FOURTH ESTATE March 26, 2018 Volume 5 Issue 18
GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY'S STUDENT NEWSPAPER
@ivestate | gmufourthestate.com
MARCH FOR OUR LIVES: AMERICA RALLIES FOR GUN REFORM
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5
Read how Mason made its own rally the night before, and hear from students that attended the March in D.C. and why participating mattered to them.
NEWS
LIFESTYLE Fourth Estate sits down with Virginia Secretary of Education and Mason alum Atif Qarni
Koch Uncovered part 2: Faculty Senate members speak on donor transparency in the Mason administration
page 9
LIFESTYLE
OPINIONS Why do we have to pay for scantrons but not for condoms?
page 6
Check out these exceptional women in the Virginia and DC area to celebrate Women’s History Month page 15
page 10
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We are always recruiting volunteers for: - PR TEAM - LIFESTYLE WRITERS - SPORTS WRITERS - COPY EDITORS - PHOTOGRAPHERS
For all inquiries, please email a resume and two clips (or visual samples) to: masonfourthestate@gmail.com AND apply online at http://c2ms.info/osmapply
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Fareeha Rehman Sosan Malik Co-Editors-in-Chief
Katya Beisel Copy Chief
Michael Eberhart News Editor
Alex Shedd News Assistant Editor
Dinanda Pramesti Lifestyle Editor
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR Co-Editor-in-Chief Sosan Malik
Co-Editor-in-Chief Fareeha Rehman
We’ve seen various changes in Fourth Estate over the months. Every issue, we collaborate and set visions for how we can come back even better. So if you’re a regular reader you may notice Fourth Estate is a bit heftier this issue.That’s right, we have expanded to 20 pages! But I’m proud of this issue for more than just that. It’s mid-semester and students are super busy. Our reporters are always on the ground so you don’t have to be. Elections start this week for Student Government. If you missed their debate last Thursday, we recapped some highlights, so take a look at page 7 before you submit your vote. Mason’s also getting a little redesign and this time, no construction cranes are involved. Learn about the creative students behind Mason’s Mural Festival on page 14.
News Editor Michael Eberhart
News Asst. Editor Alex Shedd
Lifestyle Editor Dinanda Pramesti
As Women’s History Month nears the end, we have printed the stories of some on page 10. You’ll want to learn about the woman who set a standard at Harvard, the woman who literally climbs high to reach her dreams and the Mason alumna combining two different disciplines. We also spoke with some STEM professors who compared how the field was for women when they were students to now. Hint: Mason is apparently closing the gender gap in the STEM field, page 4.
Basma Humadi Lifestyle Assistant Editor
Jamie Beliveau Opinions Editor
Catherine McKay Online Editor
Billy Ferguson Art Director
Allie Thompson Photo Editor
Emmett Smith Distribution Manager
Kathryn Mangus Director
David Carroll Associate Director
Jason Hartsel Assistant Director
Jessica Smith Business Office Manager
A student project uncovered important history in George Mason’s past. It’s a reminder that the constitution was only meant to give equality to some. Don’t miss what they learned on page 3. Lifestyle Asst. Editor Basma Humadi
Opinions Editor Jamie Beliveau
Copy Chief Katya Beisel
And speaking of the constitution, that brings me to our cover story. Millions stepped out around the country, including our very own community, this past Saturday. We have the details on not just the D.C. #MarchForOurLives, but also the student-organized campus rally last Friday. Check out our Twitter where we retweeted Mason Patriots, including President Cabrera, at the March. We’re @ivestate on all social handles, don’t forget to tag us and interact! Fareeha Rehman
Art Director Billy Ferguson
Photo Editor Allie Thompson
George Mason University Mail stop 2C5 4400 University Drive Fairfax, Va. 22030 Phone 703-993-2950
Online Editor Catherine McKay
Co-Editor-in-Chief
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.
COVER PHOTO CREDITS Fourth Estate/ Angelique Arintok Lifestyle Secretary of Education courtesy of The Office of the Secretary of Education News Charles Koch photo courtesy of Desmogtheblog.com Opinions Scantrons Fourth Estate/ Allie Thompson Lifestyle Women’s History Month courtesy of Marinel M. de Jesus
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Photo courtesy of GUNSTONHALL.ORG
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STUDENTS EXAMINE GEORGE MASON’S PAST Research group looks into the Founding Father’s history of slavery ISABELLA LAMAGDELEINE STAFF WRITER
Enslaved Children of George Mason (ECGM), a research group dedicated to the intricacies of the university namesake’s interactions and history with enslavement, spent last summer exploring how George Mason’s slaves lived their lives and affected the people around them.
The group is composed of students Alexis Bracey, Elizabeth Perez-Garcia, Kye Farrow, Ayman Fatima and Farhaj Murshed, all led by Professors Benedict Carton and Wendi Manuel-Scott. Each student member looked at a different aspect of Mason’s interactions with enslaved people.
Global affairs major Alexis Bracey spoke next about the culture of the time, measured by newspaper ads that involved the Mason family and the enslaved. She found that Mason most likely bought slaves in Maryland and Virginia that were kidnapped from their homes in Africa as children.
“I think George [Mason] the Fourth isn’t the interesting project,” said Assistant Director George Oberle. “I think the people around him and his legacy are.”
“They fearlessly asked big questions and welcomed the opportunity to build a website in just a few weeks,” said Scott. “They were moved by the histories --the lives-- they uncovered.”
Topics ranged from how Mason treated the women that surrounded him, enslaved or not, to the diet and health care that they received at Gunston Hall, Mason’s plantation.
The first member who presented, Elizabeth Perez-Garcia, a criminology, law and society major, studied enslaved women in the household, investigating what role they played within the plantation and keeping it running. During the research process, she found that the main role of enslaved women on Mason’s plantation was to increase his wealth through their children, who were enslaved from birth.
As Bracey studied the literature on that subject, another topic she explored was the culture and community of Mason’s slaves. In a world where they did not have any freedom, being able to sing and dance and engage in their community’s “pillars of their culture” gave hope to the enslaved.
The Mason Honors College Multicultural Alliance hosted ECGM to present their research on Feb. 28, and also released the information they found on the group’s website, including exhibits and articles of their findings.
Photo courtesy of GEORGE MASON POLICE
MASON WEEKLY CRIME LOG
Government & international politics major Ayman Fatima was the next to present her research into how the enslaved at Gunston Hall were treated, including house slaves and ones that traveled with Mason. Fatima tried to trace one slave in particular, a personal servant named
James, who traveled everywhere with Mason and would have seen freed communities of former slaves in places like Philadelphia. There were not enough records to explore his life for long, however, as she found that slave owners often did not memorialize that they owned slaves, but only wanted to exploit their labor and claim them as property. “Revolution was happening, but they weren’t allowed to be part of it,” said Fatima. Farhaj Murshed, a community health major, was the final student researcher to speak. Murshed studied the overall health of Mason’s slaves, including their diet and interactions with members of the health community. He found that slaves often hunted in addition to their limited rations, and that the health care they did receive was paternalistic in nature.
The ECGM students agreed that their research did change their opinion about Mason after learning so much about his involvement with slavery. “We’ve grown up with the idea of the Founding Fathers, and how they are all so great,” said Perez-Garcia. “I think it’s gonna take some time adjusting.” After the students finished their presentations, they discussed the future of ECGM’s research. Group members expressed hope that other students will continue researching the topic and expand on what they have learned. “After weeks of research, they realized that this project was bigger than them and they had a huge responsibility to honor the enslaved men, women and children of Gunston Hall,” said Scott. “This was not just a random history assignment – they were honoring the legacy of those enslaved by Mason.”
Sunday, March 18, 2018 - Fairfax Campus, 8:11 a.m.
Tuesday, March 20, 2018 - Johnson Center, 10:30-1:38 p.m.
False Pretenses/Swindle/Confidence Game: Complainant (GMU) reported an online scam.
Theft from Building/Credit Card/Automatic Teller Machine Fraud: Complainant (GMU) reported the theft of credit cards and unauthorized use of credit cards.
Case 2018-002620 - Pending.
Case 2018-002685 - Pending.
Sunday, March 18, 2018 - Liberty Square, 11:34 p.m.
Thursday, March 22, 2018 - 4617 Roberts Road, 12:57 a.m.
Dating Violence: Complainant (GMU) reported being assaulted by their intimate partner (GMU)
Drug/Narcotic Violations/Trespassing/Unlawful Entry: Two Subjects (GMU) were referred to Office of Student Conduct (OSC) for using illegal drugs, unlawful entry and trespassing.
Case 2018-002622 - Referred to Title IX.
Monday, March 19, 2018 - West Lot, 12:01 p.m. (Reported) Destruction/Damage/Vandalism of Property: Complainant (GMU) reported intentional damage to a vehicle (keyed). Case 2018-002634 - Inactive.
Case 2018-002717 - Referred to OSC. Thursday, March 22, 2018 - Rappahannock Parking Deck, 7:36 p.m. (Reported) Hit and Run: Complainant (GMU) reported a hit and run of a vehicle. Case 2018-002748 - Inactive.
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GENDER IN STEM “MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION” How Mason women learn and teach in a male-dominated field TISHA HERRERA STAFF WRITER
Female Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) students have historically been the minority in their respective colleges. Mason faculty say the ratio of male to female STEM students at Mason is closer now than ever before.
Statistics (NCES). But Nord and Mason’s other female STEM faculty still hope to spread advice to their students during March -- Women’s History Month.
