October 26, 2015

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FOURTH ESTATE October 26, 2015 | Volume 3 Issue 7 George Mason University’s official student news outlet gmufourthestate.com | @IVEstate

DEMOCRATIC VS REPUBLICAN

STUDENT

DEBATE

PAGE 4

LOCAL STARTUP

TO FIX WIFI

PAGE 3

(CLAIRE CECIL/FOURTH ESTATE)

Fourth Estate

2 10.26.2015

CLASSIFIEDS Help Wanted Steiner Vision Pt/Ft - Office Work .

Will Train, Excellent pay, low stress work environment-many George Mason and NOVA students over the years have gained valuable work experience in our 7 Corners, Falls Church, VA office.

For more info call Dr. Steiner at Cell 571-276-1534 or ask for Maria at Office- 703-237-1770

Miscellaneous Dream Makers Needed!

Become an Egg Donor Earn $8000 703-437-7722 or email sandy@vcrmed.com

GMUFOURTHESTATE.COM @IVESTATE

Crime Log

Sara Moniuszko & Alexa Rogers Editors-In-Chief

Ellen Glickman News Editor

Oct. 19 2015-032823 / Counterfeiting/Forgery Subject (GMU) was issued a releasable summons for possessing a counterfeit ID. (46/Morrison) Truman Hall / Cleared by summons / 9:42 PM

Natalia Kolenko Assistant News Editor

Savannah Norton Lifestyle Editor

Tatyana White-Jenkins Assistant Lifestyle Editor

Courtney Hoffman Sports Editor

Claire Cecil Photography Editor

Katie Morgan

Oct. 20 2015-032943 / False Pretense/ Swindle/Confidence Game Complainant (GMU) reported being approached by two unknown males in a silver SUV who represented themselves as fashion industry personnel.

The two males claimed to be selling $7,000 worth of clothing for only $1,900. The victim agreed to purchase the items (leather jackets) as an investment, and followed the scammers to an off- campus bank where the transaction took place. Case referred to Fairfax County Police. (33/Daniels) Lot A / Fairfax County/ Information Only / 11:00 AM to 11:30 AM

Oct. 22 CSA Report #102215 / Fondling / Dating Violence / Stalking / Intimidation Mason Police was notified by a Mason Employee that a student reported receiving threats of unwanted sexual contact on multiple occasions by a former intimate partner (GMU). Due to confidentiality of reporting, limited information is available regarding this incident.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram: @IVEstate

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Fairfax Campus / Information Only/ 7:10 PM

Design Editor

Megan Zendek Visual Editor

Barbara Brophy Copy Chief

Ryan Adams Distribution Manager

Kathryn Mangus Director

David Carroll Associate Director Fourth Estate is printed each Monday for George Mason University and its surrounding Fairfax community. The editors of Fourth Estate have exclusive authority over the content that is published.

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

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

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

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News

10.26.2015

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As students struggle to connect, a startup and Mason’s IT team offer solutions HAMNA AHMAD | STAFF WRITER

Walk through any level of the Johnson Center, and frustrated screams of “Wi-Fi sucks!” can be heard reverberating off the walls.

But a local startup is hoping to change that.

The company, CirrusWorks, was founded in 2012 and works to provide the most efficient and reliable Internet in classrooms, offices, hotels and beyond, according to its website.

David Giannini, creator of CirrusWorks, offered a possible explanation: when there is a multitude of users competing for access to limited bandwidth, it puts stress on the Internet circuit. Devices, he said, are predatory in nature, and something as seemingly simple as streaming a video can convert the device into a black hole of bandwidth.

Bandwidth refers to the amount of information the Internet can process per unit of time, according to About Tech. The amount of data that can be processed depends on the size and capabilities of the bandwidth.

“With the advent of smart phones was just an explosion of devices that people were taking with them not just on the road but also to school and to work,” Giannini said. This dependence on electronic devices can lower the level of performance and efficiency that the Internet can provide, especially when students are switching between doing homework, streaming music and videos, and connecting on social media, he added.

CirrusWorks’ approach to Wi-Fi includes the utilization of a bandwidth optimization device, called The Governor, which uses software and algorithms to calculate the proper reapportionment of bandwidth within a system. The firm’s method is unique because the software it uses is a substitute for manual labor. The Governor is patented proprietary technology, so no other company can take this approach—not even major technology companies, said Giannini.

According to a recent press release, CirrusWorks completed work on improving Lynchburg College’s Wi-Fi this past month.

The college’s network administrator, Jeff Harris, said that the

community has seen improvements in the network, “with service complaints virtually disappearing upon installation.” Lynchburg College, however, only has a student body of 2,800, a small fraction of Mason’s 33,000-person student body.

Mason’s problem with Wi-Fi is a little different, according to Ben Allen, director of Network Engineering & Technology, and Marilyn Smith, vice president of Information Technology and chief information officer, and has more to do with hardware and the sheer size of Mason’s student body and campus than bandwidth.

“At your house, you have everything combined in one device. On campus, we really just have dedicated functions—we have access points. You usually see them stuck to the ceiling, usually with interesting blue lights; it looks maybe a little like a smoke detector. It’s a set of radios inside that your device connects to,” explained Allen.

These access points were originally deployed in the early 2000s, when dependence on and expectations about the quality of Wi-Fi began to rise.

A decade later, the problem is the same. “No matter how much [access points] you put up, you always need more,” said Allen. The solution now is to work on density: for every room or hallway, there will be not one but multiple access points, and in open areas like the Johnson Center, access points will come equipped with antennas to direct the Wi-Fi to specific locations.

Mason works with outside vendors like Cisco for the installation of the access points. The process can be as quick as a few hours, but can take longer with obstacles like the need for additional wiring or breaking through walls when installing outdoor access points.

According to Allen, access points transmit and receive signals in bands at frequencies of 2.4 GHz and 5.8 GHz. A quick fix to connectivity issues, said Allen, is to switch from the 2.4 GHz band to the 5.8 GHz one. Though not all devices have this ability, it reduces interference for those that do.

Although the concept of perfect network connectivity all the time without interference would be ideal, it is not realistic. According to Allen and Smith, expectations are constantly rising, but technology is not always ready to meet them.

Another restraint is money. “We always have budgetary concerns,” said Smith. “We have different pockets of money, and we actually have to make decisions between security projects, network projects, classroom investment—all of those are expensive. Right now our priority is on the network and on the classroom technology refresh.

We can never do as much as we want to do.”

IT services is, however, always looking for ways to increase connectivity, and they like to gather data from the students, said Smith, who said she sometimes logs on to YikYak, an anonymous message board, to check if there are any student complaints. Students who tweet to President Cabrera to complain often get responsive help from the IT team as well, though both Smith and Allen urged students to formally log their issues through the Support Center.

