LIVE BLOG: Hurricane Sandy's impact on Mason

Photo courtesy of the National Hurricane Center

This page will regularly be updated with information regarding the impact of Hurricane Sandy on campus and notifications from administration officials.

11:38 a.m.: The Freedom Aquatic and Fitness Center on the Prince William campus will open at 12:00 p.m. today.

Parking: All parking regulations and permits will be in effect beginning on Wednesday. "If you have moved your vehicle into one of the parking decks please remove your vehicle before 7:00 a.m. Wednesday, October 31," read an email sent through Mason Alert.

11:35 a.m.: The Johnson Center and the Johnson Center undergraduate library and computer labs will open today at 4:00 p.m. and close at 12:00 a.m.. The Hub (formerly Student Union Building II) will open at 12:00 p.m..

Transportation: Mason Shuttles will not operate today but will resume normal operations tomorrow. The Fairfax CUE buses will resume operations at 2:00 p.m. today with limited service.

11:31 a.m.: Skyline Fitness Center and the Recreation and Athletic Complex (RAC) will be open for basic services beginning at 1:00 p.m. today.

11:28 a.m.: OneStop will be open today until 2:00 a.m., Southside will be open until 9:00 p.m., Starbucks will be open all day and Pilot House will open at 5:00 p.m., according to Mason Dining on twitter.

October 30: 11:19 a.m.: George Mason University will resume normal operations tomorrow, according to President Angel Cabrera. 

9:11 p.m.: According to an email from the Office of Housing and Resident Life, Southside will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. tomorrow. Additionally, Recreation Services is currently evaluating the possibility of reopening Skyline fitness center for limited hours tomorrow.

7:26 p.m.: University Dining Services are currently closed. Southside will reopen tomorrow at 10 a.m. The Aquatic Center, the RAC, and Skyline are all closed. Shuttle services are not running.

6:40 p.m.: C2M's Entertainment Editor Helena Okolicsanyi prepared some ideas of what to do while you're stuck inside:

1. Flashlight Tag: When the power goes out where you live, as it is expected to, play some good old flashlight tag. Grab some flashlights that you may have handy, and you’re “it” if someone flashes the light at you.

2. Movie Marathon: Pick your favorite set of movies and go at it. Snuggle up with a blanket, some comfy pillows, your favorite snack and you’re set. Favorite picks: Star Wars, Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter.

3. Board Games: Hunker down with your favorite board games and some friends. Follow the rules or make up your own. A few fun board games are Apples to Apples, Scrabble, Taboo, Pictionary, UNO and Bannanagrams.

4. Coloring: While the power is still on, print off some coloring pages and grab some coloring supplies. Do this activity while you watch a movie with some tea and you’re set for the night.

5. Mafia: Play your favorite game of Mafia. This is even better once the lights are out. Instructions can be found here: http://www.menconi.com/games/mafia.html

6. Read: A hurricane is the perfect time to catch up on your reading. If you have a flashlight when the power goes out, you can keep on reading. Grab some coffee, tea, apple cider or hot chocolate and you’re good to go. Someone is bound to have one of these books: the Harry Potter series, a book of short stories, the Great Gatsby, the Hunger Games, the Life of Pi and the Perks of Being a Wallflower.

7. Build a pillow and blanket fort: What’s better than making a fort and camping out underneath your sheets? Rearrange your room and make it the most efficient fort building. Hang out with your friends and tell stories or play with a deck of cards. Everything is better when you do it under a fort.

All in all, stay safe! 

6:34 p.m.: A decision on the operating status for Wednesday will be made by 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, October 30.

6:22 p.m.: All classes have been cancelled for tomorrow and all administrative offices will be closed. 

5:41 p.m.: A decision on whether the university will be closed all day tomorrow will be assessed by the Emergency Operations Group at 6:00 p.m. Stay tuned for details.

4:03 p.m.: GMU President Angel Cabrera said that Mason's emergency group expects Sandy to get gradually worse and peak tonight between 12 and 4 a.m. The risk for flooding, wind and power outages have increased.

1:03 p.m.: All dining locations will be closed today and tomorrow morning except for Southside which will operate from 8:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. as power permits. Boxed lunches and dinner will also be available from Gold Rush. Southside will reopen for normal hours at 10:00 a.m. tomorrow. More information can be found on the GMU website.

October 28: Classes and administrative offices at Mason will be closed tomorrow and Tuesday morning because of Hurricane Sandy. "A decision on the operating status for Tuesday afternoon will be available by 8:00 a.m. on Tuesday," according to an email sent through Mason Alert. Here is the e-mail in its entirety:

"On Monday October 29, 2012, classes are canceled and administrative offices are closed across all campuses of George Mason University through Tuesday at noon.  A decision on the operating status for Tuesday afternoon will be available by 8:00am on Tuesday, October 30th.

The university will provide updates on Mason’s operating status via Mason Alert as the situation warrants. Please visit http://www.gmu.edu, call 703-993-1000, and read Mason Alerts for the latest information. 

We urge all members of the Mason community to consider the following ways to prepare for the potential impact of this storm:

Monitor weather and news channels (television or radio) for up to date information.
    
Consider keeping non-perishable food, water, a flashlight, and medications on hand in the event of a power outage or regional flooding that prevents travel.Allow additional travel time to and from campus and plan activities accordingly.Have a contact plan with family and friends in advance, for communication and follow-up.

For more information on how to prepare and respond to severe weather and regional emergencies refer to the following guidance:

Tornado and Severe Weather Preparation Guide:http://ehs.gmu.edu/guides/TornadoSevereWeatherGuide.pdf

Regional Emergency Preparation Guide:http://ehs.gmu.edu/guides/RegionalEmergencyPreparation.pdf "