3.4.19- Fourth Estate

F O U RT H E S TAT E March 4, 2019

GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY'S STUDENT NEWSPAPER

Volume 6 Issue 17

TURN ON THE LIGHTS

Students worried amid increase in sexual assault page 15

COMMUNITY News page 04

CONCERNS OVER AMAZON HQ OTIS LIVINGSTON II: BIGGER THAN BASKETBALL

READY FOR MIDTERM MADNESS

GET Culture page 09

@ivestate | gmufourthestate.com

Sports page 17

DOES

MASON REALLY CARE?

Opinions page 18

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03.04.2019

FOURTH ESTATE

GMUFOURTHESTATE.COM @IVESTATE

ALEXANDER SHEDD Editor-in-Chief

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

BASMA HUMADI Managing Editor IZZ LAMAGDELEINE Copy Chief

Dear Patriots,

LIZ ELKIND ZARA FAROUK SARAH LURIA BEN STOVNER Copy Editors

Spring Break is almost upon us. If you can make it through your midterms this week, you will be home free to celebrate as you please for a nice little breather. Whether you’re staying in Fairfax or going elsewhere, try to forget about school for a minute—we could all use a break. Also, note that we will not have an issue for the next two weeks.

DANA NICKEL News Editor

As you may have noticed on the cover, this issue is designed in part to shed some light on the rash of recent sexual assault incidents here on our Fairfax campus. While Mason PD has been mostly diligent about alerts, with the notable exception of our cover story, there is some cause for concern over the lack of adequate lighting on campus due to construction.

It personally sickens me that the seemingly minor absence of street lights brings out the worst in predatory men in our own community, but while these issues are being resolved try to stay safe on campus—if you feel anxious about it, download the Rave Guardian app, and make sure you have Mason PD’s number in your phone. They also do safety escorts at any time of night.

As for the rest of the issue, check out our feature on senior Otis Livingston II in Sports, our coverage of Mason film and theatre in Culture and a number of interesting political takes in Opinions as Mason starts to gear up for the 2020 election. As always, you can reach out to us directly for any questions, comments or concerns at masonfourthestate@gmail.com.

ABIGAIL ADCOX Assistant News Editor MONICA ECHOLS Culture Editor HAILEY BULLIS Assistant Culture Editor CHRIS KERNAN-SCHMIDT Opinions Editor NATALIE HEAVREN Sports Editor DOMENIC ALLEGRA Assistant Sports Editor LAUREN SULLIVAN Investigative Editor KRISTEN TALMAN GMU Korea Coordinator

Sincerely, Alexander Shedd

ALLIE THOMPSON Photo Editor

Editor in Chief

ALEXANDRIA MCALPINE Art Director BILLY FERGUSON Online Director LAURA SCUDDER Social Media Editor DOMINIQUE BERNARDINO Multimedia Editor

We are always recruiting volunteers for: - WRITERS - VIDEOGRAPHERS - ILLUSTRATORS - COPY EDITORS - PHOTOGRAPHERS George Mason University Mail stop 2C5 4400 University Drive Fairfax, Va. 22030 Phone 703-993-2950

EMMETT SMITH Distribution Manager

For all inquiries, please email: masonfourthestate@gmail.com

Fourth Estate is printed each Monday for George Mason University and its surrounding Fairfax community.

The editors of Fourth Estate have exclusive authority over the content that is published.

There are no outside parties that play a role in the newspaper’s content, and should there be a question or complaint regarding this policy, the Editor-in-Chief should be notified at the email provided.

Fourth Estate is a free publication, limit one copy per person. Additional copies are 25 cents payable to the Office of Student Media.

KATHRYN MANGUS Director DAVID CARROLL Associate Director JASON HARTSEL Assistant Director

COVER PHOTO CREDITS Alexander Shedd / Fourth Estate inspired by Jackson Schombert

NEWS

GMUFOURTHESTATE.COM @IVESTATE

03.04.2019

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HOUSING CRISIS OR ECONOMIC BOOM?

The Fuller Institute and New Virginia Majority release contradictory reports IZZ LAMAGDELEINE COPY CHIEF

“There may be a low-level sort of drive for this to happen,” Liss said. “[If] you want to use an analogy or metaphor, you would say, ‘There may be a small little light fire,’ and instead of trying to address the concern about lack of affordable housing, you are effectively giving all this money and encouraging Amazon to rapidly move into an area.

You are essentially pouring gasoline on those balmy embers of fire and snuffing out a whole neighborhood.”

Liss is co-author of a recent report, “Amazon HQ2’s ‘National Landing’ Project: A Critical Assessment,” published through the New Virginia Majority Feb. 11.

In it, he describes the effect that Amazon would have on the area, which includes mass displacement of a major Latinx community and bringing added traffic to an area that already has plenty of commuters.

However, the analysis largely contradicts a report written by the Stephen S. Fuller Institute—an institute affiliated with Mason. The head and namesake of the organization, Stephen Fuller, is both a university professor specializing in public policy as well as the Dwight C. Schar endowed faculty chair in the Schar School of Policy and Government.

The new report, written by Liss as well as Jeannette Chapman, deputy director and senior research associate at the Fuller Institute, argued that overall, Amazon’s move would be advantageous for the entire state, not only Northern Virginia.

It was funded by the Virginia Economic

Development Partnership and includes the projection that the move would grow Arlington’s gross county product by $52.8 billion and Virginia’s gross state product by $748.8 billion within 20 years.

Chapman, who also worked on a report for Arlington’s Affordable Housing Study, stated that there are several different factors that affect where one wishes to live, not just the commute time from home to work.

“It’s … net fiscal and economic impact,” Chapman said about the report’s forecast. “So what that means is that … at least in the fiscal terms, we looked at both the tax revenue that would be generated but also the tax expenditures that would be needed as part of that. So schools are the big ones there.”

“The preferences that determine your quality of life do vary based on your household type,” she said.

“Fiscal” refers to the tax base of the area, while “economic” is how the broader economy is tied to the gross regional product.

“Developers who are motivated to make more money are going to create condos or knock down buildings or build more expensive buildings,” Liss said. “One way or the other, they’re going to displace ... our estimate is at least 3,000 households, maybe more, and it would disproportionately affect people of color, particularly the unique Latinx community of Chirilagua or Arlandria.”

The New Virginia Majority argues that Chirilagua or Arlandria in particular is going to be destroyed by Amazon’s move into the region.

Chapman continued, “If you’re living alone versus if you are married with another worker in the house, whether you have children … all the other things that we kind of already covered, which is again why people typically disperse a little bit more than they would if commute was the only thing that they were considering.”

Liss considered the institute’s research to be misleading, not telling the full facts of the story. Included in their report was the Fuller Institute’s research, with a map showing the areas where Amazon workers would live.

“Essentially, Fuller’s piece was a, ‘Don’t worry. It’ll all be fine. This is just a market working. People … move in all the time. People will be pushed out all the time. Don’t worry about it,’ and they’ll end up living pretty much at the same ratios as they currently live, i n

terms of Crystal City residents, the new ones [who] be scattered regionally,” Liss said.

“And there will be nominal impact in any one jurisdiction or any particular community, so it was a really ‘don’t worry’ sort of piece, and we consider that a very unrealistic and rosy sort of perspective, that it was being used by proponents of the Amazon subsidy location deal to say there really aren’t negative effects there, let’s just get them in, it’s all good.”

Chapman said that the institute’s report was mostly about commuting and transportation issues. She thought that the assumptions they used in their report were “not quite the right assumptions to be making.”

Liss and Chapman’s report has been shared with several stakeholders in the project, including legislators who are interested in lessening the effect that Amazon’s arrival would have on the area. His goal is to ensure that either Amazon does not come to the region, or if the company does, that there is a plan in place to support those i n t h e

communities that will be most affected—including Chirilagua.

Liss explained, “Ideally, if you look at, given the scale of what they’re talking about, it’s probably about $150 million of money needed for mitigation, for coming up with a housing plan that actually preserves this unique community and the housings of ...

3,000 families, that is, not just people.”

Liss continued, “And so the state has those kinds of resources, the county of Arlington, the city of Alexandria and private philanthropy, et cetera—there are those kinds of resources.”

Liss went on to describe that the most desperate need for housing is coming from everyday workers.

“Yes, most jurisdictions—Alexandria, similarly to Arlington and Fairfax— they all talk about workforce housing, which ends up being for government, public sector workers,” Liss continued.

“Firefighters, police officers, teachers— they all deserve housing, but the real crisis, the real need is at the lower end, people who get up every day, go to work and then can’t figure out how to pay the bills to stay in their apartment.”

“There’s nowhere else that I’ve seen, it’s sort of both a residential community as well as a business district and … cultural, sports, music, all that … in a very … concentrated [demographic] area,” Liss said. “I think it’s fairly unique in Virginia.”

When asked whether the community would be able to fully rebuild, Liss responded, “Very unlikely. You can’t move a community en masse like that.

It would be very difficult. People would be scattered to the wind and we’ll be searching for ways to rebuild [the] community, but it’s difficult to do.”

FOURTH ESTATE ALEXANDRIA MCALPINE

For some, Amazon’s upcoming move to Northern Virginia is welcome and a decision that would greatly benefit both the region and the state as a whole.

However, to Jon Liss, co-director of the activist nonprofit New Virginia Majority, it is a change that would have a significant negative impact on the region.

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NEWS

03.04.2019

GMUFOURTHESTATE.COM @IVESTATE

FOURTH ESTATE BILLY FERGUSON

MASON STUDENT ALLEGEDLY RECORDED WOMEN IN BATHROOM WITHOUT THEIR KNOWLEDGE

Mason students concerned about slow police response DANA NICKEL NEWS EDITOR

NEW POLL BREAKS DOWN TRUST IN TRUMP

Americans trust Mueller more than Trump according to new Schar School poll DANA NICKEL NEWS EDITOR

A poll conducted by Mason’s Schar School and The Washington Post concluded that more Americans are confident in the facts presented by special counsel Robert Mueller than President Trump’s accounts.

According to the poll, 51 percent of Americans approve the way special counsel Mueller is handling the investigation, while only 34 percent disapprove.

Mueller is currently leading an investigation into whether or not Trump’s presidential campaign colluded with Russia during the 2016 election, as well as election interference from the Russian government.

Additionally, 52 percent of Americans disapprove Trump’s responses to Mueller’s investigation.

Since the investigation began in May 2017, Trump has been repeatedly vocal in his protests of the investigation. Trump has repeatedly called the case a “witch hunt,” and in his 2019 State of the Union address, he stated that “ridiculous partisan” investigations were holding back progress for the U.S. One of the poll’s questions surrounded whether or not Americans believe that Mueller’s investigation has proven that Russia attempted to interfere with the 2016 election. Americans’ responses have been split on this question, with 43 percent believing that Mueller has proven Russia has interfered, as well as 43 percent believing collusion has not been proven.

A majority of Americans surveyed also support Congress impeaching Trump if the investigation concludes that Trump authorized his campaign

to collude with Russian agents, with 61 percent of Americans supporting impeachment if Trump did authorize collusion.

Many people in Trump’s base of supporters have expressed their belief that Mueller is more interested in hurting Trump politically instead of looking for the truth.

However, according to the poll, 57 percent of Americans believe that Mueller is mainly interested in finding out the truth.

Along with general questions about Mueller’s investigation, respondents were asked to identify their political leanings at the end of the survey. The majority of respondents, 39 percent, answered that they identify as independents, with 32 percent identifying as Democrats and 26 percent identifying as Republicans.

According to an article published by Politico, the responses seem to reflect the partisan divide in Congress.

While the House committee concluded its investigation into the election last year under Republican control, Democrats have promised to reopen the probe into the election since they have taken the House after the midterm elections in November 2018.

Despite the growing partisan divide in and outside of Washington D.C., respondents in the poll were unified in their desire to view the results of Mueller’s investigation. Eighty-one percent of Americans surveyed stated they believed Mueller’s full report should be released to the public once the investigation is concluded.

According to a report by ABC7 on Feb. 26, Mason police received a tip on Feb. 4 after a caller said he saw a male student leaving a women’s bathroom with his cell phone out.

The caller also stated that he had seen the suspect spending time near the restroom throughout this and previous semesters.

On Feb. 11, the police were called again about the same student hanging around by the women’s bathroom. A photo of the student was also sent to the police. The police were contacted again on Feb. 12. They then entered the women’s bathroom and found the student.

According to a statement released by Mason PD on Facebook on Feb. 26, the officers found the suspect attempting to record women in the bathroom on his phone in the fourth-floor bathroom in Innovation Hall, one of Mason’s largest lecture halls.