(MEGAN ZENDEK/FOURTH ESTATE)

“The biggest thing for us is that we can’t fix what we can’t see or what we don’t know about,” said Allen. “If you’re having a consistent problem in a consistent area, it would be good for us to know about.”

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Mason Republicans and Democrats host public debate SARMAT CHOWDHURY | STAFF WRITER

On October 19, the Johnson Center was the host venue to the annual event “First Of All: We Vote,” a debate on the electoral issues of the season held traditionally between the College Republicans and the George Masson Democrats.

This year, the event was hosted by Student Government, Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, College Republicans, George Mason Democrats and the Roosevelt Institute. Moderating the debate were Khushboo Bhatia, student body president, and Aaron Agyemang, “Obelisk” and secretary/treasurer of Alpha Phi Alpha. Almost 100 students attended the event.

Both moderators said they were excited about the chance to moderate this year’s iteration of the event. When asked about her hopes for the event, Bhatia said one of Student Government’s goals for the debate was to have an active audience. “[Student Government] hoped that an engaged audience would be present at the event, and that was definitely the case. We received many questions to pose to the teams for the debate, both from the audience and via social media,” Bhatia said.

Agyemang shared a similar sentiment. During his introduction, he said the event corresponded to Alpha Phi Alpha’s program, “A Voteless People is a Hopeless People” (VPHP), which was started by Alpha Phi Alpha’s national chapter in the 1930s.

The program was originally founded to ensure that African Americans would be able to register to vote, combatting the various Jim Crow era laws.

Today, the program has shifted to creating political awareness and empowerment for voters.

of the George Mason University administration were in attendance with events such as this, where the topic of tuition increase and access to education are brought up,” Agyemang said.

Debating on behalf of the George Mason Democrats were freshmen Tim O’Shea, Danni Gonyo and Alex Hannon. From the College Republicans were sophomores Elizabeth Dorrian, Colin Sapko and Wisdom Nwike. Both teams were on stage debating issues ranging from local and state election issues, to audience questions about marijuana legalization, gun control, Planned Parenthood, ABC laws, the DREAM Act and the “Black Lives Matter vs. All Lives Matter” question.

O’Shea, of the George Mason Democrats, addressed the last question stating, “Obviously black lives matter, because of the structural violence and institutional racism that this community continues to face.”

Nwike, of the College Republicans, agreed that “black lives do matter, but as do [the lives of] Whites, Latinos and Asians.” He also added a statement that garnered the most reaction during the debates: “The black man is the most privileged man in America.”

After an initial moment of silence from the audience, Nwike’s comment earned a smattering of applause and quite a few agitated reactions. Due to the time restrictions on the rebuttal, Nwike was not able to further elaborate on his statement.

Audience members had various opinions on debate topics and reasons for their attendance. Sophomore Isis Mosqueda, a government and international politics major, initially attended the event for the George Mason Democrats as she serves as treasurer for the organization.

“I also wanted to get a feel on where Mason students stand on the issues that were presented today,” Mosqueda said.

Similarly, sophomore Samuel Carpenter, a business management major, stated, “I like seeing what the ‘political climate’ at the university is like, while also seeing what many of my peers think. I like to see new ideas presented.”

Junior Ryan Cook, a finance major, had a different perspective saying, “I came last year, and while I am not affiliated with either group that is debating, I love seeing people involved in these events.

I also came for the entertainment factor; really wanted to see people go at it.”

All agreed the event was well managed, though Carpenter had wished for a different outcome concerning the questions.

“I would have liked to see questions that challenged the debaters to outline policy, showing the key differences between the parties. I would have also liked to have seen a Libertarian perspective at the debate,” Carpenter said.

“I want people to be aware of the election on November 3, and to ensure that people actually go out and vote. If you want somebody in charge, go out and vote.

Having both the Democrats and Republicans present their platforms shows students that their ideas are different,” Agyemang said.

With the university in close proximity to both Fairfax City Hall and to the nation’s capital, Bhatia hoped that similar future events would have an impact on the Mason community.

“They are educational, and the importance of having them is that students need to be educated about all the issues that affect the various levels of government, be it local, state and federal,” Bhatia said.

Agyemang pointed out that there was a portion of the Mason community that was missing from the event.

“I also wish that some members

(CLAIRE CECIL/FOURTH ESTATE)

Elizabeth Dorrian, Colin Sapko and Wisdom Nwike represented the College Republicans at a public debate in the Johnson Center on Oct. 19.

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Mason looks to decrease substance abuse with new training program SOPHIA DELMAR | STAFF WRITER

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) awarded Mason a three-year, $920,000 Health Professions Student Training grant to provide new training in screening for substance abuse.

According to Mason’s College of Health and Human Services, the grant is aimed at expanding the use of Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral Treatment (SBIRT), a method that focuses on “the early intervention and treatment” for people at risk or already diagnosed with a substance use disorder.

The grant is divided into two parts: a curricular infusion and a training component. Curricular infusion will affect social work, psychology and nursing students. The training component, which will be the central focus of the grant, will train 1,000 Mason students and 40 faculty members in early intervention screening for substance abuse.

In addition to Mason students and faculty, a “minimum of 200 to 300 community organization representatives” will be also trained, according to the College of Health and Human Services. The first community training half-day will take place Friday, November 13.

Although WAVES and CAPS are not directly involved with the grant, Associate Director for WAVES Elaine Viccora anticipates the grant’s training to have a “ripple effect that will ultimately affect Mason students.”

Viccora said that although Mason’s student body is “below the national average” when it comes to substance abuse on college campuses, there are still a number of students who either abuse substances on a regular basis or are recovering from addiction.

But labeling a student as an alcoholic or a drug addict may not be the best approach. Instead, Viccora said, a better angle to take when considering addiction is to ask students if the substance they are using is creating problems in their lives.

If one approaches substance abuse from that angle, Viccora said, students feel significantly less “defensive” and can start considering the impact of their substance use and weighing the pros and cons of continued usage.

that can exist simultaneously in a person while being independent of one another. These conditions are often seen together, but one does not directly cause the other. Peppard said when someone is suffering from emotional pain triggered by an event or situation, he or she can feel a tendency to turn to substances for relief.

Because of this connection, Viccora said, services such as CAPS are often a part of the addiction recovery process.

To support recovering addicts in college, WAVES hosts events for students in recovery to get together, socialize and provide mutual support. Viccora said that in a “high risk environment” like a college, where substance abuse is prevalent, recovering addicts may have struggle to continue making progress, which has prompted WAVES to provide support and community for these students.

