Meet the Centennial Dukes

Robert Burden, publicity officer

Robert Burden, Centennial Dukes publicity officer

A proud Centennial Duke

My name is Robert Burden, and I am a proud Centennial Duke! I am a biology major and originally from upstate New York. Now I’m proud to call Virginia Beach my hometown.

Love the summer

I have an amazing and kooky family, complete with two sisters and four brothers. I love the beach with all my heart and soul, and being away from it was the hardest transition I had to make when coming to JMU. I am always at the beach —- riding beach cruisers on the boardwalk, surfing at the north end, taking a nap on the sand or just wandering around with friends. I love the summer and warm weather. My ideal day would be waking up early to catch the morning swell, grabbing a quick, yet delicious breakfast at Mary’s Diner, lounging around on the boat all day with friends and then riding to Big Sam’s for dinner on beach cruisers with all of my favorite people.

Life at my first-choice school

I absolutely loved my first year at Madison. JMU was my first-choice school because of the people and the campus. The people at JMU are friendly and so much fun. On top of that, the campus is unbeatable, and the faculty and staff are top notch. With so much pride for my school, I could not help but to get involved. I am currently the sophomore class treasurer, a 2005 First Year Orientation Guide, or FROG, a member of the Centennial Celebration Steering Committee’s Student Advisory Committee —- and of course, the Centennial Dukes. I’m the Centennial Dukes publicity officer.

Centennial Dukes was what I was looking for

When I found out my class was going to graduate when JMU turns 100 years old, I knew it was going to be a huge deal; and I needed to be a part of it. Centennial Dukes was exactly what I was looking for. By being an officer in this organization, I have been offered a vital role in planning for the Centennial.

Plans for the Centennial

With the help of my fellow officers, I hope to make the Centennial a major event for the student body. I hope to plan and execute projects such as a bonfire before the Homecoming football game or a carnival on the Quad, complete with rides, displays of JMU’s history and tasty carnival food.

Getting people excited

My ultimate goal as an officer on the Centennial Dukes is to make sure people get excited about graduating from such an outstanding university at such an opportune time. Our university is growing in leaps and bounds. The student body, staff and Harrisonburg community should all come together in the upcoming years to celebrate where the university has been, what it is now and where it is going.

We all love this school and now is the best time to bring that love and pride out and celebrate James Madison University’s 100th birthday.

Contact Robert at burdenre@jmu.edu.