>> Duke Dog to compete in national competition for best college mascot. See more on page B6.
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Vol. 92, No. 36 Friday, February 14, 2014
Hit-andrun ends with arrest Incident concludes with foot chase on train tracks By ij chan The Breeze
james chung / the Breeze
The Harrisonburg area was hit with approximately 10-12 inches of snow during yesterday’s snowstorm, forcing JMU and many local businesses to close. TOP Kelley Grenn, a senior anthropology major, walks past Carrier library during the snow storm on Thursday afternoon. RIGHT Molly Ryan (left), a sophomore English major, and Jana Hertzog, a junior health sciences and justice studies double major, enjoy the snow and build a snowman on the Quad on Thursday. LEFT Casey Fox, a senior integrated science and technology major, snowboards down a hill near the Convocation Center on Thursday afternoon.
On Monday at about 8:45 a.m., the driver of a red 2004 Ford Explorer was heading southbound on South High Street near the intersection of South High and West Grace Street, according to Sgt. William Keller of the Harrisonburg Police Department. Keller said a deputy officer from HPD was attempting to pull the driver over for a traffic violation, when the driver took a left turn onto West Grace Street, which has been closed due to construction for JMU’s new housing project. The driver entered the Greenberry’s parking lot, allegedly hit a parked car and then proceeded to exit the lot onto West Grace Street again. see HIT, page A4
It’s not in the family Proposed bill would give JMU faculty’s children reduced tuition By Chris Kent The Breeze
sean cassidy / the Breeze
james chung / the Breeze
>> More photos at breezejmu.org.
‘Less question marks’
Baseball poised to return to past success with a healthy approach on and off the field By stephen proffitt The Breeze
“Everything matters, all the time.” That’s the slogan the 45th team in JMU baseball history is embracing as it heads into the 2014 campaign. The phrase, developed by assistant coach Ted White, is supposed to mix life on and off the diamond. “We were looking for something a little more inclusive,” head coach Spanky McFarland said. “It’s more to it than baseball. It’s all the academics, nutrition, team chemistry. Everything matters all the time.” McFarland thinks that a healthy lifestyle off the field carries into play. Eating right, doing your dishes, washing your hands, avoiding germs — leads to a productive team. “Being that model teammate, that model citizen off the field,” junior leftfielder Chad Carroll said. “If you’re handling all of your stuff off the field, then you’re going to be able to come with a clear mind and play the game the way you’re suppose to.” This philosophy means a lot to Carroll as he strives to live up to his preseason accolades. He, along with Towson University’s senior designated hitter Kurt Wertz, were selected as preseason Co-Player
of the Year in the Colonial Athletic Association. Following a trip to the National Collegiate Athletic Association Regionals in 2011, the Dukes have seen two rough seasons, plagued by youth and injuries. According to McFarland, it’s all a cycle. “We took a beating after 2011,” McFarland said. “We had some injuries. I thought we got better last year. We were playing pretty good toward the end of the season. Hopefully that’ll carry over.” In 2011, JMU finished 42-19, losing to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in the NCAA Regionals. That historic season has been followed by two losing seasons, 16-35 in 2012 and 25-30 in 2013. It’s the first time the program has seen consecutive losing seasons since the 1998-99 seasons. The frigid winter months have taken their toll on the Dukes, but Mother Nature has also blessed them with some much needed field time in preparation for the lengthy 56-game season. “You never know,” McFarland said of the weather. “It’s a mental toughness thing,” he added. “We talk about being like Marines, be ready for anything.” see baseball, page B8
A college education is becoming increasingly expensive. According to a report done by the National Center for Education Statistics, the average price to attend a four-year college instate between the years of 1980 and 1981 was $8,756. Included in the same study was the year 2011 which listed the average price of an in-state fouryear college as $21,657. Currently, JMU does not offer tuition benefits for the dependents of faculty members. That is, the children of JMU faculty do not get a tuition reduction. In the Virginia Senate, Bill 633 has been proposed, which if passed would give dependent of faculty a 50 percent tuition waiver. “The bill proposes a 50 percent tuition waiver for full-time faculty members who have been employed for seven years or more at any public Virginia college or university and for the child to attend any public Virginia college or university, so we would indeed qualify,” Jennifer Coffman the associate executive director of international programs at JMU, said. see waiver, page A4
2/14 Inside
Matt schmachtenberg / the Breeze
Logan Corrigan (right) throws to Conner Brown during practice on Wednesday afternoon. The team is preparing for its upcoming season.
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news Teen violence
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opinion Not so spirited
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life A man of many cultures
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sports A tale of redemption
February is known for love, but it’s also Teen Violence Awareness Month.
Russia’s anti-gay laws are making it a terrible Olympic venue.
Spanish professor tells about his travels and adjusting to America.
Women’s lacrosse looks to improve after a disappointing 2013 season.
Page 2 Editors Drew Crane &
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Corrections •
In the Feb. 6 article “Drugs Seized Saturday” and the original online story “Five charged in weekend drug bust,” it was implied that Evan James Delany, 19, of Wenonah, N.J. was charged with drug-related offenses. Delany was not charged with any drug offenses in the incident. Delany lives on campus at JMU and does not live in the South View Apartments complex. The Breeze regrets the error. For the updated version of the story visit breezejmu.org/news.
•
In the Feb. 10 article “Va. bill calls for judicial rights” Hunter Ruane’s last name was incorrectly spelled. Hunter’s last name is Ruane, not Rheaume.
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Italian, US drug traffiking ring busted Tribune Washington Bureau
ROME — The FBI and Italian police said they had broken up a global heroin and cocaine trafficking ring Tuesday after stumbling upon a fledgling alliance between a Calabrian Mafia group and associates of New York’s notorious Gambino crime family. Twenty-four arrests were made in Italy and the United States after a twoyear operation that relied on both wiretaps and an American undercover agent named by investigators as “Jimmy,” who is said to have infiltrated the Gambinos and fooled Italians into believing he was a heroin dealer. Seventeen of the arrests were made in Italy and seven in the United States. The coordinated sting halted the planned shipment of more than a ton of cocaine from Latin America to Italy in liquid form, smuggled with help from Mexican cartels in coconut and pineapple cans, law enforcement officials said. They put the street value at $1 billion. Speaking at a news conference in Rome, U.S. and Italian officials said
Ice storms in South cause tens of thousands to lose power Los Angeles Times
ATLANTA — Much of the South on Wednesday again awoke again to the nastiness of a winter storm, needle-like freezing rain, growing piles of snow and biting temperatures that turned roads into a deadly, slippery mess and cut off power to tens of thousands of people. The storm, which spread from Texas to the Carolinas, was described in near-apocalyptic terms by the National Weather Service, which in a morning memorandum labeled the weather “an event of historical proportions.” The service went on to use phrases such as “catastrophic ... crippling ... paralyzing” in describing the potential dangers. At least six deaths have been reported in Texas and Mississippi. The storm will head north throughout the day, bringing from
the mob alliance was also planning to smuggle heroin into the United States, encouraged by the revival of the drug, which now is cheaper than cocaine. Its resurgence was highlighted early this month when Oscar-winning actor Philip Seymour Hoffman was found dead in his New York City apartment, apparently from a heroin overdose. The reported transatlantic team-up rekindled ties between American and Italian organized crime syndicates, which date to the “Pizza Connection” trafficking of drugs by U.S. mob groups and Sicily’s infamous Mafia families in the 1970s and ‘80s.
Warm-weather nations look far and wide for athletes McClatchey Foreign Staff
SOCHI — The children of Togo’s diaspora can be found in the mountains of Russia skiing. Cross-country skier Mathilde Amivi Petitjean and alpine skier Alessia Afi Dipol are members of the sweltering West African nation’s first Winter Olympics team, even though their feet have
barely touched Togolese soil. Petitjean, 19, has a Togolese mother, grew up in the French Alps, skied for France, and was recruited by Team Togo via Facebook. Dipol, 18, is an Italian who used to ski for India. But to Togo Olympic Committee Vice President Kelani Bayor, these athletes bleed Togolese yellow, red and green. “These are true blue Togolese,” Kelani insisted in French. “They don’t live in Togo but they are part of the diaspora.” Togo’s of-the-country-but-not-necessarily-from-it Olympic team is one of seven mostly warm-climate nations in Sochi participating in the Winter Games for the first time. One- and two-person teams from Dominica, East Timor, Malta, Paraguay, Tonga and Zimbabwe marched with Togo in the parade of nations at the Sochi Games’ opening ceremony on Friday. “If I was told I would one day compete at the Olympic Games, I would never have believed it would be in the colors of Togo,” Petitjean, who was a French junior-level skier, told the International Olympic Committee last December. But because of a lack of mountains, snow, ice facilities or knowledge of winter sports, some of these Olympic newbies have stretched the limits of passport requirements.
800,000-year-old footprints found in England Los Angeles Times
BRITAIN — A team of British scientists have found what they believe to be the oldest human footprints in Europe, dating back at least 800,000 years. Analysis of the prints revealed they were likely made by five early humans including men, women and children who were making their way south along the muddy banks of an ancient estuary. The researchers cannot say for certain what species of early people made these prints. However, in a paper describing the discovery in the journal PLOS One, they note that the foot sizes are similar to those of Homo antecessor, also known as “Pioneer Man.” The species appears to have gone extinct 600,000 years ago. The ancient footprints were revealed in May 2013 on the beach of Happisburgh along the eastern coast of England. They were discovered when tides washed away sand. Compiled from McClatchy-Tribune wire services
National news between six inches to more than a foot of snow as it moves through Washington, D.C., squeezing the New York metropolitan area and into New England.
Ga. Tech student easily hacks Snapchat Atlanta Journal-Constitution
ATLANTA — Faced with a decision between braving the below-freezing cold outside and breaking SnapChat’s new security feature, Steven Hickson said it was a no-brainer. The 23-year-old Georgia Tech doctoral student, who said he briefly worked for the National Security Agency in Maryland, cracked SnapChat’s latest anti-hacker ploy within about a half hour. SnapChat, a photo-sharing mobile app wildly popular with teens, added the new security layer last month after being forced to admit that whitehat hackers had breached its user database. That intrusion demonstrated that millions of usernames and phone numbers were vulnerable to criminals. It’s a really big concern,” Hickson said.
SnapChat’s security update required the user to identify the company’s ghost icon in a series of nine drawings — something only humans (not computers) supposedly could do. It was popularly dubbed “Snap-tcha,” after the CAPTCHA, character-recognition feature widely used online. For Hickson, it was no big stretch to get the program to locate the ghost images. The relative ease with which he did it speaks to the insecurity of the vast number of smartphone apps to which we entrust personal data.
Obama admin. limits use of diesel in fracking Tribune Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON — The Obama administration on Tuesday moved to exert more control over the injection of diesel fuel deep underground to extract oil and natural gas, its first foray into addressing the potential contamination of water from the controversial technique.
