The Breeze 5.4.23

JMU’s award-winning newspaper since 1922

The Breeze

may 4, 2023 VOL. 101 NO.28 BREEZEJMU.ORG

Xaiver Williams, Shawdee

Bakhtiari reminisce on leadership-filled JMU careers

By MORGAN VUKNIC The Breeze

Student Body President Shawdee Bakhtiari and Student Representative to the Board of Visitors Xaiver Williams met early in their freshman years when they both lived in Wayland Hall. Four years later, they’re looking back on what they accomplished throughout the years and their strengthened connection to the JMU community.

“From freshman year on, we both understood that we have a very similar style of leadership,” Bakhtiari said. “We realized that we had a good rhythm going on and that was something that really helped us with our relationship with the student body. We both have these different perspectives that we fused together to create our team.”

As a student representative to the Board of Visitors, Williams attends open Board of Visitors meetings and acts as a liaison between students and the Board. He also works closely with Bakhtiari on administration committees and on events around campus.

Both Bakhtiari and Williams said one of their favorite events they worked on was Halftime on the Quad, which was in October 2022. Bakhtiari said events like this allow her and Williams to connect with fellow Dukes.

“This was one of my first real times getting to speak to students with [Williams] and Tim Miller,” Bakhtiari said. “It was super exciting to see everyone enjoying the simple pleasures of being a Duke. It’s a memory that I look back at fondly.”

Since Bakhtiari and Williams are seniors, they’ll be graduating in a week. Both said they’ve grown as people in their positions

and want students who may be interested in leadership positions to know that they should simply go for it.

As student body president and student representative to the Board of Visitors, Bakhtiari and Williams serve as a “communitybridger’’ for students and administration. While there are challenges that come with the position such as the COVID-19 pandemic and mental health crises on campus, Williams said getting to interact with the JMU community makes it all worth it.

“One thing this position has taught me is that there’s beauty in community and communication,” Williams said. “I don’t think I would have ever known what the students wanted had it not been for the honest conversations I’ve had with many of them. It’s helped me to become a bridge-builder with many different groups of many different backgrounds.”

One person that works closely with Bakhtiari and Williams is upcoming Student Body Vice President Faith Forman. While she works more closely with Bakhtiari in SGA, she said both Bakhtiari and Williams have been supportive of her.

“[Williams] is super welcoming to everyone,” Forman said. “I see everything he does across campus, and I know that he will be successful in whatever he does in life. [Bakhtiari] has also been a big mentor to me over the past year. The way she holds herself and the way she captures crowds is something that I really admire.”

see STUDENT LEADERS, page 12

Anxiety highest reported symptom 1 year into tele-mental health service

By CHARLOTTE MATHERLY The Breeze

It’s dark. A student lies in their bed, their face lit only by the glow of their phone.

“This is what this feels like,” Tim Miller, JMU vice president for student affairs, said. “This is when it hits me.”

He says this is what his student designers told him they wanted to convey when designing one of JMU’s more recent advertisements for TimelyCare: that moment when you feel alone, when you need someone to talk to.

As part of a collective initiative last year to address a growing demand for student mental health support, JMU partnered with TimelyCare, a tele-mental health company. The threeyear contract — which cost JMU $435,600 this year alone — provides each student with 12 scheduled counseling sessions per year, psychiatry, health coaching, self-help resources and a 24/7 on-demand crisis support service called TalkNow. Nearing one full academic year with the service, JMU is

now reevaluating which parts of TimelyCare to keep, increase and cut down. The Breeze analyzed reports on TimelyCare’s usage and spoke with Miller and students to see what’s been beneficial and challenging about the service. JMU’s universiy spokesperson and executive director of communications, Mary-Hope Vass, didn’t respond to The Breeze’s requests to speak to clinicians from the JMU Counseling Center for this story.

The stats: Who’s using TimelyCare and why

Just over 14% (3,110) of JMU students have registered for TimelyCare as of April 24, according to usage reports Miller sent to The Breeze. This simply means that a student has downloaded the TimelyCare app and signed in with their JMU eID. Registrations peaked in August 2022 when students first got to campus for the school year, with nearly 1,200 students registering that month. Registrations have since decreased drastically, with approximately 600 since January. JMU’s gender imbalance, already roughly 60/40 female, was stretched even further in TimelyCare registrations: 73%

of students registering self-identified as female, while 26% identified as male. This divide was even more pronounced in TalkNow visits, typically meant for after hours or crisis support, with 31% of visits being from men.

The gender gap can be partly attributed to the stigma around men’s mental health, Miller said, and he’s noticed women tend to pay more attention and be more comfortable talking about mental health than men. The stigma’s a problem that extends far beyond JMU, he said, but one the university hasn’t done anything to combat.

“It’s just a reality that we have to live with and try to address,” Miller said.

Forty percent of TimelyCare visits are after regular hours, meaning they’re not between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., but that percentage would be even higher in just the Counseling Center’s hours, which is open weekdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. see TIMELYCARE, page 4

As their time at JMU comes to an end, Student Representative to the Board of Visitors Xaiver Williams and Student Body President Shawdee Bakhtiari reflect positively on their time serving the student body. Ryan Sauer / The Breeze

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Mixed feelings reported by students after TimelyCare’s first active year

from TIMELY CARE, page 1

Of the nearly 3,000 visits as of April 24, about 1,700 were scheduled counseling sessions, 829 were psychiatry appointments, 389 were TalkNow visits and 41 were health coaching. After each session, users are offered a chance to rate the visit and their provider, or counselor. Although less than half of visits and providers received a rating, the ratings reflect positively on the service. On a five-point scale, all visits ranked at least a 4.9 except TalkNow, which received a 4.79. Students rated providers for all types of visits at an average 4.95.

Miller said it’s “interesting” that the ratings are that high, but he doesn’t want that to lead to complacency on JMU’s part. He also recognized ratings don’t always show the full picture.

“What I don’t want is for us to think, ‘OK, we’re good, we don’t have any more to do,’” Miller said.

Miller said he’s heard anecdotally from some students as well — some find it difficult to keep getting appointments on TimelyCare and some prefer in-person counseling, while others have told him they like the flexibility of the virtual service.

JMU receives data from TimelyCare on the reasons students give for each visit. When making an appointment, users are asked to select from a list of issues.

specific provider she sees each time. It’s not something she uses every day, Guin said, but it’s nice to just have the option when she needs it. She’s been to JMU’s Counseling Center before and said she thinks the Center is working to make itself more available to students. At the same time, Guin said that because the Counseling Center is busy and can only see most students for a couple of sessions, it can be stressful to go there.

“I feel like that’s a lot of pressure because as a student, you’re like, ‘OK, well, I have to get what I need out of this visit in case I can’t come back,’” Guin said, adding that a referral to outside care could be expensive and time-consuming for many students.

The ability to return has been a major benefit of the TalkNow feature, Guin said. While JMU has allotted 12 scheduled counseling sessions on TimelyCare per student per year, TalkNow is 24/7 and unlimited. Guin said this aspect of the service has been helpful.

“Especially when talking about panic attacks and stuff like that, they’re not on a scheduled day to line up [to] the Counseling Center,” Guin said. She still recommends the Center for students who want to get into regular, longer-term counseling.

Guin said she hasn’t done a scheduled counseling visit, either through JMU or TimelyCare, because she’s getting what she needs from TalkNow.

She couldn’t afford traditional therapy, and students in the counseling program are discouraged from using the JMU Counseling Center, she said — many students in the program apply to intern at the Center, and if they’ve ever been a client there, they’re taken out of the running for the job. So, she tried TimelyCare.

“I liked the process of signing up for it because it can be intimidating calling a counseling office and talking to someone you don’t know about all these things you’re going through, just for it to be, like, written down on a sticky note and passed on to the next person,” she said. While she said signing up for the service was less intimidating, she added that virtual counseling can have some limitations — it can feel impersonal, and “there’s nothing like sitting in the room with a person,” but the experience can depend on the counselor and the client. She recommended the JMU Counseling Center and the JMU Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) over TimelyCare but recognized that some students don’t feel comfortable or don’t have access to in-person counseling.

When making an appointment, students can scroll through a list of providers in the state and see their background and areas of expertise. Once the student got to the point of selecting a provider, she said many of the ones she was interested in had wait times of three to four months, which she said would defeat the more “streamlined”

A flexible alternative Students who spoke to The Breeze reported mixed experiences using TimelyCare.

Sophomore Emily Guin struggled a lot at the beginning of this semester. She’s a first-generation college student and very close to her family, she said, so she found it hard to acclimate when returning to campus after winter break.

Guin, a self-described “grandma” when it comes to technology, said she found it difficult to sign up for the service, as it asked about medical history, insurance providers and other information. She wasn’t registering just in case, Guin said — she was signing up because she needed help in that moment. Outside of not being “tech-savvy,” though, she said registration was fairly easy.

She said she appreciated the option of telehealth, which she found when searching for resources on the JMU Counseling Center website.

“You can also make appointments through the Counseling Center, which was a highlight because [I didn’t have to] go in person and talk to people and fill out these forms,” Guin said. “I’d rather get help through the app.”

Guin mostly uses the TalkNow feature, so she doesn’t have one

Guin gets panic attacks sometimes. She said the weekend before spring break, she was sobbing on her bathroom floor. None of her friends were around because everyone had gone home already, so, ‘Who else do you turn to in that moment?’ She logged on to TalkNow.

“It’s really comforting; in a sense, it’s more of a conversation,” Guin said. “It doesn’t feel like you’re at a doctor’s office … It feels very casual but still taking something home.”

She said the providers help talk through whatever she’s feeling in the moment and teach her some breathing and sensory techniques to help with anxiety — tools she said she hadn’t been aware of before, having never received medical counseling.

Guin has used some of the self-help videos available through TimelyCare, and she said she plans to keep using those and TalkNow for the foreseeable future.

“I hope more students become aware of it,” Guin said. “I feel like sometimes we think we’re completely alone, like going through our school stuff, but you’re not ever really alone.”

‘Wasn’t for me’

A graduate student, who requested to remain anonymous because she’s in JMU’s clinical mental health counseling program, said she wanted to try TimelyCare to help her process everything she was learning and experiencing as a therapist-in-training.

effect of TimelyCare.

After selecting a provider, who the student said she thinks was a licensed social worker instead of a counselor — which are trained similarly, but not exactly the same — she said the counseling “kind of went out the window.” The student was struggling with anxiety surrounding the work she was doing in class, and the provider suggested “surface-level” self-care techniques, like taking a walk, taking a bath or watching her favorite TV show.

“It sort of gave me the ick, the counseling ick,” she said, “because those are things that you hear, like, stereotypically self-care. But that’s not the work that you do in counseling.”

She said she’d be open to trying TimelyCare again, just with a different provider. Although she felt “invalidated” by the experience, she said she hopes other people have a better experience with it. The service can be helpful for students experiencing stress around finals, among other issues, but she said it may not be the best solution for long-term counseling.

While the student said she thinks ‘surface-level’ counseling can happen anywhere someone goes, she said she’s heard similar reports from friends who’ve tried TimelyCare.

Miller said a counselor may not always say exactly what a student wants to hear, and he hopes students in that situation would “not throw the whole thing away” and perhaps try to select a new counselor through TimelyCare.

Courtesy of Tim Miller

JMU’s future with TimelyCare

With a year of telehealth under its belt, JMU is now looking at revising its contract with TimelyCare to adjust service plans as needed for next year. Miller said JMU has signed up for three years of TimelyCare. This year alone cost $435,600, a price Miller said is worth it — but he’ll be looking to alter the service plan to get as much as possible out of the partnership.

