The Breeze 9.22.22

Te Breeze

Professor uses international experience to aid refuguees

By MORGAN BLAIR contibuting writer

For years, Harrisonburg has been known as “The Friendly City,” and as a refugee resettlement area, it’s extended that friendliness to immigrants from across the world. Maryam Sharifian, an assistant professor of early childhood education at JMU, works to make the city even friendlier by teaching nonrefugees about the importance of creating safe educational spaces for local refugee families.

Born in Iran, Sharifan began her work with refugees while in college in Tehran. Her frst experience was educating people feeing from the war in Afghanistan, which shares a border with Iran.

“Tey were feeing because they wanted to save their lives,” Sharifian said. “Iran wasn’t prepared for them, and a lot of them were coming in illegally, so they didn’t have access to things like education.”

That’s why Sharifian joined a student organization in Tehran called Girls Collaborative, with its mission being to help the incoming refugees.

Sharifian began going with some of her friends to places she described as “not exactly refugee camps, but places where there were a lot of refugee kids.” Her frst job was teaching Afghani refugee children basic math and literacy, an experience she said helped open her eyes to the struggles many refugees face.

“They’re in a new country and, usually, they’ve lost everything they owned and often their family members, too,” Sharifan said. “I saw all the health issues they were facing; they go through such trauma and they have PTSD.”

After her work with Afghani refugees, Sharifian went to work in Tanzania helping increase access, particularly in rural areas, for girls to get an education — something she said she fnds extremely important.

Increasing access to education in rural areas is directly linked to increased quality of life in those areas, according to the UN Chronicle leading to improvements in jobs, nutrition and living conditions.

“Girls are the ones that get kicked off of the educational pathway, plus [in that area of Tanzania] they had to walk two hours to the nearest school,” Sharifan said. “In those areas, it’s a very dangerous walk, so we were building schools for them. That’s where I learned the value of having access to an education.”

After Tanzania, Sharifian worked with teachers in a Syrian warzone, sharing teaching techniques, an experience she said taught her a lot of things — like how to increase educational access for students in at-risk areas and how to best help the teachers in that area — she uses in her work today

By KASEY TRAPUZZANO The Breeze

Flo Milli will headline this year’s Homecoming concert Oct. , announced Monday by JMU’s University Program Board (UPB).

The decision was met with varying opinions from students and a barrage of complaints and praise on social media.

The Breeze spoke with a member of UPB, which is a student-run, student-funded organization that hosts concerts, movies, speakers and other events, about the planning and decision-making that goes into organizing the Homecoming concert and picking a performer for the event.

Behind the scenes

Senior Grace Curry, amplify director of UPB and the main student involved in the planning of the Homecoming concert, said she began planning the concert in early June. She started by sending a survey in two GroupMe chats consisting of different JMU students, one on Instagram and one within UPB’s student body. The point of the survey, Curry said, was for students to pick which music genre they preferred the most: rap and hip-hop; pop; country; rock and alternative; techno and latin; or K-pop. Curry said rap and hip-hop was the top pick, receiving approximately  votes. After narrowing down the genre, Curry said she and UPB worked with BabCo Entertainment — the company UPB gets all its entertainers, musical artists and motivational speakers through — to begin choosing an artist.

‘Entering my Flo Milli era’ UPB Homecoming concert headliner

announcement greeted by varying reactions from students

from CONCERT, page 1

Curry said the BabCo Entertainment representative who works with UPB, Melissa Aronson, sent her a list of possible artists in the hip-hop, pop and indie genres. From those, Curry made a list of her own top  performers in the genres of hip-hop and pop that she thought JMU students would like: Alessia Cara, Ava Max, Flo Milli, Rico Nasty, Sean Kingston, Sean Paul, Swae Lee, Tori Kelly,  Chainz and Trey Songz all made the list.

Flo Milli wasn’t Curry’s top choice, though: Pop artists Alessia Cara and Ava Max were. However, both artists exceeded UPB’s $,  concert performer budget — a budget $,  less than last year’s — and Curry said BabCo told her neither of those artists liked performing on college campuses.

“If we did decide to go with those artists,” Curry said, “it would’ve been a long-standing fight back and forth.”

Curry said she got her friends’ opinions and input on the remaining artists to get a feel of who other JMU students would want as the performer.

“I tried to pick an artist that I felt like everybody would like,” Curry said. “I know [Flo Milli’s] songs are played at parties … and for this concert, I was kind of going for the female empowerment vibe. I know that JMU has mostly been having male artists, so I thought, ‘Why don’t we switch it up and try female artists?’”

Some past performers for UPB’s fall and spring concerts have included Jason Derulo, Bryce Vine, T-Pain, Ty Dolla $ ign, Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, Jesse McCartney, Magic!, Lil Dickey, Big Sean, X-Ambassadors and Maroon  Curry said it cost $,  to book Flo Milli and that the performer signed her contract for the concert just this past week, which is why UPB was able to release her name as the concert’s headliner on Monday.

Because there’s $,  leftover in its $,  performer budget, Curry said UPB is able to pay for an opener who’ll perform before Flo Milli at the concert. For picking an opener, Curry said Aronson sent her a smaller list of artists who fit the genre demographic and were still within budget. Curry said the opener has been chosen, but UPB is currently unable to release the artist’s name because a contract has yet to be signed.

Ticket Prices:

Student Tickets

Floor (Sold out) = $25

Level 100 = $20

Level 200 = $15

Faculty and Staf Tickets

Level 100 = $25

Level 200 = $20

Public Tickets

Level 100 = $35

Level 200 = $30

Rapper Flo Milli is the headliner for the Homecoming concert 2022 hosted by the University Program Board. Courtesy of JMU’s University Program Board

Student reactions

Curry said UPB has received both positive and negative feedback from students regarding the announcement of Flo Milli as the concert headliner.

“The whole college experience is fun whether you like the artist or not,” Curry said. “ T ere’s obviously no obligation for [students] to go to the concert. It’s there for entertainment.”

Following UPB’s artist reveal on Monday, Curry said the announcement post on UPB’s Instagram received many comments, some so o f ensive that UPB turned o f comments on the post and deleted some of the worst ones.

“It did get to the point where people were saying some very out-of-pocket and/or racist comments on our Instagram,” Curry said. “One thing I will admit about this concert that I’m kind of disappointed about is that people weren’t very open to a Black, female artist. We do look at the comments of the people that say very obscure stuf … and the people that were saying the rudest comments were white males that seemed more in favor of country music.”

Overall, Curry said she believes the reaction to this year’s Homecoming artist was more negative than last year’s reaction to Jason Derulo.

“It was a whole  attitude compared to Jason [Derulo] last year,” Curry said. “People were like, ‘We don’t want to see a female artist just shaking her ass,’ or they were like, ‘She’s just a TikToker rapper’ … ‘Who is Flo Milli?’ — stuf like that. While last year, people were like, ‘Oh my gosh, Jason! It’s just like middle school all over again.’”

While several Instagram comments on UPB’s post were negative, other students voiced excitement for the concert. UPB shared student comments with Te Breeze: “UPB slayed with this one,” one user commented on the post.

Another user wrote, “Tis is the best day of my life.”

Curry said UPB also received several positive direct messages (DMs) as well. UPB shared the DMs with T e Breeze:

“Entering my Flo Milli era,” one user messaged UPB. “I’m super excited!!!!” another user wrote. “I’ll always

support whoever y’all pick to come for your concerts. Tank you!!!!!!”

Te Breeze also spoke to several JMU students about their opinions on Flo Milli as the Homecoming artist. Reactions among students were fairly split, with some having already bought tickets and others having “no interest in going” to the concert, like junior Anthony Angelo.

“I’ve never heard a single song of hers,” Angelo said.

On the other hand, junior Ruth Patterson said she bought tickets for the show before Flo Milli was even announced as the headlining artist. Like Angelo, she’s never listened to her music before, but she said she doesn’t care who’s playing — she plans to “go and have a good time” regardless.

Senior Andrew Genese also touched on not knowing Flo Milli enough compared to last year’s Homecoming artist, Jason Derulo — “a big name to bring here,” Genese said, even though he didn’t attend Derulo’s performance, either.

Picking up on UPB’s intention to have a female artist for this year’s concert, Genese said Flo Milli’s music “defnitely caters to the young female audience.”

“[It’s] obviously not a bad thing,” Genese said. “Just because I don’t know [Flo Milli’s] music doesn’t mean it’s not a good choice.”

