In a recent trip to the United Kingdom, JMU Alumni Association President Elaine Toth Hinsdale ('85) got together with London Chapter co-chair Scott Schucht ('96) to learn more about the London Dukes and the events they host for JMU students studying in JMU's Semester in London program. Hinsdale and Schucht discussed the expanding alumni base and its international growth, particularly the increasing number of alums that call the U.K. home. Schucht, who moved to London from New York about four years ago, enjoys living and working in London. He co-chairs the London Chapter with Eve Avedon Spirn ('91), who moved to the England two and half years ago from San Francisco. They suggest that alumni visiting London should contact them for the royal (Dukes) treatment. Contact Eve via e-mail, at eveavedon.spirn@accenture.com, or Scott at scott.schucht@gmail.com.

JMU Alumni Association President Elaine Toth Hinsdale ('85) and London Chapter co-chair Scott Schucht ('96) enjoy a London pub.

Members of the classes of 1971, 1976, 1981, 1986, 1991, 1996 and 2001, you're invited to come back to the 'Burg on Sept. 2 and reconnect with those you haven't seen in years. The JMU football team will take on Bloomsburg State in the opening football game of the year, and the Office of Alumni Relations will sponsor a tailgate for Fall Reunion participants and their guests. The tailgate starts at 3:30 p.m. on Godwin Field. The Leeolou Alumni Center will be open earlier in the day for alumni to reconnect and see some of the newest parts of campus. Tours and special Reunion activities begin at noon and continue until the tailgate starts at 3:30 p.m. Call the JMU Ticket Office and mention that you are coming back for your class reunion, and your football tickets will be with the reunion block. For more information, click here.

JMU's Office of Admissions and Office of Alumni Relations are asking alumni to help recruit future Dukes through the Alumni Admissions Recruitment Network. Each year JMU receives more than 1,000 invitations to attend college fairs, and it is impossible for staff members to cover them all. Last year, JMU received more than 20,000 applications for admission — a record for JMU. As the university's popularity increases, so does the quality of students admitted to JMU. You can join in the JMU's excitement by representing Madison at a college fair in your area. This is a great way to stay involved with JMU and share your experiences with prospective students. Register to help with a fair or send in your current contact information here. The top portion of the Web site lists the fairs for which we need the most assistance. These are key areas/high schools that have already been successful for us in recruiting. If you volunteer, you will be mailed training materials and brochures to hand out at the fair. Learn more here.
— By Adam Anderson ('93, '02M), Alumni Admissions Recruitment Network Coordinator

Come join with up-to-10 alumni for a week of community service, cultural exchange, learning and adventure in Dominica this fall, from Oct. 28 to Nov. 5, 2006. Dominica is an island of towering mountains, plunging valleys and tropical beauty — better known as the Nature Island of the Caribbean. This will be JMU's seventh Alumni Service Break trip to the mountain village of Paix Bouche, a community of about 1,150 people located in the northern part of the island. Rich Harris ('77), director of JMU's Community Service-Learning department, will lead the trip. A JMU faculty or staff member will serve as a learning partner for the trip. There are spaces available for 10 alumni participants. Deadline to sign up for the trip is Sept. 8. If you are interested in participating, or for more information, click here. For specific questions, e-mail ASB trip coordinator Vince Ruark ('83) at vruark@rica.net.

You still have time to enter the Craig Blass Memorial Golf Tournament Sept. 16 at the South Riding Golf Club in South Riding, Va. The annual tournament is the key annual fundraiser for the memorial scholarship established for alumnus Craig Blass ('96), who was lost during the 9/11 World Trade Center tragedy. We're only a couple weeks away and have seen tremendous interest and participation from many alumni showing their support. There is still room to play or be a sponsor in this year's tournament. Last year we had a fantastic day with more than 100 participants, and we want to continue and to improve on that success. If you are interested in playing, sponsoring or volunteering, please contact Geoff Black at grblack22@hotmail.com, or Jason Sfaelos at jasonsfaelos@CollegeTransit.com, for details. Visit the tournament Web site and download the registration form.
— By Jason Sfaelos ('96)

