In honor of Juneteenth — the anniversary of when news of the Emancipation Proclamation reached the last group of slaves in Texas in 1865 — staff writer Morgan Vuknic compiled a guide of places to visit, movies to watch and educational resources to celebrate the holiday and learn more about Black history.
In its penultimate episode, "Obi-Wan Kenobi" picks up speed with critical character development and stellar action sequences. Reviewer Luke Freisner writes that the episode truly "hits the mark" as it builds toward the show's conclusion.
"Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain" is a beautifully shot and touching documentary about the well-known chef, food critique and world traveler. It's a heart-wrenching story about mental illness and the search for happiness, writes contributing writer Tag Hilliard.
Resident reviewer, Jack Calabrese writes that the latest Jurassic Park addition, "Jurassic World: Dominion," doesn't hold up compared to the other films in the franchise. New cast acting fell flat and CGI missed the mark. The original cast's performances were the highlight of the film, Calabrese writes.
In this weeks installment of "A Wealth of Health," Hannah Lifrieri talks about gym anxiety and how to overcome it, especially in regards to those who are starting on their fitness journey. She pays special attention to the resources offered by UREC as well as tips on how to safely work the gym into your routine.
In his latest review following the Disney+ show "Obi-Wan Kenobi," Luke Freisner highlights that episode 4 feels much like a space-filler in the middle of the show. While it isn't terrible, he writes, it feels like a let down in comparison to the previous epsodes.
Reviewer Luke Freisner returns for his take on episode 3 of "Obi-Wan Kenobi." While the first two episodes showed a slow but promising start, the latest installment kicks into high gear with a gripping portrayal of mental health from Ewan McGregor, Freisner writes, and the highly-anticipated reunion of Obi-Wan Kenobi and Darth Vader.
"Stranger Things," Netflix's most popular show ever, has returned for volume 1 of its fourth season. Reviewer Michael Russo appreciates how the show reveals more about the Upside Down and its villains and praises the Hawkins team's performances and storyline — particularly Sadie Sink's as Max — in the season thus far.
In his review of the first two episodes of "Obi-Wan Kenobi," Luke Freisner dives into the excellent performance of Ewan McGregor as Obi-Wan and Vivien Lyra Blair as a young Princess Leia to continue with the Star Wars legacy. However, the main antagonist, Reva's (Moses Ingram), performance falls flat. So far, the episodes seem like something to look forward to each week, writes Freisner.
Now that the first season of HBO's "Winning Time" has come to a close, reviewer Jack Calabrese shares his thoughts on a collection of episodes with "ups and downs." Though the series faced controversy and struggled to balance showcasing the prestige of the 1980s Lakers with numerous subplots, the season finale offers a hopeful glimpse at what comes next in season two.
Harry Styles' latest work, "Harry's House," is an intimate collection of songs that blend "funky ... childlike lyricism" and "fashionable production," as reviewer Jake Dodohara puts it. While the album is enjoyable, Jake writes, Styles' mimicry of other indie-pop sounds hinders originality.
In this review of "Moon Knight," one of Marvels latest, Luke Freisner writes about astonishing acting from Oscar Isaac as he plays a character with multiple personalities as well as depicting the human side to superheroes.
The Newest Doctor Strange movie has been coined the first MCU horror movie by reviewer Gracie Brogowski. Overall a good film with only a few shortcomings, "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" does a good job connecting previous Marvel movies while providing an unexpected darker side to the franchise.
The Breeze's resident reviewer, Gracie Brogowski, shares her thoughts on David Spade's newest Netflix comedy special. For "crude and casual" humor, this special is the show to watch.
In this week's installment of A Wealth of Health, Hannah Lifrieri talks about stress during finals season and how now to become so overwhelmed.
Get a glimpse into the thoughts and actions of Student Ambassadors in this "day in the life" story.
