The Breeze 1.29.25

The Breeze

NEWS

EDITORS Emma Notarnicola & Charlie Bodenstein EMAIL breezenews@gmail.com

Dukes react to JMU reopening

By EMMA NOTARNICOLA The Breeze

After closing for two days due to inclement weather, JMU opened its doors for in-person classes on Wednesday, causing upset and worry among many commuting Dukes.

In a status update on JMU’s website, the university wrote, “If you are uncomfortable driving out of your complex, consider an alternate method of transportation. Carpool with a friend. Walk. Take the bus.” The university followed this up with telling students, “It will be chilly this week. Dress warmly,” in reference to near-zero temperatures. These messages are no longer available on the website.

Multiple schools across Virginia canceled classes following Saturday’s snowstorm, which brought over 20 inches of snow. Three days later, with mountains of snow crowding the streets and parking lots, JMU announced it would reopen without a delay.

In a emailed statement to The Breeze, a university spokesperson wrote, adding that “JMU takes many factors into account when determining campus operations due to inclement weather to ensure the safety of our campus community.”

“These decisions are often complex,” the spokesperson wrote, adding that JMU encourages students to stay aware of weather changes and university announcements.

“As decisions are made, the university will communicate them to students, faculty, staff, and the community immediately using a variety of alerts,” the spokesperson wrote.

Several other schools in the area, including Eastern Mennonite University (EMU), Bridgewater College and Harrisonburg City Public Schools, all closed on Wednesday due to inclement weather.

“I just thought it was ridiculous because EMU’s closed, VCU’s virtual, Bridgewater’s closed and even Harrisonburg schools are closed, and we have nothing,” junior public administration major Kayla Pinheiro said. “We don’t even have a delay.”

Many Dukes said they’re worried about their safety with the current road and sidewalk conditions.

“It just feels like it’s very dangerous and they’re gambling with our lives,” sophomore international affairs major Isabelle Schweiter said.

Some students, though happy about being back in classes, were still worried about their safety when walking.

“I was a little disappointed because some of the sidewalks aren’t clear yet, but I was kind of happy, too, because I was cooped up in my dorm for three days,” freshman marketing major Payton Dubanowitz said.

Junior social work major Caitlin Williams, who lives in Sunchase, said she’s worried about the snow’s proximity to the road, especially with cars driving close together.

“I think there are going to be accidents and students should watch out and be careful,” Williams said.

Some professors, including Political Science professor Joel Hensley, said they were particularly worried for students who live in rural areas.

“I think it works for students who are on campus,” Hensley said, “for ones who have to commute, especially ones who live in this area, like in Shenandoah County, Rockingham County or Augusta … it’s probably a little difficult.”

While JMU announced students should plan to attend inperson classes, instructors ultimately decide how their classes will be conducted. Some commuting faculty, such as writing, rhetoric and technical communication senior lecturer Jay Varner, chose to stay home and teach virtually.

“My wife is on campus today, but I’m staying home to tend to the fire and work remotely,” Varner, who commutes for about 40 minutes to campus, said. “Roads are fine in Afton … I just worry about students walking to school in this cold.”

In addition, students across various off-campus housing apartments have their cars buried beneath ice and snow, with some complexes — such as Southview — remaining completely snowed in.

“Southview is absolutely insane; they haven’t even plowed, [and] the Charleston’s terrible too. I have friends in different neighborhoods and it’s all terrible for them,” Pinheiro said.

Some off-campus students, like senior computer information systems major Ryan Marlovits, said they spent hours digging out their cars just to get to school on time.

“It took three hours to get my car out, so I was just pretty annoyed,” he said. “Getting out of The Pointe [apartment complex]

was probably the hardest part. It was still icy everywhere, but overall, the roads were okay.”

Even in areas where snow plows have cleared the roads, students still need to spend hours freeing and preparing their cars to drive safely.

“The plows came through Arcadia [apartment complex], but it pushed all the snow in front of everyone’s cars and then it turned into ice overnight,” Pinheiro said. “I saw people trying to shovel with their plastic shovels and they just broke.”

Several students are still struggling to get their cars out of the snow, preventing them from safely getting to school.

“The roads are still quite icy, and a lot of people I know still have not been able to get their car out, so it is crazy that we were still expected to drive to class tomorrow,” sophomore elementary education major Abbie Wilson said.

JMU made the reopening announcement on Tuesday at 7 p.m., reminding students to reserve extra time traveling to classes and consider alternative methods of transportation, such as taking the bus, carpooling and walking.

While students were encouraged to walk or use alternative transportation, JMU housed essential staff — dining or overnight snow removal workers — in Hotel Madison to provide safe travel during the snowy and icy conditions, the university spokesperson wrote.

“It is common practice for the university to reserve local hotel rooms during a winter weather event for essential staff who are unable to get to and from their homes,” the emailed statement read, “especially those who work an overnight shift to remove snow or staff to operate dining for students.”

Some Dukes, like sophomore intelligence analysis major Ethan MacDonald, said that though some of JMU’s suggestions may be attainable, walking is not doable for many Dukes.

“If you live really far away, walking is not really going to happen, but I’m sure I could pull together people to carpool or ride the bus that comes every 30 minutes,” MacDonald said.

Students who took the bus, like Marlovits, said it was very crowded, which caused some Dukes to miss their bus.

“I know one of my roommates already missed the bus earlier because it was crowded,” he said.

Other students, worried about their safety, doubted the effectiveness of these alternative methods and their availability for students across Harrisonburg.

“Carpooling doesn’t really help the issue at all because that’s still driving,” Pinheiro said. “Walking is insane because the sidewalks are up to maybe two feet of snow … and some people don’t even have bus transits to their neighborhoods.”

