Sep. 15, 2016

THE MARLIN CHRONICLE

Time of renovation and construction

Piles of lumber cover the baseball field during rennovation. The new bleachers are projected to be ready by spring semester.

Fine arts gets fi ner

BY ASHLEY KLINE aakline@vwc.edu

Virginia Wesleyan College needs $14 million in order to begin phase one of improving the Fine Arts Building on campus. Donations currently total $12.7 million. In his State of the College Address, Scott Miller, president of the college, gave a promising message regarding the antiquated Fine Arts Building involving the establishment of the new Susan S. Goode Fine and Performing Arts Center. The building’s name is meant to honor Susan Goode. Goode and her husband David Goode, donated $5 million to the project.

According to Miller’s address, the initial phase will include some long-awaited additions including a glass gallery and theater that will accommodate 300 to 350 people. According to theater professor Dr. Travis Malone, the current Hofheimer Theater was built in 1985 and seats merely 135 people. Phase one will also include renovations to the present Fine Arts Building. Upon completion of phase one, the building will be a total of 28,200 square feet.

Miller said he had no intentions on stopping there.

“Two other phases will be added in the future totaling an additional 22,000 square feet at a cost of $14.2 million,” Miller said.

Renovations to the Fine Arts Building will have extensive benefits for students.

“It will provide more ways to continue our goal of creating engaging and dynamic performances for all audiences,” Malone said.

Regarding the expansion of the theater, Malone said the expansion would prevent the theater department from having to schedule so many showings of events as well as open up new doors for partnering with Coastal Virginia performing arts groups.

In addition, Malone said that the renovations to the theatre would offer students new stage production technology as well as a different style of performance venue giving them two varying types of venues to perform in. This will ultimately help performing arts students at Virginia Wesleyan College become more dynamic thus enhancing their ability to get jobs.

The new theater will not only benefit theater students but will also provide venues for lectures, meetings and concerts.

“Looking at all options for construction and renovation, we determined that a theater building that would serve many kinds of campus events was a priority,” Vice President for Advancement Mort Gamble said.

Shining up the diamond

BY SARAH ANTOZZI scantozzi@vwc.edu

The Marlins baseball team will play in a freshened venue this coming spring. President Scott Miller announced that the college will use funds donated by Mason and Joan Brock to renovate the baseball stadium complex. The stadium is named after Joan Brock’s father, Kenneth R. Perry.

The college will make major upgrades to the bleacher system, dugouts and fencing, incorporate more landscaping and VWC branding and replace several pieces of baseball equipment, according to Joanne Renn, executive director of intercollegiate athletics.

Spectators will enjoy better viewing due to the much shorter four-foot infield fencing.

“You can look over it instead of through it,” Renn said.

New bleachers will also be installed. In accordance with new safety codes, these will be closed-system bleachers. This means there will be no openings between the benches and floors. Renn said they will be handicapped-accessible and will have a seating capacity of 370, 50 of which will be chair-back seats. They will also feature a new climate-controlled press box with a filming platform. Additionally, Pro-style netting with a brick façade behind it will replace the current chain-link backstop giving pitchers a better visual backdrop.

“It’s what they call a good sightline,” Renn said. “Right now there’s an old windscreen that’s kind of shredded.”

Senior outfielder Justin Erby named the new backstop and fencing as the best parts of the upcoming renovations.

“From the outfield you can see everything,” Erby said, and thus the new backstop would benefit outfielders as well as pitchers. He was also pleased about the new, shorter fence. “With the old fence, you feel caged in.”

Freshman pitcher Noah Riffle was happy about the new bleacher system saying it gives the feeling that “the program is on the rise” and will encourage more spectators to come cheer for the Marlins. While his Florida high school was larger than VWC, he explained that the field at VWC is nicer.

“I’m really excited for the opportunity I have here this year,” Riffle said.

Riffle said the team atmosphere has been accepting of the freshmen. That positive clubhouse atmosphere can only get better with the coming upgrade to the dugouts.

The cinder-block dugout walls will be power-washed and repainted. The dugouts will get new rubber floor matting and new cabinets for storing bats and helmets.

Westward expansion

BY CHRIS BATTLE cdbattle@vwc.edu

President Scott Miller announced on Aug. 23 how the school plans to use donations for the construction of a new housing facility named Oxford Village.

Miller explained the facility will rest on the 12.8 acres of college-owned land directly across from the college. The housing will honor the Methodist leader John Wesley and its purpose is to house faculty and staff of Norfolk Academy, Chesapeake Bay Academy and Virginia Wesleyan College. Additionally, upperclassmen students at Virginia Wesleyan College will be allowed to live there.

“Looking at our current housing situation, it was our collective determination that we didn’t have enough apartment-style housing that would satisfy the needs for a growing upper-level, older or even graduate student population,” Miller said.

The president also wants this to address distance concerns for staff.

“We also found that there were a number of people at Virginia Wesleyan, Norfolk Academy and Chesapeake Bay Academy that are all located adjacent to here, would be interested in affordable apartments closer to campus if they were available,” Miller said.

Director of Residence Life McCarren Caputa commented on the history of discussion surrounding the 12.8 acres.

“I think the biggest piece is that we own this land that we’re not doing anything with,” Caputa said.

She also noted that many conversations have taken place between members of staff.

“Do we put storefronts over there, do we put an apartment complex, do we partner with another company and they build the apartments and we manage it? What does that look like?” Caputa said.

Miller has been working with different construction companies to make the dream a reality.

“The Franklin-Johnston Group of Virginia Beach has been selected as our development partner on that property,” Miller said. “And we’ve signed an agreement and we’ll be moving forward during the next twelve months on putting this project in motion.”

Among students, there seems to be some confusion as to who will be allowed to live in the new housing.

“I heard that it’ll be for adult studies,” senior Jennifer Parker said.

Parker feels that the village should be an opportunity for older students to live off campus.

“We’re the ones who are trying to live off campus and

OXFORD VILLAGE

CONTINUED FROM FRONT

Dellamura

have that experience,” Parker said.

Parker also had some concerns regarding how the costs would be covered and if tuition will rise for all students to cover the costs of the new building. Miller, however, put such concerns at rest.

“I would definitely prefer it be from donors,” Miller said. “The developer will be responsible for the costs of construction and maintenance of the facility, and the college will assist the contractor in identifying who wants to live in the facility.”

Financial benefits will also be shared by the contractor and the college.

Many of the architectural details and aspects leave Caputa speculating how the complex will look and fit across the street.

“I’m interested to see what it looks like,” Caputa said.

Miller discussed in some detail about what the apartments would look like.

“The architectural design would be consistent with the appearance of campus, and we’re looking for something aesthetically pleasing and comfortable,” Miller said.

From Miller’s description of the housing, it will be truly prime housing.

“There will be a mixture of the number of bedrooms, so there will be a number of single-bedroom units but there will also be two-bedroom and three-bedroom units. There will be a fitness center, a swimming pool, and significant parking to accommodate,” Miller said.

Caputa was delighted about the idea of these apartments for the sake of commuting students.

“There’s not a ton of places to live close to campus, ” Caputa said.

She also thought it added an additional sense of security in a neighborhood going through the transitional effects of gentrification.

“It’ll be a good opportunity for those folks and for people who want to live close to campus but either can’t afford to live in the nice places close to campus, or don’t want to die in the other places,” Caputa said.

Overall, students hope the new village will help fix the lack of housing on campus.

“As we get more students, we need more housing,” Parker said.

Miller said the housing should help with enrollment.

“It is my expectation to have headcount enrollment to grow to 2,000 in five years and this should assist with that growth plan,” Miller said.

Although this complex is not for underclassmen, Miller did not cast any doubts about a new residence hall being erected on campus.

“It is my hope in the years moving ahead that we will build additional residence hall space on campus. So while this is for the upper-level students, graduate students, faculty and staff and the adjacent community, it’s my hope that in three or four years to build an additional residence hall on campus also,” Miller said.

