The Marlin Chronicle FRIDAY 9.18.20 || MARLINCHRONICLE.VWU.EDU
VIRGINIA WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY
Back in Business
Erin Highsmith|Marlin Chronicle
Amid obstacles brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, Marlins returned to campus hopeful to balance safety and productivity. BY CONNOR MERK ccmerk@vwu.edu News Editor
The coronavirus pandemic has brought many changes that affect our daily lives in a multitude of ways in the past six months. On March 18, the Office of Academic Affairs sent an email declaring that students were told to remain at home after spring break and continue their courses online. After being sent home, President Miller announced the creation of a task force to be led by Dr. Maynard Schaus, Vice President
for Academic Affairs and Dr. Keith Moore, Vice President for Campus Life and Operational Management to tread this territory of unprecedented challenges to higher education. The fall semester schedule was announced via email on June 19, that included calendar changes in relation to the first day of classes, elimination of fall break, and that the semester will continue remotely after Thanksgiving break. Throughout the summer, announcements were made regarding move-in, mandatory
Elections on the horizon
COVID test, the dining hall, daily health screenings with the LiveSafe app and other student expectations. During this process, the university has received expert advice from the Virginia Beach Department of Health. They assisted in providing feedback on VWU’s plan that was submitted to the State Council for Higher Education for Virginia that allowed the re-opening of campus. There are many rules that can be found in the “Returning to Campus Fall 2020 COVID-19 Guide,” which is available on
the university website including, “Individuals should neither host nor attend social gatherings on or off campus, individuals should maintain 6’ social distance whether indoors or outdoors, all individuals on campus are required to wear face coverings indoors and outdoors, particularly if 6’ of social distancing cannot be maintained, all students must complete the
See COVID-19 Page 2
Campus welcomes Work and Learn Program
Election season is coming, and the ballots have much more in store than just the Presidential Race. Staff writer Brianna Sandy highlights the importance of voting in all the key races to look at this November.
Working on campus has a brand new look. The launch of the streamlined Work and Learn Program this Fall semester is meant to students a variety of on-campus work options to make their education more affordable. vwu.edu|Courtesy
Bing Images|Courtesy
NEWS Page 3
Black Lives Matter: A student reflection
COMMUNITY Page 4
Professionals in Protest: A Column
This past summer has been characterized by the outcry for racial equality and police reform in communities across the nation. Landry Moffo, a junior at VWU, lends his perspective on what the protests have meant to him and the country. Wesley Burton|Courtesy
Emily Uzzle|Marlin Chronicle
OPINIONS Page 6
When the sports world returned to action, it brought with it the issue of social justice advocacy and unrest with regards to race. Sports Editor Nicholas Mundy offers his take on the landscape of professional athletes and their platform for change in his latest column.
SPORTS Page 8
Coach Renn ends retirement, returns to VWU Athletics BY AJ ADAN ajadan@vwu.edu Staff Writer
Layne Nooner|Marlin Chronicle Like she never left: Renn returns to the Athletic Director position after 2 years.
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When the search for a new athletic director failed, a familiar face began to settle back in as we entered a global pandemic. Joanne Renn returned to Virginia Wesleyan University as Executive Athletic Director after a short, two-year retirement. This retirement itself followed a 25-year career at the university. Prior to her role as the first female Athletic Director at Virginia Wesleyan and in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference, Renn was a head coach for both women’s basketball and tennis teams. After retiring in May 2018, Renn worked for the National Park Service as a field educator at Shenandoah National Park. For 14 weeks, Renn patrolled a 105-mile area from Rockfish Gap to Front Royal, Virginia, walking the trails and tending to new and lost hikers. She spent the following month in Nepal having “the trip of a lifetime” hiking and trekking around Mount Everest. “I’ve been having fun and enjoying my retirement, Dr. Miller calls it my ‘twoyear sabbatical,” Renn said
See RENN Page 7
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COVID-19 CONTINUED FROM PG. 1 daily health screening process through the LiveSafe application, no guests are permitted on campus, with the exception of immediate family members who will be positively identified by Campus Security upon entrance to the University.” Jason Seward, associate vice president for Campus Life and Operational Management clarified the rules that townhouse and apartment residents must adhere to. “Per the plan released online, we made the decision that visiting other apartments or townhouses is not allowed … You are allowed one guest from your own hall or floor in the dorms. Double rooms can have a max of four people from the same hall. For apartments, no one else is allowed in besides the roommates. For example, 302 only hangs out with 302,” Seward said. Students are allowed to meet outside while wearing masks and social distancing. Seward also mentioned that students need to make responsible decisions when going off campus. “If something is brought to university attention that threatens our safety, we have the responsibility to respond,” Seward said. “We have received tips from a number of parents, peers and members of the community, for which we have the responsibility to respond.” Many students have been asking themselves, their peers and professors if they think we could be 100% virtual this semester. Seward believes that is unlikely, but there are many factors that come into play, such as the threat to campus and surrounding area and he is unsure if everyone would be sent home in the event that COVID-19 became prevalent on campus. Dr. Schaus added, “We would assess the situation at that point to see what is best for our campus community.” Governor Northam announced on Sept. 10 that the Hampton Roads region will join the rest of Virginia in phase 3 of his plan for reopening the state. According to his announcement, “New cases have dropped by more than half, hospitalizations have declined, and percent positivity has fallen below the statewide average. But we cannot let our guard down—we all must continue practicing social distancing, wearing facial coverings, and following all public health guidelines.” Additionally, this change in policy means that private and social gatherings can include up to 250 people. President Scott D. Miller responded to this declaration in an email on Sept. 11. “This news comes as the University completes its third week of face-to-face instruction. He also stated that as of Sept. 11, VWU has investigated 67 reports of symptomatic individuals or those who may have been exposed since Aug. 20. According to Miller, “14 individuals have quarantined and seven remain in quarantine. All of these individuals are doing so from
Erin Highsmith|Marlin Chronicle Students social distancing and wearing masks at the Grille in the Batten Student Center on Sep. 15 home off campus. As a precautionary measure, individuals that may have been exposed are required to quarantine, but this does not mean that they have or could have the virus.” He concluded his statement by saying that the changes in the Governor’s orders will have minimal impact on current policies although there will be limited seating in Boyd Dining Center starting on Monday, Sept. 14. Additionally, on Sept. 15, an email was sent to students from the Emergency Response Team stating “A second member of our community has tested positive for COVID-19. In consultation with the Virginia Beach Department of Public Health, the individual has been placed in isolation.” They added that based on contact tracing, individuals have been informed who might be impacted and for all students to complete the daily health screen on the LiveSafe app. Other universities, large and small have grappled with this situation. According to its website, Old Dominion University in Norfolk, VA with over 20,000 students has “invested in and opened a CLIA-certified COVID-19
clinical diagnostics lab. The University implemented a multi-layered approach to COVID-19 testing, which consists of in-house testing for symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals. The plan includes medical screenings and same-day testing of symptomatic students living on campus as well as weekly random sampling testing (known as “surveillance testing”) throughout the semester to detect the disease prevalence rate and adjust mitigation efforts.” Results are reported weekly in Old Dominion University’s COVID-19 Dashboard, which as of Sept. 14, has completed 1,683 tests and 51 positive cases. Christopher Newport University in Newport News, VA with around 5,000 students, like VWU requests that their students fill out a daily self-screening. As of Sept. 14, they have reported six positive cases. As of Tuesday, Sept. 15, VWU has reported two positive COVID-19 cases.
