The Breeze 12.5.24 by The Breeze

Rising influencer captures campus’ heart

Sophomore “Amelia Kate” shares her college experience online Culture | 10

On the cover

Sophomore Amelia Sumangil never expected to become a YouTube influencer when she came to JMU. Since creating her channel during her freshman year, her online persona, Amelia Kate, has become well known among Dukes, with 2.14k followers. Her videos include various topics, most of which are about JMU.

EDITORS EMAIL

K. Mauser & Libby Addison

GEAR UP grant offers academic readiness to Staunton students

By SIXUAN WU The Breeze

Following the TRIO Upward Bound and TRIO Talent Search programs — federal outreach and student services programs for individuals of disadvantaged backgrounds — JMU added another cornerstone to its vision of fostering community-centered student success in August: the Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) grant.

Awarded to JMU in partnership with Staunton City Public Schools (SCS), the GEAR UP grant will infuse approximately $2.3 million over the next six years to support the district’s existing K-12 initiatives and provide additional education enrichment opportunities — such as workshops and summer programs, according to a JMU press release.

“The purpose of GEAR UP is to change the culture of a school district for the better,” Vice Provost for Student Academic Success Rudy Molina said. “These federal dollars are designed exactly to build in activities like school visits to different colleges and universities to learn about the two- and four-year programs, but also to support the academic skills like reading and writing that the pandemic has exacerbated the existing learning gap, so these grants are a wonderful resource to infuse those dollars to support learning and access and ultimately success.”

The United States Department of Education (DoE) sponsors GEAR UP, and the grant is designed to increase the number of lowincome students entering and succeeding in postsecondary education, according to the DoE’s website.

In JMU’s new partnership with SCS, seventh- and eighth-grade students are now automatically enrolled in the program unless they opt out. This sets GEAR UP apart from the TRIO programs offered to high school students solely by application.

“I think in Staunton City Schools, we do a good job of supporting typically our high

school students in planning and preparation for college,” said Nate Collins, SCS executive director of student services. “This grant is going to allow us to reach a little bit further back when students are younger, so we can start that process with our students and their families earlier.”

Collins added that the program will help SCS increase its parent engagement activities, such as workshops on financial literacy and college planning. GEAR UP also supplies professional learning opportunities to teachers and administrators to further the school district’s existing initiatives in providing academic preparation for college-level coursework, Collins said.

Another component of GEAR UP is that it follows a “cohort of students” from middle school to their first year of college, which allows the grant to provide support programs for students and their families for up to seven years, said Joy Brittain, director of the TRIO programs and GEAR UP grant principal investigator — who followed through during the grant’s application process.

“GEAR UP is so unique in that you really embed yourself into the school, and you try to change the paradigm of the school,” Brittain said. “GEAR UP is able to do some things that maybe can pilot and see if it works when [students] are out of the school. When [students] from the middle school are going into the high school, the middle school can say, ‘Yeah, that really worked. How can we then support it ourselves?’ It’s that paradigm shift that GEAR UP is all about.”

Brittain described the grant’s application as an “arduous process,” which required a “match” between the school district’s need and the funding that the school and community has to provide services to students.

JMU was one of 20 GEAR UP grant recipients in 2024, with a “perfect score” of a 100% match, Brittain said.

“I’m not aware of JMU ever having either a TRIO grant or a GEAR UP grant in the history

of its existence, and we’ve been around for about 100 years,” Molina said.

Brittain said while the grant officially started in September, much of the fall semester was focused on planning programs and meeting federal guidelines for the grant. She added that more activities will begin during the spring semester, and the first summer program — an academic enrichment program called “Summer Jam” — will begin in summer 2025.

“In Staunton, we do have a high poverty rate in our community, and so helping our families find ways to make college accessible and affordable, and finding some ways to help continue to better prepare all of our students for postsecondary success, that is really what we’re after,” Collins said. “I really appreciate JMU’s vision of increasing college access within our region, and I think we fit nicely with that.”

GEAR UP is part of JMU’s “greater effort” to facilitate community-based student success in the Shenandoah Valley, Molina said, along with existing programs such as TRIO, Professors in Residence and Valley Scholars.

“JMU considers itself to be an anchor institution for the Valley,” Molina said. “Families are lucky to have many institutions in terms of higher education within the Valley, but JMU wants to play an increasing and more important role in the future, so for us to have these resources and partner with Staunton and other school districts, we believe that we’re just scratching the surface, because we have more work to be done.”

CONTACT Sixuan Wu at thebreezeculture@gmail.com. For more coverage of JMU and Harrisonburg news, follow the news desk on X @TheBreezeJMU and on Instagram @BreezeJMU.

Both the GEAR UP grant and TRIO programs offer after-school enrichment opportunities for students and resources for local schools to help students succeed after graduation .

Last year, students involved with TRIO helped clean the Blacks Run stream, pictured above. Breeze file photo courtesy of Amber Peake

One of the GEAR UP grant's main goals is to increase the number of low-income students enrolling in postsecondary education Breeze file photo

GEAR UP is part of JMU’s greater effort to facilitate community-based student success in the Shenandoah Valley. Kailey Garner / The Breeze

‘It’ll be there long after we’re gone’: Carrier Library wing to be named after alumnus in appreciation of $2.5 million donation

By EMMA NOTARNICOLA The Breeze

Stan (’54) and Rosemary Jones donated $2.5 million to JMU in Nov. 2024 to be put toward the current renovation of Carrier Library. In appreciation, the “new” wing of Carrier Library will be named after the couple, according to a press release from University Communications.

Stan has been an avid donor in the past, giving around $1.3 million to scholarships for students in 2019, according to JMU’s website.

“We were interested in helping students who, like myself, were firstgeneration college students,” Stan said.

“We decided to start a scholarship of our own.”

According to the JMU website, the Jones Scholarship is awarded to one incoming first-generation freshman each year who’s a declared major in a STEM-based field and has applied to the Honors College. The goal of this scholarship is to “open doors for promising and deserving students in STEM,” according to the website.

“We were both interested in finding out more about [Carrier Library], and we wound up sponsoring the new wing,” Stan said.

Rosemary said Stan frequented the library when he was a student at JMU and said he hopes the Stan and Rosemary Jones Wing of Carrier Library will give students “a very nice place to study and to work.”

Rosemary added that the final product of the Carrier renovations is “going to be gorgeous.”

“We just thought it was a worthwhile thing to do,” Stan said.

This wing will be around 56,000 square feet with a variety of study spaces and group study rooms, according to the press release.

“The Stan and Rosemary Jones Wing will welcome generations of future Dukes through wide glass doors,” according to the same press release, with JMU Libraries staff hoping the new library will serve as “both the intellectual and literal crossroads of campus.”

“We’re just pleased we’re going to be able to contribute to such a beneficial effort,” Stan said. “It’ll be there long after we’re gone.”

CONTACT Emma Notarnicola at notarnef@dukes.jmu.ed u.

For more coverage of JMU and Harrisonburg news, follow the news desk on X @TheBreezeJMU and on Instagram @BreezeJMU.

The new Stan and Rosemary Jones wing of Carrier Library, named in appreciation of the $2.5 million donation from the pair, will be around 56,000 square feet with a variety of study spaces and group study rooms, according to the press release. Breeze file photos

“We were both interested in finding out more about [Carrier Library], and we wound up sponsoring the new wing,” Stan said.

Rosemary said Stan hopes the Stan and Rosemary Jones wing of Carrier Library will give students “a very nice place to study and to work,” adding that the final product of the Carrier renovations is “going to be gorgeous.”

‘Above and beyond’:

JMU financial aid responds as FAFSA delays continue into the new year

By EMMA NOTARNICOLA The Breeze

Similar to last year’s delayed rollout, this year's 2025-26 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) application is delayed, opening on Dec. 1 instead of its original date, Oct. 1.

