News
Student Government Election Results Announced
Photo by Courtney Erland.
By Reporter Ryan Dempsey
Earlier today, Dev Dasgupta and Tyler King were elected Student Government President and Vice President respectively.
Dasgupta and King brought in 1534 of the 3990 votes. Anthony DiCarlo and Krista Muise were runners up in the election, losing by a margin of 500 votes, but still had over 1000 supporters. Dasgupta's and DiCarlo's votes totaled 75.75 percent of the overall vote count in the election.
Joshua St. Louis and Amanda Johnson received 450 votes. Lastly, R. Kyle McDaniel and Jillian Ferron received 255 votes. There were also 117 total write-in votes.
AI Taking Baby Steps
Student Media Copy Editor Thomas Breeden
Ben Hirschler reported on Reuters.com on April 2 that Ross King and colleagues at Aberystwyth University in Wales have created a robot that can perform experiments on yeast metabolism and then use the results to design and carry out further experiments.
This marks the first time a robot has made a new scientific discovery unaided by man. The creation of a machine that can use reason to formulate its own theories is a great advance in the field of artificial intelligence.
New Liason to Aid Veterans
By Broadside Correspondent James Martin
Veterans and servicemembers at George Mason University now have a dedicated liaison for help, concerns, and support. The position was created during the middle of the fall semester and is a result of the university seeking to address issues faced by veterans. The position is unique as it provides assistance that the already existing staff on campus cannot give.
In The Area...
Compiled by Kevin Loker, News Editor, from Fairfax County Times, Richmond-Times Dispatch, and the Examiner
Senate Decision Safeguards Accomplices from Death Penalty
State senators failed to override the governor’s veto of the triggerman rule last week.
Current Virginia law states that only the person who actually commits a murder can be sentenced to the death penalty, safeguarding equally-involved accomplices from execution. The General Assembly passed a bill overturning the rule earlier in the session, but Gov. Tim Kaine vetoed it.
Freshmen Lose ‘Freedom'
By News Editor Kevin Loker
When the time comes for incoming freshmen to choose a meal plan for the fall semester, “Freedom” won’t be an option.
Starting in the fall, resident freshmen will be required to choose from two categories of meal plans, “Block” or “Traditional.” The “Freedom” option, which operates as a balance of dollars and is currently open to all George Mason University residents for use at any dining location on campus, will only be open to upperclassmen.
Committee Seeks Student Voice in QEP
By Broadside Staff Writer Jared Trice
In anticipation for the 2011 accreditation review, George Mason University’s Quality Enhancement Plan committee has chosen three topics on which university affiliates will vote, moving the university closer to choosing a directional topic for the enhancement of institutional practice.
The Quality Enhancement Plan is a system that all universities under review from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools must organize and enact before the 2011 review and continue to implement for five years in order to reaffirm accreditation, an affirmation of approval that provides students access to federally-subsidized aid, allows faculty the ability to compete for research grants and ensures that university courses will be recognized by other institutions.
State to Ban Texting While Driving
Photo courtesy of flickr user irinaslutsky.
By Student Media Copy Editor Jacqueline Schafer
Effective July 1, texting while driving will be banned in Virginia. Gov. Tim Kaine signed House Bill 1876 into law on March 30, prohibiting drivers from using “any handheld personal communications device to manually enter multiple letters or text or to read a text message,” according to http://virginia.gov. The law will not apply to reading caller information or a name and number stored in the device.
Campus News in Brief
Compiled by Broadside News Editor Kevin Loker & Asst. News Editor Justin Petrisek
Mason Pep Band Volunteers to Play for Bemidji State
George Mason University is getting another chance to cheer on a Cinderella team in an NCAA tournament—this time it’s not Mason.
The No. 16 seed in the NCAA hockey tournament, Bemidji State, isn’t flying their pep band to the semifinal game in Washington, so Mason’s band volunteered.
Bandleader Michael “Doc Nix” Nickens says they’re perfecting the Bemidji State fight song and studying their opponent, Miami University of Ohio, for trash-talking purposes. “I have them literally on heckling scholarships,” said Nickens.
'Economics without Ecocide'
By GMU Sustainability Council Member By Aaron Hartman.
The economic crisis. Climate change. These are issues with consequences that affect us all. But how do we fix our economy while remaining environmentally responsible? Should we even care?
Economics without Ecocide. As a prologue to Earth Week at Mason, on Thursday, 16 April from noon to 2 p.m. in Student Union Building II, rm. 5-7, Dr. Peter G. Brown, author and professor in the School of Environment at McGill University, talks about his new book, Right Relationship: Building a Whole Earth Economy. A former professor at the University of Maryland, Dr. Brown founded the Institute for Philosophy and Public Policy, and the School of Public Policy, and also established the School's Environmental Policy Programs while at UMD.
Meet Your Presidential Candidates
Voting for student body president, vice president and student senators begins tomorrow, April 14 at 12:01 a.m. and runs until 11:59 p.m. on April 15. Ballots will be distributed to all George Mason e-mail accounts. The results will be announced on April 16 at 12:30 p.m. in the Johnson Center Atrium.
When voting, be sure to make an informed decision. Click on the candidates below to see interviews they gave to Broadside. It's a great way to learn more about their platform, goals and character.
Still want to know more? Click to listen to podcast interviews with the candidates done by WGMU, or watch Mason Cable Network's footage from the debates. Then voice your opinions in the comments!