Proudest Twitter moment of my life

by Adam, a Patriot Blogger

I didn’t see a video in any recent post from the recent Mason basketball game against in-state, CAA rival VCU. This is something you absolutely have to see.

Since this is a blog for and by students, I thought this amateur (and most likely student filmed) video would be the best first look at this amazing moment:

The impassioned filmmaker had his stats right. Mason trailed by 2 with 3.8 seconds left and Sherrod Wright was able to heave a 30-foot prayer to win it at the buzzer. A huge win for the Patriots!

If you’re an avid Sportscenter watcher like I am, you might have seen this highlight on the Top 10 plays. Here’s a link to a more polished look at the buzzer beater play from four camera angles.

Watch this at CSN Washington

If you did see the highlight on Sportscenter, you also might have heard my name. Turns out that the most thrilling Mason game of the year led to the proudest Twitter moment of recent memory.

Let me explain.

Following the game, I Tweeted with the hashtag #SCTop10, urging the Sportscenter anchors to include the game highlight in their Top 10 broadcast.

Here’s the tweet I sent:

@agsylvain Sherrod Wright GW 3!! #MasonMBB beats #VCU 62-61! How about some #SCtop10 love for a mid-major thriller!

Not only did the highlight make the Top 10 plays but I got a shout out from Neil Everett on the broadcast who read my tweet. Pretty awesome.

If you’re not on Twitter yet, do it.

Besides reveling in Mason basketball glory, I have been intensely occupied this spring with my last semester of classes and twice weekly internship at USA TODAY.

Last week was an especially good one since I also made the front page of USA TODAY!

Mine is the article at the bottom of the page about restored cinemas. It was a fun one to research and write.

Here’s a link to the story online if you want to give it a quick read. It’s a short clip. http://www.usatoday.com/NEWS/usaedition/2012-02-17-movie-theater-revivals_ST_U.htm

I got to share the front page with Jeremey Lin!

The internship has been great. I count it as one among many great opportunities I’ve been blessed to be a part of while a student at Mason. It’s going to be tough to leave this place in a couple months.

Homecoming and Valentine’s Day

by Grant, a Patriot Blogger

Two major events happened back to back.  Homecoming and Valentine’s Day.  Yes, in my world over a week apart is back to back.  Finally I have gotten the opportunity to slow down and reflect on everything.

Homecoming is a huge deal for the school and it is very important for me in particular.  Of course, as a basketball fan this is one of the biggest games of the year.  We played ODU and we needed to have this win.  The CAA (Colonial Athletic Association) is the conference we are in.  So this means that we play VCU, ODU, Delaware, Hofstra, Towson, William and Mary, JMU, Georgia State, Drexel, Northeastern, and North Carolina-Wilmington.  VCU, ODU, and Mason are the big three of the CAA and are perennially good.  So these games automatically become important even without the extra stigma of it being homecoming.  My homecoming preparations started at around  noon for the game.  The tailgating before the game is almost as important as the game itself.  So, my fraternity, Phi Mu Alpha, of course had prepared.  We made it a rush/recruitment event and had burgers and hot dogs along with frisbee and soccer.  We did run into one major problem though, no one remembered to bring a spatula for the grill.  Many solutions were attempted.  Such as an ice scrapper (not actually used), bare hands (only used once), an old picture on a stick of Coach Larranaga’s face (until it melted, and yes we are still upset he left), until finally we got someone to run over to Giant and buy a spatula.  After that all went well.  One of the main problems with homecoming is a personal vendetta I have against the weather.  Last year it sleeted and this year it was frigid.  I understand that it is winter and that at some point I need to accepted that it can’t be 80 degrees everyday but I have not reached that point yet.  So as the tailgate began to wind down we huddled together for warmth.  This didn’t last too long though because being a member of the pep band gets you into the game early.  But of course, the downside to this is the fact that we have to set up everything.

