Schar School of Policy and Government - Click to Go Home
  • About
    The Schar School 
    Founders Hall

    A Dynamic Education for an Evolving World

    • About
    • About Dwight Schar
    • A Message from Dean Mark J. Rozell
    • Key Facts
      • Explore Washington, D.C.
    • Faculty Directory
    • Staff Directory
    • Maps & Directions
    • Contact Us
      • Contact Undergraduate Admissions
      • Contact Graduate Admissions
      • Contact Student Services and Advising
  • Prospective Students
    The Schar School 
    Founders Hall

    A Dynamic Education for an Evolving World

    • Prospective Students
    • Application Requirements
    • Programs of Study
      • Undergraduate Programs
      • Master's Programs
      • PhD Programs
      • Graduate Certificates
      • Security Studies
      • Online Programs
      • Executive Education
      • Visiting Non-Degree Studies
    • Admissions & Aid
      • Graduate Admissions FAQ
      • International Applicant Requirements
      • For Military, Veterans, and Dependents
      • Tuition & Financial Assistance
      • Admitted Students
      • Contact Admissions
    • The Value of a Schar School Degree
    • Explore & Visit
      • Graduate Admissions Recruitment & Events
      • Undergraduate Admissions Recruitment & Events
      • Ask a Graduate Ambassador
      • Ask an Undergraduate Liaison
      • Viewbooks & Publications
    • Request More Information
    • Apply Now
  • Current Students
    The Schar School 
    Founders Hall

    A Dynamic Education for an Evolving World

    • Current Students
    • Short-Term Study Abroad Programs
    • Career Development Office
      • Career Resources for Students and Alumni
      • Career Development Webinars
      • Student Services Seminars
      • Graduate Internship Program
      • Career Outcomes Reports
      • Career Fair
      • Employers
      • Job Opportunities
      • Contact Career Services
    • Undergraduate Student Services
      • Undergraduate Advising
      • Undergraduate Career Readiness
      • Undergraduate Minors
      • Undergraduate Internship Program
      • Undergraduate Research Assistant Program
      • Patriot Prelaw Program
      • Accelerated Master’s Programs
    • Master’s Student Services
      • Master’s FAQ
      • Graduate Degree Requirements
      • Academic Policies and Forms
      • Master’s 101
      • Information About POGO 511
      • Master's Student Services Contact Information
    • PhD Student Services
      • PhD 101
      • PhD FAQs
      • PhD Handbooks and Forms
      • PhD Milestone Guides
      • Doctoral Candidates & Research
      • PhD Student Advising Articles
      • Careers in the Academy
    • Scholarships and Funding
      • Scholarships for Undergrads
      • Pi Sigma Alpha Honor Society
      • Grants for PhD Research
      • Graduate Scholarships and Fellowships
      • ERPi Patriot Scholarship for Veterans and Dependents of Veterans
      • Awards for PhD Dissertations
      • Post-Doctoral Fellowships & Awards
    • Course Syllabi and Schedule
      • Academic Calendar
      • Course Syllabi
  • News & Events
      The Schar School  
    Founders Hall

    A Dynamic Education for an Evolving World

    • News and Events
    • Latest News
    • Events Calendar
    • Schar School Magazine
    • Nexus Alumni Newsletter
  • Faculty & Research
    The Schar School 
    Founders Hall

    A Dynamic Education for an Evolving World

    • Office of Grant Development
    • Faculty and Research
    • Research in Action
    • Research Centers, Institutes, and Initiatives
    • Faculty Areas of Research
    • Resources for Faculty and Staff
    • Careers at the Schar School
    • Faculty Directory
  • Alumni
    The Schar School 
    Founders Hall

    A Dynamic Education for an Evolving World

    • Alumni & Annual Campaign
    • Alumni
      • Schar School & Alumni News
      • Alumni Leadership and Chapter
      • Annual Alumni Awards Gala
      • Support the Schar School
      • Alumni Faculty/Staff Liaisons
    • Annual Campaign
    • Volunteer
    • Update Your Information

