Food Issue
THURSDAY 2.14.19 || MARLINCHRONICLE.VWU.EDU ||
VIRGINIA WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY
First Required Winter Session Food
insecurity
BY MICKELLA RAST mjrast@vwu.edu
BY FAITH AUAD fmauad@vwu.edu
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, food insecurity is the lack of consistent access to enough food for an active, healthy life. Unfortunately, according to a new study released by the U.S. Government Accountability Office, roughly 30 percent of college students face food insecurity. Commuters appear to be at the greatest risk of food insecurity. When looking at the Hampton Roads area, roughly 19 per cent of those residing in Norfolk and Portsmouth are considered to be food insecure. Those in Virginia Beach, Chesapeake and Suffolk fair slightly better at 9.9, 11.4 and 14.1 percent respectively, according to FeedingAmerica.org.
SEE HUNGRY Pg. 3 Ryan Westpfahl | Courtesy
Honors 150 course explored Washington D.C. Janurary 2019. corroborated this in his Feb. 4 nota bene that stated, “eighty-six percent of our ‘First Years’ have returned in 2019, a four percent increase from last year.” This 82 percent retention rate is a marked improvement from the contended 60 percent reported last year, although it is notable that Provost O’Rourke specifically spoke of freshmen while President Miller included all ‘First Years’ in his estimate. After a request for clarification, President Miller stated that the term
‘First Year’ describes any “first time, fulltime student” at Wesleyan, regardless of freshman status. He also said that 90 of the 350 ‘First Year’ students who arrived in Fall 2018 had already earned college credits, thus potentially advancing them to sophomore status. Transfer, evening and weekend, non-degree seeking and online enrollment students were not included in the estimates. President Miller did not address the discrepancy in data beyond this.
SEE WINTER SESSION Pg. 3
400th win for Coach Macedo BY ALEX CORTRIGHT akcortright@vwu.edu
Men’s basketball head coach Dave Macedo earned his 400th win on Dec. 8, 2018, at Roanoke College with a score of 65-56. Macedo has been head coach of the Marlins for 19 seasons, and coached his team to a National Title in 2006. “I don’t pay attention too much to that stuff, but my kids told me,” Macedo said. Macedo played college basketball at Wilkes University in Pennsylvania and started his coaching career at his alma mater before becoming a coach at Virginia Wesleyan. In his time here, Macedo has won a National Championship, five ODAC Championships, and three Final Four appearances.
Senior captain Keijon Honore is playing for Macedo for his fourth and final year. “He’s going to coach you hard, but he is the most caring person on this campus. He wants the best out of you as a person,” Honore said.
SEE MACEDO Pg. 7 Bethany Walker|Marlin Chronicle Coach Dave Macedo runs a play with Evan Tebay at practice.
Chocolate mug cake recipe Vaughn Vreeland Tasty.com |Courtesy
The 2018-19 winter session marked the first in Wesleyan’s history to require freshmen to enroll. From Jan. 3 to Jan. 25, students trekked across campus to learn about topics varying from the history of pirates (HIST 250) to disability in the media (REC 219-01). Over sixty courses were offered, including online classes. Some of the most popular courses, nominated through enrollments greater than 30 students, included “Science of Zombies” (BIO 199), “Why Harry Potter?” (HUM 261) and “Service Learning and Issues of Civic Engagement” (INST 124-01). In a previous statement to the Marlin Chronicle, Provost Timothy O’Rourke said that a mandatory winter session would “improve [freshman] academic performance, improve retention.” Improving the freshman retention rate was the driving force behind the mandatory winter session, as Provost O’Rourke said that Wesleyan lost roughly a third of its freshmen between their first and second years. “Improving or reducing that attrition has been a major goal, and I think that with a mandatory winter session, we will reduce it,” O’Rourke said. O’Rourke did not definitively state that the long gap (nearly six weeks) between fall and spring semester was the reason for the loss of freshmen, but rather that winter session was one component of a larger problem. However, Vice President for Enrollment David Waggoner said that those numbers were incorrect. President Miller later
BY CYNTHIA GRIFFIN clgriffin@vwu.edu
Ingredients for 1 mug cake 4 tablespoons flour 3 tablespoons sugar 2 tablespoons cocoa powder ½ teaspoon baking powder 3 tablespoons milk 1 tablespoon oil, vegetable or canola 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 tablespoon of chocolate hazelnut spread powdered sugar, for topping, optional Preparation 1. In a 12-ounce (375 ml) mug or larger, mix all ingredients (except the chocolate hazelnut spread) until just combined. 2. Once combined, spoon the chocolate hazelnut spread on top of the batter. 3. Microwave on high for 90 seconds to 2 minutes, watching to make sure it doesn’t spill over (depending on the size of the mug). 4. Let cool one minute before eating. Top with additional chocolate hazelnut spread and powdered sugar (optional). 5. Enjoy!
SEE MUG Pg. 5
Still eating ramen out of a cup? Review of three local ramen shops that students might enjoy:
SEE RAMENPg. 10 Tani Martinez| Marlin Chronicle
Misako
Itchran
Ramen BOLA-BOLA
2 Thursday February 14, 2019 The Marlin Chronicle marlinchronicle.vwu.edu
News
The campus responds Winter Session was made mandatory for freshman to increase Wesleyan’s freshmen retention rate, but did it work? The numbers don’t give a definitive answer, and neither does feedback from students and professors.