If you  have never been to a game and seen it, the pep band has a lot of gear.  We boast somewhere between 60 and 150 a game.  This means we need mics, stands, huge amps, a drum set, tubas, and music books.  Of course because of the nature of homecoming, there are loads more people in the pep band.  Our numbers sky rocket but that is part of the fun.  You are shoved between your best friends all screaming at the top of your lungs and trying to coach the team from twenty rows up.  Part of my pre-game ritual is to put on face paint.  Every game this year I have tried something different so here is the picture from homecoming.  I know taking a picture of myself in a mirror is myspace-worthy but the paint ended up looking pretty ok.  The game was a blast and the game went with tradition.  At Mason we have a tradition of beating everyone who comes into the Patriot Center.  So overall it was a great homecoming.

The next major thing was valentines day.  I have been so busy that the weeks have flown by and it was upon me too quickly.  My first thought was flowers, I love flowers and this makes me assume that women also like them.  However, I felt like this was not enough so I insisted on doing something super cheesy and take her to dinner.  This was no ordinary dinner, this was an exclusive restaurant built for only two.  The restaurant was my room.  If you read my first post, you know that my roommates and I cook often and so I believed that instead of trying to get a reservation we would just stay in.  After consulting with one of my roommates I decided that it was seafood for dinner, and we went online to get a recipe for lemon herb salmon.  Although the shopping was a little costly, the results were spectacular.  We served it with fresh herbs, asparagus, wild rice, and mushrooms.  Knowing me, I did not look at the time this would all take and I realized that it took over four hours to make.  So my gracious roommate helped me out and cooked.  After getting back from ultimate, I got dressed finished cooking and walked my girlfriend from her car to the hip new restaurant.  Our waiter, my same roommate, was waiting to seat us at the table and then proceeded to give us drinks and let us look at the menu.  It only had one item on it but he still asked if we needed more time.  After serving us he went into our room to watch minecraft videos on youtube.  We spent a lovely evening together and after finishing our meal, which was spectacular, we played words with friends together.  An amazing few weeks.  However the world rolled on and now there is more big news to report but avid readers will have to wait for my next post entitled.  Real Life: I am a PL and a Fraternity Man

The Magical Eighth Note

by Kathleen, a Patriot Blogger

Have you ever been confused or tired of something? Was something ever bothering you and you didn’t know where to turn? Has there ever been a time where you had to solely rely on yourself?

I turn to music.

I have this belief that everyone has a muse through which they best express themselves whenever overwhelmed; whether it be music, movies, dance, improvisation or theater, exercise and sports, books, or friends and event planning, there is a muse for everyone.

Improv Team @High School: 

The challenge is finding that muse and gathering the courage to realize that sometimes it’s okay to lean on something abstract in order to deal with the drama.

And when you find that muse, it’s your escape to a calmer reality that allows you to separate, to the best of human nature, your emotions from the situation and reevaluate.

So, why the need for expression?

Second Semester! For some reason, and this is confirmed by everyone I talk to, this second semester means double the stress from the first. I’m not sure if it’s the switch from ‘gen ed’s’ to major classes or the transition to upper-level courses, but suddenly the workload is an endless mountain that you feel like you’re climbing, but maybe you’re just sliding backwards.

I stick the headphones in each ear, turn on my iPod and start the shuffle. The notes come alive, spreading from the screen, lighting up the cord, and filling to my ear where my olfactory bulbs pick up the energy and transmit the information to my busy little neurons.

Everything about us includes some science (reactions, behavior, responses), even the pulsing need to break free from restrictions and express ourselves.

Responding to that science, Fenwick Library offers the soothing coffee aroma, snacks, all while luring you into the studious environment you need!

So, even though I know it’s crazy for everyone—whether it’s applying, hearing back, or choosing a college, keeping up grades while becoming more active on campus, or trying to meet new people in classes—just embrace your stress, hold your muse tight, and ride on top the waves of the parasympathetic autonomic system calming you down.

Semester Lessons

by Jenny, a Patriot Blogger

Four weeks into school and things are already in full swing.  I have reworked my course schedule and started an internship in Washington DC.  My weekends have been spent social dancing, volunteering for a non-profit organization called A Wider Circle and braving the zero degree topple-over DC winds to get to the 9:30 Club.