The telehealth company’s media relations manager, Mallory Olson, told The Breeze last year that around 20% of a student body typically signs up for the service in the first year — higher than the 14% at JMU in its inaugural year in the partnership. Miller said he thinks JMU’s registration rate is higher than other schools, like VCU and Virginia Tech, which also partnered with TimelyCare last year. Miller said he and his team have been trying to market the service to students all year, but he still wants more students to sign up — he’s considering requiring all incoming students to download and register for TimelyCare during orientation week. In four years, then, he said almost every JMU student will have the service.

Miller said JMU has used almost its entire psychiatry visit allotment for the year, currently set at 4% of the student body, about 880 sessions. JMU has used about 840, he said, so he’s going to look at raising that availability. He said it can be even more difficult to find psychiatry than counseling, so JMU will try to increase access to that through TimelyCare. It’ll be around $50,000 to add an extra 200 psychiatry visits to JMU’s plan, he said, but “we’re absolutely going to need that.”

He’s also looking at adjusting the number of available scheduled counseling sessions. Although the current allotment is 12 per student per year, Miller said some need to go beyond that. At the same time, he doesn’t want to pay extra for every single student to have 15 or 16 sessions. Instead of spending hundreds of thousands of dollars to increase sessions for everyone, Miller said, JMU could stick with 12 or fewer sessions per student and spend around $20,000 to get those additional sessions for the few people who require them — but it’s something he wants to investigate more before making a decision.

As for TalkNow, Miller said the 24/7 crisis support “has no t been the service I hoped it would be.” JMU kept its other mental health crisis line, ProtoCall, and Miller said the university recommends ProtoCall over TalkNow, which has only had a couple hundred uses. ProtoCall has licensed clinicians that can help “clear” a student in distress — they’ll

help the student come up with a safety plan for the night, which Miller said makes him feel more comfortable than TimelyCare, which uses people who are still obtaining their license.

“TalkNow, to me, feels like a really qualified friend, whereas ProtoCall is a licensed clinician,” Miller said. “Friends are good. But it’s also the reason why we have both. I don’t actually want to get rid of either.”

While Miller said students aren’t using all the services

provided by TimelyCare to their full extent, he said that if it helps even one student, he’ll keep paying for the service.

A $200,000 donation to JMU helped fund this year’s new mental health initiatives, and Miller said part of the donation will help pay for the next year of TimelyCare as well. JMU also used leftover CARES Act funding allotted during the pandemic to help pay for the service last year, and Miller said JMU hopes to receive some more state funding to help out this year. The year after that, 2024-25, is when JMU will likely have to come up with the money itself.

“It’s a university priority, so we’re finding the money,” Miller said.

Part of TimelyCare’s value, Miller said, is it’s helped decrease the JMU Counseling Center’s wait times. At its longest last year, the wait time could be two to three weeks for an appointment, Miller said. This year, the wait time hasn’t exceeded one week. And if the Counseling Center has to refer students outside the Center, there’s now a more direct and accessible option.

“I feel better because the team is not disappointing students,” Miller said.

TimelyCare has eased some of the overload on the Counseling Center, too. Last year, Miller said, “you could not keep up at all.” And while the counselors certainly aren’t bored and are still probably doing paperwork and extra responsibilities after hours and on weekends, it’s less than it was.

“They are still incredibly busy and, I would argue, overwhelmed a lot of the time. But I will tell you that it probably went from being completely and totally overwhelming to now just mostly overwhelming,” Miller said. “Maybe instead of carrying 500 pounds, they’re carrying 300 pounds. But they’re still carrying 300 pounds.”

Miller said the “release valve” for the Counseling Center, the diversity of counselors available on TimelyCare and the psychiatry service have been the biggest benefits for JMU. The challenges, he said, are that not everyone wants telehealth, but even more so that many students just don’t know TimelyCare is an option for them.

“We will continue to do everything we can to make sure everyone knows,” Miller said.

CONTACT Charlotte Matherly at mathercg@dukes.jmu.edu.

“It’s a university priority, so we’re finding the money.”

Tim Miller JMU Vice President for Student Affairs

BenMoulse /The Breeze

Screengrab from TimelyCare from Google Play.

JMU professor appointed by Youngkin to preserve Virginia history

By EMMA JOHNSON The Breeze

The right side of Ken Rutherford’s office is hidden behind a bookshelf filled with texts about seemingly every corner of the world. Among them is a book he wrote, titled “America’s Buried History: Landmines in the Civil War.”

Rutherford, a humanitarian and political science professor at JMU, lost his legs in a 1993 landmine accident while helping refugees in Somalia. Since then, he’s dedicated his life to landmine prevention and warfare restrictions, driven by his passion for histories of all kinds.

And now, Rutherford has added a narrowed focus on Virginia to his repertoire of historical knowledge and is the newest appointee to Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s Board of Historic Resources, joining in the board in March.

“The history in Virginia is amazing, like, I’m never moving,” Rutherford said. “Virginia … it punches above its body weight.”

Originally from California and previously unfamiliar with Virginia’s history, Rutherford said he “doesn’t have a Civil War bone in his body” but his love for Virginia’s history has made him “extremely proud” to be Youngkin’s newest appointee.

“Today, I am grateful to announce the following administration and board appointments,” Youngkin announced in a March 10 press release via his website, which included Rutherford and five other appointees. “I am confident that with their help we will be able to strengthen the spirit of Virginia and accomplish great things for our Commonwealth.”

Formerly a Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation board of trustees member — a congressionally mandated organization that works to preserve land and resources for the Virginia public — for seven years, Rutherford is now one of six members appointed to the state’s historic board to approve and disapprove historic proposals related to the federal and Virginia government’s historic register, a term he’ll serve for four years, he said.

Rutherford said the governor’s office called him to check in after he was offered the position. He said the office asked what it could expect him to bring to the role.

“I said, ‘I will not be a wallflower,’” Rutherford said. “Life’s too short to just be a wallflower.”

Rutherford accepted the position in February, selected from a pool of other nominees by Youngkin to work alongside the other board members to interpret Virginia’s history.

Ben Marchi, who served as a trustee on the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation alongside Rutherford and who nominated him for the position, said Rutherford’s dedication to serving fellow citizens made him the perfect candidate.

“He possesses that stern stuff that exemplifies the best in us and promotes public service in a way we all ought to emulate,” Marchi said.

The position’s duties, Rutherford said, are threefold. The board collectively votes on various historical markers, most recently approving a historic trail along the Eastern Shore to preserve the history of the African American crabbers in March. The board also deals with historic easements, which

allow historic landowners to request the preservation of their land if it holds enough historic value for Virginia taxpayers.

It’s the historic easements, Rutherford said, that play a crucial role in maintaining the history of certain areas. He noted Virginia’s efforts in this aspect, but said without the historic board, which some states don’t have, historic preservation can be put at risk.

Rutherford said other states that may not have historic boards to preserve state history are at risk of their history becoming “concrete.”

The board’s final responsibility is to host four annual meetings. Rutherford said it held a meeting in March, during which it discussed agenda items and other requests pertaining to historic preservation.

“We had, like, 70 agenda items in the meeting, I read every single one,” Rutherford said. “They went ‘You actually read all this?’ I loved it.”

Rutherford said he wants to focus on smaller communities that rely on tourists’ dollars to generate revenue.

“In my previous life, like before I lost my legs, I was working in economic development,” Rutherford said. “If we could help them make income from tourist dollars, and at the same time preserve our history, that’s a win-win.”

While the board recognizes many areas, from small communities to bigger areas such as Northern Virginia and Richmond, Rutherford said he’d personally like to work on recognizing more of the Shenandoah Valley.

He said a goal of his is to meet with the Chamber of Commerce in different communities to discuss what can be done to increase historic preservation and possibly generate a historic trail through the valley.

“One thing I noticed from the first meeting is that, as a region, we’re pretty irrelevant,” Rutherford said.

Another goal for Rutherford is to develop a broader perspective of Virginia’s history while still preserving it. While he’s only attended one meeting, Rutherford said he feels a majority of the politicization lies in conversations with people who, when you scratch beneath the surface, don’t know the history.

“I feel like, Democrat or Republican, we can work together at preserving our state’s history,” Rutherford said. “No history should be ignored, and all history should be respected.”

Marchi said he believes the board will benefit from Rutherford’s experience, thoughtfulness and work ethic.

“He’s a good man, and I know he shares Governor Youngkin’s desire to preserve all of our history, so we can share this special and inspirational story with future generations,” Marchi said.

In terms of the board’s future ventures, Rutherford said he has a lot of ideas.

“For me, personally and professionally … if I can still serve and people want me to serve, I’ll do that,” Rutherford said. “I love good ideas, and I love passionate people.”

As a member of the Board of Historic Resources, Ken Rutherford said he wants to work on getting more recognition for the history of the Shenandoah Valley. Ryan Sauer / The Breeze

Rutherford was appointed to the board in March by Gov. Glenn Youngkin. Photo courtesy of Ken Rutherford.

Rutherford works as Director of the Center for International Stabilization and Recovery at JMU. Photo courtesy of Ken Rutherford.

Students consider Dining Dollar decisions with end of semester

By GRETCHEN NAGLE The Breeze

Time is ticking as students count the final days of the academic school year, which not only means school’s almost out but also that students’ remaining Dining Dollars need to be spent — or else they’re lost forever.

While some JMU students may be hustling to zero out their Dining Dollar balance, others have been struggling to find ways to budget their money. JMU sophomore Landen Gebhardt, who’s also a student food service worker, and senior Henry Sommerville said they believe there aren’t enough Dining Dollars offered by JMU on certain meal plans.

Gebhardt said she felt confused when trying to figure out whether Dining Dollars expire or not. During her time as a freshman, Gebhardt said she came to the conclusion that the meal plan best suited for her needs was the 11-punch plan, which includes 500 Dining Dollars.

Similarly, Sommerville said he’s consistently run out of Dining Dollars and, in

spite of budgeting, has been left with less than five Dining Dollars by the end of the last two semesters.

Sophomore Alice Geiger said many of her friends ran out of their 275 Dining Dollars in just two months. She said the reason for this was many on-campus meals — especially premade ones —cost more than a punch. Unless students can double punch and still have enough punches for the week, they need to have a good amount of dining dollars, Geiger said.

“I think that a good amount of dining dollars is necessary,” she said. JMU’s meal plan information website provides options for students to plan ahead for the meal plan that will fit them best next year, and to use Dining Dollars Gold. Kristin Zwanzig, business manager for JMU Card Services, said depending on what meal plan students choose, there’s a set number of Dining Dollars that accompany it, which expire at the end of the academic year.

“For commuter students the [best meal plan] is best determined by the student, according to class schedule, time spent on campus and monetary availability,” Zwanzig said. “Residents must, of course, have one of the resident meal plans — the most popular continues to be the 14 weekly punch plan.”

Three students who spoke to The Breeze said they felt meal plans didn’t provide students with enough Dining Dollars. Christian Wright / The Breeze

Business Manager for JMU Card Services Kristin Zwanzig said to better manage their Dining Dollars, JMU students should find what meal plan suits their needs. Ryan Sauer / The Breeze

Ben Moulse /TheBreeze

Meal Plans 101 is a resource that helps explain how each meal plan consists of Dining Dollars that can be used at a variety of the 25 dining locations across campus. There are a variety of different meal plans consisting of four resident options and 10 commuter options, all consisting of a different amount of Dining Dollars. In contrast to regular Dining Dollars with a meal plan, the Dining Dollars Gold account allows students to add more Dining Dollars and refunds the balance when students leave JMU.

