Lacrosse pL ayer rebounds from injuries, Leads team into 2025 sports | 15
Graduate defender Carolyn Thistlewaite is back for her fifth season with JMU lacrosse after tearing her ACL and both menisci in October 2023. Despite not playing a game last season, the “Brick House” defender was named Preseason American Athletic Conference Player of the Year.
By DRAKE MILLER The Breeze
In November, Deanna Reed, Nasser Alsaadun and Laura Dent won seats on the Harrisonburg City Council, and with January, the victors’ terms begin.
Now, the candidates are reflecting on their goals, hopes and progress.
Mayor Reed: “It’s an honor”
Fifth-term mayor and city council member Deanna Reed grew up in Harrisonburg — something she took pride in when returning to act as its mayor.
“It’s an honor for me to serve as the mayor of Harrisonburg,” Reed said. “I’m very grateful to be serving the city I grew up in.”
Reed said she believes Harrisonburg is a very unique community. Although it’s no longer a small town, she said that the “small town connection” still exists within Harrisonburg.
Reed’s most recent campaign’s focus was to ensure Harrisonburg is “a city for all,” referencing Harrisonburg’s The Friendly City title.
Specifically, she said her campaign focused on affordable housing, the school system, the homeless population and continuing to be the voice of those “who may see themselves as not having a voice.” Reed also emphasized education, community and opportunity, she said.
“We call ourselves a welcoming city,” Reed said. “I’m going to make sure that we are exactly who we say we are.”
While campaigning, Reed said she met with many different people and groups in various Harrisonburg communities and organizations, such as the city ’s first responders, to ensure she heard from communities, organizations and groups.
“Whoever would meet with me, I met with,” she said, which kept Reed grounded in knowing the needs of the community members, she added.
As an elected official, Reed said her accessibility as a mayor to the community is one of her responsibilities — one which hasn’t changed for her during the eight years she’s been on the council.
“I feel like I’m very transparent, and I think people feel they know who I am,” Reed said. “I always bring myself to the table.”
Reed said her experience as a Harrisonburg native contributes to her personality as a council member by providing her insight through past experiences with public organizations such as the Harrisonburg City Public School system.
Reed said she looks forward to working with the new council and specifically referenced excitement over working with newcomer Nasser Alsaadun (D), the council’s first refugee member.
“I look forward to what we can do together,” Reed said.
Council newcomer Alsaadun
Since 2024’s election cycle marked Alsaadun’s first time running for office, he said the primary election was a “great opportunity” for learning about the election process.
“It was very challenging for me, being the first time on the council,” Alsaadun said, adding that being on the council has required a lot of attention and preparation. “It was an interesting moment, and challenging as I said.” Alsaaadun said he learned a lot from the city council primary election and saw the primary as a great learning opportunity in the election process.
“We knocked on the door, we reached people, we saw people,” Alsaadun said, continuing that he is learning from the experience and hard work.
During the general election, Alsaadun reached a greater number of people of different backgrounds and political alignments, which he said was challenging because of the sheer number of potential voters he reached.
Alsaadun now serves as the first refugee to be elected to the Harrisonburg City Council. He said this feels “great” for a place nicknamed The Friendly City as this shows him that the city does stand for all.
“By doing this, we are giving an example,” Alsaadun said. “It’s not a normal example –we’re making history,” adding that Harrisonburg has “always been the lead in providing good examples” which he hopes continues.
While campaigning, Alsaadun focused on four issues: housing, education, climate and business. He said he hopes to collect more information on these topics and work on them as his term unfolds.
Regarding housing issues, Alsaadun said housing is a “burden” to the residents of Harrisonburg and non-profit organizations, including the Church World Service.
“This is very urgent. This is my priority. I feel it every day,” Alsaadun said. “For residents suffering from the housing issue, I just want to let them know that I am part of that. I have been renting for the past 15 years. I am listening to you, I’m there, and I’ll do my best to try.”
Although Alsaadun said he can’t solve the problem, he will “work hard to minimize it” as much as possible.
Council member Dent revs up for second term
For her second term on the council, Dent looks to “continue the momentum,”
“By the time we feel the impacts, it’s too late,” Dent said. “The sooner we deal with it, the better because that decreases the carbon emissions that will last a thousand years.”
Dent said one of her biggest goals for her second term is to implement the community goals. She said one of her biggest accomplishments from the first term she served in office was the expansion of the Harrisonburg environmental action plan to include community goals aimed at the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.
The “most important” community goal enacted during her first term was to be carbon neutral by 2050, Dent said, which she called an “ambitious goal.”
Dent, who recently rotated out of the vice mayor position, said housing was the “most immediate crisis” facing the Harrisonburg community, adding that the council has made slow and steady progress on a 2021 housing study. The study found a “housing mismatch,” Dent said, where individuals in the lowest income bracket could not find housing and individuals in the highest income bracket could not find appropriate housing, making many buy into the housing market’s middle range.
“In short, we need housing across the whole spectrum,” Dent said. “Especially with the most needy, but also in the high end.”
her work with the planning commission,
Dent said she’s been a “consistent advocate” for housing of all types, especially affordable housing, noting that affordability encompasses various types of income levels.
“The city is exploring new initiatives,” Dent said. “What can the city do to help developers build housing that is affordable for lower and middle-income people?”
One initiative under Harrisonburg City Housing Coordinator Liz Webb involves paying “tap fees” associated with hook-ups to water and sewer.
“If the city is willing to forego some of the revenue from the hook-up fees, that can help the developer make it more affordable,” Dent said.
One such item Dent said has had on her list since the housing study has been creating an affordable housing trust fund. Dent said local government is the most trusted level of government due to the closer level of effect on constituents’ lives.
“I heard early on, in my first term, that anything worth doing takes eight years,” Dent said. “So I thought, ‘I better pace myself for two terms.’”
Drake Miller at breezenews@gmail.com. For more coverage of JMU and Harrisonburg news, follow the news desk on X @ TheBreezeJMU and on Instagram @ BreezeJMU.
By ISABELLA DUNN
The Breeze
For College of Arts and Letters (CAL) Dean Traci Zimmerman, the “sky’s the limit” for students as she looks to emphasize this goal by implementing a new four-year strategic plan.
