Madison Rudolf

Native American and Indigenous Alliance builds awareness and ‘family’ at Mason

Colleen Rich — Fri, 11 Nov 2022 16:46:10 +0000

Native American and Indigenous Alliance builds awareness and ‘family’ at Mason Colleen Rich Fri, 11/11/2022 - 11:46

��AV’s Native American and Indigenous Alliance (NAIA) works each semester to foster a sense of community for Mason’s Native and non-Native students. But the month of November is an especially busy time for this student organization.

That’s because November is National Native American Heritage Month (NAHM), an opportunity to honor the rich ancestry and traditions of Native Americans, past and present.

NAIA’s Spring Retreat to Nanjemoy Creek in Charles County, Maryland, in March 2022. Photo provided

“It’s the reality for many people that they are going to be uneducated about topics like Native American history and culture because the society that we live in perpetuates stereotypes and false histories,” said Domi Hannon, NAIA’s internal president and a senior foreign languages major. “So we are being that welcoming space and allowing anyone to come here and learn about Native American people as an actual people, not just as a stereotype.”

NAIA has filled its November calendar with numerous events, such as attending the dedication of the National Native American Veterans Memorial on the grounds of the National Museum of the American Indian, and holding a beading workshop led by NAIA Secretary Mariko Nojima-Schmunk of the Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians.

The goal is to educate people about Indigenous history but also to “celebrate Indigenous creativity” and have “moments of good times, joy, and family,” Hannon said.

At the start of their general body meeting on Nov. 3—focused on the history of NAHM—members filled their plates with squash, chicken, salad, and other filling foods they made for a dinner together. This, they said, is a tradition they do for anyone who joins their biweekly Thursday meetings.

NAIA members, alongside Yapatoko drum members, at NAIA’s Spring 2022 Powwow on April 23. Photo by Hayley Madl/NAIA

Logan Varker, a graduate student in Mason’s Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution, said he wasn’t aware of NAHM prior to the meeting. Not only has NAIA been helpful with understanding indigeneity, Varker said, but also with his work in his HIST 685 Community Engaged History class taught by Associate Professor Gabrielle Tayac.

Each NAIA event starts with a reading of a land acknowledgement statement, something the group hopes becomes standardized across Mason.

“It’s important to know whose land you’re on and the history of what these Indigenous people had to go through so that these huge buildings could be built,” said Sara Jefferson, NAIA’s external president who is also a junior conflict analysis and resolution major and a member of the Chickahominy Indian Tribe of Charles City County, Virginia.

NAIA is unique, as it’s a group for both the more than 45 Indigenous students on campus this semester and also for allies, Jefferson said. “We find strength in numbers, so having these allies come together to learn and amplify our voices is important.”

To honor LGBTQ+ History Month in October, NAIA collaborated with the LGBTQ+ Resources Center and the Center for Culture, Equity, and Empowerment for a virtual conversation with Two-Spirit Elder Elton Naswood of the Near to the Water People Clan.

Naswood explained that a “two-spirit” is a person who identifies as having both a masculine and a feminine spirit, and is used by some Indigenous tribes to describe their sexual, gender and/or spiritual identity.

“Terms are validating and understanding,” Naswood said. “If we had terms in our Native communities, that means we existed.”

Learn more about NAIA’s events on Instagram at @gmunaia.

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Students

student organizations

Native American Indigenous Alliance

University Day service awardees honored for driving Mason’s progress

Colleen Rich — Thu, 10 Nov 2022 18:10:10 +0000

University Day service awardees honored for driving Mason’s progress Colleen Rich Thu, 11/10/2022 - 13:10

The ��AV community united recently to celebrate colleagues who have served Mason and/or the Commonwealth of Virginia from five to 45 years.

Mason’s annual University Day Service Awards recognized 652 individuals with food, music, mingling, and pictures with Mason President Gregory Washington and the Patriot mascot.

