>> Download our new (free) mobile app for news, Darts & Pats, local deals and more on the go at breezejmu.org.
an
n ive
rsary
Serving James Madison University Since 1922
Vol. 90, No. 1 Monday, August 27, 2012 Mostly Sunny n 88°/ 66° chance of precipitation: 20%
Alger’s freshman year New president gears up for his first term by listening, attending campus events
Close quarters 12 percent of RAs have roommates; 124 rooms made triples By Alison Parker The Breeze
Brian Prescott / The Breeze
President Jon Alger, his wife Mary Ann and daughter Eleanor receive purple-and-gold TOMS on the Wilson steps at a Residence Life event on Friday.
By Jen Eyring and Alison Parker The Breeze
When it was announced that Jon Alger would be JMU’s next president in November, everyone was trying to get to know him. Now that he’s here on campus, he’s trying to get to know us. Alger started his term as the sixth president on July 1 after leaving his job as senior vice president and general counsel at Rutgers in New Jersey. The new president studied political science at Swarthmore College and attended Harvard
Law School. From a young age he was influenced by the generations of teachers in his family. He said he’s passionate about teaching at Rutgers University, something he’d like to continue at JMU. In addition to the presidential title, he was appointed a professor of public policy and administration by the Board of Visitors, according to his contract. He believes teaching is an invaluable way to connect with students, especially because he’s entering at a time when there are more students at JMU than ever. “When they tell you about a conversation
>> Video at breezejmu.org that you had or some way in which you encouraged them ... it’s so exciting for me,” Alger said. “I really want to be here for the students to let them know that I support them and care about them.” His background in law sets him apart from the rest of JMU’s presidents, who all had their doctorates in fields related to higher education. But Alger thinks this will give him a new see Alger, page A3
Most freshmen share a hall with their RAs. But for 25 students, they’re sharing a room with them. JMU admitted more than 4,800 freshmen and transfer students this fall. That means 204 RAs to manage them. With the number of students growing faster than the number of dorm rooms, the Office of Residence Life has had to make some unusual accommodations. “We’ve done it once before, but it’s been seven or eight years,” said Maggie Evans, director of ORL. “We purposefully keep an extra set of furniture in the RAs’ rooms just in case this has to happen.” RAs used to have roommates, but 10 years ago, ORL decided to let RAs live alone. “They need a private space so they can meet with residents and talk about sensitive issues,” Evans said. ORL took Pattie Reed, an RA in Dingledine Hall, by surprise when she received an email that said she was going to have a freshman roommate. “I was a little mad, honestly,” said Reed, a junior anthropology major. “I didn’t think it would be me.” ORL sent an email to the RAs asking for volunteers to take a roommate. Since few volunteered, the office began assigning freshmen to live with RAs at random. “Once [ORL] just explained the situation, I understood it,” Reed said. But “there was still this underlying hint of frustration because no one was really prepared for it.” Still, Reed said she and her roommate are doing fine. “I told her, ‘I’m an RA first, and I’m a roommate second,’ ” Reed said. “When I talked to her and the rest of the hall, we came to an understanding that she knows the consequences of what she does or what anyone else on the hall does.” Evans said freshmen living with an RA could feel out of place, so those see Dorms, page C3
8/27 Inside
A3 A7 B1
news Rebuilding campus
Several new construction projects are in the works or planned for the future. opinion Take it from me
A junior hands down advice to those embarking on their first year of college.
sports New look for the CAA
C1
Conference changes add some new competition for the No. 5 Dukes. life A social community
JMU connects students through Twitter, Facebook, Foursquare and Instagram.
After 18 months, Bioscience building comes to life Biology majors now have one location to collaborate, take advantage of new technology >> Video tour, interior photos at breezejmu.org By Jen Eyring The Breeze
The Bioscience building has redefined the traditional classroom to bring more life to learning. Construction on the $33 million Bioscience building began in September 2010 and took 18 months to complete, though plans for it began in 2008. Faculty and staff began moving in and setting up classrooms and labs in May. The building is now open to more than 800 undergraduate biology majors who start classes today.
Labs and classrooms
For Judith Dilts, the most important motivation when creating the building was the students.
Ryan Freeland / The Breeze
The $33 million Bioscience building contains three floors, 13 labs and four classrooms.
“The biology department prides itself on its attention to students and its attention to ... teaching through
undergraduate research,” said Dilts, associate dean professor of biology. “I think you see that in the building.”
With more labs than classrooms, the building emphasizes research and student collaboration. The building contains four classrooms and 13 instructional labs, each designed for a specific purpose. “They’re not rubber stamps of each other,” Dilts said. “They reflect the kind of research or the kind of teaching that’s going on in there.” Some examples include a support lab stocked with touch-screen panels mounted on arms so they can be pushed out of the way if students need extra desk space. Another lab features futuristic fume hoods that can descend from the ceiling so students can safely perform experiments. One lab features high-end microscopes, funded by the National Science Foundation, an agency that finances see SCience, page A5