February 13, 2020

THURSDAY 2.13.20 || MARLINCHRONICLE.VWU.EDU ||

VIRGINIA WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY

Ethics team wins championship

‘Mamba Out’

VFIC |Courtesy From left to right: Advisor April Christman, Criofan Shaw, Alex Powers, Anitra Howard and advisor Loren Loving Marquez hoisting the Virginia Foundation for Independent Colleges (VFIC) Ethics Bowl trophy.

BY DALTON POWERS dmpowers@vwu.edu

The Virginia Wesleyan ethics bowl team captured the 2020 Virginia Foundation for Independent Colleges (VFIC) championship. The team has not obtained this feat since 2000.

This year’s team consisted of sophomore Anitra Howard, freshman Criofan Shaw,

and team captain, junior Alex Powers.

The team spent over a semester practicing weekly by going over ethical cases, principles and frameworks of philosophy. The theme this year was Ethics and Higher Education, a topic that especially resonated with the students.

SEE ETHICS Pg. 2

Emily Uzzle | Marlin Chronicle

The sudden loss of basketball legend Kobe Bryant left the sports world grieving. The Marlin Chronicle sports editors reflect on Kobe’s lasting legacy on Sports Pg. 7.

New year, new Batten VWU campus

battles illness

Alex Powers |Marlin Chronicle The student health center provides students with care weekdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

BY ALEX POWERS ampowers@vwu.edu

President Miller cuts the ribbon to the new Coastal Market.

Connor Merk |Marlin Chronicle

BY MARKAYSHA BRYANT mrbryant@vwu.edu

As the new year and semester kicked-off, many have noticed a few significant renovations on campus, specifically in the Jane P. Batten Student Center. Some of the new changes are the addition of a mural that embodies Virginia Wesleyan culture, the Harbor Grill, and a convenience store, the Coastal Market.

During the January term, construction workers worked extremely hard to complete the new additions within a three-week time period.

Though there are some students who work at the Harbor Grill and the Coastal Market, they are both managed by Sodexo.

Brittany Jackson, Sodexo supervisor, has been working with Sodexo for approximately three years. She began working at Sodexo at Liberty

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University as a head baker supervisor. Jackson moved to Norfolk in 2018, and decided to reapply to Sodexo at Virginia Wesleyan University.

Jackson has been an advocate for new updates at Virginia Wesleyan University, such as the new store. “I was so happy and pleased to see the looks on the students and staffs faces…

They asked, we answered. It’s great to have a convenience store on campus. It’s reliable for all of your daily purchases. We have amazing staff here willing to service your every need. I would personally like to thank all of administration that helped and listened to the students’ wants and needs” Jackson said.

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The Virginia Wesleyan community was ravaged by sudden and bitter illnesses over the past weeks. Beyond mere flulike symptoms, students reported experiencing severe nausea, loss of appetite, lethargy and vomiting.

Administration took notice of the problem, issuing an email to students on Tuesday, Feb. 4. The message, from the Office of Student Affairs, acknowledged not only the high frequency of sick community members, but also speculation that it may have been food-borne, given many health issues seemed centered around stomach pain and nausea.

The message includes ways to promote healthier habits like washing hands regularly, coughing into a sleeve, and staying properly hydrated. The email stated, “Our partners in the Sentara Health Center assure us that there have

been no cases or confirmed reports of food poisoning.”

Vice President of Student Affairs, Keith Moore, echoed these ideas when asked about the possibility of some origin lying with dining services.

“Some concerned community members called the Health department. [They] visited, did an assessment, ...and asked what [the health suite] had been seeing as far as the nature of the illnesses.

After this visit on Monday, Feb. 3, “everything was clear from the health department,” Moore said.

The issue, however, seemed to get worse as soon faculty and students alike were missing time from their duties due to illness. Both athletic practices and classes were cancelled or saw their schedules vastly rearranged to accommodate.

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2 Thursday February 13, 2020 The Marlin Chronicle marlinchronicle.vwu.edu

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ETHICS CONTINUED FROM PG. 1 Unfortunately, the faculty advisor for the team, Dr. Kathy Merlock Jackson, and her husband Joe were involved in a severe car accident the Friday night before the team’s departure for the competition in Lynchburg. Both were transported to the hospital in critical condition where they have since been receiving care.

“It was hard to process. Immediately, Dr. Schaus was in touch with us letting us know about her status and that they were trying to coordinate other faculty advisors to accompany us so that we could still go and represent the school,” Powers said.

It was then that Virginia Wesleyan faculty members April Christman and Dr. Loren Loving Marquez stepped in to lead the team. “They were a big part of our team’s success this weekend.”

The competition consists of four rounds, two each day, where teams from two different schools compete. An ethical case is presented, and the teams have to develop a plan of action justified by various ethical principles for what someone in that scenario should do.

The VWU team defeated Hampden-Sydney in the championship round, a team who has been dominant in recent years at the Ethics Bowl. “We’ve really got a nice program: we’ve gone 12-0 in the regular competition rounds over the last three years, and now we’ve got a chip under our belt,” Powers said.

“I can’t put in words what the whole thing means, it just means a lot having the chance to represent Virginia Wesleyan in this way and go out and compete in something that really matters like this. It was so special to win, especially given the adversity,” Powers said.

“It really tested us as students, and as people, in everything we did this past weekend. It came down to trust in our advisors, trust in our teammates, and trusting our gut the entire time. Ultimately, I’m proud of us, and I’m proud that we could do this for Dr. Jackson. I know that she would have been elated to have been there to see it through.”

Describing the experience as a whole, Powers added, “there’s not much like it.

It’s such a great event with some amazing people. I’m grateful for everyone I met, all that I learned and all of the support we got along the way. There’s so much that goes into an event like this.”

“Now, I just want to make sure that we’re there for Dr. Jackson. I can’t wait for our team to see her and tell her that we finally did it,” Powers said. “We’re finally bringing this trophy home for the first time in 20 years.”

Anitra Howard|Courtesy The Batten Trophy is awarded to the Ethics Bowl champion team every year.

Editor’s Note: Alex Powers is also a News Editor on the Marlin Chronicle, and for this story, only served to provide information and an interview. Dalton Powers shares no relation.

Alex Powers |Marlin Chronicle Both the Office of Student Affairs and the CDC highlight washing hands as an important part to staying healthy and disease-free this winter.

SICK CONTINUED FROM PG. 1 Moore worked closely with the Sentara Student Health Center site manager Katherine Bush in addressing the increase in afflicted persons. This Health Center, or Health Suite, receives an average of six visits a day, Moore said. During the week of Monday, Jan. 27, each respective weekday saw four, six, five, seven, and four visits. Monday, Feb. 3 and Tuesday, Feb. 4 both saw only 6 visits.

This stands in line with many student reports, which detailed the worst of their illnesses occurring over the weekend of Feb. 1 and 2. Unfortunately, this likely indicates many students suffered through their illnesses without a visit.

