The Breeze 2.2.23

JMU’s award-winning newspaper since 1922

The Breeze

Reseating gives fans more ticket options for 2023

By MADISON HRICIK The Breeze

The doors on JMU football’s first season in the FBS have closed, which ended in a dramatic 47-7 victory over Coastal Carolina and a share of the Sun Belt Conference East Division title.

It’s been pretty quiet on the football front ever since, until an announcement from JMU Athletics on Jan 23.

2023 season tickets are on sale.

But there’s a new element this year — a reseating and reparking process, in which fans get a chance to renew or find new seats throughout Bridgeforth Stadium and to get a new tailgating/parking spot. This chance comes along every four years.

“I’m actually really excited about the ticketing, or the receding and the reparking because it gives me a little bit more of a shot to have a little bit better seats, or a little bit better parking,” JMU alum Will Macgill (’92) said. “It makes me want to give a little bit more just because of that.”

The whole process of reseating, reparking and everything in between revolves around the JMU Duke Club, particularly the Pride and True Fund, which is the fundraising arm for the athletics budget and student-athlete scholarships. The goal is to allow season ticket holders the chance to move seats for the next four seasons, and to allow ticket holders who weren’t a part of the last reseating process in 2019 to get new seats based on their donations.

One year later, community honors Bridgewater officers killed in shooting

By SHIRIN ZIA FAQIRI The Breeze

Frigid air hung over the growing crowd at Bridgewater College who tracked over the muddy ground from the previous night’s fallen snow. Community members stood before a podium in front of Memorial Hall, clouds lingering in the sky as they waited for the memorial event at the site of the shooting one year ago. As each speaker spoke, the clouds broke and the sun shined through, warming the crowd.

It’s been one year since Campus Police Officer John Painter and Campus Safety Officer J.J. Jefferson died in the line of duty. One year of grief, healing and hope.

On Wednesday, Bridgewater College held a gathering of remembrance to break ground on a memorial site to honor Painter and Jefferson

outside Bridgewater’s Memorial Hall.

“Since that devastating day, we have all been on a journey — a journey of grief, a journey of healing, a journey of hope for the day when tragedies like this are forever banished from the world,” Rev. Robert Miller, Bridgewater College chaplain, said. “We gather to break ground on a site that will honor officers John Painter and J.J. Jefferson that will bring comfort and healing to our broken hearts, and that will inspire those who journey here for generations to come.”

Speakers at the gathering looked back on Feb. 1 one year ago, remembering the officers’ sacrifice. Bridgewater junior Karis David recalled the mixed emotions that came after the lockdown. She described reuniting with her friends once it was safe to do so.

“I remember … the vibrant sunset, time slowed down and we stood there taking it all in. Relief and

grief, love and loss, shock yet peace, sorrow yet gratitude,” David said. “There was relief to be in one another’s arms again, gratitude for this life and the people around us and also shock over what we just went through and grief over the loss of John and J.J. who are no longer with us in the same way. It is a lot to hold at the same time.”

Bridgewater College Police Chief Milton Franklin said he’s focused on being grateful — grateful for Painter’s and Jefferson’s heroism for the safety of the campus.

“I’m very grateful to John and J.J. for protecting this campus, the place where they love and where they were loved by students and employees likewise,” Franklin said. “Every one of us, every last one of us, left this campus safe.”

see BRIDGEWATER, page 4

“It’s a process we’ve had in place for a while, and it allows us to make sure that fans are getting access to the best possible seats,” Kevin Warner, JMU assistant athletic director for communication, said. “It allows us to also make sure that access to seats matches donation levels.”

Football’s 8-3 season saw all-time high season ticket sales. On the first day, season tickets were already on pace to break last year’s all-time record of 7,708 packages purchased, with roughly 1,100 season tickets sold on the first day.

That number is up to over 2,300 season tickets sold now.

“The first year was like a trial and error year,” Warner said. “And this year, it’s like, okay, you’re seeing automatic progression of what are some of those progressions.”

Even though the 2023 home game dates aren’t fully announced, it’s still enough for some fans to get excited for when the fall arrives.

“I think that’s when you look at why we made the decision to join the Sun Belt,” Warner said. “This year’s home schedule validates it. Look at App State and Old Dominion and Georgia Southern and even UConn as a nonconference game. Those are teams people know.”

see RESEATING, page 12

Bridgewater community member speaks with Bridgewater Police Chief Milton Franklin after memorial site groundbreaking service. Shirin Zia Faqiri / The Breeze

What's inside...

CULTURE

THE MUSIC MAN

9 VOICE INSTRUCTOR BRINGS JOY OF MUSIC TO THE CLASSROOM

14

BACK TO EARTH

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL HITS LOSING SKID AFTER 13-GAME WIN STREAK

COMMUNITY CONNECTION

16

STUDENTS SHOULD GET TO KNOW HARRISONBURG BEYOND JMU'S CAMPUS

CORRECTION: A news article about Jewish faculty boycotting a Holocaust Remembrance event ("Feeling isolated," Jan. 26) incorrectly stated that three Jewish members of the planning committee resigned when one official member of the planning committee resigned alongside two other Jewish faculty members who were involved but not officially on the committee. The online version has been updated.

Editorial Staff

CHARLOTTE MATHERLY breezeeditor@gmail.com

NEWS EDITOR KASEY TRAPUZZANO breezenews@gmail.com

COPY EDITORS EMMA JOHNSON & HALEY THOMAS breezecopy@gmail.com

EXECUTIVE EDITOR SHIRIN ZIA FAQIRI breezepress@gmail.com

SPORTS EDITORS MADISON HRICIK & GRANT JOHNSON breezesports@gmail.com

AUDIENCE EDITOR ALI MCCALEB thebreezesocials@gmail.com

ONLINE MANAGING EDITOR SAVANNAH REGER thebreezeweb@gmail.com

CULTURE EDITORS MICHAEL RUSSO & AVERY GOODSTINE thebreezeculture@gmail.com

PHOTO EDITORS ABI MIDDLETON & RYAN SAUER breezephotography@gmail.com

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OPINION EDITOR EVAN WEAVER breezeopinion@gmail.com

ART DIRECTOR BEN MOULSE thebreezeartdirector@gmail.com

COVER PHOTO

SHIRIN ZIA FAQIRI / THE BREEZE COVER GRAPHIC BY: BEN MOULSE / THE BREEZE

Abi Middleton / The Breeze

Valerie Chenault / The Breeze Savannah Reger / The Breeze

‘Broken hearts, broken ground’

from BRIDGEWATER, page 1

Bridgewater College Police Chief Milton Franklin said he’s focused on being grateful — grateful for Painter’s and Jefferson’s heroism for the safety of the campus.

“I’m very grateful to John and J.J. for protecting this campus, the place where they love and where they were loved by students and employees likewise,” Franklin said. “Every one of us, every last one of us, left this campus safe.”

Bridgewater President David Bushman said the memorial site will personify qualities that “sustained us as we grieved and heal together,” especially connection and community, he said. Bushman said the site honored the officers’ sacrifice and that he was grateful their loved ones were there.

Bushman said the memorial sculpture design will include steel piers that grow “closer and taller” together, making an arch that represents the community coming together and its resilience.

“It’s meant to commemorate the actions of John and J.J., who acted together in protecting us,” Bushman said.

Upon completion of the memorial site, Bridgewater will host a public dedication.

“The lighting of the sculpture and trees within the memorial space will use illumination as a symbol of hope in darkness and remind us that while sorrow may endure the night, joy comes in the morning,” Bushman said.

Bushman said the memorial will combine

sculpture and landscaping and that “it will serve as a permanent part of the college’s identity.” He also talked about moving forward, the healing process that follows tragedy and how each healing process is unique. Moving forward does not equal forgetting, he said, and with community members supporting

we’ve demonstrated in all the days that have followed and all the days to come is a part of our story, too.”