The gender gap has narrowed slightly in recent years according to the National Center for Education
“When I went to my Ph.D., and there were five [students] working with one professor,” said Nord “I was the only
Nord described being treated very differently at first until proving she could handle the work “as well as my male counterparts could do.” She advised students to find a subject they are passionate and interested in no matter the odds against them. “Take a step back, and think about where your focus is, and that you can do this as well as any man can do it,” said Nord. Jessica Rosenberg, associate professor in Mason’s department of physics and
FOURTH ESTATE/TISHA HERRERA
“Nowadays, I have as many women in my classes quite often as men,” said Julia Nord, a professor of Atmospheric, Oceanic and Earth Sciences at Mason.
“[At first] I didn’t think so much about being a minority,” said Nord, recalling when she was a student at the City University of New York. But she soon noticed there was a major difference in the classroom.
female.”
astronomy, and acting director of the STEM Accelerator agreed that science “is a great field to pursue.” “It’s a ton of fun,” said Rosenberg. “Don’t let people tell you otherwise -that you can’t do it, or you shouldn’t... Find the people that are going to support you.” Rosenberg described how many women in the STEM field have encountered negative opinions. During her first research trip as an astronomy student at the University of Massachusetts in 2000, her male advisor faced criticism from other men because he admitted Rosenberg into the Ph.D. program. Although she received unbiased support from her advisor, Rosenberg was forced to be aware that female students in STEM can be met with a backlash from their peers. “A bunch of the telescope operators had said to him, ‘They’re just going to go have kids and not be in the field, why would you do that?’” recalled Rosenberg.
Assistant professor Kelly Knight, who works in Mason’s forensic science program and earned her master’s degree in 2008 from Virginia Commonwealth University, explained that she is often the only female in the room in a male-dominated field. “For me, I’m actually a double minority, because I’m a woman of color in STEM,” said Knight. According to statistics collected by NCES in 2016, women of color made up just 13.2 percent of STEM degrees in recent years’ total graduations. Knight said that some of the stereotypes are difficult to break, but “I feel like we are moving in the right direction as far as the way women are received into these fields.” She recommends that women in STEM “learn how to push past [stereotypes], and don’t be afraid to be the loud voice in the room.” “Do what you want to do, and don’t give up!” she added.
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CAMPUS RALLY FOR GUN REFORM
FOURTH ESTATE/ANGELIQUE ARINTOK
Student organizations united to speak out in Wilkins Plaza MICHAEL EBERHART NEWS EDITOR
Dozens of students gathered to protest and call for reforms to end gun violence on Friday, March 23, in Mason’s Roger Wilkins Plaza (formerly known as North Plaza).
Thousands join Parkland survivors to call for gun reform in Washington OLIVIA VERMANE STAFF WRITER
Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School senior Emma Gonzalez was one of many student speakers who survived the Feb. 2018 shooting in Parkland, Fla. taking the stage on Saturday, March 24, at the March for Our Lives gun reform protest in Washington, D.C. After listing the names of the 17 students lost in the Parkland shooting, Gonzalez stood quietly for several minutes. With tears streaming down her face, she stared into the crowd of roughly 800,000 protesters. “Since the time that I came out here, it has been six minutes and 20 seconds,” said Gonzalez, finally ending her moment of silence. “The shooter has ceased shooting and will soon abandon his rifle, blend in with the students as they escape and walk free for an hour before arrest.” In the days and weeks since the mass shooting in Parkland, Florida, students across the country have shaken the country in a grassroots mass movement against gun violence, making it clear to lawmakers that “enough is enough.” Students from Parkland organized the March for Our Lives in roughly one month as part of a grassroots movement for gun reform. With few speakers old enough to vote, they addressed the crowd with stories of their own experiences with gun violence, and the need for changes in America’s gun laws. “Fight for your lives, before it’s someone else’s job,” said Gonzalez. Yolanda King, Martin Luther King Jr.’s nine-year-old granddaughter made an appearance as well. “I have a dream that enough is enough. That this should be a gun-free world. Period.”
Speakers who faced gun violence in other areas around the country were given a platform too. Edna Chavez is a teenager from South Central L.A. who lost her brother in 2007. She said she learned how to duck bullets before learning how to read. 11-year-old Naomi Wadler, from Alexandria, Va. spoke on the stage “to represent the African American girls whose stories don’t make the front page of every national newspaper.” Celebrity activists and famous musicians also took to the stage at the march in support of gun control, including Demi Lovato and Miley Cyrus, and Broadway stars Lin-Manuel Miranda and Ben Platt. Students from the Stoneman Douglas Drama Club performed “Shine,” an original piece written in honor of those lost in the tragedy. Mason students also attended the protest to highlight the urgency of facing gun violence in the U.S. “As someone who cares deeply about political issues, I find a lot of importance in participating in marches such as the March for Our Lives,” said Amanda Attiya, a fellow at the Mason chapter NextGen America, a progressive nonprofit organization registering young people to vote. Attiya said that gun control is a bipartisan issue not centered around a political party, but about the safety of others and students’ ability to attend school without fear. “What I found most striking about this rally was that it wasn’t founded on party affiliation, but rather about making change to save our lives, and that’s why I came today,” said Attiya, holding her sign that read, “Bullets are not school
supplies.” “The issue of gun reform shouldn’t be partisan,” agreed senior Evan Baines, the equal justice policy head of Roosevelt@Mason, a progressive student policy organization. Baines and other students from Mason also took to the streets in support of the march, and to speak out against gun violence following the on-campus rally on Friday, March 23. “I marched today for myself, for my brothers, and for my future children,” said Baines. “The students of Parkland are finally going to bring about meaningful change, and I wanted to be there to help them.” Similar March for Our Lives protests took place throughout the country, including Los Angeles and New York City, as students and people across the nation joined in sending a message to lawmakers calling for gun reform. According to the Washington Post, protesters also gathered outside city hall in Las Vegas, where a gunman killed 58 people at a 2017 country music festival. In Washington, protesters crowded the streets for hours holding homemade signs with slogans from the Parkland students, such as “Enough is Enough,” and “Vote them out!” Many took to street corners with clipboards and pens, seeking to register voters among other people at the march. “We hereby promise to fix the broken system we’ve been forced into, and create a better world for the generations to come,” said Cameron Kasky, one of the event’s first speakers and another survivor of the Parkland shooting. “Welcome to the revolution.”
The event was organized by Mason students Evan Baines and Jamie Thomas in the aftermath of the March, 2018 mass shooting in Parkland, Fla. that left 17 people dead at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. “After the shooting in Parkland and the announcement of the March For Our Lives, our members and e-board felt as if we needed to provide an outlet for Mason students to have their voices heard and demand change,” Baines and Thomas wrote in a joint statement to Fourth Estate before Friday’s rally. Both students are members of Roosevelt@Mason -- Baines as the head of equal justice policy and Thomas as the head of education policy. “Roosevelt identifies as a progressive think tank,” said Aidan Semanco, head of the group’s Mason chapter. “We definitely think gun reform is part of that agenda now.” Speakers from the Virginia House of Delegates, Moms Demand Action and the Pride Fund to End Gun Violence spoke to the audience of Mason students about the need for gun reform and the importance of getting involved in the political process through voting and activism.
Baines read from a list of students’ demands for the university at the rally’s end, including requests to increase funding for Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) restored to the office’s 2014 budget level, release details of the 2003 endowment from the NRA Foundation to create the Patrick Henry Professorship of Constitutional Law and Second Amendment Chair at Mason’s Antonin Scalia Law School, and a pledge that the university will no long accept money from the NRA. “I think the most important thing to note is that this work doesn’t stop now,” Thomas said after the rally. “You can’t just go to a march and expect that issues like this are going to end… I think that it’s really important for people to know that you need to elevate your voice every minute of every day.” Speaker Mara Schoeny, associate professor from the School of Conflict Analysis and Resolution also recommended that students continue their activism and involvement after Saturday’s protest in D.C. “March forward,” she advised the crowd, “but be in it for the long haul.
“Change is coming, and you guys are the ones to make that change,” said Jim Sollo, a member of the Virginia Center for Public Safety. “Tomorrow is not the end -- it is just the start.” The rally was co-sponsored by George Mason Democrats, NextGen Mason Rising, Black Student Alliance and other campus organizations. Members of GMU Student Power and Transparent GMU led the crowd in chanting, “Enough is enough!” and “No guns, no NRA!” “I think that we as a student community have a responsibility to stand up and
FOURTH ESTATE/MICHAEL EBERHART
MASON STUDENTS “MARCH FOR OUR LIVES”
“We believe that every student has a right to feel safe in a school environment,” said speaker and Fairfax County School Board member Karen Keys-Gamarra.
make our voices heard of what we think about those issues,” Baines explained after the rally. “I think there’s a way that we can support the Second Amendment in a way that is responsible and in a way that actually saves lives in this country.”