However, Viccora said “a lot of time students don’t know about us [WAVES] until they need us.”

According to Peppard, substance abuse and mental illnesses “often times are comorbid,” meaning that they are medical conditions

Dr. Lora Peppard, director of behavioral health services for Mason and Partners (MAP) and the principal investigator on the grant, stated that the purpose of the grant is “to catch people early on before a huge problem blossoms” by implementing new screening methods for substance abuse and motivational interviewing techniques.

Early intervention training allows medical professionals to catch substance use that is “a little beyond mild” before it turns into a full-blown addiction, according to Peppard.

Peppard said this method of intervention will teach Mason graduate and undergraduate students “to move beyond the boundaries of their own disciplines.” As a result, she said, students will gain a more comprehensive perspective on substance abuse treatment and how to administer personalized care.

Peppard described the grant as planting seeds of knowledge that will enable students to develop important skills to bring to their professional lives. Faculty affected by the grant will be trained in the new techniques as well and will go on to educate future Mason students.

The grant will “most definitely,” says Peppard, have an effect on how the Mason community responds to substance abuse.

The substance abuse screenings will also affect services provided by Wellness, Alcohol, and Violence Education Services (WAVES) and Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), two programs that help students struggling with or recovering from substance abuse.

(MEGAN ZENDEK/FOURTH ESTATE)

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Various scams affect the Mason community

Professor Gary De La Pena warned his MATH 114 class about con-artists pretending to provide free tutoring services in order to receive students’ personal information.

NATALIA KOLENKO | ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

In the past month, students in some large lecture classes have been subjected to a scam.

The scam comprised of students being asked to sign up for free tutoring by giving their names and numbers and then were spammed with advertisements.

In an announcement on Blackboard, MATH 114 professor Gary De La Pena warned his students about the scam.

“The [math] department has received reports that certain persons are coming into large lecture Math classes and asking students to sign up for free tutoring by listing their names and cell phone numbers. Those students are then being spammed with advertisements on their cell phones and asked to click on a link,” read the announcement.

De La Pena’s announcement continued that the scam is taking place before the professor arrives in class and students should not sign any such paper.

John Schreifels, a professor and chair for the chemistry and biochemistry departments, said this scam occurred in his chemistry lecture class.

“Somebody came in before class, before I got there, and acted as if they are somebody having to do with the university and [said] there was going to be free tutoring and that [students] needed to sign up for it by giving their name and cellphone number,” Schreifels said.

“They were gone by the time I got there.”

As for why these scammers went into his lecture, Schreifels assumed it was due to his large class size.

“I have a very large class, so I’m presuming that’s going to be the

(CLAIRE CECIL/FOURTH ESTATE)

highest deal per class. They’d have access to 300 people as opposed to going into a small lecture where they only get 50 or so. That’s my guess,” Schreifels said.

younger population, you’re dealing with a population that for the first time they may be out on their own and they may not have experienced situations like this.”

He continued that he learned about the scam when a student in the lab portion of his class complained about being spammed after having written their number down for the supposed free tutoring.

Because various scams have been occurring recently, the email offered tips on how to recognize a scam. One tip the email brought up frequently is that if the offer of an “opportunity” appears too good to be true, it probably is.

Schreifels said he thinks a good way to combat these scammers is to warn students at the beginning of each course to be wary of anyone the professor has not authorized beforehand.

“Maybe we need to have something that we state to the students that says if there is anybody other than somebody I’ve authorized [offering services] they should ignore them,” Schreifels said.

This in-class scam is not the only one that has happened recently.

This past Wednesday, October 21, a mass email was sent out to the Mason community warning of several incidents where Mason students were being approached by scammers attempting to sell clothing or book and magazine subscriptions.

As for the second merchandise scam, the email said that on Sept.

28 and 29, multiple scammers approached students near the Johnson Center who represented themselves as book salesmen.

The email continued that these scammers then solicited money and personal information from students in exchange for book and magazine subscriptions.

Brian Cozby, support bureau commander for Mason Police, said these scams often occur on university campuses due to the younger, more naïve population.

“I’ve worked in a couple different university environments and it’s the same at all universities,” Cozby said. “You’re dealing with a

Cozby added that in general, it may not be a good idea to provide information to strangers, or people who it can’t be confirmed why they are asking for that information. Cozby continued that if somebody approaches a student at a parking lot or as they are leaving their dorm, that’s unusual. Another red flag is if the seller wants to be paid in cash; a legitimate business would normally accept credit cards.

The email also said that all crimes and suspicious persons or incidents, however minor, should be reported to Mason Police immediately at 703-993-2810 or 911.

“I urge that if a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is too good to be true,” Cozby said. “You’ve got to trust your gut feeling.”

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Lifestyle

GMUFOURTHESTATE.COM @IVESTATE

10.26.2015

TO DO THIS WEEK:

#GMU

MONDAY 10/26 On campus:

Off campus:

Green Job Networking Fair

“Late night Ike’s will have you feeling some type of way when you leave...”

Great Pumpkin Gathering

Dewberry Hall

8025 Galleria Drive

10a.m. - 2p.m.

Tysons Corner, Virginia 6p.m. - 10p.m.

@NakialaShae Nakia LaShae

TUESDAY 10/27 Off campus:

On campus: “Sooooooo inspired, so proud, so ready #firstgen #iamfirst #gmu”

St. Thomas’ Annunual Pumpkin Patch

Tuesday Tune Up The HUB, Room 2300

8991 Brook Road

5p.m.- 7p.m.

Mclean, Virginia

@realwizkaliaa lia

10a.m. - 7p.m.

WEDNESDAY 10/28 Off campus:

On campus: “Bruh cover your mouth when you sneeze/cough I’m really not holding in my rage this autumn lmao”

Junk Food & Wine Pairings/Tastings

Farmers Market

13219 Yates Ford Road

Johnson Center Food Court

Cliffton, Virginia

10:30a.m. - 2 p.m.

11a.m.- 7p.m.

@Realest_Thinker Dyna Lite

THURSDAY 10/29 Off campus:

On campus: “who do you have to sell your soul to to get a seat in the JC?”

The Haunted Village of Annadale

Women’s Soccer: Mason vs. La Salle

Annandale Shopping Center

Mason Soccer Field

6p.m. - 9 p.m.

7p.m.

@jamieroneal hercules mulligan

FRIDAY 10/30 On campus:

Off campus:

Witch Watch 2015

Cox Farms Fall Festival

Rappahannock Parking Deck

15621 Braddock Road

1- 4p.m.

Centreville, Virginia 10a.m. - 6p.m.

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lifestyle What motivates a Patriot to vote?