The bell rang eight times to end the service, with each resounding toll signifying a different aspect of Bridgewater’s journey: one for those who responded, one for those who served,

In a pamphlet handed out at the event, the college also provided therapy dogs to pet, a wellness walk, self-care activities and counseling walk-in appointments for the remainder of the day. David said one of her professors made class optional Wednesday — some people need to keep busy in these times while others need to take it slow and process grief, she said.

“It’s little gestures like these that don’t feel so small in their impact, all the little and big ways this community expresses its care and consideration for one another. If you pay attention, it’s there all around you,” David said. “I’ve learned so much from the Bridgewater College community more than merely books and lectures can teach … And I’ve learned from our care for one another … I’ve learned for how we rise.”

Franklin said he tries to take comfort in knowing how this community cares for one another, especially on days like this day when comfort seems to be far from reach.

one another, they’ve healed together.

“We cannot make sense of senseless acts. Our minds rebel at the randomness, the utter betrayal of order and fairness that accompanies acts of violence … The tragedy of February 1, 2022, is a part of our story, but we are not a prisoner to it,” Bushman said.

“The care and compassion, the resiliency and resolve, the support and solidarity

those who protected, defended, sacrificed and suffered, with the final two signifying each loss of life. One for Painter. One for Jefferson.

“Nothing at this site will bring back our friends J.J. and John,” Miller said. “It will be a space where the light gets in a space where we remember their spirit, honor their sacrifice and reflect on how we too can be of service in this world.”

“Thank you Police Officer John Painter, and thank you, Campus Safety Officer J.J. Jefferson for making a deep positive impact in all of our lives,” Franklin said. “Forever, you will live on in the memories of Bridgewater College.”

CONTACT Shirin Zia Faqiri at breezepress@ gmail.com. For more coverage of JMU and Harrisonburg news, follow the news desk on Twitter at @BreezeNewsJMU.

One year later, Bridgewater College gathers to honor and remember lives lost in shooting

“The tragedy of February 1, 2022, is a part of our story, but we are not prisoner to it.”

David Bushman

Bridgewater College President

Karis David, a junior at Bridgewater College, shared her perpsective of the day of the shooting and the effects of its aftermath.

Members of the Bridgewater community came together Wednesday, supporting each other and honoring the lives lost one year ago. Photos by Shirin Zia Faqiri / The Breeze

It takes a village

Village housing designs to unravel this summer, ORL asks for student opinions

By ASHLEE THOMPSON The Breeze

JMU Office of Residence Life (ORL) held a meeting in the Frederickson Hall conference room Tuesday to discuss the future Village housing redesign plans and allow students to ask questions and give suggestions for the new dorms. The Village redesign plan will start with Ikenberry Hall, according to the Residence Life staff — it’ll be demolished over the summer and re-opened in the fall of 2025.

Only three people were in attendance — two of them Breeze staff members there to report on the event. The meeting was hosted by Kathleen Campbell, the director of the ORL, and Holmes Browne, the associate director of business operations for ORL.

Campbell said the Ikenberry construction will cost JMU $60 million, but that the prices for the rest of the new Village dorms could fluctuate and increase in the coming years.

Ikenberry Hall — originally named in honor of J. Emmert Ikenberry, former vice president for academic affairs, and his wife, Katherine, a former English faculty member — was constructed in 1972 as a suite-style dorm and currently houses 204 students, Browne said.

The new Ikenberry will be a traditional hall-style dorm with 500 beds. It’ll also have private bathrooms off the hallways, similar to those found in Paul Jennings Hall. The new Ikenberry building will have five stories and a basement, Browne said.

In order to keep freshman housing available during the new dorm’s construction, upperclassmen dorms will make space for freshman rooms. After the new building is complete, Browne and Campbell said they hope they can begin to build the dorms two at a time since the new dorms will house more than double what they do now.

“Once we open back up in 2025, we will have 200 more beds,” Campbell said. “We will be looking to retain additional upperclassman rooms at that point.”

TV lounges, study lounges and other spaces typically found in a residence hall will remain, Browne said.

Browne also said they plan to salvage

materials in the Village buildings, such as newer generators and boilers, to use in other buildings that need updating.

Campbell and Browne discussed adding in various “flex spaces,” including areas for practicing esports, X-Labs and music.

Their goal is not to “compete” with these organizations but to provide a space for students to practice and work without having to leave their dorm. They also want to add more study spaces, such as Zenbooths, the soundproof booths in Carrier and Rose libraries.

“This gives you the ability to go to a quiet space, whether you’re needing to have a telehealth call or if you need to call a parent or if you need some alone, quiet time,” Browne said. “We’re really excited about that.”

The new dorms will feature an open common space on the first floor, as well as open spaces sprinkled throughout the building so students don’t always have to go to the first floor to appreciate and use the space. Browne and Campbell don’t want to “overdesign” the spaces, which is why they value student input.

Browne also said portable white boards in study lounges are “owed” to JMU students and will be included in the dorms.

Campbell said ORL hopes to have a website running that shows a live updating feed for the construction of the new hall. She also said JMU needs to be mindful of the students that’ll be living in surrounding Village buildings while the construction is going on.

“We are aware that students will have different needs and concerns about the construction,” Campbell said. “We are trying to get ahead of that.”

While the attendance was low for Tuesday’s meeting, Browne and Campbell said they’re hopeful that once the master plans are approved, more meetings will be hosted with more students wanting to participate and give input for the new dorms.

CONTACT Ashlee Thompson at thomp6ab@ dukes.jmu.edu. For more coverage of JMU and Harrisonburg news, follow the news desk on Twitter @BreezeNewsJMU.

The new Ikenberry Hall will cost the university $60 million. Photos by Ryan Sauer / The Breeze

Ikenberry Hall will be demolished this summer and reopen in the summer of 2025.

At the meeting, the JMU Office of Residence Life shared potential mockups of the new Village once it’s fully constructed. Photo courtesty of JMU Office of Residence Life

Back in business

Craig Short returns to JMU as assistant vice president for business s ervices

By BRIANNA THWEATT The Breeze

To start off the new year, JMU introduced a new member to its team: Craig Short, assistant vice president (AVP) for business services. Short officially began his position on Jan. 4.

Short will report directly to Towana Moore, vice president of administration and finance. As the AVP for business services, Moore said Short will work closely with dining services, the bookstore, card services, the arboretum and many other facilities on campus.

While he’s new to the position, he’s no stranger to JMU. Short completed his graduate degree in public administration at JMU (’14) after attending West Virginia University for his undergraduate degree and obtaining a Regents Bachelor of Arts (’96). Short also previously served as JMU’s executive director of facilities and construction from 2014 to 2019, where he generally oversaw the management of JMU facility operations.

Short left JMU in 2019 to pursue another job as vice president of financial and administrative services at the Virginia Community College Center headquarters in Richmond, Virginia. Short said he oversaw numerous operations there, including facilities and construction, the business office and the police department.

JMU held a nationwide search to fill the position of assistant vice president for business services. Alongside Moore, the hiring team consisted of members from the budget office, academic affairs, student affairs, athletics and faculty and management.

Before beginning her role as vice president of administration and finance in July 2022 after serving as interim vice president for six months, Moore previously served as the AVP for business services and was a part of the university’s nationwide search for a new candidate, during which Short underwent several rounds of interviews.

“I was looking for someone who obviously had experience in certain areas, someone who communicates well, who’s collaborative or shared a vision where the department could go,” Moore said.

Moore said that surprisingly, the position had “a lot more interest” than initially anticipated, making the decision hard. But, with Short having many of the requirements met, like having experience running most of the facilities listed besides a direct experience with running an arboretum, as well as

having extensive knowledge of the campus and having previously worked alongside Moore, she said Short was a strong candidate.

“It’s wonderful in the sense that Craig is very competent,” Moore said. “I’m able to give him a lot of things and call him to handle some things.”

