Whether you went or not, you probably know someone who went to “Breakaway.”

Breakaway is a youth group retreat sponsored by The Falls Church which took place over President’s Day weekend. While it’s sponsored by The Falls Church, Breakaway is so much more than a religious retreat.

Breakaway is about meeting new people and strengthening friendships. It’s about team work, music, skits, food, games, and ropes courses. It’s about growth and finding yourself. It’s a time to get “real” with close friends and perfect strangers.

In this video, a few students from across Northern Virginia getting “real” about Breakaway.  You may find a few George Mason familiar faces in the video.

Teachers. You spend every day of the week with them, you’re in constant communication with them, and they’re responsible for teaching you the stuff you’ll need to know to get through life. So why is it that their personal lives are harder to find any information about than a needle in a haystack?

You always wonder what their lives are like when they’re not boring you to death or drowning you with homework. What do they do for fun? They can’t possibly just grade your essays all day, right? And, as said in the classic movie “Mean Girls,” “Seeing a teacher outside of school is like seeing a dog stand on its hind legs.”

In an attempt to gather information about teachers’ private lives as a way to humanize them to their students, I am setting out to document the playlists of several Mason teachers.  What’s on their iPods?  What makes them tap their toes?

First up on this trek is Mr. Will Snyder, a well-loved and appreciated math teacher. His playlist is listed below.

When asked about why he chose these songs he said “because they’re good songs.” Typical answer from Snyder, then again you can’t expect anything but dull from a math teacher. I jest!

He then continued by quoting the famous German mathematician and philosopher, Gottfried Willhelm von Leibniz- “Music is the pleasure human soul experiences from counting without being aware that it is counting.”

Here’s a glimpse into the musical life of math teacher William Snyder.

When most people talk about St. Patrick’s Day, the color green, leprechauns, and four-leaf clovers instantly come to mind and the true meaning of this holiday is often forgotten. Why do we really celebrate this holiday?

St. Patrick’s Day is a feast day and anniversary of the death of the religious leader of the same name.

The Irish have been celebrating this holiday March 17 for over 1,000 years with dancing and feasts of the traditional Irish meal of corned beef and cabbage.  Today many different cultures celebrate this holiday, particularly the United States, Ireland, Canada, and Australia.

St. Patrick was born in Roman Britain during the fifth century. At age sixteen he was kidnapped and taken to Ireland as a slave. Fortunately, he was able to escape, but he returned to introduce Christianity to the Irish.

Irish soldiers serving in the English military held the first St. Patrick’s day parade in New York City March 17, 1792 to honor the religious holiday and connect with their Irish roots. Today, it is the world’s oldest civilian parade and the largest in the United States, with over 150,000 people participating and three million people attending to watch.  The parade is five hours in length, which also makes it one of the longest in the world.

Many of the Saint Patrick’s Day symbols have meanings which have been forgotten in the commercialism of the celebrations.  The shamrock, (three leaf clover) was chosen to be Ireland’s emblem after the Irish legend that St. Patrick used it to explain the Holy Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). The original color of St. Patrick was blue, but in the 19^th century it changed to green to signify the beautiful green landscapes of the Emerald Isle.

In memory of longtime Cable Access Corporation Board Member Bob Morrison (1938-2009), a prominent Falls Church photographer, the Falls Church Board of Directors established the Bob Morrison prize for Photography and Videography to encourage students to capture images of Falls Church City, as Morrison used to do.

How to Enter:

1. Get flyer in the Library
2. Go online to  http://www.fcctv.net/blog/category/Schools/
3. Get an entry form
4. Submit Entry (look to bottom of article for information on where to submit entries)

Your entry should include five still photographs, or one video, capturing the theme of “Falls Church City- My Hometown.” Photo and video winners in grades seven through 12 will receive $200 each. Winners in grades K through six will receive $50 each.

Applicants must be in grades K-12 and be enrolled in a Falls Church City Public Schools for the 2011-2012 school year. Only appropriate photo and video content illustrating the theme of “Falls Church City- My Hometown” will be considered and accepted as an official entry.

Photo and video content can include (but is not limited too) local events, landmarks, people, nature, and other visual opportunities that represent the best of Falls Church City and the artistic qualities Morrison captured in his photographs

Entry Requirements: Photographers must submit five, unframed images, no larger than 8 x 10 inches. Images may be submitted as prints or in digital format on CD, DVD, or emailed to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it with the student’s name, home address, name of school, grade and phone number on the back of each photo/video.

All photographs and video presentations must be the work of the students submitting the entry. All submissions become the property of FCC-TV and may be used for station promotional purposes. Videographers must submit a single program or composite presentation that does into exceed 15 minutes. Longer single programs may be edited to 15 minutes representing the videographer’s best segments. Video may be submitted on DVD or VHS tape. Video cases must be labeled with student’s name, address, school name, grade, and phone number. Each video must be the work of the student submitting the entry. All submissions become the property of FCC-TV and may be used for station promotional purposes. K-6 students may enter either category, or both, but they will be eligible to win only one category per contest year.

Judging: Entries will be judged by a three-judge panel on adherence to the theme, creativity, and technical competence. All participants will be recognized at the Falls Church Cable Access Corporation’s annual meeting where the winners will be announced.

Entry Deadlines: All entries must be received by 5:00 on Monday, April 23, 2012. No late entries will be accepted.

Questions? Contact FCC-TV supervisor Michael Palmrose at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or call (703) 248-5692

Mason students recently showed off their wide variety of talents to battle for the title of Mr. and Ms. Mason 2012. A small portion of last week’s competition is available here, or to purchase a copy for $10, email Steve Mirman at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

There is something going around in the senior class. Symptoms include laziness, carelessness, and socializing more than studying. It seems that “senioritis” has been affecting seniors all over George Mason. Now that it is second semester, seniors of George Mason High School are falling into the senior slump.

I meandered around Mason hunting seniors down in the hallway and asked them to complete this sentence: “You know you have senioritis when...”

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