Feb 10th, 2022

The Marlin Chronicle THURSDAY 2.10.22 || MARLINCHRONICLE.VWU.EDU

VIRGINIA WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY

Report reveals VWU diversity

BY RHIAN TRAMONTANA rjtramontana@vwu.edu

Connor Merk|Marlin Chronicle Senior Hannah Zimmerman and junior Will Eckard are seated while socially distanced and masked.

Mandates, regulations overshadow semester

Total COVID-19 cases reported during January Term were 41. As of Feb. 9, nine are accounted for this Spring.

BY COLETTE KEARNEY cmkearney@vwu.edu

After a successful fall semester with only a total of 14 positive COVID-19 cases, according to the COVID-19 dashboard on the VWU website, students entered the spring semester with stricter rules.

The university established returning protocols starting Jan. 2, which included no off-campus visitors, take-out dining options available at the Grille and Caf with only one person sitting at each table and no visitors in residents’ room. On Feb. 8, Residence Life announced that effective immediately, students are allowed to visit hallmates in the same residence hall only. Students must wear a

mask when visiting other rooms.

Director of Student Health April Christman said students adjusted to a different J-Term schedule with special considerations this year. “It was just more condensed in that when students did have to enter COVID19 protocol, we worked with Academic Affairs more closely… and then if their professor recommended, due to the absence, that they withdraw from the class, that was credited to a future J-Term,” Christman said.

Christman also credited the J-Term students with their willingness to adapt to the situation.

“I would say that probably the most challenging part of J-Term was our ability to be closer to normal during the fall and have

to so quickly go back to stricter restrictions … we wouldn’t have been able to do it without them,” Christman said.

Keith Moore, vice president of Campus and Operational Management, said Virginia Wesleyan reverted to rules similar to the 2020-2021 school year because they were successful. “It worked, that’s it. I mean I know it’s not the most favorable thing to do but we know that it’s the right thing,” Moore said.

These decisions were made even with the rising concern of the mental health challenges that are hitting young people hard as a result of isolation, anxiety

See COVID-19 Page 3

Virginia Wesleyan University has made steps to improve their commitment to diversity and inclusion, each one outlined on the diversity page of the school’s website.

As a member of the Liberal Arts Colleges Racial Equity Leadership Alliance (LACRELA), VWU is given the opportunity to engage in professional learning and development programs and participates in campus climate surveys of the students, faculty and staff.

Regina Barletta serves as the director of human resources on campus. According to her, the institution holds a goal of an inclusive campus community “and has action items to guide our continuing attention and progress.”

On Dec. 13, 2021, the university published the Employment

by Diversity Report, outlining the diversity among full-time and part-time staff as well as student employees of the Work & Learn Program.

This includes contract service employees, COOP/OPUS employees, Work-Study students and Residential Leadership employees.

For all sections of employment, the majority of people identified themselves as White, with the identification of Black or African American being the second highest proportion in every case.

However the statistics do not align exactly between student employees and full-time or parttime employees. Among the fulltime and part-time employees,

See DIVERSITY Page 2

Rhian Tramontana|Marlin Chronicle Data from VWU 2021 Diversity and Inclusion on Campus report.

Newly sworn-in statewide leadership shakes up Virginia political environment

BY KATIE YEAGER kayeager@vwu.edu

The Virginia political landscape has had significant changes in the past month as Governor Glenn Youngkin, Lieutenant Governor Winsome Sears, Attorney General Jason Miyares and a Republican majority in the House of Delegates have taken office.

This is the first Republican statewide elected office trifecta since 2009 and Republican majority in the House of Delegates since 2018.

On his first day in office, Youngkin wasted no time at all. He signed eleven executive orders, including a ban on teaching critical race theory, lifting mandatory mask rules in schools and pledges to combat human trafficking and antisemitism.

Additionally, Miyares issued a legal opinion that public universities in Virginia cannot mandate COVID-19 vaccines for students.

This resulted in colleges like Old

Gov. Glenn Youngkin|Facebook Gov. Glenn Youngkin stands with Lieutenant Gov. Winsome Sears, Attorney General Jason Miyares and their significant others during Inauguration Day on Jan. 15.

Dominion University, Virginia Commonwealth University, Virginia Tech and the University

of Virginia dropping their vaccine and booster requirements.

Regarding the mask mandate,

localities in Virginia have given split decisions about whether to require masks or make them

Students express concerns Marlin Athletics Highlights with VWU COVID-19 policies

Kathleen Vanden Berg|Marlin Chronicle

Alysse Scripter|Courtesy

optional. In the Hampton Roads region, the Virginia Beach and Chesapeake school districts have made them optional, but Norfolk, Portsmouth and Suffolk have kept them mandated.

Also, seven Virginia school districts filed a lawsuit against Youngkin’s optional mask mandate and they are all currently still enforcing mask wearing. On Feb. 4, Judge Louise M. DiMattio for the Arlington Circuit Court of the 17th Judicial Court in Virginia ruled on the school mask case.

“The single issue before the Court is whether the Governor, via his emergency powers, can override the decision of local school boards delegated to them under SB 1303. On this pivotal point, the Court concludes that the Governor cannot,” said DiMattio.

Her decision resulted in the filing of a temporary restraining order on the optional mask

See GOVERNMENT Page 2

Celebrate Black History Month at Black-owned small businesses

Tiffany Warren|Marlin Chronicle

OPINIONS

SPORTS

WEEKENDER

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Thursday February 10, 2022 The Marlin Chronicle marlinchronicle.vwu.edu

News

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. honored

BY JOSEPH COOPER jmcooper1@vwu.edu

On Jan. 17, Virginia Wesleyan University celebrated Martin Luther King Jr. Day with acts of service on campus and a commemoration event hosted by President Scott Miller. The event featured guest speaker Dr. Veleka Gatling and Mavis McKenley who presented the Mavis McKenley Award to senior Erin Highsmith for embodying the ideals of Dr. King.

The event commemorated Dr. King’s legacy and accomplishments alongside students who live up to his name by fighting for racial unity and community.

Keynote speaker Dr. Veleka Gatling, who is the director for diversity initiatives at Old Dominion University, said, “I’m constantly reminded of one of my favorite quotes from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. It’s ‘the ultimate measure of a man or a woman is not where he or she stands in moments of convenience and comfort, but where he or she stands in times of challenge and controversy.’ I am sure that all of us would agree that we have faced numerous times of challenge and controversy in the past twenty months, especially as it relates to promoting and ensuring equity.”

Dr. Gatling is helping the battle for unity across all communities and has also faced challenges and difficulties, especially during the last 20 months.

She said that “to achieve visible equity, we must humanize the members of our communities of practice in ways that acceptance and respect become the norm not just a cliche, then we must demonstrate respect by seeking to understand others and

GOVERNMENT CONTINUED FROM PG. 1 mandate.

Senior Cam Terry, feels directly impacted by the growing tension between states and localities to control mask regulations.

“My biggest concern about the new state leadership is the announcement of the end of the in-school mask mandate,” Terry said. “I am about to become a teacher myself and I would want to protect myself, as well as my students at all costs. I always hope that our officials in office have their people's best interest at heart.”

Hunter Nordberg, a student of Political Science at Virginia Wesleyan, followed the

treating them as they desire, not as we desire.”

She will continue to tell the listeners that in order for a community to be united, everyone must stand together, listen to each other and acknowledge each other’s history and story.

Gatling finished her speech by saying, “As my 94-year-old dad says, ‘everything has changed, yet nothing has changed,’ but we can still deal with our challenging times and controversy.”

Annually on MLK Jr. Day, a student is presented with an award in honor of Mavis McKenley, who graduated from VWU in 2011. The student is chosen for exemplifying the ideas of Martin Luther King Jr., “including courage and conviction in valuing differences, commitment to seeing beyond borders, by building inclusion, compassion for humanity and commitment to social change,” McKenley said.

This year’s recipient was Erin Highsmith, a senior at VWU. When asked how she earned the McKenley Award, Highsmith said her best friend, India Khana, who won last year’s award, inspired her to work hard and help out through community service, assisting at voter registration drives, helping the veteran amputee softball team and participating in the President’s Council for Inclusive Communities.

Jokingly, Highsmith said “Anything she did last year, I was going to do this year.

She’s not just my best friend, she’s my role model.”

When asked why MLK Jr. Day is important to not just her but for everyone, Highsmith said, “I think it’s important for me because it’s a staple of African American transition into the Youngkin administration closely.

“The Youngkin administration has had a rough start in 2022,” said Nordberg. “Despite his campaign promises to be a common-sense, unifying figure, Youngkin has only worked to divide. His executive order prohibiting masks in school, his nomination of a former coal lobbyist and climate change denier as the Secretary of Natural Resources, and his ‘tip-line’ to snitch on school curriculums about history are just a few of the wildly unpopular decisions Youngkin has made so far.”

Nordberg believed that in addition to the recent executive orders, Youngkin faces future challenges with the 21-19 Democratic majority in the Virginia Senate. Demo-

Construction close to an end

VWU|Courtesy Construction outside the Batten Dining Center continues moving at a slow pace.

DIVERSITY

CONTINUED FROM PG. 1 72.3% identified themselves as White while 17.7% identified themselves as Black or African American. The next largest percentage was 4.0% identifying as Hispanic or Latino.

For student employees, 44.2% self-identified as White, 38.4% as Black or African American and 9.4% as Hispanic or Latino.

When analyzing the undergraduate population during the Fall 2021 semester, the Virginia Wesleyan website lists the total number of students as 1,070. Of these students, 52.5% identify as White, 26.5% of students identified as Black and 9.4% identified as Hispanic.

