WEDNESDAY | 4.29.2015 | MACEANDCROWN.COM | Vol. 57, Issue 24
Proud to be a Monarch Activist. E1
Evan Amos | Wikipedia
4 Best Consoles Ross Reelachart Assistant Technology Editor Video games have come a long way, both as a culture and as an industry. From humble beginnings as simple home computers-in-a-box as a childish diversion, video games have grown to be one of the biggest entertainment technology industries in the world. Video games have also grown in size, complexity and mainstream appeal. However, the video game industry is still a relatively young in relation to film and TV. The very first video game “console”, the Magnavox Odyssey, was released in August of 1972, over 40 years ago. By comparison, the first motion pictures were produced around the turn of the 20th century and the first regular TV broadcasts began in 1936. In the modern age of the internet and rapidly evolving technology, where any given iPhone is considered obsolete within a year of its initial release, 40 years might as well be an eternity. Nevertheless, gamers actually have some genuine nostalgia for the old generations of consoles, and it’s easy to understand why. While many of the early consoles were hit-or-miss, and in at least one case part of the reason the video game industry almost completely imploded in the 1970s, there were many stand outs that still hold up to this day. Let us look at five of the best consoles from video games’ past. Although this list is not a Cont. on D1
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Job Prospects Increase for College Grads Christian Chance Contributing Writer As graduation day approaches, Old Dominion University seniors might find themselves feeling both excited and apprehensive. Soon the days of writing term papers and cramming for exams will be over, replaced by the no-less-daunting reality of finding employment and forging a path towards longterm financial independence. However, things are looking up for college graduates in 2015. If students need encouragement, they should look no further than the recent survey conducted by CareerBuilder.com on job
prospects for 2015. The survey indicates that 65 percent of employers plan to hire recent college graduates in the coming year, which is up from 57 percent last year. In fact, this is most optimistic the job market has looked since 2007. Some graduates can also expect to make more money in their first year of work than those in years past. Of the employers who plan to hire recent college graduates, 33 percent say that they will offer more money than they did last year, while 57 percent expect no change, and 10 percent say they will pay less. Continuing the trend from the past several years,
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the market looks the best for graduates who majored in business and computer and information sciences. Business is the most sought after major, accounting for 38 percent of the employers who plan to hire recent graduates followed by computer and information sciences at 27 percent. Finance majors are another group who have reason to be optimistic about their employment search, with 22 percent of employers saying that these students have what they are looking for. “In the field of finance, the baby boomers entering retirement age and their need for financial advising is the
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main driver of the expected growth,” Dr. Mohammad Najand, ODU finance department chair , said. “Financial analyst is another good area for finance majors. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) predicts that jobs in this area would grow by 15.5 percent by 2022. Real estate is another good area within finance discipline. The BLS projects 11.1 percent growth for real estate agents by 2022.” Dr. Najand thinks trends in the job market may have more effect on college majors than it did in the past. “I think the students generally have an idea of what they like to do when they gradu-
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ate. This might be based on parents, relatives, or friends’ advice. But I think today’s college students are more concerned about job prospects than a decade ago,” Dr. Najand said. This sentiment was echoed by ODU professor of Business Analytics, Dr. G Steven Rhiel. “The issue is that when students enter the university they know about the more traditional majors, but are not aware of the newer opportunities,” he said. “But, we have had a substantial growth in our major. Much of this is due to faculty educating students
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Face In The Mace Mace & Crown Staff : Sean Davis Editor-in-Chief editorinchief@maceandcrown.com Brian Saunders Copy Editor briananthony93@gmail.com David Thornton News Editor news@maceandcrown.com Veronica Singer Arts & Entertainment Editor artsandentertainment@maceandcrown.com Nate Budryk Sports Editor & Distribution Manager nbudr001@odu.edu Zachary Chavis Photography Editor photo@maceandcrown.com Rashad McDowell Technology Editor technology@maceandcrown.com
Elijah Stewart Senior Graphic Designer estew010@odu.edu Jason Kazi Advertising and Business Manager advertising@maceandcrown.com Noah Young Digital Content Manager webmaster@maceandcrown.com Jugal Patel Digital Editor jpate016@odu.edu
Staff Writers: Alex Brooks Alyse Stanley Amy Poulter Jasmine Blackwell Jessica Perkins Libby Marshall Michael High Matt O’Brien Symmion Moore
Staff Photographers: Dawit Samson Jason Kazi Joshua Boone Joshua Caudell Nicolas Nemtala Schyler Shafer Shamon Jones
Mace & Crown is a newspaper published by and written for the students of Old Dominion once a week throughout each semester and once in the summer. Originally founded in 1930 as the The High Hat, the paper became the Mace & Crown in 1961. The Mace & Crown is a primarily self-supporting newspaper, maintaining journalistic independence from the university.All views expressed in this collegiate paper are those of the author, not of the University, Mace & Crown, or the editors. Phone: 757-683-3452 Advertising: 757-683-4773
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Hashtag #ODU to see your face in the Mace. Instagr a m
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For even more campus crime information, visit Maceandcrown.com.
Crime Log Date/Time Reported
Adjunct Instructor Lane Dare speaks at the Adjunct Ring-in.
