In a last-minute effort to turn Northern Virginia red, Indiana Governor and Republican vice presidential candidate Mike Pence gave a unifying speech to hundreds of supporters gathered in the Hub Ballroom on Mason’s Fairfax campus this past Saturday. Pence spoke for about an hour to a cheerful and reactive audience, tackling the main points of Donald Trump’s platform – security, jobs, immigration and the Supreme Court.

In an effort to shore up the support of those long-time Republicans that have begun to defect in recent weeks, the Governor concluded his remarks saying he’d “like to speak to [his] fellow Republicans and tell them it’s time to come home.”

Pence’s appearance drew a group of protestors holding signs reading “My Body, My Choice,” “Build Bridges, Not Walls,” and the now-famous Clinton refrain, “Love Trumps Hate” outside The Hub.

Read the full story: www.masonvotes.gmu.edu

Martin O’Malley, former Governor of Maryland, and Mark McKinnon, co-creator of Showtime’s The Circus, both delivered keynote speeches at the Political & Policy Communication Forum on Tuesday, October 25th in Dewberry Hall. Sponsored by the Department of Communication’s Insight Committee, the annual forum’s focus this year was “impact, ethics, and the art of persuasion.”

Since we are in the final days of a heated presidential campaign, the forum’s speakers and panelists explored the topic of political communication with the goal of engaging students in a conversation about the credibility of presidential candidates, the challenges of fact-checking, false equivalencies in journalism, and the ways voters can empower themselves to make informed decisions despite the many distractions of this election cycle. The interactive forum provided future communicators with the necessary tools to succeed along their chosen career path.

Read more at www.wgmuradio.com

George Mason University’s Fall 2016 Career Fair was held October 5th and 6th, bringing over 100 employers and recruiters to the Fairfax campus each day. These employers are looking for the best and brightest that Mason has to offer, and the students who attend try their best to make a good impression. But many students are new to the professional world and may not be aware of the specific things that employers look for when evaluating potential hires.

Rodger Smith’s COMM 148 (Radio Workshop I) students interviewed employers who were recruiting at this semester’s Career Fair to get the inside scoop on successful strategies that can help you stand out from the competition and land a job. Listen to the brief interviews below for tips and tricks on everything from resumes (keep it simple), appearance (dress for the job you want), eye contact (coveys strength and focus), preparation (research the company in advance), and the all-important first handshake (firm and confident).

Khafre Barclift interviews Dennis Favilla of Sheehy:

Rodger Smith interviews Beth Wright of Enterprise:

Zach Hamilton interviews Emma Rutka (2012 alumna, Interpersonal Communication) of PenFed:

Rosemary Idisi interviews John Taber of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission: