D.C. Lobbying Trip–Kathleen Murphy

On April 16th, 10 members of the Legislative Action committee as well as some representatives from within SGA road tripped to Washington D.C. to lobby for financial aid and student loan forgiveness. We loaded into a 12 passenger JMU facilities management bus, listened to all kinds of music, and asked ice breakers such as “What is your favorite childhood movie?” Once we reached D.C., we checked into the Marriott and had an organizational meeting. After our meeting we all loaded into “the party bus” and went to dinner. We scarfed down Chipotle, Noodles & Co, ice cream and gelato.

With bellies full of food we went to Katie Stolp’s house, met her parents and watched part of Dodgeball on TV. We all got back to the hotel, went over the details of our bills concerning loan interest rates and loan debt forgiveness (S. 2051, H.R. 3826, H.R. 4170), and came up with talking points.

The alarms went off around 5:30 and we all stumbled out of bed. Everyone got dressed, and may I say, we we’re a sharp looking group. We hopped on the metro, were packed in like sardines for most of the way, and arrived at our stop after a 30 minute commute. Our first appointment was with Tom Culligan who is a JMU alum and works for a member of Congress. He gave us tips, approaches on how to talk to staff, and even had a pie chart with debt and spending numbers. He was fantastic and was very helpful. From there we broke into our separate groups, with 3-4 people each.

Each group had a different list of legislators offices to find to talk to. In total we spoke to over 25 offices and met with multiple staffers who have direct contact with members of Congress. Overall, our meetings were very well received. We handed out “leave behinds” which highlighted our talking points and those were a hit. We turned some heads. Everyone was professional, we knew our facts, and we asked tough questions. After our meetings we went to Good Stuff for lunch; we all just about inhaled our food, we were so hungry.

As senior, I was very pleased with my last (sniffle sniffle) lobbying trip. I couldn’t have asked for a better trip. Well… maybe if I was offered a job… All kidding aside, it was a great trip. We learned a lot and had the ability to bond as members of Student Government.  I’m proud to say that this group got a lot accomplished in short period of time and that I got to be a part of it.

At-Lare Senators & Representative Applications Available

There are still positions available within Student Government. Applications have come out for At-Large Senator (not representing a specific college) and Representatives. Both positions have varying responsibilities and are necessary parts of the organization. For more information read below:

• At-Large Senator: A voting member of the Student body Senate. This member shall be part of one of the committees: Finance, Community and Traditions, Student Services, Academic and Legislative Action. Must attend a weekly Student Body Senate meeting.
• Representative: Non-voting members of the Student Body Senate. This member shall be part of one of the committees: Finance, Community and Traditions, Student Services, Academic and Legislative Action. Must attend 4 of the Student Body Senate meetings. (if you are a first time applicant, this is a great way to work your way into the organization)

Applications can be found here and are DUE to Taylor 203 Friday April 20th by 5pm. Both positions can be found on the application. Question? Email Kelly Johnson at Johns2ke@dukes.jmu.edu,

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!

Announcing: Minor Elections Candidates

With major elections over and done, we move on to electing each class council position as well as the college senator seats.  Class Council positions are president, vice president, treasurer and secretary for the rising sophomore to the rising senior class (freshman are elected in the Fall).  Their jobs include planning educational and entertaining events for not only their class, but the entire university.  They interact directly with the Executive Vice President to perform their job tasks.  They also have a voting voice in the Senate.

College senators are the acting voice for their constituents.  They are the voting members of the Senate and are the ones who keep YOU in mind when they make decisions.  Senators also serve on specialized committees internally that are assigned by the Speaker of the Senate at the beginning of the Fall semester.  Each college has a varied number of seats that need to be filled and each year senators must be re-elected in their respective colleges. In order to be elected, senators must receive votes from THEIR college. For example, someone running for an Arts and Letters seat, cannot receive a vote from an ISAT major.

• College of Arts and Letters: 6 seats
• College of Business: 5 seats
• College of Integrated Science and Technology: 8 seats
• College of Science and Mathematics: 3 seats
• College of Visual and Performing Arts: 2 seats
• College of Education/IDLS: 1 seat
• Graduate Seats: 2 seats

As of right now, these are the individuals who are OFFICIALLY CAMPAIGNING for their position through the elections commission. Others may be doing a write-in campaign and have the same chance of being elected.