When finding what meal plan works for someone, JMU offers a recommendation tool called Campus Dish for participants to find their right fit.

The JMU website also explains how Dining Dollars carry over from fall semester to the spring semester, but those Dining Dollars lose their value after the spring semester is over.

“It is important to remember to utilize the initial Dining Dollars first, then add Dining Dollars GOLD if needed!” stated an answer on the frequently asked questions website regarding the meal plans.

CONTACT Gretchen Nagle at naglegm@dukes.jmu.edu. For more coverage of JMU and Harrisonburg news, follow the news desk on Twitter @BreezeNewsJMU.

Three months later, sheriff offers no updates in fatal JMU student car crash

By THE NEWSDESK The Breeze

In a phone call with The Breeze on Wednesday, the Hardy County (W.V.) Sheriff’s Office confirmed the investigation into the Feb. 2 car crash that killed three JMU students and injured two is ongoing. The office gave no indication the investigation has a suspected end date. The Breeze has called several times since February.

The victims — John “Luke” Fergusson, Joshua Mardis and Nicholas Troutman — were all pledges of the fraternity Pi Beta Chi (PBX) and were driving along West Virginia Route 259 until the vehicle struck a tree after having been at Paradise City Club prior to the crash, according to a press release from Feb. 2.

CONTACT The newsdesk at breezenews@gmail.com. For more coverage of JMU and Harrisonburg news, follow the news desk on Twitter @BreezeNewsJMU.

For JMU students with excess Dining Dollars, JMU has posted advertisements encouraging students to donate what remains of their Dining Dollars. Ella Stotzky / The Breeze

Three months after three JMU students were killed in a car crash, investigators confirm the case remains open. Ryan Sauer / The Breeze

March for pride

By GRACE REED contributing writer

Among the roughly 450 people at “Dukes for Pride” last Wednesday in support of the LGBTQ+ community in response to conservative political commentator Liz Wheeler’s lecture the same evening on “The Ideology of Transgenderism,” the large gathering hit home even more for a select few.

JMU junior Alex Moskal, freshman Max Ford and a junior student who requested anonymity due to nonacceptance of their identity from their family shared their experiences being part of the LGBTQ+ community and suggested changes the community could make to be more transgender-inclusive.

Moskal, one of several guest speakers at “Dukes for Pride” and the accessibility coordinator for the event, ensured the walking route from the Quad to the Festival Conference and Student Center was wheelchair accessible and is a nonbinary transfer student who’s been an LGBTQ+ activist for over a decade.

“The start of me being an activist was, like, highkey me at 12 years old when I wasn’t allowed to have social media and logging on to tumblr.com to call my [state government] representatives,” Moskal said. “So starting at, like 12 years old, because someone on the internet said to, I started calling my representatives about legalizing same sex marriage.”

Now, Moskal focuses on activism in the form of educating others on LGBTQ+ rights. They refer to gender and identity as a “sandbox” where someone can “choose how to play in it.”

Moskal noticed the tendency for slurs against the LGBTQ+ community being used at JMU without anyone speaking up.

“If you hear a slur, ask them, ‘Hey, what do you mean? Can you explain that? Why are you using that language? Do you think that represents JMU values?’,” they said. “But for that, we’d have to update JMU values to include diversity, equity and inclusion.”

Moskal, however, was impressed with the ease of changing preferred names at JMU on student IDs through MyMadison, to which they said they give JMU “100% props” for. Moskal said they occasionally get emails from staff referring to them with a name other than their preferred name, but Moskal said they believe the name-change feature is “a huge step in the right direction.”

In the classroom, Moskal applauds professors who encourage students to introduce themselves with their pronouns, saying it “creates an amount of safety that they’re acknowledging I exist. They’re acknowledging that, even for cisgender students, we might look in a way that doesn’t conform to the expectations of ourselves.”

Moskal said it’s important not to misgender someone based on their appearance, adding that it’s just as bad to misgender a cis-person as it is to do it to a trans-person. They also said if professors were to encourage the inclusion of pronouns in introductions, it would be beneficial to the trans community.

For transgender allies who’ve recently become involved or are afraid to step in, Moskal said it’s not a bad thing to only just starting to be an ally.

“What matters is that you want to help,” Moskal said. “And you can help every day by introducing yourself with your pronouns, and by telling your friends that you will support them no matter what.”

Moskal said there’s a lot of issues currently with gender

expression not matching gender identity, and gender presentation not matching gender identity and, therefore, they face discrimination over both issues. Moskal said they’ve received criticism because they “don’t look nonbinary enough.”

“Since I look like I’m close enough to my assigned gender, I am given the privilege of a cis person,” Moskal said. “I am given a little bit of privilege that is immediately taken away because I am openly non-binary and I do not hide my pronouns or my identity regardless of how I dress.”

Moskal said they want to make sure allies understand gender expression doesn’t equal gender identity.

For the transgender community, Moskal’s experienced frustration with acceptance, saying, “People looking at me now go, ‘They haven’t been through transition yet and so they don’t know what it’s like to be transgender.’” But, Moskal said they’ve avoided these comments after learning that as long as people are willing to surround themselves with the right people — as Moskal said, “if you put in the work to supercurate your surroundings” — they don’t have to deal with transphobia in their day-to-day lives. However, Moskal added it’s not as easy as it sounds.

A place to be themselves

Max Ford, freshman executive member for Madison Equality who attended Dukes for Pride, said he knew since sixth grade that he wanted to stand up for himself and his friends to help with transgender and LGBTQ+ rights. Ford said the first time he realized change was happening in the LGBTQ+ community was about two years ago when he attended his first Pride event.

Once he got to JMU, Ford said joining Madison Equality helped him at the beginning of the school year.

“I was like, ‘I don’t know if I’m going to find my group of people where I can, like, be myself,’” Ford said. “But finding Madison Equality really helped me know that I was going to be okay and know that there were people to take care of me.”

Ford said he believes transgender rights shouldn’t be political. It’s somebody’s rights, he said, and “if you disagree with somebody having rights, it’s more a reflection on the way that you perceive the world. That’s somebody’s life.”

Ford said he recommends to anyone with religious objections to try their best to be helpful and kind to people they meet, and if they don’t agree with the way someone chooses to represent themselves, then try to understand their perspective — as Ford said, “Try to see what they’re going through so that you can do better.”

Regarding “Dukes for Pride” last Wednesday, Ford said he was “very happy” to see the number of people who came, adding he wasn’t expecting to see roughly 450.

“It was just uplifting to see people that I knew there that I didn’t expect … to be there, like teachers or just people in the community that aren’t LGBTQ,” Ford said. “It felt like, even though they’re not in the community, they support me and all of my friends.”

Ford mentioned that although some speeches were about the difficulties of being transgender, it relieved him to know the speakers experienced similar feelings.

Students open up about being in JMU’s LGBTQ+ community, personal journeys during ‘Dukes for Pride’ demonstration

“Dukes for Pride” had an accessibility coordinator who ensured the walking route from the Quad to the Festival Conference and Student Center was wheelchair accessible. Photos by Savannah Reger / The Breeze

JMU sophomore Mason Vale hosted the “Dukes for Pride” protest in full drag as “Climaxx.”

Some of the speakers at the protest spoke about the difficulties that come with being transgender.

Learning from the past

An anonymous student who identifies as gender-fluid said they loved that a drag queen hosted “Dukes for Pride.”

“I loved that it was a celebration of queer joy,” the student said. “It’s an important thing to see in the community.”

The student, a junior transfer, volunteered to speak at “Dukes for Pride” and mentioned finding difficulty in belonging in the community.

The student, who got their associates degree in four years from Northern Virginia Community College and started at JMU at 25, said JMU students seemed to be mostly between the ages of 18 to 23. They were, however, able to establish a community with JMU’s fencing club.

The student expressed their struggle with coming out in a Catholic household, mentioning they “had to come out a number of times.” They recalled they were asexual when they were 17, and that caused an upset within their family.

“I had to come out to my parents because they kept putting me back in the closet,” the student said. “It wasn’t actually until 2020 that I was able to come out and stay out.”

The student could stay out when their immunocompromised mother and them couldn’t live in the same house. The separation allowed the student to “stay strong” and honestly say they’re queer: “You can’t tell me that I’m not,” they added.

The student shares the belief of many transgender allies on campus.

“I believe that every single person is deserving of being respected as a human,” the student said. “I believe in humanity’s ability to grow and change and develop and push past old prejudices. And I believe in JMU, as a community, that it will develop beyond that, that it will hear us say, ‘This is not OK.’ And it will learn from the mistakes of the administration and hopefully be able to move past this.”

CONTACT Grace Reed at reedlg@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.

The “Dukes for Pride” protest was organized in response to Liz Wheeler’s “The Ideology of Transgenderism” lecture. Ryan Sauer / The Breeze

The event’s turnout was roughly 450 people, which some attendees said they didn’t expect.

Savannah Reger / The Breeze

The protesters marched from the Quad to the Festival Conference and Student Center where Liz Wheeler’s lecture was taking place. Savannah Reger / The Breeze

Graduating SGA leaders look to pass on ‘Dukes hold doors’ mentality

from STUDENT LEADERS , page 1

This year, Forman served as executive assistant in SGA, which is the role Bakhtiari was in before being appointed as student body president. She said Bahktiari is someone she looks up to and someone who’s always been there for her.

“I can go to [Bakhtiari] whenever I have questions,” Forman said. “Her inviting nature isn’t something I’ve had in a leader before. I always feel that, no matter what is going on in her life, she’d be there to guide me through anything. This doesn’t apply to just me either. I’ve seen her openness trickle down to other members as well.”

While interacting with the JMU community is part of the job, Williams and Bakhtiari agreed it’s also their favorite part of their positions. As a woman of color at a primarily white institution (PWI), Bakhtiari said finding a community is a big part of what has motivated her throughout her time as president.

“The best part of this job has been being able to connect with the community,” Bakhtiari said. “My biggest accomplishment using my own background is that I’ve been able to really commit to the DEI work that the university is committing itself to and really exemplify that more because I have some of the lived experiences to propel that work forward.I am so proud of all the work our Dukes do, and I want to use the platform and opportunities I have to showcase that work.” Although being involved in leadership comes with challenges, Bakhtiari said students who

may want to get involved with it have to know not to doubt themselves.

“Keep pushing, keep trying,” Bakhtiari said. “Even trying to get your foot in the door is such an incredible measure of your leadership that no one can take that away from you. Be true to yourself and let your character show. That’s the most important part of leadership to me.”

While their time as student body president and student representative to the Board of Visitors is coming to an end, Bakhtiari and Williams said they want to leave students with the message that they need to stay involved and engaged. Williams said JMU has a culture of kindness, and students need to keep holding doors for each other, physically and non-physically.

“The Marching Royal Dukes were the first people who held the door open for me when I came to JMU, and my goal since then has been to do that for others,” Williams said. “Whether that be introducing new students to a club or holding a door for someone at the dining hall, we have to continue that thing that makes JMU special.”

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.