FINE ARTS

CONTINUED FROM FRONT

Renovation on the Fine Arts Building will not begin until the college fully achieves its $14 million fundraising goal, which has nearly been accomplished.

Miller listed the following donations in his State of the College Address: David and Susan Goode donated $5 million, trustees Henry and Eleanor Watts donated $1 million, an anonymous donor gave $1 million and Joan and Macon Brock pledged $5 million. Miller said that these donations bring the college to a total of $12.7 million in funding for the project.

Miller said that a new Fine Arts Building will be “in support of the mission and purpose of the college.”

This has been a project long awaited by students and faculty alike. Years of requests are finally becoming a fruitful reality.

New email threats disturb regional campuses

BY MIRANDA FEIN mlfein@vwc.edu

“Run, hide and fight,” an active shooter card reads. VWC directs students to take these actions in the event of an active shooter entering campus.

Pamphlets folded to the size of business cards can be found in many buildings on campus explaining this process further. The cards are located at the Hofheimer Library’s front desk. Virginia Wesleyan’s Annual Security and Fire Safety Report titled “Safe and Secure” is another resource in regards to campus safety that can be found in the library.

Despite their availability, those resources are often overlooked by students at VWC due to the level of protection provided by security staff. However, no college campus is impervious to the threat of violence.

Students at Virginia Tech, William & Mary College and Sweet Briar College received emails threatening the safety of their campuses on Monday, Aug. 29.

According to the Washington Post, the email read: “I am here to inform that in the next couple of days I will break into the campus and kill as many people as I can until the police arrives [sic].”

Virginia Tech and William & Mary College are within

a 250-mile radius of Virginia Wesleyan College. Both Virginia Tech and William & Mary College experienced a rocky start to the semester after receiving the electronic threat.

The students from Virginia Tech who received the threat seem to have been chosen at random.

The Virginia Tech police department responded to the threat promptly after it was reported.

“At this time, Virginia Tech police can confirm that an email was sent to dozens of email addresses within our campus community that included a threat to campus safety. Virginia Tech police take all such incidents seriously and are actively investigating,” the Virginia Tech Police Department said, as quoted in the Collegiate Times, Virginia Tech’s student newspaper.

Though students and faculty were concerned for their safety, Virginia Tech did not shut down the campus. However, some faculty did cancel afternoon classes for fear of a repeat of history.

In April 2007, Virginia Tech fell victim to what CNN describes as “the deadliest shooting rampage in U.S. history.”

Concerning the tragedy, junior Wynter Bond said, “It’s really concerning because Virginia Tech has come such a long way since that tragedy and now they are being threatened again in such a way that connects everybody.”

The university experienced backlash in the years following the event.

On March 29, 2011, the president of Virginia Tech received a letter from the U.S. Department of Education informing him that the school’s actions in response to the shooting violated multiple security requirements.

According to the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, colleges and universities are required to disclose campus safety information in a timely manner after it is reported.

“Although the Virginia Tech Policy Group met to plan how to notify the campus community of the dormitory shootings, it did not issue any notification until more than two hours after the shooting occurred,” the U.S. Department of Education said.

In addition to the resources scattered throughout the campus, Virginia Wesleyan has security staff working all day and night to ensure the safety of students and faculty.

BASEBALL

CONTINUED FROM FRONT

Renn said they will also add bent-pipe barriers in front of the dugouts constructed of padded, bent pipes and strong netting.

“So if you’re sitting in a dugout you’ll be able to see out, but you’ll also be protected,” Renn said.

Both dugouts’ benches will be replaced. The new ones will be made of Trex, a nonrotting material made of recycled plastic.

The dugout ceilings will be covered with metal roof material to replace the current look of exposed 2 by 4 and plywood.

“Aesthetically, it’ll just be really nice,” Renn explained.

According to Renn, the upgraded landscaping is intended to make the complex “a really beautiful place to hang out, not only for the teams, but for the spectators and fans.” She said the college wanted to “make the best use” of the “very, very generous gift—and much-needed gift.”

The exterior of the complex will have more VWC signage on it, so that people driving by the stadium will see “a lot of Marlins stuff; we’ll have a lot of color,” Renn said.

Assorted smaller items that have needed replacement, such as practice screens, tarp

With the level of security that Virginia Wesleyan has in place, some students find that it is hard to imagine a similar threat to the one Virginia Tech experienced happening on the college’s grounds. Sophomore Stacie Doughtie has lived on campus for a year and said that she feels safe residing at Virginia Wesleyan.

“I feel like if something like that did happen here, we have procedures that would make it not seem as dangerous as with a larger university” Bond said.

If a student or faculty member were to feel threatened, the security staff has multiple modes of contact listed on Virginia Wesleyan’s website. The page instructs students who feel unsafe to contact security by calling one of several numbers or by visiting the security office in person.

Campus security provides students with the resources to report threats to campus safety but this is only a reactionary measure. For those who are unable to find the print information about the campus community’s role in safety procedures, there is also a link to the safety report below the emergency contacts list on Virginia Wesleyan’s website.

covers, a “turtle” (portable batting cage) and drags for field maintenance, will also be taken care of.

“The baseball team brings a lot of energy,” Erby said, and it has been working toward more success “for a long time.” He said that going from “a history of losing to a history of winning” makes him feel that the team has earned improvements to the field.

When the team’s win-loss record was worse, not as many fans came to the field, Erby said. Now that the Marlins are becoming more known for winning. he said, “It’s nice to watch.”

Hopefully, the renovated complex will draw more fans.

“It’s going to be more of an attraction now,” Erby said.

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 Daley 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 of-

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

Will Wesleyan transition?

VWC lacks institutional policies for students with non-binary gender identities

BY KATIE BROOKS kcbrooks@vwc.edu

While many colleges and universities reacted to President Obama’s “Dear Colleague Letter on Transgender Students” by instating policies to accommodate transgender students, Virginia Wesleyan College has yet to establish any new policies.

When President Obama’s Department of Education and Department of Justice released the letter on May 13, 2016, the issue of transgender bathroom use and housing skyrocketed to the front of educational controversies.

“At this time we do not have a policy regarding transgender student housing. [Residence Life’s] practice has been, and will continue to be, to accommodate each student and their needs individually,” Director of Residence Life McCarren Caputa said.

SGA President and Village I Head Resident Assistant (RA) Nich Hipple agreed that this is the approach he experiences as an RA. In his previous experiences involving housing for transgender students, the conversations revolved around what makes each individual student comfortable.

“There is no blanket, one size fits all policy,” Hipple stated.

According to Hipple, while RAs don’t receive training specifically on having residents who identify as transgender, they are told to work with students as they come.

In order to adequately prepare RAs for conversations during the school year with all residents regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity or religion, an entire day of training is dedicated to “Safe Space” training. This training enables RAs to facilitate an open conversation with residents unaffected by their personal opinion or stereotypes. In order to communicate this, each RA has a safe space button on his or her door.

ing Practices for Supporting Transgender Students,” the rights of students are protected by requiring institutions to provide bathroom and locker room facilities that ensure privacy. In light of this policy, Virginia Wesleyan College still has many updates to make before it is prepared to welcome the transgender student population. For example, the male sex-segregated student locker room along the athletic corridor lacks shower curtains, limiting student privacy.

While many changes must take place, Assistant Director of the Career Development and Internship Program Stephen Young believes changes should be spurred on by students.

“I believe the decision should be up to the students instead of faculty or staff governances,” Young said.

An increasingly large number of colleges are making changes in order to embrace enrolled students who identify as transgender or gender free. The University of Vermont became a leading school in this charge when it allowed students to identify as gender-free, ultimately providing a third gender in records.

Although this change provided new freedoms to students, The New York Times noted that it took “nearly a decade of lobbying, the creation of a task force of students, faculty members and administrators, six months and $80,000 in staff time to create a software patch” to update their system to provide for more than two gender identification options.

