November 4, 2019
GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY'S STUDENT NEWSPAPER
Volume 7 Issue 8
FOURTH ESTATE Basketball Preview for the 2019-2020 season ~p. 12-15~
@ivestate | gmufourthestate.com
PRESIDENTIAL SEARCH (P. 6) || RAGS PERFORMANCE (P. 8) || BASKETBALL SEASON PREVIEW (P. 14) || OPINIONS: FRESHMEN DELEGATES (P.18) Fourth Estate is a free publication, limit one copy per person. Additional copies are 25 cents payable to the OfямБce of Student Media.
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DANA NICKEL HAILEY BULLIS Co Editor-in-Chief
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
ALEXANDRIA MCALPINE Art Director
Hey Patriots, Another Halloween has come and gone. And honestly, as soon as the clock said “12:00 a.m.” on Nov. 1. I saw people already posting photos of people wrapped in Christmas lights. Several posts all over social media declared that it is finally “the most wonderful time of the year.”
LAURA SCUDDER DELANEY HARRISON Copy Editors
I wasn’t originally planning on making my letter to you all out to be a fanatical defense of Thanksgiving, but that seems to be the direction I’m going in.
ABIGAIL ADCOX News Editor
Thanksgiving is, first and foremost, the best holiday. Even if you aren’t an avid fan of turkey like myself, it’s still a super fun mini-break from classes — unless your professors are evil and have assignments due over the break. (I once had a paper due at midnight on Thanksgiving Day, as if my professor didn’t know I’d be in line for the Target Black Friday sale). Anyway, the time of year between Halloween and the December holidays is objectively the best. The weather is finally not terrible, but not so cold that you actively avoid going outside. But before I get so into my pro-Thanksgiving rant that I forget about the actual newspaper you’re all holding, let me cut myself off to talk about what we have in this issue for you guys! The Presidential Search Committee is working hard to find Mason’s next president, and our News section covered the public forum where students and faculty aired their grievances with the process to Mason’s administration. Our Culture section spent their Halloween doing the spookiest thing of all — covering the screening of a Satanist documentary. Our Sports section put together an amazing spread previewing the upcoming basketball season. In our Opinion section, our writers went in-depth on issues of voter suppression here at Mason. All of this is well worth the read. As always, if you have any questions, comments or concerns, feel free to reach out to us at masonfourthestate@gmail.com. Sincerely, Dana Nickel
JACK HARVEY Assistant News Editor PETER NJOROGE Culture Editor IZZ LAMAGDELEINE Assistant Culture Editor NATALIE HEAVREN Sports Editor DOMENIC ALLEGRA Assistant Sports Editor CHRIS KERNAN-SCHMIDT Opinions Editor BILLY FERGUSON Online Director LEXI REYES Social Media Editor DOMINIQUE BERNARDINO Multimedia Editor EMMETT SMITH Distribution Manager KATHRYN MANGUS Director DAVID CARROLL Associate Director
Co Editor-in-Chief
JASON HARTSEL Assistant Director
We are always recruiting volunteers for: - WRITERS - VIDEOGRAPHERS - ILLUSTRATORS - PHOTOGRAPHERS
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MASON ASSISTANT PROFESSOR RESEARCHES FOUR LOKO CONSUMPTION, LABELING Recent studies find students have difficulty gauging Four Loko alcohol content MATTHEW HAYES STAFF WRITER
Rossheim’s articles were published in the American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse. Original research cited in the first of the two journal articles found that undergraduate students in Florida, Virginia and Montana systematically underestimated the actual alcoholic content of Four Loko, although in Montana this underestimation was much lower than it was in Florida and Virginia. In the study, just under one half of Virginian participants underestimated the alcoholic content of Four Loko by at least two standard beverages. In the U.S., a standard beverage is considered 14 grams of pure alcohol. To compare, 5 fluid ounces of wine has the same
alcohol content as 12 fluid ounces of regular beer.
in Florida and Virginia “had twice the odds of blacking out after drinking
Rossheim stated this underestimation was exacerbated because “when the ABV was capped in other states or when they released higher ABV versions, instead of changing the amount of servings per container, they just changed the amount of alcohol per serving so [the labeling] no longer reflects the standard alcoholic drinks.” Another article published on Aug. 23 in The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, titled “Underage drinkers’ first experience consuming a popular brand of supersized alcopop,” also found that undergraduate students
alcohol limit of beer so these products can only contain up to 8 percent ABV while in Florida and Virginia they can have up to 14 percent ABV.”
FOURTH ESTATE ALEXANDRIA MCALPINE
Dr. Matthew Rossheim, assistant professor at Mason, recently published two articles with a group of professors which take a critical look at the effect of new high alcohol by volume (ABV) beverages, such as Four Loko, on underage drinking habits.
Four Loko for the first time” than they did in Montana. Rossheim said that this was probably because “Montana has a cap on the
The difference in the legal maximum ABV means that in Virginia, it has the equivalent of 5.5 standard beverages. In Florida, a single Four Loko has the equivalent of 4.7 standard beverages in it, while in Montana, it has the equivalent of 3.13 standard beverages, since Four Loko is being sold with the maximum ABV allowed in those states.
The second journal article published on Oct. 9 titled “The Federal Trade Commission’s mandated Four Loko labeling fails to facilitate accurate estimation of alcohol content by college
students” found that: “In states where Four Loko was available with 12 percent to 14 percent ABV, students had twice the odds of blacking out after drinking Four Loko for the first time.” The study also noted that “students are far less likely to underestimate alcohol content for 8 percent ABV cans compared to cans with higher concentrations of alcohol.” “It’s marketed towards young people, and it makes large quantities of sugar-sweetened alcohol readily available to them. It looks like an energy drink, you can transport two cans of it very easily, and two cans of it can be a lethal dose for young people,” said Rossheim. Professors from the studies, including Rossheim, concluded in the Aug. 23 study that “policies restricting supersized alcopops’ ABV may help consumers better estimate and understand their alcohol content.”
LAST WEEK IN THE NEWS Monday, Oct. 28
Tuesday, Oct. 29
Wednesday, Oct. 30
Thursday, Oct. 31
Pelosi announces House will vote on resolution formalizing impeachment procedures this week.
Democrats lay out next phase of impeachment inquiry behind closed doors.
Washington Nationals win World Series for the first time in franchise history.
A divided House passes resolution on impeachment inquiry.
Elizabeth Warren proposes new taxes on upper class to fund Medicare for all.
Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg testifies in front of Congress.
‘Ghost Adventures’ host says he fell ill after investigating the real-life ‘Conjuring’ house.
White House official expected to confirm diplomat’s account that Trump appeared to seek quid pro quo with Ukraine.
Nestle recalls some cookie dough products after customers found traces of food-grade rubber.
EU delays Brexit until Jan. 31, EU President Donald Tusk announces. GOP Rep. Greg Walden announces he will retire at the end of his Congressional term.
NCAA says it will allow college athletes to profit from their name, image and likeness.
Wildfire breaks out threatening L.A. area causing mandatory evacuations.
Dow Jones industrial average fell 20 points in the stock market.
Southern California fire complicated by strong winds as it pushes towards the Reagan library. New cystic fibrosis drug could help 90 percent of patients, according to Washington Post.
Islamic State names new leader, Ibrahim al-Hashemi al-Qurayshi, after confirmation of death of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. White House officials launch new tax cut talks.
Friday, Nov. 1
Trump announces Stephen Hahn as candidate for commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration. U.S. economy added 128,000 jobs in October as unemployment rose to 3.6 percent.
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2019 FAIRFAX GENERAL ELECTION CANDIDATE ROUNDUP What you need to know before Election Day ABIGAIL ADCOX NEWS EDITOR
For students registered to vote on campus, voting in the 2019 General Election will take place on Tuesday, Nov. 5 in Merten Hall. Polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mason’s polling location is the 134th precinct in the Braddock district. On the ballot Tuesday, there will be nine elected positions that you will be voting on: Member Senate of Virginia
37th District, Sheriff, Member House of Delegates 41st District, Chairman Board of Supervisors, Commonwealth’s Attorney, Member Board of Supervisors Braddock District, Member School Board at Large, Member School Board Braddock District, and Soil and Water Conservation Director Northern Virginia District. Only one candidate, incumbent Dave W. Marsden, is running unopposed for Member Senate of Virginia 37th District.
For both the Soil and Water Conservation Director Northern Virginia District and Member School Board at Large positions, voters can choose up to 3 candidates. FOURTH ESTATE BILLY FERGUSON
As Election Day looms, here’s the candidate information that you need to know before you hit the polls.
A sample ballot with all of the corresponding candidates can be found on the Fairfax County website. There will also be a $360 million public school bond referendum on the ballot. If approved by voters, Fairfax County Public Schools will use to money for: “planning and/or building
two new elementary schools (locations to be determined), renovating 10 elementary schools and two middle schools, building additions at three existing high schools and relocating one modular building.” For off-campus students, refer to the Fairfax County GIS website for more information on your specific polling location or, if outside of Fairfax County, refer to the area that you are registered to vote in.
