The Marlin Chronicle THURSDAY 9.17.26|| MARLINCHRONICLE.BATTEN.EDU
BATTEN UNIVERSITY
Batten University|Courtesy Batten University acquired the Sentara College of Health Sciences (SCOHS) in June and in August announced the plans to construct a building dedicated to the college.
Sentara College developments unfold BY ISAAC FICK EDITOR-IN-CHIEF ihfick@batten.edu
Batten University has begun its initial planning for the upcoming Sentara College of Health Sciences (SCOHS) building. This building follows recent renovations to Blocker Hall that have adjusted it to be
health sciences centered. Before spring break this year, Batten University President Scott Miller said the university moved non-science-related faculty offices from Blocker to other locations, such as Bray and Allen Villages. This move made room for the official June 30 acquisition of SCOHS. Miller said SCOHS classes are currently being offered at the
SCOHS campus in Chesapeake, but all classes are expected to be held on Batten’s campus beginning Fall 2027. “It is our intent to fully move everything from the Chesapeake campus to this campus by next summer,” Miller said. Dean of SCOHS Megan Hunsinger said the class she is teaching is in Blocker, but most other classes are still in
Chesapeake with faculty offices and some meetings on Batten’s campus. “It really comes down to more logistics of who is where and when, but I think so far everybody’s navigated those waters fairly well,” Hunsinger said. Jason Seward, chief operations officer and vice president for enterprise strategy, said starting June 30, SCOHS faculty had two
weeks to move their resources to Batten’s campus with the help of university-contracted RCS Moving. “They were great with coming in over the summer and packing up their offices, and I think excited about the change and what’s to come,” Hunsinger said.
See SCOHS Page 2
Campus mourns loss of Victor Dorsey BY AIDEN CROGHAN MANAGING, NEWS EDITOR accroghan@batten.edu
Batten University|Courtesy
Victor Dorsey, the longtime director of safety and security for our campus community, unfortunately passed away on Aug. 29. As a member of our campus community, Dorsey will be remembered for his smile and his 21 years of service to our university. Current Director of Safety and Security Carl Cartwright said, “Chief
was a good and dedicated man who loved his family and friends as well. We all lost a small piece of ourselves. RIP Chief.” Dorsey, affectionately called Chief by many, retired in February of this year. He was known for his on-the-ground involvement with the rest of the security team. “Chief Dorsey was a hard worker. He could always be counted on. Although he was the director of security, he was still out helping his security officers in the field patrolling the campus. He will be
greatly missed,” Randy Lott, senior shift supervisor within campus security, said. Before his service on campus, Dorsey gave 20 years of service to the United States Navy. He is survived and remembered by Constance, his wife of 40 years, and their daughters Tiffany, Shelby and Brianne. Keep Chief’s commitment to this campus, which he kept for longer than many faculty members, in your thoughts, and his family, friends and coworkers in your hearts while they process their loss.
New athletic director Inside Look: wind project fires up new season Offshore progress sneak peek BY JAMES BROOKS STAFF WRITER jbrooks1@batten.edu
James Hill|Courtesy Coach Brandon Elliott celebrates a huge win against Case Western Reserve University, beating them 10-0 on the first day of the 2026 NCAA Super Regionals.
Head Softball Coach Brandon Elliott ‘03 accepted the position of executive director of intercollegiate athletics at Batten University May 2026 following Andrea Hoover-Erbig’s five-year tenure. Elliott is not a new face to the campus. He has been with the university since 1999 and graduated in 2003 with a degree in communications. He played baseball all four years as a student, winning two Old Dominion Athletic
Conference (ODAC) titles and serving as a captain of the 2007 team that went 34-9. After graduating, Elliott served as the Virginia Wesleyan College assistant baseball coach until 2007 when he took over the head softball coach position. Since 2007, Elliott has amassed a 721-1602 record, 12 ODAC championships and regular season championships (best end of season record), 16 NCAA appearances and three national championships (2017, 2018, 2021).
See ELLIOTT Page 8
Isaac Fick and Caston Christman|Marlin Chronicle
Port of Virginia|Courtesy The Port of Virginia’s land, which is federally owned, is being used for offshore wind project construction.
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Step inside the galleries; Art highlights across campus, display work from Marlin nation and b e y o n d -- Page 5
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Thursday September 17, 2026 The Marlin Chronicle marlinchronicle.batten.edu
News
‘These cameras were not put up for a vote’ There are over 100,000 Flock cameras in the United States, which utilize AI to detect criminal activity, with over 176 located in Norfolk.
Aiden Croghan|Marlin Chronicle Six Automatic License Plate Recognition (ALPR) cameras are located around the intersection of Northampton and Wesleyan Dr. BY DANI YOST STAFF WRITER cdyost@batten.edu
Norfolk City Council voted to begin using Flock cameras in 2023. Flock cameras are owned by a private company, Flock, that works with many local governments and private companies, including universities. They utilize AI to read plates, analyze audio and video to trace patterns and make suggestions to law enforcement. Norfolk has 176 Flock
cameras as of 2026, which Henry Reed, a Deflock Norfolk committee member, said doesn’t include ones part of Norfolk State University (NSU) or Old Dominion University (ODU). Reed said there is a state law requiring an audit process be done, but Norfolk doesn’t plan on starting the process until 2027, which means the number of cameras likely won’t be public knowledge until 2028. Deflock Norfolk has tried to receive private audits. However, Reed
SCOHS CONTINUED FROM PG. 1 Chair of Nursing Judith Johnson said some nursing faculty shared with her that being on the Chesapeake campus feels isolating. “It’s not so much about not having things they need; they have what they need. But it’s about lacking the time to or the opportunity to socialize with the rest of the faculty, with me, with the rest of the leaders, like we used to do before,” Johnson said. Hunsinger said advantages of the relocation have been connections between SCOHS and Batten faculty and students. She said SCOHS now has exposure to share opportunities with pre-health care students. Seward said he selected contractor RD Lambert for the Blocker renovations, which has worked on several projects for the university and is a premier contractor for Chesapeake Regional Hospital System. Miller said the Frank Blocker Jr. Foundation and Mary Morton Parsons Foundation provided funding for the roughly $600,000 renovations. Seward said he met with Sentara leadership and Batten faculty to discuss what conversions Blocker required, which were decidedly versatile spaces. “One day it could be set up to be a series of hospital beds in there, and training and instruction on one specific thing,” Seward said. “The next week it could be set up completely different because there’s plenty of power outlets, there’s plenty of bright light, there’s the four-foot hospitalsized doors that you’re used to in hospitals and other medical settings.” The university has made its first steps toward the new $35 million health sciences center. Sentara leadership and Batten
said the records just state that the audit occurred and disclose nothing else. Sean Malmstrom, a Norfolk resident, said there should be more transparency from both Norfolk and surrounding universities on the amount of cameras there are and where they’re located. “I feel like the public has the right to know if they’re being watched,” Malmstrom said. He said he feels that not knowing where cameras are can cause a lot of people to lose
faculty met to discuss what the building will require. “With a new building, we have the opportunity to put modernized new equipment, new simulation technology,” Hunsinger said. Johnson said modern healthcare simulation equipment is a very important part of the curriculum and attractive to students. Derck & Edson, a landscape architecture and engineering firm specializing in campuses, downtowns and athletics; Pennoni, a consulting engineering firm; and Hourigan, a construction &
trust in a system that is meant to protect and possibly save their lives. He said that expecting people to believe that camera data isn’t being used maliciously while not telling us where they are is a slippery slope, especially considering that some are near playgrounds and other children’s areas. “It seems like they’re trying to make everyone out to be a possible criminal. What is a kid on the playground doing to be monitored by police?”
