The College of Arts and Letters, School of Public and International Affairs, and several civic, community, and public service oriented academic programs and centers are pleased to recognize seven public servants as outstanding public service professionals whose remarkable work is making life better for all Americans at a Public Service Recognition Week (PSRW) awards ceremony... Continue Reading →
Profiles in Civic Leadership: United Way Harrisonburg & Rockingham
Post by Ethan Gardner, Honors Civic Engagement United Way of Harrisonburg and Rockingham County (HR) is the local entity of the global network of United Way. The organization is structured and encouraged to be autonomous at the local level, in order to best address community needs. It situates the organization in an interesting form, as... Continue Reading →
Public Voice Is the Backbone of Civic Structures
Post by Kasey Clayton, Honors Civic Engagement I attended Harrisonburg’s City Council meeting on April 9th in an effort to better understand the role that city meetings play in communities. As I approached the building, I noticed a congregation of what appeared to be protestors holding signs outside of the city council’s meeting space. I... Continue Reading →
Profiles in Civic Leadership: Sarah Taylor Mayhak
Post by Tyler Strosnider, Honors Civic Engagement N.B. Profiles in Civic Leadership are written by Honors Civic Engagement students. Students selected individuals they believed to exemplify civic leadership, conducted interviews and wrote the profiles. I’m outside a door covered with messages of inspiration waiting for the infamous Sarah Taylor Mayhak: an SCOM professor known for... Continue Reading →
What does it mean to be in but not always of civic life? An Afternoon with Pato Herbert
Post by Madison Farabaugh, Honors Civic Engagement Pato Herbert is a man of many callings. From working with the homeless, LGTBQ+ grassroots efforts, communities of color, and HIV advocacy/awareness campaigns, he uses his creativity and social skills as a “visual artist, educator, and cultural worker” in order to bring about positive social change. Herbert values... Continue Reading →
Addressing Barriers to State-level Political and Civic Engagement
By Ethan Gardner, Honors Civic Engagement State-level political and civic engagement faces barriers in information distribution and stratified participation on race and class lines. My experience of Virginia politics through the Traveling Town Hall, attending a meeting of the Virginia Complete Count Commission, and lobbying trips with the Student Government Association and Virginia21 highlight some... Continue Reading →
What is conversion therapy and why should it end?
Post by Tyler Strosnider, Honors Civic Engagement History of LGBTQ+ orientations labeled as mental illnesses: According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-II), a Psychological reference book that provides all psychologists common definitions of mental disorders, homosexuality was seen as a form of paraphilia, which has a complicated history of definition, but... Continue Reading →
2020 Census: Count Colleges In
Colleges and universities have a special responsibility to the communities in which we are situated to ensure a complete count in the 2020 Census because it will directly impact political representation, federal funding and demographic statistics for college towns. Off-campus, adult, renter and highly mobile students are at risk of being uncounted for a variety... Continue Reading →
Fighting the Water Crisis in the Dominican Republic
Post by Madison Farabaugh, Honors Civic Engagement Background Information: What You Need To Know Statistics of the Global Water Crisis (According to worldvision.org and water.org) 844 million people do not have access to clean water. 3 billion people are without access to basic sanitation. 1 million people die each year from water, sanitation and hygiene-related... Continue Reading →
Harrisonburg City Council Debates Traffic Ordinance & Budget
Post by Shelby Taraba, James Madison Center for Civic Engagement Fellow On April 9th, concerned community members gathered at the Gazebo, making signs and preparing to mobilize for the City Council meeting. On March 26th, City Council addressed a proposed ordinance “16-6-61 restricting pedestrians within public rights of way at Designated Locations to the Harrisonburg... Continue Reading →