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MASON’S PEP BAND PLAYS AT GAME 5 OF WORLD SERIES
Green Machine performed for three hours before Nationals faced Astros LAURA SCUDDER COPY EDITOR
Green Machine member and trumpet player Abbey Darcy, the band left their instruments on the ground as dogs came by to sniff the open cases. People then went through metal detectors after the instruments were checked.
“I think someone requested ‘Stairway to Heaven,’ which we really hadn’t played before, so we played that for the first time there.” Not only so, but Mason’s famous pep
Even though “Baby Shark” is a fun song for fans to sing and dance along to, it got a bit exhausting for Green Machine to play, explained trumpet player Victoria Garrett; “‘Baby Shark’ isn’t my favorite song, because we
FOURTH ESTATE DOMENIC ALLEGRA
Mason’s pep band, Green Machine, played at Game 5 of the World Series in D.C. on Sunday, Oct. 27. The Nationals hosted the Houston Astros at Nationals Park, losing the game 7-1.
The Nationals ultimately won the World Series in Game 7, despite losing Game 5 to the Astros.
“It wasn’t bad,” Darcy elaborated. “We were the only people there at that point in that particular area.”
Arriving around 1 p.m., the band went through security for about 20 minutes. Security at the stadium was elevated due to President Trump’s attendance. According to sophomore
Green Machine played for about three hours, taking two 15-minute breaks. They played their classic, go-to songs, but also changed things up a bit. “We got a couple of requests,” Darcy said.
PHOTO COURTESY OF MASON POLICE
MASON WEEKLY CRIME LOG
band played what could be considered the Nationals’ anthem throughout the postseason: “Baby Shark.” The song was first played in June as outfielder Gerardo Parra’s walk-up music, but became a trend — and rallying cry for fans and players alike — during the playoffs.
postseason game against the LA Dodgers. The group has rehearsal every Wednesday night, but did not specifically practice to play at the park on Sunday. Although members of Green Machine did not watch the game, they enjoyed their time in the fan-christened District of Champions. “It was a surreal experience,” said Garrett. “I never would have imagined playing for the Nationals with a small group at first, then [two] more times because they enjoyed our first performance. We got to improvise and make the performance special and unique each time we played. All I can say about the win was that it was amazing watching and seeing the Nats get their first World Series win. Go Nats go!”
played [it] so much, but it is funny to see everyone dance along while we play.” They played the song three times throughout their entire performance.
Families waiting for the game to start were dancing around to the music. The pep band got everyone excited — including themselves. “Everyone was super happy,” Darcy said. “Even the people in the band were energetic; we were dancing the entire time.”
This is not the first time Green Machine has played at Nationals Park before. According to trumpet player Victoria Garrett, the pep band even played earlier this October at
Garrett and other members of Green Machine have just one message for Mason students: “Come see the Green Machine play at Eagle Bank Arena at basketball games,” Garrett said.
Thursday, Oct. 31 — Fairfax Campus
Tuesday, Oct. 29 — Lot R
Fraud / Scam / Extortion: Complainant (GMU) reported an online scam involving extortion.
Simple Assault / Disorderly Conduct: Officers responded to a fight in progress. No cooperating witnesses or victims.
Case 2019-010781 — Information Only
Case 2019-010674 — Closed
Tuesday, Oct. 29 — Fairfax Campus
Monday, Oct. 28 — Sandy Creek near Shenandoah Parking deck
Fraud / Scam: Complainant (GMU) reported an email scam involving purchasing gift cards for a fake employment opportunity.
Simple Assault / Disorderly Conduct: Two Subjects (GMU) were referred to the Office of Student Conduct (OSC) for fighting.
Case 2019-010716 — Pending
Case 2019-010671 — Referred to OSC
Tuesday, Oct. 29 — Field House
Monday, Oct. 28 — Fairfax Campus / Off-Campus
Hit and Run: Complainant (GMU) reported a hit and run of a parking gate arm.
Stalking: Complainant (GMU) reported receiving unwanted contact from a former intimate partner (Non-GMU) on multiple occasions.
Case 2019-010683— Pending
Case 2019-010630 — Referred to Title IX
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FACULTY RAISE CONCERNS AT PRESIDENTIAL SEARCH FORUM
Students and faculty raise concerns over process of finding Mason’s next university president JACK HARVEY ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR HAILEY BULLIS AND DANA NICKEL CO EDITORS-IN-CHIEF
According to Davis, there are three faculty members and one dean on the search committee for a new university president.
Mason’s Presidential Search Committee convened in an open forum to hear from students and faculty about their hopes for Mason’s next president. The forum was open to the public in Merten Hall on Oct. 30. Two members of the committee, Chair of the Faculty Senate Shannon Davis and Vice Rector of Mason’s Board of Visitors (BOV) Jim Hazel took questions from the students, faculty and staff that attended the event. “We need to hear from you,” Davis said as she addressed the crowd at the forum. “What evidence do we need to find in [candidates’] resumes that people will submit to us that will let us know that they’ve met our minimum qualifications?” The forum quickly turned away from a discussion about the next president to a discussion about the search committee’s process. Members of Transparent GMU, Mason For Survivors and Mason’s chapter of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) were all present at the event. Representatives from each organization expressed concern about the way the search for the new president has been handled so far. During the last presidential search,
in which former Mason president Angel Cabrera was chosen, faculty were only allowed to meet him after signing a non-disclosure agreement. The general faculty was excluded from meeting with or knowing about finalists. Meeting attendees were handed a bulleted list of minimum qualifications for the incoming president, one of which was “A work ethic that prioritizes shared governance, integrity and transparency as core values that shape all campus processes and decision making.” Cassidy Pollard, a student in the School of Integrative Studies, expressed concern over the use of the language in regard to a closed process for presidential selection. “If the search process doesn’t even meet your minimum requirements, I don’t get how we can expect a candidate for the next president to hold up to these core requirements,'' Pollard stated. “Define shared governance,” Davis responded, arguing that since Pollard was accusing the committee of “trampling over shared governance,” she should provide an explanation as to how. Pollard then argued that “when your minimum requirements say shared
Bethany Letiecq, Mason’s AAUP chapter president, explained her frustrations with the search committee’s process. “The [BOV] clearly doesn’t plan to uphold the [faculty handbook] here,” Letiecq said in an interview with Fourth Estate. Mason’s faculty handbook is a document that provides guidelines for faculty relations at Mason. Within the faculty handbook, there are clear guidelines for how faculty should be involved in the selection process for Mason’s president. The handbook states that “The Board of Visitors provides for participation on presidential search committees by faculty who are elected by the General Faculty. The search and selection process must include opportunities for the General Faculty to meet with candidates who are finalists for the presidency.” “It’s not a legal obligation,” stated Rector Tom Davis of the BOV in regard to the language within the faculty handbook. Letiecq, in an email to Fourth Estate, noted that there is “no statue in the Commonwealth that address[es] the issue of presidential searches, including how these are to be conducted. This is left to the [BOV].”
Letiecq believes that because the BOV approved the faculty handbook, it is binding to them as well. She continued, “This language has been in the Faculty Handbook for many, many years — including during the last presidential search … Since then, the BOV has had approximately 8 years to amend the language and has not done so. Therefore, I would argue that the BOV recognized that a mistake was made during the last search and has tacitly agreed that the process described by the current language is what they have agreed to.” AAUP Secretary and Associate Professor of Communication Tim Gibson said, “What I would like is to ask about an opportunity for the public to meet the candidates before anyone is hired. [What we do for any other high-level university employee] is have them come to campus, take questions in a public forum … take questions from stakeholders; that includes faculty and students … We do that because we get a good piece of information from that. We see how they interact with faculty and students … We see their ability to make connections in a very short time.” “There’s one thing that’s overlooked, and what’s overlooked is the resentment of the closed process. I think Cabrera, I ended up liking him, but I resented him for a couple of years because of the way it was done … Take that into consideration — the risk this candidate will have in overcoming the resentment of the faculty, and probably the students too,” said Joe Scimecca, a sociology professor. Junior dance major Amelia Stork also wants the presidential search to be an open process. “Part of picking a school is,
like, you pick that schools value’s and you not only pick what you want your major to be but the environment you want to be [in], and I want a president who lines up with my values. If we just don’t meet them until they get hired, then that’s kind of [taking] away the whole point of a community,” she said.” After Stork asked that the search committee find a president who would focus on making “the campus a safe place in terms of sexual assault and really follows through with that in their hiring of staff and faculty,” Mason’s Title IX office became a topic of discussion at the listening session. “I know and have experienced so many people where this has been an issue on-campus [and] off-campus, trying to work with Title IX with faculty [and] with students, and I just felt it was really important and it needed to be prioritized because I think other things can be worked on but that needs to be someone’s … core value,” said Stork. The faculty senate will vote on a resolution calling for the Board of Visitors to hold an open presidential search on Wednesday, Nov. 6.
