The Breeze 9.11.25 by The Breeze

EDITORS Emma Notarnicola & Landon Shackelford EMAIL

JMU recieves ‘F’ rating for freedom of speech assesment due to new FIRE evaluation process

By EMMA NOTARNICOLA The Breeze

The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) assigned JMU an “F” ranking, due in part to JMU’s “yellowlight” status, no official statement of neutrality and FIRE’s new system of evaluation.

FIRE ranks institutions of higher education based on “the full picture of the state of free speech on campus,” using a traffic-light ranking system — green means good, red means bad. The organization raises awareness for potential First Amendment violations on campus and pursues legal action against public universities it says violate the First Amendment, chief research adviser for FIRE Sean Stevens said.

This year, FIRE changed how it handles its rankings — now, institutions are ranked on a point-based system, where each university is compared to itself from previous years, Stevens said.

Before, FIRE used a standardization system, where universities were compared to one another.

“Prior to this year, we were standardizing the scores … that makes it harder for a school, or individuals interested in the school, to see if they’re improving over time or not, because every year they’re being ranked relative to how the other schools do,” he said. “So this year, we reworked it. We got rid of standardizing it. The scores we present on the new website have that removed, so it’s kind of recalculated. So what I see with JMU is, [I] actually don’t see a lot of decline.”

These points are evaluated based on a series of standards which encourage university policies regulating free speech to be clear and guarantee speech rights.

FIRE adds point “bonuses” for each university’s “light” status — green light earns 10 points, yellow light subtracts five points and red subtracts 10, and extra points for the adoption of policies like the Chicago Statement of institutional neutrality, a policy put in place to ensure neutrality on campus and promote freedom of speech, Stevens said.

“A green-light rating, to us, is kind of like the bare minimum thing you can do,” he said. “It’s basically your speech policies on the books align with the First Amendment. a yellow-light school like JMU … there’s one or more policies on the books that are worded vaguely enough that there’s potential for them to be arbitrarily applied.”

Though many universities, including JMU, decreased in rank, it was primarily because of the new points system, Stevens said.

According to FIRE’s analysis, JMU should be “revising restrictive policies” and adopting the Chicago Statement of institutional neutrality.

If JMU were to adopt these policies, it would likely return to its previous ranking, Stevens added. “The first year we ranked them, they were only 25th or 26th … I think they did fairly well last year, too,” he said.

Why FIRE gave JMU an ‘F ’

JMU received an F. Out of 100 total points, JMU received 58.8, according to FIRE’s analysis.

It ranks the lowest of all Virginia universities on the list — including the University of Virginia, George Mason University, the College of William & Mary, Washington and Lee University, Virginia Commonwealth University and Virginia Tech.

Specific grades JMU received include:

• Political tolerance: F

• Comfort expressing ideas: D

• Disruptive conduct: C

• Openness: C-

• Self-censorship: D-

• Administrative support: D-

Va. Tech was the only other Virginia university to join JMU in the F category, but Va. Tech landed in 92nd place with its score of 59 (0.2 points above JMU).

FIRE has previously criticized JMU — including the Student Government Association’s (SGA) illegal closed-door meeting in 2024 and modifications made to JMU’s guidelines for oncampus expression.

41% of JMU students “say they have self-censored on campus at least once or twice a month,” according to FIRE’s 2025 review.

One anonymous Duke quoted in the review said they “always write political essays from a left-leaning perspective so I don’t risk my grade being [negatively] affected. I don’t speak up in class, if I feel my opinion could make others negatively judge me.”

Behind the scenes of FIRE’s rankings

JMU was dubbed a “green-light” institution in fall 2011. One year after that, FIRE named JMU one of the nation’s top-seven universities for free speech.

That changed in 2014, when JMU dropped to a “yellowlight” ranking. This was because JMU failed “to heed several warnings from FIRE about new speech codes,” according to FIRE’s website. Specifically, FIRE raised concerns about a policy banning all “bullying” and another policy requiring student organizations to receive administration approval “before surveying or petitioning students.”

In FIRE’s survey results, it seems that conservative students feel less comfortable sharing their opinions in class, and more liberal students feel they have to censor themselves with their professors.

Along with this, many students reported that some conversations were difficult to have on campus focusing on topics including:

• Israel/Palestine

• Transgenderism

• Abortion

• LGBTQ+ rights

• Gun rights

• Immigration

• The 2024 rresidential election

• Racial inequity

How students reacted

The new ranking from FIRE came with different reactions from student leaders on campus.

Some individuals like JMU College Democrats President Madelyn DuBois said this rating is an inaccurate portrayal of freedom of speech at JMU.

“I was surprised,” she said, “when I was reading over the report a lot of things that were yellow in the eyes of FIRE, for me didn’t seem like it … and then the ones that are green are the ones that are most important to students.”

For the reported ‘green’ policies, DuBois referenced Policy 1121 — public expression on campus — citing it as one of the “most valuable” aspects of free speech on campus.

Additionally, DuBois said rating Policy 3104 — prior approval of bulletin board use — yellow was understandable, but in her experience, this screening hasn’t affected anything College Dems or herself have tried to put up.

Coupled with this, DuBois said these yellow ratings for some policies dropped the universities’ score as a whole, even though aspects that are the most important are still protected.

“To see the other [yellow rating] kind of tank JMU to

look like a school where we don’t have free speech … was a little shocking.”

DuBois also said she thinks that JMU does a good job encouraging discussion and free speech on campus inside and outside of classes.

“I was asking people at work their thoughts on their free speech ability on campus … a lot of them were political science students who felt like, especially in the political science department, that these dialogues are very supported,” she said.

DuBois added that institutions like the Madison Center for Civic Engagement also assist in encouraging freedom of speech and pushing for deliberative conversations.

“[The Madison Center] reached out to us [College Dems], they’ve reached out to JMU Republicans. They’ve been trying to do a town hall. And they have a lot of events on campus encouraging political discourse, having healthy conversations,” she said.

DuBois added that, being part of a political organization, she hasn’t faced any setbacks on anything she’s tried to accomplish.

However, DuBois said she understands how some students feel their voices aren’t properly represented.

“I think that might be just certain classes,” DuBois said. “I feel like in some business classes, you might not feel welcome to say certain things.”

Some students, like executive director of the Dukes Advocacy program Sydney Hogbin, stayed more neutral on the ranking, saying though she can see why JMU was given the ranking, she doesn’t think it captures the full landscape of freedom of speech at JMU.

One possible reason for this drop in rankings, Hogbin said, comes from the absence of a statement of institutional neutrality and some of the new policies instituted across campus.

“I know that FIRE wants institutional neutrality and JMU does have that … but JMU’s administration has not come out with an official commitment to institutional neutrality,” Hogbin said.

One example of institutional neutrality that FIRE promotes is the Chicago Statement, Hogbin said.

“Though JMU has yet to formally adopt it, I do feel like we abide by it pretty well,” she said.

Sydney said she thinks that while institutional neutrality is important, JMU handles freedom of speech well, regardless.

“We had a demonstration last year about a conservative speaker coming to speak, and [JMU] allowed that person to speak,” she said, “we had protests in light of it, and both sides were able to kind of have and sit, like, have their peace to say. And so I think that was a great and accurate representation of JMU free speech.”

On the flip side, Young Americans for Freedom (YAF) Chairman Tristan Jackson said he thinks this rating is fairly accurate of JMU’s adherence to free speech, and it was headed toward this with the new policies implemented and the university’s gradual digression in rankings each year.

