The Breeze Homecoming special section 2014

2 Thursday, October 30, 2014 Serving James Madison University Since 1922

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Comments should be addressed to Sean Cassidy, editor-in-chief, at breezeeditor@gmail.com.

Homecoming edition staff Editor-in-chief Sean Cassidy managing editor IJ Chan copy Marta Vucci Rachael Padgett LIFE Robyn Smith Lauren Hunt Photo Holly Warfield James Chung sports Wayne Epps Jr. Drew Crane NEwS Erin Flynn

Online Mallory O’Shea

OPINION Corey Tierney graphics Blair Rosen Art director Amanda Ellison

Ads director Will Bungarden

Special Sections Manager Blake Harvey

ASST. Creative director Liz Paterson

Cover design Blair Rosen

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Homecoming TABLE OF CONTENTS

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JMU’s haunted history exposed Why isn’t our homecoming a big deal?

From JMU to ESPN: Q&A with Lindsay Czarniak Mr. and Ms. Madison candidates want your vote Best budget-friendly Halloween costumes Pittsburgh’s outside linebacker has JMU roots Best movies to get you in the Halloween spirit TBT: Revisiting old Breeze homecoming stories

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Decade Days: 1990s @ Mrs. Greens, D-Hall and E-Hall, all day Nightmare at UREC @ University Recreation Center, 9:30 p.m. to 1 a.m.

Trick or Treat on the Row @ Greek Row 4:30 to 6 p.m.

Late Night Breakfast @ E-Hall, 10 p.m. to 12 a.m.

JMU Wind Symphony @ Forbes Center Concert Hall, student tickets $5, 8 p.m.

Live Music: Songwriters in the Round featuring Trent Wagler, Sarah Siskind and Scott Miller @ Court Square Theater, tickets $25 at the door, 8 p.m.

Open Mic Night @ The Little Grill Collective, 8 p.m.

Salsa Night @ The Artful Dodger, 9 p.m.

Live Music: College Night with The Hackens Boys @ Backcountry Restaurant & Lounge

Decade Days: 2000s @ JMU campus, all day Political Science Alumni Day @ Taylor 306, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Homecoming Alumni Golf Tournament @ Spotswood Country Club, 12 to 7 p.m.

Fight Song T-shirt Day @ The Commons, 12 to 2 p.m.

Sigma Gamma Rho 25th Anniversary Reunion Welcome Back Dinner @ Beyond Restaurant, 7 p.m.

Sigma Phi Epsilon Homecoming Reunion, Golf Tournament @ Packsaddle Ridge Golf Club, 12:30 p.m., Homecoming Reception @ Taylor Hall 405, 7:00 p.m.

Special Collections Halloween Open House @ Carrier, room 203, 3 to 4:30 p.m.

Centennial Scholars 10th Anniversary Reception @ E-Hall Montpelier Room, 6 to 9 p.m.

Friday Night in Downtown Harrisonburg for Class of ’79, ’84, ’89, and Alpha Gamma Delta, 6 p.m. to 12 a.m.

Live Music: Philosophunk Costume Dance Party featuring Supersylum @ Clementine Cafe, $7, 9:30 p.m.

Dave’s Halloween Party @ Dave’s Taverna, live music, 8 p.m.

Live Music: Halloween Party with Southern Company @ Backcountry Restaurant & Lounge

Homecoming Dukes’ 5K Run/Walk @ UREC, registration begins at 7 a.m., race starts at 8 a.m.

Art Education Homecoming @ Duke Hall, 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Homecoming Headquarters @ Godwin Field, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Alpha Phi Alpha 35th Anniversary Tailgate @ Convo Lot, 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Alumni Party @ Ramada Inn Event Center, 10 p.m.

Sigma Gamma Rho 25th Anniversary Tailgate @ Convo Lot, 1 p.m.

Class of 1984 20th Reunion Progressive Tailgate Party @ various locations, 12 p.m.

Sigma Phi Epsilon Homecoming Reunion Tailgate @ Hanson Field, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Dukettes Reunion Brunch @ Festival Highlands Room, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

JMU Dukes vs. the William & Mary Tribe @ Bridgeforth Stadium, 3:30 p.m.

The Breeze Farewell Seeger Open House @ Anthony-Seeger Hall, 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Phi Mu Homecoming Reunion Silent Auction/Raffle @ Phi Mu House, 11:30 a.m., Pregame Tailgate @ Hanson Field, 1 p.m., Alumni Dinner @ Festival Allegheny Room, 7:10 p.m.

