February 27, 2020

Men’s lacrosse is off to a 2-0 start. Turn to sports page 8 for a season preview.

Steve Morrison | Courtesy

THURSDAY 2.27.20 || MARLINCHRONICLE.VWU.EDU ||

VIRGINIA WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY

VWU celebrates Black History Month

‘A culture of caring’ Dr. Merlock Jackson expresses gratitude, pens letter to community

BY KARLEIGH WARREN kawarren1@vwu.edu

“Seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history,” President Gerald Ford once said.

February is widely recognized as Black History Month followed with an established theme every year. The theme for Black History Month 2020 is “African Americans and the Vote” in honor of the 100-year anniversary of the Nineteenth Amendment, granting women the right to vote. This theme also honors the anniversary of the Fifteenth Amendment, giving African American men the right to vote.

Carter G. Woodson, a Harvard-trained historian, and Minister Jesse E. Moorland founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History which is now known as the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH). This organization is dedicated to researching and promoting the achievements by African Americans. Black History Month originated in 1926 and was limited to “National Negro History Week.”

This week of recognition later evolved into Black History Month after the Civil Rights Movement.

Chief Diversity Officer for the Commonwealth Dr. Janice Underwood, spoke to students in the Pearce Suite on Tuesday about Black History Month and what the Commonwealth of Virginia is doing in order to provide diversity, equity and inclusion. The main goal is to create a strategic plan for inclusion and excellence.

Underwood is in the process of supporting the movement to remove Confederate Statues and placing them into Confederate museums. Underwood encouraged the students at VWU to spark the conversation about race.

Layne Nooner| Marlin Chronicle Underwood speaks to students about the importance of Black History Month.

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On your marks, get set, recycle

Following a car accident caused by a drunk driver that nearly took the lives of Jackson and her husband, she reflects on the outpouring of support from the Virginia Wesleyan community in an open letter. Turn to Community page 6 to read Jackson’s firsthand account of the accident, the Ethics Bowl Championship victory and all that’s followed.

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Community grieves university leaders The Virginia Wesleyan campus and community mourn the loss of Frank Blocker Jr. and Dr. Mort Gamble.

BY LAUREN FAULKNER lafaulkner@vwu.edu

Alex Powers | Marlin Chronicle

Learn about our school’s participation in the environmental competition “RecycleMania.” Director of Campus Sustainability Dr. Elizabeth Malcolm and members of Marlins Go Green discuss the importance of this recycling initiative on Community page 4.

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At the end of January, the VWU community lost two members, Dr. Mort Gamble and Frank Blocker Jr. Gamble served as the Senior Vice President here at VWU. Blocker served as an advocate for the VWU education and science program and was also on the Board of Trustees for the university.

Frank Blocker Jr. was a longtime trustee of the university, and passed away on Jan. 25, 2020 from natural causes.

Blocker’s contributions to the university can be seen in the buildings and gifts he has given the campus community.

Blocker Hall was established thanks to his contributions and honors his parents.

Blocker never stopped his dedication to this science and humanities building and contributed to many renovations that the hall has received over time including updates to the Blocker Auditorium, multiple research labs and the electron microscope.

Blocker was always an advocate for VWU, but also for YMCA. In order to combine his passions, Blocker helped to establish Frank Blocker Jr. Youth Center.

This building is used to work with the Tidewater Collegiate Academy during the school year as an academic partnership for teacher education programs. In the summer, the YMCA uses the space to host Camp Red Feather. Camp Red Feather hosts children ages 6 to 16 and welcomes them to participate in both recreational activities and learning about the university.

“He was a visionary in that he saw the program was growing...and it was his love of Virginia Wesleyan and his love of the YMCA that led to these projects coming together in such a productive way that benefitted both organizations,” President Miller said.

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2 Thursday February 27, 2020 The Marlin Chronicle marlinchronicle.vwu.edu

News

Coronavirus global impact grows The coronavirus continues to spread, with many now seeing notable effects in the United States and the global economy at large

BY DALTON POWERS dmpowers@vwu.edu

The coronavirus, a deadly respiratory illness, has transversed several continents and become increasingly deadly.

The most recent death toll accounts for 2,465 with 78,800 people affected across 23 countries outside of China.

The virus has resulted in extensive travel bans and even the quarantine of entire cities in China such as Wuhan, home to more than 46 million people.

Quarantining efforts in China as a result of the coronavirus have grown to be the largest in human history. 16 cities in the nation have become as sealed off from other regions as possible, although approximately 5 million people fled before the quarantine efforts began.

Within these cities, all public transportation and airports have been closed in effort to prevent the spread of disease. Experts, however, have said that the efforts used in China may be ineffective or even counterintuitive because people are not able to access necessary resources.

It is also noted that people in the nation are staying put due to fear if the intensive surveillance efforts in quarantined cities.

The United States has also begun to quarantine travellers who have been to China recently, as the Pentagon has prepared facilities to hold 1,000 people.

The quarantining process in the United States will consist of health screenings at the most popular international airports across the United States, and a required two week quarantine will be implemented for anyone who has been to China’s Hubei province in the past fourteen days, as it is predicted that the coronavirus will become a pandemic, per the Business Insider.

The Center for Disease Control has said that it is inevitable that the coronavirus will

Emily Uzzle | Marlin Chronicle spread to the United States. Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease stated that due to the spread of the disease to areas in the Middle East and South Korea, and because there is virtually no way to stop disease spread entirely, that spread to the U.S. is no longer a question.

President Trump has released statements on the issue, saying that the virus will be easily controlled and that a vaccine will be out in time to prevent spread. However, Fauci has said that this claim is incorrect

and that while there is a vaccine being tested, it will take over a year to have the vaccine distributed to the public, per CNBC. The United States and many other nations have resorted to banning travel to the region pretty much entirely.

The coronavirus caused travel bans has also resulted in a loss of $29 billion dollars in airline revenue, has caused Chinese auto sales to plummet by 92%, and has resulted in supply chains being disrupted for many

industries in which corporations source supplies for operations from Chinese plants.

The virus has forced many of China’s massive manufacturing plants to suspend operations due to the hazard of contamination. Among these plants, Foxconn, a major electronics producer and Apple Inc.’s primary supplier, has ceased operations in its Chinese plants.

Apple CEO, Tim Cook, has said that the company will be using alternative suppliers for their needs, however, many products are just sitting in the closed factories including what could be 45 million pairs of AirPods, per CNET. It is speculated that not only will the virus essentially halt the Chinese economic growth for the time being, but also hasten the decoupling of our global economies wtih China because so much of China’s manufacturing has been forced out of gear, so corporations are left to replace them in their supply chain.

This event has caused world leaders to call out corporations, particularly auto manufacturers and the pharmaceutical industry, for their dependence on China.

France, in particular, which has centered one-third of their Chinese investment in the city of Wuhan, is now predicting their own economic shrinkage due to the virus’s effect on Chinese factories, per The New York Times.

The crippling effect of turmoil in one nation begs the question of whether or not companies will begin to diversify the origin of their imports to avoid another case of global economic shrinkage.

What’s happening? Check out these upcoming events Career and Internship Fair

Students of all majors are invited to talk with a variety of employers about employment and internship opportunities.

All attendees should be prepared with a resume and professional business attire.

For more information regarding the event, contact Jessica Harrington at jharrington@vwu.

February 27 10 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Jane P. Batten Student Center, C-MAC

The presidential candidate and Vermont senator will visit campus on Saturday, February 29, to speak to voters ahead of the Super Tuesday primaries.

There is a first-come, first-served basis for seating.

“How Should We Prevent Mass Shootings in Our Communities?”

March 9 7 p.m. - 9 p.m.

Jane P. Batten Student Center, Pearce Suite

Dr. Stephen Hock highlights the impact of comic books as part of the Center for the Study of Religious Freedom’s “Leading for Change” series. Free and open to the public.

Bernie Sanders Rally February 29 8 p.m. (doors open at 6:30 p.m.)