Zimmerman — who assumed the position of CAL dean Jan. 2 after serving as the college’s interim dean since 2023 — first earned a bachelor’s degree from JMU’s CAL in 1988, and because of this, her new position feels all the more “special.” She continued her studies in graduate school at JMU and earned her master’s in English in 1994.
“The whole arc of my career here really does go back to my time as a student and my time as a graduate teaching assistant and an adjunct,” Zimmerman said. “I get to learn new things and help support a college that supported me.”
Zimmerman said she’s experienced “almost every contract you can have” in terms of CAL faculty, including her time on the tenure track as an associate professor in the School of Writing, Rhetoric and Technical Communication (WRTC) — which she later became academic unit head of in 2014 — and participating in JMU’s Faculty Senate.
“There was a lot of really good work that took place there,” Zimmerman said, “and I had the honor of being able to be its unit head for seven years.”
Zimmerman said moving from interim to full-time dean came at the perfect time, as she was developing the CAL Strategic Plan — a series of goals for the next few years centered around stewardship, collaboration, faculty and staff development, equity, integrity, shared governance and academic excellence.
“I’ll be working on supporting all of our units and our 14 majors and six grad programs, as well as amazing interdisciplinary centers, labs and institutes,” Zimmerman said.
Developed by a committee of CAL faculty, the plan includes creating “resources for college-wide career readiness and exploration to increase programming” as one of its goals.
Also listed in the strategic plan is the objective to “create a support structure and systems for student success focused on high-quality academic advising and career readiness (scholarships and internships).” Such career opportunities could one day include internships and collaborations with organizations such as Gallup and Penguin Random House.
Zimmerman said she wanted to “support and make happen” the great ideas she heard from students, faculty and unit heads through implementing the plan.
“It gives us kind of an anchor and a way of not only charting our path but making sure that we’re accountable to that path because we created it together,” Zimmerman said.
Zimmerman’s leadership
English Department Academic Unit Head
Becky Childs said Zimmerman’s leadership and work with the strategic plan has helped guide CAL in “building a foundation for the College of Arts and Letters community.”
Childs said when she first came to JMU three years ago, Zimmerman was the associate dean of WRTC. Childs said they “worked closely together,” adding that Zimmerman helped her “learn the policies of the college.”
Childs said Zimmerman is always ready to listen or to lend a hand.
“She really supports all of us that are in the college, the faculty, staff, students, other administrators,” Childs said, adding that Zimmerman’s ability to effectively communicate and listen is what makes her a “community builder.”
“She listens to us, hears what we have to say, and then works alongside us,” Childs said.
Shannon Wilson, director of Professional Development and Engagement for the college, has worked with four total deans during her time at JMU. She said a good dean is “someone who can communicate well with the different audiences we have within the college, but also within the university and beyond.” She's confident that Zimmerman “fits that description well.”
By K. MAUSER The Breeze
The Student Government Association (SGA) Senate unanimously passed amendments updating the current chief of staff’s job description in its constitution and discussed its upcoming elections.
Constitution amendments ratified
The Senate unanimously passed a resolution making about 20 changes to its constitution — 19 of which clarify and revise the chief of staff’s current responsibilities and one of which updates the election commissioner’s official title to elections commissioner.
The amendments were presented to the Senate at last week’s meeting before being voted on this week.
The majority of the amendments focus on updating the chief of staff’s role in creating and preserving written records for all meetings related to the SGA, as well as coordinating and planning events. The chief of staff will now also handle requests for office equipment and supplies and determine whether to close the SGA’s office in case of a meeting or event.
Senior and Sen. Zach Fleming said these changes are intended to make the chief of
staff position’s description “more accurate to what they actually do,” and Fleming yielded the rest of his time to current Chief of Staff and junior Ajax Peterson.
“In a lot of cases in the Constitution, we see that it falls short of reading exactly what the position does,” Peterson said. “I think this does a really good job of making it accurate to what my position does and how I best benefit the organization.”
During her leadership report, junior and Parliamentarian Riley Gilbert said the SGA is preparing for its upcoming elections on March 10.
Gilbert said the SGA plans to book every table in Warner Commons from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on election day to encourage and enable students to vote.
“We’re going to do this big blowout on the commons outside of D-Hall,” she said. “We need all hands on deck.”
CONTACT K. Mauser at breezenews@gmail.com. For more coverage of JMU and Harrisonburg news, follow the news desk on X @TheBreezeJMU and on Instagram @BreezeJMU.
You don’t have to lift a hammer to help build and preserve affordable housing in the Central Shenandoah Valley. SHOP, VOLUNTEER or DONATE at the ReStore and help families realize their dreams of homeownership. All proceeds help to fund housing provided by Central Valley Habitat for Humanity.
“To the CAL students ... I was one of you — a CAL student — and it’s an honor to serve in this role.”
Traci Zimmerman College of Arts and Letters Dean
from CAL DEAN , page 8
Humanities’ value
Wilson moved to work in the CAL dean’s office three years ago when the director of Professional Development and Engagement position was created. In that position, Wilson focuses on students’ career readiness skills.
“Our students aren’t tied to one career,” Wilson said. “They play a lot of skills that can transfer into any kind of sector that they want to explore … Our people bring the human side to everything, and that’s always going to be relevant and important.”
On the “Being The Change” podcast, Zimmerman and Wilson mentioned research on the versatility of liberal arts degrees collected by George Anders, who wrote the book “You Can Do Anything: The Surprising Power of a ‘Useless’ Liberal Arts Education.”
Wilson said Anders found that a decade after graduation, CAL graduates are at the top of the list for salaries, and she added that having flexibility and transferable skills pays off in the long run.
Zimmerman said CAL “opened all kinds of doors” in her life. She said she wants to model “what we hope to inspire in our students” and added that CAL makes students intellectually agile and ready to participate in the world.
“To the CAL students, I want to say you’re a huge part of my ‘why,’” Zimmerman said. “You’re the reason why I came back here. I was one of you — a CAL student — and it’s an honor to serve in this role.”
CONTACT Isabella Dunn at dunnie@dukes.jmu.edu. For more coverage of JMU and Harrisonburg news, follow the news desk on X @TheBreezeJMU and on Instagram @BreezeJMU.
Abby Camp & Sixuan Wu
By EVAN MOODY The Breeze
After sub-zero temperatures chilled the ’Burg during the first week of classes, finding the right recipes can be the key to fighting the future frost. From a festive, peppermint-flavored drink to hearty breakfast rolls, here are some of the best delicacies to cozy up with this season.
