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FOURTH ESTATE February 22, 2016 | Volume 3 Issue 15 George Mason University’s official student news outlet gmufourthestate.com | @IVEstate
TESTING THE
WATER(SHED)
PAGE 4-5
CAMPUS MUSICIANS
TUNE OUT
NORTH PLAZA PREACHERS
PAGE 10
BENS BATTLE
PAY FOR PLAY PAGE 14
(MEGAN ZENDEK/FOURTH ESTATE)
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Assistant News Editor
Damage/Vandalism of Property
Savannah Norton
Subject (GMU) was involved in a physical altercation with three known victims (GMU). Case referred to the Mason LIFE program. Krug Hall / Closed / 12:14 PM
Full story on page 4-5.
Lifestyle Editor
Tatyana White-Jenkins Assistant Lifestyle Editor
Courtney Hoffman Sports Editor
Feb. 16 2016-005671 / Suspicious Circumstances Unknown male subject may have attempted to gain entry into a dorm room without permission of the resident. Please contact Mason Police at 703-993-2810 to report any other suspicious incidents Potomac Heights / Pending / 7:55 PM
Ben Cowlishaw Assistant Sports Editor
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Feb. 17 2016-005762 / Burglary / Embezzlement Complainant (GMU) reported the theft of money from a locked safe during the winter break. Ike’s / Inactive / 1:18 PM
Feb. 18 2016-005873 / Drunkenness Subject (GMU) was reported to be intoxicated and roaming the campus. Officers located the subject and confirmed they were safe. Outside of Johnson Center / Closed / 5:33AM
Volume 3, Issue 14
Mason’s campus is an independent watershed. This offers students a prime opportunity to research water movement and how the university impacts it’s surrounding environments.
Natalia Kolenko
2016-005660 / Simple Assault / Destruction/
CORRECTIONS
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News Editor
In the article“Mason narrows candidates down for two university positions,” Fourth Estate erroneously reported that there were two remaining candidates to fill the position of assistant vice president of University Life. All four candidates for the position have made their presentations and any decisions regarding their statuses have not yet been made. Fourth Estate would like to stress that the incorrect information in last week’s article should not be attributed to the chair of the search committee, Barbara Meehan, Ph.D. and was instead a misunderstanding of communication on our behalf.
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Let it go? How Mason decides to call a snow day LUKE WALTERMIRE | STAFF WRITER
To many Mason students, the decision of whether or not to call a snow day seems fairly binary: is there snow on the roads? If so, cancel. If not, do not. However, this is simply not the case. Mason is a school of almost 30,000 students and nearly as many other moving parts, so the decision to cancel classes is never a simple one. David Farris, director of Safety and Emergency Management for the Environmental Health and Safety Office, said that the decision to change the school’s hours or cancel due to snow starts with a conference call. “There’s a group of us, about a dozen from different parts of the university, and we have a conference call. If we have high confidence in the forecast, we’re able to make that call the night before. But … often the snow doesn’t start until about 10 p.m. or later … so everyone is scrambling to make a decision,” Farris said. However, the amount of snow that is projected to fall is not the only thing Farris and his group look at when making a decision to cancel classes. Different temperatures can create different types of snow or affect the way that the snow interacts with the ground, such as whether it will stick, become ice or just melt away, so keeping an eye on the temperature in tandem with the snowfall can be extremely important, according to Farris. “[In addition to just precipitation], it can also have a lot to do with the temperatures. Is it going to be dry, light snow? Is it going to be heavy, wet snow? Are they pre-treating the roads? Are we coming off a big event like [Winter Storm Jonas] and everyone’s fatigued, and we’re not going to get the roads pre-treated as well as we would like or there won’t be as many plows on the street?” Farris said. If Farris’s group decides that the amount of snow merits only a delay rather than an outright cancellation, they are faced with the obvious issue of when to open the school. For that, Farris has an unusual answer in the form of a table of class densities at any given time throughout the day. His graph not only shows the various start times for every class at Mason, but also the times at which the majority of classes are taking place. This can become particularly useful when deciding what time to open in the morning after heavy snowfall. “One example is that there are law classes that open at 10 [a.m.] on Wednesdays. When we used to say that we would open for all
(AMY ROSE/FOURTH ESTATE)
Many factors went into the decision to close the university for three days as a result of Snowzilla, a.k.a. Winter Storm Jonas, which dumped approximately 25 inches of snow on the Fairfax area. density are not necessarily less likely to be cancelled, and said that “it all takes a backseat to ‘is it safe to come to campus?’” Decisions on when classes can begin are also highly subjective to decisions by other groups in the area, such as the Washington Metropolitan Transit Authority or WMATA. “We have a very large portion of our students that take [public transportation], so if there’s any impact on WMATA due to the weather, we have to take that into consideration. If the Metro can’t get to Vienna, we can’t do it,” Farris said. In addition to the safety of students coming to and from campus, employee safety is also a major issue when deciding what time to open or close the school in inclement weather conditions, Farris said.
“As far as Elsa is concerned, however, one thing is definitely sure: the cold bothers Mason.”
classes starting at or after 10:30 a.m., that makes sense for a lot of regular classes, but that means that law school class isn’t happening,” Farris said. To combat this solution, the school opts to open at 10 a.m. rather than 10:30 a.m., as long as conditions allow it. This way, law classes can happen as scheduled, while regular classes still start at 10:30 a.m., according to Farris. However, Farris was clear to point out that times with more class
For example, when deciding when to close a dining facility like Southside on a night with snow, “it takes [Dining Services] about an hour and a half or two hours to fully close down and clean up a dining hall, so we have to make sure we’re closing early enough that all of the dining employees have time to get home safely,” Zachary Pope, director of University Life Safety and Emergency Management for the Fairfax campus, said. Outside of classes or dining, Mason’s position as a hub for performances or sporting events can also mess with the logistics of closing parts of campus.
According to Farris, “There are some events that are open to the public, where even if the university is closed, we’ll keep those going.” One example of this was the Jan. 23 Men’s Basketball game against Duquesne University, where the two teams played in the RAC rather than in EagleBank Arena. “NCAA regulations say that if you can get the facilities open and the teams are there, you have to play. That’s why we had to bump the Duquesne game forward and play in the RAC. … If you cancel, I don’t know if that’s the equivalent of a forfeiture, but it’s close,” Farris said. Not every Mason student is completely happy with how the university handles snow days, however. “I think Mason should have a better system in place for predicting snow days,” said sophomore Madison Stroud, who lives off-campus and commutes to Mason. “Every year it seems to come as a surprise to [the school] that snow will warrant cancellations, and then we don’t have enough [days] built in, but predicted snow days allow professors to stay on schedule.” On the other hand, sophomore Kendall Bohan, who lives on campus, said the university usually makes the right decision. “They make good calls,” Bohan said. “When it’s not safe to drive, they understand that and don’t put people at risk. It would be nice if the calls were more timely, though.” As far as Elsa is concerned, however, one thing is definitely sure: the cold bothers Mason.
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We stand alone: Mason’s role as an independent watershed MACKENZIE EARL | STAFF WRITER
When it comes to hydrological studies, Mason offers its students and faculty a unique living laboratory; the Fairfax campus functions as its own independent watershed. According to Dr. Chris Jones, a freshwater ecologist and professor at Mason, “a watershed is an area of land that drains to a particular water body.” For the Fairfax campus, that particular body of water is Mason Pond. All the rainfall that lands on campus drains to the pond as well as local streams. This means any runoff flowing downhill into these water bodies absorbs what is on campus — whether that be pollution or physical debris. Thus, the activity of campus has a direct impact on many surrounding streams, ponds and lakes. Simply put by Dr. Jones, “water goes in a watershed, and as water goes through, that land is going to influence the quality and quantity of water.” He said a healthy watershed is essential to sustaining human development, protecting ecosystems and ensuring that water sources can be utilized for years to come. Mason Pond is not the only body of water that is effected by campus activity. West Campus and the area surrounding the Field House belong to another watershed that eventually drains to Pohick Creek. Also, much of Fairfax County drains to Lake Accotink. Though Mason Pond, Pohick Creek and Lake Accotink are each small watersheds, they also belong to the much larger Potomac Watershed that includes water sources from multiple states.