Jane P. Batten Student Center, Convocation Hall

A Deliberative Dialogue addressing the difficult issue of gun violence is held as part of the Center for the Study of Religious Freedom’s Nexus Interfaith Dialogue series. The dialogue is participatory and conducted in small groups that are facilitated by trained moderators. Please RSVP to 757.455.3129 or csrf@vwu.edu

“Leadership through the Art of Comics”:

The Holocaust through the Lens of 1955’s ‘Master Race’ March 10 11 a.m. - 11:50 a.m.

Blocker Hall Auditorium Flickr | Courtesy

GAMBLE CONTINUED FROM Pg. 1 Miller went on to speak about Blocker as a “genuinely committed visionary” to this institution who aided the community by providing many gifts that furthered the success of our academic programs.

Dr. Mort Gamble passed on Jan. 29, 2020 at the age of 68 due to medical issues that arose. Gamble served as the Senior Vice President for the university, and worked closely with President Miller.

Starting his position here in 2016, Gamble supervised fundraising, and worked closely with alumni, parent, government, church and business relations. He served as chief of staff to the president, and was also known for being an associate professor in the communication department.

Gamble attended university in West Virginia where he received his master’s and baccalaureate degrees in education and his doctorate in higher education. He worked at a variety of higher education institutions including West Virginia Wesleyan College, Fairmont State University, Waynesburg University, Hood College and

George Washington University.

Gamble’s career with Miller began when the two worked together at Bethany College and he was later asked to join him when he became president of this university.

Gamble has worked alongside Miller for about 13 years, but their connection began with Gamble serving as Miller’s advisor back at West Virginia Wesleyan.

“He was a kind, caring, and considerate individual who was the behind the scenes guy,” Miller said.

Through their daily interactions, Gamble worked to drive Miller’s agenda 24/7, and was known to sit in on meetings for Miller when he could not attend. Gamble could be seen regularly running operations over the President’s Office, the Advancement Office and the Marketing and Communications Office.

“He was a close friend; He was a distinguished colleague...We lost someone who was a quiet leader,” Miller said.

Miller was honored to give the eulogy for Gamble at his funeral, and reflected on the time they met during his undergraduate career.

In the eulogy, Miller quoted a letter that Gamble had written to him that Thanksgiving stating that “I’m working at a place [Virginia Wesleyan] that I like and believe in; I am living in a community I enjoy; I work with a staff I really like and for a boss I respect. And I’m doing what I really set out to do.”

The VWU community mourns the loss of these two gentlemen tremendously, especially the staff and faculty who worked in close relations with them.

Their legacies will be remembered in many ways, both through their actions and their contributions. Their values of compassion, hard work, and dedication will live on through the lives of those they touched here at VWU.

News

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Thursday February 27, 2020 The Marlin Chronicle marlinchronicle.vwu.edu

Warm winter trends observed worldwide While many enjoy the unusually warm February temperatures, for others, the global rise in temperature is cause for concern.

Bloomberg Green News | Courtesy

BY ALEX POWERS ampowers@vwu.edu

This current winter season is off to a warmer start than anticipated. Some areas around the globe are experiencing record-high temperatures, and at large, 2019 has been the second hottest year on record.

Bloomberg Green detailed just how noteworthy this phenomenon is. By current estimations, “the world is heading toward the warmest winter ever recorded.”

Strange and unexpected weather patterns around the globe have seemingly triggered this warming trend.

However, this trend was not supposed to happen, according to many projections. AccuWeather’s forecasts from Pennsylvania and Maxar’s forecasts from Maryland seemed to indicate a cool winter would follow the fall season.

A cold swell was predicted to drift down from the Arctic, bringing with it the low temperatures typical of most winter seasons in the northern hemisphere. However, a low-pressure system came over the North Pole, and ‘wedged’ the cold jet stream up in the polar region. This has “kept the cold locked in place, upsetting fall forecasts for an icy winter ahead,” per Bloomberg Green.

These effects have been felt worldwide. Temperatures throughout the U.S. mainland are 3 Celsius degrees higher than their 20th century average. In fact, Weather.com explained that none of the 48 mainland United States experienced a below-average temperature in December or January, putting the U.S. on pace for their hottest winter yet. This also made for a 3.1 Celsius degree aboveaverage January in Europe, reported the Copernicus Climate Change Service, the hottest January it has ever experienced.

Yet some areas have been quite cool, comparatively.

Some northern regions such as Russia, Scandinavia and east Canada have seen milder winters than average so far this season by as much as 5 Celsius degrees in some areas, according to the U.S. National Centers for Environmental Information.

Celvin Pelaez-Gonzalez, a junior at VWU, also noted the cold winter that his family is experiencing further north in the United States.

Pelaez-Gonzales is from Ocean City, NJ, which has seen extreme cold spells recently, especially off the ocean. Per Time and Date Weather data, Ocean City saw bitter temperatures as low as 18 degrees Fahrenheit, without windchill, in late January. February proved to be unpredictable, yet, with sunny weather and highs of 60 followed by days in the low teens and chilling winds.

“It’s cold. [It] goes down to the 20s, sometimes negatives,” Pelaez-Gonzales said on his home in New Jersey. When asked how it compared to the weather Virginia Beach has seen this winter so far, he confirmed what data has shown for much of the Atlantic coast.

“I’ve noticed that it varies a lot throughout the week…

This year it has changed from being like upper 60s and [the] next day going down to like 30s.”

Still, at large, Earth has gotten warmer and warmer.

Compared to 20th Century averages, December 2019 saw an 1.05 degree Celsius increase. Similarly, January 2019 saw an 1.14 celsius degree increase, and many projections have February continuing the trend, per Bloomberg Green.

If this trend were to continue through the end of the month, the U.S. could very well have experienced a “global high for the season...going back 141 years.”

This collective warming did not go unnoticed on campus.

In addition to the extreme highs and lows in temperature, Pelaez-Gonzales noted clear trends of warmer weather in general. “It has definitely changed the way I dress,” he

said. Unlike past winters, “now, literally, I wake up, I look outside, and if I see it’s sunny then there’s a good chance it’s gonna be warm,” admitted Pelaez-Gonzalez.

“I definitely see people dressing more warmly than I have seen in the past three years” Beyond mere attire, the warm Virginia winter has made notable changes to campus life. Pelaez-Gonzales noted a quick shift to warm, spring-like weather reflected by student activity in and around campus.

“There was supposed to be a snowman building [event] and that did not work” added Pelaez-Gonzalez, laughing as he recalls only an underwhelming flurry of snow just days before. In lieu of winter activity, many students seem prepared to move onto warmer jaunts. “I’ve had a lot of my friends invite me to go to the beach or just do outside activities more often than previous years” While bypassing bitter-cold temperatures in a coastal region can be a blessing to many, the underlying concern about rising global temperatures did not escape the conversation. Despite cold regions, the earth’s surface air temperatures both in winter and overall continue to rise.

“Definitely Global warming is something we should all look at as a whole,” Pelaez-Gonzalez said, citing the importance of green practices at the local, national, and international level.

The 2015 Paris Agreement had aimed to hold global temperature rises to 1.5°C. “Staying below 1.5°C would prevent hundreds of millions of people from suffering through extreme heat waves and give other living things more time to adjust to changing conditions,” Bloomberg Green reported.

A sense of urgency and discomfort underlined PelaezGonzalez’s comments. “I don’t know how to explain it, but you can definitely tell that the weather has changed.”

Kim DeHart | Marlin Chronicle Students and faculty convene in Blocker Hall for an event on mathematics, as part of a variety of lectures and events in the Love for the Liberal Arts Symposium.

Annual symposium rekindles appreciation for the liberal arts

BY KIM DEHART kmdehart@vwu.edu

Virginia Wesleyan University is a thriving liberal arts college within itself and to show, Virginia Wesleyan had a series of programs and speakers.

From Feb. 11 through Feb. 21, the ‘Love Liberally’ symposium made many events ranging in different categories along with dotation spots set up and events and discussions to help celebrate Valentine’s day.

Hofheimer Library had a ‘Warm up Wednesday’ where they gave out hot chocolate and tea and students could decorate heart shaped cookies.

Anikka Jones stopped by this event and stated that “everything looked cute and bright.”

