The Communicator_Final PDF

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Letter from the editors
To the reader,
First of all, thank you. It is for you and because of you that we have devoted countless
hours writing, conceptualizing, editing, revising, and formatting the publication you now hold in
your two hands. Without you, these words would mean nothing, so thank you for letting us share
them.
The goal of The Communicator is to showcase what a tremendous Communication de-
partment we have here at George Mason University. From scholars teaching literature, to inmates,
to alumni working alongside their childhood heroes, to students studying their asses off to prove
their hometowns wrong; this department has something special to it. There is a connection, a uni-
ty, a drive for moving forward and a complete dissatisfaction with the status quo, and we believe
the stories found for you here depict that vitality quite well.
For this years issue, we selected a theme that reflects that interconnectedness, as well as
this years Career symposium, put on by the department’s Insight Committee. Aaron Sherinian,
Vice President of Communications and Public Relations for the United Nations and the event’s
keynote speaker said it best, “Everything has changed.” The way the world networks is different
now. We are a world constantly posting, liking, sharing, and tweeting our lives to one another
and it has flipped the communication landscape on its head. We are living in a global community
where all things have become social and this department is leading the charge in finding out what
exactly those changes will mean in the coming years. We invite you, through these stories, to see
how.
Your editors,
@ClaireGoodwin
@KeatonMaddox

Keaton Maddox
Editor
Spring 2015 Graduate
Communication Major
Concentration in Public Relations
Minors in English and Philosophy
Lived in Austin, Dallas, Jacksonville, Fairfax, and Tokyo
Fun Fact: I write poetry honing the aesthetics of mistranslated Japanese.
Moving to New York to work in publishing or moving to Santiago to work
with my hands.
#teamCOMMUNICATOR
Claire Goodwin
Editor
Fall 2014 Graduate
Communication Major
Lived in Great Falls, Virginia
Fun Fact: I spent my freshman year at the University of Navarre (Pamplo-
na, Spain) in an immersion program for international students. Turning
my current part time job as Marketing Coordinator at an Environmental
Consulting firm into a full-time job.
Christen Roberts
Layout Editor
Spring 2015 Graduate
Communication Major
Minors in Journalism and Events Management
From Chesapeake, Virginia
Fun Fact: As a military brat, I lived in Iceland for four years as a kid. I am
obsessed with all things fashion and entertainment and hope to pursue a
carreer in New York City post graduation.
Alain Le
Layout Editor/ Co-Cover Editor
Fall 2014 Graduate
Communication Major
Concentration in Interpersonal Communication
Lives in Falls Church, Virginia
Fun Fact: I co-founded a production company called Farmer Pig Produc-
tions, specializing in independent films. I intend to land a desk job, while
continuing to film on the weekends.
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@maddox_keaton
@C0SM0_girl
@Beargoodies
@AlainLe399

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Brooke Gurnick
Feature Editor
Fall 2014 Graduate
Communication Major
Born and raised in Chantilly and Fairfax, Virginia
Fun Fact: I love hiking and being outdoors. I plan to intern at a PR
firm in D.C after graduating.
Lamia Jereen
Feature Editor
Fall 2015 Graduate
Communication Major
Born and raised in Alexandria, Virginia
Hanyang (Phil) Xu
Cover Editor
Fall 2014 Graduate
Communication Major
Minor in Business
Born in Arizona and raised in China until the age of four. I returned
to the US and spent the rest of my childhood Northern Virginia.
Fun Fact: I love giving speeches and I have perfect pitch.
Jawando Clarke
Details Editor
Fall 2015 Graduate
Communication Major
Minors in Tourism and Events Management
Currently resides in Fairfax, Virginia
Fun Fact: I aspire to co-own a public relations entertainment firm one
day.
@BrookeGurnick
@WHERESCLARKE

