F O U RT H E S TAT E September 24, 2018
GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY'S STUDENT NEWSPAPER
Volume 6 Issue 4
STUDENT GOVERNMENT... ...AND WHY THEY MATTER page 18
DIALOGUE IN DEMOCRACY
news/ page 4
MASON EDUCATES ON
CONSENT
culture/ page 10
JACY BOLTON: A SMALL
TOWN STORY sports/ page 15
ALL-NIGHTERS ARE FOR OWLS opinions/ page 19 @ivestate | gmufourthestate.com
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FOURTH ESTATE
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ALEXANDER SHEDD Editor-in-Chief
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
BASMA HUMADI Managing Editor IZZ LAMAGDELEINE ELIZABETH ELKIND OWEN FERGUSON Copy Editors
Dear Patriots,
TISHA HERRERA News Editor
This week I’ve been thinking about the importance of having a student-run newspaper. As I skim through the paper from week-to-week, I try to remember that every person on our team is a Mason student. In between classes, due dates and balancing social lives, students have found the time to write about issues that are important to them, learn AP style, take photographs or be a part of the paper in some capacity.
DANA NICKEL Assistant News Editor MONICA ECHOLS Culture Editor HAILEY BULLIS Assistant Culture Editor
By students, for everyone. It’s important we represent the Mason student body and use our platform to inform each other about our community. According to a 2017 report by U.S. News & World Report, Mason was named the most diverse university in Virginia. At Fourth Estate, we have a pretty diverse staff of writers, photographers and editors, but we can always do better. If there’s a story or issue you want to see represented, or better represented, let us know. Making sure our newsroom is diverse is also a priority—if you want to spotlight an issue or story I’d encourage you to be a part of Fourth Estate.
JAMIE BELIVEAU Opinions Editor NATALIE HEAVREN Sports Editor DOMENIC ALLEGRA Assistant Sports Editor LAUREN SULLIVAN OLIVIA VERMANE Longform Editors
As always, feel free to reach out if you have any questions or concerns at masonfourthestate@gmail.com.
KRISTEN TALMAN GMU Korea Coordinator
Sincerely,
ALLIE THOMPSON Photo Editor
Basma Humadi Managing Editor
ALLY MCALPINE Art Director BILLY FERGUSON Online Director ANDREA LUGO Social Media Editor DOMINIQUE BERNARDINO Multimedia Editor
We are always recruiting volunteers for: For all inquiries, please email - WRITERS - VIDEOGRAPHERS - ILLUSTRATORS - COPY EDITORS - PHOTOGRAPHERS
George Mason University Mail stop 2C5 4400 University Drive Fairfax, Va. 22030 Phone 703-993-2950
a resume and cover letter or sample to: masonfourthestate@gmail.com
Fourth Estate is printed each Monday for George Mason University and its surrounding Fairfax community. The editors of Fourth Estate have exclusive authority over the content that is published. There are no outside parties that play a role in the newspaper’s content, and should there be a question or complaint regarding this policy, the Editor-in-Chief should be notified at the email provided. Fourth Estate is a free publication, limit one copy per person. Additional copies are 25 cents payable to the Office of Student Media.
EMMETT SMITH Distribution Manager KATHRYN MANGUS Director DAVID CARROLL Associate Director JASON HARTSEL Assistant Director
COVER PHOTO CREDITS Fourth Estate/ Allie Thompson
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STUDENT WITH DOWN SYNDROME REJECTED FROM MASON SORORITIES MasonLIFE cheerleader dropped from all Panhellenic recruitments
NEWS IN BRIEF
DANA NICKEL ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR
the recruiting have about neurodiversity and about the people coming through.’”
Heigl is a sophomore, division one cheerleader at Mason, who also has Down Syndrome. According to NowThis, AnnCatherine rushed eight sororities at Mason, and was dropped from them all.
On Wednesday, Mason’s Panhellenic organization released a statement on their social media pages. The organization stated that “Panhellenic’s Formal Recruitment is a mutual selection process, and as the overseeing council we manage the process and enforce policies that have been decided on and approved by our member organizations.”
Her older sister, Lillie Heigl, believed that AnnCatherine was dropped from recruitment because of her disability. Lillie contacted the the Associate Director of Student Involvement, Phil McDaniel, through email. “I was devastated that my sister wasn’t wanted as a sister by the Panhellenic women at GMU,” wrote Heigl to McDaniel. Heigl posted the extent of the email on Twitter. Heigl spoke to the Mighty about her reaction when she found out her sister was dropped from recruitment at Mason, “‘I know it’s a consistent problem,’” Heigl said. “‘I would say it’s pretty safe to assume that there isn’t a lot of knowledge or education that Greek members or women doing
According to the Mighty, MasonLIFE reached out to Lillie and AnnCatherine Heigl’s mother, Laura Heigl, to learn what they can do better to prepare other MasonLIFE students for greek life. Student Involvement and Mason’s Panhellenic organization have yet to reach out to Laura. Mason’s Panhellenic concluded their statement, “As a council that promotes inclusivity, we recognize that people have been harmed by the decisions of our members, and we are committed to engaging all communities in dialogue on these issues to do better in the future.”
MORE TO COME NEXT WEEK
PHOTO COURTESY OF GEORGE MASON POLICE
MASON WEEKLY CRIME LOG
Mason Recognized as a Top School for LGBTQ Students Affordable Colleges Online recognized Mason as one of the most-inclusive universities for students in the LGBTQ community. Mason was also the only university recognized for this in Virginia.
First Tuesday: A Weekly Speaker Series on the 2018 Congressional Elections Featuring Peter Hart
PHOTO COURTESY OF LILLIE HEIGL, TWITTER @LIL_HEIGL
AnnCatherine Heigl was released from sorority recruitments on Sunday, Sept. 16.
Thursday, Sept. 20, 2018 - Fairfax Campus, 3:39 p.m. Complaint (GMU) reported receiving unwanted contact from an unknown Subject (GMU) on multiple occasions.
Peter Hart, the “dean of American political pollsters” spoke at the First Tuesday, a weekly event where speakers with insights on the upcoming congressional races will present and discuss their views in an open forum.
Mason Enrolled the Most DACA Students than Any Other Virginia Universities According to SCHEV data, Mason enrolled the most students that are DACA recipients than any other four-year institution in Virginia. Mason enrolled 226 DACA recipients.
Monday, Sept. 17, 2018 - Rappahannock Parking Deck, 7:22 p.m. Hit and Run: Complainant (GMU) reported a hit and run of a vehicle.
Case 2018-009044 - Referred to Title IX
Case 2018-008919- Inactive
Thursday, Sept. 19, 2018 - Fairfax Campus, 8:34 p.m.
Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018 - Ox Road/ University Drive, 1:19 a.m.
Complainant (GMU) reported receiving unwanted contact from an unknown Subject on multiple occasions.
Driving Under the Influence. Subject (Non-GMU) was arrested and transported to Fairfax County Adult Detention Center for driving a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol.
Case 2018-009012 - Referred to Title IX Thursday, Sept. 19, 2018 - Fairfax Campus, 7:56 p.m. Complaint (GMU) reported receiving unwanted contact from an unknown Subject (GMU) on multiple occasions. Case 2018-009009 - Referred to Title IX Wednesday, Sept. 19, 2018 - Peterson, 5:12 p.m. Disorderly Conduct/ Trespassing. Subject (non-GMU) was arrested and transported to Fairfax County Adult Detention Center for acting disorderly in public and violating a previously-issued criminal trespass warning. Case 2018-009003- Cleared by Arrest
Case 2018-008869 - Cleared By Arrest Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018 - Campus Drive/ Braddock Road, 1:58 a.m. Drug/Narcotic Violations / Possession with Intent to Distribute. Subject (Non-GMU) was arrested and transported to Fairfax County Adult Detention Center for possessing illegal drugs with intent to distribute. Case 2018-008873- Cleared by Arrest
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DIALOGUE IN DEMOCRACY An open discussion of peace and war ABIGAIL ADCOX STAFF WRITER
Stearns’ presentation focused on a foreign policy concept known as the thucydides trap. This is when a rising power threatens to displace a ruling one. Stearns explained that the the most likely outcome of a thucydides trap is war. Stearns cited that seven of the most recent 11 cases of the thucydides trap ended in war. A recent example would be Germany and Europe, as well as the ascent of the Soviet Union. Stearns went on to suggest that the single most important relationship right now is between China and the U.S., where there is a clear power struggle. The second panelist, Jesse Kirkpatrick, assistant director of the Institute for Philosophy and Public Policy at Mason, transitioned the audience to think more philosophically. Kirkpatrick brought up the idea that war and peace are inseparable. He also posed the question, “Can wars be waged and can wars be waged ethically?” Kirkpatrick discussed his background co-directing the Coming Home Project, which engages veterans in dialogues on the moral, psychological and spiritual impacts of war. “First I think that it’s important for people that are the age of students to be engaged in what I find to be some of the most, maybe perhaps the most, pressing and important topic that a political community could face and that’s questions of war and peace,”
An example of this would be a soldier taking the life of another human. Kirkpatrick explained that taking a life is something considered to be morally wrong in most circumstances and takes a toll on the person committing the act since it violates moral beliefs. The common theme throughout his presentation was questioning how war could be morally acceptable based on the impact it has on various people and their roles in the war. After the panelists’ presentations, the roundtables were encouraged to debate topics that were brought up and discuss their various viewpoints. Each roundtable had a facilitator who was in charge of keeping the conversation flowing and encouraging all group members to actively participate. At the end of the session, each group shared a summary of what was talked about at their table. Several common themes discussed were the role technology plays in war and society, questioning if war is ethical and recent developments in foreign policy under the Trump administration. “My parents were very liberal and peace-oriented and voted accordingly. So, I just wanted to hear different perspectives on that kind of topic, and how I can make a more informed and less partisan decision on how war can be a good or bad thing,”said Brian Bera, a freshman at Mason who attended the event. On each table there was a pamphlet that detailed ways to deepen each discussion. The pamphlets suggested that participants “pay attention to my intentions, balance advocacy with inquiry, build shared meaning, use self-awareness as a resource and explore.” Student’s participating in the roundtables found these tools to be helpful resource during their
“Peace is always important for everyone,” said Yukin Kim, a senior in the School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution. “The development of technology made more [people] think of a variety of perspectives. Making a peaceful world is important. I was able to hear other student’s perspectives and I was able to understand them. And it was very interesting to hear what peace means for the other major students.” The Dialogue and Difference Project’s objective was also to encourage engagement among students on college campuses. “Two ways: the most obvious answer is to vote,” said Stearns on the role of students in terms of civic engagement. “We don’t usually vote for candidates for congress, for example, mainly on foreign policy. But we ought to keep military policy in mind, even when we are voting for them based on their stance on gun control or whatever. Intelligent voting should include a peace dimension. And the second thing is students here and other places are going to become leaders of various fields, and some of them are going to be in positions in their later careers to participate in some of these policy efforts,” said Stearns. The next Dialogue and Difference Project session will focus on the topic of elections and voting. The session will be held on Thursday, Oct. 18 from 7:30-9:15 p.m. in Research Hall 163.
