Slover Library meshes design and function
REVIEW
BY CALEE LUKOWSKI crlukowski@vwu.edu
The Slover Library is so much more than just a library. A venue, recording studio, cafe and library all mixed together, The Slover has something for everyone.
With beautiful architecture, The Slover stands out even in the fast paced life of Norfolk. One side of the building is all old stone work that looks like something straight out of a history book. The other side is a beautiful modernist style with large glass windows taking up most of the walls.
“It is one of the most beautiful libraries I have ever seen, the structure itself is a work of art,” sophomore Camryn Owens said.
“It is one of the most beautiful libraries I have ever seen.”
The contrast between new and old architecture continues inside the building as well. The building is designed in such a way that the old building does not meet seamlessly with the new, but not in a bad way. The intense juxtaposition between
Federal student debt relief paused
BY CROSSON MILLER lcmiller@vwu.edu
The Biden administration’s student debt relief plan has been paused again. A federal judge in Missouri issued a ruling that suspends the execution of the measure focused on forgiving up to $20,000 in student loans for millions of borrowers.
The decision stands as a setback for the Administration’s efforts to relieve the financial burden on graduates. The halt marks the latest story in a legal dispute over the plan, which has faced multiple challenges since it was first announced.
For borrowers, the future is left uncertain. Director of Financial Aid at Virginia Wesleyan University Beth Koroleski spoke on this situation.
“It’s unfortunate that this has taken so long and borrowers were promised relief, and it just has never crossed the finish line. So I think forbearance is until April, so they’ll continue to be in forbearance until a decision is made. And with the new administration, I think we may see a completely different plan. I think there will be a plan, but it will probably be shifting to a new version,” Koroleski said.
The ruling from the U.S. District Judge Henry Autrey of Missouri came after a group of conservative states argued that the debt relief program pushes past
Sophomore Camryn Owens See DEBT Page 3
See SLOVER Page 9
Remembering Sharon Petty
BY AIDEN CROGHAN accroghan@vwu.edu
Sharon Petty, an employee in the Boyd Dining Center, recently passed away on Nov. 15. Sharon was a member of our family as a campus, especially to those of us who had the pleasure of working with her. She always had funny remarks to brighten up the end of a long shift behind the line. One joke my coworkers and I have reflected on is that before the end of the Friday lunch shift, she always said, “I’m
going to clock out right at 1:57,” because she was always so excited to be going home for the weekend. Matthew Smith, a manager for Sodexo on campus, had a special relationship with her.
“I have personally worked with Sharon before coming to Virginia Wesleyan over 7 years ago,” Smith said in an email to employees about her passing. “We go back like easy chairs being that we worked together for the better part of 8 years. Love you and miss you dearly Sharon! I’m glad that I got the chance to visit her in the hospital before her passing and I was able to tell her that in person one last time.” Her presence on this campus is one of the few that has touched virtually every person here, and she will be missed more than she can know. Please keep her family, her friends and her grandson, Jakaire, in your hearts.
Campus air conditioning sees adjustments
The centralized heating and cooling system the school uses causes some challenges at volatile times of the year. The school installed new units in Blocker.
BY ISAAC FICK
In mid-late October, the air conditioning for the H.C. Hofheimer II Library was turned off. This led to increased heat during the day, which some thought to be uncomfortable.
“When I first arrived at work, I felt overwhelmed by the heat; I didn’t want to do anything except stand outside because of the headaches it was causing,” sophomore Lamareiana Jordan said. Jordan is a workstudy student, working in the Hofheimer Library as a student library assistant.
“It’s a balance we have to find”
Jason Seward, Associate Vice President for Campus Life
“I also noticed that the heat seemed to be turned on too early, especially since the temperatures haven’t been consistently cold,” Jordan said.
“Heating wasn’t turned on,”
Jason Seward, associate vice president for Campus Life and Operational Management, said.
He said the cool air was turned off due to cooler outside temperatures approaching.
Seward explained the process for deciding how and when
Inside Look:
Marlins’ Swimming breaks seven records -- Page 8
“[T]he team’s getting faster. I think the news is getting out there that we are competitive” - Head Coach Cassondre Wilburn
Elliot Fylstra|Marlin Chronicle
heating and cooling is switched in different buildings.
“In older construction, especially for community style buildings like this, there were things called loop systems,”
VWU’s dire need for a student sports section
-- Page 6
“A little bit of organization would make the student support that goes out to games feel so much fuller” - Sophomore McKenna
Howenstine
Upcoming art exhibit shows art blended with AI -- Page 5
“Understanding that I can’t say it [current slang] and be authentic, but just still trying to, like, understand it” - Derek Eley, artist
VWU events seek to honor Indigenous History -- Page 5
“[T]he modern holiday is rooted in gratitude, encouraging individuals to reflect on their blessings” - Casey Roberts, Residence Life
VWU Student Health Center lacks quality care -- Page 6
“I don’t even bother going because it’s never even helpful”
- Sophomore Milo Schuehle
Seward said. He explained that for this system, there is a main plant, which holds a series of chillers that produce cold air, and boilers that produce heat.
Seward said that there are pipes underground that connect to the chillers and boilers and attach to the various buildings on campus. The water in the pipes travels to each building in a loop, meaning that any building attached to the system experiences the same or similar temperature. The library is attached to this system.
“It’s a balance we have to find where it’s: are people too warm, are people too cold? And [...] where is that sweet spot?” Seward said.
See AC Page 2
Calee Lukowski|Marlin Chronicle
The Slover Library library offers more than an admittedly impressive collection of books, part of that being the emphasis on beauty in its design.
Norfolk International Airport sees less holiday air traffic than national average
BY ISAAC FICK ihfick@vwu.edu
In a recent report from Luxury Link, an online booking platform specializing in luxury travel, it was found that Norfolk International Airport (ORF) experiences a smaller increase in daily passenger traffic during the holiday season when compared to the national average.
The report pulled Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) FOIA Electronic Reading Room data from 2022 and 2023 and ranked airports according to their change in traffic during the holiday season, which includes Thanksgiving and the winter holiday period.
In the case of the report, the Thanksgiving time frame includes the Friday before Thanksgiving to the Monday after, and the winter holiday period includes the Friday before the full week leading up to Christmas to Jan. 2.
Of 423 airports studied, with lower numbers demonstrating increased traffic during the holiday season, ORF No. 205, experiences a +4.2% increase. Nationally, a +6.2% increase is present during the holiday season.
According to the Norfolk International Airport website, the airport “presently ranks in the top 14% of the country’s airports in terms of passengers served annually, with over 4 million passengers and over 75,000 flight operations in 2022.”
As stated in the website, “the mission of Norfolk Airport Authority is to connect our community with the world by safely, reliably and efficiently operating Norfolk International Airport.”
Norfolk International Airport is considered a small hub airport, and No. 35 among the 74. The average change for small hub airports is +4.5%, with larger airports experiencing a larger increase in holiday traffic, according to the report.
In the small hub category, Tweed New Haven Airport (HVN) placed the highest with a +52.1% change. Myrtle Beach International Airport (MYR) decreases in traffic during the holidays, demonstrating a -34.3% change.
In a poll released for Virginia Wesleyan students to express their opinions on the airport, the response was mostly positive.
“I’ve only been in a few airports before but Norfolk International Airport was by far the easiest to
navigate,” Kimberly Koscinski said. She traveled using the airport for Thanksgiving of 2023.
Koscinski said she did not notice a difference between holiday and non-holiday travel, and in comparison to other airports, it was “so much quieter and calmer.”
“It was small and manageable for me, even with me being a nervous and inexperienced flyer,” Koscinski said. “The staff was very kind and helpful every time I was there.”
“It’s small and easy to get around, TSA is super quick and the views watching the planes take off over the botanical gardens are great,” senior Annie O’Shea said.
While O’Shea has not used the airport for holiday travel, she said, “I’ve never had a bad experience at the Norfolk airport vs other airports, it’s easy to get around and not as confusing as bigger airports, like JFK or ATL or ORD.”
For reference, JFK and ATL were not studied, but ORD (Chicago O’Hare International Airport) was No. 209, experiencing a +3.9% change during the holiday season.
“[ORF] was ok, it was a fast process due to my mom being a veteran,” sophomore Marquez
Glover said. He added that he believed it was expensive.
“It’s nice but it doesn’t have as many destinations compared to the other airports,” junior Ernest How said. He said the airport is “nice, small and easy to get around.”
As written in the report, “In response to rising air travel demand, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has announced $289 million in grants to 129 airports across 40 states.
“As air travel hits record highs—including the TSA screening nearly t3 million passengers in a single day in June—these investments will help airports better handle surges in traffic during the busy holiday season,” the report said.
“It’s small and easy to get around, TSA is super quick and the views watching the planes take off over the botanical gardens are great.”
Annie O’Shea
The highest ranking airport of the report was Salem-Willamette Valley Airport/McNary Field (SLE), experiencing a +500% change. SLE, during the nonholiday season, has an average of seven daily passengers, and has an average of 42 during the holiday season.