Living laboratory Mason’s unique ecological situation allows students to research watersheds by studying how their campus functions independently and how it impacts surrounding environments. In recognition of this opportunity, Dr. Celso Ferreira, a professor at Mason whose research focuses on water resources and environmental engineering, created the Mason Water Data Information System (MWDIS) in the summer of 2013. This program is a collection of students and faculty working to collect hydrological data across Mason’s campus in hopes of understanding its role as an independent watershed. He said this program was created as a way to take advantage of the opportunity to gather quantifiable information on the Mason Watershed.
(AMY ROSE/FOURTH ESTATE)
Students who work with the Mason Water Data Information System use “the bat” to collect data on a stream near Lot A. Like its furry namesake, this instrument emits sonar waves to measure the stream’s water level. production of educational research opportunities for students at Mason. Ferreira hopes to “inspire as many students as we can to work with us.” This project is also meant to support generations of students that can “learn and improve and pick up where the last one left,” he said.
Until the fall of 2014, the information gleaned from the data collection sites could only be accessed by Mason students working on and Under the Ferreira Research Project, a program created and direct- maintaining each set of sensors on campus. Augusto da Silva and ed by Ferreira to expand research opportunities to undergraduate Angelita Barbosa Nunes, two undergraduate students who came to study at Mason from Brazil, designed an internet-based system that allows public “If Mason’s trying to be a leader, it’s not being a leader in terms of sustainability of access to the data collected on campus. This system allows watersheds.” - Dr. Chris Jones, freshwater ecologist and Mason professor other researchers to input independently collected data into the Mason system. students, Ferreira hopes to gather data through MWDIS that will “over time, be able to understand how positively or negatively Mason is affecting the watershed.” Data is collected on temperature, precipitation levels, wind speed, gust speed, pressure, relative humidity and dew point at various locations throughout campus. In order to study runoff patterns, students focus on temperature and water levels.
According to the program’s mission statement, this addition, “paved the way to efficient data sharing and discovery in the hydrological sciences.” This development also supports the research and education surrounding the Mason Watershed with historical, hydrological, atmospheric and water quality data from numerous projects on campus in addition to work completed by MWDIS. Individual data from each of the stations can be found at water.vse.gmu.edu.
In addition to this final research goal, huge motivators behind MWDIS are the generation of watershed awareness and the
The project is able to validate its own findings by cross-checking data at the multiple collection sites across campus. Shahriar
Abdsharifabadi, an accelerated masters student working toward a career in water resource engineering, has been working with Ferreira since the fall 2015 semester to rejuvenate the project. In the spirit of the MWDIS, Abdsharifabadi has picked up where other students have left off and is working to validate past data and accurately collect new data. According to Abdsharifabadi, the project is currently “not creating solutions to any possible problems, we are just trying to understand.” By studying the amount of precipitation falling on campus and following runoff patterns, Abdsharifabadi is attempting to “quantify a natural phenomenon” that is the Mason Watershed. Students like Abdsharifabadi also track every step of the water’s journey, from precipitation to runoff, to the Mason Pond and nearby streams. Stream water levels are measured and collected by use of “the bat.” The bat is an instrument that clings to the underside of a bridge above a stream behind the Engineering Building. Using sonar waves like the ones produced by its furry namesake, the device is able to determine the water level. The bat can calculate its distance from the water’s surface based on how long it takes the sonar wave to bounce back to the device. Abdsharifabadi said this calculation helps determine the volume of water flowing through the stream at any given time. Abdsharifabadi said he spends much of his time making sure the data collected is accurate. “If you don’t have good data, a model is as useless as candy crush on your phone,” Abdsharifabadi said. He explained that if the data collected over the last three years
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Wingfield feels that “if access is lost, there is a loss to the community.” Wingfield said human developments are designed around watersheds, and this is an indicator of water’s centrality to societies, from subsistence, spiritual and aesthetic perspectives. Wingfield said the Fairfax campus is unique because the features of its watershed are so visibly apparent. Students and faculty must cross bridges that pass over the two streams on campus, and the university’s storm water retention pond, aka Mason Pond, has become a campus landmark. Wingfield also said this pond reflects a promising trend in terms of Mason’s watershed involvement. Although the pond has been used for years as an inviting highlight in Mason’s brochures, it is now gaining attention for its poor ecological health. Wingfield feels that a “more rigorous intellectual engagement with the watershed has developed” in the years since he first came to Mason. Mason’s position as a “transitioning landscape,” as Wingfield mentioned, can negatively impact hydrology patterns and ecosystems downstream. Altering the surrounding geography can increase the volume and speed that runoff travels. Changes to surrounding areas also influence the particles that are picked up by runoff and eventually wind up in these water bodies. “Excess nitrogen and phosphorous leaves the lawn because it’s not needed, and it winds up in streams,” Jones said. (AMY ROSE/FOURTH ESTATE)
The Fairfax campus is its own watershed. This means all the rainfall that lands on campus drains to Mason Pond and other nearby streams. is not consistently collected and quantified, then any hydrological models completed on Mason’s campus cannot be accurately applied to other watersheds and lose their scientific value. If these models cannot be accurately designed, then the scientific community loses the opportunity to take advantage of Mason’s unique ecology that makes it so optimal for watershed research. Eventually, Ferreira, Abdsharifabadi and the other students working on MWDIS hope to apply their findings in order to expand data collection into the Potomac region. Ferreira hopes these findings can be used to reduce risks of flooding, decrease pollutant runoff and design housing and development to protect the health of these surrounding watersheds.
stability of stream banks. A bank well-colonized with vegetation growth is less susceptible to erosion and acts as a natural filter for runoff, and is therefore an important indicator of health for any body of water. He said this is one of the largest issues with bodies of water in Northern Virginia. More often than not, bodies of water are surrounded by impervious surfaces such as pavement and asphalt parking lots. Professor Andrew Wingfield, who teaches creative writing and sustainability, commented on the intangible values of a watershed to its respective community. In terms of water body management,
Other substances found in developed areas, such as oil leaking from cars and the salt laid down to prevent snow accumulation, are all similarly carried downstream. These particulates can cloud water sources, alter the ecology of the water and disrupt the balance of delicate ecosystems. Mason has been “replacing groves of trees with buildings and roads and lawns” over time, Wingfield explained. Wingfield recognizes that Mason cannot stop developing and expanding. However, he feels as an institution of higher education, Mason has a responsibility to create an environment based upon learning and sustainable education. “The environment we create is a reflection of our values,” he said.
Mason’s impacts on its watershed Jones feels that although Mason’s watershed education practices are improving over time, this is not necessarily reflected in the physical aspects of its campus. He said the newest construction taking place behind Merten Hall is effectively burying the headwaters of the Mason Watershed. Headwaters are the areas where water from a wide area of land begins to gather and feed a watershed. By adding construction to this area, Mason is altering its watershed irreversibly, according to Jones. “If Mason’s trying to be a leader, it’s not being a leader in terms of sustainability of watersheds,” Jones said. In his extensive work collecting water samples downstream of Mason, Jones has noticed trends of decreased organism diversity. Jones said by looking at the diversity of organisms found in a stream, researchers can estimate the health of the water body. Any insect larvae found in the water “have to withstand the range of conditions over time,” and are therefore an indicator of how stable the water source is, Jones said. If streams only contain very adaptable insects, then the water quality is expected to be very low, but if more sensitive creatures are able to also survive, then the body must be relatively healthy. Jones also commented on the impact Mason is having on the
(AMY ROSE/FOURTH ESTATE)
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Mason signs White House environmental pledge NATALIA KOLENKO | ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR
This past December, Mason joined a list of over 200 colleges and universities in signing the American Campuses Act on Climate Pledge. By signing this pledge, initiated by the White House, each of these universities committed to lowering carbon emissions and increasing sustainable practices. “As institutions of higher education, we applaud the progress already made to promote clean energy and climate action as we seek a comprehensive, ambitious agreement at the upcoming United Nations Climate Negotiations in Paris,” the pledge stated, according to a White House press release. The pledge says that participating institutions recognize the urgent need to act now to avoid irreversible costs to the global community’s economic prosperity and public health. It added that signatories are optimistic that world leaders will reach an agreement to secure a transition to a low-carbon future. “Today our school pledges to accelerate the transition to low-carbon energy while enhancing sustainable and resilient practices across our campus,” the pledge read.