The Nov. 8 “green” event honored those with five, 10 and 15 years of service. The Nov. 9 “gold” event honored those with 20 to 45 years of service.

Glenn Smith (center, green tie) celebrates University Day with College of Visual and Performing Arts colleagues. Photo by Evan Cantwell/Creative Services

“During the 20, the 30, the 40, to even 45 years of service that many of you have been involved with this institution, [Mason] has made some remarkable progress,” Washington said during the Nov. 9 ceremony. “That progress is due to every single person in this room. Your contributions are the reason for our success.”

This rings especially true for the two employees who were celebrating 45 years of service: Glenn Smith, director of theory and composition in the Reva and Sid Dewberry Family School of Music, and Abdulaziz Sachedina, International Institution of Islamic Thought (IIIT) professor and chair of Islamic studies in the Department of Religious Studies.

Smith and Sachedina said they joined Mason because of its potential for growth.

“When I came to Mason, it was so new, and I decided that I was going to do what I could to bring this university into the 21st century,” said Smith, who started at Mason in 1976.

One way he accomplished this was by bringing quantum physics and neuroscience to music, and creating Mason’s music for well-being programs, focused on vibrational healing with sound.

“I teach students energy psychology because everything is in a state of vibration,” Smith said. “If you’re a musician, you’re controlling vibrations, and you’re very powerful. You have to be careful how you use music, so I use it for healing.”

Abdulaziz Sachedina with President Gregory Washington. Photo by Evan Cantwell/Creative Services

Smith created and directs the related music and well-being minor, as well as Mason’s Healing Arts Ensemble, which he founded in 2007 and allows students to apply music healing principles in performance.

Sachedina, who joined Mason in 2012 after teaching at the University of Virginia for 36 years, said Mason allowed him to “see other dimensions of higher education in Virginia” and grow his experience with what is now the largest public research university in the state.

His research and teaching on Islamic studies has expanded to larger issues of humanity, he said.

“My goal is making people aware of the idea of coexistence: that human beings need to learn to live together,” Sachedina said. “I want to see that our humanity shines through in a global society.”

Mason helped him travel to Iran to teach, which was important, he said, because “we need education to be the bridge of connection in the world.”

For both 45-year service awardees, their reasons for staying at Mason are simple: the students.

Students ask some of the best questions, Sachedina said, “and we learn from them as much as we teach them.”

That is why, Sachedina said, he wants to stay in Mason’s classrooms as long as he can.

Smith said that not only does he “get to play music and hear professionally played music every day,” he also gets to “help students grow into professionals in a relatively short period of time.”

President Washington ended his remarks on Nov. 9 by congratulating everyone on their milestones.

“I want to thank you, again, for your many many years of service,” he said. “Go Patriots.”

Topics

Faculty and Staff News

University Day

Dewberry School of Music

College of Humanities and Social Sciences

Students network at annual Communication Career Forum

Colleen Rich — Wed, 02 Nov 2022 14:31:23 +0000

Students network at annual Communication Career Forum Colleen Rich Wed, 11/02/2022 - 10:31

Students attend small group mentoring sessions to gain career advice and network with some of the nation's leading communication professionals during the Communication Career Forum. Photo by Cristian Torres/Strategic Communication

As they scribbled notes and asked questions, ��AV students were an eager audience as they listened to some of the nation's leading communication professionals discuss their career successes, setbacks, and lessons learned.

The Fall 2022 Communication Career Forum, on October 25 at Mason’s Fairfax Campus, focused on helping students break into the industry, and inspiring them to find purpose in their work, said Beth Jannery, journalism director in Mason’s Department of Communication.

“It has definitely diversified how I see communications as a field and what I’m interested in pursuing,” said David Kendrick, a senior communication major who explained that his interest in media production sprang from conversations with mentors from Discovery Communications and the Eaton Creative Group.

