December 5, 2005
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Cut To: Opinion: the importance of knowing your history Sports: woman's basketball drops VCU A&E: there's a new burger The Breeze in town James Madison University's Student Newspaper Vol. 83, Issue 26 Moiuliiii, Decembers, 20()~> ASB holds domestic sign-ups Alum sees Biloxi blues ■v BECKY MARTINEZ coNTwaunvc WRITE* Students proved thai the spirit of service is alive and well at the Alternative Spring Break's domestic trip signups on Thursday. Each year, the ASB trips sponsored by the Community Service-Learning center draw a host of students eager to spend their spring break helping other communities and the environ- ment. While the international and long-distance trips were selected earlier this semester, the domestic trips were more plenti- ful and drew a sizeable crowd of students hoping to participate in the service experiences. Other organizations sponsor ASB trips as well including UREC and a number of faith-based communities like Wesleyan, Canterbury and Catholic Campus Ministry, who organized the tint ASB trip more than 15 years ago. CS-L will sponsor five international trips, three long- distance trips that require airfare and 15 domestic trips within the distance of a day's drive. Together, JMU students will provide volunteer aid to numerous regions of the U.S. pju>tnamnr.\ m\\S I S( HI K and the Caribbean. The trips Though Ronald McDonald Mill grim, tha city of Biloxi, Mlaa., waa davaatatad by hurricanaa In aarly Saptembar. include opportunities to work in soup kitchens, mentor and tutor underprivileged children, A 2005 JMU grad quits his job and heads south to volunteer rebuilding town's morale construction, habitat restoration and hurricane relief. IY DREW LEPF problem in the form of a group help desperately. He said there were many 1 thought this place is bad.' I "We're basically going to SEWS EDrrOK called "Hands-on USA." East Biloxi, where he pn- reasons why Biloxi was espe- finally knew what I was patting be dropped on an island and The group was founded marily worked, was a tourist cially in need of aid. For one, myself into." help restore the ecosystem," said It was under a pile of debris after the Dec. 2004 tsunami, and destination — its Gulf Coast Biloxi was not evacuated, and He said the tirst si\ days junior psychology major Jenn in Mississippi where recent was looking for volunteers to shore was lined with floating the poor people of the city were were emotionally draining, but Polasek, who will be working on JMU graduate saw his first travel to Biloxi to help clean up casinos and hotels. But among lelt on their own. Crime WSJ he continued to work, doing a trip in the Florida Keys. "I love dead bodies — two Vietnamese the damage left in Hurricane this, Uscher said the residents prevalent and order bv offi- things thai he would havenei >■< being by the water >'jrls ages 7 and 2— victims of Katnna's wake. of Biloxi were some of the poor- cials WM hud to maintain. He done before CS-L's ASB program works Hurricane Katrina. From that moment he had est in the country- dfSH rtln'd what he experienced llu- sgei backgrounds with a number of agencies that Owen Uscher spent the past made his decision, and within a- befall "Lord of the Flies type and duration of the stays of connect students with their ser- two months volunteering in the five days, he had quit his job chaos." This stood in stark con- the volunteers ram;.' uideh vice projects, according to Lorelei hurricane-ravished city of Biloxi, and hit the road for Biloxi. Even if the storm hadn't trast to what Uscher was used However, the\ do have I few Esbenshade, associate director Miss. When he decided to quit But nothing could have pre- to seeing at )\1l or in his sub- things in common, first, no of CS-L. They have developed Ins job tti volunteer, he got more pared him for what he saw when come, [some citizens urban New Jersey hometown. one is paid, and their work is partnerships with some of the than he expected, encountering lie entered the city two weeks Dunng »»ne of his first job supported solef) In donations. agencies who request that the people and situations he never after Katrina hit. What he saw of Biloxi] were barely with Hands-on USA, he saw a I heir attitudes ami work ethic students return year after year. would have otherwise. was unlike anything he could preview of what was to come are also similar. 