Buzzed about bees

JMU Beekeeping Club works to spread awareness about pollinators on campus

By LIZ SHANKS contributing writer

As one of the newest clubs on campus, JMU’s Beekeeping Club stands out as an organization that brings together a unique group of people who all have a passion for bees and beekeeping

Senior geography major Claire Sherwood, president of the Beekeeping Club, began working toward making the group official on BeInvolved, JMU’s website for recognized clubs and organizations, in spring 2022 with fellow seniors Eva Heller, also a geography major, and Taylor Mountjoy, a political science major. Heller is currently the secretary for the Beekeeping Club and Mountjoy is the vice president.

The club began when Sherwood, Heller and Mountjoy all took a class with Professor Wayne Teel, who teaches geography and ISAT classes at JMU. Mountjoy described the initial meetings as “an unofficial thing,” with Teel informing the trio of visits from beekeeper Allison Wickham (’12)

through the Siller Pollinator Company located in Harrisonburg.

Wickham acts as a liaison to JMU for the Siller Pollinator Company and assists the club members in taking care of the bees, maintaining the hives and extracting honey in a safe way that ensures the bees are unharmed. Mountjoy recalled the meetings at the beehives on campus near the retention ponds in East Campus, where Teel would say, “Allison’s coming out, do you all want to come down and put on a bee suit?” For the rest of that semester, the group volunteered to visit the hives whenever Wickham came to campus.

Although she started out as just a resource for teaching the group how to keep bees, Wickham quickly became a staple of the Beekeeping Club. Wickham houses the bees from JMU’s hives over the summer at Siller Pollinator Company and continues to teach the group members how to keep bees, keep them healthy and make sure they’re doing okay, Sherwood said.

The seeds for the Beekeeping Club had been sown back in 2018, when Teel took another group of students who showed interest in beekeeping down to the hives. However, Sherwood said, during the COVID-19 pandemic, most of the bees died. Despite this setback in membership and livestock of bees, Teel continued to bring his students to the hives and encouraged them to revive the club years later.

When the time came for Sherwood, Heller and Mountjoy to make the beekeeping club official, they had to go through JMU BeInvolved and write a constitution. This constitution includes the purpose of the group, which is to “educate students on the benefits and importance of pollinators, especially the honeybee.” While the club has been in the works since 2018, 2022 marked its first year as an official organization on campus.

In addition to being an environmentally driven club primarily focused on beekeeping, the club hosts social events like a potluck this past Friday with JMU Give, another volunteer organization on campus. The club also

participates in Harvestfest, which is a volunteer opportunity through the arboretum, Heller said.

The Beekeeping Club also harvests honey from their hives and does honey fundraisers. Heller said she felt a distinct feeling of pride after harvesting honey for the first time, that, “it was the best honey we’d ever had.” This past fall, the club sold 90 jars of honey.

When asked about the process of honey harvesting, Sherwood said the club extracts all the honey itself, filters it, bottles it, packages and labels it. For next year, the club is expecting to have two more hives, so the amount of honey extracted will double.

Holly Wageley, sophomore geology major, joined the club after it became official in 2022 and currently serves as its treasurer. Wageley said she found the Beekeeping Club on Instagram and took interest almost immediately.

“I thought JMU would be a perfect place for hives,” Wagelely said. “I do have experiences in the past as a beekeeper — I’ve been doing it since I was a child.” Wageley has been elected as the president of the Beekeeping Club for the

2023-24 school year.

The club members show they gained knowledge about bees by going out to the hives and actively interacting with nature. Heller said the biggest thing that sets the club members apart from other people is this “undeniable” hands-on experience in the outdoors that “you can’t really get anywhere else.”

“You’re literally holding bees in your hand,” Sherwood said. “It’s like a nature documentary in front of your eyes.”

The Beekeeping Club aims to reduce negative stereotypes about bees. Heller said there’s a “really bad” stigma around bees and pollinators because they can sting people and people are scared of them, but added that once someone’s in a bee suit and actually holding them, “they’re really cool animals.”

Mountjoy said he was surprised how “chill” the bees were during his first time pulling the bees from their pallets in the hive. Helping people have the same realizations as Mountjoy about bees remains a primary goal of the club.

The group still has aspirations for the club and JMU as a whole for becoming a more pollinatorfriendly campus.

“There’s so much stuff that relies on bees,” Wageley said. “Half the stuff in your grocery store wouldn’t be there if we didn’t have bees and pollinators and butterflies.”

The beekeeping club also hopes to have more hives in the fall, and it’s working with Siller Pollinator Company to install a wildflower meadow on campus. Heller said the club places importance on being able to pass down the knowledge and skills to future members, and overall wants to educate people about bees, do more outreach and reduce the stigma about pollinators. The group aims to promote pollination all across campus, Sherwood said, including reducing

the use of pesticides and mowing.

Sherwood said Wickham informed the club that one hive alone is home to 100,000 bees at their last meeting— a number that could easily grow in the coming years. Sherwood said the members learn something new about bees each time they meet and hope that more people find interest in their pollinators to keep them safe on and off campus.

Heller said she wants members of the JMU and Harrisonburg communities to know that “you don’t have to have any prior experience to join the club whatsoever, even if you are remotely interested in bees, or even like honey.”

CONTACT Liz Shanks at shanksel@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.

Members of JMU’s Beekeeping Club work with the Siller Pollinator Company to maintain their beehives on campus. Photos courtesy of Eva Heller

The Beekeeping Club collects honey from the bees it cares for.

Finding her voice

Incoming JMU student competes on ‘The Voice’ this season

By MORGAN BLAIR The Breeze

Many high school seniors are finishing up their last year right now, but incoming JMU student Mary Kate Connor of Ashburn, Virginia, has also wrapped her time on NBC’s “The Voice,” completing her time on the show in the most recent episode on May 1.

The 17-year-old, who plans to pursue a music industry degree at JMU, said she started her music journey at 9 years old when her parents put her in vocal lessons.

“I had this vocal teacher who was like, ‘She’s actually pretty good, would she like to try to be in a musical at a local high school?’” Connor said. “I ended up getting the part, it was Young Cozette in ‘Les Mis,’ and from then on, I was super into music and musical theater.”

Connor’s love and talent for music continued through middle and high school. She focused her talents toward musical theater before going the route of a singer/songwriter.

Katie Hudson, a theater educator at Broad Run High School in Ashburn who worked with Connor as an after-school theater director at Trailside Middle School also in Ashburn, said she remembers feeling shocked when she found out her former student was going to be on “The Voice.”

Despite Hudson having had multiple students she worked with as a private vocal coach for appear on shows like “The Voice” or “American Idol,” she said having someone she worked as closely with as Connor on the show was a different experience.

“I’ve gotten to work with her for many years, I’ve seen her perform many times, but to see her perform and be accepted on a larger scale was just absolutely incredible,” Hudson said.

Auditioning for “The Voice” wasn’t originally Connor’s plan. She described the decision to audition as coming “out of the blue,” despite watching and loving the show growing up.

“It’s always been a dream to do something like this,” Connor said, “but I never really thought it was possible.”

Connor said the decision came when her father sent some videos of her singing to a producer friend of his. Neither her parents nor Connor herself intended for the videos to land her on a show like “The Voice,” Connor said, but she hoped the producer could find her some small projects to work on.

“They called us a couple weeks later and were like, ‘Do you want to audition for The Voice?’” Connor said about the circumstances behind her decision to audition. “It was totally out of nowhere. I didn’t, like, go out for it, it just kind of got brought to me, which just like the most incredible thing. I’m super blessed.”

When describing the audition process itself, Connor said the song she ended up singing, “Stars” by Grace Potter, wasn’t on the original list of songs she got to choose from. The song was instead a piece she sung in a video for her callback audition. She originally heard the song, which Connor said was one of her favorites, while watching “The Voice.”

“Being able to sing it on the show, knowing it from the show, was definitely a full-circle moment,” Connor said.

Connor ended up getting to pick one of two of the celebrity judges to be her coach for the show, with one of her choices being singer and TV show host Kelly Clarkson and the other singer Blake Shelton. Connor, who said she valued Shelton’s experience as a country singer in Nashville, Tennessee, chose to be on Shelton’s — or “Uncle Blake’s,” as she jokingly called him — team.

“Mary Kate’s probably not completely aware of what she’s even capable of,” Shelton said. “She has a cool appalachian sound and I love that, I think America’s going to love it.”

Connor said Shelton talked about musical career opportunities in Nashville, Connor’s dream spot to live.

“He talked about the opportunities I could get there. I think something in my brain was like, ‘I need to be strategic— what’s going to help me in the long run,’ and that was Blake, I guess. It ended up being the best decision, and I would not have made a different decision if I could go back.”

Shelton and Clarkson weren’t the only celebrities Connor had interactions with. She interacted with host Carson Daly and the other judges, Chance the Rapper and Niall Horan. Before her audition, Connor said she nervously waited longer than she expected because Horan had to take a bathroom break.

While Connor said she felt blessed to have such an opportunity, she also said, at times, the experience could be overwhelming — especially when it came to trying to balance her academic life with her time on the show.

Mary Kate Connor (right), contestant on season 23 of “The Voice,” chose country music star and “The Voice” judge Blake Shelton as her mentor. Photos by Zoe Mowery / The Breeze

Mary Kate Connor

Class of 2027 student, “The Voice” contestant

Connor said she missed a lot of her senior year and had trouble keeping up with her grades while on “The Voice.” She went through the college application process while in Los Angeles and committed to JMU while there. She said the experience was “a bit of a burden,” but overall, it played out well.

Connor said when she started high school she wanted to go to Virginia Tech, but when she got into JMU earlier this year, she committed before even getting her Tech decision back.

“I could not be more excited,” Connor said. “I came and I toured campus, and I was just immediately, like, ‘There’s no place I’d rather be.’ I fell in love with it. I was just like, ‘Duh, I’m going to JMU.’”

JMU gave Connor a “feeling of home,” she said, and learning that the university offered the music industry degree, as well as about the JMU community in general, helped influence her decision.

Connor said she plans to continue her music career at JMU and she hopes her major will help

her understand the music business and set her up for her time in Nashville — or wherever she decides to settle.

Overall, when next year comes, Connor said she’s excited for the community JMU offers her. She said she plans to look into joining one of the school’s a cappella groups as well as the Christian group, YoungLife, when she arrives on campus in the fall. When it comes to her time on “The Voice” and the community of supporters it’s brought her, Connor is just as pleased with her experience, if not more, as she is about JMU.

“I’m just so thankful and so blessed,” Connor said. “I wouldn’t take any of this for granted. I’m just super proud.”

CONTACT Morgan Blair at thebreezeculture@gmail.com For more on the culture, arts and lifestyle of the JMU and Harrisonburg communities, follow the culture desk on Twitter and Instagram @Breeze_Culture.

“It’s always been a dream to do something like this, but I never really thought it was possible.”

“The Voice” contestant Mary Kate Connor was influenced by JMU’s offer of a music industry minor when making her college decision.

A dream come true JMU club creates joy for local, underserved children

By LILLYANNE DAY The Breeze

Aly Coppage, a fifth-year student and the president of A Moment of Magic at JMU, said although 50% of the kids the club serves have pediatric cancer, they'll visit any kid going through a hard time.

A Moment of Magic is an organization made up of students who dress up as well-known characters from classic movies and TV shows and travel to hospitals in the Harrisonburg community with the goal of bringing joy into the lives of individuals who may be going through an obstacle.

Coppage spoke about the importance of giving back and helping individuals who are facing adversity. She joined the club during the pandemic and has since helped raise awareness for the club and its mission.

