Campus Wiped Clean of Alleged Racial Slur

Student Government passes resolution to conduct clean-up of potentially offensive campus chalking BY SAMI GIBBS, STAFF WRITER; JACK HARVEY, ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR; ABIGAIL ADCOX, NEWS EDITOR  Student Government is responding to students’ discomfort over the word “toads,” which has been…

Vegan Society Fights to Ban Bull Riding Event

Bull Riding event at EagleBank draws protests BY ABIGAIL ADCOX, NEWS EDITOR Protests took place over the weekend at a two-day Professional Bull Riding (PBR) event outside of EagleBank arena. The Vegan Society at GMU organized two separate protests through…

Jaire Grayer: A True Patriot At Heart

On and off the court Grayer exceeds expectations as a player and a man of his community BY KIM BARTENFELDER STAFF WRITER Tackling his senior year, Jaire Grayer could not be more on top of his game. As a guard for…

Burke Lake Park

Hidden Hangouts: Burke Lake Park

With the summer coming to an end, visit Burke Lake Park for your favorite last-minute summer activities BY KIM BARTENFELDER, STAFF WRITER With the beginning of a new semester comes new responsibilities, more dedication to our studies and the sad reality…

Equal Rights Amendment

Virginia Launches Equal Rights Amendment Campaign

Gender equality could finally become a constitutional right BY MONICA ECHOLS, CULTURE EDITOR  Those who have not paid close attention to the Constitution might be shocked to realize that gender equality is not explicitly included. To make Constitutional gender equality a…

Warner aims to tackle student debt crisis

Sen. Mark Warner introduces legislation for students struggling with debt BY LAURYN CANTRELL   Senator Mark Warner (D-Va.) has introduced two bills to assist college students and college graduates in response to the rising cost of attending college.   In…

Dinner and a movie

Good food and movie picks for a good night out on the town BY BASMA HUMADI   Dinner: HalfSmoke With milkshakes, Monopoly and “Chipotle-style” assembly line sausages, HalfSmoke takes the title for being the coolest place around the block. Though…

Opal Tometi: Inclusion for all

Black Lives Matter co-founder visits Mason for DREAM Week BY MIA WISE, ASSISTANT CAMPUS NEWS EDITOR   Opal Tometi, one of the co-founders of Black Lives Matter, visited Mason March 30 to speak about Black Lives Matter as a part…

In memoriam: Roger Wilkins

President Cabrera remembers former professor The following letter was emailed to George Mason faculty and staff from President Ángel Cabrera on March 28.   Dear Colleague,   This week, we lost one of our brightest stars. I’m saddened by the…

Combating college costs

Sen. Tim Kaine, journalists discuss higher education financial issues and policy BY DONNA IMADI   The national organization Young Invincibles sponsored a summit on higher education Feb. 27 that brought together journalists and policymakers to discuss higher education financial issues…

Mason students Stop the Bleed

Students learn how to save lives with the National Center for Disaster Medicine & Public Health BY RACHEL MARKFELDER     On Monday, March 27, the National Center for Disaster Medicine & Public Health (NCDMPH) conducted a study at Mason’s…

A season of hope for Mason Basketball

BY MICHAEL ABLER   A year after their disastrous 2015-16 season, the Mason Men’s Basketball Team managed to pull off an amazing turnaround. After 11 wins and 21 losses last season, the Patriots came back strong with a 20-win season,…

90’s nostalgia

College students reflect on 90’s Movies and TV BY BASMA HUMADI, STAFF WRITER   College students run on a nostalgia for the yesteryear entertainment of the late 90s and early 2000s. This was a time when the average vocabulary included…

Music Spotlight: Volcano by Temples

Psychedelic BY JAMES STEMPLE, STAFF WRITER   Prepare to take a trip through pulsing colors with British psychedelic rock band Temples through their newest album, “Volcano,” which was released by Heavenly Records March 3 of this year. Formed in Kettering,…

Cops in the Community

Mason police, Fairfax police discuss public’s trust in law enforcement BY EDNA MCCLUNG   The Eta Delta Delta chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., along with student government, hosted an open dialogue with police officers called “Cops in the…

Concert calendar

Live music this week   Monday, Feb. 27 Airpark | Jammin’ Java | Doors at 6 p.m. | $12 to $22   Tuesday, Feb. 28 Japandroids | 9:30 Club | Doors at 7 p.m. | $25   Wednesday, March 1…

