Announcing: Staff Positions Available

With our newly elected excutive council in place, the time has come to hire the staff to help with the day-to-day tasks of running the organization.  Below, you will find each available postion and a link to the application. Completed applications should be brought to Taylor 203.

We are still accepting applications for Director of Information Technology, Executive Assistant, and Parliamentarian. Check out their position descriptions and application.

Chief of Staff: This position is newly created and accepted into our constitution!  The purpose of the chief of staff is to facilitate the mission of the Executive Council through the Executive Staff. This position works closely with the Student Body President. He/She shall serve as an ex-officio member of the Executive Council and act as a liaison to the Executive Council for the Executive Staff. He/She shall delegate all Executive Staff responsibilities equally and appropriately among the Executive Staff.

**Director of Information Technology:  The Director of Information Technology (DIT) is responsible for developing and updating the SGA website.  The DIT, who is a member of the SGA Executive Staff, must attend executive council meetings. Additionally, he/she is responsible for the management and upkeep of all SGA-owned technology, i.e. computers, printers, tvs and iPads.  The DIT also advises the organization on recommended technology purchases and assists the organization with technology acquisition and implementation.  He/She will ensure the Student Senate meeting minutes and attendance are posted on the website.  The DIT position must hold three office hours per week.**

Director of Membership Development: The purpose of the DMD is to educate the first-year senators and representatives and provide leadership opportunities for all members of SGA. The DMD has the responsibility to work collaboratively with members of the Executive Council to plan retreats and organize meetings. The DMD has the responsibility to bring in guest speakers, provide leadership activities and bonding opportunities for senate.  As DMD, it is your responsibility to create these leadership & bonding opportunities and to serve as a role model to the first year members.

Director of Public Relations: The Director of Public Relations serves as the press secretary for the organization.  He/She shall be responsible for forming relationships with all media outlets that provide coverage for the JMU Student Government, i.e. The Breeze, student publications, The Daily News Record, etc.  The DPR will control all of the Student Government Association social media pages and accounts, i.e Facebook, Twitter, the SGA Blog and Website.  They will also coordinate content with the JMU Office of Public Affairs.

**Executive Assistant: The Executive Assistant of the Student Government Association serves as the secretary of the organization, and is in fact “the organization behind the organization.” He/She is responsible, but not limited to serving as the office manager and organizer, taking minutes in Executive Council and Senate meetings, creating the databases, will be nuts and bolts certified, responsible for a large number of the room reservations with Events & Conferences, making and updating records binders, maintaining blackboard, sending out inter-organizational emails and updating the office calendars.**

**Parliamentarian: The Parliamentarian is in charge of making the final ruling on all issues of constitutionality that arise during SGA meetings. He/She is not a member of Senate or the Executive Council, but is required to attend all senate meetings. The Parliamentarian is the consultant to both bodies on issues pertaining to the SGA Constitution and Bylaws, in addition to Robert’s Rules of Order. The Parliamentarian must hold a Parliamentary Procedure Workshop for all new and returning senators and representatives.**

That’s all of them! Remember, applications need to be in to Taylor 203 by 5pm.  You also need to be available on Thursday April 12th from 6pm-10pm for interviews. Make sure you dress to impress!

Questions, concerns? Email Kelly Johnson at Johns2ke@dukes.jmu.edu and she can help you out. Good luck!

Richmond Lobbying Trip–Rachel Francis

On Thursday February 16^th 2012, six SGA students drove from JMU to Virginia’s capital city to lobby with Virginia State legislatures. Our agenda started early in the morning with us attending over seven meetings with VA Senators and delegates to discuss the lack of financial aid offered to college students.

We teamed up with the lobbyist group Virginia CAN (College Access Network) who were the leaders of the Virginia21 campaign. Their main purpose was to poll students asking them for the amount of debt they will have by the end of their college years. After a total of 10,000 signatures, with JMU contributing over 1,400 of them, the average Virginia college student’s post-graduate debt surmounted to over $100,000.

