The Breeze 11.2.23 by The Breeze

The Breeze JMU’s award-winning newspaper since 1922

november 2, 2023 VOL. 102 NO.11 BREEZEJMU.ORG

BALLOTS IN THE ‘BURG

Where and how to vote locally

Alum makes LEGO JMU landmarks

STEM majors should read nonfiction

News | 4

Culture | 13

Opinion | 18

BASKETBALL SEASON PREVIEW INSIDE

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Vol. 102, No. 11

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Vol. 102, No. 11

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What's inside... ‘Ready for Liftoff’ Ready for basketball season? The Breeze

has you covered with its JMU men's and women's season preview, “Ready for Liftoff,” which can be found inside the main paper. Both teams were projected to finish first in the Sun Belt by the conference's coaches before the season. The men's side is coming off a year in which it had the most wins since 1981-82. On the women's side, it won the Sun Belt tournament and made the NCAA Tournament as a No. 4 seed before losing to No. 3 Ohio State. Both teams bolstered their rosters with new transfers to make up for talent they lost in the offseason, both via graduation and through the transfer portal. The men open their season on Monday at No. 4 Michigan State, while the women face Eastern Mennonite at home on the same day. For more basketball coverage, check out page 15.

Breeze file photos

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NEWS

EDITORS Eleanor Shaw & Lizzie Stone

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Resources for voting season at JMU By DRAKE MILLER contributing writer

With local election season upon us, Dukes can take advantage of various resources that aim to help people exercise their right to vote.

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Voter residency

Eligible voters may register by completing a voter registration application form, using same-day registration at their registrar’s office during the early voting period, or at their polling place on Election Day. Registration eligibility requirements and deadlines can be found on the Virginia Department of Elections website. The form may be obtained by calling the registrar’s office, stopping by at 409 S. Main St. or by accessing the form online. Other locations to get a form are outlined on the Virginia Department of Elections’ website, including other government spaces. Applications may be submitted using a Virginia voter registration application form or a national voter registration application form. Completed applications may be either filed with or mailed to Harrisonburg’s registrar office on 409 S. Main St. To check if they’ve registered, voters may verify or update their information on the Virginia Department of Elections website. Voters may also use the same-day voter registration system in Virginia. This allows voters to register in person, then immediately vote. Any person who meets eligibility requirements to register to vote is able to participate.

Students may choose to claim their residency at their college or home district; however, they may only declare residency in one place at a time. On-campus JMU students who wish to register in Harrisonburg, excluding students living in the Grace Street Apartments, must put 800 S. Main St. 22807 and their private mailbox number on their voter registration form. Students living in the Grace Street Apartments must enter 42 W. Grace St., Box #, Harrisonburg, VA 22801 for their residence address line. Off-campus residents are also told by the city to use their on-campus mailing address if they choose to register in Harrisonburg instead of their home districts.

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Voter registration

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Mail-in absentee voting Mail-in ballots — the deadline to apply for one was last Friday — may be turned in after they are completed or mailed, returned to the registrar’s office at 409 S. Main St. or put into drop boxes located at each voting precinct on Election Day. Boxes will be open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day.

In-person absentee voting Various methods such as absentee and early voting allow for JMU students and faculty members to vote, even if they’re not in their home district on Election Day. Voters don’t need an approved excuse to vote absentee in Virginia, and there is no absentee application. An absentee ballot can be requested by filling out the “Virginia Absentee Ballot Application” on the Virginia Department of Elections website. In-Person absentee voting (early voting) began 45 days before Election Day, on Sept. 22, and ends Saturday. In order to participate, students must be a registered voter of Harrisonburg, provide their name and address, and have an acceptable form of ID, such as a Virginia driver’s license, U.S. military ID or student ID. Early voting will happen in Harrisonburg’s City Hall, located on 409 S. Main St., and will be open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Voting will also be open Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Election Day: Tuesday, Nov. 7 On Election Day itself, online tools such as Harrisonburg’s precincts map can assist in helping voters to find their precincts. Polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday. Sample ballots are available on the harrisonburgva.gov website. Emma Niland, who runs the Dukes Vote podcast, encouraged her fellow students to vote and make an impact in the Harrisonburg and national community. “When we’re in session during our academic semesters, we make up over half of Harrisonburg’s population,” Niland said. When asked why Dukes should vote, Niland said it’s a great way for local policy to be “influenced by half the population.” “It’s really important that everybody knows that it’s a civic duty, but it’s also a freedom we’re given,” Niland said about voting.

CONTACT Drake Miller at mille8dl@dukes.jmu.edu. For more coverage of JMU and Harrisonburg news, follow the news desk on X @BreezeNewsJMU.

NEWS

Thursday, November 2, 2023 | breezejmu.org

LEFT ABOVE: Tourism spending in 2020 dropped nearly $70 million from 2019. Since then, spending has increased each year since the pandemic, reaching $239 million in 2022. Abi Middleton / The Breeze RIGHT ABOVE: When looking at how to revive tourism, Harrisonburg tourism manager Jennifer Bell said the city asked when and where people chose to spend their money. Breeze file photo

City tourism spending continues to exceed prepandemic levels, with focus on outdoor recreation By ELLE HART The Breeze

The City of Harrisonburg reported an increase in tourism spending last month, exceeding pre-pandemic levels by 15%. The city focused its efforts primarily on businesses that specialize in outdoor recreation. Tourism economic spending in Harrisonburg hit $239 million in 2022, up from $214.7 million in 2021 and $140.7 million in 2020, the city’s tourism manager Jennifer Bell said. In 2019, before being affected by the pandemic, spending in Harrisonburg was at $207 million, she said. In the early months of the pandemic, Harrisonburg’s tourism industry was “on hold,” Bell said. Later, once more people began traveling and businesses started opening up as the pandemic waned, she said the city’s tourism office started looking at trends and answering the question: Where and when did people want to travel? Bell said the tourism office found that people still wanted outdoor activities during the pandemic. As a result, the city focused its advertising on the outdoor recreation that Harrisonburg offered. Outdoor activities near Harrisonburg include recreational opportunities in the Shenandoah Valley and Shenandoah River, Natural Chimneys Regional Park in Augusta County and Reddish Knob, a mountain directly on Virginia’s border with West Virginia. “We have a lot of options for people who want to stay [in Harrisonburg] but want to go out in nature,” she said. Bell said the tourism center invited local business owners to provide feedback to the office so it could consider the community when strategizing how to boost tourism. Lynne Hess, owner of Back Home on the Farm, which has

greenhouses and the annual Virginia Pumpkin Festival, was one of these local business owners. She said the pandemic was “very good to our business” because the farm allowed young families to safely spread out in the spacious and open area. Most of the advertising and outreach for the farm happens over social media, with the farm’s Facebook page being the primary focus, Hess said. Nick Seacrist, store manager of Mossy Creek Fly Fishing, said his store also advertises primarily through social media but also by word-of-mouth and through specialized clubs. The fishing store was one of the few businesses to have a lot of customers during the pandemic, Seacrist said. “Not just the shop but [fly fishing] in general,” he said, “saw some of the biggest increase in customers and spending in a long time.” While he said business has stabilized from the boom early in the pandemic, Mossy Creek Fly Fishing is seeing customers who were new at the start of the pandemic return, Seacrist said. Chris Michaels, store manager for Rocktown Bikes, said the store was “really busy” during the pandemic, though it was tough for the shop to get outdoor equipment to sell. While most of the customers of Rocktown Bikes are local, Michaels said he has noticed an increase in tourists, coming from Northern Virginia and regionally from other states. Bell said she is excited to have exceeded 2021’s tourism spending numbers and that the city entices tourists from many different places. “[Tourists] could go a variety of places,” she said, “but seeing that they are choosing Harrisonburg is really great.”