GMUFOURTHESTATE.COM @IVESTATE

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(ALYA NOWILATY/ FOURTH ESTATE)

TAYLOR WICHTENDAHL | STAFF WRITER

Some Mason students are not registered to vote and many are uninterested in voting in the first place. To combat this problem, a committee was formed here at Mason called Mason Votes. It was established in 2007 and is coordinated through University Life. “[Mason Votes is a] committee focused on voter and election education and awareness,” said Alissa Karton, administrative faculty for University Life and coordinator of Mason Votes. Karton explains that the committee’s efforts include providing voter registration, Election Day reminders, coverage of the election and information related to election season. Mason Votes has its own website, masonvotes.gmu.edu, dedicated to the committee’s goals. It is managed by students and other university contributors.

however, is “if.”

According to a survey published last year by the Harvard Institute of Politics, only 31 percent of college students said they would definitely vote in the 2014 election. After that election, the U.S. Census reported that voters ages 18-34 accounted for less than 17 percent of the voting population, in comparison to voters ages 45-64, who accounted for nearly 42 percent of votes.

“I think many students don’t realize how much of an impact they can have on an election and don’t realize how important many non-presidential elections are,” said Russell.

Students have trouble keeping up with the numerous issues brought to light in each election and and the several policies and stances of each candidate.

Mason Votes is a non-partisan committee, meaning that it is not run by a single political party. It collaborates with both Mason Democrats and College Republicans and is open to members of any political party.

“[Students] feel their voice doesn’t mean anything. They feel like they are just a young millennial and no one is listening to their wants and needs,” said Roger Dean, a senior majoring in criminology, law and society.

Joe Russell, a sophomore government and international politics major, is an active member of Mason Votes. He described it as a committee with goals to register students to vote, inform them of each election and remind them that their votes count.

Kaleb Carter, a junior government and economics double major with a concentration in philosophy, politics and economics echoes Dean’s statement.

“Mason is a huge part of the Fairfax community,” said Russell, “and it’s critical that we, as George Mason students, take the time to let our elected officials know what we want.” He also suggested that if enough Mason students voted, they could account for the final “margin of victory” come Election Day. The keyword here,

“[People] get a certain amount of satisfaction out of knowing that the vote they cast makes a difference or will cause an actual change,” said Carter.

Still, as Carter points out, many do not understand the impact voting has, particularly on the state level. A change in presidency is a dramatic, clear change, but a change in one’s congressperson is

not as noticeable. Citizens often do not see how their congressperson is making a difference since his or her efforts to influence policy take time and patience.

However, Russell says there is a way to encourage students to vote and says that Mason Votes is determined to help achieve this.

Mason Votes wants to demonstrate to students that they have a stake in each election and that each vote matters. Each of these officials we elect impacts students on a daily basis through policy.

Chrysanthi Violaris, a sophomore majoring in Spanish and anthropology, feels that Americans should start voting in college. “We will be the real adults in the world and need to start caring about the place we live [in] and the people who run it. The best way to get students to vote is for them to know…what it can lead to in the future,” said Violaris.

One thing is for sure: voting is crucial for students. “George Mason Students should vote because we as individuals we have to take advantage of every opportunity to make a difference,” said sophomore Hailey Frye.

Students who want to vote have some important things to do. “I’d encourage students to spend the next few weeks doing research on the candidates who are on the ballot this November,” said Russell.

For students registered to vote on campus, Merten Hall (next to Panda express) will be Mason’s polling place this year. Students should bring a photo ID, such as a passport or a Virginia driver’s license. The polling place will be open on Election Day, November 3, from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.

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What to Listen to This Week:

ON AIR 24/7

Photo courtesy of Emily Hearn

music. going forward.

WGMURadio.com

MUSIC | SPORTS | NEWS | TALK | INTERVIEWS

WGMU EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH...

EMILY HEARN INTERVIEW WGMU RADIO is Mason’s one and only radio station and streams online 24/7 at wgmuradio.com. WGMU listeners enjoy the best in sports, talk, news, and college radio programming, in addition to today’s hottest music and live studio sessions with artists and celebrities. WGMU currently broadcasts 50 hours of live and original programming every week and has been on the air since 1981.

Sundays @ 11am-12pm THE BOX SCORE fantasy hour covers the top fantasy football match-ups, sleepers and busts, and takes your questions to

THE PLUGS

AFTER HOURS

Mondays @ 12:30-2:30PM

Thursdays @ 7:30-8:30PM

Covering Major Pro Sports in the NBA, NFL, and Soccer.

Breakdowns of the daily headline news with analysis of scores and highlights. Becks, Ammo, and DJ Chris on the mic.

A one hour talk show that dives into the biggest stories in sports on a national and local level as well as other movie and television news!

Tune in to hear Corey Morgan talk sports, movies, television, and feel free to call in and be a part of the conversation!

get your lineup set for victory!

WGMU DJ Reid May interviewed the singer/songwriter from Athens, GA, who is currently touring in support of her most revent album Hourglass, which was released back in March. Her songs from this album have been featured on the CW’s ‘Jane The Virgin’ and ABC Family’s ‘Switched at Birth’. Emily phoned in to WGMU to talk before her show at the Jammin’ Java in Vienna last week.

Programming Highlights:

Best of WGMU: THE BOX SCORE

Check out the full audio interview at wgmuradio.com

FRIDAYS @ 2:00PM

All the Wrong Notes SUNDAYS @ 3:00-4:00PM

SHORT SRCT FRIDAYS @ 12:00PM

The Bro Patrol WEDNESDAYS @ 12:00-1:00PM

Join the Conversation:

Contact Us: Listen LIVE!

WGMU

@WGMU

@wgmuradio

RadioFlag Mobile App

Cacophonous Revel q Request

Line!

PHONE: (703) 993-WGMU

LISTEN LIVE:

EMAIL: jrobin28@gmu.edu

www.WGMUradio.com

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Local screamo band initiaties a fresh dialogue JESSE HARMAN | STAFF COLUMNIST

A functional music scene can provide a haven for people seeking asylum from a strict, oppressive society. Increasing numbers of venues, online discussion forums, and other culture hubs are adopting a “safe space” mentality – striving to be an inclusive space where any individual can feel welcome. Mason-based screamo act, The Cage You Call A Chest, also known as Cage, is taking an active and vocal role in creating these spaces of inclusivity and visibility for marginalized people in music.

The band’s two-song sampler, available online, is a whirlwind of chaos and rage, each track teetering on an emotional cliff ’s edge.

The songs are short and staccato, but raw energy stokes the band’s fire to the highest of catharses. Guitarist Chris Morgan commands the sonic forefront with downright insidious licks. Drummer Paul Karcic and bassist Andrew Schwartz lock down the rhythm section with complexity and tact infused to otherwise straightforward thrashy sounds.

