Thurs, Dec. 4, 2014

WICKED!

The hit Broadway play, “Wicked” debuted in Norfolk and lived up to the show’s high expectations THE WEEKENDER PAGE 3

Men’s

basketball starts season strong

BY BEN FLETCHER

bsfletcher@vwc.edu

The Virginia Wesleyan Men’s Basketball team has had no problem starting its season off on the right track, history shows. Over the past three seasons, the team has posted a 14-1 record in its first five games, which typically feature out-ofconference opponents. So far this year, the Marlins have continued their past dominance outside of the ODAC as they have won each of their first four games.

The team began its season with the 14th annual Marlin Tip-Off tournament at home which also featured Delaware Valley College, Newport News Apprentice School and The College of New Jersey (TCNJ).

The Marlins, ranked 19th nationally, faced TCNJ for the first game of the year. The Marlins overwhelmed the Lions defense with a 91-60 victory in which six Marlins posted double-digit scoring. With the win, the team advanced to the championship of the tournament facing Newport News Apprentice School.

The fellow Hampton Roads rival forced the Marlins to play a hectic first half up and down the court, but they would eventually tire as VWC won 87-68.

The following week VWC took on Salisbury University, a team that defeated the Marlins two years ago. History would not repeat itself, however. The team beat the Seagulls 79-65.

VWC then traveled to Fayetteville, N.C., to take on Methodist University for the first road game of the year. Senior captain Greg Montgomery scored in double digits for the fourth straight game, leading the Marlins, by this point ranked 12th nationally, to an 89-71 win over the Monarchs.

SEE MEN’S BASKETBALL Pg.

VWC lights the way for tradition

BY RYAN BREEN rmbreen@vwc.edu

Campus will echo with the sounds of the 12 Days of Christmas. When the Virginia Wesleyan community gathers for the 31st Annual Holiday Tree Lighting on Dec. 5, at 5 p.m., students, faculty and staff will meet in the field behind Godwin to sing familiar and festive songs. During this year’s Tree Lighting, campus will pay tribute to a former Marlin who lost his life in a tragic accident, Slator C. Blackiston, a former French major here at VWC.

“The Tree Lighting is a very special part of the campus community,” said David Buckingham, Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Enrollment Services. “The Tree Lighting ceremony started in 1984. The ceremony is held every year to pay tribute to a former VWC student.”

“While Slator C. Blackiston was in training for the Navy Seals he tragically died due to a malfunction with his parachute. The college wanted to do something special to celebrate his life and a way for his memory to live on,” Buckingham said.

Patricia Sullivan, a former French professor at Virginia Wesleyan, proposed the idea of the campus-wide tree lighting. Since Blackiston was interested in language, Sullivan thought it would be special to incorporate songs in different languages to the event.

Mavel Velasco, a Spanish professor at Virginia Wesleyan said: “Singing songs in different languages during the tree lighting is a perfect way to remember someone who liked and appreciated speaking a

Model UN wins big

The team traveled to Rome, Italy to attend an international conference and wins an award

BY DOUGLAS HARDMAN ddhardman@vwc.edu

Over the course of 10 days, six Model UN delegates and their adviser embarked on a global escapade to Rome to attend the National Model United Nations - Europe Conference. From Nov. 20 to Nov. 30, the delegates debated, discussed, and proposed conflict resolutions while representing Australia. Not only did the team traverse the globe, they also returned home with the Distinguished Delegate award, the second highest award granted by the conference.

Aubrey Westfall, assistant professor of political science and Model UN Adviser, chaperoned the delegates on the trip and was very pleased for the students she accompanied.

“I love watching the students grow during the experience,” Westfall said. “Each conference brings its own challenges, and the students must be innovative and passionate to find solutions. It’s a lot of fun to witness so much collaboration and creativity. Model UN students give me hope for the future.”

It was the delegates’ job to grasp the understanding and working of Australian politics.

“We were responsible for in-depth research regarding Australia in all facets, socially, geographically, and politically. We acted as if we were delegates from Australia and had to make decisions from that mindset,” said senior Aoife Branco,

the delegate of the General Assembly committee. The purpose of giving students these types of research tasks is to get the younger generation engaged with politics and show them how innovative and productive politics can be.

Students from numerous organizations attended the international conference, representing a vast array of cultures and societies. Sophomore Alexander McComb, a delegate of the Security Council, explained some of the topics that were covered at the conference.

“On the Security Council we discussed such topics as how to utilize women to promote peace and security and how to ensure the safety of journalists in armed conflicts and to end impunity for those who perpetrate violence against journalists. We had to deal with an extra ‘crisis’ that was presented to us mid-session about the crisis in Ukraine, which brought to light ‘new hostilities and violence in the region.”

Senior Jessica Mackey led the students as head delegate of the Security Council, and she described the unique challenges that accompanied this role.

“Being head delegate comes with many responsibilities and expectations, most of which begin way before the conference actually begins,” Mackey said. “The head delegate assists any participants in the conference in preparation for the conference through research avenues and the

Costs of college exist long after graduation

BY VANESSA SMITH vlsmith1@vwc.edu

College student debt has long passed the amount of credit card debt in America and is the most common form of increasing debt among 18- to 24-year-olds. Student loan debt rose at an average of 6% per year from 2008 to 2012. In 2011, student debt averaged $26,600. In 2012, the average college graduate was $29, 400 in debt. The graduating class of 2013 averaged $35,200 in debt. College students across America can expect these numbers to continue increasing.

Federal regulations require that students who have received a Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education Grant complete an exit counseling session. This exit counseling session provides information about the terms and conditions of a TEACH Grant service agreement, as well as the rights and responsibilities that apply.

During the last week of October, Loan Coordinator and Financial aid counselor Elizabeth Payne sent out an email regarding all students that had confirmed they were not returning to Virginia Wesleyan College for the Spring 2015 semester. Payne said that about 50 students were to

go through exit counseling, whether they were graduating, transferring, or taking next semester off. At the meeting, Payne gave students their individual loan statements and helped guide students down payment paths that might work best for them. Students learned about different payment plan options, but Payne reminded students that the longer the payments were drawn out, the more money they would pay in the end. Payne also made it clear loan repayment is a firm requirement. When going through exit counseling, one has to fill out three

SEE LOANS Pg. 2

WICKEDLY AWESOME

The Weekender reviews the spectacular and colorful Broadway play, “Wicked”

BY THOMAS MILLS tcmills@vwc.edu

“Wicked” is amazing. Simple as that.