According to the U.S. Census from 2020, 68.4% of residents in Virginia identify as White. The next highest percentage was Black or African American, alone, at 19.9%, followed by Hispanic or Latino at 9.8%.

While there are no quotas regarding the hiring of specific races as campus employees, open positions on campus “and those that are with contracted services attract a variety of individuals from all backgrounds,” Barletta said.

The Equal Opportunity policy states that all those applying for employment and advancement opportunities are judged

“on the basis of merit, qualifications, and competency,” giving no regard to “race, religion, color, creed, gender, national and ethnic origin, age, marital status, covered veteran status, handicap, sexual orientation, or any other legally protected status.”

The hiring process on campus is overseen by various individuals. Barletta says that “Vice Presidents and the Executive Director of Intercollegiate Athletics recommend staffing needs to the president for approval.”

Additionally, the Office of Human Resources “has oversight of all institutional hiring practices outside of contract services (Aramark for Facilities, Sodexo for Dining Services, Sentara, etc.),” Barletta says.

According to Barletta, all open positions are listed on the university’s website and the university “utilizes several different methods to advertise open positions” based on what the opportunity is.

Matthew Taylor, president of the Asian Student Union on campus, appreciates the university's efforts to “diversify the campus and make people feel welcome.”

To improve inclusivity, Taylor would love to see “more events based around uplifting diverse groups of cultures.”

On Jan. 7, President Miller announced the creation of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Council (DEIC). Dr. Felipe Hugueño has been appointed as the Chief

VWU|Courtesy Recipient Erin Highsmith stands between President Miller and Mavis McKenley.

History. I think that’s a history that gets overlooked a lot. Especially when it comes to the civil rights movement. Even though it’s a holiday that mostly embodies King himself, it’s important because I feel like today we’re actively working to try to keep it from being erased while other people are trying to sweep it under the rug a little bit because it isn’t necessarily the best part of American history. But, if you forget where you came from, you’re just bound to repeat yourself.”

VWU also hosted the MLK Jr. Day of Service where students could participate to help with a campus and community cleanup. Freshman Joshua Spicer, who went to the clean-up event, said, “The event was

honestly a lot of fun. A few members of my Tennis team and some other people went out into the woods behind V3 to go pick up trash and generally clean up the area.

We all had a lot of fun doing it and could definitely see the impact that we had.”

When asked why he volunteered, Spicer said he wanted to help clean up with his teammates while making campus cleaner and nicer for everyone who goes to VWU. “Dr. King taught us that service to our community can break barriers and bring everyone together,” Spicer said. “Being able to emulate that and clean up our own community is very important. Coming together with many different students to accomplish that is even better.”

crats in the Senate have already blocked education legislation that was intended to ban critical race theory (CRT) from K-12 schools in Virginia.

“It has only been one month since he took office, but Youngkin’s legislative priorities are looking bleak as well,” said Nordberg.

“Virginia State Democrats, led by Senator Louise Lucas, are set to stop any Republican efforts to curb voting rights, weaken public education, or reverse the increase of [VA] minimum wage.”

The Youngkin administration has already butted heads with the Virginia State Democrats on Feb. 1 when they voted to block Andrew Wheeler from Youngkin’s cabinet appointment. Wheeler formerly worked under President Trump as the EPA

Chief.

Although Democrats have blocked Wheeler from a cabinet appointment, the Youngkin administration still has the power to hire him in a role that does not require approval by the General Assembly.

Despite early challenges, Youngkin is working with an empowered Republican majority in the Virginia House of Delegates, which should help the administration enact policy changes, if they can get a bill past the Virginia Senate.

After two terms of Democratic gubernatorial leadership, Youngkin faces a long road of shifting the tide and creating meaningful policy that reflect his campaign values.

BY RHIAN TRAMONTANA rjtramontana@vwu.edu

progress as well, but the occupancy of the building has been delayed to March as well.

According to President Miller’s Nota Bene on Jan. 31, the dedication ceremony has been delayed to May “out of an abundance of caution due to the easily transmissible Omicron variant of COVID-19.”

The manor has been named an Elizabeth River Project River Star Home, indicating the environmental sustainability of the manor and its grounds.

The final major construction update centers around Clarke Hall. With the beginning of Spring Semester, students were able to utilize the new Business & Technology Hub. The technology now focuses on cybersecurity, offering individual work stations, personal encrypted networks and a map showing cyber attacks around the world as they happen. This is the final stage of the overall upgrades to Clarke Hall.

Amidst unpredictable weather and a growing amount of mud, construction persists all over the VWU campus. While there is a mild smell of paint that seeps into the Boyd Dining Center, the construction seems to be coming to an end.

The Brock Commons addition to the Boyd Dining Center is part of a plan spanning multiple years aiming to upgrade the dining services on campus. It follows the projects of the Coastal Market, Harbor Grill and the Board of Trustees Suite as well as the improvements made to the Boyd Dining Center.

The newest addition is expected to be completed by the beginning of March and construction on the patio dining area is expected to progress in coming days, given that the weather is agreeable.

DeFord Manor has made significant

Rhian Tramontana|Marlin Chronicle Data from VWU Human Resources 2021-2022 Employment by Diversity Report.

Diversity Officer for the DEIC. He will be joined by five colleagues who will serve as Deputy Diversity Officers : Dr. Modupe Oshikoya, Cameia Alexander, Dr.

Brian Kurisky, Kelly Jackson and Andre Wiggins. Dr. Susan Larkin and Dr. Keith Moore have been chosen to serve as ex officio liaisons for the President’s Cabinet.

Science & Technology

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Thursday February 10, 2022 The Marlin Chronicle marlinchronicle.vwu.edu

COVID-19 CONTINUED FROM PG. 1 and depression because of the pandemic. This has been emphasized by the U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy who released an advisory about protecting youth mental health.

“Since the pandemic began, rates of psychological distress among young people, including symptoms of anxiety, depression, and other mental health disorders, have increased,” Murthy said. “Recent research covering 80,000 youth globally found that depressive and anxiety symptoms doubled during the pandemic, with 25% of youth experiencing depressive symptoms and 20% experiencing anxiety symptoms.”

On Jan. 3, Virginia Wesleyan President Scott Miller announced via email that all students, faculty and staff would be required to receive the booster shot for COVID-19 by Feb. 28. Christman explained the idea for the booster requirement shot. “It reduces the burden and impact on students’ academics, but also athletics. We want it to be as safe as possible for you all,” Christman said.

On Jan. 15, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin signed executive orders which included prohibiting state-funded universities from requiring vaccines for students, faculty and staff. Following the announcement, schools such as James Madison University, Virginia Tech and George Mason University announced that COVID-19 vaccines would not be required, only recommended.

Earlier in January, JMU announced that masks were

COVID-19 information from www.vwu.edu/coronavirus/vwu-covidsafe.php. still required indoors. GMU still requires masks and continues to do surveillance testing. Students at GMU receive emails when it’s their time to get tested. At the end of January, Virginia Tech announced that students, faculty and staff will be required to wear masks indoors regardless of vaccination status, but masks outside are not required.

In the Hampton Roads area, Old Dominion University announced earlier this week that they are no longer requiring students to be fully vaccinated, but it is strongly encouraged, including the booster. ODU also said that it no longer requires unvaccinated students to partake in weekly testing. The university is still requiring masks to be worn indoors at all times. Similarly, Norfolk State University is not requiring the vaccine but is encouraging students to receive it.

When students at Virginia Wesleyan were asked about their opinions about going back to the old rules and the booster requirement, there were mixed emotions.

Sophomore student Danielle Perry said, “I got the booster before it was required. I would prefer the rules from last semester because this is isolation and not good for our

Emily Uzzle|Marlin Chronicle

mental health, which was made very evident last year,” she said. “I see the point in the restrictions. I get the masks, but the new restrictions do nothing when we can hangout off campus and sending us home for a weekend is not going to do anything.”

Sophomore student Britni Arrington said, “I hate the new rules, I don’t care about the vaccine or mask rules, that doesn’t bother me, I just want to be able to hang out with my friends whenever I want wherever I want.”

Current junior and former RA for the university Lanae Sterret is taking a gap semester. “I understand the restrictions and I got the booster regardless, but I don’t think the restrictions are worth it if the schools aren’t going to actually enforce it and hold students accountable,” Sterret said.

VWU students who think they have been exposed to COVID-19 or think they have COVID-19 are recommended to either email covidsafe@vwu.edu or fill out the questionnaire on the LiveSafe app. For more information on campus COVID-19 numbers, check the university website.

Student Research Spotlight: Teresa (Tess) Jones

BY JACK PALMER jrpalmer@vwu.edu Every semester, students are invited to present their internships, research projects or work experiences at the “Port Day” undergraduate discovery fair. Students from all majors are encouraged to take the research course in their respective areas of study. Recognizing students’ research is an important part of the research process. Hours of work inside and outside of the lab go into STEM-focused undergraduate research. Teresa (Tess) Jones was among the few students selected to be a keynote speaker at the most recent research symposium.

Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REUs) are typically offered by the National Science Foundation (NSF) for students at institutions where their research aspirations cannot be adequately met. The agency fully funds these experiences to allow students to obtain the critical exposure necessary to succeed in science-related fields. Many research institutions deemed “R1: very high research activity” offer these programs through the NSF. If undergraduates want to propel themselves in their respective science fields, an REU is the way to do this.

Jones is a mathematics major and philosophy minor.

