Early voting starts Friday; here’s what to know News | 4
New on-campus art gallery rooted in activism
Culture | 10
Field hockey revs up for new conference
Sports | 15
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Opinion | 18
On the cover
The polls open their doors to early voters on Friday. This means it's time for Dukes to engage in their first presidential election. JMU students have access to several Virginia-, Harrisonburg- and universitybased resources to bridge the gap between curiosity and civic engagement.
The Breeze’s 2024 voter guide
By DRAKE MILLER The Breeze
With November quickly approaching and early voting opening Friday, here’s what to know, according to the Virginia Department of Elections.
Voter Registration
To register to vote in Virginia, a person must be a state resident, a United States Citizen, 18 years old by election day and not registered in another state; other requirements include being mentally competent in the eyes of the law and having no felony convictions without the right to vote restored.
Registration applications can be found online through its Citizen Portal, at local voter registration offices, public libraries, department of Motor Vehicles offices and Voter registration drives. Completed forms can be filed at local registration offices or mailed to the address printed on the form.
Once submitted, registered voters will receive correspondence confirming their registration status. If not received, the Virginia Department of Elections urges prospective voters to contact their local registrar’s office.
In-states Dukes can check their registration status on the Virginia Department of Elections website.
JMU’s TurboVote platform is another resource to aid in registration. Students may register, check their registration status and pre-register to vote on the TurboVote website.
Absentee voting
The application to vote by mail can be found online via the Virginia Department of Elections, along with paper absentee ballot information. Ballots can be tracked using the Department of Elections’ ballot tracking system.
In-person early voting
Registered voters can vote early at their local registrar’s office starting Friday, Sept. 20. The last day to vote early at any in-person location is Saturday, Nov. 2. Voters aren’t required to provide a reason to fill out an application to vote early. Voters must provide an acceptable form of ID or sign an ID confirmation Statement to vote early in-person at their local registrar’s office. Registration office locations can be found using the Department of Elections’ website.
Election Day
Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 5. Voters may find their polling place using the Virginia Department of Elections lookup page. Virginia polls will be open from 6 a.m. until 7 p.m. on Election Day.
Individuals must submit a copy of their identification or sign a confirmation statement so their ballot will be counted. Provisional ballots will be provided to voters who arrive at their polling place without an acceptable form of ID if they refused to sign an ID confirmation statement.
The copy of identification or ID confirmation statements are due noon on the Friday following the election. They can be submitted by fax, email,
in-person submission, USPS or a commercial delivery service.
More information on in-person voting, absentee voting, military and overseas voting, accessible voting, and candidates are available on the Virginia Department of Elections’ website.
On-campus resources
The Madison Center for Civic Engagement’s Interim Executive Director Kara Dillard said the Center wants Dukes to feel like they’re knowledgeable about “what it means to be an engaged student in democracy” in order to “better the common good.”
“We’re not just in it for ourselves, but we’re in it because the only way a democracy works is if we do it all together,” Dillard said.
If Dukes have questions about the voting resources listed above, Dillard said the Center is a resource.
“We want to make sure folks know we are non-partisan,” the Center’s Interim Associate Director Monica McEnerny said. “We’re not trying to tell anyone how to vote or who to vote for, we just want to make sure that folks are educated in the process of becoming a voter.”
Dillard said the Center has “grown exponentially over the years.”
“We’re focused on voting, and we’re focused on ensuring that students have the right and good information to be informed voters,” Dillard said, adding that the gravity of discussing important issues with one another is what it means to be a citizen in “any kind of democracy.”
The Madison Center for Civic Engagement’ s Interim Executive Director Kara Dillard said the Center wants every JMU student to feel knowledgeable and like an “ engaged student in democracy.” Breeze file photo
Libby Addison / The Breeze
Dillard added the “dual mandate” of the Madison Center this year is to help students be voters while communicating across political differences.
McEnerny said she’s primarily focused on the voting registration effort and works with the nine Democracy Fellows — all of whom are students — to ensure that all Dukes are registered to vote and follow through on Election Day.
Why vote?
Dillard said the work she does in getting students to vote makes her realize how “deeply ingrained” voting and sharing one’s voice is to students and the broader JMU community.
“James Madison himself was someone who deeply thought and cared a lot about this idea that people need to be informed on what the issues are, they need to be able to talk across differences,” Dillard said. “That is, in many ways, what we do at JMU and in higher education. Encourage students to hear different voices and hear different views and translate that into the ballot box on Nov. 5.”
She added that voting helps undergraduates grow into independent adults because it ’ s the “first choice and opportunity” for students to discover their identities and values.
“Each individual person’s ballot matters,” Dillard said. “Voting is a way to make sure our voice has meaning and impact.”
McEnerny said the part of her work at the Center that interests her most is “the idea that we are helping young people to build an identity for themselves, or to open up and consider their own identities.” Her career as a professor of education and public school teacher is the same type of work, she said — helping students think about who they are as U.S. citizens.
McEnerny used one word to describe the importance of voting: voice.
“We need to hear what young people feel is the best path forward, and the way for them to share
that is through their voice,” she said, adding that voting can be “such a personal thing.”
Looking toward the future
There’s been a “tremendous outpouring” this past month of students who are interested in voting, Dillard said. McEnerny said the Madison Center conducted visits to JMU classes to distribute information to students and faculty.
“Classes are inviting us in. Faculty are amazingly engaged,” McEnerny said. “It makes me really optimistic that maybe we will beat those [previous] numbers [of civic engagement],” she said in reference to the 2020 election — when 75% of Dukes voted.
She credits her optimism to the Center’s previously mentioned face-to-face outreach. Dillard said students “are really looking
forward to voting,” and this marks an improvement since last semester — that candidates and issues have made Dukes “feel jazzed about turning out to vote,” she added.
