THURSDAY 3.13.25|| MARLINCHRONICLE.VWU.EDU
VIRGINIA WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY
Student-athletes present coaching concerns, discuss reporting channels BY LILY RESLINK, SYDNEE WASHINGTON & ISAAC FICK
lbreslink@vwu.edu, sawashington2@vwu.edu & ihfick@vwu.edu
Current and former student-athletes of the Virginia Wesleyan Men’s and Women’s Track & Field and Cross Country teams brought forward concerns about experiences on the team and the effectiveness of reporting channels in Athletics. At a Student Government Association
(SGA) meeting on Feb. 17, attendees discussed the policies for reviewing concerns from student-athletes. The topic became relevant after studentathletes began sharing testimonies and organizing to seek changes. These included incidents beginning in the fall of 2024. At the SGA meeting on Feb. 17, junior
The state of the Associated Press
track and field team member Zantia Durand attended to facilitate conversation on the topic during the meeting’s open forum and gauge SGA’s ability to react. Student Senator Daryl Tucker, a senior, spoke at the meeting as a track and field team member and an SGA Student Senator. “We’ve gone to our AD [Athletic Director], we’ve gone to our coaches and nothing is being done, but at this point, we are trying to get as many people to know our side of the story and to rally with us as we try to fix this problem,” Tucker said. “This is not just a situation where it’s athletes mad at a coach,” Tucker said. “We are having people quit the team. We are having people transfer, and that’s just showing how deep the situation is.” Regarding the role of SGA, “We know what we can and cannot do in the scopes of our regulations and our [SGA] Constitution,” Tucker said. “At the end of the day, we are a voice to the student body.” “There’s only so much we can do with SGA, but SGA is supposed to be a place for our students to be able to come when they feel like something is not being done or that something needs to be fixed,” Tucker said.
An executive order titled, “Restoring names that honor American Greatness,” signed on Jan. 20 said, “within 30 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of the Interior shall … take all appropriate actions to rename as the ‘Gulf of America’ … the area formerly named as the Gulf of Mexico.” The executive order explained its reasoning, being “in recognition of this flourishing economic resource and its critical importance to our Nation’s economy and its people.” The Associated Press (AP) decided to maintain its stylistic guidelines in reference to the body of water, known internationally as the Gulf of Mexico. According to AP’s announcement, the reasoning for this decision is the “order only carries authority within the United States. Mexico, as well as other countries and international bodies, do not have to recognize the name change.”
See ATHLETICS Page 8
See AP Page 3
McKenna Howenstine|Marlin Chronicle
BY ISAAC FICK ihfick@vwu.edu
A leader, a mentor, a force for change
Duda Bernardo|Marlin Chronicle Susan Boré sits in her Clarke Hall office.
President of the World Affairs Council of Greater Hampton Roads, Susan Boré, shares her passion toward advocating for women in business.
BY DUDA BERNARDO
mdefreitasbernardo@vwu.edu
Stepping into the office in Clarke 109, her energy and enthusiasm immediately draws attention. That office is home to the World Affairs Council of Greater Hampton Roads (WACGHR) and their president, Susan Boré. She sits at her desk by the window admiring the view, wearing her striped black and white shirt and her glasses for work.
The boxes on the floor hint their recent relocation to campus, but her sense of purpose goes beyond the physical space. As she speaks, she expresses herself with gestures, a sincere smile and a soft tone of voice. Boré just turned 58 years old. She enjoys traveling, cooking, hiking and spending time with her family. She’s also a mother to her 13-year-old daughter and 3 stepchildren whom she loves like her own.
“Being a mom is the most important job—and the most joyous—I’ve ever experienced. Raising the next generation with time, patience and love is to me the greatest duty with which we are entrusted,” Boré said. Boré served in the Marine Corps for 27 years and retired in 2016. As a Colonel, she commanded two battalions and served in several overseas combat operations.
See Boré Page 3
FREEZE!
Virginia Wesleyan students feel the impact of two different freezes.
Heat mapping grant put on ice
Students shiver through three record-breaking snow days Photos depict scenes around campus during the snow days on Feb. 19, 20 & 21.
BY CLAY YOKOM
kayokom@vwu.edu
As the federal government reviews existing government grants, a grant that Dr. Elizabeth Malcolm, professor of Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences and director of Sustainability, secured last year has been paused. In reaction to the grant being paused, senior and Environmental Studies major Jessica Wilson said, “It’s already directly impacting us.” The grant would go toward studying and targeting solutions for urban heat islands in Portsmouth. Urban heat islands are areas with increased heat compared to their surroundings resulting from urban development.
See GRANT Page 2 LEFT & BOTTOM: Lily Reslink|Marlin Chronicle TOP: Sarah Reich|Courtesy RIGHT: Isaac Fick|Marlin Chronicle
Inside Look:
Where to find Dubai Local bird flu cases chocolate in Hampton flag concerns Roads -- Page 10 --- Page 2
Checking in: Womenowned, community driven -- Page 9
A local veterinarian, Hunt Club Farm and Sodexo employees share the impacts of increased cases. McKenna Howenstine|Marlin Chronicle
Lora Young|Marlin Chronicle