Student Life & Digest
Jordan Foster elected as new student body president
|George Mason University’s Student Elections & Disputes Commission announced on April 4 that Jordan Foster, a rising senior, was elected as the next student body president for the 2013-2014 academic year.
Samantha Wettasinghe, also a rising senior, was elected as student body vice president as part of a combined ticket.
The pair won with 796 votes over write-in candidates Donald Garrett and David Noyes, who received 32 votes.
Mason Student Government holds spring elections
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| Students have until 11:59 p.m. on April 3 to cast their vote for student body president, vice president and 30 senators (photo courtesy of George Mason University Student Government). |
This week marks the end of the Spring 2013 elections, in which a new president and vice president will be elected.
One executive ticket includes Jordan Foster and Samantha Wettesinghe, two current members of student government. The other executive ticket includes write-in candidates Donald Garrett and David Noyes.
Garrett, a student senator from 2010 to 2012, is running for president while David Noyes, a senator from 2012 to 2013, is running as his vice president.
Though Garrett is a write-in candidate, he believes that he has an equal chance of winning.
“We’ve found that talking to people face to face is better than throwing events,” Garrett wrote in an email. “Building rapport with students this way is the best path towards victory.”
UPDATE: Lab results report Commonwealth mold harmless
|The recent complaint about mold in Commonwealth Hall has come to a close.
In a previous Connect2Mason article, a Commonwealth resident and her roommate expressed concerns about the mold still present in their dorm room and its effects on their health.
In December, George Mason University’s Office of Housing and Residence Life addressed issues with mold growing in the campus dorms. However, the Commonwealth roommates were not satisfied with the resolution.
Mason Dining seeks new solutions for waste management and sustainability
|Mason Dining hosted a meeting on Monday, March 25 to brainstorm ideas with students on the future of local food purchasing and food waste at George Mason University.
Ben McElhaney, Mason Dining’s sustainability coordinator, led the meeting in order to hear suggestions for improving the university's food waste reduction system and continuing sustainability on campus.
The current Southside Food Waste Project uses a pulper, hydro-extractor and dehydrator to turn dining waste into a powdered substance.
Mason wins PINK Representatives, chance for GMU PINK merchandise
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| Mason remained in first place in the PINK competition for three weeks (photo courtesy of GMU PINK Nation). |
After retaining the lead in a Victoria’s Secret PINK competition, Mason qualified to be in a PINK Representative Program.
“This means free parties, PINK events, concerts, merchandise giveaways and the opportunity to be included in the Victoria's Secret PINK Collegiate Collection,” said Brianna Carey, founder of the GMU PINK Nation campaign, in an email.
The Victoria’s Secret website announced on Tuesday the top ten schools with the most online votes, which include Virginia Commonwealth University and James Madison University. The top ten schools win two PINK representatives for fall 2013 and the chance to have PINK apparel with their school's logo.
Pro-Life group offers free ultrasounds to discourage abortions
|Every other Wednesday, an unmarked camper RV is parked out front of Southside with a sign that advertises pregnancy tests and ultrasounds.
Inside are two women, Kirsten Ball and Angela Clarke. Clarke is a Mason alumna and executive director of the mobile ultrasound and resource center, A Best Choice. Ball is registered with the state as a geriatric physician who works in a general practice office and performs the ultrasounds.
The two say they are affiliated with no organization or program and are offering the services independently.
Mason students continue to find mold in dorms
|In December, George Mason University dealt with students’ concerns about mold growth in some of the Fairfax campus dormitories.
Although Mason’s Office of Housing and Residence Life attempted to resolve mold growth in the dorms, some students are still experiencing issues with mold.
One resident of Commonwealth Hall, who wished to remain anonymous, reported mold growing in her bathroom in December. Over winter break, she said, the university attempted to remove the mold.
“They got a lot of it, but there is still more,” she said.
Students petition for school to donate unused meal plans
|A program is in the works that will allow George Mason University students to redistribute a percentage of their unused meal plans to homeless students on campus.
The program, called Patriot 2 Patriot, proposes that unused money from pre-paid meal plans be redistributed into a university fund. Only students who prove financial need in compliance with the Financial Aid Office policy will be able to utilize the funds.
Mason student to attend Clinton Global Initiative conference
|Mason student takes strides in solving water crisis.
It is no secret that Mason is home to a wealth of opportunities for dreamers, future leaders and world-changers hoping to find the resources that they need in order to turn their dreams into reality. One student, sophomore and economics major Mayo Welch, is one of the 400 students across the world who was accepted into the Clinton Global Initiative University this year. Welch
Letter from the Editor: Spring Break
|Connect2Mason will be taking a little break for the next week because of the spring vacation. However, our Sports Editor Pat Carroll will be updating a LIVE blog on the CAA Tournament starting on Saturday, March 9. He will be writing game analysis, providing behind the scenes coverage and posting photos to the blog. We hope you will participate in the blog by writing any comments or questions you have.