October 10, 2019

THURSDAY 10.10.19 || MARLINCHRONICLE.VWU.EDU ||

VIRGINIA WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY

Smithdeal Hall residents evacuated to hotels

BY ALEX POWERS ampowers@vwu.edu

On Sept. 19, the residents of Smithdeal Hall were informed by Virginia Wesleyan University administration that the hall would be vacated temporarily for renovation. Smithdeal is a residence hall in Allen Village, or Village II as it is known informally. In the interim, many students are relocated to a nearby hotel.

The announcement followed the discovery of a structural issue on the roof of Smithdeal. Keith Moore, Vice President of Student Affairs at Virginia Wesleyan, explained the problem that the residence hall was experiencing. He notes that the green roof of Smithdeal became compromised, allowing a leak into a wall of the residence hall. This wall has since been stripped down, and the roof is next to be removed.

“We expedited repair to limit the impact on students, and staging to remove the roof began Oct. 8,” Moore said. “The wall that was damaged was removed last week. Other walls were inspected by a third party and there were no other issues discovered. Virginia Beach officials also visited the space and concurred with the University’s response.”

Miranda Ward, a junior and resident assistant on the second floor of Smithdeal,

shared her insights regarding the incident.

“As an RA, I knew it was a mold and moisture issue. I’d seen it myself. I didn’t know it was a roof complication until that day I met with Sarah and David [in the Residence Life office], but I always knew it was moisture.” Ward confirmed that any infrastructural issues were limited to just parts of Smithdeal Hall. “The first floor was not affected. There’s a concrete slab between the floors protecting downstairs from any issues affecting upstairs.”

Prior to settling into the hotel and administration assessing the hall’s conditions, there was disarray among the Smithdeal residents. “I was being asked so many questions by my residents,” Ward added. “There was a lot of confusion, frustration, and general upset.”

Anna Rogers, a freshman at VWU, also described her experience with the residence situation. Rogers has lived in Smithdeal since arriving to campus, but was met with an abrupt message to relocate. She and her floormates in Smithdeal were informed of the issues discovered on the Smithdeal roof on that Thursday, Sept. 19.

Jean Mahon|Marlin Chronicle Dorm rooms in Allen Village requiring thorough cleaning in light of the news.

SEE SMITHDEAL Pg. 2

Marlins celebrate homecoming weekend

BY KARLEIGH WARREN kawarren1@vwu.edu

Virginia Wesleyan University students and alumni manifested their Marlin Pride at campus this weekend.

Homecoming and Family Weekend welcomed all current and former students to show their school spirit and come together as a community.

Students of Virginia Wesleyan University looked forward to celebrating the school year as they gathered in the Convocation Hall in Batten for the Homecoming Pep Rally at 9 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 30, kicking off the homecoming events for the week. Students came together to show off their talents in one of Virginia Wesleyan’s oldest traditions, Airband, in the Marlin Grille at 9 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 3. Students who love to dance and hang out with their friends while getting dressed up attended the Homecoming Dance in the Boyd Dining Center at 9 p.m. on Friday, Oct 4.

Brendan Ferguson|Marlin Chronicle Freshmen Chelsea Goldrin and Jay Johnson inheriting the homecoming crowns.

Virginia Wesleyan students nominated their classmates for homecoming court.

The nominees for each class were Jayla Cross and Mj Dunn for the senior class, Layne Nooner and Eric Fisher for the junior class, Adela Huezo and Lan Moffo for the sophomore class, and Chelsea Goldrin and Jay Johnson for the Freshmen class. Virginia Wesleyan’s 2019 Homecoming theme was “Hollywood.” Trophies were placed at the center of every table with Hershey Kisses and a red carpet leading to the photobooth.

A variety of students attended the homecoming dance on Friday night. homecoming is a way for students to explore the college atmosphere outside of the classroom. Attending homecoming with friends can make the experience more enjoyable.

SEE HOMECOMING Pg. 4

Timothy Tep represents VWU in Jordan

BY MILES CHRISTIAN mmchristian@vwu.edu

At the beginning of September, sophomore tennis standout Timothy Tep participated in the World Cup of Tennis (Davis Cup) with the Cambodian National Team. Tep, who had an outstanding freshman year at Virginia Wesleyan, earned All-ODAC First Team honors for singles and All-ODAC Second Team honors in doubles.

The Davis Cup, which started in 1900, was originally just a competition between Great Britain and the USA, but has recently turned into the biggest team competition in the sport of tennis. The Davis Cup included 133 countries in 2019.

Out of 133 countries, in their eighth year of participating in the tournament, Cambodia was placed in Group IV, Pool D. In Pool D the other countries included the United Arab Emirates, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan. As a team, Cambodia finished with a 2-2 record, Sports Information|Courtesy an improvement from their 1-3 record in the year before.

SEE TEP Pg. 7

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Flickr |Courtesy

“Friends” celebrates its 25th year anniversary in 2019. Revisit the show starring Rachel, Ross, Joey, Phoebe, Chandler and Monica on Weekender Pg. 9.

Turn to Community pg. 5 for a Mud Games photo gallery.

10/9/2019 12:20:43 PM

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Thursday October 10, 2019 The Marlin Chronicle marlinchronicle.vwu.edu

News

What’s the Smith-deal?

SMITHDEAL

CONTINUED FROM PG. 1 “I had to move my stuff out in like two hours, because I was going away,” she recalled. Rogers is a student athlete, and had a tennis tournament to leave for shortly after getting the news. Rogers was, of course, an exception to the rule. “Everyone else had the whole weekend [to move out].”

Still, Rogers remembered the little information she had about the relocation, before leaving for her tournament.

“Apparently there was mold on our floor, and they just had to come in and fix it.”

This suggestion of mold on campus quarters is not new. The forested region and southern coastal climate create a level of humidity conducive for mold growth.

This issue seemed to culminate last year with the creation of the wesleyanhousing Instagram page.

The page made waves this past spring, including images of apparent structural and health hazards in residential areas. A strong following from the Virginia Wesleyan student body gave the Instagram page further notoriety. However, there had been no new posts from the account since this past April until recently.

Four new posts from the wesleyanhousing page emerged in the weeks since Smithdeal’s evacuation, the first of which coming on Sept. 28. The posts feature images of mold and fungus splotches reportedly seen in Allen Village, per the image captions.

