The Breeze 10.26.23

The Breeze JMU’s award-winning newspaper since 1922

October 26, 2023 VOL. 102 NO.10 BREEZEJMU.ORG

stacked wins, sacked season

Obituary: Peggy Smith, history administrator

Despite pressure, NCAA says JMU’s still ineligible

Don’t track your friends on Snap Maps, Life360

News | 5

Sports | 16

Opinion | 20

Homecoming Special edition inside

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Thursday, October 26, 2023 | breezejmu.org

Vol. 102, No. 10

O$4NLY 29

FOOTBALL TAILGATING SEASON ORDER ONLINE AT MASCOT-GRILLS.COM! CHECK OUT OUR JMU TONGS, RIB RACK AND SMOKER BOX AS WELL!

Vol. 102, No. 10

Thursday, October 26, 2023 | breezejmu.org

Corrections

The Breeze had many errors in its Oct. 12 print edition as well as its Off-Campus Life Special Edition. They are as follows: • In the Duke’s Debate story, JMU College Democrats’ junior Daniel Green said there was a connection between Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s (R) policies and transgender student suicides, not Sen. Mark Obenshain (R).

• Green said less than 1% of abortions occur after 26 weeks, not 21 weeks.

• Green mentioned the support of gun-free zones at public meetings, not public areas.

• Green said, “This white, normative college experience is not actually what reflects America. It’s about lifting people up to promote equity, not necessarily equality,” not, “This white, normative college experience is not what reflects the American people. We lift people up to promote equity, not just equality.”

• Green said legacy status in college admissions is not an issue at JMU, not that it is an issue.

• JMU Young Republicans’ freshman Wesley Bednarczyk said Obenshain believes pronouns should not be pushed onto children, not transgender students.

• Bednarczyk said, “More people should be looked into their academics and what they are doing, instead of what they are,” not, “Race is important, but more should be looked into what they're doing, not what they are.”

• In the off-campus housing guide, The Mill’s rent was listed as $469. It is actuallly $429. It also said Southview has a pool, but it does not.

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What's inside...

Best of the week Freshman biology major Carson Gardner,

right, also known as “fruitboy,” “banana boy” or “cantaloupe king,” has gone relatively viral among JMU students for his eating abilities at the dining halls.

Most notably, he builds cantaloupe towers out of the rinds from the downed fruits.

Gardner said he eats a lot of fruit because of his gluten intolerance and that cantaloupe is his favorite.

Outside the confines of E- and D-Hall, Gardner still calls himself a foodie. His favorite restaurant is Taco Bell, and his favorite food is sushi. Gardner ’s girlfriend, Alyssa Kahut, a freshman at a New Jersey college, said he ate 30 sushi rolls on a recent date.

Gardner said he loves the social aspect food brings, and he enjoys making friends with the students who stop by to see his rind towers.

For more about “fruit boy,” check out page 11

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NEWS

EDITORS Eleanor Shaw & Lizzie Stone

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For more political coverage from The Breeze, tune into Breeze TV's election show!

Tuesday, Nov. 7 9:00 p.m.

ABOVE: Speakers, including Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) and Attorney General Jason Miyares (‘98), encouraged attendees to vote in the upcoming election. BELOW: During his address, Miyares said everyone should vote because “the stakes couldn’t be higher” for an election.

Photos by Sam Game / The Breeze

Scan this QR code for Breeze TV’s coverage on the event and early voting in Virginia.

Youngkin stops in Northern Virginia on campaign tour ahead of November elections Virginia governor called for Republicans to vote to ‘hold the House and flip the Senate’

By SAM GAME The Breeze

MIDDLEBURG, Va. — A crowd of about 100 people filled the American Legion building on Saturday for the latest stop on Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s (R) “Secure Your Vote Virginia” bus tour. When Youngkin took the stage, the crowd stood, clapping and cheering.

His plan is a simple mantra that he warms up the crowd with: “Hold the House and flip the Senate. Hold the House and flip the Senate,” Youngkin said.

When he shouts, they respond.

Youngkin rolled out his “Secure Your Vote Virginia” program in July, encouraging Republicans in the Commonwealth to vote early in the upcoming general election, with all 140 seats in the Virginia General Assembly up for grabs. The program’s website has access to resources for early and absentee voting throughout the state. Last week started Youngkin’s tour across Virginia as he’s pushing to promote with only nine days left until early voting polls close.

“We are going to march to Nov. 7 in victory,” he said at the event.

Youngkin was joined by several state Republican officials and candidates. Among them were the 26th District’s incumbent, Sen. Mark Obenshain and Middleburg Mayor Bridge Littleton.

Both voiced support for Youngkin’s early voting efforts, as did Attorney General Jason Miyares (’98).

“You hear all the time that elections matter,” Miyares said.

“Some people say, ‘Oh, this is a life-and-death election.’ Folks, the stakes couldn’t be higher.”

Geary Higgins, a candidate for the House of Delegates in the 30th District, attributed these “stakes” to Virginia’s new district map.

“These are all new districts. Every one of them is brand new,”

Higgins said. “None of them can be taken for granted.”

Redistricting has resulted in several battleground elections forming around the state. One of them is in the 31st District — which includes Middleburg, 90 miles northeast from Harrisonburg — between Russet Perry (D) and Juan Pablo Segura (R), who was at the rally.

“My opponent and her friends that are running alongside her — they’re only focused on one thing: fear,” Segura said.

“They are trying to scare you to vote against us.”

While each speaker mentioned Republican platform issues they side with — including continuing to support and fund police, putting forth parent-first education policies and advocating against a potential electric vehicle mandate — the overall message was to vote early. Youngkin has supported early voting since his campaign in 2021 by holding rallies near polling locations and encouraging supporters to go to the polls after.

“The entire nation is watching us again because they need hope.” Youngkin said. “They are looking for hope that ... A state that was lost can be found.”

Virginia Democrats rolled out their own early voting program, the Majority Project, on July 20, only nine days after Secure Your Vote was launched. Harrisonburg Democratic Committee (HDC) chair Alleyn Harned says the Majority Project is something that the committee has been building up for years.

“The whole purpose of this is to have people engaged and able to vote without having to jump through a whole bunch of hoops on their election day,” Harned said.

Some local Democrats are concerned that previous Republican policies discount the Republican efforts to increase voting access. Jayne Docherty, vice chair of precinct operation at the HDC and campaign manager for Kathy Beery — the Democrat candidate currently running against Obenshain

— said she thinks some Harrisonburg-area leaders have enforced voter suppression locally. Obenshain proposed a bill in 2022 requiring Virginians to show a photo ID to vote.

“Requiring a driver’s license or a photo ID, which you can only get if you have a birth certificate, has harmed a lot of African Americans of a certain generation who were born at home because the hospitals didn’t feel safe to them,” Docherty said. “They never had a birth certificate, so they couldn’t actually ever participate.”

In response to this, Obenshain said in a phone call with The Breeze on Wednesday he denied the bill was racially motivated or party affiliated and said he has supported the requirement of photo IDs since 2005.

“The only people I can find who are deprived [of ] the right to vote as a consequence of the photo ID bill that we adopted in Virginia are people who aren’t eligible to vote,” he said.

Obenshain also said the 2022 bill required the state Board of Elections to produce a photo ID for free if the voter didn’t have one.

“There was nobody who was or would have been deprived of the opportunity to vote under that law,” Obenshain said.

Despite concerns about voter suppression, Harned said these two programs — “Secure Your Vote Virginia” and the Majority Project — are positive efforts to get people voting early.

“This is a wonderful collaboration now where Republicans are working to communicate with folks about the value of convenient and easy voting,” he said.

Early voting ends Nov. 4. The deadline to send in an absentee ballot is Friday. Visit the Virginia Department of Elections website for any information about the upcoming general election.

CONTACT Sam Game at gamesl@dukes.jmu.edu. For more coverage of JMU and Harrisonburg news, follow the news desk on X @BreezeNewsJMU.

NEWS

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Thursday, October 26, 2023 | breezejmu.org

Faculty, students remember kindness of Peggy Smith Late history administrator known as a ‘campus mom’ to students

By SIXUAN WU The Breeze

Available. Supportive. Genuine. Funny. Kind.

These are some of the words students, friends and co-workers used to describe Peggy Smith, the program administrator in the JMU Department of History for more than 10 years. She died Sept. 13 at 56 years old and is survived by her husband, Michael; daughter, Lauren; and son, William.

As an administrative professional in the history department, Smith was regarded as the “on-campus mom” by many students, known not only for her work ethic but also a willingness to be involved and help anyone she could.

College Student Personnel Administration (CSPA) graduate assistant Gavin Wilkerson (’23) said Smith supported him through his transition when he first switched his major to history. He said Smith later helped him communicate between different people in the department while he served as president of the Phi Alpha Theta history honor society.

