The Breeze 9.25.25 by The Breeze

The Breeze

EDITORS Emma Notarnicola & Landon Shackelford EMAIL

An inside look at JMU’s football stamp policy

By HANNAH KENNEDY The Breeze

Staff redirected hordes of student from the student section to other general admission (GA) areas after JMU debuted the stamp policy in its first home football game of the season.

JMU Athletics implemented the policy to limit crowding and disperse student-ticket holders across GA sections, JMU Athletics Assistant A.D. for Facilities and Events Ty Phillips said.

What is Bridgeforth’s stamp policy?

Student-ticket holders have access to all GA seating, just as GA-ticket holders can access the student section.

The stamp policy focuses on Bridgeforth Stadium’s North End Zone — or student section, which comprises sections 215222 and 116-121 — where third-party event and/or facilities management staff are situated at every section’s entry point. The stamp policy is not enforced in East Side GA sections in Bridgeforth Stadium.

There, a “stamper” administers hand stamps and a “counter” adds ticket holders to the section’s capacity, which was predetermined by JMU Athletics, Phillips said.

“We love the fact that students can sit together wherever they choose, specifically in the North End Zone,” Phillips said. With the new policy, once a section reaches capacity, an employee will hold up a sign indicating no new ticket holders will be admitted, he said.

Previously, press box employees would visually determine when the North End Zone was full and close the section accordingly, Phillips said.

Ticket holders can move freely across sections once stamped. Sections will not re-open unless determined safe on a case-by-case basis by Athletics because stamped persons may leave or return at any point during the game, Phillips said.

“Sections 1-3 and sections 6-8 are also student sections, which is sometimes a misconception,” Associate A.D. for Ticketing and Strategic Revenue Brad Burgess said. “The reason why we put that in our maps as student and [GA], is because we want the opportunity to provide more tickets to students when possible.”

Why now?

JMU Athletics implemented the stamp policy in its Aug. 30 home-opener football game against Weber State to deter safety concerns, such as over-crowded aisles, stairways and seating in the student section, which posed mobility risks in case of emergency, Burgess said.

“We have a fire marshal that’s in attendance at every game, and then also the Office of Risk Management,” Burgess said. “There’s been concerns about the possibilities of safety issues where, if there were a medical incident and we needed to get safety personnel to different areas, that it would make it difficult to do so.”

This crowding comes after JMU football’s 2022 Sun Belt Conference jump and JMU’s 34% increase in applications compared to 2022. To accommodate football’s spike in popularity over the last few years, Director of Athletics Matt Roan is exploring a Bridgeforth expansion, which follows its 2009-11 expansion that added 10,000 seats.

“It wasn’t that long ago that the North End Zone was not the desired location that it is now,” Associate A.D. for Communications and Strategic Initiatives Kevin Warner said. “As the student culture adjusts, we adjust with that.”

Congestion reached a “tipping point” during JMU’s Oct. 10, 2024, home game against Coastal Carolina, when Athletics received photos of student-section overcrowding and feedback from the Harrisonburg Fire Department, Phillips said.

“We knew that we wanted to do something that kept the spirit of our general seating model intact, but put some safeguards in place so that we can maintain the energy that we have [in the North End Zone],” Phillips said.

To mitigate the growing popularity and subsequent crowding in the student section, JMU brought in consultants, who suggested enforcing the policy at the beginning of the following season for a “fresh start,” Phillips said.

He added that the policy went through a trial run during the Aug. 23 freshman pep rally in Bridgeforth and it tested well.

“We did not want to go to a reserved seat model for our student population,” Phillips said.

Student impact

Athletics allotted 7,000 student tickets — an extra 1,000 taken from the GA pool — for the home-opener in anticipation of student interest.

Students with a Student Duke Club membership were able to claim their free tickets and purchase guest tickets on Aug. 18 for the Aug. 30 game. For non-club members, student and student guest tickets became available Aug. 19, according to an email from JMU Athletics.

“Yes, student tickets are free, but keep in mind, students are contributing to a university comprehensive fee that supports Athletics,” Warner said. “We keep that in mind and try to be generous … because they are supporting the Athletics program, and because we hope that they are future supporters of the department.”

The Weber State game’s in-person attendance was 24,965, according to ESPN, which exceeds the stadium’s capacity of 24,877.

“Tickets ‘out’ does not always mean the amount of people inside the stadium that scanned in … that’s why you’ll see numbers that are above our stadium capacity,” Burgess said.

Attendance is calculated by adding tickets sold, stadium staff, players and authorized personnel such as press, Burgess said. Additionally, the crowding of stairwells, aisles and the student section enforced the misconception that JMU oversold tickets, he said.

Despite not technically being oversold, junior Marching Royal Duke (MRD) Sarah Schmidt noted the Aug. 30 game seemed significantly more crowded than usual, and the stamp policy introduced new, unanticipated challenges for the MRDs.

Schmidt said that in prior years, friends and families were able to visit the MRD section to take photos and deliver members’ food.

During the Aug. 30 game, however Schmidt said, people tried to deliver Schmidt food, but “they were just refused. They couldn’t even walk by.” As a result, Schmidt was unable to eat during the game.

“[Staff] were kind of rude to the person that was just trying to bring me a hot dog,” Schmidt said. “[The employee] just seemed very exasperated, very tired, over the fact that any of this was even happening in the first place.”

One reason for crowding along the East Side could be the conversion of sections four and five from GA seating to reserved, Burgess said. The sections are situated mid-field, between six GA seating areas, which might’ve contributed to confusion for ticket holders looking for GA, he said.

“Logistically, we’re starting to learn some things,” Burgess said. “There are some challenges there … but we wanted that to be an opportunity to hopefully disperse some of the GA seating.”

Freshman Payton Glymph said he only found out about the stamp policy when checking his Dukes email after the game. Glymph watched the first quarter in the East Side GA area. After that, he went to the student section to find his friends but was denied entry.

“I lost my spot [in the East Side],” Glymph said. “I wasn’t going to try and get back to where I was. At that point, a lot of stuff happened earlier in the day … I just left the game at the first quarter mark after that.”

Family Weekend game plan

The stamp policy is still undergoing minor changes to improve the overall experience of game attendees, Phillips said.

He added that the student section stamping process will remain the same for Family Weekend, but Athletics is looking to improve its process of directing people from the stadium’s entrance to the back of the North End Zone (sections towards 215).

The Weber State game struggled with crowds forming at the first few sections of the North End Zone, preventing ticket holders from making their way to the back.