The Center also conducts work with student organizations and JMU Athletics to get students registered and voting, McEnerny said. “JMU students, for the majority, really would like to share their voices and they do want to vote,” McEnerny said. “It’s just getting through that paperwork, you know, you have to fill out the form and go to the right place at the right time. We don’t want those little logistics to get in the way.”
The Center will be hosting a vice presidential debate watch party with a faculty expert panel on Oct. 1. The Center also plans to provide JMU-specific “I Voted” stickers on Election Day, and host an “Election Day party” at Godwin Hall and Warner Commons.
“After a major election like this election will be, it’s important for us as a campus community to come together and process these results together,” Dillard said. “Whether we are joyous in the results or if the results are concerning, we still need to be able to come together as a campus and work through those emotions together.”
CONTACT Drake Miller at mille8dl@dukes. jmu.edu. For more coverage of JMU and Harrisonburg news, follow the news desk on X @BreezeNewsJMU.
The Madison Center’s Interim Associate Director Monica McEnerny said the best part of her work to help students learn about voting is “the idea that we are helping young people to build an identity for themselves or to open up and consider their own identities.” Breeze file photo
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Board of Visitors roundup: JMU to consider standarized testing, over $100 million allocated to university projects
Interim JMU President Charlie King talks enrollment during university update
By K. MAUSER The Breeze
With last year marking another all-time high of student applications, Interim University President Charlie King said he hopes to set the Dukes up for another “year of success.”
JMU’s Board of Visitors (BoV) met Friday morning to receive updates on all areas of university life as well as to discuss JMU’s future, ranging from the renovation of Johnston Hall to whether or not the university will reinstate standardized testing for firstyear applicants.
President’s update on enrollment stats, media rankings
In an 81% increase from fall 2021, King said JMU received 42,091 total applications for the fall 2024 semester — 47% of which were outof-state applicants. He added that JMU’s class of 2028 will be composed of just over 5,000 students with 3,583 from Virginia.
Each of these new students will now need to participate in the Better Conversations Project, King said, which is a civic education requirement for new students spearheaded by Kara Dillard, the Madison Center for Civic Engagement’s interim executive director, and Chief of Staff David Kirkpatrick.
King said the incoming class was sent work over the summer to complete before attending JMU. This work was then integrated in small groups to learn how to navigate partisan discourse during orientation week.
“Civic engagement has been a priority for this institution for the last several years,” King said. “We’re excited about our approach.”
King added that JMU is gaining traction nationwide: JMU ranks No. 27 out of 500 universities nationwide for best public university, No. 8 out of universities nationwide for the best on-campus food, No. 5 out of Division I universities nationwide for using Instagram to promote social media engagement and No. 11 out of universities nationwide for the best athletics facilities.
JMU’s rank for its athletic facilities “speaks volumes” to their quality, King said, especially considering JMU was ranked against other Division I schools.
Fundraising goals exceeded, success in athletics
The Dukes ended last academic year with just above a 60% all-sports winning percentage, two conference titles, 14 All-American athletes, 10 NCAA postseason appearances and 382 student-athletes on the President’s or Dean’s lists. During his update, Athletics Committee Chair Dickie Bell said this momentum will continue into fall 2024.
JMU teams have compiled an 8-7-5 cumulative record across all fall sports so far this year, Dickie said, and 10 former student-athletes had their first “professional opportunities” at the start of the fall semester.
Dickie also said JMU Athletics filled two “key positions” within the department: Team Physician Joseph Volpi and Associate Assistant Dean for Integrated Health Brandon Sanders,
who will both work to “prioritize studentathlete well-being.”
JMU Duke Club, which helps raise money for university athletic programs, collected from 8,665 donors to raise a record-breaking $6.5 million in total, Dickie said.
Over
$100 million allocated to university projects
Finance and Fiscal Development Committee
Chair Steve Smith said JMU’s revenue and expenditures for the 2023-24 fiscal year “exceeded the university’s budget expectations” and provided JMU’s 2025-26 budget request to the Board.
Smith said the budget request included $4.9 million to support veterans through the Virginia Military Survivors and Dependent Education program, just under $1 million for the new “fast flex” nursing degree program, a capital request of $26.8 million in general funds to renovate Johnston Hall and $86 million as a debt request “to construct the new residence hall.”
What’s next for the Board?
At its next meeting, King said the BoV will discuss requiring applicants send their test scores to JMU — a return to form after the requirement was dropped during the pandemic.
“The governor has asked us to come back to the Board and asked to get your input on whether or not we should reinstitute standardized testing in our admissions process,” King said.
King said Gov. Glenn Youngkin is “concerned” by the looming enrollment cliff — a predicted decline in students looking to attend college starting in 2025 due to a birthrate drop, according to Forbes. Specifically, King said Youngkin worries some schools may enroll students that aren’t ready for college workloads. King added that reinstating standardized testing may be a “vehicle” JMU can use to help predict future success for first-year students.
King also said the Board will consider student accessibility accommodations at its next meeting but didn’t elaborate on what the Board would specifically discuss.
NCAA scholarships and roster limits will also be discussed, King said, in response to new rules on increased accessibility of studentathlete scholarships.
The Board will reconvene Nov. 7 and Nov. 8.
Libby Addison contributed to this report.
CONTACT K. Mauser at breezenews@gmail.com. For more coverage of JMU and Harrisonburg news, follow the news desk on X @TheBreezeJMU and on Instagram @BreezeJMU.
JMU’s applications have increased 81% since fall 2021, Interim University President Charlie King said during his university update. Breeze file photo
SGA allocates reserve funds to SafeRides, amends constitution for leadership structure
By K. MAUSER The Breeze
At its regular Tuesday meeting, the Student Government Association (SGA) Senate amended its constitution to expand and clarify leadership roles as well as modify its structure, and allocated $105.99 in reserve funds for a pop-up canopy for SafeRides.