The Environmental Protection Agency has little authority to regulate fluids used in hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, which involves pumping water laced with chemicals into shale formations to unlock trapped oil and gas. But the agency has been allowed since 2005 to regulate the use of diesel in fracking. Until Tuesday, it had not done so. Companies must apply for permits from state or federal authorities to use diesel in fracking. But the EPA had not defined what it considered diesel, which comes in many formulations, complicating efforts to control its use. The EPA’s new guidance defines five substances as diesel that require a permit for use in fracking. The agency’s action, however, will have very little overall effect on fracking, since only about 2 percent of oil and gas operations in the country use diesel. The new measure also leaves many forms of diesel unregulated. It’s not a rule, but a guidance on how to interpret the law for federal officials who review and grant fracking permits. Among the recommendations: Officials should get detailed information about a well’s construction. Compiled from McClatchy-Tribune wire services
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Putting a stop to the violence
in brief Blacksburg
Virginia Tech student murdered
Organizations on- and off-campus work to prevent teenage dating violence
A Virginia Tech student from Northern Virginia died in a homicide, according to The Washington Post. The victim was identified as Samanata Shrestha, 21, of Vienna, was a senior who planned to go to medical school, friends said. A fellow student, 22-year-old Jessica Michelle Ewing, has been arrested allegedly in connection with Shrestha’s death and has been charged with second-degree murder. As of Tuesday, the motive for Shresha’s murder is unknown. Shrestha was reporting missing on Saturday. Keifer Kyle Brown, 23, a recent graduate of Tech was also charged with accessory after the fact, in connection with the alleged concealment of the body, according to online court records. Officials did not disclose the nature of any relationships among the three.
Waynesboro
Investigation for police officer’s death continues Charges have been dropped for three people who were originally charged in connection with Virginia State Police Capt. Kevin W. Quick’s death, according to the Daily News-Record. Goochland County Commonwealth Attorney Claiborne Stokes withdrew second-degree murder charges against Leslie Hope Casterlow, 49; Anthony D. Stokes Jr., 31 and Gert Wright, 22. The three still have felony charges of gang participation against them. Quick, 24, of Waynesboro, was supposed to visit his girlfriend and their 4-month-old daughter in Louisa County on the night of Jan. 31. He failed to show up for the visit and was reported missing the day after. His body was found on Feb. 6 in Goochland County. State police are still investigating Quick’s death and aren’t releasing any information on how he died.
* data according to loveisrespect.org blair rosen / the breeze
Loveisrespect provides people with information and resources on how to deal with physical, emotional and sexually abusive relationships. By Sarah Paynter contributing writer
While many associate February with love and blossoming romance, this month also serves to bring attention to a worldwide problem — teenage relationship violence. Whether it’s emotional or physical, abuse within teen relationships has received growing attention, and according to national abuse awareness organization, Loveisrespect, February has been declared as Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month since 2010. “Relationship violence is more common than people know, but it is more often kept under wraps because people are too
ashamed to talk about it,” senior psychology major Kenleigh Prendergast said. According to One Love Foundation, a national organization that works against teen dating violence, this is true — as many as one in five college students have been victims of relationship violence. “I’d assume [relationship violence is] more common in adult relationships,” said a sophomore health sciences major who wishes to remain anonymous. While adult violence does occur frequently, according to the “Intimate Partner Violence in the United States” study by the U.S. Bureau of Justice, females age 20-24 have an abuse rate of 11.3 percent — by far the highest rate of any age group. In addition,
according to Loveisrespect, violence during developmental ages can cause long-lasting negative impacts such as developing a pattern of drug abuse, struggling with eating disorders, engaging in unsafe sex and falling victim to further violence. An anonymous sophomore English major discussed her experience with relationship violence. She recalled a time in high school when she intervened in an friend’s abusive situation. She remembers how she first began to suspect a problem through small clues. “He was very controlling,” she said. “It was never something I directly saw him say, butthere were little clues, like how she started see violence, page A4
Class entertainer Geography professor spices up his 8 a.m. classes with rap music and energetic teaching methods powerpoints, you’re going to get out of them what you put in ... By the way, I should say sometimes I’m a fool, you know. I’ll sing, I’ll dance on a table, I’ll do things that are different. And if those things are things that they remember, if that gives them a reason to come to class to see what the next crazy thing I’m gonna do, so be it.
By william mason and wes jones The Breeze
Every Thursday, The Breeze will be running a Q&A with one of JMU’s professors. This week we’re featuring geography professor Johnathan Walker who teachers GGeog 200, the global dimension. He has become very well known among the many JMU students who take his 185-person GenEd class each semester because of his unusual and very often entertaining teaching methods. Watch the full interview with Walker online at breezejmu.org.
You’re involved in a lot of study abroad programs, do you find any particularly interesting or rewarding? My study abroads are always rewarding because it’s getting students to go there and see first-hand what’s happening. Even though I’ve been there, even though it’s kind of a “Groundhog Day” for me, because I go to the same place each time. But the reward from teaching this is how students react. But I’ve traveled to Japan, I was in Japan for the peace ceremony which coincides with the anniversary of dropping the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, that was incredibly rewarding. Traveling is incredibly rewarding no matter where I go.
Why did you come to JMU? In academia, I mean you go where the jobs are. And the job was offered fairly late in the season and I applied for it and I was lucky enough to get an interview, then I was fortunate enough to get the job. What has been your favorite part of being at JMU?
Do you ever find it difficult to discuss serious issues like sexual slavery, genocide or genital mutilation with your students?
You know, JMU affords us a lot of flexibility as far as in the classroom, you have a lot of freedom ... JMU students are fantastic students that are willing to learn. They’re real middle-of-the road in terms of their sort of politics and things like that, and they’re just willing to be shaped and that’s what college is about, it’s about exposure and about learning new things and willing to find out new information ... So that’s what I love about JMU. As a geography professor, how many countries have you visited? I think at last count I think I had, I think I had 16, which isn’t that many, really. I have a lot more on my list as far as where I want to go … Ireland is a really fabulous place, it’s a magical place. I lived in Taiwan, I certainly liked living there. But I go to the Philippines, I have a study abroad through the Philippines. I go there quite frequently, and I love it. It’s just a really great place, the people are friendly. You have a very unique, high energy teaching style, is there a reason you started implementing that style? Well first of all the classes are all at 8 o’clock in the morning. And I feel it’s a responsibility for me to give you something to come to at 8 o’clock. So I have a lot of energy anyway. I like to have fun when I teach. But also I think it’s my responsibility so you know I just want students to come to class. The only way I’m going to have an impact is if I’m entertaining enough to come to class. So you have generally have classes around 180 students. How do you get students not only awake, but how do you engage with them? What do you find
WEs jones / the breeze
Johnathan Walker teaches GGEOG 200, (the global dimension.) He is also a member of the interdiscplinary liberal studies department. is an easy way to do it, or a hard way to do it? Well first of all, before the students come into class, into the classroom, I have music playing. That’s not music for you know my benefit, it’s really just for theirs. So it will be all kinds of music. I’ll have 50 Cent playing. I’ll have you know some other type of music that just brings them in like ‘OK, we can listen to music, we can be awake right away. And then the other thing is, I can’t stand still. I am all over the place ... If you engage them, if you do this, then time goes quickly and they learn better. So the other thing to is I’m trying to do things, I do things to be frankly to be comical but not, this isn’t a comedy show. But if it’s always going to be dry and dull and
No, not at all. You know I think they get the point that I’m, I’m trying to be entertaining but at the same time I’m serious. And you can’t, you can’t when you introduce these types of topics, there’s just no question that you’re being serious. This isn’t a flippant moment. And I think that they really do a great job figuring out when I’m being flippant and when I’m being very serious. So no I don’t find that that difficult and I think once people kind of realize about what I’m trying to do, that they buy into it really well, and that’s the great thing. What else do you want to accomplish during your time period here? You know, again because geography is not the subject people come in wanting to do, there’s just four or five hands out of 180 students, is to gain an appreciation for it, gain an understanding of the world a little bit better, an appreciation for different types of people ... I’ve had students who said four years later “you know that was my favorite class and I have on my laptop a world map as the background of my laptop as the screen saver.” And it’s those little things that mean so much. I mean I’m passionate about geography. So if I can translate that passion in some small way then I’ve won. So that’s my mission.
Contact William Mason and Wes Jones at breezenews@gmail.com.
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breezejmu.org News
waiver | Faculty members seek lower tuition rates for their dependents from front
The bill states “Dependent children of current full-time faculty members who have been employed full-time by any one or more public Virginia colleges or universities for an aggregate period of at least seven years shall receive a 50 percent tuition waiver. The tuition waivers shall be used for undergraduate education at any public institution of higher education in Virginia.” Both she and her husband are employed at JMU. Many Virginia state colleges, including the University of Virginia, Virginia Military Institute and the College of William & Mary are supporting a benefits bill. These schools along with JMU are supporting a bill that would allow waivers that would cut tuition by almost 50 percent for students of faculty members. Other U.S. schools, however, allow waivers for dependent students. The University of Pennsylvania, a private university, benefits its faculty’s dependents by including a policy to apply for direct grants. Toccoa Falls College of Georgia offer a free ride to dependents of its faculty, allowing children of faculty members to study and receive their degree without worry of payment. On the benefits plan of the University of Illinois, a public university, children of employees are eligible for a 50 percent tuition waiver for up to four years. A year in this system includes two semesters and a summer session. Integrated science and technology professor and Faculty Senate
speaker David McGraw attended college at Toccoa Falls on a freeride deal because his father was a professor at the school. “Basically there just there was no plan,” McGraw said. ”I was just charged for fees, which were fairly minimal because I didn’t live on campus, I didn’t participate in the meals.” The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has a program set up where the faculty and staff are eligible for two fall or spring courses in which the tuition has been waived. This is similar to JMU’s program that, under the fringe benefits, allows faculty or staff members to take a course and lab for a waived fee. McGraw said he believes there is a tuition program for employees themselves where they can take one or two classes free of charge, but that applies to faculty member, not for any of their family members. This current benefit at JMU is offered only to faculty and staff employees who have completed a thousand hours of work time, or roughly two semesters working 40 hours a week. Once the employee completes the course or lab is, the work hours are reset back to zero. The employee must then work another thousand hours to be eligible the next course they want to take. In the past 20 years, Virginia has declined its spending on education by 22 percent between 1991 to 2012, according to the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission of Virginia. With the increasing prices of college, it makes it more and more difficult for college-bound students to afford their education. “It’s unfair that they pay the same rate for their kids to go, if they are actually making less money,” freshman ISAT major Patrick Wade
said. “I’ve heard members make the argument, that it just seems fair [to create tuition waivers] because salaries are pretty low at JMU, especially in some field, the humanities field for example. I’ve heard faculty members speak in the senate, in a very passionate way, about how sad it is that they can’t afford to send their own kids to the place they work,” McGraw said. Though the program of tuition waivers would be helpful to many, there is also a large portion of those it would not help; specifically, the dependents of staff members who do not qualify as full-time faculty members. This leaves a lot of employees without financial aid. Employees of Judicial Affairs, Dining Services and Facilities Management do not qualify for a waiver. Jill Wade, an administrator office assistant of Judicial Affairs, is not too upset with this, as she sees it as a step in the right direction. “To include everyone at the university, all staff and faculty members that the cost of the program would probably keep it [the bill] from actually passing because it be so expensive for the school to put in practice,” Wade said. She hopes that in the future, if the bill passes, that benefits are passed on from faculty to the general staff. On Feb. 7 the bill was referred to the Virginia House of Delegates committee on Education who has assigned it to the subcommittee on higher Education where the bill currently awaits a vote. Contact Chris Kent at kent2cm@dukes.jmu.edu.
violence | JMU offers help to abuse victims through several programs from page A3
dressing differently. She stopped hanging out with her friends and was only spending time with him. She just sort of got lost in him. When I asked if things were OK, she just said, ‘I don’t know anymore.’” That is when she intervened and convinced her friend to end the abusive relationship. “She was my best friend,” she said. “I couldn’t sit and watch that happen to her especially when she was such an amazing person. I know she deserves so much better than that.” Psychological science graduate student Kimberly Johnson, who studies intimate relationship violence, cocoordinated the Red Flag campaign, an educational program on campus that educates students so they can notice warning signs and intervene in abusive or dangerous relationships around them. According to Johnson, this sophomore’s situation typifies how relationship violence can be identified. Johnson explains how often, intimate partner violence can be identified by increased isolation and a change of behavior in the potential victim.