Whether it is the colorful costumes worn by the cast in the Emerald City or the beautiful, and well-thought-out set design during the play’s iconic song, “Defying Gravity,” “Wicked” proves it still has the magic and spectacular energy that made the production so popular when it debuted 11 years ago in New York.

Starring Laurel Harris as Elphaba and Carrie St. Louis as Glinda, “Wicked” is an alternative telling of the 1939 film “The Wizard of Oz,” and L. Frank Baum’s book

“The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.”

The story of “Wicked” begins right after the events of the film, as The Wicked Witch of the West, Elphaba, has been killed by Dorothy and the people of Oz are celebrating her demise. The Good Witch of the South, Glinda, arrives to talk to the citizens of Oz soon after, only to discover that some citizens know about her friendship with the wicked green witch.

What follows is the main plot of the play, seen in one long flashback as Glinda reminisces about her initial dislike of and eventual friendship with Elphaba. The two characters form an unlikely bond at Shiz University, a school of magic. Elphaba is the lonely, unpopular witch girl while Glinda is the giddy, popular and privileged sorceress.

While “Wicked” does not dive into too much depth of the friendship at Shiz University, the play explores the impact and quality of the bond as it moves toward and into the second act.

The play itself is much darker than the 1939 film. In the movie, bright and vibrant colors presented acts of goodness and friendship while dark scenes, with deep blacks and high contrast, offered up actions of evil. However, in the play

“Wicked,” vibrant colors do not necessarily correlate to good deeds, offering up surprises in both acts.

Speaking of colors, the stage and art direction for “Wicked” is, well, wicked.

Lights are bright but not flashy. Colors are vibrant but not distracting. The props and set design are always moving, giving the audience the impression that there are brand-new sets and props in every single scene, despite the fact that they are often the same set and props. Subtly, this mastery creates a presence of consistency for the audience and actors.

SEE WICKED Pg. 7

The Christmas tradition roundabout

The Weekender explores Christmas traditions and cultures around the world

‘Tis the season to spread cheer, drink eggnog, give gifts and celebrate the birth of Christ (if you’re of a faith that celebrates said event). At least, that’s what many of us in America do. However, what do others do around the world? What differences are there in other cultures that add a new reality to a holiday many of us celebrate? Here are 10 countries that celebrate, or don’t, around this time of the year and some interesting traditions they have.

Latvia: Here, in the country that claims to have had the first Christmas tree, children have to work to receive their presents. No, not like manual labor, but cultural labor. This country prides itself on the fine arts education of the young and requires children to recite poetry, sing a song or play an instrument in order to get their presents.

China: The large majority of this population dense country does not celebrate Christmas or the season in any type of way. However, with the introduction of more Western cultural aspects, Christmas is beginning to catch on. Most of the trees used are plastic and are mainly decorated with paper ornaments, paper garments, and paper lanterns. Children also wrap apples in colorful paper and give them out as gifts to their elders.

Democratic Republic of Congo: This country celebrates largely on a religious scale, with little emphasis on commerciality or gift giving. Their pageant services begin early on Christmas Eve with the Creation and Adam and Eve and end early on Christmas day with the reenactment of King Herod killing the baby boys. The celebration on Christmas day consists of eating as well as they can afford, maybe even with the inclusion of pork and wearing the best clothes they own.

Czech Republic: Many of the activities and celebrations are similar to those we have here in the US, but they do have an interesting tradition for Christmas day. If you throw a shoe over your shoulder and it lands with the toe pointing towards the door, you’ll get married soon. So ladies, if you’re trying to drop hints to that certain someone, maybe give this a shot.

Lithuania: Cleanliness is very important during this season. Everyone bathes and wears freshly washed or new clothes. They clean out the home, animal pens and barns before they begin preparations for the dinner meal. Straw is the principle decoration and is scattered on the tables, floors and other furniture. It is used to remind people of the baby Jesus lying in a manger.

India: For those who celebrate Christmas in India, things need to be bit different due to the climate that makes it difficult to have pine or fir trees (traditional trees for Christmas). Many use banana or mango trees to decorate. In southern India they burn clay oil lamps on their flat rooftops to show their neighbors that Jesus is the light of the world.

Finland: As Santa is believed to live in the northernmost part of Finland (Korvatunturi for all you geography buffs) Christmas is heavily influential on the cultural dynamic in Finland. There is a large theme park called “Christmas Land” and the country receives millions of “Dear Santa” letters every year. day. If you throw a shoe over your shoulder and it lands with the toe pointing towards the door, you’ll get married soon.

BY ELIZABETH SIMS ecsims@vwc.edu

Pakistan: December 25th is a public holiday in celebration of Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan. Instead of nativity scenes there are “crib scenes” where people decorate mangers or cribs to honor the birth of the Christian Jesus, even though only a small portion of the population is actually of any Christian faith.

THE MARLIN UNDERTOW / By Aoife

WATCH THIS:

“Star Wars: The Force Awakens” trailer:

The newest “Star Wars” is already turning out to be a force to be reckoned with. Lucasfilm and Disney have taken on the newest installment of this cult classic. The 88-second-long teaser has a lot of treats for fans, complete with droids, light sabers, a rousing John Williams score, and the iconic Millennium Falcon flying once again. There has been some criticism surrounding the release of the trailer, but most fans agree it’s too soon to tell if the film will live up to the hype.

VIEWS: Over 40 million in 3 days

Branco

LISTEN TO THIS:

Vitamin String Quartet:

Vitamin String Quartet is a musical group from Los Angeles, California, that is widely known for its series of tribute albums to rock and pop acts. Songs like “Yellow” by Coldplay, Fall Out Boy, Green Day’s “American Idiot” and many more have been stripped of their lyrics and rock feel and replaced by the soothing sounds of string instruments.

