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For a photo slideshow and video of Paul Ryan’s rally, visit
For a photo slideshow and video of last night’s mosque gathering, visit
breezejmu.org.
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PM T-Showers n 73°/ 63° chance of precipitation: 60%
Tight squeeze Many students still in triples, with RAs
Vol. 91, No. 7 Monday, September 17, 2012
Uniting against HATE
By Kelsey Beckett The Breeze
Only 16 of the 149 students stuck in overcrowded dorm rooms have been relocated to new quarters, leaving dozens still cramped and hoping for normal living arrangements as classes enter their fourth week. In August, an unusually large firstyear class of 4,800 caused the Office of Residence Life to move 25 students into rooms with RAs and to put a third student in 124 temporarily trippled rooms — rooms already assigned to two people. Katie Mursar, assistant director of University Housing, couldn’t say when the problem will be fixed because it depends on students leaving the university. “I can’t predict when students will choose to leave the university, I also can’t say how long students will remain in RA rooms or temporary triples,” Mursar said. ORL promised refunds to students who hadn’t been moved out of the temporary living conditions by the third week of school.
Then ... 25 students room with RAs n 124 triples n
Now ... 15 students still rooming with RAs n 118 triples n
ORL said it would refund residents $225 if they hadn’t received a room reassignment offer by Sept. 11 at 5 p.m. But with the limited number of students who were moved, only 370 families will receive the first rebate. RAs receive a $50 rebate every week until a room opens up for their roommate. Students living with RAs don’t receive any rebate. The remaining triples are located in Chesapeake, Gifford, Potomac, Wampler and Wayland Halls. In an Aug. 27 Breeze article, Maggie Evans, director of ORL, said students living with RAs would receive first priority when new rooms open up. But, students in triples have been reassigned to new rooms before all of the students living with RAs have moved. Courtney Mills, a sophomore biology major and RA in Chesapeake Hall, volunteered to live with a student because she felt it was the right thing to do. “I really didn’t want to do it, but I stepped up because I figured JMU needed help,” Mills said. see dorms, page B5
9/17 Inside
A3
news Spreading the word
A5
opinion Message overload
B1
sports Hometown glory
B3
life Ginsberg candids
JMU is ranked one of the top free speech schools in the nation.
University informational emails waste both its and our time.
Soccer extends its home win streak to a record-breaking 15.
WMRA hosts “Beat” photography display.
Brian Prescott / the breeze
More than 500 people came to the Islamic Center of the Shenandoah Valley last night to pray for acceptance and tolerance in the community.
Vandalism at local mosque inspires community members to band together By Jen Eyring and IJ Chan The Breeze
Fifty people silently watched sheriffs wash racial slurs off the Islamic Center walls yesterday before joining hundreds of others at an interfaith gathering in the mosque. Over the weekend, both the Islamic Center of the Shenandoah Valley and the Redeemer Classical School in Keezletown were graffitied with genitalia and anti-Muslim and
racial obscenities like “Iraki [sic] f---s” and “This is America b----.” Police are labeling it a hate crime. “We suspect that [they’re related], but it’s hard to speculate,” said Cpl. Jason Fox of the Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office. “They were similar, almost identical, as far as the type of vandalism.” Kai Degner, a Harrisonburg city councilman, planned a “We are All Harrisonburg-Rockingham Gathering” last night
on Facebook in response. More than the 650 people attended the event. Many expected a somber atmosphere, but instead were impressed by the amount of support the community had for these groups. The Islamic Center was packed with people lining the walls and sitting on the floor after all of the seats were taken. see MOSQUE, page A4
Big Stage blowout
WVU game coverage on page b1. Slideshow at breezejmu.org. sean cassidy / the breeze
Paul Ryan speaks about economy, energy Despite location close to JMU, youth and student issues not focus of vice presidential canidate’s rally By Laura Weeks The Breeze
Though loan debt and job opportunities rank among the most critical issues facing college students, they weren’t topics Paul Ryan addressed at Friday’s rally in Rockingham, just five miles from JMU’s campus of more than 20,000. Vice presidential candidate Ryan, accompanied by his wife and mother, addressed an audience of about 1,000, including about 50 JMU students at the fairgrounds. His 20-minute speech focused on policies to support small business, crushing the national deficit and tapping into domestic oil. “We have a lot of energy in this country,” Ryan said. “Oil, natural gas, nuclear. Let’s use it all.” The same day, running mate Mitt Romney spoke to a crowd of more than 3,000 at Lake Erie College in
Painesville, Ohio, focusing on restoring the economy and touched little on education issues like doubling the number of Pell Grants. Ryan’s speech was “very general,” said David Tessier, a freshman finance major. “He knew there was a college crowd, so I wish he would’ve mentioned us and how we could get a job in the future and what he’s going to do to lessen our debt.” President Barack Obama, who’s clenched congressional approval for a $10,000 college tax credit over four years while increasing Pell Grants and other financial aid, emphasizes greater access to college. But Romney argues that increasing federal aid for students will only lead to higher tuition. Instead, he’s urging for a return of private lenders to the federal student loan program. see Ryan, page A4
sean cassidy / the breeze
Republican Vice Presdient candiate Paul Ryan gave a speech to local supporters at the Rockingham County Fairgrounds on Friday afternoon. The Romney campaign is focusing its efforts in Virginia, a highly contested battleground state.