Apr 8th, 2021

The Sound Off: construction’s impact on campus life

New spectator policy

OPINIONS Page 6

SPORTS Page 8

Nike shoe design gives 757 its shine

WEEKENDER Page 10

The Marlin Chronicle

THURSDAY 4.8.21 || MARLINCHRONICLE.VWU.EDU

VIRGINIA WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY

Lighthouse services Survey shows campus vaccination progress As COVID-19 vaccines continue their distribution, 157 respondents to a Chronicle aim to revitalize survey offer insight into how the Marlin community is faring on the issue. study abroad plans

BY LAUREN FAULKNER lafaulkner@vwu.edu

As the Virginia Wesleyan Community continues to adapt during their third COVID-19 semester, students across the world are still not allowed to participate in their study away programs due to the current situation.

Virginia Wesleyan’s Lighthouse has been trying to keep this experiential learning alive through multiple virtual events, video series and continue to prepare for a time when it will return.

Mandy Reinig, Director of Study Away for the Lighthouse, has been working with the Lighthouse team, students, and alumni to create these virtual events such as Being a Woman Abroad, It’s Too Expensive….And 7 Other Study Away Lies, How to Complete Your ISEP Application, How to Complete your VWU Global Scholars Application and How to Start Your Study Abroad

See LIGHTHOUSE Page 4 A survey regarding public opinion about COVID-19 and ccmerk@vwu.edu the vaccination process was compiled by Chronicle staff and shared via email and social media to the VWU campus community. It was completed from March 25 - April 2. There were 157 total responses: 107 (68.2%) students, 30 (19.1%) faculty, and 20 (12.7%) staff. 79.6% of respondents live in Virginia while a majority of the out-of-state respondents are from Maryland, North Carolina, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

Respondents were asked a series of questions via Google Forms. Results showed that the campus overall has not started the vaccination process but are overwhelmingly in favor of the vaccine and do not have a strong prefBY CONNOR MERK

The Lighthouse|Courtesy Students hope to make study away and study abroad plans again, as Kayleen Meinen ‘21 had, shown here on her trip to Costa Rice in Spring 2020.

erence for which vaccine they receive.

In the survey, 53.5% of respondents stated that they have not started the vaccination process, 13.4% have finished, and 33.1% have started either by scheduling an appointment or are partially vaccinated. When asked their eligibility, 35.7% said they were not currently eligible while 25.5% stated that they were because of their job, 17.2% listed a pre-existing condition, 10.2% said random opportunity, and 4.5% listed age.

As of April 6, the Virginia Public Access Project has calculated using information from the Virginia Department of Health that 33.2% of Virginians have been given at least one dose of the vaccine while 18.4% or nearly 1.6 million Virginians are fully vaccinated.

Adjunct professor Dr. Tanya Arney ‘09 has work and educational experience in the public health profession.

She also taught in the Masters of Health Administration program at Virginia Commonwealth University as well as social ethics at the Tidewater Community College Norfolk campus. The course she teaches at VWU, SOC 351 Medical Sociology, involves examining social and economic aspects as well as the theory and practicality of public health.

Like most other things, COVID-19 has had an impact on the layout of the class. Arney tested positive with COVID-19 right before the start of the semester, which meant she had to teach completely remotely during that duration of time. Even when she was not sick, it was still a challenging experience.

“In all honesty, I wasn’t prepared for what the pandemic has presented - and then trying to teach online. It’s like Whack-a-Mole; every time somebody gets released to come back to class, somebody else goes out,” Arney said.

“It breaks my heart,

See VACCINE Page 2

Young volleyball team surges early

BY STEVEN SERRANO-CRUZ sdserranocruz@vwu.edu

The VWU Volleyball team began this 2021 season with the foot on the gas pedal, winning the last three matches that they have played. As for now, the team stands in the second position in the ODAC conference with a 3-0 record.

The team has experienced the outcomes that this pandemic has brought in sports. Their first game with fans was on March 27 when they faced Ferrum Panthers. “The first place that we have fans was

only for the game against Ferrum, people are doing home spectators and that is pretty much across the board in our conference,” Volleyball team head coach Andrea Hoover said. However, she expressed that the team has adapted very well to these new norms.

“They have just been awesome, really resilient and have persevered; they have done an amazing job,” Hoover said.

The Volleyball team this season counts with 5 freshmen in comparison to the 2019 Volleyball team who was a pretty heavy senior team. Coach Hoover

expressed that all of these 5 freshmen play an important role in the team “All of them contribute, they are competing for playing time, some are consistently on the floor, some are competing in practice to get opportunities.

But they all at some point in the season have been part of our starting lineup and they have brought a lot to what we are doing right now.” Hoover said.

“Our lineup looks different, but I do not think that is a team rebuild. We want to continue to

See VOLLEYBALL Page 7

Bing Images|Courtesy

Finding the podcast for you

Weekender writer Phoebe Cox explores the rise of podcasts and how to get started listening.

BY PHOEBE COX pecox@vwu.edu

Anthony Wilson|Marlin Chronicle Haley Sutton sets a pass for the charging Sydney Collins during a match at TowneBank Arena.

BE CONNECTED!

Podcasts are a form of media that have been around since the 1980s. Originally reserved for those select few who had access to the internet alongside with a technological device of some sorts, they were not initially popular. However, as the masses have gained common access to these former luxuries, podcasts have soared in popularity, especially during the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus.

Podcasts are a beautiful medium through which people from all over the world can share their thoughts and experiences. There

are countless others besides the ones listed in this article that contain this symbolic essence of humanness that so many of us are striving for. Whether you’re looking for some relaxing background noise, something to get your brain cogs turning, or simply just something to make you laugh, podcasts have got your back.

Numerous celebrities have found podcasts to be a useful medium to broadcast their thoughts and entertainments right into the ears of quarantined and lonely individuals. As the weather gets warmer and as spring activities start to pick up, you

See PODCAST Page 9

KEEP UP WITH THE LATEST AT @MARLINCHRONICLE AND @VWU_MARLINS

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News

VACCINE CONTINUED FROM PG. 1

The survey received 157 responses: 107 students, 30 faculty, and 20 staff members.

Of the 29 responses offering an explanation as to why they were “Not In Favor,” each response was codified into one of the four above categories, with counts indicated here.

quite frankly, because the students I have right now are not getting the same experience. So, I wish I could do like part two, post pandemic. I think we’re all trying to just navigate through this challenging time.”

Arney received the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine through Kroger pharmacy and explained the importance of trusting the vaccination as well as the regulatory process. “People say ‘Oh, they took it to the market and they didn’t take the time.’ Vaccines take years and years, but the FDA has through the emergency use authorizations, and that is still a very highly strict process,” Arney stated. “Yes, they are able to push them through, but you’re talking about hundreds of people [working on this].” She also mentioned that the company she works for, which put the first HIV test on the market, has redirected all of their resources to COVID-19 and has been working around the clock.

The answer to the dichotomous question, what is your view on the vaccine? 79% said they were in favor (I have received / will receive the vaccine) while 21% said they were not In favor (I do not wish to receive the vaccine at this time). Additionally, the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was the most preferred with 22.8%, then 11% for Moderna, 9.4% for Johnson & Johnson and 52% stated no preference.

The survey allowed the option for respondents who were not in favor of the vaccine to describe why. Responses included “I don’t need it. I’m not at risk and I’d rather not take a risk on a new vaccine for a disease that I’m incredibly unlikely to die from,” “I feel that it’s not safe and unnatural; if they could come out with a vaccine that fast then why aren’t other vaccines created for equivalent serious diseases or viruses,” and “I would rather people

who need it or are higher risk to get it before me.”

When asked what her message would be to those that are hesitant to get the vaccine, Arney responded that it is still better to vaccinate because previous research has

A breakdown is shown among students and faculty/ staff by their preference “In Favor” or “Not In Favor” of receiving a COVID-19 vaccine.

Students in favor: 76 (48.4%) Faculty/Staff in favor: 48 (30.6%) Students not in favor: 31 (19.7%) Faculty/Staff not in favor: (1.2%)

shown that it assists in eradicating diseases. “I don’t think we are going to get rid of this virus. Viruses are viruses, but as medical technology enhances and evolves we can do better and lessen that,” Arney said. “Like HIV, you can have that and live for many years with a good quality life.

