SERVES MORE THAN JUST CHICKEN SERVES MORE THAN JUST CHICKEN
Bojangles is a proud and active part of the JMU community and the official Tailgate Sponsor of JMU Athletics.
Join us for the Bojangles Book Fest , where up to 150 FREE books are given to the community. Each event doubles as a Fundraiser Night for local schools , featuring a local author and supporting education.
On Thursday, April 29th from 5 to 8 pm, a book signing at the Bojangles in Harrisonburg with the proceeds going to The Promise of Tomorrow Scholarship Fund.
The Bojangles Promise of Tomorrow Scholarship is here to help brighten the future for students in Augusta County. The scholarship supports hardworking individuals pursuing their dreams, with a commitment to education and community. Apply today by scanning the QR code
On the cover
Eight-year-old John Paul Macri was diagnosed with a brain tumor on March 21. Macri and his family were invited to JMU football’s spring game on April 12. The Dukes united to support John Paul as he ran for a touchdown on the final play of the game while his dad, Nick, and mom, Katie, watched
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Drake Miller & Emma Notarnicola
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Driver in crash that killed three students receives max sentence
By ELEANOR SHAW
The Breeze
Former JMU student and Pi Beta Chi (PBX) brother Campbell Fortune has been sentenced to one year in jail with all but 90 days suspended followed by seven years of probation for his role in the car crash that killed three of his peers on Feb. 2, 2023. This is the maximum sentence he could receive after pleading guilty earlier this year to one count of negligent homicide and speeding.
If Fortune’s probation is revoked in the case of a violation, he will spend an additional 90 days in jail.
Fortune entered a plea deal in December 2024 after being arrested in May 2023, three months
after the crash. On the night of the incident, Fortune was driving to Harrisonburg from a fraternity-sanctioned event in West Virginia when he struck a tree at roughly 90 miles per hour, killing students John “Luke” Fergusson, Joshua Mardis and Nicholas Troutman. Passenger and former student Baird Weisleder survived the crash.
The sentencing occurred in West Virginia’s Hardy County Circuit Courthouse on Tuesday and lasted over three hours. During that time, Fortune, Fergusson, Mardis and Troutman’s friends and family provided statements to Judge H. Charles Carl, III.
Roughly 50 attendees sat on wooden benches and stood along the room’s walls. The hearing began with statements from three of Fortune’s
family friends who described him as an upstanding friend, student and worker who wouldn’t intentionally harm anyone.
During his address to the court, Fortune apologized to the victims’ family members and friends, repeating “I’m sorry” multiple times.
“No matter how many times I say these words … it’ll never be enough,” Fortune said. “There’s no way to make it right.”
After Fortune and his defense were given time to speak, Fergusson, Mardis and Troutman’s parents and siblings provided their statements in that order.
Each testimony contrasted fond memories of their sons and the void felt after their deaths. In the words of Mardis’ mother, Yvette, they were asked to “quantify the unquantifiable.”
“There is nothing in the world that will make this pain go away,” Troutman’s father, John, said.
The students’ surviving family members asked the judge to impose the maximum sentence on Fortune. During their statements, the family members said Fortune was high on nitrous oxide in its inhalant form — using what are commonly known as “whippets” — and marijuana during the night of the crash.
During his turn to speak, Luke's father, John Fergusson said the families share three goals: strengthen regulations on nitrous oxide, establish clearer DUI standards for marijuana and make offenses like Fortune’s a felony in West Virginia.
After the victim impact statements, Judge Carl turned the time over to the lawyers arguing the case. Fortune’s lawyer indicated the fraternity should be held to a higher degree of responsibility than his client, calling PBX an “animal house.” Further, toxicology performed on Fortune indicated he hadn’t ingested alcohol the evening of the crash, and therefore, it was unfair to allege he was inebriated.
After reconvening from a brief recess to make his decision, Carl called the incident “haunting,” choking up as he addressed the packed courtroom. He said that, while nothing could bring the late students back, the evidence provided to the court indicated Fortune acted recklessly and purposefully disregarded the speed limit.
“This gives you the chance to prove you are deserving of this opportunity,” Carl said to Fortune. “You can pay back your debt to these victims by becoming the best man you can be.”
Fortune and his lawyer denied the chance to appeal.
CONTACT Eleanor Shaw at breezeeditor@ gmail.com. For more coverage of JMU and Harrisonburg news, follow the news desk on X @TheBreezeJMU and on Instagram @BreezeJMU.
Friends and family stand outside of courthouse holding photographs of the three victims of the fatal car crash — Luke Fergusson, Joshua Mardis and Nicholas Troutman.
Former JMU student and PBX brother Campbell Fortune was sentenced to 90 days in jail with seven years of probation for his invovlement in the fatal car crash.
Mothers of two of the victims of the 2023 car crash, which killed three students, embraced each other while holding photographs of their sons after the sentencing hearing adjourned. Landon Shackelford / The Breeze
SGA President Bronaugh looks toward 2025-26 term
By DRAKE MILLER
Junior Student Body President-elect Charlotte Bronaugh is looking to emphasize and strengthen the Student Government Association (SGA)’s connection to the university community, encourage school spirit and enhance the student body’s “JMU experience” during her term in office.
Who is Charlotte Bronaugh?
Bronaugh is a theatre major — a path she was drawn to by the program’s uniquely hands-on experience, she said.
Her concentration within the major is education, and she is hoping for a career in theatrical education.
As a future educator, Bronaugh said she wants to have students in a place where “they don’t have to be there — they choose to be there.”
Bronaugh highlighted her own positive experiences with theater, recounting her favorite production, “Newsies,” which she was involved with twice during high school.
Bronaugh said her favorite experience with JMU’s theater department was during the play “Sunday in the Park with George.” In the production, she was a prop manager — a role that involved the ideation, creation and adjustment of props made for the production, all characteristics she hopes to carry over into her presidency.
Bronaugh said she will utilize her creativity to explore “different avenues” for problem solving and her outgoing mentality to connect with students and talk about JMU.
“I love learning and growing,” Bronaugh said. “I’ve always been a curious person.”
Former student body president Brielle Lacroix has worked closely with Bronaugh since her sophomore year — Bronaugh’s freshman year. The pair met while tabling for Purple Out, an annual event hosted by the SGA and the Alumni Association to celebrate the beginning of Homecoming week and encourage school spirit, and have been close friends and coworkers since.
“She’s been an absolute rockstar in SGA,” Lacroix said.
Bronaugh was an “absolute champion” in her role chairing the University Services Committee, Lacroix said, adding Bronaugh brought new organizations and areas of campus to work with the SGA.
“She is the definition of a go-getter,” Lacroix said, noting that Bronaugh is committed to several activities and always
gives “110%” to all her commitments.
Outside of the SGA, Bronaugh is an Orientation Peer Advisor and Student Ambassador. Her Instagram account, @charsaysgodukes, was inspired by former SGA president Brielle Lacroix’s account with a similar name.
Lacroix said, during a conversation with Bronaugh and current Student Body Vice President Grace Treml, Lacroix encouraged the pair to continue the tradition of having “saysgodukes” in their Instagram account name.
“Now there’s tons of different accounts out there that say, ‘whoever’s name says go Dukes,’” Bronaugh said.
Bronaugh’s Instagram account displays her various on-campus involvements. Bronaugh said the account serves as a “fun way” to document her involvement and a platform to inform the student body of important information.
“My hope is that it becomes a catch-all,” Bronaugh said. “It’s a really helpful diary and tool.”
Bronaugh — who doesn’t consider herself as “social media savvy” as others — understood while only some will see a banner being placed on campus, almost everybody has their phone and can access social media.