“I consistently remember entering that space and her being like, ‘No, please, I love talking with students,’” Wilkerson said.

“She’s just so very kind, and she’s basically a replacement mother for me.”

Wilkerson also said he was constantly impressed by Smith’s “unachievable work ethic,” and he’s grateful for how she was always there to solve problems in a timely manner.

“If you needed anything done, she would find a way to do it, whether she would be responsible for it or not,” Wilkerson said. “I don’t foresee the history department doing well and achieving its goals in her absence, in the sense that if anyone needed anything done, she was the gal.”

Department of History administrative specialist Rebecca White described Smith as “the keeper of the history department history.” She said Smith was not only knowledgeable about the

department’s ins and outs but was also close with the people in it.

“She was always an ear for the [graduate students],” White said.

“When they were struggling, they would come talk to her, and she remained close with many of them long after they graduated. She went above and beyond with the grad students and the majors and minors.”

History professor Colleen Moore said Smith was the one who “held everything together,” being the contact person for both students and faculty members, as well as the building manager of Wilson Hall.

Moore said if anyone needed anything, they always thought of Smith as their go-to person because she made problem solving in the department seem like an almost “automatic” process. She said sometimes that connection expanded beyond work within the department.

“I did have her number and know I could text her if I need to,” Moore said. “I know she genuinely worried about me; she worried about all of us, the people she worked with.”

In 2020, Smith received the College of Arts and Letters (CAL) Staff Recognition Award. In the press release, she was described as a “genuine team player” with “outstanding commitment and character.” While at JMU, Smith also served as the co-chair and chair of the CAL Staff Advisory Committee, and was a member of both the Academic Affairs Administrative Staff Advisory Council and the Employee Advisory Committee.

History Department head David Dillard said Smith enjoyed trainings and professional developments, as well as just being involved with helping the people around her.

“Even as close as we were with her, there were so many things that we’ve discovered that she was involved in and working on that we didn’t know about,” Dillard said, recounting how Smith managed to organize food for one graduate student and found housing around campus for another. “It was that kind of stuff that you don’t see unless you happen to bump into it, and it wasn’t a

part of her job description at all, but she’s made it part of her job.”

Outside of work, Dillard said Smith loved singing in the choir at her church and her cats, her plants and her gnome collections.

She was also a devoted “Dr. Who” fan, or a Whovian.

“If it were anything new and interesting, she [would say]: ‘Let’s go see it,’” Dillard said. “She had the ability to enjoy life in ways that a lot of us don’t.”

Moore said Smith was a “vibrant presence in the department.”

She, along with other faculty members, said they will miss Smith’s constant smiles.

“When you made her laugh, you feel like you won a prize,” White said. “If you really got her good, it started way down low, then it was a chortle that just bubbled out, and it was just like, ‘That was a good one.’”

Moore said she felt Smith made the history department a community — a place that was more than an office to work in but a “welcoming and organic” place you wanted to be.

“Her passing was so sudden, and she was so alive that it’s hard to reconcile that she won’t be coming back,” Moore said.

Smith’s memorial service was conducted on Oct. 7 at ​​Grace Mennonite Fellowship in Lacey Spring. It was described as “packed” by White, who attended the service.

To commemorate Smith, the Madison Historians are raising money to purchase a memorial tree in the Edith J. Carrier Arboretum. As of Wednesday, they have raised $930 for their $1,500 goal.

“It’s a very appropriate way to remember her,” Dillard said.

“The arboretum is beautiful, and she loved beautiful things.

Also just being here, I think she would really appreciate it.”

CONTACT Sixuan Wu at wu3sx@dukes.jmu.edu. For more coverage of JMU and Harrisonburg news, follow the news desk on X @BreezeNewsJMU.

Department of History program administrator Peggy Smith died Sept. 13 at 56 years old. When remembering her life and time at JMU, those who knew her painted a picture of someone with a passion for her job and the people she helped. Courtesy of David Dillard

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Thursday, October 26, 2023 | breezejmu.org

NEWS

JMU film students steadfast amid ongoing Hollywood strikes

By HAYDEN HUNDLEY The Breeze

The future of filmmaking is facing growing concerns because of the Screen Actors GuildAmerican Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) and Writers Guild of America (WGA) strikes, which left thousands of writers out of work from May 2 to Sept. 27, while actors have still been out of work since July 14.

With t radit ional media consumpt ion changing amid the rise of streaming, WGA went on strike over concerns with lack of residual payments — the form of payment a worker receives from a redistribution of their work on another network — which is similar to when the WGA struck 16 years ago, when DVDs were gaining popularity.

Junior Edwin Domachowski is the president of Doghouse Productions, a club that creates student-run short films. Domachowski intends to be a screenwriter after graduating and said he feels “uneasy” about the ambiguity of the industry. He said he’s had conversations with his parents over each of their concerns about planning a future in Hollywood because of the attention the strikes have put on some of the industry’s shortcomings.

The WGA reached a three-year deal with

the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), which represents 350 production companies, studios, streamers and networks such as Disney, NBCUniversal, Warner Bros-Discovery, Netflix and more.

The deal resulted in set minimum staffing requirements for writers’ rooms, 20% bonuses for residual payments and an agreement that any script written by artificial intelligence (AI) will not be considered source material.

However, studios have retained the right to continue to train AI on writing scripts.

“Reading through the deal, I thought it was great,” Domachowksi said. “But I didn’t know it was only three years, which is scary looking into the future because [the strikes] could very well happen again, especially with AI advancing even more.”

Despite t he A M P T P’s i nsistence on incorporating AI, Domachowski remained optimistic that the CEOs running the majority of the major production companies included in the deal will eventually move on from AI because of the lack of human connection it can create.

Media Arts & Design professor a nd independent filmmaker Imelda O’Reilly, who teaches film-centric classes such as screenwriting, is a European Film Academy and British Academy Film Awards connect

Junior Edwin Domachowski, who’s planning to enter the film industry, said he has growing concerns because of ongoing strikes by actors and writers. Domachowski added he is uncertain what the industry’s future will look like. Courtesy of Imelda O’Reilly

member and said she has seen AI’s effect on her industry firsthand.

O’Reilly recently spoke w ith cinematographers Jim Denault, who received two Primetime Emmy Award nominations, and John Pirozzi and said the two were “eager to work” but stressed many workers are still out of a job or in a “holding pattern.”

O’Reilly said many freelancers who work from job to job are “anxious” about their pay, especially since popular locations for

filming, like New York City and Los Angeles, are expensive housing markets. She said this increased the need for the strike, saying she’s seen many people “pushed out” of those cities.

O’Reilly said the film industry is constantly “changing and reinventing itself” and the shifts are ref lected in workers’ payment.

see STRIKE, page 8

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Thursday, October 26, 2023 | breezejmu.org

8 from STRIKE, page 6

O’Reilly said film editors are already using AI to edit films, and she can understand why the technology is being used as a tool but said storytelling is “a lot more complex than people know” and that if you’re “worth your salt” as a filmmaker, you’ll probably have to go back and tweak an edit that AI made.

“I’m already experiencing that with my screenwriting class.”

O’Reilly said. “I’m like, ‘Is this script generated by AI or by the students?’ I think that in terms of morality, some questions come up, but I think that comes down to the individual and what they choose for themselves.”

Junior theater major Luke Freisner, a former staff writer for The Breeze, said Hollywood is trending in a direction that is “lazy” and “less original” because of the hastiness of using AI. He pointed out stories of background actors getting their faces

and bodies scanned so that production teams could use their image and likeness without them actually being present on set.

“The more that you can cut corners, the less people get paid,” Freisner said. “There’s a lot of concerns there as we’re not getting paid livable wages in general, and now, you’re trying to find ways to work around actually paying people, actually hiring people — where’s the end?”

As for the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike, the guild met with the AMPTP on Tuesday. The AMPTP introduced a new solution to “success-based compensation,” a term that’s been coined to acknowledge actors’ needs for just payments, to the guild; however, negotiations “flopped” according to Deadline. Prior to this meeting, the two groups last met on Oct. 11 but were unable to make an agreement because they remained too far apart on minimum wage agreements, protection over AI usage and a set fee for subscribers’ revenue to be funded to

NEWS actors whose shows are on streaming services, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Student screenwriters like Domachowski are happy the WGA strike is over and have hope that they won’t have to strike again.

But questions still arise about what the future could entail.

“Once I graduate, will I not be able to do what I want to do?

Will I have to fight with all of these other amazing writers for livable wages?” Domachowski asked. “But I’m happy that they were able to reach an agreement, and I have hope that we won’t have to strike again to be able to get things that feel like basic human needs.”