Amendments to leadership organization
The Senate unanimously passed approximately 70 minor amendments to its constitution made by the SGA’s executive and senior leadership teams composed of the Senate’s nine seniormost members. The majority of these changes expand on the
Senate’s leadership roles and introduce new advisers, senior and Student Body President Brielle Lacroix said, who spoke on behalf of the leadership team.
Lacroix said most of these changes have already been implemented this academic year as a trial run and have worked “really well” for the Senate.
The most substantial change was the introduction of a new advising team composed of a head adviser as Associate Vice President For Student Life and Involvement Dirron Allen who will work with the SGA’s president, and an internal adviser as Executive Director of the Madison Center for Civic Engagement Kara Dillard who will work with the student representative to the Board of Visitors. An external adviser as Director of Student Life Jen Grossman Leopard will work with its vice president.
“They are changes you guys might not even have noticed because they were so seamlessly applied and carried out by our leadership team,” Lacroix said. “We’ve done a really good job of looking at this organization [and] making some changes to make it better.”
SafeRides receives
$105.99 in reserve funds
Senior and SafeRides Financial Director Kelly Mansfield requested $105.99 in reserve funds on behalf of the organization, which was passed unanimously by the SGA.
Treasurer Carson Tighe said reserve funds are allocated to eight organizations, including SafeRides, all of which are directly funded by the SGA. He added that reserve funds are amounts of money left over from previous years to cover “capital expenditures” for these eight organizations.
SafeRides is an entirely student-run organization offering “free and safe rides home” to JMU students on Friday and Saturday nights from 10 p.m. to 3 a.m., according to its website.
Mansfield said these funds will go toward purchasing a canopy to be used for outreach.
“This is a long-term purchase that we hope to use for many years to come,” Mansfield said.
Specifically, Mansfield said the canopy would be used for outside tabling to spread SafeRides’ mission as well as for alumni tailgates and intramural games.
“This is going to really help them whenever they need to have special events and other tabling events,” sophomore and Legislative Affairs Chair Mason Hoey said. “I don’t see any reason to deny this.”
CONTACT K. Mauser at breezenews@gmail.com. For more coverage of JMU and Harrisonburg news, follow the news desk on X @TheBreezeJMU and on Instagram @BreezeJMU.
The SGA Senate passed approximately 70 amendments to its constitution at its meeting Tuesday, one was the introduction of a new advising team composed of a head adviser, an internal adviser and an external adviser.
Photos by K. Mauser / The Breeze
Where students should look for late-night eats
By EDISON VRANIAN The Breeze
Sophomore Matthew Kitts has a problem: his classes end at 8:15 p.m. but both oncampus dining halls close at 8 p.m.
“D-Hall, which is the one I usually go to, has healthier food than The Den or Chick-fil-A or Steak ’n Shake, which are mostly the options that are available after 8 o’clock,” Kitts said.
JMU Dining Services has no plans to adjust the hours of either dining hall, Food Director for JMU Dining Doug Pugh wrote in an emailed statement to The Breeze.
Dukes like Kitts are left with a dilemma: Where can they get healthy meals after dark?
The two on-campus dining halls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekends, according to JMU Dining’s website — hours that, according to a Breeze Instagram poll, 55 % of students think are adequate for students.
Sophomore Brennan Rusher said he has work obligations after his classes that affect when he eats his dinner. He added that the limited options cause “really long wait times.”
Rusher said JMU Dining should consider extending its dining hall hours of operation by one hour — similar to its extended hours during Ramadan, finals week or the day before fall and spring break. His reasoning? Dukes with late-night obligations could get a meal before bed, and students with dietary restrictions would have more available options.
CONTACT Edison Vranian at vraniawe@dukes,jmu.edu. For more coverage of JMU and Harrisonburg news, follow the news desk on X @TheBreezeJMU and on Instagram @BreezeJMU. hichic
Ella Austin / The Breeze
EDITORS EMAIL
Abby Camp & Sixuan Wu
Minia Biabiany raises awareness of environmental issues, activism in Duke Hall Gallery show opening
By MADDIE BALDWIN contributing writer
Black, abstract wooden cut-outs dangle from the ceiling, hovering above reflecting pools that lie below. Multicolored strings drape across the wall and serve as the otherwise monochrome exhibit’s lone point of color. The silent room emphasized the pieces’ weight.
In her exhibition “dlo a rasin” — which translates from French to “the root water” — artist Minia Biabiany illustrates the effects of environment contamination and pollution. Hailing from Guadeloupe, Biabiany incorporates themes of her homeland’s environmental issues into her art.
The theme of her installation was “living with the land” — emphasizing how humans work in accordance with the Earth’s elements, history and space, according to the Duke Hall Gallery Exhibition website. After studying in France at fine arts school ENSBA Lyon, Biabiany has displayed her work worldwide — including exhibits at the 10th Biennale de Berlin and in Costa Rica, Mexico and Paris.
In “dlo a rasin,” Biabiany compares “The Chemical Capital of the South” — 1950s and ’60s Hopewell, Virginia — and
Guadeloupe’s use of a chemical insecticide as her inspiration. Biabiany’s gallery brings awareness to the chemical chlordecone — also known as kepone — which is imported to use as an insecticide on banana plantations. Exposure to this chemical caused illness among Hopewell workers, according to Duke Hall Gallery’s exhibit description.
The gallery features hanging installations, a dead tree trunk, informational videos about agricultural preservation efforts and a French nature documentary.
“The exhibit is eye-catching and one of a kind,” freshman media arts and design major Demi Magnini said. “Lots caught my eye and made me think about what [the piece] symbolizes.”
Magnini said the abstract figures left much for the mind to interpret, leading to a multitude of unique ideas about environmental conservation.
“[My favorite pieces were] the two reflecting pools,” Magnini said. “I believe they could be a metaphor for the reflections that we need to do on ourselves to consider the positive or negative impacts of humanity on the environment.”