WINTER SESSION CONTINUED FROM PG. 1
When freshman Lara Spencer was notified of the new requirement to take a winter session course, she decided to use it as an opportunity to fulfill one of her general education requirements. She enrolled in ART 350-02: Handpainted Photos and Collages with Professor Sharon Swift, which satisfies the ‘Aesthetic’ requirement. She described the course as “fun” and “one of the most stress-free of all the classes.” Her favorite part of the class was experimenting with powdered pastels. “I would definitely recommend that art class,” Spencer said. But “bittersweet” was the word she used to describe her first winter session as a whole. “I mean, I really [liked] taking the class but it’s also kind of annoying,” Spencer said. She cited the added financial cost and early return to Wesleyan as frustrating for both herself and her parents, and added that she would most likely not be taking another winter session course. However, she did enjoy the extra activities offered, such as the movie nights and basketball games. She also agreed that the current setup – one class over three weeks – worked well. The required winter session did not affect her decision to return to Wesleyan for the spring semester. Instead, she said it was the friendly atmosphere and effort to engage students that convinced her to stay. “Wesleyan’s really the school for me,” Spencer said. Allison Churchman is only a sophomore, but she’s already well-versed in winter session. Her freshman year she enrolled in HIST 262: History of European Cities: Berlin. She enrolled in the same course this winter session and traveled to Prague. The annual course is taught by Dr. Sara Sewell. Sewell’s “walking tours” were a highlight
of the class, according to Churchman, as was Prague’s “detailed architecture.” “It’s just so pretty,” Churchman said. Churchman said her favorite site was Prague Castle. “It’s the biggest thing I’ve probably ever been in,” Churchman said. “It’s huge. You just never see anything that big.” Though Churchman said she “highly recommended” winter session and courses with Dr. Sewell, and that she would likely be returning for a winter session her junior year, she also said that she did not believe winter session was the solution to the freshman retention problem. “I don’t think a mandatory winter session is going to fix it,” Churchman said. “As someone who works on campus in a variety of positions, I don’t think it worked. I think it’s cool to have, but I don’t think it’s addressing the problem.” She also noted that it was “upsetting” that several courses were held exclusively for Batten Honors students, despite not being specifically geared for the Honors curriculum. The travel courses were the most poignant example of this. If a student is able to pay the fee and would benefit from the course content, Churchman believes that a student should be able to enroll. Churchman cited Wesleyan’s size and resources as the main draws for her and suggested emphasizing those attributes more to potential students. “It’s easier for you to get out there, it’s easier for you to make your mark on campus,” Churchman said. “There’s so many resources that are available.” She cited her relationship with Dr. Sewell as an example of the individualized experience Wesleyan can offer. “I already have such a close relationship with her, and I made that first semester of my freshman year. And you can keep [relationships like
that] over your four years… It’s so much simpler; you can connect with people easier.” Dr. Benjamin Haller taught CLAS 360: Classical Virginia during the winter session. He said that he teaches the class frequently, and that it is often popular with students. It satisfies the ‘Historical Perspectives’ general education requirement and looks at the intersection of classical narratives of exploration, political thought, literature, art and architecture in Virginia’s culture. “In past years the class has been full with a wait list even when I set a relatively high course cap of 35 or 40 students. This year, however, because of a push for more uniform course caps by School Deans, I capped the class at 20,” Haller said. In line with past experience, the class was full. Haller said his two favorite moments from the course were touring the Adam Thoroughgood House and seeing students’ non-classical Virginia projects. Regarding the former experience, he said that, “Our tour guide was phenomenal, and it was a great chance to get a glimpse into a lesser know but very well curated and wellpresented site.” Regarding the latter, he said that, “For me, these presentations are fun because I always learn fun new facts about our area and our region.” Though Haller was not able to attend any of the Cheers in Greer events, he did say that, “Some of the students mentioned attending briefly, and it sounded like a great success.” His only “minor quibble” with winter session was the quick turnover between the end of winter session, which falls on a Friday, and the beginning of the spring semester, which is the following Monday. Dr. Richard Bond taught HIST 250 Topic: History of Piracy this past winter session. The title of the class is fairly selfexplanatory, and Bond reported that the
enrollment was in line with previous years. He had several “surprising” memories that arose from one of the course’s final assignments, ‘Design a Pirate.’ “A number of people created Dutch pirates; I’ve never seen that before. There seemed to be a certain obsession with Holland, which was unusual,” Bond said. “One of my students mocked up a full 3D plastic miniature model of a pirate, so that was something I’d never seen before and was different. Oh, and a couple of my students literally sang their own sea shanties.” Unfortunately, the most memorable event came from ill-timed maintenance work rather than students. “This winter session was weird because it was clouded by the roof repair in Blocker, so we wound up having to relocate a week in just because everyone couldn’t stand being in a classroom for three and a half hours smelling tar. That is the memory that stands out the most, which was not a favorite or funny memory,” Bond said. Despite this, the students still managed to enjoy the class and Bond is planning on offering the course in future winter sessions. VWU ran a feature story on winter session as it came to a close, celebrating the “wonders of winter session” and calling it a “tremendous success.” It also formally announced the reception of the new Cheers in Greer events on Jan. 17. Director of Winter Session Dr. Deirdre Gonsalves-Jackson did not provide a comment in time for publication, but was quoted in the feature story as saying that she believed “the most unique aspect of this term is that students enroll in only one course, thereby allowing them to focus all of their energy on one topic to really master it.”
Ryan Westpfahl|Courtesy Students from Honors 150 as they traveled around Washington, D.C. for Winter Session. They had the opportunity to attend a leadership conference, attend tours of multiple government buildings.
News
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Thursday February 14, 2019 The Marlin Chronicle marlinchronicle.vwu.edu
Wesleyan waives tuition for furloughed families BY MICKELLA RAST mjrast@vwu.edu
VWU announced that tuition deposits would be waived for furloughed families in the wake of the nation’s longest government shutdown to date. In addition to this, Wesleyan has also implemented a food drive to help furloughed workers and families. Though the government has tentatively reopened for three weeks, Wesleyan has kept the waiver in effect and will continue to collect food. The food drive is a collaboration between Wesleyan Engaged: Center for Civic Leadership and Engaged Learning, VWU Athletics and Phi Kappa Tau (PKT) fraternity. “We got involved with the food drive after meeting with Brian about what we can do to start volunteering around the community,” PKT President Travis Harrington said. “We are the newest fraternity on campus, and so we wanted to start volunteering and getting involved as soon as possible, and the food drive was the perfect way to start.” “Students, faculty, our alumni and our local community have been fantastic,” Director of Wesleyan Engaged Brian Kurisky agreed. During one of the drive’s more recent weekends, they raised $30 in spare change and collected approximately 150 cans of food. More recently, the generous Board of Trustees donor Tassos Paphites donated diapers, baby wipes and food. Kurisky also reported that the drive has received donations from off-campus individuals. “The event is to raise non-perishable food for local food banks and local military families hit by the recent government shutdown. While the shut-down was resolved, the Chief Petty Officers Association of the Coast Guard has asked that we continue to raise supplies so that they can be prepared in case the government cannot reach a deal on funding,” Kurisky said. “PKT is excited with how successful our first fundraiser was, and want to do a lot more moving forward. Since we are brand new to campus, it is important to us to get involved as much as possible on campus,” Harrington said. He also added that the fraternity was planning on hosting more community events, such as partnering with a local school or organization to set pu a big brother/little brother service event. Students, staff and faculty are encouraged to donate non-perishable food items. The drive will run through Feb. 15., the same
date the temporary threeweek government opening ends. After Feb. 15., the government may remain open or shut down once again. If the latter option comes to pass, the same issues with furloughed families and funding will arise again. Prospective and current students and their families are advised to call 757.455.3208 or email the enrollment office at enrollment@vwu.edu for more information about help for furloughed families. “As the effects from the federal government’s longest shutdown in history continue to impact Coastal Virginia and the nation even after a brief, three-week reopening is promised, VWU will continue to waive tuition deposits for families that experienced federal furlough,” President Miller said in a January nota bene. The Federal News Network estimates that roughly 790,000 households have been affected by the shutdown, and that an estimated $6 billion in wages are owed to furloughed workers. The Congressional Budget Office also released a report that said the shutdown caused a $3 billion economic loss that can’t be recovered. This report and estimate did not take into account indirect effects of the shutdown. “We know this is a difficult time for many families,” Vice President for Enrollment David Waggoner said in a news brief. “This is a way we can help financially, while also ensuring that a young person’s education is not interrupted.” The shutdown has also affected construction on campus. In the same nota bene that announced the tuition waiver, President Miller revealed that construction on Oxford Village has been stalled, as the project is funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Although funding has been recovered for
Alex Powers |Marlin Chronicle the three weeks the government is open thanks to a stopgap spending bill U.S. President Donald Trump signed, the same funding problems will arise again for government agencies if another shutdown occurs. Additionally, two winter session travel courses were cancelled due to complications that arose from the shutdown. The students enrolled in “Metrology: Measurement Science,” one of the courses, were unable to travel to the National Institute of Standards and Technology in Washington, D.C., as it was closed for the duration of the shutdown. The shutdown was originally caused after President Trump and Congress failed to pass federal funding bills in late December. The most important discrepancy was centered around President Trump’s demand for $5 billion to fund a U.S. Mexico border wall. Though 75 percent of government
funding was approved in Oct., the remaining 25 percent was stalled until an agreement could be reached. The shutdown cut off spending for nine of the 15 cabinetlevel federal departments, which include the Department of Homeland Security, the Justice Department and the Transportation Department, among others. This was the longest government shutdown in U.S. history, spanning over 40 full days. Previously, a 21-day shutdown in Dec. 1995 held the record of longest shutdown, followed by a 17-day shutdown in Sept. 1978 and a 16-day shutdown in Oct. 2013. There have also been shutdowns of less than ten days in 2018, 1995, 1990, 1983 and 1982. Funding gaps were reportedly common in and before the 1970s, although the guidelines stating that funding issues should lead to a government shutdown weren’t passed until the 1980s.
