October 8th, 2020

The Marlin Chronicle

Erin Highsmith|Marlin Chronicle THURSDAY 10.8.20 || MARLINCHRONICLE.VWU.EDU

VIRGINIA WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY

The plaza in front of the John Wesley statue outside of Boyd Dining Hall prepares to welcome an audience. This area served as the hub for many Homecoming festivities.

Homecoming festivities abound Despite the obstacles brought on by COVID-19 protocols, Homecoming Weekend was in full-swing - virtually and in-person.

BY PHOEBE COX pecox@vwu.edu

This year’s Homecoming and Family Weekend was unique in that there were a variety of curveballs thrown at it due to the current global pandemic. However, our Marlin community was able to make the best of the situation, and fun ran rampant as old traditions were carried out and new traditions introduced.

The festivities started off with Marlins Spirit Week. Each day had a certain theme

that students could dress up for. There was “My Hero Monday,” “Twin Tuesday,” “Wacky Tacky Tourist Wednesday” and “Throwback Thursday.” Friday finished out with the traditional Marlin Spirit Day which highlighted the weekend’s official beginning.

There were a variety of other events scattered throughout the week to get students excited for the upcoming festivities, such as Make Your Own Stuffed Animal and a mask-making spirit event.

Marlins adapt to COVID-19 developments

Hannah Carmona, an Off the Hook student event supervisor, talked about how these events would get students excited.

“Since sports aren’t happening, it’s the Student Activities’ job to get students pumped up for fun!” Carmona said.

The events were able to follow all COVID-19 guidelines by having supervisors prevent large clusters of people. Hand sanitizer was available and flyers promoted social distancing and mask wearing.

Off the Hook also hosted a tailgating

and kickball home run derby event on the University Commons Friday afternoon to “kick off” the weekend. Food and music from the newly assembled homecoming Spotify playlist were provided, and the first kickball pitch was thrown by our very own Coach Joanne Renn, Executive Director of Intercollegiate Athletics.

Renn talked about how she was excited about “the chance for us to have a little bit of normalcy in our life.”

See HOMECOMING Page 4

Campus responds to BLM censorship

BY BRIANNA SANDY bnsandy@vwu.edu

Connor Merk|Marlin Chronicle

BY CONNOR MERK ccmerk@vwu.edu

After an unusual start on campus, VWU has successfully made it through its first month of the semester. This accomplishment is being celebrated by students and staff.

As of Oct. 6, there have been a cumulative total of 20 positive cases of COVID-19 and 13 total cleared cases.

The weeks between Aug. 19th and Sept. 15th resulted in a minimal amount of cases, but for the week of Sept.

16 to Sept. 22, there were eight cases and for the week of Sept. 23 to Sept. 29, there were 10 cases.

The additional cases resulted in several changes to

In a summer defined by historic racial uproar, many businesses and institutions felt the call to clarify their stance on the divisive racial matters that have rocked the nation.

Some statements were well-received; others were seen as pandering, insufficient, or tone deaf. Virginia Wesleyan released its first statement on June 2, describing the institution’s condemnation of “hate and violence” and concern for “those who have had to endure these painful inequalities.” The institution affirmed its commitment to an inclusive and welcoming campus. But to many, as covered by WAVY-TV last month, the statement didn’t land as intended.

Senior Asha Richards was one of the first to respond to the initial post. In her reply, Richards described an incident from 2017 when the dance team was publicly reprimanded after several members took a knee during the national anthem at a basketball game. They were told the following semester that they were no longer permitted to perform at games. Richards says that her post about the incident wasn’t meant to attack the school, but to spur self-reflection.

“It was just something to say something like, ‘Hey,

See COVID-19 Page 2

A ‘cup of joe’ to know

Tiffany Warren|Marlin Chronicle

There’s plenty of spots in the Hampton Roads area to stop by for a cup of coffee, but aLatté Cafe sets its self apart in the community with its charm. In a local business feature by Weekender writer Tiffany Warren, this venue’s menu and eccentric décor are explored.

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you should probably think of your—think of actions that you’ve done in the past and maybe improve on it’… just a slight acknowledgement, you know? I wasn’t expecting anything major.”

Richards’ response was deleted on Instagram and Facebook, and she was blocked from the university’s pages on both of those as well as Twitter. Other posters began to share their stories, and repost those that were being hidden or deleted.

Current students and alumni criticized the school for silencing concerns, and for seeming not to offer the fullthroated sort of support for Black students that many felt was necessary given the events of the summer.

The University issued a revised statement in response on June 4, which included the phrase many in the comments were looking for: Black Lives Matter. It went on to say, “We want to be clear that the University stands with our Black students, alumni, and community members against these painful injustices and inequalities. We hear you, students. We hear you, alumni. And we want to hear more. We are committed now more than ever to assessing our practices, reflecting on our mission and culture, and further educating ourselves on how we

See CENSORSHIP Page 3

Learning from ‘down under’

Mallory Langford|Courtesy

Senior Mallory Langford had her 2020 all sorted out until the COVID-19 pandemic struck. Ever since, she’s been navigating remote instruction in her home of Australia. She details in an Opinions piece her experiences thus far and her hopes to finish up her undergraduate experience under better conditions.

OPINIONS Page 6

Logging into competition

Alex Powers|Marlin Chronicle

While the Athletics Department awaits the true start to all their respective seasons, one team on campus has been begun competitive play already.

In this sports article by Cody Schneider, the VWU eSports team is previewed as their season really gets underway.

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2 Thursday October 8, 2020 The Marlin Chronicle marlinchronicle.vwu.edu

News

COVID-19 CONTINUED FROM PG. 1 policies and regulations on campus. In an email sent on Sept. 23, The Emergency Response Team announced the additional cases that “were a result of irresponsible behavior by some members of our campus community.

This included the hosting of off-campus gatherings of a social nature, which put many members of the campus community at risk and required the University to respond with disciplinary action and stricter guidelines on social distancing and congregating.”

The new restrictions include removing the ability for athletic practices for the immediate future, increased regulations in residence halls to restrict visitors and the closing of all academic buildings after the last class of each day. The reasoning behind closing the academic buildings were because it would limit students congregating, but this means that student organizations are no longer able to meet in-person. As of Oct. 5, athletic teams were able to resume practices.

According to Associate Vice President for Campus Life and Operational Management Jason Seward, “the biggest change that we made is that we no longer allow any student to enter another room, house or apartment that is not their own,” Seward said. The consequences of someone entering a space that is not their own varies on the situation. “It could result in disciplinary action, temporary loss of housing, long term loss of housing or separation from the university. It depends on [the] severity of the issue.”

Seward attributes the uptick in cases to an off-campus event. “We saw an uptick due to an off campus situation that caused the university to respond. We are weathering the situation well with 13 cases being cleared and 7 active cases [as of Oct. 2],” Seward said. “This is a challenging year for our community. This is not the way that I, our faculty, staff or students pictured for a college campus environment, but it is one that we have navigated as a community and that is something that we have done well.”

Sophomore Stephanie Hoke is one of the students who tested positive for COVID-19 since being on campus. Hoke has not attended any off campus events since returning to campus. She was tested on Sept. 18 and was told that she tested positive the next day. This began when one of her roommates was not feeling well, noting increased fatigue, headaches and extended periods of sleep. Soon, Hoke began experiencing some of the symptoms as well.

“We both reported them through LiveSafe that Friday and then we both called the health center and the nurse was like ‘You may wait to get tested until she gets her results back,’” Hoke said. When she found out that her roommate tested positive, then Hoke and the rest of her roommates were tested.

They were tested at Velocity Urgent Care, which is the same place Hoke was tested before the start of the fall semester. “I just went online and scheduled an appointment and they told us that we could all go together. We did our times back-to-back and the people there were really nice,” Hoke said. “The school made sure we had transportation and that we knew how to go get tested.”

For Hoke, the symptoms she experienced were fatigue, headaches and eventually, a cough and loss of taste and smell. “I would say I had symptoms for seven days,” Hoke stated. Four out of the five roommates tested positive. The one roommate who did not test positive was moved to the hotel where they had to spend 14 days in quarantine.

Erin Highsmith|Marlin Chronicle Members of the fraternity PKT host a cook-out in Brock Village while following the safety guidelines of VWU. Hoke approved of the communication from the university regarding their case. “They called the night my first roommate tested positive. They called me and had me put the phone on speaker and they explained how quarantine and the meals were going to work,” Hoke said. According to Hoke, meals were delivered in a large brown bag at 5:30pm each day that contained dinner, and breakfast and lunch for the next day. It also included snacks, gatorade and water. Other than dietary restrictions, the university does not take any input, but one of her roommates is a vegetarian and they did accommodate that.

