3.27.2017 - Fourth Estate

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FOURTH ESTATE March 27, 2017 | Volume 4 Issue 18 George Mason University’s official student news outlet gmufourthestate.com | @IVEstate

3 Cops in the community

6

Controversy and the Beast

7

A season of hope for Mason

2 3.27.2017

Fourth Estate Crime Log

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MacKenzie Reagan Sosan Malik Co-Editors-In-Chief

Todd Gonda

Mar. 5

2017-003019 / Protection Order Violation Subject (Non-GMU) was issued an arrest warrant for violating an existing protection order related to Stalking from February 8, 2017 (see case #2017-001621).

Fairfax Campus | Cleared by Arrest | 12:52 AM

Copy Chief

Megan Zendek Art Director

Fareeha Rehman Online Editor

Natalia Kolenko Campus Editor

Mar. 7

WE ARE HIRING! We are currently looking to fill the following editor positions:

- PHOTO (paid position) We are always recruiting new members for our staff teams: - NEWS WRITERS - CULTURE WRITERS - SPORTS WRITERS - COPY EDITORS - DESIGNERS - PHOTOGRAPHERS

2017-003107 / Destruction / Damage / Vandalism of Property Complainant (GMU) reported graffiti/vandalism on a door.

Robinson B (Entrance Door) | Inactive | 9:17 AM

Mar. 8

2017-003182 / Stalking / Intimidation / Use of Threatening Language Over Airways

Culture Editor

Mitchell Westall Sports Editor

Billy Ferguson Emmett Smith Distribution Manager

Kathryn Mangus Director

David Carroll

Complainant (GMU) reported receiving multiple unwanted contacts from a known subject (Non-GMU).

Associate Director

Fairfax Campus | Referred to Title IX | Multiple Times

Assistant Director

Jason Hartsel Leslie Steiger

Mar. 9

2017-003234 / Fraud Complainant (GMU) reported receiving a counterfeit bill.

Police and Safety Headquarters | Information Only | 1:27 PM

Fiscal and Operations Assistant Director

Alyssa Swaney Sales Team

Wesley Ward Sales Team

Jason Brightman

Mar. 18

2017-003599 / Simple Assault / Disorderly Conduct

Eagle Bank Arena| Closed | 10:40 PM

eic@gmufourthestate.com

ON THE COVER

AND apply online at:

Photo courtesy of Mitchell Leff.

Marquise Moore goes for two-handed dunk in A-10 tournament victory over Fordham.

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Dinanda Pramesti

Graphics Editor

Officers responded to a group of disorderly subjects (Non-GMU) involved in a physical altercation.

For inquiries, please email a resume and two clips (or samples of work for visuals) to:

Mia Wise Assistant Campus Editor

COPY EDITORS Christina Comerford, Caitlin Herron, Edna McClung, Alina Moody

Sales Team 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.

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Campus News

3.27.2017

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Cops in the community Mason police, Fairfax police discuss public’s trust in law enforcement to improve, including policy and training.

The Eta Delta Delta chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., along with student government, hosted an open dialogue with police officers called “Cops in the Community” Tuesday, March 7.

and received 267 responses. The survey included two broad questions: how much do students trust police on a national level and how much do they trust police at Mason? Rating between one and five, five being the highest level of trust, most students put number five as their answer for both questions.

Topics discussed at the event included trust, fostering relationships, the national climate and its impact, minority groups, sexual assault and prevention, and how these issues impact the relationship between cops and the local community.

West’s first question focused on how police are actively fostering relationships with the Mason community. Rowan said, “Our mission is to keep the campus safe and to keep you safe… my office is always open; come by the station and just say you want to see the chief.”

Perez said that the county police are currently aware that immigration and an increase in gang activity within the community are important concerns for residents.

Isaiah West, president of Omega Psi Phi’s Eta Delta Delta chapter, moderated the event, which was also coordinated with University Life’s Vice President Rose Pascarell, Associate Vice President Pam Patterson and Assistant Vice President Kahan Sablo. Chief of Police at Mason Carl Rowan, Captain Dan Grimm from Fairfax City Police and Major Rich Perez from Fairfax County Police were the panel representatives for the local police force.

The next question addressed the national climate on policing and its impact on the local level, specifically local police officers’ perceptions of that climate, and the steps being taken to train officers and create an inclusive environment.

EDNA MCCLUNG | STAFF WRITER

Prior to the event, student government and Eta Delta Delta sent out a survey to the Mason community to gauge their level of trust in law enforcement

Perez said that at the county level, changes are being made along these key themes: increasing transparency within the department, prioritizing the sanctity of all human life, de-escalating conflicts to ensure fewer fatalities and training officers in critical decision making.

At the city level, officers discuss things that are going on and look at both what is being done correctly and what needs

In addition, diversity training, reality-based crisis prevention training and critical decision-making training are required and in high demand by officers, who want to represent the community and work hard to maintain a high level of trust with students and residents.

