Oct 6th, 2022

The

Sud Games replaces 26-year-old tradition

Off The Hook battles wind, site changes to host games

BY CAREY SEAY clseay@vwu.edu

A campus tradition since 1996, Virginia Wesleyan University’s annual Mud Games has remained a hot topic and long-awaited event since its start 26 years ago. The tradition presents a relay race with obstacle courses, tug-of-war challenges, dizzy-bat contests and egg-and-spoon races all

through a slip and slide of mud. Any team of friends, club members, athletes, students or staff members can compete for a trophy prize. Every year, students and staff alike look forward to participating in Mud Games.

This year, however, Mud Games looked different than before.

Rather than racing through and being caked in mud, participants

‘Cabaret’ steals spotlight

BY VICTORIA HANELINE vfhaneline1@vwu.edu

In a smoky, darkened theater, scantily clad women dance seductively. The lights and every eye in the room is on the women with names like “Texas” and “Lulu,” while a sleazy man threads between them, introducing them and showing them off. A pause, then every light turns to one woman, introduced as Sally Bowles, who sings sensuous ly while performing a carnal dance on a chair.

“Cabaret,” a musical about a nightclub in 1930s Berlin, is coming to Brock theater at VWU on Oct. 6 and running until Oct. 9.

“Cabaret” is based on the life of Christopher Isherwood, a writer who was in Berlin for the last months of the Golden Twenties.

The story follows Clifford Bradshaw, an American writer played by Jacob Underwood, and Sally Bowles, played by Sophia Kaminaris, the lead

Women’s Soccer No. 21 nationally

BY SHIRELL WASHINGTON sawashington@vwu.edu

The Virginia Wesleyan Women’s Soccer team finally gets the R.E.S.P.E.C.T. they deserve.

On Oct. 4, the United Soccer Coaches Association released the rankings for Division III Women’s Soccer and the Marlins came up in the ranks at No. 21.

“Oh it feels awesome. In the locker room when we found out it was amazing—the energy, the music was so loud. It feels like the hard work paid off and we want to keep getting higher in the ranks,” Victoria Gonzalez, a junior defender on the VWU Women’s Soccer team, said.

The season started off with some tough competition. For their season opener, the Marlins played McDaniel College, ranked No. 19 in the nation at the time, and beat them 1-0. They went on to play College of St. Benedict and beat the Bennies 1-0. The first loss of the season came from the Captains

of Christopher Newport Univer sity, who are currently ranked No. 1 in the nation, in which the Captains beat the Marlins 2-1. The matchup between the Marlins and the Captains was a good one as the Marlins were leading through the first half and into the second.

The Marlins’ other wins this season were against the Monarchs of Methodist University, River Hawks of Susquehanna Universi ty, Seagulls of Salisbury Universi ty, Cougars of Averett University and the Royals of Eastern Menno nite University. They tied with the Eagles of the University of Mary Washington, putting their current record at 7-1-1 for the season so far.

“The first seven games of our season were just really difficult non-conference games that we used to prep us—hopefully, to expose us in ways that we need to get better and I think we handled

ran through foam and bubbles— Mud Games, therefore, turned into Sud Games. The Games took place on Friday, Sept. 23.

“It is an interesting change. I love Mud Games, but I do under stand that they switched it for a reason,” junior Lauren Ford said.

That reason, suggest ed by facilities manage ment, had to do with the build up of mud on Rose

Lawn over the years. As a result of this build up, management found it difficult to access under ground utilities.

“We were asked to identify another place on campus for Mud Games, but we were limited in where we could do that,” Direc tor of Student Activi ties Sarah Guzzo said.

“Because the mud pit

Hurricane Ian causes flooding, power outages

BY CONNOR MERK ccmerk@vwu.edu

Hurricane Ian and its remnants impacted the Hampton Roads region with significant flooding and power outages which began on Friday, Sept. 30.

According to the National Weather Service, Virginia Beach had numer ous hazardous weather conditions.

zone. For the Beach Hazard State ment, a high risk for rip currents,” the NWS report on Oct. 3 said.

dancer at the KitKat club.

The KitKat club is a seedy burlesque strip club, run by the sleazy but memorable Emcee, played by VWU alumni Michael McOsker. The show is set in the late 1930s, follow ing a burgeoning love story between Bowles and Brad shaw. The musical is undershot with the increasingly pervasive rise to power of the German Nazi Party, gradually influenc ing every plot and character in the musical.

Dr. Travis Malone, professor of Theatre, dean of the Batten Honors College and director of “Cabaret,” said that the reason the department chose this show was in part due to the message. He said that history has a lot to say to us, and that the musical

offers a great cautionary tale regarding fascism.

The other reason this musi cal was picked by the art department was the juxtaposi tion of 1930s Germany and the lively music.

“What I really love about this musical is how it plays tension,” Malone said. “It draws the audience in with really catchy lyrics and tunes with really dark material.”

The songs are a major selling point of this musical, with tons of really bombastic, memo rable numbers. But listening to the lyrics can be chilling.

“I’m haunted by some numbers,” Malone said. “I love that the musical starts

“For the Coastal Flood Warning, up to two feet of inundation above ground level in low-lying areas near shorelines and tidal waterways. For the High Surf Advisory, large break ing waves of 8 to 12 feet in the surf

This resulted in the cities of Norfolk and Virginia Beach declaring states of emergencies which closed city facilities. Virginia Beach Emergency Management Coordinator Danielle Progren released a statement that emphasized how forecasters expected this storm to cause some of the worst flooding conditions the area has seen in at least a decade.

“With the ground saturation from Ian’s rainfall, plus high tides, combined with wind-driven high water in the Chesapeake Bay and Lynnhaven River systems, it looks like there won’t be anywhere for the water to drain,” Pogen said. “We’re encouraging everyone to stay off the roads as much as possible Monday afternoon through Tuesday morning.”

Virginia Wesleyan University was affected by this storm with a power outage on Friday, Sept. 30, fallen trees, providing a staging area for Dominion Energy and increased standing water on walkways.

During the power outage, students received an email from Residence Life at 4:42 p.m. that declared the

Volleyball thrives

Disney announces new film projects

See

Janet Green|Courtesy Junior Julia Marrone goes for the soccer ball during the game against Methodist University on Sept. 10 at the Trinder Center.

Ross Winner|Marlin Chronicle

compete in Sud Games on Friday, Sept. 23 in front of the Jane P. Batten Student Center.

Ross Winner|Marlin Chronicle “Cabaret” cast rehearses before performing from Oct. 6 - 9.

Connor Merk|Marlin Chronicle A tree leans on the Monumental Chapel and Beazley Recital Hall after remnants of Hurricane Ian impacted campus.

Chesapeake Dive Team makes a splash

BY LAUREN BIBLE lebible@vwu.edu ASHLEIGH LOCKARD adlockard@vwu.edu

First responders save lives anytime and anywhere, and being by the beach, this in cludes water rescues. Over the past 10 years, the Chesa peake Dive Team has been in and out of the Batten Pool at Virginia Wesleyan University.

Firefighters and police officers from around the MidAtlantic have been freshening up their underwater rescue techniques to take back to their department dive teams.

“It's a train-the-trainer kind of course,” said Lieutenant W. Chadwick, a Chesapeake Police Dive Team instructor. The dive team trains year-round to be ready for any emer gency.

Additionally, they use the facility a few times a year, especially in cold winter months for annual skills recer tifications when the local waterways are extremely cold.

The team's connection to VWU goes back several years. A former VWU Softball player, Heather Bishop, is a team sergeant, as well as one of our Professors of Social Work Dr. Benjamin Dobrin.

Dobrin is a member of the Underwater Search and Re covery Team (USART). Before that, he was in dive school with the Virginia Beach EMS Marine Rescue Team and went through the Chesapeake Police Department dive school.

Back in 2011, he was the dive training officer of Virginia Beach when one of their divers died during a training ac cident. He knew then that he needed more officers to have advanced underwater training.

The teams do not only train, they get called to respond to maritime emergencies. According to Dobrin, just last week, they were called out to respond to an incident at the James River Bridge.

They also perform rescues in high water and flooding or swift water in the case of hurricanes and tropical storms.