Student shares perspective on the BLM movement BY STEVEN SERRANO CRUZ sdserranocruz@vwu.edu Staff Writer
Several students from Virginia Wesleyan University have participated in protests that were sparked by the death of George Floyd in May, which moved the whole nation with needs of social justice. Some of these marches are not far away from our state. A lot of protests and rallies have been in places like Richmond, Fredericksburg, Washington D.C. and even our local 757 area: Hampton Roads. Sophomore student Wesley Burton has participated in several protests, including the one in his hometown, Fredericksburg, VA. Burton said that he experienced people getting tear gassed and being shot with rubber bullets. “50 people were arrested for peacefully protesting but fighting for those people and getting those charges dropped was hope for us that we were making progress,” Burton said. The protesting and marches in the perspective of Burton, is something that people should continue doing even if the change is slow.
Maryland after the killing of Freddy Gray in 2015. “Seeing all this changed me because it can very easily be me. No matter what education I have, where I come from or how I speak, because once they have that frequency of racialization in their heads, all I have to do is be at the wrong place at the wrong time,” Richards said. Richards is worried about those black people that are still afraid and do not want to achieve anything because of the stereotype problem that America has. Richards thinks that a real change can happen, but she expressed that people have been protesting every single year, still, nothing changes. “The protests all around the country are starting to wake people and realize that the black lives do matter,” said junior Saige Smith, who believes that every single person in the United States should educate themselves and learn about what is happening outside. In addition to protests, she suggests that a change in the country should start by making cop training longer than six months. Richards also
Wesley Burton|Courtesy Sophomore Wesley Burton speaking at a Black Lives Matter protest in Fredericksbug, VA. Burton, like other students, does not protest strictly to the police, but instead they think that the country has a lot of problems that need to be changed immediately. Senior Asha Richards said, “The situations that are now happening are something that really plays on your emotions, like what is the point of doing anything?” Although Richards did not participate in any of the protests, she had an experience seeing a lot of marches in
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thinks that cop training should be longer than six months but she emphasized the use of guns. “Police are not on wartime scenarios, like the military,” Richards said. Richards thinks that a real change is more about being a good person than systematic reforms. She pointed out the installation of body cameras in some of the police uniforms that it is something effective, but still is not a limit for them to act in a certain way. The most common
thing in police cases that involve black people, is that most of these officers do not get repercussions. “Imagine, that you are taking a test, you cheat on the test, but when they caught you, you do not have any repercussions from the school, just a warning that really does not affect you that much,” Richards said. She expresses this analogy to compare it with the multiple cases where some officers are not punished from their actions. “The repercussions of cheating are the fact that stop people from cheating, not because you have to be honest or good, but if there are not any repercussions, why not cheat?” Richards added. To these suggestions, students also add education and police reform to be a part of a change in America. Burton expressed that as a black kid, you do not learn about black history, unless you go to a private school. A lot of people think that these conflicts are unnecessary for the wealth of the country, and some of them see these protesters as radical and controversial people. Nonetheless, Professor of History Daniel Margolies said that the people that are trying to make BLM as a controversial topic are the same people that are preventing any kind of change and any opportunity to highlight the problems in the system. “The fact that there has to be a movement like BLM, is the reason of the out of control white supremacy and white supremacist violence in American society,” Margolies said. Also, he added, “the person that has a problem when someone points out racism as problematic is racist.” He suggests that students should learn how the systems of power and culture work around us and also that people need to inform themselves and become readers outside social media. All of these students suggested to other campus students to join them in solidarity and human compassion. “If you are not black, but you are still out there protesting, I applaud you because it is not something that really affects you,” Burton said. He expressed that the people should use their privilege for good. These students also believe that the campus should be more involved in topics like social justice and BLM, just like they are doing by sending emails at least twice a week about COVID-19. “It is definitely an issue that the campus should talk more about it, just like they do with COVID. This is an issue that has been longer than COVID-19,” Burton said. Also, he added, “Everyone that has a voice and platform should use it to talk about important issues. This is something that needs more coverage.” However, these students understand that not everyone is able to attend protests. They suggested other ways to support BLM like signing petitions, donating and letting your voice be heard. Margolies explained why people should be supporting BLM: “If one person is not equal, then really none of us are.”
9/16/2020 11:14:35 AM
News 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 applicaion.
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 applicaion.
November 3 Election Day Students will vote at Ebenezer Baptist Church at 965 Baker Rd Virginia Beach, VA 23455
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Friday September 18, 2020 The Marlin Chronicle marlinchronicle.vwu.edu
Election day preview BY BRIANNA SANDY bnsandy@vwu.edu Staff Writer
Autumn is soon to be upon us, and with it, the final sprint to Election Day on Nov. 3. This year, there’s a broad range of choices on the ballot. Voters here in Virginia Beach will be voting for president, senators, representatives, city council, and school board positions, in addition to two Virginia constitutional amendments. If an individual is not registered to vote, the deadline to do so is just over a month away, and they would want to register even sooner to request an absentee ballot. Early in-person voting begins later this month and runs through October, for those who are registered and wish to cast their ballot in-person but ahead of the Election Day crowd. There’s a lot to juggle with this year’s election, but fortunately, Marlins have resources on campus to help guide them through it. Brian Kurisky, the Director of Wesleyan Engaged, spoke to the Chronicle about the ways the school is helping students get involved. This year, he said, things have been very affected by COVID-19. In a normal year, Marlins Vote would be out in the Batten Center, roaming through the cafeteria, and knocking on doors in residence halls to get voters registered. Due to social distancing policies, that is no longer possible. So the team is getting creative and, as many organizations have been forced to do over the last few months, went virtual. Kurisky is working with Virginia Congressional candidates to set up virtual town halls to replace the on-campus visits that were customary in previous years. Plans are in the works to coordinate with Michelle Obama’s nonpartisan non-profit organization, When We All Vote, to provide engaging remote events such as couch concerts. Additionally, weekly newsletters are sent out every Sunday to keep students informed. Wesleyan Engaged is also trying to encourage ways for students to get involved beyond simply showing up to vote. “Another huge push this year is having undergraduates [be] poll workers,” Kurisky explained. Normally, polls are manned largely by senior citizens, but due to COVID-19, there is expected to be a roughly 350,000 person
shortage this year across the nation. If you choose to help out as a poll worker in Virginia, you will make $140.00 for working on election day and $20.00 for doing the three-hour training before-hand, in addition. Kurisky also emphasized the importance of peer norm-setting, stating, “If you set the example, others will follow.” He suggested that you text friends to ask them to come with you to vote on Election Day, and encourage them to invite their friends along, too. Dr. Leslie Caughell, dean of the political science department, asserted that voting sets an example not just for your friends, but for yourself. “When you don’t vote once, you are making a choice about this particular election, but you’re also setting a precedent for yourself and what you’ll do the next time as well … There’s a little bit more riding on your choice than necessarily how you’re behaving this particular Tuesday,” Caughell explained. As for those who think their votes aren’t
Bing Images|Courtesy important, Caughell offered a simple observation: “Decisions are made by people who show up.” The decisions made in 2020 are important ones, both on the national level and closer to home. With regard to the Presidential election, she said, “It’s an incredibly consequential election, because you’re looking at two candidates with two very different understandings about what America should look like. And they won’t
get carte blanche to go through and enact everything they want to, but they will kind of change the tenor and tone of United States rhetoric, they’ll craft policy.” On a more local level, measures on the ballot such as the gerrymandering amendment could change the distribution of power. Gerrymandered districts skew voting power in favor of a particular bloc; changing how district lines are drawn could affect the degree to which your vote can tip the scales, and those effects will run all the way to the statehouse in Richmond. Local elections matter as much as, if not more than, the Presidential race. There are plenty of reasons to go to the polls even if you profess not to care much about who sits in the White House for the next four years. Students across the nation, a demographic infamous for being one of the least politically active, seem to be feeling a sense of urgency this year, too. Some 70% of students surveyed by the Knight Foundation, a non-profit that works to increase political engagement, said that they were “absolutely certain” they would vote in November. Only 40% of college students voted in the midterm elections two years ago; if that 70% turned out to be accurate, it would nearly double the number of college students voting--and thereby increase the bloc’s voting power. Many students cited race relations and the pandemic as key concerns for the election. Senior Aleigha Johnson agreed, noting opinions on racial turmoil in the U.S. is one of her most important factors in deciding how to cast her ballot. “I feel like their stance on BLM is very important because we’re all starting to move past the assumption that we live in a post-racial society, and need policy to actually move forward,” Johnson said. She said that she does plan to vote in this year’s election, and knows some of the major players who will be on the ballot, though she says she usually does more research on the local issues closer to the election. She also offered a cautionary word to her peers who may be inclined not to vote this election. “I’d ask them what not voting actually does to remedy their feelings of discontent with the current state of affairs.”