Between adjunct professors at Mason who currently work in the industry and events, such as the annual forum, to have that opportunity to meet them, pick their brains, and get connected,” Kendrick said, “there’s a plethora of professionals that are involved at the university, so it’s always great to have that opportunity to meet them, pick their brains, and get connected.”

More than 110 students attended the Communication Department event. Photo by Cristian Torres/Strategic Communications

There were 115 students and 17 mentors at the forum, hosted by Mason’s Department of Communication and its external advisory board, the Insight Committee.

“This forum augments the wisdom that professors provide in their classes with some real-world points of view from these mentors that I think will give Mason students a leg up as they think about what they want to do for their careers,” said Clay McConnell, a Mason adjunct professor who is also senior vice president of corporate communications and marketing at Intelsat and chair of the Insight Committee.

The Insight Committee works each year to invite mentors with a range of skills, strengths, and job experiences, said Julie Murphy, president of Sage Communications and part of the Insight subcommittee that planned the event.

Access to these leading professionals in media relations, journalism, public relations, health/interpersonal communications, and political communications is a benefit of Mason’s location right outside of Washington, D.C., Murphy said.

Mason’s proximity to the nation’s capital was why Savannah Behrmann, BA Communication ’18, a mentor and the Senate correspondent for the National Journal, attended Mason.

“Being able to come back to Mason and pay it forward is so important because if I didn’t have those kinds of people in my life willing to do that for me, I don’t think I would have been able to break into the industry,” Behrmann said. “It was through Mason alumni that I got my first two internships.”

Saana Heikkala, a junior exchange student from the University of Helsinki majoring in cultural studies and minoring in communication, said she was inspired by the two of the mentoring sessions she attended.

The forum, Heikkala said, motivated her to grow her network, work on her LinkedIn presence, and ultimately build opportunities in communication.

The Department of Communication also held a brief scholarship ceremony for senior communication majors Sarah Swift and Katyayani Sharma, and sophomore business major Mathilda Tataw. These students received certificates and met with the faculty and Insight Committee members who helped support the scholarships.

Topics

Students

career-ready graduates

Department of Communication

Alumni

Robin Frey is November Employee of the Month

Colleen Rich — Tue, 01 Nov 2022 18:43:03 +0000

Robin Frey is November Employee of the Month Colleen Rich Tue, 11/01/2022 - 14:43

Robin Frey is known as an innovator. As fitness manager at the Freedom Aquatic and Fitness Center on ��AV’s Science and Technology Campus, Frey oversees the fitness staff, maintains group exercise programming, and teaches cycling, strength, and dance classes.

President Washington with November Employee of the Month Robin Frey. Photo by Evan Cantwell/Creative Services

But she is also the lead trainer and clinical exercise specialist for the Exercise is Medicine (EIM) program, part of a global health initiative managed by the American College of Sports Medicine that she introduced to the Freedom Center in 2018.

Through the program, which focuses on using exercise for chronic disease prevention, management, and rehabilitation, Frey “is truly saving lives,” said Ronald Carmichael, director of administration and operations at the SciTech Campus.

“She works tirelessly to ensure that the fitness program at Freedom is by far the best in the region,” Carmichael said.

For her tireless and innovative work, Frey is November Employee of the Month.

Frey shares the honor with her team, she said, “for if not for their talent, drive, and passion for our cause, we would not be successful.”

Frey said she began researching medical fitness several years ago as a way to address the rising statistics of chronic disease in conjunction with sedentary lifestyles.

With the implementation of the EIM program, “we hired an amazing program manager, Tammy Rowland, and created a hand-selected team of credentialed individuals,” Frey said.

The EIM team works with patients, often referred by clinicians, and implements specialized plans for behavior change, lifestyle education, and clinical exercise prescription based on diagnosis.

“Each client is different, and Robin has built trust and confidence with not only the health care community and fitness professionals but with these patients,” said Michael Wharton, business manager for the Freedom Center.

