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

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aining XPERIENCE Remember that age-old question What did you do this summer? that gets such reluctant and unenthusiastic stu- dent responses each year? At college, many upperclass- men love to talk about their summer experiences as in- terns. One of the most valuable parts of a college educa- tion, internships provide practical training, useful contacts and often unforgettable hving experiences. Getting an internship can be a source of stress for some students, but planning and persistence together with a little luck wiU often prove rewarding. Junior media writ- ing major Shannon Ballard remembers, When I contacted the Olympic Authority in Lake Placid, N.Y. and found out there were internships available, I sent them my quah- fications and kept after them until I got an interview and eventually the internship. Because it was an election year, some students looked into internships in government-related areas. Se- nior art major Evan Cantwell worked on Capitol HUl for part of the summer. Although a democrat, he worked un- der Republican Congressman Todd Tiahart of Kansas. Cantwell said that he worked for his opposing part} ' to get a basic idea of how things are run on that level of gov- ernment. Some lucky students stumbled across great intern- ship opportunities. Senior Karla Esleeck, an electronic media production major, sent her resume to the intern co- ordinator at MTV and went through several interviews. She spent the summer working in their production de- partment on a new-format show called Unfiltered. Be- tween living in New York City, a learning experience in itself for the southern Virginian, and rubbing elbows with MTV personalities, she admits, It was the best experi- ence I could ha ' e had during mv summer! The experiences gained through internships have proved invaluable for a number of students who have been able to line up jobs that will be waiting for them after gradu- ation. Intemshifs provide. practicaC training, nsefufcon- tacts and are often ' ' the Best e?(periences I coutd have had ' ' BY SHANNON BALLARD AND RACHEL ROSWAL Internships - 23

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ressed in their uniforms, sophomore Jenny Rogers and her dad set out for their jobs with United Airhnes at Dulles Airport in Washington, D.C. Em- ployed as a lobby agent, Rogers got a chance to meet a varierv ' of people in- cluding many foreign 01 ' mpians. Posing tor a quicl; picture, Shcrri Eisenberg, center, finishes her internship for the American Society of Magazine Editors. The closing ceremony was held at the Harvard Club in New York Cirv. Wl tirkjng wirh the productinn crew tor MT News: Unfihcrcd, Kiirhi Esleeck shows off their office. Lo- cated on Broadway Avenue, Eslccck was in the heart of the Big Apple. 22 - Flourish

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eeping IN STEP Imagine a JMU football game without the Marching Royal Dukes. You probably don ' t want to: their awesome sound and intricate marching maneuvers make the halt-time presenta- tion exciting and entertaining. This year the Marching Royal Dukes performed to a series of thematic shows in celebration of their 25th anniver- sary. To obser ' e this momentous event, the MRDs performed the music of Star Wars, The Sound of Music, JMU ' s Great- est Hits (a collection of the MRD ' s greatest hits), and selec- tions from Independence Day, The Wiz and The Blues Broth- ers. When asked about this year ' s shows, drum major J.R. Snow said, This ear is a special ■ear because all the shows are so dynamic. Being the 25th year, everything is so much fun and very exciting. One of the largest groups on campus, the MRDs con- sisted of 388 individuals. Two years ago, Dr. Pat Rooney, di- rector ot the MRDs, decided to expand from 200 members to the current number because of increased enrollment at JMU. The band itself has a great reputation among coUege bands. It ' s amazing how many students come to this school just for the band, Rooney said. Although the marching band was such a large group, it stLU worked as a cohesive unit. Friendships evolved quickl ' as a result of the long practices before performances. Fresh- men MRDs found that being part of the band enabled them to make friends at JMU before classes even started. I feel that I ' ve been able to meet a lot of different people through marching band, freshman Cor ' Prout said. In addition to performing at home football games, the Marching Royal Dukes performed at the Universit ' of Delaware vs. JMU away game and the Mount Vernon High School Band competition for exhibition as well as for playoff games at the end of the season. Another highlight of the MRDs ' season was Parade of Champions, a high school marching band competition held annually over Fall Break. Freshman color guard member Cheryl Sule said, If it wasn ' t for band, I wouldn ' t be here at JMU. It ' s no wonder people are aaxious to be a part of this successfiil and enter- taining group. the 25th year, thesfioziJs are so dynamic and everything is so machfun and very exciting. ' ' )Y CAROLYN FRENCH 24 - Flourish