FOURTH ESTATE HAILEY BULLIS
FOURTH ESTATE HAILEY BULLIS
governance and every faculty member that I’ve talked to has said that ‘we don’t feel that this is shared governance,’ you know, I might not be faculty, I may not be an expert on shared governance, but these professors are, and when they say this isn’t shared governance I’m going to defer to them”
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Prepping food is the meal deal NATALIE HEAVREN SPORTS EDITOR
Meal prepping is hard. You cook a lot of the same food, you get sick of eating it after two days, you spend a lot of money on eating out. Repeat.
It can be very time consuming to prep an entire week’s worth of food. You’re also more likely to get sick of the same thing over and over.
My suggestion is to cook versatile things a few times a week and turn what could be one meal into several. Which, I promise you, is easier than it sounds. For the most part, I’ve grown up eating — and now cooking — simple but delicious meals. Both of my parents cooked, depending on who came home first. However, there was no definitive period in my life where I learned to cook. Most of what I’ve learned from cooking came in high school on the phone with my mom, who often had a meeting run late and needed me to cook dinner.
FOURTH ESTATE BILLY FERGUSON
However, it doesn’t have to be that hard.
Most people think of meal prepping as cooking a week’s worth of food all at once. But, really? Who has time for that?
Clearly, I’m no five-star chef. Week to week, my roommate and I split up who cooks and who goes grocery shopping. We split up the cooking based on who is busier that week. This simplifies the process for
us. I assure you it’s not an overwhelming amount of work. Since we’ve both been busier this semester, we’ve found ourselves cooking less often. We’ve found that cooking a single protein two or three times a week and turning it into multiple meals works best for us. For example, as we all know, chicken can be cooked in a variety of ways. You can bake it, fry it, put it in a crockpot or cook it in a pan on the stove. There are also an endless number of spices and sauces you can put on chicken. My most common method of cooking chicken is in a pan in a little bit of olive oil, after seasoning it with herbs. After that, you can pretty much do anything with it. Microwave some frozen vegetables, bake some fries or roast some potatoes, and ta-da … meal!
vegetables. Grab some cheese and tortillas and make quesadillas. You could even make stir-fry. The options are literally endless. Another regular staple in my weekly cooking is ground beef. We almost always cook it with taco seasoning because we enjoy making tacos, quesadillas and nachos, but that isn’t the only use for ground beef. I also have, in a rush to throw a meal together, combined ground beef, rice, peas and a little bit of cheddar cheese. It was quite delicious. If you don’t like Mexican food, making meat sauce for pasta or shepherd’s pie could be great alternatives. Cooking fewer times per week may make cooking for yourself (and your friends!) a little bit easier. You’ll also hopefully spend a bit less money on eating out.
Cook some pasta or rice, or roast some
HIDDEN HANGOUTS: WESTOVER FAMERS MARKET Head to this local market for a collection of quality products PETER NJOROGE CULTURE EDITOR
It’s also a lot of fun. The local market can be an interesting way to get in touch with your ingredients, as well as try some unique and tasty foodstuffs.
While often associated with hipsters and high prices, visiting your local farmers market can help you learn about ingredients, eat delicious food and find some really cool treats.
One of the best things about being in the Northern Virginia area is that there are plenty of different markets that meet on different days and at different times. The Westover Market in Arlington meets from 8 a.m. to noon on Sundays. There are also evening and weekday markets at other locations for people who are busy.
FOURTH ESTATE PETER NJOROGE
According to Clint Eastwood, “What you put into life, you get out of it.” The same can be said for your weekly bounty of fruits and veggies. The quickest and cleanest way to get your food is to head to a local farmers market and pick up your groceries.
Virginia is home to some amazing orchards and farms, and their products are always outstanding. After tasting fresh orchard apples and delicious blueberries from the market, the offerings from Trader Joe’s and Giant will never be the same. While looking for garlic, scallions and eggs, you can always take a breakfast break and grab a tasty pastry and a locally roasted cup of coffee. Say hi to the local mushroom guy, or swing by the baker for a delicious loaf of
sourdough. You can munch on DMV Empanadas, Mama’s Donut Bites or Paella to Go. The market is also one of the best places to pick up beautiful floral decorations for all occasions. The market is always changing, which makes each week an exciting journey. To help you keep track, the Westover Farmers Market puts up a rough schedule on their website for what is fresh and in-season. Finding your favorite local farmer is a truly enjoyable experience. Also, seeing the same faces each week makes grocery shopping much more jovial and personal. While you will pay more, going to the market is an interesting opportunity to get in touch with the people who actually make your food — and cut out all of the other nonsense. Each farmers market is a living community organization that’s fun for people of all ages. The products really speak for themselves, and more than justify a little bump in price.
FOURTH ESTATE PETER NJOROGE
Launch into millennial adulthood by checking out the freshest produce around at the Westover Farmers Market.
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RAGS RETURNS TO THE STAGE AT MASON Mason Players reanimate a timeless tale about America AHMED FARID STAFF WRITER
What if I told you that you were about to watch a musical about a refugee who comes to the U.S. searching for a better life, only to be met with a plethora of obstacles and prejudices? You might think that it would be
about modern-day America, but you would be mistaken.
that makes “Rags” such an enjoyable performance.
“Rags,” which tells the story of a Jewish mother and her son, takes place in the early 20th century. The story’s relevance is one of the many things
The play tells the story of Rebecca Herkshowitz (Jessica Barraclough) and her son David (Aiden Brennan and Hank Hawkins), who come to the United States with nothing but the clothes on their backs after fleeing persecution in their native Russia.
PHOTO COURTESY OF CENTER FOR THE ARTS
After meeting Bella Cohen (Lauren Fraites) on the ride to Ellis Island, Herkshowitz’s luck seems like it is beginning to change, as her new friend takes her in and introduces her to her family. Reluctantly, they take her in and provide employment.
impression that “Rags” is a dark play, but it manages to maintain a light and optimistic tone throughout. The theme is less focused on the struggles faced by the main characters, and more on the family bonds that bind together those who face adversity. This is mostly delivered through the songs in the play, with beautiful music and powerful vocal performances from the cast.
Herkshowitz’ newfound happiness is only temporary. Soon after, she finds herself caught up within the political turmoil of the era, as well as the anti-immigrant prejudice and tribalism of the time.
While the witty dialogue in “Rags” paints a vivid picture of early 20th century America, there are undoubtedly moments when it feels that the play is trying to say too much at the same time. Instead of delving deep into a specific issue, the audience is given snippets of different subjects, which takes away the ability to get fully invested in the story. The play seems to lack a central question or conflict to carry it from start to finish.
From the synopsis, one might get the
What carries the play is the large
and diverse cast of actors who do a phenomenal job of bringing the story to life. Barraclough is able to clearly show the audience the struggles and hopes of her character throughout the many ups and downs she experiences. What’s even more impressive is the ability of the cast to convincingly play characters much older than they are without any feeling of exaggeration. Additionally, we cannot forget to mention the amazing work done by the wardrobe crew, who helped the actors present their characters clearly. Even from far away, the clothes worn by each character help easily identify their background, social status, and in some cases, their personality. In the end, “Rags” is a story that deserves to be told and heard. More than just exceptional acting and directing, it remains a timeless story that is as relevant today as it was on the day it was first brought to the stage.
SATAN VISITS MASON ON HALLOWEEN
Director Penny Lane visits for a documentary screening and Q&A TRAVIS MCMILLAN STAFF WRITER
During the talk, Lane mentioned how her producer sent her an article about the temple in early 2016, and she went from there. The documentary covers a six-year arc in the temple’s history; Lane only got about halfway into it.
Satanism.
“They’re kind of politically all over the map, and they have [different] issues they’re very passionate about,” Lane said about the type of groups the members of the temple align with.
Lane, as well as the people from the Temple, describe the group as “the original trolls.”
“I started to realize the question that I was asking, which was, ‘Well, are these people joking, or are they sincere?’ was a stupid question,” Lane said. “Because they were both.”