According to Hoke, each of her professors responded to the situation well. “Every professor got back to me, so all of mine sent me the zoom links,” Hoke said. “It is different. It was hard to stay focused especially when you have your distractions like your phone.” During the days of isolation, she kept herself busy by doing crafts some of her teammates dropped off, watching television and movies, homework and sleeping.

She does wish that the university would be more public about the status of COVID-19 on campus. Additionally, Hoke called the overall experience unforgettable. “It was definitely a weird and interesting experience, one that I won’t forget, especially since we were one of the first bigger case numbers all in one place, I think they handled it pretty well. They didn’t really check on us that much besides dropping off our meals.”

In regards to student activities on campus, an email sent

by Director of Student Activities Sarah Guzzo to student leaders stated, “student organizations with meetings in classroom spaces must be moved to a virtual platform until further notice … events may still be requested in virtual, hybrid or socially distant format ... You will notice on the

event request form that it will now be necessary to have a faculty/staff advisor or a faculty/staff designee present for socially distant/hybrid events with over 10 students in attendance. This applies to indoor and outdoor events.”

According to Guzzo, the decision of implementing the new regulations on student organizations was based on the communication that went out from the university for more restrictions within the residence halls and the athletic events. “It kind of falls in line with everything else going on with the university. With the most recent number that had gone out of COVID-19 cases either confirmed or not, the decision was made to match what was going on with other departments and limit the in-person interactions specifically with things that could easily be changed virtually,” Guzzo said.

The response to the new rules from student organizations has been one of acceptance. “It is kind of heartbreaking to have another thing that is moving to virtually, but mostly everyone is understandable ... My office is trying to make it as easy as possible and I know that there is a lot of planning, but there is also a lot at stake as well. For those that have hosted in-person events and for those that have hopped through all of those obstacles, the events have gone well,” Guzzo said.

Guzzo does not have a timeframe of when student organizations will be able to meet in person regularly.

“When there are changes with university expectations and guidelines through those COVID emails that go out, we will be making adjustments as well,” Guzzo stated.

If a student would like to create an event, there is an event request form available on the student activities webpage and it is also linked on Guzzo’s instagram, found at @dir_of_stu_act.

Adjunct professor resigns: update

Trump visits Newport News

BY CONNOR MERK

BY CONNOR MERK

ccmerk@vwu.edu

ccmerk@vwu.edu

As reported on Sept. 18 in our last issue, Adjunct Professor of Management, Business and Economics Francis DeMasi sent out an email to his class stating that he has resigned from his position.

DeMasi was the course instructor for the MBE400 Seminar in Managerial Ethics course. It was later announced that Dr. Frank Futyma took over DeMasi’s place for the duration of the semester. Although, as of Oct. 6, DeMasi remains listed on the directory on VWU’s website and as a course instructor on WebAdvisor.

In response to this situation, Associate Vice President for Campus Life and Operational Management Jason Seward stated, “We cannot speak to personnel issues.

The university has specific medical documentation that must be received before a [COVID-19] case can be confirmed.”

DeMasi also declined to comment on the issue.

The Hampton Roads region greeted a well-known visitor on Friday, Sept. 25: President Donald J. Trump. He held a rally at the Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport that gathered thousands of supporters. According to the Richmond Times-Dispatch, roughly 3,000 supporters attended the event, which is above Virginia’s 250-person limit for gatherings.

The Dispatch also reported that “state and local health officials had urged the airport and private hangar to reschedule or limit attendance to the event … Health officials in Hampton Roads said Thursday that the rally presented a ‘severe’ health risk, and would violate the state’s rules around gathering.” The Trump campaign’s response to the health officials’ concerns, as stated by The Dispatch, “Courtney Parella, deputy national press secretary for Trump’s campaign, said in a statement Friday: ‘If people can riot in the streets, loot from small businesses, or, in the Virginia governor’s case, take a

mask-less stroll along the beach, then they can peacefully gather under the First Amendment to hear the President of the United States address the American people.’”

A Virginia Wesleyan community member attended the rally. They became interested in politics through taking political courses at the same time as the 2016 Election.

“My views align strongly with conservative values and I love having a leader that is not ruled by the media, elites or a self-interest group,” the student said. “I truly believe Trump’s single highest priority, as it should be, is the American people.”

In describing the atmosphere of the event, they stated, “The atmosphere of the event was surreal. I’ve never felt more unity and amity towards a group of people I completely don’t know.” Additionally, they said that the Trump campaign was handing out masks and hand sanitizer to attendees. “I’d say 80+% kept their masks on throughout the entire night.” This individual was not nervous about attending the event regarding COVID-19.

“I am in a particular percentile that typically handles this virus extremely well as far as cases we’ve seen thus far and I am mindful of those around me.”

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@MarlinChronicle

10/7/2020 8:58:55 AM

News Overview of the VA-2 race 3

Thursday October 8, 2020 The Marlin Chronicle marlinchronicle.vwu.edu

Important Election Dates October 13 Deadline to Register to Vote in Virginia Go to the Virginia Department of Elections Website https://www. elections.virginia.gov/ citizen-portal/ to fill out an application.

October 23 Deadline to Request an Absentee Ballot Go to the Virginia Department of Elections Website https://www. elections.virginia.gov/ citizen-portal/ to fill out an application.

November 3 Election Day Students will vote at Ebenezer Baptist Church at 965 Baker Rd Virginia Beach, VA 23455 Polls are open from 6am-7pm

BY STEVEN SERRANO CRUZ sdserranocruz@vwu.edu

Election Day is getting closer and the options to register to vote are available not just in the local area, but also on campus through Marlins Vote. Marlins Vote is an organization that invites students to become active participants in the local, state and national electoral process. This organization promotes voter registration to students and also offers volunteer opportunities in their activities.

Senior Ashley Roehrman is a volunteer member of Marlins Vote and she expressed that about 30 to 40 students have been registered already. Marlins Vote registered these students by paper forms that required their name, social security number, birthday and address.

She expressed the hope that more people get motivated, learn about the candidates and register to vote. “Look for the differences, the values and see where they stand on the issues that people feel passionate about,” Roehrman said. Roehrman said that the differences in the candidates is what makes it interesting for people to decide with who they connect the most with. Voting is a factor that Roehrman considered very important for the citizens to hold the government accountable.

The candidates for Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District are Democratic nominee and current incumbent Elaine Luria and former Congressman Republican Scott Taylor. In 2016, Taylor won the elections with 61.33% of the votes against Shaun Brown who had 38.46% of the votes. In 2018 Democrat Elaine Luria won with 51.05% of the votes and Republican Scott Taylor lost with 48.81% of the votes, a margin of approximately 6,000 votes.

Many political analysts consider this election a competitive race. The Cook Political Report has rated this seat a toss-up and UVA’s Center for Politics, Sabato’s Crystal Ball, rates this seat as lean Democratic. However there is a large fundraising gap between the two candidates. According to the Virginia Public Access Project, Luria has raised nearly four million dollars compared to Taylor who has only raised close to a million dollars as of June 30.

Luria served in the Navy for 20 years. After her retirement in 2017, she opened a family business called Mermaid Factory. Mermaid Factory is a local business that has created jobs in the community and products to support youth and the arts. According to her campaign website, she states that she will use her experience in the Navy to protect the country and her experience as a small business owner to create an economy that works for everyone.

Since serving in Congress since 2019, Luria cosponsored the Chesapeake Bay Science, Education and Ecosystem Enhancement Act of 2019, to restore and protect the

President Scott D. Miller|Courtesy Senior Eric Fisher volunteers at the Marlins Vote table registering voters on Sept. 22 Chesapeake Bay ecosystem. She cosponsored the Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2019, to keep children and communities safe from preventable gun violence. Some of the priorities of Luria are healthcare, economics, veterans, gun violence and environment.

Luria’s website also established that Congress needs leaders with real-world experience that know what it means to serve and overcome obstacles. “Be good. Do good work,” is a statement from Luria Campaign.

She believes that this simple but powerful message is lacking in Washington today.

On Oct. 6, Luria held a roundtable discussion at VWU that took place in the Shafer room of the Boyd Dining Hall. At this event, she stated that one of her main focuses in Congress has been to work across the aisle.

Luria serves on two bipartisan committees, the Problem Solvers Caucus and For Country Caucus. “It’s not really all doom and gloom like you might get the impression from the news,” Luria said. “What gets overlooked a lot is that as members of the House, we work hard to find common ground for the good of all Americans.”

Luria’s opponent, Taylor, also served in the Navy as a Navy SEAL for eight years. He then became a successful real estate developer and security consultant. He holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s in International Relations from Harvard University and a Master’s certificate

in Government contracting from Old Dominion University.

He served in the Homeland Security Military Construction/Veterans Affairs and Legislative Branch subcommittees. In the time that he served in Congress, he was involved in securing hundreds of million dollars for his district and state for military construction projects. Taylor’s priorities are veterans, energy issues and the workforce.