“I wasn’t surprised, necessarily. JMU’s grading within the FIRE organization has been a slow degradation since their loss of their green-light rating back in 2014,” he said, adding “the rating is consistent with what’s been going on on campus, especially with the recent new policy pushes that brought some debate — especially Policy 1121.”

Jackson added that YAF has experienced freedom of speech restrictions, citing the enforcement of the new Quad policy — Policy 1121 — which forced YAF to move its 9/11: Never Forget Project off the Quad and “prevented other student organizations as well from presenting their voices.”

With this, though, DuBois said she cautions students from believing the rating at face value and should do their own research.

Madison Center hosts Constitution Day celebration through speaker, Q&A session

By CHARLIE BODENSTEIN

The Breeze

To celebrate Constitution Day, JMU invited guest speaker Peter Levine to join Madison Center Executive Director Kara Dillard and Associate Professor of Philosophy and Religion David Kirkpatrick on stage in Wilson Hall for a Q&A session to discuss the future of civic engagement.

Professor of Political Science and Philosophy at Tufts University Peter Levine authored the book “What Should We Do?” — which investigates the obstacles citizens face when trying to civically engage in their community.

Named for the Father of the Constitution, James Madison, JMU commemorates Constitution Day annually by hosting a guest speaker and recognizing the foundational impact the document has over our government, according to its website.

JMU’s website says the day serves to recognize the “privileges and responsibilities” students have as United States citizens and civic contributors to their communities.

Who is Peter Levine?

Levine received his doctorate from the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom studying philosophy.

Currently, he serves as the associate dean of academic affairs and Lincoln Filene professor of citizenship & public affairs at Tufts University.

He previously worked for Common Cause in Washington, D.C. — a nonpartisan organization that aims to uphold the “core values of American democracy,” according their website.

Levine teaches in Tufts’ political science department and directs the school’s Civic Studies program.

He’s authored eight books and is involved in various civic organizations, including Discovering Justice, Educating for American Democracy and AmericaSpeaks.

About the event

University President Jim Schmidt commenced the event by emphasizing the importance of holding events like Constitution Day, which help students “reflect on the following principles of our nation … and recommit ourselves to the values that unite us,” he said.

“JMU is leading the way at a time when our country needs a generation of civic leaders dedicated to the common good,” Schmidt said.

Next, Levine took to the stage for his introduction speech, during which he talked about his experience and knowledge regarding his book “What Should We Do?,” which explores how citizens can optimize their civic involvement in their communities.

“‘What should we do?’ is a question that is really challenging, because sometimes it’s not clear what we can do, but the challenge is the appropriate challenge for human beings,” Levine said.

Afterwards, Levine sat with Dillard and Kirkpatrick, later joined by senior Democracy Fellow Kieran Fensterwald. Levine engaged in a Q&A session to discuss his thoughts on the specifics of civic engagement and how to overcome obstacles and pitfalls, especially for college students.

Levine said — within the context of student discourse — many students opt to exit groups and conversations in fear of confrontation, adding he encourages students to try to feel more comfortable embracing difficult conversations.

“People have an easier time dealing with the harder value conflicts when they’re often cooperating,” he said.

Dillard added, though engaging in a democratic environment can be difficult as a student, the effort can often be beneficial.

Levine discussed the relationship between affective polarization and civic life, which he described as problematic due its tendency to “energize” people and make them more combative.

“The problem with affective polarization is that it’s just gotten way too intense,” Levine said. “At a certain point, the wheels start coming off the wagon.”

Kirkpatrick added JMU strongly encourages respectful discourse between differing political parties.

In emphasizing the lack of community-driven experiences that provide young people and students with opportunities to engage in diverse conversations, Dillard mentioned Robert Putnam’s book “Bowling Alone.”

Adding onto this notion, Dillard referenced a recent comment

by Putnam that extended the idea of social isolation to emphasize that civic life has abandoned young men, asking for Levine’s thoughts.

“There’s a concentrated group of young men who are very isolated,” Levine said. “It’s very dangerous for a political order, because very isolated people go down rabbit holes and come out dangerous.”

Closing the event, Levine heard questions from student audience members and expanded on his time spent in Ukraine, the values of working in a group and the future of politics and civic engagement together.

Levine’s visit to Ukraine

This June, Levine traveled to Ukraine for about six days to teach Ukrainians about civic engagement. He said it was a transformative experience to visit a country currently fighting a war.

Though his perspective is limited as a foreigner, Levine said in his experiences, Ukrainians have less “robust” conversations about their government because of the war’s psychological effect on people, adding they still publicly express displeasure with their government.

Although the Russia-Ukraine war has been going for over three years, Levine said everyday life there is surprisingly normal, adding the ongoing conflict has become normal for most Ukrainians, and they have no choice but to adapt.

“There was a tremendous degree of normality, which is a weird thing,” Levine said.

Young people and civic engagement

Levine and Fensterwald discussed how younger generations are less civically involved, especially with voting.

“I think young people’s current opinions are extremely volatile,” Levine said. “A lot of [young people] are trying to figure out what to think.”

Levine said he acknowledged how the two-party system ca n dissuade younger people from politics, but the system probably won’t change.

He added the electoral system would need to be overhauled if Americans wanted to eliminate the two-party system.

“Americans always say they don’t want a two-party system, but we’ve had the same two-party system since 1860,” he said.

Next, Fensterwald discussed how college students are weary of local and national government because they feel decisions are made “devoid of their own input.”

Levine said he believes there should be a balance between big and small governments, and universities should exercise autonomy.

“There’s not nearly enough awareness of the importance of the local [government],” Levine said. “I think the media environment is targeted towards the national [government].”

Civic involvement at JMU

Schmidt said he hopes every JMU graduate is prepared for civic life and every Duke acknowledges the “rights, privileges and responsibilities” that come with a college diploma.

“This country is founded on the notion that everyone has a voice, and we have to figure out how to more effectively use our voices,” Schmidt said.

“Dukes don’t just hold doors, they open them,” senior and Student Government Association (SGA) President Charlotte Bronaugh said.

Fensterwald said civic engagement means more than just voting, adding civic engagement can mean going to the farmers market or having a study session in the library.

“We’re actively being civically engaged everyday,” Fensterwald said.

Bronaugh added civic engagement is a group effort, and it’s imperative people come together to make change.

Fensterwald continued that thought and said JMU is unique in that nearly every student is involved in at least one club or organization, if not multiple, which creates a “special campus culture.”

CONTACT Charlie Bodenstein at thebreezeculture@ gmail.com. For more coverage of JMU and Harrisonburg news, follow the news desk on X @TheBreezeJMU and on Instagram @BreezeJMU.

Peter Levine addresses the crowd about visiting Ukraine this summer, where he taught civic engagement. Lilly Moss / The Breeze

Furious Flower Poetry Center receives space in renovated Carrier Library’s second floor

By ISABEL LEWIS

The Breeze

Among the many additions coming to the newly renovated Carrier Library in 2026 is one room set to highlight a historic and inclusive organization: a space for the Furious Flower Poetry Center, an academic center focused on Black poetry.

The center will be on the second floor of Carrier Library — near the digital scholarship and distinctive collections department and The Makery, said Bethany Nowviskie, the dean of libraries.

The $2 million state-funded space will serve as an archive to the group’s past conferences and poetry readings, as well as a meeting space for those interested in the group’s mission, Furious Flower Poetry Center Executive Director Lauren K. Alleyne said.

