4.30.18- Fourth Estate

FOURTH ESTATE April 30, 2018 Volume 5 Issue 22

GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY'S STUDENT NEWSPAPER

@ivestate | gmufourthestate.com

“A REALLY SLOW PROCESS” HOW A TITLE IX REPORT DRAGGED ON FOR MORE THAN A YEAR LIFESTYLE

SPORTS Inside Natalie Butler’s long journey to the top of Mason basketball

OPINIONS

Pulitzer Prize winner and Mason alum Thomas LeGro reflects on his recent win

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NEWS

Parking Services is the popular victim of constant berating and student complaints, but does it really deserve it? page 9

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Students and community members rally with Transparent GMU to support latest hearing in GMU Foundation lawsuit page 15

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FOURTH ESTATE

4.30.2018

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

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Fareeha Rehman Sosan Malik Co-Editors-in-Chief

Katya Beisel Copy Chief

Four sections, 11 editors, 20 pages, 22 issues.

This is Fourth Estate in a snapshot. The total tally after nine months crossed off.

However, the heart of this paper cannot be explained so succinctly – but I’ll try: Michael Eberhart reliably and consistently improved the news section, taking the time to train new writers and find good stories.

Alex Shedd spearheaded Fourth Estate investigations with our Koch donor series, bringing in a very important quality to the paper.

Dinanda Pramesti displayed what the vibrant Mason lifestyle looks like.

She also worked with our international interns to give them a worthwhile experience here.

Co-Editor-in-Chief Sosan Malik

Co-Editor-in-Chief Fareeha Rehman

Basma Humadi brought her own ideas and made sure Faces of Mason reached the depths of campus to display that “diversity” is deserving of individualized attention.

Cat McKay improved our social media presence with innovative ideas and seeking what readers want. She was always willing to help and aimed high.

News Editor Michael Eberhart

News Asst. Editor Alex Shedd

Lifestyle Editor Dinanda Pramesti

Michael Eberhart News Editor

Alex Shedd News Assistant Editor

Dinanda Pramesti Lifestyle Editor

Basma Humadi Lifestyle Assistant Editor

Jamie Beliveau Opinions Editor

Catherine McKay Online Editor

Billy Ferguson Art Director

Allie Thompson Photo Editor

Emmett Smith

Katya Beisel was the ideal copy chief. Tough, but equally tough to all. She improved my AP style more than any journalism class did.

Distribution Manager

Billy Ferguson stepped up for us. He’s not studying journalism, but he was with us with every last-minute story revision, hard deadline and unusual work schedule. He also took on extra responsibility, making graphics and comics, adding his creative mark.

Director

Jamie Beliveau joined us mid-year and helped develop the new section.

I’ve seen her work with writers with great success in improvement. Every college paper needs opinions, and Fourth Estate needed Jamie.

Kathryn Mangus David Carroll Associate Director

Jason Hartsel Assistant Director

Jessica Smith Business Office Manager

Allie Thompson was the logical choice after our previous photo editor had to leave. She was awarded best photographer last semester and has continued that into her photo editor role.

Lifestyle Asst. Editor Basma Humadi

Opinions Editor Jamie Beliveau

Copy Chief Katya Beisel

Natalie Heavren is the future of sports journalism. She showed up to every editors’ meeting as a staff writer and revived the sports section.

Since the beginning Sosan Malik helped me calm down in high-pressure moments and has been the perfect partner to take the paper to heights it hasn’t seen in years. We shared ideas, frustrations and carried out goals.

We’re lucky that this partnership has become a friendship as well, and perhaps that helped this paper turn into one I am extremely proud of.

Fareeha Rehman Co-Editor-in-Chief

Art Director Billy Ferguson

Photo Editor Allie Thompson

George Mason University Mail stop 2C5 4400 University Drive Fairfax, Va. 22030 Phone 703-993-2950

Online Editor Catherine McKay 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.

COVER PHOTO CREDITS Fourth Estate/Allie Thompson Masthead Cap Fourth Estate/Mary Jane DeCarlo Sports Natalie Butler Photo courtesy of Mason Athletics Lifestyle Pulitzer Prize winner Photo courtesy of Washington Post Opinions Ticket Fourth Estate/Allie Thompson Lifestyle Transparent GMU Fourth Estate/Allie Thompson

NEWS

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“A REALLY SLOW PROCESS” -- HOW A TITLE IX REPORT DRAGGED ON FOR MORE THAN A YEAR LAUREN SULLIVAN STAFF WRITER

FAREEHA REHMAN CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

When Brenda* heard that David Kanos was running for Mason student body president, she was instantly alarmed.

“He proceeded to corner me in the hallway and tried to force conversation upon me,” said Brenda, “and eventually after 2-3 minutes of this I said ‘I need to go back to my room and change.”

Before they both came to Mason for their freshman year, Kanos had repeatedly messaged Brenda via Facebook in May 2014, sending suggestive and inappropriate questions asking about her virginity and making unwanted sexual advances. Brenda stopped responding and blocked him on Facebook.

“I responded to his inappropriate messages as a naive freshman and didn’t realize the magnitude of [the messages] until my mom intervened,” she wrote in a message to Fourth Estate.

Later that month, Kanos also contacted Brenda’s mother on Facebook, describing her as “really pretty,” and asking about Brenda’s father and their divorce.

“It is not appropriate to ask a mother about her personal life, and it is not appropriate to message Brenda about sexual things like you have done,” Brenda’s mother wrote in a response to Kanos on May 30, 2014 before also blocking him on Facebook.

Facebook posts obtained by Fourth Estate from February 2015 show multiple other women sent comments to Brenda about receiving inappropriate and suggestive messages from Kanos through text messages and social media until they also blocked him.

“He would use my name to message them as an icebreaker and he would say disgusting stuff,” said Brenda, speaking in an interview with Fourth Estate.

Kanos declined multiple requests for interview or comment for this story.

Incident in Roosevelt Hall In August 2014, Brenda moved onto an all-girls floor in the Roosevelt residence hall.

“It was very uncommon for guys to be on our floor,” said Brenda.

But according to Brenda, Kanos, who lived on the floor above, confronted her one night early in the spring 2015 semester as she was returning from the communal bathroom wearing only a towel. *Brenda is a pseudonym used to protect the student’s identity.

She was finally able to get to her room, but the incident was not over when she reached the door.

“He tried to push the door open and force his way in,” said Brenda. “I kept saying, ‘I need to change’ and he would say ‘oh, I know’ and was still trying to get in. But I eventually was able to close the door on him.”

According to Brenda, the harassment did not end after that incident.

Speaking to Fourth Estate, she described other instances of leaving her dorm room door unlocked to quickly go to the bathroom, only to return and find Kanos in her room, uninvited -even laying on her bed.

Based on the Facebook messages from the previous year and other contact with Kanos in 2015, Brenda decided to tell her resident advisor about him the day after the hallway incident.

MICHAEL EBERHART NEWS EDITOR

RA for comment but did not receive a response.

“The university cannot discuss individual Title IX complaints that involve students, as they are considered educational records,” wrote Julian Williams, Mason’s vice president of Compliance, Diversity and Ethics (CDE), in an email to Fourth Estate. CDE oversees the Title IX office at Mason. Student’s records are protected by federal law according to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA).

After reporting to her RA and not receiving any follow up from the Title IX office, Brenda decided to avoid Kanos and leave the incidents behind her.

The Campaign When Brenda found out Kanos was running for student body president in March 2017, she decided to share her experiences with the public.

“My main concern going forward was that I would have to be friendly with him in a work capacity, and I didn’t

of changes everything… he treated me inappropriately my freshman year, messaged my mom and trapped me in the hallway in my towel.”

Further texts from Brenda to Dugan relayed the content of Kanos’ messages to Brenda and her mom from 2015, that Brenda went to her RA about Kanos and about his “sexual advancements” to her friends.

“Omg I’m sorry!!” Dugan wrote in her reply to Brenda. “That’s not cool. He didn’t tell me what happened and I’m not excusing him but all he said was how he acted immature freshman year and he’s grown up a lot. That’s all he told me so I’m sorry about that.”

Brenda decided to remain silent after Dugan asked her for a “favor” in March 2017.

“I know you don’t like him, but do you mind not saying anything to anyone?” Dugan wrote to Brenda in text messages obtained by Fourth Estate, hours after Brenda explained her concerns with Kanos. “I’ve gotten really passionate about this and while we’re on the same ticket, I have a lot

“He tried to push the door open and force his way in,” said Brenda. “I kept saying, ‘I need to change’ and he would say ‘oh, I know’ and was still trying to get in.

Reporting to the RA According to Mason’s Title IX Policy 1202: Sexual Harassment and Misconduct, “A Responsible Employee is required to report to the University’s Title IX Coordinator all relevant details (obtained directly or indirectly) about an incident of Prohibited Conduct that involves any Student as a Complainant, Respondent, and/or witness, including dates, times, locations, and names of parties and witnesses.”

As defined by Policy 1202, “Responsible Employees include Resident Assistants, Graduate Teaching Assistants, and all other student-employees, when disclosures are made to any of them in their capacities as employees.”

But according to Brenda, there was no follow-up to her from the Title IX office based on her verbal report to her RA. Fourth Estate reached out to the

think I could do that,” said Brenda, who was then an intern in a University office in a position that worked closely with student body president.

However, the situation was complicated by her friendship with Kelley Dugan, Kanos’ running mate for vice president.

“I was in a really tough situation because I didn’t want to ruin her own personal success,” said Brenda.

In texts obtained by Fourth Estate, Dugan texted Brenda about running on the same ticket as Kanos shortly before the student government candidates were to be announced.

“Idk if you know him but I heard there may be beef ???” read Dugan’s message to Brenda. “Not sure lol but he said he would really like to talk to you if necessary!”

Brenda replied, “To be honest that kind

of potential power if I win and plan on doing things that have nothing to do with him. There’s a lot I would love to bring to Mason. I would just really love that kind of quiet support from you as a friend.”

Dugan did not respond to multiple requests for an interview or comment about this story.

Speaking to Fourth Estate, Brenda added that she does not blame Dugan “at all, for any of this.”