Sophomore Brooke Hershey said she’s undecided about whether she’ll attend the concert and has yet to purchase a ticket.

“I feel like it’s cool that [UPB] got her,” Hershey said, “but I have faith in JMU that they could do a little bit better.”

Ultimately, Curry said UPB tried to pick an artist who would appeal to the student body and be different than before.

“If the school thinks they made the right choice, then yeah, they made the right choice,” junior Matthew Trapani said.

Michael Russo and Avery Goodstine contributed to this report.

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

After UPB announced Flo Milli as the concert’s headliner on Instagram, the post received varying reactions from students. Courtesy of JMU’s University Program Board

Graphic by Anna Leone / The Breeze

‘A destructive culture’

This week on Breeze TV: Part II of the hazing investigations series

By KAYLA BROWN The Breeze

The third week of September is nationally recognized as hazing prevention week. In perfect timing, the family of Adam Oakes — a freshman who died as a result of hazing while rushing the Delta Chi fraternity at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) was awarded a $,  settlement from VCU on Sept. , according to CBS News. The university is also requiring students to complete  credit hours before rushing, as well as implementing stricter alcohol regulations, according to USA Today.

Courtney White, cousin of Oakes and president of the Love Like Adam foundation, travels to other universities across the country sharing his story alongside those responsible for his death. Oakes’ family believes the presentation, produced by CBS, is influential to hazing prevention, but not all universities are interested.

“Hazing is a destructive culture that is so deeply embedded in our school systems that many schools don’t even want the Love Like Adam Foundation to come and present to their campuses, for fear that it will draw attention … ” Oakes’ family said in a press release.

JMU’s Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life (FSL) said it’s aware of the presentation. The Breeze reached out to JMU FSL to ask whether the school will participate but didn’t receive a response before the print deadline.

With the first month of the semester over, students are finding their place on campus. Fraternity brothers echoed throughout dorms as they welcomed their new

recruits, and sororities embraced new sisters on Hillside field. Pam Steele, assistant director of student life, hopes the anti-hazing training will help these students make the most of their experience in student life.

“It’s important that we take care of each other, that we’re safe, and that we engage in healthy behaviors and if there’s a concern raised, that we feel empowered enough with the knowledge and information that we can support our friends,” Steele said.

More than % of college students in the U.S. who are involved in college clubs and organizations are hazed, not including those who don’t report their experience, according to Eastern Kentucky University.

Hazing isn’t only happening at other universities across the country, but at JMU as well. White said that while visiting other universities across campus, she’s had students who’ve transferred out of JMU tell her, ‘You need to be at JMU.’

“That code of silence is basically, ‘I’m not gonna tell you because I’m in this secret organization and if I tell I’m a rat,’” White explained. “It’s the older boys doing it to the younger boys because it’s exactly what the older boys went through.”

Despite that code of silence, the hazing culture at JMU is no secret.

For the rest of the story — and frsthand accounts of hazing at JMU — tune in to Breeze TV on Friday at : p.m. on Facebook, Youtube and Campus Cable.

CONTACT Kayla Brown at brown8kl@dukes.jmu.edu.

For more coverage of JMU and Harrisonburg news, follow the news desk on Twitter @BreezeNewsJMU.

More than 50% of college students in the U.S. who are involved in college clubs and organizations are hazed, according to Eastern Kentucky University.

Ella Stotzky / The Breeze

By ASHLEE THOMPSON contributing writer

The Harrisonburg Department of Public Transportation (HDPT) has implemented a new bus app called Passio GO for commuters and students in Harrisonburg, leaving students with varied opinions on the new app.

The city retired the previous app, myStop, and introduced Passio GO in August. According to JMU’s transportation website, the new app allows users to know where their bus is instantly, plan their trips and set bus arrival alerts. To use the app, users zoom in, select a stop and are then able to see how long it takes for the bus to depart from its current location and arrive at the next.

The switch may be a big change for bus riders, but Elliot Menge, Harrisonburg Transit superintendent, said this change was part of a “much larger switchup.”

Menge said the bus agency’s operation system, the Intelligent Transportation System (ITS), needed updating, and with that came a brand new app. On the front end, Menge said, the ITS lets users know where the bus is, the estimated time of arrival and more information commuters need to know for their ride. The back end, however, houses grants and data such as tracking drivers, the speed limit and safety checks.

“We couldn’t have switched one part [of

App Ambivalence New bus app leaves students divided

the ITS] and kept the app,” Menge said. “They come together as a whole package.”

Menge said he’s heard plenty of feedback from Harrisonburg commuters and students, both good and bad.

A common theme among student complaints to The Breeze about Passio GO was inaccurate estimated times of arrival for the buses. Freshman Grace Dudley said she tracks the bus’ moving arrow rather than the times because it’s more dependable.

“I think the times that are listed are frequently inaccurate,” Dudley said. “But if you track the arrow that represents the bus, that’s accurate.”

Sophomore Jasmine Moore agreed.

“You’ll look at the times, and the bus won’t actually be there,” Moore said. “You have to look when [the bus] is moving on the app. Actually, I don’t look at the times at all anymore because it’s never right.”

Moore also noted that the app glitches frequently, which makes it hard to navigate at times. She said Passio GO forces users to zoom in and click on each stop individually, which gets “even harder” when the app glitches.

Other students who spoke to The Breeze said they came to like the app after giving it a chance. Freshman Emily Kruger said that once students get the hang of the bus system, it serves as a “helpful tool” for students.

“It’s just hard when you’re a first-year

student because everything is new,” Kruger added.

While Moore liked both apps, she said she prefers Passio GO over myStop.

“For myStop,” Moore said, “you could just click a button and see all the buses and when they’re going to what stop. That was helpful.”

She also said Passio GO’s ability to allow users to see all of the bus routes is a helpful feature.

Menge said that although he sometimes hears from people “who are just venting,” the city tries to receive all feedback as constructive criticism.

“Whenever people give feedback, that always is pointing us to something that either should stay the same because it’s a strong point or maybe needs some adjusting to make it better for you all as the users,” Menge said.

Several students who spoke to The Breeze expressed concern over a general lack of consistency, and of buses themselves, operating on campus. Moore and Dudley said more buses are needed to maintain consistency at the stops. Dudley said she waited over  minutes for an Inner Campus Shuttle (ICS) one morning, even though there’s a guaranteed  -minute wait time.

“At that point it is more convenient to walk,” Dudley said. “[The bus system] being more consistent would help.”

Regarding these inconsistencies, Menge

said HDPT is short on drivers due to a national bus driver shortage.

“The number of routes running is not what we’d like to be running,” Menge said.

Whether these complaints and compliments have affected students’ usage of the buses is unclear as of now. Bus ridership has fluctuated over the past few years due to COVID-  and restrictions that came with it.

“I can say that compared to the spring, there seems to be more people using the bus again, which is good,” Menge said. “We are not seeing how the app is impacting things, but instead focusing on getting our entire operation to how it was before the pandemic occurred.”

For first-year students, Menge said, they really only need to worry about two routes: the ICS and the Shopper. For students who are worried about using the bus system, Menge encourages them to take a test bus run.

“The only way you are ever going to learn something is to do it,” Menge said. “If you’re uncomfortable or worried about the bus, try it out, make a mistake, and still get back home before you need to be anywhere. That is the best way to learn.” CONTACT Ashlee Thompson at thomp6ab@

With the new Passio GO bus app, commuters and students in Harrisonburg can now track the buses and their arrival times. Breeze file photo

Graphic by Ashlyn Campbel

ezeer

This week's key takeaways from SGA Senate

By ELEANOR SHAW contributing writer

Te Student Government Association (SGA) Senate nominated senior Emily Butters to the position of SGA Representative to the Faculty Senate, ratifed an amendment to the SGA Constitution and approved a statement condemning a recent hate crime at the University of Virginia (U.Va.) at Tuesday’s meeting.

Emily Butters appointed as SGA Representative to Faculty Senate

Te Senate unanimously approved the nomination of Emily Butters to the position of SGA Representative to JMU’s Faculty Senate.

“Emily has been a part of [SGA] since her frst semester here at JMU and I believe that she not only has the skillset to do this position, but to do this position well,” senior Carlin McNeil Bumgarner, student body vice president, said.