One-third (still) hungry HUNGRY
CONTINUED FROM PG. 1 What exactly is food insecurity? According to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), it is the lack of consistent access to enough food for an active, healthy life. Unfortunately, according to a new study released by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) roughly 30 percent of college students face food insecurity. Commuters appear to be at the greatest risk of food insecurity. When looking at the Hampton Roads area, roughly 19 percent of those residing in Norfolk and Portsmouth are considered to be food insecure. Those in Virginia Beach, Chesapeake and Suffolk fair slightly better at 9.9, 11.4 and 14.1 percent respectively, according to FeedingAmerica.org. Senior and commuter student Brandon Jones said he worries about food “all of the time because I don’t have any free money right now.” After taking into consideration the cost of living off campus, such as gas, rent and utilities, it is easy to understand reports that state up to 55 percent of food insecure students say they are often forced to choose between buying much-needed educational supplies or eating. Vice President of Student Affairs Keith Moore stated that, fortunately, food insecurity has not been a pervasive issue on campus as it has been in other colleges
and universities. He also encouraged any students who feel food insecure or have any other issue that may affect their learning to contact him immediately. The other sixty-seven percent of VWU’s student body lives on campus and is required to purchase a meal plan. Residents have three meal plan options: the 7+ meal plan which gives students seven meals per week; the 15+ meal plan which gives students 15 meals per week; and the 150+ meal plan which gives students an average of 10 meals per week. There is some discontentment about what food is available, as sophomore Tuwan Uddin expressed. “I feel as if the food here could be improved by offering more choices, such as international food. I think overall the food is rather standard,” Uddin said. However, the amount of food received per meal swipe seems adequate. After they swipe into the caf, students may eat as much as they want. “ I feel I eat enough,” said senior Kollin Baer. The hours the caf is open is another valid concern for students with tight schedules. There is a little over two hours given for each meal. With a full course load, sports and/or other campus activities, that time frame doesn’t give students much leeway to go to the caf and sit down to eat. If those students don’t have money or the means to
find food off campus, they could become food insecure. While there are not as many studies into the adverse effects of hunger pertaining to college students as opposed to those in primary education, it is not hard to see where many of the same problems likely exist. Beyond the emotional stress of not knowing when or if they might eat, hunger affects the student’s ability to concentrate and study. The GOA report recommends that colleges and universities assist those who are food insecure in applying for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. However, according to the USDA website most able-bodied students between 18 and 49 who are enrolled full-time in college or other institutes of higher learning do not qualify, unless they meet other very specific criteria. This criteria includes working at least 20 hours a week, participating in state or federal financed work study and caring for a dependent household member under the age of six. There are several ways VWU may be able to help. One way is to offer a class that not only teaches the basics of balancing a budget, but basic life skills such as budgeting, light cooking, sewing and other skills no longer taught in high school. According to Lending Tree, only four
states require a high school stand-alone class in personal finance. It also states only 32 percent of Americans have a working budget. College is supposed to help students prepare for real life, and nothing is more important than financial health and knowing how to properly budget. Another way Wesleyan could help is to open a food pantry for students in need. The GOA’s report cited that as of Sept. 2018, at least 650 colleges and universities had opened a food pantry on their campuses. There are organizations designed to help universities not only create but also raise money for an on campus food pantry. The College and University Food Bank Alliance and the National Student Campaign Against Homelessness and Hunger are two such organizations. VWU could also offer emergency funds that students could apply for to cover unexpected emergency expenses that may interfere with the student’s ability to pay for food. According to data from the Federal Reserve Board, 40 percent of Americans would not be able to cover an unexpected expense of $400 or more. A similar report was released in 2018 by Alexa Ledari, which stated that one-third of college students suffered from food shortages and housing insecurity.
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Community
Thursday February 14, 2019 The Marlin Chronicle marlinchronicle.vwu.edu
The
MARLIN CHRONICLE Editor-in-Chief
Ethics Bowl success
Hayley Heath hrheath@vwu.edu News Editor Mickella Rast mjrast@vwu.edu Community Editor Cynthia Griffin clgriffin@vwu.edu Opinions Editor Jonathan Joyner jrjoyner@vwu Sports Editor Megan Sherman mrsherman@vwu.edu Weekender Editor Tony Tann tdtann@vwu.edu Photo Editor Bethany Walker brwalker@vwu.edu Illustrations Editor Alex Powers ampowers@vwu.edu Online Editor Nel Hart nlhart@vwu.edu Copy Editor Tara Truax tmtruax@vwu.edu Business Manager Hayley Heath hrheath@vwu.edu Advertising Manager Jasmine Demir jkdemir@vwu.edu Advisers Dr. Lisa Lyon Payne lpayne@vwu.edu John-Henry Doucette jdoucette@vwu.edu
BY NICHOLAS MUNDY namundy@vwu.edu The brightest minds of division three colleges in Virginia debated ways to tackle ethical issues in today’s society at the Ethics Bowl, an intercollegiate activity that challenges undergraduate students to outsmart each other. While debating a case study, the two teams will be scored by a panel of judges for their responses not only from the panel, but even from the other team. Each team had the opportunity to argue their points to the chosen topic. Dr. Kathy Merlock Jackson is the faculty coordinator for Virginia Wesleyan’s Ethics Bowl team. Professor Jackson has been with the Virginia Wesleyan community since 1984 and this is her seventh year in charge of the Ethics Bowl team. The team includes four members with one alternate in case one member is unable to compete. A school can bring up to five members to the Ethics Bowl. The 2018-2019 Ethics Bowl team includes seniors Brandon Foster and Joni Challenor (alternate), freshman Anitra Howard and sophomores Brianna Sandy and Alex Powers (captain). Every member volunteered to be on the Ethics Bowl team. Most of the students are recruited from other students, but some are recommended from other faculty. Having more and more students participate will help the team in further years. “For as far as students participating in Ethics Bowl, the more we have the better because you can have separate teams [for practice],” Jackson said. Participating students come from all types of
Erin Highsmith|Marlin Chronicle The ethics bowl team at the Ethical Issues and Social Justice debate demonstration held in Monumental Chapel. majors. “They tend to be not really with just one major. They tend to be across-the-board good students,” Jackson said. With the different majors from students ranging from freshmen to seniors, the points of view come from very diverse angles. The current Ethics Bowl team is made up of students majoring in social work, criminal justice, psychology, political science and mathematics. The first Ethics Bowl for VWC was in 2000 where Virginia Wesleyan College took home first place. Philosophy professor Dr. Steven Emmanuel was the first faculty coordinator. For a brief time between the two coordinators, Dr. Eric Mazur was in charge of the team. The team practices weekly and goes over the normal routine of an actual competition. In her seventh year as the faculty coordinator of the Ethics Bowl team, Jackson spoke about many of her great memories from the past years. The Ethics Bowl team last year won all of their matches. Hampden-Sydney has won five of the past seven years of competition. Every year there is a new topic for the Ethics Bowl to keep the competition fair to every university. This year’s topic is social justice. The topics that are covered are real-world problems, and the teams are tasked with creating and arguing their innovative and effective solution. Sophomore and team captain Alex Powers has been with the team for his first two years here at Virginia Wesleyan. How did the team captain choose to be on the ethics bowl team?