The alternative is worse.”

In reference to people afraid of the vaccine and its side effects, she implores those to consider the regulatory process of the Food and Drug Administration. “There are so many things that are rushed to market and my biggest argument against it would be, you don’t think twice about a vitamin, vitamins aren’t regulated at all. Or if you are trying to lose weight, you’re willing to take an addictive stimulant and there is no regulation around that, but you are afraid to take something that has gone through a very stringent protocol,” Arney said.

She also stated that the United States is very lucky with having the FDA because they are extremely strict regarding their processes. “The thing is there will always be a risk,” Arney said. “There is a risk when you go into the doctor’s office for surgery, but you have to weigh the risks and benefits.”

This survey was created and distributed informally among the VWU community and should not be taken as formal empirical research.

Construction begins outside Boyd Dining Hall Virginia Wesleyan students are no stranger to renovations and improvements around campus, and the construction outside of Boyd Dining Center is one more project for students to look forward to. The renovations began in mid-March when the familiar, friendly face of the John Wesley statue found a new home in front of Monumental Chapel & Beazley Recital Hall, which Jason Seward, the associate vice president for campus life and operational management, calls a “more fitting and appropriate location.”

These plans were made in 2016 when the Campus Master Plan was finalized with the help of Derck & Edson, an architecture firm from Litiz, Pennsylvania. According to Seward, construction is expected to begin in May and be completed in early 2022. The architect of this project is Michael Schnekser of Tymoff + Moss.

Earlier renovations that came from this plan included the improvements to the Founders Foyer, the President’s Dining Room, and the Board of Trustees Suite also known as the Shafer Room. The current construction project will result in extra outdoor dining space and new entrances

BY RHIAN TRAMONTANA rjtramontana@vwu.edu

Office of the President|Courtesy Future configuration of Brock Commons, digitallyimagined here, is expected to be completed in late 2021. to the dining center. This new area will be named Brock Commons, in honor of Trustee Emerita Joan Brock and her late husband Macon. Trustee Brock is a longtime benefactor of the University and has made a generous gift to Virginia Wesleyan University to fund the construction.

Dr. Miller has previously been quoted as saying that the intent of this renovation is to “increase efficiency, streamline services, and enhance the student experience at

Virginia Wesleyan.”

Freshman Elias Kenworthy has concerns about the fact that the construction is requiring students to go out of their way to enter the building, which could be “somewhat detrimental to the student organization tables who usually have a more consistent flow of traffic through the dining hall center.” He also points out that oftentimes “the construction workers are not wearing masks,” and it’s a “potential risk to students.”

Sophomore Amruta Karkare has a more hopeful view of the project. She believes that the renovations make the quad “a lot more inviting,” saying that having picnic tables, as the plan shows, is really important. According to her, VWU may be a small school but “you still want to get to know people.” Karkare noticed that picnic tables seem to be a staple at other universities, and found it strange that Virginia Wesleyan did not have any.

However, Karkare looks forward to the fact that the completion of the project will improve the space greatly.

She has missed being able to have lunch with friends because of new regulations this year, and the new plaza helps to alleviate this necessary problem caused by COVID-19 and social distancing guidelines.

COVID-19 cases rise with one month left of semester

BY CONNOR MERK ccmerk@vwu.edu

According to the past several updates from the Emergency Response Team, there has been a steady increase of COVID-19 cases. There were three confirmed cases between March 12 and March 18, eight confirmed cases between March 19 and 26 and seven confirmed cases between March 26 and April 1. This brings the total number of cumulative confirmed cases to 52 and 43 total cleared cases thus far in the spring semester as of April 2.

The VWU Emergency Response Team also mentioned that they will continue to restrict social gatherings on and off campus after Governor Northam increased the limited capacity for them. “We know our campus community is tired, and rightfully so, but we aren’t out of the woods yet and must continue to keep one another safe,” the email on April 2 stated.

President Miller’s April 2021 issue of his monthly newsletter titled “A Spring of Optimism and Impatience” expressed the announcement that students, faculty and staff should plan on returning to fully in-person learning for the fall semester.

“We are optimistic that the availability and prevalence of vaccines will greatly increase throughout Virginia and the nation by the summer and are impatient for the return of normalcy come fall,” Miller said.

According to the Virginia Department of Health, as of April 6, Virginia has had over 627,000 total confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19, over 26,000 confirmed and probable hospitalizations, and nearly 10,000 confirmed and probable deaths. Regarding localities near VWU, Virginia Beach has had 33,615 cases of COVID-19 and

Connor Merk|Marlin Chronicle Norfolk has had 16,406 cases as of April 6.

Other universities in our region are facing this challenge as well. For example, Old Dominion University, which has 24,000 students, had 30 confirmed cases between March 26 and April 2. Norfolk State University, which has 5,000 students, has 65 positive COVID-19 cases as of March

31. As of April 6, Christopher Newport University, which also has 5,000 students, currently has five active student cases with a total of 282 cumulative cases in 2021. Also, William & Mary, which has 8,000 students, has 43 active cases as of April 6.

News

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Thursday April 8, 2021 The Marlin Chronicle marlinchronicle.vwu.edu

Digital media lab provides space for multitude of functions

BY SHIRELL WASHINGTON sawashington@vwu.edu Two weeks ago, Virginia Wesleyan University installed seventeen computers and terminals, along with MIDI controllers, in the new Digital Media Lab located in the recently renovated Susan T. Beverly Hall.

The new addition to Beverly Hall “will have classes taught in it starting in the fall of 2021,” Director of Choral Activities and Chair of the Fine and Performing Arts Department Bryson Mortensen said. The Digital Media Lab was made possible by generous grants and gifts for the renovateions of Susan T. Beverly Hall according to an Instagram post made by VWU President Scott D. Miller.

This new addition will provide more learning opportunities, research opportunities and resources for the art major students here at Virginia Wesleyan.

“The idea for the lab was conceived as we finished raising money for the update of the Susan T. Beverly Hall. We spent a lot of time discussing and brainstorming different ways that we could make use of the various spaces in the building, and how we could benefit as many students and as many areas as possible,” Mortensen said.

The lab will provide a multiude of functions as it will mainly host classes for art, theatre, photography and music.

Mortensen also stated that the lab includes equipment for students who are interested in learning about virtual reality and sound recording as well as for students who do tech for theatre to learn about various design software. Classes will mostly be taught in a lab format and “there will be

additional lab hours for students to work in the lab on their individual projects,” Mortensen said.

The new digital media lab itself is equipped with seventeen terminals, and seventeen computer stations, with each computer station having its very

that is “equipped with the ability to have each individual computer present to the screen.” Each computer is “equipped with upgraded audio and video cards as well as detailed processors,” Mortensen said.

Additionally, the lab will also be used by the VWU Esports team. As they already

Office of the President|Courtesy

own MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) controllers that allow computers, musical instruments and other hardware to communicate. There is a huge screen on the front wall facing the computer stations

have their own Esports Arena located in the Jane P. Batten Student Center, the new digital media lab will also serve as additional space for the team in the coming future. “The team would primarily be

using this space to allow for more practice availability, as we currently support teams for three different games. Allowing these players to have adequate practice can pose a challenge at times because of match schedules as well as the class schedules of our players. Also, with our concern for the safety of our players, this allows for appropriate spacing during the pandemic,” Assistant Director of Enterprise Resources and Director of Esports Glenn Johnson said.

Though the computers are initially designed for digital art and music classes, the computers are still functional and compatible to be used for gaming purposes as well. “The computers for the new lab are designed with digital art in mind. Digital art systems naturally have very high specs and are usually designed to be at least similar in quality to that of a good gaming computer.”

The new lab allows for Esports to host their live streams or matches there, “however, we will primarily host our streams from the Esports Arena,” Johnson said.

“Our goal as we designed the digital media lab was for it to be something that is useful for as many areas of the arts as possible...this space used to be the Studio Theatre, originally used for acting and senior capstones, as those classes move to the Hofheimer Theatre, this was a natural transition for the space,” Mortensen said.