CONTACT Hayden Hundley at hundlehf@dukes.jmu.edu. For more coverage of JMU and Harrisonburg news, follow the news desk on X @BreezeNewsJMU.

ph Gra en yB ic b e uls Mo

Artificial intelligence (AI) is a growing concern in conversations about the future of writers in the film industry. Media arts and design professor Imelda O’Reilly said the increasing amount of AI usage in film writing would have an effect on the avaliability of jobs for screenwriting professionals. Courtesy of Imelda O’Reilly

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JMU Dining presents new and expanded services to SGA; parliamentarian helps new members assimilate Breeze file graphic

By HANNAH KENNEDY The Breeze

The Student Government Association (SGA) Senate heard presentations from JMU Dining Services, the JMU Career Closet and its own parliamentarian. It also individually swore in every member of the Senate for the 2023-24 academic year.

JMU Dining Services asks for more feedback

JMU Dining Services presented its monthly recap and encouraged students to engage in its surveys. Director of Student Engagement Jenna Gray and Sustainability Coordinator Meredith King assured the SGA that they frequently review survey statistics and hope to hear more suggestions and other forms of feedback from Dukes.

The employees emphasized the many changes that have been made over the years, including adding caloric calculators and barbeque Wednesdays in the dining halls, extending hours and increasing the number of registers at the Chick-fil-A in lower D-Hall.

“Let us know what’s working,” Gray said. “Let us know what we need to make improvements on because your voice does matter — it’s your dining program.”

Among the most popular improvements were more Hillel and dietary-restricted foods becoming available, and the ability for JMU students to use the Starship app to order their food ahead at take-out locations rather than just have it delivered, Gray said.

“Something that we started working on last semester, and we've increased again, is a marketing campaign [by] word of mouth, letting you know what locations have [these options],” Gray said.

A soft launch of a reusable containers program was introduced to all locations that offer disposable food options. Although they are not new to JMU, the green boxes are becoming more heavily advertised by Dining Services. Students can pick up reusable bins then return them to specific locations at their earliest convenience.

“This year, we really wanted to try to make [surveys] as simple for our students and guests as we could,” King said. “There's nothing that you guys have to scan, and they'll ask you to download like in the past. Basically, you really just have to ask for it and then return it.”

There were also suggestions beyond the capabilities of the staff, such as adding Nutella — a widely known allergen — to the regular menu, lowering prices of take-home meals that are outsourced and increasing seating in at-capacity halls. Although not every idea students propose to Dining is feasible, Gray emphasized the importance of sharing these thoughts with the staff.

“Know that we do look at that data, it’s not just a survey that's filled,” Gray said. “We actually go through and we look at all of them back, and we look at the scores and we identify where we can help make changes.”

JMU Career Closet presents to SGA

Colleen Waller, associate director of career advising at the University Career Center, presented resources her department offers to current JMU students and graduates within two years of their graduation.

Waller specifically promoted the Career Closet, a free business attire program for students. The selection is donated by various members of the Harrisonburg and JMU community each semester.

“You as students, and everybody you know, can take up to five items for free,” Waller said.

“There’s no form; there's no questions.”

The “closet,” which comprises four mid-size rooms, can be found on the third floor of the Student Success Center and operates from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

“The burden is on you to dress for the position you want,” Waller said. “Err on the side of being more formal than less formal until you know otherwise.”

SGA Parliamentarian presents to new members

Senior Parliamentarian Elena Finelli briefly spoke to new members of the Senate, hoping to ease their transitions into the organization. She first welcomed the staff to their positions, then proceeded to review the rules as outlined in the SGA’s constitution.

“I was terrified at my first Senate, but that's why I’m here,” Finelli said.

CONTACT Hannah Kennedy at kennedhj@ dukes.jmu.edu. For more coverage of JMU and Harrisonburg news, follow the news desk on X @BreezeNewsJMU.

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ABOVE: JMU's Career Closet also presented to the SGA Senate about its free business attire program available to all students. BELOW: The SGA welcomed its newly elected members.

As part of their welcome, senior Parliamentarian Elena Finelli addressed them with words of encouragement. Photos by Max Burkhart / The Breeze

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CULTURE

EDITORS Morgan Blair & Evan Moody

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Back Home on the Farm hosts annual Virginia Pumpkin Festival

The Virginia Pumpkin Festival featured pumpkins upward of 600 pounds and those of multiple sizes and shapes. Photos by Abby Camp / The Breeze

By ABBY CAMP contributing writer

Walking through the pumpkin-themed gate, guests of Back Home on the Farm’s Virginia Pumpkin Festival enter a patch of land with 600-pound pumpkins and gourds that can fit in attendees’ palms. Past the patch is a petting zoo with a pig, a sheep, a cow and many more farm animals, followed by fields of tall corn with a country-star Reba McEntire-themed maze.

“A 600-pound pumpkin is a sight to see,” freshman Lauren Powers said.

All this and more was enjoyed by visitors on the farm Oct. 14-15 and this past weekend.

“We came here a few years ago and really enjoyed it,” festival attendee Josh Jenkins said. “It’s a lot of fun for the kids, a lot to do, a lot of activities.”

Gary and Lynne Hess are the owners of Back Home on the Farm. The festival has been held year after year at the farm and has continued to draw in families, couples and JMU students. Anyone looking for fall activities such as animal petting and feeding, a hay ride to the pumpkin patch and souvenir shopping could find them at the festival.

“I’m just here to have a good time,” freshman Roberto Anguizola said. “This is what America’s all about.”

The farm is full of games and activities such as its cow-shaped carts that are pulled around by a tractor. The farm also offers a carousel and rolling plastic tubes people can stand in and go down small hills. Additionally, scarecrows surround the playground right next to the petting zoo. For those wanting something more daring, the farm’s 60-foot slide goes underground down one of the largest hills at the festival.

Guests who came to the festival in costume were able to participate in the costume parade at 2 p.m. Those in the parade got the opportunity to take a photo with the Pumpkin Princess, who sat on her pumpkin throne during the event. Goodie bags were handed out to everyone in the parade. This, along with most other activities, was open to all ages.

Although the 600-pound pumpkin is a sight to behold, the farm has a variety of different sized and shaped pumpkins for sale, which is what the farm is known for, Lynne said.

There are many opportunities to relax in the autumn weather, but for challenge-seekers, the five-acre corn maze has many twists and turns that take approximately 20-30 minutes to get through.

Those who go through the maze are given a tall pole with a flag to walk with ensuring no one gets lost. There is also an interactive

scavenger hunt within the maze that can be played by event goers.

“The corn maze was difficult. We got stuck a couple times, but it was a lot of fun,” Jenkins said.

Reba McEntire has partnered with small-business farms in almost every state, including Back Home on the Farm, by designing a corn maze around her favorite things like music notes, cowboy accessories, horseshoes and more. McEntire said in a press release for USA Today about her partnership with farms across the country, “While l admit being in a corn maze is one of the more unique things I’ve ever been invited to be a part of, I couldn’t be more excited to be involved with some of the things that matter most to me — farming, family, and friends.”

If the corn maze is too difficult, however, the farm also has a “No Left Turn Maze” in its garden, where guests have to find their way through by only turning right or walking forward. Throughout the cobblestone walkway maze are various flower bushes and plants that offer a tranquil contrast to the energetic farm.

The farm itself has been around since the 1950s. Other events hosted throughout the year are tours of its flower- and vegetablefilled greenhouses, country teas catered with locally sourced finger foods and Anguizola’s favorite: pig races, which can be found on the racetrack by the playground. The animals living on the farm are available for petting and even feeding most of the year. Additionally, charming walkable trails around the farm lead to each of its fall attractions to ensure guests don’t miss out on anything.

“The scenery is very nice,” Powers said. “It’s nicely spread out, all the activities.”

Although the festival has many attractions made with children in mind, the farm encourages JMU students to attend as well.

Pumpkin-flavored sundaes, whoopie pies, freshly squeezed lemonade, fairy-themed toys, Halloween decorations and apple cider slushies can be purchased at the country store, located at the entrance of the farm. Additionally, the farm is filled with picturesque locations and fields to explore.

In addition to the more lively activities at the event, it also offers face and pumpkin painting. Previously painted pumpkins are on display on the store patio for inspiration with designs from Mr. Potato Head to spiders and ghosts.

While the festival is known for its pumpkin desserts, a Marco’s Pizza truck is parked by the country store, where guests can buy a savory lunch. Past the food are the farm’s greenhouses, decorated with a Halloween theme of inflatable jack-o-lanterns and ceramic ghosts that visitors can walk through.

Lynne said her favorite part of the festival was seeing the

families coming out and “just enjoying being together out here in the fall season.