“As institutions of higher education, we applaud the progress already made to promote clean energy and climate action as we seek a comprehensive, ambitious agreement at the upcoming United Nations Climate Negotiations in Paris. We recognize the urgent need to act now to avoid irreversible costs to our global community’s economic prosperity and public health and are optimistic that world leaders will reach an agreement to secure a transition to a low carbon future. Today our school pledges to accelerate the transition to low-carbon energy while enhancing sustainable and resilient practices across our campus.”
- American Campuses Act on Climate Pledge
Graduate student Giulia Manno, the sustainability outreach coordinator for the Office of Sustainability, said the pledge was signed in support of President Obama before he attended the Paris climate talks last November and December. Manno said that in signing the pledge, these colleges and
universities proved to the international community that Obama had both support and invested commitment in impacting climate change both at home and abroad. The pledge came to Mason’s attention when an individual with the White House approached Dr. Edward Maibach, a communication professor and the director for the Center for Climate Change Communication, and further reached out to Jim Kinter, the director of the Center for Ocean, Land and Atmosphere studies. According to Danielle Wyman-Castellano, the outreach and community engagement manager for the Office of Sustainability, Maibach, Kinter and their colleague Jagadish Shukla, the director of the Climate Dynamics Program, then brought the information to President Angél Cabrera who decided to sign the pledge. Cabrera and his team then took the next step by deciding which goals Mason would submit to the White House as part of the pledge. Building off of previously objectives, the goals will first aim to collaborate with local municipalities to provide more sustainable public transportation opportunities through shuttle buses, bike-share systems, bike infrastructure and shared vehicle options. The second part states that Mason will aim to achieve climate neutrality by 2050 and, as part of that endeavor, meet a milestone in 2020 of a 50 percent reduction in energy intensity from its 2006 baseline. The university also hopes to achieve a 50 percent recycling rate increase by 2018. Wyman-Castellano added that Mason is currently on track to meet its 2018 goal. “For multiple reasons, this is … really important. If we are to stand any chance in moving forward with climate neutrality goals, it is imperative that we have the support from all levels, from students, staff and faculty members of the university, to be able to advance these goals,” Wyman-Castellano said. Wyman-Castellano added that some of the biggest emitters of carbon at Mason are buildings and forms of transportation. She and Manno suggested that one way students can have an impact of the reduction of carbon is by taking advantage of some of the carpooling programs Mason offers on campus, such as the Student Carpool Program and Zimride.
(MEGAN ZENDEK/FOURTH ESTATE)
“As with anything on campus, [and] we have seen this time and again, it is truly without a doubt, it is the students that push things forward,” Wyman-Castellano said. “If the students get on board with something and they really come out in strong numbers in support for something, we’ve seen the entire university change. It’s really incredible what students are able to do.”
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Maibach said via email that students and universities should continue to do what they do best. “Universities can do what they do best -- innovate, educate, and engage members of their communities. Most importantly, we need universities to focus on developing the solutions we need -- most importantly: cheap, reliable, clean energy, and better ways to store, transport and manage it,” the email read. Kinter echoed Maibach and believes that Mason being such a large research institution offered a great opportunity. He said that because Mason has the opportunity to research and learn out the effects of climate change, it has the chance to find solutions to these problems as well. Wyman-Castellano said that from her perspective, students are very concerned about environmental issues. “A lot of the students that we talk with and interact with on social media, they are extremely concerned, alarmed actually, about where things are headed [and] what decisions are global leaders making with regard to climate change policy. And [they are] vocal about it too,” Wyman-Castellano said. Wyman-Castellano said that the conversations happening among college students right now are very robust and productive and they are actually making change happen. She added that she would love to see a broader conversation that would include students from all groups and demographics. However, Wyman-Castellano noted that in her experiences, older generations seem to be remorseful about issues that younger generations are facing.
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George Mason Democrats conduct straw poll that focuses on Millennial vote MADISON ANTUS | STAFF WRITER
The George Mason Democrats recently published the results of a straw poll that asked students who they would vote for in the upcoming presidential election. The winner for the Democratic ballot was Senator Bernie Sanders and Senator Marco Rubio won for the Republican ballot. The poll was open in the Johnson Center from Jan. 18 to Feb. 5, and the results were published Feb. 7. The results of the Democratic portion of the straw poll listed Sanders as the victor with 69.5 percent of the vote, with former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton coming in second with 22.3 percent of the votes. Former Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley came in third with 7.3 percent of the votes. The results of the Republican portion of the straw poll listed Rubio winning with 32.7 percent of the vote, Senator Rand Paul coming in second with 18.2 percent, Senator Ted Cruz and Carly Fiorina tying for third with each receiving 9.1 percent of the votes and Donald Trump, Ben Carson and former Florida Governor
Jeb Bush all tying for fourth place with 5.5 percent each. Ohio Governor John Kasich received no votes. Paul and Fiorina have since dropped out of the race. Straw polls are unofficial ballots meant to be a test of opinion. For the George Mason Democrats poll, 157 online ballots and 131 paper ballots were submitted for a total of 288 participants, according to a post the George Mason Democrats made on their Facebook page. They added that participants chose to fill out either a Democratic or Republican ballot and each respective ballot listed the candidates for that party as of Jan. 31, 2016. The George Mason Democrats also stated that 233 Democratic ballots and 55 Republican ballots were submitted. The straw poll was conducted at Mason while Generation: Financial Knowledge Development (GenFKD) conducted its own study that found that 85 percent of millenials feel that the presidential candidates are ignoring them. GenFKD defines itself as “a peer-to-peer educational platform dedicated to informing college students and recent graduates about the economy, jobs and financial self-sufficiency.” According to the study, millennials make up 36 percent of all eligible voters, “the largest generational bloc.” The study polled 782 adults across the United States between the ages of 18 and 34 in December 2015.
“Some of my family members are very supportive and they think that what we’re doing is really important and they can see, in hindsight, some of the damage that was caused,” Wyman-Castellano said. “And they’re like ‘to a certain degree, we’ve really screwed things up, but it’s so great and we’re so inspired and we stand behind you for doing what you’re going to do and then pushing forward and fixing our mistakes.’”
The study also found that the campaign issues that matter most to millennials are jobs and economic growth, climate change, healthcare and student debt. The issue polled millennials felt most strongly about was jobs and economic growth, with 19 percent of all participants saying that the candidate who focuses on this issue is most likely to get the millennial vote.
Wyman-Castellano said that while this White House pledge is the first global commitment Mason has made to sustainability, it is not the first time the university decided to take action on this topic. In 2007 and 2008, the American Colleges and University Presidents Climate Commitment was signed by former Mason president, Alan Merten. Wyman-Castellano said that was the first time that Mason really publicly committed to reaching climate neutrality by 2050 and this commitment was the reason the Office of Sustainability was formed.
According to Joe Russell, co-president of the George Mason Democrats, their poll had been in the works since last April. “This is something we’ve wanted to do for a long time,” Russell said. “We’ve had lots of discussion about presidential contests, and lots of people have asked me, when I talk with members of the Fairfax Democratic Community, … ‘Who does Mason support?’”
In 2010, Mason also adopted a Climate Action Plan. This plan involved a slightly less ambitious goal compared to the White house pledge goal, with a 20 percent reduction of emissions by 2020 and an 80 percent emission reduction by 2050. “We have the Climate Action Plan; however it is six years old. It’s outdated. The next step is really to update it and figure out what are the [next steps]. From that document, we’ve hit a lot of the low-hanging fruit already, so we need to revisit the document, update it and sort of craft our next path forward,” WymanCastellano said.
According to Russell, the organization was unsure as to how many students were going to participate in the study, but was pleased with the 288 participants.
The follow-up to the Climate Action Plan would eventually be the White House pledge with it’s somewhat more ambitious emission reduction goals.
“We know the average number of students who vote on campus ranges around 500, so we weren’t expecting thousands and thousands of people to participate in this,” Russell said.
“Thank goodness Mason got onto this [list]. It’s really, really important and really significant because we’re the thought leaders,” Wyman-Castellano said. “This is the direction that society is going in.”
(MEGAN ZENDEK/FOURTH ESTATE)
Russell said that despite the snowstorm that kept people from filling out paper ballots for a week in the middle of the collection period, George Mason Democrats received a nearly even number of paper and online ballots.