But Brenda was still scared of having to interact with Kanos in student government. She decided to make her experiences with him public. “[At first] I was going to write an anonymous article with everything in it,” said Brenda, but she instead decided to meet with student government advisor Phil McDaniel on March

30, 2017 to express her concerns about Kanos’ behavior.

As a university employee, McDaniel is a “responsible reporter” according to Mason’s Title IX policy. This means he is “required to report to the university’s Title IX Coordinator all relevant details (obtained directly or indirectly) about an incident of prohibited conduct that involves any student as a complainant, respondent, and/or witness, including dates, times, locations, and names of parties and witnesses,” according to the Title IX website.

McDaniel did not respond to Fourth Estate’s request for comment on this story. But according to emails later sent to Brenda by the Title IX office, student government advisors reported her complaints about Kanos on March 30.

Unheard Grievance Next, Brenda filed a grievance on April 6, 2017 with the Student Government Elections and Disputes Committee (EDC) against Kanos’ eligibility to be president.

“Over the past two weeks, several other female students have reached out to me, relaying to me similar stories of unwarranted sexual advances by this candidate,” Brenda wrote to the EDC in the 2017 grievance. “Although these students are not comfortable coming forward personally and sharing what has occurred between them and David, I personally feel like it is my responsibility to alert those with positions of influence about his misconduct.”

The grievance detailed the incident in Roosevelt Hall during her freshman year, as well as screenshots of “sexual and predatory” messages sent by Kanos to Brenda and her mother through Facebook.

“There has been an ongoing Title IX investigation open on this candidate for sexual harassment based upon his treatment of myself, to which I have personally felt threatened by this candidate,” Brenda wrote. “Having to see this candidate is triggering for me, and to me, gives the impression that sexual misconduct is excusable.”

Mason’s student government election code states that candidates are responsible for all violations of university continued on page 4

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continued from page 3 policies -- including Title IX. Section 1.7 of the election code states: “Should university policies be violated, the candidate, and not the Commission or Student Government, is responsible for all transgressions.”

The rule does not specify time frame limit for reporting any violations that

may have taken place.

Brenda’s grievance claimed that Kanos had broken five different election codes, including 3.2.2.1 (No threats shall be made against other campaigns, candidates, students, faculty, staff, or administrator) and 3.2.2.2 (The medium in which incompliant threats can be made includes, but is not limited to, verbal,

written, online, in-person, or in the form of email, text message, or other method of communication).

The EDC’s Election Code states that when a grievance is filed, the committee must hold a hearing and post a copy of the grievance as well as meeting minutes from the hearing. But Brenda received a response by email the next day, April 7, 2017.

FOURTH ESTATE/ALLIE THOMPSON

“The commission only hears election grievances for incidents that take place during the current Student Government Election cycle,” the EDC’s email read. “Because of the nature of the grievance the EDC has forwarded your email to Jennifer Hammat, George Mason University’s Title IX Coordinator, to review.”

In an email to Fourth Estate, the EDC wrote, “The rules that bound the EDC are straightforward and outline that all grievances filed must have an incident that occurs within the timeframe of the election.”

A response from Fourth Estate requesting a copy or citation of this rule has not been answered at the time of this

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article.

“It is my interpretation that Student Government’s governing documents do not outline a timeline in which grievance hearings must be adhered to, but does lay out how a grievance shall be dealt with,” said Caiti Lively, speaker of the 2017-2018 student senate. “It is the EDC’s responsibility to deal with all grievances brought forward.”

According to Brenda, she reached out to McDaniel again for more information on why her grievance would not be heard but was again told that “there was nothing they could do because it all happened before he ran for president.”

Kanos was elected Mason’s student body president on April 11, 2017.

Meeting with Title IX According to Mason’s Title IX Policy 1202, “once an institution has notice of an act of Prohibited Conduct, it is required to (1) take immediate and appropriate steps to investigate or otherwise determine what occurred; and (2) take prompt and effective action to end any misconduct that occurred;

remedy its effects; and prevent its recurrence.”

Emails obtained by Fourth Estate show that Brenda’s complaint towards Kanos was reported to Mason’s Title IX Coordinator Jennifer Hammat by student government advisors on March 30, 2017.

According to the EDC’s email on April 7, Hammat had also been sent a copy of the election grievance filed by Brenda which included screenshots of messages from Kanos.

On April 19, 2017 Brenda emailed Hammat, “I just wanted to check in if there is any progress with the Title 9 [sic] investigation with David Kanos.

Any information would be greatly appreciated.”

On April 20, 2017, nine days after Kanos was elected to his position, Hammat made her first contact with Brenda via email, introducing herself and explaining that she received a report from student government advisors about the incident. The email continued on page 5

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continued from page 4 provided a range of options available to Brenda as as a victim.

Emails provided to Fourth Estate show that Brenda exchanged emails during the summer to schedule a meeting about her report with Katusia Lundi, Equal Opportunity and Diversity Specialist in the CDE office with certifications in “Title IX Training” and “The Four Corners of Title IX Regulatory Compliance.” Lundi has been in her position with CDE since September 2016.

After several attempts, Brenda met with Lundi to discuss her encounters with Kanos on June 27, 2017.

“She made me reenact the hallway incident and show her the pictures [of Kanos’ messages],” said Brenda. “She said she would give me any information as updates were given.”

Shortly before classes began for the fall 2017 semester, Brenda sent another email asking for the status of her report.

“Now that the school year is starting, is there anyway to get an update on the investigation into David Kanos?” Brenda wrote to Lundi on August 24, 2017.

They arranged one last meeting in the CDE office at 2 p.m. on August 31, 2017. During the meeting with Lundi, Brenda said she was told to “wait for emails with updates,” but never heard back.

Brenda claims she still has not heard anything about her investigation more than one year after her original report to the EDC. “There were months when I would send emails saying ‘What’s an update? Can I get an update?’” she said. “They said they would keep me updated, but they really didn’t.”

Based on Brenda’s statements to Fourth Estate and the grievance, Brenda believed that her reports were a “formal investigation” against Kanos. But according to Hammat, there have been zero formal Title IX investigations involving student government members between 2016-2018.

In the first email Hammat sent to Brenda about her options, a distinction between formal and informal investigations was not specified in the body of the email.

How Title IX Reporting Works “The university reviews every Title IX report received,” wrote CDE Vice President Williams in an email to Fourth Estate.

“If a report includes facts that warrant an investigation, the university opens a formal investigation and acts promptly,” continued Williams. “There are also times when a Title IX report is made, but a formal investigation cannot be opened. The reasons for this can be a lack of necessary factual information or the incident in question doesn’t arise to the level

of being a violation of Mason policy, amongst others.”

According to Hammat, the office uses a “preponderance of the evidence standard” when conducting a formal investigation, “which means more likely than not, or 50.1 percent.” Evidence can include screenshots, witnesses or physical evidence.

“When people come in to tell me their experience, one of the first things I will say is ‘so what are you looking for?’” said Hammat, speaking in an interview with Fourth Estate.

Hammat explained that most students are seeking no-contact orders - a campus conduct process designed to prevent two students from contacting each other, or an email to faculty to explain a student’s absences or missed assignments due to a Title IX issue or simply wanting Title IX staff to have an informal conversation with the perpetrator.

“Less than 10 percent report with the intent of an investigation,” she explained.

But Mason’s Title IX office only lists two employees – Hammat and Title IX investigator Megan Simmons – with Title IX in their job title. Both staff members handle other aspects related to Title IX compliance in addition to handling investigations for all of the university’s 35,000 students and three campuses.

“If we’re working 14 cases at once, that could elongate all of those processes,” said Hammat.

“I’d love to tell you that I have ten hours a week to write nothing but investigation reports, but I am lucky if I even get a few hours a week to write those reports.”

In an email to Fourth Estate, Williams wrote, “while there are no direct plans to expand the office at the moment, the university is always examining ways to add the resources necessary to respond to, prevent, and eradicate sexual violence on campus.”

The Investigation According to Brenda, the Title IX office did not give her a timeline of when her “investigation” would be finished, and she was only told it would be “a really slow process.”

While it seems Brenda never opened a formal investigation that she believed she did, there have been multiple formal Title IX investigations at Mason that took longer than 60 days to complete.

Mason’s Title IX Policy 1202 states: “Typically, the period from commencement of an investigation through resolution (finding and sanction, if any) will not exceed sixty (60) calendar days.”

According to Hammat, four Title IX cases took longer than 60 days to complete during 2016-2017. Hammat attributed these to student initiated delays including scheduling, reconsideration, availability, time to review materials and time to provide evidence and

witnesses.

In 2017-2018, the number of cases going beyond the 60-day policy increased to ten.

Hammat also attributed these to student-initiated delays and administrative process delays including campus closures for weather, holiday breaks and administrators being out of office.

“If an investigation is going to be over 60 days, we provide a status update as to why,” Hammat said.

On September 12, 2016, the United States Department of Education Office for Civil Rights (OCR) sent a letter to Mason President Ángel Cabrera stating the OCR had received a complaint from a student claiming “the University failed to promptly and equitably respond to her report of sexual assault and, as a result, she was subject to a sexually hostile environment.”

The letter explained that OCR determined it has jurisdiction to open the complaint for investigation, however it “in no way implies OCR has made a determination on the merits of the complaint.”

“The university is taking this very seriously,” wrote CDE Vice President Williams, in a statement released the following day. “We will cooperate fully with the investigation, which will review the handling of sexual misconduct and harassment complaints involving students, faculty and staff.”

According to the U.S. Dept. of Education website, the OCR investigation is still pending as of March 30, 2018.

Aftermath Since her last contact with the Title IX office, Brenda has shifted her focus back to school and work. But she still wonders why the office has never updated her about the report, and why the EDC refused to hold a hearing or publish her grievance as required.

“Students who wish to run for Student Government must be in good standing with the university,” CDE Vice President Williams wrote to Fourth Estate. “That includes no Title IX charges or discipline. While I can’t speak directly to this, it is my understanding that David Kanos was in good standing with the university when he ran for office, and he remains in good standing now as Student Government President.”

During the 2017-2018 school year, Student Government focused on taking a stand against sexual assault and harassment. An amendment to suspend any student government member under investigation by the university was introduced in April 2018, but was not voted on by the 38th Student Senate. Instead, the amendment has been tabled until the fall 2018 semester.