But the weight of the band’s intensity and quality of message comes from vocalist Monique Deleon’s frantic and impressive performance. Her vocals and lyrics burst forth as if generations of frustrations and injustices, piled tight into a tiny space, suddenly exploded far past the cosmos.

While the group already sports a grand, tightly rehearsed sound, their beginnings are relatively humble.

“Monique and I met in [a previous screamo band] Sob Story,” Schwartz said, “and I’ve known Chris forever. It was hard to book shows and practice when everybody’s so spread out, so we wanted

to be in a band where everybody’s in the same place.”

“We really wanted to be in another screamo band in the NOVA [Northern Virginia] music scene,” Deleon said, “I’d been really wanting to do something musically. And now it’s four best friends doing something we all like.”

The sreamo and metalcore elements ring clear; the group lists bands like Norma Jean and Orchid as primary influences. But just underneath their skin lies a sprawling wealth of experimentation and social commentary. Cage also lists experimental band I Set My Friends On Fire, hip-hop artist Kendrick Lamar and even classic thrash metal band Slayer as inspirations. The farthest corners of genre fuel the band’s creative process.

“We really want to expose a lot of internalized racism, misogyny, and transmisogyny [intersecting transphobia and misogyny] in the scene,” Deleon said. “Everyone is here to be in a ‘safe space,’ but that space won’t exist if trans people don’t feel comfortable here.

Don’t push people’s personal boundaries. Go hard, but let people understand that we’re not there to compromise anyone’s safety.”

“I’m really influenced by people like Kendrick Lamar,” Deleon said, “people who are more socially conscious within rap and hip-hop. That genre is about social consciousness and awareness.”

Beyond the desire to expose misgivings within the community, the band really wishes to create art that listeners can enjoy, but only a specific audience can identify with.

That element of social consciousness, awareness of problems and struggles at large, is prevalent in the band’s overall aesthetic.

The songs’ pounding dissonance cannot be ignored and reflect the plights of marginalized people that Deleon’s lyrics aim to illuminate.

“A big thing we touch on a lot is entitlement to space,” Schwartz said. “The idea that anybody can listen to or share our music, that’s totally fine. It’s not exclusive. But just because you like our music doesn’t mean that you completely identify with it.”

“Our release, ‘No Boys Allowed,’ is me expressing my ideas of feminism,” Deleon said. “Radical leftist feminism, in a way that is accessible to people. Not everybody can shell out thousands of dollars to learn about this in universities. I wanted to make radical ideas as accessible to marginalized people as possible, and this is my outlet for that.”

Lyrics and delivery open a poignant dialogue on topics like racial inequity, fetishization of culture, western white colonialism, sex and gender, to name a few. But the discussion does not start and stop with the words. The band’s very existence is a meta-commentary on the state of diversity in music scenes.

Music scenes, along with communities on a macro level, tend to be dominated by cisgender, white men – cisgender meaning self-identifying to the gender corresponding to one’s biological sex. This one-sided dominance leaves an incredible amount of people feeling excluded from the full, open experience of a music scene.

Individuals from the LGBTQ community, people of color, anyone who does not identify as a male and any victim of marginalization often feel left out or pushed aside. Cage feels that this absolutely must change.

“From the perspective of a cis, gay dude,” Schwartz said, “when I got introduced to the scene, I felt super uncomfortable. I experienced a lot of homophobia.”

The Cage You Call a Chest’s album artwork for their current release.

host similarly aggressive patrons. Hyper-masculinity runs rampant and non-conforming individuals can be singled out. Punk scenes have historic pastimes of homophobia, racism and misogyny.

While the changing times have brought significant improvement, the DNA from these early scenes remains nestled underneath the rosy exterior.

(COURTESY OF CAGE)

Screamo, metal and other similar aggressive shows tend to

A common struggle with any artistic expression is the difficulty reconciling the art and its message. Fans might appreciate the abrasiveness of the music, but maybe not so much the lyrics. For Cage, however, this is part of the process of exposing problems within the community.

“It’s really important for people who don’t have access to feminist spaces to understand what power dynamics look like,” Deleon said.

“I’m always super open as a person to explain, and I will do it in a way that’s as accessible as possible. Until I feel insulted as an artist, as a person, as a trans person, I’ll adhere to that respectability.”

While the band’s presence and dialogue are clear, the surrounding scene poses its own set of hurdles. A common theme among bands in the area is the stagnant nature of the music scene, regardless of genre or aesthetic. Cage, however, makes it clear that the outlook is largely positive.

“I was talking to my friends recently about the scene,” said Schwartz. “Our tiny corner of it, it’s something I really appreciate.

The fact that a band of four queer people can exist, and we don’t get beat up at shows or laughed out of the area, that could’ve never happened even 10 years ago. I’ve been hospitalized from violent homophobia, and now I can go play shows and feel safe.”

For the immediate future, Cage is focusing on balancing writing with school and work.

“We’re trying to set up shows for the next season and keep a fresh set in rotation so we don’t get burnt out,” said Karcic. “We’re just trying to stay active.”

The band hopes to release new music in the winter before the new year, and they are set to appear on a compilation from renowned screamo music blog “Death of a Modernist.” The band already garners buzz and fans in the short time since the release of “No Boys Allowed” and it seems the band is set to grow even more.

Through the band’s socially conscious message and thrashy sounds, The Cage You Call A Chest has opened this area to a fresh expression of acceptance.

“A phrase that really speaks to me is ‘be the person you needed when you were younger,’ along those lines,” said Schwartz. “Playing in Cage, I feel I’m in a band that really is for kids who might grow up like me, feeling at odds with being really into this aggressive music but feeling unsafe at shows. I want to create a safe space.”

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Advancing mental illness reserach on campus BASMA HUMADI | STAFF WRITER

Cure Mental Illness GMU (CMI) is a relatively new club at Mason that intends to bring awareness to all aspects of mental illness, including its misconstrued reputation, need for funding and impact on those affected.

The stated mission of the club is to “unite the energies of parents, families, clinicians, scientists, and mental illness organizations to educate the public and policymakers about mental illnesses as brain disorders, advocate for scientific research to understand mental illnesses, and to work towards safe effective treatments for those suffering from mental illnesses.”

Sonia Bansal, the vice president of the club, explains that CMI was formed through direct communication with representatives from the Cure Alliance for Mental Illness program.

“I met Hakon Heimer and Alden Bumstead from Cure Alliance for Mental Illness at last year’s Annual Meeting for the Society for Neuroscience in D.C.,” said Bansal. “Cure Alliance is a national education and advocacy organization that promotes mental illness research. We agreed that college students would be highly motivated to support their mission. In the months following the conference, our discussions took the shape of planning a Cure Mental Illness chapter at Mason -- the inaugural university chapter for this organization.”