However, the malfunctions that held up last year’s FAFSA might not be as severe for the 2025-26 FAFSA application , Associate Vice President for Enrollment Management and Financial Aid & Scholarship Director Brad Barnett said.

Throughout last academic year’s 202425 FAFSA application process, numerous issues greatly affected students’ access to Federal Aid, Barnett said. FAFSA is an “extremely important application,” Barnett said, adding that it “opens the door to financial eligibility for our students.”

Barnett added that these challenges have impacted every university across the country, affecting students’ abilities to fully and properly complete the form. These issues were a result of the updated FAFSA application process implemented by the U nited States Department of Education (DoE), he said.

“It’s one of the most unique years I’ve seen in all of the years I’ve been doing this,” Barnett said.

Problems with last year’s FAFSA application are still affecting students, Barnett said, as the DoE “has not resolved all of the issues.”

Though this year’s FAFSA opened over a month earlier than the 2024-25 application’s release on Dec. 31 2023 , there’s still some concern regarding

whether or not the complications from the prior FAFSA will once again affect students, according to U.S. News & World Report.

“Everything I’m hearing says it will be significantly better than what we had for 2024-25,” Barnett said. The 2025-26 FAFSA has experienced “more strategic” beta testing, with reports detailing that these tests have been going well, he added.

Financial aid experts are “cautiously optimistic” of a superior FAFSA process for 2025-26 compared to the 2024-25 year, according to U.S. News & World Report.

However, that’s not to say that the 2025-26 FAFSA won’t experience some complications — “There will be issues that cannot be resolved by the time the 2025-26 FAFSA becomes available," Barnett said.

Though the risk of further complications would greatly affect students, JMU financial aid staff will do its best to help students like they did last year, Barnett said.

“Despite the challenge, we were able to get more financial aid disbursed at the start of this fall compared to last fall,” Barnett said

The staff has worked incredibly hard, Barnett added, going “above and beyond” to help students and their families receive the financial aid they need.

“To say I’m proud of the way the staff responded would be an understatement , ” Barnett said.

CONTACT Emma Notarnicola at notarnef@dukes.jmu.edu. For more coverage of JMU and Harrisonburg news, follow the news desk on X @TheBreezeJMU and on Instagram @BreezeJMU.

This year's Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) application is delayed, opening on Dec. 1 instead of its original date, Oct. 1. Breeze file photos

Though the risk of further complications from the delay in this year's FAFSA would greatly affect students, JMU financial aid staff will do its best to help students like they did last year, Associate Vice President for Enrollment Management and Financial Aid & Scholarship Director Brad Barnett said.

JMU alumni among founders of AI-powered insoles company

By EDISON VRANIAN

The Breeze

Two JMU alumni are involved in a start-up for a business of AI-powered “smart insoles” made for older adults to increase health and safety.

Kinis AI, local to Richmond, Va., is an insole company that hopes to provide older adults with “personalized gait analysis and fall risk prediction” through its AI-powered insoles for shoes, Daniel Roquemore (’15) wrote in an emailed statement to The Breeze.

“Kinis.ai’s smart insoles fit comfortably into your shoe and can track how you move to tell if you’re doing it optimally,” Roquemore wrote in the same email. “This data links to our app and our personalized recommendations help prevent injuries and improve your overall movement. It’s like having a personal trainer combined with a physical therapist in your shoes.”

Roquemore graduated from JMU with a degree in kinesiology and was involved in UREC’s expansion as an operation supervisor, he wrote. Now, he’s part of the Kinis AI startup as the head of business development.

Alongside Roquemore, Joe Abretski (’13) is the chief strategy officer and co-founder of Kinis AI. Abretski holds a degree in kinesiology from JMU.

Abretski said he met Vincent Vu, Kinis AI CEO and founder, and joined the team in 2019. He said his vision aligned with Vu’s almost instantly.

“He just got a really incredible story and really hit it off as far as his vision for what he wanted to see things as fitness and have the development

of his company,” Abretski said. “So he brought me on as part of the leadership and ideas — from barefoot minimal shoe wear to smart shoes — and to have development and technology and healthcare and health technology, all sorts of really cool things.”

While Roquemore and Abretski both graduated from JMU and received their degrees only three semesters apart, Abretski only met Roquemore in 2024.

“I was a little bit ahead of him,” Abretski said. “We probably overlapped in a few classes but I never came across him as part of my time at JMU.”

Currently, Kinis AI is in its early stages, Roquemore wrote. While Kinis.ai is expected to hit the market mid-2025, Roquemore wrote the company will be “launching our application January 2025 which includes exercise resources specific to individual needs.”

Roquemore wrote that Kinis AI staff are currently partnered with fitness centers and clinics local to central Virginia, and he primarily hopes this operation will “quickly scale nationally and internationally” as the company gains traction and investment.

“Most injuries can be prevented,” Roquemore wrote. “Our solution bridges the gap between exactly how you move and what to do to improve that movement.”

see KINIS AI, page 8

Drake Miller / The Breeze

Abretski said Vu’s backstory as a Vietnamese refugee — from playing soccer barefoot on a “very isolated beach” to coming to the United States. while dealing with “foot, ankle stability issues and injuries” from wearing running shoes — inspired the business concept.

Originally, Roquemore and Kinis AI “started with the idea of making shoes that mimic how we were meant to walk - barefoot,” Roquemore wrote. He added that the company soon realized there was a bigger issue: many people have lower body problems and injuries with “a lack of understanding about their personal biomechanics,” which led Kinis AI to create smart insoles that can help people “improve the way they move.”

According to Kinis AI’s website, the insoles were made to combat a “significant lack of products that effectively support lower body health.”

“Over 60 million Americans [suffer] from foot problems, with millions of elderly individuals reporting falls each year, still not receiving adequate care,” according to the website.

The goal of Kinis AI is to allow adults — especially those on the older side — to

be active using the company’s technology, offering a “convenient and accurate way to analyze gait and identify potential issues,” Roquemore wrote.

“We hope to deliver personalized data specific to their unique movement patterns during everyday life and recommendations for the user, whether it be related to fitness, sport or dealing with injury,” Roquemore said.

As for Dukes who share Roquemore’s entrepreneurial aspirations, he encourages them to “constantly be open to change” and willing to adapt.

“[G]rowth only occurs when you push yourself outside of your comfort zone,” Roquemore said.

CONTACT Edison Vranian at vraniawe@dukes.jmu.edu.

For more coverage of JMU and Harrisonburg news, follow the news desk on X @TheBreezeJMU and on Instagram @BreezeJMU.

The goal of Kinis AI is to allow adults — especially those on the older side — to be active using the company’s technology, offering a “convenient and accurate way to analyze gait and identify potential issues,” Roquemore wrote. Photo illustration by K. Mauser / The Breeze

BREAKING NEWS FROM THE NORTH POLE

Reminder for everyone this holiday season kindness is a gift that matters to all from,

EDITORS EMAIL

Abby Camp & Sixuan Wu

Through her heart’s lens Meet JMU sophomore and rising YouTube star Amelia Kate

By AVAJOSEPHINE D’ANGELO The Breeze

Sophomore Amelia Sumangil never expected to become a YouTube phenomenon when she arrived at JMU. She created a YouTube channel during her freshman year to document her daily life as a college student. Since then, her online persona, “Amelia Kate,” has become well-known among Dukes, with her channel at 2.14K followers.

Sumangil, a double major in psychology and media arts and design (SMAD), gained interest in leadership and videography as a child, and then launched her YouTube channel when she turned 18.