FOURTH ESTATE GRANT SMITH
Peter Stearns, a professor of history at Mason and the former provost, started off the evening with a panel meant to provoke discussions among the roundtables. “We’re in an intensely partisan era and we need to figure out ways to use dialogue to reach conclusions that can be more widely accepted,“ Stearns said.
Another concept he introduced in relation to veterans is the impact of “moral injury” from war. Kirkpatrick described moral injury as “an injury that results in serious transgressions of deeply held beliefs.”
discussions.
FOURTH ESTATE GRANT SMITH
This month, the discussion topic was peace and war. Students, faculty and members of the community participated in roundtable discussions at the event on Wednesday, Sept. 19 in Research Hall.
Kirkpatrick said. “We are just down the road from the nation’s capital. There’s a large veteran population of students here, so I think Mason is uniquely positioned to address this topic.”
FOURTH ESTATE GRANT SMITH
In today’s polarizing climate in the U.S., the Dialogue and Difference Project aims at deepening the discussion and garnering student involvement.
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STUDENT GOVERNMENT ROUNDUP JALEN REID STAFF WRITER
Mason’s 39th Student Senate congregated for the fifth time in Merten Hall on Sept. 13. There were two resolutions proposed, concerning Fall Night Walk 2018 and recognizing days of significance for the Military of the United States. Additionally, there were six bills that were referred to Clair Olivier, Chair of Administrative and Financial Affairs. The meeting began with the election of the chair of the Student Diversity Committee. The election resulted in a discussion about the candidate’s preparedness and attitude as it relates to the duties of the position. Amir Mahmoud, a student senator, was the candidate to fill the position.
Senators Shannon Glesing and Olivier expressed concern over the candidate’s commitment to the potential position. Joseph Fernando, chair of Government and Community Relations, responded to them by stating, “I would like to start off by saying that I admire his initiative and persistence.” Fernando went on to say that he has worked closely with Mahmoud in the past and that Mahmoud is an effective member in a team setting. Chair of University Services Dustin Cone echoed Fernando’s remarks. “Amir is a really passionate person,” Cone said. “If you ever talk to him outside of sitting at this table, you realize how passionate he is about
student government … He will be there. He will work.” “The senate was split on whether or not we wanted to fill the position with a candidate that wasn’t quite prepared, or whether we wanted to wait and have the position be empty for potentially a long period of time until such a candidate came up front,” said student government Senator Charles Miller.
she is with the emergency and service counsel helping Mason figure out ways to reach out to the out of state students that are being affected by Florence,” Truong said. “She will give a full report on that next meeting.”
He went on to say that this upcoming election cycle for student government “is going to be very exciting and it’s only 54 days away.”
Miller continued, “But, we found that Mahmoud was prepared and ready and capable of filling the position, hence why the senate ended up putting him the position of chair.”
FOURTH ESTATE JEREMY UNISZKIEWICZ
SG fills new position
Ultimately, Mahmoud was elected. Vice President of the student body Erik Truong spoke on behalf of President Bekah Pettine, who was absent. “Bekah was not able to attend because
IMMIGRANTS’ CONTRIBUTION TO SCIENCE
Galileo’s Science Café presents research on new Americans in science ABIGAIL ADCOX STAFF WRITER
normally think about, and we are trying to educate people about the importance of immigrants. We try to meet them where they’re at. And so at a university it’s a perfect thing to talk about.”
Dr. Waslin discussed immigration policy and its effect on the scientific community. Waslin discussed President Trump’s ability to determine the cap of how many refugees can resettle in the U.S.
“It’s a great job,” Witte said when asked why students should enter careers in science. “It’s like getting paid to do crossword puzzles. You know, you just get to solve things, and you are doing good … It’s a fun job.”
Every month Galileo’s Science Café opens their doors to the public to discuss specific topics. This month’s topic was immigrants and their contributions to science. Dr. James Witte and Dr. Michele Waslin from the Institute for Immigration Research, presented recent data and policy trends related to the issue on Thursday, Sept. 20, at Hylton Performing Arts Center at Mason’s SciTech campus in Manassas.
During Witte’s presentation, he discussed the U.S.’s world-class system of higher education, which attracts students from around the globe. Mason is the top-ranked institution in Virginia for campus diversity and tied for 25th nationally, according to the U.S. News & World Report’s 2019 rankings.
Waslin went on to look at trends in the past decade. Former President Obama had a refugee admission ceiling of 85,000 in 2016. He also set the ceiling for 110,000 for 2017. President Trump adjusted it to 50,000 in 2017. Waslin mentioned that though a cap is set on the admission ceiling, many times the actual number falls below it.
Galileo’s Science Café will host another discussion and Q&A on Oct.
Witte cited that 22 percent of faculty members in the U.S. are foreign-born, and 29 percent of them are from China or India.
“How many future Einsteins are we denying?” asked Waslin during her presentation.
“We do this as a way to get people’s attention,” said Witte. “People don’t think about the way that immigrants are contributing. [When it comes to] science, we think about high tech. But science and university-based science, that’s something people don’t
He went on to explain that the number of international students enrolling at U.S. institutions has recently declined. Witte contributed this partly to new immigration policies.
The presentation showcased the role of immigrants in the scientific community through research taken from outside sources and the Institute for Immigration Research. The night concluded with a Q&A session with the audience.
25 entitled “From Cyanobacteria Blooms to Clear Water: The Remarkable Story of Recovery” with Dr. Christian Jones, professor and director of Potomac Environmental Research.
PHOTO COURTESY OF GALILEO’S SCIENCE CAFE
Research has shown that foreign-born scientists have brought significant contributions to the U.S. scientific community. However, recent immigration policy changes may hinder future progress.
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GOVERNMENT WEEK AT MASON Students learn about work in the public sector from government employees and alumni JACK HARVEY STAFF WRITER
Events ran from Monday, Sept. 17 to Friday, Sept. 21. Government Week featured panels and talks with members of around 30 different government institutions. There were representatives from government institutions at the federal, state and local levels. Among these were representatives from the FBI, EPA, Fairfax County, Fairfax City and the Virginia House of Delegates.
FOURTH ESTATE ALLIE THOMPSON
Government Week’s events covered a variety of topics, like writing a federal resume and navigating the government’s USAJobs hiring portal. There were also panels on ways to combine interests in the art, technology and
business fields with work in the federal government.
resume, how to interview, and things of that nature.”
learning more about the public sector. After talks ended, students spoke with presenters and other attendees about their experiences and advice.
Society, reflected upon how Government Week influenced her thinking about a possible future working for the federal government.
On Friday, some students received the opportunity to visit the Department of Justice and Environmental Protection Agency. While there, they were able to observe and learn from administrators, as well as receive a firsthand sense of the scope of work that is available in the federal government.
Neither invited speakers nor Career Services attempted to sugarcoat the realities of working in the public sector. Matt Myers, manager of Industry Advising and Employer Development within Career Services at Mason, described the goals of this week’s events.
Veteran Jordan Schnebbe, a junior studying global affairs, spoke about the ways in which Government Week makes the federal government more accessible to potential applicants from across the United States.
“It strengthened my want to be involved in government, like, meeting the ladies that came in, part of customs and border protection yesterday,” Daniels said. “It was nice seeing … what they brought to their fields. …It’s nice to see that everybody’s pretty much on the same page as far as integrity and wanting to keep things safe. …It just strengthens my want to be in [government] even more.”
DeShan King, a Senior HR Specialist from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), spoke about the goals of OPM in participating in Government Week. King said, “What we do is we go out to universities in different places to educate individuals on the overall federal hiring process … in addition to providing information about the different hiring authorities that we have in the federal government, how to write your federal
“We want to give the honest perspective of what’s going on out there,” Meyers said. “It wouldn’t serve us or our students well to pretend that, ‘hey, if you apply for this job, you’re automatically gonna get it’ … We want to lay out realistic expectations because that’s going to minimize frustration. It will also help empower students.”w
“It’s a good resource,” Schnebbe said. “I came from Iowa, so there’s not as many resources that are really as good for just any sort of future references. It was a good way to connect. I talked to two speakers on the panel, the military careers [panel], and I got a few calling cards. …It was a good source of information.”
