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On the cover

This week ’s front page highlights preparations to find an acting university president and launch the search for a permanent candidate, as President Jonathan Alger is set to depart JMU in June.

During the Faculty Senate's March meeting, Speaker Katherine Ott Walter discussed survey data from faculty members collected in hopes of filling the interim president role while JMU searches for Alger's replacement.

Ott Walter also highlighted testing center availability and annual evaluations during the meeting.

For more on the presidential search see page 4.

Junior Allie Taylor was diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome in August 2022 after receiving surgeries to treat her migraine symptoms in March 2022. Taylor looked into acupuncture treatment for relief. Kailey Garner / The Breeze

Faculty Senate shares updates on presidential search process Testing center hours and annual evaluations spark more discussion

By MICHAEL RUSSO

The Breeze

Preparations to name an acting university president and launch the search for a permanent candidate are underway, Faculty Senate Speaker Katherine Ott Walter announced, as President Jonathan Alger is set to depart JMU in June.

In her report during the Senate’s March meeting Thursday, Ott Walter said she's been gathering survey data from faculty members who submitted nominations for the interim president role when Alger steps down, in addition to criteria to be considered during the permanent replacement search process.

Ott Walter said she’s received 170 survey responses so far and will continue to collect feedback until April 15, when she will share all information with Donna Harper, vice president for access and enrollment management and Board of Visitors (BoV) secretary.

From there, Harper will compile all the information for the BoV to review during a closed session on April 18, Ott Walter said, to make an official announcement about the acting president selection during the board’s general meeting the next day. Immediately afterward, the board will go on a retreat to discuss the subsequent search for the permanent candidate in more detail, she added.

Ott Walter said she met with BoV Rector Maribeth Herod, who had discussed Alger’s succession plan with the president and a list of replacement candidates he compiled. Ott

Walter reported Herod is “very happy with the trajectory of JMU” under Alger’s tenure.

“She wants to make sure that the acting person continues that trajectory, and not necessarily status quo,” Ott Walter said of Herod. “If something major would happen, like another pandemic, they still need to be able to make those types of decisions as an acting president.”

Ott Walter’s remarks on the searches also included how Herod said internal candidates hopeful for the permanent position shouldn't be considered for the interim role to avoid any unfair advantages and ensure an “equitable” search process. Herod asked for grace on behalf of the BoV, as none of the members had been part of a presidential search before.

“It’s new to them,” Ott Walter said. “They’re going to be learning while they’re doing [it], and everybody’s going to be doing this together.”

After this portion of the speaker’s report, senators asked about the faculty's level of involvement in the process and opportunities for meeting candidates for the permanent position. Kristi Shackelford, chief communications officer in the provost’s office, said the Faculty Senate Speaker at the time was on the presidential search committee that selected Alger.

Ott Walter added that the beginning phases of the search will likely be kept confidential until finalists are named, as candidates would continue their existing roles elsewhere, but she said she would likely have more details to share in the future.

Faculty calls for additional testing center availability

Senators discussed the demand for expanded testing center hours for students with accommodations through the Office of Disability Services (ODS). The Assessment & Testing Center is open Monday-Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. This has been a point of discussion in the Senate since its Feb. 29 meeting, when Ott Walter said she would send initial survey data from faculty on the issue to Vice President for Student Affairs Tim Miller.

Ott Walter reported Thursday that Miller has since found the data inconclusive and he hoped to see more specific information to determine which departments had more demand for the center than others, which sparked varied responses from senators:

Oleksandr “Sasha” Kokhan, senator for the chemistry department, said the center’s hours should align with when classes occur — such as those that start at 8 a.m. before the center opens, or after it closes at 5 p.m.

Howard Lubert, the political science department’s senator, said if faculty are saying they and their students need more testing center options, then considering a survey or inconclusive data should not be necessary, and taking steps to make the change happen should be the priority.

Ott Walter said she would share Thursday’s additional feedback with Miller.

Senate passes resolution on annual evaluation appeals

Clarifying the process for professors to appeal their annual evaluations has been a concern

among the Senate, particularly regarding recent hierarchy changes within the economics department since at least Nov. 2, 2023, when The Breeze first obtained a copy of the Faculty Concerns Committee’s running list of issues raised by faculty members.

“There seem to be shifting and unstated criteria in some departments that are not being communicated to faculty about how faculty are being evaluated,” the document states.

The Senate passed a resolution Thursday that allows it to ask College of Business (CoB) Dean Michael Busing “to address the perceived faculty handbook violations” at play in the evaluations of economics professors. CoB houses the econ department. The resolution also calls for Busing to create an independent body to review the appealed evaluations in question and further determine if they will be sustained or adjusted.

The alleged violations in the disputed evaluations also call into question practices for evaluating teaching quality and grade inflation, as previously reported by The Chronicle of Higher Education.

Adam Vanhove, a member of the initial appellate body that reviewed the evaluations, said in the meeting that while the group didn’t overturn the evaluations, it did suggest that standardized guidelines for them should be created.

CONTACT Michael Russo at russomw@ dukes.jmu.edu. For more coverage of JMU and Harrisonburg news, follow the news desk on X @BreezeNewsJMU.

Alger announced his departure March 18. Faculty Senate Speaker Katherine Ott Walter said the beginning phases of the search for Alger's successor will likely be kept confidential until finalists are named, as candidates would continue their existing roles elsewhere. Rowan Potts / The Breeze

K. Mauser / The Breeze

Major SGA candidates debate leadership, responsibilities in preparation for elections

By SIXUAN WU The Breeze

The Student Government Association (SGA) held its major candidate debate for the 2024-25 student body president and student representative to the Board of Visitors (SRBoV) Monday evening.

Running for student body president are juniors Zach Fleming and Brielle Lacroix, the SGA’s current academic affairs chair and chief of staff respectively. Sophomores Reagan Polarek, Class of 2026 President, and Sydney Stafford, legislative affairs committee member, debated for SRBoV.

Senior Parliamentarian Elena Finelli hosted the debate in Taylor Down Under. It began with each candidate delivering a three-minute opening statement leading into an allotted two minutes each to answer questions from the host, and concluded with the candidates giving a twominute closing statement.

SGA Elections will take place on April 10 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Student body president

Lacroix opened her statement by sharing her motivations for running for student body president and why they make her an ideal candidate. Sharing how she has been addressing the needs of the JMU community through community service, hosting events and serving on various executive boards and leadership positions, Lacroix said that her goal is to lead “a team of professional problem-solvers” and help bring students’ visions to life.

“My plans are not just empty words that I had one night, they are extensions of the passions I’ve always had and are built off the work I’ve been doing for the past three years,” Lacroix said. “All this hard work has really helped me prepare for this position, and it enables me to know that I’m going to do a good job.”

Fleming shared his experiences serving as president of the Madison Honors Leadership Council and the SGA academics affairs chair, and how these roles enabled him to connect with faculty members such as the provost and the deans of each college. He says that as someone who plans to become a teacher after college, he aims to be flexible with conveying student voices and implementing changes as a bridge between faculties and the student body.

“Within this role of student body president, I want to strive more to make relationships with students on campus, definitely hear their needs and make significant changes on campus,” Fleming said.

Question No. 1

As student body president, you are the voice of the student body and the issues they have deserve to be shared. How do you plan to amplify the voice of the student body and make sure their concerns, in turn, are met with solutions?

Fleming said he plans to host town halls that will invite as many students within the student body as possible. These town halls will offer students the opportunity to write down their comments and concerns, and the SGA will then share these with different departments and committees to create a compromise that will benefit both students and faculty.

Lacroix said she aims to amplify student voices by connecting students directly with the student body president through her Instagram account. Additionally, she hopes to match students with SGA members and other

people she works with to provide students with information and resources to develop their “passion projects.”

Lacroix said she is “really excited to empower student leaders, to go out and collect information that matches with their interests.” She wants to empower students to become their own leaders by helping them to “address the issues on their own.”

Question No. 2

As student body president, you get the opportunity to regularly meet with members of the senior leadership team here at JMU because your position is so uniquely situated. How do you plan to bridge the gap between JMU students and members of the administration?

As a result of her various involvements on campus, Lacroix said she is familiar with where to find information that will address students’ concerns. She added that she hopes to expand both her and the SGA members’ roles to provide students with better connections to upper administration.

Fleming said his strong relationships with faculty members thanks to his current position

have helped him become familiar with bridging students with upper administration. He said he hopes to better connect with the student body through face-to-face contact, such as asking for people’s concerns on the Quad, so he can work more effectively with the administration to create meaningful solutions.

Question No. 3

How do you plan to connect and support the growing student body at JMU?

Fleming said he believes the SGA should advertise itself to the student body more, especially to the first-year students, and provide them with information on the departments and services at JMU.

“I feel like you definitely need to hone in on the first years, try to give them as much information as possible,” he said, which will, in turn, “make adjusting to college life easier.”

Lacroix said that as a student ambassador for three years, she is familiar with the concerns of prospective students. She also said working as an Orientation Peer Advisor (OPA) this past summer has provided her with insight into what students

are looking for when they first come to JMU. Furthermore, Lacroix aims to better connect students with the Harrisonburg community by introducing them to Harrisonburg services and local events.