Northern Colorado Regional Airport (FNL) ranked the lowest at No. 423, with a -93.3% change. During the non-holiday season, FNL experiences a daily passenger average of 15 and an average of one during the holiday season.
According to the report, which also ranked states, No. 18 Virginia experiences a +5.1% change. Delaware, No. 1, experiences a +83.1%, increase, while Maine, No. 50, decreases 26.0%.
The full report can be found at https://www.luxurylink.com/ blog/airports-with-biggesttraffic-surge-during-holidayseason/.
“It’s nice but it doesn’t have as many destinations compared to the other airports.”
Ernest How
CONTINUED FROM PG. 1
“In those classic Virginia falls, where you have a run of about three days where it’s cool, then you get the days where it goes back to 80 and it’s 60 in the night, with an occasional 62 during the day and a 52 at night,” Seward said.
“What we do is, rather than have cold air running, or rather than have hot air running, we don’t run any air, meaning we don’t pump any water through,” Seward said.
“But the units still work, meaning they still circulate the ambient air. So if it’s room temperature, it circulates the room temperature,” Seward said.
“When we experienced those warmer days, the library was circulating ambient temperature,” Seward said. “Cooling wasn’t pushing through, heating wasn’t pushing through.
“We had that really small window of really cool days and really cool nights,” Seward said. He explained that the forecast was looked at, which predicted 80 degree days. “So we turned [the A/C] back on because we didn’t see any dips in those temperatures.
“It’s all or nothing,” Seward said. “So at night time when it’s 40, where the library is typically closed, and the residence halls where people are living, it gets pretty chilly in there.
“The system’s not as simple as [...] turn it off and turn this on,” Seward said. “You have to shut down systems, you have to drain water out of pipes, you have to turn off pumps, you have to prime systems, and then you have to fill [...] all the piping that runs underground.
“It probably takes a full day before you really start to see [...] a change. But it’s a good half a day to kind of get it to the point where it’s rolling, and then several hours for the system to kind of start regulating,” Seward said.
“When the school was originally built, those [...] buildings were built on that loop system,” Seward said.
“As buildings got built, they were added to the system. So now you got more buildings calling for greater demand on the same system.”
Seward said for “Godwin and Blocker hall, we added their own standalone chillers to the outside of the building.
“Blocker, which had a tremendous footprint, meaning the amount of cool water it needs, [...] now it cools itself.”
Seward said that the Blocker cooling project cost the University about $1.2 million. “So it comes at a cost but it’s an efficiency thing,” Seward said. “Because when we remove those buildings, we saw greater efficiencies in those residential spaces like [...] the library.”
“The new [air conditioning] unit definitely does improve the environment in Blocker,” sophomore Jaylin Diggs said. “It add[s] temperature control in the seminar room, and adds circulation.” Diggs is a work-study student and said he spends seven hours a week in Blocker.
“What we have is eventually [...] a goal of continuing to decentralize the plant,” Seward said.
He explained that the plan is to continue to take buildings off of the loop system and switch to more efficient heating and cooling. He said, however, it comes at a cost.
On Nov. 18, Residence Life sent out an email saying that the switch to heat has been completed.
Isaac Fick|Marlin Chronicle
Data sourced from Luxury Link. ORF experiences less daily passenger traffic than average.
Sarah Richards|Marlin Chronicle
McKenna Howenstine|Marlin Chronicle
Liam Castellano|Marlin Chronicle
Aerial drone shot of the new Blocker Hall air conditioning unit.
AI tool TalentFly aims to assist with career skills
BY VICTORIA HANELINE vfhaneline1@vwu.edu
TalentFly, a recent startup that Virginia Wesleyan subscribes to, aims to prepare students for interviews using artificial intelligence.
Alice Jones, director of Career Development, said that prior to TalentFly, she used to tell students to practice by sitting in front of a mirror and asking themselves common interview questions, so they could see what the interviewer would see and get practice.
“It’s helpful in that you just get familiar with hearing the questions and answering the questions,” Jones said. She said that she thought TalentFly was useful because it was better than standing in front of a mirror and asking yourself questions, and it helped with repetition.
“Anything you can do to practice helps” with interviews, Jones said. Prior to TalentFly and similar startups, there were few resources that would help a student with preparing for an interview, which can be seen in the advice of Jones and other professionals in preparing for interviews.
According to TalentFly's LinkedIn, their tool helps students “[e]ngage in simulated interviews powered by artificial intelligence, mirroring realworld scenarios and challenges.” It allows students to “[p]ractice your responses, refine your communication skills, and gain the confidence to tackle any interview with ease.”
It offers resume building resources, “video tips” and video interviews with an artificial intelligence, which is its standout feature. The tool will ask a series of standard questions, specialized for the field the student selected, and then record the students feedback for review and analysis. There are also more traditional videos on the site, which have employees share tips and resources for interviews.
None of the students contacted for this story had heard of TalentFly, but Jones said there were a decent number of students that had used the tool.
“When I talk to people, I tell them that we have it,” Jones said. Her role as director
of Career Development puts her in contact with students looking for an internship or first job regularly, who are the intended audience of TalentFly.
When considering a tool to purchase for the school, Jones looks at the cost and function of the tool, among other factors.
“Is it something new, is it something I think our students would use?” Jones said. Some tools like Handshake, she said, were recommended at the national level.
TalentFly is part of a broad range of startups attempting to use artificial intelligence to assist with tasks that have been difficult or unrealistic to expect another human to do, like practicing for an interview or writing emails. In the field, resources for interviews have traditionally included videos and practice, and TalentFly offers a possible new avenue for impactful preparation.
The AI interviews involve a question being put on the screen and read aloud by an artificial voice. Your response is recorded for feedback and for you to publish for employers to look at. Tips, like how best to maintain eye contact with a camera, are offered.
“Anything you can do to practice helps.”
Director of Career Development
Alice Jones
The resume tips are routine but helpful, and there is an option to put the completed interviews onto your profile for employers to watch.
TalentFly was founded in 2024, according to their website, and has fewer than 50 employees, according to Google. Online reviews of the company are positive, and it is occasionally used as a job searching tool, but there is little information on the company itself.
Jones said thatTalentFly had been very helpful, and that their customer service was very good.
Koroleski said.
the administration’s legal authority. In his verdict, Judge Autrey stood with the plaintiffs, stating that the program could have infringed on the Constitution’s separation of powers and the powers granted to the executive branch.
For Virginia Wesleyan students, the school offers many grants, scholarships and loan repayment options.
“We offer so many institutional scholarships and grants, along with the state grant that from what I've seen in my experience working in financial aid, I think our students have some of the lower borrowing historically than the schools I've worked at,”
The student debt relief plan, which was anticipated to scrub up to $20,000 in student loan debt for borrowers grossing under $125,000 annually, had been promised as one of the most noteworthy steps toward mitigating the nation’s growing student loan crisis.
Department of Education and the government to make decisions on what's going to happen. Fortunately, there has always been some type of income based repayment plan available to borrowers. This new plan promised more relief as far as forgiveness goes. However, I think we can have a positive
“We are just waiting for the Department of Education and the government to make decisions on what's going to happen.”
Director of Financial Aid
Beth Koroleski
“So unfortunately, again, families are kind of in the same place that financial aid administrators are in, where we are just waiting for the
outlook that there will be some sort of income based plan that will allow borrowers to pay based off their income,” Koroleski said. Within specific states of the
U.S., borrowers are affected differently. The area most heavily affected is Washington D.C., with the average student loan debt per borrower sitting at $54,145.52. The states in second and third are Maryland and Georgia respectively, both standing between $41-44,000 per borrower.
Fourth, and most relevant to students at Virginia Wesleyan, is the state of Virginia. An average borrower in the Commonwealth can expect to owe $40,210.27 in student loan debt.
For most students, the process of paying student loans may not be clear cut. To explain it for students, Korolseki clarified the process at Virginia Wesleyan.
“We're always available to reevaluate student situations. So for current students, [...] your loans are in deferment, in school deferment, so you're not required to start paying them back, and you'll still get your six month grace period before you do have
to start paying them back. So when the time comes to exit, loan counseling is required of any borrower. So you will go through that with the Department of Education,” Koroleski said.
Koroleski also spoke about Virginia Wesleyan’s staff and the processes within the school for borrowers post-graduation.
“But we're also here to help walk you through the process, let you look at your options, connect you with your loan servicer, and throughout your program here, if at any points, the loans become too much or you just can't get maybe a parent loan that you had gotten in the past, we're always willing to look at those situations and help institutionally so that you can complete your degree,” Koroleski said.
While the future may be uncertain for loan borrowers across the country, a few things are concrete. This plan is subject to change, there are options and Virginia Wesleyan is here to help.
Mars Johnson|Marlin Chronicle
Mars Johnson|Marlin Chronicle
McKenna Howenstine|Marlin Chronicle
The Marlin Chronicle's reporter Victoria Haneline using TalentFly for the article.
The MARLIN CHRONICLE
Editor-in-Chief
Victoria Haneline vfhaneline1@vwu.edu
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Community
‘Standing On Business’
Students learn life lessons through planning the Business Conference.
