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Sam Douglas/ Fourth Estate

BY SAM DOUGLAS, STAFF WRITER

Virginia first lady Suzanne Youngkin held a talk at Mason on Thursday, Oct. 17 to raise awareness about the risks of fentanyl. Student athletes and athletic staff were present as Youngkin, Virginia Secretary of Health and Human Resources Janet Kelly and Mason Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Marvin Lewis addressed the dangers of the fatal drug.

Fentanyl is an opioid used by doctors as an extreme pain reliever; however, the drug is also illegally sold on the street in the form of liquid and powder, according to the CDC.

 Youngkin stressed the importance of staying away from fentanyl as part of her “It Only Takes One” campaign. The campaign launched in January and expanded recently in August with Youngkin traveling to schools, churches and recovery centers to raise awareness about fentanyl.

Sam Douglas/ Fourth Estate

“As a mother of four young adults, I can’t imagine the pain of losing a child to something that could have been prevented,” Youngkin said. “This crisis is personal to me because it affects every community across Virginia, from our cities to our rural areas. I believe we can prevent these tragedies through awareness, education and conversation.” 

According to the first lady’s website, an average of five Virginians die each day due to fentanyl poisoning. 

Also present at the event were Tom and Delaine Mazich, whose son Grey passed away due to an accidental fentanyl overdose in 2020 while at college. They shared their story with the student athletes in attendance, detailing how their son took a pill to help fall asleep unaware that it was laced with fentanyl. They urged the student athletes to use their role to help spread awareness of the dangerous drug.

Sam Douglas/ Fourth Estate

“You have the opportunity to impact so many people because they look up to you,” the Mazichs said to members of Mason’s women’s lacrosse, men’s soccer and rowing teams.

Fentanyl awareness and prevention efforts have been present throughout Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s administration. Besides the “It Only Takes One” campaign, Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares also has a campaign focused on fentanyl called “One Pill Can Kill.” 

In May 2023, Gov. Youngkin issued Executive Order 26 which focused on combating the rise of fentanyl. Gov. Youngkin also announced that Operation Free Virginia had seized 17,000 pounds of illegal drugs and 50 pounds of fentanyl during a 30-day operation in early 2024.

“Our administration is fully committed to addressing the fentanyl crisis through bipartisan collaboration…this is an issue that transcends politics, and together, we’re raising awareness, educating communities and working toward saving lives across Virginia and beyond,” first lady Youngkin said.

Nawaal Nackerdien/ Fourth Estate

BY EMMA SCHAIBLE, STAFF WRITER

On Oct. 23 in the JC Atrium, seven student organizations came together to host the 2024 Election Forum. The forum presented the Democratic and Republican party perspectives on six policy and social topics in addition to questions submitted by spectators. 

The forum was presented by Mason’s Student Government and Bridge at Mason, a non-partisan political organization seeking to create open conversations and communications, according to their Instagram page. A panel of students from both organizations moderated the debate between the Democrats at Mason and College Republicans at GMU. 

Political director Olivia Nealon and Director of Communications John Dressel represented Democrats at Mason while President Ali Motemedi and Event Coordinator Blake Reed represented College Republicans at GMU.

“This is pretty much a GMU tradition,” said Dressel in an interview with Fourth Estate before the debate. While the debate is an annual event, this year has seen a turnout of “300+ audience members!” according to Bridge at Mason’s Instagram caption. 

Kaylee Fernandez, the Chair of Government and Community Relations for Mason’s Student government, was the organizer for the debate. 

“The purpose of today’s event is to just provide a space for peers to share with their fellow peers their perspectives…we feel that’s really important to create these spaces,” Fernandez said. 

Weeks before the debate, student government sat down with both Democrats at Mason and College Republicans at GMU to discuss topics and debate structure. The five overarching topics included economics, climate, abortion, immigration and democracy. 

From these topics, moderators asked questions on how each party would resolve issues that were significant to the student body, such as student debt relief, state regulated abortion-rights and the role of diversity, equity and inclusion in state-sponsored education. 

Emma Schaible/ Fourth Estate

Freshman Neil Boppuri shared his opinions on the debate during an intermission, stating, “I think the debate was very mediocre at best.” He went on to criticize Democrats at Mason for “coming out swinging,” and College Republicans at GMU for their speaking style.

“I think the thing is, while in a debate setting, that makes sense, [but] this is meant for an audience, and it’s meant to convince people,” Boppuri said. 

In their closing statements, each side invited anyone interested to attend their meetings. Democrats at Mason meet every Monday at 7:30pm in Horizon Hall room 1007. College Republicans at GMU meet every Wednesday at 8:30pm in Johnson Center meeting room D. 

Despite their differences throughout the night, each side was able to agree on two topics: pancakes are better than waffles and it is essential to vote. 

The deadline for registering to vote has passed, but students who live on campus can head to Merten Hall on Nov. 5 for same day registration. 

To learn more about ways to get involved with the upcoming election, visit masonvotes.gmu.edu for voter guides and information on becoming a registered voter.