Artist Minia Biabiany spoke on the relationship between people and the Earth in her Duke Hall art exhibition. Photos by April Weber / The Breeze
The name of the exhibition, “dlo a rasin,” translates to “the root water.”
With a background in farming and a family that valued independent tactile work in Guadeloupe, Biabiany resonates with the well-being of agriculture and its industry of workers and products, according to the Contemporary And website. She’s interested in the self-understanding and healing factors agriculture brings to physical and mental health, according to Duke Hall Gallery’s description of Biabiany’s mission on its website.
Throughout her career, Biabiany has used art to raise awareness of racial and colonial issues that intersect with environmental improvement; she focuses on how racism and colonialism humanizes nature and dehumanizes people. Biabiany sees the treatment of agriculture as a reflection of society’s values, according to her website.
“Messages through a picture helps put an idea together better than words can describe,” freshman dietetics major Alyssa Libasci said. “The small details in art make you appreciate everything in life a little more.”
By slowing down to appreciate life’s small details, learning about issues can become easier, Libasci said.
“[Art] gives you something to visualize and think about,” Magnini said.
Libasci said consuming art gives you a chance to expand your worldview and increase your empathy for situations by which you’re not directly affected, such as the chlordecone contamination addressed by “dlo a rasin” — art speaks a universal language.
“Art is a great tool to convey a message. It doesn’t matter what language you speak, where you come from or your background,” Libasci said. “Art can speak to anyone.”
Biabiany’s gallery is available to students until Oct. 18
CONTACT Maddie Baldwin at baldw4mx@dukes.jmu.edu. For more on the culture, arts and lifestyle of the JMU and Harrisonburg communities, follow the culture desk on X @TheBreezeJMU and Instagram @BreezeJMU.
A WEALTH OF HEALTH A WEALTH OF HEALTH
More than a deep breath: How to manage stress
By GRACE SAWYER The Breeze
If you ask any college student how they feel at any given point in the semester, many would respond: “stressed.”
In a 2022 study by the American Psychological Foundation, 62% of women and 51% of men 18-34 years old report that, most days, they’re completely overwhelmed by stress. If you feel similar, you’re not alone.
Many students expect college to be the time of their lives when they meet lifelong friends and figure out what they want to do with their future. For some, it can be, but that’s not always the case.
Friends, classes, work, grades, homesickness, relationships, finances and other facets of university life can all raise students’ stress levels. Fluctuations in stress are normal, but extended stressful periods can be detrimental to health. According to The Mayo Clinic, stress on the body can negatively impact your mood, physical health and behavior.
Stress can manifest in the body through shortterm symptoms such as headaches, chest pain, tiredness or fatigue, sleeping problems, muscle tension and a weakened immune system. A compromised immune system can cause you to get sick more easily, and sleeping problems can impact how you function in class — if you can even make it to class. Unaddressed stress can lead to serious problems like heart disease, stroke, obesity and high blood pressure.
Stress also alters mood. Being overwhelmed can lead to anxiety, restlessness, an inability to focus, loss of motivation, memory problems and anger outbursts. Being stressed can make you feel like a completely different person; it can change your mood so much that your personal and academic life can suffer.
Stress also impacts daily habits that may go otherwise unnoticed, such as over- or undereating, misusing alcohol or substances, exercising less frequently, or withdrawing from friends and family. In a time when you need support, withdrawing and harming your body’s capacity to function can cause irreparable damage.
Biabiany uses her art to spread awareness and encite change in the world. She focuses on the topics of race and colonialism through the lens of environmental sustainability.
JMU students and faculty attended an informative reception held by the School of Art, Design and Art History.
The exhibit references aspects of Guadeloupe, where Biabiany was born and raised.
Column|Delia Owens’ ‘Where the Crawdads
Sing’ spins a moving tale of love and resilience
By SIXUAN WU The Breeze
Editor’s note: This review contains spoilers.
The people of Barkley Cove, North Carolina, thought they knew all about “the Marsh Girl.” I did too while reading “Where the Crawdads Sing.” They were wrong, and so was I — at least until the final chapter.
Written in 2018 by naturalist and zoologist Delia Owens, “Where the Crawdads Sing” follows the life of Kya Clark, a girl who’s lived in the North Carolina marshes since being abandoned by her family at a young age. Alone and isolated from the townspeople, Kya soon falls victim to the town’s tall tales. They called her “the Marsh Girl,” said she was a wolf child or the “missing link between man and ape,” and her eyes glowed in the dark.
But the truth couldn’t have been further from these rumors — fending for her life on her own since the age of 10, Kya grew to be an observant and resilient young woman with a quiet determination and deep understanding of the marsh. Even so, rumors and prejudices still surround Kya and her isolated lifestyle. And when Chase Andrews, the town’s former star quarterback, dies mysteriously, Kya becomes the primary suspect.
Critically acclaimed, “Where the Crawdads Sing” topped The New York Times Best Sellers list in both 2019 and 2020. The novel was a wonderful read, and I can see why this global phenomenon has attracted so many readers.
“Where the Crawdads Sing” crosses over many genres; it’s a murder mystery, love story and
coming-of-age story all at once, while also touching upon social issues such as racial discrimination and environmental awareness.
The author’s expertise as a naturalist carries through prominently by means of Kya’s keen observations of the marsh. I love how Owens depicted the marsh through Kya’s eyes — all its plants, creatures, the sky and the water are described with unique grace that somehow treads the line between scientific lingos and poetry. In these detailed descriptions, I could see that the marsh isn’t the wasteland so many townspeople believed it to be, rather a safe haven Kya calls home.