Kanos completed his term as student body president on April 26, 2018.

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NEW STUDENT GOVERNMENT Mason’s 39th Student Senate met for the first time on Thursday, April 26, 2018 in Merten Hall. New student government members were sworn into office, elected to senate leadership positions, and voted to confirm appointments to the new executive cabinet.

The meeting began with student body President Rebekah Pettine and Vice President Erik Truong taking their oaths of office, followed by the senatorial oath for new student senators.

The following new and returning senators were sworn in: Jeremy Aylward, McKenna Bates, Corey Berkey, Matthew Borja (who was also elected as speaker), Dustin Cone, Kelsey Courville, Madison Essig, Joseph Fernando, Davide Genoese-Zerbi, Shannon Glesing, Abdifatah Ibrahim, Maximilian Kim, Clement Lupton IV, Amir Mahmoud, Charles Miller, Clair Olivier, Cedric Price, Sagar Sharma, Jasper Swan and Annika Tobe.

In the executive cabinet, Devan Fishburne was confirmed as secretary of public relations, Philip Williams as undersecretary for communications and advertising, Adanna Newby as undersecretary for outreach and media relations, Salma Hamze as undersecretary for events and inter-organizational relations, Timothy O’Shea as secretary of government and community relations; Ramir Cena as undersecretary for local government and community relations, Yasmin Jaramillo as undersecretary for state and governmental affairs, Camden Layton as undersecretary of federal governmental affairs, Abigail Dundore as undersecretary for external partnerships and liaison to Virginia21, Brendan Sullivan as secretary of university life, and Mahnoor Zafar as undersecretary for off-campus student success.

Additional appointments to the executive cabinet will be completed after a second round of confirmations at the next student senate meeting. These will include: Adia McLaughlin as secretary of diversity and multicultural affairs; Roshni Rehman as undersecretary for cultural affairs; Jasmine Rose as undersecretary for identity affairs; Obumneme Egolum as secretary of administrative and financial affairs and chair of the Student Funding Board; Erika Larkin as secretary of academic affairs; Ryan Carver as secretary of university services; Taylor Moore as undersecretary for housing services and residence life; Christopher Kernan-Schmidt as undersecretary for parking and transportation and chair of the Parking Appeals Board; and Sara Babcock as undersecretary for sustainability.

The next student senate meeting will be Thursday, May 3, at 4:30 p.m. in the Johnson Center meeting room A.

FOURTH ESTATE/NICOLAS MACOTTO

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TRANSPARENT GMU CONTINUES LAWSUIT AGAINST SCHOOL

Students and community members rallied on campus and outside Fairfax County courthouse in support

And then began the march to the Fairfax County Circuit Court. More than two dozen students marched nearly a mile from Mason’s campus to the courthouse, carrying signs such as “UnKoch my GMU Campus!” and “End Koch dark money on college campuses!”

In early January 2017, Transparent GMU filed a lawsuit against George Mason University and the GMU Foundation, claiming the foundation had “denied their rights under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act to access donor agreements between the Charles Koch Foundation and the University and/or GMU Foundation.”

The Virginia Freedom of Information Act “ensures the people of the Commonwealth ready access to public records in the custody of a public body or its officers and employees, and free entry to meetings of public bodies wherein the business of the people is being conducted.”

The act is a part of the Code of

Virginia, located § 2.2-3700 et. seq.

“All we ask is that the foundation comply with the law,” said Transparent GMU member Miles Reinhart. “Even if the judge doesn’t rule in our favor, the [GMU] Foundation has the ability to makes these documents public simply because students asked them to. Compliance with the law is the bare minimum and the foundation has the ability to exceed that minimum any time they so wish.”

Reinhart then explained the relationship between Mason and the Charles Koch Foundation, saying that Mason receives more money through the Koch Foundation than any other institute of higher learning in the United States.

Public tax records indicate that Charles Koch has donated approximately $95.5 million to Mason since 2005 through his charity organization, the Charles Koch Foundation. In 2016 alone, Koch and a second anonymous donor signed grant agreements to give $20 million to Mason over a five-year period to fund the Antonin Scalia Law School.

“Public universities form an essential part of our society and any undue donor influence is extremely dangerous,” explained Gus Thompson, another member of Transparent

GMU. “Public institutions must be held accountable to public scrutiny and these donor records should simply be public record. Any student or member of the public has the right to know who is funding their school and what the terms of the agreement could be.”

Members of the Fairfax community are concerned as well, specifically about what the Koch Foundation is doing to cover up the reality of climate change.

“As an environmentalist, I am deeply concerned that the Koch money is being spent in our universities, with the most coming to GMU,” said Climate Reality Project leader Paula Clements, who expressed her fears at the march. “The Koch brothers are long time [climate change] deniers and have spent a considerable amount of money to cover-up scientific facts and to deceive the public.”

Clements referred to think tanks such as the Heartland Institute, which was founded by the Koch Foundation in 1984 and has since participated in research arguing against the cancerous effects of tobacco and denying the existence and effects of climate change.

“Through these academic institutions and others, Charles Koch enables Koch-funded scholars, professors and

graduates to design and promote his ‘free-market’ strategies and produce flawed reports, such as those explaining the ‘negative impacts’ of clean energy policies,” said Scott Peterson, executive director of the Checks and Balances Project, an investigative watchdog group. “But Koch Industries is increasingly exposed to the disruptive the growth of clean energy, and the Koch Brothers know it. That is why they have been boosting funding to stop climate solutions technology – while the planet continues to heat alarmingly.”

The lawsuit proceedings began early Tuesday morning, with Judge John Tran, who is the first Asian-American ever to serve as a judge in the Commonwealth of Virginia, presiding over the case.

“We hope that the judge sees the strength of our argument and ultimately rules in our favor,” said Reinhart, when asked about Transparent GMU’s plan for the case. “Depending on how

Judge Tran rules, we will have to tailor our legal strategy and next steps.”

On Friday, April 27, Mason President Ángel Cabrera sent an email in response to the Transparent GMU hearing.

In the email, Cabrera stated that he had just been “made aware of a number of gift agreements that were accepted by the university between 2003 and 2011 and raise questions concerning donor influence in academic matters,” and that these agreements “fall short of the standards of academic independence [he expects] any gift to meet.”

Cabrera, who became president of Mason in 2012, went on to say that he has “made it a priority to have all gift agreements clearly uphold our commitment to academic independence.”

As for now, Transparent GMU is waiting for Judge Tran to issue a final ruling.

FOURTH ESTATE/ALLIE THOMPSON

Students from Transparent GMU and members of the Mason community gathered outside Merten Hall on Tuesday, April 24, with one clear message to the Charles Koch Foundation: respect the law.

FOURTH ESTATE/ALLIE THOMPSON

SARAH BASSIL STAFF WRITER

SPORTS

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SHE PLAYED ONE YEAR AT MASON - BUT LEFT THE LEGACY OF A LIFETIME Natalie Butler’s long journey to the WNBA NATALIE HEAVREN STAFF WRITER

She quickly passes the ball to a teammate before throwing her hands in the air as the final fractions of a second tick off the clock and the buzzer sounds to end the quarter. She knows what that rebound meant. It’s her 540th rebound this season, setting a new NCAA single-season record.

The last quarter flies by and Mason beats Stephen F. Austin in the opening round of the WNIT on March 16, the first postseason victory in program history. After the game Butler jogs over to her head coach, hugs her, and lifts her up off the ground. The surprise captures on the coach’s face forever in a photo that perfectly summarizes how far the team and Butler herself has come in one year, from a bench player at the University of Connecticut to an NCAA record holder while playing for her hometown school.

Natalie Butler began playing basketball in Fairfax. It’s also where she finished her college career, and where she found out the next step in her basketball journey was about to begin.

Photo courtesy of MASON ATHLETICS

Growing up in Fairfax Station, Butler began playing basketball when she was five. As a child she looked up to her dad, Vernon Butler, who more than thirty years later he still stands second all-time both in scoring and rebounding, behind only David Robinson at

the U.S. Naval Academy. Growing up she was only aware of his rebounding achievements, which helped to create her focus on rebounding, her goal of playing at the Division I level and creating a record of her own. And she did.

Butler grew up playing not only basketball, but other sports as well. She played soccer until high school, and picked up volleyball her sophomore year, both of which became cross training for basketball. Volleyball not only provided her with with a sense of camaraderie she really enjoyed, but it also helped her with her blocking in basketball. Her senior year of high school she averaged 10.1 blocks a game.

With her eyes set on getting her jersey retired and breaking a rebounding record like her father, Butler was determined to be a post player, though a late growth spurt almost got in her way. Butler said that she was uncoordinated and overweight for much of her youth, and didn’t hit her growth spurt until high school, shooting up to six-foot-two by the beginning of her sophomore year. This was after she had almost been cut from the freshman team.

She went on to say, “I had a lot of coaches tell me that, you know, that I’m not going to go play D-1, and [that] I needed to start working on my guard skills because I’m not going to be a post player.”

Photo courtesy of MASON ATHLETICS

The shot bounces off the rim, much to the chagrin of the George Mason players – all except Natalie Butler, who leans forward to grab the rebound.

Butler used this criticism as motivation to continue to put the work in so she could go out there and prove herself.

Butler committed to play at Georgetown the summer before her senior year, a decision that came down to several factors, including location, coaching staff, and academics. She knew she wanted to go close to home and to a program where she would be able to play and develop.

In her first season at Georgetown Butler was the only Hoya to start all 32 games that season. She averaged 13.9 points per game and 13.3 rebounds per game. She set the Big East single-season rebounding record on the way to winning Big East Rookie of the Year.

However, behind the scenes the program was in turmoil. During her

lone season there Butler played for 3 head coaches, and saw girls leave before she entered the program, in the middle of the season, and after the season ended. She noted that “everything but basketball was happening.”

approved she would have simply gotten her Master’s without playing another year of basketball. Butler’s father related it to stepping off a cliff and hoping there was another step there.

Hours after she received her letter of intent to transfer, she received phone calls from schools looking to land her.

One school that gave her a look was the University of Connecticut, one of the best women’s basketball programs in the country.

Butler’s waiver was approved and when asked what she wanted to get out of a fourth year of basketball Butler responded, “Just to prove to myself that I could play, as crazy as that sounds.” After facing a lot of adversity throughout her college career, she had let doubt creep in and had begun to wonder if she could still play at this level.

