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Ending on a high note!
on December 5, 2012 by masonthroughamagnifyingglass in Uncategorized, Comments (2)
The best view of Mason’s campus is not shown in school catalogues, nor does it come from the observatory building. Rather, it comes from the roof of the most frequented building on campus: The Johnson Center. Last year during finals, our very own Rose was feeling the college-student-stress so she and a few friends decided to take a much needed break from the books. That’s when Rose’s R.A. friend (who will remain unnamed) offered to show the group his favorite spot atop the JC’s roof. Rose and her friends jumped at the opportunity. They discreetly moved about the JC until arriving at the specific elevator needed for roof access. Rose recounts the experience, saying, “We saw all of campus in a completely new way. The buildings looked so short in comparison to the JC and all the people below looked so small. It was incredible!”
Do you consider yourself “daredevil” enough to reach the roof of the JC? Here are the directions:
Find the elevators closest to the Center for the Arts. Go into the left elevator. There is a button labeled ‘P’. This will bring you to an attic area. Then find any door and it will bring you onto the roof. Make sure you put a block in the doorway, to avoid being locked out!
Finally… as promised here is some information about the ‘Secret Tunnel’ so that you can have another exciting and investigative adventure!
Quick directions: grab your flashlights and notebooks and head to the old part of campus! Pick one of two buildings: Finley or West, and head directly to the basement. Now comes the fun part. Search around the lowest level until you find the doorway to the tunnel’s secret entrance. And there you have it!
These directions are pretty vague and we are 100% aware of this, so let us know if you figure it out! What fun is an investigative and journalistic adventure if you know all the little details?
So, readers, this is it. We’re sad to say our time with COMM303 is up. But don’t fret just yet! Though this is our last required entry for class, a true sleuth’s magnifying glass does not go unused for long.
Thanks for playing,
R&Z
Ghosts at Mason?
on November 20, 2012 by masonthroughamagnifyingglass in Uncategorized, Comments (1)
As we trudge quickly through the fall season here at Mason, the liveliness of our campus and its students is hard to overlook. However, the non-living aspects of GMU are invisible as ghosts. Speaking of, we at Mason Through A Magnifying Glass feel the need to inform readers about the supernatural happenings on campus. The haunted locations come two-fold: The Fenwick Library and Mason Pond.
First, The Fenwick Library, known for its stacks of books and fourth floor sexcapades has also been rumored to house a few ghosts or two during late night hours. Your faithful bloggers went to investigate! Around 9 o’clock at night we explored the dark, deserted fourth floor of Fenwick. After some expert googling, we found that a few students reported feeling a “supernatural presence” late at night. Though our trusty Iphone app “Ghost Radar Classic” which documents presence of supernatural activity noticed some blips, but nothing crazy happened.
Second, Mason Pond has been documented to have some other-worldly activity. As Tara Laskowski, a former GMU student, mentioned in her 2004 Mason ghost stories article, the spirit of “Old Man Johnson” is said to lurk the lands around Mason Pond in the early mornings. According to legend, Old Man Johnson was a rower married in the 1970’s. After the news of his wife’s infidelity, he went right to the pond and rowed and rowed and rowed and never came back. Sources say that his presence is rare, but he usually appears to young women crossing by the pond. During investigation, our very own Rose experienced quite the fright. Out of the corner of her eye, Rose thought she say a man, let out a shrill scream, and then quickly realized the object of her terror was, in fact, a tree.
While our investigations didn’t quite collect horrific, jaw-dropping results, we entice everyone to go out and investigate supernatural happenings around campus. At the very least, you’ll have a fun time in the fresh air.
Till next time,
R&Z
Hide your Meinbowl, hide your money…
on October 10, 2012 by masonthroughamagnifyingglass in Uncategorized, Comments (1)
As with every college campus, Mason has its own fair share of student pseudo-celebrities. Today’s superstar: The JC Food Bandit. This elusive lady has been known to roam the Johnson Center in search of food, taking it however and whenever she can. Spotted by many, this petty criminal has been observed stealing food from students and even attempting to dupe cashiers by partially eating meals while waiting in line, moneyless, at the registers. Our very own Rose has personally encountered The JC Food Bandit. This campus celebrity pledged Rose’s fraternity three times. Ironically, after pledging in the fall of 2010, the JCFB managed to attend every fraternity event except for the “JC Lunch Social.” Perhaps she feared the reveal of her secret identity at her food-pilfering hot spot?
