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ALUMNI NEWS


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October 2005
 
ALUMNI NEWS
 
NEW STAFFERS, FAMILIAR FACES, JOIN ALUMNI RELATIONS
 
 

Paul Campbell and Carol Swineheart
 
DON'T MISS A MINUTE OF HOMECOMING 2005
 
Top Dog: Flight of the Champions is the theme for Homecoming 2005. If you are celebrating a reunion year, you should have received your Homecoming 2005 brochure in the mail. Whether or not you're celebrating a reunion, come home for Homecoming Oct. 28-29. Friday, Oct. 28, events include the annual Alumni Golf Tournament at Lakeview Golf Course, the Homecoming parade, a pep rally, the dedication of the new Chemistry/Physics Building and a performance by the Second City Comedy Tour. On Saturday, the JMU Dukes take on the Richmond Spiders at Bridgeforth Stadium. Other events include the 10th annual Dukes Homecoming 5K Walk/Run, the annual Pre-Game Field Festival and sixth annual Homecoming Tailgate at Godwin Field, a concert by the JMU Contemporary Gospel Singers and the annual step show in Wilson Hall. Check out all of the Homecoming details and register online at www.jmu.edu/homecoming. End of Story
HOMECOMING 2005 GALA HONORS ALUMNI SERVICE AND ACHIEVEMENT
 
The JMU Alumni Association will honor three alumni at the Homecoming 2005 Gala on Oct. 28. The 2005 Ronald E. Carrier Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award honors Barbara Hall ('82), creator and producer of television hits, Joan of Arcadia and Judging Amy. The novelist, poet, vocalist and musician has also served as a writer and producer for other well-known programs including Family Ties, Newhart, I'll Fly Away, Chicago Hope, Northern Exposure and ER. The 2005 Inez Graybeal Roop Distinguished Service Award honors two alumni, David Grimm ('74) and Kenneth Bartee ('83). Grimm received Long John Silver's 1995 Franchisee of the Year award and has served the organization for 31 years. Grimm has also served as chair of the Virginia Hospitality and Travel Association board and been a member since 1983. He earned the organization's 1995 Franchisee of the Year Award and again in 1998 when he received the Virginia Hospitality Leader of the Year Award. He is a former member of the JMU Alumni Association Board of Directors, the Duke Club board and the Hospitality/Tourism Board of JMU's College of Business. Bartee is president and CEO of McDonald Bradley Inc. He has served as vice chair of the College of Business' Executive Advisory Council and funded the Kenneth R. Bartee Faculty Award for Teaching Innovation in the JMU College of Business. Three JMU alumni chapter awards will also be announced at the Gala. Awards will be presented for Most Improved Chapter, Chapter Volunteer of the Year and Chapter of the Year. End of Story
 

JMU EMPLOYEES BELIEVE IN MADISON

Employee giving at JMU rose an incredible 50 percent in fiscal year 2004-05. The "Madison Needs EveryONE" campaign included efforts by each of the four university divisions and was coordinated by a steering committee led by professors Diane and Reg Foucar-Szocki and Human Resources training director Diane Yerian. The committee's work helped elevate employee participation from just under 10 percent to 15 percent. The campaign resulted in $209,702 total giving to the university. President Linwood H. Rose hosted a reception for employee donors in the Great Room of the Leeolou Alumni Center in September. "I think that this increase in support simply shows that more and more of us are willing to step up and say 'Yes, I am interested in making a difference,' and 'Yes, I am committed to JMU,'" says campaign co-chair and J.W. Marriott Professor of Hospitality Reg Foucar-Szocki. "Employees at JMU do want to support the institution, and they are proud to show it." End of Story
 
ROBERT AND FRANCES PLECKER ATHLETIC PERFORMANCE CENTER OPENED

They were not professors or coaches. They were not graduates — although their daughter Patti, who lives in Virginia Beach, graduated from JMU in 1983. Robert and Frances Plecker were, however, among JMU's "loyalest fans," according to JMU Athletics Director Jeff Bourne. "They're the ones who were in the stands even when it's pouring down rain. The late Bob Plecker was a longtime member of the Duke Club and also served on its board. Frances Plecker and her family were on hand on Sept. 3 to dedicate the Robert and Frances Plecker Athletic Performance Center, a $9.8 million facility that houses the university's football and athletics-related academic areas. Head football coach Mickey Matthews cites JMU's facility as important to recruitment. "Not only is the Plecker Athletic Performance Center the top Division I-AA facility in the nation, it's a top-40 (all schools) end zone facility," he says. "The fact that we can combine all of our operations under one roof allows us to accomplish so much more than what we've been able to do in the past. The facility demonstrates the university's commitment to having a first-class football program," Matthews adds. "It speaks volumes to the players we would like to recruit and to the outside world. We've always had a beautiful campus to recruit to; putting the facility on top of that is extremely advantageous for our recruitment of student-athletes. I think it is impossible to walk into our stadium and not realize that our football program gets outstanding support."
End of Story
 
