New GMU T-shirt Website and Other News

For the first time ever, the GMU Econ Society is proud to present our own apparel for our members and supporters! Our new store is currently at Cafepress .com and can be found here. We only have two designs up as a test now, but we will be surely offering more in the future with different Econ humor etc. Stay posted for more details in the future! Also, be sure to note that the 2008 Public Choice Outreach has been rescheduled to Oct. 9-11. In case you might be wondering what the program is all about, here is what the Center for Public Choice has to say :

The Public Choice Outreach Conference is a program specifically designed for young scholars who are planning professional careers in academia, law, or public policy. The Conference is taught by distinguished faculty, and provides an introduction to public choice. The Conference offers a unique opportunity for graduate and advanced undergraduate students to learn from, and socialize with, some of the most important public choice scholars in the world.

The program is held at Mason, and I strongly encourage all of our members interested to apply. The deadline is August 4 to apply and requires a letter of recommendation from a professor, so getting it done soon would be best. You can find out more info on the Public Choice Outreach as well as find the application here.

Hope you are all having a good summer and look forward to seeing you soon.

Did you know?
Drew Carey knows economics. Watch him make fun of politicians and media pundits in this funny video:

Mason Econ now ranks 41 OVERALL among programs in the U.S.

According to a new study by Southern Economic Journal, Mason ranks 41 among Econ programs in the U.S. This was reported by Pete Boettke on his blog "Austrian Economists". Other noteworthy rankings include:
- 3rd in Methodology and History of Economic Thought
- 9th in General Economics and Teaching
- 11th in Law and Economics
- 25th in Microeconomics
- 25th in Public Economics. 

In my opinion: Mason's Econ education is a lot better than what the rankings suggest. Many times I have talked to students in other more 'mainstream' programs and it seems that their econ classes are more math oriented than discussion based. Professors at GMU are very approachable. More importantly, I am having a blast as a student here. I wonder if the authors of this study asked any students in the listed schools how happy and satisfied they are with the education they are receiving. Papers are good and all, but if professors can't transmit that knowledge and passion to the students they teach, then what's the point? I've never had that problem with professors at GMU. Every single one of them has been very enthusiastic about teaching and transmitting their ideas. 
Also: As Professor Boudreaux points out in his letter to the rest of Mason's faculty,"this study gives NO credit to published books (or blogs, of course). Because we are an especially "book-and-blog friendly" department, I'm confident that, if anything, our true ranking is even higher than is revealed by this study".

GO MASON!! 

Each day that passes gets me more and more excited that I will have a degree that says "Masonomics"!