Events drew attendees from multiple disciplines who were interested in
Tamirah Daniels, a studying Criminology,
sophomore Law and
Government Week is the first of several such events organized by Career Services, with Creative Careers Week, Non-Profit Week and Health and Science Week coming up later this year.
FOURTH ESTATE/ ALLIE THOMPSON
Mason’s University Career Services began Government Week with a series of professional workshops related to work in the United States Government.
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FOURTH ESTATE ALLIE THOMPSON
FOURTH ESTATE ALLIE THOMPSON
GMUFOURTHESTATE.COM @IVESTATE
CHSS GRAD SCHOOL SERIES HELPS STUDENTS PLAN THEIR NEXT STEPS
Considering grad school? Here are a few tips to help you get started on your search
requirements. When researching the admissions process, take into account the relative weight of test scores, undergraduate GPA and recommendation letters. Students should also check to see if there is an interview and whether or not they can speak to current students in the program.
reference. Sometimes, people might not feel comfortable being a reference, or they might be too busy to write a good recommendation letter, so make sure to keep your options open. Other times, professors might not remember a student, especially if it has been a few years since that student has been in their class. This can also happen when students try to use a former boss as a reference.
Lindsey also encourages students to consider applying for non-degree status, which allows students to take a limited number of credits before applying for the degree. Non-degree status can be a great way to try out graduate level coursework before making the commitment, decide if the school and program are really a good fit and develop relationships with faculty who could write reference letters.
Personal statements or essays can also make or break a student’s chances of getting into a school. Lindsey suggests that students tailor their essay to the program they are applying to. She also added that students should be careful not to repeat the same information that is on their resume, and instead try to make their essay more personal. “If you’re bored writing it, odds are the person reading it is also going to be bored,” she said.
References and recommendation letters can play a big role in whether or not a student is accepted into a school. Lindsey stressed the importance of asking permission before using someone, especially a professor, as a
Lindsey also gave some advice for how to prepare to for an interview and any entrance tests. Websites such as Princeton Review and Kaplan provide admissions test-prep guides. Lindsey suggests that students “try to recreate
MONICA ECHOLS CULTURE EDITOR
Getting through four years of undergraduate studies can be hard enough, but for many students, thinking about what to do after college can be even more stressful. With the pressure to either immediately find a job or go to graduate school, thinking about those next steps can be scary. The College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHSS) and Career Services created the CHSS Grad School Series to help students who are considering going to graduate school. The first event in the series took place on Monday, Sept. 27, titled “Considering Grad School? The Why, Hows and Ifs.” The event highlighted an important step in going to graduate school: finding the right one. One thing to consider is a school’s ranking. Websites like the US News and World Report rank schools by program, which can be helpful. However, there are other aspects that students should keep in mind.
Rachel Lindsey, assistant director of career education, said, “Rankings are important as a piece of your puzzle, but think about why you’re there.” She encourages students to consider a school’s culture and whether “you [are] going to be happy there.” Lindsey also suggests looking into other factors, including what makes one school’s program different from others, the average length of time it takes to complete the program, the percentage of full-time and part-time students and what the program is centered around in terms of theory and application. These questions can help students decide whether a particular school is the right fit for them. Once students decide which school they want to attend, the next step is to look at the admissions process, which can vary from school to school. “You have to remember upfront that every school is different,” Lindsey said. Even different programs within the same school can have different
the test environment” at home so that they feel comfortable when taking the real thing. Most importantly, she said “don’t try to wing it” the day of the test. Students can also practice their interviewing skills. University Career Services offers virtual and in-person mock interviews in SUB 1, room 3400. Students can also access InterviewStream, a virtual interview prep service, for free through the school. Finally, students should make sure they have a plan to pay for graduate school. Just like undergraduate, students can apply for scholarships, loans and financial aid to help pay for graduate school. Lindsey also recommended that students look into research or teaching assistantships and ask their employer if they offer tuition reimbursement to help cover the costs. Applying to graduate school can be a scary process, but it doesn’t have to be. Following these tips can help make the process less overwhelming.
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VISITING PROFESSOR ANNE HOLTON The former Va. Secretary of Education now teaches at Mason IZZ LAMAGDELEINE COPY EDITOR
Two words have defined Anne Holton’s life: opportunity time.
families that were willing to take in older or difficult-to-place children.
“If you’ve got a certain that life will bring more ties, it’s easier to let go of go of things and move on chapter,” Holton said.
“I learned how rewarding it can be to be doing things that are service [based],” Holton said about the social-justice work she advocated for. “That is why I went to law school.”
confidence opportunione, to let to the next
Holton continued this work through her tenure as secretary of education, pushing for reform in standardized testing and high school curriculum. She also made changes in the rules surrounding school punishments in order to reduce rates of student Holton has lived in the governor’s disciplinary issues in all of Virginia’s mansion both as a child and as an elementary, middle and high schools. adult, making her the only person in Holton did not expect to be offered the Virginia state history to have done so. job, and even declined the offer once Her father, Linwood Holton, was the before ultimately accepting it. “I knew first Republican governor in Virginia Gov. McAuliffe, and I had campaigned in the 21st century, as well as the first for him, but I really did not know him Republican to win governor through well before I was working for him,” a popular election. He emphasized Holton said. “[McAuliffe’s staff] bi-partisanship, created the Virginia reached out to me…between election Governor’s Schools Program and day and inauguration day to ask me highly supported environmental efforts. to serve as secretary of education…I “It was like living over the shop,” really felt initially like ‘Oh god, you Holton said about living there as a all need somebody who knows the child. “We lived upstairs. We would education policy better than I do,’ so I sneak downstairs and play pranks turned them down.” After Christmas, sometimes in the middle of parties. We both her children and McAuliffe’s would run around the capitol grounds staff had convinced her to accept the position.Currently at Mason, Holton like it was our backyard.” is Visiting Professor of Public Policy As an adult, Holton resided in the and Education within the Schar mansion as first lady of Virginia when School of Policy and Government, as Kaine was governor, living there with well as a Senior Fellow for the Center their family from 2006-2010. Holton’s for Education Policy and Evaluation. primary focus there was “For Keeps: Holton teaches on the subject of Families for All Virginia Teens,” a politics in American education. program that focused on finding good
FOURTH ESTATE IBRAHIM AHMAD
Currently a visiting professor and senior fellow at Mason, Holton has served as the state secretary of education under Gov. Terry McAuliffe. Holton is also the daughter of a former Virginia governor and is the wife of Sen. Tim Kaine.
GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES COME TOGETHER AT MASON International fellows deliver powerful presentations on gender issues BROOKE LEWITAS STAFF WRITER
Three international fellows drew a small but diverse crowd in the Johnson Center’s Gold Room on Tuesday, Sept. 18 for the Global Perspectives Conference. The conference was put together by the Women and Gender Studies program (WGST), the African and African American Studies program (AAAS) and the Student Media program.
PHOTO COURTESY OF FLICKR.COM
Sahar Sarsour, a fellow from the Gaza strip, described her home as being the “world’s largest open-air prison.” There are no airports or freedom of speech, and limited electricity. In order to fully explain the conditions that citizens and members of the press face, Sarsour presented a video of multiple journalists who gave their lives attempting to record what was happening that they believed was unjust. Although legally the Palestinian government has guaranteed freedom of assembly to its citizens, it is largely not practiced, and politicians and journalists can be jailed or killed for
criticism of the government.
The final speaker was Rugile Butkevičiūtė. Butkevičiūtė is a lawyer Sarsour works for an organization from Lithuania, where domestic called Press House Palestine. She is violence is a major problem. She attrialso a teacher of English as a Second Language (ESL). Throughout her butes this to a culture that has a high amount of violence and toxic masculinpresentation, she emphasized the ity within it. Butkevičiūtė works for the importance of learning English for Women’s Issues Information Center Palestinian journalists so that they can which is a non-governmental organicommunicate with the world outside of zation that “seek[s] equal rights and Palestine. opportunities for women...in Lithuania Onyinye Edeh, who spoke next, and to improve women’s position in... also emphasized the importance of private lives.” having a voice, specifically for girls in After the third speaker, the question northern Nigeria. Edeh spent two years period began. Students asked questions in Nigeria researching girls’ health through the Institute of Current World that ranged from rape culture in personal relationships to questions Affairs. She found that there were four about the cultures in the three countries major problems that were affecting that the speakers represented. Nigerian girls: poverty, lack of access, childhood marriage and female genital If you are interested in attending similar events, the WGST and AAAS mutilation. Edeh advocates for government inter- departments encourage you to view their website for a calendar of ference in these areas. Edeh is interupcoming events. ested in examining why these cultural norms exist and would like to see “no tolerance for abusers.”
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BREAK INTO THE INDIE FILMMAKING WORLD Filmmaker Dan Mirvish speaks to Mason students NAYOMI SANTOS STAFF WRITER
In 1995, when Mirvish’s first film, “Omaha,” was rejected by the Sundance Film Festival, he and other aspiring filmmakers founded Slamdance to support other artists who were rejected from Sundance. Some early contestants include Christopher Nolan, director of “The Dark Knight” and “Inception,” as well as the Russo Brothers, who directed “Avengers: Infinity War.” Since its founding, Slamdance has grown into a respected festival that gives voice to those hoping to break into the filmmaking world, an incredibly difficult feat.
