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Mason Spirit is published three times a year by the Office of Advancement and Alumni Relations in conjunction with the Office of Communications and Marketing.
Profiles
Music Alumnus Collaborates with Broadway Legend
By Mason Spirit contributor on October 9, 2009
Vincent Oppido, BA Music ’08, who penned his first composition at age 14, is well on his way to joining the ranks of talented composers, such as Mozart and Chopin, who began their musical careers at a young age. Currently a graduate student in Mason’s School of Music where he is working toward a master’s…
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Professors We Love: Margaret Duffner
By Mason Spirit contributor on October 8, 2009
Duffner would tell you that part of her motivation in forming the team was to put Mason on the map. Not only did she succeed in achieving this goal, she did so in remarkably short order. Just two years later, Mason cracked the top 10, taking seventh place at the 1973 National Forensics Association national…
A Drive to Give: Anchor and Alum Devoted to Volunteering
By Mason Spirit contributor on October 8, 2009
Capital Beltway traffic may be at a near-constant standstill, but Angie Goff, BA Communication ’01, is in motion at all times. Goff, traffic anchor, entertainment correspondent, lifestyle blogger, and morning show fill-in anchor for WUSA-9, joined the Washington, D.C., CBS affiliate in 2007 after working as a news anchor and reporter in Iowa and South…
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In the Danger Zone
By Mason Spirit contributor on October 8, 2009
When Robert Knight, BA History ’85, graduated from Mason, Top Gun was a hit movie, so it wasn’t surprising that Knight joined the Navy and set out to “get jets.” What is surprising is that 24 years later he would find himself stationed in Iraq with the Army’s 305th Psychological Operations Company as a noncommissioned…
As Alma Mater’s Reputation Grows, So Does Firm’s
By Corey Jenkins Schaut, MPA '07 on October 8, 2009
When Alan Plevy , JD ’77, and Jason Smolen, JD ’77, decided to go into business together after graduating from Mason’s School of Law, the two young, single classmates had nothing to lose—except a brand-new iBM selectric ii typewriter. “We paid $100 a month on it,” says Plevy. “we still use it 32 years later.”…
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Patriot Profile: Alex Plank
By Colleen Kearney Rich on October 8, 2009
Year: Senior Major: Film and Video Studies Hometown: Charlottesville, Virginia Webmaster Extraordinaire: Plank started WrongPlanet.net, an online community for individuals and the parents of those with autism, Asperger’s syndrome, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and other neurological differences, with a friend he met online while he was still in high school. WrongPlanet.net currently has almost…
Forget the Plank, Matey, and Tell Me about Your Bottom Line
By Colleen Kearney Rich on October 7, 2009
When the Leesons took their eight-year-old son Peter to Disney World, they could not have anticipated that his experience with the Pirates of the Caribbean ride would lead to a research project and book. In his book The Invisible Hook: The Hidden Economics of Pirates (Princeton University Press, April 2009), Peter T. Leeson, MA, PhD…
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Five Tips for Creating Happiness and Fulfillment
By Mason Spirit contributor on October 7, 2009
How can we feel positive and devote effort toward a meaningful life in these unstable, uncertain times? How do we find solace when our budget is shrinking and stressors at home and work are growing? Many of us are finding ourselves on life paths that we never expected as cortisol surges through our veins. Many…
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Work and Play Are Equally Important for Smolen and Plevy
By Corey Jenkins Schaut, MPA '07 on October 1, 2009
When they take a vacation from running their Tysons Corner law firm, Alan Plevy and Jason Smolen can usually be found traveling the world, although in very different corners. Smolen is fond of exploring the Western world, particularly Europe, taking in the arts and culture. Most recently, he and his wife toured the Mediterranean, visiting…
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Professors We Love: School of Nursing
By Mason Spirit contributor on April 4, 2009
My story actually begins in the 1960s in isolation on a pediatric ward. Weeks of hospitalization gave me the desire to become a nurse. At that time, I envisioned a nurse to be a caring person who gave out ice cream while donning a hat that singularly represented the profession. It was years before I…
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