'We're .ill > The aim of the week is that Uscher had only been work- have imagined. He expected to hanging on. within just 12 hours of being little crazy — but focused, the benefit of the work is recipro- ing as a law clerk roughly a see destroyed homes, but the thoro. A woman had called for Uscher said. cal, Esbenshade said. month when it hit him. "I problems he saw were far great- — Owen Ischer volunteers to nmiove debnstrom With his gmup he began to "1 learned not only a lot about didn't want to sit in an office, I er than any destroyed structure '05 JMU grad and volunteer her \ ard. When they arrived, the help clean up thecitv, "We were myself while I was jon my last wanted to do something mean- — the people were destroyed woman was incoherent, and had places the police dldn'l ASB trip|, but also furthered my ingful," he said. as well. s» rat. hod the skin off her arm. want to go because it WM too understanding on how broad At that time, he sifted He said, "Even if the storm "I he people who I am It turned out the woman was a dangerous" the spectrum is in terms of how through the classifieds adver- hadn't come, these people were helping generally, even before crack addict and had not had a In order to COpC with the . many different cultures and life tised on the "Craig's list" Web barely hanging on." Katnn.i hit, had very little," tix sin.e the storm. perspectives can exist within the site and found the answer to his The city of Biloxi needed lie said. He said, "After 1 saw that, ( $CHBKp*$e5 United States alone," said junior Lara Abel, who will be leading a trip to Winter Park. Fla., this .spring. "JMU has a culture of service on campus," Esbenshade said. Tree lighting on the Quad JMU students reveal a strong work ethic and arc pre- pared for their ASB experinms. Esbenshade added. Many agen- cies specifically look forward to their arrival for the week. Because the trips are student- led, their excitement draws the interest of the student popula- tion, Esbenshade said. Each student had different needs and expectations dunng see ASB, page 3 \AROS Ml WAKI xmt'tbutinn phrtoitrapher The front door of 1265 Hlllcrest Drive where the Are occured. Student hit Fire takes boy's life A fire broke out in 1265 located. Smoke and water damage crossing Hlllcrest Drive on Nov. 2!S around was prevalent throughout the three 11 p.m., killing a young boy and Boon Of the house. "The MUM SI leaving more than $100,000 worth [inhabitable] at this time, but it is S. Main St. of damages. salvageable," Shifflett said The landlord, JMU French pro- Shifflett said HFD has about fessor Mano Hamlet-Metz, escaped atx 'working fires" per year, A JMU student crossing along with the mother and sister of meaning they are serious in nature South Main Street was struck by 7-year-old Noah Terschueren. The and require a significant use of a vehicle around 7 p.m. Thursday family lived in the upstairs part resources. He added that what evening. of the house, while Hamlet-Met/ he saw there was not an unusual The student, who was report- lived in the basement. occurrence. edly wearing dark clothing, was According to Harrisonburg "Had it not been for the smoke walking across the center turning Hire Chief Larry Shifflett, the fire detectors, there would have been lane on South Main Street when a was caused by combustible items more fatalities," Shifflett said "If 1998 Ford sports car hit her. The being too close to a wood stove, vou have one or two minutes car was traveling about 20 to 25 whose flame is fairly open and can to react, you're lucky." Shifflett miles per hour. easily release sparks. An ember added batteries in smoke detec- A witness said the student hit from the stove lighted debns on tors should be changed at least the windshield of the car, then the first floor of the house. Fire once per year. Currently, ID-vear landed on the pavement. fighters arrived at the scene short- smoke detectors are becoming She was taken by ambu- ly after 11 p.m. and had the fin' more prevalent, since batteries do I MS IHOAF ■ ■ I J..;„,,„,J„-, lance to Rockingham Memorial contained within lf> minutes, but not have to be changed nearly as Hospital. Her injuries were not wen on site for about five hours. often and because they are t.urk Tha JMU Chorale and the JMU Symphonic Orchestra held the annual Holldayfest life-threatening. The majonty of the fire dam- inexpensive. concert In Wilson Hall Sunday evening. The even was followed by the tree lighting age was in the north end of the ceremony sponsored by SGA. — from staff reports house, where the wood stove was — from staff report* Kelly Fisher.