Five Things Every Senior and Recent Grad
Should Know
by Claire Goodwin
As a last semester Communication senior, struggling with the
stress of trying to find a job in today’s highly competitive and tu-
multuous work force I thought the best use of this space would be to
find some useful advice from someone who has “made it.” Although
it might be a little too late for you to bring up your GPA it is never
too late to make yourself presentable and take advantage of the social
world in which we live.
Once I’d decided to find someone to give advice to all my
fellow anxious seniors or all you bewildered recent graduates, the
question became, “who?” Who is successful but young enough they
can relate to? Who is someone that has used social media and com-
munications to their advantage? Is there anyone out there that had a
solid resume, nothing insanely unique, and still got a good job? Al-
most instantly I recalled one of my first public relations (PR) classes
in which a recent George Mason University graduate came to speak
to the class on the current PR work force.
Chloe Kingsley-Burt graduated from George Mason University in 2013 with a Bachelor of
Science in Marketing and a Bachelor of the Arts in Communication with honors. After working at
Hill & Knowlton (arguably one of the best international PR firms in the world) for a year, King-
sley-Burt started her own business, Kingsley-Burt Consulting. The firm not only contracts with
other firms but also has its own clients. Kingsley-Burt says, “It’s going great! Probably won’t want
to work for myself forever, but certainly a great experience for now.” She is the manager for two of
her largest clients; she is the Marketing Manager at BroadAspect, and an Associate Public Affairs
Manager at The 316 Group.
I thought Kingsley-Burt was just the person to give us advice on how to prepare for the
ever approaching “real world.” I asked her to give me five pieces of advice that every recent grad or
soon to graduate student should know. Although we can’t prevent the “real world” from coming,
these are a few ways we can begin to prepare and ensure a successful transition into the workforce.
Kingsley-Burt obviously did something right and she believes these five simple steps will take you
a long way in the workforce.
Kingsley-Burt says that first and foremost, “get your online house in order.” She stresses
the fact that employers will Google you. If you don’t look good in a search employers and gradu-
ate schools will take that into consideration. You may be wondering, “what the heck is my online
house and how do I get it organized?”
Your online house is all your social media. Kingsley-Burt says it is crucial to delete any
inappropriate pictures, or materials you have on any of your accounts. In addition to cleaning up
your profiles, start using them! Kingsley-Burt explains that a lot of employers look to our genera-
tion to take over their social media accounts. She explains, “working on social media is something
that you’ll be expected to do in almost any agency, whether it’s drafting posts or running analytics.
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The best practice is to do those things for yourself. Employers may also gauge how well you can
use social media by how active you are.” Kingsley-Burt says that LinkedIn is something you should
have gotten… yesterday. “Have a clean, professional profile with connections, jobs and descrip-
tions, recommendations, and endorsements BEFORE you start looking for a job.”
Building off of her advice about using your profiles, Kingsley-Burt argues, “a dead Twitter
profile is far worse than none at all. Tweet about the news, innovations in PR, etc., and don’t be
afraid to find your own voice.” She found Twitter to be useful not only as a sharing tool but as an
interview prep tool. She told me a really cool story about the morning of her interview with Hill
& Knowlton. Before the interview she checked them out on Twitter and found an article by one
of their executives. In order to appear informed Kingsley-Burt brought up the article in her inter-
view. She explains, “As it happened, I was the only one in the room who knew about the article. I
was able to give a brief synopsis and my take on what he said. My interviewers were impressed. Af-
ter I was at Hill & Knowlton, one of them mentioned
that I’d done this to the President of the U.S. region.”
Kingsley-Burt can’t stress enough how im-
portant it is to be informed, especially in the field
of communication. She recommends taking a few
minutes every morning to read the headlines and a
couple of articles. “You don’t need to have a perfect
understanding of every issue that’s out there at any
given time, but it is important to know what’s going
on in the world.”
“My time as a student was immeasurably
changed by the fact that I got to know my professors.
It meant that I had sponsors and mentors every step
of the way, and they were often the ones who con-
nected me to potential employers.” Kingsley-Burt
gave an impressive example about how one of her
professors asked her to be the student representa-
tive for a George Mason Communication Insight
Committee. The Insight Committee was made up of leading professionals in the communication
world. It was in this committee meeting she met, Chad Tragakis, the Chief Talent Officer for Hill
& Knowlton, who encouraged her to apply for a fellowship.
Although she says the relationships you make while in school are important she encour-
ages maintaining those relationships after graduation. “I still keep up with many of my professors,
and they are some of my most valued mentors.”
While at Hill & Knowlton, Kingsley-Burt often talked with Mason students who were
considering the public relations industry. “I was able to edit resumes and give advice, and put in
a good word where I could. You never know who is going to be the most helpful person to your
career search. Stay in touch with folks!”
These five pieces of advice may seem basic but if you actually follow them you are going to
be much more likely to land a job. Kingsley-Burt has learned how to work the system. She utilizes
her networks, online and in person, and it is no doubt that it has played a crucial role in her suc-
cess. Kingsley-Burt made it and so can you….

