Oct. 5, 2016

THE MARLIN CHRONICLE

Things heat up at the Grille

Word has it that service is slower — explanations vary

BY SARAH ANTOZZI scantozzi@vwc.edu

Wait times are much longer than they used to be at the Marlin Grille, the school’s other dining option besides the cafeteria, according to the campus community.

“The Grille is significantly slower than in past years,” senior Taylor Boyd said.

The Marlin Grille consists of three stations: Sandella’s Flatbread Cafe, which sells paninis, wraps and small pizzas; the Grille proper, where one can buy foods like chicken tenders and burgers; and the Freshens Smoothie center, which shares a cash register with a convenience-storestyle area selling coffee, salads, sandwiches, yogurt and other snacks.

One student reported that Sandella’s closed earlier than it was supposed to on at least one evening during the week of Sept. 11.

“It was 8:15 and I was really hungry because I had missed dinner that day,” senior Gabrielle Freese said. She went up to Sandella’s to order a wrap. “This girl

came over...and said, ‘We’re closed.’” Freese said that when she responded that they were supposed to be open until 8:30, she was told, “We don’t have enough staff to keep this open,” and “I have to do my homework just like you do.”

Senior Kathryn Reavis has worked at the Marlin Grille for three years. She said that in recent weeks Sandella’s has occasionally been closed when none of the workers on duty have been trained at that station.

Sandella’s is the most challenging of the stations to work at. Reavis said that most of the workers are trained at the grill station, which is “so much easier” than Sandella’s. Gloria Louis, a non-student worker, agreed.

“That station is a challenge because you have to be able to multitask right away,” she said. “It’s kind of tough. You can burn stuff very easy over there.” She said that she will only put workers over there if they

Marlins fight fear

Poet and educator Clint Smith gives talk in discussion series “Standing Together in a Culture of Fear”

BY MIRANDA FEIN mlfein@vwc.edu

On Friday, Sept. 30, The Lighthouse held an event titled “Standing Together in a Culture of Fear” to discuss creating a positive change in a culture of fear.

The guest speaker for the event was Clint Smith, a writer, teacher and Ph.D. candidate from Harvard University.

“I’m going to be sort of like a non-traditional talk. Keynote: I’m a poet so that is my disposition, my orientation. That is the lens through which I see the world and often how I sort of articulate the way I understand the world,” Smith said at the start of the talk.

Smith held true to his opening statement. His talk was in part a performance in which he shared his poetry. The key focus of many of his poems revolved around the issue of race and how racism has shaped not only his life but also the world around him.

Selections from Smith’s newly published book of poetry, “Counting Descent,” were also included in his performance.

Smith urges his audience to consider the exceptionalism that is embedded into American thinking, to question the norms

have proven they are able to handle it.

“Sometimes people don’t have the flexibility that we might be looking for in order to fully have a shift covered,” she said. “They’re students first, and that comes first. We take education very seriously.”

In addition, Reavis said, the severe flooding that the region experienced the week of Sept. 19 caused some workers to be unable to come to work then.

However, other workers say that if there were more non-student workers, the difficulty of scheduling work shifts around student workers’ class times would not present such a problem.

“We are very, very, very, very understaffed,” said Louis. She has worked at the Marlin Grille for 10 years, and is affectionately known to VWC students as “Mama Gloria.” According to Louis, it takes “five bodies at a time...five people to run the Grille. This is no joke.” As the only non-student worker on duty in the Grille for the evening shift, she has to supervise all the stations. New student workers in particular need help. For instance, Louis said, the day before, a customer brought back the chicken tenders a new worker had made, because “they were raw.”

Presidential Election 2016

School divided as election nears

Debate arises as to whether methods to get students involved in the presidential election across campus will be effective enough to make a difference

BY MICKELLA RAST mjrast@vwc.edu

Over the past few weeks, a new kind of madness has spread across campus. Joining the rage for pumpkin spice and study cram-sessions is the chaos of election season. Posters cover walls, banners loom over hallways and buttons sporting a cheerful “Marlins Vote” litter campus surfaces.

The first of three presidential debates between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump was televised Monday night. The event has spurred an increase in political discussion and involvement in communities across the country.

Virginia Wesleyan College is no different, as faculty and students alike have begun raising awareness about the impending presidential election and its impact.

The movement stems from a wish to increase voter turnout for young adults (particularly college students) and is aided by the joint efforts of Marlins Vote, the Office of Community Service and the Center for the Study of Religious Freedom. Their goal is to register as many students to vote as possible, while increasing campus interest and involvement in the election.

discussing the election, and have also seen a large group of students trying to register other students [to vote],” Hipple said.

“I don’t see that push,” disagreed Jared White, president of College Republicans. “For some reason there’s not a move, which is disappointing.” He suggested that a lack of immediate impact on college students may be a source of the disinterest.

What both White and Hipple are able to agree on is the importance of the election and the impact candidates may have on issues regarding education.

The three chief disputes on this topic are the abolition of the Department of Education (which would leave school funding and regulation up to each state), government refinancing of student loans to lower interest rates and the potential decision to make college tuition free for students whose families earn $125,000 yearly or less.

However, the discussion of these issues and the college’s efforts to encourage voter registration may be in vain.

that have divided races since the birth of the nation and to actively participate in closing the divide. In doing these things, we stand together against the culture of fear created by hatred, violence and discrimination.

Smith mixes his poetry in with educating discussions about the history of black people in America. He said that so much of his poetry aims to capture the violence that black people are perpetually exposed to while also capturing the joy and wonderful things that represent the culture in spite of everything.

“I really think that sometimes people do not fully reckon with the full history of oppression of black people in this country,” Smith said.

Smith’s closing poem emphasized the importance of voice and the danger of silence.

“We spend so much time listening to the things people are saying that we rarely pay attention to the things they don’t. Silence is the residue of fear,” Smith wrote in one of his poems.

President of the Student Government Association (SGA) Nich Hipple believes students are getting more involved every day.

“I have seen a large buzz on campus

Ever wondered what really happens when the sports teams travel? page 7 SPORTS

Some students involved in the election claim that their involvement has nothing to do with any event so recent as the first presidential debate or the push for election awareness. Family allegiances, personal views and political standpoints were all formed early on.

Students enjoy messy fun at the annual Mud Games page 10 WEEKENDER

Explosive reaction calls for recall

Small battery quirk causes big problem in the Samsung Galaxy Note 7

“We came back the 29th of August.It’s been rough since then....It’s just a big effect on me. It’s really a big effect on me.”

She said she really does not like to have students wait long for their food. “It’s not fair…They’ve got to go to class, or they’ve got a break from class,” she said. They may not be able to stay long enough for the food to be finished. In fact, she cited three instances in the last few weeks when people had to leave before their food was ready.

“I felt so bad,” Louis said. She told the customers that they could come back another time to redeem their orders.

Tim Lockett, general manager of dining services, said in an interview that “we are going to hire a fourth” nonstudent worker to supplement the “core” of three that currently work in the Marlin Grille, of which Mama Gloria is one.

He also said the 10 work-study positions in the Marlin Grille are filled.

“We are not understaffed by any means,” he said.

However, Reavis specified that they still “are looking for Sodexo workers at the Grille with Monday and Wednesday flexible daytime availability.”

“The way I see it, there could be two reasons” that the Grille is slower, Boyd said. “Some of the staff are less experienced than previous workers...or they really are understaffed.”

She said some student workers who have now graduated used to know the work “like the back of their hands, but they’re gone now.”

Part of the problem may be the fact that there is no longer a person whose sole job is to manage the Grille.

When contacted by telephone, Jonathan Buckingham, the former Marlin Grille manager, said he resigned on June 18. According to a confidential source, Buckingham used to contact the Grille workers from the previous academic year in August and get a schedule ready for the first few weeks of the fall semester. Rebecca Manalac, who is currently managing the Grille, also has duties in the cafeteria, according to a Grille worker.

“We need to hire a person who specifically does the Grille,” sophomore Jonathan Joyner, who has worked there since the beginning of the fall 2015 semester, said. “The caf and the Grille are two totally separate animals.”

CONTINUED FROM FRONT DIVIDED

CONTINUED FROM FRONT

When questioned, they insisted that no event hosted on campus would change their minds. Democrats and Republicans alike touted their candidates stubbornly, if not always proudly.

“May the best woman win,” declared one student.

“Make America great again,” fired back another.