Annual Homecoming Step Show @ Wilson Hall Auditorium, tickets $12, 8 p.m. ’80s Night at JMU Homecoming featuring The Reflex @ Festival Grand Ballroom, 8 p.m. to 12 a.m.

Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn’s “Such Sweet Thunder” featuring JMU’s Jazz Ensemble and Theatre Students @ Forbes Center Concert Hall, regular tickets $15, 8 p.m.

Live Music: Cocaine Mortgage Presents Grover Cleveland and DJ Allison Kinney @ Clementine Cafe $5, 10 p.m.

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Thursday, October 30, 2014

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JMU’s hidden history An introduction to the alleged ghosts that call campus their home

By Erin Flynn The Breeze

One rarely talked about aspect of JMU’s unique history is the ghost stories that have circulated over the years. Sophomore biology major and JMU’s Ghost Hunters member

Sara Schoen, and Lea Foley, a former on-campus housekeeper who also used to conduct on-campus ghost investigations (with permission), discussed some of JMU’s most popular and strangest ghost stories.

Foley doesn’t think that these beings are ghosts. Rather, they’re memories

President Duke hauntings It’s believed that President Samuel Page Duke haunted the old Shenandoah Hall, where the Forbes Center for the Performing Arts is now located. Police and dispatchers who worked in the building reportedly used to feel Duke’s presence and smell his cigar smoke.

Before Duke Hall was remodeled, Foley said that she saw Duke walk out of the old Latimer-Schaeffer Theater, down the hall and out the door. Others who have seen the shadow agree that it looked like Duke.

His ghost is also said to haunt the current Grafton-Stovall Theatre. According to Schoen, students who run the movie projectors say they’ve heard footsteps on the floor where they play the movies. The students believe it’s Duke checking up on how things have changed at JMU.

being repeated over and over.

While every person decides for themselves whether or not they believe in hauntings, Schoen believes that the ghost stories add to JMU’s character.

“I’d like to believe them, I think they make an interesting story, but I can’t really believe without evidence,”

Schoen said. “I think it’s nice to have a history of JMU that you haven’t figured out.”

However, to her, these occurrences are anything but coincidences.

“There’s so many tragedies there, something’s got to be there,” Foley said.

Village Dwellings Schoen’s housekeeper from Weaver Hall last year believes that the dorm is haunted.

While she was cleaning the bathroom over winter break, the door opened and someone said, “Bye.” The housekeeper said goodbye back before realizing that no one was supposed to be in the building. She didn’t find anyone and convinced that it was a ghost.

While cleaning the hall director’s apartment in Frederikson Hall over the summer, Foley said that she saw a girl walk through the door leading to the lounge.

Tunnel terrors Schoen finds the tunnel story to be the most interesting.

The tunnels underneath the Quad have been around since the school was founded in 1908. According to Schoen, they were created to help students and faculty get from building to building. Around 1969, the tunnels were closed, which led to the circulation of a chilling rumor.

It’s rumored that one night in the 1920s, a girl received a love letter from her boyfriend asking her to meet him in the tunnels. When she got there, she didn’t find her boyfriend; it was a different boy who had a crush on her. He then raped and killed her. There have been reports of people hearing the clicking of her heels and smelling her floral perfume behind them when they visit the tunnels.

Schoen said that in the early 2000s, a ROTC cadet claimed he heard heels clicking even though he was wearing boots.

Return of a train victim Another story that Schoen mentioned involved a male resident from Wayland Hall who died after being hit by a train.

There are two stories rumored to be true: The student’s girlfriend broke up with him and went home for the weekend. While he was walking on the tracks, he was so upset about the breakup that he didn’t see the oncoming train, which ran him over.

Another version of the story claims that he died in a hazing ritual. His girlfriend threatened to break up with him if he went through with the hazing, which required him to lie unmoving on the tracks and let the train pass over him. He chose to go against his girlfriend’s wishes and was lying on the tracks when she showed up to the ritual and called out to him. When he heard her voice, he moved and was killed by the train.

It’s believed that the male victim now haunts Wayland. Over the summer, a housekeeper was on the third floor of Hoffman Hall, which looks directly into the third floor of Wayland.