Question No. 4

The student body president is responsible for monthly Student Government Association reports to the Student Affairs Committee of the BoV. How do you plan on effectively representing the concerns and focuses of the SGA?

Lacroix said she has gained knowledge of the reports’ writing formats by posting monthly reports on her progress with a sustainability bill she is currently developing within the SGA. She also mentioned that as someone who intends to pursue an executive role in non-profits, delivering reports to the administration will allow her to gain experience for her future career.

“I’m coming out with a lot of experience, and I’m ready to grow from that experience,” she said. “I’m really excited to take those skills to the next level and represent the student body and the SGA in front of upper administration.”

Fleming talked about his experience with speaking in front of classrooms and how he will use this skill to convey concerns and potential solutions to the BoV.

“In my future career as a teacher, I’m going to have to learn how to effectively convey information in a general sense but also in a specific sense,” he said. “That goes for any monthly report I’m going to give to the BoV — general information of what’s been happening, but specifically what we want done to solve what’s been happening.”

Question No. 5

Another important aspect of the role of student body president is their work connecting with the Office of Student Affairs. How do you plan on connecting with student affairs offices?

Fleming shared his experience with the Office of Academic Affairs, which works closely with the Office of Student Affairs. He said he intends to work closely with all parties working with the SGA to convey concerns and create solutions for both student affairs offices and students.

“Ultimately, having happy students on our campus will increase the life of JMU,” he said.

Lacroix said she noticed that a lot of students aren’t aware of the resources available on campus while working with different student affairs offices, and added that she intends to prioritize raising awareness and supporting these existing resources.

“I think a lot of times students come to this position and think, ‘I’m just going to change everything,’ and we fail to realize sometimes there are so many good things out there and there is a strong foundation,” Lacroix said. “I’m really excited to partner with [the offices] to work with them and to amplify their already existing programs.”

TOP: Juniors Zach Fleming, the SGA’s current academic affairs chair, and Brielle Lacroix, the SGA’s current chief of staff are running for SGA student body president. BOTTOM: Sophomores Reagan Polarek, class of 2026 president, and Sydney Stafford, member of the legislative affairs committee, are competing for SRBoV. Photos by Sixuan Wu / The Breeze

Student representative to the Board of Visitors (SRBoV)

Stafford began by sharing her experiences within various committees of the SGA and her goal as SRBoV:

“I want to foster an inclusive campus in which every student feels heard and empowered to ignite the changes that they would wish to see on campus, and I want to bridge the giant gap between JMU organizations, administration and the BoV,” Stafford said.

Polarek said she was very involved with different groups on campus, including the SGA and as an intern at several university offices.

“I humbly believe that all of these experiences have given me unique qualifications to serve as your SRBoV,” Polarek said. “All this work is done voluntarily to serve you and make sure that your voice is heard, and to make sure that each one of you is safe, secure and supported.”

Question No. 1

What are some ways you plan on increasing the visibility of the Board of Visitors within the student body?

Polarek said she wants to promote visibility of the BoV through social media and specific town halls, where she will individually share information about the BoV to students, including what they do and dates of the upcoming BoV meetings. She also plans to expand the President’s Coalition, an initiative started by the current SRBoV, senior Abby Cannella, into a club that focuses on leadership training and providing resources to students through different club presidents.

Stafford said she would educate incoming freshmen about the BoV by speaking at orientation and present during general education classes under the American Experience cluster. She also intends to create a Canvas page through

which students and organizations can find resources and address their concerns.

Question No. 2

One of the main roles of the BoV is the selection of university presidents. With President Alger leaving, how would you utilize your role to provide a student voice in the selection process?

Stafford plans to include student voices by attending club and organization meetings and asking for their input. She also hopes to connect with individual students through a Canvas page — on which she will create Zoom office hours — and through surveys.

“I find it is extremely important to look at those who are also not in a big organization to clubs on campus,” Stafford said. ”That way everyone feels heard, not just those that have the biggest mix on campus.”

Similarly, Polarek said she intends to connect with students by sharing more information about the BoV's role with them individually and to collect student feedback through Instagram posts.

Question No. 3

The BoV dictates decisions on the raising and lowering of tuition and is contingent on state funding. As a representative and enforcement of the student body, how would you go about communities communicating these changes to the student body in a transparent and accessible way?

Polarek recommended students attend the BoV’s tuition meeting, which took place Wednesday, to learn more about the budgeting process in determining tuition.

“The cost of living is getting so high and ensuring that you don’t graduate with mountains of student debt is, I think, paramount to our success as adults, even beyond our years at JMU,” Polarek said. “Tuition being lower is typically what's best for students and inclusive to people of all socio-economic status.”

Stafford hopes to highlight existing programs at JMU, as well as to advocate for research

grants and scholarships available at other universities that could potentially be replicated at JMU. Additionally, she intends to provide the JMU community with a breakdown of tuition and budget changes, so people can better understand where their funding is going.

“JMU right now is one of the most affordable Virginia colleges and I don’t want that to change,” Stafford said. “I have to use your student voice and perspective to advocate for that.”

Question No. 4

The SRBoV represents JMU in numerous spheres, including at other universities in Virginia. How do you plan to continue representing JMU in other capacities such as this?

Stafford said her experiences with advocacy have shown her the importance of presenting

JMU in a positive light and advocating for students. She plans to create a forum between all SRBoVs in Virginia, in which different student representatives will meet monthly and exchange opinions collected from students.

Apart from connecting student representatives across universities, Polarek said it’s important to highlight the good things JMU offers.

“Every single person that I have talked to that’s come to JMU has just said it’s the best experience of their life, and I want all of us to be able to say the same thing,” Polarek said

CONTACT Sixuan Wu at wu3sx@dukes. jmu.edu. For more coverage of JMU and Harrisonburg news, follow the news desk on X @BreezeNewsJMU.

K. Mauser / The Breeze

SGA passes resolutions in solidarity with LGBTQ+, calls for assault survivor resources

By JOELLE MCKENZIE The Breeze

The Student Government Association (SGA) Senate unanimously approved both Front End Budgets (FEB) for the upcoming year and resolutions to commemorate commitment to the LGBTQ+ community, sexual assault resources and to recognize the importance of Diversity Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) during its Tuesday meeting.

SGA approves resolutions, commemorates retiring faculty

The Senate unanimously approved resolutions to commemorate its commitment to the LGBTQ+ community, improve sexual assault resources, celebrate Donna Harper’s 47 years working at JMU following her plans to retire in spring 2024 and implement a DEI resolution.

The first resolution approved was to recognize the SGA’s decade of commitment to JMU’s LGBTQ+ community. According to the resolution, its purpose is to recognize the “legislative actions for the 99th student Senate to uphold and support the decisions made by the back of the Senate to defend and protect organization’s representatives of the LGBTQ+ community.”

On April 8, 2014, the Senate approved two resolutions in support of the LGBTQ+ community in favor of legalizing same-sex marriage.

This meeting’s resolution also acknowledged JMU’s growth in LGBTQ+ representation over the past decade.

Junior Historian Mason Hoey, who authored the 2024 resolution, said he realized the SGA passed the resolution after going through historic SGA documents, and added he “wanted to commemorate that action and continue to show support to this community.”

The next resolution approved was “to recommend the implementation of signage containing accurate and accessible sexual assault resources in building restrooms” across campus, as well as to ensure these signs are “long-lasting.”

According to the resolution, The JMU Victim Advocacy Office has “stated many of their visitors reached out solely due to the information on the signs,” which is the motivation to pass it.

The resolution requests that the signs be in plastic covering to increase their longevity and to prevent vandalism, as there are locations where signs are not present due to potential vandalism.

“As a lot of you know, part of the dark reality of student life on campus in general is that sexual

assault will happen to a lot of students,” senior Sen. Andy Luong said. “I think that, in support of that, we should be making the effort in taking initiative to making these resources to sexual assault victims more visible.”

The goal of the third resolution approved is to recognize Vice President for Access and Enrollment Management Donna Harper and her 47 years serving JMU.

According to the resolution, Harper has been “instrumental” in supporting SGA initiatives throughout her time at JMU.

“She’s basically been everyone at some time, every position, at some time, it seems and she’s been supporting the student body for nearly half of our time as a university, which I think is really important to commemorate when people really dedicate themselves to a lifetime of service to this school,” senior SGA Legislative Affairs chair Marcus Rand said.

The final resolution approved was to “emphasize the importance DEI holds” on public college and university campuses such as JMU, he said.

The resolution comes with an urgency to “put minority voices in the spotlight” in response to the introduction of anti-DEI bills across the span of multiple states, Rand added.

“I think DEI initiatives are really important for every single student on this campus to feel like they belong here, and you want everyone on this campus to be able to have just a good

experience, as you might be having,” said Ella Stotzky, secretary of communications for the class of 2026 and former Breeze photographer. “And in order to do that, we need to be educated, and everyone needs to be able to think properly.”

SGA passes three more Front End Budgets

The SGA unanimously approved three FEBs for the 2024 fiscal year for the National

Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), Black Student Alliance (BSA) and Madison Equality.

Senior Executive Treasurer Matt Haynicz said the NAACP budget doesn’t require many changes from last year.

He also added that the BSA budget changes were “marginal.”