“The way that we are loading in, we are going to strategize some things a little differently just to help move people around,” Phillips said. “What we’re going to try to do is redirect folks as they enter the stadium to the back of the North End Zone.”

Additionally, attendees capable of using the stairs were going up the ramp, causing congestion near the stadium’s entrance, he said.

Athletics also encourages students to sit along the East Side, which is open to all GA ticket holders but is less popular among students. By making these adjustments, Phillips said he aims to “lessen some frustration.”

“It’s feedback, it’s a lot of different angles and time that we spend trying to understand and create both the best atmosphere and the safest atmosphere,” Burgess said.

Edison Vranian contributed to this report.

CONTACT Hannah Kennedy at breezepress@gmail.com. For more coverage of JMU and Harrisonburg news, follow the news desk on X @TheBreezeJMU and on Instagram @BreezeJMU.

JMU’s student section during its home-opener against Weber State. Landon Shackelford / The Breeze

Community members mourn Charlie Kirk at vigil

By EMMA NOTARNICOLA & CHARLIE BODENSTEIN

The Breeze

Roughly 200 community members gathered on Festival Lawn for Charlie Kirk’s vigil Tuesday evening, after the conservative activist’s Sept. 10 assassination.

JMU’s Network for Enlightened Women (NeW) organized the event to honor the Kirk’s life after his assassination, senior and JMU Turning Point Co-President Reagan Polarek said.

Kirk was the founder of Turning Point USA — a right-wing nonprofit organization that advocates for conservatism on high school and university campuses through open debates and media production for Kirk’s podcast, according to its website.

NeW partnered with JMU’s recently-revived Turning Point chapter; several members of each organization’s leadership spoke during the vigil.

“We’re really grateful to NeW for the partnership and more [for] allowing us to come and speak,” Polarek said.

Polarek said the main goal of the vigil was to honor Kirk — with special remembrance for his family — celebrate his morals and beliefs and continue to promote non-violent free expression.

“I looked up to Charlie a lot, and I didn’t agree with everything he said, but I agree with what he spoke for,” she said. “No one in this country should be harmed because of their beliefs.”

Some attendees, such as Shennandoah Valley resident Dustin Thomas, even traveled an hour to Harrisonburg for the vigil.

“This is my third vigil [in memory of Kirk],” Thomas said, “and any vigil I see that’s around my area, or even [if] it’s like an hour away, I take advantage of it, and it’s been a lot of people turning out.”

People of all ages came together, and even though attendees were mainly students, there was a sense of intergenerational connection, junior Layla Lasisomphone said.

“It’s really breathtaking to see how many people care, not only about Charlie but about his legacy and about the students and people who are gonna carry on that legacy,” Polarek said.

About the event

Before the event started, police officers established a perimeter around Festival Lawn with patrol cars and officers positioned both inside and outside the building while the event took place.

Before speakers shared their thoughts, a police officer took the stage to state that individuals who interrupt the speakers and vigil would be “met with an initial warning for a violation of University Policy 1121, and the disorderly conduct statute within the code of Virginia. Upon a second offense, they will face immediate removal from the area.”

The event was moved into the Highlands Room in Festival Conference and Student Center due to inclement weather shortly after it began.

NeW and Turning Point leaders took turns at the front of the room to express their grief with Kirk’s death but hope for the future of the United States.

“I did not know him personally, but his death felt like a personal attack,” junior, co-founder and vice president of JMU Turning Point Jenna Hill said. “I felt a shift in the world following the days of his death. I did not know his flesh, but I knew his soul.”

Turning Point Treasurer and freshman Landon Harvey said Kirk inspired the young people in the audience to think deeply.

Harvey added that Kirk understood the importance of teaching truth to “the next generation.”

“[Kirk] knew that our generation is the future for our country today and that we need to identify the lies we are faced with every day,” Harvey said.

To honor Kirk, Harvey said students can continue his mission by “speaking the truth respectfully, powerfully and with love,” adding that JMU Turning Point has over 400 members who can carry Kirk’s message. Some speakers, like Polarek, said they felt hesitant to express themselves on campus for fear of backlash. Polarek, a member of the Student Government Association (SGA) and who’s worked on political campaigns, said she’s stayed quiet in classrooms and clubs because she was afraid to speak up.

“I, too, have fallen prey to the idea that it is better to stay silent and be loved than to speak up and be hated,” Polarek said. “If there’s one thing we need to take away from this, it’s that we can no longer be silent.”

Polarek added that Kirk believed all people have a voice, regardless of their political beliefs, and JMU students should conduct themselves accordingly.

“Let’s not let [Kirk’s death] be another act of political violence that we forget about in a month,” Polarek said. “The future success of our democracy depends on our willingness to engage with each other.”

New pickleball courts open next to Hillside Field

By SIERRA STOCKMAN contributing writer

Sept. 1, four newly renovated pickleball courts opened next to Hillside Field, replacing one of the two roller street hockey courts, due to a rise in pickelball’s popularity, University Recreation Center (UREC) and UPARK, University Recreation Director Eric Nickel said.

“We identified that space where we could add four more pickleball courts out there because the ones we have are really well used,” Nickel said.

Several improvements were made to enable the courts to be ready for use by the JMU community, Nickel said.

Kristin Gibson, the associate director for UREC Services Engagement, wrote in an emailed statement, “the renovation included resurfacing of the aging surface, installation of nets, and repairs/adjustments to fencing.” Gibson added that the other hockey court was resurfaced with fencing and baseboard advancements for reservations and Intramural Sports use.

The courts are open daily between the hours of 9 a.m. and 11 p.m. to all JMU students, faculty and staff, Gibson wrote in the email. For students who don’t have pickleball

equipment, rentals are available at the UREC equipment center, Gibson wrote.

Since opening, the courts have been attracting a lot of activity, mostly students.

When freshman health sciences major Leila UnzuetaVentura first heard that new pickleball courts were opening up on campus, she said she was excited to try them out with her friends.

“For me, exercise is a big part of my life, so it’s really cool to be able to come out to [the courts] and play,” Unzueta-Ventura said.

Nickel said the new courts have brought more energy to the area.

“Often, those basketball courts at the other end are used all night,” Nickel said. “That was the only thing going on out there, so now both ends of the courts have activity.”

The new courts are a great opportunity to get outside, meet new people, and make connections on campus, freshman integrated science and technology major Brandon Fecht said

CONTACT Sierra Stockman at stockmsg@dukes.jmu.edu.