NUMBER OF SONGS: A LOT

DRINK THIS:

Starbucks Chestnut Praline

Latte:

This year, Starbuck is rolling out its first new holiday drink in five years. The drink is a blend of espresso and the flavors of caramelized chestnuts, with freshly steamed milk, topped with whipped cream and spiced praline crumbs.

CHOICES: Hot, Iced, Frappucino

The MARLIN CHRONICLE

Editor-in-Chief

Thomas Mills tcmills@vwc.edu

Managing Editor

Aoife Branco acbranco@vwc.edu

News Editor

Jessica Mackey jlmackey@vwc.edu

Community Editors

Rayven Davis rdavis@vwc.edu

Kaci Parker klparker@vwc.edu

Opinions Editors

Doug Hardman ddhardman@vwc.edu

Shakira Mills sdmills@vwc.edu

The Weekender

Elizabeth Sims ecsims@vwc.edu

Sports Editors

Kellie Lagoy kalagoy@vwc.edu

Kerri Taylor ktaylor@vwc.edu

Photo Editors

Anthony Dellamura aadellamura@vwc.edu

Kayla Skeete krskeete@vwc.edu

Illustrations Editor Richard Cremin rjcremin@vwc.edu

Online Editor

Maurice Reed mreed@vwc.edu

Online Photo Editor

Emily Joy emjoy@vwc.edu

Copy Editors

Sarah Antozzi scantozzi@vwc.edu

Courtney Jones cajones1@vwc.edu

Advertising Representatives

Kayla Brown kabrown2@vwc.edu

Courtney Herrick clherrick@vwc.edu

Advisor Dr. Lisa Lyon Payne

The Advice Tank

Dear Advice Hank, I enjoyed Thanksgiving with family and friends but now, finals are approaching and I now have to get all of my work completed by this week. I don’t know what I’m going to do. There’s just no way I can get this stuff done. Should I just give up and try again next semester?

-Contemplating Later Graduation

Dear Contemplating Late Graduation, Unfortunately, it’s not worth it because you’ll still have to complete the work only at a later date. First step: prioritize. Make a list of all the rest of your assignments and goals for the rest of the semester, include how many page numbers you must accomplish, if there is a requirement. Then, make a day by day schedule broken down to the hour and get ready to fill it in. Start with the assignments that will take the longest and plan for some major time on those. Fill in your “break time” from your bigger assignments with roughly 30 minutes of other assignments. Stay productive, if you find yourself falling asleep with your eyes open take a cold shower, eat an apple, something to keep you going. Also, if you are going to nap, the Mayo Clinic recommends only napping for 10 to 30 minutes, sometime during the midafternoon. My last piece of advice is to find the best spot for studying. It may not be the library, it could be one of the lounges around campus or a deserted corner.

Rest Easy and Good Luck, Advice Hank

HOLIDAY TREE LIGHTING

CONTINUED FROM FRONT

foreign language. Students, at least my students, really enjoy practicing and later performing the songs.” “It is very important to remember all of the positives that the tree lighting sheds on the campus,” said Buckingham, “It truly shows how the campus can come together to laugh, cry and to celebrate. It opens the eyes of the participants and allows them to forget about life, even for a little while. The event is very special. It is the ideal way to close the semester and it is a great way to release energy.”

The Annual Holiday Tree Lighting is something that many students look forward to each year.

“I really like how everyone has their candles and how they are happy,” junior Joshua Currier said. “It feels like a big family. I see VWC as another home for me.” Currier lives in Peterborough, Ontario. Currier misses his family and the traditions that they uphold while leading up to the holidays. Currier also said, “I love doing various Christmas activities with my family leading up to Christmas. With being so far away I miss out on them. Therefore, the lighting is something that reminds me of the fun Christmas traditions I used to do back home.”

Madison Carroll, junior, also expressed what the tree lighting meant to her. Carroll is a part of the women’s lacrosse team. Carroll said, “Our team loves being part of the tree lighting because we get to stand along other teams and organizations and sing songs like the ‘Twelve Days of Christmas.’”

Ajee Church, a member of Sigma Nu said, “The tree lighting promotes unity between Greeks, non-Greeks, athletes, non-athletes and faculty. It doesn’t matter who you are, you are welcome at the tree lighting.”

Buckingham said, “The Tree Lighting is something that the students look forward to every year. The Tree Lighting is very special.

We all appreciate the sense of community that this event manifests. It speaks to vibrancy and strength of this community. The Tree Lighting will once again bring the community of VWC together. There will be old traditions during the event, as well as some newer twists such as the Vocaloholics performing.”

Associate Professor of French Alain Gabon said, “The tree lighting is a community event that reasserts we are a community and highlights the traditional spirit and values of Christmas, as we are entering that season. But the tree lighting of Wesleyan also has its own specific tradition since it is associated with one of our students, as you probably know. And finally, it is also a way for the College to bless its students, faculty and staff as they are starting their busiest and possibly most stressful week of the semester, exam week. And we know we all can use a little dose of Christmas spirit that week.”

Campus supports philanthropies

campus sororities support the following:

“Virginia

--William

Step-by-step: revolution rules

BY DOUGLAS HARDMAN ddhardman@vwc.edu

Want to avoid a future like “The Hunger Games” or “The Giver”? Want to prevent dictatorship and denial of all freedom? If you follow some very simple steps, you can successfully overthrow your government before things begin looking like a dystopian young-adult novel (but perhaps minus the terrible love story).

1. Have a Cause Worth Fighting For

Like all good rebellions, you need a good cause to stand for. For today, inequality, health care, the economy and even Republicans are a good enough cause to get a revolution brewing. Simply make a stand and push it forward passionately. A good way is viral marketing. Make a YouTube video, or start a Kickstarter for donations. Make what you’re fighting for so important that overthrowing your government is the only way to see it through.

2. Find Your Mockingjay

Once you have a cause to stand behind, find the face of the rebellion. This must be a very persuasive person, good with words, attractive and ambitious. This cannot be just any person you find on the street. You need someone who can visually represent the cause, someone people can rally behind. It will have to be someone a whole population would be able to trust and put their lives on the line for. You shouldn’t have to coach the people on how to rebel. The desire should come straight from the heart to fight for what’s right.