Outside of the meeting, Bumgarner said the position entails Butters to sit in on Faculty Senate meetings, which take place the frst Tursday of every month, and take note of the Faculty Senate’s concerns, whether those focus on JMU’s academic environment or the direction of the university. Butters will then report back to the SGA Senate.

Bumgarner also said one of Butters’ main goals is to bridge the gap between the SGA and faculty senates and prevent any possibility of the organizations being on “diferent paths.”

“I’m excited to serve this term,” Butters said outside of the meeting, “and hopefully improve our relationship with the Faculty Senate and get some things done.”

SGA approves Academic Council amendment to constitution

Te SGA Senate unanimously approved an amendment to its constitution. Te amendment, proposed by sophomore Zach Fleming, SGA’s academic afairs chairperson, specifes that the student body president has the option to simply attend Academic Council meetings rather than lead the proceedings, as the student body president has done in the past. With this change, the council will be led by the academic affairs chairperson — Fleming, currently — rather than the president.

The Academic Council, composed of all academic SGA senators, works directly with the academic departments and colleges of JMU and meets no more than twice a month.

Outside of the Senate meeting, Fleming said the purpose of the amendment is to relieve some of the responsibility placed on the student body president.

“Since the president already has so much on [their] plate already, I wanted to relieve some of that responsibility and give it to, specifcally, the academic afairs chair,” Fleming said. Fleming said he proposed the amendment as a reaction to the Academic Council’s difculty to make progress in the past, largely due to the pandemic.

SGA approves release of statement speaking against racial intolerance at U.Va.

Te Senate unanimously approved a resolution to release a statement in support of Black students at U.Va. after a hate crime was committed on the university’s grounds.

According to a Sept.  article from Te Daily Progress, the hate crime took place Sept.  and involved a white male student hanging a noose onto the statue of Homer located on U.Va.’s south lawn, alongside several documents. Te contents of these documents have yet to be released.

Te Daily Progress specifes that this is classifed as a hate crime due to the Noose Hate Crime Act of , which outlines that any display of a noose in public with the intent to harass or intimidate someone based on their race, national origin, or religion is considered a federal crime.

Additionally, Te Daily Progress states in a diferent article, published Sept. , that the reason this action was ruled a hate crime was due to the noose itself serving as a symbol of racism and racially motivated killings that have taken place in the past.

Te Senate’s resolution says the Black students of U.Va. have reported being denied further information from both the U.Va. Police Department and U.Va. administration. Te resolution also states that other student groups at JMU, such as the JMU Chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), Shades of Pride, the JMU Black Student Alliance, the Xi Delta chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha and the Beta Delta Delta chapter of Omega Psi Phi, have spoken out in solidarity with U.Va.'s Black community.

“Whereas, as a Student Government Association, it is our civic duty to stand out and speak against racial injustices we see not only at our university, but … especially at other public universities in Virginia during their students’ time of need,” the resolution said.

Te Senate’s statement outlines SGA’s position of solidarity with U.Va.’s Black community and will be released on SGA’s social media accounts and sent to key fgures at JMU, including President Jonathan Alger; Vice President for Student Afairs Tim Miller; Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Afairs Heather Coltman; Student Body President Shawdee Bakhtiari; Student Body Vice President Carlin McNeil Bumgarner; Student Representative to the Board of Visitors Xaiver Williams; Speaker of SGA Daniel Gafn; and SGA Communications Director Melody Haak.

Sophomore Alexis Alston, senator to the College of Science and Mathematics, worked alongside members of SGA’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Justice and Accessibility (DEIJA) Committee to compose the resolution.

“If this were to happen at our university … it is our civic duty as the SGA to stand with our students,” Alston said.

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

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 “job-well-done” pat to Te Breeze staf for so many engaging and creative stories.

From a Breeze alumna who misses weekly production days.

A “luck-of-the-draw” dart to the Harrison vending machine for having the Bang Energy drinks facing the wrong way.

From someone who thought they were getting Radical Skidattle when they really got Birthday Cake Bash.

A “stranger-danger” dart to the car that was stalking me for my parking spot at UREC.

From someone who was just trying to do their laundry.

A “room-temperature” dart to Tacodillo for not cooking my quesadilla.

From someone who likes to eat their food warm.

Caffeine with a cost

Students should have the same amount of knowledge on energy drinks as they do on alcohol

MARY

MABRY | contributing columnist

A baby pool full of energy drinks. That’s not exactly what I expected to come across during my first month of college, but at the annual Dogtown Dance Party hosted by Young Life, that’s what I found. Since college students are educated on the dangers of alcohol, most students are prepared to encounter it. But, the same cannot be said for energy drinks.

The multitude of energy drinks in this baby pool brought excitement to everyone involved — including a friend of mine. After consuming four Celsius energy drinks, he was on top of the world. This was laughable, but not for long. According to the Celsius nutrition facts label, there are  milligrams (mg) of cafeine in one Celsius, meaning he consumed  mg of cafeine in a short amount of time, causing a sleepless night and days-long chest pain.

Energy drinks are just as common as alcohol on college campuses, yet students don’t know much about them. Tis lack of knowledge is quite diferent from alcohol, as students must complete extensive educational modules on alcohol when they come to JMU.

Both of these substances are popular but dangerous, so the knowledge students have on them should be equal.

Katie Barrett, a JMU freshman, said she can see the gap in her own knowledge between the two. Barrett said the modules she completed about alcohol safety were a lot to take in, and not everyone took them seriously, but they were important.

“I defnitely wanted to know what a standard drink is,” Barrett said. “Tat’s good stuf to know [going] into college.”

Barrett consumes energy drinks regularly but

said she doesn’t know a lot about them.

“I have no idea how much caffeine is in it,” Barrett said regarding her go-to energy drink, Red Bull. Although Barrett knows energy drinks are unhealthy, she said she and many other college students don’t know any specifics on how they afect the body.

According to the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health (HSPH), the average energy drink is  ounces with  mg of cafeine, and the Cleveland Clinic advises adults to limit cafeine consumption to  mg of cafeine a day. Tis makes it easy for students to consume an unhealthy amount of cafeine — especially when facing the exhaustion that comes with a college workload.

Compare that to cofee, which contains - mg of caffeine in an average eight-ounce cup, according to the FDA. This is largely different from energy drinks and is closer to  mg of caffeine — the amount HSPH recognizes as the average amount of cafeine adults drink in one day. When students need of cafeine, they should know that cofee is a much safer option than energy drinks. HSPH states that drinking an excessive amount of caffeine in one day can cause heart problems, such as elevated blood pressure and irregular heart beat. Extreme cases can result in seizures or

cardiac arrest.

There are also longer-term health concerns associated with energy drinks. Especially in younger people, energy drinks are linked to having negative efects on mental, cardiovascular and renal health.

“I’ve defnitely gwotten heartburn from them,” Barrett said. “I know it can mess with your heart rate because you’re intaking a lot of cafeine.”

JMU doesn’t provide any information to students about energy drinks — not even those available in many university vending machines. Barrett said there should be educational modules on energy drinks in addition to those on alcohol.

Information on energy drinks can be found through resources like the FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Before drinking an energy drink, students should check the nutrition facts label so they’re aware of how much ca f eine they’re consuming.

It’s surprising how little college students know about the dangers of energy drinks, especially considering their popularity among young adults and the easy access students have to them on campus — energy drinks can be found in JMU’s vending machines, campus markets or any number of stores in the area.

Te negative health efects associated with energy drinks bring to light how important it is that students educate themselves on what they put in their bodies. College students should have the same amount of knowledge on energy drinks as they do on alcohol, regardless of whether JMU provides this education

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

Energy drinks, such as Bang Energy, are available in many vending machines across campus. Valerie Chenault / The Breeze

Students are required to complete alcohol education modules prior to coming to JMU but don’t have to complete similar training for energy drinks.

Financial Ignorance

JMU should require students to complete a course in finance or economics prior to graduation FROM A BREEZE

POLL ON INSTAGRAM

Financial literacy is a vital skill that people should be confident in by the time they graduate college and enter the real world. The truth behind this, though, is very disappointing — many young adults have no clue of the logistics behind simple financial tasks such as budgeting, paying taxes, credit scores and more.

College institutions should be guaranteeing that students are educated by the time they graduate by offering more finance classes throughout students’ college careers to ensure memory retention on the material. Instead, universities are hindering students from progressing financially due to a lack of financial education alongside simultaneously increasing student debt across the U.S.