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

New pickleball courts replace old roller street hockey courts next to Hillside Field. Photos by Sierra Stockman / The Breeze

JMU recognized for sustainability efforts

By SARAH TEWODROS contributing writer

JMU was recently recognized as a top researcher in the 2025 Sustainable Campus Index in an annual report published by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE). The report highlights and recognizes the most sustainable universities across a variety of impact areas.

“The Institute works with over 100 others at JMU to assemble the information for JMU’s sustainability reports,” said Christie-Joy Brodrick Hartman, the executive director of the JMU Institute for Stewardship of the Natural World. “It is a considerable effort to measure a large university’s sustainability performance, but that effort is necessary to be transparent and to improve.”

JMU conducts an extensive sustainability assessment every three years that’s sent to the AASHE, Hartman said, adding that the hard work and commitment of JMU faculty, staff and students in contributed to this recognition.

“Being a contributing member of the community is central to JMU’s mission and having that effort acknowledged at the national level helps further the work,” Hartman said.

JMU’s sustainability mission extends towards the community, from free access to the Edith J. Carrier Arboretum to JMU’s library resources that support sustainability research, according to JMU’s website.

Hartman said this recognition was supported by multiple faculty-led research projects across different disciplines. She highlighted professors such as communication studies professor Pete Bsumek, who focuses on environmental communication and advocacy as it relates to social change.

He collaborated with biology professor Bruce Wiggins, and together they “worked with students to examine Mercury pollution and cleanup in the South River, Virginia and understanding the role of fate and transport in the decisionmaking process for environmental remediation,” Hartman said.

For students interested in getting involved in furthering sustainability at JMU, Hartman suggests browsing through

departments and talking directly to professors about undergraduate research opportunities. Another place to search for opportunities is the Institute for Stewardship of the Natural World (ISNW) website’s faculty research inventory.

“You’ll also find details on the STAIR (Student Awards, Initiatives, and Research) website about the First-Year and Transfer Student Research Experience (FYRE) program that connects high-achieving first-year and transfer students with faculty mentors to work together on research or a creative inquiry project,” Hartman said.

JMU is continuing to develop its next strategic plan, Hartman said, and is hoping to continue to strengthen sustainability and encourage student engagement.

CONTACT Sarah Tewodros at tewodrsx@dukes.jmu.edu.

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

The 2025 Sustainable Campus Index recognized JMU as a top researcher. Breeze file photo

SGA allocates $4,500 to clubs, approves historian nomination

By EMMA BROWN contributing writer

The Student Government Association (SGA) unanimously approved $1,500 to the Billiards Club and $3,000 to the Equestrian Club — both in contingency funds — and a nomination for historian position during its regular Tuesday meeting.

$1,500 for Billiards Club

The SGA first unanimously approved a contingency fund request of $1,500 toward the Billiards Club’s collegiate cues tour competitions.

The club’s treasurer, senior James Handlon; vice president, junior Griffin Mahoney; and president, junior Sam Willis represented the group.

The competitions are sets of billiard games organized into a year-long tour consisting of various tournaments against teams such as UVA and GMU, according to the organization’s presentation slides.

The competitions provide opportunities for teams and players to earn a spot on a championship team at the end of the year, the presenters said.

The club is planning a merchandise fundraiser to supplement the contingency funds.

Club dues are also going toward fundraising efforts, according to the organization’s presentation slides.

The competition’s purpose is “to provide a sportsmanlike and supportive community for anyone interested in learning, playing, or improving in the game of billiards at JMU,” according to the organization’s presentation slides

$3,000 for Equestrian Club

After approving the Billiards Club’s contingency fund, the SGA unanimously approved the Equestrian Club’s contingency request of $3,000. The club’s fundraising chair, senior Mackenzie Lenox, and vice president , senior Kristin Taylor, represented the group.

The club requested funding for a new shed to serve as a storage space. The organization recently relocated to Clover Grove Farms.

“We just need that storage space and a place we can call our own,” Lenox said.

The club has several fundraisers planned to supplement the contingency fund, mostly consisting of restaurant fundraisers.

“We like to do restaurant fundraisers so people can have fun and meet with their friends,” Lenox said.

The purpose of the shed is to “safely store and organize essential equipment, ensuring [members] can train and compete effectively,” according to the organization’s presentation slides.

Historian appointment

After approving both contingency funds, the SGA unanimously approved sophomore Cayla Thomas as historian. As the historian, she will document Senate meetings and keep records.

“Cayla’s super dedicated and hardworking to everything she does,”sophomore Sen. Charlotte Holloway said

CONTACT Emma Brown at brown9eg@ dukes.jmu.edu. For more coverage of JMU and Harrisonburg news, follow the news desk on X @TheBreezeJMU and on Instagram @BreezeJMU

The SGA unanimously allocated $1,500 in funds to Billiards Club. Jack O’Dea / The Breeze

EDITORS EMAIL

Isabel Lewis & Charlie Bodenstein

A journey with dance

Meet senior and Latin Dance Club President Nicole Cespedes

By SOPHIA RANDAZZO contributing writer

Before her freshman year of high school, senior Nicole Cespedes was given a choice by her mother: soccer or dance?

Doing both would be too much for her alongside school. She had a passion for both, but she had to choose one — it was dance

Now, Cespedes is the president of the Latin Dance Club (LDC) at JMU. She joined the club as a freshman, but has been dancing from a young age.

Where it all began

Cespedes was born in the U.S. but moved to Cochabamba, Bolivia, when she was 8 years old. She had always had an enthusiasm for dance, but her dance journey truly began at the age of 10, when a school friend asked her to join a traveling dance troupe.

“I have always liked dance since I was a kid,” Cespedes said. I think it was because I watched Disney Channel so much. I saw ‘Shake It Up’ and I wanted to dance like that and be on Disney Channel.”

Cespedes followed her friend’s advice and joined the dance troupe. The troupe — Acuarela Boliviana — is a traditional Bolivian folk dance ensemble that travels to competitions worldwide.

They also travel to cultural demonstrations throughout Europe, where they get to showcase their traditional dances while meeting dance groups from around the world.

Cespedes played soccer along with dance throughout her middle school years. She played professionally from the ages of 13 to 15 on her city’s club team with the older girls.

“I almost played for the national team, but when I was trying to get into all of that, my mom cut me off and made me choose,” Cespedes said.