3. Rally the Troops

Once you bring the face of your cause to the public, people will start listening and they will start following. All it takes

is a passionate speech, a rebel hand gesture and some fire to strike people’s attention. Once you have it, you had better hold onto it if you expect to get the rebellion off the ground.

4. Get a Theme Song

This is kind of just for personal flair, but it could be key for the cause. Whether it’s a whistle, a chant, or a song of a man hanging from a tree, you need something a group of people can sing along to. Some personal choices: “The Phoenix” by Fall Out Boy, “Underdog” by Imagine Drag ons, “The World Around You” by Papa Roach, or even “Safe and Sound” by Taylor Swift. Whatever song you choose as your anthem, make it loud and proud.

5. Strategy, Strategy, Strategy

Now, you got their attention, but it’s time to go on the offense, with propaganda films, recruitment and even at tacks, if necessary. Have a list of demands, and do what ever it takes to have them met. You want Congress gone? Get them out. Violence is not necessarily the route to use, but the minute they shoot one bullet at you, prepare for war. They will go down swinging, and so should you.

6. Negotiate

Not everything will go over smoothly. Compromise could be very crucial in getting your cause the big “W.” If things start going astray, make sure you have a backup plan. Be prepared to make a sacrifice for the greater good in order to keep going in the right direction. Do not negotiate un less it is absolutely necessary.

7. Always Be Direct and Forward

Keeping secrets from your people is a sure-fire way of getting an arrow shot into your skull. Be honest and open about what you’re trying to achieve, even to the enemy.

Make it short and simple, to show that your demands are serious and you mean business. What is the point in lying about what you want? This is an all-out revolution; there’s no going back at this point.

8. Keep the Body Count Low War is inevitable. People don’t like it when you stand up to them, so expect bloodbaths. But keep the body count aspared for it. Besides, in our government, the other side will obviously be the first ones firing, since they will literally shoot anything that has a different voice. Never shoot first; let them be the bad guys (that’s the whole point of this

Do not make empty threats, do not go back on your word, and do not ever, ever say something you don’t mean. It’s all in the wording. You say something: follow through! You say you are going to bring change? There had better be change! You say you are going to destroy Congress?

ute you go back on your word, your revolution will turn I hope this has been enlightening. Sometimes you havetreme measures. Maybe a new system needs to take hold.

low these steps and I can assure you that your revolution against the evil government could go off without a hitch.*

*Results may vary

Happy Holidays from the Chron Team!!

The most controversial time of the year

BY MICHAEL WILLSON mnwillson@vwc.edu

December is the most stressful time of the year. There are finals and holiday events, and you have to try really hard not to offend anyone. December means something different for everyone. For some it means Christmas, for others Hanukkah, and for some it means just getting a break from work and school.

You need to be very careful with what you say at this time in the year. If you say “Merry Christmas,” then you are accused of pushing Christianity on people. If you say “Happy Holidays,” then you are accused of declaring a war on Christmas. December is, without a doubt, the most controversial time of the year.

It is important to recognize diversity. Not everyone celebrates Christmas, and that’s OK. I believe that if you know the people you are talking to does not celebrate Christmas, or if you do not know what they celebrate, then you should say “Happy Holidays.” Better yet, if it’s during Hanukkah and you know they are Jewish, you should say “Happy Hanukkah.” That way, you are showing that you recognize and care about their holiday. You should also say “Happy Holidays” if you are talking to a group of people in which not everyone is Christian. By saying “Happy Holidays,” you are recognizing all of the December holidays: Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, etc.

A lot of Christians take offense at the term “Happy Holidays.” They feel that it is attacking Christmas. With all due respect, I feel that they are totally overthinking it. Nothing about the term “Happy Holidays” is in any way attacking

Christmas. They need to realize that not everyone celebrates Christmas and they should not take offense at that. If you are a Christian and someone tells you “Happy Holidays,” you should smile and say, “Thank you, you too.” You can interpret it as “Merry Christmas,” if you want to. That being said, I will agree that it does not make sense to say “Happy Holidays” if you know you are talking to a Christian. I would expect a message from a church to say “Merry Christmas.” If you go to church, then the odds are that you are Christian, which means you celebrate Christmas. I do not think it is right for a non-Christian to take offence when a church says “Merry Christmas.” It is important to note that Christmas is indeed a religious holiday. A lot of non-Christians celebrate the commercial aspect of Christmas, which is perfectly fine, but they should still recognize that it was originally a Christian holiday. I don’t think it’s right to edit “A Charlie Brown Christmas” to make it politically correct, and I don’t think it’s right to tell a family not to have a nativity scene on their front lawn.

I believe that the best thing to do in December is to recognize all holidays. Yes, that is possible. We can do that here at Virginia Wesleyan. We can have a Christmas tree behind Clarke Hall and have a menorah set up in Batten. We can listen to Christmas music, both sacred and secular, as well as Hanukkah and winter songs. Each holiday is special and unique in its own way. They all deserve the utmost respect and dignity. So if someone tells me “Merry Christmas,” “Happy Holidays,” or even “Happy Hanukkah,” I will smile and say, “Thank you, you too.”

The land of the, somewhat, free

BY SHAY MILLS

sdmills@vwc.edu

First things first. The recent legalization of gay marriage in select states has changed America for the better and made us all a part of history. We should be extremely proud. Nonetheless, with every victory on the side of a minority comes opposition. Despite the popular trend to amend laws against gay marriage, there are still people and states that refuse to accept homosexuals as people with the right to marry and insist on keeping the government involved in the institution. This is perfectly fine and even somewhat expected. The great political philosopher Drucilla Cornell once said that you knows for sure you live in a free society when you are offended by something at least once a day. But what exactly does this mean?

We live in America, and for as long as I can remember, this country has been famous for its liberated laws and the rights given to citizens, the first amendment being the most popular. These liberties also give individual states the power to either conform to or disregard popular laws. Again, this is perfectly fine and, in fact, expected. However, a part of living in a real free society is toleration, which is something that those five states are not demonstrating very well. It is one thing to still oppose same-sex marriage in general. I am sure there are hundreds of judges that cannot stand the idea of two men or women adopting such a traditionally heterosexual tradition. It is another to continue to withhold marriage from gays based on personal disapproval, despite the fact that gay marriage harms no one directly. Denying people

the right to marry, a civil and human right, is equivalent to saying they are not American citizens. Here is where the problem lies.