“Bri [Brianna Sandy] told me about it. I had been a part of debate in high school, and I wanted to continue that,” Powers said. Over half this year’s team is underclassmen. “We’re all young and inexperienced relative to years past. With that we bring a fresh, diverse perspective. Over the next few years we should grow as a team together,” Powers said. The team will continue to gain experience with three underclassmen. The competition from other schools that give very different points of view is a sight to see. “There is no right or wrong answer. The responses are not heavily based on jargon. You don’t have to a philosopher to participate. Harry Truman once said, ‘The only thing about ethics I need to know is to tell the truth and the golden rule’,” Jackson said. Jackson greatly enjoys advising and coaching the Ethic Bowl team. “My best memory was when last year we won all of our matches,” Jackson said. Following the Ethics Bowl competition, the Virginia Wesleyan Ethics Bowl team won all four of its rounds for the second week in a row. The team members went up against Emory & Henry, Roanoke College Team 2, Sweet Briar College and Shenandoah University to become winners of the Cardinal Division. Washington and Lee won the final round of the competitions but Virginia Wesleyan put up a strong fight and was awarded runner-up.
Morgan Boyd Music major
BY CYNTHIA GRIFFIN clgriffin@vwu.edu
The Marlin Chronicle is the official student newspaper of Virginia Wesleyan University. Staff meetings are held every Tuesday at 5:40 p.m. in Batten 217. Signed submissions are welcome, but subject to the discretion of the editor. Letters are not edited for content, but may be edited for length and mechanics. The views and opinions expressed in this newspaper may not necessarily reflect the views of the entire staff of The Marlin Chronicle or Virginia Wesleyan University. The Marlin Chronicle Virginia Wesleyan University 5817 Wesleyan Drive Virginia Beach, VA 23455 757.455.3311
“As a former collegiate student newspaper editor, professional journalist and long-time advisor for the Society of Collegiate Journalists, I understand the role and value of student media at a liberal arts institution. Virginia Wesleyan University proudly supports the editorial independence and press freedom of student-edited publications. We believe that student editors have the authority to make all content decisions and consequently, assume full responsibility for decisions they make.” --Scott D. Miller, Ph.D President
Q: Why did you choose to come to Virginia Wesleyan? A: I always laugh when I think of this question. One because I never know how to answer and two because I laugh at myself every time because I never know how to answer. So here is me trying. I came to choose VWU (when it was VWC) because I heard there was going to be a new music director entering which I thought had a lot of opportunity and promise. As well as, my sister was still at the school and my brother, who also went here. Q: What is one of your favorite memories that you have made while at Virginia Wesleyan? A: While being here, I’ve had the opportunity to make fantastic long lasting memories from the things that I’ve done and the people I’ve surrounded myself with and I give all the thanks of those memories to the people from the Music Department, Comm Department, Marlin Ministries, and YoungLife.
Morgan Boyd|Courtesy
Freshman
Q: If you could change one thing about your college experience what would it be? A: I think if I could change one thing about my college experience, I would have loved to go on more adventures, with the university or the friends I have made. But it is still never too late! Q: What piece of advice would you give to your freshman self? A: I would tell my freshman self to not to worry about the years to come, whether in school or after, God has it all in control and it’s going to be trying, but awesome! Q: How do you think you have changed during the four years that you have been at Wesleyan? A: Looking at myself from freshman year to now, I feel that I’ve grown. Not just scholarly, but spiritually and personally. I’m not just the young girl coming into college naive to what was to come. From freshman year of enjoying college a little too much. To sophomore year of accepting the Lord and growing her own faith and feeling stuck because you are neither an underclassman or upperclassman. To junior year of preparing (freaking out mostly) to launch myself into senior year. And now it’s senior and I’m here and preparing for the next step, but loving every moment that I get to spend with awesome people and experiences. Q: What is one thing that you will miss about the school after you graduate? A: I will miss the people that I’ve gotten to know, for sure!
Morgan Boyd|Courtesy
Senior
The Marlin Chronicle | marlinchronicle.vwu.edu
Thursday, February 14, 2019
CAMPUS countdown February 19th GEICO Presents: Resumes, Cover Letters and LinkedIn Time: 11 a.m. Location: The Lighthouse
Regional college recruiters from GEICO will be on campus to present on the best career practices concerning resumes, cover letters, and LinkedIn profile. For more information contact careerdevelopment@vwu.
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MUG CONTINUED FROM FRONT
Savory recipes Egg Mugmuffin
Pepperoni Pizza
February 19th Story of Self Advocacy Training Time: 4 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. Location: Social Science Lab in Allen Village
The Women’s Resource Center and Planned Parenthood Advocates of Virginia will teach students how to use their story as a tool for social change! For more info, contact Dr. Jennifer Slivka at wrc@vwu. edu.
Gemma Stafford|Gemma’s Bigger Bolder Baking
February 21st Let Heaven and Nature Sing Series - An exploration of the nature of sound
Time: 11 a.m. Location: Fine Arts Room 9 Dr. Katrina Henry, VWU Assistant Professor of Physics, and Henry Faivre, Registered Piano Technician, explain and demonstrate the physics of sound through strings, bars, salt and the inner workings of the harpsichord, upright and grand pianos
February 28th Career and Internship Fair
Time: 11 a.m. Location: CMAC Students in all majors are invited to stop by to talk with employers about parttime employment, full-time employment, and internship opportunities at the Career and Internship. For more information, contact the CDIP staff at 757.455.3107 or careerdevelopment@vwu. edu.
CRIME BLOTTER
Courtesy|Thinkstock February 7 9:30 a.m. |Larceny/Theft Greer Environmental Sciences Center Adapter Stolen February 9 10:00 p.m.|Larceny/Theft Off Campus iPhone stolen February 10 1:55 a.m. |Liquor Law Violation Gatehouse No description
Ingredients • 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour • ¼ teaspoon baking powder • ⅛ teaspoon baking soda* • ⅛ teaspoon salt • 2 tablespoons milk • 2 teaspoons vegetable oil or melted butter • 2 tablespoons egg • 1 tablespoon grated cheddar cheese • 1 tablespoon scallions, chopped • 1 small egg Instructions 1. In a large microwave-safe mug mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt with a fork. 2. Add in the milk, oil, egg, cheese and scallions and mix together until just combined. 3. Make a well in the center of the batter with a spoon and crack in your egg into the center. 4. Spoon the batter from the sides over the top of the egg. It’s a little tricky, but you’ll get it. 5. Place in the microwave and cook for 50 seconds1 minute 10 seconds. You will know when it is cooked because it will be firm to the touch on top. (Cooking time is based on my 1200W microwave so your timing might vary.) Always keep a close eye on your mug while in the microwave so it doesn’t overflow or overcook. Enjoy while warm.
Justine Howell| The Typical Mom
Ingredients • 1 refrigerated biscuit (we used Grands size) • 2 tablespoon spaghetti sauce • 3 tablespoon mozzarella cheese, shredded • pizza toppings Instructions 1. First make sure to spray the inside of your mug with non-stick spray. 2. Then lay a Grands (large) refrigerated biscuit at the bottom. 3. Microwave for 30 seconds. 4. Spoon 2 tsp. of spaghetti sauce in the middle of your partially cooked biscuit. 5. Sprinkle some cheese over that. 6. Add your toppings. 7. Microwave for 1 minute.