Since she loved both soccer and dance, it was a tough decision that Cespedes had to make. It was her dance teacher, Natalia Loma, who inspired her to ultimately choose dance. Cespedes described Loma as a second mom.

“She is in my brain whenever I am teaching LDC. I always think of her,” Cespedes said.

She continued dancing throughout high school. She took part in many competitions and cultural demonstrations throughout this time. In 2019, she traveled to Agrigento, Sicily, Italy, with her dance troupe for the Festa del Mandorlo in Fiore, and they won first place in the dance competition portion of the festival.

In 2022, Cespedes and her dancing troupe traveled to Spain for the Folklore Spain Tour. This was a cultural celebration that consisted of multiple festivals all over Spain, where her dance troupe could show off their Bolivian dances and see groups of other cultures perform as well.

These cultural celebrations are an important aspect of her dance troupe.

“When traveling with my folk dance troupe, we travel to see others’ cultural dances, but we also get to know more about their country, their food, and we get to make new friends,” Cespedes said. “The number of friends that I have made while traveling for dancing is crazy.”

The Folklore Spain Tour was a huge risk for Cespedes. She was going to be returning to the U.S. to attend JMU in the fall 2022 semester.

However, the tour was a one-and-a-half-month-long excursion that would start July 9 and end Aug. 22, two days before her first day of classes at JMU. Her most important performance would be on Aug. 22, so she couldn’t leave early. It was a difficult decision for her to partake in the tour, but she was all in. So, she went to Spain.

Cespedes arrived at JMU at 11:50 p.m. on Aug. 23, 2022, met her roommate that same night and started classes the next day.

Making her mark

During her first semester at JMU, Cespedes craved speaking Spanish to others and wanted the sense of community she felt from dance. She didn’t have many outlets to do either until she learned about the Latin Dance Club. Cespedes met the creator and former president of the club, Carly Corso, about two months into college at a Catholic Campus Ministry meeting.

She never felt truly connected to religion until she began dancing. Cespedes said she felt an intense, deep feeling for what she was doing when she danced. She wanted to know what it was and where it came from. So, she turned to religion.

“God is love, and my love for dance is so big that when I dance, it is when I feel him most,” Cespedes said.

Corso introduced the LDC to Cespedes by inviting her to teach a class on traditional Bolivian folk dances. Cespedes was apprehensive, as she had never taught dance before, but she soon found out that she had no reason to be nervous. After the class, many people told her it was their favorite. Afterwards, she started to teach frequently.

Cespedes became very involved with the LDC. She taught classes, learned new dances — including salsa and bachata — and came up with many ideas for how the club could be broadened.

Corso created the events coordinator position for Cespedes during her sophomore year. The club started to see an increase in attendance that year. They also began to go to more events in Harrisonburg so they could raise awareness for their club and the beauty of Latin dance.

“I remember telling her that one day she could be president — she would just have to step up and really bring her A game, and she did that,” Corso said. “I am so proud of everything that she has done with the Latin Dance Club and so glad to see it grow and be as successful as it has been through her leadership.”

Cespedes became the vice president of the club in her junior year alongside president Kyler Gray. They made it a main focus to make the club welcoming and chill, so everyone could have fun and learn about Latin dance.

This year, Cespedes is president. The club has started picking up the pace, and there is more improvement in how the classes are taught. They have changed their mindset about teaching their students. Cespedes said the club has been pushing its dancers harder because they know they are capable of being great dancers.

Cespedes has made such an impact on the club since her freshman year, specifically when it comes to broadening the club to the Harrisonburg community. She has created more avenues where they could promote Latin dance. She connected the Latin Dance Club to more culturally-based clubs, dance groups and Harrisonburg groups.

“We have done a lot of work to start salsa dancing at Broad Porch Coffee and Cafe and Nicole has been spearheading all of this. She has been generally important in spreading awareness for Latin dance across campus, and Harrisonburg,” LDC vice president Kai Coronas said.

Graduation isn’t the end of Cespedes’ dance journey. She plans to dance after college and, alongside a career in education, hopes to establish her own dance school in Bolivia, where she can teach Bolivian folk dance during the summer. She believes dance is an important thing that everyone should know, including “people with two left feet.”

“Dance is memorization, coordination and social ability,” Cespedes said. “It creates multiple connections in your brain that writing in your notebook does not give you.”

CONTACT Sophia Randazzo at randazse@dukes.jmu.edu. For more on the culture, arts and lifestyle of the JMU and Harrisonburg communities, follow the culture desk on X @

Cespedes was born in the US but moved to Bolivia when she was 8 years old. Photos courtesy of Nicole Cespedes

Cespedes chose Latin dance over a spot on the Bolivian national soccer team.

Notebooks are no more, iPads are in

By ALYSSA MILLER contributing writer

When walking around the Rose Library or the Student Success Center, you’re practically guaranteed to see a student studying with an iPad. They’re lightweight and easier to carry around campus than a laptop. iPads are easy to transport, making them a popular choice among students.

Notebooks are still seen around campus, but the transition to iPads and digital note-taking is gaining momentum. Both notebooks and iPads provide benefits for students depending on their preferred learning style.

Students’ perspectives on iPads

Senior health sciences major Gabrielle Salomone said her iPad improved her quality of learning because she can “take better notes, so outside of class, I can focus more on content rather than organizing my notes.”

Improved organization is another perk of studying with an iPad. It’s easy to create folders for your documents, notes and classes. Many students are switching from paper planners to digital calendars to keep track of their assignments and tasks.

“I can write on the lecture slides, so it’s better for me to follow along rather than writing on a piece of paper,” senior health science major Allyson Hiner said.

Another benefit of iPads is that they allow you to download class documents and write directly on them with an Apple Pencil.

iPads make studying on the go more accessible, which is great for busy college students. It’s easy to get out for a quick study session before your next class, whether that’s reviewing lecture slides or studying flashcards on your iPad.

“I got the iPad because I thought it would help me with school readings and because I just enjoy reading on a larger screen,” senior writing, rhetoric and technical communication major Sophia Grant said. “It’s helped me with being less distracted because I can have my homework open on one screen while the iPad helps me with the reading, and I don’t have to switch tabs.”

Having multiple screens is convenient for students because it prevents constant tab-switching, which can disrupt focus.

JMU supports the use of iPads to enhance learning. Nursing students are required to have iPads, according to the JMU Bachelor of Science in Nursing student handbook. No other majors require iPads, but many students still choose to get one, especially if their major involves a lot of note-taking.