His campaign established that Taylor has been looked to as a leader for his domestic and foreign policy knowledge.

Students who are not registered to vote in Virginia have until Oct. 13 to become registered. To register to vote at the campus address, students should visit office 113 Clarke and fill out a registration or register to vote online at the Virginia Department of Elections website.

Students that are already registered can opt for early in-person voting, which has a due date of Oct. 31. If by any reason the student is not able to go to a polling station, that student can opt for an absentee ballot request. The due date for a postal ballot request is Oct. 23 and for the in-person request; Oct. 31. The return deadline for an absentee ballot request is on Nov. 3. For students registered at VWU, the polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 3 at Ebenezer Baptist Church at 965 Baker Rd Virginia Beach, VA 23455.

CENSORSHIP CONTINUED FROM PG. 1 can be part of the solution for positive change. We are resolved to fostering a truly inclusive environment.”

Richards was unblocked on social media, though she says she never received an apology.

Some consequences were further-reaching. Sydney Covey (’16), VWU’s Graduate of the Decade, had taken to social media when it became clear the school was deleting comments. “Virginia Wesleyan University has to do better. MY institution has to do better,” Covey wrote in a Facebook reply to the school’s initial post. “…You cannot claim to be diverse and inclusive when you continue to silence or fire people who think differently or who want you to understand the real problems.” Covey went on to issue a call to action from both the Alumni Council, of which she was Secretary, and from President Miller and the administration.

In an interview, Covey suggested that those who viewed her post as an attack had taken the wrong message from it.

“The thing that matters is that there are Marlins—current Marlins and past Marlins—who are hurting, and we need to talk about how we move forward.” Currently, Covey will not be part of that conversation on campus. In early September, Covey received notice that her position on the Alumni Council was being put on “pause.”

That was news to then-Chair of the Alumni Council, Rob Kohler. “I was basically told about it, I wasn’t consulted, I didn’t agree with it, I wasn’t asked. I was just told, essentially, in an email,” Kohler said about Covey’s pause. He was then informed that someone else had already been tapped to fill Covey’s position on the Council. “[Administration] said that they didn’t have to, essentially, consult us.”

Kohler resigned his position shortly thereafter. In his resignation letter, sent to the Executive Committee and the rest of the Alumni Council, Kohler said the following: “The VWU Facebook page post of June 2, 2020… and the June 4th post… are troubling by themselves, but the actions of others to silence and continue to silence do not follow a vision of inclusiveness.” He outlined concerns about the disenfranchising minority alumni, before continuing on to address Covey’s removal. “Additionally, I was informed of the forced ‘pause’ of a fellow Alumni Council member without proper due process. In fact, the Alumni Council leadership recommendations were not sought…. The

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Tidewater-Cru|Courtesy The Batten Student Center sits at the heart of the VWU campus looking to resolve issues of censorship and equality in the Marlin community since the summer. question one needs to ask is, how could I, or anyone else, effectively lead the Council when our thoughts regarding such important matters are not requested?”

Vice-Chair Rob Gillikin resigned the same day from the Alumni Council and the President’s Corporate Leaders Council, citing similar concerns about the lack of due process. This left the Alumni Council without its senior staff just weeks into the school year. New leadership has since been appointed.

President Miller declined an in-person interview, but the President’s Office responded to a list of questions sent via email at his request. The administration declined to comment on who made the call to block students and delete comments over the summer, citing a school policy against commenting about personnel-related matters.

Asked about the social media policy moving forward, administration said that “Virginia Wesleyan encourages

free discourse…. Our current social media management practice reflects this and encourages civil conversation, but prohibits inflammatory and derogatory commentary on University pages.”

The administration stated that the matters brought up over the summer were “addressed appropriately,” and emphasized the valuable work on inclusiveness carried out by the President’s Council for Inclusive Communities [PCIC], Nusbaum Center, and the Virginia Center for Inclusive Communities.

PCIC met in August and September, and laid out priorities that include identifying and ending discriminatory practices in our institution, amplifying the voice of students, educating the campus community and “sustain[ing] a culture of civility, respect, and open dialogue.”

10/7/2020 9:00:49 AM

4

Community

Thursday October 8, 2020 The Marlin Chronicle marlinchronicle.vwu.edu

The

MARLIN CHRONICLE Editor-in-Chief Alex Powers ampowers@vwu.edu Managing Editor Nicholas Mundy namundy@vwu.edu News Editor Connor Merk ccmerk@vwu.edu Community Editor Lauren Faulkner lafaulkner@vwu.edu Sports Editor Nicholas Mundy namundy@vwu.edu Weekender Editor Faith Macwana fpmacwana@vwu.edu Photo Editors Erin Highsmith eehighsmith@vwu.edu Layne Nooner lnnooner@vwu.edu Illustrations Editor Emily Uzzle ebuzzle@vwu.edu Online Editor Ash Dobrenen akdobrenen@vwu.edu Copy Editor Tara Truax tmtruax@vwu.edu

HOMECOMING CONTINUED FROM PG. 1 Although things would look different with the COVID-19 regulations, “at least we’d be in an environment where we’d be able to actually see each other and enjoy some fellowship.”

Something to look forward to that she also discussed was the Spring Alumni Weekend, occurring sometime in mid-April. As of right now, it is expected to be held in person. With this hope in our minds, we should enjoy the opportunity we have to enjoy all the virtual events happening now.

The fourth-annual Chili Cook-Off was held virtually by contestants posting their creations on either Facebook or Instagram and tagging the Virginia Wesleyan alumni pages. The person with the most likes, comments and shares was chosen as the Grand Champion.

A new tradition in regards to the Chili Cook-Off was also started.

The first Virginia Wesleyan University Chili Recipe Book was created. If contestants submitted their recipes to Kamryn Clairmont, Coordinator of Alumni Records and Events, then they were able to receive a free copy of the recipe book.

Clairmont talked about how planning virtual events like this was a huge challenge. Thankfully, there were webinars and collaborative calls with other colleges happening that she was able to tune in for and bounce ideas off of. The idea for the recipe book came from one of these calls. She said she “thought it would be a unique way for alumni and friends to connect and try each other’s chilis since we’re unable to be together in person.”

Another new tradition embraced this year was the Virginia Wesleyan University Homecoming Virtual 5K. Contestants registered online, completed their run anytime between Oct. 2-4 and then uploaded a picture of themselves completing their run onto social media using a specified hashtag.

Participants of Virtual 5K received a collection of VWU merch as a prize for their efforts as well as a finisher certificate. There were challenges and extra merit given out for those who completed the “Most Creative,” “Most Intense” or “Fastest Marlin” run.

A positive benefit to the virtuality of everything is that it was able to foster a sense of community nationwide. Clairmont said “alumni located in California, for example, are able to participate this year and be reunited with classmates whereas in years past, they may not be able to travel to attend.”

She also expressed her pride in the Marlin Family for being able to come together in the midst of these trying circum-

Dorothy Yanku-Palmer | Marlin Chronicle Two Virginia Wesleyan Students dressed up for My Hero Monday.

stances and host a variety of events for both the current students and the alumni.

Although the actual homecoming dance was canceled, Marlins were still able to get their groove on with the virtual homecoming event hosted by the Fine and Performing Arts Department and VWU eSports team. It was broadcasted from the Joan and Macon Brock Theatre at the Susan S. Goode Fine and Performing Arts Center and was streamed and hosted on the ESports Twitch account.

Even with all the differences this year, the weekend was able to be an enjoyable time where fun times flourished and spirits ran high. As Renn stated, it’s important for a small community like Wesleyan to come together, and we need to remain vigilant as individuals in our fight against COVID-19 in order to be a part of the solution.

Advertising Manager Alyssa Lane amlane@vwu.edu Adviser Dr. Lisa Lyon Payne lpayne@vwu.edu

Marlin Fringe Festival brings the arts to Homecoming

BY LAUREN FAULKNER lafaulkner@vwu.edu

The Marlin Fringe Festival was hosted virtually throughout the weekend of Oct. 2-Oct. 4 and showcased the many forms of art that the university has been working on this past year. The events hosted on the VWU Digital Broadcasting Network include the Neil Britton Art Gallery Exhibition, the JukeVox - Vox Vera Concert, Blue Marlin Productions, the Trio Atomic Concert, the Fall Music Concert featuring the Camerata Choir, the VWU Orchestra and Jazz Ensemble, the Virtual Stage and closed with A Virtual Homecoming Dance.

On Friday, Oct. 2, the event kicked off with the JukeVox concert and the Blue Marlin Productions Showcase. The virtual concert featuring VWU’s acapella group, Vox Vera, began at 7:30 p.m. and showcased multiple videos of the group singing around campus. Songs performed by the group included, “Here it Goes Again,” “When I Fall In Love” and “Anywhere with You is Home.”