Q&A: Slothrust

Bassist Kyle Bann on the new album, the state of rock and… burgers? BY MACKENZIE REAGAN, CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF   In October 2016, Bostonians-turned-Brooklynites Slothrust released their first album since moving across the country to Los Angeles. “Everyone Else,” a fusion of…

Visiting filmmaker series: Hans Charles

FAMS screens Oscar-nominated documentary “13th” BY BASMA HUMADI, STAFF WRITER   Not a seat in the Johnson Center Cinema was left open. In the back of the room, audience members were left standing just to get a glimpse of the…

The rise of student health care

Student Health Advisory Board looks to help at Mason BY RYAN COONEY, STAFF WRITER   The Student Health Advisory Board met for the first time Jan. 24, following a two-year process that involved Mason students, faculty and administrators. Dedicated to…

Parking and Petitions

Students create petition to halt parking prices, Parking Services explains high prices BY NATALIA KOLENKO, CAMPUS NEWS EDITOR   Two students recently released a petition to halt the rise of parking pass prices, one of at least four parking price…

Questions and Answers: How long is an MMMBop?

A very serious investigation BY MACKENZIE REAGAN, CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF    In April 1997, before most GMU freshmen were born, boy band Hanson—made up of brothers Isaac, Taylor and Zac—released “MMMBop,” a song voted best single in The Village Voice’s end-of-the-year Pazz…

Camp Kesem comes to Mason

Program for children whose parents suffer from cancer to arrive in Summer 2018   BY KEIRSTEN ROBINSON, STAFF WRITER   After attending Camp Kesem, a summer camp for children whose parents have or had cancer, freshman Clare Yordy made it…

Top 10: Pet Peeves

As decided by the Fourth Estate staff   1) Smoking while walking in front of you 2) Flip-flops, in general 3) Listening to music on the Metro without wearing headphones 4) When people steal your food 5) Overusing the word…

This week at Mason

Monday, Feb. 20 Midterm progress reports Screening: “Ex Machina” | JC Cinema | 6 p.m. | Free   Tuesday, Feb. 21 Hispanic Student Association Karaoke Night | The Hub Ballroom | 7 p.m. | Free Improv Jam | JC Georges…

The Johnson Center gets revamped

New dining options to be added to the JC over spring break BY FAREEHA REHMAN, ONLINE EDITOR   The Johnson Center will undergo renovations during spring break to give Mason students brand-new dining options. According to Caitlin Lundquist, unit marketing…

Mason attends AWP

Writers meet up in DC for annual conference BY TODD GONDA, COPY CHIEF   This year several Mason organizations attended the Association of Writers and Writing Programs conference and book fair from Feb. 8 to 11 in Washington D.C. The…

Students protest executive order, others show support

The Mason community reacts to Trump’s travel ban BY SARAH BASSIL, STAFF WRITER Hundreds of Mason students met outside of North Plaza at approximately 3 p.m. Jan. 31 to protest an executive order signed by President Donald J. Trump. The…

Check out this week’s on-campus events

Monday, Feb. 13 Last day to drop classes (33 percent tuition penalty) “The 13th” film screening | JC Cinema | 4:30 p.m. | Free Tuesday, Feb. 14 Valentine’s Day Paul Mitchell Fashion Show Event | The Hub Ballroom | 2…

The life and legacy of Yama Quraishi

Grad student dies in terrorist attack in Afghanistan BY ERIK TRUONG, STAFF WRITER Mason faced a somber day Jan. 10 when Mason graduate student Yama Quraishi was killed in a terrorist attack while in Afghanistan. Working for the Afghanistan Embassy…

Mason Homecoming events

Happy Homecoming, Patriots! Check out these events planned for the week:   Monday, Feb. 6 6 p.m. Homecoming Parade and Kick-off   Tuesday, Feb. 7 12 p.m. Patriot’s Day of Service 7:30 p.m. Homecoming Groceringo   Wednesday, Feb. 8 12…

Valentine’s Day date ideas

BY JAMES STEMPLE, STAFF WRITER We all know that dreaded feeling: checking your bank account and seeing the equivalent of a tumbleweed rolling through the desert. It’s a common stereotype that college students are broke. For many of us, as…