The Music Behind the Sound
by Keaton Maddox
It is 3:00pm at the 9:30 Club in Washington D.C.
and George Mason University sophomore Kristen
Lafleche is sitting outside along the concrete wall. The
doors for the show won’t open for another four hours,
but that’s fine by her. Standing at the front of the line
six and a half hours before alt-J goes on, is half of why
she’s here. For her, if she’s not front row, if she can’t see
the faces and emotions of those creating the sound, it’s
not as real. And every now and then, patience has oth-
er benefits. Something marvelous is about to happen.
The band’s tour bus is parked by the curb, right
in front of where Lafleche is sitting. The band members are walking to and from the venue as they
set up. Lafleche, not wanting to disturb or appear to be a stalker, remains quiet by the wall. But
then Tom, alt-J’s drummer, does a double take on his way into the bus. It is a particularly hot day
and he asks if she would like something to drink. She kindly passes, but he insists. Within mo-
ments, her surroundings are transformed from a lowly concrete sidewalk to inside the tour bus
of one of her favorite bands. On top of that, she is talking to the drummer about the difficulty of
living up to the band’s highly acclaimed first album with their next record. He tells her how he
appreciates people who care about the band as much as they do the music.
Lafleche, now a Junior, is exactly that type of person. She cares more about watching music
than she does listening to it.
“When I was in high school, instead of listening to iTunes, I would sit on YouTube and
watch session videos. I started out with Tiny Desk Sessions and then found other little indie off-
spring. I always enjoyed them because you get to see the emotion and see the talent, rather than
just hearing it. It brings out a whole different experience.”
A year later, this drive led her to create The Mason Jar, a weekly broadcast produced
through Mason’s radio affiliate, WGMU. It airs every Tuesday from 1pm-2pm. The show features
local artists from everywhere in the country, however, mostly the East coast. But The Mason Jar
is more than your typical radio show. It also includes a live component. Lafleche brings in local
bands to perform and be filmed on campus. The videos are then released on the band’s YouTube
channel. Despite the show only being a few months old, one of the show’s first videos of the band
Concord, from Blacksburg, Virginia already has over 1,000 views.
In the vein of a take away show, Lafleche hopes to expand to include a busker edition as
well. Busking is a form of musical street performing.
“Bands can’t always afford the time to come on campus and perform a set before a show, so
I’m going to go into Georgetown and Old Town Alexandria with my film guy. We’ll record people
we find interesting. I want The Mason Jar to go beyond campus, to reach people that might not
have the money to record an album. I want to give people the opportunity to be noticed.”
Thanks to her initiative at WGMU, Lafleche, too, is getting noticed outside the university.
At the beginning of the semester, she landed a coveted internship with the very venue she waits on
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the curb of so often: The 9:30 Club. The marketing
position was packed with stiff competition. She was
interviewed in a group of 15, one session of three.
Almost all the other candidates had worked for
public relations firms or other big companies, yet
she was the one that finished with the job.
“I’m guessing they saw my drive for music. I
told them about The Mason Jar sessions and I think
my passion stood out above professional experience,
so they wanted to give me a chance.”
Out of professional courtesy, she’s not allowed to talk to bands on the job, but it does offer
her the opportunity to be involved in an industry she cares so deeply about. It’s a crucial step
in climbing the ladder. Through it, she’ll be able to make connections with other people in the
music industry and hopefully advance herself into a career.
“I haven’t decided what branch of music I want to go into. Maybe band management or
venue hospitality. Or even having my own session videos at a radio station. Just so long as I’m
working in the music industry with bands. I’m hoping to go in a direction where I can interact
with bands and help make them a success.”
She’s well on her way.
Alt-J released its sophomore album this past September to mixed reviews (including a
four out of ten by Pitchfork). Lafleche, though, talks of the record fondly.
“I think there’s a lot of unnecessary criticism that comes from expectations. People expect
them to sound like Fitzpleasure or Breezeblocks (two of the band’s most popular songs from
their first album). They expect them to be a dubstep band when they’re not; they’re their own
self. We criticize people’s artistic creativity so much. It’s like it doesn’t matter if it sounds good; if
it’s not what they did at first, then that’s not appropriate anymore.”
To Lafleche, “This is All Yours” traverses cultures and literature. It is poetic and chockfull
of allusion. It requires understanding beyond the sound. And for Lafleche, that depth is exactly
what she wants. That is the music behind the sound.
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YouTube and Costumes as Teaching Tools
by Brooke Gurnick
Star Muir, a professor at George Mason
University, uses different tools and techniques for
teaching rhetoric and communication while keep-
ing learning interesting and fun. This is something
college students definitely need from time to time
while in college. What makes Muir’s teaching so in-
teresting and different? YouTube, social media, and
costumes. Muir understands that lectures can and
will be boring if the topic is bland, so he spices up
his lectures by creating YouTube videos where he
dresses up to make it more interesting and fun to
watch. In his communication 300 (Foundations for
Public Communication) class he creates YouTube lectures for each “module” where he has the
students watch the videos and fill out a “play sheet” before they discuss the topic in class. That
way they have some insight before actually discussing it in person during class.
In Muir’s YouTube videos he dresses up accordingly to what the module is about. For
example in the module on gender criticism he dresses with a wig and lipstick, then talks about
the vocabulary, uses, and examples of the topic. Muir relates his costumes in each module video
somehow, whether the students understand or not, it is mostly for a creative twist. In the ethos
module he is wearing a Mason hat and t-shirt because when he first made the video Mason
had just gone to the final four in basketball and they gained credibility, which is what ethos is
all about, credibility. A creative and hidden message is a big factor in Muir’s YouTube module
videos.
However, the YouTube videos were not always his initial teaching tool when it came to
his communication classes. “I decided I would offer [communication] 300 as an online course,
and I had to look at the issue of how would I communicate online. Particularly the content of
the course.” He later realized that even if communication 300 wasn't going to be only offered as
an online course he could still use these social media videos for a change of pace in his face-to-
face lectures. “Essentially modules help students get a grasp on ideas and then in class we can
spend more time getting examples and reinforce the material by doing exercises and stuff.” This
is a great way of actually getting the information across to his students, because examples are an
important way to remember and learn the cold hard facts of rhetoric.
Strangely enough, Muir once wanted to major in physics and math when he attend-
ed Wake Forest University. He stayed involved at Wake Forest on the debate team, which was
coached by some of the communication department there. However, he believed that the math
and physics professors were “terrible” at the university and later decided to shake it up a bit and
switched educational paths. He successfully completed four years at Wake Forest and received
his Bachelor’s degree in communication. He continued with school to get his master’s from the
University of Central Florida and later received his PhD in communication and rhetoric from
the University of Pittsburgh.
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With all of the schooling he had under his belt he knew he was ready to be a communica-
tion professor, but where? Muir then got a position teaching for the communication department
at Mason in 1988. Muir loves working for the Mason communication department, but doesn’t
only like his job because he gets to work in the same department as his wife. He says, “It is sim-
ply not true that every academic department gets along well, and this is a really good one, we
have personality differences but…I came through Pitt and there was literally a war going on in
the department there, conflict in the department. Coming here was really nice, because people
like each other and they get along.” Muir doesn’t only teach communication classes at Mason, he
was also a debate coach for 10 years, was a faculty senator for eight years. He is now chair of the
curriculum committee.
I believe the way that Muir uses social media and YouTube is becoming essential for
college students. In today’s day and age social media is so important that understanding and
learning from it will be extremely beneficial in any student’s career regardless of their major. Be-
cause Muir is showing students how learning can be fun and interesting they are understanding
and comprehending the material better. This will also help in the future, because understanding
how to use social media is
becoming essential as well.
However, making a You-
Tube video of a professor
just lecturing isn’t going
to be any different than it
would be in a classroom.
I believe that the costumes, jokes, and interesting videos that Muir utilizes are great ways for
students to learn while having fun.
Muir has had a large impact on the communication department at Mason. Aside from
teaching multiple communication classes, he is involved in many other activities and commit-
tees. Without Muir there could be a difference in the communication department as a whole
and it would be hard to find anyone to fill his shoes. I know he has impacted my college career at
Mason, and can be sure that I’m not the first to say that.
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by Lamia Jereen
We have all heard of the phrase a wolf
in sheep’s clothing, right? Well, a Mason
student, Alexa Hummer has met a wolf in
this very campus. A few weeks ago, GMU
news broke out warning students how this
wolf was roaming around cautiously in this
campus harassing naive sheep. Fortunately,
Hummer wasn’t too naive to be lured in by
this harmless looking wolf. So, who is this
wolf you may ask? This wolf is actually a sex
offender named Sean Tyree. In this case, it
would be a sexual predator in student’s cloth-
ing.
Hum-
mer first
met Tyree
back in
2008 on
Mason
Cam-
pus. She
remem-
bers every
detail
precisely
about his
approach.
He
stopped
her one
day while
she and her roommate were walking through
Presidents Park. Hummer, however, was able
to recognize Tyree because he graduated
from the same high school as her boyfriend.
Tyree tried to persuade Hummer and her
roommate to go to this party. However they
quickly declined. Tyree did not give up, and
a few years later he tried again by messag-
ing Hummer on Facebook. In May 2013, he
sent her a message that said “A beautiful girl
like you deserves to be taken out.” Hummer
ignored the message hoping he would even-
tually leave her alone.
This year Mason sent out a notice of
a sex offender harassing female students. He
was introducing himself as David Johnson.
This was the same person who encountered
Hummer back in 2008. He was now victim-
izing many other female students at Mason.
According to the sex offender registry, Tyree
was convicted in Aug. 27, 2010 on a count
of having carnal knowledge of a child 13 to
15 years old and is still on probation. He has
also had two subsequent violations of the
terms of his probation to include failures to
register as a violent sex offender in July and
August of 2012. Students have reported that
he would ask for personal information such
as phone numbers and offers to give rides.
When Hummer later found out that she was
once approached by Tyree, it gave her goose
bumps. She said it herself, “I couldn’t help
but think, did I meet him at the early point
of his Mason sexual harassment epidemic?
It made me feel nervous that someone who
I thought was just a weird guy is actually
a threat. It gives me chills thinking I could
have been one of his first victims!”
Unfortunately, sexual harassment in a
college environment has become a common
occurrence. Particularly females are the ones
more vulnerable to this kind of harassment.
They feel the need to carry some kind of
weapon with them for protection. The pop-
ularity of pepper spray has been rising. A
survey conducted by Balance Inc. mentioned
68% of female pepper spray owners said they
bought it themselves and carry it with them
at all times. There is even a website www.
safetygirl.com marketed to females where
they can buy their personal self defense prod-
ucts because of these types of harassments.
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Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing

Although colleges
have their safety poli-
cies, and gives all the
safety tips for college
students to follow,
it still does not feel
enough. Chegg, The
Stubb Hub, recently conducted a survey to get insight on how college students feel about the
occurrence of various safety issues. According to their responses, they do not feel completely
protected. When asked about the steps taken to prevent sexual assaults, 43% of female students
believe their school is not doing enough.
According to Eric Heath, Mason’s Chief of Police, Department has been working in con-
junction with City of Fairfax Police and Fairfax County Police to ensure the safety of Mason
students. Is it still enough? Mason news outlet noted, “After the incidents were reported to the
Mason Police Department, our investigators worked directly with the reporting victims to en-
sure that the necessary summons’ were obtained in order to further charges against the suspect.
From the onset, our investigators have involved the City of Fairfax Police and the Fairfax Coun-
ty Police, specifically their Criminal Investigations Bureau.” I know Mason can do much more
when it comes to the safety of us students.
Unfortunately, harassment like this happens all the time. Students should feel safe when
going to class instead of being frightened from these wolves disguised as sheep. What more
can Mason do to ensure the safety of the students? Security, safety, and protection are all nec-
essary ingredients for an assurance of a safe environment at Mason. If one of the ingredients is
missing, the security of Mason is no longer invulnerable. Hummer was lucky that nothing has
happened to her; however other victims in the future can end up being meats to these deceptive
wolves. It is important to raise awareness about sexual assaults. This can be done by writing an
op-ed (opinion editorial) , using social media, getting involved in national campaigns, holding a
bystander intervention session, and even collaborating with the American Association of Uni-
versity Women (AAUW ) which advances equity for women and girls through advocacy, educa-
tion, philanthropy, and research. This program can be held on a campus event for a topic such
as sexual assault. Tables need to turn so the security of our campus can be the impervious wolf
and these sexual predators ultimately become our preys before they get a chance to capture one
of our own.
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Erin Russell Showcase:
The Girl Behind The Lens
“What you have caught on film is captured forever...”
-Aaron Siskind