One crucial piece of advice Mirvish gave to getting a start in the field was the importance of gaining experience in the field, saying, “you learn more from a bad movie than you do from a good one.” For Mason students, this is fundamental to breaking into the film world. Another important piece of advice he gave was how to cast big-name actors in low-budget films. A paradox in the indie filmmaking world is that it takes money to cast big-name actors, yet it also takes big-name actors to get funds, so Mirvish gave tips on what actors love and when the best time to cast is. He mentioned that timing and scheduling are very important and emphasized the importance of setting a start date, even before every production detail is sorted. Mirvish’s valuable insight and advice surely gave the students an edge in their future ambitions. In fact, Samantha Finfrock, a student who attended the
PHOTO COURTESY OF ASHLEY ADAMS
Mason students were very lucky to have a special presentation by Dan Mirvish, an experienced independent filmmaker, on Friday, Sept. 14. One of Mirvish’s greatest accomplishments was co-founding the Slamdance film festival, a festival that celebrates upcoming filmmakers and low-budget indie films.
lecture, said Mirvish taught her that “filmmaking requires a lot of business savvy, a lot more than what people think.“ Mirvish said he got “the bug” for filmmaking after a class he took his freshman year of college using vintage film, known as super 8. Since then, he has received a masters degree in film from the University of Southern
California and has produced several of searching, Mirvish found the script for “Bernard and Huey” and began other films. production. Mirvish’s favorite aspect Mirvish is most proud of his recent about filming is editing because “you’re film, “Bernard and Huey.” Pulitzer not worried about people getting hit on Prize-winning Jules Feiffer wrote the the head with falling lights.” script for the film. When Mirvish found out about several of Feiffer’s “Bernard and Huey” is available unproduced screenplays, he thought now on YouTube Movies, iTunes and “whatever they are, they’re probably Amazon Instant Video, among other really good.” After a year and a half streaming sites.
HIDDEN HANGOUTS: GMU SWING DANCE CLUB
Get into the swing of things with Mason’s Swing Dance Club
FOURTH ESTATE LEIGH NORMAN
LEIGH NORMAN STAFF WRITER
Descend to the ground floor of the Johnson Center (JC), beyond the warmth of the Starbucks and the savory smell of Red Hot & Blue. You hear music, but not from the radio station. Something strong, something fast, something downright vintage. Peek into the JC dance studio for one of Mason’s best kept secrets: GMU Swing Dance Club. Every Wednesday at 7 p.m., guys, gals and pals take to the dancefloor and swing. Swing dancing involves quick movements to a jittery beat. Some moves are the triple step, the spin out, the rock step and more. There are two types of dancers: leads and follows,
which determines who decides the lessons, there are also Tuesday office moves and who follows. hours from 4 to 5 p.m. Whether you’re President Heather Paul, senior civil and “dancing, [getting] help with a move, [or] chilling in the corner while swing infrastructure engineering major, keeps music plays,” Tuesdays are the perfect her club “fun, inclusive and beginner-friendly,” making sure members extra dosage of swing dancing. learn the basics before hitting the floor. The beginners’ lesson lasts for an hour and reviews the basic steps, with each lesson after it having a review of last week’s moves just to keep everything fresh. In the intermediate lessons, these sessions expand on the beginner lesson and better prepare students to social dance outside of the dance studio. If you cannot make it to the Wednesday
The club itself even offers opportunities to get out and swing out. Their “The First Swing!” dance is Sept. 29 at 7 p.m. in Dewberry Hall. For students, faculty, and veterans, it’s five dollars for a night of dancing, eating and good times. Expect community members and other swing organizations to visit the dance, eager to show newcomers different steps.
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CULTURE
9.24.2018
GMUFOURTHESTATE.COM @IVESTATE
DEAR IVY, A freshman asks Ivy for advice on how to make friends at college People always say that college is supposed to be the best years of your life, but I’m four weeks into the semester and already I feel like that’s not true. I’m a freshman who came into college expecting to make friendships that will last forever, but I haven’t really found my friend group yet. At first, I hung out with people on my floor, but I’m already starting to drift apart from them.
The problem is that I don’t have any other people to hang out with, and I’m starting to feel lonely. With so many people around, you would think it would be easy to make friends, but I’m struggling. If this is what the rest of my college experience is going to be like, then I’m going to be lonely and friendless for the next four years. Do you have any advice on how to make friends? -Lonely Girl
Dear Lonely Girl,
community you’ve been seeking.
Well, I’d like to start out by saying welcome to college! High school and college are two very different ball games. In high school, friends groups are more established since you’re with that same pool of people all four years. You may be thinking that you’ll be with the same group of people for four years in college as well, but within the past few years, the number of incoming freshmen at Mason has significantly increased. Your peer group might not be as tight-knit as it was in high school, but there is more of an opportunity to make more friends since there are more people.
On top of joining a few organizations, another great way to make friends is to just talk to people. Be friendly to everyone you meet, make an effort to get to know people that are in your classes and go to events that are on campus. Taking the extra step to say hi to someone can make a huge difference.
As for not having any close friends yet, an important thing to keep in mind is that you’ve only been on campus for four weeks. A lot happens within the first month you’ve been on campus, so it’s okay to not be friends with everyone you meet, to have As you mentioned many acquainalready, getting tances and to to know your build stronger roommate(s) and connections floormates will with a select help bridge that few. It’s better to gap between have a handful high school and of awesome, college as they committed FOURTH ESTATE BILLY FERGUSON are your first look friendships than into the college a bunch of experience. Fortunately there are more meaningless ones, and to have quality people on campus than just your room- over quantity. mate(s) and floormates. At Mason, There are so many different ways to there are over 350 registered student get involved on campus and so many organizations (RSOs) to get involved people. It really is just a matter of in, ranging from Greek life to business putting yourself out there to be seen organizations to environmental clubs and heard. Once you do that, the to political groups. Taking advantage friendships will follow and Lonely Girl of these RSOs and what they have will be no more. to offer will help you find others with similar interests while encouraging the - Ivy
Send in letters to mechols@gmu.edu
FOURTH ESTATE ANGELIQUE ARINTOK
Dear Ivy,
CONSENT CARNIVAL PACKS WILKINS PLAZA Talking about consent with interactive games eases the way into community conversation ANGELIQUE ARINTOK STAFF WRITER
In collaboration with Women & Gender Studies, the Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Multicultural Education (ODIME), Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) Resources and Student Government, the Student Support & Advocacy Center (SSAC) held an event called Consent Carnival at Wilkins Plaza on Wednesday, Sept. 19. The plaza was jam-packed with students ready for interactive games, free food and prizes.
Booths at the carnival included a within a student’s first few weeks of penis ring toss, vagina bean bag toss, college. lubricant taste testing and more. With attention toward consent in Students were not shy to participate sexual or intimate relations, it was also in the free activities offered. Freshman important for organizers to address information technology major Sofia consent in all arenas. Velasquez shared the carnival experi- Brandi Blake, assitant director at ence with friends, noting “consent is ODIME + LGBTQ Resources, led important coming from both people [in a booth featuring “Hair Nah.” The the relationship].” video game featured the struggle
The taboo nature of talking about consent is shed when approached in a less-serious way. Integrating the enterAlong with the fun, the main goal was tainment factor of a carnival with a to further educate students about the topic as serious as this one launches the value of consent. conversation to the next level. “What we are trying to do is raise “[The carnival] is a non-threatening awareness about healthy relationships way to talk about consent,” said Nancy and most importantly about getting Xiong, associate director of the Women consent from your partner if you and Gender Studies department. are going to be involved in intimate relations,” said Maggie Olszewska, Xiong further added that the highest rate of rape and sexual assault happens director of SSAC.
black women often face about people touching their hair without permission. “Our booth is about personal space and consent [when it comes to hair/ hairstyles],” Blake said. Students on campus have these offices and resources available to them in times of need or crisis. All offices encourage students to stay active by coming to speak with their representatives and extending a conversation within these zones, whether in person or online.
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CULTURE
9.24.2018
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TRAVEL THE WORLD WHILE AT MASON
The Global Education Office holds a study abroad fair in the JC example, Suchan, an engineering major, and Sujin, an English major, are two international students from Yonsei University in South Korea. They both are excited to improve their English and learn more about American culture On Tuesday, Sept. 18, the Global Education Office held a fair in during their time here at Mason. They both enjoy the natural scenery that is Dewberry Hall to inform students about the array of study abroad programs. a nice change from the city scene of The fair was made up of several tables Seoul, South Korea. representing many countries and areas Senior Amethyst has had the opporof the world. There was also informa- tunity to study abroad twice. Her first tion about scholarships and alternative time was in Budapest, Hungary during breaks, which are also a great opportu- her sophomore year. She loved it and nity for students. For instance, alterna- said that she “grew up a little bit, being tive breaks are great because they are so far away from home.” While in offered during school breaks and are Hungary, Amethyst learned a lot about focused on service learning and social the refugee crisis and said, “I realized that it was something that I cared a lot justice issues. about.” There were students who not only studied abroad in the past, but are After, Amethyst knew exactly what also currently studying abroad. For she wanted to study for her next time
abroad. She studied in Malta her junior year, where she had the opportunity to intern at the Refugee Commissioner’s office and even had a class taught by the Refugee Commissioner herself. Amethyst had vastly stayed with host families. Faith had the different experiences for both study chance to practice Spanish at a much abroad programs but said “I wouldn’t more rigorous level. be the same without doing them both.” Yesenia, on the other hand, is already Two other students, Faith and Yesenia, very fluent in Spanish, so she had also participated in a study abroad the opportunity to learn more about program over the summer. They spent Spanish culture and see how “Spain one month in Spain immersed in its really is.” She also mentioned the expelanguage and culture. While there, they rience of being in Spain during the
PASSPORT TO DIVERSITY
FOURTH ESTATE NAYOMI SANTOS
NAYOMI SANTOS STAFF WRITER
Ever wondered what it would be like to learn about your area of study in a foreign country? Luckily, Mason offers many opportunities for students to participate in a study abroad program.