By Darcie Roberge ('06)

The Dukes have taken a bite out of the Big Apple — and some of New Jersey too — with the establishment of the New York/New Jersey Alumni Chapter. Mike Keown ('05), Jaclyn Marsano ('03) and Lauren Alfonso ('03) have worked hard to create a chapter that will serve the diverse needs of New York and New Jersey alumni, a challenge considering the geography. The main focus of the chapter is fundraising and building attendance. Events for the young chapter have included social gatherings at Dave and Buster's, Dorrian's in Jersey City and Tonic in Hoboken. Chapter members also attended the October 2005 JMU-Hofstra tailgate and football game. The chapter just kicked off a NY/NJ Chapter Book Club; a dinner cruise around the New York harbor is in the works, as well as a bus trip to the Villanova game. Chapter leaders also want to offer service-oriented activities. "It might be neat to adopt a philanthropy," says Keown. Other possibilities include participating as a team in 5K runs or in Relay for Life. Chapter leaders anticipate establishing a scholarship fund for JMU students, and organizers and volunteers are needed. The first issue of the chapter's newsletter, which highlights an outstanding member, was mailed in mid-summer. Each alumnus featured will be nominated for inclusion in the JMU's Be the Change campaign. If you're living in the New York/New Jersey area and are interested in participating in chapter events, e-mail Mike Keown ('05) at keownmp@gmail.com.

Alumni connect on the way to the Oct. 1, 2005, JMU-Hofstra game.

The Metro Dukes' CrabFest is Sept. 16 from noon to dusk at Fort Belvoir's Castle Park. Tickets are $25 per person (kids 13 and under eat free). The ticket price includes all you can eat and drink: crabs, shrimp, hot dogs, corn on the cob, cake, soda and beer. Register here before Sept.

The next Metro Dukes Book Club meeting is Sept. 6 at 7:30 p.m. at Panera Bread, Level 1, at Ballston Common Mall (4238 Wilson Blvd., Arlington). Come at 7 p.m. if you would like to eat prior to the meeting. Alumni will discuss "The Alchemist: A Fable About Following Your Dream" by Paulo Coelho. Please RSVP to Evan Bolick ('05) at MetroDukesBookClub@yahoo.com.

The next Metro Dukes chapter meeting is Sept. 11 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the George Mason Regional Library, 7001 Little River Turnpike, Annandale. Cost is free. Meet new people, have some dinner and help plan future chapter events. Please RSVP to Shelly Santos at santossn@yahoo.com.

The Tidewater Alumni Chapter is fortunate to have two enthusiastic new leaders taking over as co-chairs. Congratulations (and thank you) to Brooke Nielson ('01) and Jason Moore ('04). Contact them at TidewaterChpt@yahoo.com. Big thanks and congratulations also go to outgoing chapter president Kelly Stefanko ('94), who also serves on the JMU Alumni Association Board.

New grads settling into the area, as well as veteran Dukes looking for a professional change, be sure to attend the Tidewater Chapter's annual Alumni Career/Networking Night on Oct. 3 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Kincaid's (McArthur Mall). Job seekers are encouraged to bring their resumes. It's a great opportunity to network. For more information, contact KellyWoodruff@spherion.com.

In addition to the monthly Third Thursday alumni happy hour, which alternates between Norfolk (Baxter's Sports Lounge) and Virginia Beach (Shorebreak), chapter leaders are working on the following events:

• The annual Holiday Party — In 2005, we enjoyed a JMU-exclusive three-course, fixed-price dinner at Norfolk's Blue Hippo.
• Wine Tasting Night presented by JMU's director of Hospitality and Tourism Management, Dr. Brett Horton.
• Madison College Luncheon — A great opportunity for graduates from years prior to 1965 to reconvene. Usually held in March in Virginia Beach. For more information, contact Barbara Ohmsen at basohmsen@cox.net.
• The fourth annual JMU Alumni Beach Party — Our biggest event of the year is planned for June 9, 2007. If you would like to help plan the bash, contact Alison Cooper at Ancooper2@aol.com. Learn more about the Tidewater Dukes here: http://www.jmu.edu/alumni/chapters/tidewater.

