Dear Patriots,

Spring Break is almost upon us. If you can make it through your midterms this week, you will be home free to celebrate as you please for a nice little breather. Whether you’re staying in Fairfax or going elsewhere, try to forget about school for a minute—we could all use a break. Also, note that we will not have an issue for the next two weeks.

As you may have noticed on the cover, this issue is designed in part to shed some light on the rash of recent sexual assault incidents here on our Fairfax campus. While Mason PD has been mostly diligent about alerts, with the notable exception of our cover story, there is some cause for concern over the lack of adequate lighting on campus due to construction.

It personally sickens me that the seemingly minor absence of street lights brings out the worst in predatory men in our own community, but while these issues are being resolved try to stay safe on campus—if you feel anxious about it, download the Rave Guardian app, and make sure you have Mason PD’s number in your phone. They also do safety escorts at any time of night.

As for the rest of the issue, check out our feature on senior Otis Livingston in Sports, our coverage of Mason film and theatre in Culture and a number of interesting political takes in Opinions as Mason starts to gear up for the 2020 election. As always, you can reach out to us directly for any questions, comments or concerns at masonfourthestate@gmail.com.

Sincerely,

Alexander Shedd

Editor in Chief