 Class Council:

-Meredith Wood Senior Class President

-Nadia Masroor Senior Class Vice President

-Annamarie Frost Senior Class Treasurer

-Caitlin Phillips Senior Class Secretary

-Lauren Holder Sophomore Class President

-Kaitlin Thomas Sophomore Class Vice President

-Rachel Francis Sophomore Class Secretary

Senators:

-Daniel Baker CAL Senator

-Rahath Alam CAL Senator

-Aaron Brown CAL Senator

-Chris Hook CAL Senator

-Jessica Morris CAL Senator

-David Scala CAL Senator

-Robert Benjamin Copper CAL Senator

-Megan Willis COE Senator

Make sure you VOTE  on Wednesday (April 4) beginning at 7am until Thursday (April 5) at 7pm. 

Senior Goings On–Rheanna Martino

Dear Seniors,

Much as we don’t like to admit it, the sudden arrival of spring means more than sunny days spent on the Quad, nights spent enjoying rooftop restaurants and the soon to be summer weather bringing on vacations and beach days. This year, the arrival of spring means the fast approaching culmination of our years of hard work here at JMU. That’s right: graduation is coming. (To lessen the pain, let’s just call it the “G” word, okay?)

 Trust me—I hate saying it more than you hate hearing it. There is nothing fun about counting down the days until we part ways with our home of four years. But look at it this way: if we’re only here for a short time, we better make it a good time, right?

There are a lot of important (and fun!) things coming up in the next few weeks to not only prepare us for the big day but also to help celebrate the time we have left.  Below you will find details on some of these events as well as resources where you can find out even more.

April 2^nd-6^th: Bookstore Grad Fair

The annual Grad Fair is your one stop shop for all things related to the “G” word.  While it may not sound appealing, this is a vital week for all seniors. During this week you can order your cap, gown, hood, tassel and all other important things for the big day. Worried you don’t know what you need? Thankfully there will be an experienced team available to ensure that you select the correct regalia to be perfectly dressed come May 5^th. If you go to the bookstore during this week, you are guaranteed to leave with everything you need; no need to wait or order, it’s all guaranteed to be there (if you go after this week, there is no definite on how long it will take to get everything).

For those who are unsure, let me clarify once and for all: all caps and gowns this year, despite popular belief, are purple. 100% JMU purple. Did you order on-line and think you ordered a black one? Don’t worry; the website uses the black outfit for its display on the page (it’s easier than specifying for each school). It’s also okay if you ordered online; you’ll get the same outfit as the rest of us.

Aside from caps and gowns and all, there will be other senior-related things available, too. You will be able to look at the official JMU Class of 2012 Rings and place an order if you never had the chance before, check out diploma frames and get a sneak peek at some of the Alumni apparel (there’s that dreaded ‘A’ word…) that will be on sale for those of us who will soon be crossing into the post-grad world. As scary as it sounds, remember that you’re one of approximately 4,000 who are going through this all. Make a new friend or bring the ones you’ve cherished since your first days here. Either way, embrace this rite of passage that comes with being a Duke.

Graduation’s no fun. What kind of fun things are going on for the Senior Class?!

There are a lot of events lined up in the next few weeks that will allow us to celebrate the end of this chapter of our lives. Ranging from countdown nights to sporting events, there are tons of opportunities for enjoyment such as final study breaks, focus groups sponsored by the Duke Club, the Senior Picnic and the Candle Lighting ceremony.  

For more details on these events and more, check out the Senior Class Events schedule on the Alumni Office’s Website. Or, for daily updates you can follow @SGAjmu2012 and @SGAjmu on Twitter.

 You can also continue to purchase senior shirts. The last day to place an order will be Monday April 16^th. You can come by Taylor 203 anytime between now and then (daily from 10am-4pm) to place your order.

These next few weeks will be bittersweet ones for sure. There is no denying that we will miss this place, but it’s only natural to feel the excitement and hope of starting a new chapter of our lives, much like we did when we were on our way to start our JMU careers. Rather than spend our days longing sadly for more time, let’s celebrate all that we have left. Remember—we’re not here for a long time, so let’s make it a good time.

Best wishes in your last weeks here. And Go Dukes!

-Rheanna Martino

Class of 2012 President

P.s. Have a question, comment or concern? Email Rheanna at Marti2rk@dukes.jmu.edu.

How To Vote for Major Elections

For those of you who have never been on BeInvolved, the task of creating a “profile” might be a little daunting. Well, have no fear, not only is the process quick and easy, outlined below are the steps you need to take. So sit back, open a second window, and register on BeInvolved:

1. Go to the homepage of BeInvolved
2. Click the “log-in” button
   
3. Enter your e-id and password
4. (Don’t worry this screen is normal)
5. You’re done!

NOW IT’S TIME TO VOTE

Class of 2014 Ring SALES!

We have finally unveiled the Sophomore class ring. As an event, ring premier went amazingly and we are so thankful for all of you that came out to enjoy the night with us. Now for the fun part, actually ordering your ring!