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KOCH UNCOVERED: PART 2 Mason faculty express concerns over administration’s lack of transparency DANA NICKEL, ASHLEY STEWART, OLIVIA VERMANE STAFF WRITERS ALEXANDER SHEDD NEWS ASSISTANT EDITOR
Editorial Note: In Koch Uncovered: Part 1, the Fourth Estate investigative team described how billionaire businessman Charles Koch conducts a “talent pipeline” at Mason to cultivate student and faculty talents to serve ideological and political goals. In the following piece, the team further explores how the Mason administration is involved in Koch’s strategy. You can find the full story online at gmufourthestate.com. “We have voluntarily supported universities and foundations who are philosophically dedicated to the destruction of our business and of what remains of the free market,” wrote Charles Koch in an article for “Libertarian Review” in 1978. “This must stop. We must stop financing our own destruction.” As discussed in the previous part of this story, Charles Koch administers a “talent pipeline” through his donations to Mason, using the Mercatus Center and the Institute for Humane Studies. This talent pipeline enables Mason to cultivate students and faculty alike to later serve Koch’s ideological goals. On March 22, 2018, President Cabrera sent an email to Mason’s faculty stating that he has accepted an additional $5 million from the Charles Koch Foundation on behalf of Mason’s Economics Department. Cabrera has stated that this new donation is “a recognition of the [economics department’s] past achievements and a vote of confidence in its future.” The new grant agreement, given to Fourth Estate by UnKoch My Campus co-founder Samantha Parsons, stated that part of this funding shall be used to create positions for three professors on track for tenure. Another term within this grant agreement was that these faculty members were also to be granted access and affiliation with the Mercatus Center. All donations to Mason are facilitated through the GMU Foundation, a private entity created by the school to handle such donations, under the direction of President Janet Bingham. Bingham also serves as the vice president of Advancement and Alumni Affairs and vice president of
the university. Members of the faculty senate have expressed great concern for donations like these and their effects on Mason as a whole. “The GMU Foundation has been cautious of giving out information,” said professor Chris Kennedy, a third year faculty senate member who also serves on the Ad Hoc Institutional Conflict of Interest Committee. The Committee was created in 2016 to investigate the GMU Foundation and the donations that they facilitate to Mason-connected institutions, in response to the sudden renaming of the university’s law school to honor deceased Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. According to public tax records, Koch and a second anonymous donor signed a 2015 grant agreement for $20 million over a five-year period to fund the Antonin Scalia Law School. Bethany Letiecq, Mason chapter president of the American Association of University Professors, said Bingham and Cabrera are the only officials in the administration that are allowed to know the identity of anonymous donors that give money to Mason. Àngel Cabrera became president of the university in 2012. Up until 2014, Cabrera served on the advisory board of the Well-Being Initiative, a research program run by the Charles Koch Institute that aims to “advance our understanding of the meaning, foundations, and drivers of human
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Members of the Faculty Senate have expressed concern that Cabrera’s performance as president and previous ties to Koch damage the principles of faculty governance, leading to a lack of transparency from the administration and controversial donations from the Charles Koch Foundation.
they are very well represented in the Presidential Search Process,” that “involvement in the process began at a very late stage,” as well as “the GMU Administration is not as diverse as the student body.” These concerns came from minutes from a Faculty Senate meeting on Nov. 9, 2011.
According to Letiecq, the process in which President Cabrera was hired was not conducted entirely according to the GMU Faculty Handbook. According to Section 1.2.5 of the
Several faculty senators expressed concern about the possibility that the faculty could be presented with a sole finalist rather than a group of finalists for president of the university.
Michael Sandler, director of strategic communications at Mason, stated in an email with Fourth Estate that because “we’ve been a leader in the area of well-being for more than a decade… it made sense for George Mason University to take part in a conversation about well-being,”
Sandler told Fourth Estate that the administration does not feel that these donations compromise the academic
“The BOV disregarded the Faculty Handbook and proceeded with the selection of the university president-- in this case, President Cabrera-- without general faculty involvement.” handbook, “Faculty Participation in the Selection of Certain Members of the Central Administration,” “the search and selection process must include opportunities for the general faculty to meet with candidates who are finalists for the presidency.” This amendment was approved by the GMU Board of Visitors in a meeting on Nov. 9, 2011. However, Letiecq stated that “the BOV disregarded the Faculty Handbook and proceeded with the selection of the university president- in this case, President Cabrera-without general faculty involvement. Students and staff were likewise not included in the selection process.” Ernst Volgenau, former rector of the board of visitors from 20072012, reported on the Presidential Search Committee. Initially only eight Visitors were to serve on the Presidential Search Committee. However, as it became evident that
According to the recorded minutes of the Faculty Senate meeting on Nov. 9, 2011, “the search and selection process must include opportunities for the general faculty to meet with candidates who are finalists for the presidency.” David Kuebrich, the chairman of the committee, hopes to end the investigation with a presentation to the faculty senate by the end of this semester, when he retires. Kuebrich stated that he has attempted to work with the GMU Foundation and Mason’s administration since he first learned about Koch involvement on campus. He tried to communicate with Dr. Alan Merten, the former president of Mason. Merten explained that Mason gets multiple donations from across the political spectrum. Kuebrich also said that he asked President Merten for a list of these major donors giving to Mason, but never received it.
These donations and the strings that come attached to them have eroded faculty governance at Mason. flourishing,” according to the institute’s website.
ad hoc committee have expressed concern about the foundation’s inability to discuss or release many of grant agreements related to donations from the Charles Koch Foundation. The hoc committee and Transparent GMU have been submitting Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests for these documents since 2014, which have been repeatedly rejected.
“new appointees to the BOV also wanted to be involved in the selection process,” he decided to allow any visitor who wished to serve on the Presidential Search Committee to join. Eleven visitors ultimately served on the committee. One unnamed faculty senator brought three concerns to Volgenau’s attention: that “students do not feel
integrity of the university. “If any donor ever threatened our academic freedom, we wouldn’t take their money,” Sandler said. Some members of Mason’s administration were appointed to the faculty senate’s Institutional Conflict of Interest Committee. Fourth Estate has reached out to the administrative members, but only two have responded for our request to comment. Bingham was a member of this Committee until she resigned in December 2016. Dr. Bingham said “[she] was delighted to serve on the Conflict of Interest Committee until [she] was informed that the chairman of the committee also is advising the group that is suing the foundation,” and that she “withdrew at that point because the chairman had not disclosed this conflict.” The chairman, Kuebrich, is the former Faculty Advisor for Transparent GMU. He stated that he was only an advisor for a year, and was not aware of the organization’s plan to file a lawsuit against Mason and the GMU Foundation.
“Across the country, faculty feel like things need to change,” Kuebrich stated in regards to money being given anonymously to Mason and other universities.
Letiecq also commented on Kuebrich advising Transparent GMU. She said, “He told me his role as advisor had been in name only, and while he was surprised to learn about the lawsuit, we did discuss how pleased we were about it because [Kuebrich] and other faculty senators had been asking for more information about the GMU Foundation gift agreements going back to at least 2011.”
Several faculty senate members in the
Elizabeth Woodley, Mason’s FOIA
Kuebrich stated that these donations and the strings that come attached to them have eroded faculty governance at Mason.
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Compliance Officer, also serves on the Institutional Conflict of Interest Committee. Woodley is responsible for responding to FOIA requests “on behalf of George Mason University for all departments, schools, and activities without delegated authority.” She declined to comment on her involvement with the committee. Within these grant agreements, several provisions were put into
place surrounding the money that the Antonin Scalia Law School will receive until 2020. One of these provisions states that these donations must fulfill the “school’s mission” as described in the contract. Although the exact definition of this mission is unclear from the document, another clause states that a part of that mission includes Henry Butler remaining as dean of the law
school. The agreement also states that the donor has the right to pull the funds if they so choose, and that the donor must be notified if any part of the “mission” is not fulfilled, including any changes in Butler’s position. Henry Butler, former dean of Mason’s School of Economics and current dean of the Antonin Scalia School of Law,
has had close ties to the Koch family for the last two decades, according to a New York Times article published in 2016, and is closely connected to the GMU Foundation. Other schools that have received significant donations from Charles Koch, such as Florida State University (FSU), identified similar “trigger clauses” in their respective grant agreements and allege that such clauses have led to
serious curbing of academic integrity. In part three of this story, the investigative team will describe similar situations at schools such as FSU, as well as the Mason administration’s description of the school’s relationship with the Charles Koch Foundation.