It is unclear if Virginia Wesleyan College is moving toward expanding its gender identification system or if there is a procedure in place within the Registrar’s Office for allowing name and gender marker changes on student records.

“At this time we do not have a policy regarding transgender student housing.” McCarren Caputa

“They let us do the drag show and we all had a good time and were welcoming of that. I feel like we all do a good job of being accepting of the LGBTQ community,” junior recreation and leisure studies major Cassetty Howerin said.

The question still stands. Is Virginia Wesleyan College prepared to accommodate students who identify as transgender or gender-free?

“I feel like if we were faced with the situation, I trust our higher-ups would go through necessary training,” Howerin shared.

Other students are not so optimistic. Public relations representative of Love and Light John Provine agreed that there is a lack of preparedness.

“As of right now, we’re not prepared, but I think that’s because it seems that there hasn’t been a need for it yet. I do think there will be a need for it within the next four to five years, if not sooner,” Provine said. In the Department of Education’s “Examples of Policies and Emerg-

In response to a request for an interview, Kristi Lafoon of the Registrar replied that they [the registrar] were “not sure we really play a role in this process.”

Since students’ rights to change their gender identification are protected by FERPA, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, this issue is directly related to the registrar. FERPA is a federal law that allows students to amend a school’s records to match updated legal documents and also grants privacy in this process.

The lack of comment from the registrar’s office on Virginia Wesleyan College’s transgender policies has some students concerned.

“If they’re saying no comment just because they don’t want to deal with it, then that’s not good,” Provine said.

New year, new traditions

BY MORGAN BOYD mnboyd@vwc.edu

In the first three weeks of school, Virginia Wesleyan College announced several major changes. Most notable among these changes was the removal of the Fall Honors Convocation from the freshmen orientation events.

Last year, the Fall Honors Convocation took place at the end of orientation week. Usually during this time, students follow along to a reading of the Virginia Wesleyan Honor Creed. At the end of the ceremony, every student signed his or her name on the creed, pledging to adhere to its rules. This year, however, a new tradition known as Founder’s Day replaced Fall Honors Convocation.

VWC had its very first Founder’s Day on Sept. 8.

According to Executive Director of Annual Giving and Alumni Relations Lori McCarel, President Scott Miller presented this idea at the end of last school year.

Due to his past experiences as president of three different colleges, Miller’s goal is to raise VWC’s students’ awareness of their college’s history. Miller explained how other colleges he worked for have a very rich, cultural background but VWC’s seems to be lacking.

In efforts to compile a detailed report of Virginia Wesleyan College’s history, Miller put together a committee of faculty, staff, alumni and archivist historian Stephen Mansfield. To celebrate this compiled history, Miller instated Founder’s day, an event which will be celebrated annually.

At the event on Thursday, CEO and General Counsel for the Birdsong Corporation George Birdsong served as the keynote speaker. Founder’s Day is more than just an event, however, it is a series of events taking place during the day. After Birdsong gave a brief discussion of the history of the school,

Miller led the school in an Alumni Award Ceremony, recognizing several key people important to VWC history.

The goal of each event was to inform incoming students about the cultural and history of the college so they can understand where it started, how it got to this point and where it will continue to go.

During this event, students got to hear from alumni and others who were recognized. Chair of the Board of Trustees Gary Bonnewell and Stephen Mansfield both received honorary doctorates, which is the highest honor that an institution can besto on an educator.

“Founders Day is a time to remember our roots and from our roots we will better know how to navigate the road ahead. Fall Convocation was a time to remember our values and recommit ourselves to those values. I believe Founder’s Day will have some of the same elements,” Chaplain Greg West said.

McCarel and Dean of Students Keith Moore illustrated a detailed image of some of the new traditions that were instated. For example, VWC established four new academic schools including the Batten Honor College, headed by Dr. Joyce Easter, The Susan S. Goode School of Arts and Humanities, headed by the newly appointed dean, Dr. Travis Malone, The Joan P. Brock School of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, headed by Dr. Chris Haley, and The Birdsong School of Social Science headed by Robert Albertson.

Another

surrounds the John Wesley wishing well. Freshmen participate in a ceremony where they threw pennies into the well. The purpose of this event is to allow the freshmen class to give to their senior class so in the end they will give back to themselves.

Miller’s reason for instating these new changes is to celebrate Virginia Wesleyan’s history is an effort to thank those who have made the success possible.

“It is important to note that the Battens, Goodes, Brocks, and Birdsong first became a part of the life of Virginia Wesleyan College during the presidency of Lambuth Clarke, the second president of our College, who served for more than a century, and we must continue the greatness of this campus. It’s always a great day to be a marlin,” Miller said in the 2016 State of College Address.

September 20th

Study Away Fair

Time: 11 a.m.- 1 a.m.

Location: Marlin Main Street

Jane P. Batten Student Center

Join the staff of the Lighthouse as they provide more information on the 20162017 study away courses. There will be t-shirt and other Lighthouse giveaways. Contact Mandy Reing for more information 757.455.3116

September 21st

An Evening of Fairy Tales with Lynn Ruehlmann

Time: 7 p.m.-8:30p.m.

Location: The Lighthouse

Ruehlmann, a professional storyteller will share stories that have traveled around the world. Conact The Lighthouse: Center for Exploration and Discovery for more information 757.455.3359.

September 29th

NATO Internship Agreement Signing Ceremony

Time: 4:30 p.m.-6:00 p.m.

Location: The Lighthouse

VWC and the NATO-ACT will sign an agreement that enables VWC students to intern at the NATO-ACT Innovation Hub in Norfolk. Light refreshments will be served. Contact Dr. Sara Sewell for more information 757.455.3237.

September 30th

Mud Games

Time: 2 p.m.

Location: Back of Rose Lawn

Teams of students, faculty, and staff will compete in physical challenges in a muddy field--think dizzy bat relays, three-legged races, and a whole lot of mud. For more information, contact Director of Student Activities Kate Griffin at 757.233.8785.

CRIME BLOTTER

Courtesy|Thinkstock

September 8

1:00 a.m. |Vandalism Village I

Adirondack chairs damaged.

September 9

8:20 p.m. |Controlled Substance

Village II

No description.

September 12

6:15 a.m. |Vandalism

Village I

Broken door window.

September 12

4:30 p.m. |Vandalism

Village I

Smoke detector damaged and missing.

Tim Jones

Liberal Studies Richmond, Virginia

BY JASMINE DRIGGS jtdriggs@vwc.edu

Q: “As a transfer student what is the best piece of advice you could give an incoming student?”

A: “Definitely be sure to work hard at all times and just be yourself but most importantly don’t allow others to influence you to make the wrong decisions.”

Q: “What would you consider to be your most memorable experience at Virginia Wesleyan?”

A: “The basketball team made it to the Final Four my first year here it was an experience I will never forget.”

Q: “Why did you choose to come to Virginia Wesleyan College?”

A: “ I saw Wesleyan as a small campus that seemed very close knit. I knew that because of the student/teacher ratio, I would be able to get the attention that I needed to ensure me to be successful.”

Q: “What is the best resource that you utilize here on campus?”

A: Coach Andrea Hoover, I can go to her for anything whether it’s my personal life or school related.”

Sophomore

Senior

Sqooter Squad scoots across campus

BYLAURISSA SENECAL

ljsenecal@vwc.edu

Move out of the way upperclassmen. The latest freshmen trend is here and won’t slow down for anyone. Zooming over the cracked sidewalks on well-decorated Razor scooters comes Nick Peterson and his gang of 61 “Sqooter Squad” members.

Miciah Brown, a member, said “Sqooter Squad is love, Sqooter Squad is life.”

The club began on Aug. 27 after Club

President Nick Peterson and Vice President Tyriq Wellman asked Dean of Freshman Jason Seward to act as faculty advisor. Seward agreed and the “Sqooter Squad” became an official club. There are only two requirements for membership. Aspiring members must prove they own a scooter and show they have a GPA of at least 2.0. Peterson, in an effort to make the club as “legit as possible” drew up a threepage club constitution containing club goals and requirements of membership.