There was also ‘Love for Learning: Cookie Palooza,’ held Feb. 13, in Clarke Hall where students could stop by and grab some cookies and milk to help celebrate Valentine’s day.

Along with these series of events there was a campus clean up called “For the Love of Mother Nature.” Students were provided with rubber gloves and trash bags with trash grabbers as well.

On Feb. 14 at 12:00 p.m. students were walking around campus and picking up trash and recycling to help keep this campus clean and beautiful.

The hope is to keep this program going in the future.

Wesleyan Engaged partnered with Kappa Alpha Phi 3News_02_25_2020 USE THIS ONEEE.indd 1

Fraternity, Inc. to sponsor this event.

Another program held at Virginia Wesleyan was the free HIV and STI testing onFeb. 18.

A senior at Virginia Wesleyan took advantage of this program, stating that “having programs like these are really helpful because it is really important for everyone to stay healthy and this program makes it easy and accessible.”

A food drive was held and ran from Feb. 1 to Feb. 15 where non-perishable food items were donated and collected.

This event was sponsored by Wesleyan Engaged and Newport News Commissioner’s office along with Toiletries and Women’s Health needs for the Emergency Women’s Shelters. Extra Toiletries such as hygiene products and other femine products were donated and collected as well.

This started on Feb. 14, and is currently running through March 14. This event is also sponsored by Wesleyan Engaged as well as INTEL, NAMI and Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. One of the other programs, hosted by Dr. Denise Wilkinson on Feb. 19 at 10:00, was centered around pervoice voting from her Algebra 105 students on what the most romantic film is.

The concept revolved around the students taking their pervoisc ballots based on their favorite and applying their election topic knowledge to determine the outcome of the vote on what the most romantic film of the twenty first century was.

The students voting choices were “Bridget Jones,” “Mamma Mia!,” “Love Actually” and “Remember Me.” The students worked together in small groups to work out their problem as they applied their chapter methods to figure out the answer. This program was unique in that the students worked together. Not only did they solve the voting problem, but they did it while having fun. There were also a couple of events where guest speakers appeared and hadconversations revolving the topic of love.

One of these discussions was, “Is Love What Makes a Subaru a Subaru,?” which was held by University Chaplain, Greg West. In this talk, he discussed what love is and the difference between love and lust.

There was another discussion held in Clarke by Robin Takacs called,“What’s Love Got To Do With It?” where they discussed relationships and feelings over texting and social media, along with the effects it can have on a relationship and how this can make someone feel.

Overall, the programs held throughout this week were exciting and educational but also did a good job at conveying the love for the Liberal Arts programs here at Virginia Wesleyan University.

There were many great speakers and discussions. Many of these events and programs not only helped students, but others in need as well.

2/26/2020 4:26:54 PM

Community

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Thursday February 27, 2020 The Marlin Chronicle marlinchronicle.vwu.edu

The

MARLIN CHRONICLE Editor-in-Chief

VWU competes in RecycleMania

BY CONNOR MERK ccmerk@vwu.edu

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 Editor Connor Merk ccmerk@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

Skyler Lattuca|Courtesy A group of students involved in the eight week long recycling contest that is occuring on college campuses throughout the United States.

Virginia Wesleyan is participating in a friendly competition called RecycleMania, which is hosted by RecycleMania and the National Wildlife Federation. During the eight week competition, colleges and universities benchmark their recycling programs to promote waste reduction activities to their campus communities.

According to the official website, “Colleges across the United States and Canada report the amount of recycling and trash collected each week and are in turn ranked in various categories based on who recycles the most on a per capita basis, as well as which schools have the best recycling rate as a percentage of total waste and which schools generate the least amount of combined trash and recycling. With each week’s updated ranking, participating schools follow their performance against other colleges and use the results to rally their campus to reduce and recycle more.”

Junior Skyler Lattuca is the treasurer of Marlins Go Green and is leading the RecycleMania initiative. Lattuca’s main goal is to educate and inspire the campus community of the environmental events they can get involved with.

He discovered RecycleMania through Dr. Elizabeth Malcom: “Dr. Malcolm came up to me at first and said we need someone to lead it. The more I have gotten involved over the course of it so far it is interesting to see how much waste we are producing,” Lattuca said. “The more I do it, I see more things we can improve upon.

I think with the techniques that I hopefully will

be implementing by the end of the semester we could increase [the recycling rate] to 70 or 80%.”

VWU is participating in the per capita, in

Skyler Lattuca|Courtesy VWU student measures the recycling to report official numbers for the competition. which the university tracks the total recycling weight in relation to the school population. Also, the diversion category, which is determined by the percentage of the total weight of recyclables and food organics diverted from total waste generated. As of week two of the

competition, VWU is ranked number two in the Commonwealth of Virginia with a recycling rate of 33.5%.

Malcolm, a professor of ocean & atmospheric sciences and the Chair of the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, is overseeing this project. Also, in the position of Director of Campus Sustainability, Malcolm promotes sustainability on campus.

“That involves promoting education in-andout of courses as well as sustainable practices on campus like recycling and then also outreach so working with other organizations and other groups and people in the community,” Malcolm said.

Malcolm had several students ask her about recycling on campus so RecyleMania seemed like a good opportunity to give the campus an incentive to improve VWU’s recycling practices and outreach. Malcolm hopes this program will make the campus more aware about recycling and what they can recycle. “Also, it has been an opportunity for the university facilities management to assess their recycling,” Malcolm said.

She also emphasized the significance of the local environment around the campus. “We have a beautiful campus and I think it is nice being surrounded by this forest and being next to Lake Taylor because we have a reminder of the natural world and how it can support our health and wellbeing,” Malcolm said. “But also it reminds us of our responsibility to be good stewards of the environment.”

Jamming with the mathematician 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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BY FAITH MACWANA fpmacwana@vwu.edu “The musician feels mathematics, the mathematician thinks music” was famously said by James Joseph Sylvester, a renowned mathematician. It was also one of the opening quotes that mathematician Michael Manning used in his presentation on Feb. 20 as part of the OnDeck Premier Series, titled, “Measuring the Muse: Why Music Excites the Mathematical Mind.” Manning holds degrees in Applied Mathematics, Pure Mathematics and Music from Yale University. In addition, he is also a publications editor for Oxford University Press, has served on the faculties of Christopher Newport, Northeastern and Western Kentucky Universities and has served as a music critic for the Boston Globe.

Manning’s presentation combined music and math and tried to prove the similarities between the two. He said that “math and music are looking for beauty. That is common for both of them.”

Using a piano that was on the stage, Manning was able to prove the relationship between the two by demonstrating the concept of the overtone series. Lydia Kennedy, Associate Professor of Mathematics and Chair of the Mathematics/ Computer Science Department said she “really enjoyed learning about the relationship between overtones and the multiple frequencies.”

Kennedy was just one of the many faculty that attended the lecture. Students were also present and seemed intrigued by the complex ideas that were presented to them. Sophomore Emily Geis said, “I was expecting it to be more about psychology and why mathematicians generally tend to enjoy music more than nonmathematicians, so I was surprised when he

Faith Macwana|Marlin Chronicle Pianist and mathematician Michael Manning presents and performs on the topic of music and mathematics in Brock Theatre at the Goode Fine and Performing Arts Center. started talking about real math and why some aspects of music are the way they are.” Manning spoke about concepts such as the convergent and divergent series as a way to prove the relationship between math and music in a more concrete manner.

Geis also said, “As both a musician and a math major, I found his talk to be satisfying in a way, because I’ve always known that there’s a lot of

math in music, but I’ve never been able to express that on a piece of paper before.” Sophomore Christine Zalameda was also in attendance. She said, “It was most interesting when he proved the harmonic series using musical notes.”

Due to weather conditions, the concert that was supposed to be held that night at 7:30 p.m. has been postponed and rescheduled to a later date yet to be determined.

2/26/2020 4:29:40 PM

The Marlin Chronicle | marlinchronicle.vwu.edu

Thursday, February 27, 2020

CAMPUS countdown

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February 29 The Harlem Renaissance Showcase Time: 4 p.m.- 5:30 p.m.

Location: Harbor Grille This event is hosted by the Black Student Union.