During her tours as a Student Ambassador, Bronaugh said she always encourages and reassures visiting students that this is a “crazy time for them.”
Bronaugh likes talking to students about “how special JMU is,” pointing toward her experiences, involvement and desire to “make things better.”
“We really value academics,” Bronaugh said. “But we also really value leadership experiences and organizational involvement. Really having that well-rounded experience while also making sure we have all these new tools in our toolbox to succeed in this world.”
Bronaugh’s campaign for SGA president
Bronaugh received back surgery March 6 — four days before the student body general election.
“I knew I needed help, and I knew I wouldn’t be on campus as I’d be recovering from surgery,” Bronaugh said.
Bronaugh called upon her close friend, former Breeze photo editor and Class of 2026 Vice President Ryan Sauer, to aid her campaign efforts. After meetings about direction, Sauer provided graphics for Bronaugh, which she later posted on Instagram.
“He knew how to take my words and turn it into something beautiful,” Bronaugh said. “I have him to thank for a lot of that.”
In her most recent campaign Instagram post — published March 10 — Bronaugh posted a picture of the sign outside Wilson Hall, changed to spell out “Charlotte Bronaugh For Student Body President,” along with the caption “This is your sign.”
Bronaugh looks toward term as SGA president
Before being elected SGA president, Bronaugh served as the association’s University Services Committee Chair — a role which required Bronaugh to work with departments across campus to create opportunities and support the departments through student involvement.
“It was a really great way to meet people across different areas of campus,” Bronuagh said.
Bronaugh said she sees herself as a team player and someone who encourages a positive environment. She loves being accessible and always strives to reach a wider audience — something she attributes to her “educator side.”
“I’m always inspired to make a space as great as it can be,” Bronaugh said.
Bronaugh said the SGA’s purpose is to “represent, serve and inform the student body,” as in line with the organization’s mission statement.
The opportunity to advocate for the student body drew Bronaugh toward SGA. Seeing joy in others, along with the chance to improve student-faculty relations, gives Bronaugh the perspective that the SGA is the “bridge between students and faculty.”
Bronaugh ran her campaign for student body president on a platform focused on her priorities as a student — all of which included her school spirit and love for JMU. One of Bronaugh’s main goals was to create a sense of belonging.
“I think when people feel like they belong they’re excited to represent the things that
they’re a part of,” she said.
On top of this, she hopes to encourage others to “show up and show out” for lesser-known athletics at JMU.
Bronaugh is also looking to enhance communication between the student body and the SGA.
“I want to work on developing ways to establish clear communication,” Bronaugh said. “Oftentimes, decisions are made or policies are implemented, and it’s kind of announced as like, ‘oh this policy is being implemented’ or ‘here’s a change that’s happening at JMU.’” Bronaugh hopes to look at the “why” behind many of these changes, to grow student-faculty understanding at JMU. To Bronaugh, students’ understanding of “what’s going on around campus” is an important part of communication.
Bronaugh also looks to focus on mental health and well-being. She said she wants to put on events that promote mental and physical fitness, along with other dimensions of health.
“Truly her love for this university and for the people that go here and for everything about here is so pure and so beautiful,” Lacroix said.
Lacroix hopes Bronaugh leans into her ability to engage with others during her tenure as student body president.
Lacroix said Bronaugh’s ability to connect and create positive change will be “huge” in boosting JMU school spirit.
“I really want this year to be good. I want people to feel excited and supported,” Bronaugh said.
CONTACT Drake Miller at breezenews@ gmail.com. For more coverage of JMU and Harrisonburg news, follow the news desk on X @TheBreezeJMU and on Instagram @BreezeJMU.
The Breeze
Bronaugh said she will utilize her creativity to “explore different avenues” for problem solving and employ her outgoing mentality to connect students and talk about JMU.
Bronaugh is looking to enhance communication between the student body and the SGA. Photos by Jack O’Dea / The Breeze
JMU business management professor runs
By MORGAN BLAIR The Breeze
As a Boy Scout, Matthew Dale discovered a passion for public service. Now, while working as an adjunct business management professor at JMU, Dale is running for the District 3 Seat of the Rockingham County Board of Supervisors.
“I’ve had an interest in public service going all the way back to when I did my citizenship in the community merit badge,” Dale said.
Dale, a Massanetta Springs resident, has increased involvement with his community since he was a boy. As an adult, he served as a member of the Shenandoah Valley Soil and Water Conservation District board and was selected as a member of the Rockingham County Planning Commission.
“I got a real insight into how the county works and what it does, and it kept expanding,” Dale said. “There’s a lot that goes on in local government, and there is a lot that goes on that we don’t as everyday citizens see, that if it stopped happening, we would see very quickly.”
Dale said his interest in the District 3 Seat came partly from his experiences working in the county. That desire became a reality when he discovered the incumbent board member, Rick Chandler, had no plans for reelection, he said.
Chandler originally hired Dale to the planning commission and said he thinks Dale will do a good job if elected. Chandler said
he believes Dale cares about the county and understands what is needed from the board.
“[Dale] thoroughly at situations and comes prepared for meetings,” Chandler said. “He’s staying engaged and aware of what’s going on.”
Through Planning Commission, Dale said he learned the importance of the county’s community development work, and he’s excited to see what more can be done throughout the county as a member of the Board of Supervisors.
“[The jurisdiction] includes the school
collaborations with the City of Harrisonburg, and all of our regional collaborations.” Dale said, “There’s so much more out there that I think would be very interesting to not only learn about but hopefully make a positive contribution to
Dale finished getting the 125 signatures on the petition required for him to be on the ballot this fall. He is running
largest time lift in getting on the ballot is to go out and get petition signatures from your neighbors that are registered voters in the jurisdiction you're running for,” Dale said. “It takes going and
meeting your neighbors and getting volunteers to help you. You realize real quickly you don’t have 50 people that are your best of friends, you’ve got to use the network around you. So that took a little bit more time.”
The Board of Supervisors’ current members, including Chandler, have been encouraging and helpful during his candidacy process, Dale said, and never hesitated to answer his questions.Dale said he admires Chandler and the rest of the board’s work and, while there’s no particular issue he wants to change, he hopes to continue the previous board’s work.“We have a generally well-run jurisdiction, like, there’s nothing that I can point you to that I can say, ‘This is wrong and needs to be fixed,’” Dale said.
“We have a very good, highly professional county staff, and we have had, historically — including now — a very competent and forwardthinking board of supervisors that supervises them. I just want to make a positive contribution to build on the success of my predecessors.”
The current Board of Supervisors, as well as other local officials like Rockingham County Sheriff Bryan Hutcheson and the county’s Commonwealth’s Attorney Marsha Garst, inspire him, Dale said.
Read more online at breezejmu.org
CONTACT Morgan Blair at breezepress@ gmail.com. For more coverage of JMU and Harrisonburg news, follow the news desk on X @TheBreezeJMU and on Instagram @BreezeJMU.
Julia Tanner / The Breeze
Speaker Kieran Fensterwald reelected for SGA’s 111th Senate
By SIXUAN WU The Breeze
The Student Government Association (SGA) reelected junior Speaker Kieran Fensterwald as the 111th Senate’s speaker during a special Tuesday meeting.
Fensterwald is a political science major and has served as the Senate’s speaker during the 2024-25 academic year. This year, he was nominated by junior Student Body Vice President Abby Herbert and ran uncontested for the position.
During his speech to the Senate, Fensterwald recounted his accomplishments as its speaker in the past year, highlighting his work in promoting nonpartisanship and civic engagement both within the SGA and across campus. To do this, Fensterwald partnered with the Madison Center for Civic Engagement and introduced civic engagement points to the Senate.