So far the response from Mason students has been outstanding. In just a few weeks the club was contacted by over a hundred undergraduate and graduate students interested in getting involved.

These students come from diverse academic fields, including neuroscience, nursing, psychology, social work and global and community health, and many are directly engaged in research, clinical work or outreach activities related to mental illness.

How exactly is mental illness defined? According to Dr. Theodore C. Dumas, the faculty advisor for CMI and assistant professor of molecular neuroscience at Mason, mental illnesses include any cognitive or behavior problems that significantly reduce quality of life and disrupt someone’s ability to care for themselves and others.

One of the many difficulties in defining mental illness is that its cause remains relatively unknown.

“If we knew [what causes mental illness], we would be much further along in developing cures,” said Dumas. “Like any animal characteristic, mental illness is caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Different disorders have different underlying causes.”

One of the main goals of CMI is to spread awareness about what mental illnesses truly are and debunk some of the misconceptions surrounding them. For example, according to the Cure Alliance for Mental Illness, one major and severely harmful assumption is that people with mental illnesses are “crazy” or “overdramatic.”

“The stigmas that haunt mental illness -- that crazy people are dangerous, that people with depression or anxiety just need to pull themselves together -- are deeply rooted and will not yield simply to positive media messages,” the site explains. “Cure Alliance advocates for research because the clearest way to eliminate stigma about mental illness, and to alleviate the suffering they cause, is to cure the illnesses.”

CMI intends to echo Cure Alliance’s approach of “Educate, Advocate, Cure” through a variety of outreach campaigns.

Members are currently developing modules to share facts about the brain and brain disorders with elementary, middle and high school students. The group has additionally started discussions with other student organizations at Mason to plan a Mental Illness

Research Day where research groups at Mason can present their work.

In September, a few CMI members attended the Mental Illness Across the Ages event in D.C., hosted by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and the Dana Foundation. Members were able to listen to experts with backgrounds in neuroscience, psychiatry and public health discuss some of the issues surrounding mental illnesses and to contact groups from other universities interested in Mason’s CMI program.

The group plans to host educated guest speakers who have experience in mental illness research and advocacy.

Starting in November, the club plans to host the co-founder of Cure Alliance, Robin Cunningham, as a guest speaker.

Diagnosed with schizophrenia at the age of 13, Cunningham is now a retired corporate executive and entrepreneur as well as an advocate for mental illness.

CMI members will also attend this year’s Society for Neuroscience Meeting in Chicago, where Cure Alliance will have a booth. An estimated 30,000 neuroscience researchers are expected to attend the conference, which will discuss progress in understanding the biological bases of behavior and their implications for mental health.

Mason’s proximity to Washington, D.C. is advantageous for CMI members because it allows them to interact with policymakers and shed light on the lack of funding for mental illness research and the benefits of investing further in it. Learning how to share research findings and advocate at this level has the added benefit of providing professional development for members of CMI. Mental illness is an important issue to tackle as an estimated one in four Americans suffer from mental illnesses, (CLAIRE CECIL/ FOURTH ESTATE) according to the National Alliance on A resource for mental illnesses on campus is Couseling and Psychological Mental Illness (NAMI). Unfortunately, Services (CAPS) located in SUB I, Room 3129. recent studies have shown that young issue to her because she understands the enormity of its influence adults are less likely to seek treatment for mental illness compared to other age groups. In a recent report and wants to contribute to raising awareness of the issue. published in The Journal of the American Medical Association, “Mental illness is important to me for three reasons,” said Keith. brain disorders were found to be the largest single contributor to “First, I am very interested in neuroscience and learning about the disability. biological basis behind mental illness is something that I’m excited Additionally, according to the National Institute of Mental Health, suicide is the second highest cause of death among Americans ages 15 to 34, and the suicide rate has not decreased over the last two decades. However, evidence-based treatments are known to be effective, and these treatments can help people who suffer from mental illnesses. Unfortunately, funding for mental illness research is currently significantly lower than its estimated burden.

For CMI member Rachel Keith, mental illness is a meaningful

about. Second, I have personal experience with mental illness from friends, family, and others; they are often very misunderstood and stigmatized, and I want to combat that. Finally, I believe that there is a great importance for making treatment widely available to those who need it. Making these treatments easily available will help to normalize therapeutic and pharmacological options, which is important due to how common mental illness is in America.”

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October is Disability Awareness Month

O

ctober is not just a time to pick pumpkins and go for hayrides — it’s also the time to encourage understanding and create awareness about people with disabilities. Since a 2009 proclamation by the Virginia General Assembly, Disability History and Awareness Month has been celebrated across Virginia each October by the approximately one million state residents living with disabilities and their allies.

While this issue impacts society and those living with disabilities throughout the year, this month-long celebration is meant to create a culture of mutual respect and promote inclusive communities and awareness. The Commonwealth of Virginia affirms that “public knowledge, awareness, and understanding of disabilities will help ensure the full participation of students with disabilities into the life of their schools and communities.”

Here at Mason, Disability Services strives to promote equal access for students with disabilities in curricular and co-curricular activities. Disability Services’ mission is to create environments that are accessible, diverse, and inclusive so that all students are able to fully participate in the university community.

DISABILITY SERVICES | SUB I Room 2500 | (703) 993-2474 | ods.gmu.edu

WHAT IS A DISABILITY? According to the Americans with Disabilities Act, a person with a disability is defined as “a person who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities.”

Some disabilities are invisible.

Don’t judge people and remember that you don’t know exactly what anybody else is going through.

HOW CAN I BE AN ALLY? People are more than their disability. Don’t assume that you know what their disability is or that you know their identity. Never underestimate them.

Physical aids are an extension of a person, treat them as such. Be respectful of everybody and their right for privacy. Remember that language is powerful.

TOP 10 MOST COMMON DISABILITIES AT MASON 1. Psychological 2. ADD/ADHD 3. Learning Disabilities 4. Medical 5. Asperger/Autism 6. Neurological 7. Deaf/HoH 8. Mobility 9. Visual 10. Brain Injury AVAILABLE SERVICES ü Housing accommodations ü Waiver requests ü Course substitution requests ü Academic accommodations ü Referrals to campus and community resources Disability Services also supports faculty and staff in a variety of ways, such as providing consultation regarding student concerns and information about disabilities and their effects.

