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

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5l5ter SUDDO AST members involve themse r- y by Elizabeth Carpenter ves ' with a variety of philanthropic causes Success was something every organization strove for, and Alpha Sigma Tau (AST) was no exception. The university recognized AST for its efforts at the 2006 Fraternity Sorority Excellence Awards when it was proclaimed a 4-Star Chapter and won the Recruitment and External Relationships Award among Greek life. During Greek Week, AST participated in Greek life ' s annual philanthropy event, Shack-A-Thon, which raised money for Habitat for Humanity and the Hurricane Katrina relief fund. AST was also an active competitor in Kappa Alpha Order ' s annual philanthropy event, Rosebowl, an event that raised money for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. In the spring, the sisters of AST organized a team for Relay for Life, an all-night walk organized in support of the American Cancer Society. In the spring, AST held its annual 5K run for AIDS, an event that resulted in over $1,500 in dona- tions to the Valley AIDS Network. In the fall, the ladies organized a benefit concert held at The Pub that included a performance by Nathaniel Baker. AST raised over $1,600, which was donated to the Broward House in Washington, D.C., accordinsf to junior Whitney Welsh, philanthropy chair. AST also held highway cleanup activities on Cantrell Avenue as part of its community outreach program. Its performance during Greek Sing gave AST bragging rights after it received the Best Riser Cho- reography award for its Boy Bands theme. AST ' s work did not end with the spring semes- ter, as sorority delegates attended the 2006 National Convention at Disney World in Florida over the summer. AST members mingled with their sisters from across the nation in a series of organized meet- ings, lectures and events. They also had the opportu- nity to lounge poolside or ride roller coasters in the theme park. In the fall, AST started the semester off with the most important thing to the continuation of any organization: recruitment. Through workshops with other sororities, the sisters were able to have an amazing recruitment, through which they se- lected over 40 women for their newest pledge class. Recruitment was such a blast this year. Having our whole chapter together and being able to meet our potential new members was so exciting, said junior Rachel Hatcher. It was a great bonding experi- ence, and I can ' t wait for next year. AST ' s recruit- ment theme was AST ' s Secret, which played off of victoria ' s Secret and its PINK line. Soon after recruitment ended, it was time for Family Weekend. Old and new members gathered in AST ' s basement to meet friends and family. Homecoming, Alumni Weekend and Founder ' s Day provided opportunities to draw current and alumnae chapter members back together, bringing a great year to a close. eta Alpha Psi Beta Alpha Psi was a professional business fraternity for accounting and finance students with the main objective of promoting excellence in the business information field. The Eta Delta chapter was chartei ed in 1985 and its goals were achieved through participation in meetings, socials and seminars. Front row: Christine Mui, Catherine Gartzke, Sandy Luu, Laccy ' iar; Second row: Kara Barnard, Veronica McNutt, Cat Watchko, Lauren Westfall; Back row: Joseph Decardi- Nelson, Wesley Wiggins, Joe Scanlan, Shawn Harrison, Adam CeruUi. Alpha Sigma Tau I 251

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■alpha Sigma tau Staying in sync, members of AST perform cheir dance at Greek Smg. The sorority ' s theme was Boy Bands, and sisters danced to songs by the Backstreet Boys and N ' SYNC. Photo by Mindi Westhoff Convening in their house basement, AST members spend some free time hangtng out. Social events al- lowed sisters to spend time together despite their hectic schedules, Photo courtesy of Meredith Rosanelh Front row: Erin McCaffery, Michelle Skutnik, Sarah Gyselings. Betii Branch, McKenzie Ball. Riva Fiirman, Meredith Rosanelli, Monica Lazur, Maris Ford. Lindsev Mayberry, Whitney Welsh. Samantha Green. Lynsey Leib, Katie O ' Neill; Second row: Ash- ley Bronson. Jaime Silverman, Lindsay Fraser, Mary Beth Conley. Mary Lowry, Mary Hays, Lisa Talley, Alison Damiano. Briana Webber, Morgan Sohl, Ashley White. Jamie Fernandez, Brittany Lee, Claudia Torres. Rachel Hatcher; Third row: Courtne Ulrich. Lisa Rosenbaum. Caitlin Bennett, Rebecca Walmsley, Katie Finch. Kalherine Clark, Kate McFarland, Megan Wilson, Nooshin Rezazad. Belhanv Riley. Elizabeth Carpenter. Lauren Miscioscia. Emily Jessee. Karla Bayles. Christine O ' Brien, Rachel deCourcy, Erin Faulds. Erin Hobson; Fourth row: Sara Benghauser. Kristin Fogei. Kimmy Thompson, Joanna Miller. Megan Shea, Lisa Kramer. Mallory Shields. Baylev Lesperance. Hayley Cain. Jenna Eisenhart, Rebekah Brewer. Amber Mendres. Ashk Wirth. Nina Szemis. Lauren Arthur, Kellie Hayes. Erin Devening. Aila Altman; Back row: Caitlin Feneriy, Katie Foley. Dianna Lau. Marissa Longo, Jacquelyn W ' alsh. Anne Gill. Megan Winand. Hannah Lacko, Jen Parco. Jenn Gardner. Kristen W ' estbrook. Vanessa Stevens, Katy Foucar-Szocii. Casey Culien. Allie Heyman, Casev Bloomfield. Alicia Bobrowski. Kristin Cassell. Jennifer Marrash. 651: buddies Best Buddies provided support and friendship to members of the coni- munit) ' with mental disabiHties and created mutually beneficial relation- ships with them. Students created one-on-one friendships, aided with emplo)ment opportunities and spent valuable time with their buddies. A T V r-nTjnrr wmmm BkP ' m 4 s • ( m LI fi i ' « B % ' Kffl! ' m • ■- m gllUIXfi n t ft 1 Front row: Karen Hayes. Stiiili.uiic Diisluii, lie. K.iiii i. |i nii Mi Allislei : Second row: Kaitlynn Fatig. Liz Chalker, Sarah Booth. I. .una Kriii;li: Back row: . aron Ncshitl, Andrew Montoya, Kyle Duffy, Megan McKce. 1 250 I Organizations