JMU students have already been taking initiative to end this problem. In addition to the Red Flag campaign, Project Unbreakable is coming to JMU on Monday February 17. This project, also with the benefit of Johnson’s help, aims to “help people heal better through seeing experiences like their own” in addition to showing how abuse is not always what it seems to be. Another program that raises awareness and encourages intervention is the JMU Dukes Step Up! program, which trains students to notice dangerous situations and intervene through five steps: Notice the event, interpret the event as a problem and investigate, assume personal responsibility, know how to help and implement the help. Many girls aren’t as fortunate. According to One Love, every year 3-4 million women in the U.S. are abused and 1,500-1,600 are killed by their abusers. Recognizing this problem, One Love, founded in honor of a former U. Va. student and relationship violence victim Yeardley Reynolds Love, has launched a series of resources through its “Be 1 for Change”
initiative to help female teen and young adult survivors of relationship violence.
“She was my best friend. I couldn’t sit there and watch that happen to her especially when she was such an amazing person. I know she deserves so much better than that.” Anonymous JMU sophomore
witness to dating violence
According to its Jan. 14 press release, the organization has released an award-winning video “Be 1 for Change PSA,” video-driven course work, several helpful apps and will release a digital workshop later this year. The most recent of these apps is
hit | $5,000 in damages caused by driver, charges currently pending from front
The car then traveled on the railroad tracks that cross West Grace Street, but couldn’t continue further when it encountered an intersection in the tracks. Keller said the driver then took off on foot, but was apprehended by police. The driver, who police are refusing to name due to pending charges, had caused about $5,000 worth of damage to the car the driver hit in the Greenberry’s lot. Any damages that exceed $1,000 would warrant felony charges. Keller added that a similar incident had occurred on Friday, Jan. 24 Steven Broadus, 54, of Harrisonburg, was traveling northbound
on South High Street when he ran a red light and hit a JMU vehicle in the in the intersection. Broadus took a right turn onto West Grace Street and also attempted to travel on the railroad tracks, but came across the intersecting tracks and couldn’t continue. Broadus attempted to flee from police on foot, but was eventually apprehended. He was charged with one felony count of leaving the scene of the accident, one misdemeanor count of trespassing on railroad tracks and one misdemeanor of driving under a revoked or suspended license. Contact IJ Chan at breezenews@gmail.com.
the MyPlan app. This app, available for Android and iPhone, acts as a “safety decision aid” for both individuals struggling with relationship violence and for friends who want to help victims. One crucial feature of this app is that it protects the safety of potential victims against significant others with a personalized pin so they can receive education without their significant other’s access into what they have been doing. This app goes through five stages to determine “if a relationship is unsafe by creating an action plan by weighing an individual’s unique characteristics and values.” First, the app educates women on myths about relationship violence, such as “If I tell someone about my relationship, they will just tell me to leave,” and “I must be doing something to make my partner mad.” Next, the app asks questions about qualities like respect, communication, compromise and support to gauge the health of the relationship. In the third step, users answer questions about the amount of physical danger in play to determine the victim’s safety risk in the relationship. Fo u r t h, t h e a p p ra n k s t h e
individual’s priorities — such as feelings for the partner, privacy and social life, individualizing the process to that person’s own needs. Finally, MyPlan creates a plan for victims as they deal with their situations. In addition to this process, trained live support is always available through the app. Senior health services administration major Tessa Burdette wasn’t sure about the app initially but once she began using it, she decided the app was “helpful,” “interesting” and “has a lot of information.” The previously mentioned anonymous sophomore with experience in relationship violence showed outright enthusiasm for the resource. In addition, JMU offers several resources for survivors of relationship violence. Campus Assault ResponsE (CARE) offers a 24/7 hotline (540-568-6411) to provide crisis intervention and information. Varner House Counseling & Student Development Center (540-5686552) also provides free counseling for relationship violence victims. Contact Sarah Paynter at payntesa@dukes.jmu.edu.
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Kevan hulligan | contributing columnist
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Russia has been under fire for its controversial anti-gay policies. Many people feel it is unsafe and unethical for the XXII Olympic Winter Games to be held in Sochi.
Russian laws contradict Olympic values Last Friday, the Winter Olympics officially began in Sochi, Russia. The opening ceremony was jam-packed with all of the pomp and circumstance befitting the Olympic tradition, and the athletes looked primed and ready for competition. There is just one little elephant in the room, however, that’s made enjoying this time-honored event quite difficult. Russia is currently suffering from a debilitating case of homophobia. In the past year, the Russian government has passed several anti-gay laws that have many in the Russian LGBT community concerned for their well-being. Anything considered “progay propaganda” is outlawed, including any statements made that suggest being gay is normal. These laws don’t just apply to citizens though, as foreign nationals and tourists suspected of either being gay or supporting gay rights can be imprisoned for up to 14 days before being forcibly sent out of Russia. And it’s not just the Russian government that has been oppressing gays and lesbians. Neo-Nazi groups in the country have taken to the disturbing practice of luring gay men into savage taped beatings where they force their battered victims to come out as gay on camera and then distribute the videos via social media. Yahoo News has posted some of these videos made by a group that questionably calls itself “Occupy Pedophilia.” As it should be obvious to everyone, the way
LGBT people are treated in Russia is deplorable and outrageous. Of course, both Russia and the International Olympic Committee have sworn up and down that no athlete who is gay or supports gay rights will have any harm done to them during the Olympics. Some of the sponsors of the event, such as AT&T and Chobani, have taken the bull by the horns and condemned Russia’s recent turn for the homophobic while most of the sponsor companies have given conciliatory, mealy-mouthed statements of being against discrimination while not addressing the real issue at hand. On the flipside, protesters and activists around the world have taken up the banner of equality and human rights against these new laws, marching and staging protests to bring the issue back to their various homelands. In short, the situation for the LGBT community in Russia is neither bright nor promising. Some will say that countries like Saudi Arabia and Iran treat their LGBT population much worse than Russia does, with a death sentence being handed out more often than not just for being gay. What these people don’t take into account is Russia’s desire to open up to the rest of the world using the Olympic Games as a springboard, and how these laws contradict the Olympic spirit. The Olympics are all about coming together despite differences in race, religion, nationality and politics. To hold the Olympics in a country
that systematically oppresses a minority group the way Russia does flies in the face of every value the Olympics represent. The charter that the Olympic Games were founded on includes a section that says “Every individual must have the possibility of practicing sport, without discrimination of any kind …” Here is where many people like to derail the conversation by mentioning that Nazi Germany held the Olympics in 1936. In response I have a simple question I would like to ask these people: Are we not supposed to learn from our mistakes? Shouldn’t we try to side with the oppressed and the downtrodden in the face of bigotry and hatred now more than ever? As we continue into the 21st century and beyond, we should try to make up for the mistakes of the past and become a more accepting, open-minded global community. This is especially true during the Olympic Games. I once heard a radio advertisement for NBC hosting the Olympics on its network. At the very end they used the tagline “See the world at its finest.” Quite frankly, the world won’t be at its finest until we recognize that trying to stamp out the LGBT community with ham-handed legislation based on hatred should never be allowed. Kevan Hulligan is a junior political science major. Contact Kevan at hulligkx@dukes.jmu. edu.
A “can’t-stop-won’t-stop” pat to the women’s basketball team for its domination all season long. From Mr. JMU, who hopes you keep crushing the “competition!”
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A “plan-coordinate-executeand-communicate” dart to those who handle parking at the Convocation Center. From an avid women’s basketball fan who understands the high demand for parking and thinks you should too. A “you-will-always-be-myvalentine” pat to the future athletic trainer in Hanson Hall. From your proud JMU Dad. A “Sweeter-than-fiction” pat to my boyfriend of four years. From a woman who is glad she chose the seat next to you in freshman year health class.
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A “thank-you-for-yourgenerosity” pat to the Food Lion cashier who gave me an MVP discount even though he knew I didn’t have an MVP card membership. From a financially conscious student who appreciates saving for the future as well as human kindness. An “it’s-winter-there-areno-roses-to-smell” dart to the southerner who complained about a Jersey girl walking like she drives. From a fellow Jersey girl who comes from a fast-paced world and can appreciate a slow walk time to time but gets just as stressed by slow-walking southerners.
An “I-don’t-need-a-Valentinebecause-I-have-you” pat to my three awesome 568 roommates and best friends that have stuck with me since freshman year. From a senior that may not have found a man at JMU but would rather have you! Thanks for the amazing memories and nights I will never remember! An “I-pay-$220-a-year-forthis” dart to Parking Services for seeming to have sold more permits than there are parking spots. From a senior who is tired of playing “The Hunger Games,” parking edition. A “distance-makes-the-heartgrow-fonder” pat to my boyfriend for making Valentine’s Day just as special from the other side of the world. From a girl who thinks Skype isn’t a suitable replacement for you.
The Breeze welcomes and encourages readers to voice their opinions through letters and guest columns. Letters must be no longer than 250 words. Guest columns must be no more than 650 words. The Breeze reserves the right to edit submissions for length, grammar and if material is libelous, factually inaccurate or unclear. The Breeze assumes the rights to any published work. Opinions expressed in this page, with the exception of editorials, are not necessarily those of The Breeze or its staff. Letters and guest columns should be submitted in print or via e-mail and must include name, phone number, major/year if author is a current student (or year of graduation), professional title (if applicable) and place of residence if author is not a JMU student.