World Cup and how much fun it was to be in a country “that cares a lot more about” soccer. If a student doesn’t find a program that matches their interests, the Global Education Office will work to craft a program that matches with what the student wants. There is something for everyone in study abroad.
One Love Cultural Fesitval shows off the different cultures of Mason
KATHYA MENEZ STAFF WRITER
To describe what the One Love Cultural Festival was all about is to use Patriot Activities Council’s (PAC) catchphrase, “We create events, so you can create memories.”
Korean-American Student Association (KSA). These associations wanted to promote their traditions and cultures to network with Mason students, build a strong community of On Thursday, Sept. 20, PAC hosted the leaders and overall be a part of the One Love Cultural Festival, an annual Mason community by encouraging event where Mason students get the Patriots to be involved. opportunity to meet and interact with Twinkle Gera, a member of a few of Mason’s many organizations. ISA, said, “We have a lot of A diverse group of students gathered in cultural events throughout the Wilkins Plaza to enjoy the food, music year, like Holi Moli, Welcome and live performances. Week [and] paint night. All Students had to follow four steps of our events except for one to participate in the festival. First, are free and open to the public. students had to check in with the Well- Anyone can come to Being Street Team and get a passport. them.” Then, they would have to visit the student organizations and get five organizations to sign the passport. Once the passports were signed, students could stop by the food court. Finally, students could pick up a prize from PAC.
A s the night continued, there were dance performances from some organizations. FCA opened the stage with unique and creative choreography by incorporatStudents could interact with several ing modern and traditional Filipino organizations, including the Indian dances. Student Association (ISA), Thai GMU Bhangra also preformed, Student Association (TSA), Filipino dancing to upbeat popular music assoCultural Association (FCA) and ciated with Punjabi culture. Puneet
Brar, a member of GMU Bhangra said, “This dance takes place in Punjab, India. It was originated there. [Bhangra] is a very high intensity co-ed sport that competes n at i o n a l l y. ” With tryouts on Sept. 30, GMU Bhangra is hoping to get more student involvement. Currently there are 25 members, with 16 of those members going into competitions. FOURTH ESTATE ALLY MCALPINE
KSA and the Caribbean Student Association (CSA) performed with music from their culture. In between live perfor mances,
students could talk to friends or grab a beverage and sample traditional dishes offered by the Well-Being Street Team. Jabali Afrika, a band from Kenya, closed out the night by playing a unique mix of African folklore music, including a five-minute instrumental. One Love Cultural Festival is an annual event celebrating the many different cultures represented within the Mason community. Symone Sparks, the director of programming for PAC, said, “Because our audience is the entire Mason community, we try to offer events that cater to everyone and are either free or low cost.” Sparks continued, “The objective for every event that we plan and promote is to give Mason students an opportunity to feel at home and to help foster a community within Mason.” Whether you are an on-campus or off-campus student, these student organizations are there for you to feel welcome and learn about the diversity that Mason associations bring to the students.
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 student Andrea Garcia, alumna Elizabeth Baires, professor Edward W. Maibach, and organization Hispanic Student Association. 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 HAILEY BULLIS AND RUTH MEKONNEN
S T U D E N T, A N D R E A G A R C I A Are you involved in any clubs at Mason? So, it is my last semester at Mason. And basically throughout my time at Mason I have been super involved. Last year I was the president of the Hispanic Student Association (HSA) and that’s basically what I have been involved in the most at Mason, the Hispanic community. Right now I don’t have any [executive] board leadership positions just because it is my last semester, but I’m still very involved in the organization.
PHOTO COURTESY OF ANDREA GARCIA
What does being involved in the Hispanic community mean to you? Well, I think it’s not just about planning events and making sure things run smoothly, it’s really just about making sure you’re making an impact in the community… So whether it’s doing service projects or community service for the community [or] anything really that could help our people—and by ‘our people’ I mean Hispanic people, not just that but anyone in general, but that’s mainly who we target. What does being Hispanic mean to you? I feel like it’s being culturally aware of your background…I personally grew up, my stepdad is Caucasian so growing up it was — I didn’t really have a lot of Hispanic friends, so I really came to college because Mason is really diverse
and my hometown wasn’t. So, it’s really just being in touch with your roots, your culture, your heritage, the language, the music and everything. And like I said, also just supporting your people and standing for causes and things that are going to better your community. What is your favorite part of being at Mason? I would definitely say the friendships that I’ve made…the friendships, the people, and HSA was super big for me. The people in HSA became like my family, my second family my home away from home. So, a lot of times people say Mason isn’t really—there’s not much to do there but I think it’s really once you find what you like and your people, you learn to love it. What advice do you have for other Hispanic underclassman? I think, more than anything, get involved. I think that’s something that when I was a freshman and had just come to Mason it’s something that I heard so much, so I’m glad that I took that advice. Definitely get involved, don’t be scared to go to events because when I first started to go to events I was alone....more than anything, get involved. Put yourself out there, because that’s when you’re going to make the most memories and make the most-meaningful friendships.
P R O F E S S O R , E D W A R D W. M A I B A C H What do you do at Mason?/What do you teach?
What is a hobby of yours?
I direct Mason’s Center for Climate Change Communication. At the center, we conduct research on public engagement in climate change, and we test methods of enhancing public engagement. For example, through our Climate Matters program, we produce broadcast-ready materials that nearly 600 TV weathercasters around the nation use to educate their viewers about the impacts of climate change in their community.
I’m passionate about running. Outdoors—never on a treadmill. Cycling and hiking too. Actually, I’m down with most outdoor physical activities.
PHOTO COURTESY OF EDWARD MAIBACH
I also teach various graduate courses, including a seminar on climate change communication, another seminar on social marketing and two doctoral-level courses of social-science theory and research. Why do you like teaching what you teach? I have a strong conviction that climate change is both the most serious public health challenge facing human civilization, and our greatest opportunity. If we embrace the challenge and quickly create a 21st century clean-energy economy, human health and prosperity will continue to improve—as it has for the past 200 years. But if we fail to rise to the challenge, we will unleash a slowly unfolding public health catastrophe that will last for many hundreds of years. Teaching students to use communication in service of humanity is one of my great joys.
If there was a fire and you could save one thing from your house, what would it be? Why? My family, but perhaps that’s obvious. Assuming they get out before me—which is a good bet—I suppose I’d rescue the cats (even though they’re largely ambivalent about me). Do you have any other jobs other than teaching? I took a 12 year self-funded sabbatical to work in the real world — in the private sector (as Director of Social Marketing at Porter Novelli), and in government (as Associate Director of the National Cancer Institute). What was an important moment in your life? I was minding my own business as a public health professional when climate change found me in 2006. Once I understood, everything changed. What is a goal of yours? A future for my children and grandchildren—and for yours—that is as blessed as the life I have led.
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LIFESTYLE
4.30.2018
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ALUMNA, ELIZABETH BAIRES What do you do now? What is your job? I work at the Center for Social Justice at the National Education Association. I serve as the Senior Program Assistant to our Senior Director.
PHOTO COURTESY OF ELIZABETH BAIRES
How did being a part of Mason DREAMer’s affect you?
lot of us have quite a lot of pressure from our parents and families to be successful right now, but remember to be happy, and to take care of yourself. We cannot serve our people or be great for anyone if we are not great for ourselves first. 4. Remember that everyone in your life is a gift and a lesson! I learn so much from the people that I can’t stand working with.
It has impacted my life and my work tremendously. First and foremost, it taught me how to be a part of a team that served to elevate the voices of folks who didn’t have the proper platforms to showcase their experiences. It taught me how to listen, before I tried to help aimlessly. It truly taught me so much about myself and my community. The list goes on. I still to this day use the skills that I learned from my team, and the folks that we worked with.
Are you still involved in the Mason community in any way? If so, how?
What is a hobby of yours?
I always bring charisma, if nothing else, to the table.
In my spare time, I organize with a group called La ColectiVA. La ColectiVA is an inclusive collaborative led by gente Latinx who are committed to upholding social justice and equity. I also love the outdoors, and am committed to reclaiming the outdoors as a Latinx woman. I love to climb mountains and hike. I just truly enjoy reconnecting with our land.
Who was an important person in your life? Why were they important?
What advice do you have for other Hispanic/ Latino students at Mason? 1. Take your time. 2. You are already great. 3. I know a
I still try to support the Mason DREAMers from time to time. Life gets very busy after you begin working towards your dreams. No excuses though. I connect when I can, and I still love watching them win. What makes you unique?
My best friend, Ana. She never stops believing in me. And my mom, who fought her way through every trial this world threw at her to give me beautiful opportunities. If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go and why? That’s a hard question. I would say Alaska. It has the perfect climate for me—but if I went, I would probably never leave.