Believe it or not, the issue I am addressing goes beyond gay marriage. This country was founded on liberty, which I am sure every last state, from Delaware to Hawaii, believes in. So the fact that gay marriage is not legal in all states is contradicting the very values which this “free” society was founded on. That goes for all freedoms that have always been allowed, but limited without our even noticing it. I am not saying that everyone in the world should hang a rainbow flag in support. I am not saying that we are all supposed to agree on everything and live in hunky dory land forever. I am saying that if this country is to truly be “free,” it has to stop allowing the stifling of human rights based on popular opinion. If no one person or group of people is directly harmed, why limit something? Why not take the chance of being offended on a daily basis? This country seems to look at differences as if they are wild and to be avoided. Will chaos really break out if we stop suppressing how we feel? By the way, if you have been reading this article and still feel that this country is completely free, try walking into a movie theatre and yelling “Fire!” See where that lands you.

Think about it this way. According to Political Philosopher John Mill, people should not be forced to withhold a statement or opinion for three reasons: 1) the solution to an issue usually lies between two extremes; 2) opposition has the amazing ability of enhancing a popular argument by challenging and forcing it to prove itself; and 3) it might actually be true. Food for thought.

Overused usage

BY SARAH ANTOZZI scantozzi@vwc.edu

We, the speakers of English-language, have a rich vocabulary of well over a quarter of a million words at our disposal. We even have, for many things, multiple synonyms, each with their own shades of meaning. Yet, whether because of a societal whim or because people are trying to make something sound better than it is, right now several words and phrases are being beaten into the ground with overuse. Some of them are being used in place of other perfectly good ones, when they don’t even mean the same things. These are the words and phrases that seem the most overused.

1) Hero

Apparently, we are living in an extremely heroic era. Everywhere you turn, you may encounter a hero. Did a nice shopper run after you into the parking lot to bring you the bag of groceries you accidentally left at the checkout counter? That person is a hero! Right? Maybe not. We could simply call the person kind, thoughtful, considerate, or unselfish.

At the very least, let’s limit awarding the title “hero,” to those who take a great risk of their own lives or well-being for an unselfish cause—especially to spare others from serious danger. That cuts out all who perform excellent work in less-dangerous endeavors such as community improvement, environmental efforts, and perhaps the biggest field of “hero” overuse: sports.

The argument could be made that the world of sports has sports heroes, sports villains, etc., within it, because it is its own little world. But even if that’s true, we work this word to death for athletes. We will say that a football player who helped his team win the Super Bowl by performing decently well is a “Super Bowl hero.”

That’s over the top, if you ask me. If you are going to call someone a Super Bowl hero, it should be a player whose individual performance was truly stellar. A good example might be San Francisco 49ers quarterback Joe Montana, who marshaled his team to Super Bowl victory four times in the 1980s and ’90s with composure and precision. At the very least, it might be someone like wide receiver David Tyree, whose stunningly improbable pass reception—he held onto the ball between one hand and his helmet— saved the game for the New York Giants in the Super Bowl in 2008.

Better yet, let’s save the hero label for those in situations a bit more deserving than a football game. I’m no proponent of war, but the American soldiers who raised the flag on Iwo Jima during World War II come to mind.

2) Reach out

This phrase has three well-established contexts: 1) physically reaching one’s hand(s) out for/toward something or someone; 2) humanitarian efforts—an urban mission will reach out to the indigent by starting a soup kitchen, for example; 3) initiating emotional contact with someone else. But the phrase is increasingly being misused as an approximate synonym for the verb “contact.” Instead of saying “He called the congressman about the proposed legislation,” someone will say, “He reached out to the congressman over the proposed legislation.” This can give a mental picture of the man literally reaching to grasp the shoulder of a congressman whom he’s facing, over a desk on which the draft of a bill is lying. What usually happens to me, though, is that I seem to hear the rapid strumming of a bass.

Then the distinctive voice of Four Tops lead singer Levi Stubbs is quickly joined by those of his bandmates in singing: Reach out, reach out Reach out for me—hah!

I’ll be there, to love and comfort you...

WORDS

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6

(The song is “Reach Out (I’ll Be There),” a number-one hit from the 1967 album “Reach Out.”)

People are often taken aback when they hear a phrase being misused. My father called his insurance company one day to ask a minor question. As the company representative was wrapping up the call, she said to him, “Well, thank you for reaching out to us today.” He was surprised enough at hearing this that it took him several seconds before he responded, “Um...you’re welcome.” As he said to me later, “I didn’t know I was reaching out—I thought I was just talking to them.”

3) Just This word gets overused when people unaccustomed to talking to the media are interviewed. Like so: “We’re just so pleased Henry got the award, because he’s just a great person,” or, “This is just a wonderful event.” Probably, they feel shy giving their opinions to a reporter who will pass them on to the public. They throw a humble “just” in there to make it abundantly clear that they are not setting themselves up as an authority.

They really shouldn’t bother. Who is going to think the kind of quote the average citizen gives is really arrogant, anyway? We readers already know they’re merely giving us their own thoughts and feelings. So, people who are just being interviewed should just give their opinions, because it’s annoying to have to sift through a lot of excess verbiage to just get to find out what they are thinking.

4) Challenges

The first time I read this word being sub-

stituted for the plainer, clearer “difficulties,” it was by a man whose name I have long since forgotten, but I remember that he was in an occupation like public relations. I thought, “What a clever way to put a positive, motivational spin on the fact that they’re having problems in his company right now.”

I now have a public-service message for America: The cleverness in using this euphemism has all been used up. You can stop now. By this point, when you say that your organization is “facing challenges,” what your listeners actually hear is that it is having problems—with this important difference: they also hear that you are trying to soft-soap the fact.

How much better it would be to squarely “face up to the challenge” of simply admitting that something is not going well.