EXECUTIVE CANDIDATES DEBATE IN THE JC
Candidates are running for Mason student body president and vice president TISHA HERRERA STAFF WRITER
Ten candidates from five campaigns participated in the spring Student Government Election Executive Debate, hosted on Thursday night, March 22 in the Johnson Center. Candidates running respectively for student government president and vice president are: Patrick Grady and Amir Jones, Benjamin Olsen and Sara Babcock, Rebekah Pettine and Erik Truong, Holden Spence and Chra Darwesh, and Michael Gracia and Andrew Nesterczuk. The Student Government Elections and Disputes Commission (EDC) opened the floor to the vice-presidential candidates to discuss topics including Mason’s administration, university services, campus climate and student life. “Pat and I are looking to strengthen advocacy,” said Jones, explaining they would provide accountability in student government by “working to strengthen student government’s efficiency internally to be able to better advocate externally within administration.” Jones assured they would act as a liaison with the university administration who would represent the student body’s interests and ensure
their concerns were being addressed. “Ben and I really want to work on transparency within the student government,” said Babcock, who also said they would work to “bridge the gap between student government and the Mason community.” They would make sure student voices are heard by the university, and show that student government “is telling the [students] the information that they need to know.” “Bekah and I want to start off forming a good relationship between [student government and the Mason community],” said Truong. They want to increase transparency by partnering with student media like Fourth Estate to have a permanent student government section, because the students “[should] know exactly what is going on -- and what isn’t -- that needs to talk about.” The relationship between students and their government “is something really big that Holden and I want to focus on,” said Darwesh. They would host community town hall meetings each semester, and make a “state of the university address,” to communicate with the student body. They also
proposed creating a Title IX liaison to make the university “more transparent, for students to speak more openly.” “We need more transparency in Student Government,” said Nesterczuk. They would address issues and interests of student life, such as the shortage of student housing and the Taco Bell closing on campus. Next, the EDC allowed the presidential candidates to step up to the podium, and address subjects such as the Board of Visitors (BOV), student housing, extended hours for Fenwick Library, and public office hours for the student body president. “Some issues that I would like to see marketed through the [BOV] are academic programs, tuition decisions, research conductments, land use, and developments within Mason,” said Pettine. Housing services should contact off-campus apartments and residential developments for special student discounts and more affordable rates. On other campus issues, “the best way to seek having a 24-hour library at Fenwick, would be to open up an exploratory committee that would be led by the University Services
Department.” “I want to create a dialogue around student affairs, and what students are going through” said Spence. “Why is it that students weren’t told about housing rates going up by $600 for next year until after we submitted our applications for housing? Transparency is needed in order to increase visibility and better student life.” Spence said his experience as the current student government secretary for Diverse and Multicultural Affairs and former undersecretary for Religious Affairs “could help implement education based upon various faiths” at Mason. “We would like to hold [the BOV] more accountable… to better voice our concerns” said Olsen. This would include communicating with housing and other university offices, and an expo for students to learn and engage with the staff about what their offices do. Like other candidates, Olsen also made references to student government having “a transparency issue,” and would solve it with more openness and communication with the student body. “One idea that Amir and I have is
that we’re going to create a complaint form,” said Grady, so that students can present their concerns to the BOV. They would work with Rose Pascarell, the vice president for University Life, to “find areas where students aren’t being represented,” said Grady. In reference to the concern faced with students not engaging in student government office hours, “I think it would be a great idea to create bonds with students in key organizations around campus that would be able share when our office hours are.” “Here’s what we’re going to do about the housing crisis,” said Gracia, explaining that student apartments “will be kept open [for] at least another year until can figure out what the heck is going on.” Gracia added that he wants to make Mason a gun-free zone, and would also vote to freeze and cut President Cabrera’s salary to cover and reduce students’ tuition and housing costs. Voting for student government candidates will be open March 26 through March 30 on getconnected.gmu.edu. More information on the candidates can be found on page 8.
Photo courtesy of STUDENT GOVERNMENT
Photo courtesy of BETHANY CAMP/CREATIVE SERVICES
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NEWS
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Name: Holden Spence
I’ve always been an advocate and tried to be a voice for those who have felt that their voice wasn’t heard. By running for President I am hoping to bring those silenced and cornered voices into the forefront of student affairs and better student life. I am Why are you running for this position?
Name: Patrick Grady
I have been in Student Government my entire collegiate career because I believe in creating positive change from the inside out. During my time in Student Government, I have dedicated my time and efforts on increasing school pride, improving our community’s well-being, and advocating for student safety. This work has been extremely rewarding, and I feel as though I have more to offer the Student Body. With that said, in my time in the Student Senate last year, and now this
Photo courtesy of MICHAEL GRACIA
Why are you running for this position?
Name: Michael “Big Mike” Gracia
I spent the last year as a Student Senator watching all of the members of Student Government waste time and achieve nothing but hold hands and sing “Kumbaya”. Student Government as a whole is nothing more than a glorified Party Planning Committee. As a Senator, I am proud to say I voted no or abstained on more bills and resolutions than probably everyone else combined, many times
Photo courtesy of BENJAMIN OLSEN
Why are you running for this position?
Name: Benjamin Olsen
I am running for the position of Student Body President because I have served in the Student Government for the past three years, gaining valuable experience in both the Senate as a Senator and Chair of the Government & Community Relations Committee, as well as on the Executive Branch as Undersecretary Why are you running for this position?
Photo courtesy of BEKAH PETTINE
Over the course of three years, I have had the privilege of being a Student Government representative. This experience has been my proudest endeavor, and one that has completely typified my collegiate experience. I am committed to every aspect of public service- from recognizing potential, student advocacy, accountability, and leaving the university better than when I found it. Name: Bekah Pettine
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Full executive candidate answers can be found online Why are you running for this position?
Photo courtesy of PATRICK GRADY
Photo courtesy of HOLDEN SPENCE
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After two terms serving as the Chairman of the Administrative and
very blessed to be able to continue carrying the legacy of my grandfather through my work as an advocate, and hopefully as Student Body President. Chra and I believe that positive change can happen, as long as we’re willing to work for it. And that’s what we intend to do, by creating “a campus that works for everyone.
What do you hope to accomplish if you win?
year in the Executive Cabinet I have noticed many systematic issues with Student Government such as a high membership turnover rate, fractured communication, divisive politics, and a lack of impactful results. Having held leadership positions in both the Legislative and Executive branches of Student Government, I believe I am in a unique position to affect change within Student Government that will last more than just my term.
I hope to unify Student Government around the ideals of improving communication, expanding collaboration, and changing the way Student Government operates. First, I hope to improve the way Student Government communicates with the Student Body by increasing outreach efforts and making Student Government more accessible. I also expect to improve the way Student Government collaborates with student organizations that are already doing incredible things to improve the greater Mason community. Last, I intend to reform
Student Government to facilitate greater cooperation between the two branches and between members themselves. I want to create a precedent of trust, respect, and positivity for the future. Ultimately, these goals are centered around the idea that one year is not enough time to solve every problem on campus. Student Government must create sustainable practices, like the ones I have outlined, so it can consistently respond to the concerns and needs of the Student Body.
Rapid fire: make the entire campus a Gun-Free school zone, bring Taco Bell back, demand Housing officials resignations over the GMU Housing Crisis of 2018, advocate cutting President Cabrera’s absurd salary, update the Student Government website with current info (it is not current right now, go check), stop wasting away money, veto unnecessary Student Senate bills, demand the contract of the construction company who takes 3 years to build a five story building
be cancelled, reclaim MasonVale for students rather than faculty and staff who are much more prepared to find off campus housing, bring back Taco Bell, provide ScanTrons for free to every single student once and for all, increase awareness of the existence of Student Government and all of its components, observe all Federal holidays as prescribed by the United States Congress (adding Veterans Day and Washington’s Birthday), and I will not dye my hair blonde.
for Federal Government Affairs. I have dedicated very much of my time to volunteering at Student Government events and helping other committees with executing their plans for initiatives and events. I have had enough experience to understand what the organization has been doing well and everything that needs to be improved or changed. If elected, I hope to be able to address the aspects that need to be improved or changed to better
SG as a representative entity.
work towards promoting organizations and university programs that do not normally get much attention. We also want to work with the University Administration to find ways to address the prominent issues that students have with very specific services on campus such as food, WI-FI and Housing. In essence, we want to find new and innovative ways to ensure that ALL of our students’ voices are being heard effectively.
Financial Affairs Committee, I have an earnest deference for the organization and the work it can produce. Through my Chairmanship, I have gained a unique, multifaceted experience in the organization-- by managing the Senate’s $20,000 budget/SG’s total budget, being a liaison for several administrative budgetary offices, approving all monetary legislation through the committee, and working with the statutes and regulations of the Student Senate. This experience has helped me to understand the organization and its structures in a very
detailed way.
What do you hope to accomplish if you win? acting as the lone opposition on issues. It is time that someone gets in office and calls out everyone in the organization that is there to throw parties and earn a bullet point on their resume. I will bring in truth and stop pulling the wool over the eyes of the student body. I will also call for President Cabrera’s salary to be cut (and cut bigly) and Taco Bell will be brought back to campus, so help me God. What do you hope to accomplish if you win?
There are many things I’d like to accomplish if I am to win the election. By sticking to the core of my campaign platform - Transparency, Accountability, Inclusivity and Student Advocacy – I hope to implement real change on all levels of the university.
What do you hope to accomplish if you win? What I hope to accomplish along with my running mate is to help make Student Government as transparent of an organization as we can possible make it. We want to work with other RSOs on campus to help make George Mason University a more empowered and inclusive campus. We want to
What do you hope to accomplish if you win? If elected Student Body President, I plan on holding true to the Pettine Truong 2018 Campaign Platformreaching new heights, representing every student, and reinventing the way Student Government functions and communicates with all of Mason Nation. Our platform touches on a multitude of topics, including better outreach with multi-cultural organizations, improvements to the Title IX system, evolution of the Mason
Within student government itself I’m hoping to broaden the organization by creating two new positions that are focused to working with students of various religious backgrounds and students with active Title IX cases. These pockets within our community are personally important to myself and need representation within student government to better service students.
Stewards Program, vast accessibility development within academic affairs, innovation to the Student Health system, universal affordability, greater advocacy for student on-campus employment, and MANY more. In addition, we wish to improve the way Student Government operates as a whole-- with better transition processes, more transparency of events/services, and enacting event subcommittees to engage non-SG students who cannot make the full commitment as a Senator.