Chocolate Peppermint
Martini Amanda’s Cookin’
Kicking off with cocktails are the chocolate peppermint martinis by Amanda Davis. Beginning with your standard chocolate drink, the peppermint vodka spices up the flavor while keeping with seasonal themes. Complete with a crushed candy cane lining the rim, the peppermint flavoring is apparent yet not overwhelming to its consumers.
The peppermint martini is the perfect beginner for those looking to indulge this season but may be turned away from the strength of your typical cocktail. Along with the peppermint additions, the chocolate bark, liqueur, syrup and cocoa powder are enough to mitigate the bite of the vodka.
For those looking to spice up the drink with more flavor and fun, consider adding a candy cane garnish to the glass. Whether served as a starter or dessert drink after a meal, this martini is sure to be a winter favorite.
Cake Aunt Chrissy’s recipe
Though usually enjoyed around the holidays, this recipe bodes well throughout all of the long winter months. From the best cook in my family, Chrissy’s cranberry pound cake can be the perfect precursor to any heavier meal, so long as you don’t fill up on it beforehand. While reliable, this treat is also adaptable and can be made using blueberries if cranberries are difficult to find. As long as the berries are
fresh, one can reach the recipe’s full potential. No matter the choice, however, the cake is sure to melt in your mouth with its soft center and crispy crust.
Chrissy’s pound cake is the perfect pairing for a coffee or hot chocolate — and can be dipped into both. The recipe can also be done in an afternoon and is great for bringing along to any function to avoid showing up empty-handed.
Brunswick Stew Belle of the Kitchen
No list of winter dishes in Virginia would be complete without the mention of Brunswick stew. While some quality versions can be found in cans at the store, nothing beats filling your home with the stew’s aroma after making a fresh batch of your own.
This particular recipe is by Ashlyn Edwards and includes smoked pork, vegetables and a barbecue broth. While the pork seems to be the star of the dish, it’s the additions of cayenne pepper, garlic, brown sugar and barbecue sauce that truly make this meal worth the time and effort to make.
To elevate the stew’s flavor, Worcestershire sauce is the perfect splash to ensure savoriness with every taste. For those looking to stomach a bit more than the original recipe, cornbread works well crushed into the stew, and the harness of the frigid nights will disappear with this classic pairing.
Coming from my relative Poppy’s recipe, there are only a few more perfect comfort food recipes for the season than hamburgers with cheese and tomato sauce. Using only four ingredients, this entrée is perfect for making the most while being on a budget.
Another benefit of the recipe comes from its simplicity which aids after a marathon of
cooking. With keeping a watch on the burgers, all there is to add is cheese, tomato sauce and spices of your choosing.
After a long day out in the frigid temperatures, the cheesy goodness of this dish is a joy to return to in the evening. Served with mashed potatoes, no more is needed to ease into a cozy night.
When the sun rises to see yet another chilly morning, a heavy, sugary breakfast is exactly what’s needed to fill a stomach for the day. To get the job done, Ree Drummond of The Pioneer Woman offers the upper echelon of cinnamon rolls required.
What separates these particular treats and dignifies the time and effort to make them is the frosting. If the amount of butter, sugar and cinnamon isn’t enough to make you fall in love with the rolls themselves, the additional goodness of the frosting will, especially if you go for the maple flavor choice.
While the original recipe yields 40 to 50 servings, the amount can easily be cut down for smaller groups. As the cinnamon rolls themselves are quite larger than those from a can, I’d suggest that only one or half a roll is needed for a great start to a winter morning. With these recipes, powering through the spring semester’s colder months can be made easy. Take the time to treat yourself and stay warm!
CONTACT Evan Moody at moodyte@dukes.jmu.edu. For more on the culture, arts and lifestyle of the JMU and Harrisonburg communities, follow the culture desk on X @TheBreezeJMU and on Instagram @BreezeJMU.
By KAYLA KATOUNAS
The Breeze
Students put sustainability at the forefront while enhancing their closets at the third annual clothing swap held by campus radio station WXJM and fashion Instagram page JMUFits.
“I think it kind of helps to discourage people from fast fashion and recognize that there are a lot of pieces that you can incorporate into your wardrobe in a circular kind of way,” said senior Jordan Malinowski, history major and WXJM events coordinator.
The event, held Sunday in the Festival Conference Center, encouraged Dukes to bring clothes they no longer want in exchange for tickets that could be used in exchange for other items of clothing. Any leftover clothing will be donated to Mercy House, a local nonprofit and thrift store, Malinowski said.
Items for exchange included JMU merchandise, shirts, hoodies, shorts, pants, skirts, shoes and more. The clothing was organized across several tables for attendees to browse.
“[At] our radio station, we platform all genres. We love all kinds of music and I think because there’s so many varieties of music that people love, it also forms different types of style as well,” senior media arts and design major and WXJM general manager Kate Bean said.
This is the first year that WXJM and JMUFits could fully collaborate on the event. Because JMUFits isn’t an official campus organization, it worked with WXJM as a platform to hold the event, Bean said.
Malinowski and Bean shared that WXJM and JMUFits connected for this event through senior Hassan Ali, WXJM’s photographer and videographer, who is involved with both groups.
“With WXJM, we’re big on D.I.Y. culture and sustainability, and I know JMUFits really is too,” Bean said. “The idea of everyone sharing their style is so much better than trying to go online and find a certain thing.”
Attendees were happy to curb their fast fashion consumption by coming to the event, several audibly remarking their distaste for large fast fashion brand Shein while browsing clothes.
“I feel like in Gen Z, a lot of people do thrift shopping at least when it comes to their clothing, but also lots still use Shein and fast fashion, which is sad,” senior computer science major Chingiz Rajabli said. “Because we’re college kids, we don’t have EVs (electric vehicles) or … anything else to offset the carbon footprint.”
Thrifting clothes is a popular and cheap alternative to buying new clothes. Holding the event on campus was intended to make thrifting more accessible, particularly for students without cars, Malinowski said.
“I don’t like to spend money on clothes … when I do, I try to go to second-hand stores, like thrift stores. Usually small business ones, not like chains or anything like that,” junior communication studies major Ashton Lonce said.
While there isn’t officially a plan for another clothing swap next year, Bean and Malinowski intend to continue the event in the future to curb fast fashion consumption and perpetuate the community event.
