Thurs., Sept. 10, 2015

The Marlin ChroniCle

ODU doesn’t speak for VWC

one suggested that families “go ahead and drop mom off too.”

During move-in week, the Eta Chi chapter of Sigma Nu fraternity at ODU draped banners with sexually suggestive content, directed toward freshmen women, over the balcony of a private off-campus residence.

VWC’s Iota Beta chapter of the fraternity responded with its own banners, displayed on Aug. 25.

One of the ODU banners read, “Rowdy and fun; hope your baby girl is ready for a good time…” A second banner said, “freshman daughter drop-off,” and a third

These ODU banners have received national news coverage and have caused outrage throughout the community, especially in the national Sigma Nu headquarters and in their brother chapter at VWC.

“We’re all upset how this one fraternity, just by hanging some stupid sheets, can ruin the image that our fraternity holds so dear,” said Nick Snyder, president of Wesleyan’s Iota Beta chapter.

The Iota Beta chapter defended women and the values of the Sigma Nu fraternity by displaying their own banners, which read “Rowdy and fun? Nah, respect and

Subtle changes

fidelity” and “Honor and equality.”

“It started as a joke, like, ‘We should hang up our own banners,’ then I was like ‘Walmart is open 24/7 guys, let’s do this,’” Snyder said. “Most people kind of associate our two chapters because we’re so close.”

Overall, the Iota Beta chapter is receiving positive responses, especially from freshmen on campus.

“Here at Wesleyan, I feel like our chapter’s response was great. It lets the girls here know that the guys still have our back. But at ODU, especially since it’s a larger school, I feel like women will need to watch their back and be more cautious,”

said Francesca Lanuza, a freshman at VWC. “I don’t feel like parents would be sending their children off happily, considering the thought of how guys could potentially treat their daughters and what kinds of situations they could be put in,” Lanuza added.

“I think the banners here are trying to give off the proper message instead of what ODU did,” another freshman, D’Angelo John said. “Their message was scary, and our fraternity is saying that’s not how things are supposed to be.”

to VWC’s printing procedures

BY BRIAN LE

btle@vwc.edu

Virginia Wesleyan College has made some minor changes to its printing process for this fall semester. Prior to this academic year, each student was allocated 500 pages to print per semester.

VWC has shifted to a monetary system to better manage print usage at the college. Each student is currently given a $25 print allowance at the beginning of the semester. It costs five cents to print in black and white, which still works out to be 500 pages. The minor change is that it now costs 25 cents to print in colored ink. The rollover policy is still in place, which means any balance left unused from a student’s original $25 will be carried over to the next semester. However, all balances will be reset to $25 at the start of an academic year.

Students also now have the ability to control not only where, but also which printer they would like to use. When students are ready to print, they can either choose to use the default printer nearest to them or they can choose to select “FollowPrint” from the drop down list of printers available.

According to computer services, if a student decides to use “FollowPrint,” their print job will be sent to a cloud system on printpath’s server. Students will then be able to retrieve their print job from any Konica printer in either the Hofheimer Library, Clarke Hall computer lab or any other printer in a classroom accessible to students. Once the student decides which printer to use, they must swipe their VWC student ID card to pull up and print their print job.

This new print management system is intended to make printing more convenient and flexible for students by eliminating long lines while waiting to use a particular printer. It is also a cost saving approach for the college in hopes of reducing excess paper waste and the overall use of colored ink on campus.

To read about more changes implemented this year to procedures that VWC students use every day, see The Handbook’s Online, Page 3.

ODU

CONTINUED FROM FRONT

“I wouldn’t feel safe as a freshman girl, if I saw that at ODU. I would probably want to go somewhere else or just commute. And if I were a parent I would want to protect my child,” John said.

Nick Snyder said that even though his fraternity has been greatly affected by the banners at ODU, freshmen women and their families have much more to deal with. “They’re sending a message to freshmen girls that they might not be safe there. They’re also sending a message to the families that when you drop your daughter off you don’t know what’s going to happen. Especially if there’s men like that, or I should call them ‘boys,’ if there’s boys like that on their campus,” Snyder said.

The Eta Chi chapter of Sigma Nu at ODU has been temporarily suspended while the national headquarters of the fraternity investigates who is responsible for the banners.

While headquarters reached out to the Iota Beta chapter praising them, unnamed members of the chapter’s alumni had mixed feelings about their response.

“The alumni responses have been kind of mixed. Some of them said we were at-

tacking the Eta Chi chapter, but that was never the intent of our actions. We are defending our values, not ever attacking anyone,” Snyder said. “But for the majority, the alumni has been proud to say they are Iota Betas because we are taking a stand.”

ODU is not the first fraternity to display such banners. Fraternities across the country from Ohio State University, West Virginia University and University of Michigan have been sighted displaying similar signs. The Iota Beta chapter’s attempt to make a difference has caused some waves, but their president remains firm in their stance on the issue. “We wanted to show that not every fraternity is how the media wants to paint us to be. We need to live up to the standards that we say we do. Any fraternity, they live by a set of values that are admirable. We all need to abide by them, respect women and actively take steps to end the rape culture that is sadly engraved into Greek life,” Snyder said. “We are who we say we are. When we say that we abide by love, honor and truth, that’s what we do.”

Center for Experiential Learning opens its doors

BY KELLIE LAGOY kalagoy@vwc.edu

Wesleyan made many changes to office spaces and locations this summer. Some of these changes were a shock to upperclassmen, but the moves were vital to a changing culture at VWC.

The Center for Experiential Learning, the temporary name, is located on the first floor of Clarke Hall, and now houses undergraduate research, study away and study abroad and the career development and internship program. During Scene II Orientation, Sara Sewell, Director of the Quality Enhancement Plan and the Center for Experiential Learning, said the center is the “one-stop shop for students,” because it houses all the resources for students to make the most of their college experience.