Most of her videos are about JMU, with her target demographic being fellow and prospective college students. Her vlogs include a variety of topics, such as “WEEK IN MY LIFE,” “COLLEGE GAME DAY” and “TRAVEL.”

“People do come up to me and say they chose JMU because of my videos,” Sumangil said. “I find it so flattering that I was able to influence their decision. I’m glad I was able to give them an insight before they came to JMU.”

Many of Sumangil’s videos are inspired by JMU events. For example, when searching “JMU College GameDay,” which occurred on Nov. 18, 2023, her videos might pop up. Her use of general titles makes her videos easily searchable, which is why current and incoming Dukes know about her and her videos.

“When I was deciding which college to attend, I went on YouTube to get a better understanding of what a typical day-to-day life would look like at each school,” freshman elementary education major Sophie Jones said. “There, I found Amelia’s channel, and because I was going back and forth about JMU, she was definitely important to the decision process, as she made JMU appealing through the appearance of the campus and gave me an understanding of what my schedule here may look like.”

Jones said Sumangil’s videos have been inspiring. Many students look up to Sumangil’s videos because she has a busy but organized lifestyle, said Stella Dulan — a sophomore health services administration major and Sumangil’s freshman-year roommate. Sumangil presents relatable content with and for college students by sharing they aren’t alone when navigating hectic lifestyles.

“She inspires me to get out, even as small as walking around campus,” Jones said. By watching Sumangil’s content, students can also gain insight into what activities are happening around campus. Sumangil is part of various clubs and organizations, such as the Alpha Delta Pi sorority, the Madison Dance Club, JMU InterVarsity and more.

“For other students, I would suggest staying organized by making a list of your priorities and deciding which will get you to your end goal, because sometimes you will be doublebooked,” Sumangil said. “Just being aware of your goals and making sure day to day is helping you lead up to that point.”

Dulan said Sumangil began her YouTube channel and social media accounts out of enjoyment, but she quickly gained fame across JMU’s campus and online.

“When we first met, it was a little hobby for her, which I thought was so cool,” Dulan said. “I was always hyping her up, and I always used to tell her she was going to get big, and she did. Over the course of our freshman year, it got to a million in the spring.”

Dulan said Sumangil inspires not only those who watch her YouTube channel, but also those in her everyday life.

“I don’t know how she does it, but if you see her schedule, every little block is filled with something,” Dulan said. “There is no white space. It is absolutely insane and so impressive, too. She just somehow makes time for everything. She is so good at balancing time.”

Sumangil’s friends say they have seen her growth over time and the behind-the-scenes work that contributes to her success, according to sophomore elementary education major Meredith Hagy, including the editing, taping, video planning and inspiration for her videos.

“I’ve been with her as she has been editing them,” Hagy said. “We did a reaction to ‘The Tortured Poet[’s Department]’ album video. She would take clips and send videos of her progress to me. I am always amazed at how quickly she edits the videos. It’s not something I can be as savvy with.”

On and off camera, Sumangil’s friend said she portrays herself as positive and friendly. Many students say she makes her viewers feel like they’re on FaceTime with her, which allows them to connect with her. Sumangil advocates for mental health — as she would like to become a therapist — and encourages a healthy lifestyle via her channel.

see AMELIA KATE, page 12

Amelia Sumangil, a sophomore double majoring in psychology and media arts and design, launched her YouTube channel when she turned 18. Photos by Adam Tabet / The Breeze

Sumangil’s online persona, “Amelia Kate,” has become well-known among Dukes, with her channel at 2.14K followers. Her vlogs include a variety of topics, such as “WEEK IN MY LIFE,” “COLLEGE GAMEDAY” and “TRAVEL.”

Creative ways to ring in the holidays in your dorm

By KAYLA KATOUNAS contributing writer

Holidays and decorations abound during each year’s final months: Halloween and Diwali on the same day this October, Thanksgiving in November, Christmas and Hanukkah in December and more. However, even with a slew of holidays to celebrate, it can be hard to truly feel the holiday spirit without some decor to go with it — especially far from home.

Decorating for the holidays, and even creating some of the decorations, can be a great way to de-stress and practice selfcare, especially as final exams approach.

“It’s so crucial to have a space that’s important and loving and creative for you,” said Sumu Vadrevu, a junior finance major and president of Self Care Club. “You’re excited to do different things when you’re comfortable in the space that you’re in.”

Self Care Club meetings, which happen every other week, involve different activities to help its members de-stress. Some meetings use crafting, while others focus on mindfulness with activities like journaling and meditation, Vadrevu said.

“The events that we do, like painting and stuff like that, [are] almost like an outlet to let people be free and creative when things get stressful,” Vadrevu said.

Creating your own decorations is a great way to de-stress and personalize your decor while also staying affordable.

The Makery is an on-campus resource for crafting. Located on the first floor of Rose Library, The Makery is filled with art and design supplies free to Dukes for both academic and personal projects, according to its web page.

To help students celebrate the holidays, here are some crafting tips and ideas to create a festive room.

Decorate your door

Decorating a dorm door is a fun way to show your holiday spirit to your hall. Cutting out simple shapes from construction paper can be an easy and affordable way to spruce up a bare door.

There are endless ideas for unique door designs. For example, craft a winter scene by cutting out snowflakes and a snowy landscape, and add a snowman or snowy tree in the foreground.

To design a more Christmas-y scene, add a festive tree with ornaments and holiday gifts, or create a Santa Claus figure with a red hat and sack of gifts. Instead of a scene, you can make the whole door a gift by adding a line of paper horizontally and vertically along the door and a bow where they cross to make the door appear wrapped with a ribbon.

One other way to honor the holiday season is by crafting a menorah or dreidel to create a Hanukkah-themed door.

Create a garland

Put extra construction paper to use by creating a holiday garland to hang in your room. Just cut out shapes like snowflakes or Christmas lights, or cut out letters to spell a festive phrase like “happy holidays” and attach them to a piece of yarn by cutting holes in the top of each piece. Extra supplies like beads and pompoms can be added for an extra touch.

Garlands can be strung above a bed, along the top of a desk hutch, above a door or window, or anywhere else to add celebratory flair.

Accessorize your desk

After hanging decor, create extras for your workspace to feel the holiday spirit even while studying for final exams.

Try out origami skills by folding snowflakes or Christmas trees to place on top of your desk, or cut out paper ornaments and stockings to hang from a desk hutch, adding an easy pop of color to your study space.

Decorating don’ts!

Have fun decorating, but make sure to follow residence hall policies so your decorations are safe and don’t have to be taken down.

The holiday decorating policies on the Office of Residence Life’s website advise avoiding putting any holiday lights on ceilings or doorways, unplugging them while not in the room and making sure decorations are flame resistant — though crate paper and streamers are allowed.

Crafting and decorating for the holidays are just a few ways to prioritize self-care as finals season approaches.

“It’s so easy to forget about self-care,” Vadrevu said. “As college students, we’re constantly trying to work. We’re trying to keep up with these exams and these assignments. It’s so easy to have things that take up too much of your time, so taking the time to practice self-care is so helpful, and it will keep you motivated and will make you not burn out faster.”

Anything that can be considered a break from constant work and stress is a helpful form of self-care.

“ It can be 15 minutes of a day, like just taking the time and meditating, journaling your thoughts or just talking to someone,” Vadrevu said. “Self-care isn’t a specific thing. Selfcare is more like something that makes you happy and makes you keep going and it motivates you.”

CONTACT Kayla Katounas at katounkm@dukes.jmu.edu. For more on the culture, arts and lifestyle of the JMU and Harrisonburg communities, follow the culture desk on X @TheBreezeJMU and on Instagram @BreezeJMU.