BHC initiates fifth year with new dean

BY JACK PALMER jrpalmerr@vwu.edu On the morning of March 15, students, faculty and staff were greeted with a “Nota Bene” from President Miller announcing the new Dean of the Batten Honors College (BHC), Dr. Travis Malone. At the end of the academic year, Dr. Joyce Easter, the founding BHC Dean, will return to the academic realm as a professor of chemistry.

Dr. Malone came to Virginia Wesleyan University (VWU) with a PhD in Theatre from Bowling Green State University,

Kat Vanden Berg|Marlin Chronicle

a master’s degree from Kansas State University, and a bachelor’s degree from Sterling College. He is currently a Professor of Theatre in the Susan S. Goode School of Arts and Humanities. Formerly, he served as the school’s founding dean.

An interview was conducted with Dr. Malone in an effort for students to become more acquainted with him: How did you come into this position?

As former Dean of the Goode School of Arts and Humanities, I regularly assisted with recruiting for the Batten Honors College. I have also taught the senior class in the fall and will do so again in the next academic year.

What are you most looking forward to as the new Dean of the Batten Honors College?

As Dean, I will continue to expand opportunities for BHC students to understand the value of the liberal arts and life-long learning. Having passions and the opportunity to combine those with the passion of a

major or area of study can be one of the strongest inspirations for innovation. The liberal arts teaches us the value of multiple perspectives - perspectives in context, perspectives of others, and perspectives of discipline outside of our own majors.

Context matters, but only so far as we allow ourselves the space to listen to what others have to say.

True innovation comes from the risk and the space to explore ideas in their fullest.

What valuable experiences/ perspectives can/will you bring to the students in the Batten Honors College?

I understand the value of the liberal arts to our understanding of each other and the world. As an undergraduate student, I received a fellowship to study with the Earthwatch Foundation. I spent two separate summers studying spotted owls in the Sierra Mountains. While there, we conducted population censuses of owls and the mammals (mice, chipmunk, and flying squirrel) that comprise their food source.

The goal was to study the

relationship between the owls, especially in the difference between east/west slope habitats.

The findings of our work were used by the foundation in their campaign for environmental sustainability and threatened species. Even though I went on to work in theatre and entertainment, I still read frequently and support organizations devoted to environmental sustainability. That experience fueled a love of lifelong learning for me. Even today, I have produced and directed productions focused around sustainability. I look for more ways to help students understand that study and passions don’t have to begin or end with graduation, they can go for a lifetime.

Are there any changes you are looking to bring to the Batten Honors College as the new Dean?

I look forward to helping current and future students under the mentorship of our amazing VWU faculty colleagues to explore future growth for the Honors College, including stronger crosscampus collaboration, expanded internship opportunities, and

cross-disciplinary research leadership and innovation.

in

If you are planning a study away course with BHC students, where would you like to go?

I will be co-teaching a study away course to Tokyo, Japan in May 2022. In the study away experience, students from the BHC and VWU Global Campus/ Lakeland University Japan will conduct a summit surrounding issues on the role of women in global society.

Dr. Malone concluded the interview with a message for all BHC students: I am very excited to build upon the great foundations established

by Dr. Easter. The Batten Honors College will continue to build upon those traditions and evolve to adapt to changes across the country and around the world. The goal is always to help students expand their skills in leadership, collaboration, communication, innovation and environmental stewardship.

Parties differ on nomination method for statewide offices Virginia’s Republicans will be voting through a process of an unassembled convention on May 8, and Virginia’s Democrats will be voting through the primary method on June 8.

Voters will soon

BY BRIANNA SANDY be choosing their bnsandy@vwu.edu party’s candidates for a number of Virginia state offices, including governor and lieutenant governor, attorney general and Virginia House of Delegates. The Democratic Party will be hosting a primary election on June 8. The Republican Party has chosen the route of an unassembled convention on May 8. If you’re a registered voter in Virginia and wish to vote for the candidate your party will send to the general election, the process for each party is outlined below.

In December 2020, the Republican Party of Virginia (RPV) controversially voted to hold a convention instead of a primary. The RPV State Convention will be held as an ‘unassembled convention’ this year due to the coronavirus, which makes it impossible for the convention to gather in person. State Sen. Amanda Chase (R) filed suit against the RPV, arguing that the convention is illegal under current executive orders instituted by Governor Ralph Northam

Emily Uzzle|Marlin Chronicle regarding COVID-19, but the lawsuit was dismissed.

On May 8, between the hours of 9am4pm, locations across Virginia will be open for delegates to come and cast their votes in person. There will be seven candidates on the ballot for governor. These include current state Sen. Amanda Chase, current state Delegate Kirk Cox, former CEO of the Center for European Policy Analysis

Peter Doran, former Roanoke County Sheriff Octavia Johnson, self-styled “Conservative Colonel” and Air Force veteran Sergio de la Pena, entrepreneur Pete Snyder and former co-CEO of the Carlyle Group Glenn Youngkin.

If you wish to be a delegate in this convention, you must register by your locality’s deadline with the Delegate Filing Form. You will need to send your

information by email or mail to your unit chairman, so that they can finish the registration process for you. Virginia Beach residents had until April 7 to submit their paperwork.

Without submitting the Delegate Filing Form, you will not be able to vote for which candidates progress to the general elections for the Republican Party.

The process for Democratic voters is somewhat more simplistic. A primary election will be held at your normal voting locations on June 8, and will be conducted much like the general election. Current Governor Ralph Northam (D) is unable to run for office again under Virginia state law, which prohibits governors holding the seat for two consecutive terms.

Previous Governor Terry McAuliffe is the frontrunner for the Democratic Party, although he has several challengers, including current Lieutenant Governor Justin Fairfax. Other candidates include ex-Delegate Jennifer Carroll Foy, current Delegate Lee J. Carter, and current state Senator Jennifer McClellan.

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The

MARLIN CHRONICLE Editor-in-Chief Alex Powers ampowers@vwu.edu Managing Editor Nicholas Mundy namundy@vwu.edu News Editor Connor Merk ccmerk@vwu.edu Community Editor Lauren Faulkner lafaulkner@vwu.edu Opinions Editor Dalton Powers dmpowers@vwu.edu Sports Editors Nicholas Mundy namundy@vwu.edu Anthony Wilson alwilson@vwu.edu Weekender Editor Tiffany Warren tawarren@vwu.edu Photo Editor Erin Highsmith eehighsmith@vwu.edu Illustrations Editor Emily Uzzle ebuzzle@vwu.edu Online Editor Ash Dobrenen akdobrenen@vwu.edu Copy Editor Brianna Sandy bnsandy@vwu.edu Advertising Manager Alyssa Lane amlane@vwu.edu Adviser Dr. Lisa Lyon Payne lpayne@vwu.edu

Community LIGHTHOUSE CONTINUED FROM PG. 1 Program Search. All of these video series events can be found on the VWU Lighthouse Youtube Page which is linked on their VWU webpage.

Even though students are not currently able to study away this semester, Reinig is working with students directly to plan their future experiences for whenever they are able to return. Currently there is a plan for students to study abroad in Fall 2021 with the 9 students currently registered in the Global Scholars program, however nothing is official yet.

“It’s the unknown that is the most challenging because you don’t know when things are going to reopen, you don’t know what the restrictions are going to be...so many unknowns...It’s frustrating because I do not have an answer” said Reinig.

The Lighthouse has plans to return Study Away as soon as possible, including some plans lining up for January Term 2022, Spring 2022, and Summer 2022. Even though nothing is confirmed yet, the faculty and staff of VWU have been working to create trips for the future. Such trips include Dr. Doug Kennedy’s trip to Maui, Hawaii, Dr. Terry Lindvall’s trip to Oxford, England and many of the Batten Honors College study away courses that had

to be deferred. Even though these trips are not open for registration yet, students can continue to plan their study away trips for the future.

“It will recover because there are so many benefits to studying abroad and so many people want it back...people see how much benefit there is when it’s gone,” explained Reinig.

Charlotte Weinstein, a Batten Honors College sophomore and Global Scholar, is scheduled to study at Tokyo International in the fall 2021 semester. “I have been wanting to study away for years and it is so close to becoming a reality. The fact that it can be snatched away in a second is terrifying,” said Weinstein. She continues to prepare for her program like normal with the help of the Lighthouse staff, and is willing to adapt to any changes made to her schedule.