The team also does evidence recovery from crimes. This can include weapons and stolen items.

Another part of what the team does is working with the Army Corps of Engineers to remove vehicles from local waters. “We are in one of the few states that have heavy lift capabilities, we have lifted a bus from 60ft depth,”

Dobrin said.

Overall, “VWU is a wonderful community partner for local public safety teams,” Dobrin said.

Freshmen enter roles as SGA debates proposals

BY ZACH HELDIBRIDLE zrheldibridle@vwu.edu

The Student Government Association recently had freshmen senator elections where Tyler Stancyk and Andrew Steiner were elected. They enter SGA as it discusses implementing free con dom dispensers and feminine hygiene product vending machines across campus.

A reason for these proposals is that some individuals ar gue they cannot get a condom discreetly around campus.

“You have to go talk with someone at Student Health, where they will only give one condom at a time, so these dispensers will help to prevent those awkward interactions that may ensue," SGA Vice President Joey Mueller said.

One potential issue is to prevent tampering of the dis pensers. Solutions include putting a basket on the Jane P. Batten Student Center desk so that they do not get tam pered with, but at the same time, it does not feel too per sonal for the person getting a condom.

Steiner was born in Incheon, South Korea, but moved to the United States when he was only six-months-old. He grew up in Suffolk, Va. He is passionate about criminal justice, particularly with criminal defense and the legal system.

After he heard that he was elected as an SGA sena tor, he said that he was relieved. Steiner campaigned mainly through word of mouth. The reason Steiner wanted to join SGA is that he knew before he even got to college that he wanted to get involved in some sort of student government because one of his career

goals is to run for political office later in life.

Steiner stated that he wants to spread awareness about SGA because many of the freshmen did not know about it beforehand or even after the election took place.

The second freshman senator is Tyler Stanczyk. He is from Chesapeake, Va., about 20 minutes away from the campus. He focuses mainly on his studies, but he enjoys rock climbing, school and meeting new people. His career goals include wanting to become a pilot.

The reason he decided to join the SGA is that it “seemed like it actually does something for the school, rather than doing something at the school.”

When he heard that he was selected for SGA, he was

excited because “it wasn’t something you just signed up for and got in, there was an election.” Stanczyk also wants people to be more aware of all the SGA legislation so they can be more prepared when it applies to them. Currently, Stanczyk wants to major in Computer Science, and he may minor in Business as he has already completed half of the requirements for it.

Joey Mueller, the vice president of SGA, described how freshman senators are important. He stated that the fresh man senators are “important to SGA because they bring in a new, fresh perspective of the university.”

Mueller hopes that these senators stick around because SGA does have a large turnaround rate, as some people just come in, have their say, and then leave.

“It has taken three years for the student government to function as an actual student government instead of an ad vanced planning committee, which we already have plenty of,” Mueller said.

He also stated that one reason why he did not tell those students who lost the election that they lost was because they did not want to “instill official titles and make people feel as though they cannot come to the meetings and have their voice heard.” Open meetings are held the last Mon day of every month.

Regarding future SGA-sponsored events, Mueller said that around the time of midterms, there will be a cuddle with dogs and coffee event, where they will set up a tent with a clearly marked logo.

Andrew Steiner|Courtesy Stanczyk and Steiner shake hands.

Ashleigh Lockard|Marlin Chronicle

The dive team travels through an underwater obstacle course with entanglement hazards and drills they may encounter in darker water.

Youngkin school transgender policies cite ‘parental rights’

Almost 100 high schools in Virginia protest as comment period opens for new policies.

BY RHIAN TRAMONTANA rjtramontana@vwu.edu

On Sept. 17, Gov. Glenn Youngkin re leased a document that began major chang es in the state policies regarding transgen der students in Va. schools. The main claim, according to Youngkin, was that “parental rights” were in need of protection.

The document balances the needs of “students with distinctive needs, including any student with a persistent and sincere belief that his or her gender differs from his or her sex,” while acknowledging the “fun damental rights” of parents.

This means that students must receive parental consent to change any names, nicknames or pronouns. Additionally, stu dents must use restrooms and participate in sports on the basis of their sex assigned by the state.

The justification for the changes lies within the First Amendment, as many Vir ginians reject “the ideological belief that gender is a matter of personal choice or subjective experience, not sex,” the docu ment says.

The document reverses the previous 2020 policy decision under the lead of Gov. Ralph Northam, which was aimed at pro tecting the students’ right to privacy.

A 30-day comment period opened on Sept. 26, and the decision will go into ef fect at the end of that period. Comments can be submitted at townhall.virginia.gov.

SGA President Eddie McDonald com mented that “Over half of transgender youth have attempted suicide at least once, with close to 90% reporting suicidal ide ation,” making it a pressing issue for more than just high school students.

“By ignoring the science, the Virginia Department of Education’s 2022 Model Policies will undoubtedly result in the oth erwise preventable deaths of transgender youth in our state; their blood will be on Governor Youngkins hands,” McDonald said.

According to McDonald, college stu dents “have the power to advocate on be half of our high-school peers as their rights are under attack by the Youngkin Adminis tration” by voting in coming elections.

Additionally, McDonald said that advo cating is important because “the state could theoretically force these same policies on higher-education institutions who receive state funding, such as VWU,” which re ceives the Virginia Tuition Assistance Grant (VTAG).

STORM

the campus was in emergency operation status. They noted, “Guests are prohib ited, alcohol is prohibited - we are a ‘dry’ campus until the emergency status is lifted and any policy violations that could cause safety hazards (such as candles) are taken very seriously.”

Senior Chase Yew spent his time with a group. “A small group of us stayed to gether and played some cards and board games. We just kind of chilled for a bit un til it came back on. We didn’t have many people but it was better than sitting alone in the dark,” Yew said.

The power was restored hours later for some, but did not fully come back for those

Brynna Lister, the current president of Spectrum, said that “Many college students have younger siblings, and this could dras tically affect their family lives.” According to Lister, “policies like this tend to travel in packs… so there could be future policies that do affect [VWU].”

Lister encourages students to speak their mind about the new policies. “On Friday, October 14, there will be a table in Batten Student Center for anyone to write letters during the public comment period for the policy,” Lister said.

For Lister, the issue is one that all should speak on, even at VWU. “I’ve heard sever al complaints about the school being hesi tant to provide accommodations for trans students, as well as some teachers strug gling to identify students with the right pronouns,” Lister said.

To combat this, Lister “would love to see less quiet support from those people higher up on the school food chain, and a little more active inclusivity.”

Wavy13 reported that schools across the state planned walkouts for Tuesday Sept. 27, including high schools in the VWU area. A spreadsheet linked to the article listed the times of walkouts at almost 100 schools, with notes as to whether or not press was allowed to be present.

“High schoolers can walk out of class every day until November 8, but only we have the power to vote out the politicians creating these policy changes,” McDonald said.

In regards to the students organizing walkouts, Lister said,“I would just like to congratulate them. Taking a stand on such an issue takes courage, especially if the stu dents who walked out weren’t transgender themselves. It’s good to see that there’s that type of allied backing for the community.”

According to USA Today, school dis tricts are also advocating against Young kin’s policy changes, including Richmond, Arlington and Alexandria. In addition, President Joe Biden’s administration has shown support for the students who have been protesting.

“He believes transgender youth should be allowed to be able to go to school freely, to be able to express themselves freely, to be able to have the protections that they need to be who they are,” White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said.

Monkeypox and misinformation concern community

BY LILY RESLINK lbreslink@vwu.edu

With pandemic response experience al ready in their back pocket, staff at Virginia Wesleyan University have taken proac tive measures to prepare the institution for monkeypox.

The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) website defines monkeypox as “a contagious rash illness caused by the monkeypox virus.” VDH says, “The risk to the general public is con sidered low at this time,” but that does not eliminate it as a public health con cern.

Keith Moore, vice president for Campus Life and Operational Management, said Virginia Wesleyan’s partnerships allow the University to feel confident in its abilities to handle an outbreak.

He said that one benefit of the COV ID-19 pandemic is the University’s profes sional relationship with the Virginia Beach Department of Public Health in terms of policy advice and health and safety up dates. “We have on speed dial one of their very reputable nurse practitioners,” Moore said.

