Volunteer Opportunity: Adapted Sports Day at JMU

JMU Adapted Sports Day is looking for student volunteers who love sport and love to make a difference. This upcoming semester, on February 7 and 8, they are hosting an Adapted Sports Day for middle school and high school students with physical disabilities. Our goal is EMPOWERMENT through SPORT. The event will feature basketball and volleyball where students from Virginia can come for 2 days and experience sport as well as college life. Friday, Feb. 7 will include a meet and greet session and attendance at the JMU women’s basketball game. Saturday, Feb 8, students will spend the day going through the basketball and volleyball clinic, lunch on campus and will have a chance to compete in games in the afternoon. Check out the links below to see examples of what we will be doing.

Example of sitting volleyball:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V66iwMfOj5A

Example of wheelchair basketball:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30nV5jySi3o

We are looking for volunteers to help us make the event possible. Volunteers will have a variety of roles including:
- Lead groups of students in game play
- Interact with participants and their families by sitting with them, talking to them
- Set-up
- Clean-up

Volunteers need to be able to commit to either 4-9 p.m. on Friday and/or 9 a.m.-4 p.m.on Saturday for the whole day. No prior experience is needed.

If you are interested in volunteering please email Richelle Villa at villa2ra@dukes.jmu.edu.

If you have any other questions about the event please contact, Dr. Joshua Pate at patejr@jmu.edu or Dr. Thomas Moran at morante@jmu.edu.

The media's role in Alex Rodriguez's suspension

From X1.com and Biography.com

Review by Renee Layne in SRM 334

Alex Rodriguez’s negative reputation in the media started in 2001 when he signed a ten year, $252 million contract with the Texas Rangers causing his previously loyal Mariners fans to become outraged. Many of which vented their rage at Rodriguez on twitter. In 2007 he signed a ten year, $275 million contract with the Yankees. Negative media attention continued for Rodriguez through the tabloids printing his infidelity, failed marriage, slew of unprofessional tweets and his drug use. Since then Alex Rodriguez’s marketability as an athlete is in ruins and his public image is in tatters.

In early January 2014 Major League Baseball made the decision to suspend Alex Rodriguez, more commonly referred to as A-Rod, for two years based on his alleged drug use designed to further enhance his performance. Rodriguez’s attorney released a statement saying that Rodriguez planned on repealing any discipline given to him.

The reason this story is pertinent to our class is because of the role that social media coverage played in turning A-Rod’s public image from baseball’s super hero to Baseball’s poster boy for steroid use. Some reports even go so far as to say that Rodriguez’s suspension was granted based on the evidence found on facebook and twitter feeds. Such evidence points to A-Rod not only using performance enhancing drugs but also deliberately trying to hide such evidence from authorities in the investigation. According to blogger John Patzakis, investigators such as union general counsel David Prouty noted that social media evidence added a layer of proof that certainly would not have been available many years ago. (Patzakis) Users of networking and other media sites can learn a grave lesson from Rodriguez’s downturn. Users of social media site should be weary of statements they choose to release because those statements have a way of coming back to haunting a person later. Alex Rodriguez’s story shows us that not all media attention is good media attention especially if it costs you millions of dollars in contract deals. Only time will tell if Rodriguez will be remembered for his amazing baseball records or for his unfortunate image in the media.

Internship Opportunity: Corolla Light Resort

Corolla Light Resort is seeking Activity Interns for the summer of 2014 to gain valuable professional experience while working at a beach resort! Corolla Light Resort is the 2013 North Carolina Resort of the year and is an ocean to soundside resort with 400 homes nestled on 250 acres in Corolla on the beautiful Outer Banks of North Carolina. We offer a variety of amenities for our guests including seven indoor and outdoor swimming pools, basketball courts, a sand volleyball court, playgrounds, indoor and outdoor tennis courts, a nature trail, fishing ponds, an oceanfront restaurant, and a fitness complex as well as many others.

Along with the unmatched amenities offered at Corolla Light Resort, we also offer activities for guests of all ages including sports tournaments, crabbing, tie-dye, family movie nights, a homerun derby, and the Big Daddy Splash – an adult cannonball competition!

Activity Internship
Corolla Light Resort offers an activity internship to five qualified students every summer. Activity interns are responsible for creating, promoting, organizing, and facilitating activities and events at Corolla Light Resort. In addition, many opportunities are available to learn all about the hospitality and recreation industry and what it takes to operate an award winning resort.

Internship Responsibilities
· Promote activities to owners and guests at Corolla Light Resort.
· Motivate guests to have fun.
· Monitor activities for fairness.
· Maintain bulletin boards with activity schedules.
· Obtain sponsorships and activity prizes from local businesses.
· Fill out daily log sheets regarding activities and number of participants.
· Collect fees for those activities that require it and maintain cash flow.
· Develop new activities.
· Implement and lead activities on the resort.
· Responsible for knowing general information concerning Corolla Light Resort and the local area.
· Attend weekly staff meetings.
· Compile a weekly report and letter to the General Manager and Corolla Light Resort Board of Directors.
· Maintain the activity supply inventory and notify the supervisor when supplies are running low.
· Work with other interns to create and maintain a positive working environment.
· Work with other Corolla Light Resort staff to create and maintain a positive working environment.
· Maintain a positive attitude to ensure the safety of our owners and guests.

Internship Requirements
· Recreation, Tourism, Hospitality, Special Events majors (PREFERRED).
· Prior experience working with children, guests, and activities (PREFERRED).
· Must possess a strong work ethic.
· Excellent verbal communication skills.
· Ability to multi-task and coordinate large groups of people.
· Ability to stand for extended periods of time.
· Ability to work outdoors in moderate heat and humidity.
· Outgoing and positive personality.

Additional Information and Benefits· Five 12 to 15 week internships available between the dates of May 19, 2014 and August 29, 2014.
· Full-time work week, Monday through Friday including some evenings.
· Housing is provided.
· This is an unpaid internship; however there are opportunities for additional paid employment in various areas of the resort.
· Vehicles provided for work purposes only.
· Uniform shirts provided.

For more information or to apply, visit the following link: http://corollalightresort.com/employment.htm. Please submit a completed employee application and a copy of your resume to angie@corolla-light.com. If you have any questions, feel free to email them along with your application and resume.