Connect2Mason

University Stands Committed to Nondiscrimination as ‘Sexual Orientation’ Letter Riles Students and Employees

Kevin Loker — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 05:05:09 +0000

The above picture is a snapshot of the letter from Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli that sparked massive uproar, online and off, due to its legal opinion that state universities remove language from their nondiscrimination policies that protect 'sexual orientation,' in order to comply with state law as determined by the General Assembly.
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Students took to the Internet and social networks in a whirlwind of uproar this past week after a recent legal opinion from the state’s attorney general to state university leadership was leaked to local and national press.

The letter, authored under ‘Attorney-Client privileged communication’ by recently elected Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli (R), advised universities to remove ‘sexual orientation,’ ‘gender identity’ and ‘gender expression’ from the language of protected classes in their nondiscrimination policies in order to fit in accordance with Virginia state law.

The inclusion of such language, “absent specific authorization from the General Assembly,” according to Cuccinelli, a George Mason University and Mason Law School alum, is unconstitutional. The opinion comes on the grounds that while state universities have broad authority – particularly within the area of student safety and discipline – a public institution has “no authority greater than that of the body that created it and from whom they derive their expressed and implied authority.”

University officials over the past week have repeatedly reassured students and faculty of their “unwavering commitment,” as stated by Rector Ernst Volgenau, to Mason’s embracement of diversity.

The Context: Legal Debate Over Nondiscrimination Criteria

Current state law as determined by the General Assembly prohibits discrimination because of "race, color, religion, national origin, sex, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, age, marital status, or disability," but makes no mention of sexual orientation. The legislature has rejected bills adding the classification to its statutes on more than 25 occasions since 1997, including instances most recently as last Tuesday when a bill was left to die in subcommittee.

Cuccinelli’s legal opinion, as he lays out in the letter, agrees with what he says is the stance of the legislature. He additionally illustrates through the letter that he believes it falls in line with prior opinions of the Attorney General, many of whom were Republican.

Cuccinelli notably cited one Democrat, former Attorney General L. Baliles, who in a 1982 opinion said localities such as Fairfax County could not expand legal protections beyond state discrimination law. Baliles, who now serves as the executive director of the Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia, recently issued a legal response stating he believes Cuccinelli erred in his legal interpretation of the powers of state universities by inappropriately assigning the same powers given by the state to localities to those given to Boards of Visitors to govern colleges.

Lambda Legal, “the nation’s oldest and largest legal organization dedicated to achieving the recognition of the civil rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (‘LGBT’) community,” has written a similar legal response.

Before the legal responses to Cuccinelli’s letter went public, Governor Bob McDonnell (R) issued Executive Directive One, directing state employees not to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation. The directive, however, is only a policy statement from the executive office. It does not hold the legal power of an executive order, and has no bearing as state law.

Va. Students Respond with Vigor

Though some universities, including Mason, are still on their spring breaks, Virginia college students have been anything but silent. More than 1,000 people demonstrated Wednesday at Virginia Commonwealth University in opposition to Cuccinelli’s letter.

A video of demonstration compiled VCU's The Commonwealth Times is posted below.

Much of the uproar, however, has been seen online. Twitter searches returned large results when the press first got wind of the letter, but Facebook has harbored the most intensity and anger.

Negative posts have bombarded Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli’s fan page, with a seemingly large majority coming from college students.

“Hey, Ken! I go to [Old Dominion University] and our president just sent all of us an email saying the we will never discriminate against our staff and students, no matter what their sexuality,” said one post. “Basically, he was telling us that he took your letter and put it where it belonged...the garbage.”

“…I personally will take notice and provide civil resistance each time you [Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli] attempt to force me into a mold which my lifestyle, my surroundings, and the general state of the country and the world will not allot for,” said another posting.

“You do not have my vote, sir. Nor have you ever had it,” it said.

The attacks don’t stop there. Upwards of 25 groups have additionally been made riling against Cuccinelli and/or his stance, all with names similar to “Students Against Ken Cuccinelli” or “Ken Cuccinelli is Bad for Virginia,” and with membership counts as high the approximately 2,250 of “VCU says ‘NO’ to Ken Cuccinelli's Discriminatory Letter.”

The group targeting Mason students, “George Mason University says ‘No’ to Ken Cuccinelli's Discriminatory Letter,” in comparison to schools of similar size has one of the smallest membership counts, resting at approximately 200.

Employees of the university’s Switchboard, however, claim calls looking for Equity and Diversity Services have been more than steady.

Mason Administration Reacts Amid Uncertainty

While students protest and law officials argue the legal correctness of Cuccinelli’s opinion, legitimate concern has risen as to where this puts the specific nondiscrimination policy at Mason in the future. University Policy (1201) does include sexual orientation as a protected class as part of the univeristy’s “institutional commitment to nondiscrimination.”

Administration support of the policy as it stands seems strong. Rector Volgenau sent a message to all Mason students, faculty and staff earlier this week emphasizing the Board of Visitors’ commitment to the issue and the embracement of diversity “which has become [the university’s] hallmark.” Vice President of University Life Sandra Scherrens sent out a similar message to University Life staff, emphasizing the Core Value “Embrace Our Differences,” and calling for reaffirmation of the office’s core values with its daily interactions with students.

