The Breeze 2.1.24 by The Breeze

The Breeze JMU’s award-winning newspaper since 1922

February 1, 2024 VOL. 102 NO.17 BREEZEJMU.ORG

Thursday, February 1, 2024 | breezejmu.org

Vol. 102, No. 17

Thursday, February 1, 2024 | breezejmu.org

What’s inside... On the cover

This week’s front page story highlights JMU lacrosse graduate attacker Kacey Knobloch. She and her brother, Shane, grew up in a lacrosse-oriented family, with their parents, K.C. and Deanna, coaching Kacey at Moorestown High School in New Jersey. When her high school days ended, Kacey carried her talents to Harrisonburg, becoming an important part of the lacrosse program early on in her time at JMU — her first start against No. 21 Penn State was back in 2020, and she tallied three goals and two assists. Things took a turn in the four-year captain’s career, as she tore her right ACL and menisci at a captain’s practice in August 2022. But just because she wasn’t on the field with her teammates didn’t mean her presence on the sidelines went unnoticed — she spent the 2023 season coaching and “mothering” then-freshman forward Maddie Epke. While it was a tough decision for Knobloch, she ultimately decided she couldn’t end her years of lacrosse with her injury and committed to her sixth year as a Duke — ready to lace up her cleats again this season after months of recovery. For the full story about Kacey Knoblock, see page 14.

Corrections

In the article about the Friendly City for Palestine (FC4P) organization in the Jan. 25 print edition, it was incorrectly stated that FC4P organized an on-campus vigil. The vigil was organized by the Muslim Student Association (MSA). “FC4P” is the coalition’s correct abbreviation, not “FCFP.” Jade Oh was incorrectly referred to as only a member of the organization. They are a co-founder of the coalition. Dalia Abdalla’s last name was also misspelled. All inaccuracies are corrected in the online article. In the softball preview in the Spring Sports Special Edition, former JMU pitcher Leylah Berry is incorrectly referred to as a player returning to the Dukes this year. Berry transferred in July. A photo of her also accompanies the story. The Breeze was unable to make the correction before publication.

Starship robots, an on-campus food delivery service, have continued to be popular among students since they were brought to campus in August 2020. In a poll conducted by The Breeze, 61% of respondents said they order food through Starships, putting the delivery service second to DoorDash. Kailey Garner / The Breeze For the full Starships story, see page 8.

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MISSION The Breeze, the student-run newspaper of James Madison University, serves student, faculty and staff readership by reporting news involving the campus and local community. The Breeze strives to be impartial and fair in its reporting and firmly believes in First Amendment rights. Published on Thursday mornings, The Breeze is distributed throughout James Madison University and the local Harrisonburg community. Single copies of The Breeze are distributed free of charge. Additional copies are available for 50 cents by contacting our business office. Comments and complaints should be addressed to Grant Johnson, editor.

NEWS

EDITORS Eleanor Shaw & K. Mauser

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‘Unacceptable and hurtful’:

Abby Paredes / The Breeze

RCPS librarians struggle with recent book ban

By K. MAUSER & LIBBY ADDISON The Breeze JMU graduate Kim Tate, the English and library supervisor for Rockingham County Public Schools (RCPS), chose to teach and raise her children in Rockingham County for over 40 years, even though she had “opportunities” to move to other school divisions. Now, her confidence in RCPS is crumbling. “I would be more concerned as to whether a person graduating from an education program at JMU might reconsider whether they want to work in our division,” Tate said. Following a recent temporary ban of 57 books across RCPS, the county’s school board held a public work session on Tuesday afternoon. School board members discussed implementing a comprehensive selection process to determine whether books are appropriate for a K-12 audience. “I think we want to look at two policies: one that provides guidelines and framework for how books come into our libraries, and a separate one for how books are challenged,” District 4 RCPS school board member Sara Horst said. On Wednesday evening, Horst emailed the author of “The Invisible Boy,” Trudy Ludwig, an apology for having “wrongfully banned” her novel. In the email, Horst said, “From what I can tell and believe, it was wrongfully caught up our process” and it is “likely the parent making the book challenge meant a similarly titled book, not yours.” Horst apologized and said it is “unfortunate

Currently, the RCPS librarian of each school decides whether a book is appropriate for their school’s audience. District 3 school board member Matt Cross on Tuesday suggested a committee of multiple people should decide if books are acceptable. Ryan Sauer / The Breeze

that many members and educators in our community have manufactured a crisis surrounding your book.” Currently, the librarian of each respective school solely determines whether a book is appropriate for their school’s audience, District 3 school board member Matt Cross said. Alternatively, Cross said he disagrees with this process and suggested a committee of multiple people should decide whether these books are appropriate. “We understand that you’re professionals;

we understand that you have master’s degrees; we understand that you have all the credentials,” Cross said. “But … that’s a decision that this board’s going to make.” When determining a book’s appropriateness, Section 2.2-2827 of the Code of Virginia defines sexually explicit content as any medium depicting “sexual bestiality, a lewd exhibition of nudity… sexual excitement, sexual conduct or sadomasochistic abuse… coprophilia, urophilia, or fetishism.” After reciting this passage, District 5 school board member Hollie

Cave said content that cannot be defined should not be included in school libraries. Cross said there’s a narrative being spread that the Rockingham County School Board is “picking on the LGBTQ community” and added that, regardless of sexual orientation or gender expression, there is still a “standard” of what constitutes appropriate material in schools. “You don’t get a pass just because you’re heterosexual,” Cross said. School Board Superintendent Larry Shifflett said the library books discussed are not considered instructional materials. Required readings in class, such as textbooks, he said, are called instructional materials. Shifflett said students are not required to read library books and said parents may request “recourse” in terms of library book selection for schools. The RCPS school board, alongside school librarians, tentatively plans to meet again in a closed session during a professional development day on Feb. 13 to discuss the proposed process of banning books. “One of the saddest things is that Rockingham County has always been a school division we have looked to,” Tate said. “To put things in an ‘us versus them’ context is unacceptable and hurtful.” Tate offered words of support to her colleagues as they tearfully left the meeting room.

NEWS

Thursday, February 1, 2024 | breezejmu.org

Patrick Fritz’s voice shook as a “tremendously frustrated” parent and community member who said he couldn’t depend on the school system to help his children succeed. Fritz runs a testing center in Rockingham County that administers Praxis tests to aspiring teachers at JMU. Fritz said he’s noticed an increase of JMU education majors taking the Praxis exam to obtain a different endorsement to teach outside of Rockingham County, adding that this was a direct result of RCPS’ temporary book ban. “They pulled 57 [books] and didn’t talk to a single librarian; didn’t talk to a single classroom teacher,” Fritz said. “We’re looking at these books literally being out of the classroom for more than a third of the school year, minimum.” The Breeze contacted Cross on Tuesday evening for confirmation about whether RCPS talked to librarians about the bans but did not receive a response before deadline. Cross said he knows the decision to ban these books temporarily is not popular but added that many school divisions throughout the state have implemented similar policies regarding library and classroom materials. “I am not ashamed of anything that I use to make my selection policy,” Tate said. “We’re not making decisions for us. We’re making decisions for the children.” CONTACT K. Mauser at breezenews@gmail. com and Libby Addison at addisoen@dukes. jmu.edu. For more coverage of JMU and Harrisonburg news, follow the news desk on X @BreezeNewsJMU.