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VA. SEC. OF EDUCATION: “SCHOOLS ARE NOT MEANT TO BE COMBAT ZONES” Why he chose Mason and his take on school gun violence FAREEHA REHMAN CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Virginia Secretary of Education Atif Qarni is still a math teacher at heart. On National Pi Day, he walked a sizable slice of cherry pie straight to his receptionist before he noticed us in the waiting room. As pie was passed around the office, Qarni shared why he chose Mason for his Masters, his focuses with preventing gun violence in schools and the importance of visiting classrooms as a government official. Nearly a decade ago Qarni wasn’t thinking about politics when he crossed the campus clock tower on the way to history class. After graduating in 2009, his Masters in history and teaching license from Mason brought him to Prince William County public schools, where he taught civics and economics among other subjects. “I had no intention of going into politics […] I’m a third-generation teacher, a lot of family members of mine are in the education field,” said Qarni. He was frustrated with the quality of education, which he felt was declining – along with teacher salaries remaining stagnant after the recession and large class sizes where he taught. He was defeated in his run for state Senate in 2015 and House of Delegates in 2013. While Va. Governor Northam was campaigning, Qarni said he was in the peak of his educational advocacy and caught Northam’s attention in his selection of the education secretariat. “I got involved with organizing efforts and talking to school boards and different decision-makers, really advocating for quality education,” said
STEM VS. ARTS MAJORS? “Everybody has the right to pick what they want to do the most, I feel like every content area is equally important. Governor Northam really values STEM and he actually just added the A and H part, A for arts and H for healthcare - so ‘STEAM-H’. So we really value the arts and humanities as well.”
Qarni, “that just resulted in running for office and ending up in this position.” GUNS IN SCHOOLS Now, he has much more to consider in the breadth of education concerns. We spoke just hours after hundreds of thousands of students nationwide walked out of class at 10 a.m. for #NationalWalkoutDay, to demand gun law reform and to honor the 17 lost victims of the Parkland, Fla. shooting. His message to students is that “school safety is a top priority for us.” He says his office regularly meets with other agencies that are concerned with school safety, such as the office of homeland security and the office of health. Sitting across from caricatures of his two children on the windowsill, Qarni says “we want everyone to feel safe in a school setting so we can have quality education. We don’t want anyone to have anxiety or feel unsafe.” The former Marine is against arming teachers as a part of that safety plan. President Donald Trump tweeted in support of arming teachers on Feb. 24. “Schools are not meant to be combat zones, they’re not meant to be prisons,” said Qarni. “We are there to focus on good quality instruction for kids so they can grow intellectually, grow as critical thinkers.” Qarni mentions that schools cannot be seen as one unit when considering security measures. “Schools have regional differences, how the layouts are, so there’s so many details. Some schools do a very good job for safety measures.” He says when schools and local law enforcement have successfully averted these dangers, it’s not talked about. “Our approach is to look at things that are working very well and how we can take those models and share and apply them elsewhere to enhance safety features, whether it’s getting more secure buildings or more [security] presence.” Qarni said. He then turned the conversation to the importance of “behavioral health supports,” meaning increasing the ratio of school counselors and psychologists
to students. “I believe we’ll really see improvements” if schools invest in better trauma-informed education, Qarni said. Part of that means, teachers need to be better equipped to work with kids who might’ve suffered trauma. With National Walkout Day practiced in public schools everywhere and March For Our Lives in D.C., Qarni added that Governor Northam has supported students’ first amendment rights to express their frustrations. HIGHER ED. PRIORITIES When it comes to higher education institutions, Qarni says universities are given a lot of autonomy so things like tuition rates are up to the individual schools, but the office tries to work through the State Council for Higher Education to make sure tuition stays affordable. Qarni said affordability is a priority, “we want kids across the commonwealth, all Virginians, to have affordable accessible college education if they choose that route.”
He had a great experience there, enjoying the classes and professors, specifically remembering Dr. Hold, who he had a few classes with.
said, “the governor really believes it will benefit his decision making and I agree with him. I feel that I provide a perspective that’s really necessary.”
Qarni liked that the teaching licensure program matched him with a high school in his local area.
Starting this year, the Northam administration will make it an annual practice to go into classrooms during Teacher Appreciation Week, May 7-11, including the governor and first lady.
RETURNING TO THE CLASSROOM While former university presidents have assumed the sec. of education position, Qarni said going from a k-12 classroom to his position is unheard of. As a member of Northam’s cabinet now, Qarni believes in returning to the classroom. “Having a teacher at the head of the table really makes a big difference because it’s a different perspective that was really missing in the past.” Qarni
“About 100 [Va. government members] across the commonwealth going into a classroom at the same time in the short span of one week, that’ll really elevate the issues of education and they’ll have a statewide conversation.” Qarni said. Qarni will substitute in five different schools due to his credentials, while other government members will shadow teachers.
POLITICAL PARTIES “The democrat and republican thing really doesn’t come up in governing – governing is very different than running for office. I am not a democrat secretary of education. There’s no such label to that. Our administration, we represent all Virginians equally.“
He mentioned that sometimes there’s a perception that universities might be a big business, and while that could be a case, “oftentimes when tuition rates go up and universities are taking funding from - whether it’s out of state or in state students - a lot of the funding is being used to provide financial aid for students who can’t afford those tuitions so it is being put to good use.” His other priority with universities is predictability, meaning better planning in higher education institutions to prepare students for the jobs of the future. HOW IS MASON? Qarni said through his recent interactions with Mason he sees the approach, “is very innovative, very creative --it’s really heading in the right direction.” He’s confident Mason is continuing to create a strong alumni base that can come back and continue to help it out. When recalling his time at Mason, Qarni said he chose it because it “had a very good, established history program and teaching licensure program, both of the areas I was very interested in.”
Photo courtesy of OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATION
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WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH To wrap up Women’s History Month, our writers at Fourth Estate compiled the stories of exceptional women from Virginia and D.C. area. Among the featured are: Lillian Lincoln Lambert, the first African American woman to graduate from Harvard Business School, Chanel Grice, a Mason alum who combines her foreign service fieldwork with portraiture, and Marinel M. de Jesus, a full-time trekker who hikes her dreams. These women and their stories serve as a reminder to all women of their own potential for what is possible.
CELEBRATING LILLIAN LINCOLN LAMBERT
Living through segregation and being the first African-American women graduate from Harvard Business School CHRISTINE VIRAY STAFF WRITER
While Lambert became successful later in life, growing up was difficult.
Lambert was born on May 12, 1940 in Ballsville, VA, where she had to deal with segregation. To find work, Lambert moved to New York City and D.C. and worked as a maid and typist. Soon after, she realized the importance of education in her future. Lambert got help from loans and scholarships to earn her BA from Howard University, but when she enrolled at HBS, she felt out of place, considering that she was one of only three dozen women on campus. Despite this, Lambert continued to work hard and,
along with four other African American classmates, started the HBS African American Student Union (AASU). The AASU was meant to encourage more African-Americans to pursue an education at Harvard, and with the help of Dean George P. Baker, AASU helped increase the number of African American students in two years.
Photo courtesy of FORTE FOUNDATION
An author, speaker and entrepreneur, Lillian Lincoln Lambert was the first African-American woman to graduate from Harvard Business School (HBS), where she earned her MBA. Now at the age of 77, Lambert holds several awards, which include the “HBS’ Alumni Achievement Award” and the “Top 50 Women-Owned Businesses” in the Washington Business according to the HBS African American Alumni Association.
MASON ALUMNA BUILDS A PASSION PROJECT OUT OF PORTRAITS Chanel Grice integrates her passion for foreign service with portraiture ANGELIQUE ARINTOK STAFF WRITER
Chanel Grice graduated from Mason in May 2017 with a double major in global affairs and economics. Grice was a resident advisor for three years at Mason, as well as a dedicated sister of the Omicron Rho Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Grice now works at a small consulting firm assisting with projects for government agencies and further enriching her background in economics.
FOURTH ESTATE/ANGELIQUE ARINTOK
Since graduation, Grice embarked on a career in her desired field and utilized extra time to apply to graduate school and scholarships. Recently, Grice was awarded the Rangel Graduate Fellowship through Howard University. This high distinction recognizes Grice as an outstanding minority student who pursues an education within foreign affairs and services. This fall, Grice will begin a new academic adventure as a graduate student in the School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University. Hosted by the U.S. State Department, Grice’s program entails five years of commitment within foreign service. Aside from her academic and career
pursuits, Grice is also devoted to perfecting her art. For Grice, art is both a stress-relieving and eye-opening process. She considers painting portraits an escape from stress, as well as a medium to influence others by representing sets of diverse individuals domestically and internationally.
will direct message her out of interest in purchasing such pieces. By doing so, Grice is not driven by money but rather by her dedication to perfecting her own craft.
“I want to do justice to marginalized people,” Grice said.
“I definitely want to get to a place where I feel comfortable with my art… that is why my art is more freelance,” Grice said.
As an artist and student, she looks looks forward to being able to accurately paint the lives and experiences of those she connects with during her academic endeavors in foreign, developing countries. From Aug. 2017 until Jan. 2018, Grice poured more time into art by working at a paint bar. Although she enjoyed teaching the craft to others, Grice felt obligated to paint in the interest of money rather than genuine passion. She halted her time at the paint bar, and now finds herself painting in times of natural inspiration. Her passion project, Gabriele Arts, diverts from the model of a business. As Grice posts her art pieces on Instagram (@ chanelcoco411), followers and friends
As an artist, she recognizes that she is at the beginning stages of the learning process.
Ultimately, Grice wants to reach people internationally by administering foreign aid and helping developing countries using her economics background. But, she continues working in foreign service, she also hopes to continue representing the lives of others with a refined skill set for portraiture.