A Tale of Triumph
by Jawando Clarke
Many individuals from low income areas be-
come a product of their environment. This is due to
a lack of support or lack of confidence to better their
conditions’. Demetirus White is not one of those peo-
ple. Ever since he was a young child he knew he wanted
more than what he saw in his surrounding neighbor-
hoods. Born in South Port, North Carolina, White came
from a military background with a strict upbringing.
White says “from an early age education became my life
and I knew I had to graduate from college.” At the age
of four, White’s family was stationed in Newport News,
Virginia. They lived there ever since. Newport News is
a small city, high in crime and has a substantial high school dropout rate. As White matured he
realized many of the people he grew up with were either incarcerated, high school drop outs, or
dead. As a promise to his family and himself he vowed to be different, by immersing himself in
student leader positions and academic clubs.
In high school, White was the Vice President of the National Honor Society and the
President of the Math Honor Society. He was also a student athlete, and the captain of the vol-
leyball team. Having two military parents and being an only child he felt that there was more
pressure on him to be successful. This had its pros and cons. Within the transition from middle
school to high school, White unfortunately got involved with the wrong crowd. He was still a
star student but slowly started slacking and losing focus on the goal of making it out of Newport
News. One day he had a meeting with the school counselor who noticed that something was off
and she suggested he find a hobby. With the counselor’s help he realized that he had an appreci-
ation for the art form of dance. He enjoyed watching music videos and was mesmerized by the
background dancers and the choreography displayed by his favorite artists.
However, White could not afford private dance classes so he signed up for those provid-
ed by his school. Although academics and leadership positions
were important, dance became more of a passion rather than
a hobby. “The beat does something to me, and it starts with
a foot tap then the music takes over my body,” said White. It
was then he knew dance was going to play a vital role in his
life. During a dance workshop White stood out to the chore-
ographers. They continued to push him to pursue his passion,
while making his choice for college he knew he wanted to
attend a prestigious university that a dance program.
Graduating from high school and going off to college was a huge feat since neither of his
parents went to college. In the beginning, White struggled with finding the right school for him
and debated whether he should pursue dance full time or a degree. Before committing to be-
13
“The beat does some-
thing to me, and it
starts with a foot tap
then the music takes
over my body”

Mark Hopson: Fighting Violence
Without Violence
by Alain Le
When people hear Grand Rapids, Michigan, they generally think
of current boxing champion, Floyd Mayweather, Jr. However, few
people think of his high school teacher, Mark Hopson. Professor
Hopson worked for the Youth Development Career Center. He
distinctly remembers Floyd’s talkative and confident nature. Hopson
recalls bringing homework to Floyd's grandmother’s house when
Floyd was busy with in the Olympics. Hopson is proud of how far
Floyd has come and glad to have been a part of his development.
Over the years, Hopson has been a part of many community-based programs. He has always
done volunteer and prevention work for children. Professionally, he focuses on working with
high school and college students. Hopson looks at the communication skills of young people to
identify better and different ways to send messages. In addition to working with young people,
he has worked on programs against sexual assault and relationship abuse prevention. Hopson's
hope is to “try to use communication as a strategy to make the world a better place.” He educates
students on current violent acts in an effort to prevent them from making the same mistakes.
Hopson is part of a program called Changing Lives Through Literature. He discusses books
with imprisoned first-time offenders. By talking about books with them, he hopes to make their
prison stay less stressful. His belief is that reading could replace the usual community service
issued during sentencing. According to Hopson, this program is “simulating a college classroom
for these young men, however, it is focusing on issues that they can relate to.” He believes that
analyzing the actions and consequences in the books will help the inmates figure out what they
did wrong, and will cause them to think twice about performing a violent act again.
Hopson is currently an associate professor in intercultural communication at Mason, focusing
on critical intercultural communication. This field addresses the communication among people
of different cultures. Based on his background in working for alternative high schools, he also
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coming a full time dancer, White remembered the vow he made to his parents and the people he
grew up with who were unable to make it out of Newport News. White went on to select George
Mason University for its well-known communication program and its proximity to Washing-
ton D.C. At Mason, White became one of the lead dancers for the student-led dance troupe,
Urbanknowlogy 101. White also danced with various dance groups throughout D.C, Maryland,
and Virginia. He believes that dance elevated his college experience and exposed him to new
opportunities and people that he was not accustomed to previously.
White is currently a senior at Mason located in Fairfax, Virginia. He is the President of the colle-
giate chapter of Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) and is also an administra-
tive intern at Joy of Motion dance center.

