Zombies: Maybe a Laughing Matter

I am not usually a fearful person. I can go through scary mazes and sit through horror movies with only a slight amount of trepidation. However, there are two things that can make me run away screaming like a little girl. The first is spiders. (Kind of lame, I know.) The second… is zombies [editor’s note: these are my two biggest fears as well….. so I don’t think it’s that lame]. With some of the awesome zombie movies out there, including “Dawn of the Dead”  and “Resident Evil,” I have nurtured my slight dislike into abject horror. Luckily for me, people enjoy making fun of zombies. That is the premise for Grafton’s 7:00 movie this week: Zombieland!

Humans have been annihilated due to a virus, related to mad cow disease, and have turned into flesh-and-brain-eating zombies. Zombieland follows two men who have devised a way to survive in a world overrun by zombies. Columbus, a wimp trying to return to his family, andTallahassee, a man on a quest to get the world’s last Twinkie, join forces with Wichita and Little Rock, sisters on their way to find an amusement park that rumored to be zombie-free. In this horror comedy, the four humans have to work together so they can each reach their respective goals. With a hilarious cameo appearance (I don’t want to spoil the surprise 🙂 ) during their stop in Hollywood, the movie combines fear and humor in such a way that “Zombieland” may surpass “Shaun of the Dead” as the top zombie comedy.

– Christine

How To: Avoid Maxing Out Credit Cards and Jeans

During my winter break, I spent the duration of my vacation at my grandparents’ house. Here, I like to think that I spent most of my stay forming closer bonds with not-so-immediate family and taking time for some rest and relaxation. However, I have to face the facts. I really spent a large chunk of my trip over-spending on holiday gifts and consuming 15 times the recommended amount of Christmas sweets. Sure, at the time it seemed like a great idea to have a lemon-bar eating contest with Uncle Scott and spend a year’s salary on presents for my 18 cousins’ gifts (and nearly max our my credit card in the process).

Now I see these may have not been the smartest decisions, considering I’m going to have to take out a loan to buy ice-cream–not that I need it, considering I have maxed out my jeans along with the card. Spending was not the only guilty pleasure that I indulged in. Currently, I find myself returning as a student with more unneeded financial challenges and now, thanks to these home-cooked pastries, there is just more of me in general.

Thankfully, UPB has come to the rescue and will be starting a new “How To:” series. These events will help students (like me) learn how to do things that will benefit their future. The first event, “How To Finance for the Future: Dodge Your Debt,” will take place in Taylor 402 at 6:00pm on January 19. The second, “Me Fit” shows how to keep the common new year’s resolution of a healthy lifestyle and will occur in Taylor 402 at 6:00pm on January 26. I’m sure many of you found some burdens similar to mine this holiday season and I highly encourage you to join me at these events. I’m thinking these actions will help me figure out how to keep from being so naughty next holiday season.

– Natalie

UPB in the Air

Over winter break I went to see Up in the Air with my dad. Now, I consider myself a pretty big film guy, so I felt I had to see what all the buzz was about with this movie. We went to our local art house movie theater on a Wednesday afternoon. Why a Wednesday afternoon you ask? Well my father and I have a genetic trait in common, we’re “frugal” with our money (“cheap” has a bad connotation). So we sat in the theater surrounded by senior citizens…. because naturally Wednesdays are senior citizen discount days. So we sat down to watch a movie about a man who makes his living traveling across the nation to different workplaces and conducting employee layoffs for bosses too cowardly to do it themselves. While this movie isn’t one of the happiest movies around,  it does deal with a topic that millions of people around the world are dealing with on a daily basis.

Since childhood my dad has instilled a tough work ethic in me because of his upbringing on a farm with eight brothers and sisters. Since I was eleven I’ve always had a job ranging from umpiring baseball games to mowing lawns and even to working in various offices. At school I’ve become involved with UPB. Working with the organization for the last two years has been an unbelievable experience and I’ve found that there really is something for everyone –  whether that is event planning, marketing, management, music industry, graphic design, comedians, educational speakers, finance, or just building relationships and making friends. Currently UPB has applications available for Vice President Positions and PIT Crew. VP applications which include the positions of VP of Programming, Marketing, and Membership Development are due by January 25^th while PIT Crew Applications are due February 1^st. Check out the UPB website to read the  position descriptions and look at the application online.