Frey also led the YMCA Diabetes Prevention Program at the Freedom Center.

Her colleagues applauded her efforts in continually finding new programs for clients, new training opportunities for staff, and maintaining her programs throughout the pandemic.

“Robin’s passion, inspiration and positive attitude in achieving excellence is an exemplary model for our members and of the Freedom Center values,” said Scott Prescott, building engineer for the Freedom Center.

How she got to Mason:

I was referred by a fitness associate who worked at the Freedom Center. I started part-time as an instructor in 2008 and became more involved on the program side in 2010. I introduced several programs, including a challenging weight-loss program that ran successfully for several years and advanced fitness fee-based programs. I began my current role as fitness manager in 2014.

Best day on the job:

Every day. We have a mission to promote health and wellness, and each day brings new opportunities.

What she likes best about working at Mason:

The incredible support of my manager, Olga O’Brien, who believes and trusts in what we do. I am also blessed with a very talented staff.

What she does when he’s not working:

I love being outdoors, cycling, kayaking, going to the beach, spending time with my family, and reading historical and old classic novels.

Topics

Faculty and Staff News

Freedom Center

SciTech Campus

Employee of the Month

Human Resources and Payroll

Off the Clock: Bob Vay, university archivist by day, self-taught guitar builder by night

Lauren Reuscher — Thu, 13 Oct 2022 14:55:27 +0000

Off the Clock: Bob Vay, university archivist by day, self-taught guitar builder by night Lauren Reuscher Thu, 10/13/2022 - 10:55

Life is much more than time spent on the clock. In this series, we highlight the unique hobbies and volunteer activities of Mason's talented faculty and staff.

Bob Vay, university archivist, plays his replica of the iconic "Black Strat" guitar. Photo provided

As the university archivist for University Libraries, Bob Vay collects and maintains ��AV photos and documents from over the years, as well as interviews for the university’s Oral History Program. He started working as an archivist at Mason in 1993. Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Vay has spent his personal time collecting something new: guitar parts.

While scrolling through Instagram one day, Vay said he came across information about do-it-yourself electric guitar kits.

“I took guitar lessons as a youngster,” Vay said. “I wouldn’t say I’m a particularly good guitar player.”

But he said he’s always loved artists like Jimi Hendrix and Led Zeppelin, which is why the DIY electric guitar kits sparked his interest.

Vay soon ordered kits that included precut unfinished wood for the body and neck of the guitar, along with wire, screws, strings and other hardware.

It became a hobby after work, and he made sense of the kits by watching YouTube videos. Through trial and error, “I learned that I really enjoy building guitars,” Vay said. “It’s relaxing.”

Now, Vay has graduated from buying full kits to purchasing parts separately from different online stores, slowly accumulating pieces and then putting guitars together.

While he doesn’t consider himself an expert, “it’s neat being able to finish something and then plug it in and it actually plays,” he said.

For Vay, it takes about four to six weeks to complete one guitar: finding and assembling the parts; sanding, prepping, painting or staining, and lacquering the body; and finally adding the hardware.

The best part, he said, is customizing each guitar. “If I can’t find it anywhere, I make it for myself,” Vay said.

That’s exactly what he did with his replica of the iconic “Black Strat” (black Fender Stratocaster) guitar played by David Gilmour of Pink Floyd.

“It’s legendary, and I wanted to build something that looked and functioned like it,” Vay said.

Vay bought a DIY electric guitar kit, assembled it, and painted the body to match the Black Strat’s style. He finished the replica by purchasing separate hardware similar to the Black Strat’s famed look.

“It’s one of my best ones,” Vay said. “From the day I finished putting in the last bolt, it just sounded beautiful.”

Not every guitar turns out great, Vay said, and they sometimes need to be taken apart to figure out what went wrong. “It’s a process that doesn’t always follow the plan,” he said.