Search form

Menu Close

Search form

  • About
    • About
    • About Dwight Schar
    • A Message from Dean Mark J. Rozell
    • Key Facts
    • Faculty Directory
    • Staff Directory
    • Maps & Directions
    • Contact Us
      • Contact Undergraduate Admissions
      • Contact Graduate Admissions
      • Contact Student Services and Advising
  • Prospective Students
    • Prospective Students
    • Application Requirements
    • Programs of Study
      • Undergraduate Programs
      • Master's Programs
      • PhD Programs
      • Graduate Certificates
      • Security Studies
      • Online Programs
      • Executive Education
      • Visiting Non-Degree Studies
    • Admissions & Aid
      • Graduate Admissions FAQ
      • International Applicant Requirements
      • For Military, Veterans, and Dependents
      • Tuition & Financial Assistance
      • Admitted Students
      • Contact Admissions
    • The Value of a Schar School Degree
    • Explore & Visit
      • Graduate Admissions Recruitment & Events
      • Undergraduate Admissions Recruitment & Events
      • Ask a Graduate Ambassador
      • Ask an Undergraduate Liaison
      • Viewbooks & Publications
    • Request More Information
    • Apply Now
  • Current Students
    • Current Students
    • Short-Term Study Abroad Programs
    • Career Development Office
    • Undergraduate Student Services
      • Undergraduate Advising
      • Undergraduate Career Readiness
      • Undergraduate Minors
      • Undergraduate Internship Program
      • Undergraduate Research Assistant Program
      • Patriot Prelaw Program
      • Accelerated Master’s Programs
      • Undergraduate Services Contact Info
    • Master’s Student Services
      • Academic Policies and Forms
      • Graduate Degree Requirements
      • Master’s 101
      • Master’s FAQ
      • Information About POGO 511
      • Master's Student Services Contact Information
    • PhD Student Services
      • PhD 101
      • PhD FAQs
      • PhD Handbooks and Forms
      • PhD Milestone Guides
      • Doctoral Candidates & Research
      • PhD Student Advising Articles
      • Careers in the Academy
    • Scholarships and Funding
      • Scholarships for Undergrads
      • Pi Sigma Alpha Honor Society
      • Grants for PhD Research
      • Graduate Scholarships and Fellowships
      • ERPi Patriot Scholarship for Veterans and Dependents of Veterans
      • Awards for PhD Dissertations
      • Post-Doctoral Fellowships & Awards
    • Course Syllabi and Schedule
      • Academic Calendar
      • Course Syllabi
  • News & Events
    • News and Events
    • Latest News
    • Events Calendar
    • Schar School Magazine
    • Nexus Alumni Newsletter
  • Faculty & Research
    • Office of Grant Development
    • Faculty and Research
    • Research in Action
    • Research Centers, Institutes, and Initiatives
    • Faculty Areas of Research
    • Resources for Faculty and Staff
    • Careers at the Schar School
    • Doctoral Dissertations Index
    • Faculty Directory
  • Alumni
    • Alumni & Annual Campaign
    • Alumni
      • Schar School & Alumni News
      • Alumni Leadership and Chapter
      • Annual Alumni Awards Gala
      • Alumni Career Services
      • Support the Schar School
      • Alumni Faculty/Staff Liaisons
    • Annual Campaign
    • Volunteer
    • Update Your Information
Schar School in the News
Schar School’s Terrorism Center Joins International Conservation Union to Combat Wildlife and Conservation Crimes
January 19, 2021
Schar School Adds Intelligence Expert, Author, TV Commentor David Priess to Faculty
January 13, 2021
Schar School Partners with UiPath for Robotic Process Automation Initiative
January 11, 2021
Despite Life’s Daunting Challenges, Schar School Senior Cassidy Whitehurst Thrives at Mason
January 06, 2021

Upcoming Events
Hayden Center Event - The Assault on Intelligence: After Trump (1/26)
January 26, 2021
George Hutchinson Oral Defense of Dissertation Proposal in Public Policy (1/28)
January 28, 2021
Race and Social Justice Colloquia (2/4)
February 04, 2021
Virtual Resume Clinic (2/4)
February 04, 2021
Recent Tweets

#Biden’s inaugural address linked prosperity to civic virtue. @ScharSchool’s @StevePearlstein analyzed the address in an op-ed for the @washingtonpost. “The pluralistic ideal lies at the core of Biden’s summons to national unity.” https://t.co/UXIeUJabx4 pic.twitter.com/kMD6pffwI9