By GRACE SAWYER The Breeze

You might’ve heard the term “blue light” used in conjunction with glasses or when parents explain why it’s important to put phones down before bed, but why?

Light — both visible and invisible — is a form of electromagnetic radiation that can be described in wavelengths and frequencies and is measured in nanometers. These measurements correlate to how much energy a light wave contains, with high-frequency light containing more energy than low-frequency.

The visible light spectrum ranges from 400 to 700 nanometers — red near the higher end with violet at the lower. Each color contains a different energy, wavelength and frequency.

Blue light usually contains wavelengths from 480 to 500 nanometers — which is close to the low end of the visible light spectrum. These waves have the shortest lengths and therefore the highest energy. This specific category of light also has significant effects on the human body.

Blue light waves trigger reactions in your eye lens, retina and cornea where it’s absorbed. Most of the natural blue light humans encounter comes from the sun and has many positive effects, such as stimulating the brain to make us alert, consequently elevating our temperature and heart rate, according to UC Davis Health. Because about one-third of all visible light comes from blue light and the sun, light generally plays a significant role in controlling circadian rhythm.

Circadian rhythm, simply put, is your body’s internal clock. Light reactions — especially blue light reactions — help tell your body when it appears to be day and night, indicating when sleep or activity is normal. This 24-hour cycle plays a large role in other processes, such as hormone regulation, digestion and body temperature.

This ancient bodily function can be offset by things like artificial light, mostly from cell phones, computers or even lightbulbs. Most electronics emit blue light between 400 and 490 nanometers. The presence of blue light signals the body to stop producing melatonin, a crucial hormone for sleep.

Handmade garlands, paper cutouts and stockings are all permitted to decorate dorms for the holidays. Kimberly Aikens / The Breeze

from AMELIA KATE, page 10

“Anyone who knows her and met her knows she’s super upbeat and positive,” Hagy said. “She lives in the moment and is not always on her technology, but she can also get all the content needed for YouTube. I am an out-of-state student and came here knowing nobody. She always made me feel so welcome to JMU.”

In addition to Sumangil’s friends, her professors also appreciate her leap into social media and content creation.

“Amelia is in my SMAD 202 class, Foundations of AudioVisual Storytelling,” SMAD lecturer Damon Dillman said. “She is always smiling, always willing to participate and does good work. Amelia is upbeat in the classroom and on YouTube. She found a good niche for her personality.”

Dillman added that he can see Sumangil’s dedication to class and her channel.

“The way things are evolving, she can grow off of the brand she’s already started building,” Dillman said. “Her videos are performing solidly, so she’s laying that foundation now. She

“People do come up to me and say they chose JMU because of my videos. I find it so flattering that I was able to influence their decision. I’m glad I was able to give them insight before they came to JMU.”

Amelia Kate Sophomore

is definitely laying a good foundation if this is something she would like to pursue. The future possibilities are endless.”

Sumangil has put her best foot forward to grow on social media. However, she also knows why she joined YouTube and began content creation.

“I feel honored that people like to watch my videos,” Sumangil said. “It’s mostly just for fun and my memories so that I can look back and reminisce about the good times in college, but I am gaining so much experience through my YouTube channel.”

CONTACT Avajosephine D’Angelo at dange2ax@dukes.jmu.edu. For more on the culture, arts and lifestyle of the JMU and Harrisonburg communities, follow the culture desk on X @TheBreezeJMU and on Instagram @BreezeJMU.

On and off camera, Sumangil’s friends said she portrays herself as positive and friendly. Adam Tabet / The Breeze

EDITORS Hayden Hundley & Preston Comer

JMU football’s Manns and O’Neill feed off New York state of mind

By PRESTON COMER

The Breeze

When people think about recruits in football, they tend to think about states in the South, such as Texas, Florida and Georgia. Those three states aren’t only historically rich in recruits, but also tend to dominate the high school football scene to this day.

JMU football’s two leading pass rushers, redshirt senior edge Khairi Manns and redshirt junior edge Eric O’Neill, don’t come from those states. In fact, they both grew up over 340 miles north of Harrisonburg in the Empire State.

“I think a lot of people see New York as a non-football state,” O’Neill said. “To an extent, it’s true. Not a lot of people come out of New York and end up going to big schools or going professional. So, for the guys that do come out of New York and play high-level football, they’re just different.”

O’Neill didn’t start at a big school, and neither did Manns. Both stayed in the north after high school. O’Neill — a former two-star recruit — committed to and played at FCS Long Island. Manns — who had no stars as a recruit — also started his career at the FCS level in Maine before playing for Colorado last season.

Despite starting their journeys in New York, Manns and O’Neill lead the Dukes in sacks this season. Manns is second on JMU with eight, while O’Neill is second in the Sun Belt with 12.

“Nobody’s used to New York guys like us being as effective as we’ve been,” O’Neill said.

On Nov. 16, the Dukes traveled to Norfolk to face ODU in the Royal Rivalry. En route to JMU’s 35-32 win, O’Neill and Manns combined for 4.5 sacks, with two and 2.5 respectively.

“Us being from New York, the swagger’s just there,” Manns said after defeating the Monarchs. “We naturally connect, the chemistry is just there.”

Manns attended New Rochelle High School, 50 miles north of O’Neill’s Tottenville High School. Manns said he scrimmaged Tottenville, once but he was also one year ahead of O’Neill — meaning there was a smaller window for them to face each other.

It might’ve taken a while for the pair to realize they were both from New York, but once they got to know each other, it just added an advantage for them on the field.

“Honestly, I didn’t even know he was from New York at first,” O’Neill said. “It took us a little while to really get to know each other … but once we started camp and we were practicing every day together, we bonded right away. It’s been awesome sharing a lot of similarities with the guy playing on the other side of you.”

Manns said when he and O’Neill first met over the summer, their “natural chemistry” added a motivator for success.

“We already [had] a chip on our shoulders,” Manns said. “When I met [O’Neill], it was the same energy, ‘Let’s get this done; let’s do what we’ve got to do to get to the next level, and let’s have fun doing it.’”

Their chemistry has helped them complement each other, as they rush from opposite sides of the defensive line.

“We feed off each other, he’ll get a sack then I’ll get a sack,” Manns said. “I’m more of the finesse and speed, he’s more of the motor, gritty, blue-collar guy … I ask him how he did that, or how he feels against this tackle, and vice versa. We’ll just keep getting game from each other.”

During their first season as Dukes, Manns and O’Neill showed off their roots when getting a sack or making a big tackle. Each has a signature celebration they do after making a play. For Manns, that celebration is either kicking his leg up in the air or playing air guitar.

“I feel like I’m a rockstar; I’m an entertainer, I want to give the fans a good show, and I want to have fun doing it,” Manns said. “Rockstars hit their leg kicks and power slide across the stage, but I can’t do that during the game, so I have my leg kick and my guitar.”

O’Neill’s post-sack celebration stems from online sensation “The Costco Guys,” who have a signature viral dance — stepping side to side with punctuated arm pumps. Manns said playing with O’Neill is like playing with a “big kid,” because he’s always thinking of the next celebration and “brings a little swag to it.”

“We just like to have fun while we play,” O’Neill said. “That includes us celebrating, wanting to celebrate and playing harder.”

CONTACT Preston Comer at breezesports@gmail.com. For more football coverage, follow the sports desk on X and Instagram @TheBreezeSports.

Redshirt senior edge rusher Khairi Manns went from a no-star recruit out of high school to second at JMU in sacks this season with eight. Reed Marchese / The Breeze

Redshirt junior edge rusher Eric O’Neill led the Dukes in sacks this season with 12. Grace Sawyer / The Breeze

How Shea Collins became JMU women’s soccer’s Sun Belt Championship hero

By ELIOT ROBERTSON The Breeze

For the first time in program history, JMU women’s soccer won the Sun Belt Championship after defeating No. 3 Texas State 3-2 on Nov. 9. However, the score was tied 2-2 until the 88th minute, and if it weren’t for senior forward Shea Collins, the Dukes would’ve had a goose egg on the scoreboard.

