Around Mason: Week of Oct. 15, 2024

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Faculty/Staff Announcements

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Campus Updates 


Veterans Day Luncheon

Join the Office of the President, George Mason ROTC, and the Office of Military Services to celebrate and honor Veterans Day. The Annual Veterans Day Luncheon will be hosted on Monday, Nov. 11, at 11:45 a.m. on the Fairfax Campus, Center for the Arts lobby. Mason community members who have proudly served the country are invited and encouraged to attend the luncheon.  

At George Mason, we aspire to serve our veterans with as much dedication and devotion as they have provided to our country. Veterans, George Mason University salutes you! Registration is required. Space is limited. RSVP today


Cybersecurity Awareness Month

Information Technology Services (ITS) is observing Cybersecurity Awareness Month during October. Events include:  

  • Cybersecurity trivia contest: On Wednesday, Oct. 16, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., stop by Kiosks B and C in the Johnson Center on the Fairfax Campus while the IT Security Office staff hosts a cybersecurity trivia contest.   
  • Ask Me Anything Reddit thread: Hosted by the IT Security Office staff on Tuesday, Oct. 22, from 1–3 p.m.   
  • Speaker: ITS will host speaker Dennis Marti on Wednesday, Oct. 30, at 3 p.m. Marti is a George Mason alum who manages Verizon’s Network Intelligence. The event will be on the Fairfax Campus in Merten Hall, Room 1204, and on Zoom.  
  • Follow @GeorgeMasonITS on X and Instagram for daily info about online safety.

George Mason Introduces Brave and Bold: The Patriot Roast 

George Mason and Tinycup Coffee, an alumni-owned business, have collaborated on a co-branded coffee called Brave & Bold: The Patriot Roast. It is a medium-dark roast featuring a blend of premium, specialty-grade coffee beans from Central and South America using a traditional drum roasting method. The coffee is currently available online and will be in both "c-store" locations on the Fairfax Campus: the Express store (located in the Johnson Center) and One Stop Shop.  

Stop by the George Mason Bookstore in the Johnson Center to sample Brave & Bold: The Patriot Roast on Friday, Oct. 18, from 2:30–5 p.m. 


James Buchanan and Vernon Smith Seminar 

George Mason's Department of Economics invites the university community to the James Buchanan and Vernon Smith Seminar on Thursday, Nov. 7, from 5–6:30 p.m. at the Fairfax Campus, Center for the Arts, on the Dr. Linda Apple Monson Grand Tier.

This seminar series is designed to appeal to a broad audience and is named to honor the department's two Nobel Laureates and to recognize scholars who have made outstanding contributions to economics. Matthew Jackson, the William D. Eberle Professor of Economics at Stanford University, is the featured speaker. He will discuss "The Role of Networks and Social Capital in Determining Patterns of Economic Mobility." A reception will follow the presentation. 


Sprucing up Campus for the Fall Semester 

Have you ever wondered how George Mason gets the campuses ready to welcome students back to school in the fall? During the summer months, in preparation for the start of the semester, George Mason Facilities and Campus Operations went through an extensive checklist to get all campuses ready. From landscaping to classroom refreshes to updating signage, Facilities ensures that each experience on campus is one of quality. Learn more about how they prepared for the new semester.  


Training and Professional Development


Title IX Mandatory Reporter Training for George Mason Employees 

The Title IX Office is providing in-person and virtual training this fall, open to all employees needing to complete mandatory annual Title IX Training. Sessions will be offered at the Fairfax and SciTech campuses, Mason Square, and online. This training should be completed annually by employees who are mandatory reporters. View the upcoming training schedule and register to attend. Contact titleix@gmu.edu with questions.   


Register to Attend Canvas Day

Faculty and instructors are invited to join Canvas Day on Wednesday, Oct. 16, to gain hands-on experience and learn best practices to leverage Canvas, George Mason's new learning management system. The event will be hosted from noon to 4 p.m. on the Fairfax Campus in The Hub Ballroom.   

Participants are encouraged to attend in person to engage with colleagues, instructional designers, and other support teams. The session will also be livestreamed via Zoom webinar. Get more details and register.   


Manager Meetup: Exploring the Five Languages of Workplace Appreciation

Faculty and staff from across George Mason are invited to join the University Life Supervision Collective for a virtual Manager Meetup: Exploring the Five Languages of Workplace Appreciation, on Thursday, Oct. 17, from 2–3 p.m. The session will be facilitated by Stacey Ellis, faculty and staff engagement program manager in Human Resources. RSVP.   

Based on the book, The 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace, participants in this workshop will discover strategies for assessment and practical application of authentic and genuine workplace appreciation. Contact Meeghan Milette with questions.  