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Russell added that he feels the results were indicative of the larger voting population. “The people who are taking this are the people who are going to vote, so we’re actually getting a fairly accurate result. ... I think this is a fairly realistic number based on the number of people who actually participate in elections,” Russell said. “It was nice to see that not only were we able to get a kind of scientifically substantial number of people voting in the straw poll, but we kind of had results that track with people who are paid to do this.”
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Devon Flynn, chairman of George Mason College Republicans, said there are currently no plans for the George Mason College Republicans to conduct a similar poll, since he assumes only Republicans would particTake the anonymous survey between February ipate, similar to the unbalanced turnout in the George Mason Democrats’ poll (only 55 Republican ballots were cast). However, Flynn said the College Republicans held a vote within their organization, and according to Clinton as doing. Flynn, Rubio was the winner by “about 25 to 28 percent,” with “We have some candidates, Marco Rubio, even John Kasich, who about 5 to 7 percent of votes going to Cruz. are seeking the millennial vote,” Flynn said. Flynn said that initially, with the 17 GOP candidates running for president, there were some candidates who George Mason College He also added that Sanders has done a good job seeking millennial Republicans felt did not address millennials’ concerns. However, votes as well. Flynn said he believes that Rubio and Ohio Governor John Kasich are listening to millennials and reaching out to the group, not only focusing on seniors and the middle class, as Flynn described
Russell agreed, saying, “We know that young voters are much more likely to vote for Senator Sanders over Secretary Clinton,
22-26 at gmufourthestate.com. (MEGAN ZENDEK/FOURTH ESTATE)
and we also know that young voters tend to have a preference for … Senator Rubio over most of the other GOP candidates.” Sanders held a town hall on Mason’s campus last October, and Kasich is holding a town hall on Mason’s campus today, Feb. 22. Both Flynn and the George Mason Democrats encouraged students to vote in the Virginia primaries. Students who are registered to vote on campus will be able to in Merten Hall on Mar. 1 between 6 a.m. and 7 p.m..
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Mason adds new Wi-Fi access points around campus There are some areas on campus where the Wi-Fi works perfectly and some places where there is a limited connection. Freshman Henry Muñoz does not pay much attention to where the Wi-Fi works. He uses alternative methods to get connected. “Honestly I have never paid attention to where the Wi-Fi is good because I have always had trouble with it,” Muñoz said. “I have to resort to my own data in order to stay connected.” Aside from using MASON or MASON-SECURE, freshman Ashlee Booth notes that recently the “Eduroam” network has better connectivity than either of the two popular networks. “Apparently over winter break [Mason] updated the Wi-Fi, and now for out of date computers MASON-SECURE will not work,” Booth said. “It wasn’t working for me, so I called, and they told me to use eduroam, and it works so much better, especially when streaming Netflix.” According to Spann, good reception is dependent on having enough access points where users need them. Recently, Mason increased the number of access points in some of the residence halls by adding an access point in every suite instead of placing access points in hallways to cover multiple suites. Now the ITS Department is seeking the resources to install access points in every suite and in other buildings.
(MEGAN ZENDEK/ FOURTH ESTATE)
BASMA HUMADI | STAFF WRITER
Ask anyone on campus about the school Wi-Fi, and you are most likely to hear, “the Wi-Fi sucks!” On Twitter, there are numerous tweets dedicated to Mason’s inconsistent Wi-Fi. However, some up-and-coming improvements could drastically improve the situation. Starting this month, Mason is increasing the number of Wi-Fi network access points across campus, both inside and outside of buildings. This means that the Wi-Fi will not just be faster in the buildings, but also more accessible outside. Sophomore Roshan Mirajkar thinks Mason’s new addition to its internet may be a slow process, but it is on a path toward improvement. “Mason is adding more routers and router extenders to help distribute network traffic, so students should keep in mind that our internet is actually very stable compared to other schools and improving,” Mirajkar said. “It is an ongoing effort, but it’s not an overnight thing. That’s not how vitalizing the internet connection goes.” Mason is adding 113 new access points to the Johnson Center, which will strengthen the connection throughout one of Mason’s most popular buildings. Mirajkar also thinks the Wi-Fi is worse now, due to more students connected to two sources.
“Before there used to be many networks for wifi, now it’s just MASON and MASON-SECURE,” Mirajkar said. “They did this to make it simpler. And Mason has thousands of students attempting to use the same internet connection almost 24/7, so at peak hours it ripples [and students] may experience slowness because the server is getting overloaded.” According to Charlie Spann, director of business operations for Information Technology Services (ITS), between 2 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. during weekdays, as many as 17,000 separate devices are connected to the network at one time. This can definitely slow down the speed of the internet network because so many people are using the internet at once. When it comes to differentiating between the “MASON” and “MASON-SECURE” networks, Spann explains that MASONSECURE is better for Mason students to connect to because it is more protected. “MASON is unencrypted and requires manual authentication or device registration. Unencrypted messages can be intercepted and possibly read,” Spann said. “MASON-SECURE is a network that uses automatic authentication and encryption. Messages on this network are harder to read if intercepted because they are sent in an encrypted format and then unencrypted when they reach their destination. ITS recommends Mason users select MASONSECURE to protect the confidentiality of their data and online activity.”
Wi-Fi speed and connectivity is not just a problem at Mason, but also at other universities. Spann recognizes that each college or university faces its own unique challenges based on a variety of factors. “Two of the most common approaches are to provide high-density coverage in specific buildings and leave others uncovered or to install Wi-Fi in most buildings but with less density,” Spann said. “The advantage to the second approach is that users can access and use basic Internet service such as web apps, email, and similar services nearly everywhere. Apps that require high-network capacity, such as streaming video, are not always available to users.” Currently, on Niche.com, a site that lets students review colleges in terms of numerous categories, Mason holds a B- for technology is ranked #515 out of 1,056 schools in that category. Though many students complain about the Wi-Fi, ITS notes that the best way to solve individual network struggles is to contact the department for support. Mason monitors the wireless networks in order to fight against potential bugs and ensure that the internet is running smoothly. However, these monitors do not capture everything, so Mason is dependent upon students to report issues. Spann explains that a majority of their reported issues are related to individual problems, rather than the server. “The issues that are reported are not typically attributable to a server,” Spann said. “We generally see problem reports when there is not sufficient wireless coverage or there is a problem with the configuration of the device attempting to connect to the wireless.” As for the fate of Mason’s Wi-Fi, the school is making a slow but steady progress toward improvement. “This is a growing campus with many wireless users,” Spann said. “It will take additional resources to increase the size of the network and to install additional access points to cover the entirety of our campuses.”
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Students tune out controversial preachers Cesnik feels that if plays his music louder than the preachers talk, he will be spreading the love on campus. “Music is a positive, I want to bring positive vibes around,” Cesnik said. “We can admit that 90 percent of us do not take the preachers seriously and we see them as jokes,” Hendricks said. “But all jokes aside, I feel bad for the other 10 percent.” Hendricks feels especially sorry for by-standers who are Christian. “[Their] ... hearts seemed broken since you have these ‘crazy’ preachers who make the religion look bad. There were Christians there trying to encourage other people to come to their Bible studies, trying to spread the word through love and acceptance instead of trying to scare people into the religion through hate and fear.” Cesnik says he gets really into his music when he performs next to the preachers. “I went through two rounds of them [the preachers],” Cesnik said. “They eventually switched off. Both of them tried to talk to me at first, I guess to get me to stop playing, so I’d be talking to them. So I kind of just locked eye contact with them and kept playing in their face.”
(AMY ROSE/ FOURTH ESTATE)
SAVANNAH NORTON | LIFESTYLE EDITOR
As Mason students are making their way through North Plaza on Tuesdays, they might often notice the angry preachers yelling arguably hateful words. These preachers sometimes attract large crowds of curious, and often aggravated, students because of their passionate -- and, for some, laughable -- preaching. Lately, however, there has been a more positive reason for the crowds in North Plaza. Some Mason students have decided to rebel against the negativity and do something that will make people smile instead of stare with confusion. There have been groups standing next to these preachers with “free hugs” signs and even student musicians spreading the love with some tunes. Freshman Matt Cesnik and junior Jimi Hendricks have been playing live music during these preachers’ rants to spread positivity on campus. Cesnik and Hendricks both stumbled upon the preachers by chance and decided music was the best way to fight back. “Last semester, I noticed that these guys were out here every Tuesday,” Cesnik said. He decided he wanted to spread positive vibes to counter the preachers’ animosity. “I was kind of just playing music, trying to drown out the preachers because they are getting really annoying.” Last week he ended up staying in North Plaza for two and a half hours. WGMU’s Matt Dodson and Nick Ortiz featured Cesnik on their radio show, “The Nice Guys,” where they interviewed him about his instrument of choice, the melodica, which Cesnik describes as “a drunken love child of a piano and a harmonica.”