While cleaning, she saw a young man with dark hair walk into one of the rooms. Since it was after Maymester and no one was supposed to be there, she called the Wayland hall director, who walked up with her to check it out. They found the door open, but there was no one else in the building.

Blair Rosen/The breeze

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Corey Tierney | media mogul

Where’s the party?

JMU’s homecoming doesn’t seem to be a big deal

Blair Rosen / The Breeze

As much as this may bring you physical pain — as it does for me — think back to high school.

As the newness of each year ran out and the leaves began to change, one event thrust itself into our lives: homecoming.

The marching band brushed off its more complicated tunes, the football team always had an unjustified ego boost and everyone celebrated, well, I’m not exactly sure what. The point is, however, that it was such a spectacle back then. But now, here at JMU, the event seems to be overshadowed by Halloween to the point where it’s just overlooked.

At first I thought it was just different at college, and that things like day drinks and themed parties must consume the weekend minds of JMU students in place of a spirited football game or parade. But after talking to some people at other schools (and the lazy man’s journalism in the form of Instagram stalking), I realized that the enthusiasm did, in fact, follow my old classmates to their universities.

So why is it that other schools continue the homecoming tradition? All we seem to have is the “Mr. and Ms. Madison Pageant” which, with all due respect to its organizers and finalists, doesn’t seem to be a big deal. Or at least it doesn’t seem to enthrall the students.

One example is an old classmate of mine landing a spot on Coastal Carolina University’s homecoming court. She has been posting loads of Instagram pictures with sashes and groups and mascots, and overall she seems to be the literal queen of campus. I haven’t seen that many likes on a non-celebrity photo since @ JMUlove exploded on the scene. All it takes is a king and queen competition at CCU to bring students to a level of celebration that’s virtually unheard of around here.

I contacted a friend of a friend who goes to

Virginia Tech and she gave me a lively, multipage list of events her school put on this year: a Juicy J concert (we did it first), a spirit rally (not sure what that means), a giant parade, a “huge fire” and a two-week long campaign for king and queen that seems to rival the current senatorial race in Virginia. Sarcasm aside, that still seems like a pretty big deal.

Even Bridgewater College — which (respectfully) sits in the shadow of JMU’s massive overtake of Harrisonburg — had a homecoming celebration last week. Some childhood friends of mine posted a hefty amount of pictures at a bonfire. Not even just a bonfire for the hell of it, but a school-sanctioned homecoming bonfire. While Springfest still looms in the overly-cautious minds of JMU administrators, that doesn’t mean we wouldn’t like to express our school spirit with a large, unnecessary, dangerous fire pit.

You may think, “Who cares?” I know I do frequently at this school. The problem, though, is that the effect of a powerful, engaging homecoming is more than just red cups and football. It fosters a sense of community. It brings together students of the past, present and even future. It actually gives a tangible meaning to all these hashtags about JMU family and “JMiloveU.” Every student I talked to from another school reminisced about homecoming with not only excitement, but pride.

I’m not sure if it’s a planning problem or a student problem, but regardless, it seems like JMU is missing out on a pretty big bonding opportunity.

Corey Tierney is a senior media arts and design major. Contact Corey at breezeopinion@gmail.com.

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Thursday, October 30, 2014

A look behind the desk

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Catching up with JMU alumna and ESPN ‘SportsCenter’ anchor Lindsay Czarniak

By Wayne Epps Jr. The Breeze

JMU alumna Lindsay Czarniak (’00) is one of the most recognizable faces in sports broadcasting. An anchor on the 6 p.m. weekday ESPN “SportsCenter,” Czarniak helps inform the nation on the day’s top sports storylines, night in and night out.

But the Centreville, Virginia, native got her start in JMU’s School of Media Arts & Design, where she picked up her love of broadcast journalism. We chatted with Czarniak to find out how she made it all the way to the “Worldwide Leader in Sports.”

When did you first take up an interest in going into television?

Probably when I was younger. Growing up my dad was a sports journalist, that’s how he started, and so I sort of got an interest in that from him. But the television part ... I think when I was in high school I just started to kind of go look at the real options for things that I could do. And, for some reason, that became something that I was interested in.