March 5 - 8 The Shield

Times: March 5-7: 7:30 p.m.

March 8: 2:00 p.m.

Location: Brock Theatre, Goode Fine and Performing Arts Center The VWU Theatre Department presents its spring production of “The Shield,” by Menander and adapted for the stage

by Travis Malone, VWU Professor of Theatre.

March 9 Preventing Mass Shootings in Our Communities Presentation Time: 7 p.m. - 9 p.m.

Location: Jane P. Batten Student Center, Pearce Suite The Center for the Study of Religious Freedom’s Nexus Interfaith Dialogue series uses the deliberative dialogue format supported by the Kettering Foundation to explore this crucial issue for our country.

March 11

Layne Nooner|Marlin Chronicle Chief Diversity Officer for the Commonwealth of Virginia, Dr. Janice Underwood, speaks to students and faculty honoring black history month at an event titled, “Black History is American History” in the Pearce Suite of the Jane P. Batten Student Center.

The Black Student Union at VWU was created so that Black students could have a voice or be seen and heard on campus. This organization is overseen by President Michael Perry and Vice President Monique Ayers.

The Black Student Union’s slogan is, “Made

by Black Students for all Students.” Perry lives by this slogan and says it is something that an organization as a whole holds very close to their hearts. Ayers believes that it is action and conversation that will dismantle racism. “It is hard to some, and easy to others, to start that conversation and I think a great deal of that has to do with receptiveness-people will listen and believe and understand the things they want to,” Ayers said.

“A lot of times people are afraid to have a conversation about race, however, I believe it is paramount in seeing the other side’s point of view. If people are scared to talk about race then no progress will be made in repairing our nation,” Perry said. “As the President of the Black Student Union, Black History Month

means everything not just to me but to a lot of people of different races across the country.”

Underwood’s values line up with the values of the Black Student Union on campus.

The BSU statement says, “Our core values are unity, vocalizing, action, and solidarity.

Because of that, we strive to be the voice of the African American student body at Virginia Wesleyan University and to provide cultural, social, and academic activities that promote unity and solidarity.”

The Black Student Union reaches out to people of all colors. “Sometimes we have to get creative, whether that’s changing legislative law or hosting events to reach new people who want to learn and know more but don’t know how to approach that way of learning because action is important,” Ayers said.

One important goal that the Black Student Union strives for is forming coalitions.

“Creating coalitions between other student organizations to combat institutional acts of

racism as well as individual acts in order to improve communities around them,” Perry said.

Underwood started her discussion with the quote, “Black History is American History.” Ayers reinforced this idea by saying, “Everyday black people make history and this history is important because we had no other choice than to step up against so much adversary in order to either create our own so that we could use or to show the world that we can.”

Ayers believes that racism is constructive and systematic so we have to change the way people can do things, but we also have to have that conversation as to why things were changed. Racism is real and visible in our society. Starting the conversation and leaning into the discomfort of race is the stepping stone to a more inclusive society. In the words of Underwood, acts of kindness are how we make a change.

A Half Century of Hofheimer Library Time: 3 p.m.

Location: Hofheimer Library H.C. Hofheimer II Library turns 50 this academic year.

Celebrate this campus icon’s first half century with cake and prizes on Wednesday.

Free and open to the public.

OPUS scholarship program offers opportunity

BY FAITH MACWANA fpmacwana@vwu.edu

March 12 Career Exploration Nights: Joan P. Brock School of Mathematics and Natural Sciences Time: 7 p.m.- 8 p.m.

Location: Clarke Hall, The Lighthouse VWU’s Career Development staff discuss career opportunities with industry professionals over pizza.

The OPUS program was created by President Scott Miller as part of an initiative to help students with financial obligations graduate. The main reason students do not graduate or complete their degree is the cost.

Bearing this in mind, the OPUS program was created to assist those in need.

In roughly three and a half years, it has helped approximately 80 students. Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs Jason Seward said this program was “designed to assist students who are stellar Marlins meaning academically they’re in good standing, they’re involved on campus, they’re student leaders and it was created to assist those students who needed to close that financial gap after they’ve exhausted every single financial aid opportunity.”

Priority is given to freshmen and sophomore status students that meet the requirements, but the OPUS program is designed to help

freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors.

Requirements include, but are not limited to, a manageable balance with the university, a certain grade point average and a complete FAFSA. The original pilot plan was to have this program during the summer, but due to the generosity of the Landmark Foundation, the program was able to grow even more and is now offered almost every semester.

In exchange for the grant money provided, students are currently placed in a position with the facilities management department.

The students have assisted with different projects such as campus beautification. They have also assisted with the upkeep of the Greer Environmental Center’s gardens and grounds. The administration hopes to extend the program to other locations around campus, including the library, the dining services center, the university store, the Coastal Market and Harbor Grill.

Students have greatly benefited from this program. Seward said, “This is a life changing program. This program has helped students … it has allowed people to graduate from here.

It’s allowed people to continue their education at a private, liberal arts institution.”

Junior Dazjae Johnson has benefitted from OPUS since her freshman year. Johnson said, “Without OPUS, I wouldn’t have the opportunity to be in school and complete my dreams of becoming a therapist for children with cancer.”

In addition to helping her achieve her career goals, Johnson also said, it has helped “established meaningful relationships with faculty.” For more information please contact Jason Seward or Vice President of Student Affairs Keith Moore.

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Community

Thursday February 27, 2020 The Marlin Chronicle marlinchronicle.vwu.edu

Dr. Merlock Jackson addresses VWU community Following a near-fatal car accident, Dr. Merlock Jackson opens up about her experiences in the following letter:

I remember hearing the deadening thud, followed by feeling as though every bone in my body had shattered.

On the evening of Feb. 7, my husband Joe and I were in the second car stopped at a light at the intersection of Northampton Boulevard and Pleasure House Road. We were on our way home from a fundraising concert at Old Dominion University, when a 2005 Subaru Legacy going 60 miles per hour, driven by a drunk driver trying to outrun police, plowed into the back of our Toyota Camry, propelling us into the Dodge Ram in front.

The car spun at least twice, the front airbags deployed, and the front windshield cracked. I knew I was hurt, and gasped to my husband, “Am I dying?” He grasped my hand and said that help was coming. A police officer, his head cocked, appeared in the driver-side window and asked, “Are you OK?” Joe, always one for understatement, murmured, “We’ve been better.”

At that point, everything became a blur. I repeated the words, “Help me, please help me,” perhaps channeling my hero Mister Rogers, whose mother gave him this advice: in times of trouble, look for the helpers. Seeking helpers became my mantra, but I had no idea then how many there would be. Joe, who was in the driver’s seat, told the EMT workers to get me out first because I was worse off, but they said they had to remove him before they could move me. They then slid me onto a board and into an ambulance. The last words I heard were the EMT workers saying that the zipper on my beautiful, new, black, North Face fur-hooded winter coat was stuck, and the coat would have to be cut off. Little did I know then, that the coat could have contributed to saving my life.

I recall nothing until four days later when I awoke in the Intensive Care Unit to my son Nick chanting, “The Ethics Bowl team won!” I felt fortunate to be alive and great pride in the team I coached, just back from their 2-day competition in Lynchburg. The details would come later.

I learned that I arrived at the Sentara Virginia Beach General Hospital Emergency Room in critical condition. The force of the impact had detached my diaphragm and thrust all of my organs into my chest.

God was with me, as accomplished trauma surgeon Dr. Joseph P. McDermott was on call. He worked all night to realign and reattach my organs. I also had a broken femur (requiring surgery) and a cracked sternum and lower lumbar vertebrae. The attending pulmonologist placed me on a respirator, and I remained unconscious in the ICU for four days, followed by two days of hallucinations caused by the powerful painkillers in my system. Meanwhile, my family and colleagues at Virginia Wesleyan rallied around me. My husband Joe,

who had broken a leg, arm, and four ribs, and sustained a black eye, managed at 1:30 a.m. to reach our son Nick in Chicago, and he and his wife Lucie got the first flight out to Norfolk. Joe also got hold of Linda Ferguson at 3 a.m., and she drove from Suffolk to Virginia Beach to let our dog Rosebud out, contact administration at Virginia Wesleyan to ensure someone could accompany the Ethics Bowl team to Lynchburg Sunday for its meet, and pick up Nick and Lucie at the airport. Although I have no recollection, I am told that while I was heavily sedated with a tube down my throat, my family and fellow professors held my hand, prayed, and assured me. This transcends any job description. This story has a happy ending. I regained consciousness on Tuesday, the day after the Ethics Bowl, and along with Joe, am on the road to recovery. We are now in the Rehabilitation Unit at Sentara Virginia Beach General Hospital. Each day gets a bit better.