Student Government update

Key Legislation, Discussion and Debates BY RYAN COONEY, STUDENT GOVERNMENT BEAT WRITER Mason’s Student government met Jan. 26 for its weekly meeting in Merten Hall 1201. Key legislation of the day included discussion on Resolution 29, in support of bettering…

Gov. McAuliffe meets with student journalists

At luncheon, McAuliffe speaks on immigration ban, education BY FAREEHA REHMAN, ONLINE EDITOR On Feb. 1, Governor Terry McAuliffe (D) welcomed a select few Virginia college reporters into the Executive Mansion. Over an intimate three-course luncheon, Gov. McAuliffe expressed his…

Students protest Trump

We asked several students why they joined the protest against Trump’s executive order banning immigrants and refugees BY SARAH BASSIL, STAFF WRITER Why did you decide to join the protest against Trump’s executive order banning immigrants and refugees from certain…

REVIEW: The allure of “La La Land”

BY BASMA HUMADI (Editor’s Note: This article contains spoilers for those who have not yet seen the film.) “La La Land” swept away the Golden Globes this year by winning all seven awards it was nominated for, setting the record…

FIRST PERSON: Women’s March on Washington

BY LOTTYE LOCKHART | Office of Student Media As a child, my mother was brought to a picket line. There, the people that she had grown up around marched for her right to attend an integrated school in New York…

Mason partners with the Washington Post

The Schar school and the Post collaborate on political polls in Virginia BY DONNA IMADI, STAFF WRITER Mason’s Schar School of Policy and Government has forged a strategic partnership with the Washington Post. The partnership was established to, “conduct a…

The red zone

Mason’s SSAC office looks to help affected students and prevent the spike of sexual assault BY FAREEHA REHMAN, STAFF WRITER The red zone is the name researchers give to the first six weeks of a semester, when sexual assault incidents…

Millennials make science make sense

Communication students create website “Make Sense” to simplify math and science BY SARAH BASSIL, STAFF WRITER In the fall semester of 2016, communication Professor Beth Jannery was tired of hearing that the communication major is easy and other majors such…

Fairfax County experiences volunteer firefighter shortage

Exploring the firefighter shortage in Northern Virginia BY CAROLINE FRISBY, STAFF WRITER Editor’s note: The full transcript of the volunteer firefighter shortage video by Caroline Frisby is provided below.  At the Public Safety Headquarters in Fairfax County, the Volunteer Fire…

Statements released amidst suspension of prominent student organization

The Cuesta-McAulay administration and several student organizations release statements in opposition to the suspension of student organization Students for Justice in Palestine at GMU BY VIVIANA SMITH, CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF On Tuesday, Dec. 3, the Instagram account “gmu4palestine” posted a statement addressing…

Things you should do other than cramming for finals

Cramming is overrated, relax instead BY MADALYN GODFREY, COPY EDITOR I may be suffering from senioritis but I have concluded, over the years of being in school, that cramming for final exams is overrated. Finals are culminations of knowledge you…

Mason sports: A semester of success

A recap of the powerful Mason sports season of fall 2024 BY KEVIN BINAJ, SPORTS EDITOR As the leaves turned and the excitement of fall took over campus, Mason’s student-athletes hit the fields and courts with determination and grit. From…

Inside Mason Women’s Rugby Club

A look into the Women’s Rugby Club season and what to expect for next semester BY BRIAN A. HAYUM, STAFF WRITER Mason Women’s Rugby Club team ended their fall season as champions in the conference tournament. The tournament win, contrasted…

Goals to make for 2025

With a new year comes a new you BY MADALYN GODFREY, COPY EDITOR With only a few weeks left in 2024, it is that time of year when we say “goodbye” to the old and “hello” to the new. What…

Songs to listen to get you in the Christmas spirit

Having trouble feeling holly and jolly? Check out these four Christmas staples to get you in the spirit BY MADALYN GODFREY, COPY EDITOR Now that Thanksgiving is over, the time has finally arrived when Christmas music can be played anytime….

Faces of Esports: Super Smash Bros. manager

Eric Le, manager of Mason’s Smash Bros. team, reflects on his journey in Esports BY CHRISTIAN SEGOVIA, ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR Editor’s note: Some players will be referred to by their gamertag. Eric “Trile & Error” Le serves as the Super…