Another student who is a part of the Global Scholars program scheduled to head out next semester is VWU junior Grant Morgan. who said planning has been difficult. “With COVID-19 restrictions and closed borders, the possibility of planning a future trip is a daunting task. However, with all of these components set, I am extremely excited about the possibility to travel abroad this fall in Tokyo, Japan,” said Morgan, who will be attending Rikkyo University in the fall.

Students can continue to prepare for study away programs by finding more information

The Lighthouse|Courtesy Asha Richards ‘21 on her trip to Ghana in Spring 2020. on the Lighthouse VWU webpage at https:// www.vwu.edu/academics/the-lighthouse/. For more specific information or for help, students can schedule virtual meetings with Mandy Reinig and other Lighthouse staff on the same webpage.

VWU organizations host Women’s History Month events all March long

BY WILL FARKAS scfarkas@vwu.edu March was Women’s History Month and many VWU organizations hosted a number of events to celebrate. From social media pages posting famous women in history of various fields to guest speakers and activity nights, most departments on campus found a way to commemorate women in history while still adhering to social distancing protocols.

Throughout the month, Hofheimer Library was home to the Women’s Empowerment Month Book Display on the first floor to showcase important women in literature.

Student Activities’ Off the Hook, @marlinsoffthehook on Instagram, posted information on noteworthy women on their page almost daily throughout the month, offering students who interacted with the posts the opportunity to be entered in a feminist literature raffle. Tara Westover’s

“Educated” and Roxanne Gay’s “Bad Feminist” were among the potential prizes.

Student Activities also hosted a poetry contest, encouraging students to submit poems about how a woman has influenced them, promising prizes for the top three poems.

Similarly, the psychology department’s Instagram page posted daily pictures and biographies of important women in the history of psychology. The last three days of March, the page brought things “close to home” by highlighting Dr. Gabriela Martorell and Dr. Taryn Myers of our own psychology department, followed by a recognition of recent alumnae as “the future of #womeninpsychology.”

Phenomenal Women VWU and the Lighthouse posted about the various events they would be hosting throughout the month.

Among Phenomenal Women’s events were a friendship workshop and a poetry slam. Phenomenal

Women also posted information about important women in history throughout the month.

The Lighthouse and Wesleyan Engaged hosted a variety of virtual events throughout the month, and sent out weekly emails to feature said events. Events the departments hosted included a Women’s Empowerment Night on March 31, Salary Negotiation for Women on March 24, and Being a Woman Abroad panel on March 23.

Marlin Ministries also hosted events throughout the month, their most notable being the Woman at the Well evening. Junior Brooke Erickson organized Marlin Ministries’ Weekly Watch Party, and in honor of Women’s History Month showed an episode of “The Chosen” in which Jesus interacts with the woman at the well and explains all the ways women are empowered by Christ.

She also runs a group called Women of God, which meets every Monday at 7:30 PM in

Greer 155 and Google Meet in hybrid format, and she encourages any and all women who want to participate to attend meetings.

Chaplain Marie Porter expressed that this showing was very emotional for the women who attended and even helped her feel empowered. She stated that VWU is full of powerful women who help uplift others to make campus a more caring and accepting environment.

“It’s wonderful to see the women students actually taking an active role in their college,” Porter said.

Thinking back on her experiences with the women and gender studies department, senior Jessica Gurley agreed with Porter’s view of the women on campus.

“I can only hope that the support and empowerment I feel from the women I meet outside of Virginia Wesleyan are as strong and powerful as what I feel and see here,” Gurley said.

Counseling Services: Mental Health Resources are available to all students

BY NATE SHEIRBURN nssheirburn@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

Just like many other institutions, Virginia Wesleyan University Counseling Services are offered to the student body and even staff in some cases. Counseling on campus is a confidential and collaborative process between a licensed counselor and the person seeking counseling. The skills that the counselor has and the relationship created helps patients handle their mental health more effectively.

VWU Counseling offers a variety of services to all students and staff of the university who are faced with typical issues such as difficulty adjusting to college, low self-esteem, difficulty controlling temper, tendency toward violence and problems with alcohol and/or other drug abuse, all free of charge.

VWU’s Counseling services is open Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m - 4:30 p.m. located in Batten 211. Because of COVID-19, Counseling Services has gone virtual, handling most of its cases over Zoom.

However, in severe instances, inperson counseling is available.

Counselors schedule their own appointments and students can set one up through phone or e-mail.

Counseling Services has a mission to successfully help all of its students successfully achieve growth.

Bill Brown, director of student counseling services since 1999, has a great vision for the department explained in an

interview. “At Virginia Wesleyan University, the Office of Student Counseling Services strives to be a highly visible, accessible and effective resource which provides intervention, counseling, and education. Services are provided to encourage appropriate decision making, enhance coping

skills and facilitate successful development,” said Brown.

For any students that are trying to receive counseling, there are multiple ways to find it. “Through referral, email, call or walk-in... some students are mandated to receive counseling. Crista Glover does all our scheduling,” said Brown.

Some of the educational programs that are offered include, “Primarily substance abuse prevention programs...Some focused wellness topics…Some

on prevention of sexual assault…

Some on stress,” said Brown.

Students can meet with any of the counselors on staff. “[There are] full-time positions, one licensed clinician. There is also one part-time clinician, April Christman, and three graduatelevel interns, available to see

virtual and 1% face-to-face,” said Brown.

With an increase in students using the counseling services, the department has goals for the future, including adding more staff.

“As the number of students utilizing services continues to grow, our goal is to add another part-time Counselor/Health Educator and ultimately, another full-time clinician to the staff of the Center,” said Brown.

Although the Counseling Services are on campus and available to all students, there are some that had no clue that there was even a Counseling Services department on campus.

When freshman Sam Edwards was asked where the counseling center was, he responded, “I didn’t even know we had Counseling Services.”

As more random Kathleen Vanden Burg|Marlin Chronicle students were asked about the Counseling students during the academic Services on campus, it became year,” said Brown apparent that many had no The counselors are continuing knowledge of the services and to give their services as more what was offered. students are seeking their help.

To get involved with With just seven people on staff Counseling Services on campus, including two full-time, VWU’s students can email Bill Brown Counseling Services deals with at bbrown@vwu.edu or Crista a lot of students. “Somewhere Glover at cglover@vwu.edu. For around 450 students…conducted more information about general approx.

1700 individual services the Counseling Services sessions...since the beginning Center offers, students can visit of the pandemic. Most of our the VWU website at https://www. services are provided through vwu.edu/campus-life/counselingvirtual individual sessions… 99% services/.

The Marlin Chronicle | marlinchronicle.vwu.edu

Thursday, April 8, 2021

5

Marlin Ministries honors Easter and Passover Traditions

BY KIMBERLY DEHART kmdehart@vwu.edu

Kathleen Vanden Berg|Marlin Chronicle

Marlin Ministries held a series of weeklong events for Holy Week, Easter and Passover. Holy Week was held from March 28 to April 4 and consisted of eight events.

The first event was a “Palm Sunday worship” held in the CMAC gymnasium on Sunday March 28 at 4 p.m. On Monday March 29, there was a “Late Night Prayer Walk” which was hosted in front of Boyd Dining Hall. Marlin Ministries also hosted a Watch Party with an Easter basket raffle, and a Wild Easter egg hunt which consisted of eggs being hidden and a few golden eggs with some fun prizes. During the week there was also a Passover Seder, Stations of the Cross event, and a Prayer Labyrinth Maze.

Lastly, there was an Easter worship service held Sunday April 4 at 4 p.m in the CMAC. James Harrod, a VWU student

Young Democrats

BY TIFFANY WARREN tawarren@vwu.edu Virginia Wesleyan University welcomed a new political club and organization on campus this spring semester known as Young Democrats.

“We felt that honestly, Wesleyan needed a Democrats club on campus,” Jason Blevins, President of Young Democrats, said. “It’s important, especially with our demographics of college students, to have our voices heard and provide as much political information that can be given out to help people develop their own political ideologies, whether they are Republican or Democratic. It’s important during this age and day,” Faith Osuji, Vice President of Young Democrats said.