BY AIDEN CROGHAN accroghan@vwu.edu
The Fall 2024 Marlin Business Conference (MBC) occurred from Nov. 18 to Nov. 21 and consisted of an opening ceremony and dinner, business workshops, a career development expo, mock interviews, competitions between business students and a presentation from FBI agents.
The mission statement of the Fall 2024 MBC is “To inspire, to educate and to empower the greater Marlin community to achieve new heights.”
The opening ceremony featured speeches from the Business Conference co-CEO and soccer player, senior Kaitlyn Duswalt, the Chief of Staff, junior Bryant Cotterell, and keynote speaker Tom Walker. Walker is the founder of DroneUp, a company that uses drones to deliver packages. Walker spoke about the beginnings of his company, how they were boosted through delivering COVID-19 tests during the pandemic and the difficulties of competing with big businesses like Amazon.
The conference is organized by students taking MBE-301: Principles of Management. The students fund the conference
itself through hosting fundraisers. In order to fundraise for this conference, students hosted concession stands at sports games, did a car wash and partnered with a Krispy Kreme location. “In every aspect of what we do, students are involved in going and working with people who are potential speakers, the activities that are going to be taking place,” said Frank Futyma, lecturer in Management, Business and Economics, the professor for the course.
“A lot of it had to do with the fundraising, with organizing the concessions and car washes we did. It was a lot of quality control, making sure everything was where it was supposed to be, making sure the staff was working appropriately,” said Cotterell, reflecting on his role as chief of staff.
Learning better teamwork skills was a common theme from members of the class. “We really had to lean on each other to figure things out, not even just in our class, like we had to reach out to Heather Beatty with catering and President Miller. Everybody had to come together,” Duswalt said.
“Meeting people through this experience has been really
rewarding,” Duswalt said, reflecting on the experiences she had as co-CEO of the MBC. “One time at the concession stands, there were a bunch of children, like wreaking havoc, going crazy, and it was my teammate’s little brother. He was banging on the door because we told him he couldn’t come in but that made him want to come in the concession stands.
Professor Futyma was cracking jokes with him earlier so I think he thought we were his buds. But he just started pounding on the doors and then climbing over, and I was just like ‘where is your mom?’ But it was just funny, it almost felt like a family dynamic.”
The other co-CEO for the MBC was Giovanni Musiello. “One of the main things I had to do was we had to pick teams that were going to lead certain aspects of the business conference,” Musiello said on his role as co-CEO, “We had a whole fundraising team as well that we had to pick out [...]. So we did donuts from Krispy Kreme, we did a car wash fundraiser, we did concessions at school games and we tried to find any other sources of revenue that could have fit the bill for the amount of product we had to pay for [...].”
During the MBC, three competitions between business students are hosted. The first is a “Shark Tank” competition, which uses the concept from the show with the same namesake. The participants in this competition are students in the MBE-101: Introductory Business course. In this competition, students present a product idea to a panel of judges, and at the end, the student who is voted best by the judges wins, and takes home the prize of a 50 dollar gift card.
The second competition is a business ethics competition. Competitors in this competition are students in MBE-400: Managerial Ethics. The overview for the competition says: “Participants
are tasked with analyzing case studies or hypothetical situations, identifying ethical dilemmas and proposing solutions that align with ethical frameworks and best practices.”
The third is a consulting competition, which the event overview describes: “Students form teams and act as business consultants with the emphasis on the use of technology to improve business for clients.” All three of these competitions are intended to help students develop necessary skills to succeed in a corporate work environment and to increase students’ problem solving skills.
The MBC also has one offcampus event, located at the HIVE, a business development center in Virginia Beach. The HIVE partners with Virginia Wesleyan to offer no-cost workshops to students in topics such as entrepreneurship and public speaking. The HIVE also offers help for local businesses with funding, licensing, zoning and more. At the HIVE, students in attendance heard a speech from Ihsane Mouak, the current leader of the HIVE.
Celebrating Veterans Day On Campus
BY BRADY KING bpking@vwu.edu
World War I officially ended when the Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28, 1919 in the Palace of Versailles. According to the US Department of Veterans Day Affairs, fighting ceased seven months earlier when an armistice, or temporary cessation of hostilities, between the Allied nations and Germany went into effect on Nov. 11.
Veterans Day is observed on Nov. 11. The US Department of Veterans Day Affairs describes the purpose of it as, “A celebration to honor America’s veterans for their patriotism, love of country, and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good.”
On Monday, Nov. 11 Virginia Wesleyan celebrated Veterans Day. The ceremony was held in Greer at 12 p.m. Garret Wood was the opening speaker and he reflected on the
sacrifices and contributions of those who have and who are currently serving our country.
Wood also emphasized the importance of Veterans Day as a time to express gratitude for men and women who have defended freedoms and embodied patriotism. Wood also introduced the new addition to the military affairs of the ROTC program at Virginia Wesleyan.
Garret Wood was a Surface Warfare Officer in the Navy. He was deployed to Iraq coastal waters and briefly to Afghanistan while attached to a unit of Marines.
“This is both a place for people to be trained to lead in the military, and a place where their service can be rewarded through education,” Wood said, reflecting on Veterans Day’s connection to Virginia Wesleyan.
President Miller shared a quote from Barack Obama about the importance of this day as a whole: “We don’t mark this day each year as a celebration of victory. As proud of that victory
as we are, we mark this day as a celebration of those who made victory possible. It’s a day that we keep in our minds the brave men and women of this nation, generations of them who, above all else, believed in and fought for a set of ideas.”
Bobby Mazenko was the keynote speaker at the ceremony, he is a First Lieutenant, and graduated from Virginia Wesleyan in 2021, where he was a two time captain of the lacrosse team and an active member of the Student Government Association. Mazenko was also a member of the Army ROTC, beginning his military career.
Mazenko showed his appreciation by honoring the sacrifices that the former veterans have provided. He reflected on the true meaning of sacrifice and service, highlighting the unimaginable challenges that are faced by veterans and the sacrifices they have to make for their families.
Mazenko joined the military shortly after graduation. “I was commissioned into the Army Reserve as an aviation officer. Shortly after commissioning, I attended army flight school, where I earned my wings in 2023, and I am currently a CH-47 Chinook helicopter pilot,” Mazenko said.
Mazenko went into detail about the difficulties with being moved around from station to station and even state to state. He said, “a new duty station every three years where families are uprooted and moved thousands of miles away, 30 day field training exercise with no communication to family. Or sudden job change that is based on needs of the military.
“Next time you see a camouflage vest at Lowe’s, a license plate that says disabled veteran or a baseball cap littered with pings of previous units that say Vietnam veteran, I challenge you all to stop and reflect on yourself of service to our country, to those who have served,” Mazenko said.
Mazenko ended his speech by asking people to reflect on the value of the community, safety and truth that veterans could bring. He talked about his belief in the importance of supporting veterans, their families and recognizing their sacrifices.
McKenna Howenstine|Marlin Chronicle
duty
The event featured VWU graduate Bobby Mazenko.
McKenna Howenstine|Marlin Chronicle
Tom Walker is the CEO of DroneUp, a company that uses drones for delivery.
McKenna Howenstine |Marlin Chronicle MBC co-CEO Kaitlyn Duswalt commences the ceremony.
VWU Events Seek To Honor Indigenous History
Friendsgiving, Red Shawl Day table and pottery making all part of VWU Honors Native American History Month events.
BY MIA DIEHL mjdiehl@vwu.edu
The U.S government began recognizing November as Native American Heritage Month in 1990. Virginia Wesleyan University, in keeping with its mission statement to inspire students to build meaningful lives through engagement, has provided the campus with three events dedicated to the culture and history of the Native American community.
On Monday, Nov. 18, the Student Counseling Center and Residence Life collaborated to put together the Friendsgiving & Rethinking Thanksgiving event as part of VWU Honors Native American History Month. This event showed students affordable ways to celebrate Thanksgiving in their dorms if they celebrated with their friends before leaving for break. The event also
focused on fostering allyship and advocacy for the Native American community and curating holiday practices that are more inclusive and mindful.
Michelle De Rosa, the director of Counseling and Student Health, said that the Student Counseling Center hosted this event because they “believe in creating opportunities for understanding and connection and adapting traditions is one way to foster belonging and inclusivity for all.”
“Mindful celebrations help us build a community where everyone feels seen, respected, and valued,” De Rosa said. She added that “the Counseling Center and Res Life hosted the event because we care about your well-being and want to create spaces where you feel supported, connected and informed!”
Located in the Harbor Grill, the Student Health Center set
up a table filled with different traditional Thanksgiving meals that can be made simply using a microwave. These food items included stuffing, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes and more. Students could taste the food themselves to see what they liked the best. Students could also scan a QR code with the recipe for each dish and a handout including substitute ingredients for students with allergies.
When asked what part of the event stood out to them the most, freshman Paige Ziegler who attended the event said that “the fact the college is trying to unite everyone for this holiday.” The event allowed for the unification of people and communities because of the information about how people can connect with the history of the Native American people and the idea of food
bringing people together through celebration and culture.