He also noted the SGA has seen its biggest membership growth in the past year and credits organizing an “engaging, educational and fun” membership drive as the key to the SGA’s success.
Fensterwald said he hopes to continue strengthening the SGA’S partnership with the Madison Center in the upcoming year, better connect students and Harrisonburg community leaders, and “encourage and uplift” fellow SGA members.
“It is my primary goal to uphold and uplift this relationship as this organization becomes more and more institutionalized across campus,” Fensterwald said. “Efforts to work with students must not only be supported by continuing within this organization, but also that we continue to work with university administration and our campus partners on issues of engagement, access to information, as well as working towards true student involvement that fosters campus action and change.”
After his speech, Fensterwald left the room for the voting process, and several senators voiced their support.
“This past year, SGA has shown immense growth, and a lot of that wouldn’t be possible without Kieran’s leadership,” Herbert, the nominating senator, said.
Junior Membership Chair Ella Stotzky commended Fensterwald’s leadership skills and said he’s done an “amazing job” both as Senate speaker and a student leader this past year.
Junior Student Representative to the Board of Visitors Sydney Stafford noted Fensterwald’s role in growing SGA’s membership and facilitating the relationship between the Senate, JMU administrators and student organizations.
“I think that we can all say that we’ve seen how much the organization of SGA has changed this year for the better, and Kieran has been a huge part in that,” Stafford said.
Fensterwald is the fourth and final person to be elected to the SGA’s 2025-26 executive leadership team, following the elections for student body president, vice president, executive treasurer and student representative to the Board of Visitors in March.
Junior Charlotte Bronaugh, the SGA’s student body presidentelect and current university services committee chair, expressed her excitement to work with Fensterwald in the upcoming year.
“Kieran is an incredible fit for this role, and I’m confident he’ll guide this organization into a bright future,” she said
CONTACT Sixuan Wu at thebreezeweb@gmail.com. For more coverage of JMU and Harrisonburg news, follow the news desk on X @TheBreezeJMU and on Instagram @BreezeJMU.
Fensterwald (right) said he hopes to continue strengthening the SGA’s partnership with the Madison Center in the upcoming year, better connect Dukes with the Harrisonburg community and “encourage and uplift” fellow SGA members. Landon Shackelford / The Breeze
Student Body President Brielle Lacroix recaps SGA improvements, developments; passes baton
By EMMA NOTARNICOLA The Breeze
As the school year nears its end, senior and Student Body President Brielle Lacroix said she’s proud of both her and the Student Government Association (SGA)’s achievements throughout the 2024-25 academic year, and is excited for junior and President-elect Charlotte Bronaugh to take the helm.
The Past Year
“We’ve done a lot of achievements” Lacroix said, “it’s been an absolutely wonderful year.”
Lacroix said the SGA has focused on developing the relationship between the university and student body, and to grow the Senate’s membership to display different students’ voices — marked by what Lacroix said was record intake for new members.
In doing this, the SGA welcomed two new advisers this year — the Madison Center for Civic Engagement’s Executive Director Kara Dillard, who checks if legislation is properly written, and Director of Student Life Jen Grossman Leopard, who acts as an external event planner.
Additionally, Lacroix said the SGA strengthened its relationship between both the Madison Center and the Department of Student Leadership and Involvement. Specifically, Lacroix said the association was “very active” during Weeks of Welcome, including hosting a friendship bracelet making event, and a new event called Rock the lake.
The SGA was also incredibly participatory during election season, Lacroix said, especially
getting students to vote, assisting in registering a “record number of campus voters” along with “hosting our largest Dukes Debate ever.”
The SGA has also encouraged transparency throughout the year, Lacroix said, and did this by publishing consistent newsletters.
“Our communications committee has been wonderful about being transparent with all the different stuff that we’ve got going on,” Lacroix said.
Currently, the SGA has given $82,450 to 23 different organizations across campus, with four more organizations pending approval.
“The money that we give out is student fee money,” Lacroix said, “so making sure that we’re good stewards of that money and that we’re being held accountable to the students’ expectations.”
The SGA’s future Lacroix said she’ “so excited” for all the new executive leadership members and believes they will preside over her goal of bridging the gap between administrators and students.
“I’ve worked very closely alongside all of our new major elected positions,” she said. “They’re going to do great things.”
As for the future of SGA itself, Lacroix hopes it will continue to develop its relationships throughout the university, especially with other student organizations.
“I really see the new administration continuing to make connections with different groups across campus,” she said, “specifically ... spots where students don’t have a lot of say.”
This is an effort that the SGA has been pushing for throughout the last year, Lacroix said, and she expects this momentum will continue through the next administration.
“We’ve really been working our way in there, giving feedback, kind of providing people updates on the students’ experience,” she said.
Lacroix said the new university administration will continue platforming student voices in JMU’s higher levels as well, especially with its new president, Bronaugh. Overall, Lacroix said she’s proud of the work the SGA has put in this semester, particularly in relationship building around campus.
“A lot of that stuff is behind the scenes,” she said. “It’s not super flashy, but we’ve gotten student opinions in more rooms this year than I think that we’ve had in a while.”
CONTACT Emma Notarnicola at breezenews@gmail.com. For more coverage of JMU and Harrisonburg news, follow the news desk on X @TheBreezeJMU and on Instagram @BreezeJMU.
Brielle Lacroix gives a year recap of the SGA’s advancements and the future of the association. Landon Shackelford / The Breeze
Isabel Lewis & Charlie Bodenstein
9,500 flags planted, Dogpile Music Festival held to honor sexual assault survivors
By CHARLIE BODENSTEIN
The Breeze
9,556 — that’s the number of undergraduate and graduate JMU students who have been victims of sexual assault in their lifetime, according to statistics created by the Students Against Sexual Violence (SASV).
Standing alert on the Festival Lawn, waving through the howling wind, the blue flags may seem tiny, but each stands as a reminder of survivors’ experiences.
“The number is one thing, but visually seeing each one … you realize how many
people are affected,” junior and SASV Policy Head Bailey Nance said.
This year, 9,556 flags were planted on the Festival Lawn. They began placing the flags last Thursday around 2 p.m. and kept them up throughout the weekend.
SASV is an on-campus organization that aims to end sexual violence at JMU and surrounding communities, junior and SASV President Raven Sims said. SASV also works with the Title IX office to support sexual assault survivors, hold fundraisers and advocacy events like the flag placing and consent education presentations — during which SASV explains consent is the
act of giving permission to someone else to be intimately involved.
During April, Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM), SASV holds several events, including the April 17 flag planting.
Sims says that many sexual assault survivors feel very isolated and alone, so it’s important to establish strong support systems for them.
“You’re not the only one. It’s helpful to know that there are people who can support you and help you work through it,” Sims said. “Raising awareness is really important to changing the culture of JMU.”
Nance said holding events like these is crucial in removing the stigma surrounding sexual assault.
“So many people are affected — people in their classes, their friends, their roommates,” Nance said.
Additionally, SASV encourages students to wear teal to events and throughout the month — the official SAAM color — to help raise awareness, according to its Instagram.
Dogpile Music Festival
Dukes who were on campus Saturday probably heard roaring music pouring out of Taylor Down Under (TDU) onto Warner Commons. In observance of SAAM, WXJM, the EDM club, Heavy Music Club and SASV collaborated on the Dogpile Music Festival in TDU and Warner Commons last Saturday — a nearly nine-hour event free to all students featuring local bands and clubs
SASV, page 13
Over 9,500 JMU students will be sexually assaulted in their lifetime, according to the Students Against Sexual Violence (SASV). Photos by Charlie Bodenstein / The Breeze
A Duke with a dog: Nathan Selove’s journey of advocacy and academia
By JOELLE MCKENZIE The Breeze
Once a freshman walking the Quad with his service dog by his side, Nathan Selove (’17) is now a lecturer teaching with his service dog next to his desk, in the communication studies department.
