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

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' oi ' Ks on Ki| Hning ser- vice fair. ThKnBual serVi fair was held in February ari provided scudencs wich an opportunicy to learn about national and incernacionali organizations such as Peacr ' Corps. AmeriCorps an Teach for America. Photo b Mindi Westhoi 5 rv ce y ycat by Jean Han CS-L encourages community service locally and abroad. Man ' students did not know what Community Service-Learning (CS-L) was or what it did. It was a method of teaching in which students learned and developed through active participation in thought- fully organized community service. CS-L coordinated partnerships with more than 75 service agencies to help meet the needs of the communitv and improve the standard of living in the Shenandoah Valley. About 700 students volun- teered each semester in Harrisonburg and par- ticipated in events that included the International Festival, the Service Fair and the Hunger Banquet. CS-L offered service opportunities in the local community to meet the diverse interests of students, faculty and staff. One of the ways students partici- pated was through semester placements, in which stu- dents took service-learning courses that placed them vith local agencies in the communit) ' for a semester. Students could get involved through Community Projects, a partnership that matched community needs with university students and professional groups. Community projects is one of our primary functions, said Harris. Community agencies have events and projects they need help with and contact our offices; then individual students, organizations and clubs can get matched up. CS-L is sort of like a matching service. Students could also reach communities outside the area through the Alternative Break Program (ASB). About 250 students fully immersed them- selves in national and international communities. There were 25 ASB trips over spring break; five of which were international and went to Dominica, Jamaica, the Dominican Republic and Guatemala. Students volunteered in soup kitchens, planted trees, repaired trails, constructed playgrounds and most im- portantly, built relationships with those they helped. This has been an exciting year for the Alter- native Break Program, said Lorelei Esbenshade, director of ASB. There has been incredible inter- est from the student body in participating on all of the trips, we have an outstanding and passionate group of leaders, and the faculty and staff of JMU has been very supportive and willing to get involved. The strength of the program lies in the enthusiasm and collaboration received from the entire campus. In response to the destruction of the Gulf Coast by Hurricane Katrina, CS-L offered trips that focused on rebuilding New Orleans, La. A big thing that happened last year with CS-L and we are planning again this year is the hurricane relief trips, said Esbenshade. We sent three trips last year and this year we will send two; there is an ASB trip going to New Orleans over spring break and another group in May. In the past, CS-L helped the university win several service volunteer awards. The university was highly ranked on the U.S. News and World Reports list for service-learning programs, as well as on The Princeton Review. CS-L helped the university rank No. 2 nationally in mid-size universities for active Peace Corps volunteers, with 65 active alumni, and rank No. 138 for all time Peace Corps volunteers, with 288 alumni having served. We are a continuing service, said Harris. I ' m proud to be a part of an organization that allows for our faculty and students to get involved not only in our local community but in the world community. m% Your O ' xx Spiritua ity Bring Your Own Spirituality was a university organization dedicated to providing an open environment for students of different religious and secular backgrounds to come togeth- er in discussion. Members joined together in a free and responsible search for truth and meaning. Front row: Elizabeth Ross, Julie Caran: Back row; Revin Caran, Joe Doherty, Holly Boiling, Meredith Wessels. CS-L I 259 1

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■C5-L Spinning the wheel. CS-L members draw names of hope- ful ASB winners. The program was so popular. CS-L used a lottery system to ensure fair- ness when signing up for tnps Photo by Revee TenHuisen CTH RiNG together, junior , and and senior ' -y Dear work on the CS-L schedule board. CS-L offered service opportunities that included semester-long placements. community projects and ASB trips. Photo by Mindi Westhoff Front row: I ' .arl) Eccles, Dani Goodson. Kelly Greer, Kelh Guinan, Kaitlni tlustei Second row: Becca Bourne. Caitlyn Boyer. Whitney Dear. Debbie Fox: Third row Lorelei Esbenshade. Walt Ghant. Jill Treac ; Back row: Andrew Mills, Dana Farrill Rich Harris. Lanren Franson. K o-L inTorrna ' vion Mission Statement: Programs: Community Service-Learning was a partnership joining • Alternative Break Program students, faculty, staff and the surrounding communi- • Alumni Service Break program ties by identifying and coordinating intentional service • America Reads and Community Work opportunities to cultivate social responsibility and life- Study long learning, thereby fostering a generation of leaders • Community Projects Program committed to positive social change. • JMU Alumni Chapters hosting |MU Alternative Break Teams History: • Partnership with JMU Alumni Relations • Founded in 1986 by faculty members Cecil Bradfield • Placement Support for Course-based and Ann Myers Service-Learning • Developed from the belief that service was the heart • Service-Learning Resource Center of higher education 1 258 I Organizations

