The 2025 Spring Break Issue
The Marlin Chronicle
From library to the Athenaeum
Renovations add new offices to the Hofheimer Library, part of a larger plan to expand the building’s functions.
BY MIA DIEHL mjdiehl@vwu.edu
Virginia Wesleyan’s library is currently undergoing a makeover.
President Scott Miller announced in the weekly Nota Bene on March 17 that changes in the library are underway that will turn the library into a central hub.
According to the Nota Bene,
changes include the relocation of Offices for Career Development, Civic Engagement and Service Learning, Global Engagement, Undergraduate Research and Creativity, VWU Online, and Instructional Technology to the library.
Miller said in the Nota Bene, “Construction will begin in the coming weeks, with completion
Inside Look:
‘What fools these mortals be’ --- Page 5 A review of VWU’s original production of ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’
Textbooks to be included in tuition starting next semester --- Page 2
Breakfast with the Animals --- Page 9
Spring season is underway --- Page 7
expected by summer 2025. The Athenaeum will be designed to foster collaboration, creativity, and discovery. Key features will include:
• The raised Forum Stage – A flexible space for readings, lectures, panel discussions, and public events.
Lounge and meeting areas
– Comfortable, furnished spaces for receptions, meetings, and informal gatherings.
Expanded galleries and seminar rooms –Integrating the Neil Britton Gallery, Barclay Sheaks Gallery, and Pruden Seminar Room for exhibitions, lectures, and study.
• A 24-hour study lounge – Featuring a dedicated computer bay for students needing access to e-books and digital resources.” These changes are a result of
what Miller and Provost and Vice President Deirdre GonsalvesJackson called the Campus Master Plan Process. The Master Plan Process is, according to the Capital Projects page of the VWU website, a 2016-2026 “master planning process titled ‘Transformation Now!’”
BY DUDA BERNARDO mdefreitasbernardo@vwu.edu
The Malbon Center for Technology began to increase security measures and educate users due to a wave of phishing attempts to Virginia Wesleyan’s email accounts.
Since January, the Malbon Center has issued warnings via email for at least nine widespread phishing attempts.
Phishing is a form of social engineering and a scam where attackers trick users into installing malware or revealing private information. In email format, phishing attacks aim to steal account credentials and other sensitive information.
Spring Breakers
BY MEENA LENNON mjlennon@vwu.edu
See BREAK Page 4
VIRGINIA WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY
Lily Reslink|Marlin Chronicle Workers carried in paneling for the construction of new offices, taken March 25.
Lily Reslink|Marlin Chronicle
Chic’s Beach, a popular attraction among local students, welcomes beachgoers on a breezy, calm spring break afternoon.
explore around America with her boyfriend and family. McMahon traveled to Boston, Mass., New York City, Philadelphia, Penn. and Washington, D.C. Spending the time with her boyfriend, brother and parents, she said the highlight of her break was walking in the NYC St. Patrick’s Day Parade.
Lily Reslink|Marlin Chronicle
McKenna Howenstine|Marlin Chronicle The space titled “Bank of America Study Concourse,” after furniture was removed for renovations, taken March 14.
Mia Diehl|Marlin Chronicle
In the Virgin Islands, the Marriot Frenchmen’s Cove welcomes visitors.
Grace McMahon|Courtesy Exchange student Grace McMahon visited the Jefferson Memorial on her trip to Washington, D.C.
Mia Diehl|Marlin Chronicle Sophomore Milo Schuele on a boat off the coast of the Virgin Islands.
McKenna Howenstine| Marlin Chronicle Office walls began to go up, taken March 25.
Kami Whisenhunt|Marlin Chronicle
McKenna Howenstine| Marlin Chronicle
Mia Diehl|Marlin Chronicle A sailboat floats on waters between the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean.
Textbooks to be included in tuition starting next semester
To increase accessibility, Student Success is rolling out a plan to automatically include all textbook purchases for students in tuition.
BY ISAAC FICK
Books will be included in the tuition, effective in fall semester 2025, according to an email sent by Student Success on March 12.
This means the process for acquiring books will be quicker and less expensive upfront, according to the email.
The new policy, “The Virginia Wesleyan Equitable Textbook Access Plan,” will require professors to select required materials before the first day of classes, with physical books ready for pickup at the bookstore and digital materials available in the student portal.
“The University partnered with Akademos a few years ago to offer online textbook resources,” Crit Muniz, associate vice president for Student Success, said. He said this partnership received a positive response, which incentivized the new plan.
Muniz said the plan will focus more on implementing e-textbooks: “partnering with reputable online educational resource providers, we are helping to reduce costs, improve accessibility and remove barriers that may hinder student learning.”
“I don’t believe that education should be hidden behind a paywall of any variety,” English major and junior Meadow Schmitt said.
She said textbooks included in tuition would be beneficial for some students. “It should be an option, though, and not something that is forced onto everyone.”
Schmitt said she has found that alternatives to the online bookstore are cheaper. “I enjoy supporting my local bookshops or other college students, and I would rather pay my own money that I’ve gotten through working to get those textbooks.”
With the focus of e-textbooks, Muniz said there are a couple considerations, including cost. “Costs of e-textbooks are much lower than hard copies of texts [and …] significantly more environmentally friendly, which better fits the goals of the VWU community.”
Regarding the cost of textbooks across majors, Schmitt said, “I think there would absolutely be a huge discrepancy, especially for Media & Communication, General Studies and even STEM classes, especially since I know a lot of the STEM classes have books that require them to be new.”
“I took a Gender and Women’s Studies class and that textbook was over $200 compared to the over $100 textbook for my Media & Communication,” Schmitt said.
Computer Science major and sophomore Mason Medina said he was also concerned that tuition might be raised, and be raised
unequally across majors.
“I think it’s a good thing,” History major and sophomore Lucas Gordon said. “We pay a lot in tuition. It’s really helpful to financial aid,” Gordon said. “It definitely affects different majors more than others.”
“The inclusion of textbooks does not impact a student’s tuition rate based on their academic major,” Muniz said. “However, course-specific supplementary fees, including laboratory expenses and other specialized class-related charges, will continue to be assessed according to individual program requirements.”
Muniz said that with tuition rates established annually by the University Board of Trustees, there are “potentially incorporat[ed] comprehensive considerations including anticipated educational resource expenses such as textbook provisions.”
Medina suggested an option, similarly to Schmitt. “I just hope I can choose what
To make room for the offices coming in, the layout of the library has been slightly changed.
“This Campus Master Plan is a holistic approach that addresses Virginia Wesleyan’s academic mission, future campus requirements, and dedication to sustainability in shaping its physical space.” The page does not mention the Athenaeum in the original plan.
According to the Nota Bene, the Athenaeum is “a modernized learning environment designed to support both academic and professional development. Traditionally, an Athenaeum is a space for studying books and periodicals, but at VWU, it will offer much more.”
“The leisure reading has been relocated, they’re right over next to the movies and we were creating a pretty user friendly kind of out-of-the-way space there,” Stephen Leist, the head librarian said.
Along with the changes to the library comes potential added foot traffic in the library. With additional offices being brought in, more students seeking the added services are expected.
Regarding the added foot traffic, Leist reflected back to the effect that COVID-19 had on the campus library.
“Prior to COVID the foot traffic was a lot heavier and even though covid is several years behind us
now, it had some lasting effects. Now we’ve had more students returning to the library here than other campuses are reporting which says something still about how our students see our library and what all they can do here. But we have not seen what it was prior to COVID,” Leist said.
Students, however, are not fully convinced of the benefits of the change. Abigail Villacrusis, a senior and tutor in the library, mentioned the inconvenience of the change without students fully understanding what is happening.
“Honestly, I’m just not really sure what they’re doing with the library. I feel like it hasn’t been well advertised what exactly they are doing with the renovation,” Villacrusis said.
