Pop Culture Journalism Class Blog

By: Donovan Taylor Hall

“Break it Yourself,” Andrew Bird’s latest album, gracefully brings back the art of story telling with songs. Combining music with social commentary — he makes you think, not just listen.

This is Bird’s seventh record Bird has released in the past 15 years. And, while many critics believed his last disc, “Noble Beast,” was his best work — he may have topped it.

“Break it Yourself” is filled with powerful messages involving life, love and the struggle to survive.

Combining Bird’s unique sound, such as the constant use of whistling and symphonic strings, with his philosophical lyrics helped create one sleepy journey into our minds that suddenly, and without warning, blooms into a masterpiece of substance, symphonies and social commentary.

Known for his thought-provoking lyrics, Bird uses the songs on this album to make statements about the world through clever metaphors and catchy choruses.

The song “Behind the Barn” is about the barn that the album was recorded in and where his roots in music actually began. It also seems like a nostalgic thank you to his past and a somewhat longing for the simplicity that came from his earlier days in music.

The one song that stuck out to me the most, was actually the first track on the CD, titled “Desperation Breeds….” The song is about the disappearance of bees in our environment and their struggle to survive. Cleverly, a violin mimics the bee. Although the song focuses on the flight of the bees, its underlying message  relates back to people and their daily struggles to survive.

In his more recent albums Bird has featured the guitar more, giving his music that indie rock feel. But in “Break it Yourself,” Bird returns to incorporating heavy strings turning the songs into graceful symphonies.

verall, the album plays like a beautiful, yet sometimes haunting, dream told in the form of a story.

By Donovan Taylor Hall

College students are getting really high — on the trampolines at Rebounderz in Sterling, Va.

Recently, the indoor arena started teaching intense classes in how to get mega air and do awesome tricks.

George Mason University student Christina Slakey’s boyfriend first brought her to the class as a surprise. Slakey, a 21-year-old studying Global Affairs, considers herself an active person but was not prepared for this work-out.

“At first, I thought it was going to be an easy and fun trip, but after I jumped for 15 minutes, I literally thought my heart was going to explode,” she said.

Classes run for one hour but after the first ten minutes, you’ll more than likely be drenched in sweat.

Despite feeling like she was about to have a heart attack, Slakey loved the tricks she learned and the burn from the workout she felt for the next several days.

“After two classes I was doing double back flips like a champ,” she says.

And classes only cost $12 a session.

Slakey’s boyfriend warned her not to eat or drink much before they arrived, which was advice she wished she had listened to.

“They were pushing me so hard to do two back flips in a row, but I kept messing up. Finally after 10 flips in a row, I was able to pull it off. But as soon as I landed, I had to run off and puke into a trashcan,” she says. “I ruined some poor family’s photo.”

If you want to try something far more extreme than your neighbor’s backyard trampoline, sign up for a class.

“All the throw up aside, this is one of the best discoveries I’ve made in my time at Mason,” Slakey says. “I would recommend it to everyone…except people who get queasy easily.”

By Tabby Hardman

Greg Bannister wants to make you a better man.

The 25-year-old community health major is the founder and President of a group on campus called G.E.N.T.-Men, which stands for Gallant, Educated, Noticeable, Tremendous — Men.

“The idea came from the struggles I went through as a freshman,” he says.

Originally from Roanoke, Va. he spent his first couple years years at The University of Virginia-Wise. But, he didn’t do well in school and he lost his financial aide and had to transfer to a community college.

In September 2010, he transferred to Mason — determined to create a group to help guys who needed guidance and advice. In April 2011, he held an interest meeting and soon he had nine members of his organization. Six of them, make up the executive board.

“The aim we are trying to achieve is to bring all males from different races, ages, and backgrounds at George Mason and help them prevent mistakes they make at University—be it academic, social, personal,”said Abraham Hart, a 20-year-old, criminology major from Silver Spring, and liaison of the organization.

The group’s slogan is: “Setting a trend today, so it’s tradition tomorrow.”

They want to help students structure their life, so they don’t party too much and bomb out of college.

“The freedom of school can become overwhelming and it’s our goal to help guys make those steps in the right direction,” said Hart.

Every Sunday at 6 p.m. the organization meets in the Johnson Center, room F,  to induct new
members and also hold an open study hour for anyone to come and check out the group as well as get some work done.

“When they’re at the meetings we try to give them at least one tip to better their study skills and themselves,” said Khy Long, a 21-year-old, management major from Chesapeake, Va. and secretary of the organization.

Men seeking to join have to be academically and socially worthy.

“Members have to have at least a 2.5 grade point average, a respectable image on campus, and they have to show commitment—we want them to be a regular, not just show up every so often,” said Long.

This coming Sunday G.E.N.T-Men are holding another weekly meeting in which they will add another 11 members to their roster and are hoping to branch out and mix with other on campus groups very soon.

