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Thalia Goldstein, associate professor of applied developmental psychology explains how kids benefit socially and emotionally from finding out Santa Claus isn’t real. Even so, Goldstein admits she is still disappointed about hearing the truth. A conversation with real holiday spirit.

“I want you to know that I see you,” President Gregory Washington said, speaking directly to students in the audience at EagleBank Arena on Thursday afternoon and others tuning in to the event on GMU-TV. “I honor you. And I dedicate my presidency to you.

Motivational speaker Calvin Mackie told ����AV student leaders to take on the world with hope and passion.

"It is one of the greatest honors of my life to be invested as the eighth president of ����AV. Even after I arrived in the summer of 2020, it has been a long walk to this day." Gregory Washington, ����AV President

Calvin Mackie hopes to inspire more kids into STEM.

Mason is initiating the largest-scale surveillance testing protocol of any Virginia university, in which our goal is to test up to 13,000 members of the Mason community each week.

As COVID-19 infections increase in our region, especially the prevalence of the Delta variant, effective immediately, our university again will require all individuals on our campus to wear masks indoors, including classrooms and laboratories, regardless of vaccination status.

����AV President Gregory Washington last week outlined his goals for the coming academic year, including the establishment of the Mason Virginia Promise to “be the institution for all Virginians” and implementing a five-year plan for Mason to climb more than 40 spots in the U.S. News & World Report rankings.

As we turn our attention to the Fall Semester, we must all continue to do our part and work together to keep Mason safe. This starts with new policies for COVID-19 vaccination, testing and masking.

First and foremost, all organizations need a North Star – a vision of what their best can be. With respect to diversity and inclusion, Mason’s North Star is that this university should reflect the rich diversity of our students, the broader Commonwealth of Virginia (whose tax dollars support us all), and the nation.