Given Rose’s wealth of friends and connections at Mason, she was able to track down a victim of the JCFB. In order to protect said friend’s identity, he will be referred to as “Bob.” Bob’s bandit encounter occurred on an average school day. He and his friends decided to make a quick stop for lunch at the JC. After purchasing a bag of Chex Mix, the group claimed a table. Bob recounts, “This girl came wandering by and asked if she could join us. I told her she could. This was my first mistake. After a minute of her silently staring at us, I remembered that I needed to buy a scantron; mistake number 2. While I was in the bookstore, one of my friends texted me, ‘Bob, this chick is eating all of your Chex Mix!’ As I returned to the table, my bag was opened and eaten from. Minutes later, she asked if she could have it. I replied, ‘Take whatever you haven’t finished eating already.’ She then scarfed it down as if she had never eaten before. Next, she asked for my friend’s meal and even tried sipping his smoothie. I was silent the entire time. I had been a victim of the Food Bandit. When she was finished with us, she moved to another table and ate a guy’s calzone. I wanted to stop her, but I couldn’t find the words. When it comes to the Food Bandit, it’s every man for himself.”
Unfortunately, Bob’s story is not unique. Many a Mason student has had an uncomfortable encounter with the JCFB, and her quest for free food does not appear to be slowing anytime soon. While the bandit has been a real-life Bigfoot at GMU for years, reports of a new JC beggar have surfaced this past week. Coined “The Dollar Digger,” (by your very own blogsters) this young woman has been reported to stand at the front of the Johnson Center, asking students for a single dollar. Not much is known about the JC’s latest celebrity, but if you have any information about the Dollar Digger, contact us!
Till next time,
R&Z
Fenwick Library isn’t just for studying…
on September 25, 2012 by masonthroughamagnifyingglass in Uncategorized, Comments (0)
Many of y’all have heard about the ‘Mile-High Club’ in which membership is gained by doing the dirty on an airplane while flying thousands of miles above society. Unbeknownst to most students, George Mason University has a similar club. But this scandalous society known as ‘The Fenwick Club’ does not gain members on airplanes, but in library study rooms.
Rumors of ‘The Fenwick Club’ have been running rampant for years, but we decided to investigate in order to put all rumors to rest for this week’s blog entry. The time has come, the walrus said, to separate fact from fiction: Is the ‘Fenwick Club’ real?
Short answer: Yes it is. After some investigative journalism and an interview with Rose’s pal Daniel, a seasoned student who has been at Mason since the fall of 2007, the ‘myth’ of ‘The Fenwick Club’ proved to be true. When talking with Daniel, he first commented, “Everybody knows that if you are going to the 4th floor of Fenwick you’re going to have sex.” He went on to explain that the small study rooms on Fenwick’s fourth floor, featuring tiny windows at the top of their doors, are where students have been known to join the club.
Daniel, though not a member of the club himself, had a roommate who added his tally to The Fenwick Club Chart during their freshman year. After completion of their “membership,” students add a tally mark to the list written on one of the study room walls. Additionally, students write, “Fenwick Club Member” along with the date joined. This photo was taken in a fourth floor study room in Fenwick:
Given the quality of penmanship, it may be difficult to decipher. But, the note reads, “Hi people. What does it mean to be in the Fenwick Club?” And a clever fellow responded, “It means the stains on the chairs are suspect.”
Till next time, R&Z.
Bonded By Blogging: Meet Zach and Rose
on September 7, 2012 by masonthroughamagnifyingglass in Uncategorized, Comments (0)
Hey y’all,
Welcome to our blog, Mason Through a Magnifying Glass. This semester, we plan to expose the myths, mysteries, and mayhem across Mason. Do you think you know all the triple m’s we could be mentioning? Probably not! Let’s preview: Ever been a victim of the JC Food bandit? Felt a supernatural presence in campus buildings? Stumbled into a secret underground tunnel? Well, even if you haven’t, you’re going to hear about these and more on Mason’s most unique and uncovered happenings. Stay tuned for our updates on your campus’ latest and greatest exposés.
But it would be rude of us not to formally introduce ourselves before we begin:
Meet Rose:
An extremely indecisive, crazy and enerjetic 20-year old, NOVA native, Mason junior who is majoring in Media Communication and Global Economics, with a minor in Sports Communication. Rose is active in Mason’s community by being a part of the Salsa Club and the campus’s community service fraternity, Alpha Phi Omega. She is also active off campus as a ballet/tap instructor to middle-schoolers, a gymnastics coach to preschoolers, and a soccer coach to a 5th grade all girls team. For the future Rose hopes to keep her hectic life of children and community service continuing through grad school, and let life decide where to go onto from there.
Meet Zach:
A 20-year-old Plymouth, MA native, Zach is currently a junior Political and Persuasive Communication major. Working on a double minor in electronic journalism and gender studies, Zach balances his course work with extra curricular involvement on GMU’s nationally ranked Forensics Team. A lover of performance, research, and writing, Zach is unsure of his future career plans but knows that grad school is on the horizon. When not schooling or forensicating, Zach enjoys food, friends, and spontaneous adventure.
Till next time,
Zach and Rose