Kya’s characterization comes with many merits. Owens captured her struggle with loneliness and the resilience stemming from that struggle. Throughout the book, we see Kya grow from the insecure little girl she was when her family abandoned her to an observant, confident young woman with her own quiet strength. Yes, Kya is shy and tends to avoid people, but she’s incredibly capable in her expertise of navigating the marsh and the creatures that inhabit it, which allows her to stand out from the frivolous, superficial girls from town and catch the eye of the other two main characters in the novel: Tate and Chase. There’s also a deep-rooted authenticity within Kya — she may be timid, but she always stands her ground when it comes to things that matter to her. This is a quality displayed more prominently as the story progresses into her murder trial.
Yet even as Kya grows and evolves, a fragility remains within her. I love how the author portrayed Kya’s doubts and fears with all their raw intensity. Independent as she is, Kya never fully heals from the wound her family’s abandonment inflicted upon her. One by one, everyone Kya has ever known and loved leaves her — first her mother, then her siblings, her favorite brother Jodie and finally her violent, alcoholic father. Even as she opens her heart up to love again in her budding adolescence, both men she loved walk away from her too.
Throughout the novel, Owens contrasts Kya’s longing for human contact with her fear of losing another she loves and once again ending up alone. This juxtaposition is portrayed most prominently when Tate Walker — Kya’s childhood friend and later love interest who taught her how to read and shares her love for nature — leaves for college and doesn’t return for years. Heartbroken by Tate’s departure, Kya struggles with opening up her heart again, even as she still longs to be loved, the desperation of which leads her to fall for Chase, the town’s “golden boy.”
That being said, the characterization of the other main characters are all lackluster in comparison. Tate and Chase, Kya’s two love interests, are both quite two-dimensional, with Tate being the kind yet hesitant protector and Chase as the charming yet self-assertive rogue. Other supporting characters, such as Jumpin’ and Mabel — the Black couple who supports Kya with food and clothes as a child and constantly look out for her as a young woman — while more well-developed with richer personalities, serve little purpose to the plot and fail to offer deeper insight into Kya’s character.
The biggest reason why I give this book four stars instead of five is that the the two main plot lines’ marriage — Kya’s struggles while growing up as the Marsh Girl and Chase’s murder mystery — felt too jarring for me. Books that try to tackle too many genres at once tend to fall into this trap; some of the plots become boring when one tries to chew on too much at once. Indeed, while reading the book’s first part — where Owens alternated between Kya’s childhood in the past and the police investigating Chase’s death in the present — it was almost like reading two separate stories.
Even as the book goes on and the plot lines merge at Kya’s murder trial, too much of the tension is diluted by the endless dialogues between the prosecutor and defense attorney — the volume of which could’ve been focused on more in-depth character development. I was surprised that for a character as observant as Kya, very little writing surrounding the trial was from
her perspective, and the author instead chose to rapidly piece the mystery together with witnesses’ info-dumps. Similarly, the novel’s ending, while packing a punch in its surprising final twist, doesn’t have enough momentum built throughout the story to make it as believable as I would’ve liked. I could see the reasons behind the revelations when I look closely enough, yet at the same time, I feel so many events were simply fast-forwarding toward the end without more meaningful storytelling to support the plot.
Overall, “Where the Crawdads Sing” was a wonderful read. I am awed by the concepts Owens explored in the novel as to what isolation brings a person — strength, resilience, love. I love how the novel is a call to nature not simply by inviting readers
into Kya’s world deep in the marsh, but also by presenting both nature’s tenderness and cruelty. And, of course, at the end of the day, like Kya said about fireflies — “they hid a secret call to die” — appearances can be deceiving and never yield as much as they probably should.
Some parts of this review were originally published by Sixuan Wu on Goodreads
CONTACT Sixuan Wu at thebreezeculture@gmail.com. For more bookish content, stay tuned for the “Bibliomania” column and follow the culture desk on X @TheBreezeJMU and Instagram @BreezeJMU.
Author of the novel Delia Owens is a naturalist and zoologist who spent 23 years conducting research in Africa.
Photo by Dawn Marie Tucker for deliaowens.com
“Where the Crawdads Sing” follows the life of Kya Clark, a girl who grew up in the North Carolina marshes alone after being abandoned by her family. Photo sourced from Amazon
SPORTS
EDITORS Hayden Hundley & Preston Comer
JMU looks to maintain success in Sun Belt play
No. 21 JMU will open conference play against last year’s No. 1 UCF on Saturday at Sentara Park
By LUKE FAIRCLOTH The Breeze
After tying its first three games of the season, JMU men’s soccer found its stride in its most recent two games ahead of Sun Belt play.
The Dukes entered the year ranked as the No. 18 team in the United Soccer Coaches poll following an impressive 2023 season that saw the Dukes advance to the round of 16 in the NCAA tournament. JMU quickly fell out of the rankings after tying three straight games to begin the season.
JMU bounced back with wins over No. 14 Georgetown and Liberty, pushing the Dukes back up to No. 21 thanks to clutch goals from graduate forward Aidan Melville and sophomore defender Luca Nikolai. The Dukes’ defense — led by senior defender Enrique Garcia Barelles — has been impressive so far, stifling opponents to four shutouts in five games. Garcia Barelles was awarded Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Week on Tuesday for his efforts.
“We have a strong connection on our team,” Nikolai said. “We look at each other and think we can get this.”
JMU will need this chemistry to compete for a Sun Belt Championship in 2024; the conference features two teams ranked in the United Soccer Coaches’ top 10.
The best of the Belt
No. 5 West Virginia (4-0-1) poses the biggest challenge in the conference for JMU’s defense. The Mountaineers average three goals per game while JMU has yet to score more than three goals in a match this year.
Graduate forward Sergio Ors Navarro leads West Virginia’s offense — already scoring seven goals through five games. Those goals are enough for him to lead the country with 1.40 goals per game. He also leads the Sun Belt with 4.40 shots per game — an additional shot higher than the closest player.