However, Moore addressed such rumors surrounding the incident. “This is a unique situation caused by a failing roof. When students experience concerns associated with humidity, we appreciate their sharing it as soon as they can.” The green roof is indeed unique to Smithdeal, and the membrane above the ceiling - which holds the plants, soil and moisture - is all that is reported to be jeopardized.

Moore emphasized the importance of diligence in dealing with housing problems. “We encourage students to work with us to address it in a way that is beneficial to them. For us to discover things that may be amiss through channels contrary to our process delays our ability to address anything that may be of concern.”

In general, students can expect greater ease and opportunity to address their housing issues. “We want them to contact us,” Moore said. Virginia Wesleyan has been rolling out new channels for mitigating residential concerns. Beyond talking to Resident Assistants, using Marlin Maintenance, and reaching out to the Residence Life office, as Moore noted, students can reach administration even more directly.

“Resident assistants are now using floor rosters and visiting with each resident once a month, affording each student an opportunity to share information,” Moore added. “Village Coordinators are conducting daily walkthroughs, and Facilities Management and Residence Life are working in tandem to visit all common spaces on a prescribed schedule.”

For Smithdeal Hall specifically, the schedule for renovation is less certain. “The roofing company

Allen Village, home to Smithdeal Hall, is seen at night after rainfall. indicated that the new roof should take 20 days, however a firm date has not been given,” Moore said. At the least, construction has kicked off, with teams beginning to resolve the green roof issue as of Oct. 8.

Now, students and administration alike look ahead to seeing the issue resolved.

Rogers noted that while relocation to both the Comfort Inn and later a triple suite in Allen Village has been “inconvenient,” she is excited to return to a refurbished Smithdeal. “It is actually quite a good location,” Rogers said.

Similarly, adjusting to the changes that come with living in the hotel has proven difficult for many, and Ward is hopeful for the renovations to be solved soon. “I am looking forward to returning to Smithdeal Hall after renovations. I like living there on campus.”

Meanwhile, Moore summarized his thoughts on addressing housing complications. “We appreciate the opportunity to be active contributors to students’ comfort and satisfaction.” Regarding Smithdeal Hall in particular, Moore added his vision for an expedient resolution. “We would love for our students to be back on their floor by semester’s end.”

Layne Nooner|Marlin Chronicle

Jean Mahon|Marlin Chronicle Discoloration is visible behind a wall in Allen Village.

Greener and cleaner Virginia Wesleyan’s environmentalist and sustainability efforts bring first-ever Climate Change Symposium to campus.

BY MARKAYSHA BRYANT mrbryant@vwu.edu

The Gunn Group, an organization focused on energy, water, national security and climate issues, will host a half-day conference at Virginia Wesleyan University to educate students about the ramifications of climate change on Friday, Nov. 8.

Senior Patrick Berard Jr., who is majoring in Earth and Environmental Science, is an intern at The Gunn Group.

He advocated to have this conference on campus.

“I was appreciative and elated when President Scott D. Miller granted us permission to host and organize the firstever Climate Change Symposium on campus,” Berard said. Climate change is a world-wide phenomenon that has been in discussion for years.

Locally, climate change has affected sea-level rise due to thermal expansion, the warming of the ocean due to warmer temperatures.

“As inhabitants of the Earth, we should be good stewards and take care of the Earth, now and for generations to come, our generation has the power to unite and address climate change by taking action. This is why we chose to name the event ‘Generations Uniting to Address Climate Change,’” Berard said.

Berard expressed his passion for raising awareness of climate change and its consequences.

“I actually run a blog for The Gunn Group called ‘Securing a Sustainable Planet,’ and on the blog we discuss issues such as clean water, air, energy and most of all, climate change,” Berard said.

The conference will feature numerous lectures and a panel of students and community members with an expertise in climate change.

Some of the panel speakers include Ann C. Phillips, Special Assistant to the Governor of Virginia for Coastal Adaptation and Protection, David Architzel, Chairman Maritime Industrial Base Ecosystem Hampton Roads and VWU junior Ashley Roehrman, President of Marlins Go Green and a student representative on the Virginia

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Patrick Berard|Courtesy Earth and Environmental Science major Patrick Berard gives a presentation on sustainablity efforts.

Wesleyan University Environmental Sustainability Council.

“It is exciting to work with so many people who are passionate about environmentalism and people who are also eager to make change… I’m honored and grateful to participate in the panel and I’m hoping to be able to relate to the way that other students feel about the topic. I think that it is important to have diversity in the environmentalism

movement because climate change effects everyone, so it must inclusive to an all genders, races, and ethnicities” Roehrman said.

Throughout the duration of the symposium, there will be a Green Career Fair, to give students the opportunity to find internships and volunteer opportunities that will allow students to be active and take action in the Climate Change epidemic.

10/9/2019 12:25:42 PM

News

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Thursday October 10, 2019 The Marlin Chronicle marlinchronicle.vwu.edu

No vape zone Recent conversation about a crackdown on vaping and electronic cigarette products could spell big changes to this new trend.

BY CONNOR MERK ccmerk@vwu.edu

On Sept. 11, 2019 President Trump spoke from the Oval Office specifically about the issue of vaping. This was shot to the forefront of the President’s agenda because Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar reported almost one-third of high schoolers have used electronic cigarettes in the past 30 days in 2019. This is up from 20.8 percent the year before.

Trump’s statement comes as his administration announced it would ban the sale of flavored vaping liquid, which companies have been accused of marketing to children.

The move to ban flavored e-cigarettes comes as six people have died nationwide and hundreds of others have fallen ill with mysterious lung diseases from vaping. Virginia has officially been added to the list of states where individuals have died as a result of e-cigarette usage.

According to the Richmond Times-Dispatch, the first death related to vaping has been confirmed by the Virginia Department of Health. A news release from the Health Department states that the individual lived in Southwest Virginia. Under such an FDA ban, companies that want to offer flavored e-cigarette options would have to gain federal approval before they’re allowed to sell the products.

E-cigarettes come in many shapes and sizes, with most having a battery, a heating element and a place to hold a liquid. Some e-cigarettes look like regular cigarettes, cigars or pipes. Some look like USB flash drives, pens or other everyday items. These e-cigarettes produce an aerosol by heating a liquid that usually contains nicotine flavorings and other chemicals. Users inhale the aerosol into their lungs, and bystanders can also breathe in the aerosol. These devices can also be used to deliver marijuana and other drugs.