Ben Moulse / The Breeze

CONTACT Elle Hart at hart2ej@dukes.jmu.edu. For more coverage of JMU and Harrisonburg news, follow the news desk on X @BreezeNewsJMU.

LEFT ABOVE: As pandemic restrictions lifted, Harrisonburg focused on advertising outdoor recreational activities for those who wanted to remain in the city and enjoy nature. Ryan Sauer / The Breeze RIGHT ABOVE: Businesses that provide goods and services to complement in outdoor activities spoke to The Breeze and said that the pandemic introduced more tourists to their businesses. Abi Middleton / The Breeze

Thursday, November 2, 2023 | breezejmu.org

SGA approves funding for three student orgs Over $8,000 goes to academic societies and student ambassadors By HANNAH KENNEDY The Breeze

The Student Government Association (SGA) Senate approved funding for JMU organizations totalling over $8,000, including the Industrial Designers Society of America, the Kappa Delta Pi Alpha Chi chapter and Student Ambassadors.

IDSA makes contingency funds request

The S GA unanimously approved a contingency fund request for the Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA). The organization asked for $2,900 in preparation for their product photography workshop on Nov. 14. IDSA consists of 40 members, all of whom are in the industrial design major at JMU. Past merchandise and restaurant fundraisers earned it $552.96 toward offsetting costs, with future ones planned to support the upcoming workshop in affording professional guidance. “Some of the stuff we focus on are development of in-house portfolios, portfolio reviews, student

merit awards, some alumni events, fundraisers and as well as community events,” IDSA social media chair and junior Marc Ward said. The bulk of the funds will go toward purchasing a top-of-the-line camera that the IDSA intends to use during and after the event. The camera, a Sony A7III, costs roughly $2,200 and will be open to all industrial design majors with the permission of a designated IDSA member. “For those that don’t know, industrial design is product design,” IDSA President and senior Addie Merlo said. “When we apply to jobs, instead of giving just a resume, we give a portfolio, which is essentially a book of our work. It is made up 90% of the time of photographs.” During the main event, IDSA members will learn how to properly photograph their works, while secondary events will consist of openstudio hours where participants practice using the camera with a technician. “Being able to have access to that type of camera and that quality of work would be amazing — it’ll benefit everyone in our studio,” Ward said. see SGA, page 8

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NEWS

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from SGA, page 6

TOP: SGA has the ability to approve contingency funds for organizations, which it receives from the school in a set amount each year. Daria Ausen / The Breeze. BOTTOM: The Student Ambassadors receive a budget from the school and are able to pull from their past leftover budget money, which is called a reserve fund. Breeze file photo

Kappa Delta Pi Alpha Chi chapter seeks grant

The Kappa Delta Pi (KDP) Alpha Chi chapter’s grant fund request for $5,000 was unanimously approved by the SGA. The honors society exists within the College of Education, and asked for the grant to attend its annual educators’ conference this March. The society consists of 115 active members, as well as an additional 15 who have not yet completed their training. Each person was required to pay an initiation fee of $20 as well as $40 in local dues, and $71.40 in dues to the national branch. “We do school supply drives for local communities, as well as math and literacy exposure with the Young Children’s Program here at JMU and a bunch of other schools around the area,” KDP treasurer Rebecca McCann said. “We fundraise through merch sales and fundraisers, as well as our membership dues.” This money goes toward networking events and bonding activities to form relationships in and outside of the organization. Among these are craft nights, events for families living near campus, and an annual conference where guest speakers work with attendees to “strengthen their teaching toolkit,” McCann said. “We focus on enhancing professional development opportunities with our teachers that are in the education program, as well as providing the resources to form community and create

NEWS

connections with other teachers,” McCann said. In order to afford transportation, food, gifts for lecturers, and resources that are allowing them to grow the Educators Conference to include universities across the state, such as U. Va., Mary Baldwin and Bridgewater. “For how it helps JMU as a whole, it creates connections throughout local Virginia colleges and college students,” McCann said. “JMU will become a desired destination for future educators educational programs.”

Student Ambassadors request funds

The SGA unanimously approved the Student Ambassadors’ reserve fund request. Treasurer Catie Kirkhorn was recently granted a storage unit for the organization’s belongings, and asked for access to $181.86 to pay for it. The reserve money would cover the expenses of two shelves and six bins to manage the Student Ambassadors’ “extensive inventory”, and prevent overspending when items are wrongfully unaccounted for. “We do have various committees that run events in the organization,” Kirkhorn said. “We have lots of supplies to fuel our semester programming.” 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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NEWS

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Friendly City to use nearly $600,000 of national funds for childcare program

More spaces for children up to 5 years old Childcare support stood out among the biggest challenges brought to the Harrisonburg City Council by the community during the COVID-19 pandemic. To better expand childcare services and help providers, City Council voted in December 2022 to set aside $596,000 from federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds — out of the total $23.8 million received — for the Childcare Support Program to increase affordable and accessible childcare in the community. Childcare providers will attend classes aimed to help them build their businesses, and will receive assistance with evaluations of their services to help them secure funding. “The biggest thing we heard from people is that we just need more childcare providers and more childcare space in our community,” Harrisonburg Director of Communications Michael Parks said. “It is important to our community because they want their child to have a safe place where they can go for early childhood education so they can go back into the workforce.” The new childcare program, which partners Harrisonburg with the Shenandoah Valley Small Business Development Center (SBDC) and the Early Education Business Consultants (EEBC), aims to increase the number of childcare spaces for children from birth to 5 years old in the city, support long-term success and sustainability of all providers, and assist participants with becoming qualified for application for ARPA childcare grants, according to an information session presented by SBDC Business Advisor Diane McCarthy at City Hall on Oct. 25. Childcare providers who wish to participate in the program will first meet individually with an SBDC advisor to assess their individual needs and readiness. SBDC will also connect providers with local, state and federal resources, including licensing and zoning instructions, which determine whether childcare services can be provided at a certain property.

“We would have loved to use something like this when we first started,” childcare provider Vicki Lucas said. “It’s a lot to go through to get started, especially with zoning. That’s why it’s so intimidating, so to have something like this [is] invaluable.” The program will also organize classes for family home childcare and childcare centers in collaboration with EEBC. In these classes, childcare providers will learn about how to make their business more efficient and profitable through human resource management, technology incorporation and collaborating with other providers in the early education network, according to the information session. “Childcare providers are so busy focusing on taking care of the children that they don’t often have the time to work on their business,” McCarthy said. “It’s an exciting opportunity for people who are starting up to take advantage of learning from people who have gone through some of the challenges.” In-person classes for family day home providers have six sessions on Saturdays starting Nov. 11, and virtual classes targeted toward childcare centers have eight sessions on Wednesdays. which started yesterday. Attending all sessions of each respective class is required for applying for the ARPA grant funding from the city. SBDC will help program participants determine whether they have increased childcare spaces in their home or center, among other criterias for eligibility. They will also assist those who have received the grant with reporting results to the city. “The biggest thing for us is to help those childcare providers grow the service they provide,” Parks said. “That’s our goal — to see these services grow to where everyone in the city who needs them will be able to obtain them affordably.” CONTACT Sixuan Wu at wu3sx@dukes. jmu.edu. For more coverage of JMU and Harrisonburg news, follow the news desk on X @BreezeNewsJMU.

