Author: Samantha Greenberg

April 8 - 16	International Week
April 15	Last day to register for Siblings Weekend
April 22	Mason Day
April 23 - 24	Siblings Weekend

At the UPS Store we design our services to support your student and help him or her get the most out of the college experience! We offer longer hours that are more convenient for your student, staying open until 8 p.m. Monday – Thursday, 6 p.m. on Friday, and from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. on Saturday.

Printing Services
We offer a variety of printing services, ranging from simple copying and printing from a USB or email, to producing booklets, bound presentations, posters and business cards to name a few. We will work with your student individually to make sure he or she gets what they need and is satisfied with the results. If your student has a final project due we can bind it to give it a professional look and offer fast turn-around with competitive pricing.

Business Services
Is your student traveling abroad for a study abroad program? Or, is or her she starting an internship or job and need ID photos? We can take your student’s passport/ID photos in our store with no appointment necessary. We also offer notary services and faxing and scanning.

Shipping and Packaging
Experts in shipping and packing, your student can ship with confidence. We will pack any item, including fragile or electronic items, and guarantee safe arrival on the date quoted. Dropping off a package or rented textbook with a prepaid label takes only a minute for us to scan and give your student a receipt.

You can also ship packages to our store for your student to pick up here. Likewise, students can have items shipped here that they order online. There is a $5 pick-up fee for this service for any student not holding a mailbox with our store. Our extended store hours allow your student to pick up the package at his or her convenience. If you send a care package, please call us with your student’s name and phone number so we can contact them when their package arrives.

Summer Storage
We will soon start making plans for our Summer Storage program. With this program your student can have a safe and secure place to stash their belongings for the summer, rather than hauling it home and back again in the fall. Look for more information to come, and tell your student to look for advertisement in the residence halls.

We hope that you and your student take advantage of our services. Please feel free to reach out to us with any questions. We can be reached by email at [email protected] or by phone at (703) 865-5544.

Ilka Lazaroff
Manager
The UPS Store

Whether your student is a freshman looking to select a major, or a senior preparing to graduate, career courses offered through University Career Services are available to support your student.

George Mason University has a robust Career Education Program which is comprised of five career courses. The growth of the program has surpassed forecasted rates showcasing institutional support for producing career ready graduates and student acknowledgement of the importance of career preparation.

Every fall and spring semester Mason students can select from multiple sections – including hybrid and online options – for each career course your student can:

• Learn how to choose a major that is right fit for his or her interests, skills and personality with UNIV 220: Decide/Confirm Major, a two-credit course for second-semester freshman or higher

• Prepare to pursue internships and other career-related experiences with UNIV 320: Internship/Career Readiness, a one-credit course for sophomores or higher

• Discover how to transition from Mason to a job or a career with UNIV 420: College to Career, a one-credit course for juniors and seniors

• Learn how to become ready for graduate and professional school with UNIV421: College to Graduate School, a one-credit course for juniors and seniors

• Develop a professional image so you can stand out in your first job after Mason with UNIV422: Developing your Professional Edge, a one-credit course for graduating seniors

Encourage your student to register for a career course during fall 2016. If your student is interested in enrolling in any of the above courses, more information is available on the University Career Services website!

Elena Chiru
Assistant Director, Career Education
University Career Services

Last week, George Mason University students, in partnership with Break Away, participated in several exciting alternative break trips designed by students and staff to address social issues through meaningful community service and education.  Each of Mason’s trips challenged students to explore and address issues of discrimination, housing, hunger and poverty. These trips provided the opportunity for students to learn about social issues they are passionate about and allowed students to develop new perspectives that inspire them to be active and engaged citizens in their communities.

This year, Mason sent students on seven different domestic and international alternative spring break trips addressing the following community issues:

• Indigenous Culture, Education and Equity (Guatemala): Students traveled to Xecanchovax, a rural indigenous community. They provided assistance in a local elementary school that offers education through the sixth grade with projects that include teaching English, dental hygiene, as well as environmental awareness. 

• Literacy, Education and Equality (Jamaica): Students traveled to Jamaica and supported teachers by assisting with school maintenance and beautification projects as well as they spent time in the classroom and on the playground with the children. 

• Ecosystem Restoration (Stuart, Florida): Students helped the community return land to its pre-development state. Projects included planting native trees and removing invasive plants, oyster reef building, beach cleanup and park maintenance. 

• It’s Not Them but Us – Turning the Tide on HIV/AIDS (Washington, DC): Students provided meaningful service right in our own backyard in Washington, DC. They learned from organizations that educate, test and serve individuals with acute AIDS-related illness. Service included direct outreach to educate individuals in at-risk communities, supporting nonprofit fundraising efforts and friendly visits with individuals in health care facilities.

• Community Activism/Homelessness (Camden, NJ): Students traveled to Camden and volunteered with grassroots organizations addressing the needs of Philadelphia youth through after school enrichment programs.

• Development as Global Obligation (Human Rights in El Salvador): Students traveled to El Salvador and worked with Foundation Cristosal whose strategy is to build community capacity so that citizens can take the lead in organizing and establishing their own approaches to developing just and equitable communities.

• Civil Rights and Youth (Selma, AL): Students volunteered with the Freedom Foundation and tutored K-12 students, coordinated after school programs and other extra-curricular activities; and saw first hand some of Selma’s struggles.

In addition to the alternative spring break trips offered during the semester, Mason runs a summer trip during the end of May to Pine Ridge, South Dakota.

• Building Relationships and Adequate Housing (Pine Ridge, SD): Students volunteer with RE-MEMBER, a nonprofit organization, engages volunteers in service and cross-cultural learning in order to become advocates and stand in solidarity with the Oglala Lakota people on the Pine Ridge reservation. In addition to work assisting with building affordable and adequate housing, volunteers visit sites of historical significance and engage in cross-cultural learning.

If your student is interested in learning more about social issues, impacting change and meeting new people, encourage him or her to participate in a future alternative break! For more information, visit Social Action and Integrative Learning’s website.

Patty Mathison
Director
Social Action and Integrative Learning