Valentine’s Day word search
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Opinions
Thursday February 14, 2019 The Marlin Chronicle marlinchronicle.vwu.edu
The people have spoken
70%
30%
Recently, a poll was taken on Twitter and Instagram by the Marlin Chronicle to gauge whether people like Cookout’s Original Fries or their Cajun Fries more. Now, the people have spoken. Cajun Fries won a whopping 70% of the votes. Check out our Twitter @MarlinChronicle and our Instagram @marlinchronicle for more polls.
Stressing the stressed
BY JONATHAN JOYNER jrjoyner@vwu.edu
As the university continues to evolve, so do its policies and systems. One of the more recent changes to Virginia Wesleyan was the addition of a new general studies system that seems to rely heavily on preparing underclassmen early on for the difficult classes of later years. The new general studies system brings with it many positives and one very interesting negative: the requirement that freshmen take Winter Session courses during their first year. Of all Virginia Wesleyan’s bright ideas, this one is by far the most intriguing and I am very curious to understand why they thought this was a good idea. It would have been one thing to require incoming classes to take a winter session at some point during their time here, but to require it for their first year makes no sense. Honestly, it seems a little unfair to the freshmen because they are deprived of their first major break. Winter break, if you do not take winter session, is six weeks in total and most freshmen probably want to go home. Now I know I cannot speak for all freshmen, but I remember during my first year, I could not wait to go home to enjoy a six-week break. The biggest issue with this new policy is the financial strain it puts on freshman’s families. Affording the usual fall and spring terms is challenging enough, but adding almost another $1000 makes it that much more difficult. Virginia Wesleyan University is a school that is well-known
for its high tuition rates. I am sure the powers will probably find some way to justify the high costs of academics here
dropping out or transferring due to the Winter Session requirement and the financial strain it puts on the students’
Alex Powers|Marlin Chronicle at VWU, but that does not mean we, the students, must accept it. I have heard many stories already in the last month and a half about freshmen
accounts. With this new policy, we run the risk of severely harming our yearly retention rates. I have also heard that the freshmen were not made completely
aware of this new policy until the summertime, after they applied and were accepted. It is important that we make incoming students aware of such requirements. Some people probably believe that the incoming students should make themselves aware of such policies by researching new policies and requirements thoroughly. However, the stress of starting college normally makes the freshmen forget about researching such things. Just recently, I was informed that apparently Virginia Wesleyan required winter session many years ago, but the policy was eventually changed. The big rumor going around right now is that the administration brought back the policy as a means to improve Virginia Wesleyan’s retention numbers. To me, this reasoning is counter-productive and makes no sense. Between the financial strain it puts on freshmen and the loss of their first major break, what is to be gained by this policy? Virginia Wesleyan University is a place that I, myself, have come to love during the last few years. I understand that the school will change as it enters it future, but I believe we should consider reviewing our academic policies. If not that, then we at least need to keep the students as well as any incoming students updated on policy changes or additions so they can plan accordingly. Being a college student is stressful enough without odd academic requirements.
Before loving someone else
BY DOUG HARDMAN ddhardman@vwu.edu
A tale as old as time, popularized by RuPaul, the saying is: “if you can’t love yourself, how in the hell you gonna love somebody else?” And while it’s easy to shout this mantra in unison and declare self-love, the journey to reach a truer state of love and acceptance is far more grueling, but certainly obtainable. As a person who “suffers” from clinical depression and anxiety, the idea of selflove is kind of a fairytale, but a really dark one where the villains win and the heroes are bloodied and beaten down. In my mind, self-love means that I have to give the love I bestow unto others to myself and that’s selfish. When you have people in your life that you would do anything for, lay your life on the line for, caring about them is far more important than caring about yourself. The depression tells you, “you’re not good enough to be loved, so you won’t get it from them and you definitely won’t get it from yourself because you are garbage,” and the anxiety tells you, “they’ll only stick around if you shower with them with so much love and affection so make sure you give it all to them.” It’s a really vicious mindset, and you know it’s not logical, but you can’t fix it (or it’s really hard to fix). Even if you don’t suffer from a mental illness, the idea of self-love can be very convoluted. All over the social network, there’s preaches of bath bombs and face masks and bubble baths, all with “#SelfCare #SelfLove” captioned underneath. Of course, personal hygiene and maintenance are extremely important for healthy living. I think that it’s easier to get in our heads that there’s an easy
solution and it’s obtainable. The idea of taking an hour long bath with candles lit and a glass of wine and feeling so refreshed and rejuvenated afterwards is an easily grasped concept. And trust me, I’ve done this and I always feel great afterwards, but it’s a temporary high. Are you going to take these baths every day? That’s a lot of
dedication. You’re literally going to have to change the way you think about yourself on a daily basis. Some baby steps to start this process is by going to the mirror every morning and having a small pep talk with yourself. Tell yourself you deserve to have a great day and that you’re going to have one. You’re totally in
money control on bubbles of who you and bubbly for are, what you allow Alex Powers|Marlin Chronicle an everyday yourself to feel, occurrence, even and the way you if you have the luxury of having the perceive yourself. It just takes a little flexibility of scheduling an hour of “me patience and a little time. The easiest way time.” My point is, it takes a lot more than to start yourself on a new journey or path just an Instagram fix to get to the root of in life is literally just taking the first step the real problem. and committing to taking more steps; It’s always easy to tell other people goals are achieved by actions. to love themselves, because the best Some other great things to do to help advice to give is the one you can’t follow build yourself up is being honest with yourself. Self-love takes tremendous yourself: what’s going on in your life, mental re-evaluation and lots of time. what’s helpful and what’s hurtful, what It’s easy to say, “I’m going to wake up do you need to do to make the situation and love myself more,” but it requires better. Recently, I made a decision that
impacted a huge part of my social life and a really good friendship because it was becoming toxic to myself. I still wish to maintain that friendship and keep social outings a part of my routine, but I took a step back and realized what was affecting my life in a “negative” way. I wasn’t taking care of myself and, instead, was keeping the needs of other people as my priority. By far the hardest thing I have done in the pursuit of self-love is tell a friend that I cared too much about them so much to the point that I wasn’t taking care of myself. I miss this person dearly (we went from talking every day to once or twice a week, a decision I made) but I recognized what I needed to do for myself and I took action. It’s still tough to this day, and I just hope that my friend realizes the advancements I’m making for myself and we can continue this friendship once I am a better version of myself. February is branded as a month of love, so I encourage each and every one to please love yourself. Whatever you may be going through, whatever you may think about yourself, you are worthy of love, you are allowed to love yourself. And I am beginning to love myself more and more as I am honest with myself and recognizing my needs. Selfish feels like such a negative word these days, but be selfish. You are not a bad person for thinking of yourself and taking care of yourself. I know these are the words I need to hear, and I hope they are helpful to you as well.
The Marlin Chronicle | marlinchronicle.vwu.edu
Thursday, February 14, 2019
Macedo
AT A GLANCE
CONTINUED FROM PG. 1 Freshman Evan Tebay said that Coach Macedo’s coaching style is tough-love but, “he always lets you know he cares about you.” After playing Roanoke, who was the preseason favorite to win the conference, Tebay found out from assistant coach,
Nick Doyle that it was the 400th win. Tebay approached Macedo and said, “Congrats on the 400.” Macedo then told Tebay to get on the bus. “He doesn’t celebrate himself; he’s definitely a humble guy,” Tebay said. Coach Macedo attributes the result of the 400 wins not to himself, but the
coaching staff as a whole over the years along with the many talented players that have come through the program. With only one game left in the regular season, the team needs to “finish out the right way, the Marlin way,” Macedo said.