While Short said being back on campus after four years brought a familiar feeling, the people at JMU are what really make the job so appealing. He described JMU as a “nice and safe environment” where everyone’s looking out for one another — something you can’t find in many places, he said.

“I have a great affinity for the people who work here,” Short said. “You want to be somewhere where you like the people you work with and feel that what you’re doing matters, and that’s pretty rare. This is a good place to do that.”

Now that JMU has hired Short as the AVP for business services, Moore said some of the load is now lifted off her after having to work both positions for about a year. Since beginning her new position, Moore will be focusing on managing budgets, business services, human resources and various other university facilities.

Both Moore and Short said they’re looking forward to some of the upcoming and developing projects that the university has in the works, such as the renovation of Carrier Library and redesigning some of the resident halls in The Village. With the new developments, Moore’s role will entail providing the overall vision and plan for the construction and in the end, having the final approval of design and construction decisions. On Short’s side, he’ll contribute to the process by organizing the various units that lie under business services making sure that all of their roles are being accomplished.

“We will continue to work with capital, such as buildings in The Village and starting on Carrier Library,” Moore said. “On the operations side, we’re buying a new customer relations module in the information technology.”

Short said he’s most looking forward to working closely with his colleagues and is proud to be back at the university.

“I would rather be at JMU during a snow day than be at Disney World,” Short said.

CONTACT BriAnna Thweatt at thweatbf@ dukes.jmu.edu. For more coverage of JMU and Harrisonburg news, follow the news desk on Twitter @BreezeNewsJMU.

Craig Short, the new AVP for business services, completed his graduate degree at JMU in 2014. Savannah Reger / The Breeze

Key takeaways from this week’s SGA Senate

By ELEANOR SHAW The Breeze

The Student Government Association (SGA) Senate passed a statement condemning the killing of Tyre Nichols, a resolution arguing for the addition of naloxone in residence halls and approved contingency funds for Filipino Americans of Madison and Young Americans for Freedom.

SGA condemns killing of Tyre Nichols

SGA read a statement written by sophomore Lexi Alston, SGA senator, on the recent killing of Tyre Nichols in Memphis, Tennessee, three days after being beaten to death Jan. 7.

According to The New York Times, Tyre Nichols was killed by excessive force from police officers that were part of the Memphis Police Department‘s Scorpion unit. According to a Jan. 29 article from NPR, Memphis has since disbanded the Scorpion unit. Nichols’ death has brought about mass protests and reforms.

“On behalf of the James Madison University Student Government Association, we would like to extend our sincerest condolences to the family, friends, and communities around the world and on our own campus affected by the recent killing of Mr. Tyre Nichols,” the statement reads. “We as a Student Government Association have taken an oath to serve all students of the James Madison University community, and would like to make it known that we stand against police brutality in any way, shape and form.”

The statement’s author invited the SGA Senate to condemn the violence and support those in the JMU community who have been impacted.

“We would be the first organization at JMU to make a statement, but we would not be the first organization in the country to make a statement,” Alston said. “We can all agree what happened to him was not OK … Us making this statement may speak on behalf of other orgs.”

SGA passes resolution to put naloxone in residence halls

The Senate unanimously approved a resolution stating its support for installing naloxone in JMU residence halls. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, naloxone, otherwise known as Narcan, is used to reverse the effects of an opioid overdose.

“The Student Government Association of James Madison University believes that Narcan should be available in all on-campus residence halls, as well as resources on proper administration,” the resolution stated.

The resolution was submitted by senior Emily Butters, liaison to the Faculty Senate, in conjunction with senior Melody Haak, SGA communications

committee chair, and senior Shawdee Bakhtiari, student body president.

“I think Narcan is a good drug to have here on campus because people do choose to do recreational drugs,” Butters said. “Instead of being in the Health Center, it will be in a more accessible spot.”

According to the resolution, naloxone would be beneficial because residence halls are potential overdose sites and would provide students with “adequate resources on the signs and symptoms of an opiate overdose.” The presence of Narcan would also create more opportunities for education, training and instruction opportunities, according to the resolution.

“When my mom came to JMU, one of her friends died from an overdose,” sophomore Kathryn Manico, president of the 2025 class council said. “I think this could save a life.”

Junior and senator Parker Boggs encouraged the SGA Senate to “get something done and pass this.”

SGA approves contingency funds

The Senate unanimously approved $750 in contingency funds for Filipino Americans of Madison’s (FAM), an organization on campus that aims to unite Filipinos and members of other cultures and spread greater appreciation for Filipino culture. FAM was represented by sophomore Victoria Nicole Beverage, the organization’s treasurer.

The funds will finance the conference fees for both the Winter Classics flag football event on Feb. 11 and the Culture Show on April 15. The Culture Show happens every spring semester, Beverage said. FAM produces, writes, directs and hosts the show. The show promotes Filipino culture, Beverage said, and does so through dances, music and skits for the JMU community to learn more about Filipino culture.

“This is an opportunity for us to do something that our parents grew up doing,” Beverage said.

Beverage said the charitable flag football tournament — hosted by the University of Virginia’s (U.Va.) organization of Young Filipino Americans — is a nonprofit opportunity for members of FAM to interact with like-minded students from other universities.

“Collaborating with other schools is part of what FAM stands for,” Beverage said.

FAM has fundraised money through football concessions at JMU football games, food fundraisers, membership fees and merchandise.

“I personally am a part of FAM, and Winter Classics is a great way to connect to other schools and the Culture Show helps us spread Filipino culture,” sophomore and senator Katie Navarro said.

The Senate also unanimously approved a $3,000 contingency fund for the Young Americans

for Freedom (YAF) organization. Boggs, the organization’s founder and chairman, said YAF is an “advocacy” organization that advocates for views but doesn’t “align with a political party.” According to its website, YAF creates a presence for the Conservative Movement on college campuses.

Senators C Jasper and Butters, both seniors, abstained from voting.

“I encourage you to vote pro on this because it sounded like they are well prepared,” junior Marlena Kozlowski, university services chair, said.

Boggs said YAF organizes speaking engagements, which include speakers and town halls to encourage and facilitate free speech on campus.

“We do a lot of speaking engagements on campus,” Boggs said. “They let free speech flow on the college campus.”

YAF put $5 dues in place during the Spring semester to raise money but has been unable to

fundraise money because of the novelty of their organization. The money will go toward financing a lecture taught by Liz Wheeler, commentator and host of The Liz Wheeler Show — a conservative political commentary show and podcast, according to the show’s website. The lecture will be open to the general public and the date has yet to be set.

The $3,000 will finance the speaker fee, while YAF will cover the remaining $250 of the estimated cost of the events.

“I think that we should vote ‘yes’ because I believe that … we understand where the money is going,” junior Matt Haynicz, SGA representative, said.

CONTACT Eleanor Shaw at shaweo@dukes. jmu.edu. For more coverage of JMU and Harrisonburg news, follow the news desk on Twitter @BreezeNewsJMU.

The Student Government Association (SGA) Senate approved contingency funds for Filipino Americans of Madison and Young Americans for Freedom. Valerie Chenault / The Breeze

‘Heart and soul’

Oasis artist puts on solo woodworking show that highlights natural beauty

By SABINE SOLTYS contributing writer

Woven woodwork and twigs intertwine to create a large, lifelike praying mantis. It’s one of John Robson’s many works that can be found at Oasis Fine Arts and Crafts in downtown Harrisonburg.

At Oasis, Robson is putting on a solo show called “Sawmills, Driftwoods and Twigs,” which will be on display till Feb. 12. Currently, there are pieces such as “The Swamp Thang” — the praying mantis — and handcrafted wooden mirrors and tables on display.