studies African American males. He
believes that educating this particular
group in communication strategies can
help them overcome their challenges.
These challenges include message forma-
tion and delivery. Hopson sees potential
for success in the male African Ameri-
can group. Throughout the year, he also
holds violence prevention workshops
and seminars. These events generally
work with physical, sexual, and emotion-
al violence.
Hopson's goal is to open a center at
Mason or nearby to build awareness for
race, culture, and violence. He wants “to
have a center, or create a center that does
research and that does publishing along those lines.” An outlet like this could be a major contri-
bution for the Mason community. Mason students would be able to learn more about issues that
affect our everyday lives. The center would also allow people to publish their findings on those
specific topics.
As a kid, he was known as “the professor” by his family because of how smart and inquisitive
he was. Hopson said, “My older cousins or uncles and aunts would come to me with homework.
And in some ways, it was humorous; however, in some way I think they were serious.” This was
the start of his journey to becoming a professor.
It was not until he was completing his master’s degree that considered becoming a professor.
One day, Hopson's former professor, Mark Orbe, told him how he would make a great profes-
sor. However, he would have to move his entire family to Ohio to pursue his career in teaching.
Hopson was unsure if he wanted to move his family or change his profession. He asked his wife
to see if she would be willing to relocate. One day, he got home and saw a for sale sign in the
living room. When asked if she was sure, she simply said “Yup!” Shortly thereafter, he moved his
entire family to complete his schooling. Hopson attended Ohio University to get his PhD.
Unlike his student, Floyd Mayweather, Jr., Hopson “fights” for a different cause: non-violence.
He has always worked for the community. Nowadays, he continues to reach out to those in need.
He has tried to help inmates, physically assaulted, and emotionally abused young people. He
wants to make a difference in their lives no matter how big or small. Someday, Mark Hopson's
name will also be as renown as his former student.
15

Live with Livas
by Christen Roberts
A day in the life of Hampton Roads
native, Nicole Livas, is as hectic as you can
imagine for a co-anchor broadcasting evening
news on WAVY News 10 and Fox 43 News.
Livas begins her routine waking up around
8:30 a.m. and working out from 9 to 10 a.m.
Thereafter, she makes lunch and dinner for
her night shifts before heading to the news-
room at 2:15 p.m. As she arrives, she shoots
straight to her afternoon edi-
torial meeting, unless she has
an assignment for the 4 p.m.
newscast, reads and writes
stories for early evening news-
casts, anchors the 5 and 6 p.m.
news, shoots promotional
videos for the late newscasts,
eats dinner, reads and writes
stories for the late newscasts,
writes web scripts, anchors the
10 and 11 p.m. news, reads
emails, heads home around
midnight and is finally in bed
by 1:30 a.m.
She describes her days as, “exhausting
and formatted,” which perfectly describes the
life of an on-the-go journalist. In between
her segments, she is quite the social butterfly,
as she finds time to post articles, share pho-
tos and videos on Facebook and Twitter. On
weekends, her routine calms down a little and
takes a serene turn as she spends her time
working out with her husband, shopping, run-
ning errands, taking yoga classes, and occa-
sionally attending spa appointments.
“It’s hectic and we are feeding the beast,”
said Livas, when asked about the behind-the-
scenes atmosphere of the newsroom.
Locals residing in Hampton Roads, also
known as the tidewater region, are very famil-
16
iar with her as she grew up in Virginia Beach
attending Kempsville High School.
She was also the daughter of Becky
Livas who graced viewers with her presence
in the early 1970s. Livas bloomed from a
family full of hard-working trailblazers. Her
father, Henry Livas, is a retired engineer from
NASA-Langley who currently serves on the
Virginia Beach Planning Commission. One of
her grandfathers was the first African Ameri-
can City Councilman in Virginia Beach. An-
other taught architecture at Hampton Univer-
sity and founded a firm in Norfolk, Virginia.
Following the footsteps of
her mother, Becky Livas, she
always wanted to fulfill her
dream and pursue a career in
broadcast journalism. Livas
watched her mother per-
fect her craft for years. Her
mother was the first African
American woman television
newscaster on Channel 3 in
the Hampton Roads region.
Thereafter, her mother be-
came a talk show hostess for
the CBS station and retired
as a Suffolk school teacher.
Some may say she had big
shoes to fill, as her mother was very charis-
matic and had quite the delivery, but she too
was gifted with a captivating aura.
During her term at George Mason
University, Livas majored in Speech Com-
munication and minored in Spanish. She
participated in student government, wrote
for Broadside, the student newspaper, and
worked with WGMU Radio. She also had
quite the impact within her community as a
member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority and
as an orientation leader during the summers.
Starting in her junior year, Livas had several
internships working with television, radio
stations and a record label. She also had a few