What’s on the ballot for voters at VWU
*denotes incumbent
PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES ON THE BALLOT IN VIRGINIA:
Donald J. Trump (R)* Joe Biden (D) Jo Jorgensen (Libertarian) Kanye West (I) was removed from the ballot by order of a judge on Sept. 3 and Howie Hawkins (Green) did not fulfill the requirements to be on the ballot.
VIRGINIA SENATOR: Mark Warner (D)* Daniel M. Gade (R)
VIRGINIA 2ND CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT: Elaine Luria (D)* Scott Taylor (R) David Bruce Foster (I)
VIRGINIA BEACH CITY MAYOR Robert “Bobby” Dyer (R)* Jody M. Wagner (D) Richard “R.K.” Kowalewitch (I)
VIRGINIA BEACH CITY COUNCIL AT LARGE Brandon C. Hutchins Nadine Marie Paniccia Rosemary A. Wilson
SCHOOL BOARD AT LARGE Jeffrey A. “Doc” Feld Lauren L. Logan Matthias Paul Telkamp Beverly M. Anderson Victoria C. Manning
VIRGINIA CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS Proposed Amendment 1 suggests handing over Virginia’s redistricting process to a bipartisan, independent commission rather than be drawn by the majority party in the state legislature. Proposed Amendment 2 suggests the tax-exemption of one vehicle of military veterans who are 100% permanently disabled due to an injury obtained while serving. This information was collected by Brianna Sandy
Adjunct professor resigns BY CONNOR MERK ccmerk@vwu.edu News Editor
On Thursday, Sept. 10, Adjunct Professor of Management, Business and Economics Francis DeMasi sent out an email to his class saying, “Class today is cancelled. I have submitted my resignation as a faculty member. The school’s handling of my case has been unacceptable.” DeMasi was the course instructor for the MBE400 Seminar in Managerial Ethics course. Several days later on Tuesday, Sept. 15, faceto-face classes were held for the first time and an email was sent out announcing that Dr. Frank Futyma will be taking DeMasi’s place. Futyma is expected to teach the course for the rest of the semester, although DeMasi and himself as of Sept. 15 are listed as the course instructors on WebAdvisor. Also, DeMasi is still listed as an adjunct faculty member on the directory on VWU’s website. This is a developing story and our coverage will continue.
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A brief message from the editor’s desk To our readers, I’m proud to introduce myself as the new Editor-inChief of the Marlin Chronicle. This team means a lot to me, and I’m excited to be leading them all, albeit in turbulent times. The uncharted territory of higher education during a pandemic - and an all-around taxing year - is exactly why I chose to address our readers. Not only are we as a community experiencing this ever-growing uncertainty together, we as a media outlet take on the task of covering these experiences. So, without sounding too self-important, I believe this is an important line of connection to establish: the press and the community on which they report. It’s a give and take. We’ve set out to inform and express at a time where information and expression may not be valued in the ways they should be. Our goal is to cover the stories through the lens of this community with the care and diligence they deserve, as well as elevating the voices from the community. I want the Marlin Chronicle publication and team to be accessible to all students, faculty, and administration alike. We will continue to reach out to you, and we’d like you to contact us, too. In addition to conventional mail and email, we’ve begun communicating with more in-person conversation (from 6 ft. of course), video calls, and social media. Similarly, we recognize the pace at which news moves during a semester like this as well as the proclivity for getting our news and entertainment through technology. I see this as an opportunity
to expand our digital and social media presence, while keeping the print copy that’s characterized the Chronicle for so long. I invite you to collaborate with us. Please talk to our team. We all come across something “newsworthy” throughout our day. Sometimes it’s a big story for the whole campus to hear, and other times it’s a fun event taking place on the lawn. There’s always something to share. Don’t hesitate to contact us with a photo, a story, an Op. Ed. idea, a letter to the editor, or anything else. The news plays a part in our lives, so why not play a part in the news? If you want to contribute to our publication, feel free to reach out to me at ampowers@vwu.edu. We have a team with great talent and variety in their studies, skills, and responsibilities. There is a place for anyone, and everyone is welcome to join our team. We have so many positions on our team - writing, editing, photography, design, illustrations, advertising, social media, web content - the list goes on. I could think of a number of great quotes about the value of journalism that could go here. But I’ll simply leave this: Everything we do at The Marlin Chronicle is for you. While we might have a challenging year ahead of us, I will ensure that the Marlin Chronicle does everything it can to serve the Marlin community. Alex Powers Editor-In-Chief
9/16/2020 11:28:34 AM
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Friday September 18, 2020 The Marlin Chronicle marlinchronicle.vwu.edu
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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 Editors Valery Caraballo vecaraballo@vwu.edu Faith Macwana fpmacwana@vwu.edu Photo Editors Erin Highsmith eehighsmith@vwu.edu Layne Nooner lnnooner@vwu.edu Illustrations Editors Emily Uzzle ebuzzle@vwu.edu Kathleen Vanden Berg kjvandenberg@vwu.edu Online Editor Ash Dobrenen akdobrenen@vwu.edu Copy Editor Tara Truax tmtruax@vwu.edu Advertising Manager Alyssa Lane amlane@vwu.edu Adviser Dr. Lisa Lyon Payne lpayne@vwu.edu
Student Involvement amid COVID-19 BY LAUREN FAULKNER lafaulkner@vwu.edu Community Editor
COVID-19 regulations have affected every aspect of Virginia Weselyan’s campus life. However students can still get involved with student clubs, activities and events. Clubs, sororities and fraternities are still meeting, just in different ways, while Off the Hook continues to host different socially distant events.
Clubs and Organizations Even with COVID-19 regulations, clubs and organizations can still meet in a variety of ways. The three choices for meetings include in-person, socially distanced events on a first-come, firstserve basis, a hybrid event with both in-person and virtual components and completely virtual events. Clubs, like any year, must register in order to be active. Once they have registered with Student Activities, the student leaders are trained on the COVID-19 expectations in order to comply with the university’s policy. Clubs and organizations can request rooms for events, however, this must be done two weeks in advance. By requiring clubs to plan in advance and taking into account
the university’s COVID-19 policy, organizations are taking more precautions and preaching safety standards. Students can get involved in clubs and organizations by checking the Campus Events Calendar. Students can find active clubs soon on the Student Activities page on the Virginia Wesleyan website. Other ways to get involved is to check social media, inperson flyers and the This Week @ VWU email from the Student Activities office. When getting involved with clubs, pay close attention to student leader contact information and information about how the club will be meeting.
