Several area students spent Thanksgiving break serving others as part of JMU’s Alternative Thanksgiving Break program. Instead of returning home to their families and friends and celebrating over turkey and mashed potatoes, three groups of nine students traveled to Louisiana, Massachusetts or Georgia during JMU’s Nov. 17–25 break. On the New Orleans trip, students spent time with patients living with HIV/AIDS at Project Lazarus. The organization provides assisted living services to people with AIDS who are unable to live independently or do not have family that can take care of them. As a group, the JMU students had the opportunity to interact and get to know the residents through cooking meals, attending health and wellness classes with them, tending to the garden and more. Students traveling to Boston worked with the New England Center for Homeless Veterans. They focused on providing assistance to veterans who are facing homelessness. While in Boston at NECHV, the JMU students worked in their store, assisted in the kitchen and interacted and socialized with the veterans. Students learned about the strength and hardships of being a veteran. Students volunteering on the Georgia trip worked specifically with an agency called Safehouse coordinated through the Medici Project. Safehouse supports and works with at-risk children such as teenage mothers or children of incarcerated parents. The students had the opportunity to work on a variety of projects and programs catered to the needs of the agency. At the end of the week, the students put together a Thanksgiving dinner for those who needed it most.

Nine students from James Madison University presented at the Geological Society of America’s 2012 Annual Meeting & Exposition in Charlotte, NC. The following local students presented:

Nine geology students from James Madison University presented research at the Geological Society of America’s 2012 Annual Meeting and Exposition in Charlotte, NC, from Nov. 4-7. The following local students presented:

The majority of college students today are too young to remember the Bosnian War (1992-95) or the U.S.-led intervention, but for a group of student filmmakers from James Madison University the experience of visiting the war-torn country this past summer and documenting its struggles on the road to reconciliation is one they won’t soon forget. For five weeks in June and July, eight JMU students under the direction of Shaun Wright, assistant professor of media arts and design, participated in a unique study-abroad program examining the role of media in a post-conflict society. Their journey produced two short documentary films: “Future Tense,” which offers a youth perspective on the deep divisions that persist among the region’s major ethnic groups — Serbs, Croats and Bosniaks — and what can be done in order to move forward, and “A Mother’s Walk,” which follows the Mothers of Srebrenica on one of their yearly visits to the remote hillsides where their sons, husbands and fathers were massacred by Serbian troops under the command of Gen. Ratko Mladic. Area filmmakers included:

Several local students were recently inducted into James Madison University's chapter of Beta Gamma Sigma, an international honor society for business students. To be eligible for membership in Beta Gamma Sigma, an undergraduate student must be a junior or senior and rank in the upper 10 percent of their respective class. Graduate students who rank in the upper 20 percent of their class are also eligible. The following area students were inducted on October 17, 2012:

The following students made the dean's list during Summer 2012 at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Va. To qualify for the dean's list, a student must carry a semester course load of 12 graded credit hours or more and earn a GPA of 3.500 to 3.899.

Several area residents recently served as a part of James Madison University's 2012 orientation team. JMU's team of student orientation coordinators is a group of juniors and seniors who have served in a variety of roles within our Orientation programs prior to their current role in the office. SOCs are responsible for creating intentional programming during the week of 1787 August Orientation and recruiting, selecting, training, and training our almost 300-member student staff.

Several area residents recently served as a part of James Madison University's 2012 orientation team. Orientation Peer Advisers are a group of students selected each spring to work with JMU's first-year Summer Springboard and 1787 August Orientation programs. Assisting the orientation office in the supervision of our 250 First yeaR Orientation Guide (FrOGs) volunteers, OPAs are a key link in the successful transition of first-year students to James Madison University. The Orientation Operations Assistants work diligently behind the scenes to make sure that the transition experience is as seamless as possible. OOAs work throughout the year assisting JMU guests, students, faculty, and staff members as well as the members of the Orientation Office professional staff. Their time and effort are crucial to the success of the JMU orientation program.

Several area residents recently served as an ANTs (Assisting New Transfer Students) as a part of James Madison University's orientation team. The Assisting New Transfer Students (ANTs) team works exclusively with our incoming transfer students as a part of the Transfer Summer Springboard and 1787 Transfer August Orientation programs. This team of transfer students is selected in the spring and works throughout the summer to make connections with incoming students and connect them with resources around campus. In addition, the ANTs provide support to Madison transfer programs and maintain contact with transfer students as a resource and support.

Several area residents recently served as a first year orientation guide (FrOG) as a part of James Madison University's orientation team. FrOGs are a diverse group of undergraduate students who are committed to preparing students to be active and authentic participants in the JMU learning experience. FrOGs assist incoming first-year students in their academic, personal and social transition and serve as a representative of James Madison University throughout the university's 1787 August Orientation. They are legendary on campus for their annual FrOG dance.

Deep Run High School graduate Adam White will be heading to Japan on Monday, Sept. 3, to begin eight months of intensive Japanese language study. His travel, tuition and other expenses are being funded by a $20,000 Boren Scholarship.

A team of James Madison University students have won the Americas region of the Google Online Marketing Challenge. The team of marketing students teamed with Triple C Camp in Charlottesville, Va. to increase relevant traffic to the camp's website.

The following area residents have enrolled at James Madison University for the fall 2012 semester.

The following area residents have enrolled at James Madison University for the fall 2012 semester.

The following students graduated from James Madison University during the May 5, 2012 commencement exercises.

The following students graduated with honors from James Madison University during the May 5, 2012 commencement exercises.

The following students graduated with honors from James Madison University during the May 5, 2012 commencement exercises.

The following students graduated with honors from James Madison University during the May 5, 2012 commencement exercises.