Thirteen Baltimore/Annapolis Chapter members had a blast at Crab Feast 2006 on Aug. 20, according to chapter President Lauren Bronich-Hall ('98). The chapter's next happy hour is Sept. 21 at Du Claws in Fells Point. Be a guest bartender at the October happy hour at Coburn's in Canton. Learn more by contacting the chapter president at lbronic1@jhmi.edu.

Baltimore/Annapolis Chapter alumni connect at Crab Feast 2006.

The Boston Chapter will host the second annual Scavenger Hunt on Sept. 9. Participants will meet at 11:30 a.m. by the Frog Pond on the Commons (rain or shine) and end at a secret location around 2 p.m. There are lots of great prizes. Then, the chapter has been invited (for the first time) to join the Southern Schools Pub Crawl on the same evening. The "crawl" starts at 3:30 p.m. and continues all night. Join us along the way or at the beginning. For trail map and details, please contact JMUinBoston@yahoo.com.

Chapter members will participate in Light the Night Walk on Sept. 28 at 6:30 p.m. to raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. E-mail JMUinBoston@yahoo.com to find out how to join the JMU Alumni team and learn more here: www.lightthenight.org/.

The Alumni Professional Network invites D.C.-area alumni to a Networking Mixer Sept. 13 from 6 to 8:30 p.m. at Mr. Smith's in Vienna (8369 Leesburg Pike). Admission is free and there will be a cash bar. No RSVP is needed. On Oct. 24, the APN will host their third annual Fall Conference, "Secrets to Entrepreneurial Success." The breakfast panel will be led by Dr. Robert Reid, dean of the JMU College of Business. He will be joined by alumni panelists: Clint Heiden ('90) of the Heiden Group, Jeffrey Grass ('92) of Buy Safe, David Kay ('89) of Capital Automotive and Erik Linn ('96) of Financial Services, Navigant Consulting Inc. We hope you can join us at the Ritz-Carlton in Tyson's Corner from 7:30 to 10 a.m. To register for the conference, visit the events calendar. If you are a working professional in the metro area, learn more about the APN here: www.jmuapn.com.
— By Nicole Bono ('01)

Gwen Brantley

Beginning the search for life after JMU can be a frightening experience. It is great to know that there are thousands of individuals who went through those same feelings. It's even better to know that they are within a click of a mouse. These people are JMU alumni and can be reached through the JMU Online Community. I chose to tap into the online community to find marketing opportunities in the Raleigh, N.C., area. After a quick "career and location" search at the online community, I sent out a generic e-mail to several alumni working in marketing in the area. Within days, I received several responses providing detailed information about the area as well as contact information. I met with three alumni on my visit to Raleigh. It was so great to chat about all that is going on now at Madison, the similar experiences that we shared as undergraduates (including professors) and our backgrounds of study. These alumni advised me on areas of exploration for job opportunities in the region and expressed their desire to help me in any way possible. Thanks to the JMU Online Community, I have made several new contacts in my possible new home after graduation. I hope that all students will take advantage of reaching out to fellow JMU alumni. There are more than 20,000 alumni registered at JMU's Online Community. Keep in touch with alumni and share your career and personal news by registering here.
— By Gwendolyn Brantley ('07), Student Ambassador PHOTO: Gwen Brantley

The words, "I'm a senior," came out of my mouth for the first time as I sat down to lunch with a JMU freshman legacy and her parents at the university's annual Legacy Luncheon on Aug. 23. Each year, on Freshman Move-in Day, the JMU Office of Alumni Relations hosts a luncheon for the incoming freshmen who are legacies of a JMU alumna or alumnus. As the jolt of calling myself a "senior" started to sink in, I thought about the different places that this freshman, her parents and I were amidst our personal Madison Experience. It was a true example of the past, present and future of JMU. Here were two proud alumni who where dropping off their daughter to begin the most incredible four years of her life. These alumni parents had just moved her into the eighth floor of Eagle Hall, and still had smiles on their faces! This freshman, a member of the Class of 2010, was beginning the journey of a lifetime. Then there was me, "the senior." I sat with this brand new student wishing I could trade seats with her and have the next four years ahead of me. It was incredible to sit down with three strangers and know that all four of us share something as special as the journey that is JMU.