Ors Navarro is no stranger to scoring against the Dukes. He scored a tying goal against JMU in 2023 which led to then-No. 3 West Virginia escaping a Dukes’ upset with a 2-2 draw.
The Dukes’ defense matching against the Mountaineer’s highpotent offense will be a battle between two heavyweights. JMU’s defense is tied for third in the country in goals against average
(.400), while West Virginia is tied for fourth in goals per game. JMU will play West Virginia for the first time on Oct. 27 at home. Though this is the only time they will meet during the regular season, the Dukes could also face off with the Mountaineers in the Sun Belt or NCAA tournaments.
No. 10 Marshall (4-1-1) enters the season as the defending Sun Belt champions. In 2023, Marshall rode an impressive 17-2 record into the NCAA tournament before falling in the round of 16 to Stanford — the nation’s current No. 1 team.
Marshall’s 2024 squad has flashed significant potential on both offense and defense with a six-goal game against Loyola (Md.) and already three shutouts.
Rounding out the top of the Sun Belt is UCF (2-1-3), who spent some time in the No. 1 spot in 2023 until it lost to JMU in the Dukes’ final regular season match.
This season, UCF ranked as high as 10th, but recently dropped from the rankings after a 4-3 loss to FIU and 0-0 tie to South Florida. The Golden Knights are currently experiencing struggles in separating themselves from opponents late into games.
JMU will play UCF in its first Sun Belt matchup of the season on Saturday at Sentara Park.
The best of the rest
South Carolina is also off to an undefeated start in 2024, going 4-0-2 over its first six games — including a 2-2 against defending national champions No. 4 Clemson. The Gamecocks even led Clemson with 25 minutes to go but surrendered the game-tying goal soon after.
South Carolina’s impressive start has been helped greatly by breakout senior forward Harrison Myring. He started only three games for the Gamecocks in 2023 but provided one of the season’s best moments for the team when he scored the game-winning goal against then-No. 1 UCF. This season, Myring leads the team with five goals.
JMU will play against South Carolina on Oct. 23 in the middle of a pivotal stretch for the Dukes that will see them face six consecutive Sun Belt opponents — the longest stretch on the team’s schedule this year.
ABOVE: JMU has the third-lowest goals against average in the country (4.00) to the help of graduate defender Davide Materazzi. RIGHT: After entering as the No. 18 team in the country — then dropping from the rankings — the Dukes are now No. 21.
Junior goalkeeper Sebastian Conlon has helped the Dukes secure three shutouts this season.
Photos by Kailey Garner / The Breeze
Lights, camera, MACtion:
Preview of JMU field hockey’s inaugural season in new conference
By MAEGHAN STOCKLI The Breeze
JMU field hockey has always been playing toward a bigger goal — especially after finishing 5-12 overall last season. The Dukes are itching to start anew, and they will do so in a new conference.
In April 2023, the Mid-American Conference (MAC) agreed to add JMU’s field hockey team as an affiliate league member starting for the 2024 season. JMU joins the MAC with three affiliate members — App State, Bellarmine and Longwood — and five returning teams — Ball State, Central Michigan, Kent State and Miami (Ohio). With this change, the Dukes now have a more tangible goal for where their season could go after competing as an independent for the past two seasons.
“Being in a conference makes us … [know] you’re playing for something bigger than you,” JMU head coach Christy Morgan said.
The MAC began in 1946, and men’s basketball was its first sport. In 1980, it introduced women’s sports , and field hockey is now one of the 13 sports that have sponsored championships in the MAC — including volleyball, cross country, field hockey, golf, soccer, swimming and diving, gymnastics, basketball, track & field, softball, tennis and lacrosse.
JMU field hockey was established in 1973. Since then, it’s won four conference championships and made nine NCAA Tournament appearances including a National Championship in 1994. Before being an independent, the Dukes competed in the Colonial Athletic Association for 21 years.
Even as newcomers, the Dukes were selected to finish third in the MAC Preseason Coaches’ Poll. They also got one vote in favor of taking home the MAC Championship.
Miami (Ohio) is heading into the 2024 season with the goal of defending its MAC title for the seventh consecutive time. As of the week of Sept. 15, the Dukes are at the top of the MAC standings with a 3-1 overall record. JMU plays its first conference game on Sept. 20 against Miami (Ohio) — the projected No. 1 in the Preseason Coaches’ Poll.
Overall, this season is shaping up to be an exciting one for JMU, especially as some athletes may be experiencing conference play for the first time. For junior midfielder Alice Roeper, she said she feels the new conference will be a good change for the Dukes.
“For me, it’s the first time in a conference so I still have to experience it and see what it’s like,” Roeper said. “Now, looking at it from this point of view, I think it’s a fun challenge because we know what to expect and that we have that championship coming up … and we want to win.”
The Dukes are looking to play a connective style of hockey and always work for each other as they work through their
conference schedule. That will be no different — and even more now that they’re all working toward a conference championship.
“We’re super connected,” graduate midefielder Mia Julian said. “I think that it’s one of our biggest strengths, so using that on the field to stay connected, to trust each other going both ways [defense and offense] is important.”
For some of the players, this is their last time to play at this level, so they want to make the season count with everything they’ve got.
“This is my last season, so I’m just trying to have fun and just enjoy every moment before I leave,” senior midfielder Carissa Tambroni said.
CONTACT Maeghan Stockli at @stocklmadukes.jmu.edu. For more field hockey coverage, follow the sports desk on X and Instagram @TheBreezeSports.
Junior midfielder Alice Roeper is leading JMU with seven points through four games this season.
Photos courtesy of JMU Athletics
TOP: Graduate midfielder Mia Julian was tied for the most points on JMU last season with 24. BOTTOM: JMU field hockey will make its MAC debut Friday at 2 p.m. against Miami (Ohio). The Dukes were without a conference for the 2022-23 seasons.