The Center for Experiential Learning came about because of the Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) that VWC worked on for two and a half years. The reason the QEP happens is because the school needs a plan every 10 years to be reaccredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). Sewell, as well as other faculty, recognized the need for students to get the most from their college experience, and they also recognized that they already had everything they needed in regards to experiential learning.

“Whatever we come up with as a plan, we have to improve student learning. So, I’m hoping at the end of the day that students leave here saying, ‘I got my money’s worth and I can do now whatever it is that I need to do,’” Sewell said. “We thought we had a base for experiential learning, hands on kind of learning. We have already been doing study abroad. We have already been doing undergraduate research. We have already been doing internships and externships. We have already been doing service learning.”

VWC acknowledged that students weren’t putting any of these valuable resources to use, and this was present when they looked at participation values. Sewell said that numbers remained stagnant over the course of a few years.

“We felt like the students weren’t getting as much out of it as they should, and we could see that in a number of ways.” Sewell said.

Many reasons, for study away and study abroad programs, were because of the cost of learning. Sewell said study abroad programs have flourished because of Global Scholars. This program helps support monetary needs of students to get out of the country experiences because of an anonymous donor, as stated on Virginia Wesleyan’s website.

Sewell supports these experiences for a multitude of reasons, but she supports them most for how it affects the students’ life afterwards.

“Not only do these things make a difference on a resume and getting a job, these are the experiences that

transform you. These are the experiences where you really figure out what you want to do, not just with your career, but with your whole life,” Sewell said. A fond memory for Sewell happened during the Undergraduate Research Symposium last year. Experiential learning with creative arts gave two students the opportunity to realize exactly what they wanted to do with their lives, and those are the experiences Sewell and the rest of the staff in the center aim to do.

Title IX gets fine-tuned

New legislation calls for stricter reporting, notations on offenders’ transcripts and cooperation with local law enforcement.

BY ALEX McCOMB ramccomb@vwc.edu

All Virginia higher education institutions are now responsible for adopting stricter reporting procedures and for notating Title IX violations on academic transcripts. The new legislation that introduced these changes was first shared with the Virginia Wesleyan campus community in President Scott Miller’s Aug. 26 Nota Bene. In his weekly online address to the college, President Miller recognized this new legislation as a “priority for all of us” in the Virginia Wesleyan family “whether we be faculty, staff, or students.”

These laws established the prioritization of reporting over victim privacy rights. Associate Dean of Students for Residence Life Mccarren Caputa stated her concern “that this will deter people from coming forward and reporting.”

The sexual assault review committee of an institution has 72 hours to determine if a Title IX violation is felonious. “If someone comes to me and says ‘I don’t want to go to the police,’ if it’s a felony we don’t have a choice anymore,” Caputa said.

This new legislation makes Virginia the only state that requires the registrar of every institution of higher education to note on a student’s transcript if he or she has committed a Title IX violation or if the student “withdraws from the institution while under investigation for an of-

fense involving sexual violence.” Caputa said that this is actually the law she is most excited about.

Nelson Davis, dean of admissions, shared how this will impact the Virginia Wesleyan admissions process. One of his roles, he said, is to be “a gatekeeper to this community.” Thus, normal procedure is to deny admission to any individual who was dismissed from another institution of higher education. Davis said that they work to make “sure that [they] are not putting the school in jeopardy or [the] community in jeopardy.”

Davis acknowledged that this legislation is still relatively new, and there will be discussions about whether a policy will be written addressing the specific mandated Title IX notation on potential students’ academic transcripts. The new legislation requires institutions of higher education to establish mutual aid agreements with local law enforcement. Caputa confirmed that we already had a long-standing memorandum of understanding with the Third Precinct in Virginia Beach, “but after this law came out we now have M.O.U.’s with Norfolk police, VA Beach Police, VA State Police, and one with the YWCA sexual assault resource folks.” She continued that “we have them now with every resource we could possibly need or use or want to utilize, so I think we are better prepared.”

This legislation mandated that any employee of an institution of higher learning who is aware of any act of sexual violence that “may have been committed against a student

attending the institution” must report that information immediately to the Title IX coordinators at the institution. Caputa explained that in this capacity, Virginia Wesleyan was ahead of the new legislation and that “since 2013, we designated all employees at the college as responsible employees, and anyone who gets a paycheck at the college is responsible to report information.”

It is important to note that this legislation has not removed the immunity of certain people at Virginia Wesleyan from mandatory reporting of Title IX violations, as stated in the Student Handbook accessible on the Virginia Wesleyan homepage. Any staff member of Virginia Wesleyan Counseling Services, Chaplain Greg West and Director of Health Services Valerie Covington are available for victims to speak to and are protected from an obligation to report against victims’ wishes.

A new online Title IX training initiative through the WebAdvisor platform was introduced at the end of President Miller’s Aug. 26 Nota Bene. Caputa explained that there had been in-person training for the past two years. She said that “[Virginia Wesleyan] was meeting [its] federal regulations, but [they] didn’t feel like [they] were doing everything in [their] power.” Caputa explained that the online initiative is to ensure that everyone on campus, including faculty, staff, students, adjunct professors, security officers, and folks in the cafeteria, has access to the necessary information.

It’s “Miller Time”

BY ANDREW PETREY awpetrey@vwc.edu

& JESSICA MACKEY jlmackey@vwc.edu

After President William Greer’s retirement announcement in summer 2014, a nationwide search resulted in Dr. Scott D. Miller being named the next president of Virginia Wesleyan College on Feb. 25.

The search committee was composed of faculty, staff, alumni representatives and a student. The committee sought a candidate with a strong record of leadership who was a passionate advocate of the values and ideals of the liberal arts. Dr. Miller exemplifies such criteria with his extensive

college leadership skills.

