Welcome to The George Mason University branch of the Odyssey. I am incredibly excited and proud to be working here as the Editor-in-Chief. I am truly thankful for my staff and my supervisors. I could not do this without them. I would like to take this time to cover the goals I have for our branch of the Odyssey, as well as highlight some unique aspects of our school.

I remember the first time I fell in love with GMU. I was 10 years old and my brother was a freshman studying Conflict Analysis and Resolution. My family and I visited for family weekend, and I have been a Patriot ever since. The first thing I remember thinking about the campus was "this feels like home". As I toured the campus, I admired the buildings and programs that make GMU so unique and remarkable. Eight years later, I accepted my admission into the University and I have never looked back. George Mason is truly a great campus, filled with state of the art faculty and students. In this year alone, we have discovered a new way to extinguish fires, and opened a new facility to research complex diseases.I could not be prouder to be a GMU student.

As I begin the process of developing this newspaper, I have some goals that I believe are both achievable and necessary. First, I want everyone who reads this branch to see the personalities that thrive at GMU. We are an energetic campus made up of accomplished students. I truly believe that anyone who attends this University will fall in love with it just as much as I have. I also seek to highlight our tremendous accolades and academic achievements. I want GMU to be seen as a professional school that puts education as a top priority. I know that this is the case, and I want it to be apparent in our publications. Finally, I want current students to develop a deeper sense of pride for their University. I strongly believe that seeing these articles will create a sense of unity among our faculty and student body.

As I said before, I am extremely proud and happy with the staff I have. The writers show such a creative sense, and I am positive that this will push our branch of the Odyssey to a well-respected rank. I am quite impressed with the articles I have seen so far, and I am certain they will only improve. It is a privilege to be able to work alongside them.

I hope our branch continues to be a success and informs readers all across the country of news, as told by our students. I hope to exhibit the diversity we have on campus and develop yet another positive aspect of GMU. I am grateful for this opportunity, and I see nothing but positive potential moving forward.