April 25, 2019

Bethany Walker|Marlin Chronicle @wesleyanhousing|Courtesy

Pictured above: User-submitted photos of mice, water damage and structural damage in Allen Village and the Honors Village.

THURSDAY 4.25.19 || MARLINCHRONICLE.VWU.EDU ||

VIRGINIA WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY

Students demand housing change on social media

Upset over an alleged lack of response from administration, students have taken to Instagram and other social media to expose what they describe as “horrific” housing conditions and demand change.

BY MICKELLA RAST mjrast@vwu.edu

An Instagram account detailing allegedly horrendous living conditions at Wesleyan has gone viral, prompting widespread campus outrage and local news coverage from outlets such as WAVY 10. The account shows pictures and videos of mice, mold and water damage, among other issues. All submissions are reportedly from students living on campus, whose work orders have gone ignored or are yet to be addressed.

The account holder, henceforth addressed by their Instagram handle @wesleyanhousing, said that, “Our

goals were to bring to light the living conditions on this campus and hopefully spark change.” The account was started in early April and continues to post daily. The page quickly gained the attention of students and administrators alike, and now boasts almost 500 followers. “We weren’t expecting this account to go viral as quickly as it did but we were very happy to see that other people agree that there are issues with housing here,” @wesleyanhousing said.

The administration quickly responded in an official

statement to WAVY 10 and in the public comments section of several photos.

“The health and safety of our students is our top priority,” Vice President of Student Affairs Keith Moore told WAVY reporters. “We respect where our students live, we want them to be comfortable and happy, and we are proactive about remediating their concerns.”

During this same period, Assistant Vice President of Student Affairs Jason Seward commented on one photo that no service logs or work orders matching the pictures

SEE HOUSING Pg. 2

‘Legally Blonde: The Musical’ opens in new fine arts building

BY CYNTHIA GRIFFIN clgriffin@vwu.edu

Virginia Wesleyan’s theatre department knows how to put on a good show. This year’s spring production of “Legally Blonde: The Musical” was no exception.

As the first theatre production in the new Susan S. Goode Fine and Performing Arts Center, the musical did not disappoint.

“Legally Blonde: The Musical” was written by Heather Hach with music and lyrics by Laurence O’Keefe and Nell Benjamin. The musical is based on the novel Legally Blonde by Amanda Brown and the 2001 film of the same name. Catchy songs combined with great acting led to a memorable

musical performance that is surely the first of many great theatre productions in the Susan S. Goode Fine and Performing Arts Center.

The musical follows college sorority girl Elle Woods (Abigail Horgan) in her journey to Harvard Law School after being dumped by her boyfriend Warner Huntington III (Adam Kurek) after he tells her that she isn’t serious enough for him. Determined to prove him wrong, Elle applies to Harvard with the help of her sorority sisters Serena (Allaina Boggs), Margot (Lindsay White), Pilar (Jenni Vega) and Whitney (Katy Niedzwiecki).

SEE MUSICAL Pg. 5

Coach Francis wins 100th game

BY MEGAN SHERMAN mrsherman@vwu.edu

Head baseball coach Chris Francis earned his 100th win with the Virginia Wesleyan program in a 7-2 road win against Ferrum College on March 30. This season marks his fifth year as the head coach of the Marlin team.

This is not the first time Francis has found himself on the coaching staff at Virginia Wesleyan as he was a pitching coach for the team from 2003-07. In 2003, the Virginia Wesleyan pitchers ranked second in the nation

with an ERA of 2.19.

Before returning to Virginia Wesleyan as head coach, Francis was head coach at College of St. Rose and Mansfield University, and an assistant coach at the University of Rochester and Ithaca College.

In Francis’s first season as head coach at Virginia Wesleyan, he made major improvements.

SEE FRANCIS Pg. 8

Jordan Peele’s ‘Us’ movie review

BY ALEX CORTRIGHT mjrast@vwu.edu

After his first big hit in the movie industry in 2017, “Get Out,” Jordan Peele strikes again with another cinematic knockout, “Us.” With many hints at American history, past horror movies and existential terrors, it wasn’t as big of a hit as his previous film due to loose ends and a complicated storyline. However, similar to

“Get Out,” it steers away from the typical theme of ghosts haunting a family or house, but touch on a more real side of horror.

SEE ‘US’ Pg. 11

‘Shut up and dribble’

BY ALEX POWERS

From top to bottom: Bethany Walker|Marlin Chronicle Sports Information|Courtesy Google Images|Courtesy Google Images|Courtesy

ampowers@vwu.edu

NBA great Dwyane Wade’s retirement has finally arrived, and with it comes heartfelt reflection on what he has meant to the basketball world and greater

community at large. Wade’s impact refreshes the conversation around what it means to be a celebrity with a platform, in spite of the critics.

SEE Pg. 7

2 Thursday April 25, 2019 The Marlin Chronicle marlinchronicle.vwu.edu

News

‘The housing has become worse and worse each year’ Students say that work orders go unanswered and their dorm conditions worsen, while the administration says that there is no record of corresponding work orders and that they can’t address issues that they aren’t aware of.

HOUSING CONTINUED FROM PG. 1

April 10 |Date posted

April 11 |Date posted

April 6 |Date posted

April 11 |Date posted @wesleyanhousing|Courtesy Pictured from top to bottom: User-submitted photos of a mouse caught on one of the Allen Village glue traps; mold in an A/C unit in Allen Village; a (most likely) deceased cockroach in Bray Village and mold coating the underside of a closet rack in Brock Village.

shown were found on file.

“We can’t make progress because we have no concrete, specific location of anything posted that we can tie a submitted work order to,” said Seward during an interview with the Marlin Chronicle. “At its core, we want to help students, since day one. If students are having issues and concerns we want to help them.

How can we help? But we have to see it, we have to put our hands on it and be there. And we can’t right now.”

Students expressed gratitudethat such issues were finally being brought to the public’s attention, especially since some claim that the problems are systematic and have continued over the span of years.

Senior Regan Kirwin said, “The housing has become worse and worse each year I have been here.

They used to actually replace things or fix things but this year it seems that they try their hardest just to paint and leave everything as is.”

Kirwin has lived on campus all four years of her education, but said that her freshman housing wasn’t nearly as problem-ridden as later dorms.

“It started getting bad my sophomore year when maintenance closed my emotional support animal in with fumes from a bleach primer paint they used to fix mold in my shelf. Turns out the mold was in the vents and they never fixed that,” Kirwin said.

Joshua Roth said that the housing conditions were one of two factors that made him decide to become a commuter rather than resident his junior year.

He detailed numerous housing issues that he dealt with his freshman year in Bray Village, then known as Village I (V1). In his own dorm, he said that the A/C unit didn’t work, in addition to mold in his room and the surrounding hallways. Regarding communal spaces, he said that the “bathroom was always in [need of] maintenance, sinks and toilets would be clogged sometimes, and the showers were disgusting.”

Similar issues arose his sophomore year, despite his move into a private townhouse in the Honors Village, then known as Village IIII (V4).

“My roommates and I had to put in several work orders to fix certain things like our kitchen sink/pipes, and bathroom sinks,” which Roth said were clogged and filled with standing water.

Roth added that his spring semester that year was additionally plagued by persistent ants and mold in the kitchen and adjoining areas.

However, he said that he is willing to give campus housing one more chance. “I will be living on campus again next year for my final year at VWU, so hopefully the housing situation gets fixed,” Roth said.

Such students stand behind @ wesleyanhousing’s claim that, “People have definitely encouraged the existence of this account and are proud to see someone bringing to light all the issues that they have been claiming to exist.”

In an effort to address such complaints, RAs and other members of ResLife visited each of the halls and asked residents if they had any work orders they needed to submit or problems with unanswered work orders.

“We deployed staff in an effort to identify any concerns with residents on campus. And, unfortunately, the response was that any issues were not reported,” said Moore in an interview with the Marlin Chronicle.