“I think BSA is a fantastic student organization that does a lot of good work on campus and absolutely deserves every dollar that we’ve allocated to them,” Rand said.

Regarding plans for the Madison Equality budget, Haynicz said the group “moved some money around” with merchandising and other groups to more accurately reflect its spending post-COVID. The changes to this budget were also “pretty insignificant,” Haynicz added.

Hoey said he thinks a lot of the FEB organizations are deserving of more money than they’re asking for.

In support of the budgets, senior Sen. Charlotte Bronaugh said she’s seen the positive impact Madison Equality has had on campus.

“So supporting them is always a win,” she added

By K. MAUSER The Breeze

It’s been two years since former NBA player Enes Kanter Freedom, previously known as Enes Kanter, has seen a basketball court. He attributed this to one reason during his talk at JMU Thursday evening: his pushback against what he describes as international “human rights violations.”

Invited by JMU’s Young

Americans for Freedom (YAF) chapter, Freedom’s speech titled “Freedom over Fascism” touched on both the privilege Americans have to live in such a free country as well as the awareness Americans should have for international problems, particularly fascism.

“That’s what really makes like a difference internationally...”

Want to know more? Read the story by scanning the QR code.

CONTACT Joelle McKenzie at mckenzijl@ dukes.jmu.edu. For more coverage of JMU and Harrisonburg news, follow the news desk on X @BreezeNewsJMU.

The SGA unanimously approved resolutions commemorating their commitment to the LGBTQ+ community, provided sexual assault resources, recognized DEI and approved budgets for the fiscal year. Kailey Garner / The Breeze

JMU, professors continue to expand student mental health accommodations

By ABBY CHAMOT The Breeze

Recently, TimelyCare — a virtual mental health resource for JMU students — increased its 12-session limit of counseling appointments available per student to unlimited access.

TimelyCare supports students with the help of a team of psychologists, psychiatrists and 24/7 access to mental health professionals, according to JMU’s website. It does this by providing free therapy and other services.

“This decision comes in response to the increasing demand for mental health services and reflects our ongoing commitment to supporting student well-being,” Assistant Vice President of Communications and university spokesperson Mary-Hope Vass said.

Mental health days are now being implemented into some professors’ syllabi and course calendars, sophomore Courtney Sykes said.

These faculty, like kinesiology professor Chelsea Duncan, have systems built into their curriculum so students can take a day off even if they are not “physically unwell.”

“It’s a really big help to me,” Sykes said. “[My professor] gave us a few mental health days that ended up adding up an extra week of studying which benefitted my test scores and my test anxiety.”

Post-pandemic, mental wellness has declined rapidly compared to previous years, Duncan said. She added that students can use these days

for their health and wellness, either to feel better or just manage stress.

Sykes said college students, specifically, “go through so much stress in just four years,” adding that, “it’s something new, you’re in a new place, you’re meeting new people.”

The JMU Counseling Center originally partnered with TimelyCare in 2022 to expand its resources to students beyond the center’s Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m availability. Beyond TimelyCare, the center offers a 24/7 TalkNow line that ensures JMU students always have options when it's not open, according to the Counseling Center’s website.

TimelyCare also provides health coaching to help students fix sleeping and eating habits, time management issues, and mindfulness, according to JMU’s website.

TimelyCare connects students to those facing similar issues through its peer-topeer support program, where students can post and engage with other posts on the site. This platform provides students with a place to connect with others across the country who face similar challenges, according to JMU’s website.

“If [students are] not even sure what they need, it might be worth self-reflecting, taking some time to self-reflect, and then finding a variety of different wellknown activities like mindfulness, meditation, relaxation practices or journaling,” Duncan said.

Mental health continues to be a topic of conversation

on many college campuses, according to the National Education Association. There’s been an increase in awareness over the past few years, and colleges are starting to prioritize students’ mental health and resources to help them, according to Time Magazine. JMU has

“I think it’s a thing that other people struggle with and don’t necessarily talk about because it’s a hard topic,” Sykes said.

CONTACT Abby Chamot at chamotar@ dukes.jmu.edu. For more

Ella Austin / The Breeze

Passport panic: students, faculty weigh necessity of infamous Health 100 assignment

By LUCE SAMPSON

The Breeze

Health science professor Debra Sutton created Health (HTH) 100, an entry-level course, when she first arrived at JMU in the early ’90s and when the university was looking to restructure its General Education Program. Sutton said wellness classes had been common electives for a long time at universities, but they were not usually general education courses.

There’s another difference between JMU’s HTH 100 class compared to similar courses at other universities: the passport event course assignment, which has existed for about 27 years. Sutton was inspired to create the assignment after reading a flier outlining different health programs and the multi-dimensional model of wellness used as the foundation of passport event requirements today.

As of now, there are six dimensions for the assignment: intellectual, emotional, social, occupational, spiritual and environmental. Students enrolled in HTH 100 are required to attend four events that relate to four distinct dimensions — they can find these events, as well as which dimensions they fulfill, on the HTH 100 webpage.

Wellness passport coordinator Sherri Wilson said passport events are “an experiential education activity,” an opportunity for students to be connected to resources on campus, engage with new and old interests and form relationships.

Freshman media arts and design major Kaileigh Atkinson took

HTH 100 last semester and the passport event she most enjoyed involved cooking. She said she likes watching cooking and baking shows and doing it herself, but she hasn’t had many chances to before the event. The passport class introduced Atkinson to the University Recreation Center’s (UREC) cooking events and inspired her to apply to work there.

Atkinson said she signed up for the cooking event — the most popular kind of event, Sutton and Wilson said — about 2-3 weeks ahead of time. She also said she signed up for a tie-dye event, another she said she enjoyed, nearly a month before it. Overall, though, Atkinson described her experience of passport events as “neutral” instead of positive because of another event she chose at the last minute that she didn’t enjoy.

Some take stronger stances against the passport assignment: Wilson said some students write on the forms they fill out after events, with one stating “this was a waste of my time.” She said she doesn’t take this personally — instead, she considers whether they chose an event too close to the due date, leading them to choose events they don’t find interesting.

Sutton shared a similar sentiment. She said students have negative experiences with passport events when they wait until the last minute to complete them. When they do so, Sutton said, they end up attending events they’re not interested in.

Atkinson said she’s the only person in her friend group who speaks positively about passport events; she said she “most definitely” hears people talking negatively about them. Atkinson said finding events during the spring semester can be especially

challenging — fall semester HTH 100 students already know about passport events and thus can sign up for their favorite ones, even though it’s not a class requirement for them.

On the other hand, freshman architectural design major Hannah Cundiff said she’s glad to be taking HTH 100 in the spring. Cundiff is part of the color guard and said her band friends who took HTH 100 last semester had trouble finding passport events to go to, as many are held from 11 a.m. to noon — when a lot have class — or in the evening, when band activities normally occur. Cundiff said she was “dreading” the passport assignment at the beginning of the semester but has since changed her perspective.

“A lot of them have very important life lessons,” she said.

Furthermore, Sutton said students have met lifelong friends at passport events — and she said she knows this because they’ve written it on their forms. Sutton says she sees this “over and over again,” which Wilson echoed.

“Across campus, there may be a misconception that it’s just an assignment, and it’s really much more than that,” Wilson said.

Sutton pointed out that passport events count for 60 points out of 500-600 in HTH 100.

“I think students make more of a big deal out of this than they should,” Sutton said.

CONTACT Luce Sampson at sampsoll@dukes.jmu.edu.

For more on the culture, arts and lifestyle of the JMU and Harrisonburg communities, follow the culture desk on X and Instagram @Breeze_Culture.

Required passport events are put on by the university covering a range of topics. There are mixed opinions among students about their importance. Photos by Grace Sawyer / The Breeze

Attendees of passport events must fill out a reflective form with their takeaways.

Junior recieves treatment for chronic genetic condition at local acupuncture center

By ARIANNA TAYLOR The Breeze

JMU student Allie Taylor began receiving treatment from the Harrisonburg Acupuncture Medical Center in spring 2023 to treat what she would learn is a chronic genetic condition: EhlersDanlos Syndrome (EDS). For her, it began as painful migraines in high school, evolving to affect more parts of the body.

The junior exercise science major was diagnosed with EDS in August 2022 after beginning surgeries to treat her illness in March 2022. One of the reasons Taylor believes diagnosing it took such a long time is because of inconclusive lab work.

“I could feel something was wrong with my body, but if I had lab work done, [the doctors] said, ‘Oh, [the lab work is] fine, nothing’s wrong with you,’” Taylor said. “It felt like I was gaslighting myself into believing nothing was wrong with me.”

Taylor feels it was difficult to diagnose the root of her illness, EDS, because the specialists were focused on fixing one of her symptoms, not her pain as a whole.

“The medical system can be a bit overloaded, so it was hard for each specialist to look at the big picture,” Taylor said. “It was more like, ‘these are all the things you have, so let’s just treat each thing individually.’”

Taylor began her freshman year in Fall 2021, but later medically withdrew because “living in the dorm wasn’t accommodating enough for my symptoms,” she said. Spending as much time in the hospital with “bright lights and beeping machines” negatively impacted her mental health, she added.

While talking to her friends who were on spring break, she would playfully say, “Oh, I’m just in the hospital, guys.”

