Snooki Brings Fist Pumps, Poofs to JMU

By Torie Foster,

HARRISONBURG, Va. — If the extra security guards didn’t demonstrate enough how momentous Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi’s appearance Wednesday night was, the excited chatter and squealing echoing throughout the packed Memorial Hall e may have been. It was past the planned start time of 9 p.m., and the star of MTV’s “Jersey Shore” was still en route to JMU. By 9:30 p.m. (her flight was delayed, UPB said), the audience erupted into an eager “Snooki” chant. Comedian and host Michael...
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The ‘Perfect Storm’ in a Sea of Alcohol

By Katie Thisdell, The Breeze

Faculty Discuss Alcohol, Academics Relationship HARRISONBURG, Va. — The Sunday morning sea of red Solo cups and aluminum cans littering stairwells, lawns and streets proclaims JMU’s off-campus culture. “That was a fun party last night!” the relics scream. JMU is sometimes thought to have a “work hard, play hard” culture. It’s a culture of alcohol, of being known as a great party school, and of brunch-time relivings of what happened the night before. But some faculty members are asking...
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Students React to Live@Edu

By Jessica Albert,

Some Like the New System, Others Find it Difficult to Navigate, Forward HARRISONBURG, Va. — After much anticipation, JMU students are finally using the Live@edu e-mail system. Students received an e-mail about how to setup their new accounts Feb. 25. The new system has replaced the former Webmail service, which had been in place since May 2003. As of Tuesday afternoon, about 7,200 students have made the switch to Live@edu. The new system changes students’ e-mail usernames to “e-ID@dukes.jmu.edu.” ...
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Mayor Launches News Site

By Matt Sutherland and John Sutter,

HARRISONBURG, Va. — It is a story as old as “Citizen Kane:” A politician writes the headlines instead of making them. Now, the story is becoming reality in Harrisonburg. Mayor and JMU alumnus Kai Degner launched an online news site Feb. 28 called the Harrisonburg Times. The site is also still looking for more funding but hopes to have consistent content by April 15. Degner described the site as a news resource but structured like a blog. With the new publication, Degner is hoping to break down...
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PART 5: Turning Loss into Life: A Pierre Curtis Story

By Tim Chapman, The Breeze

Part Five: Toughing it out with a smile, just like mom A new child meant more work over the summer for JMU senior Pierre Curtis and his girlfriend Rashonda Roberson. Pierre worked at UREC. Rashonda, a 2009 JMU graduate, started back at Old Navy, though she hopes to pursue a career in social work. “A lot of people get to have fun in the summer,” Pierre says. “I didn’t. I want to say I lived the real-world life. Shonda… she worked up until she had to stop working and she took the time...
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PART 6: Turning Loss into Life: A Pierre Curtis Story

By Tim Chapman, The Breeze

Part Six: Significance of jersey number increases with birth of daughter Enter Matt Brady — a basketball savvy 42-year-old on the rise in the coaching ranks. Known for tweaking the shooting touches of NBA stars Jameer Nelson and Delonte West while an assistant at St. Josephs in Philadelphia, Brady went on to prove himself as head coach at Marist College in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. In four seasons Brady turned a dismal program into an annual contender in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. When...
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