March 2008
Life in A. Minor: Top Ten Novelty Bands
By Broadside Style Columnist Andy Minor
As embarrassing as it may be, I'll openly admit that when I was in the fourth grade, I was an enormous “Weird Al” Yankovic fan. I was openly obsessed and oftentimes would proclaim that Yankovic's parodies were better than the songs they were mocking. Obviously, I see music in a very different light now that I've aged about 10 years or so, but there is still somewhat of a foundation that got laid listening to songs like “Eat It” and “Amish Paradise.” Due to this foundation, I thought this week's top 10 list would shine a little light on my favorite “novelty bands,” or in other words, bands that don't seem to take music too seriously.
Lunch Break: Couch Potatoes, Druggie Hijinks
By Connect Mason News Director Elizabeth Stern
Daily items of interest from all over the news and blog feeds.
You may be looking forward to spending months on your parents' couch after you graduate from college. With a potential recession looming on the horizon, students can expect low pay or unemployment, higher food and gas prices, and credit scores suffering from a lack of income to pay off student loans.
Novel Adapted to Intriguing Movie
By Broadside Staff Reporter Emily Sharrer
In the new film The Other Boleyn Girl, adapted from the novel by Philippa Gregory, casting was ideal with Natalie Portman as Anne Boleyn and Scarlett Johansson as her lesser known sister, Mary Boleyn.
The movie is a heart-wrenching history lesson brought to life, telling the story of King Henry VIII, his bride Katherine of Aragon and his tumultuous affairs with both Boleyn girls.
Lunch Break: Best Night, Animated Shirts, Secrets
By Connect Mason Multimedia Director Grace Kendall
Daily items of interest from all over the news and blog feeds.
The crap on TV is too painful to watch, so just let Best Night Ever catch you up on the best bits.
Jimmy "Chows Down" - Ep. 3: Ciao Hall
By Connect Mason Asst. Video Director Natalia Kossobokova and Mason Blogger Jimmy Rogers
Jimmy "Chows Down" - Ep. 3: Ciao Hall from Whitney Rhodes on Vimeo.
Jimmy "Chows" brings us to an ever-changing and soon to be relocating Ciao Hall - now complete with executive chef.
Watch the other Jimmy "Chows Down" videos here.
VOXPOP: The Ordinary Cadet
By VoxPop Careers Writing Intern Spencer Hixon
Excerpt from VoxPop Careers Magazine, pick up your copy next week in SUB I room 204
One team, one fight.” That’s the call of the New River Battalion, where Cadet Nathan Ratliff lives and plays. He is a freshman (or “MS1”) at Radford University. For him, the ROTC (Reserve Officers’ Training Corps) is an amazing opportunity to do the things he has only seen on TV while serving his country.
“When I’m in uniform, people either respect me for what I am doing or they shun me,” Nathan said.
Like many others, he joined the ROTC to pay for his college education, earning a full scholarship and stipend at RU. Not only is he guaranteed a job after graduation, but he will have gained leadership skills and experienced some of the best training the American military has to offer.
LETTER: Think Twice Before Going to the Circus
Broadside Letter to the Editor
As a concerned citizen and a retired Fairfax Counter teacher, I ask for your help by publishing this letter.
The circus will be coming to town. Tigers will pace back and forth. Have you ever seen chained elephants rock back and forth?
In the wild, elephants travel in highly socialized herds and walk many miles each day. Now they are forced to perform, travel in train cars, and remain in chains.
Patriots Win Home Opener, Drop Second
By Broadside Contributor Robert Dongu
Photo by Peter Flint
In cold, windy conditions, the George Mason University softball team defeated Cornell 2-1 and lost to Quinnipiac by the same score in the 2008 Patriot Classic on Mar. 1.
Mason (1-6) broke a five-game losing streak and avenged their 9-0 loss to Cornell (1-1) last season. The Patriots played their first five games on the road this season, competing in the UCF Softball Tournament in Orlando, Fla. against schools including Auburn and Michigan.
Men’s Volleyball Rises Above
By Broadside Staff Writer Brandon Simmons
Photo by Broadside Photographer Courtney McCarick
The No. 11 George Mason University men’s volleyball team dominated Rutgers-Newark with a 3-0 win at the Field House last Wednesday night. With the win, the Patriots improved to 9-5 overall and have won three of their last four games.
Mason controlled the first match, winning 30-21, as there was only one lead change and five ties. Mason ended the match with a 14-7 run after leading 16-14 at one point during the match. The match ended after Rutgers-Newark sophomore middle hitter Jon Keller committed an error on the serve, hitting the ball too long.
The second and third matches, however, were more competitive. Mason won the second match 30-28, but could never pull away from Rutgers-Newark like they did in the first match.
Penelope, Not Your Average Fairytale
By Broadside Staff Reporter Emily Sharrer
Photo courtesy of Type A Films
On a sheet of paper, Penelope looks like the newest idea hatched by someone at Disney. If the movie were put into a Google search, some of its key identifiers would be pig snout, love story, castle and magical curse. Not to mention the plot. A girl, dissatisfied with her looks, must find a boy to break a curse that has been cast on her.
But it is difficult to cast off Penelope as just another predictable ugly duckling love story. While at first you may have your doubts, director Mark Palansky takes all those stereotypical fantasy elements and molds them into something more imaginative in his first full length feature, Penelope, a twist on the traditional fairytale.