The second event of the evening began at 8:30 p.m. with a compilation of student produced films from the spring and summer terms.

These films included “Lost It” by Grace Rietscha, “A Better Place”

by Lauren Faulkner and “Litter” by Sophie Gonzales.

On Saturday, Oct. 3, the festival continued with the Trio Atomic Concert at 1:30 p.m. which featured Dr. Jason Squinobal (saxophone), Mike Lauback (percussion), and Will McPeters (bass) per-

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.

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“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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forming their new album live on the Joan and Macon Brock Theatre stage. Later in the evening, at 4:30 p.m., the Camerata Choir, the VWU Orchestra and the Jazz Ensemble performed in their Fall Music Concert which featured songs such as “Would You Harbor Me,” “I Wish,” “This is Me,” “Meditation from Thais” and more.

Next to take on the event was The Virtual Stage, which showcased the VWU performing arts students in new, original works. The evening finished off with a Virtual Homecoming dance hosted by the Fine and Performing Arts department and the VWU eSports team and Haruspex event, which was an audio experience featuring crime stories.

“Part of what was really exciting was to see how every group embraced the challenging of social distancing in a different way...we saw all of the ways that folks in the arts are creative and resilient, even if in the face of something as challenging as the coronavirus,” Bryson Mortensen, Chair of the Fine and Performing Arts Department, said.

The event was appreciated by family, friends, faculty, and students across the country and the videos from the festival are available to stream on the VWU Broadcasting Network YouTube Page.

False Fire Alarms ring through Brock Village Apartments and Townhouses

BY LAUREN FAULKNER lafaulkner@vwu.ewdu In Brock Village Apartments, sensitive fire alarms went off repeatedly for weeks during the beginning of the semester. Activities such as browning butter, making toast or even taking a warm shower could set one of the fire alarms off and cause the local fire department to make their way to campus.

According to Virginia Wesleyan Security, there have been 10 incidents so far this semester where false fire alarms went off. These separate incidents involved students evacuating the area, the fire department arriving to campus, and security arriving at the scene.

Danielle Stewart, a Virginia Wesleyan senior, said “From what I know of, there was never any real danger. The alarm has gone off at least 7 times that I can count and people say they are cooking, making toast or even showering when it goes off.”

During each incident, students were asked to evacuate even if there was no fire or smoke present, and the fire department arrived to turn off the alarms themselves. In most cases, the fire department arrived with no gear on and seemed irritated to be back repeatedly.

As of right now, the incidents have continued with the most recent incident being on Oct. 5. To prevent any future alarms, V3 students received an email from Residence Life instructing students on how to stay safe while cooking and performing other activities.

Recommendations from Residence Life included to be attentive when cooking and never leave the food unattended, keep fabrics away from hot surfaces, keep chemicals away from the stove, avoid drying hair or using a flat iron near a smoke detector and to clean cooking surfaces regularly.

The Residence Life email also stated that “false fire alarms may result in fines up to $500, which could be charged to the responsible party/ parties.” This means that if students are found to be at fault for a false

alarm, they could face a fine of up to $500. According to an interview with Victor Dorsey, head of Virginia Wesleyan Security, these fines would be given by the local fire department, not the institution itself.

All parties involved seemed to be annoyed by the false alarms; however, Stewart explained that the alarms “are annoying, inconvenient, and sadly a waste of time; but I guess I would rather the alarms go off for little things than not going off for an actual fire.”

Erin Highsmith | Marlin Chronicle Brock Village Apartment Building is where most alarms sounded.

10/7/2020 9:04:13 AM

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The Marlin Chronicle | marlinchronicle.vwu.edu

Thursday, October 8, 2020

5

Virginia Wesleyan’s Campus welcomes Chaplain Marie Porter

BY JACK PALMER jrpalmer@vwu.edu Upon arrival to campus for the 20202021 school year, Marlin Nation was greeted by an unfamiliar, yet friendly face: the new University Chaplain, Marie Porter.

Porter was not expecting to be in this position at VWU, but believes it was all “God’s work.” She previously was in a full-time position at Haygood United Methodist Church where she was the Director of Student Ministries for the past 12 years, after receiving her degree from Old Dominion University.

She stated that she had been praying for the students at Virginia Wesleyan for three years prior but never expected to actually be in a position on campus.

At the beginning of the fall semester, Porter had never even applied for the vacant University Chaplain position. She was offered this position by her director at Haygood. Porter was given the opportunity to split her time between the church and Virginia Wesleyan.

She described this new job situation as the “best of both worlds.” She believes God has a sense of humor and that he alluded to her that it was not enough for her to be praying over the student body, rather, she needed to find her place on campus and interact with the student body in-person, on a regular basis.

Porter’s overarching goal for the school year is to support and uplift students in any way that she can, especially given the

unique circumstances COVID-19 presents.

Throughout the academic year, she wants to get students from VWU into local schools and becoming more integrated into the community.

Porter describes herself as a “maximizer” and “developer.” She likes to build upon programs and ventures that are already in place and take them to a new level. She believes there is no sense in reinventing the wheel when there are other options that are already working so well. With this being said, she aims to help students focus on and maximize their already existing strengths and accentuate them.

In regard to Marlin Ministries, Porter hopes to integrate the organization with the YoungLife group on campus. She said that in previous years, the YoungLife group only ventured to private schools, and she would definitely like to change that. She would like the organizations to extend their leadership to Bayside and Princess Anne High Schools to grow their alreadydeveloped YoungLife programs.

Since being on campus, Porter has expressed much gratitude and enjoyment with her new position. She said that Virginia Wesleyan has been a very welcoming atmosphere for her.

Her greatest joy in this new position is the opportunity of working with future leaders on a daily basis. Porter stated that her greatest inspiration is the student body

and all those that she can positively impact Porter described COVID-19 as the reason why she is currently at Virginia Wesleyan.

She truly believes that if the pandemic did not occur, she would not be here in this position.

She stated that “God used it [COVID-19] to put me here.” Porter acknowledged that this is a hard time for everybody and poses unguided challenges. However, with great adversity, new strengths are developed.

She also said that worship is more challenging to conduct, as it must be held outside. She also commented that these changes have made us closer as well. For example, having SOAR, the university’s worship program, outside and led by students, has provided the program with great attendance and more exposure to students that are simply walking on the sidewalk during the service.

Porter encourages all of those involved with Marlin Ministries and worship on campus to be creative in their planning and that large-scale involvement is still very much feasible. She encourages all to focus on being together, rather than all of the newfound difficulties.

Additionally, Porter stated, “This is temporary; I am hopeful this will pass and am confident that we will all be better because of it.”

A senior member of Marlin Ministries, Jason Brugman said, “Working with

Haygood United Methodist Church|Courtesy Portrait of New Chaplain Marie Porter

Chaplain Marie has been awesome. I’m really grateful for Chaplain Marie’s attitude of entering Virginia Wesleyan knowing that this was a place she could help people to grow, rather than the chaplaincy just a job. She’s gone way above university expectations in helping students, volunteering a lot of her time outside of her hours to give student leaders and student communities a chance to succeed even amidst COVID.”

Club Reviews: Science Club and Camerata Choir Science Club

BY JACK PALMER jrpalmer@vwu.edu

The Science Club is back on campus for the first time in over three years, since before the school changed names from Virginia Wesleyan College to Virginia Wesleyan University.

The club is led by Ezekiel “Zeke” Herrera-Bevan, as president, Zack Hubbard, as vice-president, and Dr. Katrina Henry, as faculty advisor. The newly-revamped club is still searching for students to fill the treasurer and secretary roles.

The club aims to celebrate and empower others to learn more about science.

Additionally, the club wants to make science more accessible to those not studying a STEM field in school, as they would not otherwise be exposed to the opportunity of exploring science. The club also wishes to make science “fun,” by providing a low-risk setting to have a hands-on experience.

In the club’s upcoming meetings, they will discuss future executive board members and vacancies. They will also plan events for the school year.

Some of their upcoming event ideas include a species identification treasure hunt, science-based trivia, a field trip to the local recycling plant, hikes/nature walks to nearby

nature sites, planting a native pollinator garden with Marlins Go Green and large-scale experiments, such as a baking soda rocket launch and “elephant’s toothpaste.”

The club plans to continue to meet in an in-person, classroom setting, as the size of the club is relatively small. As the president, Herrera-Bevan said, “It’s essential to have stuff relating to science be in-person.” With new updates to the university’s COVID-19 social distancing policy, this club will most likely change how they will be meeting this semester.

The Science Club’s president characterized this year as being an interesting challenge to be starting a club during a pandemic. However, he is optimistic for the spring semester, as group meeting restrictions are poised to be less stringent. This will allow for more in-person experiments and lively scientific discussions.