Louis Wolverton, a senior on the cross-country team, described his experiences.

Symptoms of diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pain and a fever hit Wolverton on Tuesday, Feb. 4. “I thought, ‘Why is going up stairs so hard?’ I could tell from the fatigue that I was pretty sick.”

After concluding it was a stomach ‘bug’, Wolverton remained “sick for the next two days and didn’t even leave [his] room.” He never went to a doctor or oncampus health suite, and he had recovered in a few days.

Another student, sophomore Caroline Tryfiates noted just how quickly she got sick on Saturday, Feb. 1. “I kept yacking. Between 2:00 a.m. and 8:00 a.m. I threw up 10 times. I was nauseous until Monday morning.”

Tryfiates did not seek care from the health suite, adding, “It was closed.” By Tuesday, she felt fine. “[For] most people I talked to, it took about 12 hours to recover.”

Finally, senior Chris Fegan recalls waking up sick at 3:00 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 1. Noting both nausea and vomiting, Fegan added, “I couldn’t eat or drink basically anything the entire day.”

As a commuter, Fegan stayed at home while sick. “I basically just rested for the entire day, partly in the bathroom, partly in my room.” He went on, “I never actually went to the doctor or anything. I felt better the following day after some rest, but there were bouts of nausea through Monday.”

Moore and Bush confirmed many cases of gastroenteritis, in addition to symptoms of the flu, strep and common cold. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention details, “acute gastroenteritis (AGE) is a major cause of illness in the United States, with an estimated 179 million episodes annually.” This page also notes how outbreaks can start from “direct person-to-person contact, contaminated environmental surfaces, and [other] unknown modes of transmission.”

In addition to the preventative measures sent out in the email, Moore emphasized getting flu shots. “The institution feels strongly that that’s important so we make it a point to bring them here and to partner with local pharmacies - this year it was Walgreens - to make it more available to everybody.”

As it stands, many students report having gotten over their illnesses in a matter of days, and few cases have been brought forward since the week of Monday, Feb. 3.

“It is my hope that the worst of what we had seen is past us,” Moore added, “and that people are on the mend.”

System Network Update Following a ransomware attack at the end of the Fall 2019 semester, the IT department continues to repair network systems.

BY ALEX POWERS ampowers@vwu.edu

DALTON POWERS dmpowers@vwu.edu

network system. Davis stated that approximately 1,200 total man hours have already been The Virginia Wesleyan campus lost its internet and network access sometime on the sunk into repairing the system. morning of Tuesday, Dec. 10, in response to a cyber attack on the campus network.

“We’re still managing … picture an iceberg. You can see ten percent. Ten percent of This incident came after several reports of slowed internet, especially over the weekend IT, that’s what you can touch and feel. Ninety percent of it is under the surface, and we immediately preceding the outage. quickly, and thanks to Chris (Chris Davis) and his staff, restored those things that you need At 9:48 a.m. on Tuesday, Dec.10, an email was sent to all students and faculty from and touch. You think ethernet, you think internet, you think network, you think records: the Malbon Center for Technology at Virginia Wesleyan University. The email, authored those things that faculty need, that students need to function … they did yeoman’s in

by Chris Davis, Chief Information Officer at the restoring that as quickly as possible. Behind the Malbon Center, informed the campus community scenes though, there’s a lot still being managed of the outage. so in a lot of ways we’re still in the restoration This initial email noted a cyber attack that had process,” said Moore. occurred at some recent point in time leading Additionally, Moore mentioned that the up to this outage. “As a precaution,” wrote university has partnered with another company Davis, “internet and network access have been that is “basically doing a forensic analysis so disconnected.” that they can provide information (such as) …

Several accounts from students have already how it happened, and this is what you can do to begun to demonstrate the difficulty this outage get back on track.” had on academics and campus life.

“This was no one’s fault. This happened to More than mere campus systems, the network the institution, we were targeted. It happens to outage had a large effect on classwork. Many organizations, hospitals, and other institutions, classes require internet access for their scheduled and businesses every day. This is not something curricula. Faculty were forced to improvise that is easily preventable, there is always a way.”

- choosing to delay, accelerate or entirely “I think that we will be a stronger institution rearrange their course agenda in response to the and IT department as a result.” outage.

“I want to give credit where it’s due. Because As of now, the majority of network capabilities of some of the things that Chris (Chris Davis) are back up and running. has done, under his leadership … we had data However, Vice President of Student Affairs secured in places that it had not been previously Alex Powers|Marlin Chronicle and oversight for the Information Technology … Those outages we had first semester, The Beazley Foundation Technology Center in Clarke Hall serves as a department, Keith Moore stated that everything scheduled in the evenings, that was us moving hub for student access to computer programs and printing accessiblilis not quite back to normal behind the scenes. information over to a safer environment so that The network issues which Davis said stemmed if anything happened, we had it,” Moore said. from a ransomware attack, was an attack in which a hacker intends to receive a payout Moreover, Moore shared that the diligence of the IT staff shows the dedication that they from the network administration. have to the institution and that without their efforts, “we would be in a different boat.”

The ransomware attack caused extensive damage to Virginia Wesleyan University’s

EXTRA, EXTRA, READ ALL ABOUT IT! www.marlinchronicle.vwu.edu

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Thursday 13 February 2020 The Marlin Chronicle marlinchronicle.vwu.edu

Wesleyan announces nursing program

Scott D. Miller|Courtesy President Miller announces Virginia Wesleyan’s new partnership with the Sentara Nursing program.

BY KIMBERLY DEHART kmdehart@vwu.edu

Virginia Wesleyan University is partnering with the Sentara Nursing program for students who want to go into the medical field and study nursing science by offering a bachelor’s degree program.

Virginia Wesleyan currently offers several preparatory medical programs for students to take, including preprofessional tracks in pre-nursing/allied health, medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine, art therapy and counseling.

VWU has an articulation agreement with Sentara College of Health Sciences.

This agreement means that students may be guaranteed admission to Sentara’s Master’s Entry to Nursing Practice (MENP) program, and a joint program in medicine and an Early Assurance Program with Eastern Virginia Medical School. There will be 10 slots offered and guaranteed on a competitive basis to students who meet defined admission standards for the program and any additional applicants

after the 10 slots are filled will still be considered.

Founded as the first nursing program in Norfolk, Sentara College of Health Sciences has grown and advanced over its 127-year history to bring students the best in healthcare education. The college’s connection to Sentara Healthcare allows students to learn from expert clinicians in worldclass healthcare centers.

President Miller stated that, “three years ago, Howard and I initiated a conversation about the possibilities of a premier institution of the libral arts and sciences and a health sciences institution combining to offer students from this area an opportunity to earn a degree from both institution, and so after three years of planning we then came to an agreement on what would be the basic format for a joint bachelor’s degree in nursing and Bachelor of Science nursing degree that will bear the name of Virginia Wesleyan University and Sentara College of Health Sciences.”