Just as the game looked as if it was headed to penalties, Collins received a wide pass from freshman forward Ginny Lackey in midfield. Collins charged into the box and scorched the ball into the back of the net with her left foot, scoring the game-winner for the Dukes.

Collins also scored the opening goal during the fourth minute and assisted senior forward Sophia Verrecchia at 13’ to double JMU’s lead. Following her championship-winning performance, she was awarded the Sun Belt Tournament Most Outstanding Player.

“Scoring in the Championship was for sure the best memory I’ve had on the team,” Collins said.

How it all started

Collins grew up in Boiling Springs, Pa. in a soccer family. Both her parents and older siblings played the sport, so it didn’t take her long to find the same passion.

“I just found kicking the ball around really fun,” Collins said. “There just wasn’t another sport like it.”

It was only a matter of time before Collins followed in her family’s footsteps at just 3 years old.

“Both my parents played, my dad coached soccer for a while, and I have two older siblings who also played,” Collins said.

At eight, she joined her first club: Eagle FC based in Mechanicsburg, Pa. Once in high school, Collins and her teammates switched to another team within the borough — Keystone FC.

The one challenge that Collins said she faced at this time was how seriously she wanted to pursue soccer.

“I had never really thought about the next step,” said Collins.

Of course, she loved soccer, but she hadn’t thought about whether or not she wanted to continue in college.

That all changed one day in high school when Collins met with her guidance counselor who asked her what she wanted out of soccer moving forward — Collins said she realized playing college soccer was her end goal.

“I loved soccer so much that if I got an opportunity, I wanted to keep playing,” Collins said.

After a college showcase with Keystone FC, her wish came true. La Salle was one of the programs that noticed Collins, and after she toured the campus, she decided to commit.

“It was definitely a good experience [at La Salle],” Collins said. “I got a lot more confident going from club to college level.”

La Salle head coach Paul Royal gave her ample opportunities as a freshman. She started every game during her first year besides the Explorers’ season-opener against Penn State. As a result, she said she adapted to college soccer’s intensity early on and was awarded a spot on the A-10 All-Freshman Team in 2021.

“It’s not something that always happens,” Collins said. “But I took my opportunity and that’s how I started playing for them more.”

However, during her sophomore year at La Salle, Collins wanted a bigger challenge, so she entered the transfer portal intending to land in a more competitive conference. All DI schools were considered, but after evaluating her options, there was one school that stood out to her: JMU

It just so happened that during Collins’ sophomore year, La Salle played against JMU and lost 2-0. The Dukes’ play fascinated Collins to the point where she aspired to join the team if the opportunity arose.

“I really like how they played, and wished I was on their team.”

Senior forward Shea Collins on what it was like playing against JMU

“I really liked how they played, and wished I was on their team,” Collins said.

Collins decided to reach out to JMU coaching staff and, to her surprise, the Dukes remembered her from the matchup that season. They liked how she played and offered her a spot.

Her first season with the Dukes wasn’t free of challenges. Firstly, head coach Joshua Walters Sr. played Collins as a forward instead of an outside back — where she originally played at La Salle. Collins said she played forward occasionally in youth soccer but wasn’t accustomed to playing forward at the college level. Over time, she adjusted to the position and became a prominent striker for the Dukes — scoring seven goals.

Secondly, JMU’s playstyle was “keeping the ball,” Collins said, whereas at La Salle, it was centered around going straight to goal without much buildup. This forced Collins to structure her game around playing more as a team.

Lastly, there were differences in how JMU prepared for games — such as the analytical approach to the game.

“The film is so much more than I have ever experienced before,” Collins said. “The classes we have and the amount of talking we do about soccer. It’s just so much soccer … At first, it was a lot.”

A team effort

However, Collins enjoyed this intensity because Walters’ guidance helped her focus on precise, intentional plays — moving from simply getting the ball upfield to a more “tactical” approach. Additionally, frequently being around her teammates and constantly discussing soccer built special connections.

“The team culture is really good,” Collins said. “You can’t even tell who the freshmen are in class because we are all together. We have the same goals and believe in the style of

play coach Walters implements.”

When looking back at the season, the Sun Belt Championship against No. 3 Texas State showcased the trust and cohesion within the team.

The 2024 Sunbelt Championship was tied 2-2 in its final moments. The Dukes could’ve aimed for extra time and played conservatively to catch a break for their tired legs. However, they pushed numbers forward. Their first risk was the championship. Secondly, if they turned the ball over, Texas had space to come the other way.

When Lackey controlled the ball, she was in a decent position to drive on goal — especially as the team’s leading scorer with 16 goals. But without hesitation, she played the team-centered option: quickly spotting Collins wide and sending her the pass. Collins and Lackey’s teammates agreed that this unspoken bond speaks to the team’s cohesion.

“How together we are and the chemistry on the field and off the field — we do everything as a team,” redshirt senior midfielder Vanderlinden said. “We’re all equals, and we’re all in this together.”

But the heart of this shared commitment between players comes from Walters. He emphasizes the importance of playing as a team, using its Oct. 23 game against Arkansas State as an example.

“They were playing too individually in the first half,” Walters said after JMU’s 2-0 win over Arkansas State. “They needed to use each other more, which they did in the second half.”

Because of this, the Dukes are on the same page during play.

“From the first player to the last player on the roster, they believe in the way we play and what we do,” Walters said.

Reflecting on her overall experience, Collins said she feels more “well-rounded” as a soccer player. She credited Walters for his influence on her growth. Collins entered the program with plenty of skill, but Walters pushed her to be more deliberate with her play. As a result, the amount of thought she puts into the game helped her to become a more intelligent player.

“I would say Josh has [had a special influence on me],” Collins said. “He’s ultimately been the one who’s grown me.”

As the Dukes’ season closed after a 4-1 loss to Ohio State on Nov. 15, Collins said she’s grateful for her teammates, coaches and staff members.

“It was a really big honor,” Collins said. “With how bonded everyone is, you really are coming into something special.”

As for what’s next, Collins also expressed interest in potentially playing overseas.

“I would be open to going abroad,” Collins said. “There are so many opportunities out there, but I’m trying not to think about it until we are done playing.”

CONTACT Eliot Robertson at rober4ea@dukes.jmu.edu. For more women’s soccer coverage, follow the sports desk on X and Instagram @TheBreezeSports.

Senior forward Shea Collins scored five points in the Dukes’ 3-2 win over Texas State in the Sun Belt Championship on Nov. 9. Photos courtesy of JMU Athletics

Collins said she has interest in playing professionally overseas next year.

‘Firecracker’ Jaydyn Clemmer moves up in JMU volleyball record book

By JACOB WISSOT The Breeze

At one point, senior libero Jaydyn Clemmer wasn’t supposed to play volleyball at JMU. Instead, she initially planned on playing softball. She was a catcher throughout her softball career and intended to continue behind the plate, wearing purple and gold.

But after committing to play volleyball, Clemmer made an immediate impact. During her freshman season, Clemmer recorded 180 digs (2.05 per set), played in every game of the season, received the CAA Rookie of the Week award on Sept. 27, 2021, and served 19 aces.

Then, during her junior season, she etched her name in the Dukes’ record books for the first time. Clemmer climbed the JMU career leaderboard with 475 digs (4.06 per set) putting her at fourth all-time. She also surpassed 1,000 career digs, started all 31 matches at libero and won Sun Belt Conference

Defensive Player of the Week after recording 44 digs (6.29 per set) against Texas State.