I may be a medical miracle, but the true magic of this story is you: the faculty, staff, students, administrators, and alumni of Virginia Wesleyan, who did more to heal me than you will ever know; for this I thank you.

Institutional slogans come and go, but when I arrived at Virginia Wesleyan in 1984, we touted the school as “someplace special.” It was hokey, to be sure, but we believed it. At Wesleyan, you weren’t directed to an office to solve a problem but to a person who would help you. Over the past couple of weeks, so many of you have helped me. I have found comfort in your many acts of kindness. Joe’s and my rooms filled with flowers, balloons, cards, books, and small gifts. On Valentine’s Day Sally Shedd brought me a box of get well cards and Valentines and said, “It’s stuffed. You couldn’t fit a single one more in here.” I was touched by notes and cards from every swath of campus, including everyone I know and many I didn’t. If I had one student on a sports team, the whole team signed the card, likewise with fraternities and sororities. Some students wrote, “I never had you for a class, but I heard good things about you and hope you get well.” Communication majors and Batten Honors College students were especially well represented, showering me with good wishes.

My dear colleagues shared with me bits of themselves.

Terry Lindvall made jokes. Retired music professor Lee Jordan-Anders offered a spry musical compilation.

Chaplain Greg West sent inspiring scripture. Sharon Swift created colorful get well cards with big hearts on handmade paper and sent me a photo of the tree outside my office in full, glorious bloom. Katrina Henry wrote a long, thoughtful response to address the questions I had regarding the physics of my accident, including if my beloved North Face coat protected me upon impact

-- the answer was probably yes. Lisa Lyon Payne was a godsend to my son as she helped him organize what he needed to do.

Colleagues took care to choose books and magazines they knew we would love. Josh Weinstein gave Joe a book on environmental literature, Sally Shedd presented me with a book on Mister Rogers, and former Provost Tim O’Rourke delivered a twenty-first century appraisal of his and my hometown, Pittsburgh. Finally, Steven Emmanuel gave Joe and me books of philosophy

by Marcus Aurelius and Kierkegaard respectively, that speak to our current state of mind.

Some acts of kindness I will never forget, such as former President Billy Greer and his wife Fann visiting with two heart-shaped cherry tarts on Valentine’s Day and Martha Jo-Wilson (as in the Wilson Arboretum), wife of our former dean, offering encouragement and advice. She should know: on Christmas Day 1995 she too was in a serious auto accident that claimed the lives of her husband and mother and left her badly injured.

Generations of those with Virginia Wesleyan connections have reached out to Joe and me, and that has made all the difference. All told, hundreds of representatives of the Virginia Wesleyan family have stopped by, called, sent messages or texts, or written letters and I have never felt more loved or supported than I have over these past few weeks. It is hard to feel angry or bitter about being the victim of a drunk driver when surrounded by such goodness. You have shown that we are a community and that we take care of one another. We talk a lot today about leadership, but I believe that every person has the capacity for inner strength, resilience, understanding and illumination, as well as the potential to influence and inspire others. We are best and most empowered when we work together toward a common goal, pooling our talents, showing how those dedicated to the study of the liberal arts make sense of the world, its patterns and randomness, and foster healing and insight to those struggling.

The silver bowl that the Ethics Bowl team members brought back to campus from Lynchburg symbolizes not only their statewide victory but, more importantly, our institution’s willingness to engage with hard questions, do the right thing, and treat each individual with dignity and respect. I feel privileged to be a part of this community and ask you to join administrators, faculty, staff, students, and alumni of Virginia Wesleyan as we celebrate our long legacy of a culture of caring.

- Kathy Merlock Jackson

Spotlight Meghan Wood '20 Business

Q: What did you do?

A: I interned in two different positions at Northwestern Mutual in the Virginia Beach office. As a financial representative intern, I focused on client-building and networking during the summer of 2018. In my second internship, which began in summer 2019, I have been interning on the Sales Execution Team and in Operations.

Through this experience, I got a taste of financial analysis, office operations, marketing, and philanthropy. I also got to know how the financial services industry runs.

Q: How did you prepare for the internship?

A: I initially met Northwestern Mutual at The Lighthouse’s Career and Internship Fair on campus. I also worked with The Lighthouse’s Career Development Program to help me to prepare for my interviews.

Q: What did you learn from the internship experiences?

A: Make the most out of every opportunity given to you!

From the first internship, I learned that this was not what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. But Northwestern Mutual offered professional development opportunities, which helped me to grow professionally and personally.

Because of my hard work in the first internship, they gave me another opportunity in a different position doing something that I enjoyed a lot more. They have set me up to be my best self for the future. I also learned that I want to work for a company that loves its employees and has a great culture, like Northwestern Mutual. Finally, I got a feel for the professional workplace, which gave me confidence to go into other interviews.

Q: What was your most memorable moment at the internship?

A: Attending Northwestern Mutual’s annual meeting in Milwaukee, Wisconsin this past summer. I listened to a lot of inspiring people from around the country. They told their stories of how they became successful and the many, many obstacles that stood in the way. It was incredible how much some of these people have been through, yet they came out on the other end even stronger. I don't think anyone left without shedding a tear. Also, the cheese curds in Milwaukee may have been the best part!

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

A: A lot of companies are looking for interns with confidence and potential. If you show them that you are a hard-working, resourceful person, they’ll love you! Once you get the internship, make the most out of the opportunity given to you. Ask questions, try to be as knowledgeable as possible, and do your best at every task. That will make them want to hire you later. And if you don’t want to continue working there, it will ensure that they give you an outstanding recommendation.

Q: What is next for you?

A: I will continue to work for Northwestern Mutual through winter. After I graduate in May, I will begin a new career with Capital Group in Norfolk as an Investment Operations Associate. I am sad to leave Northwestern Mutual, but I am ecstatic to see what I will accomplish over at Capital Group.

Meghan at Northwestern Mutual’s Office, Virginia Beach, VA, August 5, 2019. Photograph by Victoria Armstrong.

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

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2/26/2020 4:33:29 PM

The Marlin Chronicle | marlinchronicle.vwu.edu

Thursday, February 27, 2020

Lane earns ODAC field athlete of the week

BY NOAH RIFFLE nbriffle@vwu.edu

Jaylyn Lane, sophomore sprinter, recently was named ODAC Field Athlete of the Week for the weekend of Feb. 8 and 9. The Track and Field team competed in the Vince Brown Invitational in Newport News, Va. and hosted by Christopher Newport University.

Lane had a terrific week and is looking forward to the future and continuing her success. With the Old Dominion Athletic Conference championship meet coming up, Lane will aim for the gold and top spot in the conference at multiple events.

Lane had a solid day in three different events. In the women’s long jump, she came in second place, only losing to the winner from VCU by 0.03m. Her mark on the day of 5.27m is good enough for first place in the ODAC. Lane, running in one part of the team 4x400 relay race, took first place that weekend with a speedy time of 4:34.09.

In the women’s triple jump, she came in fourth place with a distance of 10.65m.

Lane discussed how new coach, Jesse Weiner, and her team atmosphere played a role in her development as a runner. “We help each other throughout each individual piece of the puzzle,” Lane said.

She continued, “Our team is small, so as of right now, do what we can do our best.”

Lane and her team have found ways to push each other and be a team, while also working on their own craft and be the best athlete that they can at their specific event.

Lane accredits the offseason to getting herself in the shape she is in now. ”I do a really hard training in the summer, just to keep my body in shape.

Like weight room, eating right. I always go on a diet over the summer,” Lane said.