The Butler family from King George, Va., was a highlight of the 2006 Legacy Luncheon. Marc ('67) and Carol Eustace Butler ('73) brought their daughter Jessica ('10) to the Legacy Luncheon. Their son, Jon, a senior, joined them. With both children now at JMU, the Butlers have 18 members of their family who have attended or are attending Madison. Marc is a founding member of JMU's Greater Fredericksburg Region Chapter of the Duke Club.
— By Elizabeth Puritz ('07), Student Ambassador

It was "JMU or Bust" for the Chidester family. Trish ('82) and Jim Chidester ('82) brought their daughter, Elizabeth ('10) to Madison in style. The duo coordinated their purple outfits with their yellow Subaru's special signage. The Chidesters live in Bedford, Va.

• Sept. 9 — JMU @ Appalachian State
  3:30 pm kickoff | 1:30 pm tailgate | $25 per person
  Tailgate located on the Plaza in front of Wey Hall (ASU campus)
  Catered by Sagebrush Saloon
• Sept. 30 — JMU @ VMI
  1 pm kickoff | 11:00 am tailgate | $25 per person
  Tailgate located on lawn at Hampton Inn ColAlto
  
• Oct. 28 — JMU @ Richmond
  3 pm kickoff | 1 pm tailgate | $25 per person
  Tailgate located behind Southwest Visitor stands (inside stadium)
  Catered by Extra Billy's
• Nov. 11 — JMU @ Villanova
  1 p.m. kickoff | 11 a.m. tailgate | Cost TBD
  Tailgate located in Law School parking lot
• Nov. 18 — JMU @ Towson
  1 p.m. kickoff | 11 a.m. tailgate | Location and Cost TBD
  Special Tailgate Price for Kids!
  Kids 5 and under FREE; $10 for Kids ages 6-12.

To order a tailgate package, call the JMU Athletics Ticket Office at 540-568-DUKE. For updated information, visit www.jmusports.com/dukeclub.

The JMU Centennial Web site contains approximately 50 stories about the rich and fascinating history of Madison. We'd like for there to be more stories. If there's a particular topic you would like to see addressed on the Centennial Web pages, contact the JMU Centennial Office: Director Fred Hilton, hiltonfd@jmu.edu, or Assistant Director Debra Long, long2da@jmu.edu. Many of the articles will also appear in the upcoming book to be published on JMU's first 100 years, available in fall 2007.

• Sept. 2 — Fall Reunions and first home football game (vs. Bloomsburg State)
  www.jmu.edu/alumni and www.jmusports.com
• Sept. 23 — Founders Society Reception
  www.jmu.edu/development/planned_giving/foundersociety.shtml
• Oct. 6-7 — Family Weekend
  www.jmu.edu/parents
• Oct. 20-21 — Homecoming 2006 and Homecoming Gala
  www.jmu.edu/homecoming

For more detailed information on any of the above listed events, please call the JMU Office of Alumni Relations, toll free at 1 (888) JMU-ALUM, or visit the online calendar.

Madison placed in a top national spot for offering its undergraduates solid experience in research and creative projects in U.S.News & World Report's "2007 America's Best Colleges," released in mid-August. In the annual guidebook's "Programs to Look For" section, Madison was one of 12 public colleges and 35 institutions overall from across the country spotlighted for excellence in "undergraduate research/creative projects" opportunities for undergraduate students. The "hands-on" research learning experiences at Madison are significant in preparing students for doctoral-level study and research as well as for jobs.

