond.

(10/Ganley)

ease. But his agenda has also been constrained by military involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan.

So Obama is left to play “belt-tightener,” a situation where he has to look at the economy — the source of U.S. “soft power” — and decide where America can cut costs.

And he is looking at the military.

“Obama is like the real-estate agent that tells America, ‘by the way, our $1 million house

New dormitory quirky, but ‘cool’ Broadside Correspondent

Drug Violation Presidents Park Five GMU students and one non-GMU individual were found smoking marijuana in a wooded area near the housing area. Joseph Just, 22 (non-GMU, of St. James, N.Y. was trespassed from GMU properties. The other five students are to be referred to the Dean of Students Office. (29/Aman)

ing economy and out-shone by rising fiscal juggernauts like China, Beinart said Obama’s “honeymoon” phase where his popularity can be leveraged is likewise running out.

Now he is forced to deal with America’s domestic and international issues head-on.

Obama sees the world in terms of an international community, Beinart said, drawn together by common causes like global warming, hunger and dis-

[America] is only worth $500,000 … We are going to have to tighten our belts,’” Beinart said.

But will the president even have the power to call off the military?

Throughout history, the deeper the military is involved, the more influence they have domestically — and the military is well-rooted in the Middle East, Beinart said. He said this parallels problems during the Vietnam War: overspending, resource constraints and an American public opposed to the war.

However, the military is not what defines a successful or an unsuccessful foreign policy, Beinart said. “You judge the success of a foreign policy by how people are doing at home.”

As Obama works to bring troops back from Afghanistan and Iraq starting next summer, debates on the war will rage on.

However, Beinart ended his speech by reasoning that taking the troops out is not “an admission of defeat, but a beginning to bringing America back [economically].”

The audience’s questions for Beinart consisted of how Obama was going to approach Israel during the rest of his term and what role the U.S. would play in stopping al-Qaida and the Taliban in the years to come.

This remains to be seen as Obama has just taken hold of his foreign policy, Beinart said.

Wednesday marks the start of the commuter challenge, a competition between George Mason University and the University of Maryland, to see which school can most reduce commuter traffic.

The challenge, which runs through Oct. 22, will have participants log how they travelled to campus each day, said Josh Cantor, the director of Parking and Transportation at Mason.

He said participants are split into teams, with prizes awarded to both the individual and team that saves the most trips. In addition to the contest prizes, there are other prizes which are exclusive to Mason participants.

The challenge will involve faculty, students and

staff from both schools and will make use of a commuter service called Zimride. The service organizes carpools, allowing users to find a carpool partner and is based off criteria such as commute location and time.

Criteria for the challenge include the number of trips saved, the most carbon dioxide reduced and the most new Zimride users, Cantor said.

Parking will hold a kickoff event from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Wednesday at The Pilot House with raffle prizes. The event will feature a panel conversation as well as a presentation of the Campus Transportation and Traffic master plan. There will also be pizza from noon to 1 p.m.

More information, including a sign-up form, can be found at zimride.gmu.edu.

Picture by: The flickr account, TheTruthAbout..,

Broadside

News

Monday, September 20, 2010 |

Interested in becoming the assistant news editor?

Interested in writing weekly for news in a beat writing position?

We’re hiring!

E-mail eic@broadsideonline.com for more information

Free Tickets for Mason Students!

GMU Symphony Orchestra

Wed., Sept. 29 at 8 p.m. $15 Adults, $10 Seniors, Free Students

CH

Visual Voices Series Yee-Haw Industries: 32 Flavors of Gravy Julie Belcher and Kevin Bradley, speakers Thurs., Sept. 30 at 7:30 p.m.

Free /Non-ticketed HT

MOMIX: Botanica Sat., Oct. 2 at 8 p.m.

Sun., Oct. 3 at 4 p.m. ppd $46, $38, $23 CH Free Student Tickets Available Sept. 21 ppd

=Pre-performance Discussion

ff

=Family Friendly

The Vision Series Biosecurity in the 21st Century

Visual Voices Series Illegal Alien’s Guide to Reverse Anthropology

Gregory Koblentz, speaker Mon., Oct. 4 at 7 p.m.

Free/Ticketed CH

Enrique Chagoya, speaker; Navigation Press Fri., Oct. 14 at 7:30 p.m.

Free/Non-ticketed HT

The Mason Players Studio Series Kimberly Akimbo

School of Music Faculty Artist Showcase

October 7-9 at 8 p.m.

October 9-10 at 2 p.m. $12 adult, $8 Student/Senior BB Limited Free Student Tickets Available Sept. 28

American Festival Pops Orchestra Anthony Maiello, conductor

CH=Concert Hall

Virginia Opera: Rigoletto Fri., Oct. 15 at 8 p.m. $86, $72, $44 Sun., Oct. 17 at 2 p.m. $98, $80, $48 CH Limited Free Student Tickets Available Oct. 5

Brooklyn Rider

Sat., Oct. 9 at 8 p.m. ppd $46, $38, $23 CH f f Free Student Tickets Available Sept. 28

BB=Black Box

Fri., Oct. 15 at 8 p.m.

Free/Non-ticketed HT

Sat., Oct. 16 at 8 p.m. ppd $40, $32, $20 CH Free Student Tickets Available Oct. 5 HT=Harris Theater

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

OR TH E RF AR

TS

Center for the Arts

TS=TheaterSpace

E

Sat., Sept. 25 at 8 p.m. ppd $60, $52, $30 CH Limited Free Student Tickets Available Now!

CENT

Joel Grey

20 YEARS 19

9 0 – 2 0 10

ppd

3

4

Opinion Broadside

|

Monday, September 20, 2010

Broadside

EDITORIAL

Emily Sharrer, Editor-in-Chief

Love it or hate it, Michatalie is here to stay: Broadside’s defense of the controversial column

George Mason University’s Student Newspaper

Sonya Hudson, Managing Editor Monika Joshi, Copy Chief Matt Snyder, News Editor Gregory Connolly, Asst. News Editor Justin Lalputan, Opinion Editor Elizabeth Perry, Asst. Opinion Editor Patrick Wall, Style Editor Ramy Zabarah, Asst. Style Editor John Powell, Sports Editor Cody Norman, Asst. Sports Editor Peter Flint, Photography Editor Christina Salek-Raham, Copy Editor Benjamin Shaffer, Copy Editor Marine Jaouen, Copy Editor Mayank Mehrishi, Copy Editor

Thank you, diligent readers, for the recent influx of letters to Broadside regarding the vulgar and apparently hard-tolove columnist duo, Michatalie.

