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

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READING WITH SOME children, a Dominica trip member focuses on cul- tural understanding. The international trip to the West Indies worked on community development. • Photo courtesy of ASB. AS POTENTIAL ASB participants wait in line hours, they were able to compare the c each trip to make their final decision, Md ASB trips were affordable and fundrais helped lower costs. • Photo by Lindsey f PASSING TIME BEFORE ASB signup students catch up on some homework. , were at night, so many students skippa to sit in Wilson Hall and ensure they c first hoice trip. • Photo by Lindsey f CURLED UP IN her sleeping bag, aJ ASB hopeful uses time before signups to ralax and read o novel. Some students woitedfilmost 24 hours. • Photo by Lindsey Barnett. myself... it taught me that love for your family conquers all and that when you fall there is always someone willing to help you back up. Pain:icipants also learned valuable lessons from the people with whom they worked. Working with the patients at Project Lazarus made me grateful for how amazing my life truly is, and taught me to never take life for granted said Schudda. The fire in those patients ' hearts was one of the most remarkable things I have ever witnessed. They knew they were dying; yet they stLU knew how precious life was, and never let a day go by that they didn ' t enjoy themselves. It was just an incredible and inspiring thing to witness. For spring break, 308 students dared to make a difference. Senior Rebecca Berry man of the St. Louis trip said, JMU ' s Alternative Spring Break program is one of the best things that this school has to offer. ..the impact it has made on my life will stay with me forever. You ' d be amazed what one week can do! ASB was all about friendships and relationships. It was about sharing and bonding. It was about mak ing a difference. • 2004 Alternative »lnternatJonal Spring Breal Long Distance Destinations Dominica, West Indies Jamaica »Domestic Bahamas Atlanta, Ga. Dominican Republic Boca Granda, Flo. Eureka, Calif. Chicago, III, Brownsville, Texas Columbus, Ohio Islomorado, Fla. Detriot, Mich. Hillsboro, W. Va. .-:-, ffi ' lCl ' 9d Jacl sonville, FL Boston, Mass. Kansas City, Mo. Guatemala Nevj Orleans, La. Baltimore, Md. Okefenokee Notional Belmont N. C. Wildlife Refuge, Ga. Philadelphia, Pa. St Louis, Mo. Sovonnoh, Go. Winter Pork, Fla, Ooxoco, Mexico kansas city z Q 27

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mfWM i OPENING A COCOti : with an islonder, an ASB participant learns about Jamaican cul- ture first-hand The team worked in Montego Bay with the Mentolly III program. • Photo courtesy o( ASB WORKING WITH AN agency that extended opportunities to children and their families, two students create a positive influence. Winter Pork, Flo, trip members involved children in sports and field trips, • Photo courtesy of ASB, cry and when asked why, she replied, ' He is the first man to hold my son! Tlie child was 1 5-months-old and it was truly moving. Trips outside the United States were an opportunity tor students to learn about a new- culture while helping a commu- nity. An ASB trip, co-sponsored through UREC, traveled to the Bahamas to work with primary school children. There, participants played games with the children that focused on trust, listening and problem-solving skills. Senior Jamie Short Duncan said, I never realized that Bahamas was a third- world country; I actually thought it was pretty wealthy because of the tourism, but in reality, its not. Duncan added, When the hur- ricanes swept through the Bahamas this past summer and did a tremendous amount of damage, I could not help but wonder it these children still had their one-room tin houses. For five days, each ASB group immersed themselves in situations ditterent than that which they were used to. Each group returned home with different experiences and lessons that they learned. Bourne, who went to Faith House in St. Louis, Missouri, worked with children who were exposed to drugs or alcohol at home. She said, Being a freshman, I wasn ' t really sure what to expect out ol the experience; although I did have a general idea, it was greatly surpassed through all that I learned while spending a week with 1 1 soon-to-be triends. She added, I have met so many amazing people through the pro- gram and it has opened my eyes to situations that are present outside of where I live, giving me a passion to help wherever I may be needed. Sophomore Jessica Schudda, a participant in the New Orleans, Louisiana trip, also appreciated the benefits ot her trip and said, ASB was an amazing time to meet new people, form bonds that will be everlasting, and learn a lot about yourself just by helping out in the community. Graduate Michelle Moravec led a trip to Chicago, Illinois, where participants worked with women battling breast cancer and an inner-city yoLith theater. Moravec said, Intense. That ' s the w ird for ASB. It gets people in olved that usual!)- wouldn ' t be involved in commimity service, and in turn makes you learn so much about yourself. Goodman said of her Missouri trip, It strengthened my morals, values and goals I have for LU U- 26

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TH mm BREAKING SILENCE a StoD the late. the h( Stop violence. Stop the silence. HELP? Call the CARE Hotline x6411 24 hours a day, seven days o week. gong was struck. Another woman had been battered. Fifteen seconds later, it sounded again. Statistics said one woman was battered every fifteen seconds in the United States. A whistle was blown, indicating another woman had been raped. Every minute, 1.7 wcimen were reportedly raped in America. A shrill bell rang out, indicating a woman had been killed. Every day in the United States, three to tour women were killed by their partners. The topics ot child abuse, incest, sexual assault, domestic violence and victimization based on sexual orientation were addressed during the eye-opening, two-day Clothesline Project. The Project was a collection of t-shirts bearing witness to violence against women and men and cut to the core of every vi sitor ' s heart. Held March 30 and 31 from 12 p.m. to 10 p.m. in Transitions, the Clothesline Project was made up ot over 500 shirts. Sponsored by the First Year Involvement Center (af- filiated with the Office of Residence Lite), Take Back the Night Coalition and Campus Assault ResponsE, the concept was based on the AIDS quilt. For the previous eleven years, the university had sponsored the event, adding 30 to 40 new shirts each year. Due to the nature ot the event, participants were asked to observe silence. Tables with pamphlets on sexual abuse were scattered throughout the large room with several strategically placed tissue boxes. Visitors often heard a gong sound, a whistle blown or a bell ringing to remind them ot the startling statistics. Ciraduate assistant to FYI Haley Gouldin said, A lot ot people don ' t know the stats. It ' s a quiet event and when the gong comes through, it ' s more moving. Most viaims were women and under the age of six when their abuse occurred. A frequent theme of many ot the shirts was the desire to avoid discussing their past trauma. Gouldin said, Once you read one shirt, it ' s hard to stop. Motivated by the theme Break the Silence, victims raised awareness of abuse and reduced many visitors to tears with their vivid use of powerful emotions. Alumnus Jackson Baynard rose from his chair, mount- ed the steps and began to share his story with an attentive audience. He recounted his story ot male victimization at the hands of a sixth-grade teacher, describing in raw detail the story of his abuser, what went on and how justice was upheld. Baynard said, There is male sexual abuse between one in four and one in sLx males. . .survivors of sexiuil abuse need your support. Beth Chaney spoke after Baynard and describei.1 the abusive man who had become her husband. She stood by her man for years, finally reiilizing, No matter what I did, Donald wou UJ 28 SERENADING THE AUDI- ENCE, graduote Mia Jones U, A 1- ,-1 i i 1 r 1 1 1 1 performs a sonq she wrote n t change. After years of abuse, Chaney left her husband br Take Bock the Nighi. Many singers dedicated their AKiieia Narcrcm CktwLatte V mJnowtr f ! Ti by Brett Lemon tUje