Freshman Logan Woolcock said the biggest risk associated with vaping is that we don’t know the exact dangers. “The fact that it is a new phenomenon, and we can’t look at the long term effects because their hasn’t been a long term case yet,” Woolcock said.

“We can’t really understand how it’s going to have an effect on our lives until this first generation is through it and we can examine that.”

Woolcock would support regulation on vaping devices. “I do absolutely think it should be regulated. The question is at what age. I am comfortable with 18, I also don’t have a problem with 21,” Woolcock said. “I think that somebody should understand the gravity of what they could be doing to their body before they make that decision. I don’t think you can do that before you’re an adult.”

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Virginia Wesleyan University prohibits smoking, including e-cigarettes, and the use of smokeless tobacco inside all buildings on campus to include classrooms and administrative buildings, residential facilities, dining areas, athletic facilities, and University-owned vehicles. Smoking is prohibited within 25 feet of the outside of any building to prevent nonsmokers from having to move through the vapors. Smoking should be done in areas that prevent smoke and e-cigarette vapors from entering through entrances, windows, ventilation systems, or other means.

“

Virginia Wesleyan University Tobacco Use Policy

Alex Powers|Marlin Chronicle The CDC has several warnings regarding e-cigarettes. “Most e-cigarettes contain nicotine—the addictive drug in regular cigarettes, cigars, and other tobacco products.

Nicotine can harm the developing adolescent brain. The brain keeps developing until about age 25. Using nicotine in adolescence can harm the parts of the brain that control attention, learning, mood and impulse control. Each time a new memory is created or a new skill is learned, stronger connections – or synapses – are built between brain cells.

Young people’s brains build synapses faster than adult brains. Nicotine changes the way these synapses are formed,” the CDC website stated.

Freshman Lauren Faulkner knows people who vape, including people on campus, in Virginia Beach and back home. “I would say it is a common occurrence among young people,” Faulkner said. “Young people tend to vape more than older people and like to view it as a whole different thing than cigarettes.”

Despite knowing the dangers, Faulkner would not support a ban on vaping. “Just like cigarettes, it is a choice to vape. If a ban should occur, people will still find a way to vape, just as addicts do,” Faulkner said. “Honestly, I do not think a ban would change much about younger people from vaping, but instead make it an activity that many will want to do like underage drinking.”

Professor of Political Science Dr. William Gibson said that this is an issue that President Trump could easily support but cautions that an outright ban of these devices could politically backfire. “Now taking the position of we are just going to outlaw vaping, that’s different because there are a lot of vapers out there that support the president and there are a lot of tobacco companies out there ready to spend in elections,” Gibson said.

“I think this is a popular position to take and that is never lost on a politician.”

In regards to the process of a law or regulation that involves vaping, there are several avenues that can be taken. According to Gibson, a process could entail Congress or the FDA. “If Congress passes a law about vaping, and writes into the law that there are no flavored e-cigarettes, and you have to be 18, and the president signs it, that’s it, the FDA is out of the picture. That is statutory law,” Gibson said. “What Congress generally does is write some general legislation, [such as] ‘They would like to see e-cigarettes regulated and made less dangerous.’ Then that would go to the FDA to write the regulations.”

Gibson does not believe Congress will write a specific law outlining regulations about vaping. “They presently have bigger fish to fry,” he said.

6-year old put in time-out The arrests of two 6-year-olds at school highlights an important conversation about children’s growth and discipline.

BY MARKAYSHA BRYANT mrbryant@vwu.edu

School resource officer Dennis Turner, was fired after arresting two six-year-old children on Thursday, Sept. 19, according to the Washington Post. The incidents took place at the Lucious & Emma Nixon Academy, in Orlando, FL. Kaia Rolle, who suffers from behavioral issues, was one of the students who was involved. Rolle was handcuffed, arrested and fingerprinted for a mugshot as a result of a temper tantrum she had in class.

According to Police Chief Orlando Rolón, Turner did not follow the department’s policy requiring approval for any arrest of a minor younger than twelve, per reports from the Washington Post.

While speaking to Turner, Kaia’s grandmother, Meralyn Kirkland, is reported as stating that Kaia had a medical condition that they were working on getting resolved. Kirkland confirmed that Kaia suffered from sleep apnea and that was the root cause of the tantrum.

“Many children in schools with behavior problems go undiagnosed,” Dr. Howard Taras, a Professor at the University of California, said in an interview with ABC NEWS. Per ABC NEWS, Dr. Sejal Parekh indicated that children who come from low socio-economic backgrounds lack the resources to help with mental, behavioral and developmental disorders.

“On behalf of myself and the entire Orlando Police Department, I apologize to the children involved and their families … I can only imagine how traumatic this was for everyone involved,” Rolón said.

“If a child is having a behavioral problem in school, we have to understand why. Where is the problem coming from? We can’t just react to the behavior,” said Dr. Yi Hui Liu, Head of Developmental-Behavior Pediatrics at the University of California, in an ABC NEWS report.

GOT NEWS? If you have a passion to write or a story to be told, let us know!

Email our News Editor at ampowers@vwu.edu or Message us on Twitter @MarlinChronicle

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10/9/2019 12:33:37 PM

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Community

Thursday October 10, 2019 The Marlin Chronicle marlinchronicle.vwu.edu

The

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

Brendan Ferguson|Marlin Chronicle From left to right: VP of Student Affairs Keith Moore, Layne Nooner, MJ Dunn, Jayla Cross, Chelsea Goldrin, Jay Johnson, Landry Moffo, Adela Huezo, Eric Fisher, President Scott Miller.

HOMECOMING CONTINUED FROM PG 1 Sierra Coleman, a junior at Virginia Wesleyan University, stated that this year’s homecoming was better than her high school homecoming due to the amount of people that attended and wanted to dance. “My whole basketball team went. There were even alumni there, because it was alumni weekend.” Current and former students of Virginia Wesleyan came together on the dance floor to enjoy the carefree atmosphere.

Homecoming Court member Chelsea Goldrin, a freshman at Virginia Wesleyan, was accompanied on the court by her best friend, Jay Johnson. Goldrin’s expectations of dancing, good music and students having a good time at homecoming were met this year.

“My favorite part was the music and seeing everyone come together and just having fun,” Goldrin said.

Although many students attended the dance, not many students were aware of the nominees or the events going on throughout the week.

Goldrin said, “Next year there needs to be more advertising for homecoming. I feel as if it was announced once.” Goldrin says that many students were unsure of where to vote.