Events and Activities Off the Hook is an organization of students who plan events for the Student Activities office on campus. The organization consists of Event Supervisors, whose job just got a lot more difficult this semester. With social distancing regulations, Off the Hook continues to plan events for student involvement that comply with the university’s policy. Examples of events that comply include virtual events with comedians and other performers, virtual game shows with prizes and even some in-person and hybrid activities. Off the Hook and the Student Activities office are also responsible for many traditions such as Mud Games and AirBand. These specific events are an annual parts of campus life at Virginia Wesleyan. In an interview with Sarah Guzzo, head of Stu-
dent Activities on campus, she explained that these events will happen, but they will be different this year. The events will be “modified but alive,” Guzzo said. Elaine Robbins, an event supervisor for Off The Hook, stated that planning events “is harder because you have to plan for event capacity, masks and social distancing.” Even though COVID-19 policies give the Off the Hook team much more to think about, they keep producing events for students to get involved in. To get involved in Off the Hook’s events, students should check flyers posted around campus and the weekly This Week @ VWU email from the Student Activities office. Students can also check the Student Activities Calendar.
Greek Life Virginia Wesleyan is home to nine different fraternities and sororities on campus. Greek Life has been a part of Virginia Wesleyan’s campus life since 1963 and has become a major tradition for students. Greek Life was also affected greatly by COVID-19 regulations, however events are still happening and will simply be a bit different this year. In the next few weeks, students will be able to take part in recruitment events from all the different fraternities and sororities. Events that have already occurred include a virtual Disney Trivia Night hosted by Phi Sigma Sigma,and a Jack Box Party Night hosted by Sigma Nu. Recruitment and Rush Week events are going to be different and possibly delayed as new requirements are introduced in order
to comply with COVID-19 policies. Like any club or organization, student leaders are required to go through training and plan further in advance than normal. “Events are slightly harder to do, but in saying that, we are working around the rules to make sure no one gets in trouble and we can still make an impact on campus,” Andrew Taylor, president of the Interfraternity Council, said. To get involved in Greek Life, students should check their emails, the student activities calendar, flyers and posters around campus and most importantly, social media. Every single sorority and fraternity on campus has an Instagram page that students can follow to stay informed about upcoming events.
New Work and Learn Program Launches BY LAUREN FAULKNER lafaulkner@vwu.edu Community Editor
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.
At the beginning of this school year, Virginia Wesleyan students were introduced to the Work and Learn Program. On-campus jobs were sorted into four sections: Federal Work Study, Campus Cooperative, Opus and Residential Leadership. Jason Seward, associate vice president for Campus Life and Operational Management, explained that although this program was introduced during this difficult semester, COVID-19 did not impact the decision to change the program. Seward described the new program as a complete “rebrand” of the previous program, and that it will be here to stay. During this interview, Seward also talked about a potential fifth pillar that might come to the program, Community Cooperatives, which would work with local businesses and organizations employing Virginia Wesleyan Students. Unlike the previous program, Campus Cooperative positions are no longer paid in a bi-weekly check of $7.25 an hour, but are instead given a $2,500 tuition grant to use for their financial needs. The goal of this program was to “make higher education more affordable,” Seward said. He also informally gathered through personal conversations with students that “they worked on campus to make their education more affordable and needed money to go towards tuition,” however, this has not been supported by any quantitative data. In this new program, students are required to work 10 hours a
week, as it allows students to earn a reasonable amount while also not overwhelming their schedules. With this addition to the program, Seward hoped that students would not overextend their schedules, and could possibly search for other off-campus opportunities. Even though the program’s jobs average at about 10 hours a week, other positions such as Enrollment and Batten Supervisors work more than this. Those who work more than 10 hours, are expected to then take less hours in other weeks. Other positions might work less than 10 hours, which is then reflected in their compensation. The new program also helps to eliminate “double-dipping,” where students could hold multiple jobs across campus. By removing this practice, more jobs are available to all students across campus. According to the Campus Life office, approximately 40% of Virginia Wesleyan’s traditional undergraduate students work on-campus, in some capacity, through the Work and Learn program. “We want students to find the right fit … we want students who are dedicated and committed to the responsibility that an on-campus job requires,” Seward said. The goal of the Work and Learn program is to provide students with a meaningful on-campus work experience, while also offering students flexibility in their hours and pay. So far, the Work and Learn program has been met with “great positivity” according to Seward.
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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The Marlin Chronicle | marlinchronicle.vwu.edu
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Marlin Orientation welcomes students back to campus BY PHOEBE COX pecox@vwu.edu Staff Writer
This year presented a variety of new challenges in regards to freshman move-in due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was different from last year in that there were two separate move-in days on Thursday, Aug. 20 and Friday, Aug. 21, with two separate two-hour time blocks that students had to sign up for. The blocks were spaced out in order to minimize the amount of interactions families had. Prior to move-in, all students had to submit a negative COVID-19 test in order to come onto campus, and upon arrival, students and their two helpers had their temperatures taken. Buildings had designated entrances and exits to prevent different move-in groups from crossing each other. David Stuebing, Director of Residence Life, talked about how “all of this was to minimize any opportunity for transmission should someone have the virus and not know it.” He discussed how this was a small part of the larger Return to Campus Plan, which was formed in collaboration with Campus Security, the Emergency Response Team (ERT) and Residence Life. Stuebing went on to say that “careful thought was put into how we could mitigate any identified areas of risk.” He mentioned that as a result of this careful planning, families felt comfortable and at ease with the move-in. The instituted protocol made it very clear that safety was a top priority and as such should continue to be taken very seriously by all people on campus. The orientation experience for incoming students was exciting in its own unique way. Virginia Wesleyan’s activities council, Off the Hook, hosted a variety of fun and engaging events for the incoming freshmen. In addition to a movie night, laser tag and an online trivia night with monetary prizes, there were opportunities for students to build their own stuffed animal and plant their own mini bamboo or succulent. Elaine Robbins, one of the six Off the Hook event supervisors, explained, “as an Off the Hook employee, I enjoyed planning and putting on the programs throughout orientation because I think that the activities are a meaningful part of freshman orientation.” Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there were obviously some restrictions on what was allowed to
Dorothy Yanku-Palmer | Marlin Chronicle Students relax on the lawn in front of the Boyd Dining Center while socially distant during Marlin Orientation. happen and what was not allowed to happen. Robbins emphasized that social distancing and mask wearing were both required factors that the Off the Hook team took very seriously. All of the events had capacity limits, and there were social distancing markers at the doors directing students and preventing large clusters. Robbins thinks that “in spite of the coronavirus, we as a campus community at Wesleyan were able to kick off the school year and welcome the freshmen in a positive and hopeful way.” Freshman Jack Palmer said COVID-19 definitely impacted his experience at orientation, saying,“Obviously it made it more difficult, but I was still able to meet new people and create new friendships and become involved with the campus community. You have to address that it made it more complicated but it’s still been enjoyable.” Although COVID-19 has created a variety of new challenges, our Wesleyan family was still able to create a positive and friendly atmosphere. Move-in for the rest of the school happened on Sunday, Aug. 23. There were four two-hour time blocks
that students had to register for to prevent large group interactions and minimize exposure between families. Roommates were not allowed to move in at the same time block, and the number of students moving in per floor was limited. As with the new freshmen students, Stuebing emphasized how safety was a top priority with the regular and transfer students’ move-in as well. Speaking on behalf of Residence Life, he said that “we expect them [the students] to partner with us in protecting each other from exposure to COVID towards our shared goal of in-person instruction for the full fall semester.” He expressed how grateful the faculty and staff at Virginia Wesleyan were for everybody having largely followed the new rules and regulations thus far. However, complacency will be the school’s worst enemy as people become more comfortable with their Wesleyan home. Students must ensure that they are all doing their part to protect ourselves and preserve our community despite the drastic changes to our usual fall semester.