She didn’t know when she started working on the documentary that The group, especially in the documen- it would end up as an inspirational tary, makes sure to show their stance on film, considering she started with the things like the LGBTQ+ community intention of poking fun at the Satanic and abortion. At one point in the docu- Temple. It wasn’t until about halfway mentary, they even have two same-sex that she realized the impact she could couples kissing on top of the grave make with the documentary. of the mother of Fred Phelps — the While Lane herself has not adopted founder of Westboro Baptist Church. After the documentary ended, Lane Talking about the group, it’s obvious Satanist beliefs, she did say her outlook came up on the stage with two others to that Lane and the Satanic Temple on religion has changed for the better. answer questions about the film. When have maintained a good relationship, “I think I spent my whole life thinking asked if she ever thought she’d end up telling viewers about how she still keeps that religion was some kind of mental working on a project like this, Lane in contact with the spokesperson for illness … just like a dumb atheist,” responded, “I did not expect to make the Temple. Lane explained how it’s Lane said. “And I do think my attraca film about Satanists, I didn’t really difficult to fully understand the intro- tion to the topic was kind of a little bit of poking in the eye.” know anything about Satanist[s].” verted people behind the mask of The U.S. is a religiously pluralistic country. In the movie, the Satanic Temple protests and fights against the placement of Christian statues, or after-school Christian events in government or school buildings. They want to keep a separation between church and state.
FOURTH ESTATE TRAVIS MCMILLAN
The Johnson Center Cinema had a treat rather than a trick on Halloween this year, with director Penny Lane screening her documentary “Hail Satan?” and following it up with a Q&A session afterwards. The film itself only talks about Satanism for the first half or so, explaining the Satanic Temple’s views and their activism. From there, the film highlights the reasons behind their actions.
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CREATORS AT MASON CALL AND GET A RESPONSE Annual “Call & Response” exhibit is hosted by the Fenwick Gallery NAYOMI SANTOS STAFF WRITER
As the name suggests, the project requires one side of the partnership to call and the other to respond. The curators of this year’s show were Heather Green, professor in InterArts at the Mason School of Art, and Christopher Kardambikis, director of printmaking at Mason. Both curators collaborated to produce the finished gallery. “It was really nice to be more involved in the production of it,” said Kardambikis. “Working with Heather, working together on this was the main draw for me.” For this show, Green invited the poets and Kardambikis the artists to participate. They then decided which pairs of artists and poets would work best. “It was not just pairing a writer and artist,” said Kardambikis. “It was
both of us talking about the people’s practices that we’re familiar with and trying to find some way to make connections between the two bodies of work.” The collaborations proved to be very inventive. For instance, one of the pairs, Emily Fussner (caller) and Lloyd Wallace (responder), altered an already established piece. “Her work is untitled and then he wrote a poem responding to that painting,” Green said. “And she ended up taking a line from his poem and making it the title of her painting. It created this interesting feedback loop.” Another example of an interesting collaboration was that of Shane Chergosky (caller) and ANDiLAND (responder). “[Shane’s] poem ended up changing in response to their conversations and Andi’s painting, which I thought was neat because his poem inspired the painting in the first place, but
their conversations changed how he perceived the poem,” Green said.
assistant Tanya Dieudonne placed and set the work.
She incorporated her teaching of ekphrastic works — writing that responds to visual artwork — as well as translation into sculpting the theme for the show.
Most of the artists suggested books they used to expand on their art, resulting in a mini-library residing in the gallery itself.
“The best kind of work to me, where poetry responds to visual art, it takes what the spark of that painting and then creates something totally new that maybe doesn’t even reference fully the imagery,” Green said. “So, I was picturing that word ‘transmogrify’ as kind of describing that experience of the combination of changing but also translating.” Green continued, “I was so blown away by the writing and visual art that came out of it. I was really impressed with how even people’s work that was really different found a way to connect.” In setting up the physical gallery, gallery manager Stephanie Grimm and Fenwick Gallery graduate
involved in it. There’s always things that we can do with Call & Response,” Kardambikis said, “but I am more interested to see where the participants take it next.” The gallery will run until Nov. 9.
Both curators worked collaboratively, as the artists had, to produce the finished gallery. “It was really nice to be more involved in the production of it,” Kardambikis said. “Working with Heather, w o r k i n g together on this was the main draw for me.”
FOURTH ESTATE PETER NJOROGE
Every year the Fenwick Gallery is the site for a unique exhibit titled “Call & Response,” in which collaborations between pairs of visual artists and writers at Mason are highlighted. This year’s theme is “Transmogrify.”
“I hope that anything that comes further from this is from the students
A NIGHT OF APPRECIATION AND EXPRESSION
Kappa Phi Gamma hosts a night of food and dance NIKAYLA KIRCHNER STAFF WRITER
On Friday, Nov. 1, the Mason community celebrated the fifth annual “Kulture Night,” where various cultural organizations from across
campus came together to promote the celebration and appreciation of different cultures through food and performances.
Hosted by Kappa Phi Gamma, an all-inclusive South Asian sorority, Kulture Night was the perfect opportunity for students to experience the wealth of cultural groups on campus. The night was bustling with laughter, music, dance and a strong appreciation for Mason’s variety of cultural groups.
FOURTH ESTATE NIKAYLA KIRCHNER
“This is actually our founders’ month,” said Mannat Chawla, Kappa Phi Gamma’s sorority service chairwoman. “We were founded on Nov. 8, so Kulture Night is our means of kicking off this month.” To begin the night, Kappa Phi Gamma catered authentic Indian cuisines such as butter chicken, paneer, mango lassi and naan, allowing the audience to settle in and get a taste of the night. Dinner was followed by a train of performances, showcasing the various cultural organizations across campus. These performances included Greek councils, competitive dance teams,
Latinx groups and more. “We include performances from different cultural groups on campus because culture is one of our sorority’s key principles,” said Mahati Malladi, Kappa Phi Gamma’s treasurer and marketing director.
dance with stroll, which is traditional to our fraternity’s roots,” said Rolando Flores Santos, one of the performers. Much like Kappa Phi Gamma, LUL promotes cultural inclusivity and celebration as a core part of their organization.
According to the sorority sisters, Kulture Night is an important means of celebrating various cultures from around the world. Embracing cultures different than one’s own is an extremely important value within their organization.
Kappa Phi Gamma also performed multiple routines that incorporated popular hip-hop dance with traditional South Asian dance. In fact, many of the performances mixed genres and blurred the lines between traditional and contemporary styles.
One particular performance showcased by the Latinx fraternity, La Unidad Latina, Lambda Upsilon Lambda Fraternity Inc. (LUL), strongly embodied the principles of Kulture Night. Their performance was a beautiful combination of hip-hop and traditional Latin dances that was met with an eruption of cheers and laughter from the audience.
The performances were all met with high energy from the audience, perfectly encapsulating Mason’s goal of promoting and celebrating diversity.
“Our performance attempted to mix
Kappa Phi Gamma strongly encourages any Mason cultural organization to perform at Kulture Night in the future and extends their arms to anyone interested in cultural exposure and appreciation.
Faces of Mason
FACES OF MASON delves into the lives of Mason students, faculty, alumni and organizations every week. This week, we take a closer look at almunus Janine Gaspari INTERVIEW BY IZZ LAMAGDELEINE
Alumnus: Janine Gaspari of] his staff at the time … left the office officially at the end of March. And he was looking for a new staff after the session and invited me to join him full time. So I accepted the position, and ever since the middle of April, I’ve been working on his stuff. And it’s been a really amazing experience.
PHOTO COURTESY OF JAMIME GASPARL
What do you feel like you’ve learned the most from Keam?
How has activism impacted your political work? It taught me a lot about how to be strategic in terms of achieving political goals, and not just wanting something is it’s not enough. You also have to build coalitions in order to work for it. I would say that my experience in activism definitely shapes the way that I approach policymaking and in my position right now as a legislative assistant. And, although a lot of the skills that I gained during my time in activism transfer over very well, the way that we have to approach decision making from a government position — versus from sort of the outside activist position — is very different in the approach. So, having that activist lens really helped me understand a lot of the citizens’ groups that we work with, a lot of the access groups that we work with, and understanding that those are a very critical piece and critical voice. How did you start to work with Delegate Mark Keam? I actually started working for him
before I graduated, which was definitely a challenging transition while I was still in school. But I will say he was very understanding of the fact that I was finishing up school and wanted to have me finish strong. I connected with him originally at a Money in Politics forum. And during that same time frame, I was actively doing research on Koch donations to Virginia state politicians … Delegate Keam is actually my state representative. And I interviewed Delegate Keam ... [and] I asked him after the interview if he needed any help while he was down in Richmond during the session, because I figured that that would be a really good experience to see the work that I was researching and writing about in action. And I had a couple of weeks before I had to go back to school … from the first day of the session, up until like, a Thursday before I had a Friday class, I stayed and I worked full-time in his office in the General Assembly and got some really, really solid experience and got to learn a lot about the way that legislature works. And then [one
[I’ve learned] a lot about how to work [in a bi-partisan way] because the blue wave that we had in 2017 was absolutely amazing, and made it so that so many great policies can be passed, like Medicaid expansion and increasing teacher pay. But for a majority of the time that Delegate Keam was in office, he was actually in a super minority. So he was one of 34 Democrats in the General Assembly … which means that the way that you have to pass policy and the types of policies that you can pass are not as progressive. So, the good government bills are typically a little bit easier, but things like clean energy we haven’t been able to make as many strides on.
of clean energy activists on that front, and have been working [with] groups like Moms Demand Action and all sorts of other community organizing groups we absolutely interact with. ...One of my favorite parts of the job is getting to work with those people, because I know what it’s like to be in their shoes having been in their shoes. And my boss has been a community organizer himself. So, he also brings that perspective. So, I really, I genuinely enjoy that part of my job so, so much. What is the best way for someone to become involved in politics and activism? If there’s an issue that you care about, or if there’s a problem that you see in your community, that the first thing
you should do is just start researching what’s going on about it, see if there are other people who are who are saying something about it, who are involved in it. By all means, like plugging into the existing communities and infrastructure, if you can, and if nothing exists, then build it yourself. Because there’s no reason not to do it. And never being shy to start with a small movement, because a small movement can turn into a national or international movement. Not every movement needs to start as big as what we see the Sunrise Movement is right now. So, just trusting the process and making sure that you’re doing what you can when you can and in a sustainable way, both for your movement and for yourself.