Taylor considered taking another step back from school again in spring 2023 after complications from her surgeries made it “hard to do school along with daily living activities.”

Her paperwork hadn’t been filled out yet, but she mother and her discussed whether it would be a good idea.

“I was at this point where I was, like, ‘I can’t really balance my schedule at school with my health,” Taylor said.

As a last resort, Taylor and her mom looked into alternative treatment and found the Acupuncture Medical Center.

Acupuncture Medical Center is owned by two acupuncturist sisters, Amara Franko Heller and Berry Franko. The acupuncturists are accompanied by a full staff of women.

Berry said her and her sister’s goal “was to help people who weren’t necessarily the type of people who would seek acupuncture.” Berry said some people can benefit from acupuncture even if they’re already doing yoga or other health practices.

According to its website, the center is “passionate about holistic medicine and the results it provides” and its clinic “offers innovative medical solutions for chronic pain, infertility, and other complex conditions.”

Berry said she enjoys working with her sister at the center. Being able to collaborate on each patient’s treatement led to Berry coming up with the phrase, “We have four hands and two brains on each person’s case.”

Berry took Taylor’s case, and Taylor said that from her first appointment until now, Berry proved she cares about her clients and genuinely wants to help them. Taylor said that the very first appointment she had with Berry was an hour long, as Berry listened to Taylor explain her medical history.

“I really appreciated how different that was from my previous experiences [with medical professionals], because I just felt like she really cared about my well-being,” Taylor said.

Berry said that patients describe her as caring because she is sincere about helping her patients feel better.

Within three months of receiving acupuncture treatment, Taylor said she saw a serious shift in her health with none of the negative side effects she had dealt with from previous treatments.

“I could see some really big differences in my quality of life,” Taylor said. “I just never expected it to work as well as it did for me.”

Not only has the acupuncture treatment improved Taylor’s physical health, but she said it also improved her mental state. She feels it alleviates some of the stress she faces at school and has given her a more positive mindset.

“You wouldn’t really think to do acupuncture to help your health or your mental health,” Taylor said. “In my opinion, it helps both.”

Taylor said she feels that she would’ve had a better experience in the hospital if acupuncture had been available. She said a blend of holistic medicine and Western medicine would improve patients’ health.

To debunk that acupuncture is painful, Taylor said the needles feel like a pinch from a finger. Berry also said the body doesn’t realize that “an acupuncture needle is a single-use, sterile needle with nothing on it that can cause infection. This tricks the brain into thinking there’s an invading pathogen and creates a series of events that helps to boost the immune system.”

Taylor’s positive results with acupuncture have inspired her to pursue acupuncture as a career. She began working at the Acupuncture Medical Center in the spring to satisfy her practicum credit for the kinesiology program, and she will complete her internship credit at the center.

“I would have never ever done acupuncture if I didn’t get to the end of the rope and try it myself,” Taylor said. “I wish people knew how helpful it can be.”

CONTACT Arianna Taylor at taylo3af@dukes.jmu.edu. For more on the culture, arts and lifestyle of the JMU and Harrisonburg communities, follow the culture desk on X and Instagram @Breeze_Culture.

Allie Taylor was diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome in August 2022 after beginning surgeries to treat her illness in March 2022. Photo by Kailey Garner / The Breeze

How can we live morally decent lives while the world is on fire?

Music to put more spring in your step

You don’t have to lift a hammer to help build and preserve affordable housing in the Central Shenandoah Valley. SHOP, VOLUNTEER or DONATE at the ReStore and help families realize their dreams of homeownership. All proceeds help to fund housing provided by Central Valley Habitat for Humanity.

By EVAN MOODY The Breeze

As temperatures in the valley slowly climb, there’s no doubt students are longing for car rides with the windows down, live shows and nights serenaded by Bluetooth speakers. While the sun holds out, here are the best albums to soundtrack your outdoor experiences.

“CASE STUDY 01”

Daniel Caesar - R&B/soul

R&B phenomenon

Daniel Caesar has been a dominant force in spring and summer music scenes since his first unofficial release of “Praise Break” in 2014. The mixtape was only a tell-tale sign of where Caesar would take his ethereal production and incredible vocal range.

This momentum amounted to his 2017 studio album, “Freudian,” which took the artist to new levels with massive successes “Best Part (feat. H.E.R.)” and “Get You (ft. Kali Uchis).” While this fame wouldn’t spill over to the artist’s follow-up album, “CASE STUDY 01,” day-one fans of Caesar and R&B lovers would be treated to the quintessential warm weather album.

Featuring musical geniuses Pharrell Williams, Jacob Collier and John Mayer, “CASE STUDY 01” is an absolute gem of retrospective songwriting and backing production, taking listeners to new heights. Released in the heat of the summer, this album’s adaptability stands out as a go-to for beach days, park dates and outdoor coffee shop mornings. While “CYANIDE” triumphs on the project as the most streamed track, I challenge listeners to find a better R&B duo than “SUPERPOSITION” and “TOO DEEP TO TURN BACK.”

Alongside these progressions, the album’s opener, “ENTROPY,” brings its audience to a state of relaxation from its beginning line: “Oh, how can this be?/I’ve finally found peace.” Still, the album maintains a full scale of ecstasy and heartbreak. The closer “ARE YOU OKAY?”

is exactly the check-in viewers, and the artist, are warranted after such retrospection and complex theming.

“Because the Internet”

Childish Gambinohip-hop/rap/alternative

This choice may have been the lowest fruit; however, the light, almost playful production and pop-esque melodies of Gambino’s sophomore album have yet to be surpassed. The project, complete with an additional screenplay and film, won’t just transport listeners to the California highlife of the album’s protagonist, “the boy,” but let these tracks be played time and time again in search of double meanings.

As soon as the sun breaks through Shenandoah’s winter clouds, the instrumental track, “Dial Up,” is on mind, ultimately bleeding into the song of the spring with “I. The Worst Guys.” Gambino’s catchphrase-like verses are perfectly in tune with Chance The Rapper’s repeated chorus, complete with an ascending guitar solo by producer Ludwig Göransson. While a favorite on nearly every “spring/ summer” playlist you will find, I’d argue this track is more equipped for warm nights than its more popular counterpart, “3005.”

Light theming is exemplified through most of the album from tracks “II. Shadows” and “III. Telegraph Ave. (‘Oakland by Lloyd’),” with melodies that exemplify the rhythms of early 2010s pop. “I. Pink Toes,” which features Jhené Aiko, encapsulates the feeling of spring love with such perfection that the lines “Rainbows/ Sunshine/Everywhere we go,” are believable for those experiencing their first infatuation. As warm days turn into early morning hours, “I. Flight of the Navigator” is the perfect backing track for open bedroom windows. With the right pair of headphones, the track’s acoustic measures and falsettos from Gambino feel right for those late-night music sessions.

“Because the Internet” by Childish Gambino features Chance The Rapper, Jhené Aiko and Azealia Banks. Photo from Pitchfork

“CASE STUDY 01” is Daniel Caesar’s junior studio album and is adaptable to the spring weather. Photo from Last.fm

“Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You”

Big Thief - folk/indie

While most consider the folk genre suited for colder seasons, “Dragon New Warm Mountain” challenges that stereotype. With an acoustic-based production style and elements of electronic noise, the project is a must-listen for anyone experiencing their spring surrounded by the Blue Ridge Mountains. From the simplistic strums of the album’s opener “Change,” listeners have their worries dissipated with the mountain’s wind and are left only to adhere to the poetic, bittersweet writing of the group’s main vocalist, Arianne Lenker.

As the project continues, near-perfect tracks can be found with “Certainty,” a repetitive, stripped-back ballad perfect for exploring spring love and nature. The whimsical writing style pairs well with carefree attitudes that are embedded with the warmer weather. On the track, Lenker sings on the bridge, “Maybe I love you is a river so high/Maybe I love you is a river so low/I love you, still don’t know.”

As with every true springtime project, cold weather can cause more solemn moments, which are depicted beautifully throughout “Dragon New Warm Mountain.” Nearing the end of the album, “Dried Roses” is a thorn that pierces listeners with its somberness. On the track, lone guitar strums to Lenker’s fall into complete carelessness, with a poem on completing only the simplest tasks.

Furthering this juxtaposition to the joy of warmer days, “The Only Place” is an absolute blow to listeners, displaying some of the most beautiful songwriting I’ve ever experienced. Lenker sings on the track, “When all material scatters/And ashes amplify/The only place that matters/Is by your side.”

“Unpeeled” Cage

The Elephant - rock/alternative “Unpeeled” by modern rock phenom Cage The Elephant features covers and rerecordings of the group’s top hits. While Cage can be rightfully associated with the group’s earlier pop-punk sound, “Unpeeled” deconstructs its tunes beautifully, equipped with an orchestra section. This allows for main vocalist Matt Schultz’s writing to shine through without blaring guitars and booming snares. Such a

minimal approach perfectly accompanies the blooming of spring flowers and for breaking out of warm weather clothing.

“Cry Baby” has done considerably well in the new backdrop. Despite a more laid back feel, listeners can’t resist excitement during the first riff. Followed by the track “Whole Wide World,” originally sung by English new-wave singer Wreckless Eric, the rock group hones the optimistic lyrics masterfully, allowing the song itself to be owned by the band.