As a woodworker, Robson, 78, has been creating and selling pieces like the praying mantis since 1976, when he got his Virginia sales tax license. It was during this time that he worked for Contemporary Workshop, a small vocational rehabilitation program that worked mostly with high school-aged kids. The goal of programs like these is to help people become more equipped to return to the workforce or to be more independent in general,

according to a Grand Canyon University blog. According to Robson, the program, based in Fairfax County, taught and provided kids with educational and life skills that they could then apply out in the world.

Robson said he originally started as the woodworking supervisor and later became the assistant director of the program. As the woodworking supervisor, Robson said he taught students how to make rectangular wooden school blocks. After the company closed in 1974, Robson opened his own undercover workshop — there were strict business regulations, he said — in Fairfax to create pieces to sell at craft shows. As he continued to develop this workshop, he decided to name his business The Standing People. As a woodworker, Robson focuses on making furniture that he then displays at craft shows and in Oasis.

“‘The Standing People’ is an Indian phrase for trees, and in the Lakota Sioux language, all the natural kingdoms were people,” Robson said. “There was the swimming people, the flying people and the standing people … and I feel that way about the trees, and I hope in my work that will rub off a little.”

Robson moved to the Shenandoah Valley in 1981 and started his own craft show with his wife, Sue, in Timberville, Virginia, soon after. For two weekends in October, they hosted the show on their property, known as the Barn Show, where Robson sold his work and invited other select artists to participate. The Barn show lasted for 32 years until Robson and his wife decided to discontinue it five years ago due to the amount of time and effort it took to put the show together.

Fellow artist and volunteer at Oasis, Barbara Paul, first met and learned of Robson during this show in the 1990s. She said she loves the real, natural look Robson brings to the wood and appreciates how he makes the beauty of the piece come out.

“When I look at his work, I always want to touch it because the wood is just so

beautiful, and it makes me want to be out in the woods and makes me want to go out and appreciate trees more,” Paul said.

Paul has been a member of Oasis since fall 2018, volunteering and showcasing her own jewelry. Alongside 35 other artists, Paul gives her time to keep the gallery running, including overseeing shows like Robson’s.

When Robson first showed his work at Oasis last May, he recaught the eye of Brenda Fairweather, who’s in charge of finding artists for the rotating Oasis shows.

Fairweather has been a member of Oasis since 2006, selling pottery and baskets. In addition, with a lot of organizing, collaborating and communicating, Fairweather said she works hard to put together the lineup of artisans who’ll be featured at Oasis a year in advance. While Fairweather first met Robson eight years ago participating in his own show, she said she desired to get his work exhibited at Oasis, even though he’s not a member or volunteer at Oasis.

“His technique and quality of work is so special that when a piece of his work is in your presence, it just feels like he is in your presence,” Fairweather said. “His heart and soul are in it. His work inspires me to make changes to what I do, to become better at making pottery or baskets.”

After filling the schedule with Oasis members first, Fairweather met with the board to pitch Robson joining the gallery. Oasis focuses on artisans the board and its members know will bring people into the store and have historically done well with shows, and Robson was no exception.

“John had done so well in that group show in 2022 and we wanted someone who is successful and popular,” Fairweather said. “But we also asked him because of the quality of [his work] and who he is. People know him, so it draws people into Oasis.”

Robson said he wants to continue to participate in these shows in hopes it’ll let people know his own business is still alive after he stopped doing his own show. He said he loves the face-to-face interactions of showing his work.

For Robson, “setting up is no fun, taking down is no fun.” He loves the moments in between.

He said the atmosphere of letting customers choose what they want, and discussing the history of the individual pieces is his favorite part.

“This whole idea of buying local and having individual people making your work and wanting to know where your items come from and ‘know the maker,’ — that’s it, that’s us in a nutshell,” Paul said of Oasis. “We allow more of a connection to the arts of the community.”

CONTACT Sabine Soltys at soltysms@dukes.jmu.edu. For more on the culture, arts and lifestyle of the JMU and Harrisonburg communities, follow the culture desk on Twitter and Instagram @Breeze_Culture.

John Robson is currently displaying various wooden art pieces in his solo show, “Sawmills, Driftwoods and Twigs.” The show will be on display until Feb. 12 in Oasis Fine Arts and Crafts in downtown Harrisonburg. Photos by Alex Clarke / The Breeze

One of Robson’s featured pieces in the show is “The Swamp Thang,” a large, wooden praying mantis sculpture.

Among other qualities, adjunct voice instructor David Newman is known for wearing his “signature rainbow suspenders,” Rachel Tan, one of his students said. Photos by Savannah Reger / The Breeze

Out-of-the-box music instructor beloved for endearing nature, eccentricity HIS OWN TUNE

By GRANT JOHNSON The Breeze

David Newman keeps two phones: One for texting, calling and the sort, and the other for sticking halfway down his throat.

With a wide-open mouth, Newman lowers a disinfected 6.24-by-3.08-inch iPhone 8 — with its video and flash on but no phone case — down far enough to illuminate his vocal folds, which are located inside the Adam’s apple at the bottom of his throat. He’s checking if his folds are white, he said. If pink, he might have laryngitis, which means the vocal folds are swollen and his voice sapped.

For Newman, tip-top vocal folds are crucial. The adjunct voice instructor at JMU also performs oratorio — singing onstage with music — typically in front of 500-3,000 people along the East Coast once a month for a minimum fee of $1,000 per performance.

Checking for laryngitis with his phone saves him more money than visiting a laryngologist does, Newman said, and an endoscope makes him gag. In a follow-up email to The Breeze, he said he’s not trying to avoid going to the doctor by scoping himself. However, Newman said he doesn’t know anyone else who checks on their vocal folds with an iPhone.

“This is a boundary that I think a lot of people have set for themselves,” Newman said. “They go to a doctor, and the doctor does this and they don’t think, ‘Oh, someone did this by themselves, maybe I could do that.’”

Newman sometimes misses his Friday morning classes when traveling for his oratorio performances. But when he’s teaching in JMU’s Music Building, students paint him as a lighthearted and eccentric professor with a soft side.

“He always wears his signature rainbow suspenders, and I love him for that,” Rachel Tan, a junior music performance major who’s had class with Newman for three semesters, said. “What an iconic ally.”

Erin Dixon (’20), a former student of Newman’s and now a music teacher at Hanover High School in Richmond, Virginia, said Newman was the most caring professor she’s had in the Music Building. Before teaching Dixon, Newman once stopped her in the Music Building’s hallway because it looked like something bothered her. Dixon said Newman gave her a hug.

“Every major is hard, but being a music major is very hard, and he was always someone who I felt genuinely cared about how we were doing,” Dixon said, “like, mentally aside from being a student, like how we were doing as people.”

When Newman is in class, every day is

songs to analyze their texture, rhythm, melodies and harmonies. Another time, Tan said, the students decided to sit on the floor. For one class last year, which happened to be April Fool’s Day, Tan said, only four people showed up. When Newman arrived, Tan recalled him saying, “Hmm, let’s go to Dunkin’ Donuts” and sending out a Canvas announcement that read, “For anyone who’s coming to class late, we’re at Dunkin’ Donuts.” The tradition halted during the pandemic, but whenever six or fewer students show up to class, Newman will take them to the Dunkin’ inside the Student Success Center (SSC) for a dozen assorted donuts on his dime.

Newman’s spontaneity is instilled in Dixon’s teaching methods at her high school, she said, but it’s hard to replicate.

“I try to always be energetic in my classroom and do similar things — keep things fun and keep things exciting — especially when dealing with high schoolers,” Dixon said. “You have to keep it fun or they don’t care. But he’s just so special that it’s something I won’t really ever be able to capture.”

Newman himself molds his teaching methods from the best qualities of his biggest influencers and coaches, namely Stefan Young, one of his music teachers growing up. Young, who taught aural skills, music theory and composition, often tasked Newman and his classmates with a “ridiculously hard thing,” Newman said, but kept a smile on his face as he simply asked students to try their best.

