Dear Patriots,

This past Valentine’s Day marked the one-year anniversary of the deadly shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas high school in Parkland, Florida, that left 17 dead and 17 injured. The tragedy led to the rise of survivors from the Parkland shooting such as Emma Gonzales and David Hogg, whose shift toward activism sparked a larger conversation on the topic of gun reform in the U.S.

At the high school this past Thursday, grief counselors were available on hand, along with a number of resources that provided support for students. School let out early, and many attended an interfaith service later that day which also highlighted the many service projects that launched in honor of the victims. It is a reminder that even as our national attention has diverted to the other newsworthy stories of the week, many still live with grief and are still coming to terms with an event that will mark them for years to come.

This week in News, feel free to check out our stories on updates to what is happening in Virginia politics with Ralph Northam and Justin Fairfax, as well as our story highlighting Mason law school professor Neomi Klein’s nomination as Trump’s pick for the U.S. Court of Appeals in D.C.

In our Opinions section, we have some honest pieces on “A Survivors Dilemma” and how “Your Mental Health Doesn’t Belong to Anyone’s Schedule.” I appreciate the Mason students who share their deeply personal experiences and choose to write about them in our paper, as well as all the Mason students who write for us, period. My heart goes out to you all.

In Culture, read on to find out more about a new Gender and Social Justice Living Learning Community (LLC) that’s coming to Mason. In Sports, check out our cover story about Men’s Basketball player Jordan Miller.

If you have any questions, comments of appreciation or criticism, or want to know more about getting involved with us, send us an email over at masonfourthestate@gmail.com

Sincerely,

Basma Humadi

Managing Editor