“I know it’s something that everyone looks forward to, so I’m very certain that it’s going to happen in the future of WXJM,” Bean said.
As for the attendees, Rajabli and Lonce shared interest in going to more similar events in the future.
“When you come to college, I feel like a lot of people bring a lot more clothes than they think, so then more people are willing to just give them up [or] throw them away,” Lonce said. “This is the opportunity to give it to a good cause throughout the year.”
While this event provides one sustainable option for students, JMU also has several programs in place further encouraging sustainability. For example, JMU’s Institute for Stewardship of the Natural World outlines sustainability goals on its website, including policies for sustainable procurement and construction and current sustainability plans within Facilities Management.
“I think it’s really important for people to recognize that sustainability is an important practice,” Malinowski said.
“Especially with the amount that climate change and stuff like that is kind of ignored these days and looked over.”
CONTACT Kayla Katounas at katounkm@dukes.jmu.edu. For more on the culture, arts and lifestyle of the JMU and Harrisonburg communities, follow the culture desk on X @TheBreezeJMU and on Instagram @BreezeJMU.
By SIXUAN WU The Breeze
Winter: it can be cold (like last week, brrr), dreary and seemingly devoid of light and warmth at times. As we wait for spring, here are four novels to keep at least your heart flooded with coziness for the rest of winter.
“The House in the Cerulean Sea” by TJ Klune
For those who grow tired of the harsh wind and the cold, dive head-first into Marsyas Island, the hidden paradise created by TJ Klune, where the sunshine and blue sea are always abundant.
The novel follows Linus Baker, a middle-aged, solitary Case Worker for the Department in Charge Of Magical Youth, on a highly classified mission to the Marsyas Island Orphanage, where six allegedly dangerous magical children reside with their caretaker, Arthur Parnassus, who hides secrets of his own.
Despite falling under the “cozy fantasy” genre, “The House in the Cerulean Sea” is packed with real-world issues, particularly discrimination against those who are different. While the children’s lives are filled with childish wonders, outside of the orphanage’s shelter, they’re marginalized — feared, even — by the government for their magical powers. Even Linus, an experienced Case Worker, had to learn to overcome his initial fear of the children. But as Linus gradually learns that there’s more to the children and Arthur beyond the world’s
prejudiced perception against magical beings, he finds himself an unexpected home in the process.
Cozy, charming and incredibly witty, “The House in the Cerulean Sea” is a beautiful tale of love, acceptance and found family. Just like the advertising slogan for Marsyas Island in the book — “Don’t you wish you were here?” — reading this novel will feel like coming to a home one didn’t know was waiting for them, where warmth and sunshine radiated through each page, and everyone was welcomed and loved for their most wonderfully weird authenticity.
“The Island” by Victoria Hislop Taking place amidst the blue of the Aegean Sea, “The Island” follows young British woman Alexis’ journey to her mother’s Cretan hometown, Plaka, where she not only finds beautiful weather and hospitable locals but also her family’s secret that her mother has kept hidden for decades.
Upon arriving in Plaka, Alexis notices the tiny, deserted island of Spinalonga — Greece’s former leper colony. As she familiarizes herself with the village and her family friends, Alexis unveils how her family had been torn by the tears, heartaches and flickering hopes that stemmed from leprosy.
see WINTER READS, page 13
Beautifully written and thoroughly researched, “The Island” is packed with detailed expositions of leprosy patients transforming the island of Spinalonga into something that teems with life and hope, adding authenticity to the novel that makes Eleni’s story equally heartfelt in its hope and tragedy. While reading this novel, several scenes brought me to the brink of tears.
At its core, “The Island” is a touching read about the resilience that blooms in times of hardship. It’s a valuable narrative that shines a light on both the myths surrounding leprosy patients and
“Firefly Lane” by Kristin Hannah
Before Kristin Hannah became best known for her historical fiction like “The Nightingale” and “The Four Winds,” there was “Firefly Lane,” a moving tale of love, loss and the transforming power of friendship.
The novel depicts the decade-long bond between quiet, awkward Kate Mularkey and her new neighbor, the “coolest girl in the world” Tully Hart. Their friendship sparked unexpectedly
in their eighth-grade summer of 1974 and spanned for three decades, during which both girls have supported each other through the turmoils of love, family and career.
A vivid depiction of the past, a romance novel and a comingof-age story rolled into one, “Firefly Lane” is about how two girls — seemingly opposites — find someone they can always turn to, regardless of the jealousy and resentment that threatened their friendship. This novel is one of my all-time favorites because it’s the type that keeps you awake at night, reminiscing on the good old days and thinking of your best friend. As healing as it is heartbreaking, “Firefly Lane” is the ultimate testament to how the unconditional love between two friends keeps them afloat in the turbulence of life and the perfect read to recommend to your best friend.
“Olive Kitteridge” by Elizabeth Strout Journey to the little town of Crosby, Maine, this winter with Elizabeth Strout’s Pulitzer-winning novel, “Olive Kitteridge.” A collection of the author’s work over the years, the novel includes 13 short stories all featuring the titular character.
Through Olive’s eyes, Strout glimpses into the human condition — all its joys, sorrows, conflicts, struggles and endurance. As a wife, mother and retired school teacher, the role Olive plays in each story is different. At times, she’s the center of the narration, while in other instances, she’s merely a cameo character, or an observer of other people’s stories that drops in wise remarks (but oftentimes wrapped in cynicism and snarkiness) on life.
While reading this book, I found it difficult to determine whether I liked Olive or not. She sometimes struck me as the loving grandmother type with her patience and perception, but she can also be incredibly demanding, controlling and trapped in her own despair. Regardless of my opinions, Olive is certainly a character easy to connect to, with her raw, unapologetic humanity. Through Olive’s eyes, Strout paints an intimate portrait of the beauty of life, one that’s sure to linger in your thoughts upon finishing the book
CONTACT Sixuan Wu at thebreezeculture@gmail.com. For more bookish content, stay tuned for the “Bibliomania” column and follow the culture desk on X @TheBreezeJMU and Instagram @BreezeJMU.
EDITORS Hayden Hundley & Preston Comer
By PRESTON COMER
The Breeze
On June 19, 2024 — 17 days after JMU baseball was eliminated from the NCAA Tournament — junior infielder Wyatt Peifer was sitting in his house, recovering from an injury.
