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Editor’s Note: This article was written by the Clerk of Student Senate on behalf of Mason Student Government to relay information on recent legislation. Fourth Estate does not officially endorse formal activities or initiatives held by Mason Student Government.

On Jan. 18, the 44th Student Senate kicked off the new semester with a two hour meeting in Merten Hall, room 1201. In this meeting, the chamber elected a new Speaker and a new Chair of Diversity and Multicultural Affairs.

Junior Colin McAulay was the Speaker at the start of Thursday’s meeting, but resigned shortly afterwards. Similarly, Junior Bas Rawat was the Chair of DAMA and Speaker Pro Tempore at the same time. Rawat stepped down from Chair of DAMA during the meeting.

Speaker of the Student Senate Election

Senior Jack Fedak won against Junior Michael Grossman 19-0 with one abstention.

Chair of Diversity and Multicultural Affairs Election

Junior Maria Cuesta ran unopposed and won with 18 votes and one abstention.

During the election for Speaker of the Student Senate, Fedak and Grossman were asked about a variety of topics such as increasing retention within the Student Senate, improving onboarding for new members and responding to one Senator’s inquiry about alleged antisemitism at Mason.

The Speaker sent two brand new pieces of legislation to committees so they could be voted on and revised before they are potentially sent back to the full Student Senate next week.

Bill #27: A Bill to Allocate Funds for Mason Lobbies allocates about $2,991 for transportation and $1,562 for food for an event called Mason Lobbies. Mason Lobbies is an event scheduled for next month where members of the Mason community are given the opportunity to travel to the State Capitol in Richmond to practice lobbying. Those who are interested can register on Mason360 before Jan. 31.

Resolution #39: A Resolution to Support the Afghan Student Mentorship Program Documentary Screening seeks to formalize the organization’s support for the ASMP’s screening of their new documentary “Desperate” later this month.

Mason Student Government meets every Thursday at 4:30 p.m. The next meeting is scheduled for Jan. 25, 2024 at 4:30 p.m. in Merten Hall, room 1201. All are welcome.

JOE BIDEN RALLIES AT GEORGE MASON SCI-TECH CAMPUS, INTERRUPTED BY PRO-PALESTINE PROTESTERS.

Latest Fourth Estate Articles - Wed, 24/01/2024 - 2:37am

Fourth Estate/Erica Munisar

Stories of women who had life-threatening experiences following abortion bans are shared at Mason Sci-Tech campus amidst at least 14 pro-Palestine protestor interruptions.

BY ERICA MUNISAR, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

On Tuesday, Jan. 23, President Joe Biden hosted his campaign rally, Restore Roe, in Manassas, Virginia at George Mason University’s Science and Technology campus. The rally was hosted by the Democratic National Committee, and was not a university event.

Attendants were heard chanting “Four more years,” from the chamber throughout the rally.

The event took place one day after the anniversary of Roe v. Wade in 1973. Speakers featured sensitive stories of women who received abortions, followed by Biden and Harris campaign attacks towards Donald Trump and interruptions from at least 14 pro-Palestine protestors during Biden’s segment.

“Genocide Joe, how many kids…” one pro-Palestine protester shouted holding a Palestine flag before being abruptly cut off and removed from the rally, having their sentence muffled by the crowd’s responding chant of “Four more years.”

During Joe Biden’s 20-minute speech, 13 other protesters, one after another would stand up, shouting chants such as “Ceasefire now,” “Stop the genocide,” and “Free Palestine.” Some held painted protest signs in green, red and black before being removed from the event by security.

“This is gonna go on for a while. They got this planned.” Joe Biden said in a staggered speech, as the crowd continued to chant “Four more years.”

After the event, a large pro-Palestine protest could be seen outside the Hylton Performing Arts Center, joined by a strong police presence with officers lined up along the immediate street.

Joe Biden was joined by speakers Vice President Kamala Harris, First Lady Jill Biden, Second Gentlemen Doug Emhoff and guest Amanda Zurawski during the rally.

