Celebration, parade demonstrate good will

House Editorial

When the State Normal and Industrial School for Women was founded in 1908, residents of Harrisonburg celebrated and welcomed the students and faculty into their town. Since then, the relationship between students and residents has, at times, become strained. This Saturday’s parade downtown in honor of JMU’s I-AA national football championship title and the Harrisonburg High School’s second-place state football title is a strong gesture on the part of the city to smooth over some of the rough spots in its relationship with students.

Both sides of this coin we call Harrisonburg — JMU and the city’s residents — have their reasons to feel a little uneasy around each other, but this weekend both can join together and celebrate their athletic accomplishments. The city’s inclusion of JMU in the parade and festivities shows that it’s willing to overlook the periodic animosity between the itself and JMU’s students — if the students will do the same.

For the students’ part, this parade provides a great opportunity to go downtown and prove they know how to have fun without breaking local, state or federal laws, and discover that town residents don’t have demon horns and the Harrisonburg Police actually may be real people.

It’s important for students to remember that the parade, which starts at the corner of Campbell and Main Streets at 2 p.m., is not just for JMU — HHS’s Blue Streaks had an excellent season in the latest chapter of a proud tradition. They may not have won the state championship, but they still deserve the support and honor they will be shown.

If students show up to support both teams, their reputation and JMU’s image both will benefit, and so it is important that students show up and have a good, safe time. The Marching Royal Dukes will be performing, there will be food and Mickey Matthews will receive the key to the city.

Events like this one make it apparent that the city of Harrisonburg is a community that includes both the residents and the JMU students and faculty. All groups involved live closely together and would do well to let this Saturday remind them that the people they live and work with are just that — partners in the Friendly City.