Lessons I’ve learned so far this semester:

1.  Do bring a portfolio to an internship interview (extra points for leaving it behind).
I recently submitted an internship application on Internships.com for a Marketing Assistant position for The Menkiti Group, a real estate company located in Washington DC.  Upon seeing the internship posting, I realized that what I do on weekend outings can be translated into actual work!  For the internship I visit the restaurants and other small businesses in Washington DC neighborhoods and gather information to transform the WordPress websites into resources for prospective buyers and current residents.  Most of the internship can be completed virtually, though I have weekly meetings at their office where I confer with the Director of Marketing on the websites and other forms of social media.  It has been three weeks into the project I have toured the first neighborhood and will continue to populate the website with content and pictures.

2.  Do not fall asleep on the metro.
Three weeks, three consecutive DC trips, and three mistake-riddled metro trips.  The first two times were minor accidents, where I realized I boarded the metro in the wrong direction after one stop, but the last one nearly made me late to class later that day.  By the third time, I had become confident in my route, boarding the train without hesitation and unfortunately, without looking to see whether it was the blue or orange line.  Exhausted from accounting homework the previous night, drowsy from a lack of caffeine and happy that I would be back in my warm dorm room soon, I let myself doze off.  I woke up five stops later when I realized I was all the way at Reagan National Airport.  Groaning inwardly, I found myself on my handy metro map app and redirected myself one stop later.  No real harm done, but certainly a lesson in careful reading and the practicality of being conscious on public transportation.

3.    Do pay a visit to academic advising (better to visit your department’s advisor)
After a meeting with a School of Management academic adviser, I was told it would be a very wise idea to reconfigure my schedule.  Instead of a terrifying Typography class, during which the professor employed immediate weeding-out tactics or an easier but still useful New Media in the Creative Arts course, I opted to try and get my Accounting class out of the way- once and for all.  Unlike previous years, scheduling classes was tricky business, especially with pre-requisites and the balancing of more difficult classes with the easy A’s.  As I weighed my options, thoughts of anguish ran through my head as I felt my outlet for creativity vanish and the four financial statements monopolize my waking hours.  The cold hard truth is that in college you’ll most likely have to take classes that make you want to bang your head against the table repeatedly, but then you’ll have classes where you watch dub step videos, learn about Roman burial rituals, even those that make you want drag yourself out of bed at 7:30am every morning.

My classes ended up being as follows:
Integrated Marketing Communications (Marketing Elective)
Most days our professor lectures on textbook material, which is sometimes dry but we are told it is necessary to develop a clear understanding of the subject.  On the good days there’s more group discussion and many examples of current and past ad campaigns.  Exams aside, I’m hoping to get the most joy out of the individual and group assignments, which includes analyzing commercials for certain television networks and creating an advertising campaign for a national brand of a product.
Financial Accounting and Managerial Decision Making (School of Management Requirement)
This is undoubtedly the area that I struggle the most in and I can actually say I’ve read every page assigned in the book.  This professor keeps me on my toes, as she spends a large portion of the class calling on people to provide answers or asking the class to answer questions verbally, forcing us to learn the material or look rather foolish.
Cross Cultural Perspectives (Honors Requirement)
Ho!  The reading in this class isn’t half bad, ranging from Yao Ming’s biography and Confucius to the AP course staple “Things Fall Apart.”  China and Africa are our two countries of interest.  Because my instructor is an Oxford and Harvard educated Robinson Professor, I wish the class involved more lecturing and less class discussion.
Science of Human History and Lab (Honors Requirement)
Another surprisingly interesting class!  If you have read “Guns, Germs, and Steel” you are set for the semester.  If not, you’ll read the entire book in class and discuss why Westerners ended up having have more cargo (material goods) than the people of countries like New Guinea.  The lab portion is tedious and three hours long, but tolerable with most group members.

Our Mason Patriots Are Always Super

by Kathleen, a Patriot Blogger

In light of the Super Bowl and recent dramatic events in Hollywood, this post will be teaching that far, far away place a lesson that OUR Patriots taught me during Homecoming: Sportsmanship.