Hendricks also mentioned one preacher’s insensitivity toward people of other faiths, especially Islam. “[H]e made jokes to Muslim students about them flying into buildings, stating that all Muslims are terrorists.” Mason’s campus is a public space that is open to all kinds of free speech. “It’s a public space, and if you want to exercise freedom of speech you’re allowed to do so,” Cesnik said. He explained that no one is going to harm the preachers for doing what they have the right to do. “So no one is going to lay a hand on these guys just for what they are saying because that would be assault. But we can have that speech thrown back at them.” Though one might assume that a person playing the saxophone would catch anyone off-guard, these preachers do not appear to be phased by the lively tunes. “I’ll be honest, it does not affect them at all,” Hendricks said. “There [have] been dozens, possibly even hundreds before me that have performed and try to drown them out. From what I have heard, they’ve been here for years, they are doing it now, this has not stopped them. Even though we are trying to drown out the noise, in their minds, we are the ones who are drowning.” Hendricks said he tries to consider these preachers’ point of view. “[I]f you saw a little kid drowning, would you not try to jump in and save them, even if you had some annoying guy playing saxophone in front of your face? That’s the equivalent in their eyes … we are the little kid who is drowning, they will try to ‘save us from hell’ us no matter what.”
Hendricks first stopped by the preachers to see what they were talking about. The preachers stand with signs saying things like, ‘You Deserve Hell’ and shout out random insults to students like “You are a sinner.”
Students have told Hendricks that these preachers should be forced off campus grounds. “I disagree,” Hendricks said. “Even though their opinions are unpopular and negative, they are still under the rights of the First Amendment. The students here just have to suck it up, move on, and make something positive out of a negative situation.”
“I ran into my roommate when they were preaching and we started laughing our butts off. He knew I played saxophone and encouraged me to play in front of them. However, you could say my reasoning for doing it was to do it for the hell of it,” Hendricks said, tongue-in-cheek.
Hendricks and Cesnik both decided to play their instruments to brighten by-passers’ moods. “I want other people to feel good and laugh,” Hendricks said. “I’m glad knowing I am providing a comic relief. I would like people to see that I am the equivalent of Donkey in Shrek while the preachers are Lord Farquad.”
Both Hendricks and Cesnik have had a passion for music starting at a young age and are currently involved with Mason’s pep band, Green Machine, which was ranked the best band in the nation by NCAA.com. Hendricks started playing the saxophone when he was 10 years old. “I feel ecstatic whenever I have the excuse to play the saxophone,” Hendricks said. “I was playing the sax for my own enjoyment. Honestly, watching the preachers become frustrated like that was the most enjoyment I got out of life in ever since I have started here at George Mason.” Cesnik plays the melodica to get away from real world problems. “If things ever get overwhelming, and I need to escape, there are songs I can play and songs I listen to that have a very calming effect. It’s unbelievably helpful, and nothing has ever had the same type of effect on my life that music has.” Cesnik likes to play tunes such as wrestler John Cena’s entrance theme or the Tetris theme song. “The Tetris theme, I can play for hours because Tetris can go on for hours,” he said. Cesnik said he is also a pianist, so a lot of what he plays on his melodica also works on the piano as well. When deciding what instrument he should play to interrupt the preachers, Cesnik had to think on it, since he plays a number of instruments. “I’ve played piano for five years and trumpet for eight. I actually bought my melodica ... this past fall specifically to play around the preachers, because I felt like [the] trumpet would be too loud for North Plaza, given that there are classes going on in the surrounding buildings.” Cesnik explained that he does not intend to interrupt students’ ability to hear their instructors. “It’s just loud enough to be obnoxious upfront, but not loud enough, I don’t think, to cover up classes,” he said. “I started playing around them a little bit at the end of last semester, and then I did decide that every time they are out there this semester, I want to be out there.” Students like Cesnik and Hendricks seem to be starting a musical revolution. Cesnik explained that a student musician walked up to him once while he was playing and asked if he could accompany him the following week. Cesnik said he was happy to oblige. “I said, ‘Hey I’m not one to dictate what goes on here, so if you want to come play, then absolutely. Be my guest!’”
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‘Shining a Light’ on human trafficking a better understanding of how to help turn the tide of human trafficking.” The event will feature performances, spoken word, poets, and speakers. Mason professor Al Fuertes will speak at the event about his personal connection to human trafficking. “Professor Al Fuertes from New Century College will be speaking at the event about his work and research on human trafficking,” said Ahmad. “He has devoted his life as a voice for the voiceless and we are excited to have him.” Students are encouraged to attend the event to not only gain knowledge for themselves, but to also spread the word about an issue that can often become misconstrued or unnoticed. “Human trafficking is an issue that is swept under the rug in the United States and worldwide,” Banks said. “At home, human trafficking is seen as simply a problem affecting lower income countries. However, worldwide there is a silence from both families who are forced to resort to selling their children into trafficking, and a silence from the victims themselves. Through attending Shining a Light in the Darkness, we would hope that students can spread accurate and factual information about human trafficking to friends and family.”
(COURTESY OF PROJECT NUR)
TATYANA WHITE-JENKINS | ASSISTANT LIFESTYLE EDITOR
Fairfax County recently deemed January Human Trafficking Awareness Month in order to raise awareness for the growing issue. Following the announcement, various student organizations at Mason are coming together to bring attention and provide information on human trafficking to students. On February 25 from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., Shining a Light in the Darkness: Human Trafficking Awareness Night, will take place in Dewberry Hall. This event was created to allow students to learn about the issue of human trafficking and how to get involved. “Shining a Light in the Darkness is an advocacy event hosted in partnership with Project Nur, the Working Group for Displaced Populations, and the Bengali Patriot’s Association to spread awareness of the threat of human trafficking both internationally and domestically,” junior Emmanuel Banks, vice-president of George Mason UNICEF, said. “From speakers to performances, Shining a Light in the Darkness was created to empower the Mason community to take action against an issue that is occurring right in our own backyard.” According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), 21 million people are victims of human trafficking around the world. Those involved with the event hope to emphasize that this issue is not only happening in places around the world, but also in our own communities. “Human trafficking is taking a person using force or power, and exploiting the trafficked person for personal and/or financial gain,” junior Asra Ahmad, president of Project Nur, said. “This issue is important because it happens all around the world. It even happens in our own area. The victims are taken away and exploited and the scary part is that it could happen to anyone.” Along with Project Nur and GMU UNICEF, other groups involved with the event include the Bengali Patriots Association, Freedom Connection Against Human Trafficking, and the Working Group for Displaced Populations. Together, these organizations are hoping to create an open atmosphere for students to engage in
conversation and become more aware about human trafficking. “We are shedding light on the issue of human trafficking,” Ahmad said. “So we are shinning a light in the darkness and are hoping to provide a space for students to openly talk about the issue and be aware of what is going on in the world today.” Banks hopes the event will help diminish many of the misconceptions surrounding the issue of human trafficking. “There are a number of misconceptions that cover almost every aspect of human trafficking,” Banks said. “From the motivations of traffickers, to the groups that are most at risk. For many college students, especially freshmen and transfer students, this is their first time away from home for an extended period of time. Such a distance can make students in our age group more vulnerable to trafficking than one may imagine. Additionally, Virginia is one of the ten most reported states for human trafficking incidences, with Fairfax being a huge hotbed itself.” Because human trafficking poses a huge impact on children, GMU UNICEF hopes to raise awareness about not only the issue of human trafficking but the connection and detrimental effects is has on youth. “While young adults are vulnerable to human trafficking, it is known as an issue that especially affects children and teens,” Banks said. “Domestically and internationally, UNICEF understands the effect that human trafficking can pose to youth. From sex trafficking to forced child soldiers, human trafficking is a multi-faceted issue that is further complicated by poverty. Through UNICEF’s involvement with Shining a Light in the Darkness, we hope that attendees leave with
Since Mason is a university located in an area where human trafficking is prominent, Banks encourages students to become actively involved with advocacy for this issue. “George Mason is a heavily involved campus - both politically and socially,” Banks said. “We are also a campus that is surrounded by human trafficking. With education and advocacy comes action, and Shining a Light in Darkness hopes to educate our active campus and to point them in the direction of resources to reverse Northern Virginia’s long-held trafficking statistic.” Along with attending the event, both Ahmad and Banks encourage students to join advocacy groups on campus and conduct their own research on the issue. “There are various online resources available to students, including MTVU’s (MTV University) own Against Our Will Campaign,” Banks said. “Their ‘Take Action’ website provides approachable and easy, as well as hard-hitting and impactful ways to get George Mason involved in advocating against human trafficking. Joining clubs like Working Group for Displaced Populations and attending events and discussions centered around human trafficking is an important way to continue educating yourself. Nothing combats human trafficking more than understanding the signs of a human trafficking victim or situation.”