Moore also said he spoke to “a nation ally renowned epidemiologist in a webinar function that was specific to higher educa tion.” Moore said he values the Universi ty’s relationship with Sentara, a Norfolkbased healthcare organization with a free clinic on campus.

According to Moore, forming a plan of action for monkeypox on campus was a collaborative activity. At the first table meeting on the topic, Moore said they “had all the players necessary.” This included contributions from Residence Life, Secu rity, Student Health and the Sentara Health Clinic.

April Christman, director of Counsel ing and Student Health, said that if there is concern about a potential monkeypox case at VWU, the first step is contacting the Stu dent Health Center. She said students can coordinate a telehealth appointment where the nurse practitioner would review symp toms and determine next steps.

“If it’s beyond Sentara on campus 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday, students can just go straight to the [Senta ra] walk-in clinic,” Christman said, which is open off-campus from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays.

“We’ve got it already set up and it’s better than going to the ER because it’s a cheaper option,” she said. Outside of these time frames, Christman said a student could go to the Sentara emergency depart ment on Independence Blvd.

“The University has been in discus sions with VDH, Sentara Medical Group and Virginia Beach Public Health over the course of the summer and each continues to provide updated information and guid ance,” VWU Student Health said in an email to all students on Sept 6. The email contained a monkeypox fact sheet from the Virginia Department of Health.

Right across the hall from the Sentara Health Clinic in Allen Village is a monkey pox infographic containing the fact sheet from the email, as well as additional visual examples of monkeypox rashes from the CDC.

Other symptoms, according to the CDC, include fever, chills, headaches and respi ratory symptoms commonly seen in the flu, such as a sore throat, cough or congestion.

Monkeypox is an especially relevant concern for students on campus given the quantity of close contact in college life.

Mel Lhuillier|Marlin Chronicle

The Virginia Department of Health listed a total of 490 monkeypox cases in Virginia as of Oct. 4. Of those cases, only 21 people were hospitalized, equaling to 4.29%. Fair fax was listed as the district with the most reported cases at a total of 87. They are fol lowed by Alexandria with 62 cases and Ar lington with 61 cases. Virginia Beach has reported 37 cases and Norfolk has reported 30.

In addition, the VDH reported that males make up 95.1% of the total cases so far with a total of 466 cases.

The most common age group to contract monkeypox so far is those between 30 and 39 years old. 40.2% of cases were from people within this age group, and people 20-29 years old make up 36.1% of the cases.

Regarding the spread of medical infor mation, Moore said that “people will be lieve what they want to believe,” but VWU will always put out information from repu table sources.

However, there has been misinforma tion, as well as stigmatization surrounding the virus.

Sophomore Kayla Yokom showed con cern about the overgeneralization of mon keypox as a fault of the LGBT+ commu nity. Yokom said that “oversimplifying things like that makes it a lot harder to ac tually get useful information.”

The vaccines are not currently open to the general public. “Currently, CDC is not encouraging vaccination against monkey pox for the broader public or for everyone who is sexually active,” said the CDC on its website.

However, Christman said that eligibil ity is actively expanding, which the CDC website verifies: “The U.S. government is working to expand vaccine access quickly, effectively, and equitably.”

Those who have been exposed or have a high risk of being exposed to monkey pox should talk to a doctor about getting the vaccine.

in Bray Village until Monday. It was un confirmed if VWU would operate normally after the weekend.

On Monday, Oct. 3, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Susan Lar kin announced that VWU would have a normal schedule and continue to monitor the conditions throughout the day. “Weath er and flooding can vary widely throughout our region, so if you encounter unsafe trav el conditions please notify your professor or supervisor and stay home,” Larkin said.

Old Dominion University decided to close at noon on Oct. 3 in anticipation for the storm to allow non-residential students and employees time to safely travel home before the 3:52 p.m high tide.

VWU students are encouraged to consult the University website, social media and email for emergency updates.

“Currently, CDC is not encouraging vaccination against monkeypox for the broader public or for everyone who is sexually active.”

Carley Tantlinger|Marlin Chronicle

Power outages in the area bring a fleet of energy trucks to the Goode parking lot.

Gov. Glenn Youngkin|Facebook Gov. Glenn Youngkin speaks to crowd with a “Parents Matter” plaque on podium.

Connor Merk ccmerk@vwu.edu

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Recruitment Week creates large panhellenic interest

The week of Sept. 19-23 was reserved for Recruitment Week this year at Virginia Wesleyan University. The week proved successful with a large turnout at events held by all participating Greek organizations. These organizations included fraternities Sigma Nu and Phi Kappa Tau, along with sororities Alpha Sigma Alpha and Sigma Sigma Sigma.

With this year being the first to return completely back to normal following COVID-19, each organization was eager for Recruitment Week to get started.

“[Recruitment] this year is different because the fraternity energy is different this year. While we are aware of our current global health situation, there are no restrictions placed by the school this semester for the first time in over two years,” senior and President of the Epsilon Delta chapter of Phi Kappa Tau James Johnson said. “There is a sentiment from all of our brothers, especially our seniors, to get back to pre-COVID campus life.”

Due to COVID-19, this year is special for all graduating seniors involved in Greek Life.

“I am super excited to meet our new pledge class and to get to know them all on a personal level,” senior and President of the Zeta Pi chapter of Sigma Sigma Sigma Bria Covington said. “It is my senior year this year and I am in my second term of presidency, so I really want to make this recruitment season count.”

All Greek organizations took advantage of this year’s face-to-face Recruitment Week. Events were held Monday through Friday by each organization.

Fraternities Phi Kappa Tau and Sigma Nu hosted sporting events like beach volleyball, dodgeball and golf. Phi Kappa Tau also held a night by the firepit, and Sigma Nu had a milkshake meet-up and grill and chill.

“For us, [recruitment] this year was super smooth. We planned out our [Recruitment] Week during the summer and really tried to tailor the events to balance fun and connections

with the potential new members,” senior and President of the Iota Beta chapter of Sigma Nu Tucker Barco said.

Equally excited, sororities Alpha Sigma Alpha and Sigma Sigma Sigma put on daily events as well. This year, however, sororities were encouraged to host events together.

“I wish organizations were viewed as better and friendlier instead of the huge stereotypes of VCU or Alabama,” senior and President of the Epsilon Eta chapter of Alpha Sigma Alpha MacKenzie Osborne said.

Covington shared similar views.

“I think something that is different about [recruitment] this year is that there is a bit of a stigma that sororities face based off of other horror stories that have been shared by girls at other universities on social media platforms like TikTok,” Covington said.

Rather than following the stereotypes surrounding these other organizations, both Alpha Sigma Alpha and Sigma Sigma Sigma strive to follow the model set by the National Panhellenic Conference Manual of Information.

In accordance with the manual, both organizations believe “positive Panhellenic contact and promotion of the sorority experience does not mean creating an unfair advantage for a particular NPC member organization. It does mean promoting sorority membership in general, not a particular organization”— hence their decision to hold events together while also hosting staggered separate events.

“If we are hosting an event, we just have to make sure it’s not at the same time, and it’s kind of staggered,” Osborne said. “That way, there’s an equal opportunity for girls to attend both events, so they can get a feeling for everyone in each chapter.”

To make what used to be known as “Rush” even more welcoming, VWU adopted a new term for the week: “Recruitment.” All Greek organizations here at VWU welcome any and all interests, and this change embodies just that.

Adding to this, the style of recruitment this year is also different. Rather than only recruiting new members during Recruitment Week at the beginning of each fall semester, our organizations are following a continuous open bidding (COB) format.

According to the National Panhellenic Conference Manual of Information, “The purpose of COB is to enable those chapters that did not pledge to quota or pledged quota but did not reach total, to pledge additional new members immediately following the primary membership recruitment period.”

VWU adopted this model in hopes of increasing interest in Greek Life and allowing potential new members more time to explore each organization.

“I definitely wish that we were still in formal recruitment instead of taking new members year round, solely because it makes things a bit harder on our end in the new member process and for financial reasons,” Covington said. “However, I will always be welcome to add another sister into our organization.”