Boyd Dining Hall gets a fresh face BY ROBERT SOLOMON rlsolomon@vwu.edu Staff Writer
The Boyd Dining Hall has become a space for experience and socialization for all students at the university, which is why the University decided it was time to update and modernize the dining hall and the experience within. The dining hall simply “needed some love,” according to Dr. Keith Moore, vice president for Campus Life and Operational Management at Virginia Wesleyan. Moore also oversaw the dining hall renovation process. The brand new expansions to the Boyd Dining Hall were graciously funded by Emerita Joan Brock, who also funded another larger project on campus to remodel the front of the Batten Center by the John Wesley statue to create the Brock Commons. The new project, which is on track to begin construction in the spring of 2021, will be a fun new place for students and faculty alike to socialize and experience what was described as a “third place” in President Miller’s Nota Bene. Students will be able to use this place as an area outside of work and home to socialize with others and experience a place with “brightness and high energy” as Jason Seward, associate vice president for Campus Life, said.
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The newly-renovated dining hall has the capacity to hold up to 400 students and faculty at once, which is about 150 more than it could previously hold, according to Tim Lockett, general manager of Sodexo Dining Services. The new open space concept will allow for a better flow of traffic along with more open space so it never feels too small or cramped with the large number of people in there. Some of the exciting new amenities that can be found are new baked breads and fresh produce at the new-and-improved sandwich station. On top of that, the inhouse executive chef for the dining hall, Pete Stein, has begun to try more dishes that he can bring to the dining hall so that he might offer a little bit of everything for every student’s desires. Even though the dining experience is what it is currently due to the COVID-19 situation, the plans that are in store for the renovated space and more to come are going to excite the student body. As mentioned in Miller’s Nota Bene email, restrictions have been lifted in Coastal Virginia by Governor Ralph Northam, which means limited seating will soon be offered in the Boyd Dining Center starting on Sept. 14.
Connor Merk | Marlin Chronicle Socially Distanced Tables set up for students in the renovated Boyd Dining Hall.
9/16/2020 11:23:34 AM
The Marlin Chronicle | marlinchronicle.vwu.edu
Friday, September 18, 2020
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Communities on fire for justice BY LANDRY MOFFO lgmoffo@vwu.edu Unless you’ve been living under a rock all summer, you’ve heard about the movement called Black Lives Matter, or at the very least the letters B, L and M. BLM was founded on July 13, 2013 in response to the acquittal of George Zimmerman after he fatally shot Trayvon Martin. May 26, 2020, the day after the death of George Floyd, marked the start of the Minneapolis protest that would give way to a wave of marches and civil unrest across the country and around the world. Black Lives Matter has led the way during these protests as the movement seeks to capitalize on the flame that was ignited on May 26. Since the protests began, 15 individuals
have lost their lives and more than 14,000 people have been arrested. The reason why BLM is getting so much support from people stateside and overseas is that the organization is seeking basic human rights. Thousands of people took and continue to take the streets from California to Main in search of equality in the eyes of the state. The BLM website states that “our intention from the very beginning was to connect Black people from all over the world who have a shared desire for justice to act together in their communities.” BLM is a group of marginalized people who have decided to speak up and stand up to their oppressors...once again. To those who say
all lives matter, you are correct. All lives matter, but if house A is on fire and you’re walking by, decide to stop and call the fire department, when they show up are they going to start spraying house B, and C down? No. They are going to spray house A down because house A is on fire and actually needs help. The African American community in the United States is the house on fire begging for real justice when a man is unlawfully killed (George Floyd), when a woman is shot five times in her own home (Breonna Taylor), and real when a 17-yearold is shot reaching for candy (Trayvon Martin).
Protests calling for racial equality and justice are occurring all over the world. Bing Images|Courtesy
Being a student during a global pandemic BY EZEKIEL HERRERA-BEVAN egherrerabevan@vwu.edu
urtesy
Students social distancing in the Batten center. Layne Nooner|Marlin Chronicle
If someone told me back in February that in seven months the United States would have over six million cases and up to two hundred thousand deaths from COVID-19, I would have said such a claim was absurd. Unfortunately, here we are. To be a student in their undergraduate career in the midst of a pandemic seems all too surreal as we work to obtain degrees with the threat of a lethal virus looming over us. Furthermore, the impact of the pandemic has been felt around the world, not in the sense of health and safety, but how we live and interact with each other on a daily basis. No one would have thought we would see the day where. before we left the house or dorm, masks wouold join our keys and wallets as essential
items. Now it all seems commonplace. Here at Virginia Wesleyan University, we’ve seen our school take rigorous actions to implement safety and health policies that ensure the students’ well-being. Although these are the logical measures to take, people here choose to not adhere to such policies due to personal vendettas against being controlled by a higher power or they are unable to adapt to change. Oftentimes, we see that it is those people who contract the virus and put everyone they interact with at risk. Personally, if a friend of mine willinging chose to not obey the rules, contracted the virus, and believed it was okay to interact with me, I would only feel that they have no problem putting my life at risk..
As a student that is part of a larger community, I simply want nothing but good health and wellness for my peers. It only seems logical to do my part to limit the spread of COVID-19 during this pandemic. This is where I struggle to find the words to describe seeing people who knowingly don’t follow the rules and policies that are meant to maintain their health and safety. If people had worn masks, socially distanced, quarantined, and maintained cleanliness back in February, would we still be at 6.4 million cases and 190,000 deaths and counting?
COVID-19 and discovering new leisure activities BY HUNTER NORDBERG hdnordberg@vwu.edu 2020 will forever be known as the year of COVID-19. So many events and occasions that were integral to our lives have been put on hold in order to help mitigate the threat of COVID-19. This has meant no live sports, no weddings, no parties and no other social events. If you’re like me, you spend a lot of your summer hanging out with friends and family out at parks, baseball games, restaurants and other public places. That wasn’t possible this summer because so many places were closed or had restrictions. Despite these challenges, my friends and I figured out a way we could hang out while also staying physically distanced: we started fishing. Fishing was one
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of the few things that I could do safely while also hanging with my friends. Fishing is also super easy to learn, a great way to get outdoors and a hobby that you can do whether you are 5 years old or 75 years old. Another exciting aspect of fishing that makes it a great socially distanced activity is how large the world of fishing is. There is freshwater and saltwater fishing and both types of water provide so many different species of fish to catch that there is always something new and exciting for you to try while fishing. Since coming back to campus last month, I have already caught five new species of fish. If you’re looking to get started fishing, there are a few things you’re
going to need. Firstly, buy a fishing license. Next, find a rod and reel to fish with. What kind of gear you get will be dependent on what kind of fishing you are looking to do. If I had to make any recommendations I would suggest a medium power fishing rod between 6’6 and 7’0 long. This rod is a great all-around rod that is good for saltwater and freshwater. When it comes to selecting hooks, sinkers, and baits it will all depend on the fish you’re targeting and in what kind of water, so do some research and figure out what works best for what you are looking to do. Lastly, find a spot to fish, Hunter Nordberg holds up a fish in Virginia Beach. put some line in the water Hunter Nordberg|Courtesy and start fishing.