The basis of her research is to establish the Valsalva maneuver (VM) as a safer, more accessible and reliable tool to diagnose Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS). POTS may be a form of dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system. Clinicians do not know for sure what causes POTS. Jones’s ongoing research focuses on baroreflexinduced changes to blood pressure, which are mediated by the parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous system. She conducted this study at North Carolina State University’s Directed Research for Undergraduates in Mathematics and Statistics (DRUMS) program. This was through the National Science Foundation (NSF) and National Security Agency (NSA) fund for REUs. Jones remarked, “Typically, REUs only last ten weeks, but my project is still going. We use mathematical modeling and machine learning to characterize a form of dysautonomia typically experienced by young women.” This is widely referred to in the medical community as POTS. Jones went on to explain her research in detail, “Using blood pressure measurements from patients, the model estimates heart rate. We can compare how “correct” the model is based on estimates extracted from ECG measurements. The exciting part is that the model also gives us a representation of the autonomic activity and patient-specific parameters (qualities physicians cannot measure). We have spent about six months working

Teresa (Tess) Jones|Courtesy Poster with members Perry Beamer, Nicole Gallegos, Tess Jones and Caroline Hammond (left to right). on our model and getting clinical biomarkers. Now, we are analyzing those quantities with machine learning algorithms to classify which of our patients.”

The research she has conducted is in the process of being written in a paper for submission to the Journal of Physiology. She noted this journal submission is only a small step to the team’s overarching goal; the creation of a model that can reliably diagnose patients without inducing painful symptoms. Future applications of the research include designing a watch that can analyze blood pressure data to measure the performance of the wearer’s autonomic nervous system. This would provide real time feedback about how a person’s autonomic nervous system is functioning.

To share the wealth of knowledge obtained in this research project, Jones has attended two conferences and plans on attending at least two more. She plans on going to Denmark over the summer to work with a clinical collaborator. She noted that she has met “incredible researchers and aspiring mathematicians.” By being

exposed to experts in the field, Jones’s research assured her that she wants to pursue a PhD in mathematics and continue with this form of modeling in a new and upcoming field, biomathematics. As for what is next for Jones, she has been offered fellowships for graduate schools and plans on spending the next few months before graduation visiting them.

Jones would like to acknowledge all of the people who helped to make her research possible: Dr. Mette Olufsen (NCSU) and Dr. Ben Randall (UMich), serving as research advisors. In addition to advisors, her fourth year PhD graduate student mentor, Justen Geddes (NCSU), and undergraduate teammates, Perry Beamer (UMD), Nicole Gallegos (BU) and Caroline Hammond (UDelaware) were all instrumental components to the project. At Virginia Wesleyan, Dr. Malagon, Dr. Kennedy and Dr. Reese guided her through the mathematics program. Her roommate, friend and “lab rat,” Caroline Tryfiates, also served as encouragement throughout the process by encouraging her to never waiver on her goals.

New science major added to the catalog of Virginia Wesleyan

BY JACK PALMER jrpalmer@vwu.edu If you have performed a “degree audit” recently in WebAdvisor, you might have noticed a new option under the dropdown “What if I changed my program of study?” list. Biochemistry has been added to the majors available at Virginia Wesleyan. The list now sums to a grand total of 42 majors offered to students.

This new addition is so recent that it is not available in the course catalog as of yet. It will officially appear in the 2022-2023 catalog. With the program falling under the Department of Chemistry, a majority of the required credits relate to chemical science.

The program comprises 32 credits from chemistry courses and 16 credits from biology-related coursework.

The major encompasses relevant coursework that may be useful to many pre-medicine focused undergraduate students.

Among those that made this new opportunity possible was Dr. Kevin Kittredge, professor of chemistry and chair of chemistry/physical science. He had the following to say about the development of the new program, “Over the last two decades there has been an increased demand for graduates who have studied biochemistry by both industry and government. Biochemistry is a bridge between biology and chemistry.”

By making a B.S. in biochemistry available at VWU, students are provided another degree option in the STEM disciplines. “We currently have the courses in place to

“We currently have the courses in place to create this degree and it seemed appropriate to do so at this time. This should also help with recruiting students who are unsure of whether to major in biology or chemistry.”

Dr. Kittredge create this degree and it seemed appropriate to do so at this time. This should also help with recruiting students who are unsure of whether to major in biology or chemistry,” Kittredge said. He went on to say, “The skills being taught are used in both academics and industry, so that should make our graduates attractive candidates for potential jobs and graduate programs.”

Sophomore Alex Cain has taken interest in the offering of this new program of study. He said,”I’m pursuing this major because it’s a lot closer in content to what I want to pursue in life, which is molecular biology. This is because it delves deep enough into biochemistry and cell biology, while avoiding things that I don’t need for my career path,

such as ecology and instrumental methods of chemistry.”

Cain decided to change his course of study while scheduling for his fourth semester at Virginia Wesleyan.

If a student is undecided between chemistry, biology or double majoring in both, they should speak with their advisor about aligning their coursework with these degree requirements.

Cain also noted how the new major better addresses those wanting to go into medicine.

He said, ”I’m glad it’s being added because I know it will also be useful for students who may want to pursue pre-medicine.”

In the past, many students at VWU have chosen paths in biology or chemistry to pursue their overarching career goal of medicine. They no longer have to decide between either, as this offers the “best of both worlds.”

Kathleen Vanden Berg|Courtesy

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Thursday February 10, 2022 The Marlin Chronicle marlinchronicle.vwu.edu

The

MARLIN CHRONICLE Editor-in-Chief Connor Merk ccmerk@vwu.edu Managing Editor Rhian Tramontanta rjtramontana@vwu.edu News Editors Rhian Tramontanta rjtramontana@vwu.edu Kathryn Yaeger kayaeger@vwu.edu Science & Tech Editor Jack Palmer jrpalmer@vwu.edu Community Editor Carey Seay clseay@vwu.edu Opinions Editors Brooke Erickson bmerickson@vwu.edu Grant Morgan gamorgan@vwu.edu Sports Editors Steven Serrano Cruz sdserranocruz@vwu.edu Shirell Washington sawashington@vwu.edu Weekender Editors Sasha Saxon ansaxon@vwu.edu Tiffany Warren tawarren@vwu.edu Photo Editor Ross Winner rawinner@vwu.edu Illustrations Editor Emily Uzzle ebuzzle@vwu.edu

Community Venturing far from home: international edition

BY JOSHUA HELLER jmheller@vwu.edu

Nagisa Takayanagi is an international student from Tokyo, Japan. She is a junior majoring in International Studies and has plans to stay in America after her two years here. Takayanagi loves to listen to music, especially R&B. So far, she has enjoyed her first week at Virginia Wesleyan University and intends to expand her horizons to make new friends here.

As assumed by many, coming to a new country and going to school is no easy task.

Despite this, with prior knowledge of American culture and her fluency in the English language, Takayanagi has successfully made the transition to VWU. The ease of her transition can be largely attributed to the fact that she is not the only Japanese transfer student. Takayanagi can typically be found around campus with other international students as well, something that has boded well for her here.

“It was very good to have other Japanese students already here because I didn’t know what to bring from Japan or what I should do to prepare,” Takayanagi said. “It was a good thing, and they’re so helpful and they know so much.

They [were able to show me] some information and take me to tour the campus.” Takayanagi also expressed interest in getting to know the VWU community and expanding her horizons.

As a college student in America, Takayanagi has enjoyed her experience enough to consider coming back. She has even made plans to travel to Seattle, Washington.

“I am going here for two years and will graduate from here. I also like to travel a lot in the United States. My little sister is coming to Seattle in a couple of weeks, so I think, during spring break, I’ll go to see her,” Takayanagi said.

Considering all of this, Takayanagi has faced some struggles since leaving Japan less than two weeks ago. The language barrier has been one of her biggest struggles.

“In Japan, when you start at junior high school, you start to learn English, but speaking English was so different there, so I could still communicate with them. I feel that speaking English here is harder,” Takayanagi said.

The contrast in language and culture became apparent to Takayanagi right away, however,

Nagisa Takayanagi|Courtesy

Juniors Isabel Schoenmakers and Nagisa Takayanagi navigate taking on a foreign country together.

she is now prepared for any barrier in language that arises. The journey for Takayanagi hasn’t been plain sailing so far, but she is determined to accomplish her goals in the VWU community.

Along with Takayanagi, Isabel Schoenmakers is also an international student here at VWU. Schoenmakers is a junior from the Netherlands and is studying Communication and Psychology, however, in the Netherlands, her major is Human Resource Studies and People Management. Schoenmakers plays a little bit of piano and has even considered taking classes here. She also enjoys hanging out with friends.

So far in her short time at Virginia Wesleyan University, she has been playing on the Field Hockey team and has enjoyed her experience with them.

Coming to America as an exchange student is no easy challenge, but, in her limited time here, Schoenmakers has embraced this difficult mountain to climb. Right away, she noticed the difference between the Netherlands and America.

“I would say it’s very different. I think this school has way more of a spirit and way more sports than my school. [My school doesn’t] have sports teams, so that’s really different. Also, you can live on campus at my school, so that’s also a really big difference,” Schoenmakers said.

In many ways, this change has proven

Online Editor Jack Mowatt jmmowatt@vwu.edu Copy Editor Grace Rietscha glrietscha@vwu.edu Advertising Manager Rowan Stuart rwstuart@vwu.edu Social Media Manager Breana Mahoney brmahoney@vwu.edu Adviser Dr. Lisa Lyon Payne lpayne@vwu.edu

Emily Uzzle |Marlin Chronicle

Homelessness is a prevalent issue in our surrounding communities and many others across the US.

Hitting close to home(lessness)

BY CAREY SEAY clseay@vwu.edu

The Marlin Chronicle is the official student newspaper of Virginia Wesleyan University.

Staff meetings are held every Tuesday at 5:30 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

For over 15 years, Virginia Wesleyan University has offered a course which enables students to engage in the service of our surrounding community. This course, Service Learning and Issues in Civic Engagement, is held every January Term and is open to any students interested.