There hasn’t been this much buzz surrounding Broadside since Alan Moore began penning columns for us.

So far, the pair has made us laugh, cringe and drop our jaws as they let freshmen know the major do’s and don’ts of college and told readers how to achieve the perfect ChipOrgasm — much to the chagrin of many of you readers.

Here’s what we think our readers are missing about Michatalie’s column: they are not being serious.

Yes, they are vulgar, use foul language and aim to shock, but they do it all for laughs. So when they say you should attend every fraternity party in one night or not purchase $5 veggie cups, they want you to laugh with them and have enough sense to know you shouldn’t actually aim to be the latest girl in a guy’s beer-stained bed.

In a letter to the editor this week, John Morgan questions Broadside’s standards since we

Jared Barrale, Copy Editor Heather Hamilton, Copy Editor Liz Milligan, Designer Ala Yaktieen, Designer Michelle Buser, Designer Randy Urick, Photographer Stephanie Knapp, Photographer Dylan Hares, Staff Reporter Scott Miller, Advertising Director Catherine Kutz, Advertising Representative Jacques Mouyal, Business Manager Kathryn Mangus, Faculty Adviser David Carroll,Tech Adviser

Editorial Policy 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.

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 editor in 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. © 2007 by Broadside . All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the written permission of the editor in chief.

Obama’s health care farce President needs to stay true to promises Curtis kalin S o p h o m o r e

Opinion

Columnist

On March 19, President Barack Obama graced this campus with his presence. His topic was the health care reform bill that was to be voted on that weekend. It passed by a razorthin margin and was signed into law.

Now, almost six months later, are the promises he made to this university and the American people panning out like he said they would?

Throughout the push for this law, he repeatedly made the claim “If you like your doctor, you’re going to be able to keep your doctor. If you like your plan, keep your plan.”

However, while there’s no explicit provision in the law that mandates this, the law of unintended consequences is running rampant throughout and this is no exception.

That month, CBS featured a small-business man from Pennsylvania who owned a 120-person business. Under the law, he would be mandated to meet the government’s prescribed standards for insurance or face a $750 per worker fine.

He offers generous coverage now. However, in an economy where businesses are cutting costs, it would be much less expensive if he dumped his employees’ coverage and took the penalty. The problem is that the workers would lose their coverage whether they liked it or not.

They would then be forced on the government’s newly created exchange. In truth, the president’s statement is moot because more often than not your employer controls your coverage and that’s where the law is felt.

It matters little if “you like your plan.” If your boss doesn’t then you’re switching.

Obama also said, “It’s time to give you, the American people, more control over your health.” I agree, but that’s not what the law does.

As mentioned above, one’s health coverage is normally connected to their job. So, the president is correct in the implication that we don’t have much of a say on our coverage or rates right now.

However, the law doesn’t

change that at all. There is still a tax incentive for employer-provided coverage. This entices more employers to connect job and health insurance.

In truth, the law actually puts another player, the federal government, in the system but ignores the true issue of employer-provided care.

The prior system worked like this: We had the insurer dictating to your employer, who dictated to your doctor, who dictated to you.

Now the federal government is at the top dictating to the insurer. We are still far down on the list.

Another key promise the president made at George Mason University was “[what] this legislation does is it brings down the cost of health care for families and businesses and the federal government.”

On the point about family costs, a Congressional Budget Office report released in April stated that the constitutionally flimsy provision that mandates families to buy health insurance would mean “4 million households would be hit with tax penalties under the law for failing to get insurance.”

On the nation’s health care tab, similar issues arise. While the CBO’s estimate before passage said that the first 10 years of the plan would be “budget neutral,” that doesn’t count the plan’s fuzzy accounting tactics.

The plan doesn’t begin until 2014, even while taxes and fines will be collected starting now.

So, in essence, they’re collecting 10 years of revenue for six years of program costs. This fumbling hides a potentially hideous 20-year estimate in which the true cost will be revealed.

Even beyond the budgeting, the physical cost is just as dangerous. The April CBO report warned that, “Medicare cuts may be unrealistic and unsustainable, driving about 15 percent of hospitals into the red and ‘possibly jeopardizing access’ to care for seniors.”

What’s more alarming is that Medicare’s chief actuary also released a report in April that said overall health spending, after all of the cuts, would still be increased by $311 billion over the next decade.

Every president should be held accountable for their promises, especially for a restructuring this drastic. Obama made these promises to my face earlier this year, and six months later his promises are not being fulfilled.

World Report’s annual list. We too, take pride in that fact, but we believe that the two have nothing to do with one another.

We don’t think Michatalie or Broadside has it within our power to reverse any of the progress made by the university in academics, faculty, students, campus life, diversity or facilities simply by printing certain content.

Despite threats to the contrary, we hope people will still choose to read Broadside.

Just as you respect our right to print what we want, we will respect your right to read what you want.

We hope somewhere within our pages there is an article that gave you information you wanted, agreed with or simply read for pleasure that will drive you to pick up next week’s edition.

Some of you have questioned what purpose Michatalie’s column serves, and our answer is it serves as entertainment.

In his letter to the editor this week, Morgan says that there is a difference between Michatalie and other “explicit”

yet “still valuable” content, like that printed by The Onion. We contend both are created equally as parody and exist solely to entertain. Generally, there isn’t any value in watching TV, surfing Facebook or texting a friend, but these are things people do for entertainment all the time.

For your reference, Michatalie haters, the column will be printed biweekly in the style section under the picture some of you know and have learned to hate.

If Michatalie doesn’t make you laugh, we implore you to not read it, but want to remind you that it’s not representative of all the content Broadside has to offer.

Lastly, we want to keep hearing from you readers, because Broadside exists to serve the interests and opinions of Mason students.

All the letters we have gotten about Michatalie have been negative, but we want to hear from Michatalie lovers as well.

We know you exist and would love to hear your defense of the new addition to the Broadside team.

Suing AEP ‘undeniably wrong’ Lawyers only care about money, not the people involved in their cases Alan Moore S E N I O R

Opinion

Columnist

Two weeks ago, Broadside featured a story about an incident involving three students who were injured in a car accident caused by another student, prompting a lawsuit.