Coppage said A Moment of Magic is a nonprofit that looks to improve the quality of life of vulnerable and underserved children by inspiring them to be brave, strong and fearless through funding and engaging in social wellness activities.

Coppage said the club fulfills many visits a week and has traveled to 25 different locations this year. The places A Moment of Magic tends to visit include the VCU and U.VA. children's hospitals, which it travels to on a rotating schedule that repeats every few months.

With 48 members, the A Moment of Magic chapter at JMU is the largest in the state and it travels within a four-hour radius for visits, Coppage said, in addition to characters, the club currently has 10 of the 48 club members who are “Magic Makers,” who help with events and travel but don’t wear a costume.

For members who are interested in becoming characters, they'll complete an audition and fundraising process for their future costume. Coppage said costumes start at a cost of $500 but usually end up costing more. Members will fundraise independently and through club fundraisers to raise money for their costumes.

“Our costumes are high quality and we want the experience

to be magical for the kids, so the costumes are specially ordered, which isn’t a cheap process,” Coppage said.

The JMU club helps with an annual event that takes place in September called Curefest in Washington, D.C., which is a multiday event that focuses on helping and supporting children and families who are affected by childhood cancer. The event draws chapters from all over the country and is organized by A Moment of Magic’s national branch.

A Moment of Magic at JMU has attended Curefest for years but this past year, it piloted and facilitated workshops, which are two hours long. Coppage said the workshops consist of ageappropriate coping activities to give kids the skills they need to face their respective challenges.

In addition to workshops, characters spend time with kids and family members — simply to bring a smile to their face.

Junior Jordan Hundley, member of A Moment of Magic, said one of the most impactful moments during her time with the club was the connection she made with a little girl at Curefest. They spent the majority of the event together, and the girl's love for Hundley stayed with her after the event, Hundley said. Hundley works for the national branch of A Moment of Magic, which meant she could keep in touch with the young girl’s family after Curefest ended.

Joining A Moment of Magic was a no-brainer for Hundley, she said, because she was already familiar with childhood cancer and the effects it can have on families. Her twin sister Skyler Hundley, who's also a JMU student, is a pediatric cancer survivor, which meant Hundley had been to many different pediatric cancer support groups throughout her life.

“What drew me in was everyone's passion — everyone cared so much," Hundley said. “It wasn't just a club where people wanted to dress up and have fun and be pretty, and it's given me a purpose. I know that the work we do is so meaningful and important, and that drives you to do it every day. We wake up at 4 a.m. sometimes and drive four hours, but it's all so worth it.”

A Moment of Magic members complete a fundraising process for their future costumes. Photos courtesy of A Moment of Magic

Junior Hannah McAllister, the media director and member of A Moment of Magic, said she feels the same attachment to the club as she did during the pandemic in 2020, when everything was virtual. That obstacle didn’t stunt A Moment of Magic at JMU, she said.

“I was drawn in by the fact that they were still making a difference even virtually, and I liked that,” McAllister said. “A Moment of Magic pivoted very well during the pandemic.”

McAllister said that members of the club did virtual visits or travel by car, which allowed for a distanced visit with children during the pandemic.

Since the end of the pandemic, A Moment

of Magic at JMU has had the opportunity to do more for the community, McAllister said, though what sparks her passion for the club has changed.

“What draws me to the organization now is how it has grown into a vibrant and thriving community,” McAllister said. “A Moment of Magic is filled with incredible people, all fighting for a really good mission — we’re all fighting to benefit the kids and bring them joy.”

McAllister said through her work rebranding A Moment of Magic’s social media platform, the club has been able to present itself professionally to anyone who may be interested in joining or

seeing what the club does. Its Instagram page now has more intentional and posts than it used to and clearly shares what the club has been doing so people can easily follow along.

“When we look professional and when I showcase the work that we do, it draws people in because they know that we’re an organization they can trust, and they’ll have fun and make a difference at,” McAllister said.

Looking back on her time with A Moment of Magic, McAllister said she treasures the experiences she’s shared with the children and families the organization has visited.

“The memories that stand out are the special

moments I’ve gotten to have with the kids,” McAllister said. “There were some special stories, which may not seem like a big thing, but those moments shine bright as beautiful memories during my college experiences.”

Editors note: Luke Freisner, pictured above, is a former writer for The Breeze.

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 Twitter and Instagram @ Breeze_Culture.

Junior Hannah McAllister, the media director of A Moment of Magic, has been able to rebrand the organization’s social media.

Senior swagger

Jankowski brings jolt to No. 6 JMU lacrosse

By KAIDEN BRIDGES The Breeze

Although senior attacker Tai Jankowski isn’t one of the four captains for JMU lacrosse, head coach Shelley Klaes said she acts like one.

Jankowski said coming into this season, one of the goals she wanted to hold herself accountable to helping lead the team.

“She's willing to put people in their place, hold people accountable or calm them down depending on what the moment needs,” Klaes said. “So, she's leading by example with her demeanor.”

Jankowski’s focus going into the season was on working to be a player her teammates could rely on both on and off the field. She added that this year’s team makes the chemistry easy between one another with the return of fifth-year players and having spent the last four seasons growing up together.

She said the team’s bond helped them start this year’s in the American Athletic Conference (AAC) on the right foot.

The Dukes are currently No. 1 in the AAC and No. 6 in the nation, set to play No. 4-seeded Cincinnati in the semifinals of the AAC tournament Thursday at 4:30 p.m.

“I think what makes this team really special is just coming off of last year's note," Jankowski said; JMU bowed out in the second round of the NCAA tournament last year versus Loyola (Md.) 18-8. "We had these goals coming into this year, and I think we're doing a pretty good job accomplishing them."

Jankowski’s teammate, redshirt senior defender Rachel Matey, described Jankowski as a burst of personality who constantly brings energy to the team.

“When the team's a little tired, a little lacking in energy, you know, Tai’s gonna bring it in,” Matey said. “I'm one to trash talk, and she's one to give it back to me.”

Jankowski's character isn't her only trait that's been recognized this season, though. Jankowski has had an impactful senior year that leaves her with plenty of accolades and personal records broken. Last season Jankowski scored 28 goals, and so far this season she’s already almost doubled last season with 48 thus far. With a total of 68 points, she has the team’s second most points this season only trailing redshirt junior attacker Isabella Peterson (88).

“Wouldn't want her to be on the other team, that's for sure,” Matey said.

She was most recently rostered on the AAC First Team All-Conference on Wednesday morning and has been named AAC Player of the Week three times this season, on March 6, March 27 and April 24. In the Dukes’ 14-7 win against Rutgers on April 23, Jankowski scored five goals, her personal career best.

“She's performing on game day, stepping up and taking a lot of pressure off of Bella [Peterson], which I think Bella is incredibly appreciative of,” Klaes said. "She's explosive. She can score and she can hold people accountable for the fouling game. She's deadly on eight -meter shots right now.”

Klaes added that over the last four years, she’s watched Jankowski grow into her own skin and become her own player. She said this year, she’s really brought "Tai Jankowski" to the table.

“She's got a lot of spice, a lot of personality,” Klaes said. “She's got a lot of swagger, and I think when she started to become confident in her authentic self, she started to really play better, compete harder and just show a great deal of resilience.”

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

EDITORS Kaiden Bridges & Jackson Hephner

JMU lacrosse head coach Shelley Klaes said senior attacker Tai Jankowski leads by example with her demeanor. Photos by Savannah Reger / The Breeze

Jankowski has the second most points for JMU lacrosse this season (68), behind redshirt junior Isabella Peterson (88).

Jankowski was one of four Dukes named to the AAC First-Team All-Conference and was named AAC Attacker of the Week three times this season.

Lacrosse enters first AAC tournament preparing for different field conditions and familiar opponents

By ZACH MENDENHALL The Breeze

The AstroTurf field used by JMU field hockey is one of a kind on campus. It’s also where No. 6 JMU lacrosse has been preparing before heading to Philadelphia for the semifinals of the American Athletic Conference (AAC) Conference Championship versus Cincinnati (11-6, 3-3 AAC).

The Dukes (16-1, 6-0 AAC) enter the conference tournament as the No. 1 seed, while Cincinnati, which lost to JMU 17-8 April 16, is the No. 4 seed. Now, they play for the second time this season and all time Thursday at 4:30 p.m.

The playing surface in Philadelphia’s Howarth Field at Temple University is AstroTurf instead of grass, which JMU plays on at home at Sentara Park. Not only do balls roll quicker on AstroTurf, JMU head coach Shelley Klaes said, but balls bounce more, calling for adjustments in shooting and passing.

“I think as coaches, we’re trying to create an environment where there are no uncontrollables, and something like a surface being unfamiliar, we can’t let that get to us on game day,” Klaes said.

She said practicing on the AstroTurf gives JMU a lack of excuses and confidence that it’s preparing the way it needs to heading into the AAC tournament.

JMU was originally prepared to play East Carolina — still on the AstroTurf in Philadelphia, where the four qualified AAC teams are all playing — until seedings changed after Vanderbilt defeated Temple 12-11 in another conference matchup. The result of that game didn’t seem to matter though, as besides zone and man adjustments, nothing changes playing Cincinnati, redshirt senior defender Rachel Matey said.

For the Dukes, this is their first time in the AAC tournament, and they want to make an impact.

“You never know when is your last game, we’re only guaranteed one at the moment,” senior attacker Tai Jankowski said. “Right now, we’re just using all of our experience throughout this season and implementing it into this next game.”

Throughout the season, each JMU player has challenged one another and proven that every member of the team has a role, Jankowski said. With defense challenging the offense and vice versa, the team feels prepared and it’s made the team’s inaugural year in the AAC even more special, she said.

Coming into the game, JMU has nine players with at least 10 goals on the season, Jankowski said. She, second on the team with 48 goals to only redshirt junior attacker Isabella Peterson, who leads the team in goals for the third year in a row with 70.

The Bearcats roster has shown its depth this season too, with freshman attacker Camryn Callaghan proving to be a key addition with 55 goals and 12 assists in 17 games. Six players on Cincinnati have 10 goals or more and five players have 10 or more assists; JMU has four.

JMU departed from Harrisonburg at 6 a.m. Wednesday, but despite the time, it’s looking forward to another opportunity to “bond and connect,” Klaes said. Being on the road, JMU can’t get a break from one another. When forced to be around each other, it creates special moments where each player gets a piece of everyone’s special personalities, Klaes said.

With 10 seniors on the team, the chemistry this spring has been “unlike any other year” for Jankowski. Not only have the seniors had the opportunity to grow together but coming off last year and seeing each other accomplish their goals is part of what makes this team special, she said.

Klaes said players like Jankowski have also stepped up all year and acted as if they’re a captain, holding people accountable and calming them down in the right moments. Peterson’s “hunger” and consistent production of high numbers has also been able to “drive the process” all season, Klaes added.

But first, JMU has to beat Cincinnati. If it does, it’ll play the winner of the No. 2 versus 3-seed matchup, No. 8 Florida versus East Carolina, on Saturday at noon.

“This is kind of what you play for all season,” Matey said. “To get to these days, these games. We’ve gone all this way and we’ve done a great job all year and excited … to keep the train going.” CONTACT Zach Mendenhall at mendenzl@dukes.jmu.edu. For more lacrosse coverage, follow the sports desk on Twitter at @TheBreezeSports.

Redshirt junior attacker Isabella Peterson was just named AAC Attacker of the Year and was rostered on the First Team All-Conference.