Since 2007, the course has paired with VWU’s neighboring homeless shelters, including Portsmouth Volunteers for the Homeless,

Norfolk Emergency Services Team, Judeo Christian Outreach Center and the Virginia Beach Housing Resource Center, to shelter and support the homeless population. In the past, students were able to both host and attend the shelters; this year, however, the course looked a little bit different.

“Because of COVID, we were not able to take students to these locations, but we interviewed the principles of these organizations using Google Meet,” Communication Professor Robin Takacs said. “Students were able to get a sense of the mission of these organizations through pictures, websites, presentations and handouts,

beneficial for Shoenmakers as she praised the school’s inclusive nature and petite atmosphere.

“I really like how this school is so focused on the students and you’re not just a number here because it’s so small. In the Netherlands, there are a lot of students and you are more like a number,” Schoenmakers said. This positive change in the surrounding atmosphere is quality news for future international students looking to come to Virginia Wesleyan University.

As Schoenmakers is slowly adapting to her new university, she is looking forward to competing with the Field Hockey team.

“I just had one training session, so I don’t have a lot to say, but I really liked it,” Schoenmakers said. “It’s the offseason right now, so it’s not the competition season, which is kind of a pity but we still get to do some matches later this semester. I would have loved to play the whole competition.”

Field Hockey has definitely been one of her highest aspirations this semester, which has balanced some of the difference for her in America. Schoenmakers hopes to come back to America after she leaves VWU. Takayanagi and Shoenmakers are both still adapting to American life here at VWU, but look forward to what the rest of their time here has to offer. and, by asking questions, we were able to hear the passion that these people have to work with this population of adults, families and children experiencing homelessness.”

Although COVID-19 precautions prohibited students from attending and volunteering at a shelter, or even hosting one of their own, they were still able to walk away with the same message through classroom-style learning and by watching from a distance via Google Meet.

“The message is that you have to leave your stereotypes at the door of a shelter and listen to the stories of the homeless to understand this very complex issue,” Takacs said. “Homelessness can happen to anyone and many students realize that for the first time [through this course].”

The primary goal of INST 124 is to bring awareness to the very prominent and local issue of homelessness. The course attempts to change students’ perceptions of the homeless population and open their eyes to the realness of it right outside our campus.

“We have had former students become police officers, teachers, social workers, medical professionals, sports managers and recreational therapists who now state that after this class, they understand the reasons for homelessness in greater depth and feel more comfortable working with this population,” Takacs said.

In the future, the plans for Service Learning and Issues in Civic Engagement are ideally to engage students by returning “to the handson service learning that [it] used to provide in area shelters.” While students still enjoyed this course over this year’s January Term, there really is nothing like putting what they learned to practice in our local homeless shelters.

The Marlin Chronicle | marlinchronicle.vwu.edu

Thursday, February 10, 2022

5

Res Life welcomes new village coordinators

BY PHOEBE COX pecox@vwu.edu

Virginia Wesleyan University was able to welcome three new members to the Residence Life team this spring. A large welcome is extended to Brandon Foster, Jalen Anderson and Anitra Howard for making our VWU community a part of their story.

Brandon Foster is a former Marlin.

Graduating in Spring 2019 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work, he went on to also graduate from a Master’s program at Smith College for social work in August 2021.

Foster is now the village coordinator for Allen and Bray Village. He describes his role as overseeing and making sure student resident assistants are on top of responsibilities, ensuring that conditions in the halls themselves are good and being the person who he said “represents the office of Residence Life” directly on campus.

Considering this, Foster’s role goes beyond technical tasks. He sees his position as also doing whatever he can to give back to the community, whether that be responding to emergencies as a genuine advocate or seeing day-to-day occurrences as formative.

“I want to be a vital part of [the students’] success in college,” Foster said.

In regards to how COVID-19 has affected his position and the VWU commu-

Brandon Foster |Courtesy

VWU alum Brandon Foster began working as a Village Coordinator this spring.

nity as a whole, Foster acknowledged that it “has challenged us to find out how we can overcome these barriers,” but that it has also allowed for a lot of creativity and flexibility.

To add to this, he thanks the students for being a huge part in allowing for opportunities to still be implemented on campus.

“Students are doing an excellent job in caring for each other right now,” Foster said.

In conjunction with his role as village coordinator, Foster also helps out at the counseling center and is a member of the Student Health COVID-19 Safe team. Having these additional roles he says, “gives me a great pulse on the college environment. I feel really connected to the students.”

In essence, for Foster, it always comes

back to how there is so much opportunity.

The friendliness and community of the campus is inviting, and in an effort to continue that opportunity, he states that he is “always open to everyone in the campus community.”

Jalen Anderson is a graduate of Methodist University in Fayetteville, North Carolina. He ended up finding out about the position here at VWU through a website that lists positions at higher education institutions.

As the Village Coordinator for Brock and Honors Village, he has the same technical responsibilities that Foster does.

He similarly compliments the space for growth he’s seen at VWU. Given the fact that “the opportunity to build community here is great,” Anderson has been motivated to help out students in realizing what the school and its area have a lot to offer.

Having “already met some great faculty and some absolutely amazing students” in the month he’s been here, Anderson emphasizes the importance of being intentional about pursuing personal bonds with both residents and coworkers alike. He is eager to continue becoming a part of the VWU community.

Anitra Howard is also a former Marlin.

Receiving her Political Science Degree in December 2021, she accepted a position here at VWU primarily as a Welcome Center Coordinator for Enrollment but also as a side village assistant position with Resi-

dence Life.

Since this role is not the same as a village coordinator, Howard mainly assists student resident assistants if they need help and interacts with the coordinators at weekly meetings. She also serves as an extra back-up for any situation or response that would require it.

Her previous background with the VWU community has helped shape her perspective on the professional roles she holds today on campus and contributed to her own efforts in making the campus supportive.

“It’s really nice to be among a community of people who feel like family,” Howard said.

Similar to Foster and Anderson, she recognizes the opportunities that VWU offers to its students and alumni. Granted that “our campus is always able to adapt to new situations,” Howard appreciates the intent the university puts towards encouraging students and employees alike to explore and engage in different opportunities.

Opportunity and community are all recurring themes in this group’s goals and experiences. You’ll never know what the campus can offer you if you never utilize the services provided by these on-campus advocates and many more. In the words of Anderson, “Just enjoy the journey called college and dive head-first into the shallow end.”

COVID-19 rules prove challenging for clubs

BY CAREY SEAY clseay@vwu.edu

With one semester under our belts and another one to go for the 2021-2022 school year, we’ve hit yet another roadblock: the omicron variant. Just when we thought the reign of COVID-19 was finally over, this new variant showed its face and reinforced the initial intensity of the virus. And while all of Virginia Wesleyan University has definitely encountered the effects of this variant, our clubs and student organizations have possibly faced the worst of it.

“In the fall semester, we had a lot more freedom regarding events, but now, in this semester, a lot of that freedom has been taken away,” Off the Hook member Hannah Carmona said. “Student organizations can no longer plan events, which puts more stress on event planning on Off The Hook, Marlin Ministries and other primary event holders on campus.”

The events put on by VWU’s clubs and student organizations are arguably the factor that bring the entire campus community together, so putting those on hold drastically strains the campus as a whole.

“The student involvement, energy and enjoyability of Marlin Ministries has decreased over the past few years in response to COVID and the COVID guidelines,” Marlin Ministries leader Isabel Laxton said. “Worrying about guidelines being followed sometimes makes it difficult for leaders and students to be fully present and enjoy the event experiences like they were able to in the past. Forming personal connections is also more difficult when everyone is masked and socially distanced, as they make it hard to both hear and see people.”

Like the students, faculty and visitors of VWU, the events held by our clubs and student organizations must also follow social distancing guidelines and mask requirements. Along with this, clubs and organizations are often encouraged to meet virtually rather than holding in-person gatherings.

“Now, we have a lot more restrictions especially pertaining to social distancing, [which], I think, is a huge problem,” Carmona said. “People are going to be around each other; it is bound to happen on a college campus. By [creating] restrictions pertaining to social distancing in the cafe and at events, I believe the school is creating issues with mental health. I don’t think they realize the effects of what their actions cause for students. It comes down to the question of which is more important: men-

tal health or physical health?”

While it is no secret that the effects of COVID-19 and its consequential restrictions have proven detrimental to VWU’s students and campus community, there is still hope for the spring semester.

The spring semester guidelines for student organizations and clubs are as follows: meet virtually for recurring events and meetings, host virtual events and student activities, host masked and sociallydistanced tabling events in the Jane P. Batten Student Center, attend and participate in on-campus events together as a student

Elaine Aird |Courtesy

Elaine Aird and her husband, John, together served VWU for over 50 years.

A Letter to VWU VWU alum and lifelong supporter, Elaine Aird, retires after over 20 years of service to our community.

Kathleen Vanden Berg |Marlin Chronicle organization or club and check out UREC equipment to use in the Jane P. Batten Student Center.

This semester, clubs and organizations are still allowed to gather in person as long as the updated COVID-19 guidelines are being followed. Despite this, virtual meetings and events are highly encouraged.

“The easiest way to gather safely within the guidelines is to attend campus events that are already planned for you,” Director of Student Activities Sarah Guzzo said.

“For example, if Off The Hook is planning a Disney Trivia Night in the Grille, Disney Club should plan to attend together and dominate Trivia Night.”

Although nobody is thrilled about the new COVID-19 restrictions surrounding our student activities, events and day-today life, guidelines are put in place to keep our campus community safe and allow us to return to normal sooner rather than later. “[Student organizations] all have to pay a $200 student activities fee, and I always say that it’s my job to use that money wisely and give it back to the students through free stuff and free fun,” Carmona said. “So come to events!”