“The concept of it all centers around that there are many traditional students that want to go to an institution like

Virginia Wesleyan University where they can live in the residents halls, eat in the cafeteria, participate in students activities and still pursue a professional degree in nursing.

Sentara colleges in the past have primarily served an adult population, they have no dormitories, they have a campus that is several exits up from here on Interstate 64 and so the combination of these two factors, Virginia Wesleyan having premarital reputation in the sciences, and Sentara having an outstanding bachelor of science nursing program, that the two institutions come together and attract top talent to this area that would want degrees from both institutions in an area that is pretty hot in the job market right now,” Miller stated.

“So students could come here and instantly take most of their non-nursing classes from Virginia Wesleyan and continue to live here on our campus and be concurrently enrolled while taking their nursing classes from Sentara College of Health Sciences,” Miller stated.

A signing ceremony with Sentara College of Health and Sciences took place Feb. 7 in President Miller’s office.

In this ceremony, Miller and Sentara College of Health Sciences president Dr. Angela Taylor signed an agreement formalizing the institution’s commitment to pursue a joint Bachelor of Science in nursing degree program.

This signing was the start of moving forward in the partnership. In this signing, a few words were gathered from Dr. Angela Taylor at the end of the ceremony. Dr. Angela stated that, “Virginia Wesleyan students will now be joining Sentara students.”

In this meeting there was a lot of excitement about what the future holds for this partnership and with both colleges combining students passionate about nursing sciences.

There were also many other Faculty members from both sides who had involvement in this program as well who were all excited to see how this program will benefit the students.

For students going into this medical field, this would be a program that could not only set up hands on training, but also provide the opportunity to experience college life while pursuing a professional nursing degree. This program really offers the best of both worlds. Students can take regular classes at a college they can stay at, as well as taking professional nursing classes at a college only a few exits up.

Norfolk Zoo Aids Australia

BY DALTON POWERS dmpowers@vwu.edu

Emily Uzzle|Marlin Chronicle

Methodist Church Divided

BY LAUREN FAULKNER lafaulkner@vwu.edu

While Virginia Wesleyan is a Methodist-affiliated university, the school aims to provide an environment that is accepting of all people by embracing the diversity of our campus community.

Early last year, some issues arose within the Methodist Church as LGBT-related prohibitions were established. According to the New York Times, some of the actions taken include strengthening the ban on gay and lesbian clergy.

Because of this controversial decision, a proposal has been made to seperate the church. Inside Higher Ed writer Elizabeth Redden discussed the recent proposed split to allow for a separate “traditional Methodist” denomination to exist while excluding the LGBT community.

A conference will be held in May in order to decide if the split will occur, and many people are talking about how it will affect different parishes, organizations and institutions.

Until then, many Methodist higher education institutions, including Virginia Wesleyan, are debating as to whether or not they should remain affiliated with the Methodist Church.

Other schools across the country which have similar backgrounds with the Methodist Church comprise the National Association of Schools and Colleges of the United Methodist Church. Many of the members of this organization were faced with a dilemma when the Methodist Church began to crack down on the LGBT community, including President Miller.

Miller was faced with a decision of remaining affiliated with the Methodist Church and associating the university with the decisions that the church had made against the LGBT community, or going against the Methodist Church’s decision in order to continue to have an accepting environment for the university that welcomes in everyone, no matter the race, gender or sexuality.

After some thinking and discussion, Miller released a statement against the actions of the church while remaining affiliated. This decision helped to send a message to both the campus community and the Methodist Church.

Through this statement, Miller was able to reassure the campus community that Virginia Wesleyan is still a community of acceptance without sacrificing the many benefits that the university has by being apart of the NASCUMC. In his Nota Bene messages, Miller has stated consistently that “we (Virginia Wesleyan University) are committed to a fully inclusive environment.”

The LGBT community on campus have been mostly pleased with the decision that has been made by the university. India Khanna, President of Spectrum, the LGBT community on campus, was surprised by the progressive route that the President has taken.

Khanna stated that Spectrum is working hand in hand with the university to create an accepting campus community.

“The President’s decision gave me some hope … I think that there has been progress in creating a more inclusive environment,” Khanna said.

The decision on the split will be announced in May. With this looming ahead, Miller states that “Nobody can predict for sure what will happen but it appears...that all the stakeholders are all happy with the direction that things are going...I am cautiously optimistic.”

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“Australia is being ravaged by the worst wildfires seen in decades, with large swaths of the country devastated since the fire season began in late July,” as reported by CNN. The fires killed at least 28 people across the country of Australia as of Jan. 2020, and burned down 1,588 homes in New South Wales as approximately 17.9 million acres in total have been destroyed in the state.

Apart from the human death and property damage, another devastating effect of the wildfires has been the cause of death for a large portion of Australia’s diverse wildlife population.

“It is estimated that about half a billion animals have been affected by the fires across NSW, with millions likely dead -- and that’s a conservative estimate.” That number of total “animals affected could be as high as one billion nationwide, according to ecologists from the University of Sydney.” This figure includes birds, reptiles, and mammals, but does not include insects or frogs.

Among these losses, it is estimated that “almost a third of koalas in NSW may have been killed in the fires, and a third of their habitat has been destroyed,” according to Federal Environment Minister Sussan Ley. It should also be noted that these estimates are quite conservative since the fires were still ravishing the areas of interest, a full study has not been able to take place.

Additionally, it should be noted that it is not currently believed that the koala population is in danger of extinction due to their wide area of existence across the continent.

In response, many organizations across the globe have taken action to help with efforts to stop the fires and to restore the damage for humans and animals alike.

The Virginia Zoo in Norfolk, Virginia has played a role in financially assisting the efforts as it recently hosted an event called “Act For Australia.”

The event was held with the purpose of not only raising funds, but also educating the public on their Australian animals and to raise awareness for what is occurring in their native country and how it is affecting them.

The zoo asked for donations from visitors under the incentive of receiving a behind the scenes tour of the zoo’s Australian exhibits for $20 as reported by WAVY news. If you would like to help, you can still donate by texting ‘WALLABY’ to 435-06.

Alex Powers|Marlin Chronicle

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Community

Thursday February 13, 2020 The Marlin Chronicle marlinchronicle.vwu.edu

The

MARLIN CHRONICLE Editor-in-Chief Megan Sherman mrsherman@vwu.edu Managing Editor Tony Tann tdtann@vwu.edu News Editors Alex Powers ampowers@vwu.edu Dalton Powers dmpowers@vwu.edu Community Editors Connor Merk ccmerk@vwu.edu Markaysha Bryant mrbryant@vwu.edu Sports Editors Nicholas Mundy namundy@vwu.edu Austin Edmonds acedmonds@vwu.edu Weekender Editors Tony Tann tdtann@vwu.edu Valery Caraballo vecaraballo@vwu.edu Photo Editor Layne Nooner lnnooner@vwu.edu Illustrations Editor Alex Powers ampowers@vwu.edu Online Editor Nel Hart nlhart@vwu.edu Copy Editor Tara Truax tmtruax@vwu.edu Advertising Manager Jasmine Demir jkdemir@vwu.edu Adviser Dr. Lisa Lyon Payne lpayne@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

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Students reflect on world travels

BY CONNOR MERK ccmerk@vwu.edu During the month of January, many students took part in study away courses, including courses to Israel, Hawaii and Germany. Each of these courses had dynamic aspects of their coursework and studies. For instance, the Israel class focused on conflict mediation between Christians, Muslims, Jews and Palestinians.