But when I went to JMU ... I wasn’t sure that it was broadcasting that I was going to do. I thought I was interested in that, but I wasn’t sure … But I can tell you the exact time when I knew that that’s exactly what I wanted to do; [it] was the year of my practicum at JMU — and we did a TV show. And it was a whole class dedicated to that, and I just fell in love with it. And so, really, my love for what I do now was ... cultivated there at JMU. You mentioned your practicum, but what are some of the other things that you did at JMU that helped prepare you to work in journalism and television professionally?

One of the classes that I remember when we went out and were working as reporters, I can’t remember the exact name of the class, but it was the one that Marilou Johnson taught. And it was terrific. And I remember you spend a lot of time working behind the camera, also working as an editor, but then you also get the chance to be a reporter. And I did my first story, I remember, on meningitis vaccines on campus. And for some reason, just putting that piece together and listening to the teaching of just all the different pieces

of it, I loved it ... That’s when I started just feeling like, ‘OK, these are the kinds of things that I want to do.’

Coming out of college, what kind of goals did you have for your career?

I had no idea ... When I came out, I really wanted to have that feeling that I had when I was doing the practicum. And when I say it excited me, I got to the point where I was very into my social life, but I would get more excited about working on segments and trying to figure out what we were going to do in the practicum. So that says a lot. So when I came out of college, I started at CNN in Atlanta. And I knew for myself that I wanted to start somewhere that was bigger … I just knew that I wanted to be somewhere where I could do breaking news, where I would have a little bit of variety in everything ... I didn’t really see sports in my future until it hit me in the face really, when I was at a NASCAR race … I was working as a news reporter in Jacksonville, I tagged along with some guys that were in the sports department to a NASCAR race … I had done some reporting for SPEED Channel. And I went with these guys that I worked with at my local TV station, and we were in victory lane waiting to interview the winning driver, and that’s when I met this other group of people that were from Miami. And we just struck up a conversation, and they said, “the girl that is one of our sportscasters is leaving, and we’ve got to fill our position but would love it if you would send us your stuff and we can look at you as a possibility.” And that’s exactly what happened. So I went from doing news to sports at that time.

What led up to you taking the step to go to ESPN in 2011?

There are a lot of steps in between. So I went to Miami and then I went back home to Washington D.C. where I was a sportscaster for six years. And that was the step that really made the biggest difference in my career and my life at that point, because I was working for a legend in George Michael, the sportscaster. I was able to really sink my teeth in and learn the community sports-wise. And it was where I grew up, so there was always that special piece of it as well. But I always thought

Joe Faraoni / ESPN Images

JMU alumna Lindsay Czarniak started at ESPN in 2011 and is now an anchor on the 6 p.m. broadcast.

that I wanted an opportunity, if I was lucky enough to have it, to do what I do on a big scale ... When the opportunity came to come and do “SportsCenter” and to get my foot in the door up here, I jumped at it because it was like a chance to do what I loved to do, but on a national playground.

What went through your head the first time you got to host “SportsCenter”?

I remember being very nervous, but excited. And it’s very different ... I remember, for the most part, thinking, ‘Don’t screw it up.’ And have fun, and I hope what I’m wearing is OK. I don’t know, it’s very, very different from anything that I had done before. But it was exhilarating. And you stood up there and you hear that music roll in the beginning, and that’s when it’s like ‘Whoa, OK. Here we go.’

Now that you’re one of the anchors on the 6 p.m. “SportsCenter,” what’s a typical day like for you?

We go in and have our first meeting at 11:30 [a.m.] and get an idea of the different storylines and events and things that we’re working with for that day. And then, after that, it’s a lot of researching and writing and figuring out how we’re best going to tell a story and what we’re going to talk to an analyst about. So we have a bit of time in between when we go on air. But that’s

why the show that I’m part of is a little bit different, because we both preview and look back. We’re at that odd time of day when it’s not right after the games have wrapped up, it’s not right before the big event is going to happen all the time … And then our show, once it hits 5:45, we’re over there in that studio getting ready to go.

What advice would you give current JMU students interested in going into sports journalism?

I would say, shoot for the moon. And don’t give up, be persistent, and I really believe that if you do put your mind to it, that you can do anything you want to in this business. If someone had told me that I would be doing sports when I was back in JMU, I probably would’ve laughed at them. Just because that wasn’t my focus at the time … I would say, ask as many questions as you can. For the most part, I think people are there to help. And just don’t ever be afraid to put yourself out there and to talk about what it is that you think you want to do. So that means putting time in and maybe working odd hours or sticking around to get extra advice or to watch someone who has the job that you want. That kind of thing. I think that’s really valuable.