Jason Kazi | M&C
ODU Prepares Adjuncts, Future Faculty for the Classroom David Thornton News Editor
When the question of adjuncts and contingent faculty arises, a great deal of the discussion focuses on the working conditions and pay. But rarely does the issue of students, especially graduate students, who intend to pursue a career in academia, arise. Do programs exist to help these students succeed as contingent faculty, the most common first step in their careers? “I’m here not only to support current adjuncts, but because statistics say that once I become a professor, as a woman… I’ll be resigned to adjunct work. And currently, adjuncts are paid lower wages for the same amount of work,” Rebekah Joyce, a graduate administrative assistant at ODU, said during the adjunct ring-in on Feb. 17. Dr. Wie Yusuf is an associate professor of public service at ODU and the steering committee chair of Preparing Future Faculty (PFF), an organization at ODU that attempts to help graduate students transition into an academic career. PFF provides mentoring to graduate students
on issues that they will face when teaching classes. Many departments focus solely on subject matter when teaching graduate students, according to Yusuf. Potential future professors learn their respective fields comprehensively, and develop extensive research skills. But rarely do the individual departments teach the required skills to pass this knowledge along to others. PFF attempts to fill in those gaps in graduate education. “There are different expectations. We try to broaden their horizons,” Yusuf said. They teach potential future faculty members teaching methods, how to navigate tenure, get a job, and how to handle ethical dilemmas, among other issues. PFF conducts an annual survey of graduate student needs. At the top of that list are career planning, a balance between work and life, and help with teaching effectiveness. Towards this end, the Center for Learning and Teaching (CLT) offers workshops every year specifically for adjuncts, in addition to other services in order to help them become better teachers. “Our main objective is to help them become better instructors in
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the classroom,” Joyce Armstrong, the assistant director for CLT, said. When it comes to educating and improving techniques instructors use in the classroom, ODU seems to be fully invested. Caleb Magyar, an adjunct professor and advocate at ODU, agreed, saying that the teaching workshops do a good job at this task. However, there seems to be a hole in the services ODU provides for adjuncts and contingent faculty. These programs are all focused around improving teachers’ effectiveness in the classroom, essentially increasing the educational bang for ODU’s buck. But there doesn’t seem to exist a program that advises either prospective or current faculty on dealing with adverse working conditions and low pay. Mentoring programs don’t prepare students for working at multiple institutions, living on food stamps, or paying off student loans while surviving on slightly more than minimum wage. Magyar agreed that a program like this would be helpful to many contingent faculty members. But “if anything like that exists, I’m unaware of it,” he said.
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Location
Category
Disposition
04/12/2015 5:30 p.m.
1500 W. 42nd St.
Simple Assault
Declined to prosecute
04/12/2015 2:43 a.m.
1400 Blk W 42nd St.
Simple Assault
Active 04/13/2015
04/12/2015 3:21 a.m.
39th & Powhatan
Hit and RunProp. Damage
Active 04/13/2015
04/12/2015 4:11 a.m.
Suffolk House
Simple Assault
Jud. Referral 04/13/2015
04/12/2015 1:32 p.m.
4100 Block Killam Ave.
Hit and RunProp. Damage
Active 04/13/2015
04/12/2015 6:07 p.m. 04/14/2015 6:33 a.m.
The District
Simple Assault
1100 Block Bolling Ave.
Assault on Police Officer
Decline to prosecute Arrest 04/15/2015
04/14/2015 6:33 a.m.
1100 Block Bolling Ave.
Possession of Burglary Tools
Arrest 04/15/2015
04/14/2015 6:33 a.m.
1100 Block Bolling Ave.
Tampering w/ automobile
Arrest 04/15/2015
04/14/2015 11:09am
400 Block Monticello
Fraud
04/14/2015 3:52 p.m.
LR Hill Complex
Larceny
04/15/2015 12:17 p.m.
Webb Center
Fraud
Active 04/17/2015
04/15/2015 3:54 p.m.
POD Market
Larceny
Active 04/17/2015
04/16/2015 7:24 p.m.
49th & Powhatan
Larceny
Active 04/17/2015
04/16/2015 8:01 a.m.
Lot 44
Hit and RunProp. Damage
Closed 04/20/2015
04/18/2015 12:33 a.m.
800 Block W. 41st St.
Liquor Law Violation
Arrest 04/20/2015
04/18/2015 2:24 a.m.
Powhatan II
Larceny
Active 04/20/2015
04/18/2015 2:43 a.m.
1000 Block 43rd St.
Simple Assault
Judicial Ref. 04/20/2015
04/18/2015 11:26 a.m.
The District
Burglary
Active 04/20/2015
04/19/2015 3:36 a.m.
4800 Block Powhatan
Resist Arrest
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Active 04/15/2015 Active 04/15/2015
Arrest 04/20/2015
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M&C| WEDNESDAY | 4.29.2015| MACEANDCROWN.COM
Josh Whitener | M&C
Josh Whitener Assistant News Editor
“No Zebras, No Excuses”
The Old Dominion University Women’s Center hosted “No Zebras, No Excuses” Monday night in the North Café of Webb Center, an event dedicated to providing more awareness of sexual assault and interpersonal violence. Using the analogy of lions stalking zebras, singling out and isolating one from a herd while the others flee, the acting troupe “No Zebras and More” tied this same primitive tactic to how sexual assault and rape are not only committed, but not prevented in our society. In a theatrical fashion, it showcased a variety of narratives and presentations that illustrated the dangers and crises that arise from relationship violence and teach people to become empowered by defining the problem with sexual assault and recognizing warning signs.