“I’m in my 24th year as a college president and have served three excellent liberal arts institutions—Lincoln Memorial University, Wesley College, and Bethany College,” Dr. Miller said. “I’m known around the country as one of the most entrepreneurial and innovative campus leaders, and my experience has prepared me well for the tremendous opportunities that I know we have at VWC. With its strong reputation and fantastic location, the College has those opportunities in abundance. I can’t wait to get started!”

Dr. Miller will be the fourth president in Virginia Wesleyan College’s 53-year history. He follows President Greer’s 23-year

tenure here at the college.

“In a few words, I’m competitive, hardworking, and totally committed to the distinctive experiences offered by small, residential, liberal arts colleges,” Dr. Miller describes. “I have high standards for the institutions I serve and for myself, yet I also enjoy the job tremendously. Each day is an adventure, enriched by the devotion of campus constituents—students, faculty, staff members, families, alumni, and many others—whom I’ve been privileged to work with over the years.”

After earning his B.A. degree in communication from West Virginia Wesleyan College he worked as a journalist, later earning an M.A. from the University of Dayton, Ed.S. from Vanderbilt University, and Ph.D. from the Union Institute and University.

“As noted, I love to write,” Dr. Miller said. “My first column in college, ‘Miller Time,’ was sports-related, and a few years ago I finally abandoned my reporter’s notebook, which I still carried each day, for my iPad. Now I write on many higher-education topics of national and often regional relevance. I also feel that because a college president is to a large extent the public face of the institution, it’s important from a marketing and external-relations perspective to promote the campus via social media and other communication avenues. People tend to pay attention when a college president goes on the record, and the tools we have now for expanding communication and building new relationships will benefit Virginia Wesleyan in many exciting new ways.”

In addition to his commitment as a higher-education leader Dr. Miller is a well-known sought mentor, presenter, and author on higher education topics such as financial sustainability and presidential performance for national conferences and trade journals. While remaining a regular columnist for the Huffington Post and scholarly journals, he maintains a daily blog, Dialogue, a campus-wide morning message, Nota Bene, and an e-newsletter, The President`s Letter.

Dr. Miller is excited to be joining the Virginia Wesleyan College community and bringing in a new era of college communication geared toward the student de-

mographic.

“If experience at Bethany is a guide, my presence on social media will produce enhanced opportunities for enrollment, fundraising, alumni relations, and daily communications with the campus community,” Dr. Miller said. “Competition for our audiences’ attention is growing. Timing is often everything. In our age of instant news and information updates, social media such as presidential e-letters, blogs, Twitter, Flicker, LinkedIn and Facebook increase frequency and quality of communication to current and prospective students and the wider campus community at little or no cost. An essential goal of colleges and universities today is to increase their institutional profile, and we need to use these technologies to attract the interest and resources we need at VWC as we go forward.”

Although Dr. Miller is bringing years of experience with him to the campus community, he says every school is unique in its own right.

“All colleges are different, and one important lesson I’ve learned is that “one size doesn’t fit all,” Dr. Miller said. “The vision for each institution must build on the individual strengths, traditions, and opportunities within it, and a major part of a president’s job is to ensure that his or her strategic vision for the college arises from and is shared broadly by the various constituent groups—students, faculty, staff, parents and families, alumni and friends. For Virginia Wesleyan and many other quality small colleges, a realistic strategy aligned with the heritage and mission and the aspirations of the constituencies mentioned above is a productive course.”

President Greer shares the same sentiment of the search committee. “Recognizing Dr. Miller as a seasoned college president, I see him doing extremely well here and continuing to lead the college to a better place”.

Dr. Miller is an avid social media user on his twitter (@Bethanycollege1) and instagram (@prezscottmiller) accounts.

The handbook’s online, the planner’s in the bookstore

BY SARAH ANTOZZI scantozzi@vwc.edu

This academic year marks a change in the method Virginia Wesleyan College uses to make its Student Handbook available to the students. For the first time, the handbook will be available exclusively online.

Previously, spiral-bound handbooks were distributed at the start of each school year.

These books also included a planner. They contained a brief description of important services on campus, such as the library, the student center, the business office and the registrar’s office. Hours, phone numbers and the locations of those services were listed.

The inside back cover carried a campus map.

The online handbook, like the old print version, contains such information as the college’s honor code and creed, the procedures to be followed in various emergencies, and student conduct standards. The lyrics of the alma mater and fight song have been added to the online version.

David Buckingham, vice president for student affairs and dean of enrollment services, said that the college archives have copies of the student handbook going back to the early 1970s. For the past half-dozen years at least, the handbook has been available as a PDF (printable, downloadable file) on the college’s website, in addition to the print version, he said. However, the version currently online is upgraded and is easier to navigate than the PDF was, Buckingham said, and is also downloadable.

As for planners, VWC’s Scribner Bookstore is offering a new version with the Marlin logo on the front for $4.95. The first batch the bookstore ordered, 150 planners, sold out within a few days of the start of classes, said bookstore manager Kim Brown. “As soon as school started, ‘boom.’” Another batch of 150 should arrive at the bookstore around Sept. 8, she said. To keep costs down, Brown said, the current planners were ordered with black-and-white inside pages.

Buckingham said the biggest reason for ceasing to print the planner/handbooks was cost.

“The cost of student handbooks kept growing and growing,” he said, and this time, the order would have cost the college almost $11,000. Further, he said that “to get the best prices possible,” the college had to send its order to the printing company by June. However, this presented a problem for if something should need to be changed later.

For example, Buckingham said, a letter from the U.S. Department of Education came in August, directing the college to include specific wording in the handbook.

“Students are on their phones often,” Buckingham said, and “lots of other colleges have made the transition.” He compared notes with his peers at other colleges over a year ago when he attended meetings of associations for college administration professionals, and also spoke with some VWC students and staff to get their input on the proposed change, and “didn’t hear anyone saying, ‘Oh, no, we shouldn’t do this.’” Also, he said, “Virginia Wesleyan College is all about being green, and being as paperless as we can.”