*On Wednesday evening, The Breeze obtained an email from “The Invisible Boy” author Trudy Ludwig that says District 4 RCPS board member Sarah Horst and other members accidentally banned the book. K. Mauser / The Breeze

Expect more Saturday make-ups for canceled class, faculty senate speaker says By LIBBY ADDISON contributing writer Unexpected snowfall greeted campus Jan. 16, leading to a cancellation of the first day of classes in the new semester, and triggering a make-up day this past Saturday. Katherine Ott Walter, JMU’s faculty senate speaker, said the make-up day is “not impromptu.” “If we have a snow day, the make-up day is on a Saturday,” Walter said, adding that Saturdays are the only time some classes, like labs, have to make up the work. Junior nursing major Caroline Godwin wears her purple and white nursing scrubs in the Student Success Center as she studies with her classmates. She said she dislikes the then-upcoming makeup day, adding she typically uses Saturdays to do make-up work or get started for the rest of the week. Godwin said many students also use the weekends to work and that Saturday is not a day they have available. Many of Godwin’s peers and teachers have expressed they “don’t want to come in” when discussing the makeup day with their students, she said. She also said many wish to provide alternative solutions to get back lost instruction time, such as having something on Zoom. Junior engineering major Josiah Walker said the scheduled Saturday make-up day was “annoying” and that JMU should have snow days planned into their schedule. All of Walker’s and Godwin’s professors were not planning to hold class on the 27th, they said. Walker said only one of his professors decided to upload a previously recorded Zoom from COVID-19 to make up for missed lecture time.

see SNOW DAY, page 6

An unexpected snowfall the night before the spring semester led to a cancellation of the first day of classes. To account for the lost day, JMU scheduled a make-up day the following Saturday. Photos by Ryan Sauer / The Breeze

Thursday, February 1, 2024 | breezejmu.org

NEWS

“The snow days that we had were during syllabus week, so why do we need to make that up?” Caroline Godwin, junior nursing major from SNOW DAY, page 5

Walker said he would not skip class if he had to come in on Saturday; however, many students disagreed with this, according to a Breeze Instagram poll. Out of 356 respondents, 88% said they would skip the make-up class. A student replied to the survey and wrote they “would be too stressed the upcoming week.” Another student said they use the weekends to prepare and study. Another said JMU doesn’t seem to consider the fact that they, among other students, work an off-campus job. Only 12% of students surveyed said their professors require them to come to class on the Saturday make-up day. “The snow days that we had were during syllabus week, so why do we need to make that up?” Godwin asked as she zipped her backpack and walked away with her friends, heading toward her classes for the day.

Only 12% of students surveyed said their professors required them to come to class on the Saturday make-up day. Ryan Sauer / The Breeze

CONTACT Libby Addison at addisoen@ dukes.jmu.edu. For more coverage of JMU and Harrisonburg news, follow the news desk on X @BreezeNewsJMU.

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Vol. 102, No. 17

Thursday, February 1, 2024 | breezejmu.org

Starship delivery robots feed students during cold weather By SIXUAN WU The Breeze

Chubby white robots roll down hills with their orange lights gleaming through the night. The Starship food delivery robots have now become a staple of JMU’s campus and one of the most common means for Dukes to order food on campus. Since the company’s debut at JMU in August 2020, the popularity of Starships has continued to grow. The number of robots has doubled in size, and 10 new food options have been added to the six original locations on campus, said Janel Steinberg, one of Starship’s spokespeople. With the recent snow and rain, some students said they are more likely to get food through Starship to avoid trekking across campus to the dining halls, for example, in the elements. “It depends on how icy and snowy the roads are,” freshman Roxy Grice said. “If the robots can’t run, I’ll go get food myself, but if they do run, I’ll get food through it most of the time.” Steinberg told The Breeze via email that Starship robots are built to handle a variety of weather conditions, including rain and snow. “Traction on the robots’ tires helps them operate in snowy or icy weather,” Steinberg said. “Starship robots operate in extreme conditions from the desert heat in Arizona to cold and snowy conditions in Finland.” In a poll conducted on The Breeze’s Instagram, 61% of respondents (61 people) said they order food through Starship. Twenty-eight percent (18 people) said Starship is their most commonly used food delivery app during the school year, second to DoorDash (59%, 40 people). With a few simple clicks on the Starship app, a robot will deliver a meal to any student’s chosen pickup spot on campus within 30 to 60 minutes. Customers can also use the app to track the robot’s location and unlock the

robot when it arrives. Payments are made using Dining Dollars, FLEX and a credit or debit card. “I use it because it’s convenient, and I like that it’s cheaper,” freshman Callah Heeren said. The delivery fee for Starship is $1.99, which is usually lower than other services such as DoorDash or UberEats, which normally have a delivery service fee of around $3 to $5. Despite its convenience and affordability, some students, such as freshman Rachel Stephens, believe that Starship is not the most efficient food delivery service due to it falling short in other areas, such as the longer wait for delivery. “Starship deliveries take a long time and are often disrupted by students on the sidewalk,” Stephens said. “I also believe that food is at higher risk of spilling inside Starships.” Grice said she’s found her drink spilled inside the delivery robots upon unlocking them before, with half of the inside filled when it gets to her. Heeren also said she’s encountered errors with her Starship orders, such as vendors not providing a straw with her drinks. She found it difficult to report these errors because the food is delivered by a robot. “I think [Starship deliveries] can improve by emphasizing the importance of routine, looking the orders over before they go in,” Heeren said. “A couple of times I’ve ordered drinks that are supposed to be hot, and they get cold.” Stephens said if Starship gets faster and more efficient with its delivery, she would consider using it more. “Although Starship may be more affordable for college students, I am willing to pay extra for the safety and speed provided by other delivery services, which Starship does not offer,” she said. CONTACT Sixuan Wu at wu3sx@dukes. jmu.edu. For more coverage of JMU and Harrisonburg news, follow the news desk on X @BreezeNewsJMU.

Starships spend their time rolling around JMU’s campus delivering food to hungry students. As cold weather creeps in, students told The Breeze they will likely utilize the robots more often. Kailey Garner / The Breeze

NEWS

Thursday, February 1, 2024 | breezejmu.org

SGA approves funding for club ice hockey, Filipino Americans at Madison, Kinetix breakdancing club By ASHLEE THOMPSON The Breeze

The Student Government Association (S GA) S enate unanimously approved contingency funding requests for JMU club ice hockey and Filipino Americans at Madison (FAM), and approved a program grant for Kinetix during its Tuesday meeting.

Hockey funds to help travel, support staff

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Ice Hockey Club President Shane Brisland, a senior sport and recreation management major, represented his organization. The $3,000 request for contingency funds will go toward a charter bus to Denison University in Ohio to compete for a playoff spot in the American College Hockey Association (ACHA) games. Contingency funds come from student fees that are given to organizations on campus to hold events, conferences and other activities that fundraising can’t completely cover, according to the SGA’s website. Brisland said the money would help cover travel expenses and pay coaches and photographers — who currently aren't paid in their volunteer positions — and toward a financial “cushion” during next year’s season. Because Harrisonburg does not have an ice hockey rink, the club travels 90 minutes to Haymarket, Virginia, each Tuesday to practice, which Brisland said adds up financially and is physically draining. “Since we don't have an actual ice hockey team, this is their only way to play the sport,”

The funds approved by the SGA will finance club hockey's participation in the American College Hockey Association games, Filipino Americans at Madison's annual cultural show and Kinetix competitive breakdancing event "Rocktown Riot!" Daria Ausen / The Breeze

senior Legislative Affairs Chair Marcus Rand said in favor of the club. “I feel like this is a great way to support them in lieu of having a university program.”

$1,300 approved to fund annual culture show

The SGA unanimously approved contingency funds for FAM, an on-campus organization that promotes awareness of the Filipino culture at JMU while bringing people of different backgrounds together, according to its presentation. Senior Treasurer PK Isaraskakdi asked for $1,300 in contingency funds to cover the fees for its annual culture show, an all-day event

SHOP.

that features traditional and modern Filipino dances, skits, acting and singing. “I think it’s important to have lots of representation on our campus,” senior Academic Chair Zach Fox said. “It’s really cool to have that on campus for everyone to see.” Katie Navarro, the junior secretary of events for the class of 2025, is a member of FAM and will be participating in the culture show. She said she believes the show is a “great way” to promote Filipino culture and educate the campus on their traditions.

Dance competition to draw East Coast schools

The Senate unanimously approved $5,000 in program grants for the freestyle breakdancing

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and hip-hop club Kinetix to host the competitive breakdancing event, “Rocktown Riot!” Junior Treasurer Jesse Yao and senior President Terrance Luangrath represented Kinetix. According to the SGA’s website, program grants serve as funding to any non-front end budgeting (FEB) student organization for a specific event that has a campus-wide impact. “Rocktown Riot!” is scheduled for April 20 in Godwin Gymnasium, Luangrath said, and is expected to bring several hip-hop organizations across the East Coast to JMU. “Kinetix wants to reestablish JMU’s breaking scene while upholding the legacy of its past history,” Luangrath said. The requested money will cover the cost of a DJ, judges, hotel, emcee, videographer, photographer and other event necessities. Luangrath said Kinetix will fundraise the prize money. “This is like a college-level sporting event. This will bring so many people across the East Coast,” junior Sen. Daniel Green said. “To know they are trying to revitalize it today is a huge opportunity for JMU.” CONTACT Ashlee Thompson at thomp6ab@ dukes.jmu.edu. For more coverage of JMU and Harrisonburg news, follow the news desk on X @BreezeNewsJMU.

VOLUNTEER.