Sophomore Isabel Laxton took part in the course to Israel. “We woke up and usually go down to breakfast at the hotel.

Then our tour guide and bus driver would meet us at the hotel. Then we would get on the bus and everyday looked completely different,” Laxton said.

“Some days it was a lot of driving in different parts of Israel and Palestine. We would usually come back to the hotel towards the evening and the rest of the night was free, so we could go out and explore, play some games together, or a lot of us would write in our journals for a really long time.”

A life-changing experience that Laxton had was seeing the separation wall and barriers in society first-hand. “We got to hear from a bunch of speakers, specifically more from the extreme Palestinian side and extreme Israeli side that really showed me the miscommunication and misunderstanding of each other because they never really interact,” Laxton said.

“It made me want to make sure that I reach out and am connecting to people that are different from me.”

According to Laxton, anyone would be a good fit for this course, including those who are not extremely interested in history. “All of the history we learned and anything that we studied or at a site that we went to made it all so much more real. It might even be good for people who don’t like history because it shows you how important history is in the current day,” Laxton said.

Dr. Craig Wansink was the professor of the course Laxton participated in, which was titled, “Israel, Palestine and the Art of Waging Peace.” This course had two aspects with two dueling guides, “We had dual guides, one guide representing Israel, one representing Palestine, one representing Judaism, one representing Christianity and Islam. This course included opportunities visiting Israel’s greatest hits, such as the Western Wall and the Dead Sea, but also included opportunities in people’s homes,” Wansink said.

One of the experiences that Wansink will always remember is in regard to one of the activities with the tour guide.

“At one point our guide created a bonfire and we were on some hillside and stood around the bonfire for a half hour and he said sort of jokingly, ‘You know, you’re going to forget everything I said, but you’re going to remember the bonfire thirty years from now,’” Wansink said. “I do understand that the facts are not what they are going to primarily take away. The things I want them to remember are the kind of gut-level feeling of the poverty, frustration, and fear, and the joy of the people we met. I think what they will take away are memories of individuals who have made some permanent impression in their mind.”

Isabel Laxton| Courtesy From left to right: sophomores Lindsay White and

Ayanna Alston| Courtesy

Hawaii course group at a Luau in Maui.

Grant Morgan| Courtesy From left to right: sophomores Alyssa D’Emanuele, Grant Morgan and freshman Madison Rose in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany.

Freshman Ayanna Alston participated in the Hawaii course titled, “Maui: Undiscovered.” This course examines the impact that adventure travel has on culture and the environment. It helps students understand how tourist activities affect culture, the economy and preservation of the environment.

A typical day for this course involved waking up early, hiking, and exploring the surrounding area of their condos.

“We would go back to the condos once the day was over and we had the rest of the day to ourselves to either go around the town. We sometimes had a group dinner,” Alston said.

Alston fully recommends this course to other students, unless they dislike the outdoors, since it involved a great deal of outdoor activities. She enjoyed this course and the people she was with.

“I only knew three people in the class before, and I have gotten so close with everyone else. I feel like the experience overall and being with each other, we kind of became ohana, family,” Alston said.

Sophomore Grant Morgan took the Berlin course called, “History of the European City.” This class examines the history of Berlin, focusing primarily on its boom years in the final decades of the nineteenth century until its current reunification that includes visiting memorials, museums, consumer spaces, housing, architecture and ruins.

“Throughout the day we would have some site visits, visit museums, have some tours by our tour guides, and then the site visits were in relation to the topic for the day,” Morgan said. “We went through chronological order from the beginning of the 16th century to the 1990s. Each day was one of those time periods.”

His favorite sites and experiences included the Berlin Wall Memorial and experiencing a different culture.

“My favorite site visit was going to the Berlin Wall Memorial because it was the longest piece of the wall in existence and you could see how life was different between the West and East side of the city,” Morgan said. “In regard to thinking about the world, it was really cool to speak with people who had another nationality and language because I have never been in a place that primarily spoke German or another language. As well, living in a completely different city for a month, having to conform to the transportation systems, their money and lifestyle were really a lot different from what I was expecting.”

Morgan recommends this course to those interested in history and willing to do preparatory classwork. “It might seem like a lot of work at first but it is in relation to you fully understanding the class. There’s a lot of reading assignments that really help to embody the entire course, so when you show up to class every day you know what sites you’re visiting and the relevance of it,” Morgan said.

Anyone who is interested in taking a study away course should visit the Lighthouse for more information on possible courses and funding opportunities.

BATTEN CONTINUED FROM PG. 1

BY MARKAYSHA BRYANT mrbryant@vwu.edu This is in line with Sodexo’s mission to improve the quality of life of all those they serve. They strive to design Onsite Services and Benefits and Rewards Services that improve people’s wellbeing, process efficiency and infrastructure reliability and quality.

The Harbor Grill now features a new subway line, where customers can now create their own subs. They serve both hot and cold subs, and customers can add on a variety of toppings to their sandwiches.

“I am extremely appreciative of the new store. It’s so convenient because I don’t have to leave campus to go get the little things I like to eat. I love that it’s open during games and late nights as well. However, I am disappointed because they took away a lot of the things that students like, such as pizza and mozzarella sticks,” junior Cherelle Gooch said.

The hours of operation for the Coastal Market are 7 a.m. until 11 p.m. on weekdays, and 1 p.m. until 5 p.m. on weekends, and the grill is open from 9:45 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekdays.

Virginia Wesleyan University Flickr| Courtesy The Coastal Market in the Jane P. Batten Student Center offers a variety of snacks and drinks.

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The Marlin Chronicle | marlinchronicle.vwu.edu

Thursday, February 13, 2020

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Veterans perform Greek literature

BY KARLEIGH WARREN kawarren1@vwu.edu In a world where war is constant, it is hard to understand the tragedies that come with it. On Thursday, Feb. 6 and Friday, Feb. 7, Virginia Wesleyan University students came to the Goode Fine and Performing Arts Center to attend The Warrior Chorus Project where they listened to the stories of those who have served.

Peter Meineck, a former Royal Marine and current Classics professor at New York University, gathered local veterans to portray the tragedies of war that have been affecting all those involved since Ancient Greece.

Greek tragedies represent war, coming home, democracy and relationships. Meineck believes that the Greeks understood the effects of war and used theater to create dialogue. The use of dialogue is full of complexity and allows for an outlet to talk about war.

