If I were in a relationship with George Mason University, I’d consider breaking up.
Yes, I love Mason and we’ve been together for two and a half years now, but something is lacking. The most important factor in any relationship, whether it is romantic, platonic or professional, is communication and Mason and I just can’t seem to get on the same level.
Both as an editor at the newspaper and a student, I often feel as though I’m out of touch with what goes on at the Fairfax campus, not to mention the comings and goings of Prince William and Arlington.
I cannot even count the number of times I have heard music blasting from the Johnson Center, only to stumble upon a huge event that I had not heard even a whisper of.
If it’s difficult for me, I can’t even begin to think how commuter and off-campus students feel. The worst is when I get an email time-stamped after the start time of an event or past the deadline for an internship. Thanks for the descriptive paragraph that piques my interest for something that no longer exists, Mason.
As the new editor-in-chief of the student newspaper, the problems in this relationship have seeped out of my personal interests and into my professional ones, as we at Broadside struggle to keep up with a community that can barely keep up with itself.
I completely understand where the problem lies and how hard it is to fix. Mason is suffering from the gangly, acne-prone, bad haircut awkward phase we all went through in our early teen years.
As a young university with large growing pains, it must be difficult for the administration to handle a constantly growing student body stretched out over three campuses.
But the main responsibility does not lie with paid faculty and staff. Student clubs and organizations are equally challenged in communicating with the student body, not excluding student media itself.
There is no easy way to solve it all, but in my new role with the newspaper I would like to do what I can to help. The best way I can do that is to be in touch with you, the student body. Everyone has a story and we want to hear yours.
So send me an email and tell me about a class that has changed your perceptions and interests, how your job as a nude model in the art department is helping you pay for school or an event you’re hosting that deserves some recognition.
I can’t promise that we have the space to print everything, but I am willing to listen and learn more about what makes our campus tick.
I look forward to my last year and a half at school for positive change in my relationship status with Mason, and I hope I have you all to help me do it.
Colleen Wilson
Editor-in-Chief
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