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A “you’re-the-milk-to-myOreos” pat to my awesome long-distance boyfriend, the reason behind every one of my smiles. Thanks for sticking around these past three-and-a-half years. From your Duke Dog girlfriend who’s truly appreciative of your support, even if you are a Monarch. A “nothing-like-nice-gesturesat-eight-a.m.” pat to the boy who gave up his seat to the girl who had too many bags in her hands. From an onlooker who respects people who know when someone just needs a seat and will gladly give up one for you next time. An “I’m-so-glad-you’reas-weird-as-me” pat to my roommates. From a woman who is glad she found a perfect house with three roommates who will always make Sheetz runs with her. A “thanks-for-the-raspberrysherbert” pat to my roommate for taking care of me. From your sick roommate who is glad to have you around.
Some people might say my life is devoid of meaning, and I probably wouldn’t argue with them on that account because arguing requires effort. Whenever I get home from an exhausting day of two freshmanlevel GHUM classes, I like to settle down into my TV-side recliner and partake in a delicious cycle of Netflix, Facebook and cigarettes until it’s time to go to sleep. But sometimes, as I try to escape the harsh realities of the world through the endless void of the Internet, reality seems to seep in with greater intensity than if I were doing, I don’t know, anything. My Facebook feed these days is less active than in the past. Studies are showing that more and more young people are abandoning their Facebooks and moving onto greener pastures like Twitter and Instagram. A majority of the people still posting on my newsfeed are acquaintances from middle school that are using their Facebook as a sort of blast-email contact list to promote change. Everywhere I turn, there’s a new horrific picture of something terrible that I am urged to help eliminate by sharing, liking or commenting: news stories about West Virginia’s water crisis, pictures of dogs chained up outside in the snow, police brutality, deforestation, something bad happening in Russia — my Facebook feed has become my surrogate grandmother, informing me of all the latest tragedies she heard on the six o’clock news. I indignantly ignore every post that challenges me to like or share it in support of its “cause.” I know that I don’t support Walmart building a store on top of a Civil War battleground, but I also know that Walmart isn’t checking the number of times that post is shared and reconsidering its plans. Instead, I roll my eyes and slowly shut my laptop, as if tiptoeing out of a room in hopes that my friends won’t notice. Yes, some would say my life is devoid of meaning. Netflix and snacks are two of my top priorities, and I’m not trying to help make the world a better place in any capacity. But I’m not trying to make it worse either. Basically, I’m just not trying. But this is not all bad news. This is not another column about “millennials’ apathy.” In fact it’s quite the opposite: this is a shout-out from a prematurely crotchety old woman to all my fellow millennials that are treading on my proverbial cyber-lawn with all their banners and petitions and political vuvuzelas. I am forced to ignore all the causes that my peers have taken up because the sheer quantity is just too great. There are too many young people using their little social media soapboxes to bring attention to today’s problems. Let me pose to you a philosophical question: can you ignore something that you’re not aware of? I may not be up in arms about hydrofracking or mountaintop removal coal mining, but I now know what those are and the problems that they cause. And that, according to G.I. Joe, is half the battle. Maybe someday I’ll have a baby or something and feel the need to help my fellow human beings, but for now I’m just trying to survive my last year of college. At least, by the time I decide to act, I’ll have a checklist of worldwide crises to tackle thanks to all those friends I haven’t spoken to in five years and their passion for action. In the meantime, I’ll just put in my made-in-China earbuds on so I can watch reruns of “Here Comes Honey Boo Boo” in hopes of drowning out the deafening cries for change. Mary Kate White is a senior media arts and design major. Contact Mary Kate at breezearts@gmail. com.
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breezejmu.org OPINION
Abin Dahal | contributing columnist
Kerry Smith | contributing columnist
Classrooms have become too costly Questioning the idea of free speech Aside from textbooks, students are forced to buy more technology
Do we actually have what is promised to us in the Bill of Rights?
The textbook industry has been robbing college students blind for years, but now it has a brilliant new way to take more money we don’t have. Multiple companies are offering services like McGraw-Hill Connect. According to the McGraw-Hill website, Connect is an “information-rich environment, a visually engaging interface and powerful learning tools designed to make teaching and learning more effective than ever.” I know what you’re thinking. “Wow, that sounds amazing! And all of this is free?” Nope. I can use Connect to study in an interactive way and the website has tremendous tools for both the students and the teacher. It is also a very easy way to submit work,which is then instantly graded. This is all great for those who want to use the tools provided to enhance their studying; however, this is not necessary for all students. This is especially true since none of it is free. When Connect is mandatory in classes, it is not fair to students.
I recently had a somewhat-heated discussion with a fellow classmate about freedom of speech in America. I questioned the idea that Americans actually have the right to freedom of speech. Like most conversations where American rights are challenged, my comment was taken as outrageous and offensive, and the idea of Americans’ freedom was immediately defended. Needless to say I was scared into silence for fear I had raised an offensive notion, and the “you have no right” look I got was burned into my mind. Wasn’t that just the point they were arguing, that I do have a right? The whole conversation seemed backward to me, so I decided to stay quiet and do some research before speaking further. What is it that defines freedom of speech? I thought about the context of that class in which I had voiced my opinion. It was my right to question authority in America, right? Is it only when physical harm is imminent that freedom of speech is threatened? Or are there other ways freedom of speech is threatened? My offended classmate did bring up a good point: there aren’t very many news reports about people in the United States being gunned down in the streets for speaking out against their country or voicing their opinions. I am in no way trying to mitigate the horrific acts that have happened in countries that don’t have the right to freedom of speech. I just began to question our rights when it concerned speech in America. Like most college students who have a question, I decided to Google the written definition of freedom of speech. This is what I found: “the right to express any opinions without censorship or restraint.” This definition is derived from the First Amendment, “Congress shall make no law ... abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press ...” The words in this definition that really caught my eye are “censorship” and “restraint.” After the initial reaction toward my comment in class, I sure wish I had used a little more restraint. Then I began to wish
I already pay a large amount in tuition to attend these classes, and textbooks are expensive to begin with. Shouldn’t professors try their best to eliminate costs for their students? This is the first semester I was forced to use Connect, which cost me $65 for the most basic package. A professor of mine decided to make it a requirement for the class. Obviously one can understand why a professor would think Connect is very useful. Regardless, professors need to think more about why they are making this expensive tool mandatory. As my professor put it, the catalyst to make Connect a requirement was the fact that almost all other accounting professors were also making it mandatory. I think we deserve a better reason
than peer pressure. I already have a huge problem with assigned homework in college. College students are adults. We are no longer in high school and we can distinguish which part of the course we need work on. The role of the professor is to act as a guide in a class and assess us on the material, whether it is through tests or papers. Assigning homework problems for a grade because professors do not trust students to study the material on their own is, frankly, a little insulting. Daily homework and quizzes that force students to stay on track is a practice that belongs in secondary education. I am not going to win the battle against homework, but forcing me to spend extra money on a study aid I do not need just adds insult to injury. I already pay a large amount in tuition to attend these classes, and textbooks are expensive to begin with. Shouldn’t professors try their best to eliminate costs for their students? Our professors didn’t use Connect, so obviously it is possible to learn course material without these expensive instruments. An excess of tests and homework makes students focus on getting the best grade possible rather than being motivated to learn. Grades are an extrinsic motivator. As soon as grades become the focus instead of the learning itself, the mind is automatically limited. Intrinsic motivation is without a doubt the best type of motivation to achieve success. Shouldn’t we be provided with this freedom? I felt trapped in the American secondary education system because there was no freedom to pursue topics I was passionate about. Even if I came across a subject in high school that I enjoyed, but the ridiculous amount of work and tests took the fun out of learning. I fear that these trends will continue to infiltrate the university-level education system. I fear that college is turning into an institution that does more to force productivity than it does to inspire creativity. Abin Dahal is a sophomore economics major. Contact Abin at dahalax@dukes. jmu.edu.
I had just censored what I said to make it come across less offensive, but that doesn’t adhere to the definition of freedom of speech at all. I began to research the parts of our culture where we do not have freedom of speech. I started small with the example of a soccer coach being ejected from the game for using profanity, or how children can get sent to their rooms for saying something rude at a family gathering. Their constitutional right to free speech doesn’t protect them from their parent’s punishment. A larger scale example is how it is possible to be jailed for inciting a riot.
It is a blessing and a privilege to have grown up in America. I just seek the freedom to question our rights and what they really mean. All this being said, there are very few daily things that we do that are protected by the First Amendment. I found a story about a man named Raed Jarrar who was forced to remove his T-shirt saying “We Will Not Be Silent” before boarding a flight. Jarrar said, “I grew up and spent all my life living under authoritarian regimes and I know that these things happen. But I’m shocked that they happened to me here, in the U.S.” Again, this is not a hate piece on the United States. It is a blessing and a privilege to have grown up in America. I just seek the freedom to question our rights and what they really mean. Also, admittedly, to get the chance to respond. Kerry Smith is a freshman writing, rhetoric and technical communication major. Contact Kerry at smit11km@dukes. jmu.edu.
Troy Fultz | contributing columnist
Michael Sam’s sexuality doesn’t matter I want to start this piece off by stating that I don’t know that much about the actual sport of football, but I do have extensive knowledge about what it’s like to live openly gay. As James Baldwin once brilliantly quipped, “I can only include how they feel, from the state of their institutions.” Michael Sam, a poised and properly positioned NFL prospect, came out as gay in a recent New York Times video interview. Not only is this a great leap forward for the presence and transparency of LGBT individuals, he will also potentially be the first publicly gay NFL player (assuming he gets drafted, that is). Sam recently graduated from the University of Missouri as a defensive lineman where he was voted as the co-defensive player of the year in the SEC and is said to be an early pick in the upcoming NFL draft. He said that he came out because he wants to “own my truth.”
One’s sexual orientation does in no way determine their athletic ability — as made apparent with Sam’s coming out. I applaud him for taking claim of his sexuality in what often appears to be a homophobic institution. It is extremely validating to see a person wanting to tell his story by his own words. He understands his position and possible backlash in the matter, but has relinquished possible major media control by leaking future stories about his sexual orientation. Fortunately, the announcement has sparked a dialogue about the feasibility of a having an “out” player in the league. ESPN has become a firestorm of 24-hour media coverage with “experts” discussing the viability and potential issues of locker-room politics. All this coverage reiterates how entrenched the issues
of homophobia and heterosexism are in football. Coaches and players are stating that they would feel uncomfortable being nude in the same locker room for fear of a predatory homosexual invading their heterosexual space. Let me articulate for those who have never experienced male locker rooms: there are very few public spaces free of sexual surveillance. Men use this space as a means to assert dominance through the creation of anxiety, bullying and sexist language. The assumption that all individuals are bound to opposite-sex attractions, and therefore other relationships are inferior, fosters poisonous thoughts and perceptions. Many commentators on the issue are preserving this attitude through fear. Let us not forget the nonsensical and foolish issue individuals took when female reporters were first allowed into the male locker rooms. To some unwarranted surprise, the issue actually accounted for much less media coverage since people understood that it was a professional space where individuals act well, like professionals. No longer can the fear of lost sexual privilege be positioned as legitimate. No longer can the preservation of hypermasculine spaces be deemed as licit grounds for exclusivity. No longer can the equating of sexual desire to level of one’s masculinity be permissible. One’s sexual orientation does in no way determine their athletic ability — as made apparent with Sam’s coming out. He has forced the NFL to address its issue of heterosexism and homophobia by finally starting a public analysis of its problem. To be frank, I most likely will not continue to follow the stats of his career, but I will be critical in the coming weeks and the NFL draft as the nation confronts and adapts a new paradigm of what it means to be masculine; while hopefully ceasing to allow the presence of hyper-masculinity performance to equate heterosexual desire and everything as else as “other.” Troy Fultz is a junior political science major. Contact Troy at fultztl@dukes.jmu.edu.
