Mason Sees New Names

By Broadside Correspondent Yasmin Tadjdeh

Several school buildings on the Fairfax and Arlington campuses are getting evamped with brand new names.

George Mason University’s Naming Committee has begun the process of naming buildings currently under construction, including Parking Deck III, which will now be called Rappahannock River Parking Deck and Academic VI/Research II Building, which will be known as the Engineering Building.

Some existing buildings will also undergo a name change, as with the Physical
Education Building. The building will now go by name of the Recreation and Athletic
Complex.

“When I think of the PE Building, I think of something that largely resembles my high
school gym, while the name Recreation and Athletic Complex brings to mind a
building similar to the Aquatic Center,” said senior English major Kaitlin Huggins.

Undecided major freshmen Rebecca Nicholson thinks that “the buildings that have similar names to another building and [that] are only differentiated by a number should also have their names changed, to avoid existing confusions over finding
classes.

Often times, a student will go to a building only to find it is Science & Tech II when they meant to go to Science & Tech I.”

Pending Mason Board of Visitors’ approval, the names of some on-campus roads will also be changed. George Mason Boulevard and Aquia River Lane, if approved, would be known simply as Aquia Creek Lane and Po River Lane would become Pohick Creek Lane.

Freshmen nursing major Ronald Heredia thinks that road name changes will make it
more difficult for commuters to make their way around Mason and cause overall confusion.

“It’s going to be difficult for commuters . . . to find their way around Mason because all of us are used to certain roads . . . I have a GPS, but I still get lost on some of them.”

Christine LaPaille, Vice President for University Relations and Co-Chairmen of the Naming Committee, does not think there will be significant confusion over the new names but notes that those at the Naming Committee are “looking at long-term
implications,” and not the short-term consequences of the name changes.

In regard to the Physical Education building LaPaille said, “PE is a term you do not
use anymore . . . ” and that the name Recreation and Athletic Complex reflects as a
“centerpiece of student life.”

As for the road name changes LaPaille said that according to architects working
with the Naming Committee “certain roads are not viable because they won’t connect
later on” to other roads that will be built in the future.

For a full list of all buildings and roads that will have their name changed, both on the Fairfax and Arlington campuses, students can visit The Mason Gazette website.