“Personally, I don’t love a lot of change, so having that whole area locked off, I have some students that that’s where they
I can put on my tuition,” he said. “I’m concerned that these books are added on to my tuition without giving me a choice to opt out of it, especially given that the textbook prices on our school store are more expensive compared to some other retailers,” Medina said.
Medina mentioned an additional concern: “a lot of the books that I get are recommended, not required, and this might also unnecessarily increase the cost of my education.”
Muniz said to ensure success, “We will be working closely with the faculty and our online bookstore partner to determine the texts needed for students.”
“[T]extbooks are a hassle, expensive and, in most cases, irrelevant to learning if you have a genuine interest and/or reason to learn the content,” Medina said. “There are just so many other resources at our disposal.”
Brittany Perry, Media & Communication major and U.S. Navy veteran, has stipends that cover the costs of her textbooks and other class materials. Perry said she is not sure if the stipends will be affected by this change. She said there was “only six months heads up on a change.”
Perry also said she prefers hard-copy books. “I do not appreciate that everything is going to be forced digital,” Perry said. “If I wanted to purchase a hard copy book on my own, now it is going to come out of my own pocket.”
She said she understood the environmental benefit of using e-textbooks, but “hard copies should be kept because technology [has] so many distractions.”
“Better accessibility for all students to the materials needed for their courses can only be seen as a positive,” Muniz said. He said the campus community is committed to student success.
go to sit and that’s where I know to meet them so it is a bit of an inconvenience,” Villacrusis said.
“I think what’s important is [...] if they’re taking away student spaces, they need to add more in some way.”
Sophomore
Alex Pleasants
She said while there are other places to sit in the library, she does not enjoy change when the reason is unclear.
Alex Pleasants, a sophomore, and Jordan Crallé, a junior, expressed concerns with the library regarding how they feel changes like this around campus are affecting the student body.
“I feel like with the museum coming up in front of [Beverly Hall], and then now this, our school is getting smaller and smaller for the students and more about the faculty and the donors,” Crallé said.
In reference to student spaces being changed into faculty offices, Pleasants spoke on recent campus changes. “I think what’s important is [...] if they’re taking away student spaces they need to add more in some way,” Pleasants said.
With limited information, some students are left not fully understanding what is going on and are having negative responses to the new space.
Liam Castellano|Courtesy Construction of walls began, taken March 19.
Isaac Fick|Marlin Chronicle
These two photos display the leisure reading section of the library before changes began, Feb. 24.
|Marlin Chronicle Furniture was removed from the section, taken March 11.
McKenna Howenstine|Marlin Chronicle Walls were put in place and installation of doors began, taken March 27.
Kyla Robberecht|Marlin Chronicle
University development spurs new parking arrangements
Updates to Virginia Wesleyan’s parking were made effective Jan. 1, according to a Campus Life email sent on Dec. 19. “[These changes] came about from a parking study [...] when we were looking at Campus Master Plan and we knew where we were going,” Associate Vice President for Campus Life and Operational Management Jason Seward said.
The email listed the specific changes, which reallocated designated parking spaces for the following parking lots: Susan S. Goode Fine and Performing Arts Center/Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art, Brock Commons/Boyd Dining Center, Avenue of the Sciences and Greer Environmental Science Center. New signage in the lots reflect those changes.
“We've become a much more sophisticated university.”
Jason Seward
The reason for parking changes was “growth in both facilities and programs over the past ten years,” according to the Dec. 19 email. “We’ve become a much more sophisticated university,” Seward said.
Seward referenced how partnerships have impacted the university’s growth.
“We have a number of campus partners that have headquarters here on campus [and ...] our camps and conferences have grown significantly, with a number of outside groups choosing to call Virginia Wesleyan home,” Seward said.
Seward said new buildings also bring more visitors, MOCA being the most recent addition.
Seward said the new plan has been working with “always open spaces in all of the lots.” As a benefit, Seward said for “the first time in my 26 years here, we now have specific lots that are student-only parking.”
These lots are Avenue of the Sciences, which is outside Blocker Hall and the lot behind Brock Commons/Boyd Dining Center.
Junior Meadow Schmitt spoke to how parking changes have impacted students.
“They changed [Avenue of the Sciences] to be more student parking,” Schmitt said. “I don’t think it actually makes a big enough difference to counter the loss of the Goode parking lot.”
Students are also allowed to park in the Jane P. Batten Student Center lot but not overnight.
Spaces for visitors and commuter students have increased, which Seward said has resulted in “funneling them to one specific location, like the Batten lot.”
Sophomore Alex Pleasants lives in Allen Village (Village 2) and said, “I parked by Batten because I live […] in a corner of the building that’s super far away from every
other parking lot. And so when I carry stuff, like my refrigerator, up to my dorm room or something, it’s super annoying.”
“Batten was the only parking lot that was close and accessible,” Pleasants said. “I got two parking tickets for it, but they waived it, fortunately.”
“Now the parking lot that’s behind V2 is super crowded, and it’s almost impossible to find a parking spot,” Pleasants said.
Seward said proximity to buildings motivated these strategic parking placements, pointing to the example of the Batten lot being used for athletic competitions and attendees.
Schmitt said for an ideal parking situation, “there needs to be closer parking.” She emphasized parking proximity to dorms specifically.
“It’s one thing if you’re a commuter and you have to get out and walk to class. It’s a different thing if you live on campus and you’re having to carry a bunch of groceries all the way across campus, or [...] if you have some sort of disability or something like that, or you're injured in some way or sick, and you’re having to walk an unreasonable distance just to get to your bed,” Schmitt said.
As a prior student worker at the Goode Center, Schmitt observed the Goode parking lot in action from “big events and small events, both with students on campus and without them.”
Schmitt said at a larger event in the Center, “It was hard to get out of Goode because there's only one entrance and exit, and everybody's trying to go down them, and then you have all the people cutting everyone off and stuff in the parking lot itself.”
The changes in policy for the Goode parking lot have impacted students who need access to the nearby buildings.
Junior Anna Greenleaf said she “tried to park in that parking lot during J-term for two hours to go to Beverly and when I got out I had a slip of paper on my car saying not to park there or else I would get a ticket.” Greenleaf expressed frustration about restriction from using lots, even when they are unoccupied.
Moving into the spring semester, Greenleaf said the new parking designations restricted students from parking in Goode for rehearsals.
“It doesn’t make sense if I have rehearsal all the way in Goode [and] I can’t park there,” Greenleaf said. She said if there’s
Frozen grant heats back up
The frozen heat mapping grant, explained in the March 13 issue of The Marlin Chronicle, has been reinstated.
BY CLAY YOKOM
As of March 20, the Virginia Department of Forestry heat mapping grant has been reinstated after being put on hold for over a month, with the department communicating that the process for reimbursement would remain the same as before the freeze. The Department of Forestry confirmed that if grants are cancelled in the
future all money properly spent before the cancellation would be repaid as usual.
“We were glad to learn that our grant has been unfrozen and that we can resume work on the project,” Dr. Elizabeth Malcom, professor of Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences and director of Sustainability, said.
Going forward, the project is running another meeting with the Portsmouth community to discuss the results of the heat
mapping and to get input on what heat risk reduction strategies that the community would like to move forward with. There is a possibility that a tree planting for this project will be scheduled for this semester, though because of the grant’s earlier pausing, there may not be enough time for a planting location to be found and contacted, or for a planting to be organized. If the planting does not occur this semester, it will occur in the fall semester.
rehearsal happening, it means that the venue is not being used otherwise.
Schmitt said that she has seen the Goode lot reach maximum capacity when the campus has larger events hosted by external organizations. She said she can foresee how the space reduction from the MOCA might pose challenges for Goode as a venue.