Anyone who is interested in joining Greek Life here at VWU or just wants to know more about it is encouraged to reach out to current members and attend Greek events.

just is not pleasing to the eye, it wouldn’t look good.”

The Marlin

Wesleyan University.

After being unsuccessful in find ing a new location for Mud Games, Off the Hook, which leads the Games year after year, decided to go back to the drawing board. This is when the team came up with the idea of hosting a foam party. The idea then turned into Sud Games in order to keep the relay competition tradition of Mud Games alive.

“I think this was a good alter native to Mud Games and a great event put on by Off The Hook,” Ford said.

Unfortunately, the weather was not in the Games’ favor on the day of the event. Strong winds quickly blew the foam and bubbles away, turning it into “Sand Games” at the sand volleyball court.

“As

The

“It was definitely shocking and something that we weren’t prepared for but it’s definitely understand able,” Guzzo said. “I think we’ll definitely be able to continue the spirit of the event. It will be just as fun if not more, because then it will turn into a foam party afterwards.”

Off the Hook set up six foam ma chines and offered participants gog gles to avoid getting foam in their eyes. A DJ was also invited out to host the event.

“It wasn’t like I was expecting because the weather said ‘no’ to Sud Games and blew the bubbles away, so it was changed to the Sand Games,” Ford said. “Off the Hook did a good job in transition ing when the weather tried to stop the event. I also wasn’t expect ing it to be on the sand volleyball court, so we had an extra obstacle with the net.”

Despite the many challenges Off the Hook faced in the creation and organization of Sud Games, the event still had a large turnout and great reviews. Off the Hook looks forward to continuing the tradition in the future.

MacKenzie Osborne|Courtesy

Alpha Sigma Alpha and Sigma Sigma Sigma hang out at The Cove during Recruitment.

Sigma Nu|Courtesy

Current and potential members of Sigma Nu play miniature golf at Jungle Golf on Sept. 21.

Carley Tantlinger|Marlin Chronicle

Top right: Sud Games turned into “Sand Games” when wind blew the foam away on the sand volleyball court.

Bottom right: Members of the Spikeball Club won the first ever Sud Games competition. Left to right: Eric O’Dea, Garrett Page, Brandon Kwon, Will Eckard and David Browne.

Bottom left: Students race to the finish on the slip-n-slide in front of the Jane P. Batten Student Center.

Major & Minor Exploration Fair aids decision-making

BY PHOEBE COX

Choosing a major and any potential mi nors can be stressful for students. There is a lot of pressure to pick the right fit for the situation while also making sure it is something you will enjoy. On Wednesday, Sept. 28 from 11:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., the Wesleyan community came together to help make that decision a little easier for anyone who needed the help.

The CMAC in the Batten Student Center was filled with more kinds of M&M’s than just the candy-coated chocolate sweets as professors, advisors and students set up tables to represent all the different kinds of majors and minors offered at the university. Colorful packets of candy M&M’s did ex ist at every booth though, too.

Undeclared students, those of all grades, and anyone else interested in finding out additional information about any of Wes leyan’s 42 majors, 31 minors or 19 pre-pro fessional track offerings were welcome to peruse the ring of tables. This was thanks to the set-up efforts of both the Learning Center and The Lighthouse Center for Ex ploration and Discovery in making the Ma jor & Minor Exploration Fair happen.

One such department of majors and mi nors represented there was Computer Sci

ence, a vocation becoming more popular as advancements in technology become more frequent. Ash Dobrenen, a senior student, was the ambassador for the program, giv ing information to any students interested.

The Major & Minor Exploration Fair gave them the opportunity to talk in person to students about the newer Cybersecurity minor and even off-campus activity oppor tunities like the Hampton Roads Datathon that happened on Sept. 16.

Being able to have this face-to-face in teraction allowed Dobrenen to express their passion better than if a student just looked up information online. They said that they “enjoy foreign languages a lot and computer science is just like a foreign language except it’s just written instead of spoken.” They are excited for the growth of the program that has happened and is to come.

Freshman Abby Villacrusis agreed with the efficiency and functionality of the Major & Minor Exploration Fair that Do brenen conveyed.

“It was really nice to be able to go around and talk to people specifically involved in each major,” Villacrusis said. The face-toface aspect made it easier and more inter esting to get information.

The design of the event also made it con ducive for her experience. A strategy Vil

lacrusis and her friend employed while at the fair was that they “did a loop of all the tables.” Having different interests in both STEM and the humanities prompted them “to go to everything just to get a feel for everything.”

One of the more visited tables at the fair was the Management, Business, and Eco nomics Department. Excited to talk about the experience of a Business major, senior Logan Woolcock stated that a highlight of the program is the professors.

“They’ve done a lot of things in the field before coming to teach, so they have not only the experience of being great instruc tors but they’ve been there themselves,” Woolcock said.

Dr. Michelle Vachris, chair of the MBE department and director of the program, agreed with his statement.

“We have the real life experience and that is infused into our curriculum through the experiential learning of things,” Dr. Va chris said.

Professor Frank Futyma was eager to talk about one such experiential learning event the MBE Department runs every year. He said, “The Business Conference is a Wesleyan Tradition,” and it consists

Bowles is that the character’s personality is so different from her own. It’s more work, she said, but it’s also more fun. She said it has taught her to embrace uncertainty.

out so bold and bright, and then moves through this very dynamic change.”

The contrast between the hedonistic atmosphere of the KitKat club and the encroaching horror of the Nazi Party is visible and well done. The change happens in an instant, from scene to scene and sometimes line to line.

“There’s two songs in this show that really send shivers down my spine,” said Landon Rockwell, who plays one of the club dancers. “Those are the songs that are happy in the beginning and then the very last line changes the entire meaning.”

One of those songs, “If you could see her,” actually pre viously had a line changed due to pushback over the new meaning of the song. The musical is being performed at VWU with the original line.

Part of what makes the musical so impactful is that the characters are so human. They dance, laugh and cry, just like everybody else.

“I think everybody can find a little piece of themselves within all of these characters,” Kaminaris said.

The show was put together in just six weeks, several weeks shorter than usual, in order to coincide with Home coming. The turnaround was quick, which both Kaminaris and Malone described as a challenge. They are neverthe less confident that it will be a musical worth seeing.

“It’s come along incredibly,” said Kaminaris. “I couldn’t have asked for a smoother rehearsal process.”

This musical is a first show for many of the perform ers. It is Kaminaris’ first time as lead. She says that the experience has taught her that she is capable of more than she thought. She said that her favorite thing about playing

Malone said that the show has a straightforward mes sage about standing by and watching something like the rise of fascism. He said that as the show goes on, the im pact of fascism on all the characters you’ve come to know is visible.

Malone believes that theater is more powerful than mov

of “student competitions, guest lecturers, workshops, and guest speakers.” The fair enabled him and his Business counterparts to inform more people about this opportu nity to get involved with the program.

Another experiential-oriented depart ment represented was the Arts. Ceramics and sculptures Professor Phil Guilfoyle expressed that “when students’ brains are wracked, they can come over and explore their creativity in our art classes.”

He was confident in saying that “anyone can come take our art classes” regardless of skill level. He especially made sure to mention to students that Arts classes were good options for General Studies require ments and upper level Humanities slots.

Overall, the Major & Minor Fair was a bustling hub of activity that allowed those who chose to attend the opportunity to talk with all sorts of people. Freshman Anna Greenleaf especially enjoyed the experi ence, giving the advice that “even if you’re dead set on a major or minor, go anyway.”

The mixture of current students and fac ulty members that she was able to converse with and get information from was useful for her, and she was thankful to have re ceived the information that she did.

ies as it presents ideas with living bodies rather than imag es. He said that feeling the energy of the performance and forming your own conclusions makes it harder to dismiss.

“Theater is a dangerous art form … we present the ideas for the audience to consider and think through,” Malone said.

Tickets for “Cabaret” are available for purchase at vwu. edu/the-arts-at-virginia-wesleyan/art-events.php, and are free for Virginia Wesleyan students.

Ross Winner|Marlin Chronicle Students lead the Mathematics table at the Major & Minor Exploration Fair.