Students serving on the executive board of the Young Democrats are Jason Blevins serving as president, Faith Osuji serving as vice president, Davion Harmon serving as treasurer, Valery Caraballo serving as director of marketing, Danielle D’arcy serving as director of outreach and engagement, Matthew Taylor as secretary, and Erin Highsmith as co-marketing chair.

Blevins added, “One of the goals is to inform people on campus about the democratic party and we’re trying to keep it local about what’s going on in Virginia. We also want to help people in our community. We’re trying to get involved in the com-

munity, not just be involved politically.”

Young Democrats hold meetings weekly on Sundays at 3:30 p.m. During club meetings, discussions are held on current events and the executive board brainstorms ideas on future projects.

“One of the first meetings, we had a discussion about what shaped our political beliefs and how to inform people at Wesleyan on COVID-19. We’re getting into the process of informing and helping people pre-register for the vaccine,” Blevins said.

Osuji shared, “A lot of the people that we have, especially on the executive board, are outspoken on how they feel about issues. It really wasn’t that hard to form our executive board....When it comes to getting more attraction in our numbers, it’s just been difficult because of COVID-19.”

For more information about the Young Democrats, follow them on their Instagram page @marlinsdemocrats.

“When we go out and vote and make our voices known, we can make a change, it’s important to have our voices heard, so we have our representation. Whether or not you are a republican, democrat, or a third party member, you have a political voice.

You can find it yourself and see what you’re passionate about ” Osuji said.

who is involved with the Marlin Ministries team, was at the Late Night Easter egg hunt. “The Easter Egg hunt was really fun and it was one of the few times recently that I’ve seen the campus be joyful. It was such a nice time to not worry about schoolwork and be able to have a fun Easter Egg Hunt and reflect on Holy Week,” said Harrod.

Harrod also attended the Passover Seder and said, “I thought this was a fun way to see the traditions of a different religion and was really educational and I personally really liked it”.

Justin Robbins, who is also a leader within the Marlin Ministries team and a Senior at Virginia Wesleyan, was asked about his own involvement. He helped plant the eggs for the Easter Egg Hunt and worked on many of the events with others.

“For the past 4 years, I’ve been

very active with the ministries on campus. I’ve worked very closely with both chaplains, being both an intern and a work study.

I’ve led several groups, and have been blessed to help train many other leaders. In all honesty, it’s training for what I want to do for a living, which is to be a pastor and educator in religious studies.” said Robbins.

Marlin Ministries not only hosts Holy Week events but also multiple regular events throughout the week. “Soar worship holds services on Sunday at 4. I will actually be doing a sermon on the Sunday after Easter. Then we have Monday night worship at 9 p.m. where we sing various praise songs. We meet on Fridays at 3:30 in the ministries lounge. We are doing a series on homosexuality within Christianity,” said Megan Coffren, a current VWU student.

College Republicans

BY TIFFANY WARREN tawarren@vwu.edu The College Republicans Club was formed in spring 2020, right before the beginning of the pandemic, and has continued to be one of the most active student organizations on campus.

Abigail Peterson, vice president of the College Republicans Club, shared information about the organization and its meeting. “We watch a PowerPoint presentation and discuss the topics that have been raised in the United States in the past few weeks. If we have a speaker, we talk with them for about an hour and ask questions.

There is always some form of involvement and learning, such as a Kahoot at the end of meetings,” Peterson said.

Zoe Cruz, the treasurer of the club, shared about the organization’s mission.

“The purpose is to get more involved in the community and bring more awareness to candidates who are running for office.

It’s to encourage dialogue and educate everybody on what’s going on and make sure that not only are we informed, but be able to discuss it and be on the same page. Also to help out with campaigns of candidates and find out information about candidates.

It’s an array of separate little things,” Cruz said.

The executive board of the College Republicans Club is Connor Merk serving as the chairman, Abigail Peterson as the vice president, Lindsay White as secretary and Zoe Cruz in office as treasurer.

Due to COVID-19 safety and health protocols, club meetings are held virtually. Peterson added, “At first, we met every other week in person and had speakers from off-campus as well. Now, during COVID, we are still meeting every other week with some events throughout the weeks online.”

During meetings, discussions focus on current events that are in the news. “Whatever that is happening in the news, globally or concerning the United States, we’ll have discussions and give our opinions on what either concerns us or what we might think holds for the future. It gets us to think and have dialogue,” Cruz said.

Stay updated on the College Republicans Club meetings by following their page on Instagram @marlinsrepublicans.

Meetings are usually held biweekly on Wednesdays evenings.

“We want to provide a place in which all political views are considered and discussed,” Peterson said.

Opinions

6

Thursday April 8, 2021 The Marlin Chronicle marlinchronicle.vwu.edu

Student Sound Off | I view campus construction as a nuisance and it hinders my college experience. A lot of the noises are actively distracting and construction presents physical barriers in some areas. I appreciate the efforts to make campus better but I think there should have been more thought put into how it affects the student body.

-Olivia Deane

While I believe that the construction should have been completed in the summer, my main concern comes from the moving of the John Wesley Statue. I’m curious whether or not the statue will remain in its awkward location, rather than its once iconic, central spot on campus. If this move is permanent, this is administration moving another step away from the Methodist history of our campus.

Just like our logo changing from the UMCinspired flame to a lighthouse, John Wesley’s movement will impact the Methodist history of our campus.

-Justin Robbins

STUDENTS VOICE THEIR PERSPECTIVES ON CAMPUS CONSTRUCTION As a commuter the construction does not affect me as much as the others who do live on campus but when I do come here there always seems to be a road closed or a building being worked on. I think they should try to limit the construction during the actual semester as the noise does sometimes interfere with classes going on. I can not speak for those who live here but from what I hear it sounds like things are not to the standard that some would think or hope to be at.

-Jacob Phillips

As a commuter who only comes to campus when necessary for class, the construction rarely hinders me or my drive around campus, but it does have me thinking about other restrictions imposed on us students. For instance, as a senior I have several family members and close ones to me who were looking forward to coming to my graduation, but with only two reservations that us seniors are allowed to make, that number is now significantly reduced. I feel that if construction workers that we are indirectly or directly exposed to on campus are allowed to be here, why not an increased number of guests per graduating senior? Especially if VWU is expected to be opened up to a greater extent 3 months after graduation for the upcoming Fall semester. Especially with a decrease in COVID cases recently, and an increase in the number of US citizens with the vaccine, I don’t see why with the right precautions, we can’t have more than two guests.

-Timothy Dias

With the ongoing pandemic and everything going on within Virginia and the United States alone, I personally feel as if VWU could have gone about the remodeling differently. There are other amenities within and on campus that are breaking down such as other residential buildings and appliances within them that need to be replaced, yet are being ignored. Some of the renovations seem unnecessary, when other things needed to be fixed and replaced.

-Meme Dawson

The removal of trees in Boyd have led to some strong thoughts from the campus community.

The three trees standing in front of the left side opening of Boyd were chopped and removed from the area. While this is normal for construction to occur, these trees could have easily been transferred to other locations rather than being destroyed.

-Andrew Taylor

Marlins left unable to connect Culture to me Inadquate wifi capabilities disadvantage students who require a strong internet connection.

Teresa Jones|Courtesy

BY TERESA JONES tmjones@vwu.edu Whether you think the internet was the greatest advancement of humanity or the beginning of its undoing, it is undeniably integrated into today’s society.

In the context of the pandemic, access to online resources has become synonymous with receiving an education. At Virginia Wesleyan, we are very privileged to have the opportunity to learn in person.

However, much of our coursework continues to be conducted online through applications like Zoom, Google Classroom, and Blackboard. In spite of the increase in online traffic on campus, it appears that our connection to the web is hanging on by a thread instead of growing stronger.

Many students on campus lament poor internet access for a variety of reasons. First, it is challenging

to connect. After the cyber attack on our network in fall of 2019, our network security was amped up to require all students to install anti-virus software. This is an interesting response to an independent attack that did not originate on campus, but increased security is not a bad thing inherently. Nevertheless, students with software installed are still barred from connection because of faulty scanning. On many occasions, they may be connected to the network but unable to use the internet.

This yields the second problem students are challenged with— slow speeds and an inability to use high volume websites. As a personal anecdote, I have “attended” a lot of writing center appointments this semester. Unfortunately, I am never able to open both a google doc and run my meeting because of what I assume are bandwidth issues.