Resources for You


Freedom Center Community Appreciation Week

The Freedom Aquatic & Fitness Center at the SciTech Campus will host its annual Community Appreciation Week from Oct. 14–20. The events coincide with the Freedom Center's 25th anniversary.  

The week will include free admission, membership discounts, featured group exercise classes, guest speakers, the Pumpkin Splash at the pool, a block party, and more. Events are free and open to the public. Get the details.  


Pumpkin Palooza at Mason Square 

Join the Human Resources Faculty and Staff Engagement team and the Mason Square Market for a pumpkin carving contest and pumpkin painting for faculty and staff. Pumpkin Palooza on the Plaza will take place on Tuesday, Oct. 22, from 3–7 p.m. on Mason Square Plaza. Sign up by Tuesday, Oct. 15, to receive a pumpkin. 


New Affinity Group for Southwest Asian and North African/Middle Eastern Employees 

Faculty and staff are invited to join a new Southwest Asian and North African/Middle Eastern affinity group to build community. The group offers a space for faculty, staff, and GTAs to get to know each other, share stories, and share food. It's social, casual, and just a good way for folks from similar backgrounds to connect. If interested, fill out a brief form to be added to the email list with information about events and gatherings. For questions, contact Holly Mason Badra and Austin A. Deray. 


Flu Shot Clinic at Mason Square 

Stay healthy and protect your community this flu season with an on-campus flu shot clinic at Mason Square on Wednesday, Oct. 16. Flu shots from Giant are fully covered by COVA insurance. Get more details and sign up for an appointment. The SciTech Campus clinic took place on Oct. 3, and the Fairfax clinic occurred on Oct. 10. 


Mason Nation Thriving Together 5K

Registration is open for the annual Mason Nation Thriving Together 5K. The race will take place on Saturday, Oct. 19, on the Fairfax Campus. All proceeds from the event will benefit the George Mason University Student Mental Health and Well-Being Fund. Learn more and register.   


Kritikos Anti-Racist Reading Group: Fall Sessions

The Kritikos Anti-Racist Reading Group will meet on Friday afternoons this fall. Kritikos engages in discussions on writing about the arts, critical studies, translation, the artist in society, and art as speech. Learn more.   

Join them for the topic “Economic Justice, Affordable Housing, and the Criminalization of Poverty” on Friday, Oct. 18, from 1–2:30 p.m. via Zoom. This event is free and open to the public.  


Upcoming Performances and Arts Events at George Mason     

Visiting Filmmakers Series: Alex Plank discusses the film Ezra 
Tuesday, Oct. 22, at 4:30 p.m.  
Fairfax Campus, Johnson Center Cinema
 
Join the Visiting Filmmakers Series as George Mason University welcomes alum, filmmaker, and autism advocate Alex Plank back to campus to screen and discuss his film, Ezra, starring Robert De Niro, Whoopi Goldberg, and more.  

Villalobos Brothers     
Hylton Artist-in-Residence    
Saturday, Oct. 26, at 8 p.m.     
SciTech Campus, Hylton Center, Merchant Hall   
  
Celebrate Día de los Muertos early with Mason Artist-in-Residence and Grammy Award-winning Villalobos Brothers, who are redefining contemporary Mexican music while delivering positive messages of brotherhood, equity, and love. This lively trio of virtuoso fiddlers, singers, and songwriters blends Mexican folk music with Latin, jazz, rock, and classical, creating a fun-loving and cheerfully expressive sound that has delighted audiences across the United States and around the world.     

School of Theater: 110 in the Shade    
Nov. 1–3, multiple performances    
Fairfax Campus, Center for the Arts    

Sharply intelligent Lizzie Curry is considered unlucky in love by her father and brothers but remains unwilling to settle for a man who can’t live up to her standards. As her family schemes to change her fortunes amid a blistering hot summer in the Dust Bowl, a smooth-talking stranger arrives in town, promising to bring down the rain within 24 hours. As the town waits for the skies to open, Lizzie considers how to find the place between what is possible and what she dreams could be.     

The U.S. Army Concert Band: A Salute to Veterans    
Veterans and the Arts Initiative    
Thursday, Nov. 7, at 7:30 p.m.    
SciTech Campus, Hylton Performing Arts Center, Merchant Hall  
  
The U.S. Army Band "Pershing's Own" returns to the Hylton Center for a special performance dedicated to our nation's heroes in A Salute to Veterans. Through the powerful combination of music, storytelling, and shared moments of reflection, the concert band will showcase the timeless themes of selfless service across generations. This performance will express our deepest gratitude to those who exemplify unwavering dedication and determined commitment to duty, inspiring us all to strive for excellence and service in our own lives.     

School of Dance – Fall: New Dances   
Friday, Nov. 8, at 8 p.m.    
Saturday, Nov. 9, at 8 p.m.    
Fairfax Campus, Center for the Arts    

An evening of faculty and student work that showcases the talented dancers of the School of Dance in a wide range of stories, ideas, and styles.    

