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News
Sept. 16, 2013
In this issue
Letter from the Editor-in-Chief
COLLEEN WILSON EDITOR-IN-CHIEF gmufourthestate@gmail.com
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Cadets act as first line of defense for Mason Police
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New greenhouse offers home to research plants
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Wake up with a cup of Joe at our favorite local coffee houses
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Dance major Sajen Banister shares her summer internship at the Kennedy Center in Mason makes careers
Fourth estate
Every year when the US News and World Report releases their rankings of the Best Colleges in the country, universities fawn over the numbers as if they had found Regina George’s burn book with a gold star on their page. But this isn’t high school. The ballgame at college is not about rankings and popularity contests; it’s about real results. The US News and World Report compiles rankings based on a wide range of factors, but it is cold and formulaic and just doesn’t seem to capture the beauty and depth of any of the schools on the list. My experience at Mason has nothing to do with retention rates or SAT scores. For me, my time here will be framed by the class that pushed me out of my boundaries, the professor who went out of his way to meet me for coffee and catch up and the sense of home and belonging I feel on the Fairfax campus. But I know that not everyone
will feel that way about Mason, and that’s okay. In fact, I think that’s our best feature. Some are here for the easy access to internships in D.C., others because the commute makes Mason an affordable alternative. I just can’t believe that any of us are here because of a ranked list that fluctuates each year and doesn’t seem to have any lasting value. I’m not trying to undersell Mason’s achievement as number 141 out of 150. Only four Virginia schools made the list, including Virginia Tech, UVA and William and Mary, so I actually consider it to be quite an accomplishment. But there is a big difference between a sense of pride and accomplishment over an award and a sense of validation. I did not need US News and World Report to tell me that I am a student at one of the best universities in the country. On page 14, columnist Nate Falk speaks at length about the pride and joy he felt when he heard that Mason made spot number 141. I’m happy for him, but I have to take offense at his broad association between university pride and a third-party ranking. I’ve never felt like an idiot for enrolling at, or attending, Mason. I’m proud of Mason for being
the youngest four-year university in the state and still managing to keep up with our antique counterparts. I’m proud of Mason for providing a diverse and unique learning environment that feels comfortable. I’m proud of Mason for encouraging student feedback and letting us help shape the school’s future. For those students who need the justification of a report based off of criteria like freshman retention rate, six year graduation rate and class size, I hope you find richness in your college experience beyond statistics. This recognition is not the kind of thing Mason should be striving for. Let’s be honest, no one is ever going to complain over any sort of award or recognition. I’ll take an A in any class, from advanced physics to rudimentary English. But the important part is the take away. Luckily, fancy plaques and banners on the wall don’t seem to be our administration’s focus. I hope to see Mason continue its path to success by the beat of its own drum, complete with a band of middle-aged students, six-year graduation rates and all of our non-traditional statistics.
Why FOURTH ESTATE ? Prior to Broadside, the student newspaper was called The Gunston Ledger. It was changed in 1969 to better represent the politically out-spoken student body at the time. A “broadside” was a pamphlet used during the American Revolutionary War to help spread information. While Broadside has become an important part of life at Mason, we believe it no longer represents the overarching goals of student-run news. Though not specifically outlined like the three branches of government, the concept of a fourth estate referred to journalism and the media as an important tenet in upholding justice and liberty through establishing an informed public. These historic roots coincide with the transforming industry of modern journalism.