A portion of the community expresses dissatisfaction with both candidates but says that voting for third party nominees such as Jill Stein (Green Party) and Gary Johnson (Libertarian Party) is akin to wasting their vote. Some prefer not to reveal their choice for presidency and say they don’t enjoy talking about politics.

Others refuse to vote at all.

Nel Hart, a sophomore majoring in business, is one such student.

“I don’t want to vote. I don’t like any of the choices,” Hart said. “I’m not informed enough to make a good choice.”

This explanation for not voting is common among students who may not have access to information about the voting process or the candidates.

To help educate the campus community, Marlins Vote members have made information sheets available at their events and in the Office of Community Service.

President of the club Bayli Foley said, “We typically have a low voter turnout for elections and that is something I would like to try to change, even if it’s only changed on this college campus.”

Information on the sheets includes the necessity of acceptable identification on voting day (school ID, driver’s license, passport or employee ID card), the last day for voter registration (Oct. 17) and the date of the election (Nov. 8).

The sheets also include answers to common questions or misconceptions that students may have regarding the effect of voting on financial aid provision, scholarship status, parental tax dependency and out-of-state registration.

Other sources of information about voting are available on campus at the Office of Community Service and online at www.campusvoteproject.org and www.elections.virginia.gov.

BY CHRISTOPHER BATTLE cdbattle@vwc.edu

Samsung has had a rough month since the Aug. 19 release of its new phone, the Samsung Galaxy Note 7, which is said to have exploded at least 112 times in different instances.

The most extreme case happened locally on a connecting flight from Norfolk International Airport to the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, when a Virginian-Pilot reporter witnessed a cell phone battery smoking on the Delta-based flight.

Although it was not confirmed that the battery was in a Note 7, Delta did release an official comment.

“During ascent from Norfolk International Airport to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International, the flight attendants of Delta flight 2557 observed smoke in the rear portion of the aircraft. They acted quickly to immediately dissipate the smoke. It quickly became evident that the source of the smoke was from a spare battery not affixed to a device. Delta is working to determine the source and type of the battery and will work with aviation safety officials. The flight, with 143 customers and five crew members, routinely continued to Atlanta. Safety is always Delta’s top priority.”

The cause of the explosive device is said to be the lithium ion batteries placed within most smartphones. Liquid inside these batteries is

protected by a thin plastic sheet that keeps the positive and negative sides of battery separate. In the defective phones, this sheet is punctured and creates a path of least resistance for electricity to flow. When the liquid begins to heat, it can cause a chemical reaction and thus an explosion. Several airlines internationally have banned the phones completely. These large international airline companies include: Emirates Airlines, Singapore Airlines and Quantis Airlines.

Batten Honors College to attract top scholars

Janice Marshall-Pittman | Courtesy Jane Batten provided funding for the new honors college.

BY ASHLEY KLINE aakline@vwc.edu

The Honors and Scholars Program currently known by students is soon to be no more as President Scott D. Miller announced the establishment of the Batten Honors College in his State of the College Address delivered on Aug. 23, 2016. The college is due to be established in 2017. It will take a total of four years for the Honors College to be fully developed.

The Batten Honors College will provide an engaging and academically rigorous experience to some of Vir-

ginia Wesleyan College’s brightest students. Leadership, co-curricular events, real world experiences and service learning are among the ideals that will be at the heart of the Batten Honors College.

According to Miller’s address, chemistry professor and head of the chemistry department Dr. Joyce Easter has been named the college’s first dean. The school has received guidance from Dr. David Black in the planning process for the honors college. Black is a member of the President’s special council, served as a college president for an extensive period of time and is credited with establishing Eastern University’s Templeton Honors College. Among the students in the Honors College will be 80 full-scholarship students known as Batten Fellows. Twenty Batten Fellows will be admitted each year. Batten Fellows, along with students in the Honors and Scholars Program, will be housed in Village IV, soon to become the Batten Honors Village. According to Vice President of Enrollment Services David Waggoner, Batten Fellows will additionally be offered fully-funded study-away experiences during the winter or summer session of their junior year.

Waggoner also mentioned that Enrollment Services has been kept busy promoting the honors college to high school students as well as guidance counselors.

“Students who have been very successful academically in high school want to know that they will be challenged when they get to college,” Waggoner said.

Waggoner described the program as being extremely selective and only looking for students that score between a 1300 and 1400 on their SATs. Students will additionally be required to provide a resume and personal essay. The college will not be open to current students but will be in the years to come. This is due to the fact that only freshmanlevel courses will be offered initially, with higher-level courses to be added in consecutive years. Sophomorelevel courses will be added in 2018, junior-level courses in 2019 and senior-level courses in 2020.

Dr. Joyce Easter, dean of the Batten Honors College, said her hope for the college is that all students will be given the foundation to become leaders in their designated fields and impact the world. Easter also said that the primary difference between the current Honors and Scholars Program and the Batten Honors College will be that more similar experiences will be offered in the Batten Honors College. The Honors College will additionally have a curriculum of its own. The current plan is for it to have two to three freshman seminars with groups of 12 to 20 students in each.

Current events roundup

BY SARAH ANTOZZI & ASHLEY KLINE scantozzi@vwc.edu

Rabid raccoon in Virginia Beach

The city issued a rabies alert Oct. 4 after a rabid raccoon was found in the Kings Grant area in the middle of Virginia Beach. If left untreated, rabies has a 100% fatality rate.

Colombia voters reject peace deal

An end to the over-half-a-century war between the government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, was rejected by a majority vote in the first week of October.

One of U.S.A.’s largest banks deals with fallout from misstep Wells Fargo employees, motivated by incentives for creating large numbers of new accounts, set up accounts without customers’ knowledge.

Sources: the New York Times & the Virginian-Pilot

COMMUNITY

The MARLIN CHRONICLE

Editor-in-Chief

Courtney Herrick clherrick@vwc.edu

News Editors

Ashley Kline aakline@vwc.edu

Sarah Antozzi scantozzi@vwc.edu

Community Editors

Laurissa Senecal ljsenecal@vwc.edu

Jasmine Driggs jtdriggs@vwc.edu

Opinion Editor

Michael Willson mnwillson@vwc.edu

The Weekender

Rebecca Lazzeri ralazzeri@vwc.edu

Justin Smith jrsmith2@vwc.edu

Sports Editor

Hayley Heath hrheath@vwc.edu

Corey King ckking1@vwc.edu

Photo Editors

Anthony Dellamura aadellamura@vwc.edu

Illustrations Editor

Britani Alyse badaley@vwc.edu

Valerie Miller vgmiller@vwc.edu

Online/ Social Media Editor

Victoria Laughlin vnlaughlin@vwc.edu

Brandon Gilchrist bjgilchrist@vwc.edu

Copy Editor Laurissa Senecal ljsenecal@vwc.edu

Advertising Representative

Courtney Herrick clherrick@vwc.edu

Advisor Dr. Lisa Lyon Payne lpayne@vwc.edu

The Marlin Chronicle is the official student newspaper of Virginia Wesleyan College. 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. The views and opinions expressed in this newspaper may not necessarily reflect the views of the entire staff of The Marlin Chronicle or Virginia Wesleyan College.

The Marlin Chronicle Virginia Wesleyan College 1584 Wesleyan Drive Norfolk, VA 23502 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 college. Virginia Wesleyan College proudly supports the editorial independence and press freedom of student-edited 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

Inspiration from Boykins

Senior Tone Boykins works to better the lives of VWC students

BY LAURISSA SENECAL ljsenecal@vwc.edu

She manages a homeless shelter, serves as vice president for Tri Beta National Biology Honors Society, assists Jason Seward in his office and works long hours in the chemistry lab all while battling an irreversible genetic disorder.

Senior biology major and chemistry minor Tone Boykins was diagnosed at birth with sickle-cell anemia, a genetic disorder involving episodes of intense and even debilitating pain called ‘crises’. Despite this, she has kept a nearly perfect GPA and is an active member in several organizations on campus

“I would place her in the top 10 percent of the students I’ve seen coming through the department in the last 15 years,” professor of biology Victor Townsend said.

Growing up with sickle cell, Boykins spent a large chunk of her time in the hospital due to her frequent episodes of crises. As a result, she plans on attending medical school so she can become a pediatrician specializing in blood disorders.

“I’m so used to being at Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters (CHKD) and going through all of the processes and such and now I want to be the smiling face that they see,” explained Boykins.

Sickle Cell anemia is a debilitating disease where a person’s blood clots when they experience intense temperature and altitude

changes. It therefore limits what a person can do on a daily basis. Boykins, however, has found ways around her limitations.