West next focused discussion on preconceived notions of minority groups and reported incidents of officers using racial, ethnic or gender slurs and how these incidents are managed.

Rowan, Grimm and Perez concurred that they have not seen any of these incidents and that there is zero tolerance for these types of incidents.

Fairfax City and County have a very stringent vetting process for applicants, and they only retain the best people as officers, Grimm and Perez said.

In addition, “Good cops generally do not want to work with bad cops,” Rowan said.

On policing sexual assault, Rowan said that Mason’s police department takes

every incident very seriously and that a major factor is alcohol.

“At GMU, the numbers going back for several years indicate that sexual assaults on this campus are directly linked to alcohol consumption,” Rowan said.

Sexual assault is not an incident that is handled at the city patrol level; however, patrol officers are trained on how to effectively deal with victims of sexual assault and how to notify someone from the criminal investigations division that is experienced with handling such incidents.

For example, once a victim seeks police help, the police reach out to Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners, specially trained medical personnel that deal specifically with the physical and emotional trauma of the victim.

Perez further noted that the collection of evidence from a sexual assault victim is then stored for approximately two years, allowing the victim time to decide whether they want a criminal proceeding to take place.

Next, the audience asked how the police prevent sexual assault. Rowan said that this is something the police department is talking to the Mason

administration about and added they want to reach out to incoming freshmen students as much as possible, because they make up the majority of sexual assault victims.

Perez then offered some advice when asked what someone should do when pulled over by someone they cannot readily identify as a real officer. He said if there is any doubt, you should stop at a safe, lighted area and call dispatch—the non-emergency number is (703) 691-2131—and ask if the person behind you is in fact a police officer. Once you have provided your location, dispatch will be able to tell you immediately whether the person is a real officer.

Under the final category of fostering police engagement with the Mason community, Rowan said that Mason students are quite open, welcoming and reasonable. At the city level, officers enjoy a productive relationship with elected officials, residents, business owners and even visitors.

“We have been very lucky in that regard, but we continued to work at it,” Grimm said. Perez said, “We don’t want to lose that number five rating.”

(NATALIA KOLENKO/ FOURTH ESTATE)

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Campus News

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Student Profiles Fighting for the unknown family JENNIFER SHASKAN | CONTRIBUTOR

When Deeba Izadpanah learned about President Donald Trump’s travel ban, she said, “I felt like I was being blamed for something I didn’t do.”

The recent actions taken by President Donald Trump have left many Americans, immigrants and visitors feeling scared, worried and unheard. These same actions cause Izadpanah to feel passionate and determined but vexed.

Izadpanah’s parents came to the United States from Iran. Now they do not know when they will be able to go back. Her mother regularly visits her

family, who still lives in Iran, but she fears that neither country will allow her in. Plans were made months ago, but her cousins can no longer visit for her birthday. Politics has created a divide between Izadpanah’s family and the country that will always be home.

Instead of waiting for a change of action, Izadpanah chooses to stand up, fight and give a voice to those who need one.

“Iranian culture is very family-based,” Izadpanah said. “Even friends are considered family.”

Cultural closeness is what drew Izadpanah to drive to Dulles International Airport Jan. 30 after

seeing a call for help from a local lawyer on Facebook. The lawyer’s post notified the public that individuals who did not speak fluent English were being detained and questioned.

“Those being detained made me think of my own family,” Izadpanah said. Izadpanah partnered with her friend Amanda Rodriguez and stood at the gates holding a sign that read, “Welcome to America” in English, Spanish and Farsi. This way, family members and lawyers were aware that there were people available to translate if need be.

“My passion for politics dates back to learning about the oppression of

groups of people throughout history. I want to look back at this time in our history and think that I did my part— that I wasn’t silent.”

In addition to serving as a translator, Izadpanah also runs a political opinion blog, partakes in demonstrations, shares her views on social media, regularly contacts her representatives and urges Americans to go to the polls in November 2018.

A week after Donald Trump was inaugurated as president of the United States, he passed an executive order that revoked the visas of 60,000 people and barred all persons from

Iran, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Sudan, Libya and Somalia from entering the U.S. for 90 days; it also suspended the U.S. Refugee Admissions Programs for 120 days, according to a White House press release. The order was unanimously rejected by a federal appeals court on Feb. 9. Since then, Trump has introduced an updated version of his travel ban that excluded Iraq from the list and exempted green card and visa holders but was once again struck down. With the decision of the travel ban still up in the air, many are still worried how they will be affected. Below is the story of one Mason student who has ridden the ups and downs of this political saga. -Natalia Kolenko, Campus News Editor

Living life vegan: Candace Nelson discusses living as a vegan in college JACQUELINE LLOYD | CONTRIBUTOR

meat alternatives such as tofu chicken nuggets, her personal favorite.