“The mission of the organization is to create a unity through Virginia Wesleyan through the use of Scooters and good vibes,” the constitution says.

Indeed, the club has served as a unifying mechanism for the 2020 freshmen class.

“I feel like it’s really opened myself up to exploring campus and meeting new people,” Brown says. Members like Andrew Duenke also note how the club encourages exercise.

“I definitely feel like my health has improved since I have begun scootering. Being a type 1 diabetic, it’s important I get my exercise. Every bit counts,” Duenke said.

In addition to the benefits of camaraderie and exercise, members appreciate the speedy method of transportation.

“I love the ability to ride through campus

at ludicrous speeds” member Will Augsberger said.

Article I of the constitution affirms this goal, noting the importance of promoting “quick transportation throughout the Virginia Wesleyan campus.”

The club’s humble beginnings are characterized by spontaneity. Prior to the first day of classes, a bored Peterson accompanied Wellman on a trip to the thrift store. Among piles of used toys, the two freshmen found a pair of Razor scooters for sale. Following a vein of impulsiveness, Peterson and Wellman purchased the scooters and began scootering as soon as they got back to campus.

After scootering around campus for one day, Peterson and Wellman observed they were not the only scooter users on campus.

“By the next day, two or three people had them. It started catching on so we went and got better ones and decided to make it a school wide thing,” Peterson said.

Word got around and two days after its formation the club had 16 established members and five students on the waiting list.

Longboards and skateboards are no longer the main preferred mode of transportation across campus. Scooters now rival their popularity. Perhaps the minimal risk existent in scootering is among one reason why it is so popular. Indeed, freshmen like Alyssa Jamison names just this impetus as the reason for her interest.

“I can’t ride a skateboard, I’ll fall on my face,” Jamison explains.

For students like Jamison who may feel uncomfortable with the idea of riding a skateboard, scooters offer an inclusive alternative.

According to Seward, this is not the first time scooters took over VWC’s sidewalks.

“When I saw them here it brought back

memories. When I was a student here, they were huge. I even had one I rode to class,” Seward said.

While many students find the new fad amusing, not all reactions are positive. According to Peterson, a stabbing subtweet surfaced only a few days after the club’s founding. “Can someone please explain why all the freshmen are riding scooters everywhere...Are we 10?” the tweet posited.

Undeterred by accusations of childishness, members continue to buy surprisingly youthful looking scooters as a way to demonstrate individuality. Spiderman, Hello kitty and Minion-themed scooters are only some of the variety present in the club. One member has a scooter with an ipod hook up he uses to play music during scootering while another scooter shoots sparks out when it breaks.

“We are certainly well known,” Peterson explained.

The club founders plan to harness the popularity of their club for good causes. Peterson allegedly has friends involved in scooter clubs at other universities like Old Dominion and Christopher Newport University. The plan is for the clubs to have inter-collegiate charity events where students can pay to watch scooter races and other scooter-themed contests.

“I feel like this sounds sarcastic but we’re serious,” Peterson concludes.

The Sqooter Squad, while light hearted and fun, is dedicated to holding themselves to the standards of unity and inclusiveness they wrote in their constitution. And in all seriousness the question remains; what should someone call a person riding a scooter? A “scooterer?” A “scootee?” Submit your suggestions to Laurissa Senecal at ljsenecal@vwc.edu

OPINIONS

Traditions, old and new

BY MICHAEL WILLSON mnwillson@vwc.edu

If you are familiar with the Broadway musical “Fiddler on the Roof,” then you must be familiar with the opening song, “Tradition.” In this song, the people of Anatevka sing about how their lives are shaped by their many traditions. I believe that we can all relate to the characters in the musical. We all have traditions in our lives that help identify who we are.

Traditions can help identify us in a number of ways. They can identify us as a member of a family, a religion or a nationality. Traditions can also identify us as students at Virginia Wesleyan College. VWC has a number of traditions such as Airband, the Christmas Tree Lighting and Seafood in the Dell, just to name a few. One of my favorite traditions was the painting of the Adirondack chairs.

On the first day of Scene II Orientation, each FYE class was assigned an Adirondack chair that it was responsible for painting. Students wrote their names, class years and any messages or designs they wanted. Once the paint was dry, the chairs were spread throughout campus and remained there for the next four years. After each class graduated, their chairs would be painted over and given to the next freshmen class. This gave students the opportunity to show off their talent and leave their mark on the campus. The fact that it was on the first day was significant because it made it clear to freshmen that they were officially part of the VWC community.

Year after year, the painting of Adirondack chairs by each freshman class has been a beloved tradition. Unfortunately, the 2020 freshmen class never got a chance to experience it.

Instead, this year, two new traditions were formed. The first one was an interesting practice surrounding the John Wesley foot. If you touch the foot of the John Wesley statue, it will supposedly bring you good luck. This is very similar to a tradition at the University of Pennsylvania, where students rub the foot of a statue of Benjamin Franklin.

The second new tradition is the Wesleyan Wishing Well. What used to be a generic fountain behind the John Wesley statue is now the Wesleyan Wishing Well. Students are encouraged to place their spare change in the well throughout the year. At the end of the year, the college will add up all the

spare change and the alumni association will double the amount. That money will be given to the graduating class, I assume, for them to do with as they please.

I do not have any problem with the addition of these new traditions. As a matter of fact, I actually think they are pretty cool. However, I have a problem with the fact freshmen didn’t get to paint the chairs. The chair painting has been a tradition at VWC for years.

According to the college, officials chose to discontinue this tradition because they felt there was not enough interest among the student body. I find this hard to believe. Almost everyone I talked to about the cessation of the Adirondack tradition expressed disappointment.

It is not as if the college had to get rid of the old tradition to make way for new ones. Touching Wesley’s foot and flipping a coin into the well are actions you can do throughout the year. Yes, there was a ceremony on the last day of Scene II Orientation where each freshman was handed a coin to give to the well that did take up some time. However, that event would not have conflicted with painting the chairs. What really conflicted with painting the chairs was the change in the schedule.

It used to be that on the first day of orientation, parents would leave at 1 p.m. and freshmen would start their FYE classes. The day would end with painting the chairs and the Freshmen Festival. This year, parents did not have to leave until 3 p.m., the freshmen went to their first assembly shortly afterwards, and the day ended with a picnic and the Freshmen Festival. I understand wanting to give freshmen more time to spend with their parents because saying goodbye can be hard and it also makes sense to give them a day to adjust before starting FYE. However, they still could have painted the chairs. They could have done that instead of having a picnic or they could have done it during the picnic or the Freshmen Festival. My point is that they could have made it work.

As a proud Marlin, the traditions at VWC are important to me and I don’t want to see them go away. As Tevye, the protagonist of “Fiddler on the Roof,” states, “Without our traditions, our lives will be as shaky as a fiddler on the roof.”

The honor code is no skit

BY STAFF WRITER

Traditions serve as a reference point for many cultural values. At Virginia Wesleyan College, I view traditions as the glue that holds the community together as soon as we step onto campus. The rituals our predecessors performed are also performed by the incoming classes. At least, that is how it used to be. While we were once linked together through those same rituals, that consistency is no more. When a new tradition comes about, or a longstanding tradition is removed, it disrupts the bond within the campus community.

This year, freshmen were given pennies and instructed to toss them into the fountain outside of the Boyd Dining Center in lieu of attending a sacred ceremony where students traditionally signed a giant sheet containing the honor code. The honor code is a creed that pledges honesty, both academically and socially.

While at the fountain, students also were encouraged to rub the foot of the founder of Methodism, John Wesley. In addition to throwing the penny into the well and rubbing the statue for good luck, students attended a skit about the honor code. It was performed by members of the VWC community. Despite attending the skit, the students still did not attend any event to sign a document containing the honor code at all during orientation.