With walking, Schweiter said she’s worried about her safety getting to school, even walking there, adding that many of the sidewalks across town remain covered in ice and snow.

The issue, if anything, is going to be the sidewalks off campus because those are the ones that pose more risk [than] on campus,” Schweiter said. “If I slip and fall and hurt myself, I don’t know how quickly I can get a response because there’s so much snow everywhere to begin with.”

Even on-campus students are worried about walking around, especially with slick sidewalks and 4-foot-high snow banks.

“I live on East Campus, so my initial reaction was probably fear because I didn’t want to walk down Village Hill,” freshman secondary education and English major Joanna Jones said. “I do think because the buses are running that it was better, but I still think it’s freaking cold.”

With the various problems, many Dukes said they wished they had seen an alternative approach from the university.

“Even closing until mid-day could have been helpful because at least it would have given people time to plan transportation,” Schweiter said.

Other students said they hoped for asynchronous Zoom classes, where students can attend classes without having to travel in potentially dangerous conditions.

“I think [JMU] thinks that showing that they’re staying open while other schools are closing is going to make them look good, but I think it just makes them look worse because it’s putting our safety at risk,” Pinheiro said.

Above all else, students encouraged each other to stay safe and vigilant as they make their way to class, reminding one another to drive safely and prevent accidents.

“I saw two accidents in the past three days; it’s just risking our lives to drive, and it’s for something that can be easily avoided,” Pinheiro said.

CONTACT Emma Notarnicola at breezenews@gmail.com. For more coverage of JMU and Harrisonburg news, follow the news desk on X @TheBreezeJMU and on Instagram @BreezeJMU.

Professionals give 5 safety tips for Dukes during snow

By EMMA NOTARNICOLA The Breeze

With ice, snow and below-freezing temperatures starting off the spring semester, here are a few tips to guarantee Dukes are fully prepared for future winter weather.

Stay indoors when roads are icy

Unless necessary, it’s important to stay indoors as much as possible to avoid icy roads and slick sidewalks, Harrisonburg Police Department Outreach and Communication Specialist Juliana McGrath said.

“Please stay off the roads,” McGrath said, “road conditions can rapidly deteriorate, so what might look fine when you leave your house may not be okay when you come back.”

Harrisonburg Public Works Outreach and Communication Specialist Maya Waid added that staying off the road allows Harrisonburg Public Works to clear the roads. Many roads throughout the city have already been salted, and she cautioned students that many parking lots and smaller roads might still be slick.

If anyone absolutely needs to drive, they should avoid driving at night and give snow plows plenty of room to work, Waid said.

Stay informed

Students should stay informed by following city and JMU announcements on social media and via email.

“The public works, police department and city social media are going to be the best place to receive information about road conditions, safety tips and timely updates,” McGrath said.

JMU Police Lieutenant Aaron Hammer said on-campus students should frequently check emailed information as well as stay updated with the JMU Shield app and Madison Alerts.

Students should especially keep an eye on dining hall closures and not assume they’re open before heading into the storm, Waid said.

Though dining halls should stay open, Hammer recommended that students stay indoors and eat the food they have there.

“If you can, hunker down and stay put at your dorm and eat and drink in-house,” Hammer said. “If it prevents you from going out in the elements, we’d obviously recommend that.”

If they’re worried about anything, Waid said, students should reach out to the city across social media and in emergencies, call 911.

In

cases of emergency, contact 911 or emergency responders

If a student finds themself in an emergency, it’s important to stay calm and contact the proper authorities, McGrath said.

“In an emergency, either at their home or on the road, the first thing they should do is call 911,” McGrath said, “despite road conditions, our officers will make their best effort to get there quickly and efficiently and help them with whatever they need.”

JMU Police will also be patrolling and can be contacted in an emergency from the Madison Alerts and JMU Shield app, Hammer said.

“The police department is open 24/7, year-round. We always have officers working,” Hammer said. “[Students] can contact the 6911 number or they can contact 911 if it’s an immediate emergency.”

He added that it’s incredibly important to keep phones charged and have access to extra power banks if needed.

Prepare in advance before bad weather

Students should make sure their non-battery-powered items are charged and their cars are full of gas.

For on-campus students, Waid recommended planning with Resident Advisers (RAs) to make necessities available in cases of emergencies.

“We just don’t want students on campus to be in a situation where they don’t have access to food or water or anything like that,” Waid said.

Though power outages across the dorms are possible, each building has a backup generator; however, not all buildings’ HVAC systems can run continuously, Hammer said, though elevators will continue to operate.

Off-campus students are encouraged to move their cars off the street and into driveways, if possible, to give plows ample room to remove snow, Waid said. To prevent pipes from freezing, students should open under-the-sink cabinets and let faucets drip, she added.

Students and residents should take steps to prepare their homes by closely listening to instructions and watching for communication from rental companies, landlords and JMU Residence Life.

In case you’re outside

Students should avoid going out if there are dangerous road conditions or sidewalks are too icy.

“No matter how good a driver you think you are, conditions can get unpredictable very quickly,” McGrath said. “That’s why we’re just urging people to stay home, stay off the roads. If you have to go out, make sure you’re prepared.”

But if one needs to travel, Hammer said, it’s important to bundle up, stay as warm as possible and try to stay on cleared sidewalks.

As for driving, McGrath said, students should check their tires, fluids and windshield wipers while packing extra layers, blankets, a flashlight and potentially, an emergency kit. Before driving, make sure to remove all snow.