The statement described that while no charges were “immediately” filed, Mason police detained and questioned the suspect, consulted with prosecutors and received search warrants for his dorm room and electronic devices.

ABC7 also reported that the student did admit to filming women in the Innovation Hall bathroom while he was being questioned.

The statement concludes by explaining that the investigation is still ongoing, and prosecutors will be consulted again when it has been completed.

Though a report about the incident was published in Mason’s crime log on Feb. 12, and a statement was released to Facebook two weeks later on Feb. 26, Mason students did not receive an alert about the incident until late Feb. 27, via email.

Since the investigation is still ongoing, Mason will not release the name of the student or comment on the incident. Many Mason students have expressed their confusion and outrage on campus and over social media since the news of this incident broke.

Henry Rieniets, a sophomore here at Mason, recalled to Fourth Estate how he found out about this incident. “I found out when another [Mason] student retweeted a local news story,” he explained. “The first thing I thought about [was] why [Mason police] didn’t notify us. These women could have been victims and not known about it.”

Rieniets continued, “After the sexual assaults Fourth Estate uncovered last year, it feels like the university doesn’t care about the safety of its female students.”

Rieniets was who posted incident and Mason and handled it.

one of many students their opinions on this sentiments toward how the police department

Though the identity of the student is still unknown to the public, the Mason community is aware that the student lives in Piedmont Hall, a coed residence hall on campus.

One Mason student and resident of Piedmont, who chose to remain under the pseudonym Emma, expressed that this newfound information has created a sense of anxiety for all female students living in the residence hall.

Emma recalled that she happened upon the story from a smaller news outlet. “I was really disgusted and kind of annoyed that I had to find out about it this way,” she stated.

She continued, “When I was watching the story, I saw my building, Piedmont, and [I] was a bit frightened … I have no idea what he looks like or if he’s still living here, but I wish residents of Piedmont were given a warning or some kind of heads up for our own safety.”

In addition to news breaking on this incident, Mason students received a mass email from the police department early in the morning on March 1, in regards to a sexual assault in the Rappahannock Parking Deck. The incident happened at approximately 11 p.m. on Feb. 28, when an unknown male subject came up to a woman in the parking deck, groped her buttocks

FOURTH ESTATE ANGELIQUE ARINTOK

Mason’s police department is investigating a male student who allegedly used his cell phone to record female students in campus bathrooms.

and wrapped his arms around her before running away. This alert came a few weeks after a previous alert describing an unidentified man who approached a woman by the Johnson Center and forcibly held on to the woman’s arm before the woman was able to leave.

Many Mason students have stated that a possible reason for the increase in Mason alerts surrounding sexual assault and harassment on campus is the lack of lighting at night around North Plaza, the area most affected by campus construction and a popular area in the middle of campus.

Mason students have taken to Facebook and Twitter with the hashtag “#GMULights” to raise awareness of the lack of proper lighting on campus and how it could be contributing to a general lack of safety for female students walking alone after dark.

MacKenzie Cahill, a Mason student, wrote on Facebook, “I have always felt safe on campus until the construction started. More and more women have been attacked and assaulted with the lack of light and abundance of hiding places made available to assailants.”

She continued, “This does not include incidents that were not reported,” but did not offer any additional details on unreported incidents in the post.

For students who feel unsafe on campus, Mason supports a campus safety mobile application, “Rave Guardian.” Mason police also offer safety escorts, and can be reached at (703) 993-2810.

Editor’s Note: This is a developing story. It will be updated online as more details are made available.

NEWS

GMUFOURTHESTATE.COM @IVESTATE

03.04.2019

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PATRIOT’S PRIDE, OR LACK THEREOF? A look into how PAC, Athletics and other departments are fighting the “commuter school” stigma ABIGAIL ADCOX ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

Several departments and organizations on Mason’s campus have taken action to increase school spirit and student involvement across the board.

The Patriots Activities Council (PAC), a student-led programming board, was established to negate and eliminate the idea that there’s nothing to do on campus.

“PAC likes to boost school spirit [by] doing things like participating in homecoming, as well, and creating a space for all Mason students to feel at home and involved through events onand off-campus,” said Salma Hamze, director of publicity for PAC. “Events like High-5s, which are off-campus student appreciation events we help commuters feel a part of the Mason community.”

High-5s take place throughout the year and comprise of Student Involvement and PAC members handing out free food and high-fives to commuters in the parking lots in the morning and evening. PAC also works on a variety of other events throughout the year

MASON WEEKLY CRIME LOG

including Homecoming, Mason Day, Gold Rush and more.

Hamze also addressed ways to increase student attendance at school events.

She highlighted that this would require a change in Mason’s culture.

“Mason has a reputation of being a commuter school, so it’s hard to change that,” said Hamze. “It can be done by working with freshmen and trying to boost their school spirit through things like Homecoming and Gold Rush.

Having more events related to Mason Athletics would be beneficial.”

Dawn Hicks, director of community relations for Mason Athletics, echoed the same sentiment of increasing partnerships across the Mason community.

Hicks described how they have been receiving feedback and suggestions from organizations. They are working to implement some of these ideas in future seasons for all athletic sporting events, not just basketball.

“For a lot of the organizations, it’s awareness for their organizations,” Hicks explained.

She continued, “For example, when I talked to presidents of some of the Greek organizations, it’s promoting their organization at an event. So one thing we implemented is that, if they inform us in advance that they’re bringing a group to a game we will not only announce them over the PA during the game but we also create a video board so everyone can see that those organizations are in attendance.”

Part of this is that if a super group of at least 25-30 people notify Athletics in advance that they will be attending, Athletics will provide them with pizza and feature them on-camera when possible.

Another aspect that Athletics has been working on is increasing awareness.

“Well, the biggest thing to entice [students] to come is to talk about the experience itself. We have―[for] our basketball games in particular―a lot of giveaways. We have found that some students are simply not aware of them,” explained Hicks.

To increase awareness, Athletics has been sending out weekly emails to the student body highlighting sporting events and giveaways, utilizing their social media accounts and canvassing campus. Members of the marketing team and Hicks have gone across campus passing out flyers for sporting events, showcasing giveaways-of-theweek and sharing that experience with students one-on-one.

Hicks talked about following up with students they had talked to during the week: “We look for them in the stands, and we wave to them and say hi. We’ll go into the stands and thank them for coming.”

Another topic of interest for students is the discussion of planning more tailgates, besides the one for Homecoming.

Hicks addressed the idea of more tailgates, which has been a major discussion point for years in Mason Athletics, but explained complications that come with it in regards to limited parking spaces.

“When we have track meets and baseball games, there really isn’t much

room to tailgate, because the parking lot is full,” Hicks said. “That again is the greater issue: It’s not that we don’t want to do it, it’s what is the best way to execute [it].”

Some options they are looking at are increasing smaller “tailgate experiences” and hosting more off-campus viewing parties, so commuters can watch the games with other students.

One upcoming non-sporting event that students can look forward to this semester is Mason Day, an annual carnival-like festival with rides, food and performances. Mason Day is Mason’s longest-standing tradition, and this year will mark its 54th year.

Students can stay tuned for more information on Mason Day as its released in upcoming weeks.

“In terms of increasing school spirit, what we are finding is that the more students experience the games and [come] together and collectively cheering (sic) on our team, the more that promotes school spirit at Mason,” said Hicks. “Because we are all coming together as the Mason Patriots to cheer on our team against an opponent, so in those moments and at those games, we’re all on the same team, and that

Wednesday, Feb. 27- Lot A, 4:44-6:39 p.m.

Thursday, Feb. 28- Lot K, 12:15-2:57 p.m.

Hit and Run: Complainant (GMU) reported a hit and run of a vehicle.

Hit and Run: Complainant (GMU) reported a hit and run of a vehicle.

Case 2019-002029-Inactive

Case 2019-002068-Inactive

Thursday, Feb. 28- Fairfax Campus, Multiple Times

PHOTO COURTESY OF MASON POLICE

fosters a feeling of togetherness and spirit.”

PHOTO COURTESTY OF IBRAHIM AHMAD/GIANTKILLER.COM

As of Fall 2018, of the 37,316 students enrolled at Mason’s U.S. campuses, only 5,772 undergraduate degree-seeking students live on one of the three U.S. campuses. With many students living off-campus, Mason has earned a reputation as a commuter school, which has caused challenges fostering school spirit and maintaining student involvement on campus.

Thursday, Feb. 28- Rappahannock Parking Deck, 10:55 p.m.

Stalking: Complainant (GMU) reported receiving unwanted contact from a known Subject (Non-GMU) on multiple occasions.

Sexual Assault/Fondling: Complainant (GMU) reported that an unknown Subject groped her buttocks, put his arms around her, and then ran away.

Description of male subject can be found at police.gmu.edu

Case 2019-002048-Referred to Title IX

Case 2019-002084-Pending Friday, March 1- Northern Neck, 3:01 a.m.

Thursday, Feb. 28- President’s Park, 12:40 p.m.

Drug/Narcotic Violations: Subject (GMU) was issued a releasable summons for possessing illegal drugs.

Case 2019-002050-Cleared by summons

Liquor Law Violation/Possession of Fictitious ID/Medical Assist: Subject (GMU) was referred to Office of Student Conduct (OSC) for possessing alcohol while under age 21 and transported to Inova Hospital for overconsumption of alcohol. Charges pending for possession of a fictitious identification card.

Case 2019-002087-Referred to OSC

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NEWS

03.04.2019

GMUFOURTHESTATE.COM @IVESTATE

STUDENTS DEMAND ACTION PARTNERS WITH FREEDOM AND LEARNING FORUM

Parkland survivor, Cameron Kasky, speaks to students SABIHA BASIT STAFF WRITER

The Freedom and Learning Forum “allows for the campus community to engage in an interactive dialogue series with the university President, Dr. Ángel Cabrera, and extraordinary thought leaders from around the world.”

During the forum, Kasky recalled the day the shooting took place, and the wave of emotions that would engulf him and his fellow classmates in the following days.

“I was sitting in the car,” Kasky said.

“Traffic was disastrous that day, and the worst feeling I had was peace. I felt very calm and comfortable, and I thought to myself, ‘Why am I feeling so comfortable?’ I did not know how many people died 34 people were shot, but rumors were spreading around, and nobody was quite sure [about] the shooter.”

Kasky continued, “It was a time of chaos, but for some reason, I was acting very normal, and it felt like a [regular] Wednesday for me. That was the moment I realized [I was feeling like this] because [shootings] happen all the time.”

Action became a co-sponsor after the event was planned and announced.

The role that we played was [to] bring the gun violence prevention perspective. We have multiple organizations, and so we brought that knowledge to the execution of the event.”

The forum is co-sponsored by the Leadership Education and Development (LEAD) Office and the Office of the President. However, one active student organization decided to join the forum to further their own mission of activism.

The students in SDA believed having Kasky at Mason would provide an example of leadership and bring gun control activists at Mason together.

“More often than not, we hear from speakers who had upwards of 20 years to develop their leadership style,” Kelly explained.

unity, SDA set up powerful objects around the HUB Ballroom that would stay with by students long after they have left the forum.

She continued, “The importance of having Cameron here was that his voice is the same as ours. He was thrown into leadership without preparation, which happens more and more often within our generation.”

“We made sure there was an empty table to remember those who have lost their lives. There were statistics about gun violence at every table; there were orange ribbons that students could take with them and other things along that nature,” Kelly said.

To bring the sense of community and

“This event was initially planned by the LEAD office without the involvement of Students Demand Action,” explained Erica Kelly, the legislative and candidate research lead at Students Demand Action (SDA). “They’re the ones who brought [Kasky] in, and they wanted to have a young leader to come to campus.”

FOURTH ESTATE ALLIE THOMPSON

Cameron Kasky, a Parkland shooting survivor and co-founder of the anti-gun violence student group, Never Again MSD, took the stage at Mason’s Freedom and Learning Forum on Monday, Feb. 25.

Kelly went on to describe how SDA joined the forum.

She explained, “Students Demand

THIS WEEK IN POLITICS Monday, Feb. 25

Tuesday, Feb. 26

Wednesday, Feb. 27

Thursday, Feb. 28

Friday, March 1

Vice President Pence meets in Bogotá, Colombia, with South American leaders, including Juan Guaidó.

Michael Cohen testifies before the Senate Intelligence Committee behind closed doors.

Michael Cohen testifies before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, accusing Trump of criminal activity.

Trump leaves summit with Kim Jong Un without a deal, citing that he would not meet Kim’s demands.

CNN reports that more than 1,000 TSA agents have not be fully reimbursed with back pay for their work during January’s government shutdown.

Sen. Bernie Sanders, 2020 presidential candidate, attends a town hall hosted

by CNN.