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lestone to ccc V - by Laura Becker The Bluestone staff works to create memories that last a lifetime. As a stuclciit-i un piiblicatit)ii. The Blufstonc sought to portray the university in a professional vet engaging manner through its production of the yeai l)ook. Tlie Bluestone was a nationally acclaimed book and has won several awards [o er] the ears, said senior Maria Nosal, editor in chief. ' We ' ve worked hard to maintain the reputation of The Blue- stone, while giving the students a book they will enjo) ' and accurately portrays the past year. Nosal began her invohement witJi The Blue- stone her junior year, wlien she held the pt)sition of creative director. I ' ve realh ' enjoyed working on The Bluestone and liked doing the day-to-da) ' work and even our deadlines, said Nosal. Distribution week was probably my favorite time. We got to see how all our hard work came together and the rest of the school got a book that ho|)elull iIk will cherish for years to come. Senior Sara Wist started as a staff writer her sophomore year and then held the position of cop editor for two years. My high school yearbook staff constantly used [The Bluestone] for ideas and inspiration, said Wist. Being a member of The Bluestone staff was something I was very excited about. Since freshmen weren ' t able to become staff members, I waited all year and as soon as the posi- tions were advertised in the spring, I applied. The Bluestone ' s office was in the basenunl ol Roop Hall, where staff members toiled throughout the year to produce a book that students [would] be able to look back on in 20 years, flip through the pages and read the stories and remember their time at the university, according to Nosal. The Bluestone is kind of forgotten about all ear, but its great to see everyone excited and in- terested in the book when it comes out. A challenge and frustration of ours is that so many students don ' t even know what The Bluestone is, Wist said. Students frequently correlated school publica- tions with endless hours of work and constant dead- lines. While The Bluestone certainly had positions that required dedication and time, the organization also offered positions where students chose the num- ber of assignments the worked on and the amount of time thev vere willing to commit. There are a number of different areas involved in the ]3roduc- tion of the book, making getting inx ' olved with The Bluestone a great option for a large variety of people with differing interests, Wist said. Staff members were able to request specific assignments and had more responsibility than con- tributing members. C:t)ntributors to The Bluestone gained an idea of how the earbt)ok staff operated without having to make a serious commitment. Sophomore Rachel Sarah Blanton was unable to get into a photography class and decided to pursue her passion by contributing photographs to The Bluestone. While Blanton was not rec|uired to take a certain number of assignments each semester, she still enjoyed being available for events. I got a dif- ferent outlook on things because I went to different events that I normally wouldn ' t have gone to if I wasn ' t taking pictures of them, Blanton said. The Bluestone held reoiilar staff meetings and encouraged members to familiarize themselves with The Associated Press Stylebook, a writing resource used by the editors. The Bluestone was distributed in the spring at several locations around campus. The bluestone Information National Yearbook Conventions: • CMA Spring National College Media Convention The Roosevelt Hotel, New York City Avvj;c s; Silver Crown Certificate, Silver Medalist Certificate, Certificate of Merit in Yearbook Student Lite Spread, Certificate of Merit in Organization or Greek Writing, Second Place Certificate in Opening and Closing Spread Design • 85tb Annual ACP CMA National College Media Convention Adam ' s Mark Hotel, St. Louis, Mo. Awards: 2005 Yearbook Pacemaker Finalist Award • Yearbook.comp Fifth Annual National College Yearbook Workshop Hampton Inn Suites, New Orleans, La. Ittr, I 252 i Organizations