“Yesterday marked the 51st anniversary of Roe v. Wade.” Emhoff said, speaking first at the rally. “And I think about it, I have an 83 year old mother and we also have a 24 year old daughter. So how is it possible that my mother will have enjoyed more rights than our daughter?”

“That is simply unacceptable… and we’re going to hear some of these tragic, horrible stories tonight.” Emhoff said.

Jill Biden, speaking second in a bright yellow blazer, shared a story about a close friend who had experienced an abortion.

“Reproductive freedom affects us all,” Jill Biden said. “When I was in high school, one of my friends got pregnant. It was the late 60s and abortion was illegal in Pennsylvania… To end the pregnancy, she told me her only recourse was to undergo a psychiatric evaluation to declare her mentally unfit before the doctor would perform the procedure.”

“Secrecy, shame, silence, danger [and] even death, that’s what defined that time for so many women… and because of Dobbs, that’s where we’re finding ourselves back again.”

“The choice in this election is clear. Women put Joe and Kamala in the White House, and we will do it again.” Said Jill Biden.

Jill Biden was followed by Harris. “In states across our nation, extremists have proposed and passed laws that criminalize doctors and punish women. Laws that make no exception, even for rape and incest.” Harris said.

“This is in fact a health care crisis.” Harris said. “Today in America, one in three women live in a state with an abortion ban. Since Roe was overturned, I have actually met more than one [woman] who have had miscarriages in toilets because they were refused care. I have met women who were turned away because doctors were afraid they would be thrown in jail for providing care.”

“Extremists are trying to pass a national abortion ban… but what they need to know is that we will not allow it.”

Harris invited Amanda Zurawski from Austin, Texas, who shared her near-death experience in trying to receive access to a life-saving abortion following catastrophic pregnancy complications.

“The near-total abortion ban had gone into effect just after my water had broke.” Zurawski said.

“Ending the pregnancy would have been considered an illegal abortion, and my doctor would be at risk of loss of her license or even jail. I had to wait until I got so sick that my life was in danger, one of the rare exceptions where a doctor can intervene in Texas.”

“It took 3 days in a near crash into septic shock before my doctor could finally provide the health care I desperately needed… I crashed again with another bout of sepsis and was transferred to the ICU. My family flew in from across the country for fear that I wouldn’t pull through.” Zurawski said.

At the end of the rally, Biden made attacks towards Donald Trump, claiming his responsibility for abortion bans.

“My name’s Joe Biden. I’m Jill Biden’s husband and Kamala’s running mate.” Joe Biden said. “Jokes aside… Women are being turned away from emergency rooms, forced to travel hundreds of miles to get basic health care, [and] forced to go to court to plead.”

“It’s a direct affront to a woman’s dignity to be told by extreme politicians and judges to wait to get sicker and sicker before anything can happen, even to the point where as you heard your life had to be in danger… or the idea that a woman should have to carry a fetus after she’s been raped or the victim of incest. It’s outrageous.” Joe Biden said.

“And let there be no mistake, the person most responsible for taking away this freedom in America is Donald Trump. Trump says that he’s proud that he overturned Roe v. Wade. In the past year, Trump himself endorsed a federal [abortion] ban promising to lead the change.”

“Know this: If Congress is to pass a national abortion ban, I will veto it.” Joe Biden said.

The Biden and Harris campaign is expected to host more rallies leading up to Election Day in Nov. 2024.

MASON BEATS ST. BONAVENTURE, ENDS LOSING SKID

Latest Fourth Estate Articles - Sat, 20/01/2024 - 11:34pm

Photo Courtesy of Mitchell Richtmyre

A balance attack helped the Patriots get back in the win column.

BY GABRIEL KING, SPORTS EDITOR

Mason men’s basketball defeated St. Bonaventure 69-60 on Saturday afternoon at EagleBank Arena to end a three-game losing streak. The Patriots (14-5, 3-3 Atlantic 10) used a balanced attack and pressuring defense to come back from a late deficit.

