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On Friday, December 7th, Student Media hosted Happy Birthday, George! in Patriot’s Lounge (SUB I) and welcomed over 200 faculty, staff, students, and community members to celebrate #293YearsofGeorge. The party included birthday cake and refreshments, music, games and activities, 20 amazing raffle prizes donated by local businesses, a giant birthday card, and special guests including the Mason Patriot, Nancy Mason, and George Mason himself!

This annual event provides a chance for the Mason community to honor our university namesake’s legacy and ideas, including the drafting of the Virginia Declaration of Rights — one of the documents upon which the U.S. Constitution was based. George Mason is known to history as the Father of the Bill of Rights, and his contributions to democracy helped secure the five freedoms guaranteed to all Americans under the First Amendment. The very freedoms that George Mason fought for so passionately are critical to the work of Student Media today, including the freedom of speech and of the press.

Of George Mason’s vital contributions to democracy, fellow Virginian and founding father Thomas Jefferson had this to say: “The fact is unquestionable, that the Bill of Rights, and the Constitution of Virginia, were drawn originally by George Mason, one of our greatest men, and of the first order of greatness.” (1825)

This year’s celebration was a great success, and Student Media would like to thank everyone who attended and supported our event. A big thank you to Student Media students and staff, Don McAndrews, Janis Harless, and the Mason Patriot.

Sponsors who donated prizes include: Chuy’s Mexican Restaurant, Room Escape Fairfax, Tyson’s Biergarten, CorePower Yoga, Brion’s Grille, Gunston Hall, EyeAmAmerican, Washington Capitals, McAlister’s Deli, Student Involvement, Mason Recreation, University Bookstore, and University Life.

 

Student Media welcomed around eighty fifth- and eighth-graders (from D.C.’s Capital City (CCPCS) and E.L. Haynes (ELHPCS) public charter schools, respectively) to Mason’s Fairfax campus on Monday, November 5th to help remind college students to vote and learn what issues were most important to potential student voters ahead of last Tuesday’s midterm elections.

The students spent their time on campus interviewing Mason students about the issues and candidates most important to them in the 2018 midterms, handing out buttons and stickers with the Mason Votes logo, and practicing chants and making signs with slogans like, “Vote for Us Because We Can’t!” and “Vote: It’s Your Right!” The day culminated in a march from The Hub to Merten Hall during which the middle-schoolers raised their signs high and chanted, “we will get out the vote,” to the tune of Queen’s “We Will Rock You.”

Designed to supplement classroom curriculum from both schools, the field trip gave the 5th graders an opportunity to “describe the importance of the legislative branch and convince others to vote during midterm elections,” while the 8th graders focused on “explaining the implications of voting or not voting in a congressional election and identifying the differences in opinion between two candidates.”

Fadhal Moore, 8th grade social studies teacher at ELHPCS, said this of his students’ experience at Mason: “I try to teach civic engagement in our classroom and having an authentic audience to engage with presented my students with high stakes that made what we are learning tangible and engaging.”

Sarah Cole, 5th grade humanities teacher at CCPCS, added: “I am confident that they will think of this day the first time they vote in 5 years (for the 8th graders) and 8 years (for the 5th graders). All of our students were so engaged, so mission-driven, and inspired in their work today because you so graciously welcomed them and supported them on your campus.”

Thank you to all those who made this visit a memorable one for the charter school students!

Click here for coverage of the event by the74million.org reporter Carolyn Phenicie >

Click here for coverage of the event by NPR-WAMU 88.5 reporter Jenny Abamu >

Watch video coverage of the visit from Mason Cable Network:

Listen to audio of the election chants:

Student Media’s Sports Broadcasting Team was thrilled to welcome President Ángel Cabrera into the announcing booth on Sunday, October 13th for his debut as an on-air commentator during the men’s soccer game against Duquesne.

Dr. Cabrera joined regular announcers Zach Hamilton (left) and Tyler Byrum (right) in calling the game as fans followed along on ESPN+.

Many thanks to Dr. Cabrera!