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HNRS 130: The Politics of Language is an Honors College course at Mason that explores the relationship between language and power structures in society. Taught by Anna Habib, the course covers topics such as linguistic discrimination, inclusive and antiracist language, and linguistic erasure. Students lead discussions and have a range of choices for their final projects. The goal of the class is to increase awareness of implicit biases related to linguistic identity and practices.

Gwendolyne Fields’ life has been defined by a connection to natural landscapes across the world. Growing up outside of the U.S., Fields developed an awareness of how global issues like climate change impacted environmental degradation and species decline in multiple countries.

For Honors College student Rakibul Alam, creative writing was his gateway to advocacy. In 2021, when he was a senior at Westfield High School, he wrote a spur-of-the-moment poem titled “Utopia” about the struggles of Muslim Americans.

The Honors College welcomes Jeffrey Shen to the Dean's Advisory Board.

Honors College student James Condo has trained in the emerging field of Next System Studies, which involves research into questions of systemic design, change, and movements.

Honors College student Emily Synoski, who graduates this month from Mason with a biology degree, has also participated in Georgetown University’s competitive CORE pre-med program, where she and her team pitched an idea to deliver opioid overdose treatment to houseless populations via drones.

During her time at Mason, University Scholar Aloana Hall had internships at the DC Volunteer Lawyers Project and the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia.

The Next System Fellows Program is an inquiry-based, experiential learning opportunity for students eager to build a more just and sustainable global order for the future.  It introduces Mason students to the emerging field of Next System Studies, connecting them with community changemakers working right now on alternative systems.

Industry Challenges is a unique section of the 300-level Multi-Disciplinary Challenges Honors College curriculum requirement restricted to students who have completed at least one year at Mason. As the practicum option (an alternative to the research focused HNRS 360), HNRS 361 is an experiential-learning course inviting students to take a hands-on approach to complex challenges.

On October 1, Honors College Connects (HCC) held its second annual Hackathon. The Hackathon is an opportunity for students to come up with creative solutions to issues that various local nonprofit organizations face. Participants spent the day going through the brainstorming and development process, giving peer reviews, and presenting their final ideas to each nonprofit.

As midterm season set in, the Honors College’s third Yoga Day event came just in time to help Honors College students stretch out and destress. Alumni Jamie Argento returned to the Mason campus to hold the annual yoga session on Friday, September 23, guiding a group of Honors students and faculty on Finley Lawn.

Molly Izer’s political curiosity knows no bounds. As a second-year student in the Honors College, Izer has already explored a range of political advocacy spheres. From her high school origins in grassroots organizing in Oregon to her freshman-year congressional internships in Washington, D.C., Izer is now taking the next step with policy research at George Mason University and beyond.