Furious Flower was founded by JMU professor Joanne Gabbin in 1999, the name coming from a poem written by Gwendolyn Brooks "The Second Sermon in the Warpland."

The first Furious Flower Conference was held in 1994. Eleven hundred people, including 35 of the country’s most famous Black poets, gathered in celebration of the event. Gabbin has hosted the event for the first three decades, recording and creating archives of the poetry performed there, Alleyne said.

The most recent conference, held in September 2024, had 782 attendees — Alleyne said the crowd included Pulitzer Prize, National Book Award and MacArthur Genius Award winners.

The Flowerings Project, supported by the Mellon Foundation (an organization which supports communities through the power of arts and humanities), is a plan funded through a grant for helping JMU Libraries work with Furious Flower to create a partnership on both preservation of the collections and encourage a flowering collaboration between the two. The space provided in Carrier Library for Furious Flower has been funded by the Commonwealth of Virginia through a state-funded grant.

During a Board of Visitors meeting in 2019, former University President Jonathan Alger remarked that the organization was JMU’s “best kept secret,” Alleyne said.

The poetry center hopes to relinquish its identity as a secret and become a space that all students and staff are familiar with.

“I’m really hoping that this gives us another opportunity to be in constant and meaningful conversation with the community and the campus,” Alleyne said.

Gbenga Adesina, a doctoral fellow in Furious Flower, launched his award-winning poetry collection on Sept. 1. Furious Flower hosts poetry reading events and writing workshops throughout the year.

“‘Prophet has no honor in his own country is not going to be what describes this relationship,” Alleyne said.

The Furious Flower group hosts decennial conferences, which serve as a celebration of Black poetry and a live opportunity to showcase creativity worldwide, Alleyne said.

Alleyne said she hopes this new space will provide Furious Flower with more visibility due to it being placed in a central area where many students will encounter it.

“In my dream, Furious Flower becomes a space that is about experience, that is about gathering, but it’s also about research, archives and engagement with our tradition in a really robust fashion,” Alleyne said.

Furious Flower is currently located in the Cardinal House at 500 Cardinal Drive on campus. Alleyne said the Cardinal House is a “poetic space”which encases a meaningfulness through the poetry strewn across the walls. Alleyne highlights the possibility of visibility being located in “the heart of campus,” Carrier Library.

“We’re going to be trying to think of ways in this new space to make it meaningful, impactful, relevant and hopefully inspiring to the folks who come through,” Alleyne said.

By having an on-campus space located in the library, Alleyne said she hopes to have more fellows participate in research with the archives and hopes to make it known to all students.

“Furious Flower is just one of the crowning jewels of JMU,and something for us all to treasure and really be so proud of that happens here on this campus,” Nowviskie said, adding this renovation would “make sure that there's no student graduates from JMU without encountering what Furious Flower has to offer."

CONTACT Isabel Lewis at thebreezeculture@gmail.com

For more coverage of JMU and Harrisonburg news, follow the news desk on X @TheBreezeJMU and on Instagram @BreezeJMU.

Furious Flower will have an on-campus location in Carrier Library. Landon Shackelford / The Breeze

International student enrollement declines nationwide, JMU has yet to release data

By CHARLIE BODENSTEIN The Breeze

The Trump administration’s immigration and international student policies have affected college campuses, especially those that foster large international communities. JMU has yet to publicly release census data regarding how international student enrollment for the fall 2025 semester has changed from last year.

Some international students attending Virginia Tech, George Mason, the University of Virginia and Virginia Commonwealth University had their visas terminated, according to the Associated Press.

Though JMU has yet to comment on the matter, a JMU spokesperson wrote in an emailed statment to The Breeze that currently no visa terminations have been reported at JMU.

JMU international enrollment

During the fall 2024 semester, JMU enrolled 304 international students, according to its website.

This number represents approximately 1% of JMU’s student population.

JMU admissions said it will have updated enrollment data for the 2025 academic year next week once census day data has been processed, the spokesman wrote but declined to comment further.

The data states the majority of international JMU students came from Asian countries: China (8.2%), India (7.5%), Vietnam (6.2%) and South Korea (2.3%). Visa-holding JMU students represent 73 different countries overall.

Visa termination within universities

Since President Donald Trump assumed office in January, thousands of foreign students have had their legal status terminated or their visas revoked.

Between May 27 and June 18, the federal government paused visa interviews for students.

The interviews have now been resumed but the applicants will have their social media accounts more closely monitored, according to Forbes.

The Trump administration’s anti-immigration policies and crackdown on foreign student visas — especially at universities like Harvard University — have resulted in a significant decline in international student enrollment and billions of dollars in lost revenue.

In June, Trump issued an executive order that would effectively block international students from enrolling at Harvard University, according to the Associated Press.

Trump said he views Harvard’s international enrollment as a threat to national security, according to the same article.

“It is imperative, in my judgment, that the Federal Government be able to assess and, if necessary, address

misconduct and crimes committed by foreign students at Harvard,” Trump wrote in a White House press release.

Although a Boston federal court blocked the Department of Homeland Security’s ban on international student enrollment at Harvard University, Trump’s order initiated a separate legal loophole that allows the government to deny entry to foreigners whose admittance would be deemed “detrimental to the interest of the United States.”

SGA appoints new liaisons, hears JMU Dining presentation

By SIXUAN WU The Breeze

The Student Government Association (SGA) approved $2,190 in contingency funds for the Madison Saxophone Society, nominations for community outreach and Faculty Senate liaisons and heard a presentation from JMU Dining Services during its Tuesday meeting.

$2,190 to Madison Saxophone Society for masterclass, recital

The SGA unanimously approved a contingency fund request of $2,190 toward the Madison Saxophone Society’s Oct. 27 masterclass and recital. Club president and senior Tyrique Payne as well as treasurer and sophomore Jaylen Swafford represented the group.

The event will feature two internationally renowned saxophone players — Kenneth Tse and Nicolas Prost. They will offer critiques during solo and chamber masterclasses and also perform a one hour-long joint recital. This event is open to the public.

“They are two of the most highly regarded saxophonists in the world currently, and [to] be given the opportunity to get them at JMU is really very awesome,” Swafford said. “They’re only touring about eight schools, and they hand picked us as one of their stops to come to.”

The Madison Saxophone Society has raised $1,134 through the Parade of Champions marching band competition and has more fundraising events planned throughout the semester, the presenters said. The contingency funds will go toward presenter fees and guest accommodations, according to the organization’s presentation slides.

The events purpose is to provide the JMU community with “professional connections and enriching knowledge,” according to the presentation slides.

“They are just a good organization,” Sophomore and Sen. Isabel Deer said. “This really helps them out and the rest of the

time they give to the community, and this event really helps their members.”

SGA appoints community outreach liaison, Faculty Senate liaison

The SGA unanimously approved senior Julia Katz as the community outreach liaison and junior Maeve Rensberger as the Faculty Senate liaison of the 111th Student Senate.

“Maeve has handled stuff beautifully in leadership roles before,” I’m so excited for her to take up this role,” senior Membership Chair Ella Stotzky said.

JMU Dining

presentation highlights

Market Manager Heather Holsinger and Culinary Director Seth Kondor gave a presentation on Dining Services’ updates and upcoming events. Highlights of the presentation include:

• Dining Services will be handing out the 2025-26 coupon book from noon until 1 p.m. in front of the D-Hall clock tower through Friday.

• Blue Ridge Innovations in Dukes Dining will now rotate its menu between PhoNominal, Elements of Aloha and Blue Ridge Bowls every two weeks.