To Lane, it seemed that she has put in months of work, and it is finally paying off. She was thankful to receive the

honors of Field Athlete of the Week.

“I am not surprised that she won, but I know that she could have done better,” Weiner said.

That is high remarks about someone who is finally hitting their stride and being

Sports Information|Courtesy Sprinter Jaylyn Lane earns ODAC honors for second time this season. successful. Weiner also said; “she has the drive to do it…hopefully hit some new marks this weekend.”

Lane is a determined athlete who is looking to improve on her successful season. She was looking back on the past two years that she has had on VWU’s campus and with her team. She described her most memorable moment as, “the best experience I have had is when I got the school record.”

Lane broke the school record for triple jump last year at the Captains Invitational

& Combined Events hosted by CNU on Jan. 26, 2019. Her mark was 11.04, which was the best in the whole entire meet.

She continued, “My team was screaming for me… it was a very big moment.”

“She is a very competitive athlete. And she definitely listens to us, coach-wise,” Weiner said For an athlete who takes part in so many events, the best way to keep her mentally locked is because, “You got to have amnesia,” Weiner said “Taking that amnesia from one event to going to the next and just preparing for that event, by itself, one at a time.”

By having that mental state of forgetting the bad and celebrating the good, it has helped not only Lane, but her whole team compete for the top spot in almost every event in the ODAC. “You have to be able to learn…

Celebrate… then go on,” Weiner said.

With that in mind, Weiner wanted to emphasize the importance of the celebrate part and how if someone accomplished something, then there must be celebration.

Lane is currently sitting in second place in the conference, at the women’s 60m with a time of 7.95 which she achieved on Jan. 17, 2020 at the VMI Keydet Invitational.

In her meet on Feb. 22, Lane finished second in the triple jump with a mark of 11.22m.

After that, the ODAC championship is coming up on Feb. 29 and March 1, then also later in mid-April. Jaylyn and her team are looking to succeed at the NCAA indoor Nationals.

Men’s Tennis tabbed 2nd in preseason poll

Timothy Tep (left) and Mitch Perry (right) getting ready for the upcoming spring season.

Sports Information|Courtesy

BY NICHOLAS MUNDY namundy@vwu.edu

After finishing last season in the ODAC semifinals, the Marlins open the season ranked second in the ODAC preseason poll rankings. The only ODAC competitor that was ranked higher than the Marlins were the Generals of Washington and Lee. Their season last year ended in the ODAC semifinals at the hands of Hampden-Sydney in a close match that ended 5-4. Sophomore Timothy Tep mentioned some of the goals for the season after finishing so close to the finals last year.

“We reached the semifinals of the ODACs last year, so we would probably want to do better,” Tep said.

For a team that came so close to the finals last year, Tep mentioned one key difference that distinguishes this group over last years.

“Team culture. We do so many things together. This year we are closer. We are feeling more as a team,” Tep said.

Tep made a name for himself during his freshman campaign

while nabbing first-team all ODAC honors. Tep went 16-4 in singles competition last year. “ I look forward to help our team to get into the ODACs finals this year. Tennis is an individual sport; with that in mind, it will require a lot of effort for each member in the team,” Tep said.

Head Coach for both the men’s and women’s teams, Martin Perry talked about the strength for the men’s team.

“On the men’s side depth is our strength. We’re still trying to figure out the lineup, and with an even talent gradient we have many options. We have a very tough schedule that should prepare us for ODAC competition,” Perry said.

The Marlins fell 7-2 in their first two matches of the opening weekend of the season. The losses came against nationally ranked number eight Salisbury and Goucher. They look to rebound in a road match against Averett.

Women’s tennis season preview

BY NICHOLAS MUNDY namundy@vwu.edu

The women’s tennis team started off on the right note by picking up their first two wins of the season against Meredith College and Virginia Union. In the ODAC preseason rankings, the Marlins were predicted to finish sixth. This is a very young group for head coach Martin Perry. There are only two seniors on the roster, Lyric Hinton and Aubree Johnson.

Perry is entering his fifth season as the head coach of the tennis teams. He described that this team stands out more than his previous teams.

“In my opinion this is the most talented and deep team that we’ve had since I’ve been at VWU,” Perry said.

The team is looking for newcomers to make a key contribution to this year’s team.

“The women’s team added four impact players in [Junior Makayla] Velic, [Freshman Sports Information|Courtesy Alexa] Brewster, [Freshman Christine Zalameda (top) returning a serve and Alexa Anna] Rogers, and [Freshman Brewster (bottom) during a match this season.

Maya] Brown,” Perry said.

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Johnson explained how the ranking doesn’t reflect the strength of this group.

“We are seeded a lot lower than I think we are capable of. We have a lot of young but strong talent on the team. We are going to surprise a lot of teams,” Johnson said.

Perry talked about both teams as a whole.

“Overall we’re working hard to become collectively tough. We feel that both teams have a strong skill set, but unless we become better competitors we will have difficulty reaching our goals and becoming the teams that we strive to be,” Perry said.

The young and ready group looks to keep their winning streak going in a home match against Emory & Henry on March 7.

7

AT A GLANCE Softball March 3 vs. N.C. Wesleyan 1:30 p.m.

March 3 vs. N.C. Wesleyan 3:30 p.m.

March 6 vs. Greensboro 12:30 p.m. vs. Bethany 3:00 p.m.

Baseball Feb. 29 vs. Wash. & Lee* 12:00 p.m., 3:00 p.m.

March 4 vs. Methodist 3:00 p.m.

March 7 @ Bridgewater* 12:00 p.m., 3:00 p.m.

March 10 vs. N.C. Wesleyan 3:00 p.m.

M. Lacrosse February 28 vs. SUNY Delhi 5:00 p.m.

March 1 vs. Eastern 1:00 p.m.

March 7 @ Chatham 1:00 p.m.

W. Lacrosse March 7 vs. Coast Guard 4:00 p.m.

March 10 vs. Cazenovia 7:00 p.m.

M. Tennis March 1 @ Averett 2:00 p.m.

March 7 vs. Emory & Henry* 10:00 a.m. @ Virginia 6:00 p.m.

March 13 vs. Southern Virginia 3:00 p.m.

W. Tennis March 7 vs. Emory and Henry* 10:00 a.m.

2/26/2020 4:38:59 PM

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Sports

Thursday February 27, 2020 The Marlin Chronicle marlinchronicle.vwu.edu

Women’s lacrosse season preview

The Full

Count

BY AUSTIN EDMONDS acemonds@vwu.edu

Sports Information|Courtesy The Marlins women’s lacrosse team on the field after the season opener.

BY JORDAN WILSON jmwilson@vwu.edu

Last year, the Virginia Wesleyan women’s lacrosse team finished with an 8-9 record. They made it to the ODAC playoffs but lost in the first round. After having a decent 2019 season, the women’s lacrosse team is ranked 6th in the ODAC preseason poll.

The Marlins look to continue to compete at a high level this season.

Although, they are off to a non-ideal start, losing their first three games of the season to Southern Virginia University, Marymount University and Goucher College. The Marlins look to bounce back in upcoming games against Christopher Newport University on Feb. 26, Coast Guard on March 7 and Cazenovia on March 10.

Head coach Nicole DeSalvia looks to make a good impression. Although it is her first year at Virginia Wesleyan, she has experience in the coaching department. She worked at William Peace University for two years and she was an assistant coach at Methodist University.

“Last year the team was able to make it to the ODAC playoffs and that’s our goal again this year. So once we

get into our conference play we have already worked out all the kinks. Our first conference game is against Ferrum so we have to make it count,” DeSalvia said.

DeSalvia said several players will have a great year. “Our seniors really showed up, we’ve got Tori Manahan, Avery Frangelli and Cali Magee. Each of them play different positions, one on defense, one on midfield and one on attack. They do a really good job leading us on and off the field. Our goalie, Jordan Moilanen, is having a great year so far and Mikayla Callahan is one of our players that is everywhere on the field. Another player is one of our freshmen, Camryn Gavula, who has been involved everywhere.”

DeSalvia identified several things the team is doing to prepare for the season.