“I think these guys showed a lot of grit tonight. That’s the A10, that’s what it’s going to look like. I’m just really happy with this group and with finding a way to just gut out a really good win against a really good team,” Head Coach Tony Skinn said. The victory is Mason’s first win since defeating Saint Louis on Jan. 6.

The Patriots were down by five with 7:30 remaining, but forced six turnovers in the final seven minutes to turn the game in their favor. “We always fall back on our defense, that usually always gets us going. That’s what we preach in practice. We’re a defensive-minded team and that’ll help us get momentum offensively,” forward Amari Kelly said.

“We didn’t turn the ball over at all towards the end of the game when they were full-court pressing us,” Skinn said. The late-game turnover differential proved to be the difference, as the Bonnies (11-6, 2-3) could not overcome their miscues.

Mason led for over thirty minutes, as they received scoring contributions from nine players. Kelly and Keyshawn Hall led the team with 13 points each. Darius Maddox added 10 points, including two three-pointers. The Patriots shot 7-21 from three as a team.

Freshman Austin Ball provided a lift off the bench for the Patriots in the first half. Ball scored a career-high eight points on 3-5 shooting in his breakthrough performance. “He came in there and he gave us life. He’s going to continue to get better,” Skinn said.

Despite the strong start for Mason, St. Bonaventure rallied to a late lead behind 17 points from Chad Venning and 14 from Mika Adams-Woods. After the Bonnies took a 52-47 lead, the Patriots ended the game on a 22-8 run to secure the victory.

After the weekend’s action, Mason moved into a tie with Massachusetts for 7th place in the A10 standings. St. Bonaventure fell to 10th after the loss. The Patriots will now enter a crucial stretch, as they look to improve their conference standing.

Mason has a week off before they play Rhode Island in this year’s homecoming game on Jan. 27. “It doesn’t matter who we play. On any given night anybody can get it in this league. We’ve just got to be able to take care of business at home,” Skinn said.

GMU DOMINATES SAINT LOUIS FOR 3RD STRAIGHT WIN

Latest Fourth Estate Articles - Fri, 19/01/2024 - 10:55pm

Photo Courtesy of Mitchell Richtmyre

The Patriots handled the Billikens to improve to 13-3.

BY GABRIEL KING, SPORTS EDITOR

Mason women’s basketball defeated Saint Louis 91-61 on Wednesday night, Jan. 17, at EagleBank Arena. The Patriots started the game on a 10-0 run and never trailed in the game.

“I really felt that the girls were prepared today, from the beginning of the tip to the end,” Head Coach Vanessa Blair-Lewis said. Mason scored at least 20 points in all four quarters, including a 23-point first quarter, in which the Patriots shot 69.2% from the field.

Guard Paula Suárez started the scoring for Mason, tallying the game’s first four points. Suárez finished the game with 13 points and four assists. “I’m just trying to find good shots on the floor. I’m always looking to get my team involved,” Suárez said.

Forward Zahirah Walton continued her stellar rookie season, as she scored 21 points on 9-15 shooting, while also recording a career-high five steals. “I’m just making sure I dominate every game,” Walton said. Walton has earned A10 Rookie of the Week honors twice.

As a team, Mason was aggressive on the offensive end, scoring 42 points in the paint. This aggressive offensive attack quickly forced Saint Louis into foul trouble. Five Billikens had at least two fouls at halftime, which hampered their defensive gameplan. Head Coach Rebecca Tillet was ejected early in the fourth quarter for arguing a foul call.

The frequent fouls from the Billikens led to 27 free throw attempts for the Patriots. Mason capitalized on these attempts, making 21 of them. This allowed the Patriots to grow their lead early in the game, and never look back. Mason also shot at least 50% from the field for the third straight game.

“We’re not worried about where the shots are coming from. We’re not forcing things,” Blair-Lewis said of the team’s hot shooting. Mason leads the A10 with 77.3 points per game and is averaging 90.3 points per game over their current three-game win streak.