This album offers up more of Cage’s most memorable songs throughout their discography, pulling from projects such as “Melophobia,” “Thank You Happy Birthday” and “Tell Me I’m Pretty,” which are exceptional in the new soundscape. “Sweetie Little Jean” does well with the brisk, orchestral runs and Schultz’s booming vocals. “Shake Me Down” is also a sunny day transformed into a track, with Schultz singing, “Even on a cloudy day/I keep my eyes fixed on the sun.” Rounding out the project, renditions of “Telescope” and “Trouble” slow things down for listeners to more melodic, weather transition tracks.

While almost every track on the album is perfect for dropping sunroofs, it’s Cage’s renditions of “Rubber Ball” and “Right Before My Eyes” that make this project a must-listen. The bittersweetness of spring cannot be characterized enough in these two tracks that can only be experienced fully upon listening. With said tear jerkers, the rock group’s cover of Daft Punk’s “Instant Crush” is also sonically powerful, and would be careless not to mention with the project.

“Pet Sounds”

The Beach Boys - classic pick

For nearly sixty years, Brian Wilson and The Beach Boys’ masterpiece record, “Pet Sounds,” has blessed the ears of fans and critics alike. With many naming the project as one of the best albums ever recorded, these sounds are only amplified among the rising temperatures.

I first experienced this record briskly coming out of Keezell Hall into the Shenandoah spring sun, and couldn’t help but stick around the Quad and take in both the rays and heavenly harmonies from my favorite, “Wouldn’t It Be Nice.” As familiarity faded, I was pleasantly surprised by deeper cuts in the album and began to appreciate all of the critics who hold it so highly. Though born in prog-rock and pop

undertones, the late ’60s release doesn’t hold back the experience it has.

“You Still Believe In Me” is as easy as listening can get. The graceful lyrics cascade along Wilson’s production in such a flow and transports the reader to their favorite warm weather destination. This entrancement is carried on with the tracks “That’s Not Me” and “Don’t Talk (Put Your Head On My Shoulder),” both playing to the ears of longing adolescence and intimate love. As if these themes couldn’t connect enough with students of today, listeners are rolled into “Sloop John B,” a song of homesickness with playful lyrics and instrumentation.

“God Only Knows” is and remains one of the greatest songs ever created. To have the track excluded from a warm weather playlist is truly a

crime against music itself.

In the later half of the record, “I Know There’s An Answer” and “I Just Wasn’t Made For These Times” continue to cover an array of selfdiscovery admidst romance throughout the album that brings a listener to the heartbreaking track, “Caroline, No.” The project’s closer, the lyrics are a farewell to youthfulness and purity. As with temperature fluctuations, this project will bring you to every high and low that music can offer.

CONTACT Evan Moody at thebreezeculture@ gmail.com. For more on the culture, arts and lifestyle of the JMU and Harrisonburg communities, follow the culture desk on X and Instagram @Breeze_Culture.

Big Thief’s “Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You” features an acoustic-based production style and elements of electronic noise. Photo from Sputnik Music

The Beach Boys’ “Pet Sounds” features tracks “Wouldn’t It Be Nice,” “God Only Knows” and “Sloop John B.” Photo from uDiscover Music

Cage The Elephant’s “Unpeeled” features covers and rerecordings of the group’s top hits.

Photo from The Sound of Vinyl

JMU hosts speaker on neurodiversity

Activist Temple Grandin lectures as part of Disability Advocacy Week

By KAILYN HARDY & JOELLE MCKENZIE The Breeze

Faculty, students and community members poured into the Festival Ballroom Thursday evening to see Temple Grandin deliver her keynote speech titled “Great Minds Are Not All the Same,” highlighting disability advocacy.

Grandin, a Colorado State University Professor of animal science, spoke at JMU as a part of the Office of Disability Services’ (ODS) annual Disability Advocacy Week.

A line wrapped around the outside of Festival full of attendees anticipating Grandin’s visit just minutes before the event began.

Approximately 700 attended Grandin’s presentation Thursday, which was sold out of tickets by the time of the event. Grandin’s visit was also live-streamed on JMU’s YouTube channel and reached over 300 views. The video has since been made private.

Grandin, who is autistic, herself, drew from her life experiences and career as an animal scientist during her presentation. The keynote touched on different kinds of thinkers in relevance to neurodevelopmental disorders.

Vice President of Student Affairs Tim Miller gave a brief introduction to Grandin before her appearance. Miller shared background on Grandin’s life from childhood to adulthood. She learned to speak at the age of four after exhibiting all the symptoms of severe autism at two and a half years old.

“Her high school science teacher challenged her with interesting projects where she had to figure how to make things work,” Miller said. “When studying in school became a pathway to becoming a scientist, she was motivated to study. An HBO movie titled ‘Temple Grandin’ was made about her life, and Temple was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame in the Academy of Arts and Sciences.”

Grandin began the keynote by saying she thinks in pictures, which is highlighted in the HBO movie “Temple Grandin.” She described her memory as “little phone pictures.”

“I didn’t know that other people thought

words until I was in my late 30s; that was a shocking thing,” Grandin said.

During her keynote, Grandin spoke on a need for “different kinds of thinkers” in the workforce and the approaches to solving problems.

Specifically, she mentioned three types of thinkers: object visualizers, who think in pictures; spatial visualizers or mathematicians, who think in patterns; and verbal thinkers, who think in words. Individuals diagnosed with autism are often extreme visual thinkers, extreme verbal thinkers or extreme mathematical thinkers, while most individuals are a mixture of all three.

Grandin further specified how each thinker thinks and highlighted specific examples on her PowerPoint to connect with all types of thinkers. She said that “verbal thinkers overgeneralize, but are much more linear in their thinking,” and object visualizers and mathematicians use specific examples to build on concepts.

“There’s different approaches to solving problems,” Grandin said. “I could see something that might be a risk, but I also see how I could fix something. Mathematicians calculate risk. Verbal thinkers discuss risk.”

Grandin gave an example involving art students, science students and humanities students all designing planets as teams of high schoolers. The art students made crystals or polar bear planets, the science students used shapes and the humanities students used swatches.

During her presentation, Grandin said individuals such as herself had problems with “working memories,” which can make it difficult to remember long stretches of information. Grandin provided an example of an autistic mathematics student struggling with certain subjects. She said she figured out the problem, which was that the affected student needed a checklist that focused on using different computer buttons to perform various functions. Grandin also emphasized the importance of exposing young students to hands-on learning to discover their interests and possible career paths, as well as finding mentors to gain experience.

Grandin's presentation touched on the existence of different kinds of thinkers in relation to neurodevelopment disorders. Photos courtesy of Student Affairs Communications and Marketing

“We need to show kids interesting things to get them interested,” said Grandin.

Since many people with neurodevelopmental disorders may struggle with obtaining job interviews, Grandin advised attendees to “skip the interview process” and instead show potential employers portfolios to sell their work.

Grandin’s work experience began at age 13, when her mother found her a job that entailed hemming dresses. At 15, she cleaned nine horse stalls daily. At 17, she had a sign painting business.

“I was getting work experience before I graduated from college; I think this is super important,” Grandin said. “I’m seeing autistic people graduate magna cum laude and not being able to handle the workplace; it’s not the same kind of skills.”

She also advocated for the close examination of educational requirements in schools and drew attention to an issue she sees within elementary schools: not moving children up when they excel in certain subjects, specifically math.

“If you give that type of kid an algebra book, they’re going to take off with it,” Grandin said. “I’m gonna use it for a doorstop.”

This is one of many times Grandin slipped in the occasional joke, and the crowd replied with soft chuckles — especially jokes about algebra, as this subject was always difficult for her.

During the Q&A portion, an audience member asked about the accuracy of Grandin’s film. In response, Grandin described the film as “clinically accurate” and said that the actress

portraying Grandin, Claire Danes, spent hours studying VHS tapes of Grandin to depict her accurately.

Brittany Dioszeghy, the associate director of ODS who helped organize the event, said ODS had been attempting to get Grandin to visit JMU for years.

“Especially with conversations around neurodivergent identity and neurodiversity on campus increasing over the last few years, we thought it was a really timely moment to have her come and give this community an elevated platform in voice,” Dioszeghy said.

Dioszeghy also said the event was historically the largest turnout ODS has ever had for Disability Advocacy Week at JMU.

“We had expected that it would be highly attended, but not so greatly as attended as it was, so we were very pleasantly surprised,” Dioszeghy said. Miller said the attendance turnout was over 700 people, and added that the “joyous” atmosphere in the audience was “really impressive.”

After Grandin presented her keynote, audience members stayed behind to meet Grandin and get their books signed.

Audience members attended Grandin’s keynote for various reasons, ranging from professional to personal, in honor of JMU’s disability week. Faculty attended to better their teaching styles, students with aspirations to work in the disabled communities and those inspired by Grandin’s story.

Hailey Shoemaker, a special education teacher in Shenandoah County, said, “I am a CSD [Communication Sciences and Disorders] student; our classes

were canceled to advocate for this event, which was really neat.” Another attendee, junior Virginia Conant said., “I’m an honors student, and I’m researching neurodiversity, so I was really interested in coming to this event just to hear more about perspectives within autism research.”