CONTACT Abby Camp at campad@dukes.jmu.edu. For more on the culture, arts and lifestyle of the JMU and Harrisonburg communities, follow the culture desk on X and Instagram @Breeze_Culture.

A petting zoo at the festival included a pig, a sheep, a cow and many more farm animals.

CULTURE

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Thursday, October 26, 2023 | breezejmu.org

Freshman exhibits exceptional fruit-eating talents Conqueror of cantaloupe and banisher of bananas draws attention in dining halls

By LUCE SAMPSON contributing writer

Freshman biology major Carson Gardner is perhaps better known as “fruit boy,” “banana man,” “banana boy” or “cantaloupe king.” He’s attracted attention for his remarkable eating talents through social media — and by being observed in the JMU dining halls.

Gardner is known for his lofty cantaloupe towers, which he makes out of the rinds of cantaloupes he’s eaten. He eats a lot of fruit because of his gluten intolerance, and cantaloupe is his favorite; he loves the taste and said he feels that it helps his athletic performance in soccer and wrestling.

Freshman business entrepreneurship major Jordan Appelbaum met Gardner while living in Chesapeake Hall, and the two quickly became friends. They, along with a group of friends, often go to the gym and have plans to live together next year. One stipulation though, Appelbaum said, is Gardner will have his own grocery list.

Initially, Appelbaum didn’t know about Gardner’s eating talents, but after discovering Gardner had once eaten 16 bananas in one sitting, Appelbaum initiated a challenge.

One fateful day, Appelbaum walked into Gardner’s room, woke him up and said, “Yo. We’re gonna do 20 bananas right now.”

So, Gardner ate 20 bananas in an hour. Appelbaum recorded a time lapse of this challenge, which made it onto the JMU 2027 Snapchat story for about 4,000 students to see.

Gardner said he could have finished the challenge even faster if he hadn’t also spent time talking with his friends.

The banana challenge is just one of many feats Gardner’s accomplished. Gardner has also eaten 30 sliders in one sitting, Appelbaum said. His girlfriend, Alyssa Kohut, a freshman liberal arts major at Ocean County College in New Jersey, said he ate “probably 20” steak kebabs at her parents’ house early on in their relationship and “probably could have eaten more.”

Gardner considers himself a foodie and enjoys trying all kinds of different dishes, like bison tongue tacos and raw sea urchin. That said, Gardner’s favorite restaurant is Taco Bell and his favorite food is sushi — he ate 30 rolls on a recent

date with Kohut.

Both Kohut and Appelbaum agree: Gardner should compete in eating contests. Gardner said he’s open to the idea, though he has previously only competed against himself. Right now, Appelbaum and some of Gardner’s other friends are planning more challenges to test his limits, as well as a challenge against an opponent — one friend believes he can outeat Gardner.

“But they’re not even challenges to him,” Appelbaum said about Gardner’s eating.

Gardner said he never feels full and that he’s felt this way since he was a child, when he wowed adults by eating adultsized servings. Ever since, it has been a party trick for him.

His peers, especially his teammates over the years, have loved watching him eat.

“I enjoy watching him eat, and I enjoy it because he enjoys it,” Appelbaum said.

Gardner said roughly every other person who spots one of his cantaloupe towers will approach him. Being approached like this has helped him come out of his shell, he said — he’s made six friends he’s now in contact with this way, not to mention many more acquaintances.

“I love the social aspect that food brings,” Gardner said.

He spoke about how food consistently brings people together and how many of his favorite memories are at mealtime. Gardner’s favorite part of food is not the glory of his talent for eating it but the connections it offers, he said.

“I mean, he’s a normal guy — obviously, minus, like, the food part,” Appelbaum said.

When asked if there was anything else he wanted to say, Appelbaum said Gardner is chill, genuine and “an awesome dude.”

“Whoever ends up reading this, y’all can’t steal him,” Appelbaum said. “Banana boy is stolen already. Our friend group’s not letting him go — he’s too valuable.”

CONTACT Luce Sampson at sampsoll@dukes.jmu.edu.

For more on the culture, arts and lifestyle of the JMU and Harrisonburg communities, follow the culture desk on X and Instagram @Breeze_Culture.

A WEALTH OF HEALTH How to combat the negative effects of blue light

By HANNAH LIFRIERI The Breeze

Students at JMU differ in many ways, but something they may all share is the high amount of blue light they’re exposed to on a daily basis. The average time someone should spend looking at a phone, computer or any device emitting blue light is two hours or less, according to Reid Health. A study conducted by CNN in 2016 collected data indicating the average American adult spends nearly 11 hours gazing at screens.

Many courses at JMU require students to use their screens, whether it’s for homework, quizzes or essays, and students may find themselves with limited options to reduce their screen time.

Excessive exposure to blue light can have negative impacts on those who spend prolonged periods staring at screens. JMU health professor Sherri Wilson said blue light negatively affects sleep quality. According to the National Institute of Health, blue light reduces the natural melatonin production in the body, which is essential for proper sleep.

Wilson said constant exposure to blue light disrupts sleep patterns, ultimately diminishing the ability to perform well academically during the day. The Ohio State University Medical Center suggests limiting screen time because blue light has the potential to harm the retina, which can lead to vision damage, or harm photosensitive cells, which cannot be replaced.

There is also a correlation between blue light and physical health. When your sleep patterns are disrupted, it can lead to more severe health issues, Wilson said.

According to UC Davis, disturbed sleep patterns are linked to the top seven leading causes of death, including, diabetes, strokes and cancers.

Students may feel as if they have no option but to remain glued to their devices, though there are a few ways to limit excessive exposure to blue light. Wilson recommends blue light glasses, as found on Block Blue Light. This website offers various accessories to block blue light, including glasses, red light therapy or blackout sleeping masks.

Read the full article at breezejmu.org.

Freshman Carson Gardner eats a lot of fruit because of his gluten intolerance. Cantaloupe is his favorite to eat.

Luce Sampson / The Breeze

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Thursday, October 26, 2023 | breezejmu.org

CULTURE

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CULTURE

Thursday, October 26, 2023 | breezejmu.org

13

Club climbing hosts bouldering competition

By GRACE REED The Breeze

ASTROBLOC, the space-themed bouldering competition JMU club climbing hosted at UREC, had

JMU held its fifth annual ASTROBLOC, a space-themed bouldering competition, on Oct. 14 at 18 winners out of 100 competitors. LillyAnne Day / The Breeze UREC’s Adventure Center. Competitors from nearby schools came to JMU and wore Halloween emphasized the importance of getting prizes from a local small business, Walkabout Outfitter, to costumes for the contest.

The competition consisted of 50 routes, with the first being the easiest and the 50th the hardest. support the community. A student from U.Va. who dressed up as Miss Frizzle from The Magic School Competitors were awarded points based on their five highest successful routes and how many Bus, won the costume contest.

Watson said she was happy to see the support between competitors, even those from different attempts they took on them. Competitors must have two witnesses initial their names for each schools. She said she believes the only way ASTROBLOC “was so flawlessly executed” was because route and record how many attempts they took to successfully complete one.

There were 18 winners for ASTROBLOC out of the 100 competitors and three winning categories: of the strong connection between competitors.

“I love how all the climbers were talking to each other, and how there was a community forming recreational, intermediate and advanced, where three men and three women were awarded for each category. Prizes included various merchandise from Walkabout Outfitter, such as climbing within this one room,” Watson said, adding that she got the contacts from other climbing club equipment, stickers and beanies. Out of the 100 competitors, 32 were JMU students. The remaining presidents with plans of creating future combined climbing events.

68 competitors hailed from U.Va., VCU, George Mason and local high schools.

Ava Schrag, a sophomore photography and filmmaking major at VCU, grew up climbing at UREC. CONTACT Grace Reed at reedlg@dukes.jmu.edu. For more on the culture, arts and lifestyle “It was like worlds colliding,” for her to visit UREC again, this time with VCU students and friends, of the JMU and Harrisonburg communities, follow the culture desk on X and Instagram Schrag said. She’s in VCU’s climbing club and on its competition team and has competed at JMU @Breeze_Culture. before. “I always want competitions to be fun, and I feel like I went in with a really good mindset today.”

Thursday, September 21, 2023 | breezejmu.org Vol. 102, No. 6 Schrag said she enjoyed the variety of routes created for ASTROBLOC. Some routes, she said, 2 focused on upper body strength and others on the lower body. One route required competitors to “leap” from one wall to another, which Schrag said is not a hard route, but the intimidating leap makes it an unpopular route to attempt.

“There were a couple of routes that were right at my skill level, then there were a few that were more my style but higher up on the list,” Schrag said. “I wanted to get the most points possible, so I was really drawn to the routes that were higher up in the 30s and 40s but more my style.”