Courtesy of MCT Campus
Michael Sam has the potential to become the first openly gay active pro football player.
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Friday, February 14, 2014
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Friday, February 14, 2014
The man who knows two cultures Professor Tomás Regalado-López blends cultures of Latin American and Spain to teach Spanish
Mark Owen / The Breeze
Mark Owen / The Breeze
LEFT Tomás Regalado-López moved to Harrisonburg in 2000 from Salamanca, Spain to teach Spanish. RIGHT Trinkets from Regalado-López’s travels can be found adorning his entire office.
By Caitlin Trimble contributing writer
“I was supposed to be here for one semester — only between January and May of 2000. This has now been a 14-year semester,” Tomás Regalado-López, associate professor of Spanish and chair of the Latin American and Caribbean studies committee at JMU, said. Author, essayist, world traveler and professor Regalado-López moved to the United States for the sole purpose of working at JMU. The head of JMU’s study abroad program in Salamanca was recruiting Spanish professors while Regalado-López was finishing up his thesis on the works of Mexican novelist Jorge Volpi at the University of Salamanca. His professors recommended that he apply for the job, especially considering his interest in teaching abroad. Less than two months later, he arrived in Harrisonburg. “Jess’ Quick Lunch was my first impression of the United States,” he said, referring to the downtown Harrisonburg restaurant. Today he has visited nearly 50 different countries and has had his work published all over Europe, Latin America and the U.S. He tries to visit at least six or seven different countries a year for conferences and vacations. He lightheartedly refers to his office in Keezell Hall as “the inside of a souvenir shop,” with its colorful assortment of guidebooks, novels in both English and Spanish, various national flags, figurines of authors like Edgar Allan Poe, recreated Mayan calendars and even a replica of a sacrificial knife used in Aztec rituals. “I always tell my students that it is better to invest money traveling rather than in
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fancy cars or TVs or computers,” Regalado-López said. Last semester, Regalado-López proudly represented both JMU and his alma mater at a conference in Japan while speaking about his specialty, contemporary Latin American narrative. Marybeth Fox, junior Spanish and social work double major and a student of Regalado-López, said, “It is quite ironic that Tomás, as a Spaniard, teaches courses regarding Latin America but it works beautifully because he knows so much about Latin America.” Regalado-López considers his experiences in Latin America and his European background to be an advantage in the classroom because it removes a certain amount of bias. Objectivity is an incredible asset when discussing sensitive historical topics such as Spanish imperialism and conflicts between different Latin American nations. Karina Kline-Gabel, a JMU Spanish professor, has worked alongside Regalado-López for 10 years. She believes that the department is fortunate to have Regalado-López’s expertise. “In addition to his wonderful teaching style and connection with his students, he is a wonderful colleague and is always willing to participate in efforts to increase students’ knowledge on Latin American issues,” Kline-Gabel said. As a child, Regalado-López first became passionate about Latin American and Caribbean issues after examining a lot of the negative stereotypes and misconceptions that still exist in modern-day Spain. “Once I was interviewed by a newspaper in Salamanca and some people were mad at me when I said my close friends are from Mexico and Argentina and I didn’t say that they were from Spain,” he said. Such blatant prejudices inspired him to pursue teaching. Regalado-López’s involvement with a very influential Latin American literary movement called “el Crack” has caused some confusion about his nationality. After a book that he co-wrote with several famous Mexican authors such as Volpi, the subject of Regalado-López’s thesis, several important publications in his own country assumed that he was a Mexican author as well. Although centuries of ethnic and imperialist tensions between Spain and Latin America are not as ubiquitous today, the relationship between the two cultures is still complex. For example, Spaniards visiting Mexico are sometimes greeted as “gachupines,” a nuanced term from the Nahuatl “cactzopin” which referred to the spurs on the boots of conquistadores and literally translates to “those whose shoes bite or sting.” Unperturbed by the irony, Regalado-López is thrilled that his work in Latin American literature has contributed to a more pluralistic or culturally diverse perspective. Even though Salamanca will always be his hometown and the place where he got his start in academia, he proudly declares, “I feel half American now.” “Honestly, I have yet to feel attacked or mistreated anywhere. I understand the cultural differences in the world and that — as a visitor to a foreign place — it is a privilege to be able to learn about other cultures, languages and ways of life,” Regalado-López said. However, he does recognize that some cultural norms will never change no matter how much he travels. For the most recent soccer match between Real Madrid C.F. and FC Barcelona — which he equates to the Superbowl in Spain — Regalado-López admitted that he did feel homesick. “I think I was the only Spaniard in the world watching the game on my own,” he said. However, Regalado-López said that he could not be happier with his choice to teach at JMU and travel the world. “I studied at Salamanca for 15 years and I have taught at JMU for 14 years so it’s like they are my two homes,” Regalado-López said proudly. Contact Caitlin Trimble at trimblcb@dukes.jmu.edu.
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Blair Rosen / The Breeze
By Mary Kate White The Breeze
I don’t know how I feel about paper. Most people probably don’t give paper a whole lot of thought, but Facebook sure did with its new app. Facebook’s “Paper” was released exclusively for iOS earlier this month, and aims (at least I think) to mend the gap between your Facebook “newsfeed” and actual news. Upon logging into the app with your Facebook account, you are asked to select a number of news beats that interest you, such as “tech,” “home” or “pop life.” You then treat the app like a real-life newspaper, flipping to the section that most piques your interest at any moment. Why Facebook chose to design the new app this way is unclear. Did it grow a conscience after distracting the masses from “real” news for the past decade? Is it just looking for a way to get more advertisements into more eyes? Is it trying to topple Buzzfeed’s monopoly on story shares? What is clear is that this app was designed well. The layout is clean and uncluttered, and swiping from Facebook stories to Elle magazine fashion spreads is smooth and almost unnoticeable. Whenever I suddenly realize how bored I am looking at my cousin’s endless collection of motorcycle photos, I can simply swipe down and left to start learning about the current coconut rhinoceros beetle crisis in Hawaii. The app seems to amass the most interesting content from some of the best websites out there, bringing them closer to your Facebook and thus keeping bored users from ever straying too far. Now, instead of meandering over to Reddit when Facebook is no longer contributing to my fight for procrastination, I can forever stay close to my main boo. It’s always the little things in apps that get me, and “Paper’s” tilt-exploration of photos elicited an Earl-Sweatshirt-esque “whoooooaah” from me upon our first meeting. The iPhone 5’s tall, narrow screen shows only the center sliver of a horizontal photo, but tilting your phone left or right will cause the window to pan. I don’t know when I’ll stop being amazed by developers’ progression of the iPhone’s motion sensors, but I hope I never do. Although this was Facebook’s attempt at keeping more people on its site, its plan may have backfired for some users. With so many professional journalists’ and photographers’ work juxtaposed with my classmates’ blurry selfies, I find myself less and less interested in my Facebook newsfeed and more attracted to the goings-on of the real world. This is good news for everyone other than Facebook, especially me. “Paper” will not only help keep you informed of the world outside Facebook, but will also show you what you actually want to be informed of. Within two days of downloading the app, I learned that I like art, but I don’t actually like reading about it. By the end of day three, I knew what I wanted to read about it. Unfortunately, “Paper” can only include 10 sections. I suppose this is to ensure that paid promotions have a good chance of being seen, but I was sad to be so limited. I had to make a choice between “tech” and “taste” — my two great loves. I’ll miss you, “taste.” Overall, thanks to “Paper,” many Facebook addicts will probably find themselves betterinformed than before. Unfortunately, thanks to “Paper,” said Facebook addicts will probably only spend more time on Facebook. The best part of “Paper” is definitely the outside news, a welcome relief from the dwindling Facebook population’s tired posts of party pics and viral videos. But if the highlight of the new Facebook isn’t really even Facebook, then maybe we should all just pick up a real newspaper instead. Mary Kate White is a senior media arts and design major. Contact her at breezearts@gmail.com.
Kanye’s special edition Nike Air Yeezy shoes are selling on eBay for thousands By Breanna Garrett The Breeze
Mr. West has definitely had his share of controversies throughout his career, but are his fans just as “mad” as him? Rapper Kanye West worked with Nike in 2009, but because of Kanye’s usual issues, he dropped the deal. After West ended the deal with Nike, he chose to collaborate with Adidas. On Feb. 9 Nike announced that it had just one more release of Kanye’s sneakers available through a tweet; in just 11 minutes the sneakers were sold. Nike Air Yeezy 2 “Red October” sneakers are now being sold on eBay for thousands of dollars. One pair was on sale for $16.4 million, with a bid for £10 million in the United Kingdom. What’s wrong with these people? After taking some flak in the past couple yearsfor claiming to be a god, West definitely gets hailed as one. The fact that a human being would spend millions on a pair of sneakers that will eventually get worn and torn is absolutely ridiculous. Maybe the person spending that much money on them will not even place a foot in either shoe, which would be even more ridiculous. The description for the eBay item read, “The most hyped shoes in the past five years has finally been released on Feb. 9, 2014 at 1 p.m. I was lucky enough to get a pair. These are arriving this week. I am looking for offers if you make an offer and are a serious buyer I am willing to work it out with you. Offer me prices. Thank you for your time.” There’s no doubt about it that when things don’t go Kanye’s way he has a fit; I’m sure the bidders will do the same. I remember the old
Kanye, when his album College Dropout was a monster hit and people cared less about devil red shoes and more about his message. I strongly believe that not even a Louis Vuitton lover would pay this much for an item. The “Red October” sneakers were originally sold for $245. The sneakers are solid red with some pretty nice detailing but unless they have platinum or gold on the inside there’s no way I would pay more than $200 for them. West didn’t even sell the shoe himself and people are still bowing to his throne; it’s amazing the amount of money fans will waste over the faux king. People go crazy over Yeezy and absolutely love him as an artist and person, but he doesn’t have the best reputation. Even throughout all of Kanye’s altercations with those who have crossed his path, his fans and supporters have stood strong. So if anything, Nike has done West nothing but a huge favor. Nike’s sneaky release was less than expected and even more of a surprise for how much people are bidding on it now. But want the honest truth? If it were Beyonce’s heels or Michael Jackson’s shoes, people are still delusional enough to pay just as much, probably even more. So we can’t say that Kanye was crazy for dropping his deal with Nike; however, we can say he’s made his fans deranged and hungry for more limited edition Kanye-inspired wear. Nike Air Yeezy 2 “Red October” sneakers will continue to be sold on eBay until Feb. 15; the highest priced one for sale is $15,000.