Community member Tom Knapp, who works in poultry, said he has closely followed Grandin’s work while being in the agriculture industry.

“It takes a village to make a community work, and not everybody has the same skills set and the same mental capacity to process information in the same way,” Knapp said. “And that’s actually a good thing, because we need people with diverse abilities and skills to make things work.”

Other attendees said Grandin’s work resonated with them, and they appreciated seeing her present live, such as fifth year computer science major Joshua Morris, who was diagnosed with autism his freshman year.

“Right around the time that I was diagnosed, I watched the movie about Dr. Temple Grandin, and it was really inspirational to me because it helped me understand some things about myself that I didn’t really understand,” Morris said. “It’s really inspirational to see somebody so successful that’s like me.”

CONTACT

Joelle McKenzie at mckenzjl@dukes.jmu.edu and Kailyn Hardy at hardy3ka@dukes.jmu.edu. For more on the culture, arts and lifestyle of the JMU and Harrisonburg communities, follow the culture desk on X and Instagram @Breeze_Culture.

After Grandin presented her keynote, audience members stayed behind to meet Grandin and get their books signed.

‘Wild journey’ leads Preston Spradlin to JMU

New men’s basketball coach ‘wants all the pressure’ from last season’s success

By HAYDEN HUNDLEY The Breeze

Well before becoming JMU men’s basketball’s new head coach, Preston Spradlin turned Morehead State from an 8-win team in 2017-18 to a two-time NCAA tournament bid team (202021, 2023-24). Prior to his coaching career, he made waves as a player on a National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics basketball team.

When Spradlin was a senior at Alice Lloyd College (2005-09), which now holds an undergraduate student body of 558, he told “everyone” what he wanted to do: become a graduate assistant for any college team, get his master’s degree and start coaching college basketball.

“Anyone I would run into, I would just tell them that,” Spradlin said. “I believe if you tell enough people, that someone’s gotta believe in you enough to help you.”

And just like that, Spradlin’s sixth grade math teacher connected him with Wayne Martin, then-general manager of Lexington CBS affiliate WKYT, a local television station. After a few phone calls to connections he made through Martin, Spradlin became an assistant at Kentucky under Basketball Hall of Fame inductee head coach John Calipari.

Through 2009-11, Spradlin said he was “barely on staff” at Kentucky as he spent his time tucked away in the film room, where he leaned on his work ethic and humility to set himself apart from his colleagues.

“You talk about a challenge,” Spradlin said. “I was gonna come early, stay late and do everything and anything that needed to be done. Just with that mentality, over the course of a year or two, I started to get more and more duties, more and more responsibilities.”

When Spradlin completed his master’s degree in 2011, Calipari asked him to join his staff for the Dominican Republic national team (2011-12), which he said “changed his career path.” He packed his bags, got his first-ever passport and there, Spradlin coached former and current NBA players like Charlie Villanueva and Al Horford.

He said the “wild journey” of being by Calipari’s side prepared him for where he is now and allowed him to carve out his own niche.

Spradlin was hired by JMU just four days after the departure of Mark Byington (2020-24), after he led the Dukes to a 32-4 season — their best in program history.

“That’s going to be a tough act to follow,” Spradlin said. “We want all the pressure, we want all of those things because there are so many great things going on, not just within the basketball program at JMU, within athletics and at the university that we want to be a part of, and we want to be able to come in and capitalize on all of that momentum, the support that’s there right now.”

Athletic Director (AD) Jeff Bourne said the search to find a new head coach was “incredibly efficient and productive,” and that he and his internal search staff have been doing their homework on candidates ahead of time.

“When you have an athletic program that’s reached the heights of where we are today, we’re going to have coaches that are attractive to other institutions, certainly those that are

EDITORS Hayden Hundley & Preston Comer

After Spradlin impressed John Calipari with his stint as a graduate assistant, he offered him a spot on his staff on the Dominican Republic national team. Photos courtesy of Morehead State Athletics

Spradlin leaned on his work ethic and humility to standout as a graduate assistant at Kentucky.

above us,” Bourne said. “Like the scenario when we all gathered around the campus last fall, or late fall, early winter with football, where we announced Coach Chesney, we’ve now repeated that with men’s basketball.”

When Bourne and his group reached the end of their search, he felt they “couldn’t go wrong in any direction,” but after the team’s success last season, Bourne felt Spradlin was the best fit to keep the culture where it needs to be.

“He’s a players’ coach,” Bourne said. “He’s very, very close with his staff, their families, his players’ families. To me, he stands for everything that we’ve always stood for at athletics at JMU.”

Throughout the hiring process, Spradlin said Bourne did an excellent job reassuring him of the “elephant in the room,” which is Bourne’s approaching retirement. He credited “most” of JMU’s recent success to Bourne, but doesn’t see any of that success changing, because the work that Bourne and his staff did will carry on to the new AD.

Since Byington’s departure, five players entered the transfer portal including rising freshman forward Jaylen Carey who followed Byington to Vanderbilt, and leading scorer (17.2) from last season, redshirt junior Terrence Edwards Jr. However, sophomore guard Xavier Brown announced he will be returning to the Dukes in an Instagram post on Monday.

Spradlin acknowledged that NIL is “part of the deal,” but he likes to keep his team culture orientated and he wants to ensure his players are there for the “right

reasons.” According to Sportico, JMU’s athletic fees reached $68 million in 202223, while Morehead State spent just over $8,926, according to College Factual.

“If that’s coming up in the first conversation or two, that’s just not on the right list of priorities for us to be quite honest with you,” Spradlin said about NIL. “I’m excited to embrace the resources and the ability to have some of those things at JMU, but it’s not going to be the reason that we bring players here to JMU. They’re going to come for the right reasons. They’re going to come because they want to be a part of the championship program.”

Spradlin said he and his family loved the quality of life they had at Moorhead, but appreciates how he’s been able to find those same qualities during the brief time he’s spent in Harrisonburg.

“My family and my staff, we’re going to be out in the community,” said Spradlin. “I’m going to be there as early as Monday. And come talk to us. Come ask us. Come tell us why you love JMU. Come tell us what we can do for you, to come be a part of the things that you do and the things that you care about, because we want this to be more than just a basketball program. We want this to just be more than what you show up to a couple [of] times a week for a couple of hours. You know, we want this to be a part of the culture of the university.”

CONTACT Hayden Hundley at hundlehf@ dukes.jmu.edu. For more men’s basketball coverage, follow the sports desk on X @TheBreezeSports.

ABOVE: Xavier Brown will be returning to JMU next season depite entering the transfer portal after Byington’s departure. Malia Sunderlin/ The Breeze BELOW: Bourne thought Spradlin was the best choice to keep the culture afloat at JMU after the team’s historic season last year.

Photo courtesy of Morehead State Athletics

Coach takes on Olympic task

JMU track & field coach to lead women’s national team in Paris

By SARABETH ELLIS The Breeze

JMU track and field director Delethea Quarles, or “Coach Dee,” has been coaching for over 30 years and tallied honors like leading women’s Team USA in the 2015 IAAF World Championships and coaching 50 All-Americans.

But the “pinnacle” of Quarles’ career will come this July, as she has been selected as a coach for women’s Team USA in the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Quarles’ legendary career began in 1987 at Liberty University, when she was a student-athlete and a threetime All-American. She set program history there when she was the first athlete to score over 200 points in a season and held the Liberty program record in the 100-meter hurdles until it was broken in 2010.

Before coming to JMU, Quarles started as an assistant coach at her alma mater. She then spent 25 years coaching at South Carolina, where she started as an assistant coach and became assistant head coach in 2005. Quarles’ most notable success at Carolina was when she helped guide the program to an NCAA Outdoor Championship — South Carolina’s first NCAA title in any sport.

The Olympics won’t be the first international contest Quarles has coached in, as she was an assistant coach in the 2005 Pan-American Games and a head coach for the 2007 Pan-American Junior Championship in Sao Paolo, Brazil.

Quarles came to JMU in Aug. 2022 and was hired as the Director of Track and Field and Cross Country.

“It’s been great,” Quarles said. “This opportunity came open for me to explore and I had people here that had interest in me, so being wanted is a big thing for me. I really value the integrity that is kept here.”

Quarles’ first season with JMU was a success with the Dukes setting eight program records and finishing as runner-up at the ECAC Indoor Championships.

Senior jumper Jordan Venning said she’s enjoyed learning from Quarles’ vast experience over the past two years.

“She is a very determined, very passionate coach,” Venning said. “She is so well versed in what she does,

and it just makes her one of the best coaches that I have ever had.”

Assistant coach Rebekah Ricksecker came to JMU at the same time Quarles did and feels she has already learned a lot from working with Quarles.

“The opportunity to work with Coach Dee was one of the big reasons that I took this job initially,” Ricksecker said. “I’ve learned so much from her in the last two years. She knows the business inside and out and not just the athletic side of it, but also the people side of it. I feel very blessed to work with her every day.”

At South Carolina, she was the coaching staff’s academic liaison and has always stressed the importance of academics to her athletes. She also prides herself on developing athletes and growing relationships with them.

“She is very detail-oriented,” Ricksecker said. “She thinks through the physical side of the training but also the mental side of the training. She coaches the person first. [She’s] very athlete-centered.”