The story “Riding in cars with boys” was pitched by the lawyer of the person filing suit, who is referred with the alias Lindsey White. On the surface it seems that the defendants in question are getting their just desserts but after digging a bit deeper, that just might not be the case.

The defendant was found at fault for the accident by the Fairfax County court system and he absolutely should be responsible for the medical bills and monetary loss due to injury of everyone involved. People must take responsibility for their actions.

However, suing Alpha Epsilon Pi, the local chapter and its

president for $20 million is undeniably wrong. Perhaps White felt she deserved more compensation, but my guess is her lawyer convinced her she was entitled to it.

This is a growing trend in our society. Too many people think they deserve riches beyond their wildest dreams because of tragedy. From suing McDonald’s for hot coffee to bringing a lawsuit against the Winnebago company for not advising a driver that it isn’t safe to put the vehicle on cruise control and leave the drivers seat, lawyers have run amok with their frivolous lawsuits egging on this notion of entitlement.

Quite frankly, it’s disheartening to see a lawyer try to use the good students of this campus in such a shameful manner.

Why contact Broadside in the first place? How is that relevant to this case?

Do White and her lawyer really want to tell her story to prevent the same thing from happening to others? Lindsey might, but her lawyer probably couldn’t care less.

He’s using a common public affairs tactic to make public opinion so bad for AEP and the other defendants that they will feel that a settlement is the only feasible

option.

Full disclosure, in another life I worked for my fraternity, Sigma Pi. Every Monday we received phone calls from lawyers regarding some incident that happened over the weekend with a member of the fraternity somewhere in the country.

Most of the time those lawyers were simply sniffing around to see if we were susceptible to settling. They went after us, even if there was no fault on our part, because we had a multimillion-dollar liability insurance policy, as all fraternities do, including the one being sued by White.

If AEP and the local chapter are somehow to blame for irresponsible driving then why not go after some others who are perhaps more to blame? How about the defendant’s driving instructor for when he got his learning permit?

Maybe the parents are to blame for not instilling in him the types of safety measures needed to drive a vehicle. You won’t see that because to lawyers, it’s not really about accountability, it’s about who has the most money.

There was one incident with my fraternity that I’ll never forget; one which puts this incident at George Mason University in perspective.

Sam Spady was a 19-year-old freshman at Colorado State University. After consuming too much alcohol, she returned to the Sigma Pi house for the evening.

Sadly, because the brothers there did not know how to assess if someone had alcohol poisoning, she died sometime in the night.

She left many friends and a loving family, including a very heartbroken mother, Patty Spady.

Mrs. Spady did not sue my fraternity. Instead she started the Sam Spady Foundation, an organization dedicated to warning college students on the dangers of alcohol abuse.

Her story has saved the lives of a number of college students by educating them on how to know when someone is suffering from alcohol poisoning. Mrs. Spady’s efforts are nothing short of heroic.

Every time she tells her daughter’s story she relives it all over again, but she does it because her work is too important. After all, that’s what most people do when they are faced with adversity; they rise up to the challenges, no matter how heart wrenching they are, to overcome and achieve something great.

Well, most people anyway.

Some people just want to get rich.

Activists fight for Appalachia EAG wants you to join in the fight against mountaintop removal EAG Opinion Contributor From Sept. 25-27, members of the Environmental Action Group will be participating in Appalachia Rising, a mass mobilization in the District of Columbia to end mountaintop removal mining, a devastating form of coal production.

Unlike traditional mining that extracts coal from underground, mountaintop removal mining does exactly what the name implies: The tops of mountains are blown off in order to

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. Letters to the editor must be no longer than 350 words. 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.

choose to print this column. Yes, we do have standards, ones that we try to uphold vehemently every week. We swear by our style rules, spend countless hours editing stories and putting together a paper every week for George Mason University students that reflects the things students care about and want to read.

We’re not always perfect.

Michatalie may not be everybody’s cup of tea, and we don’t expect it to be.

As editors we accept that we will inevitably print things not everybody will love, but then, when was the last time you picked up a newspaper or magazine and liked every single thing the publication printed or had an opinion on?

Catherine Brusseau, in her letter to the editor this week, writes that Michatalie’s column is degrading to the image of the Mason student body. However, never does Michatalie claim to represent anybody but Michatalie.

Brusseau also points out that Mason is ranked within the top five “Up-and-Coming Universities” on U.S. News and

reach the seams of coal underneath.

Not only is mountaintop removal mining an environmental catastrophe, it is also a violation of human rights because it destroys the homeland of coalfield residents and damages their health through toxic substances that contaminate their air and water. To date, more than 500 mountains in Appalachia have been destroyed, over 2,000 square miles of streams and rivers have been buried and an estimated area in excess of 1 million acres lies in ruin.

The goal of Appalachia Ris-

Editorial Board: Emily Sharrer, Editor-in-Chief Monika Joshi, Copy Chief Sonya Hudson, Managing Editor Justin Lalputan, Opinion Editor Elizabeth Perry, Asst.Opinion Editor

ing is to demand a permanent end to mountaintop removal and a just transition to a clean energy economy in Appalachia. Appalachia Rising will consist of two major parts. The first part will focus on providing participants with the skills they need to be effective allies in the fight against mountaintop removal mining.

On Saturday, informational workshops will be offered and on Sunday, skills-based workshops will focus on training participants on how to organize to end mountaintop removal mining. All events will take place at George Washington University starting at

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.

9 a.m.

The second part of Appalachia Rising will focus on mass mobilization to end mountaintop removal mining. The plan is to pressure government leaders to eradicate this violation of human rights by holding a rally on Monday, Sept. 27 at Freedom Plaza and then marching to the White House.

You can register to be a part of Appalachia Rising at www.appalachiarising.org. We can bring an end to mountaintop removal mining, but we need your help.

Please join us.

Contact us!

Broadside George Mason University Mailstop 2C5 4400 University Drive Fairfax, VA 22030

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

Broadside

Opinion

Monday, September 20, 2010 |

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Moore and the spaghetti monster Mr. Moore’s insulting attack on the Flying Spaghetti Monster is both troubling and disturbing to those students that have been touched by his noodley appendage.

The Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, or Pastafarianism, is just as real as any other religion and very relevant.

In a pluralistic society that prides itself on inclusion and religious tolerance, Mr. Moore’s article has no place in polite circles.