Candace Nelson, a Community Health Major at George Mason University, is changing the way she eats one vegetable at a time. Nelson started as a vegetarian four years ago during her senior year of high school. Nelson stated that what pushed her to cut meat out of her diet was that she was “tired of being hypocritical.” She had questioned “if I love animals so much, why am I eating them.” She said the first couple months were difficult because cravings can really get to you. She suggests trying

What compelled Nelson to shift from vegetarianism to veganism makes her chuckle. “Embarrassingly enough, it was Tinder.” Nelson explained how she met a vegan bodybuilder on the dating app where he suggested the book, Vegan for Life. She said the book helped her feel confident enough to pursue a vegan lifestyle by providing her with information on how to get the daily nutrients she needs.

Since becoming vegan two years ago, Nelson says she has heard her fair share

of jokes. She states, “I’m vegan, I’m a fitness fanatic, and I drive a hybrid.

Of course, I’m going to get jokes.”

The one she hears the most is about the vegan soup, also known as “melted ice.” She says that jokes do not bother her in the long run because they help to bring about the discussion of a plantbased diet. Nelson advises anyone who is interested in becoming vegan to start slowly. “Don’t beat yourself up if you cave in the first month or so. Just remember why you started in the first place, and you will succeed.”

(PHOTO COURTESY OF JACQUELINE LLOYD)

Full-time worker, part-time student TYLER SHIELDS | CONTRIBUTOR

David Elmer wakes up at 6 a.m. every day. He scurries to work and grinds until 5 p.m. When he gets off work, he grabs a quick bite then heads straight to class until 10 p.m. After class, he studies until he is finally able to sleep, just to wake up and do the same thing again.

Elmer, 21, is a George Mason University student balancing a full-time job as a banker while working on a degree

in finance for the past two years. He attempts to pay tuition, rent, and other bills of a college student. Elmer says he maintains good grades even though he works full time. He scrutinizes his schedule to better manage his time.

“It took me a while to get the hang of this busy life in the beginning, but I like it this way now. I’m the type of person to procrastinate on homework and studying if I have too much time on my hands, and it turns out my grades are

better when I’m busy.”

A study by Boston University reveals students who worked more than 20 hours a week have a higher grade-point average than students who work less than 20 hours a week. Students who don’t work have the lowest GPAs. Elmer’s advice for other students struggling with work and academics is, “It’s important to maintain a physically written list of things to do.” He has a miniature notepad that he jots down

whatever bills due and assignments to work on, among other responsibilities.

Elmer plans to graduate in the Spring of 2018 with his bachelor’s degree in finance. He says, “When I can finally finish school, I’ll free up a lot of space on my schedule for work and other things. But I don’t know if this is good or bad. I’m so productive with my busy schedule, so I’ll have to find ways to stay busy and be productive without school in the mix.”

(PHOTO COURTESY OF TYLER SHIELDS)

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Culture

3.27.2017

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College students reflect on 90’s Movies and TV 90’s nostalgia BASMA HUMADI | STAFF WRITER

College students run on a nostalgia for the yesteryear entertainment of the late 90s and early 2000s. This was a time when the average vocabulary included “Zetus Lapetus” and The Cheetah Girls did nothing but make straight bops while representing every elementary schooler’s idea of what “squad goals” looked like. The original “Pokemon: Indigo League” with Ash, Misty and Brock was airing on Cartoon Network, Ja Rule and Ashanti were still making hits together and Pixar was in its early and golden ages.

While great entertainment, the trinity of children’s television networks— Disney Channel, Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network—each had their own way of portraying positive messages.

Cartoon Network had a knack for making nuanced dark premises for television shows that taught kids important messages, such as in “Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends” and “Courage the Cowardly Dog.” Nickelodeon had heavy shows, such as the sophisticated “Avatar: The Last Airbender,” and shows conveying the absurdities of teenage life and adulthood in “Spongebob Squarepants,” “Zoey 101” and “Ned’s Declassified School Survival Guide.”

Disney Channel was at its peak for good television shows and movies in the 90s and early 2000s. There were shows like “That’s So Raven,” “Kim Possible” and “The Proud Family,” and it aired Disney Channel Original Movies like “The Color of Friendship,” “Halloweentown” and “Cadet Kelly.”

Disney Channel jumpstarted the careers of many of the megastars we know today: Shia LaBeouf, The Jonas Brothers, Selena Gomez, Demi Lovato and Miley Cyrus. If you’re counting The All New Mickey Mouse Club, which aired from 1989-94, the list expands to Justin Timberlake, Ryan Gosling, Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera.

Simply by explaining “Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends,” anyone can see the underlying dark themes it carries.

The show centers on an orphanage where imaginary friends reside after being abandoned by their owners.

Once his mother forces him to abandon

his imaginary friend Bloo, an eightyear-old boy named Mac comes to the foster home every day to ensure Bloo won’t get adopted. The show deals with the sensitive issue of abandonment and teaches kids to remain imaginative.