Quizlet is loved by many college students because it’s more interactive than a typical stack of note cards. With all of Quizlet’s features, learning new information becomes easier. You can create practice tests, share study sets and play games with your flashcards.

“I use Quizlet for exam preparation,” biology major Erin Dunbar said. “I use the ‘learn’ option to help me memorize my lecture notes so I can apply that knowledge in more application-based questions.”

Are students still using notebooks?

Some students believe that handwriting notes on paper is better for retaining information.

“I use a paper notebook for my French class or if it’s a subject like math or music theory,” Grant said.

Salomone said she occasionally uses a paper notebook to rewrite her notes.

“Handwriting stimulates different and more complex brain connections that are essential in encoding new information and forming memories,” according to a Psychology Today article.

The tactile experience of writing down your notes takes longer, causing you to absorb more of the information.

Although iPads are becoming more common, paper notebooks won’t be going away anytime soon because they remain a dependable tool for note-taking and writing. iPads are a great tool for college students because of their convenience, and the number of them you see on campus will continue to grow.

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.

How students can safely use health supplements

By GRACE SAWYER The Breeze

At college, many students become interested in working out, getting healthy and taking care of their bodies. This desire can improve many people’s lives and provide a positive lifelong outlet for people to take care of their physical wellness. However, along with more time spent in the gym, more people become interested in supplements, vitamins and macronutrients — and how they can benefit people.

The Department of Agriculture (USDA) identifies supplements as products intended to add to or supplement the diet, and are different from conventional food. They can come in many forms such as tablets, capsules, soft gels, gel caps, powders, bars, gummies and liquids.

The USDA defines supplements, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is tasked with regulating dietary supplements. Even though the FDA ensures safety and quality standards, but it isn’t required to preapprove supplements before they are put on the market. Standards supplements have to meet are generally less strict than those for drugs, because they’re considered a food product. This means consumer knowledge is critical, if taking supplements interests you.

There are many common supplements people hear about and consider taking: ashwagandha, calcium, collagen, protein powder, fish oil, iron, magnesium, prebiotics, probiotics and vitamin D are all popular.

The misinformation and disinformation surrounding this field of health means it can be hard to determine the benefits and potential drawbacks of using them.

Becoming more knowledgeable about supplements and vitamins can not only improve your physical wellness but also your financial wellness. The global Dietary Supplements Market size was estimated at $192.65 billion spent every year in 2024 and is projected to reach $414.52 billion by 2033, according to Grand View Research. Some of the supplements that many experts believe are worth the attention they receive are calcium, fish oil and prebiotics.

JMU nursing students are required to have iPads for their classes, according to the nursing student handbook. Emma Roark / The Breeze

Brenna Faye / The Breeze

Latrice Royale (above) and other performers attend the festival.

Photos by Landon Shackelford / The Breeze

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

JMU football to face Georgia Southern in 2025 SBC opener SPORTS

By LUKE FAIRCLOTH

The Breeze

JMU football (2-1) begins Sun Belt play this Saturday against Georgia Southern (2-2), fresh off a dominant 31-13 victory over in-state rival Liberty.

Through four games, Georgia Southern has looked every bit of the strong offensive team that finished second in the Sun Belt East in 2024 — but the Eagles still sit at 2-2 after rough defensive showings against Fresno State and then-No. 21 USC in their first two games.

“There’s a lot we need to get cleaned up heading into conference play,” JMU head coach Bob Chesney said. “This team we’re about to play is very, very good.”

When JMU and Georgia Southern squared off last year, the Eagles jumped out to a 21-0 lead at the half and eventually came out on top with a 28-14 win, despite JMU being favored by two scores heading into the bout.

To pull off the upset, Georgia Southern’s defense deployed a heavy diet of blitzes, keeping then-redshirt sophomore quarterback Alonza Barnett III and the Dukes’ offense under constant pressure, causing the Dukes to take sacks and negative-yardage plays to consistently put them behind the sticks on second and third down.

Both Chesney and JMU offensive coordinator Dean Kennedy noted that avoiding such situations has been a focus for the Dukes so far this season.

“[Last week] I think we only had one third and long,” Kennedy said. “Our average third down distance was only [around] five yards … You’re getting yourself in a situation where you can get rid of the ball early and you can stay and hold up in protection.”

Georgia Southern’s defense finished around the middle of the pack in 2024, but thus far in 2025, it has by far its biggest weakness.

Through four games, the Eagles’ defense ranks 135th out of 136 FBS teams in rushing yards allowed per attempt. Meanwhile, JMU’s offense has averaged five yards per attempt — good for 40th in the nation.

However, JMU will likely be without 2024’s leading rusher, redshirt junior George Pettaway, after he suffered a pulled muscle that Chesney described as “significant.” In Pettaway’s absence, JMU will likely lean on redshirt junior running back

Wayne Knight and redshirt senior running back Ayo Adeyi, who combined to rush for 176 yards against Liberty.

“[Ayo Adeyi] just plays a really physical game,” Chesney said. “Wayne [Knight] does that as well … along with his speed, quickness and ability to open it up.”

Defensively, the Dukes will have their hands full with Georgia Southern’s potent offense, which enters the game redhot, scoring 40 or more points in each of its last two games.

“I think their offense is really dynamic,” Chesney said. “They have their foundational plays, but they dress it up with a lot of motions … They really try to get your eyes in the wrong place.”

Georgia Southern’s offense is quarterbacked by junior JC French IV, who has been with the Eagles since his freshman year.

“He’s an experienced quarterback and a smart kid,” JMU senior linebacker Trent Hendrick said. “He knows how to read a defense, and he can use his feet when he needs to avoid getting hit. We need to go out there and play a good ball game.”

In 2024, French threw for three touchdowns against JMU, but also allowed the Dukes to hang in the game by throwing three interceptions, including one that was returned for a touchdown.

This year, French’s main targets have been senior wide receiver Camden Brown from Auburn, and senior wide receiver Dalen Cobb, who have each averaged over 50 yards and a touchdown per game this season.

However, Brown will be covered by cornerbacks redshirt senior Elijah Culp and redshirt junior Justin Eaglin, who have been lockdown this year for JMU, holding opposing passers to just 103.3 yards per game — the second-best mark of any FBS team, trailing only Nebraska.

“Our pass defense has been very good, statistically,” JMU defensive coordinator Colin Hitschler said. “[But] I think this group of receivers is as good as any we’ll face holistically.”