“Sickle cell has made me maybe a stronger person because I’m so used to dealing with it that it’s like I automatically find alternatives for things… so I guess I take that and I put it in my school work,” said Boykins.

As the faculty manager of the homeless shelter, Takeyra Collins has worked closely with Boykins over the past four years. Although Collins has never actually officially taught Boykins in a class, Collins has not missed the exceptional work Boykins does.

“I hope that students strive to be as active and as focused in their academics as she has been,” Collins said.

Boykins is currently conducting research alongside Dean of the Batten Honors College, Professor of Chemistry and Chair of the Chemistry/Physical Science Department Dr. Joyce Easter to improve environmentally friendly practices in chemical research. Easter explained how Boykins works with what is called a supercritical fluid extractor (SFE) to extract oils from spices using carbon dioxide. In this method of extraction, the researcher is not left with excess waste to throw away because the carbon dioxide goes back into the air.

Easter explained her interest in this research as an effort to align VWC’s student research with Green Chemistry practices. A main principle of Green Chemistry is that chemists should create minimal amounts of

waste. While VWC chemistry students have used the SFE in classes, Easter wants to deduce if using the extractor is as effective as using other more common and less environmentally friendly methods. She plans on presenting results to other schools.

“The chemistry lab is like my house,” Boykins joked.

In addition to the hours she spends researching, Boykins still has other classes to complete. Easter noted how she often sees Boykins and her friends working late into the night in the lab.

“We make studying fun and that’s what I like most,” Tamera Edler, study partner and friend of Boykins said.

According to Tamera and Antionette Edler, Boykins is just as funny as she is hardworking. Whether it’s running to chick-fil-a for chicken nuggets or cramming for a test, Boykins keeps a positive outlook, cracking jokes and making up raps about her life.

“She’s always rapping about chicken nuggets… If the medical field don’t work, then we going to the Rap Game and we gonna be managers and rappers,” the Edler sisters said.

According to her friends, professors and co-workers, Tone carries with her a constantly positive outlook on life.

“She’s high spirited and she has a good atmosphere. She doesn’t let anything get her down,” Edler said.

The weekend starts here

BY KATIE BROOKS kcbrooksd@vwc.edu

Wesleyan Activities Council (WAC) has responded to a recent focus by Student Affairs to provide more on campus events during the weekends by creating a new organization called Wesleyan on the Weekends.

Wesleyan on the Weekends, W.O.W. was the brainchild of Jake King, graduate assistant for WAC, and Ashley Jones, associate director of Residence Life.

“It was started essentially with an idea [Ashley] had about having more of a formalized organization to work on [improving weekend life],” King said.

W.O.W.’s strategy in filling the gap of weekend programming is to put planning in the student’s’ hands.

“We recognize that it’s kind of weird to start a student organization with two staff members,” Jones said.

It is Jones’ and King’s hope that after this initial process of reaching out to students and gauging interest, their role will decrease and they can become true advisers of W.O.W. For now, they are focused on building the necessary foundation with interested students.

The original pool of students that W.O.W. pulled from was Resident Assistants (RAs) due to accessibility and familiarity with programming. RAs are now bringing their residents and other interested students, expanding the student demographic of the organization.

“Our biggest thing is that stu-

ents here feel like they are able to join W.O.W.,“ Jones said.

Interest meetings are held every Friday at 3 p.m. in Batten 228 to provide students the opportunity to join, as well as express programs they are interested in seeing happen on campus.

“We want to make sure we’re doing quality events, and not just a whole host of quantity events,” Jones said.

W.O.W. is not only seeking to simply provide more events, but to create memories and traditions that will allow students to feel like they are at home.

With an apparent decrease in traditional Virginia Wesleyan events, such as the painting of the Adirondack chairs by the freshman class, Jones and King are hoping to find events that students can walk away from hoping to do again.

Student Activities, through WAC, amped up their focus on weekend programming over the summer.

King has witnessed how WAC has responded to this school-wide change in regards to weekend life. This year, WAC will host a weekend event every weekend, in addition to programming during the week.

“Expect to see two programs from WAC pretty much every single week,” King said.

“Expect to see two programs from WAC pretty much every single week,”

JAKE KING

W.O.W. has already hosted one successful event this semester during the second weekend – gutter splits. Over 60 students came to make their own ice cream sundae using ingredients waiting in a gutter. Space Jam played nearby so that students could stay and relax instead of getting their ice cream and leaving.

Although W.O.W. is an organization that was specifically created this year to begin responding to the need for more weekend events, many other organizations have prepared to step in as well. Residence Life and the Office of

Residence Life has also adjusted to this change with a new focus during training on providing wellrounded program events. Overall, no across-theboard expectations have been set but instead are established by the individual village staffs.

“We want to focus a lot on programming throughout, so we’re not just programming for our first-year students,” Jones said.

This focus on programming goes far beyond simply providing events, but catering them to the residents’ needs.

Gabrielle Freese, senior Village I RA, is striving to help her residents become acclimated to the whole campus.

“I’ve heard students ask, ‘Where is Village IV?’” Freese said.

Freese has experienced the change from last year to this year in Residence Life.

“There is a bigger push for

large-scale, weekend programming,” Freese said.

In order to make programs more “large-scale,” RAs are encouraged to make the programs encompass the entire campus or to involve Rec-X.

With so many groups seeking to provide more events, there is increased opportunity for co-sponsorship. Jones saw this co-sponsorship in action during a recent Village I Residence Life event. The RAs hosted a Quidditch program for their residents and requested W.O.W.’s help in order to provide extra help.

W.O.W. is also looking forward to various clubs taking advantage of co-sponsorship opportunities at their events.

“If we see that a club or organization fills a need or fits an event that we’re doing, we’ll contact them,” King said.

They have started contacting other clubs seeking interest in manning a booth during their upcoming Fall Fest, which will take place during the last weekend of October.

Whether it’s a brand new formalized organization or longstanding offices on campus, the campus-wide focus on increased weekend programming appears to be unifying a variety of clubs, organizations and students. If the focus persists, new traditions and exciting, creative events could be

the horizon.

on

CAMPUS countdown

October 6th

What’s At Stake? Gender, Sexualiy, and Politics

Time: 11 a.m.- 11:50 a.m.

Location: Boyd Dining Center, Shafer Room

Dr. Kathleen Casey and Dr. Leslie Caughell will explore issues related to gender and sexuality that have emerged as important in the 2016 election. This is free and open to the public. Call 757-4553129 for more information.

October 8th

Virginia Wesleyan Concert Series: Homecoming Showcase

Time: 10:30 a.m.

Location: Marlin Grille

The Wesleyan Chorale and the Wesleyan Jazz student ensembles will perform a Homecoming Showcase. It is open to the public and no reservation is required. For more information call 757455-3282.

October 10th

QuinTango

Time: 7:30 p.m

Location: Hofheimer Theatre

Tango, the eternal dance of man and woman, brought to life by this quintet of violins, cello, bass and piano. The lights dim, the temperature sizzles and the magic begins. Featuring: Eva Cappelletti Chao & Joan Singer, violins; Kukasz Szyrner, cello; Jon Nazdin, bass; Jeffrey Watson, piano. Call 757.455.2101 for reservations

October 13th-14th

Fall Break

There will be no day classes, Thursday evening classes will meet. Classes will resume Oct. 17.

CRIME BLOTTER

Courtesy|Thinkstock

September 15

1:48 a.m. |Vandalism

J Lot

September 17

12:06 a.m. |Liquor law violation

Village I

September 30

11:35 p.m. |Vandalism

Village I

Graffiti.

October 2

1:32 a.m. |Liquor Law Violation

Village IV

Standing together in a culture of fear

BY JASMINE DRIGGS jtdriggs@vwc.edu

On Sept. 20, the Hofheimer Library was lined with chairs that were full of students, faculty and staff from Virginia Wesleyan College. Six clubs on campus, including African Student Association, Black Student Union, Spectrum, Latino Student Alliance, Love & Light and Phenomenal Women, joined together to put on a discussion entitled “Standing Together in a Culture of Fear.”

Barbara Hamm Lee, host of Another View on WHRV 89.5 moderated the discussion. She opened up by saying, “Not every college is sitting around having this conversation right now, it starts with Wesleyan.”

The overall focus of the discussion was to take a look at how our country is being divided based on different things and how Wesleyan can begin to stand together and make changes that are needed.

