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George Mason University

Sunday, March 24, 2013

Sen. Mark Warner to Deliver GMU Commencement Address

Virginia Democrat to address students May 18.

U.S. Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) will deliver this year's commencement address at George Mason University, according to a report in the university's student newspaper, Connect2Mason. Warner will speak to students at the 46th annual graduation ceremony May 18 in the Patriot Center. Warner, 58, is a former Virginia governor and was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2008. Warner was GMU's commencement speaker in 2003. Named for founding father George Mason, George Mason University is a public university offering 198 degree programs, with a 2012-2013 student population of 32,961. 

Monday, October 1, 2012

First 2012 Presidential Debate Set for Wednesday

President Barack Obama and former Gov. Mitt Romney will square off on domestic policy Wednesday.

With the first presidential debate between President Barack Obama and former Gov. Mitt Romney taking place Wednesday night, some may wonder about the importance of the debates to the American people and the election. “Debates are key events particularly for undecided voters in this election cycle who are persuadable at this point,” said Mark Rozell, professor of Public Policy at George Mason University in Fairfax. The debate, on domestic policy, airs live at 9 p.m. ET from the University of Denver. Jim Lehrer of PBS' NewsHour, will moderate. According to CNN, in the 2008 presidential election, 60 percent of registered voters had already made their decision before viewing the debates. However, a recent CNN poll showed that 57 percent of …

Monday, September 24, 2012

Fall for the Book Festival Begins Wednesday

The annual literary festival runs Wednesday to Sunday at venues across the region.

More than 125 writers, including novelists, poets, journalists, historians and children's book authors, will participate in the 14th annual Fall for the Book Festival Wednesday through Sunday at locations throughout the D.C. Metro area. This year's headliners include: A complete schedule is available online, and can be viewed by date or searched by category. The categories are Award Winner, Business & Finance, Children's & Young Adult, Cooking, Education, Environmentalism, Fiction, Folklore, History & Biography, Memoir, Philosophy & Religion, Poetry, Politics & Current Affairs and Science & Medicine.  The complete program may be downloaded in pdf format. In addition to author appearances — all participating authors are listed on the …

Friday, June 22, 2012

Former County Executive Tony Griffin to Teach at GMU

His appointment starts in August.

George Mason University announced today that former Fairfax County Executive Tony Griffin will teach at the college starting in August. Griffin will teach courses related to local government as a “practitioner-in-residence” in the school’s Department of Public and International Affairs, according to a press release from the school. Griffin stepped down from his post as executive at the end of April after serving the county for over 20 years. Prior to coming to Fairfax County, he served as Falls Church City manager for six years. He is a former Marine Corps officer having served in the Corps for three years following graduation from Hobart College. “I look forward to the opportunity that George Mason University presents to me to provide …

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Supreme Court Case Could Change the Face of College Campuses

With reversal on affirmative action, enrollments could become less diverse.

Hispanics, African Americans and Asians make up about 30 percent of George Mason University's student body, but, a few years from now, that percentage could drop if the Supreme Court reverses its position on affirmative action. Last week, the court announced it will hear arguments this fall for a Texas case in which the plaintiff claims she was discriminated against attending the University of Texas because she is white. The use of affirmative action in college admissions was last upheld in 2003, but the makeup of the Supreme Court has since changed significantly. In The Huffington Post, law professor Ediberto Roman said he believes the conservative bloc of justices will likely eradicate the practice "once and for all." The court's …

Comment_arrow

Anoneemous

10:12 am on Thursday, March 1, 2012

To "Common Sense". I can't tell you how much I enjoyed reading your comment, not because it was somewhat aligned with my view of AA, but because it really goes directly to the issue of what it takes to achieve your dreams in our wonderful country, what ever those dreams are. I support Affirmative Action (AA), when it means that I, as an individual and as a business man, should make an effort to …   more ›

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Virginia Educational Changes Needed to Prepare New Workforce

Local educators say more cooperation and collaboration needed in Virginia to prepare for changing job market.