development firm, are working together, so far involving drawings and pricing, Miller said. Miller said they made the initial submissions on the site development, designed the outside and performed core drillings. Miller said before work begins on the inside, weight distribution of the building, storm water drainage and parking need to be addressed. The building’s location will require an adjustment to roads by adding parking. Miller said while there is no specific plan yet, he expects that after breaking ground,
Malmstrom said. Flock used a Dunwoody, Georgia camera to sell police departments on the capabilities of the cameras, Reed said. “Some of the demo footage shown was of playgrounds, of a swimming pool. They even had pictures inside of a children’s gymnasium,” Reed said. Reed said he assumes that the reason university campuses use them is for security surveillance. “Believe it or not, NSU was the first larger body to use Flock cameras in the area. They used them before Norfolk,” Reed said. Reed said the students should be able to vote on whether or not they want this sort of surveillance on their campus. Neveah Atkins-Cramer, a sophomore said she was not aware that Flock cameras have a presence on some university campuses. Atkins-Cramer said she feels like they’re an invasion of privacy and that people should be able to voice their opinions on whether or not they are put in the area. Reed says that he does believe that there should be some sort of warrant process in order to get footage from Flock cameras, however from a legal standpoint this would not be a possibility. “There is no 4th Amendment protection of privacy from corporations,” Reed said. Reed said his biggest concern isn’t necessarily the police, but the company, Flock. Citizens have no grounds to say that Flock shouldn’t have access to the data, because they have a contract with the city. If the city gives Flock an area to have a camera and use it to collect data, the company then owns that data, Reed said. Malmstrom said that while he doesn’t believe that you should need a warrant to get access to the cameras’ data, he does believe that there should be more restrictions on who and how they use them. “These cameras were not put up for a vote,” Reed said. “I believe that people should be able to vote on anything that affects them,” Malmstrom said, adding that this is something that affects everyone.
a new roadway will cut through Rose Lawn to make room for parking in front of the building. “I would say we’re on schedule so far,” Miller said. “The plan would be that probably late spring we would break ground, and the plan is to have everything completed and ready for occupancy in the summer of 2029.” Miller said once construction begins, they have to commit to the planned completion by July 1, 2029 so residence halls and facilities would be available for use that fall.
Batten University|Courtesy An aerial rendering shows the planned development for the new Sentara College of Health Sciences (SCOHS) building, which will be located on campus next to Blocker Hall.
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Thursday September 17, 2026 The Marlin Chronicle marlinchronicle.batten.edu
Virginia law limits local cooperation with ICE BY CLAUDIA SZYMD STAFF WRITER cszymd@batten.edu
Virginia lawmakers passed legislation in April 2026 to put restrictions on how state and local law enforcement agencies can enter into agreements with the federal government under the 287(g) federal program. The 287(g) program allows U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to train local police officers to enforce federal immigration laws, possibly changing the dynamic of law enforcement in the community. The Virginia law would place restrictions and change how the state and local law enforcement agencies could enter into agreements with the federal government. “Virginia's law is legally interesting because it doesn't just decline, it affirmatively restricts
Virginia State Bar|Courtesy Judge Robert Payne temporarily restricted local agenices' cooperation with ICE.
local agencies from choosing to enter these agreements, even if they wanted to,” James Moskowitz, professor of political science, said. In August 2026, Robert E. Payne, United States District Court judge for the Eastern District of Virginia, temporarily blocked Virginia in placing restrictions that would limit how local agencies cooperate with ICE, essentially blocking parts of the 287(g) program. According to the American Immigration Council, in 1996 President Bill Clinton signed 287(g) into law after it was established by Congress. The website said “287(g) agreements have resulted in widespread racial profiling.” ICE’s website says the 287(g) program can enhance public safety. Local agencies would be able to enforce certain U.S. immigration laws, such as processing removable immigrants. The ICE website says there are three different models that the existing localities can follow. The Jail Enforcement Model, the Task Force Model, and the Warrant Service Officer Model each offer varying levels of tasks that the officers would be equipped to do. The new provisions would require restrictions on existing agreements between federal and local officers starting Sept. 1. However, Payne’s decision means Virginia cannot enforce
the restrictions on the 287(g) program or existing agreements until the decision has made its way through the courts. “These agreements entangle local law enforcement in federal immigration enforcement, which undermines the trust communities need to report crimes and cooperate with investigations,” ABC Channel 8 News said. Payne is still reviewing the case proposed by Virginia to restrict the federal program. Abby Peck, coordinator for Student Success and Student Engagment at Batten University,said officers should stay within their jurisdiction. Batten University has a diverse student body with students from 32 different countries as of Fall 2025. The changes to Virginia’s immigration policies could have an impact on the university and community members’ safety and well-being. Meena Lennon, a senior international student from Ireland, said local officers “should be focusing on more community problems rather than trying to tackle such a wide issue such as immigration.” Not only do these immigration policies affect local communities, but they also continue to blur the lines in an ongoing debate between federal and state law. Moskowitz said it's not a new development for there to be tension between the federal and state levels. “Courts have long held that the federal government can't
Mia Diehl|Marlin Chronicle ‘commandeer’ state or local officers to enforce federal law,” Moskowitz said. The Supremacy Clause of the United States Constitution says federal law is supreme to state law. The Constitution’s 10th Amendment says powers not delegated to the United States are reserved for the states or the people. “That's the tension worth watching, not just in Virginia, but
anywhere states try to draw this line,” Moskowitz said. Federal officials have sued Virginia, claiming that the state’s laws violate the Supremacy Clause and interfere with the Federal Government’s authority over immigration. District courts continue to review the law. The case continues to be reviewed. Meanwhile, midterm election season is approaching with voting to take place Nov. 3.
Meta settles youth safety lawsuit for $17B BY MIA DIEHL NEWS EDITOR mjdiehl@batten.edu
In a landmark settlement, Meta has agreed to a $17 to $18 billion settlement with U.S. states and territories to resolve a major multi-state lawsuit. The multi-state consumer protection and child safety lawsuit against the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, founded by Mark Zuckerberg, involves 48 U.S. states and multiple U.S. territories and jurisdictions. The lawsuit was originally filed in October of 2023 by a coalition of state Attorneys General coled by California Attorney General Rob Bonta, Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser, Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman, and New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport and went to trial in Oakland, California on Tuesday Aug. 18, 2026. According to PBS, the states claim that Meta “deceived the public by creating ‘harmful and psychologically manipulative’ product features that encouraged ‘compulsive and extensive’ app use while saying those
features were safe.” These features include numbered likes and public reactions, beauty and cosmetic filters, targeted algorithms and the infinite ability to scroll. The states also claim that the company violated state consumer protection laws by collecting the data of users under 13. Meta denies all allegations. The company said it is under the protection of section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which describes that platform providers can not be found legally responsible for content that their users post. The settlement will require Meta to pay $17 billion to $18 billion over the course of 10 years and make significant changes to how its platforms operate to protect minors. Changes include a two-hour time limit for users under 18, a ban on displaying the number of reactions to posts made by minors and an option for young users to have a “non-personalized feed” meaning they would not see content generated by a targeted algorithm. Dr. Stu Minnis, chair and professor of media and communication, said
“Ultimately, it boils down to: their job is to sell ads. That’s how they make their money. Therefore, they will do everything they can to keep you engaged, which is just a polite word of saying addicted.” -Dr. Stu Minnis Chair and Professor of Media and Communication
Mia Diehl|Marlin Chronicle
it is important for users to understand that these companies do not exist simply to entertain users but also to make a profit by keeping them engaged. He said it's important to understand that the user is essentially the product. “Ultimately, it boils down to their job is to sell ads. That’s how they make their money. Therefore, they will do everything they can to keep you engaged, which is just a polite word of saying addicted,” Minnis said. “They’re concerned with making a product, and if that means, you know, having detrimental effects to their user bases, that’s what they’re going to do,” senior media and communication major Liam Castellano said. Dr. Leslie Caughell, chair and professor of political science, said that Meta, like other Big Tech companies, are very unpopular right now. “There's a very real sense in which a lot of Americans think the large tech companies are getting really, really rich off of them and doing things that they think are harmful and are not being regulated, and I think that's true,” Caughell said. Minnis, compared this lawsuit to class-action lawsuits brought against major tobacco companies in the early 90s. “The lawsuits weren’t about ‘let’s legalize cigarettes.’ They were about ‘hey, you guys produce a product that you know addicts users and causes physical harm, and you know those things. You’re ducking those things and you are marketing to young people,’”Minnis said. Minnis said successful lawsuits in recent years
have succeeded because of the approach they took. Instead of claiming that platforms such as Meta were publishing harmful content that is not protected under the First Amendment, the lawsuits are taking a consumer-safety approach. Caughell said that facts revealed about Meta in court are not making the company look good. Caughell said there are regulations and blockages they could put in place to make usage more difficult for younger users that they simply aren’t putting in
Mia Diehl|Marlin Chronicle place. “YouTube now is “They were essentially completely engagementlike, well, a teenager who driven. YouTube Shorts kills herself because of, you and Instagram Reels are know, depression. Like the the epitome of what these depression is the problem, companies are trying to and it's not our fault if we do,” Castellano said. intensify it. Which might Meta has added be a legal argument, but it's provisions to the settlement, not one that sounds great stating that some of the to say out loud,” Caughell restrictions they have said. offered are contingent Castellano said they on other platforms, such remember their first as YouTube and TikTok, experience with social taking similar steps. The media being YouTube amount that Meta pays and said the platform was will also increase if other vastly different from what companies agree to follow users see today. a similar framework.