The frequency that the old, free planner/handbook was used varied from student to student. Some used it a lot, like junior Taylor Boyd during her first two years of college.

“Of course I did,” she said. “It was awesome.” Boyd said she thinks the free plannerhandbook should still be offered, because “it helped people out.” She said she isn’t likely to look up the online handbook, because of the cumbersomeness of scrolling through and the way such a document “buffers” or adjusts to the screen boundaries. She “can’t take a close look,” she said, and it would be easier if it were printed. “To have everything I needed in one – it would be perfect.”

Although the price of the new Marlin planner is relatively low, Boyd said it may still be “like a deterrent” that contributes to students’ refusals to buy a planner. Even if it were given out free only to freshmen, that would be good, she said.

Senior Ashley Byers said that the part of the printed handbook listing college offices and services helped her organize her “college life” when she transferred to VWC a year ago. “Absolutely, all the time. Pretty much any time I had questions about what office I would go to to find information, I would look up the phone numbers” and the locations of the relevant offices in the book, she said. “That was a big one, especially when I first transferred in.” She said she learned the importance of a student handbook from her mother, who works at a school: “She said, ‘It’s your school bible.’”

Others did not use the books much, like senior Sierra Brown. She didn’t care for the style of the old planner, so she would buy one at a store, she said. However, she said she likes the new planner’s style better. As for the handbook, she “read it once and didn’t use it after that.” Brown said she got that type of information from professors and from her training to be on Village Council.

Community

The MARLIN CHRONICLE

Editor-in-Chief

Kellie Lagoy kalagoy@vwc.edu

Managing Editor

Courtney Herrick clherrick@vwc.edu

News Editor

Brian Le btle@vwc.edu

Sarah Antozzi scantozzi@vwc.edu

Community Editor

Kaci Parker klparker@vwc.edu

Opinion Editor Doug Hardman ddhardman@vwc.edu

The Weekender

Troy Aubut taaubut@vwc.edu

Sports Editor

Michael Willson mnwillson@vwc.edu

Photo Editors

Anthony Dellamura aadellamura@vwc.edu

Kayla Skeete krskeete@vwc.edu

Illustrations Editor

Britani Daley badaley@vwc.edu

Online Editor

Maurice Reed mreed@vwc.edu

Copy Editors Samantha Small stsmall@vwc.edu

Advertising Representatives Catherine Brown cebrown@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

King-Pack closes a chapter in her life

BY JASMINE DRIGGS jtdriggs@vwc.edu

One of Virginia Wesleyan’s own parted ways with the college after many years as a Marlin, from being a Wesleyan Ambassador, a member of Alpha Sigma Alpha, a 2007 graduate of VWC and an admissions counselor, Kelly King-Pack moved on to another chapter of her life.

Numerous people were affected by King-Pack’s departure. The Admissions Office and the Wesleyan Ambassador’s Program have lost a staff member. King-Pack’s last day at Virginia Wesleyan was Thursday, Aug. 27, 2015.

King-Pack said that it was extremely difficult to make the decision to leave Virginia Wesleyan College, and that Wesleyan has become her home over the years.

“I had to choose to leave because I have a great opportunity to move my career forward,” said King-Pack.

Chelsea Washington, a senior math major and member of Alpha Sigma Alpha at Wesleyan, said that she would miss working under King-Pack since this is Washington’s second year as a student coordinator for the Wesleyan Ambassador Program.

Washington said that she was able to get to know King-Pack on a personal level, which helped Washington to identify some of her weaknesses and help her to strengthen them. Washington said that this was what she valued most from King-Pack.

that will take Kelly’s position. The new person may want things done differently from what we are used to. I would like to learn from them and see how things will be done their way.”

Dawkins later said, “A positive attitude and someone who is a team player is very important, as well as being eager and ready to work with our students.”

“I have confidence that the program will still be successful. I have worked really hard to keep the program up, and I am positive that the Student Leads will help to ensure success,” said King-Pack.

King-Pack praised the students she had supervised.

“I think the ambassadors are the cream of the crop. The students are very flexible. In some ways it will be challenging for the students to transition to someone new and doing things differently. We have built a great relationship together as ambassadors. Hopefully, the new leader will care as much as I do,” said King-Pack.

Carmen Dawkins, an admissions counselor at Wesleyan, said she was very shocked because King-Pack had been at Wesleyan for eight years. Dawkins said she is sad that King-Pack has to leave because of the close friendship that they have gained.

The big question that a lot of people have is who will take KingPack’s spot in the Admissions Office. At this time, that information has not been released as the college continues to carefully interview candidates for the position.

Though no one is sure who will be chosen for the position, KingPack did say that some former graduates are being interviewed for the position.

Dawkins said, “I would like to see the person who takes over Kelly’s position hold some of the same characteristics that Kelly has. Kelly is very organized, articulate and has very strong leadership. Her leadership helps the Ambassador program excel in so many ways.”

Washington said, “I hope to gain more flexibility from the person

King-Pack said, “Being involved in a student’s success is what I will miss the most. Seeing students grow over their time at Wesleyan and knowing that I had a role in their success is what I will miss the most.”

Dawkins said that King-Pack was always prepared for anything. Whether it is Tylenol or a pep talk, she always has everything.

Washington said, “One of my favorite memories is when I came to interview for the ambassador program, I apologized for bringing my book bag. She laughed and she told me that it was OK because I was a student first.”

Dawkins said she knows she will be able to spend time with King-Pack outside of work because they have become such strong friends.

“My best memory with Kelly is when we went to Homestead, Virginia, for a conference. We were able to bond and get to know each other. The entire experience was great. I got to know her on a personal level. She even convinced me to skip the last session of the conference, and instead, we took a tour of the homestead on our own,” said Dawkins.