Venning echoed Ricksecker’s remarks noting that Quarles provides her athletes with everything they need to be successful and feel supported at the same time.

“She just wants to make sure that, you know, you’re executing, you’re given all the tools and everything you need to succeed, but at the same time just having a good culture and just making sure that she is doing everything she can as a coach to support us,” Venning said.

Despite the track and field events not starting until Aug. 1 for the summer games, Quarles and the rest of the Olympic staff have much to do in preparation for the games.

“We have calls all the way leading up to the games to prepare, to be informed about the logistics and where Team USA will stay, where we are practicing, and all our responsibilities as a staff,” Quarles said. CONTACT

ABOVE: JMU track and field director Delethea Quarles has coached 50 All-American athletes in her 30-plus year coaching career. BELOW: Before coming to JMU, “Coach Dee” helped South Carolina achieve its first NCAA title in their athletic history. Photos courtesy of JMU Athletics

With the end of basketball season, the Dukes part ways with three senior guards

By ASHLEY INGRAM The Breeze

As the 2023-24 women’s basketball season comes to an end, the Dukes will bid farewell to three notable seniors: guards Amira Williams (21-24), Carole Miller (23-24) and Hevynne Bristow (23-24).

The seniors were honored during their senior night on Feb. 17, at home against Coastal Carolina, where the Dukes secured a memorable 73-60 victory.

Williams, a presence on the court, played in 13 games this season, showcasing her skills and averaging 2.5 rebounds per game before missing out on the rest of the season because of a concussion.

Despite that setback, which kept her from her senior night, head coach Sean O’Regan’s decision to start her was an emotional tribute to her resilience.

Williams was subbed off the court before tipoff, allowing her to have her senior night moment.

“Something that will stick out for me for the rest of my life is, you know, being up at Ball State and putting her in the game after three quarters, and [she] gets a steal right away and then goes down with a career-ending, season-ending injury,” O’Regan said.

Despite Williams having a rough season due to her injuries, she scored her season-high of seven points on Jan. 31 at Georgia State. In total, Williams accumulated 25 points, 33 rebounds, three blocks and five steals last season. Her efforts also earned her the JMU Athletic Director’s Scholar-Athlete for fall 2023.

“Really intelligent, really smart personality,” O’Regan said of Williams. “She is a professional.”

Another standout senior, graduate student Miller, transferred to JMU for her final year of eligibility, and is earning her master’s in Sport and Recreation Leadership.

Miller’s transition to JMU was seamless, averaging 5.2 points and 3.1 rebounds per game in her last year at U.Va., and she continued to shine at JMU, playing in 35 games and starting in eight.

“[Miller] is one of the most joyous, smart, funny people that I’ve coached,” O’Regan shared.

Miller’s JMU career was marked by a total of 160 points, 103 rebounds, 24 steals and seven blocks.

Her standout performance came on Nov. 15 against Longwood, where she scored a season-high of 14 points.

In her final game, which was against Stony Brook in the inaugural WBIT, Miller scored 12 points, including a crucial three-pointer in the second quarter to help the Dukes. However, the game marked the end of Miller’s JMU career, as well as the careers of Williams and Bristow.

“She gave us all she had,” O’Regan said, emphasizing Miller’s hard work and dedication.

Lastly, Bristow, who decided to use her final year of eligibility

at JMU, became a pivotal player for the team this season.

Bristow’s journey to JMU was marked by twists and turns, starting at Providence her freshman year, where she opted to attend despite O’Regan’s recruitment efforts, before transferring to Ohio State for three years.

Bristow faced difficulty at JMU, sitting out 10 games at the beginning of the season due to NCAA transfer rules, subjecting her to the two-time transfer restrictions.

However, a federal lawsuit later in the season overturned the NCAA’s decision, allowing Bristow to play.

When Bristow was eventually granted the ability to play halfway through the season, she suffered a minor injury after a hard collision with Georgia State players just weeks before the Sun Belt tournament.

Bristow’s impact on the court was undeniable, contributing 182 points, 127 rebounds, 18 assists, 15 blocks and 19 steals throughout her time at JMU.

“I just wish we had her for four years,” O’Regan said.

Her standout performance came on March 11 against Marshall for the SBC Championship game, where she scored a career-high 21 points, 12 rebounds and three blocks, recording her third double-double.

“I’ve watched Hevynne transform from a little bit guarded, a little bit protected of a personality to just that, I would say a beautiful, shining personality,” O’Regan said.

In an X post, former associate head coach Neil Harrow expressed his admiration: “Take a chance on people and help them achieve things they didn’t even know were possible. These 2 years have been incredible. [Bristow] is why I coach. I mean, how can you not love this one? Sports, man, sports. It gives you the world.”

While this season marked the end of the three seniors’ collegiate careers, the Dukes finished as SBC tournament runner-ups, narrowly missing out on the NCAA tournament.

Despite this, the Dukes were granted one more home game after being named a No. 1 seed for the inaugural WBIT tournament, bringing its record to 23-12 (13-5 Sun Belt) for the year after losing 81-70 to Stony Brook.

Looking ahead, the Dukes have promising talent in redshirt sophomore guard Peyton McDaniel and redshirt junior center Kseniia Kozlova, both of whom have been dominant forces on the court, earning Second Team All-Sun Belt and Academic AllDistrict honors.

CONTACT Ashley Ingram at ingra2am@dukes.jmu.edu. For more women’s basketball coverage, follow the sports desk on X @TheBreezeSports.

Redshirt junior guard Amira Williams was honored at JMU’s senior night. Williams scored a season-high seven points at Georgia State on Jan. 31. Grace Sawyer / The Breeze

Guard Hevynne Bristow transferred from Ohio State to JMU for her senior year. Bristow averaged 8.3 points and 5.8 rebounds per game in her lone season on the Dukes. Kaiden Bridges / The Breeze

Fifth-year guard Carole Miller spent one season at JMU after playing at U.Va. for her first four years. Miller scored a season-high 14 points on Nov. 15 against Longwood.

Courtesy of JMU Athletics

OPINION

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 “seriously”dart to the College of Education for eliminating teaching positions and adding an unnecessary fifth dean to the college.

From a disgruntled faculty member whose teaching load will only increase.

A “thank-you” pat to my physics professor for letting me make-up a test.

From a student that was sick for three weeks with Mono.

A “delectable” pat to Wendy’s for their new Orange Dreamsicle Frosty.

From a boy who loves ice cream.

A “bloody” dart to HTH 100 for not teaching boys how tampons work.

From an avid tampon user.

Costly childcare ‘crisis’ How shortage of childcare options affects JMU faculty

SARA CURLING The Breeze

Professors lead constantly busy lives. Keeping up with a rigorous schedule full of lectures, office hours, grading, meetings and late-night emails is expected of professors to ensure the best educational feedback and opportunities for their students.

However, professors have lives outside of the classroom. They are often married or have children; they have families that need as much time as they give the university, rather than just being a living extension of their courses.

Many of the duties a family calls for are classified as work. Sociologist Arlie Hochschild described this work as a “second shift” — the unpaid work of the household requirements, such as cleaning, cooking and tending to children. According to Hochschild’s research, the second shift is something most commonly undertaken by women.

This experience can be classified as one of the most prevalent reasons women choose to leave their jobs. According to a survey examining 10,000 American mothers, 28% who changed or left their jobs said they did so to spend more time raising their children. While nearly half of families rely on childcare services outside of relatives, almost 70% of mothers find the expense to be dissatisfactory. To avoid paying for daycare, mothers may feel the need to stay home with their children.

The trend of leaving a job is continuous in academia. According to a Technology Networks article, female full-time professors are 19% more likely to leave the academic

setting than their male coworkers. It’s reasonable to say that difficulties with childcare could be a contributing factor.

In an interview with a JMU faculty member, who spoke to The Breeze on the condition of anonymity because of potential retribution, she said the struggle to find adequate childcare is a “crisis” due to lack of resources and surging costs. She also recalled a needs assessment JMU released in recent years to gauge the desire for a childcare service, but this never got any actual traction.

It’s true this issue isn’t something singular to JMU; in fact, it’s a nationwide issue. Compared to February 2020, numbers from November 2023 show that the shortage of childcare providers has grown by 30,000.

Instead of fully accommodating childcare services, JMU has implemented its Young Children’s Program (YCP), reserved only for children above 2 years old, which the interviewee attested has a lengthy waitlist. There’s nothing in place for infants, and even getting into the YCP is extremely difficult. Creating a more comprehensive program could even open opportunities for education students to practice teaching skills with children.

The faculty member also discussed the divide between professional and personal life that she had to learn to navigate. With a new addition to her family, she found it difficult to avoid the “mom guilt” of still working in her profession with a child.

A larger societal framework could be at play, aggravating the issue, as the faculty member mentioned “the old traditional way of the single-income family is just unrealistic now.” It seems that equal responsibility hasn’t necessarily garnered equal treatment in the

professional world.

Since women are more likely to leave their professional fields to raise children, which is likely motivated further by lack of availability or high costs of childcare services, the childcare crisis becomes a gendered issue. The familiarity female academic professionals have with this trend is worrisome, especially when they work for institutions that have the means to provide better childcare.