“And so I do feel that we have campus partners, and our campus partners are our students. They’re our largest group on campus, they’re

the group we serve, and we want to know what we can do better. We do rely on them to inform us and inform what we do.”

He reminded students to submit work orders or contact members of ResLife or maintenance regarding dorm issues. He said that an integral part of addressing such issues was having documentation on hand.

In addition to this, he reminded students to keep their spaces clean and “unappealing” to pests.

A focus on personal responsibility was one aspect of the Instagram account and news coverage that some students felt were missing.

Such students thought the complaints on social media were unfair and didn’t take into account the part that residents play in dorm safety and sustainability.

Senior Kristina Scott commented as such online. She called her comments at the time “impulsive,” but also said that she didn’t regret it.

“I just saw that there were so many people complaining,” said Scott.

“I go to this school, I have lived in the housing for four years, I know there’s issues and I don’t want to dismiss that, but there’s also people here to help and I’ve had really good experiences with maintenance. So I just felt the need to speak out.”

During the fall semester, Scott and her roommates had similar housing issues as those who posted pictures on the Instagram. She said that there was persistent mold in her suite in Teagle, as well as another suite down the hall. “[Maintenance was] in there almost every day, fixing these things. One of the nicest things they got was they bought a brand new dehumidifier to try and get some of the humidity out of there and they helped us, telling us ‘you need to keep your AC on, you need to do these things,’” Scott said.

She also added that the head of the maintenance crew gave her his business card and told her to call him personally if they experienced any recurring problems.

“So you can’t complain about that. They worked really hard every day. We don’t have those issues anymore. I’m thankful for what they were doing. They did a lot for us,” Scott said.

Scott said that she thought housing changes could be better brought about by directing contacting campus officials rather than posting pictures on social media. “Hopefully it does make a change, I just think they went about it all the wrong ways,” Scott said.

Seward reiterated this point and encouraged students to contact him and Moore directly with issues if students felt that their housing needs were not being met. He expressed disappointment that the students behind @wesleyanhousing did not show up for a meeting in late April, which he said would have been a valuable opportunity to begin a concrete dialogue.

“We just wanted to garner a conversation, be it in person or otherwise, with the individuals that brought this to our attention.

Let’s have a conversation and the transparency that you speak of, let’s just come together. We want to help.

But we can’t draw a line to anything.

At the end of the day, we want to help students. It’s about helping students,” Seward said.

“If there’s anything that can be taken away from this, I think that communication is important and open, face-to-face communication is in the true spirit of doing right by our community,” Moore said.

“I think that we really do rely on our students to let us know what’s happening and it’s unfortunate that it would appear that, in some ways,

the university was blindsided by this because we don’t know what we don’t know.”

A survey created by @ wesleyanhousing is attempting to provide more detailed information that will be later provided to administration. The survey includes questions such as what housing problems students have had in the past, whether maintenance reports were submitted regarding the problems and whether the problems reoccurred after maintenance visited.

The survey has been circulated to students, both residents and commuters. @wesleyanhousing hopes to use it to support student their claims about housing.in a petition they later plan on drafting and submitting to the administration.

“We encourage people to share this account and the survey with anyone who has attended Wesleyan in order to accurately gauge how students feel towards housing on this campus,” @wesleyanhousing said.

However, Moore said that any data from the survey would be flawed because the information was compromised. He pointed out that one problem with the survey is that it is open to the public and users are not required to submit proof that they live on campus or are a student at Wesleyan. Another problem is that users are able to take the survey more than once, potentially skewing results.

“I don’t know how much credibility we could put into it,” Moore said.

Despite these issues, Moore did acknowledge that such a survey could be indicative of a need for more student feedback. He brought up a past form used by the university (then college) to gauge student satisfaction with housing, titled the Residential Student Satisfaction Survey (or RSSS for short). He called the form “very comprehensive” and suggested that it could be revived.

For clarification purposes, @ wesleyanhousing said that, “We would like to add that this [account] is not a means of bypassing the maintenance process but as a means to show systematic issues that have not been dealt with.”

Likewise, Scott said that none of her comments or the alleged housing issues were a reflection of Wesleyan’s maintenance staff.

“I understand there’s problems and I’ve dealt with the problems, but we should know that there’s people at our school willing to help,” Scott said. “We have the best cleaning staff at our school, they go above and beyond. Maintenance has been really good to us, too. There’s people out there for us.”

Though Moore and Seward readily commented, other administration members refrained from doing so. VWU President Scott Miller directed comments to Moore, as did Assistant Vice President for Marketing and Communications Stephanie Smago; Assistant Director of Physical Plant Operations, Grounds and Housekeeping Michael Rigby and Director of Physical Plant Operations Donald Coberly.

It is important to note that all of the photos pictured here and on the front page are from the @wesleyanhousing Instagram account, whose administrators remain anonymous. Likewise, those who submit photos for publication to this account are kept anonymous.

Because of this, the Marlin Chronicle cannot guarantee that the photos have not been edited or otherwise altered.

News

3

Thursday April 25, 2019 The Marlin Chronicle marlinchronicle.vwu.edu

Wesleyan’s first Earth Week

Bethany Walker|Marlin Chronicle Senior Ja’lissa Yates works on the “trash-to-art” Marlin statue in Batten.

Students were able to donate items or help craft the Marlin in the days leading up to its final unveiling.

BY MICKELLA RAST mjrast@vwu.edu

On Monday, April 22, people across the U.S. celebrated the 49th annual Earth Day. But this year, Wesleyan took the event one step further by introducing its first-ever Earth Week, to be held the week of April 23 - 27. A poster about the different events invited the campus to check out Wesleyan’s “green thumb and environmental awareness,” both of which were on display as the week progressed.

Earth Week was co-sponsored by the Physical Plant and the President’s Environmental Issues Council, although different groups on campus helped host individual events. Movies, “trash-to-art” presentations, t-shirt upcycling and more helped educate and excite the community about the environment.

Micaela Morris, the assistant director of Physical Plant Operations, said that the idea for Earth Week was a joint effort between several different people. “We were just looking at the computer one day and we were like ‘we should do something for Earth Day,’” Morris said.

However, Earth Day fell during Wesleyan’s Easter holiday, which prompted the transition from a single day to an entire week of educational festivities.

Among those who helped turn Earth Week into a reality was the sustainability and clean energy intern at the Physical Plant, sophomore Ashley Roerhman.

Roerhman is an environmental studies

major and has been involved with campus sustainability through organizations such as Marlins Go Green for several semesters.

Morris called Roerhman “amazing” and said she was instrumental to planning enough events for the week. “We looked at what other schools were doing,” Roerhman said. “We looked at what we could do based off our resources.”

“We just started throwing out ideas here and there, we had a whole lot of ideas,” Morris said.

“Pinterest was also helpful,” Roerhman joked.

The sheer amount of proposals ensured that Wesleyan’s first Earth Week would be busy, but also let the team set aside ideas for next year. Among those were an ecopoetry slam, live performers and hiring local vendors to educate students and sell their wares.

This year, the week kicked off with a movie about food waste and a talk from NASA speaker Yolanda Shea.

Wednesday also featured a speaker, VWU alumni Sydney Covey, as well as the highly-anticipated reveal of the “trash-toart” Marlin statue. At the beginning on the month, Ginny Videll sent out a request on behalf of the Physical Plant for recyclable items to make a Marlin statue. The items could be dropped off or scheduled for a pick-up, in order to allow for maximum participation. Speculation about what a

statue would look like abounded, and was thoroughly satisfied at the unveiling.

Thursday was the only day to feature three separate events: a job and internship fair centered around environmental sustainability; a guided walk and meditation in the woods around campus; and a BYOS (bring your own shirt) upcycling tye-dye event.

Clean ups will take place on Friday and Saturday on the Wesleyan campus and in the surrounding community respectively.

Volunteers were welcomed and appreciated as VWU closed out its first annual Earth Week with a time-honored and effective environmental tradition.

