The Start of Something New

by Denisha, a Patriot Blogger

…And yes, I might have taken that from a High School Musical song.

As spring semester begins, I realize that I have in fact become of the millions of people who declare that “2013 is my year!” and “I’m going to really do something that makes an impact this year!” It can’t be too far-fetched, right?

My fall semester left me with a 3.69 GPA (and a nice spot on the Dean’s list–trust me, studying seriously pays off!), really amazing friends, and a sleep depravity that could only be made up by hibernating the first two days of winter break, followed by sleeping in until noon for the rest of that week.  However, as a freshman,  fall semester is really all about adjusting, and therefore I’m determined to make this semester even better, so I’ve compiled my “to do” list for the spring semester and the entirety of 2013 (I find that if I call them resolutions, I end up resolving to do them later…) that I hope to (and WILL!) accomplish:

1. Actually start going to the gym. The Skyline gym is so unbelievably close to my dorm, yet the past semester I continually walked past it declaring that I would go “next week” and told a friend of mine ,who kept inviting me to go on Saturday mornings, that “I overslept.” Besides, I need to lose all the weight I accumulated from Christmas dinner and Mom’s home-cooked meals.

2. Lose Procrastination as my middle name. I’ve probably made this a goal, not only on New Year’s, but pretty much every week of my life. I’ve gotten a LOT better at time management as I used to and I stopped hitting ignore every time my phone alerted me that it was time for the study time that I had designated for myself. But I’m still really bad with putting things off until the last minute. So I suppose this goes hand in hand with prioritizing. A professor of mine gave me really good advice and told me to put all of my activities and classes into my planner/calendar, and once I did I’d be surprised at how much white space (free time) that I had (and he was right!). I filled in that white space with time for studying, naps, lunch with friends, etc. It helped a lot, so Professor Hoefer, if you read this, thanks so much!

One other thing on this: if you’ve got work or studying to do, chances are that some of your friends also have some studying to do. My friends and I made a habit of going to Sub 1 or the JC and having what we called “study parties” before we went and got dinner or watched movies or something like that.  We just all got together and did the homework that we had to do. After we got all of our talking and laughing out of the way in the first thirty minutes that we all met up, we ended up being very productive! But this might not work for everyone. Some people study/work better away from friends who could distract them. This is simply something that worked for us.

3. Take more naps. Don’t underestimate the power of a good nap in-between classes! It’s a good refresher, especially if you’ve got early morning classes!

4. Schedule some quiet time for myself. This one may seem a little odd, but I’ve found life can get really busy and crazy in college, and it’s easy to become overwhelmed and stressed. I’ve decided to set aside some “me” time–I’m going to start out every day, but as the semester progresses, I may have to have it be weekly or every couple of days–where I just get away from it all and recharge my batteries. How can I expect to perform at my best if I’m not at my best? Just turn off your phone, close the books, close your eyes, and relax. I’m sure the definition of “quiet time” will be different for everyone. Perhaps it is relaxing with your headphones playing one of your favorite CDs, meditating, taking a hot bath (if you have one of those), playing your guitar, or reading a book that you’ve been wanting to read for awhile. For me, personally, that time will be spent in prayer or reading my devotional or catching up on one of the sermon’s that I have downloaded from Fairfax Community Church’s podcast, but it’ll be different for everyone. It may seem silly and you may be thinking that you’re incredibly busy and have no time at all, but just try it out.

5. Make a list of internships/study abroad options and do some research on them. Trust me, you’re never too early to get prepared for these things. I’ve got to start doing some research on possible future opportunities so that I can be fully prepared for the application process. If you really want to be ahead of the game, make a list of people of all the people within your network, you’d be surprised at how many people you know! These are potential people who could write you recommendations for these things in the future, which leads me to my next goal…

6. Make friends with my professors! Okay, that’s a stretch, I really mean to take advantage of the fact that my professors have office hours, and I could very well go to them if I have trouble understanding something or if I just have questions for them in general. The doors are open so that we can get to know them and they can get to know us on a more personal level.

7. Apply for Fall 2013 scholarships. Because let’s face it, anything that helps pay off that tuition bill is great.

8. Learn to play the guitar. I recently got a guitar for Christmas because I really wanted to learn something new this year in terms of taking up a new hobby. Like quiet time, this is also a good release and way to unwind (of course, I’ll probably have someone teaching me, so it’s not going to be just me at first). For others, it could be scrapbooking, or crocheting, or baking.