CULTURE

EDITORS Morgan Blair & Evan Moody

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JMU FACULTY MEMBERS STAR IN LOCAL BAND, BRING ‘DISCODELIC SPACE FUNK’ SOUND By KAILYN HARDY contributing writer

“Funky,” “fun” and “chill” are just a few of the words attendees used to describe The Norms, a Staunton, Virginia-based band, during their performance Friday night at Restless Moons Brewing in Harrisonburg. The Norms filled the atmosphere with their jazzy and groovy sound on an unusually warm winter evening, while attendees danced and enjoyed the rustic environment. The Norms consist of four members: bass player and songwriter Ben Leonard, drummer and percussionist Mark Piper, brass player Ryan Ratliff, and keyboardist and guitarist Dan Hall. The Norms began headlining venues in July when the band only had three members — Leonard, Piper and Ratliff. Hall joined the band in October. Both at JMU, Piper is a philosophy professor, and Hall is an adjunct art instructor. “One of the things that we pride ourselves on in the band is whether you have never heard us before and you’re not so much into music, or whether you are yourself an advanced musician, you’re going to probably find something to connect with,” Piper said. “It’s pretty infectious. I almost want to say I defy you to come to a show and not be pulled in by the grooves and rhythms.” Piper and Leonard founded The Norms and quickly bonded over their love for ’90s music. They first developed the original songs that Leonard wrote. Piper said Leonard comes up with his compositions on keys and records them. “The most important thing to say about the band is that the music that we make is very different from the kind of stuff one finds in the area,” Piper said.

room at 11 years old and asked if he could play them. “He was delighted and said ‘Of course, you can carry on the tradition,’” Piper said. He did not take lessons; his dad taught him how to play a basic beat, and Piper primarily learned from listening to the radio and cassettes. Piper was in several bands “that didn’t make it out of the garage,” he said. “This is easily the most important band I’ve ever been a part of,” Piper said. “Even though we’re just starting out, we have tremendous potential.” A few attendees at Friday’s concert spoke about JMU faculty members being in a band. Several hit on the fact that they appreciate and respect how they are teaching students and have personal lives that are in the entertainment industry. Piper said the band wants their music to be danceable. They want to see their attendees moving and enjoying their performance — and this was reflected in the atmosphere at Restless Moon, an audience of all ages appreciating The Norms’ sound. The band has an upcoming show in Harrisonburg on Feb. 9 at Pale Fire Brewing, as well as various shows in Staunton and more to come in Harrisonburg. As Piper said, The Norms are just coming out of the gates. “I have the suspicion that a lot of college-aged students will go for it,” he said. “I think they’ll say, ‘This, this is just cool.’” The Norms’ jazzy and groovy sound features no vocals. The percussionist Mark Piper said the band wants their music to be danceable. Photos by Kailey Garner / The Breeze

Leonard coined “discodelic space funk” to describe The Norms’ genre of music. “There’s no voice, and it’s very heavy with shift, type sounds and you can definitely tell there are influences from ’70s and ’80s music in there for sure,” Piper said. Piper said it was just him and Leonard for several months, rehearsing at Queen City Music Studios in Staunton. The studio offers music, voice and harmony lessons, and has different instruments. Ratcliff works at the studio as a teacher, which is how The Norms met their third band member. Eventually they met their fourth, Hall, at a jam session. “He’s an extremely talented musician,” Piper said of Hall. “He’s got an astonishing presence and power, so we linked up with him.” Hall said some friends told him about a “casual jam session” in downtown Staunton. The first time Hall met Piper, he was impressed with his skills on the drums, and they spoke briefly. Hall met the rest of The Norms at a gig and introduced himself. Hall is now officially part of The Norms, this past performance Friday being his third show

with the band. Hall also runs The Norms’ social media with Piper and designed its website, crediting his past work in similar roles with previous bands. “Now that we have Dan as part of it, it’s a much fuller sound,” Piper said. “It was already a full sound, but it’s even more full.” Hall said the music he’s written and performed with bands in the past is similar to what he does with The Norms. Hall describes himself as an instrumentalist, so The Norms was a perfect fit. Hall started playing guitar around 12 or 13 years old. He said living on the Gulf Coast of Florida, there is a large economy for musicians where people can make around half their living playing events. “That’s really where I honed my craft, I guess you could say, from 2005 to 2009,” Hall said. He then attended grad school at Florida State and continued to play on the side. Then, he moved to Chattanooga, Tennessee, to play in a band, and finally landed in Harrisonburg to take a job at JMU. Piper found his dad’s drums in their storage

CONTACT Kailyn Hardy at hardy3ka@ 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.

“I almost want to say I defy you to come to a show and not be pulled in by the grooves and rhythms.” Guitarist Dan Hall is an adjunct JMU art professor and played his third show with the group on Friday.

Mark Piper

Drummer and percussionist, philosophy professor

Bass player Ben Leonard founded The Norms along with Mark Piper. Leonard coined the term “discodelic space funk.”

CULTURE

Thursday, February 1, 2024 | breezejmu.org

Senior quantitative finance major shares COVID-19 college experience What started as a lonely year resulted in lasting friendships and crocheting skills By LILLYANNE DAY The Breeze

Abby

Pare d

es / T he Br eeze

Divers said. Like many other students who experienced drastic changes to their daily and social lives, Divers said she struggled with mental health and This profile is the second in a recurring series prioritizing classes during the pandemic. about JMU seniors with stories about how they “Mentally, it was tough being confined to my overcame COVID-19 to find their way at JMU. If dorm,” she said. “It was difficult to stay motivated you or someone you know has a story to tell, email thebreezeculture@gmail.com. for assignments and exams when I attended The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the world classes from my bed, and it was challenging to immeasurably, including the trajectory of many meet new people and make friends with all the college students’ educational journeys. Kendall dorm regulations.” Divers, a senior set to graduate in the spring, said Divers said the pandemic heightened the the pandemic altered her college experience, yet importance of prioritizing mental health and shaped her in unexpected ways. showed how crucial it is to take proactive steps Divers, a quantitative finance major with a to maintain a healthy well-being. double minor in economics and mathematics During her freshman year, Divers said she from Holly Springs, North Carolina, said JMU questioned whether staying at JMU was the had stood out to her since her initial visit. right choice for her, and what taking time “I decided on JMU because the campus felt off from school would mean for her college like home,” Divers said. ”What really stood out trajectory. to me was the QFIN [quantatative finance] “I did have second thoughts about my program. It aligned perfectly with what I wanted schooling and career path,” Divers said. “The to study, and not many schools offer such a idea of taking a gap semester crossed my mind, unique and high-quality program. This made but I weighed the consequences, realizing it JMU the obvious choice for me.” would put me a full year behind in my course According to the program’s website, JMU’s load.” quantitative finance major teaches students Divers said she’s grateful for her decision to the skills needed to assist in solving problems stay at JMU because she gained life experiences in finance. It’s within the College of Business that shaped her and an appreciation for the at JMU and allows students to graduate with a importance of living in the present. Bachelor of Science degree. When JMU eventually began to ease Another factor that influenced Divers’ COVID-19 restrictions during the spring of decision to attend JMU was Harrisonburg’s Divers’ freshman year, she said she had mixed friendly atmosphere and sense of community. emotions. She said the evolving music scene and local “When restrictions were lifted, it felt exciting, hiking opportunities contributed to her love overwhelming and scary,” Divers said. “I wanted for JMU — a perception that would change her to make up for what I missed out on, but there freshman year because the campus atmosphere was also fear about getting myself and others Kendall loved while visiting became an isolating sick from social gatherings.” space during the pandemic. Because of the restricted freshman year Divers Divers said she had low expectations coming into her freshman year. When she moved into experienced, her sophomore year came with its her residence hall, COVID-19 cases were rapidly own set of new challenges to navigate. She said rising on campus. By Sept. 1, cases reached 528 transitioning from a super slow pace to living at JMU. On Sept. 5, the university moved all off campus and attending in-person classes was courses online. difficult. It took time to find a balance in her dayWhile Divers hoped for in-person classes, to-day life and get used to changes, but she said opportunities to explore campus and chances she felt a sense of relief in being able to finally to make deep connections with her peers and engage more actively on campus. professors, the all-virtual setup made socializing Quantitative finance major Kendall Divers said although experiencing her freshman year at the Reminiscing on her freshman year, Divers height of COVID-19 was difficult, she gained a lot of good from it, like longlasting friendships extremely challenging. said she’s sad she didn’t have the full experience, “JMU felt like a ghost town with very few and an enjoyment for crocheting. LillyAnne Day / The Breeze but her transition from high school to college students around,” Divers said. “The absence of went smoother than she expected, and she clubs, university events and football games made the campus seem so empty and quiet.” treasures the friendships she made during lockdown. Although dining locations on campus were open with their own restrictions, Divers found herself “We created our own fun and got to discover Harrisonburg at a deeper level,” Divers said. “While mostly confined to her residence hall, where she made lasting relationships with her suitemates I was frustrated at times, I have no regrets about the choices I made. It turned out to be such a and bonded over the situation they were in. valuable and memorable chapter of my college journey.” “We had nothing but time, and we were able to make a lot of memories I would cherish forever,” In addition to lasting relationships, Divers also gained the ability to crochet during lockdown. Divers said she and her roommate were seeking a creative outlet out of boredom from being quarantined.” Divers said her STEM intensive major left her with a creative scratch to itch, and crocheting did just that. Among blankets and bunnies, Divers said she was most proud of her Snoopy tapestry. “Crocheting with my roommate made being stuck in the dorms fun, and the fulfillment of completing projects, from small items to large tapestries, kept me engaged for hours,” Divers said. Looking back on her college experience as a senior, with a job lined up in the fall as a capital markets analyst at Freddie Mac’s in Arlington, Virginia, Divers said she’s thankful for the lessons she learned from her unconventional freshman year. Divers said some of her key takeaways from the experience are to stay grounded and not allow external factors or pressures to become overwhelming. “I’ve learned it is so important to acknowledge and embrace challenges but focus more on finding contentment in the present moment while still finding opportunities for growth,” Divers said. CONTACT LillyAnne Day at daymillm@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, February 1, 2024 | breezejmu.org