In order to vote for the homecoming court, students had to physically vote in the Student Activities office rather than in previous years when voting was done online. This year’s homecoming involved good music, dancing and an inclusive environment where students could be with their friends and get to know

Brendan Ferguson|Marlin Chronicle Previous homecoming king Audwin Harris crowning the new king Jay Johnson.

each other.

Family Weekend at Virginia Wesleyan University encouraged current and former students to come together and enjoy the Marlin atmosphere on campus. Field hockey, women’s soccer and men’s soccer all competed at home on Saturday, Oct. 5. Women’s soccer routed Hollins to a 6-1 victory. With a late goal from Scott Signorelli, men’s soccer was able to pull out a victory against Randolph College.

Field hockey lost a close one to Bridgewater College. Volleyball went on the road to

Marymount to split a two-game set. They lost the first matchup to Marymount and then won against DeSales.

Alumni and current spring sports athletes competed against each other in the alumni games. Baseball, softball and men’s and women’s lacrosse went head-to-head against former athletes in order to celebrate the players that came before them. Alumni games brought these athletes together to exemplify their Marlin pride.

Another event that took place was the Homecoming FinFest, an annual event that involved entertainment, food and good times.

FinFest took place on Marlin Way across from Birdsong Field on Saturday, Oct. 5 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Students were able to use their meal plan swipes to enjoy the Dining Services food tent from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Devil Dog Pride food truck was also available. FinFest included events such as cornhole, a chili cook off and entertainment by Astro DJ. Stephen Riegler, the Coordinator of Advancement Events at Virginia Wesleyan University, stated that “FinFest is all about bringing everyone together.”

Homecoming weekend at Virginia Wesleyan University creates an environment where students and alumni can come together and support their school. Homecoming gets people involved and allows them to express their Marlin pride.

Students impeded by Internet outages

BY DALTON POWERS dmpowers@vwu.edu

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

Staff meetings are held every Tuesday at 5:40 p.m. in Batten 217. Signed submissions are welcome, but subject to the discretion of the editor. Letters are not edited for content, but may be edited for length and mechanics. The views and opinions expressed in this newspaper may not necessarily reflect the views of the entire staff of The Marlin Chronicle or Virginia Wesleyan University.

The Marlin Chronicle Virginia Wesleyan University 5817 Wesleyan Drive Virginia Beach, VA 23455 757.455.3311

“As a former collegiate student newspaper editor, professional journalist and long-time advisor for the Society of Collegiate Journalists, I understand the role and value of student media at a liberal arts institution.

Virginia Wesleyan University proudly supports the editorial independence and press freedom of student-edited publications. We believe that student editors have the authority to make all content decisions and consequently, assume full responsibility for decisions they make.”

--Scott D. Miller, Ph.D President

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Since the time that students arrived on campus at Virginia Wesleyan University, there have been issues with network connectivity.

In our digital world, much of a modern college student’s education takes place online.

Computers and network connectivity are the lifeblood of our knowledge stream. Reliable Internet is essential for many students to be able to do things like read their textbooks, write papers and even to complete and submit homework assignments. As the Internet on campus has not been reliable, and there are strict deadlines for homework and other assignments, many students have been put in quite the predicament. Among these disadvantaged students was sophomore Meghan Pease, a Chemistry and Psychology double major. She was left hanging when the campus Internet was not operational during peak homework hours.

“I have a lot of homework. I am in several very challenging courses that are important for my degree, and the homework, at times, seems impossible to complete on time with the Internet working,” Pease said. Another student, Caroline Tryfiates, was put in a similar situation. “Nine times out of ten, when I’d go to do my physics homework, the Internet would be down and I’d have to reconnect and sometimes it still didn’t work at all,” Tryfiates said.

Students indicated that professors were generally very inflexible. “Professors didn’t change any homework deadlines … even when the professors knew about the issues, we were left responsible and they just were like ‘Oh, that’s weird’ or whatever like they thought it was a personal problem,” Pease said.

Students expressed anger and frustration that they were held responsible for the fact that the campus Internet network, a rather basic utility these days, was not working. Students were left to their own devices for completing assignments. They were left to return to their families’ homes to use their WiFi, or to go to a Starbucks or a similar place where they could use public WiFi. Throughout time, students were told that the network was being improved.

Bearing this in mind, the total outages that occurred were planned in advance. Because they were planned, the timing of these events was the cause of dumbfoundedness by junior Max Peters, a Chemistry and Biology major.

Layne Nooner|Marlin Chronicle School network outages disadvantage students.

Peters and Tryfiates agreed that the outages were extremely ill-timed. They felt that the outages were scheduled during peak times for network usage to complete homework, and that the outages should have been scheduled overnight or in the early morning hours.

But again, students were being promised improvements to the connection that they had before all of these outage issues occurred. To find out some more about the situation, Dr. Keith Moore, Vice President of Student Affairs provided insight on the topic, as he was the liaison between the university and the Internet provider during the transition. Moore said that the campus Internet outage issues were caused because we needed “access points that could support three times the internet speed, because right now we could get three times the Internet speed, but without an access point that could manage it, it might as well not even be three

times the speed.”

Moore also explained that the access points which were replaced are the physical devices that can be seen around campus. They are the small, rectangular devices on the walls and ceilings in each building to allow students and faculty to access the network from their phones, laptops and other devices. He said “we needed to upgrade the access points [around campus] to deliver the faster speeds once we flip the switch … so this is all in preparation for what’s going to be a real improvement in delivery, and I’m kind of excited about it.”

Moore also shared that the Internet upgrades were replacing cable access on campus. Moore said, “We looked at cable, and the dwindling use of cable and the dissatisfaction with cable, and so far any time I’ve said to the students that ‘we’re not going to have cable, we’re going to have three times [the] internet speed, you may stream at your leisure,’ I have gotten applause, I have gotten thank yous, I have gotten overwhelmingly a very warm reception.”

In terms of the issue happening again in the future, Moore shared that the new access points contain software which performs rolling updates. “With these new access points, and the system they will be on, one access point will go down, upgrade itself, other access points will cover that area, and they’ll just keep doing it until they’re all done.”

With these upgraded forms of access points, which can perform system updates without shutting network access down, Virginia Wesleyan students and staff should expect far fewer outages as well as three times the network speed in the future.