“Snow left on your vehicle can slide onto the windshield or blow onto other cars, which can also create dangerous conditions, so if it’s possible to wipe those down before you start driving,” Waid said, “make sure your car has plenty of time to heat up and your windshield fully defrost.”

While driving, residents should try to drive slowly and below the speed limit while leaving ample room between cars, avoiding sudden movements and keeping headlights on at all times, McGrath said.

Waid added that drivers should be careful even in areas that look clear, as ice can linger.

“Bridges, hills, shaded areas and [areas] near intersections — those freeze first and they thaw last, and salt does not work on the roads when it’s under 15 degrees, and we are, looking at getting some very cold temperatures into next week,” Waid said.

If drivers do encounter ice on the road, it’s important to stay calm, ease off the gas, avoid slamming on the brakes and safely steer the car in the right direction, McGrath said.

If a crash occurs, McGrath said to wait inside the vehicle off the road and wait for emergency responders. Upon arrival, students should keep a respectful distance between them and emergency responders.

“Just treating our crews and all of our vehicles and stuff with respect for off-campus students, our crews work around the clock, on events like this,” Waid said, “they work 12-hour shifts to clear the roads and get the conditions back to normal and safer, so we just want everyone to respect that they’re doing the best they can, the fastest they can.”

CONTACT Emma Notarnicola at breezenews@gmail.com. For more coverage of JMU and Harrisonburg news, follow the news desk on X @TheBreezeJMU and on Instagram @BreezeJMU.

Overdose-preventing drug hasn’t been

on campus but offers safety net for students

By EMMA NOTARNICOLA

The Breeze

Zero doses of Narcan were administered at JMU during the first semester of Virginia law requiring public institutions to have the overdose-preventing drug accessible in residence halls, though JMU administrators find it serves as a valuable safety precaution.

“We haven’t used [Narcan] at all. Not once. So we made a big investment in an insurance policy just in case,” Office of Residence Life Associate Director Hugh Brown said. “I think it’s always good to spend money on being prepared.”

In 2025, Narcan — a medication to reverse fentanyl overdose that’s also known as naloxone — was implemented in JMU’s residence halls, with resident advisers (RAs) being trained on how to use it.

Virginia law mandates that all residence halls must have the medication, Brown said.

University Health Center Director Anne Brenneman wrote in an email to The Breeze that, per the legislation, one box of Narcan containing two doses was placed in the hall office of each dorm — costing around $26 per box. With this, these trainings teach RAs and the Office of Residence Life staff how to administer Narcan with additional instructions in each box, Brown said.

“You may never feel comfortable administering it, but you would be comfortable with the mechanics of it,” Brown said.

Brown said this additional training didn’t impact any other RA requirements while not increasing total training time.

“We probably cut back on more fun team building things, but we didn’t cut back on the really important training issues like fire safety, working with campus partners and responding to suicidal ideation,” Brown said. “I don’t think training suffered, it’s just logical maneuvering.”

The one issue with Narcan administration comes with determining whether or not the student is suffering from a fentanyl overdose or another ailment, Brown said.

“Now, at least with Narcan, it won’t harm you if you get it inappropriately, but it still makes people a little nervous, which is why we ask the staff to call 9-1-1 before they consider administering Narcan,” Brown said. “We have a great system with our Police and EMTs that can help us respond to emergencies.”

As the law requires, Brown said, new RAs will be trained on Narcan administration before they start working, and expired or used Narcan will be replaced.

Brenneman wrote that Narcan, like any medication, faces varying expiration dates from a few months to a few years.

Although the Virginia Department of Health provided the first box of Narcan for each residence hall for free, the university is expected to replace them.

Brown said that throughout his time at JMU, he has never seen an overdose situation, but he added that before last year, it had been a while since he had seen a fire on campus, referencing last year’s Garber Hall fire.

“We do a lot of training on things that could happen just in case,” he said.

“We did a lot of fire training. We don’t have too many fires, but we did last year. And so I was really glad that people were very well trained and knew how to respond, and we did.”

Brown added that, although it comes at a cost, it’s an important safety mechanism to have at JMU because while

overdoses aren’t currently a problem on campus, they could become one.

“If we had an overdose and someone died, it would be awful, so it’s good that we have the ability to intervene,” he said.

CONTACT Emma Notarnicola at breezenews@gmail.com. For more coverage of JMU and Harrisonburg news, follow the news desk on X @TheBreezeJMU and on Instagram @

Madison Center to use $5 million grants for civic education programs

By EMMA BROWN The Breeze

This past year, the JMU Madison Center for Civic Engagement received a total of $5 million from two grants awarded by the U.S. Department of Education for the Center’s Better Conversations Together (BCT) program.

JMU, the only Virginia school chosen, was selected for this civil discourse funding from a highly competitive pool of applicants. This funding is from a $153 million federal investment in American History and Civics education, according to a JMU press release.

The BCT program promotes civil discourse for first-year and transfer students by facilitating difficult conversations about civics, senior and Democracy Fellow Kieran Fensterwald said.

“We are the national standard on college campuses on civil discourse and promoting free speech, as well as civic dialogue across differences,” Fensterwald said. “We’re a very resultsdriven organization on campus.”

BCT’s goals include helping students participate in difficult conversations with others despite potential political differences, as well as helping administrators facilitate these conversations, Fensterwald said.

“I think us being awarded that five million dollars is a reflection of the results that we’ve been able to get, the programming we’ve been able to do and the students we’ve been able to reach since we started the Better Conversations Together program,” Fensterwald said.

BCT will expand to reach 10 universities, up to 12 faculty and about 7,500 students annually, to eventually create a national network of “anchor campuses” across 40 states, with at least one anchor campus per state, according to the press release.