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A WOMAN WHO HIKES TO HER DREAMS Marinel M. de Jesus empowers others by sharing her journey DIANA NADIRA CONTRIBUTOR
Marinel had everything: a wonderful family, good education, a profession as lawyer, friends and much love from everyone. There was no reason to be unfulfilled with life, but she felt a void within her soul. She lacked happiness. In her late 20s, she started to struggle with her weight and suffered from back pain because of weight gain. Some difficult relationships added fuel to the fire. She lost her sense of self-love and led an inactive lifestyle. In 2003 she spent a couple of months in Guatemala while in-between jobs, where she experienced her debut in hiking. She hiked the summit of an active volcano with her fellows, and it was the most challenging experience she ever had. Later she continued hiking to take good care of her health, but shortly it turned into a passion and successful career. The journey wasn’t easy. She quit her job to chase her passion, but never looked back or regretted it. Now Marinel is a full-time traveler and hiker who inspires others, especially women, to follow their dreams. Born and raised in the Philippines, Marinel currently lives in D.C. Marinel and her hiking groups have trekked Kilimanjaro, Inca Trail and Peru’s Ausangate Trail, to name a few. In June 2016, she launched her social enterprise, Peak Explorations LLC, to further her goal of sharing her passion for trekking and traveling worldwide.
Photo courtesy of MARINEL M. DE JESUS
It takes a lot of courage to quit a career of 15 years as a lawyer to travel around the world and hike mountains. What were the challenges? Did you get support from anyone? The challenge was to believe in my desire and to trust it. Once I overcame the fears attached to my desires, everything else was easy. Things just fall into place without much difficulty. The support I received was in the form of words of encouragement in the beginning, but as I transitioned and became a nomad, people have gave support in many ways such as friends/family letting me stay in their homes, having home cooked meals with friends, family and strangers, a ride to my next destination and even more recently, I started receiving sponsorships for some of my hiking endeavors. Tell us about your vision of empowering women in outdoors? I always knew I was going to do some work pertaining to
women’s empowerment but didn’t know initially how to properly execute it. It’s the part of my enterprise that can easily be labeled as “political” and threatening to some potential customers. My vision is two-fold with respect to women’s empowerment: (1) for women who seek camaraderie with women as an encouragement to go outdoors, I decided to offer women-only treks and (2) for women who are fully confident with their skills and don’t mind being with the opposite gender, we also provide tours that will fit that type of category. Women’s empowerment doesn’t necessarily mean it always has to be women only. Women can also be empowered knowing they can summit a mountain side by side with men. There’s another angle to our women’s empowerment vision – one where we also focus on marginalized women in the trekking tourism industry. I have made it part of our business plan to ensure that we seek local tour operators that support women in the roles of guides, porters etc. for the purposes of normalizing the notion of women playing a relevant role in the trekking tourism industry. Our hope is one day travelers will associate mountain guiding with both men and women, not just with men alone. In turn, we hope women will realize that they have a place in the trekking tourism industry with respect to employment. How much does gender play a role in running a successful career? What were the challenges as women in this field? There have been instances of condescending looks and views towards my work by the opposite gender from the start but to be frank, I put very little energy in analyzing others’ opinions of my mission or work. It’s a male-dominated industry, and as one of the very few women of color, I stand out. People either appreciate that I’m different or they have no interest working with someone like me who doesn’t look like them. The best approach is to focus on your allies, rather than critics.
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FACES OF MASON delves into the lives of Mason students, faculty or alumni, and organizations every week. This week, we take a close look at Mason student Nelson Alvarado, alumni Imani Corley, Mason professors Brandi J. Blake and Connie Hylton, and Hardwired Global. If you know of a Mason student, faculty member, alumnus or alumna, or organization that would like to be featured on FACES OF MASON please submit your request via: https://goo.gl/HZ4SMd INTERVIEWS BY BASMA HUMADI AND STUDENT MEDIA
O R G A N I Z AT I O N , H A R D W I R E D G L O B A L
ALUMNI, IMANI CORLEY What was the last song you listened to? Skywalker by Miguel. What is your most prized possession? Probably my cell phone! I use it to communicate of course and also to study, read and to also look up things on the internet.
Photo courtesy of SUMBAL ABID
Who is one of your biggest role models in life? My mother is my biggest role model in life. She pushes me everyday to strive for greatness and to follow my dreams. She has taught me the value of self respect and also how to pour kindness into the world and into other people. Photo courtesy of IMANI CORLEY
Sumbal Abid- Hardwired Global What does your organization do and why? Hardwired Global is non-governmental organization that combats religious oppression by training and equipping indigenous leaders to defend the freedom of conscience and belief for every person. We believe that everyone is hardwired for freedom, and we consider ourselves to be a network of leaders from around the world who believe every human has inherent dignity and seeks to be free. Can you tell us more about the backpack drive you’re having how it’ll work and what it does? For their entire lives, the children of Iraq have experienced the most nihilistic form of religious bigotry in recent human history. They have witnessed hatred, violence and even genocide against people of every faith. They are scared and traumatized. And as their country is finally liberated from ISIS, these children are asking, how can stop the cycle of hate? Hardwired believes the answer to that question is education. We have trained over 20 teachers to help displaced and persecuted children. We are teaming up with
Mason Muslim Affairs Council and United Muslim Relief GMU chapter to collect backpacks and school supplies to send to these schools.
P R O F E S S O R , B R A N D I J . B L A K E , A S S I S TA N T D I R E C T O R , D I V E R S I T Y, I N C L U S I O N A N D M U LT I C U LT U R A L E D U C AT I O N
Everyone who wants to participate should bring a backpack (doesn’t need to be expensive) and a few supplies with them. Supplies include things like pencils, colored pencils, pens, notebooks, and folders. There is a sign-up sheet going up soon where everyone can tell us their name, what they’re bringing, and how much of it. We will all come together and pack the backpacks on April 10th in JC Meeting Room B. We’re also going to be adding notes of encouragement for the kids!
What is your definition of greatness? My definition of greatness is achieving anything beyond what you thought your limit was or could be. We achieve greatness daily and often. Pay attention! What motivates you to get up in the morning? My mission to serve, help, and advocate for others is what gets me up in the morning. I am genuinely fulfilled by acting out my purpose and I am blessed to have a job that allows me to do just that each day.
What is your most memorable moment with your organization and why? My favorite memory so far is when I first met the founder of Hardwired, Tina Ramirez. Listening to her story and how she got to where she is was incredibly inspiring. The sincerity coming from her and her team members made the mission that much more appealing. Everyone who works with Hardwired is extremely passionate about their work!
If you could make one world issue become resolved in an instant, what would it be? Death by war and violence and oppression of any kind. I guess that counts as two but a woman can dream!
Photo courtesy of BRANDI BLAKE
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What motivates you to get up in the morning? I am so fortunate. I love my job. I teach the very first accounting class to all Business School majors. I am driven by a passion to show how exciting and valuable accounting can be to all business majors. I have been a Certified Public Accountant in Virginia for over forty years. I try to bring examples from my accounting jobs into the classroom. It is also great that I live so close to campus. Because it is only 1.7 miles from my driveway to parking, coming to campus is very easy. I come by campus often, even on weekend. Have you ever traveled to another country? Tell us about it. I have been fortunate to have lived in Germany for over four years. I traveled a lot while I lived there. However, recently I returned to Europe and visited the Normandy region of France. That visit had a big impact on me. History became alive when I saw Omaha Beach and the Normandy American Cemetery. There was a white cross tombstone marker with the name of Lt. Jimmie Monteith. Tears came to my eyes. There was a dorm at my alma mater, Virginia
Photo courtesy of NELSON ALVARADO
Photo courtesy of CONNIE HYLTON
P R O F E S S O R , C O N N I E H Y LT O N , A C C O U N T I N G
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Tech, that was named for this graduate who died on June 6, 1944, D-Day. I had never realized why the dorm was named for him. When looking at the Normandy beaches and cliffs, I realized the courage it must have taken for people such at Lt. Monteith on D-Day. What do you enjoy most about George Mason University? I like the opportunity to see my students everywhere in the region. Because so many of our students live in the local area, or take jobs in the local area, I run into so many of them. I have seen students, and former students, at many restaurants, at airports and on planes, at church, at professional events and in many businesses. I try to remember my students. When I don’t, I really appreciate when they identify themselves as my former students. I just ran into one at Fairfax Corner who graduated in 2004. I recognized him, and he remembered me. It was great to meet his child and catch up on his career. In my 18 years teaching at Mason, I have probably taught over 18,000 students. That is a lot of students to run in to.
If you could go back in time to the first day of college and tell yourself one thing, what would it be? I think I would tell myself to change my major. I’m currently PreMed and I decided that I would pursue a degree in Bioengineering. I knew that this major would fulfill my premed requirements and I moderately enjoy the classes. However, I didn’t know you could get accepted to Med School as a non-STEM major, so long as you still take the required classes. So I probably would’ve majored in music or vocal performance or something since that’s one of my passions. Easier classes, a higher GPA, and I’d have more fun in my classes. What is your most proud achievement? The achievement I am most proud of is definitely doing the internship program I did at
Columbia University this past summer. Being that Columbia is Ivy League and has a very reputable medical school, I was beyond thrilled when I got my acceptance letter for the summer program at their medical school. I was 1 of 80 students from across the country to get accepted out of the 2000+ applications they received so it was very validating. Plus I met great people, made lifelong friends, and feel more confident applying to med school. And staying in NYC for the summer was dope! If you could write a book about yourself, what would the title be? “The Boy Who Lost His Magic In The Closet— and how he got it back”
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LIFESTYLE
3.26.2018
GMUFOURTHESTATE.COM @IVESTATE
MAKING CLOTHES OUT OF CONDOMS
Promoting safe sex with an HIV/AIDS fashion show HAILEY BULLIS STAFF WRITER
Mason’s HIV/AIDS Awareness Fashion Show plans to spread awareness for this issue. Hosted by the Patriots Activities Council (PAC) and Project Condom, the fashion show is planned for March 30. In the fashion show, clothes will be made from condoms in an effort to promote safe-sex and condom usage. The theme for the fifth annual HIV/ AIDS awareness fashion show will be “symptoms” “Usually there’s a stigma behind the usage of condoms so having the student orgs kind of glamorize the use of condoms with fashion takes away that stigma and it promotes safe-sex and condom usage,” said Shadai Collins, the director of programming at PAC. This year there are seven student organizations participating in Project Condom - including last year’s winners, the Caribbean Student Association (CSA). The Caribbean Student Association won $800 dollars last year for their design. The outfit was
modeled by Lillian Chong, the current president of CSA. The outfit was a two-piece garment with a train made of blue, yellow, and green condoms because they are popular colors in most Caribbean Islands. “It’s important because the whole dress is made out of condoms, STI prevention, pregnancy prevention, all that stuff . . . there’s so many people who are sexually active on campus and if each organization gets 300-400 condoms maximum then so many other sexually active people can get [one as well]. It’s not something that you have to break your pockets for,” said Chong. Judges base their opinion off of the concept behind the design, what it brings awareness to, and the outfit’s overall look. CSA’s design last year was an effort to promote being proud of your body and also to bring attention to the sexualization of women in the United States. “We mentioned how a lot of the culture in the United States is very sexualized,” Chong said.