Each guitar he’s chosen to make has been a little more challenging to build and finish than the last, he said. He’s now working on three different guitars, which will eventually join the others he has displayed on his basement wall.

Vay put it simply: “If you want to try a hobby, go for it.”

“You’d be really surprised at how you can discover interesting things that you’ve never thought of before,” he said. “I never thought I’d do this, but now my basement has tons of boxes of half assembled guitar parts.”

Submit a Nomination for Off the Clock

Learn more about Mason's Oral History Program

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Faculty and Staff News

Off the Clock

University Libraries

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Faculty and Staff News

Off the Clock

University Libraries

Jeanne Medford is October Employee of the Month

Colleen Rich — Thu, 06 Oct 2022 14:14:49 +0000

Jeanne Medford is October Employee of the Month Colleen Rich Thu, 10/06/2022 - 10:14

President Gregory Washington poses with October Employee of the Month Jeanne Medford. Photo by Cristian Torres/Strategic Communications

One of the primary things Jeanne Medford is known for is her unmatched work ethic.

The director of business and financial services for ��AV Athletics, Medford always wants to make sure the job is done right, said CJ Minteer, Mason’s equipment manager.

“Jeanne is always the first one in and the last one out,” Minteer said. “This woman bleeds green and gold.”

For her dedication to Athletics and Mason’s student-athletes, Medford is October Employee of the Month.

“It’s a great honor,” said Medford, who graduated from Mason with a BS in accounting in 1982 and has worked full-time at the university for 40 years, supporting all business services.

Medford said her biggest strength is her institutional knowledge of the Fairfax Campus and Athletics.

“It’s the nature of the job in business and financial services,” Medford said. “Everything revolves around money, so I get to meet and know a lot of people.”

When Medford’s not in her office, she’s most likely at a game or event and serving as one of Mason's biggest fans, she said.

“I just truly love working here,” Medford said.

“She has given everything she has to this university, and she will continue to do so till the day she leaves,” Minteer said. “She has given me a new outlook on truly loving what you do every day.”

Medford’s colleagues applauded her kindness, thoughtfulness, and willingness to help others.

“Jeanne's enthusiasm to see that everyone she works with not only succeeds but also attains the highest level of professionalism and respect is the pride of the department,” said Meghan McVay, administrative assistant for women’s basketball.

“Jeanne Medford,” McVay added, “is the definition of a team player.”

How she got to Mason:

I’ve lived in Fairfax since the early 1960s. I started working for Athletics as a work-study student during the summer of 1978 and was hired as a full-time assistant business manager after graduating. I’ve worked my way up to my current position of director of business and financial services for Athletics.

Best day on the job:

My best days are at the end of the season when our Athletic teams make the league championships. Those are always really good days. That’s what we strive for.

What she likes best about working at Mason:

I love being a part of Athletics and supporting the student-athletes, the coaching staff, and the administration. I’m a sports fanatic, so I try to go to all of Mason’s athletic events.

What she does when he’s not working:

One of my biggest hobbies is watching sports, especially baseball and the New York Yankees. I also love cross stitching and doing puzzles.

Topics

Faculty and Staff News

Employee of the Month

Human Resources and Payroll

Athletics

Fall Career Fair helps students get their ‘foot in the door’

Colleen Rich — Wed, 05 Oct 2022 14:28:48 +0000

Fall Career Fair helps students get their ‘foot in the door’ Colleen Rich Wed, 10/05/2022 - 10:28

More than 240 employers came to Mason's Fall Career Fair to recruit for internships, part-time jobs, and full-time positions, with start dates ranging from now through next summer. Photo by Cristian Torres/Strategic Communications

Thousands of ��AV students and alumni weaved through numerous employer tables lined up around the lower level of the Johnson Center eager to find job opportunities at the Fall Career Fair.

“I’m definitely looking to get my foot in the door with an internship starting this year,” said Lindsay Dombroff, a junior majoring in criminology, law, and society who was able to talk with recruiters from the National Security Agency.