The House passes a resolution of disapproval toward the national emergency declaration by Trump over border-wall funding.

President Trump meets with Kim Jong Un in second historic summit.

Bryce Harper leaves the Nationals for record-setting $330 million contract with Philadelphia Phillies.

The New York Times reports that Trump demanded security clearance for former chief of staff and current son-in-law Jared Kushner.

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee announces his 2020 presidential bid and states he will run solely on raising alarm on climate change.

SPORTS

GMUFOURTHESTATE.COM @IVESTATE @IVESTATE_SPORTS

03.04.2019

7

WOMEN CAN PLAY SPORTS, TOO

SUMMER BROWN STAFF WRITER

PHOTO COURTESY OF AIR FORCE ACADEMY

despite me leaving them to eat my trail of dust. However, it always made me feel like I had to do better. It’s as if I was trained to believe being number one wasn’t good enough. Why? Does that have to do with competing with men? Does it have to do with gender roles? I’m not sure. I just know for a fact that women definitely work as hard as men, are as good as men and deserve just as much attention in sports as men.

we devote our time to the women’s side too?

It shouldn’t be hard because we don’t have many sporting teams to focus our attention on, so we should try harder to celebrate the women. We should try harder to make an effort to go to their games, which are at very convenient times. We should try harder

to cheer them on and give them the extra energy they deserve to experience while playing.

After all, we are known for our basketball teams, right? Then perhaps, if we can get women’s games attendance up, we can get more spirit toward the female athletes that Mason proudly dons.

No matter what sport you play, what gender you are, your main goal is always to do better than yourself last time. As a university that celebrates diversity, it’s rather astounding that we don’t celebrate athletic women’s accomplishments as much as we do men’s.

It’s definitely noticeable that the attendance at Mason women’s athletic games is much less than the men’s games—it’s really saddening. Frankly, it’s like that for any sport, anywhere.

Men’s sports get a lot of attention across the board, and I’m sure we’ve

all experienced such incidents too—we can’t necessarily choose what teams we can view on the TV regardless of the sport. Is this due to the fact that the original Olympics were men-only? Is it because throughout history in settled civilizations, men were always the sport-driven ones? Is it due to gender roles of society?

The answer to all of those is probably yes, and as a woman myself, that sucks.

When I was younger and played sports, I definitely felt myself being cast aside as the boys got all the recognition

PHOTO COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

At the beginning of the year, the Women’s Basketball team was killing it.

They were absolutely dominating the competition and definitely beginning to gain traction. I mean, after all, Mason is a basketball college, right? We love both of our teams, right? Well, sort of.

Heck, when I talk with friends who are on athletic teams, all I hear about are the accomplishments of the guys.

What about the ladies? They’re never brought up in the conversation, and if they are it never goes anywhere.

Shouldn’t we celebrate them equally as well? Isn’t Mason all about celebrating each other’s accomplishments through our diversity?

It’s bad enough as it is because we don’t have many sporting teams, like football for example. Frankly, we don’t have many teams that are well-known either—just our men’s basketball team.

If we have such few teams, shouldn’t

SPORTS IN BRIEF Men’s Volleyball

Men’s Basketball

On Friday, Men’s Volleyball recorded their eighth sweep this season over Sacred Heart in the first game of a two-game homestand.

Men’s Basketball snapped their two-game losing streak after defeating the University of Richmond 77-63.

In the first set, the two teams went back and forth, with Mason eventually finishing the set 25-22 with seven service errors. In the second set, the Patriots were hot out of the gate retaining a 12-6 lead before allowing a 1-7 run that let Sacred Heart tie it 13-13. Mason finished this set 25-21.

Despite Richmond starting the game on a 16-6 run in the first five and a half minutes, Mason took a 32-29 lead into halftime. The Patriots took the lead for good less than five minutes into the second half and led 58-46 when Richmond took their final timeout with 7:52 left in the game.

To close out the match, the Patriots went back and forth with the Pioneers again before closing the set by a score of 25-20.

Jamal Hartwell II led the Patriots with 15 points, going 5-9 from behind the arc in 31 minutes in his first start. Javon Greene, Jordan Miller and Greg Calixte also scored in double figures, scoring 14, 13 and 10 points respectively.

Women’s Basketball Women’s Basketball secured their second winning season in a row for the first time in 15 years with a 68-59 win over Saint Joseph’s University on Feb. 27.

After the Hawks controlled the third quarter, the Patriots took the lead for good with 4:18 left in the fourth quarter. Sarah Kaminski led the team with 17 points, going 4-7 from behind the arc and was the only Patriot to make a three-pointer.

Nicole Cardaño-Hillary and Camarie Gatling also reached double figures, scoring 15 and 11 points respectively. Mason will play at 12 p.m. on Tuesday in the opening round of the Atlantic 10 Women’s Basketball Tournament.

8

SPORTS

03.04.2019

GMUFOURTHESTATE.COM @IVESTATE @IVESTATE_SPORTS

ROW, ROW, ROW YOUR BOAT

Mason Rowing’s Elizabeth Johnson shares her journey from a novice to a leader DOMENIC ALLEGRA ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

It might not have been their best finish, as they finished second in their heat for the 2000-meter race and came in eighth overall in the event with a time of 8 minutes and 59 seconds.

Walking on in your first year of Division I (D-I) sports would usually come with reduced playing time.

However, for Mason Rowing’s Elizabeth Johnson, it was quite the opposite.

Starting as a novice, someone who has never rowed before, Johnson had to transition from her background of playing soccer. “I played soccer for basically my entire life,” she said.

According to Johnson, transitioning to rowing was actually easier coming from a soccer background. “People always say that rowing is like ‘Oh, you must have great upper body strength,’ and it is, but it’s mostly [leg work] so soccer definitely helped,” she said.

However, the way in which Johnson became involved with the sport she loves is probably not the most common among D-I student-athletes.

“I guess it was a personal decision.

I got a postcard in the mail before I

started and I was like, ‘This kinda sounds interesting, wouldn’t it be fun if I joined the rowing team?,’” she said.

Even though she had not experienced rowing in the past, as a walk-on, Johnson knew that she wanted to stick to rowing from the first time she practiced with the team. “[It] was the first couple of on-the-water practices. Just being on the Occoquan, it’s indescribable, being away from campus and there’s no buildings anywhere, it’s all water and the trees and everything,” she said.

As a novice, Johnson started her journey in Varsity 4B boat at the Frostbite Regatta in 2016. “[My] first regatta was a time. It was really exciting being there with all the teams. It’s very different from anything that you could do in high school. It’s very competitive and I’m a competitive person, so it fuels my competitive side.

But the first regatta was really great

While this result may deter some, especially for the first race of their career, it only pushed Johnson to work even harder while also balancing the other parts of her life.

Now, as a junior, Johnson handles a full course load, her responsibilities as a D-I athlete, and on top of everything volunteers with the Smithsonian Natural History Museum in Washington, D.C. “I wanted to get some experience, ‘cause, you know, jobs are always like, ‘[You need] five years of experience for an intro level job.’ I wanted to get some experience and volunteering was really easy to sign up for that,” Johnson said.

it’s kind of daunting sometimes. I know when I came in as a freshman novice, I was really kind of intimidated by the varsity girls. So it’s really helpful to talk with them and be like, ‘I was exactly where you are and look where I am, you’ve just got to work hard.’” “[Now as] an upperclassmen, even though I started out as a novice it’s rewarding to help new girls come in and help them become acclimated to Mason and more comfortable with the team,” she said. “It’s interesting to watch them get faster throughout the season and it’s really rewarding.”

Assistant Coach Elizabeth Hilton added, “I think she sets a really good example of how to do a lot of things and she goes through cycles trying to balance [her academics and sport].

Her honesty in talking to us about her struggles is what helps her become a better leader for us.”

While coach Hilton was not hired onto the Mason staff until the fall of 2017, a year after Johnson joined the team, she stated that she has definitely seen Johnson improve during the time she

has been coaching at Mason.

“She was quiet, but extremely positive and easy to talk to and was welcoming to my coaching even though she really didn’t know me … As I have gotten to know her, she’s become just a quiet powerhouse. She’s not going to be such a loud or vocal person, but she’s a leader on our team. She’s a leader by setting an example, and doing her job.”

Hilton continued, “For someone that didn’t start the sport ‘til later [in her life], she’s just so invested in getting better and is not one to complain about balancing her rowing career with her school career and choosing to do something that’s difficult.”

With six races left on the schedule before the A-10 Tournament, Johnson has high hopes to close out the season, stating, “[As] a team, one of our main goals is to get all boats into the finals at A-10s. That’s basically the end goal, just to have something to show for all the hard work that we put in throughout the year at the end of Spring season.”

As Johnson has gained experience on the water, she has climbed the ranks to now sit in the Varsity 8+ boat, the main competitor for the university in races and regattas. Furthermore, in addition to pushing herself to do better, she also helps the novices who may be intimidated coming into the program.

Johnson said, “Definitely with novices

UPCOMING SPORTS Basketball

Baseball

Softball

March 5: Women’s Basketball vs. UMass

March 8: vs. Manhattan College 2:30 p.m.

March 8: vs. Lafayette 3:45 p.m.

EBA: 12 p.m.

March 9: vs. Manhattan College 2 p.m.

vs. Marshall 6 p.m.

March 5: Men’s Basketball vs.

March 10: vs. Manhattan College 1 p.m.

vs. Monmouth 6 p.m.

VCU

EBA: 7:30 p.m.

March 9: vs. Marshall 3:45 p.m.

March 10: vs. Lafayette 3:30 p.m.

Wrestling March 9: EWL Championships EBA: All Day

PHOTO COURTESY OF GEORGE MASON ATHLETICS

PHOTO COURTESY OF GEORGE MASON ATHLETICS

because we had been working so hard and then we finally got to the point where we got to our first race and we were like, ‘This is our first race, so we can actually prove we’re rowers now.’

It was just really awesome,” she said.

SPORTS

GMUFOURTHESTATE.COM @IVESTATE @IVESTATE_SPORTS

03.04.2019

9

“IT’S BIGGER THAN BASKETBALL”

Otis Livingston II reflects on his time since first donning the Mason uniform NATALIE HEAVREN SPORTS EDITOR

This exchange is familiar. It’s been happening since Livingston was a freshman.

When asked why he does it he responded, “They rock out, they play hard, especially on days when it’s doubleheaders like this and they’re rockin’ back-to-back. I just wanted to let them know that they’re appreciated by me and my teammates and they deserve that recognition from the people that they’re cheering on and playing for. I just wanted to let them know, ‘thank you.’”

Livingston’s basketball story started in northern New Jersey, long before he stepped onto Mason’s campus in 2015.

“My dad hooped, so I mean when I was three he … put up a Little Tikes rim at home … [and watched] the game. My earliest memory was watching the Lakers in the playoffs and my dad going crazy.”

He started playing recreational basketball when he was 6 and also played baseball until seventh grade.

“Basketball, it was my first love.

Baseball, I kind of stopped having fun [with] once I got to around middle school. I didn’t really have fun playing the game, so it didn’t really make sense [to keep playing]. But

basketball was always going to be my sport regardless.”

Though Livingston grew up watching Magic Johnson, following in his dad’s footsteps, he became more conscious of how he played while watching players like Steph Curry, Chris Paul and Steve Nash. However, the person that influenced him the most in basketball was his own father, Otis Livingston.

“My dad, he taught me how to play the game; [he] taught me how to dribble, shoot, pass, taught me the mentality, [and] how to approach the game: pass first. Pass the ball [and] get your teammates involved,” Livingston said.

Though his dad never wore the number “4,” Livingston Sr. did start the family tradition of wearing number “24.”

“Growing up, the family number was ‘24,’” Livingston said. “We always wore 24, whatever the sport was, and if we couldn’t get ‘24’ we either got ‘2’ or ‘4.’ Coming into college I felt comfortable with the number ‘4’ [and] just wanted to leave my mark. A lot of point guards … like to wear ‘3’ or ‘5’ but I feel like ‘4’ is just my special little thing.”

Livington will be remembered long after he leaves the court for the last time. He currently sits fourth all-time in scoring, second all-time in assists and first in free throw percentage.

Furthermore, with every game that he starts, he will continue to extend his own record for most starts in a Mason uniform, he currently sits at 128.

His consistency has been a cornerstone for the Patriots for the last four years. He averages 14.3 points and 3.8 assists per game over his four years in green and gold.

“I think to play the point guard position and be in attack mode, but also to help facilitate for your team … that’s the hardest balance to find,” said head coach Dave Paulsen. “And he played it [the point guard position] well as a freshman, but he’s continued to mature, just in his decision-making, and he really involves other guys, and yet he still looks for his offense.”