“This is a time to be compassionate,” Scherrens said in the statement. “This is a time to listen; to be sensitive, and most importantly, to be a calming influence in a time of uncertainty.”

According to a joint-statement in response to a Connect2Mason inquiry by Assistant to the President and Director of Equity and Diversity Services Corey Jackson, Provost Peter Stearns and Senior Vice President Maurice Scherrens, the Board of Visitors will be reviewing policies to make sure that they adhere to the current standard of institutional commitment to nondiscrimination.

“George Mason University embraces diversity, and we have a rich history of inclusion supported by our comprehensive policies of nondiscrimination,” the statement additionally said. “The University community, including the LGBTQ community, can be assured of our unwavering commitment to nondiscrimination.”

Associate Director for LGBTQ Resources Richard Chollar says he feels the honest support of university administration, though admits uncertainty with the greater legal situation.

“I am reassured that people of all sexual orientations will continue to be protected from discrimination at Mason,” said Chollar. “…It's much less clear how lawsuits would be handled in courts and/or at the state level.”

“What would happen to lawsuits about sexual orientation?” Chollar said. “It's just not [yet] clear.”

The joint-statement from Jackson, Stearns and Scherrens had a similar conclusion.

“The determination of whether the claimant had the legal grounds for a law suit would be a question that could only be answered by the courts.”

Attorney General Cuccinelli provided Connect2Mason with the following comment, specifically addressed to university students:

“The controversy over my recent statement of Virginia law as it relates to non-discrimination policies at our state institutions of higher learning deserves to be addressed. To be clear: no one should be made to feel like a second-class citizen.

While it is understandable that some are angry or confused about my statement, it is important to recognize it for what it was and remains. My now well-publicized letter simply stated the current state of Virginia law; it did not advocate for any particular legislative position. Should the General Assembly change the law, my advice will be consistent with it.

It is my permanently and long held belief that government should not single out anyone for negative treatment.”

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[Editor's Note] Associate Director for LGBTQ Resources Richard Chollar offered the following advice amid any uncertainty:

For students who wonder where to go, who to seek help from or if they witness or experience discrimination, please know [there are] several options available:

-Filing a Hate/Bias Incident Report, available at many offices including the Office of Diversity Programs and Services (703-993-2700) as well as online;
-Speaking to us at LGBTQ Resources Office (703-993-2702);
and/or
-Contacting Mason's Office of Equity and Diversity Services (703-993-8730), or at http://equity.gmu.edu

The Third Wheel Leads Rams to Victory

Kevin Loker — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 20:20:06 +0000

The VCU Rams came into the game with junior forward Larry Sanders and junior guard Joey Rodriguez leading the herd. While the top two scored 17 points apiece, the Rams were helped by their third factor, junior guard Brandon Rozzell, as the fifth-seeded Rams topped the fourth-seeded George Mason Patriots men’s basketball team 75-60 in the Colonial Athletic Association Tournament quarterfinals at the Verizon Wireless Arena in Richmond.

Mason falls to 17-14 overall and has failed to pick up a conference tournament win since the 2005 season. Improving to 22-8 overall, the Rams advance to the semifinals after defeating the Delaware Blue Hens on Friday and the Patriots on Saturday afternoon.

Sanders continued his dominance against Mason a year after dominating inside in last season’s CAA Tournament championship game. With 17 points and 12 rebounds on Saturday, Sanders recorded his 13th double-double this season and added four blocks. Rodriguez, who scored 24 points with six 3-pointers in last month’s 82-77 overtime loss to Mason in Fairfax, tallied 17 points and a game-high five assists.

But the key player of the game was Rozzell, who was 0-of-2 from the field in the first half. Trailing 35-32 at halftime, the Rams scorched the Mason defense for 43 points in the second half. Rozzell, the team leader with 47 treys coming into the game, went on a second half rampage from behind the arc with four 3-pointers.

“I was looking at the stat sheet for the first time; [Rozzell] had 14 points for the game, whereas it seemed he had 30 because every shot was huge and every shot was where we needed it most, he took the shots at the exact right time,” said Rams Head Coach Shaka Smart.

On the other hand, the Patriots were not able to overcome their worst month of the season. Wrapping up February with a 2-6 record, the Patriots were looking for a fresh start in the postseason.

“I told the team after the game I thought we were really building something very good in January and somehow lost that magic,” said Patriots Head Coach Jim Larranaga. “We were 8-1 [in the conference] at the time, had four or five guys in double figures every night, and played good team defense. As February rolled around, I don’t know if it was fatigue or if we had a young team, or we just lost our focus or shooting touch, or quite frankly, the opponents we played.”

From the get-go, the Patriots established a quick-paced offense as sophomore guard Andre Cornelius drilled a 3-pointer from the perimeter to open the game. Mason shot 48.1 percent from the field in the first half after having battled through the Rams’ full-court pressure. Sophomore forward Ryan Pearson, who had a career day with 22 points, was a perfect 6-of-6 from the field for 13 points. Mason fell behind 13-7 at the 16:29 mark, but used an 8-0 run two minutes later to take its first lead since Cornelius’ 3-pointer at the start.