No. 1-seeded JMU lacrosse travels to face No. 4 Cincinatti in the AAC semifinals Thursday at 4:30 p.m. Photos by Ryan Sauer / The Breeze

Golden moments

The sports desk recaps its favorite sports memories of the year

SPORTS DESK

The Breeze

Coming off a major conference move, JMU’s athletic move in the 2022-2023 academic year was filled with memorable and unprecedented moments. The Breeze sports desk picks its favorites from the year:

Kaiden Bridges:

JMU women’s basketball makes historic first year Sun Belt Championship run. Going 7-for-7 on 3-pointers, Sixth Woman of the Year junior guard Peyton McDaniel was a catalyst for JMU women’s basketball in its 81-51 win over Texas State in the Sun Belt Conference Championship on March 6 after scoring 30 points along with nine rebounds. The Dukes were initially projected to finish fifth in the conference, which head coach Sean O’Regan said was a big motivation for the Dukes. JMU ended up having a historic year in its inaugural Sun Belt season, going 26-8 (13-5 Sun Belt) and punching its ticket to March Madness, where its run was cut short after a first round loss to Ohio State 80-66.

Jackson Hephner:

JMU volleyball wins its first Sun Belt Championship. When JMU volleyball defeated Texas State in the Sun Belt Championship on Nov. 20, it didn’t just secure the school’s firstever conference title in its new conference, it capped off a nearly perfect performance in conference play. The Dukes went 15-1 against opponents, securing eight sweeps, going undefeated at home and earning the Sun Belt regular season title before winning the conference tournament. It was an historic run, one that will be hard for any JMU program to match for years to come.

Craig Mathias:

JMU football thrashes MTSU 44-7 in first FBS game. JMU’s FBS debut felt like something years in the making, with the hype around this game rivaling an FCS playoff game. Many fans weren't sure what to expect in the first FBS season and was just hoping for a competitive season. A 21-point second quarter sent Bridgeforth into a frenzy, and the realization around the stadium that the Dukes would be just fine in the FBS and Sun Belt created excitement for what was an outstanding season.

William Moran:

JMU football completes 20-point halftime comeback against Georgia State. After an early touchdown to then-redshirt senior wide receiver Kris Thornton, Georgia State scored 27 unanswered points to go up 3414 at halftime. Two touchdowns from JMU graduate running back Percy Agyei-Obese, one from redshirt freshman running back Kaelon Black and another from Thornton put the Dukes up eight — a string of 28 unanswered points. The Dukes mounted their second largest comeback of the season in what turned out to be many fans’ most memorable and favorite sports memory of the year.

Madi Alley:

JMU women’s golf’s Amelia Williams breaks two records in one tournament. Junior Amelia Williams dominated on the green for JMU women's golf at the ECU Ironwood Invitational from April 3-4. Williams carded a 54-hole score of 207 (-9) and shot a 64 (-8) in her final 18 holes, breaking the program’s record for the lowest single round and 54hole score. The junior’s record-breaking performance secured her second career firstplace finish and JMU’s third first-place finish of the spring amid its historic season.

Sophomore catcher Jason Schiavone puts his hand up as he runs the bases in JMU’s 9-4 win over Louisiana. Savannah Reger / The Breeze

JMU volleyball players celebrate during their 3-0 win over South Alabama. Emma Connelly / The Breeze Junior linebacker Jailin Walker yells as he runs out of the tunnel before JMU’s 44-7 win over Middle Tennessee State. Savannah Reger / The Breeze

Matthew Taddei: Sophomore Jason Schiavone hitting a walkoff grand slam vs. Georgia State at home. Schiavone started the season off rough, as he went 0-17 at one point during the beginning of the season. On April 7, the Dukes were coming off a 7-6 win the night before to start the three-game weekend series. The game wasn't looking promising for JMU, as it entered the bottom of the ninth down 3-0. Georgia State senior right-handed pitcher Ryan Watson recorded eight strikeouts allowing no runs. With the rally caps on for the Dukes, Schiavone stepped up to the plate with the bases loaded. He put the ball on the barrel and acquired his first grand slam of his career, while also giving JMU its first Sun Belt Conference series win.

Hayden Hundley:

Then-No. 7 JMU lacrosse defeats then-No. 8 Florida in first ever AAC game. The Dukes beating the Gators 14-9 in their first AAC game will be looked back on as a historic moment for the JMU lacrosse program. JMU was No. 7 at the time, so by no means was the win an upset, but the game helped establish its presence in a new conference — defeating the only team to ever win the AAC title. JMU had eight different goal scorers and outscored the Gators 4-0 in the fourth quarter.

Zach Mendenhall: JMU field hockey wins two of three games on team’s first California road trip since 1985. When JMU field hockey made a four-day trip to California back in October, it became the first JMU team to travel to the Golden State since 1985. The Dukes played three games, losing the first to Stanford in overtime but finishing the trip with big wins over U.C. Davis and Cal. Not only did the trip exemplify the strength of the team throughout its season as an independent team but it spread recognition of JMU on the West Coast. And to put the cherry on top, JMU also made a trip to Alcatraz.

Grant Johnson:

JMU football defeats App State, 32-28, in a roller coaster of a first Sun Belt game. This felt like JMU’s entrance into FBS football. No one knew what to expect from the Dukes three weeks prior versus Middle Tennessee in their

season opener, but the App State game in hostile Boone, North Carolina, was the game fans circled when the schedule dropped: find a way to beat App State — the team that JMU head coach Curt Cignetti said going into the matchup wins or almost wins the Sun Belt every year — and the rest of the season is fair game. The atmosphere more than lived up to the hype, and the game itself one-upped it. App State jumped out to a 28-3 lead in the second quarter, only for JMU to storm back and score 29 unanswered points as the purple upper corner of Kidd Brewer Stadium overtook the scene with “JMU” chants.

Honorable mentions:

JMU men’s tennis freshman Aathreya Mahesh rallies from a set down to deliver the Dukes their first ever Sun Belt win over Georgia State 4-3. After dropping the first set to Georgia State freshman Ricardo Batista, Mahesh mounted a comeback to win court six 2-6, 6-3, 6-3.

Then-No. 12 JMU lacrosse upsets thenNo. 5 Maryland, 8-7. For the second year in a row, the Dukes upset the Terrapins, this time doing it on their own turf in their home opener behind redshirt senior goalkeeper Kat Buchanan's then-career high 10 saves.

Freshmen shine in JMU women's basketball's 71-58 loss to Marshall. Down 20 with 7:24 to go in the fourth quarter, head coach Sean O'Regan put in four freshman and one transfer junior who nearly managed to mount a comeback, cutting the deficit to as little as nine with 3:30 left.

JMU football crowns itself “Kings of the East” after 47-7 win over then-No. 23 Coastal Carolina. Despite being ineligible for the Sun Belt's East Division title, JMU football capped off its season with a decisive 47-7 win over then-No. 23 and East Division Champions Coastal Carolina. The Dukes celebrated their win by declaring themselves "Kings of the East."

CONTACT the sports desk at breezesports@ gmail.com. For more sports content, follow the sports desk on Twitter @TheBreezeSports.

Junior guard Peyton McDaniel exits JMU women's basketball's team bus with the 2023 Sun Belt Championship trophy March 7. Charlotte Matherly / The Breeze

Graduate quarterback Todd Centeio escapes the pocket during JMU's 32-28 win over App State on Sept. 24. Valerie Chenault / The Breeze

Then-No. 12 JMU lacrosse celebrates its 8-7 win over then-No. 5 Maryland on March 1. Ryan Sauer / The Breeze

Sports photos of the year

JMU redshirt junior attacker Isabella Peterson lines up for the draw against Maryland senior midfielder Shaylan Ahearn. The Dukes upset the Terrapins 8-7 on March 1. Ryan Sauer / The Breeze

Senior guard Kiki Jefferson is crowned by freshman forward Mya Kone before JMU women’s basketball’s senior day loss against Marshall 71-58 on Feb. 24. Ella Stotzky / The Breeze

JMU redshirt junior safety Que Reid jars the ball free in the Dukes’ 32-28 comeback win over App State on Sept. 24. Valerie Chenault / The Breeze

Redshirt sophomore midfielder Lexi Vanderlinden speeds past a South Alabama defender in JMU women’s soccer’s 0-0 tie against the Jaguars on Oct. 9. Savannah Reger / The Breeze With an arm in his face, graduate forward Mezie Offurum works through an Old Dominion defender in JMU basketball’s 76-67 win on Feb. 16. Abi Middleton / The Breeze

After hitting one of her two home runs on JMU softball’s senior day April 29, graduate first baseman Hannah Shifflett leaps onto home plate to the delight of her team. Savannah Reger / The Breeze

Redshirt senior Kylie Moulin pulls her racket back as she prepares to hit the ball in JMU women’s tennis’ 4-2 win against Marshall on April 22. Ella Stotzky / The Breeze

OPINION

Evan Weaver breezeopinion@gmail.com EDITOR EMAIL @Breeze_Opinion

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 “respect-everyone” dart to the students who’ve been calling Liz Wheeler’s April 26 event hate speech.

From someone who thought the event was respectful and logically coherent, and that calls for its cancellation were totally misplaced.

A “bummer” dart to my boss for not letting my coworker and I buy matching tracksuits.

From someone who doesn’t want to use their own money.

EMMA SELI compromising controversy

As a JMU student who struggles with anorexia, it can be extremely difficult to receive help and adequate treatments. With the consistent stress of school, jobs and social life, it’s incredibly easy to relapse. The reality is eating disorders are dangerous, and suffering from one can lead to death. While it’s a mental illness, the physical effects on the body are dire.

Eating disorders are heartbreakingly common on college campuses, with both male and female students struggling with anorexia or bulimia, according to a study published by the Journal of College Health. Academic and social pressures, along with societal stigmatization toward eating disorders and other mental illnesses, significantly contribute to this problem. Seeking help can be incredibly difficult, especially when many colleges aren’t adequately equipped to provide care and support to students suffering from these issues.

A “where-is-everyone” pat to the Wheeler event for drawing everyone to East Campus.

From someone who didn’t have to wait in line at Chick-fil-A.

An “I’m-confused” pat to the JMU’s Student Government Association for supporting the JMU vision and Wheeler’s event, and dart for it then repudiating its support.

From a libertarian who’d never heard of Liz Wheeler.

In the same study — which used a sample of 1,168 undergraduates, 674 females and 494 males, reflecting the demographic characteristics of the college student population in the U.S. — it was found that 13.5% of female undergraduates and 3.6% of male undergraduates tested positive for eating disorders.

It’s necessary for universities to be acutely aware of this issue and provide the means of help and recovery to students suffering from these dangerous disorders. Anorexia and bulimia don’t just affect our bodies, they affect our minds and influence practically every aspect of our lives.

However, society’s stigmatization of disordered eating strongly discourages individuals from seeking much-needed help. The lack of appropriate treatments and other resources also significantly contributes to this issue.

JMU’s Counseling Center provides some assistance to those looking to get help for their disorders, providing information on symptoms and links for students to use. This includes a listing of potential symptoms, a self-assessment survey, links to information on receiving treatment and group counseling, and additional information on nutrition, personal fitness and body positivity. However, difficulty in accessing resources from the Counseling Center can be discouraging to students seeking help, especially when asking for help is tough in its own right.