• Festival Food Court, which has been under construction since, does not yet have a set reopening date, but Holsinger encouraged students to follow Dining Services’ social media for updates

• Festival food venues currently in the Atlantic Union Bank Center (AUBC) will close on Friday due to the locations being reserved for “other functions,” Kondor said. He didn’t specify if these venues will be placed in a temporary location until Festival reopens.

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.

SGA hears from Madison Saxophone Society and JMU Dining Sixuan Wu / The Breeze

CULTURE

Isabel Lewis & Charlie Bodenstein

EDITORS EMAIL

When metal and paint collide: local artists hold joint art show

By SIXUAN WU The Breeze

Metal and acrylic paint — two seemingly incompatible mediums, yet they come together in a unique harmony in the Shenandoah Valley Art Center’s (SVAC) latest exhibit.

The exhibit, titled “Sculptor/Painter,” features sculptures from Augusta County-local Michael Hough — who recently retired after teaching art at Bridgewater College for 28 years — and paintings from Dietrich Maune, a media arts and design professor at JMU. The exhibit opened in Waynesboro on Saturday and will run through Oct. 25.

Maune said he and Hough have always wanted to collaborate on an art show, so when the SVAC opened up applications, they proposed the idea of a joint show.

Walking across the brightly-lit, high-ceilinged gallery, viewers are surrounded by metal sculptures in the shapes

of animals and faces. On the surrounding walls, they’ll find paintings of animals in bright colors and warm hues.

Piper Groves, SVAC’s executive director and curator, said she arranged the artworks so that the sculptures and paintings both contrast and complement each other.

“I grouped the paintings together in two sections, and that was to visually break up the sculpture, but to still allow the paintings to be seen as a body of work,” she said. “I didn’t want to intersperse sculpture and painting. I wanted the paintings to be more like a museum presentation, where [there were] several works you could immerse yourself in.”

The two contrasting media call for a distinct creative process for each artist.

For Maune, he said his designs usually begin with a story idea triggered by the things around him — such as an activity he’s doing or a place he’s traveled to. From then on, he would translate the idea from his mind into imagery in his sketchbook,

then the canvas, making edits during the painting process.

Maune has a degree in studio art. He views making art as creating “narrative compositions” and uses it to explore our connections with the world around us, according to the exhibit’s promotion card.

“The paint and the act of painting also influence the final outcome — what that image looks like, much like a writer will in terms of their style or a filmmaker will in terms of the composition that they think about. Those design decisions influence the final product,” Maune said.

Hough, on the other hand, works more “intuitively,” he said, arranging metals together to see which combination would produce the best product, based on each piece’s shape and size.

He works primarily with found iron and steel, according to the exhibit’s promotion card, and forges “new stories from the remnants of their past lives.”

“I’ve always been fascinated by found objects,” Hough said. “I have quite a pile of scrap metal, and I just kind of look at the pieces, and I start to put them together, organizing them in ways that I find interesting. I use a lot of design principles like negative space and balance and things like that.”

One section of Hough’s works at the exhibit — a collection of five sculptures — is entirely made from materials salvaged from the Ball aluminum plant in Verona, Virginia, after a fire destroyed the building.

“I love the movement and the rendered metal — it has clearly been through something traumatic … but it has been turned into something beautiful, which is an amazing thing,” Groves said of Hough’s works.

Despite the differences between the two art forms, animals are a theme shared by both artists’ works — from Maune’s Labrador paintings to Hough’s metal chickens made out of wrenches.

“For me, there is more mystery, I think, behind using animals instead of people,” Maune said. “I’ve found the animal aspect — both on its own and our relationship to it — very intriguing … There are things going on there that are kind of narratives about how we view the environment and our relationship with it.”

Groves said despite the differences between the two artists’ mediums, the paintings and sculptures work well together because of a “grounded” feature shared by the various art pieces.

“I like the juxtaposition between the color and the paintings and the monochromatic [nature] of the sculpture,” Groves said. “I think they make a nice pairing, especially in that room, which is huge. It’s nice to have something to add some visual interest.”

Maune said he’s excited to see how the audience will interact with the artworks and how they interpret the meaning behind each piece — especially in a show where two mediums work together to tell stories.

“I usually have a fairly complex idea of the story I want to tell on the canvas … and so there’s that part where I’m presenting something or trying to get to something, and that idea may be easily understood and interpreted by the viewer, or they may not see that idea at all, and they may perceive something different, and a lot of that’s just what they bring to viewing that piece of art,” Maune said.

CONTACT Sixuan Wu at thebreezeweb@gmail.com. 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.

The art showcase in Augusta county featured both metal sculptures and acrylic paintings.

Some metal materials were salvaged form the Ball aluminum plant in Verona that caught fire. Photos by Charlie Bodenstein / The Breeze

JMU has great jeans Marketing students share opinions on the latest ad controversy

By SARAH TEWODROS contributing writer

Who has great jeans? It’s a question that’s been up in the air in recent weeks, igniting debates and controversy across the internet. Popular brands like American Eagle and Gap have released advertisements that have gone viral on social media, sparking a denim war.

“Euphoria” and “The Handmaid’s Tale” actress Sydney Sweeney starred in an American Eagle ad in which she recreated Calvin Klein’s infamous ’80s ad starring 15-year-old Brooke Shields. Its tagline is “Sydney Sweeney has great jeans.” This wordplay underwent large discussions about the brand referencing eugenicist ideologies.

“Using an attractive white woman and talking about her really good ‘jeans’ might’ve not been the move,” sophomore marketing major Riley Hayden said.

This isn’t Sweeney’s first go around with a marketing controversy. Earlier this year, she filmed a commercial with Dr. Squatch, a men’s natural bodycare brand, in which she advertised a “Sydney Sweeney bathwater soap.” The ad wasn’t received well by many women online.

“Brands should evaluate who they are and what kind of audience they have,” sophomore business administration major Aaron Lee said. “It can either harm or benefit the brand.”

Sweeney’s latest denim ad was the topic of the majority of internet conversations until Gap announced its newest ambassadors: Katseye, an international girl group recently formed under HYBE Entertainment and Geffen Records.

The brand showcased its denim collection with memorable choreography and the iconic early 2000s hit song “Milkshake;” Gap’s old-school formula of feel-good music and dance revisits the brand’s roots while appealing to its younger audiences.

Sophomore marketing major Sophia Cowing said she believes these strategies aided in Gap’s success.

“A lot of people would find that more entertaining in an ad,” Cowing said.

Audiences also appreciated its use of a diverse group of ambassadors that pushed this ad’s trajectory onto the internet.

“GAP is more inclusive and younger people are attracted to that,” Cowing added.

Many viewers have also noticed that the demographic Gap is targeting differs from that of American Eagle. Similar to Sweeney’s previous controversial commercial, American Eagle seems to have appealed to male audiences, despite the clothes it was promoting

being for women. Cowing said she believed American Eagle was flawed by attempting to “sell sex instead of jeans.”

Hayden also believed the hypersexual nature of Sweeney’s ad contributed to its downfall. American Eagle’s decision to replicate Brooke Shields’ provocative Calvin Klein commercial only intensified the controversy surrounding the ad and its sexual nature. Shields was only 15-year-old in the ad, which led to outrage against Calvin Klein for objectifying a minor, leaving viewers appalled at American Eagle’s approach in recreating the problematic campaign.

“Gap focused on the jeans a little bit more and the diversity. They were not focusing on their attractiveness or sexual magnitude,” Hayden said.