After being at Wesleyan for eight years, King-Pack said she had plenty of memories at Virginia Wesleyan, both as a student and as a staff member.

Emotionally King-Pack said, “One of the biggest memories for me is walking across the stage at my graduation and receiving my degree, as I was the first in my family to go to college.”

“The biggest memory that I have as a staff member is being at the graduation of the first class of students that I recruited. I saw them graduate, and I knew that I was a part of their decision, and I was there to guide and be with them throughout their time at Wesleyan,” said King-Pack.

New professors join Virginia Wesleyan’s campus

BY KIRSTEN POWELL kapowell@vwc.edu

Two out of the eight new VWC professors were interviewed to help the campus learn more about who was teaching them in the classroom.

Dr. Jill Sturts Recreation and Leisure

“Where are you from?”

“What brought you to VWC?”

“How do you like working for a smaller college?”

“Favorite ice cream flavor?”

“Favorite movie?”

“Favorite song at the moment?”

“Favorite color?”

“I knew right away that I wanted to work here because of the opportunity I have to work closely with students and community agencies.”

“I attended a smaller liberal arts college, so I can really appreciate what VWC has to offer.”

“Mint chocolate chip.”

“Hoosiers.”

“Chillin’ It” by Cole Swindell.” “Green.”

“Colorado.”

“When I visited here for the first time, I really liked the strong sense of community with the faculty and students.”

“It’s kind of fun actually. I have the ability to get to know people really fast. Also, working in a small school means that I can do more things and have way more experiences.”

“Moose Tracks.”

“1408.”

“Let It Be” by The Beatles.”

“Blue.”

CAMPUS countdown

September 10th

Ice Cream Social & Open House Times: 7:30 p.m. - 9 p.m.

Locations: Center for Experiential Learning

All students, faculty, and staff are welcome to stop by the new Center for Experiential Learning for ice cream, cheer, and some fellowship.

September 11th

Remembering 9/11:

Rethinking Religion

11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.

Location: Center for the Study of Religious Freedom (Clarke Hall 108)

This is a celebration featuring “Tear Soup: A Recipe for Healing After Loss” by Pat Schwiebert.

September 11th

United Way Day of Caring: Union Mission

Time: 12:30 p.m. - 3 p.m.

Location: Union Mission Thrift Store

Assist with sorting, hanging, tagging and sizing clothing for community service hours. For more information contact Diane Hotaling at dhotaling@vwc.edu.

September 18th

MarlinStock Time: 5 p.m. - 7 p.m.

Location: Batten Lawn

Featuring rock/pop band

The Strive and local musicians Dear Adamus. Student attendees will receive a t-shirt that can be tie-dyed at the event. This event is free and open to the public.

BY CYNTHIA GRIFFIN KACI PARKER clgriffin@vwc.edu klparker@vwc.edu

“What

“Living

“What

Kellie lagoy Doug HarDman

Britani Alyse| Marlin Chronicle

THe Great Mc Debate: The Turf Field

Birdsong Field, Virginia Wesleyan’s new synthetic turf, holds a great deal of importance on this campus. Not only is the field beautiful, but it brings a new life to the campus community and the athletic department. Also, the field hockey and lacrosse programs have the chance to show their skills in a new way, but now there is the chance to host ODAC or NCAA tournaments right here at VWC. Just this short list of things is enough to see why this field will work wonders for the campus. Of course, this is an essential recruiting tool for the athletic department. Coaches can point to not just their teams but also the venues they have the opportunity to play in. VWC athletics aren’t the only people to use the new facility. Intramural sports get their chance to play on the big stage at Birdsong Field. This adds excitement for the student body because now you don’t have to be a collegiate athlete to use the amenities the college offers. The expansion at Virginia Wesleyan shows where this institution is going and that this school has the potential to be more than just a liberal arts school. This school can stand tall and proud about the beginnings of just one of the many new facilities that will soon grace the 300-acre campus that most of us call home.

When I think of Virginia Wesleyan College, I think of a highly recognized liberal arts college, not a sports school. While I do not want to discredit athletes and their accomplishments, I would like to highlight that the arts community of our campus is severely overlooked. Promises of a new art building and bigger spaces to work have been placed on the back burner to favor a turf field. Our performing theater is in serious need of renovations, work space needs to be updated and art classrooms need to be revamped. We should be focusing our time, money, and efforts on improving our academics and creating learning spaces that encourage students to do just that. No, we should not ignore our sports program, but maybe we should be prioritizing. Why should we focus on recruiting just athletes? What about art majors, theater majors and music majors? We are overlooking a huge portion of our community and showing all potential applicants that we care more about the athletic department than we do our arts and education department. Is college not meant for education? On the same note, is a liberal arts college not meant for the arts anymore? A new art building with a new theater, a new music room, new classrooms and new tools for learning and enhancing skills are just what this college needs to revamp its arts program. But I guess it’ll have to wait until the athletic department is fully satisfied with its inflated ego.

The truth about suicide

BY DOUGLAS HARDMAN ddhardman@vwc.edu

Sometimes you won’t even know. Sometimes you’ll see a smile and think nothing is wrong.

Suicide is one of the largest epidemics in the world right now. It is ranked as the 10th leading cause of death in the United States, with an average of one person committing suicide every 13 minutes.* But what tends to happen is these suicides get written off as “a cry for attention” instead of understanding that the reasons for suicides stem from mental and psychological struggles.

There are a lot of stigmas revolving around suicide and the reasons people decide to end it all. General misconceptions are: “just doing it for attention,” “they’re crazy,” “suicidal people are unwilling to seek help,” “if they already have death on their mind, nothing will stop them.” The reality of the situation is that we do not talk about it.* Suicide is such a touchy subject that most people are afraid of even saying the word. So when we ignore the issues or turn a blind eye, the people with this feelingbecome even more lonely and ignored. They feel as if no one cares.

