Off-campus students take over George's

Students study in the Off-Campus Students Lounge in George's on Monday. (Jenna Beaver)

With finals in full gear, students are buckling down and taking refuge (particularly from the snow) in places like Fenwick Library, the Johnson Center, Starbucks and any other place conducive to studying. But for off-campus students, finding a place to hunker down may not be as easy as it is for their on-campus peers.

Having commenced on Sunday and continuing until Saturday at 10 p.m., off-campus students are invited to stop by the Off-Campus Students Student Lounge in George’s on the third floor of the JC. The event, being put on by Student Government, Mason Dining, the Offices of Events Management and Orientation and Family Programs and Services, is meant to help off-campus students find a good place to study and is opened 24 hours.

“From experience I know that during finals [the] JC fills up quickly and there is a need for more of a lounge space for students to be able to study,” said Mhehvish Khan, a graduate assistant for the Off-Campus Programs and Services unit in an e-mail interview.

“Its [sic] finals time and we have this great place with free food and giveaways available for off campus students,” said Khan.

In preparation for the event, couches and furniture were brought into George’s to help students be more comfortable, Khan said.

Students who choose to utilize the lounge will be able to grab refreshments and can snag items like Mason ice-scrapers and air-fresheners.

“This is just a way for us to let them [off-campus students] know that they are an integral part of the university and to let them know that there are all these resources available to them from the university in case they need to utilize them,” said Kahn.