Clemmer has etched her name toward the top of JMU’s record book for the most career digs. She finished off her senior year sitting at No. 4 on JMU volleyball’s all-time leaderboard for career digs (1,401).

Despite breaking records, Clemmer’s goal is “to be a leader and take this team to win the biggest games.”

Her volleyball career began in the fifth grade, following in the footsteps of her two older sisters, Kennedy and Macie. Kennedy was a significant role model in her life, as they played on the same travel and club teams. Jaydyn said she looked up to Kennedy while growing up.

Off the court, Clemmer is known by her family and friends as caring and goofy, but nonetheless a “firecracker” — she said her childhood nickname has stuck with her.

Clemmer’s “firecracker” persona shines bright on the court when she leaps excitedly after a winning point and offers her teammates encouragement through high-fives or words of motivation and support.

Leading up to her final season at JMU, she spent hours in the offseason building up her explosiveness and ability to be quick on her feet in tight scenarios. After 27 games this season, Clemmer recorded 386 digs — 26% of the team’s total digs.

Before her opponent attempts to hit a kill shot onto the Dukes’ side of the court, Clemmer has trained herself to analyze the hitter’s every option.

“I have to be disciplined, ready to read the hitter and take away their kill option,” Clemmer said. “The best feeling is getting my opponent’s awesome kill up in the air.”

see CLEMMER , page 17

Senior libero Jaydyn Clemmer is fourth all-time in digs for JMU Breeze file photo

Clemmer recorded 26% of JMU’s digs this season Breeze file photo

from CLEMMER, page 16

Aside from playing libero, Clemmer played outside hitter in high school, and, as such, she could see where the ball would be hit before crashing down. Her ability to perceive plays has been a critical aspect of Clemmer’s skill set on the court. For example, when her opponent leaps for a kill, she’s able to read the angle of the hit or the positioning of her adversary.

She attributes her success and diving saves to her confidence.

“It is important to stay confident,” Clemmer said. “We can go up against any team and beat anyone we put our mind to.”

Behind every player is their coach — in this case, JMU’s Lauren Steinbrecher.

“[Jaydyn] has been so steady, so consistent and she’s a total rock force back there,” Steinbrecher said. “She stabilizes so many of our first-ball contacts.”

Steinbrecher has been with Clemmer through all four years of her collegiate career, which Clemmer said has been a key element of her pride and efforts as a Duke.

“It means a lot knowing that [Steinbrecher] won’t jump around and leave,” Clemmer said. “She has built an amazing culture and established loyalty.”

Clemmer’s favorite memory in her four years at JMU was

winning the Sun Belt Championship against Texas State in 2022. During the game, she recorded 16 digs, five assists and two aces.

“It was a total team win,” Clemmer said. “It was the proudest I’ve ever felt, especially winning the championship in our first year in the Sun Belt.”

Clemmer’s records and pride in JMU could’ve been with a different team. During her recruiting process, she spoke with JMU and Virginia Tech but was swayed by the Dukes because of Virginia Tech’s 2021 head coaching change.

Even so, that’s not the only thing that drew her to JMU. Clemmer had her family in mind when narrowing her options. Playing for the Dukes allows her family to have a close drive from Lexington to her games. Additionally, the pride of being a Duke comes from her parents, who are both JMU graduates.

“It has been really fun wearing the JMU jersey,” Clemmer said. “I feel so much pride playing for this school, and it would be so special to get back to the championship one more time.”

CONTACT Jacob Wissot at wissotjr@dukes.jmu.edu. For more volleyball coverage, follow the sports desk on X and Instagram @TheBreezeSports.

LEFT: Senior libero Jaydyn Clemmer played outside hitter in high school before switching to libero. RIGHT: Clemmer considered commiting to Virginia Tech before its coaching change. Breeze file photos

OPINION

EDITOR EMAIL breezeopinion@gmail.com

Maya Skurski

Want to praise someone or get something off your chest? Darts & Pats is the place to do it. Submit your own at breezejmu.org.

A “news-flash” dart to Monday Morning Playstation All-Americans for calling the football coaching staff to be fired after losing to Marshall.

From someone who knows our boys played their guts out all year, earning an 8-4 record and a bowl berth after Cignetti completely left us high and dry.

A “snow-joke” dart to the chilly weather.

From someone who thinks if you’re going to be cold, at least give me some flurries to smile about.

A “show-em-what-you’remade-of” pat to every Duke during finals week.

From someone who knows y’all need some luck.

An “a-wheely-good-time” pat to the boys playing with shopping carts in the Food Lion parking lot.

From someone who enjoys seeing joy in its simplest form.

Editorial Policies

Deck your homes: get a real Christmas tree instead

ANNABELLE BERRY Annabelle’s Angle

Think about the holiday season: there’s always one moment that makes the holidays extra special for you. In “Elf,” when Buddy the Elf and his brother Mike cut down a tree — much too large for their apartment — in Central Park and bring it home to decorate it’s chaotic and messy, similar to what the holidays look like. The scene is so cheerful that you want to jump in and be part of it. That’s how getting a real tree feels. It’s not just about cutting one down; it’s about wandering through rows of trees and deciding which one feels like “ yours. ’’ Trust me, the plastic tree from the attic won’t give you that feeling.

If Buddy has taught us anything, it ’s that Christmas is all about bringing people together, which is exactly what picking out a Christmas tree is supposed to be about. The event isn’t meant to be easy — swinging by the store, grabbing the first artificial tree you see and calling it a day. It ’s not just about the tree; it ’s about the time spent together. Maybe you ’ ll argue over which tree is the best, maybe the younger cousins will get too excited and wander off, but it ’s all part of the experience.

Think about it: would you rather buy a gingerbread house decoration from T.J.Maxx or indulge in the craft of making your own with friends or family? Intimate moments like this make the holidays feel like they belong to you. You could grab a fake tree, but you’ d miss out on those nostalgic memories and the tradition that becomes

a part of your family. Imagine hot cocoa in hand, holiday treats and maybe a little snow (patiently awaiting) — that’s how you make lasting memories.

“All we ever had was real Christmas trees,” JMU grandparent Doreen Conlee said. “My parents would put it up Christmas Eve night when we went to bed, and when we woke up, the Christmas tree and all the gifts were there. We thought Santa brought everything. It was magical.”

Besides, nothing gets you in the holiday spirit quite like the ritual of setting up a real Christmas tree. Fake trees? They’ re kind of like that last-minute gift you didn’ t really want to buy.

Real trees just look prettier; they have a natural, rustic charm with various shapes and sizes that an artificial tree can’t replicate. Maybe the branches aren ’ t perfectly symmetrical and the tree might lean a little to one side, but that ’s what makes it your tree. Besides, you’ll no longer be stuck with the same old, boring tree every year. A real one has personality, bringing warmth and character into your home. What ’ s better than vibrant green needles that are soft and flexible to the touch instead of brittle or plastic?

A fresh, Earthy smell of pine fills the air with a real tree, and suddenly, everything feels more festive. Have you ever watched "National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation”? Remember when the Griswolds finally get their tree home and Clark takes that deep breath, inhaling that Christmas tree musk?

Before you sign

EMMA CURRIE | Breeze columnist

As the leaves begin to fall, so does the obligation to bring the tip of your pen to a paper with the words “LEASE” at the top. At JMU, the pressure of signing a lease hits you like a freight train in early October. The school year just started, schedules are being finalized and everyone is still settling into the new semester. On top of already-hectic itineraries,

students now also have to scramble to find roommates for the next year.