“To have something like this [is] invaluable.” Vicki Lucas, childcare provider

Harrisonburg received $28.3 million from the American Rescue Plan Act, then the City Council distributed the money across community spaces, government services and accessible housing, mental health and childcare services. Christopher Timothy / The Breeze

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CULTURE

EDITORS Morgan Blair & Evan Moody

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Rocktown Bricks, LLC features JMU-themed LEGO sets

Jerry Whittaker, founder of Rocktown Bricks, LLC, said he sees more sales of his Wilson Hall set before Christmas and graduation. Photo illustration by Evan Moody / The Breeze

By EVAN MOODY The Breeze

Quad brick by Quad brick, Dukes cement their legacy at JMU. Just as these moments build memories, students, alums and university supporters may also treasure time by constructing their own Wilson Hall or Duke Dog with LEGOs. Rocktown Bricks, LLC sells “JMU-themed” building sets with authentic LEGO brick elements, according to the business website. Featured on the site is a Wilson Hall building set, complete with columns and belltower, and a Duke Dog face plate set, which can stand as a frame or be hung on the wall. Both include digital building instructions to complete the sets.

The cornerstone

Jerry Whittaker’s (’08) inspiration for beginning Rocktown Bricks, LLC began after playing with LEGOs as a child, he said. Once moving away to school, the bricks sat in storage and didn’t return to Whittaker until right before having children of his own. After doing so, Whittaker began to pick up bricks again. “They really liked them as much as I did as a kid,” Whittaker said. “It got me back into LEGO.” Around 15 years ago, at the same time Whittaker began building again, the toy company began releasing “adult sets” in their LEGO Architecture series. According to the LEGO website, sets offer a “mindful building experience and result in impressive models that provide pleasure long after the construction work has been completed.” Whittaker, who purchased the LEGO Architecture White House set, said he thought it was cool how the company can still get

adults interested in using LEGO. Eventually, Whittaker and his children would begin playing with legos all of the time. Since Whittaker and his wife attended undergraduate schooling at JMU, with Whittaker going on to graduate school at the university and now a faculty member, their home has always been full of purple and gold spirit. In the midst of watching a Dukes football game on TV, Whittaker’s son had an idea to create Wilson Hall, and so a prototype was made with larger Duplo blocks. This design continued being worked on, eventually consisting of original LEGO bricks. “I eventually thought, ‘Man, if we can make a really nice one that looks like an architecture set, maybe we can even sell it,’” Whittaker said.

Building a business

Sales for Rocktown Bricks, LLC varies with uptakes occurring before Christmas and graduation, Whittaker said. For him, however, the business is “just a fun side thing,” that allows him to teach his children about beginning a side business, taxes and making a website. “We kind of did it on our own and just figured it out together,” Whittaker said. Professional toy inventor and owner of similar constructionbased toy company, KEVA Planks Ken Scheel said Rocktown Bricks, LLC was doable given its set’s small scales and because it was a fun business to start. Whittaker approached Scheel and discussed the business during its beginning stages. “I have a lot of friends and acquaintances tell me, ‘I have a great idea,’” Scheel said. “Very few people actually do something about their idea.”

Since being in the industry, Scheel encouraged and brainstormed with Whittaker on the startup. He often turns to the Whittaker family to test developing toys for his own company as well.

Future construction

Going forward, Whittaker said designing other JMU-themed sets could be a possibility. The most anticipated set he has been contacted for is Bridgeforth Stadium, home of the JMU football team. “I like the design aspect of it,” Whittaker said. “And so it’d be really fun for me to spend like, you know, several months trying to design a LEGO-inspired Bridgeforth Stadium set.” For each of Rocktown Brick’s designs, Whittaker uses Studio, a program that allows the creator to design in 3D, manipulate the bricks and change colors. In the works is another style of Duke Dog, a poseable one as opposed to the “plate” original. Whittaker and his wife also have degrees from U.V.a., so a set from the school is also in mind. As of now, the business plans revolve around stacking memories and building lessons with Whittaker’s children. “The most fun part is when I do sell one, it pops up on my phone, and I’ll say, ‘Oh, we just sold a Wilson Hall,’ and they get all excited,” Whittaker said. CONTACT Evan Moody at thebreezeculture@gmail.com. For more on the culture, arts and lifestyle of the JMU and Harrisonburg communities, follow the culture desk on Twitter and Instagram @Breeze_Culture.

CULTURE

Thursday, November 2, 2023 | breezejmu.org

Food pantry discusses struggles, looks to meet needs Ahead of holiday season, Hope Distributed works through shortages of some foods that are important to diverse local community

Harrisonburg nonprofit Hope Distributed not only offers a food bank but also a furniture store, a free clothing store and free baby supplies. Morgan Blair / The Breeze

By ARIANNA TAYLOR contributing writer

With the holidays approaching, many may be considering donating their time to helping those in need. Located off Port Republic Road in Harrisonburg, Hope Distributed is a nonprofit with four branches: a food pantry, a furniture store, a free clothing store and free baby supplies, according to its website. Hope Distributed opened Oct. 12, 2004, in a closet of the Church of Nazarene, said Ellen Braun, administrator of the nonprofit. It then moved to a double-wide trailer, and in February 2018, raised enough money to build the warehouse it’s in now. Braun began working at Hope Distributed in February 2019 after her former boss of 14 years died. After needing a change, she went back to school to get her master’s then found herself on Craigslist looking for a new job. “I opened up Craigslist, and who opens up Craiglist anymore,” Braun said. “I think that God led [me to the job], and he makes everything align.” Braun is familiar with volunteer work as she grew up as a Girl Scout, volunteering at her church and as an adult, she led girl scouts and helped teachers within her children’s school. “I have been volunteering all my life,” Braun said. “It felt innate to me.” When the pantry first opened, volunteers boxed the goods and handed them to the clients. Now, volunteers separate all items and stock the shelves, and clients take a shopping cart down the aisles themselves. According to Hope Distributed’s website, its food pantry is set up to look like a grocery store, which “allows everyone to maintain the dignity and respect we all deserve.” When the doors open, clients are given a number, then they register with a volunteer at the window. If a client’s income qualifies within United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Feeding America’s standards, they are allowed to shop. Customers are then given a shopping cart and banana boxes to hold their goods, Braun said. The USDA and Feeding America stock the shelves of the pantry, Braun said. The USDA items in the pantry are brought in by their

Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) . To get the food on the pantry’s shelves, Braun is sent an inventory of what USDA has available. Then, she selects what she wants and can pick it up or get it delivered. “Sometimes, I’ll buy it by the pickup load,” Braun said. “Other times, they’ll have to bring the tractor trailer because I’ll have 16 pallets of food.” According to Hope Distributed website, the National Diaper Bank Network supplies diapers for Baby Hope. Private donors such as Radical Roots provide vegetables and construction companies donate water, and the Farm Ministry donated over 1,000 pounds of beef this year, Braun said. The pantry also partners with Food Lion for their boxes that hold common ingredients to make easy meals, along with Pepperidge Farm and Mission Tortilla. Even with all the donors, Braun said she’s having a difficult time stocking the shelves. “[Clients] used to go out of here with 150 pounds of food, and now they’re going out with 60 pounds,” Braun said. “It’s just because we don’t have it, it’s not here.” Braun said she believes that Feeding America is not donating as much produce from the grocery store. “Feeding America used to send it to us when it was at 90% viability; now, they hang on to it until 80%, and by the time it gets to us it’s lost another 10% of its life,” Braun said. Even with the decline in supply, the demand has increased for clients needing food after the pandemic. “We all thought our numbers would go back down to a manageable level [after the pandemic], but the numbers have spiked.” Braun said. Hope Distributed serves 90 to 140 households every time the doors to the pantry open, Braun said. Braun tries to stock the shelves with food popular within the diverse cultures in Harrisonburg but said she’s having a difficult time getting the staples on the shelves. “We have a really high Hispanic population, and unfortunately, we went 10 months with no rice,” Braun said. “To serve them

culturally appropriate foods is almost impossible.” Braun said the pantry is getting more clients from Hispanic countries, Ukraine, the Middle East and Russia who can’t speak English. She said she’d like to have a Spanish translator present at the pantry at all times but is only able to accomplish that goal sometimes. Braun is hardly able to get Ukrainian, Russian and Middle Eastern translators at all, she said. Harrisonburg’s demographics are also becoming more diverse, which increases Braun’s need for translators. The Data USA census shows the city is 21.5% non-white with USA Facts saying the hispanic population has grown by 3,022 from 2010 to 2021.. Hope Distributed is always looking for volunteers, Braun said, and she’s asking JMU organizations if they can help out. “Every time I get a JMU group in here, I’m dancing, and they’re laughing at me,” Braun said. “And I’m thinking, ‘You had no idea how long I had to work to get you in here.’” Eliot Westwood, a volunteer of five years at Hope Distributed, continues to show up because of the connection she builds with the clients who come in, he said. “When you are there week and week and month after month, you get to know people and know their families,” Westwood said. “You hear about some of their good times and about some of their bad times, and you just hope that somehow you are making a difference for them.” Westwood also said some clients “feel desperate” or are “embarrassed” that they are using Hope Distributed’s services. Her goal for the nonprofit is to make people feel welcome and help as many customers as it can, she said. The food pantry and clothing store are open for clients during the first three Saturdays each month. The clothing store and food pantry are also open various Thursdays throughout November. CONTACT

Arianna Taylor at taylo3af@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.

Thursday, November 2, 2023 | breezejmu.org

CULTURE

Review | Stompmania offers inclusive and entertaining night, with themed performances By JORDAN TAYLOR contributing writer

Stepping and strolling was the topic of the night in Wilson Hall on Friday. I had the pleasure of going to see Stompmania for the first time Friday night, which featured fraternities and sororities of the Intercultural Greek Council (ICGC) competing. The night began with a few announcements, as well as a history lesson. “Stepping and strolling is based on a long and rich tradition in African-based communities that use movement, words and sounds to communicate allegiance to a group,” Assistant Director of the ICGC Francesgladys Pullido said. “Succinct movements are drawn from African foot dances, such as Gumboot, originally conceived by miners in South Africa as an alternative to drumming, which was banned by authorities.” Associate Director of Student Leadership DeAndrae Powell said that the five judges would base their scores on “introduction, creativity/originality, difficulty of steps, precision/synchronization and the exit,” also letting the audience know that the theme of the night was cartoons. With that, the performances began with the Xi Delta Chapter of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. It centered around the show “Phineas and Ferb,” with members acting as Phineas, Ferb, Perry, Candace and Isabella. The students performance was entertaining with accurac but also paid respect to its sister sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha. The Lambda Chi Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. performed next, and it followed the theme of “Barbie.” The ladies took on the role of multiple different Barbies, including “Lawyer Barbie,” “Dr. Barbie” and more, and they also performed a show paying tribute to their brother organization. The Lambda Iota Chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc.’s performance followed the theme of “Scooby Doo,” featuring Daphne, Velma, three members of the sorority and

the dean of Butler University. The ladies solved the mystery with impressive synchronization, figuring out that the dean was the cause of the problems. Then was the Beta Delta Delta Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc. They chose the theme of “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” and members and graduates, took on the role of the four turtles, Splinter, the Shredder and a few of his lackeys performed. I found it both funny and impressive.

Stompmania featured perfomances in styles drawn from African foot dances. Morgan Blair / The Breeze

Afterward, host Mike Andrews, a JMU alum, took the stage to let the audience know that Skyline Middle School students, who came under the name of Skyline Middle School Steppers, came to perform. The ethnically diverse group surprised and excited the crowd with its extraordinary routine that, in my opinion, could compete with the collegiate groups that were already impressing the judges. After the standing ovation and a brief intermission, the show continued with the Alpha Kappa Delta Phi International Sorority, Inc., who performed the theme of “Avatar: The Last Airbender.” The ladies performed a colorfully enticing set before ending with a traditional dragon dance. The Iota Alpha Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority,

Inc. took the stage and became “The Incredibles.” The ladies performed complicated steps with what seemed like ease as they took on the roles of the Incredibles family, Edna and other characters. Finally, members of the Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc. of Bowie State in Maryland came and performed following the theme of “Spiderman.” The next portion of performances was within the exhibition part of the show and included the Lambda Phi Epsilon International Fraternity, Inc., who also featured characters from “Avatar: The Last Airbender.” Last but not least, the ladies of the Hermandad de Sigma Iota Alpha, Inc. also featured a “Phineas and Ferb” theme. While the judges were deliberating, Andrews led the audience as well as the performers into entertaining dances and allaround fun activities. Finally, the results. The judges agreed that the best fraternity was the Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. of Bowie State, followed by the Beta Delta Delta Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. As for the sororities, the judges placed the Iota Alpha Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. followed by Lambda Iota Chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. It was impossible to ignore the feeling of togetherness and deep connection between not only the people performing, but also the audience, who vocally supported all of the groups that performed. Needless to say, the night was filled with enjoyable, welcoming and entertaining acts that each had their own effortless, personal touch, which came together masterfully. Safe to say, I will happily return next year to such an inclusive and entertaining event. CONTACT Jordan Taylor at coope9ja@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.