Courtesy of MCT Campus
Breanna Garrett is a senior writing, rhetoric and technical communication major. Contact her at garretbd@dukes.jmu.edu.
Kanye West’s new line of Adidas shoes is set to be released this September. He is also working on a sports attire line.
Dark and whimsical Darren Aronofsky’s work through the ages has consistently haunted, enchanted
Courtesy of MCT Campus
Darren Aronofsky poses for photos on the red carpet at the 83rd Annual Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, Calif. in February 2011. By Travis barbour The Breeze
I’m sure you’ve seen the trailers for the new biblical epic “Noah” and thought, “Eh, it might be good,” and then went on with your day. But with a little background info on the director, you just might change your tone. Director Darren Aronofsky, though still somewhat new on the scene, has directed some extraordinary films. Having only five features under his belt, Aronofsky has quickly and effectively made a name for himself in the industry. The three films I chose to include are definitely worth seeing and — who knows — if you’re like me, they may become some of your favorite movies.
“Black Swan” (2010)
Tutus, psychotic ballerinas and yes, a quick sex scene between Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis; “Black Swan” has it all. Seriously though, this psychological thriller is one of my favorite movies from the past few years. After being cast as the Swan Queen in her company’s production of “Swan Lake,” Nina (Portman) begins to crack under the pressure of becoming more like the black swan, passionate and reckless, and less like the white swan, virginal and naïve. Brimming with color symbolism, allegories and hallucinations, “Black Swan” is a
film-lover’s dream. Watching Nina’s pursuit for perfection, even at the cost of her sanity, is truly mesmerizing. Aronofsky shoots the film much like someone following the protagonist with a hand-held camera, giving the audience an eerie sense of involvement in Nina’s story. If you haven’t seen this film, I promise you won’t be disappointed. Plus, who doesn’t love watching ballet, right … right?
“The Fountain” (2006)
This story takes place during three different time periods. Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weisz star in this stunning tale of love and the attempt to conquer death. This film can be quite confusing at intervals; but much like “The Matrix,” after you’ve watched it a couple times and fully understood it, it’ll become a favorite. The first story centers around a conquistador exploring the jungles of Central America in search of the tree of life. If he is able to return to his queen with its location, she can use it to save Spain from the Inquisition. In addition, this story echoes through the other two in the sense that Jackman is desperate to save his wife from cancer. Spending all his time searching for a cure, he misses opportunities to spend precious moments with her. The acceptance of death and the pointless battle to fight it off is central in this film and makes for some extremely beautiful imagery.
1. “Holding on for Life” by Broken Bells 2. “Shelter Song” by Temples 3. “Neon Fists” by Yellow Ostrich 4. “American Horror” by Speedy Ortiz 5. “Miss Teen Massachusetts” by Skaters
“Requiem for a Dream” (2000)
I’ve often heard this film described as “the best movie you’ll never want to see again” and take it from me, that depiction is 100 percent accurate. “Requiem for a Dream” follows a group of drug addicts striving for a better life. As the title suggests, their addiction overcomes their aspirations and we’re forced to sit and watch their dreams get crushed in realistic and sobering ways (pun intended). Aronofsky strives to reveal the harsh realities of drug addiction, from hopeful young adults to an old woman who merely wishes to fit into an old dress. He uses haunting yet captivating montages to show the characters’ slow but steady downfalls. Though heartbreaking and tragic, I highly recommend seeing this one. But take my advice, have a Disney film prepared to watch afterward, because you’re going to need a pick-me-up. If these three films are any indication of things to come from Darren Aronofsky, then I’m already sold on “Noah” and I will definitely be in the theater seeing it, flood or shine. Travis Barbour is a senior media arts and design major. Contact him at barboutw@dukes.jmu.edu.
6. “Mercury Dime” by Death Vessels 7. “Hollow Visions” by Eagulls 8. “New York” by PyPy 9. “Gravelines” by Woodsman 10. “Time & Place” by Bleeding Rainbow
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Balmy weather forces Sochi to tap into snow reserve
Tom Peterson / MCT Campus
Warm weather has taken a toll on the snowpack at the Sochi Winter Olympics. From the Laura Nordic Center on Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2014, the Caucasus Mountain showed plenty of snowcover at higher elevations, but lower areas of the mountain were showing the signs of warmer weather. By William Douglas and Barbara Barrett McClatchy Foreign Staff
SOCHI, Russia — The motto for the 2014 Winter Olympics is “Hot.Cool.Yours.” Unfortunately, it’s getting a little too hot in subtropical Sochi. After Monday’s temperatures reached the balmy upper 50s and Tuesday’s temps appeared headed toward that direction, Russian officials went with Plan B and broke out snow stored from last winter. They applied it to courses that needed it at the mountain venues in Krasnaya Polyana. “I cannot tell you how much. I just don’t know,” said Aleksandra Kosterina, spokeswoman for Sochi 2014, in an article from Olympic News Service. “I mean I don’t know the specifics but I know that we did.” Some athletes were appreciative. “It’s nice out,” joked USA snowboarder Shaun White. “The sun’s out. I don’t know what the temperature is.” It was about 40 degrees Fahrenheit, and fans were crunching by in slush. White said that after the grooming, the halfpipe was in much better condition during official qualifying runs Tuesday than it had been during the informal training on previous days. “I’m so thankful for that,” said White. Temperatures dropped as night fell on the halfpipe finals Tuesday, and Seamus O’Connor of Ireland said the snow was better because the bottom of the pipe had re-frozen. White, meanwhile, crashed on both of his runs in the finals,
fell to fourth place and missed out on a medal. Snow is a tricky business for the Winter Olympics Too much of it, like the near white-out conditions at the 1998 games in Nagano, Japan, isn’t a good thing. Too little of it — organizers of the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver were praying for snowfall — isn’t a good thing, either. Sochi is a large area with a dual identity. The Black Sea coastal area, where the skating sports arenas are located, has palms and fir trees. It’s there where the weather has been balmy. Less than an hour away are the mountains, which have natural snow at the higher elevations that’s been augmented with artificial snow. Critics have complained about Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decision to put the Winter Games in the place in Russia where it snows the least. And Russian Olympic officials have had to deal with snow questions even before the games began. “We do have a strong contingency plan in place,” Kosterina said. “We developed a special program I think two years ago certainly that included several measures, and one of them was the snow preservation.” In a scathing report last May detailing alleged corruption around the construction of the Winter Games, frequent Putin critic Boris Nemtsov wrote: “Russia is a winterly country. On the map, it is hard to find a spot where snow would never fall, and where winter sports would not be popular. Yet Putin has found such a spot and decided to hold the Winter Olympics there: in the city of Sochi.” Valery Lukyanov, the weather forecast manager for the Winter Games, said in a news conference before the games began
that Russia added a dozen weather stations in the mountains and hired some 50 weather and technical experts to forecast and advise on conditions. Some snowboarding athletes have complained about their venue. Monday’s half pipe practices were postponed as workers attempted to fix some of the concerns voiced by participating athletes. Tuesday, some snowboarders continued to trip on the lip of the pipe or tumble in their landings. American snowboarder Taylor Gold said that soft snow, when it isn’t properly groomed, gets bumpy and rattles the competitors on their runs. “It’s kind of scary,” he said. “Figuring out how to ride this thing is a challenge,” Taylor said. “When the weather’s warm like this it’s bound to get soft and I’m sure it’s a challenge to get it up to competition standard. Had this event been held in a firmer pipe it would be a much better contest because we would’ve had practice and people would be going bigger.” At a nearby event, some of the ski slopestyle competitors said they noticed the soft snow in their event too. “Today, everything softened up,” said Devin Logan, Team USA’s silver medalist. “The landings were kind of mushy.” She tried to make the most of it, she said, imagining skiing on a spring day. “Everyone was in the same conditions,” Logan said. “We can’t control Mother Nature. We just adjust to it.” The forecast for Wednesday at Rosa Khutor Extreme Park calls for a high of 45.
Russian men’s hockey team carries host nation’s hope for glory By William Douglas McClatchy Foreign Staff
SOCHI, Russia — The Cold War is over and Perestroika has passed, but some memories die hard in Russia. Especially when it comes to ice hockey. Russia and the United States face off Saturday at the 2014 Winter Olympics in an early pivotal match that could advance — or derail — each country’s drive toward the gold medal. A raucous Russian crowd and national pride will likely be on full display inside a packed Bolshoy Ice Dome. Hockey is ingrained in Russia’s culture: President Vladimir Putin occasionally suits up and gets on the ice with Russian hockey heroes of the past or current players, daring goaltenders to stop his shot. While fans wave Russian flags and chant shaybu! (shoot) whenever Russian-born National Hockey League stars like Alexander Ovechkin or Evgeni Malkin touch the puck, palms may sweat and stomachs churn in the arena and across this large nation that’s mindful of its uneasy hockey history with the United States and Canada. From inside Putin’s “Ring of Steel” that secures and sections off the Olympic complex to the cafes in nearby Adler, talk about Saturday’s game and the Winter Games’ hockey tournament invariably shifts to the ghosts of 1980 and 1972. In 1980, a U.S. team of college players pulled off the “Miracle on Ice” by beating a powerhouse Soviet Union en route to winning the Olympic gold medal at Lake Placid. In 1972, the Soviets narrowly lost the first “Super Series” against a Canadian team stacked with National Hockey League allstars. The series was a watershed moment for hockey because it exposed Canadians to Russian hockey playing and training methods _ many of which are employed in the U.S. and Canada today _ and the Russians to the more physical North American style. Coincidence, or not, Russian television has been airing commercials in between Olympic coverage for a movie about the 1972 Russia-Team Canada contest, with scenes of the Canadian stars hacking and whacking at the Soviet players. Hockey is so much part of the Russian psyche that Dmitry Chernyshenko, president of the Sochi 2014 Olympic Organizing Committee, recently reeled off the names of three American horror films he watched as a youth — “Nightmare on Elm Street,” “Friday the 13th” and “Miracle on Ice.” “We all want to see Russia in the finals. Definitely,” said Alexandra Kosterina, a spokeswoman for the Russian Olympic committee. “There is no secret about it. For us it is very important because, as (with the) Canadians, I think most of the Russians are crazy about hockey.” How important is a hockey gold medal to Russia? “It means gold only costs $50 billion,” said Ovechkin, a forward for the Washington Capitals, referring to the record price tag for the entire Winter Games. Dan Bylsma, the U.S. team’s coach and head coach of the Pittsburgh Penguins, said Malkin, one of his star players in Pittsburgh, “stopped talking to me a couple of days ago.” Pavel Datsuyk, a Russia’s team captain and forward for the Detroit Red Wings forward, missed practice Monday because of
Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune/ MCT
A woman with Russian flags in her hair waits for the U.S. and Finland to play a women’s hockey game at the Winter Olympics in Sochi.