The event, while strongly focusing on teaching students affordable recipes that are safe to make in a residence hall, goes deeper. The event also strongly focuses on bringing awareness to the history of Thanksgiving and the need for support for the Native American community. To do this, the event provided a pamphlet that outlined ways to decolonize Thanksgiving, bringing more honor to the Native American community during the holiday.
The pamphlet provided information about Native innovators like Deb Haaland, who is serving as the 54 United States Secretary of the Interior and is from Laguna Pueblo. A recording featuring the Tribal Council Chairman of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe of Massachusetts, Cedric Cromwell, is also available in the pamphlet through a QR code. In this recording, Cromwell puts “The First Thanksgiving” into context, describing the issues the tribe faces in Massachusetts today.
The pamphlet also included ingredients native to Virginia to add to holiday dishes and a list of small, native-owned businesses in the community for those looking to buy gifts for friends and family. Finally, the pamphlet offered information on understanding Thanksgiving and how it is portrayed compared to what truly happened in 1621, along with websites where one can get more information and continue supporting indigenous people.
Casey Roberts, the assistant director of Residence Life at Virginia Wesleyan University, hopes that students leave the event with newfound knowledge about Native American heritage and support for the community.
Roberts also said that VWU Honors Native American History Month is collaborating with the Norfolk Public Library, allowing anyone to check out a non-book resource on Native American culture and peoples and be entered to win a giveaway item. The giveaway items from the Norfolk Public Library will be sourced from the following address: https://www.wanderingbull.com.
“Though the origins of the Thanksgiving story have often been misconstrued, the modern holiday is rooted in gratitude, encouraging individuals to reflect on their blessings and express appreciation for what they have,” Roberts said. He added that it is essential to adopt mindful holiday practices because “by being mindful of the diverse backgrounds and traditions that make up our communities, we can create a more inclusive environment.” This ties back to Virginia Wesleyan University’s mission statement above.
On Tuesday, Nov. 19, Off the Hook and Student Engagement brought students together to celebrate Red Shawl Day and raise awareness of the violence that the Native American community experiences, with a focus on missing Indigenous children and women. Students were welcomed to wear red to show understanding of the issue. This event occurred in the Boyd Dining Center from 12:30 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.
The final event for VWU Honors Native American History Month occured on Wednesday, Nov. 20. Off the Hook and Student Engagement honored Native American culture through a pottery and clay-making activity, an integral part of Native American history and culture. This event took place from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. in the Harbor Grill.
Upcoming art exhibit shows art blended with AI
BY CLAY YOKOM kayokoml@vwu.edu
Derek Eley is an associate professor of Digital Art at Virginia Wesleyan University and has an exhibit of his recent work on display in the library. The exhibit officially opens on Nov. 21 in the Barclay Sheaks Gallery, which is in the back of the library by the DVD selection
Originally, this exhibit was going to open on Nov. 7, but the official opening was moved back to allow for final preparations of the exhibit.
Half of the art in the gallery, the images of toys from the 1980s and 1990s overlaid with moderately current slang, has been shown in Norfolk Arts’ gallery space in the MacArthur Center, under the name “I’m so Cheugy.” The works were included in a series that grappled with generational slang differences. The exhibition ran in the space from Aug. to Oct. 2023. Cheugy is a slang word with negative connotations that was created to describe someone who is trying too hard to be cool or is out of date.
The art shown at the MacArthur Center contended with Eley “understanding that I can’t say it [current slang] and be authentic, but just still trying to, like, understand it.”
The second half of the exhibit at VWU is yet unnamed, and features landscapes generated with Adobe generative fill with graphic designs created on top of them.
“I thought it would be pretty cool to take the landscape, which is more of an idealist, traditionalist genre and photography, create that with the artificial intelligence, and then overlay like these digital, kind of abstract graphics over top,” Eley said.
All of the art in the exhibit was made in part with artificial intelligence though the degree for each exhibit varied.
When asked about the importance of using AI in this exhibit, Eley emphasized that AI is the direction that technology is going and to provide the best education to his students, he has to be familiar with AI.
“I like the theoretical side behind it, and how people can go back and forth and argue on these things,” Eley said. The
exhibit is intended to invite discussions on the place and usage of AI in art production.
“I want to be like a provocateur in some way when I make work,” Eley said.
Some students expressed hesitancy about AI being used in an art exhibition.
“I feel like AI is used as a tool, but I feel like it shouldn’t be used to create imagination,” Madison Dragas, an undeclared sophomore in a ceramics class, said.
Because the art exhibit hadn’t officially opened, most students hadn’t gone to see the exhibit. Dragas viewed images of some pieces in the exhibit that were posted on
Eley’s website and responded to them and the process of making them.
Dragas works in both digital and physical mediums and has used AI in the art making process for a class.
John Rudel, professor of Art and the curator of the Neil Britton Art Gallery, brought his class to view the artworks before the exhibit formally opened and students had a chance to discuss their experience in class.
“It’s great how the work inspired conversation,” Rudel said.
McKenna Howenstine|Marlin Chronicle Red Shawl Day event raises awareness for missing and murdered Indigenous people.
Derek Eley|Courtesy
A piece from Derek Eley’s ‘I’m So Cheugy’ series.
Derek Eley|Courtesy
A piece from Derek Eley’s ‘New Slang/ Old Toys’ series.
VWU’s dire need for a sports student section
Marlin Nation’s potential ticket to raising school spirit.
BY MCKENNA HOWENSTINE mrhowenstine@vwu.edu
Sports are a huge part of the Virginia Wesleyan community and experience. We have 22 sports teams and, reportedly, about 40% of the student population plays a sport. Yet, still, when I attend sports games on campus, I am almost astounded by the lack of student support in the stands. The students are there, but nobody is all that vocal. Of the students that go, all are quite disconnected from each other and there is not notable supportive energy most of the time. I believe that needs to change. Student sections are entirely common at school sports games of all levels and Virginia Wesleyan needs to join in on the spirit!
A little bit of organization would make the student support that goes out to games feel so much fuller and more impactful. The Marlin community needs to chirp at some soccer referees and have chants at volleyball games.
The camaraderie on this campus surrounding sports should not stop at just the student-athletes. Due to this campus being so small, every person plays a large role in the community! Sports energy is infectious, and it is my hope that a student section would help apprehensive students feel more willing to come out to support our teams.
I have felt a couple instances of this
Chronicle
Men’s Lacrosse team raises spirits cheering on the Men’s Soccer team.
support while shooting photos at sports games. The game that sticks out most in my brain was a Men’s Soccer match where most of the Men’s Lacrosse team packed part of the stands in support. They had bright blue stadium horns and were adamant about making the entire soccer field hear them. The energy they brought was absolutely contagious, and it was one of the more enjoyable soccer games I’ve been to on campus because it
felt like the community was there. I felt more comfortable being loud about my support, too! There is such a domino effect with vocality, and the Men’s Lacrosse team can’t be at every sports game, so a student section would make sure that energy is brought to every game.
I truly believe that if VWU had a student section, our sense of community would be even greater and our sports teams would perform better. Feeling supported and backed while you’re on the field or court is such a morale boost, and I think the Marlin community would really benefit from it.
So how would it start? I think VWU, as a whole, has gotten away from relying on word of mouth for getting ideas and plans around, but I believe this method shouldn’t be overlooked. Starting a student section doesn’t need to be a huge, planned out ordeal, especially to start. Just unofficially dedicating a section of the stands in Townebank and out at Birdsong field and Trinder stadium would create the space for people to come together.
We have seen a little bit of this with students sitting at the ends of the volleyball court during games, but it is usually a sports team or a couple of friend groups that just decide to sit there. What if that space was where students could go to be loud and proud about the Marlin spirit?
The white out and pink out games were semi-successful and having regulars in the
student section would make those efforts even more bountiful. Face paint in the VWU colors, some stadium horns, themed games, something to spark some fan interest beyond just the thrill of the game would do wonders for the connectivity of our community. As a student population, we are timid about supporting each other, being loud and being proud. It is taking such a crucial piece out of campus and while a student section wouldn’t solve the whole issue, it may just be a start. We all deserve to be supported, and we owe it to each other to give support!
McKenna is a sophomore studying Sustainability Management. She is the Photography Editor for the Marlin Chronicle and has played sports her whole life.
VWU Student Health Center lacks quality care
BY MJ MATTHEWS mjmatthews@vwu.edu
McKenna Howenstine|Marlin Chronicle
MJ is a sophomore studying Earth and Environmental Science. She is the Opinions Editor for the Marlin Chronicle.
When members of VWU’s student population aren’t feeling 100%, the Student Health Center is the logical place to go. However, some students note that their experiences with the center have left them discouraged, opting out of a visit. All students quoted in this article responded to a form circulated by the Marlin Chronicle. There are several reasons, speaking to individual experiences and functionality issues, that lead students away. The most circulated complaint is on the center’s limited hours. The Student Health Center is only open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on weekdays, which parallels the most frequent time of day for classes. It is completely closed through the weekend. These hours limit the opportunity for students to visit the center if they are not
ISAAC FICK ihfick@vwu.edu
feeling well, having to decide between skipping a class or seeking care.