“The skills students develop through BCT, such as listening deeply to different views and values, being intellectually

humble and deliberating constructively, are essential to sustaining democracy,” the program’s director and Madison Center Executive Director Kara Dillard said. “This is the most consequential work we can do in higher education.”

Funds from these grants may also be used to expand the program to upperclassmen, hire more Democracy Fellows, utilize community partnerships to unite student and community leaders, and more, Fensterwald added.

Sophomore and Democracy Fellow Caden VanValkenburg said he would like to see funds contributed to promoting student education on voting.

Prior to each election, Democracy Fellows go to various classes and inform students on when and where to vote, as well as how to mail in a ballot and other valuable information. However, these 15-minute presentations are only available

via professor request, and VanValkenburg said he hopes to expand this program.

“I think it’s an informative program all-around that all students could benefit from,” VanValkenburg said.

The money received will also be used to cultivate a K-12 version of the program. The Madison Center is working with the College of Education to create a curriculum that allows K-12 teachers to facilitate deliberative conversations, Dillard said.

Read more online at breezejmu.org

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.

Flying to new frontiers

Shenandoah Valley Regional Airport adds two new flights to Chicago and Charlotte for Dukes

By CHARLIE BODENSTEIN The Breeze

The Shenandoah Valley Regional Airport (SHD) will add two flight routes to Chicago O’Hare (ORD) and Charlotte (CLT) on Feb. 3 to give Valley residents more flying options.

The new American Eagle flights will be serviced by SkyWest Airlines. Each flight will use dual-class regional aircraft that seat about 65-75 passengers, according to an airport blog post.

Why Chicago and Charlotte?

When deciding what airlines the airport will offer flights to, the airport’s director of marketing and communications

Heather Ream said it’s “all about maximizing connections.”

Both Charlotte and Chicago offer connections to other major U.S. airports, plus international routes, too, that will give the Shenandoah Valley better opportunities for flight connections, she added.

“Charlotte is a really strong hub, especially for the southwest [and] international destinations in the Caribbean and other international destinations in Europe,” she said. “Chicago provides wonderful connections to the Midwest [and] the West Coast.”

Ream said JMU’s growing number of out-of-state students who can use these new routes was a big part of the reason for adding these flights.

“We absolutely take the university into account when we’re making decisions of what would serve the community best,” she said.

This isn’t the first time the airport has serviced flights to Chicago and Charlotte. It offered flights to Chicago with SkyWest and United in the past, but after the COVID-19 pandemic, SkyWest experienced a pilot shortage and had to discontinue the flights.

Now, they are returning with American Airlines, which Ream said is an “opportunity for growth” for the Shenandoah market.

We repair

The airport currently services flights to Charlotte through Contour until Feb. 3.

SkyWest will replace Contour Airlines as the airport’s main carrier, Ream said, because it better integrates its passengers into the American Airlines system.

Ream added that SkyWest was eager to bring its business back to the Valley because of its expanding market.

While many airlines offered their services to SHD, ultimately the airport chose SkyWest because it felt the airline provided the best connecting hubs. SkyWest also has the CRJ700 regional jet, which will be the airport’s biggest jet — it carries 65 passengers and offers first-class seating.

Services for JMU students

Located just 15 minutes from campus in Augusta County, SHD serves as JMU’s official airport and offers help for Dukes looking for a flight home.

“I think that it could be helpful for getting these students to be able to travel and go places that maybe they would want to, but may not be able to drive to one of those airports that are more popular,” senior integrated science and technology major Gabriel Laurent said.

Students can reserve shuttles that can pick them up from campus. The airport offers free parking for those who would rather drive and has Avis and Budget rental cars for visitors.

“One of the biggest things about airports is it’s hard to have your car there, so having one of those shuttle services could definitely be nice,” Laurent said.

Read more online at breezejmu.org

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

instruments

CULTURE

Isabel Lewis & Bella Arist

EDITORS EMAIL

Column | Surviving in the snow: What to wear for a JMU winter

By ISABEL LEWIS The Breeze

Walking to class in the bitter breeze of Harrisonburg’s winter is a battle most students face during their four years. The Valley’s walkability can be a huge positive when the weather is nice, but once the temperature drops, knowing what to wear becomes a challenge.

Learning how to dress for the winter can make living in the ’Burg a more enjoyable experience. Thankfully, this writer has some tried and true survival tips — especially for those who didn’t grow up with this level of cold.

Hat, hood or earmuffs

Trudging through the snow while holding your hood to keep it from blowing off isn’t the vibe in 2026 — and neither is ruining your hairstyle simply because of the weather. Not to mention the limited visibility that comes with hoods.

Earmuffs are a stylish way to stay warm while elevating your outfit. Simple white, fluffy earmuffs can add a cute touch to your look while saving your ears from freezing. To level up your look, you could even accessorize them with bows or clips.

If you’re not into the clunky look of typical earmuffs, there are sleeker, more hidden alternatives. Walmart sells a more discreet earmuff, which has no band. This option can be covered by hair or a scarf. Headbandstyle ear coverings can serve as a sportier way to keep your ears and head warm in the crispy, cool air, making them ideal for long walks across campus.

Are those pantyhose?

One of the biggest challenges of dressing for the winter is feeling like you lose half your wardrobe: shorts, skirts and dresses. Fleece-lined tights look like pantyhose but are lined with warm fleece, allowing for an insulated and stylish look.

Owning one to two pairs of fleece-lined tights can completely transform your summer wardrobe, making them your new favorite winter-wear. These tights can be super cute paired with maxi skirts, short skirts, dresses or even with black leather shorts. Even without a skirt, they can

provide extra warmth layered under jeans or sweatpants.