Also, JMU held its regional ranking for the 13th straight year as the South's top public, master's-level university, according to U.S. News. In the combined ranking of both public and private colleges in the South, Madison, the top public school, maintained its second-place spot just below the South's top private school, Florida's Rollins College, which has a considerably higher tuition and smaller enrollment than does JMU. JMU also maintained the highest graduation rate — 80 percent — in the South overall, public or private. For more about the rankings, click HERE.

Sponsored programs at Madison recorded $24,467,874 in external funding for JMU research, creative activities and other academic support in 2005-06. The sources of the external funding were: federal, $13.4 million; state, $5.9 million; Virginia city and county, $322,000; private and nonprofits, $3.9 million; industry, $393,500, foundations, $258,000; non-Virginia government, $109,500, and university, $81,632. The total is a 15.8 percent increase over external funding awarded in the previous fiscal year, which totaled $21,243,497.

A new undergraduate degree program started this fall at Madison could put a dent in a statewide shortage of high-school teachers of Earth science. The department of geology and environmental science is now offering courses in its new bachelor of arts in Earth science program. Students who complete the program, along with their training in secondary education, will be certified to step into a classroom and begin teaching Earth science. Certifying teachers to teach Earth science has become a top priority in Virginia since the state started implementing requirements of the federal No Child Left Behind law, said Eric Rhoades, secondary science coordinator for the Virginia Department of Education. Geology Associate Professor Eric Pyle and his colleague, geology Associate Professor Kristen St. John, spearheaded a move to create the Earth science degree at JMU by restructuring the former bachelor of arts degree in geology; JMU still offers a bachelor of science degree in geology. For more about the degree program, click HERE.

Broadcast journalist Walter Rodgers, who recently retired from CNN as senior international correspondent based in London, has been appointed as distinguished scholar in residence at Madison for the fall semester. Rodgers is teaching a semester-long course on journalism and war, and will give a public presentation and lead a faculty roundtable as part of the Nelson Institute for International and Public Affairs' Guardian Lecture Series. Thirty undergraduate students from JMU's justice studies and political science departments and the School of Media Arts and Design are enrolled in Rodgers' course, which meets Tuesdays.

Maybe a student didn't care for the sushi or the Alfredo sauce on his pasta last year. While Madison's cuisine remained ranked in the nation's top 10, JMU slipped a notch from sixth to seventh for "great campus food," based on student surveys in the Princeton Review's annual college guide, "Best 361 Colleges." The 2007 guidebook features Princeton Review's selection of the top 15 percent of four-year colleges in the United States (and two in Canada) for offering outstanding undergraduate education. JMU also appeared at 15th on the list for "students dissatisfied with financial aid," and at 16th for "A lot of beer" on campus.

A new academic year and fall semester got under way at Madison with the annual rite of passage, Freshman Move-in Day, when parents and first-year-in-college students arrive on campus and unload vehicles in residence halls. The big day this year was Aug. 23, when about 3,700 freshmen and their families arrived at JMU. It was followed by four days of 1787 August Orientation activities, culminating in the Freshman Convocation on Sunday. Fall semester classes for all JMU students, about 16,840 in preliminary numbers, began Monday, Aug. 28. For more photos of the freshmen's arrival, click HERE.

The Dukes open their football season Sept. 2 against a Division II Bloomsburg University squad that posted an 11-1 season in Division II play last year. Saturday's game begins at 6 p.m. Bloomsburg competes in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference, and the Huskies were last season's Eastern Division champions in the league while compiling an 11-0 regular-season record that included four shutouts. JMU is coming off two- and three-year periods during which it has set program records for combined wins — 20 during the last two seasons and 26 during the last three campaigns. In addition to last season's 7-4 record, the Dukes were 13-2 during their Division I-AA national title season in 2004 and 6-6 in 2003.