For far too long, issues with suicide and mental illnesses have been overlooked and undervalued in our society. It’s too taboo and too sensitive, so we just ignore it. When we are able to talk about the problems that cause suicidal thoughts, we can get everything out in the open and show our support for those going through this dark time.

You will not know unless you ask. There’s another misconception that all suicidal people will be moping around, talking about death and hopelessness. Most of the time, they will be smiling and conversing like normal. Most of the time, you won’t even suspect it because you won’t be with them when their car is parked on

the tracks at night or when they’re writing their last note ever. So just because they don’t look alone when they’re with you, doesn’t mean they aren’t.

The link between suicide and depression is astronomical. Nearly 90 percent of people with suicidal tendencies have some form of mental illness, depression being number one.* So when we ignore both suicidal thoughts and the seriousness of depression, we overlook even bigger issues. Not every person with depression is suicidal and not every suicidal person is depressed. But we cannot ignore the connection or the issues at hand.

The biggest thing you can do is be a supporter. Be there for that person who doesn’t think their life is worth living. Talk to them, tell them that their feelings are justified and that the ending of their story does not need to be finished by them. Do not simply overlook them or ignore them because it’s “sensitive.” It is very sensitive, emotional, and overbearing, and it’s going to be tough to talk about it, but the worse damage comes from remaining silent.

And for those that are crying themselves to sleep at night, cradling a bottle of pills or writing your note or even just contemplating the thought, please know you are never alone, even in this huge and crazy, messed up world. Reach out to a friend, family member, or counselor, anyone that can listen to you. It’s not your time, my friend. You’ve got more to give in this life and your existence is relevant. Stay alive; because you will die, as we all will, one day, but now your life is free. Sometimes the light at the end of the tunnel is just the devil luring you into his trap.

If you or anyone you know is having suicidal thoughts/tendencies, please contact 1-800-273TALK (8255). Your voice can mean the difference between life and death.

*Received from www.save.org

Free to pay or pay for free?

BY TAYLOR BOYD tpboyd@vwc.edu

As I was finishing typing up my two-paged paper that was assigned to me this week, I decided I was ready to print. I was in the mindset of last year when it came to printing articles of writing, so I waited for the little box to appear on the screen that would direct me to put in my username and password to begin the use of my 500 pages of free paper I had for the semester.

However, once I hit that button, the paper automatically printed, and I was not stopped by that little box I knew so well. I was confused, and thought I made a mistake, so I asked one of the librarians what the deal was. They told to me that the old system for printing wasn’t being put in effect this year. So me being me, I thought, “Yes! I have unlimited paper usage!” (Being environmentally cautious with eco-print of course), but sadly…I discovered that wasn’t the case.

I was told that I would have to pay for my printing; however, it was covered in the cost that I already spend by going to this school. What a mini shock to my system that was. I had to pay for the paper I spent for my classes? I am already spending loads of money as it is to enhance myself and education, and now apparently I have to spend five cents a page? Especially when some of my courses require me to use up to eight pages per class?

I personally think that this change isn’t the best one. It’s strange to me to think why we are paying for things more this year, when we haven’t previously. It is also strange to me that I am already paying loads of money as it is to go here, and now additional costs are being added as we go.

But, the thing that I am confused about the most is the fact that I wasn’t even aware that this change had taken place, and also that I did not really have a say in this change. I understand that as a school, some decisions have to be made by the “higher ups”. However, it just feels weird that being a part of a community like this one, I couldn’t even decide about the paper I was printing on.

There is so much more I can say about the cost of once free school supplies, including the fact that the planners with the Marlin logo on them, once offered for free are now a pricey five dollars, even though we use them to organize our classes in order to do better in school. But, I will save that story for another day. How much more money are we going to have to spend in order to essentially better ourselves and our community?

Want to voice your opinion? Disagree with an article? Do you want to address an issue that we haven’t written about yet?

We will be accepting letters to the Editor for the upcoming issue! Please submit all letters to the Editor-in-Chief, Kellie Lagoy, via email at kalagoy@vwc.edu

Policy: Letters must be submitted by 12 p.m. on September 24, 2015 to be considered for publication. Student, staff, and faculty are eligible participants. There is a 350 word maximum, and it must include your name, email, and phone number for verification. All entries will be reviewed, but unedited.

The problem with transracial identification

BY KAYLA BROWN kabrown2@vwc.edu

Finding our true identity and realizing who we truly are plays a very imperative part in our lives as humans. In recent news, both “transracial” and “transgender” are two terms that are frequently mentioned. The media tend to primarily use Caitlyn Jenner as a representation for someone who is transgender and Rachel Dolezal as a transracial. Unlike with Jenner, the media hasn’t been so accepting of Dolezal identifying herself as a transracial, and I understand why. Dolezal is a Caucasian woman who identifies herself as an African-American woman. There’s nothing wrong with that. I respect that some may feel that they identify more with another race than they do with their own.

However, it’s not as if Dolezal was open about truly being white. Instead, she led those around her to believe that she was born black, and they believed her. After all, she’s married to a black man, claims to have black children, graduated from Howard University, a historically black university, and was president of a NAACP chapter. Her story was quite believable, until her parents revealed to the

media that Dolezal is white and has been living a false life. Besides the fact that Dolezal identifies more with another race, rather than another gender, what makes her any different from a transgender? After all, they both involve self-identity, and identifying with either a gender or race that’s different from the one that you’re born with. Caitlyn Jenner, formerly known as Bruce Jenner, is a prime example. Jenner is now referred to as a “she,” and not a “he.” She has undergone gender reassignment surgery and now dresses only in women’s clothing. If you think about it, Dolezal did the same thing when she posed as a black woman. She tanned her skin to make it look darker and wore stereotypical hairstyles that black women are known to wear. She officially began to physically identify herself as a black woman. In my opinion, this is why the problem arose. Prior to Dolezal, the term “transracial” wasn’t exactly thought of as someone changing their physical appearance to match the race that they felt most identified with. It was merely some people identifying themselves more with another race. This could be due to them being raised in a household with people of a different race, or them hanging out with people of a different race than their own. Therefore, they begin to feel more connected to another race

than to their own.