“No Zebras” is a worldwide presentation that has been delivered to college campuses and military personal where the common age for sexual assault is prominent. Delivering a unique message, the program emphasizes proactive bystander intervention as a way of recognizing and preventing sexual assault. “There really is no prevention program. What we do is bystander intervention because we found that with sexual aggression there’s somebody else who knows what’s going on and then they either have the choice to step in and do something about it or not to.” Braden Thompson, an actor for “No Zebras and More” said. The troupe preformed a variety of dramatic skits to demonstrate the number of ways abuse is committed. From inappropriate cat-calls and touching to outright date rapes, “No Zebras, and More” emphasized that knowledge of interpersonal violence
can lead to intervention. In between skits, short monologues were given adding to performances, some of them real life scenarios. “Five years ago, I went out to a bar with a buddy of mine and some people that he worked with. We were just going out, sitting at a table, having a couple of beers, relaxing and I got up from the table to do something, and for the life of me I couldn’t remember what it was… but from behind me I hear three loud ‘pops’ and what had happened was a man who had walked into the bar, walked up to our table and fired three times point blank into my friend,” Rich Bronson, actor for “No Zebras and More” said. Students were especially silent during Bronson’s real-life tale. “The reason that he did that was because he was stalking his ex-wife and she happened to be sitting next to my friend. Now, they weren’t in a relationship. They weren’t on a date. They weren’t even really friends them-
selves. They were co-workers out having a beer after shift,” Bronson said. Relationship violence is never trivial. Demonstrating the seriousness of stalking, Bronson concluded that stalkers will become so possessive they’ll go to extremes to ensure no one will be with their ex-partner if they can’t. Unlike most presentations in the past, the goals of the performances were to mimic the actual instances that students could face in their college years and beyond. Bystander intervention encourages men and women to come forward to support those who they may know experiencing harassment or relationship abuse in an effort to allow them to gain the help they need. Students appeared engaged during the performance. “No Zebra and More” delivered a cutting edge performance that held back little, which engrossed students more. “I thought it was beneficial because
I know four women who’ve been sexually assaulted,” Kasandra Noraas said. The presentation also brought more reflection on the topic from students able to identify their own experiences to what they were presented. “The worst one, I think, is the scenario where the guy slapped her on her ass and nothing really happened out of it because I feel like that happens the most out of any kind of assault. I can ask probably any girl that’s had that happen to them because it’s happened to me…and I never really thought of it as ‘Oh, this is sexual assault.’ I just brushed it off,” Brittany Thompson said. “No Zebras, No Excuses” displayed the brutal reality of sexual abuse and violence giving students the ability to recognize and familiarize them with the ongoing problem facing both genders. The goal was to challenge students to become proactive in standing up for a national epidemic on college campuses.
From A1 about the major as they go through our courses.” Mary Lorenz of CareerBuilder. com was less sure about students’ response to hiring trends. “We don’t have research on whether college students are changing their majors based on hiring trends, but we do know that once they are out of college, many new graduates are finding jobs in industries outside of their chosen fields,” She said. According to the CareerBuilder. com survey, a students’ chosen major is not the only concern for prospective employers. Good “soft skills” will be crucial when it comes to landing a job in 2015. Employers cited a lack of interpersonal or people skills,
problem-solving skills and oral communication as being the areas where recent college graduates are the most lacking. Employers also point out that technology is changing too quickly for academics to keep up with, hurting graduates who are entering the job market. However, ODU is aware of the need for students to keep up with advancements, and makes every effort to match the ever-changing technological landscape. “I think finance programs have kept up well with changes in technology. For instance, in our own college, we have a trading and research lab which is state of the art and equipped with Bloomberg terminals that is used by finance firms all over
the world. Finance majors use this facility very frequently and we actually offer courses on this technology for all majors,” Dr. Najand said. The survey points out that there is no such thing as the perfect job candidate. “However, generally speaking, job candidates with a good mix of soft skills and technical requirements for the role, who also have work experience (gained through internships, part-time jobs, volunteering or the like) will be more marketable to a larger pool of employers,” Lorenz said. If being tech-savvy is an important part of landing a job these days, it is equally as important in searching for one. Online employment sites are
among the top resources for finding jobs. Not only are employers posting new entry-level positions online each month, they’re also searching online databases of resumes looking for candidates to reach out to. In addition to thinking about online employment sites, the survey indicates that graduates should be mindful of how they use social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter. A lot of employers check candidates’ social networking profiles when considering them for a job, so graduates should try to make their online presence “employer friendly”- either by changing their privacy settings or using social media profiles to highlight skills, creativity and relevant interests.
The last bit of advice Lorenz gives, is to search early and search often. “Start researching companies you’re interested in as early as possible and don’t be afraid to reach out to inquire about part-time jobs or internship opportunities, which are some of the best ways to get your foot in the door,” Lorenz said.
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Anticipating the Success of Avengers: Age of Ultron
Ross Reelachart Assistant Technology Editor “Avengers: Age of Ultron” is premiering in theaters this week, and is poised to top the already massive success of the first “Avengers” movie. Marvel Studios has proven itself to be the juggernaut of blockbuster movies, dominating the box office financially and critically. The once-preposterous idea of a shared cinematic universe has now become the holy grail of every other studio in Hollywood, and everyone is lining up to receive the good graces of Marvel. The studio proved that the shared universe concept worked with the first release of the “Avengers,” and demonstrated that it could make more than just superhero movies with “Guardians of the Galaxy” and “Captain America: The Winter Soldier.” “Age of Ultron” is almost guaranteed to be a success, but is equally as risky as the first “Avengers” movie as it is saddled with the responsibility of pushing the Marvel cinematic universe into its next phase. It will have to convince audiences that there are characters beyond “Iron Man,” “Thor” and “Captain America.” It will have to do more than just be “another ‘Avengers’ movie.” Theatergoers and the movie press know both a lot about “Age of Ultron,” but not the fine details of the narrative or events within. The titular Ultron (voiced by James Spader) is a powerful robot created by Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) in hopes that he can replace the Avengers team if they are