an undisclosed lower body injury. When asked about it, Datsyuk replied “What injury?” The U.S. team faces pressure, too, though much of it selfimposed. While its reach and impact are growing, hockey isn’t the national pastime that it is in Russia and Canada. Still, the U.S. players hunger for gold and still remember the sting of losing the championship game at the 2010 Vancouver Games on a goal by Pittsburgh Penguins forward Sidney Crosby in overtime. “There’s definitely that hunger, U.S. team captain Zach Parise, a forward for the Minnesota Wild, said of the opportunity to avenge the loss in Vancouver. “It was a special thing, but it was tough. It was a tough way for us to finish.” Dustin Brown, a Los Angeles Kings forward and another returnee from the 2010 team said “I remember how it felt after Vancouver and it is one of those things I will keep in the back of my mind this time.” Like Russia, the Canada’s hockey team has the weight of a
country on its shoulders. Canada is the reigning Olympic champion, but hockey hasn’t been kind to the Great White North lately. Canada’s Under 20 junior team failed to medal at the International Ice Hockey Federation’s Junior World Championship in Malmo, Sweden last month; a men’s national team that included several NHL players finished fourth last May at the IIHF world championship in Helsinki; the Canadian women’s team lost the four straight pre-Olympics matches to the U.S. women in a series of friendlies that ended last December in an on-ice brawl in Grand Forks, North Dakota. In another blow to Canada’s hockey mojo, the IIHF recently placed its men’s fifth in the organization’s pre-Olympic rankings. Sweden is first followed by Finland, Russia, and the Czech Republic. The U.S. ranked sixth. A recent poll provided to the Canadian Press found that 73 percent of Canadians believe that a gold medal in men’s hockey is “important in determining the success of the Games.”
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Friday, February 14, 2014
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Sochi’s highs and lows
Photos courtesy of MCT Campus
The United States’ Devin Logan on the first run of her silver medal-winning day in the ladies’ ski slopestyle at the Rosa Khutor Extreme Park during the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.
USA’s Hilary Knight (21) and Canada’s Catherine Ward chase the puck in the second period of a women’s hockey game on Wednesday, Feb. 12. The U.S. lost 3-2 to the Canadians.
Canada’s Kirsten Moore-Towers and Dylan Moscovitch perform their figure skating pairs short program at the Winter Olympics at the Iceberg Skating Palace in Sochi, Russia on Tuesday, Feb. 11.
USA’s Shaun White starts his run during the finals in the men’s halfpipe competition at the Rosa Khutor Extreme Park on Tuesday, Feb. 11. White finished fourth.
Sports
What was learned?
Recap of softball’s weekend in Georgia on breezejmu.org.
Editors Wayne Epps Jr. & Hayley Thompson Email breezesports@gmail.com
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Going big time
Stephen proffitt
estimated proffitt
Where’s the love?
Friday, February 14, 2014
Duke Dog to compete in National Cheerleading Association Championships
Women’s basketball deserves more student support JMU had a 21-0 lead in the first eight minutes of the game. Football in February? No — I’m talking women’s basketball. This is how the Dukes began their matchup with Towson University Sunday. JMU called it a “dominating 82-40 win.” I can’t criticize that, because it’s not Athletics’ job to gloat, but that has to be the politically correct way of saying Kenny Brooks’ team spanked the Tigers up and down the court for 40 minutes. The football team didn’t get out to a 21-0 lead all season. Now it had its share of leads this year, but none amounted to that, which makes you ponder the possibility of a skunk rule. Brooks, in his 12th season at JMU, is consistently leading the most successful program on campus And he needs, wants and deserves more support. “I think this team has a chance to be special,” Brooks said. “I’ve learned to not just enjoy the destination, I’m enjoying the journey. Being with these kids is very special.” The Waynesboro native played three seasons at JMU, was an assistant on the men’s team from 1998 through 2002, and now has compiled 271 wins as the commander of the women’s program. “The community recognizes it,” Brooks said of success. “You come in here and look around, you don’t look at the gender on the floor, you don’t know if it’s a men’s game or a women’s game.” Let me throw out a few more stats: his team hasn’t missed postseason play since 2005, he’s been to three NCAA tournaments, a Women’s National Invitational Tournament Final and a trip to the WNIT quarterfinals last season. I could list sheer statistics to complete this column trying to convince you of the potential of this current team, but it’s merely the concept. Women’s basketball can be just as exciting as men’s. When the Convo gets rocking behind senior guard Kirby Burkholder and redshirt senior forward Nikki Newman, it is the place to be. “We’ve been to a lot of different arenas, some in the Bowl Championship Series, and our atmosphere is 10 times better,” Brooks said. After a season-high attendance of 4,589 Sunday, the Dukes are averaging 2,753 fans per game. They’ve averaged over 2,100 per game the past six seasons. These numbers are great for women’s college basketball. Both the men’s (3,762) and women’s teams lead the Colonial Athletic Conference in average attendance. “It’s tremendous,” Brooks said of the support. “We always talk about this building in itself, and the emotion is worth eight points. It’s intimidating when you have the band we have. The atmosphere, it’s electric. We love playing in it.” The JMU pep band is electric, both their instruments and enthusiasm. With Chad Reep, assistant director of athletic bands, jumping and jiving, they create pandemonium for opponents. They’re the best band in the CAA. Now, in reality these attendance numbers are just a fraction of the Convocation Center’s 7,156 capacity. An overwhelmingly expensive football stadium is packed for six to seven Saturday’s every fall and they haven’t seen postseason play since 2011. Why can we not #cramtheconvo for a team that hasn’t lost since see basketball, page B8
Photos by Holly Warfield / The Breeze
In April, the Duke Dog mascot will travel to Florida to be in the NCA Mascot Championship for the second straight year. It placed sixth last year. Duke Dog performs with the cheerleaders during period breaks and roams through crowds of fans at men’s and women’s basketball games all season long. By Richard Bozek contributing writer
The face of JMU school spirit and sporting events recently received news that it will be taking a trip down to Florida. JMU’s beloved mascot, the Duke Dog, has been nominated as a finalist in the National Cheerleading Association College Mascot Championship. The event will be held on April 12, the third day of the NCA and National Dance Alliance Collegiate Cheer and Dance Championship, which is a four-day event from April 9-13 in Daytona Beach. The Duke Dog is part of a select group of mascots that will be competing in the event; only 12 schools across the nation will be represented in the competition. JMU will be competing against schools such as Syracuse University, North Carolina State University, the University of Connecticut and the University of Maryland. Schools and their mascots can earn bids to the NCA Championship by participating in camps and a variety of other competitions. If not earned at one of these, mascots can send in a 90-second video in which they will be judged on criteria such as creativity and characterization. Only four mascots earned bids through videos this year — and the Duke Dog was one of them. The Duke Dog’s video appealed to these aspects the judges were looking for. The video was more of a rehearsal, or preview of what can be expected of the Duke Dog at the competition. This is the Duke Dog’s second time competing at the championship in the last two years, returning after competing in 2013 for the first time ever. Finishing in sixth place out of 10 schools last year, the Duke Dog looks to show off some new tricks in an attempt to be crowned the champion mascot. “This year we have a whole new routine for Duke Dog,” head cheerleading coach Kelly Moore said. “Last year we were kind of blind to what the judges were looking for. We have the experience and more knowledge of what the judges look for now and have put together a better routine.” In order to master a routine, the mascots dedicate a lot of time and effort. The mascots begin working for the competition months in advance, see DUKE DOG, page B8
Lacrosse
Putting it all together
Four preseason All-CAA selections highlight team that is picked to finish second in conference By Kat Maniatakis contributing writer
It’s been nine months since the women’s lacrosse team took the field and suffered the devastating loss that shattered their dreams of reclaiming the Colonial Athletic Association title. Last season lacrosse fell to Hofstra University 6-4 during the CAA semifinals, in what was JMU’s second-lowest scoring game in the program’s history. The 11-6 overall season wasn’t enough to produce a CAA Championship or an at-large berth into the NCAA Tournament. “We do feel we underperformed in the postseason losing in the semifinal,” head coach Shelley Klaes-Bawcombe said. “That was our fault. We underperformed and Hofstra took advantage of that. Now we have a chance to make it right.” The team is losing five seniors this year; the biggest obstacle it will face is the loss of four-year starter and offensive powerhouse, Casey Ancarrow — who finished her career at JMU ranking fifth in goals and points on lacrosse’s all-time career list while posting a phenomenal 54-19 record. “You can’t replace that talent,” Klaes-Bawcombe said. “When you lose a player like that, it forces other players to step up.” Of the returning players, four were nominated to the preseason All-CAA squad: senior attacker Amy Roguski, junior midfielder Ali Curwin, junior defender Lexi Cross and junior goalkeeper Schylar Healy. Due to the accolades stemming from last season, these players were no-brainers when it came to acquiring votes. “[This season] we’re taking chances, not being afraid to take risks and recognize opportunities,” Roguski said. Roguski is also the leading returning scorer after netting 34 goals last season. Klaes-Bawcombe also feels that there is an
Holly Warfield / The Breeze
Defender Mary Jane Toohey, attacker Emily Rhoads and defender Leah Perrotta battle for a ball in Tuesday’s practice.