However, Dolezal took a step further, and physically identified herself as someone of a different race, which wasn’t necessary. It’s something that I still do not understand. She still could’ve felt more connected to the African-American community, yet continued to physically look like a white woman.

There’s nothing wrong with identifying more with another race than your own, but Dolezal crossed the line. She kept her biological background hidden, and pretended to be someone that she wasn’t. She attended Howard University, and identified herself as a white woman, so why change? She still could’ve contributed to the AfricanAmerican community and shown her passion for wanting to make an impact as a white woman.

For example, if I felt more connected to a different race, I would neither change the complexion of my skin nor the tone in my voice to make myself feel more identified with a different race. At the end of the day, everyone has the right to identify or portray themselves as whoever they want. As long as you’re comfortable in the skin that you’re in, then that’s all that matters.

Another year, another fall season

Fall sports have gotten into full swing as the 2015-16 academic year has started at Virginia

BY JAMIE CRAWLEY

jjcrawley@vwc.edu

With August slowly winding down and classes kicking into full gear, that can only mean one thing: the fall sports season is here. Virginia Wesleyan’s fall sports teams are excited and ready for their respective seasons. With a new season comes a fresh start and a chance to accomplish the goals teams have set since last season ended.

Men’s Soccer is coming off a good season in which it finished 11-4-4 (7-2-2). The players looked to further improve upon that season and get back to where they were in 2013, and that is to get an Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) title. With that said, they have a lot of production that they have to account for. With the loss of key seniors, Isacc Arrington and Chris Cooke, who bolstered the scoring attack, the team still feels confident in what it has this year.

“Yeah, we graduate some guys, but every program has to go through that every year. But I think all of our returning guys have come in with the right mentality,” said senior goalkeeper Connor Kirkham. “I don’t think we’re going to lose any production, and pick up right where we want to be and get an ODAC championship.”

There is also a new face on the coaching staff. Brandon Eisenhart, formerly of Washington & Jefferson College, joins as the new assistant coach to the men’s team.

“First thing I noticed is there’s a big tradition here,” said Eisenhart. “The biggest thing is everyone seems to be on the same page, everybody works hard, and doesn’t seem to be any egos

on this team. I’m just fortunate enough to be here and work hard to win the ODACs,”

One thing that is apparent with this team is the freshmen seems poised to contribute now.

“I think a big part of this is to see how the young guys step up and I think we have some freshmen that can come in and fill that role this year,” said head coach Chris Mills in regard to the departures of Arrington and Cooke.

An emphasis that he placed coming into this season was to come in shape.

Mills said, “We don’t have time, the preseason was short this year so we didn’t have as much time to get guys ready, and since we’ve been practicing we’ve been trying to get guys up to speed on the system we run as we tweaked it this year… so it’s been a lot of teaching and coaching going on; a lot of learning.”

Women’s Soccer comes into the season with a point to prove as the team’s nonconference schedule is one of the hardest in the country as there are a multitude of top 10 teams littered throughout their non-conference schedule.

“Playing top 10 teams in our schedule lets us show other teams in the nation who we are as a program. We also enjoy the competition and proving those who doubt us wrong,” says senior forward Kristen Cherry. This is indeed a tough slate, but the team should be ready with a majority of players returning including four seniors one of whom, Kaitlyn Clunan, is coming off an ACL injury and looking to bring an impact to the offense. There is no reason why there should not be excitement surrounding this season considering their last game last year was

a memorable one as they took #2 Lynchburg College to the brink in the ODAC Tournament. They look to build off that momentum.

“It’s a great feeling when you know you can play with a top team. The next step is knocking them off,” said Cherry. The expectations are for excellence and junior midfielder Catherine Galway believes if everyone on the team stays on the same page they can achieve great things. Galway said, “If we stay fully committed and show up to play every time we have the chance to be great. Not just in games either but in practice as well. I expect everyone to always give 110% and play for the team. Think about the girls standing next to you.”

The Women’s Volleyball team is coming off an historic season as they were able to reach a program record 24 win season. Of course with a new season teams are going to be gunning for the Marlins. With that said they return three of their All-ODAC Honorees for this season highlighted by junior Tiffany Barrett. Barrett received First Team AllODAC Honors as a sophomore being one of the two to receive the award in 2014 as well as VWC’s first sophomore player to receive that honor since 2010. Also returning are seniors Kirstin Sessoms and Marin Crowder who also received All-ODAC Honors in 2014. One person that will be missed however is Alex Lambert who graduated last season. Barrett and Lambert served as the one-two punch for the team as they were one and two in kills respectively. It is going to be interesting seeing who will step up and replace that production. Being slotted #4 in the

ODAC preseason poll is sure to give the team plenty of motivation heading into the season. Men’s and Women’s Cross Country looks to improve upon their records from a year ago and prove that they belong at the top of the ODAC. The men’s team definitely looks to improve considering their returning a key contributor in junior Trevor Maloney. Maloney who posted the best time in the South/Southeast Regionals looks to build off that and help the men’s team get to where they want to go. With a lot of guys returning there is definitely a buzz of optimism in the air surrounding this team. The women’s team, slotted #5 in the preseason poll, has big shoes to fill this season as their first team talent Liz Wade was lost to graduation. With that said a slew of returning players return which include: Shakiella Daniel, Kyla Edwards-Henderson, and Tiana Hughes. Daniel comes in as the leader in both the 5k and 6k distances so her role is pivotal. All in all each cross country team come in with something to prove and with rosters laden with returning talent the season should be an interesting one for each.