CULTURE

Author of Virginia lynching story speaks on remembering state’s past By ABBY CAMP The Breeze

Jim Hall hosted a book talk for “Condemned for Love in Old Virginia: The Lynching of Arthur Jordan,” a nonfiction story about a Black man who was lynched for being in a relationship with a white woman. Photos courtesy of Jim Hall

Love conquers evil, an anecdote many classic love stories perpetuate. However, in the nonfiction story of Arthur Jordan’s lynching for his relationship with Elvira Corder, written by Jim Hall in “Condemned for Love in Old Virginia: The Lynching of Arthur Jordan,” evil is so brutal that love is destroyed. Hall spoke about his book at Rose Library on Jan. 25 and explored the implications the story holds today. In 1880 Fauquier County, Virginia, Jordan, a Black man, fell in love with and impregnated Corder, a white woman, causing them to flee to Maryland. Corder’s father caught them, Jordan was publicly lynched and Corder was never heard from again. “Arthur Jordan and Elvira Corder paid with their lives for a behavior that is unremarked in other times and places,” Hall said. Hall examined the way Virginia newspapers covered lynching, explaining that many victims’ stories went largely unheard because they were reported on by small outlets instead of accessible, bigname publications. “I’ve never been to a book talk, and so I was more expecting readings from the book or more details about the case itself,” senior history major Rilie Bass said. “I really appreciated the background work that was given for people who might not be as familiar with lynchings or the history of it.” Although lynchings in Virginia became “taboo” around the mid-1900s when they declined, Hall’s research process extensively recovered newspapers, deeds, wills, autopsy results, coroners’ reports and more. There were few documents about the Jordan and Corder case, as there was little investigation done. With the help of a Virginia resident who read Hall’s first book, “The Last Lynching in Northern Virginia: Seeking Truth at Rattlesnake Mountain,” Hall found the tree where Jordan was hanged. No one was ever convicted of his murder. “I’m really interested in what happened to Jordan’s wife …

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and I’m also interested in … the elements of the story about the Virginia legislature at the time, and the ways in which they basically said that they were kind of supportive of this,” justice studies department head Peggy Plass said. “It’s always more concerning in your own state.” Hall has been working with Gianluca De Fazio, an associate professor in the Department of Justice Studies, on his upcoming book about lynching in Virginia. De Fazio created a website, Racial Terror: Lynching in Virginia, which documents the research done to find information about the victims of lynching in 18661932 Virginia. Hall’s book aligned with this movement, and the collaboration led to him speaking at JMU. “You learn about a story that is, of course, not very well known. We’re not learning about lynching in Virginia. It’s not something we teach very often in school,” De Fazio said. “Also, trying to understand how interracial relations have been taboo in Virginia for the longest time, it wouldn’t be until 1967 that interracial marriage would be legalized in Virginia.” One aspect of this story that was asked about multiple times during the Q&A segment of the talk was Corder’s disappearance. She was last seen heading to a hotel with her father who left her only one cent in his will should she ever return. Hall said every time he spoke about his book publicly, someone asked about the ending of Corder’s story. “I would love to have told the story of what happened to Elvira … I belong to a writer’s group, and I would come into the writers’ room monthly and say to them … ‘She’s not there; she’s gone and I’m never going to find out what happened to her,’ and their response was uniformly, month after month, ‘Don’t stop,’” Hall said. “And I finally came to peace with the fact that it was going to have a loose end in it.” Speaking out about Virginia’s history of racism and violence against people of color and honoring the victims of these lynchings are some ways scholars like Hall and De Fazio attempt to share their stories. Hall referenced The National Memorial for

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CULTURE

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Peace and Justice — the first memorial in the U.S. devoted to Black Americans who were lynched, enslaved or abused — at the talk. “I want readers to know what happened. This is a blank spot in our history … it has to be talked about to work us through to a reconciliation, to a more peaceful world where Black and white live together in harmony,” Hall said. “Unless we accept and realize what happened, accept it as a part of our history, not accept it as being done, there’s always going to be a rift.” Hall also discussed criticisms of his work, which argue that people shouldn’t “apply your values to a dissonant time.” To those criticisms, he responds with examples of people who spoke out for change when these events took place. Hall said lynching was a means for white people to use terrorism to sustain the control they had in all aspects of society. “We’ve got to know the truth about this, and we’ve got to face the truth about this before we can ever move beyond it. I mean it’s kind of like slavery itself, you know, for so many years we just kind of didn’t look at that, but lynching is definitely a very significant part of the history of the U.S.,” Plass said. Both of Hall’s books were written to spread awareness about lynching. He travels to various universities and meetings to speak on this story and express it’s one instance of many. “I’m really appreciative that JMU, or whoever was a part of this, allowed this to happen, and I encourage people to learn more about it too,” Bass said. Hall described the mob mentality and destruction that caused this time of lynching. In terms of frequency, he said, “on average, once a week, every week, for 50 years” — as this being no anomaly but rather something that “fits nicely into our long, long history of oppression.” The main reasons these lynchings most often had defense were due to the murder accusations of the victim, or that they inappropriately contacted a white woman — even though they were never investigated — or simply existing as a Black American, Hall said. “It’s an example of our long and difficult road that we’ve traveled in racial relations,” Hall said. “It’s a difficult part; it’s an unsavory part of our history, but I think we have to confront it and learn from it.” CONTACT Abby Camp at campad@dukes.jmu.edu. For more on the culture, arts and lifestyle of the JMU and Harrisonburg communities, follow the culture desk on X and Instagram @Breeze_Culture.

Jim Hall wanted to let readers know about this blank spot in history so discussions on the topic would lead to a more peaceful world.

SPORTS EDITORS Kaiden Bridges & Jackson Hephner

EMAIL breezesports@gmail.com

@TheBreezeSports

From left to right: K.C., Shane, Kacey and Deanna Knobloch. Kacey’s parents, K.C. and Deanna, coached her at Moorestown High School in New Jersey. Courtesy of K.C. Knobloch

After ACL tear, sixth-year lacrosse attacker Kacey Knobloch is back: ‘I wanted to go out the way I intended’ By HAYDEN HUNDLEY The Breeze