Women’s Basketball takes Puerto Rico
Erin Highsmith|Marlin Chronicle The team participating in a community service event at the Boys & Girls Club of Puerto Rico. BY ALEX CORTRIGHT akcortright@vwu.edu
The women’s basketball team traveled to Puerto Rico this past December for their Nancy A. Kelly ‘15 Memorial Trip. Not only was this a business trip, but the team toured the streets of San Juan, went night kayaking and enjoyed team bonding with each other on the Caribbean island of Puerto Rico. This trip has been a tradition for the women’s team, but due to budgets they have not been able to go in a few years. Now, the trip will occur every four years. The Paphites family built a fund as a memorial for former player, Nancy Kelly, who passed away in April 2017. Their daughter, Andrea Paphites, was a teammate of Kelly and both of them were integral parts to the team’s 2015 ODAC Championship. Everyone on the team received the chance to go on this trip. They flew out on Dec. 17 around 6 a.m. and returned late at night on Dec. 21. The team played at Coliseo Ruben Zayas Montañez, Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico. The two teams in the tournament that Virginia Wesleyan played were Hanover College from Hanover, Ind, and the University of Mary Washington from Fredericksburg,
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Va. In the first game against Hanover, the Marlins outlasted the Panthers in an overtime battle, which they sealed with a score of 75-73. To send the game to overtime, senior Jaelyn Washington sunk two clutch free throws. These two points from the foul line gave Washington her career-high in scoring with 11, while senior Jayla Harris led scoring with 24 points, and senior Amanda Gerni followed behind with 19 points. “What I love about this team is the fight,” sophomore Sabrina Jones said. In the second game of the tournament, the Marlins fell to Mary Washington with a score of 63-41. Although a close game during the first half, the Mary Washington offense displayed its versatility and pulled away from the Marlins. According to Jones, the team’s main focus was basketball, but afterwards they enjoyed their time relaxing. She also stated that she got to try new things with her teammates on this trip such as night kayaking. Jones is a transfer student from Eastern Mennonite University who came to Virginia Wesleyan this year after having
a rough start to her college career at EMU. Jones said that Puerto Rico was “... beautiful. Beautiful beaches and beautiful people.” Senior Ceci Billings had an extended vacation with her family in Puerto Rico as they stayed longer when the team headed back home. They stayed at the Berwind Beach Resort in Herreras, Puerto Rico. They got to see different parts of the land by ziplining through the rainforest, walking around Old San Juan and even just relaxing by the pool. Billings’ favorite memory from her trip was a team dinner they had at Plato’s, which served traditional Puerto Rican-style food. “It was a time we were all together and enjoying ourselves, a relaxed environment after the games,” Billings said. The team, now back in America, has one game left before the ODAC Tournament. With a team bonding experience such as traveling to Puerto Rico under their belt, team chemistry can bring success for the team in the postseason.
In a Lane of her own BY JOSH GRAY jagray@vwu.edu
Whether it’s breaking records or propelling the team to a win, freshman track runner Jaylyn Lane is a force to be reckoned with. Although she is only a freshman, her confidence and leadership would strike some to infer that she was a senior. Lane currently sits at the top of the Old Dominion Athletic Conference for the long jump and the triple jump. In the long jump she leapt 5.24 meters at the CNU Holiday Open, and then in the triple jump she earned a mark of 11.04 meters at the Captains Invitational. In addition to her jumping success, she also is currently fifth in the ODAC standings for the 200-meter with a time of 26.80 from the Christopher Newport University Holiday Open. Track is something that Lane has an unbelievable love for and it shows in her results on the track. “I honestly just like running because it makes me feel free, and I like competing so that competition makes me feel good, especially when I perform well because of my training. I’ve been doing it since I was about 9 now, so it’s pretty natural,” Lane said. Starting at a young age has helped Lane grow naturally as a runner and become accustomed to it as if it were second nature. In addition to her feeling of freedom and Sports Information|Courtesy love for the sport, her passion has yielded Jaylyn Lane topping the ODAC marks positive results. in the long jump and triple jump at the Lane’s teammates are in full support of her CNU Holiday Open. and are unbelievably proud of the things she has accomplished so far this season. Lane’s
passion for the sport and willingness to leave it all out there in every meet has helped give the women’s track team a plethora of success this season. With her teammates in her corner, Lane feels as if they contribute tremendously to her success. Although she may not currently be running, her teammates have had her back the entire time and supported her. “I give my teammates a lot of credit because having your teammates there makes it that much better and easier. I also like to see them able to compete and do well too and it gives me a chance to encourage them,” Lane said. Senior Alizae Dollins is a veteran runner who holds school records herself and sees the potential in Lane. “It is a pleasure to be Jaylyn’s teammate, as one of the captains of the team I take it as my duty to connect to each of my teammates on a personal level. Jaylyn scores in every single one of her events. She is our strongest leg on our relays and always competes at a high level,” Dollins said. The women’s track team is coming up on the ODAC tournament on Feb. 24 and hope to see Lane right there with them. Lane’s dominant first season as a Marlin thus far has proven that she will be a staple for the track and field program. Already breaking records as a freshman, Lane has the potential to be a pivotal piece to the success of the team in years to come.
W. Basketball Feb. 16 @ Randolph* 2:00 P.M. M. Basketball Feb. 16 @ Ferrum* 2:00 P.M. Swimming Feb. 15-17 @ Greensboro, N.C. ODACs 10:00 A.M. Track and Field Feb. 24 @ Roanoke ODACs Softball Feb. 16 @ Meredith 1:00 P.M., 3:00 P.M. Feb. 19 @ N.C. Wesleyan 2:00 P.M., 4:00 P.M. Feb. 23 vs. Susquehanna 1:00 P.M., 3:00 P.M. Baseball Feb. 15 @ LaGrange 7:00 P.M. Feb. 16 @ LaGrange 2:00 P.M. Feb. 17 @ LaGrange 2:00 P.M. Feb. 20 @ CNU 2:00 P.M. M. Lacrosse Feb. 16 vs. Greensboro 1:00 P.M. Feb. 23 @ Methodist 12:00 P.M. W. Lacrosse Feb. 17 vs. Meredith 2:00 P.M. Feb. 21 vs. Marymount 4:00 P.M. M. Tennis Feb. 15 @ Methodist 3:00 P.M. Feb. 23 @ Salisbury 10:00 A.M. vs. Goucher @ Salisbury 6:00 P.M.
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Sports
Thursday February 14, 2019 The Marlin Chronicle marlinchronicle.vwu.edu
Men’s throwers topping ODAC BY JOSH GRAY jagray@vwu.edu
When it comes to track and field, shotput and weight throw are two events that tend to be overlooked. However, throwers Coby Cockrell and Quentin Webert have made their presence known as they top the ODAC in the weight throw. The success of the men’s track team, and specifically the shot-put and weight throw events, put these two on the map: Cockrell in his freshman season and Webert in his sophomore season. Cockrell currently sits in first place in the ODAC for the weight throw with a mark of 15.06 meters at the Vince Brown Invitational. In addition to that, he also sits in second place for the shot put, with a mark of 13.88 meters at the 2019 Collegeville Classic. Freshman leadership can be a rarity amongst many teams but Cockrell has
stepped up to the plate. He has embraced his teammates and his optimistic mindset has the team steamrolling. “It takes a lot on all of us to be where we are if we look at it in terms of the team as a whole, but I think that when we all just go out and try to be better than the day before, that’s when we shine as a team,” Cockrell said. The understanding of his teammates and seeing the potential of the overall team has Cockrell at the top of the ropes. Cockrell also goes a step further and even breaks two records but still insists on involving his teammates. “I’ve broken the weight record, and indoor shot-put record, honestly I believe the team as a whole comes down to all the talent and drive. For example, in the weight throw me and Quinton have been trading
the record back and forth driving it up and up. I don’t believe it would be where it is without the competition amongst the team,” Cockrell said. Cockrell’s teammate Webert is another pound for pound guy who gets it done in every match. Webert currently sits in second, only behind Cockrell, in the weight throw with a throw of 14.76 meters at the Captains Invitational. The young core of the men’s track shotput and weight throw team is shining and blossoming and appears to be a dominant force for years to come. The talent and internal competitiveness within the team keeps them humbled and wanting to get better every single day. Sabrina Dollins| Courtesy Coby Cockrell throwing the shot put at the Collegeville Classic.