Next up, Newman’s work to support choirs during the peak of COVID-19 will be featured in the documentary “The Drive to Sing” at a showing in Hartman Hall on Feb. 25. Newman doesn’t expect his students to fit a phone in their mouths, or to be a music-hearing “whiz,” as Dixon described him. Newman said he doesn’t look too closely at teaching evaluations because he’s learned he’s at his best in the classroom when he stays true to himself.

“We sure don’t get paid well enough not to have fun,” Newman said. “So, I hope that we don’t just approach it as some task that we have to do, but that we remember we do music for a reason, and to find wonder in that — to find the joy in that.”

Thursday, February 2, 9 CULTURE

By MORGAN VUKNIC The Breeze

Black Resistance: This is the theme of Black History Month for 2023, which will celebrate how Black people have resisted oppression for centuries. In honor of Black History Month, there are many events being held on campus that honor the theme and celebrate Black culture and history.

Center for Multicultural Student Services (CMSS) events

Black History Month First Friday

To kick off Black History Month, CMSS is hosting First Friday on Feb. 3 from 3-5 p.m. in SSC suite 1312. “Black History Month provides all Americans the opportunity to celebrate the rich culture, heritage and achievements of black people,” says the CMSS website. “When we study and recognize Black History, we study ourselves and our national history.”

Black History Month

DEEP Impact diversity dialogue

Twice a month, Diversity Education Empowerment Program (DEEP) Impact hosts diversity dialogues “for students to join in conversation around topics relating to identity, culture, and justice,” according to its website. On Feb.15 at 7 p.m. in The Union Ballroom, DEEP Impact will be hosting its next diversity dialogue, focusing solely on Black History Month.

Restorative Justice Workshop with Assata Lewis: We Are What We Need

In partnership with the Office of Student Accountability and Restorative Practices (OSARP), CMSS will welcome Assata Lewis to campus. The education consultant and restorative justice practitioner will be leading a workshop titled “We Are What We Need” on

Feb. 22 at 6 p.m. in The Union room Taylor 404. It will focus on restorative justice and practices and is open to all students, faculty and staff. The link to register can be found on CMSS’ website.

Black History Month

speaker Ayannah Johnson

CMSS will be partnering with the Honors College to host speaker Ayannah Johnson on Feb. 23 at 7 p.m. in The Union Ballroom. Johnson is the senior director of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) at Ampersand, a television advertising, sales and technology company. She’s also the CEO of Johnson and Associates Consulting LLC, a DEI consulting group. Her work includes providing organizations with strategic plans, working with higher-ups to ensure they’re including DEI efforts in decision-making, ensuring employees feel seen and heard and traveling around the country presenting to schools, nonprofits and corporations about topics related to diversity.

Additional on-campus events

Furious Flower Poetry Center workshop and reading Furious Flower, the first academic center for Black poetry in the country, will be hosting a workshop and live reading from Shara McCallum in collaboration with JMU’s African, African American and Diaspora Studies (AAAD) Center on Feb. 17. McCallum is a Jamaican author and poet and winner of the 2022 Hurtson/Wright Legacy Award for Poetry and a finalist for the 2022 UNT Rilke Prize. The workshop, open only to faculty and staff, will take place from 12-1:15 p.m. in Pathways in the Wine Price building. After the reading, McCallum will be doing a Q&A session, reading and book signing in the Festival Highlands Room, which will be livestreamed on Facebook.

How the JMU community can honor Black history on campus and in the Valley

Ben Moulse / The Breeze

Black Excellence Gala

Hosted by JMU’s National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) chapter and Black Student Alliance, the Black Excellence Gala will take place Feb. 17 from 7-9 p.m. in the Hall of Presidents located on the third floor of D-Hall. The black-tie event will feature awards that recognize students, faculty and staff for “their efforts in the advancement of and providing a community for the Black commonwealth of James Madison University,” according to the event’s registration form. The last day to register for the gala is Feb. 10.

AAAD conference

The 13th annual African, African American and Diaspora Studies (AAAD) Center Interdisciplinary Conference will be held from Feb. 14-17 with the theme “Roots, Limbs and Leaves.” The conference will be in a hybrid format with the main sessions held in Festival Allegheny Room and an additional talk being held in the Festival Highlands Room. All disciplines are welcomed and topics such as Black geography, linguistic roots, climate justice, Black digital networks and religion are open to be discussed. Anyone’s welcome to attend, but registration is required.

Learn more about Black history

While there are many events happening on-campus to commemorate Black History Month, there are many ways to educate yourself on Black history and culture outside of February. Here are places in Harrisonburg and JMU where you can go to learn more.

Shenandoah Black Heritage Center

The Shenandoah Black Heritage Center is a nonprofit organization with the mission

to “learn, share and illuminate the rich African-American history and culture of the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia,” according to its website. Made up of local historians, writers, artists, teachers and interested residents of Harrisonburg, the Center learns about Black history that’s often kept out of history books and then spreads knowledge to the community through programs and speakers.

Ruth and Lowell Toliver Collection of Newman Family Papers

During Black History Month in 2021, Ruth and Lowell Toliver donated their family’s papers to JMU Special Collections. These papers document the life of George Ambrose Newman (1855-1944), a Black educator in Harrisonburg. The collection details the community members, churches and schools of Harrisonburg’s historic African-American neighborhood, the Northeast Neighborhood.

Roots Run Deep: An African American History Tour

Roots Run Deep is a free walking tour of African-American history through Harrisonburg and the Zenda community. The tour, stemming from research from the Shenandoah Valley Black History Center, begins at Jail Hill, which is located at 176 W. Market St. and ends at Harry Lee’s Shoe Shine Parlor, located at 57 S. Main St. Maps and brochures for the tour are available on Roots Run Deep’s website.

Black History Month is an opportunity to highlight Black culture, and these events and locations are a great place to start when it comes to learning more about Black history.

CONTACT Morgan Vuknic at vuknicma@ dukes.jmu.edu. For more on the culture, arts and lifestyle of the JMU and Harrisonburg communities, follow the culture desk on Twitter and Instagram @Breeze_Culture.

Ben Moulse / The Breeze

Avery Goodstine / The Breeze

The best view possible

from RESEATING, page 1

The visitor’s section

Usually, sections 7 and 8 make up the visitor’s section, located by the Gate B entrance on the side closest to Bridgeforth’s scoreboard. It’s away from the Marching Royal Dukes’ endzone and facing the expanded side of the stadium, while conveniently placed right on their team’s sideline.

That’s not the case any longer.

The visiting section is now in the upper deck in Bridgeforth, which sits in sections 401 and 402. The upper section is frequently one of the lowest-attended sections, but the decision to move the visitors to the upper corner came to fruition after seeing other Sun Belt place visitors in similar areas, namely App State, Georgia Southern and Old Dominion.

“It’s putting our fans in the best position in the best seats in the stadium,” Warner said. “Particularly in this case, it provides us a little bit more room to expand to some general admission possibilities or those really heavy student games.”

JMU fans took immediate notice of the new season ticket plans when announced Jan. 18, with more positive reactions than negative. However, there were some fans who expressed frustrations because they have to change their seats.

“I’m very disappointed because we sat in section 6,” JMU parent Andrea Clay said. “So we were right across the aisle from the student section. And we did that on purpose, because it’s so fun to be over there.”

It’ll still take a while before there’s a true understanding of how many fans will be at each home game. But moving the visitor’s section has been one change that’s intrigued fans for the upcoming season, and puts Bridgeforth in a surrounding

environment of purple and gold streamers.

Explaining reseating

The reseating process JMU undergoes every four years allows newer JMU Duke Club donors and new and long-time season ticket holders to change their seats if they’d like — depending on their donation amounts. The more someone donates, the sooner they can pick seats.