The Fall Career Fair, on September 28 and 29, included more than 240 employers promoting internships, part-time jobs, and full-time positions, with start dates ranging from now through next summer.

“My career field is so broad, and there’s so many things I could do,” Dombroff said.

The Fall Career Fair brought in 3,000+ students across both days. Photo by Cristian Torres/Strategic Communications

The career fair, she said, “definitely helps narrow down my choices and puts me in a specific direction of where I want to go.”

The annual event brought in 3,178 students across both days, said Saskia Campbell, executive director of University Career Services.

“A lot of employers are starting their recruiting and hiring earlier and earlier,” Campbell said. “We want students to start early in doing their research and learning about the career opportunities and options that are out there.”

Abhijeet Ghadge, who’s pursuing a master’s degree in computer science, went specifically to talk with Amazon Web Services and Yahoo about full-time software development positions, for which, he said, he will now apply.

It was helpful for Ghadge to talk one-on-one with recruiters and learn what preparations he needs to make to get the job he wants, he said.

Many of the employers had Mason alumni representing their company, including Capital One, Baker Concrete Construction, and Allan Myers.

Jennifer LoGiurato-Rider, campus recruiter for Allan Myers, attended the fair with Mason alum and Allan Myers Project Engineer Kassi Zeigler, BS Management ’20, and said they had already invited a few students to the next step in their application process.

Other employers had current Mason students helping with recruitment.

Asia Thomas, a senior business major, said she has held several internships with the U.S. Government Accountability Office and will start another with the agency in a few weeks. She stood behind the employer table, meeting with fellow students and telling them about interning at the government office.

“We want Mason students because we’re in the area in D.C., so we want to stay local,” Thomas said, highlighting one of the benefits of Mason being in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan region.

Some employers that are part of Mason’s on-campus interview program are looking to fill interviews scheduled for later this semester, Campbell said. Students can find positions and interview schedules in Handshake, a portal that connects students and employers.

That way, Campbell said, “You don’t have to wonder how serious they are, when they are going to hire, or how long it is going to take. These employers are ready to act and expedite moving students to the interview phase.”

For many, the Fall Career Fair has been a key step in planning for the future.

Topics

Campus News

University Career Services

career-ready graduates

Alumni

University Life

The ‘superheroes’ leading Mason’s tour experience

Colleen Rich — Mon, 19 Sep 2022 16:49:00 +0000

The ‘superheroes’ leading Mason’s tour experience Colleen Rich Mon, 09/19/2022 - 12:49

Tour season is year-round at ��AV, with sessions offered Monday through Saturday, twice a day, every week. The people that help make this happen are the Mason Ambassadors: Mason’s student-volunteer tour guides.

Mason Ambassadors. Photo by Cristian Torres/Strategic Communications

“The Ambassadors are like mini superheroes,” said Carla Goodwin, assistant director of undergraduate admissions and advisor to Mason Ambassadors.

In addition to leading tours for prospective students, visitors, and new Mason employees, Ambassadors participate in and represent Mason’s student population at admission events, student panels, webinars, and photoshoots.

“What's unique about these tours given by current students is that they provide that sentimental and emotional piece about Mason,” Goodwin said. “It’s nice to see what Mason really means to the current students and how it makes a difference for them.”

For Sam Harrison, Mason Ambassadors president and a senior majoring in community health, “college was all about getting comfortable with being uncomfortable,” she said. “In high school, I had a big fear of public speaking, so I joined Mason Ambassadors in 2019 to really improve my communication and interpersonal skills.”

Mason Ambassador Mario Belenfante joined the team as a way to get involved and make connections. Photo by Cristian Torres/Strategic Communications

Ambassadors undergo an application and interview process. Upon acceptance, they go through training, including workshops with offices such as Career Services and Student Success Coaching for individualized academic and professional development.