How In One Afternoon, the Fruitless Endeavor of Trying to Find a Needle in a Haystack Lead to Appreciating the Haystack for What it Is

by John Gillooly

Growing up in Fairfax, there is one places I’ll never forget: An arcade on 236 across from the cemetery near the old courthouse. I used to go there alot when I was a kid, a place where I could take $5 (a lotta money to me in those days) and spend a solid hour or two drowning the world out with antiquated beeps and whistles as I protected the world from invaders or simply helped a hungry yellow dot defeat scary ghosts.

BY: RYAN WEISSER



Every college student knows that future job employers are going to Google you. So, some of those drunken pictures on Facebook might be a bad idea.

But now, some employers are not just seeing what turns up on the search engine, but have actually asked  interviewees for extremely personal information — passwords to social media accounts.

“I’ve always known that employers will look up my Facebook profile or see what I’m tweeting about,” said Matthew Plum, a 20-year-old junior from Gainesville, Va. studying Business Management at George Mason University, “but I would never ever expect them to want or even need my password to my accounts. That’s just a complete violation of my privacy.”

Not only is it a violation of privacy, but according to Facebook’s “Terms of Use” under “Safety,” it is breaking a committment to not share login information or log in to someone else’s account.

“I’ve heard that a few states, like Maryland, are even taking legal action to make sure that employers cannot do this anymore” said Sarah Al-Hage, a 21-year-old senior from Woodbridge, Va. studying Communication.

And with the stress of a depressed job market on many college students’ shoulders, students are feeling as though they are given an ultimatum: to give up their personal information or give up a job.

“It’s so scary and it’s totally unfair for an employer to do that,” said Lorrin Massengill, a 20-year-old senior from Gloucester, Va. studying Mineralogy and Geology. “It’s ridiculously hard to even find an unpaid internship, let alone a job, so I think it’s completely unethical to put people in that sort of situation where they have to choose between their privacy and a job.”

Also, many students use the same password for multiple accounts. One password could give someone access to a Facebook profile, blog, e-mail and even a bank account.

“If a future employer were to ever ask me for my passwords, I would leave. Plain and simple,” Massengill continued. “I’m not going to give someone I don’t know or who holds that much power over me something like my passwords. It’s just way too risky and it shows that they don’t have any trust in their employees.”

(photocredit: technorati.com)

By: Jessica Farley

“La, la, la… whatever,” is one of the verses to Hot Chelle Rae’s double platinum hit, “Tonight, tonight.”

And “… Whatever,” has been the overwhelming student response to the university’s announcement that the band will be headlining at the 47th annual Mason Day festivities.

“All of their songs that I know are kind of   ‘played out’ now,” said freshman Casey Romine, an 18-year-old Nursing major. “There is nothing really ‘special’ about them. I’m just kind of ambivalent.”

And other students are sharing her same, I-don’t-know reaction.

“Their sound is really similar to the bands selected in the past two years. It would be nice to have a performer with a different sound,” said Ashley Rivera, a 20-year-old junior majoring in Communication.

In 2010, pop-punk band Cobra Starship headlined Mason Day’s musical performances, and last year it was pop-rock band Plain White T’s. Both bands, as well as this year’s Hot Chelle Rae, are predominantly male and possess a similar “pop-punk, alternative” sound aesthetic.

On the flip side, many students are excited about the opening act — Mason’s own Sub-Radio Standard. The band, which originally formed in 2005 in Sterling, Va., has two GMU students as members- freshmen Michael Pereira and Mark Siford.

“Some of them are friends of mine,” said 19-year-old bioengineering major Katie Clark, about the opening act, “it will be a cool experience to see them performing for a large crowd.”

By: Jessica Farley

Math major Julie Michaels loves Italian fashion designer Marni. And she was totally amped that the high-end label is now sold at H&M.

“I always am interested in off-beat, quirky designers, and Marni definitely fits that,” says Michaels, a  20-year-old sophomore at George Mason University. ” I’ve been pretty excited.”

Marni’s designs went on sale a few weeks ago at H&M.  The store has had huge success with designer collaborations in the past.Their first pairing was with Karl Lagerfeld in 2004, sold out in some cities within one hour. Until Marni’s launch, the most recent guest designer was Versace in the fall of 2011.

But how will “Marni for H&M” fare with GMU’s own fashionistas?

“I don’t usually shop designer collections because of the prices, but I do like to watch them and find cheaper alternatives that follow the trends they’re trying to start,” said Lauren Kaminski, an 18-year-old freshman majoring in Photography.

She perused the online look book recently. “There are some great separates in this line,” she said.

By college-student standards, the clothes still aren’t cheap. Some are still “a bit pricey” says junior Aisha Thomas who looked at the clothes online.

“But they are also really one of a kind,” says Thomas a 20-year-old criminology major.

By Samita Mason

Funny, adorable and beautiful actress Reese Witherspoon is back with another comedy. This Means War, released on Feb. 17, 2012 involves two CIA agents who find out they are dating the same woman.

Special agent FDR Foster (Chris Pine), and special agent Tuck Henson (Tom Hardy) are best friends. FDR is a womanizer who tells the ladies that he is a captain of a cruise ship. Tuck has an ex-wife, young son and introduces himself to women as a travel agent. After seeing a commercial for online dating, he decides to sign up and meets Lauren Scott, played by Witherspoon.