10/9/2019 12:36:38 PM

Thursday, October 10, 2019

The Marlin Chronicle | marlinchronicle.vwu.edu

Mud, sweat & tears

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The 2019 Mud Games were held on Sept. 27 behind Rose Hall in Bray Village. This is an annual event where students, clubs, Greek life organizations and some faculty participate in the messy mud pit. Teams competed in many timed challenges that involved spinning, running and sliding through the slippery mud. The winner of Mud Games was team Chi Beta Psi. All photos by Layne Nooner|Marlin Chronicle

Writing studio debuts with ice cream

On Sept. 19, the Learning Center held the grand opening of the Writing and Speaking Studio with an ice cream sundae social. The studio is located in the Learning Center in room 223. It features a conference space for students seeking writing consultations with professional writers. The main focuses of this studio are the production and procedure of writing and oral communication and to inspire collaboration, practice and editing of written assignments and speeches.

All photos by Loren Marquez and Lauren Nelms |Courtesy

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! r a l o h c S l Be a Globa

DATE: Oct. 23 TIME: 4:45P—7:00P LOCATION: BOYD 6Ads.indd 1

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The Marlin Chronicle | marlinchronicle.vwu.edu

Thursday, October 10, 2019

Tep

AT A GLANCE

CONTINUED FROM PG. 1 Tep played primarily doubles, building lots of chemistry with the team. Tep helped them achieve a 2-2 record with a 2-2 record of his own. Although he lost his lone singles game, he bounced back and went 2-1 in doubles. The singles game was against a Saudia Arabian native who plays at UVA. Tep explained that it was a very hard-fought match, but the ball didn’t roll his way.

Coach Martin Perry was not surprised by the announcement of Tep playing in the Davis Cup because he has shown that he is a great player and is very capable of playing on that big of a stage.

Tep was the one who was surprised about the announcement when it was brought to him during the spring. He was not expecting to play this year, but he was very excited and happy to play with the Cambodian National Team. Tep’s father, the captain of the team, was the one that announced the big news to him.

By being on the national team with BETHANY HARVEY|Marlin Chronicle players that are older and more experienced, Timothy Tep earned All-ODAC First Team honors in singles as a freshman.

Tep explained that he learned many things on how to play smarter, more efficient and stronger. “My favorite part was being with the team, I always wanted to travel, practice and spend time with the team” Tep said.

Perry also explained that Tep playing in the Davis Cup was great for the program and essentially motivated all of his teammates to work even harder. “It was great for our program… it definitely made the guys want to work harder seeing him get professional training throughout the whole event,” Perry said.

Tep isn’t just a regular tennis player; he has a huge skillset and has an array of weapons in his bag. Coach Perry explained that the way he competes and his professionalism is what separates him from the average player.

Tep said that he really enjoyed his time with the team and playing in the Davis Cup. “Although I missed three weeks of school, I hope to be able to participate BETHANY HARVEY|Marlin Chronicle again and come back even stronger,” Tep Tep serving during practice. said.

Softball to host ‘First Pitch Dinner’

ERIN HIGHSMITH|Marlin Chronicle The softball team huddling and talking strategy for a game. The team won the national championship in 2017 and 2018.

BY JORDAN WILSON jmwilson@vwu.edu

On Saturday, Dec. 14 the Virginia Wesleyan University softball team will be hosting the “First Pitch Dinner” at the Holiday Inn Virginia Beach in Norfolk, Va. This is the first time in Virginia Wesleyan Softball history that a ‘First Pitch Dinner’ will take place. The entire ‘First Pitch Dinner’ program plans to go on from 5:30pm until 8:30pm.

This dinner will have different types of events and even special guests. The first event, which starts at 5:30, will be the MVP social hour. The MVP social hour is a smaller setting for donors, sponsors of the event or people that bought the ticket to get a little more access to special guest Patrick Murphy. To comply with NCAA recruiting restrictions, the MVP social hour will only be for adults because Murphy isn't allowed to speak to prospective student-athletes.

Then at 6:30 the actual dinner and silent auction begins. Virginia Wesleyan head softball coach Brandon Elliott says “we’re not sure yet on what we are going to auction but we anticipate on hotel stays, memoriables, autographs and things more softball/baseball related.”

There are two special guests: Patrick Murphy and Bob Groves. Murphy is a Hall-of-Famer for the National Fastpitch Coaches Association and the head coach for the Alabama University softball team. The second guest is Bob Groves, 7Sports.indd 1

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a business consultant, leadership coach and speaker. Although those are two big guests, the audience will also hear from Brandon Elliott, the head coach for the Virginia Wesleyan Softball team. Elliott, has helped the team win two back-to-back national championships in 2017 and 2018.

The prices for these tickets are pricey, starting at, $75 dollars for a general admission ticket, $700 dollars for a general admission table of 10, and $50 dollars for an MVP social hour ticket.

There are chances for companies and people to be sponsored by the ‘First Pitch Dinner’ program. There are five different types of sponsorships available, all having different prices for certain exclusives.

From cheapest to most expensive, the sponsors are general event sponsors, table sponsor, MVP table sponsor, social hour sponsor and first pitch dinner sponsor.

These sponsors’ price ranges vary from $500 dollars to $2500 dollars.

Elliott said the ‘First Pitch Dinner’ could be an exceptional fundraiser for our program and to bring somebody in like Patrick Murphy, who is a big-time name in NCAA softball, is huge for our local community.” Elliott also plans to hold a camp before the ‘First Pitch Dinner’ so they can attract a lot more talented individuals because there is a lot more talent at a camp when you have a coach like Patrick Murphy there.

Elliott said, “we don't have a financial goal, but at the moment we can only have a 110 people show up. So we would like to get 100 people there to support the event and expand from there and hopefully make this an annual thing, so that we can cut down on some of our smaller fundraisers so we can focus more on the big ones.” He also said, “being able to get people around our athletes and our program, is huge for our program because it allows the Virginia Wesleyan softball brand to get their name out their a little bit more.” Another thing that this ‘First Pitch Dinner’ will help the Virginia Wesleyan Softball team do is help the expense for a trip to Hawaii for spring break in 2020.

Junior outfielder Jessica Goldyn said, “The team is super excited to hear the Alabama head coach speak and the team loves any opportunity where they can dress up together. Also, our families get to come, so I know it'll make a lot of players happy.” Junior infielder Juila Sinnett said, “We’re able to connect with our community through the sport that we love.

We want to be able to share the passion we have for the game with the people at the dinner and show them how much we care.”