American Eagle released a statement on Aug. 1 that said the ad had no ulterior message behind its ambassador’s “great jeans,” yet many of the internet’s opinions remain unwavered. It’s yet to be seen if the brand will adopt some of Gap’s strategies, or whether it will stay true to its brand, “great jeans” and all.

CONTACT Sarah Tewodros at tewodrsx@ 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.

By GRANT STABLES contributing writer

Hell is other people, as French existentialist philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre had famously pointed out in his 1944 play, “No Exit.” In this absurdist play set in the afterlife, three people await their torturer, only to realize they’re each other’s torment. This fall, community theater group Eunoia Theatre brings the play to life on Tuesday and Thursday.

Play readings on Tuesday were held at the JMU Office of Creative Propulsion and at The Little Grill on Thursday. Doors open at 7 p.m. and performances start at 7:30 p.m. both evenings. Admission is free for everybody.

Co-directed by JMU alumna Kerri Hewett (’24) and philosophy professor Michael Trocchia, their production will be a multimedia stage reading. While the actors read from the script, scenes in a silent filmstyle play on a screen next to them.

“I wanted to do this when I was a senior in high school, and finally it’s happening, so that’s awesome,” Hewett said. “Doing the filmmaking has been so cool. I studied anthropology, and suddenly, I’m behind this fancy high tech camera, but it’s a completely new world.”

Despite studying anthropology, Hewett has ample experience in theatre, whether it be acting or directing. She also has an upcoming role in a Eunoia production of “The Haunting of Hill House” in October. Additionally, she has written for JMU’s Iris Magazine.

“[‘No Exit’] is my favorite play of all time. I really wanted to put it on its feet, so to speak, like five years ago,” Hewett said.

Outside of co-directing, Trocchia is an instructor in the Department of Philosophy and Religion as well as the database coordinator for JMU Libraries. He’s also been a director and actor in Harrisonburg’s community theatre.

“Seeing this come together, for me, is the most exciting part,” Trocchia said.

“To see Sarte’s ideas come to life in this script and see these actors put these thoughts into these words; you don’t need to be familiar at all with Sarte’s philosophy to resonate in the ways that get at the human condition and how we relate to one another.”

Another JMU alum — cinematographer and editor Declan Leach (’24) — came on as a creative collaborator for Eunoia after a conversation with Trocchia.

Alongside his other roles, he will also be reading directions during both of the performances this week.

“At the outset, it was really about trying to be a vessel for the sort of picture they wanted to create,” Leach said. “I’ll bring kind of my own creative ideas, but I certainly tried to take a back seat and let them use myself and the camera to achieve what they wanted for the play.”

Eunoia Theatre’s rendition of “No Exit” is similar to a stage-reading but done in front of a black and white screenplay. Courtesy of Eunoia Theatre

Girl group Katseye starred in GAP’s ad, while actor Sydney Sweeney starred in American Eagle’s ad. Ellie Campbell / The Breeze

The distinct way in which the stage reading and film aspects combine hadn’t been done before in Eunoia Theatre. While the presentation does offer more interesting visuals, there’s thematic relevance as well.

Mentions of reflections and mirrors make a point to highlight the perception of ourselves and others.

“The way in which we image ourselves and the way in which we are objectified is a central theme running throughout this play,” Trocchia said. “Here we have that being expressed through the way we’re

staging this, with the film aspect and then the [stage reading].”

Actors Philip Bly, Eileen Hernon and Morgan Lyle said one of the unique challenges with filming is the difference in acting between stage and film. Stage acting requires exaggerated acting for audiences at the far end of the theater. Acting for film, on the other hand, requires more subtlety because of the close camera while the actors and directors had varying experiences within theatre, none had branched into the film process.

“We were supposed to be acting very melodramatic because it’s a silent film and so it was challenging to balance what is ‘too much,’” Lyle said. “It’s almost like there were two separate shows happening, but it was a lot of fun, and I think we did it.”

Although these contrasting elements could create tonal inconsistencies, the team is confident in their vision. “No Exit” is already an influential play, inspiring modern television shows like “The Good Place,” and the team behind the local production carries respect and passion for the source material.

“This felt like the natural extension of [stage readings],” Hewett said. “For the actors and the creative team in general, we were craving something a bit more than a stage reading. This play is too good just to listen to it.”

CONTACT Grant Stables at stablegm@ 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.

“No Exit” is being performed at The little Grill. Courtesy of Eunoia Theatre

JMU is juiced: why students are turning to energy drinks

By ALYSSA MILLER contributing writer

When walking around campus, you’ll most likely see students with an energy drink in hand.

“I drink an energy drink every day, whether I am going to the gym, going to class or just doing chores around the house,” senior media arts and design major Taylor Hilovsky said. “I need caffeine to give me a pick-me-up every day.”

College is a busy time, and students’ sleep may be suffering as a result. Balancing multiple commitments, such as work and extracurricular activities, can be challenging. This causes students to reach for an energy drink to get through their classes and improve their workouts.

Senior health sciences major Preetika Puthran said she has an energy drink, “three to five times a week, usually during the mornings for my 8 a.m. [classes].”

Puthran said the addictive taste draws her to the drinks. She also said they keep her awake.

Caffeine can “lessen adverse effects of sleep deprivation” and “improve reaction time, alertness, and ability to concentrate,” according to Mayo Clinic.

Academic stress is a common experience in college, which can contribute to the appeal of energy drinks as a way to improve performance and productivity levels.

Sophomore Peter Cullather said he drinks them “four or five times a week,” and “mainly for energy.”

JMU offers a variety of energy drink options, including Celsius, Monster and Bang Energy, and the wide range of flavors makes it more enticing to students.

With energy drinks in nearly every campus vending machine, it’s easy to find one wherever you go.

Mayo Clinic states that adults can safely consume up to 400 milligrams of caffeine per day.

Caffeine can have negative side effects, including “nervousness, insomnia, irritability and panic attacks,” according to Mayo Clinic.

Additionally, some energy drinks contain a large amount of sugar, which can cause a crash after the short-term energy boost.

There are several ways to increase your energy without needing to reach for an energy drink.

If you find yourself feeling tired, try to make time for a walk or fit a workout into your day. Your body releases endorphins when you exercise, which increases your energy, reduces stress and boosts your mood. Exercise also improves your sleep quality, making you more energized during the day.

Cleveland Clinic writes that dehydration can cause fatigue. It offers tips to avoid dehydration, including eating hydrating foods, monitoring your water intake and limiting alcohol and caffeine.

Eating well-balanced meals is helpful for maintaining energy because it keeps you fueled and helps stabilize blood sugar levels. Make sure to include proteins, vegetables, fruits and whole grains on your plate.

It’s essential to make time for self-care and rest, so you don’t find yourself constantly reaching for an energy drink as a crutch to get through the day. Energy drinks can be a quick fix for students to get through their tasks, but be mindful of how much you’re consuming.

CONTACT Alyssa Miller at mill26aj@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.

Dukes can find energy drinks in vending machines around campus. Annabel Dewey / The Breeze

EDITORS Preston Comer & Gavin Avella EMAIL breezesports@gmail.com

One too many? SPORTS

What Bob Chesney is saying about JMU’s quarterbacks after Louisville loss

By PRESTON COMER

The Breeze

Legendary NFL coach John Madden once famously said, “if you have two quarterbacks, you have none.”

JMU rotated quarterbacks 17 times during its loss to Louisville. But it didn’t work as effectively as it did against FCS Weber State during Week 1.