If you didn’t get a chance to come out and celebrate with us, head to the SGA office in Taylor 203 to pick up your bag with a FREE t-shirt as well as the brochure with pricing options.

Balfour representatives will be available from March 24-26 (10am-4pm) and again from March 29-April 2 (10am-4pm) right outside post office in Warren Hall. They will have the ability to size you as well as show you in person examples of the ring styles.

If you have any questions, you can post in the Facebook event as members of the committee will be checking it frequently. For updates, follow @SGAjmu, @SGAjmu2014 on Twitter and “Like” the Student Government Association page on Facebook.

JMU Student Body President Reallocates $500,000 for Spring Break Trip

Student fees meant to be budgeted for student organizations like University Program Board, Student Ambassadors, Panhellenic, Interfraternity Council, and more are moved to his personal account.

President Pat Watral released the following statement today:

“Honestly, I didn’t see the money being used for anything at the time so I have decided to allocate it for an official spring break trip to Panama City Beach, FL for spring break with my friends.

I understand many of you now disapprove of the decision, but I’m sorry, the funds are now locked up in the all-inclusive Bikini Beach Resort and my tab at the oceanfront bar.

My friends Simon, G, and Chris are so pumped for this trip, because we are seniors and want to spend as much time together as possible before we graduate.  I would hate to tell them that I had to cancel our plans because just Student Ambassadors was afraid they wouldn’t be able to give tours next year and UPB wants to have a Spring Concert.  Besides, I did spend the money on a concert. It just the concert is private and it is in Florida and it’s next week.

Again, I am sorry many of you are so upset about this issue.  I swear I will post all my pictures in a special album on Facebook so everyone can see them and imagine they were at the wet t-shirt concert with us.”**

OKAY LET’S BE REAL.  I would never do something so horrifically irresponsible.  I am honored to be JMU’s Student Body President and have incredible respect both for the allocation of student tuition money and for the organizations that deserve the funds.

Tuesday February 28 the Student Government Association will be debating and approving the budgets of the other nine Front-End-Budgeted (FEB) student organizations on our campus. 

Front-End-Budgeted simply means that the organization has proven that they put on so many large events throughout the year for JMU students, that they do not have the time to hold fundraising for each one.  Therefore, administration and SGA create their budget BEFORE the start of the year that they can use.

Those FEB organizations are: Student Ambassador, University Program Board, Inter-Fraternity Council, Panhellenic, EARTH Club, Madison Equality, Black Student Alliance, C.A.R.E and the NCAAP.  (SGA is also a FEB group, but we cannot decide our own budget)

All JMU students should care about how the SGA will allocate your tuition money.  I hope my little story above shocked enough students into paying attention to how these budgets will be allocated. It is my sincerest wish that students would take part in this process by voicing their opinion to members of the SGA.

Students can make a difference by:

• Stopping by the SGA office to speak with SGA members (Taylor 203 above TDU)
• Attending the SGA meeting Tuesday night at 5:15pm in Festival Highlands room for FEB night where they can voice their opinions.
• Tweeting @SGAjmu about #FEBNIGHT

Being a JMU student is all about taking part in important decisions in our society, and educating ourselves so that we may be the change! See you at FEB Night.
Pat Watral

Student Body President

**This story is NOT real. Pat did NOT take the money. The story was meant as an attention grabber. Thank you**

What Chick-fil-a and Bacon Have in Common

This past semester, members of the JMU community were a little upset when Burger Junction decided to start charging for bacon on their burgers. Therefore, the Student Services committee within SGA decided to tackle the issue and came up with a logical solution with the help of JMU dining..FREE BACON FRIDAY!

Friday February 24 the Burger Studio in both Festival and Market One will be offering free bacon for those who ask for it.

This is the first time, and potentially the only time this is happening, so take advantage of the opportunity. Bacon lovers unite! Spread the word, make countdowns, do whatever you need to do to let everyone know this is happening. The better the response, the easier it will be for us to tell dining about. Not a bacon fan? Not to worry, Chick-fil-a comes into play right about now…

In order to kick off the newest way to raise money for your organization, Chick-fil-a is having SGA members serve patrons on campus this Friday, February 24, from 2-5pm. Organizations can apply for the chance to work a “Spirit Night” the same way in which they would for a concessions night.  Since SGA is front end budgeted, we cannot take any proceeds so Chick-fil-a has agreed to donate to the Blue Ridge Food Bank instead. These nights will occur once a month, and is a great opportunity to fundraise for your organization.

So regardless of if you are an avid bacon lover, of if you are trying to “Eat mor chikin,” this Friday has something for you. Brought to you by the members of Student Services! Want more updates on what they are doing around on campus? Follow them on twitter: @JMUStuds

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