A flyer promoting the event said,“We live in a country that is divided by race, religion, ethnicity and political affiliation. We have become a nation defined by violence, bigotry and fear. What can we do to challenge this culture of fear? How can we stand together to encourage dialogue, inspire creative solutions and heal?”

Lee named a few key roles of racism that she sees in our society. These included: war against native americans, discrimination on native people here in our country, discrimination against muslim and immigrants and discrimination against people and their sexual orientation.

“What can you do as an individual to increase the understanding of those who are totally different from you?” Lee asked.

She allowed for everyone to just yell answers out. Some of the answers included: “having events to bring everyone together, having good character, respecting others, exposing oneself to viewpoints other than your own, and treating others as if they were you.”

Lee also asked what the audience thought could be done to make the VWC community more inclusive.

A professor blurted out, “How about allowing professors to speak on these subjects in their class if it relates, without having to worry about losing our jobs.”

A student responded to that by saying, “Yeah, students would be able to react and speak up to voice their opinion while becoming more familiar.”

Senior education major, Tiffani Gregory said, “I think we could have random friendly reminders about equality throughout campus, there are flyers hanging up about everything else.”

There were several students and members of the college who stood to share their stories on how they have been affected by racism. One young lady shared that she often heard from people she come in contact with that she “spoke well for a black girl,” she said that she felt like people expected less of her because she was African American. Students who were biracial shared that it often took them a while to find where they fit in because it

always seemed like they were not enough of one race, or too much of the other and that finding the balance between the two was difficult.

Musa Ghaznavi said, “It [the discussion] was productive, it’s a good step and a good discourse and discussion always helps.”

Amber Morris President of Black Student Union said, “I think it was a great move to bring different groups together. It actually has inspired us to begin having our own conversations and events that will continue the conversation.”

Cory Franklin said, “I heard Pastor Donnie say ‘We are trained to look at the 10 percent not the 90 percent.’ No one is focusing on the positive effects, don’t forget, but move on past the issue.”

Lee ended the discussion with a challenge for the Virginia Wesleyan College community, her challenge was “Continue the discussion that will lead to actions, that will lead to changes.”

Swinging into homecoming 2016

BY MORGAN BOYD mnboyd@vwc.edu

Homecoming and Family Weekend will kick-off on Thursday, Oct. 6 with Wesleyan Activities Council (WAC) hosting an Open Mic night, which will take the time slot for AirBand. The event is open to everyone and we may even get special performances by alumni.

On Friday, Oct. 7, the Homecoming Parade, that is put on by Student Government Association (SGA) will take place. VWC can predict that the sidewalks alongside the Jane P. Batten Student Center will be lined with students, faculty, staff, parents and alumni to see some grasshoppen floats to this year’s theme, “The Jungle.”

During the parade there will also be a special tribute to beloved alumna, Nancy Kelly. Kelly died in a car accident earlier this year when a drunk driver hit the vehicle she was driving. The Women’s Basketball team will be partnering with members of the Chi Beta Psi fraternity and LifeNet Health to set up a table and raise awareness and promote the organization’s mission for organ donation.

“She was an impacted student and she was the epitome of a true division III student athlete because she was an athlete, but at the same time, she was such a well balanced student and excelled at everything she did,” Coach Stephanie Dunmyer said.

The table will be up during the weekend and will hold a spot at the tailgate.

Swinging into the next event of that night is the annual Oktoberfest Dinner, which serves traditional style German cuisines in the Cafe, and will be serving from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. The Homecoming Dance, hosted by WAC, will take place in Boyd Dining Hall at 9 p.m.

On Saturday, Oct. 8, Wake Up at Wesleyan, hosted by President Scott and Annie Miller, will take place from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. with a performance by Virginia Wesleyan Chorale, directed by Dr. Bryson Mortensen. Following that will be the VWC Volleyball team in the Convocation Center at 11 a.m. The Field Hockey team will play as well at noon. Both teams will take on Roanoke College. Tailgates, Reunions and Food trucks will visit campus from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. The festivities for the day will continue with a tailgate with all different types of fun in a united celebration with alumni, family, friends and faculty on Trinder LThis will lead into our Men’s Soccer team taking on the Bridgewater

Eagles, also in Foster Field at the Trinder Center. During the game there will also be a crowning of the Homecoming court. During the evening, the theatre department’s production of Noel Coward’s Blithe Spirit will play in the Hofheimer Theatre. The Women’s Soccer team will go toe-to-toe with Roanoke in Foster Field. Later that night there will be a movie showing of the Legend of Tarzan.

Concluding the weekend will be an Interdenominational Worship Service in the Monumental Chapel from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.

Alumni will also have some events of their own during the weekend. During the first night, VWC will have an annual Alumni Social called Friday Night Flights, hosted by the Office of Alumni Relations. They will be celebrating the night with Shorebreak Pizza, sports, and billiards. There will also be alumni games on Saturday, Oct. 8 starting with a softball game at 11:30 a.m. on Marlin Field, followed by a baseball game at 2 p.m. in the Kenneth R. Perry Field and Women’s Lacrosse in Birdsong Field at 2:30 p.m. Closing the sports events for the evening will be a Men’s Lacrosse game at 4 p.m. in Birdsong Field.

“We want alumni to come home. For you as a students, this campus is your away from home and for the alum it is a sense of nostalgia. Hoping that they come back a remembering that this was their home when they were here,” Lori McCarel, Executive Director of Annual Giving and Alumni Relations said.

Classes that stay with you after the final

BY TAYLOR BOYD

tpboyd@vwc.edu

I have been feeling inspired by my Model United Nations (UN) class lately and I can honestly say that I have personally learned a lot and enjoy the challenges my class brings. I feel that it’s been a different experience and that I have gained new knowledge from it. But all in all, my Model UN class, has nothing to do with my major, what I want to do in life or is what need to graduate. So why am I taking a class like this? In fact, why take any class that you feel will not impact you as a person or apply to your future?

We have all been there. We have all been faced with an elective that doesn’t interest us or may be a filler class to get credit or maybe we are “forced” to take something against our will because whatever school or program that we were working towards says it is “required,”.

For example, we all had to take a foreign language of some sort because otherwise we wouldn’t be at Virginia Wesleyan College right now. And for those of us who were not bilingual, it was certainly a challenge. However, I remember hearing people in my class

complain, saying that no one speaks the language at home so there is no way they will retain it (I would tell my mom this when I got frustrated with the past, present and future tenses in Spanish). Some students would complain because they just knew that they wouldn’t speak this language again.

For me, my math analysis class in high school was the ultimate struggle (mind you that I am mathematically challenged). I struggled in that class every day for a whole three months and to this day I have no idea what that class taught me. My teacher always told the class that this will apply to our lives someday and that math analysis really does help you through life. When I heard my teacher say that, I couldn’t understand how that was possible. What purpose did this class serve other than to give me constant stress or headache?

The classes we do not like for whatever reason somehow come back around. Sometimes our most boring or most difficult classes can actually make it easier for us to understand a concept of something in the future. Or maybe our agonizing experience in a class has made us just stronger as a person. Even that foreign language that you took in high school isn’t so bad after all when you meet someone who speaks the language and you actually remember a few phrases so you can dialogue with her for a moment. You never know how life can bring things back around to you again. But you can be sure that it will one way or another.

In my opinion, no class is useless. Even if you learn one concept from it I believe that concept will still better you or may make you think differently and even challenge you in a way you never thought it could before. As for my Model UN class, I know that there are so many different concepts that this class can teach me including peacekeeping, working with others, healthy debating and public speaking. So the next time you believe that a class will never apply to your life, think again.

People are still going bananas for Harambe

BY MICHAEL WILLSON mnwillson@vwc.edu

Val Miller | Marlin Chronicle

It seems that whenever I go on the internet, I always find something related to a particular gorilla. A particular gorilla named Harambe.

For those of you who do not know who Harambe was, he was a silverback gorilla at the Cincinnati Zoo. On Saturday, May 20, a child fell into the gorilla enclosure. After the child fell in, Harambe approached the child and proceeded to drag him throughout the enclosure. In a moment of desperation, zoo officials chose to shoot Harambe in order to get the child to safety.

Shortly after the incident occurred, people all over social media criticized the zoo for its decision. Some felt that Harambe was trying to protect the child. Others felt that the zoo should have used a tranquilizer. An online petition called, “Justice for Harambe” got over 500,000 signatures requesting that the zoo press charges against the family, which it chose not to. Some people even said that the child deserved to die for the mother’s negligence. Out of nowhere, this gorilla from the Cincinnati Zoo became a martyr. There was even a vigil for him held outside of the zoo’s entrance.