W. Vollyball October 12 vs. Ferrum* 11:00 A.M. October 16 vs. Bridgewater* 6:30 P.M. October 19 vs. Wash. & Lee* 11:00 A.M. vs. Hollins* 3:30 P.M. October 23 @ Lynchburg* 7:00 P.M. W. Soccer October 12 vs. Emory & Henry* 1:00 P.M. October 23 @ Shenandoah* 7:00 P.M. October 26 @ Ferrum* 5:00 P.M. November 2 @ Lynchburg* 1:00 P.M. M. Soccer October 12 @ Ferrum* 6:00 P.M. October 15 @ Shenandoah* 5:00 P.M. October 19 vs. Wash. & Lee* 7:00 P.M. Field Hockey October 11 @ Ferrum* 7:00 P.M. October 16 @ Lynchburg* 1:00 P.M. October 19 vs. Wash. & Lee* 1:00 P.M. M. Swimming October 12 ODAC Relays @Lexington, Va. 12:00 P.M. W. Swimming October 12 ODAC Relays @Lexington, Va. 12:00 P.M.

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Thursday October 10, 2019 The Marlin Chronicle marlinchronicle.vwu.edu

Men’s soccer notches consecutive 5-goal wins

BY MEGAN SHERMAN mrsherman@vwu.edu

The men’s soccer team defeated Methodist University 5-0 on Sept. 22, which is the most goals the team has scored in a game since they defeated Methodist on Sept. 7, 2016. The high scoring streak did not stop there as the Marlins turned around and captured another 5-0 victory over Emory and Henry on Sept. 28.

“It’s really a mentality. Once the team saw what we’re capable of…we just had to execute the game plan the coach gave us and just really have fun,” senior Devin Wallace said. Wallace logged a goal in the first game against Methodist and then another against Emory and Henry.

In the home game against Methodist, sophomore Scott Signorelli got the scoring started as he recorded the first two goals for the Marlins. The first came at the 7’ mark and the second just five minutes later at 12:29.

“They came pretty quick one after another, but we had a good week in practice leading up to the game, so that was a big confidence booster for me personally,” Signorelli said.

The third goal of the game also came in the first half as Wallace scored off of an assist from junior Kevin Prophet. Senior Will Augsberger scored the fourth goal off of a penalty kick and freshman Andrew Glass ended the game with a fifth goal at the 89’. While the offence was hot, the defense was also effective Jamie Hooper|Marlin Chronicle as sophomore goalkeeper Griffin Potter earned a shutoff Senior Will Augsberger pursuing the ball during a 1-0 win against Randolph. off of a two-save performance.

After such an explosive performance at home, the Marlins took the road and faced Emory and Henry away half. Freshman Jaron Berry netted the third, followed by In their back-to-back five goal performances, the men’s on Sept. 22. Signorelli and Wallace both earned a goal in sophomore Allen Wilcox and then just a minute later came soccer team has proved that they have multiple options for this contest as well. scoring as seven different players accounted for a goal.

“The first game we started off really strong and that the final goal from junior Gabe Peredo.

Once again, Potter earned the shut-out and logged four The Marlins travel to Ferrum College on Oct. 12 for also led us to another 5-0 win in the second win, so going back-to-back like that definitely helps us to continue that saves on the game. This win over Emory and Henry earned their next game of the season. momentum and keep going forward for the rest of the the team their first Old Dominion Athletic Conference win of the season. They are now 2-0 in the conference with season,” Signorelli said.

The next three goals of the game came in the second another win over Randolph by a score of 1-0.

Brendan Ferguson | Marlin Chronicle

Women’s soccer plays five straight overtime games

BY AUSTIN EDMONDS acedmonds@vwu.edu

Starting Sept. 3, 2019, the Virginia Wesleyan women’s soccer team began an unparalleled streak. The team played in five straight overtime contests. The first of the five games came against long-time rival Christopher Newport University.

The Marlins would ultimately fall to the nationally fourth-ranked Captains in double overtime by a score of one to nil. The Marlin’s women’s soccer team would fall to 2-1 on the season. This was a defensive battle, tallying just 12 shots on goal throughout the entire with 105 minutes of the match. Goalie Tristen Roberts clutched out a pair of saves in the final minutes of regulation. After a scoreless first overtime period, the Captains would score the game-winner with just 4:41 left on the clock. Roberts would wind up saving six shots for the Marlins.

The Marlins faced off against Dickinson College on Sept. 7, on the campus of Christopher Newport University. The game saw just 14 shots total between the two teams. The Red Devils of Dickinson College scored at the 40 minute mark to give them the lead going into halftime.

Abby Peterson was able to tie this one up with a goal in minute 62, assisted

by Emily Wright. Both teams remained scoreless through both overtime periods and this contest ended in a 1-1 draw. The Marlins moved to 2-1-1 on the season.

The Marlins took on the Sea Gulls of Salisbury University on Sept. 11 and this one was a true tale of two halves.

Sailsbury was in control early as the Sea Gulls attempted 9 shots to the Marlins 3, scoring the only goal of the first half Wesleyan would come out in the second half very much alive in the second half firing off 11 shots. Camryn Terry scored the lone goal for the Marlins in the minute

26. Neither team would find the net again and the game would end in a 1-1 draw.

The Marlins would move to 2-1-2 on the season.

In her second-ever game with the Marlins, freshman Gabrielle Lindo was the Marlins’ hero. The Marlins found themselves in yet another double-overtime game on Sept. 14, 2019 with time winding down. However, Lindo would not be denied on her quest to end this game as she scored the winning goal with just 66 seconds remaining in the second overtime period. The first Marlin goal came off the leg of Kennedi Anders in minute 72.

The Marlins improved on the season to a

record of 3-1-2.

The Marlins took on St. Mary’s College of Maryland on Sept. 18. Tied 2-2 at the end of regulation the Marlins found themselves in their fifth consecutive overtime game. Halfway through the 10 minute overtime period, the Marlins dug deep as Abby Peterson passed to Reina Araujo who them found a way to get the ball to Carleigh Van Reenan who would find the net for the Marlins.

The Marlins improved to 4-1-2 on the season. When asked what the mentality has been for the team through this long stretch, junior Emily Wright said, “We know that were getting tougher both

Sophomore Carleigh Van Reenen and junior Maddie Koch fight for the ball.

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mentally and physically and we know we’ll come out of it a better team.” Junior Maddie Koch said, “I think chemistry wise it has definitely tested our patience.