Freshman forward Luke Hancock was also a major factor as he scored 11 points in the first half. For one half, Mason had held its ground, playing as the home team in the visiting team’s own homecourt.

The last time the two teams met in the CAA Tournament was in the championship last season when VCU routed Mason 71-50. With the teams meeting for the fourth time in the conference tournament, this was the first time the two faced off prior to the championship game. The Rams defeated Mason in 2004, 2007, and last season in the three conference title games and continued their postseason dominance over Mason as VCU exploded on offense in the second half.

The Patriots and Rams battled back-and-forth through the midway point of the second half, but when Rozzell started to fire away 3-pointers, the momentum shifted in favor of the Rams. When Rozzell emerged in the second half, the team started to focus on guarding the perimeter. Nevertheless, Rozzell continually made shots from long distance.

“He had some really tough shots, never had any wide-open looks; he just was able to set up and knock them down,” said Hancock.

Rozzell drained a 3-pointer after Pearson’s dunk tied the game at 48. Down 53-51 with 7:23 left in regulation, junior guard Ed Nixon tied the game with a jumpshot; after freshman guard Sherrod Wright missed a layup, Rozzell pulled up for a 3-pointer to give the Rams a 56-53 lead. Rozzell, who posted all 14 points in the second half, scored nine consecutive points in a span of two minutes, giving the Rams a 62-55 lead; when things could get any worse, Rodriguez got fouled after attempting a 3-pointer.

After Rodriguez made all three free throws, Rozzell attempted another 3-pointer, but his shot rattled in and out, disappointing the hometown crowd, which had rooted for the Richmond native. Towards the end of the game, Rozzell missed a wide-open dunk, but by then, the Rams already held a substantial lead and had all of the momentum.

“I can’t miss another [dunk] like that for the rest of my career at VCU,” said Rozzell.

Even with the missed dunk, VCU shot 59.3 percent from the field in the second half.

Sophomore forward Mike Morrison brought the game back to single-digits at 65-57 on a slam dunk with 3:55 left, but Rodriguez prevented Mason from mounting a comeback with a jumpshot. With the season dwindling for Mason, the Patriots were in desperation mode and came up empty-handed. Mason had its brief tournament come to a close with a last-second dunk from Wright.

While Pearson flourished with a career-high 22 points on 10-of-12 shooting, junior guard Cam Long struggled to redeem his late-season collapse with a measly four points on 2-of-12 shooting performance. After having four 20-point games in the second half of January, Long went ice cold thereafter. In the past nine games, Long shot just 21-of-88 and failed to reach double-digits in five of the games.

The Patriots await a decision to whether they will have the opportunity to play in the National Invitational Tournament, while the Rams take on the top-seeded Old Dominion Monarchs, who ran past the Towson Tigers 86-56 earlier in the day, on Sunday at 3 p.m.

Powell's Playbook: The Dagger

Kevin Loker — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 20:15:37 +0000

I regret saying this, but I called it. The VCU Rams rolled over the George Mason Patriots men’s basketball team in the final few minutes to run away with the 15-point win. Junior guard Cam Long was hot, I mean hot, until February rolled around. He was unable to tally 20 points in a game since Jan. 30.

As goes Cam Long, so goes Mason, I guess. In the two wins of the month, Long scored 19 points against VCU and 14 points against the Delaware Blue Hens.

Other players have stood up to make a name over the time though. Sophomore forward Mike Morrison had 17 points against the Drexel Dragons and 18 points, his career high, against VCU. Redshirt freshman forward Kevin Foster recorded a career-high 22 points against the William & Mary Tribe. Freshman forward Johnny Williams recorded 18 points, another career high, against the College of Charleston Cougars.

The Patriots only lost once this year when Long scored 20 points, showing his importance on the court.

Now I was happy, but a little uncomfortable, when I saw the clock wind down at the end of the first half as Mason had a three-point lead. I remembered the last time Mason played VCU, when Mason rallied from a 15-point deficit for the overtime win.

Between these two teams, leads seem to matter little; anything can happen.

The game was pretty much even for the first 34 minutes, both teams trading leads, big plays, and runs. I will give this to VCU Head Coach Shaka Smart: he is a very good first-year head coach, mostly due to his incredible ability to make second-half adjustments when needed. Freshman forward Luke Hancock was driving down the lane in the first half, but could not get a shot off in the second half. They obviously held Long, the leader of the team, to a mere four points. Sophomore forward Andre Cornelius, who has been a main ball-handler and 3-point shooter, only put up one shot from outside the arc.

On the offensive side, VCU’s shooting percentage raised from 35.5 percent in the first half to 59.3 percent in the second half. Mason shot 48.1 percent in the first half, but was held to only 39.3 percent in the second half.

In the Richmond Coliseum, VCU fans only rose in intensity, while Mason fans’ intensity diminished, especially since VCU gained the six-point lead with six minutes remaining.

I really have no idea what to think anymore. The Green Machine has been great, but they only matter for home games. Mason has floundered playing away from the Patriot Center. In addition, this is the first time in four years that Mason has not gone to the Colonial Athletic Association’s Tournament finals, much less losing in the first round.