While the Office of Student Life (OSL) at JMU offers assistance to students who need help looking for places on campus and in the community, oftentimes the pressure of trying to find a place to live — and who to live with — can be more than overwhelming. Many people have had positive experiences with all their roommates,

That’s the real tree magic. You can’ t find that raw scent with an artificial tree or by lighting as many pine-scented candles as you can find. The fir or pine scent says, “Christmas is here.’’ It’s one that instantly signals time for cocoa, warm cookies and all things Christmas. Why not bring that into your home?

“I've thought about bringing a real tree into the house. It would be a great family experience — the adventure of going to pick one out, decorating with our homemade ornaments and creating memories that will last,” JMU mom Kimberlee Carreras said. Many people buy artificial Christmas trees to avoid the mess of dropped needles spreading throughout their homes. Unfortunately, that pristine artificial tree could spread something you can’t see: toxic lead dust. Your current fake tree has lead in the green pines, contaminating everyone in the house through the air, especially children. On a climate note, real trees are biodegradable, and many are grown sustainably — a way to deck your house that’s not just decorative, but also eco-friendly. Alternatively, fake trees are made of plastic, which takes forever to break down. If you’ re anything like me, you’ d prefer a tree that can be composted rather than one that ends up in a landfill. Plus, when you’ re done with it, you can recycle it into mulch, or even better, support a farm that grows them again for the next holiday season.

If you’ re still debating whether to get a real or artificial tree, think about the bigger picture. It’ s not just a tree; it’s family traditions, holiday spirits, environmental impacts and memories you’ll grow old with. A real tree might just be the perfect touch to make your holiday season feel a little more like a Christmas movie.

CONTACT Annabelle Berry at berry3aj@dukes.jmu.edu. For more editorials regarding the JMU and Harrisonburg communities, follow the opinion desk on X @TheBreezeJMU and on Instagram @BreezeJMU.

Many students do more than just sleep in their rooms.

while handfuls of others have experienced particularly challenging living situations, forever engrained into their memories.

see ROOMMATES, page 20

Breeze file photo

Graphic by Julia Tanner

We’ve ‘gotta have it’: America’s obsession

KATIE RUNKLE Breeze columnist

I rewatched “The Notebook” over Thanksgiving break … only to be utterly disappointed.

During the scene in town when Noah walks with Allie, pressuring her to go on a date with him, his final push to convince her is, “When I see something I like, I gotta … I love it.” The rest of the statement, which should be, “have it,” is replaced by “love it.” Rather than expressing appreciation for Allie or a desire to get to know her, his first impulse is to possess her.

We see this in our modern culture — even down to ice cream. The Cold Stone Creamery sizing is as follows: Like it, Love it, Gotta have it. This verb “have” keeps rearing its ugly head when we think of desire and affection.

American culture is deeply rooted in the urge to possess what we want.

So where does this come from? Well, I have a theory. Remember Manifest Destiny — the painting from U.S. history class in high school with the beautiful naked woman and the undeveloped land? The fetishization started way back when — and stuck.

Take the Smithsonian’s definition: “The belief that it was our duty to settle the continent, conquer and prosper.”

We discovered the Midwest and the West Coast, and we had to have it. “Having it” led to developing it. Changing it. Making it our “own.” We needed to maximize production and efficacy, so we manufactured the industrial revolution. We found gold in a cave in 1848 and had to pillage and take every last bit of it until we forced its scarcity.

But what if we could prosper more without settling or conquering?

I asked a few male JMU students if they equated love with possession, or for some who required a clearer question: If you love something — person, place or thing — do you want it all to yourself? There was a resounding “yes.”

One guy even said to me, “Uh, yeah, Katie ... Why wouldn’t I want it all to myself?” It’s the modus operandi.

But do women feel this way, too? Not my population sample. “I think that it makes something more valuable when it can be shared and appreciated by many people. Even with someone you love, it’s awesome to see the people you love being loved and appreciated by others,” one woman said — her response reflecting the general female consensus of those asked.

The question of exclusivity bangs on the door of every new relationship until its presence is addressed. But, oftentimes, addressing the elephant in the room turns into the bull in the china shop. It breaks everything, especially what was fragile to begin with — i.e. almost every college relationship.

But please don’t let this encourage your fear of commitment or avoidant attachment style; I cannot have that on my conscience. I just pose the thought that commitment and attachment could look different.

Sorry, Cold Stone, but let’s trade out “gotta have it” for “gotta love it/them/him/her/that affectionately for the sake of what it is or who they are” — not to gain complete and total ownership to soothe our insecurities and fear of abandonment.

Imagine if the discovery of the gold mines hadn’t resulted in the gold rush. Imagine if people uncovered the gold and kept it in

the caves for everyone to admire and experience instead of the crazed wealth gap it created. Imagine an un-industrialized way of life — higher quality behavior that demands self-control and a disdain for greed.

Contemporary fiction author Sally Rooney’s character Frances provides a compelling and different option than Nicholas Sparks’ Noah Calhoun in Rooney’s novel “Conversations with Friends,” when speaking to someone about the way forward in their romantic relationship: “Is it possible we could develop an alternative model of loving each other?”

CONTACT Katie Runkle at runklekr@dukes.jmu.edu. For more editorials regarding the JMU and Harrisonburg communities, follow the opinion desk on X @TheBreezeJMU and on Instagram @BreezeJMU.

JMU’s women’s merchandise is a fashion crime

ELLA WARREN contributing columnist

Disclaimer: All numbers counted as of Nov. 4, 2024.

For a campus with a majority female population, you would think JMU would offer a variety of high-quality designs for women’s wearable merchandise. Surprisingly, that isn’t the case.

The official JMU Bookstore website counts 1,109 options as “Men’s Clothing & Accessories,” while there are only 367 options for “Women’s Clothing & Accessories.” The discrepancy between the quality and quantity of men’s and women’s merchandise is apparent, and the bookstore should invest in improving its selection for women.

Although a woman’s cut tends to be more slender and a men’s cut more rectangular, the core of certain styles is universal. A T-shirt refers to a simple short-sleeve top with a round neckline, and a sweatshirt is a heavy, longsleeved pullover with a soft interior. Women’s fashion has historically led in terms of innovation, style variety, color and detail, yet JMU’s women’s clothing is boring at best and unreadable at worst.

Of the nine categories for clothing and accessories, women have fewer options in seven of them. According to the bookstore’s website, women have 183 tees and tanks while men have 510; 58 sweatshirts while men have 297; 12 polos while men carry 78; only one jersey compared to men’s five; 15 sweaters and woven shirts while men have 16; nine hats compared to 113 for men; and 20 accessories to men’s 37. In the categories where women do have more options, the lead is significantly smaller: women have 33 shorts and pants as opposed to men’s 31, and there are 52 outerwear options for women with only 42 for men.

“All inventory is based on sales, data and we stock merchandise based on demand … Oversized and generous fits are a trending style on college campuses, which may explain the increase in sales of men’s and unisex merchandise,” said Mark Glenn, the bookstore‘s director.

Even though women can wear men’s tops, that doesn’t guarantee they’ll fit right, especially for tinier women. A men’s size small, for example, equates to a women’s medium, and a men’s extra small (XS) would be a women’s small. This means if you wear a women’s XS, you’re out of options in men’s clothing; the next best thing is the men’s XS, which tends to be an elusive size to find.

“Most of our apparel is offered in Small-2XL range,” Glenn said, which the bookstore’s website reflects.

Out of all the JMU “Men’s Clothing and Accessories,” including both tops and bottoms, there are 48 XS options — only eight of which are considered tees and tanks. This means oftentimes, the smallest option a woman can wear in a men’s shirt is the equivalent of a women’s medium, yet 43.5% of women ages 20-29 are under 5-foot-4 and 27.8% are under 130 pounds, putting them in the XS-small range.