JMU fans have until May 15 to select their season tickets and make their contribution to the Duke Club that matches with their giving level. Then, the JMU ticketing office provides each season ticket holder a short window when each person can go into the system and select their seats.

“This kind of allows a cyclical recycling to make sure that all donors and all season ticket purchasers have access to seats on a fair, open basis,” Warner said. “And then once they do that, then they have those seats for four years. So they don’t have to feel, ‘OK, every year I get to do this again.’ And not sure where they’re gonna sit next year.”

For a lot of fans, they’re usually sitting in the same seat or somewhere in the same section. Occasionally, fans prefer to move toward the center of a section or toward an aisle — but that’s strictly personal preference.

“We had an aisle two years ago, and I really just like that,” Macgill said. “But you know, I don’t know what’s going to be available. If I had to stay in 209, I’m happy doing that. But I’d also love the opportunity to move down.”

There are specific subdivisions and prices for each section. But seat choices depend on how much someone donates to the Duke Club, ranging from $50-$800 or more, along with the price of each seat.

• Club (C1-C6) is Duke Club donation of $800+

• Chairback (sections 104-108 and 305-308) is Duke Club donation of $300+

• Priority 1 (sections 406, 304, 309, 310, 204, 209, 210, 103 and 109) is Duke Club donation of $50+

• Priority 2 (303, 311, 312, 202, 211 and 212) is Duke Club donation $50+

To break it down — a Chairback seat totals $650 per seat, a $350 face charge of a seat plus the $300 Duke Club donation. Overall, the prices remain similar to last season, with about a $4-$25 difference, depending on the location.

There are also a few discounts available to use, including faculty and staff, seniors, young alumni and military/first responder discounts, which cuts about $25 off the price depending on which seat is selected.

The goal is to give fans an opportunity to move around the stadium if they choose to. But if someone wants to sit in a Priority 1 section but is qualified to sit in a Chairback section, they can.

Once the priority reseating is done, people can still purchase season tickets. They just won’t have the same options available until the next round to move around the different subdivisions.

But first, they have to find new parking spaces.

Finding the right tailgating spot

To go along with game tickets, there’s also parking. There are multiple parking lots that provide tailgating spaces for four hours leading up to a game. And just like seats inside the stadium, there’s a whole list to choose from as well.

The most popular lots include F Lot next to Godwin Hall, Champions Parking Deck, C4 Lot in Hillside and Convo Lot. Each one also has its own personality of sorts. But each also has its own set of circumstances.

Champions has smaller tailgating spaces and doesn’t allow any open flames. Godwin, on the other hand, is usually one of the most popular lots because of its proximity to the stadium, making it one of the most sought-after lots and one of the most expensive. And Convo, while further away, draws tailgaters with its large, open space.

One lot that’s recently gained traction is the RV Lot across Port Republic Road. It’s slightly hidden from plain sight, but Warner said it was extremely popular during the final games of the season.

“That’s become really popular to the point that we had capacity a couple of times last year with over 30 RVs coming for games,” Warner said. “And some of that most people don’t know about because it’s kind of tucked away … on game day.”

According to the JMU Athletics ticketing information page, it’s a $75 donation to receive one parking pass. And just like tickets, the more you

donate, the sooner you can choose your spot and the more options available.

Bluestone donation ($1,000 - $1,499)

• D-Lot requires a Purple donation ($500 - $999)

• C4 requires a Duke donation ($350 - $99)

• Convo requires a Paw donation ($150 - $349)

• C10/D2 requires a Madison donation ($75 - $149)

Just like stadium seats, the donations to obtain a parking spot must be made by May 15 in order to receive the same priority deadline. Single-game parking prices aren’t available yet and won’t be until closer to football season.

The Duke Club gives fans an opportunity to state their preferences in the event they cannot make a reservation during their allotted window — but it’s not guaranteed. On the same wavelength, even if a fan is able to make their reservation themselves, there’s still no guarantee their top choice is available.

The fan experience survey

Aside from the chaos of choosing a season ticket and parking pass, there’s one element of JMU home games still to be determined: the fan experience.

The Dukes have their traditions that won’t go away — streamers, food races, MRD pregame, halftime and postgame performances, etc. But traditions can morph into something different, or into something new entirely.

While JMU is holding on to classic traditions, there might be some smaller changes made. JMU Athletics released a fan survey at the end of the 2022 season asking for feedback from fans on things they like, didn’t like and want changed for future seasons.

While Warner said there wasn’t a specific paper that could be shared, the Athletics department is reading every single response. And there were roughly 1,700.

“I can tell you that we’re reviewing all of it,” Warner said. “It was a lot. We had a great participation. It was across a wide selection of season ticket purchasers, premium seating, clubs, sweets type people, donor and non donors students. So a really good cross section.”

Some fans went even further than the survey itself and actually sent emails to JMU Director of Athletics

Jeff Bourne or shared their thoughts on social media. Some of the most popular topics included the concession lines, entrance lines and cell

“Jeff Ford has gotten two emails from me and only two emails from me,” JMU alum Joseph Franklin (’87) said. “I emailed him about the concessions and stuff along lines at that last game.”

So throughout this coming summer, Warner said the department plans to figure out different ways to address concerns and make the gameday experience more inclusive to what the fans are saying.

“We paid really close attention to all of those things in other venues this year,” Warner said. “So it’s a heavy lift. We spent a lot of time on it as a major focus over the next few months for all of our external operations staff.”

Warner said, obviously, they can’t always fix everything, nor can they have all the answers in just one offseason. He said he likes seeing the passionate answers from the fanbase, both good and bad.

“It means people care,” Warner said. “If people didn’t care and didn’t have strong opinions, we’d be concerned.”

It’s still early in the JMU football ticketing cycle, but Warner said the early numbers are indicating a “validating” response that Dukes fans are excited. The trial year of seeing what JMU football can do in the Sun Belt is over, and fans are looking forward to the chance of seeing what a fully eligible team can do in the conference.

“I think people forget or maybe don’t know what a great game day environment JMU has with tailgating and the fan support in the band, and you’re not making any kind of sacrifice by not being at Georgia or Alabama, or Texas,” Clay said. “JMU’s got just as much excitement on a smaller scale, of course, but their fans are just as passionate and it’s just as fun and game day experience.”

Single-game tickets aren’t available yet, and neither is the full schedule. Fans can still continue purchasing season ticket packages. But that’s part of why the ticketing offseason is so short.

But JMU fans that have their tickets still say one thing — “get on board.”

“I think if you haven’t gotten on the ride yet, you need to get on the ride,” Franklin said. “I mean, you know, if you wait longer, it’s going to be tougher to get tickets. I would say, if somebody’s contemplating it, we’ve got a good home schedule, it’s no better time than now.”

CONTACT Madison Hricik at breezesports@gmail.com. For more football coverage, follow the sports desk on Twitter @TheBreezeSports.

Graphic by Ben Moulse

JMU football season ticket packages undergo Duke Club reseating process ahead of 2023

Courtesy of JMU Athletics

Take a swing at it

Record breaking leader sets standard for JMU women’s golf

By MADI ALLEY The Breeze

Looking to rewrite the women’s golf program’s narrative at JMU, head coach Tommy Baker was eager to find talent needed to do so.

It was on the second hole of watching Amelia Williams, a then-junior in high school, that he knew.

“Yep, that’s the one,” Baker told his assistant.

From etching her name into the JMU women’s golf record books to becoming a dynamic leader on the team, now-junior Williams has wasted no time making a name for herself in the purple and gold.

In her debut season, Williams racked up a series of accolades. She broke the JMU single-round record at the River Landing Classic and again three weeks later at the ECU Easter Invitational, set the program record for single-season scoring of 74.33 and earned First Team All-CAA.

“We knew pretty early she was gonna play a lot her freshman year,” Baker said. “She stepped in and played a lot right away and she’s continued to be in the lineup week in and week out.