“If a girl dances with a guy, the guy will often ask for the girl’s number after the dance. Whereas in the West Indies, a dance is a dance and it’s like a guy and a girl will dance together however they want to. It doesn’t really matter and then once the song changes you just move on and go on with the rest of your day. There’s no obligation to connect with this person more after that dance.” Chong’s advice for the other organizations this year is to be proud of their work. “Regardless of whether you win or not just make sure that [you are proud of] what you present onstage and on Instagram... and really just make the dress how you feel represents your organization the best,” Chong said. “It could be the craziest design out there but unique is good and I think that’s part of what helped us win.”
FOURTH ESTATE/SHADAI COLLINS
In the United States alone, approximately 1.1 million people are affected by HIV, according to HIV.gov.
The HIV/AIDS fashion show, including Project Condom, is on March 30 at 6:30 pm in the Center for the Arts.
MAKING HISTORY WITH THE MURAL FESTIVAL
Mason hosts a mural festival in April AHMED FARID STAFF WRITER
Photo courtesy of MARICAMA
Yu and his fellow students in the organization decided to do something about it. It began when Finn Fisk, the Mural Brigade’s creative director, decided in October 2016 that she wanted to make our campus more interesting and creative. Fisk went to Professor Don Russell, the university curator at the Arts and Design building, and asked for his assistance in fulfilling her vision. Since then, Finn along with the rest of the Mural Brigade team and Russell, have been working on creating murals and creating Finn’s vision, for which she is incredibly thankful. So far, two murals were created. One
of these murals was created by Mason student Reed Griffith, who has been receiving designs from students who were interested in the project and wanted to work on the mural. Griffith, an artist himself, has been able to adapt other students’ design into a mural. The other mural was created by professional artist Maricama. Maricama is an artist based in Virginia Beach.
Students will get a chance to participate in fun games, eat food, and listen to some music. Students will also get a chance to meet the artists. The Mural Brigade is working on three more murals that will be unveiled on Sept. 7. If students have any designs that they would like to showcase, send an email to ffisk@masonlive.gmu.edu.
In addition to painting, Maricama also creates “fantastical plays, puppets, performances, paintings, illustration, comics, and videos with the intention to raise the vibration of the collective consciousness,” says Yu. Maricama’s mural will be on display by the side of the arts and design building while Yu’s mural can be seen from The Mix. On April 7, there will be a festival outside of the Arts and Design building from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. celebrating the newest addition to Mason’s campus.
Photo courtesy of MARICAMA
Mason has impressive buildings and a great scenery. However, Jeff Yu, vice president of the Mural Brigade, said that “our campus is very ‘businesslike’.” Mason’s campus can be described as elegant and sophisticated, but it lacks artistry that stands out and represents the Patriot spirit.
OPINIONS
GMUFOURTHESTATE.COM @IVESTATE
3.26.2018
Opinions do not reflect the views of Fourth Estate. Submit opinions to jbelive2@gmu.edu
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THERE’S NO SUCH THING AS A FREE SCANTRON DOMINIC PINO COLUMNIST
Upon further thought, this scantron commodity oddity seems especially peculiar when you consider another thing the university hands out at zero cost: condoms. “It’s a public health issue. We want to slow the spread of disease and prevent unwanted pregnancy,” you might say. Fair, but I would say the best way to achieve both of those goals is to teach young men to keep it in their pants. “But we all know young men won’t, and college students are adults who are responsible for their own actions,” is the inevitable reply. The former part of that statement is generally true. But please spare me the “college students are responsible adults” nonsense. If college students are so responsible, why do they need a condom handout? They could go to Walgreens, walk to the family planning aisle, pick up a box of condoms, take them to the cash register, and do what responsible adults do whenever they want something they don’t have: buy them with their own money.
And then there is the obvious fact that scantrons are directly related to the mission of a university: to provide an education. Condoms are not. Judging by what the university hands out, it seems that its priorities are out of line. Giving an object away at zero cost is tacit encouragement of the use of that object. What’s more important to an educational institution: education or sex? This is a question that should not need to be asked.
scantrons nor condoms should be costless. I commend Student Government’s charity of handing out 10,000 scantrons. If student organizations want to buy condoms and hand them out to students, that’s their choice. In fact, there is no question in my mind that some student organization would do just that in the absence of the current handout. This is not a
question of effects, but of principles: if it is not the job of the university to provide testing supplies, then it is certainly not the job of the university to provide sex supplies.
End the condom handouts. Or, as scantrons always remind us, erase completely.
By now, you are probably expecting me to advocate for making scantrons free. But there’s no such thing as a free scantron. The price system allows demand to be met adequately for paying consumers. This holds for scantrons, condoms, books, airline tickets, Girl Scout cookies, Canadian bacon . . . and anything else for which responsible adults are willing to exchange money. But that does not exclude charity. Student Government handed out scantrons at Southside the week before spring break. I spoke with two student senators handing out free scantrons in the Slobby (Southside lobby). Junior Jeremy Aylward and freshman Max Kim described the goal to hand out 10,000 scantrons to students around midterms. They estimated the total cost to Student Government was a few hundred dollars. Not that big of an investment for Student Government, but a huge payoff to the student body augmented by the surprise of getting something useful just for eating lunch. So, let’s be consistent.
Neither
FOURTH ESTATE/ALLIE THOMPSON
It’s midterm season, aka scantron season. We all love scantrons because it means there is a multiple choice exam on the horizon. We also love these little green or blue slips of paper for their low price. But has it ever crossed your mind why we must pay for them at all? Why is it on the student to pay for something that the professor requires to take an exam? We don’t have to pay for the paper on which the exam questions are printed, but we must pay for the paper on which our exam answers are marked. Certainly this university has enough money to pay for scantrons. If you don’t believe that, check your next bill.
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OPINIONS
3.26.2018
GMUFOURTHESTATE.COM @IVESTATE
Opinions do not reflect the views of Fourth Estate. Submit opinions to jbelive2@gmu.edu
GUILT-FREE SNOW DAYS ARE JUSTIFIED WILLIAM BARNHART COLUMNIST
Some people claim that students lose money when classes are cancelled. The issue with this claim is that it assumes that one class cancellation could make a difference in the quality of your education. It would require multiple class cancellations in order to have a significant impact on a student’s education. The unfortunate truth is that many students are not able to invest the time to learn their curriculum at a
comfortable pace. This is usually due to classes conflicting with each other in terms of workload and difficulty. Even students who can manage their time effectively may find themselves struggling to catch up in their classes. As a result, students would have less time to study and they would be more inclined to favor a day off. Some students even say that the most learning is done at the end of the semester when they have to study for their final exams. There is more time to study for final exams than for midterms because there are usually not as many assignments holding them back from studying for their final exams. Having a snow day could be a great opportunity for someone to study for an exam that’s around the corner. People could argue that better time management could solve these problems, but not all classes are alike. A school closure could mean the world to students because it would give them an opportunity to get their work done and they wouldn’t have to worry about skipping class, if necessary. This could be a issue for students with intense
workloads, which could cause them to go a night without sleeping. This could be even more serious for commuter students. Commuting could be a issue when combined with sleep deprivation. Commuter students don’t have the same resources as those who live on campus, which could make their lifestyles more difficult when combined with travel time. Some students have to work while they are attending classes in order to pay for those classes, and their work schedule could even conflict with their class schedule. For them, a day off could be an opportunity to catch up with their classes because their employment status requires them to invest time elsewhere. The cancellation of classes a week after spring break should not be used to make students feel ashamed. Some students needed an opportunity to rest over spring break in order to prevent burnout. Not everyone has a choice when it comes to doing work because some people are simply too exhausted. That’s why some students are desperate when it comes to class cancellations.
FOURTH ESTATE/NICOLAS MACOTTO
With the recent closure and delaying of university operations, there has been a great deal of discussion of the choices made by the university. It is undeniable that the school was justified in closing Wednesday. But not everyone believes that you should be excited about a snow day. Instead, some professors or students may claim that other students should be against having any. These reasons arise from arguments based on the financial costs of classes and the value of the education. I believe that these arguments are not necessarily applicable to snow days due to the amount of material covered in a semester.