Likewise, my roommate and I cannot both effectively attend Zoom calls without one of our connections crashing. Other students have experienced similar issues when it comes to presentations.

One such student drives two hours back to their hometown to give presentations because the campus lacks the appropriate internet capacity to accommodate the students’ internship work.

It is my opinion that greater emphasis should be placed on ensuring students have secure access to the internet on campus. As an academic institution, it is not acceptable to value other amenities over students’ education.

Given the our competitive e-Sports team has their own network for internet connection, the school has acknowledged the shortcomings of networks like Marlins Open and Marlins Secure but not addressed the needs of the greater campus population with respect to internet access.

Sports Information|Courtesy

BY GRANT MORGAN gamorgan@vwu.edu Culture is the culmination of behavior, traditions, ways of living, relationships, and experiences that are shared by individuals within a common area or region.

As well, culture is passed down through generations and shared throughout friends and family. Culture can be absorbed by a foreign individual; however, they would not completely assimilate into said culture to their lack of upbringing.

For me, the most important aspects of culture are traditions and experiences found within. These aspects are the most important and components that are often the most cherished. These can be ways of interacting among individuals, sharing common experiences, dialects native to that area, as well as events and activities shared by groups.

In addition, the way that people share food and drink is another form of expressing culture. I remember a fond memory of being in Berlin, Germany this past year and sharing food with many locals. Not only did I feel a connection with the area, but I felt closer by attempting to speak the language and respect the culture that I was experiencing.

Grant Morgan is a junior studying history at VWU. This piece was originally shared in a discussion for his study abroad pre-departure course.

7

Sports

Thursday April 8, 2021 The Marlin Chronicle marlinchronicle.vwu.edu

Softball dominance continues

Closer

the

BY NICHOLAS MUNDY namundy@vwu.edu

BY NICHOLAS MUNDY namundy@vwu.edu

BY ANTHONY WILSON alwilson@vwu.edu

The Marlins bench looks on during a home game against ODAC rival Randolph-Macon.

The Virginia W esleyan imguzman@vwu.edu University softball team has been creating an environment that results in the great success they have had this year, despite the mental roadblock COVID-19 has been to all. Brandon Elliot, the VWU Marlins Head Coach, finds great joy in what they have accomplished so far and expects his girls to only get better from here on out.

Coach Elliott is assisted by four other coaches; Coach Jim Quinn, Coach Chris Smith, Coach Mary Pilkington, and Coach Bobby Wills. The Marlins are 21-3-1 for the season.

The Marlins have received three ODAC honors, and the most recent ones were awarded to freshman ODAC pitcher of the week, Emily Seale and fifth-year returner ODAC player of the week Madison Glaubke. These merits were well deserved as discussed by the coach.

Emily Seale was one of the top recruits on the recruiting list and this kind of performance is quite expected, said Coach Elliott in an interview. These performances did not surprise the staff here at VWU. In the interview, Coach Elliott also disclosed that Emily Seale landed on his radar because of her sister referring her to him, after not playing for Coach Elliott herself.

Seale’s sister pitched at an ODAC opponent school, Eastern Mennonite University.

BY ISAAC GUZMAN

Sports Information|Courtesy

Coach Elliott is alert about Madison Glaubke’s respect on campus as a studentathlete, but he mentions what he loves the most about her is what she does behind the scenes. The struggles she faces and sacrifices she had to make to come back for a fifth year after losing her senior season and overcoming an injury. “that what people don’t see is what he loves the most about her, the behind the scenes struggles that she faces and the sacrifices she has made to come back as a fifth year after losing her senior season and having a rough injury.”

Planning and preparation are also key to being as successful as this team has been.

Coach Elliott prepares his girls to compete everyday by “changing the intensity/goal of everything we do.” The key aspect of planning for practice and games is “as a head coach, listening to my assistant coaches and having conversations with the girls on what they think we should work on as a team.” This year’s long term goals seem similar to those of any coach and team, per Coach Elliott, “win it all and bring back a national title.” For the short term goal, “control what is at hand.” He does not allow his girls to give up, he also adds to this answer.

Coach Elliott makes it very clear in the interview that it is not easy to play for him and he knows that, so he appreciates the girls giving all they’ve got to play for.

Senior Danielle Stewart has a lot to say about their team culture and outlook for the season. Danielle mentions how her team is unique in many ways because everytime anyone enters to play, they perform at their best. Danielle is a leader and focuses on “pushing myself and my teammates farther along than I thought I could ever go. I am a better player because of them, and I wouldn’t be able to be here without them.

We all push each other, hard so we can all meet our goals.” She also states that her team has really learned to be strong during COVID because “We appreciate the time that we have together, and cherish practice more. Last year this time we were home praying to be able to step on the one last time. We have worked our butts off this fall and winter and are ready to be able to show what our hard work has done. We play every game like it is our last, because at one point it was.” There are going to be eleven people graduating this year and they all have the same goal; “to leave it all out on the field.”

The passion from the coaching staff to the players radiates this season for the VWU softball team. Elliott shared that the team is open to talking about the internal team struggles and goals such as the national championship. They expect to only improve and learn to grow and love each other more and more everyday.

hard to be better and are always rooting for one another’s success.”

“In terms of performance we are doing very well as a team. We have a lot of strong and talented players and each person brings something special and necessary to our team,” sophomore Jessica Garvie said.

Garvie expressed that this season is a very promising season for the team and that she expects to have a really good season.

In her freshman year, Garvie appeared in 5 matches with the Marlins and contributed to the defense having 8 digs on that season.

She expressed that since her freshman year some things have changed. “One thing that has changed from last season is the team atmosphere, everyone is always super positive and we all get along great together,” Garvie said. She also added that the freshmen performances have been very important to the team and she knows that they will bring something very special the next three years.

Both the coach and the players, agreed that they are ready to compete for the championship. In the midst of many reasons to win this championship, one of them is that the team wants to do it for Coach Hoover since this will be her last season as VWU Volleyball Head Coach.

“We all really want to do it for her,” Caruso

said.

Coach Hoover expressed to the Chronicle that she has been really fortunate to have wonderful relationships with the players. “I appreciate them and they seem to appreciate me, the values of our program and what we do everyday. Coaching changes always are difficult but I think that they understand this opportunity for me and they are really excited,” Hoover said.

VOLLEYBALL CONTINUED FROM PG. 1 compete at the highest level and continue to compete to win the Conference championship,” Hoover said. She expressed that the team feels really good about the players that they have in their program. “I think we are learning and growing but we are definitely going to be competitive.” Hoover said.

She expressed that this season for the team has been a learning season without taking out the competitiveness. However, she pointed out that the team is playing really well despite the ups and downs that they have been having. “They work hard in practice every day to continue to improve and get better,” Hoover said.

One of the 5 freshmen is defensive specialist Cara Caruso. In the opening ODAC game at Shenandoah, Caruso served up 2 aces and led the defense with 11 digs. Even though now she is a defensive specialist, she started as a setter.

Caruso described that this freshman year for her has been very exciting and that she has high expectations for the team. “I hope that our team will excel exponentially.

There is a lot of talent and promise. All the girls are super supportive and really push each other to be better both on and off the court,” Caruso said. She also added, “The team is a family. We all push each other so

The NCAA March Madness draws an incredible audience every year. Well, the men’s bracket does. The women’s side doesn’t even come close to those viewership numbers. They lack the funds and audience that the men do.

Recently, the NCAA has received backlash over the weightroom having less equipment for the women than the men.

Like, significantly less. Imagine a full gym of equipment with everything you could possibly need for men. Then for the women, they got one rack of weights with yoga mats.

This isn’t the only disparity in the NCAA march madness tournament against the women’s side. They were given lesser quality food in the bubble while the men’s side had a full buffet style for meal plans including steak and lobster.

The most glaring issue today is the testing that was given to the men. The University of Connecticut coach Geno Auriemma revealed they were tested every day with the highly accurate PCR COVID-19 test. The women did not have the opportunity for such tests. They were given antigen-tests which is much less accurate than PCR. NCAA president Mark Emmert, spoke to reporters about the issue: “ I want to be really clear. This is not something that should have happened, and should we ever conduct a tournament like this again, will ever happen again.”