It required us to continue to stay locked in, since double OT consistently can be tedious not only to us physically but mentally. It requires us to dig deep and come together as a team. I have been surprised with the amount of people that have stepped up this season. After losing our entire back line to graduation, I believe that is something to be undeniably proud of.”

Jamie Hooper|Marlin Chronicle

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October 10, 2019

THEWEEKENDER

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IT AIN’T OVER ‘TIL THE RAT LADY SINGS

Alex Powers | Marlin Chronicle

BY MAKIAH ELLIS mellis@vwu.edu

Daniel Hernandez, also known as Tekashi 6ix9ine, is a six-time platinum-selling American rapper from Bushwick, New York. Hernandez is 23-years-old and is a father to his one-year-old daughter, Saraiyah Hernandez.

In 2017, things took off for 6ix9ine due to his fans connecting with his music and his outgoing personality on his social media platforms. Making songs with many famous artists such as Tory Lanez, Nicki Minaj and A Boogie took his career from one level to the next. Fans describe him as “ crazy “ due to multiple videos saying whatever comes to his mind. Hernandez is well-known for having a non-humble personality, a reckless mouth and for putting out aggressive music. He was also known for flashing his big chain that reads “69” in big expensive diamonds around his neck.

Back in October of 2018, 6ix9ine was sentenced to four years of probation, and is now in jail, sentenced to 15 years on various counts. Since was in a gang called “Nine Trey Gangsta Bloods,” he was arrested due to gang- related activity and may be released into witness protection if he is ever released due to his cooperation with the federal government and testifying against the people in his gang.

Hernandez has a history of getting himself out of jailrelated situations.

He was able to avoid jail time last year due to being registered as a sex offender for pleading guilty to the use of a child in a sexual performance in 2015. He was then

placed on probation for four years before getting arrested.

6ix9ine became a part of the gang “Nine Trey Gangsta Bloods” before his music career. He made it a priority to yell out “Treyway” in every songs so it wasn’t difficult for authorities to know he was in this gang.

“When I was 16-years-old I used to hang out with a lot of bloods, they used to say “Yo you really get it poppin’, you should turn blood.” And I did,”” 6ix9ine said.

After his father was murdered in 2009, he began selling marijuana to help his mother pay bills. After his career took off, he was removed from the brutal gang by his former manager Kifano Jordan.

6ix9ine was constantly in drama with other celebrities.

He taunted YG on Instagram calling him a fake blood, and also said his hit with Nicki Minaj “Fefe” was way better than YG’s song ft Nicki Minaj, “Big Bank” His cocky personality drew a lot of tension towards his social media and the things he would post on daily. During an interview with “The Breakfast Club,” he went on about how he was the best artist in New York out right now and repeatedly compared himself to Cardi B. “If you ask anyone right now who’s the best artist in New York, I bet you they’d say it’s me” 6ix9ine said. The interviewers of “The Breakfast Club” were shocked by his statement. Rather than supporting another artist, he only made things about himself.

6ix9ine’s recent court trials took place in Manhattan at the Manhattan’s Thurgood Marshall Courthouse and resulted in him pleading guilty and cooperating with the federal government. He is now considered the government’s star witness. By cooperating, he doesn’t believe he’s snitching due to the fact that he fired everyone on his management team before he was even arrested.

After his career took off, he was removed from the brutal gang by his former manager Kifano “Shotti” Jordan.

6ix9ine began to draw too much attention to the Nine Trey Gang. His former gang affiliates were found guilty of kidnapping him.6ix9ine fired his entire team, including his manager Shotti, booking agent and publicist. He also canceled his American tour. 6ix9ine appeared again on the “The Breakfast Club” to explain why he fired his team saying he “can’t trust nobody” and that the shooting on the set of music video with Nicki Minaj and Kanye West was the final straw. He believed that what happened was definitely an inside job from his “team”.

His lawyer continually argues that that Tekashi was never a gang member but just behaved like one as part of his rap image. “An entertainer who portrays a ‘gangster image’ to promote his music does not make him a member of an enterprise,” quoted in the Vulture magazine. Tekashi will continue to cooperate with government officials for this trial.

FRIENDS: A RETROSPECTIVE

BY VALERY CARABALLO vecaraballo@vwu.edu

Brendan Ferguson | Marlin Chronicle

You’ve just walked into the Central Perk where you and your best friends Monica, Phoebe, Rachel, Chandler, Ross and Joey have just celebrated your 25th anniversary.

Are you able to hold back the tears that come with every episode of your friendship? It is hard not to fall in love with this group of best friends in New York City who went through everyday struggles while creeping their way into our hearts.

After getting in touch with a number of Wesleyan students, it’s clear that anyone who watched the show loved it for some of the same reasons. While some students have not gotten as into the show, the same values are still expressed.

“I find the show comical, though I do not watch it as much but when I do it’s always a good laugh,” Karen Lopez said. “Friends” fan Brendan Ferguson said, “There’s so much more to it than just a regular sitcom; it somehow found a way to be both funny and heartwarming while tackling real issues such as finding a job, having inspirations in life and pregnancy. Each episode is not just a few stories that had been put together primarily to entertain, but to create a relationship between a wider audience that can relate to a number of characters.”

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Throughout the show, you find yourself connecting to different characters because of all the different characteristics and humor you share with them. “Joey Tribiani has all of the elements I aspire to be: he’s confident, goofy and never gives up, regardless of all the positions he’s put in. He is easily the most quotable character in the show from “how you doing” to “JOEY DOESN’T SHARE FOOD,” Ferguson said.

Joey is not the only character Wesleyan students connected with. Freshman Jeanie Mahon said, “I would have to say I relate to Monica the most, because she tries to be organized but is just as crazy as everyone else and though I sometimes won’t admit it, can relate to her.”

A comparison between you and some of the characters is pretty common because of how many similarities they have with a number of different people.

Other Wesleyan students like Jennifer Bowen enjoy Chandler’s slightly dark humor, that “you would only find funny if you understood it.” While they agreed on that, Bowen said that though we have no idea what Chandler does, “he has an office job and it’s what I want to do.

When made aware of the famous Central Perk couch coming to landmarks worldwide, some Marlins had a lot

COMING

of different dreams. “Heck yes, I would have wanted to sit on that couch. I have always wanted to sit in Central Perk and just enjoy a cup of coffee. You can imagine my distress when I learned that it had closed down,” Mahone said.