While Saturday marks the first conference game of the season, both JMU and Georgia Southern have their sights set on a Sun Belt Conference championship, meaning this game could be one both teams look back on as a defining moment to come for the rest of the season and beyond.

CONTACT Luke Faircloth at faircllr@dukes.jmu.edu. For more football coverage, follow the sports desk on X and Instagram @TheBreezeSports.

JMU football’s defense allowed opponents to pass for an average of 103.3 yards per game — the second-best mark in the FBS. Photos by Caden Burch / The Breeze

Redshirt junior running back Wayne Knight ran for 89 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries against Liberty.

Breaking down JMU football’s Sun Belt conference opponents

By GAVIN AVELLA The Breeze

On Saturday, JMU football (2-1) will start conference play against Georgia Southern.

Here’s a look at the rest of the Sun Belt opponents the Dukes will face this season:

Georgia State (1-3)

Second-year head coach Dell McGee opened the 2025 season leading a roster that features three All-Sun Belt returners from 2024 and one 2025 Preseason All-Sun Belt honoree.

Through its first four games, Georgia Southern is 1-3 and has been outscored 192-81 in those contests, albeit with three of the four coming against Power Four opponents in then-No. 13 Ole Miss, Memphis and then-No. 18 Vanderbilt.

Redshirt senior quarterback TJ Finley and redshirt junior Cameran Brown have operated in somewhat of a twoquarterback system for the Panthers, with Finley completing 54 out of his 82 passes for a 65% completion rate, 527 yards and three touchdowns, and Brown completing 35 out of 51 passes for a 68% completion rate, 376 yards and five touchdowns through the first four games.

The Eagles will look to salvage their season after their bye week this week before an Oct 4. matchup with JMU on their home turf.

Louisiana (1-3)

Led by fourth-year head coach and reigning Sun Belt Coach of the Year Michael Desormeaux, the Ragin’ Cajuns field a roster that returns four All-Sun Belt honorees from 2024 and had six players named to the 2025 Preseason All-Sun Belt teams, tied for the third-most in the conference.

Redshirt junior QB Walker Howard was named the Ragin’ Cajuns starter this season after stops at LSU and Ole Miss, backing up Jayden Daniels and Jaxson Dart, respectively, both of whom are now first-round draft picks and starters in the NFL.

The Ragin’ Cajuns lost Howard to a season-ending oblique injury late in the season opener against Rice. Louisiana turned to redshirt freshman Daniel Beale, who’s posted 313 yards and one touchdown, completing 35 of his 69 attempts for a 50% completion rate.

The Ragin’ Cajuns will look to lean on their two-headed running back attack spearheaded by redshirt junior Zylan Perry and redshirt sophomore Bill Davis, who posted a combined 635 yards and six scores to start the season.

Louisiana will try to salvage its 2025 campaign heading into Sun Belt play and continue to build upon its 2024 campaign. Louisiana is averaging 17.7 points per game, placing it 44th nationally for scoring offense in the FBS and allowing 24.1 points per game, which ranked 56th nationally in scoring defense.

Old Dominion (2-1)

With sixth-year head coach Ricky Rahne at the helm of the program, the Monarchs field a roster that returns five All-Sun Belt picks from 2024 and had four players named to the 2025 Preseason All-Sun Belt teams.

The Monarchs seem to be headed for a similar upwards trajectory as last season, opening the season with a somewhat competitive 27-14 loss to now No. 11 Indiana, and then a 54-6 win over NC Central, before beating in-state rival Va. Tech 4526 in what some would consider to be an upset.

Redshirt sophomore QB Colton Joseph has returned to helm the Monarchs offense in 2025, completing 46 of his 68 passes for 629 yards, five touchdowns and three interceptions through the first three games. Joseph has proved to be a formidable threat on

the ground as well as through the air, leading ODU’s 2025 rushing attack with 30 rushes for 309 yards and four touchdowns.

Old Dominion will look to build upon last season’s promise and flip a few of those one-score losses to wins in 2025, and is 54th nationally in total offense (29.5 points per game) and 66th nationally in scoring defense (26.5 points allowed per game).

Texas State (3-1)

Third-year head coach GJ Kinne guides the Bobcats in their final Sun Belt campaign before their move to the newly revamped Pac-12 in 2026.

The Bobcats started their 2025 campaign red hot with a 52-27 win against Eastern Michigan, followed by a 43-36 win against UTSA. However, they were struck down 34-15 by Arizona State, one of last year’s College Football Playoff members, before bouncing back last week with a 35-3 thumping against Nicholls.

After the loss of former JMU transfer Jordan McCloud, Texas State was hesitant to name a starting quarterback but had a plethora of transfer options from Power Four programs at the position.

Instead, Texas State redshirt freshman Brad Jackson won the Bobcats’ starting job, and he has completed 68 out of his 102 passes for a 66% completion rate, 864 yards, six touchdowns and only one interception.

The Bobcats will look to build upon their 2024 success and are ranked 22nd nationally in total offense (36.7 points per game) and 102nd nationally in scoring defense (32.3 points allowed per game) so far in 2025 as they look to finish strong and ride off into the sunset to join the Pac-12 in 2026.

see FOOTBALL, page 16

Junior nickel DJ Barksdale Jr has recorded eight total tackles — two tackles for loss — and three pass breakups through the Dukes’ first three games. Annabel Dewey / The Breeze

Marshall (2-2)

Reigning Sun Belt champions Marshall are led by first-year head coach Tony Gibson, who took over a rebuilt roster that returned one All-Sun Belt selection from last year’s conference championship squad and had two players listed on the 2025 Preseason AllSun Belt teams.

After posting a 10-3 record in 2024 and securing its first-ever Sun Belt football title in its third season in the conference, Marshall lost its head coach, Charles Huff.

The Thundering Herd lost Huff and a number of players, including 2024 Sun Belt Conference Newcomer of the Year and starting quarterback redshirt senior Braylon Braxton, who jumped ship with Huff and company to conference foe Southern Miss.

Marshall handed the keys to its offense to redshirt junior Syracuse transfer Carlos Del Rio-Wilson, with redshirt junior Jacksonville State transfer Zion Turner also seeing some reps through four games.

Del Rio-Wilson is the clear winner of the starting job as it stands, completing 27 out of his 34 passes for a 79% completion rate, 379 yards and six touchdowns, with Turner contributing 19 completed passes on 31 attempts for a 61% completion rate, for 183 yards and an interception.

Marshall is looking to defend its SBC championship with lots of new faces and is currently 79th nationally in total offense (23 points per game) and 98th nationally in scoring defense (31.3 points allowed per game).