“Our lots are accommodating what our needs are as an institution, both on the student side, the faculty and staff side and the event side,” Seward said. “The current plan, as it stands, supports all of those equally and sufficiently.”
“We’re not a big campus,” Seward said. “I am a firm believer [that] we don’t have a parking problem. We have a walking problem.”
Some areas lack available student parking, such as Goode, which Greenleaf said has led to frustrating walks to rehearsal in the rain.
Using an example of walking to the grocery store from the parking lot on a rainy day, Seward said, “Does everyone want the convenience of being able to have that front row spot where it’s a short walk? Absolutely.”
For future development, Seward said, “If we have the need for additional parking, it's obviously something that’s on the table.” He said the addition of new lots would occur with continued growth and development, but the current lots are servicing campus well.
Kyla Robberecht|Marlin Chronicle
Isaac Fick|Marlin Chronicle
The red dotted line indicates the border of Portsmouth, in which this project is centralized. Map sourced from Google Maps. Isaac Fick|Marlin Chronicle
Laila Jones|Marlin Chronicle
The "Student Parking Only" parking sign on Avenue of the Sciences, outside Blocker Hall.
Community 4
The MARLIN CHRONICLE
Editor-in-Chief
Lily Reslink lbreslink@vwu.edu
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PHISHING
CONTINUED FROM PG. 1
These emails often mimic legitimate organizations or individuals to gain trust and encourage the users to click on malicious links or open attachments. In this case, emails came from what appeared to be Virginia Wesleyan accounts, including professors.
The Malbon Center for Technology gave an official statement indicating they are aware of the significant and widespread phishing attacks.
“This is not limited to VWU; it is a universal threat, targeting individuals and organizations across all sectors. These attacks are becoming increasingly
sophisticated and difficult to detect,” the statement said.
Even though email can be a target, phishing attempts are multichannel attacks. The Malbon Center for Technology said “Phishing Attempts are occurring across various platforms, including email, SMS, social media, and even phone calls.”
Emails sent usually encourage recipients to click on links, provide personal information or make financial deposits.
Junior Joshua Pepper, a Computer Science major, explained that phishing attacks often aim to collect user data for profit, potentially leading to access to sensitive information like bank accounts.
Pepper said that students are vulnerable because they trust
BREAK
CONTINUED FROM PG. 1
Unfortunately, the joy of being reunited with family and friends over the break did also come with the sadness of eventually having to leave them again. “I was really sad to be leaving my family and boyfriend again, but happy to be back in the warm weather,” McMahon said.
Similarly, freshman Gavin Heritage had an eventful spring break. Heritage spent his time in Montreal with friends.
“I went on a trip because I wanted to experience something new,” Heritage said.
Heritage also remarked on how the company of friends improved his trip, saying that he went to experience something new and having friends there made the experience even more memorable.
Sophomore Milo Schuehle, who was in St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands for spring break, also felt as though having company made his experience more fun.
“Even usually mundane activities like getting ready to go somewhere or taking a taxi were transformed into laughter and shenanigans,” Schuehle said.
Schuehle said he felt as though he needed a break from Virginia Beach. He said taking the trip away gave him the well needed rest, as
well as some much needed sun. He also said that he was ahead on his schoolwork and his job, which made the trip more enjoyable, as there was no stress or pressure.
Heritage also said that schoolwork was not on the forefront of his mind during his break, and his priority was having fun with friends.
“Frankly, our professors shouldn’t be assigning work over our much-needed breaks, as students are already exhausted from schoolwork, jobs and the stress of sports and other extracurriculars. What’s the point of giving us a spring break if our professors just turn it into a time to do distance learning?” Scheuhle said.
Heritage said he participated in lots of new activities and experiences, one of his favourites being “The Casino de Montreal.”
Schuehle got to soak up the sun and dive into lots of water activities. “I think the highlight of my spring break was snorkeling off a catamaran. I saw sea turtles, lots of fish and all sorts of coral,” Schuehle said.
Although spring break can be a time for amazing traveling experiences, Schuehle pointed out limitations. “I think the biggest challenge I faced during my spring break trip was budgeting. I’m only finally getting good at budgeting while in the States, so I wish I had been more put together for my trip,” Schuehle said.
seemingly legitimate emails and links.
“Somebody gets an email they think is legit or one that seems very enticing, and they click a link. Just without thinking because they just don’t know how dangerous that could be, or that links are very easily manipulated in ways to make them look safe when they’re not,” Pepper said.
Some commonalities amongst phishing emails include misspelling of words, different fonts and a sense of urgency.
Pepper said users should look for the improper use of article adjectives, words that aren’t pluralized and awkward sentences in order to identify phishing messages.
Phishing emails usually include a call to act immediately, such as “contact promptly,” “these items are in high demand,” “don’t miss out,” “click here to view,” “shared a file with you” or “ends in 24 hours.”
Attackers might also grab users’ attention by promoting unique deals, such as selling high-value items for cheap.
To stay safe, it is recommended by IT to never take any action induced by the emails. Clicking on links, downloading attachments or replying to the email can compromise users’ accounts.
To prevent attacks, Pepper said that IT departments can emphasize not clicking on email links and instead contacting the sender directly. Pepper said that educating users is an important prevention method: “at some point the scammer is going to be smarter, but then you just have to re-educate users. That’s really all you can do.”
Pepper said the only prevention method is alerting people in a very obvious way.
Heritage also brought up struggles with money, specifically regarding currency exchange.
“Converting American money for Canadian money was a hassle,” Heritage said.
Schuehle said he would have liked to go outside of America, but was met with resistance from passport issues. Nevertheless, he said leaving Virginia Beach was a cultural change for him and offered a shift in perspective.
“I have no regrets.”
Sophomore Milo Schuehle
Heritage said that he got to try poutine for the first time, as well
“Do not click links in emails, even if they look legit,” Pepper said. Additionally, he said users should look for phone numbers in an official website instead of calling a number provided in a potential phishing email.
“Attackers are utilizing advanced techniques, including AI-generated content, to create highly convincing phishing messages,” The Malbon Center for Technology said.
Pepper said he would not be surprised if AI were to be implemented. “It would make them [phishing emails] harder to distinguish. Which is why, again, don’t click the link. Just do it the long way, that’s the safest way.”
Pepper said that phishing can be avoided if users don’t interact with the attempts. However, “people are always going to want to scam other people for their money or their information. That’s just an unfortunate reality,” Pepper said.
“Do not click links in emails, even if they look legit.”
Junior Joshua Pepper
With a concern to educate VWU users, The Malbon Center of Technology said they are “committed to providing you with the information and resources you need to protect yourself.”
For further assistance or to report a suspected phishing attack, contact The Malbon Center for Technology IT Helpdesk by email (IT@vwu.edu) or by phone at 757-
as Guinness, which proved to be a hit. In similar fashion Schuehle got to try grilled red snapper, which he said was amazing. In reminiscing on favorite memories from their breaks, for some it was the food, for others it was simply being with those they loved.
For McMahon, it was staying in a hotel under the Manhattan Bridge and feeling it shake every time a train drove by.
Schuehle remarked on his need for rest during his trip, saying that anytime he wasn’t in the water or snorkeling he was passed out sleeping, catching up on all of the sleep he had missed during the school semester.
“I have no regrets,” Schuehle said. In the end, spring break offered students a chance to recharge their batteries, explore new places and make lasting memories.
Grace McMahon|Courtesy Grace McMahon in New York City on Spring Break.
Sarah Richards|Marlin Chronicle
Mia Diehl|Marlin Chronicle
A catamaran sailing off the coast of the US Virgin Islands.
‘What fools these mortals be’
‘A
BY VICTORIA HANELINE
A playful faerie sits, invisible, toying with bumbling humans trying to love. Perhaps this is what you think of when you consider William Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” It’s what I think of. Generally, though, that faerie isn’t holding a microphone.