For as long as graduate attacker Kacey Knobloch remembers, she’s had a lacrosse stick in her hand. And by her 2022 season at JMU, she became a perennial starter, captain and second on the team in scoring behind senior attacker Isabella Peterson. Because COVID-19 granted NCAA student-athletes an extra year of eligibility with the lost 2020 season, Knobloch looked to return for a fifth year in 2023 along with all-American defenders Mairead Durkin and Rachel Matey. Durkin said they returned with one goal in mind: a national championship. In August 2022, six months before her fifth year would commence, Knobloch rushed back to Harrisonburg to attend a captain’s practice after watching her younger brother Shane win a gold medal at the World Lacrosse U21 Men’s World Championship for the U.S in Ireland. At the end of the optional practice, Knobloch decided she needed one more rep — after all it was August and she hadn’t played in a while. On that rep, she tore her ACL as well as both menisci in her right knee. She couldn’t walk. With no coaches or trainers around, Durkin and Matey carried Knobloch up the hill at Sentara Park toward the parking lot and drove her to the training room. After undergoing surgery, Knobloch sat out for the entire 2023 season. No national championship run with her best friends, and with her set to complete her master’s that year, she had no need to come back for 2024. “I told myself I was done,” Knobloch said. “I was not coming back. This was it for me.” Knobloch’s right knee had been bothering her for the past year as she played a portion of her 2022 season with it wrapped up. She even thinks she could’ve played that entire season with her ACL already partially torn. So even if the injury was detrimental, she breathed a sigh of relief at the fact her knee could finally be fixed. Knobloch had her ACL surgery done by U.Va. doctor Brian Werner, who treats athletes from U.Va. and JMU — including Kacey’s former high school teammate and JMU lacrosse midfielder Ava Frantz (2019-22). The Knoblochs put the utmost faith in Werner, and Kacey called him an “amazing” surgeon, saying Werner attends JMU lacrosse games all the time. After Kacey’s surgery, her mother, Deanna, traveled to Harrisonburg to tend to her daughter for the initial stages of rehab. When the numbing wore off after the first 24 hours, Kacey said she was in excruciating pain. Deanna — who tore her ACL as a lacrosse player at The College of New Jersey (1987-90) — used her past experience rehabbing to offer her an encouraging perspective. “I was pretty positive,” Kacey said. “It was definitely difficult, but my mom stayed with me for two weeks, helped me do everything that I needed to do and made sure that I was

ready to be on my own. So, if she wasn’t here, I probably would have been a lot more negative than I was.” Deanna said Kacey took her rehab “in stride.” She postponed her master’s to focus on rehab and think about her next step in life. There was no pressure on her because she thought she wouldn’t play lacrosse again.

Past resiliency

This wasn’t the first time Kacey’s dealt with a season-ending injury, and despite tearing three knee ligaments, it wasn’t even the worst she’s ever had. Kacey broke her back as a sophomore at Moorestown High School in New Jersey. There, Kacey played basketball, soccer and did cheerleading on top of lacrosse and thinks that competing on multiple vastly different surfaces at the same time contributed to her back injury. Kacey credits her resiliency during her ACL recovery to her back injury, saying it “almost prepared her for it.” “I think that breaking my back was more detrimental to me at the time because I wasn’t mentally prepared for something like that,” Kacey said. “When you’re coming back from an ACL, there’s a running progression. With back, you don’t run for six months, you don’t walk fast. I was immobilized for a long time.” When Kacey played lacrosse as a freshman at Moorestown, she didn’t have the same experiences as her peers. After a tough day of practice, her teammates could go home, relax and disassociate from the hours of torment their bodies just went through. But not for Kacey, whose parents, Deanna and Keith, or K.C. for short, both coached her. During the middle of her freshman season at Moorestown, she was pulled up to varsity. Her teammates thought Kacey got the spot because of her parents, but nobody had it worse than her. She ran the most, got in the most trouble and said she was used as an example for “basically everything.” Kacey said she didn’t even know what to call her parents anymore, but her dad did. “Twenty-eight! Get off the field, 28!” K.C. would yell at his daughter after she made a mistake. After a practice one day, Kacey stormed into her parents’ car crying and yelling at them because she thought she wasn’t getting the playing time she deserved. “Why are you so rough on me?” Kacey yelled at them. “Why do you always have to point out my mistakes? You don’t do that for anyone else.” When Kacey got home, sometimes she said she had no other option but to lock herself in her room and cry, but that was just sometimes. Kacey liked how tough her parents coached her, saying she enjoyed going through a practice or game with them so they could root out her problems. “They were always so honest with me,” Kacey said. “Straight to my face, they told me if I was the worst on the field that day, and usually if I thought I was the worst one, they thought differently, and if I thought I played great, they probably thought I sucked. So it was easy for me to have that conversation with them, and I think it was really beneficial.” K.C., who played football and baseball at Delaware (1978-82), said scolding her made him feel

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Kacey’s doctor, Dr. Brian Werner, advised her to return to play this past fall without a brace on. Kaiden Bridges / The Breeze

After standing on the sidelines last season, Kacey approached head coach Shelley Klaes and told her she wanted to come back for the 2024 season — knowing her lacrosse career couldn’t end on the bench. Breeze file photo

“horrible,” but Shane said he believes the way his parents pushed them made it easy to excel in the sport. For Deanna, navigating between being a parent and coaching her kid was “tough at times,” but she said she’ll cherish the moments of Kacey’s individual and team success while coaching alongside her husband forever. “There’s no book on how to coach your kids, especially at a high level of lacrosse,” Deanna said. “It’s definitely not an easy road — people are always looking at you. People are judging what you’re doing, how you’re acting, if you’re playing your kid, if you’re not playing your kid. There’s always those kinds of things that we all had to work through together, but looking back on it, I think it was an amazing experience for all of us, and I wouldn’t trade it for the world.” Kacey led Moorestown to the No. 1 ranking in New Jersey and No. 9 in the country in 2018 after finishing the year 23-2 en route to a state championship. She was named a USA Lacrosse AllAmerican and first-team all-state, and held offers from schools such as Towson, Loyola, Penn and nearby Rutgers. Shane, who is an Inside Lacrosse All-American midfielder at Rutgers as a senior, said the attention Kacey started getting from colleges during the summer when she was a freshman drove him to be better. “I think the main thing that pushed me to work harder was her just being better than me,” Shane said. “Growing up she was getting a lot of looks from a lot of colleges out of eighth grade. At that point, I was not anywhere near that, so there was some jealousy there for sure.”

coach at Moorestown, where she won 15 state championships, so she could watch her daughter play. Kacey scored her first career goal in her debut, an 18-7 loss to No. 2 North Carolina, and finished the season with an appearance in 16 of the Dukes’ 20 games. During the abbreviated 2020 season, she made her first two career starts and blossomed, scoring three goals and two assists in a 16-6 thrashing of No. 21 Penn State as well as another hat trick on top of an assist to push JMU to a 16-5 win against Rutgers. The next two seasons, Kacey played in all 38 games, scoring 46 points in her redshirt sophomore season in 2021 and 60 in her redshirt junior campaign behind Peterson, an all-American and 2023 Tewaaraton Award nominee.

Instant impact

Kai de n

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Kacey enrolled at JMU fresh off its 2018 national championship and immediately made an impression. So much so that when Kacey scored her first goal in the Dukes’ opening fall ball game of the year, Deanna decided to end her 27-year stint as the head

New perspective

During her 2022-23 winter break, Kacey returned home and was set to start student teaching in the spring, but she didn’t want to. Just like what she did in high school after a bad practice, she sat in her room and let tears flow down her cheeks. The next day, she called JMU head coach Shelley Klaes and told her she needed to postpone her master’s again, and Klaes hopped right on board, emailing Dean of Students Hollie Hall and the dean of the College of Education, Mark L’Esperance, and got her master’s of education pushed back. With her master’s postponed, Kacey stood on the sidelines in March less than halfway through the season. She said she didn’t know what she was doing, but she knew she couldn’t stop playing lacrosse just because she tore her ACL. Suddenly, she walked up to Klaes and said, “I’m coming back next year.” “I hated the way that fate was telling me that I was done,” Kacey said. “I wanted to do that for myself, so taking that time off from school made me realize I wanted to go out the way I intended.” The two met on a bench outside of practice to discuss their plans for next year as Klaes confirmed Kacey would be able to stay on the roster while retaining her scholarship for the 2024 season. Everytime Kacey had the opportunity to jump into a drill, she would volunteer immediately. If she couldn’t, she’d throw the ball off a wall with her stick until her arms gave out. While she continued to recover last season, she spent a lot of time “mothering” — last spring, then-freshman attacker Maddie Epke’s role in the offense grew because of Kacey’s absence. “[Assistant coach Colleen Shearer] was really hard on her,” Kacey said. “I spent a lot of time working with Maddie and talking to her about the mental aspect of it and trying to be more encouraging towards her.” Last season was Shearer’s first year coaching the offense under Klaes, who said Kacey was a huge part of the offense’s “buy-in” to the different system. Klaes said Kacey wants to be a coach after leaving JMU, and that her six years worth of experience in an “attractive” culture like JMU’s makes her experience exceptional. “I thought Kacey was the glue behind the scenes that was watching, observing and going around and making sure everyone understood what we needed from them,” Klaes said. “When you have a player on the team that’s able to see the game from a coach’s perspective, it really helps us to get further quicker.” While Kacey mulled whether she’d lace up her cleats again,

her parents never pushed her to make a decision. But when she wept that she wouldn’t be playing the sport she loves again, her parents said they knew the decision wouldn’t be that easy. Being on the sidelines offered Kacey a new perspective, a different way to fall in love with the game. Even at her lowest moments, Shane said he knew she would return. “As much as she said she didn’t know she was going to do, I knew she was going [to go back],” Shane said. “It’s a lot tougher than you say to walk away from a game you’ve been playing your entire life and seeing this whole process with her. I already knew it, but I definitely know now she’s tougher than I am.”