JMU's Student Government Association is rebranding its DEI committee to be the DEIJA+ committee, incorporating the following: diversity, equity, inclusion, justice, accessibility and more. Leia Surovell, sophomore anthropology major, will take over as chairperson in the fall and hopes to expand the committee's presence and outreach next year.
Local officials from the the City of Harrisonburg and JMU's Career Center share their thoughts on how graduating students and alumni impact the local community by staying in the area after graduation, and students discuss why they decide to remain in the Friendly City.
JMU junior Zack Lipshultz said his love for music started in the womb, literally. Now, he produces his own music, recently released his debut single and is a DJ. He said he thinks his ADHD and "cookie-bite" hearing loss have had an impact on the type of music he's drawn to.
Contributing reviewer Jack Calabrese is back with his take on the latest episodes of HBO's "Winning Time." Although episodes seven and eight near a climax, there isn't a clear direction for the remaining two episodes despite continued "brilliant" performances and interesting storylines, Jack writes.
Adapted from Aaron Blabey's bestselling children's book series, DreamWorks' "The Bad Guys" tells the tale of criminal animals with a chance at redemption. Reviewer Gracie Brogowski writes, "This isn’t the type of DreamWorks production that will get an iconic status like 'Shrek' or 'Kung Fu Panda,'" though it serves as a fun movie for the whole family.
Based on Alice Oseman's graphic novel of the same name, Netflix's new rom-com series "Heartstopper" tells the story of Charlie a boy who's open and comfortable about being gay, and Nick, who's still unsure of his sexuality. Reviewer Taylor St. Pierre praises the show's "refreshing" diversity and realism.
Now that spring weather has come to Harrisonburg, Jake Dodohara provides a list of six warm weather activities in the city including Lake Shenandoah, Flying Rabbit Sporting Clays and Gap View Ranch and Kennels, among others.
Austin Sugerman founded the JMU Video Adventures Club in fall 2021. Since then, the group has captured its expeditions on video and collaborated on projects for JMU, independent brands and personal work.
DEI leaders around JMU's campus discussed the data found within the recently released 2021 factbook and the potential for growth in JMU's diversity efforts. Staff writer Morgan Vuknic breaks down the findings of the research and shares the leaders' thoughts.
Anna Miscione is an internationally competing archer. After having noticed blurry vision and slight headaches, MRI scans found she had a brain tumor. Although Miscione's brain surgery went well, she's faced challenges as she tries to train her mind and body to get back into archery.
Boasting a new combat system, refreshed customization features and 380 playable characters across 45 levels of galactic gameplay, LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga is a nostalgia-filled delight that's "just good fun," contributing writer Luke Freisner writes.
In this weeks edition of A Wealth of Health, Hannah Lifrieri talks about the tendency college students have to spiral negatively with anxiety. She offers a few tips and tricks on how to avoid and cope with this.
Care4Frontline is a nonprofit based in Virginia Beach that's expanded to Harrisonburg. JMU sophomores Sarah Blais and Diego Crespo Guido work with Panera at Dukes Dining to share baked goods with frontline workers at Sentara RMH.
Griffin Evans, also known by his stage name Griff.ith, is a DJ with a growing presence in JMU, Harrisonburg and Washington, D.C. Over the past eight months, he's established himself in the area with a residency at Dukes Bar & Grill in downtown Harrisonburg and booking gigs with Relay for Life and JMU's University Program Board.
Days for Girls is a an international organization that promotes the awareness and access of menstrual heath care products. JMU's chapter focuses on ending the stigma around menstruation and sending sustainable menstruation kits to underdeveloped countries.
Despite following the story of a basketball team, the latest episode of "Winning Time" spends most of its time off the court in favor of a balancing act of other plots. "Each episode seems to stall more than the last, but 'Winning Time' is still quality entertainment," contributing reviewer Jack Calabrese writes.