5) Issue

Has the beautifully simple and understandable English word “problem” been made taboo? I am asking because the word “issue,” like “challenge,” is substituted for it with an almost nauseating frequency. One may read or hear something like this every day: “There is an issue with the printer; it’s out of ink.”

“Issue” actually means “topic.” Probably the worst abuse of the English language listed here is this euphemism “issue.”

It leads to ridiculous statements like this:

“Due to issues with workers striking, the company was unable to issue its monthly newsletter on the issues under debate in the industry.”

You see? Three “issues” in one sentence, and one of them was completely unneces-

sary.

6) Give back Yes, I understand. If you feel that you’ve had a lot of help from others in your life, you might feel that your kind deeds are “giving back” to the pool of humanity the same sort of assistance you have received.

Nevertheless, sometimes one person does something nice or even magnanimous for another, (a) without feeling that he’s doing it because he somehow owes it to society, and (b) without feeling that the other person must now go out and look for someone else to be kind to.

To me, it cheapens someone’s efforts a bit to say he only performed a good deed because he was obligated to. Are we so legalistic that even our “spontaneous” kindnesses must be apportioned and allocated?

7) Diverse and 8) Hands-on learning

I got my fill of these two when I was in the process of choosing a college. It seemed every viewbook and brochure, no matter what the size, location, or type of institution, was under some sort of compulsion to trumpet the school’s diversity. And if I was told once, I was assured a hundred times that if I attended College X, I would have numerous opportunities for “hands-on learning.” Colleges put it in their advertising materials so much that they may have potential students asking, “Are we going to learn anything out of books?”

I like diversity and hands-on learning, myself. But one gets tired of hearing the same catchphrases from every school, when what one is really looking for are the things that make the schools different

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3

The actors of “Wicked” are equally impressive. Harris plays Elphaba with the grace and determination needed to convey the character’s strong will and beliefs. Supporting cast members John Davidson as the Wizard of Oz, Emily Behny as Nessarose (Elphaba’s sister), Ashley Parker Angel as Fiyero and Kristine Zbornik as Madame Morrible are all fantastic. Each actor breathes life into his or her respective character, providing the foundation, plot twists and humor needed to drive the play forward.

from each other—so that one can choose between them. Could everyone involved somehow come to an agreement that (with rare exceptions) all the colleges of America offer a diverse student body and opportunities for hands-on learning? Then we can take it as a given for most of them, and move on to other traits by which to evaluate the schools.

To sum up, the self-defeating thing about overusing and/or misusing a word is that eventually, the hearers or readers stop really paying attention to it.

For example, if someone frequently tells us that things are spectacular when they’re actually merely pleasant, we’re going to stop believing in his accuracy in using the word “spectacular.” So even if, one day, he is describing something that truly is spectacular, we will react, in our thoughts, as if he only told us it was pleasant. He’ll have devalued the word “spectacular” for us.

And let’s say someone frequently tries to soften the way he describes problems and difficulties by calling them something else, like “issues.” (Or let’s say he calls them “topics.” Why not? That makes as much, or as little, sense as calling them “issues.”) After a while that dodge doesn’t work anymore. We still know he’s talking about difficulties. So the maneuver led to ambiguity about the meaning of the words that were requisitioned for its service (like “challenges”), without even accomplishing its goal for very long. It was ultimately a waste of time, a waste of effort, and a waste of some good words.

The standout of the show, though, was Carrie St. Louis as Glinda. Bringing an Elle-Woodslike character profile to the Good Witch of the South, the sorceress is portrayed as a stereotypical spoiled, rich and attention-fueled blonde girl. Providing the right amount of humor, lightheartedness and fun to the play, St. Louis was a shining star in an already stalwart cast. Of course, since it is a Broadway show, one of the highlights of the play is the music of Oz. Each song is artfully choreographed and sung by the actors, setting the right mood for each scene. The highlight song was

the already famous “Defying Gravity,” which is used to end Act 1 of the show. Primarily sung by Harris, the song beautifully shows off her singing voice. The other famous tune, “For Good,” sung by Harris and St. Louis, is a fantastic display of music direction, singing and raw talent. “Wicked” is one of the most recognizable plays of our generation. It provides a fantastic, alternative telling to the already recognizable tale from Oz. If you have a chance, go watch one of the best Broadway shows going on right now. WICKED

A humbling honor

Men’s basketball All-American alumnus DJ Woodmore’s jersey is retired

attend the ceremony due to his oversea duties, was extremely humbled by the

honor. “Having my jersey retired means it’s forever. It means I’m able to walk into the gym 20 years from now and still see my name hanging up there.

But most importantly, it means I had the right people supporting me through it all,”

Woodmore said.

Woodmore, a 6-foot3 guard, recorded one of the most decorated careers in VWC basketball history.

He was a four-time All-American, a two-time South Region Player of the Year selected by the National Association of Basketball Coaches and D3hoops. com, the 2014 Virginia College Division Player of the Year, and a two-time Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) Player of the Year.

BY KERRI-LEANNE TAYLOR

ktaylor@vwc.edu

All-American alumnus DJ Woodmore is over 4,000 miles away playing professional basketball in Germany, but his presence is still being felt on campus. On Saturday, Nov. 15, as his old teammates tipped off against the College of New Jersey, Woodmore’s jersey was retired to the rafters in the Convocation Center, as the crowd roared in appreciation of its beloved basketball standout.

Woodmore, although unable to

“DJ is one of the best to ever do it in a Marlin jersey,” Assistant Coach Kevin Bridgeforth said.

Not only did Woodmore receive local, state and national honors, but he also had an astounding presence on the VWC basketball program. Woodmore led the Marlins to two ODAC championships and four straight NCAA Division III championship tournament appearances. He helped VWC to an overall record of 99-24 and a league mark of 5311 in four seasons. He also left the program as one

of the all-time best three-point shooters that VWC has ever seen. He hit a program-record 91 triples in his final season with the Marlins and recorded 242 triples in his career, ranking him second among VWC’s all-time leading long-range shooters.