All the characters living in the foster home deal with their own issues. Wilt, a tall, red imaginary friend, has one right arm and a crooked eye and left his owner after fearing his owner’s disappointment after his owner was injured while losing a crucial basketball game. Eduardo, a big and hairy purple creature, was created by a young girl, Nina, to protect her in a dangerous neighborhood, yet Eduardo is scared of almost everything. The characters all operate as one big family and distort their own stereotypes.

“Spongebob Squarepants,” though completely absurd and mindlessly entertaining, does contain underlying themes and a keen portrayal of the mundanities of life, like getting off at the wrong stop and getting stuck in “Rock Bottom,” a place where no one speaks your language and everything is confusing.

Even former President Obama admitted he watches the show with his daughters and that Spongebob is his favorite TV character.

provides a keen insight into the pitfalls of adulthood by representing adults stuck in mediocre jobs they hate that grow to hate everyone around them.

Growing up, no one wants to be a Squidward, but as college students, his bitterness becomes more relatable.

Although “Spongebob Squarepants” continued to stay on Nickelodeon after its comedic aspects went astray, its early years were definitive and appealing.

Spongebob deals with the pressure of trying to make friends in the episode he rips his pants, withstanding the unreasonable demands of customer service in the episode he goes to lengths to deliver a pizza only to be turned away by the customer, and displaying the tiring work of parenting when he and Patrick take care of a baby scallop. It was ridiculous and hilarious, but it gave kids a funny and relatable commentary to keep in mind for things they would deal with growing up.

“The Color of Friendship,” a Disney Channel Original Movie, deals with two girls who come to understand each other amidst turbulent race relations in 1970s America. Piper, a black politician’s daughter from Washington D.C., and Mahree, a white South African blind to her own privilege, learn valuable lessons from each other once Mahree comes to the United States as an exchange student and lives in Piper’s home. The movie does not sugarcoat issues such as apartheid, race and police brutality.

“We are human beings. And if there is one thing that human beings have in common, it is the desperate need to be free,” Piper’s dad, played by Ron Dellums, says in the film. It’s surprising and groundbreaking. It is such an important and carefully crafted film, and it handled heavy issues with incredible sensitivity.

Disney Channel television shows often gave its female audience great

role models to aspire to, like Kim Possible or Ren Stevens from “The Even Stevens Show.” “That’s So Raven” dealt with body issues, like when Raven is featured in a magazine wearing a dress she designed. “The Proud Family” featured an amusing black family and was one of the only TV shows to feature an episode where its main character, Penny, lives with a Muslim family and learns an important lesson about accepting other cultures.

“Hannah Montana” taught the importance of living as an average teenager, as Miley chose to separate fame and her teen life in order to grow up in a normal environment.

It’s no wonder today’s college students can recite the plots of obscure episodes and movies from kids’ television with such keen memory. Nostalgia for the television they watched carries the weight of the lessons they learned from watching them.

The show is about a yellow sponge living underwater in a pineapple house. He is an underpaid fry cook with a stingy boss named Mr. Krabs. Spongebob also lives next door to and works with Squidward, a bitter and arrogant squid. He also has a starfish and squirrel, who lives underwater, for best friends. Yet Spongebob is overly optimistic about everything.

Squidward foils Spongebob’s character and is everything Spongebob is not. Whereas Spongebob is punctual, optimistic and hard-working, Squidward is unmotivated, pessimistic and essentially hates everyone.

Yet Squidward’s character (MEGAN ZENDEK/ FOURTH ESTATE)

Culture

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Controversy and the Beast Disney movie a huge hit despite controversy ALEXANDER SHEDD | STAFF WRITER

[Minor spoilers for Beauty and the Beast below] The Walt Disney Company is no stranger to controversy. Ever since their earliest animated classics, Disney has been plagued by angry sects of people calling them out on unsavory factors in their films. In the past, these controversies were primarily racial stereotypes, including the crows of “Dumbo,” the Native Americans in “Peter Pan” and “Pocahontas,” and the Arabic people featured in “Aladdin.”

Disney has also taken flak for their potentially anti-feminist depictions of women in many of their films, with many modern-day feminists challenging the desirability of the princess stereotype.

Their more recent films, particularly movies such as “Brave” and “Zootopia,” have largely sought to turn this narrative around by presenting more socially progressive ideas, like fighting racial and gender stereotypes.

Now, two years after the landmark Supreme Court case that made gay marriage legal across the U.S. and after decades of a national push for LGBTQ rights, Disney faces a brand new controversy: pushback against their first openly gay character.

Disney’s new film, a live-action remake of the classic “Beauty and the Beast,” premieres this month. To the surprise of many people, the production crew of the film, including Director Bill Condon, chose to make a supporting character—Josh Gad’s “LeFou”— openly homosexual.

While this decision may not be a big deal to many, pushback has been significant.