Financial literacy across the nation

Only  in  Americans can be considered financially literate and only % of millennials understand financial basics, according to Forbes. This lack of financial education in the U.S. starts with public schooling. Though it’s an necessity to succeed in adulthood, financial literacy isn’t required to be taught in classrooms, with only  states in the U.S. implementing it in their curriculums according to CNBC. To make problems worse, many of those  states don’t even require formal testing on the material due to the decision made by the National Assessment Governing

Board to remove the National Assessment of Educational Progress in economics from its assessment schedule in . This lack of education starts to affect people fairly early in a student’s financial journey, starting with applying for college loans.

The ACT Center for Equity in Learning found that in , % to % of people across all income groups had little knowledge of the various student repayment options available to them. In addition, % to % across income groups weren’t aware that the government subsidizes the money and pays the interest on loans while the student is in school.

This lack of knowledge sets a precedent for students to fail in the financial world once entering college — shouldn’t it be expected that once a student goes through four years of undergraduate schooling that they feel confident in their financial literacy skills? Well, with the minimal courses that JMU offers, the answer is fairly disappointing.

Financial education at JMU

JMU only offers two optional general education courses that ofer basic knowledge in fnances and economics: BUS , Business Decision Making in a Modern Society, and ECON , Intro to Macroeconomics. Tat’s only two classes out of  gen eds, indicating students are more likely to choose a class that piques higher interest over a business class. It’s also likely these classes are overlooked unless a student is specifcally a business major.

Gianna Sparta, a junior graphic design

student at JMU, says all of her financial literacy knowledge has come solely from her parents.

“I have not taken a single finance class since being at JMU — I didn’t even know that they were offered as gen eds,” Sparta said. “The only financial knowledge I’ve acquired has been through my parents, as they’ve taught me several budgeting and saving tactics.”

With only two classes being offered to the undergraduate student body of , , it can be assumed that the majority of these students go through four years of undergrad without a single financial literacy class. There’s also the factor that with these classes being gen eds, they’re taken fairly early in a student’s college career, if at all. So, by the time they graduate, all the knowledge once learned has probably been forgotten.

More faculty and students should be talking about this problem. Cathy Snyder, who teaches BUS , said there’s a definite need for more education to help students manage loans and alleviate the stress of debt.

“I’ve had students that are here solely on loans and are looking at $,  plus of loans each year, which means graduating with just shy of $,  in debt,” Snyder said. “They need to know how to manage that. I’ve had students that are disillusioned, thinking that they had the ability to come to college and do an entire four-year experience debt free, that that’s not their reality once they get here.” Along with debt, students often have a hard time budgeting once they go off campus. It’s crucial to know how to efficiently spend money on groceries, gas, activities and other

expenses. Snyder said this lack of knowledge is a large contributor to mental health problems on campus and recommended a budget bootcamp or finance center — or something of the sort — that could produce major improvement.

“If we have something as simple as a budget bootcamp, before students move off campus, we could probably put to rest a lot of the financial fears they have graduating because they’ll have learned some things living off campus in apartments,” Snyder said. “I even think having a center for conversations, counseling and helping people through the calculations of what a real cost of living looks like would make a huge difference.”

So, there are numerous options that JMU can take up to resolve this problem. The university can increase the number of financial literacy classes offered in the gen ed requirements. There can be more advertising for finance classes to take senior year. Even online supplemental courses that allow students to learn from home without using up credits would be highly beneficial.

Regardless of the method, though, students shouldn’t launch into a professional career without knowing financial basics.

ORIANA LUKAS opinions with oriana

LTE|From Press to Prescott:

One man’s search beyond the headline

Like many of my peers, I watched the f rst week of the NFL season. While I consider myself to be an avid fan, enough to be in a fantasy league, there is only so much a New York Giants fan can take before I withdraw emotionally, so I acquiesced and decided to sleep and turned of the games.

Over the coming days, I turned on my TV and learned the Dallas Cowboys QB Dak Prescott’s hand was injured, causing him to miss a large portion of the coming season. SportsCenter and NFL network were, of course, smothering their viewers with every version of the story

imaginable. They had diagrams of human hands to show the place of the fracture, players came on to tell their own stories of similar injuries, and casters speculated about the validity of the Cowboys’ backup QB.

After an hour of “watching” this while I did homework, my brain started to ask questions. Why were the networks just standing around and asking empty questions? Why not hit the hammer on the nail and ask the team themselves? Strangely, though, the Cowboys organization was silent on the issue. I sighed, and as a new segment of the QB’s injury show

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started up, this time with diferent dredged up speculation on his condition, I turned of the TV. I was too tired of the gossip to engage in another round.

So now you’re wondering why this piece is titled the way it is. Yes, this is about the role of the media and their approach to information delivery. It’s not all about football.

As college students, we are the prime demographic of the online media. We are never without our phones, always glued to the screen and the potential of interaction. We are also without time. Most of us don’t clear time to

An informed population is vital, not just for bettering the country, but also for not wasting time on the buzzword issues that don’t matter. I’ve seen enough football to know that Dak Prescott’s injury will be replaced by a diferent story in a few days. Te cycle keeps on churning, the wheel of the press keeps turning. The real issues get buried behind the headline. Headlines have always been used to grab attention, but in the world of smartphones, where attention is quite literally money, headlines are used to clickbait us into engaging. And what gets us to engage the most?

“An informed population is vital, not just for bettering the country, but also for not wasting time on buzzword issues that don’t matter .”

Isaac Weissmann JMU junior

sit down and read lengthy articles in Te New York Times. Tat next friend group hangout is always around the corner, and that’s usually more exciting.

It’s rather ironic, then, that the media can grab us so efectively, so quickly. All it takes is a headline foated to us. It’s so simple. It’s the Apple News alert about a pressing issue you can’t read about unless you pay. It’s a tweet from a pundit with some fiery words about the latest injustice. It is not surprising, then, that the media swings toward sensationalism. How else would they capture the attention of a -something-year-old between classes? Tey stir up issues and debates that continue for weeks and weeks, draping the real problem in layers of gossip and opinion. Who knows the real issues anymore? Who knows what Dak Prescott’s injury is really like? We can’t tell our audience that we don’t know, so let’s just guess. Tis is not to say that SportsCenter should feel shame over their coverage of football. Tey are a business. Tey operate to make money talking about sports. And while the news media also exists to make money, I would hope they would consider their role in the information pipeline to be more of a public commodity.

Confict. Drama. Gossip. You will read a story about a scandal before you would read a story about monetary policy, even though the policy would afect your life much more directly.

So, where do we go from here? Well, for one, I would advise taking Dak Prescott out of your fantasy draft for a while. And while you are on your device doing that, set times to read the news in full. I know that’s something I’m going to do. JMU students get free access to read Te New York Times, Te Washington Post and Te Wall Street Journal. I’m sure we could all be a little more informed. I’m sure we could all go a little deeper into the story and go beyond the headline.

This week in JMU history...

On Dec. 2, 1922, Te Breeze was born. Since then, it’s been the indispensable source of news for the JMU and Harrisonburg communities for almost 100 years. Te Breeze will celebrate its centennial this December, so we’re traveling back in time.

Each week, Te Breeze takes a look back on historic moments in JMU and Breeze history by publishing the cover from the same publication day, just years in the past. Tis week’s cover is from 1988, and highlights JMU buying the property where UREC and East Campus would eventually live.

CULTURE

Michael Russo & Avery Goodstine

A friendlier city

JMU education professor combines philosophy, experience to open minds and help local refugees

from REFUGEE, page 1

Access to education, and the value of it, is something Sharifian continues to promote to this day — the main focus of her work today being teaching non-refugees about the importance of creating safe educational spaces for refugee families. Since she started at JMU in , she’s also taken it upon herself to help the local refugee population; one such way has been by visiting local daycare centers. Trough her work educating non-refugees in the form of

her education students in her classes, Sharifan’s working to open the minds of more people to refugees and their issues. One of the main things she encourages her students to do is engage with refugees and their cultures.

“When you have a welcoming and engaging classroom for refugee children and parents, you get to see how amazing they are,” Sharifan said. “Tey want to be engaged. Tey enjoy the chance to talk about their culture to people who don’t know much about it.”

Not only does she teach her education

students about engaging with refugee students and families, but she’s also visited several local daycares and childcare facilities to talk with staf about how to be more accommodating to refugees.