9/16/2020 11:22:42 AM
The Marlin Chronicle | marlinchronicle.vwu.edu
Friday September 18, 2020
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Fall and winter sports postponed
Sports Information|Courtesy BY NICHOLAS MUNDY namundy@vwu.edu Sports Editor
Virginia Wesleyan has followed the lead of the Old Dominion Athletic Conference and has postponed the beginning of the fall and winter sports seasons. There will be no athletic competition for fall and winter teams until 2021. Under the guidelines set by the CDC and Virginia Wesleyan, there are teams that are allowed to have organized practices to begin this school year in preparation for games in the new year. There hasn’t been organized activity for teams here on campus since early March. Each respective team has been given the guidelines that they must follow for the fall semester, which include wearing a mask if within six feet of each other. Currently, there are phases that each team must go through to begin their season. As the phases increase, the number of practices a team can have a week decreases and the number of players in a group and length of the practice goes up. Every phase will be two weeks long.
When spring sports were cancelled in March, all athletes were given an extra year of eligibility. With what is now an even crazier fall season, there is a 50/50 rule. If less than 50% of the games are played during the upcoming season then every fall athlete will be given an extra year of eligibility. Most senior student-athletes from this past spring season have declined to take an extra season. The few that have elected to stay an extra year are pursuing master’s degrees. Each team has to handle training differently through this pandemic. Jeff Bowers, the associate director of Intercollegiate Athletics and head women’s soccer coach talked about how the training for his team has been affected during COVID-19. “Our first two weeks have been very individualized. We are actually going to use the first two weeks to be more individual personal fitness workouts,” Bowers said. He mentioned that the goal for this season is an ODAC title, and that this team is talented up and
down the roster from the 13 freshmen to the 10 seniors. The 2019 women’s soccer team made it all the way to the ODAC championship. Bowers stressed that the athletic director and coaches have been meeting every week for months to give the players the season that they deserve to have. If all goes to according to plan, the spring semester is going to be one of the most hectic seasons Virginia Wesleyan has ever had. Athletic Director Joanne Renn mentioned there is a possibility of games being played nearly every day of the week. With the current restrictions and guidelines on campus, Renn said, “no fans as of now,” As the future does look a little grim with COVID-19 suspending play until Jan. 1, there is hope for the spring to have games played with fans in attendance.
Joanne Renn ends her retirement of two years to come back and serve as the new athletic director at Virginia Wesleyan.
Renn CONTINUED FROM PG.1 Despite having fun, returning back to VWU was not a difficult decision for Renn. “With the whole virus thing, we’re all feeling so disconnected and isolated... and when Dr. Miller reached out it didn’t take much for me to say ‘Sure, let’s give it a shot,” Renn said. Renn returned to many familiar faces and did not feel too disconnected from the students and staff when coming back. Sports Information Director Alysse Scipter interned under Renn during her senior year at ODU, and noticed that the Marlin community had all known Renn as “Coach Renn” even as an athletic director. “Coach’s return has really been like welcoming back a member of the family, and that’s one of the things I think is so great about VWU, it feels
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like family. And that is something that was really developed and cultivated under Renn,” Scripter said. Coach Renn has been persistent in her efforts to ensure that the student athlete experience is of high quality in this challenging time we are living in. While she returned to VWU trying to navigate sports through uncertainties and a pandemic, Renn has still been “a strong voice and figurehead for the Marlins in the ODAC and in expressing how we would like to pursue this year,” Scripter said. Virginia Wesleyan University athletics draws so many athletes and coaches because of its culture and family-like community. “As coaches, we say our players create the culture we want... and she [Renn] epitomizes that. She’s creating a winning culture with community and family values and just really gets our
Sports Information|Courtesy
student athletes and has their best interest at heart,” said Head Men’s Basketball Coach David Macedo, one of Renn’s first hires at VWU. Renn had been named as the interim athletic director back in July, but due to the ongoing pandemic concern Miller described keeping her for the entire academic year. “In our response to the global pandemic, it is important for us to maintain a level of consistency in our Office of Intercollegiate Athletics. Therefore, we have suspended the search for a permanent athletic director,” Miller said. “I felt supported by the staff and that they were working very very hard to make me feel comfortable once I was back. It really is like in some ways it’s like I never left,” Renn said.
9/16/2020 11:21:39 AM
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Sports
Friday September 18, 2020 The Marlin Chronicle marlinchronicle.vwu.edu
Say hello to the new Townebank Arena
Closer
the
NICHOLAS MUNDY namundy@vwu.edu Sports Editor
Layne Nooner|Marlin Chronicle
New Townebank Arena on the campus of Virginia Wesleyan University BY CODY SCHNEIDER cjschneider@vwu.edu Staff Writer
The Jane P. Batten Center and Convocation Hall opened in 2002, and served as the venue for VWU commencement ceremonies from 2002-2018. The Convocation Hall has also hosted entertainers, tournaments and even presidential and political candidates. The Convocation Hall is now known as Townebank Arena, located in the Jane P. Batten Student Center on the campus of VWU. Townebank is a major supporter and no stranger to Virginia Wesleyan athletics. After Townebank funded a $500,000 upgrade to the university’s softball field in 2019, this past summer they donated $1 million in order to update the VWU basketball/ volleyball court. Men’s basketball head coach David Macedo said, “We are just very fortunate to have TowneBank really step up and be so generous. Our Administration did a great job with building this relationship and the overall design.” Marlins women’s head basketball coach Liz Hudy said her “entire coaching staff and team is excited and thankful to play in the new TowneBank Arena. It is a premier facility for our teams to compete. The additional seating will provide a great experience for fans and spectators as
well.” The new Townebank Arena includes a 360-degree grandstand seating design including “endzone” seating that allows growing attendances to roughly 2,000 spectators. Growing the attendance capacity will allow for VWU to host larger events on campus in the arena. This will also allow for a greater atmosphere for VWU fans, student athletes, faculty and the students. Macedo said, “It’s amazing and truly is special. The guys love it! We have been sending them pictures now for a few months and keeping them updated on the progress. The floor design is clean and neat while the colors look great. Just really can’t wait to dive into practice.” Some other new updates to the arena include a refinished court with a new design with the Townebank logo and the VWU Marlin, new sideline chairs and updated scoreboards. This really pulls the whole arena together to make the arena look top-notch. Macedo added, “I just really believe it gives us an even better home court advantage,” which can be huge for both the men and women basketball programs. The new arena will also enhance the playing experience of the recent ODAC champion Virginia Wesleyan volleyball team. Sophomore
volleyball player Haley Sutton said, “The new gym is amazing! We actually have volleyball lines on the main court which is super nice. Last year, we had to tape the lines down when we wanted to play, so it’s nice to have our own lines on the court. Unfortunately, with COVID, we can’t play, but it would have been super cool to have fans all around us and not just on the sides.” During this world wide pandemic and dealing with COVID-19, Virginia Wesleyan is trying to do their part as well. Following CDC guidelines and maintaining six foot distances, VWU is breaking in the new arena utilizing Townebank Arena as a classroom right now. Hudy said “Due to COVID-19, the TowneBank Arena is being utilized as a classroom during the day. The bleacher seating allows students to spread out. Portable technology is in place for professors.” “We are excited to upgrade our facility not only for our athletic teams and special events, but for the comfort of our devoted Marlin fans,” Dr. Scott D. Miller, university president, wrote in a university news release back in April of 2020. “We are so grateful to TowneBank and thank them for their continued investment in intercollegiate athletics at Virginia Wesleyan.”