Accessorize and layer

Scarves are everywhere this season, with varieties ranging from thick and fluffy to thin and long. Patterned or plaid scarves can be a statement piece to make your outfit stand out, even on the coldest days. With bitter, frosty winds, scarves also help protect your face and neck from windburn.

A TikTok video by @alenayuann highlights creative ways to wrap scarves for both warmth and style. Using clips or simply trying a new knot can make your look more interesting and prevent frostbite. A simple wrapped scarf can still keep you warm if these styles don’t interest you.

Though I love a good scarf, the cutest winter accessory in my book is a pair of leg warmers. When the air starts getting crispier, I love to pull these out — whether it’s going to the rink to ice skate or just making the trek to class.

Jackets that pop

For a classic winter streetwear look, a simple black leather jacket can catch the eye and add an edge to any outfit. Leather jackets have started trending again in the past year, now with even more variation. If you’re not into wearing black, consider adding a pop of color with a red leather jacket, or even a more earthytoned brown or beige-colored leather jacket.

For a more studious look, longer coats — namely trench coats and pea coats — have also made a resurgence this season. While a traditional light-brown color is still popular, some other colors, such as light pinks and purples, are also trending.

These coats are typically very simple, with little to no patterns, only varying in base color or with belts. They are a great staple to have in your closet due to their warmth and versatility, making them easy to dress up or down for any occasion.

CONTACT Isabel Lewis at thebreezeculture@ gmail. 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.

Snow day in the ’Burg

EAT DOMINO’S DUKES DUKES

EDITORS Preston Comer & Tommy Gurganous EMAIL breezesports@gmail.com

JMU men’s basketball to face Troy at halfway point of conference play

By TOMMY GURGANOUS The Breeze

At the halfway mark of its Sun Belt schedule, JMU men’s basketball stands at 3-6 in conference play. Going into this Wednesday, the Dukes were third from last place in the Sun Belt, even as they were predicted to finish atop the conference in the Sun Belt Preseason Coaches Poll.

JMU (10-11) snapped a three-game losing streak with an 82-57 win over Texas State on Saturday. Junior forward Justin McBride, who shot 5 of 25 in his prior two games, averaged 24 points per game over last week on 76.2 percent shooting, including 8 of 9 from 3-point range. JMU also shot over 40 percent from three over last week’s games.

Now, the Dukes go on the road to play Troy (15-6, 8-1 Sun Belt) — a team that is 7-1 when it plays at home. While Troy wins a higher percentage of its games at home, it managed to close out two road wins against conference opponents last week.

What to know about Troy

Troy averages 83.22 points per game in SBC games, only trailing Arkansas State (83.56). The Trojans went 2-0 last week with an 83-77 2OT win at Old Dominion and 83-78 win at Georgia Southern.

Troy has five players that average 10 or more points per game this season.

Troy junior forward Victor Valdes scored 21 and 22 points in those respective games. During those games, Valdes shot 22 for 28 at the foul line (78.6 percent).

After averaging 4.3 points per game in his first two seasons with Troy, Valdes has shot up to 16.5 points per game this season. He attempts 7.1 free throws a game (makes 76.1 percent of free throws) and is second on the team in assists per game with 4.6.

Troy junior forward Thomas Dowd averages 15.7 points per game, 10.5 rebounds per game and has shot 39.3 percent from 3-point range on 5.6 attempts per game this season. Dowd shot 1 of 6 from 3-point range over last week’s games but collected 27 rebounds.

The Trojan duo of brothers Cobi and Cooper Campbell could be considered the best pair of shooters in the Sun Belt. Cobi, a junior guard, knocked down 6 of 11 3-point attempts in last week’s games and has shot 49.2 percent from three (29-59) in Sun Belt play.

Cooper is Troy’s leader in assists per game with 4.9, and also averages 12.9 points per game. He shot 6 of 24 from the field in Troy’s games last week, but he is a 41 percent shooter from 3-point range this season on five attempts per game.

Troy scored more than 80 points in each of its last five games. After its only Sun Belt loss, which came at Arkansas State 86-74 on Jan. 7, the Trojans won the rematch 99-74 just 10 days later. Troy has outscored its Sun Belt opponents by a margin of 11.89 points per game — close to five points more than Marshall.

What to know about JMU

JMU’s 25-point win over Texas State on Saturday was its largest margin of victory this season. After the Dukes had allowed 82.3 points per game in their last three contests,

Texas State shot 33.3 percent from the field and was outrebounded 39-28.

After shooting 4 of 16 from 3-point range against South Alabama on Thursday, JMU fifth-year guard Cliff Davis shot 6 of 9 from there against Texas State.

Davis has emerged as JMU’s second leading scorer behind McBride in Sun Belt play; he’s averaged 14.3 points per game and drilled 32 threes at a 41.6 percent clip. Seventy-sof Davis’ 98 shot attempts in conference play have been from 3-point range, including 25 of his last 25 the past two games.

Redshirt senior guard Kose Egbule and freshman forward Preston Fowler have continued to start for JMU lately. Fowler has started the last three games and averaged 8.3 points and 6.7 rebounds per game. Junior forward Eddie Ricks III has moved to the bench as Fowler has moved into the starting lineup, and Ricks has averaged 5.3 points and 23.7 minutes a game over the last three games.

JMU fifth-year guard Bradley Douglas has acted as the Dukes’ “sixth man” off the bench in the last three games; he’s averaged 12.7 points per game in that stretch on 36.1 percent shooting from the field.

Freshman forward Christian Brown scored four points, grabbed six offensive rebounds and blocked two shots in JMU’s win on Saturday.