The team needs to figure something out. They need to focus on getting Cam Long, who will be their star senior, into the game-changing role or having the second- and third-year players fill a more balanced role. Either way, they cannot try both methods.

Obviously, they cannot keep Long in the game when he has seemingly gone cold, or try do distribute the ball when one player had obviously dominated the game.

The team has usually been strong defensively, but they need to figure out how to shoot more consistently if they want to win games down the stretch.

There you have it, this season is over, and the last dagger has finally been put into the horrible play of the last month-and-a-half.

If I know him at all though, Patriots Head Coach Jim Larranaga will revive his team and lead them into success this time next year.

Freshman Phenoms Play Major Role in Basketball

Kevin Loker — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 21:42:37 +0000

Luke Hancock, above, goes for the basket in this shot from the recent homecoming game against College of Charleston. Hancock is one of seven freshmen on this year's team. (Photo by Peter Flint)

As the CAA tournament looms for the men’s basketball team, it is time to reflect on the season thus far and to evaluate their potential to make a run in March. Typically, when evaluating a team you first look at the upperclassmen, the leaders of the squad. However, this is no typical team.

Jim Larranaga’s crew consists of seven freshmen, three sophomores, two juniors and one lone senior. The young players look to the older guys, primarily junior Cam Long and senior Louis Birdsong, to serve as role models on and off the court. However, this team’s potential lies in the hands of the seven rookies.

Luke Hancock, a 6’5” guard/forward out of Roanoke has been an impressive performer for the Patriots this season. He is averaging over 22 minutes per game and just under eight points on the season. He played high school basketball for Hidden Valley High School and played one year at Hargrave Military Academy before coming to Mason.

“Coach L started recruiting me from Hargrave when I first got there my post-grad year,” Hancock said. “He made Mason feel like a home and seemed like the type of coach who really wanted me to succeed on and off the court.”

Hancock was recently selected to the CAA All-Rookie Team in honor of his contributions this season. The league’s coaches, sports information directors and members of the media made the selections.

Although he was not highly recruited out of high school and says he actually preferred soccer as a child, he quickly became a major contributor for the Patriots. He was named the CAA Rookie of the Week twice in November. After the first two games of the season, Hancock was averaging 11.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.5 steals while shooting just under 60 percent from the field. In the three games following during the Puerto Rico Tip-Off, he averaged 8.7 points, 7.3 rebounds and 5.7 assists.

“I think just being a guy that can do a number of different things and being able to help out in many different areas has earned me a good bit of playing time,” Hancock said.

Johnny Williams, a 6’8” forward from Memphis was the most highly recruited player in this years’ freshman class. He averaged 18 points, 12 rebounds and five assists as a senior at Briarcrest Christian School. Rivals.com deemed him the top rated power forward recruit in the CAA and the second highest rated recruit for the entire conference out of high school.

“Actually, when I was little, I was just into baseball and I didn’t even think about basketball until the end of eighth grade,” Williams said. “But when I knew I was going to play basketball, I chose Mason because I have family up here and Coach L is just a great coach.”

Although he is only averaging 10 minutes of playing time on the season, he had a breakout game in the loss to College of Charleston on Feb. 20. He contributed a career-high 18 points on an astounding 8 of 10 shooting from the field.

“It was a good experience, but I would have traded it for a win because that win could have helped us make it to the Big Dance,” Williams said. “And I will have multiple opportunities in my career at Mason to have even better games.”

Kevin Foster, a 6’7” redshirt freshman out of Lakeland, Fla., has also made major contributions to team during the latter part of the regular season. He had a breakout game of his own in the loss to William & Mary on Feb. 16 with a career-high 22 points on 11 of 16 shooting. That same week, he registered his first career double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds against College of Charleston. He was named the CAA Rookie of the Week thanks to his back-to-back outstanding performances.

“You just got to outwork the next guy and be ready at all times,” Foster said. “It felt good to play like that. It showed everyone that I could play.”

Foster was first team all-state his senior year in high school and was named a McDonald's All-American Honorable Mention. He averaged 19.6 points and nine rebounds his senior year, and was named the CAA’s top forward recruit for the 2008-09 season. After redshirting last season, he is a part of the seven-deep freshman class of 2009-10.

“Playing college basketball always been a goal of mine,” Foster said. “And it makes me feel better knowing I get to play with these guys for four years.”

Sherrod Wright, a 6’4” guard from Mount Vernon, N.Y., has been a steady performer for the Patriots all season. He is averaging 5.4 points in 15.5 minutes per game. Just like this season, Wright averaged just five points per game as a freshman in high school. However, he drastically improved his game each year and averaged 23 points per outing his senior year.

“Coach L started recruiting me at the end of my senior year, and I picked Mason because I felt it was a good fit for me at the moment,” Wright said. “Sometimes I feel like I would have made a different decision because there are so many freshmen. But I like my teammates and we have something special in the making at Mason.”

He had a career-high 24 points against a high-flying VMI team on Dec. 22. As a result, he was named the CAA Rookie of the Week. He also led the team in scoring with 13 points in the loss to Northeastern last weekend. Based on these numbers, he has the potential to have a bright future for the Patriots.

