Author Archives: jennifershaskan

Who wants to be an astronaut?

BY GABRIELLE NELSON, STAFF WRITER   Astronaut Timothy Kopra recently came to Mason to tell students and staff about his career with NASA and his experience in space after returning in June from a six-month mission to the International Space…

CAPS introduces initial consultations

BY RIDA KAYANI, STAFF WRITER   University Life’s Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) has introduced a new way to schedule counseling appointments called initial consultations According to CAPS, the initial consultations, created from the feedback provided by the student body…

Johnson Center Cinema closes

BY TAYLOR WICHTENDAHL, STAFF WRITER AND JENNIFER SHASKAN, ONLINE EDITOR   Much to the dismay of many students, the Johnson Center Cinema has recently stopped offering movies. For 20 years, the Cinema would show one movie per weekend with limited…

“I don’t know, what do you want?”

BY EMILY VERBIEST, STAFF WRITER   _If you’re going for…_ **Healthy** _True Food Kitchen 2910 District Ave., Fairfax, VA 22031_ With high ceilings, an open kitchen and abundant plant life, sunlight pours into the spacious dining area at True Food…

Fantasy focus week two

BY MITCHELL WESTALL   What we learned:   Le’veon Bell is very valuable. Even though the Pittsburgh Steelers running back hasn’t played a single down, his stock has improved since the preseason for two reasons. First, he only has to…

“Natural Fact” exhibit opens at School of Art

BY EMILY VERBIEST, STAFF WRITER   Formidable yet inviting, Emilie Brzezinski’s lofty wood sculptures elegantly tower over onlookers in the Fine Arts Gallery.  The room’s glossy grey floors and sleek white walls create an industrial atmosphere that sharply contrasts the…

A Season of tradition and transitions

BY GABRIELLE NELSON, STAFF WRITER   Gangs, political power, the LGBTQ community and a hope for a brighter future—all of these are themes in the Mason Players’ fall season.   **”The Laramie Project”** After Matthew Shepard, 21, of Laramie, Wyoming,…

Falling for 18 years of books

BY GABRIELLE NELSON, STAFF WRITER   What began as a two-day festival in 1999 has since become a massive effort to bring hundreds of authors to Mason’s campus and community over a short period of six days. After a year…

CrossFit booms countywide

  BY DEVAN FISHBURNE, LOCAL NEWS EDITOR   Many supposed “fitness fads” have claimed to have what it takes to sweep the nation, but the most recent style of fitness to reach popularity, CrossFit, is far from a fad according…

BREAKING: JC cinema shuts its doors

FOURTH ESTATE STAFF   The cinema in the Johnson Center has officially stopped screening free movies for students. The Office of Student Involvement has a sign-up sheet for free tickets to showings at University Mall Theater instead. Follow Mason Student…