Eating habits of Virginia Wesleyan athletes BY MEGAN SHERMAN mrsherman@vwu.edu
A full class schedule, workouts, work and then still practice in the evening is about as demanding as a full-time job, if not moreso. The schedule of a studentathlete can be grueling, and running out of fuel is not a far-fetched concept or concern. In order to prevent burning out, what student-athletes nourish their bodies with is imperative for a successful game or event, and a large portion of this success stems from their eating habits before and after the event. According to Virginia Wesleyan athletic trainer Jessica Young, some form of a pregame meal is important for all athletes to have, regardless of their specific sport. “For our distance runners a little bit more carbohydrates, not as many proteins, still some proteins though. For something such as softball, they’re a little bit more power so a little more protein and carbs,” Young said. Young also said that athletes should be eating two to three hours before the event, and three hours for those who feel as if
two hours before is cutting it too close to gametime. Sophomore field hockey player Jenna Whitener expressed her reluctance to eating right before a game. Since field hockey is such a fast pace-sport with a lot of movement and running, Whitener prefers eating sooner rather than later before a game. “If it’s home I will usually go to the caf and get two fried eggs and fruit or something, and if it’s away we usually have hotel continental breakfast which varies from place to place, but I usually try to get some type of carb,” Whitener said. Men’s lacrosse is another high-intensity sport that requires adequate prior fueling. Sophomore Bobby Mazingo takes his pregame meal seriously in order to ensure he can perform for a long period of game time. “I like higher protein, so not a lot of dairy, no milk, ice cream, or anything that will sit bad in my stomach. A lot of vegetables is perfect for me, chicken
breast, green beans, broccoli, something like that, and a lot of water,” Mazingo said. Regardless of the type of sport an athlete plays, putting some nutrients into their body beforehand is crucial. Whether it’s more of an up and down sport with lots of running such as soccer, basketball or lacrosse, or more of a power-based sport such as baseball, softball or throwing, these athletes should always incorporate carbohydrates and proteins in their meals. Just as nourishment is important for before the game, the post-game meal is important for recovery. It can be challenging to find good options for a postgame meal while on the road at an away game, but women’s basketball head coach Stephany Dunmyer explained an option that the team frequently enjoys. “Fruitions is my favorite place. It’s in Salem, Va. close to Roanoke College and it’s got wraps and smoothies and it’s awesome. It was also the go-to during the tournament and if we get back to the ODAC tournament we’ll eat there a lot,”
Dunmyer said. Another team that has found success in their post-game meals on the road is women’s soccer. Head coach Jeff Bowers said that the team typically has a parent bring food for the entire team, and that they typically do not have to stop for food on the way back from a game. Bowers also said that before a game they are likely to do a sandwich place, a food option that is not too heavy and still provides the athletes with carbohydrates and proteins. Eating habits in college can be hard enough to keep up with as it is, but throwing in the need for fueling and nourishment for a practice or game makes it all the more challenging. Student-athletes must take the extra step to caring for their bodies and paying attention to what they put in them. The most successful teams do not just work hard on the court or field, their nutritional habits can be the difference between a good team and a great team.
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THE EAVESDROPPING APPLE
Alex Powers | Marlin Chronicle BY ASHLLEE SPURLOCK adspurlock@vwu.edu
A new bug was introduced to iPhone users in the latest update of iOS 12.1.4 on Feb 7. Apple disabled its Group FaceTime feature after many users, including students on the VWU campus, reported that iPhone users could listen in on conversations without them picking up the call or know they were being monitored. Freshman Christine Zalameda said she was freaked out by this bug, but said “Even though this is happening, I will probably continue my use of the app because Snapchat’s video chat uses too much battery.” According to the Washington Post on Jan 29, if someone does not immediately pick up their FaceTime call, swipe up on the FaceTime screen and hit “Add Person.” Type in your own phone number or Apple ID. This would allow a FaceTime group and connect the two calls, now you can listen in on whatever is happening on the line you FaceTimed without them picking up the call or knowing they’re being monitored. For them, it would just look like you’re trying to FaceTime them. Strangely, there is no indication that you can hear then unless you make noise then of course they can hear you. Even worse, if the person you’re FaceTiming hits
the power button, it rejects your call after you created the group and you can then possibly receive a live shot Mikayla White said, “I personally tried the FaceTime bug just to see if it works and to be slightly nosey. Unfortunately, it did not work for me and nothing happened. I did not see or hear anything worth while.” Apple released a statement apologizing for the major bug , “We have fixed the Group FaceTime security bug on Apple’s servers and we will issue a software update to re-enable the feature for users next week….We sincerely apologize to our customers who were affected and all who were concerned about this security issue. We appreciate everyone’s patience as we complete this process….We take the security of our products extremely seriously and we are committed to continuing to earn the trust Apple customers place in us.” For students who were unaware of the bug, they were not frightened or shocked by the news. Senior Jake Stokke said, “I was unaware that there was a FaceTime bug, however, it did not surprise me. Corporate greed has been increasing and as such, consumer privacy has been ignored more and more.” Clearly the greatest advantage to FaceTime is that
it is a fun and convenient way of keeping in touch with family, friends and loved ones all over the world. For our fellow Marlins, during the face -to-face conversations over FaceTime, it is easier to share photos over the holidays , sports and college life. Sometimes we miss our mom’s face, and that’s what FaceTime is for. “I use it because I prefer to talk face-to-face and FaceTime helps with that. It’s important because it’s a way for individuals to stay connected, that’s why this bug is such a disappointment,” senior Allisa Millosa said. As of late Thursday, Feb. 7, Apple released IOS 12.1.4 which is supposed to fix the glitch in the FaceTime bug . According to CNN , while investigating the bug, Apple discovered another security issue involving Live Photos on FaceTime. Apple did not specify what the bug was or how it worked, but the new updates fixed that issue. Apple disabled the use of LivePhotos on FaceTime on devices that have not yet been updated.
