Scientists discover long dormant volcanoes in Virginia

By John Faulders We have heard about recent eruptions of volcanoes throughout the world. Mt. Kilauea, on the big island of Hawaii, has been erupting since 1983. Lava flows have destroyed many houses. Recently, Mt. Eyjafjallajokull in Iceland erupted and…

New Mason organizations target first generation students

In 2012, Mason had 4,079 first-generation college students enrolled at the university, almost twice the number enrolled in 2008. The increase has prompted the creation of new organizations, such as MasonU, to meet the needs of this growing population. Developed…

Students lobby for changes to computer science honor policies

A group of students are lobbying Mason to make changes to the Computer Science department’s honor policy, which they see as inhibiting teamwork and collaboration. “The bar is too low for professors in the Computer Science department in the Volgenau…

Farewell Interview with Provost Stearns

After 14 years as provost, Peter Stearns will officially resign from his position this summer. Fourth Estate’s Editor in Chief, Hau Chu, sat down with Stearns for a final interview about his time at Mason as provost.   While in…

Mason Hall to undergo renovations

In July, reconstruction on Mason Hall will mark the start of another construction project on the Fairfax campus. This project will be completed in two phases, each taking about four months. Mason Hall, built in 1989, is in need of…

Mason releases spring commencement speaker list

Mason has released its list of speakers for 2014 spring commencement. David Rubenstein, co-founder and co-CEO of The Carlyle Group, will speak at the main 2014 spring commencement ceremony. The Carlyle Group is a global asset management firm. Founded in…

Master plan seeks facility improvements on campus

In early January, Mason’s Office of Facilities began working on the master plan, an 18 month long project that is focused on improving Mason’s physical infrastructure on all of its campuses. The formation of the master plan follows the approval…

Costs complicate development of Greek Row

Bringing Greek housing to campus is not a new discussion at Mason. According to an April 9 panel on the topic, both administration and students have had numerous talks about how to bring fraternity and sorority housing options to campus. [On…

Program allows enrollment in Mason’s law school in three years

Mason is now offering a program that allows students to finish their undergraduate studies in three years and move directly to Mason’s law school. The program, called the “3+3 Accelerated Program,” requires incoming freshman to finish their undergraduate major requirements…