Meanwhile, Georgia Southern (3-0-2) has already won as many games in 2024 as it did in 2022 and 2023 combined.
Georgia Southern head coach Lee Squires inherited a struggling 4-12-1 program in 2022 and went 3-27-7 in his first two seasons before steering the Eagles to a 3-0-2 record this season. The Eagles’ roster also boasts star sophomore forward Ryan Holmes, who won Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Week after a three-goal performance against North Texas.
Old Dominion (4-2-1) is another team looking to bounce back from a frustrating 2023 season that saw the Monarchs suffer all seven of their losses in the final seven games of the season, including four losses by one goal.
In 2024, the Monarchs are off to a strong 4-2-1 start prior to Sun Belt play. JMU will face ODU in the final game of Sun Belt play before the conference tournament.
On the outside looking in Georgia State (3-3-1), Kentucky (1-2-2) and Coastal Carolina (1-5) have all posted losing records heading into their first Sun Belt matchups.
Kentucky has proven to be quite the rival for the Dukes since it transitioned into the Sun Belt. The Wildcats ended JMU’s Sun Belt postseason play in consecutive years — once in the finals in 2022 and the semifinals in 2023.
Sun Belt fans should still expect to see these teams remain competitive as the season moves along. If there’s one thing that’s been clear thus far, it’s that anything can happen.
“I think no matter who we’re playing, we always feel comfortable,” Melville said. “We’re going to stick to our brand, it doesn’t matter who we’re playing.”
If JMU wants to contend for the NCAA tournament again, competing with and defeating the top teams in the Sun Belt will be vital to securing a spot in the tournament
CONTACT Luke Faircloth at faircllr@dukes.jmu.edu. For more football coverage follow the sports desk on X and Instagram @TheBreezeSports.
JMU will face the only three Sun Belt teams that beat them last year
— Marshall, Coastal Carolina and Kentucky — all within a four-game span this season. Photo by Kailey Garner / The Breeze
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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 “made-my-day” pat to UREC for staying open until 11:30 p.m.
From a student who remembers the summer hours and needed a late workout.
A “chivalry-is-not-dead” pat to the young man who held his girlfriend’s hand while they crossed the street.
From an impressed staff member who remembers those days.
An “not-even-close” dart to the Jimmy John’s on Port Republic for giving me the wrong sandwich.
From a sorority girl who understands you’re busy but had been thinking of her sandwich all day.
A “why-so-early” dart to all sorority girls for waking me up Saturday.
From an Eagle resident who does not understand why you are screaming.
Addressing a need for diverse voices within intro philosophy courses
CALI GILMER contributing columnist
JMU requires Dukes to take philosophy courses within the General Education Program in order to “challenge students and faculty to engage in personal and collective reflection, development and action through a diverse curriculum in the arts, sciences and humanities,” according to its website.
Three options for this requirement are: Intro to Philosophy, Critical Thinking and Ethical Reasoning. In a move contradictory to JMU’s claims of diversity, the majority of these professors don’t offer a diverse curriculum with a variety of perspectives. Instead, they often teach philosophy through the perspective of solely white men. Students aren’t offered the opportunity to engage with a truly inclusive range of philosophical thought from different cultures, genders and historical contexts that would enrich their understanding and critical thinking skills.
If JMU truly wishes to fulfill its mission of fostering personal and collective development through a diverse curriculum, this gap in learning must be addressed. Dukes should be guaranteed philosophy courses that offer a broad spectrum of voices and ideas.
The root cause of this issue lies not within JMU as a university but in the teachings of philosophy itself. As discussed in an opinion article published by The Atlantic, philosophy has a male-dominated history, especially when looking at ancient Western philosophy, which is the core of most introductory courses. While female philosophers such as Plato’s mother, Perictione, were active in ancient Western philosophy, most of the ancient literature is lost.
Professor and Philosophy Academic Unit Head Kenneth Pierce, said one of the only ways we know of the existence of these ancient female philosophers is from “comic
playwrights making fun of them.”
“It can be harder for beginning students to get the philosophy out of something like that. That can create challenges in early periods,” Pierce said.
Due to these challenges, it can be difficult to incorporate female philosophers within the intro philosophy curriculums, but it doesn’t mean that these courses shouldn’t include them altogether.
“Some people do Intro to Philosophy in a historical way and some do it in a non-historical way as a topical survey depending on which professor you have,” Pierce said.
Professors are able to include female philosophers in their curriculum, but since it’s such a difficult process, many may simply choose not to.
By integrating more modern and contemporary philosophical contributions from diverse voices — including women and other underrepresented groups — these professors can offer a more comprehensive, varied perspective to challenge the traditionally male-dominated narrative that has long been the norm. Very few professors choose this option, instead sticking to conventional methods that perpetuate the same limited perspectives.
Senior philosophy major and women’s, gender and sexuality studies minor Kamryn Hayward said she’s only ever had one professor who’s included a female philosopher. Her experience clearly underscores a significant gap in the inclusion of female voices across the department.
“It definitely would be possible to incorporate more female voices in the intro philosophy courses because, even though it is difficult to find the information,” Hayward said, “female philosophy can be found in the margins and the cracks.”
As an example, Hayward mentioned the philosopher Hypatia, an ancient Egyptian who lived during the late 1300s and early 1400s. Hayward said Hypatia emphasized the pursuit of truth and virtue, making her a leading intellectual figure of her time. Since the intro courses tend to look at a broader picture, many professors can get caught up in only mentioning the most influential philosophers, such as Plato and Aristotle.
It’s evident that JMU faces a critical challenge in fulfilling its mission to provide a diverse and inclusive general education to its introductory philosophy courses. The current curriculum focuses on predominantly male philosophers and perspectives. This limits students’ exposure and undermines JMU’s goal of fostering diverse intellectual development.
Philosophy professors must address these curricular gaps by incorporating a broader spectrum of marginalized philosophical voices. Professors should revise the historical focus of the courses to a more contemporary style and also embrace modern approaches that incorporate female voices.