“The main goal [is] awareness,” Roerhman said. “I think if we’re talking about [sustainability] and practicing it on campus people become more aware, and it just becomes part of your life. It’s like the more exposed you are to something, the more normal it becomes.”

Morris agreed that increasing awareness about sustainability was what she wanted from Earth Week “more than anything.”

“That is what it is for me. It’s one big project, one goal but ultimately one message: sustainability,” Morris said.

Roerhman added that, “Having a fun time is a main priority, but also maybe thinking outside of the box.” She used the examples of upcycling t-shirts for the tie-dye event and collecting recyclable

materials to craft the Marlin statue. Both activities utilize sustainability principles, but in less traditional ways than many people are aware of. “[These are] fun activities that show that you can make new stuff with things you’ve used before,” Roerhman said.

Some common activities that students can do to help save energy and increase sustainability at Wesleyan include turning off lights when not in use; using less water during showers and other high usage activities; recycling materials instead of throwing them away; reusing materials when at all possible and becoming aware of what materials are being most commonly used and how often.

Roerhman gave one specific example of hanging clothing to dry instead of using the dryer, which saves energy.

Morris suggested becoming involved in community efforts. “Know your community,” Morris said. “If you get into those organizations and get to know your people, you’re able to be more informed about how you can help out.”

Plans for the next Earth Week at Wesleyan are already tentatively underway.

“This is just the groundbreaking first one, and hopefully we can add on next year and it’ll get bigger with time. I’m very excited,” Roerhman said.

Tattoo stigma in education

BY TANI MARTINEZ

eamartinez@vwu.edu

More and more young adults are joining the workplace and leaving for higher education each year, and an increasing number are doing so with body modifications such as piercings and tattoos. However, tattoos in particular have caused concerns about discrimination.

There have been reports about young adults facing discrimination over tattoos and even being fired, as told by the BBC and other outlets.

With the rise of such reports, movements such as ‘Tattooed and Employed’ and its side branch ‘Tattooed and Educated’ have emerged. Both movements aim to combat discrimination those with tattoos face in the workplace and education fields.

“I think people are starting to be more accepting [of] tattoos because of how many people have them,” sophomore Ryan Baldwin said.

Baldwin also cited the popularity of celebrities who have tattoos as a factor in the changing public attitude, such as Dwayne Johnson. “He has a bunch of tattoos and he loves them, and since so many people love him, they want a huge shoulder piece also,” Baldwin said.

Sophomore Quentin Webert agreed.

“Normally, I’d say the face is a pretty bad

spot to have a tattoo, but Mike Tyson pulls it off.”

Despite the changing attitude, some students are still concerned.

Junior Devin Pee is considering getting a tattoo and said the thought of how people may react “crosses my mind a lot.”

“I’m a little worried, but I heard for my job it shouldn’t be a problem,” added sophomore Jarel Braxton.

Some students aren’t personally worried about tattoos, but have friends and family members who are. “My mom was worried about me hiding them. I, on the other hand, am not,” Webert said. “I don’t think they’ll be a problem in the profession I’m interested in. Plus, I have a long sleeve dress shirt for interviews.”

Many workplaces have a dress code or policy that prohibits visible tattoos, and there are no laws in place preventing employers from discriminating based on tattoos. Whether laws that protect those with tattoos from discrimination should be passed or not is a widely debated topic that varies from person to person, depending on who you asked, tattooed or not. Some believe that such laws should exist, while others disagree.

“I don’t think there should be any types

of laws for tattooed people, only because they are optional and people understand some risk could occur,” Baldwin said.

Webert shared similar thoughts. “I don’t think there should be laws or anything protecting tattooed people. Truthfully, image is a big thing in business, so if a company doesn’t want to hire someone because they’re covered in tattoos, that’s their choice,” Webert said.

On the other hand, Braxton said he did believe there should be laws in place.

Laws aside, there are some types of tattoos whose reception even proponents are unsure about.

“I’d say no place shouldn’t have tattoos, because, like I said, every tattoo has a story and if someone puts it somewhere, like their neck, then they want people to notice it,” Baldwin said.

For Baldwin, the connection tattoos can create between people is something he pays attention to. “When I hear tattoos, I automatically think body art and then I think ‘why did someone get that tattooed on their body?’ Every tattoo tells a story and I believe most people want to hear that story,” Baldwin said. “If you have a nice tattoo with a nice meaning everyone will love it.”

Bethany Walker|Marlin Chronicle Right: A floral tattoo on Val Miller’s arm, illustrator for the MC.

4

The Marlin Chronicle | marlinchronicle.vwu.edu

Thursday, April 25, 2019

University reflects on admissions scandal

BY NICHOLAS MUNDY namundy@vwu.edu

Lying, fraud, bribery and cheating the enrollment system were just some of the illegal maneuvers used by parents who tried to get their children into top-rated colleges and universities in a scandal that rocked the collegiate world in March.

Around 50 individuals have been charged with multiple crimes in connection to the scandal. Multiple celebrities have been charged in the scandal including Hollywood stars Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin, known for their roles in Desperate Housewives and Full House, respectively.

The alleged crimes include conspiracy to commit racketeering, mail fraud, money laundering, defrauding the United States and more. Eight colleges have been named in the investigation by the U.S. Dept. of Education, including Yale University, Wake Forest University, Stanford University, Georgetown University, the University of San Diego, the University of Texas at Austin, the University of California and the University of Southern California.

There have been no instances of bribery or scandal involving students or parents in the admission process at Virginia Wesleyan, though some students believed it was a possibility.

“It could happen anywhere,” freshman Ryan Mason said.

Despite such beliefs, there is a system in place to prevent this. There are two main ways in which Virginia Wesleyan ensures enrollment is fair. “First, any documents that are sent to us have to come either electronically, which means they are coming directly from the College Board,” Vice President of Enrollment David Waggoner said.

College Board sends out the scores from the two major college prep tests - the ACT and SAT. Colleges use these test scores to not only signal if you are eligible for acceptance into that university, but also to place students in different levels of a certain course.

“If a document comes to us as a paper document, then it has to come directly from the high school in a sealed envelope. That’s the way we make sure the documents we see are official,” Waggoner said.

The enrollment process deals with test scores, transcripts, the application itself and often involves a financial element.

Virginia Wesleyan, along with many other private universities in Virginia, does not charge an application

fee, which makes the application more accessible and further reduces the opportunity for fraud.

“We make the application process as straightforward as we can because we want to make it easy for people to apply. Like for most schools our application is online,” Waggoner said.

Communication is key during the process.

“I think that one of our challenges is that our office has to communicate clearly with students. That is one way that we can improve the process,” Waggoner said. There are many challenges that the enrollment office faces with regard to communicating with students.

“One of the things that is frustrating for me and probably other people like me at colleges and universities is that the guidance counselors are really busy,” said Waggoner.

So what did the parents do to get their children into desired colleges? The entire scandal all began with William Rick Singer, a CEO of college admissions prep company called ‘The Key.’ Allegedly the company was helping wealthy students cheat on SATs and ACTs. United States attorney Andrew Lelling described what Singer was doing to get these students into top schools:

“One was to cheat on the SAT or ACT, and the other was to use his connections with Division I coaches and use bribes to get these parents’ kids into school with fake athletic credentials.”

With the college admissions scandal looming large over the United States there are lawmakers over the country trying to prevent this from happening again.

California is already proposing legislation to prevent fraud in colleges. One of the bills would prohibit all colleges and university from prioritizing applications of children of alumni. However, state schools say that they do not prioritize the kids of alumni, making such legislation useless. Admissions fraud is more of a problem in state schools with a low acceptance rate compared to other schools.

Based on the National Center of Education Systems, the percent of admission for undergraduates for fall 2017 at Wesleyan was 70 percent. The University of Virginia, a nearby school, had an acceptance rate of 27 percent for the same year. Considered one of the most prestigious schools in the world, Harvard University had a five percent acceptance rate. Acceptance rates are different

Alex Powers | Marlin Chronicle

Offering a variety of services including nail care, massage, facials, waxing and eyelash extensions.