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Thursday September 17, 2026 The Marlin Chronicle marlinchronicle.batten.edu
Earth & Environment
Research finds bloodworms may detect toxic metals BY ELLIOT FYLSTRA EARTH AND ENVIRONMENT EDITOR egfylstra@batten.edu
Bloodworms are carnivores that live in the sand, which are so sensitive to their environment that sudden changes will make them expel all the blood from their body. Research by Abby Boeckman, a senior biochemistry and special education major, found that bloodworms may reflect toxic levels of metal pollution in marine environments. Current research has focused on using plants to measure the most toxic metals. “The metals tend to adhere to sediments and substrates,” Dr. Maury Howard, professor of chemistry and advisor for Boeckman’s research, said. Plants can accumulate metals as they grow from the ground. There are few
Abby Boeckman|Courtesy Boeckman raised the bloodworms in her house, as their water had to be changed every two days.
marine animals that interact with the sediment enough to collect pollutants, but bloodworms live under the seafloor. “These worms have a direct line to heavy metals because of what they eat, and the mud and sand they burrow into,” Boeckman said. Species that reflect the condition of their environment are called bioindicators. Testing these species helps to identify contaminated locations. To test the worms, Boeckman gradually added toxic pollutants including copper, nickel, cadmium, lead and zinc to their tank. “Every two days I would have to change their water, because if it wasn't changed they would throw up all of their hemoglobin,” Boeckman said. The constant water changes limited the metals in the water, but allowed them to accumulate in the sediment the worms were living in. Cadmium, nickel and copper showed the greatest accumulation in the worms, Boeckman said, making it possible they could be bioindicators for those metals. Further research is needed to confirm. Bloodworms are used commercially as bait for fishing. If metals in marine sediments accumulated in the small worms, the fish that eat those worms would also ingest those metals until it eventually reaches species that humans eat. Large predatory fish are especially risky for humans. “People have had issues with tuna because they're bigger fish that predate other fish, and the longer they live and the more they eat the more metal builds up in their tissues. Mercury was one of the big concerns with tuna, for example,” Howard said. Even if bioindicators reveal that pollution had occurred, metals are difficult to remove from the environment. “They don’t degrade. They don’t break
Abby Boeckman|Courtesy With every water change, the concentration of nickel increased in the bloodworms. down. So it's getting them in places where they're at low levels, and that they're not going to be an issue as far as accumulating into biological systems,” Howard said. With no way to effectively remove metals, possible solutions to metal pollution include detection and dispersal, or collecting the metals before they contaminate natural areas.
"These worms have a direct line to heavy metals because of what they eat, and the mud and sand they burrow into." Senior Abby Boeckman Constructs like the Greer Environmental Sciences Center’s stormwater ponds collect pollution in runoff after rain. “The stormwater ponds are basically there as a sink for contaminants, so that
they don't end up in, say, Lake Taylor. They end up being trapped in sediments and not transported into an ecological system like a lake,” Howard said. Continuing research into toxic metals is important for protecting local and marine ecosystems, Boeckman said. Bloodworms remain an understudied species despite their interesting morphology. “They actually integrate copper into their bodies to form their teeth,” Howard said. “It would be interesting to see if you could manipulate the environment and if it would change the composition of the teeth by putting in different metals.” The inspiration of this research was from glancing through a magazine that mentioned the bloodworms, Boeckman said, later realizing how little was known about the species. They’ve found that blood worms may be an important bioindicator for marine ecosystems. “These little guys are crazy, and I would love to further my research on them. With further testing I'm positive I could confidently say they are bioindicators,” Boeckman said. While Howard said Boeckman’s defining characteristic during the research was her enthusiasm, she does not plan to continue it after graduating.
Port of Virginia|Courtesy The first of 176 wind turbines was finished in January, and as of March, it has started delivering energy to the power grid. The project was temporarily paused earlier this year by the Department of the Interior; however, work has continued, and the project is now 70% complete, with an estimated completion date of early 2027. The final wind farm is estimated to power around 660,000 homes.
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Thursday September 17, 2026 The Marlin Chronicle marlinchronicle.batten.edu
800 Virginia artists compete to have their artwork presented in MOCA BY KAMI WHISENHUNT COMMUNITY EDITOR
kjwhisenhunt@batten.edu
The “Made in VA” biennial competition will select 66 artists from Virginia to display their work at the Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) this year alongside the 2024 “Made in VA” winner, Vivian Chiu’s, solo exhibition. These will be open at the MOCA from Sept. 11 to March 21, 2027. “I’m really proud that we can connect artists and visitors and give them a really interesting moment of reflection, of conversation, of connection with some of the most important art in the world,” Heather Hakimzadeh, senior curator of MOCA, said. “We capped our applicant pool at 800, and we met our cap this year. They were able to submit up to three artworks each, so that meant there were over 2,100
images that had to be sorted,” Hakimzadeh, said. Hakimzadeh has been with the museum for 18 years. Hakimzadeh was a juror along with two others, Tyler Blackwell, curator of contemporary art at the Speed Art Museum in Louisville, Kentucky and Michelle MayCurry who is a curator based in Washington D.C. Hakimzadeh said the process involves two rounds of jurying, with the entire process taking more than a month. Judges thoughtfully consider each piece and give each a numerical score, which helps to eventually narrow it down. Hakimzadeh said the program garners attention from Virginian artists. She said the award for Best in Show includes $10,000 and a solo exhibition, which runs concurrently with the next “Made in VA” exhibition. The 2026 winner is Ethan Brown with his piece titled “The Council is a box
Paige Ziegler|Marlin Chronicle Fingerprints of community members hang in Rowena Finn’s art.
of rocks!”, according to MOCA’s website. Chiu’s solo exhibition will run as part of winning this prize from 2024. Her art features vaseshaped sculptures carved from wood, including pieces made from crates that were once used to transport vases. Hakimzadeh said much of Chiu’s work reflects her experience of leaving Hong Kong where she was raised, and returning to a place that no longer feels the same as it did when she left. The experiences behind the sculptures are personal to Chiu, but Hakimzadeh said viewers can connect to the feeling of leaving home and realizing it has changed. Hakimzadeh said MOCA takes providing regional artists with professional opportunities seriously. Rowena Finn and Andy Harris, artists from the Virginia Beach area, will have their pieces displayed in the “Made in VA” exhibition. Finn’s selected piece, “Crowd Control”, uses over 600 capiz shells, a translucent material connected to her Filipino background. Finn was born in Virginia and often uses materials from the Philippines in her artwork as a way to connect with her roots and bridge Filipino and American cultures. Each shell in her piece contains a fingerprint, which she gathered from members of the community. She asked friends and family to participate before collecting fingerprints from people who attended art museums, outdoor festivals and other events. After collecting them all, she covered each fingerprint with a 24-karat gold leaf before stringing the shells together to be an installation suspended from the ceiling. This is the first “Made in VA” biennial to be held in the new MOCA building on the Batten University campus. Hakimzadeh said the higher ceilings and larger space give more opportunity when setting up the artists’ work. “There was a sort of
Paige Ziegler|Marlin Chronicle Andy Harris’ collage crafted from inspiration on a Sunday drive. performance aspect that I wasn’t even expecting,” Finn said. “My favorite things about being an artist are having these conversations with people who get to view my work and tell me what they see in it,” Finn said. Her piece’s title became even more fitting after interactions as she thought about the different ways people choose to participate in sharing personal information with society. “Learning about the talent we have in our region; it’s so exciting. We’re doing this show every two years, and I am still surprised at the talent,” Hakimzadeh said. Andy Harris’ piece, “Half a House”, is a collage of photos of a house being torn down in Virginia Beach on 21st Street to be replaced by a townhouse complex. Harris said he watched this process happen along a route he drives every Sunday. “A lot of times, I photograph things that I might want to reference somehow for a painting, and I just was watching this house get torn down for a few weeks, and I photographed it in different stages of being torn down,” Harris said. He said he found himself
piecing the painting of the house together almost like a movie director pieces together a film. The other piece he submitted, which didn’t get chosen, focused on a high-end house he photographed in the North End area that he said may be worth several million dollars. Instead of focusing on the house, Harris said he became interested in what surrounded it. “When you’re looking at this beautiful house from the street, you just see all these crazy power lines and things from our infrastructure, and it struck me as a beautiful little moment that was happening all over the place down there. Our brains almost erase these things so we don’t ever see them; we just see the nice pretty house,” Harris said. Harris is a teacher, and he said it’s important to make connections between the practical and creative imagination. He said to take into consideration connecting these thoughts to other disciplines as well. Hakimzadeh said she loves moments of connection and hopes people take advantage of joining the conversation that art speaks to.