Ferguson had a very different yet creative response.

“Sitting on the couch would have been awesome. I would probably have nice conversations with the cast and try very hard to steal Joey’s food.”

So much makes up the show and though we may not have realized it, this may have just been one of the ways that real life scenarios were made entertaining rather than confrontational. You admire the surrogacy option that Phoebe gives her brother and her sister-in-law , shed a tear for Monica and Chandler’s search for adoption and root for Rachel’s challenges as a single mother.

The characters support each other through all these reallife trials and more. It becomes clear when watching their relationship unfold how important a support system is.

This inspiring group of friends never strays away from encouraging each other in every decision, which is one of the reasons we love “Friends” so much.

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October 10, 2019

BACK UP THE WATER SPOUT

BY TONY TANN tdtann@vwu.edu

He really can do whatever a spider can. In this case, the spider can get back into the Marvel family before being sprayed out of the universe. Less than 30 days after the announcement that Spider-Man would be leaving the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures announced that Spider-Man will return to the MCU after the studios reached a new deal to continue their partnership much to the excitement of Spidey fans everywhere.

Fans around the world will rejoice at the news, as it ensures crossing brands for the wall-crawler for years to come.

There’s much confusion as to who was responsible for negotiations breaking down and resulting in initial announcements that SpiderMan, who was being set up to be the focal point of the MCU, would no longer appear under the Marvel logo, and future Spider-Man sequels would not include crossover with Marvel’s shared world of superheroes. But alas, the new Sony/Marvel deal sees Marvel Studios producing the next installment of Spidey’s cinematic franchise, with Kevin Feige taking a lead role in production. Spider-Man will also appear in other MCU movies going forward, as he has previously. The third film in the modern series releases July 16, 2021.

Feige made an interesting remark during the announcement, and it’s hard to say whether it’s a throwaway line or a hint at something more to come. When commenting on his pleasure at reaching a new deal with Sony, Feige said, “As Sony continues to develop their own Spidey-verse you never know what surprises the future might hold.” Some have inferred that this might imply that Sony’s planned series of connected Spider-Man spinoffs

Alex Powers | Marlin Chronicle will somehow wind up merged into the MCU, possibly by having the spinoff characters – notably, Venom – appear in the solo Spider-Man movies. This could mean Marvel is offering to coproduce the spinoff films as well, even if they’re kept separate from the main Spider-Man series.

However, it could just be wishful thinking from fans of the films everywhere. We could all be thinking way too deeply into it.

It can be assumed that with the popularity of SpiderMan: Into the Spider-verse, Marvel could have convinced Sony that the model scenario is not to use the Peter Parker version of Spider-Man for the planned “spider-verse” of

LIGHTHOUSE

SPOTLIGHT

Q: What did you do?

A: In fall 2018, I studied abroad in San José, Costa Rica. Through Cultural Exchanges Abroad (CEA), I enrolled in the Medical Spanish and Health Sciences Program, which focuses on interpretation and translation.

Q: What was your favorite moment?

A: I was struck by Panajachel, which is surrounded by volcanoes that pierce the sky. I had never seen a volcano before. It was absolutely breathtaking.

Q: What surprised you the most about your study abroad experience?

A: I have been to several Europe countries where I was looked at as if I did not belong, and it was a really uncomfortable experience. But going to Latin America where there is a significant population of Afrolatinos, it was comforting knowing that I would not be passively discriminated against. People often thought I was Puerto Rican because of how I looked and how well I spoke Spanish!

Q: What did you learn abroad?

A: As a person who likes punctuality, I found the concept of time in Costa Rica, also known as "Tico Time," to be incredibly stressful. Tico Time is when Costa Ricans show up late by several minutes or even hours. I learned that for business and formal events, Costa Ricans try to show up "early.” However, when it comes to casual situations, it is not important to them to be punctual.

Q: What did you learn about yourself?

A: I was surprised with how much of a leader I have become. I often found myself in situations where I had to galvanize everyone into action. I normally would be the person who is following everyone else. I'm much more assertive, driven, and independent than I was before I left.

spinoffs, but instead to use Miles Morales from Marvel’s Ultimate comic book universe and the star of their award-winning animated movie, thus giving Sony not one but TWO Spider-Man solo franchises – one within the MCU, and one as part of a separate shared “spider-verse.” Later on down the line, in phase 6 or 7 a separate, second Spider-Man and his collection of shared-world spinoff characters could appear in a crossover event alongside the MCU Peter Parker version of the character, and perhaps some other MCU heroes as well. A multiverse setup of this sort would pay off huge. Just think about the idea of a story starting in the Peter Parker MCU Spider-Man movies, continuing in a Miles Morales Spider-Man movie, and then culminating in a big crossover Avengers event with various multiverse characters. Fans would absolutely lose their minds.

Even lacking such an MCU-Spider-verse crossover event, the idea of Sony refining two different Spider-Man franchises within two different shared superhero worlds is pretty enticing, and any desire to just have Peter Parker’s MCU incarnation appear in Venom and other spin offs should be dwarfed by the appeal of multiple Spider-Man franchises and playing in two different shared universes.

Add in the dangled carrot of possible future MCU crossover events, and it’s hard to imagine Sony turning it down.

Whatever comes to pass, all that matters is Spider-Man is back in the MCU and we can all breathe a collective sigh of relief. When you think about it, he never really left. It was always a game of who’s going to blink first, with too much money on the table and too much story to tell for both sides to walk away forever. The mouse’s eyes never close and Sony was already dry-eyed.

Xavier Turner ‘19 Hispanic Studies & International Studies Q: What were your most important takeaways from the experience?

A: For me, that the Spanish language is a lot more complex than one would think. You can always offend someone in a Spanish-speaking country if you don’t know the country’s vocabulary.

Essentially, there is textbook Spanish and real Spanish used in different countries.

Xavier with with Nicole Holmes, San José, Costa Rica, November 2018.

Q: How did study abroad influence your future?

A: I plan to become a certified medical Spanish interpreter, and my program could not have been more perfect. In Costa Rica, I took Spanish courses, which were the perfect link because they put theory into real-world practice.

Q: What advice would you give to students who are considering studying away?

A: SAVE UP AS MUCH MONEY AS POSSIBLE. It is crucial that you are ready for any unexpected instances when you have to drop a bunch of money at once.

Xavier received a Global Scholars Semester Abroad award to study at Veritas University in San José, Costa Rica.

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

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