It was then that he found out he won the ABCA/Rawling DI Gold Glove award for third base.
“It was pretty cool,” Peifer said. “I was sitting at home trying to recover from my injury, as soon as we found out I got a call from [head coach Marlin Ikenberry and associate head coach Mike Roberts]. I got to celebrate with my family a little bit, so it was really cool.”
Ikenberry, who called him when the award was announced, said, “To see [Peifer] win that award and to see him develop throughout the year and be the defensive player he is, was just really special.”
Following his injury, Peifer had to wait until September to even hit off of a tee and field ground balls. After returning to training for the first time in months, Peifer said, “I can’t even tell you how nice it is to be on the field.”
Prior to his injury, Peifer was having a breakout season for the Dukes and started all 61 games — starting just 26 games the season prior. The Gold Glove winner proved his prestige in the hot corner with 49 putouts, 138 assists and a .964 fielding percentage. Peifer even moved over to shortstop when Mason Dunaway (2020-24) missed games.
Peifer also had a career-best season at the plate with a slash line of .305/.409/.495. He did this after starting the season hitting in the eight and nine-hole for JMU.
Now, Peifer is looking to move back to shortstop full-time in 2025.
“It’s a good feeling,” Peifer said. “I’m really comfortable there. I spent most of my days in high school and growing up back at short.”
Ikenberry is well aware of Peifer’s versatility on defense and has said, “Wyatt’s one of those players that can play all eight positions” — even catcher.
“He’s actually a pretty good catcher,” Ikenberry said. “I joked around with him about, ‘Hey, you got a Gold Glove at third, let’s get you a Gold Glove behind the plate.’”
The odds of seeing Peifer behind the plate this season are slim, but he did say he’d play wherever Ikenberry needs him to play.
Peifer said he focused on working on his bat and strength during the offseason but isn’t just looking to be a leader on the field for the Dukes. However, leadership comes naturally to Peifer outside of the diamond, as he mentors younger players not just in baseball, but in life and school as well.
“I’m helping them out with whatever [they need],” Peifer said. “Especially for [freshmen], it’s important to understand there’s more to college baseball than just baseball.”
Coming off JMU’s first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2011, Peifer is also looking to preach this new standard to new Dukes.
“It’s [my] job now as an upperclassman to withhold that [standard] and the young guys, freshmen and transfers, accountable within our team,” Peifer said.
CONTACT Preston Comer at breezesports@gmail.com. For more baseball coverage, follow the sports desk on X and Instagram @TheBreezeSports.
By HAYDEN HUNDLEY The Breeze
In 2023, JMU lacrosse had one of the nation’s best defenses, allowing just 7.86 goals per game. The Dukes’ stifling defense was led by 2023 First Team All-American Mairead Durkin (2019-23), Honorable Mention All-American Rachel Matey (2019-23) and 2024 Second Team All-American Athletic Conference (AAC) selection Lizzy Pirisino (2020-24).
There’s only one remaining player from that unit: graduate Carolyn Thistlewaite.
“Thinking back to that, the last time I was actually on the field playing was with them, with Mairead and Rachel,” Thistlewaite said. “They [had] such a huge impact on me. They were the ones that really brought me in my freshman year … they helped me understand the zone and how everything is run.”
In 2023, Thistlewaite caused 17 turnovers and scooped up 25 ground balls while playing with the two AllAmericans. Thistlewaite said she’s trying to mirror their “give it your all mentality” so it can spread to the Dukes’ underclassmen defenders.
“We’re definitely young, so there’s a lot of talking through and working through stuff,” Thistlewaite said. “But everybody’s willing to learn and eager to learn and wanting to work through everything. We have a lot of good instincts too.”
Thistlewaite has already made her mark on JMU’s young players quickly, as she was only cleared from a torn ACL and both menisci Jan. 18. She tore her three ligaments during a practice at the beginning of October 2023, which made her recovery process a 15-month span — longer than she originally hoped for.
After getting her surgery at UVA Orthopedics, Thistlewaite had a rigorous rehab all the way through the winter break of 2023-24 until last winter break, before the start of the 2025 season.
Thistlewaite said her three younger sisters and parents
helped her stay grounded during the process, but she found a lot of support through her teammates — specifically, former attacker Kacey Knobloch and redshirt senior attacker Olivia Mattis.
Knobloch tore her ACL and both menisci in her right knee in August 2022, and Mattis tore her ACL during her freshman year.
Thistlewaite said Knobloch would “always” text her to ask how she was holding up or if she needed any tips or advice on how her recovery was going. Knobloch scored 29 goals and 29 assists after recovering last season. Mattis was interning with one of the lacrosse team’s trainers while Thistlewaite was recovering.
“I was able to give her tips on what helped me with my recovery as well as be there to push her physically during her rehab process,” Mattis said.
She added that even though she was pushing Thistlewaite to her limit, she wanted to help make her recovery as “fun and light-hearted” as possible.
“That’s what’s really great with this program,” Thistlewaite said. “Everybody does have your back [and] we’ll help you through it, with the players and with the coaches. [Assistant coach] Kateri [Linville] was one that would always reach out to me to see how I was doing if I needed anything. So just knowing that I had this whole family behind me was super helpful through the whole process.”
Thistlewaite said she made a bracelet that she customized to say “one day at a time,” which helped her get through the toughest days during her recovery.
“It’s always a reminder to look down and know that not every day is going to be super awesome, some days are going to be tough, but just know that [to] cherish every moment, work through every moment because it’s going to make you stronger in the end,” Thistlewaite said.
A year on the sidelines has allowed Thistlewaite to see lacrosse through a different lens. Being able to spend last season alongside defensive coordinator Kateri
Linville, Thistlewaite said she’s picked up on different reads, which she will start implementing into her game this year.
Head coach Shelley Klaes has never shied away from the complexities of Linville’s zone defense, and Klaes said Thistlewaite has the other defenders “locked in.” As Durkin and Matey did for Thistlewaite in her freshman year, she’s now carrying on that burden.
“Our defensive systems are very detailed, and there’s a lot of layers and elements to them,” Klaes said. “I think Carolyn behind the scenes is a little bit of a coach for some of the younger players.”
Freshman midfielder and defender Chloe Bleckley echoed her coach and said Thistlewaite has helped her “a lot” on the field and in the film room.
Despite missing all last season, Thistlewaite was named 2025 AAC Preseason Defensive Player of the Year on Tuesday.
