Latest Fourth Estate Articles

Jordan Giles/Fourth Estate

BY BRIAN A. HAYUM, STAFF WRITER

The Mason Patriots extended their win streak to seven games after a 64-60 win against the Davidson College Wildcats, completing the home and away sweep over their North Carolina-based conference rival. The win moved the Patriots to 8-1 in the A-10 Conference. The best start in the program’s history in the A-10– and 17-5 overall. 

In the win against Davidson, three of five starters scored in double figures with senior forward  Jaylen Haynes and senior guard Darius Maddox leading the way with 12 points each. Off the bench, forward junior Gio Emejuru scored nine points and guard freshman Justin Begg scored seven points. 

The formula for the Patriots’ success was found in the paint. With the Wildcats sporting their 2-3 zone, the A-10 leaders found plenty of success in the middle of the zone: out-scoring Davidson 34-22 in the paint. 

Despite being in control most of the second half, the Patriots survived the Wildcats’ 23-14 scoring run to close out the game. The Patriots held Davidson, shooting 21-59 (35.6%) from the field and 9-30 (30%) from the three-point line.

While the team experiences occasional woes on offense, the Patriots’ calling card is their defense. That type of collective buy-in from the team places the Patriots as the second-ranked defensive team holding their opponent to the second-lowest field goal percentage in the country.

With a seven-game winning streak, the Patriots have held their opponents to an average field goal percentage of 38.4 percent. A sign that their defensive identity has stayed consistent, if not grown as the season has progressed.

“At the end of the day, we found a way,” said Mason Head Coach Tony Skinn after their 58-53 OT win versus Loyola-Chicago. “I try to get these guys to understand: ‘I give you guys the autonomy, but I’m really setting you up to guard your butt off,’” said Skinn.

With nine games left in the regular season, smiles are high and wide as the team enters the home stretch. “I’m just lucky I have the right group… winning is so hard,” said Skinn while reflecting on his team’s historic season start. 

The Patriots look to continue their win streak on the road against George Washington on Feb. 5 at 7 p.m., streaming on ESPN+.  

Jordan Giles/Fourth Estate

BY CHRISTIAN SEGOVIA, SPORTS EDITOR

After their win against the University of Dayton on Feb. 1, Mason women’s basketball has improved to a 19-3 record, with a 9-2 in the Atlantic 10. Head Coach Vanessa Blair-Lewis was named to the Kathy Delaney–Smith Midseason Watch List Coach of the Year award for the second year in a row. Sophomore guard Kennedy Harris earned Player Of The Week once again, averaging 26 points, six assists per game, while shooting 55% from the field goal with 75% from the three-point range.

In the team’s win against Davidson 81-73 on Jan. 22, Harris dropped a career-high 29 points, with 12 coming in the fourth quarter. Harris drove to the paint and pulled up from mid-range to get her buckets. The team stepped up defensively, getting four steals and two blocks converting them into points to come back from a 63-55 heading into the final quarter.

“Most of them were in foul trouble, so I was just attacking them to see if I can make the layup with the contact,” Harris referred to her asking for the ball in the fourth quarter. “I was just looking at mismatches. I was just attacking every single time.”

The team’s defensive performance continued into the Jan. 25 91-50 win over George Washington. The Patriots forced Washington to turn over the ball 25 times. They led the points off turnovers, outscoring Washington 34-3, with 15 coming in through the fourth quarter.

Mason was down at halftime 25-30 against George Washington. Once the second half started, Mason outscored Washington 66-20, leading them to victory.

In any match, an athlete on the team can step up unexpectedly and make an impact by scoring or getting defensive stops.

“That’s the luxury we have. We have players that can score and they’re unselfish,” Head Coach Lewis said the team’s win. “If it’s Ken’s night, if it’s Zah’s night, if it’s Paula’s night, we just get out the way, and they celebrate each other in that way.” ‘Ken’ and ‘Zah’ referring to Kennedy Harris and redshirt sophomore forward Zahirah Walton.

On Jan. 22, Mason had four players score in double digits, leading to a win against Davidson.

Harris scored 29 points, Walton scored 20, senior guard Paula Suárez scored 18, and sophomore forward Louis Walker had 11.

Four players scored double digits against George Washington: Harris with 23 points, Walton with 20, junior forward Nekhu Mitchell with 14, and graduate guard Ta’Viyanna Habib with 10. Mitchell scored all 14 of her points in the second half. 

“It’s been a very long season for me,” Mitchell said about her second-half performance. “It was a great game for me to finally show what I was capable of and just an artwork show.”

On the road, with an 80-53 victory against Saint Louis on Jan. 29, Walton recorded a career-high 30 points, six assists, five rebounds, and shot 64.7% from the field goal. Two other players reached double-figures: Walker and junior guard Jada Brown, each scored 11 points. 