17
during her
senior year
and two after
graduation.
With
over years of
experience
in the field
of broadcast
journalism,
success for
Livas did not
come swiftly
overnight. After graduating from Mason, she
wanted to return home and find a broadcast-
ing job, but found out that she could not start
out on air in a market that size. With steep
bills and making little money, Livas knew her
rewards would be great if she moved else-
where to pursue her dream.
“That was a humbling experience,
because here as a college grad, really trying
to find my way, I was being told that I was
‘overqualified’ for many entry-level jobs. I
ended up waiting tables for a year, then got a
job running camera at a local TV station until
I got my first reporting gig,” said Livas.
In 2012, she took a medical and faith
mission trip to Haiti to work alongside pro-
fessionals who wanted to lend a helping hand
to children with a lack of education and
healthcare. Every year she attends conferences
and professional workshops to stay abreast of
changing trends in the business. Currently,
Livas serves on an Advisory Board for George
Mason University’s College of Humanities
and Social Sciences, and as a board mem-
ber for the Virginia chapter of the Society of
Professional Journalists. She also finds time to
volunteer within her community and mentor
the youth. Livas has given back to The Up
Center, Teens With A Purpose, Big Brothers
Big Sisters, Norfolk NATOFest, The United
Way of South Hampton Roads, and The Spe-
cial Olympics.
Starting off as a news reporter at the
scene, she had to gradually work her way
up to an anchor. Livas began her career as
a reporter at WTOV-TV in Steubenville,
Ohio and WKBN-TV in Youngstown, Ohio.
She eventually became an anchor reporter at
WKBN-TV and WJAR-TV in Providence,
Rhode Island. She has been anchoring a week-
day newscast ever since.
Livas urges aspiring journalists to learn
how to write, read, listen, and to uphold a
code of ethics and integrity as they dive into
the grueling world of broadcast journalism.
“Get your head out of social media and into
good books,” said Livas. It’s tough to get your
big break in this industry, so every little thing
counts. As they say the early bird gets the
worm, so never let any great opportunities
pass you by. Figure out what you want to do in
life and pursue a career in a field that makes
you happy. Research hard, network well, and
stay humble as your dream awaits.

All hail the God-King as he reigns from his
advocacy throne
by Keaton Maddox
Thirty-five years before people started dumping ice on
their heads, Dr. Peter Pober was informing the world about
amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS. It was his junior year of
high school and Pober was competing for his school’s foren-
sics team. His event was oratory. Even without a coach, he
knew the importance of his topic. So each night after dinner,
he would wander his cul-de-sac and recite his speech.
“I was trying to get people to understand what it
meant to engage in this horrific experience whereby the body
would degenerate, but that the mind doesn’t,” he told me.
“You have people that are completely cognizant of the fact
that their bodies are dissolving around them. It’s a terrible
wasting disease. I wanted the world to know about this. Not
just that it was Lou Gehrig who we all remembered, but that
this was a powerful dissolving illness.”
Pober took that message all the way to the national
forensics tournament. Fulfilling his mantra that you have
succeeded when you have shared your message with the most number of people possible. And
he certainly didn’t stop there. Even though his competing days have ended, he still promotes
advocacy and voice through forensics as the director of Mason’s most competitively successful
program. The team has been one of the top 35 schools nationally since 1975 and has ranked in
the top five every year since 2007. Pober also is the chair of the American Forensics Association’s
National Event Tournament. Thanks to his mastery over the activity, his pupils have affection-
ately nicknamed him “The God King.”
Pober is more than a forensics legend, though. In additional to his work with the team, he
has served on numerous boards and panels, taught classes in multiple disciples, and done advo-
cacy work across the globe. One of the most esteemed of these exploits came from 2009-2012 as
the faculty representative on Mason’s Board of Visitors. The board is a corporate body of gov-
ernor appointed individuals, which exercises authority on university policy-making and over-
sight. Considering how much power they have, many students would be surprised to learn most
members of the board have no background in education or affiliation with the university. This
makes the position of faculty representative a crucial role in representing the school’s interests. It
also means, in times of controversy, the faculty representative must stand up.
On March 4th, 2010, the Virginia State Attorney General released a statement: "It is my
advice that the law and public policy of the Commonwealth of Virginia prohibit a college or
university from including ‘sexual orientation,’ ‘gender identity,’ ‘gender expression,’ or like clas-
sification, as a protected class within its nondiscrimination policy, absent specific authorization
from the General Assembly.” What this meant was that universities had the right to discriminate
18

against individuals solely because
of their sexual preference.
Mason and the board were
left with a difficult conundrum.
Should they release a statement
rejecting the attorney general’s
stance, risking ostracization?
Pober sat amongst a quiet board,
its members uncertain. But Pober
knew if he did not speak, he would
regret it for the rest of his life.
“Mr. Rector,” he rose. “Our
institution has always prided itself
on the importance of diversity and
if that’s going to be our moniker, it has to be diversity in all iterations.”
The board stirred and quickly the ice cracked. It changed the dynamic of the group and
people started becoming more vocal. The board put forth a response promoting the importance
of diversity and in making sure those with alternate sexual preferences would not be discrim-
inated against despite what the attorney general had said. Pober does not take credit for the
board’s stance that day, but he would like to think contributed a part in making the right mes-
sages were heard.
Pober’s words reverberate far beyond the state of Virginia as well. Eleven years ago, China
began its foreign language teaching and research press English speaking cup, an English speak-
ing competition in China. Since last December alone, 1.3 million Chinese students have engaged
in the event. Being the public speaking expert that he is, Pober became a liaison to the program.
After several years working with the project, he grew invested. He is now writing the book on
the subject.
“So I’m starting to write a series of books that talk about this kind of confluence of col-
lectivistic and individualistic ways of thinking about argumentation and presentation. I want to
show what it means for us to take the way the Chinese look at presentation along with the much
more individualistic construct of argumentation from the west. I want to show what we can
learn from each other.”
As a way to further promote Mason’s global ties, Pober has arranged for the competition’s
top two speakers to come to Mason’s forensics institute. The programs hosts 200 of the nation’s
brightest high schoolers each summer and gives students across international lines the opportu-
nity to learn from each other. Such avocation continues to set the tone of diversity Pober spoke
of to the board in 2010. By intermixing the Chinese champions within the institute, both sides
of collectivism and individualism are given a voice. And from that, new understanding is able to
grow in both the Mason students running the camp and the high school students attending it.
Pober may no longer be combing the streets to practice his own speeches, but his drive to
raise public awareness of ALS has never ceased to ring loud. This past August, he joined millions
in the ALS ice bucket challenge, along side his husband Charles. He may have gotten a little wet,
but Pober is always willing to put himself out there for the causes that matter. And in this way,
the God-King will continue to reign from his advocacy throne.
19