O R G A N I Z AT I O N , H I S PA N I C S T U D E N T A S S O C I AT I O N What does your organization do? We like to hold events throughout the year, social, political and cultural, to give students space that commute or aren’t familiar with going to a university where they are able to establish relationships with other Hispanic/Latino students on campus. How do you keep students involved? Something that we are trying to incorporate [is] more food, more music, more cultural references into our events and having more events that touch social and political views of people. This year we will have an event based on what is a father in our community. For a lot of people that is a big topic, since masculinity is a big thing in the Latino community. We’ve never done something like that before so we are teaming up with other student organizations to do it.
PHOTO COURTESY OF HENRY MUNOZ
How do you hope to see HSA grow this year? Before, it used to be known as the umbrella organization, for a lot of Hispanic and Latino students. They would come in and branch out to other organizations from us. I want to bring that back because it was something that helped me out when I was coming in as a freshman. I am hoping that the organization over the years will grow, that its name will get better and that more people get involved with it through bigger events.
What is one adjective you would use to describe your organization? Exciting because of all the different personalities that are in my organization, whether they’re directly involved, or they just come out to events. There’s so many different people and cultures. You don’t even have to be Hispanic or Latino... Anyone can come in. If you want to embrace the Hispanic or Latino culture, this is the best way to do it. What events are your organization holding? One we have is Quebonita bandera, which is in November. It is kind of like a celebration halfway through the year, since by the end of the semester, everyone is stressed out. We invite a bunch of people usually to the Johnson Center Bistro. There’s a DJ, music and the theme is flags so people come dressed up with the colors of their country...it’s just a happy cultural representation. How is your organization unique? I guess the openness to accept anyone. I think what we try to emphasize to a lot of people is that you don’t have to be Hispanic or Latino to be a part of our organization. It’s supposed to be a family vibe. We call each other a familia most of the time because anyone can come...We would love to see more people that aren’t Hispanic come out. People always tell me they were afraid to come out because they weren’t Hispanic, but we say come back, we want you to come back.
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SPORTS
GMUFOURTHESTATE.COM @IVESTATE
9.24.2018
JUST A SMALL TOWN GIRL
How women’s basketball has impacted Mason’s own Jacy Bolton DOMENIC ALLEGRA ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR
It’s an hour south down Byway 69 from Kansas City to Jacy Bolton’s home, a small town on the border of Missouri and Kansas by the name of Drexel, Missouri. This town is home to only about 1000 people and is less than three square miles.
In her first year alone, while only starting 14 games and playing in 32, Eye made 63 three-pointers, 84 field goals and 19 free throws, totaling just over 350 points. By the end of her four-year career at Mizzou, she made 367 three-pointers, 452 field goals and Playing at Drexel High School, Bolton 103 free throws, totaling 2108 points. soon learned to lead a team, captain- Living in Drexel, Bolton related to Eye’s ing the women’s basketball team for experience and hoped to replicate her her entire four-year career. It did journey to the Division I level. not take long to excel on the court After searching for a Division I school either, as Bolton left the school as the to call home, Bolton elected to come to all-time leader in scoring (2,150 points), rebounding (1,174), steals (452) and free throws made (506). Growing up in rural Missouri did not stop her from dreaming about becoming a Division I basketball player. Looking for inspiration growing up, she found Morgan Eye. “[S]he grew up in a small town just like I did and ended up playing [women’s basketball] at Mizzou [University of Missouri] and I just think that for me to see a small town girl go and play DI in college, I’d say she has impacted me so much,” said Bolton. “I like small town stories because that’s what I am.”
Stewart since she was at UConn,” said Bolton. When the Washington Mystics announced that they would play their home games of the WNBA Finals at Mason’s own EagleBank Arena, Bolton stated that the women’s basketball team were ecstatic to hear the news, saying, “On our group chat we were all like, ‘When are we gonna go? It’s going to be so cool.’ And I think the biggest thing that meant to all of us was just … to be able to see their game, and to see… the
raised the championship trophy over their heads, Bolton reflected saying, “I know that feeling, back in highschool, and in that moment you have so many emotions, but the biggest emotion I always felt was complete relief. You just know that everything that you’ve done, every extra workout, every When gametime rolled around, Bolton weight session and every morning when sat with her teammates and watched the two teams battle it out. Bolton said that, you’re exhausted, you know that in that moment, you’re like “finally” and I hope “One cool thing I told my dad was that I was able to see Sue Bird in person. that we get there this year.” Just to watch her game, she was always a Even though the WNBA Finals have come and gone, Bolton will definitely remember the experience she had meeting basketball superstar Breanna Stewart and seeing how the WNBA players differ from college athletes when performing on the court. person on top of being an amazing basketball player.” Bolton continued, saying that, “I think I try to [model myself around Stewart] in ways of how she lets her basketball game do the talking… she’s very composed on the court.”
“I like small town stories because that’s what I am.”
Mason in 2016. Bolton started every game she played in during her first two years at Mason and last season helped her team record the best season in program history. She currently has recorded 193 field goals, 68 three-pointers and 101 free-throws, totaling almost 700 points.
While she might be a small town girl, the impact of playing basketball in rural Drexel, Missouri and making it to Division I, will remain a large part of her even after she finishes her career in As Stewart and the Seattle Storm the green and gold.
difference between the WNBA and the danger around the hoop.” Bird another college level.” standout player for the Storm, is now On the day of the game the Washington a three-time WNBA Champion and a Mystics and the Seattle Storm held their four-time Olympic gold medalist. shoot-arounds in the morning. The Mason women’s basketball team had a chance to meet some of the players, including one of Bolton’s role models, the WNBA’s Most Valuable Player, Breanna Stewart.
PHOTO COURTESY OF JACY BOLTON
PHOTO COURTESY OF JACY BOLTON
PHOTO COURTESY OF JACY BOLTON
While Morgan Eye had the greater Coming from the 400-person town of impact on her career, Bolton holds Montrose, Missouri, Eye ended up as a current WNBA Champion and League Bolton stated that while some sports key player at the University of Missouri. MVP, Breanna Stewart as another stars look to fans as a nuisance, she During her time at Mizzou, Eye was source of inspiration for her on and described Stewart saying, “My favorite best known for her three-point shooting. off the court. “I’ve watched Breanna thing about her was that she was a good
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SPORTS
9.24.2018
GMUFOURTHESTATE.COM @IVESTATE
BRAD EDWARDS RECEIVES A FIVE-YEAR CONTRACT EXTENSION Breaking down Mason’s athletic director’s impact and salary NATALIE HEAVREN SPORTS EDITOR DOMENIC ALLEGRA ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR
Despite coming to Mason in the summer of 2014, Edwards has already left his mark on Mason’s campus and the athletics department itself. During his five years here, Edwards has raised $20 million in revenue, sponsorships, and partnerships. EagleBank Arena is the most notable of these in two aspects -- the naming rights purchased to the building itself and the addition to the new center-court jumbotron and the newly renovated locker rooms. A little more than a year after coming to Mason, Mason Athletics partnered with Adidas. The partnership is worth
approximately $2 million in both apparel and equipment.
Plan which focuses on using the new sources of revenue and financial Prior to the start of the 2017-2018 resources to both improve athletic facilities and helping student-athletes basketball season a new scoreboard succeed. with video capabilities was installed in EagleBank Arena, enhancing the Phase 1 of the Excellence Plan was in-game environment for fans. This worth $2.2 million, and included renocame as a direct result of Edwards’ vations of the EagleBank Arena locker negotiation of a five-year extension with rooms, the renovations for the Cage Learfield, the exclusive corporate spon- Gym Practice Facility and the new sorship partner and multimedia rights center-court jumbotron. holder of Mason Athletics. Phase 2 includes the design and
Mason is one of four public universities in the conference, including the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, University of Rhode Island and Virginia Commonwealth University. In order to compare in a more accurate way, it is necessary to designate which schools in the A10 are football schools. Furthermore, because ten of the 14 schools are private, the salary data for those universities are unavailable.
Edwards received a record number of construction of an addition to the Cage gifts from the Patriot Club totalling over Gym Practice Facility. This will include adding new offices for the coaching $5.8 million. Mason Athletics also partnered with staffs, new practice facility locker rooms, Vivature, a software company, to use and sports medicine performance areas. their athletics training software and billing solutions worth $1,050,000. Edwards created Mason Athletics’ George Mason Basketball Excellence
UMass and URI both have football teams, though UMass plays in the Football Bowl Subdivision and URI plays in the Football Championship Subdivision. Mason and VCU both do With a salary increase of 17 percent, not have football teams. Edwards now makes a little more Ryan Bamford has been the Athletic than $350,000 annually. How does his Director at UMass since 2015. Thorr salary compare to similar schools in the Bjorn has been the Athletic Director at
PUBLIC UNIVERSITY’S ATHLETIC DIRECTOR SALARY FOR 2016
FOURTH ESTATE ALLY MCALPINE
Atlantic 10 Conference?
PHOTO COURTESY OF MASON CREATIVE SERVICES, EVAN CANTWELL
On Sept. 19, George Mason Athletics announced that Athletic Director Brad Edwards would be receiving a five-year contract extension through the 2022-2023 season and a salary increase of nearly $50,000.
UMass
Ryan Bamford
$ 284,000
School with football team
Rhode Island
Thorr Bjorn
$ 232,000
School with football team
VCU
Edward McLaughlin
$ 350,000
No football team
GMU
Brad Edwards
$ 306,000
No Football team
URI since 2007. Ed McLaughlin has been the Athletic Director at VCU since 2012. During the 2016-2017 season Edwards made $306,000 while Bamford mad $250,000, Bjorn made $232,000 and McLaughlin made $350,000. Bamford and Bjorn, both Athletic Directors at A-10 schools located in New England with football programs, made at least $20,000 less than Edwards in 2016. These same Athletic Directors made at least $60,000 less than McLaughlin.