Schrag said she enjoyed the competition and would attend ASTROBLOC again but said it got “a little busy” at times. She suggested capping the numbers for each competition heat could have helped decrease the amount of time competitors had to wait for a route to open up.

Michael Carlson, a freshman data science major at U.Va., said ASTROBLOC was the first climbing competition he has participated in during college. Carlson used to compete at local gyms in his hometown of Alexandria, Virginia, and is now a member of U.Va.’s climbing club.

Compared to the competitions he’s attended, Carlson said he didn’t think ASTROBLOC was busy.

He’s been to competitions where participants have had to wait 10 to 15 minutes to get an attempt in and said he doesn’t think waiting was a huge issue on Saturday.

Carlson said he enjoyed how fun ASTROBLOC was, as well as the Halloween costume contest that was part of it. He dressed up as the Virgin Mary, and his friend dressed up as Jesus. Additionally, regarding the competition itself, Carson said the grading style for ASTROBLOC was safe from false records.

“You can’t cheat it or downplay your abilities,” Carlson said. “You can’t just do a lot of easy routes to rack up points either.”

Carlson said the competition went well for him given it was his first in a long time, and he said he always enjoys meeting people.

Gabika Watson, a senior independent scholar major, is the president of JMU’s climbing club. This is her first year as club president, where she said she feels she has “really big shoes to fill.” Compared to the previous club president, who treated ASTROBLOC as a “one-person job.” Watson believes this event is all about teamwork.

“I’ve seen this done before, but I don’t know all the intricacies,” Watson said about planning the event.

Watson said she’s grateful that the previous club president left her with many resources for planning ASTROBLOC. Instead of getting ready for it independently, Watson organized an executive team and delegated jobs to plan and prepare for ASTROBLOC. She said she trusted everyone on the team to work together to create a functioning event, and many volunteers showed up prior to and during the competition eager to help out, which Watson said she was thankful for. This was the first year Watson felt like ASTROBLOC was a collaborative effort, she said.

“I feel like I didn’t need to be everywhere at once, even though I wanted to be,” Watson said.

In planning the event, Watson said she wanted to emphasize that ASTROBLOC is supposed to be a community event, not just a competition “where people show up and leave,” adding that she focused on making it fun.

The Halloween costume contest is one distinct way ASTROBLOC diverts from being an average bouldering competition. In terms of prizes for the competition and costume contest, Watson

SPORTS EDITORS Kaiden Bridges & Jackson Hephner

14

EMAIL breezesports@gmail.com

@TheBreezeSports

Redshirt junior punter Ryan Hanson said his performance against Marshall couldn’t have been done without his long snapper, redshirt sophomore Kaden Schickel. Photos by Ryan Sauer / The Breeze

‘We had them backed up the whole first half ’ Hanson’s seven punts inside the 20 set up quality field position for the Dukes against Marshall

By KAIDEN BRIDGES The Breeze For the third time this season, JMU football didn’t produce points in its first offensive drive Oct. 19.

Marshall’s defense started off strong in its 20-9 loss to unbeaten No. 25 JMU, stopping redshirt senior quarterback Jordan McCloud and the rest of the Dukes’ offense at the Herd’s 47-yard line.

But despite a slow offensive start for the Dukes, JMU redshirt junior punter Ryan Hanson sparked some early momentum, pinning Marshall at the one-yard line for its first drive, and in totality, putting all seven of his punts on the evening inside the 20.

And with field position on its side, JMU’s defense thrived — sacking Marshall redshirt sophomore quarterback Cam Fancher eight times and holding the Herd to 173 yards of total offense.

“We had them backed up the whole first half,” JMU head coach Curt Cignetti said Thursday after the game, as Marshall didn’t cross midfield in the first two quarters. “Hanson did a great job.”

Hanson, who transferred to JMU this year after spending three seasons at Arkansas State (2020-22), put Marshall at the one-yard line twice more later in the game. Alongside his three punts that landed on the one, Hanson continued his career-best night, placing three more balls inside the 10-yard line, with his seventh falling at the 11. Because of Hanson’s leg, the Herd’s first five drives began on average at their own four-yard line.

Cignetti said Tuesday that Marshall’s poor starting field position, which was forced by Hanson’s punts, played a “huge” factor in the result of the game.

Redshirt defensive tackle Jamree Kromah echoed Cignetti’s praises of the punt team on Tuesday, saying it helps the defense when opposing offenses have to start deep in their own territory.

“I feel like with his punts,” Kromah said, “it puts the defense in a great position.”

After his career performance, Hanson said he felt “awesome” and that he was “blown

Hanson was named the Sun Belt Special Teams Player of the Week on Monday.

away” by himself and his team’s performance.

“It was great to be able to go out there and do that,” Hanson said. “Props to the punt team for downing balls that I had down there, I couldn’t do without them and, you know, shout out to my coaches, and obviously my long snapper Kaden Schickel. He makes it all happen, so couldn’t do it without him.”

Before the season started, Hanson was named to the Preseason All-Sun Belt First Team and the put on Ray Guy Award Watch List. After his performance Oct. 19, Hanson was named the College Football Network’s Co-Special Teams Player of the Week and Sun Belt Special Teams Player of the Week on Monday. He’s the third Duke on special teams to receive the accolade this season, joining sophomore linebacker Aiden Fisher (Sept. 11) and senior kicker Camden Wise (Sept. 18).

So far this season, the punt unit punted 38 times and is averaging 40.4 yards per kick.

Hanson said the success of JMU’s special teams has grown this season with their bonds off the field, saying as they grow closer, it reflects in their performance during games.

“The camaraderie between the specialists and all the guys who are on special teams work together really well,” Hanson said. “I think one thing that has really helped us out here kind of just throughout the offseason and in the season is the relationships that we have with each other. You know, obviously being able to have a really, really good friendship with the guys that you’re out there playing with helps you be more successful in the field on Saturdays.”

Alongside the praise he gave his special teams, Hanson also attributed his performance to his control and technique with the football.

“It’s just one of those things, you know, being able to have great touch under control over what you’re doing and really knowing the situations that you’re in,” Hanson said. “So, I feel like I know myself well enough. I know how I punt well enough to just go out there and, you know, just kind of have a knack for that.”

CONTACT Kaiden Bridges at breezesports@gmail.com. For more football coverage, follow the sports desk on X @TheBreezeSports.

Six of Hanson’s seven punts landed inside the 10-yard line, three of which landed on the one.

SPORTS

Thursday, October 26, 2023 | breezejmu.org

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Freshman setter with volleyball lineage finds ‘accidental’ success at JMU

By MATTHEW TADDEI The Breeze

Freshman setter Rebecca Watkins says she “accidentally” started playing volleyball at age 8. Photos by Kaiden Bridges / The Breeze

Watkins has recorded 628 assists this season, the most of any Duke.

Even though she comes from a family with a long list of volleyball players, JMU freshman setter Rebecca Watkins said she got into playing the sport unintentionally.

“I accidentally started playing volleyball when I was 8,” she said. “I didn’t even mean to start that young.”

Rebecca’s mother, Katie, and her father, Gary, both played volleyball when they were young, meeting each other at a grass volleyball tournament. Her brother, Geoffrey, also played. Watkins said her family playing volleyball sparked her interest in the sport even more, but despite this, how she started still seemed like a fluke.

“My brother was in the gym, and the coaches there said, ‘Hey, she looks tall, let’s see if she will like it,’” Watkins recalled.

So far in her first year, with the Dukes at 15-6 (8-2 Sun Belt) as of Wednesday, she’s recorded 55 kills and 628 assists. On Sept. 12, Watkins was named the Sun Belt Setter of the Week after her combined 14kill, 101-assist performance against Cal Poly, New Hampshire and VCU at the Erie Insurance Invitational.

With Watkins’ early success for the Dukes, fifth-year middle blocker Sophie Davis said Watkins acts as if she’s a veteran to the team.

“She doesn’t really feel like a freshman,” Davis said. “She came in with confidence, and as a senior, you really appreciate it because with someone you don’t have to instill confidence in them, they have it, and they are willing to put in the work every day.”

Watkins said she was not the most skilled player on the court when she started, but as time went on, she said she became more elite. Watkins started playing for A5 — a club volleyball team in Savannah, Georgia — from 8 to 18 years old, so with 10 years of experience, the training and hard work put her on an upward trajectory.

“I started crying when I realized I made [A5] — that made me so happy and helped me realize that I wanted to continue playing,” Watkins said. “I knew A5 was going to be the best option for me to become a better volleyball player.”

Watkins said volleyball was taken to another level once she entered high school. She said her first year on her high school team had the biggest impact on her as a player.

“When I was a freshman, my brother was a senior and he was actually the manager of the volleyball team, so he got to be there for me my first year of high school,” she said. “I knew I had a lot to learn about the culture of high school.”