Contact Wayne Epps Jr. at breezesports@gmail.com.

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JMU Royalty Nico Climaco

Mr. and Ms. Madison are titles given to two seniors, one male and one female, who best represent JMU through their service and leadership. Nominations are open to any organization, but a committee made up of the student body vice president, two members of the Student Government Association and a faculty or staff member pick the finalists. Students can vote for the next Mr. and Ms. Madison on beinvolved.jmu.edu until 7 p.m. tonight. The two winners will be announced at halftime during Saturday’s football game.

Photos by Mark Owen and content by Robyn Smith / The Breeze

Kelsey Paylor Major: Political science Organization: Virginia 21 Spirit animal: Peacock

Alex Kriss

Major: Business management Organization: Student Ambassadors Spirit animal: Parrot

Major: Nursing Organization: Student Ambassadors Spirit animal: Hippopotamus

What being Ms. Madison means to Kori: “... it means a lot. I feel like I’ve met so many cool people, and I’m so shocked, first of all, to be here, and blessed and honored and everything. It means a lot just because I’ve met some really awesome people and to know I’ve made a difference ...”

What being Mr. Madison means to Matt: “It’s very humbling to be nominated by Student Ambassadors. It’ll be a fun week with a lot of good people.”

Major: Media arts and design Organization: JMUTeach Spirit animal: Unicorn What being Ms. Madison means to Molly: “It just means representing JMU in the best way possible. Not only the campus, but with students, the spirit, the atmosphere — just everything that JMU is. It’s such a humbling experience to know that people have recognized you for making a difference and to represent and encompass all that JMU is.”

What being Mr. Madison means to Conor: “It’s an absolute honor. It’s something that I definitely would never have imagined, coming into JMU. I’ve just met some amazing people, I know there should be more people up here besides myself that aren’t represented, so it’s just really awesome.”

What being Ms. Madison means to Kelsey: “It’s not really the title at all and it’s not even the honor. It’s just getting to share this moment with the other people in my life that have made Madison my experience with me. All of my friends, I would say they’re my Ms. Madison and Mr. Madison as well.”

Matt Donovan

Molly Hoffmaster Major: History and secondary education Organization: Parrotheadz Spirit animal: Manatee

Major: Business management Organization: Student Ambassadors Spirit animal: Rhosgobel Rabbit

What being Mr. Madison means to Nico: “I think that being Mr. Madison just means embodying the JMU way, whatever that is, and just really embodying the spirit that our university has, and where our university is growing toward, whatever that means to anybody who thinks that.”

Kori Sulewski

Conor Webb

Avery Hymel Major: Organizational communication Organization: Kappa Alpha Theta Spirit animal: Sloth What being Ms. Madison means to Alex: “Being Ms. Madison is really — if I get the position or even just being nominated ... is kind of the cherry on top of my senior year. JMU’s giving back everything I’ve given to it, and it’s just a very special honor.”

Major: Biology and secondary education Organization: Outriggers Spirit animal: Miniature panda What being Mr. Madison means to Avery: “I think JMU just builds such an environment where service is accepted and almost expected that I got caught up with that so early on in my time here that this is just icing on the cake and nothing more. It’s not the substance that we look for, but rather it’s a pretty sweet topping.”

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Thursday, October 30, 2014

Spooky on a dime Our top picks for your last-minute budget-friendly Halloween costume

Ladies

By Lauren Hunt The Breeze

It’s that time of the year again. The “it’s-two-days-before-Halloween-and-Ineed-a-costume-stat” crunch. The pre-party freakout clogs the brain and makes us forget that we have a wealth of costume opportunities right in our closet. So with a quick trip to your closet (and maybe Wal-Mart) you’ll be party-ready in an hour — if your hair cooperates.

Katniss Everdeen

Gents

By Corey Tierney The Breeze

Rosie the Riveter Women’s rights movement icon Rosie the Riveter is a Halloween staple and conveniently, a very easy costume. Grab your best pair of mom jeans, a denim shirt and a red bandana, and your ensemble is complete. Throw your hair into a messy bun (or a sock bun for a more modern, polished look) and use the bandana as a headband. Slap on some red lipstick to finish the look.