“I want to push myself to become the best player I can be while I'm at Mason and to win a national championship,” Wright said. “And then I want to make it to the NBA.”

As for the other freshmen on the team, Rashad Whack has played in 16 games this season, including one start. However, Paris Bennet and Vertrail Vaughns have seen little action.

The CAA Tournament begins today in Richmond. Mason will be the fourth seed, meaning they have a first round bye. In the second round, they will play the winner of fifth-seeded VCU and 12th-seeded Delaware. With Foster and Williams coming on strong late in the season and Hancock and Wright continuing their steady play, the players say they expect to perform well both in terms of the rest of this season and beyond.

“To finish out this year I want to help the team win the conference tournament and move on to challenge other schools,” Hancock said. “And in years to come I want to continue the type of winning tradition Mason fans have come to know from past teams.”

Many teams with an abundance of young talent such as the Patriots often quarrel for playing time. Yet, this team remains unselfish and even says they relish the opportunity to play with the same guys for four years.

“It’s better that we have so many young players,” Williams said. “I want to have the best four years of my life and do something that Mason has never seen before, and actually win the CAA tournament and the NCAA tournament.”

An NCAA berth this season remains a possibility if the Patriots capture the CAA title.

RAP Offers New Options and Restrictions

Kevin Loker — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 02:13:07 +0000

Students can no longer lease an apartment on campus year-round. The move comes as a result of declined interest in the option over the past several years.
(Photo by Daniel McEnrue)
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With March in swing, spring on the way, and next year's housing on many minds, resident students beginning to plan their living arrangements for the Fall and Summer 2010 semesters may notice a few housing changes as they complete their Room Assignment Process (RAP) application.

The most notable change to the RAP process is removal of the 12-month lease option for students looking to live in an apartment on campus year-round.

Brian Davis, associate director for Housing Services, says that there has been a steady decline in demand from residents for 12-month leases in York River Corner since 2004.

“Offering 12-month leases on campus added a level of complexity to our processes and [an] inconvenience to students that was not supported by the demand for these leases,” said Davis. “After careful consideration — keeping in mind our existing alternatives for summer housing options, lack of demand for the 12-month lease option and inconvenience to students — we decided to discontinue [the option] for the 2010-2011 academic year.”

While resident demand has declined, the number of students attending summer school and taking part in internships has increased. If students are attending summer school, Davis said that there is specific summer housing available in Eastern Shore or on a space-available basis through Potomac Heights.

Students interested in summer school housing should look to apply on the Housing website on April 16. Summer intern students will be able to seek housing in Potomac Heights through the Intern Housing Application process starting on March 1.

“I think it’s pretty lame,” said senior Matt Moody, a summer school student who lived on campus in Northern Neck last summer. “Eastern Shore is nice . . . but I don’t think that just because you are an intern [that] you should have priority and have the benefit of having a kitchen.”

Students, above, walk down the 'alley' sidewalk of Chesapeake. The area, which opened in phases from 2007 to 2008, is one area that will remain largely the same in the RAP process.(Photo by Daniel McEnrue)

But for those students looking to bridge the gap between the end of semester, summer school, interning and fall semester housing dates, Davis says there still are extended stay options.

“If students are interested in continuing their housing from the end of the spring semester to the beginning of Summer School or Intern housing and/or continuing their housing from the end of Summer School or Intern Housing to the beginning of the fall semester, [they] will need to submit gap housing requests,” said Davis. Such requests, he says, can be submitted online via the eLiving website.

In addition to new lease timelines, Davis said that housing has new options for students to consider before they make their selection.

According to Davis, over 400 beds have been added to campus through the newest dorm, Hampton Roads which offers suite-style living and double occupancy rooms.

Davis says the university has recently added more beds to guarantee on-campus housing in order to accommodate the increase in transfer students and accepted incoming freshman.

The deadline for RAP applications and the $300 non-refundable deposit is March 5 at 4 p.m. Students will receive lottery number over spring break, and they may begin selecting rooms through the online “studentweb” system on March 18.

Fallon Talks Conan, Pattinson and Fey

Kevin Loker — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 22:04:37 +0000

Jimmy Fallon of Saturday Night Live fame has been the host of Conan O'Brien's former show, Late Night, for just over a year.
(Photo by Marieanne O'Leary, under Creative Commons on flickr)
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Conan O'Brien's former slot may feel a little more comfortable now for NBC Universal's late-night host Jimmy Fallon. Last night, with the help of the show's guest Robert Pattinson, the former Saturday Night Live star turned talk show host celebrated the one-year anniversary of his show, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.

WGMU Program Director Alex Romano recently had the opportunity to speak with Fallon about his show and the stars he's met on this segment that aired on Tuesday's episode of The Candy Shop, hosted by Richard Everett, Chris Eder and David Houck.

Police Take Steps Towards 24/7 Camera 'Patrol'

Kevin Loker — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 23:39:04 +0000

The George Mason University Police Department is upping security measures on campus, starting with a push towards a manned 24/7 'patrol' of on-campus cameras.
(Photo by Student Media Photography Manager Peter Flint)
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It may not be Big Brother, but "you are being watched." The George Mason University Policy Department is working to establish a 24/7 security operations center, and one of the first projects is the manned 'patrol' of closed-circuit cameras on the Fairfax campus.