“She’s just so solid,” Klaes said. “She’s a brick house and her hands, her takeaway hands, she’s not just a mark-off defender. She can also actually take the ball away. She’s very calm and collected, and I think she offers a lot of attributes that this young defense is going to lean in on.”
Thistlewaite has started 50 out of 58 career games she’s appeared in, totaling 64 ground balls and 46 caused turnovers. But after spending last year away from the game, she’ll enter this season with what she called a “new perspective.”
“I have a new joy and passion for the game that I didn’t have before,” Thistlewaite said. “Especially now, all the work I did over winter break and throughout all the months … I feel like I’ve been playing the most free I’ve ever been.”
CONTACT Hayden Hundley at breezesports@gmail.com For more lacrosse coverage, follow the sports desk on X and Instagram @TheBreezeSports.
By JACKSON HEPHNER
The Breeze
Head coach Preston Spradlin didn’t expect JMU men’s basketball’s first road win would come as late as January, but he said he was happy regardless on Monday after the Dukes’ first two wins of the season.
JMU’s first successful road trip started with a 74-60 win over Old Dominion on Wednesday, then continued with an 86-79 win over Georgia State on Saturday. Spradlin has vocalized frustration in the past over the Dukes’ lack of energy for one another on the road. But last week was different.
“It was noticeably different in a positive way that our guys were celebrating each other, giving each other great energy,” he said. “Again, we talk about it all the time, but fans are going to cheer when the ball goes in, and they don’t always understand when things are going well or not going well when you’re executing things or you’re falling short of that, and we need constant energy throughout all those things.”
Last week also featured a few breakout individual performances from the Dukes. Junior guard AJ Smith put up a season-high 21 points on 5-7 (71.4%) shooting against the Monarchs, besting his previous high of 14 against Norfolk State on Nov. 9.
Spradlin said Smith struggled with his shooting during nonconference play but has refound his rhythm since focusing more on his defense during the Sun Belt slate. He also credited the Dukes’ depth for Smith’s performance against ODU, and called it “the mark of a good team, that you’ve got multiple guys that can beat you on different nights.”
“The way that ODU particularly defended us that game, it wasn’t like we called a whole bunch of plays to try to draw in the basket to get AJ shots,” he continued. “It was just he was the recipient of our team playing the right way.”
Another Duke who shined during the road trip was redshirt freshman guard Bryce Lindsay, who made his first career start against ODU and then started again against Georgia State. Lindsay made the most of the opportunity, scoring 15 on 5-8 (62.5%) shooting against the Monarchs, then a teamhigh 19 on 7-12 (58.3%) shooting against the Panthers.
Lindsay’s starts were highly anticipated after some impactful performances off the bench earlier in the season.
see BASKETBALL, page 17
“He’s really earned that, and we needed to change something up, and he felt good about it. He was confident with it.”
Spradlin JMU men’s basketball head coach
from BASKETBALL, page 16
He was given a tall task defensively, guarding sophomore guard Robert Davis Jr., ODU’s leading scorer. But while Davis scored 23 on Lindsay, Spradlin said he did a nice job in his first start after overcoming some early jitters.
“He’s really earned that, and we needed to change something up, and he felt good about it,” Spradlin said. “He was confident with it.”
In adding Lindsay to the starting lineup, Spradlin had to bench junior guard Xavier Brown against ODU and redshirt senior guard Mark Freeman against Georgia State. Both players made up the starting backcourt for the entirety of the season until last Wednesday; Spradlin said both had great responses when informed of the plan and wanted what was best for the team.
Brown played just 14 minutes against the Monarchs, grabbing two rebounds but scoring zero points on two shots. He rebounded when put back in the starting lineup against the Panthers, scoring 17 points in 32 minutes played. But Freeman managed to match Brown in scoring in just 19 minutes off the bench against Georgia State. All three members of the backcourt — Lindsay, Brown and Freeman — scored in double figures against the Panthers’ zone defense.
“All three of those guards just did a masterful job of making simple plays for one another, moving without the ball, taking what the defense gave them and playing to their strengths,” Spradlin said, “and sometimes the zone allows you to do that.”
Despite his benching, Freeman has actually passed Lindsay as the team’s leader in points per game, averaging 12.8 in 21 games played compared to Lindsay’s 12.5 in 20 games. All-in-all, Spradlin was pleased with the changes made last week.
“The results were what we had desired in making those changes,” he said, “and so, proud of [Freeman and Brown] for having a positive team-centered response.”
This week, the Dukes will start a three-game conference homestand with a matchup against Coastal Carolina (8-13, 1-8 Sun Belt) on Thursday at 7 p.m., then a rematch against ODU (9-12, 5-4 Sun Belt) on Saturday at 4 p.m.
The Dukes did grab their first road victory of the season Wednesday with a 74-60 win over ODU. JMU will head to Georgia State (7-12, 3-4) for its matchup on Saturday at 4 p.m.
CONTACT Jackson Hephner at hephnejt@dukes.jmu.edu. For more men’s basketball coverage, follow the sports desk on X and Instagram @TheBreezeSports.
EDITOR EMAIL breezeopinion@gmail.com
Maya Skurski
Want to praise someone or get something off your chest? Darts & Pats is the place to do it. Submit your own at breezejmu.org.
A “cold-welcome” dart to the Freshens in UREC for serving frozen chicken in my salad.
From an exhausted student who doesn’t want to microwave her strawberries and kale.
A “life-hack” pat to the girl that told me to whip my cottage cheese.
From someone trying to hop on the health trend but can’t get behind chunky food.
A “could-you-not” dart to the policeman that pulled me over for going through the gas station parking lot on the way to East campus.
From a student who thinks if you’re going to enforce stupid rules, at least put up a sign.
A “mission-impossible” dart to my date document for being due in two weeks.
From a girl whose love life literally can’t catch a break.
MAYA SKURSKI Opinion Editor
JMU is known for its “sea of purple,” from our first football game to the College Gameday crowd last year and every game in between. The university exudes pride and passion, its fans are unmatched and purple and gold are proudly displayed at every sporting event. However, Dukes seem to have a noticeable lack of school spirit when it comes to day-today life on campus. Every day, students walk around in jackets, t-shirts and even backpacks that have no connection to JMU — at times making it seem like you’re walking through Blacksburg or Charlottesville.