— Schar School (@ScharSchool) January 21, 2021

Will the same happen to #Trump? @ScharSchool’s @jomaburt discussed #Peru’s ex-head of state being held accountable in court with @newrepublic. Peru showed “its citizens that its system of justice is capable of prosecuting even the most powerful.” https://t.co/WC5VSpUsO3 pic.twitter.com/KYH96ASO9R

— Schar School (@ScharSchool) January 21, 2021

Under #Biden, America has rejoined the @WHO. @ScharSchool’s @SaskiaPopescu tells @Forbes: “I’m truly happy to see that the Biden-Harris administration has prioritized rejoining the WHO.” It’s a good signal to our global partners. https://t.co/J5uGBnNROW pic.twitter.com/ODyGFuLfyj

— Schar School (@ScharSchool) January 21, 2021

As #Biden takes office, he’s expected to issue many orders during his first 100 Days. @ScharSchool’s @MarkJRozellGMU writes in @thehill that this will “showcase that their elections resulted in meaningful and nearly immediate change.” https://t.co/hWWvrorMZR pic.twitter.com/WwRd1ZBnNP

— Schar School (@ScharSchool) January 21, 2021

Is #Biden’s new #Climate team the most powerful yet? It depends. @ScharSchool’s James Pfiffner tells @nytimes that “Certainly, they can be powerful, but only to the extent that their policy area is of primary importance to the president.” https://t.co/WA9tLrY1G4 pic.twitter.com/4DGua1rqZj

— Schar School (@ScharSchool) January 21, 2021

Need to rent? Prices have dropped since March, when #COVID hit us hard. @ScharSchool’s Terry Clower tells @ARLnowDOTcom that it’s definitely due to the #pandemic. “Most of the jobs that we have lost… are typically disproportionately renters.” https://t.co/tpGg8EgTfL pic.twitter.com/pBhRYKN7Yt

— Schar School (@ScharSchool) January 21, 2021

Someone go out and please tell @SenSanders that class @ScharSchool and @GeorgeMasonU don't start until Monday!
(HT @deltondaigle) pic.twitter.com/hdBtQBorir

— Schar School (@ScharSchool) January 21, 2021

#Congratulations to @AndrwLight for his appointment to lead #Biden's Office of International Affairs @ Department of Energy as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Energy for International Affairs. We look forward to seeing you in the classroom when your term is over. pic.twitter.com/pvJPopfchu

— Schar School (@ScharSchool) January 21, 2021

As #Biden takes office in a few hours, we can look back at #Trump's "economic nationalism" as described by @ScharSchool's Kenneth Reinert @thehill. "Trump’s economic nationalism was largely empty talk. Where it involved action, it was the wrong kind." https://t.co/yh5gdWW5Ow pic.twitter.com/boOlHSxWw4

— Schar School (@ScharSchool) January 20, 2021

What are the pros and cons of living in a state’s capital? Ask @ScharSchool’s Katrin Anacker. Indicators include professional opportunities, affordable housing, decent transportation, infrastructure, amenities, and weather. https://t.co/5qEgUJJJ4t pic.twitter.com/OWgkGP0KNC

— Schar School (@ScharSchool) January 19, 2021
Home » News & Events » Latest News » Poetry and Politics: How One Freshman is Turning Spoken Word into Activism

Poetry and Politics: How One Freshman is Turning Spoken Word into Activism

By Dixie Downing April 11, 2019

Elijah Nichols at a recent reading at Epicure Café: ‘I want people to understand that there is value in youth voices. There is a place for conversations and pragmatic solutions on college campuses.’ Photo by Shannon Williams/Schar School of Policy and Government

Elijah Nichols has used spoken-word to encourage action on issues such as gun violence and LGBTQ rights since high school in Muskegon, Mich.

The freshman Government and International Politics major at the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University keeps a hectic schedule as a senator on the student council, a co-founder of Mason’s chapter of Students Demand Action, and an inaugural winner of a highly competitive Giffords Courage Fellowship.