Ross Winner|Marlin Chronicle

Various majors occupy tables in the CMAC on Sept. 28 from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Ross Winner|Marlin Chronicle

Students prepare to put on a show in “Cabaret” in Brock Theater beginning Oct. 6 and ending Oct. 9.

OpiniOns

Student seeks unity, predicts split Congress

BY JOHN M. POST jmpost1@vwu.edu

Over the last decade, Congress has seemed more like a battlefield, a place where many people are scared to share their opinions.

Since 2015, the Democrats and Republicans have moved farther and farther away from moderacy, despite 37% of people labeling themselves as moderate according to a poll conducted by Gallup in early 2022.

Why are candidates becoming more divisive and what can we do as voters to get the divisiveness out of Congress? What does it mean to be a divisive poli tician?

Divisive politicians are those who make us feel that we are unable to share our true feelings, make you feel bad for what you believe, or just say that the other side is wrong and that you can’t associate with them. In es sence, they are anyone who wants to further the divide between the left and right.

Due to the United States’ two-party system, candidates have progressively been leaving the center since the founding of the Republican party in the 1860’s. Since Donald J. Trump announced he would be running for president in 2015, candidates have been running strictly on attacking the other candidate(s). This includes the last two presidential elections but was seen mostly in the 2020 election between the current president, Joe Biden, and Trump.

I see this trend as stemming from the fact that most people believed Trump to be a very divisive candidate, so to see him win the presidency in 2016 led to a number of candidates trying to repeat his strategy, which included many at

tacks on his opponents. Attacking one’s opponents has proved successful for political leaders such as Elaine Luria, Joe Biden and Donald Trump.

However, most of these candidates who run on attacking their opponent, for example Terry McAulliffe, a former Virginia governor, end their campaign crashing and burning, especially in Virginia.

Within the Commonwealth, we see that more and more of the debated issues are what people actually care

When a right is lost

BY CLAIRE CARTER cncarter1@vwu.edu

It was my understanding that living in a democracy meant that my voice was being heard and that my vote would count towards something greater than myself.

Growing up, my family always made Election Day kind of a big deal; it nurtured aspirations in me of making great change in the world, one small vote at a time.

Every year that we went, I got more excited about the prospect of being able to place my own vote in stead of watching my parents place theirs.

When I picture democracy, I envision those feel ings that I had as a kid. Today, when I look at this country’s reputation with democracy, it mostly just evokes feelings of bitter distrust and apathy.

How is it that a president who lost the popular vote was able to place three new justices in the Supreme Court to revoke a precedent that the majority of Americans were in support of? The constitutional right for a woman to be able to choose the fate of her own pregnancy is no longer dictated by her, but instead by her state government.

I feel that the overturning of Roe v. Wade is deeply rooted in a place of hypocrisy.

Why is it that the American party in support of individual liberty and less government interference is so against what Roe v. Wade upheld?

Why does anyone feel the need to dictate the choices of others based on their personal opinions?

An operation as invasive as abortion surely isn’t the business of anyone else, and most certainly not any politician; it is an operation that should stay between the judgement of a woman and her doctor.

Here’s the thing about overturning Roe v. Wade: women will never stop getting abortions. The only thing that revoking the rights of Roe v. Wade does is severely limit the options that a woman has to get a safe abortion.

Abortions happen because of women having un planned and unwanted pregnancies and choosing to terminate them.

also have a concern for the state of the economy due to the failures of the Biden administration.

Democrats are still capable of hold ing the House; however, the only issue they are running on is abortion, which many districts don’t feel strongly about. The ones that do are already safe for the Democrats.

The Senate Elections will be a much closer call than those for the House.

Two races will be kept under close eye, with famous figures running for the Republicans in both; in Pennsyl vania with Dr. Mehmet Oz, television personality, and in Georgia with Her shel Walker, NFL running back. Both are facing Democrat-held seats which is usually an uphill battle and has been for both Walker and Oz. They are al ready well known figures, but are out siders when it comes to politics, which might work in their favor, a trend we see more and more from Republicans.

How will it play out in November?

The most likely scenario, based on recent polls, is that Republicans win the House by around 7-10 representa tives and Democrats hold the Senate with either 50 or 51 senators. However, things can change very quickly and usually the most change happens in October.

about and changes they wish to see in the state. People are becoming less concerned about who our leaders are and instead what they will do.

This year the election will come down to three key issues: economics, education and abortion.

Looking at ratings from FiveThir tyEight, Republicans have a 70% chance of winning the House of Repre sentatives. This is because Republicans support parents having a say and voice in their children’s education. They

What does it all mean?

We won’t know anything until Elec tion Day. That’s why it’s so important to go out and vote, and when you vote, bring three friends to vote as well. If you can’t go home to vote, request a mail-in ballot at your respective state’s elections site. In the end, no matter where you sit on the political spectrum, you need to vote. That is the only way to get the country back on track: make your voice heard and vote.

An unplanned pregnancy has the potential to debili tate the life of a woman who isn’t prepared to have a child or doesn’t want one, meaning she may go to great lengths to have the operation despite barriers put in place.

Do we really want to go back to a time when wom an had to undergo the trauma of DIY, at-home abor tions or traveling miles and miles to find a sketchy, unregulated doctor’s office in some foreign country?

I respect which side people choose to be on regard ing abortion; anyone should be able to dictate their own life choices and believe in their own set of guid ing values. If you don’t agree with abortion, there is good news: you don’t have to get one. I feel it is unjust, however, to push your beliefs onto others.

Abortion is a very personal choice, and it is my be lief that it should be kept that way; banning abortions violates the individual liberty and privacy of women who wish to have them. For all of the women who fought like hell back in the 60’s and 70’s for the right

to choose, it’s like things are back at square one.

With less abortion options available, more women may be forced to give birth to children that they do not want. Those children will either find themselves in the already-struggling foster system or in a home that cannot support them, both of which will require assistance from the government.

Why is it that the same group of Americans who reject the pro-choice ideology also reject increased funding for social programs? It has always seemed that those who fight tooth and nail to save an unborn fetus couldn’t care less about it as soon as it’s born.

It does not make sense to push the burden of an unwanted child onto a woman who didn’t want it in the first place while also taking no responsibility for the consequences of the choice you forced.

If the issue really is just about abortions, overturn ing Roe v. Wade isn’t an effective way to decrease the number of them.

Effective measures to decrease abortions would be rooted in ways to prevent women from having unplanned pregnancies. Things like comprehensive sex education in schools and free contraception are both effective in that manner and are both notoriously rejected by those who are anti-choice.

It is clear to me that the overturn of Roe v. Wade shows that more value is placed on a collection of insentient stem cells than the desires of the living woman who hosts them. Frankly, it’s insulting.

Mel Lhuillier|Marlin Chronicle Democrats and Republicans face off in the 2022 midterm elections.

Emma Wehr|Courtesy

Local group protests the overturning of Roe V. Wade at Lafayette Park in June of 2022.

“For all of the women who fought like hell back in the 60’s and 70’s for the right to choose, it’s like things are back at square one.” Claire Carter

Carter stresses disdain for the reversal of Roe v. Wade following the Supreme Court decision on Dobbs v. Jackson.

Former student drafted, pitches for Miami

BY JOSH HELLER jmheller@vwu.edu

Patrick Monteverde was drafted by the Miami Marlins, as the 239th pick, in the eighth round of the MLB 2021 draft. A former Virginia Wesleyan baseball pitcher, Monteverde played for the Virginia Wesleyan Marlins in the 2017 season.

Monteverde led VWU in just about all pitching statistics during the 2017 season. He threw the most strikeouts on the team (60) and accumulated the best record for a starting pitcher (7-2). On top of that, he recorded a very impressive 1.96 ERA in his 82.2 innings on the mound, which was the most innings by a pitcher that season.

Shortly after his season at Virginia Wesleyan, Monteverde made the decision to transfer to Seton Hill, a Division II baseball program in Greensburg, Pa. He spent the next three seasons at Seton Hill, where he started 17 games and accumulated 108 strikeouts. Monteverde graduated in 2020 and transferred to Texas Tech University, where he played during the 2021 playoffs.