By doing so, professors can enhance students’ critical thinking, broaden their mindset and definition of philosophy, and better prepare them for a diverse world.
The opportunity to enrich the introducing philosophy curriculum is entirely possible; it requires effort from both faculty and students to ensure that Dukes will benefit from a comprehensive and varied education.
CONTACT Cali Gilmer at gilmersc@ dukes.jmu.edu For more editorials regarding the JMU and Harrisonburg communities, follow the opinion desk on X @TheBreezeJMU and on Instagram @BreezeJMU.
A student looking through the philosophy books in Rose Library. Photo illustration by Landon Shackelford / The Breeze
Gratuity culture has tipped off the deep end
LACEY SIRBAUGH Breeze columnist
When you go to a bakery and order a muffin, do you tip when you pay? Why? Do you tip out of obligation, or because you feel the worker deserves a tip for taking the muffin out of the display case and putting it in a bag?
Almost every type of customer service location now uses tablets that ask for tips in big, bold letters.
As a customer, you question things like: Will they spit in my food if I don’t tip? Will the customer behind me think I’m a horrible person for not tipping?
In a Breeze’s Instagram poll, 83% of 83 respondents said they feel pressured to tip at places that have that infamous screen.
Current tipping screens seem to increase the likelihood of tips and how much people give. The 2023 Forbes Advisor study found two-thirds of 2,000 Americans who typically don’t leave gratuity will tip more on a touch screen versus in a jar. These people said they “left at least 11% or more when tipping digitally.” Despite this, digital tips are taxed and tip jars are not.
For example, at Sweet Frog Frozen Yogurt, you fill up your own cup with froyo and add toppings. Sure, the employees may ring you up, but that’s why they have a paycheck in the first place. What exactly are we tipping them for? Retail workers also ring up your items and help you look for things in the store but we don’t tip them.
There are definitely some under appreciated jobs that deserve tips. At a fancy hotel, a valet driver parks your car and sometimes helps with luggage. The social expectation is that you should tip valets $2 to $10 per trip depending on their service.
In the same industry, the expectation for hotel housekeepers is different. The percentage of Americans who tip housekeeping is declining. In 2023, CNBC found 23% of Americans tip housekeeping, while in 2021, 28% tipped.
Housekeepers tend to be forgotten since the hotel guest doesn’t always pass them during an exchange. In the same article, CNBC compared these percentages to how 65% of Americans tip servers at sit-down restaurants.
The Pew Research Center said restaurants are the most common service to tip. On average, Americans tip their servers 15-20%, Pew found. The U.S. Department of Labor reveals that tipped employees in Virginia make $2.13 an hour per the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)’s requirements. However, the Virginia minimum wage is $12 an hour — basically a $10 difference.
It’s unfair that a Chili’s server can have a busy day and make money through tips in addition to their incredibly low wages, but a Chipotle worker makes more with the addition to their comparably higher wage. This is unfair for servers who rely on tips to make a living. Other jobs are getting paid triple an hour and still receive similar tips.
Some places even expect a tip prior to the service including food delivery services such as DoorDash. At a restaurant, you wait to see how good of a service your waiter provides and if you enjoy your experience.
In the same Instagram poll, Dukes said they base their tip on how well the person treated them, how much work they did and how fast the service was when asked, “What type of factors determine if you tip/how much you tip?”
That reasoning makes sense because customers want to give the waiter an adequate amount of money based on their experience. Takeout places will ask for a tip
prior to picking up the food since the payment is usually done in advance.
At a restaurant, hair salon or in an Uber, the customer tips after the service is complete. Why is there an expected tip before the service is provided? What if the order is made incorrectly? What if it takes forever? What if you pick it up and the employees are rude? You look like a jerk if you don’t tip before you pick it up and run the risk of them not caring about your order.
Another response from the Instagram poll said whether the meal’s cost is a factor in the amount the respondent tips.
Although this method makes sense to some degree, this could also be deemed as unfair. For example, a family of four ordering one meal each will produce a larger bill than at a table for one. Therefore, it’s understandable the tip would be greater for the family than the single person since the waiter is catering to more people with more meals. The amount tipped is proportional to the amount paid.
On the other hand, what about a customer who orders the $30 steak versus the $10 salad? Both involve a server assisting one customer, but yield different tipping outcomes. For example, a Waffle House employee is constantly running around, but they get tipped less money in comparison to higher-end establishments since the meal prices are so cheap.
TIPPING CULTURE, page 20
see
from TIPPING CULTURE, page 19
Tipping culture has grown out of hand through its inconsistency and extreme pressure. Jobs such as housekeeping are being tipped less while baristas and to-go services are tipped more despite doing comparably less work. On top of this, delivery drivers are tipped for extending the service that takeout workers don’t complete. It creates an escalating, unnecessary chain of tipping
that puts too much pressure on the buyer. Customers shouldn’t be expected to pay workers the money they already should be earning from their employers.
CONTACT Lacey Sirbaugh at sirbaula@dukes.jmu.edu For more editorials regarding the JMU and Harrisonburg communities, follow the opinion desk on Instagram @BreezeJMU.
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Corrections
(09/12/2024): Last week’s article about Young Americans for Freedom's 9/11 ceremony referred to VALOR as an acronym for "Violence Against Law Enforcement Officers." VALOR is not an acronym. This article has been updated online to accurately describe VALOR as an organization for militaryconnected students, faculty and staff at JMU.
Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle Edited by Patti Varol
By Laura Dershewitz
Like a one-word
Going out with
Admitted to charges in court
Citrus shavings
NBA “logo 3” paths
Particularly successful period
Relatives, slangily
Journalist Tarbell
Level for the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp
Activate an image without clicking, say
Lifework of a composer
Paltry
Moment, briefly
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