The center is small, with there being just two staff and one examination room, and the waiting room only having capacity for a maximum of 4 people. The small size can not accommodate our student population.
“I went in the morning around 11:00 a.m. and they were already closed because they were “at capacity” and could no longer take any other students,” Isabella Grosswiler, a junior, said.
Given the usual wait time and short hours, many students do not have the time in their day to receive care from the center. I, personally, have left before being seen by a nurse because the wait was too long and an appointment would have run into my class time. I know I am not alone in this.
To give the center some grace, it is not the staff’s fault that the center is small or reaches capacity so often, and it is unlikely that the hours are on them either. With the frequency of these issues, it does beg the question as to why things have yet to change, and why solutions have not been implemented. How can the VWU student population, or the university as an institution, help the Student Health Center help students? “A current student could intern and help to increase the hours from what they currently are,” McKenna Howenstine, a sophomore, said. I would like to think that additional staffing, operating on an appointment-registration system, and/or a clinic size upgrade would alleviate the center’s major issues.
A connecting issue to limited care is the price tag. Student Health Insurance is roughly $1,600 annually and does not cover appointments and clinic hours. Questioning this mandatory insurance’s usefulness, “We all have to pay or opt-out of the (very hefty) student health insurance fees every year. Realistically,
shouldn’t that cover the Health Center’s services? It’s marketed as a free on-campus clinic, but if they don’t even provide basic services like COVID-19 testing for students who may be in the early asymptomatic-yetcontagious stages, what’s the point?” a sophomore said.
Many students who seek care at the center go in to be tested for things like COVID-19, the flu and/or strep throat. Anyone who is asymptomatic is turned away from testing, even if they have had prolonged contact (i.e being roommates or housemates) with an infected person.
“We have the Student Health Center because we can’t afford to go elsewhere and buy tests. I don’t even bother going because it’s never even helpful,” Milo Schuehle, a sophomore who was turned away from a COVID test, said. Given the price of health insurance, that should be able to cover a $35 COVID-19 test, even if it’s proactive. Penny-pinching practices like these are harmful to the student population. Those who can go purchase a test off campus or see an alternate medical professional usually do, making the Student Health Center nearly useless in regards to testing. Those that can not afford this simply do not get tested and can go on to infect others or worsen in conditions themselves.
My experiences align similarly to those of other students. The hours given and the size of the center have created the majority of my issues with the center, but I understand that most of these issues are out of the control of the staff. Even a less-than-enthusiastic temperament is understandable, given that just two people are trying to meet the medical needs of an entire campus.
All things considered, I am grateful to have this as a campus resource. I hope in the near future the Student Health Center can receive more support so that they are more equipped and able to genuinely help students. Accessible virus testing and longer hours would be a great start.
Best music release of 2024?
Full Bloom by 311 is the greatest music release of 2024. 311, a band formed in the 1990s, combines pop music, rock and reggae. Over the 30 years, their music has undergone a lot of changes, their message not being one of them. The group has always promoted positive energy and unity, and they especially emphasize this in their 14 album Full Bloom. I will be discussing my thoughts and interpretations of my favorite songs from Full Bloom.
The album begins with “You’re Gonna Get it,” which stands out as being more aggressive than the rest of the album. This song speaks on the passage of time and accepting that you will get what’s in the future, and rushing will hurt that. “Need Somebody,” the second on the album, is quite a bit faster than the rest of the album. The contrastingly slow vocals explain the need for someone when troubles arise, as they will only get worse otherwise.
“Mountain Top,” the fifth on the album, describes the need to keep working and getting the next tasks done. They suggest that on the surface, it is easy to do this, however, they question where all the compassion went. In difficult times moving too fast, they say it is better to not
wallow and rather keep moving forward.
“All You’ve Seen,” the ninth on the album, is my favorite as its message connects deeply with me. This song talks about the journey of moving forward and leaving home, whatever home means in the necessary context. The lyrics feel like a blueprint for listeners to address their past, present and future. I specifically enjoy this part of the chorus:
“Close calls and the stumble and falls And the way you react with your back to the wall
In your mind there’s a silver screen
Another frame out of all you’ve seen.”
In this part, they are explaining that it’s your reactions and your mindset that count, through the present difficulties. Under pressure and negative times, it is important to recognize the screen through which you are viewing the world. Overall, the album is a masterpiece spreading positive messages that have helped me. I encourage anyone to at least read the lyrics of this album, music taste aside.
AIDEN CROGHAN accroghan@vwu.edu
Prelude to Extinction (stylized as PRELUDE TO EXTINCTION) by Final Resting Place (stylized as FINAL RESTING PLACE) stands out in my mind as the best heavy music release of this year, with little to no competition, and my personal favorite record of the year. The music itself toes the line between Hardcore and Death Metal, without having many of the elements that make up the lovechild of the two genres, Deathcore.
The EP’s intro, SUFFERING, is a strange electronic mashup of ambient sounds and completely muffled voices that
sets an eerie tone for the rest of the EP. After this short introduction, the listener is launched into chugging Hardcore grooves, and rang out power chords. The instrumentals hold close to the instrumentals of most Metallic Hardcore, the instrumental work is not overly complex, and is generally at a moderate tempo, while the vocals could be straight out of a Brutal Death Metal release. The blending of these two genres makes for a more crushing experience than either genre on its own, the slow hardcore riffs and breakdowns providing a heavy backdrop with only an occasional Death Metal blastbeat, while the vocals deliver a distinct harshness, not made possible by any other vocal techniques.
Many bands combine Hardcore and Death Metal, however, no band does so as seamlessly as Final Resting Place. The EP’s lyrics are not intelligible, however, the themes present on the record seem to be that of an earth which is outgrowing its need for humans, providing a parallel to the environmental destruction humans unleash upon the earth. Occasional dissonant guitar chords ring like sirens warning us of this impending doom if we do not change our ways. This album offers countless other interpretations, which only adds greater value to it in my eyes.
McKenna Howenstine|Marlin
Sarah Richards|Marlin Chronicle
McKenna Howenstine|Marlin Chronicle
ODAC Tournament recap
BY SYDNEE WASHINGTON sawashington2@vwu.edu
Early Elimination Semifinal woes
Men’s Soccer finished strong, sweeping the Week 10 offensive and defensive ODAC Player of the Week awards after their 2-0 shutout victory against HampdenSydney. They earned the No. 3 seed in the ODAC Championship Tournament with a conference record of 7-2-1. The team matched up against No. 6 Shenandoah in the first round of playoffs, defeating them in a 3-0 shutout, their eighth shutout of the season.
Moving onto the semifinals, the Marlins faced the dominant No. 2 Washington and Lee Generals (6-0-4 in conference). The game was tight, with Washington and Lee ultimately overcoming the Marlins in a 3-2 victory. The Marlins had a rough night of finishing, outshooting the Generals 22 to 6 and 8 to 3 in shots on goal. The Generals’
defense came up big with 6 saves to the Marlins’ 0. Head coach
Shane Kohler commented on the team’s postseason performance:
“We had a good performance against W&L, and unfortunately it just didn’t go our way. We created a number of goal scoring opportunities and did a great job limiting their chances. When you out shoot a team 22-6, you
typically are doing something well and controlling the match. It really came down to that we were unable to take advantage of our chances, while W&L was able to convert. It was a tough way to end our Fall as we had higher aspirations for this season. We’ll continue to work towards those goals next year but this one will sting for a while,” Kohler said.
Repeat title dreams end in a loss
Ranked No. 1 in the ODAC preseason poll, Women’s Soccer fell short of expectations, finishing third with a conference record of 8-2. They faced No. 6 Shenandoah University in the first round of playoffs, scoring 2 early goals back to back without an answer from Shenandoah and an additional goal midway through the second half, bringing the score to 3-0. The Hornets attempted a comeback, scoring 2 goals back to back as the second half neared its end, but the Marlins successfully crushed the Hornets hopes, keeping the score at 3-2. The Marlins then battled
No. 2 Lynchburg in the semifinals for a spot in the championship. The Hornets got ahead early, scoring two goals in the first half, and the Marlins responded with two of their own goals in the second half. With the score tied and less than two minutes of play left, the Marlins scored, upsetting the Hornets. Advancing to the championship, the Marlins faced the undefeated, No. 1 Washington and Lee Generals. The Generals went up one goal late in the first half as the Marlins struggled to generate offense, only getting off a single shot on goal attempt in the entire first half. In the second
half, the Marlins managed 9 shot attempts with one shot on goal; however the Generals successfully defended against the Marlins, keeping the final score 1-0 and squashing the Marlin’s chance at a repeat title. Head coach Jeff Bowers commented on the team’s performance: “We had a great run in the ODAC Tournament and played extremely well in both the semifinals and finals. The group of seniors played in four straight ODAC Championships, and it’s a testament to their hard work during the last four years. I am extremely grateful for their leadership,” Bowers said.
NCAA announces new streaming initiative
BY MATTHEW SMITH mjsmith3@vwu.edu
The NCAA has announced a brand new live streaming initiative alongside NCAA Digital, making upcoming 2024 fall championship games free to watch on a national scale. The NCAA will be working in cooperation with ESPN+, TNT, Hudl and more, making over 200 games free to watch on a national scale.
