James Madison University - Bluestone Schoolmaam Yearbook (Harrisonburg, VA)

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aren Hwang stands on the hills in the Commons and talks to some friends. Hwang was a membel- of the 3 %Asian population at JMU. ( Y s students enjoy the Home coming festi itie that took place -■1 on Godwin Field. The once female college is now 557cfemale. C f riends Danny McCormack, -T- Kevin )ackson, and Steve Antoine take a break from the day to share some stories. Stu- dents of all ages, religion, and nationali- ties were found in groups scattered aroimd campus. I ' ' ' Y ' ' ' Ovissi rest on the , ] wall between D-hall and V 1 the ibrary. The Asian popu- lation increased from 323 in ' 3 to 3(i2 in ' 94. ( ' T he area by the Hills and Com- ' mons was a convenient spot , I.,. - for friends to meet. Seven perscent of the population at JMU was African American. Diversity Z n

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aaE± Different is Good I f hs scene at James Madison University I has changed a great deal since 1908 ■ when Madison College was founded in Harrisonburg, Virginia. At that time, the typical student was female and only female. My, how times have changed. The 1994 freshman class was only 50 per- cent female. For the entire student body 55 percent are female and 45 percent are male. JMU is still female dominated, but the difference is obviously not that large. Diversity is not only seen in the gender category. Age differences were more common than manv students realized. Some students were stav- ing an extra year or two to complete a double major, while other students took a year off or entered the armed service before coming to JMU. 1 felt like the world ' s oldest freshman when 1 started here, said Steve King, who served three years in the army before coming to JMU. 1 was as old as my English grad assistant. Religion provided students the opportu- nity to encounter students with different beliefs. Groups such as Hillel, a Jewish organization, the Muslim Coalition, Baptist ' s Student Union, and Catholic Campus Ministries formed to represent and support the different religious faiths present on campus. Senior Kirsten Flinton, hospitalitv cooridinatior for CCM, commented, It is great to see that JMU attracts such different individuals and that we all respect one anothers views. Individual differences on the campus went beyond age. The ethnicity of students at JMU continued to expand. The minority population, al- though still small, was increasing steadily from years past due to the efforts of the multicultural office and groups such as Students for Minority Outreach. JMU ' s student body was comprised of 7 percent African American, 3 percent Asian, 1 percent Hispanic, and .2 percent American Indian The African American population did not increase in numbers form last year, but efforts are bing made to change this situation. Assistant Director of Admissons for the Multicultural Stu- dent Recruitmcn, Tracy Porter, remarked that one of their recruitment weekends, ML iakca Look, An African American Perspective, attracted approxi- matelv 1000 perspective African American stu- dents, which is a positive step. Porter siad that this is part of his efforts to keep minorities informed that JMU is here for all ethnic backgrounds. Associate Director of Admissions, Gary Batey claimed that JMU believes strongly in the fact that students learn from students. This is especially true when students from different cul- tures, customs, and backgrounds are brought to- gether. It is ' ith this understanding that JMU has made a commitment to maintaining and enhanc- ing the diversity of the university. Diversity leads to an open mind, .ind leaves room for fesh and new ideas. Tbrough interaction with other cultures and beliefs stu- dents ' lives here asJMU were enriched immeasur- ably. Senior Holmes Yaqub concisely stated, People are realizing tha t the differnce between one another are not that great and we ' re all becoming more interdependent. Kathy Hawk — 4 20

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xc:. C encing team nicniburs Heather —§- Robertson practices with Suzanne Lewandowski. Those who lived on campus had easv access to the Quad, where many students participated in recreational activities. y altv Conner has a laugh with 1 triends at P. C. Dukes. Many . students who had meal con- tracts dined at the many eating options on campus. Jf hristine Teti takes advantage X ' of the nice weather to shoot the rock witli Dave Stienes on the courts bv the Village. Volleyball, tennis, and basketball courts were readily avail- able to students who lived on campus. Z On CampusLiving