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Mitchell Richtmyre/Fourth Estate

The Patriots fought back from a 16-point deficit to defeat the St. Joseph’s University Hawks on Saturday, Feb. 15, 58-57. The win extended the team’s streak to 11 games and improved its conference record to 12-1 and overall record to 21-5. 

Senior forward Jaylen Haynes led the way with a game-high 22 points and eight rebounds, while senior guard K.D. Johnson scored nine crucial points to help complete the comeback. Senior guard Jared Billups contributed five steals on the defensive end. 

Mason erased St. Joseph’s 16-point lead with a 17-0 run. At the start of the second half, the Patriots found their offensive spark through Haynes, who scored 12 of 17 points during the run. 

“This team is really talented,” Haynes said after the win. “Tonight was my night, but anyone on our team can have a good game.”

The 11-game win streak, the third longest active streak in the nation, is beginning to garner national attention. This past week, Mason received votes in the AP Top 25 Poll, a weekly ranking released by the Associated Press which ranks the top 25 teams in the country. Although they did not make the top 25, their inclusion in the voting process shows that analysts across the nation are recognizing Mason’s historic performance and believe the team deserves a place on the national stage.

The Patriots’ win also means they stay atop the A-10 conference for another week, ahead of a crucial matchup in Richmond against state rival Virginia Commonwealth University. The Rams are behind the Patriots in the standings with a 10-2 record in conference play. This means the winner of next week’s game could have major implications for both teams vying for the A-10 regular season championship.

“I respect VCU. I think it’s a hell of a program, but we’re going to get on that bus and take that two-hour ride with the same mindset: it’s just another game,” said Patriots Head Coach Tony Skinn.

The Patriots head to Richmond to face the Rams on Saturday, Feb. 22, with tipoff at 4 p.m. The game will be nationally televised on USA Network as Mason looks to extend its win-streak to 12.

Emma Schaible/Fourth Estate

BY BARRETT BALZER, NEWS EDITOR

February is Black History Month, which celebrates and highlights African Americans’ societal impact, struggles and triumphs. Various Resident Student Organizations celebrate Black History Month around or on Feb.1, posting an Instagram post to commemorate. Recently, the Mason Student Government (MSG) received backlash over a delayed upload of such a post.  

On Feb. 7, MSG released an Instagram statement that said, “We honor the painful history of slavery and systemic racism and celebrate the many outstanding achievements and pivotal contributions that Black people have made to society and culture today.” 

Four days before the statement, MSG shared their first February post to announce their new partnership with the First-Gen+ Center. The video featured Student Body President Maria Cuesta discussing how first-generation students can become informed and involved in the Mason community through the “How to Navigate College Guide.” 

A second post, two days later on Feb. 5, spoke on “institutional neutrality.” The post recounted a new policy adopted by Mason on Dec. 5th. The policy states that the office of the president and other high standing offices within the university may only deliver statements to the general public that remain neutral. MSG uses a quote from this policy in their post, “[“The Kalven Report”] advises that universities, which represent a wide array of diverse viewpoints, do not falsely represent their community by making political statements.” 

Within the comment section of the post, around 97 users commented, “Happy Black History Month.”  

“Choosing “neutrality” as opposed to taking a stand against fascism, discrimination, and prejudice IS choosing a side [by the way],” one commenter shared. 

After MSG posted their Black History Month statement on Feb. 7, President Cuesta published an official statement to the cuestamcaulaygmu Instagram account. “It’s February 7th – one week into Black History Month – and our organization, which claims to represent the most diverse student body in Virginia, has failed to properly use both its social media and advocacy platform to honor, celebrate, and uplift George Mason’s Black student community,” said Cuesta. 

Cuesta said that by posting about institutional neutrality instead of Black History Month, “we failed to acknowledge the broader context of our political climate and the significance of Black History Month. It was harmful and there was no excuse for it.” 

Cuesta also expressed regret by not attending a Black student-led presentation due to the decision of attending a dinner with President Washington. “But being the student body president means advocating for all members of the Mason community, and I recognize the harm that was caused as a result of my absence at last night’s Cabinet meeting,” the statement read. 

Emma Schaible/Fourth Estate

BY JAMIE GHOLSON, CULTURE EDITOR

As the clock struck zero signifying the beginning of a new year, people cheered around LA’s famous “Smoking Deaths” billboard. The number of people on the board who died from smoking in 2024 was set back to zero. According to the CDC, 480,000 Americans die due to smoking each year. 

In the Generation Z era, electronic cigarettes, or vapes, have emerged as one of the most pressing public health issues in today’s society. Advertised to be a safer alternative to smoking cigarettes, vaping has infested millions of lives, especially teenagers, to what can only be reported as one of the major public health crises of our generation. The statistics are outrageous, the consequences are drastic, and the need for action has reached an all-time high. 

According to Steven Zauderer from Cross River Therapy, 1 in 20 Americans vape with the teenager e-cigarette consumption rate increasing by 1,800% over the last year. Over 2.14 million high school students and 380,000 middle schoolers have reported using e-cigarettes. This is an alarming epidemic that takes advantage of younger generations. 

In 2021, there were 55 million e-cigarette users worldwide. Statista reported that companies in the United States alone generated $8.827 million in revenue in 2024. 

What makes vaping so dangerous is the nicotine found inside and the health consequences as a result of smoking nicotine. According to NIH, at 200 puffs, 14.4-32.8 mg of nicotine per pod is equivalent to smoking 13-30 cigarettes. Vapes can cause strong dependencies in newly developing brains, making it harder for younger individuals to have the ability to stop and potentially leading to a lifelong path of dependency and addiction.

However, the risks are beyond just the usage of addiction. Since the introduction of e-cigarettes in the United States in 2006, the health issues involved in vaping include asthma, lung scarring, organ damage, cancer, inflammation in the lungs, and a condition known as EVALI (E-cigarette or Vaping Use-Associated Lung Injury). 

EVALI is a serious lung condition that causes extensive damage to an individual’s lungs causing symptoms like shortness of breath, coughing, chest pain, and, in some cases, can be fatal. 

One of the most concerning aspects of e-cigarettes is the interest from younger demographics. The marketing for these products includes innovative designs, fruity flavors, and alluding to people that vaping is harmless. 

Social media platforms are trying to normalize e-cigarette usage, enhancing its appeal and submerging it into youth culture, trying to make it seem ‘cool.’ The result of this innocuous marketing damages young adults with illness and a lifelong addiction. 

Policymakers need to enforce more regulations on e-cigarette advertisements, particularly those targeting minors. 

While local communities and schools educate students on the harmful consequences of smoking nicotine and chewing tobacco, they aren’t doing an extensive job of it. After all, millions of high schoolers and middle schoolers vape. 

It’s not about individual choice but rather the need for societal change and a collective call to action from the public. Allowing this health epidemic to carry on unchecked should not be an option. We owe it to younger generations to provide a future without risk for their health.