The victory was Mason’s third straight, all coming by at least 25 points. The Patriots were coming off victories over Duquesne and Davidson, by 26 and 38 points, respectively. After three dominant performances, Mason rose to 52nd in the NCAA NET rankings. This is the best ranking in the A10 and in program history.

Following three consecutive dominations of conference foes, the Patriots will now begin a two-game road trip with games at Massachusetts and George Washington. Mason will return to EagleBank Arena on January 28 at 3 p.m. against VCU for this year’s homecoming game.

FINDING THE LIGHT IN MOMENTS OF DARKNESS

Latest Fourth Estate Articles - Thu, 18/01/2024 - 8:08pm

Photo Courtesy of Zara Saemi

Zara Saemi shares her triumph over suicide with resilience and advocacy.

BY ZARA SAEMI, STUDENT SENATOR

Editor’s Note: This article contains content about suicide. Students in need of assistance may reach out to GMU Counseling and Psychological Services for further resources.

My name is Zara Saemi. My mission is to share my story, spreading a message of strength to live life intentionally.

Night after night, morning after morning, I grappled with the relentless shadow that had made itself at home in my life. It haunted me and pilfered everything I had fought so fiercely to protect such as my peace and my very identity. I battled it with every fiber of my being, and I’ll confess, I lost many times.

The first time I lost my fight against the specter of suicide, I was just a fragile 14-year-old. My spirit shattered and felt that there was no more fight left within me. I tumbled to the cold, unforgiving ground, and in that moment, suicide emerged victorious. Like a prisoner, I was rendered incapable of facing anyone, forcing me into a desolate solitude and leaving me numb. I questioned whether anyone had ever experienced such agony.

Fast forward several years to when I turned 21, the malevolent force returned. I reached out to my university psychologist about the seven-year torment. The path to healing was lonely and arduous. It led to a second attempt, through the tumultuous year of 2020, where I lost nine more times. But, remarkably, I am still here, growing stronger in the face of adversity.

Every day, I rebuild my life. I discovered that I did not want to die, but wanted to halt the excruciating pain that had threatened to crush me. I stand as a testament to the resilience that can emerge from despair. Suicide lost.

You might wonder how I am faring now. At times, the fear lingers, casting a shadow and threatening to engulf me once more. However, I remind myself that I am no longer the person I once was. I have a set of principles within myself. Especially in the darkest hours, I confront, articulate and share my struggles as my story may inspire and unlock hearts.

Should the shadow dare to return, I stand ready, armed with unwavering determination. I am still here, extending love and hope to those who may have lost their way. I share my story to instill courage and to let you know that you are not alone.

Today, I proudly serve as a senator in the Mason Student Government, dedicated to raising awareness about suicide and depression. I joined the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention as a volunteer which has helped me in advocating for the cause that used to be a burden.

I utilize my voice to spark positive change, to unmask that shadow, and to make it known that you, too, can assemble your own crew to battle it. With advocates along my side, it may be a long journey, but I won’t rest until tangible change is achieved.

While I wish there were more resources specifically for suicide awareness and life after attempts, here are the resources that I deeply care about:

The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention has been a source of comfort for me as the organization advocates against suicide and transforms personal struggles into a desire to follow a purpose-driven life.

Another resource that has been a point of contact for both emotional support and emergencies is the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Reaching out to them has provided me with a sense of comfort, helping me navigate through moments of distress as their empathetic responses remind me that my pain is not an insurmountable force.

While in the company of others grappling with similar levels of pain and trauma, I have also found camaraderie by attending various group therapies, including dialectical behavior therapy, which has been instrumental in my journey toward regulating my emotions. These sessions taught me the art of sitting with discomfort and fostering mindfulness instead of seeking quick fixes. As a result, the experience has instilled hope within me while simultaneously illuminating perspectives beyond my own.

Gradually gaining control over my trauma has proven to be a transformative journey that has allowed me to be able to unearth more about myself. Through this process, I’ve been equipped with the resources and methods needed to reinvent myself, positioning me to now share these resources with others in need.