When asked what he hopes his teammates have learned from him, Livingston responded, “[To] always keep your head up no matter what.

I’ve been through a lot since I’ve been here. Each year has been better, but never easy, and I feel like that they can just learn that from me. Just keep your head up, just move on to the next game, next day, next practice, and just have a smile [and] just enjoy [it].”

In Livingston’s first season at Mason, the Patriots went 11-21 and won just five conference games. In each of his next two seasons, the team went 9-9 in Atlantic 10 play. This season the team won, for the first time, its 10th game in conference play.

FOURTH ESTATE IBRAHIM AHMAD

Part of this improvement occurred as a result of a culture change in the program. Livingston’s freshman season coincided with Paulsen’s first year coaching at Mason.

Paulsen talked about his leadership, saying, “He’s led in the sense of a tireless work ethic. He brings that competitive spirit, and that rubs off on his teammates[...].”

Paulsen continued, “[With his] quiet leadership this year, we now have a

PHOTO COURTESY OF GEORGE MASON ATHLETICS

As the final buzzer sounds, the Green Machine begins playing the fight song and senior Otis Livingston II makes his way over to Doc Nix.

more well-rounded team; we have more scoring options to figure out, ‘Hey, what does the team need?’ He’s done that and other guys see that … he’s willing to do whatever the team needs.”

the community, letting them know that I appreciate them and it’s just bigger than basketball. [Just like] how you make [the] little kids feel … when you go up to them and they smile from ear to ear, things like that,” he said.

Livingston doesn’t have a favorite basketball memory, and although every A-10 Tournament win is special to him, there’s still one feeling he values more.

“Those things will really be remembered, and those are the things I’ll think about later on in life. I won’t really think about the points, the assists, [or] the steals; I’ll think more about the connections I have with the people[...].”

“I would say just every game I get to go out there is a great memory for me … Coming out of high school, I didn’t really have a lot of opportunities. So just to come out here, tie my shoes and play the game I love here is just a dream come true for me.”

After he graduates, he wants to stay involved with the sport of basketball.

“I want to play professionally for as long as I can, one year, two years, five years [or] 15 years ... that’ll be a dream come true to play professionally.

[After] that I want to go into coaching.

I want to coach basketball … to stay close to the game that I love.”

Though basketball has been a part of his life for a long time, Livingston knows that what he does is bigger than that.

“I feel like I always wanted to make an impact off the court with the fans and

While this may be Livingston’s final semester here on campus, he stated that he will always remember the support he has garnered throughout his career here at Mason.

“I’m just really grateful for my time here and just the people that I [have] met, the support that I get when I walk around campus[...]. I know they have my back regardless. I could come back 30 years from now and I’ll still feel the love here, and that’s something I’ll really cherish too.”

Though his final game in EagleBank Arena is coming, and his final walk over to Doc Nix as Green Machine plays the fight song is fast approaching, neither Livingston nor the fans will soon forget the impact he has had on the program.

10

CULTURE

03.04.2019

GMUFOURTHESTATE.COM @IVESTATE

MASON RAPPER A.S.K. SPREADS MESSAGE OF POSITIVITY AND GROWTH Sophomore Ahmed Khalafalla’s music is captivating audiences and spreading good messages BROOKE LEWITAS STAFF WRITER

Ahmed Khalafalla, or A.S.K., is a business marketing major, a Richmond native and an up-and-coming rapper with dynamic sound and clever lyricism that will leave you wanting more.

what I’m talking about. It helps a lot.

Around late high school, I started to get breakdowns, and I was really concerned with who I was as a person.

I didn’t feel comfortable [with] who I was. I knew there had to be more.”

“Music is a catalyst in my life and it’s very therapeutic,” Khalafalla says.

“Every time if I don’t understand something, I’ll just blindly write whatever and then try to understand

Khalafalla continued, “During this rough time, I was writing a whole bunch and making a project called ‘Intricate Introvert.’ That was my most dark project ever. It listed out all my

troubles and thoughts, my addiction to cigarettes and weed, and stuff like that.

That alone, just listening to it shows that regardless of what point you’re at you can always bounce back.”

A.S.K. most recently performed at the Black Student Alliance (BSA) fashion show here at Mason, as well as at Mason Day. He says that the fashion show was one of his “top three favorite performances ever.”

FOURTH ESTATE VIJAY IYER

“Performing...the energy, it’s ethereal,” Khalafalla said. “I performed at the fashion show for the BSA recently, and at first I was super nervous because I hadn’t performed in front of a crowd in months. So I didn’t know if I was rusty, but afterwards I just realized that I’m just gonna do what I do best. I could tell, I could feel people focusing on me and what I’m doing. It feels like, you’re in the spotlight, you can do whatever you want. If they do judge you, like ‘oh, why is he dancing like that?’ It’s like, ‘because I can.’ I have the opportunity to do that, and it doesn’t really matter [what others think].”

Khalafalla truly embodies the spirit of

Mason while he works on his business marketing degree, which he says will help him “understand how to captivate an audience. I have noticed that people notice me more because of what I’m doing and how I’m marketing myself.”

In addition to his approach to his studies being emblematic of a typical Mason student, he also displays a pride in his heritage that Mason so encourages. He says that his Sudanese heritage went from being something that he didn’t want to accept to being something that he actively tries to project.

“It took a long time to really accept who I was. Before, I used to kind of reject that culture. I just felt like it was being pushed on me, and I didn’t like that,” Khalafalla said. “But later on when I started doing music, I started getting signs that ‘hey, this is who you are. You’re Sudanese,’ and that’s my culture and heritage, and I want to represent it and show off this is who I am, this is my culture. I wrote a freestyle on Sudan, and ever since then, it’s always in my [mind] that that’s what I rep.”

Khalafalla states that his music is heavily influenced by “Kendrick Lamar, Childish Gambino, Earl Sweatshirt and Anderson Pac.” His work can be streamed on Spotify, Youtube and Soundcloud. As for favorite songs of his, he says that his top two are “Euphoria” and “Summer”. “[Euphoria was written] before my first year in college. I wrote it down because I went on a walk with my brother and we were talking about like real life things that we didn’t understand. That song alone is me eliminating anyone or anything trying to stop me, regardless of how hurt I am,” Khalafalla said.

Ultimately, Khalafalla’s message to his fans is, “Change your mindset.”

“There’s far too many people that are unhappy with what they do every day,” he said. “I’ve seen people put away their dreams because of financials or whatever. When you fully realize who you are as a person and you take that time to develop that craft there’s nothing that can ever stop you.”

A REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT CONVERSATION Mason’s theater department tackles topical issues with play ‘Really, Really’ ALEXANDRIA MCALPINE ART DIRECTOR

Millennials are emerging into adulthood following Christine Blasey Ford accusing Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault, women seeking conciliarity in the #MeToo movement and people of all ages poking fun at the seemingly self-absorbed “Generation Me.” “Really, Really” adds to the important commentary on the validity of a “he-said, she-said” sexual harassment debate. “‘Really, Really’ challenges the audience to rethink the building blocks of our society, where our priorities lie and what we can do to resolve

appeared as a bit of exaggerated caricatures of college students. Each actor transformed themselves into the characters to draw the audience into a heart-wrenching story.

this,” said sophomore Dramaturg Kat Amato.

The play, written by Paul Downs Colaizzo, follows a group of students in the aftermath of a wild college party when accusations of assault start to fly. The performance at Mason was directed by senior Miranda Newman.

“For me, this play is about young people struggling to survive in a world that increasingly bets against their survival and livelihood,” said Newman.

The cast of the show clearly put their hearts into the performance.

The fight scenes utilized the entire space of the stage sliding across back and forth the space. The characters

PHOTO COURTESY OF DORCUS HINSON

This play contains graphic depictions of sexual assault. Audiences are warned of possibly triggering material.

“What are you willing to do to get what you want?” said the character Grace, played by junior Madison McVeigh.

This statement makes the audience think about the actions, motives and sacrifices of each character.

The performance focused on Leigh’s accusation of rape directed towards Davis. This came in lieu of everyone assuming she had cheated on her boyfriend Jimmy, played by senior Matt Davis, with Davis at the party.

The story is full of accusations of false miscarriages, past rapes, and

accusations of closeted lesbians.

Spoilers for REALLY, REALLY Follow Ahead In the final scenes bathed in a harsh red light, Davis rapes Leigh on stage draped under a bloodied sheet while every other character gloats about their successful lives of the future. It was a chilling ending and a rightful fit for a performance set on making a bold statement.

For students who have experienced sexual assault, some resources offered on campus include the Student Support and Advocacy Center in Sub 1 room 3200, and Counseling and Psychological Services in SUB 1 room 3129. Other resources include the National Sexual Assault Hotline, which you can call at 1-800-656-4673.

CULTURE

GMUFOURTHESTATE.COM @IVESTATE

03.04.2019

11

MIDTERM MADNESS

Helpful tips on how students stay on top during exam season

HALFWAY THERE

How to succeed during midterm season NAYOMI SANTOS STAFF WRITER

Before students are all released to enjoy the freedom that spring break offers, midterms must be dealt with.

The beauty of midterms, though, is that they are the best chance you have to save a less-than-desirable grade. It may be easy to fall into the habits of ineffective studying, or worse, procrastination. Yet with the resources that Mason has to offer, any student can get the grade they want.

Public speaking is one of the most common fears as well as one of the most useful skills to have in both college and life. A midterm may have a presentation component that requires students to present in front of the class and professor. Have no fear, for the Fenwick Library is there to help. Throughout the month, Fenwick is hosting several workshops on research and presentations. The series “Research Your Way to an A: Strategies and Tools for Synthesizing Sources” is useful for any student that must complete some form of research or presentation for a midterm.

Also, for those late-night study sessions, the Fenwick lobby is open 24 hours and has a few study rooms available.

The Writing Center also has workshops for students, such as “Five Techniques for Clear Writing” and “From Casual to

Scholarly: Strategies for Elevating Your Prose.” The Writing Center also offers face-to-face tutoring that can be scheduled online. Students looking to improve their writing across all disciplines can find an array of guides on the Writing Center’s website as well.

Check out the Math Tutoring Center in the Johnson Center room 344 for help with any math courses.

There, junior and senior tutors welcome walk-in tutor sessions for free.

The Modern and Classical Languages department also has a list of tutors for many different languages. When it comes to learning a new language, there is no better way to practice than speaking with a fluent speaker, so it is important to utilize these resources.

For other departments, check out their websites because it is likely that there are tutors and learning services available to help students.

If you have any doubts about class material, it can also be very useful to go to office hours and ask the professor before the exam. Many times, professors are happy to clear any confusions as well as provide extra practice. No better person to talk to than the person who makes the exam.

It is also important to discuss class material with fellow students.

Studying for midterms and exams in a group of a few fellow students in a distraction-free environment, such as the Fenwick study rooms, can be extremely helpful. During these sessions, students can share notes and work through problems together. This way, students are not alone in their struggles to prepare for midterms.

Finally, it is crucial to remember that self-care is more important than any midterm. During cram sessions, take breaks often so that your mind is not overworked.

Mason departments such as The Center for the Advancement of Well-Being host several events throughout the semester meant to help stressed students take care of themselves. Often students focus on their studies solely and set aside their mental health without thinking about the adverse effects this can have on not only their studies but also their overall health.

Take time for yourself this midterm season.

Though this time of year is tough, think of spring break as the reward for all your work. Take advantage of what Mason has to offer its students and succeed this midterm season.

The days before spring break are always the toughest. Mason’s very own students are looking forward to some relaxation during the break, but before then, facing midterm exams, papers and assignments can be the toughest challenge.

Larson says she is a visual learner as much as she is an auditory learner. Larson enjoys lectures in which professors give personal anecdotes connecting to the material. She says it’s easier to understand material that relates to real-world examples.

Kevin Perera, an accelerated masters student in data analytics engineering, has to knock out a midterm exam before the break. He says he’s afraid, considering all his classes are challenging in coursework and load—classes like random processes in electrical engineering and computer science.

There is also no denying that midterm season is a stressful time of year for sophomore government and international politics major Zachary Petrizzo.

Perera says he’s more of a visual learner, especially with material that involves math and equations. He says that it helps to see how to solve a problem first with a couple walk-throughs before tackling the solution himself. After seeing that process, Perera is more confident knowing his prior visuals will back him up.

But, as he studies for what might seem like hours on end, he says that getting sleep is one of the most important things a student can do.

As his papers and exams are rolling in, he also says that he’s thinking ahead, well aware of final exams just two months away.

“Set goals this time of year for grades you hope to complete the course with,” Petrizzo said.