Be sure to take advantage of the student activities and events that our clubs and organizations are able to hold this semester.

Together, we can make the best out of the rest of this school year!

Dear Friends, I began the ride of my life at Virginia Wesleyan in 1988. Vice President Bill Joseph hired me after I bluffed my way into thinking I knew about computers. Three decades later, all of you who know me will attest, I barely know how to turn one on, but thank you for always having my back, my friends in the Business Office and IT services. You are ‘my people’ and I love you so!

My dear Mom taught me “The Lord loves a cheerful giver.” She taught me the Christian way of giving, and Mr. J. taught me the Wesleyan way. The first week on the job, I needed to procure lighting and resurfacing of the tennis courts. I quickly became friends with the Physical Plant, and we got the project done. You wonderful people were ‘my people,’ my go-to in any situation people, and I cherish every one of you. Until this day, I get a feeling of pride passing by the tennis courts on my way to my office.

I can honestly say that every day coming to work was a wonderful adventure.

Purchasing was fun because it was never the same job two days in a row. One day, buying chalk for the classrooms and the next day, leasing 15-passenger vans for our athletic teams. What a great ride I had!

My husband, John, had an office in Blocker Hall for over 20 years and worked in the IT department. How lucky I was to work with my best friend. It came with lots of little perks, like an occasional kiss at lunchtime when no one was look-

ing (glad HR never found out!). John always referred to his colleagues in Blocker as ‘his people.’ He knew and I knew the teachings of these brilliant professors.

We knew they were teaching the young people of today who would one day do great things like finding a cure for cancer and solving world hunger. We felt like in our own tiny-weeny way, we were doing our part to make that happen too. Between John and me, we gave VWU over 50 years of service and always cheerfully and with tremendous pride, just like my dear Mom taught us.

As the accounts payable bookkeeper, I was glad to process payments that enabled our students to achieve their goals of a good education. Whether paying for conferences, securing transportation for field trips, or robing them for graduation, I gained much satisfaction. The students were ‘my people,’ and I loved helping them along their journey.

My fondest and most enduring memories of VWU will be working with the most wonderful people on this good earth. I will cherish your friendships and love forever in my heart. Once a Marlin, always a Marlin. I am most grateful for the great ride! Wishing God’s continued blessings on Virginia Wesleyan and each of you.

Hugs, Elaine Aird ‘96 eaird123@gmail.com

Opinions

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Thursday February 10, 2022 The Marlin Chronicle marlinchronicle.vwu.edu

Students Voice Mental Health Concerns | The policies have negatively impacted my mental health in the sense that I no longer feel connected to the VWU community. Not being able to see friends much, especially since the weather is so cold out currently made me lose a connection to my support group that helped me through my studies on campus. I noticed I have less willingness to engage in social activities and find it difficult to get started on assignments when I used to be able to have study groups with friends to keep us all motivated.

-Hailey Schumacher

During J-Term, my whole class period just talked about how much our mental health is more horrible now because of the COVID regulations, and our twenty-some-odd-person class said, “yeah, my mental health is not good.”

-Ariana Fletter

COVID-19 REGULATIONS AT VWU

For me, I suffer from anxiety and depression, so I think that all of the restrictions of not being able to go see your friends and being basically trapped in your room all day is very bad for, at least, my mental health. I like to be surrounded by people who make me feel great and comfortable, and now I’m kinda alone in my room.

-Ariyana Brown Watts

The school has openly admitted to not following the CDC guidelines completely. They have admitted that they are taking the CDC’s guidelines and making them into their own set of rules, and if you isolate these students for days on end and leave them alone in rooms separated from society, it causes them to lose their minds.

-Jordan Gilliam Personally, the policies have been detrimental to my mental health. It has left me feeling isolated, alone, and depressed both physically and mentally.

The policies don’t factor in the student’s mental health.

-Elijah Eley

I really feel like they could have eased into the transition a bit better.

They just went in so quick and so rapidly.

-Taylor McGuinn

I suffer from many forms of mental disabilities—depression, anxiety, all that—and I have an ESA on campus and if I did not have him, I would be very, very much depressed with these new rules. I still am a little bit more than I usually am because I am not allowed to go see my friends and I’m not allowed to have that social interaction that we as a human species need.

It’s affected my ability to function and be able to get my classwork done because I feel like I don’t want to do anything because I’m so depressed and upset.

-Katy Licurgo

I feel like it did affect students mental health because they were so used to what it was like last year when they could actually hang out with their friends more and everything, and the school just hit them with cancelling all that, so I feel like the school should have done better with slowly transitioning students into the new protocol so it would not have affected their mental health as much as it has.

-Dorothy Yanku-Palmer It’s important to still abide by the new COVID rules that are in place, but it’s also important to see your friends and know they are still here going through this with you.

-Hunter Selby

I think the new COVID regulations have made students’ mental health go down the drain.

-Brittni Arrington

Kathleen Vanden Berg |Marlin Chronicle

Art student finds refuge in the sculpture studio Ross Winner|Marlin Chronicle

Opinions editor opens forum for free speech

BY BROOKE ERICKSON bmerickson@vwu.edu My goal for the opinions and editorial section is for it to be a space where students can freely voice their concerns.

In this issue, I wanted a feel for how my peers’ mental health has been affected by recent restrictions implemented for the spring semester.

I picked a day and time at random to survey a pool of students. And what I found is disheartening.

Many of the quotes above were selected from that pool, but the space is too constrained to include them all.

Students feel they have lost a key aspect of the college experience and a vitality to mental health: human connection. This is our community. These are our people.

Virginia Wesleyan functions as a student body because of each student who makes up the body. If our body is sick, then the energy which the community thrives on is depleted. Each person is an integral part of our community and it disheartens me that students feel that they are suffering alone.

Students feel their freedoms have been taken away, and I agree. When new rules are implemented, old freedoms are lost.

This prompts me to look at society as a whole and reflect, if this is happening to a student body of 1,500, then what is happening in our nation, in our world?

We may have our own spheres of friends or family or workplace, but our spheres tend to overlap in the most curious ways.

We all attend the same campus under the laws of the same nation on the same planet, so remember that no matter what happens, you are never alone.

I believe every student has a right to have a voice in the community. I call on each member of this community to be bold and stand up for our freedom of speech by voicing what concerns you and respecting others who voice their differing opinions.

If you want to voice your opinion on a topic in a future issue or have a story that you want to call attention to, then please contact Brooke Erickson at bmerickson@ vwu.edu.

BY ALISON COUTU amcoutu@vwu.edu Hello, my name is Ali Coutu. I am a disabled United States Navy Veteran and a senior here at Virginia Wesleyan studying for a fine arts degree.

Throughout my six years in the service, my mental health journey has been a steep one.

When I was in the military, I felt like I had no reason to be alive; however, thanks to art, I am grateful for the life I am currently living. There are no words in the dictionary that express mental health in the same way that fine arts allows me to express my experience and journey. Being at VWU has definitely challenged my mental health and my range of capability, especially in these times of COVID-19.

Let’s state the obvious. College is hard.

College is even more complicated when you add all of the implications of a disease killing thousands of people every day. The struggle lies in how we cope with this new reality of no friends or little human interaction coupled with the stress of getting a degree and passing all of your classes.

How do you make friends as a freshman coming into the school being told you can’t hang out with anyone? How do you identify people if you’ve only met half their face once in your class?

How do you grow as a person when you’re told you’re not allowed to grow?

These questions have gone unanswered from day one of my Virginia Wesleyan experience and will probably remain unanswered, which causes myself and others to have to cope with the reality that we will be isolated, alone, and on our own to figure out how to feel normal.

The way I chose to cope is through art.

There is something about the arts that you can lose yourself in the moment and live for what you are making. Whether that’s a drawing that looks like a fiveyear-old drew it or a sculpture that belongs in museums, art doesn’t have to be good to help you cope with mental struggles.

I started 3-D sculpting last year, starting in glass; my disability has improved dramatically since doing so.

A year of glass experience has proven that in a society of being so isolated and alone, there are still communities out

Alison Coutu|Courtesy Above: Alison Coutu sculpting.

Top right: Alison Coutu brings mental health awareness in her sculpture titled, “Don’t Believe the Lie.” Right: Back of “Don’t Believe the Lie.” there who, while following the same CDC guidelines, create and foster a creative and inviting environment for new students.

With this as a tool for coping with my mental health struggles, I was gradually able to open up and begin ceramic sculpting. The community only grew, and the pottery studio on campus has become my new sanctuary.

Last semester, I struggled more than I am even willing to admit, and I saw that same struggle in the staff and the students.

I knew I wasn’t alone, but I also knew I had no way to express myself due to this new reality of COVID-19 that we live in.

Last semester, I created two pieces that depicted what I felt and what I saw from my fellow students. The first sculpture is called “Useless Failure,” and the other is “Don’t Believe the Lie.” Both depict the vision I had of what it was like the last month of fall semester 2021.

I enjoy creating and sharing these sculptures because it allows doors to open and for students to express what they are going through when they can relate to the artwork being made.

In the development of these sculptures, I was constantly stopped by stu-

dents who expressed that they felt the same way as the sculptures and how the sight of them moved them.

That is what art is all about, the unspoken connection that we all have.

We are all struggling, we are all scared, and we are feeling more alone thanks to COVID-19. I am so glad I have art and the fantastic community of artists behind me to motivate and help me cope with our new reality.

Ali Coutu began her academic career as a business major until her fiancé encouraged her to pursue art, which led her to attend Virginia Wesleyan as an art major. She combines her study of business and art in running her own art business which she has plans for expanding.

