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Vol. 93, No. 44
breezejmu.org
Monday, March 23, 2015
INSIDE TODAY
Community rallies around college closure
LIGHT LITTER
Sweet Briar community raises money in an effort to keep college open
Learn about this week’s events dedicated to raising light pollution awareness NEWS | 3
DON’T BE AFRAID Feminists need to be open about their activism
By MAKENA RAFFERTY LEWIS The Breeze
For most, the news was not so sweet. The Sweet Briar College community is still reeling after the March 3 announcement when James Jones, president of Sweet Briar, revealed that the small liberal arts women’s college would close at the end of the academic year after 114 years. The school cited “insurmountable financial challenges” as the cause behind the college’s board of directors’ decision to close down the school. Alumnae have formed a movement called “Saving Sweet Briar,” with both short and long-term fundraising goals for $12 million and $21 million, respectively, according to Erin Geiersbach, a senior anthropology major and vice president of Sweet Briar’s college choir. So far, the group has raised $3.1 million.
LuAnn Hunt, a ’90 alumna, made it clear that if the college board had notified alumni of a financial problem earlier, action would have been taken to raise funds. “They should have come to us a year ago, or two years ago,” Hunt said. According to Hunt, the “Saving Sweet Briar” movement isn’t just about monetary support. It’s also a place for alumni to collaborate on future ideas for the school if it were to remain open. Deborah Durham, an anthropology professor at Sweet Briar, believes that, apart from the fact that the college will be closing, there’s no real plan in place for the follow-through. It’s unknown whether or not professors will receive severance pay. There is, however, a plan already in place for a “teach out” program. Geiersbach said this plan see BRIAR, page 3
COURTESY OF LUANN HUNT
Students are welcomed back to Sweet Briar College after spring break to a crowd of parents, friends and alumnae who held signs supporting the college that’s expected to close in the summer.
OPINION | 6
HANDS ON EXPERIENCE Some students spent their week helping others in need LIFE | 7
Leaving the dance early Developing Dukes Dukes fall in the first round of the NCAA tournament to Ohio
Valley Scholars Program helps middle schoolers prepare for college
HEAD IN THE GAME
Experts discuss issues of concussions at JMU SPORTS | 9
QUOTE OF THE DAY
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It’s a ‘let them eat cake’ style condemnation for a new generation.
OPINION | 5
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TODAY WILL BE Mostly sunny
52° / 34° chance of rain: 0%
DANIELLE EPIFANIO / THE BREEZE HOLLY WARFIELD / THE BREEZE
Redshirt junior guard Jazmon Gwathmey attempts to block freshman guard Asia Doss during Saturday’s game.
The Valley Scholars Program, which began last semester, consists of 35 eighth graders.
By WAYNE EPPS JR. The Breeze
By MORGAN LYNCH The Breeze
Shortly after JMU lost to Ohio State University Saturday in the first round of the NCAA tournament, head coach Kenny Brooks said people could’ve counted his team out this year. The Dukes had lost two of their marquee players with Kirby Burkholder (2010-14) and Nikki Newman (2009-14). But 29 wins later, the Dukes (29-4) found themselves celebrating another Colonial Athletic Association title and another trip back to the NCAA tournament. “We didn’t panic,” Brooks said. “I knew we could be good and I thought that [if] they came back motivated they would be good.” The No. 5 seeded Buckeyes
(24-10) defeated the No. 12 Dukes 90-80 Saturday at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Carmichael Arena. Still, afterward, Brooks called this season one of the more enjoyable ones he’s had in his 13 seasons at the helm. “It was fun, wasn’t it? I hope you enjoyed covering it as much as we enjoyed doing it,” Brooks told the media. On Saturday, the Dukes’ crux was a lack of rhythm on offense. The typically fluid machine was out of sync and Brooks credited that to Ohio State. “They did a really good job of throwing us out of rhythm,” Brooks said. “We second-guessed ourselves a couple times.” Brooks said Ohio State slowed down junior point guard Angela
Mickens, who typically keeps things flowing in the offense. And foul trouble forced him to experiment with the group of players on the floor. “I looked out there one time, and I was disjointed at one point,” Brooks said. “I had a lineup out there that I hadn’t played all year. I looked out there and I had three bigs, but it was out of necessity because Ashley [Perez] and Jaz [Gwathmey] both had two fouls.” Then the Buckeyes’ backcourt duo of junior guard Ameryst Alston and freshman guard Kelsey Mitchell combined for 51 points — Alston had 28 and Mitchell overcame some foul trouble to score 23. Ohio State also had 6-foot-3
at 7 p.m. Four other call-to-action documentaries about social issues will also be screened throughout the week, Monday through Friday, with free admission and each airing at 7 p.m. The films were handpicked by the student director of the festival, senior media art and design major Marley McDonald, and Shaun Wright, an assistant professor in the School
Some middle school students from the surrounding area are already preparing for college. Eighth graders in the Valley Scholars Program came to JMU on Saturday and particiated in team-building activities. “I love making kids do this,” Terrelle Wallace, a sophomore kinesiology major and ROTC cadet said as he coached students through an exercise called the human knot. In this activity, a group of about 10 students stood in a circle and held hands with other members in the formation. The challenge was to become untangled without letting go of each other’s hands; this encouraged communication with the other members of the circle in order to tackle the problem. “I want the kids to learn how to be able to communicate effectively and also learn how to possibly become better leaders in the future, and we also want them to learn that there is no limitation in terms of what their goals are in the future,” Wallace said. The Valley Scholars Program began last semester and consists of 35 eighth graders. Current partner school districts include Augusta County, Harrisonburg City, Page County, Rockingham County, Shenandoah County, Staunton City and Waynesboro City schools. As part of the program, these students visit JMU’s campus about 13 times a year to engage in activities with numerous academic colleges and offices on campus. The students also have JMU student mentors who meet with them once a week at their schools. If the students continue through the program, they will receive a full scholarship to JMU. The students must maintain a 3.25 GPA from eighth to 12th grade and attend all program events. About five to 10 volunteers from Student Ambassadors help the young students when they participate in activities on campus, according to Adrienne Cardulla, a sophomore anthropology major and Student Ambassador who volunteers with the program. Cardulla is involved in Pride, a committee within the Student Ambassadors that encourages firstgeneration college students to apply and enroll in college. The ambassadors and six cadets from the ROTC program assisted with Saturday’s event, leading the younger students
see CHANGE, page 8
see VALLEY, page 4
see WBB, page 9
Films that matter
Reel Change Film Festival showcases social issues By JULIA NELSON The Breeze
Eighteen-year-old Israeli model and beauty queen, Linor Abargil, was kidnapped, stabbed and raped by a travel agent outside of Milan, Italy, in 1998. Six weeks later, she was forced to put on a smile when she was crowned Miss World on national television. That’s when she vowed to use her crown as a platform to speak
COURTESY OF ROCKET GIRL PRODUCTIONS
Miss World Linor Abargil shares a heartfelt moment with a sexual assault victim in “Brave Miss World.” The film will be screened in Court Square Theater Thursday at 7 p.m. and will be followed by a Q&A with Abargil.
out against sexual violence. “Because I believe that the title of Miss World holds a responsibility for social action, I would like to give my crown a personal and meaningful context,” Abargil wrote on the website for the documentary about her story, “Brave Miss World.” The fourth annual Reel Change Documentary Film Festival is screening “Brave Miss World” at Court Square Theater on Thursday