ever unable to save the world. Things go south and the Avengers have to fight Ultron and his robot army. Fans know the familiar featured and look forward to some possible newcomers, but some questions may arise. For example, what are the roles of the two new heroes Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch? What is the origin of the hero robot Vision? How will this movie set the stage for the many movies Marvel has already announced, like “Black Panther” and “The Inhumans?” What about Spiderman? In the comics, Quicksilver (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) and Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) are twin children of the mutant Magneto. Because Fox owns the rights to X-men, Marvel is unable to use any of the characters or even mention the word “mutants.” That has not stopped Marvel from utilizing their vast repository of lore to sidestep the problem of explaining the presence of other superhuman individuals in their movies. It seems that in the movies, Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch are “Inhumans,” created or captured by the remains of the evil organization HYDRA. “Inhumans” were another super group from the original comic books, comprised of human beings who awakened hidden powers within themselves after being exposed to the Terrigen mists. They are essentially replacing the roles of mutants in the movies and provide an excellent source of new heroes. As for Black Panther, there is little evidence that he will make an appearance in this movie. Although he will have his own movie slated for winter
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of 2017, it seems that Marvel is not too keen on introducing too many new characters in “Age of Ultron.” As amazing as it would be see one of the biggest African superheroes on screen, it is wise to not overwhelm the audience with too much or complicate the narrative with too many characters at once. However, Andy Serkis is confirmed to make a cameo in the movie as Ulysses Klaw, Black Panther’s nemesis. His presence will probably be the beginning step in introducing the Black Panther and his African kingdom of Wakanda. It is very doubtful for Spiderman to make any kind of appearance in the movie as well. Even though Marvel won the right to use Spiderman from Sony Pictures in the last few months, the deal came so late that it would have been impossible for them to fit him into the movie in any way without some nasty edits. There is some hope though in the mid postcredit scenes that Marvel has become known for. It is not infeasible that a tiny scene could be shot and edited in a week that hints Spiderman. Although it would not be the Avengers/ Spiderman team-up that comic fans are clamoring for, a simple mid-credit scene like that would be enough to sate them and build additional press for the movie. The trailers for “Age of Ultron” have set a decidedly darker, grimmer tone than the previous “Avengers” movies. Most of the Marvel movies have possessed a colorful tone to them that aims to distil the best qualities of comic print into cinematic form,
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and they have handedly succeeded at that. Even considering the “lightheartedness” of the franchise, the individual movies have shown to be able to handle heavier subjects and varied feelings. The “Thor” movies were grand, old school fantasy affairs and the first and second “Captain America” movies were a superherothemed period piece and a modern spy thriller respectively. There should be little doubt that Marvel could handle making “Age of Ultron” a darker piece without losing its voice. General movie wisdom contends that the second movie of a franchise needs to be the darker one (e.g. “Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back,” “The Dark Knight”), and that sometimes necessitates the death of a main character. One trailer even hinted at that with a shot of Captain America’s shield split in half. Most cynics say that Hawkeye will die because of his decidedly small role among all the other Avengers, but Marvel seems too savvy to allow something that obvious to happen. The Hulk seemingly has nothing coming up, so perhaps he will be the one to die, or they will do what the comics did and send him to another planet after he grows too uncontrollable. Despite how easy it might seem to predict who may or may not die, I do not doubt that Marvel will take the risk and kill off someone important and unexpected in “Age of Ultron.” What Marvel will need to do is to not play it safe. Marvel may be utterly dominating the movie scene hit after hit, but that means their first flop will
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be the biggest news of the year. The flop may not even be fail, it would just have to not meet expectations or feel “not-as-good.” “Avengers: Age of Ultron” needs to be more. It needs real stakes that can change the course of the entire cinematic universe, and it needs to successfully ask the audience to accept some new characters that they probably will be unfamiliar with. The contracts for most of the main players are about to run out and there doesn’t seem to be any news of renewing them, so there is the distinct possibility that the movies will be without the main players eventually. “Age of Ultron” will be the place to test audience interest and build a narrative where it will make sense that these characters are no longer around. “Avengers: Age of Ultron” will be in theatres May 1, practically uncontested in its opening weekend and even the following weekend. The movie has a sizeable fan base and the Marvel movies are already massively popular and successful. But Marvel knows it should not rest on its laurels and under-deliver in any regard. It needs to deliver a stunning movie-going experience while also shouldering the burden of every other Marvel that is to come out for the next few years. Should they stumble in any way, they will have a much harder road ahead of them and that road is already very risky, even for Marvel.
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Still They Rise: BSA’s Holds Jazz Lounge Night in North Cafe Ashanti Neverson & Veronica Singer Contributing Writer & Arts & Entertainment Editor “And Still I Rise” was the theme of the Black Student Alliance’s first Jazz Lounge Night that took place in the North Café at 8 p.m. on April 15. In cooperation with Floetic Movement, BSA coordinated a night reminiscent of the lounges and speakeasies from the Harlem Renaissance. BSA wanted to celebrate the history of jazz while promoting self-expression. They wanted the audience to understand how jazz and spoken word became an outlet against hardship for African Americans in the early 1920s. “The Jazz Lounge Night extended from the idea [of] being part of the BSA budget,” said Claudette Woodhouse, BSA’s Outreach Coordinator. “Jazz is a major source of self-expression and the Black community has used it in literature and music to overcome oppression. The purpose
Ashanti Neverson | M&C
[of the Jazz Lounge Night] was [to] allow a safe space for students [to] express themselves in poetry, while highlighting the influence of jazz in literature and music.” Speakers touched on an array of topics that varied from young love to police brutality. Throughout the night, BSA members asked jazz trivia questions about certain artists like Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald, as well as encouraged attendants to express themselves on stage. BSA is hoping to make the Jazz Lounge Night a reoccurring event, inviting people to feel comfortable in expressing their unique talents through various forms of jazz. “BSA is always looking for ways to bring unity to [the ODU] campus through programming events,” said Tierra Brooks, President of BSA. “The support of Floetic Movement… helped to make this event a success.”