If you want to get hired, not fired, from a great student run organization fill out an application and drop it off in Taylor 234.

– Zach

Let the Wild Rumpus Start!

Welcome back to JMU! To celebrate the 3 day weekend and to give you a break from your new classes- UPB is presenting Where The Wild Things Are this Sunday. This matinee will be showing at 3 PM and costs only $1.50!

Everybody remembers the popular children’s book by Maurice Sendak on which the film is based. The movie follows a young boy named Max who runs away from his home and stumbles upon a world inhabited by huge monsters. He befriends them by saying that he is a king with special powers and goes on to have many fun adventures with the monsters. Eventually, Max has to go home when a disagreement causes Max’s monster friend Carol to become angry and chase him.

In the true spirit of the story, Grafton will be decorated with trees and a storybook filled with true stories of why JMU students were grounded when they were children. As a special treat and to get you into the mood of the story, anyone wearing pajamas will receive free popcorn! (Major side-note here: this does not mean sweats and a T-shirt or skimpy lingerie…. We mean eccentric PJs: matching patterned shirts and pants, along with onesies). Before the movie, one of the UPB members will be performing the story and will be giving out gold crowns for you, because we want you to be able to really immerse yourself into the story.

Finally we have an excuse to bust out the footie pajamas

So this Sunday, come out to Grafton in your comfy PJs and “let the wild rumpus start!”

– Christine

Corey Smith Knows How to Live “The Good Life”

You all voted, and we listened. Corey Smith won the most votes for our Wilson show this spring and UPB is proud to bring him to James Madison University on February 11, 2010. Even those of us who don’t normally identify ourselves as country fans seem to find something alluring about the modern, upbeat style of the singer’s music.

Despite gaining a bit of fame in the last few years, the modern country artist refuses to let the escalating pressures affect his personality. His upbringings in a small town in Georgia shine through in his work, especially his new release Keeping Up with the Joneses. Songs like ‘Twenty-One” and “If I Could Do It Again” make you want to simply forget about your troubles, lay back, and hang out with old friends. Smith is so dedicated to his down-to-earth stance on the music industry that he has his music available for free on his website. This modest attitude flows seamlessly with the JMU students and the  intimate setting of Wilson Hall.

Tickets will be on sale starting January 22. Look for more behind the scenes information about the concert in the coming weeks — including how to win a chance to meet Corey Smith himself.

– Stephen

Breaking Down the “Gay” Assumptions

One of the first questions I always get when people find out I’m gay is “How did you know?” The answer I’d like to give people with a sarcastic smile is “Oh you know, I just woke up one day and BAM! I decided I like guys.” It’s obviously not something that happens overnight and no one has come up with a definite answer as to how/what/why people are homosexual/bisexual. I’d rather not get into the debate about this because I can’t really speak for anyone else. For me the realization came in eighth grade. I caught myself once looking at a boy in gym class and then things were pretty clear =).

Jason Stuart, our comedian for Funny Freakin’ Friday this week on January 15^th, is an out and proud gay man. Coming from Hollywood, he has been in movies, TV shows, and performed stand up in comedy shows all over the country. The greatest characteristic of the performer is that his comedy breaks down stereotypes and transcends the boundaries of race, sex, religion, and homosexuality.

In the good old city of Harrisonburg, it’s my goal to help address some of these common assumptions: Gay guys all dress well, speak with a lisp, swing their hips, wear makeup, and all look “gay.” Granted I think I dress well, but some days I just like to kick it back in sweat pants and eat awful food. I don’t speak with a lisp, and I don’t swing my hips, but I could probably out-dance any straight guy. I don’t wear make-up (although Zac Efron does and he’s dating one of the hottest girls in Hollywood.) I have also seen some straight guys who look “gayer” than I do.

The thing to realize is that just like you, the LGBT community comes in all shapes and sizes. I know plenty of gay guys who go to the gym and work out constantly (myself included!). So let’s not judge the book by its cover. Come out this Friday from 8 – 9 PM in TDU and laugh out loud to the silly assumptions you’ve made about me. Plus there will be FREE COOKIES =)

– Patrick