With a 3,704 season ticket packages sold for 2006, the university has surpassed its record for season football ticket sales, surpassing the previous total of 3,640 from a year ago. The home games with Rhode Island, Oct. 7, Family Weekend, and William & Mary, Oct. 21, Homecoming, are sold out. A limited number of tickets for the Dukes' Sept. 2 opener with Bloomsburg, Sept. 23 game with Northeastern and Nov. 4 game with Delaware are available. JMU's athletics ticket office in the Convocation Center is open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 540-JMU-DUKE; tickets also may be purchased online through www.JMUSports.com. Tickets for JMU's six 2006 road games also are available through the ticket office.

Madison players Justin Rascati and Tony LeZotte are included on preseason "watch lists" for Division I-AA's national players of the year awards. Rascati, a senior quarterback, is among 16 offensive players listed as top contenders for the Walter Payton Award. LeZotte, a junior free safety, is among 16 defenders on the preseason Buck Buchanan Award watch list for the nation's top defensive players. Both awards are presented annually by The Sports Network. LeZotte also was named to the 2006 Atlantic 10 preseason football all-conference team.

The Dukes ranked eighth in the Sports Network's Division I-AA preseason poll, compiling 1,338 points in voting by 94 college sports information directors and media members. Appalachian State and New Hampshire, two Dukes' opponents this season, are ranked first and second.

Madison junior archer Braden Gellenthien finished second in the men's compound-bow competition at the 122nd U.S. National Target Championships held in Colorado in Aug. 1-4. Dave Cousins of Maine won his eighth consecutive national title with a score of 2,784 over the four days of shooting. Gellenthien took second with 2,781 points, and Reo Wilde of Idaho finished third with 2,779 points. Madison junior Jedd Greshock finished fourth in the men's compound-bow competition Aug. 5 at the 10th annual U.S. Open Archery Tournament in Colorado.

JMU men's soccer coach Tom Martin announced Aug. 10 that Jeremy Spering, a 2002 Slippery Rock graduate and volunteer assistant with the Dukes the past two years, has joined the Dukes' staff as assistant coach. Spering was a volunteer assistant coach at Slippery Rock, a high school head coach in Pennsylvania and coached youth soccer. His Slippery Rock high school team won the Mercer County Athletic Conference championship in 2002. He holds a bachelor's degree in exercise science from Slippery Rock and earned a master's degree in exercise physiology from JMU in May 2006. He holds a national coaching license from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America.

The James Madison University women's basketball team made a 10-day excursion to Italy in August. The Dukes left Aug. 14 from Washington's Dulles Airport for a flight to Paris then Rome. JMU played exhibition games against Italian teams in Montecatini and Venice and against the Italy and Germany Selection Team in Como. The Dukes also had numerous sightseeing opportunities in Rome, Florence, Venice, Verona and on a cruise on Lake Como. Read players' accounts of their Italian trip at the Dukes' Fan at www.jmusports.com/.

For the fourth consecutive year, Madison's men's and women's tennis teams received All-Academic honors from the Intercollegiate Tennis Association. The recognition is given to any ITA program with a cumulative team grade-point average of 3.20 or higher (on a 4.0 scale). Nine Dukes also earned scholar-athlete status from the ITA for the third consecutive year. Senior Ashley Reyher received the honor for her fourth consecutive year. Senior Kristen Nordstrom and junior Catherine Phillips were honored for the second straight year. Junior Lauren Graham received the award for her first time. Senior Bob Allensworth received the scholar-athlete award for his fourth straight year for the men, while seniors Michael McGettigan and John Snead as well as junior Don Davidson were honored for the third consecutive year. Sophomore Jesse Tarr joined them as a first-time recipient.

The JMU Duke Club has arranged a fan bus for the Dukes' Sept. 9 football game at Appalachian State in Boone, N.C. Reservations are required and must be made by 5 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 6. The cost is $40 per person and the price includes transportation, light snacks and soft drinks. Fans are responsible for purchasing their own game admission ticket separately from the Fan Bus fare. The bus will depart the Plecker Athletic Performance Center at 7 a.m. the day of the game and return after the game. Call the JMU Athletics Ticket Office, 540-568-DUKE, for reservations.