9. Watch every episode of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Weird, I know. It’s not really every episode, but my roommate and I just recently joined a couple of our friends who are on a quest to watch every episode of Fresh Prince (actually, I’m not sure that that’s their goal, they just have some of the seasons and they’ve been watching it episode by episode and we just so happen to be with them when they watch it sometimes…). The title just makes it sound more dramatic.

10. Figure out what the heck I want to do with my life. Looking back at my “about me” section on here, I found that I was certain that I wanted to go into communication, but as fall semester went on, I found myself being less and less drawn to it. I don’t know what I’m being called to do, but I’m not even sure that it’s still in the field of communication. I’m taking a sociology class this semester because I’ve been thinking about going into a non-profit or counseling (especially working with today’s youth), but every time I mention it, I continually hear, “so you want a job with no money?” For me, it’s not about the money, it’s about helping people and making the smile and making their lives just a little bit easier…Can I major in Helping People? No? Then I’m still confused. I’m not sure if I’ll figure it out this semester, but hopefully it comes to me soon.

11. Smile more. “A glad heart makes a cheerful face…” (Proverbs 15:13), and I recently realized that you should never underestimate the power of a smile or a kind word, it’s a small gesture that really could make someone’s day so much better.

12. Break out into a random musical in the JC. Because, hey, it’s the start of something new, right?

Here’s to hoping for a fantastic spring semester, and a truly blessed 2013!

Finals, Films and Greek Life.. Oh my!

by Kasi, a Patriot Blogger

Hello Patriot Life Readers!

It’s that time of year! No, I’m not talking about Santa, the Menorah, holiday shopping or even snow… It’s time for students to take a deep breath and make a mad dash for the end of the semester, with only final projects, papers  and exams standing between them and the sweet freedom of winter break. Being one of those students myself, I’m trying my best to balance everything and focus on how excited I am to go home to Florida when things get stressful.

The past few months have been a crazy whirlwind for me, and I’m honestly shocked that it’s already time to prepare for finals and finish off my first official semester of college. When my older friends told me freshman year goes fast, I had no idea how right they’d be! I have to say that I’m proud of the things I’ve accomplished this semester, and I’m looking forward to moving on to my new classes in the spring!

Focusing on the present, as a film major one of the biggest projects I’m working on for the end of this semester is a short film. Being one of the first times my group has used sound and lighting equipment (yes, it is just as intimidating as it sounds!) I’m proud of what we have accomplished so far. Tomorrow will be our crunch time as we edit and try to make it perfect before we turn in the final product on Tuesday.

Other than the craziness and preparation for finals, the past two weeks have also been exciting for my sorority! As of now, Alpha Xi Delta has a whole new set of officers for the coming year. I’m excited to say that I’m one of them, starting as the Scrapbook Chair in the spring. Although it might not seem like an exciting position, I’m excited to get creative with it and to document our chapter’s events!

Overall, even though the past two weeks have been stressful, and I know the coming weeks are probably going to be the same way, I’m excited to tackle my finals, get them over with, and go home! This has been a great semester, but I’m completely ready for it to be over. For now, I guess it’s time for me to stop procrastinating and climb back up to the top of my mountain of work to do. See you all on the other side!

Game #1

by Grant, a Patriot Blogger

So if you aren’t a basketball fan, you might not know but IT IS BASKETBALL SEASON! The buzz filled the air as game time started to get closer.  Student Government was handing out the annual Gold Rush Shirts and the Green Machine started a new tradition.  Tailgating before the first game.  The usual problem with the basketball season is that it is during winter and it is either raining, snowy, windy, miserable, or all of the above.  So tailgating is usually not appealing.  However, last Friday, we had great weather and the atmosphere was perfect.  The associate director and a green machine alum were on the grill, people we throwing frisbee, and there was some cornhole.  What an amazing way to start off the season.  As the game drew near, the tailgate broke up as we headed to the Patriot Center.  After spending the week hearing about how the game was sold out and how Mason had never beaten UVA before, I was ready to get it started.  I am a big fan of what Coach Paul Hewitt has done with the team and this season is going to be a great one for Mason.  As the pregame clock ticked down, I made my ritualistic trip to the mirror to apply my war paint.  It has started getting more elaborate as the years have gone on.  Originally, it was something that I was inspired to do by some older guys in Phi Mu Alpha and the Green Machine.  It started off as one half of my face as green and the other as gold.  Now, It involves my face criss-crossed with different lines and swirls that are different for each game.  The painting puts me in the right mindset for the game, wild and intense.  So in this mood, I wondered back down to my seat and got prepared to play.  Doc came out and soon we played the Fight Song for the first time this year.  It went well and the basketball team warmed up and headed back into the tunnel for the real deal.  After a few months waiting and a painful last 30 minutes, we played THE pump up song, Krypton.  In 2006, during our final four run, one of the announcers called us a superman killer so thus Krypton.  It is slow and cinematic, building up to when the siren goes off and the team runs out.