When women face barriers that cause them to leave the professional field, it further solidifies employers’ ideas that women are less likely to have strong professional motivations. According to national data from 2023, full-time female professors made $0.82 to their male colleague’s dollar.

There’s still a lot of work to be done to ensure women’s professional equality, and the childcare crisis is just one obstacle in the way of working toward equality. For female professionals and families alike, the lack of reliable childcare is detrimental.

Since JMU began as a women’s teaching college, its legacy should aid in the effort to provide an outlet for female professors to receive childcare and be able to continue their professional lives.

It’s past time to implement a better childcare service — one for all ages of children and one that’s accommodating to all professors, rather than one with exhausting waitlists or high costs.

Although JMU has a childcare facility available to staff, there is a long waitlist, prompting employees to turn to less convenient options. April Weber / The Breeze

Snacks while studying improve grades

Why a snack break while studying could boost performance on finals

MAYA WINDER The Breeze

Healthy eating is always a great thing to practice; however, it never hurts to treat yourself once in a while with a sweet, especially during finals week.

Since it’s one of the most stressful times for students, rewarding yourself with food could improve motivation. From apples dipped in peanut butter to cupcakes, a treat could mean the difference between motivation and misery.

Snacks should be something students enjoy and look forward to. Having an eating break during study sessions or treating yourself to celebrate the end of each exam can go a long way.

There are a variety of healthy snacks you could make. According to University of the People (UoPeople), “the best thing about snacks is that they’re easy to make (or buy), inexpensive, and keep you content and full!”

Some examples UoPeople mentions include a chocolate, peanut butter and banana smoothie; honey nut energy bites; Greek yogurt and fruit muesli; and air-popped popcorn. There are sweeter options besides fruits and vegetables, too — it all depends on the types of foods that are incorporated into your diet.

Certain foods can help power your brain as well. According to National University (NU), “Eating the right foods can fuel our brains, enhance cognitive function, and, ultimately, make our study sessions more productive. This is where the concept of ‘brain foods’ comes into play.”

NU’s blogpost explains that brain foods can improve memory, focus and concentration. Some examples of brain foods include berries, citrus fruits, dark chocolate, nuts, eggs, avocados, salmon, olive oil, beets, rosemary, bone broth and turmeric.

According to data provided by the 2019 Youth Risk Behavior Survey, higher exam scores correlated with daily consumption of fruit or 100% fruit juice. The study also mentioned that students

who didn’t drink any soda tended to score higher than those who did. This data shows us that a small change in diet can make a big difference in academics.

Another study published by the National Library of Medicine examined how college students’ diets impacted their school performance.

Both previously mentioned studies found breakfast consumption positively correlated with higher academic achievement.

The overall conclusion of the seven studies is that a healthy diet is positively associated with academic achievement, and therefore universities should promote healthy eating on campus. In line with these studies, JMU should give its students easier access to nutritious food options by providing free samples during special events and encouraging students to try and make these healthy snacks on their own. Making them even easier to access by lowering their prices can go a long way. “I would incorporate more healthy snacks if I was able to try them for free,” sophomore Abigail Hippeard said. “I just wish they sold fruit for cheaper here. You could buy chips for like $1.69, while the fruit cups are like $5.69 [at Mr. Chips].”

Dining spots like Mr. Chips and Market 64 could help contribute to healthier choices by

granting easier access to healthy options for students by selling and marketing healthier choices.

Exposing students to new healthier options in giveaways and on-campus dining, like Mr. Chips and Market 64, would encourage students to incorporate healthy snacks into their diets. For example, providing free samples of simple healthy snacks during special events like finals week or having more options being sold on-campus like dried fruit, trail mix or smoothie bowls.

Further, students could encourage healthy habits in one another. Those who have tried the cheap, easy-to-make samples given out could encourage other students to make the snacks they’ve tried, at home.

All in all, JMU and community encouragement of healthy options benefits students’ health and eating habits while studying as well as reinforcing the routines of those that already do.

CONTACT

Maya Winder is a Senior, writing, rhetoric and technical communication major.

Contact Maya at windermm@dukes.jmu.edu.

For more editorials regarding the JMU and Harrisonburg communities, follow the opinion desk on Instagram and X @Breeze_Opinion.

G raphics by Ella Austin / The Breeze

Join Kesem at James Madison University on Wednesday, April 17, 2024 for Harrisonburg’s Great Community Give!

Kesem at JMU participates in an annual week-long summer camp program free of charge for children impacted by a parent’s cancer diagnosis

Who We Are

Kesem is a nationwide community, driven by passionate college student leaders, that supports children through and beyond their parent's cancer by providing innovative, funfilled programs that foster a lasting community.

Kesem at JMU provides programs and services to children and their families in the Harrisonburg and Rockingham community.

Join us as we participate in Great Community Give on Wednesday, April 17, 2024!

Learn more about our nonprofit organization and Great Community Give here!

To paraphrase Hemingway, life will break you unless you’re clever and become stronger in the broken places. Did I ever tell you the story of how I flunked Latin as SGA President at JMU in the mid 1970s? Big fat flunked it.

Flummoxed, I was about to drop Latin, too. Then, one night, over some excellent weed, I had a great idea. I’m the Student Body President after all, the youngest ever elected. I’ll convince other kids to go to class for me!

1976-77 SGA president reflects on his time as a student

Turns out, Latin was just an excruciating class to show up for. Spanish was annoying enough, especially at 8 a.m., which is when I had it, and why I dropped it. On and on with the senseless repetition.

Heck, my brother, Peter, was the languages guy, anyway.

My Columbia Law graduate dad, though, upon hearing that I had dropped Spanish, suggested — well, insisted that I take Latin. I was apprehensive, but wanted to please him, and Latin sounded lawyerly and high-brow, so I did.

EUREKA.

So I studied the Constitution of the Student Senate. Swell document. It told me a couple of useful things. First, the student senators had to do whatever the President said. I admit that’s a self-serving paraphrase. Second, they each needed three committee assignments. Thus, I created the Anestos Ad Hoc Committee to Go to Class.

It was groundbreaking. I explained earnestly that, as President, I was a very busy man between speeches, public appearances and meetings with other VIPs. Class for me was

“I guess because I had won the election with 70% of the vote, I was the campus flavor of the day.”

Michael Anestos

Former SGA president

from BUSTED, page 27

They ate it up. I couldn’t believe it! I guess because I had won the election with 70% of the vote, I was the campus flavor of the day, the month, the year. These kids loved the Anestos Committee! They dutifully went to class for me and handed their notes in to my secretary Suzanne at the SGA office. Every morning, Suzanne would type up the class notes and put them on my desk.

Super arrangement, until our college newspaper, The Breeze, caught wind of my presidential plan and wrote an article about it entitled “Anestos Invents Going to Class by Remote Control.”

BUSTED!

My Latin professor called me in. At first, he seemed to tip his hat to my sheer audacity, but then quickly pounded me for producing such a Machiavellian scheme. He wanted to teach me a lesson, a big lesson. So he blocked me from dropping his class and proved hell-bent on handing me that “F.”

Although initially pissed, I came to respect him for it. I was a popular 19-year-old kid drunk with power, and he was right to seize my scepter.

My mind raced forward at that meeting, unaccepting of defeat.

Leaning on a skill I later perfected in court,

I kept dancing once the music changed. “Professor,” I said, “you are absolutely right about this, so thank you for calling me on it. You’re a fair man, so I’m sure you’d agree that in fairness everyone deserves a second chance.”

“Alright, Michael, what do you propose?” He replied.

“Well, my Dad’s a lawyer, and I understand that in law school your entire grade is based on the final exam. So I propose, sir, that rather than flunk me, let me go all-or-nothing on the final. Whatever grade I get will be my grade for the entire course.”

After a probing pause and with the sacrosanct smirk of Cicero, he agreed.

Problem was, the Latin exam fell on the last day of exam week. My entire dorm had finished up the day before. Bedlam rivaling the orgies of Babylon ensued. Cramming and all-nighting for a Friday exam in the midst of such Sodom?

Right. Couldn’t happen. Didn’t happen.

Decadent and delirious, I stumbled blearyeyed into the Latin exam Friday morning, and proceeded to fabulously flunk it.

Battle gloriously lost. War eventually won. One year later, I graduated with high honors. Ok, I made up the high honors part.

Best wishes,

Michael Anestos

JOIN OUR TEAM

SGA debates for student representative to the Board of Visitors and student body president

Track athlete Miranda Stanhope sets distance record

Live from the Arboretum, Cambium Nature School starts program to connect homeschooled and preschool students to the natural world

Weekend weather forecast

Alpha Sigma Tau hosted its annual Mr. Fraternity competition in Wilson Hall Tuesday. Freshman Gabe Milo of Phi Kappa Psi took home the Mr. Fraternity title and Delta Upsilon’s freshman Ethan Gevinson won crowd favorite.

Photos by Landon Shackelford / The Breeze

find the answers online

www.breezejmu.org/ site/crossword answers/

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The City of Harrisonburg, Virginia is seeking qualified candidates for the position of Operations Manager to oversee the management of the Harrisonburg-Rockingham Emergency Communications Center (HRECC). Find out more/apply online: https://www. harrisonburgva.gov/employment. EOE.

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