Guilfoyle examines nature through his artwork BY ABBY CULLEY STAFF WRITER
ahculley@batten.edu
The Neil Britton Art Gallery of the H.C. Hofheimer II Library opened its new exhibit, “Viewpoints to my World: Nature Inspired Ceramics and Photography,” on Sept. 3. The exhibit highlights the work of Philip Guilfoyle, professor of art and manager of the ceramics and sculpture studios. Following a sabbatical, Guilfoyle said the campus-wide presentation reflects his semester-long work. “I’m proud to say this is how I spent my time. At least half of those pieces came out of the kiln this year, and that, I think, is pretty impressive,” Guilfoyle said. Last fall, Guilfoyle said he spent time bettering himself within his field during his sabbatical leave, conducting research on the sodium kilns located in the ceramics studio he built in 2024. Guilfoyle said the sodium kilns are high quality ceramics tools that add to his unique technique with their rougher textures. He said this technique helps capture the organic textures of the environment. “I wanted to spend some time doing the research to get the best out of the sodium kiln so my students could get the best out of it too,” Guilfoyle said. “He always has new, interesting information about the techniques we’re learning and the materials we’re using,” Katie Martin, a sophomore studying art and education, said. Guilfoyle said, in a time when the
protection of our national parks is being threatened, it’s important to remind people to appreciate nature. Guilfoyle’s exhibit displays both photography and ceramics, following his many trips to different national parks. Guilfoyle said he creates pottery to replicate the natural feelings of calmness and relaxation that stem from nature. “I was also struck by the visual connection between the ceramics and the corresponding photographs. This connection between the shapes, colors and textures of the pieces created a sense of unity,” Martin said. Guilfoyle said his technique allows the emotions he feels from nature to transcend into his pottery. “I’m trying to communicate that these are the places that I go to find solace and see beauty. I find that inspirational for my work, so I find surfaces to imitate natural beauty,” Guilfoyle said. Guilfoyle said he purposefully includes a camper in one of his photographs of a sunset over a canyon to have viewers imagine themselves in the scene, building their appreciation for nature. “I cry every time I think about the Grand Canyon. There’s studies that say just 17 minutes out in nature reprograms our brain a little bit and changes how we are in our being, and that’s important,” Guilfoyle said. Guilfoyle said his journey in creating this exhibit has been complicated. During his sabbatical, he spent most of his time tending to his parents and placing his mother in hospice.
Abby Culley|Marlin Chronicle Guilfoyle holds his art piece created from the sodium kiln he built himself. “I thought I was gonna have to cancel the show at one point in May or June, but after a good turn of events, I was able to push through in the right direction,” Guilfoyle said. He said it helped him refocus and remember that he needs to be teaching his students what to do when they find themselves in a slump and how to get inspiration during these times. “What I’m trying to do is model the behavior that our students should be doing. When I have time to be an artist, I can focus on what it takes to truly display a cohesive, professional body of art. It’s important for
our students to see how that happens,” Guilfoyle said. “I don’t just want to talk the talk, I want to walk the walk”. “As an art student at Batten University, Professor Guilfoyle’s work reminds me of what’s possible,” Lana Macchi, a sophomore education major, said. “I hope to make this area [his classroom] a creative refuge for my students. We need a place for our students to create, feel comfortable coming in,” Guilfoyle said. For Guilfoyle, the exhibit is a reflection of his time spent as an artist and an extension of what he hopes to inspire in his students.
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Thursday September 17, 2026 The Marlin Chronicle marlinchronicle.batten.edu
The MARLIN CHRONICLE Editor-in-Chief Isaac Fick ihfick@batten.edu Managing Editor Aiden Croghan accroghan@batten.edu News Editors Aiden Croghan accroghan@batten.edu Mia Diehl mjdiehl@batten.edu Community Editors Kami Whisenhunt kjwhisenhunt@batten.edu Mars Smith mssmith@batten.edu Opinions Editor Omari Jones ozjones@batten.edu Sports Editors Coy Camiscioli clcamiscioli@batten.edu
Community New and returning clubs claim campus culture BY KAYCEE DYSVICK STAFF WRITER kgdysvick@batten.edu
New clubs have begun their first meetings of the Fall 2026 Semester. The Young Democrats club is advised by Dr. Jeffery Toussaint, associate professor of sociology and criminal justice. “Students need to be supported on campus, regardless of their political affiliations ... my job is to empower my students and empower the people who’ve asked me to serve in this role,” Toussaint said.
“Students need to be supported on campus, regardless of their
Bailey Gray bcgray@batten.edu
political affiliations ...
Caston Christman cbchristman@batten.edu
my job is to empower
Weekender Editor MJ Matthews mjmatthews@batten.edu Photo Editors Laila Jones ljjones1@batten.edu McKenna Howenstine mrhowenstine@batten.edu Online Editor Mason Medina mjmedina@batten.edu Copy Editors Julia Ware jpware@batten.edu Phoenyx Clifton tclifton@batten.edu Adviser Dr. Lisa Lyon Payne lpayne@batten.edu
my students and empower the people who’ve asked me to serve in this role.” Associate Professor of Sociology and Criminal Justice Dr. Jeffery Toussaint As an organization, “The Young Democrats will hold forums about things that we value and think are important, to get that platform out so people can learn to uncover or discover what’s important for them as well,” Toussaint said. Toussaint and Club President Mia Diehl have been thinking of topics to discuss during these
forums. “One thing we’ve been thinking about is presenting legislation that’s happening in the states as in here’s what people are saying about this…really to provide insight and debate amongst ourselves,” Toussaint said. Alongside discussion, the club provides a space for anyone interested in advocacy and activism. “Our platform as Young Democrats at Batten is to bring awareness to young women, men, transgender folks, whoever and hopefully guide voting and activism,” Toussaint said. Toussaint said the club hopes to work together to represent the interests of all students, regardless of political, economic, social or other differences. Another new club on campus is the Science Fiction and Fantasy Book Club. Sophomore Gabriel Baublitz, president of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Book Club, said he was hesitant to form this club because he’s not the most avid reader compared to others. He said he sees it as an opportunity to be a leader and build a community of friends. “Our club primarily participates in discussions of sci-fi and fantasy literature through bi-weekly meetings, where we discuss stories we’ve read and stories we want to read ... and we’ve already discussed the possibility of having movie nights,” Baublitz said. Baublitz said they have discussed partnering with other student organizations to gain interest in the club through collaborative advertising for events. He said the group serves as a dedicated space to catch up on literature and set aside time to
Kami Whisenhunt|Marlin Chronicle enjoy it with others. “It has given me more to do during my free time and serves as a way of forcing me to start reading more consistently, which has been something I’ve been putting off for far too long,” Baublitz said. The Science Fiction and Fantasy book club registered as an organization at the beginning of this semester, so they said they are eager for new members. The World’s Stage Improv club is a returning club, and would love for people to join. The club has two co-presidents, senior Michael Morris and junior Rashad-Huley Morris. “I joined this club to expand my experience with improvisation and acting, of course. It has
really helped my confidence with talking without a script and prepares me for the unexpected,” Michael Morris said. The club usually hosts meetings on Thursdays, though information about scheduling can be found on their Instagram page: @ws_improv. The World’s Stage Improv Club is about performing without preparation and using one’s creativity. “After introductory and routine practice sessions, we put on improv shows. This requires me to adapt quickly and has greatly improved my reaction speed, not to mention my creativity to fill in the blanks,” Michael Morris said. Flyers for new clubs can be found around campus.
