C O N T E N T S
16 JMU Nation + football poster
Celebrating 50 seasons of JMU football; softball Dukes’ magical run through the Women’s College World Series in photos; women’s tennis player’s personal struggles; Black student-athletes represent James Madison at virtual summit; the most successful year in department history
28 Bright Lights
20
JMU photographer captures the excitement of the softball team’s epic run during the Women’s College World Series.
38
BY BRITTANY BELL (‘21)
30 True grit
Vine Adowei (‘17, ‘19M) epitomizes JMU’s call to action, Being the Change, as an advocate, poet and “solution-maker.”
Alumna’s cakes taste as good as they look
Softball team represented this institution well, both on the field and off BY PRESIDENT JONATHAN R. ALGER
34 Tasting success
Tassie Pippert (‘11, ‘13M) shares her passion for food and wine in classroom and on small screen BY STEPHEN BRIGGS
38 ‘How can I be a solution?’
One Double Duke’s ‘Beautiful Voyage’ toward advocacy and healing BY JESSICA NICKELS (’21)
40 Storytelling through clothing
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Willis Landon (‘20) aspires to be an ambassador of inclusive hip-hop education.
Collaborative exhibit helps tell the history of women’s rights at JMU BY EMILY BLAKE
44 ‘Learning every day’
Student pinpoints gap in Marines’ stress inoculation
BY CIARA BRENNAN (’17)
46 Inclusivity through hip-hop
Willis Landon (‘20) cultivates self-expression, cooperation and life skills with community-based music education
BY PHILIP L. FRANA
48 Alumni for Life
Dukes Hike; Cynthia Coolbaugh (‘70) tribute; Alumni Association board member letter; Triangle Dukes chapter; Mixed Media; Social Justice Movie Club; Kaitlin Porter (‘06) and family hit the road to unplug and reconnect
56 Class Notes
40 4
Women’s history at Madison includes 1920s students “bobbing” their hair, inspired by Dean Bernice Varner.
M A D ISON
M AG A Z I N E
Staff Emeriti Association update; scholarship thank-you letters; Faculty Emeriti Associaiton news; Vad Lee’s (‘15) new chapter
64 By the Numbers
Food insecurity at JMU
S O F T BA LL PH OTO G R A PH BY C AT H Y K U S H N E R ( ’ 87 ); PA LM Y R A BY TA D D I C K E N S/ TH E ROAN O KE TI M ES; 1 920 s ST U D E N TS CO U RT E SY O F J M U S PEC I A L CO LLEC T I O N S