Virginia Wesleyan’s Theatre Department is performing “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” in conjunction with Vox Vera on April 3-5 at 7:30 p.m. and on April 6 at 2 p.m. for a Matinee. For our early readers, that is this Thursday through Sunday.
The VWU website where you can “purchase” tickets (free for Virginia Wesleyan students, faculty and staff) describes the play as a “unique retelling of Shakespeare’s classic” where “fairies groove a cappella and the visual vibe can only be described as ‘far out, man.’”
The show is a collaboration between the Theatre and Music programs, headed by Sally Shedd, professor of Theatre, Gender, Women and Sexuality Studies and dean of the Susan S. Goode School of Arts and Humanities, and Bryson Mortensen, professor of Music.
“This project is really special to me,” Shedd said.
“We wanted it to be in the spring—we’ve been talking about it for several years,” Shedd said, referring to herself and Mortensen.
The show is a “modernization” of a Shakespeare play. The costuming and most of the dialogue is unchanged, but the music is modern, as are some of the staging and acting decisions. In any case, performing the show with its original soundtrack would be a feat, as it’s been lost to time.
The changes were well done and a novel experience of the play, which is certainly what you want with Shakespeare, as it’s unlikely to be anyone’s first time
experiencing it, or at least hearing of it.
The play, unlike most plays that the theatre has performed over the past several years, is in the public domain, which means “you can do whatever you want,” Shedd said. The desire was to “update” the music. The music was performed by Vox Vera.
Most of these changes are positive, and the overall effect is a sort of dreamy, out of time feel, which is very appropriate for “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” in particular.
“I love Shakespeare—I love it. It is a very vital and living art to me,” Shedd said. She thought the juxtaposition of the Shakespearean words and Coldplay, as she put it, showed “the timelessness of art.”
Contributing to this dreamy feel was the dancing. “Hopefully it looks weird and quirky and that they’re having a great time,” Shedd said. The dancing is anachronistic but matches the vibe of the play well and contributes to the wild feeling of the play that’s so difficult to capture when you share a chemistry class with three of the actors.
Shedd said the dancing was largely up to the actors, with minimal direction.
“Y’all go create something, then come back and show me,” Shedd said about her directions
for this section. There was a prize, because “nothing motivates people like a prize.”
The casting was different from the original as well. For one thing, there were women cast, which on general principle is a good idea. Done especially well in the casting was a deviation from the “expected” roles. For instance, Robin “Puck” Goodfellow is played by Annie O’Shea, who excelled. Oberon, King of the Faeries, is played by Amanda Battle, who put on a memorable performance.
The Mechanicals, on another note, performed very well at performing very badly. Nick Bottom, played by Grant Williams, was fantastically an ass, and Sanayia Butler put on a performance as Snug that almost made the Mechanical’s fear about scaring the ladies reasonable.
Micah Lister, John Post, Julia Logue and Brianna Massenburg played the four “lovers.”
Lister, a sophomore studying Biochemistry, was cast as Lysander, one of the male leads. This is his first play and he said it is “a completely new experience for me compared to musicals.”
All four performed well at the rehearsal I went to, but Logue’s performance as Helena was especially compelling.
The stage design was well done, with a giant flower and
other props providing a sense of whimsy appropriate to the play. The costuming on the faeries was done very well to complement this, although the Athenian’s costumes looked somewhat uninspired by comparison (with the exception of Theseus’, played by Liam Davis).
Some of the dialogue was hard to understand due to volume or enunciation, but for a Shakespeare play it was remarkably understandable. Additionally, one of the sound mixers was absent at the rehearsal I attended, which likely contributed to this small issue.
Shedd’s favorite part is the end of the play, near the bows. 28 people are on stage at the same time. “There they all are, and it’s really special,” Shedd said.
As I have unfortunately not yet acquired the ability to review theatre before it comes out, The Marlin Chronicle obtained permission to observe and photograph a dress rehearsal for this article. The review is based on that dress rehearsal.
The performance is free for Virginia Wesleyan students, faculty and staff, and tickets can be acquired at https://www. vwu.edu/the-arts-at-virginiawesleyan/theatre-productions. php. I highly recommend going. Free theatre is rare, and good free theatre is rarer. This is both.
As a part of Shack-A-Thon, students slept outside in shacks on the night of March 31. For the third year in a row, the event consisted of teams who constructed shacks made of cardboard, tarps and duct tape. Organized by Students Against Continued Homelessness (SACH), the event is dedicated to raising awareness of homelessness. Visit @marlinchronicle for footage from the event.
Laila Jones|Marlin Chronicle
Senior Matthew Jung assembling a “shack” during the event with his group, Sigma Nu, a campus fraternity.
McKenna Howenstine|Marlin Chronicle
Erin Andrews depicting Titania, Queen of the Fairies in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”
McKenna Howenstine|Marlin Chronicle
Jordan Crallé (left) playing a fairy recognizing Puck, a mischievous fairy played by Annie O’Shea (right).
Aiden Croghan|Marlin Chronicle
Embrace your guilty pleasures: the fun in finding a niche hobby
BY MJ MATTHEWS mjmatthews@vwu.edu
Many of us could be making much better use of our free will. While there is a constant struggle between professional
I have not played sports in any capacity since middle school, nor have I ever done cheer or dance, but I love watching cheerleading. It gives me chills to see the elaborate and gravity-defying
routines groups of people from all ages come up with. So much time and effort is put into these routines, only for the teams to be on stage for 2 minutes and 30 seconds; I admire that immensely. Since graduating high school, I have not been in many shared spaces with cheerleaders, let alone at events where they perform — especially given VWU’s lack of a football team (no offense). Watching shortform cheer videos on Youtube has not come close to the awe-inspiring performances I used to see. Last month,
The silence of student-athletes
BY CASTON CHRISTMAN cbchristman@vwu.edu
The concerns of studentathletes often go unheard in the college community. This can include concerns varying from different issues such as problems with their coaches, athletic directors, professors and the schools themselves. Problems have recently been starting to get notice across the country from athletes reaching out to social media with their stories. Student-athletes always get told to be grateful for what they get by being allowed to represent the school by playing the sport they love and are good at.
Student-athletes end up having to fit their schedules around varying practice times, which includes class schedule, times to
eat and study. This leaves them very little time for their mental health and relaxation. School dining options often don’t have flexible hours, like here at Virginia Wesleyan, where the cafeteria closes at 7 p.m. This often leaves athletes rushing over from night practice to get a nibble of food for 10 minutes. Other times it often leaves athletes with the decision to make unhealthy choices such as getting fast food or something microwaved.
This problem doesn’t happen just on the lower scale schools and teams. It can be seen at high level Division I teams and schools. This issue also occurs across all sports, both male and female. When serious personal issues arise for student-athletes, schools prefer to sweep it under the rug, especially when it
involves a fellow athlete, where if they do punish them, they give the minimum suspension of one week.
I found that a Cheer 4 Charity Grand National Championship would be held here in Virginia Beach and decided then and there that I needed to be in attendance. While I didn’t expect anyone to share such an odd passion, I still mentioned it to friends in excitement. I found that my good friend and roommate, McKenna Howenstine, was just as crazy as me. We scraped together the spectator admission cost and had the time of our lives watching cheerleading for 13 consecutive hours — starting before 8 a.m., mind you. As McKenna and I were clapping and hollering for the many all-star teams that performed, a ‘cheer mom’ approached us and, unintentionally, singled us out as unrelated spectators. She unobtrusively thanked us for clapping for all the teams, not just “whoever we were affiliated with,” and said that watching us be so excited made her excited. After admitting that, no, we didn’t actually know any of the teams, none of our excitement faded and it wasn’t weird afterwards. We all continued to have a great time, enjoying the competition.