How do you use your activism in the job you have now? So, I would say that a lot of the people that we get to interact with, specifically — Our office is very big on climate policy and clean energy policy. So, we work with a lot
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SPORTS
A Look Into the Women’s 2019-2020 Nonconference Schedule
Women’s Basketball picked sixth in Preseason Poll as they face Power 5 foes NATALIE HEAVREN SPORTS EDITOR
Last season the Patriots went 8-6 in nonconference play, a mark they hope to improve on this season. Six of the team’s 13 games will be at home, while the remaining games will take them as far away as Texas. The Patriots will play two Power 5 schools. Both matchups are scheduled in the team’s first five games, two CAA opponents and one AAC opponent. The team opens the season Nov. 6 at 6:30 p.m. at the College of Charleston. The Patriots have defeated the Cougars in their last two meetings, including last season on Dec. 31. Mason’s first home game is Nov. 10 against Virginia Tech, who they most recently faced in the second round of the WNIT on March 18, 2018. The Patriots have won just one of the previous five meetings, with the lone win coming on Nov. 14, 2015. Despite the fact that Virginia Tech was picked to finish 10th in the ACC, winning this game would be a statement win for the team. For the third year in a row, Mason will take on American on Nov. 21. The
Patriots have lost three of the last four games, last winning on Nov. 17, 2017. The Eagles were picked to finish fifth in the Patriot League and competed in the postseason for the second straight year last season. On Nov. 24 the Patriots will travel to University Park, Pa. to take on Penn State for the first time since 2005.
PHOTO COURTESY OF MASON ATHLETICS
With the 2019-2020 season just around the corner, the women’s basketball team has an intriguing nonconference schedule ahead of them.
Playing the Nittany Lions provides the Patriots a second opportunity to get a statement win over a Power 5 opponent. On Dec. 4, the Patriots will welcome Bucknell, who was picked to finish third in the Patriot League Preseason Poll. Mason has lost both of the prior meetings, with the most recent loss coming in 2008. Last season the Bison lost just two conference games, won their conference tournament and nearly upset
No. 25 Florida State in the first round of the NCAA tournament. This is a sneakily good matchup and well worth attending — despite the 11 a.m. start time. The Patriots will travel to Newark, Del. on Dec. 29 to take on former CAA rival Delaware. The Fightin’ Blue Hens was picked to finish fourth in the CAA Preseason Poll.
Mason closes out their nonconference schedule by traveling to Dallas, Texas to take on SMU on Dec. 31. This will be the first meeting for these two teams. The game should be well-attended by Mason fans as junior guard Nicole CardañoHillary hails from less than three hours away. The Patriots open up conference play on Jan. 4 when they host George Washington.
FOURTH ESTATE ALEXANDRIA MCALPINE
PHOTO COURTESY OF MASON ATHLETICS
Despite having gone 5-17 against Delaware, Mason won the last matchup 72-46 on Dec. 6, 2018.
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SPORTS
Breaking down the Men’s 2019-2020 Nonconference Schedule
Despite playing few high-quality teams, Mason’s nonconference schedule still holds intrigue ROSS SHINBERG STAFF WRITER
Maryland is ranked seventh in the preseason Associated Press Poll and 16th by college basketball statistician Ken Pomeroy. The Terps have made the NCAA Tournament in four of the last five seasons and have been seeded as high as fourth. Last season, as a six seed, they fell in the Round of 32 to LSU. The only other team on Mason’s nonconference schedule that has an inside track to an NCAA Tournament bid are the TCU Horned Frogs. The Patriots will travel down to Fort Worth, Texas, on Dec. 30 for a game that will conclude nonconference play for both teams. When watching the game, Patriot fans might see a familiar face on the TCU side of the Schollmaier Arena. Former Mason starter Jaire Grayer joined TCU this season as a graduate transfer after spending the past four years in the green and gold.
FOURTH ESTATE ALEXANDRIA MCALPINE
Last season, Mason played in the Emerald Coast Classic, a special in-season tournament for a select group of schools. This year, Mason accepted an invitation to the Cayman Island Classic, featuring a field of eight teams — including in-state rival Old Dominion University and 2018 NCAA Final Four member Loyola University Chicago. The Patriots will begin the tournament by playing Old Dominion on Nov. 25 and will face either Nebraska or Washington State the following day. Mason will play again on Nov. 27, concluding three days of basketball in George Town. Of course, a Mason basketball schedule is not complete without a faceoff against James Madison University (JMU). The Dukes will
5, to start the 2019-2020 season. The Patriots defeated the Midshipmen last season, 84-63.
Since 2005, Mason is 22-2 against JMU and is 13-0 at home against the Dukes during that period.
The Patriots will open the season with five consecutive home games before their clash against Maryland. Eight of Mason’s thirteen nonconference games will take place in Fairfax.
Shortly after students have wrapped up final exams for the fall semester, Mason will welcome the UMBC Retrievers to EagleBank Arena on Dec. 21. UMBC shocked the college basketball world in 2018, becoming the first No. 16 seed to defeat a No. 1 seed in NCAA Men’s Tournament history. But before any of these games tip-off, Mason will host Navy on Tuesday, Nov.
For a team that lost Otis Livingston II as a graduating senior last year, Ian Boyd, who is out for the season with a wrist injury, and Justin Kier for the start of the season, the home games early on will serve as critical building blocks before the competition increases later in the month and into December.
PHOTO COURTESY OF MASON ATHLETICS
There are a handful of dates that Mason fans should circle on their calendars, but perhaps the biggest circle should go on Nov. 22, as the Patriots will take a bus ride up to College Park, Maryland., to take on the Terrapins.
return to EagleBank Arena on Nov. 16 after taking a 66-53 loss in the same building last season.
PHOTO COURTESY OF IBRAHIM AHMAD - GIANTKILLER.CO
After a disappointing 6-7 nonconference record last season, the Mason Patriots will look to start the 2019-2020 season on a much higher note.
Basketball Preview
RACHEL BALZER Freshman guard from Doylestown, Pa. Averaged 11 points and three assists while at Germantown Academy.
JACY BOLTON Senior guard averaged 10.5 points and 9.1 rebounds per game during the 2018-19 season.
NICOLE CARDAÑOHILLARY Junior named to Nancy Lieberman Watchlist for the nation’s best point guard. 2019 A-10 Player of the Year.
JAZMYN DOSTER
Freshman center averaged 10 points, 13 rebounds, 3 blocks per game at Lake Taylor in Norfolk, Va.
CAMARIE GATLING
ALEXSIS GRATE
LIVIJA KAKTAITE
Junior forward played in all 30 games last season and averaged 8.7 points and 4.8 rebounds.
Senior guard played in all 30 games and averaged 4.6 points and 1.9 assists last season.
Sophomore guard from Sveksna, Lithuania. One of five international players on the 2019-2020 roster.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL 2019-2020 SEASON PREVIEW NATALIE HEAVREN SPORTS EDITOR The team was picked to finish sixth in the Women’s basketball is looking to percent of the team’s points, 89 percent Preseason Poll, their highest predicted continue the success of the last two of its rebounds and 94 percent of its finish since before joining the Atlantic 10 assists from last season. seasons again this year. prior to the 2013-2014 season. However, Last year the team went 16-14, In addition to the return of all but two both players and coaches know this does including 8-8 in conference play and members of last season’s team, Mason not mean much once the season starts. has added five freshmen to the roster. finished seventh in the Atlantic 10. “I think it gives us something to work
“With the experience that we have returning from last season, we’re hoping to be able to carry over great leadership, the experience — both the good and the bad that we had happened to us last year. We’re hoping that we can, you know, just be a much more improved, experienced basketball team,” said head coach Nyla Milleson.
pressure, but rather another source of motivation.