The initiative will stream 25 games for field hockey, 65 for Men’s and Women’s Soccer respectively, and 56 for Women’s Volleyball. The matches streamed include everything from the first round/regionals of championship play, all the way up to the championship games themselves. This step will majorly increase the accessibility for Division III athletics and widen the stage on which athletes will be performing, according to Andrea Hoover, executive director of Athletics at VWU. “Division III is working to
become more visible and more of a valued product,” Hoover said.
A new level of engagement in DIII sports will mean the influx of new viewers, greater recognition and a change in the viewer demographic of the sport, but it will also aid in returning the community back to DIII athletics.
“COVID put a big wrench in people going out to sports,” Tyler Costello, director of Athletic Communications at VWU, said. “Bring the community back, back home.”
The live streaming initiative was made possible by the DIII membership who have been pushing for, “prioritized branding and marketing,” of the athletics under their jurisdiction, Louise McCleary, vice president of Division III, said. By televising DIII athletics on a widely accessible and premiere national scale, the NCAA is showing great initiative in supporting athletics within the division by making its events more viewable than ever. Along with accessibility,
of Maryland.
the entertainment factor of DIII championship matches will increase as “broadcasters will also play a role and might help move the needle from that perspective,” Costello said.
The support shown by the NCAA is expressed further in the aid they have given to host sites, as they have put, “$2,000 into the budget for live streaming capabilities,” Hoover said. This recognition and assistance in funding host sites holds great importance as it could foreshadow that the money being made through the new initiative will bring more money into DIII as a whole. This is especially significant for venues like VWU which may be embursed for organizing and entertaining championship matches, which they do on a yearly basis across all sports. “Athletics are a money game too. For me personally, I would love to see it make the experience better for everyone,” Costello said.
This great potential and
win
After finishing the season with a 4-4 conference record, field hockey earned the No. 5 spot in the ODAC Championship Tournament to face off against No. 4 Washington and Lee University (5-3 in conference) in the first round. The Generals rolled over the Marlins in a 7-0 shutout. The Marlin’s defense and offense was nowhere to be found as the Generals outshot them 22-1 and 13-1 in shots on goal. The pressure was on for 3-time ODAC Defensive Player of the Week, who, in 45 minutes of play, recorded 6 saves but allowed 6 goals.
Tough loss, NCAA bid
Women’s Volleyball wrapped up conference play with a win against Shenandoah University in four sets, ending with a dominant 11-1 record to earn the No. 2 seed in the tournament. In the first round, the Marlins battled against No. 7 Roanoke College, winning in 4 sets to advance to the semifinals. There they faced No. 3 Bridgewater College, winning once again in four sets and booking their ticket to the championship. The only thing in their way of adding their second championship to their belt, after a five-year drought, was the undefeated Washington & Lee Generals. The two teams fought a tough battle, alternating sets taken. The Marlins started off strong, taking the first set by two points, but the Generals fought back to take the second set by a whopping 12 points. The Marlins did not take too kindly to this, biting back in the third set to win it by 5 points, but once again, the Generals stood their ground, refusing to be eliminated and taking the fourth set, pushing the game to five sets. The fifth set was another nail biter, with the two teams trading blows, but ultimately the Generals took the fifth set 15-12. Despite the loss, the Marlins are not done yet. The team still has a chance to take home a championship, as they have qualified for an atlarge selection to the NCAA Tournament. They are set to play Springfield on Thursday, Nov. 21 at 4:30 p.m.
opportunity for exposure also extends to the competing athletes as well. The national presence of DIII sports has never been profound, as the viewership demographic usually consists of those directly connected to the university or sport they associate with. However, with the new national presentation of DIII athletics, the steady increase of domestic branding concerning systems such as NIL, and others, could see a rather large increase compared to previous years, although it will probably never reach the level of DI endorsements, according to Costello. The initiative, although only
confirmed for the upcoming fall championships, will most likely be continued into the winter and spring seasons as well as for years to come. This show of continued support for DIII athletics is a great sign for the division as a whole, as national recognition will lead to more opportunities for universities and athletes, as well as a funding increase which will serve as the backbone of the Division III association. All of these games can be found and viewed for free through the NCAA Championship Pass, app on Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Roku and Android TV devices as well as ncaa.com/champs-pass.
James Hill|Courtesy Field Hockey celebrates overtime
against St. Mary’s College
Sydnee Washington|Marlin Chronicle
James Hill|Courtesy
Men’s Soccer huddles at match on Sept. 7.
James Hill|Courtesy
Women’s Soccer sophomore Emma Shuey evades goalie to score against Roanoke College.
James Hill|Courtesy
Women’s Volleyball sophomore Madi Schmidt beaming at tournament match against Roanoke.
What’s next for Marlins’ basketball
This is a collage created from photos in separate basketball games. BY SYDNEE WASHINGTON sawashington2@vwu.edu
With Fall sports winding down and winter season gearing up, basketball season is coming into full swing. With new seasons come new expectations. The women’s team is looking to turn the tide of their past unsuccessful seasons, where they have only won a total of 10 games in the last two seasons under head coach Quntashea Lewis.
The team decided to part ways with coach Lewis, bringing in head coach Megan Green and assistant coach Mikayla Kinnard. This is Green’s first year as a head coach, serving as an assistant coach at Dickinson College for two years. Kinnard is also fairly new to coaching, serving only as a graduate assistant coach at Longwood University prior to coming to VWU. The team features a new roster as well, with only six returning players, adding eight freshmen and a graduate student transfer.
The team is currently 2-2, so it is still early; however, the team is showing growth in some areas from last season. Their point average is up significantly from 44.4 last year to 59.3 this year. Their rebounding is up from 33.4 to 45.8 per game. Their defense has also improved, increasing their steals to 13 per game as opposed to 8.2 last year and averaging almost 10 more points off opponent turnovers.
Growth in other areas, however, have been stagnant, and in some areas the team has regressed. Their field goal and three point percentages have slightly increased from 31 percent to 34 percent and 20 percent to 21 percent, respectively. They are sharing the ball a bit more with 10.3 assists per game versus 7.2 last year. On the other hand, their free throw percentage sits at .553, down almost 10 percentage points from last year, and they average 4 more turnovers than last year with 24 per game.
Some key players this season include graduate player Keagan Schwabb, who leads the Marlins in scoring with 15.8
points per game and three point shooting with a 36 percent shooting percentage on 7 attempts per game; freshman Jaiden Hunter, the second leading scorer with 11.5 points per game and leading rebounder with 11.5 per game; and freshman Bre Robinson, also averaging 11.5 points per game and leading the team in steals with 3 per game.
Ultimately, the determinant of the Marlin’s success this season will be maintaining the defensive intensity, improving offensive consistency and limiting turnovers and second chance points.
In the first tournament game, the Marlins allowed 18 second chance points, whereas the Avenging Angels limited them to eight second chance points. The Angels also shot significantly more efficiently than the Marlins with a field goal percentage of 45 percent versus the Marlins’ 32 percent. In their second tournament game, although the Marlins edged the Monarchs by one point, they racked up a whopping 33 turnovers, which almost cost them the game. The team also missed a total of 23 free throws in both games, which is significant considering how close the scores were in both games.
Prediction:
The Marlins will be put to the test in conference play, facing some tough teams such as the 2023-24 ODAC champion Washington & Lee and runner-up Shenandoah University, who both made an NCAA Tournament appearance last season. The Marlins only raked in a single conference game win last season, which should not be the case this season so long as they take care of the ball.
BY COY CAMISCIOLI clcamiscioli@vwu.edu
The Virginia Wesleyan Men’s Basketball team is off to a wild start in the 2024-25 season. After defeating Ripon College and the University of Mary Washington, the Marlins won the TowneBank Tipoff Tournament for the second straight year.
The Marlins then played No. 9 Christopher Newport University on Wednesday, Nov. 13, but lost in overtime by a score of 74-72.
After being ranked fourth in the ODAC preseason poll, the Marlins should be in store for another successful season.
The Marlins made the NCAA tournament last year despite losing one of their more prolific scorers, senior Omari DeVeaux. DeVeaux averaged 17 points per game while shooting an elite 49.3% from the field. With DeVeaux returning, the Marlins should receive an impactful boost on both sides of the ball. Senior center Waylo Wilson, who led the team in field goals made and field goal percentage (56.1%), is returning to the team as well. Wilson was a dominant big for the Marlins last season, accounting for nearly half of
Prediction:
With the return of leading scorer Omari DeVeaux from injury, the Marlins will have a slightly better record than last season of 10-6 in conference. Winning the ODAC will be tough, as the team will have to surpass contenders such as HampdenSydney and Guilford; however, with addition of talented freshman giving the team more depth, it is certainly a realisitic possibility.
the team’s blocks with 40 of the team’s 98.
After finishing with a record of 9-7 in conference play last year, the Marlins should finish with a slightly better conference record to end this season at 10-6 with key wins coming against Guilford College and Randolph-Macon College, whom the Marlins will see twice this season.