It’s been a little over four months now and people are still talking about Harambe. There are memes all over the internet. YouTube has changed the 3 Doors Down song, “Here Without You,” to “Here Without Harambe.” Conspiracies have been posted about Harambe’s death being ordered by the government. The Twitter account of the zoo’s director, Thane Maynard, was hacked, and the hacker posted childish comments about Harambe and using the gorilla as his profile picture. The whole thing is getting completely out of hand.

The memes have gotten so bad that Maynard spoke out against it to The Associated Press.

“We are not amused by the memes, petitions and signs about Harambe,” May-

nard said. “Our zoo family is still healing, and the constant mention of Harambe makes moving forward more difficult for us. We are honoring Harambe by redoubling our gorilla conservation efforts and encouraging others to join us,”.

First of all, let me start off by expressing my view on the incident. Could the zoo have built the enclosure in a way to better prevent children from getting in? Yes, absolutely. Could the mother have done a better job watching her child? Yes, but keep in mind she had three other kids with her. Regardless, that is not the main focus. Once the child was in the gorilla enclosure, the main focus on zoo officials’ minds, and what should have been the main focus on everyone’s mind, was getting him to safety. The life of a human child is always worth more than the life of a gorilla. The fact that anyone would think otherwise is just astounding. Yes, I understand that gorillas are endangered, but that’s still no excuse. To the people who said that he was trying to protect the child, he was not protecting him, he was dragging him. There’s footage of it and it’s actually quite terrifying. Harambe could have seriously injured that child. The child is lucky to have survived. We do not know what was going on in Harambe’s mind and we never will. All we know is that the child’s life was at risk. To those who feel that the zoo should have used a tranquilizer, a tranquilizer does not work instantly. It takes a few minutes for it to kick in. During that time, Harambe would have been startled and possibly would have gone on a rage. They needed to get the child out of there immediately and shooting Harambe was the best option.

Secondly, the whole internet obsession over Harambe is really starting to get old. It’s been over four months now. Give it a rest. Harambe is no longer a martyr, he is now a joke. The people who post about Harambe on social media do not actually care about him. They just know that posting about him will give them attention. I will admit that I have acted as a troll and posted my own thoughts on Harambe on Yik Yak. I posted that, “Harambe was just a gorilla,” and that, “Harambe was a damn dirty ape,” (making reference to the film, “Planet of the Apes”). Both of the yaks were down voted.

What happened to Harambe was sad, but the zoo made the right decision. The jokes were funny as first, but it is time to move on. Let’s cut it out for Harambe.

Why safe spaces are important for college campuses

BY JULIE AINSLEY jmainsley@vwc.edu

Imagine the world of “Mean Girls” on a college campus. Is that what our community has turned into?

According to what I have seen on Yik Yak and heard from multiple sources, we live in a community referred to as “Virginia Wesleyan High School.” Here your age and environment may change but you still have the high-school mentality obsessed with rumors and drama.

I have noticed this trend on VWC’s campus and I have come to the conclusion that we live in a community where there is a tendency to spread rumors and confidential information as conversational currency. This is very problematic because it defeats the purpose of the safe space that students and administration alike have tried to create.

Advocates of Youth defines safe space as, “[a] place where anyone can relax and be fully self-expressed without fear of being made to feel uncomfortable, unwelcome or challenged on account of biological sex, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, cultural background, age or physical or mental

ability.” It is a place where the rules guard each person’s self-respect, dignity and feelings, strongly encouraging everyone to respect others.

I have seen this problem a lot on sites such as Yik Yak, which is understandable (but not acceptable) due to its anonymity. But what I am surprised about is that it continues off the web and in the classrooms, common areas and residence halls of VWC.

This problem is not unique to our campus. Yale University had the same issue with administration last year over racial insensitivity. There was also an alleged situation at Yale University with the members of Sigma Alpha Epsilon not letting women of color into a party because it was allegedly “white girls only.” The chapter denied the allegation.

Though I haven’t seen anything this drastic on our campus since I have been a student here, I am scared of what insensitivity and intolerance of others could bring to our campus.

While I have seen the problem of disrespecting safe space among students on this campus, I have also seen student groups opening up conversation and trying to break the norm of this campus. The first club that comes to mind is Black Student Union (BSU). BSU has become increasingly more active since my freshman year and I am elated about the strides that they are making on campus. I am also excited to see new clubs like Spectrum and Planned Parenthood’s Generation Action join in on the conversation.

I have also seen a push made by the Office of Residence Life. Being a returning resident (RA) assistant this year, I saw a big change compared to our RA training

from the past. This year, we focused more on community building and ways to build a more inclusive community than anything else and it was refreshing to see administration trying to push inclusiveness into the residence halls.

Administration has been trying to counteract the lack of safe space on this campus. The President’s Council for Inclusive Community has been active this year but all I have seen is a bulletin board explaining what it is. This important council has the potential to change campus culture so it is weird to me that not many people know about it. Whether you respect safe space or not, it is important to keep other people’s feelings in mind when you discover information about someone, especially in a tight-knit community like our home.

VWC is a special place. It is a lot of people’s home away from home. It is a place where I see faculty and staff asking students to dog sit or go out for coffee. It is where I see students go out to our greater campus community to help children in need in academics and mentorship. I see Greeks, athletes and student leaders join together for community service, panel discussions and really anything that needs to be done. This is a place that can change college culture of intolerance because, just like our school, we are spe-

cial people. I don’t want common headlines like, “‘Infantilized’ College Students Need ‘Safe Spaces’ to Avoid Scary Free Speech” to stop our campus from doing what is right and treating all of our Marlins with the respect they deserve. Let’s keep Virginia Wesleyan College special by making it a safe space for our entire community of Marlins.

Safe Space

The great mc debate: iphones v. Androids

JONATHAN JOYNER

Today, we live in an era of technology that is constantly growing. This era has been heavily influenced by the role of cell phones, more specifically smartphones. One of the most well-known smartphones, however is the iPhone. A smartphone that is well known for its advanced security, easy-to-use software design, as well as many other features. The iPhone has been a major player in the smartphone world, even with its rival Android, the iPhone has almost always managed to keep pace with its competitors.

The latest iPhone in the mainstream line is the iPhone 7, which was recently released on Sept. 16, 2016. This new iPhone made many improvements on the designs of previous iPhones. These improvements range from faster processing speeds to a new somewhat water resistant design. As a user of an iPhone, I, myself, am happy to hear that improvements have been made on many of the flaws previously seen in iPhones before; however, does this new iPhone live up to the hype we iPhone users are hoping for?

Well for all you people who love to take pictures with your phones, the iPhone 7 has just what you need. It has a new, wider lens and optical stabilization system that allows for less distorted pictures and more fun for users.

On the topic of the design, in my opinion, the iPhone 7 just appears to be a waterproof iPhone 6S with a virtual home button instead of a physical button. Making the iPhone 7 waterproof is a major step forward for Apple in terms of their designs. This is mainly due to the fact that the Samsung Galaxy line already added that aspect years ago and adding this upgrade allows for the iPhone to slowly begin catching up to its rival.

One of the major issues, I have found, in the new iPhone’s design is the lacking of a headphone jack to plug in headphones. Apple announced that with from this point forward, Apple iPhones will be going wireless in terms of headphones. This idea is brilliant considering the hassle that most customers, including myself, have with the classic wired earpods. Though, I feel that Apple may have jumped the gun on this one and should have waited a little bit longer till they at least had a better system for Bluetooth use. What Apple should have done is brought out a line of Bluetooth

headphones and then once the headphones were perfected to a certain degree they could take away the headphone jack. You can still buy an adapter to plug into the charging port and from there, plug in headphones. As of right now, Apple does not even give you a Bluetooth headset with the phone, you still get the old earpods with the adapter for now. This issue is quite annoying because you cannot charge your phone and listen to music at the same time unless you want to blast your music for all to hear. The Bluetooth headset known as Apple airpods are sold separately.

The biggest improvements in the iPhone appear to go to its software and performance upgrades. The iPhone 7 is a lot faster than in previous generations in terms of processing speed. This is mainly thanks to the new A10 fusion chip that was used in the design. The iPhone 7 surpassed many of the other big name smartphones out right now including the Samsung Galaxy S7/S7 Edge. The latest iOS software being used on this new iPhone was Apple’s saving grace. This is because iOS 10 helped with the iPhone 7’s battery life issue by upgrading the low power mode added in iOS 9. Security was also stepped up as always with many new bug patches being put into the software as well.

