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

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maygraduation Waiting to receive his diploma, a student snaps a picture to capture the special moment. Students heard speeches from President Linwood H. Rose. SGA president Larson Thune. student speaker Amrou Kotb, and commencement speaker Paul Holland. photo lizzycannon Family and friends gather at Bridgeforth Stadium to celebrate students ' accomplishments. Graduation day flooded Harrisonburg with an influx of visitors. keeping hotels and restaurants busy. photo ' lizzycannon Holding flowers close, family members wait to congratulate their graduates. The university did not require tickets, allowing multiple family members to attend the ceremonies. photo lizzycannon Creatively expressing her gratitude, graduate Briana Marcantoni ' s graduation cap reflects her appreciation for her parents ' support over the past four years. Decorative caps were seen all over campus on graduation day. photo lizzycannon future GRADUATES REFLECTED ON THE PAST WHILE LOOKING TOWARD THE FUTURE sarapryor writer Dark clouds hung over Bridgeforth Stadium, but even the threat of rain could not dampen the spirit of graduation day. Packs of graduates donned purple gowns and strolled down Port Republic Road, trying to avoid the long line of cars headed toward campus. Waiting outside the stadium, graduates felt a mix of emotions. It is a weird feeling, said graduate Ashley Lowry. I ' m really excited to graduate with all my friends, but sad and a little scared all at the same time. It is definitely bittersweet. Graduate Bo Snead agreed. Today is insanely surreal. You always know this day is approaching. It ' s what we work hard for, and something we all want, but you never expect it to sneak up on you so fast. As the graduates filed in, audience members waved brightly colored umbrellas and ponchos in order to catch the graduates ' attention. President Linwood H. Rose started the ceremony. You are the first graduates of Madison ' s second century, said Rose. You join a world full of challenges, and certainly not a very friendly job market. You entered this university as the most academically accomplished class in our history, and you leave with the knowledge and skills to address the opportunities that will come your way. Student Government Association President Larson Thune was next on the podium. Over the past four years, JMU has been more than a home to us, said Thune. It has been a community of people who have helped us enrich our minds as well as our character. Thune then introduced the student speaker, graduate Amrou Kotb, who centered his speech on a metaphor about time at the university being just one piece of art in the graduates ' lives. We sit here today in Bridgeforth Stadium awaiting the presentation of our final drafts ot our works of art, said Kotb, each one unique and each one reflecting upon the originality of its artist. The commencement speaker, Paul Holland, a 1982 graduate and entrepreneur with a passion for green technology, began his address with a memory of his first visit to the university. I have two memories that stand out, he said. Number one: I had never seen so many pretty girls in one place in my life. Number two: It seemed like they were all wearing a bikini. After four years of studying political science and business, Holland and the class of 1982 faced the worst job market since World War II. He offered the following advice to graduates: 28 thebluestone201

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Conditioning their upper bodies, students line up on the UREC turf to do push- ups while others do sprints. With sunny skies and warm temperatures for April, the event offered an enjoyable glimpse of spring. hoto- ' kimlofgren sported during her disco dancing exercise. I liked the dancing classes the best, said sophomore Sameera Navidi, whose friend, sophomore Ariel Vital, agreed. My favorite part was the disco portion, said Vital. Vital and Navidi weren ' t the only ones who took the class with a friend. Many participants found out about Fit JMU through word of mouth, particularly roommates and friends. Twitter and Facebook also helped market Fit JMU in August, when UREC held its second giant group fitness class. The class moved inside UREC due to rainy weather, but that didn ' t put a damper on the turnout. We doubled in participation numbers, so I think people are starting to look for it, said Wade. Either way, it was a blast. bythe mbers Throwing a left jab, sophomores Ariel Vital, right, and Sameera Navidi, middle, work their upper bodies. Kickboxing incorporated an intense, full-body workout. photo kimlofgren features 27

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planningah ' As an entrepreneur I believe you have to sell out — you have to give all of yourself to a venture or you have very little time and chance to succeed. I also learned the concept of ' doing well by doing good. ' Holland concluded his speech with encouragement for the graduates who faced a dismal job market. As time has gone by, I have been convinced that EQ — the ability to work with people — is at least as important as IQ, and that MQ, or the Madison Quotient, is the secret weapon that you take out into the work force, he explained. The graduates sitting before me have the highest EQ of any graduates from any school in the world. I urge you to use your EQ and your MQ to embrace the challenges that await you in your career and in your life. As the commencement came to a close, senior vice president for Academic Affairs, Dr. Douglas T. Brown, recognized the honors graduates. When Rose declared them alumni, blow horns sounded and a few beach balls bounced through the crowd. The graduates flipped their tassels and sang the alma mater, led by graduate Yunjin Kim. In the final moments of the ceremony, the sun began to break through the cloudy sky. After hugs and pictures, graduates headed to their individual college ceremonies. As they left the stadium, many reminisced on fond memories as Holland had. My favorite memories at JMU are just spending time with my best friends, said graduate Stephanie Potter. JMU was more than just school to me. It was going to events, laying on the Quad and making friends with the best and funniest people in the world. In addition to Holland ' s advice to do well by doing good, some graduates offered their own parting advice for current underclassmen. Enjoy every moment, because you don ' t realize how fast this really comes, said graduate Patrick DiMarchi. Do all you can and don ' t ever avoid doing something because you ' re scared. Live up every moment on and off campus and you will leave here accomplished in every way. Aside from celebrating the accomplishments of graduating seniors, families also had to consider the logistics of securing hotel and dinner reservations, and navigate the influx of traffic on graduation morning. We understand that there ' s going to be a lot of people coming in, and so you manage it the best way you can in terms of traffic flow and parking, said university spokesperson Don Egle. Strong relationships with the city of Harrisonburg and local law enforcement, and being proactive about announcing parking information and alternate routes early also helped control the traffic problem, according to Egle. In terms of a hotel, many families began planning . their accommodations months in advance. When Hampton Inn on University Boulevard accepted phone reservations, they began taking requests one year in advance and filled up within four months. But the hotel encountered troubles with cancelations and arguments over differing nightly rates, according to front desk manager Chris, who asked his last name not be published. To avoid future complications Hampton Inn moved to a contract method, beginning with Family Weekend 2009, where the guest requested a room and returned a contract with his or her credit card information before the reservation was complete. Even reserving a restaurant became a multiple-step process in some cases. For larger, casual restaurants like Dave ' s Downtown Taverna and Cally ' s Restaurant and Brewing Co., guests were free to make reservations or walk in the evening of graduation. People will walk in and we like to have tables available for them, said Dave ' s owner, David Miller, whose restaurant sat up to 425 people. We ' ve never turned anybody away. But for smaller restaurants like the Joshua Wilton House, resen ations policies were stricter — and more competitive. We start accepting reservations the second Tuesday in January, 10 a.m., said co-owner Sean Pugh. We usually fill up within the day Resen ations at the Joshua Wilton House required a $65 deposit for the first ten guests in a party, refundable only up until two weeks prior to graduation. With 2,651 graduates who walked in Saturday ' s commencement ceremonies, it was no surprise that hotels and restaurants filled up quickly All of Bridgeforth Stadium was packed, said Egle. When you think about that many people, plus the graduates and faculty and staff, it ' s a large number sarahchain writer features 29