The stigmatization of eating disorders and mental health is a devastating part of our society. I struggled with my eating disorder for roughly two years before I sought help because I thought it was just like any other mental illness. I figured it would solve itself eventually until I realized the serious nature of eating disorders. If it weren’t for my parents and doctor, I may not have returned to JMU last fall semester. I was lucky enough to have a support system, but that’s relatively rare. Many people suffering from eating disorders may not have family, friends or doctors supporting them through the intense process. Finding help is by no means easy.

According to the Toledo Center for Eating Disorders, there’s a “strong stigma” surrounding disordered eating that the struggles someone experiences are voluntary or about vanity. The Toledo Center also says this makes many people who could benefit from treatment at a skilled eating disorder guidance program avoid seeking help.

An article from the Journal of American College Health examined the pervasiveness of eating disorders among college students and the high correlation between eating disorders and other mental health issues, as well as the reasons individuals often delay seeking help and the difficulties associated with access to treatment. This includes stigmatization toward eating disorders, denial of existence, lack of availability of treatment and mental health professionals, and issues concerning affordability and access to insurance.

In the same article, the authors stress additional factors that come into play when seeking treatment, like the stigma associated with eating disorders, a lack of a sense of urgency and motivation, a lack of access to treatment and the denial of illness — all of which are prevalent in eating disorders.

More can be done to combat the prevalence of eating disorders among college students

The percentage of male undergraduates with an eating disorder is

of female undergraduates have an eating disorder

Evan Weaver / The Breeze

13.5% 3.6%

One JMU student, who asked to remain anonymous due to the sensitivity of their eating disorder, said college has worsened their eating disorder and that it’s difficult to receive help.

“It’s extremely hard to find time to eat between classes, work and studying. It’s also hard when so many people around you carry unhealthy eating patterns and don’t know it,” the student said. “There are also so many to compare yourself to, which is very triggering. The same goes for society: Eating disorder culture is built into our lives, and with social media, it’s even harder to escape those ideologies.”

The student sought help from the Counseling Center and, while they said they found the staff incredibly kind, they had to stop attending appointments due to the Center’s consistent lack of availability.

“The counseling and health center are hard to schedule with, and there are no widely shared options for those who may need to take extended breaks for mental health care,” the student said.

The Center has introduced a new virtual mental health option this year, TimelyCare,

to help ease the burden however.

When inpatient treatment is necessary, school often gets in the way. However, JMU has the HOPE (Help Overcome Problems with Eating and Exercise) Team to provide outreach to students with these issues.

According to its page on JMU’s website, the goals of the HOPE Team are to “provide students who are suffering from eating and exercise disorders with an on-campus resource to give them what they need in terms of education, evaluation, and eventual recovery.”

The HOPE team provides students with resources to help combat problems with eating and exercise. This includes links to the Counseling Center for therapy and assistance, JMU dieticians, physicians and fitness experts.

Faith Fischetti, a JMU student who has personal experience with eating disorders and volunteers for the National Eating Disorder Association (NEDA) helpline, notes that, in general, college life affects disordered eating habits and many people may not even recognize their unhealthy eating patterns.

However, recognizing these patterns is

hard, just as seeking help is. Fischetti said she was lucky to have the support system of friends, family and doctors to cope with her eating disorder — noting her unique position as a NEDA volunteer is part of the support system for others struggling.

“Since a lot of us are broke and may not eat as much as we should due to the price of groceries, someone who is really struggling may not get the support they deserve as early as they deserve it,” Fischetti said. “It is also challenging to reach the step where you recognize that you need help, and it’s even harder to ask for it.”

Unfortunately, on June 1, NEDA is being switched to an AI chatbot, which will de-personalize the experience and negate what Fischetti calls one of the benefits of working with NEDA: her words and expertise helping “at least one person see the beauty within themselves.”

“Throughout my conversations on the helpline, I have noticed that a lot of contacts appreciate talking to a real person,” Fischetti said. “The personalized conversation shows that the individual is being listened to and that their specific situation is understood.”

NEDA has a program called “Campus Warriors,” and Fischetti recommends that it comes to JMU. The program is a way for students passionate about spreading awareness for eating disorders to come together and increase knowledge and start conversations about eating disorders on campus, Fischetti said. NEDA also conducts walks in various cities to support its efforts.

Spreading awareness on the prevalence of eating disorders is essential, especially among college populations. So many of us struggle with eating disorders, and it’s incredibly difficult to identify the patterns associated with disordered eating. It’s even harder to seek and receive treatment. Colleges across the country, including JMU, must help to combat this serious issue and increase access to necessary resources.

Everyone deserves support and everyone deserves help.

CONTACT

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

To minimize violence, guns should not be brought to parties

ORIANA LUKAS opinions with oriana

In the early morning hours of Saturday, April 15, a fatal shooting took place at a party at Redpoint apartment complex. Residents nearby told The Breeze later that Saturday they didn’t expect a shooting to happen in what they think should be a safe area. Unfortunately, gunshots shattered this vibe as they rang through the house. As students ran in fear, two bodies lay lifeless on the floor.

This should never happen.

While fights can be inevitable, how someone handles them another story. JMU senior Mike Delpercio attended the party and explained his experience.

“We were chilling against the wall close to the front door, then we heard the three gunshots,” Delpercio said. “The music was super loud, so when the shots happened, I wasn’t even sure what had happened and thought it was a balloon popping. Once everyone realized, we ran out the door and ran down the hill to get away from the house. My girlfriend lived back near the house, so when we walked back up, we saw an officer holding the gun, which I assumed was the shooter’s that he had dropped.”

While this chilling event shook up the JMU community, these occurrences aren’t rare anymore. Gun violence in the U.S. has increased significantly. According to ABC News, more than 11,500 people have died from gun violence since the start of 2023. That’s approximately 115 deaths per day. While suicides make up about 57% of gun deaths, that still leaves a large percentage of deaths caused by someone shooting another person. College campuses and the surrounding areas are especially vulnerable, with U.Va., Virginia Tech and Bridgewater having all suffered a shooting in the last year.

Alcohol use is also a predominant factor in gun violence. Alcohol increases brain impairment and blur judgment, according to a 2019 study that shows about 25% of those who

died from an unintentional firearm injury had consumed alcohol. There should never be an instance where a gun is brought to a social event. Tensions can be high in a party environment, which can lead to disputes. Fighting should be handled without taking someone’s life.

This thought process was sadly not taken into account at Redpoint, though there’s been no confirmation of alcohol consumption from the perpetrator.

Chaos ensued when the two victims were fatally shot. The two victims were Calour Fields, a 17-year-old male from Harrisonburg High School, and D’angelo Marquise Gracy, a 22-year-old from Rocky Mount, North Carolina — too young for their lives to end. This fatality should never have occurred and has ingrained fear in many witnesses. A JMU student, who requested to remain anonymous due to their involvement at the party, said the whole scenario felt unreal.

“When the shooting happened, I was outside,” the student said. “After hearing the shots, I was really hit with confusion. Nothing really registered that there was someone shooting in the party until I heard the screams and yelling coming from beyond the door. People were begging and banging for the door to open up. It felt surreal for me … like, this can’t really be happening here at JMU?”

Shootings affect everyone involved. They affect the victims, the victims’ families, the survivors and ultimately the shooters themselves. Delpercio said he was just grateful to be safe.

“We are blessed to be alive, and it all sounds very corny until it's actually real,” Delpercio said. “It could have been so much worse, and I’m just grateful we weren’t directly involved."

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

Approximately half of those aged 20-29 who died by unintentional firearm injury in the U.S. in 2019 had consumed alcohol according to the Education Fund to Stop Gun Violence. Christian Wright / The Breeze

Emma Seli at seliek@dukes. jmu.edu.

The best years of your life?

JACQUELINE DUA contributing columnist

You’re a child back at home living with your parents watching your favorite TV show. On that TV show, you see your favorite character go from being an immature high school student to a more confident and sophisticated college freshman. You see this transformation and think to yourself, “I can’t wait to go to college someday.” Then that day finally comes and you’re excited about your college acceptance letter and imagining all the fun things you’re going to do, the parties you’ll go to and the people you’ll meet. You think you’re going to college and will have the best years of your life. You’re going to leave your mark.

Since long before I could remember, “college is the best years of your life” has been a common saying. I grew up hearing it and it gave me something to look forward to when I started college. I imagined that when I started college, it was going to be an experience filled with wild parties, binge drinking, high spirit Greek life and extreme pranks. For example, the depictions of college life in movies, like “Life of the Party” with Melissa McCarthy, “House Bunny” with Anna Faris or “Neighbors” with Zac Efron. Then I got to college and had the biggest realization that all that stuff isn’t real.

The saying that “college is the best years of your life” is an overhyped and unrealistic belief that leads to unrealistic expectations. JMU has a reputation of being a party school. It’s ranked in 2023 as the no. 2 party school in Virginia by Niche. It’s nowhere near what college is depicted as in the media. Instead, it’s more like an extremely sanitized version of what you’re led to believe by the media. Also, college students can be just as immature as high schoolers — they just drink more.

Another flaw I came to realize about this belief is college can be a diverse place. There are international, STEM, art and ethnic minority students. But the experiences of college students shown in the media are usually a one-sided perspective of caucasian, male and middle to upper-middle-class freshmen. Because of this, the depiction of what the best years of life in college are supposed to look like is a false premise from the start — it’s an experience that cannot represent every college student.

Graduating senior Kyra Irani echoes this sentiment. She said she believes that her college experience doesn’t fit what’s shown in the media nor does she relate to that narrative.

“The stereotypical college experience is from the lens of a white person. I am an immigrant and a person of color. It changes the lens,” Irani said. “I also feel like the stereotypical college experience is viewed through Greek life as well, like when you look at college movies, so, it wouldn’t

describe my college experience. But I think I did have the going to parties, meeting people and doing crazy shenanigans in your first year of college.”

I also realized this belief is harmful because it can lead to students feeling insecure and inadequate if they don’t think they’re living up to this false experience. Young people tend to determine the quality of their happiness by comparison to others in what’s known as comparison disease, a term coined by clinical psychologist Chad Radniecki.

In a 2018 article, Radniecki describes how young adolescent’s self-esteem can be impacted by comparison to others. He says there are many reasons for the development of low self-esteem and selfconfidence in teenagers. One common factor he cites is the tendency for some of teens to compare themselves negatively to others. Social media has had a huge impact in fostering this propensity and creating low self-worth. It feeds directly into the tendency to compare themselves to an external standard.

Another way this belief can be harmful is that it can lead to graduating students believing the best years of their lives are now behind them and there’s nothing else to look forward to in life — that they’ve hit their peak. However, I believe that as long as a person is living, their story is still being told and there’s always room for more adventure. If college is truly the best years of someone’s life, many people may feel like they have unrealized potential since many students don’t live the stereotypical college experience. This feeling of unrealized potential could’ve even been exacerbated by the pandemic. Due to the pandemic, some people might feel like the best years of their life were wasted because they had no opportunity to experience all college has to offer.

Senior Tiarra Alston said she believes that, because of the pandemic, she didn’t have the media-depicted college experience. Since she came to JMU in 2019, and since COVID-19 started in the 2020 spring semester, she spent her early college years at home. Due to this, she said she felt she had half a freshman year. Because Alston was home all the time and didn’t see her friends, she said she felt disconnected and had to make new friends once the pandemic ended. However, by her junior year, she came to realize that her college years were the best of her life. She defines her best years as having a sense of community.

“I met a whole new group of friends, I got more active in clubs, I became involved in my major and figured out what I wanted to do,” Alston said. “That’s when I knew I belonged here and that this was a good experience for me.”