 
JMU COMMUNITY RESPONDS TO KATRINA
 
The JMU community established a coordinated response to the tragic results of Hurricane Katrina, including admitting displaced students from the affected areas, participating in the commonwealth's Combined Virginia Campaign/Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund and establishing the Katrina Relief All Together One Team. JMU faculty and staff were encouraged to give to the Combined Virginia Campaign, which provides 100 percent of dollars raised to the American Red Cross and the Salvation Army. The campus Katrina Relief All Together One Team is comprised of a representative from each of the four university divisions and the Student Government Association. Students, faculty and staff are coordinating efforts by numerous student groups to support Katrina relief efforts. The JMU Bookstore is also collecting dollars — 100 percent of which will go directly to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund. JMU's counselors in the Counseling and Student Development Center are available to students affected by the hurricane. On Sept 19, a JMU nursing professor and 13 nursing students traveled to Alabama for two weeks to support the American Red Cross in providing shelter, food and emergency care to hurricane victims. During the Sept. 2 football game, JMU and three local media outlets combined to accept funds for the American Red Cross and the relief efforts, as well. The University Advancement division sent e-mails of support and concern to all JMU alumni and friends living the Gulf Coast area. Learn more about the JMU community response to Hurricane Katrina by visiting www.jmu.edu/katrina. End of Story
 
CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION WEB SITE ONLINE
 
Packed with historical photographs, anecdotes from Madison's rich history and a calendar of the exciting events in 2007 and 2008, the Centennial Celebration Web site is online. This site will become the central point for online news and exchanges of information about the coming yearlong celebration of Madison's 100th birthday. Created by the Centennial Office in the division of University Advancement, the site will continue to evolve as the celebration nears. Director of the Centennial Office Fred Hilton says, "This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the university to celebrate its history. And many people are unaware of just how interesting the history of Madison can be." That is why the site also includes many links to the Carrier Library's historical collection and other resources. Visit www.jmu.edu/centennialcelebration and learn more about the university's history and this momentous event for the JMU community. End of Story
 
FAMILY WEEKEND IS OCT. 7-9
 
Family Weekend 2005 (formerly Parents Weekend) is Oct. 7-9. The football game on Saturday against Maine is sold out, but there are many other campus events available during the weekend for Madison families. Family Weekend offers a taste of campus life, an opportunity to visit your son's or daughter's campus home and the chance to meet other JMU families. This year's events also include a Saturday Picnic on the Commons, academic presentations by the College of Integrated Science and Technology; a performance by Yesterday, a Beatle's tribute band; women's field hockey soccer and volleyball games; Delta Gamma's Anchor Splash to raise funds for Service for Sight; a 5K Run for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation; the Edith J. Carrier Arboretum's Fall Bulb Sale; a Carrier Library Benefit book sale; a lunch on Godwin Field and receptions by academic departments and colleges. For more information, a list of events, or to register, please call (540) 568-3193 or visit www.jmu.edu/parents/pw.shtml. End of Story
 
 
A DELICIOUS DECADE OF CRABFESTS GETS PRESIDENTIAL NOD
 
The Metro Dukes Alumni Chapter celebrated a decade of Crabfests with the 2005 event, which drew 600 alumni and JMU President and Mrs. Linwood H. Rose. The JMU Office of Alumni Relations offers special thanks to Mike Jones ('94) and Sam Jones ('91) and the Metro D.C. volunteers for hosting the 10th annual event for alumni, family and friends. Thanks also to event sponsors: Jones CPAs, Fat Punk's Restaurant and Tamara Inzunza ('95). End of Story
 
 
DUKES, MARK YOUR CALENDARS
 
Oct. 15
Greater Peninsula Event: Busch Gardens Williamsburg Howl-O-Scream Adventure
All day passes: $52 per adult; $44 per child (includes all day park admission and all-you-can-eat dinner buffet)
To register call (888) JMU-ALUM by Oct. 14.
For questions, contact Mike Baldwin (94) at mbaldwin2372@yahoo.com