So now for the answer you readers have been waiting for: does the iPhone 7 live up to hype that Apple tried to create? In my opinion, YES, the iPhone 7 is worth the money and mostly lives up to hype. While its battery life and headphone jack problems do drag the phone down, it makes up for these issues with its upgraded camera with optical stabilization, its fantastic performance and processing speeds, its new water resistant design, and its, as always, easy-to-use software known as iOS 10. It is understandable that most of you users out there may be discouraged by the slight battery life issue and lack of a headphone jack, but I believe this phone is still worth taking a chance on because I feel like it is the beginning of bigger things to come in the near future.

Ever since the late-2000’s, there has been much debate on which smartphone is better, the iPhone or the Android. As a smartphone user, I can tell you that, without a doubt, the Android is the way to go.

Let’s start off by comparing battery life. The batteries that are used for the iPhone are good for about two years. After two years, the battery dies and it’s time to get a new iPhone. This is clearly a way for Apple to get more money. Because the battery life is so short, iPhone users more frequently have to buy new phones. This makes it easier for Apple to sell more phones; therefore making more money. I have been using my Samsung Galaxy SIII for the past three years, and the battery is still going strong.

Another reason why the Android is better than the iPhone is because you have more options to choose from. You can get a phone with a lot of functions, such as watching movies and playing games, or you can get a phone simply for calling people. With the iPhone, what you see is what you get. Yes, there is some variety in terms of the size, but just about all iPhones have the same functions. You are stuck with those functions whether you plan on using them or not.

One of the new features of the iPhone 7 is the lack of a headphone jack. If you want to listen to music and not disturb the people around you, you have to use wireless headphones and connect it to Bluetooth. This seems like a very unnecessary decision, if you ask me. The only reason I can think of as to why Apple made this decision was so they could seem up to date with the time. Yes, wireless headphones are one of the coolest inventions to come out in the past few years, but that doesn’t mean that people should be forced to use them. Some people, myself included, prefer the traditional headphones that you plug into the phone. I find the whole process of connecting the headphones to Bluetooth confusing. I’m always afraid that I am going to end up annoying people with my music because I thought that my headphones were connected. With traditional headphones, you

just plug them into the phone. It’s as simple as that. If people want to use wireless headphones, fine, but they should be given the option. Androids give you that option.

Another reason why the Android is better than the iPhone is its resistance to water. Yes, the new iPhone 7 is waterproof, but it is the first of its kind. Getting water on the previous six iPhones was a death sentence. Androids have been resistant to water since 2010, starting with the Motorola Defy.

Want to take some good, high quality photos? Well, the Android is the way to go. The Samsung Galaxy S7 has a wider field view than what is found in most iPhones. So while the iPhone might be good for taking selfies, Androids are much better at getting group photos. Androids are also better at taking photos in the dark. To its credit, the iPhone can take good photos in the dark as well, but they do not come out nearly as nice as the Android. With Android photos, you get so much details and light, that you would have had no idea that it was taken in the dark. While the purpose of a smartphone is to call people, we all know that most people use them for apps. Both the Android and the iPhone offer a wide variety of entertaining apps to choose from such as Pokèmon GO, Uber and Angry Birds. They both offer app stores that are easy to navigate, but in terms of submitting your own app, the Android, which you submit through Google, is your best option. Apple has a long, bureaucratic process for submitting an app. There’s a process for submitting apps through Google as well, but it is much easier and to the point. If you go to the websites for both the Android and the iPhone, you will find that the Android’s instructions for submitting an app are much easier to read than the iPhone’s instructions. It is clear why the Android is better than the iPhone. It has a strong battery, more variety, a better camera and is much easier to use. You can go ahead and use the iPhone if you want, but Adam and Eve used Apple and look what happened to them.

The role memes play in our culture

BY CONNOR PEDERSON ctpederson@vwc.edu

For centuries scientists have been desperately searching for the cure to an unknown problem. This problem has grown to plague several aspects of our daily lives including television, media, Facebook profile pages and even the smallest of small talk. This problem, as memetics can only put it is: the meme.

Okay, but seriously, we need to talk about memes and how important they are to American culture. When I first heard the word meme, I was confused because it sounds like some type of word an internet troll would use. I wasn’t far off the truth. As the meme craze progressed, one question burned in my mind.

“Why in the grace of the earth is this even a thing?”

However, as time has gone by I have succumbed to the delightful poison that are memes. Additionally, I truly believe that memes have more significant uses than we give them credit.

Let’s look at some of the more popular memes in the past few months. Harambe, dat boi, the zodiac killer, Bernie or Hillary and Damn Daniel have all had a significant presence in media in 2016. Harambe, the gorilla killed in the Cincinnati Zoo, has been this sensational joke of “he didn’t deserve it.” Dat boi is probably the most random but created this odd, unique new way for younger kids to just say “hi.” The Zodiac Killer meme, which revolved around a series of tweets

and Tumblr posts about Ted Cruz being the Zodiac Killer, made absolutely no sense to me but it was just something hilarious to joke about.

Long winded posts would end up in some insane conspiracy about Ted Cruz being the zodiac killer and in some twisted millennial humor way, it was hilarious! Bernie or Hillary combined several aspects of other memes along with making Bernie out to be the “cool grandpa” and Hillary being this boring, pandering sellout. Damn Daniel was annoying, still annoying, again annoyed and somehow pretty endearing. You go to up to a friend and say “Damn (insert name”) and throw out a random compliment.

Talking about these memes has led me to an epiphany; Memes create dialogue. I cannot count the amount of serious conversations that have stirred from the mention of Harambe. Dat boi never created mind blowing, thought provoking conversations but they lead to hilarious laugh sessions with close friends. Ted Cruz being the Zodiac Killer partially raised my generation’s awareness on the 2016 Presidential Race. Honestly, it feels like my generation is just apathetic sometimes but somehow this Zodiac Killer meme created some type of awareness about how bad the next president could be. Bernie or Hillary did the same exact thing for the Democratic side, really pushing the “feeling the Bern” support. Damn Daniel is just sweet and has brought me some pretty fun conversations. Sometimes people need a little encouragement.

Look, I’m not the expert on memes but they are pretty radical. They make people laugh, smile, feel confused, cry, get angry, hungry and feel lots of emotions. Memes are a reflection of how our culture is evolving. They create an interesting social dynamic and can serve as great tools to view our culture.

What happens on the bus stays on the bus

BY HAYLEY HEATH hrheath@vwc.edu

When teams are scheduled for away games they usually set out on the road long before the game times. Although most of this time is spent sleeping, when they are not sleeping they spend this time bonding with their team mates. Some teams even have special activities they do to get them pumped for the game or special places they like to eat before games.

Some teams have traditions they carry out from year to year. Women’s soccer players surprise their freshmen teammates by getting them to sing karaoke in something they call “Marlin Idol.”

On their first away trip, first-year field hockey players get sorted into one of the four Hogwarts houses from the Harry Potter series. They play games such as “Heads-up,” the charades app. The Field Hockey team also passes their time singing as well. Not on a microphone, but in their seats with their headphones on.

“You wear Beats so you can’t hear what you sound like.”

Senior field hockey captain, Alyssa Ochsenfele said.

The cross country team watches inspirational movies on the way to the races. Coach Littleton gives pep talks to get them in the right mindset before races. The team likes to watch funny movies like “21 Jump Street” or “Dragon Ball Z” on their trips back.

Athletic bus rituals released

The golf team likes to jam out to an array of music in their van.

“A lot of Snapchatting goes on,” senior, Evan Hockensmith said. “We play head games with each other.” Hockensmith said, referring to the jokes they tell one another.

When teams arrive, they usually have a little while until they have to start warming up. This is when teams have a moment to take team walks and talk about how they want to do during the game as individuals and as a team. Goal setting is of top priority for many teams this season at VWC.