The experience was very exciting for me because I had never been involved with the state legislature at such a personal level. This trip was my first lobbying experience but was not for sophomore Legislative Action committee chair, Shevy Chaganti and fellow committee member, sophomore Ben Copper. Their previous experience helped newcomer lobbyist Courtney Herb, a freshman in JMU’s student government organization, as well as myself. We learned to personally connect with each Senator and delegate and to seek out our own local constituents while attempting to persuade them about our financial aid problems.

We ultimately wanted the VA education budget to get revamped in hopes of utilizing every penny the state gives college institutions. In comparison to previous Richmond lobbying trips, Shevy believes that this one was the most effective trips SGA has taken. Later on this semester, a larger group of SGA students will be representing James Madison University in Washington D.C.

 

Left to right: Rachel Francis, Courtney Herb, Taylor Vollman, Shevy Chaganti, Ben Copper and Brian Estep

SOUPer Bowl

In 2010, 48.8 million Americans lived in food insecure households, 32.6 million adults and 16.2 million children.  Nearly 14 million children are estimated to be served by Feeding America, over 3 million of which are ages 5 and under. (Numbers provided by Feeding America)

Those numbers are appalling, shocking, and down right disturbing.   We live in one of the greatest countries in the world and there are people who don’t know when their next meal will come.

Which is why this year we are participating in a canned food drive called Souper Bowl of Caring (check out the Facebook event). This drive happens all across America with the donations go to local food banks. Our donations specifically are going to Blue Ridge Area Food Bank.

We will have three donation locations on campus starting Feb 1-Feb 18:

• Carrier,
• ISAT, &
• Festival

Off campus? Check out these locations:

• Camus Ministry at Haas House (741 S. Main St.)
• Baptist Campus Ministries (711 S. Main St.)
• Catholic Campus Ministries (1052 S. Main St.)

Lets see how many hungry people we can feed! Last year this nationwide effort raised over $10million worth of food donations! Bins are out and about now, bring as much as you can because every little bit helps. Be the Change JMU. Be the Change.

Martin Luther King Jr. Past & Present–Jacob Mosser & Matt Klein

Only a week after school started back, we get a day off.  Seems very odd that the first day we get off is only a few days after the start of the 2012 Spring term.  It would be considered odd but we must remember why we are getting off.  We are getting off in honor of the birth of one of the greatest Americans to have lived.  His name is Martin Luther King, Jr.

Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King was born in Atlanta, Georgia on January 15^th, 1929 to Rev. Martin Luther King Sr. and Alberta Williams King as their middle son.  He attended Booker T. Washington High School in Atlanta but he skipped both the 9^th and 12^th grade to go on to enter Morehouse College where he would graduate with a degree in sociology. He then enrolled in Crozer Theological Seminary in Chester, Pennsylvania.  He would go on to be a pastor in Montgomery, Alabama, marry Corretta Scott, and have 5 children with her.

Dr. King was the change in his time because he lived by it.  After studying non-violent resistance, he put it into practice by organizing the Montgomery Bus Boycott after Rosa Park was arrested for not giving up her seat to a white man on December 1^st, 1955.  The boycott would go on for 385 days.  The situation became so tense that Dr. King’s house would be bombed.  The situation eventually reached the Supreme Court where racial segregation ended on the Montgomery bus system.

King organized the Civil Rights movement with blacks and whites all over the United States with peaceful marches fighting for equal rights of African-Americans all over the country.  His most famous march was on Washington D.C. in August 28^th, 1963  where he delivered his very famous “I Have a Dream” speech.

Take a few minutes today and watch the speech at the video and think about what he meant by those words.   This march would put much pressure for the United States Congress to pass the Civil rights Act of 1964.  Dr. King would go on to win the Nobel Peace Prize for his actions.

 

 

 

 

In honor of Dr. King and his dream for America, one day of the year is set aside for a remembrance and celebration.  On August 22, 2011 a memorial stood, open to the public, of Martin Luther King Jr. looking across the National Mall with his arms crossed, broken from the center of two marble halves.  This memorial remembers Dr. King’s life works and dreams for this country, and it includes some of his most memorable quotations.