Eleven years ago, The Breeze published an article about Selove and his autism service dog.
At the time of the article’s publication, he was a communication studies and theatre double major, but he graduated with a bachelor’s in communication studies and political science. He made the switch to political science from theatre after wanting to specialize in politics to understand more about the topic.
The 2014 article looks into Selove’s past before being a student and the acceptance he saw from JMU as an institution.
In the article, Selove said his experience at his university had been welcoming and accommodating, and JMU was “very much about diversity.”
Selove was diagnosed with autism when he was 9 years old. Because of his condition, he experienced bullying during his elementary through middle school years. He got his first service dog, Sylvia, the summer before seventh grade. She helped by providing him deep pressure therapy — a task in which his service dog applies pressure to his body — and by blocking crowds from Selove, according to the 2014 article.
In 2025, Selove said he struggles sometimes with attention — drifting off, sensory issues with certain fabrics and noises, and emotional regulation. Now, he’s gotten better at the latter as he’s aged and received accommodation.
On the other hand, along with his struggles, his experience has benefited him with the “ability of hyper-focus” on things he’s interested in, which has helped him academically.
“I like who I am,” Selove said. “I like how my brain functions. I like how I feel. I like how I have a unique way of looking at the world because of being autistic.”
Sylvia was his service dog throughout his JMU years until graduate school at the University of Iowa; when she encountered health issues, she had to retire. She died at the end of his graduate schooling.
Due to Sylvia’s retirement, Selove had to enter classes without a service dog for a time — an experience he said was “like every force in my head was trying to get out, and I wasn’t able to pay attention to anybody, I wasn’t able to think properly.”
His current service dog is Blake, who continues Sylvia’s legacy and helps in the same way as she did.
Before returning to JMU, he taught at Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) and George Mason University (GMU). The two schools are opposites of each other, with
NOVA having more of a hands-off approach and GMU having a hands-on approach to creating course curricula, while JMU is a mix of both of those schools, he said.
“One of the things that was really nice about teaching at NOVA and George Mason is that it was … a very ethnically diverse area, and I was able to meet and get to know people from a lot of different backgrounds,” Selove said, adding this experience has influenced how he talks about disability within the context of its impact on culture.
At JMU, he teaches a media and politics class, a disability advocacy course and introductory communication courses. The Disability Advocacy course is a newer class he teaches — it started out as a special topics class in the School of Communication Studies (SCOM).
For his upper-level courses, he chooses to disclose his autism diagnosis during the syllabus week. However, for his introductory SCOM course, he tells his students to “guess” what is different about him; he reveals it a few weeks into the semester.
Before classes start, he emails his students that he has a service dog.
Selove said some students have been surprised, but overall, the reaction has been supportive. He said he doesn’t feel afraid to disclose his diagnosis to his students.
Some students have even sought a diagnosis or noticed traits in themselves from hearing about Selove’s experience and noting similarities to their experiences.
Selove said it’s good for students with neurological differences “to see themselves represented by someone in a position of authority, someone who is a professional” — and for those without them to see it’s “a normal part of the human experience for someone to have a ‘neurodivergency.’”
Aside from Selove’s position as a lecturer, he’s also involved in JMU’s Speech Team as its assistant director alongside its director and communication studies professor, Mallory Marsh.
“He is a kind individual, so in his interactions, he always is attempting to meet students where they are and then helping them to grow from there,” Marsh said. “I think that he provides some really generous and lovely kind of presence for the team.”
Marsh has known him for about five years, since he joined as a part-time coach, eventually becoming its assistant director.
One student on the Speech Team, junior intelligence analysis major Sam Rooker, said Selove is a “useful resource” for performance feedback.
“Nathan is a gifted orator,” Rooker said. “He’s clearly talented, but more than that, he’s able to give you feedback, more specifically, on things that you wouldn’t even usually think about.”
Rooker, who’s currently taking Selove’s media and politics section, said Selove is a “really great discussion facilitator” who leads the class in “interesting directions.”
“He’s really invested in trying to make sure his students get a voice, particularly students who have alternative perspectives to his own,” Rooker said. “He really does try to guide the discussion in a way that the sorts of topics that he would prefer we discuss and that we would keep the conversation on track is something he’s really good at.”
Rooker, who’s currently taking Selove’s Media and Politics section, said Selove is a “really great discussion facilitator” who leads the class in “interesting directions.”
“He’s really invested in trying to make sure his students get a voice, particularly students who have alternative perspectives to his own,” Rooker said. “He really does try to guide the discussion in a way that the sorts of topics that he would prefer we discuss and that we would keep the conversation on track is something he’s really good at.”
Students get the idea that Selove “knows how to keep the conversation going,” Rooker said, adding that his professor listens to students when they’re talking in class discussions. “He’s genuinely trying to listen and try to figure out what you’re trying to communicate when you’re talking in class,” Rooker said. “That’s a really useful skill that a lot of professors just haven’t mastered.”
Selove may not be the first autistic person in academia, nor is he the last. He tells his students: “If you meet one person with autism, you’ve met one person with autism.”
CONTACT Joelle McKenzie at breezecopy@gmail.com. For more on the culture, arts and lifestyle of the JMU and Harrisonburg communities, follow the culture desk on X @TheBreezeJMU and Instagram @BreezeJMU.
Hard Challenge A WEALTH OF HEALTH A WEALTH OF HEALTH
Trendy or trustworthy: the 75
By GRACE SAWYER The Breeze
If you frequent social media, especially TikTok, the 75 Hard Challenge probably sounds familiar. This “transformative mental toughness program,” created by entrepreneur, author and public speaker Andy Frisella, is meant to build mental toughness, help users get more in shape and foster healthier habits.
But is it the best for everyone?
The 75 Hard Challenge has five rules that a participant must follow for 75 consecutive days. If even one day is missed, the participant must return to day zero.
The program’s 75-day structure follows data published by the European Journal of Social Psychology, which found it takes, on average, 66 days to create a new habit.
The first is following a diet, which is selected by the individual completing the challenge, though it must adhere to a structured eating plan — the priority being physical improvement. No drinks or meals outside the meal plan are allowed.
People select their diets to reflect their goals. Some of the most common diets people choose appear to be keto, paleo, carnivore, Atkins and intermittent fasting. Some of these diets are scientifically backed, while some aren’t. Many experts worry that following a strict diet without proper education can have negative repercussions: Nutrient deficiencies, dehydration, muscle loss, lowered metabolic rate, heart problems, digestive issues and hormonal imbalances are just a few of the possible outcomes.
The second rule is completing two 45-minute workouts per day. One workout can be inside but one must be outdoors, no matter the weather.
The third rule is that the participant must drink a gallon of water every day. Increasing a person’s daily water intake can have many benefits — enhanced physical performance, better weight management, regular digestion, healthy brain function and fewer headaches. However, an overconsumption of water can also lead to water toxicity or low blood sodium because hydration needs vary person to person, and these can be potentially fatal.
Blake, Selove’s autism therapy dog, accompanies him as he teaches current Dukes. Photos courtesy of Nathan Selove
From Barranquilla to JMU: Cru students carry back spirit of service
By NICOLAS ISAZA SERPA contributing writer
While many Dukes spent spring break sightseeing and catching up with loved ones, 11 members of Cru, a studentrun Christian organization, spent their break in Barranquilla, Colombia, working to help communities in need.