10% discount on services for staff and student with valid VWU ID

5

Community The

MARLIN CHRONICLE Editor-in-Chief

Hayley Heath hrheath@vwu.edu Managing Editor News Editor Mickella Rast mjrast@vwu.edu Community Editor Cynthia Griffin clgriffin@vwu.edu Opinions Editor Alex Powers ampowers@vwu.edu Sports Editor Megan Sherman mrsherman@vwu.edu The Weekender Editor Tony Tann tdtann@vwu.edu Photo Editor Bethany Walker brwalker@vwu.edu Illustrations Editors Valerie Miller vgmiller@vwu.edu 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

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

Thursday April 25, 2019 The Marlin Chronicle marlinchronicle.vwu.edu

New relationship group counseling

BY CYNTHIA GRIFFIN clgriffin@vwu.edu

For years Counseling Services has been an outlet for students to get help with any issues that they may have. As many know, the transition from high school to college can be difficult and balancing college life and personal life can be difficult as well. The multiple counselors in the office are there to help students in a safe space and confidential environment in any way that they can.

Counseling Services has mainly provided one on one counseling, but this semester they tried something new. Michelle Derosa, a counseling intern in the Counseling Services office, has been working there since last semester. In February, she started a counseling group geared towards relationships. Every week she meets with students to talk about relationships and any issues that they may be dealing with. The students are free to talk about anything that they are feeling.“I’m not there to talk and ask questions, it’s more about dialogue and conversation between the group members” Derosa said. She works as the facilitator of the group. The technical term for the group counseling is called an open processing group. Open: Anyone can come, and there is no set amount of people who can be involved and process: processing emotions between members of the group.

As the group has met throughout the semester, students have come and participated with the group and some just come to listen.

Derosa has found that group counseling is a good outlet for students to express their feelings with one another. “There’s something beautiful and cathartic about being in a group of people with different experiences, different backgrounds, and being able to hear stories” Derosa said. “Relationships are something that everyone talks about so it makes sense to talk about it in a more clinical setting,” Derosa’s original goal for the group was to have four to eight people per session. The first couple of meetings only had a few students but as the semester has gone by the amount of students who come has gone up. Regardless of how many students show up, they all get the counseling that they want.

For students who may not feel comfortable coming to the group, Derosa recommends coming in for a consult with a counselor. “Whether it is weekly, biweekly or once a month, if you have a problem stop in, someone is here to talk to you” Derosa said. Aside from visiting counseling services, there is another resource that is recommended for anyone who may be having relationship problems. The website loveisrespect.org is known as the ultimate resource to empower youth to prevent and end dating abuse. The site provides 24/7 sport from advocates via message, text or call. The site is a good resource to learn

Val Miller|Marlin Chronicle about healthy relationships. It also features many interactive quizzes about healthy relationships. As an project of the National Domestic Violence Hotline, it is known nation-wide and Dersosa even uses it when coming up with talking points for the group counseling sessions.

Counseling services has always been a great outlet for students and now with the group counseling sessions have been going on throughout the semester, there are even more ways that students can get the help that they need. As the semester is coming to an end, the group counseling will pick up next fall.

New changes to gen. ed. program

BY JOSH GRAY jagray@vwu.edu

The changes of the general studies program at Virginia Wesleyan have been the talk of the school within the past few weeks. The changes have new requirements: a series of three seminars and required electives from each School here at Wesleyan. This means that students must complete electives within the Goode School of Arts and Humanities, the Brock School of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, the Birdsong School of Social Science and the Watts School of Professional Studies.

Implementing this new program has set up a new way for incoming freshmen to complete the program, however if you have already started taking classes at Wesleyan, every course that you have already taken to fulfill a requirement will still count toward completing your General Education requirements.

For incoming freshmen, the program is set up to where they must take three seminars along with electives to graduate from the program.

WES 100, WES 200 and WES 300 will be taken in the freshman, sophomore and junior years respectively so that it is a smooth way to complete the program. The seven “letter” designations that used to be requirements (A, T, V, L, Q, S, and H) are now being removed from the courses.

In the summer of 2019, the last of classes that require these letters will be taught. Current W and SIE courses will continue to carry their “W” and “I” requirements through the 2021-2022 academic year, however will then be terminated the following academic year. Incoming freshmen must complete two courses from each School in order to grasp the entirety of a liberal arts education. If you are transitioning into the new program and will not start it as a freshman, each “letter” designation that used to be a requirement will now be replaced by one of the seminars or one of the electives given from the different Schools here at Wesleyan.

Sophomore softball player Jessica Goldyn is one of the students who plans on transitioning into the new program starting in her junior year.

“Well, I wanted to stay on the management side and I’ve always been into sports, so I decided to stay with sports management,” Goldyn said.

It seems that many students who are already focusing on recreation and leisure feel the switch to the new program will be easier and more focused on what they actually want to do with their careers post graduation.

There are five committee members in charge of the program and its changes. Dr. Susan Larkin, Dr. Kellie Holzer, Dr. Jill Sturts, Dr.

Margaret and research librarian Susan Erickson are the leaders who make up this committee. Although they are the leaders in the revisions made to the general studies program, students also had a voice in the different changes being made. “Yes, there was student input. We met with SGA both last year and the year before to discuss the proposal as it was being developed. We used the feedback from those sessions to help us design the new General Education program. For example, students told us that they found the General Studies “letters” to be confusing. We worked to build a program that was more transparent for students,” said committee member Dr. Larkin. Talks about changes to the general studies program at Wesleyan have been going on for quite sometime now.

These adjustments that the students are seeing now have been in the works for a while and it is an exciting time for students, professors and faculty members. “Revision to our General Education program has been discussed for many years. A large faculty committee began formal discussions five years ago. Two years ago, a smaller writing group took the ideas that had been developed and presented a few possibilities to the campus. Based on that feedback, the group developed a proposal, again got feedback from faculty and students and revised based on that.

That revised curriculum was voted on and approved by the faculty last spring. The implementation committee has been working this year and the new curriculum will go into effect with the entering class of 2023,” said Dr. Larkin. VWU students, both future and current, will get to experience this new program.

While incoming freshman will get to experience the changes first hand, current students will have to continue their current curriculum, however they can still follow the guidelines in order to be apart of the programs changes. Dr. Larkin explains how the new program plans to implement future and current VWU students: “Students entering VWU in the fall will be the first to be under the new General Education program. Current students will NOT be under the new curriculum.

They will continue with the same General Studies requirements that they entered with. Every course that a student has already taken to fulfill a requirement will still count toward completing their Gen Ed requirements. There will not be any new requirements added. Degree audits in WebAdvisor will look exactly the same, but the lists of courses that students choose from to fulfill the letter requirements will change.

All of this information is laid out in the transition policy.”

CRIME BLOTTER Courtesy|Thinkstock

April 1 12:31 a.m.

Vandalism Allen Village

Exit sign vandalized

April 5 8:15 a.m.

Vandalism Bray Village Hole in wall

April 11

12:48 a.m.

Controlled Substance Bray Village

6 The Marlin Chronicle | marlinchronicle.vwu.edu

CAMPUS countdown April 23-27th Earth Week

Display of Virginia Wesleyan’s green thumb and environmental awareness through fun and educational events that students, faculty, and staff can look forward during Earth Week 2019 For more information contact Micaela Morris at mmorris@ vwu.edu or Ashley Roehrman at abroehraman@vwu.edu

April 27th

Wesleyan Jazz Ensemble & VWU Orchestra

Thursday, April 25, 2019

MUSICAL CONTINUED FROM PG. 1 Pilar (Jenni Vega) and Whitney (Katy Niedzwiecki). When she starts at Harvard, she is discouraged by her ex Warner and his fiancee Vivienne (Aleigha Johnson), classmate Enid (Kerstin Holman) and many others.