The games started and although there were somethings we obviously need to work on, three-point defense and shooting foul shots, we kept pace with UVA.  There were just a few seconds left and we tried to set up a play to get the ball to a high percentage shooter.  That failed, however we did get the ball to Marko Gujanicic, a freshman from Serbia, who drained a crazy three from NBA distance.  Those three points put us ahead a half-time and the crowd went nuts.  As the second half came along, the Green Machine played a staple of all GMU basketball games, Livin’ On A Prayer.  This song was the truth, the game stayed tight throughout the rest of the second half.  The lead switched multiple times and the atmosphere got more tense.  The student section went wild every time Mason scored or had a great defensive stand.  Confetti everywhere, dancing in the stands, screaming their lungs out.  My voice was gone as the game entered its final minutes.  Stress rippled through the audience as every shot became the most important one.  Finally, a three point lead for Mason.  A foul.  Two drained free throws.  The Buzzer.  Mason beat UVA for the first time ever.  The Patriot Center Erupted.  The Fight Song Blared.  The Season starts.

International Student, Flying Abroad!

by Kathleen, a Patriot Blogger

I was waving goodbye to my parents at the airport, heading to escalators that would take me to the security check-in and separate the flying passenger from supportive family. I had felt tears in my eyes and not to mention a little fear. Putting on a smile for my parents to show that all was well in the world and three weeks was nothing, I strapped my backpack on and heading for London.

I was flying out of the country by myself for the first-time ever and would be studying theater through Mason’s CGE, or study abroad office.

In less than two months, it will officially be a year since that experience and I miss it like words can’t describe. So, I made a video that features footage from that study abroad event and the traveling I did inspired by that experience that summer after.

This Tuesday, November 13th in honors of international education week, Masons’ Center for Global Education is having an ALL-DAY summit from 9-4 in Dewberry Hall, Johnson Center. With posters from alumni of all different programs, panel discussion and speeches, and this featured video, all students were invited and some have prepared various engaging presentations about their study abroad experience.

Most importantly, we are there to explain the specifics of our program but emphasize how each person takes back a unique experience from studying abroad. Aside from the video, one of my peers and friends from the trip, Chelsea, is partnering with me for a dual speech presentation: it was her second study abroad, it was my first; she is a graduate student, I am an undergraduate. Yet, we both loved the city, had the same trip and class (though her assignment was much more technical than mine), and took away different lessons.

So, if you have the chance, check it out or the website online www.globaled.gmu.edu for more information about the programs and I hope you enjoy the video!

Remember that it is never too early or late to travel or study abroad!

–Kathleen

LOVE Botswana

by Kathleen, a Patriot Blogger

Every year, a well-deserving country in need is chosen to be sponsored for an entire week of donations, care packaging, t-shirt promotions, and knowledge expansion on the underserved populations. The goal is to encourage people to spread the word about Botswana and the mentors who work so hard to continue to inspire students, like themselves, to stay in school and get an education.

As a college campus full of intellectual scholars, the message and mission hits very close to home.

At the event, I went around interviewing the students about what they had been doing, how long they’d been volunteering, and why they felt inspired to help out at the Love Bostwana event. Whether lady or gentleman, a major in the sciences or humanities, complete strangers or sorority sisters, families or club organizations, there was such a wide variety of people at the event.

In fact, the diversity at the event mimicked Mason’s famous diversity to show that no matter who you are, you can find a connection or bond with someone else on our campus or even a student in need of encouragement in a country, culture, and lifestyle so different from the United States.

So I encourage everyone to check out:

http://www.masoncru.org/love-botswana-2012.html

for more information about how to get involved, what we did to support Botswana, and the video of the sheer inspiration Mason students felt to get involved!

-Kathleen

Deja Vu

by Grant, a Patriot Blogger

It was a crazy past couple of weeks because history repeated itself very quickly.  President Obama came to Mason on Friday and then the next two days I had an ultimate tournament.  This was the case twice.  However each weekend was unique.