It will be tough for the Marlins to win the ODAC conference, but it is definitely a realistic possibility, and I believe that regardless of winning the ODAC conference or not they will get a bid to play in the NCAA tournament for the second straight season after missing the last eight years prior.
The ODAC is full of playoff contenders with Hampden-Sydney College and Guilford College both making the Final Four last season as Hampden-Sydney defeated Guilford and lost in the National Championship game to Trine University. Randolph-Macon College also competed in the NCAA tournament losing in the Sweet 16 to Calvin University.
The Marlins did defeat Guilford College in one of their two meetings last season, so the team does have what it takes to make a good run this season considering they have only improved.
The main test is if the Marlins can top Hampden-Sydney College in their only regular season match against the Tigers. They lost all three matches to them last year, including in the ODAC playoffs.
The Marlins do have the right guy to lead them in head Men’s Basketball coach Dave Macedo, who is entering his 25 season with the Marlins and has a National Championship victory under his belt back in 2006. Macedo has also been a part of three separate appearances in the NCAA Final Four . He has an unbelievable record as head of 488-184 along with a 283-104 record in the ODAC conference and is widely considered one of the most successful coaches in the state of Virginia.
Marlins’ Swimming breaks seven records
BY ELI CASEY emcasey@vwu.edu
Virginia Wesleyan’s swim teams have started this season with a splash. Through the first four meets of the season, a combined five records have been broken for both the mens and womens teams. Freshmen Tommy Saeger and Emery Garza both broke records, as did sophomore Lora Young and junior Cael Long. Saeger and Long broke the men’s record for the 400 individual medley (IM) and the 200 backstroke respectively. Young took home both the women’s 400 individual medley and the 1000 freestyle records, while Garza beat the 100 backstroke record.
Long discussed his strategies for success. “Before any race, I like to generally focus on what’s in front of me. What am I doing? How am I going to do it?” Long said. “I’ve swam my entire life, so there’s no nerves.” The previous record was set by Tyler Strong in 2021 at the ODAC Championships with a time of 2:07.25. Long beat the record by touching the wall at 2:04.66. His current focus is improving in his main events, as he specializes in the 100 butterfly and 200 IM, with the 200 backstroke being his third event.
In just two meets, freshmen Saeger and Garza have managed to break a record. Saeger broke the 400 IM record by almost 10 seconds, cutting the record from 4:51.78 to 4:42.48. Garza narrowly broke the 100 backstroke record with a time of 1:01.94, eight hundredths of a second faster than the record, 1:02.02. For Garza, breaking the record was an
unexpected but welcome surprise. “Prior to me breaking the record, the fastest I’d ever swam 100 back was about a 1:03, 1:04 so going from that to a 1:01 was not what I was expecting,” Garza said. “I was really nervous because I didn’t think I could do it, but everybody around me was like, no, like, you can do this.”
Head coach Cassondre Wilburn is loving the teamwork between the freshmen and the upperclassmen. “The upperclassmen are really playing them in the right direction,” she said. “I did notice when it comes to the freshmen we have, a lot of them seem like they have some pretty good potential,” Long said.
“That’s the main reason I came here, because the team is so close knit, and we really push each other to do our best,” Garza said.
Despite being founded only seven years ago, “The team’s getting faster,” Wilburn said. “I think the news is getting out there that we are competitive.”
Establishing a competitive program is difficult, but having a new class that is already breaking records at the season’s start means the Marlins are moving forward.
For the Marlins, a new season is bound to bring changes. Practices have changed. Last year the focus for the team was sprint oriented. This season it’s different. “This year, we set the goal that we put in a little more yardage,” Wilburn said. Out of the records that were broken, the lone yardage race was the 1000 freestyle. Young previously held the record with a time of 12:09.68 and set the new record at 12:08.58.
The team goal for this season is to make NCAA cuts, especially for the freshman.
“Wesleyan has never had a swimmer that makes NCAA cuts,” Wilburn said. Currently, Garza is the closest Marlin swimmer to making the NCAA B cut in the 50 freestyle. Garza’s time at the Emory & Henry dual meet of 25.04 sits just 1.47 seconds away from the B cut time of 23.57. “I’m pretty much on track, my 50 could get a little faster, but we’ll see how the season ends out,” Garza said. “I’m excited to see how it will play out.”
In the Marlins’ recent dual meet against Gallaudet University and Chowan University, two more school records were broken. Long finished in second place in the 100 IM, breaking his own record with a time of 55.02. Garza also broke the record she held previously, finishing with a time of 1:01.84 in the 100 backstroke.
Both teams will be competing in the Yellow Jacket Invitational, hosted by Randolph-Macon University on Nov. 22 through Nov. 24.
WOMENS: Second from the left and rightmost. Taken by McKenna Howenstine|Marlin Chronicle MENS: Leftmost and second from right. Taken by James Hill|Courtesy
Newly free exhibit feeds interest
REVIEW
BY GABRIELLE BARNETT gabarnett@vwu.edu
The Chrysler Museum of Art, located at 1 Memorial Pl. in Norfolk, Virginia, is a free art museum that is open Tuesday through Sunday. In addition to the myriad of informational exhibits, the museum also offers fun events and a peaceful place to hang out.
On Oct. 9, the Chrysler Museum hosted one of their free, all-ages events called “Second Saturday Art Pop-Up”. The event was run by Museum Educator Grace Martin and is the latest in an event series that has been running for several years.
“It’s been a few years now, but it’s been evolving,” Martin said.
The event was an opportunity for visitors of the museum to express their artistic side by decorating sponges with spackle “frosting” to look like cakes. The event, which ran from 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 a.m., was quickly visited by a lively crowd of all ages.
“This activity brings a lot of joy,” Martin said. “So it’s nice to just bring your family, or just yourself.”
Martin has been leading the Second Saturday Art Pop-Ups at the museum for the last few months. Originally, it was a paid event, until the museum received a grant that allowed for it to be a free, dropin event. Martin is highly appreciative of the grant that makes the event free, saying that she believes it opens the museum even more to the public.
“I love this because it makes art more accessible to the community,” Martin said. “Anyone can just show up, no pressure, and learn a new material to work with.”
The idea for the “cake” decorating came from the Chrysler Museum’s current exhibit, “Farm to Table: Art, Food and
SLOVER
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the two seems to highlight the beauty of each style and also deliberately showing that past and future do not need to be two separate things, but can be one cohesive narrative.
The stone reminds visitors that libraries hold history and have stood the test of time. The modernist glass reminds visitors that libraries are not something purely of the past and can change and adapt to meet the demand of modern visitors as well as those with their minds in the past. A mix between old and new, the architecture of the library is a perfect metaphor for everything a library should be, and the Slover surely does not disappoint.
The Slover Library is part of a larger chain of libraries known as the Norfolk Public Libraries. This makes checking out and returning books, movies, etc. so much easier. As long as you are the proud holder of a Norfolk Public Library card you can check out books at any of the 13 local
Identity in the Age of Impressionism.”
“Farm to Table” is an exploration of French art and cuisine, featuring a famed Claude Monet piece titled “The Haystack.”
Anna Besch, a local amateur artist and Philosophy professor, came to the museum with her friend, Leanne Currie-McGhee, an author and activist, to see “The Haystack.”
“I took, like, an entire class on it,” Besch said. She explained that “The Haystack” was her favorite piece of the exhibition, because of how it showcased Monet’s skill and expertise.
“Farm to Table” has a deep historical background, exploring French cuisine in the context of 19th century French society.
As explained in the museum’s description of the exhibit, food is a prevalent part of French culture that was affected by the end of the Franco-Prussian War of the 1870s.
“Farm to Table” gathers works that show the process, creation and consumption of food in the context of a country struggling to recover after a devastating war.
“Even though I’ve been coming for 25 years, there’s always something different to see,” McGhee said.
Museum senior docent Cindy White gives free public tours of the Chrysler Museum as part of her job. Because the museum is free, White gets to interact with a wide variety of visitors.
“You can bring anyone you want,” White said. “Because it’s free, and we’re open every day except for Monday.” Recently, White has been giving tours
of the “Farm to Table” exhibit, but that’s not the only new or exciting exhibit that the Chrysler Museum offers. The museum has a large permanent collection featuring sculpture and ceramic historical artifacts, as well as rotating exhibits including “Farm to Table” and Peter Bremers’ glass exhibit Ice to Water.
“It sparks conversation,” McGhee said. “A lot of really interesting conversations based on the different art we saw.” A local of the area, the ever changing exhibits of the Chrysler make it a spot she enjoys hanging out at.
A busy day spent at the Chrysler Museum should also include breaks. Luckily, the museum has a central plaza that provides a calm, peaceful atmosphere, with seats and tables that are perfect to take a load off. Besch describes the plaza as a place where she can go to work away from the distractions of her home.
“I run into cool people here,” Besch said. “It’s just so beautiful.”
In addition, the Zinnia Cafe is a delicious
spot for a meal and a chat with friends. Located near the gift shop, the cafe features both to-go and sit down options, as well as a bakery and alcoholic beverages. It serves southern American food such as the “Chrysler BLT,” which has fried green tomatoes between layers of bacon, lettuce and avocado aioli on multigrain bread. The cafe is elegant and relaxing, fitting for the peaceful museum.