I know, your sister, brother or mother’s best friend's cousin goes to Virginia Tech — but frankly, I don ’t care. Where
is your school spirit? When on the JMU campus, as a JMU student, you should solely wear JMU gear. It’s time for Dukes to pridefully wear purple and gold around campus, representing JMU in every setting.
Infectious energy floods our stadium; purple shirts, hats and streamers fill the stands, waving and cheering in unison. This purple sea creates a sense of belonging and pride, making a Duke more than an individual. There’s something special about being a fan — surrounded by thousands of people with the same love you have — and the same feeling should be there walking around campus.
Purple and gold are far from simple marketing tools; they create a powerful identity for the university. The bold and vibrant purple represents JMU’s strength, courage and ambition,
while the gold symbolizes success and excellence. When you wear JMU gear, you aren’t just showing off school colors; you’re embodying what JMU stands for.
JMU spirit is more than just school colors; it’s the passion that JMU students, alumni and fans feel for this university. It’s almost as if Dukes forgot the proud institution they stand for. While there’s certainly nothing wrong with feeling school spirit for other schools, on JMU’s campus, the absence of purple is visible — and the saddest part is that it ’ s replaced with orange. Virginia Tech and U.Va. have always been our biggest rivals. It’s one thing to ignore representation of your own university; it’s another thing entirely to market others. Think about the students touring campus. On any
campus, students are the most visible representation of the school. When they display other universities ’ apparel, it can make JMU seem like a less connected, less unified campus. JMU gear isn’t just support for the school, but a sense of camaraderie between Dukes, fostering pride, building community and creating lasting connections — which is the most important part: our school connects us. At the end of the day, it ’ s really not that deep, but think about it: how much more powerful would the sense of community on campus be if every student wore their JMU gear instead of representing other universities? Imagine walking across the Quad and seeing purple and gold everywhere you look. It would serve as a reminder to everyone that they’re part of something bigger, something with a rich history and a bright future.
School spirit is about more than just wearing the right clothes; it’s about showing up for a school and community that supports you. The simplest way to do this is to support JMU with its own gear. JMU students should take every opportunity to show their school pride — not Virginia Tech’s or U.Va.’s. It’s time to bring purple pride back to campus. When you wear JMU gear, you’re wearing a piece of the JMU legacy. Commit to ditch other university gear around campus. JMU isn’t just a place; it’s a home. We need to be proud of where we come from and we need to wear our school spirit on our sleeves — both figuratively and literally.
CONTACT Maya Skurski at breezeopinion@gmail.com. For more editorials regarding the JMU and Harrisonburg communities, follow the opinion desk on X @TheBreezeJMU and on Instagram @BreezeJMU.
EMMA CURRIE | Breeze columnist
Life is full of surprises. Just like not knowing what flavor a piece of chocolate will be until you bite into it, you can’t predict what will happen in life until you experience it. Essentially, life is like a box of chocolates. Life is also difficult at times, just like when you’re in the kitchen learning to cook or preparing your favorite meal.
Some recipes turn out perfectly on the first try, while others leave you scraping burnt bits off the pan and questioning reality, but every experience teaches you something. As every mistake in the kitchen brings you closer to mastering your favorite meals, every challenge in life helps you grow and discover more about yourself.
For students, challenges oftentimes include poor time management and performance anxiety. For many students in the kitchen, struggles consist of juggling tight schedules, handling highpressure environments and striving to perfect their favorite comfort meals on days when they need it most.
Junior elementary education major Dino Hernberg has found a very distinct approach to cooking, wellbeing and food over the last few years.
“Food is one of the few things in life where 99.9% of the time I can rely on it to improve my day. I’ve found that preparing
my meals to optimize my health and fitness is what works for me,” he said.
Hernberg not only prioritizes his health, but also attempts to set himself up for success as best as he can by planning his meals ahead of time. In this, he isn’t alone.
A lot of students “meal-prep” by essentially planning out meals for the next few days. This process allows meals to be stored in the fridge or freezer so they can easily be reheated on days with little time to cook, as well as promote healthier choices.
Hernberg shared that while this process hasn’t always been pleasant, it’s something he believed he had to do.
“When I found efficient ways to cook things I find enjoyable to eat, I noticed an immense change in my day-to-day life,” he said.
Good nutrition is very important for living a healthy lifestyle. While finding healthier options as a student with a busy schedule can be difficult, there are ways to improve in the kitchen. Hernberg shared that if he “could advise anyone who was getting into cooking or meal-prepping, or anything related it would be to be patient with yourself,” and “success doesn’t happen overnight. If you are patient, success will come.” Just like in life where unexpected twists and turns shape our journey, the process of learning to cook or meal-prep is full of surprises. The outcome of your meal will be unknown until tasted, in the same way as life’s challenges unfold only through experience.
In Hernberg’s experience, when he thinks of food, he thinks of joy.
“Many things could go wrong in the process of making food that is immutable,” he said. Hernberg expressed his love for having his favorite comfort meal on rough days — one consisting of ground beef, eggs and a bagel with avocado.
In an attempt to improve his rough days, Hernberg has also found that even on days when he needs this comfort meal the most, things might go wrong.
“I might not season my ground beef in the way I want, or cook the eggs with the perfect slightly runny yolk,” and “even worse, I could have an unripe avocado,” he joked. “At the end of the day, many things could happen when making your go-to meal, but life has taught me to embrace the mistakes as I am so lucky.”
Hernberg voiced his opinion on being lucky enough to have the opportunity to mess up his eggs and burn his bagel.
“I have the opportunity to eat clean food every single day, I’m grateful for the ‘problems’ I might have if I mess up in the kitchen.” Hernberg said. “That is why I will always embrace my mistakes in the kitchen and enjoy the meals I make for myself.”
As Hernberg shared his flaws in the kitchen, he also shared his perspective on life as “like a box of chocolates.”
“No matter what you do for a living, or what your day-to-day life looks like, there are many surprises to be discovered,” he said. “Some surprises may be delicious and
“At the end of the day, many things could happen when making your go-to meal, but life has taught me to embrace the mistakes as I am so lucky.”
Dino Hernberg Junior
rewarding, while others you want to spit out and never put in your mouth again.”
People tend to look for the “danger” signs in their next piece of chocolate as they start to identify the risk factors, in hopes of preventing the same mistakes from happening again. Whether it’s the shape, the type or the pattern on top, people start becoming on high alert as they put the next piece of unknown chocolate into their mouths.