Attacks on the belief structure of any other religion would be met with disapproval by other student organizations.

I can only hope that there is a similar outcry against this senseless attack on the followers of the FSM. Perhaps Mr. Moore needs to realize that we are a secular society and that a belief in something without any empirical evidence does not qualify him as a spokesman for anything.

The Secular Student Alliance does believe in fostering tolerance between religious faiths, it simply does not believe in the need for divine intercession to determine good behavior.

Christians in particular are quick to call anything that doesn’t give deference to a non-existent sky fairy an attack on their faith.

It is not; it is simply a statement of belief.

I am not a member of the SSA but I imagine that they look at the world and see injustices defended by an iron-age ethic that is out of place in modern society.

American citizens are being denied equal protection under the law simply because they love a member of the same sex.

If you don’t believe in gay marriage, don’t marry a man. However, the rest of society has no need for an antiquated and pernicious theology that justifies bigotry.

I believe the SSA is trying to build a bridge between the religious and non-religious, but the first step in the process has to be the recognition of the right to disagree with the belief in a deity and to point out the evil done in its name.

In the Treaty of Tripoli, John Adams and the U.S. Senate ratified a treaty that stated, “As the government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion, as it has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion, or tranquility, of Musselmen, and as the said States never entered into any war or act of hostility against any Mehomitan nation, it is declared by the parties that no pretext arising from religious opinions shall ever produce an interruption of the harmony existing between the two countries.”

This treaty was not the work of some new secular threat, but rather the president of the United States in 1797.

Mr. Moore is free to believe whatever he wants, but this freedom is protected precisely because we are a secular nation.

If Mr. Moore’s wish were granted and we began to govern based on theology perhaps he would find himself outside the orthodoxy and how quickly he would scream for the separation of church and state.

Or maybe he should just leave the Flying Spaghetti Monster alone.

Blake Pratt public administration

Michatalie is infantile and revolting I find the “Michatalie” segment in Broadside to be revolting.

George Mason University is ranked within the top 5 of the U.S. News & World Report’s "Up and Coming Universities and Colleges." It is disturbing that Broadside would publish something that is so degrading on the image of the student body.

Moreover, the general lack of decorum that those two girls exhibit is disheartening. I would hope that two young semi-educated women would have a little more self-respect, and want that same respect for other young women who are here to gain an education.

I am deeply perplexed on the overall discernment of Broadside's editor. I do not understand how something so infantile, in both its language and demeanor, gets approved to go to print. The lack of judgment that the editor has shown is inconceivable.

Furthermore, I am outraged at the lack of oversight offered by Ms. Mangus.

As a faculty member I would assume that she has more maturity, and would strive to pass that maturity onto those whom she advises.

I demand that the weekly article be removed from the paper. The repulsive language that is written every week is inexcusable.

While my correspondence may sound venomous, I feel that I speak for a percentage of the student body, when I say that “Michatalie” is a blight on Broadside’s image

My two cents about their $8.50 At this point, Broadside wouldn’t be Broadside without some weekly commentary on the status of Sodexo at George Mason University. As a student and former Sodexo employee, I humbly offer my two cents.

There is a lot of speculation about alleged abuses and safety violations here at Mason. I cannot speak to the truth of these rumors; I really have no idea if they are true or not, nor do I think it the most important issue.

What I do know is that while Sodexo pats itself on the back for offering a starting wage of a whole whopping dollar higher than the Virginia minimum wage, $8.50 is still a poverty wage for an adult living in this area.

Sodexo employees should not have to settle for this mediocrity.

It’s ludicrous, and so is any corporation that does not pay its workers a living wage while its CEO earns millions of dollars. Two million a year, in Michel Landel’s case.

I want my fellow students to genuinely reflect on this. Most of us, I hope, are here to learn in and outside of the classroom. Is this really what our value system encourages?

The average cost of living in Fairfax County is estimated above $30,000 a year, and that is a very low estimate.

That means that a living wage in this area is around $17 per hour, twice a meager $8.50. True, there are opportunities to advance to a certain degree in the company, but bills, hunger and the need for adequate food and shelter don’t wait for anyone to kiss enough ass to get a raise or a promotion.

As for the profits of the company, the annual revenue for Sodexo in 2008 was $7.7 billion. As far as Mason is concerned, we all know that the majority of the products in the convenience store are at least twice the suggested retail value.

The greatest irony of all is that the employees watch us spend more with our freedom funds in a day on $2 gum than some of them will spend in a week for food.

I have worked for Sodexo, and I never witnessed any outright abuse.

What I have observed is a demeaning paternalistic corporate culture.

The upper management and supervisors maintain this status quo because they are “just doing their job” as dictated by whoever is higher up on the totem pole.

The management are no more than cogs in the Sodexo machine, pardon the cliché. They should not be demonized for their actions; they should be pitied.

Where the average workers are concerned, many have to tolerate being spoken to as if they were children by their superiors. That I have seen. This type of slow, subtle humiliation is sometimes worse than outright abuse.

As for the perpetuators of this system, has society taught them or taught us anything but this oppressive way of life?

They are taught that to delegate tasks they must be oppressive, authoritative and elitist. We, well at least I, was taught by our Angloprotestant dominated society to equate a lack of education and language skills with ignorance and that ignorant people do not deserve any better than meager wages.

Why? Is it because they are lazy? Is it due to the fact that they are foreign? Or maybe it’s because they didn’t go to college like my parents.

All of these assumptions are wrong. This perceived ignorance is nothing more than a lack of opportunity whose cycle is only exacerbated by poverty wages.

The next time you buy a sandwich or the infamous $4 Red Bull, ask yourself where your money is really going and why. And, most importantly, reflect on what system of values brought this all about.

Molly Maddra global afffairs

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I would like to point out that “Secularism is the Devil: a poison that destroys America from the inside out” by Alan Moore was improperly labeled. There was no discussion of why or how secularism is making a negative impact on America or, conversely, why religious intrusion into public institutions would be positive for America and so this headline was erroneous.