Despite the high tension stress during the game, constant fouls and free throws, ticking clocks and time-outs, both teams helped each other. It’s very frequent that a basketball player gets knocked down or falls in the process of a rebound, etc.

But what caught my eye was when the opposing team lent a hand to that fallen player.

For instance, let’s say a player from Hofstra fell, I repeatedly saw a Patriot pause, lend a hand, and slap the back/shoulder of said player on the way up. And vica versa.

I stress this sportsmanship because I feel it’s an important quality that we miss today; we’re always running from class to class, place to place, that we forget to look around us. Tonight, for instance, after my late-night chemistry lab, my friends and I were laughing and  took a picture by ST1. Out of nowhere, a fellow peer comes up and “photobombs” the picture, causing all of us to laugh and jokingly mock each other as the two groups separate from a moment of crossed paths.

That connection, or holding the door for someone behind you, or letting someone pass and walk in front of you, that parallels sportsmanship.

So, as we hear about a certain Giants player insulting Gisele, who had recently before insulted another Patriot on her husband’s (Tom Brady’s) team, I just think to myself:

Spread the sportsmanship, because Mason does.

P.S. Enjoy the attached video of Mason’s Homecoming Game and a sneak insight into how my roommates and I reacted during the Big Game…

–Kathleen

Marlin found Nemo; I found…

by Kathleen, a Patriot Blogger

My Major!

You see, as I was leaving my genetics class in Lecture Hall, I briefly turned around to see the PowerPoint slide about blood types still up. Returning forward, I saw some of the next class’s sociology students cringing at the sight.

I simply smiled. I guess to anybody but myself the smile was one of those “she’s talking to herself in her mind” awkward moments.

Back to majors. I’m not sure why I’m drawn to the sciences all of a sudden. Perhaps it’s because of Mason’s Krasnow Institute that is literally five feet from my dorm or the sheer number of cool courses the school offers: anatomy, animal biology, neuroscience and technology.  But thanks to the life lessons in Finding Nemo, I kept searching until I found what I was looking for, in the Undeclared LLC!

Cue confused face:

“Are we really at the White House?”

I still live in the Undeclared LLC, but that’s great. It allows me to see the perspective I only recently switched from and grow with my floormates as we all learn more about ourselves. Therefore, I now know that it’s okay to not have a major as long as you’re willing to try something new.

I always believed I hated math, but now I can’t imagine not using it everyday to calculate applicable relationships.

So, I know math really isn’t a nightmare but how do you know you’ve found your niche?

You smile in class. Cue cheesy smiling face:

“Mason Day!”

Repeat this action frequently. And if you happen to experience your face light up in sheer fascination about certain mutations* and recessive characteristics*, and look around to see similar mirrored expressions in your peers, you’ll know like I did.

(Substitute with other cool subjects like media, communication, journalism, nursing, advertising, business, criminology, etc.)

Perhaps I knew in my chemistry lab when I jumped with joy when my solutions mixed and a baby pink color appeared from a clear beaker.

But it’s so easy to doubt yourself, your future goals and desires. We change our minds about the little things everyday—what we want to eat, wear, say to people. So how are we supposed to make such an important decision about our future?

It will fall into place if you are open to new classes or paths. It may not come in a semester, two, or three, but that’s okay, too. I’m not sure if it’s similar to the “finding the perfect wedding dress” analogy, where you “just know,” since picking a major takes a lot more work that happenstance.

But you will know when you’ve found the right one.

And the best part? You’ll get to see the really cool people in your major regularly and next thing you know, another friend group is born.

Cue happy dance:
“The Edge Outdoor Interactive Experience with my LLC!”

And to leave this blog about nostalgic memories I only realized last week, I’ll end with this: I now have more than ten subcultures of various stages of growing drosophila flies!

So, if you cringed at that vivid, buzzing, flapping picture, that reaction is food for thought about what you want to do…

Keep on swimming!