At Virginia Wesleyan College, the importance of the honor code is stressed to students in every class. Most professors include the honor code policy in their syllabus. Some even include a special section on exams for students to pledge that they have neither given nor received help on the exam.

Another new tradition added to the lineup was the addition of Founder’s Day. Founder’s Day centered around the history of the college. Board of Trustee member George Birdsong served as the keynote speaker for the event. This event also assumed the place of the traditional ceremony, Fall Honors Convocation. Traditionally, Fall Honors Convocation was included in orientation and a speaker would typically address the first-year students. They speakers catered their speech to them and made sure to focus on how their college journey would assist them in choosing the path of their life after college. While I think it is important to recognize the his-

tory of the college and have an important member of the Board of Trustees such as Birdsong speak at the event, I think Founder’s Day Convocation holds just as much importance as the Fall Honors Convocation. Having both events could have benefitted everyone. The old tradition could have been continued even though a new one was added. The incoming classes are the future of the college. If we dwell too much on the past and not enough on the future, there will be no future of the college.

VWC orientation organizers also removed the tradition of painting the Adirondack chairs. While I view class bonding as essential to the college first year experience, I do not think it was detrimental to have removed this tradition. There are other ways to bond as a class. For example, my first-year my classmates and I bonded over a scavenger hunt assignment. I was not a big fan of painting the chairs. I thought it was awkward trying to coordinate who would paint what on the chair. For most of us, it was our first time being together, so we didn’t know how to communicate. I felt as though our time could have been better spent doing something else.

As a senior, I was baffled at the idea that the first-year students did not attend the ceremony that classes in the past had to attend. Instead, they wished upon a penny and got to laugh the night away while watching someone get in trouble in a hypothetical situation. To me, making a skit of the honor code does not seem to portray the seriousness of the obligation we have to not plagiarize. To this day, I am still confused as to how the new traditions benefit the class of 2020 and future classes, should the traditions continue. To me, the most important tradition to continue is the signing of the honor code. In order for students to be held responsible, having a signed document is a good reference in the event that a student plagiarizes his or her work. Not stressing the importance of the honor code through the signing ceremony as soon as students come onto campus suggests that the code does not hold much weight on the campus. Bringing this tradition back would be ideal.

Will VWC lose its small town charm if it gets too big?

BY MICHAEL WILLSON mnwillson@vwc.edu

We are in a period of growth at Virginia Wesleyan College. At the State of the College Address on Tuesday, Aug. 23, President Scott Miller told us about the many changes that are coming to VWC. Such changes include the establishment of three colleges within the college. These are The Birdsong School of Social Sciences, The Joan P. Brock School of Mathmatics and Natural Sciences, and The Susan S. Goode School of Arts and Humanities. There is also the new Batten Honors College, a new fine arts center and renovation of the baseball field. There is also the new apartment complex, the YMCA building and two new master’s programs that were announced a couple of months earlier. VWC is on its way to becoming a full-scale university.

As a proud Marlin, I am excited to see my alma mater grow. I believe these changes are taking the college in the right direction and they will help attract more students. As the campus grows, it is reasonable to conclude that the student body will grow along with it. While I am excited to see my school grow, I can’t help but feel a little concern at the same time.

What attracted me to VWC was the fact that it was a small school. When I was a high school senior touring the campus, I felt a sense of community that I did not feel when I toured the large state universities such as the University of Virginia and Virginia Commonwealth University. That sense of community was my deciding factor in choosing VWC. I got exactly what I was hoping for and better. I love how I know my professors, that I can go to Batten and find someone to hang out with and that the deans know me by name. These are all wonderful things that I love about this college that I am afraid we will lose if it becomes too big.

I feel that a lot of students do not realize the benefit of actually knowing their professors. This makes it easier to approach them if you are struggling with a class. I took a

class at George Mason University one summer and I did not have the same relationship with that professor that I have with my professors here. There were thirty students in the class, which is considered small by George Mason standards, and the professor was not very approachable. There are a lot of great people that I have met since coming to VWC. These are people whom I’ve met through my different classes, clubs and just simply walking around campus. The campus has an intimate community that you can only find at a small school.

At most large state schools, the deans are figureheads who students only see at press conferences or college events. At VWC, the deans will greet you as you walk pass them. They will ask you how your day is going and are generally interested in hearing about your college experience.

I realize that the changes discussed by Miller are not going to happen overnight. We are still a small school and do not need to worry about becoming too big anytime soon. By the time the college does grow to that size, my class will have long since graduated. I just want to make sure that future Marlins can have the same experience that I did. The small campus community is what brought me to VWC and I don’t want us to lose that charm. I want the college to grow, just not too much.

New Greek decals bring a nice touch to campus

BY COREY KING ckking1@vwc.edu

This year, Virginia Wesleyan College awarded Chi Beta Psi, a new fraternity established at VWC last year, their own chapter house. Due to the fact that the house Chi Beta Psi was given, was not equipped with metal letters signifying their fraternity, the college is going to bring down all the metal letters off the Greek Life houses and replace them with decals.

I personally think this is a good idea. First off, this is going to add more character to each of the sorority and fraternity houses on campus. These decals are going to be the colors of the fraternities or sororities. For example, Sigma Nu’s decal are black and gold. It also is going to add character because it is going to be in front of the house instead of on the house in a location not viewable from all view-points.

In the past years, the metal letters were above the entrance hanging on the house. These letters were a very bland silver and some people may have never even noticed they were up there. I know I didn’t see them the first few times I walked through Village III as a freshman three years ago. The new decals will be on the front columns of the house and will be directly at eye level with every student walking through Village III.

From the pictures I have seen, the colors are very vibrant. Because of this, students will still be able to see them at night time when they are looking for a specific house during rush events, pledge events and mixers with other fraternities and sororities. Due to all the trees that surround Village III, at night it was sometimes difficult to find the letters on every house. This made finding specific sorority and fraternity houses difficult.

Another positive for Greek Life is the decals breathe new life into the community. These new decals give the community something new to look at and makes that part of campus appear more inviting. Additionally, with the new space given, fraternities and sororities have a new place to hang funny banners like you see on social media. For example, Sigma Nu could hang one that said “Sig Nu is for Yu.”

Lastly, with the addition of the decals, the college won’t have to pay for the metal to build the letters that go on the houses of future new Greek chapters. The college will be able to save some money that will hopefully go back into the Greek community and will allow them more opportunities to host events. This could aid in promotion of Greek Life by showcasing what it offers to its current members and to the students thinking about making the choice to join.

Macedo’s new right hand man

BY COREY KING

This year, Dave Macedo, head basketball coach, and his Marlins will have a new face on the bench during basketball season. That new face’s main goal is to continue a winning tradition.

Quinn McDowell’s resume speaks for itself. His collegiate career consisted of him playing under Coach Tony Shaver at William & Mary College for four years where he collected many accolades. He was selected to the All-Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Rookie team his freshman year and to the All-CAA third team his sophomore year while also being a top 10 shooter in 3-pointers with an average of 1.8 3-pointers made per game as well as being ranked tenth in the CAA with averaging 13.9 points per game.

His junior year he stepped up his game even more and was ranked the seventh best scorer in the CAA and led the team in 3-point shooting percentage and free throw percentage. His senior year, McDowell brought even more attention to himself by becoming the first CAA player to receive the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award. He was the first CAA player to ever receive this award since it was established in 2002. He made his mark in the record books at William and Mary that year as well ending his career with more than 1,500 points and 500 rebounds which only four people had done prior to him.

After McDowell left William & Mary College, he played professionally overseas. While overseas, McDowell played in Latvia, Spain and Australia where he made an impact scoring in all leagues.

While in Australia, McDowell was a walking bucket averaging 29 points per game. His career overseas came to an end in

Latvia while playing for VEF Riga. He was in one of the highest ranking leagues in the world when McDowell suffered an ACL tear. This did not hinder McDowell’s love for basketball. It was after this injury that McDowell told his former coach Tony Shaver that he wanted to get into coaching.