Greek warriors were forced to choose between their state and family just as many soldiers do now. After coming home from war, it is difficult for soldiers to return to their normal lives. Cory, a veteran who performed at The Warrior Project, stated that he returned from war within three days while Greek warriors traveled for months to return home. It is difficult to be able to recollect after being at war. Many soldiers struggle with post-traumatic stress disorder which has been evident for years.

Those in ancient Greece were aware of the toll that war takes on a person’s mental health. The Greeks wanted to make the theater a healing space. They believed that talking about the tragedies of war would make it easier to deal with.

Junior Hayden Thornbrugh believes that mental health has been an issue for service members for decades that has not been addressed in the way that it should.

Meineck stated that the Greeks had a sophisticated way of looking at mental illness. The Greeks believed that mental illness was not an individual’s fault, but that it was the gods who chose this for them. Meineck used Ajax’s suicide speech to portray the way warriors concealed the way they were feeling.

“Sometimes texts can illustrate how we really feel,” Meineck said. Stone Skeeter, a VWU alumnus, attended The Warrior Chorus Project due to his interest for ancient Greece and his care for service members in the past and the present. “Whether it be for the lack of interest or for the lack of resources, servicemen and women have been overlooked for some time now,” Skeeter said.

After the performance, the veterans answered the questions that the audience had about their personal experiences. “When you go to war, you do not come back the same” Cory said. Soldiers do not have time to recollect

Nel Hart | Marlin Chronicle Staged reading of Greek tragedy by and for veterans in the Susan S. Goode Fine and Performing Arts Center. after being at war. Cory spoke about his struggle to return back to normal life, “I was planting grass seeds at four in the morning because I was restless and aggressive,” Cory said. “Everything means something.”

Meineck believes that Greek stories magnify the effects on family. It is difficult to fully understand the impact that war has on the families of those who are serving. He used “The Odyssey” to show the transition from being at war to being with family again.

Doug, a veteran who performed at The Warrior Chorus Project, stated that he was on continuous deployment for nine years. While being away from his family for so long, Doug started to think about how this was affecting them; “How much did my absence contribute to what my family’s problems are and what they became?” Doug asked.

Anne, a performer at The Warrior Chorus Project, was the daughter and the wife of servicemen. One of the hardest obstacles for her was having to get to know her

spouse all over again. “War takes a toll on everyone,” Anne said.

Greek tragedies represent the effects of war in a way that makes it easier to speak about. The Warrior Chorus Project brought these stories to life which made it possible to relate to when speaking about war for everyone.

Sophomore Ryan Westpfahl related to these stories because of her relationship with a serviceman.

“The parallels of Greek tragedies and the modern day war became obvious through the actors’ performance and the dialogue that followed,” Westpfahl said. “The performances provided a very necessary opportunity to discuss the continued tragedies of warfare.” It is known that war affects all who are involved yet it is uncommon to discuss the mental illness that the trauma from war creates.

The Warrior Chorus Project brought the discussion of war and mental illness to light.

Students strive to end homelessness

Alyssa Jamison | Courtesy Students prepare a meal for the homeless during the January Term course titled, “Homeless Shelter.” Students also interacted with members of the shelter by participating with them in group activities.

BY FAITH MACWANA fpmacwana@vwu.edu

Allies in Marlins (AIM) to End Homelessness is an awareness campaign that is designed to draw attention to homelessness in the area. What started off as a class during winter session has blossomed into something bigger. Senior Alyssa Jamison, who works as a head shelter manager said, “The goal of AIM is to get everyone, students, faculty and staff involved in fundraising to help homelessness shelters in an area.”

Shelter is a course that is offered during January term.

Students are enrolled in either one-credit or four-credit courses. Once they have enrolled, they are taught the ins and outs of running a homeless shelter. During the month-long term, students visited different churches in the area and volunteered their time.

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Senior Monique Ayers participated in the one-credit course for the first time. During her overnight shift, her role was to monitor the people as they slept to ensure that policy was being followed and no unwanted guests wandered in. Ayers gave this piece of advice to anyone looking to get involved: “Just do it. It is an eye-opening and humbling experience,” Ayers said.

The campaign did a lock-in during fall semester in which students were able to donate canned foods and had stations to make bottles of inspiration for hygiene packets.

In the fourteen years that shelter has been going on, this was the first time in which it received a $1,000 service grant. Throughout this semester, AIM plans to

host a Nerf gun battle in which students, faculty and staff can either rent a Nerf gun or bring their own. The teams will be comprised of six people and there will be a $2 fee per person.

“It is just another fundraiser. It’s something to bring more awareness because I mean all the money that we have from that is going to be going towards the homeless shelter,” junior Eric Fisher said. Fisher was also one of the Head Shelter Managers. “This is going to be pretty cool. I mean you’ll have managers going up against students, faculty against students.” The Nerf gun battle dates have not been set yet.

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Sports

Thursday February 13, 2020 The Marlin Chronicle marlinchronicle.vwu.edu

Alex Powers|Illustration

Austin’s Reflection

BY AUSTIN EDMONDS acedmonds@vwu.edu

Alex Powers | Marlin Chronicle

Remembering Kobe Bryant: it’s more than just basketball

BY NICHOLAS MUNDY namundy@vwu.edu

The story of Kobe Bryant can’t be mentioned without first talking about the other victims of the horrific crash. John (56), Keri (46), and Alyssa Altobelli (13), Christina Mauser (38), pilot Ara Zobayan (50), Gianna (13) and Kobe Bryant (41) were all killed in a helicopter crash on Jan. 26.

Kobe Bryant provided memories and relationships not only from his time on the court, but from his time off of the court. Bryant retired from the NBA in 2016, but his impact in life wasn’t from his basketball career. The sudden death of Gianna and Kobe Bryant sent shockwaves not only throughout the basketball landscape, but also the entire world. Many stars reached out to share their condolences including Rihanna, Barack Obama, Drake, David Beckham, Peyton Manning and many others. Kobe won an Oscar for Best Animated Short Film for “Dear Basketball,” which was based on the letter he wrote announcing his retirement from basketball.

During his time away from the game, Kobe was seen with his daughter courtside at many games around the league. Gianna, at 13 years old, already showed the passion that drove her dad to greatness. She was destined to accomplish her dreams of playing for her dream school, University of Connecticut.

In an interview with Elle Duncan, Bryant admitted that his wife Vanessa wanted to try to have a boy after having three girls, but was jokingly concerned that it would be their fourth daughter. Kobe was asked how he would feel about having four girls in the house. He responded immediately, saying, “ I would have five more girls if i could. I am a girl dad.”

For me, watching Kobe was something special every time he stepped on the court. He played the game a different way. I can still remember his final game like it was yesterday. Watching him go to the free throw line late in the game against the Utah Jazz was a sight to see.

Kobe went to the line with under 15 seconds to go to shoot two free throws.

Everyone watching knew he was going to sink them to get to 60 points. He was able to help the Lakers get the win, and it was only fitting that it took every point of Kobe’s final game to get the win.