CULTURE

Thursday, November 2, 2023 | breezejmu.org

By K. MAUSER The Breeze

shopper Jill Yamane (’86) said she’s been impressed with the store thus far. Yamane said Gift & Thrift has the cleanest facility, is the most well-organized, has the biggest selection of things and has the best prices. “We get a lot of things that are sort of average, but we also get this really fabulous layer of things that are unique and interesting,” Nelson said. “You just never know what you’re going to see — one time we even had somebody accidentally donate their cat.” Nelson said donations are given to a small team that researches unique items and their value. Items of higher value will either be sold on Gift & Thrift’s eBay store or through an online silent auction, and items of lower value will be sold in-store. The same process is done with Booksavers, a small section within Gift & Thrift offering gently used books for sale. Booksavers manager Amy Rohrer said she has a staff of 10 people who sorts books into different categories of value and resells books over $10 in value on its online store, adding that it has about 25,000 books online for sale. Booksavers receives many fiction and Christian books, as well as works from the Green Valley Book Fair, encyclopedias and textbooks, Rohrer said. She added that Booksavers is housed under Gift & Thrift but is a separate section of the store with its own online store. However, she noted Booksavers still sets aside the same amount of its profits as the other departments in the store to donate to the MCC. Booksavers volunteers research about 80% of the books the store receives, Rohrer said. She said the other departments in the store include furniture, electronics, upcycle, linen, eBay, housewares, clothing, crafts, office and “thriftique,” which is a department specializing in items “nicer than the average,” Roher said, but not nice enough to sell online. Gift & Thrift also strives to be as green as it can be, Rohrer said.

Local thrift store is set apart by philanthropy and quality More than 11% of people live below the poverty line in America, which is over 37 million people, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Local thrift store Gift & Thrift made helping those in need its mission by donating a percentage of its profits and goods to “at-risk populations” locally and around the world, according to the store’s website. Gift & Thrift, located off Mount Clinton Pike, was established in 1987 and is still open today, according to executive director Susan Nelson. The store employs staff for every one of its numerous departments and provides opportunities for about 130 volunteers to sort inventory each day, among other tasks, Nelson said. Volunteers are from many different backgrounds, including JMU, Eastern Mennonite University and international students and older retirees, Nelson said. “It’s a really fun and cool place to work and volunteer,” Nelson said. The store engages in philanthropy for organizations in and around Harrisonburg, Nelson said, adding that it donates many items to local operations such as Open Doors and Strength in Peers. Both organizations provide resources to people in need within the Friendly City. This past year, Gift & Thrift also hosted three different fundraisers for local nonprofits in which it gave these organizations 10% of daily sales, Nelson said. The store also donates a percentage of its profits each month to the Mennonite Central Committee (MCC), which has outreach programs in 43 countries around the world, including the U.S., Nelson said. In addition to Gift & Thrift’s deep philanthropic efforts, frequent

This past year, Gift & Thrift hosted three different fundraisers for local nonprofits. Breeze file photo

She said the store uses every bit of inventory that it gets in some way, such as cutting apart vinyl binders in order to stiffen the books it sends out. Nelson said the store tries to “keep things out of the dump” whenever possible. Rohrer said she thinks the “unique and specialness” of Gift & Thrift comes from the heart they all put into the store. “Everyone that we have here really cares a lot for the mission and cares a lot for the local community,” Rohrer said. “Everybody really cares a lot about each other and about what we do.” CONTACT K. Mauser at mauserkk@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.

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JMU offensive line adapting amid second season-ending injury By JACKSON HEPHNER The Breeze

Junior offensive lineman Tyler Stephens (left) shifted to left tackle after junior Tyshawn Wyatt (right) went down with an injury during JMU’s win over Old Dominion on Saturday. Photos by Ryan Sauer / The Breeze

Junior right guard Cole Potts (left) and redshirt junior center Tanner Morris (right) are the only linemen whose spots on the line haven’t changed on the depth chart for JMU this season.

JMU football returned five starters to its offensive line this season. Ten weeks in, two of them are out for the year. Head coach Curt Cignetti confirmed on Tuesday that junior offensive lineman Tyshawn Wyatt will be out for the rest of the season after going down during the Dukes’ 30-27 win over Old Dominion on Saturday. “On the field Saturday night, the exam, the X-ray all checked out pretty good, so we were optimistic,” Cignetti said. “But the next step’s the MRI, and the MRI didn’t say the same thing, so he’ll be lost for the season.” Wyatt is the second starting offensive lineman JMU has lost to injury, with redshirt senior offensive lineman Nick Kidwell going down during JMU’s 45-38 win over Utah State on Sept. 23. Losing two starters has led to some major shuffling on the line. After losing Kidwell, the Dukes moved junior left guard Tyler Stephens over to Kidwell’s spot. Redshirt freshman offensive lineman Carter Miller took over as the starting left guard. With Wyatt gone, Stephens is listed in Wyatt’s spot at left tackle on this week’s depth chart, while redshirt sophomore Josh Toner is listed as a starter for the first time since he played at left guard in JMU’s matchups against Marshall and Louisville last season. Since then, Toner has taken reps in every game this year and is first string at right tackle this week. “None of us have anything to worry about with him stepping up,” Stephens said of Toner on Tuesday. “He’s a good player, and he’ll do well for us.” This offensive line was the one that finished out the Dukes’ win against Old Dominion after Wyatt went down right with 0:03 left in the first half. The unit only gave up one sack in the second half, when the Monarchs’ redshirt sophomore defensive end Kris Trinidad got past Toner with just over five minutes left in regulation. Despite this, Cignetti had high praise for the line. “That was probably the cleanest pocket that Jordan’s [McCloud] had all year long,” he said Tuesday. Cignetti also complimented Toner, calling him “very

capable.” He also gave high praise to Stephens, who he called the Dukes’ player of the game on offense Saturday night. “He’s a smart guy that’s played right guard, left guard, right tackle, left tackle,” Cignetti said, “and you can see him really growing into now sort of a leadership role on that line a little bit with Nick [Kidwell] gone.” Stephens credited the line’s success against ODU to its training. He also took time to praise offensive line coach Damian Wroblewski. “He prepares us for any situation,” Stephens said, “and he makes us apply our knowledge rather than just memorize stuff or know things, and I think that’s where he stands out as a coach.” Stephens also credited Wroblewski for keeping the lineman prepared to play any spot on the line when needed. “He prepares us for all positions,” Stephens said. “He’ll ask questions, no matter what guy it is for what position or whatever. And I feel like we’re all prepared to play the position that we’re doing.” Moving forward, Cignetti did highlight an area that he would like to see improvement in from the offensive line — the run game. The Dukes averaged 128.8 rushing yards across the past four games. Cignetti said he’d like to see more production on the ground, with the offensive line and coaching staff playing a key role in making that happen. “I’d like to see us open a few more holes,” he said, “and I think maybe in some cases, our design needs to improve as a staff.” But considering the circumstances, the offensive line still looks to maintain its consistency moving forward. They’ve only allowed more than a single sack in a game twice this season. Stephens credited the team’s mentality for their adaptability amid both the readjustments mid-game and the emotion of seeing a teammate go down. “It sucks to see your friends who you know have worked so hard not be able to play anymore,” Stephens said, “but once you get on the field, it’s just the next play, and you just got to absorb the role that you’re given, and that’s what we’re trying to do.” CONTACT Jackson Hephner at breezesports@gmail.com. For more football coverage, follow the sports desk on X at @TheBreezeSports.

Despite two of its starters now gone with season-ending injuries, JMU’s offensive line has stayed consistent, allowing more than one sack in only two of its eight games this season.