Tenure does not seem to play a role in the salaries of these Athletic Directors. Bjorn, who started at URI in 2007 and was named one of the Under Armour ADs of the Year in 2016, makes over $100,000 less than McLaughlin, who was hired five years after Bjorn. Edwards looks to continue the trajectory of the athletics department and also continue to help student-athletes succeed in both in the classroom and in their sport.
WE’RE HALFWAY THERE
NATALIE HEAVREN SPORTS EDITOR
As September comes to a close Fall sports almost halfway through their seasons. Here’s a look into what they have done so far.
Due to Hurricane Florence men’s and women’s cross country has only competed in the Spider Alumni Open on Sept. 1.
and the men running five miles.
Women’s volleyball has struggled early this season, with their two wins coming in the Georgetown Tournament on Aug. 31 and Sept. 1.
The women placed third behind Richmond and William & Mary, competing on a two-mile course. The men finished fourth on their 5K course behind William & Mary, Richmond and Davidson.
The men’s soccer team started the season 1-3 and had two games cancelled due to Hurricane Florence.
After starting 2-3 the Patriots have lost their last six games of their last seven games. They snapped their six game losing streak Saturday night by beating Saint Louis in five sets. The team has 12 games remaining, all against conference opponents.
PHOTO COURTESY OF MASON ATHLETICS; ART PITTMAN
An update to the seasons of fall sports The Patriots will be running two more races prior to returning to Richmond in late October.
Despite their slow start the Patriots have 11 games remaining, including seven at home before the Atlantic 10 Men’s Mason will be back in Richmond Soccer Championship in the first week top 25 teams. on Oct. 27 for the Atlantic 10 of November. Championships which will be run on The Patriots are 4-1 at home and have the same course. Both distances will be Women’s soccer is off to a strong start, four home games left before the Atlantic extended with the women running a 5K tallying a 6-3 start as of Saturday night. 10 Women’s Soccer Championship the Two of their three losses have come to
last weekend of October. To stay updated on upcoming matches and game times, check out the Upcoming Sports Events section.
SPORTS
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9.24.2018
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HITTING THE GROUND ‘ROLLING’ PHOTO COURTESY OF MASON RECREATION
Logrolling comes to Mason hoping to make a splash
DANA NICKEL ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR
“That’s when it starting becoming more popular,” said Derrick Lemmon, the captain of Mason’s log rolling team. “That’s when I got into it.”
Lemmon frequently competes in log rolling tournaments against other university log rolling teams. He has participated in log rolling since his freshman year of college when he first discovered the sport. “The last competition I went to I actually beat JMU [James Madison University],” recalled Lemmon on his most recent log rolling tournament. There were other teams that came down from New Jersey to compete and they had been logrolling much longer than I had. So it was a little interesting to compete against people that knew what they were doing.”
FOURTH ESTATE ALLIE THOMPSON
Lemmon explained the competition aspect of this new sport. The object is to stay on the log as long as possible while simultaneously attempting to knock off the competitor. “Overall, Lemmon also explained that he is you just want to fight to stay on top. It’s attempting to have Mason host log pretty intense,” said Lemmon. rolling tournaments as early as next semester, as he is hopeful to have his new team competing by then. “Last year we had about four people,” Lemmon explained. “Now we have about twelve, and more people are becoming interested.” While there is a tournament next month, Lemmon will be competing alone as he is the only team member that is experienced in log rolling. While log rolling is not an official club sport yet, the log rolling team is hopeful to meet a faculty advisor soon to officially request to be an official club at Mason.
IN THE SCRUM: MEN’S RUGBY Mason’s oldest club brings camaraderie to the field ALLY MCALPINE ART DIRECTOR
said Scearce. “I have it on my resume and it gets brought up at every single interview I have … it’s always a good conversation piece.”
“I love the personality of rugby,” said senior Jesse Scearce, President of Mason men’s rugby team. “I played football all my life growing up, and everything is ultra-competitive … you’re not supposed to like the opponent’s team. Rugby’s a lot more social, it’s still heavily competitive, obviously, but after the match you go and hang out with the other team.”
The team is coached by two Mason rugby alumni, Head Coach Andrew Leonard and Assistant Coach Zander Saturday, the team played a friendly match against their brother club, West Shaw. Suburbs in Fairfax. “There were some weird things that happened with the club leadership, “In rugby, the competitive season, at and then the club almost folded,” least in college, is only about six or said Zander. “We lost our coaches, so seven games during the fall,” Scearce Andrew and I are local, and we decided said. “That gives you a lot of free weeks. we’d help the program get back to what You still want to be able to play a game every weekend, so to fill your schedule it was.” you call up teams and say, ‘Hey, are you The men’s rugby team has a long free this weekend? You want to play?’ history, starting in 1965, and is reported It’s still rugby They’re still going to go as on the Mason Recreation website to be hard as they can, but in the conference’s the oldest club at Mason. Today the eyes it doesn’t count.” team prides themselves in continuing to have a strong camaraderie between The next official match for men’s rugby is Sept. 29 against UMBC. The match members. will be a home game played on field “It’s a really good group of guys and four of West Campus. that’s something that definitely helped me stick with it through the first year “My favorite thing about playing in when I was trying to learn the sport,” matches is everything, to be honest,” said Scearce. “Unfortunately, I’m the Shannon said. “I just love it. I’m last one from when I first joined, but completely addicted to it, I plan to play I’ve tried to keep that mentality going as long as my body will let me.”
Unlike American Football, rugby differs in respect to stoppage rules and the ability to wear protective padding. “[In] football you obviously have pads so that was the first surprise.” said sophomore computer science major Jarod Keller. “There is no offensive line, you’re not breaking in a huddle and you’re not running the ball, stopping, getting back in line. Football is stop and go. This is more like soccer, you just go in.” A rugby game lasts 80 minutes and is divided into two 40-minute halves. “Good cardiovascular condition helps a lot because [the game] is 80 minutes and if you’re suckin’ wind after 40 you’re going to be in trouble,” said captain Karl Shannon, a management major.
FOURTH ESTATE ALLIE THOMPSON
of when we’re out there when we’re all running and we’re all dead tired and we’re all like ‘c’mon let’s go, lets go’ and you don’t get that in a lot of other sports, but that’s always been a constant here.”
In most team sports, the goal is to move the ball to the other end of the field. Rugby is no different, however, the players cannot throw the ball forwards.
Shannon remarked basketball players transition well to rugby because they have already mastered good vision. This skill implies the ability to see the openings and closing of players on the field and adjust accordingly. “The sport itself, it’s something that’s different it’s something that stands out,”
FOURTH ESTATE ALLY MCALPINE
Two years ago, Mason purchased a $2,000 log to teach young children log rolling at a summer camp. Due to the high price of the activity, the students decided to create other uses for the log to get their money’s worth. That is when they decided to bring it to Mason’s Annual Splash Night.
18
OPINIONS
9.24.2018
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PICK A CORNER, ANY CORNER
The Patriots ground the Flyers 2-1 MANSUR SHAHEEN STAFF WRITER
Mason women’s soccer team started conference play with a win on Sept. 20. The Patriots beat the Dayton Flyers 2-1 to win their second straight game and their fifth of the last six. Freshman forward Emma van der Vorst scored the winner in the 53rd minute when the Netherlands native tucked a penalty past the keeper and into the bottom left corner to put the Patriots ahead for good.
her routine when she steps up to take a “She’s got good goal scoring instincts, penalty. “I just know what I’m going to and she’s got a high soccer IQ ,” head do. I know how to shoot a ball.” coach Todd Bramble said about his The freshman sensation has now scored strikers recent play “The thing we like six goals in the past six games, its second most about her, she’s not where she wants to be as a player. She still knows longest scoring streak in program the areas she wants to improve in. history. “It’s an amazing feeling and I just really want to thank my teammates,” van der Vorst said about her recent goal scoring form. “They really give me confidence and give me good balls to score.”
FOURTH ESTATE ALLIE THOMPSON
Dayton began to push back after the opening goal. They controlled much of the ball for the rest of the first half, and their forwards successfully pressed the Mason defenders to win the ball back in midfield. The Flyers finally drew even when a wayward cross from defender Nadia Pestell sailed into the side of the
FOURTH ESTATE ALLIE THOMPSON
FOURTH ESTATE ALLIE THOMPSON
“I’m thinking about what corner I want to shoot and thinking about the movement,” van der Vorst said about Patriots head coach Todd Bramble had high praise for his striker as well.
Mason drew first blood almost instantly Thursday night, when an attack started by forward Jewel Christian out on the left wing ended in a goal for fellow forward Kayla Hamric in the 5th minute.
prepare us to be ready to go and we had The contest remained level until Mason a little positive momentum coming in.” “I think it’s huge,” Bramble said about won the penalty in the second half. The Patriots held off a late Dayton winning the importance of winning their conference opener. “Everybody’s surge and walked off the field victorious in their opening game of conference a little bit nervous coming into the first conference game because it’s got a play. different feel to it.” Mason has now come out on top in five of their past six contests. They got off Now with the nerves of the initial contest shaken off, Bramble knows that to an ideal start to their A-10 schedule as well, but van der Vorst still believes this team can only get better from here. they have room to improve. “We’re not where we wanna be yet, but we are in a pretty good place, with nine “We have a lot of things we can improve games left to go in conference now,” and we see every game we’re improving Bramble stated. and it’s getting better and better,” she The Patriots have improved to 6-3 on said. the season and 1-0 in A-10 play. They “That’s the objective,” Bramble said will be back in action Sunday, when they about Mason’s recent run of wins. “Let travel to Richmond to take on VCU in the non-conference part of the season another conference clash. net in the 38th minute.