JMU plays at Troy on Thursday at 7 p.m.

CONTACT Tommy Gurganous at breezesports@gmail.com. For more men's basketball coverage, follow the sports desk on X and Instagram @TheBreezeSports.

Meet 2 up-and-coming JMU women’s basketball freshmen

By PRESTON COMER

The Breeze

Freshman guard Maddie Oliver committed to JMU women’s basketball later than its other two freshmen. Because of this, head coach Sean O’Regan gave her the other two freshmen’s phone numbers.

Oliver sent a text to introduce herself to forwards Grace McDonough and Jemma Eleby. Oliver said four days had gone by and she’d received no response from either.

“I reached out to the coach and was like ‘they’re not answering,’” Oliver said.

She also joked she was nervous to get to campus and meet the other two freshmen after that, but eventually the three of them would spend “every second” in their residence halls together talking.

Maddie Oliver

Oliver graduated from Norwell High School in Massachusetts, and averaged 18.2 points and 9.3 rebounds per game as a senior.

Oliver said she started playing AAU basketball during second grade and originally dreamed of playing for UConn. Oliver also said she looked up to former UConn player Katie Lou Samuelson, who last played for the WNBA’s Indiana Fever during 2024. Not only did Oliver like her play style, but her hairstyle as well.

“I was obsessed with how she wore her hair, so I used to wear mine like that,” Oliver said. “But she was a sharpshooter, and I just loved that. I would watch [her] all the time.”

Oliver realized she wanted to play college basketball early during high school and was inspired by her older sister, Grace, who currently plays at Wake Forest. Her older brother, Jackson, was also a collegiate athlete and played baseball for Suffolk University.

Initially, Oliver didn’t like growing up in a house full of athletes because she was worried about being overshadowed. But she grew to appreciate her experience.

“I came to appreciate it because it allowed me to have such a different experience,” Oliver said, “because I watched her go through the entire process … she pushed me to be so much better because I wanted to be like her.”

Oliver’s AAU coach brought her to O’Regan before her senior season, but he didn’t have any more scholarship spots open. Later during her senior season, a family friend of O’Regan — who was helping Oliver’s high school team — said he needed to come watch her.

O’Regan started discussing with Oliver about possibly walking on and she eventually committed — even after taking visits to schools offering her scholarships.

During high school, Oliver racked up three Shore League MVPs. She’s only seen action in two games thus far during her freshman season.

Another freshman, McDonough, has seen the floor a lot more than the average firstyear player.

see FRESHMEN, page 17

from FRESHMEN, page 15

Grace McDonough

McDonough hasn’t just appeared in every JMU game this season, she’s started in them too. Her highest-scoring game came against Queens on Nov. 9, when she put up 12 points.

McDonough has scored double-digits four times.

“Her impact has been outstanding for us,” O’Regan said. “You’ve got a returning player of the year, you’ve got all of these other kids that are decorated and have been through stuff. [She’s] going through it for the first time, and I think she’s really shouldered that well and continues to get better.”

McDonough said the adjustment from high school to starting right away at the college level was difficult.

“Honestly, being with the other starting four, they make me feel so comfortable,” McDonough said. “They make me feel so comfortable and they’re always there for me whenever … Having that environment has made it so much easier to come in here and start as a freshman.”

McDonough said she didn’t seriously consider playing college ball until after her sophomore year at Lansdale Catholic High School in Harleysville, Pennsylvania.

“My freshman and sophomore year of high school, I didn’t really have a huge role, and I didn’t really have that big of an impact,” McDonough said.

Her interest in JMU sparked from phone calls with O’Regan during her recruiting process. Though McDonough never heard of the university beforehand, she fell in love with the campus when she visited.

“I had so much fun with the girls here on my official visit,” McDonough said. “It just felt different than the other schools that I visited.”

JMU assistant coach Kayla Cooper Williams first saw McDonough play in high school and told O’Regan he needed to offer her.

“Loved how hard she plays, like very, very competitive and a hard worker,” O’Regan said. “She fits everything about a good JMU kid to me.”

O’Regan and the Dukes still had to beat out programs like Villanova and Northwestern to get McDonough. He said at one point he talked to McDonough on the phone for eight straight nights to discuss any fears she had.

When O’Regan was recruiting McDonough, he told her she could be one of the best players he’s coached, and that’s why he wanted her to start right away.

“You’ve got to be able to play through your mistakes,” O’Regan said, “and you can’t do that as a freshman if I’m bringing you off the bench and I’ve got you on a tight leash.”

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

OPINION

EDITOR

breezeopinion@gmail.com Cali Gilmer

EMAIL

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 “do-you-lack-commonsense” dart to the student who left the window open in Chesapeake Hall.

From someone who read The Breeze’s snow safety article.

Instagram Reels

and our ‘Friends’ are a must-have … or are they?

SHISHIRA NAKKA Breeze columnist

I have a slight confession to make. I am an addict. I am hooked on the most dangerous substance around: Instagram Reels. There was genuinely a week in my life when I spent 11 hours purely on Reels. It started off normal, just the explore page from time to time. Maybe there was a cool recipe or something. By the time the “which planet sounds the best spread on toast” videos hit, I was a lost cause. Instagram made an Icarus out of me, and Reels became the sun I flew too close to.

For those who are clean (not on Reels that often), Instagram Reels appear on the explore page, but also in its own section. In that section is a recently-added feature to the app: a “Friends” tab where you can see what Reels your friends are liking.

