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

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{ The Bluestone 2011 } the jIH of GIVING TOMS founder speaks at graduation 1 ♦ by sarah lockwood {writer} s the sea of purple-cloaked graduates flagged down triends, took pictures and exchanged hugs, it was clear this was their last time together. Ongoing construction on Bridgeforth Stadium limited the students to their individual college graduation ceremonies, making the Thursday night Convocation ceremonv their last event as the class ot 2010. After the processional, performed bv Bluestone Brass, President Linwood H. Rose sympathized with the graduates, stating that he hoped this convocation event helped make up tor a traditional graduation. Graduate Mackenzie Wiley confirmed that it did. I think it ' s kinda cool that it ' s different this year, she said. It ' s too bad that parents couldn ' t be there to hear the speakers, but I think the way they ' ve organized it this year kind of compensates tor not having the big ceremonv at the stadium. Rose reminded the class of the sports victories and campus growth they had witnessed throughout their college careers. He encouraged them to appreciate the knowledge they gained, the people they came across, the plays and concerts thev heard and the guest speakers they welcomed. He also focused heavily on the community service the students participated in throughout their academic terms. He concluded by recognizing his gratitude for all that thev had done and expressing h igh anticipation to witness the things they would achieve beyond the university. Alter Rose ' s speech, Student Government Association President, Candace Avalos spoke to her classmates saying that she telt lucky to have been in [their] company. Avalos introduced the student address speaker, Allie Weissberg, who compared the class ' college career to putting together a puzzle. We ' ve now become a family and atter tour or maybe five years at JMU, we ' ve all assembled our individual and collective puzzles ot unique college experiences, said Weissberg. Rose followed with recognition of valedictorian, Elisabeth Anne Lehigh, and a brief introduction to the Decorating caps is a way for students to voice their thoughts and opinions during graduation, These decorative caps were scattered throughout the rows of graduates on both Thursday night and Saturday morning. photo by (gareth hermann} 20 { Graduation

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by Julia cramer [writer] { he UPB spring concert Hip-Hop Hat Trick began before most or the students even arrived. As the 2,500 students who attended the show found their seats, university students Kunal Jhanjee, Mike Williams, Evan Morris and Reza Ekbatani, also known bv their stage names MC Presto, Mikev Mike, Hvdrophonics and DJ Raza performed a 30-minute hip-hop set. The student DJs warmed up the crowd before the featured artists DJ Earworm, Jason Derulo and Wale took the stage. DJ Earworm energized the crowd during his set, playing mixes while constantly bouncing around on stage. His mixes included songs from many genres of popular music, from Kellv Clarkson and Coldplav to Michael Jackson. The biggest cheer from the crowd erupted when he ended his set with the hit United States of Pop. DJ Earworm was pretty good, he was fun on stage, but I was more excited for Wale and Jason Derulo, said ' 10 graduate Mina Yun. Derulo brought with him more dance moves, creating more cheers from the women in the audience. By the end of his first single, Whatcha Sav, he had his shirt off. During his set, Derulo pulled one lucky girl, sophomore Katie Keller, on stage and serenaded her. When he asked who wanted to come on stage with him everyone just started screaming and yelling. When he walked over to my side I knew I was screaming the loudest ' cause I wanted to get up there so bad. When he pointed to me I guess I was just in shock, said Keller. Another crowd favorite was one of his newer single, Riding Solo, that had many concert-goers singing along. Derulo finished with his latest hit In A Iv Head and a final break dancing split. One of the reasons the UPB Center Stage committee chose Wale for the spring concert was because of his DC connection, said Angela Morton, the director of the committee. We just kind of lay down what ' s going on in music, and we chose Wale because a lot of students knew of him, said Morton. Concert-goers like Yun agreed. I ' m from Northern Virginia and it ' s exciting to have an artist here from DC. I had first heard of Wale when he was small before his single [ DC Chillin ] with Ladv Gaga, said Yun. Morton prepared for the concert all semester from building the stage to working the actual show, and then, after, taking it all apart. For the first time, UPB threw a listening party on the Commons on April 14 to advertise for the concert. I think it was a reallv good turn out and we might try it again, said freshman UPB member Kate Wood. Sophomore Tiffany Atienza attended the listening parly. It allowed for people who weren ' t familiar with the music to get a better sense of what the artists were going to perform, said Atienza. There was even a raffle for passes to meet the artists. Wale finished the concert with a new, raw energy that had everyone engaged. He connected with the audience, encouraging students who knew the words to rap along with him, and he came out into the crowd and did a lap around the entire venue. His most popular song, DC Chillin, kept the audience on their feet for the rest of the night.} Crowd members pull out cameras while watching the concert. Audience members lucky enough to score standing room, were able to take pictures and stand closer to the stage, photo by (natalie wall) During his performance Jason Derulo pulled an audience Hunched over the turntable, DJ Earworm member on stage. Derulo serenaded excited freshman listens to hear his scratching. Earworm Katie Keller during his single, Whatcha Say. mixed Top 40 songs into single mixes, photo by {natalie wall) photo by {natalie wail} Features } ' 9

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. O T Tf Taking it all in, graduates and friends look out at the horizon during their last days as students in the valley. Graduation was often a bittersweet time for students who were moving on in life— leaving friends and roommates they had come to know over their four years at the university, photo by {gareth hermann} Looking on from their seats, students listen to the founder of TOMS shoes, Blake Mycoskie. Besides starting his own business, Mycoskie participated in and won the CBS series, The Amazing Race. photo by {gareth hermann} main event, the guest speaker. On stage, founder and chief shoe giver ofTOft 1 s shoes, Blake Mycoskie didn ' t act like the famously successful entrepreneur that everyone had seen in AT T commercials. Casually walking across stage, Mycoskie was a humble man telling his story about starting his shoe company, TOMS, which delivered a pair of shoes to a child in need for even ' pair purchased. His narrative engaged students through his conversational style and comedic side-stories. One ot the most intimate parts of his storv was his description of the company ' s first shoe drop. After a few months ot explosive business and marketing, it was time to fulfill his ' one for one ' promise. Mycoskie said he was often asked it the idea for TOMs changed his life. But it didn ' t. When I had the idea tor TOMs, it was just an idea, kind of a what-if, he said. But, when mv life changed radically, was when I went on that first shoe drop. Speaking to the graduates, President Linwood Rose encourages the students by wishing them success post-graduation. Rose was only the fifth president in the university ' s over 100 year history, photo by {gareth hermann} Features } 2 '