This world-famous huntress and dystopian society revolution leader’s outfit is straight from the closet. With a simple black V-neck, black leather jacket, green cargo pants and a pair of black boots, you can easily complete the ensemble. Throw your hair into a side French braid and pick up a toy bow from Wal-Mart and you’ll be ready to hit the arena in no time.

If you’re feeling super crafty, you could even fashion a mockingjay pin out of gold spraypainted aluminum foil.

Piñata

Regina George

Gumball Machine

Regina George, queen of all Mean Girls, is known for a being a trendsetter, so why not follow suit? Regina provides the perfect costume solution straight from your closet if you’re not afraid to be a little destructive. Who could forget her strutting it down the hallway with her purple bra showing through her shirt? If you want to go the Regina route, grab a white cami, purple bra and black skirt. Cut two holes right over your chest and you’re good to go! Costume shops even carry blonde wigs that look just like the one Rachel McAdams wore in the movie. The versatility of this costume comes in the fact that the whole school copied her look, so you can choose any old shirt as long as you add the holes.

Honor your favorite teeth-shattering candy with a gumball machine costume. You’ll need a black shirt, a red skirt, a bunch of pom poms from the craft store, some pins and a piece of foil-covered cardboard.

Pin a bunch of multi-colored pom poms to your shirt, draw a coin slot on the piece of cardboard and attach it to your skirt. The only difference between you and this childhood throwback is that you’ll be worth way more than 25 cents.

Who says you always have to be a person on Halloween? Why not be a birthday party favorite? Run by your nearest party store and pick up several rolls of colored streamers, then pin strips of them onto your dress. You can throw a streamer bow in your hair to complete the costume. Just make sure to stay away from children who may mistake you for another source of candy.

For all the fellas out there, luckily you too can create a simple yet effective costume for whatever party you’re being dragged to this year. Costume woes aren’t just for ladies, after all. And for many of these ideas, you don’t even need to stop by the store. Hopefully they’ll take you from dud to stud no matter where you end up this weekend.

Lumberjack First of all, ditch the razor for a few days. That scruff will come in handy.

Second, find a flannel in your closet that screams, “I just chopped down a tree and drank a bottle of maple syrup.”

Jeans will complete the look, especially if you tuck your shirt in with a belt. For even more, run to a local halloween store and get a fake plastic ax to show people that you mean business.

CEO Speaking of business, you can take the sharpest suit in your closet and go way overboard for an executive look that’ll make the ladies swoon over your suave style. Black slacks, a tucked-in shirt, a tie and a sport coat will make you look as if you just walked off the cover of GQ. For that extra mile, gel your hair back or spray it up in a quiff.

Greek God Albeit cliché, a toga party look can double as a Halloween costume. Wrap a sheet around yourself to the point where you look like an extra in “Animal House.” If you want to make it more of a “Caesar” look, find or craft together a wreath for your head and wear a pair of sandals.

Tourist Dust off that Tommy Bahama Hawaiian shirt and look like you just took your wife and three kids to Disney World. Complete the costume with cargo shorts, but spice it up with a fanny pack, a sunscreen nose, sunglasses, a straw hat or camera around your neck.

Ron Swanson To be the ultimate man’s man, as emulated by Nick Offerman on NBC’s “Parks & Recreation,” you’ll need only four things: khaki pants, an earth-tone sweater, a glue-on (or natural) moustache and of course, the signature “I can do what I want” scowl. Bonus points if you stop by IHOP sometime during the night. It’s no JJ’s Diner, though.

Athlete (Football/ Basketball) The last and most simple option is to just throw on a jersey and be an athlete.

If you feel like you can keep track of a football/basketball all night (or don’t care if you lose it), drag one around.

For some extra fun, throw it to strangers and see if they return the favor.

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“ Your Home Away From Home”

1627 Devon Lane Harrisonburg, VA 22801 (540)432 - 5525 (540)432 - 5592 fax foxhill@umicommunities.com www.umicomunities.com -upl

Graphic by Blair Rosen / The Breeze

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Thursday, October 30, 2014

‘Don’t cross the Moats’ Former JMU star and NFL player Arthur Moats still keeps tabs on team

By Drew Crane The Breeze

Arthur Moats (2006-2009) is currently an outside linebacker for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Originally drafted in the sixth round of the 2010 NFL Draft by the Buffalo Bills. Moats was a captain of the JMU football team in 2009, the same year he was given the Buck Buchanan Award, which is awarded to the most outstanding defensive player in the Division I Football Championship Subdivision. A Norfolk native, Moats is most well-known for his hit on quarterback Brett Favre that ended the soon-to-be Hall of Famer’s streak of consecutive starts in the NFL. We caught up with Moats to talk to him about his time at JMU and how life in the NFL is treating him.