Assuming that this is a safe space, I will admit that in the discovery of this feature, I have spent most of my time down this rabbit hole of Reels. It consumes me. And I think I’m not alone.

ended up on someone’s feed. Three, we as a society already have enough issues with performative people as a whole. I have seen men who I’m sure have never washed their sheets wearing old leather messenger bags, wired headphones and an oversized leather jacket they could’ve thrifted but instead bought from Urban Outfitters — so it looked vintage but actually cost the same as a small home. You know, the usual.

The point is, we’ve all seen enough matcha lattes and heard enough Radiohead for a lifetime, and Instagram Reels isn’t the place for it.

I’m guilty of looking through the “Friends” section just to see what one person in particular has liked. I am, it’s true! But I’m trying to get better, and you should too. There’s more to life than what other people are liking, and more importantly, than what

people may or may not be thinking of the things you like — both on Instagram and the real world.

I hope Reels can become for you what it is for me: an absolute vice and probably something they should invent a hotline for. If I don’t get at least an hour of Reel-time, I start shaking. Chills in the body, hair falling out — it’s bad. But it brings me so much joy, and I’m sure the 50 trillion people in my Reel-sending roster think the same thing. Set yourself free, and like a Reel or two that make you truly happy.

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

A “thank-you-for-yourservice” pat to everyone working hard to clear out the snow.

From a student grateful to stay warm and cozy in her apartment. A “what-the-heck-man” dart to Tim Miller for waving at me clearing out my car and still not canceling class.

From a sore and cold student.

There’s a level of being performative to Reels now. I have watched this mindset eat my dearest friends alive — they became obsessed with only liking certain things versus any other type of content. Purposefully liking some Reels so that people can see that content, but not the ones they truly like. It’s suffocating to the person they really are — their inner fan of short-form content and consistent dopamine hits deserves to be seen and nurtured.

Personally, I think I have perfected my Reels algorithm, so when I’m on hour four of doomscrolling, I have no hesitation in double-tapping. If anything, I’m more than happy to be defined by the Reels I’m liking. For instance, I do want to know what animal I am based on the initial of my name, and what about it? I’m proud of it.

However, I’ve been attentive to what other people like — I am still human. It got to the point where I was jealous that someone found something funny before I did. Or if I found a Reel that was liked by someone who usually wasn’t on the app, I liked it too, because, well, I wanted to be included.

A “you’re-a-real-one” pat to the Pheasant Run maintenance workers.

From a resident grateful for your snow melt and patience.

Reels are my happy place. I love seeing people reposting, liking and commenting things — it’s like unlocking a different, secret side to them. People adding a level of judgment to it that does not need to be there feels like an attack on my family. To my home. I can’t tolerate that kind of disrespect. If you are someone who finds themself reading this article thinking, “wow, I totally do that,” then you should know a few things: One, you are seen, heard, and so valid. Two, stop. Immediately. Instagram is for everyone, and that means you should let yourself be free, and yes, like that Reel with three likes because it was funny, and you should even repost it! We only live once, and you have more important things to worry about than the one time your liked Reel

ICE built a vacuum in our nation. We can’t just be passive observers.

CHARLES-NICOLAS OWEN Breeze columnist

Much of the space between atoms is an empty void. As a being composed of atoms, this unnerves me. I consider myself stable (corporeally, in the very least), so the thought of space between the imperceivable parts of our being is uncanny. I wonder if any great authors of speculative fiction have exploited this anxiety.

It seems our political moment has beaten them to it.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has become the center of a national firestorm, driven by fatal shootings in Minneapolis, a surge in aggressive enforcement operations to quell anxieties over the border and a widespread public backlash following the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by ICE officers. Each occurred thousands of miles from the border that has dominated public discourse. At the same time, large-scale raids tied to the administration’s intensified immigration agenda have fueled unrest and deepened divisions in Congress, where lawmakers face pressure to limit ICE’s authority.

Aristotle may not be on your mind in the midst of such distinctly modern ills, but his principles surface with uncanny relevance. Aristotle denied the existence of a vacuum in nature, understanding that a given void exerts force. Space, by natural law, must be filled. ICE detainments create analogous vacuums in social life. They remove individuals (American or otherwise) from families, workplaces, neighborhoods, churches, schoolyards and hospitals, leaving selective absences that ripple through relational networks. While the structures of our modern machine appear intact, with courts, market and media cycles continuing to function, we are still left hollow with the gaps in relational space.

The hole left isn’t picky, but it is hungry. Violence is one possible filler of this absence, but far from the only one. Fear, withdrawal, self-policing and moral outsourcing often occupy the vacuum first. Social media, with its algorithmically optimized feeds and rapid cycles of outrage, amplifies this dynamic. Echo chambers can call a community to action as quickly as they divert attention, leaving anger momentary and distraction permanent.

When violence arises, it’s a predictable effect of accumulated pressure meeting structural brittleness. Ethical analysis requires acknowledging causality without oversimplifying. Disappearance produces forces whose effects are uneven and contingent, and responses must be equally attentive to context.

Recognition of the vacuum doesn’t prescribe a single form of response; rather, it highlights the ethical complexity that arises when federal enforcement actions create spaces of absence and rupture in everyday life. In Minneapolis, where Operation Metro Surge deployed thousands of federal officers in wide-ranging raids, these ruptures became painfully obvious. Some community members and protestors have responded with visible refusal: peaceful demonstrations, vigils, and demands for independent investigations and accountability from state and federal authorities.

Others respond differently: withdrawing from public spaces that feel unsafe, focusing on building relational resilience within families and support networks, or creating informal care structures for those most vulnerable to enforcement actions. Such responses aren’t apathy but strategic preservation. They acknowledge that direct confrontation with powerful institutions isn’t equally viable for everyone; retreat can be a way of safeguarding life, love and memory when such dangers truly rear their ugly head.