But with some advice and support from teaching assistant Emmett Forrest (Jackson Simmons) she is able to prove herself to her teacher, Professor Callahan (Jakob Steward) during a court case she is assisting on. During the murder trial against famous fitness instructor Brooke Wyndam (Emilee Caldbeck), Elle proves herself when she uses her fashion knowledge to prove that Wyndam is not guilty of murdering her husband. After winning the case Elle is seen as a serious law student and eventually ends up graduating at the top of her class.

Hayley Heath|Marlin Chronicle

Time: 7:30 p.m.

Location: Goode Fine and Performing Arts Center Join the Wesleyan Jazz Ensemble and VWU Orchestra for an evening of well-known classics and new works. Free and open to the public.

Bethany Walker|Marlin Chronicle

March 8th Take Back the Night

Time: 7 p.m.- 8 p.m.

Location: Outside Godwin Hall An annual march and speak-out event against sexual and domestic violence as part of Sexual Assault Awareness Month The event is free to the campus community and is sponsored by Phenomenal Woman and the Women’s Resource Center. For more info, email the WRC at wrc@ vwu.edu.

Hayley Heath|Marlin Chronicle

7

Opinions

Thursday April 25, 2019 The Marlin Chronicle marlinchronicle.vwu.edu

L e s g o u r m a n d s to m b e r o n t d a n s l e s f l a m m e s

( T h e g l u t to n s w i l l f a l l i n t h e fl a m e ) The influx of financial support and media sympathies following the Notre Dame Cathedral fire bring about a disturbing question: why are some tragedies worth more attention than others?

BY DOUGLAS HARDMAN ddhardman@vwu.edu

“And He shall smite the wicked and plunge them into the fiery pit!” And what wicked would I be referring to? The greedy, of course; one of the seven deadly sins punishable by damnation. On April 15, the Notre Dame cathedral was set ablaze by what is assumed to be an electrical fire, devastating the large infrastructure of the 850-year-old church. The world watched and mourned, but where does greed come in? Let’s talk about that.

Once the fire was finally put out and the dust settled, Francois Henri Pinault and Bernard Arnault (two renowned billionaires) pledged more than $100 million, each, to the restoration of the timeless cathedral.

A donation made to the history and art of France after a travesty? It’s truly beautiful, especially when preservation of historical landmarks and works of art are generally overlooked. But the bigger issue lies within the context of a global crisis.

There is a social uprising occurring in France, with the lower class feeling underrepresented and powerless by the government. After this announcement regarding the donations, many took to social media with outrage. The chief complaints of this development can be generalized with one statement: the rich can do away with many socio-economic issues plaguing the world, if they were motivated to do so. A lot of crises are universal: homelessness, poverty, healthcare, etc. The problem that we run into is usually funding is not received for the crises due to lack of state funds or other projects are usually given aid before the dire ones are. But, as we can clearly see, there is money available to the world, sitting pretty in the hands of the one percent (not just in the United States).

The argument is clear though: people with money may do with it as they please. That is 100 percent accurate and feasible. I am not saying that those with the means to fix the world should, and I am not saying that if I had the means I would, but I think, as a society, we are in a current political climate where the more we do to contribute to the improvement and betterment of the human race, the more we can change for the better. It’s hard to say billionaires don’t have morals when they very may well do, but the way they choose to save or spend their money is questionable to the general public.

With crises like Flint, Mich. and homeless abound, I think it says something to the character of people with

Val Miller|Marlin Chronicle money that they are unwilling to use their financial standing as a way to help the fellow human race. Again, we cannot tell them how to spend their money, but we would like to think, ideally, that they would see the way the world is operating and want to try and fix it. They are allowed to be selfish, but I believe in karma and if the “wrongs” they are doing are truly, morally wrong, they will get what they deserve from the universe.

There are ways we can help, regardless of financial status. Talk to your representatives, get involved with volunteer organizations and stay educated. Our communities face crises every day like this, and it is up to us to stand together as a community and as humans to ensure that we are living healthily and prosperously.

The one percent may have all the money, but the rest of us have the heart.

More than a game, once again Dwyane Wade’s classy retirement from the NBA gives us pause to revisit the dangerous idea that entertainers shoud not use their platform for change

BY ALEX POWERS

ampowers@vwu.edu

If you’re a sports fan, you know who Dwyane Wade is. He’s been a mainstay in the National Basketball Association for well over a decade. He’s a Miami Heat legend, an NBA Champion, an Olympian, and one of the best shooting guards the league has ever seen. If you’re not a sports fan, you might not have heard of Wade. But as Wade’s NBA career closes - his final season ending earlier this April - there is good reason for everyone to know his name.

In this day and age, the role of celebrities in influencing society falls at one of two poles. The first of which involves people idolizing prominent figures in entertainment. Here is where we see blind allegiance and the new wave of “stanning” such persons. The second instead consists of cynics and critics relegating celebrities to nothing more than their respective field of entertainment. Such an example that embodies this side of the argument is the now infamous “shut up and dribble” phrase thrown at Wade’s long-time colleague and friend, LeBron James. I think it’s high time to recognize that neither school of thought is healthy or fair. Yet, it is this second problem - the disrespect thrown at celebrities for daring to use their voice - that I want to take issue with here. When we as consumers give people fame, we give them a platform. Sometimes, this platform is misused: a mouthpiece for self-serving endorsements, despicable comments, our outright misleading ideals. Other times, however, this platform allows public figures to become role models and leaders for social change and individual inspiration. We have seen it with the #MeToo movement and Black Lives Matter among many others. And it’s also what we see with Dwyane Wade’s story.

This swan song of a final season for Wade has been an emotional and dignified journey. As classy a player as any, Wade made a habit of swapping jerseys with a prominent player from the opposing team following each game. As if the jersey swap weren’t symbolically

reverent enough, these players would write on their jersey what Wade meant to them as a basketball icon. It took a life of its own, and silently became one of the biggest stories of the NBA this year. But this is about more than just sports. No one is shutting up and just dribbling. A few days before his final game, much fanfare arrived to celebrate Wade’s career. And one tribute stood out among the rest.

A Budweiser ad was released featuring Wade standing alone on a dimly lit basketball court. One by one, five individuals approach Wade with a message of gratitude to share with him. The first is an older woman whose house burned down just days before Christmas. Wade had surprised her family by taking them on a shopping spree. The second is a young woman with a dream to get a college education but not the funds to realize it. Wade’s full-tuition scholarship helped her achieve that goal. The third is another young woman, whose brother Joaquin

“ Wade is bigger than basketball. And it’s always been more than a game. ” was killed during the Parkland shooting in February of 2018. Wade had invited her to join him pre-game for the National Anthem and wrote Joaquin’s name on his sneakers. The fourth is a man who came from low socioeconomic status, trying to claw his way to some semblance of the American Dream. Wade had met him 12 years prior and spoke inspiring words that got this man’s life on the right track. Fifth and finally, Wade’s

mom emerges to reflect on her parental shortcomings as a single mother dealing with substance abuse. Wade had always been by her side and bought her a church to celebrate her reformed life.

These individuals then offer up to Wade personal memorabilia like the blazer from their first job interview, their college graduation cap and gown, Joaquin’s last basketball jersey, and a purple jacket - all with heartfelt messages scrawled on them. One. Last. Jersey Swap.

Sentiments are shared depicting Wade as a hero, a role model, an inspiration, a wonderful son, and ultimately something greater than basketball altogether. Wade changed lives. He’s had a platform, and in tear-jerking fashion, this ad shows the gravity of it.

This ad comes in an era where brands insincerely try gimmicks to relate to their target demographics. It comes in an era where political polarization seeks to rob people of their humanity. It comes in an era where embodying more than your entertainer persona is a fast track to unbridled hatred, or at best, martyrdom. This ad breaks down all of that. So yeah, Wade will go down in history as a basketball player. However, do not think for a second that is all his legacy is.