immense amount of unrecognized weapons, such as junior attacker Stephanie Finley. Klaes-Bawcombe regarded Finley as “a force to be reckoned with this year.” Helping to guide this fresh offense is the newest addition to the team, assistant coach Emily Garrity. Garrity, a 2013 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill graduate, was a two-time captain for the UNC lacrosse team and holds a 2013 NCAA Women’s Lacrosse Championship under her belt. With Klaes-Bawcombe usually leading both the team and deciphering the offense, she says having
Garrity as a specifically offensive-minded coach will redefine the program. “She knows what it takes to compete, perform and find success,” Klaes-Bawcombe said. “She is used to being a part of a culture of excellence.” On the defensive side of the ball, Healy is coming off of a remarkable season having led the CAA in save percentage and being named the All-CAA First Team Goalkeeper as a sophomore. see lacrosse, page B8
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Friday, February 14, 2014  
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rting one another while maintaini Suppo ng sob riety
RECOV E RY an annonymous student led support network for peers in recovery from alcoholism or substance addiction
Each Monday // 7:00 - 8:00 pm Montpelier 512
1/9 - 2/21 Festival Conference Room 5
2/24 - 5/5 Festival Conference Room 3 4/21
For more information - UHCSAP@jmu.edu, or visit www.jmu.edu/healthcenter *We are not affiliated with AA, NA or other addiction treatment programs
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DUKE DOG | Cheerleaders helping Duke Dog prepare for competition from page B6
and the Duke Dog is no exception. Duke Dog started brainstorming routine ideas for this year after last year’s competition in April. With help from JMU cheerleaders, Duke Dog will be hoping to perform a routine that will help him stand out from the rest. “This is a very competitive competition,” senior cheerleader captain Shannon Connolly said. “We practice with Duke Dog to work on his routine and give suggestions on how to improve it.” The cheerleaders also help Duke Dog in the mental aspect of performing. “Just like us before competition, Duke Dog gets nervous too so we are there to support and help him get better,” senior cheerleader captain Erika Downing said. Much like the videos, the judges formulate scores based on aspects such as creativity, characterization and props during a 90-second routine. Duke Dog will arrive to the competition prepared in the props category, hauling a trailer of props that cheerleaders will help use during competition. Construction of these props began in October, though Moore wouldn’t give details of what they are. During live competition, things such as dancing and crowd involvement are also important. “Much of the crowd is involved because of all the music and the cheerleaders and dance teams rooting for their schools mascot,” Moore said. “Everybody supports everybody else.” This year the stage of the mascot competition is
in close proximity to the beach. “Thousands of people are watching the mascots compete and cheering on their different schools, making it really exciting to watch,” Connolly said. Duke Dog is always making appearances at JMU sporting and school events, but performing at a national competition is huge for the Duke Dog and JMU. “We have such a unique mascot here that we take pride in,” Connolly said. “Duke Dog competing in the national championship demonstrates how strong of a school JMU is. I think it’s big that we support our mascot because not all schools have this opportunity.” Duke Dog will be looking to mirror this pride and spirit of the supportive JMU community at the competition. “At JMU, I have seen the most support here than any other school I have been to, both internally and externally,” Moore said. “From parents, to the faculty, staff and students, everybody of JMU is supportive.” Not only will Duke Dog be representing JMU’s school spirit and pride at a national level, he will be spreading the name of JMU. “Not many people outside of Virginia seem to know of JMU at competition, so Duke Dog will help get our school out there,” Downing said. Duke Dog, with the support of JMU behind him and a routine that he’ll be working on perfecting, is striving to be named the champion mascot. CONTACT Richard Bozek at bozekrj@dukes.jmu.edu.
lauren gordon / The Breeze
Duke Dog spends much of the basketball games in the crowd, getting students loud for the team.
basketball | ‘We wish we could get more students’ from page B6
Jan. 2, a team that is 19-4 on the season, a team that is undefeated in conference play, a team that has outscored its opponents by over 400 points? You see? “We wish we could get more students,” Brooks said. “I think they don’t understand what they’re missing. It’s a generalization that women’s basketball isn’t as exciting as men’s basketball, but I disagree.” It boggles my mind as an observer of JMU sports that this team chronically flies under the radar of the student body. The fan base here is an anomaly in college sports. You confidently believe football is one half, you show up to basketball games when there are tangible incentives and then graciously applaud yourselves when some sketchy business website ranks you as 16th in the nation for “Hardcore Fans.” Hardcore fans show up to baseball games when it’s 32 degrees in frigid February. Hardcore fans watch a men’s program traverse the struggles of an inexperienced team. Hardcore fans damn sure support women’s
basketball, especially when the team is on track for a NCAA tournament berth and have two player of the year candidates. “I think if we were doing what we’re doing on the men’s side, the recognition would come a lot quicker,” Brooks said. “But because we’re on the women’s side people don’t see it as much.” While Brooks is biased, he’s also knowledgable. “I’ve been on both sides,” Brooks said. “I played here in this building, I’ve coached on the men’s side, I’ve coached on the women’s side. When we get the fan support in here the games are as exciting as any men’s game I’ve been a part of.” They preach on the commercials for JMU that you can “Be the Change” at this school. You might see where I’m heading with this, but try being the change. Give women’s basketball the attention it deserves. Maybe it’ll cause change on the national media scene. As they say, stop b----ing, start a revolution. Stephen Proffitt is a junior media arts and design major. Contact Stephen at proffittjs@gmail.com.
Holly Warfield / The Breeze
Women’s basketball doesn’t get the same student atmosphere as men’s basketball games.
lacrosse | Season starts at home vs. Virginia Tech Saturday from page B6
“During the offseason, I’ve improved my comunication and made myself more a part of the defense,” Healy said. “We’ve worked very hard this pre-season and we’re using that to push us forward.” Despite the distinctions JMU lacrosse has accumulated, it was once again placed behind Towson University in the preseason CAA polls. The Tigers are two-time CAA defending Champions and have proven to be a problem for the Dukes. JMU is just 1-4 in the last five match-ups against Towson. Regardless of what the polls say, the team is focusing on the road ahead of it that leads up to conference play. This road includes games against some of the greatest teams in the country. The Dukes’ strategy? One practice at a time, one game at a time. “Not allowing ourselves to be motivated by opponents,” said Klaes-Bawcombe. “Having that intrinsic motivation to set a standard of what kind of product we want to put on the field this year.” The preparation started during off season scrimmages with nationally ranked teams such as Syracuse University, UNC Chapel Hill and Northwestern University — all of which made it to the final four of the 2013 National Championship.
When taking on UNC, the defending NCAA Champion, the Dukes tied the game with a buzzer-beater shot. While playing against seven time national champion Northwestern, lacrosse fell by one goal. Then in a tight clash with the Syracuse Orange, the Dukes lost by two. “With a tough schedule in 2014, [we are] setting ourselves up for success,” Klaes-Bawcombe said. “Understanding mentally and physically what it takes to compete at that level: perseverance, ability not to quit.” Coming into the new season, the Dukes worked immensely on their speed and ability to win loose ball possessions – something that had plagued them previously. Through an immense skill set paired with a balance of fresh legs and experience, JMU aims to re-establish their dominance not only in the CAA but as a national-title contender. Lacrosse hosts its 2014 season opener against Virginia Tech this Saturday. Play is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. Contact Kat Maniatakis at maniatkr@dukes.jmu.edu.
Holly Warfield / The Breeze
Senior midfielder Shelby Robinson passes a player to go for the goal. She scored one goal last season.
BASEBALL | Team hopeful that returners will end two season slump from front.
JMU took to the field Jan. 30 for its first full day on Eagle Field. Over the course of last weekend, the team got in two inter-squad scrimmages. McFarland said that those can sometimes come at a premium when accounting for the unpredictable weather, but the live action is something everyone can rejoice in. The Dukes, draped in purple and black warm ups, hit the field Tuesday for their final day of preparation before hitting the road for their season opener Friday against East Carolina University. The Pirates are ranked 34th in the nation by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association. “We’re hungry to get back up there and play JMU baseball the way we know we’re capable of doing,” senior catcher Nick Merullo said. Merullo played 11 games on that 2011 NCAA tournament team. “In my time here, we’ve been to the top and kind of kicked around at the bottom,” Merullo said. He and senior pitcher Trent Cundiff were named team captains. “It’s a huge honor,” Merullo said. “It means a lot because there’s so much leadership on this team.” Cundiff said Merullo is a better man with words. “Sometimes it’s about saying what needs to be said,” Merullo said. “I’ve never really never been afraid to make a suggestion or correction.” At the end of the day, there’s 33 chances for leadership on this squad. “If all 33 of us can help in some way, that’s the biggest point,” Cundiff said. The Dukes, who hit .318 last season with 38 home runs and 153 extra base hits, lost some production at the plate following last season. But that doesn’t worry them as 16 newcomers will suit up in purple and gold this season. “We lost quite a bit, but we have four or five pretty good returners and some pretty good new guys,” McFarland said. JMU lost outfielders in Johnny Bladel, Cole McInturff and Colby Roberts. They also said goodbye to infielders Tyler Duke and Casey Goss, as well as catcher Bradley Shaban. Those six bats combined for 193 of the team’s 412 RBI’s last year.
With that being said, the Dukes return four position starters and and seven key pitchers. “We got all of our pitching back so that’s a big plus,” McFarland said. Those seven returning arms combined to throw over 312 innings last season with an average ERA of 5.94. Together they had a 15-24 record. “[We have] depth and experience on the mound,” McFarland said. McFarland will rely heavily on three solid right-handed starters: sophomores Mark Gunst and Chris Huffman, plus junior Patrick Toohers. “Huffman is the most talented,” McFarland said. “Gunst is the best pitcher and Toohers is right in between, he can throw hard and he has three pitches.” Toohers, at 6-foot-6, started 14 games for the Dukes last season, posting a 3-8 record with over 71.0 IP and a 8.49 ERA. Carroll describes the difference in Toohers this season as “night and day.” McFarland will look for him to eat up a lot of innings down the stretch this season. “The thing I really like about this team is that we have an experienced bullpen,” McFarland said. “Experience on the mound in my opinion is one of the important things you have to have to be successful.” The bullpen will be led by Cundiff, junior left-hander Ben Garner, redshirt sophomore left-hander Aaron Hoover and redshirt junior right-hander Michael Howerton. “It’s great to know when you got guys coming in whether it be the starters or the bullpen,” Merullo said. “You can trust them to do their job, throw strikes and compete.” With so many newcomers to the team in freshmen and transfers, redshirt senior first baseman Matt Tenaglia, along with seniors Conner Brown (second base) and Ty McFarland (third base and son of coach McFarland) will attempt to control the pace of the game — not letting the game speed get to the young’ns. “Slow the game down,” Tenaglia said Tuesday. “It’s going to be quick for the younger guys. Let the game play out.” With 78 errors last season, 24 more than their opponents, nerves and pace are key focal points for an experienced infield.
“As you get older in your career, the game slows down,” Ty said. “Even from your freshman to sophomore year there’s a big difference.” Less nerves mean better throws. Better throws mean less errors, and so on. “Teaching them to not make too big of a deal of late-inning ball games,” Ty said. “Just to play it like you’re playing in your backyard. Take all the stress off yourself.” For the time being, Ty will take leadoff responsibilities in the lineup followed by Carroll, Brown and Tenaglia to round out the top half. McFarland says his son gained 10-pounds of muscle in the offseason and hit the most homers in the fall. An odd selection for the top of the lineup is accredited to his ability to work counts and score runs. He’s not the fastest, but may see the ball the best. Ty earned 45 walks last year and scored a team-high 65 runs. The schedule for this year appears to be one of the most challenging yet. JMU plays seven games against Atlantic Coast Conference teams. The ACC is statistically the best conference in the nation. The Dukes face the University of Maryland for an away and home series, two games on the road at Clemson University, one at Virginia Tech and an away and home with the University of Virginia. The Cavaliers will make the hour journey to Harrisonburg April 5. It’s arguabably the biggest home game of the season. A game in 2010 between the two at Veterans Memorial Park set the current attendance record at 1,815. Virginia was the top team in the nation at the time. Baseball America has U.Va. at the top of their 2014 preseason poll. The Dukes and Cavaliers have split their last four matchups. “This is a big year,” Carroll said. “The best motivation we have is being ranked sixth preseason, which is definitely an underdog statement for this team because we have a lot we can prove here with the talent we’ve brought in and then the returning guys that have gotten much better.” McFarland, in his 17th season, fully believes that team no. 45 will provide “less question marks.” CONTACT Stephen Proffitt at proffittjs@gmail.com.
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Friday , February 14, 2014
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