Butler didn’t originally see herself at Connecticut, as she was concerned about getting a chance to play, but after what she referred to as a “candid conversation” with Hall of Fame coach Geno Auriemma, she committed to play there.

Coming to Connecticut provided a new level of media exposure that Butler had never experienced before, as well as larger number of fans than she was used to playing in front of. She said that the supportive fan base, with 10,000 fans coming every night, is an environment that every college athlete wishes to play in, and it’s something to which she’s glad she was exposed.

Butler, who contributed in a limited role coming off the bench, intended to study International Business at Connecticut, but was forced to switch to Communication after the program was discontinued. She was still interested in pursuing her international relations interest, so she decided to come home to Fairfax to get her Master’s in Global Affairs from Mason.

In order to play at Mason, Butler needed a waiver. If the waiver wasn’t

Just wanting to prove to herself that she could play Butler came into this season without any expectations.

Unsure of how the season was going to go she did not spend much time dwelling on being was named to the All-Conference Preseason Third Team.

When talking about how her head coach Nyla Milleson really cared about her as a person she said, “I needed to feel like I’m a person and that there’s a plan for me this year, and she kept telling me how she believed in me.”

Coach Milleson discussed Butler’s growth this season, and one place that she saw her grow this season was her confidence. She said, “I think a lot of that was me as the head coach believing in her, the multiple, multiple workouts that her and [Assistant Coach Tajama Abraham Ngongba] did one on one.”

Butler started off this season with 13 point and 9 rebounds against continued on page 8

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SPORTS

4.30.2018

GMUFOURTHESTATE.COM @IVESTATE

CRADLING A FRESHMAN PHENOM An interview with Patriots’ midfielder Erin Donoghue DOMENIC ALLEGRA STAFF WRITER

Photo courtesy of RON AIRA/CREATIVE SERVICES

Erin Donoghue started her journey at Lenape High School, a New Jersey school located about 20 miles east of the city of Philadelphia, before coming to George Mason to play lacrosse on the collegiate level. Donoghue has come a long way since starting lacrosse in the 3rd grade, developing her talent while at the same time racking up some major accolades.

Michigan in the opening round of the Preseason WNIT, the only time this season that she grabbed less than 10 rebounds. She would finish the season with 33 consecutive double-doubles, tying Courtney Paris for the NCAA record.

Prior to the start of this season she looked at the A-10 rebounding record as a figure she’d never reach, but she did on February 21 against Dayton. Butler would go on to break the NCAA single-season rebounding record on March 16 against Stephen F. Austin. Her father reflected upon her accomplishment saying, “I just thought it was not humanly possible for her from where she was at, to break the NCAA record.”

Coach Milleson reflected on her expectations for Butler this season saying, “We knew that she was going to be able to put numbers up for us but we had absolutely no idea the huge major numbers that she would be able to put up.”

These feats led to Butler being named the Atlantic 10 Player of the Year as well as named as an Associated Press

All American Honorable Mention, something she reflected on saying, “ I at first didn’t think it was real life.”

She went back to look at the names on the list and saw that she was one of a handful of people that didn’t play in the NCAA Tournament. She continued on to say “All of the players are phenomenal athletes, and some of them my former teammates. So it’s pretty crazy to see how things come full circle, and just really blessed and thankful that the Associated Press was willing to give me recognition, which is pretty cool.”

Donoghue additionally stated that her teammates and coaches have helped her during her transition and developing her into the player she is today saying, “we all support each other and always have each other’s backs. They always are there helping coach me too, which is a big part of what helps me do my best because I know that they are [there] for me.” Coach Morgan added to this saying, “she’s developed nicely, I think she’s going to emerge as one of her go-to players, and I think she’s filled a leadership role at least within her own class.”

Donoghue currently ranks second on her team in goals with 41, ranks third

on the team in points with 48, and first on her team in draw controls with 74.

She has also been named Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week four times this year, a strong start to her career at Mason.

Coach Morgan described Donoghue’s contribution to the program as a versatile two-way forward. She stated that Donoghue contributes not only as a great goal scorer but also as a great defender, something that most players are not capable of doing.

Coach Morgan said when asked how Donoghue has contributed to the program. Donoghue herself said that “there are more things that I can do, with a lot of room to improve.”

Looking towards the future, Donoghue said that she hopes the Patriots can make a good run in this year’s A-10 playoffs. During her time here her goal is “to win the A-10 one year and leave that legacy behind.” However as a team she said, they needed to “keep growing, doing our best, and improving.” Coach Morgan confidently stated, “I hope that she becomes the best player ever here at Mason, and we’ve been telling her that for a long time. She’s really special, and we’re excited that she’s here, and to let her be the best player she can be, so... there are no limits for Erin.”

Before the WNBA Draft she reflected on her career saying, “I’m so glad I stuck with it. I think it was incredible ride and if things were to stop here I think I would be pretty happy with the way things turned out.”

A few days later on April 12 Butler was drafted thirtieth overall by the Dallas Wings, making her the first Mason women’s basketball player to be drafted.

After the historic season she had it’s no surprise that when asked if there was anything she would change about this season, Butler responded “Nope, I don’t think so.”

Photo courtesy of MASON ATHLETICS

continued from page 7

Though she comes from a family of athletes, all of whom either currently play or have played at The College of New Jersey, she credits her high school coaches as the most influential on her as a player during her lacrosse career stating, “they helped me develop so much in high school and really made me who I am today.” During her time at Lenape, Donoghue recorded 68 wins out of 80 games, however, this does not scratch the surface of the impact that she had. She earned numerous titles during her time there, but most notably, was named South Jersey Midfielder of the Year in 2016 and 2017 and earned the title of U.S. Lacrosse All-American in 2017. Donoghue was strictly a defensive player during her freshman year, and recorded no goals, but over the next three years, she recorded 124 goals, 28 assists, totaling 152 career points; talk about putting in hard work.

Transitioning from high school to college, Donoghue said that the most challenging aspect was “the intensity... adjusting to the pace of the game, and the level [on which everyone plays]. Everyone here is so good, and high school is different competition-wise.” Head Coach Jesse Morgan, commented on what surprised her about Donoghue’s transition, stating that “I think she’s very composed. To have a player that can handle a lot of pressure or the physicality of the game; I think she’s done really well adjusting to that.”

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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 Mason alumni Thomas LeGro, professor Patricia Miller, and Mason organization Patriots for Choice. If you know of a Mason student, faculty member, alumnus or alumna, or organization that would like to be featured on FACES OF MASON please submit your request via: https://goo.gl/HZ4SMd INTERVIEWS BY BASMA HUMADI AND FAREEHA REHMAN CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

THOMAS LEGRO, ALUMNI

This year, Washington Post staff won a Pulitzer in the investigative reporting category for “purposeful and relentless reporting that changed the course of a Senate race in Alabama by revealing a candidate’s alleged past sexual harassment of teenage girls and subsequent efforts to undermine the journalism that exposed it,” according to the Pulitzer website. Specifically, Tom LeGro was credited for the video “Post reporter confronts woman who made false accusations against Roy Moore” 20 years ago, LeGro was a photo editor for Broadside (now known as Fourth Estate) and graduated from Mason with a BA in English (‘98).

What role(s) did you have at Broadside?

Sometime in the mid-1990s, I started as a photographer for the Broadside. I had already studied photography and worked in a photo lab during high school. Early on while I was at GMU, I became friends with a couple of Broadside staffers and really hit it off with them. After the photo editor left, I took over. It seemed to happen very quickly. I was photo editor for a couple of years, assigning shoots, managing the darkroom and doing all of the film developing and printing. It was a ton of fun; none of it seemed like work. I also took some advanced photography classes in the fine arts department.

Eventually, I left at the start of my senior year to go work with the photo department of the university relations office.

Photo courtesy of WASHINGTON POST

How did student media and/or Broadside help you in your journalism career?

Working at Broadside was immensely important as I started my career in journalism. It laid a very strong foundation: learning how to tell a story with images; working late hours; meeting deadlines; managing a staff and equipment. These are things only learned by doing; not necessarily inside a classroom.

After graduation, I entered the MFA creative writing program at GMU. While I was in this program, one of my Broadside friends got a job at The Washington Post. He helped me get an interview there. My Broadside experience plus being in the creative writing program

got me that job and in the door. I’m still in touch with many people from my Broadside days.

Was winning the Pulitzer with your team something you had a thought about when working on the story, or was it a complete surprise? How did you react and celebrate?

Winning the Pulitzer Prize was definitely not on my mind while working on the stories. It’s safe to say no one on the team was thinking about the Pulitzer or any other prize. We were completely focused on our jobs as journalists — to report the story accurately and without favor.

We understood that our work would get a lot of attention, of course, but that only made us more focused to get everything right and to be fair in our reporting. The stakes were just so high.

I can’t imagine any journalist thinks their work is going to win a Pulitzer Prize.

There was a lot of amazing reporting done last year, but we knew that our stories were right up there with the others and had massive national impact. After we won the Toner Prize, I thought, ‘You know maybe we’d have shot, maybe be a finalist.’ But you just really don’t spend time worrying about that kind of stuff.

We’re just too busy working! The day of the announcement was spent celebrating with the whole newsroom, family and friends. I took the next morning off, but came in to get right back to work. It’s an unbelievable honor.

Any advice/comments for student journalists at Mason?

It’s so important to be well-rounded. As a journalist, you will be asked to do or cover a variety of things in a variety of ways. If you’re a strong writer, spend a little time strengthening your photography or video shooting, and vice versa.

This will give you the edge over another job candidate. Also, there are so many other skills that news organizations are looking for these days to strengthen traditional reporting: research, audience engagement, data journalism, coding, product design, software development.

There are more and more ways to work in journalism these days.

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FOURTH ESTATE/ALLIE THOMPSON

P R O F E S S O R , PAT R I C I A M I L L E R

What happened from there?

Where did you grow up?

I grew up in Arlington, Virginia and I first started my love of music in my church. So I sang in the children’s choir and I played the piano and that’s kind of where it all started. I’ve never not known music being in my life. That was the first kind of organized place where I would sing with other people who love to sing as well. But it’s kind of been my life’s path.