Nelson joins VWU athletic staff
There was outrage, disappointment and disgust from what has transpired over the past couple of months in this country with social injustice coming to the forefront once again. With all that being said, this wasn’t a surprise. This has been happening for centuries as African Americans have been treated unfairly in the criminal justice system. On May 25, George Floyd had his neck pressed down on pavement for 8 minutes and 46 seconds by police officer Derek Chauvin. Sparks of anger flooded the country. The protests were no longer peaceful. Riots and looting took over the streets. In the middle of a national pandemic due to COVID-19, the United States was coming apart at the seams. The sports world came to a screeching halt on March 12 due to the virus. No sports for over three months was dreadful. It felt like every day was missing something to look forward to. Fast forward to Aug. 26, the Milwaukee Bucks and the Orlando Magic opted not to play due to the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Basketball games around the league in the midst of the playoffs were boycotting. The players were planning to boycott the entire playoffs unless some actual change was coming from the owners. They looked to people who had power to actually do something to help those that don’t. It is what former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick has been protesting for years. The NBA Players Association met with the owners and agreed upon a “return to play” with the agreement that owners were going to make a stride for social equality. MLB games and NFL practices would go on to be postponed as well. One night later, the Miami Marlins were scheduled to play a game in New York against the Mets. The national anthem played and the players and coaches stood for a 42 second moment of silence before exiting the field after placing a Black Lives Matter t-shirt on home plate. How many times are sports stars going to need to shed a light on an social injustice issue for there to be real change? NBA players have a history of being more outspoken than any other athletes. They are able to use their platform to raise awareness for issues in society. While the players are in the bubble down in Florida, they are allowed to wear certain names or phrases on the back of their jerseys. The deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Jacob Blake and many more have shed light on a very sensitive topic that needs to be addressed. Cries from people around the United States have pleaded for the arrest of the police officers that killed Breonna Taylor while she was sleeping. These issues have caused so much pain for everyone during an already trying time for this country. Comedian Chris Rock hit the nail on the head when he said, “Here’s the thing. I know being a cop is hard... I know it is, okay? But some jobs can’t have bad apples.” Not all cops are bad, but it only takes a few to fit the mold of those who should not have the power that they hold. The frustration lies with how long this conversation has been going on. Colin Kaepernick peacefully protested over four years ago. He tried to raise awareness for the same issues that this country was forced to recognize over the summer. These issues are going to be work in progress regardless of what happens over the next couple of months. Social injustice isn’t a quick fix. It is important to take a step in the right direction.
BY AJ ADAN Sports Information|Courtesy ajadan@vwu.edu Staff Writer
Coach Dennis Nelson took on the role of head coach for both women’s and men’s golf at Virginia Wesleyan in July 2020. Nelson coached the Hampton University men’s and women’s golf teams for four years prior to joining VWU. Under Nelson’s coaching, the Hampton Pirates saw improvements year after year in both the classroom and on the course. In their 2016-17 season, the women’s team won the Delaware State Tournament and the men finished in the top three in the Savannah State and Maryland Eastern Shore fall tournaments. The following season, the Pirates men’s team had three top-three finishes while the women posted four top
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threes.
Nelson is known for his experience and knowledge in both playing and coaching making Virginia Wesleyan golfers optimistic for the upcoming seasons. “He knows a lot about the game, he’s a good golfer, an easy guy to follow and he actually plays with us, so we learn and trust him more,” said senior golfer Chandler Scott. “He’s just an awesome dude, he’s definitely gonna put the golf team back in contention in the ODAC for sure,” Scott said. “I just love being around young golf players and being able to pass on what I know, not only with golf with life in general,” Nelson said. “Everything is
so different now and I know we will be well prepared in all aspects of the game. We’re practicing all the small stuff, making it second nature so we will be ready come spring,” Nelson said. The women’s golf team at Virginia Wesleyan has only been in place for six years, since then Nelson has now been able to come in and be a leader for them. “I believe he’s going to be an amazing asset to the program as a whole. As a junior, I wish that I could have had Coach Nelson come in earlier in my career, but I’m grateful and eager to see how the program progresses,” golfer Ashlee Bobzin said. Nelson was pleased with his transition to VWU,
9/16/2020 11:20:16 AM
THEWEEKENDER
Friday September 18, 2020 The Marlin Chronicle marlinchronicle.vwu.edu
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A Quarantine bite
which wich
By Tiffany Warren tawarren@vwu.edu Staff Writer
By valery caraballo| vecaraballo@vwu.edu Weekender Co-Editor In the mood for actual sandwich options? Which Wich gives your choice of a Philly cheese steak to vegan/ vegetarian options. The choice is yours from the second you grab your sharpie marker by the menu to right at the register when you hand your order to the cashier. Many customers call this one of the fastest yet appetizing sandwich restaurants they have been to so far. Aside from the welcoming service and extremely appetizing meals , the customer appreciation reaches a whole other level with a wall covered in drawings some customers doodle on the paper bag they are supplied with when they make their order. “When I first got to the restaurant i was a little overwhelmed by the menu but it quickly changed when the manager came
by and assisted me,” Allison Churchman said. The environment is both friendly and welcoming with no judgment towards a confused first timer. “Which has allowed me to finally go to a sandwich restaurant and not get shot down by the lack of vegan options’’ Danielle D’arcy said. This restaurant has gained the interest of many vegan and vegetarian customers, “I am a very new vegan and the opportunity to try all the different options for me especially have made me want to be a loyal customer. This new sandwich place is right by the outlets which gives you just enough to stop by and grab whichever sandwich catches your eye.
Clayton’s Counter By Tiffany Warren tawarren@vwu.edu Staff Writer What’s your go-to sandwich place? Jersey Mike’s? Firehouse Subs? Jimmy John’s? It’s great to make your sandwich the way you desire, but how about stepping out of the commercial deli restaurants and trying more locally in Hampton Roads. Going beyond your favorite build-your-own deli, Clayton’s Counter Delicatessen is a local familyowned sandwich shop close to VWU that serves gourmet sandwiches in a relaxing, welcoming setting. The newly opened restaurant had its grand opening on Aug. 31 near the commissary on Oceana Blvd. The room was filled with calm islandstyle music and aromas of smoked meats on the grill. Seating arrangements were spread out and spacious to dine inside for COVID-19 health and safety purposes. After placing your order at the register, customers could watch the cooks preparing and making the food from their seats. The owner-operator and head chef of Clayton’s Counter Delicatessen, Ralph C. Anderson III, focuses on buying ingredients and supporting products from local food owners. “We buy local stuff. And we use it in all of our recipes
Benny Damato’s is a local familyfriendly Italian restaurant that serves the iconic 28” New York-style pizza pies located on Granby Street by the Slover Library in Norfolk.Though the restaurant is social distancing ,there is enough space for four people to sit in and eat as well as some space to sit out.Though not very big, the restaurant is very homey and aesthetically pleasing, They even decorated their bathroom with comic book wallpaper. The challenge at Benny Damato’s is to eat an entire 28” cheese pizza in 28 minutes and the winner receives a $280 prize. If you aren’t up for the Benny Damato’s challenge, then enjoy a slice of your favorite choice of topping or their monthly specials. Options
to dine-in, and order online for pick-up or delivery are available through Benny Damato’s website.“I hope the customers can come to expect a kind and helpful staff experience, as well as a relaxing atmosphere while dining in or waiting for their orders. We are constantly working on our environment and customer service to make it as enjoyable as our pizza,” said Poquel Davis, Benny Damato’s manager. Many fellow Marlins who were recently introduced to this restaurant had nothing but positive remarks. If you have not had a slice of pizza bigger than your face, you definitely have to !
lolly’s creamery By Faith macwana fpmacwana@vwu.edu Weekender Co-Editor
too. It’s just supporting locals so that we give that love back, I believe in using local products and being as creative as possible with them,” said Anderson.”The menu at Clayton’s Counter Delicatessen also provides 100% plan-based options such as the Quinoa-black bean burger, Hummus platter, and various salads. “I want to cater to everybody. That’s why you see a lot of the plant-based items on the menu,” Anderson said. Despite the hurdles of COVID-19 on small local restaurants and businesses, he made his lifelong dream to open his own restaurant a reality. “ It’s rewarding when we serve it to the customer and see a smile on their face like ‘wow’ I never had anything like this,” Anderson said. The owner hopes to start catering once delivery and curbside pick-up is more smooth and simple. Clayton’s Counter Delicatessen is gradually getting its name out by word-of-mouth and social media on Facebook and Instagram to expand. Take a chance to try a new style of gourmet sandwiches instead of the usual build your own or your famous homestyle grilled cheese sub.
