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

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fi ° ? u iD Arriving one by one, students progressed in awe down the walkway toward Oakview, the home of President and Mrs. Rose. The door opened and the smiling couple warmly welcomed guests to their home. Students casted quick glances at one another, hardly believing where they were. As they walked through the door, someone took their coats and they were ushered into the house. They could not help but feel rather special, since dining at the home or the university ' s president was not something that most college students had the chance to do. President Linwood Rose made it a priority to get to know the students at the university, hosting small, intimate dinners at his home. The Roses invited organizations, professors, hall directors, Orientation Program Assistants, the Parents ' Council, and others to dine at Oakview. The dinners provided an opportunity for the President to really get to know students, and to find out their opinions of the university. One or the first intimate dinners of the year, held in November, brought together a group of eight freshmen and transfer students. At first, they thought it was a joke. Why on earth would Dr. Rose want to have a dinner with me? one guest asked herself. The students, nervous but excited all the same, first walked into the Game Room for hors d ' oeuvres, cider and mingling. Their nervousness washed away as Dr. and Mrs. Rose engaged them in conversation. After general small talk about majors and hometowns, conversation turned to the popular televisions show. The Bachelor, and (Continued on p.24) Students gather in the kitchen to socialize.The Roses opened their house during the night. ■ Photo by Morgan Riehl Dr. and Mrs. Rose laugh with senior Doug Perry. Throughout the night the Roses talked with students about about a variety of topics and issues. ■ Photo by Morgan Riehl Gathered in the Game Room guests mingle with Dr. Rose. Sophomore Kim receiving an invitation, ! couldn ' t believe it, I thought it was a joke. But here I MPhoto by Jenny Brockwell Parrish recalled upon am! dinner with the roses 23

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idmnerwiththefOSes]- 1 dinner with tne roses Dr.and Mrs. Rose await the arrival of the Student Government Association, who were the evening ' s guests.This was the fifth dinner the Roses hosted in 1 days. UPhoto by Morgan Riehl 22 features

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Id innerwi ththc roses} (continued from p.23) how the Bachelor was related to Mrs. Rose, then to the time the Roses met Prince Charles. Nights such as this were a common occurrence in the home of our school president and first lady. The Roses hosted an average of three to four dinners per week for students, faculty, staff, and alumni. Parents Weekend, Homecoming, and the beginning and end of the year were especially busy. When asked if they partook in such fine dining every night of the week, Dr. Rose replied with a laugh, No, we certainly enjoy the regular hotdogs and pizza too! The preparation that went into a dinner with the Roses was handled by Mrs. Rose and dining services. Invitations were sent, flowers and decorations were ordered and the menu was prepared. Students employed by dining services served as hosts for the evening. The dinners allowed the Roses to gain students ' perspective of the university for an evening. They discussed problems with registration, nonexistent parking on campus, why freshmen were not allowed to have vehicles, and of course, the unpopular rule against ' double-punching ' on weekends. Rose took some of the students ' concerns to his administration to be reviewed and discussed. In discussing problems that had already been tackled by administration, such as double punching on the weekends, Rose took the opportunity to share his perspective with students. Most students will go to a college or university and never even know their president ' s name, much less get to know him or her. Rose wanted to create an open and friendly environment at the university. He believed that by hosting intimate dinners with students, he could accomplish that. It ' s nice to have a dinner out of the structure of an organization, but a casual dinner gives us the opportunity to be more personal, he explained. With conversation that ranged from classes to The Bachelor, Dr. and Mrs. Rose entertains her guests. The bachelor from ABC ' s The Bachelor was a relative of Mrs. Rose. ■ Photo by Jenny Brockwell 24 features