Learn more at ods.gmu.edu

Mason Autism Support Initiative The Mason Autism Support Initiative (MASI) offers individualized, comprehensive social and academic support to motivated Mason students with autism spectrum disorder in order to guide them through the transition into university life, and assist them in building skills necessary for success in the university environment and beyond. MASI encourages the development of selfadvocacy and college-level independent living skills by providing individual and group support within a collaborative model. Contact Disability Services to apply: 703-993-2474 or ods@gmu.edu.

MASI Testimonials: “I think the most significant part of my work is the time we spend doing new things. It pushes them out of their comfort zones and allows me to grow and learn as well…it was great to see my mentee grow and openly apply himself to the program by the end of the semester.” — MASI Peer Mentor

“It’s been very helpful. My GPA has gone up a lot since I got in.” — MASI Student “Our student is learning to communicate more of what is happening with us…we have seen a maturation on the part of our student.” — MASI Parent

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This is part of an ongoing series about the AMSSHDC2016 project.

First-Person Student Stories I’ve attended Mason since freshman year, but it wasn’t until I was a sophomore that I became involved with Disability Services. I initially sought them out as a way to officially let my professors know about my medical condition as I knew they were able to work with me, my doctors, and my professors to make my college career successful.

I have since been able to build a relationship with the office and know that I can come to them for anything, including when I was going to bring my service dog, Zido, home last fall. Naomi helped me plan what I could do about my classes and how to best inform COURTNEY SIMMONS my professors about my new addition, as well as how to handle Senior, Communication the major transition in my life. They gave me letters to give to my professors at the beginning of the semester which tell them about the accommodations I need, and it also gives my professors a person to contact if they have any questions. Working with Disability Services has alleviated so much stress that I used to have when I would miss classes for appointments or for sick days. I only wish I had been working with them from the beginning.

I knew throughout high school that I had ADHD but didn’t do anything about it until one day when I was sitting in a math class and went up to the teacher and said I needed extra time on the exam. Eventually a friend’s dad helped me to get tested and since then I have been able to have accommodations — first at NOVA and then at Mason. ADHD is the most undiagnosed disability in the world and lots of kids don’t realize that they have it. As a result, a lot of them tend to flunk out of school. Being able to grasp what you have will help you become better and I came to understand that PATRICK JOUN the brain is wired differently with ADHD. No one is really “normal,” Junior, Mechanical Engineering (look at Lady Gaga, Miley Cyrus, etc.) but by understanding who you are and where you struggle, you are able to find ways to cope. Disability Services has the tools to help you be the person you want to be in school and to help you understand what your potential is. It feels like they are building a relationship with me and I check in every few weeks for new ideas and new strategies to implement in my daily life. Accountability is huge and they definitely help me overcome my struggles and build me up.

Since elementary school, my dyslexia has impacted my ability to read, write and do math. Disability Services has helped me a lot since I’ve been at Mason. Because it takes me longer to read and write, I needed more time to complete assignments. Through Disability Services, my professors have been informed about my needs and have helped me to succeed just like everyone else. It may take me longer to finish my homework and my spelling and grammar might not be too great, but I’m not that different. Disability Services is there to help everyone no matter the disability. People may expect E’YAD AL’TAHA others like me to be able to fill out forms and read menus in just Senior, Kinesiology a few minutes, but it takes time for me. I’m not that good in some areas, but others are enhanced. I play soccer and coach youth teams throughout the year.

10.26.2015

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Message from the Director The Disability Services team is available to serve all students with disabilities; including those with cognitive, psychological, sensory, mobility, and other physical impairments. As part of Mason’s continuing commitment to upholding the letter and spirit of the laws that ensure equal treatment of people with disabilities, we implement and coordinate reasonable accommodations and disabilityrelated services that afford equal access to university programs and activities.

Our team welcomes and encourages all students with disabilities (whether registered or not) to identify themselves as members of the disability community and engage in the diversity dialogue on campus by getting involved.

With your help, the Disability Services team can continue to promote equal access and help all students achieve their fullest potential.

LINN JORGENSON Director, Disability Services

Disability Awareness Month

TABLE FAIR

WHO: Disability Services WHEN: Tuesday, October 27th 10:30 AM – 2:00 PM WHERE: SUB I, Patriot Lounge Learn more about the free resources, support, and opportunities available to those with disabilities at Mason!

Disability Services is an office of University Life

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Sports

10.26.2015

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Wrestler looks ahead at the upcoming season KALEEL WEATHERLY | STAFF WRITER

As the 2015-2016 season approaches, Mason men’s wrestling team is gearing up for big successes.

Wrestler Greg Flournoy, a redshirt senior, said this year wrestlers will focus on building off of the strides made last season.

In the 2014-2015 season, Flournoy had a record of 28-12, the best record among the Mason men’s wrestlers. Flournoy said he did have a good year but that there were some matches he should have won.

With last season already in the books, Flournoy has his sights set on an excellent final season at Mason.

“I had a great summer of wrestling. Coach Izzy [Israel Silva] had a great weight program for us this summer. Coach [David] Marble and Coach [Joe] Russell helped me work on my technique,” he said. “This is the best off-season I think I had in years since high school. I put in a lot more work this off-season just preparing and wanting to All-American.”

they give each other.

“We are always in here at the Field House. It is like our home. You know, wrestling is not easy, so it is hard to do it by yourself. It’s tough to cut weight and eat by yourself, so you have to pick each other up when you are down. We are always trying to push each other and make each other better,” Flournoy said.

Preparing to face new opponents this year, Flournoy says he will stick to the tactics he learned this summer.

With the season opener less than a month away, Flournoy is looking forward to the team proving itself to the Mason community. He says fans can expect to see improvement and a winning attitude among wrestlers this year.

“I started off a little slow and lost some matches that I should not have lost. I wasn’t wrestling too well,” Flournoy said. “Towards the middle of the season around January, I got one of my biggest wins in my college career, and that kind of gave me the confidence and showed me that I belong in the top rank of the country. That kind of jumpstarted my year, and I went on a winning streak.”

“I think that I have a good preparation. I like to fine tune my techniques. I worked on a lot of things this summer like just scoring more points,” Flournoy said. “I think last year I kept people in the match a little too much by winning by one or two points. So, this summer we just focused on dominating the match and winning by five, six, seven, or eight points.”

“Each year we have been getting better and better. This team has progressed so much since I’ve been here as a freshman,” Flournoy said. “We want to win, and we know that people think that we are not that good. We do not like that at all, and we are pushing ourselves and doing whatever it takes to win because we want to be great. Our motto is that we want to win.”

Flourney went on to enter his first NCAA tournament, the Eastern Wrestling League (EWL) championships, in March, clinching a tournament spot with a true second finish.

Flourney added that good coaching is an important part of wrestling and that each of Mason’s coaches encourages hard work, confidence and proper technique.