It’s all about perspective for Petrizzo; he looks at studying and grades with a bigger picture in mind.

As more of an auditory learner, he says that he makes sure to take notes in class. Later on, he breaks down the notes, re-writes them while speaking aloud for the best retention of class material as possible.

“If your brain isn’t rested, you won’t be able to perform,” said Perera.

As Petrizzo takes on 19 credits this semester coupled with an internship, he says that he takes his gaps of free time pretty seriously.

Caroline Larson, a sophomore criminology, law and society major, also considers sleep an important part of preparation.

She treats the place she sleeps solely for unwinding and relaxation after all the studying happens.

“I always try to get ‘ahead’ on the weekends in respect to papers and written work due the following week,” said Petrizzo. Not to mention, he also takes advantage of time in between classes and downtime on the metro.

“It’s hard for brains to shift from one task to another if it’s still in the same environment,” Larson said.

What can seem like a stressful season of exams and papers can be alleviated with some of these helpful tips from fellow students. Looking ahead, there is a much awaited week-long break. Soon enough, summer will start.

As Larson and Perera are studying for their midterm exams and completing other assignments, they think a lot about what their brain has to go through in this process.

FOURTH ESTATE ANGELIQUE ARINTOK

FOURTH ESTATE BILLY FERGUSON

ANGELIQUE ARINTOK STAFF WRITER

FACES OF MASON delves into the lives of Mason students, faculty or alumni, and organizations every week. This week we take a close look at students Zach Hamilton and Reagan Ortiz, Faculty Harold Geller and organization Anime and Gaming Soicety INTERVIEWS BY IZZ LAMAGDELEINE, HAILEY BULLIS AND MONICA ECHOLS

S T U D E N T, Z A C H H A M I LT O N What are you studying at Mason?

Why baseball?

My major is communication with a concentration in media production and criticism and a minor in sport communication.

I just like the ability, especially when I’m calling baseball, to be able to add stories [and] give background to players, because people give flack for it having so much dead air and boring time in between pitches. But that’s the time I relish the most.

What made you decide to come to Mason?

photo courtesy of ZACH HAMILTON

Unlike most students who would pick a college based off of their programs, I actually picked Mason based off of their broadcasting. And I came here and learned of them prior to coming to Mason and just loved what they did here and wanted to be a part of it.

What is one place that you would love to visit?

I would probably just want to go back to Charlotte, North Carolina. I think it’s an awesome place to live, a place to eventually, hopefully, live myself.

What are some clubs or activities that you’re involved in?

Who would you say is the most important person in your life?

I’ve been involved in my three years here at Mason over at WGMU, student media news. Also, obviously the sports broadcasting program is where I spend most of my time.

The most important person in my life is definitely my girlfriend. She keeps me straight and still going.

What is one of your biggest goals?

I’ll be graduating this May. I only [took] three years to graduate from college. It was stressful adding classes over the summer and stuff like that, but I felt like it would give me an advantage in the professional realm being able to be younger than everyone else but having the same education they have. I look at it as companies could have me under them for an extra year in longevity span.

To become a professional sports broadcaster on a major network.

Do you have a favorite sport, either to play or to watch?

It probably would be baseball. Basketball is a close second, but probably baseball.

When will you be graduating?

FA C U LT Y, H A R O L D G E L L E R What was your favorite thing to research, when you were active in it?

Well, I guess if anything I’d say—you’re going back to when I was working on my master’s thesis. I dealt with the Viking lander on Mars. And unfortunately these days, there’s a question or a debate about whether or not the mission found life on Mars. … I actually worked on the data analysis from the gas chromatograph–mass spectrometer from the Viking lander, and that was designed

by MIT professor Klaus Biemann to search for organic molecules in the soil of Mars. Well, we didn’t find any, and believe me, I was one of those. I was obviously much younger in those days, 40 years ago, and I thought … maybe I could find evidence within the data of some organics, but no, I couldn’t.

FOURTH ESTATE IZZ LAMAGDELEINE

What’s your favorite part of your job?

Well, I do enjoy teaching. It seems to be genetic in my family. My brother, who passed away several years ago now, was a math teacher and professor ... [he] never left New York. He taught math at Marymount in Manhattan, but he spent most of his years as a high school math teacher, and I have—I still have cousins who were teachers, a lot of teachers in the family. I enjoy teaching.

I also enjoy writing, and ... I have a number of books that I’ve written and a couple more I have yet to get done before I pass. So it’s a combination. There’s not just one

thing overwhelmingly. I enjoy teaching, I enjoy writing and I enjoy researching things from just a mental exercise, in a sense.

What are you currently writing?

Actually, I’ve come back to, if you want to call it, my roots.

I’m working on a history of my own family in this country and the like, and I’m also working with another professor here on the history of her family story. She is a Holocaust survivor. She doesn’t like to write, but I think it’s important to get her story out there, and I’m trying to work with her as much as I can [to get] her story down. She’s older and also has breast cancer unfortunately, so I’m hoping to try and get her story written before she passes.

What’s one thing you’d like to say to the students at Mason?

Don’t repeat the mistakes of the past. Learn from the past so you don’t make the same mistakes that we made when we were your age. And I’m afraid these days [that] there are way too many people who are repeating the exact same mistakes that we were making so many years ago. The other thing I guess kind of troubles me is that there’s more of an emphasis today in college education on preparing for a job instead of preparing an individual for being a citizen of this country. It’s not just to learn about computers, or to learn about physics or astronomy.

CULTURE CULTURE S T U D E N T, R E A G A N O R T I Z What do you do in Mason Cable Network(MCN)?

With Mason Cable Network as a whole, I am the executive producer and the host of “Mason Munchies,” which is a cooking show, and then I used to be a creative director for a show that is not currently on the air right now but I was supposed to be the host this season. [It] was “The Spill,” which is all things current events like fashion and things of that sort. When it comes to, like, the weekly news, I’m the assistant news director and I’m also one of the hosts for the news.

photo courtesy of REAGAN ORTIZ

What has been your most fulfilling position within MCN? So the funny thing is, for “Mason Munchies,” it’s not my biggest passion. Like cooking wise it’s not my biggest passion, but I feel that’s offered me the most opportunities and it’s helped me grow, because I do have a lot of the directive, and plus it gives me a lot of opportunities to have my own creative thoughts in how I want things to be executed. And then I’m also hosting, so it gives me the opportunity to do what I eventually want to do when I get out of school, which is host a show of my own.

What kind of show do you want to host?

It varies. I’ve always said I wanted to be the next Oprah, so ... the type of show I want to do is more like a daytime

talk show. So I love Ellen and I loved Oprah growing up, so I just pull a lot from them, but also the daytime shows like “The View” or “The Real” where you’re just talking about current events that are happening and you just tell them whatever you’re feeling.

So how did you get into MCN? I’m a transfer student … so when I got interested in it, it was kind of towards the end of the semester. So I wasn’t able to get involved with it, but Ariel, who was the former news director, told me to come back the next year and learn more about it. So then I was just trying to get [involved] any way I can. I started out as a daily anchor, so I would do the daily report. And then from there I just worked my way through.

What has been your most memorable show for you?

When I was on The Spill … We would do a lot of funny games and stuff of that sort--I often was the one who pitched them. A lot of the memories I do have [are] either us doing the blind makeup challenge where we [had] one of the entrepreneurs on-campus, Morgan Fitzpatrick, [come] on the show and she was just showing us all her make-up lines and the hosts were putting on make-up … Things like that sort were memorable for me.

O R G A N I Z AT I O N , A N I M E A N D G A M I N G S O C I E T Y What is GMU Anime and Gaming Society?

So we’re basically a casual hang-out place that meets every Friday, 6-10 p.m. We watch anime based kind of around a theme, and then we encourage people to bring games and otherwise just kind of socialize during clubs hours, so it’s really just kind of a place for people with common interest to come and hang out every Friday.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ANIME AND GAMING SOCIETY

Do you have a different anime theme every week?

We do anime themes, and we’ll show usually 10 different shows that kind of fit themes, so we’ll do, like, racing night, where we’ll watch 10 different racing anime, or we’ll do comedy night and watch stuff like that. And the idea behind that is that ... one, it helps people kind of decide whether or not they want to come to club because they’ll kind of know, ‘I’m not so much into giant robots anime, so I’ll skip this week,’ or ‘I’m not too much into romance so maybe I won’t come this time,’ but yeah, it also gives people a way to find new anime that’s in certain genres, because it’s been around since the ‘80s. A lot of people only have started watching from 2010 onwards, so there’s a lot of old stuff, a lot of obscure stuff, stuff that not everyone is aware of. The theme nights kind of give us a way to show people all kinds of perspectives on one genre.

What do you think makes the club unique?

I think it’s unique in that it really is a no-rules, kind of ‘do-whatever-you-want’ organization, so there’s no requirements. There’s a lot of respect for people’s time.

If they need to leave early for something, it’s totally fine, all that kind of thing. It’s really different in a lot of ways in that it’s a community that you can feel like you can be a part of, but you don’t feel like you have to be committed to, because college students always change.

What are some events that you all are planning for this semester?

So this semester, we don’t actually have too much going on that’s really special ... Our biggest event is one called Game Night … it’s the last Friday in March. We really emphasize the gaming side of things on that, so we really tell people to bring consoles, bring card games, bring board games and then we also try to get people … like the RPG club to come by and bring [Dungeons and Dragons] and all that stuff.

With gaming, do you think you emphasize it as much as anime?

No, we’re an anime-first organization. [With] gaming, there’s an E-sports Club on campus or Smash Club on campus, those guys are the ones who really do gaming properly. And it’s tough to really say, it’s tough to emphasize the gaming side of things because we are reliant on other people bringing stuff. We can’t buy games with money from Mason, and so it’d be up to officers to bring stuff each week, which is a huge pain.

And then also there’s the liability of, ‘If we bring a TV and it’s broken, that’s my TV. I’m out the money.’ So there’s no real way for us to provide gaming in the same way that we do the anime, so it’s always been the weaker.

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CULTURE

03.04.2019

GMUFOURTHESTATE.COM @IVESTATE

DEAR IVY, Dear Ivy, So my problem isn’t relationship-related and there isn’t any drama within my friend group, but I wanted to write to you to ask for your advice on how to find off-campus housing. I am currently a sophomore and I was rejected on-campus housing for next year, while all of my friends were accepted, which was really upsetting as I was

hoping to receive housing for another year.

I know you have to find listings and I’ve been recommended sites like Zillow, but I’m concerned about finding housing by myself. I’m currently on the waitlist for housing but I know that isn’t guaranteed, so what do I do?

Thanks, -Off-campus Junior

Fairfax county.

You’re in luck! Mason has many outlets for students who are searching for off-campus housing and hoping to not live out of their car for the upcoming semester. You can make use of those Mason websites or housing websites unaffiliated with Mason.

Any of those can help you find the perfect space to spend your junior year, and in the off chance you get off the waitlist for housing, you will be even more prepared for the next year.

While not a part of Mason’s off-campus housing network, Zillow is a great choice to find a good apartment. The main difference from the Mason site is that it does not have a list of students so you can coordinate living with them. They also do not have a system to create your profile for others to find you. The best thing you could do if you decide to go on Zillow is to plan with some of your other friends from Mason who don’t have housing to get an apartment together and split the cost.

One of the most prominent Mason off-campus housing sites is och.gmu.edu.

It has a list of apartments off-campus that shouldn’t be too far to travel from, while also providing all the information you need to know about the living space, such as the price, the number of beds and bathrooms and pictures of the apartments in that area. It has a message board where you can search for furniture and connect with international students, and it helps you plan to study abroad. You can also create a profile of yourself to make it easier to find a roommate that fits your personality, as well as make it easier for them to find you. Their resources page also provides information on transportation to and from the apartments, sites like Zimride, which is the Mason student carpool service, the metrobus and the bus system operated by

FOURTH ESTATE BILLY FERGUSON

Dear Off-Campus Junior,

Not getting accepted into housing while your friends were isn’t a fun time at all, but you can make the most out of a bad situation. One great outcome is that you have way more options than the cookie-cutter buildings here on campus. You can also choose from much more varied prices and maybe even get a better price than on campus. You can also coordinate with your roommate on who brings what furniture to get the most out of your living experience. Depending on how close it is as well as how nice you furnish it, you can create a great hangout spot off-campus for all your friends to come visit. You can make your next year your best for possibly an even lower price.

Best, -Ivy

STUDENT BY DAY, GIANT ROBOT FIGHTER BY NIGHT Mason student talks about his film, “Part-Time Defender GunKnuckle” AHMED FARID STAFF WRITER

From his first year at Mason, Conor Armstrong has been developing an idea for a movie.