Their next road against Dayton on Feb. 1 resulted in an 86-53 win. Suarez had 23 points, Ta’Viyanna had 19, graduate student forward Nalani Kaysia had 12 and Walton had 11. 

Mason’s defense held both teams to scoring only seven points in the second quarter in both road wins. They also held the teams under 40% shooting from the field goal and below 30% from the three-point range.

As the Patriots aim to take their 20th win of the season and extend their seven-game win streak on homecoming week, they return home on Feb 5. to face Virginia Commonwealth University at 7 p.m. on ESPN+.

Fourth Estate

BY NAWAAL NACKERDIEN AND SAAHITI KIRAN CHAMALA, EDITORS-IN-CHIEF

For the Spring 2025 semester, Saahiti Kiran Chamala and Nawaal Nackerdien step into their roles as co-editors-in-chief of Fourth Estate. Both bring years of experience in student media and a deep commitment to campus journalism. With their combined leadership, they aim to strengthen Fourth Estate as a trusted source of news while fostering a dynamic and inclusive space for student voices.

Chamala and Nackerdien plan to expand the newspaper’s reach, ensuring that it not only informs but also engages the Mason community in meaningful discussions. Their vision centers on upholding journalistic integrity, supporting student reporters, and increasing opportunities for collaboration across campus. Regardless of major or background, they want students to see Fourth Estate as a platform to develop their skills and share their perspectives.

This semester, the duo is committed to cultivating a newsroom culture that values openness, creativity, and strong storytelling. They encourage writers, photographers, and aspiring journalists to contribute and become part of Fourth Estate’s legacy.

To share more about their individual journeys and aspirations, personal statements from Chamala and Nackerdien are provided below.

Students interested in joining Fourth Estate or learning more about student media can visit the newsroom in The Student Media Office located in The Hub’s lowest level, next to the mailroom. For general inquiries, reach out via email at ivestate4@gmail.com. 

Saahiti Kiran Chamala/Fourth Estate

Hey there, Patriots.

Welcome to Fourth Estate! We aren’t just another school newspaper. Yes, we cover the big stuff—campus news, sports, important updates—but we also cover the stories that actually make Mason, Mason. The random guy who’s been playing the same guitar riff outside the JC for three years? We’ll write about him. The underground food hacks at Southside? We’ve got those too. The passionate debates over which Starbucks on campus is superior? We’re on it.

My name is Saahiti Kiran Chamala, and as the co-editor-in-chief, I have the absolute privilege of leading this wildly talented, slightly sleep-deprived, and ridiculously creative team of student journalists. I started at Fourth Estate as a writer with the simple goal of covering the best food spots near campus, but I stayed because I found a community. A loud, opinionated, hilarious, and driven group of people who believe that storytelling matters.

That’s the heart of Fourth Estate: stories. Stories about students, about professors, about the wild, beautiful mess of college life. We’re here to document it all—the funny, the frustrating, the inspiring, and the downright bizarre.

And we want you to be part of it.

Whether you’re a writer, photographer, artist, designer, or just someone with a lot to say, there’s a place for you at Fourth Estate. We welcome individuals of all majors, experience levels, and backgrounds. If you have a story to tell, we are here to help you tell it.

This issue is all about new beginnings. New students, new ideas, new perspectives. Whether you’re just starting your Mason journey or deep into your final year, there’s something exciting about a fresh start.

So here’s to new stories, new voices, and a semester full of things worth writing about. Let’s make it a good one.

Saahiti Kiran Chamala, ‘27

Editor-in-Chief

schamala@gmu.edu

Nawaal Nackerdien/Fourth Estate

I have never quite been sure what track to take. As a Creative Writing major, running a newspaper was certainly not one of them. 

I came into my first semester at Mason as a transfer student with wide eyes and too many choices before me. It was Fall, and some of these choices fell like leaves around me. I am glad that joining Fourth Estate was one of the leaves that I picked up. In the news editor position, I prioritised authentic, timely news. I endeavoured to help writers grow their stories to the best possible form for publishing. When I ran for co-editor-in-chief, I was uncertain but resolved. I wanted Fourth Estate to be a publication that I could leave a positive mark on for the future. 

This semester, I will be working alongside Saahiti to bring the Mason community stories that are relevant and informative. I plan to encourage the growth of our writers’ and foster a community that brings out the best of students’ abilities.  

I encourage everyone to take the leap. Write the article, join the club. You can only advance if you let yourself do so. 

I hope to bloom alongside you all this spring semester, 

Nawaal Nackerdien

Editor-in-Chief

nnackerd@gmu.edu