Association and Chapter News

Lifetime E-mail Forwarding Coming Soon!

Have you ever had to notify everyone in your online address book that your e-mail address was changing? Would you like to have an e-mail address that remains constant—even if you change jobs or switch to a new Internet service provider? Thanks to the George Mason University Alumni Association, Mason graduates soon can take advantage of lifetime e-mail forwarding.

This service gives you a permanent e-mail alias that forwards all messages to your active e-mail account, enabling you to give just one address to your family, friends, and business associates and never have to change it! When your e-mail address does change, simply forward your alias to the new address for a seamless transition.

You will be notified via e-mail when our forwarding service is live. The service is only available to registered users of the MASONline alumni directory, so register today and be sure to provide your current e-mail address. Simply go to www.gmu.edu/alumni, select "Alumni Directory" from the menu at left, and follow the directions for new users.

Call for Nominations

Alumni awards and scholarships are presented annually at the Alumni Association's Celebration of Distinction, which will be held on April 21, 2004. Nominations for the 2004 awards are now being accepted.

Nomination forms and criteria are available on the web at www.gmu.edu/alumni. Please send us your nominations for the Alumni Service Award, Alumnus/Alumna of the Year Award, and Faculty Member of the Year Award.

Also, please encourage any deserving students to apply for the John C. Wood Scholarship, the John C. and Louise P. Wood Graduate Scholarship, the Peter C. Forame Student Leader Scholarship, and the Senior of the Year Award.

For more information, call the Alumni Affairs Office at (703) 993-3847 or e-mail Heidi Kibirsky at [email protected].

Alumni Association Services

The Alumni Association has developed several affinity partnerships that are designed to serve the needs of Mason alumni. You may wish to take advantage of these valuable services offered by our highly regarded industry partners.

Health Insurance
Short-term insurance, individual comprehensive major medical, and supplemental major medical plans are all available to Mason alumni by American Insurance Administrators (AIA). In addition, we have just signed an agreement to add long-term care insurance to the list of products offered. For more information on any of these plans, please call AIA at 1 (800) 922-1245 or visit the AIA web site at alumniinsuranceprogram.com/gmu.

Term Life Insurance
AIA also offers Mason alumni three different plans for life insurance at excellent rates. For information on these plans, call the customer service number at 1 (800) 922-1245.

GEICO DIRECT Auto Insurance
For auto insurance, we have partnered with GEICO to bring you first-class service and low rates. For more information, please call 1 (800) 386-2734.

Student Loan Consolidation
Now is the time to take advantage of the lowest possible interest rate and cut your monthly payments by as much as half. If you have at least $7,500 in federal student loans, you could benefit from this offering. For more information and to apply, go to www.alumniconsolidation.com/gmu or call 1 (800) 440-0634.

VISA Card
A colorful and attractive, no-annual-fee credit card with an array of services, which features the George Mason statue and the university signature on the front, is available to alumni. The Alumni Association is proud to offer this card in conjunction with industry leader MBNA. Please call 1 (800) 932-2775 and mention priority code SM6E to receive more information on rates, fees, features, and benefits associated with the use of the card.

Upcoming Events

Rocktoberfest
On Saturday, October 18, the Patriot Club will host the first-ever Rocktoberfest at George Mason. The event will feature Welbilt, the Kelly Bell Band, and Fighting Gravity. Radio station DC 101 will be broadcasting on location. Held in conjunction with the 2004 State Chili Cook Off, the event will include a Funzone for kids and plenty of food from local area restaurants. The festivities will last from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. in Parking Lot L by the Patriot Center, so come on out and enjoy bands, food, and fun! Admission is $5 per person (children under 2 are free), and tickets will be sold on site. For more information, please call Lory Stimson at (703) 993-3217.

Hors d'oeuvres and Hauntings
In late October, the History and Art History Chapter will be having a frightfully good dinner event followed by a walking tour of haunted houses in Old Town Alexandria, Va. The event is open to all History and Art History Chapter alumni as well as other George Mason alumni. Don't be afraid to call Brenda Linthicum, B.A. '02, at (703) 912-3309 or e-mail [email protected] for more information. We promise the food won't be scary, but the tour will be!

Annual Celebration of George Mason's Birthday
Each December, the Alumni Association sponsors an event to commemorate December 11, 1725, the date George Mason was born. Previous events were held at Gunston Hall, George Mason's home; Gadsby's Tavern, an establishment he frequented in Alexandria; and Montpelier, home of his friend and fellow patriot, James Madison. This year's event will be held on Saturday, December 6, 2003, at Mount Vernon, home of his friend and neighbor, George Washington. The event starts at 4 p.m. and will include a candlelight tour of Mount Vernon. Cost is $20 per person and space is limited. For more information, please contact Andy Ackley at (703) 993-8739 or [email protected].

NCC Alumni Chapter Welcomed

The Alumni Association is pleased to announce the formation of the newest alumni chapter! The New Century College (NCC) Alumni Chapter was officially granted active status at the June 19 meeting of the Alumni Association Board of Directors. Alumni Eric Sas, B.S. Integrative Study '00, and Holly Biehl, B.A. Integrative Study '00, proposed the chapter and presented bylaws to the board, which unanimously approved the proposal.

The chapter's goals include unifying NCC alumni for educational and social purposes, as well as supporting the goals and objectives of the college and the Alumni Association. The chapter is planning group outings to cultural performances, an annual ski trip, an NCC alumni golf tournament, and volunteer opportunities.

If you are interested in becoming involved with the NCC Alumni Chapter, contact Sas, chapter president, at [email protected].

Lambda Alumni Group Celebrates Its Beginnings

With a list of interested alumni already numbering more than 100, the George Mason Lambda Alumni group for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) alumni is off to a terrific start! On Saturday, July 12, approximately 20 LGBT alumni and friends gathered at a member's home in Northern Virginia. The afternoon offered good food, music, reminiscing, and conversation—updates on one another's lives as well as current happenings at Mason. With this successful beginning, now is a great time to join to help shape the group's future. For more information, e-mail [email protected].

Calling All WGMU Radio Alumni

The WGMU Radio Alumni Chapter is pleased to announce its new officers for 2003­04: Ted Arnn, B.S. '93, president, and Tim Murphy, B.A. '03, Communication Committee chair.

To stay informed of the latest chapter news and events during the 20th anniversary of the founding of WGMU, register at wgmuradio.com/alumni/alumindex.html or send e-mail to [email protected]. Your campus radio station can now be heard anywhere on the planet at wgmuradio.com.

ICAR Alumni Chapter

The ICAR Alumni Chapter and Board of Directors of the Alumni Association mourn the passing of George H. Anderson Jr., M.S. '00 and Ph.D. ABD, on August 9, 2003. Anderson served as copresident of the ICAR Alumni Chapter in 2002­03. A scholarship fund has been established in his name for the Institute for Conflict Analysis and Resolution (ICAR). Contributions may be sent to ICAR, 4400 University Drive, MS 4D3, Fairfax, VA 22030.

NCBI Alumni

Calling all National Coalition Building Institute (NCBI) alumni! An alumni group is forming to reunite and provide leadership opportunities for alumni who were involved in the campus affiliate of NCBI while at George Mason. For more information or to join, please send an e-mail to [email protected] or call (703) 993-4003.