Buckle Down For Exams

The leaves are changing and the snow is starting to fall, only making me realize that the end of the semester is approaching. As time goes by it seems as though each semester goes a little quicker and the days become a little shorter.
The thought of finals being a little more than a month away is a bit frightening, but true. We’ve now entered what I call crunch time. The time has come where people start spending more time figuring out what they need to do to get that “A” in the class, than actually studying.
Its time to buckle down. If what you’ve been doing has been working don’t change it now. Many people that have been doing well thus far in the semester often start to slack at this time. Don’t think that if you have an A now, you’ll have an A after a month of not doing anything. Continue turning in projects and doing your homework. Your handwork will pay off and you’ll see what you’ve worked for at the end of the semester.
For those of you that have just realized a D is not what you were aiming for this semester; this is your time to shine! Don’t be afraid to speak up in class. Show your professor that you genuinely care about their class and the grade you receive by attending office hours. Read that textbook, they assign it for a reason. Okay, so you haven’t committed yourself the whole semester to getting an A. Don’t worry, there is always time to turn it around. Take notes and study hard for that final! And if you need help get some! There are so many resources on campus that will help you in writing papers or give you tutoring if you need it.
The two short weeks between Thanksgiving and Winter Break is what I call the “make or break period. Let it make you, not break you! Now go buckle down and pull up that GPA and get the grade you worked so hard for and deserve.

-Moira Cosgrove

Be Ok with Spotify

Procrastinating on homework, I’m here instead with my Spotify open. For those of you who may not know what Spotify is, it is the coolest application yet. Using your Facebook account information, you can search all kinds of music and listen to full albums for free.  Not only can you hear the latest albums of your specific artist, but ones from when he or she first started. With it linked on Facebook, it has also been a way for friends to be able to discover new music or just get an insight of what you may like. I love seeing what my friends are listening to because I can easily listen to the album myself and expand on my music interest. I recommend it to many because you don’t even have to wait for the track to buffer like on Youtube.

It is a great application and I’ve already listened to over 100 songs over the past few days. It’s open to all genres and is just a nice way to hear new and old songs again. If you want to take a break from studying or just want to have something to jam too while hanging out, just download Spotify and you will be hooked! Thanks again to my friend, Jeff, for showing me this amazing application! When you try it, I encourage you to check out Ingrid Michaelson! She is coming to JMU on December 2nd. I had no idea how many of her songs I knew!  If you like the sound, tickets are available in the Warren Box Office!

Be sure to keep  a look out for her over break! She’s going to be in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade!

~Stephanie Atienza, Center Stage Committee

http://www.spotify.com/us/  J!

An Organization’s Response to Tragedy

What is this dark cloud that our community seems to be plagued with? In a short amount of time, our community has suffered the loss of some family members, Dukes that we have lost too soon. As an organization, you don’t have to look far to see the disturbance in the energy of the JMU campus. There is an initial hush, a lull before the storm –  the explosion of Duke Dog Pride, support, and strength. Though the circumstances are unfortunate, it is times like these that we can drop everything and count on our JMU family, our fellow community members, to lean on for support. The display of students coming together so soon after a tragedy truly illustrates the loyal community that we are all so lucky to be a part of.

Our hearts go out to the friends and families of these Dukes that are no longer with us. As the Thanksgiving Break rapidly approaches, be sure to take President Rose’s words to heart.

“Let’s  take advantage  of this time to be thankful for the time we have shared with those we have now lost. Be thankful for the friendships we currently have and for the ones that are yet to be developed. Be thankful  for your JMU family and your immediate family – hold them close and appreciate them. Be thankful for the many aspects of life that we take for granted and seldom value until they are no longer available to us. Say a prayer for those in need and a prayer of thanksgiving for those you have around you.”

While I invite you all to take a moment in your busy day to remember those that were lost, I also ask that you embrace this amazing community, this JMU culture that is so rewarding to be included in. As a part of the University Program Board, I have the pleasure of seeing the energy this campus has on a regular basis. Having not one, but several members of this energy lost, is a heartbreaking knowledge to bear. Its a knowledge that spurs many unanswerable questions. Out of respect for the bands and solo artists that earned a position in the Rumble Down Under event this evening, the event will continue the event as scheduled. I encourage you all to attend and support members of your JMU family. The event is in TDU beginning at 7pm, leaving time to also attend JMU is Forever, Altogether, One in the Convocation Center at 9:30pm.