“The same could be said with how we go through our daily lives. As long as we continue to recognize dangers, we continue to grow as people and become our best possible selves,” Hernberg said.
The same pattern can be applied in the kitchen while preparing a meal. Cooking tends to be a struggle for a lot of people, including Hernberg.
“The concept is so simple, but the practice is so challenging,” he said.
Hernberg reassured me that it’s all about being patient with yourself.
“Too many times I haven’t given myself enough time to figure something out, whether it was in the kitchen trying to achieve my fitness goals, or in life trying to get through each day,” he said.
Hernberg advised another major life lesson to be learned through cooking: “Every second you spend comparing your life to someone else’s is a second spent wasting yours,” and to, “stop comparing and create your own definition of success instead.”
He shared that he has spent the last six years of his life trying to look and feel as good as he possibly could. When considering this, Hernberg assured that comparing himself to others has done nothing but harm his own progress and mental state.
“Seeing other people make these insane meals with a million steps and tons of ingredients was unmotivating. For a long time, I thought that I had to copy those people down to a tee to see the same success as them, but I now know that is not the case at all,” he said.
from FOOD FOR THOUGHT, page 19
As Hernberg has reformed his thoughts, he’s learned to take these ideas and alter them to make them his own.
“Something that took me years to learn was making what I enjoyed cooking and to eat food that I enjoyed eating. As I stopped comparing, and set my definition of success up, I started seeing results I wanted to see,” he said. Hernberg argued that more importantly after he made this switch, he started enjoying the process more than he ever had in the past.
For a lot of students, meals depend on availability. Sometimes Hernberg will stand in front of his fridge, forced to improvise with whatever he has on hand. This can mean making a snack plate or making a quick frozen meal. Even with this, these same life skills can be put into practice — patience, time management and learning what works best for you in moments of uncertainty.
“You can set goals and make plans, but you’ll often need to pivot and make the best of unexpected circumstances,” Hernberg said. Practicing adaptability and patience is a great way to embrace failures and turn them into successes — both in and out of the kitchen.
“Mistakes in the kitchen are inevitable, just as they are in life, these mistakes have taught me resilience and the importance of adjusting, as well as moving forward
instead of dwelling on what went wrong,” Hernberg said. “True success comes when you stop chasing someone else’s recipe and become your own chef.”
The way most people approach cooking reflects their own approach to life. For Hernberg, cooking is more than just preparing meals; it’s a practice, a process and a mirror of how he navigates the ups and downs of everyday living.
“Just like life, cooking requires a balance of planning and adaptability. Most days I have a clear vision of what I want to create and complete that will help me achieve my goals of being my best possible self,” Hernberg said.
All in all, life is a lot like a box of chocolates and cooking; sometimes you must improvise with what you have on hand, and sometimes you must force yourself to move past mistakes made along the way. Take your time, be patient and give yourself grace. Nobody’s life is the same, and sometimes different steps need to be taken to help other people. It’s important to remember that just like Hernberg, these mistakes learned in the kitchen can give you the mindset to help overcome setbacks in other areas of life.
CONTACT Emma Currie at currieeg@dukes.jmu.edu For more editorials regarding the JMU and Harrisonburg communities, follow the opinion desk on Instagram @breezejmu.
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Eleanor Shaw breezeeditor@gmail.com
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(1/23/25): Saint Francis University was wrongly referred to as DIII instead of FCS in regard to our analysis on JMU football’s mid-year transfer class.
OPINION
Maya Skurski breezeopinion@gmail.com
ART
TV
Edited by Patti Varol
By David Karp
Madison Marketplace is open for business, and all text-only listings are FREE ! Post job listings, announcements, rentals and more using our online placement tool. Ads run two weeks online and in two print editions.
Sale - White Chair Covers
150 White (polyester) Chair Covers for Sale for folding chairs will cover 2” cushions. Used once/washed. Good condition. Call (540) 433-9859. Please leave a message with name and phone #. https://www.songsforvalley.org/
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Trevor Wallace and Michael Blaustein
Present: Stiff Socks Live, Paramount Theater, Charlottesville, 12/10. 8 PM Show (prime 3rd row seats) & 9 PM VIP Reception. Meet at the Omni beforehand and walk to the show. Call Del at (424) 324-0154 & leave name & number, or email dkonnor@icloud.com.
The Breeze, JMU’s award-winning student media organization, seeks a student graphic designer for print and online advertising. Job requirements include creating ads fro clients, collaboration with Advertising coordinator, page layout and design. Must be deadline oriented. Knowledge of Adobe software and previous design experience. EOE. Apply at jobs.jmu.edu
CITY OF HARRISONBURG, VA
multiple part-time and full-time positions available.
Start gaining experience in your desired career field or simply earn some extra cash for the school year!
Visit www.harrisonburgva.gov and click on employment for more details.
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Hey JMU Students! SwiftHaul Moving Services makes your move easy and affordable! From dorms to storage, apartments, or home, we’ve got you covered with the best prices and friendly, reliable service. Contact us today at 434-665-1259 or maceevan03@gmail. com for a stress-free experience!
Help Wanted in Church Nursery
Mt Olive Brethren Church seeks a Nursery Care Provider during the hours of 8:45am-12:15pm each Sunday. For more information, contact Laura Waldron (540-820-7235, laura@ mtolivebrethren.org)
Employment OpportunityCommunity Paramedic
The City of Harrisonburg Fire Department is seeking to fill full-time and/or part-time Community Paramedic positions. If you’re searching for a way to utilize your paramedic, healthcare clinician, or pre-hospital experience directly in the local community working with vulnerable populations, consider applying today! Find out more/apply online: https://www.harrisonburgva.gov/ employment. EOE.
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The best place for banking isn’t a bank at all!
CommonWealth One is JMU’s trusted, full-service credit union, and student banking is better here. We’re conveniently located on campus and offer everything you might need financially as a student. What we don’t have? Excessive and unnecessary fees.
When it comes to handling your finances as a student, we’ve got your back with:
The secret is out – CommonWealth One is here to help you thrive financially at JMU.
To open an account or learn more about JMU Student Perks, which include special events, free food and prizes, visit cofcu.org/DUKES or stop by our branch in The Union (next to the post office)
The Union (Next to the Post Office) Monday – Friday: 9:00 am – 5:00 pm