“You have to be welcoming to everyone,” Sharifan said. “You have to learn about your own biases, that’s how you create an inclusive environment.”

‘A helping hand’

Like everyone else, local immigrants have been affected by COVID- . Michael Parks, Harrisonburg’s spokesperson and director of communications, said the city began translating its crisis communications and public health messaging into six diferent languages, including Spanish and Arabic — something they didn’t do as much before the pandemic began.

“During the pandemic, we saw that we needed to get crisis communications that contained important information out to the public,” Parks said. “Trough that process, we realized that we didn’t have as good of a process set up to connect with people who didn’t speak English. So, we worked with organizations like The Church World Service and Welcoming Harrisonburg to find people who spoke the languages we needed as well as English.”

Now, Parks said, the city not only translates its documents, but if a non-English speaker alerts the city ahead of time that they plan to attend a city council meeting, Harrisonburg offers interpreters for Spanish, Arabic and Kurdish. Te city, Parks said, understands many members of the local refugee population fed from violence and governments they couldn’t trust, so it’s doing what it can to rebuild some trust in, at least, the local government.

Of course, translating documents isn’t the only help that’s needed. Sharifan emphasized one thing she sees a lot in her work is how much some people in the Harrisonburg/Rockingham area need to become more open-minded.

“I always tell my students, ‘It’s OK to be uncomfortable,’” Sharifan said. “Tat’s when you learn, that’s how your mind grows. It’s just important to be open.”

Sharifian said she’s noticed that many refugees are hesitant to reach out for help.

Andrea Mariscal-Guzman, a senior political

science major and the president of JMU’s Scholars Latino Initiative, a club dedicated to supporting and mentoring local Latinx high school students, said an unwillingness to ask for help is common among immigrants in general, whether they’re refugees or not.

“My parents immigrated from Bolivia,” Mariscal-Guzman said. “As an immigrant, as a refugee … they don’t want to be burdens or put themselves out there in a brand new country where they usually are unfamiliar with the language and culture. It can be scary for them to reach out sometimes.”

Both Sharifan and Mariscal-Guzman said they think open-mindedness in others in their community is one of the most important things for refugees.

Mariscal-Guzman also said she thinks former President Donald Trump’s ban on immigration from Middle Eastern countries as well as his attempts to restrict access through the U.S.’s southern border has had a negative efect on refugees and how others perceive them.

“In recent years, the U.S. has become a lot more closed to refugees,” Mariscal-Guzman said. “I just think there are a lot of misconceptions about refugees. Tey really just need a helping hand and an open mind.”

Sharifan said what she fnds most amazing about refugees is their refusal to give up. She’s been involved in studies in the past that tracked the educational journey of refugees, especially refugee teachers; where she expected to fnd burnout, she instead found resilience.

“I mean, burnout is so common in most education systems, then imagine adding the fact that you’re in a warzone on top of that,” Sharifan said. “Yet, when I did my study the amount of burnout I saw was low and the amount of resilience I saw was very high. Tey see education as their responsibility, their way of helping their community, helping their people.”

CONTACT

Morgan Blair at blairml@ 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.

Sharifian has worked with refugees across the world, including Iran, Tanzania, Syria and now, Harrisonburg. Daria Auren / The Breeze

Part of Maryam Sharifian’s work has involved increasing access to education in rural areas. Courtesy of Maryam Sharifian

Bring on the monsters

‘The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical’ echoes COVID-19 struggles and modern student life

By EVAN MOODY contributing writer

Brandon McKinney’s triumphant words sparked a standing ovation from JMU’s Studio Teater’s sold out, nearly maskless crowd.

He sang to the crowd: “There’s gonna be a fight / There still might be a war / For the moment we’ve got danger on the run.”

Te closing song, “Bring On the Monsters,” marked the end of the frst theater production to take place at the Forbes Center for the Performing Arts this semester. Doors opened to “The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical,” the musical adaptation of the popular Rick Riordan novel, Sept. -.

Stratford Players, a student-run performance organization, put on the production. Grace Altman, a junior theater major who choreographed the show and starred as Katie Gardener and Medusa, said production proposals are voted on as a collective. One reason Stratford Players chose “Te Lightning Thief” is because of the narrative’s theme of togetherness — something Altman said has risen at JMU during COVID-. Te production has dealt with the virus even now, having to mask, work around sickness and overcome other hurdles.

“[There’s a] sense of camaraderie and ensemble in the show,” Altman said. “Togetherness is really big, and especially coming out of [the pandemic].”

This performance also marked the beginning of McKinney’s JMU theater career. The sophomore musical theater major said his enthusiasm was shared by not only the company, but everyone involved. “It’s just like, ‘back in action,’” he said.

“The Lightning Thief” is an energetic production, complete with a rock score by Rob Rokicki and book by Joe Tracz. The musical debuted at Longacre theater on Broadway in  and features a fast-paced account of the frst “Percy Jackson” novel.

Another reason the group chose the show was because “The Lightning Thief” was “our generation’s book,” Altman said.

Showgoer and freshman computer science major Bridget Kimball said “Percy Jackson” was her favorite book series. Like many college-aged

individuals, Kimball said she began reading the series early in middle school.

COVID-19 continues

Te most arduous days of the pandemic seem to have passed, however, the Shenandoah Valley is continuing to experience COVID-.

According to Te New York Times, as of Sept. , Harrisonburg reports an average of  new COVID- cases per day. While cases appear low compared to past extremes, the virus’s efects are still noticeable across campus.

Altman referenced the safety precautions she’s taken to limit exposure to COVID-

“I’m still wearing a mask,” Altman said. Te same could be stated for many others involved in the musical, as other cast members were seen wearing masks during rehearsal.

In Stratford Players productions, the turnaround from proposal to performance is nearly instant. Rehearsals for “Te Lightning Thief” began Aug.  , and opening night occurred exactly a month later, leaving “a very small window” for people to potentially get sick, Altman said — and they did.

Absences across the company were prevalent during preparation. McKinney and Lucas Mugica, who played Grover, had COVID-  simultaneously and were out from rehearsals the same week.

“It’s stressful because sometimes it’s unavoidable,” Altman said, “especially if you’re living with people that aren’t necessarily in a show.”

Te Stratford Players member also said there isn’t much the performers can do to ensure an entire collaborative production succeeds during a pandemic. Most of the cast kept their social circles small, Altman said, abstaining from going out outside of rehearsals and classes to avoid exposure.

Proceeding with caution

Large strides, both now and in the past, have been made to perform a show of this capacity without restrictions.

When the pandemic began late in the  school year, productions were moved online to accommodate national restrictions. While showings were possible over Zoom, productions were difcult to coordinate and perform.

“It’s just not the best for student-made kind of things,” Altman said. “A lot of student-made stuf here is a big collaboration and ensemble.”

Starting with the fall  musical, “Head Over Heels,” productions took the stage at the Mainstage Teater in Forbes with fewer COVID-related mandates. Te frst production for a full audience that didn’t require attendees to mask took place later in the season with “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” Last spring, JMU’s production of the musical “Once” solidifed the end of COVID- mandates for Forbes Center audiences.

Despite the country as a whole redefning public health restrictions, the “Percy Jackson” company still made an efort for showgoers to attend cautiously. When purchasing a ticket for a Forbes Center theater production, receipts will remind attendees to wear a mask. Altman, however, believes that true mandation may be out of grasp for the company.

“We can’t be like, ‘Wear your mask or you’re not allowed in,’ but we can be like, ‘Please, please, please, please wear a mask,’” Altman said.

Tough audiences ultimately decide whether or not to mask up, performers and crew members decided to do everything possible to ensure the production would go on as planned, Altman said.

The bigger theme

Like the company’s battle against the pandemic, the show itself emphasizes empathy. As “half-bloods” — children of one mortal parent and one god or goddess parent, in the “Percy Jackson” franchise — of the camp expel gifts for the Gods into an enblazened prop campfire, characters bond with one another over shared struggles.

As despair was commonly shared throughout students during a global pandemic, McKinney said he was able to explore other motifs and experiences of college-aged individuals. Tis refection began once the lead received his script and found a connection to his character.

“When [Percy] sets out for something, he doesn’t give up until he gets what he wants,” McKinney said. “I’m kind of the same way. When I have a goal, I want to achieve it.”