The Science Club is actively seeking new members. If students are interested in joining, they can contact either Herrera-Bevan (ejherrerabevan@vwu.edu) or Dr. Katrina Henry (khenry1@vwu.edu).

Camerata Choir

BY ROBERT SOLOMON rlsolomon@vwu.edu

Virginia Wesleyan University is home to many official sports teams, fraternities and sororities, yet not many students know about the other clubs on campus to get involved with. Camerata Choir is one of these clubs that is far more than what may meet the eye.

“Our mission is to make music and become a community of creatives,” stated Alto President Aleigha Johnson. The executive board is made up of Jackson Simmons, Aleigha Johnson, Joey Mueller and Rachel DeMay. Each section of the choir has a section president who is in charge of making sure their group is in order while also being a mentor to the choir members.

The collaboration that goes into each one of their performance pieces goes beyond just knowing the words. They often discuss how the music impacts them and makes them feel, helping them to become a more cohesive group. The club also structures mentoring from older students to younger students in their own form of big-little relationships.

“It gives the freshmen sort of a guide or someone they can go to so they don’t feel so new,” said Tenor President Jackson Simmons about the mentoring program.

The Camerata choir often travels to different venues up and down the east coast and across the globe to show off their singing skill. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the choir had traveled to New York City, Richmond and Washington, D.C. to perform.

They had planned international trips to China and Italy which were both unfortunately

5Community_10_6_2020_USE THIS ONEEEEE.indd 1

canceled due to the pandemic. The aim was to spread culture to different countries through different music styles and performances.

All Choir performances have been made virtual to accommodate the new Pandemic guideline. For practice the Camerata Choir only meets three times a week, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, but their practices have become slightly modified with the new COVID-19 restrictions.

Instead of a 50-minute practice with a beginning stretch, announcements, followed by singing, they are now only allowed to practice for 30 minutes at one time, while still wearing their masks, and then must all leave to let the room air out for a certain period of time. This is due to fear of spread of the virus given that singing releases far more saliva particles than regular talking does.

To accompany these shortened practices, the singers are required to be six feet apart and have been equipped with specially designed singing masks.

The choir has had to make some adjustments to how they work together and sing as a unit due to the new restrictions.

“Being six-feet apart has made it difficult for the sections to hear each other parts,” Johnson told the interviewer. The situations have changed but Camerata Choir is back and ready to “make music and become a family.”

10/7/2020 9:07:15 AM

Opinions Literature in life

The silver on-lining

Dalton Powers|Courtesy

Christine Zalameda|Courtesy Christine Zalameda reads her favorite book, the Book of Esther.

Editor’s note: Christine Zalameda is a junior here at Virginia Wesleyan University. She writes that The Book of Esther is very applicable to our world today.

BY CHRISTINE ZALAMEDA cgzalameda@vwu.edu The Book of Esther is one of my favorite books because it is so encouraging,no matter what season of life you are experiencing. Esther is an example to all of bravery, loyalty and perseverance through challenging times.

In the beginning of the story, Esther is a young woman, given a once in a lifetime opportunity to be the Queen of Persia. After she has taken on this role, she discovers through her cousin Mordecai that her husband, the king, has unknowingly plotted to kill her through the people she comes from, the Jews.

She comes to the realization that she must confront the king about this plan, however, during that time, anyone who would show themselves before the king uninvited was a crime punishable by death.

Despite her fears, after many failed attempts, she finally confronts the king and saves her people. A verse that resembles this passage is Esther 4:14, which says, “For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish Who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” I think this book is inspiring because it shows that everything happens for a reason and every situation one is brought to has value.

Whether it is dealing with relationships, health, grades, jobs and everything in between, one can overcome any obstacle that is placed in their way.

In today’s world, there are many obstacles that are thrown at us every day of our lives. Every person and situation is unique and brought to a specific individual for a reason. You may not grasp the understanding of it or know why these things happen to them, but you should know that you can overcome whatever challenge you are facing.

Different challenges bring out different strengths within ourselves that we may not have even been aware of. This book has really inspired me to persevere through challenging times, and has given me knowledge that I am blessed to have.

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Thursday October 8, 2020 The Marlin Chronicle marlinchronicle.vwu.edu

Dalton Powers reflects on his virtual learning and work.

BY DALTON POWERS dmpowers@vwu.edu

My name is Dalton Powers. I am a senior majoring in business with a focus in accounting here at Virginia Wesleyan University. During my time here, in addition to my responsibilities as a student, I have become someone who spends a great deal of time doing work in the community as well as interning throughout the summers.

When the pandemic hit, it all turned upside down until it was announced that it would all go online.

Our new “virtual world,” at first, resulted in me sitting at my desk in my bedroom for 10+ hours every day. During the beginning of May in particular, as I finished up my coursework for my spring courses with VWU, began taking two online courses with John Tyler Community College and was on two hour Zoom meetings at the end of the day several times per week for other things I am involved in, I began feeling as if I was living in a bluelightfilled hell.

After a few weeks though, my VWU coursework came to an end and I was well into my community college courses. I then began working my internship full time as a “telecommuter,” which added another eight hours of screen time per day. However, I was lucky enough that the company that I worked with provided us with extensive professional development learning.

As I worked through the professional development material, I really began to learn how much more productive it is possible to be thanks to our new virtual world. Without taking the time to walk or drive to work (or in our case as students, class), we are able to take that time to squeeze in those smaller homework assignments or make progress on larger projects.

Overall, I have come to quite like the freedom and efficiency that comes with virtual learning/working. While it can be tough to work with others on a virtual platform, and we sort of lose the social aspect of university/work, we are able to get so much more done and almost create our own schedule in many cases, which allows for us to have more opportunities to see our families and friends because since your work is virtual you can either work on it later at night or earlier in the morning. So, all in all, I have grown to prefer the virtual work/school environment to the conventional one.

Remote and abroad

BY MALLORY LANGFORD mjlangford@vwu.edu

I went into 2020 thinking it would likely be one of the most exciting years of my attend Zoom class from midnight to 1am three times a week cannot be conducive to life. I was studying abroad in Greece for spring semester and then starting my senior learning and so after one class I had to ask again for it to be recorded because I could year in the fall. This all swiftly fell apart in March when I got sent home to Australia. not stay awake.

I spent the summer agonizing over whether returning to campus would be a good The time difference between the United States and Australia does make it much option. With a great deal of factors included I decided it wasn’t in my best interest. harder to organize distance learning but I think that the university needed to recognize Thankfully, VWU gave this well before the me the option to take all semester started. of my classes online so Australian universities that I didn’t have to defer have been recording for the semester. I thought all lectures for the past it would be reasonably 15-plus years and so I straightforward, my know the technology is classes would be available. recorded and I would I think that in have to complete the hindsight, I may have assignments like the rest been better off taking of my class. this semester off and That isn’t exactly how graduating later, even it went down. I think that though this would the greatest challenge have pushed back was that there was no grad school. I’m sure policy for how professors most students know should facilitate online that online learning classes and I was put in is difficult. It’s hard a position where I had to keep track of to work with each of assignments, you feel them directly to figure it extremely disconnected out. While I appreciate and if you don’t having the chance to understand something, figure out what would be it can be harder to get best for my scenario, it the answers you need.

Mallory Langford|Courtesy was extremely stressful Adding the time having to email back and Mallory Langford stands in front of the Story Bridge in Eastern Australia. difference to this made forth with five different it feel impossible at people while I was also 14 hours ahead and classes started in less than two weeks. times. I am finally at the point where things are starting to flow together and I have I hit a lot of road bumps with having to do a lab, having a class which couldn’t somewhat of a schedule, but I still feel like I’m playing catch up in most of my be recorded and not being able to contribute to class in the typical way. I definitely classes. appreciate the professors working with me and adapting to these unique circumstances.

The best part about this all is that I have no idea what next semester will look like.

I think that in the future, if online learning remains an option, the university needs I don’t know if I will get to play college field hockey again or graduate in person or ever get my belongings back out of storage… so please wear a mask! to have some sort of guidelines for professors and students to follow. Being asked to

6Opinions_10_6_2020.indd USE THIS ONEEEEEE.indd 1

10/7/2020 9:11:38 AM

Sports

The Marlin Chronicle | marlinchronicle.vwu.edu October 8, 2020

7

Athletic practices resume

BY ALEX POWERS ampowers@vwu.edu

BY NICK MUNDY namundy@vwu.edu

Practices for athletic teams resumed Monday Oct. 5, after more than a two-week hiatus. Student-athletes were finally able to continue team workouts, meetings, and practices as they gear up for competitive play on the horizon.

During the week-span of Sept. 16 through Sept. 22, eight COVID-19 cases were confirmed on campus, bringing the cumulative total of cases for the semester to just ten.

