The Marlin Chronicle THURSDAY 2.19.26|| MARLINCHRONICLE.VWU.EDU
VIRGINIA WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY
Students, local community share fears surrounding ICE
Mia Diehl|Marlin Chronicle At a rally sponsored by COVA Coalition and South Hampton Roads Indivisible on Jan. 28, an attendee displays a quote from Martin Luther King Jr. BY MIA DIEHL
mjdiehl@vwu.edu
As recent news has reported on confrontations between United States citizens and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, people have begun protesting the presence of ICE in their communities. On Jan. 28, local advocacy
organizations COVA Coalition and South Hampton Roads Indivisible sponsored a candlelight vigil and rally in honor of Alex Pretti. Pretti was a nurse from Minneapolis, Minnesota who died in a confrontation with federal agents on Jan. 24. Alura Rose, a member of the South Hampton Roads Indivisible (SHRI) committee, organized
the event. Rose said SHRI is an organization that was founded to promote diversity and democratic values. “We are very concerned to see groups of federal agents violating the rights of Americans, violating people’s constitutional rights on camera, and getting away with it,” Rose said. Rose said safe ways for local citizens to react to ICE and recent
events include raising awareness of community organization strategies and attending trainings, such as “Know Your Rights.” “We have local patrols in the area that are watching neighborhoods and reporting so that at-risk communities are aware in advance of when ICE is in their neighborhoods,” Rose said. “Not getting ICE used to
us cooperating is a huge part of how citizen allies can help our immigrant neighbors.” The event was outside of a Veterans Association clinic in Chesapeake and drew high attendance from the Hampton Roads community.
See ICE Page 2
What’s Fizzin’ at VWU? Inside Look:
An anonymous app brings ‘good and bad’ Student voices sides that impact students on campus. fuel their
BY LILY RESLINK & BRENNAN BLACK lbreslink@vwu.edu & btblack@vwu.edu
Elliot Fylstra|Marlin Chronicle Fizz leadership says it creates “safe, authentic and inclusive” communities. Fizz, a social media app for students to post and message under pseudonyms within their university’s private network, has climbed in popularity on campus since February. VWU’s network has accumulated posts that include general campus questions, commiseration over student experiences, inquiries about personal relationship status and memes about campus figures.
Junior and cheer team member Mikayla Bryant said her team was the subject of one of the first popular VWU Fizz posts. The prompt, “Thoughts on the cheer team?” was posted alongside a team photo. “Really quickly, everyone just started saying a whole bunch of stuff like we dropped people on purpose, or we don’t have coordination,” Bryant said. This opened into comments on the cheer teams’ appearances. Freshman Verity Downing said Fizz was originally for historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs). “I’ve been up there since August, but since it’s opened to all colleges, it can get really loose. I don’t think it’s being used for the reason it should be.” “I’ve seen comments about my job up there,” Downing said. She works at the Grille on campus as a Sodexo employee. “Someone was like, ‘Oh, I can’t believe they hired her up there,’ [...] and then said something about how we make the food, or how it better be sanitary […] just things that probably wouldn’t be said in real life.” Professor of Media and Communication Stu Minnis said social networks give anyone access for anyone to share content, and anonymity removes the “social
barriers” of sharing information. “We can imagine an anonymous platform being a great place for people to ask questions and find resources about things that they’re not comfortable with or about,” Minnis said, listing sexuality, illness and political views as examples of question topics some may be afraid to ask publicly. “The problem is that anonymous spaces online inevitably become corrupted.
college funds
Liam Castellano|Marlin Chronicle
Vocalizing tuition assistance benefits to lawmakers encourages its prioritization during See FIZZ Page 3 budgeting decisions.
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Softball eyes fourth banner
Elliot Fylstra|Marlin Chronicle Campus community members report that targeted Fizz posts create drama.
After losing the National Championship a year ago, Marlins softball looks to come out strong and finish what they started.
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Read our online exclusives at: marlinchronicle.vwu.edu/category/online-exclusive/
Taphouse refuses to tap out
Liam Castellano|Marlin Chronicle Video feature coming soon on all platforms @marlinchronicle.
BY BRYANT COTTERELL bccotterell@vwu.edu
On Saturday nights, The Taphouse Grill rumbles with distortion. Lights flash, drums clash and rockers dash toward the stage to claim their spots in front of the amps. Since 1995, the venue has been a sanctuary for the local hardcore and metal community. It’s a place where
self-expression thrives and the unruly energy of the music is celebrated. Yet as foot traffic begins to slow down and the crowds grow less consistent, the future of the space feels uncertain. It may take more than distortion pedals and a loyal crowd of patrons to keep this scene alive.
See TAPHOUSE Page 10
Laila Jones|Marlin Chronicle The Chronicle’s online presence is growing. Read “New voices for the gray areas” by Kami Whisenhunt to learn about the Ethics Bowl team’s competition preparation with five new members, online only.