Although he has an impressive list of accolades, Woodmore shies away from any personal credit for his successes. “It’s definitely an honor to have my jersey retired, but the credit goes to my teammates and coaches over the years. They are the ones who gave me the opportunity and put me in the position to be successful. I never thought I would have such an impact on the program but Coach Macedo had tremendous confidence in me from the day he re-

cruited me,” Woodmore said. In addition to impacting the basketball program at VWC, Woodmore also left a lasting impression within the campus community. “The numbers and awards only speak half the story,” Bridgeforth said. “DJ is a great person as well. He is one of the best sportsmen I have ever seen, and one of the most humble human beings I have ever encountered. His jersey being retired is very deserving because he worked so hard for everything that he got.”

Woodmore is currently playing for Bis Baskets Speyer, a member of Germany’s Pro B League, and is continuing to make his presence known overseas. Woodmore starts at the guard position,

and averages 14.4 points, 5.6 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game.

Although Woodmore is dominating overseas, he still remains humble about his success. “It’s been a good rookie year so far. I’m still learning and adjusting to the different rule changes of the Euroleague, but it’s coming along well,” Woodmore said.

Alhough Woodmore is continuing his impressive career overseas, his legacy still inspires VWC student athletes on a daily basis. His jersey serves as a constant reminder of the incredible feats that can be accomplished when talent, hard work and determination combine effectively.

“DJ will forever be an example of what a student-athlete should strive to be,” Bridgeforth said.

Men’s basketball starts strong

MEN’S BASKETBALL CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

“We get off to good starts year after year because of the leadership from upperclassmen, continuing to follow the example set by past teammates, and we feel very strongly that we have the best coach in the country,” Montgomery said.

Montgomery has been essential to the Marlins’ early success this season, averaging nearly double-double numbers. So far, the senior is leading his team with 19 points per game and 8.2 rebounds per game, all while shooting an impressive 55.6% from the field.

“My role has definitely increased,” Montgomery said. “We lost a lot of scoring and leadership from last year, and I felt like it was my turn. My role has increased significantly as a defender, scorer, but also

during the starting line-ups in the Marlins’ game against The College of New Jersey on

as a leader. I love it and I know that it is my last chance to be a part of this team.”

Of course, one player can’t win a game, and Montgomery knows that. “I credit my success so far this season to my teammates and my coaching staff for having supreme confidence in me. When I’m playing with confidence I feel like the sky is the limit,” Montgomery said.

One teammate whom Montgomery has been able to count on for consistent production is fellow senior and team captain Cam Owens.

Owens has been a consistent shooter for the Marlins, scoring 15.8 points per game while shooting 54.8% from the field. The senior has also proven to be a lethal shooter from behind the arc, posting a 57.9% shooting percentage from the three-point line. Owens has also done it on the defensive side of the ball, averaging close to two steals per game. Like Montgomery, Owens

says he feels that he could not be successful without his teammates.

“Everyone has a role to play, and when your teammates have confidence in you and look for ways to get you the ball, there is no better feeling,” Owens said.

In order to have such a consistent program over the past few years, a coach is needed who approaches every game the same way. So how does head coach Dave Macedo get his players ready for every game?

“I’d say our preparation is something that sets us apart from other teams,”Owens said. “He scouts other teams for hours so we know their key players, what types of plays they run, and what we need to do to win. Having Coach Macedo gives us a huge competitive advantage.”

NEXT GAME: VWC v. Guilford College

WHEN: Dec. 6

WHERE: Guilford College, Greensboro, NC

Virginia Wesleyan now turns its attention to ODAC play. The Marlins should expect heavy competition with the target they have on their backs as returning conference champions. One thing is for sure, the ODAC is definitely not going to get any easier.

“I expect it to be brutal, I expect it to be as competitive as ever, and I expect that, night in and night out, that we will have to be at our best each time we hit the floor,” Macedo said.

King’sorner

Work smarter, not harder

CONNOR KING is a junior majoring in communication

Over an 18-year period, 3,100 students at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNCCH) enrolled in classes that did not exist.

Of those students, 47.6% were athletes at the university, who were directed to do so by academic counselors. The classes were part of the African and Afro-American Studies program, which only required papers, and no attendance.

In 2005, the UNCCH Men’s Basketball team won the national championship. During the two semesters of their season, players were enrolled in 35 of these fake classes.

The underlying problem at UNCCH is not that the athletes took sham classes, but that the cover-up involved the athletic department as well as the African and Afro-American Studies program. Student athletes from the Division I level all the way to the Division III level usually at least take a lighter course load in season, myself included. Usually, they only take the minimum required credits to be full-time students in the spring. College athletics take up more time for an athlete than any class does, and at UNCCH most of those athletes are trying to continue to have a paying career through their sport, after graduation. Instead of pointing the finger at the athletes, or even their supervisors and coaches, the NCAA’s outdated standards for athletes should be questioned. The basketball and football teams at any Division I school are big businesses that will bring in millions of dollars of revenue each season. Not only are these players in practice and team meetings throughout the day, they often are traveling all over the country to compete while still enrolled in school. The NCAA requires student athletes to finish at least 80% of their degrees in the first four years they are at the school under scholarship, allowing athletes five years to graduate. In the case of high-profile basketball teams, they are expected to keep up with classes while traveling all over the country for non-conference games, first during the latter part of the first semester, and then again in the second semester when the NCAA tournament starts in March . Fall and spring sports’ national tournaments both go through the end of their respective semesters, making them travel during the busiest parts of the semester. While allowing for an extra year for graduation may seem generous, at the Division I level there is more traveling and time commitment involved in the sport, taking away the time necessary to study.

Comparatively, in Division III, athletes are required to have at least 12 credit hours per semester to be eligible to compete, which means being enrolled for three classes at Virginia Wesleyan. Taking just three classes during a semester can cause problems with graduating on time, but often athletes are making up the hours, either over Winter Session or summer break. Virginia Wesleyan athletes are required to have a cumulative GPA of 2.0 during their season, or 1.8 if the athlete is a freshman with only one semester completed. While different coaches have different standards for their teams, all members of all athletic teams are told about the NCAA standards at a meeting in the beginning of each school year. These academic standards may seem low to some, but they are the strictest rules of the three divisions within the NCAA.

The NCAA still has not released its ruling on how to handle the proven academic fraud at UNCCH, but the university has taken steps to prevent a cover-up from happening again.