KINGDOM CLOSE BY TONY TANN tdtann@vwu.edu
Weekender Editor Tony Tann Reviews Kingdom Hearts 3
It’s been over thirteen years since we last saw a mainline entry in the Kingdom Hearts series. Since Kingdom Hearts 2, video games have evolved massively, breaking barriers both in terms of gameplay and storytelling. In some ways, the long-awaited Kingdom Hearts III falls just shy of modern gaming standards, suffering from some of the same drawbacks as the games that came before it. However, the game brings to light some successful improvements as well and ultimately is an captivating, jaw-droppingly pretty, fitting follow-up whose strengths far outweigh its weaknesses. While Kingdom Heart III’s ambition works well with its visuals, it can get a bit convoluted when applied to its combat. There are so many things going on as well as mechanics you have to keep track of, that it can be a doozy to familiarize yourself with everything at first. These include “Flowmotion” movement (by far the most challenging of them all), timed inputs, regular melee, magic switching, link attacks, Keyblade form changes and everything in between. It’s easy to get confused and lose track of the action, especially when you’ve got a cornucopia of colors and other stimulus competing on the screen as well as use something you weren’t planning on using until later and effectively wasting it. It is also quite a bummer that you cannot map buttons. After playing so many games where the X button is jump it’s hard to get back into KH where X is your main attack button. Even when you get a hang of the mechanics, however, there’s still what I consider the biggest issue with the game’s combat: its lack of precision. This especially can be a problem when fighting multiple foes on tiered surfaces where you can fall. It feels great when things are working the way you want to and you’re hitting exactly what you want to hit and heading where you want to go. Sometimes though locking-on to an airborne enemy and landing an attack causes it to fly off the edge and Sora ends up falling several levels below after you dispatch it. This happens mainly after activating a special attack, only to have the attack time out as Sora tries to return to get back up to the mob he was originally fighting. Interestingly, a refreshing new part of combat are the shooting mechanics or sequences. Stuff like the Blaster Blaze shooting cart special, the Big Magic Mountain special attack and the Panzer Dragoon-esque sequence
Inc., Big Hero 6 and Pirates universes are absolutely stunning. The worlds feel alive and thriving, some being mini sequels to their respective films, some going in a standalone route. A player could spend countless hours after the game in these areas. The Pirates of the Caribbean level specifically is a world within a world where Sora actually becomes a pirate and helms his own ship, complete with daring ship battles on top of full islands to explore and find treasure. However, not all universes are created equal. Frozen world Arendelle is mostly a wasteland feeling more linear than most worlds. Also, finding pieces of Olaf to put together was repetitive and plain which sort of matches with the boring world it’s in. A full performance of “Let It Go” in the middle of the level gives everyone the perfect time to go to the bathroom and grab a snack while Elsa continues to sing the entire song word-for-word. However, Donald Duck has one of the funniest lines in the game on this level. Corona, the Tangled environment, is too reminiscent of past forest motifs in the series and never manages to top them, while barely producing a beautiful kingdom mid-point that we spend almost no time in. Like Frozen, it also retraces the steps of the film far too closely, an odd choice that concurrently spoils the story for folks who haven’t seen it and spawns yawns for those who have (or never wanted to in the first place). It sounds damning, but those two worlds (which have their moments) are really the only lows. Kingdom Hearts III may be a hack and slash, with a few RPG elements sprinkled in, but at its heart, it’s a Alex Powers | Marlin Chronicle weird adventure like nothing that you’ve ever played, except perhaps the other Kingdom Hearts Games. It makes no sense sometimes, but once you’re in the during the Pirates of the Caribbean segment of the game break up the humdrum of hack and slashing. Even the groove things start to get into focus. It truly puts a bow on Gummi Ship shooting portions, which combine mechanics the ending of Sora’s story. When the game is over, you’re from Star Fox, Galaga and a few other games are fun to left with a strange feeling of completion and melancholy, play. Gummi ship levels used to be the bane of a KH and that should be proof enough that you’ve experienced players existence. These now feel simple and to the point, something worthwhile for years to come. and easy to cut loose without having to worry about a lack RATING: of precision or flying off the edge. Like the combat or not, Square Enix more than makes up for it in the building and recreation of fresh and new disney worlds. Hercules’ dwelling, Olympus (the first world) and Classic Traverse Town are a nostalgia trip to worlds from games before. The Toy Story, Monsters
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14, 2019
SLURRRRRRRRRP! Staff Writer Tani Martinez Explores The Hampton Roads Ramen Scene
BY TANI MARTINEZ eamartinez@vwu.edu
The microwavable pasta that college students identify as ramen is vastly different from the real thing. College ramen is instantly made in the microwave from a dried brick of pasta and a flavor packet. Step outside that dorm room into the Hampton Roads area and you will discover a totally different experience of ramen. Ramen is a Japanese adaptation of Chinese wheat noodles that usually comes with some type of meat- or fish-based broth mixed with either miso or soy sauce, and topped with menma (sun dried bamboo), nori (seaweed) and scallions. There are 13 ramen shops in the Hampton Roads area, one of which is Ramen Boba Bola, right off of Lynnhaven Pkwy. Ramen Boba Bola serves ramen and boba teas. Ranging from House Milk Tea to Mango Funtime boba tea, there are eight different flavors to choose from. The ramen comes with fish cakes (also called Naruto), hard boiled eggs, beanstocks, corn, nori, and green scallions. An order of boba tea and Tonkotsu Shoyu Ramen with pork comes out to $14. Ichran Ramen is another ramen shop close to VWU campus, near the Arby’s on Military Hwy. Their ramen bowls range from Milk-Based Ramen, which comes with spicy oil and butter coupled with the traditional toppings, to Katsu Chicken Ramen, which is topped with fried boneless chicken. Ichran Ramen offers the option to pay an additional $1 for extra noodles, eggs, katsu chicken, chashu pork, or even squid. For a ramen bowl, the starting price is $12. Misako is right on Shore Dr. The walls of this shop are adorned with anime posters with the likes of “Attack on Titan,” “Your Name,” “Dragonball Z,” and “Naruto” (not to be confused with the fish cake topping). The ramen choices are unique due to their weekly specials. One weekly special was kimchi ramen, served with shrimp, cheese, fish cakes, kimchi, and the obligatory Chinese wheat noodles. They not only specialize in ramen, but also other East Asian cuisine staples like sushi, as well as traditional Japanese dishes like gyoza and tempura. Don’t just continue to think of ramen as dried noodles you stick in the microwave when there’s nothing to eat at the caf.
The results are in from the
Ramen Poll on Twitter! Wanna join in? Follow us @ marlinChronicle
THE MARLIN UNDERTOW / By Tony Tann GO TO THIS: Shred Your Ex at Hooters: This is for those single people on Valentine’s Day. Don’t sit around the house and be miserable thinking about old times and end up sending a “wyd” text to an ex. Instead, bring a photo of your ex into Hooters on Valentine’s Day and shred it in order to get five free wings when you buy 10. Ashamed of that previous flame? You can answer a small questionnaire online at hooters.com and come in to get your free wings as the free wings are dine-in only at participating restaurants.
PLAY THIS: Kingdom Hearts 3 : If you didn’t read the review for Kingdom Hearts 3 (hint hint; it’s on the previous page written by yours truly) it really is the game to play if you are a fan of Disney, RPGs and open worlds. Fans have been waiting 13 years for this to release and after multiple delays, it’s finally in the hands of players. Travel to distant Disney worlds and cut your way through memorable villains in the final chapter of the saga of Sora, Donald, and Goofy. Even if it isn’t something you’ve been waiting to play, it’s a good placeholder to play while you wait on the plethora of new games coming out in the coming months. It is available on Playstation 4 and Xbox One.
WATCH THIS: Spider-Man - Into The Spiderverse: Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse might be the comic book movie of the year. Follow the story of Miles Morales as he becomes the new Spider-Man for a new generation. He is accompanied by a group of other Spider-Men (and Woman) from different universes as they fight the hulking Wilson Fisk, aka The Kingpin. See young Morales come of age in this vibrant mix of animation and action. It’s the comic book movie that jumps off the pages and right into your face, chock full of heart and optimism. WAC is playing Into The Spiderverse on Saturday, Mar 2 in Blocker Auditorium. Everyone is encouraged to come and watch this spectacle of a movie.