As Mason Korea’s Associate Dean for University Life, I am proud to report that Mason Korea has fully taken advantage of new opportunities that the easing of pandemic safety restrictions has allowed. And we are enjoying ourselves!
There is no better symbol of this change than the return, after three years, of Mason Day, our annual spring celebration of the Mason spirit, with music, food, games, and time to honor our students. We had record attendance at this year’s Mason Day. In addition we have enjoyed this semester a rich variety of faculty lectures, trainings, and student events.
The events are not over yet. In the space of the next two weeks we will be hosting both an international conference on security in Northeast Asia, whose participants include the US’s interim ambassador to Korea, and, about a week later, the WPC/AWPC All Korea Powerlifting Championships. How’s that for variety?
It is evident that our community has been hungry for opportunities to come together and embrace the Mason experience. More than ever, we have acquired a deeper sense of understanding of the importance of community, of the importance of sharing physical spaces together.
As we realize the privilege that it is to be a community, we also have a better understanding of the responsibilities that come with being one, of the responsibility we have for one another’s well-being. We have committed ourselves to the challenging journey of acquiring a deeper understanding of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) issues on our campus, in Korea, and globally.
This work will help to strengthen our community and to better prepare our students for future leadership. Attention to DEI sits at the heart of many of the challenges that our students will face well beyond their time at Mason Korea.
As we charge towards Mason Korea's 10-year anniversary in 2024, I am humbled by the challenges that lay ahead but excited to see what we will continue to become as an institution and as a community. I look forward to seeing the ever-increasing impact that Mason Korea can make on the Mason nation and our local communities in Korea. It’s Mason’s time. It’s Mason Korea’s time.
Yorgun Marcel
Associate Dean for University Life