Shaver made some calls to help out his old player. Shaver, who was formerly a coach at ODAC school HampdenSydney College, contacted Macedo. It could not have been a better time to do so either.

During this past summer former

Assistant Coach Rhett Bonner joined the basketball staff at Rice University. This left an opening at the head assistant coaching position. After interviewing with Macedo, the job was McDowell’s.

“Being an Assistant Coach at the collegiate level means you get to wear different hats,” McDowell said.

McDowell will have a vital role in the years to come wearing these different hats. These roles will bring in new talented players to Virginia Wesleyan, working on increasing the player’s abilities in the weight room as well as on the court, and assist Macedo with any practice plans or drill he will be drawing up in his office.

Whenever a new coach is brought in, it is important for them to feel supported by those around them in this new part of their life and McDowell feels as though he is getting that and more.

“It seems like a family atmosphere here. Everyone supports everyone and everyone around here is very positive,”

McDowell said.

It’s not only important for the coaches to like where they are, it is also important for the players to like who will be

leading them.

Last year, senior Justin Watson was in a situation like Coach McDowell. Watson, as a transfer from Christopher Newport University, was in a new place with new people. Luckily though, he had the same mindset as McDowell. That was to win.

“When I got here it felt like everyone was a family. Throughout preseason I met everyone and we all meshed well. Also the outside activities with the coaching staff and players allowed me to bond better with everyone and gain trust amongst the guys,” Watson said.

Watson is looking to continue

to win at Virginia Wesleyan College and is glad to see what kind of coach McDowell is.

“Coach is very hands on, and is always pushing us to work as hard as we can to maximize our potential. He is always looking to help us better our skills. He is a hard worker which is good because it shows us that he is working just as hard as we are to achieve what we all want,” Watson said.

Six

You can find McDowell in his office but you will have better luck looking in the gym or weight room. That’s where he will be as he helps prepare the men’s basketball team to take on any whatever team they meet on the court.

Marlin men take the

BY HENRY TASKER

As the 2016-2017 school year starts, the Virginia Wesleyan Men’s Soccer Team gears up for what looks to be a promising season. The Marlins’ balance of youth and experience, coupled with the coaching and guidance of head coach Chris Mills, makes the team a force to be reckoned with.

After placing third at the Old Dominion Athletic Conference(ODAC) tournament last year, Mills is looking to do even better in this upcoming campaign.

“We have lots of new players, and we all have a lot of learning to do. As a whole, they’re a talented group, and I’m expecting them to play key roles,” Mills said.

The squad shows a great amount of ambition and flair. It’s freshmen like Miciah Brown, that embody that description.

“I love my teammates, the amount of young talent that we have is incredible,” Brown said.

The squad has 15 freshmen, each bringing a new and exciting aspect to the team.

“I believe we can qualify for the ODAC tournament and go further than the program has been before,” Brown said.

Following a semi-final exit last year, Mills will surely be looking to improve this year at the ODAC tournament.

Along with the talented youngsters, returners such as Ricky Perrault, who scored seven goals to win Rookie of the Year in the 2015-2016 campaign earning him a place in the All-ODAC second team, and Andrew Freeman, who was included in the All-ODAC third team, are both players to look out for this season. Both Perrault and Freeman grabbed goals in the win over Methodist University.

Mills said that he was looking forward to all of the games they have scheduled this season.

“They’re all competitive, and we’ve got to take them one at a time,” Mills said.

The 2016-2017 campaign started slow with a draw against Allegheny College and a loss to Greensboro College but is looking up after a 5-0 win against Methodist University on Sep. 7. The victory looked a comprehensive one with Methodist University registering only one shot on goal during the entire match. This success seems to point towards the fact that the team is coming together, and the newcomers are finding their feet in the collegiate level.

This season proves equally enticing to Marlins fans with home games against Christopher Newport University, North Carolina Wesleyan, Bridgewater College, Roanoke College, Randolph-Macon College and Shenandoah University this fall.

AT A GLANCE

Men’s Soccer

9/17 @Washington & Lee 3:00

9/20 N.C. Wesleyan 7:00

9/24 @Randolph 4:30

10/1 @Lynchburg 7:00

10/8 Bridgewater 1:30

Women’s Soccer

9/17@Rowan 5:00

9/24 @Randolph 1:00

9/25 @Salisbury 3:00

9/28 Lynchburg 7:00 9/30 @Emory & Henry 7:30

Field Hockey

9/15 Ferrum 5:00 PM

9/17 Frostburg St. 12:00 PM

924 Lynchburg * 12:00 PM

9/27 Chris. Newport 5:00 PM

10/01 @ Washington and Lee * 2:00 PM

10/04 @ Wesley 4:00 PM

Volleyball

9/17 Emory & Henry *

11:00 AM

9/17 @ Guilford * 2:00 PM

9/20 Chris. Newport 7:00 PM

9/24 Sewanee @ Rome, Ga.

2:00 PM

9/24 @ Berry 4:00 PM

9/25 Centre @ Rome, Ga.

2:00 PM

9/28 @ Randolph * 6:30

Interact with your Newspaper

1. As a sports fan you have heard about the Colin Kapernick controversy. What is your opinion on this hot topic?

2 After week 1 in the NFL, who do you think has the best shot of getting to the super bowl?

3. What do you think the men’s final record will be at the end of this soccer season?

Here are some questions to think about as you read. If you’d like, respond to these questions on our twitter page @marlinsports

Flag football is back

BY PATRICK SUTTLE pjsuttle@vwc.edu

COREY KING ckking1@vwc.edu

To many people, fall brings thoughts of going back to school, leaves changing colors, clocks turning back and cooler temperatures. To sports fans, the most important thing fall brings is football. Virginia Wesleyan College offers two leagues of intramural flag football.

Dean of Freshman and Director of the Jane P. Batten Student Center Jason Seward is responsible for setting up intramural leagues. Seward graduated in 2005 from Virginia Wesleyan College and played flag football all four years.

“Flag football is by far one of our most popular fall intramural sports. Intramural sports are a great way to get involved by making new friends and having a blast,” Seward said.

There are two flag football leagues, a men’s league and a coed league which all VWC students and faculty members are eligible to sign up to play. Though the teams get very competitive, the flag football teams do not compete against other schools. The competition stays within the community, which gives the players on each team a chance to talk a little smack in the days prior to the games. Senior Laura Robusto has played in the coed league for two years.

“I have thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Throughout my two years on the team, it is more than playing a sport, I have met different students and have built personal relationships with many team members. I have also learned about their personalities on and off the field,” Robusto said.

Sophomores Logan Arnold, Brad Lill and Thomas Potts were members of last

Score Board

Mens Soccer

9/02 Allegheny Tied, 2-2

9/04 Greensboro L, 2-1

9/07 @ Methodist W, 5-0

9/10 CNU L, 3-0

Womens Soccer

9/02 TCNJ L, 3-0

9/03 Austin, Cancelled

9/09 Wheaton W, 2-0

9/10 Carnegie Mellon L, 2-1

Field Hockey

9/03 @ Swarthmore L, 4-0

9/04 @ Bryn Mawr W, 1-0 9/11 @ Neumann L, 2-0

Volleyball

9/09 Marywood W, 3-1

9/09 @ Salisbury L, 3-1

9/10 Elizabethtown W, 3-1

9/10 McDaniel L, 3-1

Fantasy Football Wk 1

Top Fantasy Qb’s

1. Drew Brees: 423 yards passing, 4 td’s

2. Andrew Luck: 385 yards passing, 4 td’s

3. Andy Dalton: 366 yards passing, 1 td

4. Alex Smith: 363 yards passing, 2 td

year’s league and are considering playing again this year.

“It has been an awesome experience. It is a great way to meet new friends in a competitive aspect. It is also a great opportunity to get involved back in a sport that the school does not offer as a regular fall sport,” Arnold said. For many students this gives them a chance to play a sport they enjoy and give them the chance to maybe Moss somebody or make an

amazing catch. Potts feels similarly. “It is a great experience to get involved on campus and I love the competition among the marlin community,” Potts said.