Tiffany Warren|Marlin Chronicle
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Benny Dematos
Located in the ViBe Creative District, Lolly’s Creamery is a Virginia Beach classic that everyone must try at least once. It’s the perfect sweet treat for any occasion. The Tiffany blue building with a black and white striped awning gives off major retro vibes. Lolly’s Ice Cream written in curly script adds to the storefront appeal. According to their website, “at Lolly’s we are about 3 things: Joy, Community and Generosity. We want every bite and every interaction to leave you with a smile on your face. Hopefully so much so, that you would want to pass it along and share the joy of Lolly’s with others in our community.” They have multiple classic flavors that include Cookie Monster, Strawberry, Three Ships Coffee, Mint Chocolate Chip, Double Dark Chocolate, and Real Deal Vanilla. In addition to these favorites, Lolly’s also offers Flavors of the Month. For the month of September this includes
Go Geek Buckeye!, Pineapple Upside Down Cake, Just Trust Me, M&M&M, Corn Cake and Jam, and Funky Monkey. More information can be found on their website, https://www.lollys.online. One of their most popular flavors, Cookie Monster, is a local favorite. This cool treat combines cookies n cream ice cream with chocolate chip cookie dough. Did we mention the ice cream is a bright blue? Not only do they offer scoops of ice cream, but you can order milkshakes and malts as well. You can also customize your order with options of adding a waffle cone, Lolly’s sauce, hot fudge, caramel, whipped cream, Bing cherries and/or sprinkles. The possibilities are endless. So, stop by and stay a while. Outdoor seating is available with multiple tables and picnic tables laid out in front of the store. You won’t regret it!
Faith Macwana|Courtesy Weekender co-editor grabs a bite at local ice cream parlor.
9/16/2020 11:19:06 AM
Friday September 18, 2020 The Marlin Chronicle marlinchronicle.vwu.edu
THEWEEKENDER
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FLAMAZING FLAMINGOS
By Faith macwana
Faith Macwana fpmacwana@vwu.edu
fpmacwana@vwu.edu Weekender co-editor
Flamazing Flamingos. Try saying that ten times fast. From June 19 through October, Norfolk Botanical Gardens is proudly displaying seventy gorgeous topiary flamingos throughout the grounds. According to their website, NBG offered the opportunity to name and “adopt” pink flamingo topiaries the week before Valentine’s Day. They sold out within six days! As part of their Education Department, NBG will develop educational interpretive signage for Garden visitors to learn about the art of topiaries and the care that is required to maintain their beauty. In addition, topiary classes will be offered during this time period so visitors can learn how to grow and maintain their own beautiful display. In an article written on their website, “a topiary is defined as the art or practice of clipping shrubs or trees into ornamental shapes. The flamingo topiary frames are built from welded tubular steel and will have six different poses and dimensions.” As for the decorative aspect of it, “each frame will be filled with pink begonias and all sculpted faces will be repainted for optimal display.
Weekender co-editor Each frame will contain around 80 plants and will be planted upon arrival at the Garden.” Finally, the article mentioned the intensive upkeep that is involved in making sure these creations last. It includes “hand watering daily, fertilizing once a week, trimming every 3 – 4 weeks and checking the moss on each topiary on a weekly basis.” When you first drive up the Gardens, a welcoming sign greets you at the front gate. Tickets are purchased online and scanned directly from your car to limit in person contact. Making your way through the winding pathway, you are greeted with a canopy of trees overhead and a lake glistening in the distance. It’s the perfect end of summer beginning of fall day. The parking lot is filled with families with eager young children, couples in love, groups of friends, and the elderly leisurely walking towards the main building. You feel yourself getting excited as you see the signs advertising that the flamingoes are here. You grab a map of the garden and walk through the welcome building in a breeze. The first thing you spot are the bicentennial
rose gardens and the winding canals that link all sixteen display gardens together. People are socially distant and wearing masks, families are riding their bikes and there’s a sense of serenity and peace in the air. There’s so much to see and so many paths to pick. You decide to pick one randomly and let your feet guide you. The path you follow takes you through the delicate rose gardens and down a gravel path that runs parallel to a canal. If you look closely in the water, you can see turtles swimming about and sunbathing. Flamingos can be spotted along the way and you smile to yourself. A little further down and you approach the NATO tower. Normally open as an observation and wildlife watching deck, it’s the lawn that is in front of it that captures your attention. The lawn, lined with pink flowering trees, has over twenty flamingo topiaries all positioned differently. You noticed that they each have names such as “Cleo,” who was adopted by a Dawn Matheson. There’s barely anyone else there so you seize the opportunity to take a few photos and live in the moment.
After wrapping up at the tower, you continue your stroll through the gardens. You’re glad that you decided to wear comfortable shoes as you walk deeper into a more secluded area with little ponds. Breaking free from the forest, you end up on a path leading you to a vegetable garden. There are little pepper plants and vines crisscrossing and cascading down from archways. A giant zucchini dangles from one. After spending some time there, you leave the vegetable garden and continue on your way. You realize that your walk is slowly coming to an end. Before you reach the parking lot, however, a field of yellow, pink and orange wildflowers blooms in your line of vision. You pause for a moment to drink in the sights and sounds of this scene. The sun is setting as you head to the parking lot and start the journey home. It was a good day, a relaxing break from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.
Susans art at macarthur By valery caraballo
vecaraballo@vwu.edu Weekender co-editor
Pop your head into the open entrance that directs your attention to a bunch of beautiful, one of a kind art.Though you may think the mall is only for shopping, there’s a bunch of unspoken events around. The gallery where this particular artist held her show is where many local artists and schools demonstrate their artwork. Susan Tolbert has been showing her art Monday - Saturday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., and 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays.Susan’s art is made from a number of collage techniques to formulate abstract paintings. Viewing the art is free and open to the public. Many events have been held at this gallery in Macarthur Mall,where a lot of artists have open galleries for their art work. The audience called her art “amusing yet relatable.” Many people have see her previous art yet it has been said that her most recent work in the gallery , is a lot more challenging. Each piece had a different combination of magazine collections that she underlies then uses the scrap paper to make oil. The process in which Susan goes through both
throughout her art and the supplies gives off an enviormentally-friendly, artistic edge. Surprisingly, her art comes from the buckets of magazines she has rummaged through in the past 20 years. “I would like to think that the art itself gives you a colleague like urban energy, ” Erin Highsmith said. Susan will be presenting her art until Oct.1.
Wesleyan Top Ten Faith Macwana and Valery Caraballo Fpmacwana@vwu.edu Vecaraballo@vwu.edu
E MARLIN UNDERTOW / By Tony Tann 10Weekender.indd FINAL.indd This One.indd 1
BING IMAGES| COURTESY
Do you have a song that makes you feel good or that you love to jam out to? The Weekender is taking song suggestions to curate a Wesleyan Top Ten Spotify playlist. Email your song suggestions to either fpmacwana@vwu.edu or vecaraballo@vwu.edu.
9/16/2020 11:18:07 AM