“But to have two players recognized in the preseason, we’ve never had that before either so I think that just shows where we’re going as a program,” she continued. “But [at] the end of the day, it doesn’t mean anything, so we’ve got to come out and we’ve got to play every day, every game and continue to really string good practices together.”
“I think it definitely just motivates [me] towards so that we can prove that we’re and makes me want to work harder for worthy [of being ranked] sixth and above,” my team and get my team a championsenior Jacy Bolton said. ship,” said Cardaño-Hillary. “But we’re just trying to prove that to Bolton added, “I want to work to be ourselves, we don’t prove it to anybody deserving of those awards continuously, else,” junior Nicole Cardaño-Hillary every single day for my team and my added. Women’s basketball opens their threecoaches.” Both Bolton and Cardaño-Hillary were Milleson expressed pride in her players game homestand on Nov. 10 at 2 p.m. honored with preseason awards. Bolton was but echoed their remarks, saying, “At the against Virginia Tech. named to the Preseason All-Conference end of the day, it doesn’t mean anything.
ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF MASON ATHLETICS
The Patriots are poised to return 95
“They’re still freshmen right now,” said Milleson. “But I think they are really getting better and I think continuing to, to find places that we can build their confidence. And I think our returners are kind of finally at a place where they’re having confidence in them also. So just, you know, trying to squeeze the most minutes out of them and really, really build on their strengths.”
Second Team and All-Defensive Team It matters where you finished, but it’s while Cardaño-Hillary was named to the the highest we’ve ever been picked All-Conference First Team. so I think that’s a compliment to the Neither player believed this added growth of our program.”
SARAH KAMINSKI
Senior guard played in all 30 games last season averaging 7.7 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.5 assists.
MARIKA KORPINEN
TAMIA LAWHORNE
ALLIE MCCOOL
VITA STAM
Junior guard played in all 30 games last season averaging 5.1 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.5 assists.
Freshman forward averaged 9.1 points and 3.7 rebounds during her senior season at Long Island Lutheran.
Senior forward played in all 30 games last season averaging 3.8 points and 3.1 rebounds.
Freshman forward played for the U16 and U18 Netherlands National Team.
JORDAN WAKEFIELD
DEVYN WILSON
Freshman guard selected as 2018 All-Harford County while at the John Carroll School in Md.
Sophomore guard played in 21 games last season. Looks to compete for more playing time.
2019-2020
IAN BOYD Senior guard who is out for the season after undergoing a prodecure on his right wrist.
GREG CALIXTE Junior forward played in 30 of 33 games last year averaging 4.6 points and 3.5 rebounds per game.
JASON DOUGLASSTANLEY Sophomore guard played in 22 or 33 games averaging 2.0 points and 0.5 rebounds per game.
JAVON GREENE
BAHAÏDE HAÏDARA
Junior guard played in all 33 games averaging 9.4 points and 4.9 rebounds per game last season.
Freshman guard from Montreal, Canada. Ranked the eleventh prospect in Canada.
JAMAL HARTWELL II
Sophomore guard to step up in place of Otis Livingston II. Averaged 3.2 points and 0.7 assists last season.
XAVIER JOHNSON
Freshman guard selected as 2019 Washington Post Second Team All-Metro.
MEN’S BASKETBALL 2019-2020 SEASON PREVIEW DOMENIC ALLEGRA ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR
After a disappointing loss in the Atlantic 10 tournament quarterfinals, men’s basketball is looking to rebound in the 2019-2020 season. Last year the team finished with a record of 18-15, and 11-7 in A-10 play, leading to a fifth-place finish.
Head coach Dave Paulsen is also looking forward to the new season. “I know last year’s team early on got too caught up in expectations,” Paulsen said. “We want guys to emerge — every guy in our locker room has got a different role, a vastly different role, and with Justin’s absence, it’s even more so. It’s really a big, big adjustment.”
Oduro. “They got to get used to playing in front of the crowd and the band and different teams,” Paulsen said. He continued, “Josh can really score the ball in the low post and is a really underrated rebounder. Bahaïde can really be an elite defender and attacker off the dribble. And Xavier, defensively, can really be a bulldog and really get us going in transition, so they only have different things that they can really do.”
Paulsen continued, “So those guys [have] got to get used to playing much more leading roles as opposed to secondary roles. They’re capable, but when the light nonconference, but overall, we just want “I’m excited to play some of the A-10 to get better and better ourselves every teams, but I’m really just excited to actually clicks, it’s gonna really click.” Mason gets set for their home opener single day.” play in nonconference this year. It’s a Mason also welcomed three new on Nov. 5 against Navy in an old brand new world for me,” Miller said. freshmen to the team: Xavier Johnson, Kier’s absence has allowed players like CAA matchup. Bahaïde “Dady” Haïdara and Josh ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF MASON ATHLETICS
However, this year the Patriots were picked to finish ninth in the A-10 Preseason Coach’s Poll compared to their fourth-place pick in 2018. This could be attributed to star Otis Livingston II’s departure after the 2018-2019 season and senior star Justin Kier’s injury to start the 2019 season.
junior Javon Greene to step up in his place. “I have to step up and for me, just learning from Otis, Jaire [Grayer] and Justin, all the older guys … taught me a lot so I’m just using what they taught me and applying it “Everybody’s roles [changed] this year to my game,” Greene said with injuries and with newcomers, so [we’re] just [trying to] getting better Sophomore Jordan Miller is looking to cement his role as a starter this season after every day,” Kier said. He continued, “[Embracing] your role entering the lineup in conference play due to injuries. While this ended his chance of with the team, give energy, up our culture potentially redshirting, it gave him valuable and obviously our goals are definitely to do good in conference and do good in playing experience. Kier, who is currently injured with a stress fracture in his right foot, is looking to make a return in the early part of the season.
JUSTIN KIER
Senior guard out for the begining of the season. Named 2019 Atlantic 10 Most Improved Player.
GONAR MAR
MEHKI MCCRAY
JORDAN MILLER
JOSH ODURO
JACK TEMPCHIN
Junior forward played in 19 games due to injury last season averaging 3.1 points and 2.6 rebounds per game.
Junior guard was a team manager before joining as a preferred walk-on in 2019.
Sophomore guard played in 17 games of conference schedule last season. Averaged 10.4 points and 7.1 rebounds.
Freshman forward from Paul VI Catholic High School and was ranked fourteenth in nation by USA Today.
Redshirt junior guard played in seven of 33 games. Scored first field goal vs. Navy on Dec. 21, 2018.
AJ WILSON
Redshirt junior forward played in 30 of 33 games averaging 3.7 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.3 blocks last season.
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OPINIONS Opinions do not reflect the views of Fourth Estate. Submit opinions to ckernans@gmu.edu
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WASHINGTON, D.C. CAN DO SOMETHING RIGHT
PHOTO COURTESY OF MICHAEL CARDEN
DOMINIC PINO STAFF WRITER
I don’t know if you heard, but the Washington Nationals won the World Series. If you’re disappointed in our nation’s capital, it’s because you’re looking at the wrong people. Turn your gaze from the White House and the Capitol Building for a minute and look at the Nationals. Unlike the Capitals, who won the Stanley Cup after being one of the best teams in hockey for a few years,
the Nationals were a disaster. They didn’t make the postseason at all last year, and they bottomed out earlier this season at 19-31. They had the worst bullpen in baseball and no lead was safe. Their star player, Bryce Harper, left for the division-rival Phillies. Five months ago, the mood could be summed up by a story entitled “Stick a Fork in the 2019 Nationals.” “The chance for a season comeback has passed,” wrote Ross Shinberg.
“The Nats had every opportunity to fix the team and have failed to do so. Now, it’s too late. The 2019 Nationals will miss the postseason for the second year in a row and finish under .500 for the first time since 2011.”
Nationals were putting together one of the greatest runs in the history of baseball. From the nadir at 19-31, the Nats went 74-38 to finish the year at 93-69, good enough for a wild card spot in the playoffs. They came from behind to win the one-game playoff against this author’s team, the Milwaukee Brewers.
I feel for Shinberg. As a writer, you want your articles to age like wine, not milk. But at the same time, there were four whole months left in the season, and that’s a bit early to make those kinds of predictions. He might deserve what the baseball gods have given him: complete and total repudiation. The Nationals didn’t just make the postseason.
Though no one would have admitted it at the time, the Nats were definitely just happy to be there. If they had lost to the Astros, it would have been hard because losing is hard, but it would have been respectable — they won the National League despite not being expected to even make the postseason, and the Astros are the best team in baseball.
They are the champions, my friend. And they kept on fighting to the end. While Bryce Harper was counting his money and flipping his hair, the
I’m not sure what they did during the next week because I swore off baseball to wallow in the embarrassing defeat of my Brew Crew, but I hear they won to advance to the NLCS against the St. Louis Cardinals. They swept the Cards and made it to the World Series against the MLB-best Houston Astros.