These students spent two weeks handing out water filters to impoverished communities in collaboration with Filter of Hope, aiming to serve and share Christian doctrine with families in the area, senior accounting major and Cru Small Group Leader Emily Weber said.
WaterAid — a nonprofit specializing in overseas water distribution — reported on its website that 1.3 million people in Colombia lack access to clean water close to home. Weber said the lack of easily accessible drinking water led to hazardous living conditions for families in the area.
“I talked to moms who boiled the water for their kids because they knew it wasn’t safe for them,” Weber said. “But they would still drink right from the tap themselves because they didn’t have time or would just care more about their children being healthy over themselves.”
Cru members, in addition to handing out water filters, put residents in contact with individuals such as church leaders who can provide aid after the mission is over, said senior engineering major and Bible study leader Josiah Walker.
“The fact that we were getting them connected to people in the community who really care for them … who were so passionate about serving their community,” Walker said. “We’re giving you this gift, but we’re also leaving you with someone who wants to help.”
Cru’s commitment to helping others allowed 500
people to obtain clean water more easily, Walker said.
Beyond tangible service efforts such as its spring break trip, Cru also fosters deep personal growth and community Weber said. Members form close-knit relationships by participating in “small group” — during which students can openly share personal challenges and build meaningful connections within a supportive circle.
“There was a time when I shared really deep things about me, like addictions that I had gone through, and that God freed me from,” Walker said. “There were other guys in the group that suddenly felt free to be able to share things with other people for the first time.”
For many students, it’s that environment of openness, encouragement and accountability that makes Cru a meaningful part of their college experience.
“I would say Cru is the most genuine and welcoming community that you can ask for in college,” said Grace Dudley, Cru team director and junior special education and communication sciences and disorders major. “Everybody truly cares about each other and holds themselves to a higher standard of excellence, both in our personal lives and in our relationship with the Lord.”
Cru members are eager to carry the spirit of service and connection back to campus from Columbia.
Read the full article online at breezejmu.org
CONTACT Nicolas Isaza Serpa at isazasnn@dukes. jmu.edu. For more on the culture, arts and lifestyle of the JMU and Harrisonburg communities, follow the culture desk on X @TheBreezeJMU and on Instagram @BreezeJMU.
Cru helped 500 people receive clean water. Photo courtesy of Cru
Heavy metal music bounced off TDU’s walls while the Warner Commons radiated the synths and bass of electronic dance music.
Students who gathered to watch the performances could also visit the mental health and sexual assault panels and the hygiene products drive, organized by SASV and the New Directions Center — a nonprofit organization aimed at reducing “the impact of intimate partner violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking through survivor-centered advocacy, support services, community education, and awareness,” according to its website.
Freshman and SASV Social Head Effie Gallion, along with other assocation members, held a question-andanswer event during the festival, along with managing the hygiene products drive.
“[Sexual assault] needs to not go unrecognized,” Gallion said.
Your, one of the student bands that performed at the Warner Commons, was impressed by how many people came out to support.
“Seeing this many people out here is insane … now we get to play as loud as we can,” junior vocalist and guitarist George Daboul said.
Some of the other groups that performed include Regression, Tablaro, Neon Planet and the headliners: Pulses and Togeki. A full setlist can be found on Dogpile’s Instagram.
Community Collaboration
SASV members also painted the Spirit Rock on East Campus and participated in Take Back the Night (TBTN) for SAAM.
TBTN is an annual event where survivors publicly share their stories to raise awareness for sexual violence, according to JMU’s website. TBTN is a nationwide movement that started in the ’60s to raise awareness of sexual violence through protests and demonstrations. The university encourages survivors and advocates alike to participate and support, and further information about victim advocacy and other related resources can be found on JMU’s website
Read the full article online at breezejmu.org
CONTACT Charlie Bodenstein at thebreezeculture@gmail.com. For more on the culture, arts and lifestyle of the JMU and Harrisonburg communities, follow the culture desk on X @TheBreezeJMU and Instagram @BreezeJMU.
from SASV, page 10
SASV held a mental health question-and-answer after Your’s performance.
Photos by Charlie Bodenstein / The Breeze
A full setlist of the Dogpile Music Festival’s performers can be found on their Instagram.
JMU football lifts 8-year-old after brain tumor diagnosis
By HAYDEN HUNDLEY
The Breeze
A bomb detonated in Katie and Nick Macri’s life when their 8-year-old son, John Paul Macri, was diagnosed with diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) — a kind of brain tumor — on March 21.
Within a week, their son was met with over a thousand kind messages and prayers from JMU fans and student-athletes on social media.
According to the National Cancer Institute, DIPG is a rare and fast-growing tumor that starts in the part of the brainstem that controls breathing, heart rate and the muscles used to see and walk. Roughly 300 children, primarily between the ages of 5 and 10, are affected each year. Due to the tumor’s location, surgically removing it isn’t an option.
After Amy Miller (’09), a family friend of Katie (’05), posted the news on a JMU Facebook group, JMU Nation, Miller’s post was filled with support from the community.
“I’ve got so many comments and private messages,” Katie said. “It just blows my mind that people care so much and that the world is filled with mostly good people. It has just felt like this total outpouring of love from not just the people we know, but all these people that we don’t know either, and so that is really overwhelming in the best way.”
Two days after Miller’s post, rising redshirt junior quarterback Alonza Barnett III and rising redshirt sophomore long snapper Jack Mowrey sent her videos to encourage John Paul. Katie said her son was surprised the student-athletes knew who he was, as his face “lit up” when he watched the videos.
“[It’s] a huge lift,” Nick Macri said. “These guys were so kind, and it was so genuine, what they did … It floors me to think about it now.”
After Miller’s post gained even more steam via social media, JMU’s Director of Football Operations Jordan Smith reached out to Katie within a few days — two weeks before the Dukes’ spring game on April 12.
Smith invited the Macris to the game and thankfully, John Paul had the energy to make the trip to Harrisonburg after his biopsy, which extracted blood cells from his tumor
for examination. Smith called Katie a few days before the game to plan John Paul’s schedule — which included a tour of the Dukes’ football facility and the opportunity to participate in pregame warm-ups with the team while sporting his own jersey.
Katie said what really made John Paul call April 12 the “best day” of his life was when he took a handoff from redshirt junior quarterback Blake Kendall, Jr. and bolted to the end zone before the team lifted him in the air. Purple and gold streamers flew over John Paul while the Marching Royal Dukes blasted JMU’s fight song after he scored his first touchdown as a Duke.
Head coach Bob Chesney awarded John Paul the game ball for his run. After the spring game, Chesney said throwing the streamers was safeties coach Anthony DiMichele’s idea.
“We wanted to make sure we were having him celebrate that play and he loved it,” Chesney said, with a wide smile. “What a special day for him and his family and our players as well. So, hopefully, we do a lot more of that as we roll through the summer.”
Katie emphasized how genuine and excited the players were to meet John Paul when he arrived. Kendall stretched alongside him before the game and said he was “lucky enough” to get John Paul’s autograph on his wristband afterwards.
Kendall told John Paul that he’ll wear that wristband all season.
“I thought maybe two or three of the players would be like ‘sure I’ll just toss the ball with this kid,’” Katie said. “We did not realize all of the planning and what a big play it would be.”
The football team’s support is only a part of what Katie calls “John Paul’s army.” The day after John Paul got his biopsy, the Macri’s neighborhood threw him a party before John Paul started his radiation therapy. Nick said because of the tumor’s unfortunate location, the biopsy, performed by neurosurgeon John Socrates Myseros, was a “miracle in itself.” Nick added the biopsy couldn’t have gone better and that Myseros is a “badass.”
