Photo Courtesy of Julian Lee

MASON POND

BY JULIAN LEE, STAFF WRITER

When living in an area that seems to have Washington D.C. next door, you can’t help but to overlook what all that Mason has to offer. Sure there are coffee shops, restaurants and local businesses to visit with friends…But personally, the best place to hang out is our Mason Pond.

Throughout the week, campus is often busy with people hurrying to classes and Starships running into your legs. As a commuter school, once it hits the weekend, campus becomes quite peaceful. There is no better way to enjoy that peace than relaxing at Mason Pond.

Sprinkled with trees all around and a field of grass, you can easily sprawl out and enjoy the nature around you. While you are out there, you can also watch the geese swim by and if you are there long enough, they might even waddle up to you and say hi.

If you don’t feel like sprawling out, there is good news for you. Choose from one of the many benches surrounding the pond and sit and relax as you watch the sunrise or sunset, having a beautiful view of the sky all to yourself. No matter what bench you pick, I can promise that you’ll have a peaceful time.

There is no wrong time to visit the pond, but the perfect time I recommend is during the night. The pond is completely quiet at night. With hints of lights from the streetlights around, you get the bask under the moonlight instead of the sun and view the stars up above.

With no one around, it is a perfect opportunity for you to collect your thoughts. You are able to watch the rippling water slowly move throughout the pond as you feel your mind become clearer.

As we pursue our education, there is such intense stress that comes from attending college. Between exams and final projects, deadlines and overall day-to-day life, students cram information into their heads. They bury themselves in school and work, but end up forgetting about something: Their mental health.

Students walk up and down the paths at Mason Pond, with most of them seemingly in a rush as they fulfill all their obligations. It’s often ignored that this pond was created for their enjoyment where they can sit and breathe, escaping the busyness of everyday life.

As a student at Mason, I understand the hardships that come from classes and finding that time to relax, but it is so important to find that hour or two in your schedule to do so. Being at the pond is an easily accessible way to enjoy the outdoors and give your mind a rest.

Even if you are not a fan of silence or listening to the nature around you, grab a pair of headphones and listen to music as you relax at the pond and let it transport your mind to a new state of tranquility.

So what are you waiting for? Visit Mason Pond and give yourself a break away from the stresses of being a college student at Mason.