Wade is bigger than basketball. And it’s always been more than a game. That’s something to remember moving forward. Just like many other celebrities will be seen as singers, actors, entrepreneurs, and authors.

They can and, in many ways, should embody more than that. In a shocking turn of events, I find myself thanking Budweiser for sharing a wise message and impassioned tribute to the humanity in all of us. I cannot stress enough that we all have the power to make a difference in people’s lives. No race, gender, sexual orientation, disability, profession or other social stratum should be robbed of that power. That’s what I take away from it all.

It is our responsibility to see that through and to never silence those who strive to do the same.

8 The Marlin Chronicle | marlinchronicle.vwu.edu

Thursday, April 25, 2019

Francis CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 “When we got here five years ago we were just trying to get back to competitive baseball in a program and institution we’re proud of representing,” Francis said. “But that first group really changed the culture quickly. We just had a lot of really good people who were very self-motivated and were excited about change.”

In the 2015 season the team had a record of 19-14-1 and 14-6 in the conference.

Those 14 conference wins were the team’s best conference record since 2004. Then in 2017, the team went 20-21. This was the first season the team won at least 20 games since the 2010 team.

“We got really lucky with that first recruiting class that brought in Pilarski, and Lowe and Crusemire, which makes up our starting rotation this year, and also just a lot of really good players that care about this place and care about this program,” Francis said.

2018 was a highly successful year for the Marlins as they went 31-16 overall and then 15-5 in conference play. The team also received an NCAA berth and won three games in the NCAA tournament. Six players earned a spot on the All-ODAC team, three on the All-Region team, and then Jake Pilarski was named to the AllAmerican team.

Senior Daniel Petro expressed why he Erin Highsmith|Marlin Chronicle and his teammates bought into to Francis’s Coach Francis coaching the team to an 8-4 win over Hampden-Sydney College at home on April 3. system.

“The best quality that coach has that The team currently holds an 11-6 eight to ten days which is a ball club that separates him from other coaches is his sophomore Reese Reid both hit homeruns ability to see a player’s potential and in addition to Petro’s. Junior Andrew conference record and only have five more really believes in themselves and each conference games left on the season before other and just really grinds it out,” Francis not only care about winning, but also us Lowe picked up the win at the mound.

“As a senior I would never want to play the conference tournament. said. growing as players,” Petro said.

“We just need to continue to play nine In the game that gave Francis his 100th for another coach. Coach Francis pushes us win, Petro hit a homerun on a day where to be the best men that we can be on and off full innings, you know not taking bats off, and be what they’ve been the last he went 3-4 at the plate. Also, Pilarski and the field,” Petro said.

Women’s golf continues to expand

BY MEGAN SHERMAN mrsherman@vwu.edu

The women’s golf program has doubled in size this season, increasing their twoplayer roster to a four-player roster which is eligible for team competition instead of just individual. Through a busy month of April with matches nearly every weekend, different golfers have stepped up each match to instill a new culture into the women’s golf program.

The team currently consists of two freshmen in Ashlee Bobzin and Sarah Conley, junior Maggie Kingora and senior Hannah Turner.

Hannah Turner has competed in individual play her sophomore and junior years at Virginia Wesleyan, but this season marks her first year as a part of a team.

“I’m ecstatic with the growth of the team this year,” Turner said. “With me being a senior, it’s unfortunate that I couldn’t have played in a team setting during my entire college career. However, the dream I wanted to achieve happened.”

Now that Turner has been a part of this program for three years and sees the growth it is capable of, she takes a lot of time to ensure the program continues to grow.

“I want to have recruits visit before I leave to see the campus and get a chance to meet the team and get answers about the campus life. I’ve always been able to

Sports Information|Courtesy Hannah Turner leading the way for the Marlin team at the Spartan Invitational.

reach the recruits who visited in the past, whether it’s a male or female recruit...

Getting players committed here is my top goal,” Turner said.

Turner led the way for the team at the Spartan Invitational in York, Pennsylvania on April 6 and 7. On the first day of competition she shot an 85 and on the second day she shot a 90. Her two-day score of 175 (+17) earned her 17th place out of 54. As a whole, the team finished eighth on the weekend.

On March 30 and 31, the team participated in the Eagle Invitational in Stafford, Va. The Marlins finished in sixth place with a score of 754 (+186). Kingora led the charge and earned 11th place.

In the most recent event, the Marlins, who were led by Bobzin, who finished third at the Shenandoah Shootout in Front Royal, Virginia on April 13 and 14. Bobzin earned fourth overall with a two-day score of 128 (+21).

“I’m happy to see low scores for our new team. I know we are capable of much better and I’m hoping we can accomplish this in our final tournament at ODAC’s,” Turner said.

The team competes at the ODAC Championships April 28 through April 30.

Cooper leads the way for men’s golf

BY MEGAN SHERMAN mrsherman@vwu.edu

The men’s golf team at Virginia Wesleyan was led by Carter Morgan last season, but with his transfer to Old Dominion University, senior Keith Cooper has picked up the slack.

Cooper not only led the team in their April 5 through 7 event at the Camp Lejeune Intercollegiate in Jacksonville, N.C., but he also set the Virginia Wesleyan record for single round score. He broke this record on the second day of the match with a score of 63 (-7).

“The round was a test of patience, and I will never forget that round for as long as I live,” Cooper said. “It will most likely go down as one of the greatest golf round I will play in my life. To make the putt to break the record was unreal.”

Despite a new school record that he now holds, Cooper was most thrilled to have his parents there to share the moment with him.

“Words can’t describe how amazing it felt to have my parents there for the whole tournament. My dad was stationed there for two years, my sisters were born there and now I have a memory in Jacksonville, North

Carolina,” Cooper said.

Cooper also had a successful showing at the Glenn Health Memorial in Williamsburg, Virginia on April 15 and 16. On the first day he shot a 73 (+1) and then a 79 (+7) on the second which earned him a fifth-place finish overall.

Sophomore Taylor Cunningham was the next Marlin behind Cooper at the Glenn Health Memorial as he finished 19th with a score of 161.

Following Cunningham was freshman Jackson Lyons who placed 25th with total score of 163.

Cooper has consistently led the way for the Marlins in this spring season, and looks to do the same thing heading into the ODAC Championships beginning on April 28.

“The last tournament is at a golf course where as a player you love to play; it’s challenging but rewarding. I feel like with the team we have we can finish middle to high of the pack in the conference tournament,” Cooper said.

Sports Information|Courtesy Keith Cooper following through with his swing at VSGA Intercollegiate.

Thursday, April 25, 2019

The Marlin Chronicle | marlinchronicle.vwu.edu

9

Marlin community strikes out cancer

Bethany Walker|Marlin Chronicle The softball team wearing their Strikeout Cancer shirts in support of Recreation and Leisure Studies professor Wayne Pollock.

BY MEGAN SHERMAN mrsherman@vwu.edu

Despite the seeming never-ending rain, the softball team persevered to host their annual “Strikeout Cancer” event on April 20. This event is a part of a movement to raise money for cancer research and awareness.

The team began their participation in the movement in 2009 where they raised $3,000. Then ten years later in 2018 the program showed their experience in the fundraising field as they raised $28,000 in the 2018 event.

This year, the team sold wristbands to support Recreation and Leisure Studies professor Wayne Pollock who is currently battling stage four Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma.

Even though the Strikeout Cancer event had to be pushed back a week due to rain, the impact and purpose of the event remained the same.

“Obviously, Strikeout Cancer has been a really big event for our team and the campus community, but this year especially we have had a ton of travel organizations step up and make donations,” junior Hanna Hull said. “It goes to show how big this event truly is.

Every year we have had more and more people contribute to help us raise money to beat cancer.”

This event especially resonated with head coach Brandon Elliott, who lost his mother to cancer in 2008. In addition to his active involvement in the event, junior Madison Glaubke has her own personal tie to the event as well. She lost her mother to cancer in 2017.