Still, the notable uptick in cases relative to the first few weeks of the semester gave the university cause to reassess protocols.

All practices were officially suspended back on Saturday, Sept. 19, after a meeting with Coach Renn determined the safest measures to curb the spread of the virus. “[The suspension was] instituted at the same time as the additional regulations, such as visitation to the residence halls,” Vice President of Campus Life and Operational Management Assistant, Keith Moore said.

“Mitigation. Pure mitigation,” Moore said regarding the motivation for all the changes to campus measures. Every area has been affected and seen increased regulation.

Dining has been restricted to minimal seating, all socially distant. Club meetings have moved to virtual platforms.

“It’s really impacted all aspects of campus life and operations.”

There were more regulations placed on where there could possibly be more people. “Proximity is such a factor in transmission that we looked at where people are most likely to be close to one another and then had to institute additional regulations on that to limit that possibility,” Moore said. These mandates have increased as the number of cases have increased.

“We look at what we can do to still afford some form of normalcy but also that would be in line with what we know would be best practice to limit further issues associated with transmission,” Moore said. He expressed that Virginia Wesleyan has been looking at other institutions and CDC guidelines in assessing protocols. Practices were an area that had to be addressed.

Sports teams are one of the most unique groups on campus, just because the bonds between athletes have always been strong on campus. Teams sit together at lunch, practice, and even live together. Student athletes already have “a ready-made peer group,” Moore said. Moore notes their comfort, immediate bond, and proximity as a great social factor, but he also sees it as an added motivation for precaution.

Athletic teams are “almost unlike any other group on campus,” Moore said. “Because of that comfort level, you let your guard down, and of course that’s gonna happen with any group that exists that way.” Groups like athletics in terms of close proximity have to be that much more vigilant with COVID-safe protocols, as a result.

No data has been made available as to the proportion of total cases that athletics - or any other subgroup of campus - represent. The focus is instead just on location - where the cases are and where there might be transmission. “It is possible to break it down [by subgroup], but we’re not sharing that information,” Moore said of the confirmed cases count. “That’s just simply not something we’re doing.”

What would not be present in communication, would instead be reflected by action. An increase in cases within a certain population would result in such movements as shutting down residence halls or suspending that group’s activity until the issue can be resolved.

Moore mentioned the scenario of a team or group possibly being exposed to the virus: “Where they live has more so to do than anything else,” Moore said. If there were an outbreak of cases within one team, for example, “we’d have to suspend activity, quarantine those people,” noting the suspended Kansas City Chiefs and New England Patriots football game as an example. “[They] didn’t play last night, because they have to test the offensive line for the Pats,” Moore explained. Any issue within a group has to be resolved before activity can continue.

There have been 20 cumulative cases of COVID-19 and as of Oct. 5, just 1 active case. Moore noted the success of these guidelines: “The things we put into place, the way we’re managing, the way our students are acting, means that we’re doing a good, decent job,” Moore said.

Sports are a huge part of campus life for students. This return to sports suggests a successful mitigation of COVID on campus. Now, athletics will go back to ‘Phase I’ of their three-phase system for bringing sports back. This means that while activity can resume, it will be in limited

capacity, numbers and most importantly - proximity.

“We really value what athletics is for our campus,” Moore added. “It felt good to say that that would continue in earnest, even if it’s impacted or limited - it’s still happening.”

Looking ahead, sports are a competition afterall. One concern with VWU athletics being suspended would be the competitive disadvantage from the time lost.

Associate Vice President for Campus Life and Operational Management, Jason Seward does not see much in the way of that being in an issue. He acknowledges the universality of the effect COVID is having on institutions and their athletic programs.

“It’s a variety. You look at schools in the ODAC, specifically, at the time where we were going in Phase 1, they were shut down. And then when we were shut down, they were in Phase ‘Whatever’,” Seward said, noting the different approaches athletic programs have had to take this year.. “It’s very fluid. I’d say everyone is kind of on a level playing field.”

Moore emphasized the role the VWU community plays in stopping the spread of COVID. “I’m very impressed with our students,” he said. “If we all buy in, that’s it.

We’re gonna get it. We’re gonna see Nov. 20,” Moore said, referencing not just a COVID-safe environment for athletics, but also reaching the full-length of the abbreviated semester outlined since August.

Finally, Moore highlighted the importance of getting it right during the fall. ““The success that we experience in the fall will be indicative of the success that we hope we have in the spring, and that’s when they’re all gonna be competing,” Moore said. “We have to get it right now, so that we can get it right in the spring.”

Nick Mundy|Marlin Chronicle Birdsong Field plays host to the practices and games of many teams which are back on track after suspended activity.

A league of their own

BY CODY SCHNEIDER cjschneider@vwu.edu

eSports, which stands for electronic sports, is a form of sport competition by using video games. It is one of the fastest-growing global sports and billion dollar industries today. eSports are growing and expanding to college campuses across the country.

It can open doors and pathways for countless careers, not just as a player, gamer or a designer but also things such as marketing, media and communication, business

management, coaching, creative writing, storytelling and more.

VWU eSports is staffed by Program Director/Coach Chris Davis and Coach Glenn Johnson. The Marlin eSports Arena is located on the second floor of the Batten Center and is equipped with 17 high end gaming PCs featuring ASUS Prime z390-P motherboards, Intel 9th Gen i7 processors, 16 GB ADATA Gammix RAM, MSI

Alex Powers|Marlin Chronicle Feldan Tang of the eSports team practices his ‘Overwatch’ skills as he gears up for tournament play.

7Sports_10_6_2020.indd. USE THIS ONEEE.indd 1

GeForce RTX 2070 Armor GPUs and MSI Optix 24-inch gaming monitors.

VWU eSports teams are 3-6 members, depending on the game. Students are invited to play based on interest and tryouts have been held for each team.

VWU eSports just recently started their Rocket League season. Johnson said, “We just had our first two matches this past Tuesday, against Campbellsville University and ECPI University, and won both of those. We have matches for this season currently scheduled for 8 p.m. and 9:15 p.m. each Tuesday in the month of October.”

He also added, “Overwatch and League of Legends are still working on getting themselves into some events until their seasons start. League of Legends will be in their official season starting at the end of January, though the exact dates have not been sent out. Overwatch has some events planned but not finalized yet for November, with exact dates coming soon. Unfortunately, with how new the Collegiate eSports Environment is, schedules are hard to get organized and sometimes don’t even come together until the last moment,” The VWU eSports Arena holds 17 gaming setups.

Johnson said, “Initially, it was made so that 16 of the systems would be for players and there is one coach’s station. The coach’s station has a large TV that is mounted on the wall, so that match reviews can be done from that system and seen throughout the room.” The VWU eSports arena is accessible by keycard entry, so that only the players and coaching staff can go into the arena freely. This is a great feature so that only coaches and players can access their arena when needed and not just anyone throughout the student body.

Coach Johnson added that, “Our teams are pretty much set at this point. We had put out open tryouts for each team back at the beginning of the fall semester, to offer anyone interested the opportunity to try out and potentially make the teams”.

The current pandemic has had little impact on the eSports team. Johnson said “Fortunately for us, COVID has not had as much impact on us as most other forms of competition. Since the games we play are all online games, it is still possible to practice and keep socially distanced. Due to the need to properly socially distance, the eSports Arena is not being utilized as it has been in the past. We have reduced the occupancy and taken all necessary precautions to allow partial usage,” Johnson also added that “the best ways to keep tabs on the Esports teams is to follow our twitter @VwuEsports and to follow our Twitch at twitch.tv/vwu_esports”.

10/7/2020 9:13:25 AM

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Sports

Thursday October 8, 2020 The Marlin Chronicle marlinchronicle.vwu.edu

Corey Pelham: Player Perspective

BY AJ ADAN ajadan@vwu.edu

Despite consistently making a splash on the court, senior All-Conference basketball player Corey Pelham is quite humble when it comes to his performance.

Last year, the Marlins had an overall record of 23-5 with 13 of those wins being conference games. In the ODAC semifinal, the Marlins defeated the Lynchburg Hornets 70-67, taking them to the ODAC championship against Randolph-Macon for the first time in six seasons.

The Marlins trailed behind the Hornets 36-37 at half-time. Having defeated the Hornets earlier in the season, the Marlins knew they had to finish strong to come up with the win.

A common phrase you’ll hear from Pelham’s coaches and teammates is, that “Whenever he shoots, we think it’s definitely going in,” so it was no surprise that he scored thirty points in their contest against Lynchburg.

“When Corey gets into a groove, you don’t even have to go for the rebound.

We all expect him to make it,”senior Tim Fisher said.

“Corey’s talent give us an edge and he has the ability to be a weapon on any good night,” said Head Coach Macedo. “He’s a threat to shoot it from everywhere.”

