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Vol. 91, No. 10 Thursday, September 27, 2012
Only 7% give back
George Allen is all business Republican Senate hopeful addresses small companies during visit
callie turbitt / THE BREEZE
The office of annual giving revealed Tuesday that JMU has a low percentage of graduates donating to JMU, comparing other schools’ numbers.
Decrease in state funding means JMU needs alumni now more than ever By Jen Eyring The Breeze
When Taylor Schwalbach spoke with SGA on Tuesday about alumni donations, he split universities up into three categories: the good, the bad and the ugly. JMU was in the ugly. Schwalbach, assistant director of annual giving and ‘09 alumnus, said that although 97 percent of alumni say they would recommend JMU to another person, only seven percent of alumni give back to the university. Kelly Snow, director of annual giving, believes this disconnect stems from the perception that alumni don’t need to give back to the university because other people are already donating. “I think what a lot of people think is, ‘I don’t need to give because other people are giving,’ and if everyone thinks that way no one is going to give,” Snow said. William and Mary reports 23 percent of alumni give back and 11 percent of Virginia Tech alumni give back. Pat Watral, 2011-2012 SGA president, said he was disappointed to hear such a low number of alumni give back. “Frankly, it’s just embarrassing for a school that gives so much for students not to give back,” Watral said. Schwalbach said JMU is looking to private donations now more than ever because of a cut in state funding. State funding used to account for almost 50 percent of JMU’s annual budget, but that number has recently decreased to about 30 percent, he said. Snow said that because of the previously large amount of money JMU received from
becky sullivan / THE BREEZE
Taylor Schwalbach, assistant director of the office of annual giving, spoke to SGA members on Tuesday about starting to give back to JMU while they’re still here.
the state, they weren’t reaching out to alumni for money as frequently as they are now. To help with this lack of private funding, the office of annual giving is trying to encourage more students to give back before they even leave JMU, Snow said. Matt Klein, SGA president, said that small donations can help. “It will certainly be harder for some than it is for others, but every bit matters,” Klein said. “You can donate $5 — that’s a cup of coffee.” SGA members pointed out that one of the reasons many students don’t give back after
graduation is because they have a lot of debt, so they don’t feel like they have much money to give back. Schwalbach said JMU actually has a relatively low number of students who graduate with debt and that one of the main reasons they seek alumni donations is to be able to provide more students with scholarships. “A lot of what we do in my office in terms of fundraising is actually trying to stop [student debt],” Schwalbach said. Madison Forever, a program that gives JMU financial aid officers flexibility to help students in most need, has a scholarship fund supported by alumni donations. But other SGA members brought up the additional costs that many students face at JMU such as parking tickets and food costs. Schwalbach explained that most of students’ tuition money isn’t going to help the same organizations that alumni donations would. Alumni can choose which department or organization they would like to donate to. The office of annual giving also has a Madison Forever Fund supported by alumni donations. Snow said although it may be hard for some students to give back, she wants everyone to understand that the more funding the university has, the more it will benefit students. “I know everybody has many monetary commitments and it’s always a struggle to think about giving more,” Snow said. “The thing is, the more private support we have the more possibilities are opened to us.” Watral said he didn’t advocate for asking students for money while he was here see Alumni, page 4
Lauren gordon / THE BREEZE
In polls, Republican Senate candidate George Allen is eight points behind Democratic opponent Tim Kaine, who visited on Saturday. By Josh Hahn The Breeze
Former Gov. George Allen stopped near JMU to rally support for one of the tightest Senate races this November. More than 30 local small business owners listened to Allen speak at the Rockingham County Administration Center yesterday for a small-business roundtable discussion with the Republican Senate candidate. Recent polls conducted by The Washington Post show Democratic challenger Tim Kaine has an eightpoint lead over Republican senatorial candidate George Allen. Allen’s visit to Harrisonburg came after Kaine spoke Saturday at the Rockingham County Courthouse. Kaine spoke to about 120 people, including many students. Kaine’s speech was student-centered, discussing college affordability and his “Two-By-Two” plan to help community college students with associate degrees have guaranteed acceptance to any public Virginia university. Allen spoke briefly at his event about topics related to small business leaders: cutting taxes, simplifying the tax code and compromise between political parties. He then opened the floor for business owners to ask questions. “To make our tax code more simple see Allen, page 4
One man’s trash
Kansas State professor surveys wide world of modern art By Johnathan Rivera The Breeze
>> Back to square one
Men’s soccer lost its 15-game home undefeated streak by Georgetown on Tuesday.
Page 11 lauren gordon / THE BREEZE
9/27 Inside 3 news Crime on the rise? Statistics reveal a
potential jump in reported offenses on campus.
A green genetically engineered bunny glowed in the dark in Montpelier Hall on Tuesday. Geraldine Craig, associate professor and art department head at Kansas State University, addressed an audience of art students and professors, showing examples of art like this. Her lecture, “Why Materials Matter,” focused on how everyday materials can convey emotion and meaning to give a sensory experience to art. “Contemporary art portrays many current cultures with materials that help the viewer trust his or her senses with matter,” Craig said. “The viewer must consider the images of matter as equals, discovering familiarity through the invisibility.” Craig is well-known for her research in Hmong textile art, characterized by bold, geometric embroidered. Her work has been featured in art journals around the world, like the Journal of Modern Craft in 2009. She featured artists like Kara Walker, who uses silhouettes to portray slavery in the Antebellum Era, and Lee Bontacue, who welded steel frames on to recycled canvas to display 3-D black holes. Another feature was “Course of
6 A panda’s death means opinion More than money
zoos must focus on animal health, not cutting costs.
brian prescott / THE BREEZE
Guest lecturer Geraldine Craig showed unusual examples of contemporary art Tuesday.
Empire” by Allan Desouza, which uses trash as an installation, the artistic genre of 3-D works that transforms the perception of a space. Craig touched on many modern works and artists in multiple genres in the last 30 years, showing the diversity of contemporary art in its innovation and craftsmanship. “It’s great to learn about other types of art and artists because I do want to be an art teacher,” said Sarah Carney, a senior studio art and art education double major. “I enjoyed the lecture because I’m very interested in
9
life Raw talent
A provocative play running this week features a young cast and realistic set.
ceramics.” Suk Jin Choi is an assistant professor in the School of Art and Art History. Choi’s mixed-media installation, “Recollection,” embodies her passion in ceramics and use of traditional Korean surface techniques. In “Recollection,” Choi’s used small, abnormally shaped ceramic pieces colored with different shades of blue. Craig explaine d that “contemporar y art with materials focuses on memory, usually giving the viewer nostalgic feeling.” see Art, page 10
11 A rejuvenated dodgeball
sports More than child’s play
team has twice as many members this year.