On a regular business day, the cameras will be monitored for a total of four hours. Assistant Chief of Police George Ginovsky called this a 'baby step' towards the larger goal of monitoring the cameras 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The footage the cameras collect was previously only used as reference when a crime was reported.

WGMU Program Director Alex Romano ask Ginovsky about the changes in security and the greater move towards the 24/7 security operations center in this excerpt from the station's weekly segment, Ask the Police.

New Track & Field Metric: Moss Per Hour

atmospheres4 — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 19:56:35 +0000

Kimmy Moss, above, races the 800-meter race last Sunday and took third place in her heat. (Photo by Peter Flint)

On your mark, get set, go! For junior Kimmy Moss, a member of the women’s soccer team and track team, the world, in a continuous motion, features dynamic characteristics.

While her athleticism is vastly beneficial to her success, Moss’ ability to adjust and turn the corner from start to finish has been equally vital in her role as a two-sport athlete.

Moss, a tri-sport athlete when she attended Broad Run High School, was named to the first-team All-Met, All-State, All-District and All-Region in her junior and senior seasons and garnered District Player of the Year honors in her junior year while amassing 12 goals and 47 assists in her four years with the Spartans.

Moss came to George Mason University looking for the opportunity in soccer to be part of a competitive team and to contribute individually.

“I definitely wanted to play Division I soccer, but [since Mason is] not at the bottom and not necessarily at the top tier like the ACC teams, I knew coming in I could play and be an immediate impact,” said Moss.

In her first year with Mason, Moss started three of her 14 appearances and managed only three shots, being held pointless for the entire season.

Moss emerged in the 2008 season with a team-leading two game-winning goals, but the Patriots continued to struggle, concluding the season with a meager 5-12-1 overall record and a 2-8-1 conference record.

Despite the two sub-par seasons in soccer, Moss was still passionate about the first sport she ever played. However, she decided to take a slightly different route.

“After having [two rough seasons], I was like ‘You know what? I love competing, but I’m really frustrated with how the season ended; I don’t want to have an awful season, so I’m going to try to walk on for the track team,’” said Moss.

Moss, who last ran cross country in her sophomore year of high school, first considered running for the track team during a family trip.

“The idea came to me when I was apple picking with my family, and with two weeks left to go, it just stuck with me,” said Moss. “I talked to Coach [Andrew] Gerard and Coach [Sita] Waru-Ewell, the long distance coach, and I talked to my soccer coach, and they were like ‘Why not? You can do this.’”

With a year-round training regimen, Moss is able to keep in shape. Whereas most athletes concentrate on a particular sport, Moss has been known for her well-rounded athleticism. Moss believes that her skillset is what makes her suitable for both soccer and track.

“I think the running and soccer thing complement one another,” said Moss, “probably more so with track crossing over to soccer because I have this endurance with running, and when I get on the soccer field, I’m so fit.”

While Moss credits much of her athletic ability to her endurance, she believes that it originates in her passion for playing sports and staying fit.

“For soccer, [my biggest strength is] my endurance, just being like an Energizer bunny on the field, but I think more than anything, I’m really passionate,” said Moss. “Racing is different from track. At the end of the race, you’re literally and physically exhausted. That’s when you show character. I’m still learning to squeeze out every ounce of energy in a race.”

After primarily spending most of her life in soccer, running long distances and changing directions to the movement of the ball for 90 minutes, Moss has also gone through making adjustments in both sports.

“Training year-round is great because you’re always staying fit, but sometimes the fitter I get with track, [it] sometimes pulls me a little away from soccer, and vice versa because you’re focusing on different things.”

Since joining the track team last spring, Moss headed the Patriots with a mile time of 5:18.26 at the Virginia Tech Challenge. She placed second in the 800-meter run at the Mason Last Chance and took third in the 1000-meter run at the Father Diamond Invitational.

In addition to gaining recognition in just her first year with the team, Moss has found the task to be quite challenging. In her experience with both sports, Moss believes that track is more difficult than soccer in preparing for competition.

“You have to be 100 percent prepared [in track],” said Moss. “In a soccer game, sometimes you should be 100 percent prepared before you step onto the field, but you kind of ease your way into it and you can redeem yourself if you mess up. Whereas in track, if you’re not ready, forget about it. You have to be focused for that entire race, especially for a short period of time. It was difficult for me at first, but you have got to channel all of your energy in the two minutes that you’re running.”

While keeping in shape during the spring season, Moss transitions her focus for the upcoming soccer season. After completing her first year with the track team, Moss gained more confidence entering the 2009 soccer season. With an influx of talent to last season’s team, Mason improved to a conference-best 14-4-2 overall record. Despite the disappointment of missing the Colonial Athletic Association Tournament, the team featured the growth of its youth. Moss, who played for a perennial top local club soccer team, returned to her winning ways.

Moss, one of the five players to sign to play for Mason in 2007, is one of the two remaining signees from her class. After experiencing frustration in her first couple of seasons at Mason, Moss felt that she matured because of her rookie season.