The Marlin Chronicle is the official student newspaper of Batten University. Staff meetings are held every Tuesday at 5:30 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 Batten University. The Marlin Chronicle Batten 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. Batten University proudly supports the editorial independence and press freedom of studentedited 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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Mars Smith|Marlin Chronicle
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Opinions
Thursday September 17, 2026 The Marlin Chronicle marlinchronicle.batten.edu
Saying goodbye to a childhood icon Dolly Parton’s legacy of music, kindness and generosity touched generations.
Jayla Fields|Courtesy
Jayla is a sophomore with a major in radiology. She hopes to find a career in MRI tech or as a nuclear medicine technologist (NMT). BY JAYLA FIELDS CONTRIBUTING WRITER jfields@batten.edu
Dolly Parton was someone I never thought I would have to live without. She was one of those people who just seemed like she would always be here. She felt almost immortal, like
no matter how much time passed, Dolly would always be around. That is why finding out she died on Aug. 25 was such a huge shock to me. I first found out through somebody’s Instagram note. At first, I honestly didn’t believe it. I ran downstairs, and when I saw my parents finding out about it on the news, that’s when it really hit me that it was true. I grew up watching Dolly Parton’s movies and listening to her music. One of the movies I remember watching growing up was Joyful Noise with Queen Latifah and Keke Palmer. I also grew up listening to her Christmas songs such as “Jolene” and “I Will Always Love You,” which Whitney Houston later made famous. Dolly wasn’t just a singer or actress to me. She was someone who was a part of my childhood.
One of the biggest things I loved about Dolly was how selfless she was. She could have kept all the money she made, but instead, she used her success to help other people. Her Imagination Library gave books to children and helped encourage them to enjoy reading and learning. She genuinely seemed to care about people and wanted to make the world a better place. I also loved how she proved people wrong. People would call her a “dumb blonde,” but she was definitely not dumb. She was smart, hardworking and incredibly successful. Losing Dolly was honestly devastating. I cried because it felt like the world had lost a true angel. She was a pillar of kindness, talent and generosity. I’m going to miss her, but I know her music, movies and everything she did for others will keep her memory alive.
Liberty of Congress|Courtesy Dolly Parton was an American singer-songwriter and actress born on Jan 19, 1946 in Sevierville, Tennessee. She died on Aug 25, 2026 at the age of 80 after a battle with cancer. Her work will be remembered for inspiring many generations.
Omari Jones|Marlin Chronicle
AI in class: helping or hurting students? Student believes using AI has a negative impact on the growth of young minds. BY ALONSO ABRAM CONTRIBUTING WRITER arabram@batten.edu
Alonso Abram|Courtesy
Alonso is a junior studying biology.
ChatGPT should not be used to help college students with their essays. An essay is given as an assignment so the professor can learn how that student is thinking on a certain topic. It is also a good way for the professor to evaluate how well the student researched the topic. Even though essays are long and mostly disliked by the students, they help them train their brains to
correctly and accurately articulate their thoughts. By writing essays, they are constantly trying to find new ways of how to support or disprove a claim. With those skills, they are able to use them in the real world when trying to make a point and persuading others to believe that point along with them. The use of ChatGPT takes all that away by doing all of the work for the student. While it can be good in being used to help with research on the topic, it
is not good in actually writing the essay. When people use ChatGPT to write an essay, they are essentially not training their brain to develop the necessary skills of making an argument and being able to support it through evidence. Their brains aren’t coming up with new ways of supporting or disproving a claim. Instead they are taking a shortcut to just pass the class without actually gaining any real skills. Professors can also tell
when something is written by AI or not because of the phrasing and languages used in the essay. They aren’t trying to learn what the internet says about that certain topic; they want to know what you say about that certain topic. ChatGPT can only play a supporting role in writing an essay such as helping with research about the topic but once you put it in a main role of actually writing the essay, you take yourself out of it and end up harming yourself in the long run.
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Thursday September 17, 2026 The Marlin Chronicle marlinchronicle.batten.edu
Sports
Senior Courtney Mills scores the Marlin’s only goal in the ODAC Championship against Washington and Lee during her junior season.
Marlin Athletics|Courtesy
Women’s soccer to soon face conference rivals
Batten WSOC is 23-24-8 all time against W&L.
BY ZACH SEWARD STAFF WRITER zfseward@batten.edu Women’s soccer’s historic rivalry with Washington & Lee (W&L) will have their 56th installment this season. After a heartbreaking ODAC championship loss in penalties last year, Women’s Soccer seeks to reach the ODAC title game for the sixth straight year. However, they must cross paths with the back-to-back defending champions, the W&L Generals on Oct. 17 in Lexington, VA. The previous meetings between the two teams have not been ideal for the Marlins, who have lost four straight games against the Generals. A sour taste of last year’s championship game may
give the Marlins the edge this year. The Generals have not lost on home turf in the regular season since 2022. Coincidentally the team that beat them was the Marlins. “They’re such a driven group, and so I think going back will bring back some of those memories of that ODAC final and how close we were to winning it, and will push them to play their absolute best,” Women’s Soccer Assistant Coach Rachel Wilson ‘24 said. Last year the Marlins fell 4-0 in the regular season and lost 7-6 in penalty kicks in the ODAC Championship. From there, the Marlins lost 2-0 in the NCAA tournament opening round, ending the 2025 season.
ELLIOTT CONTINUED FROM PG. 1 As a coach, he has been named ODAC Coach of the Year 10 times and has been selected to the National Coaching Staff of the Year three times. Elliott has been heavily involved with Batten Athletics for many years now and has built many relationships with his colleagues and student-athletes. “I think he’s a family man,” Batten University Men’s Basketball Head Coach Dave Macedo said. “He’s about his players and relationships, and he’s built a program second to none. It’s the consistency, the sustained success. It’s just something you can’t help but admire as a colleague, as a friend.” Throughout Elliott’s 27 year career at Batten, many things have changed, but the biggest change he has seen is the growth of the university. “It’s just growth. And that’s with anything. We haven’t stayed stagnant, we haven’t leveled out. It’s been the continued growth mindset, like buildings and grounds, the number of students and obviously programs and outreach. This place has continued to grow where a lot of places are flatlined.” Elliott said. As the new athletic director, Elliott has already challenged teams, staff and students to change their mentality. He wants everyone to adopt a “plus one” mentality, whether on the field or not. “He has had this mentality since I’ve been here. He always talks about plus one like, ‘win this game, that’s a plus one’, or get past where you ended the previous year,” junior softball pitcher Hannah Hearl
Bowers has coached against the Generals 44 times with the Marlins. “We’ve played them in the finals three straight years, and they’re a great team. Our goal is to focus on us and let the process play out, and then we’ll see how we end up.” Bowers said. The Marlins, who are coming off of dominant wins in recent matchups, scoring 13 goals in three games, don’t just have their eyes set on W&L, but also ODAC Gold as well. The last time the Marlins won the ODAC was in 2023 against W&L 1-0 in regulation, so for this senior group, it would be a full-circle moment to win it again. Wilson said she still holds on to her memories from winning the ODAC her senior year in 2023. “Getting to celebrate with your
said. With regards to athletics, Elliott describes the “plus one” mentality as finding a way to increase each team’s ODAC ranking by one, therefore increasing Batten University’s Director’s Cup standings. The Director’s Cup is a national and conference-wide athletics competition where each athletic department is ranked based on overall national athletic ranking.