How have you seen the JMU football program evolve and progress since your time there?

I think we’ve seen a lot more player growth since [I left]. The year I left we had like four guys make it into the pros, but now every year since then we’ve had guys get drafted or sign free agent contracts with NFL teams every year, so you can see the success that they’ve had from that aspect of it. And just recently, something I’ve seen with the new coaching staff and coach [Everett] Withers, how the young guys are coming up being more natural and professional than I was there. They’re leaders and captains now and they’re the ones making plays on Saturday, they’re making the university proud of the football program.

Have you talked to Everett Withers? What do you think of him?

Yeah I spoke with him. I think he’s a great guy, and the mindset that he brought to JMU as far as competing on and off the field is a huge thing. A lot of times you can just focus on the football side of it, but the focus on the academic side of it as well will set the standard. Also, it’s going to bring in better recruits because they’re going to see that we’re not just football players, but also student athletes to the fullest degree.

What were your thoughts when you heard about Mickey Matthews’ departure?

Aw, man. Initially I was definitely upset about it but I feel

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guys on the field, only three or four will end up playing professionally. In the NFL, all 22 guys out there were the best of the best at where they are. So you have to always bring your ‘A’ game out there or you’re going to get embarrassed. And it doesn’t matter how bad the team [you’re playing] did the week before. In the NFL, the next week they could be the Super Bowl champs just because of the talent level. That was the biggest thing I had to realize. In college you knew like ‘yeah, we’re going to beat this team pretty bad,’ just with the talent that you have.

What was the transition like from Buffalo to Pittsburgh, and moving around between locker rooms?

The Breeze file photo

Arthur Moats was a JMU football captain in 2009, his senior year.

like he did a great job in setting the standard and setting the bar to where it was. And unfortunately for him setting the bar so high, when he had years that he was struggling, they were ready to go into a different direction. But I feel like Withers is a great guy for the job, especially with him coming from Ohio State [University] and his previous experience at [University of] North Carolina, so he brings in that big-school, big-time atmosphere. And if you’re going to make that change from Mickey Matthews, I felt like this was the best option because he brings in that experience and level of competition.

Have you made it down to Harrisonburg recently and checked out the new stadium, and have you been keeping up with the team this year?

It was definitely a new experience for me, just from the fact that all four of my years professionally I was in Buffalo, so I had never played for another team. But with me playing in the league for some many years I already knew some of the Pittsburgh guys personally. When I made the transition it was pretty smooth ... and I feel like as far as everything else goes, you’re just there to play football.

What’s the toughest part of being an NFL player? What’s life like?

It would definitely be the stress that you have to deal with both mentally and physically. From the physical standpoint, every week your body is getting beat up when you go out there and play. From the mental aspect of it, as far as the hours that you put in, and [you] try to balance that with work and family, and you have to deal with the ups and downs and highs and lows as far as winning and losing.

Contact Drew Crane at breezesports@gmail.com.

Yeah I came down for the spring game and worked out a little bit there in the offseason, but I haven’t had the chance to catch a game there yet. Hopefully during our bye week I can make it down there. And absolutely [I’ve been keeping up with the team]. I know they just beat [the University of North Carolina at] Charlotte and last week they blew out Towson [University] 62-7 and we have [ The College of ] William & Mary this week, so things are going good, they have to keep it up ... and with the CAA, every game is tough.

What was the transition like going from an FCS school to the NFL?

It’s a great time and a great experience, being able to compete with the best of the best. The toughest thing to get used to is that everybody at this level is good. At the collegiate level — even in the SEC — out of the 22

TAKE A TOUR

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You’ve been warned Top four movies to get you in the Halloween spirit

By Drew Crane The Breeze

It’s that time of year again, and by that I mean it’s the week of Halloween and you’re realizing the only Halloween-ish thing you’ve done all month is drink pumpkin spice lattes and get drunk at a party while dressed up in some costume. Well, now I’m giving you a chance to help get into the true spirit of Halloween and watch some movies that will hopefully scare the piss out of you and get you in the Halloween mood.