In contrast, Irani said she doesn’t believe her college years were the best of her life — instead, she believes the best for her is

yet to come. She defines the best years of her life as the strength of the bonds she has with the people around her.

“These years have been great, but I think that these years are years of growth, and it can be a little uncomfortable,” Irani said. “I think I haven’t had enough time to socialize during my growth, and I’m a social person … The major part of these defining changes of my life have kind of finished. I’m sort of feeling it out now.”

My college experience was anything but stereotypical. I started college as a transfer student and had fun partying my first year. During my college years during the pandemic, I did hospital clinicals in personal protective equipment and was isolated on campus. Then last year, I had the fun of experiencing dance bars and watching jello wrestling. My college

experience has shaped who I am today, but I’ll never see it as the best years of my life. Instead, they’re the stepping stones toward what will become my best years.

Never believe anything you see on TV to have any semblance of reality. I let myself get fooled twice by this. High school and college were overhyped with unrealistic expectations for me. Fool me once shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me. Also, whether you think you’ve had the best years of your life or have yet to live them, your story is still being written, so there will always be something to look forward to.

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

Claiming that years spent in college are the highlight of a person’s life can leave people feeling that there’s nothing left to look forward to after graduation. Abi Middleton / The Breeze

The promotion of college life as the peak of a person’s life sets unrealistic expectations and causes dissatisfaction

THEY WON’T TELL YOU WHAT’S HAPPENING... BUT WE WILL. SIGN UP NOW!

August 2022 - During Weeks of Welcome, incoming first-year students descended down South Main Street during the annual “Block Party in The ‘Burg” in partnership with many downtown businesses to encourage exploration within the local community. Abi Middleton /

September 2022 - JMU Libraries announced a three-year renovation of Carrier Library beginning in the summer of 2023, with an anticipated reopen date in fall 2026. Ryan

September 2022 - The Environmental Management Club marched in its annual Harrisonburg Climate Strike to advocate for a more environmentally friendly community. Valerie

October 2022 - Students and faculty gathered for Halftime On The Quad to celebrate the halfway point of the semester. People enjoyed games on the Quad, food and music well into the evening. Ryan

& Kailey Garner / The

October 2022 - JMU’s Student Government Association hosted its annual Purple Out event, celebrating its 21st anniversary in 2022, to encourage school spirit for the Homecoming football game. The event included free T-shirts, food and beverages, and chances for students to win various prizes. Ryan Sauer / The Breeze

November 2022 - The Center for First Generation Students opened its doors on Nov. 7. Located in the Student Success Center (SSC), it’s the first on-campus center of its kind for first-generation students. The center was later rennamed the Reddix Center for First Generation Students, thanks to a gift from JMU graduates Dr. Angela Reddix (’90) and her husband, Carl Reddix (’88). Daria Ausen / The Breeze

October 2022 - With the absence of key players, JMU football was handed its second loss of the season in its Homecoming game against Marshall on Oct. 22, 26-12. Despite the loss, Bridgeforth Stadium broke its singlegame attendance record with 26,159. Kailey Garner / The

The Breeze

The Breeze looks back at major moments at JMU throughout the 2022-23 academic year.

Sauer / The Breeze

Chenault / The Breeze

Sauer

Breeze

Breeze

November 2022 - After a shooting on the University of Virginia’s grounds Nov. 13 killed three players on the football team — D’Sean Perry, Lavel Davis Jr. and Devin Chandler — the JMU community came together to honor the victims and support one another at a vigil hosted on the steps of Wilson Hall. Ryan Sauer / The Breeze

November 2022 - After JMU’s 47-7 win against Coastal Carolina on Nov. 26, its last game of the season, the players celebrated and commemorated their seniors by crowning themselves “Kings of the East.” Valerie Cenault / The Breeze

December 2022 - JMU held its winter commencement in mid-December, graduating over 800 students with doctorate, master’s and bachelor’s degrees. Savannah Reger / The Breeze

February 2023 - Following a car accident involving five JMU students, the university hosted a candlelight vigil on the night of Feb. 5. Around 2,000 JMU community members gathered on the Quad to mourn and honor the three students who died in a car accident Thursday night: John “Luke” Fergusson, Nicholas Troutman and Joshua Mardis. Two other students, Campbell Fortune and Baird Weisleder, were seriously injured in the crash. Friends of the students spoke on their behalf, sharing various stories, memories and words of encouragement. Candles were handed out as attendees arrived, but supply soon ran out due to the multitude of people. Ryan Sauer and Abi Middleton / The Breeze

February 2023 - After a few small flurries earlier throughout the semester, snowfall finally stuck on campus in the first heavy dusting of the year. The snow began precipitating around 1:30 a.m. on Feb. 1 and continued through the early morning.

April 2023 - Purple Reign is the annual spring concert and carnival hosted by the University Program Board. Entertainment this year included emcee Stephen Glickman, who formerly played Gustavo Roque on the TV show “Big Time Rush,” and headliners Briston Maroney and Del Water Gap. JMU music acts Project Serenity, Not a Saint Band and ReScored Acappella performed along with the headliners. Free food, inflatables, UPB merch giveaways and other activities, paired with the warm weather, provided an enjoyable experience for Dukes in attendance. Charlotte Matherly / The Breeze

April 2023 - Harrisonburg hosted its 26th annual MACROCK, the largest independent music festival on the East Coast, featuring several artists and bands at venues downtown such as Clementine Cafe, Palefire Brewery and The Golden Pony. K. Mauser / The Breeze

March 2023 - The JMU women’s basketball team, recently crowned Sun Belt Conference champions, returned to Harrisonburg late in the night March 7. Nonetheless, a crowd of fans, band members and Duke Dog greeted them with music and cheers. After beating Texas State 81-51, the Dukes took home their first-ever Sun Belt women’s basketball title and earned a spot in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in seven years.

April 2023 - Rockingham County police cars park outside the Redpoint residential complex in the early morning hours April 15 after a shooting killed two non-JMU students at a house party on the 2300 block of Newberry Lane. Roujeen Ara Nowzari / The Breeze

April 2023 - JMU football hosted its annual spring game, welcoming fans into Bridgeforth Stadium for the first time in 2023. The defense, wearing white jerseys, won 24-22 in a close affair with the offense, which sported purple. Savannah Reger

April 2023 - Jim Acosta (‘93), CNN anchor and chief domestic correspondent, joined Dr. Anthony Fauci, former chief medical advisor to President Joe Biden, and student moderator Hugh McFarlane, a junior Health Sciences major, to reflect on the COVID-19 pandemic, analyze America’s response and answer questions from students in attendance. The event was held April 3 and was the final Madison Vision Series event of the 2022-23 academic year. Ryan Sauer / The Breeze

April 2023 - Conservative political commentator Liz Wheeler spoke at a lecture titled “The Ideology of Transgenderism,” hosted by JMU’s chapter of Young Americans for Freedom. Meanwhile, hundreds of students gathered on the Quad to protest Wheeler’s lecture and support the transgender community. Ryan Sauer / The Breeze

Ryan Sauer / The Breeze

Ryan Sauer / The Breeze

/ The Breeze

Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle

Edited by Patti Varol and Joyce Lewis

Robin Stears

COMMUNITY

Dance Instructor

NOW HIRING Dance Teachers for Fall 2023-Spring 2024 at well-established studio in downtown Harrisonburg. Seeking teachers with extensive dance training, performance experience and love of teaching! Send resume to dancencompany@gmail.com and call 540810-3631 to begin the interview process. Interviews begin in April-Call Now! More info - dancenco.com/ employment-opportunities.

JMU Athletics Tutors

JMU Athletics is hiring Tutors for 23/24 Academic year. GPA 3.0 or higher; tutors must have received a grade of B+ or higher in any course tutored. Tutors needed for all Gen Ed courses and for all majors. Pay rate $15-20/ hour. To apply go to JMU Job Link.(https://joblink.jmu. edu/postings/14222).

Springfield

Interstate Moving Summer Jobs and student internship program. * Gym Membership * know of anyone looking for summer work $100 per referral to anyone who refers somebody - once their hired. Contact Jenny for details and to be set up with an interview: Jenny Pardo 571-220-6485

Gaming PC Builder

Gamers! Are you interested in PC Gaming but have no clue where to start? Let me build a computer for you! I can build you a modern desktop PC that will play all the games you want and look great! You pay for the parts, and I charge 100 bucks to build it for you. Call or text 540-705-8741 and ask for Richard for a free consultation.

MADISON MARKETPLACE

Madison Marketplace is open for business, and all text-only listings are FREE ! Post job listings, announcements, rentals and more using our online placement tool. Ads run two weeks online and in two print editions.

CITY OF HARRISONBURG JOBS COMMUNITY MORE CITY OF HARRISONBURG JOBS

Pianist/Music Leader at Church

Mount Hermon UMC, located near Bayse, VA, is seeking an energetic and talented pianist and music leader for Sunday services at 9:30 a.m. Music leader would work with Pastor Josh Orndorff, JMU Ph.D. student. Email him at orndorjr@dukes.jmu.edu for more information. Pay is $100 per worship service.

STUDENT ASSISTANT: JMU International Study Center

20hrs/week, $10/hour, May or August start date. The International Study Center is a pathway program for international students at JMU that is run by Study Group, LLC. Submit resume to Jennifer Little, littl2jr@jmu.edu.

RFS is hiring!

Riverside Family Support is hiring Youth & Family Specialists and Youth Mentors. www.riversidefamilysupport.com.

PART-TIME MARKETING POSITIONS

NOW AVAILABLE AT MASSANUTTEN RESORT

Massanutten Resort Inhouse Marketing has part-time openings in our call center. Work here, Play here!! Use of resort amenities Hourly, commission, bonuses! Vacation discounts Employee Stock Option Program Email resume to: mdshifflett@massresort.com or call 540-437-3367

Seasonal Job OpportunitySwimming Pool Cashier

Do you have a flexible schedule for the summer and want to utilize your customer service skills in a fun, professional, and teamwork environment? If so, consider applying for the Swimming Pool Cashier at the Parks and Recreation Department! Find out more/apply online: https://www.harrisonburgva. gov/employment. EOE.

Crew Supervisor (Street Maintenance)

Are you searching for a career opportunity in street maintenance that allows you to have the best of both worlds: leadership and field work?

If so, consider applying to the Crew Supervisor - Street Maintenance position in the City of Harrisonburg’s Public Works Department! Find out more/apply online: https://www.harrisonburgva. gov/employment. EOE.

Job Opportunity - Office Assistant

Are you seeking a rewarding administrative job that allows you to make a difference in the local community? If so, consider applying to the City of Harrisonburg’s Office Assistant position within the Registrar’s Office! Find out more/apply online: https://www.harrisonburgva. gov/employment. EOE.

Valley Poker League

https://www.valleypokerleague.com/ Learn poker and the community

Recreation Facility Attendant

Do you want to utilize your customer service skills and abilities to make a positive impact on citizens/guests visiting Parks and Recreation facilities? If so, the City of Harrisonburg’s Parks and Recreation Department’s Recreation Facility Attendant position may be the right job for you! Find out more/apply: https://www. harrisonburgva.gov/employment. EOE.

Custodian Senior

Do you want a career with the City that helps project a friendly image to our citizens, employees, and others? If so, the Parks and Recreation Department’s Custodian Senior position may be the right opportunity for you! Find out more/apply online: https://www.harrisonburgva.gov/employment. EOE.