Broadside News Editor Yasmin Tadjdeh

Connect2Mason learned of the fire through this TweetPhoto from freshman David Bier. Bier's tweet included "#gmu," a search term the site's editorial staff routinely watches.

Early Thursday morning a Cushman brand Housing cart caught on fire near Dominion Hall, causing approximately $7,000 in damages, said a police official.

At 4:23 a.m. last Thursday, the George Mason University Police Department was informed of a fire near Dominion. However, by the time the GMUPD and the City of Fairfax Fire Department arrived, the fire had been extinguished by Securitas officers, said Assistant Chief of the GMU Police George Ginovsky.

“Security officers from Securitas were on the scene and extinguishing the fire with fire extinguishers,” said Ginovsky. “The speculation from the [City of Fairfax] Fire Department is that someone threw a lit cigarette on the seat. It could be an accident, but we’re treating it as an arson.”

According to Ginovsky, security officers on scene were unable to obtain any security footage or witnesses, making it unlikely that the case will be solved.

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Students participating in last week’s International Week were treated to culture that not many students know: The Culture of the Horn.

On Wednesday, the Eritrean and Somali Student Association hosted their cultural night in the Johnson Center’s Bistro.

The night, which featured poetry, traditional foods, student presentations, song performances and a fashion show, was created to showcase the unique culture of the Horn of Africa.

The new housing unit, which is projected to open in August 2012, will add 600 beds to the Fairfax campus. Another parking lot will accompany the project, offsetting the lost parking spaces in the now-closed Lot I, where the construction will take place. (Rendering via George Mason University)

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UPDATED 8:23 p.m.  

Lot I, a surface lot, was recently closed to begin construction on the Northwest Housing VIIIA complex.

Students who previously parked in Lot I, which was used heavily by students living on campus, were given an option of getting a refund or parking at another location on campus.

“[People with Lot I permits] were all given a choice — either downgrade to a general lot permit and be refunded $115, [the] difference between [the] general lot and Lot I pass, or [a] free upgrade to the Rappahannock Deck reserved area, [which are] levels four [through] five,” said Director of Parking and Transportation Josh Cantor. “I think most have come in, but I think we still have a few stragglers. [It] seemed to be about a 50/50 split of which option people chose.”

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This past Monday, Feb. 15, marked the first homecoming pageant in Mason history that won't crown a Mr. and Ms. Mason. Citing the university's diversity as the primary root of the change, the contest will crown one gender-neutral "Mason Majesty." Last year, Richard Malebranche, second from the left, was crowned Mr. Mason. Ryan Allen, center, also known by drag-queen name Reann Ballslee, was crowned Ms. Mason.
(Archived photo of last year's pageant by Grace Kendall)

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This year, not only will the homecoming queen be without a vagina — homecoming will be without a queen.

Starting this year, following last year’s crowning of drag queen Reann Balslee as Ms. Mason, homecoming will no longer have the Mr. and Ms. Mason competition, but will opt for just one winner, known as Mason Majesty.

“We, [being] Student Activities and Program Board, discussed that we wanted to be more inclusive to all persons on campus — no matter how they identify . . . [The removal of the Mr. and Ms. Mason competition] has been in discussion for years,” said Assistant Director of Programming in Student Activities Michelle Davis, noting that it was not brought about specifically because of a drag queen winning the Ms. Mason title last year.

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