I am not preaching that you go and spend an entire Saturday at a cheerleading competition, but I am encouraging you to pursue your niches. You do not have to be previously connected to something to enjoy it, nor does it have to be popular. It seems that most college students’ hobbies have fizzled out to watching movies or listening to music — which are barely hobbies in the first place. Outside of school, sports and partying, many do not have an activity they typically look forward to in their free time.
MJ is a sophomore studying Earth & Environmental Science. She is The Weekender Editor for The Marlin Chronicle.
Having a list of things you like to do for fun can bring such wealth into your life, creating a spark to get you through the week. Any small passion can be blown up if you take your happiness more seriously. For the majority of you that do list music and movies as your hobbies, try a listening party at a record store, or go to a short film festival; pick up a microphone or camera if you’re brave enough. It is absolutely silly to seek out a dog show just to go watch, or to actively plan your day around hobby horsing. But, if that’s your thing, or you think it might be your thing, by all means pursue it. It will make your life more fun and probably be even more fulfilling than you imagined. Make it something just for you, like a gift to yourself, or open it up to your loved ones. The response you get may surprise you!
Croghan’s Corner
A place where you belong.
BY AIDEN CROGHAN accroghan@vwu.edu
When looking at pop culture history throughout the 1900s, subcultural movements, especially those based on music, were one of the driving social scenes for youth as young adults.
Movements included jazz and swing, the folk movement, the hippie movement, punk, goth, the New Romantic movement, the grunge movement and more. These movements provided social groups for people, especially those whose personalities, interests and appearances didn’t fit with that of mainstream society. Finding these groups of people with common interests allowed people to embrace their individuality and have a group to relate to simultaneously.
Some subcultures, most notably emo, spawned in the early 2000s, but the 2010s saw a rapid decline in most subcultures that hadn’t already fizzled out. Social media has allowed people to find people who have the same interests as them easily. This discourages people from seeking out those who have common interests as them in person. It is a wonderful thing to have friends from all over the world online who share the same interests as you, something that would’ve been marveled at even just 30 years ago, but having an in-person connection with people you can relate to seems to be even more important to the human experience. Not having much in common with
the people around you can feel incredibly alienating, and social media is often just a crutch for this. Trying to get the most likes and validation online also leads to people inauthentically portraying themselves and disingenuously engaging with things that do not interest them. Despite all this, subcultures still exist, though participation is small. No matter how obscure your interests, there is almost always a group of people who share the same interests, and usually closer than you might think. So go out and find your scene, it’s easier to be misfits together than it is to be one alone.
Aiden is a sophomore studying Media & Communication. They are the Community Editor for The Marlin Chronicle.
Isaac Fick|Marlin Chronicle
Johnson|Marlin Chronicle
Chronicle
Caston Christman|Courtesy Caston “CB” is a freshman studying Sports Management and Media & Communication. He is also on the Men’s Lacrosse team.
McKenna Howenstine| Marlin Chronicle
Elliot Fylstra|Marlin Chronicle
Spring season is underway
The Marlins’ offseason hard work has been put to the test. See their performance thus far.
BY BRIAN MADDEN, COY CAMISCIOLI & SYDNEE WASHINGTON
bvmadden@vwu.edu, clcamiscioli@vwu.edu & sawashington2@vwu.edu
Just past the halfway point in the semester, the Marlins spring sports teams have shown determination as well as the hard work they put in during the off season. Spring sports are underway, ascending into mid-season form.
Softball is having another strong season. The program started the season with a dominant 21-1 record. The Marlins are a perfect 8-0 in ODAC conference play this season. The impressive Marlins season also includes nationally ranked wins against No. 15 Berry College (Ga.) on March 8, No. 1 East Texas Baptist University on March 13 and No. 22 Moravian University on March 15. The Marlins have 14 games left to play in conference and are currently No. 1 in ODAC standings. With their dominant performance thus far, the program will no doubt clinch a spot in the playoffs. The question is, can they achieve a two-peat, adding the 16th championship to their belt?
On the other diamond, the baseball team has not seen the same success thus far. The Marlins are off to a 6-11 record and are 2-8 in conference play. They have snapped their 7 game losing streak after winning both games in their double header against Ferrum. The team remains optimistic through the struggles. “We are having a rough start trying to put everything together, but I think we are starting to figure things out,” sophomore pitcher Aaron Jackson said. The Marlins are currently last in ODAC standings with 12 games left in conference play, which gives them enough time to turn things around and eke out a playoff spot.
The Marlins Men’s Lacrosse team has had a somewhat shaky start. They have started the season 3-6 and have recently fallen short in their first two games of conference play. The Marlins look to get back in the win column and gain some momentum for the rest of their season. They are currently ninth in ODAC standings, so the team needs to win their games against Bridgewater on April 2 and Guilford on April 5 in order to keep the playoff dream alive. They have not beaten Bridgewater since 2015 and Guilford since 2019. In order to come up with the wins, the Marlins need to create more offensive opportunities for themselves, a struggle in their last two losses, as their opponents had the advantage in number of shots, face offs and ground balls. Turnovers can also be a problem for the Marlins, averaging almost 20 a game, which is over 10 more than the turnovers they cause per game (8.89).
Through their first 12 games, Women’s Lacrosse are 7-5 overall and 3-2 in conference play. They started off the season hot, with big wins, scoring 20 goals in two straight games. After the 2-0 start, they fell short in the next 4 games. The Marlins quickly turned things around, however, winning 5 games in a row. This is a huge improvement from last season, as they have already bested their wins column from last year (5). In their most recent game versus Washington & Lee, who is ranked No. 9 in the country, the Marlins were dominated 1-21. Currently, the Marlins are No. 6 in ODAC standings and are on track to snap their three year playoff drought.
Men’s and Women’s Track and Field have participated in several meets so far this spring season as well as hosting the Virginia Beach Spring Break Invitational. After a very cold winter in Virginia Beach, both Marlins teams look to make a seamless transition from indoor to outdoor. Sophomore Quincy Dunn took first place at the Virginia Beach Spring Break Invitational in the long jump and triple jump for the men. Senior Jalen Davis took first place in the shot put in this meet as well. As for the women’s, sophomore Ella Clingenpeel took first place in the 800 meter run at VWU’s hosted event. Many
Marlins claimed top 5’s at this meet in events such as the 1500 meter run, discus throw and hammer throw.
The Marlins Men’s Tennis team started the spring with a 5-7 record and are 3-2 in ODAC play. They had maintained a five game winning streak throughout March, but lost it after their most recent match against Shenandoah University, who is third in ODAC standings. The program currently sits at No. 6 in conference standings, which, if they maintain or improve this standing, will qualify them for the playoffs. The team is led by sophomores Tudor Vlad and Hovo Madanyan as well as senior Carlos Rullan Zarraga in singles. Carlos and his twin brother Rafael lead in doubles with a strong record of 8-2.
Women’s Tennis has started the spring season 4-5 overall and 2-2 in conference play. They have recorded some impressive 7-0 wins this season against Shippensburg and Hollins University and have recently won against conference opponent Shenandoah 6-1. The team is very young, with only one senior on the roster. However, the young talent is very promising as freshmen lead the team in overall wins in singles, and a freshman-sophomore duo lead in doubles wins. Sophomore Lina Hackner believes the team is improving with every match played. “Last year, this team was a lot weaker…so I think with every match we are getting better…against Shenandoah, which is also a really good team like ranked four in the conference, and we won, like we beat them 6-1. So that showed that all matches we’ve played help us get better and get stronger. And we’re working on that in practice, and I think that comes with time. And it gives [us] a lot of hope for the rest of the season,” said Hackner. The Marlins sit at No. 8 in ODAC
standings.