Road back

Once Kacey’s knee recovered over the summer, she went back to her old trainer from high school Trae Toliver who, as she said, “doesn’t take any excuses or complaining.” Kacey worked with Toliver before she broke her back, and he’s the owner of Xplosive Sports Lab in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, where Kacey and Shane both trained over summer and winter break and had “some of the hardest workouts of their lives.” Kacey returned to the field in the fall without a knee brace per Dr. Werner’s orders. When she cocks back to follow through on a shot, she said her back still sends shooting pains through the right side of her body. When she falls on her knee, her scar tissue breaks, and she questions if she tore something again. Kacey said she knows after battling through all the injuries she’s gone through, she’ll need some “serious help” when she’s older, but for now, she “just has to deal with it.” “With girls, more often than guys, ACL injuries are more prevalent,” K.C. said. “When you see other girls that you’ve coached have it happen to them, you feel horrible, but you don’t truly feel the effect of it until it happens to your own kid, and then the mental anguish is just as sad as the physical side of it.” K.C. said he feels “very fortunate” that both his kids have turned into such hard workers. He said even though they have an age gap and play sports that are different because of the rules and equipment they use, “from afar, they’ve always competed against one another.” “I’ll always check his stats after every game to see how we compare,” Kacey said of Shane. “We text in our group message after games and joke with each other about who had more points. I think that’s what makes us so competitive. I hope we carry that through the rest of our lives.” The two siblings didn’t play much together when they were younger, but when Kacey was still rehabbing over the summer, they took it upon themselves to go out to their favorite turf field. Her younger brother showed Kacey, who admitted she “isn’t the craftiest player,” some new tricks to try with her stick while they passed around. Their parents sat in their car teary-eyed watching their two kids whom K.C. said they’ve raised “beyond their expectations” play the game they love. CONTACT Hayden Hundley at hundlehf@dukes.jmu.edu. For more lacrosse coverage, follow the sports desk on X @TheBreezeSports.

Thursday, February 1, 2024 | breezejmu.org

SPORTS

Track & field focused on Sun Belt, ECAC championships By ZACH MENDENHALL The Breeze

JMU track and field began its season over winter break by visiting Plains Elementary School in Timberville, Virginia, and participating in its recess. The Dukes also got the chance to help students read and participate in gym class. This experience not only helped the team get to know each other better, but also established the feeling it believes is needed to win early on. “It was fun to just, you know, not be talking about track all the time,” senior jumper Jordan Venning said. “Just learning about like their siblings and where they’re from, and ... the vibe is just great on this team.” Plenty of positive vibes are present among a team determined to be on the rise. “Everyone’s just super excited for the season,” Venning said. “I’m seeing just from the freshmen on up, like, a new work ethic, and the new coaching staff has really just brought in a great culture here of not only winning but also caring about each other.” The new faces add to a roster that tied for seventh out of 13 teams in the Sun Belt Indoor Championships and second out of 43 teams in the ECAC Indoor Championship. In her last season, Venning said she wants to continue setting a good example and being a leader for the new members who are working toward achieving future goals. “You want to make sure that you’re setting a good example … just making sure that we’re

being good leaders to people who just got here so that we can continue to, you know, achieve our goals as a team,” Venning said. The break also saw the team participate in weekly phone calls with their specific event coaches to receive workouts and complete check-ins. A trip to Massanutten Ski Resort also helped instill the positivity present throughout the team, Venning said. Venning is the only triple jumper on the team but works with the entire team jump squad under Director of Track and Field and Cross Country Delethea Quarles. “She’s been on a lot of winning teams and coached a lot of national champions,” Venning said. “She just brings in a vibe of, ’I want to win, but I also care about you as an athlete.’” Quarles has taught her to not focus on the numbers but rather the little things that can make her better. The addition of a new headquarters has also lifted the Dukes’ spirits as of late. Last season, they were faced with the challenge of traveling to different places such as the Virginia Military Institute and Eastern Mennonite University to avoid training in the cold weather. This year, JMU’s newly renovated Convocation Center is home to the team’s training needs and the coaches’ offices. “This building, it just screams commitment … and we’re grateful we’re in here every pit day walking out of the office to go practice,” Quarles said.

Senior jumper Jordan Venning is the Dukes’ only triple jumper this season but works with the entire team jump squad. Photos courtesy of JMU Athletics

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Thursday, February 1, 2024 | breezejmu.org

Venning said she loves the addition of the indoor pit and feels being under the same roof as other athletes and coaches has increased the team’s work ethic. “I think it’s really taken our training up a notch, and I think that’s why we’re doing well much earlier in the season,” Venning said, adding she finds it hard to believe they ever trained without it. Along with the teams’ training facilities, new head coach Pete McFadden offers a fresh perspective as he enters his first spring season at JMU. Nice, friendly and approachable were the adjectives used by junior sprinter Holly Mpassy to describe McFadden, who the team feels settled in quickly. McFadden also ensures the team is doing as well in the classroom as they are on the track, Mpassy said. “Coach Pete has been amazing and an incredible add for us as a staff,” Quarles said. “He exemplifies the philosophy that we have as a program.” A former sprinter for Liberty under Quarles, McFadden has brought two key mottos to the team: First, seeing yourself as a champion before you can be one; second, to start fast and finish strong. “It’s so true … and that’s something that I’m really just working on this year and bringing into each competition,” Venning said. That care is something that Quarles emphasized plenty since joining the team in August 2022, Venning said. “Our coaches have just been such a good part of just, like, drilling in, the importance of not … getting too hard on ourselves and making sure we show up to, each competition like our best selves,” Venning said. Additionally, Mpassy said she feels the team’s advisors have helped her and her teammates be where it needs to be. She finds that managing her stress through meditation has also allowed her to perform at the best of her ability and help her build as a person.

Looking forward

With multiple event wins and a first-place finish in the Oceanfront Invitational on Jan. 20, the team is already off to a roll this season. The ultimate goal of the team is to place first in the Sun Belt championships this season, after cross country earned

second in the fall. With that in mind, Quarles recognizes greatness does not come fast. “It’s a process on the track,” she said. “It’s a process in relationships with your athletes and with your team … and we’re building on all these parts for the team to be in a space where we are trying to get to championships.” Quarles said she feels things have been progressing well, as this season marks her first full year with the team. She said the Dukes are in a better place than they were last year as they continue to rebuild and carry out the recruitment process, and that things are continuing to get “better, better and better.” Mpassy said she is excited to see how the rest of the season plays out and feels this year started better than last year. She plans to use the smaller meets to prepare for ones like the Sun Belt Conference and ECAC championships. A large amount of speed and endurance work, she said, has also helped her with the front end of her races. A consistent running style and speed of her jumps has made a difference between this year and last year for Venning, she said. “I just have the goal of improving … the way I’m running through the board, improving the way that I show up to the competition and not letting doubt creep in,” Venning said. The consistency of positive vibes and little reminders have really worked for the team, she added. Mpassy said she wants people to keep an eye out for the team this season, as she believes they are going to bring a lot to the table. “We’ve got a really strong team this year, and I’m confident in what everyone’s going to do in their individual events,” she said. Quarles said plenty of work is on the horizon but believes “tremendous success” is also on the way. The team plans to take the season one meet at a time as it hopes to be at the top of the podium come the Sun Belt championships. When asked what people should know about the team this year, Quarles simply responded, “We’re coming.” CONTACT Zach Mendenhall at mendenzl@dukes.jmu.edu. For more track and field coverage, follow the sports desk on X @TheBreezeSports.

Sophomore sprinter Holly Mpassy said she uses meditation to help manage her stress throughout the season.

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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 “you’re-a-star” pat to my professor for making astronomy my favorite class I’ve taken at JMU. From someone who thinks all classes should be in a planetarium. A “why-didn’t-I-thinkof-this-sooner” pat to meal prepping for saving me so much time. From someone who appreciated having three meals every day this week.

A “what-are-youwaiting-for” dart to the person who took forever to pull out of their parking spot.