Monteverde is the youngest kid from a massive family. Fascinatingly, Monteverde is the youngest of 27 grandchildren on his dad’s side and the youngest of 18 grandchildren on his mom’s side. Both of Monteverde’s parents are the youngest of twelve.

According to Monteverde, this elevated his game. “Being the youngest in the family and just having that mentality of the youngest in the family is always the most hard headed,” Monteverde said. “I was always, always around competition.”

Monteverde was absolutely thrilled to be drafted by the Miami Marlins. Of course, through hard work and perseverance, he made this dream a reality.

Monteverde attributes much of his success to his parents and baseball coaches along the way. His determination to baseball moved mountains as he always had a reliable relationship with his mom and dad. Monteverde comes from a massive family and is always grateful for their help.

“Getting drafted, I had dreamt about that moment since I was a little kid and just to be able to be surrounded by my loved ones when it actually happens … My mom, dad, my best friend’s cousin, his wife, another one of my cousins so just having them there was unbelievable. We had a draft party afterwards with a lot of friends and more family too. That was a day I’ll never forget, it was surreal, and I am extremely blessed to be able to be drafted. Also just to be surrounded by friends and family that helped me get to this point where I am today,” Monteverde said.

Regarding the Miami Marlins organization, Monteverde praised his team for having quality leadership. Baseball fans may be familiar with Miami Marlins second baseman, Jazz Chisholm Jr., who according to Monteverde has been a real pleasure to meet along with countless other players within the Miami organization.

“If I can have one conversation with somebody it would be Jazz. I’ve met Jazz and talked for quite some time. He came down to meet the new draft guys last year.

I kind of got to pick his brain a little bit, just about the big leagues and minor league life. How to get through his advice, I’d say that conversation has stuck with me the most thus far. But in the clubhouse I say there’s obviously the whole pitching staff here,” Monteverde said.

on Randolph-Macon. That put a stamp on my time there… Off the field however, I’d say going every Sunday to Chic’s Beach. We would go there and there were like 100 of us, mainly athletes. But yes, that was so much fun,” Monteverde said.

Monteverde has even gone back to visit VWU on two separate occasions. Last time he visited was summer of 2019. The occasion arose because he had Tommy John surgery that spring. He got the opportunity to go down to VWU and visit some guys and see Coach Chris Francis. The two are still pretty close and talk somewhat regularly. With an upcoming offseason, Monteverde plans on making another trip to the VWU area.

Coach Francis held an extreme amount of trust in his young pitcher Monteverde as a 19-year-old freshman; it’s quite rare to see that in college baseball. The trust Coach Francis gave to Monteverde has sparked a connection.

SportS

that really well,” Women’s Soccer Head Coach Jeff Bowers said.

For 20 years, Bowers has led the team on a successful run, and under his direction, the Marlins have made a total of thirteen appearances at the NCAA National Tournament, made it to the Elite 8 twice in 2003 and 2006 and the Final 4 once in 2006. These series of successes put the Marlins on peoples’ radar, but according to Bowers there is not a lot of respect for the program.

“I’ve talked to our team about this a ton as I think a lot of people just lack respect for our program across the country,” Bowers said. “I just don’t think that they have a good view of our team and that’s frustrating to me because I think our players work extremely hard to be successful.” Now,

Monteverde represents Texas Tech, Seton Hill and VWU baseball, which seems a daunting challenge in itself. However, Monteverde has made the most of his opportunity. Wearing a Marlins jersey representing Virginia Wesleyan is a tremendous accomplishment, but wearing a Marlins jersey representing Miami is a height almost no baseball players get to reach.

As you might imagine, this experience has been surreal for Monteverde. Luckily for him, he’s had great pitching mentors to guide him even before the majors. The bullpen is absolutely loaded with talent according to Patrick.

“Sean Reynolds is a good one, he just started pitching. Justin Evans, M.D. Johnson, and Jackson Rose. It’s hard to pinpoint one, it really is, just because this whole pitching staff we have here. We’re kind of just one big group,” Monteverde said.

Monteverde got to reflect on his time at VWU and share positive experiences on and off the field from his year here. He attributes his baseball career today to his experience at VWU and holds onto the memories as they come instead of living in the past.

“On the field, I remember the last time I was in the ODAC tournament against Randolph-Macon and they were 20th in the country and we were unranked. We were like a four or five seed in the tournament. We ended up going CG, a complete game

the Marlins are nationally ranked and they want to continue moving forward.

The main goal for every collegiate sports team is to win their respective conferences, and that is a priority for the Marlins going into the conference games this October. As the reigning champions, the Marlins were selected as the favorites in the 2022 ODAC Women’s Soccer Preseason Poll. There is a lot of new talent on the field this season and the Marlins are excited nonetheless.

“It’s going to be really exciting. Our team is really full of talent and we’re really excited because I think we could go really far this year,” Gonzalez said.

In terms of going far this season, the Marlins have their sights set on getting farther in the tournament then they did last year. Having lost to the Eagles of Messiah University in the first round in double overtime the Marlins were upset but that just added fuel to fire for this season.

When the team got to New Jersey for

“I loved playing for Coach Francis. As a 19-year-old freshman pitcher, he put me at the front end of the rotation. He had extreme trust in me. Not a lot of coaches at any level will give them a stressful 19-yearold to help the pitching staff. Props to him, I couldn’t thank him enough for trusting me. His exuded confidence in me really propelled my career and really helped me become who I am and where I am today,” Monteverde said.

Monteverde also voiced encouragement to the VWU community. “Just keep going …. Sports are about failures .... At the end of the day when we’re however old we are when we are not playing this game. You’re going to look back at the days you played sports and you’re going to realize the true meaning behind it, which is how you deal with failure. The better you can deal with failures, the better at life you’ll be. So don’t let one game derail your confidence, don’t change who you are, and keep your head up. Lastly, prepare yourself better than anybody else,” Monteverde said.

BY SHIRELL WASHINGTON sawashington@vwu.edu

Larger sized swim caps were banned from the 2020 Olympics, now FINA has decided to approve the swim caps.

At the 2020 Olympics, swims caps designed specifically for afro hair or those with voluminous hair were banned by the Fédération Internationale De Natation (FINA), a sports federation that administers international competitions in water sports. Their reasoning was that the caps did not follow the natural form of the head.

This caused criticism for many swimmers and felt like discrimination against Black swimmers. The smaller swim caps can fit Black swimmers’ heads but if the swimmers have a protective style or a lot of hair the swim cap will come off easily.

When I found out they banned these caps last year, I was shocked that they blatantly would do this as there was no type of research done beforehand.

However, just recently, FINA has approved larger sized caps for top-level competition. The company Soul Cap provides swim caps for long hair or people who have hair with a lot of volume. FINA had previously banned Soul Cap and now they overturned their decision and approved all size ranges of Soul Cap.

This is a good move in the right direction and I am glad that FINA decided to review and discuss this situation. All levels of sports are supposed to feel welcoming to anyone who wants to participate, so finding ways and allowing companies like Soul Cap to provide inclusiveness in swimming should always be considered, if not be a priority.

Volleyball thrives despite small roster

BY COLETTE KEARNEY cmkearney@vwu.edu

As we quickly approach the halfway point of the season for fall sports, the Virginia Wesleyan University Volleyball Team is riding high with an overall record of 12-4 as of Sept. 30. Their only losses are to Christopher Newport University, Juniata College, Salisbury University and Randolph-Macon College.

Senior setter Haley Sutton mentioned how different this season has felt. “It’s definitely been a different season because we have a smaller team than usual,” Sutton said.

With there only being 14 women on the roster this year, Sutton talked about it being hard physically for a lot of the players, but because of it, they are a really close team.

As far as the team is looking, Sutton said despite a few challenges they are looking really good. “We lost to Randolph-Macon but we came back and these past three games we’ve played like a completely different team,” Sutton said. Since their loss to Randolph-Macon, the team has been 4-0 with all of their games against conference teams.

the tournament, Gonzalez remembered “walking out onto the field at the NCAA tournament and I got choked up actually. I’m out here playing college soccer like doing the damn thing,” Gonzalez said. She expressed that many do not get this opportunity and that being there with her best friends on the big stage was just everything to her.