“I had a rough freshman fall, but I got so much from it,” said Moss. “I wish I hadn’t been so upset and worked up for not playing as much in some games as I thought I deserved to, but when we went to Brazil that year . . . everything all came together. I think I’m mentally stronger because of that.”

In her sophomore year, Moss added scoring goals to her arsenal. She tied for fourth on the team with six points, which included the two game-winning goals earlier in the season.

The Patriots opened conference play in Harrisonburg, Va. against the James Madison Dukes. Already down 1-0 after a goal in the third minute of the first half, Mason scored the equalizer before halftime. With the rain coming down, Mason scored the go-ahead goal on a free kick, which was headed by Moss into the bottom left corner of the goal.

While that score marked her second career goal at Mason, Moss’ most memorable moment came three weeks earlier, when her overtime blasting shot broke the scoreless tie and gave the Patriots their first win of the 2008 season against the Hartford Hawks.

“The game [against Hartford] went into overtime,” said Moss. “I took a 30-to-35-yard shot, left foot — I can see it right now. I cut the ball back and kicked the ball, which hit the post and bounced in, and my entire team just swarmed me. I will never forget that moment. It was an amazing feeling.”

Last season, Moss took up a leadership role and became a prominent figure for the team, especially for the newcomers.

“I’ve been part of this sport for so long that, combined with my personality, it’s natural,” said Moss. “I love helping people out and having an influence on others and seeing that. Just this past year, the freshmen are coming in and [they] are notorious for freaking out when we have fitness tests, so I try to help them with that. I get a satisfaction out of it.”

As a student-athlete, Moss spends the bulk of her time playing sports. In addition to competing on the field and on the track, Moss, a communication major and nutrition minor, is taking a sports journalism class at Mason, hoping to one day follow the footsteps of her father Mike, a morning news anchor for the WTOP radio station.

Moss, a sports editor in her junior year and a managing editor in her senior year for her high school newspaper The Spartan, has always been fascinated by journalism and its evolution in the media. As she continues to lay out the groundwork of her future plans, Moss hopes to get into a career related to her interests: nutrition, sports broadcasting and journalism.

Enjoying the positive moments and coping with her own frustrations, Moss has gone through it all. Whether she considers herself a soccer player or a track runner, or just someone who is conscious about her own health, the bottom line is, as her father advised her, “do what makes you happy.”

Textbooks Allegedly Sold for Crack: Police Bust Bookstore Theft Ring

atmospheres4 — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 18:53:02 +0000

The George Mason Bookstore recently aided in apprehending two non-student thieves who had stolen and sold books, allegedly to use the money for drugs.
(Photo by Student Media Photography Manager Peter Flint)

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The George Mason University Police Department broke up a theft ring at the university bookstore earlier this semester, busting an operation where textbooks were stolen from the school and allegedly sold for crack cocaine. On Jan. 28, Mason police arrested Sandra Reid, 43, and Brian Boyd, 33, both non-students who had taken merchandise from the bookstore on two separate occasions.

Both are to be tried in the Fairfax County court system, with Reid facing charges of grand larceny, concealment of merchandise and possession of cocaine, and Boyd standing for conspiracy to commit grand larceny.

A third suspect has yet to be identified, but the police department says they are actively pursuing information.

The drama began on Jan. 15, when bookstore employees observed several individuals behaving “strangely.” “It was the way they acted,” said John Howard, assistant general manager at the bookstore. “They lurked.”

General Manager Barbara Headley stopped and confronted an unidentified suspect at the door who appeared to be putting books into his backpack.

After a brief conversation, he dropped his bag and ran, whereupon Howard began chasing him while Headley contacted the police.

Officers responded to the scene but the suspects had successfully fled campus, so the department’s investigations section took up the case.

“We had photos and videos and we determined that it wasn’t just kids taking textbooks,” said Detective Supervisor David Ganley.“It was organized and it wasn’t their first time.”

Ganley was struck by the precision with which the suspects carried out their operation, which he said was a dead giveaway that the department was dealing with professional theft.

“It was almost choreographed,” Ganley said. “The first suspect, Boyd, came in. They didn’t walk in together. He stacked some books on a cap and then the second suspect, Reid, came in.Boyd pointed to where the books were, and Reid put them in her bag. Boyd left before Reid did, then he came back and distracted the attendant while Reid slipped out the door.”

The third suspect, who also attempted to leave with stolen books, was the one confronted by Headley.

Four days later, the thieves returned and repeated their act but were followed by Headley, unbeknownst to them. Headley observed them and was able to supply police with accurate descriptions of the perpetrators.

“That gave us two incidents, so we got their M.O.,” Ganley stated. “We were able to confirm that it was the same individuals, and we put out a description to patrol officers of what they looked like and how they were coming and leaving.”

Based on the evidence at hand, the investigations section formulated a scenario of the crime, which it shared with Mason patrols during briefs known as “roll calls,” which take place at the beginning of every police shift.

“After a briefing, Officer [Matthew] Brudvig, a Master Police Officer, came across the scenario unfolding, with a vehicle in the right spot and a matching description of the suspects,” Ganley said.