SPORTS

Thursday, November 2, 2023 | breezejmu.org

Sun Belt jump, AUBC’s opening rapidly increases men’s basketball attendance By MATTHEW TADDEI The Breeze JMU men’s basketball gained much interest towards the end of last year, with an average attendance of 5,039 across JMU’s final six home games, up from its 4,306 average across all 14 home games in 2022-23. The attendance jump these past two seasons have been a stark contrast to the attendance figures from the team’s previous 11 seasons, eight of which were played in the Convocation Center, which was later renovated to house volleyball and seven other sports. Here are the Dukes’ average attendance figures since 2009 ahead of its home opener on November 12:

Attendance

5000

While playing in the Convocation Center, the Dukes’ average attendance decreased slightly each year from 2009-10 (3,732) to 201213 (3,334), a period when the team went a combined 67-67.

4000

JMU saw a slight uptick in attendance after it made the NCAA Tournament in 2013, with the Dukes averaging 3,612 attendees the following season. Since then, the Dukes’ attendance fell each year until their last season in the Convo in 2019-20, when they averaged 2,435 fans, 122 more than the previous year.

Attendance was limited to 250 fans during the 2020-21 season because of COVID-19. When fans could return to basketball games the following season, this time in the Atlantic Union Bank Center, average attendance shot up to 4,408, including a sold-out crowd of 8,439 to watch the Dukes beat U.Va. 52-49 on Dec. 7, 2021 In 2022-23, the men’s team averaged 4,306 fans, the third highest in the Sun Belt. The women also had the third highest in the Sun Belt Conference with an average attendance of 2,216.

3000 2000

2009-10

2010-11

2011-12

2012-13

2013-14

2014-15

2015-16

Season According to a JMU spokesperson, women’s basketball has had a steady range of 2,000-2,500 people attend home games “over a long period of time,“ with no significant impact from the opening of the AUBC or the move to the Sun Belt. “It is a game changer when you have an arena filled with that high level of energy,” head coach Sean O’Regan said, “I think with joining the Sun Belt, there’s not the extra attraction of an old rivalry … The more you watch, the league is really good, so you start understanding the quality of basketball you will want to watch.”

For more men’s and women’s basketball coverage, scan this QR code to watch Breeze TV: Jackson Hephner contributed to this report. CONTACT Matthew Taddei at taddeimj@dukes.jmu.edu. For more volleyball coverage, follow the sports desk on X @TheBreezeSports.

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2017-18

2018-19

2019-20 2021-22 2022-23 Jackson Hephner / The Breeze

Thursday, September 21, 2023 | breezejmu.org

Vol. 102, No. 6

Thursday, November 2, 2023 | breezejmu.org

SPORTS

Preview | JMU football look to remain ‘consistent’ against Georgia State Undefeated Dukes face east road test

By HAYDEN HUNDLEY The Breeze JMU (8-0, 5-0 Sun Belt) faces Georgia State (6-2, 3-2) on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. in hopes of extending its active winning streak that spans two seasons, to 11 games, the fifth longest streak in the FBS. Last season, the Dukes beat the Panthers 42-40 at Bridgeforth Stadium after roaring back from a 20-point deficit at halftime. Despite the close outing last season, Georgia State head coach Shawn Elliot isn’t brooding over last year’s game, saying the fact that the Panthers nearly bested the Dukes means “nothing” to this year’s game. JMU is coming off a 30-27 win over in-state rival Old Dominion on Saturday, when it allowed 415 yards of total offense, its second highest all season. Head coach Curt Cignetti said JMU “needs to play better” this week but is encouraged by the signs his team has shown so far in preparation for the matchup. “Early in the week, I like our mindset, I like our urgency, our sense of excitement, our attentiveness is much better than last week,” Cignetti said. “Last week, I detected a lack of urgency throughout the week, and it showed up in our play. We were consistently inconsistent.” Cignetti said as the season progresses, it can be “daunting” for a team to go through the same routine week in and week out and stressed the importance of taking a step back and reflecting on the players' own performances. One position group Cignetti praised was the offensive line, which helped the team rush for 123 yards and limit ODU to one sack, saying it was “the cleanest pocket" redshirt senior quarterback Jordan McCloud has had all year. He finished with 340 yards passing and three touchdowns. The Dukes' offensive line is working through its second major injury of the season. Starting junior left tackle Tyshawn Wyatt will be sidelined for the remainder of the season after an injury he suffered in the second quarter against ODU Cignetti confirmed Tuesday. Junior offensive lineman Tyler Stephens will switch over from right tackle to left tackle full time after playing well in the spot last week, as Cignetti called him the “player of the game on offense.” “You know, personally, it sucks to see your friends who you know have worked so hard not be able to play anymore,” Stephens said. “But once you get on the field, it's just the next play, you have to absorb the role that you're given and that's what we're trying to do.” Stephens called Georgia State’s defensive line athletic and said he’s ready for the challenge of facing the group that is third in the Sun Belt with 118.8 rushing yards allowed per game. The Panthers' defense is run by defensive coordinator Chad Staggs, who was previously the coordinator at Coastal Carolina for four seasons, which Cignetti called around “70%” the same scheme as what JMU went up against in the regular season finale last year — a game JMU scored 47 in. JMU’s defense, which is currently last in the Sun Belt with 288.9 passing yards allowed per game but first in rushing yards allowed per game (48.9), will face a Georgia State offense led by senior running back Marcus Carroll, who is first in the Sun Belt with 1,060 rushing yards on 197 attempts this year. Georgia State senior quarterback Darren Grainger is also a threat on the ground, ranking 14th in the Sun Belt with 448 rushing yards this season. Cignetti said the Panthers' hybridstyle offense likes to set up the play-action pass off their run game that uses a lot of bootlegs. “They’ve always run the ball well,” Cignetti said. “They run a lot of inside zone, but they have a lot of good complements off that. They’re really well coached up front. Their quarterback's a dual-threat, their running back runs hard and their line functions good.” The Dukes lead their all-time series 3-0 and are 5.5-point favorites against Georgia State, which is off to its first 6-2 start in program history but has lost its last two games to Louisiana and Georgia Southern. Georgia State will aim to get back on track, but it won’t get any easier against a JMU team that Elliot called the “standard of the league.” “There’s a lot of things that get you going,” Elliot said. “There’s a lot of great things ahead for our football team. For us to drag our heads and not be thrilled to play such a talented group like JMU ... would be foolish, so our mindset is straightforward and ready to go play.”

JMU leads the all-time series against Georgia State 3-0. Grace Sawyer / The Breeze

JMU's rush defense is first in the Sun Belt, allowing an average of 48.9 yards per game, while the pass defense is last in the conference with an average of 288.9 yards allowed. Grace Sawyer / The Breeze

CONTACT Hayden Hundley at hundlehf@dukes.jmu.edu. For more football coverage, follow the sports desk on X @TheBreezeSports.

“I like our urgency, our sense of excitement, our attentiveness is much better than last week.” Head coach Curt Cignetti

The Dukes lost their second offensive line starter this season after junior left tackle Tyshawn Wyatt suffered an injury during the second quarter against Old Dominion. Abi Middleton / The Breeze

SPORTS

Thursday, November 2, 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

28-20

26-22

35-13

33-15

34-14

37-11

34-14

JMU vs. Georgia State

JMU

Kansas State vs. Texas

Texas

Oregon

Oklahoma vs. Oklahoma St.

Oklahoma St.

Oklahoma

Oklahoma St.

Oklahoma

Oklahoma St.