Oct. 25
Leadership in the 21st Century, the Second Annual Fall Conference hosted by the Metro D.C. Alumni Professional Network
7:30 to 10 a.m. at the Ritz-Carlton Tysons Corner
Early bird pricing by Oct. 7 is $35
After Oct. 7, $45
Fee includes breakfast and alumni panel of speakers including Michael Anestos ('78), Stephen Hughes ('78), Amy McPherson ('83) and Dr. Robert Reid, dean of the JMU College of Business. Register online at www.jmuapn.com

Oct. 28-30
Homecoming Weekend
Register online and see which friends will be in the 'Burg!
www.jmu.edu/homecoming

Oct. 28
Dedication of the new Chemistry/Physics Building at 3 p.m.
www.jmu.edu/homecoming

Jan. 6, 2006
Metro Dukes JobFair in the Washington, D.C. area

For more detailed information on any of the above listed events, please call the JMU Office of Alumni Relations, toll free 1-888-JMU-ALUM. End of Story
 
AWAY-GAME TAILGATES WITH THE DUKE CLUB AND THE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
 
Join your national championship team on the road at four Pregame Tailgates sponsored by the Duke Club and the JMU Alumni Association.
Oct. 1 at Hofstra
Oct. 22 at Delaware
Nov. 5 at William and Mary
For tickets and information, call (540) 568-6461 or visit www.jmusports.com/DukeClub/  End of Story
 
JMU FOOTBALL ON TV
 
Can't catch a game in person? Check out these JMU gridiron match-ups on television:
Oct. 15 at 12:05 p.m. at Massachusetts airs on CN8 TV
Oct. 22 at 12:05 p.m. at Delaware airs on CSTV End of Story
 
BASS-PLAYER ALUM AND BAND TO PLAY ARLINGTON OCT. 22
 
Iota Club and Cafe plays host to the emotionally evocative music of local rock-and-roll favorites, the Pharmacy Prophets. This show celebrates the release of Pan into the GrayScale, the Prophets' second recording effort. This EP follows the 2003 release of the critically acclaimed album Songs of Death and Happiness, Wammie-nominated as best recording of 2003. Phil Rossi, a 2001 JMU alumnus, plays bass and shares vocal responsibilities in the Prophets. For more on the band, visit the Web site at http://www.pharmacyprophets.com. End of Story
 
 
 UNIVERSITY NEWS
 
 
BOARD OF VISITORS APPROVES '06-'08 BUDGET, NEW MUSICAL ARTS DEGREE

The JMU Board of Visitors met Sept. 23, in the Board Room of the Festival Conference and Student Center. Following is a summary of actions taken by the board and key areas of discussion at the board meeting:
  • Approved a $91.5 million increase to the biennial budget for 2006-08 as compared to the previous biennium.
  • Approved a new doctorate of musical arts degree in the School of Music, and heard proposals for a new bachelor of science degree in information analysis and a new master of science degree in international security in civil-military relations.
  • Dr. John Noftsinger, associate vice president for research and program innovation, informed the board that JMU is now ranked 317th in the nation in research and development, and JMU faculty were awarded $21 million for sponsored research and grants last year.
    President Linwood H. Rose reported to the board: JMU received more than 19,000 applications for a projected freshman class of 3,500 this fall; minority enrollment in the newly enrolled freshman class increased from 8.5 percent in 2004 to 11.6 percent in 2005; JMU received private gifts funding the university's first two academic chairs; and, JMU employee-giving rose by 50 percent, from 9.75 percent to 15.2 percent.
End of Story
 
JMU PROFESSOR TO MONITOR NATIONAL ELECTIONS IN LIBERIA

Dr. J. Peter Pham, director of the Nelson Institute for International and Public Affairs at JMU, has been appointed an official U.S. delegate to monitor Liberia's national elections occurring Oct. 11. The delegation of 50 Americans, headed by Ambassador Richard S. Williamson and former Assistant Secretary of State Constance Berry Newman, includes senior State Department and Congressional officials as well as representatives from the International Republican Institute, the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs and the Carter Center. Pham, the only academic in the group, will serve as its expert on the West African country and conduct briefings for the other delegates. The delegation will monitor the pre-election environment, presidential and legislative polls and the vote counting. A total of 762 candidates are running in the elections, including 22 candidates for the presidency. After more than two decades of turmoil and civil war — and the loss of about 250,000 Liberians out of a population of about 3 million — a 2003 peace agreement, enforced by international peacekeepers, established a transitional government and paved the way for the Oct. 11 voting. End of Story
 