This goes to an underlying issue where women’s sports aren’t given the same benefits. As a fan of women’s sports, it feels like the overall timing of these tournaments could be separated more to provide a better audience for the other bracket.

March Madness draws in amazing numbers partly due to the incredible format and competitiveness of the tournament.

The women’s side has the same format.

Their bracket is the same. Instead of both men’s and women’s tournaments being played at the same time. If there could be more time to space out each of them, there would be more people wanting to watch both sides rather than picking.

The small fix of separating the tournaments by a month would increase viewership and ultimately give the women’s side of things equal resources.

Follow all the Marlin action!

Check us out on Instagram and Twitter at: @vwu_marlins Anthony Wilson|Marlin Chronicle Volleyball scores against Salisbury

Marlin Highlights Volleyball 4/1 Greta Cross earns ODAC Volleyball Player of the Week

W. Basketball 4/6 Freshman S’Zahria Jones named ODAC All-Conference

M. Tennis 4/3 Mitchell Perry nabs ODAC Men’s Tennis Player of the Week

Sports Athletics Dept updates spectator policy

Sports Information|Courtesy

The Marlin Chronicle | marlinchronicle.vwu.edu April 8, 2021

the

Baseball

M. Soccer

M. Tennis

4/2 vs E&H

4/2 @ Randolph

4/3 vs Randolph

L 7-11

L 1-3

W 8-1

Field Hockey

W. Lax

W. Soccer

3/30 vs Lynchburg

4/3 @ Randolph

4/1 @ Salisbury

L 0-10

W 24-7

W 2-1

Softball

W. Tennis

Volleyball

4/6 vs Bridgewater

4/3 vs RMC

4/1 @ Randolph

W 7-6

W 5-4

W 3-1

BY NICHOLAS MUNDY namundy@vwu.edu

Virginia Wesleyan is now allowing fans for their indoor and outdoor sporting events. After recent backlash to the no-fans policy, Virginia Wesleyan Athletics has updated to include spectators for all teams. Volleyball is the only remaining indoor sport still playing this spring.

The announcement of the outdoor policy came on March 18 which came into effect the following day.

The indoor policy received the latest update and became effective on April 5. Indoor policy change came about as an email from the ODAC president to all athletic directors in the conference in late March.

Some schools have yet to adopt fans for indoor sports.

The new policy allows for student-athletes to have up to two guests that must be registered at least 24 hours in advance. Fans that aren’t in the same household must remain 10 feet apart, correlating with Virginia guidelines. All fans must be wearing a face covering at all times while in the spectator areas. The policy notes that anyone that does not comply with the policy will be asked to leave immediately.

All tickets that go unclaimed by parents will be given to the Marlin community. This includes students, faculty, and staff having access to the remaining tickets. No pets will be allowed at the events except documented service animals.

A complete view of the policy can be found on the Marlin Athletics home page.

Scoreboard

the

Schedule Baseball

M. Lacrosse

M. Tennis

4/10 @ Ferrum

4/24 vs W&L

4/9 vs Methodist

2:00pm

1:00pm

3:00pm

Field Hockey

W. Lax

W. Soccer

4/9 vs Roanoke

4/10 vs Ferrum

4/9 @ high seed

3:00pm

12:00pm

ODAC Semifinals

Softball

W. Tennis

Volleyball

4/10 vs Randolph

4/10 @ Roanoke

4/11 @ East. Menn.

1:30pm

2:00pm

1:00pm

8

Thursday April 8, 2021 The Marlin Chronicle marlinchronicle.vwu.edu

THEWEEKENDER

Explore Museums

in

PAGE 9

Hampton Roads

BY TIFFANY WARREN & ANTHONY WILSON tawarren@vwu.edu

alwilson@vwu.edu

Clayton Singleton |Courtesy The Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art (Virginia MOCA) is an accredited, non-collecting contemporary art museum by the Oceanfront that has four exhibitions open sharing a common theme: Food. The exhibitions combine the theme of food with art and creativity. One of the exhibitions on view is ‘Nourish’ at Virginia MOCA. ‘Nourish’ displays artworks created by 12 artists inspired by local food experts from Hampton Roads. Each artist and food expert pair explore the connection of food and art. The experts have different occupations ranging from farmers, chefs, nutritionists, food justice to anti-hunger advocates that provide their understanding of food and serve as a source of inspiration for the artist’s work.

Homer Babbitt, director of institutional advancement at Virginia MOCA and VWU Class of 2000 alumnus, shares more about the ‘Nourish’ exhibition and why people should visit to see it. “‘Nourish’ talks about food justice. It’s becoming part of the community dialogue around topics that are relevant today. For visitors, it’s allowing them to engage in a safe space and in a meaningful community conversation. It’s something that separates us from other museums,” Babbitt said.

The exhibitions run from Feb. 6 to June 6, 2021 and admission is free for everyone to visit the exhibitions.

Reserve a time appointment to visit Virginia MOCA by going to www.virginiamoca.org/tickets to explore an artistic approach to food culture in the Hampton Roads community.

Tiffany Warren | Marlin Chronicle Explore the beautiful gardens and natural scenery or look at artwork across the world to travel without leaving Hampton Roads by visiting the Hermitage Museum & Gardens. The museum has outdoor landscapes and indoor exhibits to explore across its 12 acres of gardens and grounds. The current exhibition is ‘Whistler & Company: The Etching Revival’, showing more than sixty etchings.

Even though COVID-19 had posed a challenge, The Hermitage Museum & Gardens adapted by sharing their exhibitions, collection, gardens, and educational activities virtually. New additions include videos, podcast episodes, art projects for everyone. It offers a digital tour and photos to experience the museum from home.

The next upcoming exhibition opening this summer in June at the Hermitage Museum & Gardens is ‘Work in Progress: 13 Murals for Right Now’. It is bringing together 13 muralists to express their viewpoints on critical issues to expand on greater discussions of social justice in the community that will be on view June 12 through October 3.

Selected artists will touch on topics including Black Lives Matter, homelessness, poverty, women’s representation, and body acceptance. Six murals will be created indoors while seven will be displayed in the gardens. The opening of ‘Work in Progress’ will feature live music, food trucks, and an opportunity to meet the artists. Tickets will go on sale in May. Reservations for free tickets are mandatory at the Hermitage Museum & Gardens and masks are required to visit their location at 7637 North Shore Road Norfolk, VA.

Anthony Wilson | Marlin Chronicle The Nauticus, centrally located across from MacArthur Square in Downtown Norfolk, is one of the largest maritime museums in the country.

The Nauticus is a multi-part museum that features hands-on exhibits, interactive 3D theatres and the USS Wisconsin. On the second floor, patrons can walk through the Hampton Roads Naval Museum. This museum presents artifacts dated from the Battle of Chesapeake in 1781 and the Civil War through the Cold War and present date. In 2008, they received the gold standard of accreditation by the American Alliance of Museums.

On the third floor, patrons can experience an aquarium, interactive theatres, a weather station and much more.

One of the crowd favorites is the shark tank. This tank includes an epaulette shark, two white spotted bamboo sharks and a female brownbanded bamboo shark that visitors are allowed to touch. Formerly, there was also a male brownbanded bamboo shark but he had to be moved to a closed off tank due to being too aggressive.

Finally, you can tour the USS Wisconsin. This is one of the largest battleships the U.S. Navy has ever produced.

The USS Wisconsin was put into commission after the attack on Pearl Harbor where it earned 5 battle stars for its service in the war and was finally decommissioned after an attack on Iraq in the Persian Gulf War. By the start of 2010 the U.S. Wisconsin alone had nearly 2.5 million visitors from people all over the world.

The Nauticus is open Wednesday-Saturday from 10:00-5:00 and Sundays from 12:00-5:00. Tickets can be purchased on their website for approximately $15.

Google Maps | Courtesy

DIY: Self-Care

BY ALEXANDRA SAXON ansaxon@vwu.edu

You’ve hit a brick wall, physically, emotionally and mentally. Hours of bus rides and game days consume your weekends, you’re swamped with menial homework, your camera is definitely off in class, and the ever present pandemic has swindled spring break.

Since there won’t be any faculty regulated breaks, it is imperative that we carve out our own time to practice self-care, especially with the current mental health epidemic.