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Sports

Thursday February 10, 2022 The Marlin Chronicle marlinchronicle.vwu.edu

SportsHead

Emily Uzzle|Marlin Chronicle

BY STEVEN SERRANO

sdserranocruz@vwu.edu Marsha Green|NBC Courtesy Majority of Division II and Division III colleges, including VWU, were part of the 195 votes against the new NCAA Constitution.

DII, DIII colleges express doubts about new NCAA Constitution

BY STEVEN SERRANO

sdserranocruz@vwu.edu For the first time since 1977, the NCAA completed a major revision of its constitution, in which more than 1,000 NCAA members were participants in the vote. Despite the new changes, many schools and representatives were not satisfied with these new reforms to the constitution. Some attributed this constitution release action to political pressure.

President Scott D. Miller and Executive Athletic Director Andrea Hoover-Erbig took part in the convention virtually and they did take part in voting on behalf of the institution, against this constitution.

“We join other institutions in the area like Christopher Newport University and Hampton University that also voted no.

The Centennial Conference, the USA South Conference, The New England small college conference and the New England Men’s and Women’s Athletic conference voted no,” Miller said.

He also added, “Most of the resistance came from the Division III and there just were not enough votes to reject the constitution.”

One of the reforms that the NCAA passed was that now schools have more autonomy to develop their own policies. However, the dissatisfaction from many schools from Division II and Division III has been due to the fact that the revenue sharing policy did not change for any of these divisions.

“The NCAA generated $1.15 billion dollars in revenue in the year 2021 and the NCAA will tell you that this new constitution promotes autonomy for

all three divisions and it is true, but what was not addressed is the revenue sharing. We have had situations having a competitive program, where we have been slighted in travel and overnight stay while participating in regional and national competition because the NCAA has tighter rules on what they spend on Division III,” Miller said.

Of the $1.15 billion dollar revenue, Division III schools, which is the largest conference of the NCAA with 444 schools, received only 3.18%.

“You may say, well okay, the big 133 schools are the ones generating money through basketball and football, but the major item is that they get tax exempt status from the IRS, as a result of Division II and Division III. So, 744 of the 1904 members are in Division II and Division III, and yet these divisions don’t share in the money the way Division I gets it,” Miller said.

He also added, “If we are the largest division conference, why are we getting the smallest share of the money?”

“I think that for an institution like us, that is committed to the student experience, that it would be inappropriate for us to vote in a way that we did not believe would benefit our student athletes,” Miller said. To which Hoover also said, “A lot of this legislation in the association was created to address problems in Division I and they trickle down to the other divisions.”

Aside from the new constitution, there were also nine other items that were voted on. “I think the big ones were that the President’s Council would now have the ability to make changes in an emergency situation, a conference only needing six

members to sponsor a sport to get an automatic qualifier and some others that did not affect VWU directly,” Hoover said.

Chair of the SAAC committee senior Mackenzie Kerns stated that one of the positive changes of this constitution is that this is the first year that there is actually a student voter on the board. “Now, each division has a little bit more autonomy and control to run their division how they want, so that gives Division III a little bit more freedom and is more beneficial for us,” Kerns said.

Even though this new constitution did not address the dilemma of athletes not being paid for playing, it does allow flexibility in the name, image and likeness (NIL) benefits. “Now that it’s okay for them to do that, there is just a reporting structure that has to happen to make sure things are done appropriately,” Hoover said.

“NIL is more of a replacement to that, and it kind of makes up for athletes not having ‘pay for play,’ so the NIL allows them to still make some money,” Kerns said.

However, the majority of this constitution was not favorable for all three divisions and in real situations that have been reported, such as gender inequalities, Division II and Division III did not see a clear solution from the NCAA. “The real situations that affect our students were not adequately addressed, including the substandard treatment of Division III in comparison to Division I,” Miller said.

All these new changes and reforms of the new NCAA constitution will be effective starting Aug. 1.

After some draft picks, a great playoff run and a comeback from one of the most skilled Quarterbacks in the NFL, the Cincinnati Bengals are going to the Super Bowl against the Los Angeles Rams.

In the NFL Draft of 2021, Cincinnati Bengals added Penei Sewell and Joe Burrow’s teammate at LSU, Ja’Marr Chase. Chase was a great addition to the team, reinforcing a good field chemistry between these two friends from LSU and also adding to the team a good playmaker that can help the offensive line.

When these decisions were made, many people did not seem to be convinced of this team. Some even called the Bengals a cheap franchise that does not want to win.

This is very unfortunate for these haters, due to the fact that with the less money spent, they are now in the run for the first title in their entire organization since the creation of this team in 1967.

However, their opponent for this Super Bowl is not an easy opponent. Matthew Stafford, QB for the Los Angeles Rams, is going to demonstrate why he is one of the best QBs in the NFL, as he demonstrated when he defeated Tom Brady and the Buccaneers. Also, despite the slow start of Odell Beckham Jr. with the Rams, as of right now, he seems pretty focused and the last few games, OBJ has been playing very nice.

What I am expecting for this Sunday‘s football game is to see a very good action from start to end. Burrow has been ‘on fire’ in the playoff games and the Bengals are a young team and they have good chances to win it, if they play smart like they did when they defeated Kansas City Chiefs.

Nonetheless, we have a group of experienced players from the Rams and many of them are looking forward to having that first ring, especially OBJ. Despite being once one of the best WR in the league, this is his first Super Bowl appearance.

Three VWU athletes claim back-to-back ODAC honors

BY SHIRELL WASHINGTON

sawashington@vwu.edu

Alysse Scripter|Sports Information Junior Geni Roberts jumping at the CNU Invitational.

Geni Roberts

Alysse Scripter|Sports Information Senior Landry Moffo running at the CNU Invitational.

Alysse Scripter|Sports Information Senior Jaylyn Lane sprinting off the board at the CNU IInvitational.

Senior Landry Moffo, a hurdler for the VWU Track and Field team, received back-toback ODAC Track Athlete of the Week during the weeks of Jan. 10-16 and Jan. 17-23.

The Marlin competed at both the Mondo College Invite on Jan. 15 and the Finn Pincus Invitational where he competed in the 60m hurdles, taking down his own school record twice. At the Mondo College Invite, Moffo ran a time of 8.36 in the hurdles to set a new record and personal best; he finished in the top five for this event. He currently sits first in the ODAC and thirteenth in Division III. Later, at the Finn Pincus Invitational, Moffo went on to break his record again by 0.01 seconds for a time of 8.35, taking first place in the event and holding onto his first place ranking in the ODAC.

Senior Jaylyn Lane, a sprinter and jumper for the Virginia Wesleyan University Track and Field team, was selected twice as the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) Track and Field Athlete of the Week during the weeks of Jan. 10-16 and Jan. 17-23.

Lane and the Marlins competed at the Mondo College Invite at the JDL Fast Track in Winston-Salem, NC. Lane went on to compete in both the 60m dash, triple jump and the 4x400m relay. In the 60m dash, Lane placed third in the preliminary round with a time of 8.16 to put her in fourth place in the ODAC overall. Later, she jumped 11.52m in the triple jump where she is ranked second in the ODAC and eleventh in Division III. The following week was a breakthrough for the Marlin. Lane and teammates competed at the Finn Pincus Invitational on Jan. 22 hosted

by Roanoke College, where Lane improved in the triple jump with a new mark of 11.90m; this is a new ODAC record, previously held by Lane, and she is the first woman in ODAC history to break 39ft in the triple jump indoors.

Landry Moffo

Jaylyn Lane

Junior Geni Roberts, a jumper for the VWU Track and Field team, jumped his way into receiving ODAC Field Athlete of Week twice during the weeks of Jan. 10-16 and Jan. 17-23.

During the first week, Roberts had an outstanding performance in both the long jump and triple jump at the Mondo College Invite. In the long jump, Roberts jumped a distance of 7.09m to win the event and place him seventh in Division III. He then went on to compete in the triple jump where he jumped a mark of 14.14m making that the sixth best jump in Division III. At the Finn Pincus Invitational, the Marlin Jumper broke his own long and triple jump records. In the long jump, Roberts jumped a mark of 7.26m, which moved him to fifth place in Division III as well as fifth place in the triple jump with a mark of 14.62m.

The Marlins return to the track as they travel to the Virginia Beach Oceanfront to compete at the Norfolk State University Kenneth Giles Invitational on Friday, Feb. 11 and Saturday, Feb. 12.

8

Thursday February 10, 2022 The Marlin Chronicle marlinchronicle.vwu.edu

VWU Athletics nabs DelBene as new head Cross Country coach

BY MIKAYLA SZUDERA mmszudera@vwu.edu

Virginia Wesleyan University put a spotlight on the newly hired Head Cross Country and Assistant Track and Field Coach Colby DelBene. He graduated from Central Connecticut State University where he was a member of the CCSU Cross Country/Track and Field team. From CCSU, Delbene holds a degree in Communication and a Master’s in Teaching from Liberty University. DelBene appreciates how welcoming the VWU athletics programs are.

“I am looking forward to joining such a warm and friendly sense of community with each sport supporting each other,” DelBene said.

DelBene has experience coaching diverse levels of competition, having coached for the University of Lynchburg at the Division III level for one year and coming from a six-year stint at Jefferson Forest High School.

DelBene has no issues with committing and investing time into a program and talks about long-term goals for the Cross Country and Track and Field events. “Within the next four years or so, my primary goal is to build a program that can compete in Cross Country and the distance side of Track and Field for ODAC championships,” DelBene said.

DelBene is coming in with an open mind. “I am impressed with the positivity while doing things these athletes haven’t done before and I am excited about the enthusiasm of the team,” DelBene said. His objective as a coach is not to just focus on how they are as athletes but who they are as people.