James Madison University also celebrates the dream of Dr. King.  Each year, a formal memorial service takes place with a candlelight ceremony.  Organizations and administrators alike come from across the university to join in the celebration and light a candle to represent their belief in the dream and in their country.

Dr. Calvin Mackie, this year’s guest speaker, challenged and inspired those who attended the event to live a life like Dr. King.  He spoke about wishing that students would use their time wisely to make a greater impact on society and to reach their full potential as human beings.  “Each day,” he described, “you should wake up running.”  If everyone were as proactive and passionate as Dr. King, who knows what kind of world we would live in today.

Program Grant Night!

One of the biggest nights in the SGA year is tonight.  We as an organization, have the ability to give specific organizations thousands of dollars to help them put on one of their big events.  Program Grants allow organizations on campus to put on a truly spectacular event for the JMU and Harrisonburg community.  Often times without the additional money from SGA, the events wouldn’t be possible.

The Process:

By submitting an extensive application to the Executive Treasure, organizations tell us where the extra funds will be allocate to, where they could potentially get external funds (i.e. fundraising) and what the event is they are planning.  The applications are then sent to the Finance Committee within SGA and are reviewed, potentially edited, and voted upon.  If the grant passes through Finance, it is presented in front of Senate for approval.  Senate has the ability to change anything Finance has approved, as well as overturn the Finance decision with a 2/3 vote.  Finally, the Executive Board makes the decision to keep the Senate vote, or overturn it.

The Organizations and their Event:

1. VA Bio: “Speed Networking” students will learn how to network, practice networking and hear about life post-graduation from a discussion panel.
2. Mozaic Dance Team: “Coalescence 3rd Annual Weekend” both a showcase and a workshop featuring dance teams from DC, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, and areas.
3. Relay For Life: “Relay for Life” participants walk around a track for 12 hours symbolizing that cancer never sleeps.  There are several forms of entertainment throughout the night and funds go towards American Cancer Society.
4. Student Greater Madison, Habitat for Humanity, National Society of Leadership and Success: “The Big Event” a campus-wide day of community service where thousands of students will be sent into Harrisonburg in teams to complete tasks.
5. JMU Breakdance Club, JMU Invisible Children: “Circles 13″ seeks to promote the four original arts of hip-hop with life DJs, a graffiti expo, freestyle MC battles, king of the cypher (community all-style dance) battles, and 4 v. 4 crew battles.

If you want to hear the debate tonight, head over to Festival Highlands room at 5:15p and see where the money goes! There are a lot of great causes, and limited funds, so it should be interesting.

HIV Awareness Week

From November 14^th to 16^th, the Madison HIV Alliance is hosting the first ever HIV Awareness Week.  Over the course of this week there will be various events taking place on campus (all of which are FREE) in order to help raise HIV awareness as well as educate students on how to protect themselves and others.

Calendar of events:

Nov. 10th-16th: AIDS Memorial Quilt Exhibit (8 a.m.–midnight) Forbes Center: Two panels of the AIDS Memorial Quilt, including the JMU panel, will be displayed (FREE EVENT!)

Monday Nov. 14th: FREE HIV testing in Transition. (No needles, it takes less than 20 minutes and if you do it, you get a voucher for a FREE ENTRANCE TO EITHER EHALL OR DHALL!!)

Monday Nov. 14th: “An Evening with Sheryl Lee Ralph,” (7pm) Wilson Hall: As part of Madison HIV/AIDS Awareness Week, acclaimed veteran of film, television and the Broadway stage and Tony Award–nominated actress Sheryl Lee Ralph discusses the impact of the epidemic on college students and the role that young persons can play in prevention, education and stigma reduction. (FREE EVENT!)

Tuesday Nov. 15th: “Who’s Positive: The Tom Donohue Story,” 7 p.m., Festival B llroom:“Who’s Positive” is designed to offer an insight into the life of HIV–positive young persons (FREE EVENT!)