And of course, an essential part of any museum visit is the gift shop and the Chrysler Museum boasts one that caters to all visitors.
“I love museum shops anyway,” White said. “But ours is exceptional because… the things that are in our shop fit the current exhibits.”
With events and tours that are open to the public, rotating exhibits that provide in depth looks at art and culture, and a calming, peaceful atmosphere that permeates the whole museum and the cafe, the Chrysler Museum is a wonderful place to explore alone or with friends.
libraries that make up the Norfolk Public Library system. You can also then return what you check out at any of the locations; it does not have to be the same library.
The library consists of five floors, each housing a specific part of the library. From fiction to nonfiction to children’s literature,
The Slover has it all. There are also many parts of the library that are slightly secluded and perfect for studying.
“Each floor of the library holds different forms of information, the higher you go up the quieter it is supposed to be, making it an ideal study spot,” Owens said.
The Slover holds so much more than only books. The library also has a large variety of media and creative studios open to Norfolk Public Library patrons. Whether you are just starting out or trying to refine your skills, there are staff to help you.
If visual arts are your thing, The Slover has a digital media lab and digital media studio. In the studio there are an array of cameras, backdrops, lights and other equipment available to patrons with valid library cards. The digital media lab has everything you need for projects like graphic designs, professional photography, animations and more.
The Maker Studio is another great place for visual artists. With a wide variety of equipment for various kinds of art, the studio could be a beneficial resource for many people. With 3-D printers, laser cutters, sewing machines and more, the opportunities are endless.
If visual arts isn’t your thing, you might enjoy the newly added Sound Studio.
According to The Slover’s website, “[t]he fourth installment in the Creative Studios, the Sound Studio joins the Design, Maker and Production Studios to inspire patrons to ‘Discover, Learn, Create, and Share.’” The Sound Studio is also open to
all patrons with a library card in good standings, but requires the completion of an orientation regarding the studio itself and some of the equipment. All studios do require a reservation and a library card. But do not worry, both are easy to obtain. Reservations are simple. All you have to do is go to The Slover’s website and navigate to the Creative Studios page. Then you simply choose the studio you would like to reserve and a calendar with availability will be shown. You add your reservation directly to the calendar. Getting a library card is equally simple. You simply need proof of Virginia residence and a valid, state-issued ID. For students from out of state, or even from other parts of Virginia, all you need is proof that you live on campus. It can be as simple as pulling up a tracking record of an Amazon purchase that was delivered to campus. Whatever your interest, The Slover Library certainly has something for everyone. Located 235 E Plume St, The Slover is a great spot for a study session, a creative project or just to find your next read.
Gabrielle Barnett|Marlin Chronicle
The “Farm to Table” exhibit, which highlights the Age of Impressionism in France through art and food.
Gabrielle Barnett|Marlin Chronicle
Claude Monet’s “The Haystack,” a featured display in the “Farm to Table” exhibit.
Gabrielle Barnett|Marlin Chronicle
The Chrysler Museum of Art is home to many interesting exhibits which include paintings, sculptures and ceramics.
Calee Lukowski|Marlin Chronicle
The beautiful stonework portion of the exterior of The Slover Library at 235 E Plume St.
Calee Lukowski|Marlin Chronicle
The interior of The Slover Library showcases a beautiful contrast of old and modern architecture. The beautiful designs of the ceilings, stairs and more offer an environment for creativity and imagination.
Calee Lukowski|Marlin Chronicle Sophomore Camryn Owens standing in the fiction section of The Slover Library filled with books of many different genres, one of the many amenities of The Slover Library.
PROFESSORS’ PICKS
“My favorite drink in Norfolk is the Dana's Tequila at Coach House on Colley Ave. Dangerously good. They are my favorite small business to support, a neighborhood spot with quality food and drink ”
Dr Gavin Pate
Batten Associate Professor of English
What’s your favorite dinner spot?
If you choose to indulge in drinks or cocktails, where is your favorite place to go?
“I recommend Orapax Restaurant and Bar in Ghent/Norfolk. They have delicious Greek and Mediterranean food at a reasonable price, and they have a nice bar area and outside seating ”
Dr Jennifer Slivka
Associate Professor of English Coordinator of Gender, Women, and Sexuality Studies
“I don't purchase coffee drinks regularly, but for a treat I like Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii at the oceanfront I enjoy the iced latte.”
Dr Jill Sturts
Batten Associate Professor of Sport and Recreation Professions Chair of Sport and Recreation Professions
Assistant Dean, Batten Honors College
What local businesses do you love to support?
Where do you like to go for coffee or tea?
“Drawing from my local neighborhood in downtown Norfolk I love Prince Books, a small, vibrant bookstore, as well as Vino Culture, a wonderful woman-owned wine shop with a fantastic selection.”
Dr Tyler Lehrer, Assistant Professor of History
“Hiking with my kids in First Landing State Park”
Dr Jeffery Toussaint
Associate Professor of Sociology/Criminal Justice
What’s your favorite weekend activity?
Circuit Social provides fun and games for all
BY KAMI WHISENHUNT kjwhisenhunt@vwu.edu
“Pew Pew,” “Bling,” “do-do-dodo-do.” The noises of arcade classics like Centipede, Pac Man, Q*Bert and Galaga can be heard at Circuit Social, a nostalgic trip back in time or an easygoing night out with retro-inspired, glowing LED lighting and fun seating. The venue is laid back, and a good hangout spot to catch up with friends.
Cory, general manager of Circuit Social, has first hand experience with how a business idea, specifically this one, can spark from simply wanting to share a passion.
“I wish I had a better story, other than the owners were passionate about video games and beer. Five or six years ago they opened up a couple establishments, one in Richmond and one here. They had the idea to combine these things, and it seems like a pretty decent combination,” Cory said.
Circuit Social creates a way to unwind and connect with others through more than just games. People can chat and tell stories while eating some shareable foods like wings, nachos or flatbread. Grabbing a drink to sip on from Circuit Social’s selfserve alcohol tap wall is also an option.
According to their website there are 48 different craft beers, ciders and wines to enjoy before, after or during gaming. Non-alcoholic beverages, like soft drinks and water, are also available and can be bought at the bar area.
Using the alcohol tap wall is a way for guests to make their experience more convenient and catered to them. They would first set up a tab at the check in desk, where they receive an activated game card. This card can be inserted into a card reader, allowing them to pour up to 32 oz at a time of their drink of choice. When they are ready for more, reactivation of the game card can be completed at the front desk. This gives a guest complete control over their drink, making it quick and simple.
Circuit Social has over 80 games available for the public to play ranging from 25 cents to a dollar per play. Money has to be added onto a game card, so it can easily be scanned at each desired game, creating a smoother time around the arcade for customers.
Olivia Ambrose, a freshman, played the driving simulation game Mario Kart.
“I haven’t been here before but me and my friend have had a great time so far, and I love how many options there are for ways to have fun,” Ambrose said. There are games to play with friends
like bowling, skeeball or air hockey. Some other categories of games offered are multiplayer, shooting, fighting, driving and pinball. Circuit Social has a few rhythmic games as well, like Dance Dance Revolution: Extreme and general manager Cory’s favorite Guitar Hero.
Circuit Social is located in downtown Norfolk among other shops and eateries, but the lively, neon lights of the place stick out in a way that screams fun. The assistant manager of Circuit Social, whose job consists mostly of making sure operations go well up front and stay on track, moved to Norfolk on a whim and said she was drawn to the business by a sign in the window and the good vibe of it.
“I actually left this job for a little bit but came back, because I just loved it so much. I think the public enjoys it. I think it could be updated, but I think it’s a good place to just kind of hang out with friends,” the assistant manager said.
The staff of the arcade and bar area were very attentive to their customers. Cory said he likes his job because of the generally positive atmosphere of the place.
“There aren’t many unhappy people, and people want to have a good time here. So it’s unlike a lot of jobs, where you can find it to be very unpleasant at times. You know, there’s obviously hard work to do here sometimes, but if you have to be doing work it’s a pretty great place to do it,” Cory said.
Circuit Social strives to create the ideal blend of chilling out while still having some friendly competition. It’s an inclusive space that can appeal to everyone.
“It’s definitely a place where people from a lot of different walks of life come in and have a good time, both adults and kids,” Cory said.
Circuit Social is restricted to patrons of drinking age after 9 p.m., but before then, anyone can come in and experience the glowy, spacious and nostalgic feel they have created for people to connect and have a great time together.
Landon Crooks|Marlin Chronicle
Calee Lukowski |Marlin Chronicle
Kami Whisenhunt |Marlin Chronicle Circuit Social offers the fun environment that is reminisent of a vintage arcade.
Kami Whisenhunt |Marlin Chronicle Some of the many arcade style games like Pac Man and Galaga at Circuit Social.
Kami Whisenhunt |Marlin Chronicle Circuit Social’s self-serve alcohol wall offers 48 different craft beers. Patrons can pour up to 32oz of their choose of beer at a time