Although this particular feature of the story was revealed to be limited to a single moment in the film where LeFou demonstrates attraction to another male character, a locally owned drive-in movie theater in rural Alabama has already decided they will not show the film. A spokesman stated that they would not “compromise on what the Bible teaches” and compared seeing an openly homosexual character to seeing “sex, nudity… and foul language” in movies.

The most significant pushback against the film, however, was the response from Russia. Russia has an incredibly negative record on LGBTQ rights—especially in recent years, when they implemented a long-term and widespread ban on gay pride parades. A Russian government

official, upon becoming aware of the film’s choice to make LeFou gay, sought to ban the film from his country entirely.

Although the official did not succeed, the film received the Russian equivalent of an “R” rating over the gay character, effectively banning children from seeing this remake of a family classic.

Although this particular controversy may seem unimportant, it comes at a time when many people are pushing for the U.S. to return to a more socially conservative state. Protesting a gay character in a film is, at its basic level, not so different from refusing to bake a cake for a homosexual wedding or refusing to issue a marriage license for a gay couple.

Of course, the ramifications of disrupting someone’s wedding are much greater than boycotting a major motion picture, but the concept is the same: many

people refuse to accept the normalization of LGBTQ people and culture into American society. Actor Josh Gad told People Magazine that “there is so much fear out there of that which we don’t understand, that which we don’t know.”

Regardless of pushback, the film’s box office numbers was not affected.

It received average early reviews from audiences and critics alike—a 6.1/10 audience score and 66 percent critic score on IMDb.com and a decent score of 73 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. Plus, Disney movies have a history of being immune to such socially conservative resistance in recent years. “Beauty and the Beast” premiered March 16 in major cinemas across the country.

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Sports

3.27.2017

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A season of hope for Mason Basketball MICHAEL ABLER | STAFF WRITER

A year after their disastrous 2015-16 season, the Mason Men’s Basketball Team managed to pull off an amazing turnaround. After 11 wins and 21 losses last season, the Patriots came back strong with a 20-win season, losing only 14 games and earning a spot in the College Basketball Invitational.

In the first game of the invitational, Mason fell to Loyola 73-58 in front of a home crowd at EagleBank Arena

Wednesday March 15. Despite a painful end to their season, the Patriots have a lot to be optimistic about going into the 2017-18 season after their best season since 2012-13.

This was Mason’s 13th time finishing a season with 20 wins. Head Coach Dave Paulsen felt that the team “made great progress, winning nine more games than last year and going an even .500 in the A-10 Conference.” On top of that, Paulsen said you could “sense the team becoming more focused at halftime against Kent State, and we managed to

carry that out the rest of the way during the streak, as well as the season.”

Even though there are a few key players graduating from Mason, including senior guard Marquise Moore, Mason still has plenty of talent to help the team reach the next level.

The team has three starters returning next season, including freshman Justin Kier and sophomores Otis Livingston II and Jaire Grayer.

Moore had a stellar season, recording the first triple double in Mason history

against Penn State and pulling down the most rebounds (349) in Mason basketball history.

According to Moore, the key to his success this season was “being healthy as a player and not getting hurt as much as I had before. I worked hard in the offseason and it paid off.” Moore added, “This was a very rewarding season.

It would’ve been nice if we had gone further than we did, but I’m still very proud of what we’ve done this year and the fact that I’ve stuck with this team throughout my four years here.”

Mason also has a few major recruits coming in next season. The two headliners are forward Goanar Mar from De La Salle High School, who was one of five finalists for the Mr. Basketball award in Minnesota, and guard Javon Greene out of Henry County High School, who was on the All-state Georgia Basketball roster.

The Patriots started off the season winning only one of their first four games, and disappointment seemed to be on the horizon for the Patriots yet again. (Continued on page 8)

Sports

8 3.27.2017 After losing to the University of Houston, Mason came on incredibly strong, winning 10 of their next 13 games during the year, including an impressive nine-game winning streak.

That streak got them through most of the first half of the regular season. The streak started against Kent State and was what Paulsen called the “turning point of the year.”

The streak included wins over rival school James Madison University 80-77 and a win over a struggling Penn State by a score of 85-66.

Mason also had big wins over A-10 opponents like Richmond, beating them 82-77 on the road and 93-70 at home. The Patriots also defeated Northern Iowa—for only the second time in Northern Iowa’s history—back in November at home.

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Another big win for Mason was knocking off Fordham in game one of the A10 tournament in overtime after rallying from a seven-point deficit in the final 37 seconds of the game. Beating Fordham in the A-10 Tournament “had never happened before,” Paulsen said. “We made it to the quarterfinals and we managed to beat them in overtime by 11 points.”

Even though they had a great season

this year, Paulsen and his team aren’t settling down anytime soon. There are things the team can improve upon; for example, Paulsen said, “We went 8-2 against poor teams and lost eight out of 10 games against strong teams,” so the Patriots “need to get better next year in order to get into that upper echelon of college teams. We jumped up a lot in the ranks, but we need to play better next year so we can build off of this season.”