LANGUAGE: MORE THAN A GEN-ED SUSAN KATHERINE CORKRAN COLUMNIST
The long hours of pouring over vocabulary flashcards, translating simple texts word by word and struggling to hold a new system of grammar in your mind as you stumble through an awkward speaking prompt may seem grueling to a student without much interest in learning a foreign language. It becomes necessary work that must be done in order to graduate, and so the chosen language represents nothing more than an item on a to-do list waiting to be checked off.
FOURTH ESTATE/GRANT SMITH
That is the last way we should view the gift of learning a new language. Words have power. We learn that in our infancy as we speak our very first words to our parents’ delight. Words are the way through which we connect to the world around us, to say nothing of connecting to all of the many people in that world. Each unique person who crosses our path has something to teach us, and if we are willing to learn, then our lives are changed.
When you expand your knowledge of words beyond the limits of one language, you broaden the horizons of your world to include more people, more viewpoints and ultimately more lessons that can help you along whatever path you wish to chose to follow in life. The ability to connect to new cultures and customs is a beautiful experience worth every minute of the dedication, discipline, and hard work it takes to gain mastery of a new way of speaking. We are expected to show a certain level of proficiency in another language for a reason. One of the most beautiful things about this school is its students and the diversity that each of us brings to this place. Everyone brings something special to the school, especially their culture and experiences. We have the chance to widen one another’s worldviews and learn things about other cultures and backgrounds that we never knew before. Beginning to learn another
person’s language is a deeply personal way to initiate this sharing of information, and while it is exceedingly useful to have English in common with one another, there is no reason to limit ourselves to only one set of words. Broadening your speaking --(and, more importantly, your listening-- abilities is the first step you take to connecting with other people and forging life-changing relationships. So, as tedious as it may seem at times to sit down with a handful of flashcards or an early reader’s grammar book, think about all of the many doors you can open for yourself by putting in this work. It is so much more than simply fulfilling a graduation requirement. This is a requirement for a deeper, more meaningful life. Now go learn! FOURTH ESTATE/GRANT SMITH
Here’s an experiment: Walk from one end of Mason’s campus to the other and count how many languages you hear your fellow Patriots speaking.
OPINIONS
GMUFOURTHESTATE.COM @IVESTATE
3.26.2018
Opinions do not reflect the views of Fourth Estate. Submit opinions to jbelive2@gmu.edu
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ONE BITE IS ALL IT TAKES SUSAN KATHERINE CORKRAN COLUMNIST
MENTAL MAKEUP: WHAT DOES BEING ‘HEALTHY’ REALLY MEAN? ZARA FAROUK CONTRIBUTOR
We’ve all been there: it’s 8:45, your eyes are half sealed shut, it’s cold and the last thing you need is the added pressure of looking a certain way. The world we live in today pressures men and women to look a certain way in order to ‘fit in’ to socially constructed ideals that are hugely unrealistic. In the process of achieving standards dictated by society, we often neglect one key element: mental health. College is stressful enough and we need to use this time to soul search, grow and learn without the pressure of conforming. Each of us faces our own struggles, unknown to the next person. We need to be kind to ourselves and those around us. What most of us need to be reminded of is how we choose to present ourselves is entirely based on what makes YOU happy. Mental health is so often neglected as we expect people to look good rather than feel good. Some choose to prioritize comfort, while others prioritize style, but neither way is right or wrong and that should always be up for you to decide. Next time you scroll through your feed on Instagram and close the app feeling defeated that you haven’t been on holiday and don’t look like a certain figure, remind yourself that nothing you see is true reality. We should make our own ideals and conform to what makes us happy. Each of us holds our own version of
how to best to start and end our days. My own belief is that your day is a reflection of how you start it. For some it might be the smallest of habits such as taking care of your bedroom, having a shower and brushing your teeth. Whatever it might be, you should do what offers you a sense of mental peace. Look around the next time you attend a lecture. Each individual is a representation of the diversity in our world today. Some choose to express themselves verbally and some express themselves through their clothing, and neither is superior to the other. As students in a generation that will impact what our world will be in the coming years, our goal should be to foster an environment where we should simply live and let live. In my belief, to care for others you need to start with yourself. Although mental health awareness has improved in the last decade, we can still do more.The power of human support and presence might seem minimal but makes a world of a difference to the friend you didn’t know was struggling. If you are reading this, remember we are all driven, ambitious and motivated young minds that have so much going and the time has come to build each other up and stop tearing each other down. So my advice for those of you who don’t usually pay attention to “mental health” is to sleep a little earlier, plan
out your day ahead and set the alarm. Give yourself a morning of pure bliss and make yourself mentally happy by taking care of yourself. I recommend choosing your attire the night before and giving yourself a mental briefing of which direction your day will be going. If sweats make you feel sloppy, throw on a pair of jeans, a fresh sweater and a clean pair of shoes. Or conversely, if jeans make you uncomfortable, throw on your favorite outfit and take charge of your day how you want to. The simplest efforts go a long way. I understand that when you’ve pulled your second all-nighter in a row, the absolute last thing you care about is your reflection. But my point is that in life, we need to tend to our physical needs: dressing to reflect who we are, being physically active and giving our bodies that time and attention to create the right energy for mental sanity. I fully advocate the notion that mental health must be in check to take care of our physical well-being. No one wants a six pack while being down and depressed, right? As students in such fast-paced environment involving job and school stress, we need to make sure that our needs are always taken care of and we don’t neglect ourselves. Next time you catch a few extra minutes in the morning, treat yourself to a morning of leisure and pampering and I guarantee that your day will be that much brighter.
Yet it can often feel isolating and difficult to raise awareness about the struggles you face from anaphylaxis— the deadly reaction that can lead to shock and even death. The symptoms are well-known, and sometimes even appear in movies or TV shows as a joke. Characters “comically” grasp at their throats as they swell up like red or purple balloons with their eyes bulging out of their faces, and their pain is a punchline to a sick joke. A few weeks ago, I experienced a sudden, severe allergic reaction in my own home. I still do not know what caused it, but as my eyes started to painfully swell, there was nothing funny about the situation. When you face an emergency room and the all-too-familiar pain of IVs stabbing into your veins, sharp syringes of epinephrine digging deep into your muscle, and the odd pressure of an oxygen mask hastily placed over your face… well, no matter how quickly the medicine begins to relieve your pain, there is a lingering horror that takes longer to heal. In my own experience, it makes entering dining halls or restaurants a nerve-wracking experience. The word “safe” becomes paramount. Is this safe for me? What kind of oil was this
cooked in? Do you have an ingredients label for that? The questions go on and on, but they all lead down to the question of safety. And who can guarantee that 100 percent? When I can stand without dizziness after an ordeal in the emergency room, the first thing I do once I’m back home is take a hot shower. I need to wash the smell of the hospital off of my skin and hair, but I often feel as if it’s following me around. Nightmares of ambulances, breathlessness and dying from this terrifying illness that I can’t control resurface. Hospital monitors beeping in my ears, rough white sheets dotted with tiny drops of my blood from a pinching IV and the harsh smell of disinfectant all stay with me for days afterward. I go to church and pray, read as many books as I can get my hands on and write through it all. So it passes. Eventually. The next time someone speaks to you about special dietary needs, take the time to hear them out and offer support so they can have a good experience sharing food in safety. No one deserves to wait for a traumatic storm to pass all alone.
FOURTH ESTATE/ALLY MCALPINE
FOURTH ESTATE/BILLY FERGUSON
For those suffering from life-threatening food allergies, simple tasks like grabbing a meal with friends can quickly turn into a nightmare. Possibilities of cross-contamination in a restaurant or unfamiliar dining hall can turn a pleasant evening into a catastrophe in the emergency room in minutes. In the most tragic cases, those trace amount of allergens can lead to death. If you are a part of the food allergy community, then you have seen pictures of children who died from sudden allergic reactions and read unforgettable words of warning from their mourning parents.
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3.26.2018
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Recipe of the Week Obtained from tasteofhome.com
LAST ISSUE’S CROSSWORD
Easter Basket Cupcakes Recipe Ingredients: • 4 large eggs • 1 cup sugar • 1 cup packed brown sugar • 1 cup canola oil • 3 teaspoons vanilla extract • 3 cups all-purpose flour • 2 teaspoons baking powder • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon • 1 teaspoon salt • 1 teaspoon baking soda • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
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• 3/4 cup buttermilk • 1 pound carrots, grated • 2 cups chopped walnuts, toasted • 1 can (8 ounces) crushed pineapple, drained • 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut • 1 store-bought frosting 1. Preheat oven to 350°. Line 30 muffin cups with paper liners. In a large bowl, beat eggs, sugars, oil and vanilla until well blended. In another bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, baking soda, ginger and nutmeg; add to egg mixture alternately with buttermilk, beating well after each addition. Stir in carrots, walnuts, pineapple and coconut. 2. Fill prepared cups three-fourths full. Bake 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes before removing to
wire racks to cool completely. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until blended. Beat in orange peel and vanilla. Gradually beat in confectioners’ sugar until smooth. Frost cupcakes. 3. In a large resealable plastic bag, mix water and food coloring; add coconut. Seal bag and shake until coconut is evenly tinted. Sprinkle over cupcakes. Decorate with candies, as desired. Refrigerate until serving. Yield: 2-1/2 dozen.
LAST ISSUE’S GO FIGURE!
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LAST ISSUE’S MAGIC MAZE
3.26.2018
COMICS FOURTH ESTATE/BILLY FERGUSON
LAST ISSUE’S SUDOKU FOURTH ESTATE/JAY TOPSHE
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