Every spring, Goodwin said she teaches a one-credit course, called “UNIV 333: Peer Leadership—Mason Ambassadors,” to help Ambassadors get acquainted with various student support services, such as the LGBTQ+ Resources Center and the Office of International Programs and Services.

The training has practical applications for the Ambassadors as well.

Navigating Mason’s various resources and large campus can be overwhelming, Harrison said. And the training makes one comfortable with accessing Mason’s numerous offices and sharing that important information on the tours.

Mario Belenfante, vice president of visits for Mason Ambassadors, said he joined the team as a way to get involved, make connections, and build valuable experience for his communication major.

“I always tell people at the end of my tours that I hope I can make Mason feel like an inclusive, safe place and make Mason feel like home for them,” said Belenfante, who led 78 tours in the Spring 2022 semester.

“Seeing the students that I've given tours to end up at Mason just makes what I'm doing 10 times better,” he said.

Tours are ever-changing, as the Ambassadors work to tailor the experience to students with different interests and as new features are added to the Fairfax Campus.

On-campus visits consist of a 30-minute information session with an admissions staff member, followed by an Ambassador-led campus tour or a self-guided walking tour.

Mason also offers virtual options, including virtual information sessions hosted by an admissions counselor, virtual guided tours led by Mason Ambassadors, and an independent virtual tour that’s accessible any time on the university website.

These virtual options remain important, Goodwin said, as they make tours accessible to underrepresented students and those that may not have the financial means to travel or take time off work.

Due to rising interest in on-campus visits, Goodwin said the goal is to recruit 100 new Mason Ambassadors during this semester.

Students can apply here by September 24.

Topics

Students

Admissions

Mason Ambassadors

Meet the Mason Nation: Jeanne Medford

Lauren Reuscher — Thu, 15 Sep 2022 13:26:49 +0000

Meet the Mason Nation: Jeanne Medford Lauren Reuscher Thu, 09/15/2022 - 09:26

Jeanne Medford, Director of Business and Financial Services, Mason Athletics

Jeanne Medford. Photo by: Ron Aira/Creative Services/��AV

Jeanne Medford has worked with Mason Athletics for 40 years, and her job gives her a chance to do something she loves everyday—help Mason's student athletes and coaching staff. An avid sports fan, she always makes time to attend Mason sports events, cheering on Mason's student athletes.

How did you get to Mason?

I’ve lived in Fairfax since the early 1960s, so I’ve known about ��AV for a long time. I graduated from Mason in 1982, earning an undergraduate degree in business with a concentration in accounting. I started working for ��AV Athletics as a work-study student during the summer of 1978 and was hired as a full-time assistant business manager after graduating. I’ve worked my way up to my current position of director of business and financial services for Athletics, and I’m now celebrating 40 years of employment at Mason!

What is the best thing about your job at Mason?

I love being a part of Athletics and supporting the athletes. I’m a sports fanatic, so when I saw the job as a student many years ago, I thought “Wow, how much better can that be, getting to work in sports every day!” I enjoy taking care of the athletes, the coaching staff, and the administration. That’s why I try to go to all the sports games or events at Mason.

Were you a student-athlete at Mason?

I wasn’t a student-athlete at Mason, but I participated in track and swimming at Bishop O’Connell High School in Arlington, Virginia. I was on the first girls track team at Bishop O’Connell, and I also competed in swimming all four years of high school.

Do you have a favorite memory of your time at Mason?

The 2006 Final Four run by Mason’s men’s basketball team. I have a banner for it in my office. Nothing else can ever measure up to that. It was just amazing.

What has been your proudest accomplishment?

At Mason, I’m most proud of my role in taking care of people and preparing them to be able to do their job. It’s important that we help by nurturing and teaching them. Whatever I can do to support our staff and students, that’s what I’m here for.

Jeanne Medford, Mason Athletics. Photo provided.