Officers responded to the bookstore and the site of the vehicle, leading to the arrest of both Boyd and Reid and the recovery of more than $2,300 worth of textbooks.

“It looks like they were doing it for drugs, selling textbooks and using the money for crack,” Ganley assessed.He noted that a crack pipe with trace amounts of cocaine was found in the suspects’ car.

Ganley hypothesized that the economic recession and high price of textbooks could be behind some theft.

“I’m sure it does have an effect,” he said. “Whenever there’s any type of recession, there’s an increase in theft, and when books are so hugely expensive, with a few hundred dollars for a textbook, the temptation is going to be there. Many students go without their textbooks.”

Ganley said that many books are taken from students directly out of unattended backpacks, but clarified that the scale of the recently discovered ring was unique.

“This was organized theft, and you don’t see that so much here,” Ganley said. “Mason is a pretty safe place. The way the book store is set up isn’t convenient for that kind of thing; there’s no parking lot right outside, no easy way to get out. They caught them.”

Ganley called the incident “a good case of everyone working together,” commending the bookstore for promptly alerting the police department and Officer Brudvig for “recognizing the scenario and contacting others instead of going right in.”

“It went like we hoped it would,” Ganley said.

University Discusses Proposed Budgets in Richmond

Kevin Loker — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 04:25:13 +0000

Provost Peter Stearns, left, and Senior Vice President Morrie Scherrens, right, held a town hall budget forum for faculty in the Johnson Center Cinema last Wednesday. Over 200 people were present to hear the proposed budgets and their effects on the university.
(Photo via camera phone by C2M Executive Editor Kevin Loker)

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Wounded from recent economic troubles, current plans in Virginia’s General Assembly regarding the state’s budget and higher education may leave George Mason University students, faculty and staff stuck with more financial burden. In the proposed budgets, Mason faculty and staff would face a combination of furloughs, stagnant pay and general reductions in research funding —and students would face a projected tuition and fees increase between eight and 10 percent each year for the next three years.

During a town hall budget forum for faculty last Wednesday, Provost Peter Stearns and Senior Vice President Morrie Scherrens discussed options for combating the state budget cuts, options that, without attention in the present, would prevent the university from fully functioning in the future.

“During the past snowstorm, many of you probably had the same experience as I had. My son asked me after I had shoveled the driveway about four or five times – or six or eight times, rather – he said, ‘Do you really enjoy shoveling snow, being from Michigan, or are you just glad to get it done?’” said Scherrens, creating an analogy to the university’s financial situation.

“I had never heard the question phrased that way before, but when I thought about it, every time I went there it was at least semi-manageable,” said Scherrens. “And I knew that if I didn’t shovel it – and just stayed in and screwed around all day – at some point, it would become [un]manageable.”

Options discussed at the forum outlined what both the Virginia House of Delegates and Senate of Virginia versions of the state budget proposal would mean for the university. The process for determining one legislative proposal has begun, and more details will arise depending on the legislative session ending. Stearns and Scherrens expect more information come late March or early April.

For faculty, the Senate version of the budget would call for employees to take one furlough day in the current fiscal year, and three each year in the fiscal years 2011 and 2012. The House version calls for no furloughs, but makes up the loss in further general budget cuts.

“One has it in and one has it out, but it’s our position . . . to at least plan for the one day of furlough,” Scherrens said. “It’s crazy to go into the final quarter [not knowing what] the plans are,” said Scherrens. Plans for one day of furlough involved both sides of the Memorial Day weekend, but they are subject to change depending on the legislative outcome.

For students, the effect seems more predictable. According to Scherrens, despite differences between the House and Senate, the university looks like it will have to make a prognostication that the tuition students’ pay will increase somewhere in the eight to 10 percent range each year for the next two or three years.

“I don’t see any way that’s going to get better,” said Scherrens.

Those that live in-state may bear another burden. While the House version calls for no such action, the Senate version calls for an imposed capital fee of $2.50 per credit hour for all in-state students.

“That would be a proposed increase beyond what we would increase tuition,” said Scherrens. According to Associate Vice President of Budget and Planning Donna Kidd, the imposed capital fee would generate an additional $1.4 million from George Mason University.

“I’m not sure what the chance of [the capital fee increases] are,” said Scherrens. “I hope they’re not good. These students are already paying [and] picking up their share.”

Both versions of the budget would also affect financial aid. According to Kidd, current state funding for financial aid will continue, but there is no additional funding allocated in the projected budget to help support additional needs or to help cover the tuition increases.

“Generally, each year, part of the [state] budget allocation will allocate for . . . financial need students,” said Kidd. “This is the first year we can remember [when] funds were not allocated for financial need, and for the next years, the legislature haven’t [either].”

Despite all predictions and projections, the provost emphasized that no proposal has been formally passed by the state legislature or approved by the governor.

“It’s really important to stipulate that, while we’re talking about the budget situation in relation to determination in Richmond . . . nothing is yet settled. We don’t know how [final resolutions] will come out,” said Stearns at the budget forum last week. “But it is really, really important to emphasize that almost everything we say today is pretty limited with regard to any specifics.”

“We don’t know some of this stuff, and nobody knows some of this stuff,” he said.