“I think he’s a family man. He’s about his players and relationships, and he’s built a program second to none.” Men’s Basketball Coach Dave Macedo Last year, Batten finished fifth in the ODAC and 132nd in the national Director’s Cup. “It started as me looking at the Director’s Cup standings and not being excited about where we stood. I know we’re better than that. I know our student athletes are better than that. I know our department is.” Elliott said. However, Elliott wants this mentality to extend outside of the athletic scope. He said by asking one more person their name, by calling one more donor during Giving Day or interacting with one more alum during alumni weekend, a student-athlete is exemplifying the “plus one” mentality. By taking the athletic director role while still coaching softball, Elliott faces new responsibilities and challenges. One of these challenges is finding a balance between being the athletic director, the head softball coach and still being present
team, holding the trophy, holding the sign, it’s a memory you’ll never forget. And doing it your senior year when, at that point any game could be your last game, is really special,” Wilson said. W&L is nationally ranked for the fourth straight year. This season, they enter with their highest rank in program history, coming in as seventh in the nation, as well as being voted first place in the ODAC. The back-to-back conference champions also had a hot start, defeating Southern Virginia 7-0 in their opening game and 3-1 against William Smith. Bowers said the team is humble. “A number really doesn’t mean anything. Whether we’re nationally ranked or a team that we’re playing is nationally
with his family. “For me, the number one thing right now is my family…I want everybody to feel like I’m their priority in that moment, and that’s a tall task, and I just need them to trust me there. If either one of those three boxes slips or falls or fails, then I’m not the right guy.” Elliott said. Elliott’s new position has been well received across Batten University students and faculty. Coaches within the athletic department are not fazed by Elliott’s lack of experience as an athletic director.
ranked, it’s just a number. That doesn’t bother us. We’ve played against the best, and we’re very comfortable playing against really high-ranked opponents,” Bowers said. In their latest matchups against top-ten opponents, the Marlins beat #9 Johns Hopkins 2-1 in the NCAA tournament in 2023 and tied against #5 Christopher Newport in 2024. “I think playing up there for our team isn’t really an intimidating place to play. We’re used to it; we’ve played up there multiple times. I just think our team is focused on ourselves, but when the time comes, we’ll be prepared for them for sure,” Bowers said. The Marlins and the Generals are set to face off on Oct. 17 in Lexington, Virginia, at 4:00 p.m.
“I think he’s going to do great things. I’m excited about the future. I’m excited about doing some great things together, and I think he’s going to manage both aspects of the job very well.” Macedo said. Elliott has high expectations for said he has himself and wants the rest of the athletic department to hold him to a high standard as athletic director. Elliott said he is committed to building a firstclass department and is prepared to take the necessary steps to achieve a higher standard.
Marlin Athletics|Courtesy AD Brandon Elliott ‘03 serves as Marlin’s softball head coach since 2007.
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Sports
Thursday September 17, 2026 The Marlin Chronicle marlinchronicle.batten.edu
Marlins track, cross-country welcome 62 new athletes A new season brings new talent to the table.
BY JULIA KIST STAFF WRITER jkist@batten.edu As the track season approaches, a new cohort of athletes is preparing to represent Batten University for the first time at collegiate-level competition. For many first-year students such as freshman Temiloluwa Ajibulu, the biggest adjustment is the increased level of competition, but these athletes view the challenge as motivation to improve. “I really want to take it to the next level,” Ajibulu said, “I
hope to one day make it to the Olympics. I’m hoping this team can help me get there.” With the cross-country season underway, Deaf said he is eager to see where they stand against collegiate competition. Deaf said he wants to be remembered as a hard worker. “I made nationals my senior year of high school,” Deaf said, “Once I realized I could be considered a national athlete, I was ready to push myself at a collegiate level.” Camren Pickett said he is eager to make his debut alongside his new teammates. Pickett said his anticipation has only continued
James Hill|Courtesy Senior Jordan Fielder acquires a personal best triple-jump of 14.58 meters.
to grow. “There’s a lot going through my head,” Pickett said. “I can’t wait to get back into the groove of things.” Each athlete enters the season with their own personal goals, outside of helping the team win the NCAA championship title. Pickett said he has high hopes of breaking various personal records. “I’m really hoping to run subeight minutes in the two-mile ... maybe even break 15:20 in the 5-mile,” Pickett said. Ajibulu said he has aspirations of beating school records. “The dates are getting pretty old. I think they’d look fresher if they said class of 2030 on them,” Ajibulu said. Deaf said that the team’s success is more important than accomplishing his person goals. “Everybody pushes each other to be their best self,” Deaf said. “You wanna see your teammates succeed.” “I truly believe we can be one of the best teams in our conference,” senior Opeyemi Kareem-Ojo said. “We got some monsters who can do some damage, potentially on the national level.” Pickett said while the freshmen are focused on making an immediate impact, they also recognize that success at the collegiate level requires a lot more patience, consistency and a willingness to learn. Ajibulu said he went from dominating at the top of his high school to competing against some of the best athletes in the region. Adjusting to tougher competition, more demanding
James Hill|Courtesy Junior Casey Black leads the Marlins, placing 30th at the Shenandoah University Twilight Open. training schedules and the expectations that come with representing the university is a major part of his journey. “I won regionals in North Carolina and ran at Adidas nationals my senior year,” Ajibulu said. “I’m ready to wipe out the competition here.” Ajibulu, Deaf and Pickett said they view challenges as opportunities for growth. Deaf said that the team’s confidence, combined with a strong support system from coaches and teammates, has helped create a positive environment as they prepare for their first season in university track and field. Kareem-Ojo attended the NCAA Student Athlete Leadership Forum in his junior year. “It was athletes of all divisions
from various sports all coming together,” Kareem-Ojo said. “We talked about leadership and what it means to each individual and how we all lead in different ways.” “It was one of the best experiences I’ve had,” KareemOjo said. “I’ve really fallen in love with every aspect of track.” Kareem-Ojo said he encourages students to try something new. “I was someone who went from not knowing what this sport was to becoming pretty decent at it. It really shows that if you take a step forward and try something new, you have the opportunity to become great.” As the season continues, Pickett said he hopes to make an immediate impact while laying the foundation for success in the years ahead.
SportsHead|NFL injuries impact current season BY MATTHEW SMITH STAFF WRITER mjsmith3@batten.edu 44% of NFL players will miss at least one game every season, according to NFL injury statistics. The 2026-27 NFL season started up Sept. 9 and there are a few notable names that may be a part of that percentage in Week 1. Some big names are definite no-go’s to start this season. Saints rookie wide receiver and 8th overall pick Jordyn Tyson started the year on the injured list. Tyson was a standout receiver at Arizona State University and many fans had high hopes about the rookie’s production in a young and up-and-coming Saint’s offense led by quarterback Tyler Shough, according to the New Orleans Saints. Detroit Lions running back Isiah Pacheco and Green Pay Packers defensive captain Micah Parsons are out to start the season but hopeful to start their seasons in a few weeks. Pacheco suffered a medial collateral ligament tear during training camp, which caused him to miss some time, but he said it was no longer an issue. On Monday, he underwent lower back surgery to remove a body that was pressing on a nerve in his back. That will be a 12week recovery. Parsons remains on the injury reserve for the remainder of the 2026-27 season due to an ACL tear that took place in a game against the Denver Broncos. Similarly, Houston Texans wide receiver Jayden Higgins will miss the entirety of the
Arizona Cardinals running back Jeremiyah Love currently suffers an ankle injury. season with a torn ACL, which he suffered in training camp. According to NFL injury statistics on CBS Sports, more than 60% of injuries players suffer are lower-body related. Pacheco, Parsons and Higgins are in the majority when it comes to those starting the season on the injury reserve. The more intriguing stories lie in the uncertainty of players being able to participate in games or remain on the
injured list, as there is anticipated topend NFL talent on the fence of starting or sitting Week 1. Two of the most notable uncertainties are the Arizona Cardinals rookie RB Jeremiyah Love, 3rd overall pick, and sophomore RB for the Las Vegas Raiders, Ashton Jeanty who are both out with ankle injuries.
“It seems like my fantasy team is screwed this year.” Sophomore Caden Barth
Pro Football Network|Courtesy Las Vegas Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty’s preseason injury sparked uncertainty if he would return for the season.