Shortly after their first date, Lauren bumps into FDR at a video store. He flirts with her, asks her out, and soon the men find out they are dating the same woman. The friends make a pact not to have sexual relations with her and let Lauren decide who she wants to be with.  Their pact quickly gets broken when feelings begin to develop. They use their CIA technology to spy on her and find out what the other is doing with her.

“This Means War” is a hysterical movie that will have you laughing from beginning to end. The practical jokes that each agent plays on one another, girl talks with Lauren and her best friend and the lies to win the woman make this a fun comedy from start to finish.

BY: John J. Gillooly

REVIEW: Saga #1

Writer: Brian K Vaughn

Artist: Fiona Staples

Publisher: Image

Release: March 14, 2012

After a long, terrible, gut wrenching amount of time, comic crafter extraordinaire Brian K. Vaughn has returned to the warmth that is the comic book world. The world-builder made famous for such nerd-worship glory such as Deus Ex Machina, Y: The Last Man, and cult Marvel hit the Runaways has return from his self-imposed exile to bring us the all-new glory of Saga, and it does not disappoint.

One of the big reasons that BKV is known and praised for his work that has been seen again and again in his ability to create whole worlds with rules and boundaries that makes it all so real. This is much the same with Saga where he created whole planets, races and creatures that populate them. Yet even in this wonder, we are  drawn into the very real and very human-like feeling that inhabits our two protagonists.

Many reviews have compaired the series as a cross between “Star Wars” and “Romeo and Juilet,” and I believe that is an apt comparison. The universe that populates Saga is very Star Wars-esque in the sheer amount of background aliens and creatures, and yet there is this very personal conflict with our two main characters, Marko and Alana, two “people” (for the lack of a better word) that runaway after seeing a war break out between their respective families. Sound familiar?

Bringing this from BKV’s glorious brain to to page is the criminally unknown product of Fiona Staples. Bouncing around independent comics for the past couple of works, Saga is by far her most high profile work to date, and she does not disappoint. A beautifully sketchy, light-ink style that invokes the kinetic linework of Francis Manapul, Staples brings some serious game to this large, almost daunting world. She absolutely has the chops for this undertaking, being able to render these gorgeous worlds, while also getting great “acting” from the characters and their very personable conflict.

Saga is simply put a figurative and literal beauty. This book absolutely lives up to the months of hype that has preceded it. Clear the red carpet comic book world, BKV is back for his throne.

Story: 5 of 5

Art: 5 of 5

Overall: 5 of 5

BY: RYAN WEISSER

http://s2.torbit.com/img/cccc88fcfafea5e8c58a3fa159d19a7b1b339580-Kony-2012_stop-at-nothing.jpg

#MakeHimFamous

#KONY2012

#stopKony

These hashtags have been floating around social media sites like Facebook and Twitter since Tuesday, March 5, when Invisible Children, a charity whose goal is to end the war in Uganda, premiered this short film about a man named Joseph Kony, and how they want him to become a household name:

But before Kony’s name started floating around social media sites, George Mason University’s branch of Invisible Children were already preparing for the premiere.

“We’ve been waiting a long while for this video to go out for the public to view,” said Emily Bonzek, a 20-year-old sophomore from Newport News, Va., studying Integrative Studies. “We’ve raised around $8,000 just this year so that Invisible Children could launch this video and begin the process of nationwide awareness.”

And now that the video has premiered, Mason’s Invisible Children have been receiving the reactions they hoped for.

“So many people have liked our page on Facebook, and have contacted me about becoming a member and ordering the “Cover the Night” kit,” said Carolyn Schorr, a 20-year-old sophomore from Baltimore, Maryland majoring in International Studies. “All we want is awareness; so that now at least people will know about what’s going on in Uganda, and hopefully, they’ll want to do something about it. So far, I think it’s working.”

Students at Mason, who have watched the “Kony 2012” video, are already in a frenzy trying to prepare for “Cover the Night,” an event that will be held on April 20, 2012 where everyone is supposed to cover every public surface they possibly can with posters and other objects in the “Cover the Night” kit.

“I ordered my kit last night, on Wednesday,” said Meghan Capps, a 19-year-old sophomore from Chesapeake, Va., studying Psychology. “I’m just worried it won’t get here in time; I heard shipping is going to take a lot longer than they expected because more people than they expected have already ordered kits.”

Kendall Bilbrey, a 20-year-old senior from Wytheville, Va., studying Integrative Studies and Environmental Science has yet to order her kit, but even if she doesn’t get to order it, there’s more to the “Kony 2012” initiative than one night of awareness.

“The whole point is for us to take action,” said Bilbrey, “so even if I don’t order a kit for April 20, I’m going to call my state representatives, I’m going to tweet and Facebook about it, I’m going to talk to my co-workers about it and most of all: I’m going to make sure that people don’t forget about Kony after April 20.”

“This thing is bigger than one night,” continued Bilbrey, “and I want to make sure that people will still spread the word about Kony until he’s as infamous as Saddam Hussein, and so that we won’t even have to think about helping countries like Uganda when they are facing war.”

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