App State (2-1 )

With first-year head coach Dowell Loggains at the helm, App State fields a rebuilt roster without a 2024 All-Sun Belt returner and with just one 2025 Preseason All-Sun Belt honoree.

Redshirt junior quarterback AJ Swann has guided the Mountaineers to a 34-11 win against Charlotte in the season opener, and then a 20-13 win against Lindenwood, before exiting last week’s contest against Southern Miss with a lower-body injury, a game in which App State lost 38-22.

Swann has completed 65 of his 104 passes for a 63% completion rate, 879 yards and five touchdowns along with four interceptions but has clearly flashed his potential when healthy.

The Mountaineers are also led offensively by bellcow senior running back Rashod Dubinion, who has rushed for 406 yards and two touchdowns on 71 carries through the first three games.

App State looks to return atop the Sun Belt football summit in 2025 and is currently ranked 58th nationally in total offense (28 points per

game) and 62nd nationally in scoring defense (24.5 points allowed per game).

Coastal Carolina (2-2)

With third-year head coach Tim Beck at the helm, the Chanticleers field a roster that returns a pair of All-Sun Belt honorees from 2024 and had three players named to the 2025 Preseason All-Sun Belt teams.

After losing starting quarterback Ethan Vasko to Liberty, the question of who would guide the Chanticleers’ offense was up in the air throughout preseason camp.

While Morris was initially named the starter, a zero-touchdown performance in Week 1 against UVA and then three interceptions in a narrow win vs Charleston Southern with zero touchdowns again, meant Beck turned to Hudson to start Week 3, who has remained the starter through Week 4.

Both quarterbacks are 1-1, with Hudson completing 35 of his 70 passes for a 50% completion rate, 321 yards and two touchdowns, along with two interceptions, as well as totaling 58 yards and two touchdowns on 18 rushes through two games.

Morris completed 33 of his 58 passes for a 56% completion rate, 265 yards and four interceptions with no touchdowns through the first four games of the season.

Coastal Carolina will look to bounce back after another losing season in 2024 and is currently ranked 118th nationally in total offense (15 points per game) and 113th nationally in scoring defense (35.6 points allowed per game).

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

Senior linebacker Trent Hendrick recorded 19 total tackles and two for a loss through three games to start 2025. Caden Burch / 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 “you-da-goat” pat to the football team.

From a student who was very impressed by the game.

JMU needs to recycle better

ASHTON COLLIN contributing columnist

The importance of recycling has been ingrained into our minds since we were young, especially in academic environments. So, why is it that when walking around campus, we’re faced with overfilled trash bins with assorted plastics and paper all jumbled together?

All of which will get sent to one big landfill if us students don’t put our waste in the correct place. If recycling is regarded as commonplace among students, why are we seeing such a lack of it around campus? Could it partially be from not having more accessible recycling practices, or is it from a lack of concern on our side?

The scarcity of convenient ways to recycle could be a possible reason why JMU’s student recycling is so down in the dumps.

In 2018, Harrisonburg Waste Management’s recycling provider, Van Der Linde Recycling, ended its curbside pickup service and left the city of Harrisonburg without a residential recycling option.

Shifting back to the recycling center, these changes sound great and like a step closer to limiting the effects of pollution, until you look up their hours and see how limited they are. The center is only open from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekdays and 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Saturdays. These hours may be convenient for non-student residents, but for JMU students on and off campus, it’s difficult to meet these hours while managing school and work.

If students were able to meet these hours, would we even bother to go there to drop off our waste? It’s unlikely, considering that students often don’t recycle at the bins in our living areas either. I have seen this personally in the trash room of Converse Hall, as students just chuck their waste regardless of what the bins say.

start taking recycling more seriously, as the future condition of the environment depends on the actions we take today.

As stated by Closed Loop Recycling in its article “The Negative Effects of Not Recycling,” not recycling” increases landfill waste, contributing to greenhouse gas emissions from decomposing materials and leading to soil and water pollution.” These are all vital resources that we need to survive, which is why recycling is so important for our general well-being. It’s not just about throwing away an empty can of soda in the correct place; it’s about ensuring we have a safe and clean environment that JMU students and staff can prosper in.

An “it’s-looking-likeI-won’t-have-to-takethe-LSAT ” pat to my fantasy team.

From a student who finally has a good team this season.

After Van Der Linde Recycling left, the city put all waste, even the recyclable ones, in one giant landfill in Rockingham County. This practice lasted until late 2018, when the city rolled out its Recycling Convenience Center at 2055 Beery Rd. While it doesn’t seem like a terribly long time ago, you don’t need to engage in a harmful practice for long for it to take effect and impact the environment.

On top of that, according to a survey conducted by Harsit Patel of Harrisonburg’s Public Works Department, “75% of survey respondents say that they use the Recycling Convenience Center, while the remaining respondents either don’t recycle or divert waste in other ways.” That remaining 25% who don’t recycle most likely includes students, which highlights the need for a schoolwide environmental consciousness effort to encourage and remind people to recycle their waste, hopefully lowering the statistics along the way.

On the positive side, a perfect example of great recycling on campus is the upstairs Student Success Center by the on-campus Dunkin’. There are multiple bins labeled for paper, landfill and cans, all right next to each other. This reminds students to think twice about where they put their trash and hopefully encourages them to do this every time they toss their waste.

A “hat-man” dart to sombr.

From a viewer who thinks he has no business being that tall.

Furthermore, this recycling center has residents drop off their recyclables, instead of leaving them on the curb for pickup. The purpose of creating this center was because of how expensive and dangerous it is to send sanitation workers to collect recyclables from every house and how unappealing garbage looks sitting on the curbs of our neighborhoods. These are all valid reasons, and just glossing over these shifts of worker safety wouldn’t be fair to the Public Works department or their hardworking employees.

Soon, we students won’t have the privilege to just carelessly toss our trash anymore, with how quickly these toxic fumes are infiltrating the air. The fumes emitted by breaking down waste in these landfills contain high levels of methane and carbon dioxide. These chemicals are not only hazardous for the environment, but for human health as well. It can lead to resource depletion as producing raw materials requires extraction from the Earth, which can destroy ecosystems and already existing materials. This should be more than enough reason for students to

Recycling isn’t difficult, but it requires a conscious effort to engage in. Recycling is worth the extra five minutes sorting through trash or the short drive to the convenience center, because helping combat pollution is much more important than a bit of lost time. With the resources provided to us by the Harrisonburg Waste Management and JMU, we students can reach the goal of having a healthier and cleaner future. So, the next time you’re on your way to drop off trash, make sure you remember to recycle while you do it.