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Sports
Courtesy: ODU Athletics
Matt O’Brien Staff Writer Old Dominion’s offense was firing on all cylinders Wednesday night as the Monarch bats put together seven runs in the eighth inning to secure the victory. The Monarchs, who have struggled as of late, have won two in a row and the 11-5 victory over the Richmond Spiders gives the team momentum going down to Florida. “Great win for us tonight, we were finally able to execute with guys on base. We needed this one, the guys were seeing the ball very well,” head coach Chris Finwood said. ODU starter Joey Benitez only gave up one run in 4 innings and Jake Josephs was able to hold them
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Monarchs Score Seven in the Eighth and Cruise to Victory scoreless in a very solid relief outing. The Monarchs were propelled by the bats of Josh Eldridge and Nick Walker who each went 3 for 4 with three RBI’s. The Spiders scored quickly in the top half of the first but were held in check for the rest of the contest. The turning point for the Monarchs came to the Top of the 3rd inning. Benitez gave up back-to-back hits and found himself in trouble with runners on the corners. Joseph Guaragna, who was making just his sixth start of the season, made the play of the night in left field. Guaragna got off a good throw and nailed the runner at home plate. His timely defense kept it at a one-run game. In the bottom half of the third, af-
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ter back to back singles, designated hitter Josh Eldridge was able to jump start the offense. On the first pitch he saw, he took Spiders starter Justin Garcia deep. Eldridge’s third home run of the season gave the Monarchs a 3-1 lead. “I was just looking for something out over the plate so I could drive the ball with two runners on base. I was able to hit one out of there, that’s a great feeling,” Eldridge said. The Monarchs would remain in the lead for the rest of the game despite giving up 15 hits. Eldridge was not finished, adding another RBI single in the sixth inning. The offense as a whole had one of its better showings in the last two weeks, accounting for 14 hits. ODU’s batters were able
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to work deep into their counts and forced Richmond relievers to throw a lot of pitches. “We got a lot of timely hits tonight. The guys have been hitting well the last few days it’s just not coming at the right times. Tonight we finally were able to send a lot of those guys in when we needed to,” Eldridge said. The Spiders were able to cut the lead down to two in the seventh, but Old Dominion’s offense exploded in the bottom of the eighth. The spiders got two quick outs and then Nick Walker’s 2 run bloop single started the rally. The Richmond bullpen could not buy their last out and had a lot of difficulties hitting their spots. With the bases loaded, the Spiders hit their 3rd ODU batter of the game,
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driving in another run. Almost the entire lineup played a part in the onslaught. Taylor Ostrich, Myers, Rutherford, and catcher Mike Perez also had RBI’s in that inning. “It’s just some great timely hitting. When you can score seven runs in an inning with two outs, that’s always a good thing,” Eldridge said. The offensive outburst gave the Monarchs an 11-2 lead going into the ninth.The Spiders fought back and scored three runs, but it ultimately wasn’t enough. “There is some good momentum going right now (2 wins in a row) we’ve just got to keep it up down in Florida. All we can do right now is take it one game at a time to continue some of this success,” Eldridge said.
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Technology
Visit Maceandcrown.com for video game reviews and more.
Evan Amos | Wikipedia
Four Best Consoles From A1 definitive ranking of the best retro consoles, their relative worth in the video game canon has been judged by the most important factor concerning any console: its library of games. A console is virtually worthless without any worthwhile games to play on it and enjoy an oft-missed truth that has only become increasingly more obvious in the modern console generation. Playstation 2 (Released March 4, 2000) The Playstation 2 is the most recent of the consoles on this list, being the only one to have come out in the new millennium. To younger readers, it certainly might qualify as a classic. Though it was only fully discontinued in early 2013, it is two full iterations behind Sony’s current flagship console, the PS4. But to many millennials, this is considered to be one of the best consoles to ever to be released, ever. The sales numbers certainly back it up, with over 155 million units sold, making it the actual best-selling video game console in history. Perhaps the biggest contributor to the PS2’s success was its massive library of games, including the entire Playstation 1 catalog thanks to backwards compatibility. With over 3874 games to its name, the PS2 had more than a few forgettable games and shovelware. What are the chances
that anyone remembers “Smash Cars” or “Ford vs. Chevy”? Slim to naught. But everyone remembers “Silent Hill 2”, “Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas” and “Kingdom Hearts.” The games that did make it to the top of pile became classics and franchise starters, remembered fondly and sometimes still played whenever a working PS2 can be found. “God of War” got its start on the PS2, starting a trend of cinematic brawlers and popularizing the now polarizing game play of “Quick Time Events.” The venerable “Metal Gear Solid” series had two of its main titles released on the PS2. It was this vast library of games that allowed the PS2 to remain in homes for over a decade, and gave it the power to crush its competitors (RIP Sega Dreamcast). Sega Genesis (Released October 19, 1988) Always playing the second fiddle to the Super Nintendo, the Sega Genesis, also known as the Sega Mega Drive, was the other half of the 1980s conflict that began the still running Console War. Friendships were broken over the Sega vs Nintendo debate and the companies themselves fought fiercely for market space. Some readers will remember Sega’s marketing quote, “Genesis does what Nintendon’t!” Although it came in second place in the end, the Genesis is still fondly
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remembered for what it did do while it was in the spotlight. The Genesis had the enviable quality of possessing some of the best, if not THE best, “Sonic the Hedgehog” games ever. The uncensored “Mortal Kombat” was only available on the Genesis, as were other well-remembered platformers like “Disney’s Aladdin”. While the market may have given Nintendo the win, it’s enough of a victory for the Sega Genesis to still be so treasured to some gamers. Nintendo 64 (Released June 23, 1996) The fact that it was one of the last consoles to still use cartridges, instead of CDs, and possessing one of the oddest controllers did not stop the Nintendo 64 from ruling the TV in the 90s. The system more or less influenced a maturing generation of gamers and continued Nintendo’s trend of raising those same gamers to be lifelong fanatics. While the N64 possessed a smaller library games compared to its rivals (The N64 had a total of 387 games and the Playstation had 1100), the N64 had a much greater density of critically acclaimed games, bringing back the days of the “Nintendo Seal of Quality”. “Super Mario 64” was the famous plumber’s first foray into full threedimensional graphics, and his success would go on to influence future Mario
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games. The game set a standard for 360-degree analog control, as well as made it the best game on the console. It wasn’t enough for the N64 to have one of the best and most revolutionary Mario games in its library, it also possessed what many people consider the single greatest game to have ever been made: “The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time”. Then there were the other Nintendo flagship games like “Donkey Kong 64” and “Star Fox 64.” Single-player games weren’t the only trick Nintendo had in its bag. The N64 also supported up to four people and there were plenty of games that took advantage of that. “GoldenEye 007” set the standard for split screen first person shooter, “Mario Party” was fun to play with friends and “Super Smash Bros” went on to spawn an entire competitive franchise. The N64 can still be considered simply a continuation of Nintendo’s goal of raising an entire generation of gamers, a process that can be traced back to… Super Nintendo Entertainment System (Released November 21, 1990) There are people who still carry around their original, yellowing SNES (Or the Super Famicom, as it was known in Japan) and still play the blocky, worn cartridges. The controller layout, directional pad plus four
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face buttons, still remains the default of a video game system in both gamer culture and mainstream culture. Perhaps the best illustration of how influential the SNES was on the collective consciousness of gamers is how some modern games, mostly smaller ones, seek to play similarly or exactly like an SNES game. The simplicity of the buttons and the restrictions of the system forced creativity and developers more than rose to the task. From such a relatively primitive system, games exploded with color, sound, creative art design and challenging level design. There are games that remain fun and challenging to play even now. “Super Mario World” and “Mega Man X” have been burned into the mind of many gamers, some of whom can probably play the game from memory alone. “The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past” is considered the best 2D Zelda game and people are still waiting for another entry in the “F-Zero” series. The limitations of memory did not stop the SNES from having grand adventures, like those found in “Final Fantasy VI” (Or Final Fantasy III in the US version) and “Dragon Quest”. The influence of the SNES still reverberates through the industry as gamers of the past grow up to make the games of today, seeking to recapture what they received on the humble console.