As the world stood still in the wake of the death of Kobe and Gianna Bryant, there were still games to be played around the league. Nearly every game that day and a few days following would begin with an eight second backcourt violation and a 24 second shot clock violation in tribute of Kobe Bryant. All seven lives of the accident will be missed.

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Three Chronicle editors reflect on the life and legacy of Kobe and Gianna Bryant.

Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna Bryant sit courtside at a Los Angeles Lakers basketball game.

BY MEGAN SHERMAN mrsherman@vwu.edu

Kobe, no death has rocked me like this one. From elementary school where I would stay up until all hours of the night to watch the Lakers play on the western time clock ( to my parent’s dismay), to the present where I admired him for using his platform to speak out against divisive hate and speak up for women’s sports; no death has rocked me like this one. And those were my initial thoughts. Then it got worse. To learn of the loss of his daughter Gianna as well, and two more of her teammates, my heart broke. ‘Gigi’ was a rising star and garnering attention from not just young female athletes, but also spectators young and old, male or female, who were excited to see how she would carry on the Mamba legacy.

Oh, how long the fight for equality for women’s sports has been. And Kobe Bryant seemed to be the accelerant for this movement. While I admired him for his social activism, especially in his retirement, I idolized him as a player. One of my favorite memories from his playing career was when he ruptured his Achilles in the fourth quarter of a game against Golden State, and remained on the floor long enough to sink the two free throws. I admire this for two reasons. One, players today struggle to knock down free throws completely healthy, but he did it with an injury that would sideline him for months and months.

And two, this one moment in Kobe Bryant’s career is so reflective of his career, and life, as a whole. Kobe sacrificed countless hours training and working to better his game, and this ‘never give up’ mentality translated on the floor. Kobe, Gigi, and all those lost in the helicopter crash will always be missed, but never forgotten.

Bing Images|Courtesy

BY Austin Edmonds acedmonds@vwu.edu

Growing up, there were two players who drew me to the NBA and taught me to love the sport. Those two players were Allen Iverson and Kobe Bryant. Kobe will always be the reason I began to watch basketball, but his legacy goes way deeper. Kobe inspired me along with an entire generation of kids to be accountable, and to not let anyone work harder than me. We are the generation of kids that scream Kobe anytime they throw trash away or see a beautiful fade away jump shot. Kobe quickly put the NBA on notice by becoming the youngest Slam Dunk contest champion at age 18.

Kobe was a different breed. He was not only an NBA player, but one of the most famous players in NBA history. For the Phill Jackson coached Lakers led by Kobe Bryant and of course Shaquille O’Neal, Bryant and O’Neal would master Jackson’s triangle offense along with a roster filled with other skilled players and they would go on to win three NBA championships in a row from 2000 to 2002. Kobe would go on to win a total of five NBA championships, winning two more in 08’ and 09.’

Along with the championships, Kobe had a plethora of All-NBA selections, All-NBA defensive team selections, and scoring titles. Kobe Bryant accomplished more on the basketball court than any one athlete could ever ask. However, if Kobe were here today he would tell you that being good at basketball was not his greatest accomplishment.

Kobe’s biggest accomplishment was being a dad, and a ‘girl dad’ to be exact. Kobe loved being a dad to his four girls, Natalia age 17, Gianna age 13, Bianka age 4, and baby Capri who is just 7 months old. Kobe has spent most of his post-basketball career with his family making up for time he lost on the road. Kobe loved his daughters as much as he could as days before his passing a video went viral of Kobe and his daughter Gianna having a wholesome moment courtside at a game.

My thoughts and prayers go out to the family and loved ones of each of the nine lives that were lost during the tragic helicopter crash. Thank you Kobe for a lifetime of inspiration and memories.

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Sports

Thursday February 13, 2020 The Marlin Chronicle marlinchronicle.vwu.edu

VWU hoops garner national attention

AT A GLANCE M. Lacrosse Feb. 15 @ Greensboro 1:00 P.M. W. Lacrosse Feb. 15 @ Marymount 1:00 P.M.

Sports Information|Courtesy Sports Information|Courtesy Tim Fisher lays the ball up while facing an ODU defender.

Corey Pelham takes a shot from three in a home contest.

BY NOAH RIFFLE nbriffle@vwu.edu

The Virginia Wesleyan University Marlins are back to being one of the best teams in the nation, as they have been ranked 13th in the latest ‘D3hoops.com’ top 25 poll. With a record of 18-3, the team bumps up from the previously ranked #15 in last week’s polls, to #13 this week.

The Randolph-Macon Yellow Jackets are the only other team from the Old Dominion Athletic Conference ranked in the top 25 D3Hoops.com coaches poll; they are the third-ranked team in the country.

The Marlins are led by a high powered offense, averaging 77.7 points per game and scoring in the triple digits on three separate occasions this season.

Having five scorers averaging doubledigits a game, it shows how the team is playing team-oriented rather than selfish basketball.

When talking to Coach Dave Macedo, he described the difference between this year’s team and past year’s teams as a “winning culture.” He continued to say that the Marlins have “done a good job creating the culture they want.”

Macedo and his crew are coming off of a solid performanc against the top team in the ODAC, Randolph-Macon College, on Jan. 22.

The final score of that game was 67-61, as the Marlins took their third loss of the season. Macedo had good things to say about the tough matchup that they faced.

He said, “Macon executed in the second half.” Macedo said that in those kinds of

big games, “the margin of error is small.”

Taylor Major, a senior captain on the team, also talked about the big matchup with the R-MC Yellow Jackets. He said, “We had plenty of opportunities to win that game.” He continued, “a few more balls bounce our way… it’s a totally different game”.

Being a captain, Major said he is “very proud of our team” in the way that they have competed this year. He wanted to stress about how determined they are to see the Yellow Jackets again, hopefully in the ODAC tournament.

Sophomore Guard Evan Tebay also had his input on the Macon game. He said, “the margin for error is going to be little.

Everyone is trying to give us their best game.”

He said “now we’re not just in games with people…sending the message, that it’s two of us. And we will see that Macon team again”.

When talking to Major, he had to say that the difference with this team in comparison to the teams prior is the initiative that the team possesses.

He said, “Getting in the gym…and weight room on their own and then taking the extra step to invite other teammates.

I think that’s huge. That means a lot, to getting better in the process.”

Major really appreciates the work that his team has put in not only during the season and the games, but the entire fall and preseason.

Tebay went on to talk about his team, and had high remarks about the work they have put in. When discussing the differences he sees with this team he is on now, he said, “Consistency. Doing the little things all around to make us focus is big”.

He also said that this team “executes on offense and defense.” This team has shown that they have the will to win when it comes down to it.

With the Marlins looking to make a deep run not only in the ODAC tournament, but also the NCAA tournament, they would need to finish the season strong. All of the team’s final games will be against ODAC opponents, so they still have a lot to play for.

VWU currently has a conference record of 9-2 which is good enough for second place. Randolph-Macon is in first place with a 12-0 record and is the only team slated above the Marlins in the standings.