“I think we need to be accountable on the outside of what we do in practice. I think with us being younger, we haven’t had the right discipline. For example, when the freshmen gets a summer workout packet, you have to actually do the summer workout packet,” DeSalvia said.

Men’s lacrosse starts hot

Sports Information|Courtesy Left to right: Jason Thibeault and Joey Rayman celebrate each other after a goal.

BY JORDAN WILSON jmwilson@vwu.edu

Last year, the men’s lacrosse team finished with a record of 9-8 and made it to the ODAC playoffs. Although they ultimately lost, getting there is something the team can be proud of.

Coming off a decent year, the Marlins are ranked low in the ODAC Men’s Lacrosse preseason poll. They are ranked 8 out of a total of 11 teams.

The men’s lacrosse team looks to continue their hot streak after starting the year off right. On Feb. 15, the first game of the season, the Marlins took down the Greensboro Pride with a final score of 13-5, and then in their second game of the season on Feb. 22 they knocked off the Methodist Monarchs by a score of 9-5.

“They run the field pretty well, they’re pretty fast, fairly athletic, and they play pretty hard,” Coach J.P. Stewart said about playing to their strengths against the competition.

Going into the 2020 season, this will be Coach Stewart’s 18th year coaching

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at Virginia Wesleyan. While at Virginia Wesleyan, Stewart has earned two ODAC Coach of the Year awards.

“Our goal this year is to go 1-0 in every game. We preach that, we talk about it every week. I am a big 1-0 guy, I try to convince the guys that no matter what the record is, it is not important because 1 and 0 is all that matters,” Stewart said.

“We’re at a really good team dynamic; obviously you have your stand-out players that do a little more than others, but in this sport there are so many different roles that are very important and they’ll be a lot of people that chip in,” Stewart said.

He continued, “We need to find an edge, I have been telling them for the last couple weeks. I’ll give them credit they’re working on it. What I qualify as an edge is that little bit of push that makes you want to get better, Putting in extra work, and having fire in your belly,”

On Nov. 12, in a story with The Athletic, former Astros pitcher Mike Fiers opened up about the sign stealing scandal that would rock the baseball world for months. Currently a pitcher for the Oakland Athletics, Mike Fiers, who was with the Houston Astros during their 2017 championship run, spoke up about his former ballclub by claiming that the club used cameras in their home Minute Maid Park in 2017 to steal signs.

The handling of this situation by Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred was negatively received by much of the sports community. American Sports columnist Thomas Bosswell noted during his reports after anonymity was promised that representatives of “10 to 12” teams reported they had complained to the MLB over the last 3 to 4 seasons to look into the Astros cheating ways.

The logistics of this scandal go deep as the Astros had a hidden camera in center field, a video monitor near the dugout, and banged on trash cans to signal certain pitches to the player at bat. One member of the 2019 World Series Champion Washington Nationals said; “It was truly amazing, once it was assured that we’d be playing the Astros, how many people were coming out of the woodwork to let us know what they were doing.”

Late in the 2017 season, the misuse of the video replay system began to show, as the Boston Red Sox relaying sign sequences that were coming in through an Apple Watch led to Commissioner Rob Manfred fining the Red Sox and sending a reminder of how illegal this was to the general managers of every MLB team.

Later that season, the New York Yankees would accuse the Astros of having a system of whistles to relay signs. Then Houston Astros head coach AJ Hinch responded to those allegations, “It made me laugh because it’s ridiculous.”

During the 2017 American League Championship series, the Yankees and Astros would meet again and Astros star player, eventual 2017 league MVP Jose Altuve, would hit a walk-off homerun to send his team to the World Series that year. Amidst this investigation, a video would be replayed that shows Altuve crossing home plate while grabbing his jersey, wagging his finger, and telling teammates not to pull his jersey off. Before celebrating, Altuve ran down into the locker room and changed his shirt to a normal t-shirt and told cameras that the reason for this was that he was shy. This video led to more information about the scandal being released and the new information stated that Jose Altuve and other players wore buzzers under their jersey to be notified of signs.

As we would come to find out, the reasoning for this keeps changing as Altuve himself changed his story from being shy to saying that his wife would have been angry he was shirtless. Astros shortstop Carlos Correa re-addressed this issue saying that Altuve actually had an unfinished collarbone tattoo. Rob Manfred stated that during his investigation of the Astros sign stealing scandal that there was no proof of using buzzers and he fined the Astros the maximum allowed fine of 5 million dollars and a loss of first and second round draft picks in 2020 and 2021.

In the grand scheme of things, the 5 million dollars the Astros were fined is a slap on the wrist. The Astros total earnings from winning the World Series that year greatly surpassed the 5 million dollars they were fined. The baseball world immediately voiced their opinions, as many players stated they were disappointed, lost respect, lost careers and felt like the punishment was weak given the severity of what had occured.

Los Angeles Dodgers star, reigning MVP, and member of the 2017 Dodger team that lost to the Astros in that year’s World Series Cody Bellinger said, “I thought Manfred’s punishment was weak. Giving them immunity. I mean, those guys were cheating for three years. I think what people don’t realize is that Altuve stole the MVP from Judge. Everyone knows they stole the World Series from us.”

Los Angeles Angels star and widely-regarded best player in the MLB, Mike Trout, spoke out Monday, Feb. 17 after keeping silent up to that point saying, “It’s sad for baseball. They cheated and I don’t agree with the punishments, the players not getting anything. It was a player-driven thing. It sucks, too, because guys’ careers have been affected. A lot of people lost jobs. It was tough. Me going up to the plate knowing what’s coming? It would be fun up there. It seems like everyday new things are coming.”

The baseball world is just as mad at the way the Astros themselves have handled things. Their players have come across very unapologetic. Many players have the same response to most questions and that response is along the lines of the MLB not finding proof of anything in their report and that it’s done. Astros General Manager Jim Crane has also stated that he doesn’t see how the Astros had any advantage and that the anger of people will blow over by the beginning of next season.

Bing Images|Courtesy José Altuve is a despised man due to his part in Astros cheating scandal.

2/26/2020 4:43:02 PM

february

THE WEEKENDER celebratesblackhistorymonth

27, 2020

PAGE 9

FOOD REVIEW: OMELETTE PROVES TO BE NO YOLK

Bing Images| Courtesy

BY MELEENA DREILING mjdreiling@vwu.edu

It’s 3 a.m. You’ve just gotten through a 7-hour study session, which we all know is code for partying at the local club since 8. Your legs are tired and your stomach is talking to you. It needs food, now. What on earth could be open and willing to serve you and your tired friends?

The answer, that beacon in the night, the lighthouse for the weary and drunken, good old Denny’s.

Now you’re there, what on earth do you get? There’s so many choices. You can’t go wrong with some pancakes.

But you always get pancakes. You’re courageous, you want to step out of your comfort zone. The menu talks to you, “Get an omelette.” I can recommend the Ultimate Omelette Combo Platter from Denny’s. Yes, Denny’s is still going strong. However, Denny’s still has its competition, those being IHOP, Cracker Barrel, and Waffle House.

While it is unclear which of the restaurants is truly the superior eatery, nor what is the equivalent to each dish, breakfast foods at any time of the day is something that any food enthusiast, connoisseur or chef can agree with.

Restaurants such as Denny’s are a prime example of this.

The Ultimate Omelette Combo Platter, in particular, was made for any breakfast enthusiast. The quality of the meal provided was worthwhile, and more than made up for the extra wait it took to make on Valentine’s Day of all days.

The quantity of the omelette was particularly enticing.

It was truly surprising. Based on the picture in their menu, one wouldn’t have expected an omelette of such girth.

Seeing as a lot of ads and pictures relating to food aren’t what they seem to be at first glance. In this particular instance, the Ultimate Omelette itself took up nearly three-fourths of a standard sized dinner plate. Partnered with a side of toast and hash-browns, the presentation of this dish was spectacular. The golden yellow hashbrowns were not dripping with grease as well as the right combination of soft and crispy. The toast, while more on the white side, was still buttered to perfection with the right ratio of butter to bread. The main attraction itself, however, was the real prize.