The first weekend actually began on a Wednesday.  I was on facebook and someone posted about the President coming to Mason.  I was of course very interested but there was little information out at that point.  After class I had to go to work so I asked my friend who posted about the President about it.  He said that through his contacts in Student Government, he had heard about it and my bosses quickly confirmed the rumor.  They said that later in the night there would be an email about it and limited number of tickets would be available.  At this point Facebook was going crazy with people posting pro-Obama and anti-Obama statuses.  I saw it as an opportunity to see the President of the United States and how many people get to see the President in person.  So I had made some plans to wake up and get to the line at 5 in the morning.  The email we got said that the tickets would begin to be available at 8:45.  So, I of course thought that I would be the crazy one and get there four hours early.  I had never done something like this before so I did not know how crazy people actually are.  From what I hear, after people got the email at 10 pm about him coming, they began camping out.  Needless to say, I was about person 150ish in line.  In an attempt to make the wait more bearable I had brought my laptop to watch some movies.  Right after I got my laptop out though, it began to rain.  Because this was my first time every waiting in a line like this, I had not planned ahead.  No umbrella and just a hoodie for warmth.  So I moved my backpack and laptop under the bushes beside the sidewalk and sat in the rain for a while.  It was only a little drizzle but it did make things pretty miserable.  However, soon after the rain stopped, I realized that right behind me were some of my coworkers! It was nice to finally not be sitting alone and be able to socialize a little bit.  One of my coworkers even invited me to play Monopoly with him and some friends.  It was a great time waster and we almost finished a game which would have been my first complete game in years.  The line began to move and I got my one ticket.  Super excited I walked back to my room as I studied my ticket.  After reading the fine print, my heart dropped.  It said “Tickets are required for interest but do not guarantee admission”.  I had waited hours and gotten up at the crack of dawn to get a ticket that did not save me a seat.  So what was the only logical thing to do?  Stay up late again!  Later that night, I linked up with some ultimate guys and said we would get there at midnight.  I went to the gym to rehab my quad (it had been bothering my for weeks) and I got a call.  There was already a line and it was only 10 pm.  So we decided to get there at 10:30.  This time I was prepared though and I brought some food, drinks, and blankets.  That night I slept roughly on the concrete.  I was abruptly awoken at 4 am to the sounds of news vans pulling up along with what some people described as secret service.  More people began showing up as the hour drew near for Obama’s arrival.  However, we began to notice another line forming right beside the one all of the students had lined up in.  Still bleary eyed and tired the line began to move at around 8:45.  After going through security and taking a much needed bathroom break, we were shown upstairs.  Only Obama financial supporters and volunteers were allowed downstairs.  So I was in line for a total of around 15 hours to sit in the top row.  Needless to say, I was a bit rattled but it was completely understandable that the campaign wanted it.  Then slowly the stage began to be filled by excited Obama fans.  After the stage was half filled up, there was a suspicious coincidence.  All those on stage were women.  Unknown to us, all the speeches today would be about women’s rights.  That’s fine but I was much more interested in the economy.  We waited for the longest thirty minutes of my life to before anyone came onto stage.  The speeches were quite interesting and it was not just Obama but Tim Kaine, the Ex-Governor of Virginia running for Senate and a congressman and a state delegate.  As an undecided voter, I wanted to be swayed but it was much less swaying than expected.  It turned out to be more of a rally than a speech which was fine but not what I was looking for.  It was still very excited to get to see the President.

The next day, I had to wake up at 6 AM to roll out of bed and get prepared for the FIRST ULTIMATE TOURNAMENT OF THE YEAR!  This tournament was being held at University of Maryland, so the drive was pretty short getting up there.  The fields we played on were turf so that was nice for laying out (the means diving in Ultimate speak) but it also meant for the next little while I would be taking little black rubber pieces out of my cleats.  The games are a blur.  Lots of fun and my quad finally worked itself out so I could play.  It was not the best game I had ever played but it got the rust off and was a great way to relax.  We had so many rookies at this tournament that everyone could not play many points.  So there was time for a lot of team bonding.  This team bonding was only continued after the games were over.  This was the same tournament we went to last year and so it had become tradition to go to a specific Chinese buffet afterwards.  This was only like the third time ever that I have eaten Chinese so I was worried about what I could eat.  I really shouldn’t have worried though because it was all delicious.  I ended up with three different plates and dessert.  It was great but what was even better was the bet.  Some of the older guys were all sitting at the table together and the Chinese buffet was serving crab.  This was a deadly combination.  One of the guys made a ten dollar bet to eat a crab in the shell.  The ultimate team took up half of the restaurant and when all got up and started cheering for the crab eat.  When he turned the crab sideways and bit into it, it might have been one of the grossest things I have seen in a while.  It was hilarious but after seeing that I was done eating.  We got back into the car to head back home but we hit traffic.  Which was actually lucky because we ended up having the best sing along to piano man ever.  It was loud, the window were down, and people in other cars seemed to enjoy it too.  The next day we played the last couple of games but it was raining so it was not as fun as the previous day.  We got through it though and ended up filling up a Five Guys in town before heading home.