1. “Halloween” (1979)

“Halloween” was the slasher movie that started it all — literally. Behind the guidance of the great John Carpenter, this slow-burn horror movie drags viewers through the destruction that serial killer and escaped mental patient Michael Myers unleashes upon his hometown of Haddonfield, Illinois, while hell-bent on fulfilling his goal of killing the rest of his family bloodline.

Although he never moves faster than walking speed, he racks up a pretty impressive kill count. And who doesn’t love that music?

2. “The Evil Dead” (1981)

The original movie is a considered a cult classic for a reason. The old-school special effects and claymation helps illustrate the bizarre concepts in the film that were ahead of their time. Much like the original “Halloween,” a lot of this movie can be seen in many modern horror films, but the movie is unintentionally hilarious at times. However, once you look past the cheesiness, the events that take place throughout are truly bone-chilling.

If you enjoy pre-computer generated imagery (CGI) gore, extremely dramatic scenes, demonic possession and/or Bruce Campbell (which I definitely do), you will find this one of the most satisfying Halloween movies of all time. Just remember: never play a cassette tape that you find in some sketchy basement of an abandoned cabin ...

3. “Hocus Pocus” (1993)

I had to put this one in for the ladies, but hell, even I like it. And guys, I’m pretty sure if you go up to a girl and start talking to her about “Hocus Pocus,” you’ve already broken the ice. This movie follows around Max, his younger sister Dani and his new girlfriend (spoiler) as they try to prevent the resurrected witch sisters of Salem, Massachusetts from stealing all the souls of the town’s children. Yeah, that’s pretty dark for a kid’s movie isn’t it? But, if you like singing, sexual innuendos, virgins being the targets of jokes and some good-old fashioned Halloween fun, then this classic is a must-watch.

4. “The Conjuring” (2013)

This movie made some waves when it came out last year, and by that I mean it scared the s--- out of everybody who saw it. “The Conjuring” follows a family who recently moved into an old house that has had some questionable and most likely horrific events happen on its property. When you say it like that, it doesn’t sound that original, but it’s definitely a unique take on the demonic haunting movie.

As the family starts to have some strange and frightening experiences, they enlist the help of a married couple, who are self-described demonologists and ghost hunters, to help quell the evil spirits that reside in the house. If you were a fan of “Paranormal Activity” or “Insidious” (same director), then this movie is right up your alley … your very dark and ominous alley.

Honorable Mentions:

“The Cabin in the Woods” (2012) “Halloweentown” (1998) “28 Days Later” (2002) “Friday the 13th” (1980) “Nightmare on Elm Street” (1984) “The Shining” (1980) “The Nightmare Before Christmas” (1993) Contact Drew Crane at breezesports@gmail.com.

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JMUtbt

Thursday, October 30, 2014

Homecoming weekend is a long-standing tradition at any university, and JMU is no exception. The Breeze has covered the hustle and bustle of events surrounding our school’s special weekend, following the changes over the years as they come and go. Today, we’re throwing it back to some of the best archived headlines from homecoming weekends past.

Compiled by Marta Vucci and Rachael Padgett / the breeze

Oct. 17, 1973: Miss Madison Back in the ‘70s, Madison College held a “Miss Madison” pageant, in which 28 girls competed for the crown in Wilson Hall’s auditorium.

Out of five finalists, the winner was Jennifer Turner of Phi Mu, crowned by another JMU student who was “Miss Virginia” at the time. The weekend held other exciting events such as a Saturday morning parade and musical performances.

Oct. 17, 1980: Homecoming Dance JMU’s Student Alumni Association tried to turn things up in the ‘80s by asking for money from the Student Government Association in order to be able to afford a live band performance for the homecoming dance. For the past three years, the SAA had lost revenue after holding the dances, which they attributed to the fact that they only had records playing the music.

Oct. 31, 2005: Streak Ball In 2005, Breeze staffers interviewed student participants in the “Streak Ball,” an unofficial homecoming tradition that took place the Thursday before the big weekend. Streaking the Quad was an organized event, complete with social media reminders such as a Facebook group and multiple AIM away messages. Apparently the turnout was not as impressive as the last year, which student leaders attributed to below-freezing temperatures.

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Try our NEW Bacon Clubhouse Burger today!

Graphic by Blair Rosen / The Breeze

Also available with Crispy or Grilled Chicken.