How did it grow from there?

When I got to high school, my choral teacher heard me sing and she gave me voice lessons after school. She told me I had something special - I didn’t know [that] at the time because I had

only been in the church. But then we started working on things together and next thing I knew, I was singing all these wonderful songs - and I loved all the poetry in the songs. She opened a world for me. So, it was a teacher who really helped me find my voice. And that’s been consistent through my life and career - from high school to Boston University and another teacher and coach really helped groom me. From there to New England conservatory, it just got more and more intense and more exciting for me. I was able to meet amazing people in Boston and, as my voice grew, lots of amazing things started happening. I won the Metropolitan Opera Competition and then I had an opportunity to compete

O R G A N I Z AT I O N , PAT R I O T S F O R C H O I C E

FOURTH ESTATE/ALLIE THOMPSON

for the Fulbright and I won that too - and I had to decide whether I was going to go to New York or was I going to take the Fulbright and go to Europe?

I took the Fulbright and went to Europe because I wanted to learn more about the culture, about the language, and I knew then, at that point that I really wanted opera as my focus. And it really made sense to me to go from graduate school to further studying on the fullbright to Rome.

I was in Rome the whole time. In fact, I got an extension on my Fulbright, so I was there for two years instead of one. At the of two years, my maestro suggested I audition in Vienna, Austria, so I did and the manager liked my voice - sent me to different opera houses and I wa hired in Switzerland. And that was my first house job. And from there my career just grew.

That must have been so great getting to teach since your life has been so shaped by teachers.

If there were a theme [in my life] - it would be I’m grateful to be giving back what someone has given to me. It was early on that someone took an interest in me, and I didn’t even realize it. And now, I hear voices and I help people discover and develop their voices - just like someone did for me 30 years ago.

What do you want students to take away from your teaching?

I want them to take away a love for the art, a love for the singing, and a love What is one adjective you would use to encapsulate your organization?

Patriots for Choice can be best described as determined. To provide a bit of background, our organization works to advocate for reproductive health and justice on campus and strongly supports intersectional feminism and LGBTQ+ rights. We are determined to be a source of support for George Mason’s students through education on reproductive issues, and by working to improve the quality of life for students.

What is your mission/purpose as an organization?

One of our main goals is to create concrete change on GMU’s campus.

We created the “Take a Tampon, Leave a Tampon” initiative where we provided a supply of pads and

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for poetry, and for the beauty of the voice and how it can convey so many emotions and touch so many people.

I would want them to feel secure and joyful in their own talent and not want something someone else has, but to discover the beauty within themselves and to share that with people - I can’t think of anything better.

What do you teach at Mason?

I teach what we call applied voice. So I have voice lessons with students who are majoring in music with a vocal performance focus or degree. So bachelor of music students and master of music students. We have a doctoral program so we have two doctoral students too.

I also teach a vocal literature class and a performance seminar for both graduates and undergraduate. I am also the area coordinator and director of vocal studies for the School of Music - I oversee our entire program and area, making any curriculum changes or program changes, and bringing new faculty in - all of that administration things that go along with being a director of an area. Also connected with all of our students in the area. We have about 65 or 70 students taking voice every week. We have a wonderful faculty of voice professors who teach here.

It’s quite a driving program and we’re growing like crazy. We have new connections now. This is new - we have Virginia opera on campus this year. We have new collaborations with Washington National Opera tampons in the JC women’s bathrooms and students take whatever they need and refill the supply in return. This provides sanitary products at no cost for students and supports students with social anxiety who may feel uncomfortable asking other students for them.

It also fosters a sense of community and support among students. We are planning to expand to a gender-neutral bathroom in SUB I as well in order to be more gender inclusive. We are also working on bringing a Plan B vending machine to GMU’s campus in order to provide more privacy in making reproductive decisions and to increase the hours in which emergency contraception is available to students.

What is your organization’s most memorable moment?

It’s really difficult for us to pick one memorable moment. From the moment

and Kennedy Center. Some of my graduates are now singing with the Washington National Opera. There’s this kind of collaboration that helps to build this program. Students can see professionals doing it. We’re invited to dress rehearsals of the Washington Opera - so I’ll take ten students over, or not just me and my colleagues. And we sit and watch and critique. So it takes the outside world in.

You’ve really helped grow the department - was it like that when you were here?

I came here in 1991, and it was nothing like what it is now.

What made you want to come to Mason?

At the time, I was invited to come to Mason to do a master class - I was, at that point singing with Berlin Opera. I came home to Arlington because my dad became ill and I wanted to look after and see about him. We were between productions in Germany and while I was here, someone knew I was here and invited me to do a Master class at Mason. I did and it just kind of developed from there. I was always fascinated with the potential in Mason.

It was not like this 20 years ago, but it has grown so fast. And I think it’s because of many factors - the kind of leadership we’ve had at this university, but also the community, the support, the growth, the state.

we decided to restart this organization, when we set up an amazing exec board, when we maintained regular members of our organization: every one of these moments was memorable. However, I would have to say one of our major events last semester was one of our most memorable moments. We had an Abortion Access Q&A Panel where we discussed the different barriers to access and included the intersection of race and socio-economic status. We invited representatives from two major reproductive health and justice organizations and a local abortion clinic. Essentially, it was so lovely because students who attended were able to learn a lot from experts in this field and were able to freely ask questions and we felt happy that we were able to support students in this way.

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STUDENTS SHARE HIDDEN GEMS ON STREAMING SERVICES MIA WISE STAFF WRITER

When it’s time for final papers and exams, procrastinators can be found binge watching television and movies on Netflix, Hulu and Amazon. While many students watch “The Office” and “Friends,” there are shows and movies that aren’t as popular but equally good.

This past year, Netflix has added original shows and movies. In 2018, the streaming service expects to add more than 700 Netflix originals. In February, they added “Everything Sucks!” a show set in the 90s and focusing on friends in high school.

Students can enjoy a free six-month trial with Amazon Prime. Prime offers unlimited streamingof tv shows and movies and released original content this past year as well. Prime original, The “Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” won a Golden Globe in January.

“Marvelous Mrs. Maisel is a relatively unknown comedy on Amazon Prime that depicts the life of a newly divorced housewife in the mid-1950s. Instead of remaining in the house, she turns to comedy. The result is a hilarious tale of the life of a woman in a different time period of history. It’s equally funny and enlightening,” Senior Alicia Muir said.

Netflix and Amazon are great for binge watching shows or movies that aired months or years before heading to the streaming services, but Hulu adds new episodes of tv shows quickly after they’ve aired. Senior Olivia Beyer uses it to catch up on Comedy Central’s Broad City. “One of my favorite hidden gems is ‘Broad City’.

It makes me laugh out loud and the characters are super relatable. The show stays current and it’s nice to see a comedy show with women as its main characters,” Beyer said.

Watching comedy series is a nice way to relax but there are options for those who want to gain more insight into the lives of others through documentaries.

“Another show I’ve found on Netflix that I feel is a hidden treasure is Girls Incarcerated. The documentary follows

the lives of young girls who are in a correctional center that aims to rehabilitate them to avoid actual prison when they reach adulthood. I like this program because I have studied the prison industrial complex and the exploitation of this system through the media. While the show is still exploiting the girls just by existing and turning the girls’ lives into entertainment, the idea of this being a documentary that humanizes the girls instead of criminalizing them makes the show better than the average prison related documentary in my opinion,” McArdle said.

Some of my favorites on Netflix are ‘Queer Eye’, ‘On My Block’, ‘The Get Down’, and ‘Easy’. ‘Queer Eye’ is a reboot of the 2003 show. Five men, all specializing in different areas like food and style, makeover men who have

been nominated by their friends and families. Each episode ends with a man whose life is changed and me in tears.

‘On My Block’ is a coming of age show focusing on a cast of Black and Latinx friends growing up in an inner-city Los Angeles neighborhood. The ‘Get Down’ also features a cast of all Black and Latinx characters growing up in New York City. The show is set in the 1970s and features great music in every episode. ‘Easy’ is an anthology series that focuses on the characters unique experiences with life and love. The show features actors like Dave Franco and Kiersey Clemons.

Hidden gems are always fun to watch and recommend to others. It is just a matter of searching to find an interesting show or movie.

FOURTH ESTATE/ALLIE THOMPSON

“In my opinion the biggest lost treasure on Netflix is Everything Sucks! The show is one of a kind in its representation of lesbians. ‘Everything Sucks!’ takes the initiative and gives the solidrepresentation that the community needs. Avoiding awful stereotypes such

as the ‘dead lesbian’ and the ‘tragic ending’ tropes. It was a huge step for the LGBT community and deserves more than a single season,” Sophomore Elizabeth McArdle said.

MASON WEEKLY CRIME LOG

Monday, April 23, 2018 - Franklin Hall, 8:39 p.m.

Tuesday, April 24, 2018 - SUB-1, 11:25 a.m.

Simple Assault: Complainant (GMU) reported being assaulted by a known Subject (GMU).

Trespassing: Complainant (GMU) reported a Subject (Non-GMU) who violated a previously-issued criminal trespass warning.

Case 2018-004095 - Cleared by Summons.

Case 2018-004111 - Pending.

Photo courtesy of GEORGE MASON POLICE

Monday, April 23, 2018 - Lot M, 11:53 p.m.

Drug/Narcotic Violations: Subject (GMU) was issued a releasable summons for possessing illegal drugs. A second Subject (GMU) was referred to Office of Student Conduct (OSC) for the same offense.

Thursday, April 26, 2018 - Lot R, 6:23 p.m. (Reported) Destruction/Damage/Vandalism of Property: Subject (GMU) was referred to Office of Student Conduct (OSC) for keying a Complainant’s (GMU) car.

Case 2018-004100 - Cleared by Summons/Referred to OSC.

Case 2018-004191 - Referred to OSC.

Tuesday, April 24, 2018 - Fairfax Campus, 3:15 a.m.

Thursday, April 26, 2018 - Lot K, 8:42 p.m.

Intimidation: Complainant (GMU) reported a Subject (GMU) who posted a threatening message on social media.

Drug/Narcotic Violations: Subject (GMU) was referred to Office of Student Conduct (OSC) for possessing illegal drugs.

Case 2018-004104 - Pending.