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Escape Room trend takes over Fairfax DARLENE ALEGRADO | STAFF WRITER
With high stakes, puzzles to solve and only an hour to get out, the escape room phenonmon is taking over the average evening date or friends’ night out. These interactive and intense games are known to get players’ hearts racing and start the gears turning in their heads. Many escape room companies are starting to pop up in and around Washington, D.C. But Room Escape DC recently opened in Fairfax. The company opened just four months ago, but it has already welcomed over 5,000 players. Founders Egor and Anna Bond opened the Fairfax location hoping to bring the fun of games closer to those south of D.C. Room Escape DC is located off of University Drive, roughly eight minutes away from campus. Escape games, like the ones offered at Room Escape DC, lock players inside a themed room with a story for why each person must escape. Within four walls are ample amounts of locks, riddles and hidden messages that need to be solved in order to unlock the door. Senior Kayla Morales has played multiple escape rooms and finds them exciting. “There’s an adrenaline rush – especially if they’re scary – [and the rooms are] challenging and mind-bending.” These scenarios called, Real Escape Games (REG), are based on video games in which a player is locked inside a room and must explore the surroundings to escape. Similar to the popular cell phone game 100 Floors, where a player needs to tilt, shake, invert or tap their way to building a floor using clues scattered on the screen to escape, these new escape games take that concept a step further by creating a life-size experience. First seen in Japan in early 2008, REG quickly became a trend. It then became popular in Europe and now these games are a new-found favorite in the United States. “The beauty of this game is that there’s no age limit,” Egor Bond said. It doesn’t matter if the player tall or short, male or female, brawny or slight, because “nothing in there needs power, just brain power and skills.” Room Escape DC offers two games to players: Escape the White House and Dr. Panic. Once a room is entered, players need to
think quickly because the stakes are high and there is only one hour to complete the mission. “What if you had to get out of a room, and if you didn’t the bomb would go off or the doctor would come back? It’s like you get to be in that situation without being in actual danger,” Morales said. Players are encouraged to flip over furniture and rugs or crawl under desks and peer between bookshelves to find clues. However, if players feel they are making little to no progress wandering around the room, there’s a camera in the ceiling that allows the game master to monitor progress and give help when requested. Hints must be used sparingly, because a group is only allotted a certain number of them. Each room’s atmosphere is different depending on the mission. Soft, heart-pounding music is one way game masters set the tone within rooms. Other methods include extreme lighting, themed décor or live actors to interact with participants. The catch is that players don’t know what the room will look like until they sign the waiver to play. “It’s nice to go in with the mentality that we’re going to get out without using any clues!” Morales said. “But my priority is just to get out in time.” Teams should not feel bad if they need extra help. Bond explained that about 95 percent of people who play use hints. However, there are some tenacious teams that refuse to take hints and cannot escape the room, but “fail with pride,” according to Bond. Roughly three in every 10 groups finish the game in time. “Communicate every step. If you found something, you need to share it with everybody,” Bond continued. “Someone may have [seen] something, and you’re trying to do that same thing. That just wastes your time. Also, don’t just run around and ignore details.” Three new attractions will be joining the current two: Escape Jail Bus, Phone Booth and Dating Room. Typically, escape rooms are made for several people, but these new escapes will be geared toward smaller audiences.
(COURTESY OF ROOM ESCAPE DC)
Mason alumna Ria Namata commented that it may be difficult for large groups to work together when clues are randomly placed around the room, but “when people are able to organize themselves and know what their roles are, it makes solving it smoother.” Escape Jail Bus and Phone Booth are both new to the industry. Jail Bus will be open to the public within the next couple of weeks, with Dating Room and Phone Booth to follow. “We don’t want to go with the flow in the industry, we want to be the first in everything.” Bond said. “What we will have next is a level up from what we have now.” Escape rooms are typically $27 per person, but Room Escape DC is offering a 20 percent off discount for Mason students until May 31. “It’s a good bonding experience and a good challenging intellectual experience,” Namata said. “It’s something memorable. So if you’re looking for something that’s not just a fun night out at the movies or a random bowling night … something unique and different but at the same time something that challenges you, then it’s definitely something to try out.”
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GMUFOURTHESTATE.COM @IVESTATE
#GMU “I haven’t had wifi in the JC for 45 min and my exam is in an hour. bet Mason won’t explain these data overages to my parents tho”
02.22.2016
TO DO THIS WEEK: MONDAY 2/22
On campus:
Off campus:
Evenings Under the Stars
Ice Skating
Research Hall 163- Lobby
Reston Town Center
5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
11a.m.- 7p.m.
@_catburglar jessica.
TUESDAY 2/23 Off campus:
On campus:
R5 Live
Pilates Barre Fusion
“I have a table with an outlet in fenwick please bring me chick Fil a so I don’t have to get up and loe this primo spot.
Lincoln Theater
Johnson Center G34- Dance Studio
7:00p.m.
12 p.m. - 1 p.m.
WEDNESDAY 2/24
@Bari_um Mark Barry Siford
On campus:
Off campus:
Financial Well-Being Seminar
Screening Pass Giveaway: Gods of Egypt
Innovation Hall 211
“Juicy J could get 100% of the votes and Pac still would announce that Aaron Carter is our performer for Mason Day”
@alexdahuman R. Kelly
Regal Cinemas Majestic 20 & IMAX
12 p.m. - 1 p.m.
7:30p.m.
THURSDAY 2/25 Off campus:
On campus:
Carrie Underwood Live
Off-Campus Housing Fair
Verizon Center
Johnson Center -Dewberry Hall
7:00p.m.
11 a.m. - 2 p.m.
“When you wake up at 8:14 for your 7:30 class.”
@lfesinachi_ Obum J Egolum
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FRIDAY 2/26 On campus: Cloud 9, presented by the School of Theater de Laski Performing Arts Building- Theater Space 8 p.m. - 11 p.m.
Off campus: Live Music the Winery The Winery at Bull Run 4:30-8:30p.m.
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Sports
02.22.2016
GMUFOURTHESTATE.COM @IVESTATE
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The long lasting debate over whether or not NCAA student athletes should be entitled to pay is an ongoing arguement. With Mason’s close proximity to Washington D.C. athletics, the students here get the best of both worlds. They have the opportunity to go enjoy professional games and indulge in the Division 1 athletics program at Mason. Over the past few years, controversy has arisen over the amount of time and energy, college athletes are expected to devote to their sport. Some college athletes say they spend the same amount of time as a full time job training, practicing, or playing during the week. The question has arisen: Should division 1 athletes get compensation beyond scholarships? The assistant sports editor, Ben Cowlishaw, and staff writer, Ben Criswell, debate both sides of the question in their first installment of Ben vs. Ben.