CONTACT Ashton Collin at colli4ax@ dukes.jmu.edu. For more editorials regarding the JMU and Harrisonburg communities, follow the opinion desk on X @TheBreezeJMU and on Instagram @BreezeJMU.

A “crossy-road” dart to Harrisonburg Public Works for not putting a crosswalk at the Target intersection.

From a carless student who just wants to shop at their favorite grocery store.

A JMU student recycling at Rose Library. Photo illustration by Ellie Campbell

The price of being a loyal Duke

The JMU Student Duke Club (SDC) provides the opportunity to grow the “We Bleed Purple” culture and claims to grant both exclusive seating at JMU athletic events, as well as early access to premier events. After paying the $25 fee, the SDC offers 24-hour early access to student tickets for football and basketball games, before the general student body.

One would assume that being part of the SDC guarantees entry to games. If a ticket is sold to a student, there’s an assumption that there’s a seat in the student section for the ticket holder.

Well, the assumption is wrong. It makes an ‘ASS out of U and ME.’ Meaning that more often than not, our assumptions are. In fact, a lot of damage can be done by confusing assumptions with truth.

After the Aug. 30 football game, many students felt damaged or discouraged. I am one of them.

Upon entering the stadium, my friends and I walked up the bleachers in an attempt to enter the student section. Quickly, we ran into a problem. The sections were blocked off by different people in JMU staff-like gear, holding yellow signs with red lettering. The signs read, “This section is full.” When approached, the staff asked us to show them our stamps.

What stamp? Over the past two years, JMU hasn’t required a stamp to enter the student section or stadium. Unable to enter through another section because our student tickets were only ‘General Admission,’ we felt we had no other choice than to leave the game. We didn’t see the beginning, middle or end of our last first college football game of the season.

There was simply not enough seating in the student section for the number of “student tickets” sold.

With the new stamp policy put into place, many students were turned away from the student section with little-tono explanation, leading to even more frustration. Workers offered no clarification and simply redirected students elsewhere. To me and my friends, it felt like the only direction was out of the stadium.

Why had we not been warned about this new policy before attempting to enter the student section? An email was not sent out about it until after the game. If we had known, would we have gone about leaving the game the way we did? If we knew there was alternative seating for students, we probably wouldn’t have left at all.

If the SDC says, “students who reserve a student ticket(s) for football, but do not attend twice in a season will lose ticket privileges for the remainder of the season,” what’s the protocol for receiving a student ticket but being unable to sit down in the student section? Technically, students left without a seat but supposedly had reserved a ticket.

Those who were holding the “This section is full” signs weren’t only JMU staff, but students. These students were enrolled in a required course for the sports and recreation management (SRM) major at JMU. The SRM 333 class expects students to volunteer for a minimum of two football games during the regular season as a way to gain experience.

The course claims to provide students with knowledge applicable to management principles and theories in specific professional organizations in the sport and recreation industry, according to the JMU Course Catalog. A senior in SRM 333 — a class focused on leadership and management in sports — asked to stay anonymous so he could share his honest opinion without worry.

“No training and no expectations were given by the professor, other than that we will have to write a report about our experience,” he said. The student explained that the two games were a requirement of the course, but “we were all able to fill out a form to pick which games we would be most available for.”

While this student didn’t volunteer at the first game of the JMU football season, he did attend it. “I got my ticket through the Student Duke Club,” he said.

Ironic, isn’t it?

However, the difference is that this specific student was able to find seating.

“I was sitting on the away side, so I did not see students being turned away from the game, but I did hear about it,” he said.

“The student section was definitely oversold. I was sitting on the away side, and for all I could see, it was also mostly students in my section and the surrounding ones,” he stated.

JMU offers 6,000 student tickets out of almost 25,000 total seats in Bridgeforth Stadium.

At the Aug. 30 football game against Weber State, the attendance was a whopping 24,965 out of the stadium’s capacity of 24,877, according to ESPN. Attendance is calculated by a number of things including: tickets sold, staff in the stadium, players and authorized personnel. The near-sellout crowd raises questions about how tickets were allocated.

According to a 2024 Breeze article, “as the demand for student tickets skyrocketed,” so did the number of students who joined the SDC, Associate A.D. for Communications and Strategic Initiatives Kevin Warner said. If student tickets used to sell out in minutes, and more students gained access to tickets 24 hours early, how were there still student tickets available over an hour after the regular student tickets were released? And with the stadium packed beyond capacity, did JMU overestimate how many student tickets it could really offer?

Sept. 16, 2024, the JMU SDC had 3,500 members. Over half of the total number of student tickets available. That seems more than unfair.

“We’re having conversations about stadium expansion, but any kind of project of that magnitude takes time,” Warner said in a previous Breeze article.

Well, unbeknownst to my friends and myself, the student section is not only on the North End Zone. After three seasons of attending football games at JMU, the only student section I’ve ever sat in was on the North End Zone of the stadium. The student section stretches almost all across the East Side. While this may be a user-error, it is not well-enough advertised that there are more seats for students with student tickets.

It doesn’t add up. If 6,000 student section tickets can be sold, why aren’t all 6,000 ticketholders able to sit in the student section and forced to sit along the East Side of the stadium?

The SRM 333 student shared that a problem with this system might be that there are no real seats in the student section, only bleachers.

“People used to pack in and just squeeze, but now they’re limiting the number based on the capacity of the student section,” he said. “I think that there should be a defined number of tickets for the actual student section. Once those tickets are sold out, students can have an option to get a General Admission ticket, but know they will have to sit on the away side stands.”

JMU claims that our school spirit is its own brand of uniqueness. The university is known to have a powerful sense of community and school pride.

That being said, if students pay for early access to tickets through the SDC or reserve a ticket for a game, they shouldn’t be left outside of the student section with their peers, in their own stadium. Failing to manage seating expectations isn’t just a logistical failure; it’s a broken promise.

Whatever the reason may be, it’s time for JMU Athletics and administration to reevaluate the student ticketing system. No Duke should have to leave their last first game without seeing a single play.

“We Bleed Purple,” but at what cost?

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

EMMA CURRIE Breeze columnist

Julia Tanner / The Breeze

S EAT DOMINO’S DUKES DUKES

DOMINO

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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.

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