MASON ATHLETICS UPCOMING CALENDAR WED 9/26
THURS 9/27
FRI 9/28
Men’s Soccer vs Longwood University
Women’s Soccer at George Washington University
Women’s Volleyball vs George Washington
George Mason University: 7 p.m.
Washington D.C.: 4:30 p.m.
RAC Gym: 7 p.m.
SAT 9/29
SUN 9/30
Men’s Soccer vs Appalachian State University
Women’s Soccer vs Davidson College
George Mason University: 7 p.m.
George Mason University 1 p.m.
OPINIONS
GMUFOURTHESTATE.COM @IVESTATE
9.24.2018
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19
WHY WE SHOULD CARE ABOUT STUDENT GOVERNMENT CHRIS KERNAN-SCHMIDT STAFF WRITER
Whether you are a freshman or senior, are a commuter or on-campus resident, or have too much school spirit or none at all, Student Government works for you. Student Government is composed of three main parts: the Executive Cabinet with 30 members (including secretaries and undersecretaries), the Senate that passes bills and an Elections and Disputes Commission that handles all elections and interorganizational disputes.
PHOTO COURTESY OF SANDRA HELSEL
These three parts make up an organization that fights for students’ needs, rights and wants. However, it seems not enough Mason students give Student
Government a second thought. With a little over 5 percent of the Mason student body voting in the 2018-2019 spring elections, it is clear that not enough people care about Student Government.
Many services that students use and love started as Student Government initiatives. The Gunston Go-Bus, which takes students to local malls and shopping centers, started as a Student Government initiative. The emergency Perhaps students do not know enough and crisis numbers on the back of all students’ Mason I.D. card were impleabout Student Government to care. Possibly, some think it’s only for govern- mented from a Student Government initiative. The list goes on and on. ment majors (I know I thought that). Or even worse, maybe a few believe Student Government represents the Student Government is totally useless! students. If you received a citation No matter the reason for the general unfairly, if you think Southside does apathy, all of it is far from the truth. not serve enough vegan options, if you believe faculty should post their syllabi I believe Student Government is a bastion of discussion, students’ rights when you register or any other number and an amazing forum for change. of possible issues, Student Government
will fight for you. If the student population as a whole does not care about Student Government, then how can Student Government accurately represent their constituents? The least we can do as students is vote. Just like voting in national, state and local elections is important, so is voting in Student Government elections. When you vote for the president, vice president and senators who best represent your ideas and vision for Mason, your ideas have more influence on the community.
but the only way we can ensure this is to vote and participate. Student Government is very easy to join. Whether you want to be part of the legislation process or work with facilities in the executive cabinet, all you have to do is apply (or run). If being part of Student Government is not your cup of tea it is extremely easy to vote in the elections.
With Senate elections for student government coming up in a few weeks, I suggest everyone vote. It is easy to complain about issues in your community, but Student Government We should take Student Government seriously. It is important for us as gives everyone the chance to do something about them. students to be represented accurately,
20
OPINIONS
9.24.2018
GMUFOURTHESTATE.COM @IVESTATE
Opinions do not reflect the views of Fourth Estate. Submit opinions to jbelive2@gmu.edu
LETTER TO THE EDITOR On September 17th, Fourth Estate published a letter from an anonymous contributor entitled “Cheating is Not Immoral.” It would be easy to see my role and assume that I am writing with expected responses such as ‘cheating is immoral, resorting to cheating is lazy, and choices have consequences.’ Mason’s opinion on the matter is clear, and when I present on the Honor Code to the campus community, I always stress that the Honor Code is more than just what an individual won’t do. It is about how an individual chooses to respond and engage in the academic community. I chose to write because what struck me most about this individual was the complete absence of personal agency. That is not a judgement. It is what I believe to be a very real experience for many of our students who may be new to college, or overwhelmed by life.
ALL-NIGHTERS ARE FOR OWLS
SUSAN KATHERINE CORKRAN STAFF WRITER
One of the best pieces of advice I have ever heard from a professor is that no perfect paper is ever written at three in the morning. A passable paper, sometimes. But a truly good paper? No. Poets may swear by the inspirational light of the moon as a muse for sublime writing, but when you are attempting a close reading of those poets, it certainly helps to write that literary analysis in bright daylight after a good night of sleep.
The temptation to stay up all night to cram for an overwhelming cumulative test, finish a crushing project or write a grueling paper is an all too prevalent practice in colleges across the country—for that matter, across the world! How many young people have pumped their hearts full of latenight coffee and forsaken their pillows for the sake of a few frantic hours of frenzied work? Some students swear by it, insisting that the pressure is the only thing which can convince them to get their projects done. Everyone has a different work ethic, that’s true, but the way that we approach deadlines can have a huge impact on our mental and physical health. If anything, we tend to make light
of the negative physical impacts of staying up all night. There are countless memes, jokes and funny gif images to draw a tired smile out of students who can easily sympathize with the struggle of holding their eyes open. Sleep deprivation isn’t a newly discovered phenomenon, and the red, puffy eyes of a tired student are not an uncommon sight. Fatigue, headaches and increased appetites are all consequences of denying your body the rest it demands. To add insult to injury in that increased appetite, many people tend to have high sugar cravings to compensate for the lack of energy. Our bodies are very clear about how a lack of sleep limits their ability to function. But what about our minds? Pulling an all-nighter is problematic for the mind in two ways. First of all, there is the obvious lack of sleep. Secondly, there is the question of why you are staying up in the first place. The heavy burden of frantic stress that accompanies a last-minute rush to finish an assignment is not something that just comes and goes without leaving a mark. The lack of sleep can cause feelings of nervousness, anxiety, irritability, depression and lethargy.
The stress of rushing through that paper, project or final study session only heightens the symptoms of sleep deprivation. A lack of confidence in the quality of your schoolwork can follow, which is not misplaced when the assignment you are handing in was drafted in the dead of night. Studies have shown that late-night cramming for a test will not improve your grade, no matter how convinced you are that staring blearyeyed at your flashcards will suddenly result in miraculous memorization.
I understand family pressure. My father sat me down and talked to me for HOURS about a B and that C I got during school despite having all As in my other subjects. He was worried because he thought that the B and the C were indicators that I wasn’t putting forth my best effort. I figured out a way to keep my grades high-enough Bs to give myself some breathing room, but never too many that would pull the overall grade below an A. It was something I had to learn for myself, but I was never tempted to cheat. That doesn’t make me a better person.
I learned that while getting all As helped me to secure my academic scholarships, they weren’t a requirement to KEEP them. Most scholarships in college require anywhere from a 3.0 to a 3.5 GPA. That means the occasional C won’t end you. I share this because I want those who might be experiencing the same challenges and pressures as the original writer to reclaim control of their lives. Your family and society may expect certain things of you, but you are the one who has to live with you. Stepping outside of yourself and making choices you wouldn’t normally make that are contrary to established expectations hurts you in the long run. You may not see cheating as immoral, but is it the only solution you can resort to? I would argue that the answer to that question is no. Before cheating on an assignment or exam, you can choose to take the zero. You can choose to drop the class and try again with another professor. You can choose to visit Learning Services and take advantage of the many workshops they have available designed to strength you as a student. You can choose to live for you, and not the expectations others have for you. It is scary, but in the long run, you will experience less stress as a result. Dr. LaShonda Anthony Director, Office of Academic Integrity George Mason University
What is the point in enduring all of this unless it results in a stellar grade? If the grade tends to fall within a range of passable to poor and the ordeal you endured to get it damages your body and mind, why on earth do it? Desperation and stress work together to compose the deceptive siren song of an all-nighter, but there is a way to avoid falling into that trap. It’s easier said than done, but it truly is crucial to plan ahead and budget your time so that you do not feel compelled to stay up until the crack of dawn. Owls may be a symbol for education, but that doesn’t mean we should mimic their sleep-schedule.
FOURTH ESTATE TISHA HERRERA
FOURTH ESTATE BILLY FERGUSON
DR. LASHONDA ANTHONY DIRECTOR, OFFICE OF ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
t
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CLASSIFIEDS Help Wanted
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For Sale
• A.A. Milne, the British author best known for his children’s books about Winnie the Pooh, had a teacher and mentor you might not expect: H.G. Wells, one of the acknowledged fathers of science fiction and author of such novels as “The War of the Worlds,” “The Invisible Man” and “The Island of Dr. Moreau.” • Here’s a smart idea: Some fitness centers are now using the energy clients expend on its exercise bikes to help power the building’s lighting. • Arctic biologists say that polar bears can go weeks without eating — which is certainly handy in an environment where food isn’t always easy to get. Evidently, if a polar bear goes a week to 10 days without eating, its metabolism will slow down and the animal will live off its fat reserves until it finds its next meal. • According to not one, but two studies conducted on the subject, those who have a ring finger that is longer than their index finger tend to be better athletes. • If you drive a white automobile, you have a lot of company. There are more white cars in the United States than any other color.
King Features Weekly Service
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September 24, 2018
By Samantha Weaver
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