“Before our Lynchburg game, Coach Dave [Macedo] said to us ‘You know this is win or go home, you know they have a game plan. It’s all about who’s gonna rise to the occasion. Who else is gonna step up and have a good game?’ and Corey snapped.. he answered the call,” senior Tyree Golston.

Pelham scored five of the Marlin’s six 3-pointers, nine free-throws and collected three 2-pointers, rebounds and assists in this contest. “We just had to execute. I knew we had to execute offense to get what we needed and my teammates found the open shots and I took them,” Pelham said.

“The last game before that, against

Ferrum, I had four points. I had only gone 1-for-9 the whole game. All the shots we were taking were shots we usually hit, but they just weren’t falling. At the end of that game Coach [Macedo] told us that ‘we are all due for a game’ and I felt like it was my time,” Pelham said.

“He was definitely due for that game.

I think that the culture of everybody pulling the rope the same way and just encouraging each other really pushed him to keep going,” Assistant Coach

Sports Information|Courtesy

Nick Doyle said.

Team culture and chemistry is a huge factor in the Marlins’ success on the court. “My team is close, they’re all like brothers to me. Our bench brings the energy. Everybody, whether you’re playing or not, everybody is cheering each other on. If your bench doesn’t pick up on momentum, you’re dead, but we’re good about that and push each other, even off the court,” Pelham said.

“Last year’s team had a really strong winning culture, we had players that understood their roles, who had

a strong work ethic, we had good leadership and I think we had guys on the court who could do a lot of things well and we played to those strengths.

Corey was a big part of our success in what we did on and off the court and in that locker room,” Macedo said.

“Corey is one of the best shooters I’ve ever seen so it was only a matter of time before he got hot and started making a few.. and the energy of that game was unreal, we were jumping up and down the whole forty minutes,” alumnus Taylor Major said.

“I didn’t know I had thirty points, to be honest. I don’t necessarily think about that, I just think ‘OK we need to win this as a team. I knew I was hot after I hit the second 3, but I didn’t know it was gonna be the whole game.. and that goes back to my teammates swinging me the ball and the bench, everybody was lit,” Pelham said.

During the 2017-18 season, Pelham’s freshman year, the Marlins had lost the play-in game to go to ODACs and gotten farther in the tournament each year following.

“That’s a sign of consistency and consistent success is our goal from year to year. It doesn’t happen without players like Corey and the other guys on the team,” Macedo said.

“Truly a great team win. Corey helped propel us with his scoring.. It was just good for this group to have experience getting over that semi-final hump into the championship game and I think that really helped them confidence-wise,” Doyle said.

“Corey is a very bright individual, he’s got a lot of basketball savvy, he’s a competitor. He’s all about his teammates, he’s learned from his mistakes and we’ve challenged him along the way and I just like that he’s never satisfied,” Macedo said. “He’s poised for a big senior year.”

Pelham drives to the basket on the Marlins’ home floor.

Sports Information|Courtesy

Closer

the

BY NICHOLAS MUNDY namundy@vwu.edu

COVID-19 has had a profound effect on the sports world beginning with shutting down the entire industry for months back in early-March. The effects of the disease are still having major implications on many aspects of the game from having no audience to rosters to preparations.

One of the most physically demanding sports in the world, the NFL lost out on the time spent to get its players up to speed for real-game play. Normal off-season activities include minicamp, preseason games and practices over the course of a couple of months. Due to COVID-19, these training activities were either postponed or canceled.

There were numerous major injuries that happened to the game’s biggest stars.

Some of the biggest names in the league that suffered serious injuries include Nick Bosa (torn ACL), Saquan Barkley (torn ACL), Christian McCaffrey (Ankle), Drew Lock (Shoulder) and Courtland Sutton (torn ACL) just to name a few. These ACL tears are the worst. For some, this is a career altering injury that requires nearly a year off the ligament. Like most serious injuries, the athlete then has to face the mental barrier of trusting the ligament again. Some players don’t feel 100% for well over a year. As a long time fan of the NFL, these injuries hurt so much. These fan bases will not be the same until they get back out there.

The issue remains; was this because of the lack of practicing and training or were these injuries simply coincidental and bad timing?

There are sides to each, and professional football being such a physically demanding sport, has many major injuries. All of these injuries happened in the second week of the NFL 2020 season. Injuries are clearly a part of the game and for the most part can’t be avoided. The timing of these injuries does look very suspicious, but there isn’t much evidence to suggest a direct relationship from everyone losing practice and training time to the serious injuries that occured in week two.

There are key injuries every year in the NFL. It just hurts the game that most of them occurred during the same week. It just happens to a by-product of poor timing and bad luck.

During this unique season of the NFL, the league decided to cancel the four preseason games. These games in the past couple of years have been questioned for the need for all of them. Some believed that the league should reduce the amount of games to two.

Some have argued in favor of getting rid of all four. Without these four preseason games, players have had their workload of games reduced by 20%. Instead of playing a combined 20 games; including preseason and regular season, they are asked to play just 16 (not including playoffs). It is safe to say that teams and players did not miss the four preseason games.

These injuries hurt the game in many ways. The fans lose out on watching their favorite players which causes the ratings to get lower. More importantly, these ailments are long lasting. There is a chance that some of these players will not be the same after very serious surgery. Hopefully, these great players have a speedy recovery, and can get back out on the field as soon as possible.

Fall athletes prevail over COVID-19 summer quarantine

BY NICHOLAS MUNDY namundy@vwu.edu

COVID-19 produced many challenges for athletes during the spring and summer months. These challenges had such a profounding effect on fall-athletes.

Their training and preparation took a serious hit. The constant wondering if they were going to have a season is one thing, but they were tasked with finding new avenues on how to get ready for a possible season. Athletes all around the world found unique ways of training.

With less resources available, Division III athletes really had to commit to finding new methods of getting in shape.

One sport in particular put out a social media video that demonstrated how they stayed connected during the pandemic. The volleyball team sent out individual videos of them hitting the ball

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to each other: “We made a tiktok where we were pretending to pepper and pass it on. It was just a really goofy way for us to stay connected with each other and make the most of our situations at home,” junior Sydney Collins said. While this pandemic took a lot away, it offered everyone an opportunity to break out their creativity in staying connected.

People all over the world were forced to change their routines.

An athlete’s routine is critical to their success. Routines and rhythms can not be altered during the course of their training.

It throws everything off, and it is really difficult to get back on the routine. Every athlete was forced to break their routine, and find a way to stay in shape.

“With a lot of the gyms being closed back

home where I live, I took advantage of the opportunity to train on the public tracks in my area. One of my friends created our workouts for distance runs, and I created track workouts with interval sprints and cross-training. Since we weren’t able to get in the weight room, we were able to find weights and resistance bands, and when those weren’t available, we made the most of bodyweight workouts. While COVID definitely posed some challenges for training, it gave us the chance to get creative with our workouts,” Collins said.

The pandemic took out a lot of opportunities for organized practices and games but as the summer progressed, some athletes found themselves able to compete before returning to campus.

Sophomore women’s soccer player Sam

Crawford mentioned her chance to play in games: “By the end of the summer, I got to play in some games on a summer league team.”

There was one sport in particular that didn’t see that much of a change in regards to practicing. Golf courses stayed open during the pandemic. Many people turned to golf while the rest of the sports world was on hold. Senior men’s golf player, Chandler Scott mentions how he practiced throughout COVID-19: “In all honesty, my practice regiment didn’t change all that much even with COVID being a thing. Thankfully golf courses in VA stayed open all summer long, so I was able to play/practice from sun up to sun down with no issues,” Scott said.

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Thursday October 8, 2020 The Marlin Chronicle marlinchronicle.vwu.edu

THEWEEKENDER

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Relax With Sweet Treats and Yoga The Sweet Spot

BY TIFFANY WARREN tawarren@vwu.edu

Light pink dining tables and chairs sit outside with flowers arranged alongside them and a giant pink and white ice cream perches in the display window. Above the display window is a vivid board of the assorted sweet desserts with pictures of churros waffles and ice cream. For those who have a sweet-tooth craving or desire something sugary to get through the day, visit The Sweet Spot, a local dessert shop, located on Atlantic Ave at the Oceanfront.

The Sweet Spot’s interior design has bright, colorful tropical wallpaper trimmed with decorative flower arrangements along the side of the ceiling. Through a glass dome container were large buckets filled with a variety of exciting ice cream flavors. Blueberry, cheesecake, pistachio, lemon sorbet, double fudge brownie and dulce de leche are just a few choices from their vast array of flavors. Next to the ice cream station were big jars of assorted toppings such as sprinkles, candies, marshmallows, donuts, cookies and graham crackers. Behind the register, a cute backsplash of glittery silver sequins with glowing pink lights stated, “I love you alatte.”