~Natalie Hamlin, UPB Public Relations Director

Rumble Down Under Where?

 

Haha, I made you say Underwear!

 

Sorry I couldn’t resist. In all seriousness, Rumble Down Under is an event that gives some great opportunities to bands and solo artists in the Harrisonburg Area. Last Year’s winner was Andrew Rohlk who is now on iTunes and is opening for Ingrid Michaelson in December!

This year, the following bands are going to be battling for a great prize that will give them, he or she, lots os professional exposure!

The votes are in and the final 8 have been chosen to compete in Rumble Down Under:
The top 4 solo artists are:
-Spencer Dukoff
-Annie Lawerence
-Tom Park
-Kirbie Gowen

The top 4 bands are:
-The Volstead Agents
-Bandits and Beggars
-Mannequins and Debutants
-Money Cannot Be Eaten

 

The winners of the event will be featured in a Spotlight Series Concert, have an article written about them in Off The Record,  as well as a professional photo shoot, a trophy, and a consideration in opening for the next large artist to play at JMU! Check out the Facebook Page for the latest information on voting for your favorite band or solo artist!

So be sure to come out and support Harrisonburg Music. The event will be held in Taylor Down Under on Wednesday November 16, from 7-11pm! Come see which musical talent will dominate!

~ Natalie Hamlin, Public Relations Director

90’s Comedy? You Got It, Dude!

Feeling nostalgic, Full House was undoubtedly one of the best shows I remember watching when I was younger. While it started in 1987, the hit show ran up until 1995 with extreme success among several audiences. We were introduced to several famous actors and actresses including the “funny guy,” Joey Gladstone aka Dave Coulier. So you can imagine my surprise when I found out UPB was bringing a true 90s icon to JMU that has had much success on and off the television screen!

After Full House, his success carried over when he became the host for the hit series, America’s Funniest People, along with working on channels such as Nickelodeon, Animal Planet, and VH1.

Off the screen, Dave is dedicated to providing comedy to his fans. His stand up performances have earned him appearances on The Today Show, HBO’s Detroit Comedy Jam, and HBO’s Comic Relief at Radio City Music Hall. He continues to be a sold out performer at various nightclubs, theaters, events, and college campuses.

Dave is well-known for his comedic voice-over talent and impersonations of cartoon favorites that I’m sure we all remember in the portrayal of his goofy character on Full House. His stand up at JMU will be sure to keep the audience laughing in their seats!

Dave will be performing in Wilson at 8p.m. on 11/11/11. Can’t forget that date right? Tickets are only $5—for the same price as a cup of fancy Starbucks coffee you can watch Dave in his comedic genius while also taking a trip down memory lane. So come, obviously!

-Melinda Boisjolie, Special Events

Join Overtones & UPB For 90’s @ Nite

The JMU Overtones are more then excited to participate in 90s at Nite this Wednesday nite. As the PR chair for the Overtones, this gig is most fun thus far! We want everyone to come! Most of us feel like we were born in the wrong decade so having this theme is PERFECT for a group like ours!

Here is some background on who we are for those of you who may not know us: We were founded in 1997 as the first co-ed a cappella group on campus and have been going strong ever since. We sing all types of music and always look good in our red and black attire. Our final concert for this Fall is December 3rd, 2011 at 7pm in Memorial Hall!

For 90s@nite we’ll be singing what we call our Guilty Pleasures Medley, which includes those songs that we all know and love but are too afraid to admit that they are our life theme songs! There will also be new songs performed that most haven’t heard yet, so buckle up for an awesome ride back to the decade we all grew up in, the 90s!  Be sure to attend the facebook event.
I hope to see you all there to reminisce with us and the UPB staff. The event is on Wednesday, November 9, from 8-10pm.

~Jordan Conway, Overtones PR Chair