Case 2018-004198 - Referred to OSC.

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ELEVEN NATIONS COME UNDER A SINGLE ROOF DIANA NADIRA AND MUHAMMAD ARHAM CCI INTERNS

The Community College Initiative (CCI) Program is an international exchange program sponsored by the U.S. Department of State in collaboration with the Community College Consortium (CCC) and the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, which hosts students from different countries in the United States. This program gives students the opportunity to experience U.S. culture, study two semesters in a specific field of study and enhance their personal and professional skills through different engagement activities. Through the CCI program, more than 75 community colleges across the country have hosted 2,800 participants from 21 countries so far.

NIC’S FLICKS NIC MACOTTO STAFF WRITER

Avengers: Infinity War may be one of Marvel’s best and possibly one of the most delightful superhero movies of all-time. It’s got a good sense of humor, beautiful visual effects, exhilarating action sequences and fine performances, especially from Josh Brolin. However, the experience can feel exhausting at times as there is much to juggle. That doesn’t subtract from the quality of its enjoyment. Here, the stakes seem higher than ever. This time, Marvel brings us into dark territory and real subversions of expectation for everyone involved in the narrative. The result will leave the diehards speechless. As for everyone else, it will depend on their perspective of the statements above. [Star Rating: 3.5/4]

KEY 4 = Great; 3 = Good; 2 = Fair; 1 = Poor; 0 = Ooh, let’s not go there

The participants enroll in different courses like hospitality management, early childhood education, internet technology, business management, engineering, media and journalism at NVCC. “Studying in the U. S. challenges me to get out of my comfort zone, especially because of the language barriers,” said Sarlotha Mandosir, a business management and administration major from Indonesia. “But, those challenges help me to be stronger. I learn leadership and communication qualities, moreover gain a profound knowledge in my field of study.”

Another achievement of CCI participants is that they are able to perform unpaid internships in their required field of studies, which give them immense opportunity to experience the real working environment in America.

The internship opportunities they have here will contribute to their career development in back home.

“During my internship in food department of George Mason High School, I learned how to cook American food and improved my management skills,” said Abibata Yakubu, hospitality management major. “This experience will help me to open my own restaurant business back in Ghana.”

Through the CCI Program, these students received several opportunities to be part of very diverse and significant programs, like The World Bank’s International Youth Leadership Assembly, The 2017 New York City (NYC) Marathon, and U.S. Institute of Peace Workshop, etc. Apart from that, many of them traveled to different states and explored some iconic places like the Grand Canyon, Hollywood, Universal Studios,the Statue of Liberty, Niagara Falls, etc.

CCI participants explore not only American culture, but cultures from 11 other countries through spending their time together. They learn from each other and take great lessons of harmony and collaboration between multicultural groups. Surely, the skills and knowledge that they obtain during their ten months in the U.S. is remarkable and will help them to impact their

community positively.

CCI Participants in Mason This year NOVA CCI participants studying journalism and social media networking received a great opportunity to do an internship at Mason’s Office of Student Media. They worked at Fourth Estate and in the COMM team. The five interns from CCI - Liaden Herman AKE from Cote d’Ivoire, Diana Nadira from India, Kris M. Silitonga, Muhammad Arham, and Reski Sululing from Indonesia - found this opportunity to be a rewarding experience.

Silitonga and Herman worked for Mason’s Public Relations Department and consider their internship period as productive and valuable . “In George Mason, I interned in their Social Media and Public Relations by researching on their social media outreach,” said Herman. “The opportunity let me implement what I have learned from my classes and I can say George Mason Student Media offered me a very professional working environment that I always dreamt for.”

We were placed at Fourth Estate and enjoyed our responsibilities in covering events and writing news stories for the paper. We got opportunities to attend various events and learn professional journalism lessons from skillful Fourth Estate staff writers. - Nadira, Sululing and Arham “Fourth Estate staff writers are very helpful because under their direction, I was able to learn new things and work more efficiently. I hope the next CCI participants who study journalism can have the same opportunity here,” Arham said.

Giving back to the community through volunteering is another aspect of the program that students enjoy. By volunteering, they get to know about U.S. culture, build a strong network, and grow a sense of community service mentality.

“I have volunteered almost 150 hours in different organizations, such as William Centre – for homeless people – and Salvation Army,” said Ayesha Alam, a business and marketing student from Bangladesh. “It helps me to understand the people and the cultures of the United States better. Americans

Photo courtesy of KELLY FORBES

FOURTH ESTATE/MARY JANE DECARLO

This year, Northern Virginia Community College (NVCC) hosts 30 participants from Brazil, Columbia, India, Indonesia, Pakistan, Ghana, South Africa, Cote d’Ivoire, Bangladesh, Turkey and the Dominican Republic. During their stay in U.S., these students participate in community engagements and cultural events, serve the community through volunteering and performing unpaid internships as a part of developing their professional expertise.

are very friendly and welcoming people, so I was able to fix some of the stereotypes I had before.”

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WHAT TENURE DOES FOR MASON PROFESSORS AND STUDENTS HUONG CAO STAFF WRITER

What tenure does for Mason professors According to Alison Landsberg, professor of History and Cultural Studies, tenure protects professors’ academic freedom and provides them with job security even if they “research, write about, and teach, ideas that might not be popular, ideas that might challenge conventional wisdom, or the status quo,” Landsberg said.

“It’s important for professors to be able to do work that raises questions about the way society does things, to be able to speak truth to power.”

In addition, Desmond Dinan, a professor of Public Policy at Schar School of Policy and Government considers tenure as a career milestone as well as a sign of accomplishment and achievement.

“Without gaining tenure, it is almost impossible for someone to have a fulltime, permanent academic career,” said Dinan.

Tenure also serves as an encouragement that helps professors devote time and efforts in working on interdisciplinary problems that society is facing such as security, health-care and sustainability, according to Stephen Nash, who is the chairperson of the school’s promotion and tenure committee at the Volgenau School of Engineering.

Limitations and disadvantages While having tenure offers professors multiple benefits, tenure does not make faculty “untouchable”. Landsberg shared that tenure does not protect professors from misbehavior. “If a professor commits a crime, or fails to carry out his or her responsibilities, tenure won’t protect him or her,” said Landsberg. Matthew Karush, a history professor and the editor-in-chief of Journal of Social History agreed.

“Having tenure does not “protect” you

from being punished for professional misconduct (whether in research or teaching),” said Karush.

The usual charge leveled against tenure is that it encourages faculty to be lazy, according to Karush. This is one of the main reasons why tenure becomes a topic for debate. In 2013, Harvard Business Review also published an article addressing how tenure should be abolished. Sot Gittleman wrote an article in The Washington Post in 2015 about how tenure is disappearing.

Gittleman said that critics of tenure considered it as something to protect faculty from critical standards and make them work as little as they could.

However, Karush said that was certainly not his experience. Similarly, Landsberg said it was a false characterization. “In every occupation, there are a handful of people who are less diligent, or less committed to their work, than their peers,” Landsberg said. “This is true in every profession and has nothing to do with tenure.”

In addition, it is difficult to pursue tenure without a passion for teaching because if faculty just want to conduct research, then there are other career paths that make that possible.

According to Nash, if a faculty member neglects teaching then the faculty

FOURTH ESTATE/BILLY FERGUSON

On April 20, The Washington Post published an article about a tenured professor at California State University at Fresno, who ignited criticism on social media after posting a string of tweets mocking the death of Barbara Bush, the wife of former president George H.W. Bush. Should the professor be fired? The article went on to address an important topic: professor tenure at American universities - which has always been an issue for debate.

Mason professors take a glimpse into the benefits and limitations of tenure, the challenging process to achieve tenure, as well as the impact of tenure on student learning.

member will not meet the university’s requirements for tenure. “Even after tenure, a professor who neglects their teaching duties is subject to post-tenure review,” said Nash.

Even though the process of getting tenure is rigorous, Lebovic, who is on his way to achieve it, said that it is worth the effort. “[Tenure] is essential for academic freedom and for creating a research climate likely to produce truly novel and groundbreaking discoveries,” said Lebovic.

Tenure has many benefits for faculty, but what about students?

Tenure protects academic freedom in both researching and teaching, according to Landsberg. Students will not explore new knowledge and critically analyze controversial issues without the guidance and permission of their

professors, who receive the permission to do so through tenure.

Additionally, while research occupies much time from a professor’s schedule, it does not mean to be a disadvantage to students. According to Nash, students benefit if they learn from professors who engage in research activities enabling them to point to the latest developments in a particular field or acquire deep knowledge to answer questions from students.

Karush agreed students benefit from faculty conducting research. Students would be able to study with those who are at the forefront of knowledge production in their fields. “That is, in fact, the main benefit of attending such a university,” Karush said. “It is difficult to see how tenure causes professors to neglect teaching.”

EAGLEBANK ARENA IS NUMBER ONE EagleBank Arena has been named number one in the world for concert and event tickets HAILEY BULLIS STAFF WRITER

FOURTH ESTATE/NICOLAS MACOTTO

On April 18, EagleBank Arena announced that it was named number one in the world for concert and event tickets sold in university venues for the first quarter of 2018 by Pollstar. This included family shows, concerts and other events.

Barry Geisler, the general manager for Eaglebank Arena, attributed the Arena’s success to its strong programing, “I think that the programing was very strong in the first quarter. You can tell by the variety you had there, there was a lot of family shows, ethnic music, country music. You try to get as much of everything you can and we try to get something for everybody,” said Geisler.

Geisler also added that it’s the performances and events that attract people to the shows at EagleBank. “As much

as I would love to think the building is what is the attraction, the reality is it’s the performances and the attractions are the attractions,” said Geisler.

included Argentinian singer Ricardo Montaner, and Latin singers Romeo Santos, Maluma, and The Valentine’s Love Jam.

EagleBank Arena had a wide variation of shows this quarter, ranging from WWE: Road to WrestleMania and the Harlem Globetrotters to Disney On Ice: Follow Your Heart.

The total revenue made by the Arena has yet to be totaled. It takes from 6 weeks to 2 months to do so, according to Geisler.

The Arena’s most recent event was Disney On Ice: Follow Your Heart, which was performed from April 12 to April 15. The arena also hosted PAW Patrol Live! where five of the six nights were sold out.