But they won, and they won in their own way. As Ross Shinberg pointed out in these pages while totally redeeming himself from his earlier article, Nationals manager Davey Martinez “never panicked, trusted his process and led the Nationals all the way to the World Series.” His process is old-school.
There are lots of different ways to tell if a manager is old-school, but the most telling one with Martinez is his attire. He doesn’t wear a hoodie or long-sleeve shirt in the dugout like Astros manager A.J. Hinch (today’s manager of tomorrow) or the just-fired Joe Maddon (yesterday’s manager of tomorrow). No, Martinez wears a uniform just like his players, which is what managers traditionally wear. He’s never been obsessed over pitch counts, and the Nats aren’t dependent on belting homeruns like many teams today. They still do sacrifice bunts and steal a lot of bases (the most in the National League during the regular season). And they won the World Series. It’s true in politics, and it’s true in sports: the best way to send a message is to win. The Nats’ message: with steady leadership, adherence to time-honored principles and a shared vision, you can pull off some pretty amazing stuff. Other baseball teams will take notice, and other leaders in our nation’s capital have a lot to learn from Davey Martinez, who proved that Washington, D.C. can do something right. (After the excitement wears off on the win, though, I do hope we can reflect and realize one thing: the Baby Shark thing was pretty silly and got really annoying. Sorry, it had to be said.)
ALLERGIES CANNOT BE FORGOTTEN SUMMER BROWN STAFF WRITER
Most of my life I have been lucky enough to not have chronic health issues. However, my close friend here at Mason cannot say the same. She has a nasty gluten intolerance that causes her to constantly be sick, itch and develop rashes. Often, she has had issues avoiding gluten. I suppose she is lucky when it comes to her allergy, as she doesn’t have it as severe as others. But she still has an allergy and it should not be ignored. Some dietary restrictions are set because of an individual’s choice. Some are not. When my sister and
mother were vegetarians for nearly 15 years, they did it completely by choice. Their decision to do it was purely based on their choice. They did not do it for religious or moral beliefs or because of a doctor’s recommendation — it was just their choice. They wanted to do it. On the other hand, my cousin has a gluten allergy and suffered for five years before her doctors recommended that she got tested for it. Turns out, it was severely impacting her health to the point where
her physical health was starting to decline rapidly. This was not her choice. PHOTO COURTESY OF U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Although I’m incredibly fortunate to not have any serious, life-threatening allergies, others are not so fortunate.
Allergies are not options. They’re physical disabilities that need to be recognized. It’s hard for people who can eat everyday food to remember those who have dietary restrictions. I have often attended birthday parties or events where those with dietary restrictions were completely and utterly forgotten. To those with chosen dietary restrictions, eating the foods excluded
by their diet may not be as harmful as those with serious, health-impacting restrictions. If the allergic individuals are not careful, a simple mistake can be a fatal one. Keeping those with dietary restrictions in mind when making decisions about foods is imperative. I certainly had a hard time watching those around me — no matter their form of dietary restrictions — not be able to eat the things I could.. If I am with friends who have an allergy, I make sure that their dietary needs are not ignored. It’s not fair for those with issues to suffer.
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OPINIONS Opinions do not reflect the views of Fourth Estate. Submit opinions to ckernans@gmu.edu
11.04.2019
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STUDENT VOTERS: SUPPRESSED AND DISENFRANCHISED SAVANNAH MARTINCIC STAFF WRITER
As the country draws nearer to the 2020 election and passes through a scattering of state elections, the issue of across-the-board attacks on voting rights for college students is becoming central to the political conversation. 2018 saw a major surge in college voting, largely thanks to an increased interest in civic engagement on campuses. A report released by Tufts University’s Institute for Democracy and Higher Education found that the national student voting rate doubled from 2014 to 2018 in both local and national elections. As more students become interested in local and national politics, colleges and political organizations actively seek ways to empower students to become life-long voters and civically engaged citizens. Walking around Mason’s campus in the months leading up to elections, you are likely to see volunteers helping students get registered to vote on campus, a scene familiar to college students across the country. Universities are also infusing civil learning into their curricula, with the goal of creating informed citizens and voters.
Despite these increased efforts to strengthen the student vote on college campuses, there are still a growing number of obstacles. Recently, right here in Fairfax County, registrar Gary Scott rejected 171 Mason student applications, citing “invalid addresses.” When registering on campus, college students typically use general campus addresses or mailbox addresses, which can make it difficult to confirm that they are eligible to vote in the district. The students who had their applications rejected were sent a rejection letter. However, John Powers, a lawyer with the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, said the registrar should have requested more information — not rejected the applications outright. While Scott’s office sent out follow-up letters with instructions on how to fix the applications, the original rejection letter will likely deter many students from voting. In case you missed it, college students are busy. Constantly. We work multiple jobs, take heavy course loads and occasionally manage some semblance of a social life.
Registering to vote can be a difficult process for students, especially for those coming from out-of-state. Now imagine having to essentially redo the process. Doesn’t sound too appealing, does it? In an interview with the Washington Post, Mason freshman Carson Heisel said that, like many, he is too busy with school to fix his application. “I was definitely planning to vote, but I was not interested enough to go back and take the time and fill everything out,” he said. This is not an isolated incident, and it only serves to further highlight a nationwide issue: the oppression of student voters. While this is not an inherently Republican or Democratic issue, college voters have faced pushback primarily from Republican lawmakers. Republicans in states across the country have worked over the past decade to limit what kinds of student IDs can be used in the polls, restrict the number of polling locations on or near college campuses, and gerrymander political boundaries that divide college campuses, diluting the power of student votes.
One of the biggest boundaries for college students can be establishing eligible residency, which the 171 Mason students faced. Many Republican lawmakers, including those in New Hampshire, have passed policies that require students that drive to acquire an in-state driver’s license and car registration in order to vote. This can cause a huge financial burden on college students, who already are burdened with the rising cost of tuition. Obtaining proper identification can also present a huge challenge for students, as six states do not accept student ID as a valid form of voter ID and another 21 states have specific criteria that student IDs much follow in order to qualify. This can include an expiration date or address, which many student IDs do not have. If colleges or universities are unwilling to reissue IDs, which can be an expensive process, students can be left without valid ID at the polls. The 2013 decision of the Supreme Court case Shelby County vs. Holder also stripped away some of the protections outlined in the Voting Rights Act, causing the closure of 868 polling sites and making it difficult for
students to reach the polls even if they had registered. These roadblocks are growing exponentially in battleground states like Texas, where the control of Republicans is slipping as students are leaning more Democratic. A March poll by the Institute of Politics at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government reported that 45 percent of college students ages 18-24 leaned Democratic, compared to 29 percent who identified as Republican. This polarization of politics is serving to further draw college students into the game as key players, making it obvious why Republicans would focus their voting restrictions and regulations on this demographic. Disguising these barriers as solutions to alleged voter fraud, Republicans can continue controlling whose vote gets heard and whose does not in states where student votes need to be heard the most. People like to tell young people that their vote matters — that every vote matters. Now it is time to show them that they actually do.
WE ARE NOT THE GOOD GUYS (BUT WE CAN BE) SAMUEL FELDHOUSEN STAFF WRITER
Beyond the fact that “America First” started out as a slogan for the actual Klu Klux Klan, the blind fanaticism behind America is a major problem with the country. America certainly has had some positive effects on the world, like its dedication to providing assistance to other parts of the world in the face of disaster (up until Trump rolled in anyways, such as our failure to send proper aid to Puerto Rico). But at the same time, America has been responsible for countless atrocities, even as far back as its conception!
The Constitution is one of the most widely respected documents in our history. Some would even say that the Constitution allowed unmatched protection for minorities. But at the same time, out of fear of a coming British invasion, our founding fathers made a concession in the Constitution to allow slavery, in order to get the last few states on board. In addition to the obvious, their “solution” would go on to cause the bloodiest conflict on American soil, the Civil War, where slavery was finally brought to an end. To make matters worse, from America’s beginning the first settlers had been committing genocide against the indigenous people, running them off their land or outright killing them. America would go on to strip them of all their land, building our shining cities on the graves of the people who dared to fight for their home.
The next major example is the Korean War, where American bombers dropped approximately 635,000 tons worth of bombs. Their brutal methods lead to a death toll of three million, equivalent to ten pervent of Korea’s population at the time.
FOURTH ESTATE BILLY FERGUSON
“America First” is a popular slogan going around nowadays, popularized by the sentient, hilariously bigoted trashbag that somehow became our president. It’s a distinctive motto, implying that we should care about ourselves over the rest of the world, because we’re the best in the world, right?