Jeanty had the third worst yards before contact in his rookie season at just 0.59 yards. Jeanty was able to lead all rookies in rushing yards in 2025 (975) while simultaneously leading in rushing attempts (266). According to Ryan McFadden from ESPN, many fans and analysts worry that his high usage rate on the field could contribute to future injuries. ESPN Senior Writer and Injury Analyst Stephina Bell said, “What’s going to happen to Ashton Jeanty’s utilization in this offense? To me the overall concern is not towards the injury perspective, it’s sort of what does the offense look like this
CARDS WIRE|Courtesy year.” Jeanty’s teammates came together in a prayer circle after he went down with an ankle injury in practice. “They put so much stock in Jeremiyah Love being a huge part of this team,” Arizona Cardinals Reporter Vince Marotta said. The Cardinals went into preseason and training camp planning on making full use of Jeremiyah Love, their new star. They worked Love hard in their first preseason game as he got 11 carries and 3 receptions in his first NFL game. With no time to ease into and get acquainted with the speed and physicality of the NFL, Love left that game with a high-ankle sprain. Although training camp and preseason injury rates have been relatively steady this year compared to years prior, many fantasy football players will likely need to make adjustments to their teams. Sophomore Caden Barth, a Pittsburgh Steelers fan, said, “It seems like my fantasy team is screwed this year.” With many big names and tons of young talent being a question mark heading into the 2026 season, fans are worried about how much time these players will miss and what to expect when they come back. This, however, hasn’t dampened the hype on any of these star players with expectations staying incredibly high.
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Sports LA Lakers sold for $12.5 billion Thursday September 17, 2026 The Marlin Chronicle marlinchronicle.batten.edu
Franchise owners care more about business than supporting their teams. BY BRADEN LANIER STAFF WRITER bxlanier@batten.edu In recent professional sports headlines, there is controversy surrounding the disregard and carelessness of team owners, as they are selling sports franchises to those who pay the most instead of considering other factors such as long-term support and those whose families commonly own sports teams. In August, former Los Angeles Lakers owner Mark Walters sold the team for a record-breaking $12.5 billion to Josh Kushner and Bob Iger. This created controversy because Walters purchased the team in 2025 for $10 billion, the second-highest amount a sports franchise has been sold for. Bob Iger states that he is not a Lakers fan, but that he grew up a New York Knicks fan. Iger then moved to Los Angeles and became a Los Angeles Clippers fan. “I could not bring himself to support the Lakers,” Iger said. Similarly, Kushner, who founded Thrive Capital, a business based in New York, has also invested in many other teams such as the Memphis Grizzlies and Miami Heat without openly supporting one specific team. In recent years, the cost of professional sports teams has increased, with numbers
recording the highest prices in certain sports, such as the Los Angeles Angels, whose owner, Arte Moreno, entered an agreement with current Los Angeles Rams owner Stan Kroenke in September this year to sell the team for 4 billion dollars.
“I could not bring myself to support the Lakers.” New Lakers Owner, Bob Iger This agreement makes this the most an MLB franchise has ever been sold for. The San Diego Padres followed closely behind that price. The Seidler family were former owners who sold the team for 3.9 billion dollars to the now co-owners Jose Feliciano and Kwanza Jones in August of this year. A couple of other examples of teams being sold recently are: the Boston Celtics being sold for 6.1 billion dollars by Wyc Grousbeck to Bill Chisholm in August of 2025. This was the former record for the highest price a franchise had been sold for. In July 2023,
Dan Snider sold the Washington Commanders to Josh Harris for 6.05 billion dollars. Sophomore Noah Caesar said there could be conflicts of interest. “It could also be scary, because if he’s a fan of another team, he could be sabotaging,” Caesar said. This voices the worries of current Laker fans and other teams that were just sold. In response to these worries, Tykie Jones said he believes that people can have the benefit of the doubt. “It depends on what type of fan he is. You can also work for a different organization. I don’t think it really plays a part in like if that person is a fan of a different team,” Jones said. This also differs from the ownership of other team franchises, such as the San Diego Padres, who were owned by a family that was lifelong fans and are now co-owned by a married couple, Jones and Feliciano, who were approved by fans and are part of a bigger group that owns the team. Another highlight about the Lakers transaction is that it was sold for more than any other sports franchise team ever, 12.6 billion dollars. Although the team has a big legacy, this is a big jump, as the Boston Celtics, with a similarly big legacy and a more recent championship win, had only been
Bleacher Report|Courtesy Jeanie Buss took over leadership of the of the Lakers in 2013 and was the driving force behind the sale 13 years later. sold for 6.1 billion dollars the year after they won the championship. To put that into comparison, the current NFL champions, the Seattle Seahawks, were also sold in August 2026 by the estate of Paul Allen to an ownership group led by Vinod Khosla for 9.612 billion dollars, the most an NFL
team has ever been purchased for, and that is still 4 billion less than the Lakers. This was also a controversial purchase, as the current owner, Khosla, is a limited partner in the San Francisco 49ers, the conference rival of the Seattle Seahawks.
Coy Camiscioli|Marlin Chronicle
Men’s Lacrosse regroups after an unexpected head coach
Former Coach Sam Jones joined Mercer University late this summer. BY CAMERON MAILLOUX STAFF WRITER cjmailloux@batten.edu The Men’s Lacrosse team has been on an upward trajectory over the past few seasons. Since the 2024 season, the team has improved from five wins to 11 in 2026,
posting their first winning record in a full season since 2019. Joining the program as head coach from a successful Christopher Newport University (CNU) Men’s Lacrosse team, Zach Thomas hopes to continue the team’s upward trajectory. Thomas spent 13 years on the CNU coaching staff and was named head
DeeThreeLax|Courtesy
coach in 2023. He helped lead CNU to seven Collegiate NCAA tournaments, including three Elite Eight and two Final Four appearances. He also led the team to double-digit win seasons in both of his full years coaching. Thomas’ offenses at CNU hold all of the university’s top 10 scoring seasons in the program’s history. Of the Marlins’ 18 games last season, the team scored double digits in 11 of them, nine of which were wins. But, in their last seven games of the 2026 season, with a 2-5 record, the team only scored double-digits twice. “The new era of lacrosse under Coach Thomas is going to be something special. He just brings that competitiveness,” Men’s Lacrosse Assistant Coach Braden Long said. This is Long’s second year as a defensive coordinator. Last season he led the defense to one of the best years the program has had in years, averaging 12 goals allowed last season, down from 14 in 2025.
“Coach Thomas has watched a ton of film from our games last year, and we’ve talked about how I like to run the defense, and he likes it a lot too,” Long said. Long said his goal is to always put together a gameplan that complements the team’s strengths. As a second-year coach, Long said he is open to any criticism that may come his way on the defensive side of the ball. Thomas has also brought a lot of energy with him to his new home. “He just brings so much energy and attention to detail, and I think his passion for the game is one of the strongest I have ever seen,” Long said. Sophomore goalie Thomas Skelly said he noticed that team improvement isn’t an instantaneous process. “The upper classmen are going to have to be very creative this year in solving problems and communicating,” Skelly said. The Marlins have a full fall season to get ready to chase for the ODAC trophy in the spring.
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THEWEEKENDER
Thursday September 17, 2026 The Marlin Chronicle marlinchronicle.batten.edu
Pinoy pride in ube lattes and pastries at Project Seed Coffee Filipino-owned coffee shop brings bold flavors and community.
BY MJ MATTHEWS WEEKENDER EDITOR mjmatthews@batten.edu “PMS has been popular lately,” Erene Henninger, the owner and founder of Project Seed Coffee, said, referring to their seasonal special Pumpkin Maple Spice (PMS) latte. Walking into Project Seed, you’re greeted with an open atmosphere and a menu packed with unique Filipino coffee and pastries. What started as a home delivery cold brew coffee service has blossomed into a brick-and-mortar coffee shop with the 757 Filipino small business community as a backbone. The shop is just off Independence Blvd, about a five minute drive from Mount Trashmore Park and a 10-15 minute drive from Batten University. Henninger’s story started with her love for coffee, “Working from home December 2020, and I was like, ‘I wish someone would deliver coffee to me.’ And I was thinking, ‘Why don’t I do it?’” Henninger said. “Why not make money out of something that you’re passionate about?” To resolve the issue of hot delivered coffee getting cold, Henninger learned how to make cold brew from her sister, then her delivery business was a go in April 2021. While her business started with straight cold brew coffee, the menu quickly expanded to include vanilla and honey-lavender flavors. Henninger’s full-time job manager at the time suggested that she make ube coffee. “Who would drink ube coffee?” Henninger said. Ube is a purple root native to Southeast Asia with sweet yam flavor, something many in the states are not used to as
MJ Matthews|Marlin Chronicle An ube ensaymada pastry and Bohol After Dark latte both mix ube with classic vanilla and chocolate flavors respectively.