With a record of 18-3, as of Feb. 12, the Marlins will need to win three of the last five games to reach the twenty-win mark for the first time since the 2014-2015 season.

Their final games include Randolph College, Hampden-Sydney College, Emory & Henry College, Shenandoah University and Eastern Mennonite University.

Baseball Feb. 15 vs. Piedmont 2:00 P.M. Softball Feb. 16 vs. Meredith 1:00 P.M., 3:00 P.M. M. Basketball Feb. 15 @ Emory and Henry 2:00 P.M. W. Basketball Feb. 16 vs. Wash. & Lee 2:00 P.M. Women’s Tennis @ Meredith 2:00 P.M.

Softball, Baseball picked to finish strong in ODAC

BY JORDAN WILSON jmwilson@vwu.edu

Sports Information|Courtesy The VWU softball team begins their pursuit for their 13th ODAC Championship.

Last season, the Virginia Wesleyan softball team had a winning record of 42-6 and won the ODAC Championship, making it three years in a row. They also made it to the NCAA tournament for the sixth consecutive year.

Coming off such a good year Virginia Wesleyan was able to stay atop the best teams in the nation being ranked #7 on the National Fastpitch Coaches Association preseason standings. Also, they were ranked #1 in the ODAC preseason standings for the season.

The team looks to start the new year off right against their first opponents, Meredith College on Feb. 15.

“The team is well rounded, a lot of talent all the way through. Not a ton of superstars but a lot of really good players. They have elite speed, a lot of potential power, and obviously really good on the mound,” head coach Brandon Elliott said.

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Elliott has proven to be a great coach at Virginia Wesleyan, having a whopping overall record of 451-109 in his twelve years of coaching.

“The goal is the same as every year and that’s to win the whole thing. That’s been the expectation since we have been here.

We know how difficult it is, and we gotta have a special year to do it,” Elliott said.

Two players Elliot mentioned having a great year are senior pitcher Hanna Hull and junior pitcher Carla Hall.

“Carla Hall is throwing the ball extremely well, maybe the best she ever has and she has slightly been under the radar because she pitches behind Hanna Hull one of the best, if not the best, pitcher in Division III History. Carla is coming off a first team All-Conference year and all region player so she’s playing at her best right now. The better Carla plays, the better Hanna plays,” Elliott said.

Sports Information|Courtesy The VWU baseball team places fourth in the ODAC preseason poll.

Last year the Virginia Wesleyan Baseball team had a record of 22-17, making it their third year in a row with 20 plus wins. Despite this, they lost in the ODAC Championship game.

Coming off a decent prior season, the Virginia Wesleyan baseball team ranks #4 on the ODAC preseason standings. The three teams ahead on the ODAC preseason standings are number one Randolph Macon, number two Shenandoah, and number three Roanoke.

The Virginia Wesleyan baseball team is looking to start the year with a win against Emory University. “One of our strengths should be that we’re a veteran team on the pitching mound. We returned a lot of our players from last year. As well as our top three starters back Pilarski, Lowe and Crusemire who all pitched us to regionals two years ago. We got some good young guys that should add some depth to our bullpen. We returned some good position players. I think we’ll be really athletic, I think we’ll be really explosive, and we have good team speed. That should help us defensively,” head coach Chris Francis said.

Francis seems to have the key to success for the Virginia Wesleyan baseball team, by leading the team to their third 20+ win season in a row. Approaching his sixth season coaching the Marlins, Francis said, “Our goal is the same every year and that is to get better day by day. We don’t really look at the win and losses part, we just want to play the best baseball we can every day. If we can do that, we’ll be okay with the outcome.”

Two players that Francis thinks will have a great year are Seniors Jake Pilarski and Austin Obenour.

“Pilarski is a two-way guy for us. He will be our number one pitcher and one of our designated hitters. He was All-Region a year ago and All-American two years ago. We feel that he is capable of doing special things. Obenour, our shortstop, has had a nice career here so far and he’s having a really good off-season. I think these guys will do a good job at leading us on and off the field.” Francis said.

When asked about what the team needed to work on, Francis said, “We need to execute our offense.”

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THEWEEKENDER

February 13, 2020

PAGE 9

ROYAL RUMBLE RECAP

Emily Uzzle|Marlin Chronicle OPINION BY TONY TANN tdtann@vwu.edu

Edge is back, and Drew McIntyre is a star. Those are two takeaways from Sunday, Jan. 26’s strong Royal Rumble pay-per-view at Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas. Edge was the big surprise of the show, and based on the ending of Monday’s Raw, looks to feud with old tag partner Randy Orton. But the big winner of the night was McIntyre. Not only did he eliminate Brock Lesnar (which, holy f-bomb moment in itself), he tossed out Roman Reigns last to win the whole match.

More on that in a bit, elsewhere on the show, Charlotte Flair won the women’s Rumble for what feels like the umpteenth time (even though we’ve only had two women’s Rumbles to date) to earn a Women’s Championship match at WrestleMania. The Man Becky Lynch retained her title by tapping out Asuka in vicious fashion, and Daniel Bryan was unable to topple The Fiend. The highlight of the night, though, was the Men’s Royal Rumble match itself -- the best in years.

A true return to form. Everyone who was

expecting a repeat of years past was fairly surprised as the usual pitfalls of pushing stars we as an audience don’t particularly like seem to be avoided. Roman Reigns, company face and Vince McMahon’s personal superman action figure, lost; McIntyre won the match, and looks to be WWE’s next pet project.

Brock Lesnar started the match at number one, a move that confused everyone when it was announced as he is the current World Heavyweight Champion. Brock “Full Time Pay for Part Time Appearance” Lesnar barely likes to work for five minutes and yet here he was in the squared circle for a good portion of the match. And as much as I hate to admit it, it was pretty freaking awesome.

Elias, Erick Rowan, John Morrison, Keith Lee (what a big money match these two would have solo), Shelton Benjamin, Braun Strowman. All were tossed out

by Lesnar, who ended up with thirteen eliminations. Lesnar’s run would end with a combination of McIntyre and resident superhero Ricochet. As McIntyre entered

the ring, he and Lesnar began squaring each other up. Lesnar began unstrapping his gloves, so you knew it was about to go DOWN. Alas, Ricochet hit a not-sosuperheroic low blow to Lesnar from the behind and McIntyre eliminated The Beast with a Claymore Kick. The crowd went insane. Even though Brock did well that night, general consensus is still in the negative when it comes to Lesnar.