Therefore, it seemed only fitting that this story be the one he turns into a movie for his graduation project.

Armstrong is currently a senior studying film and video studies with a concentration in directing and producing. Like all students in his major, he is required to direct a 15-minute short film in order to graduate. For his project, he chose to direct a movie titled “Part-Time Defender GunKnuckle.”

According to the film’s synopsis, the story follows Keith, a part-time superhero who fights monsters in a giant robot. Things change for Keith, though, when he gets a new partner named Stacy. Although the two don’t get along at first, they have to learn to work together to save the day and get paid.

The inspiration behind the story came to Armstrong when he saw giant robot anime and decided to write a parody on it. His story talks about what it would be like if superheroes were ordinary people who fight crime in their spare time instead of characters who are

full-time heroes like the Avengers.

“You see these kids in cartoons fighting robots, and I always wondered, ‘Do they have normal jobs? Do they get paid?’” says Armstrong.

That’s when he started sketching down his ideas, and over the years he kept adding to them more and more. In the end, he had 30 pages of script ready to be turned into a movie, which he had to bring down to 15 because that was the limit he had to stick with for the assignment.

This yearlong process to get his vision made into a short film was not easy though. While he enjoys the creative side of filmmaking, he admits that he could not have handled the more administrative side of the process without his team. Producers Alexandria McAlpine, junior, and Ashley King, senior, were crucial in getting this movie made by helping secure locations, finding actors and signing release forms.

Along with his two producers, Armstrong depends on a talented team of students, which includes a cinematographer, actors and set

designers. They managed to help him shoot this movie by designing costumes, filming the movie and even designing a whole city out of cardboard.

Despite all this, the movie is not yet done. Soon Armstrong will start filming the fight scenes, which will be a challenge, as he has never directed one before. However, he has the help of martial artists and stunt coordinators who will help guide him through the process.

Although Armstrong initially considered directing a movie about a more serious topic for his senior project, he eventually opted out of it.

“I wanted to film something that I would have fun filming it and people would have fun watching it,” he said. “I feel like movies are not fun anymore.”

And the movie is truly fun.

Combining elements of comedy, action, science fiction and coming of age, this Mason movie has something that appeals to all. So clear your schedules for May 2-4 and head on to Harris Theatre for the Mason Film Festival to watch a movie that you will surely enjoy.

PHOTO COURTESY OF CONOR ARMSTRONG

Ivy helps a student figure out off-campus housing

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CULTURE

GMUFOURTHESTATE.COM @IVESTATE

“THE UNAFRAID” BRINGS LIGHT TO MODERN IMMIGRATION ISSUES Producer Heather Courtney comes to Mason as part of the Visiting Filmmaker’s Series DE’ANDRE DARBY STAFF WRITER

“The Unafraid” stretches over a period of four years from 2014 to 2018 and observes the lives of three high school seniors, Alejandro, Silvia and Aldo, in their fight to change Georgia state law that bans DACA recipients from the top five public universities and makes them ineligible for in-state tuition at public colleges.

Courtney explained that she and her co-producer Anayansi Prado had an interest in the stories of undocumented immigrants and wanted to highlight the obstacles they had to overcome. Once Courtney happened upon “Freedom University,” an underground DREAMers group in Georgia, she knew she’d found her story. “We wanted to tell a different story than what is kinda seen in the media— the 4.0 Harvard graduate kind of DREAMers’ story. We wanted to tell

a more universal story of DREAMers and not just a poster child story,” Courtney said.

When Courtney was asked about the nature of her collaboration with Prado, she replied, “We each had different perspectives because she was a Latina and an immigrant … We both were very much on the same page about the kind of film we wanted to make and we both were very passionate about the issues. We were a good team.”

Courtney and Prado were strategic in their editing, as they wanted the audience watching the film to form their own ideas on DACA legislation and recipients.

The style of Courtney’s films tends to be observational. She specified that she likes the story to “speak for itself ” which is why she utilized the personal stories of the three student activists in Georgia. “We tell it through personal stories because we feel like that is gonna have a much bigger effect on people than something that’s just

about the issues,” she said.

Courtney also described her approach to organizing the film. “What I try to do with all my films is have the people watching the films see themselves in the people on the screen, even if those people are very different from them,” she said.

Attendee Karla Mondochi personally related to the film’s message. “I wish at the time that I went to college that I would’ve seen movements like this and videos like this, because … I got into Mason, but at the time they were considering us [DACA students] as out-of-state. So my world was crushed because there was no way I could pay that tuition,” Mondochi said.

that brought eye-opening realizations to the students of Mason, whether it related to strength and dedication or the imperfections of the higher education system. Even students who did not have the same background as those in the film were presented with revelations that changed their initial perspectives.

A subject in the film, Aldo, had one message he desired for students to keep in mind. He said, “[The message] I want students to think about is not to take their education for granted. Also try to realize that [undocumented immigrants] are humans. We’re just like [U.S. citizens]...We’re here. We’re not invisible.”

FOURTH ESTATE VIJAY IYER

On Thursday, Feb. 28, Emmy award-winning filmmaker Heather Courtney visited Mason for a film screening of “The Unafraid,” followed by a Q&A portion with the audience.

The film captured a truth about DACA recipients

VOLITION HOSTS OPEN MIC NIGHT

Mason’s undergraduate literary and arts journal hosts place for students to perform their work

FOURTH ESTATE VIJAY IYER

LAURA SCUDDER SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR

Music played as Volition, Mason’s undergraduate literary and arts journal, hosted its first open mic event of the semester on Thursday, Feb. 28.

and their seats. Students filed toward tables topped with recent editions of Volition, accompanied by flyers of future events and promotional pens.

Those who performed signed in as viewers grabbed both their pizza

Any student with something to share was able to participate in open mic

night. A majority of the people there Thursday evening were not published artists in Volition, but rather ones who had never even shared their work out loud before. Those who had poetry or spoken word to share with the crowd were particularly abundant, like sophomore transfer student Rita Mulugeta, who performed for the first time here at Mason to get used to a performance atmosphere.

Love inspired many artists performing at the open mic night, with themes ranging from self-love to true love to heartbreak. Many of these lovestruck artists used prose to best exercise their creative outlets.

Those who did not perform spoken word expressed themselves through other, unique forms of art.

A

hula-hooper

named

James

Fredrickson caught the attention of the crowd, walking up to the stage in red pants, red sunglasses, a black, reflective jacket, a red shirt that read “Venmo Me @JJHula” and, of course, a red hula-hoop. Aside from his appearance, Fredrickson’s performance is what stood out to many attendees. Shrieks, snaps and claps came from the audience as he hulahooped to an Ariana Grande song.

Fredrickson ended his performance by notably gliding the red hoop around his nose.

Stand-up comic Christian Escoto came next, poking at himself and his mother’s defamation of his character while receiving laughs from the crowd.

Two musicians followed this comedy, with Abrar Rahman performing on an electric guitar and Ricky playing a song on an acoustic guitar. The latter

included the audience in his performance by establishing a sing-along portion of his act, which prompted a wave of cell phone lights from the crowd.

The performers appreciated such a crowd while up on stage. It was a good, no-judgement zone for those who wanted to share their work. “It’s really nice being on stage and hearing, ‘you go girl,’” said Bobbie Foster, a senior here at Mason.

Ayleah Hanton and Karolina Blaziak are the executive editors of Volition and were in charge of organizing the open mic night.

The next open mic night is March 28, and the deadline to submit to Volition for the spring semester is March 31.

All interested can go to volition.gmu. edu for more information.

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THE NOVA NIGHT SCRIBBLER

03.04.2019

GMUFOURTHESTATE.COM @IVESTATE

EMPOWERING WOMEN ONE SPEAKER AT A TIME NOVA will host the 2019 VISION conference on International Women’s Day ROGER HINCAPIE NOVA CONTRIBUTOR

Even though the conference is planned as a celebration of IWD, everyone is encouraged to attend. The speakers will share their knowledge and tips about business, professional skills and college success through real-life stories and examples. The event is free but spots are limited, so registration is required through Eventbrite.

The conference’s first speaker, Taylor Simpson, will be presenting about “Embodying Your Ideal Self To Create Abundance.” Simpson is the founder of The Confidence Academy as well as a motivational speaker and social media influencer, whose mission is to “help women uncover hidden beliefs, discover blind/spots and dissolve labels that have been holding them back for way too long,” according to the conference’s website.

She has coached and supported thousands of people and businesses in her career, and will be sharing with the attendees tips for financial success and overcoming limiting attitudes.

Erika Coddington, the student engagement coordinator at NOVA, has been working in student success for over a decade. According to the conference website, Coddington’s experience includes working as Success Coach for NOVA’s Extended Learning Institute, helping to launch the Early Alert system for academically at-risk students and creating several success webinars for students. She is currently serving as chair of NOVA’s Career Working Group, and will speak about college and career success in “Pitching Yourself & Your Skills To Prospective Employers” at the conference.

Judith Cury is a civil engineer with a master’s degree in marketing and

postgraduate studies in business administration. According to the same website she is the “first person in the Dominican Republic to create an advertising agency designed to cater exclusively to women.” Cury is also the founder of the Prosperanza Foundation, which ties into her presentation, “Prosperanza: Building a Better Future For Women In the Dominican Republic.” Cury’s foundation focuses on empowering women to be active members of the economy and the community.

Evelyn Arredondo, a specialist in Community Engagement at the Cisneros Hispanic Leadership Institute, will be the event’s final speaker. According to the conference website, she is a third-year American studies student at the Columbian College of Arts and a Reach Higher Peer Near Fellow for Michelle Obama’s Better Make Room campaign.

Arredondo is the proud daughter of Mexican immigrants and was born in Bakersfield, California before going to D.C to work for Michelle Obama, a change that she will focus on in her presentation, “From Bakersfield, CA to Working for Michelle Obama in DC.” Arredondo has wide experience as a social justice advocate, including jobs and fellowships with organizations like Young People For and the Labor Council for the Latin American Advancement, and currently works as a museum teacher at the Dumbarton House.

Conferences like this are being held more and more often at the different campuses of NOVA Community College. In the past week, Manassas Campus hosted the Social Justice Conference: Breaking Barriers, Building Bridges, which featured speakers like Mohammed Bilal with “12 Steps to Appreciating Diversity.”

It also included the presentation “Say What!? A Microaggression Workshop,” and many other guests from different universities and institutions. More information on these and other upcoming events of interest can be found at NOVA Student Life offices on any campus, as well as on their related social media profiles.

PHOTO COURTESY OF NOVA

In celebration of International Women’s Day (IWD), NOVA’s Alexandria Campus will be hosting the VISION 2019 event, which will feature motivational speeches from four guest speakers, including an individual from the Dominican Republic.

The event, which will be held on March 8 at 10 a.m. in room AA 196 of the Donald L. Bisdorf Building, is organized by an international student from the Dominican Republic, Marlin Estevez.

THIS WEEK AT NOVA Monday 3/4 ANNANDALE (#ANcampus) Monday–Marvel Media Monday.

Student Life is hiding Infinity Stones around the Annandale campus, where you can find a stone and turn it in to receive a prize. Students who find all six win a pair of Beats by Dre.

Tu e s d a y 3 / 5 MANASSAS (#MAcampus-@ MAStudent_Life) Tuesday– Screening: The Hate U Give. NOVA’s Manassas campus is screening The Hate U Give at Colgan Theater at 4 p.m. Attendance is free and there will be free pizza as well.

MEDICAL EDUCATION

(#MECampus) Tuesday. Mardi Gras Celebration. Student Life and EMS club is is hosting a Mardi Gras Celebration 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m. on NOVA’s Medical Education campus.

We d n e s d ay 3 / 6 ALEXANDRIA (#ALcampus) Wednesday–S.E.A.S. Workshop Series: Chill Out! Dealing with Academic Success. For students struggling to complete their schoolwork and overwhelmed with stress, head over to this workshop at 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. on NOVA’s Alexandria campus in the Annex building, room AA 234, to learn how to manage it.

MEDICAL EDUCATION (#MECampus)

Wednesday–Pillow Talk presented by Bobbie Marcoux from the Center for Biological Diversity. Student Life is hosting a Pillow Talk with an “interesting twist on life and animals” 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. on the first floor on NOVA’s Medical Education campus.

Thur sday 3/7 ANNANDALE (#ANcampus) Thursday–Trivia Thursday. Anyone interested in a trivia match should head to Annandale campus from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. at CA Café to compete in teams of four. The team that wins will receive a $25 gift card to Barnes and Noble for each of their members.

MANASSAS (#MAcampus-@

MAStudent_Life) Thursday–Ain’t I a Woman!