No pay for play in college athletics BEN CRISWELL| STAFF WRITER
It’s no secret that student athletes generate (Donald Trump voice) millions and billions of dollars for their respective schools. It’s also no secret that student athletes receive exactly zero percent of the money their programs collect. While some might argue that this eerily resembles some form of fascist sports world, others argue that the current system is best for all parties involved, and while I am not steadfastly entrenched in my opposition to the payment of student-athletes (I have flipflopped many times), I do believe that the argument in favor of compensation does not take into consideration all factors involved. Student-athletes by no means have it easier than your average college student and in most cases are forced to work harder and longer than the rest of us. I will also concede the fact that compensating student-athletes gives incentive to stay in school longer, which raises the level of play at all levels. Aside from the morality of not paying college athletes, this is probably the biggest argument a sports fan can make in favor of “pay for play” and probably where I lose the argument. When the product on the field or court is raised, it benefits everyone involved including the person who only cares about the quality of play, which in the last decade or so has significantly dropped off from the ‘80s, ‘90s and even the early 2000s. Nonetheless, the argument is one worth having and one worth analyzing all the evidence to the contrary and in favor of. The average cost of a year’s college tuition is $22,000 (this includes private schools and in and out-of-state tuition rates). For many students, both participating in collegiate athletics and not, this price is not affordable without some form of financial aid. Coincidentally, in 2015, seven out of every 10 college graduates graduated with an average debt of 28,000 dollars, a number the Wall Street Journal projects to increase to $30,000 in 2016. While most student athletes do not receive full scholarships, those who do, and successfully graduate, will do so $30,000 richer than the
average college student, effectively giving them a head start on their financial future. That extra $30,000 could potentially go toward renting an apartment or opening a savings account, and, most importantly, potentially sparing student-athletes from the all-too-common position of living with your parents the first year out of college. Who could put a price on that? Aside from the financial benefits of receiving an athletic scholarship, college athletics bring opportunities to kids who would otherwise not have them. Athletics allows a kid from Compton to attend Harvard on a football scholarship. It makes a kid from Detroit’s dream of going to Duke, blasphemous as it may seem, possible. “A way out,” as cliché as that may seem is cliché for a reason: it’s true. Giving student athletes a stipend or any form of compensation takes away an invaluable aspect of college: being broke. I realize being broke is probably not what you picture when you think of the quintessential college experience, but in reality most college students are, in fact, broke beyond belief.
not proud of it, and it comes from a lifelong dream of being a professional athlete, a dream that was crushed when I realized that playing three sports professionally was just not possible (take that Bo Jackson!). Student athletes get one thing that everyone everywhere, whether they admit it or not, wants: free gear. These guys walk around campus decked out in the freshest gear, gear that sells for 70 bucks a pop at the bookstore. It’s every 10-year-old’s dream to get the gear of a college athlete, and the lucky few who do get to flaunt their Nike hoodies around campus to the rest of us un-athletic mortals should be grateful. That’s the dream. That expression gets used a lot, but this right here is the definitive end-all-be-all, Mama-I-made-it dream; and you can’t quantify that into any kind of monetary value. Okay, jealously aside, if you pay the players, the product gets better, and Kobe and LeBron spend a couple years at Duke. It’s a win-win. Oh, and please give us another NCAA football ... please
Being broke isn’t all bad, though. Learning to live on your own with little to no money provides a skill that translates into all aspects of our lives. Instead of spending your $7 paycheck from the bookstore on a new pair of socks, you learn to spend that money on Ramen Noodles (how great is Top Ramen?) or better yet, save it. Being broke is a shared college experience that brings people together. Besides, there’s something romantic about “you’re broke, I’m broke, lets be broke together.” Paying student athletes would deprive them of participating in the timeless and invaluable tradition of being a broke college student, a tradition that sucks while you’re in it (like right now for me), but shapes your financial understanding of the world for the rest of your life. This last argument comes from a place of pure jealousy. I’m
(MEGAN ZENDEK/FOURTH ESTATE)
02.22.2016 15 IV sports Student Athletes entitled to compensation from NCAA cash cow GMUFOURTHESTATE.COM @IVESTATE
BEN COWLISHAW | ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR
The National Football League’s annual revenue reaches $13 Billion. The NCAA brings in billions as well. The average NFL player makes $1.9 million a year. The average NCAA player … not so much. While many get their cost of attendance subsidized by a scholarship, schools are banned by the NCAA from paying a penny more while the association, athletic conferences and schools across the country rake in millions. Last fall, a federal court struck down the NCAA’s ban on paying college athletes. Soon after, the NCAA began to allow college athletic programs to pay an additional cash stipend of a few thousand dollars to their athletes to cover living expenses, meaning athletes who complain of going to bed hungry may have some relief. The debate of whether student athletes can or should be considered employees rages on. The argument often goes that they are indeed amateurs, and as student-athletes, their primary job is to be a college student. In many instances, that may very well be the case. But that is not always so, especially among the top programs in college football and men’s basketball. Players frequently have to miss dozens of days of class in order to participate in their sport. In order for their players to maintain eligibility, schools across the country have been found pushing their athletes through courses that would be hardly recognizable as a college class. One notorious example is Hall of Fame Redskins defensive end Dexter Manley, who admitted at age 30 that he couldn’t read, despite graduating high school and attending Oklahoma State
University. Now I wouldn’t go so far as to say there’s an epidemic of illiterate athletes getting a pass through college, but the issue exists. Last year, two former athletes filed a class-action lawsuit against UNC-Chapel Hill for academic fraud, claiming they had not received the education they were promised and instead were enrolled in a substantial number of “fake classes.” If a core argument as to why student athletes shouldn’t be paid is that they already are by getting a free college education, they ought to be attending classes that will benefit them after graduation. The majority of college athletes will never sign a professional contract, and for those that do, it doesn’t bear as much fruit as they may have hoped. The average NFL career lasts just over three seasons. NBA players do better, averaging close to five. Regardless, the odds are stacked heavily against student athletes ever being financially secure based on their athletic careers alone. The demands of being a student athlete often rival or even surpass the workload of a full-time employee. Many student athletes report spending close to or in some instances well over 40 hours per week training, practicing and playing their sport, leaving no time for a part-time job for extra money. A quality college education should be a guarantee for every player and should take priority over throwing, kicking or shooting a ball for 40 hours a week, unless, of course, student athletes were to be classified as quasi-employees. It could be done a number of ways: perhaps offer a deferment of their full education until after their athletic career, or offer an additional stipend that makes putting their bodies on the line for their school worth it.
It’s undoubtable that student athletes are a tremendous asset to their schools in any number of ways. The University of Alabama would not be the research institution it is today without the revenue of their athletic programs. Universities receive millions in endowments from alumni, thanks in part to their athletic programs. For many schools, it’s just about getting their name on the map. Who would have heard of Gonzaga if not for their basketball program? I couldn’t begin to count the number of times I’ve heard “You go to George Mason? Weren’t they in the Final Four recently?” (I was 11 years old when Mason made it into the Final Four, but if that counts as recent, then sure.) For many schools, just having that level of name recognition is invaluable. In 40 states, the highest paid public employee is a state university athletic director or coach. Alabama generates more revenue through their athletic programs than any NHL team and 25 NBA teams. The value of the NCAA’s Final Four TV contract with CBS and Turner Broadcasting is over $10 billion. The high-salaried coaches, the colossal stadiums, the billion-dollar TV contracts would all be worthless without the players. It would be close to impossible to pay a majority of student athletes. Most athletic programs don’t generate a profit, and most college sports don’t have the audience that college football and basketball do. However, for those programs that are well in the black, they should be able to offer a deferred salary as a recruitment tool and have a moral obligation to pay up when their cash cow hits. It’s insane and immoral to not demand that student athletes who generate enormous revenue for their schools receive not just a full education, but are duly compensated.
Getting to know Otis Livingston II Freshman guard Otis Livingston II has been making a name for himself during his first season as a Mason Patriot. Livingston has stepped up and helped lead the team to victory with his speed and ability to see the court.
OL: Coming to college, I knew it wasn’t going to be easy. Some of the older guys have been helping us out a lot ... as far as the season, I knew it was going to be hard because it’s a very tough conference. It’s what I thought it was going to be.
Fourth Estate sat down with Livingston so we could learn more about his life both on and off the court.
FE: What do you want to see out of the team by the end of the season?
The first thing we learned? Livingston played both basketball and baseball growing up. From a young age, however, he knew his passion was on the court (not the diamond). By seventh grade, Livingston had decided that basketball was the sport he would pursue for the long haul.
OL: By the end of the season, [I want us to be] putting games together. One game we’ll play a certain way, then the next game we won’t. I want to see us putting great practices together and doing what coach [Dave Paulsen] wants us to do.
in organizations beyond basketball. Before Livingston graduates, he hopes to be an Academic All-American, get more involved in the community and leave Mason with a high GPA. FE: What’s your favorite place to eat on campus?