Women’s Golf finished sixth out of 12 in the Pfeiffer Spring Invitational. Sophomore Juliette Coffey led the Marlins finishing the tournament 23 over par. After that the Marlins hosted the Marlin Invitational. The Marlins finished second in this tournament in cold and windy conditions. Two Marlins finished in the top 10 as individuals: Coffey and sophomore captain Haley Davis. “We hope to take the momentum that we have been building and play well at Camp Lejeune,” said Davis. The Marlins head to Camp Lejeune in North Carolina April 4-6 to compete and hope to build some good momentum toward the ODAC championships.
Men’s Golf finished 9th in the Pfeiffer Spring Invitational. Sophomore Avery Barnes was recently named ODAC Men’s Golfer of the Week after winning the Marlin Invitational. Virginia Wesleyan placed second as a team in the event as William Peace University placed first. The Marlins
will hit the road this weekend heading down to Jacksonville, North Carolina to compete at the Camp Lejeune Invitational. The ODAC Golf Championship is around the corner scheduled for April 27-29. The season for Men’s Volleyball is coming to a close with two games left of conference play. The team showed great promise last year despite a losing record and have lived up to that promise this year, boasting a record of 16-8 (7-3 in conference). The team currently sits at No. 3 in conference standings and have clinched their spot in the playoffs. If the team maintains their standing, the Marlins will face off against Roanoke in the semifinals. In regular season play, the Marlins were bested by the Maroons 0-3. The sets were generally close, with the exception of the third set (16-25). The program faces Roanoke once more before the end of the regular season, giving them the time to make the necessary adjustments to keep the championship dream alive.
McKenna Howenstine|Marlin Chronicle Women’s Lacrosse falls to DeSales University on March 10.
Laila Jones|Marlin Chronicle Men’s and Women’s Tennis faced off against Shenandoah University on March 30.
Emilie Dajc|Marlin Chronicle
Oswego State challenges baseball at home on March 16. Softball wins double header versus Randolph College on March 26.
Meena Lennon|Marlin Chronicle
Men’s Lacrosse comes up short in game versus Shenandoah on March 28.
Sarah Richards|Marlin Chronicle
SportS
Marlins take home the ECAC title
BY COY CAMISCIOLI clcamiscioli@vwu.edu
Men’s Basketball soundly defeated Salisbury University 74-50 to win the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference (ECAC) championship. The Marlins proved why they were the No. 1 seed in the tournament, winning all three games by double digits.
The Marlins gained momentum early, taking a 15-4 lead from hot shooting, forcing a Salisbury timeout less than three minutes into the game. Salisbury went on a little run until junior Amari Moorer forced a clutch steal leading to his own emphatic dunk on the other end to go up double digits again.
Salisbury forward Jordan Oates kept the Seagulls in the game with a quick 11 points early on, cutting the deficit to as little as 5 points before the half.
Marlin’s senior Omari DeVeaux responded with a fast answer to begin the second half, knocking down a couple of three-pointers to help build the lead back up for the Marlins. With 11 minutes left, Salisbury trailed by 17 and attempted to go into a 3-2 zone but it was too late for the Seagulls to catch up.
The Marlins didn’t look back after hot shooting to begin the second half outscoring Salisbury 41-24 in the second half. DeVeaux led the Marlins in scoring with 26 points shooting 9-17 from the field in the win.
DeVeaux was also awarded the ECAC tournament MVP after great performances in the games leading up to the championship as well.
“Honestly, it feels good to end the season on a win. Just being able to be happy about something and seeing everyone’s faces not sad after a season made me happy,” DeVeaux said.
The guard recently scored his 1,000th collegiate point after coming back from a devastating knee injury the year before.
“My first game back was special for me because I went through so much to get back to playing basketball,” DeVeaux said.
The Marlins will not have to worry about finding a new guard as DeVeaux will be returning using his medical hardship year and becoming a graduate student.
Senior center Waylo Wilson was the other senior on the Marlins roster, so the majority of the team will get to run it back next season, but Wilson’s presence on and off the court will be missed.
“His impact on the team and just how good a person he is, especially in a teammate setting, is something every team needs to be successful,” DeVeaux said.
Wilson provided a spark on both sides of the court, especially with his interior defense leading the team in blocks with 44 for the year.
The Marlins won’t be losing all of their
size on the glass as junior Amari Moorer will look to take another big step next season after a great year.
“I look to get stronger, faster and in better shape than this past season. I also need to expand my game so teams can’t stop me next season,” Moorer said.
Moorer led the team in rebounds this year with 229 total along with 65 offensive rebounds, causing stress for opposing teams every time the ball hits the rim.
“It feels great to end the season with a win and a championship. Now we can use that as momentum going into next season,” Moorer said.
Moorer’s favorite moment of the season was coming back from down 20 points to defeat Franklin and Marshall College.
The Marlins will be getting back four of their five starters for next year with just Wilson leaving the picture.
Junior guard Khai Seargeant is looking forward to building off the tournament victory.
“I feel like bringing back our core guys is really gonna give us the edge we need to be successful for next season. We mesh really well together, and I think that it will definitely elevate us as we move forward,” Seargeant said.
Seargeant wants to be a go-to guy down the stretch of next season and is looking to improve on his jump shot and strength in the offseason.
“I love being around the guys and playing basketball so every day is a great day when we’re all having fun and playing together,” Seargeant said.
Despite not winning the ODAC conference, the Marlins ended the season with an impressive winning streak, and with few players leaving, they will look to
Sportshead: The MVP race
BY CROSSON MILLER lcmiller@vwu.edu
Sports debates are a microcosm of our society and its participants. We argue with passion and facts, trying to prove the point which we believe in. When it
comes to sports awards, there is almost always a debate as to who should win. Most prolifically, the MVP race for any sport draws in arguments and debates like no other. This year’s NBA MVP is more heated than normal, as two players are having anomaly seasons. Or are they?
Nikola Jokić and Shai GilgeousAlexander are currently battling it out for one of the most contested MVP races in recent memory. Team success is very relevant for judging an MVP, as it helps equate overall player value. GilgeousAlexander is leading the Oklahoma City Thunder as the best team in the Western Conference with 53 wins so far this season. Jokić is not far behind, leading the Denver Nuggets to 42 wins so far, as well as the second seed in the Western Conference. Team success may play a major role in MVP voting, but individual success means more. Jokić is currently averaging 28.9 points, 13.0 rebounds and 10.5 assists per game this season. He is top three league wide in each of those categories. GilgeousAlexander is averaging 32.7 points, 5.1 rebounds and 6.2 assists per game. He leads the league in points per game. When
only considering per game stats, Jokić is more well rounded and contributes more to his team’s success, despite scoring less points than Gilgeous-Alexander.
When looking at advanced statistics, this becomes more clear. Player efficiency rating, or PER, is an advanced metric that measures per-minute production. The league average is 15.0. Currently, Jokić has a PER of 32.3. Gilgeous-Alexander sits at 31.0 this season. Box Plus/Minus, or BPM, measures box score estimates points contributed per 100 possessions, translated to a league average team. This is one of the best metrics for discussing a player’s overall standing. Jokić leads the league (for the fifth straight year) in BPM with 13.6, while Gilgeous-Alexander sports a healthy 11.3. While Gilgeous-Alexander is having an MVP-caliber season, Jokić is just a step above the rest, and could be quietly having the best season in NBA history. Additionally, Jokić currently holds the all-time career records for highest PER and BPM.