The article also made the claim that the Secular Student Alliance did not respect or honor people of the Christian faith, but this too went unsupported by any concrete example or evidence. Moore writes: “In an attempt to denounce intelligent design, the founder of this ‘Flying Spaghetti Monster’ internet parody mean-spiritedly mocks Christians for no apparent reason.” This did not properly show his grievance against the FSM. Even assuming the founder of FSM said something along the lines of “people who believe in God are dummies,” people are entitled to their opinions and should be allowed to express them (freedom of speech) and even are allowed to enjoy spaghetti dinners with a whole group of people who happen to share these opinions (freedom of association). While you may view smart-alecky atheists/agnostics as victimizing Christians, you should remember that Christians have traditionally believed that people who do not agree with them will face an eternity of torment in hell.

Please don’t call me a Marxist, but I am afraid I must ridicule your arguments for their absurdity. Since you offer no pros or cons to secularism or the alternatives, you have already failed to prove your point by default, but your justification for why non secularism is legally viable is upsetting to me. You say: “There is nothing forbidding the teaching of intelligent design, praying in public schools, putting a copy of the Ten Commandments in a federal courtroom, or even celebrating a National Day of Prayer.” I refer you the cases of Edwards v. Aguillard, Engel v. Vitale, Glassroth v. Moore, FFRF v. Obama, and Lemon v. Kurtzman as a bonus. If you read these you will understand the reason why we do not have the things you listed and possibly offer a counter to the actual argument you should be countering.

You are also wrong to say that “Liberals would have you believe the Constitution expressly prohibits any mingling of religion and state affairs.” “Expressly prohibit any mingling” is your own phrase which you chose in order to funnel us into your pointless observation that the Constitution does not literally and specifically account for every possible controversy. I think, in reality, most liberals would have us believe that the Supreme Court has used its power of judicial review to properly rule on religious controversies arising from first amendment violations. You have taken an argument, oversimplified it, put it into the mouths of your opposition, and countered it with your own underdeveloped point of view. You should face the fact that your beef is not with the general liberal population but with the decisions of the federal courts you seem to be totally ignorant of. I think you would have been better served if you had quoted someone like Justice Scalia on this issue rather than an episode of South Park.

You are also incorrect in your view that the separation of church and state and religious freedom are “diametrically opposed.” The establishment clause and free exercise clause of the first amendment are in perfect harmony. One might even argue that without separation of church and state there can be no religious freedom.

“If society overwhelmingly has faith in a divine being who is manifested by peace, love, and respect, then mankind will strive to emulate those attributes.” I point you to the Dark Ages and the generally well documented notion of religious hypocrisy. “If society overwhelmingly only has faith in the undisciplined self that is manifested by strife, greed and sin, then we shall perish from this earth.” I agree with Mr. Moore’s excoriation of capitalism.

Jonathan Allen government and international politics

Michatalie takes standards to an all-time low

Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down

Catherine Brusseau technical theater

CLASSIFIED

Moore’s arguments are absurd and incorrect

Thumbs up to Jon Stewart for deciding to hold his rally to restore sanity in D.C. We’ll definitely be there.

Thumbs up to readers who sent us letters to the editor this week.

The rest of you guys need to step up your game and let us know what you think.

Thumbs up to the start of Fall for the Book. All week you’ll have the opportunity to listen to renowned authors on campus.

I thought a university newspaper had standards.

I completely respect a newspaper's right to print what they want, even if what they want to print is fairly controversial and explicit. However, there is a difference between something that is explicit and still valuable (like anything written in The Onion) and something that is just flat-out worthless.

Michatalie falls under the flat-out-worthless category.

The joke just seems to be "fuck" and the addition of the word "pie" and "orgasm" to things in order to make them, I'm not quite sure ... funny?

No, it can't be funny, because the ChipOrgasm article was most definitely not funny, or if it was, it is in the Jersey Shore sort of way, where the reader is meant to laugh at how absurdly unintelligent and insulting the writers are.

Like I said, I respect your right to print whatever you want, but that doesn't mean people have to read it, and if you keep printing articles like ChipOrgasm, which seems to serve no other purpose then to flaunt the absolute worst George Mason University has to offer, then don't expect people to keep reading you.

Or if, by some miracle, people do continue to read your paper, it will only be to laugh at how pathetic it has become, just like Jersey Shore.

This bit is directly to Michatalie: how self-absorbed do you have to be to print a picture of you that is almost bigger than the article itself?

Congratulations, now we all know what massive egos you have!

Judging by your article, your ego is not at all deserved. You are the kind of girls that Mean Girls criticizes.

I bet you love that movie, too.

John Morgan theater

Quote Week: of the

Thumbs down to the construction on the health clinic in Student Union Building I. Now where are we supposed to find a water fountain?

Thumbs down to the CUE bus for not running early on weekends. Now if I want to go on the Metro I have to take Mason to Metro and circle around campus five times.

“Always do sober what you said you’d do drunk.

That will teach you to keep your mouth shut.”

Thumbs down to the scalding water in Hampton Roads. People can only shower so quickly.

— Ernest Hemingway

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The number of Jeopardy! games contestant Ken Jennings won in 2004.

Monday, September 20, 2010

Wanted: A glimpse of the Kid Fast-selling CFA show leaves Kid Cudi tickets in high demand for students

Ramy Zabarah Asst. Style Editor An Evening with Kid Cudi, the much anticipated music event organized by George Mason University’s University Life and the Office of Student Involvement, is quickly approaching and excitement is in the air.

According to the Director of the Office of Student Involvement Lauren Long, tickets for the event were only available for 10 hours before the Center for the Arts sold out its Concert Hall. While most students were too late, some are still trying different

ways to acquire those tickets.

“I was out of town when the tickets went on sale,” said junior global affairs major Deena ElRashed.

“When I got back, they were sold out. I tried posting a Facebook status asking if anyone had an extra ticket, but it turned out everyone else on Facebook was also looking for extra tickets.”

While Facebook might be a relatively effective way to find tickets, students may have to result to other ways such as Craigslist or third party ticket sellers like Stub Hub, where tickets for the event are being sold for $150.

Each year, the annual Fall for the Book festival sees a bump in attendance. Most years, in fact, the increase is by a thousand or more. But for Art Taylor, marketing director for the event, this year has some new excitement.

“While quality is the hallmark of all of our author participants … we're also excited when authors that we're proud of and enthusiastic about also capture a wide public enthusiasm as well.”

For the past decade, Fall for the Book, organized by the City of Fairfax and George Mason University, has worked to bring wellknown authors and up-and-comers to the area to give festival attendees an inside look at the writing and publishing process.