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JMU should bring back the live Duke Dog mascot LACEY SIRBAUGH | contributing columnist Who doesn’t love representing their school with enthusiasm and pride? JMU is an exciting school to cheer for, not only because of its success on the football field and basketball court, but in soccer and volleyball as well. With our passionate cheer squad, marching band and Duke Dog, JMU is a thrilling fandom to be a part of. However, there’s one thing JMU lacks that other large schools have: a live mascot. The University of Georgia is known for its English bulldog, Uga, and the University of Tennessee has a bluetick coonhound, Smokey. The live Duke Dog needs to return and represent JMU. JMU has had a few English bulldogs fulfill the role over time but not in recent years. “The dog had an injury unrelated to JMU, which also happened right before the COVID19 pandemic,” Kevin Warner, JMU associate athletic director for communications and strategic initiatives, said in a Jan. 17 email. “With all the logistics involved (dog’s health, distance of owners, etc.), the role was never resumed. JMU Athletics is not actively seeking a replacement, though if the right opportunity surfaced that made sense, we’d evaluate it.” Although everybody loves our Duke Dog mascot, there’s a different energy that comes with having a live dog present as well. Most school animals are owned by a family but have an official trainer for events. Tennessee has had a special relationship with Smokey as the Alpha Gamma Rho (AGR) fraternity takes care of him during the football season. In a 2018 article from The Daily Beacon, Tennessee’s student newspaper, author Madi Bowling interviewed one of Smokey’s handlers, who explained he wanted to join the AGR fraternity because he knew the brothers took care

of Smokey. According to the article, not only do the fraternity brothers love taking care of Smokey, but they love experiencing the excitement of the fandom and how people interact with the dog. There’s another level of excitement felt in meeting a school’s official dog versus one in a costume. As Bowling writes, “families have recently informed [the fraternity brothers] that their photo with Smokey is featured on their Christmas card” and that fans are “always hollering for Smokey.” Even if people aren’t big sports fans, the mascot draws in an audience and makes attending games worthwhile. Not only is having a live dog a fun experience but having traditions with them is what makes a school personal. In a 2014 article by Natalie Miller for The Breeze, she interviewed the owner of the most recent bulldog at JMU, Siegle, and asked about his experience being the mascot’s owner. He explained how much Siegle loves game days, and that he has a pregame ritual with the football team where the players pet him for good luck. Most animal mascots become the face of a school. For example, the University of Texas has a longhorn steer, and the University of Connecticut has the husky. Although people may be concerned about having a live mascot, a bulldog is an appropriate choice since it’s domesticated and would require less extensive training than a longhorn or buffalo, which the University of Colorado has. The mascots are part of the schools' team. Seeing a collie walking on the street may remind people of their favorite mascot at Texas A&M. Don’t we want fans to be reminded of JMU when they see a bulldog? From a marketing standpoint, having a live mascot would bring in more people to see it and support JMU — especially after not having one for years. In addition, many of the bigger schools who have dogs also have an Instagram account for them.

From someone who had to park on the other side of the lot and walk farther.

A “get-up-and-go” pat to the UREC group exercise classes for motivating me to wake up early. From someone with gymtimidation. JMU had an English bulldog named Siegle as a live Duke Dog mascot beginning in 2006; however, the role has been vacant since he retired after sustaining an injury just before the pandemic. Avery Goodstine / The Breeze

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At Connecticut, 80% of its following on Instagram follows Jonathan the Husky’s personal account, which has 94.7K followers. The University of Butler’s main page has 35.5K followers, but Butler Blue, the school’s mascot dog, has almost 82K. Some of the live mascots at the larger schools even have verified accounts including Dubs, the Alaskan malamute at University of Washington, the University of Conneticut's Jonathan the husky, Bevo at Texas and even Ralphie the buffalo at Colorado. With social media playing such a large role in people’s lives, many like keeping up with the mascots more than the school sometimes. JMU is lucky to have an English bulldog to represent them since it is the most common breed in mascots. Mississippi State, Yale and Georgia are popular examples among the 40 other schools that have bulldogs as mascots. Some people think bulldogs are lazy; however, they are perfect for these exciting atmospheres because they can be seen as fierce but friendly. According to greenfieldpuppies.com, “This breed is generally agreeable to most environments. They easily adapt to a noisy and chaotic household. They will also greatly appreciate it if you do not leave them alone for extended periods of time, as they are known as a ‘People Puppy’ and crave human interaction.” Warner explained in the same email that “many schools that have a live mascot have some kind of direct local relationship established for that live mascot. There is a significant impact to the family to have an ‘official’ live mascot for a university.” This is why there should be a special election process for the next Duke Dog. A contest should be held for the JMU fraternities and sororities to take care of the next live mascot. The dog could be adopted from a shelter such as the Sanctuary Rescue in Midlothian, Virginia, or Southside SPCA in Richmond, which has bulldogs. The sororities and fraternities could compete to see who can raise the most money for dog shelters around Virginia. As a result, every future game could introduce our new Duke Dog as well as raise awareness for local shelters. Adding a live Duke Dog to the amazing and friendly environment at JMU would contribute so much to the fanbase. Students would get hyped as the bulldog runs onto the field, takes pictures with fans and creates a new face for the university with its own Instagram page for everyone to follow. Most importantly, adopting a dog from a shelter would give it a nice home in a loving and caring community as well as help raise money and awareness for other shelters that need assistance. CONTACT Lacey Sirbaugh at sirbaula@ dukes.jmu.edu. For more editorials regarding the JMU and Harrisonburg communities, follow the opinion desk on Instagram and X @Breeze_Opinion.

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, February 1, 2024 | breezejmu.org

Universities should do more to support students at risk of dropping out SARA CURLING | contributing columnist All students understand the risks and rewards that come with attending college. Most go seeking a degree, to work toward their career aspirations and expand their minds by experiencing new perspectives. In exchange, they devote years of hard work, tireless efforts and, oftentimes, thousands of dollars toward the end goal of graduating. The sacrifices feel ultimately worthwhile when they materialize into a degree at graduation that sets them up for a solid career. However, the worst-case scenario is making all of these sacrifices but dropping out before reaping the rewards. When students drop out of college, they often face various amounts of loan debts with

no degree to show for it. They urgently need to find a way to pay off their loans, yet they have no degree to show an employer and, on top of it all, they probably feel lost, confused or hopeless. Unfortunately, college dropouts are by no means scarce. In a 2023 Education Data Initiative study reflecting dropout rates, it showed nearly 25% of first-year students drop out while pursuing their bachelor’s degree. The study also noted that college dropouts have a 20% higher chance of unemployment compared to those with any kind of degree. There’s a reason behind why American students drop out of college at such high rates. Universities in the U.S. are more expensive. As Business Insider notes, the U.S. has the highest costs for both public and private universities in the world. Additionally, research by the

World Economic Forum found that rising tuition costs as well as the incentives of the job market are causing higher dropout rates. Mental health and stress were also some of the top reasons for dropping out according to the study. JMU isn’t exempt from such trends, although it does comparatively have a low dropout rate. Its graduation rate has remained relatively high for the past 20 years — between 89% and 92%. The numbers can’t universally speak for the effects that still persist. Sophomore Nessa Malone said she knows someone who dropped out of JMU last year because of reasons related to stress and drama. Malone also acknowledged how stressful parts of college can be, especially trying to balance all aspects of school, work and extracurriculars.