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Opinion Proud to be a Monarch Activist Visit Maceandcrown.com for video game reviews and more.
By Morgan Malone Contributing Writer
On April 22, our beloved Mace & Crown published an anonymous op-ed detailing one student’s disappointment with the way our university has handled conversations about diversity. While the anonymity was meant to share the author’s opinions in the image of an ideal Monarch, the commentary reeked of privilege. From the clear familiarity with ODU administration, to the commentary about students asking for administration to care about them “expressing negative emotions,” to the use of quotations around “care about their community,” it is obvious that the writer is removed from the injustices Black students on our campus face. This was clearly translated in their condescending prose. Expressing disappointment with students and administration alike, the argument posed, riddled with factual inaccuracies, was meant to challenge our campus to be more intentional about our discourse around race in order to foster understanding and inclusion. To begin, I’d like to dispel any rumors that I am the author of said article. While I do agree with the purpose of the article, the way we discuss race on campus should change, I am not at all willing to concede that everyone has done the best that they can do in mitigating issues of inequity on campus. Nor am I willing to concede that all members of our administration, that have been participants in handling these issues, have a baseline understanding of how our university has been complicit in enabling sys-
temic oppression. Since November, we have seen activism flourish on our campus in ways that we’ve never seen before. As most are aware, outside of our resident environmental activists, those fighting racial injustice, and those fighting for the advancement of LGBTQ issues, our vocal activist community is very limited. Our campus community does not lend to critical conversations and demonstrations surrounding issues of inequity. But this year, we’ve seen a change in the tide. Students demonstrated around the Ferguson ruling, the Eric Garner case, and against the police brutality subjected to Martese Johnson at UVA. Adjunct professors engaged in an action to fight for higher wages and improved working standards and are holding an upcoming town hall. Our environmental activists participated in the Virginia Powershift Conference at the University of Mary Washington to discuss environmental issues on our prospective Virginia campuses, throughout the state, and nationwide. Our LGBTQ community is advocating for genderneutral housing. Conversations are happening, people are moving, and things are stirring in an attempt to turn the dial from inequity to equity. While I have my own personal frustrations with the university, I have never been more proud of my fellow monarchs than I have been this year. Students are engaged and speaking up about the issues they’ve faced and what they’d like to see changed. As an institution of higher learning, I would expect that this improvement would be celebrated, that our
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students and administration would be excited that our community is engaging in critical thought and processing their experiences. Unfortunately, there has been a lot of criticism. “There is only a race problem if you talk about race.” “Everything was fine before you created something out of nothing.” “Students just need to take more initiative, there is nothing else we can ask of administration.” I beg to differ. Race and racism don’t just evaporate into thin air because we’re not speaking about them. Racism becomes exacerbated when everyone pretends to be blind to it. The facts are that students are taking initiative and if they weren’t, we would never have had the diversity and inclusion meetings. It was students consistently having meetings to discuss issues on campus, students exposing injustices within our campus community on social media, and students speaking with administration that led to the university acknowledging that we have an inclusion problem. We cannot trivialize the circumstances Black students face on this campus as solely micro-aggressions. For example, 88 percent of our student body pays in-state tuition. While we have a large military population, I would still venture to say that a significant amount of our in-state tuition paying students experienced Virginia public schools at some point from K-12. Speaking solely on Virginia, even though this is true of states nationwide, in grade school Black history is not integrated into American history. Outside of Harriet Tubman, George Washington Carver, Rosa
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Parks, Martin Luther King, and now President Barack Obama, as Black students in the state of Virginia, we are not taught in-depth about anyone who looks like us. Names like Dred Scott, Nat Turner, Booker T. Washington, and Frederick Douglas are glossed over but we are not taught that we too can be educators, innovators, inventors, decorated soldiers, etc. We are rarely shown representation of people who look like us doing great things outside of slavery and the Civil Rights era. We are taught that Eli Whitney created the cotton gin, which is untrue – his slave did. If Eli Whitney is just a patent holder, how many other great inventors do we learn about that come in the images of white men that are also, just patent holders? We are not told of the Tuskegee Airmen, the Montford Point Marines, the women of the Civil Rights movement – Amelia Boynton, Diane Nash, Madame CJ Walker – the first female millionaire, Marcus Garvey, Black Wall Street, and the list goes on. I say all of this to say, that we don’t receive this education in grade school and we also don’t receive access to this information at our institution of higher education. Sure, you can choose to be an African American Studies major, but how many students do? The program is barely promoted by the university, let alone the fact that most students don’t know that we have an Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity. How many options are students given to discover this major during their time taking general education courses? One history class. And when students request the re-
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turn of a Black cultural center (BCC), we’re asking for too much. This, my friends, is what systemic oppression at the higher education level looks like. The facts are, in a lot of different ways, grade schools fail students of color. At an institution where students pay, on average, $18,000 per year, I say no, Old Dominion University, you do not have the right to fail me too. This is supposed to be an institution that fosters understanding, critical thought, and academic enlightenment, but yet again here we are in another institution that tells us, “your history is not important enough to be taken seriously and intentionally supported by us, work on it on your own.“ This thinking stems from the understanding that being Black is just a race, and not an ethnicity. For Black Americans, we experience an interesting paradigm. Nationality? American. Race? Black. Ethnicity?... ALSO BLACK. We have experienced wondrous Black cultural developments over the last 200 years and those developments deserve to be acknowledged and celebrated as more than just a race. That lack of understanding extends to our administration, and if that understanding isn’t there, then how can you possibly foster a safe space for Black students on campus? Safe does not have to connote bodily harm as much as cultural erasure. And our university is complicit in cultural erasure where Black and Latino students are concerned. For students who come from predominantly white locations, assumptions about Blacks and Latinos stem from limited interactions, popular Black and Latino