Not long after, America joined in on the Vietnam War, in a bid to stop the territorial expansion of the USSR and its allies. One of the most brutal parts of the war was the use of Agent Orange, initially used as a way of denying guerrilla fighters cover in the forests. One of Agent Orange’s ingredients is dioxin, a highly toxic chemical that can persist in the environment for a significant amount of time, making most food in the area inedible without sustaining bodily harm.
of a fresh set of atrocities: refugees in cages at the border, a climate crisis already biting at our heels and not to mention the town of Flint, which still doesn’t have portable water after so many years. But that doesn’t mean there is no hope!
Even now America is in the middle
Our predecessors may have done
terrible things, but that doesn’t mean we have to follow in their footsteps. We can change our home for the better, stop the cycle of death and suffering, but the time to act is now! We need to fight against the injustices in this country, not only to break the chain started so long ago, but to fight for a future worth living in.
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OPINIONS
11.04.2019
GMUFOURTHESTATE.COM @IVESTATE
Opinions do not reflect the views of Fourth Estate. Submit opinions to ckernans@gmu.edu
A TRIPARTITE MODEL FOR HIGHER EDUCATION STEVEN ZHOU CONTRIBUTOR
But employability is not the only purpose of higher education. A publication in 2016 highlighted the non-economic social benefits of higher education, such as interpersonal skills and independent living. Higher education expenditures on student services such as student organizations and intramurals saw the highest increase from 2003 to 2013 compared to instruction, research, academic support, operations, and all other categories. The rise of mental health concerns and need for student development explain the modern focus on hot topics like “leadership development” and “community building.”
The response from higher education has generally been to entrench themselves deep into a particular approach to improving higher education that, if successful, might “save” the academy. A number of faculty and administrators focus on the employability of college graduates. More and more degrees are being offered that are geared towards direct industry skills, such as the recent rise in undergraduate statistics and data science degrees. The new
Competing with both of these real, valid and measurable goals of higher education is the original intent of collegiate study or “deep learning,” as Marton and Saljo called it in 1976, which is essentially learning for learning’s sake. Faculty, at least in an ideal world, push students to think deeply about topics, explore new ideas and push the envelope to learn more about ourselves and the world around us. The human race advances as the greatest philosophers and researchers pave the way for the future.
and employability pillars. And it’s not just the students, the majority of whom are probably here for the employability pillar.
The reality, however, is that these three pillars of higher education — employability, student development and “deep learning” — are often competing. My fellow writer at the Fourth Estate, Dominic Pino, pointed out that there’s no clear “owner” of higher education. It’s not just the faculty who create lesson plans that might emphasize the “deep learning” and employability pillars. It’s not just the administration who create resources and opportunities that might emphasize the student development
Sounds a bit like the tongue-in-cheek joke often posed to students: good grades, a social life and sleep — you can only choose two.
And while we’re pondering these questions, I probably need to get back to applying for jobs and spending time with friends.
So where does this leave us? We’ve got three somewhat-competing purposes to fulfill. We’ve got dozens of different departments geared towards one or more of these three pillars. We’ve got external stakeholders ranging from parents to financial aid providers who focus on different results.
PHOTO COURTESY OF ALEXIS GLANN
QA Commons certificate investigates the career readiness of graduates and issues their stamp of approval to colleges who meet certain standards. To be fair, most students go to college for the prospect of a well-paying career, and from the university’s point of view, successful alumni means more donations and funding for future students.
Higher education today is facing an array of challenges. Top companies like Apple and Google no longer require job candidates to hold a four-year degree. The National Student Clearinghouse Research Center reported the eighth consecutive year of decreasing college enrollment. Concerns over the mental health of college students have skyrocketed, with the American Psychiatric Association reporting a 78 percent increase in the number of college students being treated over the past decade.
Hopefully, that’s not the case here. I pose this as a challenge and a call for ideas: how can higher education meet all three expectations of employability, student development and deep learning? Is there a relative degree of importance for each? How can we measure all three in a tangible and meaningful way?
FRESHMAN DELEGATES HAVEN’T DELIVERED DAWSON WEINHOLD STAFF WRITER
Campaigns cost money and big-name political action committees are much less likely to invest in an election when there is little chance of winning. Despite this, Democrats went all-in on running candidates and it paid off. But for their candidates’ electoral success, they have proved much less adept at governing. To see this, one must only look to the freshmen delegates from Prince William County. If I had to pick a district that best represented Prince William County, it would be VA-51. It stretches from the rural crescent in Brentsville all the way over to suburban Lake Ridge. Its current occupant, Delegate Hala Ayala, is the poster child for legislative
ineffectiveness. She’s been the chief patron of nine bills. None of them have passed. Despite running on a platform of education and transportation
Instead of fighting to fix Prince William’s inadequate infrastructure, she has expressed interest in big dollar projects like increased funding for the Virginia Rail Express or expanding the
PHOTO COURTESY OF GERMANNA CC
2017 was a critical year in Virginia politics. Democrats gained an astounding 15 seats in the House of Delegates, leaving the Republicans with a measly one-seat majority. One major reason for this shift was the Democrats’ willingness to run candidates in districts not thought to be winnable, such as Del. Danica Roem and Del. Lee Carter.
improvements, none of her sponsored bill addressed either of those issues. In fact, her co-sponsored legislation, HR1685 and HR445, would have made schools worse by relaxing rules on crimes committed in schools.
Metro into Prince William. Like much of her failed legislation, these solutions fail to fix the problem they‘re aimed at, all while wasting taxpayer dollars. Slightly to the south, lies the 31st
District, which carries a special place in my heart since it’s where I grew up and currently live. It’s held by Delegate Elizabeth Guzman, who, like Ayala, has failed to pass anything of substance. Despite making education one of her key issues, soon after being elected, she sponsored HR1289, a resolution that made it so the penalty for passing a stopped school bus would not be reported to the DMV. This resolution would have needlessly endangered children who ride the bus everyday by removing a disincentive for passing stopped school buses. She likes to talk about getting corporate money out of politics, even sponsoring a bill to prohibit direct contribution from them, yet there’s no word on whether she’ll return the donations she took from large corporations like Amazon. Last, but certainly not least, is Delegate Lee Carter. Carter’s upset victory shocked the Commonwealth by beating out the incumbent Jackson Miller, whose past victories had been in the double digits. Other than this
surprising win, Carter’s record is unimpressive. He’s been the chief patron of 14 pieces of legislation, none of which have passed. His only notable achievement is getting the lowest rating out of the entire legislature from the non-partisan Chamber of Commerce. He’s actively opposed any large economic developments such as Amazon’s HQ2 and Micron’s expansion into Manassas. Clearly, he isn’t working to help grow Manassas City and Prince William County. Virginia has a special history when it comes to state politics. People like to call it the “Virginia Way.” We have a history of electing legislators who are willing to put aside political differences and work bi-partisanly to improve the lives of their fellow Virginians. Unfortunately, this seems to be lost on many of the freshmen in the House of Delegates. I encourage the reader to look closely at the records of the candidates on the ballot this Nov. 5. The future of the Commonwealth might just lie within that vote.
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ETC.
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Squeaky Carrots
11.04.2019
FOURTH ESTATE NORBERT BARRION
CLASSIFIEDS Tutor Wanted Russian Language Tutor for beginner high school student. Prefer speaker with some teaching experience and knowledge of Russian language curriculum. Tutoring location is Lorton VA (near South County HS). Interested candidates should email bd9je@virginia.edu
LAST ISSUE’S ANSWERS
MS Funny
FOURTH ESTATE BILLY FERGUSON
Illogical Logic
FOURTH ESTATE YOOSUN HAN
undergraduate interdisciplinary Minor PrograM FeaTures
reQuireD courses | 9 credits
Understand interdisciplinary approaches to designing, building, and evaluating user experiences across a range of technologies, systems, and objects. People with design thinking skills are in high demand across a range of industries including software and website development, product design, user experience design, instructional design, architecture and planning, global health, global management and consulting, and international development. These skills prepare graduates to be flexible and adaptable in different roles and careers.
dsgn 101
introduction to Design Thinking | 3 credits
dsgn 102
Design in the Modern World | 3 credits,
dsgn 401
Design Thinking capstone | 3 credits
skills learneD ●
Implement a design project by exploring alternatives, synthesizing, evaluating, modeling, testing, critiquing, revising, and improving
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Problem solving skills, analytical and communication skills
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Teamwork and project management skills
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Computational skills and experience creating digital and physical solutions
2 Tracks | 9 credits Choose from one of two tracks: Design in the Built environment The Design in the Built Environment track focuses on the use of Design Thinking in the design of 2D and 3D objects, buildings, structures, and landscapes. user experience Design (uxD) The UXD track focuses on the use of Design Thinking in the UXD context, which includes mobile applications, web technologies, educational technologies, sales and marketing products, health and fitness devices, communication design, software design, and learning design.
ToTal creDiTs | 18 credits
learn More
designminor.gmu.edu Contact your advisor
mason core
Design Thinking Minor
Design Thinking Minor