To broaden their events even more, Eaglebank also hosted country singers Chris Young and Brantley Gilbert on Feb. 9 and Feb. 15. Other concerts

“Clearly it was a very successful three months,” added Geisler.

Promoting for the events held at EagleBank is done through independent promoters and is generally not done by the arena itself. “We rent the building to independent promoters who advertise their shows all kinds of different ways -- social media, radio, some television. There’s a variety of ways shows get promoted,” said Geisler.

OPINIONS

4.30.2018

Opinions do not reflect the views of Fourth Estate. Submit opinions to jbelive2@gmu.edu

EDITORIAL

PARKING SERVICES IS NOT ACTUALLY THE DEVIL CHRIS KERNAN-SCHMIDT COLUMNIST

FOURTH ESTATE/ALLIE THOMPSON

Parking at Mason is not the greatest thing in the world. Permit prices are exorbitantly high, tickets cost too much, and why does it seem Parking Services is always out to get me? All that said, I believe that Parking Services is not as bad as students make it out to be.

MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS: A TESTIMONY Why Mental Health Awareness month is important for everyone ALEXANDER SHEDD NEWS ASSISTANT EDITOR

“Mental Health Awareness” is a phrase that is often thrown around, but not always truly understood.

May is Mental Health Awareness month, of which many students may not even be aware.

There is still a stigma on mental health issues such as anxiety and depression. Skeptics may claim that they aren’t real illnesses, and that everyone has bad days from time to time, or that it’s easy to just push through until you get over it.

However, as someone who was diagnosed with clinical depression, I can assure you that this is far from the truth. Although I am fortunate to not be as deeply affected as some, even at a milder level I have still sometimes missed work and class, been unable to get out of bed for hours into the afternoon, and back around the time I was originally diagnosed, had overwhelming thoughts of self harm or worse.

Depression is very much a real disease, and can often be genetic. My mother has it, and my grandmother before her. Thankfully, for me, the worst of it was in high school, when my parents were able to scrape together what little they had to afford me more than a year of psychiatric therapy and antidepressants. But it still comes back in waves. I could be fine for months and then suddenly have my entire demeanor flipped overnight in an episode that lasted anywhere from a few hours to a week or longer.

That is the nature of this disease.

It’s irrational, and frustrating, and exhausting. Although stress and

situational issues can exacerbate it, it’s an imbalance in the delicate chemistry of the brain, and can often come without any warning or trigger.

Clinical anxiety and depression are severely underdiagnosed, and our understanding of them is sadly limited.

But those who suffer are not without hope. Mental health awareness is about support and understanding.

In the years since my diagnosis, I’ve learned that the most important thing to have is a support network, whether it be friends, family, or a significant other. The people closest to you should understand that, while they can’t fix the problem, the best short-term aid is comfort, patience and an open mind, not pity or frustration.

It can be nearly impossible to tell if a friend or loved one is suffering, as it comes with a drive to keep it bottled up and not show your pain for the sake of not feeling different or alienated. If you suffer from a mental health illness, don’t be afraid to seek help. Mason offers myriad mental health services through discrete and understanding professionals, such as Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) and the Student Support and Advocacy Center.

Sometimes, just talking it over with a therapist can do wonders. Other times, it may be worth looking into medication.

Don’t give up. There is no shame in being treated, and there is nothing wrong with you for suffering. You’re not crazy, and most importantly, you’re not alone.

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I recently interviewed Director of Transportation Josh Cantor, and he had many insightful points into the operation of Parking Services that completely made me rethink my stance on the department. One of the biggest complaints and arguments against Parking Services is that they are profiting off students through high permit costs and citations. This could not be further from the truth.

According to Cantor, Parking and Transportation Services projected $18.7 million in revenue and $19 million in expenses for fiscal year 2018, meaning that they are running on a $300,000 deficit. Furthermore, Parking Services, unlike many services on-campus, receives no revenue from our tuition or state funding. They are operating completely through the sale of permits ($11 million), student fees ($3.2 million), visitor parking ($2.9

million), and citations (only $650,000).

So not only is the department not profiting off students, they are not even breaking even, which according to Cantor is their only financial goal.

One of the biggest misconceptions about Parking Services is that citations are a ploy to profit off students.

However, citations only account for 3.3% of the department’s total revenue – and they are not even profitable!

In addition, perhaps due to lack of communication, not many students are aware that Mason has a student-run citation appeals board. If your citation was given by mistake or there are extenuating circumstances surrounding your citation the student-run board will listen wholeheartedly to your story in-person, and it has the power to reduce or remove the citation completely. It may seem as if parking enforcement is a gang out to shake you down for profit, but that simply is not reality.

I mentioned earlier that permit prices were exorbitantly high, and there is no arguing that, but how do they compare to other colleges? At Mason, a parking deck permit ranges between $610 - $725. That is high, but plenty

of universities of similar size are much more expensive: at the University of Virginia, it costs $852 - $1140, at the University of Central Florida, it costs $1,096, and at the University of California, Los Angeles it costs $1,692.

The permit prices are set so that the department can break even (which, again, they are not). I agree they are too high, but the problem lies in the distribution of university funds.

At the end of the day, it is a money game. Departments need either to break even or be profitable and currently Parking Services is neither.

Complaining to some poor soul who has to read all the complaints is not going to directly solve anything. If we want to change permit prices, we have to influence the distribution of state funds and tuition payments. As aforementioned, the department receives none of these funds and thus they are completely funded through the previously mentioned avenues. If we want permits to be cheaper they have to get the money from somewhere else.

Keran-Schmidt was recently appointed undersecratary for parking and transportation.

FOURTH ESTATE/MARY JANE DECARLO

GMUFOURTHESTATE.COM @IVESTATE

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OPINIONS

4.30.2018

GMUFOURTHESTATE.COM @IVESTATE

Opinions do not reflect the views of Fourth Estate. Submit opinions to jbelive2@gmu.edu

CUSTOMARY UNITS APPRECIATION DAY DOMINIC PINO COLUMNIST

OUTDOOR CLASSROOMS: GOOD ON PAPER, BAD IN PRACTICE WILLIAM BARNHART COLUMNIST

With the weather changing, many people are going outside to take advantage of the pleasant conditions.

More activities are taking place outside, and some students even hope to have their lectures outdoors. Unfortunately, such opportunities are very rare. Not all students may be able to enjoy the weather during class time due to the unique characteristics of a class. This could range from the the students enrolled in the class to the material presented in the class. Upon initial thought, having a lecture outdoors sounds like a great idea. In reality, it is not as pleasant as it seems.

The spring weather is often welcomed after the harsh effects of winter.

However, spring comes with some of its own downsides as well. With the snow melting all around us, there is going to be mud where there’s usually grass. The probability of some unfortunate individual ruining their clothes or some other item of value during an outdoor class is much higher in this ‘mud season.’ Unless it’s a class dedicated to studying soil and other earthen items, people probably won’t want to be around mud.

A major issue with the spring weather is the onset of allergies. Everyone is different when it comes to reacting to the weather, but it’s a significant issue.

Some people may have allergies so bad that it could inhibit their ability to participate in class. If a student is paying to get credit for a class, then obviously there should be accomodations made so that they can have a fair

chance at getting through the course material. No student should be unable to take a class due to such arbitrary preferences.

Some classes may have lectures that are mostly taught orally and don’t require too many visual aids. In this case, an outdoor lecture could possibly work because there may not be a need for a whiteboard or any of its counterparts.

Dr. Lauren Cattaneo, a psychology professor here at Mason, says that having a class outdoors would be too distracting unless there was “very engaging material” presented “like a conversation.” If it was “[discussed] accurately, it could work.” As nice as it sounds, it would not be feasible to have a class outdoors in most circumstances.

Ultimately, the lectures are delivered at the discretion of the lecturers themselves. They may find an outdoor environment too distracting for their pupils.

After all, Fairfax is a very busy place during daytime and there are not many spaces where lectures could be held outdoors with little to no distractions.

Some students may find themselves wanting an outdoor lecture because they want a change of scenery during class, so that the material doesn’t feel as dry. It’s a normal reaction to find oneself more easily distracted during a dry lecture. But at some point, someone has to beg the question: Would we be getting the education we’re paying for?

If we aren’t able to learn the material we are paying to learn, then the class must be restructured to learn.

I am, of course, talking about the catastrophic signing of the Treaty of the Meter. It established the General Conference on Weights and Measures, an intergovernmental organization tasked with cleansing measurement of any sense of historical significance.

The eleventh meeting of this organization in 1960 was responsible for the imposition of the International System of Units, or SI units.

Anyone who has taken a science class is familiar with this system, commonly called the metric system. We have all heard it: “It’s base ten, so it’s easier!” and, “The rest of the world uses it, so we should, too!”

Let’s dispense with these seemingly obvious points because if you give these aspiring tyrants an inch, they will take a mile -- and probably an ounce and a pound, too. First, we measure time on a base six system, and the absence of tens there doesn’t seem to bother anyone. Second, has your mother never asked you that timeless rhetorical question: “If everyone else jumped off a bridge, would you follow?”

We should heed this motherly scolding.

The origins of the metric system are in the tumultuous tyranny and terror of the French Revolution. The idealized, utopian nonsense that passed as intellectualism at this time produced the

meter and the kilogram as a way to stick it to King Louis XVI, whose regime used measurements from the age of Charlemagne.

Contrast that with the origins of the US customary system. As the name suggests, the origin is custom and tradition. Many units arose from specific professions like farming, brewing, weaving, and surveying.

These were regular people making units that were useful to them in their day-to-day lives.

For example, an acre is a US customary unit that was created to express how much land one farmer could plow with one yoke of oxen in one day (it has since been standardized as 43,560 square feet). I don’t know a whole lot about farming, but I could roughly envision how large that is. I don’t have any good conception of what a square kilometer is. That is because it has no origin in anyone’s conception of anything: the meter is defined as the distance traveled by light in a vacuum in 1/299,792,458 seconds. Because that makes sense.

I would much prefer the acre. For example, GMU’s campus is 817 acres.

That means that if I got a yoke of oxen, it would take me 817 days to plow the whole campus. Or, on the contrary, I could get 817 yoke of oxen and hire 816 other people, and together we could plow the whole thing in one day.