In addition to nationally-recognized authors, Fall for the Book gives Mason profes-

Many students are upset that the tickets sold out so quickly, thinking perhaps Kid Cudi should be performing at a larger venue such as the Patriot Center. Junior music major Christine Gonzales believes it could have prevented a lot of anger.

“The most I’d pay for a Kid Cudi concert is $80, and that’s because I’m a big fan,” said Gonzales. “The show should’ve been at the Patriot Center, because then there would be more student involvement, and third party ticket sellers wouldn’t be able to take advantage of students, who have to pay large amounts of money that will never go back to the school anyway.”

While many students could not get their hands on a ticket in time, those who did cannot wait to see what some may call the voice of their generation.

Junior communication major Cristian Pineda was able to reserve his spot before the show sold out.

“He’s one of my favorite artists,” said Pineda.

“I’m really happy [George Mason University] picked a performer that appeals to our demographic. He’s the kind of artist that talks about our generation, and real hip-hop.”

An Evening with Kid Cudi is scheduled for Thursday at 8 p.m. at Concert Hall in the Center for the Arts.

Photo courtesy of riverajamie Flickr account

sors a chance to publicize their own work.

“Events will feature Mason professors showcasing their own works and alumni talking about their experiences,” said Taylor.

“Lee Thomas, a Mason alum who's now an Emmy Award-winning TV reporter in New York, [appeared] on Sunday, and several [alumni] of Mason's MFA program in creative writing will read from their recent works on Thursday afternoon.”

But ultimately, the festival aims to work with the university to bring literature to its campus.

“While the festival has broadened its geographic scope in recent years … Mason remains our base,” said Taylor, “and our commitment to serving the student population remains paramount to our mission.”

Known as an expert in noir fiction, Edgar Awardwinning author Megan Abbott will be visiting Mason.

In addition to being published in several noir anthologies and collections, Abbott was the editor of A Hell of a Woman: An Anthology of Female Noir, a compilation of mystery and crime stories which was nominated for an Edgar award. In 2006 Abbot won the Edgar Allen Poe Award for her novel Queenpin.

Abbott will be visiting Research I on Thursday to discuss her four noir novels, including her latest, Bury Me Deep.

Ann Patchett, this year’s Fairfax Prize award winner, is no stranger to accolades. Her first novel, 1992’s The Patron Saint of Liars, was named a New York Times notable book.

As her works continued to evolve, Patchett earned several more literary honors, including a Guggenheim Fellowship.

In addition to her extensive list of writings, Patchett has contributed to such prestigious magazines as The New York Times, The Atlantic and The Washington Post. She has also received praise for her short story work. In 2006 she was editor for The Best American Short Stories.

Before her acceptance of the Fairfax Awards, student and professional actors will be performing a stage production of selected scenes from her novels today from 7:30-9 p.m. in Harris Theater.

Greg Mortenson is as highly decorated for his writing as he is for his humanitarian efforts. His book Three Cups of Tea : One Man’s Mission to Promote Peace … One School at a Time was number one on The New York Times bestseller list.

He was also awarded the Star of Pakistan, or Sitara-e-Pakistan, for his efforts to promote literacy and education in the Middle Eastern country.

Mortenson works to promote education among children, especially young girls. While this work has gained him acclaim in Pakistan, he has also endured threats from Americans following 9/11 and investigations by the CIA. Mortenson will be speaking on Friday at the Concert Hall of Mason’s Center for the Arts.

e h t r o f l s r Fal e k a e p s k o o B e e s o t Wall k c i r Pat

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CAMPUS BOOK EVENTS TO FALL FOR James Baldwin in Exile presenta on given by acclaimed photographer Sedat Pakay

Poetry Slam with Alvin Lau

Tuesday, Sept. 21 - Friday, Sept. 24 various mes and loca ons for each event

Friday, Sept. 24 9 - 10:15 p.m.

The Bistro, Johnson Center

Voli on Book Swap Monday, Sept. 20 noon - 4 p.m.

Johnson Center North Plaza

For a complete list of Fall for the Book events, visit www.fallforthebook.org

Words for

Smart People

FROM THE VAULT: Step right up!

Kayla Beardsly Broadside Correspondent Hardly anyone can tell what channel The Game Show Network is. Some do not even know this channel exists.

Most popular game shows today, like Deal or No Deal, Minute to Win It or Wipe Out appear on basic cable channels like ABC and NBC. While these shows still manage to excite with their million dollar offers, loud music and crazy antics, game shows today work too hard to get and hold our attention.

The only game shows that exist today that have the potential to be “classic” later on are intellectual shows like Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune.

Three game shows of the ‘70s and ‘80s serve as perfect examples of a game show worth seeing week after week and 30 years later (that’s right, on the Game Show Network.)

The first is Match Game. Its biggest strength was its simplicity, which is the first thing that separates it from what we are used to today.

Two contestants fill in the blank in a funny anecdote and try to match the answers that six celebrities have written down. The one who matches the most celebs wins.

The biggest thing that made this show a classic was the host Gene Rayburn. He was always smiling, always hilarious and seemed to have a real relationship with the celebrities on the show, especially the celebs that always came back like Richard Dawson and Betty White.

No matter what the episode, which celebrities are on or how much money is on the table, you

will always laugh and never change the channel.

Another was Make Me Laugh.

This was a short-lived game show in the early ‘80s.

The premise was to make celebrity contestants laugh by using three different stand-up comedians. The comedians used props, funny voices and beyond, and the longer the celebrity would last, the more money a member of the audience would receive.

If you were to go on YouTube and type in “Make Me Laugh,” one of the first videos to appear is an episode with Frank Zappa. Zappa was one of the rare celebrities who barely broke a smile the whole time, which in turn, made the episode one of the funniest ever to air.

Last is Let’s Make a Deal.

Nowadays it’s hard to get major celebrities to participate in a game show. Using big names and making them look like fools was a huge part of why the earlier game shows were so entertaining.

However, not all of the game shows in the ‘70s and ‘80s had to use movie stars. Let’s Make a Deal made fools of the audience members instead.

The audience came to the show dressed in various different costumes and picked from three doors, each containing a prize. It’s fun, without trying too hard.

So, if you are ever home sick or there is nothing on TV, find the Game Show Network. Whether or not you know the famous contestants or even know how to play, the game shows of the ‘70s and ‘80s will amuse you and keep you interested.

As a viewer you do not win any money on game shows, so you might as well watch some that entertain you.