There is excitement across the board for the Marlins this year to do something big and unexpected. The Marlins have shown that they are a tough team to play against and that they will not back down without a fight. Bowers expressed that there is a lot of talent on the team and that they are “a fun team, a smart savvy team and we can really do some damage.”

The Marlins are back at the Tassos Paphites Soccer Complex on Oct. 11 against the Panthers of Ferrum College at 3:00 p.m.

The team continues their season taking the court again on Saturday, Oct. 8 against Christopher Newport University and Marymount University at 11 a.m. in Townebank Arena.

Patrick Monteverde|Courtesy

Emily Uzzle|Marlin Chronicle

Patrick Monteverde|Courtesy Monteverde pitches the baseball from the pitcher’s mount at Division I school Texas Tech University.

Ross Winner|Marlin Chronicle Junior Abigail Mahoney serves the ball against the Royals of Eastern Mennonite University on Sept. 27.

“Don’t let one game derail your confidence, don’t change who you are and keep your head up.” Patrick Monteverde

Swimming adds Head Coach Ramkvist

MIKAYLA

Virginia Wesleyan’s Swim program dives into a new direction with the latest hire of Head Coach Kristian Ramkvist.

Ramkvist is a native of Bjarred, Sweden, and swam for Old Dominion University before graduating in 2010 with a degree in Business Management. Ramkvist still holds a top-10 record in the Old Dominion University record books for the Men’s 200 yard breaststroke.

Since graduating, he has coached on multiple levels: from the club and collegiate level to being an aquatic trainer for the Navy Special Forces. Ramkvist has stayed coaching in Norfolk and has been involved in the local swimming community.

Ramkvist was enticed by the Virginia Wesleyan community. “Whenever I stepped on this campus, I felt like a pretty nice place to be. The people seemed really positive and welcoming here so it made me want to dabble in Division III,” Ramkvist said.

As the swim season started, Ramkvist took the opportunity to get to know the team and the culture of the program. “It’s been fun getting to know the swimmers because I think it’s been a lot of positive surprises,” Ramkvist said. “The more I get in here with them, the more time I spend with them, the better I feel. Everyday gets better and better.”

One of the senior captains, Chloe Dewberry, gave her perspective on Ramkvist joining the program and the changes he is implementing. “It’s a lot of different training than we’re used to, but I think it is benefiting us so far. Him coming from a Division I school gives him a different perspective so he is implementing more intensity than we’re used to at the Division III level,” Dewberry said.

A main focus for Ramkvist is to strengthen the swimmers by applying more out of water training and weight lifting to the team’s regiment. Ramkvist said he is “trying to add strength in a different way by adding body strength overall so that my swimmers can get strong and confident.”

Assistant Coach Sito Arroyo expressed a positive outlook on Ramkvist’s changes while sharing that swimmers have already beat their personal bests despite it being early into the season. “This season we are approaching things differently by implementing ‘dry land’ workouts which I think is what is helping them become stronger swimmers because they are becoming better athletes outside the pool,” Arroyo said. “As we progress into the season and continue to do it more, it will get easier and the team will see results.”

The team culture has grown stronger as Ramkvist came in. “We have a really close family-like feel already which I think has helped us transition to a new coach, because we’re all very close, especially with the returners,” Dewberry said.

Ramkvist plans on creating a hard working team environment that encourages each swimmer to put their best effort in for the team and be their best selves. “I also want to make sure it is a very welcoming space for everyone to be at, like if you are here and ready to listen and work hard for the team, then you are welcome here,” Ramkvist said.

Focusing on the team culture and making sure everyone on the team feels respected has also been a priority. “Getting that team culture where we’re all feeling that we have the same goal of creating a hard working team, I think that’s the biggest part,” said Ramkvist.

Ramkvist is not rushing to look at meet times but instead wants to get to know the swimmers and put the

Schedule

focus on practice. “Making the magic happen in practice and believing the process and getting the swimmers to do the same thing this first year. It’s based more on what we do at practice than what we do at swim meets right now at least,” Ramkvist said.

Dewberry gives insight on where the Marlins stand amongst the competition and the conference goals for the team as the season is approaching. “We’ve climbed up the ranks in the ODAC, and we’ve established ourselves as a top half finisher in the ODAC conference. It’s just furthering that and growing the team because we have to work to stay in that top half,” Dewberry said.

The coaches’ main goal is to focus on the swimmers as individuals as well as to get each swimmer to be at top performance. “The goal is always to rewrite the program’s record board, even this early it’s been pretty exciting but the goal is always to have a peak at ODAC so that the swimmers are at their best by the final meet,” Arroyo said.

Approaching recruiting from a different perspective, Ramkvist has looked at local and out-of-state talent by traveling to different swim meets. “He is definitely doing things recruiting wise that we haven’t done in the past and I think it is paying off. Kristian is doing a great job of getting the school’s name out there and getting very talented athletes because of it,” Arroyo said.

“As a senior, I feel like it’s part of my responsibility to keep that family culture, especially since we’ve just got such a big change,” said Dewberry. Explaining that even after she leaves the program the team should continue “keeping the family feel and like passing that culture down to the next generations of the team would be my goal.”

Ramkvist speaks optimistically for the future of VWU Swimming. “I plan on staying a long time so I want all new records on the board within the next two years. I definitely want the team to get up to top three and stay top three on both sides,” Ramkvist said.

The team starts competition Friday Oct. 7 against Southern Virginia University starting at 6 p.m. and again on Saturday Oct. 8 at ODAC Relays on the campus of Washington and Lee University starting at 12 p.m. Both meets take place in Lexington, Va.

Scoreboard

Alysse Scripter|Courtesy

Colette Kearney|Marlin Chronicle Head Coach Kristian Ramkvist coaches his athletes at a practice on Sept. 22.

Roads Transit OnDemand

D-23: A Whole New World

OPINION

BY MIKAYLA MOSCATELLI

Old classics are coming back with a new twist, with numerous Disney favorites coming out with sequels and remakes of the true classics that everyone knows and loves. The D-23 Expo happened from Sept. 9 - 11. The expo happens once every two years and it is a way for Disney lovers to celebrate the past, present and future of Disney.

For those who may not know, D-23 is the official Disney fan club celebrating the wonder and excitement of everything Disney. “The Little Mermaid” and “Snow White” are two of the most recent remakes that were revealed at D-23.

“The Little Mermaid’’ will be 32-years-old this November. Halle Bailey, from the duo Chlöe and Halle, as Ariel of this generation while Jonah Hauer-King, from the movie “A Dog’s Way Home,” is Prince Eric. Giving everyone a chance to be a part of their world, the movie will be coming to theaters near us on May 26, 2023.

It gives a modernized view of who the characters are while still keeping true to the original films. The film will give our younger selves a chance to view it in a real perspective.

Younger girls dreaming of seeing princesses who look like them is a feeling that many feel, and it is a dream finally coming to life now. Seeing Halle Bailey as Ariel is life-changing and encouraging to many young girls, and shows them that they can do anything they put their mind to no matter what they look like. Like many remakes, it may be second best to the original but this remake may be one of the better remakes, due to the cast.

The other upcoming remake is “Snow White,” following behind numerous Snow White inspired movies. With this film first being announced in 2016, it finally has a release date of March 22, 2024. With Rachel Zegler, from “West Side Story,” as Snow White and Gal Gadot, from “Wonder Woman,” as the Evil Queen, the cast is star-studded.

This movie has been a thought for six years now and it is finally becoming real for Disney enthusiasts around the world. “Snow White” is a tale that every young girl knows and it can teach a lesson about watching who they trust. This movie being remade may give younger girls a better understanding and visual of everything that could happen.

BY KYLEA MCCAREL ksmccarel@vwu.edu

Seeing a newer version of those movies personally makes me extremely excited because growing up I only could see the animated versions and it felt like it started to get boring as I got older. For example, seeing the live action “Beauty and the Beast” was amazing because it showed scenes in a different way that made the movie seem better. These versions just may seem like an enhanced version to young adults and adults but to children these movies could mean so much more to them since they are having different people play roles that can change a young child’s dream and make them feel like they can do anything.