For the novel’s character, fnding a place to

belong was constantly an achievement to be strived for. “Good Kid,” an aria performed by McKinney, displays a cry for acceptance.

“[Percy] doesn’t really feel like he belongs anywhere,” said Kimball, who said she felt a similar emotion when she first came to Harrisonburg.

Throughout the show, characters pair the feeling of being lost with the need to prove oneself and fnd their place in the world.

“My Grand Plan,” Carrigan Young’s (Annabeth Chase) solo, best exemplifes this need and the character’s desire for their eforts to be noticed by her mother, the goddess Athena, and the world.

“I will be brave / Just wait and see,” Young sang. Altman further concurred that a sense of discovering who you are is re f ected heavily through most “half-blood” characters in the play. While the “heroes’ quests” may be diferent, she said, there’s a sense of unity in a competitive atmosphere.

“It’s like working together to push each other forward, which happens a lot at school,” Altman said. “We’re surrounded by people who want the same thing we do.”

In his frst JMU theater experience, McKinney said, he realized how each member of the group contributes collectively to the overall production.

“We have such a good culture here working together, especially in Forbes,” McKinney said. “Te theater building and the dance and music — we all work together so much.”

Community was the ultimate driving force of the Stratford Players to combat virus hindrance, and before the lights dimmed upon the Studio stage, cast members banded together to declare victory for the time being: “Bring on the monsters / Bring on the real world,” they sang.

“Monsters are in the real world too, so no matter where you go, you can’t always be afraid,” Altman said. “You just gotta buckle up and face it.”

CONTACT

Evan Moody at moodyte@ 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 Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical’ was proposed, rehearsed and performed in just one month. Shirin Zia Faqiri / The Breeze

A new chapter

Halfway house assists former inmates in re-entry process

By LUKE FREISNER

The Breeze

Travis Trout wanted to do right by his family. His mother passed away when he was  years old, followed by his father four years later. In turn, Trout was raised by his grandparents.

Following the death of his grandfather, making ends meet became an uphill battle for his grandmother — one Trout said he was tired of seeing her fght alone. He recalled his siblings didn’t help out, so when a friend approached him with an opportunity to make some good money, he took it.

“Te road to hell is paved with good intentions, you know?” Trout said.

But as it turned out, Trout said, he’d be convicted for manufacturing methemedifeds in  and served a sentence of eight years before being transferred to the Gemeinschaft Home on parole. Tis wasn’t the frst time Trout had been to prison; he said he was arrested for grand larceny after stealing a boat, which Trout himself said was “a dumb idea.”

With almost half his life spent in prison, going back to everyday life was a daunting task — but transferring to the Gemeinschaft Home helped him with the transition.

Home is where the start is

The doors of the Gemeinschaft Home welcomes visitors to a place of rehabilitation and healing, just across from Eastern Mennonite University on Mt. Clinton Pike. Established in , the halfway house is a nonprofit with a mission to prepare inmates who are out on parole with non-violent and non-sexual assault charges to transition to the public and professional world.

Aaron Oda, a program case manager at Gemeinschaft Home, said seeing the impact from the program first hand, finding a past

Gemeinschaft resident in the community and seeing everything just “click,” is the most rewarding feeling. Oda said Gemeinschaft Home helps people navigate a steady job and a solid routine — even making the bed in the morning — which can in turn make a huge diference for those embarking a fresh start.

Oda’s hope is that by approaching justice from a place of healing rather than retribution, he said, the home can help not only transition residents from the prison system but make sure they don’t go back.

What makes Gemeinschaft Home unique from most halfway houses, too, is its emphasis on therapeutic programming to help prepare residents for the road ahead. Te home ofers group and individual therapy sessions, as well as anger management and addiction counseling.

“I always tell my guys when they join the program … We all come with diferent stories and diferent perspectives on how we see ourselves,” Oda said. “How do we tell the good stories about ourselves?”

According to the Virginia Department of Corrections (DOC), the state’s three-year recidivism rate — the number of ex-convicts who reofend and return to prison — is tied with

South Carolina at   % and is one of the lowest in the country. Nevertheless, Oda said the idea of leaving in a correctional facility after being incarcerated is often scarier than staying in prison.

“Going out and living on my own? Tat’s the biggest concern,” Trout said. “I haven’t done that in a long time.”

A step forward Deontray Battle, a current Gemeinschaft resident as of July , said he’s coming of the heels of a fve-year sentence for drug charges. Since he entered Gemeinschaft two months ago, he said, he’s become a whole new person, saying his work in the program has made him much happier and “ready to go out and do the right thing.”

Trout’s sights are set on opening his own tattoo parlor once he’s back on his feet. He has tattoos from the neck down and said it’s always proved to be a challenge in the job market, even with the destigmatization of tattoos over the last few years. As much passion as he has for starting his business, though, it’s not without its obstacles.

“We all come with different stories and different perspectives on how we see ourselves. How do we tell the good stories about ourselves?”

Aaron Oda

Gemeinschaft Home project case manager

Trout said he would’ve liked to go to college but never had the opportunity, resulting in a lack of knowledge of how to build a business.

“I don’t know how to write a grant,” Trout said. “I have no clue what to say in an essay.”

In addition, Trout doesn’t live in the catchment area. A catchment area, as Oda described it, is a surrounding area roughly an hour and a half in every direction surrounding Harrisonburg. This zoning determines if people can stay in their location after the -day program at Gemeinschaft Home or are deemed not local by the DOC and aren’t allowed to take residence if they’re not originally from inside the perimeter. Tat said, Trout said he still hopes to open his shop, Scream’n Ink, in a college town, even if it’s not near JMU.

Trout and Battle have both taken up jobs during their time in Harrisonburg. Battle said being able to stay sober and occupied with a routine and a job has made a drastic change in his life. While he’s not focused on starting a business like Trout, Battle has some goals of his own: “to stay working and be a productive member of society.”

Trout said he would’ve slipped into old habits if it hadn’t been for Gemeinschaft Home and that the program set him on a new path.

“I honestly think if I got out and went [home] I’d [be] doing something stupid by now,” Trout said. “Being here, I feel like I have a chance … I got a roof over my head, I got structure, and it’s all because of this place.”

CONTACT Luke Freisner at freisnlx@ 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.

Gemeinschaft Home prepares its residents to transition to life outside of prison.

Photos by Soffia Nunez / The Breeze

Aaron Oda, a project case manager at Gemeinschaft, said he finds it rewarding to see the home’s residents embark on their fresh starts.

Crisp Connections

By ZACH MENDENHALL & WILL MORAN The Breeze

During a team bike ride at Reddish Knob in 1994, the JMU feld hockey team encountered a problem. A beehive chased the team, sending players in all directions. Quickly, the Dukes had to protect one another, JMU feld hockey coach Christy Morgan said, who was then in her third year at the helm of JMU.

Tis run-in with the hive created a moment of bonding — a connection that proved key for the team on and of the feld.

“Te way they took care of each other, the lessons we learned and some that were strong, helped the others and saved people from the bees and grabbed their bikes,” Morgan said.

Bonding trips and impromptu experiences continue today, building strong connections of the feld, and it's something Morgan said she thinks translates to their success on the feld, through thoughtful, quality passing. It’s been integral to the Dukes’ wins early this season: In its fve victories, JMU has a combined 17 assists. In its three losses, there were none.

Te frst goal of the season, scored only

two minutes into JMU’s frst game against Richmond, came from a pass — built up out of the back, until it found junior forward Tori Carawan. She was then able to fnd senior forward Mikenna Allen, who slotted it in for a goal.

Moving and letting the ball do the work has helped the Dukes begin the season on the right foot and has been emphasized by head coach Christy Morgan.

“If you can move the ball and fundamentally you can be disciplined and sound, you can really be efective against any team,” Morgan said after a 1-0 win against William & Mary.

Tis ideology has paid of Te No. 21 Dukes already have two top 25 wins under their belts, knocking of No. 16 William & Mary and No. 12 Liberty in the same weekend.

Connection also allows the team to gain spatial awareness, senior forward Eveline Zwager said.

“It starts in the back,” Zwager said postgame after the Liberty matchup on Sept. 18. “Just tiny passes working of each other, and if everyone keeps moving, you're creating so much space for each other.”

Te Dukes’ ability to stay connected relies on ball movement, Morgan said in a postgame interview on Aug. 26, moving

around so there’s a passing lane to get the ball from one player to another. Te team’s speed helps with this, senior midfelder Diede Remijnse said.

