February 2009
Mardi Gras in the JC
Check out how students and faculty got into the Mardi Gras spirit at a dance workshop in the Johnson Center on Feb. 19.
CAA Swimming Championships Begins
By Connect2Mason Reporter Alex Rogge
The 2009 CAA Swimming and Diving Championship opened on Wednesday with the Women 3-mtr Diving Prelims. Advancing to the finals round, Lisa Faulkner chased Kate Hynes for first place and took second with a score of 301.20.
In the Women 200 Medley Relay, Mason took first place with a time of 1:40.65. In the 800 Free Relay, Mason Women took third place with a time of 7:18.40.
Celebrating the Arts
By Broadside Staff Writer Marian McLaughlin
The College of Visual and Performing Arts put on their first annual 24-hour arts marathon, Making Connections, held this past weekend. Activities began at 8 a.m. last Friday, but coordinators arrived hours before that, running on little sleep as they prepared the open studios for participants.
Facebook Hears Outcry
By Connect2Mason Director Grace Kendall
Popular social networking site Facebook.com was the source of online drama recently when it subjected members to a new Terms of Use agreement. The updated agreement gave Facebook ownership of all user-submitted materials even after individuals had terminated membership with the site, a right which was protected by earlier versions of the Terms of Use.
Though Facebook had previously claimed “an irrevocable, perpetual, non-exclusive, transferable, fully paid, worldwide license (with the right to sublicense)” to use content posted on the site and “distribute such User Content for any purpose,” the modifications to the terms removed a clause which promised that “[if] you choose to remove your User Content, the license granted above will automatically expire.”
New Sustainability Studies Minor
By Broadside Contributor Andrew Wingfield
Sheila had several pairs of Ugg boots, in a rainbow of colors. Uggs were her favorite footwear until she enrolled in Sustainable World, the first of two core courses for George Mason University’s new minor in sustainability studies.
For a course project, Sheila studied the process that turned the skin of a sheep reared in an Australian pasture into the pair of cozy boots a FedEx driver dropped on her doorstep in Northern Virginia. She had always slipped on her Uggs with a feeling of pure pleasure. Through this project, those same boots became skeletons in her closet, telling a grim story of heavy fossil fuel consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, acid-polluted waterways and exploited Chinese workers. What Sheila learned about her Uggs’ outsize impact on other people and the planet changed her taste in shoes.
Honors College Develops
By Broadside Contributor Kerri Buschbacher
George Mason University has decided to embark on an endeavor to bridge the gap between the communication and cooperation of its two-year Honors Program in General Education and four-year University Scholars Program experience. Effective July 1, Mason will house its own Honors College, aimed to combine the two programs into one umbrella of framework and concrete organization.
Personalized advising, as well as Mason’s Postgraudate Fellowships and Scholarships services and the Undergraduate Apprenticeship Program, also are expected to be housed within the college.
Warner Sees Benefit in Recovery Act
By Broadside Interim News Editor Kevin Loker
With H.R. 1 signed into law last week, Northern Virginia residents and George Mason University students joined citizens across the country in watching the much-debated “stimulus package” take form as the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
Senator Mark Warner (D-VA), while acknowledging the law is “not perfect,” says he believes Northern Virginia is situated well with great potential to benefit from many of the Recovery Act’s projects. “I think in many ways Northern Virginia will perhaps benefit more than most regions,” said Warner.
“For one, we still have our unemployment numbers in Northern Virginia still way below national averages.” As of December 2008, the region showed an unemployment rate of 3.9 percent. National unemployment averages are currently estimated at 7.6 percent.
PHOTOS: Student Art on Campus
Students walking from class to class don't always have time to pause and admire the artwork around campus. But C2M Reporter Jennifer Green put together a collection of photos of some of the best art displays at Mason, including statues outside and student works in the Fine Arts Building.
- What's your favorite art piece on campus? Share your thoughts in the comments.
Are you an art student interested in showcasing your work on the site? E-mail cmasoncontent@gmail.com for more information.
Commencement Fair At Dewberry Hall
By Connect2Mason Breaking News Director Matt Todd
Time to graduate! This week is the week to prepare for graduating seniors. Graduation is coming up and it’s time for photos, video, class rings, diploma frames, caps, and gowns. The Commencement Fair is being held at Dewberry Hall in the Johnson Center, where seniors can start gathering their commemorative pieces bidding adieu to George Mason. The Commencement Fair will be held today Feb. 25 and Thursday Feb. 26 from 11am-7pm.
Without Instructions: Yellow Magic Orchestra
Typically, I intend to write about artists featured on an episode of The Enclosed Instruction Book the day after that show. This will be the first of many.