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
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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