For those with seasonal allergies, you might find Sinus Shower Bombs helpful to relieve congestion. You’ll need baking soda, eucalyptus and peppermint essential oils, a muffin tin or silicon molds, and water, as well as a bowl and spoon. Start by scooping roughly a cup of baking soda into a bowl, then slowly add ⅓ of a cup of water till your mixture looks clumpy and damp. Pack that into your molds of choice and leave them to dry for a few days. When you’re ready to remove the tabs from the mold, add two drops of eucalyptus essential oil and one of peppermint oil per each bomb. To

use, simply run it under the warm water before you shower.

For Sugar Scrub Bars, you’ll need: coconut oil, glycerin soap base (which is available at Walmart, Target, or Michaels), essential oils, granulated sugar, a bowl and spoon, an ice cube tray, as well as some way to melt your soap base. To begin, cut your soap base into one inch cubes and melt about eight of them. Stir in ¼ of a cup of coconut oil and let that cool slightly before adding your essential oils to your liking. Add one cup of sugar to the mixture before you pack it into the ice cube tray and let it set in a colder environment, until you’re ready to use them.

Lastly, for a peel-off milk mask, you will need milk, regular powdered gelatin, a bowl and spoon and a microwave. In your bowl, add roughly one tablespoon of gelatin, then add two to three tablespoons of milk. Stir it initially, till your mixture is smooth, then stir it occasionally for five minutes. Microwave your mixture for no more than thirty seconds until the consistency is creamy.

Use the face mask as soon as it’s “touchable” and avoid letting it get on your eyebrows.

PODCAST CONTINUED FROM PG. 1 might find yourself looking for such a podcast to entertain yourself while finishing up homework, chilling at the beach, or exercising. Below, you’ll find a collection of such podcasts that would be perfect for the occasion.

its lightheartedness, honesty, and overall appeal. The queens discuss a variety of topics together such as movies, toxic masculinity, and even texting etiquette. Sometimes they even take questions off of their Twitter accounts to answer.

Literally! With Rob Lowe is essentially a conversation about the most random and the most deep things in our society and culture. Hosted by actor Rob Lowe, it was started in July of 2020 with the intent to provide viewers with something to laugh at, something to think about, and something to be authentic with.

Each episode features a special guest star that Lowe converses with about life, stories, and perspectives. Chris Pratt, Magic Johnson, Eric Andre, and Lisa Kudrow have all been featured.

Girls Gotta Eat is a portal into the dichotomous world of romance and heartbreak and how one is supposed to navigate all that. It is co-hosted by Ashley Hesseltine and Rayna Greenberg who started the podcast in 2018.

It has risen in popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic and as people continuously find themselves relating to the chaos of life that is described.

Hesseltine and Greenberg are both very vulnerable about how their experiences in the realm of love have gone, and their candid attitudes and casual style in which they discuss topics is appealing to many.

UNHhhh, hosted by RuPaul’s Drag Race season 7 queens Trixie Mattel and Katya Zamolodchikova, is a delightful and comedic piece.

Although it just came out on January 20th of this year, it has scored phenomenal ratings for

Happy Spring!

The Bomb Hole is co-hosted by professional snowboarder Chris Grenier and photographer E. Stone. It is similar to previously mentioned podcasts

in that there is a special guest star featured on each episode. The hosts and guests blend comedy with inspiration as they discuss their personal experiences as snowboarders, athletes, and as players in the game of life.

Advice is given on how to avoid the “bomb holes” that people often find themselves getting tripped up on, and you may even pick up a few tips on how to snowboard better too.

Teenager Therapy is a series started by five high school seniors in 2018: Gael Aitor, Isaac Hurtado, Kayla Suarez, Thomas Pham, and Mark Hugo. The inspiration for this podcast came from the desire to create a space where real and pertinent topics surrounding mental health could be discussed by genuine people who experience them on a daily basis. It has risen in popularity as more and more young people find themselves struggling with feelings of depression, anxiety, and stress during the COVID-19 pandemic and has been very successful in helping people realize that they’re not alone.

from the weekender

Thursday April 8, 2021 The Marlin Chronicle marlinchronicle.vwu.edu

THEWEEKENDER

PAGE 10

757 native wins shoe design competition

BY ANNIE PHELPS saphelps@vwu.edu

Coast Guardsman and Hampton Roads native Kenny Jones is the first-place winner of the Nike SB News and Info’s (@nikesbornothing) #haveanikesbday contest. The contest’s goal was to design a shoe that represents a city of the contestant’s

choosing. Jones’ design captures much of the culture and landmarks that the 757 offers.

The shoe’s color scheme is based off of the classic painting, “The Great Wave off of Kanagawa’’ using blues and tans to

kenjo757 | Twitter Initial sketches and later, a computer rendering of Jones’ shoe design were featured on social media posts made in mid March for the contest.

create that beach feeling. The insole uses staples of the city including signs from the boardwalk. Also represented by a small trident is the King Neptune statue that stands at the oceanfront. The famous Nike swoosh is designed to be silver to incorporate the steel of navy ships in the region. On the back of the shoe is a treble clef representing Virginia Beach’s musical icons like Pharrell Williams. Lastly at the top of the tongue is a 757, showing the region’s area code.

Voting for the shoes was based on the number of likes the design proposal post received. Entries went through 3 rounds of elimination, with the last being pointsbased from a panel of judges. Jones’ design went viral two days after the posted it on social media. It received over 201,000 likes on Twitter and 35,000 on Instagram, many of the participants in the initial voting included VWU students and alumni.

“I’ve been shaking ever since this happened, like constantly all day,“ Jones said. “To see people in the community, people I don’t even know, wanting to wear my shoe.”

The next step is customizing the shoes, a process to be done by a company known as ReverseLand. It has not been said how many pairs of the design will be made, but Jones assures those who want a pair will have a chance to get their hands on one. The demand for the shoes has grown tremendously. For Jones, who dreams of opening his own shoe store, this contest was a first step to hopefully get that idea off the ground.

Per WAVY News, Jones said, “That’s the dream! For Nike to reach out, Adidas, Pharrell, even Pusha T. The design is on a Nike shoe, but I can put it on any shoe, it’s my design. That’s the hopeful outcome.”

Kickin’ It: the latest fitness craze has arrived The days of simply walking into a gym and lifting weights or running on a treadmill are in the past. After recent innovations, businesses are forced to offer unique ways for patrons to meet their fitness goals in order to compete in the industry.

Rockbox is the latest example of one of these businesses and is trying to capitalize on a growing market. Located in Renaissance Place on North Great Neck Road in Virginia Beach this gym combines boxing, kickboxing and highintensity-interval-training for an all-in-one workout. And just for fun, this gym utilizes disco lights and an amazing surround system to enhance your experience.

Half of the workout is spent on the bags working on boxing and kickboxing and the other half is spent rotating stations that include various high-intensity workouts. No experience is necessary and breaks are taken on an as needed basis making this class perfect for everyone from beginners to experienced fighters.

Why would you want to work out like this? ESPN polled 40 experts in an attempt to find out what sport produced the best athlete and overwhelmingly the answers determined

BY ANTHONY WILSON alwilson@vwu.edu

that sport to be boxing. Boxers were found to have the highest scores in conditioning, fitness, strength, speed and overall power. Even if you’re not trying to become the next Olympian, a single session can burn nearly 1,000 calories.

High-intensity workouts also release stress-relieving endorphins which nearly everyone can benefit from.

On the off chance that you are trying to become an Olympian, Rockbox is still the place for you. Instructor Marcus Munday has been coaching at Rockbox for nearly 3 months now and is currently training for the Olympics. He has been competing in taekwondo for 18 years and is presently ranked number 7 in the nation in the lightweight division. Munday stated his favorite part of coaching at Rockbox is “taking beginners that have never done anything and seeing them get comfortable on the [punching] bags. I get actual enjoyment out of seeing people grow.” Munday competes in a state championship in Florida on April 5 and hopes to represent the United States in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Classes are offered daily from 5:30a.m. - 8:00pm.

Students can take their first class free and then receive 50% off future classes.

Anthony Wilson|Marlin Chronicle Ameneties inside Rockbox Gym