Bethany Walker|Marlin Chronicle Wayne Pollock throwing the first pitch.

Sports Information|Courtesy Hanna Hull surpassing the 1,000 career strikeout mark as a junior.

“Strikeout Cancer means more to me than a couple games. It’s a day that I get to share with people who have gone through something that I have experienced in my life,” Glaubke said. “The past couple of years this day has been super hard for me, but it just keeps getting a little better each year.”

Despite many fun activities such as

a silent auction and a bounce house, the team still had softball to be played. They faced Ferrum College in a doubleheader which resulted in a 5-0 win in the first game, and a 1-0 loss in the second.

The first game is where all the action occurred as the Marlin bats were connecting, and Hull reached yet another milestone. The team registered seven hits in the game and five runs. Sophomore Maria Weddle and sophomore Danielle

Stewart both logged an RBI. Also, sophomore Katelyn Biando went 2-3 with a double.

On the pitching end, Hull made history; she surpassed the 1,000 strikeout mark with 15 strikeouts, which gave her a total of 1,005 career strikeouts. Only 24 players before her in all of Division III college softball have reached this milestone.

“It was really cool to experience 1,000 strikeouts on such an important day for our team. It means a lot to me that my teammates and coaches are all so supportive,” Hull said.

In addition to Hull surpassing this benchmark, she also was just one walked batter shy of pitching a perfect game.

The Marlin offense cooled down immensely in the second game as the team was held scoreless and lost to the Ferrum Panthers by a run. The team logged four hits in this game, and sophomore Carla Hall pitched the entire game. Despite the loss, Hall only allowed three hits.

The Old Dominion Athletic Conference softball tournament begins April 26 and the Marlins enter the field as the oneseed after finishing the year with an 18-2 conference record.

“We are very fortunate to be going into the tournament as the number one seed, and we are really trying to focus on one game at a time, and not taking any team lightly. The ODAC is an extremely hard conference to play in, so we know from here on out we have to be on our ‘A game,’” Hull said.

FAFFA created to support VWU women’s sports

BY ASHLLEE SPURLOCK adspurlock@vwu.edu

In an effort to show support for women’s sports and overcome the perception that they are boring compared to men’s, junior Kerri Wasko created the group Female Athletes for Female Athletes (FAFFA).

Women sports are not often broadcasted in the media nor high in attendance.

However, women’s sports are very similar to men’s sports. For example, basketball, soccer and lacrosse are all the same across the board except for a few differing rule changes here and there. Despite this, it is still believed that men are the stronger and more athletic gender, and therefore, more exciting and fun to watch.

Not only this, but society typically shows more support for women partaking in sports such as gymnastics or tennis, neither of which are team sports. Female Athletes for Female Athletes was established for this exact reason.The meaning and purpose of this group is embedded in the acronym and quite literally means, Female Athletes for Female Athletes.

FAFFA is an informal club started by Kerri Wasko here at Virginia Wesleyan designed to gain more support at women’s home games no matter the sport. For the women who worked hard to end up in a collegiate sport and are looking for a sign of recognition, Wasko wishes to provide that sign.

“FAFFA is a newer club on campus whose goal is to unite the female athletes on campus and support each other, sophomore field hockey player Hayden Thornbrugh said. “For a long time female athletes on campus have had poor turnout at our games, matches, meets, etc. in comparison to the men’s teams. Kerri Wasko thought that the first step in the right direction was to make this club, where female athletes support each other by attending each

Kerri Wasko|Courtesy Members of Female Athletes for Female Athletes supporting the softball team.

other’s sporting events.”

Founder Kerri Wasko gave her insight to starting the club. “I play on the basketball team and know how much I loved to be watched, better yet supported by my family and peers, so I decided to create and promote Female Athletes for Female Athletes. I feel as if women should always be the first to support each other in all fields such as business, sports, academics and politics,” Wasko said.

Female Athletes for Female Athletes works by encouraging female athletes on campus to commit to going to every female sporting event VWU has to offer year round, this includes volleyball, basketball, cross country, track, swimming, field hockey, golf, tennis, lacrosse, softball and soccer.

Females Athletes for Female Athletes is filled with women and supporters from not just different sports but different backgrounds as well. Members range from business majors to biology majors, but still all come together when game time comes around.

“Being a part of Female Athletes for Female Athletes has helped me appreciate my fellow female athletes by supporting them at their games and matches,” senior volleyball player Kristina Scott said. “We go all-out at games by making posters and being a loud fan section. There has always been petty conflicts between teams that started before I even attended this school. I believe Female Athletes for Female Athletes can help to abolish those divisions.”

Wasko created a community here on campus where women can support each other, trust each other, rely on each other, motivate each other, and celebrate their victories both on and off the field.

10

Thursday, April 25, 2019

The Marlin Chronicle | marlinchronicle.vwu.edu

Read more ONLINE http://marlinchronicle.vwc.edu/

April Online Exclusive:

Healthcare smackdown

by Tony Tann

THEWEEKENDER

April 25, 2019

PAGE 11

US VS. THEM

Google Images|Courtesy

US CONTINUED FROM PG. 1 Before entering the film industry from a director’s role, Peele was most famously known for his comedic skits with partner, Keegan-Michael Key. Their 30-minute episodes started in January of 2012 and ended in September 2015.

Even though they both starred in other movies after, the next big news we heard of them was the trailer of Peele’s first film in a directional role, “Get Out”. This movie premiered in February of 2017 and immediately was seen for the masterpiece it was. As you can imagine, the excitement of the news of a new movie directed and written by Peele created that much more publicity. “Get Out”’s success led to a lot of expectations of success for Us. The movie starts out with a flashback to young Adelaide’s childhood as she suffers a traumatic experience and isn’t the same growing up. Flash forward and her family, comprised of her husband, daughter and son head to their beach house in the same city that she grew up in; Santa Cruz, Calif. Adelaide is clearly uncomfortable and seems unsettled because her entire life she has been afraid something bad is going to happen. Her instincts lead to be true when four people dressed in red jumpsuits appear standing at the top of their driveway. After a home

invasion, they soon come to realize that they each have an evil doppelgänger.

Peele’s vision and craft of every last detail from the slight bits of humor, music choices and the bigger picture leaves a mark. Not only was the storyline and script creepy, but the acting by Lupita Nyong’o as main character, Adelaide and her shadow, Red, was truly remarkable. Her performance wasn’t the only to go noticed, but the ability for the main actors to come across as two completely different characters side by side added to the illusion of horror.

Even though both characters, Adelaide and Red were played by the same actress, the ability for Nyong’o to portray them so differently while still keeping them connected was executed well. Red’s movements throughout the film are almost insect-like, very rapid and hard to keep track of. Another part of her convincing performance, was her raspy voice as Red. In an interview for Variety, Nyong’o said, “I was inspired by the condition spasmodic dysphonia, which is a condition that comes about from a trauma—sometimes emotional, sometimes physical—and it creates this spasming in your vocal cords that leads to an irregular flow of air,” at the Los Angeles

LIGHTHOUSE

SPOTLIGHT Q: What did you do?

A: I completed an internship at the North Carolina Transportation Museum in Spencer, North Carolina in summer 2018.

This was a wonderful experience. I love railroad museums with old railroad equipment. I worked in all areas of the museum, including restoration, tours, research, and event planning. I even helped to restore a 100-year-old passenger car and an old generator.

Q: What was your most memorable moment?

A: I worked on my favorite locomotives in the shop and got to spin a locomotive around on the turntable. I also spent my last day with our train crew. I rode in the cab of a locomotive and spent time with the engineer.

premier of the movie.

In an interview with Mike Patches from Polygon, Peele said, “As much as the point of [Us] is setting out to make a movie where it’s not about race, America is about race. It’s always about race. So you can’t really get away from that and people’s experience of the film.” In his first movie, “Get Out”, there is a lot of emphasis on racism and black people but even though “Us” is about a black family, it has nothing to do with race or the fact that they are black. That is one thing that as a creator, Peele struggled with as he said in his interview. “All I wanted to put into place was the simple notion that for every “us” there is a “them.”