For many students, the feeling of winning is a thrill they look forward to every semester. “I really enjoyed playing in the men’s league last year. I like playing together to reach an objective such as winning the game,” Lill said.

One of the biggest controversies of the last years league was the argument over the fact that cleats could not be used. The games are played on Birdsong Field which last year was brand new and the athletics department did not want cleats being worn on the field. While the players always asked the question, Why can soccer wear cleats when they practice on the turf but we can’t? This question was never fully answered, but this year it will be. Jason Seward confirmed that cleat will be allowed to be worn on the turf, but they must be molded cleats. Metal cleats “spikes” are not allowed on the turf.

Intramural sports are a great way to make new friends and get involved on campus. Be a part of the Marlin community, join our flag football leagues and encourage your peers to attend the games.

The Marlin flag football leagues play at Birdsong Field on Tuesday and Thursday nights under the lights starting around 8 p.m. and ending around 11 p.m. Interested players should register at the reception desk inside the Batten Welcome Center next to the rock wall. Registration ends Sept. 16. The flag football season will begin the week of Oct. 1 and will continue through November.

Department of Sports Information|Courtesy

5. Matthew Stafford: 340 yards passing, 3 td

Top Fantasy Running

1. DeAngelo Williams: 143 yards rushing, 2 td’s

2. Lamar Miller: 106 yards rushing

Top Fantasy Recievers

1. Aj Green: 180 yards rec., 12 catches, 1 td

2. Willie Snead: 172 yards rec., 9 catches, 1 td

3. Brandin Cooks: 143 yards rec., 6 catches, 1 td

4. Amari Cooper: 137 yards rec, 6 catches

5. Spencer Ware: 129 yards rec., 7 catches

OPENING CONVERSATION

BY LUKE CHIASSON LACHIASSON@VWC.EDU

Now that “Netflix and chill” is so last semester, the Naro Cinema (the Naro) welcomes people back to the traditional movie-going experience with open arms.

Although there are a few different cinemas in close proximity to the college, the 80-year-old Naro Cinema on 1507 Colley Ave is a viable option for students who want to enjoy a movie.

“Every Virginia Wesleyan College student should go to the Naro Theater because of the unique culture that the theater brings to the surrounding area,” Professor of Religious Studies and Director of the Center for the Study of Religious Freedom Dr. Craig Wansink said.

Wansink highlighted the importance of community involvement for students. He recommended that students attend the Wednesday night movie to participate in the community discussions which will follow the show. This discussion allows everyone to share their own takeaways and engage in dialogue with one another. Students have the opportunity to walk away with new knowledge gleaned from diverse opinions.

“My perspective of the Naro Theater is that they purposely show movies that deal with deeper themes and have a purpose of provoking thoughts by playing movies with hard hitting topics,” Wansink said.

“I left the theatre still feeling like I was watching the movie because my family and I continued to talk about it when we drove home.”

DANIEL PETRO

Daniel Petro, a sophomore at Virginia Wesleyan College, experienced

Norfolk cinema continues a tradition of interactive movie-going

exactly what Wansink talked about when he visited the Naro.

“I’ve been to the Naro Theater before because I live close by, and it was definitely way different than going to see a movie at AMC, but in a positive way. I left the theater still feeling like I was watching the movie because my family and I continued to talk about it when we drove home,” Petro said.

On top of viewing and learning from the movie, students can easily turn a trip to the Naro into a day trip for Norfolk exploration. Additionally, the diverse array of restaurants and different events at the Norfolk Scope Arena serve to keep students entertained.

The theater originally opened in 1936 and has been controlled by Art Repertory Films since 1977.

Despite being a single-roomed movie theater, the Naro is successful because of the variety of films shown on a daily basis.

As technology advances the Naro Theater has made changes to shift from dependence on projection films to digital.

Naro employee Emma Needham explained that about two years ago the Naro ran into problems raising funds for the conversion to digital. Despite doubts about the theater’s survival, the Norfolk community came together with donations to keep the theater alive.

Although the majority of films shown are digital, the Naro still occasionally uses the old projection style.

“Flickit! Fridays’ are a major event Naro Cinema hosts one Friday a month where there are more concession options including alcohol. On Oct. 14, ‘The Return of the Living Dead’ is playing at 9:15 p.m. There is also an after party for the event that the audience is encouraged to go to,” employee Claire Parker said.

Needham and Parker both emphasize how amusing the “Rocky Horror Picture Show” is for every audience that comes to see it. This event, which is easily the Naro’s most popular event, takes place on each second, fourth and fifth Friday of the month. It involves a live cast and affords moviegoers the opportunity to arrive in costume.

The consistency of the cinema is what attracts people to it, Parker explained. Although the movies cycle through every two or three weeks,

“The Rocky Horror Picture Show” plays consistently, as well as Wednesday documentary films. The documentary films attract locals who are interested in the social issues that the films explore. The low concession stand prices for homemade food are also a huge draw for college students. Next time Netflix is buffering, grab a friend and head to Colley Avenue in Norfolk and check out a movie at the Naro.

THE MORAL OF THE STORY

The theatre department hopes to make a big statement with a small cast

BY CYNTHIA GRIFFIN CLGRIFFIN@VWC.EDU

The fall semester’s theatre production “Blithe Spirit,” a fictional story of a 20th century haunting, will show homecoming week, Oct. 7-9.

“Blithe Spirit” was written by Noël Coward, a prominent English playwright and author in 1941. The play opens when main character Charles Condomine, played by Grant Bennett, invites a local woman named Madame Arcati, played by Collette Vauthier, over for dinner with his wife Ruth, played by Sarah Puchalla. Joining the couple for dinner are Dr. and Mrs. Bradman, played by Jamel Showell and Kerstin Holman.

Madame Arcati is allegedly able to communicate with the dead. Charles wants to observe her behavior as preparation for his new novel about a homicidal spiritualist.

As the night moves on, Madame Arcati begins her séance and later falls into a trance. Shortly after, Charles hears the voice of his dead wife Elvira Condomine, played by Abby Horgan, who had passed away a few ago.

Following the séance, Elvira continues to make her presence known by causing Charles to have accidents until she eventually attempts to kill him, so she can have him to herself. At times, Charles’s and Ruth’s maid Edith, played by Adrian Benn, gets hurt in Elvira’s reign of terror against the Condomine’s.

Madame Arcati proves to be unable to help Charles get rid of Elvira. She insists that he is only seeing her because he wants her back. Elvira continues to wreak havoc on Charles’s life and creates a sort of love triangle between herself, Charles and Ruth.

The play has relatively few characters. “Blithe Spirit” is a rather small

play compared to others that have been performed in the theatre department.

Most of Virginia Wesleyan’s productions have 20 to 30 individual parts, while “Blithe Spirit” only has seven.

Sophomore Abby Horgan stated that when she was auditioning, she was a little nervous knowing that there were only four female roles in the entire play.

Over the years, the theater department has undertaken a range of differ-

ent projects.

“Having big casts and small casts show the flexibility of the theater,” Dr. Malone, head director of the play and associate professor of theater, said.

While the fall production this year is smaller than in years’ past, there are plenty of opportunities for acting parts with the student directed One Acts later this fall as well as another production next spring.

“One philosophy of the theatre department is to do a variety of different types of plays for the students and the audience and this was a more classic piece,” Malone said.

One of the main characters in the play is the ghost of Elvira. Interestingly, her character’s portrayal will most likely be the most challenging.

“In theater we really rely on a willing suspension of disbelief, the audience is willing to go along with it as long as we stay consistent,” Malone said.

Students will just have to wait and see how Elvira will haunt the characters in the play.

While the play may come off as something that is just supposed to be funny, it actually has an underlining theme: realism.

“It’s not just about haunting and spiritualism, it’s about how we treat each other,” Malone said.