LSU vs. Alabama

Alabama

Marshall vs. App State

App State

Marshall

App State

Marshall

App State

C. Carolina vs. ODU

ODU

C. Carolina

Ryan Sauer / The Breeze

OPINION EDITOR Evan Weaver

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 “that-made-my-day” pat to the person wearing the inflatable Fall Guys costume while riding a Bird scooter. From someone who forgot it was Halloween. A “dedication” pat to the MRDs for playing a postgame show at 12:30 a.m. for the homecoming game. From someone who wouldn't want to be in their shoes.

@Breeze_Opinion

Textbook torture

Professors should make use of non-academic, nonfiction books like biographies to make STEM classes more interesting for students MAYA WINDER | contributing columnist There has always been a lack of motivation or interest in learning from a textbook among students. STEM classes should incorporate nonfiction novels — books that relay true stories but read like stories — to get students interested in the subject and reading about real-world people or events that made an impact on the subject in a narrative way. As English courses often make use of books other than textbooks; however, the STEM perspective also must be considered. I’m sure most of you, if not all of you, have said or heard the question, “Why do we need to know this stuff anyway?” in classes and have been met with vague answers. What if I told you, there’s a way to open your mind to real-life

l eb Ka

A “this-is-the-lastthing-I-needed” dart to the door handle on my car for breaking off.

occurrences concerning your questions? There are many types of nonfiction books out there, but the ones I want to focus on are those that tell tales of discoveries and the various methods and theories that you may cover in your math or science classes. There are many different benefits to reading more nonfiction. The type that most students are exposed to are scholarly sources like textbooks and academic journals, and those can be difficult to read for many people. Nonfiction books are also oftentimes cheaper than textbooks. According to ScribeMedia, the average hardcover book adds up to around $25. They can also inspire interest or potential job ideas for students, who could also gain new insights and perspectives on historical events. According to EducationWeek, nonfiction novels help students obtain knowledge on the subject and gain insight into different perspectives. Along with developing skills, nonfiction books can help students discover more about themselves and encourage discussion a b o u t topics. There a r e te Nu

he /T

From someone who has to open the door from the inside of their car.

ee ze

A “brownie-points” pat to the Chick-fil-A employee who gave me a brownie with my order. From someone who didn't order it but enjoyed it anyways.

Editorial Policies The Breeze 1598 S. Main Street Harrisonburg, VA 22801

many different genres under the nonfiction umbrella, and there are a variety of styles and stories a student may find interesting. JMU English professor Sofia Samatar said she thinks incorporating nonfiction books into STEM classes could be helpful at the general education level. “First of all, people don’t need the high expertise if they’re taking a gen ed class,” Samatar said. “They just need a regular educated person’s understanding of that material, and that's where I think it’s perfect.” Samatar also suggests incorporating these kinds of stories into gen ed classes could help students realize what direction they want to go in within their desired careers and expose them to jobs they may have never heard of. Erika Sawin, a professor in JMU’s School of Nursing, discussed her experience using nonfiction novels to teach some of her classes. Specifically, Sawin said she thinks the novels help students’ listening skills and helps them put faces to the stories if someone hasn’t had experience with the subject yet. In regards to the benefits in the classroom, a 2011 study by Karen Gunther of Wabash College showed that students who only used nonfiction novels had improved exam scores compared to students who used a textbook for part of a semester and nonfiction novels for the other part. However, for students in both groups, “the effectiveness of the instructor in stimulating student interest was significantly higher than in prior years where only the textbook was used,” the study said. Additionally, 68% of the study’s participants said reading nonfiction novels piqued their curiosity on the subject and encouraged them to learn more. I hear all the time that other students feel directionless and alone in their confusion about discovering more about themselves and what they want in their educational and career journey. I believe that reading other people’s experiences along with the facts can help students gain new perspectives about achievements so they can discover more about their likes and dislikes and make more informed decisions. CONTACT

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

The Breeze welcomes and encourages readers to voice their opinions through letters and guest columns.

The Breeze reserves the right to edit submissions for length, grammar and if material is libelous, factually inaccurate or unclear. The Breeze assumes the rights to any published work. Opinions expressed in this page, with the exception of editorials, are not necessarily those of The Breeze or its staff.

Letters and guest columns should be submitted in print or via e-mail and must include name, phone number, major/year if author is a current student (or year of graduation), professional title (if applicable) and place of residence if author is not a JMU student.

OPINION

Thursday, November 2, 2023 | breezejmu.org

Adventure Center should allow new climbing team more practice time SARAH GILMER | contributing columnist Rock climbing is a sport on the rise. Competitive climbing made its Olympic debut in summer 2021 in Tokyo. In 2022, the number of indoor climbing participants in the U.S. increased by 100,000 from the previous year, peaking at approximately 5.78 million according to a Sports and Fitness Industry Association survey. It’s clear this sport is becoming quite popular around the country. At JMU, the Adventure Center at the University Recreation Center has an expansive rock wall for all students to use, and climbing has become a popular activity on campus. “It isn’t uncommon to see a packed house in and around the bouldering wall during peak hours,” UREC director Erik Nickel said. With more than 260 colleges competing in climbing across the country each year, a new competitive team formed on campus this semester. This has become a great opportunity for students to meet other climbers, improve their technique and compete at the collegiate level. However, the immediate restrictions placed upon the team by the Adventure Center have held the team back from reaching their full potential together. Not long after tryouts, the Adventure Center expressed their concerns to the team. After a meeting with UREC administration, climbing team coach Ben McGregor said the team was allowed one practice with all members on Saturday evenings after the Adventure Center closes for other JMU students, plus two practices with the team split up during regular open hours. McGregor said the Adventure Center went back on this decision after the first climbing team practice, stating that the team practices could easily overcrowd the rock walls and intimidate other students who want to climb recreationaly. The coaches then had to create individual workouts for the team members to

complete in their own time in order to follow Adventure Center’s policies said McGregor. “The growth you get with team members is kind of lost,” said Michael Dean, a sophomore team member. In an Oct. 6 email, Nickel said this semester alone, JMU has seen a big jump in use at the Adventure Center. The rock wall is often used by many JMU students, along with the team members. While Nickel also said other sports are restricted in their use of UREC facilities, they don’t need the specific spaces and equipment to hold practices in the way the climbing team does. There are no other climbing gyms in UREC that the team can use, making the Adventure Center the only location available for practices. When there’s only one practice per week allowed for the full team at UREC, it’s difficult for members to have the bonding experiences of being on a college sports team. McGregor and Dean made it clear that they’re working hard to tackle this concern because they haven’t experienced students feeling they can’t enjoy the rock wall during open gym hours when the team is present. “While we understand the concern, it doesn’t quite happen in the way the administrators think it does,” McGregor said. There are solutions for the climbing team to have the time they need. The Adventure Center could allow the team to hold more practices after open gym hours or simply realize that the climbing team is a positive community of only 16 members who won’t overcrowd and intimidate but rather support and encourage other students exploring the sport. CONTACT Sarah Gilmer at gilmersc@dukes.