Here are some other questions Livingston answered for us: FE: How did you decide to come to Mason? OL: I didn’t have a lot of schools looking at me during high school. I had like four scholarship offers, and Mason was the best place for me to come. FE: What’s your favorite thing about Mason? OL: It fits my personality. It’s not too big and not too small. It’s just right. It is chill, but can also get fun sometimes. It fits me. FE: How has your experience with the team been thus far?
OL: That’s a hard one. Panera is always good, but probably Red Hot & Blue. FE: What’s your favorite place to study? OL: Fenwick.
FE: Do you have any goals for the team that you hope to reach by the time you graduate?
FE: When you’re not on the road traveling, what do you like to do on the weekends?
OL: NCAA Championship and Atlantic 10 Championship. Those are the big ones. I think we can get it done with our coaching staff and our players.
OL: I like to watch Netflix. I like watching movies. Just hanging out and taking it easy. FE: What’s a fun fact about you?
FE: What’s your favorite thing about home games? OL: When the crowd gets into it. They give us a lot of energy, and we feed off them. We want to play hard, we want to make the right play, we want to get the crowd excited. When the crowd gets loud, that’s my favorite part. Off the court, you can find Livingston in Mason’s Panera or in his sports management classes. He’s also hoping to get more involved
OL: I play the piano from time to time. I took piano lessons early on, then after a while I taught myself some songs from YouTube. I stopped playing, but I’m starting to get back into it. Mason’s next home game is Feb. 24 against Virginia Commonwealth University. Come out to cheer on Livingston and witness how Mason’s newest freshman can take command of the court.
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02.22.2016
Opinion
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Picture this: Syrian refugees dazzled by the color wheel Mustafa from Syria is five years old, but he’s small for his age because he only recently started eating proper meals. His tiny frame is sitting on a much-too-large chair in the makeshift art classroom of the refugee home in Mainz, Germany, just a couple of hours by train from Cologne. He’s helping me demonstrate: “Place the brush in the yellow…,”I say in German, “then in the blue…,” I take Mustafa’s right hand holding the paint brush and make a bright green stroke on his canvas. The older kids, between 7 and 10, exclaim in surprise. They’ve never been taught to mix colors. They don’t know about the color wheel. Mustafa looks up at me with a big grin. Preventing refugees like Mustafa from entering the U.S. has become a campaign platform for some Republican presidential candidates, capitalizing on American fears that these displaced people, many of them Muslims, will wreak havoc in the States, pointing to recent headline-capturing incidents in Paris and Cologne as justification. My first-hand experience with refugees in Germany as a U.S. State Department fellow has shown me an image of Muslim refugees – an image far different from the fear-mongering picture painted by people who I believe have succumbed to religious intolerance.
Living here since July, and I have spent the past few months a university student and as a volunteer at the Mainz refugee home(s.) Some days, I help to sort and distribute clothing donations to the residents at the homes. On other days, using a mix of German and English and hand gestures, I teach an art class for the children. I’ve seen elementary schoolers excel in the German language. (Recently, a particularly spunky third-grader corrected my pronunciation of the German word for “rainbow.”) I’ve watched refugee teens rush into the clothing donation room to scour for jeans (the most sought-after item), hoping to fit in with the Germans at school. I’ve seen young refugee men in their twenties tirelessly studying to improve their new German language skills so that after their papers are processed, they’ll be able to find German jobs and support their parents and siblings, some of whom remain in Syria or Afghanistan. I’ve heard refugee parents speaking broken German with their children because they understand that their children will learn more quickly if they hear German at home in addition to at school.
I’ve listened as people of all ages tell about the violence they’ve experienced, the hardships they’ve faced, the fear they’ve felt, and their relief and gratitude now that Germany has finally given them the security they need to survive and, hopefully, thrive. I believe that the vast majority of refugees here in Germany and around the world are like the refugees I’ve gotten to know. Next year, thanks to President Obama’s insistence, the United States will accept 10,000 Syrian refugees, a small fraction of the 1.5 million that Germany accepted in 2015. Please, instead of allowing fearmongering politicians with discriminatory agendas to shape your opinions about these newcomers to our nation, get to know them. Volunteer with a resettlement center in Falls Church or Arlington. Take them to see our nation’s Capital city. Allow your eyes to be opened by the wonder of their innocence and their gratitude. The picture that will be painted in your mind’s eye will be as unforgettable as the one Mustafa got a chance to paint. RACHEAL AGNELLO | CONTRIBUTOR
Owning Millennials: Do we have the power to shape the future? Change. Development. Progression. Impact. As young people born at the beginning of a new age in time, we’ve all felt the yearning to become creators of tangible change. Raised in this world amidst chaotic times, there seems to be an innate passion within Millennials that encourages many of us to create something beyond themselves.
of thinkers and doers—from a new generation of leaders in every state...working to redefine the rules that guide our social and economic realities.”
But these thoughts only seem to recur after extreme instances and when considering, for a moment, the possibility of taking action in pursuit of creating the world envisioned within ourselves, we immediately are faced with a daunting question for us as young people: Is it even possible for us to create tangible change within the community at our age? Can we as students really make an impact on the world? This question has troubled me for years, especially in high school. I had always felt passionate to make an impact on my community, but hadn’t been given the opportunity to do so in a substantive way.
Last week, after months of preparation, Roosevelt @ Mason took their own members’ policies straight to the capital in Richmond, Virginia. Students’ voices on a variety of topics were heard during Roosevelt’s lobby day by Delegates and Senators, and even Speaker of the House William Howell. Emma Copeland, senior at Mason and President of Roosevelt, led a team lobbying for sexual assault policy reform. Luke Bouck and Sawyer Barksdale, a sophomore and junior respectively, advocated for state-funded affordable housing for Fairfax residents. And I, Donna Imadi, freshman and Roosevelter from day one, was proud to lead a team to push for a mentorship/tutoring program to be implemented right here at Mason. Throughout the day, I became consciously aware of the misconceptions our generation has about its role in society. Any semblance of doubt dissipated as I was faced with the reality that we do have the power to drive and influence development and advancement within our communities.
The various clubs we join are typically groups of people discussing opinions, offering solutions, and trying to make sense of the world around us- which is new, exciting and enriching. But I soon realized discussion was not enough, it was time to put words in motion. When I came to Mason I knew I needed something more than just dialogue. I needed a platform to create, influence, and drive some type of material change; be a part of something that would transform the “we should” mentality, into a “we will”. Ultimately, upon discovery of Roosevelt @ Mason, discussion quickly turned to action. Roosevelt @ Mason, more formally known as the Roosevelt Institute, is the nation’s largest student-led think-tank which focuses on writing and implementing progressive public policy. Their mission is to “bring together thousands
To do so, Roosevelt’s core objective is to allow students to create public policy, crafted from their own ideas to rethink and reshape everything from local policy to federal legislation.
When speaking to various Senators and Delegates about “how to involve millennials more in the policy making process” they were receptive, and surprised to hear that we as “young” people care about what’s happening beyond our typical “passive” attitudes. The loudest issues of disconcert from Senators and Delegates were of their inability to navigate avenues of meaningful engagement with Millennials.
It’s important to recognize that yes, there is a large gap between us and our predecessors- but they are just as perplexed about how to reach us as we are with them. However, despite this disconnect, our public officials care about what we have to say, and want to indulge our ideas. The real problem is that we only speak truthfully to one another. We retreat within ourselves after discussion, halting the passage of our voices into the ears of those who have the power to turn our ideas into action. In one of my classes here at Mason, we discussed whether or not the state of the world was hopeless and intractable. A classmate noted that “things just seem so impossible. How could we really change anything?” We must not let those thoughts prevail. As students, as a part of a community of some of the most capable individuals within modern times, we do have the opportunities to do more than just sit around and talk about change, reform, and the state of our world. The point is: We are not limited to just conversation. Because you can impact your community. You can talk to a public official. You can draft meaningful policies. You can not only envision the world through a better lens in your mind, but you can create it within your lifetime. It is not a matter of whether we “can” at this point, it’s a matter of whether we will. Let’s start doing. It is possible to make an impact on our world, even as Millennials. The next question to ask yourself now is: Why not let that person be you? DONNA IMADI | CONTRIBUTOR