Graduate defender Kara McClure described JMU’s playing style as the “small game to the big game,” meaning small passes are used to develop the play, and then the big passes open up. Once the players fnd the big passes, they use their speed to get to the ball.

Being connected on the feld starts with having the same connection of it. Morgan said having connections is the “secret to a good life” and continues to emphasize that to her team.

“One of our values is vulnerability, and when you can be vulnerable with another person, there's a deeper connection because you're letting them into your heart,” Morgan said. “Tat connection creates that trust, that authenticity creates that trust, that vulnerability creates the opportunity to have that trust.”

Morgan said that every preseason, the team participates in of-campus activities such as white water rafting and camping. While camping, the team plays pickleball and goes rock climbing together to strengthen the team’s connection.

Placing people in diferent environments also allows people to be vulnerable and ask for help, Morgan said.

“We sat by the fre and we talked about what we're excited about and what we fear, and then we help each other through that fear,” Morgan said. “It’s bigger than just impacting yourself. You can have an impact on other people on this team, if you care.”

Te camping trip helped teammates new and old make the frst day of practice feel like the middle of the season, Zwager said. She told Te Breeze back in August that the frst practice didn’t feel like one because everyone was “super connected” all summer, from the moment summer commenced.

With a - record and three wins in a row, the team seems to be fnding solid connections now more than ever. Te constant mindset of “working to make somebody else look good,” as Morgan said, has allowed the team to become one of the most tight-knit groups in JMU sports.

CONTACT

Zach Mendenhall at mendenzl@ dukes.jmu.edu and Will Moran at moranwp@ dukes.jmu.edu. For more field hockey coverage, follow the sports desk on Twitter @TheBreezeSports.

The Dukes celebrate following a goal vs. William & Mary on Sept. 16. Savannah Reger / The Breeze

Sun, set and match

Preview | JMU volleyball prepares for first weekend in conference play

By JACKSON HEPHNER The Breeze

JMU volleyball and football might have more differences than similarities. But this week, one detail stands out: They’re both set to play App State in their respective programs’ first ever Sun Belt game.

While JMU football heads to Boone, North Carolina, for its first conference game of the season, App State volleyball comes to Harrisonburg to face the Dukes in each program’s first in-conference Sun Belt game.

“It’s gonna be tough,” freshman libero Julia McNeley said, “but it’s gonna be a good game and to have it back home at Godwin with all those people cheering us on, to have that home court advantage is gonna be really good for us.”

Home court or not, App State should be a formidable challenge for JMU. The Mountaineers are 7-4, the second-best winning percentage in the Sun Belt at .636. But the Dukes seem to be up for the challenge. They’re 6-3, tied with four other teams for the best winning percentage in the conference: .667.

When it comes to the Sun Belt championship, nonconference games only count as tiebreakers. As far as the conference is concerned, both teams are 0-0, and sophomore libero Jaydyn Clemmer said she’s eager to get started.

“I am super excited that we get to get into the Sun Belt with this being our first game,” Clemmer said. “I just hope we come out strong, showing the Sun Belt all we have and just bringing it all this week.”

Both teams enter the match coming off strong wins to cap off their nonconference slates. App State most recently played in the Virginia Tech Classic, in which it went 1-1 — its last match being a three-set sweep of Norfolk State. JMU’s last match was a strong three-set win against High Point, one McNeley called a strong win.

The stats indicate the match will be close. Despite App State having played two more matches than JMU, both teams are statistically similar at the averages per set. But there are some disparities — App State averages 1.9 more digs per set than JMU, and the Mountaineers logged only four ball-handling errors while the Dukes have

12. But when it comes to kills, (JMU 11.9, App State 12.2) aces, (JMU 1.8, 1.7) errors and blocks per set, (JMU 2.6, App State 2.0) the two teams are mere decimals apart.

There is, however, a key difference in personnel. JMU’s statistical leaders have logged higher set averages in a few key categories. JMU’s leader in points per set is junior outside hitter Mïette Veldman, who currently has an average of 4.52. App State senior McCall Denny leads her team in points per game, but with an average of 3.26.

However defensively, the margins get a bit closer. For JMU, senior middle blocker Sophie Davis leads the team with 1.41 blocks per set, while App State’s senior middle blocker Sarah Missroon leads her respective squad with an average of 1.11 blocks per set — still a noticeable difference between the two, but not as drastic.

Despite this, both teams as a whole are solid this season, and sophomore libero Madilyn O’Toole knows it.

“We have to bring it,” O’Toole said. “It’s gonna be big. We have to get down to business and do our job.”

This season has proved that when JMU does its job, it wins. The Dukes are 6-1 when they’ve notched more than five total blocks, 41 digs, 32 assists and 40 kills all at the same time. The one loss across all categories was in the same match — a close five-set loss against UMBC that stands as the only statistical anomaly.

App State should prove a challenge for JMU, arguably the toughest they’ve faced since Florida State and Yale at the Seminole Invitational Sept. 1 and 2. Nonconference play provided the Dukes with a vital blueprint for success, and as long as the Dukes stick to their gameplan, both squads could go down to the wire.

And Clemmer is just eager for the challenge.

“[App State] is gonna be a really good team,” she said. “The Sun Belt is a really good conference. I’m excited that we’ll get to play really good teams.”

CONTACT Jackson Hephner at hephnejt@ dukes.jmu.edu. For more volleyball coverage, follow the sports desk on twitter @TheBreezeSports.

Thursday, September 22

7 p.m.

Women’s soccer vs. Old Dominion

Friday, September 23

All Day

Women’s golf at Lady Paladin Invitational

All Day

Men’s tennis at Elon Fall Invitational

All Day

Men’s tennis at Richmond City UTR Open

3 p.m.

Field hockey vs. Saint Francis

6 p.m.

Volleyball vs. App State

Saturday, September 24

All Day

Women’s golf at Lady Paladin Invitational

All Day

Men’s tennis at Elon Fall Invitational

All Day

Men’s tennis at Richmond City UTR Open

1 p.m.

Volleyball vs. App State 3:30 p.m.

Football at App State

Sunday, September 25

All Day

Women’s golf at Lady Paladin Invitational

All Day

Men’s tennis at Elon Fall Invitational

All Day

Men’s tennis at Richmond City UTR Open

12:30 p.m.

Men’s soccer at Old Dominion 1 p.m.

Women’s soccer at Southern Miss 1 p.m.

Field hockey at Duke

Monday, September 26

All Day

Men’s golf at JT Poston Invitational

Tuesday, September 27

All Day

Men’s golf at JT Poston Invitational

Wednesday, September 28

6 p.m.

Men’s soccer vs. George Washington

Thursday, September 22, 2022

JMU volleyball begins conference play at home against App State on September 23. The Dukes are 6-3. Savannah Reger / The Breeze

Back on the court

JMU tennis programs return to action for fall tournaments

By CRAIG MATHIAS The Breeze

As the Dukes return to the court, they’re ready to cause a racquet.

With the fall season underway, both JMU men’s and women’s tennis have set their sights on preparing for the spring dual season — but that doesn’t mean the teams aren’t focused on going to each tournament and producing results.

In college tennis, teams compete in both individual and team tournaments over the fall semester ahead of dual matches and postseason tournaments in the spring. The fall team tournaments have no effect on the team’s record outside of providing matchplay for the players.

JMU men’s tennis improving impressive 2021-22 season

Men’s tennis head coach Steve Secord said getting back into the swing of things is the priority during fall tournament season. With tennis being an individual sport to most, playing for a team requires commitment to not just yourself but the rest of the team, Secord said, and the players are buying into that.

“We’re just trying to get back into the team mode,” Secord said. “A lot of the tournaments in the fall are individually based … I think ultimately, it’s always an adjustment to just get in that mindset of competing for your team.”

The individual tournaments, however, such as the ITA All-American Championships and ITA Regional Championships, provide opportunities for some players to compete against the best players in the area. For example, senior Holden Koons made program history last fall by becoming the first JMU men’s player to advance to the main draw of the AllAmerican Championships.

Alongside Koons this season is a retooled roster from last year. Freshman Julian Lozano and Aathreya Mahesh join the squad this fall, as well as Canon Secord — Steve Secord’s son — a graduate transfer from Bridgewater College. A third freshman, Francisco Sinopoli, will arrive in Harrisonburg in January for the dual season.