Therefore, I hope that by sharing my story, I can serve as a powerful reminder that even though it might feel like the end, we all hold a depth beyond our trauma, extending any past experiences.

MASON RESUMES CLASSES DESPITE SNOWSTORM

Latest Fourth Estate Articles - Thu, 18/01/2024 - 7:23pm

Fourth Estate/Andani Munkaila

Mason instructs the community to still attend their in-person classes following Jan. 16 snowstorm.

BY JAYME KURLAND, CONTRIBUTOR

Amid unsafe conditions caused by the Jan. 16 snowstorm, the Mason community was instructed to still attend their in-person classes.

“George Mason University administrative offices will open at 12:00 noon Tuesday January 16th, due to Inclement weather. Only classes beginning at or after noon will be held as scheduled,” an email said, sent by Mason Alert.

Mason has seemingly struggled to decide when to call a snow day for years. Tuesday, Jan. 16 was no different.

On Jan. 11, the Washington Post Capital Weather Gang warned of the potential for the largest snowstorm in two years, which coincided with Mason’s first day of spring semester classes. As we all know, this prediction came true. On Jan. 15, weather conditions worsened across the DMV, with area public schools, universities and the federal government announcing all-day snow day closures.

Georgetown University, who had their classes beginning at noon, notified their community at 9 p.m. on Jan. 15 about their online instructional continuity plan and a “liberal leave” policy. On Jan. 16, the area was hit with over four inches of snow, with icy conditions reported in many of the surrounding areas according to the Washington Post. However, despite the conditions, Mason waited until 5 a.m. Tuesday to announce classes would resume in person at noon.

It is unclear why Mason waited so long to address the impending weather conditions. However, by waiting until the last minute, the University inconvenienced students, faculty and staff, forcing some to endure dangerous road conditions. In a campus-wide email sent that morning, Mason put the responsibility on students to “use good judgment and travel safely.” Yet, road conditions, not the driver, often dictate how safely one can travel.

Waiting until the 11th hour led to stressful mornings and quick planning for the Mason community as some may have assumed Mason would follow the closures of other institutions.

For Mason employees and students who are also parents, this meant figuring out childcare for children who are now out of school. For students with substantive commutes, holding class as scheduled may even mean that they miss class due to weather-related traffic or accidents, or in the worst case, risk being in an accident themselves. However, for students living in rural areas, their streets often remain unplowed, making their campus commute impossible.

Among Mason’s core values, the university states “We are careful stewards” at a university where “Our students come first.” However, the decision to remain open was neither careful nor did it put the safety of its students first.

Much of the student population commutes to Mason’s four campuses in Northern Virginia. Of the 40,000 Virginia-based students, excluding Mason Korea, 6,060 students were reported to live on campus in fall 2023.

Given the cost of housing close to campus, living nearby may be too expensive for students. Of these many off-campus students, some live in the suburbs outside of Fairfax, with others commuting from cities or towns outside the DMV, like Fredericksburg or Richmond. Students could have already been on the road when Mason sent their 5 a.m. notification.

Who is harmed by calling a snow day and moving classes to Zoom? In this era, we are all seasoned veterans of videoconferencing and are well-equipped to go virtual if needed. The precarity of not knowing whether classes will be in-person is stressful and frustrating and the directive to attend class in person is potentially dangerous.

Whenever possible, Mason must update its community sooner about closure decisions to give people time to make arrangements. No information was given on the Mason website or social media platforms until 5 a.m. that Tuesday morning through the Mason Alert.

By contrast, on the George Washington University campus advisories webpage, updates began on Sunday, Jan. 14, informing their campus community that the university was monitoring winter weather, leading to a school closure announcement the next day, a day before the snowstorm.

The Mason administrators who make decisions regarding closures need to prioritize the safety of students over the marginal benefits of having classes in person for half a day when the roads are icy, kids are out of school and much of the surrounding area is already closed. Be proactive, not reactive.