Against Louisville, redshirt junior quarterback Alonza Barnett III completed 15-of-25 passes for just 102 yards and a touchdown. Redshirt senior quarterback Matthew Sluka completed three-of-five passes for 35 yards and one interception and added 21 carries for 83 yards and a touchdown on the ground.

During the second half — especially the fourth quarter — the Dukes favored Sluka on early downs and would turn to Barnett off the sideline on third downs. JMU finished 7-of-17 on third downs.

When talking postgame after the loss to Louisville about rotating his quarterbacks and whether it got Barnett out of rhythm, JMU head coach Bob Chesney said “forget about the rhythm.”

“I don’t think there’s a rhythm thing,” Chesney said. “I think it [had] a lot to do with the fact that there’s a really good defensive line and there were moments we needed the chip that we called and just didn’t get it done.”

Sluka’s 21 carries were more than all four of JMU’s running backs that played combined. Redshirt junior George Pettaway, redshirt senior Jordan Fuller, redshirt junior Wayne Knight and redshirt senior Ayo Adeyi carried the ball a combined 18 times.

Pettaway was the Dukes’ leading rusher last season and was named to the Preseason All-Sun Belt First Team. There’s no way to tell if Pettaway’s low usage is due to Sluka getting carries, but Pettaway has just 15 rushes through the first two games.

“I thought, schematically speaking, the plus-one quarterback run game provided some really key moments for us, and some

major first downs,” Chesney said. “You’re just trying to find ways of ‘how do we get this ball moving forward?’”

During his weekly Monday press conference, Chesney said the coaches need to be better with rotating quarterbacks during crucial points of games.

“We’ll be better as coaches, significantly better in those moments,” Chesney said.

Chesney also said the Dukes’ quarterbacks just need to find a balance, making it seem like he’ll continue riding with a twoquarterback offense.

“They each got to set each other up a little bit differently,” Chesney said. “When [Sluka’s] in there running the ball he’s got to be able to throw once in a while, and when [Barnett’s] in the throwing he’s got to be able to run it. That’s the balance we’ve got to find and I know we will.”

After the loss to the Cardinals, Chesney said the quarterbacks “don’t love” rotating in-and-out as it’s not their “favorite thing to do.” On Monday he followed up on that.

“When I said they don’t like it, well nobody likes not being in the game,” Chesney said. “It’s not that they don’t like it, it’s what can you do with it? How does it motivate you to continue to get better … Obviously, you’re going to look at the [quarterback] position, but it takes 11 players on offense to execute a really good play.”

Chesney said it was his fault the gameplan at quarterback didn’t reach perfection but the Dukes will grow from it.

“We will learn from it, we will be significantly better,” Chesney said. The Dukes are on a bye week this weekend but will return to action against Liberty next Saturday, Sept. 20 at 3:30 p.m.

CONTACT Preston Comer at breezesports@gmail.com. For more football coverage, follow the sports desk on X and Instagram @TheBreezeSports.

Redshirt junior quarterback Alonza Barnett III completed 15-of-25 passes for 102 yards and one touchdown against Louisville. Photos by Caden Burch / The Breeze

Redshirt senior quarterback Matthew Sluka ran 21 times for 83 yards and a touchdown against the Cardinals.

Faith strengthens Dukes’ Audrey Orrock to start her freshman year

By TOMMY GURGANOUS The Breeze

When JMU sophomore forward Ginny Lackey placed a kick between two Penn State defenders, freshman forward Audrey Orrock was in a footrace to reach the pass before it was intercepted.

With defensive pressure coming to her left and right, Orrock used her non-dominant left foot to strike the ball over Penn State’s diving goalkeeper and across the box into the far right side of the net.

“I didn’t really have too much time to think about it,” Orrock said, “so I didn’t overthink what I was doing, and I just went up and passed it in the goal.”

Orrock’s goal — her third of the season — was JMU’s only score of a 1-1 draw with No. 9-ranked Penn State at University Park. Orrock started that match and played a career-high 88 minutes after not starting the prior two games.

“I’m a religious person, so I was praying about it a lot,” Orrock said. “It was a little bit nerve-wracking for me, but I knew I just had to stick to the game plan.”

Orrock, a Chesapeake native, originally played volleyball in middle school but stopped to prioritize soccer.

“I started when I was 3 or 4,” Orrock said of her chosen sport, “so that helped me a lot, just playing it my whole life.”

Orrock played club soccer at Beach FC — a soccer club in Virginia Beach. She started playing up an added year at the U9 level and continued from there, allowing her to play against older competitors.

As Orrock continued to develop, current Beach FC Girls Elite Club National Leauge Director Mary Morgan noticed traits that made Orrock an eventual Division I prospect.

“She fits the body frame of a Division I soccer player,” Morgan said. “I think she walks up and she has a presence about her. She’s a very strong, powerful player.”

Beyond her physical attributes, Morgan also highlighted Orrock’s mentality and asking “the right questions” as keys to her potential.

Morgan said she and Beach FC recruiting coordinator Sam Kirschenbaum had several conversations with Orrock and her family.

The goal was to find a school to fit Orrock’s soccer and academic goals.

Morgan, who played collegiate soccer at UVA (2010-14) and

was a volunteer assistant coach at ODU in 2016-17, felt JMU was where Orrock “could thrive.”

“It provided the right challenge for her; we talked about that,” Morgan said. “But [JMU] also provided opportunities where she could impact right away.”

JMU women’s soccer head coach Joshua Walters had started recruiting Orrock during fall 2023, and Orrock already knew about the campus as her brother Evan attends JMU.

Orrock said she liked the layout of the campus as well as the area’s mountainous scenery, which differed from the beach she was accustomed to.

“When I was able to visit the team, I came on a game day,” Orrock said. “I was able to see the culture on game day and how they are in the locker room and I really liked how close the whole team was.”

After all the conversations, Orrock committed to JMU on Dec. 19, 2023.

“[She] fit really well,” Walters said. “Her [Orrock’s] personality, her character fit really well with our group.”

Orrock finished her high school career at Great Bridge High School in June. Orrock scored 36 goals as a freshman there and eclipsed 100 goals by graduation. Orrock was also named to the Virginia High School League First Team All-State as a sophomore and junior.

“I think she’s a highly known player in our community,” Morgan said. “I think a lot of the younger players within our club look up to Audrey.”

Going into her first college preseason camp, Orrock said the preparation she’d done endurance-wise had “been building up over the years.”

But when Orrock was given a plan to prepare for the camp, she said she followed it consistently. By the time she arrived at camp for the preseason, Orrock was among the most well-equipped.

“She was one of the highest scorers as a freshman, especially domestic freshmen,” Walters said, referring to the Dukes’ fitness testing.

Orrock didn’t start in JMU’s season opener at NC State but found playing time as a substitute. With JMU up 2-0 into the 75th minute, Orrock scored her first goal off a header, assisted by Lackey and fellow freshman Selma Rajakangas.

see ORROCK, page 16

Orrock was runner-up for regional player of the year, named First Team All-State, All-Region and All-Conference, and she eclipsed 100 career goals while at Great Bridge High School.

Annabel Dewey / The Breeze

Orrock has three goals on nine shots in just eight career games for the Dukes. Ellie Campbell / The Breeze

“It’s kind of funny because I don’t really have that many goals that I scored with my head,” Orrock said.

Orrock made her first start on Aug. 21 at Georgetown and scored her second career goal on Aug. 24 at George Mason, also by way of a header.

Now, after her goal against Penn State, Orrock is JMU’s second-leading goal scorer behind Lackey. Orrock said Lackey has been “really helpful” to talk to and work with.