The other side of the wall has a colorful mounted menu of many dessert options to decide from crepes churros lattes funnel cake and so much more that make a simple choice difficult for first comers.

A student from Old Dominion University, Tyaun Miller, ordered the Mellow S’more Churro. “The churros were light soft and sugary with marshmallows in the ice cream. It definitely had a nice mix of s’more with the graham crackers and chocolate. It looked like it was just cooked over a fire,” Miller said. The chocolate strawberry bubble waffle was a galore of sweetness. Chocolate syrup was drizzled on the scoops of strawberry ice cream, with thinly sliced strawberries and a top of

whip cream for the finishing touch.

The Sweet Spot is Instagram-worthy to showcase its decorative style of their shop and most importantly their creative sweet treats. Follow them @thsweetspotvb on Instagram or www.facebook.com/thesweetspotvb to see their beautiful and mouthwatering creations come to life.

Tiffany Warren | Courtesy Chocolate and strawberry ice cream with fruit at The Sweet Spot.

aLatté Cafe

BY TIFFANY WARREN tawarren@vwu.edu

Experience a comfortable, home-styled setting at aLatté Cafe, a local familyowned café in downtown Norfolk on Granby Street by MacArthur Center Park that serves coffee, bagel sandwiches, salads and ice cream.The colorful walls had decorative art pieces placed throughout the entire room, bright string lights and chandeliers hanging up above the ceiling, and large leather couches to lounge on, Coffee lovers might enjoy looking at the “local favorites” board that changes for every season. Their currently popular item for this fall is the Pumpkin Pie Latté, but for those not too high on coffee, there’s assorted drinks of lemonades and teas or even caramel apple cider. Taylor Chilton, a full-time worker at aLatté Cafe, developed a strong relationship with the local business.

“The reason why I think we have a lot of returning customers is that we establish strong relationships with everyone who comes in. We are a very personable store.

Our goal always when customers come in is to make them feel like they are coming

Tiffany Warren| Courtesy Fall interior and antique mirrors add to rustic design of aLatté Cafe.

home. We want people to immediately feel at ease and comfortable,” Chilton said.

The staff was friendly, welcoming and inviting to newcomers and returning customers. aLatté Cafe’s menu of breakfast brunch and lunch items are homestyle and comforting. By the register counter, a small shelf was filled with coffees from exotic places such as Costa Rica, Honduras, Kenya and more. The beans are directly from overseas distributors and the aLatté Cafe staff brew the beans themselves.

“We buy all of our coffee beans directly from a coffee distributor in the countries that we get them from. Then, we roast the beans ourselves. Our aim is to have the freshest coffee possible. We want to be delivering the freshest and the best product we can, which I think sets us apart from other stores,” Chilton said.

The owners of aLatté Cafe, Melissa & Neil Sanders, opened the business 13 years ago and wanted the foundation of their business to revolve around coffee and community. “We want a place where people can come and congregate together.

We have lots of big open tables and couches. It goes back to the idea of wanting to feel like you’re in someone’s house, like a friend’s house […] The community of the store is very central to our aesthetic,” said Chilton. The owner’s favorite animal is giraffes that are decorated throughout the cafe. Some of the customers brought stuffed animal giraffes as gifts to the owner that are placed as decorations for aLatté Cafe. aLatté Cafe shows its commitment to the local community by their acts of kindness to those in the downtown Norfolk area, especially The Governor’s School for the Arts, and The Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughter (CHKD). “We have a relationship with The Governor’s School for the Arts. Every year we give out a scholarship to six students by fundraising money throughout the year, so that we can support them,” Chilton said. aLatté Cafe also has a great relationship with CHKD by showing their support to the healthcare community. “It’s about supporting the community and giving back to the community because it’s symbiotic,” Chilton said. “If we can give back to them we’re going to show people how valuable they are and that we support and care about them as they care about us,” “I hope customers find aLatté Cafe as a place that they can feel comfortable in and accepted. We are a big family-oriented store run by a family. It’s a very community-orientated place. I hope that they found a good go-to place where they feel safe and happy, especially right now. It’s important to have somewhere that you feel physically and emotionally safe,” Chilton said. “This is a good place for that.”

If you want to feel a sense of community love and a taste of the freshest quality coffee, then consider stopping by aLatté Cafe.

Yoga and Coffee

BY FAITH MACWANA fpmacwana@vwu.edu

It is a scientific fact that stress can have severely negative impacts on the human body, both physically and mentally. Some might find release through journaling, reading a book or watching their favorite movie or show.

With the current situation in the world, it might be increasingly hard to de-stress.

Furthermore, during these stressful times, one might be looking for a way to relax and unwind from the hustle and bustle of the day.

Sky’s the Limit Yoga Co. and American Brew have partnered together to bring a program that does just that. On the second and fourth Thursday in October from 5:30-6:30 p.m., Sky’s the Limit Yoga Co. will be hosting a yoga class for a small fee on American’s Brew patio. American Brew is located at 3484 E Stratford Road, Virginia Beach, VA 23455.

This class is open to all skill levels from beginners to advanced. An additional perk to this class is that students are welcome to hang out post class or take a little gift to go. Either one brew or discounted whiskey for, as they put it, “getting yogi frisky.”

In order to comply with COVID-19 guidelines, Sky’s the Limit Yoga Co. is “encouraging students to please wear a mask to class until they are settled on their mat.

As students are moving, they are welcomed to take their mask off and flow freely.

“When students are leaving class or excusing themselves, we will again please ask for masks to be worn to ensure the safety of our fellow yogis.” Additionally, to adhere to limit the number of attendees, all spots must be reserved via the ticket link which can be found through Sky’s the Limit Yoga Co.’s Instagram page.

As the weather gets cooler, attendees are recommended to bring a light jacket as well as their own yoga mat. Hand sanitizing stations will be available.

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Danielle Collinsworth | Courtesy Yoga students particpate in an outdoor class to relax.

10/7/2020 9:20:57 AM

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Thursday October 8, 2020 The Marlin Chronicle marlinchronicle.vwu.edu

MARLIN NATION HOMECOMING Marlins come together to celebrate

BY FAITH MACWANA fpmacwana@vwu.edu From Sept. 28 to Oct 2, Virginia Wesleyan hosted its Homecoming Spirit Week. With things looking a little different this year due to COVID-19, Sarah Guzzo, Director of Student Activities, and Off The Hook, VWU’s Student Programming Board, had to get a little creative and think outside the box. The week’s events included My Hero Monday Twin Tuesday Wacky Tacky Tourist Wednesday Throwback Thursday and Marlin Spirit Day Friday. Students were encouraged to take photoS while also adhering to social distancing guidelines and tag the Direct of Student Activities in them via Instagram.

These weren’t the only events happening either. Throughout the week, Off The Hook, hosted a different event to really get into the homecoming spirit. Guzzo remarked that that photo contest was her favorite as she “not only enjoyed the throwback pictures, but also liked seeing people enjoying their new normal.”

On Friday, Oct 2, University Commons was filled with students as they played lawn games, ate food, and hung out together listening to the music during the tailgate party. As Guzzo had mentioned before, coming up with these events “wasn’t hard, we just had to think a little differently. We thought about the essence of a tailgate and

tried to recreate that in a way that was both safe and fun.” During the tailgate, the Kickball Homerun Derby took place out by Greer Lawn. Participants had the chance to kick the ball as far as they could for a chance to win a 55 - in TV. The 2020 Homecoming King and Queen were also announced.

Sophomore Hannah Carmona noted that homecoming to her means “bringing the community together in the sense that we are all a part of one school and Marlin Nation.

No matter how your day goes, you can get in the school spirit and it makes me feel better.” Senior Yaminah Lewis also chimed in and reflected on her years here. She said, “Sophomore year was fun and the best since I was able to walk as Ms. Wesleyan. I will definitely come back as the annoying alumni to attend more homecomings in the future. I really enjoyed all the events as it brought us all together.”

The fun did not stop there, however.

Continuing over the weekend, the Marlin Fringe Festival was in full swing. Highlights included a virtual exhibit showing of the Neil Britton Art Gallery, a virtual gallery tour of the Barclay Sheaks Gallery led by Virginia Wesleyan’s very own Dr. Joyce Howell and numerous concerts.

Off The Hook members hang out during the tailgate.

Sarah Guzzo | Courtesy

Faith Macwana | Marlin Chronicle John Wesley statue is dressed up to show school spirit

Student participates in Kickball Derby.

Sarah Guzzo | Courtesy

The playlist is here. Scan the code to access the playlist and enjoy the latest hits and classic throwbacks. there’s a song in here for everyone!

You Haven’t Yet? Are you stuck in your room bored? Looking for new, fun things to read/ see/do? check out this chart for some exciting options!

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10/7/2020 9:23:32 AM