Williams continued building off of her strong start and, in her sophomore year, made a statement at the River Landing Classic last March. Williams shot 72-69-70 to win by two shots with the third-lowest 54hole score in JMU history, while the Dukes won the tournament by just one stroke.

“What made it even more special,” Williams said, “was it was a team win as well.”

Baker said the greatest story of it all is,

Former JMU men’s basketball coach Lou Campanelli dies at 84

after she finished on the 18th hole, he walked over to give her a hug and said, “Congratulations, champ.” Williams was convinced she didn’t win. She had no idea where she stood. Williams was just out there “whacking the golf ball,” Baker said.

“I think that’s what makes her special,” Baker said. “She’s just so in her element. She’s not worried about all the frills and all the other details. She’s just worried about getting the ball in the hole. And, you know, that says a lot for her mindset when she’s out there playing.”

While the scorecards and record books show Williams’ expertise on the green, Williams’ character set her apart in a mentally demanding sport, Baker said.

“Amelia is a jack-of-all-trades when it comes to what role she fills,” Baker said. “She always has a smile on her face. She’s lighthearted, she’s borderline silly and goofy at times.”

Redshirt senior Kate Owens, who Williams said she aspires to lead like when she becomes a senior, echoed Baker.

“It’s funny, because she’s like that, but she’s also so effortlessly good at what she does,” Owens said. “I think sometimes you forget, like, how serious and how competitive she is and how incredible she is at her sport. It’s rare to see somebody that can be both of those things at once.”

The rare talent, as Owens calls Williams, came to JMU via the Sunshine State. Williams chose JMU for a multitude of reasons: The Florida native’s parents both hail from Virginia, and the “360 view of the mountains” around the Shenandoah Valley sold Williams on the campus, she said.

But the deciding factor in her choice came after her official visit. Williams got paired with now-senior Ana Tsiros on her visit, who Williams called “so welcoming and supportive.” Williams has returned the favor in recent recruiting visits — when she’s tried to pull golfers to JMU now as an older player — making Kahoots for the recruits to get to know their potential teammates.

JMU finished out the fall 2022 season with a tie for second place at the Charlotte Invitational in October. Williams tied for fourth and shot 78-74-71. The Dukes are looking ahead to pick up where they left off and start even stronger in the spring with a tournament win.

“This past fall we struggled getting off to slow starts, and we’re hoping this is something we can build on,” Baker said. “Our goal is really to come out fast and come out furious in the first event and continue that throughout the semester.”

Williams and the Dukes will head down to Charleston, South Carolina, to begin their spring campaign at Charleston Municipal Golf Course for the Oyster Shuck Match Play, Feb. 13-14.

“My personal goal this season is to play each tournament, each round and each shot as best as I can and not worry about the outcome as much,” Williams said. “And then for the team, to win a couple tournaments.”

CONTACT Madi Alley at alleyml@dukes. jmu.edu. For more women’s golf coverage, follow the sports desk on Twitter @ TheBreezeSports.

By SPORTS DESK The Breeze

Former men’s basketball head coach Lou Campanelli died Tuesday evening, JMU Athletics announced. He was 84 years old.

Campanelli is regarded as one of the most influential personalities of JMU Athletics and was inducted into the school’s Hall of Fame in 1999.

“Lou Campanelli was an instrumental figure in the rise of JMU Athletics,” Director of Athletics Jeff Bourne said in a tweet Tuesday evening. “So many of his achievements contributed to where we are today.”

The former head coach came to JMU while the Dukes were competing as a nonscholarship program in 1972. From there, he put JMU basketball on the map for the first time, winning two NCAA Division II Championships and never having a record below 0.500 in his 13-year career.

In 1982, Campanelli’s Dukes held NBA legend Michael Jordan to just six points in the first round of the NCAA Division I Tournament before JMU ultimately fell to the eventual national champion Tar Heels, 52-50.

The late head coach had six former athletes and the 1981-82 team join him in the JMU Athletics Hall of Fame: Sherman Dillard (1989), Charles Fisher (2012), Steve Stielper (2002), Pat Dosh (1993), Linton Townes (1998) and Dan Ruland (2000). Campanelli left JMU in 1985 to coach at the University of California, accumulating a 238-118 record in Harrisonburg.

Campanelli also wrote a book called “Dare to Dream: How James Madison University became Co-Ed and Shocked the Basketball World” on his experience recruiting and coaching the men’s basketball team and how JMU transformed during his time in Harrisonburg.

“I will always remember the support and phone call he gave me during my second day on the job,” current men’s basketball head coach Mark Byington said Tuesday evening on Twitter. “My condolences to his family and friends during this difficult time.”

CONTACT the sports desk at breezesports@ gmail.com. For more men’s basketball coverage, follow the sports desk on Twitter @TheBreezeSports.

Junior women’s golfer Amelia Williams uses different game nights to help recruits get to know the JMU team. Courtesy of JMU Athletics

Former JMU men’s baskeball coach Lou Campanelli died Tuesday. Courtesy of JMU Athletics

MID-YEAR STUMBLE

Amid women’s basketball’s recent struggles, O’Regan vows to ‘figure it out’

By KAIDEN BRIDGES The Breeze

For the first time in its 2022-23 campaign, JMU women’s basketball has hit a rough patch.

The Dukes rode a 13-game win streak and already surpassed their 2021-22 win total before dropping three of their last four games: Georgia Southern, 69-65, on Jan. 19; Coastal Carolina, 79-64, on Jan. 26; and Georgia

State, 72-64, on Jan. 28. While JMU is still tied for second in the Sun Belt Conference, it now sits at 17-5 (7-3 Sun Belt).

“Something is in the water, and I’m not afraid to say something is,” head coach Sean O’Regan said. “I’m going to figure out what it is and get it out of the water.”

O’Regan said the Dukes are ready to bounce back this week at South Alabama on Feb. 2 and then travel to Statesboro, Georgia, this weekend to seek revenge against the Georgia Southern Eagles, which downed JMU in Harrisonburg four games ago to kickstart the cold streak.

O’Regan said the team has been practicing well and remains in high spirits, explaining that this road bump was expected at some point but won’t continue to hold the Dukes back.

“It’s a challenge for a lot of teams to stay focused throughout the whole year,” O’Regan said. “I think late January,

early February, that is one of the biggest challenges because you really have to dig in and stay focused and make sure you stay true to your commitments and your goals and what you're trying to chase.”

O’Regan said no matter a Sun Belt team’s ranking in the standings, the level of competition will always be fierce. He also said JMU has to be ready to play its best every time the Dukes step on the court because their opponents are ready to play their best, too.

“I want to be the hunter, not the hunted, even if you're on top of the pyramid,” O’Regan said. “I really want to emphasize to our players that we are hunting, right? We are not being hunted. You’ve got to be aggressive.”

O’Regan said he wants to improve on defense. In the last four games, JMU has given up between 65 and 79 points — dating back to JMU’s Nov. 20 76-65 loss to North Carolina, it had only let up 65 or more points twice in 13 games before Jan. 19.

“We haven't had stretches like that all year,” O’Regan said. “Defensively, I think we've gotten away from who we want to be.”

Additionally, O’Regan said the Dukes’ rebounding needs to improve. Through five games, O'Regan said, the Dukes have had a -1 rebound margin, meaning they’ve been outrebounded by at least one in the last five games. He made it a strong point at the beginning of the season of how important

rebounding would be for JMU, making it a competition every day at practice seeing who could get the most rebounds. He added that if defensive rebounding can improve, then so will the offense.

And off the court, O’Regan said he wants to rekindle his players’ relationships to ensure the team stays connected.

“Kiki [Jefferson] and myself, Caroline [Germond] and myself, Peyton [McDaniel], I think those connections help with everything,” O’Regan said. “I think that's part of how a team can be really great, is if it's really connected.”

