News aggregator

Saahiti Kiran Chamala/Fourth Estate

BY SAAHITI KIRAN CHAMALA, CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

[Editor’s Note: All members of GMU Hunt have chosen to remain anonymous. Each organizer has requested to be referred to under a specific alias.] 

On the evening of March 22, the GMU Hunt, organized by a Mason grad student and his non-Mason-affiliated friends, was a first-time campus-wide puzzle. The puzzle was designed “to bring some joy and curiosity to campus,” said one of the organizers, Alcuin, choosing to remain anonymous.  

“We really are pretty harmless,” laughed Alcuin. “There’s no secret agenda—just puzzles, fun, and a dash of mystery.”

The inspiration behind the GMU Hunt arrived from a longstanding tradition of student-organized hunts at Virginia Tech. 

Days leading up, the flyer posted about campus, listed a meeting time and GPS coordinates “38° 49 ‘45.3”N 77° 18’ 36.4”W.” Students were intrigued yet wary when navigation apps pinned the coordinates near a campus statue in the middle of Mason Pond. 

“We saw the flyer, noticed it was at midnight in this shady spot on campus, and thought, ‘What are we really getting into here?’” recalled one participant who arrived at 11:45 p.m.

With roughly 60 participants at the Confucius Statue of Mason Pond, teams were formed and later handed their first clue. The puzzles referenced campus landmarks, cryptic riddles, and logic challenges. “We were shocked by the turnout,” said Orpheus, self-described as the puzzle platform’s “web-guy.” 

“We expected maybe five people would do this. Suddenly, we’re watching a crowd of 50 tearing around campus at 1 a.m. It was wild,” Orpheus said.

To add more mystique, the organizers mingled discreetly among the participants. They wore hoodies, slipped in and out of puzzle locations, and offered the participants motivational hints  without revealing themselves.

“At one point, everyone was stumped at the Mason House puzzle. We were there, listening in, but trying to keep a low profile,” Alcuin said. “ Some folks suspected we were among them, but they never directly called us out.”

Saahiti Kiran Chamala/Fourth Estate

Many participants reported seeing bystanders who seemed oddly enthusiastic and well-informed. Before long, rumors spread that the “strangers” were the GMU Hunt’s masterminds.

Prior to the hunt, the GMU Hunt website was briefly blocked on the official campus Wi-Fi, resulting in an error message, leaving participants to rely on mobile data. 

“We had no clue that was possible,” said Alcuin. “We weren’t prepared for it at all. It had never happened at Virginia Tech, and we didn’t realize Mason’s firewall or guidelines would block us..”

One surprise that shook the organizers were the teams’ speed at solving puzzles normally intended to take days or even weeks. “We didn’t expect folks to finish so many clues by dawn,” said Alcuin. “One participant we’ve been calling ‘Green Hoodie Guy’… just tore through the riddles like a pro. We stood back amazed, wondering if he was hacking the site or something!”

According to the organizers, one group finished the hunt by around 3 or 4 a.m. with photo-proof, highlighting their puzzle-solving prowess and social connections building skills. 

“We’d love to get officially recognized by Mason or work out [a] partnership,” said Virgil, who manages social media and puzzle difficulty calibration. “At Virginia Tech, we worked closely with faculty and staff to ensure the campus was on board. Our hope is that the GMU administration might embrace it in the same way.”

Planning to conduct a “victors’ meeting” to celebrate the winning teams, the organizers will gather feedback and share statistics about the puzzle answers. 

“We’re here to encourage creative problem-solving and build camaraderie. We want to show people that puzzle hunts are a healthy, intellectually stimulating activity that can become a tradition,” said Alcuin. “From the Wi-Fi ban to the puzzle pacing, it was all brand-new territory. But seeing everyone come out and have fun was the best reward.”

Participants found themselves forging new friendships in the early hours of the morning, tackling cryptic riddles together and creating a shared memory that few will soon forget.

Sam Douglas/Fourth Estate

BY SAM DOUGLAS, ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

On April 17, the Academic Programs, Diversity, and University Community Committee is set to vote on the “RESOLUTION OF GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY REGARDING THE PRESIDENTIAL EXECUTIVE ORDER ON DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION.”

The resolution aims to push for university compliance with the “Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity” executive order, as well as the Department of Education’s “Dear Colleague Letter” and “Frequently Asked Questions” documents.

If the resolution passes, it would direct the recently renamed Office of Access, Compliance, and Community to eliminate all programs not required by federal or state law and eliminate the university’s Bias Incident Response Team and Access to Research and Inclusive Excellence Program.

The GMU chapter of American Association of University Professor’s (AAUP) released a statement Thursday morning in opposition to the resolution. 

“The faculty group argues that the proposed resolution would jeopardize the university’s academic excellence, damage its national reputation, and send a chilling message to faculty and students of color and all who commit to equity work,” the statement read.

“They are steamrolling over us and they are implementing a vision for the institution that I do not think the majority of members of our community are asking for, wanting for, or hoping for,” said Dr. Bethany Letiecq, president of Mason’s chapter of AAUP.

In a statement, Student Body President Maria Romero Cuesta also opposed the resolution.

“The threat of a resolution like this cannot be minimized, but we must remember that George Mason students are one of resilience,” Cuesta said in the statement.

Weeks ago, on April 4, Mason Student Government participated in a “Hands Off Our Schools” rally at the Department of Education. On March 20, Student Body President Cuesta joined with student body presidents from Virginia Commonwealth University, Virginia State University, Norfolk State University, and Longwood University, releasing a statement urging state legislators to “challenge any federal enforcement of the ‘Dear Colleague’ letter that may arise.”

The resolution is the university’s latest response to pressure from the federal government. On March 3, the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion was renamed to the Office of Access, Compliance, and Community. Later in the month, Mason was named by the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights as one of 60 schools under investigation for complaints of anti-semitic harassment and discrimination.

The Board of Visitors Academic Programs, Diversity, and University Community Committee will vote on the resolution during their April 17 meeting. If passed, it will be voted on by the full board at their May 1 meeting.

Fourth Estate has reached out to Mason administration for comment.