Author: Amanda Corrigan

Mason’s Office of Government and Community Relations paves the path for successful interactions with federal, state, and local governments, as well as community groups.

For guidance on connecting with government officials, community outreach, Chamber of Commerce engagement, and more, check out this flyer.

Registration Open: Crucial Conversations Skillshops 

Mason’s Organizational Development and Learning team is offering a Crucial Conversations workshop series beginning October 20. Learn how to turn disagreement into dialogue for personal and professional success! Led by certified trainers, these interactive virtual sessions will allow participants space to engage in discussion, real-time practice, and group support. 

Registration is limited, so don’t wait. Sign up today! 

Virginia529 Webinar: Saving for Education 

Thinking about saving for education? Join the HR & Payroll team and Virginia529 for a special webinar on October 25 at 1 p.m. 

Saving for future education expenses for a child, a grandchild, or even yourself can seem overwhelming. In this webinar, you’ll learn how a Virginia529 account can help you save for tuition and other costs, take advantage of tax-free earnings, and meet your savings goals. As a bonus, Mason employees who attend this webinar will receive an exclusive offer – a $25 gift code to open a new Invest529 account. 

Register via Zoom. For more information, contact Marissa Ehrhardt at mehrhard@gmu.edu. 

IT Security Awareness Training Due November 16  

Annual IT Security Awareness Training is now open in MasonLEAPS accounts of all Mason employees, associates, and affiliates. Employees have until Wednesday, November 16 to complete their training. Employees who fail to take the training by the deadline will have their accounts disabled, and their supervisors or manager will be notified. If your account is disabled, you will need to contact the ITS Support Center to re-enable the account to take the training. Employees who handle sensitive information will be required to take additional role-based training. The training provides information about protecting Mason’s IT systems and employees’ information, which is a priority for ITS.    

   

Cybersecurity Awareness Month Schedule of Events 

Join Information Technology Services (ITS) throughout October to observe Cybersecurity Awareness Month with cybersecurity-related events, including Zoom presentations on Ransomware and You (Wednesday, October 12, at 3 p.m.) and Everyday Cybersecurity (Thursday, October 20, at noon). ITS will also host its annual Ask Me Anything with the IT Security Office on Reddit (Wednesday, October 26, at noon). Follow ITS on Twitter @GeorgeMasonITS all month long for tips about online safety.

View the complete schedules for the Center for the Arts and the Hylton Performing Arts Center.

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Visiting Filmmakers Series: Unapologetic with Filmmaker Ashley O’Shay
Thursday, Oct. 13, at 6 p.m.
Johnson Center Cinema
Join us for a screening and discussion of Unapologetic with filmmaker Ashley O’Shay. After two police killings, Black millennial organizers challenge a Chicago administration complicit in state violence against its Black residents. Told through the lens of Janaé and Bella, two fierce abolitionist leaders, Unapologetic is a deep look into the Movement for Black Lives, from the police murder of Rekia Boyd to the election of Mayor Lori Lightfoot.

Fall Choral Festival Concert
Dewberry School of Music
Saturday, Oct. 15, at 4 p.m.
Center for the Arts
George Mason University choirs are under the direction of Lisa Billingham. The choral ensembles perform a wide variety of music each semester, ranging from classical styles to multicultural works and popular music.

Faculty Artist Showcase
Dewberry School of Music
Sunday, Oct. 16, at 3 p.m.
Harris Theatre
Come attend this annual showcase recital of performances by Mason’s stellar Dewberry School of Music faculty, including vocal, instrumental, and piano artists.

Mason Wind Symphony and Symphonic Band 
Dewberry School of Music 
Monday, Oct. 17, at 8 p.m. 
The Mason Wind Symphony and Symphonic Band open the 2022–23 concert cycle with a shared concert titled Exclamations! Works performed by both ensembles are written by composers whose artistic voices, both past and present, celebrate the power of music and music-making. This inaugural concert with Mason’s newly appointed Director of Bands William L. Lake Jr. will include a pre-concert performance and talk back of Richard Strauss’ “Serenade for 13 Winds.” 

Mason Jazz Ensemble: Fall Concert 
Wednesday, Oct. 19, at 8 p.m. 
Harris Theatre 
The Mason Jazz Ensemble, directed by Jim Carroll, performs their fall concert. This concert will feature outstanding soloists and pay tribute to the great big bands of Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Dizzy Gillespie, Thad Jones, and Rob McConnell.

Visual Voices Lecture with Silas Munro 
Mason Exhibitions and School of Art 
Thursday, Oct. 20, at 7:30 p.m. 
Hosted on Zoom 
Silas Munro engages multi-modal practices that inspire people to be the best versions of themselves in order to effect positive change on society as a whole. 

Mason Opera Scenes 
Dewberry School of Music 
Friday, Oct. 21 at 3 p.m. 
Harris Theatre 
Come see highlights from standard operas featuring all your favorite characters singing the maestro’s brilliant arias and ensembles in a condensed staging with piano accompaniment, performed by Mason vocal students. 

Mummenschanz: 50 Years  
Sunday, Oct. 23, at 7 p.m.  
Hylton Performing Arts Center 
Spectacular large-scale masks, clever puppetry, and inventive use of shadow and light delight the whole family in Mummenschanz’s 50 Years. Mummenschanz became a household name in the 1970s thanks to special appearances on The Muppet Show, Johnny Carson Show, and Sesame Street. Beloved by people of all ages around the globe, Mummenschanz sparks the imagination with its manipulation of everyday objects while offering lighthearted and universal insights into the human condition. This performance is appropriate for all ages.