Eight-year-old John Paul Macri took the final handoff of JMU football’s spring game for a touchdown. April Weber / The Breeze
John Paul autographed redshirt junior quarterback Blake Kendall Jr’s. wrist band after JMU’s spring game. Annabel Dewey / The Breeze
MACRI, page 14
Since starting a GoFundMe to help fund the Macri’s travel and treatment expenses on March 26, they raised over $25,000 of their $30,000 goal for support as of April 23.
John Paul has started daily radiation treatment at Children’s National Hospital in Washington D.C., which he’ll undergo during the weekdays. The radiation therapy can help extend John Paul’s life while also temporarily improving his symptoms. Katie quit her job to spend more time with John Paul as she and her husband split time in their hometown of Chesterfield and D.C.
Katie said Children’s National Hospital has given them the hope and information needed to fight alongside John Paul.
“The statistics aren’t great, and that’s why we kind of stay away from it because the fact of the matter is that it doesn’t help for us to know all of the bad stuff,” Nick said.
The statistics may indicate John Paul as an underdog, but Nick said he’s hoping for “any given Sunday” — Nick related this to when App State became the first FCS program to beat a ranked FBS team in the regular season after beating No. 5 Michigan 34-32 in 2007. That same sliver of hope and faith is what the Macris need to fight.
“JMU gave us a lift that we will never forget,” Nick said. “The kindness and the outreach of those guys that probably thought ‘This was kind of a cool thing we did,’ had such a profound impact on our family. Everyone who has seen that video, and it’s probably five or six thousand people that have seen the video … something like this makes them feel good and say, ‘yeah, there is a lot of good out there.’ These kids at JMU caused that.”
Katie said she chose JMU out of high school because of its “culture of kindness.” Nineteen years after her graduation, that same culture is giving back to her family during a time of need. She added that God has built bridges in her life to prepare for this moment, and having “a great visit” at JMU in high school was one of those bridges.
“I think that he knew that we were going to need this kind of support,” Katie said. “My whole life, I can go back to all of these things happening in my life, all of these people that have been put into my life — it happens because we need them now.”
CONTACT Hayden Hundley at hundlehf@dukes.jmu.edu. For more football coverage, follow the sports desk on X and Instagram @TheBreezeSports.
Coleman Calabrese looks to finish JMU baseball career on a strong note
By LUKE FAIRCLOTH The Breeze
JMU senior first baseman Coleman Calabrese has been scorching hot during the last few weeks as he wraps up his senior campaign with JMU baseball.
Calabrese got off to a relatively slow start this year, tallying just one multi-hit game through the first month and a half of the 2025 season.
Then, on March 25 against Richmond, everything changed. Calabrese hit his stride, finishing with three hits in a game for the first time all season, one of which was his second home run of his senior campaign. During the three games following that week, Calabrese added eight more hits — including another home run — en route to earning Sun Belt Conference Player of the Week honors.
Despite his slow start to 2025, Calabrese has been a model of consistency over the last three seasons for the Dukes, with his fourth and final year shaping up to be one of his strongest seasons yet. Calabrese currently leads the Dukes in batting average, hits, OPS, slugging, home runs and extra base hits.
Calabrese has credited JMU Associate Head Coach Michael Roberts as one of the top reasons for his offensive success.
“Ever since my sophomore year when he came in, I’ve made leaps and bounds in my development,” Calabrese said. “He’s helped me simplify my swing. My sophomore year, he noticed I was just doing a little too much with my hands. He just helps me get back to where I’m comfortable.”
Calabrese’s line drive-focused approach has flourished as he’s filled out his 6-foot-3 frame in his junior and senior years.
see CALABRESE, page 16
from
Senior first baseman Coleman Calabrese leads JMU in batting average, hits and home runs. Adam Tabet / The Breeze
Katie Macri said she chose JMU for its “culture of kindness.” Annabel Dewey / The Breeze
from CALABRESE, page 15
While Calabrese has long been comfortable behind the plate and had a permanent home in the top half of the JMU lineup, the way JMU head coach Marlin Ikenberry has chosen to deploy him defensively over his tenure with the Dukes has been far from consistent.
Across Calabrese’s four seasons at JMU, he has recorded significant innings at all four infield positions, with at least 20 starts at first base, shortstop and third base.
“His versatility just goes to show how athletic he is,” Roberts said. “He’s willing to help the team in whatever aspect we ask him to.”
Coming out of high school, Calabrese was initially recruited as a shortstop after a strong career at DeMatha Catholic that saw him ranked as the No. 6 shortstop in the state of Maryland.
Over the last two seasons, Calabrese has found his footing at the other hot corner as a strong defender at first base, recording over 70 starts at the position.
“His defense took off when we moved him to first base,” Roberts said. “He’s one of the best defensive first basemen in the Sun Belt. That’s where we’ve seen the most growth for him since he’s been here.”
Calabrese has a .988 fielding percentage this season, which is 30th in the Sun Belt. He's tallied 206 putouts with just three errors.
Calabrese has flourished in the batters box as well, with 16 career home runs, 133 hits and 91 RBIs.
As the 2025 season winds down, Calabrese says he’s just enjoying the opportunity he has been afforded at JMU to play the game he loves with his best friends and is trying not to take anything too seriously.
“He makes me laugh every single day,” Roberts said. “I think that’s one of the best things you can say about another human being, and I’ve really enjoyed being his coach the last three years.”
CONTACT Luke Faircloth at faircllr@dukes.jmu.edu. For more baseball coverage, follow the sports desk on X and Instagram @TheBreezeSports.
Senior first baseman Coleman Calabrese has at least 20 starts each at first base, shortstop and third base. Landon Shackelford / The Breeze
JMU football spring portal wish list
By GAVIN AVELLA & HAYDEN HUNDLEY The Breeze
With the NCAA transfer portal officially opening again in the spring, we at The Breeze thought it would be worthwhile to take a look at potential transfer portal targets that JMU football has already reached out to and offered or could be on its radar in the future.
The Dukes haven’t had as much turnover as last spring, but players expected to contribute on both sides of the ball tossed their names into the ring, which means JMU will now look for new additions.
Here are a few players that JMU has either already been in contact with, offered in the portal, or that could be on their radar as guys looking to make the jump to the G5 and make a name for themselves that we would like to see in purple and gold come the fall:
Jayden McDonald, redshirt junior linebacker, Virginia Tech
After the rangy 6-foot-4 linebacker entered the transfer portal on April 17, there seems to be mutual interest between McDonald and JMU, as he visited the campus on Wednesday, according to 247Sports. Before missing most of last season with an injury, McDonald started eight games in 2022 and 2023 at Virginia Tech. He had 50 tackles, four of them for a loss, in those seasons.
McDonald would be the biggest linebacker on the Dukes’ roster and would fill a position of need, he also has two years of eligibility left. Right now, the second starting linebacker spot next to senior Trent Hendrick is up for grabs. The Dukes do have
a lot of competition, though. McDonald is visiting Western Michigan on Thursday and Colorado on May 2.
Isaiah Alston, redshirt
senior wide receiver, Iowa State
JMU competes to land the 6-foot-4 experienced wide receiver with some of its usual recruiting competitors like Tulane, Sam Houston State and Louisiana Tech. The Dukes added junior Maryland wide receiver Braeden Wisloski on Saturday to help fill the void left by Yamir Knight, but they could still use some competition for an outside receiver. Alston’s size makes him a prototypical ‘X’ receiver.
Before transferring to Iowa State, he was Army’s leading receiver in 2023, 2022 and 2021. Junior 6-foot-3 Richmond transfer Landon Ellis is the tallest wide receiver on the Dukes’ roster, but Alston could provide much-needed size and experience. The Dukes offered Alston last season before he committed to Iowa State.
