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.

Help NIKE Grind at UREC

Don’t know what to do with your old athletic shoes? Recycle them! UREC is currently collecting athletic shoes to donate throughout the Harrisonburg community as well as recycle through Nike Grind.

 

Gently used shoes will be donated to the community through First Step and Our Community Place. First Step offers shelter and support groups to women and children fleeing from domestic violence. Our Community Place focuses on people helping people and offers a soup kitchen for all in need. 

 

Worn and torn shoes will be donated to Nike Grind where they will be recycled and made into sport surfaces around the world, including gym/weight room flooring, running tracks, playground surfaces, and outdoor and indoor synthetic courts. Since 1990, Nike Grind has collected 25,056,779 pairs of shoes globally. You can learn more about Nike Grind while your old shoes could help create a basketball court!

 

Please, no cleats, sandals, flip flops, or shoes containing metal. Any brand of athletic shoes is acceptable!

 

Help UREC by donating your athletic shoes today.  Gently used and worn and torn shoes should be placed into their respective bin in the lobby of UREC. Also, thanks to our partnership with Athletics for a collection site, shoes may also be dropped off into their respective bin on the first floor of Godwin. Contact Chris Jones at 540-568-8723 or jones4cr@jmu.edu for more information. 

Madison Forever is a Madison Tradition

For today’s families, paying for college is an increasingly difficult challenge.  The economy remains volatile, un-employment remains a stubborn low percentage and at the same time, federal and state governments are cutting grants and other support options.  Alumni and friends who want to hold the door open to the Madison Experience for students in financial need can do so through Madison Forever.

For many who have the desire, ambition, and talent to obtain a college education, the door remains closed due to financial difficulty.  Often, students are lacking just the last few dollars to make ends meet.  Madison Forever is a permanent program to give the financial aid officers the flexibility to help students with the greatest financial aid possible.

Madison Forever is all about awareness.  Being aware of those in need and helping them out.  It’s all about “holding the door open” for the students that are coming to JMU, already at JMU or have left JMU and need the extra support monetarily.

 

Giving to Madison Forever is easy, donate online or by calling the toll-free number: 855-568-4483.

Fraternity & Sorority Life Survey. NOT JUST FOR STUDENTS

JMU Fraternity & Sorority Life is asking students, alumni, faculty members and administrators to engage in a survey about the office, the community, and how to get the word out of what’s happening. Please take five minutes out of your day and click on the the links below to fill out the survey and help out the office. This survey is intended for all students and not just those who are in fraternities and sororities. Thank you for taking the time to fill out the survey as your input is needed in order for the Fraternity & Sorority Life office to be successful!

Here are the links:

For students and alumni

For faculty, administrators, and general employees of JMU

If you have any questions please contact Grant Bigman at bigmangr@dukes.jmu.edu or visit the JMU Fraternity & Sorority Life office website, ‘like’ them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter.

Godwin Bus Accident

WHSV, the local news channel, has released the following information to the public as of roughly 9:30am on November 16, 2011:

“James Madison University spokesperson Don Egle has confirmed that a person was killed by a bus on James Madison University’s campus on Tuesday night.  Egle would not release the identity or the gender of the victim. He would not release whether the victim was a JMU student.  The person was hit by the bus at about 10:40 p.m. at Carrier Drive and Bluestone Drive.  Virginia State Police Sgt. Frank Ingham tells WHSV that the City of Harrisonburg Department of Transportation bus was making a left hand turn onto Carrier Drive from Bluestone.  Ingham says the bus had a green light when the accident happened.  A pedestrian wearing dark colored clothing was struck and run-over by the bus.  That person died on the scene.  The driver of the bus has been identified as Katherine Deavers, 56, of Hinton.  Egle says JMU police and Virginia State Police will team a joint investigation into the incident.” click here for the story on WHSV’s site.

All we can do during this tragic time is be there for each other.  Realize that we are a strong family and are always there for one another.  We are planning a candlelight vigil for this evening location in the Convocation Center at 9:30pm.  Check the Facebook event for exact details once they’ve been released.  Since we will be indoors, please utilize artificial light instead of open flames.

With so much tragedy happening with JMU’s community, keep a close eye on your friends.  Mourning occurs in different ways for everyone, but make sure that if someone seems to be having a more difficult time than you think is normal, reach out to them.  Utilize the resources on campus.  Just be there for them.  Today we are all Dukes and we always will be.

Click HERE for access to JMU’s Varner House services.

Click HERE for access to JMU’s Health Center.

For up to date information, follow @TheBreezeJMU @SGAjmu @JMU and @WHSVnews on Twitter, check back here, look at Facebook, just seek out accurate information from valid source.

FREE Service that Could Save You or Your Car

Whether you are traveling 3 miles or over 300 miles to get home this Thanksgiving Break, you need to ensure that your vehicle is in top condition to get you where you are trying to go. Almost all of the essential parts of your car need fluids to run properly and if even one thing gets low, you could have a serious problem. Plus, maintaining all the levels properly can add thousands of miles to the life of your car!

Parts that need proper fluid levels:

• engine
• transmission
• radiator/cooling system
• brakes
• battery
• window washer
• air conditioner

Aamco has offered their expertise to check any JMU student’s car for low fluid and tire pressure and fill it (if necessary) just to make sure your car doesn’t break down on the drive home for Thanksgiving. Please attend and tell other people about it, after-all this is FREE stuff were talking about here and it could save you or your car. Check out the event on Facebook for more details!

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.

Have You Committed to 10 Days Yet?

H2O is an event with groups on campus to raise awareness about the water crisis and raise money to build a water system in Rwanda.  In order to make a contribution, participants were asked to sign an pledge to only drink water for 10 Days.  Instead of buying sodas, juice, Starbucks, or Java City, the money from that purchase would be donated to Living Water International.

There is still time to make a difference. The InterVarsity’s Justice Team will be at the bottom of the Village Hill from 11-2 pm this Monday and Wednesday (10/17 and 10/19) selling H2O Packages, and on Tuesday (10/18) they will be in Festival from 11-2 pm. All the money will be going to Living Water International to help build a well in Rwanda, and additionally, if you participated in the 10 Days Project, any of the money you saved can be donated any of those days.