“My hope is to influence the team’s culture in a positive way such as physical goals of making people faster, but also helping make them better people is really important to me,” DelBene said.

Jason Golub|Courtesy Cross Country runners, Colton Spence (left), Landon Crooks (middle) and Ethan Cravens (right) prepare for their race at the Old Dominion Athletic Conference Championship hosted by Bridewater College on Oct. 10.

DelBene plans on building a family culture for the Cross Country team, increasing ambition within the team while creating a supportive environment. “It starts with the culture and community and from there the performance will follow,” DelBene said.

This season, the Cross Country team will have to rebuild as a community with only a few distance runners remaining. “There is already really good representation of leadership amongst the team with diverse personalities that has everyone bringing something valuable to the program,” DelBene said.

A senior on the Cross Country team, Marranda Hansford, said, “Coach DelBene knows what he is doing from his own experience as a runner and I’m ready to see what he can bring to the table.” Hansford explains that his coaching style is different from the previous coach and “he pushes you and gives exercises for each individual athlete to be working specific things as a runner.”

When asked how DelBene would help the team spirit, Hansford said, “motivation will go up, before every practice he says a quote by a famous runner to give background on the sport and encourage the team.”

He also explained that after Coach DelBene was hired, runners came back to the program hoping for a positive change within the program and trusting that DelBene will bring that. “Even at six-thirty in the morning, people are wide awake and excited to be at practice,” Hansford said, already noticing a change in the team’s practice dynamic.

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“I am excited to see where the new morale DelBene is bringing into the team goes and what else he can teach us,” Hansford said while speaking on the future of the Cross Country program.

Colton Spence, another senior on the Cross Country team, said, “DelBene has been talking to us individually about how we should be focusing on goals, what we should be expecting in the future for the program, his communication is very involved and overall holds a very positive attitude.”

DelBene is moving forward within the program by creating a safe space for the Cross Country athletes to become a team and not just individual athletes. “He wants to be a team, working on coming together as one, going towards the same goal and not just separated by each event,” Spence said.

Alysse Scripter Sports Information Colby DelBene, Head Cross Country Coach/ Assistant Director of Track and Field.

Thursday February 10, 2022 The Marlin Chronicle

THEWEEKENDER

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Valentine’s Day Video Games

Kathleen Vanden Berg|Marlin Chronicle

BY ANNIE PHELPS saphelps@vwu.edu

Valentine’s Day is almost here, and what better way to celebrate than spending time with loved ones? Whether that be friends, family or that special someone, there is nothing like spending time together. One great way is to play video games. For loved ones who are playing in the same room or far apart, here are five games to play this Valentine’s Day. Starting off the list, is the game that won Game of the Year at the 2021 Game Awards, “It Takes Two”. This game is a co-op only, action-adventure game with puzzle and platforming elements. It stars Cody and May, two parents who have decided to divorce, as they magically become dolls after their daughter wishes for them to love each other again. While the plot at first begins as a downer, the story is about the main characters rebuilding their relationship and is full of humor and heart.

Since the game is made for cooperative play, it is accessible for gamers of all skill types, meaning that even if your significant other has never touched a game, they can jump in. There are also minigames scattered throughout, allowing for some friendly competition to arise. “It Takes

‘Scream’ is Hilarious Horror at its Finest Emily Uzzle|Marlin Chronicle

Two” is available for PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One and the Xbox Series consoles.

Next is “Stardew Valley.” This life simulator, similar to the “Harvest Moon” franchise, is a fan favorite indie game. The player starts their own farm and spends days farming, fishing, mining and making friends with the residents of the neighboring town. The game had a massive update on Dec. 21, 2020 which included co-op mode with up to four players.

In this mode, everyone shares a farm and certain decisions in the game need to be made collaboratively.

The“Stardew Valley” multiplayer settings allows for players to marry their favorite residents or another player.

They can also help each other with various tasks to make completing the game easier. “Stardew Valley” is available for PC, Mac, Linux, IOS, Android, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch.

“Animal Crossing New Horizons” took the world by storm at the beginning of the pandemic. Almost two years later, the game is still very popular and a creative outlet for many. Although Valentine’s Day is not one of the in-game holidays, there are ways to get creative and celebrate.

Looking back to lockdown, “New Horizons” was used early on to recreate real life events and activities that were suddenly taken away.

Many players began date nights in game, whether they were long distance or lived together. Date nights can be made as simple or extravagant as the player wants. The game’s museum can act as a date or, thanks to the new cooking mechanic, the players can spend a night in, cooking and eating.

“Mario Party Superstars” is the newest entry in the long running party game series. It takes five boards from the first three “Mario Party” games and remakes them for a new era of gaming. The game works similar to a board game. The players pick their board and characters, then they roll a die to determine turn order.

Everyone takes a turn moving across the board and interacting with it before playing a minigame, the winner of which receives coins that are used to buy stars to determine

the winner. This game is great for friendly competition whether people are playing with their friends or partner.

The board Peach’s Birthday Cake is not based on Valentine’s Day, but it is a good board to celebrate on. “Mario Party Superstars” is available for the Nintendo Switch.

Lastly, “To the Moon” is the most somber one on this list, but it has a lovely story that is heartwarming as well as tear-jerking. The only single player game on the list, it is story based and not a game that requires minimal gameplay elements. “To the Moon” stars two doctors, Eva and Neil, who grant wishes to dying patients by creating artificial memories.

The doctors are helping Johnny Wyles fulfill his wish to go to the moon. In order for their job to be completed, Eva and Neil must enter Johnny’s memories and proceed to his earliest memories to place his dying wish. The two enter his memories, watching his life occur backwards through significant events in his life. “To the Moon” is available for PC, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android and Nintendo Switch.

BY RYAN ABRAHAM

chise is known for. The horror of the film is accomplished through its use of Ghostface, whose hunting of the rest of the cast results in scenes that offer plenty of suspense and violence for viewers.

The film’s comedy comes primarily through its lampooning of pop culture, as the other installments of the franchise have done. Particularly, “Scream” (2022) is making fun of the recent trend of the legacy sequel, such as “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” (2015) and “The Matrix Resurrections” (2021), in which the film brings back fan-favorite characters and features a plot that bears similarity to that of the original film in the franchise.

In this way, “Scream” (2022) is able to have its cake and eat it too, while both being a legacy sequel in its own right and still making fun of the trend. Rather than this coming off as disingenuous, it ends up being one of the most clever parts of the film. The film also features commentary on fan culture in the age of franchise filmmaking, which also results in plenty of clever moments and laughs. Overall, “Scream” (2022) features a talented cast, with plenty of entertaining scares and humor to match.

rsabraham@vwu.edu

“Scream” (2022) is the fifth installment of the “Scream’’ franchise, and is directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett. The film centers on a newcomer to the franchise, Sam Carpenter (Melissa Barrera), who returns to her hometown of Woodsboro after her sister, Tara (Jenna Ortega), is attacked by the Ghostface killer.

Barrera gives a good performance as Sam, but is outshined by the rest of the cast. Specifically, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Mason Gooding, Jenna Ortega, Jack Quaid and Mikey Madison give memorable performances as newcomers Mindy, Chad, Tara, Richie and Amber.

However, the true highlight of the film is seeing Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox and David Arquette reprise their roles as Sidney Prescott, Gale Weathers and Dewey Riley from the previous films in the franchise, and all three actors give strong performances as these returning characters.

Outside of a memorable cast, the film also makes good use of the blending of horror and comedy that the fran-

Kathleen Vanden Berg|Marlin Chronicle

Latitude Leads Climbers To New Heights

Sasha Saxon|Marlin Chronicle Rob Lindsay, a Virginia Wesleyan student, bouldering at the Virginia Beach location.

Latitude Climbing and Fitness|Instagram Virginia Beach location, equipped with numerous routes for top-rope climbing.

BY SASHA SAXON

administration will announce their future third center in Hampton. It will mirror the Virginia Beach location, and hopefully open for business by the end of the year.

Rock climbing appears daunting, but it is not a sport limited to Olympians. The climber is in complete control, with the option to auto-belay or climb unassisted, safely, as they try to navigate the color-coordinated routes. Marisa Beck likes to remind customers that “you only have to go as high as you want” and that the rock-climbing community is welcoming and quick to offer helpful advice.

As challenging mentally as it is physically, climbing is like a puzzle that requires learning techniques and understanding patterns. The process easily disguises the full-body workout. A customer definitely does not have to learn to scale a mountain on their own as Latitude employs friendly staff and promotes group climbs. It’s a fantastic place to bring friends or partners and has even received recognition from MTV for being an excellent spot to meet potential partners.

Rowan Stuart, a freshman at Virginia Wesleyan and an avid climber, had only positives to say about Latitude, “I have been going to Latitude for the past few months on a fairly regular basis. When I first went, I had no idea what I was doing, but the staff were super friendly and helpful

ansaxon@vwu.edu

Eager to fulfill a need in the Hampton Roads area, Marisa Beck, her partner Matt Beck and their business associate Jason McKenzie decided to craft a space for creative problem-solving and full-body physical activity— Latitude Climbing and Fitness.

Their first location, in downtown Norfolk, sprang into existence within six and a half months of the idea’s inception, in 2018. A beautiful, urban historical building houses free climbing—bouldering—routes, a fitness center, a yoga studio, and locker rooms. Soon after, a secondary location was planted in a renovated mall space in Virginia Beach. It offers higher altitudes, top-rope climbing and regulation-height speed walls (like the Olympics), in addition to all the amenities offered at the Norfolk branch.

In an interview with Marisa Beck, she stated that she loves “providing multiple sports under one roof,” all of which complement and build upon one another. Recently, rock climbing has gained immense popularity, both by becoming an Olympic sport and from popular American television shows—this has rapidly grown the community.