 

JMU VOLUNTEERS TO BRING KATRINA RELIEF OVER THANKSGIVING BREAK

JMU's Community Service-Learning program is organizing a Hurricane Katrina relief trip to the Gulf region during Thanksgiving week. JMU will send 55 student, faculty and staff volunteers to participate in hurricane-relief efforts coordinated through the National Relief Network. The JMU team will leave Harrisonburg by bus Nov. 20 and return Nov. 26. The cost of the trip will be $325 per person to include bus transportation, onsite meals and lodging provided by local churches. In another relief effort, more than 70 backpacks were filled with donated school supplies, toiletries, toys and other items for children displaced by hurricanes Katrina and Rita will be assembled Sept. 30 at Johnston Hall. The backpacks were filled during a monthlong relief effort, dubbed "Assignment Backpack" and organized by JMU students, faculty and staff, with participation from local schools, churches and other organizations. Also, JMU joined three local media outlets to collect donations for the American Red Cross at the Sept. 3 JMU vs. Lock Haven football game. End of Story
 
JMU'S ADMISSIONS WEB SITE RANKED IN TOP 10 NATIONALLY

The Web site that guides potential students from prospect to applicant at JMU is rated among the top 10 in the nation, according to the National Research Center for College & University Admissions, which released its seventh annual ranking Sept. 20. JMU's top-10 Admissions Web site is located at http://www.jmu.edu/admissions/. The NRCCUA, a nonprofit education research organization based in Lee's Summit, Mo., rated the admissions Web sites of more than 3,000 colleges and universities nationwide for design and function in guiding potential students through the admissions process. Two other Virginia colleges' admissions sites were ranked in the top 10 in the South: Randolph-Macon Woman's College (12th nationally) and Virginia Wesleyan College; JMU was fourth in this regional list, as well as fourth nationally among master's-level institutions. End of Story
 
JMU BEGINS ONE-YEAR ATHLETICS STUDY FOR NCAA CERTIFICATION
 
President Linwood H. Rose announced that James Madison University will begin a yearlong, campuswide study of its athletics program as part of a NCAA Division I athletics certification program.The self-study, required every 10 years by the NCAA, will cover academic integrity, governance and commitments to rules compliance, to equity and to student-athlete welfare. James Madison completed its first certification self-study in 1998. The self-study committee will include Rose, Dr. Al Menard, who will chair the steering committee, various JMU faculty and staff and Athletics Department personnel. The NCAA provides committees with a "measuring stick" in each area to be studied, operating principles by which all Division I members are evaluated. In fall 2006, when JMU's self-study is concluded, an external team of peer reviewers from other colleges or conference offices will conduct a two-day (minimum) on-campus evaluation. That team will report to the NCAA Division I Committee on Athletics Certification, which will determine and announce the college's certification status. End of Story
 
 
ATHLETICS NEWS
 
DUKE CLUB RAISES RECORD FUNDS FOR ATHLETE SCHOLARSHIPS

A record-breaking fundraising year resulted in the JMU Duke Club presenting the university's athletic division with a check for $677,729 during halftime of JMU's Sept. 17 football game with Delaware State. The 2004-05 fundraising effort represented a 45 percent increase from the previous year. The funds include unrestricted contributions that support scholarships for JMU athletes and activities of the university's athletic division. The JMU Duke Club utilizes a volunteer system of representatives working through various regional club chapters. End of Story
 
 
FOOTBALL DUKES WIN SEASON'S FIRST CONFERENCE GAME
 
After battling to a 7-7 halftime tie, the Dukes took control of their season's first Atlantic 10 Conference game Oct. 1 with long-scoring plays by Dukes junior tailback Maurice Fenner and junior defensive tackle Chuck Suppon less than two minutes apart during the third quarter. The Dukes went on to beat Hofstra 42-10. JMU scored on Fenner's 66-yard run on its second offensive play of the final half and five plays later when Suppon returned an interception 33 yards for a score for a 21-7 Dukes advantage at 12:02 of the third period. The win raised the Dukes' overall record to 3-1. The Dukes had opened their championship-defending season Sept. 3 with a 56-0 victory over Lock Haven that saw junior tailback Alvin Banks and red-shirt freshman wide receiver Dexter Manley each score twice at Bridgeforth Stadium/Zane Showker Field. In their second outing of the season, the Dukes hit a bump in their first away game, losing 31-27 when host Coastal Carolina rallied with an eight-yard scoring pass play with 30 seconds to play in the Sept. 10 game. The Dukes took out the loss on Delaware State with a 65-7 win at home. Junior quarterback Justin Rascati threw for a career-high 281 yards and three touchdowns, and Madison scored on its first six possessions in the victory. Next up: JMU vs. Maine, Oct. 8, 1:30 p.m., during Family Weekend. End of Story
 