MJ Matthews|Marlin Chronicle The walls of Project Seed highlight Filipino culture with festival flyers, art and a community board. a coffee or dessert flavor outside of sweet potato pie. Henninger experimented with ways to make the ube flavor come to life in her business. “Everything that you see ube is usually made from a jam,” Henninger said. “For my cold brew, I use the ube halaya ... it’s basically ube yam jam.” Project Seed’s ube is unique in that their jam is vegan, made with coconut milk and other sweet plant-based milks in lieu of the standard sweetened condensed milk. Project Seed coffees went on to be sold at farmers markets in 16 ounce bottles, and at local shops such as Ghent Grab and Go. After three years of before-and-afterwork deliveries and farmers markets, Henninger and her business partner, her husband, decided to take root at a brick-and-mortar location on Princess Anne Blvd., and moved to their current location last October. With their new location came opportunities for more community collaboration. On weekends, Project Seed hosts small business setups for majority Filipino and other Asian Pacific Islander-owned businesses. “We don’t charge them anything,” Henninger said. “Their clientele is exposed to our business, and their business is exposed to our clientele. So it’s like community exposure, really, for both of us.” Born and raised in the Phillipines, Henninger moved to Virginia Beach at 27 for work and created a life with her husband and daughter. Through the move, she stayed close to Filipino culture through connections with other Filipino
immigrants and small businesses. That connection is reflected in Project Seed’s hosting of small businesses in shops, and in Mabuhay Fest, a Filipino food, art and culture festival started by Henninger and her co-partner. This will be their fourth year hosting it. In addition to Mabuhay fest, Filipino small businesses also have Henninger’s ‘Something in the Ube’ market in spring and Pamunkai Fest in November. Project Seed is uniquely successful in large part due to its connection to the Filipino community in Hampton Roads, but also for its unique coffees. You can find your standard Americanos and matcha lattes alongside drinks like their Golden Steppe latte, a cardamon, sea salt and black pepper special, or Henninger’s favorite, the Ube Velvet latte. “It’s ube and a dark chocolate hint to it,” Henninger said. “Every time people ask me about it, I’m like, I drink it twice a day.” They also have spins on typical flavors that you might try if you’re feeling adventurous, like green-coconutvanilla, Buko Pandan. To pair with your coffee, Project Seed’s pastries range from savory Siopao buns to Ube Spanish bread. “What I would like to offer every time someone comes in is something that they have not done or tasted before,” Henninger said. With Project Seed’s diverse menu and laundry list of community events, that offering absolutely holds water. Try their goodies yourself at 4740 Baxter Rd., Suite 110, Virginia Beach, VA 23462 everyday from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
MJ Matthews|Marlin Chronicle Project Seed’s September specials, including “Call me Umami,” a miso-caramel latte, and “PMS,” a pumpkin maple spice latte.
Walk among the trees at Owl Creek Landing Try out the longest steel slide in America, see VB in a new light. REVIEW
BY MJ MATTHEWS WEEKENDER EDITOR mjmatthews@batten.edu Virginia Beach hosts miles of forest and other natural beauties, and the newly renovated Owl Creek Landing highlights that. Situated alongside the Virginia Aquarium Adventure Park and Ocean
Breeze Waterpark, Owl Creek brings you into the woods. Walking over a bridge through the marsh surrounding Lake Rudee, you are brought to the mouth of Owl Creek, welcomed by the owl growth forests that surround it. Even still, the most impressive sight just might be their new Nautilus Tower, which includes a 65-foot spiral steel slide, The Whorl. MJ Matthews|Marlin Chronicle A welcome banner invites patrons at the head of Owl Creek Landing.
MJ Matthews|Marlin Chronicle The Nautilus Tower provides a 360 view of the forest and boasts an 8 story spiral steel slide.
Nautilus connects to the Treetop Trail Canopy Walk at a few junctions, allowing you to walk from the treetops right to the tower, and vice versa. The trail is completely suspended in air, with trees springing up through it. If you’re lucky, you might see a few woodland creatures featured on educational signage throughout the trail. Marissa Smith, an Owl Creek supervisor, highlighted the Canopy Walk in particular. “It’s definitely one of my favorite parts because you look down, you get to see a lot of cool animals. I’ve had a fear of heights for a while, so I’ve kind of overcome that working here,” Smith said. As for The Whorl, Smith said it’s fun for all ages but has some fear factor.“I’ve had a lot of parents that come up here. They’re sometimes intimidated by the slide too, and it’s valid,” Smith said. “This is something new, something nobody’s ever done in Virginia.” The Whorl is the largest steel slide in America, and the first of its kind in Virginia. Everything is lush and green at the Landing this time of year. Smith has been working at the park for about a year and said her favorite time of year is fall. “It gets really pretty seeing all the leaves change and everything, getting this set up for Halloween and events like that; super fun, I love it. Feels nicer outside around that time too.” While Owl Creek Landing is mostly marketed for families, there were some lone and older visitors as well. Virginia
Beach native John Zhao visited to practice photography for a class he’s taking. Zhao said he does not believe other adults would be interested. He said most adults might only enjoy “regular jogging or walking here.” Owl Creek’s physical accessibility is notable, with an extra wide easy slope leading to the top of the Nautilus tower and several accessible points on the Canopy Trail. Those with limited mobility can equally enjoy the treetop view. Adult tickets start at $23, which may discourage attendance because other natural areas and lookout towers are free to the public, or request a small donation rather than require a ticket. Owl Creek Landing has a lot to offer, but it may not be something many college students can afford on a regular basis. Your visit may be more worthwhile during one of their upcoming seasonal events, such as the upcoming Lumi Skywalk. “Oh my gosh, this is gonna be so exciting,” Smith said. “When it gets real dark in the trees, we’re gonna light some things up. It’ll be really cool ... like a light show.” The Lumi Skywalk will be available starting Nov. 20. If you’d like to visit Owl Creek Landing, you can buy tickets and see hours on their website: owlcreeklanding. com. Use code STUDENT15 or TEACH15 for a student or teacher discount, respectively. Have fun getting lost in the trees!
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Thursday September 17, 2026 The Marlin Chronicle marlinchronicle.batten.edu
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From coast to coast and from cars to bars to Instagram, there was no getting away from Sick Love by the Red Hot Chili Peppers. While folks across the nation were tearing through modern standouts like the Olivias (both Rodrigo and Dean), alt-rock tunes still showed themselves as summertime staples. Sick Love – whose chord structure and melody were inspired by the all-timer “Benny and the Jets” by Elton John – actually features John tickling the ivories! The multigenerational talent influencing this track adds to its timeless enjoyability and undeniable groove.
If you haven’t yet listened to Sick Love, I fear summer coming to an end begs it of you. Take a walk, blast the music just on the verge of being too loud, and let Anthony Kiedis serenade you with his lyricism. Maybe not quite the Summer of Love like 1969 was, 2026 brought the world the season of Sick Love.
What could the 757 not stop listening to this summer?
Resound Sound
Looking for rotund tracks? Check these out! No One Knows - Queens of the Stone Age; Desert Cruiser - Truckfighters; All in the Suit That You Wear - Stone Temple Pilots; Forever My Queen Pentagram; Keep On Knocking - Death; Hit It and Quit It - Ty Segall; Bad Mouth - Fugazi; When You Sleep - My Bloody Valentine; I’d Rather Be The Devil - John Martyn; Int’l Players Anthem - UGK, Outkast; Flowers by the Door - T.S.O.L.; Unsung - Helmet; Let Me Drown - Soundgarden; Know Who You Are At Every Age - Cocteau Twins
“A GOOD SONG TO BREATHE IN” - Grace martin, Educator at the Chrysler Museum, on Caravan Blue by Enya.
Scan the QR code to listen on Spotify! be part of a living history – send in your song of the summer to mrhowenstine@batten.edu or @marlinchronicle on Instagram
UP & COMING: San Diego rock 4-piece Foxtide graced the Annex in Norfolk with a tour stop following a sold-out night in Wilmington, NC. From original hits like She’s Not Yours to a unifying cover of Unwritten by Natasha Bedingfield, it was hard to walk away from their set feeling anything but lucky. Stay tuned. McKenna Howenstine|Marlin Chronicle
COMING UP: Catch a living piece of punk history Friday, 9/18/26 at the Norva. Seminal L.A. hardcore band Circle Jerks are headlining with support from Negative Approach and Virginia’s own Municipal Waste.
KaSela VanRassan|Marlin Chronicle