This is the second of a two part series about the Feb. 25, 2012, joint retreat of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors and the Fairfax County School Board.  Part I, Board of Supervisors, School Board Team Up, was published Monday. __________ Providing a skilled work force for the next decade is going to require collaboration between public school systems, community colleges and four-year universities, according to local educators. Dana Kauffman, director of College Government Affairs at Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA), said local communities need to grow their own front-line work force.  He addressed the joint retreat of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors and School Board Saturday. A 2011 study conducted by Dr. Stephen …

Richard Baker

3:53 pm on Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Used to be a math/science teacher in Florida. Told my kids that learning mathematics trains your mind to think logically. Not everyone will utilize STEM as a career but learning to organize your thoughts via math will teach that critical thinking which allows one to work through problems in life.   more ›

Sunday, January 8, 2012

U.S. Marine Band Will Play in Free Concert at GMU Today

Set for 2 p.m., program will feature selections by John Philip Sousa.

The U.S. Marine Band will perform "Living History: Sousa Season Opener," in a concert today at George Mason University's Center for the Arts. The concert is free and open to the public, with no tickets required.  Located on the Fairfax campus of George Mason University at the intersection of Braddock Road and Route 123, paid parking is available in the deck adjacent to the Concert Hall and free parking is available in university Lot K. More information on parking can be found here. For more information, call (888) 945-2468. Conducted by Col. Michael J. Colburn, the band will perform the following: Founded in 1798 by an Act of Congress, “The President’s Own” U.S. Marine Band is America’s oldest continuously active professional musical …

Friday, July 22, 2011

Ask the Techie: Using E-books to Lighten the Textbook Load (And Save Money)

Kindle textbook rental programs could keep money in your pocket

Starting your college career is a series of financial challenges. Even those who have scrimped and saved to pay for tuition and attend our excellent and relatively affordable state schools find that the tuition is just a starting point. Room and board are big tickets items but they are matched with a series of fees that quickly add up. Parking permits, various rentals such as dorm fridges or loft beds add to the tab. The biggest shock, however, often comes with the first trip to the campus bookstore with your textbook list in hand. You have options let's explore them. We'll use the textbook for George Mason's Government 319, Modern Principles of Economics by Cowen to compare options. The on-campus bookstore (a branch of the Barnes & Noble …

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Greenspring Players Sing in Annual Scholarship Show

Residents of senior community Greenspring act and sing in The Sounds of Broadway, raising money for a GMU performing arts scholarship.

The Greenspring Players, a theatre group in the retirement community of Greenspring in Springfield, gave four performances of The Sounds of Broadway last week. The show featured musical excerpts from My Fair Lady and Guys and Dolls among others. Proceeds from the show will be donated to a scholarship fund for a George Mason University student majoring in the performing arts. “We have a plethora of talent at Greenspring,” said Fran Duvall, chair of the Greenspring Players and producer of The Sounds of Broadway. According to Duvall, 37 actors performed last week, and only three of them were not Greenspring residents. One of  the ‘off-campus’ actresses was two-time former scholarship recipient Patricia Talmadge. Tallmadge stared as Eliza …

Sunday, November 7, 2010

Choosing a College - The SATs

A necessary evil or accurate predictor of performance?

On Saturday morning, Katelyn Crank joined thousands of high school students across the country in taking the SAT Reason Test (formerly known as the Scholastic Assessment Test), commonly referred to as the SAT. Over the past several decades taking the SAT (or one of its competing tests such as the ACT) has become an essential rite of passage for anyone who wants to go to college. The SAT in particular has maintained its importance despite a number of changes over the years, and not a few criticisms about bias in its content and manner of posing questions. For the uninitiated, the tests are scored on a scale of 200 to 800 and are administered in Reading, Writing and Mathematics. Each section is allotted just over an hour to complete. The …

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