Watkins started her first year as a setter, then played outside hitter her sophomore and junior years before moving back to setter as a senior.

“I think just moving and kind of knowing my role was something to adjust to,” Watkins said. “We had different coaches through all four years of high school, so we had to adjust

through them with position changes. Our team really had to stick together.”

Watkins said through all of her transitions while playing high school volleyball, she looked up to the older players, saying they taught her about communication and being confident on the court.

“If you’re confident, then your team can be confident,” Watkins said. “Also, communication skills is a big one to have … confidence and communication through my team and my coaches was something I really learned from the upperclassmen.”

While she said her time being recruited was not easy because of her position changes all through high school, JMU head coach Lauren Steinbrecher said she’s been impressed by Watkins since Day 1, when she saw her play in Orlando at AAU’s during her freshman and sophomore years.

“She was playing up at the time, and I noticed her and immediately made a note that she was fantastic and a total stud,” Steinbrecher said.

Lauren added that because of the pandemic, JMU was iffy on if they needed another setter, because players on the roster the opportunity to stay longer than expected.

“I remember going to an A5 practice to watch one of our other setters [sophomore Grace Wenrich], seeing Rebecca and saying how we still really wanted her,” she said. “It worked out, and we could not be more excited.”

Watkins said after her difficult recruiting process, she’s thankful for Steinbrecher, associate head coach Michael Henchy and assistant coach Charlie Condron, who all saw potential in her.

“Just having a really supportive coaching staff and having them be all in with me and communicating with me well is something I really missed growing up with all my other coaches,” Watkins said. “The amazing culture and staff all starts with them, and I couldn’t be more thankful for that.”

Davis was quick to recognize Watkins’ hard work, saying, “I give her a lot of props for that and stepping in when [fifth-year setter Caroline Dozier] got hurt. Stepping into that role was a very tough challenge, but she definitely overcame whatever she needed.”

Steinbrecher said as Watkins continues to play for the Dukes, she wants to see her improve while still finding passion in the sport for Harrisonburg.

“My biggest hope is that she loves her experience and enjoys competing but also that she continues to get better and better and better,” Steinbrecher said. “I hope that she really reaches her potential that is so high.”

Watkins said to reach that high potential, she has to remain confident — just how she learned in high school.

“I have to choose to be confident and know that I am a good player, know that I can do it and know that I can bounce back,” Watkins said.

CONTACT Matthew Taddei at taddeimj@dukes. jmu.edu. For more volleyball coverage, follow the sports desk on X at @TheBreezeSports.

Watkins has made an impact at the service line, where she leads the Dukes in aces with 30 this season.

Defensively, Watkins has made 40 blocks this fall, the third most of any Duke.

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SPORTS

Va. politicians urge NCAA to grant JMU bowl eligibility

By JACKSON HEPHNER The Breeze

Despite starting its season 7-0. No. 25 JMU football is still ineligible for a bowl this season because of being in the second year of its transition to FBS. With fans already voicing their frustrations on social media, many notable Virginia politicians have entered the conversation, supporting JMU in a bipartisan effort this past month. Here's a timeline of how they got involved:

Oct. 3 — Jason Miyares urges the NCAA to reconsider granting JMU bowl eligibility Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares (R) sent a letter to the NCAA on Oct. 3, urging the Division I Council to reconsider its decision made in April to deny JMU’s waiver to shorten its transition process. In the letter, Miyares, a 1998 JMU graduate, highlighted the Dukes’ 13-3 record as an FBS program and its 5-0 start to the season to that point.

“I understand the two-year transition period is intended to ensure that programs are able to operate and compete at the highest level of intercollegiate football to which they are graduating,” Miyares wrote. “However, it is obvious that JMU’s football program has demonstrated it is more than capable of operating and competing at the FBS level, and it has satisfied all other NCAA requirements of FBS eligibility.”

Oct. 18 — The NCAA denies Miyares’ request The NCAA responded with a letter from President Charlie Baker, formally rejecting Miyares’ request.

“The Division I Board of Directors and council believe clear standards and timelines for reclassification processes will promote strategic membership growth and allow for a uniform experience for all reclassifying institutions,” Baker said in his letter. “The board and council agreed that if changes to the FCS-to-FBS reclassification process are warranted, these should be handled through legislation that applies to all schools reclassifying from FCS to FBS.”

Monday — Legislators join the conversation Sen. L. Louise Lucas (D), president pro tempore of the Virginia Senate, commented on the situation on X, formerly Twitter, saying, “Virginia will go to war on this.”

“Let me remind the @NCAA that they are required by their charter to follow state laws where they operate,” Lucas said. “If they continue to hold @JMUFootball hostage to a technical rule and stop them from competing in the postseason they will face a very unfriendly future from our legislature.”

Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates Todd Gilbert (R) reposted it, adding the caption “VERY unfriendly!”

“JMU’s football team has proven it can play at the highest levels and they deserve to be treated with the respect that this program has earned,” Gilbert said in a statement to The Breeze. “The NCAA, through its decisions constantly begs to be scrutinized, and failure to give the Dukes their just rewards should certainly prompt that.”

Sen. Scott Surovell (D, ’93) also reposted Lucas’ post, adding, “There are many of us in the legislature & the broader @JMU community curious about what kind of relationship @NCAA would like to have with the VA General Assembly!”

In a statement to the Daily News-Record, Surovell said, "First of all, the NCAA doesn't have an antitrust exemption like the NFL or Major League Baseball. I can think of lots of areas that the legislature could discuss policy changes."

Sunday — College Football Playoff confirms they will not consider JMU A spokesperson from the College Football Playoff told the Daily News-Record that JMU will not be considered for the CFP rankings or a spot in a New Year’s Six Bowl, regardless of if the Dukes make a bowl should there not be enough eligible teams to fill every matchup.

Tuesday — Richmond Mayor gives his take, Miyares responds to CFP Richmond Mayor Levar M. Stoney (D, ’04) posted a video on his social media accounts showing his support for JMU to be granted bowl eligibility this season.

“NCAA, your track record hasn’t been great. You have a team that is undefeated now, and they’re being left out,” Stoney said. “These kids work so hard academically and athletically. Let’s be smart here and put the Dukes into the playoffs. Let’s put the Dukes into the postseason.”

Miyares also provided a statement to the Daily News-Record on the CFP not considering JMU. “JMU has done the necessary work and should be recognized by not just the NCAA, but the College Football Playoff,” he said.

CONTACT Jackson Hephner at breezesports@gmail.com. For more sports coverage, follow the sports desk on X at @TheBreezeSports.

SPORTS

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Thursday, October 26, 2023 | breezejmu.org

Kaiden Bridges Sports Editor

Jackson Hephner Sports Editor

Colby Reece BTV Sports Director

William Moran Copy Editor

Avery Goodstine Managing Editor

Michael Russo Executive Editor

Grant Johnson Editor-in-Chief

Editor’s record

26-16

24-18

29-13

30-12

29-13

32-10

30-12

ODU vs. JMU

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Oregon vs. Utah

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Duke vs. Louisville

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Ga. State vs. Ga. Southern

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Marshall vs. C. Carolina

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Tennessee vs. Kentucky

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Ryan Sauer / The Breeze

OPINION EDITOR Evan Weaver

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EMAIL breezeopinion@gmail.com

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 “bravo” pat to the Arizona Diamondbacks for disappointing my friends who support the Philadelphia Phillies.

From a loyal Nationals fan.

An “I've-missed-you” pat to my friends who’ve graduated.

From someone who is looking forward to seeing them for Homecoming.

@Breeze_Opinion

Public officials should be subjected to periodic wellness checks ORIANA LUKAS | Breeze columnist Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) froze for the first time while giving a speech on July 26. After a few minutes into speaking to the media, McConnell stood still for 19 seconds and stared into space. After this continued for about a minute, his peers guided him away from the microphone, and he followed with a hollow look in his eyes.

Clips of this incident went viral, raising concerns about McConnell’s health.

Unfortunately, a few weeks later, McConell froze again at another event after being asked if he was going to run for reelection.

Dianne Feinstein, former senator of California, had brought attention to her health prior to her passing on Sept. 29, as the New York Times editorial board questioned her ability to make coherent decisions. These questions were presented after she was seen stumbling over words during a Senate appropriations hearing vote. She has also been out of work multiple times because of various illnesses.

This shouldn’t be happening to the people who are at the forefront of our country. As people age, it’s common for health concerns to arise; it’s natural.

Though, for the leaders of our country, it’s important they make sure they’re in good physical and mental health to make crucial decisions.