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Moore shared similar sentiments, saying that, “I feel like we could’ve gone further this year, but at the same time, I’m very happy with how far we managed to go this year.” The Patriots will await the 2017-18 season with a hunger to prove themselves, with appropriately higher hopes.

Looking to get over the hump in 2017, the Nationals still face questions After 2016 ended with more playoff disappointment, the Nationals have entered “win-now” mode MITCHELL WESTALL | SPORTS EDITOR

In the 2016 National League Division Series, the Nationals came oh-so-close to winning the franchise’s first playoff series since they beat the Phillies in the 1981 NLDS. Of course, they were still located in Montreal and known as the Expos, so D.C. fans care nothing for this little piece of history. After holding a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five series, the Nationals lost a pair of games by one run, ending their playoff run.

With a rotation as strong as any in baseball and a lineup ridden with talent, the Nationals return as one of the favorites in the National League to contend with the defending champion, the Chicago Cubs.

As opening day draws closer, the Nationals will carry a similar roster to the one they had last season, but there are a few glaring questions. Their largest needs entering free agency are at the catcher and closer positions after the departures of Wilson Ramos to Tampa Bay and Mark Melancon to San Francisco.

Unless

the

Nationals

make

an

unexpected trade, it appears as though the Nationals are going to turn to Blake Treinen, Shawn Kelley or rookie flamethrower Koda Glover.

Giolito’s performance took a nosedive.

Lopez showed more flashes of brilliance, but also struggled overall in his first taste of major league action.

With his fastball that flirts with the triple digits, Glover is considered to be the future for the Nationals at closer, but that future could be as soon as opening day. Kelley and Treinen are more suited for setup rolls due to their lack of strikeouts.

So while they still hold top-prospect value, General Manager Mike Rizzo cashed in and filled a hole in centerfield with a very team-friendly contract and a .284 career batting average. Eaton is under team control through the 2021 season.

Last season, Glover made his MLB debut and showed flashes of brilliance, but he was far from perfect. In eight spring training appearances, Glover has pitched eight innings with 11 strikeouts and a 1.13 ERA. Granted, it is just spring training, but it’s hard to ignore those numbers.

Another question that is very important to the Nationals success is will Bryce Harper return to form this season?

Or will he continue to be a shell of his 2015 MVP self ?

The Nationals’ biggest move this offseason was trading their top two pitching prospects in Reynaldo Lopez and Lucas Giolito to the White Sox for 28-year-old centerfielder Adam Eaton.

The trade was confusing for some fans, as they were very excited about Giolito’s potential. However, after performing well in his rain-shortened debut against the Mets last season,

His batting average dropped from .330 in 2015 down to a mere .243 in 2016, and his home run totals were 42 and 24 respectively. That makes the low average much tougher to swallow for the Nationals, especially if Harper is commanding a $400 million salary when his contract runs out after the 2018 season. His play in 2017 will be key in determining whether the Nationals will want to keep him around for the long haul, and at what cost.

The last glaring question facing the

Nationals this season is whether or not a pair of beloved veterans of the ball club will return to form, or if they will continue to hold the team back. Ryan Zimmerman and Jayson Werth have had two straight disappointing seasons.

Werth, who turns 38 in May, is also in the final year of a contract that the team will gladly take off the books following this season. Many people consider this season to possibly be the final one of Werth’s solid career due to his age.

Ryan Zimmerman, who turns 32 in September, should have a few years left in the tank. The former face of the franchise is under contract through at least 2020, and he has been the weakest link in an otherwise dominant lineup over the past two seasons. However, Zimmerman has had a strong spring training, sporting a .303 average in 33 at-bats.

Final Predictions: I see the Nationals making a playoff run that ends in a loss in the NLCS. This is a very strong team, but I don’t think it will be enough to get over the hump in the playoffs.

Bryce Harper may not play as strong as he did in 2015, but he will be very

good. I’m thinking we should see Harper hit around .285-.290 with 30+ home runs.

Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg will both finish in the top five in Cy Young voting, and one of them will win it. This might be the safest bet on this list. If Strasburg stayed healthy last season, he would definitely be a candidate for the award.

Trea Turner will be in the running for NL MVP. His rookie season was absolutely jaw-dropping. He didn’t even play half the season, yet finished second to fellow phenom Corey Seager in Rookie of the Year voting. I expect his average to drop to around .320, but he will still be the best player on one of the top teams in the NL. This will be the final season Ryan Zimmerman and Jayson Werth play in Washington. If Werth doesn’t retire, I will be shocked. I don’t expect Zimmerman to improve much on his numbers from last season, and the Nationals will need to move on from their first-ever draft pick if they ever want to get over the hump. The Nationals will be forced to eat his $14 million salary unless Zimmerman retires.