Paul Tangelo, redshirt senior edge rusher, Saint Francis
While there hasn’t been reported JMU interest in Tangelo, he would fill a hole on the Dukes’ defensive line. Tangelo has been offered by UConn, South Alabama and Liberty, among others.
The 6-foot-3 Tangelo is the No. 3 edge rusher on 247Sports’ list of available transfers in the spring portal. He recorded seven sacks, two forced fumbles and 41 tackles at Saint Francis last season.
Tangelo would pair well on the opposite side of Maine transfer Xavier Holmes, who’s
asserting himself as the Dukes’ primary pass rusher ahead of next season. However, outside of Holmes and redshirt junior Amar Thomas, JMU has no proven production at the position. Tangelo would provide experience and a boost to the Dukes’ pass rush group that lost both of their sack leaders last season.
Josh Anglin, freshman linebacker, North Alabama
Entering the portal on April 2, according to On3sports, the 6-foot, 215-pound true freshman is the third ranked linebacker in the portal and has drawn interest or offers from Missouri State, Tulsa, Jacksonville State, Memphis, UNLV and JMU after a monstrous freshman campaign which with 81 tackles, seven TFL, 1.5 sacks, one FF and one PBU during his first true season at North Alabama en route to FCS Freshman All-American and UAC Freshman of the Year honors.
Anglin would help fill depth at linebacker for the Dukes after the departure of second team All-Sun Belt linebacker Jacob Dobbs and could even compete for the second linebacker spot next to Hendrick. JMU officially offered Anglin on April 18, per his X account, and he visited campus on Wednesday, according to JMU Sports News. Read more online at breezejmu.org
CONTACT Gavin Avella at breezesports@ gmail.com and Hayden Hundley at hundlehf@dukesjmu.edu. For more football coverage, follow the sports desk on X and Instagram @TheBreezeSports.
Join us on Join us on Thursday, April 29 Thursday, April 29 from 5 to 8pm for a from 5 to 8pm for a book sig ning at our book sig ning at our local Harrisonburg local Harrisonburg Bojangles! All Bojangles! All proceeds will be proceeds will be going to the Promise going to the Promise of Tomorrow of Tomorrow Scholarship Fund. Scholarship Fund.
JMU football will look to make the most of the transfer portal before it closes this Friday. Annabel Dewey / The Breeze
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 “God’s-plan” pat to the man upstairs for helping me get my degree and meet my life-long friends here at JMU.
From a senior who didn’t think they would graduate at some points.
A “is-reincarnation-real?” pat to Trisha Patyas’ baby and the Pope.
From someone who is chronically online.
A “my-body-is-breakingdown” dart to the amount of stress the end of the semester is bringing.
From a girl who is developing back pain similar to a 70-yearold blue-collar worker.
A “I-want-to-be-youwhen-I-grow-up” pat to the students whose artwork has been up on the second level of Duke Hall.
From a student who has the artistic talent of a fourth grader.
Editorial Policies
Thinking about your obituary will bring a lively perspective
KATIE RUNKLE | Breeze columnist
Scrolling through the New York Times obituaries, each headline is the person’s name and their biggest achievement, whether tangible or conceptual. It got me thinking: Is that what sums up a person’s life? Their biggest achievement or success?
As graduation nears, I have many decisions to make. In a conversation, attempting to discern some of the details of my life going forward, I was asked: When you get to your deathbed, what do you imagine the room looking like if it reflected your highest goals of success? All I could think of was family. This is what led me to the obituaries page initially. So I reached out to some individuals closer to that reality than my 20-year-old self.
I asked Bob and Joann Panza, a couple in the last quarter of their lives, what really sums up their life. I had the joy of speaking to them for almost an hour, in which I fed my own curiosity by asking them — sometimes all too personal — details of their life. With three daughters, 11 grandkids and counting and a beautiful lake house in South Carolina with enough rooms to host them all, they said this last phase of life full of gratitude, love and no regrets.
I gained a lot of perspective on what really matters (and discovered how awkward it can be to ask an aging couple such morbid questions), and I hope you can too.
As Bob and Joann get closer to the end of their lives, their priorities shift, but not in the way you’d expect based on what most obituaries highlight. Rather than attempting to continue tacking on achievements to their lives or gaining external successes, Bob and Joann turned their focus inwards. They’ve been able to give more time and energy to their health, what they consume, how they treat their bodies and just overall put themselves first.
“We’re at the stage where our ‘have-tos’ are a lot less, and it’s more about what we want to do than what we have to do,” Joann said. “Now we try to focus on where did we always want to go?”
Aging can seem morbid, and the distance between you and the end feels sad, but it can also provide a season much richer than one you’ve had before. When Bob and Joann retired, they moved out to a small community in South Carolina on a lake house with others in a similar phase of life.
“There’s a lot of different clubs and a lot of sports activities, and there’s just a lot of opportunities to socialize here and lots of venues to meet people from all over,” Joann said. We probably tried more new things than we did in the 10 years prior, I can’t imagine what we’d be doing if we still lived in that same house. I think one of the smartest things we did was come here and we always wanted to live on a lake in the woods, and that’s what we’re doing, living on a lake in the woods.” Joann said.
I reached out to someone who worked at an obituary desk at the beginning of her career. It wasn’t for her long term, but she wrote me in an email that what she mainly recalled was “families were always eager to have important jobs, hobbies and core family members listed. Everything had to be accurate or that phone would ring and someone on the line would either be crying for a reprint or wanting you fired.”
She was friends with Jim Nicholson, a well-known writer who spent his life writing obituaries of the average person, not the ones making it into the Times. A Washington Post obituary about him wrote — ironically for this piece — that Nicholson wrote obituaries for “the everyday Joes and Joannes.” His view on writing the details of an average person’s life reflected things that matter to Joann and Bob when all is said and done — or more accurately, written and dead.
Obituaries began just to announce deaths in a community, made especially relevant during the Civil War. From there, they evolved to give factual details of a person’s life. Once journalists began covering public figures or politicians and wanted to say more than just the facts, modern obituaries were born.
Nicholson could capture the magic in anyone and everyone’s lives, even the town drunk in a small, poor community. An obituary matters. Living in a way that prioritizes what you would want yours to say, after considering what that even is, can make all the difference. So maybe more than
what matters, considering your obituary can actually proactively influence your life and the content included in the obituary.
OBITUARY, page 19
Bob and Joann Panza enjoyed each other’s company early in their relationship.
Photos courtesy of Bob and Joann Panza
Bob and Joann Panza are still in love today.
from OBITUARY, page 18
In response to asking how they think people will remember them, Joann said: “I guess it’s a matter of the people that you know when you ask that question. We have lots of friends and I’m sure they’ll say we were a nice couple, but, does that matter?”
I brought up my thoughts about the Times obituary headlines, starkly contrasted to Nicholson’s, and Bob and Joann reinforced the type of people he cared to memorialize. They hit the key point. A lot of things matter to a lot of people, but when it comes down to it, what matters most and what matters first?
“Their achievements are what get them on the New York Times Obituary page. And sometimes when you read those, you can kind of pull out some depth to it, that they were also great family people, but for us that’s the priority,” Joann Said. “Mine could just read: Her family came first.”
CONTACT Katie Runkle at runklekr@dukes.jmu. edu. For more editorials regarding the JMU and Harrisonburg communities, follow the opinion desk on X @TheBreezeJMU and on Instagram @BreezeJMU.
JMU students
vote in record numbers, but it’s not enough
MATT GOWEL | Contributing columnist
During recent years, JMU has seen record numbers in terms of election turnout, but we need to see more general political engagement on campus. This is crucial for us to resist broader movements contrary to our interests.