That’s not the last time the crowd went wild, because the 21st entrant was Edge, the Rated R Superstar, returning from retirement with a clean bill of health from doctors after undergoing two level spinal fusion of the discs between his C5, C6 and C7 vertebrae. Translation, Edge is hard as nails and spinal stenosis, the injury he suffered from, couldn’t stop the absolute madman from coming home and popping the crowd for the next couple of days. The absolute high that everyone who witnessed his return lasted for an entire week. He didn’t win the match, and was eliminated second to last by Roman Reigns. (The crowd, as you would

imagine, wasn’t stoked about that.) He looked to be in great shape. Before his elimination, he ejected Randy Orton from the match. Raw on Monday ended with Orton demolishing Edge with a one-man Conchairto, so Orton appears to be Edge’s return opponent. Whether that match will take place at WrestleMania or before is unclear. But wow, from retiring nearly ten years ago and fans coming to terms with one of the greatest will never step foot in a ring to compete again to hearing his trademark entrance music Metalingus was a sharp turn that everybody got chills over.

The final two were Reigns and McIntyre. Reigns shot for a huge spear, but was cut off by a Claymore Kick and tossed over. The arena’s top blew off as everyone watching along saw Roman’s two feet hit the ground. The emotion was present on McIntyre’s face as he cemented his position at WrestleMania in April. The night ended in cheers as the big guy stood up on the turnbuckle and did the trademark point at the WrestleMania sign.

Interested in writing for the Marlin Chronicle for class credit?

Register for JOUR 210 : Journalism Workshop write for any section and get published!

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10 The Marlin Chronicle | marlinchronicle.vwu.edu

62nd Annual Grammy recognizes more than artists

BY MAKIAH ELLIS mellis@vwu.edu

On Jan. 26, 2020 the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards were held at the Staples Center with musician Alicia Keys as a host. The show was held the same day as the death of basketball player Kobe Bryant, who played for the Los Angeles Lakers, and his daughter Gianna Bryant, as well as nine others who were in the same helicopter. The Staples Center is the Lakers home venue.

Alicia Keys took the stage to introduce the show, but of course she could not avoid talking about the loss weighing heavy on everyones minds.

“We’re all feeling crazy sadness right now because earlier today Los Angeles, America and the whole wide world lost a hero and we’re literally standing here, heartbroken, in the house that Kobe Bryant built.” says Keys. Other performers paid their respects to Kobe Bryant and Gianna Bryant were Lizzo, Boys 2 men, and Lil Nas X. “Tonight is for Kobe,” said Lizzo, kicking off her Grammys opening performance of “Cuz I Love You.” The nominees for this year’s annual Grammy Awards were Lizzo who led the group of artists, writers, producers and singers nominated. Lizzo, first time grammy nominee of the pop and R&B star of hits like “Truth Hurts,” “Juice” and “Good as Hell,” was nominated for eight awards. Billie Eilish and Lil Nas X followed right behind with six nominations apiece. Ariana Grande, Taylor Swift, and Lana del Rey also received multiple nominations this year. Lizzo ended up taking home three prizes on Sunday.

Meanwhile, newcomer Billie Eilish took home five of the coveted awards. Eilish was the youngest person ever nominated in the Grammy’s for all four awards at the same time. Eilish, the 18 year old American singer and songwriter, has taken the music world to another level. Ellish left the Grammys with wins in all five major categories, including best new artist, record and song (“Bad Guy”) and album of the year, as well as best pop vocal album (“When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?”). She’s the first artist to do so since 1981 when Christopher Cross accomplished this. The pop star is also one of more than two dozen artists who performed on Sunday’s telecast.

As every year, this year’s Grammy awards consisted of “Snubs”. Artists that should have won did not get the credit or award expected. Ariana Grande, a well known pop artist and H.E.R., well known R&B artists both were included in five nominations this year. Both went home empty-handed. This was very shocking to the audience as well as fans. “ I love Ariana Grande, with Mac Miller passing and the amount of songs she has released this year and how much publicity they’ve gained, I’m shocked, says Cherelle Gooch, Junior of Virginia Wesleyan University.”

Beyoncé’s “Spirit” from The Lion King lost best song written for visual media to Lady Gaga’s “I’ll Never Love Again” from A Star Is Born. “Spirit” has been slowly gaining publicity at several award shows this season but did not win any awards. No one expected Beyonce or Lady Gaga to not gain an award. Blake Shelton’s “God’s Country,” which topped Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart for seven weeks last year, and which won a CMA Award as single of the year on Nov. 13, lost best country solo performance to Willie Nelson’s “Ride Me Back Home,” a non-charting single from his album of the same name.

As snubs are surprising, there were also shocking wins. Koffee’s Rapture won best reggae album, making Koffee the first female solo artist to win in the category. She beat Julian Marley, nominated for As I Am. That is very rare in this category. Three other sons of the late reggae legend Bob Marley have won a combined 13 times in this category. Also the remix to one of Madonna’s tracks won for best remixed recording for the second time in nine years.

Rumor has it that the annual Grammy awards are rigged. Former CEO Deborah Dugan filed a lawsuit against the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, alleging she was wrongfully fired after raising allegations of sexual harassment and irregularities with Grammy nominations. Dugan also alleges she was pushed out

after raising concerns about various “irregularities and conflicts” with the academy’s nomination and review process, and that she discovered numerous conflicts of interest made possible by the “boys’ club mentality.” From the looks of it, there are those who might agree with her on the matter. “But also it sucks that whenever we — and I mean guys that look like me — do anything that’s genre-bending or that’s anything they always put it in a rap or urban category,” says Tyler the Creator The Grammys, which have been biased with white and male, feel only in touch predominately with contemporary pop music. Big-name stars such as Beyonce, Drake, and Kanye have begun to distance themselves from the event for a few years. Kanye West who has won 21 Grammys, but never in a major category has long made the Grammys which has caused him anger and disbelief. When faced with questions about the Grammy’s gender imbalance, Dugan’s predecessor, Neil Portnow, said that women needed to “step up.”

Alex Powers|Marlin Chronicle

VALERY’S GALLERY Valery Caraballo is a sophomore political science major with an interest in writing and music. This column will include a number of untouched media that peak the interest of many college students, because who isn’t worried about drama and music?

Bing Images|Courtesy

Let’s Get Lo’d

OPINION BY VALERY CARABALLO vecaraballo@vwu.edu

The halftime show was truly the performance we didn’t know we needed. As part of our childhood danced across the stage in the Superbowl, I personally couldn’t help but sing along. As Shakira and J.Lo left their hearts on the stage in this performance it was hard not to have your eyes glued to the TV. Although they were the highlight of the show, the real treat was how long it had been since we had seen these women and the clear pent up energy that they had released. If you didn’t know at least one song that was played, you haven’t been listening. Although on numerous occasions people have called this performance “too much”, it truly was a good way to begin the year. There is always a need for some spanish exposure and these women expressed their

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hispanic heritage the entire time. The show did an excellent job of making people want to get up and dance while still having us at the edge of our seats fom our living rooms.

Despite good reviews, there has been a lot of backlash on the performance over it being too `sexy.” A lot of performances are what you take from them, this one in particular was meant to be good and upbeat and was perceived that way by a large portion of the audience. Overall, the show was a breath of fresh air with songs like “Jenny From the Block,” “Hips Dont Lie,” and “Lets Get Loud.” How could you not enjoy it?

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