What are some of your hobbies outside of work?

My biggest hobby is watching sports, especially baseball. Anyone who knows me knows that I’m a huge New York Yankees fan. My office is decked out in Yankees memorabilia. But, my first priority is spending time with my daughter, son-in-law, and my four grandbabies. They are my pride and joy.

What was the best vacation you ever took?

I went to Alaska many years ago. My brother was in the Air Force and stationed in Anchorage, Alaska, and my family visited him for two weeks one summer. We stayed on base and my sister-in-law planned a variety of activities, including visiting Denali National Park. I’ll never forget it. I also loved visiting Grand Canyon National Park. You have to see these places in person—you just can’t describe them.

When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?

One dream I had was to become a teacher. In a way, I kind of am through my work supporting our athletes and coaching staff in Athletics.

Topics

Faculty and Staff News

Meet the Mason Nation

Athletics

Mason Athletics

Alumni

Film festival explores ‘the way of life’ in various Spanish-speaking countries

Colleen Rich — Wed, 07 Sep 2022 17:12:48 +0000

Film festival explores ‘the way of life’ in various Spanish-speaking countries Colleen Rich Wed, 09/07/2022 - 13:12

In an effort to expose students to some of the social and political problems of the vast Spanish-speaking world, ��AV’s Department of Modern and Classical Languages is hosting a Spanish Film Festival that is free and open to the public.

The festival, ongoing through November 2 and coinciding with Spanish Heritage Month, features five films. Javier Avilés, assistant professor and the festival’s organizer, selected the films with the support of some of his colleagues in the department, and specifically the Spanish Program.

“I picked five films to help students better understand some of the challenges, the way of life, and the diversity within the Spanish-speaking world,” said Avilés, who is at Mason as a Spanish lecturer of the Spanish Agency of International Cooperation and Development (MAEC-AECID) under the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation

Avilés said he and the department selected films featuring a range of different places, such as Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and Southern California, to reflect the growing diversity of Spanish-speaking students and professors at Mason.

“What excites me the most about this festival is the representation,” said Fabi Rosales, a freshman computer science major who was born in Puerto Rico and is half Mexican. “Anytime there's a movie that takes place in a Spanish-speaking country, the characters are usually either on vacation or it's a paradise. But we are more than our beaches. We are our own people with our own struggles and stories.”

Rosales said she plans to see all the films, but she’s most interested in two: “Adriana's Pact,” in which the director, Lissette Orozco, tells the story of her aunt who is accused of belonging to the secret police during Augusto Pinochet’s military dictatorship in Chile; and “Here and There,” written and directed by Antonio Méndez Esparza, about the return of a Mexican migrant to his hometown after working in the United States.

Thanks to the support of Pragda, a distributor for the newest Latin American, Spanish, and Latinx cinema, Avilés reviewed more than 100 films that he said would otherwise be difficult to obtain for viewing. It was important, he said, that the chosen films were those students could connect with and would prompt educational conversations.

For example, “Vicenta,” a film concerning the right to abortion in Argentina, was chosen in part because “it is a subject that is also in debate in American society right now,” Avilés said.

The other goal of the festival is to show students a different way of producing films as art.

“It’s very difficult to get access to these kinds of movies from other countries,” Avilés said. “This festival can give students a different perspective on cinema and how stories can be told.”

Noah White, a sophomore majoring in special education and minoring in Spanish, said he’s attending the festival to improve his Spanish language proficiency and be introduced to different cultures, but also to get a glimpse of different film techniques.

This festival was organized once before by Professors Esperanza Roman-Mendoza and Lisa Rabin in 2015. The contributions of Pragda, as well as SPAIN arts & culture, a program that promotes Spanish culture in the United States, have made this second Spanish Film Festival possible, Avilés said.

Some professors in Mason’s Spanish Program are offering their students extra credit for attending, Avilés said.

For more information about the festival, visit here.

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