While Jokić is already a three time MVP (winning the award in 2021, ‘22 and ‘24), there are two flaws in his case
for this season. Firstly, his Nugget’s team success does not match that of the other candidate, Gilgeous-Alexander’s Thunder. The Nuggets sit 11 games back behind the Thunder in the Western Conference rankings, yet the Nuggets still rank fifth in the league overall. The second knock to Jokić’s case this season is voter fatigue. This is extremely common when a singular player dominates the league for too long. MVP voters begin looking for any excuse to not vote the reigning MVP again, as to create more parity within the league and generate more “superstars” to market the league to the media. Winning this year’s MVP would be Jokić’s fourth in five years, clearly highlighting him as one of the best players in the history of basketball. These factors should be insignificant to an MVP race. As the name implies, an MVP should be the most valuable player on the court for their specific team. Jokić impacts the game on different levels; scoring, spreading the floor, defensively and rebounding. These reasons make him one of the best and most dominant players of our generation, and this year should be no exception.
James Hill|Courtesy
The Marlins huddle together for a team picture after dominating Salisbury.
Mars Johnson
|Marlin Chronicle
Breakfast with the animals
BY KAMI WHISENHUNT kjwhisenhunt@vwu.edu
The Virginia Zoo in Norfolk’s gates swarmed with animal lovers lining up for its annual event: Breakfast with the Animals. On March 8, visitors exclusively experienced seeing animals during their feeding times, with educational dietary chats and breakfast provided by Panera Bread.
“It’s just an opportunity to let guests see the animals early in the morning because they are very active very early in the morning and very late in the day,” Lori Lampert, director of Guest Experience, said.
The event was held from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m., with animal keeper and educator chats spread throughout. Visitors could choose which sessions to attend and view other animals in between. The specific animal keeper chats included zoo farm animals, orangutans, cassowaries, tigers, red river hogs, crocodiles, rhinos and the World of Reptiles. Although these were the set chats, employees were around to answer questions about other animals.
“It’s like a full zoo day crammed into two hours,” Kourtney Houghtaling, events manager, said. “It is full of different keeper chats, we have a mock vet exam that’s happening and then our diet kitchen is
The Animal Wellness Campus hosted The Diet Kitchen Chat led by Nutrition Keeper Yohn Sutton. He educated people on the basics of his everyday job and answered any questions. The mock vet exam and interactive educational activities were set up at the wellness camp too. Many kids participated in this interactive section with food sorting, vet play and diet matching.
“I usually go through about 100 to about 200 diets a day that I make for all the animals. We have over 600 animals here, so I do all the different diet sheets for every single one of them,” Sutton said.
Breakfast with the Animals is a popular event that still leaves time and space for up close and personal encounters. Throughout the event, different animals were seen eating cheerios. Sutton said that is because they are often used as an enrichment activity for the animals to create stimulation and engagement.
Sutton said the zoo receives 1,000 pounds of produce weekly, including sweet potatoes, carrots, various lettuces and squash. The zoo also receives 8,000 pounds of meat every two months, including fish and rodents.
He said this is all used for animal feed but not all the animals eat daily, so some receive food less frequently.
served at a Panera Bread sponsored tent and other foods like bacon, sausage, yogurt, fresh fruit, cheese sticks and granola bars were available under the pavilion. The juice was provided by Coca-Cola and other drink options were complimentary coffee or mimosas by purchase.
“It’s been really fun and interactive. It’s been good to get one-on-one time with the animals and hear from zoo keepers,” guest Maddie Brown said.
During the orangutan keeper chat, guests watched them eat Cheerios and lettuce. The mom orangutan was also carrying her new baby around. The zoo farm chat included sheep encounters as they grazed on their morning grass. Guests could talk to the keepers after they gave a short rundown on the sheeps’ diet and routine.
“It is also a fundraiser for us, so because this event is separately ticketed, the money goes into a different pot that then supports our education programs, and different things that are not just supported by general
admission,” Lampart said.
Lampart said the zoo has a full education team that works to help keep the community educated on its animals. The education team talks in schools and has different outreach programs come into the zoo. “Our education team really has the guest engagement piece for us at the events that we organize,” Lampart said.
Events help the zoo to reach different markets of people. For example, they have adult-only events for those who may not visit on a regular day.
The animals are more active during these morning hours and some are even up and eating, giving people the chance to take fun photos. The Virginia Zoo’s mascot Tango the Tiger was also bouncing around to greet people for photos. Breakfast with the Animals is more educational than visiting during regular operating hours because of the keeper chats, dietitians and interactive elements available. The address for the zoo is 3500 Granby St, Norfolk, VA 23504.
Get out of this world at Half Moon
BY ABEE CASSIDY arcassidy@vwu.edu
In visiting Half Moon Music, a hippie inspired store at the Virginia Beach oceanfront, Noah Baker, a manager, gave his insights and experiences there. Half Moon is a hippie-style and cool vibe store that has sold music, clothing, art pieces, hats, tie-dye apparel and much more since 1988. The store specializes in Grateful Dead and tour-style clothing and gear. When walking in, you’re not sure where to look first.
There is a large selection of antiques and items hanging from the ceiling. “It’s a lot of clothing for hippie ladies and an almost museum of fun little stuff,” Baker said. You don’t need to worry about finding parking as they have customer parking right at the store.This store is known for its down-to-earth atmosphere. “We try to make it laid back and incorporate the whole hippie mindset,” Baker said.
Half Moon is right by the beach, a few blocks from the boardwalk, so they usually attract tourists. Their hours are from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Hours are extended during the summer because of tourists. This store gets recognized by all the art murals painted on the side of the building by
local VB artists. “People come in being like ‘oh I saw that, we drive by it all the time,’” Baker said. The interesting look of the store’s exterior attracts local and touring customers. “A lot of tourists come in here not knowing what we are,” Baker said.
The murals on the outside give this gift shop a nice touch of what you’re going to expect when walking in. They’re vibrant and a beautiful visual expression of vibrant colors, mushrooms, flowers and animals with themes of peace, love and psychedelics all over the place. Atmospheric decoration continues throughout the interior. The inside consists of saturated vibrant colors and is decorated from top to bottom. The store has windows you can look into while passing to give you the gist of the content inside.
Older hippies and teenagers are a part of the large demographic that shop at Half Moon. “Young teenage girls and sixty and up are most of our people,” Baker said. The top sellers right now are pants and patches. “The biggest selling thing is womens’ harem flare pants and patches lately, surprisingly,” Baker said. Bakers favorite item that they sell is a new product they had shipped in around March 21. “We just got a bunch of new tie-dyes of our store logo and I’m really happy with the way they turned out,” Baker said. These shirts are not only for employees, as customers can buy them too.
You can purchase items at Half Moon online but you’d be missing out on the breathtaking murals that are worth going to see everything. If you don’t make a purchase it’s still worth going. You don’t have to be a teenage girl or a sixty-year-old to make a purchase, either. Located on 305 16th St, Virginia Beach, VA 2345, it’s about a 20 minute drive from VWU.
Kami Whisenhunt|Marlin Chronicle
Charlie the bongo is one of many animals up bright and early at the Virginia Zoo.
Abee Cassidy|Marlin Chronicle
Half Moon is filled with everything groovy and has a mural outside to match. See the shop’s interior (ABOVE) and exterior views (BELOW).
Kami Whisenhunt|Marlin Chronicle
An iguana explores a cereal box during Breakfast with the Animals.
BY LORA YOUNG llyoung@vwu.edu
Barbie out of the box
Barry Art Museum brings Barbie to life through the decades.
The Barry Art Museum, affiliated with Old Dominion University (ODU), has rotating exhibits year round. “Out of the Box: A Barbie Doll Retrospective” is an exhibit that debuted on March 7. The exhibit focuses on Barbie’s history as a design icon and allows people to investigate the processes behind Barbie and her wardrobe. Being a fashion figure while inspiring young girls and breaking social cues, Barbie has been a major part of popular culture for decades.
The museum collaborated with the ODU theatre department and local artists to bring Barbie’s style to life, paying homage to the interiors of her dream houses and other iconic accessories. The museum also partnered with Bradley Justice Yarbrough, an expert on Barbie dolls.