“She was a freshman last year,” Orrock said, “she knows all the changes that you have to go through, especially from her coming from a different country and the different types of play.”

Even with Orrock’s early goals, she said she’s still adjusting to the college game, but she said she trusts her abilities and focuses on not worrying about outside pressure.

“Ultimately, she’s a fierce competitor that cares in the right ways,” Morgan said. “As she got older and as she matured and as she grew into the game, I think some of those pressures went away, and now she’s enjoying playing.”

JMU (4-1-2) suffered a 3-0 defeat to No. 23-ranked North Carolina this past Sunday at Sentara Park for the Fairfield by Marriott Invitational.

The Dukes will now turn to a midweek matchup Sept. 13 with Coastal Carolina, before an away matchup with Old Dominion in Norfolk on Sept. 18, which is roughly a half-hour drive from Orrock’s high school.

“All my family can go and see me play,” Orrock said regarding the ODU game, “I think my club’s having a watch party, so there’s gonna be a lot of people that I know there.”

Morgan confirmed that there will be a ‘Beach FC Night’ for the game, and they will bring out all of their ECNL program to attend the game. Morgan noted that JMU sophomore goalkeeper Lili White was another former Beach FC player and that ODU has a couple of its own Beach FC alumni rostered.

“Obviously, there’s a lot of history between the two programs over the past couple years, so we’re looking forward to a really exciting match for our players to see and hopefully see themselves there one day,” Morgan said.

CONTACT Tommy Gurganous at gurgantr@dukes.jmu.edu. For more women’s soccer coverage, follow the sports desk on X and Instagram @TheBreezeSports.

Orrock committed to JMU in December 2023. Annabel Dewey / The Breeze

OPINION

EDITOR EMAIL breezeopinion@gmail.com Caroline McKeown

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 “covering-my-eyes” dart to whoever put the door to the men’s restroom next to the stairs.

From a girl who just wanted to get to the bottom floor instead of walking into the wrong restroom.

Political polarization is based on false pretenses

PATRICK HANOVER Breeze columnist

In the United States, we are more polarized than ever … or so it seems. America isn’t being ruled by two separate lines of ideologies. Instead, it’s ruled by two corporate centrist parties who uphold one order: the global status quo that emerged after the Cold War. Differences in policy, such as abortion or whether to have LGBTQ+ themed books in schools, are state-level policy issues that are eclipsed by the broader context of longstanding economic and foreign policy exercised by the U.S. government. Even with leadership changes, essential policy remains the same. Yet, many Americans believe that we switch between the “left and the right” every four to eight years.

The biggest culprit is the separation between the proposition of fact and the proposition of value. Proposition of fact refers to empirical questions, such as “What is the truth about the Epstein scandal?” or “Why did the president bomb Iran?” Proposition of value addresses normative questions, such as “Should the United States support Israel?”

A “this-ain’t-too-bad” pat to college life.

From a freshman who was panicked for a few months before we started.

A “privacy-pretty-please” dart to the person in the women’s bathroom who thinks it’s okay to FaceTime in a public bathroom.

From someone who really can’t believe they have to put this in writing.

A “thank-you-forwasting-your-money” pat to college peers who do not go to class.

From a student who can finally find parking.

Empirical statements don’t make up your ideology. You could, for example, believe that revolutions are brutal but still support them looking past the alleged brutality.

In the past few decades, politics has become more of a “boring topic” primarily due to the extreme similarities in policy and rhetoric across both Democratic and Republican administrations. Everyone seems to assume that party allegiance dictates ideology, and using the dichotomy of “left-wing” versus “right-wing” works perfectly to sort people into these boxes. Although there are multiple categories of politics, the basic four address economics, diplomatic relations, state power and social issues.

However, events in the past four years have blown the lid off our modern understanding of left and right.

According to Time Magazine, “left” and “right” originated as a concept during the French Revolution, when revolutionaries who were against the king sat on the left, and those who supported him sat on the right.

To use a more myopic detail to get my point across, I will point out that the right wing is typically associated with militarism. For example, in 2022, when Russia invaded Ukraine, then-President Joe Biden supported Ukraine with arms and invoked the Lend-Lease Act. The liberal narrative was skeptical about funding Ukraine’s war effort as rightwing conspiracy theories and specifically aligned such attitudes with Vladimir Putin and Viktor Orban as exceptional dangers to democracy. However, as one can see, it was Biden taking actions that are typically associated with right-wing politics, as upholding a Western corporate order that has a legacy of colonialism through arming Israel and NATO.

U.S. foreign policy has revolved around free trade capitalism on a global scale and interventionism, both through proxy wars and direct wars. The latter represents the views of former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, who believed in a realist theory that suggested the most powerful nations should run the world. Regarding Ukraine, the theory of Kissinger prevails. This is anything but left-wing in nature, yet in 2022, you heard that the “left” supports Ukraine. In the same breath, you heard from the liberal narrative that the “right” supports Putin, and therefore, supports Soviet ideals. The right then would argue that Ukraine represents the Soviet ideals for being on the left. Either way, both “sides” were confused about what they even believed.

Regarding free market capitalism, the model we see today was influenced heavily by former President Ronald Reagan and his administration. In regard to that model, corporations gained a lot of power over our lives. A good example is that vaccine companies got a liability shield, which Pfizer was able to use in its COVID-19 vaccine rollout after Biden extended the Reagan-era policy to 2029. We consider this a right-wing conspiracy theory, yet Pfizer and their ideals are anything but left-wing. Again, confusion about what we consider “right-wing” and “left-wing.”

At the same time, left-wing academics had similar sentiments to right-wing populists about NATO and its implication in overall Western imperialism. Among these individuals was and is Noam Chomsky, who is a left-wing political theorist and linguistic expert who famously made the case that every post-World War

II president could be charged with a crime under the same framework that the Allied powers tried Nazi war criminals under at the end of World War II.

The far left used the term “imperialism,” and the right used the term “globalism.” Some consider this to be a consequence of the horseshoe theory, which is considered to be a phenomenon when the far left and far right come together close to each other, like two ends of a horseshoe, to agree on certain issues. However, due to there being vast nuances in ideology considering all the categories, I reject this theory. Globalism is a consequence of imperialism. Third and fourth way theories, which reject mainstream understanding of ideological alignments, attempt to explain this.

The origin of the concept of a third way dates back to Muammar Gaddafi, revolutionary socialist leader of Libya from 1969 until he was overthrown and killed in 2011. Gaddafi’s views can be found in his Green Book, which he distributed to promote his political framework. People on both sides of the mainstream American political discourse decry Gaddafi as an exceptional state sponsor of terrorism. However, he promoted literacy, and challenged the idea that nationalism was always a right-wing concept.

JMU students need to ignore offensive speakers on campus

CALI GILMER Breeze columnist

It’s not new information that JMU’s campus becomes the stage for performances by a rotating cast of offensive, inflammatory speakers every semester. Recently, we’ve seen one of JMU’s more frequent visitors, Ray Lee Staubs, or as many people know him, “Brother Ray.”

Ray is a self-proclaimed preacher known for his hateful and deeply provocative rhetoric. When on campus, students are likely to hear him shouting claims about “spiritual blindness” and denouncing students as sinners. He’s not the only one. From misogynistic diatribes to anti-LGBTQ+ tirades, these speakers aim not to educate but to incite.

It’s not a shocking sight to see many students react to these offensive messages. Some shout back. Some argue. Others film the spectacle and post it online for others to see. Crowds form, conversations spread and in the center of it all? The speaker, doing exactly what they came to do: command attention.