The omelette was nice, light and fluffy to complement all of the toppings folded into it. The omelette had cheese mixed into it and it wasn’t too overpowering. It also did not make the eggs too greasy or make the dish feel any heavier on the stomach. One of the biggest things that can ruin a meal is how greasy it is. Thankfully, in this case, it was not overly greasy.

The toppings will make your mouth water. The toppings consisted of caramelized onions, mushrooms, a mix of red and green peppers, sausage pieces and bacon.

However, I asked them to take out the bacon. I am sure, however, had I left the bacon on the omelet, it would’ve

complemented the dish perfectly for those of you who are bacon enthusiasts. The combined flavors and textures of each part of this delicious unit made the experience all the more satisfying. It is an excellently put together dish that can be enjoyed for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

After considering the wait, the preparation, the quantity and quality of the food, the overall experience was enjoyable. The staff was pleasant, given how tired they must have been given their staffing situation, and they made the experience that much more enjoyable.

The food was soft, crisp, not too greasy, and overall delicious. The quality was, again, delightful given the competition between these types of eateries. The quantity was shocking and very appreciated given the cost of roughly $10 before taxes. And it had a variety of nutritional items in the form of the peppers, mushrooms and the onions. It was well priced, well crafted, and easily digested.

This is worthwhile for a breakfast enthusiast and anyone who might want to enjoy an “ultimate omelette.”

Whether it’s 3 a.m. or midday, Valentine’s Day or any other day it’s always a good time of day (or night) for an omelette. And while we usually look at other places for breakfast foods, I highly consider keeping Denny’s in mind, because I don’t think we do that enough.

TOP 10 BILLBOARD SONGS

BY MAKIAH ELLIS mellis@vwu.edu

As we kick off the beginning of the year 2020, Billboard conducts a weekly list based off of the song’s active streams. As the music industry continues to grow and change on a daily basis, Billboard decides to keep up with the industry by providing an updated list. The list is an effective way to keep up with the latest trends. It recognizes individuals who are not only excelling at their music careers but going beyond them to elevate the entire music business.

Roddy Ricch makes number one on the top 10 songs of 2020 with “The Box”. Rodrick Wayne Moore Jr., known professionally as Roddy Ricch, is an American rapper, singer and songwriter. He is signed to Atlantic Records.

In Nov. 2018, he released the mixtape, “Feed Tha Street’s II,” which peaked at number 67 on the Billboard 200 chart.

Future and Drake make number two on the list with “Life is Good”. Drake and Future have been trying to get a collaboration right for a while now since their successful collab album “What a Time to be Alive” in 2015. Although their latest song together, “Life Is Good,” isn’t so much a Drake and Future collaboration as it is a Drake song and a Future song smashed together. Rumor has it, they’re expected to release “What A Time To Be Alive 2.”

Post Malone, also known as Austin Richard Post, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter and record producer.

His hit “Circles” made it to number three on the top 10 list of 2020. Malone often experiments with the different genres of music, choosing to make songs influenced by 9Weekender FINAL.indd 1

Hip-Hop, R&B, Trap, Pop and Rap. However Post is primarily a rapper and often collaborates with fellow rappers on his albums, guest features and singles.

In 1994, the band known today as Maroon 5 was a Los Angeles grunge band. Maroon 5 has been successful for more than a decade. The present members of the band are Adam Levine, Matt Flynn, Sam Farrar, Jesse Carmichael, James Valentine and Mickey Madden. Their recent hit, “Memories” was able to make it on number four of the Billboards list of 2020.

Toni Watson, known professionally as Tones and I, is an Australian indie pop singer-songwriter and musician.

Her second single, “Dance Monkey,” was released in May 2019 and reached number one in over 30 countries.

Tones was the most awarded artist at the ARIA Music Awards of 2019, winning four out of eight nominations.

“Dance Monkey” was numbered five on the list of 2020’s most popular songs.

“Don’t Start Now” by Dua Lipa who is an English singer, songwriter and model. Lipa was born in London, and grew up listening to her father, singer Dukagjin Lipa.

“Don’t Start Now” is categorized in the genre as Pop and won NME Award for British Song, and NME Award for Best Song in the World. This post-breakup banger was ranked number six of the top song in 2020.

Arizona Zervas, American rapper, singer and songwriter is widely known for his song “Roxanne,” which reached number seven on the Billboard’s top 10 in 2020. After being featured in many Spotify playlists and by tons of users in TikTok videos, this song was produced in

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2019 and immediately blew up. “I literally listen to this song everyday, and if I don’t get the chance to I’m still constantly singing it. It’s so catchy,” junior Dominique Coleman said.

Scottish singer-songwriter Lewis Capaldir was nominated for the Critics’ Choice Award at the 2019 Brit Awards for his song, “Someone You Loved,” his first number one single. Capaldir was able to write this song based on a devastating split from his ex. But let the 22-year-old tell it, he was already over his ex by the time he wrote this. The heartbreaking love song reached number eight on the top 10 of the songs in 2020.

Dan and Shay & Justin Bieber’s feature “10,000H” made it to number nine on the top 10 song lists of this year. “10,000 Hours” is a song recorded by American country music duo Dan + Shay and Canadian singer Justin Bieber. It was released as the lead single from Dan + Shay’s upcoming fourth studio album on October 4, 2019. This song made history on Billboard’s Streaming Songs chart by becoming the highest-charting nonholiday country song in the history of the chart.

Number 10 of the top 10 songs of 2020, last but not least, “Everything I Wanted” by Billie Eilish. Eilish, an 18 year old born in Los Angeles, California song blew up in 2016 when she gained media attention when“Ocean Eyes” was updated to SoundCloud, and was released

by Interscope Records subsidiary Darkroom. Ellish won song of the year at the 2020 Grammy’s for her song “Bad Guy.”

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THE WEEKENDER celebratesblackhistorymonth

february

27, 2020

RAPPER POP SMOKE DEAD AT AGE 20

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BY VALERY CARABALLO vecaraballo@vwu.edu

Recently, one of the youngest upcoming rappers was taken from the world far too soon. Based on the unforgettable music he made in his short time in the rap game, it was heartbreaking to learn that on Feb. 19, 2020, Pop Smoke was fatally shot in a home invasion in the house he was renting in Hollywood Hills.

Though we will continue to bring him to the parties, it would be doing him an injustice not to tell those unaware a little about the 20-year-old rapper from Brooklyn.

This summer, it was impossible to escape Pop’s breakout single, “Welcome to the Party,” giving anyone listening to it their taste of how New York hip-hop had once sounded.

Pop Smoke, born Bashar Jackson, grew up with a strong female leader in his mother. He also has a brother who is currently continuing his education. Though he had an early love for sports, he was kicked out of school for bringing a gun with him.

The method of his death was a constant fear growing up. Those raised in Canarsie, Brooklyn carried the fear that someone would take him or her from their family solely because that person could. Every second of his life, both before and after fame, consisted of how quickly everything could all be taken from him as quickly as he got it.

Pop Smoke had attended nearly nine schools due to the charges against him for bringing a weapon in junior high. Most of his musical goals had intended to attract

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the younger crowd and speak to younger people who grew up in similar situations.

He himself said his music had been for those who ‘got to carry their guns to school because it ain’t safe, but they still got to make sure they get their diploma ’cause their mom could be happy. I do it for them.”

This was the beginning of his musical career with only a few mixtape releases and not one official album released. His most well-known song was seen as the perfect way to exemplify the reckless, energetic and unpolished potential of a New York summer.

Previous interviews have concluded and learned he is from a city where getting home safe at all had been a blessing all together and so for me personally, it is sad to see him survive Canarsie just to lose his life in Hollywood Hills. As many heard him say, “where we come from, it isn’t sweet,” making it clear he felt blessed to live this long alone.

Due to his history and unfortunate altercations with the law, he did not get to fulfill a lot of the performances he would have wanted. He had become one of the artists to put New York back on the map for what the streets alone genuinely represent and though it’s a sad time for the city, everyone had connected to him in one way or another. Unfortunately for Pop Smoke fans, you can take the man out of the hood, but you can’t take the hate from it.

2/26/2020 4:47:28 PM