Chamber Music Theater. “Ain’t I a Woman!” focuses on the lives of four African American women, and will be shown at NOVA’s Manassas campus at Colgan Theater at 7 p.m.

Thursday–What makes a Healthy Relationship? NOVA’s Sexual Assault Services and Student Life is tabling at NOVA’s Medical Campus 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. to teach students about unhealthy relationships, consent and more.

Fr i d a y 3 / 8 Friday–Vision 2019 Conference: Celebrating International Women’s

3/5

12:00PM – 8:00PM

SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT FOR YOUR PORTRAIT SITTING:

www.OurYear.com 1-800-OUR-YEAR™ Enter school code 700. A $10 sitting fee is required.

Walk-ins are handled on a first come, first served basis.

MEDICAL EDUCATION (#MECampus) Friday-Monday– NOVA Serves, Alternative Spring Break. Roanoke, VA. NOVA-wide Student Life offices is sponsoring a trip to Mt. Zion church, where students can receive 15 volunteer hours while completing tasks within the community.

ALEXANDRIA (#ALcampus)

TUE

MARCH 5 –7, 2019

Day. NOVA’s Alexandria campus is hosting the 2019 VISION conference in AA 196 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., where four speakers will share their stories on International Women’s Day. Pre-register at Vision 2019 Registration Link.

JOHNSON CENTER 135

THU

3/7

10:00AM – 6:00PM JOHNSON CENTER 135

GOT A QUESTION? stumedia@gmu.edu 703.993.9745

WED

3/6 10:00AM – 6:00PM JOHNSON CENTER 135

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OPINIONS

03.04.2019

GMUFOURTHESTATE.COM @IVESTATE

Opinions do not reflect the views of Fourth Estate. Submit opinions to ckernans@gmu.edu

DOES MASON REALLY CARE? MONET BALLARD CONTRIBUTOR

a shared responsibility. The University uses information provided by ‘Campus Security Authorities’ (CSAs) to complete federally required public safety disclosures such as the Daily Crime and Fire Log, Emergency Notifications, Timely Warning Notifications, and the Annual

Notifying students of the dangers to their privacy and of their safety being taken away should be one of the top priorities of the school. I mean, wouldn’t a person who is infringing upon the privacy and safety of a student be deemed an emergency?

George Mason’s University Policy 1412 states in Section II Subsection A, “As an effort to promote campus safety, the University strives to keep and disclose accurate information about crime on and near its campuses by making Clery Act Crime reporting

Security and Fire Safety Report in compliance with the Clery Act.” Crazy, right? It clearly states that this university holds itself to a standard of promoting the safety of the students on this campus, but where were the Timely Warning Notifications?

A daily crime log report was made, but

only after several suspicious reports had been sent in did the Mason Police finally issue it into the crime report log. Only a few weeks ago, on Feb. 7, students were notified via email about an unknown man grabbing a female student without letting her go for some time. Students were alerted

PHOTO COURTESY OF ALEXIS GLEN/CREATIVE SERVICE

Mason has a great way of not informing students of the dangers we have on this campus. Now, I am writing this as a concerned female student who has a class in Innovation Hall every day. A number of other students have raised questions and concerns regarding Mason’s ethics on situations like this, and honestly, it is just exhausting.

within three days of the incident as to what had happened and even found a picture of the suspect. Why didn’t Mason make this same effort when a male student decided to record female students in the women’s restroom?

What deems this situation an “incident [that] didn’t call for an official timely warning notification?” (a direct quote from the poorly written email sent from University Life on Feb. 27).

Speaking for myself, I know that this would be something that not only violates my privacy, but also terrifies me to the core. Just another thing this university hides from its students. I would like to mention that the school did send out an email on March 1 about a female student being sexually assaulted in Rappahannock Parking deck on Thursday evening. This email was a Band-Aid to a bone that has been repeatedly broken but has yet to be properly fixed.

THE JUSTIN FAIRFAX GUIDE TO RUINING REPUTATIONS If you listen to what he says, Lt. Gov. Fairfax is hell-bent on proving he didn’t sexually assault two women. If you look at what he has done, Lt. Gov. Fairfax is hell-bent on permanently soiling his reputation. I don’t have any idea whether the accusations against him are true, but he has diminished his own reputation in a way that seems almost systematic. Here’s an outline for the Justin Fairfax Five-Step Guide to Ruining Reputations™: 1). Say you have an outstanding reputation. After the first accusation was made on Feb. 4 by Scripps College professor Dr. Vanessa Tyson, Lt. Gov. Fairfax issued a statement which read that he “has an outstanding and well-earned reputation for treating people with dignity and respect.”

I don’t know Lt. Gov. Fairfax, but I do know that people with outstanding reputations don’t run around saying they have outstanding reputations because reputations speak for themselves. I also know that people with outstanding reputations have dozens of people willing to vouch for them if they are falsely accused of misbehavior. In Lt. Gov. Fairfax’s case, all I hear are dozens of crickets.

2). Resort to conspiracy theories. Also on Feb. 4, Lt. Gov. Fairfax said, “Does anybody think it’s any coincidence

that on the eve of potentially my being elevated that that’s when this smear comes out?” The potential elevation referred to the possibility of Gov. Ralph Northam resigning over his racist medical school yearbook, which would make Fairfax governor. Lt. Gov. Fairfax insinuated that people associated with either Gov. Northam or Richmond mayor Levar Stoney, another political rival, were behind the accusation.

As a general rule, no sentence uttered in public should ever begin “Does anybody think it’s any coincidence that….” Someone ought to ask Lt. Gov. Fairfax if he believes Lyndon Johnson was behind the Kennedy assassination.

3). Admit to womanizing at hotels.

On Feb. 6, Dr. Tyson issued a very detailed statement, in which she said the following: 1) she met Fairfax on July 26, 2004, at the Democratic National Convention in Boston, 2) they had cordial conversations, 3) on July 28, Fairfax invited her to his hotel room, 4) Fairfax kissed Tyson and pulled her towards his bed, and 5) Fairfax forced Tyson to perform oral sex. On Feb. 9, the Washington Post reported Lt. Gov. Fairfax believed the interactions to be consensual. “He said he knew both women during the time they allege the assaults occurred. He said that he also knew them afterward

and that they never told him their interactions were not consensual or caused ‘any discomfort.’”

In other words, he does not dispute the first four of the five points in Dr. Tyson’s description of the incident. He does not dispute that he asked a woman to his hotel room whom he had only known for three days with the intention of at least kissing her. There’s a name for that: womanizing at hotels. It’s creepy.

I’m not familiar with any code of moral conduct that considers that reputable behavior – unless you count Hugh Hefner’s Playboy philosophy.

Before he was lieutenant governor, Fairfax was a federal prosecutor.

He knew the FBI couldn’t start an investigation, but calling for one sure sounds good for politics, doesn’t it?

5). Play the lynch mob card. Lt. Gov. Fairfax closed the legislative session on Feb. 24 by likening himself to victims of “terror lynchings.” He said, “We talk about hundreds, at least 100 terror lynchings that have happened in the Commonwealth of Virginia…yet we stand here in a rush to judgment with nothing but accusations and no facts, and we decide that we are willing to do the same thing.”

4). Say something stupid on a topic you know a lot about. On Feb. 9, the Washington Post reported that Lt. Gov. Fairfax called on the FBI to investigate the accusations against him.

Your eyes do not deceive you: “the same thing.” Two black women accusing a black man in a position of power of sexual assault in 2019 is “the same thing” as lynching. You don’t need to be an expert on the history of lynching to know that’s not how that worked.

The FBI declined to provide a comment to the Post, and it has not begun an investigation. Know why?

The FBI is a federal agency that doesn’t obey state officials and has no independent authority to open an investigation into a state crime in Massachusetts. The relevant authority is the district attorney for Suffolk County (who is prepared to investigate, the Boston Globe reports).

As far as the facts are concerned, Republican leadership in the General Assembly wanted to create a bipartisan committee to investigate the claims fairly, but Democrats did not agree. Then, Republican leadership proposed acquiescing to the accusers’ wish to testify publicly. In response a spokeswoman for Lt. Gov. Fairfax, in an apparent bid for “Most Useful Idiot,” said, “House Republicans want to

pursue this historically unprecedented course of action because the accused is a popularly elected Democrat.” It apparently never occurred to her that what they wanted was historically unprecedented because the entire situation is historically unprecedented.

But then again, it must be hard to run a comms operation when your boss has stooped to comparing bipartisan legislative procedures that have not even started to lynch mobs.

Regardless of whether the accusations against Lt. Gov. Fairfax are true, he has succeeded in thoroughly and systematically soiling his reputation.

His reputation may be gone, but his refusal to resign shows his pride is not. It would be sad if he let that drain away to nothing too.

PHOTO COURTESY OF TED EYTAN

DOMINIC PINO STAFF WRITER

OPINIONS

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03.04.2019

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MAYOR PETE FOR AMERICA

ERIK TRUONG STAFF WRITER

At 37, Pete Buttigieg (pronounced BOOT-a-jedge) is known for serving as the mayor of South Bend, Indiana, a city of 100,000.

Buttigieg made headlines earlier this year when he announced a presidential exploratory committee.

Even though Buttigieg is a longshot candidate, he caught my attention after I saw him at a Politics and Prose event in D.C. Buttigieg was there to promote his latest book, “The Shortest Way Home.” Long before his arrival, the event filled the overflow rooms and was at capacity.

After seeing multiple political candidates, I was pleasantly surprised by his long and detailed answers.

The focus wasn’t one-line zingers or bite-sized quotes, but on explaining how policies enacted today would affect our communities tomorrow.

Some argue his experience is insufficient for that of the highest office: “How can a mayor be president?”

On the contrary, what more intimate

public-service experience is there than being a mayor? Whereas senators may hold a federal office and can vote on national issues, mayors and governors serve in a chief role and focus on execution. Local and state politics do not have the luxury of passing the buck to the other party or government shutdowns—they have budgets to balance and people to serve. They are held accountable.

and the Beltway is a good thing. I understand the importance of having institutional knowledge before entering a field, but nothing can truly prepare you for the highest office in the land.

It is also important to note that the current president did not hold public

PHOTO COURTESY OF PETE FOR AMERICA

Could America elect its first gay president in 2020? Pete Buttigieg sure hopes so. But there’s more to Pete than who he loves.

Pete Buttigieg has had a wealth of experience outside of public service. An avid writer, Buttigieg won the high school John F. Kennedy Profiles in Courage Essay Contest, writing about then-Congressperson Bernie Sanders. He graduated from Harvard University and was a Rhodes Scholar at the University of Oxford. While serving as mayor of South Bend, he paused his term to serve in Afghanistan.

Maybe having more representative leaders outside of mere public service

office before running for the presidency.

One instance I find most compelling is his coming out story. After returning from deployment and in the midst of an election year, Buttigieg wrote an opinion article for a local newspaper

titled, “South Bend mayor: Why coming out matters.” He wrote, “I hope that when my children are old enough to understand politics, they will be puzzled that someone like me revealing he is gay was ever considered to be noteworthy.” It’s reassuring to see how society has advanced in terms of LGBTQ+ acceptance—particularly for LGBTQ+ citizens themselves. Whereas people felt the need to have a coming out event before, it’s merely a part of who you are today.

That’s a good development.

Nevertheless, coming out to a family member—much less an entire city—is scary. It’s even more nerve-wracking when your community may not share your values, notably when then-Gov. Mike Pence pushed a bill many considered anti-LGBTQ+.

But he risked it. Buttigieg won reelection by over 80 percent.

In truth, I’m not sure if I will be voting for Buttigieg—an incredible crop of candidates thus far have made me eager for the primary debates. For

candidates to qualify, the Democratic National Committee requires the candidate to poll at least 1 percent in three polls and/or receive 65,000 unique donations from at least 20 states. In a crowded field, this will be a daunting task for anyone—much less someone with little name recognition.

At this unique moment in history, Americans want to see leaders ready to adapt. They want to see something exciting: a millennial, a Harvard graduate, a Navy veteran, an openly gay man ... someone who understands how to use social media. At this unique moment in history, bold policies are pragmatic.

“There’s a new generation of voices emerging in our country—walking away from the politics of the past and ready to deliver on our priorities,” Buttigieg said in his announcement video. “We’re ready for a fresh start.”

Pete Buttigieg became the first donation I have ever made to a political candidate. I donated not because I believe he will necessarily win, but because I believe in his vision and want a seat for him at the debates. I hope you consider, also.

(RE) MAKE DISNEY GREAT AGAIN SUSAN KATHERINE CORKRAN STAFF WRITER

I am typing this article with a laptop covered in cute little Disney stickers.

