February 2009
Life in A Minor: Computers are Not People
By Broadside Columnist Andy Minor
I've stumbled across something this week that almost chills me to my musical core: the YouTube commercial for Microsoft Songsmith. If you haven't seen this thing yet, do a YouTube search for Microsoft Songsmith, find the four minute and seventeen second commercial and watch it.
If you were working on an active scale of things that are lame, one being never-lame Empire Strikes Back and 10 being the too-lame-to-be-true ShamWow, the YouTube ad for Microsoft Songsmith is a full blown 10, maybe even a 10.5.
In The Area...
Compiled by Broadside Interim News Editor Kevin Loker
County Hotels Offer Deals Based on Height
In a promotion designed to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the nation’s tallest president, Abraham Lincoln, select hotels in Fairfax County are offering prices to guests determined by the height of the shortest person in their party, including children.
President and CEO of Visit Fairfax Barry Biggar says the promotion was designed as an opportunity for families to experience “fantastic historical attractions, great dining and some of the best high-end shopping in the nation,” without spending a large amount on accommodations.
Campus News in Brief
Compiled by Broadside Photography Manager Courtney Erland and Interim News Editor Kevin Loker
Room Assignment Process forms are now available from the Office of Housing and Resident Life’s website. In order to secure on-campus housing, students need to make a non-refundable deposit of $300 for their room, due by March 6 at 4 p.m.
After completing the application students will receive a lottery number between March 11 and 13, as well as the specific time in which students may select their housing assignments.
Very Superstitious
By Broadside Correspondent Evan Benton
Friday, Feb. 13 may have been last week, but that does not mean the ominous shroud of the unknown has left.
Somewhere in the back of our minds lies that pesky little notion that sometimes calamitous luck and things that go bump in the night can rear their ugly heads.
George Mason University students, like any other college students, have their own superstitions and fears. Some are good, positive ones—like rubbing George Mason’s statue (preferably his foot, or big toe) for luck before exams.
Artist Profile: Tim Fite
By Broadside Staff Writer Marian McLaughlin
Each time Tim Fite performs, his audiences are in for a unique treat.
Fite has been called a chameleon, changing from genre to genre and blending different musical sounds together with his distinct crooning voice. In between songs at his shows, Fite will sometimes share home movies, short animations and bedtime stories.
His imagination has led him to be a genuine, intimate songwriter, a fervent performer and a wholesome entertainer.
Parsons Dance Coming to Mason
By Broadside Style Editor Emily Sharrer
- This Saturday at 8 p.m. Parsons Dance, a New York City company featuring George Mason University alumnus Billy Smith, will perform contemporary dance at the Center for the Arts.
Described by The New York Times as “snazzy, sly and sexy,” the group, which has been featured on PBS, Bravo, the A&E Network and the Discovery Channel, is composed of 10 full-time dancers who perform a repertory of more than 70 pieces choreographed by artistic director David Parsons.
Parsons, whose work has been performed by many reputable dance companies, including Hubbard Street Dance and the Paris Opera Ballet, has been called “One of the great movers of modern dance” by The New York Times
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Reporting Sexual Assaults
By Student Media Copy Editor Jacqueline Schafer
When a student files a sexual assault report at George Mason University, the Mason Police Department has a plan. According to Assistant Chief of Police George Ginovsky, once a report is filed they begin to process a report and a detective takes over investigation of the case.
The victim is interviewed and taken to the hospital where a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner test is given. The SANE employee is a forensic nurse who has been specially trained for this procedure. The Mason Police Crime Victim and Witness Assitance Program also assists the victims by connecting them with victim’s rights and support programs such as Sexual Assault Services and Counseling and Psychological Services, both located in Student Union Building I. The detective also begins a criminal investigation and if there is a crime scene available it is processed for evidence as well.
The Lasting Effects of Acquaintance Rape
By Broadside Editor-in-Chief Nicole Ocran
- The following is an account of a female George Mason University student who was sexually assaulted in on-campus housing. Her name has been changed to protect her identity.
It can happen during any time of day or night. It can happen when you’re drunk or sober. It can happen with a lover, a friend, or someone you barely even know. Sexual assault is a crime against women and men that is difficult to understand.
Katie, 20, was sexually assaulted in on-campus housing by a male Mason student she knew for only a few hours. “It’s scary to think that sexual assaults happen at this school on campus, but they do,” she says.
“I had gone back to his apartment for a little bit, under the assumption that I would just be in the living room and not anywhere else. He led me to his room instead. And that is where the assault occurred,” says Katie. “And after that, I basically went back to my room, and started putting my life back together. But it took a really long time.”
The Prevalence of Male Sexual Assault
By Broadside Editor-in-Chief Nicole Ocran
- The following is an account of a male George Mason University student who was sexually assaulted in on-campus housing. His name has been changed to protect his identity.
Women are always seen as the face of sexual violence. We are all taught that women are raped and men cannot be dominated. This stereotype is being challenged every day.
Cameron, 21, is a survivor of male sexual assault. He was sodomized in on-campus housing by a male Mason student with whom he was in a relationship.
Rape is defined as unwanted, forced sexual intercourse (involving a penis and a vagina) with another individual. When two persons of the same sex encounter forced sex, it is termed ‘forced sodomy.’
Mr. and Ms. Black Mason Crowned Last Week
See who got crowned during the Mr. and Ms. Black Mason Pageant. Greek organizations celebrated Black History Month by holding the event in Dewberry Hall last week.