George Mason University sports broadcast schedule Monday

Tuesday

Women’s Lacrosse vs.

University of Oregon 6 p.m. (on MCN)

Men’s Baseball vs.

University of Maryland Baltimore County 6 p.m. (on WGMU)

3/27

3/28

Wednesday 3/29

No Broadcasts

Thursday 3/30

No Broadcasts

Friday 3/31

Saturday 4/1

Sunday 4/2

Men’s Baseball at Georgetown University 3 p.m. (on WGMU)

Men’s Baseball vs.

Georgetown University 2 p.m. (on MCN, WGMU)

Women’s Lacrosse vs. St. Bonaventure University

Women’s Lacrosse vs.

LaSalle 5 p.m. (on MCN)

Men’s Volleyball vs.

Sacred Heart 7 p.m. (on MCN)

Men’s Baseball vs.

Georgetown University 1 p.m. (on MCN, WGMU)

12 p.m. on MCN

10

Etc.

3.27.2017

GMUFOURTHESTATE.COM @IVESTATE

Crossword Puzzle

Top 10 Delicious Global Snacks 1.) Burek (Bosnia-Herzegovina) 2.) Tacos (Mexico) 3.) Chili Crab (Singapore) 4.) Hormigas (Colombia) 5.) Klobasa (Czech Republic) 6.) Red Red (Ghana) 7.) Tamiya (Egypt) 8.) Kürtoskalács (Hungary) 9.) BeaverTails (Canada) 10.) Okonomiyaki (Japan)

By Morris M on Toptenz.net, 2017.

Apps Built Purely to Encourage Laziness 1.) Instacart 2.) BroApp 3.) Yo 4.) Water Your Body 5.) Push For Pizza 6.) Decider 7.) Blower 8.) Clicker Counter 9.) Cry Translator 10.) iNap@Work

This week’s crossword answers can be found in the following week’s issue, or at gmufourthestate.com, posted every Friday of the week. Turn to page 12 for the 03/6/17 crossword answers.

By Jane Dizon on Toptenz.net, 2017.

IV

WGMU Radio This Week Content Spotlight Rockin' With Rosie Wed. 3/29 @ 2:00 PM DJ Rosie plays awesome tunes and talks about the latest celebrity gossip, upcoming events in the area, and new music.

Pandorama Sat. 4/1 @ 11:00 PM Let DJ Pando ease you into the afternoon with some stellar sounds on Pandorama. The smooth musical numbers, ranging from melodic EDM to psychedelic guitar jams, are sure to send good vibes to fuel the rest of your Saturday.

Coupled with various idioms, parables and random food-for-thought read by DJ Pando, Pandorama is a meaningful experience for audiences of all ages.

Ticket Give-a-ways Thursday March 31, 2017 The Fillmore Silver Spring, MD How to win: Follow @wgmuradio on twitter and re-tweet the ticket give-a-way you want to win. A winner will randomly be chosen from those who participate.

WGMU Radio is George Mason University’s student-run radio station that streams 24/7, where you can listen on iTunes Radio, Radioflag. com or at wgmuradio.com. With over 80 hours of live and original programming, they cover everthing from sports and news, to talk shows and the hottest music.

IV

Etc.

GMUFOURTHESTATE.COM @IVESTATE

Sudoku

3.27.2017

Have a laugh

by Linda Thistle | © 2017 King Feature Synd., Inc.

11

Adoption Column Make rooms in your heart and home for one of these animals from the Humane Society of Fairfax County, Inc., located on 4057 Chain Bridge Road, Fairfax, VA 22030. If interested in an animal, visit thier website at http://hsfc.org/ adoptions/available-pets/, email the shelter at pets@hsfc. org, or call at 703-385-7387.

Bear

How to play Place a number in the empty boxes in such a way that each row across, each column down and each small 9-box square contains all of the numbers from one to nine.

Difficulty This Week: ◆

BILLY FERGUSON | FOURTH ESTATE

◆

◆ Moderate | ◆◆ Challenging | ◆◆◆ Hard This week’s sudoku answers can be found in the following week’s issue, or at gmufourthestate.com, posted every Friday of the week.

Turn to page 12 for the 03/6/17 answers.

Life is too serious, so have a laugh every now and then. Is there a topic that you think needs some comedic relief ? If so, tweet at us with #GMUFourthEstate and #FourthEstateFunnies with ideas for next week's comic topic and see your idea come to life.

Tweet about it

Fern

Belinda @NewKDramaAddict ·3/22/17

Anna Pollack @AZPollack ·3/20/17

Steak & Shake food truck must be good here on campus! Super long line! #GMU

#FoodTrucks in #Fairfax VA, please come to #GMU. Campus center is renovating, I brought no lunch. Don't want Panera. Send help.