Words to woo her ... or not

Rob Bock Broadside Correspondent School is back in session, and you are both single and ready to mingle. You go to a party and start hitting on a cute girl with glasses.

Somewhere in the conversation, she mentions her favorite movie is Cyrano de Bergerac and, as you shamefully tell her yours is The Waterboy, you realize that she is way out of your league (academically, at least).

For those of you who spent your high school years watching Oprah and eating Oreos instead of reading Descartes and analyzing the finer characteristics of Fauvist paintings, here are some words that you can throw around in your conversation to make you look like less of a dummy.

Anomalous means out of the ordinary or not normal. For example, you could say, “Listening to the guy at the bar dressed in Civil War regalia is an anomalous way to get dating advice.”

Incorrigible is used to describe something that cannot be corrected. Use it to say something like, “My calculus teacher said there were so many mistakes on my exam, it was practically incorrigible.”

Describing something as lugubrious means it is mournful or gloomy. “The kid at Starbucks with the My Chemical Romance T-shirt is looking especially lugubrious today.”

An enigma is something puzzling or mysterious. Try it in a

sentence like, “The female reproductive system will always be an enigma to me.”

Pulchritudinous is just another word for beautiful. But unless the girl you are hitting on is a former spelling bee world champion, you will probably want to avoid calling her pulchritudinous.

Congratulations!

You’ve taken the first step on your journey of faking your way through a long, meaningful relationship. Go get ‘em, slugger.

al

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Fall for the Book Festival September 19-24 Events At Mason’s Fairfax, Arlington, and Prince William Campuses

The Biggest Names •Novelist Ann Patchett, winner of the 2010 Fairfax Prize •Poets Charles Bernstein, Brenda Hillman, and Jay Wright •Novelists Lan Samantha Chang, Jennifer Egan, Robert Goolrick, Bernice L. McFadden, Rick Moody and Garth Stein •Environmentalist Bill McKibben •Comic strip artist and graphic memoirist Alison Bechdel •Transgender memoirist Jennifer Finney Boylan •Washington Post ϐ Michelle Singletary •Political activist David Swanson with The Democracy Project

Stein Patchett

The Hottest Discoveries •Cookbook authors Lisa Jervis and Tracye McQuirter •Former FBI agent Gary Noesner •Breakthrough poets Allison Cobb, Sandra Doller, Abraham Smith and Ronaldo Wilson

Mason Writers

Noesner

•Historians Jack Censer and Carol Lee Hamrin, media experts Stephen Farnsworth

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and Robert Lichter, poet Ben Doller, and short story writer ϐ •Faculty showcases featuring Tomasz Arciszewski, Michele Greet, David Haines, Andrew Light, Carrie Meyer, Rich Rubenstein, Janine Wedel, Frank Whittington, David Williams, and Diane Wood •Readings by students and alumni from Mason’s MFA Program in Creative Writing Doller

•Call and Response, featuring works by students and alumni of Mason’s MFA Poetry Program and the School of Art — JC Gallery 123 •James Baldwin in Exile, featuring Sedat Pakay’s photographs of the acclaimed author time in Turkey — Center for the Arts Lobby •Tunnel People, featuring Teun Voeten’s photographs of homeless people living the tunnels beneath New York City — JC 116

Artwork by Meaghan Busch, from “Call and Response”

And a staged reading of Ann Patchett’s works

by Theater of the First Amendment!

www.fallforthebook.org

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889

The total number of shots taken by the men’s golf team at the Maryland Intercollegiate.

Monday, September 20, 2010

Band of brothers Photo By Ali Zaman

The team breaks out to take cover at the beginning of the game.

First season of club paintball gets underway

Photo By Ali Zaman

George Mason University’s club paintball team in a huddle before a match.

John Powell Sports Editor “Intense paintball action. Team building to the extreme. Working on communication skills under fire.” These phrases from Matt Hardman and Alexander Wagenknecht, the captains and founders of George Mason University’s new club paintball team, give a face and an attitude to one of Mason’s newest club teams.

This time last year, Hartman wanted to form a team to compete with the thriving paintball programs at Virginia schools like Virginia Tech, Virginia Commonwealth University, the University of Virginia and the dominating team at Liberty University.

He looked into seeing how to create the team and, with the help of some other players he found by online forums and word-of-mouth, went to Mason’s club sports coordinator Bob Spousta.

He and his team put money up front for tournament entry fees and hotel costs, hoping to get funding for the 2010-11 season.

They received partial funding at the club sports meetings and went on to make their schedule for the season.

A thousand dollars or more for a gun, $200 for a tank, $200 for hoppers, $100 for a mask, $70 for a jersey and plenty of money for other necessary recurring expenses like paint and the use of a field are just some of the regular expenses to train a single player.

The cost of going to a tournament can run hundreds to thousands of dollars, due to registration fees and hotel rooms for the duration of the event.

The team received significantly less than $5,000 of funding for their season, and the players knew that if they wanted to play, they would need to come up with a great amount of the money themselves.

They would need near $5,000 to run one line, comprised of six or seven players, and near $9,000 to run two lines as is common in most club paintball teams.

They currently have two lines, about 14 people this season.

In need of money to run the team, they went to

Photo By Ali Zaman

Sophomore Aaron Auger ducks down to avoid being hit.

Pev’s Paintball Park in Aldie, Va. and received a sponsorship that included use of Pev’s field, giving the team a much-needed place to practice, and hopefully some money in the future.

The situation may pale in comparison to Liberty University’s team, which has its own field to practice on every day of the week. Currently, the Mason team practices once a week; they go for about six hours on Sundays.

When asked if they were looking for more players, coaches, and more sponsorships, Wagenkneche said, “Always.”

“It’s almost like being in a fraternity without the challenges. When you play together, you learn so much about each other; you become brothers,” added Hartman.

Armed with experience and some up-front money from their players, they went to their tournament on the weekend of Sept. 10. Out of nine teams playing, they played surprisingly well in their firstever tournament, gelling as a team in their first opportunity.

“The sport is pretty much all about communication and teamwork; if you don’t have communication and teamwork, your team isn’t going to do well at all. … We placed fifth out of nine teams. Four of the teams we played against were nationally ranked teams,” said Hartman.

They play in Class AA of the National Collegiate Paintball Association, and if they rank in the top five at the end of the season, they will get promoted to the Class A division. “We’re division AA — it’s like the starting level. If you rank in the top 5, you’re moved up to the A division,” said Hartman.