Mandy Gonzalez in Concert  
Saturday, Nov. 9, at 8 p.m.  
SciTech Campus, Hylton Performing Arts Center, Merchant Hall  

Join Mandy Gonzalez for an evening of Broadway songs, film scores, and music from her debut album, Fearless. Gonzalez starred on Broadway in Hamilton as Angelica Schuyler, in Wicked as Elphaba, and as Nina Rosario in Lin-Manuel Miranda’s In the Heights. Miranda wrote her the song, “Fearless,” which tells the story of how her parents met while serving their country during the Vietnam War. Gonzalez’s debut at the Hylton Center will also honor the veterans in the community. The Osbourn Park High School Madrigal Singers, conducted by Dominick Izzo, will join Gonzalez for a special guest appearance. This performance is part of George Mason’s Veterans and the Arts Initiative, providing free tickets for veterans and servicemembers.  

Arturo Sandoval  
Sunday, Nov. 10, at 7 p.m.  
Fairfax Campus, Center for the Arts  

Grammy Award winner Arturo Sandoval is an acknowledged virtuoso of jazz trumpet and flugelhorn, and he is just as dynamic and vivacious on the piano, timbales, vocals, and keyboard. He delights in presenting a diverse, exhilarating show featuring Afro-Cuban jazz, bebop, straight-ahead jazz, and more. Sandoval has received six Billboard Awards, an Emmy, the Hispanic Heritage Award, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom from former President Obama. He was recently honored with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.  

Mason Jazz Vocal Night  
Monday, Nov. 11, at 8 p.m.  
Fairfax Campus, Center for the Arts  

Join Darden Purcell, the Mason Jazz Voice Studio, the DownBeat award-winning Mason Jazz Vocal Ensemble, and Stone Bridge High School (director Christine Tarrant) for an evening of swinging standards and classic hits from the Great American Songbook.  

Virginia Opera: Carmen  
Saturday, Nov. 16, at 7:30 p.m.  
Sunday, Nov. 17, at 2 p.m.  
Fairfax Campus, Center for the Arts  

Virginia Opera presents French composer Georges Bizet’s passion-filled masterpiece, Carmen. Set in Spain around 1830, the drama centers on Carmen, who is bold, uninhibited, and independent. She becomes infatuated with Don José, who throws away everything to be with her, only to be rejected when Carmen moves on, falling for a bullfighter named Escamillo. Carmen confronts the dangers of jealous obsession and falling madly in love with the wrong person. Sung in French with English surtitles.  

Cirque Kalabanté  
Saturday, Nov. 16, at 8 p.m.  
Sunday, Nov. 17, at 2 p.m.  
SciTech Campus, Hylton Performing Arts Center, Merchant Hall  

Cirque Kalabanté invites the whole family to Afrique en Cirque, a unique fusion of African arts and European circus traditions that makes for a multi-sensory extravaganza like no other. With colorful costumes and scenery, daring acrobats and dancers perform gravity-defying feats, accompanied by the pulsating rhythms of a live Afro jazz ensemble.   

George Mason School of Theater: More Dogs  
Nov. 21–24, multiple performances  
Fairfax Campus, de Laski Performing Arts Building, TheaterSpace  

An estimated two million Irish people immigrated to the United States in the 1800s in search of better lives, but they often confronted blatant discrimination and oppression. Irish immigrants found limited places to live, work, and thrive. Over time, they organized locally and nationally, built stronger communities, and acquired more social and political power. This compelling work asks audiences to confront hard truths and make hard choices.   

Jazz4Justice™  
Friday, Nov. 22, at 8 p.m.  
Fairfax Campus, Center for the Arts 
 
Jazz4Justice™ brings attorneys, judges, students, and members of the Northern Virginia community together to celebrate their love of jazz. Proceeds from the evening benefit Legal Services of Northern Virginia, continuing its mission of service to the community, as well as providing financial support for the Mason Jazz Studies program for scholarships, trips, recordings, and student projects.   

Enchantment Theatre Company: My Father’s Dragon  
Saturday, Nov. 23, at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. (SciTech Campus, Hylton Center, Merchant Hall)  
Sunday, Nov. 24, at 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. (Fairfax Campus, Center for the Arts)  

Elmer Elevator is on a mission to rescue a baby dragon held captive on Wild Island. How will he pull off such an adventurous rescue? With pure luck—plus chewing gum, lollipop sticks, and rubber bands. Celebrating the 75th anniversary of Ruth Stiles Gannett’s Newbery Honor-winning adventure book, My Father’s Dragon, Enchantment Theatre Company brings to life the story of an unlikely friendship between a courageous boy and a yellow and blue-striped dragon. Recommended for ages 4–10.