And that whoever the “us” is that you identify with, there is a way we relate to them.”

All in all, this movie was complicated but also very thoughtful. It had the perfect make up of intimate moments of humor followed by true terror, leaving you with questions. However, that was a huge engaging factor in the movie. Yes, I jumped, yes, I stared at my friends with a puzzled look on my face while the credits were rolling and yes, I want to see this movie again, which leaves me rating “Us” with an 8 out of 10. A quick Google search may be needed following the last scene of this movie.

Patrick Suttle ‘19 Business

Q: What advice would you give other students who want to undertake an internship?

A: Internships are very beneficial for college students. Students are encouraged to do internships to gain work experience that will benefit them. They should prepare to interact in a work environment. Getting involved with co-workers is also important, as you will build lifelong relationships at the internship. Finally, if you are in any trouble, never be afraid to ask for assistance whether it’s with a project or a flat tire on the side of the road. Colleagues and friends are there to help.

Q: What did you learn from doing this internship?

A: I learned to interact with children of all ages. Through storytelling, I taught the children how a steam engine operates, what a caboose is, and how life was on the railroad back in the early twentieth century. I also learned how important it is to build strong relationships with co-workers.

Q: How did the internship help you with your future goals?

A: The internship helped me to understand how to work as an employee. By assisting the museum’s public relations director, I applied my academic knowledge of public relations to promoting events. I learned how to market the museum to visitors, and I even created videos on major events. This helped me professionally by exposing me to public relations. I also was able to apply concepts learned in business courses, such as daily-project planning.

Patrick working at the North Carolina Transportation Museum in Spencer, 10 July 2018.

For more information on internships, undergraduate research, and study away, contact The Lighthouse: Center for Exploration & Discovery.

THEWEEKENDER

PAGE 12

April 25, 2019

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THE POWER OF

Alex Powers | Marlin Chronicle

BY TONY TANN tdtann@vwu.edu

On March 25, Apple held its first ever servicescentric event, where the company introduced several new and upcoming service products with no hardware announcements at all. It took Apple almost two hours to introduce Apple News+, Apple Arcade, Apple Card and Apple TV+.

The only service that’s available today, Apple News+, is designed to provide access to over 300 popular magazines. Leading newspapers and digital publishers are also included in each Apple News+ subscription, with topics covering everything from entertainment, fashion and news, to politics, health, lifestyle and travel for $9.99 per month. Everyone on a Family Sharing plan can access Apple News+ for that $9.99 per month fee. Apple News+ subscribers can access current and past issues and individual articles from magazines such as The Atlantic, Bon Appétit, ELLE, Entertainment Weekly, ESPN The Magazine, Esquire, GQ, Health, InStyle, National Geographic, New York Magazine, The New Yorker, The People, Rolling Stone, Sports Illustrated, TIME, Travel + Leisure, WIRED and Woman’s Day. In addition, Apple News+ includes The Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times and Toronto Star, Canada’s largest daily newspaper. As part of the Apple News app, Apple News+ showcases magazines in richly designed layouts, featuring animated covers, vivid photography and bold typography optimized for iPhone, iPad and Mac. In the Today and News+ tabs, subscribers will be presented with individual article and issue recommendations based on both editorial curation and personalized suggestions, all while maintaining user privacy.

Apple Card is a new credit card Apple’s offering in partnership with Goldman Sachs. Starting this summer, you can sign up for an Apple Card right on the iPhone and start using it immediately for Apple Pay purchases.

You can make digital payments with Apple Pay using the card, but for non-Apple Pay payments, Apple is giving customers a titanium card with only the Apple logo laser -etched on it with no visible credit card information like number and CVV. All of that information will be available in your Apple Wallet if you need it. With Apple Card, you get 1 percent cash back for standard card purchases, 2 percent cash back for Apple Pay purchases and 3 percent cash back for Apple purchases. Cash back is provided to you on a daily basis and you can use it for paying your balance, making purchases or sending Apple Pay Cash in Messages. After spending, Apple Card will give users simple real-time views of their latest transactions and balance in the Wallet app. Apple Card uses machine learning and Apple Maps to label transactions with merchant names and locations. Purchases are then automatically totaled and color coded through categories like Food and Drinks, Shopping and Entertainment, and more. At the end of each week and month, the Wallet app will show what users spent to help visualize their past finances.

Apple Arcade is Apple’s new cross-platform subscription gaming service that will provide access to more than 100 iOS games that can be played both online and offline across iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV, and the whole family can play using Family Sharing with one subscription fee. With publishers like Disney, Sega, LEGO, Cartoon Network, Konami, and more when it launches this fall in over 150 countries it may be a future contender with mainstream consoles like the Playstation, Xbox and Nintendo. Apple hasn’t announced pricing,however, the Apple Arcade subscription will include full access to all games with no additional in-app purchases necessary to unlock content. Apple Arcade will have a dedicated tab on the App Store, and games will be curated by Apple’s team of App Store editors. Apple says

the emphasis will be on personalized recommendations, and Apple promises that Apple Arcade games cannot collect any data about the user without consent.

Apple’s final services announcement was Apple TV+, which will house all of the company’s original TV content.

Apple says that TV+ will be the home for “the world’s most creative storytellers,” and it will feature original TV shows, movies, and documentaries. As we’ve learned over the past few months, original content partners include Oprah Winfrey, Steven Spielberg, Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon, J.J. Abrams, Jason Momoa, and more. Pricing hasn’t been announced because it’s not launching until fall, but Apple TV+ will be available in Apple’s revamped TV app, coming in May. The new TV app, which will be available on iOS devices, Apple TV, Mac (in the fall) and third-party Smart TVs from Sony, LG, Samsung, and Vizio, features better than ever recommendations built on machine learning and a new “Channels” option that will let you subscribe to and watch content from providers like Starz, Showtime, and HBO in two to three steps With the era of the subscription upon us, it seems that Apple is finally catching the tune of the music, or of the money. There are plenty of questions about security and safety (iCloud has been hacked how many times?) to be asked but they can only be answered in due time.

Basically, subscribe to all the things because that is the business model of just about everywhere. But the true question is will it be too late? Most services are ahead of the game and Apple is deciding to jump in at the second quarter. However with Apple’s popularity and track record, the power of plus may be able to overcome all obstacles and triumph over all.

THE MARLIN UNDERTOW / By Tony Tann GO TO THIS:

WATCH THIS:

LISTEN TO THIS:

Something In The Water Sunday Service

“Avengers: Endgame”

“Old Town Road”

As stated last issue, for the first time ever, the East Coast is getting a Coachella/SXSW-caliber music festival and it’s taking over the oceanfront! If you haven’t gotten tickets it’s probably too late. However the Sunday service is a free event for the community with the intentions to uplift and unite, and provide hope, victory, fun and faith. The revival-style experience will include gospel choirs, dance ministry and local and national worship leaders sharing the Gospel and prayer offerings for our communities.

We are finally in the Endgame. A lot of lasts happen in this movie. It’s the last time there will be a Stan Lee cameo, it’s the last movie Chris Evans (Captain America) is contractually obligated to do, it’s also rumored to be Robert Downey Jr.’s swan song as well, however we won’t know the fate of Mr. Stark until it releases. Either way, bring some tissues. Don’t drink any liquids as it’s a three hour long movie and you’re not going to want to miss a thing in the epic conclusion. Avengers: Endgame comes out Friday, April 26.

It’s the song that’s been stuck in your head all month. Might as well give it another spin. The Lil NasX/Billy Ray Cyrus collaboration has taken over the charts and our radios. The mix of Hip-Hop and Country has had some up in arms about whether or not is deserves a place one the top country Billboard listings. However,w it seems that the people have spoken and it deserves to be right up there among the greats.