In whatever spare time he has, Nichols is a regular speaker at spoken-word open mic nights at Epicure Cafe in Fairfax, Va. (As it happens, Schar School director of PhD Student Services Shannon Williams is the emcee of the monthly poetry and spoken-word showcase at Epicure Café.)

One of his poems, “02-01-2006,” addresses the summation of his interests and concerns in one distinctly personal piece. (The poem is below.)

“What got me into activism and writing was my own personal experience with gun violence and being a queer man realizing the systematic barriers in place,” he said. “I think that is what has inspired me to not only get involved but also make changes.”

For example, the piece "02-01-2006” is based on “the timeline given from the court case of my uncle, Frank Sibson, and his death,” said Nichols. “This piece truly comes from the angle of the law having no empathy, thus no way of humanizing the incident. And that is something that I truly believe we need to fit in to the system of law in the United States.

“I want people to understand that there is value in youth voices,” he said. “There is a place for conversations and pragmatic solutions on college campuses.”

Not long after arriving at Mason, Nichols realized there was no student organizations on campus working on gun violence prevention, so he filled the need.

“During my time as the direct-action co-lead of Students Demand Action, we have lobbied over 30 members of Congress on gun violence prevention,” he said. “We worked with Letters for Change and March for Our Lives International to send 146 letters to [Virginia Senators] Tim Kaine and Mark Warner.”

His work in gun control efforts led to his winning one of 28 inaugural “Courage Fellowships” presented by the Giffords: Courage to Fight Gun Violence organization, founded by former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, a gun violence survivor.

“Elijah is the type of student every professor wants in their class: curious, enthusiastic, hard-working, and courageous,” said Associate Professor of Political Science Jennifer N. Victor. “He asks smart questions and his enthusiasm is infectious to his peers, providing a lasting impact on an excellent classroom environment.” 

Nichols came to Mason to be near the place where policies and decisions are made. “The immediate draw to [coming to] Mason was the proximity to [Washington], D.C.,” he said. “Also, the professors understand a student’s role in society.”

After graduation, Nichols plans to pursue a Master’s in Public Administration and continue his career in activism and poetry.

“What I love most about Mason are the passionate young people and the culture of conversation,” said Nichols. “It’s beautiful to see the pragmatic discussions and diversity of thought on campus.” 

 

02-01-2006

By Elijah Nichols

3:30am Parked car, two men, two masks, two sets of gloves, a pickax, a bb pistol, and a revolver.
3:35am Two men with two masks, two sets of gloves, a pickax, a bb pistol, and a revolver enter a home through a sliding glass door.
3:36am Wife and husband in bed awake. Husband pleads“no, no, no.” Two men with two masks, two sets of gloves, a pickax, a bb pistol, and a revolver begin to hit wife and husband.
3:37am Wife hit in head, blacks out.
3:38am Two men with two masks, two sets of gloves, a pickax, a bb pistol, and a revolver struggle with husband.
3:40am BANG.
3:41am Wife: conscious, jumps on husband, screams“leave.”
3:42am Two murders with two masks, two sets of gloves, a pickax, a bb pistol, and a revolver, get car, leave.
3:30am 7 year old boy, 4 year old girl sleep in bed.
3:35am 7 year old boy, 4 year old girl hear noises in home.
3:36am 7 year old boy, 4 year old girl lay in bed, fearful.
3:37am 7 year old boy, 4 year old girl shake, listen.
3:40am BANG.
3:41am 7 year old boy, 4 year old girl cry.
3:42am 7 year old boy, 4 year old girl, a mother, no father.

Request Information

  • CONTACT US
  • Programs of Study
  • PRIVACY POLICY & DISCLAIMER
  • Support the Schar School
  • MESSAGING AND BRAND GUIDE
  • WORK WITH US
  • SITEMAP
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  

A Dynamic Education for an Evolving World

Contact Us
Admissions Questions?
703-993-8099  
Schar Undergraduate Admissions: ScharUAA@gmu.edu
Schar Graduate Admissions: Schar@gmu.edu
 
General Inquires
703-993-2280 
 
Van Metre Hall, Fifth Floor
3351 Fairfax Drive,
MS 3B1
Arlington, VA 22201
 
Research Hall Room 359,
MS 3F4 
4400 University Drive 
Fairfax, VA 22030