Tough start, high hopes

Women’s basketball starts their season 2-3, but they hope to get back on track soon

BY MADISON CARROLL mlcarroll@vwc.edu

With the beginning of their season in full swing, the Virginia Wesleyan Women’s Basketball team has faced some tough competition. Holding a current record of 2-3 and 1-0 within the ODAC conference, the Marlins have battled hard on the court to compete against their opponents.

Starting their season with a close loss to Widener 64-62, the Marlins could have let this set the tone for the games that followed. Instead, the team showed up the following day with a massive win over York College 77-39. The next week, VWC fell just short against Salisbury, but once again, responded to the loss with a win in the following game against Washington and Lee, seizing their first conference win.

The Marlins have been using the losses as an opportunity to learn from their mistakes early on in the season. Senior Kerri-

Leanne Taylor feels that it is only a matter of time before the Marlins reach their full potential this season.

“We’ve had an inconsistent

start to the season, but with so many newcomers and people returning from injury, it’s going to take time for us to come together and play our best,” Taylor said. “We just need to keep improving and learning every day in practice.”

Though the start of their season wasn’t ideal, the Marlins are confident that there is great success in their future.

“The start of the season isn’t exactly what we wanted,” senior Nancy Kelly said. “We know we still have a lot of work to do, but I’m confident that we can get it done.”

This level of confidence seems to be matched by all the members of the Women’s Basketball team, from the players to the coaching staff.

After last season’s ending with a loss to Guilford in the ODAC quarterfinal game last year, the Marlins are setting their sights on an ODAC championship win this season. With a strong, experienced group of upperclassmen to lead the way, along with a healthy roster, the Marlins have all the right components to become a dominant force within the

It’s good for the sole

Women’s lacrosse holds 5K fundraiser on campus

BY KELLIE LAGOY kalagoy@vwc.edu

Before the semester comes to a close, students, faculty and others in the campus community can run 3.1 miles on the Virginia Wesleyan campus. The Women’s Lacrosse team has set up a 5K run to raise funds for their team this year. The team has held a few fundraisers already this year to try to solve financial problems they have encountered. They put on a bake sale and did a fundraiser with Chipotle, but the Santa Run will be their big-

Richard Cremin|Marlin Chronicle

gest fundraiser this year. Senior defender Amari Agee said she hopes that this will become an annual event for the team.

The event will be held on Dec. 5 from 2:45 p.m. until 4:30 p.m. Registration and check-in will be held outside the Hofheimer Library before the race begins. The registration fee ranges from $5 to $30, depending on whether the runner is a student or other campus community member. After the race concludes, the team will be handing out prizes for the best Santa costume.

ODAC conference. Junior Kelly Jones believes that this is the year they will come out on top.

“This year we have a great group of ladies that want to win for each other,” said Jones. “We work to get better every day, either in practices or in games. This year is different from the past couple of years because we have a sense of urgency. We have a lot of experience by having five seniors and two juniors. We have everyone back from injuries, and we know we can make a difference this year in the ODAC.”

With a dedicated group of upperclassman leaders on their way out, the underclassmen appear to be just as eager to rise to the occasion and help the Marlins succeed.

“This year is really special because we have five seniors who are really dedicated and love this game and this team so much,” said Kelly. “We know it’s our last season and our last chance, and we’re going to do everything we can to win it, but we also have a big freshman class that pushes us in practice and has a lot to offer.”

Not only do the upperclassmen bring a strong presence to the

NEXT GAME:

VWC v. Guilford College

WHEN: Dec. 6

WHERE: Convocation Center

court, but the underclassmen play a driving role in the team’s outcome as well. In a game against Stevenson on Sunday Nov. 30, sophomore Crystal Strother led the team with nine points during the game. Though the Marlins were unable to come out on top against Stevenson, their attitude remains hopeful.

“The loss may be just what we needed to spark the fire in order to come together,” said senior Symonne Newsome. “We need to work extremely hard this week in practice so that we can make sure we get a win against Guilford.”

With a majority of their season still lying ahead, the Marlins are hopeful that talent and growing team chemistry on and off the court will help them push them past a tough start.

Soccer for everyone

BY ALEXIS PLATT amplatt@vwc.edu

Does having a Soccer Club here at Virginia Wesleyan come across as shocker to you?

Nathan VanRensselaer, the president of the club, freshman Bijan Epps, and junior “Billy” Lawson came together and formed the college’s first soccer club this semester.

“I wanted to start a soccer club for all the people who either do not have time to be on the school team or just wanted to have some fun,” VanRensselear. “We didn’t have a place for people to get together and just play soccer, so that’s why I got some friends and started it.”

VanRensselaer played soccer his whole life. He attended high school at Hereford High school in Maryland where they won a state championship. He also let it be known that he had played club soccer all his life.

The Club was originally only for men, but Layla Amarir, Stephanie Norwood, and Amber Morris decided that they wanted to be a part of the team.

You could say that the soccer club is basically a soccer team. The club has 22 people on the team. They have practice during the week, and sometimes they have practice players jump in for some extra help.

The club travels, and plays different colleges that have a soccer club. The Marlins have played ODU and tied, and they lost to JMU.

“We have a lot of games in the spring and we’ll be playing schools such as VA Tech and Radford,” Morris said.

The club is coached by Takewon. He is also a club coach for local teams in the Virginia Beach area. The Marlins practice Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 4 p.m., and they play pick-up soccer every Tuesday and Thursday from 9-11 p.m.

“I personally joined the club team as a way to continue to play soccer. I originally played on the Women’s team my freshman year; however, I decided not to come back my sophomore year. Club has given me an opportunity to still play without as much commitment or pressure,” Morris said.

Although it’s recommended everyone comes to practice, it isn’t required as it would be on the varsity teams. A lot pf pressure was taken off not having tryouts to be a part of the club team.

“It’s a more relaxed environment: however, some people take it more seriously than others, so practice can get frustrating. We have a lot of different skill levels so it’s definitely a lot of improvement that needs to be done before we start the spring season,” Morris added.

“I wanted to not only get together with some friends and play, but I also wanted to compete against other schools. This gave us an opportunity not only to get together and have fun but also compete,” VanRennsselaer said.