There have been numerous times where President Joe Biden has either been unable to coherently finish a sentence, state facts correctly, has fallen or just seemed lost. In September 2022, Biden went as far as to ask where former representative Jackie Walorski was during a White House conference on ending hunger. As Walorski had previously sponsored legislation on world hunger, Biden thanked her and looked into the audience and asked, “Jackie, are you here? Where’s Jackie?” Walorski had been killed in a car accident a month earlier.

It’s unacceptable that the people running our country are mentally and physically deteriorating.

Spokespeople continue to play it off, as White House Communications Director Ben LaBolt claimed Biden was “fine” after he tripped over a sandbag at a U.S. Air Force graduation ceremony June 1.

According to a report by the Congressional Research Service, the average age for U.S. senators is 64, and the average age for U.S House members is 58. This makes Congress today the oldest it’s been in 20 years.

This brings concern, as researchers at Duke University showed that people’s physical decline often begins in their 50s. While age doesn’t necessarily determine health, statistics show that there should be health requirements to be in office once a certain age is reached.

A poll conducted in July revealed that 79% of

An “I-want-my-money” dart to Chipotle for charging me for chips and queso when they were out of it.

From someone who wasn’t immediately refunded.

A “see-you-next-week” pat to my professor for making class asynchronous this week.

From someone who can finally sleep in.

Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has frozen in front of reporters twice in recent months, raising concerns over his health and ability to lead. Tribune News Services

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Americans believe there should be a maximum age limit to serve in office. With 82% of Republicans and 76% Democrats voting on the implementation of a limit, it’s clear that this issue isn’t polarized. While Republicans and Democrats unable to agree on many issues, this is one area where there seems to be some consensus.

Senior political science major Kentron Yeh said there’s a need for mental sharpness when making large decisions.

“When you’re making any legislation or researching what a policy does, a sharp mind is not just necessary, it's actually very vital,” Yeh said. “You’re dealing with everyone’s lives, their money, their education, etc. So a cognitive mind is the best way to understand the cause and effect of your decisions.”

Though many people are in agreement with creating an age limit for people in office, doing so is more complicated than it may seem. The Constitution set an age floor for those in office: at least 35 years old for the president and 25 for representatives. Though, there’s no upper age limit stated within the Constitution, so establishing one would call for an amendment.

Constitutional amendments require a two-thirds vote in both the U.S. House and Senate, followed by ratification by three-fourths of the states.

Unfortunately, because most of the members in Congress are either close to or above what an age limit could be, it’s unlikely they would vote to adopt this rule.

An alternative to an age limit would be to administer health and wellness tests, which would measure an official’s overall physical and mental health. If they’re unable to reach a certain score that would prove mental and physical stability, then they can't run for office.

While there’s an argument that requiring government officials to pass a health test would infringe on their right to privacy, the other side can validly say public interest, transparency, accountability and national security is more important. Yeh argued that since average people need to be tested for various daily activities to prove our capabilities, then why shouldn’t politicians?

“Us as students, don’t we need to take tests every day in order to prove high performance?” Yeh asked.

“For driving, you have to take a visual test for safety, which isn’t public record. But with these politicians, I think what can be transparent and still hold them accountable is having a private doctor review their health to determine if they’re qualified to serve.”

The public elects and trusts their government officials to properly run the country and make decisions that ultimately affect them. If a serious health condition could impair their decisionmaking or ability to govern, it’s in the public’s interest to know.

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.

OPINION

Thursday, October 26, 2023 | breezejmu.org

It’s also the government official’s responsibility to be transparent and be held accountable. If they aren’t physically or mentally capable of carrying out their duties, the country’s people have the right to know. The decisions they’re making don’t just affect one person but rather millions of others. In a larger and more serious scope, the same applies for national security and the ability

to safely make decisions that wouldn’t put the country in harm’s way.

To avoid infringing on people’s right to privacy, tests to prove an official is fit to govern should be narrowly tailored to serve a compelling public interest. Tests administered would need to be conducted in a nondiscriminatory manner, and the results must be confidential. The only public

knowledge would be that the official in question either is or isn’t capable of properly carrying out government duties.

There needs to be changes implemented in our legislation to avoid allowing politicians who aren’t mentally competent from making large decisions. Having officials unable to successfully finish a debate or interview makes the country

19 look unprofessional. The decisions these officials make impact millions of people, and they shouldn’t be handled lightly.

CONTACT Oriana Lukas at lukasok@dukes.jmu. edu. For more editorials regarding the JMU and Harrisonburg communities, follow the opinion desk on Instagram and X @Breeze_Opinion.

Language courses should be a part of JMU’s general education requirements SARA CURLING | contributing columnist JMU requires students to complete five clusters of general education classes in order to graduate.

Classes deemed essential to general education at JMU are in mathematics, communication, philosophy and many other subjects. All are cornerstones to a fulfilling education, but something not included as a requirement is foreign language.

At JMU, foreign language credits are only required for those pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree. Students who chose to pursue a Bachelor of Science degree don’t need to fulfill any foreign language requirements. The reasoning behind this may be intrinsically linked to the idea that people are either artor science-brained. Therefore, requiring foreign language for someone pursuing a career in science is unnecessary.

However, this logic fails to be extensive across all fronts. All students are still required to take some liberal arts classes, such as philosophy and English. In the same respect, those pursuing a B.A. still have to to take mathematics, science and even lab classes.

It seems that foreign language is the only outlier as an optional foundational class. Its importance feels like it’s deemed necessary for some but not for all.

Learning a foreign language isn’t only key to a well-rounded liberal arts education, it also has many benefits on its own. The benefits of learning an additional language extend beyond fulfilling a required credit.

One often-overlooked benefit is the way it can improve someone’s first language.

Stephany Gould Plecker, director of JMU’s Language Resource Center, said that the connections between knowing the grammar and knowing the syntax between two languages helps improve both of them simultaneously. It would make sense that reviewing certain foreign language’s grammatical rules would lead a person to examine ones they may have overlooked in their first language.

Improved memory is a commonly cited benefit of learning a language. While some have thought this to be a myth, people who speak more than one language perform better on memory tests, according to an article published by Cambridge University.

Giuliana Fazzion was the department

head of foreign languages at JMU for over a decade. She said recalling grammar, or roots of words, helps with making more memory connections and could have played a role in improving her memory.

Most students want to take classes and earn a degree that makes them appealing in the job market. In an age of globalization, foreign language is vital to marketability. Fazzion said JMU graduates have told her that they’ve greatly benefitted in their career fields by knowing another language. If students want to be more competitive, adding multiple languages to their resume could be the key.

Language Testing International found in a 2019 survey that 9 out of 10 employers actively rely on employees who can communicate in languages other than just English. In some cases, foreign language is a deciding factor for employers. Plecker explained that, even with her degree in engineering, the National Security Agency was interested in hiring her primarily because of her Russian minor.

Outside of the job market, foreign language plays a great role in expanding social and cultural understanding and open mindedness. As Fazzion explains, “When you learn a language, you also learn its culture.”

Learning a language involves understanding certain nuances, behaviors and slang that naturally leads into learning how people of different backgrounds think and act.

In an age when the world has become more concerned with tolerance for others, understanding cultural differences is vital.

If the universal goal is to champion social justice and equality, then the basis of any action is understanding. Plecker said while foreign language opened her mind to the world, it also opened her introverted personality to being more capable of communicating in general.

The perception that foreign language is situated in liberal arts often lends it to being overlooked because of a focus on STEM subjects. It seems to be the general consensus that people with STEM degrees are the ones who make the most money; therefore, STEMrelated majors are the most useful. An article published by the World Economic Forum in 2021 said the highest-paying college degrees are all in the STEM field.

Yet even those pursuing STEM degrees can benefit from foreign language. Plecker

At JMU, students pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree are required to take foreign language courses while students pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree do not. Grace Sawyer / The Breeze

said science students who are entering the research realm could benefit greatly from knowing more than English.

“There’s a lot of articles and research done in German, Russian and so forth,” Plecker said. “Are they going to wait for it to be translated? Or are they going to read it themselves?” Students in the rapidly evolving field of technology would benefit from immediately reading such research in other languages — and being the first in their fields to do so.

It’s crucial to realize that subjects like STEM and foreign languages don’t need to be independent of each other. Fazzion said JMU’s foreign language department has tried to bridge the divide between STEM and foreign language.

“Students are going into jobs like business, medical, etc.” she said. “That’s why we have

minors in business French, German, Italian and Spanish, as well as medical Spanish.”

Foreign languages are subjects that can both be combined with a variety of majors or stand alone. The importance of foreign language spans across mental, career, socialcultural and communicative skills. Like the general education classes at JMU, these skills are foundational to a well-rounded education.

JMU’s addition of foreign language as a general education requirement would serve students best for working in and understanding the world after college.