Wednesday Nov. 16th: “Advocating for Youth: HIV/AIDS in Young America,” 7 p.m. Festival Ballroom: Advocates for Youth champions efforts to help young people make informed and responsible decisions about their reproductive and sexual health; the event engages students in discussion regarding personal choice, sexual risk and behavioral impacts (FREE EVENT!).  You can check out their website prior to attending.

During our time at JMU, we become well rounded, educated and enlightened citizens that better our communities and the world around us. Challenge yourself to extend that education; expand that circle of your community. Educate yourself on ways in which you as an individual can stand proud and confident in your actions, knowing you are making safe decisions.

I hope you take the time to attend some of these events and support those who have worked so hard to help better educate us as a community and make JMU an even more well-rounded and enlightening community.

In the spirit of Madison, Go Dukes!

Rheanna Martino

Class of 2012 President

Commission to Honor Contributions of the Women of Virginia

Governor Bob McDonnell, chairman of the Commemorative Commission to Honor the Contributions of the Women of Virginia, along with other commission members and  legislative leaders House Speaker William J. Howell and State Senator Mary Margaret Whipple, today announced that the Commission would hold a series of nine forums or “community conversations” across the Commonwealth during the month of October to gather ideas and broad public input on an appropriate monument in Virginia’s Capitol Square in Richmond to commemorate the contributions of the women of Virginia.  These public forums are an outgrowth from Senate Joint Resolution 11, which the Virginia General Assembly unanimously passed in 2010.

Speaking about the monument, Governor McDonnell remarked, “The uplifting and powerful stories of the women ofVirginiaare overdue for telling and underappreciated to this day. This monument will ensure that visitors to our State Capitol will have the opportunity to learn about and celebrate greatVirginiawomen. It will also further enhance the beauty and charm of historicCapitol Square. I encourage all Virginians to be a part of telling this pivotal part of our shared history.”

“Virginia’s history is storied and includes many significant accomplishments and contributions by women, which have strengthened our communities and improved our Commonwealth’s terrific quality of life,” said Speaker Howell.  “How best to appropriately recognize these achievements is an important conversation to have and I hope and encourage all Virginians to participate in the forums.”

“The ideals, vision and spirit of sacrifice of Virginiawomen can and do serve as an inspiration to all Virginians,” added Senator Whipple.  “It is therefore more than fitting to recognize and honor the contributions of Virginia’s women with the placement of a permanent monument on the grounds of Capitol Square.  We welcome the public’s input in making the best decision possible.”
Tonight in the Festival Ballroom at 7p one of these talks is occurring.  The purpose of the forums is to gather ideas and broad public input to commemorate the contributions of women inVirginia.  Several students from the various schools attended and participated in the previous discussions.  The commissions members who were present were very impressed with their input and would like to hear more from students such as JMU’s.

“Before moving forward with plans to honor and commemorate the diversity and remarkable achievements ofVirginiawomen with a monument onCapitol Square, the Commission recognized the value of gathering the ideas and recommendations of all Virginians,” said Governor McDonnell’s Secretary of Administration Lisa Hicks-Thomas.  “This special project will serve as an enduring monument to the contributions of all women throughout our Commonwealth’s 400 year history, and we want to ensure that the views of all Virginians are heard and reflected in the final design.”

National Food Week at JMU

Food Day is a national grassroots campaign to raise awareness on food-related issues by promoting events the week of October 24-27th that support the 6 Food Day Priorities. Student organizations and University departments from all over campus have teamed up to put together an exciting series of events to support the priorities listed below and show JMU students what is available in the Harrisonburg community for those that realize our food system needs to change.

The 6 Food Day Priorities:

1. Reduce diet-related disease by promoting healthy foods
2. Curb junk food marketing to kids
3. Support sustainable farms and limit subsidies to big agribusiness
4. Protect the environment and animals by reforming factory farms
5. Expand access to food and hunger
6. Support fair conditions for food and farm workers

Campus Events

Join us all week as we celebrate our local food culture. Learn more about these events on Facebook.