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

A conservative perspective on clean energy

The bouldering wall in the Adventure Center at the University Recreation Center attracts many students during peak hours, UREC director Erik Nickel said. LillyAnne Day / The Breeze

JMU prides itself on being a pioneer in clean energy to keep up with the global shifts in counteracting carbon emissions. This is evident with the construction of the solar panels that lay just below the stairs of King Hall. We, as a campus and a community, would like to do whatever it takes to ensure a safe and healthy future for those around us and the students who will attend this university in the coming years. Although having a vastly clean-energy-based campus is the first step in this overarching goal, this is a much larger process. The entire Commonwealth of Virginia is processing this change, and there are many variables to adjust to and overcome. As we push forward in this goal of attaining clean energy, I would like to offer a conservative perspective to its proliferation. Clean energy in itself is an admirable goal to have. However, many critical factors make the production even more gratifying, one of the most important being the economic benefits that can be created through solar or other clean energy productions. Projects and maintenance create a plethora of jobs for members of the community. If the U.S., in totality, was to invest in clean energy fully, millions of jobs would be created within the next decade. On top of the jobs that production and maintenance would create, the environmental benefits are too much to gloss over. The reduction of greenhouse gas emissions would help replenish the landscape of the place we call home. Other than environmental benefits, there is a legal factor that has a role in this switch.

Clean energy, as stated, is one of the most pressing issues that the world faces in this day and age. While the Commonwealth of Virginia has taken strides in this matter to create clean, renewable energy, there is still much to be done. The Virginia Clean Economy Act, passed by former Gov. Ralph Northam (D) in 2020, added to the urgency of this goal. The bill requires Dominion Energy and Appalachian Electric Power to produce 100% clean energy by 2045 and 2050, respectively. Given everything that has been stated in the above paragraphs, it is important for everyone to get involved in clean energy. Views may differ on many subjects between political parties in the U.S. today, and many conservatives might not be as heavy on the side of clean energy. However, the pros for this state and the country in regard to clean energy outweigh the cons by a mile.

Sincerely, Aaron Santa Maria JMU senior

Thursday, November 2, 2023 | breezejmu.org

Vol. 102, No. 11

MULTIMEDIA

Thursday, November 2, 2023 | breezejmu.org

THIS IS HOME.

THIS Week on BREEZE TV

JMU celebrated Homecoming weekend with a Yung Gravy concert hosted by the University Program Board on Friday. Then, the Homecoming football game against Old Dominion on Saturday saw the Dukes win 30-27 and move to 8-0, extending their undefeated streak to 11 games dating back to last year. Landon Shackelford / The Breeze

TOP STORIES Live from City Hall as early voting comes to a close before Election Day

Grace Sawyer / The Breeze

Landon Shackelford / The Breeze

For more photos of JMU’s Homecoming game and the concert, view the full galleries online at breezejmu.org/ multimedia.

Abi Middleton / The Breeze

Women's and men's basketball prepare to tip off their seasons New club promotes female empowerment in fitness

Grace Sawyer / The Breeze

Weekend weather forecast

Landon Shackelford / The Breeze

Abi Middleton / The Breeze

CONTACT Landon Shackelford at shackela@dukes. Landon Shackelford / The Breeze

jmu.edu, Grace Sawyer at sawye2gl@dukes.jmu.edu and Abi Middleton at middleah@dukes.jmu.edu. For more multimedia content, visit breezejmu.org/multimedia.

Tune in to Breeze TV LIVE from the Alison B. Parker Studio every Friday at 3:30 p.m. Scan the QR code to view our YouTube livestream.

Vol. 102, No. 11

Thursday, November 2, 2023 | breezejmu.org FOR RELEASE OCTOBER 30, 2023

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

10/30/23

By Glenn Cook

DOWN 1 Birthplace of St. Francis 2 Announcing 3 Choices at perfume counters 4 WWE champion Randy who had a long rivalry with John Cena 5 Low card in a royal flush 6 African scavengers whose cries sound like laughter 7 Transplant in the greenhouse 8 Relaxation station 9 Slimming surgeries, informally 10 Meeting outline 11 Go over again, as a contract 12 Blended sitcom family of classic TV 15 “All sales are final” 17 Bit of smoke 21 Sand formations 24 Snack in a shell 26 Mount Olympus dwellers, e.g.

Saturday’s Puzzle Solved

stumpe

find the answers online

ACROSS 1 Fancy alternative to a classic necktie 6 Time sheet abbr. 9 Meat salad from Laos 13 Shop 14 Informal assent 15 Third-longest African river 16 “Push It” hip-hop trio 18 Verdi work 19 “Am __ picky?” 20 Mattel game based on Crazy Eights 21 Spoke monotonously 22 Omen 23 Mardi Gras 25 Traveler’s stopover 26 Hypotheticals 27 Crumb-carrying critter 28 App annoyances 29 Microbe 31 Freeze over 33 Chef and cookbook writer whose four elements of cooking are the first words of the answers to 16-, 23-, 48-, and 56-Across 37 Extinct birds 38 Russian denial 40 Foldable bed 43 2016 Summer Olympics city 44 Meditation sounds 46 Period of history 48 Inclination to use biting sarcasm 51 Quick cut 52 Say again 53 GPS suggestion 54 Support staff member 55 Artist’s stand 56 “Feels like” figure that combines temperature and humidity 58 Foul moods 59 “I __ your pardon?” 60 “Basic Instinct” actress Sharon 61 IRS IDs 62 Poem of praise 63 Puts a stop to

www.breezejmu.org/ site/crossword_ answers/

30 “Awesome!” 31 Allstate’s industry: Abbr. 32 Foot the bill 34 “American __”: rock musical based on a Green Day album 35 Twelve sharp 36 Many a Disney Channel star 39 Poseidon’s staff 40 Gentle touch

10/30/23

41 Quite a lot 42 Deflects through a basketball rim 44 Electrical interruption 45 Run into 47 Pinnacles 49 Info, slangily 50 Avarice 51 Father Christmas 56 “Barry” cable network 57 “Or so” suffix

Vol. 102, No. 11

Thursday, November 2, 2023 | breezejmu.org

MADISON MARKETPLACE

DUKE DOG AUTO ALLY LOCAL AUTOS FOR SALE

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. HOMES FOR RENT

JOBS

House for rent Six bedroom two full baths. 2 kitchens with dishwashers and 2 living rooms. 2 washer/ dryers. Large wrap around porch with second floor deck in back. Plenty of street parking. Hardwood floors. Large windows with a lot of natural light. Call Janice Hamilton at 540-908-0650

Career Opportunity - Transportation Massanutten Resort Inhouse Marketing Call Planner

4 bed/3bath house near downtown for rent

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290 w water st available for rent beginning July 1 2024. 4 bedrooms and 3 full baths. Hardwood floors. Plenty of off st parking. Front porch and back patio. Garage and basement for storage. Updated kitchen. 2 bocks from Memorial Hall. Pets allowed with no pet fees. Landlord references available. Call Janice Hamilton at 540-908-0650

Center has immediate part-time evening positions available. Hourly pay + Commission + Bonuses Discounts and use of resort amenities Office Environment Call today to set an interview. 540-289-4006 Ask for Mandy

Are you seeking a career in a collaborative environment that allows you the opportunity to use your transportation planning skills to benefit the local community? If so, apply to become a Transportation Planner with the City of Harrisonburg Public Works Department’s Planning Division! Find out more/apply online: https://www.harrisonburgva.gov/ employment. EOE.

Vol. 102, No. 11

Thursday, November 2, 2023 | breezejmu.org

TT BAELUS EA V

JMU

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