“Before every game we dedicate our game to someone and set individual goals and team goals,” Sophomore Brooke Adamchak said about women’s soccer. She says that this really motivates the girls

New face on the course

BY COREY KING

ckking1@vwc.edu

BY PATRICK SUTTLE pjsuttle@vwc.edu

Alongside of these ground breaking athletes, is the new head coach Rick Bidnick. Bidnick comes to Virginia Wesleyan from the Western Branch area of Chesapeake. This is his fi rst year coaching at Virginia Wesleyan College. He is also a golf coach for Nansemond Suffolk Academy. Bidnick has built quite the resume in golf since his collegiate days at Christopher Newport University, where he was named an All-American in 1986. Bidnick also competed for the NCAA Division III National Championship in 1986 and 1987, and with those accomplishments he was immortalized in Christopher Newport University history as a Hall of Fame athlete.

After Bidnick college years ended, he made sure he stayed around golf. Bidnick got his PGA certifi cation and has been a PGA professional all throughout tidewater. He was the feature PGA Golf Professional as Stumpy Lake Golf Course in Virginia Beach, where he was also the general manager. He was also the PGA Professional at Sleepy Hole Golf Course in Suffolk. He also held a PGA Professional job at Kingsmill Resort in Williamsburg, which is one of the nicest golf facilities in Virginia. So Bidnick has had plenty of experience watching swings and knows how to maximize the potential of his players. Bidnick has big plans for the Marlin golf program. He envisions a championship for the program in the future. Bidnick feels he will have one big challenge facing him in his new role. Bidnick said the biggest challenge is recruiting new players while staying within the NCAA recruiting guidelines.

Coach Bidnick encourages all who are interested to sign up for our men’s and women’s golf teams. If you are interested in playing golf this year, please stop by his offi ce, 244B in the athletic offi ce or email him at rbidnick@vwc.edu.

to perform well because they are playing for someone else.

Field hockey sets goals and reflect on how they achieved or failed to reach their goals in a written form which they give to their coach.

The cross country team listens to their coach and other speaker for inspiration.

“For big races like ODACs or Regionals alums come to talk to our younger guys to inspire us,” Sophomore Gavin Fry said.

Long rides to games means the athletes will need to do some refueling. Stopping at fast food restaurants is not an option. That’s why most of their favorite places to eat are healthier.

Depending on where they are headed, the field hockey team likes to stop for Italian foods for pasta. Women’s soccer’s

favorite is Panera when they are not having sandwiches that Coach Bowers provides on the buss in a parking lot.

Cross country goes to Chickfil-a quite often. Hockensmith said he guarantees that the golf team’s favorite place to eat is Sting-ray’s in Cape Charles.

There are so many things to do on the way to away games, but sometimes teams leave early in the morning or leave after they practice so they end up sleeping on the bus.

Where are they now?

Ben Fletcher

BY COREY KING

Ben Fletcher is a former member of Virginia Wesleyan College’s men’s lacrosse team. He played defensemen for the Marlins during tenure at the school while off the practice field, he worked toward a degree in business and a minor in communication. Ben’s focus while getting his business degree was to get into some form of marketing.

After graduation, Fletcher had a great internship lined up with local newspaper company the VirginianPilot.

“I was very fortunate to have a paid internship with a great company like The Virginian Pilot. I was in the Marketing and Events department,” Fletcher reflected.

After the internship concluded, it opened up the door for better opportunities.

“It has sent me on a path in which I can work in the field that I studied in and seek out certain traits that I look for in a job such as working in a team environment and being able to use my creativity and interpersonal skills,” Fletcher explained.

Many employers in the professional world love looking for former college athletes. That’s because the athletes know what it is like to work together to achieve one common goal, whatever that may be. This is no different for Fletcher’s employers

A new era of golf is here

Department of Sports Information |Courtesy Sophomore Hannah Turner and freshman Maggie Kingora are two of the newest members to the women’s golf team.

BY COREY KING ckking1@vwc.edu

BY PATRICK SUTTLE

pjsuttle@vwc.edu

This year for the fi rst time in Virginia Wesleyan College history, a women’s golf team will be hitting the links. The team is comprised right now of two golfers, Hannah Turner and Maggie Kingora.

Hannah Turner, a sophomore from Brookhaven, Pennsylvania was one of the driving forces to get the women’s golf team made at Virginia Wesleyan. “It feels honoring. This is a brand new program that I helped start and that’s all I’ve wanted for a year now,” Turner said.

Maggie Kingora a true freshman from Sterling, Virginia said she feels humbled being one of the two golfers that are on this inaugural team. “It is an honor to be one of the fi rst women to be on the women’s golf team to represent Virginia Wesleyan,” said Kingora “I can’t wait to see where our team grow.”

These two girls are going to set the bar for the teams to come after them and they both seem confi dent they can do so.

Kingora posted the best score between the two in tournament play posting an 81 at the Bridgewater invitational. In their most recent matches, the pair fi nished shooting 89.

“We are just warming up. I know personally that my scores are going to go down, and so are Maggie’s.

“We are just breaking the tip of the iceberg,” said Turner about herself and her teammates performance. Look out for these two, good things seem to be on their mind.

“Being able to work in a team environment makes you a more attractive candidate when applying and interviewing for jobs. All of the jobs that I have interviewed with have asked me about my experience on the lacrosse team. If you are able to effectively communicate with others to reach a common goal, it’s much easier to perform well professionally,” Fletcher said.

Another factor of being in the professional world is being able to take what you have previously learned and use it to your advantage when in the real world. Virginia Wesleyan College seems to prepare its students quite well according to Fletcher.

“I use the skills that I learned in school daily. But you quickly find out in the real world that learning never stops and you have to continuously apply yourself to become a better professional,” Fletcher said.

Fletcher said the biggest thing you can do when in a new place is ask questions, “You can’t be afraid to ask questions and learn from the people around you.”

For many students coming into college, graduation seems as though it is many years away. Which in reality it is but those four years go by faster than you think. Students like Fletcher realized that there was going to have to be another life after sports. He prepared well in advance to make sure that he had good opportunities lined up for himself when his time at Virginia Wesleyan College concluded.

Fletcher advises students to be openminded when looking for jobs after college.

“Have an open mind and be proactive about getting jobs and internships before graduation. It’s difficult to find a job and the interview process can take a long time. Develop a resume that is professional and start thinking about who you would write down if a company asked you for references. Also, it is important to find a mentor. Whether that is a coach, alumni, professor, or another staff member within the college. For me, I relied on Dr. Ferguson a lot my senior year. Her door was always open and I could talk to her about anything. She was great and I’m thankful that I can still contact her even though I have graduated.”

Wise words, from a wise man that seems as though his future is looking bright. Keep making Marlin athletics, and the Marlin community proud Ben.

AT A GLANCE

Field Hockey

OCT 8 VS. ROANOKE

OCT 12 AT RANDOLPH-MACON

OCT 15 AT EAST. MENNONITE

OCT 16 VS. TRANSYLVANIA @ EMU

OCT 19 VS. SWEET BRIAR

Men’s Soccer

OCT 5 VS. N.C. WESLEYAN

OCT 8 VS. BRIDGEWATER

OCT 10 AT FERRUM

OCT 12 AT HAMPDEN-SYDNEY

OCT 19 AT EAST. MENNONITE

Women’s Soccer

OCT 8 VS. ROANOKE

OCT 12 AT RANDOLPH-MACON

OCT 15 VS. GUILFORD

OCT 15 VS. ROANOKE

OCT 19 AT BRIDGEWATER (VA.)

Women’s Volleyball

OCT 5 VS. RANDOLPH-MACON

OCT 6 VS. AVERETT

OCT 8 VS. ROANOKE

OCT 8 VS. ST. JOSEPHS

OCT 14 VS. EAST. MENNONITE

OCT 15 VS. GETTYSBURG INVITATIONAL

OCT 15 VS. BRIDGEWATER

OCT 18 VS. SOUTHERN VIRGINIA

OCT 22 AT HOLLINS

OCT 22 VS. GREENSBORO @ ROANOKE, VA

Cross-Country

OCT 15 VS. GETTYSBURG INVITATIONAL @ GETTYSBURG, PA.

OCT 29 VS. ODAC CHAMPIONSHIPS @ LEXINGTON, VA.

NOV 12 VS. NCAA SOUTH/ SOUTHEAST REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS @ MOUNT BERRY, GA.

NOV 19 VS. NCAA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS @ LOUISVILLE, KY.

Seventeen grand for softball fundraiser

Most money raised for Strikeout Cancer event in Virginia Wesleyan Softball’s history.

The men and women of the baseball and softball team bow their heads in respect during

BY HENRY TASKER hltasker@vwc.edu

The Virginia Wesleyan College softball team hosted its annual Strike out Cancer event on April 16. The event is constructed to raise money for the American Cancer Society and has been run since 2008, the softball team raised $3,309. That number has increased every year. This year’s event proceeds totaled $17,206, exceeding their

goal of $15,000. This is their record high total since the first event in 2008.