 
MEN'S, WOMEN'S SOCCER TEAMS BOTH BLANK GEORGE MASON
 
Both the men and the women shutout George Mason Oct. 2. The JMU women's team posted its second consecutive shutout Oct. 2 as the Dukes beat George Mason 3-0 in Colonial Athletic Association women's soccer at George Mason Stadium. The Dukes improved to 7-4-0 overall and 2-1-0 in league play. At the JMU Socer Complex, the men's team shut out George Mason 3-0 in Colonial Athletic Association men's soccer at the JMU Soccer Complex. The win raised the JMU men's record to 5-3-1 overall and 1-1-0 in the CAA. End of Story
 
HIGH-RANKED FIELD HOCKEY TEAM BLANKS VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH
 
JMU freshman Lauren Walls scored the final goal with 12:40 remaining in the second half to bring the 17th-ranked Dukes to a 4-0 shutout of Virginia Commonwealth in Colonial Athletic Association field hockey Oct. 2. The victory over VCU brought the Dukes' record to 6-5 overall and a 2-0 record in the CAA. End of Story
 
JMU JUNIOR NAMED CAA VOLLEYBALL PLAYER OF THE WEEK IN SEPTEMBER
 
Madison junior Bayli Stillwell was named the Colonial Athletic Association player of the week in volleyball for matches played Sept. 19-25. Stillwell, a 6-foot right side with a left-handed attack, paced the Dukes through the 3-0 week by averaging 3.17 kills per game while hitting .552. End of Story
 
DIAMOND DUKES HOLD FALL PRACTICE, ALUMNI GAME
 
The JMU baseball team, a.k.a the Diamond Dukes, began their fall practice season Sept. 25 and will continue through Oct. 23. Head coach Spanky McFarland returns 20 letter winners from last year's squad. Former Dukes came back to campus Oct. 2 for the annual Alumni Baseball Game at Long Field/Mauck Stadium, a weekend of events that included a picnic, silent auction and golf tournament. End of Story
 

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Charitable Giving & the Katrina Emergency Tax Relief Act

You've likely heard something about a law that moved rapidly through Congress and was signed by President Bush on Sept. 23. It's the Katrina Emergency Relief Act of 2005. The intention of this new law is to provide American taxpayers with strong, tax-related incentives to respond to the devastation of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita with special charitable gifts this year and still have a way to make the charitable gifts they've been planning to make — including gifts to James Madison University.

The key provision is the lifting of the ceiling on the deductibility of charitable gifts — raising it from 50 percent of adjusted gross income to 100 percent. That is, while the general rule is that the federal income tax deduction for cash gifts to charity cannot exceed 50 percent of adjusted gross income in any year, the Katrina law lifts the ceiling so that cash gifts to charities can be deductible in 2005 up to the full amount of adjusted gross income.

An interesting possibility arising from the Katrina act is the opportunity for individuals who are 59-1/2 and older to withdraw significant sums from their IRAs and Qualified Retirement Plans and use the withdrawn funds to make charitable gifts. While the withdrawal creates taxable income, the charitable gift creates a tax deduction that almost completely offsets the tax liability. And, the withdrawal from the IRA or other Qualified Retirement Plan removes the assets from the individual's estate — a very good thing for those concerned about the federal estate tax threshold, which will be $2 million in 2006.

But, as with any law, there are nuances, exceptions and conditions within the Katrina Emergency Tax Relief Act of 2005 that need to be considered thoughtfully — with your professional advisers — before taking action. Please note that the law only covers cash charitable gifts made between Aug. 28 and Dec. 31, 2005.

If you have a question, or would like more information about opportunities for creative charitable gift plans that take advantage of the incentives in the Katrina Act, please contact Ted Sudol, J.D., director for the Office of Charitable Gift Planning, by phone (540)568-1776 or (800)296-6162) or e-mail sudoltj@jmu.edu.
Dukes fans can relive the 2004 Division I-AA National Football Championship season again and again via the Football National Champions DVD. How do you get a copy? If you join the JMU Duke Club at the Purple Club level or higher, or, if you purchase 2005 season tickets, you'll receive a complimentary DVD in the mail. Go to the Web at JMU Sports Media.