MONDAY OCTOBER 24

• Food Day Kick Off, 11-5, Commons and Warren Patio: Make your voice heard at our Activism Table or meet local food organizations on Warren Patio. The Activism table will continue throughout the week, where you can join our picture campaign, sign a petition, send a letter to your congressman, or donate food for the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank.
• Green Facility and Program Tours, 2-6 PM, East Campus Dining Hall: Tour JMU’s first LEED-certified building, East Campus Dining Hall, and hear what progressive food initiatives Dining Services is taking. RSVP to stewardship@jmu.edu for a 30 minute tour.
• Free Screening of “Nourish”, 7 PM, Court Square Theatre: JMU Dietetics Association co-sponsors the Go Local film series’ Food Day special downtown. Appetizers will be served before the film.

TUESDAY OCTOBER 25

• Free Screening of “The Farm Course”, 6 PM, Memorial Hall Auditorium: SMAD students follow interns on local farms in this 30-minute documentary with discussion to follow.

WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 26

• Free Screening of “American Meat”, 6:30 PM, Memorial Hall Auditorium: Watch the newest food documentary in a Harrisonburg reprise that explores the state of the meat industry in America, with a panel and light reception to follow.

THURSDAY OCTOBER 27

• Global food lecture by Dr. Robert Oppenlander, 7 PM, Showker 105: Dr. Oppenlander, author of “Comfortably Unaware”, will expose how our food choices affect our planet’s environment.

All of these events are brought to JMU by:

Dining Services, EARTH, Animal Rights Coalition, Institute for Stewardship of the Natural World, Communications Department, Mad4U, JMU Student Dietetics Association.

Want or need more information?

Coordinator: Laura Lorenz lorenzln@dukes.jmu.edu

Assistant Coordinator: Melissa Price price2mr@dukes.jmu.edu

Teach for America/Deloitte Alternative Spring Break Info Session

Come find out how you can make an immediate difference in a child’s future.

http://vimeo.com/25850043

Date: Wednesday 1/18/2012

Time: 7-8 pm

Location: Festival Conference Room 4

NEXT DEADLINE – JANUARY 20th, 2012 (ASB application)

Visit www.teachforamerica.org or email Stacie Gregorius (sjgregorius@gmail.com) for more information.

The final deadline to apply for Teach for America is Friday February 10th.

Are you DTF? (Down to Fight) Join Colleges Against Cancer!

Did you know that 70% of breast cancer is found through self breast examination? Or that breast cancer is second only to lung cancer in cancer deaths among women in the U.S.? Well, Colleges Against Cancer is trying to raise awareness this October (since it is breast cancer awareness month and all) and they have officially launched their Pink Ribbon Campaign.

The campus campaign takes place all week, with events happening in various locations everyday.  Here’s the schedule of events:

M-F: Decorations at Top Dog and E-hall! Look for a different dessert incorporating pink at E-Hall everyday of the week!

Tuesday: Surprise Around Campus! (SPECIAL SURPRISE ON THE QUAD TODAY AT 12:15….It is going to be really, realllly, REALLY COOL!)

Wednesday: Sweet Bee Proceeds. ALL DAY! From 11 A.M. to 11 P.M. Must bring the flyer (located on our website jmucac.weebly.com and on facebook!) and pay in cash

Thursday: Basketball/Volleyball tournament! 5-7:30. Signups are day of. Just for fun! $1 per person. Teams of 6. Co-ed or single sex teams. Encouraging exercise to promote a healthy lifestyle!

And finally…Do you like cupcakes? Then join in on Cupcakes for  a Good Cause on Saturday to help out CAC and Gamma Sigma Sigma in their co-sponsored event held by the Dusty Joy Foundation, a non-profit lung cancer awareness advocacy group.  You need a ticket for the event, and they are $7.50 and you get 3 gourmet cupcakes of your choice! You can purchase a ticket online here, and all the proceeds go to the Dusty Joy Foundation.