Peter Konwerski @GWPeterK · 3/22/17

#GMU Pres @CabreraAngel says: Openness has been this country's strength since its founding. Let us not lose sight how we got here. #SAChat

Brielle @bpitrelli · 3/20/17

6 more weeks, 6 more weeks, 6 more weeks in the semester! #gradschool #GMU #lightattheendofthetunnel

kyle ryan @kryan_10 · 3/21/17

Tatiane Wright @twright55· 3/18/17

I figured I'd never have to say this but of course don't use chopsticks to eat a sandwich #gmu

I strongly support Public Universities. I studied at #GMU - it is a great school.

I am proud to be a graduate of 2008 class. #Tatiana

Grace @joyous_mango · 3/20/17

Chelsea @Queendom91 · 3/13/17

Guy I had a class with last semester saw I was having a bad day and gave me a hug. #gmu people are so nice!

Breed: German Shepherd/Purebred Age: 8 years 7 months Gender: Male Spayed/Neutered: Yes Animal ID: 31342623

Bear is a gorgeous, intelligent German Shepherd who loves to play with other dogs and is especially good with puppies. He is housebroken and loves to go for walks.

Bear suffered some neglect before coming to us and does not easily trust. Unlike most dogs, he has a particularly hard time warming up to women so a male-only household is preferred. With time and patience, you will be rewarded with a loyal and loving companion.

I #lowkey want to join a sorority but don't know the process #gmu

Breed: Beagle/Mix Age: 2 years 1 month Gender: Female Spayed/Neutered: Yes Animal ID: 34718574 Fern is an absolutely adorable Beagle with a tricolor coat of tan, black, a couple splashes of white, and freckled legs (which just adds even more sparkle to her when she dances to greet you). She loves attention from any age and is good with other dogs.

Etc.

12 3.27.2017 Recipe of the week Zucchini pizza crust

Ingredients 3 eggs 3 cups shredded zucchini ⅓ cup of flour ½ tsp of salt 2 cups (200 g) of mozzarella Tomatoes (2 regular or 5-6 cherry) ½ thinly sliced onion Oregano (to taste) Leaves of fresh basil 3 Tbsp of shredded Parmesan cheese

Preparation 1.) Preheat the oven to 450°F/230°C 2.) In a large bowl put the zucchini, eggs, flour and salt. Mix until well combined 3.) Grease a 12 in round pizza pan and spread the zucchini mixture inside 4.) Bake for 8 to 10 minutes 5.) Reduce oven temperature to 350°F 6.) Sprinkle mozzarella, tomatoes cut in slices, origano, basil and the grated Parmesan cheese over the zucchini crust 7.) Bake for 15-20 minutes more, until the mozzarella melts and becomes colored

Recipe from Ana Maria Da Costa on Foodista.com - The Cooking Encyclopedia Everyone Can Edit.

Last week's puzzle answers Crossword puzzle

Sudoku

GMUFOURTHESTATE.COM @IVESTATE

IV

Horoscopes ARIES (Mar. 21 to Apr. 19) Avoid having someone else take credit for the project you started by finishing it yourself. Then it will be you lovely Lambs who will be wearing those well-deserved laurels.

LIBRA (Sept. 23 to Oct. 22) A stress-filled period takes a positive turn as you deal with the underlying problem. Act now to avoid a recurrence by changing some basic rules in your relationship.

TAURUS (Apr. 20 to May 20) Thefacts about a new opportunity are still emerging. Wait until they’re all out in the open, and then use your keen business sense to help make the right decision.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23 to Nov. 21) Your rising energy levels make it easier for you to achieve some important objectives.

This could lead to a big boost in how you’re perceived, both at home and on the job.

GEMINI (May 21 to June 20) You might feel confused, even hurt by a friend who suddenly puts distance between you. If she or he won’t discuss it, don’t push it. An explanation should come in time.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22 to Dec. 21) A changing picture begins to emerge as you learn more about an offer that seemed so right but could be so wrong.

Look to a trusted adviser for guidance.

CANCER (June 21 to July 22) Your willingness to be part of the team opens doors that had been shut to you.

Keep them open by keeping your promises even when your commitment seems to be wavering.

LEO (July 23 to Aug. 22) Congratulations.You’re really getting things done to purr-fection. And don’t forget to take a catnap now and again to keep those energy levels up and bristling for action.

VIRGO (Aug. 23 to Sept. 22) Your “plain-talking” honesty is admirable.

But sometimes sharp words can leave painful scars. Be careful that what you say doesn’t come back to hurt you.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22 to Jan. 19) Spiritual aspects are strong. Take time to reflect on the path you’re on and where you hope it will lead you. It’s also a good time to reach out to loved ones.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20 to Feb. 18) You could be assuming far too many responsibilities, whether it’s at work or in personal matters. Be careful that you’re not weighed down by them.

PISCES (Feb. 19 to Mar. 20) You’re getting closer to your goals. And since nothing succeeds like success (or the promise thereof), don’t be surprised to find new supporters swimming alongside you. © 2017 King Features Synd., Inc. (Salome's Stars)