CONTACT Sara Curling at curlinsp@dukes. jmu.edu. For more editorials regarding the JMU and Harrisonburg communities, follow the opinion desk on Instagram and X @Breeze_Opinion.

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Thursday, Ocober 26, 2023 | breezejmu.org

OPINION

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Stop in your tracks

Students should avoid using tracking apps to protect their privacy and safety CAROLINE MCKEOWN | contributing columnist Many college students use Find My iPhone, Life360 and other similar services to keep an eye on their friends going out on weekends, but the 24/7 access is going too far.

JMU, like many other colleges, comes with the risks of being a party school. From the common alcohol-related issues to an increase in drug overdoses, a student can end up as the new poster child of what not to do in college. To prevent these issues from happening to peers, friends frequently track one another to assess if they need to intervene in their weekend. But being looked out for by your friend group isn’t worth sacrificing your privacy.

Many people use services to track their friends and family in the case of an emergency. Although people have also been using these apps to check in for fun. Students such as freshman Sy’Gia Rasheed said she checks the location of her friends every day, “just to see where they are at and what they are doing,” or before she calls her friends.

Rasheed is not alone: Life360 reported that in 2022, users checked on their group at least three times per week.

By allowing access to our location at any time, our friends and family can infringe on our privacy. Besides the odd night out or late-night walk, students are willingly giving their location, address and daily routines to anyone in their bubble. Not only are people tracking each other through apps clearly intended for it but also through Snapchat and its Snap Map feature.

Snapchat is a social media app with no need for access to an individual’s location.

But not only does Snapchat have access to it,

it also shares your last location online with everyone you add if you allow Snap Maps to show it.

Tracking as a whole has developed rapidly throughout the year, from parents keeping count of their kids going out to tracking devices such as AirTags and Tiles that are intended to track things like keys, dog collars and purses. However, people now are putting them on their kids, their bags and strangers’ cars. While these might have pure intentions from a parent’s perspective, when criminals slip one of these $30 trackers into someone’s bag or under their car, they’re able to learn the daily routes and locations.

The company Tile even went as far as to add a $1 million fine in February to anyone convicted in court who used their tracker illegally. With companies continuing to acknowledge the misuse of their items, it brings into question if the product is worth the risk to have on the market.

Students will continue to face these risks as life goes on because tracking products and apps will never be taken off the shelves.

Students need to stay cognizant of these products and their risks as they continue to develop and as more get sold.

Turning off your location to strangers on social media and checking who has your location is often a way to address these risks. Students can keep themselves safe as long as they are aware of these new technologies and their dangers in this era of tracking.

CONTACT Caroline McKeown at mckeowcf@

dukes.jmu.edu. For more editorials regarding the JMU and Harrisonburg communities, follow the opinion desk on Instagram and X @Breeze_Opinion.

MULTIMEDIA

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Thursday, October 26, 2023 | breezejmu.org

HALFWAY HALFWAY THERE! THERE!

JMU hosted Halftime on the Quad on Oct. 11 for students to celebrate the midpoint of the fall semester. The event included games, music, free food and a performance from JMU’s Marching Royal Dukes. Photos by Malia Sunderlin / The Breeze

THIS Week on BREEZE TV TOP STORIES Muslim Student Association hosts prayer event for Palestine Early voting programs see bipartisan support in Virginia ahead of election

For more photos of JMU’s Halftime on the Quad, view the full gallery online at breezejmu.org/multimedia.

Ghost hunter takes on the haunted streets of Staunton In-studio interview with Tim Miller to talk Halloweekend safety Weekend weather forecast

Tune in to Breeze TV LIVE from the Alison B. Parker Studio every Friday at 3:30 p.m.

CONTACT Malia Sunderlin at sundermr@dukes.jmu. edu. For more multimedia content, visit breezejmu.org/ multimedia.

Scan the QR code to view our YouTube livestream.

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Vol. 102, No. 10

Thursday, October 26, 2023 | breezejmu.org FOR RELEASE OCTOBER 16, 2023

Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle Edited by Patti Varol and Joyce Lewis

DOWN 1 Lays down the lawn 2 “Big Hero 6” hero 3 Actor Alda 4 Inviting cuddles

10/16/23

By Lynn K. Watson

5 Pampering spot at a four-star hotel 6 Moved like a crab 7 Advanced degs.

8 Gassy prefix 9 __ and Príncipe: island country in the Gulf of Guinea 10 Onetime Dr Pepper rival 11 Glass slipper wearer in a fairy tale 12 Shaggy’s pal, to Shaggy 13 Chances to play 18 Bright light in the big city 23 Lamb nurser 25 Back muscles, for short 26 Morsel Miss Muffet ate with whey 27 Electronic music duo __ Punk 28 Home of the Mighty Five national parks 29 Hybrid art technique 30 Fashion designer Karan 34 Neatnik’s opposite

Saturday’s Puzzle Solved

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find the answers online

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ACROSS 1 Former Iranian rulers 6 Muscle twitch 11 Midwest winter hrs.

14 Slather with grease 15 “It’s been said ... ” 16 Hosp. recovery area 17 Move with a mouse, say 19 Neither’s partner 20 Karaoke selection 21 Overhead trains 22 Like bibs and aprons, usually 24 Lotion additive 26 Sign of spiders 27 Farrelly brothers buddy comedy 31 Cockeyed 32 Mine find 33 Psychic powers 36 Uses an all-in-one printer feature 37 Role-playing game with a 20-sided die, familiarly, and a feature of this puzzle’s four longest answers 38 Pixar title robot 40 BTW part 41 Shark feature 42 Luminous 43 Small, irregular amounts 48 Wandering from place to place 50 Lighten (up) 51 Assuming that 52 Common TV set-top box 53 Bigger than big 57 Unite 58 Eat without paying the bill 61 One more than bi62 Trojan War saga 63 Not merely decorative 64 RR stop 65 Two more than bi66 Doomed one

www.breezejmu.org/ site/crossword_ answers/

©2023 Tribune Content Agency, LLC

35 Chapel benches 37 Part of CD 38 Bunches of bucks 39 Shook hands on 41 Record that may be accessed in the electronic FOIA Library 44 Tried to win an election 45 “Yay, me!”

46 28-Down’s western neighbor

10/16/23

47 “Shoot!”

48 Small salamanders 49 Not hidden 52 Much loved 54 Big hassle 55 Capri, for one 56 Pop diva who was the 2017 Billboard Icon Award honoree 59 Tiny criticism 60 Broke ground

Vol. 102, No. 10 DUKE DOG AUTO ALLY LOCAL AUTOS FOR SALE

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Part-Time Job Opportunity - Assistant to the Fire Chief Are you seeking a part-time professional opportunity that allows you to utilize your experience in project management/data analytics/capital improvement programs/ contract management in the setting of the fire service? If so, consider applying for the City of Harrisonburg Fire Department’s Assistant to the Fire Chief position! Visit: https://www. harrisonburgva.gov/employment. EOE. JOBS

Career Opportunity - Technician I (Green Space)

Career Opportunity - Customer Care Representative Do you want to utilize your customer service skills and knowledge to help ensure that citizens and local businesses receive quality water and sewer services? If so, the City of Harrisonburg Public Utilities Department’s Customer Care Representative position may be the right career for you! Visit https://www. harrisonburgva.gov/employment. EOE.

Career Opportunity - Customer Care Representative Do you want to utilize your customer service skills and knowledge to help ensure that citizens and local businesses receive quality water and sewer services? If so, the City of Harrisonburg Public Utilities Department’s Customer Care Representative position may be the right career for you! Visit https://www. harrisonburgva.gov/employment. EOE.

Are you seeking a rewarding career opportunity that allows you to use your experience in landscaping, groundskeeping, maintenance, horticulture, forestry, or greenhouse work? If so, the City of Harrisonburg’s Technician I Green Space position may be the right career for you! Find out more/apply online: https:// www.harrisonburgva.gov/employment. EOE.

Career Opportunity - Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD) and 911 Specialist (HRECC) Do you want a career that allows you to utilize your IT experience in an industry where your daily work will make a direct impact on public safety? If so, consider applying to the CAD and 911 Specialist position with the Harrisonburg-Rockingham Emergency Communications Center (HRECC)! Visit https:// www.harrisonburgva.gov/employment. EOE.

Career Opportunity - Emergency Communications Shift Supervisor Are you seeking a rewarding career in a CALEA-Accredited agency that allows you the opportunity to use your prior public safety communications experience to work with a variety of public agencies in the Harrisonburg/ Rockingham area? If so, consider applying to the HRECC Shift Supervisor career opportunity!

Visit https://www.harrisonburgva.gov/ employment. EOE.

Vol. 102, No. 10

Thursday, October 26, 2023 | breezejmu.org

TT BAELUS EA V

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