Familiar copyrighted faces are smiling at me on my computer, my watch, my phone, half of my notebooks, all of my favorite socks and comfy pajamas, and most of the titles on my Netflix list. Disney movies, music, TV shows, toys and clothes have been a part of my life since the day I was born. Like

many other children, I was swaddled in Winnie the Pooh blankets, learned to read with a shelf full of Disney picture-books and was spoon-fed princess movies ad nauseum. And I loved it.

So, needless to say, the nostalgia factor was very high for me when a new Disney movie trailer popped up in

ball gowns. But there are also powerful messages in how these princesses reach the happy ending - through courage, kindness and independent agency.

And I have mixed feelings about that.

That’s a strong case for supporting the new remakes.

On the one hand, in cases of movies like the recently remade Cinderella (2015) and Beauty and the Beast (2017), the fairytale inspirations for both were old even when the original 1950 and 1991 animated movies were released. The films I am touting as “original” weren’t really particularly original even when they first hit the silver screen. As Disney reimagines their old heroines, a whole new generation of little girls is given the chance to grow up with my childhood idols—but this time, those girls are getting inspiration from characters with a bit more agency.

True, there are still happy endings with Prince Charming, castles and fancy

Then there’s the little nagging part of me that wants to whine, “But why not make those strong characters in truly new movies?” Why is it that we can’t have more films like Moana (2016), where a Disney princess crosses the ocean, battles monsters and saves her people from destruction? Or Frozen (2013), where true love comes from friendship and sisterhood instead of the surprisingly evil (though also very charming) prince from the earlier romantic duet? Brand new, creative stories like that are fueling the imaginations of children (and a few nostalgic college students) across the world. Is CGI Simba going to impart

anything more than the cartoon Simba some twenty years ago already did? I’m not sure. He could certainly make some more money for Disney, but I think it’s safe to say that they have enough in the bank as things are.

Maybe we could take a break from the remakes (to say nothing of the sequels!) just long enough to let some new characters take the stage with new stories to share.

PHOTO COURTESY OF MELISSA HILLER/FLICKR

PHOTO COURTESY OF HUFFPOST

my social media timelines. The thing is though, most of these trailers aren’t exactly new… they’re CGI recreations of the cartoons I first saw years ago and have since memorized.

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OPINIONS

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THE PROBLEM OF POLITICAL ALARMISM

How often do you hear the term “crisis” in the media these days? I imagine you could take almost any issue in politics, put the word crisis at end of it, and you’d have a headline that’s been written before. In modern politics, everything is being messaged as a life or death situation. That’s not to say there aren’t such situations,

de-valuing

but it seems that more than ever we are being told that every issue is of world-ending proportions.

Partisans on both sides want to fire up their bases, but at what point does this rhetoric go to far? We have reached a point where both sides are unwilling to work bipartisanly because they are entrenched in their own rhetoric.

Political alarmism is hurting public discourse and actual political crises.

Debate is important. Many people think debate is one person trying to change the view of another, but this is not the case. Debate has three main goals: to sway undecideds in the audience, to challenge your opponent’s argument and to refine

your own argument. Ideally, through debate we can expose illogical arguments and bolster logical ones allowing us to determine what makes good public policy. Unfortunately, political alarmism can put an end to productive debate. When someone believes that they own the moral high-ground and that any movement away it will result disaster, there is very little incentive to debate. Their political opinion becomes moral law.

This line of thinking leads to tribalism and extremism. When debate is lost, logic becomes irrelevant because one’s ideas are never challenged. Logical reasoning is replaced with moralizing and policy is based on emotion.

describes a situation of intense danger.

Contrast that with how the term is used today. Virtually every policy dispute is filtered through the lenses of being a crisis. We have so diluted the term that if there was an event like the one in 1962, I am not sure the public would care because it would be mixed in with the rest of the daily outrage that has become so prevalent in the modern media.

The current trend of political alarmism

is a dangerous one. We have created a culture in which every possible policy disagreement is a matter of life and death. We are pushing out legitimate debate in favor of moral grandstanding. This culture of political outrage has led to a public that is apathetic to many political issues. The only way to fix this situation is to stop the moralizing and start constructive debates. Only then can we begin to work together as a country again.

In 1962, the Soviet Union began to place ballistic missiles in Cuba. This put the Soviets in striking distance of virtually every major city in the United States. After thirteen tense days, the U.S. and U.S.S.R. reached an agreement and the missiles were removed. We know this event as the Cuban Missile Crisis, and it was the closest to thermonuclear war we’ve ever gotten. I bring this up to highlight the true meaning of the word crisis. It

PHOTO COURTESY OF GAGE GLEN FAWCETT

PHOTO COURTESY OF GAGE SKIDMORE

DAWSON WEINHOLD STAFF WRITER

BUT REALLY - IS THE CUSTOMER ALWAYS RIGHT? Recently I worked a Valentine’s Day shift as a host. Doesn’t sound awful, right? I can snoop on the lovey-dovey couples snuggling up to one another in booths; people are probably feeling generous, so I might make an extra tip or two. And hey, I wasn’t alone and bored on Valentine’s Day. I was too immersed in bringing bread to tables or cleaning menus or re-situating a highchair for the 304th time.

All those things I mentioned before were perfectly accurate. I spied on some amusing moments. I made 30 bucks more than I do on average. I was surrounded with co-workers I generally quite like. In fact, working on Valentine’s Day would’ve actually been a great experience, except for one little thing…

People are jerks. Exasperating, vexing, self-centered jerks. Not you, I’m sure

you’re lovely. But the huge swarm of humans as a collective whole.

less than a year ago, have I seen four hosts start and quit in that timeframe?

As with any job in hospitality, any mistake is our fault and we will apologize profusely for it. You bump a table and spill your milk, we are so sorry. You jump out of your seat at the same time we are holding a massive platter of hot food behind you, forgive us, our bad. Or my personal favorite, when your children pelt us with crayons or then say they need more crayons—will you ever find it in your heart to forgive us?

Maybe it’s coming home with pasta sauce on your face that nobody had time to tell you about. Or maybe it’s because a customer is yelling at you because they didn’t put in a reservation and the restaurant is on a 40 minute wait. Or maybe, just maybe, it’s not because of that night’s shenanigans, but all the other nights’ built up reserve.

Within my six-hour cupid holiday shift, I had six people snap at me and point to get my attention. I was knocked hard in the ribs while holding a chair because the lady at the head of the table didn’t want me to set the chair there. I had a man walk up to me with a wad of used tissues and insist I take them. All of which I apologized for.

Why are employee turnover rates, even for fine dining restaurants, so high? Why, since coming to the job

Maybe industry

the is

just

PHOTO COURTESY OF PXHERE

WREN PUCKETT CONTRIBUTOR

No need to beat around the bush here: working customer service will make a person realize that humans are a gigantic pain in the keister.

hospitality tired.

But—a customer is a paying guest. They chose to come to your establishment. They chose to spend their free-time, their entertainment time with you. We should be honored and humbled by their presence, right? We should be thankful beyond compare: “May I serve as your mere footstool, my good sir?”

Where is the balance? How do we take care of both the customer and the employee? How do we prevent

the long winded complaints (like this one from yours truly) of employees in the hospitality industry? Because honestly, it’s a pretty great place to work most of the time. You make friends, make money and work flexible part-time shifts.

There must be some reasonable,

moderate solution. Henry Ford implemented the 8-hour work day to keep his employees sharp, contrasting the average 12 hour days people often pulled beforehand. Perhaps it’s time for another shift in the mindset of our population—do your part, and please be kind to your waiting staff.

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THE HYPOCRISY OF PRISON LABOR IVAN ANYANWU CONTRIBUTOR

Since the post-Civil War era, prison labor has become a substitute for slavery, or more accurately, a direct continuation of slavery— the mode of production that was responsible for some of the worst atrocities in American history.

Prison labor and slave labor have become indistinguishable in modern times. The existence of a large potential workforce, the huge profit margins and the little societal sympathy for incarcerated laborers create a significant economic incentive for

Virginia are forced to work for slave wages while the state reaps all the rewards. This is extremely hypocritical coming from a school that claims it proudly “supports initiatives that promote diversity and inclusion.” If Mason really wanted to promote the advancement of people of color, it would not use the incarcerated labor of the same people they claim to support.

private corporations to use slave labor.

This, in turn, has created an incentive for the American government to disproportionately target people of color for incarceration in order to provide corporations with a sizeable workforce. In Virginia, this practice has resulted in Black people making up 58 percent of the prison population despite only representing 19 percent of the state’s population, according to a Prison Policy Initiative report compiled from the 2010 U.S. census.

Knowing all of this, it is absolutely disgraceful that the state of Virginia demands that goods produced from prison labor “be purchased by all departments, institutions, and agencies of the Commonwealth that are supported in whole or in part with funds from the state treasury” (Code of Virginia § 53.1-47). In short, Virginia law makes the purchase of the products of slave labor mandatory.

FOURTH ESTATE ALLIE THOMPSON

The 13th Amendment did not outlaw slavery in America. This is reflected in its language: “Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime … shall exist within the United States.” We exist, effectively, within a system where slave labor is not only permissible but is allowed to continue within the confines of the penal system.

More specifically, the furniture on Mason’s campus are the products of slave labor expropriated from Black

Americans and other people of color.

The university’s chairs, beds and desks exist because incarcerated people in

Laws requiring the purchase of materials made with prison labor, as well as laws that allow for the existence of prison labor itself, must be abolished if the people profiting from this slavery in Virginia claim to have any sense of moral decency.

A country that claims to be built upon the ideas of liberty and justice is hypocritical in having an economic system that incentivizes the enslavement of people of color.

Change is needed if America wants to live up to its foundational ideals.

DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS ARE WASTING THEIR TIME Resolution to Stop Trump’s National Emergency Will Go Nowhere OWEN FERGSON STAFF WRITER

With this move, arguably the most controversial of his presidency, he has received backlash, including dozens of lawsuits from different interest groups and even 16 states. In addition to Democrats opposing the decision, a few Republican lawmakers have publicly gone against the president and are declaring their support of a joint resolution to end the national emergency.

To clarify, there’s mainly two ways to end a national emergency. Congress can pass a joint resolution that only requires a simple majority vote in both houses that, if passed, the president can either sign the resolution to end the emergency or veto it. If a president vetoes the resolution, it is then Congress’s responsibility to muster a two-thirds vote in both houses to override the veto. The other option lies

within the courts; the Supreme Court can declare this national emergency unconstitutional.

With both of these options comes some drawbacks and challenges. In regards to the Supreme Court hearing the case, if it upholds the national emergency it sets a precedent that gives presidents more power, and if it decides against it it limits the power of the Oval Office.

As for getting a joint resolution passed and signed by the president, or even getting a two-thirds vote to override a veto of the resolution, it’s simply a daunting task.

The Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, and the Senate minority leader, Chuck Schumer, have come together to announce a resolution to stop the border wall, hitting the floor on Feb. 26 where it passed. Even though the resolution easily passed, it still faces a great challenge in the Senate. This is where the problem starts. If a resolution is even sent to the president’s desk, he will veto it.

As I stated earlier, if the resolution is vetoed by the president, it will need to receive a two-thirds vote in both

the House and the Senate to override the veto. Even though Democrats currently control the House, getting a two-thirds vote will be difficult, and it will be nearly impossible in the Senate. This is why the resolution is just a waste of time.

The president has been extremely adamant about the border wall throughout his time in office and even on the campaign trail.

Congress knows that he will not just simply agree to give up on what he has pushed for for so long. As to getting the votes needed in Congress, the move to declare a national emergency is one that has received great support from Republicans, and not many are likely to stray away from the party’s position.

Neither of the options to stop the

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE WHITE HOUSE

On Feb. 15, President Trump declared a state of national emergency, stating that the issue on the southern border is a “national security crisis.” Trump backed up this claim, stating, “We have an invasion of drugs and criminals coming into our country.”

border wall are good. If the Supreme Court decides to hear the case, either decision has ramifications, yet this is still most likely what will happen. With the increasing number of lawsuits being filed against the president, at least one will make its way to the Supreme Court and leave it with a tough decision.

Democrats and Republicans alike need to stop wasting time and effort on getting a joint resolution passed.

Instead, they should be focusing on the bigger picture: passing legislation to limit the power of presidents in declaring national emergencies without congressional approval.

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S4M3: Doodle

Want to make a comic?

Send your comic to: masonfourthestate @gmail.com MS Funny

FOURTH ESTATE BILLY FERGUSON

GMUFOURTHESTATE.COM @IVESTATE

FOURTH ESTATE SONYA NATASHA FLECHA MONGE

ETC.

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