But the use of the metric system denies me the ability to conceptualize how amazing that would be and instead imposes upon my wandering mind the strictures of the diktats of

some committee that thinks it knows best how everyone should measure everything.

The US customary system is beautiful because it was standardized from the bottom up. No committee meetings were called. No treaties were signed.

Conversion factors were eventually made uniform, but the units themselves arose naturally from people doing their jobs who just needed a good way to measure stuff.

And that still happens today. It isn’t farmers who are making units anymore. Now it’s computer scientists.

The bit is a unit of information that is either a one or a zero. Eight bits make a byte. Oh, the horror, it’s not base ten! It’s not an SI unit, either! And guess what? It worked just fine to be the unit of measurement that allowed our current information revolution to take place.

A customary system of measurement allows us the flexibility to think and create and grow from the bottom up.

The metric system introduces a superfluous intergovernmental bureaucracy to control measurement from the top down.

It is out of that opposition to tyranny that I am hereby declaring May 20 to be Customary Units Appreciation Day to thumb my nose at the Treaty of the Meter and clap my hands for the greatness of the inch. And I can’t think of a better way to celebrate than with a cold drink -- from a 12 ounce can.

FOURTH ESTATE/BILLY FERGUSON

FOURTH ESTATE/ALLIE THOMPSON

May 20, 1875 was a dark day in human history. On that fateful day, a gaggle of diplomats convened in Paris -- where all disastrous diplomatic gaggles convene -- and erased centuries of human history in one fell swoop.

OPINIONS

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4.30.2018

Opinions do not reflect the views of Fourth Estate. Submit opinions to jbelive2@gmu.edu

VERONICA T. BROWN FOURTH ESTATE INTERN MASON LIFE MEMBER

Do you know what the Mason LIFE Program is? The Mason LIFE Program is a post secondary program for students with intellectual and physical disabilities who are seeking a true college experience, according to their website.

The Mason LIFE Program has tons to offer its students. First, Mason LIFE has specialized academic classes for personal finance, writing reports, and independent living. Second, the students have various internship opportunities like Capitol Hill and the Office Of Disability Service. Third, students have the opportunity to live on campus in Liberty Square and Potomac Heights. Fourth, Mason LIFE students get to enroll and participate in university courses such as SPAN 110, COMM 101, and ASTR 113. Lastly, students get to integrate into the Mason community by doing activities like the George Mason Best Buddies Program and the George Mason Special Olympics among many other things.

The Best Buddies Program is a “nonprofit organization dedicated to establishing a global volunteer movement that creates opportunities for one-to-one friendships, integrated employment and leadership development for people with intellectual and

developmental disabilities” according to the GMU Best Buddies program Facebook page. Some of the Special Olympic sports that students participate in are: basketball, track & field, swimming and soccer. These games are scheduled for different parts of the year depending on the sport.

In interviews, Mason LIFE Staff use words like “invigorating,” “fulfilling” and “inspiring” to describe how they feel about working for the Mason LIFE Program. Below are direct quotes from the director, Dr. Graff, and the employment coordinator, Andrew Hahn, respectively: “My work day is always invigorating because of the energy my Mason LIFE students bring to each day and their enthusiasm for learning. I’m proud to direct the Mason LIFE Program and lead all of the components to create an integrated community grounded by inclusive practices,” said Dr. Graff.

“Working at the Mason LIFE office is very fulfilling. Assisting individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities to reach their full potential in vocational settings is rewarding work,” said Hahn.

Overall Mason LIFE is a fantastic and rewarding place to work and helps students.

The staff aren’t the only people who find this program inspiring, the students do too! Below are direct quotes from various students: Freshman Sydney Uitz says “I’m a little shy, but I’ve made a lot of new friends, and I love meeting new teachers.”

Sophomore Madison Essig says “It’s great! It’s helped me break a lot of barriers like being the first LIFE student to join a sorority, get a bill passed and named after them, and join Student Government.”

Photo courtesy of MASON LIFE PROGRAM

MAKING OUR MARK AT MASON

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Junior Leon Townsend adds, “Just being a great leader, helping out people, being myself, and trying new things is awesome.”

Senior Alex Totah said “It’s a really good experience being in the Mason LIFE Program because you get the real college experience in your four years at Mason.”

Even with such amazing opportunities, there are still barriers that these students must face. Although difficult to do at times, Mason LIFE students are continuously working to break these barriers. Totah is a brother for Phi Kappa Sigma. Freshman, Annie Catherine Heigl is currently a cheerleader for Mason. Juniors, Anne Ross Eplee and Meredith Cripe are First Aid and CPR certified through Mason.

Essig is currently a member of Student Senate. And this is just the beginning.

As for me, I am a rising junior in the Mason LIFE Program. I participate in Special Olympics basketball, soccer and swimming. I am also a part of GMU’s Best Buddies Program, and a member of the Patriot Platoon, a fan club for Mason students that supports Men’s and Women’s Basketball at Eaglebank Arena. Some of my favorite things about being a student in the LIFE program include living in Liberty Square with my awesome roommate, Madison Essig, taking university courses like Theatrical Medium and Modern

Dance, and interning at Fourth Estate and the Office of Disability Services.

My time so far in the Mason LIFE program has been the best experience of my life. I love this program so much that I wish there were programs like Mason LIFE in every state in the U.S. I can’t wait for my next two years at Mason!

to-do list just keeps waiting.

of goals you are working towards with a realistic plan of how you will accomplish it all, there’s no reason why you can’t have them all, plus some sanity by the time finals finally finish. And when summer does arrive, it’s made even happier by knowing that you’ve done your very best work in all your classes.

So best of luck to everyone!

As for what’s in store in the future for the program, Mason LIFE looks forward to integrating more unique and talented students into the Mason community.

MAINTAINING YOUR GPA AND YOUR SANITY It’s that wonderful time of the year yet again. Spring on a college campus is marked by sniffling allergies, impatient dreams of summer, and the crippling stress of approaching finals. The coffee-filled library sessions of furious studying and frantic paper-writing have taken their toll, and every weary face declares how little sleep has been enjoyed in the last weeks of the school year. It’s all well and fine to point out that the semester and its stress will all be over soon, but we aren’t there yet.

Right now, each and every one of us needs to commit to serious studying and writing as we prove what we have learned in the past few months. It’s a necessary series of challenges, and with hard work, we will have grades to be proud of when it’s all done.

So how do we achieve that lofty goal of success? The key to keeping sane during this busy season lies in knowing how to balance your to do list. I know that multitasking gets a good deal

of criticism—some even claim it is impossible. I politely disagree, on the condition that it is done properly. And here’s how you manage just that.

The first step to tackling multiple projects at once is in organizing your time into clean, neat schedules to divide up your agenda each day. Conflicting due dates can make anyone’s heart race, but the situation doesn’t have to be an academic death sentence.

Knowing how to manage your time is a skill all of us will need in life long after we’ve left college. When it comes to final papers and cumulative exams, procrastination has to be avoided. Full stop. I’m sorry that it’s harsh to say, but we are so close to summer vacation that this time needs to be given over to our classes. That might be unhappy for a short, stressful time, but what it yields is worth it. To cite some wisdom I learned in elementary school, putting off assignments will only make them bigger and scarier.

Once you have your assignments planned, you have to have the discipline to sit down and adhere to that schedule.

Easier said than done, true, but there are ways to make it easier. I find that the best way to work effectively for all six of my classes is to take “breaks,” not by turning to YouTube or Netflix, but by moving from one assignment to a different assignment. So if I get tired of examining psychoanalytic principles for Theory and Inquiry, I can jump to reading about liminal funerary rites for Ritual and Burial. Or perhaps I’ll choose to prepare a PowerPoint for Public Speaking and then read a chapter or two for Classical Rome.

There’s always something new to read about, learn about, write about, and enjoy about every class you are taking.

You might go to bed at night exhausted, but the sleepiness will come from having learned a lot and achieved your full potential. Finding something new to inspire your thoughts and keep you busy is better than blissing out while the

FOURTH ESTATE/ALLIE THOMPSON

SUSAN-KATHERINE CORKRAN COLUMNIST

That’s ambitious and it takes a strong will to pull it off, but it is not impossible.

It’s not even as grueling as it may sound.

Our mental health and wellbeing demands that we get the rest we need along with social moments, relaxation, and fun. Those can be enjoyed even during finals, just in smaller doses than we might prefer. So long as there is a set

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4.30.2018

ETC. Recipe of the Week

GMUFOURTHESTATE.COM @IVESTATE

Obtained from seriouseats.com

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LAST ISSUE’S CROSSWORD

Grilled Mexican Street Corn (Elotes) Ingredients: • 1/4 cup (60ml) mayonnaise • 1/4 cup (60ml) sour cream or Mexican crema • 1/2 cup (110g) finely crumbled Cotija or feta cheese, plus more for serving • 1/2 teaspoon ancho or guajillo chili powder, plus more for serving • 1 medium clove garlic, finely minced (about 1 teaspoon) • 1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro leaves and tender stems • 4 ears shucked corn • 1 lime, cut into wedges 1. Light 1 chimney full of charcoal. When all charcoal is lit and covered with gray ash, pour out and spread coals evenly over half of coal grate. Alternatively, set half the burners of a gas grill to high heat. Set cooking grate in place, cover grill, and allow to preheat for 5 minutes. Clean and oil grilling grate.

2. While coals heat, combine mayonnaise, sour cream or crema, cheese, chili powder, garlic, and cilantro in a large

bowl. Stir until homogeneous and set aside.

3. When grill is hot, place corn directly over hot side of grill and cook, rotating occasionally, until cooked through and charred in spots on all sides, about 8 minutes total.

4. Transfer corn to bowl with cheese mixture and use a large spoon to evenly coat corn on all sides with mixture. Sprinkle with extra cheese and chili powder and serve immediately with lime wedges.

LAST ISSUE’S GO FIGURE!

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Schedule is flexibile. Start April 23, 2018. Contact Delia at 571-970-8187.

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GMUFOURTHESTATE.COM @IVESTATE

ETC.

LAST ISSUE’S MAGIC MAZE

4.30.2018

COMICS FOURTH ESTATE/BILLY FERGUSON

LAST ISSUE’S SUDOKU FOURTH ESTATE/JAY TOPSHE

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