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■delta delta delta etnm s c. ya v- v y by Kati K itts The ladies of Tri Delta raise money for St. Jude Children ' s Research Hospital. Being recognized as the uni eisit s soiorit Chap- ter of the Year in 2005 gave the ladies of Delta Delta Delta (Tri Delta) a great deal to li e up to in 2006. They managed to earn their title while going above and beyond expectations, epitomiz- ing the values of their organization. Service, philanthropy, academics and developing a strong character are all important ideals to members of Tri Delta, and that is reflected through om- top GPA ranking, strong communitv ser ice involvement and our members ' involvement in outside activities, said senior Meagan Mihalko, former president. Having been a part of Tri Delta since my fresh- man vear, I have seen our sorority morph into the strong Chapter of the Year it is now, said senior Beth Cromwell. One of the many ways Tri Delta stood out on campus was through its strong commitment to hu- manitarian causes. More than anything, I ' m proud of our philanthropic accomplishments, said Crom- well. In March of 2006, the ladies co-sponsored the first Run for Hope with Theta Chi fraternit}-. The 5K raised money for Tri Delta ' s national philan- thropy, St. Jude Children ' s Research Hospital. In October, the ladies raised over $3,000 for St. Jude with their Charity Denim fundraiser, which took place during their Triple Play Week. Charitv Denim is an event where designer jeans are sold at wholesale prices and a percentage of the profits go to a philan- thropic cause, explained Mihalko. Our event was a huge success. While the ladies of Tri Delta took academics and philanthropy seriously, they managed to have a lot of fun as well. In ihc spring ihe participated in Greek Sing, an annual performance competition between all eight of the universitv ' s sororities. Their theme was Deltas Gone Wild, and the sisters took home the award for Best Crowd Appeal. During the summer, four sisters, seniors Meagan Mihalko. Me- lissa Woolson and Stephanie Wilson and junior Kate Heubach, attended the Tri Delta Convention held in Hollywood, Calif. The Tri Delta Executive Office also recognized the chapter as a two-star chapter, which, according to Mihalko, was the highest honor a collegiate chapter [could] receive. In the fall, Tri Delta began one of its most important and fundamental activities: recruitment. The new members were carefullv selected through a complicated matching process. Although recruit- ment could be a verv time-consuming and tiring process, the ladies of Tri Delta did their best to make it fun through the incorporation of their recruitment theme, Tri Deltas in Paradise, which featured tropi- cal music, leis and bright colors. Tri Delta initiated 43 new members into its Iota pledge class. In November, the sisters participated in the appointment of a new officers ' council, a process called slating. Members nominated each other for positions, and then a committee reviewed the nominations and selected the candidates it believed were most cjualified for the positions. Looking back, Mihalko said, Tri Delta accomplished a lot over the past year. Most importantly, the group forged lifelong connections with each oth- er. One of Tri Delta ' s purposes, said Mihalko, is to establish a perpetual bond of friendship. CEO Career Education Officers were peer educators who volunteered with the office of Career and Aca- demic Planning. The group pre- sented career workshops to organi- zations and residence halls. Front row; Lauicn Kinuiicy. Sarah SiiiiiiKHis; Back row: . niy Bi ceding. Jennie Fhnn, C ' handra Lane. 1 260 I Organizations