Beck revealed that, within the next few weeks, Latitude’s

Sasha Saxon|Marlin Chronicle A climber at the Norfolk location, bouldering. when learning how to climb.”

Having had experience working at the Batten Student Center, specifically with the rock wall, Stuart mentioned that “the variety Latitude offers in comparison is amazing.

They also have bouldering which has been really thrilling—my personal favorite part is falling on the mats after.

If you are looking for a fun place to go to pass the time or hang out with friends, Latitude is the place for you.”

If you want to give rock climbing a chance or engage in physical activity within a welcoming environment, Latitude can provide it all. All equipment for any activity at Latitude can be rented easily and waiver forms for patrons over eighteen (or under eighteen with parental consent) are made accessible as soon as you enter the space. While walk-in customers are expected and frequent, memberships do cut costs and allow for unlimited access to all amenities. If you are a college student, some discounts apply to the membership, as well as free account freezing during breaks. If rock climbing doesn’t intrigue you, all locations of Latitude offer concessions, yoga (Vinyasa flow) sessions, High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) classes and other specific workout courses.

If you’d like to plan your visit, check out @latitudeclimbing on Instagram or search latitudeclimbing.com.

Thursday February 10, 2022 The Marlin Chronicle marlinchronicle.vwu.edu

THEWEEKENDER

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Black-Owned Businesses Thrive in the 757

BY TIFFANY WARREN tawarren@vwu.edu

Pure Lagos

Purely Sunnah

Hummingbird Macarons & Desserts

Tiffany Warren |Marlin Chronicle

Tiffany Warren |Marlin Chronicle

Tiffany Warren |Marlin Chronicle

Pure Lagos, an African curated art gallery and boutique, offers Afropolitan clothing, jewelry and events to learn the culture. There are four locations to visit Pure Lagos’ art galleries in Norfolk: 208 E Main Street in the Selden Market, 251 W Bute Street, the Neon District and 300 Monticello Ave #212 in MacArthur Center.

Sia Alexander, the owner of Pure Lagos and a Hampton Roads native, curates authentic African art, fashion and artifacts of Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal, Kenya and more.

The items are from artists and artisans who they work with directly and their craftsmanship cannot be found anywhere else in the U.S. Some of the other products that are brought to Norfolk from Africa include spices, teas, handmade shea butter from Ghana and Moroccan rugs.

Alexander shares about the inspiration and fruition of creating Pure Lagos in Norfolk. “I wanted to share all that I had been inspired by on the continent with my hometown, and I teamed up with an art gallery in Nigeria. The owner of that gallery was a pioneer in African art expansion [and] exploration, so his vision was very similar to mine,” Alexander said.

Pure Lagos offers more than authentic items by providing herbal healing talks, children’s art workshops, indigenous art lectures, African food cooking classes and all manners of Afropolitan creative expression.

Immerse yourself in African culture at Pure Lagos and support indengious artisans by buying their authentic work.

Follow them @purelagos on Instagram and Facebook or visit www.pure-lagos-african-art-gallery-boutique.

Purely Sunnah, a Black-owned natural beauty business in Virginia Beach, provides handcrafted products to make everyday bathing and skincare routines enjoyable for customers. It is open from Wednesday to Sunday from 12:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. or customers can order products online at www.purelysunnah.com. The price range of Purely Sunnah’s soaps, lotion, hair care items and everyday skincare products are between $3 - $25.

Stacie Headley, the owner of Purely Sunnah, started making natural soaps when her son was diagnosed with eczema and she took matters into her own hands by researching her son’s skin condition. She joined an herbal program and learned how to make skincare products for treating her son’s eczema.

The calming Calendula butter was born and led Headley to learn how to make more skin care products. The product started her journey to create cleaner everyday items for people with skin concerns and boost their self-confidence.

“I just hope that my products help ease you at some point in your life even if it’s just a little like the five-minute shower making you happier or if you have a skin issue that my skincare line can help with your acne or your dry skin or your hyperpigmentation.”

Visit www.purelysunnah.com for more information or follow @purelysunnah on Instagram or Facebook. Treat yourself to a well-deserved spa treatment and skincare routine while supporting a locally Black-owned business by shopping at 1616 Centerville Turnpike #206 in Virginia Beach, VA.

Hummingbird Macarons & Desserts, a Black-owned bakery and dessert caterer located in Norfolk, creates sweet treats for celebrating life’s occasions such as birthdays, anniversaries, reveal parties and graduations. The bakery invites everyone to enjoy their desserts and see that their sweets taste just as good as they look.

Kisha Moore, the owner of Hummingbird Macarons & Desserts, shares about choosing macarons as the main attraction of her business. “It was a labor of love. It was beautiful, and then making macarons is also not something that you’re going to just decide to whip up like a batch of chocolate chip cookies. They’re intricacies and the science behind it is fascinating to me,” Moore said.

It is open from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. on Tuesdays through Saturdays. Customers can contact Hummingbird Macarons & Desserts at dessert@hummingbirdmacarons.com or (757) 917-5152.

Macarons are $2.75 each, or a dozen are $33 and half a dozen is $16.50. Other desserts include tarts, choux puffs and various slices of cakes between $5.75 - $8.25. Coffee and other beverages cost between $2.25 - $10, with the choice of being served by a cup or pot for tea.

All of the desserts have something unique with colors, toppings and style. Celebrate your next special occasion or enjoy the comfort of eating sweets at Hummingbird Macarons & Desserts on 809 Granby Street Norfolk, VA. Visit www.hummingbirdmacarons.com or @ hummingbirdmacarons on Instagram and Facebook for more information.

Google Maps | Courtesy

VB Bites: Cupid Arrives at The Sweet Spot

The Sweet Spot |Facebook Customers can enjoy outdoor seating with their desserts by a cozy fireplace.

BY MIKAYLA MOSCATELLI mamoscatelli@vwu.edu

Wishing for a sweet delicious treat that has many options? Don’t worry, The Sweet Spot is the place to go. The pink marble flooring throughout the store leads right up to the counter with comfortable, pink leather seats and marble tables to sit at while waiting for your order.

Just 13 minutes away from campus, The Sweet Spot offers a variety of different sweet treats with different toppings and fun ways of serving them. Customers can enjoy a fresh, bright and colorful indoor seating and an outdoor seating area decorated with cute pink chairs and flowers.

Their hours are Sunday to Thursday from 1 p.m. to 10 p.m. and 1 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Friday through Saturday. Tuesday through Saturday their busiest hours are from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. and on Sunday the rush is from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Throughout the month of February, in light of Valentine’s Day, The Sweet Spot will have igloos and a special Valentine’s Day themed menu. They will also be open on Feb. 14 from 1 p.m. to 10 p.m., so customers can share some of their favorite sweet treats with their sweethearts.

Igloos open Feb. 9 and accommodate up to six people, making it a great private space for a group. The Sweet Spot has two heated igloos to lounge in that can be reserved for 105 minutes. Guests are welcome to bring their own blanket to stay extra warm. Group parties can split the cost of the $89.99 igloo reservation with their friends and significant others to make it more affordable.

If there is inclement weather, The Sweet Spot will notify customers before or on the day of the igloo reservation. Customers will receive a full refund and are welcome to rebook if the reservation is canceled. The

Sweet Spot strongly encourages customers to arrive 15 minutes early to reduce travel and parking delays.

Alexis Hawk, a member of Spectrum and the club Deep Conversations, visited The Sweet Spot and shared her experience. “I’d say the outdoor seating was a nice touch, which I don’t see in many other candy or ice cream shops often,” said Hawk.

Customers can get many Instagram worthy pictures at this cute spot. The menu has a wide variety of options including explosive milkshakes, bubble waffles, funnel cakes, churros, fruit smoothies, frozen blended coffees and ice cream.

There are dairy free vegan ice cream flavors provided for customers with dietary restrictions including vanilla, cookies and cream, chocolate chunks and lemon sorbet.

It is recommended for first-time visitors to look at the menu before ordering to avoid feeling rushed or overwhelmed with the numerous menu item options.

Bri Covington, a member of Tri Sigma, shared their memorable experience at The Sweet Spot. “I got a milkshake that had a birthday cake milkshake, it had cake, an additional ice cream cone, lollipop and a donut. It was literally the best thing I’ve ever had and you get to keep the mason jar they put it in. It was $10.99, but you get to keep the cup as well,” Covington said.

Ashlee Bobzin, a member of Alpha Sigma Alpha and the golf team, shared about the recruitment event for her sorority at The Sweet Spot. “It was a pretty good experience with good service. I would go back again and I would recommend it to a friend,” Bobzin said.

The Sweet Spot is a cutesy dessert destination known for its unique creations that are priced equally to what is being used

for each item. Explosive milkshakes come with a mason jar that can be taken home and it can be reused to receive a $2 discount for the next explosive milkshake purchased.

Fans of the explosive milkshakes can take advantage of a loyalty card for purchasing ten explosive milkshakes, making the eleventh one free.

Senior Hailey Schumacher, a member of Alpha Sigma Alpha and the Esports team, shares her experience at The Sweet Spot.

“It was a really cute place and I loved the decor. It’s really aesthetic and the prices, though they are high, aren’t as high as other places I’ve been to,” Schumacher said.

The Sweet Spot stands out with its pink decor, assorted toppings in beverages and new combinations never seen before.

Make the next Valentine’s Day date, ladies night or single treat out at The Sweet Spot on 5216 Providence Rd in Virginia Beach.

Visit iamthesweetspot.com or Instagram and Facebook @thesweetspotvb.

The Sweet Spot |Facebook New cakes are coming to The Sweet Spot for customers to enjoy.