The play gives you a lot to think about. It makes you think about relationships and how each one is different. The audience will be able to see that in how Charles treats Elvira differently than he treats Ruth, especially since both women’s personalities are very different.

Another thing the play shows is how it’s important to think about how people treat each other and the legacy you’re going to leave. After viewers finish watching this play, Malone hopes the audience will strive to treat others better.

“If we fix that, those lasting memories can be good ones rather than bad ones,” Malone said.

“Blithe Spirit” hopes to give viewers a bit of laughter, a dash of suspense and life lesson on how to treat people.

ART IS NOT DEAD

Two vibrant art communities come together in ‘A Feast of Languages’

Buried in the back of the Henry Clay Hofheimer Library, the The Neil Britton Art Gallery is bursting with life. Artwork inspired by local artists from both the New Energy of Norfolk (NEON) Arts District and ViBe Creative District rests in an exhibit that the college art department has named “A Feast of Languages.”

Batten Associate Professor of Art and Coordinator of Art Exhibitions John Rudel said that he wanted the exhibit

to represent the strength of local artists around Hampton Roads.

“I wanted to highlight the quality and the variety of individuals who had spoken up and lent their voice to the chorus of a culture of creators,” Rudel said.

Virginia Beach and Norfolk both offer a colorful display of public art in their art districts and Virginia Wesleyan College sits right at the dividing line of the cities. VWC therefore has the unique opportunity to represent artists from both sides.

“A Feast of Languages” is borrowed from Shakespeare’s “Loves Labor’s Lost” because it communicates the limitations of language. In the same vein, the art department wanted to represent how in a community of strong diversity and talent, it is vital that artists are able to transcend the limits of communication through art.

“This exhibition is in no way a comprehensive view of the true ‘feast of language’ that is available in coastal Virginia, but rather an opportunity to highlight some noble artists who have been important to the feast,” Rudel said.

Artist and Virginia Wesleyan alumni ALXMCHL was one of six artists selected to show his artwork at the exhibit. His mural MTHRSON covers an entire wall of the exhibit, and is a colorful offspring of the cubist movement.

ALXMCHL played baseball at VWC from 2007 to 2011 and still lives and works in Hampton Roads, pursuing art as a passion.

“I was given the opportunity to paint a mural in the arts district, that was my largest public art piece. From there, I just kept getting commission work for more and more murals and here we are with this one,” ALXMCHL said.

He explained that his journey as an artist was inspired by his mother and her own artistic influence. His mural at the Neil Britton Art Gallery contains many inverted “V” shapes that are broken up segments of the letter “M” to symbolize his mother’s name, Michelle.

“She was really my number one fan,” ALXMCHL said.

He has art displayed in the NEON district, which stretches from the Chrysler Museum all the way down to the intersection of Granby Street and Virginia Beach Boulevard.

“I think we’re very much trying to show that art is not dead, it’s very much alive. It’s up to you to get out there and get your piece seen, and just keep working,” ALXMCHL said.

Students from various academic disciplines came to the opening reception to hear about what inspired each of the

unique artists. One observer was Maya Inge-Arrington, a freshman at VWC. She heard about the exhibit from her women and gender studies professor. She is a Norfolk local and expressed her excitement about the Norfolk arts district and its ability to showcase local artists who might not be recognized otherwise. She said she was drawn to the event by the unique title and was excited that the college would represent the diverse culture of her hometown.

“Norfolk is really diverse. You can drive down one street and see the mermaids and down another and see nothing but basketball courts… I feel like art can bring a community together,” IngeArrington said.

Other students at the reception were also excited about the opportunities that both districts are offered

Senior art major Cori Hailey was excited to explore all of the different art forms that “A Feast of Languages” showcased. The exhibit included different medias, 3D printing, lights and abstract art, which Hailey is attracted to as an art major because they are so untraditional and different from the art forms that she has studied in her classes.

“Being in a metropolitan place has helped me to explore more art forms. It’s nice being in an urban area. I’ve had a lot of opportunities that I wouldn’t have had otherwise” Hailey said.

“I had four pieces in a show at the Art Institute at Town Center (Virginia Beach). That’s not an opportunity I’d have at home. Plus, artists flock to urban areas so it’s not hard to get in touch with someone new,” Hailey said.

Hailey also mentioned the importance of art being displayed around both cities to encourage younger students who might be apprehensive to pursue art.

“It’s important that the arts are being encouraged because too many programs are being cut across the country. Having artists pop up all over Hampton Roads is really important and it shows kids that even if your art program is getting cut, you can still do what you love whether

NEPTUNE MAKES HIS SPLASH

BY JUSTIN SMITH jrsmith2@vwc.edu

Virginia Beach’s annual Neptune Festival provides weekly entertainment to students

This year’s Neptune Festival will feature a variety of shows including sporting events and arts and craft shows.

As a new fall semester begins, the city of Virginia Beach is getting ready for festival season. Virginia Wesleyan College serves as a homebase for students who want to venture outside of campus and experience what Virginia Beach has to offer. With the annual Neptune Festival approaching, no student should be left bored on a Saturday afternoon.

One of the first events in the annual festival is Neptune’s Surfing Classic. The surfing competition is open to all ages as they compete for prizes. Neptune’s Surfing Classic will be held on Sep. 17 at two separate venues on the Virginia Beach Oceanfront.

Later in the festival, Neptune’s 8K and 5K Run and Neptune’s Volleyball Tournament will take place. The run will feature two separate distances in which participants can run or walk. Spectators will be able to view the race a long way from Atlantic Avenue to Rudee Inlet.

The volleyball tournament offers two-on-two and fouron-four games. Each type of game is played by men, women and coed teams. Both the run and volleyball tournament take place the weekend of Oct. 1-2.

Another popular showcase of the Neptune Festival is the International Sandsculpting Champion-

SEPTEMBER 2016

NEON FESTIVAL: SEP. 15-18

NEPTUNE’S SURFING CLASSIC: Sep. 17 at 7:30 a.m

RADIANT VOICES PERFORMANCE: Sep. 17 at 8 p.m. (First Presbyterian Church)

RADIANT VOICES PERFORMANCE: Sep 18 at 4 p.m. (Ohef Sholom Temple)

INTERNATIONAL SANDSCULPTING COMPETITION: Sep. 29 at 9 a.m. BOARDWALK WEEKEND: Sep. 30 at 12 p.m NEPTUNE FESTIVAL ART & CRAFT SHOW: Sep. 30 at 12 p.m.

ship.

“It’s been the signature event of the Virginia Beach Neptune Festival since its inception, and has grown to the signature event of an entire region,” the Neptune Festival official website says.

Beginning on Sep. 30, international artists representing 11 countries spend three days turning grains of sand into massive sculptors. The tent in which the sand art resides will display 22 sculptors from both solo and team artists. Spectators have 10 days after creation to view the sand sculptors.

From Sep. 30 to Oct. 2 students, who are new to the Hampton Roads area can take part in Boardwalk Weekend. During these three days, shops and restaurants spanning 32 street blocks will be in full operation welcoming everyone in. After a long day of shopping, stop by one of the three musical performing stages along the boardwalk to watch acts perform their craft.

To round off a busy day of exploring what Virginia Beach has to offer, Dominion Firework will host a firework show on the night of Oct. 1.

For more information about events along with exact dates and times, visit the Neptune Festival official website: www.neptunefestival.com

OCTOBER 2016

FIREWORKS EXTRAVANGANZA: Oct. 1 at 9 p.m.

NEPTUNE’S 8K AND 5K RUN: Oct. 1 at 7:45 a.m.

NEPTUNE’S VOLLEYBALL TOURNAMENT: Oct. 1 at 9 a.m.

NEPTUNE’S GRAND FESTIVAL: Oct. 1 at 11:30 a.m.

THIS LITTLE LIGHT OF MINE: Oct. 2 at 4 p.m. (Virginia Beach United Methodist Church)