The week that started it all

by Grant, a Patriot Blogger

Ok well it didn’t start it all, it just started this semester, but it was still pretty epic.  For those of you looking for my thoughts about Budapest, sorry man, life came at me and I couldn’t get it done.  This semester I only have class on two days a week!  Well basically, I have a class Wednesday night but that isn’t that big a deal.  Now let me explain something about scheduling.  We use a website that allows you to register for classes online and change your schedule as much as you want up until a certain day.  However, the fewer credits you have, the later you can register.  So as a freshman coming in, you get a later pick then all of us who are already here.  This usually isn’t so bad.  It isn’t great (yes you will probably have class before 12) but it isn’t bad.  So the only way I got the schedule I got is because I am a little older and I was able to work my schedule around.  This however has a major downside.  On tuesdays and thursdays I have class and chi alpha or “ultimate” until from 12 to 10 at night.  But in the end I picked it, so this is what I am going to deal with for the next fourteen weeks.

I have decided to turn over a new stone though and actually do all of my homework.  My brother is applying for grad school and I realized I need to start getting my life together.  My GPA rose last semester to a 3.08 but still that is not as good as I would want it to be.  I am searching for the perfection of the 4.0 this semester.  This involves me reading at least a hundred pages on every off day.  Which is actually happening to the surprise of everyone around me.  I can’t stop doing homework.  I am already three days ahead and I am finding ways to be more productive in my downtime.  No more three hour Xbox sessions.  The feeling of getting ahead is amazing.

The final thing that I want to discuss is being a Patriot Leader.  It was an amazing experience that gives you a family of coworkers and a pride for our school that is unrelenting.  So, I decided to apply again.  The interview process involves a group interview, an individual interview, and then the final decisions.  Even as a second year, I have to apply and interview just like everyone else.  This is a major headache for me because I am a worrier.  Yes, everyone told me that I would do great and that I would get the job but nothing is guaranteed.  So I worried about it all weekend.  Even during homecoming, I was thinking about this job.  Thankfully I made it past the group interview, so now I just have the individual interview left.  If I manage to get this job, you might see me this summer.

Ok, I will break it off there so that I can make a whole blog post about HOMECOMING.  So that is coming down the pipeline soon.  Keep your eyes peeled.

‘Roomship’ Trumps College Myth

by Kathleen, a Patriot Blogger

Room·ship /ˈro͞omˌSHip/

Noun: A relationship between college roommates that develops at the speed of light due to unique bonding experiences.

u·nique /yo͞oˈnēk/

Adjective: Taking an ordinary activity and making it Facebook/Twitter status worthy; ‘taggable’ with one or more persons who will at least ‘Like’ this public declaration of fun.

___

As I was walking from one professor’s office hours to another I pondered to myself, “Why do I feel as if I’ve known all my London friends and my Mason roommates for years?”

I didn’t understand how I could possibly connect so quickly with the people around me, whether it was a three-week study abroad or one semester in a triple. Then I pulled a Sherlock Holmes Taking Statistics and hypothesized that living with people brings a whole new level of comfort and understanding.

So, I turned to the general college myths and found this popular one: everything is accelerated in college including, but not limited to, the amount of work, passage of time, depth of relationships, and amount of life decisions.

 But that seemed too complex.

 I think it’s something simpler. I call it roomship.*

There’s something about crying during the Notebook** together, eating pancakes in the wee morning, ‘metroing’ to DC at night, choosing potential Facebook pictures, making YouTube videos, and kicking around a soccer ball in the middle of the sidewalk that screams, “We’re quirky enough that this is going to be our norm.”

So, when my London peers and I share inside jokes and laugh at my British flag knee-highs, I remember exploding hotel coffee machines. When my roommates and I share the watermelon Sour Patch kids, I remember move-in day when we completely re-organized our furniture and invested in a ginormous neon blue tub full of snacks.

Therefore, I am happy to share how thankful I am, being back at Mason, where both core groups are meeting each other and hitting it off! The new semester is here and with a win against James Madison and Homecoming this Saturday, Mason is alive with pep rallies, jewel hunts, and talent shows!

To all the future roommate combinations in the Mason Class of 2015, don’t be afraid to embrace roomship as a sign of school spirit!