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Photo Credit: top and background: Zachary Chavis | M&C culture and debilitating stereotypes. Our students will leave here and go on to be doctors, lawyers, politicians, and people in positions of power. And when we look at the representation they see on campus, we see eight percent Black faculty and staff and even less Latino, we see very visible white administrators but not as much with being able to name and acknowledge administrators of color, we see students of color but we also see that a majority of our housekeeping and maintenance staff are people of color. We’re systemically predisposing our students to images of people of color in subservient roles and white administrators as people in power. But yet, a resource to further educate our students and campus community about Black culture to build some semblance of understanding is too much to ask? We should be allowed to ask for more from the administration of this university. As 46 percent of our on-campus population and 24 percent of our overall population, we bring in more than $3 million per year to this institution. Surely that can buy us some care and understanding around the issues of our community and the investment of the university into our culture. As opposed to an op-ed that alludes to the fact that our community is too insignificant to be concerned with because “President Broderick can’t be concerned with every intersectional community of the world in his every thought.” That was made very clear when his comments concerning Eric Garner and Ferguson came after a racially insensitive social media scandal, as opposed to when 350+ Black students gathered to demonstrate in November. There was no care for us when we were hurting, only when a PR spin was needed. We have seen through mediocre programming, and exclusivity of or
-ganizations supporting diversity on campus, that it cannot always be up to just the students to say that our backgrounds matter and should be included. For example, ODU OUT is notorious for not being inclusive of LGBTQ students of color, as stated by LGBTQ students of color, and some of their members have posted racially insensitive commentary on social media. When Lamia Beard, a transgender woman of color who lived on 25th street, was murdered, there was no commentary from ODU OUT. We can’t assume that an organization that would seemingly represent specific issues is not going to have any type of bias or is going to definitely represent those issues. While I do agree that there is more intentional learning to be done by all communities on campus around issues and topics concerning diversity, I would say that it is a cop out to excuse everyone’s lack of understanding as “oh well, too bad. Everyone can’t know everything about diversity.” That is an age old excuse that gives people a pass for not even trying, not even starting the process to understand and hiding behind “not knowing everything.” In a final attempt to make clear the motives behind having a Black cultural center on our campus, the misleading and satirical idea that the op-ed gives off is that a BCC is an attempt to “cure racism.” That notion is false and misguided. We are fighting to have a Black cultural center be
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cause students should be able to have a space introduced to them on their campus tour that is representative of their culture and history. Students are entitled to a space on our campus that provides not only programming resources, but research opportunities, mentorship opportunities, and a hub that fosters understanding between the Black community and other ethnicities. BCCs are integrated spaces nationwide and have worked tirelessly in fostering an air of understanding between their students. Not only have students been fighting for one, they’ve drafted a proposal for it, and canvassed the student body with pledge cards to garner support from over five percent of our student body. Students have been discussing the idea of bringing this resource to campus since the petition was released and working hard to draft what such a center would look like; taking into consideration programming, research opportunities, student staffing opportunities, administrative positions and their duties, etc. So it is offensive to all of the students who have been working so hard to insinuate that “nothing has been done” and that this plan and initiative hasn’t been carefully considered. There is no one exclaiming that it is the administration’s job to figure it out. When trying to create the proposal, members of the university community were extremely reluctant to provide the informa
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-tion requested. Two months later, we are still waiting on a copy of the SGA student organization budget that is said to still be “under review by administration.” I am so proud of the students who’ve come together and diligently fought for and designed this plan and I won’t allow their work to be diminished by someone who is ill informed. Not only have these students been working on the plan, they’ve also been consulting with BCC faculty at universities nationwide to best perfect this initiative in conjunction with the Association for Black Cultural Centers, of which we were once a member. The administration is not just hearing that there is an issue with racism. They’ve been hearing for months that we would like a BCC and it is no secret that they’ve been less than receptive to the idea. They’ve come up with alternatives, held meetings, and made other taskforce plans to placate the students without actually saying that they don’t want the center or think that it’s a best fit for the university. This initiative has garnered massive support from alumni, faculty, and students and will not die quickly. Students are committed to seeing this through until the end. While the argument can be made that we have the Office of Intercultural Relations (OIR), there is not the time, budget, or manpower for the office to purposefully cater to the Black community with the other cultures on campus. OIR is expected to cater
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to ODU’s international community, which boasts students from over 105 countries, educate the campus on all communities, host interfaith competency initiatives, social entrepreneurship initiatives, and more recently, LGBTQ initiatives. For the past two years, due to weather, Black History Month events have been cancelled. That does not mean that the care and intention isn’t there from OIR but when Black cultural events are mostly relegated to a single month where we consistently receive bad weather, how are the Black students on our campus regularly served by OIR? The student population is too large for there to not be consistent intentional investment on the part of the university. All in all, while I support broadening the lens with which we tackle diversity as well as considering other options to bring in new administrators around these issues, . This year, so many of my peers stood up for the things that they believed in. They marched, they chanted, they silently demonstrated, and they supported one another. In discussions, we listened and learned from one another. At demonstrations faculty attended and participated, while our administrators stood by and took pictures. While I can’t say the same of the administration-led discussions, the student-led discussions brought some students to tears. Not because they were being terrorized or threatened, but because they finally felt understood. And that’s what matters to me as a monarch, having a space where students are free to feel understood. And for that, I am proud to be leaving Old Dominion as a self-affirmed monarch activist and am looking forward to the next set of students willing to fight for change.