As you enter Gallery two, the first half of the exhibit is focused on reviewing the history of fashion dolls, as well as their
influence on the Barbie concept. There are a variety of different historical dolls from the 19th and 20th centuries showcasing evolving fashion.
There were many fashion dolls featured before Barbie. Madame Alexander, recognized as a doll trailblazer, is a featured designer. She founded The Madame Alexander Doll Company and introduced many standard ideas for doll manufacturers, including using plastic as a primary construction material.
She debuted a full-figured fashion doll years before the Barbie doll was introduced. The dolls featured in this section are all dainty and old-fashioned looking. There were porcelain dolls as well as bisque and wooden dolls. The extensive wardrobe and accessories of dolls was popular in 19th century France.
Other doll makers, Adelaide Huret and her sister Leopaldine, are featured for their extreme attention to detail when making high-quality dolls and accessories. They produced seasonal wardrobes ensuring that customers would continue buying from them year around. This business
helped the Huret sisters become successful entrepreneurs.
Splitting the two sections apart in the middle is a house-shaped arch, which features paper dolls all over the antique doll side.
The paper dolls were produced between 1900 and 1960. A placard on the wall said that the wallpaper was designed by an ODU alumnus, Mason Hurd, who based the paper dolls off of the personal collection of Margaret Cheney. On the Barbie side of the wall, there is a designer spotlight for Jack Ryan.
According to the spotlight, Ryan joined Mattel after originally working on missile designs for the aerospace company Raytheon. With his engineering knowledge, Ryan was able to create the different movements Barbies can make such as the twist and turn of the waist and the knee joints that click.
As you move to the right, there is a showcase of different Barbies that students on the ODU campus picked out to display. The unique Barbies featured range from Jell-O Barbie to Mickey Mouse Barbie.
As you continue walking, you notice an army of Ken dolls featuring some that people didn’t know existed; Earring Magic Ken and Dreamboat Ken are two examples. The left side of the wall displays almost a century of Barbies, showing each decade’s most popular Barbies.
A key aspect of the exhibit pays homage to some of the most influential parts of Barbie in our culture; for example, the designer spotlight for Kitty Black Perkins. This spotlights the first Black Barbie doll, which was made in 1980.
“They were usually introduced as
Barbies’ friends or background characters, but there was never a stand alone individual Black Barbie,” Cheyenne, an ODU student working the exhibit, said.
She thought that this Barbie was inspiring, seeing how the doll shows the power of imagination, while symbolizing the importance of diverse representation in mainstream culture. Now Mattel, the company that owns Barbie, has produced dozens of Black Barbie dolls.
This exhibit is not aimed at a specific age group, but rather at the whole family. It offers an opportunity to celebrate your childhood while appreciating the artists behind the work.
“I love seeing little girls come in and it makes them feel in awe,” Cheyenne said.
CNBC reported that due to the Barbie movie, Mattel has seen a significant surge in Barbies sales totaling a 16% increase. A lot more people may be interested in going to see this pop-up exhibit after seeing the movie. One Barbie from the movie featured on the decades wall is the Barbie
Inline Skating Doll.
Caston Christman, a freshman at Virginia Wesleyan University, took Dr. Sally Shedd’s Wesleyan seminar Barbie class offered this past semester and attended the
“It was really fun making the connections on what I had learned in class to the real items on display,” Christman said.
The exhibit is open until July 31. The address is 1075 W 43rd St, Norfolk VA. It is free admission to enter. If you are interested in seeing the pop-up, but can’t make it by the museum, check out their website for
Tim Hortons graces Norfolk
Hortons throughout the rest of Canada and, eventually, around the world.
BY AVERY BELISLE agbelisle@vwu.edu
Canadian quality and hockey heritage have arrived in Norfolk with the opening of a brand-new Tim Hortons café. Tim Hortons, named after its co-founder, hockey legend Tim Horton, is the largest fast-food restaurant chain in Canada and has been expanding into the United States since 1984. Now Norfolk hosts Virginia’s very first location.
Tim Hortons was originally founded in 1964 in Hamilton, Ontario by Tim Horton and businessman Jim Charade, with a focus on providing affordable coffee and simple baked goods to Canadians. Initially, the business struggled as Horton had to find a way to balance hockey and business, but with the help of Ron Joyce, former police officer turned businessman, Tim Hortons underwent a series of internal reforms. These reforms shaped Tim Hortons into the business it is today: one focused on consistency, quality and affordability for all customers. Brand loyalty spread quickly throughout Ontario in the late 1960s, and Tim Hortons was poised for great success. Tragically, Horton died in a car accident leaving his wife, Lori Horton, his share of the company, which was later sold to Joyce. Joyce oversaw a rapid expansion of Tim
Despite the international expansion of Tim Hortons, it has proudly embraced its Canadian roots. The Norfolk location especially has showcased a strong connection to Canadian identity, sporting Canadian iconography both inside and outside of the restaurant. Outside of the restaurant, there are two large maple leaf-shaped signs, a clear reference to the centerpiece of the Canadian national flag. To enter the restaurant, customers pull open doors with hockey stick-shaped door handles and are immediately greeted by a life size mural of Tim Horton in his Buffalo Sabres uniform, alongside a short biography of the hockey icon. The spacious café has a variety of different seating options, from couch-like lounge chairs and coffee tables to high-top wooden stools. Windows on nearly every wall provide copious amounts of natural light, highlighting the light white and grey walls and the sandy-colored wood finishing of the interior. The walls are peppered with references to Canada’s famous nature and wildlife, such as posters of picturesque mountain ranges and a series of comical images of Canadian geese in costumes, drinking Tim Hortons coffee.
The menu features various breakfast items and a large selection of flavored drinks. Customers can choose from donuts, pastries (Tim Hortons is known for their apple fritters) and the famous bite-sized “Timbits” (which are Tim Hortons-style donut holes with unique flavors). For those who are craving something more savory, there are also plenty of options, ranging from breakfast sandwiches to breakfast burritos and a couple savory pastries. Drink options naturally include coffee, both iced and hot, but also extend into chai and matcha lattes and “Iced Capps,” a frozen coffee beverage known for its sweet and interesting flavors. Tim Hortons also regularly features specialty promotions, the current one being Nutella-themed. Guests can indulge in a Nutella-infused cold foam on top of their beverage or a flaky croissant filled with Nutella and topped with whipped cream.
“I was very excited to go to a new spot here in VA. I love trying new things, especially when it’s with my friends. I
didn’t know what I was expecting when I got there, but I’m glad that I didn’t. I was fighting with myself to make a decision, but the Breakfast Burrito and Refresher at Tim Hortons was just what I needed. It was so delicious and refreshing; pun intended. I highly recommend this spot for anyone else in the Virginia Beach area,” first-time Tim Hortons customer and sophomore Marquez Glover said.
“The Honey Cruller was sweet, airy and delicious. It was my first time trying it: now I’ll have to go to Tim Hortons to get more for myself,” sophomore Jaylin Diggs, another first-time customer, said.
Whether one is driving past in Norfolk, Virginia or Hamilton, Ontario, the sight of the bright red maple leaf sporting “Tims” means good prices, great food and fantastic drinks.
Landon Crooks|Marlin Chronicle
Lora Young|Marlin Chronicle Barbie has worn almost every costume imaginable, with a variety shown here.
Thomas Ferlet|Courtesy Sophomore Avery Belisle happily tries Tim’s Strawberry-Coconut Refresher at Norfolk’s new Canadian café.
Mattel, Barbie|Courtesy
Lora Young|Marlin Chronicle Barbies from the 2020s on display at Barry. This is one of many decades showcased, spanning Barbie’s 70-year timeline.
Avery Belisle|Marlin Chronicle Some snacks from Tims brand new location.