ROOMSHIP IN LONDON:

G-M-U- WHAT?!

–Kathleen

*Lauren patented ‘Roomship.’

**Feel free to substitute other options like Modern Family, The Way We Were, and 500 Days of Summer.

Campus Favorites Part II

by Jenny, a Patriot Blogger

I’ve gone to bed dreaming about Southside’s omelets.  Available with a variety of vegetables, ham, cheese, and even an egg whites only option, these hearty combinations are the perfect start to a long day of classes.

 

If you’ve got a hankering for chicken and don’t feel like going to Southside, pay a visit to Mason’s sports bar, The Rathskeller, for the grilled chicken sandwich.  The Rathskeller has twelve flat screen TV’s, perfect for Monday night football games.

For more of a kick, try Sangam in the JC food court for some spicy Indian food.  My go-to combination is the butter chicken, yellow rice, naan and vegetable samosa.

Waffles all day every day!  Southside has two waffle makers that are open for use all day, along with warm syrup, butter, whipped cream and fruit toppings.  More adventuresome waffle-eaters may opt for an avalanche of chocolate chips toppling down an mountain of vanilla ice cream.

When in London&Paris!

by Kathleen, a Patriot Blogger

As I sit in the common area of my floor, surrounded by both returning and new neighbors, I finish editing my study abroad video. I’m being meticulous about this montage, knowing that the passion and memories I experienced on this trip must be perfectly conveyed to my readers. So, I experienced an iPod Shuffle experience in my head, flashing memories and photos, experiences and laughs.

I’m remembering when I first walked in my room, discovering my sleeping roomie who quickly became my confidante. I see my first time walking down Tottenham Court Road, realizing that the main mode of transportation in London includes two feet. I remember taking in all the crowded cities characteristic of every main city, the efficient methodology of the Tube and public transportation.

I see my first time being attacked by a pigeon.

I remember my nerves on my way to my first class session in this study abroad, a science major in a humanities environment. I wondered aloud, “How can I remember how to get to class on foot, so far away?” So naïve, back then. I remember all the street names, all the Tube stops and line colors, all the paths I took.

Though my experience physically in London is over, a piece of my heart will forever be there with the memories and people. However, since returning to Mason this week, I’ve already seen half of my peers on campus and in get-togethers. Studying abroad was one of the most eventful and most amazing experiences I’ve ever had.

There’s something about being in a different country with other first-timers that fastens the forming bond between you. You rely on every person to go somewhere, not daring at first to travel alone. You learn each other’s UK numbers, rooms, likes, quirks.

But the strongest memories in the forefront of my mind are not the monuments I saw but, the late-night runs to Sainsbury Local, McDonalds, crazy Tube adventures, amazing plays, fake British accents, slightly leaking sinks and temporarily dismantled heaters.

Everything.

So despite the predominant theme of reluctance to leave London, I am very appreciative of this opportunity I’ve had to travel, study, learn, and meet people.

I had heard that study abroad was recommended, though no one could quite explain why. I’m afraid I might have to second that thought: studying abroad is a unique opportunity to experience all that you’ve wanted to under the influence of education. Keeping your intellectual cells turning, your boding moving, your nerves excited, and your clothes clean, you learn something new about yourself.

You could even say you change.

Let me explain. For my performance project, my roommate Jenna and I adapted stock characters from One Man Two Guvnors’s commedia dell’arte theme and placed them into contemporary London society. Learning their personalities, rereading the script, we both did crazy things: stood atop structures and in the midst of heavy public traffic and yelled at the top of our lungs, asked people for food, posed with food and toilets, ran across parks, chased pigeons, ran into stationary objects, and more.

But it might even be the small things that mature you: traveling by yourself, exploring international countries, submersing yourself into foreign cultures, being patient with different disciplined rules and social expectations, taking initiative to adjust to the transportation system, learn the landscape and routes.

Learning the true meaning of the word “independent.”

As a freshman there is still so much that I have yet to, learn, discover and explore, but I am confident that I am one giant step closer to being prepared for the unknown.