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JMU grabs No. 2 rating U.S. News & World Report releases 2014 college rankings By Steve Wildemann contributing writer
JMU has been named the No. 2 public regional university in the South and No. 6 out of all colleges and universities in the South according to the U.S. News & World Report’s 2014 edition of Best Colleges. The ranking is based on numerous factors. Schools are broken down using the Carnegie Classification system judging factors such as location (rural, suburban or urban) and the type of school (public or private). The report was also broken down into four geographical groups: North, South, Midwest and West. Education experts then measure factors like assessments by administrators at peer institutions, retention of students, faculty resources, student selectivity, financial resources, alumni giving and graduation rate performance.
”When I tell people I graduated from JMU, people will have that in their minds and think ‘Wow, she went to a great school with great professors and a great passion for educating its students.’” Erin Quigley
Vol. 92, No. 11 Monday, September 30, 2013
cluck Blue Hens
JMU loses lead in the second half to drop first conference game
By hayley thompson The Breeze
Somber faces lined the hallways of the Delaware locker room after JMU’s 29-22 defeat by the University of Delaware Saturday. But surprisingly enough, dropping the first conference game had little effect on how the Dukes plan to approach the rest of their season. “Ninety percent of the time you get a punt blocked you’re going to lose the game,” head coach Mickey Matthews said. The blocked punt in the third quarter, compounded with a 15-yard JMU personal foul on the play, gave Delaware the ball at the Dukes’ 15-yard line. That marked the turning point in the game against the Blue Hens, allowing their offense to punch it in after two quick plays and get a two-point conversion to gain a 22-19 lead late in the quarter, UD’s first lead of the game. “When they’re starting on the 15 or 20 you know that’s a recipe for disaster,” Matthews said. The last matchup between the two teams was in 2010 when Delaware came to Harrisonburg. Both teams are almost entirely different now than they were then,
Dukes
but the numbers looked much like they did on Saturday: under 170 rushing yards for both teams and a top-heavy game for the Dukes, with their only touchdowns coming in the first half. “I thought it would be a really tough assignment coming up to play here,” Matthews said. “Two good teams playing some football.” And it was; neither team could get much done running the ball. The Dukes came into the game averaging 252 rushing yards per game, but they managed only 139 on Saturday. Even though offensive coordinator Mike O’Cain was brought in to establish a passing offense, it became clear early on this season that running the ball was the name of the game. Classic Mickey Matthews style. Delaware’s defense was much tighter than any JMU had faced yet this season, and it did its job shutting down redshirt senior running back Dae’Quan Scott. Consequently, the game was left to sophomore quarterback Michael Birdsong. “They took the running game away,” see football, page 8
Lauren Gordon / the breeze
TOP Offensive line coach Curt Newsome offers words of advice to the team between plays. BOTTOM Michael Birdsong carries the ball through Blue Hen defense, rushing for 23 yards by the game’s end.
graduate student in elementary education
JMU was also ranked highly in other categories including highest average freshman retention rate in the South at 91 percent; a strong commitment to teaching and service learning categories. “Many people use the rankings as a guide to where they want to look, but then it’s what they find that determines whether they want to apply or not,” said Michael Walsh, dean of admissions. Walsh explained that even though the media recognition is good for the school, the experience students get on campus is what lures them into attending the university. “The campus sells itself very well,” Walsh said. “The two main reasons people select JMU are the accessibility of the faculty and classes and the students. It all depends on the students’ experience.” Erin Quigley, a graduate student in elementary education, said she thinks JMU’s high rankings and good reputation will help her find employment. “As a future teacher, coming from a school with these great credentials and respect is proof that we may not be an Ivy League school, but we’re still a great school.” Quigley said. JMU is making a bigger name for itself every year. Students are proud to be a part of the growing community. “When I tell people I graduated from JMU, people will have that in their minds and think, ‘Wow, she went to a great school with great professors
Walk this way
Former Marines on cross-country charity pass through Harrisonburg during 2,700-mile trek
James chung / the breeze
Chris Senopole and Adam Shatarsky are walking from Southern California to Washington, D.C. to raise money for the Wounded Warrior Project. They arrived in Harrisonburg on Wednesday and continued their journey Friday. By IJ Chan The Breeze
For Chris Senopole and Adam Shatarsky, walking 2,700 miles across the United States for their fellow comrades is worth every step. Senopole, 24, and Shatarsky, 31, are former Marines on a mission to walk from Southern California to Washington, D.C. On Wednesday
afternoon, they reached Harrisonburg and continued walking to New Market on Friday morning. “We wanted to do some good and make a change,” Senopole said. “You spend your whole life saying you want to make a change but when it really comes down to it you just kind of do it. This walk is literally the biggest ‘just do it,’ things we’ve ever done.” On June 15 the pair started walking from Camp Pendleton, Calif. No one had donated gear or funds yet. Now, after traveling across the country through deserts, along highways and over rough terrain, Senopole and Shatarsky have raised about $53,000. “It’s kind of crazy — we never expected it to take off like it did,” Senopole said. All proceeds from the walk will go to the Wounded Warrior Project, an organization which provides help and services to wounded veterans. Senopole and Shatarsky, former roommates while they served in the Marine Corps, said they were eating dinner at an Outback Steakhouse when they decided to walk. “It was kind of on the table of ‘Let’s do something big,’” Shatarsky said. “It just kind of stuck. I don’t remember if it was Chris or myself that came up with the idea, but once it was on the table it stuck and we decided, ‘Hey, let’s do it for some good.’” Both Marines have served in Japan, Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia and Okinawa from 2008-2012. Senopole also spent five months in Afghanistan. During their interview with the The Breeze, an elderly man in a white pickup truck pulled up and stopped on the side of the road. The man walked over and handed Shatarsky $10 and told the pair to use it to buy themselves food. “This is for my friends who didn’t make it back from Vietnam,” the man said, who was fighting back tears. see marines, page 4
see ranking, page 3
9/30 Inside
3 Genetically altered mice news Miracle mice
may hold progress for malaria immunization.
6 Forcing students to pay
opinion Will not pay for work
for internship credit takes advantage of free labor.
Fostering opportunity Adapted Sports Day shows kids with disabilities that college is possible despite challenges. Page 8
7 Theatre students take
life An awfully big adventure
on the childhood classic, “Peter Pan.”
8 Women’s soccer loses to sports Streak over
William & Mary, snapping a five-game win streak.
James chung / the breeze