Presidential Update - October 2015
News
Homecoming 2015 is shaping up to be one for the ages. As if we didn’t already have an amazing lineup of events this week, the announcement that ESPN’s College GameDay will broadcast live from JMU on Saturday just adds to the excitement of the week. When you take a look at the success of our fall athletic programs, it’s easy to understand why ESPN chose JMU as the set of one of its flagship shows. This weekend will provide a wonderful opportunity to showcase all that JMU has to offer.
Homecoming
An exciting week of events is planned, culminating in Saturday’s Homecoming football game against our rival Richmond Spiders at 3:30 p.m. Several events to highlight include two virtual networking events with alumni, the Center for Multicultural Student Services' 30th Anniversary reception, and over 30 Back to School classes being offered by our faculty. All faculty, staff, students, community members and alumni are invited to the free HomecomSing a cappella concert in Wilson Hall on Friday night. D-Hall will be serving alumni favorites for lunch on Friday and will be hosting a dinner Friday night to show a sneak-peak of the new D-Hall facility. Start off Saturday morning by participating in UREC’s Homecoming Dukes’ 5K Run/Walk. The Homecoming Headquarters tailgate on Godwin Field is back – visit Spirit Alley for your pom-poms, beads and Homecoming swag or buy a ticket for the tailgate. We will welcome back many alumni participating in reunions throughout the weekend.
On Friday, Oct. 23, I encourage all employees to “Purple Out” and participate in a JMU Homecoming Spirit Day. I especially want to recognize our over 800 alumni employees. The Office of Alumni Relations distributes “Everyday is Homecoming” posters for you to proudly display in your workspace. It is a great testament to JMU that so many alumni choose to work at your alma mater.
Click here for more information on all Homecoming events.
Also, please join us on October 22 at 3:30 p.m. in the Madison Union Ballroom for a Madison Vision Series event. JMU alumnus Russ Reeder, CEO of iCitizen, will be the featured speaker. iCitizen is an online platform for civic-minded individuals who want a source of transparent, aggregated information and a tool to communicate with their representatives at the local, state and federal levels.
ESPN College GameDay on the Quad
ESPN’s premier college football program, College GameDay, and other programs will broadcast live from the Quad on Friday and Saturday. This is an incredible opportunity for the university and local community to showcase JMU and the Harrisonburg–Rockingham County community. We invite everyone to come out and enjoy the national spotlight as a community.
ESPN will begin arriving on Wednesday afternoon with most of the setup to occur on Thursday and Friday. Those on the Bluestone side of campus may be affected by ESPN’s presence. Access to the Quad and other areas nearby may be limited Wednesday evening through Saturday. ESPN has promised that they will try to minimize the disruptions as much as possible. We kindly ask your patience and understanding for this exciting opportunity.
Athletics Update
It has been an impressive fall across all of our sports programs as our Dukes have a combined record of 51-20-5 through Oct. 19 for an overall winning percentage of .704. In league competition, our programs have combined to go 22-4-3 with student-athletes earning 20 CAA weekly honors in a month and a half.
Football has gained national acclaim for its 7-0 start, the best in program history, which includes a win over Southern Methodist University in Texas. JMU is ranked in the top five nationally and has displayed an exciting brand of football with an explosive offense. As we prepare to host ESPN’s College GameDay broadcast, we have also already gained national attention with an ESPN visit for a feature on quarterback Vad Lee and the induction of alumnus Charles Haley into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
JMU field hockey, ranked 18th in the nation, is off to its best start since 2008 and volleyball its best mark since 1999, as both are undefeated in conference games and in first place. Additionally, cross country has achieved the No. 8 ranking in the Southeast Region, men’s golf has finished first or second in all three tournaments to date, and men’s and women’s tennis have each had individuals with extremely successful tournament appearances.
Our programs are competing at a high level and making Madison fans proud. We are so fortunate to have a passionate fan base and look forward to your support as we continue to move our athletics programs forward and build on our success – both in and out of the classroom.
Have a great Homecoming Week, everyone!