Games to Goals
by Hanyang (Phil) Xu
Unfortunately, for all the fans of Halo and Tomb
Raider video games, they will never get a chance to meet
Master Chief or Lara Croft. Many children grow up play-
ing video games and end up idolizing the games’ protag-
onists. And yet, so many of them have to come to terms
with never getting to meet their heroes. Ultimately, they
will have to face the fact that their heroes are fiction.
They will never get to go spelunking with Lara Croft.
They will never get to save the universe with Master
Chief. However, for Daniel Lauchu, that isn’t a problem.
He has his video game hero’s telephone number in his
pocket. They hang out every now and then; Lauchu con-
siders his video game hero to be a down to earth friend.
A first generation immigrant, Lauchu emigrated from Panama to the United States with
little knowledge of English and a whole lot of doubt. Coming to America, while difficult, was
definitely not the hardest part his process. Everybody in his family had to overcome their own
struggles to adjust to various aspects of American society. Lauchu’s parents had a hard time
finding their social comfort zone. Lauchu himself had difficulties learning English. It took him
nearly five years to polish his English to a level where he was comfortable with it.
Everyone needs hobbies, and for Lauchu one of his many hobbies was playing video
games. A big fan of International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) soccer video games,
Lauchu would play them often when he had spare time. His favorite player in those games was
Francisco “Kikin” Fonseca, a famous Mexican soccer player. A huge fan of Fonseca, Daniel
chose to play him on his soccer team almost every time he picked up the controller.
Working at BeIN Sports right now, Lauchu spends his days managing on-air content.
He spends some time being on-air too. He describes the whole experience of working at BeIN
Sports as surreal. Lauchu has met and befriended many famous sports personalities and athletes.
And Francisco “Kikin” Fonseca just happens to be one of them.
Six years ago, Lauchu could never even imagine being where he is now. He had just grad-
uated from high school with a full scholarship towards computer engineering. Turns out he had
caught the attention of a generous donor when he gave a speech at his graduation. Unfortunately
for Lauchu, computer engineering was neither exciting nor interesting. His performance during
the first two years of college was strong, but Lauchu let his temptations get the best of him. Find-
ing his studies monotonous and mechanical, he spent a lot of time going to parties and drink-
ing. Two years later, even with good grades, Lauchu found the college life to be disappointing
and tiresome. He had barely turned 21 and he was already experiencing a variation of a mid-life
crisis.
The rate Lauchu was moving in, he never would have applied to his dream job. He never
20

would have exceeded expectations during
the subsequent job interview. And he
definitely wouldn't have gotten that job at
BeIN Sports.
A future where those things don't
happen was not satisfactory for Lauchu. If
there’s one thing that Panamanian im-
migrants don’t look for when they come
to the United States, it’s dead ends. And
Lauchu was determined to land himself
a job he enjoyed, not somewhere where
he would be tired, unhappy, and unen-
gaged. Abandoning computer engineer-
ing, Lauchu decided to try his hand at
the entertainment industry, something
he always had a passion for. And just like
that, he decided to enroll as a Communi-
cation Major at George Mason University.
With his studies concentration as media
production and film studies as his minor,
Lauchu charged full steam towards the
career of his choice.
Years and years of college had taken its toll on Lauchu. Nevertheless, he was finally doing
something that he loved, and after buckling down and studying hard like never before, he gradu-
ated winter of 2013 from Mason with a 3.6 GPA.
After finishing his last class ever as an undergraduate, Lauchu walked towards his locker
that he rented out in Mason's main hub, the Johnson Center. Approaching the locker bay that
he had used for the past year, he paused. He felt weak. A combination of giddiness and disbelief
suddenly rattled him. Laauchu opened his locker door, and then after no more than a moment,
closed it again. He rested his head on the cold metal. It felt cool against his forehead. Then
suddenly, Lauchu started crying. Without warning, tears start to form; moisture from his eyes
condensing into droplets that glided down his cheek and silently fell to the patterned floor. Un-
derstandable yet unexplainable at the same time, those tears were left behind in that locker bay
that day. Lauchu has not looked back at those tears. He won't ever need to.
21

“Education is our passport to the future, for to-
morrow belongs to the people who prepare for it
today” -Malcolm X
#teamCOMMUNICATOR

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