Mason’s wrestling team will face some tough opponents this season, including teams from Virginia Tech, Rutgers and Edinboro University.

Confident in his talent, Flournoy is choosing to stay calm in preparing for this season’s matches. He said keeping a cool head is a skill he has had to develop over the years.

“Coach Russell and Coach Carl [are] always fine-tuning my technique and always pushing me to make sure that I am confident and that we are all prepared,” Flournoy said.

In the 2014-2015 season, Virginia Tech’s record was 14-2; Rutgers finished with a 14-7 record; and Edinboro University finished with a record of 14-5. Mason finished 10-12, excluding tournament results. Mason lost to Edinboro 14-31 late in last year’s season.

“When I was little and in high school, I always kind of pumped myself up and got mad. But I just try to relax and know that all of the preparation, hard work, and all of the practices that I’ve done are going to pay off,” Flournoy said.

Flournoy said he shares a close relationship with his teammates as well. He notes genuine camaraderie among the wrestlers and says that the team is like a big family. He thinks the wrestlers’ closeness is a result of the time they spend together and the encouragement

Mason’s first match of the season will be November 21 in Annapolis, Md., at 9 a.m. The competing team is yet to be announced.

Mason teams search for wins to finish their seasons COURTNEY HOFFMAN | SPORTS EDITOR

Another week of games has come and gone for the Patriots. As November approaches, so does the end of each season for the fall athletes.

Unfortunately, the men’s golf team started off the week on a sour note, finishing 11 out of 11 at the Terrapin Invitational in Bethesda, Md., last Monday. This was not a good finish for the team, who also finished last in the Janney VCU Shootout earlier this season.

The team’s last chance to earn a winning spot will be at the ODU/OBX Invitational in Powell’s Point, N.C., this week. The Invitational runs from Sunday, Oct. 25, to Tuesday, Oct. 27. The closest the team has come to placing in the top three this season was when it placed fourth in its first tournament, the Navy Fall Classic, in September.

Women’s soccer is coming off of the heels of a 2-1 win against Davidson last Sunday, Oct. 18. Now, players have just two games left in their regular season. They are taking on La Salle at home Thursday, Oct. 29. Last season, the women’s team lost to La Salle 1-4. Hopefully, the home field advantage will make a difference for players.

Women’s volleyball lost 1-3 against Rhode Island on Saturday, Oct. 24. The team’s next game is Tuesday, Oct. 27, against University of Maryland, Eastern Shore. The team currently holds a 7-14 record.

The men’s soccer team is taking on Davidson Saturday, Oct. 31, in Davidson, N.C. The men’s team has been struggling to record a win since its win against Longwood back in September. Their last six games have ended in either losses or ties.

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Paulsen dishes on basketball season expectations Even though Paulsen likes what he sees out of the freshman players, he says that it is too early to predict the roles that each of them will play.

“We will have a closed scrimmage the following two Saturdays,” Paulsen said. “So, we will have three full more weeks before we kind of get a sense of our rotation.”

While some teams in the league focus on specific basketball styles, Paulsen does not have any restrictions on a type of basketball style.

The focus is on basketball fundamentals and playing with passion. He wants the Patriots team to focus on character.

“I think it’s more character-based. We want to be the hardest working team in the country,” he said. “We want to be the most passionate team in the country. We want to be the most fundamentally sound team in the country. And a team that doesn’t beat itself.”

(DAVID SCHRACK/FOURTH ESTATE)

KALEEL WEATHERLY | STAFF WRITER

The men’s basketball season opener is only three weeks away and new Head Coach Dave Paulsen has been seen around campus trying to get to know the fans, but now it’s time to get to know him and his team.

Paulsen’s excitement and optimism doesn’t just extend off the court, where he has hosted pizza get-togethers and dressed as George Mason at Mason Madness, but he is also cautiously optimistic about the coming 2015-2016 season.

Paulsen is excited about the progress the team has made in the off-season. However, he also believes the men have a lot of hurdles to overcome in the future This team has shown him a group of players who want to improve and have willingness to practice what he is preaching.

“Initially, in the spring, they were trying to figure out who I was while trying to figure out who they were. When you have a team that has not experienced much success, bad habits occur,” he said. “And the other thing that usually accompanies losing teams is a lack of trust and accountability. So, we had to work on our accountability and our work ethic and our habits. I think that we are making progress in both of those areas.”

With a new season, new players are also here to follow. There are freshman players on this team like Deandre Abram, Danny Dixon and Kameron Murrell. While recruiting these players out of high school, Paulsen said that they got lucky with recruiting the freshman players.

“I think that we got some good players. More importantly, I think we got some really, really good people, and they fit in,” Paulsen said. “That was the most important thing because I think you win with character and people who buy into your culture. Collectively, I really like this freshman class.”

There are also some familiar faces on this team from last season.

Paulsen said the thing that impresses him about the returning players is their size. With height to their advantage, Paulsen plans on making sure the team plays big to make use of their size.

vocal leader, and he has been shooting the ball well,” Paulsen said.

“He has the ability to score around that basket and a good low-post game, but he has the ability to shoot the three may be more than what he showed last year.”

Transitioning on to this year and looking back on the mistakes that the team made last year, Paulsen says that the team did struggle in some statistical categories in the previous season.

Last season, the team was ranked 14 out of 14 teams in turnovers and worst in the league in three-point field-goal defense.

“To me, the big thing about last year’s team was that they were last in the league in turnovers,” he said. “It gave up more transition points than I think any team in the league and fouled more than any team in the league.”

But Paulsen said that those mistakes could be fixed.

“I think that more games are lost than are won. And those are things that are correctable, like not turning the ball over and not fouling. You can correct that,” he said.

With the season opener coming up in about three weeks, Paulsen says that his expectation for this team going into the season is to try to get better, play against the game, and embrace the process of improving.

Paulsen said that fans should expect a team that “plays with great passion and energy every single night.”

Mason men’s basketball team kicks off their season against Colgate University on November 13. The game is at Eagle Banks Arena on the Fairfax campus. Tip-off is at 7:00pm.

Paulsen also highlighted some of the returning players who will be key contribtors in the coming season, including center Shevon Thompson who is in his senior year.

“I think Shevon is a dominant presence around the basket,” he said. “He carves out space well, and he is very good on the glass.

I think his motor has gotten better; he’s running better, and he has been very receptive to coach.”

Paulsen also praised Mason’s forward Marko Gujanicic who is also in his senior year.

“For whatever reason, he did not have a good year last year.

He’s really played well. He has a got a high basketball IQ. He’s a Men’s basketball practicing before their season opener

(DAVID SCHRACK/FOURTH ESTATE)

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