JMU, It's A Riot! Springfest 2010

<p>Soooo...with all the publicity, will this help or hurt JMU's admissions stats? Those interested in the huge party atmosphere....probably are delighted. Those wanting a more solid based academics are probably worried. It's a shame when negative publicity is all that is heard.</p>

<p>I think all agree that the majority of the crowd came from elsewhere - social networking gone wild. I know several kids who traveled there from the University of Maryland. They came from as far away as Florida I’m told. I’m sure William and Mary, UVA and Virginia Tech supplied plenty of kids. </p>

<p>It seems clear it will be halted before it gets to the point that Easters did at UVA, way back when. I can remember going to it in the 70s and being shocked by the chaos. I was there the year of the infamous mud bowl. The school finally shut it down after 1982 when 7000 kids on campus went through over 200 kegs of beer and estimates of between 20000 and 30000 kids gathered off Rugby road. The difference was that the police looked the other way and there was no modicum of alcohol enforcement - until it reached what the school described as a time bomb waiting to go off. The President of JMU has already emailed every student expressing his disgust and disappointment.</p>

<p>holy crap, JMU knows what’s up. I just saw the recent videos surfacing on YouTube.</p>

<p>Easters was a bit different in the fact the legal age for beer was 18 back in the day. Didn’t make the mass partying right but it was legal for the majority to drink. Either way, it’s going to hurt JMU.</p>

<p>It was lowered, for beer, to 18 in 1974 so a lot of underage drinking went on at Virginia schools prior to that. There was minimum, if any, regulation. I was at William and Mary and both the campus police and town police had a completely hands off attitude. They didn’t care that we rolled kegs into the football stadium, and no matter how much dope was smoked during concerts, we never saw them in William and Mary Hall. What was really amazing is that they provided the set up for cocktails at the dances. We just brought in the alcohol - and this was liquor and wine. The age was always 21 for that. Drinking age was pretty much irrelevant in the 70s. This was at what was not even considered a party school. Stories my friends told from UVA make your hair curl. </p>

<p>I agree it doesn’t matter, because even if they were to lower the drinking age, the numbers involved lead to property destruction and generally poor and dangerous behavior. </p>

<p>My D and her friends knew to stay clear of where the party was. Even though the party was off campus, there was still trash left behind on campus from people just driving through and she said the traffic was like nothing she had ever seen. She was concerned because today is Choices. I think many of the kids there felt very violated by the throngs that came in.</p>

<p>I live in Harrisonburg and have family working at JMU. In no way do the events of this past weekend typify a typical student weekend or even a typical block party. As cartera has noted, the large numbers of young people coming from all parts of the country definitely contributed to the “who cares, let’s party” atmosphere. </p>

<p>JMU as an academic institution has so much to offer students. Check the JMU website for President Rose’s email to students. I am sorry for the students and their families who visited this weekend and were treated to such a poor welcome.</p>

<p>Had no idea Choices was today. We were there last year, Sunday night, for Monday Choices and remember the crowds for that event. Outback even ran out of food Sunday night! Daughter had a paper due today. She was in her dorm most of the weekend, writing. She avoids the party scene for the most part.</p>

<p>Carrying a keg, or toting a milk crate fashioned as a sled, with liquor, was the norm one snowy Richmond winter, 1982.</p>

<p>This is completely off topic, but it reminds me. Harrisonburg has some nice local restaurants. I guess most people visiting stick with the chains off the interstate, but for those who are planning a visit, you don’t have to stick with the chains. Of course, the new dining hall has better food than most chains. I usually plan a meal there when I visit. I always enjoy Clementine and Beyond though. </p>

<p>Sabaray - what are your favorites?</p>

<p>Glad to hear you like East Campus Dining, cartera. Clementine and Beyond are excellent choices. Taste of Thai- also excellent, owned by same group that runs Beyond. I have not eaten at the Oriental Cafe although I’ve heard excellent things about it - it’s in a new plaza right by Sheetz/Costco intersection. Let’s see: downtown, Pennybacker’s is a relatively new sandwich/salad/soup place- very good, high quality menu. For more “upscale” you can go to Local Grill and Chop House- really excellent food, cozy atmosphere. Cally’s (formerly Calhoun’s) now has a new menu although I have not tried it. Generally good food though. And for a quick bite- in Harrisonburg Crossing I do enjoy Franco’s Pizza- great pasta dishes, subs and pizza. </p>

<p>Can you tell I like to eat out?</p>

<p>Taste of Thai is on my list. D liked Blue Nile. We enjoyed a little tea house on Main Street - can’t remember the name. We have eaten at Cally’s several times - love the roof top dining. </p>

<p>I go to JMU several times a year to hear/see D in operas, recitals, etc. I always look forward to the visits - especially this time of year when everything is blooming.</p>

<p>There are two teahouses- one is Mrs. Hardesty’s (more traditional, popular with our local ladies who lunch) and the other is Earth & Tea, really awesome food. Delicious spicy chicken salad. Completely forgot about it but another good one. </p>

<p>I bet you’re excited for the new Performing Arts Center! I have to say I also enjoy the student productions at JMU- excellent programs. The new theaters will really make a difference in the acoustics. I can’t wait.</p>

<p>I believe it was Earth & Tea. I also like Cinnamon Bear Deli and Kate’s Natural Products. </p>

<p>We can’t wait for the performing arts center to open. I try to get a to a couple recitals during the year, usually make it to the musical and go to the opera in the fall and opera scenes in the spring. The folks at Comfort Inn know me well.</p>

<p>Also on the restaurant topic… In addition to the ones mentioned above I like Sushi Jako off of Neff Ave., behind the mall.</p>

<p>Oooh - thanks for that tip. D and I are both sushi lovers and will definitely try Sushi Jako. We had good sushi and maki at Beyond - love the Dukes roll there.</p>

<p>I love Beyond too! Sushi Jako is a little more “traditional” :)</p>

<p>Ironically I have a friend that went to choices, loved the school, and never heard a word about the incident. JMU must have done a good job cleaning up!</p>

<p>Awesome, scoopie. Last year during choices, it rained, but the campus was still beautiful despite the weather.</p>

<p>It had a snow storm in February when I went for Choices, and it still looked good to me.</p>

<p>The mountains must have looked nice, with snow on them.</p>

<p>We were on campus last Thursday and Friday, drove around town to see what was there and went right by those apartments. We didn’t see anyone, literally – the crowd must have assembled in a hurry. The Harrisonburg paper covered the mess on-line and the comments posted in reply to the story suggest a longstanding animosity between the townspeople (some of them, anyway) and JMU and its students. Best to play it safe and walk softly when off-campus. That’s probably true anywhere there’s a big college in a small town. I know that Lynchburg and Liberty “U” are having difficulty coexisting right now; when I was at Lehigh 35 years ago we had our problems with Bethlehem, PA.</p>

<p>My D was worried about the impact the news would have on Choices too. The headline in the Breeze was “War Zone”. I’m glad to hear that some folks had no idea what had transpired. My D loves JMU. She is excited about her schedule next fall- she told me she thinks her classes will be “interesting”. Wow- how they grow and mature in just one year. Last summer she was hoping her classes would be easy…now the focus is on interesting! JMU has played a tremendous part in that maturation. Regardless of the chaos last weekend, JMU is a wonderful place for young people to grow and learn. We could not have made a better choice for our D. She is thriving.</p>