Although she recognizes college can at times be challenging, she said she feels secure in pursuing a degree. Malone said she can see the value in graduating despite the obstacles that many students like her find along the way. The key to reducing college dropout rates is largely about finding mental health and financial solutions. Over 60% of college students can be diagnosed with some kind of mental illness, according to a Healthy Minds survey conducted in 2023. The stress of attending college is higher than ever before, or at least it seems to feel that way to many students. This issue contributes in part to a lack of motivation that leads to dropping out. see DROPOUTS, page 20

Flower power There should be an aromatherapy garden on the Quad to help students destress MAYA WINDER | contributing columnist Students should have an aromatherapy garden in a more accessible place like the Quad so they can stop and smell the roses — literally. Many students don’t have time to visit the arboretum because of its isolated location on East Campus, so a small garden could help relieve stress and give students a change of pace in the spring. This semester can be one of the most stressful times in a college student’s life, especially because of the search for housing next year, looking for a job, graduation and with Carrier Library still under construction. Luckily, JMU provides multiple ways a student can destress. One of these is taking a walk through the flora and fauna of Edith J. Carrier Arboretum. However, because it’s far away from where most students spend their time, JMU should build an aromatherapy garden right outside of Wilson Hall, on the Quad, so students can easily destress through nature. Aromatherapy aids ailments, such as anxiety, through plants’ essential oils. According to Mount Sinai, the oils from certain plants have practical applications studied for over 6,000 years. Researchers aren’t sure how aromatherapy works, but the current theory is that the smell of essential oils reminds our brains of positive emotions and memories. Scientists also believe that plants such as lavender stimulate brain cell activity in the amygdala — the part of the brain responsible for feelings of fear — similar to

some sedative medications. Another theory is that molecules from essential oils may affect our hormones. An aromatherapy garden includes aromatic herbs and flowers. According to Sage Creations Farm, these gardens can have both energizing and calming plants — clary sage, basil, eucalyptus, coriander, lemon balm and rosemary are considered moodenhancing plants. There are also mooduplifting flowers like lavender, damask roses, jasmine, gardenia and Chinese wisteria. Any combination of these plants can be relaxing and, if the smell does not affect students, the bright colors in the sea of green surely will. Another reason to have an aromatherapy garden on the Quad is the benefit of nature on mental health. According to the Mental Health Foundation, connecting with nature decreases depression and anxiety. A wide array of colorful flowers and herbs would not only complement the greenery of the Quad but also bring peace of mind to students. It may even inspire them. Places like the area in front of Wilson Hall or the new Carrier Library could be a good spot for the garden because of foot traffic. The bright colors and scents could also encourage students to go to other green spaces like the arboretum or the rooftop garden in King Hall. Main Campus should have a garden so all the areas of JMU have a sprinkle of nature. Lots of students solely experience JMU near the Quad, so having a garden there would benefit those who don’t normally go to East Campus. The garden could also encourage

Although there are gardens on East Campus, there isn’t a garden for students to visit on Main Campus. Breeze file photo

community engagement among students. In the springtime, when it’s warm and sunny, it’s common to see students on the Quad. A garden could serve as an additional place for students to gather and relieve stress. Nature lovers would also have another place to appreciate the variety of foliage campus has to offer and meet one another. It would also be a place to take club or graduation pictures. Second-year graduate student Sophia Park said she agreed that a garden on the Quad would be good for students. “One of the reasons I chose JMU is because of the location being around mountains,” Park said. “Having a garden would be nice to have a bit of nature closer to campus and a

nice change of scenery.” The garden would also look beautiful for taking pictures and studying next to and could even be interactive for anyone to plant new flowers every spring semester. An aromatherapy garden would improve students’ moods and give a breath of fresh air to those who walk through the Quad every day. 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.

20 from DROPOUTS, page 19

With so much focus on mental health today, lots of colleges have started taking steps to help students manage their wellbeing. The JMU Counseling Center offers tools for managing stress and anxiety, depression, grief, trauma, academic and relationship issues. Although this is a great tool, it’s important the center’s status remains relevant and accessible for students. Many students still

Thursday, February 1, 2024 | breezejmu.org feel stigma around seeking mental health assistance, and it would be detrimental to see the Counseling Center decrease its funding or availability for any reason. Much light is being shed today on the importance of mental health, and so it’s critical that the Counseling Center doesn’t just become a “trend” of this realization. Continued efforts to improve the center are vital; its existence is insufficient. Financial concerns are also a primary obstacle to those attending college. Similar to rising mental health issues, college tuition

has increased steadily. Since 1963, four-year college tuition has become over 20 times more expensive in the U.S., according to the Education Data Initiative. The question of how to lower college costs has been prevalent in today’s media and politics. In the U.S., it can sometimes feel like colleges are more of a business than an academic institution. Lowering college tuition costs could relieve significant stress related to the pressure of finishing all four years. College dropout rates continue to be a

OPINION disastrous consequence of overinflated tuition and higher stress levels. With sustained efforts toward amending the mental health crisis in academia and to chip away at the monumental tuition fees, college could become less of a risk and more of an investment. CONTACT Sara Curling at curlinsp@dukes.

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

hics by Abby Pa red Grap es /

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MULTIMEDIA

Thursday, February 1, 2024 | breezejmu.org

“Beauty, intelligence, sisterhood”

The Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity hosted the Miss Black and Gold Scholarship Pageant on Friday in the Wilson Hall auditorium. The evening celebrated the contestants’ talents, intellect and excellence. Photos by Landon Shackelford / The Breeze

This week on Breeze TV Top Stories JMU alumna and author discusses first novel, “Sun Seekers” Class of 2028 continues trend of increasing applicant pool Gov. Glenn Youngkin and Buc-ee’s CEO attend ground-breaking of new location off I-81 Groundhog Day predictions and weekend weather forecast

Tune in to Breeze TV LIVE from the Alison B. Parker Studio every Friday at 3:30 p.m. CONTACT Landon Shackelford at breezephotography@ gmail.com. For more multimedia content, visit breezejmu. org/multimedia.

Scan the QR code to view our YouTube livestream.

Vol. 102, No. 17

Thursday, February 1, 2024 | breezejmu.org FOR RELEASE DECEMBER 25, 2023

Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle Edited by Patti Varol

12/25/23

By Barbara Lin

DOWN 1 Fragrance 2 Da Vinci portrait in the Louvre 3 Long-tongued insectivore 4 Utmost degree 5 “I haven’t __ to wear!” 6 “Black Panther” star Lupita 7 Sticky stuff 8 More or __ 9 “I heard him exclaim, __ he drove out of sight ... ” 10 Bickers 11 May’ve 12 “Almost ready!” 13 Fabric named for Syria’s capital 18 Prefix with center 22 Whippersnappers 24 Croat’s neighbor 25 Tightly closed 26 Tampa Bay NFLer 28 Havaianas shoe, e.g. 29 Additionally 31 Lightbulb’s place 34 Gritty film genre 35 Classic Cadillac feature 36 Round flatbread

Saturday’s Puzzle Solved

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find the answers online

ACROSS 1 Saudi Arabia neighbor 5 Protractor’s measure 10 Caustic chemical 14 Forbidding word 15 President between Harrison and Polk 16 Writer Jaffe 17 Santa and his reindeer landed __ 19 Territory near the Mariana Trench 20 Actress/writer Issa 21 Many Christmas trees 22 Oklahoma city on the Arkansas River 23 Correcting myopia, maybe 25 Stockholm citizens 26 Small snack 27 Before heading down the chimney, Santa __ 30 App reviewers 32 Length of TV’s “60 Minutes” 33 Stepping out of the fireplace, Santa left a __ 40 Quarter or pound 41 Like some garden lights 42 After filling the last one, Santa hung the __ 48 “Children of Blood and Bone” writer Adeyemi 49 On the up and up 50 Homegrown 52 Broad necktie 53 Editorialize 55 Flight takeoff approximation: Abbr. 57 Old Russian leader 58 All in all, Santa had a very busy __! 60 French 101 verb 61 __ tot 62 Like a red Red Delicious 63 Diana of the Supremes 64 Speaker of the house? 65 Beehive State people

www.breezejmu.org/ site/crossword_ answers/

37 “Five stars!” 38 Personalized iron-on 39 Bi- plus one 42 Adam Rippon, for one 43 Play catch with 44 Hollywood awards 45 Washing dishes, doing laundry, etc. 46 Not genderspecific

12/25/23

47 Bacon Turkey Bravo sandwich chain 51 Number of digits in a billion 53 __ hygiene 54 Folk icon Seeger 56 Changes color, perhaps 58 Org. that may support a school board 59 Hilton brand

Vol. 102, No. 17 DUKE DOG AUTO ALLY LOCAL AUTOS FOR SALE

Thursday, February 1, 2024 | breezejmu.org

MADISON MARKETPLACE

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Jason Gray in Concert PUPPIES FOR SALE

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The City of Harrisonburg is currently accepting applications for non-certified individuals interested in joining HPD, which offers a rewarding career plus an excellent benefits package, including enhanced hazardous duty through the Virginia Retirement System (VRS). Starting Salary: $22.65 per hour (equivalent to $47,112 annually). Find out more/apply online: https://www.harrisonburgva.gov/ employment. EOE.

Post-Birth Control Support Post-Birth Control Support: Learn options for birth control including natural methods, side effects from each form of hormonal birth control, and how to get off birth control safely. Introductory Gathering at Cyanwood Natural Lifestyles Center on Feb. 13th at 7pm. Cost $12 with code 2024Free- https://Drcope.as.me/ BirthControl SERVICES

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Vol. 102, No. 17

Thursday, February 1, 2024 | breezejmu.org

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