The tournament was a good omen for them, because of how they played relative to the VCU team, which has a pro paintballer on board, which is oddly not against rules.

They lost their match against them but tied in the record. They also beat the Class A, stacked Liberty team once in three tries.

The team is hopeful for this season and has seven more tournaments stretching from October through March with the championships in May.

The epitome of cowardice Cody Norman Asst. Sports Editor

Photo By Daniel McEnrue

Senior Victor Freeman scored against Richmond in Saturday’s game.

Mason looks to tip terps Pat Carroll Broadside Correspondent

Calendar

After a strong performance against No. 1 Virginia (2-0-1) in an exhibition game, the George Mason men’s soccer team proved they can compete with any team they face, especially in the ACC. This holds true for another ACC and top-10 matchup at No. 7 Maryland (2-1-1) on Tuesday.

The Patriots (3-1-0) have relied on CAA Rookie of the Week Sean Cote in goal as he held George Washington scoreless in his 45 minutes in goal as well as a

shutout in his first start at American. Cote adds to a 2010 recruiting class ranked #13th in the nation, including key additions forward Wes Sever, defender/midfielder Alex Herrera, defender Zak Haapaoja and forward Hugh Roberts.

As for upperclassmen, the Patriots have a talented array of scorers including sophomore forward Taylor Morgan, senior forward Parker Walton and senior forward Victor Freeman, who led the Patriots with 7 goals last season.

The Terrapins return nine starters from last year including Jason Herrick and Matt MacMath as well as Casey Townsend, the

Tuesday, Sept 21: Men’s soccer @ Maryland 7:30 p.m.

ACC All-Freshmen team member in 2008, who missed 7 games with a leg injury in 2009.

Last season, Maryland made a NCAA Tournament appearance and fell in the Elite 8 to eventual national champion Virginia.

The Patriots and Terrapins have been competitive in recent years with Maryland taking two of three meetings; however the Patriots have the latest win coming last year at Mason Stadium.

When the final whistle blows on Tuesday, the Patriots will come away with a 2-1 victory at No. 7 Maryland.

There is something about watching sports that makes us all hang on to the edge of our seats, just waiting for the next incredible play.

We’re waiting for that gamesaving catch or that series-winning shot that people will rave about for years to come.

But, like I said back in August, we all thoroughly enjoy watching particular athletes crash and burn.

Not literally, of course.

Though I could certainly make a joke about Tom Brady’s car accident here and say something like, “I wonder if Gisele was chasing him with a football when he crashed his car.”

But I won’t do that because he got in a car accident. There is absolutely nothing funny about that.

What is funny, though, is that LeBron James now lingers among the top five of Most Disliked Athletes in the industry.

According to the Q Scores Com-

pany, an organization that measures the general popularity of athletes, James used to be one of the most-liked athletes.

But since “The Decision” on July 8, his reputation has sank to a valley so low that it rivals the reputation of Kobe Bryant, an admitted adulterer and an accused rapist.

The only difference is that Bryant is the kind of guy that just doesn’t care.

And he shouldn’t.

He has become one of the most recognizable winners in the game of basketball while James has done his part to befall one of the greatest losers in NBA history.

Way to go, LeBum. And speaking of sinking reputations, the Oakland Raiders were back on the field in week one of the NFL season. (For those of you who didn’t know: Yes, Oakland still does have a team. Imagine that, right?)

I wouldn’t blame you for forgetting.

The team hasn’t won more than five games in any one sea-

son since 2002. Yet their reason for the team’s loss to Tennessee was simple: overconfidence.

Huh? Tight end Zach Miller and quarterback Jason Campbell both used the excuse in their post-game interview and haven’t budged over the last week.

Apparently Oakland feels like a 5-10 2009 campaign warrants them the right to get cocky.

I mean, it was one of their best seasons since Jon Gruden took them to the Super Bowl about ten years ago.

Regardless, I find it incredibly funny. Because I’d say the reason they lost is because they spent their offseason picking up all the scrubs that the Redskins let go (i.e. Jason Campbell).

They seem to have stacked their team with former Redskins back-ups.

Of all teams, Redskins backups!

And let’s be honest, if these guys aren’t good enough to make the Skins’ roster, they probably aren’t good enough to make any roster.

Friday, Sept. 24: Women’s soccer vs.

Old Dominion 6 p.m.

Saturday, Sept. 25: Women’s volleyball vs.

James Madison 7 p.m.

Sept. 24-26: Men’s golf @ Sea Trail Intercollegiate All day

Saturday, Sept. 25: Men’s soccer @ Old Dominion 7 p.m.

Sunday, Sept. 26: Women’s soccer vs.

William and Mary 2 p.m.

Sept. 24-26: Women’s Tennis vs.

Mason 3/2 Invitational All day

Sports

Vs.

Monday, September 20, 2010 |

Broadside

F

tball Picks

John Powell Cody Norman Monika Joshi Patrick Wall Emily Sharrer Justin Lalputan

9

Peter Flint Sonya Hudson Managing Editor

Sports Editor

Asst. Sports Editor

Copy Chief

Style Editor

Editor-in-Chief

Opinion Editor

Photography Manager

Tennessee @ New York Giants

TEN

TEN

TEN

NYG

NYG

NYG

TEN

TEN

Dallas @ Houston

HOU

HOU

HOU

HOU

DAL

DAL

HOU

DAL

Cleveland @ Baltimore

BAL

CLE

BAL

BAL

BAL

BAL

CLE

BAL

Atlanta @ New Orleans

NO

NO

NO

NO

NO

NO

NO

ATL

Cincinatti @ Carolina

CIN

CIN

CIN

CIN

CIN

CIN

CIN

CAR

Washington @ St. Louis

WAS

STL

WAS

WAS

WAS

WAS

WAS

WAS

Philadelphia @ Jacksonville

PHI

PHI

PHI

PHI

PHI

PHI

PHI

JAC

Indianapolis @ Denver

IND

IND

IND

IND

IND

IND

DEN

DEN

New York Jets @ Miami

MIA

NYJ

MIA

NYJ

NYJ

NYJ

MIA

MIA

Green Bay @ Chicago

GB

GB

GB

GB

CHI

CHI

CHI

CHI

10

| Monday, September 20, 2010

Broadside

FALL FOR THE BOOK

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