Either way, the truth is the same: absence of action is never neutral, and living well requires judgment shaped by circumstance, responsibility and fidelity. The void created by removal and force doesn’t merely erase social life, but rather redistributes it. It channels fear into silence, pressure into self-policing and anxieties into a bitter fragmentation of the self, unless members of the community actively choose how to inhabit or refuse to remain passive. Certainly, withdrawal can be strategic. Silence can be protective. The ethical failure lies not in the existence of absence, but in the refusal

to acknowledge its force. In Minneapolis and elsewhere, ICE detainments create vacuums that will be filled by fear, compliance and contested narratives about use of force and accountability; or by forms of care and solidarity that restore intelligibility without courting destruction.

How we live, then, isn’t a question of purity or heroism, but of density. Conscience, relationships and steady judgement. Some will retreat into spaces of relative safety to protect life and memory, while some will remain embedded in public

Charles-Nicolas Owen / The Breeze

struggles, looking directly into absence and refusing to let it go unexamined. Nature abhors a vacuum. A just society should as well.

CONTACT Charles-Nicolas Owen at wen2cn@dukes. jmu.edu. For more editorials regarding the JMU and Harrisonburg communities, follow the opinion desk on X @TheBreezeJMU and on Instagram @BreezeJMU.

The Breeze

Editorial Staff

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Eleanor Shaw breezeeditor@gmail.com

NEWS EDITORS Emma Notarnicola & Charlie Bodenstein breezenews@gmail.com

COPY EDITORS Kayla Katounas & Joelle McKenzie breezecopy@gmail.com

PRINT MANAGING EDITOR Hannah Kennedy breezepress@gmail.com

CULTURE EDITORS Isabel Lewis & Bella Arist thebreezeculture@gmail.com

PHOTO EDITORS Landon Shackelford & Annabel Dewey breezephotography@gmail.com

ONLINE MANAGING EDITOR Sixuan Wu thebreezeweb@gmail.com

SPORTS EDITORS Preston Comer & Tommy Gurganous breezesports@gmail.com

AUDIENCE EDITORS Ella Warren & Madeline Buynak thebreezesocials@gmail.com

“Aperture” by Harry Styles

“Drum Show” by twenty one pilots

“Folded” by Kehlani

“Dead End” by Snail Mail

“About You” by The 1975

“Weltita” by bad bunny

“Before I Forget” by Slipknot

“Beat Yourself Up” by Charlie Puth

“Against the Current” by Asgeir

OPINION EDITOR Cali Gilmer breezeopinion@gmail.com

ART DIRECTOR Julia Tanner thebreezeartdirector@gmail.com

TV NEWS DIRECTOR Alexa Bonilla jmubreezetv@gmail.com 1598 S. Main St. Harrisonburg, VA 22801 PHONE: (540) 568-6127 FAX: (540) 568-7889

“Feel Something” by Excision, I Prevail, and Illenium

Submit your answers on our weekly Instagram poll @BreezeJMU!

Corrections

If you have any corrections, please contact the section editors via their designated email or the editor-in-chief at breezeeditor@gmail.com.

Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle

Edited by Patti Varol

ACROSS 1 Put on 4 More crafty

Red emblem on the English flag

Org. concerned with forever chemicals

Trattoria course

Flood barrier

*Lead Belly song about a weehours train

20 Blooming __: deep-fried appetizer 21 Large atlas section 22 Broadband letters

Pico de gallo pepper 26 Advance, as cash 28 *Armless furniture that sits low to the ground

In this spot

Prefix with classical

Extreme

GI show gp. 39 *Play area with plastic spheres 42 “Ugh, sounds painful!” 43 New Zealand native 45 Forever and a day 46 Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael, and Michelangelo, for short

*Flavor of many fall lattes

51 __ Millions lottery 52 Lose one’s footing 56 One of the Manning brothers 59 A handful of

Bit of mint

Underdog’s feelgood narrative, and where to find the first words of the answers to the starred clues 66 Mombasa’s country 67 JPEG, e.g.

Dispenser at a bar 69 Beginning stage

Took to the impound lot 71 Pres. before DDE

By Doug Peterson

expo

Grapple, slangily

Neat and wellgroomed

“Parks and __”

Poet of ancient

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Rent This 4 Bedroom 2 Bathroom

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Cross Keys Equine Therapy is taking new clients! Struggling with depression, anxiety, or just need someone to talk to? We offer equine assisted therapy sessions, nature based therapy, or traditional talk therapy. Only 15 minutes from campus! Give us a call today at 540-607-6910.

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Car Wash Express and Laundromat Express!

Car Wash Express and Laundromat Express! Now accepting credit cards for car wash and laundromat! 3 Minutes from campus! Self-serve and automatic options. 48 Kenmore Street, Harrisonburg, VA.540810-1196 mikepackett@aol.com

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Recruit with HPD

The City of Harrisonburg is currently accepting applications for noncertified individuals interested in joining HPD, 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 at: https://www. harrisonburgva.gov/employment. EOE.

Part-time Opportunity - VFW Bartender

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Internship Opportunity - City Manager’s Office (Harrisonburg, VA)

Are you a student seeking real-world experience in public administration with a locality recognized both regionally and nationally for a variety of achievements? If so, apply to the City of Harrisonburg’s City Manager’s Office Internship Opportunity! Find out more/apply online: https://www. harrisonburgva.gov/employment. EOE.

ITEMS FOR SALE

Game room

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O r d e r t o d a y

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c o l d b r e w - c h ata

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N o w s e r v i n g b r e a k f a s t 7 a m - 1 0 a m