Alongside “Snow White” and “The Little Mermaid,” a few more movies were announced that will be released in the next year or two. The next movie that will also be released in 2023 is the “Peter Pan and Wendy” remake of the original animated version from 1953 “Peter Pan.” Even though there have been other versions of “Peter Pan,” such as in 1991 with Robin Williams as Captain Hook and the 2003 version with Jason Isaacs as Captain Hook, those versions sadly aren’t made by Disney. Since D-23, we only have knowledge of the cast and the initial release date.

For Disney lovers that fell in love with the movie “Enchanted,” their hearts will be full once “Disenchanted” comes out Nov. 24, 2022. “Disenchanted” follows Giselle, played by Amy Adams, 10 years after finding her happily ever after. The trailers leave viewers wanting to know if

Giselle is truly happy in her happily-ever-after. This movie will be available on Disney+ this Thanksgiving.

After COVID-19, most movies started to only be released via streaming platforms, but with cases decreasing, movies are finally going back to theaters as well as being released on streaming platforms. For Disney, there is no set information regarding their movies being released in theaters or if they will only be released on Disney+.

I personally believe that Disney should continue to release movies on Disney+ and in theaters because it boosts the chances of someone randomly coming across the movie when they are bored and want to find something interesting to watch. For theaters, many people do love the movie theater experience such as getting the movie theater buttered popcorn and sitting in those semi comfortable seats with random people all enjoying the same movie.

The streaming also works for people who are antisocial and don’t like going to public places. Personally I feel more comfortable at home watching movies with my family, but occasionally I love going to theaters and watching them just for the experience. Also, having the films on the streaming platforms makes rainy days better because you can binge-watch random movies and come across so many new movies that many wouldn’t have known were only being released on streaming platforms.

Sobriety isn’t always Spooky

Sobriety doesn’t have to be spooky when you drink with Ceremony’s new nonalcoholic options. Ceremony is a company that gives people a new way for people to think sober for the month of October.

Located in Less Than, a local zero-waste and refill shop sells unpackaged food, toilities and cleaning products. Ceremony is an environmentally conscious brand and it is Hampton Roads’ first dry-bottle shop.

Ceremony offers different kinds of delicious non-alcoholic beverages for those who are looking for a little more than just your typical choice of drink like water and juices. While non-alcoholic beverages tend to lean towards those in a journey of sobriety, they can be enjoyed by anyone. Ceremony’s wide collection of offerings are mostly gluten-free and delicious enough to easily pick favorites. A favorite seller of those that come in is the premixed mocktails. These closely resemble the recently popular alcoholic seltzers. Many of the flavors bear a strong resemblance to typical alcoholic drink favorites like bellinis, mojitos, Moscow mules and berry Manhattans. Offering solutions to those who enjoy a hearty wheat beer after work or a glass of wine on the weekends is their specialty.

“We are dedicated to sustainability and only offer options that are packaged in glass and aluminum,” said Krystal Gonzalez, a business development representative for Less Than and Ceremony.

“While they are technically two separate stores, both are operated with similar ideals in mind,” Gonzalez said. All bar accessories and retail goods are sent out with plastic-free shipping and contain “better-for-you ingredients,” she said.

Non-alcoholic beverages are defined as having .5% or less alcohol by volume (ABV). Unlike water, juices, tea and sodas, the non-alcoholic beverage options in the store are made quite differently. Through a similar process to regular beer and wine spritzers, non-alcoholic versions are fermented and produced with an additional step of distillation.

Distillation of these drinks allows for most of the alcohol to be cooked out while still leaving the well known flavors of your favorite drink behind. Other options are built alcohol-free from the ground up using natural ingredients to create the right flavor profile without requiring a fermentation process.

The mental and physical health benefits

from being sober for extended periods of time are vast, but many college students tend to find stress relief in drinking and enjoying alcoholic beverages after a long week of classes.

“There’s a spectrum where we can use a substance and it doesn’t cause us harm to our health,” said April Christman, VWU’s director of Counseling and Student Health. Christman said,“when it progresses to us not being able to perform… like going to class,” this can tend to cause the opposite effect in the long run. She further warned that non-stop drinking could cause harm if it does not allow a person to function properly, such as not going to class. That slow, sluggish feeling you have after a night out may cause more harm than good.

Benefits of being sober include a wide range of effects including mental clarity, increased physical energy, consistent sleeping patterns and can even cause better skin. Although when on a college campus the temptation to drink may be troublesome, Christman offered many solutions to those who find it hard.

The Counseling Services Suite offers a safe space for those to talk without the worry of being judged or put down. Christman suggests coming in and developing a plan or even just talking through what may be prompting you to participate. “Communication is key,” Christman said.

She also suggests reaching out to those around you. Friends can be a great source to lean on in times of need. Other people you can reach out to include the faculty members on campus. People like Jason Seward, the associate president for Campus Life, coaching staff for studentathletes or even your resident assistants are great people who will listen.

April Christman’s office is located upstairs in the Jane P. Batten Student Center in the Counseling Services Suite. She is always open to meeting new smiling faces looking for guidance. The Student Counseling Center offers a variety of services and options to those looking to find sobriety. If substituting your afterclass beers with the tasty non-alcoholic versions from Ceremony doesn’t seem to do the trick, their door is always open.

You can find a Less Than near you at 24 S. King St Hampton, 803 Shirley Ave Norfolk, 1 N Lombardy St. Richmond, and 1624 Laskin Rd #478 Booth A8 Virginia Beach.

You can follow them at @golessthan and @enjoyceremony.

The Victory of ‘Don’t Worry Darling’

BY RYAN

Plagued by rumors of on-set drama that have captivated the public, “Don’t Worry Darling” (2022), has finally been released so that audiences can discover if the film itself is just as captivating. Directed by Olivia Wilde, the film stars Florence Pugh and Harry Styles as Alice and Jack, a married couple living in an idyllic town called Victory. However, Alice begins to discover that not everything in Victory is as it seems, and the film sees her attempting to uncover the truth about the town.

Pugh’s performance as Alice is the ultimate highlight of the film, as she portrays a woman desperate to uncover the truth, despite being treated as though she’s going crazy by the other inhabitants of the town. Pugh delivers on the complex potential of her character’s arc, successfully portraying her character’s emotional shift from living in bliss to having her life fall apart as she realizes the truth about Victory. Her co-star, Styles, gives a less impressive, albeit passable, performance as Jack. While his acting

is not terrible, he fails to reach the heights of Pugh’s performance, causing their scenes together to sometimes feel uneven in terms of their acting capabilities.

In terms of performances, the film’s other highlight is Chris Pine’s portrayal of Frank, the founder of Victory. Pine gives a performance that alternates between charismatic and unsettling in his role as the leader of the town who wants to ensure that its secrets remain undiscovered. While Pugh and Pine’s performances shine the most in the film, they are not the only actors who give strong performances.

Olivia Wilde does double-duty as the film’s director and part of its supporting cast, portraying Alice’s best friend, Bunny. Wilde often functions as the comic relief in the film, while also delivering emotional weight as her character becomes increasingly worried about Alice’s well-being as the film progresses. Also noteworthy is KiKi Layne’s brief but strong performance as Margaret, a friend of Alice and

Bunny who had previously left Victory’s town limits, and returned distressed.

Another highlight of the film is Wilde’s direction, which ensures that “Don’t Worry Darling” is visually stunning throughout, whether through her depiction of Victory as a pastel suburbia, or her depiction of the unnerving and mind-boggling visions Pugh’s Alice experiences throughout the film. The film’s visuals are paired with a haunting score composed by John Powell, which amplifies the film’s unnerving moments and keeps the viewer in suspense.

When watching the film, viewers may initially be thrown off by its primarily aesthetic- focused first act, as Alice enjoys her life in Victory. However, the rest of the film justifies the first act, as it upends Alice’s life and delivers thrilling scenes and twists, culminating in a finale that will keep audiences on the edge of their seats. Ultimately, “Don’t Worry Darling” offers surprising and satisfying reveals to its intriguing mystery, which are coupled with strong visuals and an amazing performance by Florence Pugh.

Mel Lhuillier|Marlin Chronicle

Kylea McCarel|Marlin Chronicle Ceremony offers numerous non-alcoholic beverages at its store locations.