While writing this piece, I sat down with Kara Dillard, Executive Director of the Madison Center for Civic Engagement and assistant professor in the School of Communication Studies, to discuss student political involvement on campus.
“One of the things that JMU is known for nationally is its institutional commitment to civic engagement,” Dillard said. “Over the years, [JMU] has won a number of awards related to campus level civic engagement and student voter engagement.”
It’s true that JMU has seen record growth in terms of voter turnout. In 2020, the most recent data available from JMU shows that 92% of students registered to vote, while nearly 75% turned out on election day. This is more than a 20% increase from the 2016 election.
These trends ask: If student voter turnout is so high, why don’t we see more political activity on campus? Where are our protests, walkouts and encampments? Are students apathetic to that kind of political engagement, or are there other factors at play?
Students “are not … apolitical in that they don’t care, they do care, but they’re burned out,” Dillard said.
Dillard said this apparent burnout is primarily due to increasing political polarization and social isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Finally, Dillard made an important distinction, and one I hadn’t previously considered. She said there is an “interesting sort of civic ethos among our students about how they see themselves as civic agents, but maybe not as political agents.”
The difference between the two lies in how they engage politically. Civic agents participate only through formal civic institutions — such as voting, writing to elected officials or volunteering for a political campaign. Political agents, on the other hand, engage in a broader range of political actions, including protesting, civil disobedience and generally taking a more active role in politics.
In essence, per Dillard, yes, students on JMU’s campus do, in fact, care about politics. However they’re both too exhausted to engage in activism and have struggled to develop the skills required to do so thanks to our isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic.
As a consequence, students don’t necessarily view themselves as “political actors,” only “civic” ones. Upon closer consideration, this trend makes perfect sense. In the case that we are “burned out,” as Dillard put it, it makes complete sense we would take the path of least resistance. If we can engage with politics through
a simple vote, what’s the point of taking to the Quad in mass protest?
To gain another perspective, I spoke with junior Jules Perez, who has attended multiple peaceful protests in and around our community.
“As a federally funded institution, JMU is inherently political,“ Perez said. “It’s important that students understand that.” Perez said.
To Perez, who uses they/them pronouns, the thing that matters most in politics does not lie in the difference between “political” or “civic” agents; it comes in the form of community.
“Community building is a valid form of politics. It allows us to engage in all kinds of action,” they said. “We can mobilize people to vote, make it easier for marginalized voices to be heard and engage in other kinds of political action.”
Perez, too, made an important distinction: They explained how, while yes, community building is one of the most important tools in political action, communities aren’t meant to be political all the time. There are simply tools that allow us to organize efficient and effective action in times of need.
Political leadership in our communities, in Dillard’s words, “takes real courage.” It’s difficult to stand up for what is right, outside of the ballot box, but we must. It is no simple task to organize communities and spaces to support each other in, but it‘s imperative that we do so. In the difficult time we live in, it’s essential more of us get outside of our comfort zone in pursuit of the greater good. Resistance starts bottom up, not top down. Voting is a good start, but what are we to do if leaders don’t listen to the will of those they are supposed to represent?
The future belongs to us, those who are set to inherit it, and we must hold our leaders accountable to our desires. We must organize if we are to ensure the development of an equitable society for all. So, while it’s certainly not easy, I implore you: go above and beyond, demand to be heard and stand up for our future.
CONTACT Matt Gowel at goweljm@dukes.jmu.ed u. For more editorials regarding the JMU and Harrisonburg communities, follow the opinion desk on X @TheBreezeJMU and on Instagram @BreezeJMU.
Colleges should invest in personal finance classes
ELLA WARREN | Breeze columnist
Money quite literally makes the world go round, yet young people nationwide have no idea how to manage their finances. Financial literacy — or the understanding of financial systems and their effects on personal finance — is an adult’s greatest asset, yet the current education system fails to share this knowledge. For college students entering “the real world,” filing taxes, financing a car and repaying student loan debt are essential skills that JMU teaches only in hidden, optional classes — if they teach them at all. JMU, alongside other American colleges, should mandate personal finance classes to prepare students for the future.
Most college students are, on some level, aware of how expensive higher education is. The “broke college student” archetype remains the norm, with students joking about how schools will take every opportunity to nickel-and-dime students despite rising tuition costs. However, the reality of student loan debt rarely sets in
until after graduation, where students scramble to figure out how they’ll repay.
“I have seniors who come into class and have no idea how much they borrow,“ Financial Aid Director and personal finance professor Brad Barnett said. “They find out how much they owe literally sometimes during their last semester, and then it’s a surprise, and now they have to figure out what are they going to do”.
Most college students’ debt comes from student loans and credit cards. According to Urich Law‘s website, 65% of students are in some form of credit card debt, with the average balance being $3,280. Many students aren’t aware of the long-term consequences of paying only the minimum amount or missing a payment. Because interest builds rapidly and late payments remain on a person’s credit report for 7 years, poor financial decisions made in college can make building good credit challenging. From difficulty buying a home to government fund seizure, too much debt can negatively impact people’s lives — yet most undergraduates are woefully unprepared to face reality.
see FINANCE, page 20
More JMU students should be voting on campus.
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JMU business building where finance classes are conducted. Breeze file photo.
Relationships can withstand time. Breeze file photo
“There’s consistent over-spending, there’s unnecessary borrowing, there’s pressure spending because of FOMO and other types of things,” Barnett said. “Students aren’t really budgeting by and large to see where their money goes … they’re spending their money on one thing when it could have been spent on something else.”
With 42.7 million students paying off $1.6 trillion of federal student loan debt per the Education Data Initiative, the personal finance knowledge gap is problematic. College students are missing out on key information that could save them thousands of dollars and years of their lives — information they could receive from personal finance classes.
These courses teach budgeting, taxes, credit and home-ownership: skills that adults need to be financially successful. While some parents may impart these life-lessons, not all will, and those that do may not make the best teachers. Schools have consistently been under fire for not emphasizing practical skills in their curricula; teaching personal finance is one way to better educate students for the future.
Although some K-12 schools weave personal finance classes into their curricula, underfunding and untrained teachers sabotage the effectiveness of these classes. Higher education
is perfectly poised to pick up the slack. College professors are highly qualified, bringing years of field experience to the classroom — unlike the high school gym teacher who got saddled with the personal finance course. Additionally, financial literacy is more relevant to young adult students looking for apartments, cars and jobs rather than high school students who live at home and may not work.
With gen-ed reform underway for the 2027-28 academic year, JMU should consider mandating a personal finance class in a similar function to the WRTC 103 requirement. In the meantime, UNST 475, UNST 390 and certain sections of BUS 160 are options for students looking to learn financial literacy. Another solution for students looking to reduce the amount they borrow is utilizing the Madison Scholarship Hub. All in all, JMU has an obligation to emphasize financial literacy to foster successful, well-rounded graduates.
“I think we could do a better job,” Barnett said. “I think that’s fair to say about most colleges, is that we could all do a better job in this area.”
CONTACT Ella at warre3ej@dukes.jmu. edu . For more editorials regarding the JMU and Harrisonburg communities, follow the opinion desk on X @TheBreezeJMU and on Instagram @BreezeJMU.
AUDIENCE EDITORS Ella Warren & Madeline Buynak thebreezesocials@gmail.com
Corrections
(4/17/25): One of the photos in the article on Buck Bloomingdale identified the wrong person as Bloomingdale. This has been corrected online.
(4/23/25): A former version of the article on Campbell Fortune’s sentencing hearing contained incorrect names of one of the victims’ mother and the judge. The article has been corrected to accurately reflect both of these individuals’ names.
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