"Metal Lords" follows two friends, Kevin (Jaeden Martell) and Hunter (Adrian Greensmith) as they start a heavy metal band at their school. The film's a nice addition to Netflix's collection of films but isn't the most memorable, must-watch movie out there, resident reviewer Gracie Brogowski writes.
Breeze writer Morgan Vuknic spoke with Jackie Hieber to provide a comprehensive list of on- and off-campus resources for sexual assault survivors. She also gives general advice to anyone who has experienced sexual harassment.
Caroline Lubert has been a math professor at JMU since 1999, and she focuses her research on acoustics, the mathematical study of sound waves. In her time at the university, Lubert has worked with students on various independent studies in an acoustics lab she assembled herself, and she's collaborated with NASA at Wallops Flight Facility.
4-H — which stands for head, heart, hands and health — is an international organization for agricultural youth development. Sarah Craun, Sam Leech and Dustin Smith share their experiences with Rockingham County's 4-H club and the organization's impact.
After releasing two singles — "Don't Go Yet" and "Bam Bam," which features Ed Sheeran — Camila Cabello returns at full force and with her third album, "Familia." Reviewer Taylor St. Pierre calls the project "extremely refreshing" with Cabello's connection to her Latin roots and "gratifying" use of both English and Spanish throughout the album.
The latest episode of "Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty" shifts the show's perspective from Magic Johnson to highlight others from the ensemble of characters. As the episode ends with a shocking cliffhanger, contributing writer Jack Calabrese questions whether the twists will pay off as the show continues.
As Hannah Lifrieri takes over "A Wealth of Health," this week she shares an inside look into planning — how to start, some difficulties, and why it's beneficial to college students.
Since March 1, The Community Foundation of Harrisonburg & Rockingham County has housed a literacy program in partnership with Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, which provides free books to children ages 0-5.
"Feminism is for everyone" is a class-project-turned-blog that began as an assignment for a social movements class in the political science department. The student run blog's focus is promoting intersectionality between four main categories: racial equity, gender equity, LGTBQ rights and immigration rights.
After a lengthy journey, Tequila Taco Bar opened in February in the space formerly occupied by Brickhouse Tavern, just next to the Forbes Center. Tequila Taco Bar offers original food and drinks authentic to Mexico and a welcoming atmosphere for students and Harrisonburg residents alike.
"Better Nate Than Ever" is a fun, light-hearted feature that follows the story of Nate Foster and his best friend Libby as they run off to New York City to follow Nate's dreams of being on Broadway.
As the first Marvel film to premiere after "Spider-Man: No Way Home," Sony's latest production, "Morbius," fails to live up to the same success. While the special effects are eye-catching and Jared Leto gives a fair performance as the living vampire, reviewer Luke Freisner writes, the new movie's problems stem from its very inception.
The developers behind the Nioh franchise, team Ninja, released their first Final Fantasy video game. Stranger of Paradise follows four warriors trying to brink light to the darkness.
“Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty” is HBO's new 1980s-set limited series starring John C. Reilly and Quincy Isaiah as Jerry Buss and basketball star Magic Johnson, respectively. After watching the first four episodes, reviewer Jack Calabrese calls the show "over-the-top" and television's "next big thing."
"Tell Me That It's Over" is Wallows' second album and "shows promising growth" for the band, reviewer Taylor St. Pierre writes. The band's latest project features only 10 tracks, but it packs a punch with entertaining lyrics and production.
"The Lost City" begins with a kidnapping, turns into a journey to find the treasure, and then becomes a rescue mission all filled with comedic moments. Resident reviewer Gracie Brogowski writes that while the film is fun to watch in theatre's, it doesn't quite leave a mark on its own.
On the Road Collaborative is a nonprofit organization that works with Harrisonburg City public schools to give education and career guidance to underprivileged students grades six through 12.
Fresh out of office, Jessani Collier discusses her experiences as the JMU student body president, how she adapted to unexpected tragedies this semester and her plans to stay involved with SGA next year.