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ODU Students Design Nation’s First Climate Change Adapted Neighborhood Jugal Patel Digital Editor
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hen Skip Stiles set out to prepare a 175-home, nearcentury-old Norfolk neighborhood for sea level rise, he didn’t want to reinvent the wheel. After searching for ideas however, Stiles came back empty-handed. “This is the first street level adaptation project happening before a storm hits in the United States,” he said. Stiles is the executive director of Wetlands Watch, a statewide nonprofit environmental group based in Norfolk. After securing funding from multiple sources, Wetlands Watch began gathering interest from other groups and conceptualizing the design of the project. According to Stiles, the only similar adaption work has been done in St. Augustine, Florida – though it was not on the same scale as the Wetlands Watch Project. “We quickly discovered that there is nothing ‘off the shelf ’ that works – first, no one had done this kind of work before… anywhere,” he said. “Getting a team of mentors and advisers together was a result of early work with the Hampton Roads Green Building Council,” Stiles said. “We specifically recruited some talent we needed and people we knew we wanted - a commercial real estate developer, an historic property consultant, a really good local landscape architect, etc. And as word got out about the project, others joined in and asked to be part of the team.” The design work for adapting the neighborhood is currently handled by seniors in Old Dominion University’s Engineering department and Hampton University’s Architecture department. ODU’s involvement in
the project comes through a senior design course taught by Professor Mujde Erten-Unal. Prior to the work done by the course, ODU’s student chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers was involved in the neighborhood adaptation project. The neighborhood chosen was Chesterfield Heights—which is nested below Norfolk State University, along the slowly expanding, regularly encroaching Elizabeth River. The historic status of Chesterfield Heights was one reason for it being chosen as the site for sea level rise adaptation work. Created in the early 20th century, most of the neighborhood’s development occurred between the 1920s and the 1950s. In 2003, Chesterfield Heights was added to the national historic register. Much of the neighborhood’s infrastructure has aged with passing years, and is already impacted by rising water. The nearest tide gauge at Sewell’s Point has measured a 14-inch rise in sea level since the 1930s. Storm water outfalls that should drain water during flood events are submerged even at mean low tide. Drainage pipes installed in the 1920s and 1930s are also undersized and in poor condition to handle large amounts of water that arrive through high tides, rainfall events, and storm surges. The coastline, once a beach for recreation, is heavily eroded with little room to accommodate residents. The coastal erosion has also been worsened by wakes created from shipping lanes existing just off of Chesterfield Heights’ coast. The beach now lies close to the neighborhood’s infrastructure, allowing scarce room for water to advance until it meets the waterfront homes. Getting in and out of the neighborhood is another issue. Only two roads
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lead into Chesterfield Heights—both of which regularly flood. The main road, Kimball Terrace, is wavy and frequently holds water within its troughs. During winter, that water turns into ice, causing dangerous driving conditions for residents of the neighborhood. Culverts near the road, which allow for water to drain beneath structures, are also eroded and backed up with sediment. Stiles said the neighborhood was chosen partly due to its vulnerability to the challenges faced by the entire region. It was also picked because it’s small enough for the team to manage, and contains an active civic league that could help engage the community. The students’ initial involvement began with surveying residents of the community so that social dynamics could be central to the design. They then had to collect data and conduct a water budget, in order to understand how much flooding comes through rainfall, tides, and storm surge. Stiles also mentioned that the project would better integrate the neighborhood with the natural environment. Students were tasked with coming up with designs to make that
work for both the residents, and for the ecosystem. To provide professional support for the students, Wetlands Watch has assembled consultants from the Hampton Roads Green Building Council and about 35 environmental engineers and architects. The project has also gathered involvement from the City of Norfolk, the Virginia Coastal Policy Clinic at William & Mary, the American Association of Architects, and others. Upon completion of the design, students are expected to present their
designs to the City of Norfolk’s Watershed Task Force at the Slover Library on May 6. Jugal Patel is the Coastal Adaptation & Resilience Correspondent for the Virginia Sea Grant. This story is part of the Mace & Crown’s Rising Seas, Sinking Cities. It is the first in a series on the Chesterfield Heights Neighborhood Adaption Project. For the full story along with updates, visit http://www. maceandcrown.com/category/rissc/ or follow @NorfolkClimate on Twitter
Chesterfield Heights coastline shown above
Kimball Terrace Road shown above
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Credits: Google Earth ™ Mapping Service
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STUDENT
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For more student life pictures, visit our social media!
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Students were given awards at the Annual SEES Awards Ceremony on April 21, 2015.
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A wide of variety of events were held during ODU Blue Goes Green Week, from April 20 to April 25, 2015.
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You WILL be able to step on the seal, seniors! The Seal has been restored to its original habitat.
Jason Kazi | M&C
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