While the instinct to confront offensive speech is understandable, attention is the currency of provocateurs like Ray. The most effective and powerful strategy for JMU students isn’t to protest or argue. It’s silence. It’s disengagement. It’s walking by without a word, a glance or a post. It’s to ignore them completely.

Many know that controversial speakers thrive off chaos. Their entire performance depends on an audience, a reaction. The louder the crowd, the more they can upload footage, paint themselves as martyrs of “cancel culture,” where individuals are boycotted for being thought to have acted or spoken in an unacceptable manner and reinforce their own sense of purpose.

Students may think they are standing up to hate when they argue or shout back, and while their anger is valid, confrontation plays directly into the speaker’s hands.

Junior Emily Hamrick has observed this dynamic often. “Whenever I see students responding to these speakers,” she said. “I most often feel their goal is simply to annoy and/or irritate the speaker. They will make comments that are clearly in direct opposition … I think many students are simply frustrated by their presence and feel helpless otherwise.”

Even Ray admits it directly to his crowds: “Y’all are giving me the spotlight.” For these speakers, any press is good press. Silence, on the other hand, is the only threat to their presence on campus.

What if no one stopped to film, yell back or debate? What if every single person walking across campus saw the hateful signs and preaching and just kept walking?

Emma LaFountain, a sophomore who often passes these speakers between classes, has a similar sentiment.

“It honestly kills my mood when I see the speakers promoting offensive messages. I just wish I could remove them from campus myself, and I immediately think about how their message will negatively impact the other students who walk by. I’m not easily angered, but when I am angry, my response is to cry, so I genuinely want to cry when I see the speakers,” she said. “It absolutely disgusts me when people go up to them and try to talk to them or take pictures with them. That will only encourage them to come back.”

Ignoring isn’t weakness; it’s tactical suffocation. It removes the crowd. It removes the spectacle. And with no reaction to provoke, many of these speakers would likely move on.

“I think the most effective way to approach these people is either in calm, open conversation with the intention of figuring out why they believe what they do … or to ignore them entirely,“ Hamrick said. “I don’t think their opinions, and especially the rhetoric they use to share them, warrant much response, as it’s more often than not inflammatory and useless.”

LaFountain also noted a troubling pattern in student engagement. “Sometimes when students go to talk to the speaker, I feel like it is to agree with them and cheer them on,” she said. “I have heard people literally chanting with a speaker while they are laughing, so I can’t entirely tell if they think it’s funny or if they actually believe what the speaker is saying. Other times, I see students taking offensive messages seriously and believing them. Students will often interact with the speaker to ask

questions about what they are preaching, which are oftentimes hateful.”

These observations underline a key problem: when students engage, even to disagree, it provides the speaker a platform. And when they engage to mock, it risks normalizing the very hate they’re trying to discredit. Either way, the speaker wins.

Rather than being dragged into someone else’s message, students can craft and promote their own. That’s how cultural change happens. It’s not through arguments fueled by hate, but it’s through consistent, purposeful action.

Still, some might argue that silence is surrender, and that walking away from hate is equivalent to tolerating it. But ignoring in this context isn’t apathy; it’s a strategy. There’s a difference between turning a blind eye and making a deliberate choice not to give hate the stage it craves.

LaFountain explained it simply: “The best way to respond, in my opinion, would be to ignore the speaker entirely. I think by giving the speaker attention, the student is playing into exactly what they want and I don’t think we should be promoting hate. If everyone were to ignore the speaker, then the speaker would hopefully realize they’re not wanted here.”

“Whenever I see or hear someone sharing opinions I disagree with, I find it easiest to simply walk away. I think it just encourages them to continue speaking this way, knowing they’re eliciting a response,” Hamrick said. JMU is a place for learning, growth and community, not a stage for hate tourism. These speakers show up because they know they’ll get a rise out of students. They want to go viral. They want confrontation.

But what if, next time, they got nothing? No crowd. No phones. No yelling. Just students who see the act for what it is and choose not to play a part in it.

So the next time someone like Ray arrives on campus with a megaphone and a mission for hate, resist the urge to shout. Don’t film. Don’t argue. Don’t take the bait. Just walk on by. Let us be known not for how loudly we argue with hate, but for how powerfully we refuse to fuel it.

CONTACT Cali Gilmer at gilmersc@dukes. jmu.edu. For more editorials regarding the JMU and Harrisonburg communities, follow the opinion desk on X @TheBreezeJMU and on Instagram @BreezeJMU.

“Brother Ray” preaching on campus. Courtesy of Kera Prescott

S EAT DOMINO’S DUKES DUKES

DOMINO

The Breeze

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TV NEWS DIRECTOR Alexa Bonilla jmubreezetv@gmail.com

by Patti Varol

By Zachary David Levy

MADISON MARKETPLACE

Madison Marketplace is open for business, and all text-only listings are FREE ! Post job listings, announcements, rentals and more using our online placement tool. Ads run two weeks online and in two print editions.

HOUSING SERVICES

JMU Student Housing at Copper Beach

4 bedroom/4.5 Bath Location: Copper Beech, 1.7 miles to campus $830/month, first month rent FREE, co-ed (JMU students)

Newly renovated and fully furnished! Includes: Deck, in-house laundry, parking, and more. Popular community! Interested or know someone who is? Please contact cb.studenthousing@gmail.com and reference The Breeze Ad.

Apartment for Rent

Two Bedrooms, partially furnished, shared bathroom and kitchen private sink and vanity in each bedroom. May be shared by two people. Both required to sign lease. Electric, gas and water included. TV and internet available. 10 miles North of Harrisonburg. Lease and security deposit required $1,300. Call 540746-7445

ITEMS FOR SALE

2015 Hyundai Accent Sport

4DR Hatchback black, 82,350 miles $7950

2015 Hyundai Accent Sport 4DR Hatchback black, 82,350 miles beautiful maintained per schedule, garaged, steam cleaned engine, waxed often. Market price sells priced $9759 with 120K miles is average. KBB Valued $8600. Priced $7950 well below average with less miles beats all offers. Reliable college transportation see Autotrader.com

Game

room

Large folding ping pong table with accessories. Foosball table with extras. Both in good condition. Must pick up, cash only $75 each. 540-578-2362

Transportation Services Airport transfers, wine tours, special events Motorcoach trip to Liberty football game Sept 20 Contact Adventures-N-Travel.com Call or text 540-810-1196 mikepackett@aol.com

Career Opportunity - Software Portfolio Specialist

Are you ready to be the driving force behind cutting-edge public safety technology? Join the Harrisonburg-Rockingham Emergency Communications Center’s team as a Software Portfolio Specialist and help shape the future of emergency communications in a high-impact, mission-driven environment. Find out more/apply online: https://www.harrisonburgva. gov/employment.EOE.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Missing Giraffe! Please Help!

This large concrete giraffe yard ornament was stolen from an elderly resident Aug. 22 on Port Hills Drive. It is a very sentimental gift and is 40 inches high. Please return to 1588 Port Hills Drive No questions asked. If you have seen it please call Andy at 757-592-2888

Career Opportunity - Police Recruit

The City of Harrisonburg is currently accepting applications for noncertified individuals interested in joining the Harrisonburg Police Department, which offers a rewarding career plus an excellent benefits package, including enhanced hazardous duty through the Virginia Retirement System (VRS). Find out more/apply online: https://www.harrisonburgva.gov/ employment. EOE.

JOB