As he enters his fourth year as a Duke, Koons said it’s been so far, so good for the new members. While life as a studentathlete is an adjustment, he said, that’s why

they practice and play in the fall.

“It takes time to get used to being a student-athlete with class schedules and everything,” Koons said. “I think their games are right there. Going from junior to college tennis is an adjustment, but that’s the good thing about the fall.”

Another team veteran who’s noticed the change the new players have brought to the team is redshirt sophomore Youssef Sadek. Sadek was seen primarily at No. 3 singles and at No. 1 doubles with Koons in the lineup last year, including being named to the All-CAA Doubles Second Team.

Sadek said the team has come into this fall with a more focused approach to training, both on and off the court. Despite losing some players to the transfer portal, Sadek said he likes where the team is at.

“I think we’re all very motivated to work,” Sadek said. “We’re doing more physical work in practice. I can see all the guys are fresh. They’re ready to start competing in tournaments … I think we’re in good shape.”

A new era awaits JMU women’s tennis

The women’s team is also reforming its roster. Head coach Shelley Jaudon has brought in three new freshmen — Haley Glen, Reka Matko and Daria Munteanu — and a sophomore transfer from Idaho University, Ines Oliveira.

Sophomore Hope Moulin said these four have quickly acquainted themselves with the team, something that hasn’t gone unnoticed. They’ve made themselves at home, she said, which will only help the rest of the team as they play tournaments this fall.

“They’ve all really come in and shown that they’re not scared,” Moulin said, “and that they’ve come here to work and be a part of this team and do what it takes. I hand it to them for showing up the way they did, taking the initiative.”

After maintaining an impressive run over the past couple of seasons, including a CAA championship in 2021, Jaudon said the new players have brought a lively feel

to the team. She’s forever grateful for the seniors who graduated last year, she said, but this change was necessary as they enter the Sun Belt Conference.

“It’s been exciting to have some new faces and energy,” Jaudon said. “I think it was time for that. We had an incredible group of seniors that graduated and had great careers. We had been such an established team for up to three years [with] the same girls, so it’s been fun to see new relationships being built.”

One of those veterans still around is redshirt senior Daria Afanasyeva, who enters her fifth year with the team. Playing in the No. 3 position for most of 2021, Afanasyeva tallied a 14-7 record in singles and was named to the All-CAA third team.

As part of that conference championship team, Afanasyeva said, she likes where the team is at in the early stages of the fall season. As they up the level of play in the practice, she said this will yield better results both this season and in the spring.

“Comparing from years before to now based on practice matches we’ve played against each other,” Afanasyeva said, “I think the level [of play] is higher and I think the team will be competing [at a higher level]. I think the results will be better.”

At the Elon Fall Invitational last weekend, Afanasyeva placed third in her singles flight and in her doubles flight with her partner, freshman Matko. Overall, Afanasyeva went 4-2 on the weekend combining singles and doubles.

With the team preparing for the remaining tournaments this fall, Jaudon said the work they’re putting in now will pay off in the success they hope to have throughout this year.

“Our program has developed a mental toughness that sets us up to do well as we transition into the Sun Belt,” Jaudon said. “I think we’re setting ourselves up and working hard to have a good year.”

JMU men’s tennis was undefeated at home after besting Elon last season. Breeze file photo

JMU women’s tennis finished 9-11 last season, after two conference championship seasons. Breeze file photo

CITY OF HARRISONBURG JOBS

Part-Time Job OpportunityCustomer Care Representative

Do you want to utilize your customer service skills/knowledge to help ensure that citizens and local businesses receive quality water and sewer services? If so, the City of Harrisonburg Public Utilities Department’s Customer Care Representative part-time position may be the right job for you! Find out more/apply online: https://www.harrisonburgva.gov/ employment. EOE.employment. EOE.

Job Opportunity - Water Service Technician

Do you want a part-time job that helps provide a meaningful service to the community through a variety of customer service activities? If so, the Public Utilities Department’s Water Service Technician may be the right job for you! Find out more/ apply online: https://www.harrisonburgva. gov/employment. EOE.

Career Opportunity - Sign Graphics Designer & Fabricator

Do you want a career that allows you to utilize your technical/creative skills and experience to design/manufacture a variety of signs for trafc control/City facilities? If so, the City’s Public Works Department’s Sign Graphics Designer & Fabricator role may be the right position for you! Find out more/apply: https://www.harrisonburgva. gov/employment. EOE.

Part-Time Job OpportunityRecreation Aide (Athletics)

Do you want to utilize your organizational skills, customer service skills, and passion for sports in a youth athletics league setting? If so, the City of Harrisonburg Parks and Recreation Department’s Recreation Aide - Athletics may be the right job for you! Find out more/apply online: https://www. harrisonburgva.gov/employment. EOE.

Career Opportunity - Fire Captain - Community Risk Reduction Division

Te City of Harrisonburg (pop. approximately 54,224) is seeking to fll a Fire Captain role in the Community Risk Reduction Division. To fnd out more/apply online, visit https://www.harrisonburgva.gov/ employment. EOE..

Plans Reviewer

Are you seeking an opportunity to utilize your knowledge, skills, and abilities related to building inspections work or the building construction trades/inspection felds? If so, apply to become the next Plans Reviewer with the City of Harrisonburg’s Community Development Department! Find out more/ apply online: https://www.harrisonburgva. gov/employment. EOE.

Career Opportunity - Building & Equipment Manager

Are you seeking an opportunity where you can perform skilled technical work while overseeing a comprehensive preventive/ corrective maintenance program for mechanical/building equipment? If so, the Building & Equipment Manager position with the City’s Public Utilities Department may be the right career move for you! Find out more/apply: https://www.harrisonburgva. gov/employment. EOE.

Career Opportunity - Athletic Program Coordinator

Do you want to utilize your organizational and administrative skills to plan, organize, coordinate, implement, and supervise all varieties and aspects of the City’s athletic programs and sports activities? If so, consider applying for the Parks and Recreation Department’s Athletic Program Coordinator position! Find out more/apply online: https://www.harrisonburgva.gov/ employment. EOE.

Career Opportunity - Athletic Field Turf Manager

Are you seeking a leadership opportunity that allows you to utilize your experience in the preparation of athletic felds and planning/overseeing/implementing feld maintenance plans? If so, the City’s Parks and Recreation Department’s Athletic Field Turf Manager may be the right career move for you! Find out more/apply: https://www. harrisonburgva.gov/employment. EOE.

Water Service Technician (Full-Time)

Do you want a career that helps provide a meaningful service to the community through in-feld customer response? If so, the Public Utilities Department’s Water Service Technician may be the right job for you! Find out more/apply online: https:// www.harrisonburgva.gov/employment. EOE.

Customer Care Representative (Full-Time)

Do you want to utilize your customer service skills/knowledge to help ensure that citizens and local businesses receive quality water and sewer services? If so, the City of Harrisonburg Public Utilities Department’s Customer Care Representative position may be the right career for you! Find out more/apply online: https://www.harrisonburgva.gov/ employment. EOE.

JOBS COMMUNITY

911 Emergency Communicators

Do you want to be a First Responder? Do you want to have a direct impact in saving lives and serving our community? Have you ever thought about becoming a 911 Emergency Communicator? Consider applying with the Harrisonburg-Rockingham Emergency Communications Center (HRECC). Find out more/apply online: https://www. harrisonburgva.gov/employment. EOE.

Part time Home Health Aide

Part-Time Home Health Aide needed for myself near JMU campus! I am wheelchair bound due to Parkinson’s and need another part time nursing assistant to fll in during the week! Contact me at 540 271 0439 with serious inquiries only!

After School Part Time Child Care

Great part time opportunity for dependable , responsible student to supervise and transport 10 &13 year old kids. Mon- Fri 3pm-6pm every other week. Good driving record, reliable transportation required . $15 hourly. Excellent references. Call or text 540478-3336

Parking

Looking for a parking space? I have spaces available on our farm. We’re located 1520 minutes north of JMU. Shuttle service available. For more information call Dennis @540-820-3838 .

Race For Relief 5K

Come RACE FOR RELIEF at the Virginia Mennonite Relief Sale October 1st at the Rockingham County Fairgrounds! Come walk/run our 5K course then choose from a variety of diferent foods to indulge on after including fresh donuts, Indian food, BBQ chicken, various homemade goods, and much much more! Sign up using the QR code provided!