Association and Chapter News

Stories from the Road

It was March 2008, and the Mason basketball team was going to the NCAA regional tournament in Denver. I had a few extra tickets to the game from some alumni who couldn’t make the journey, and I also had an e-mail from a Denver alumnus looking for two tickets. On the way out of the airport the day before the game, I called him.

“Al, this is Pete Farrell, president of the GMU Alumni Association. I heard you were looking for tickets to the game,” I said.

There was a pause and then he asked, “How old are you?”

“What?” I said, and he repeated his question. So I told him.

He said, “You and I went to Mason together.” And sure enough the next day I got to meet my old classmate at the pregame reception in Denver and give him the tickets to the game.

On Friday after the game, I went on a short hike into the foothills north of Boulder. When I got back to Boulder, I was hungry and came across a place called Illegal Pete’s. Being named Pete, this seemed like the perfect place to enjoy a late lunch, a margarita, and the early Friday NCAA game, favored Connecticut versus upstart San Diego.

The game wound down to the last two or three minutes with Connecticut falling behind to the dark horse, much as happened two years ago when Mason was the victor over the same powerhouse. The fellow sitting next to me was getting quite animated and said he was at the NCAA tournament the last time Connecticut was upended.

I said I too was in D.C. rooting for Mason. This enthusiastic Mason supporter, as it turned out, was a fellow alumnus from the class of 2007.

So you never know where you are going to run into Mason alumni. And the best way to meet them is to proudly wear Mason gear and be ready to share your story. Mason Patriots are everywhere.

—Pete Farrell, BS ’79, MBA ’85