Let’s say I’m a woman looking for a stylish JMU tee in my size. What are my options? The bookstore’s website offers 183 women’s “T-Shirts & Tanks,” but a good number of those are tube tops, tank tops, v-necks, cropped tops or some other style that isn’t a plain tee. Thirty-one are sports-related, 44 shirts feature only the JMU logo or the letters “JMU” and eight show just the official Duke Dog logo with no additional text or graphics. Many are illegible because of curly text, a font size too small for the naked eye, a lack of color contrast or some combination of the three.

If I’m a woman looking to keep warm, I have even fewer options. Of the 58 “Sweatshirts & Hoodies,” 10 are cropped, 12 are just the JMU logo slapped onto fabric and many are reprints of the tees’ displeasing designs.

Nothing exemplifies difference in quality better than the JMU mom and dad merch. Each parent has 11 options for merchandise, three of each being tees. While the men’s shirts prominently display the word “dad,” incorporate text and graphics, and print the shirts in JMU’s official dark purple or a generic gray, the women’s shirts leave much to be desired. One has curly yellow text that’s impossible to read against the purple and white background. Another says “James Madison University” in a font size so small it’s practically invisible. And the last is the worst design of them all — with indecipherable floral print text, the word “mom” barely visible and the entire shirt dyed lilac: neither an official school color nor

a generic shade like white, black or gray.

Both the mom and dad shirts are in a men’s cut, yet the mom shirts cost about $3 more on average. There are two JMU dad sweaters and not a single one for moms. The only long-sleeve JMU mom option is a $65 zip-up — far more expensive than the $32 or $42 dad sweatshirts — with “JMU mom” in tiny text in a corner instead of spread across the chest or torso like on the men’s sweatshirts.

“The majority of our clothing sales are in-store, with only 10% of clothing sales coming through our online store,” Glenn said.

Yet 92 of the 183 women’s “T-shirts and Tanks” are listed as online only — and that’s over half of the options. Even the men’s merchandise is mostly online. There are more accessories than women’s wearable merchandise. If you add up every other category of wearable merch — women’s, accessories, kids and all genders — it’s still fewer than the total number of men’s merchandise.

“We are always looking for opportunities to expand and refresh certain collections and offerings in the store,” Glenn said.

Women’s merchandise is a perfect place to start.

The bookstore could consider working with its design partnerships to revamp women’s designs or selling more of its shirts as unisex so all students and alumni can feel stylish while representing JMU.

CONTACT Ella at warre3ej@dukes.jmu.edu. For more editorials regarding the JMU and Harrisonburg communities, follow the opinion desk on X @TheBreezeJMU and on Instagram @BreezeJMU.

Graphics by Leah McEvoy

Graphic by Ella Austin

from ROOMMATES, page 18

The list of roommate nightmares goes on and on with things such as poor hygiene, opposite schedules, excessive partying, personality clashes or poor communication. At times, it seems having a positive roommate experience in college can make or break your entire four years.

According to a Breeze Instagram poll, 58% of 241 respondents said they’ve been stuck with a terrible roommate. 76% of respondents voted they were been stuck with a terrible roommate in their first year, while 10% voted this happened during their sophomore year, 8% voted this happened during their junior year, and only 6% voted it happened during their senior year.

In the same Breeze Instagram poll, respondents were asked on a scale from one through 10 — the lowest being the roommate has poor communication/was obnoxious, and the highest being very gross/doesn’t clean shared spaces — how bad their roommate experience was. With 57 respondents, the average response was around seven.

For senior SMAD major Caden Lloyd, choosing roommates has always been stressful because many people are unreliable, and it seems like you always need options in case your original plan doesn’t work. In Lloyd’s first year, he was lucky enough to score an early roommate because he had a neighbor who also planned to attend JMU. When it came time to sign leases, however, things became complicated.

“I signed early, but it was still really stressful,” Lloyd said. “Getting everything together and everybody on board with different financial situations can be really annoying.”

While Lloyd has never had a formal conversation with others about the lease signing process, he’s sure others feel the same way. Lloyd understands apartment complexes and other housing need to have future residents sign early so they can fill, but believes it could be fixed.

“At the same time, I’m not even thinking about roommate situations that early, it’s like, ‘Hey, I know we just started talking but let’s go ahead and sign leases before we find out if we like each other and are good fits for each other,’” Lloyd said.

Oftentimes, signing a lease too early can result in bad roommate experiences, limiting the ability to properly compare potential roommate options. Compatibility and opposite lifestyle habits can cause problems later down the road. When everyone begins to sign their leases early in the fall semester, there’s a certain pressure for students to quickly gather roommates; otherwise, they may face limited housing options if they don’t sign right away. With this comes the lack of time when getting to know someone as well as the potential for miscommunication when

you’re not comfortable enough to share your wants and needs.

Lloyd believes there’s definitely a correlation between signing a lease too early and a poor roommate experience.

“There is not enough time to get to know people you’re about to spend the next year with … you can’t find out quirks, bad habits, and things you do or do not like about hygiene/cleaning habits,” Lloyd said.

Waiting until it’s closer to the actual move-in date to find a place to live may seem like the better option; however, it’s not realistic while attending JMU. If you wait until the spring semester, most housing is already full, and most people already have roommates.

“They could advertise signing leases sooner so people can start looking sooner,” Lloyd said. “You can get to know people you think you want to room with early on.”

Many things happen throughout the school year, and original leases aren’t always kept. While there are a few options, if you don’t start looking early, “you’re left to either get a really expensive apartment or suck it up and get stuck with randoms,” Lloyd said.

“Three months to get to know somebody and be around them, one month is for warming up, two months is joking around with them but not knowing if they are serious or not, and the third is either, ‘wow, they suck’ or, ‘this is going to be good!”’

It’s not difficult to act prematurely when signing a lease; even when you think you know people, you might be surprised.

Sometimes people aren’t always the same person they were when you chatted with them online or met them for a quick lunch.

It’s important to “make sure you discuss your living habits with each other first and explain the house rules that you would like to set upon moving in. That way, you can decide whether you think the person would be a good match or not and can then look for a better fit if needed,” one student with a poor roommate experience said.

The pressure that comes with signing leases and finding roommates directly aligns with the beginning of fall semester. While there are ways to fight getting stuck with a terrible roommate or a poor living situation, it would be helpful for the system in place to give students a little more time when trying to figure it all out. After all, a good or bad roommate can make or break your JMU experience.

Read the full story at breezejmu.org.

CONTACT Emma Currie at currieeg@dukes.jmu.edu. For more editorials regarding the JMU and Harrisonburg communities, follow the opinion desk on X @TheBreezeJMU and on Instagram @BreezeJMU.

The Breeze

Editorial Staff

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Eleanor Shaw breezeeditor@gmail.com

NEWS EDITORS K. Mauser & Libby Addison breezenews@gmail.com

COPY EDITORS

Mallory Evans & Hannah Kennedy breezecopy@gmail.com

PRINT MANAGING EDITOR Morgan Blair breezepress@gmail.com

CULTURE EDITORS Abby Camp & Sixuan Wu thebreezeculture@gmail.com

PHOTO EDITORS Kailey Garner & Landon Shackelford breezephotography@gmail.com

ONLINE MANAGING EDITOR Kasey Thompson thebreezeweb@gmail.com

SPORTS EDITORS Hayden Hundley & Preston Comer breezesports@gmail.com

AUDIENCE EDITORS Madalyn Cornwell & Madeline Buynak thebreezesocials@gmail.com

Corrections

(11/7/2024): A previous version of “No guns, just gloves: Streetbeefs provides safe outlets for disputes” misspelled “Neutral Corner” when quoting from Landon Payne, Neutral Cover member. This article has been updated with the correct spelling.

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