O’Regan said he takes responsibility for the losing skid and believes the improvements begin with himself — knowing what it takes to get the Dukes back on track and ready for the back half of the season.

“This responsibility falls all on me in the sense of getting them ready to play, hitting the right motivational buttons, that sort of thing,” O’Regan said. “I believe that this [past] weekend really falls on me, and I'm going to be responsible for doing the right things and getting us on the right track. So we'll be back at it.”

CONTACT Kaiden Bridges at bridg4ke@ dukes.jmu.edu. For more women’s basketball coverage, follow the sports desk on Twitter @TheBreezeSports.

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CHICKEN SANDWICH™ COMBO

JMU women's basketball has lost three of its last four games. Head coach Sean O'Regan said his team needs to improve its defense and rebounding to get back on track. Ryan Sauer / The Breeze

WEEK | F

Celebrate all thing with a week full of activities, info & f sessions, and so m

Check out event h and see the full ca

Taste of Study Abroad

Wed, Feb 8 | 5pm-6:30pm | Hall of Presidents

Sample food from ar meet program direct where you can study summer or next acad

"Where in the World?"

Returnee Team Trivia

Th, Feb 9 | 4:30pm-6pm | CGE, 2nd floor Holland Yates Hall

Picture Perfect: Tips on Content Creation and Travel

Photography

Fri, Feb 10 | 1pm-2pm | The Union, TDU

Center for Global Engagement

2nd Floor Holland Yates Hall

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 “thanks-for-puttingon-a-sensory-friendlyperformance” pat to the Forbes Center.

From a patron who was moved to tears by watching audience members enjoy Saturday's performance that was adapted to meet their needs.

A “hey-that's-not-whatI-ordered” dart to Panera.

From someone who wanted a baguette not an apple.

A “watch-your-back” dart to my cheating ex-boyfriend.

From a Swiftie listening to "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together."

Downtown adventures

A “winter-wonderland” pat to the snow this morning.

From someone saw it at 2:30 a.m.

ETHAN JARDINES thorough theses

With classes dominating a majority of our time here in Harrisonburg, it almost seems as though we never have a chance to slow down. This dramatically limits the amount of time we can spend in the Harrisonburg community, but it’s important, and certainly beneficial, to get off campus from time to time. Students could be missing out on a myriad of opportunities if you’re not getting out into the city.

Harrisonburg destinations

Restaurants in the city range from Middle Eastern, to Indonesian, to plenty more. While eating on campus is convenient, eating off campus can expand students' worldview. In any case, it wouldn’t hurt

to try something new; from personal experience, I can say Bella Luna has some great pizza.

Harrisonburg boasts 11 different parks available for public use, including dog and skate parks. Beyond this, there are plenty of trails for hiking and biking. Getting out and about not only provides a chance to exercise but also to interact with people in the local community. Ironically, taking time away from campus could improve performance in school, too, as exercise has been shown to improve cognitive health, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

There are also plenty of places in Harrisonburg to provide a distraction from busy college life. From museums to axethrowing, the city is chock-full of entertainment. Heading into Harrisonburg to divert attention from schoolwork can be a great stress reliever. With a standard of 15 credit hours per semester and at least

two hours per class per week spent on homework, getting away from meticulous academic work is important.

Part of the reason some students don’t get off campus is because they don’t have cars, but downtown is closer than many might think. Walking from Hotel Madison to court square only takes about 12 minutes. Despite this, many don’t take the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the area.

“Maybe once every three weeks” is how often freshman communications major Tanner Davis gets off campus. However, when he does get off campus, Davis said it helps him to “reset.” Like many other freshmen, Tanner is limited by a seeming lack of available transport — but transport is available, and free, for students.

For those who don’t have a car, gettingaround the city shouldn’t be too much of a stretch because they can ride the buses for free.

Getting out in Harrisonburg is essential to making the most of the JMU experience

Downtown Harrisonburg is home to a variety of restaurant and entertainment options. Breeze file photo

LTE|The sword of Damocles: Finding America’s soul

Let me pose a question to you: What do you think of when I say “America’s soul?” I imagine some would think of apple pie and baseball or the other usual tokens decorating America’s symbolic Pinterest board. I, for one, take a different approach. What if America’s soul is a warped image of one of our most classic ideals, the American dream? What if the way we perceive the highest ranks of our social, economic and political ladders is a paradoxical struggle for power? We say the top of the ladder must

be stable and the climb easy, but we speak from ground level.

Back in the 4th century BCE, the ruler of Syracuse was a rich king named Dionysius. On one occasion, a man called Damocles pandered to the king’s ego, wealth and power and remarked that the pleasures of kinghood must be bottomless. The sly Dionysius offered to swap seats with Damocles, ensuring that he would only understand power if he sat in the king’s chair. Dionysius, who ruled through fear

and had made many enemies over his reign, arranged for a sword to be tied above the throne by the hilt. The sword pointed straight down and was held only by a single hair of a horse’s tail. Damocles, realizing the cost of power and the danger of being the occupant of the chair, departed at once, internalizing the lesson he had learned.

Maybe it’s the case that America’s soul is a “grass is always greener” approach. Just like Damocles, we see the power that others have, political power or otherwise, with envy. “If only I could wield the power they have, then I would fix all the issues,” we think. If only it were that simple. If only Damocles could see the burden of power. When you are in charge, all the enemies, poor decisions, regrets and mistakes dangle above your head. They’re your cross to bear.

We as Americans have a decorated past of anger toward whoever the executive or ruling party is. And doesn’t that make sense? The next president will repeal all the current partisan laws and enlist their own. The cycle of “I can do it better” keeps repeating. It’s no wonder the media chooses to cover partisan hackery more than policy, not only for the entertainment Americans get from their politicians’ soundbites, but also for highlighting power. We Americans love power, it fascinates us. We love when we feel our influence on the system. We love the mobilization that comes from disagreeing with whoever is in power. In a democracy, the people have the power, so

are “We the People” the ones who bear the brunt of the blame for any issues that arise?

The grand irony in all this is that our current president couldn’t be a better example. In a 2017 speech, before he was even a candidate for president, Joe Biden said, “It’s time for Americans to wake up.” His speech was about the soul of America, the missteps of Donald Trump, and how he would enact policies to help the middle class and bolster the economy. It’s easy to look in from the outside at the man on the throne and ponder if you could do a better job. Maybe that’s the soul of America: Thinking the seat of power is easier to sit in than it is. No wonder the Trump and Dr. Ozlike personalities are coming into politics. It’s easy to say “I could do that better” when you haven’t looked up at the sword.

These buses that drive around campus, to the mall and to and from football games are all run by Harrisonburg, too, which means the constituents of Harrisonburg pay for that bus ride instead of students’ tuition.

Representing Harrisonburg

During elections, students have the ability to vote either in their hometown or in Harrisonburg. Those students who have been at JMU for more than a year may have chosen to vote in Harrisonburg because this is where they spend a majority of their time. However, it’s important to remember that your vote has an impact, and it would be disingenuous to vote in a city you don’t know much about. Getting to know the Harrisonburg community will make students better citizens and more informed voters.

In my travels to the greater Harrisonburg area, I’ve been able to eat some great food, take some time to relax and meet some awesome people. Never did I regret my choice to travel outside the bounds of JMU.

Students should do themselves a favor and find something away from campus they’re interested in; there are lots of opportunities to have a great time in Harrisonburg

CONTACT Ethan Jardines at jardineg@dukes. jmu.edu. For more editorials regarding the JMU and Harrisonburg communities, follow the opinion desk on Instagram and Twitter @ Breeze_Opinion.

“It’s easy to look in from the outside at the man on the throne and ponder if you could do a better job. Maybe that’s the soul of America: Thinking the seat of power is easier to sit in than it is.”

Isaac Weissmann

JMU junior

Students can walk to downtown Harrisonburg from JMU’s campus in just over ten minutes. Abi Middleton / The Breeze

Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle

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