Two weeks later Facebook started buzzing again. I was as surprised as anyone to find out the Barack was back.  I was not going to stand in line again.  My legs were still stiff from the last time.  This time luckily tickets could be found online.  I got a ticket and prepared myself for another early day.  After explaining to my roommate about the situation, he reminded me that I had promised to help set up for a concert.  I was kind of upset but I told them I would do it.  So, I got to sleep in and then after rolling out of bed at about 10,  I went to the performing arts building.  I didn’t know what to expect from a concert called Afro-bop.  The band consisted of a steel drummer, trumpet, sax, keyboard, string bass, and drum set.  I had no idea what to expect but it was killer.  The band transported the audience into a smoke-filled jazz club.  Their sound was so tight and the feel so intimate that I had to remind myself that this was the same place where we had pep band practice.  The show ended with a stand ovation and many calls for a encore.  Unfortunately, the band had just formed so they did not know any more songs.  However, I have high hopes for a band that grew from a collaboration between a faculty member, a student, and some professional musicians.

The next day, there was a ultimate tournament.  (didn’t see that coming did you?)  This time the tournament was the Patriot Games (a tournament that we put on at nearby Lake Fairfax Park).  There was a good selection of teams and the competition was fierce.  This was the last tournament for our players to show off before cuts.  Now, there aren’t really cuts but there is an A-team (more competitive  and a B-team (more focused on learning).  Last year, I had been selected to be one of the captains of B-team, so I knew where I was going to end up.  However, I still wanted to look good.  I mean captains can’t be the worst guy on the team.  Although my play was not perfect, I got two Skys (which is a catch made over people).  To be fair, I am six foot seven but this was still very exciting.  On Sunday, the team split into A team and B team basically for the first time in order to get more playing time and for both teams to start to build some chemistry.  Although the B-team did not do as well as the A-team, I really started to feel like a captain and we learned a lot.  Which is the point of B-team.

Now who knows, the election is still a little way and maybe Obama will make one more trip and the next tournament is coming up.  I’m not saying it will happen but the ball is in your court Mr. President.  If he doesn’t come back, I’m sure there will be something else just as exciting coming  to Mason.  There always is.

Halloweekend

by Kathleen, a Patriot Blogger

Happy Halloweekend!!

With Frankenstorm making her way down the east coast, there is a communal rush to buy non-perishable foods. My dorm in particular has oversized captain crunch, bread, and jelly to last us through this adventure.

Nevertheless, lots of activities took place on campus this Saturday, where several student organizations put on costume parties. One in particular was the Office of Student Involvement’s Program Board who sponsored their first-ever Halloween Creepy Carnival! With “What’s in the Box,” a photo center, bowling “ghosts,” basketball, and tons of candy, the night was always active.

But the creepiest part besides the maze? The featured act of Evasons gave everyone the chills. Claimed mentalists, the married duo performed acts of mind-guessing to the extreme, where Tess would pick up vibes from across the room and blindfolded, be able to determine who was standing behind her…by name, state, and parental relations.

Even scarier, one act involved selecting random people from the large crowd, asked them to pick on color from five selections, have Tess (still blindfolded and turned around) guess the person’s name and color choice, arrange them in order, and have those people pick out the number inside their colored envelop. The catch?

…five people randomly across the room were asked to write down their most monumental year and the sum of those five numbers were arranged through the standing people’s colored numbers.

MINDBLOWN.

Needless to say, the crowd was spooked and even cynical or appropriately skeptic audience members wondered aloud how such mannerisms were possible.

So as the potential to lose power rises and the water continues to fall, ask yourself this Halloween, do you believe in the supernatural?