“I remember when we got $3,000 in 2008 we were so pumped up. Never in a million years did I imagine that this thing would grow the way that it has,” head softball coach Brandon Elliott said.

Because the event was held on VWC Day, it attracted both current and prospective students, parents, fans and other teams such as Emory

Score Board

Women’s Soccer

9/25 Salisbury W, 2-0

9/28 Lynchburg T, 0-0

9/30 Emory & Henry W, 4-0

10/4 Catholic L, 3-0

Men’s Soccer

9/17 Washington & Lee L,2-1

9/27 Randolph T, 0-0 10/1 Lynchburg L, 1-0

Field Hockey

9/24 Lynchburg L, 6-2

9/27 Christopher Newport L, 4-0

10/1 Washington & Lee L, 9-1

10/4 Wesley L,4-2

Women’s Volleyball

9/20 Christopher Newport L, 3-0

9/28 Randolph W, 3-0

10/1 Washington & Lee L, 3-1

10/1 Marymount L, 3-1

& Henry’s softball team, Shenandoah baseball team and the VWC baseball players.

“It was great to see the VWC community come together like this. The amount of money raised was incredible. It made me incredibly proud to be a Marlin,” student attendee Caleb Mercer said.

The day was particularly special for Elliott who lost his mother to cancer in 2008. The event happens during the month of her birthday in

remembrance of her life. The event included food, a presentation and a big silent auction in aid of the event. For the event, the lady Marlins charged $5 for entry. Virginia Wesleyan College hosted an open house on the day of the event as well. Instead of paying for food in the cafeteria, guests paid for their lunch outside.

Fantasy Football top performers of week 4

QB

Matt Ryan- 503 passing yards, 4 td’s, 1 pick

Phillip Rivers- 321 passing yards, 2 td’s, 1 pick

Russell Wilson- 309 passing yards, 3 td’s,

RB

La’Veon Bell- 144 rushing yards, 0 td’s

Ezekiel Elliot- 138 rushing yards, 1 td

Isaiah Crowell- 120 rushing yards, 1 td

WR

Julio Jones- 300 receiving yards, 1 td

A.J. Green- 173 receiving yards, 1 td

John Brown- 144 receiving yards, 0 td

MARLINS GET MUDDY

BY LUKE CHIASSON lachiasson@vwc.edu

The weather was perfect, the field set, the music bumping and the participants were ready.

The 2016 Mud Games commenced when the first wave of students darted across the mud while trying to stay synchronized for the three-legged race. Some failed at the army crawl while others excelled at the crab walk, but the dizzy bat got the best of most participants.

“It was one of the best events that I’ve participated in on campus,” junior Emily Burkard said.

The tradition of the Mud Games at Virginia Wesleyan College was a success for Kate Griffin and the Wesleyan Activities Council (WAC) but it did not go on without a lot of planning and hard work. As students from last year may recall, the Mud Games happened in the spring of 2016 instead of the fall of 2015 due the potential threat of Hurricane Joaquin.

“We needed to get more teams to sign up, so we added the cash prize of $250,” said Georgia Walker, event supervisor and four-year WAC member.

Walker said that a major contributing factor to the slow registration numbers is that the old registration process was similar to RecX processes where students stop by the WAC office to sign up. This year, the registration was done online. The decision to add a cash prize paid off for WAC as they saw five teams registered on Sept. 27 jump to 16 only three days later just in time for the games.

“Marketing is the hardest part because no one pays attention to posters, flyers and window paint, so we thought of something obscure to bring attention to it,” Walker said.

In order to advertise in a way that people would notice, WAC put a shirt on the statue of John Wesley outside of the Boyd Dining Center with information about the Mud Games.

“The traditional prize was just pride,” Griffin said.

However, Alpha Sigma Alpha team wanted more than just pride. They were after the cash prize, which they won. The members of the winning team were Christina Call, Anastasia Hernandez, Francesca Lanuza, Jackie Lee and Morgan Lucas.

Each year the games bring up competition within each team to see which member is most prone to falling victim to the mud pit.

“Mud Games definitely brought our

Mud Games returned to its regular fall date and drew a large crowd

sorority closer together. We just received our new girls and it was great bonding with them and showing them that we all support each other and are very involved in campus life,” Burkard said.

Even though the Mud Games were such a big success, some participants espouse the need for improvement.

“The two things I would change about Mud Games are the course and the activities. I think that the length of the mud field was too short and there should be more activities during Mud Games. The four activities were extremely fun but it went by very fast,” Burkard said.

Despite having critiques of the Mud Games this year, Burkard is already committed to participating in the event next year.

BY CYNTHIA GRIFFIN clgriffin@vwc.edu

“It’s a great way to get involved with campus and meet new people and an even better way to have fun,” Burkard said.

The old location of the Mud Games is now home to Birdsong Field, so for the second year in a row, Rose Lawn was turned into a giant pile of mud. The location was picked due to the close fire hydrant, electricity and bathrooms.

Physical Plant made a PVC Pipe shower for participants to take a quick shower and there is also a low pressure fire hose for people to wash down before heading back to campus.

No matter a student’s athletic ability, the Mud Games is a great way to spend a Friday afternoon having fun and getting a little dirty.

BY LAURISSA SENECAL ljsenecal@vwc.edu

After lots of anticipation, the iPhone 7 was released on Sept 7, leaving VWC students to discuss whether all the changes are positive.

Among the various external and software updates of the iPhone 7, the removal of the headphone jack incited the most controversy from Apple users at VWC.

Sophomore Asia Blackwood, an iPhone user, expressed her frustration.

“We invest so much in these products, and for it to go wrong to this extent bothers me.” Blackwood said.

Blackwood also said that while she understands how a loyal Android user would stay or go, she says that she would stop supporting the company.

“It’s important that before you put out the product, you work through every

In losing the headphone jack, the iPhone 7 became splash and water resistant. Users can either wear Bluetooth wireless headphones or buy Apple’s new AirPods, which are wireless earbuds that connect as soon as they contact someone’s ear.

Sophomore Benjamin Astrum is ready to embrace this new change.

“I prefer Bluetooth head-

glitch to make sure it’s sound. You gotta be careful and you have [to] make sure you get through all the kinks before you put a series of phones out. Because it’s not just one phone that had the issue,” Blackwood said.

Junior Atrayeau Ward, an avid Samsung Galaxy Note user, says he plans to stick with the company.

“I’ve had the Note 3, Note 4, Note 5. Right now, I have the Galaxy 6 edge and

Virginia Arts Festival @ Attucks Theatre 1010 Church St, Norfolk, VA 23510 10.18.16 | 7:30 P.M.

phones anyways, so I don’t mind Apple getting rid of them,” Astrum said.

He is also a big fan of the iOS 10 update.

“I absolutely love the new texting additions, adding lasers and fireworks to text messages is really cool,” Astrum said.

Unlike Astrum, sophomore Mickella Rast is not enthusiastic about the changes.

“I have Bose headphones and I love them, but with the new iPhone 7 I wouldn’t be able to wear them,” Rast explained.

The phone gained two new color options, which are glossy jet black and matte black in addition to the same silver, gold, rose gold and black that the 6 came in.

The iPhone 7 camera has

I would like to go back to the Note,” Ward said.

Ward also said that he would like to stick to a phone that he’s familiar with and he doesn’t mind the exploding battery issue.

“I don’t really care too much about it.

It’s only gonna be this way for a short while and it’s not like they aren’t gonna fix it,” Ward said.

Samsung did release an update on the

optical image stabilization and a six-element lens that makes it easier to take photos and videos in low light. The optical image stabilization reduces the blurriness of a photo that comes from shaky hands or motion.

In order to extend battery life, the iPhone 7 has what Apple calls, “the most powerful chip ever in a smartphone.” This chip also makes the phone work faster and hold more storage.

Apple also gave its phone screens a new look with the iOS 10 update based around a software called Metal. Graphics work better, moving from app to app is easier, and Siri can now perform searches and hear better. It’s easier to search for things within text messages and 3D touch is available in more apps.

federally-mandated recall of more than one million phones stating that more than 60 percent of phones that were bought in the U.S. and South Korea have been exchanged and that 90 percent of consumers got an even exchange for a new Note 7 instead of an alternate Samsung model or a refund.