The Field Hockey team, slotted #7 in the preseason poll, looks to their youth movement to invigorate their team and climb up the ranks in the ODAC. Sam Jackson is the lone senior returning and is also an All-ODAC Third Team member. She looks to lead a group that includes eight new faces as well as six returning members. After a rough season last year, there is only room for improvement and with the youth movement in full effect it should be a fun year for the Marlins as they look to establish themselves in the wide open ODAC.

Baseball welcomes new assistant coach

Thomas Seay, former Marist College assistant, joins baseball’s coaching staff at Virginia Wesleyan

BY MICHAEL WILLSON

The baseball team is welcoming a new member to their coaching staff. Thomas Seay is succeeding Andy Wissinger as the team’s assistant coach. He joins the team with head coach Chris Francis, who joined last season.

“When Coach Francis got the job a year ago, he had asked me if I wanted to be involved in the program. He didn’t have a full time position available for me so things just didn’t work out timing wise,” said Seay. “When Coach Wissinger left to go back to Christopher Newport, it was just the right time, the right fit and a great opportunity for the both of us.”

Seay, like most coaches, started off as a player. While he was playing at Randolph-Macon College, he decided that he would pursue a career in coaching as opposed to professional baseball.

“Probably about my sophomore or junior year of college, I really

started to figure out what I was going to do from a professional standpoint,” said Seay. “I wasn’t a player that would get the opportunity to play pro ball, that just wasn’t who I was, but I had a really great college experience, so when I got done playing, I really wanted to get into coaching.”

After graduating, Seay went to Virginia Commonwealth University, where he received a Master of Science in sports leadership.

For the next eight years, Seay worked various coaching positions at different colleges. He started off as a volunteer assistant at Old Dominion University, from 2006-2007. That was followed by six seasons of serving as both assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Slippery Rock University, Young Harris College, and Marist College. Seay’s coaching philosophy comes from the previous coaches he has worked with.

“You kind of learn through

failure, through success, process of elimination. Figuring out what works for some guy doesn’t necessarily work for others. . . I think you pull different aspects from each guy you work for and you mold it into you own different philosophy and what you like to do and what works best for you,” said Seay.

Seay also learned effective recruitment strategies from his experience as a recruiting coordinator. In recruitment, Seay looks for players who are able to play multiple positions.

“For me, it’s all about athleticism. Being able to run, being able to throw, guys who are able to play multiple positions.

. . Their athleticism kind of sets them apart from everybody else where they can play multiple positions,” said Seay.

In addition to recruiting at high schools, Seay also recruits at junior colleges.

“As a former junior college

the DUGOUT

There was not enough excitement for the Women’s World Cup

MICHAEL WILLSON is a junior doublemajoring in communication and political science

It has been nearly two months since the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup. For the United States, it was both exciting and successful, with its being the first time the team has won since 1999. As exciting as it was, the country’s response was pretty mediocre. Most of our enthusiasm died down the next day, that is, assuming we had any to begin with. People need to be reminded that we won or even that the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup happened. If this was the Men’s World Cup, or better yet, the Super Bowl, people would still be talking about it. It must be hard to be a female soccer player in the United States. First of all, most Americans are not that into soccer. Don’t get me wrong, Americans appreciate it. We all played soccer when we were kids and every four years, we acknowledge that the World Cup is going on, but most of us are more into football and baseball. Unlike the rest of the world, where people eat, sleep and breathe soccer. Let me rephrase that, eat, sleep and breathe football (It makes much more sense to call it football than soccer.) Americans just considers football (And yes, I am calling it football) to be a secondary, less exciting sport that we only watch when nothing good is on.

In addition to our country’s lack of interest in football, we also lack an interest in female sports. Society has placed a false belief in our minds that only men are athletic and that women are more interested in cooking and putting on makeup. There are female sports organizations such as the WNBA and the FIFA Women’s World Cup, but our interest in them is nothing compared to that in their male counterparts.

Our attitude toward this year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup was quite depressing. We won the World Cup. That is something to be proud of. If this was any other country, there would be festivals going on in the streets, but our attitude is, “Oh, that’s nice,” because to be quite blunt, our country just flat-out does not care. If this was the Men’s World Cup, our country would show a little bit of interest. If this was a baseball or basketball game, the whole country would be tuned into their TVs, decked out in red, white and blue, chanting, “USA! USA! USA!” But alas, this is a women’s football game, the lowest of the low in terms of sports.

coach, I have a lot of junior college connections. If we don’t get someone in the high school class that we’re looking for, then we find our needs with junior college transfers and four year college transfers. I think a program like Virginia Wesleyan can take that next step to get really, really good high school guys that we can develop, but then also go out and get those junior college and four year transfers,” said Seay.

Seay is looking forward to the future of Virginia Wesleyan baseball and wants to show potential players the value of being part of the program.

“We want to show [potential players] that Virginia Wesleyan is a great school. It has a lot of great resources,” said Seay. “I’m really happy with President Miller and his vision for the school’s athletics department for the next three to five years. We’re very excited with where our program is going.”

I think it is time for the United States to show its support for their women’s football team. They train and play just as hard as the men’s team and have made it farther in the tournament. It’s not just women’s football we should support, but all female sports. Just because they are female does not make them any less of an athlete. The United States needs to change their outdated, and rather sexist, belief that only men are good at sports. We should live in a country where if someone said, “You play ball like a girl,” it would be a compliment. Not an insult.

Men’s Soccer:

9/1 Southern Virginia W 4-0

9/4 @ChriStopher neWport L 3-2

9/6 WeSLey 1-0

Women’s soccer:

9/1 MeSSiah L 5-1

9/4 Berry L 2-0

9/5 Carthage W 2-1

Volleyball:

9/1 @ChriStopher neWport L 3-0

9/4 riVier W 3-1

9/4 MiSeriCordia W 3-0

9/5 WartBurg L 3-0

9/5 Fdu-FLorhaM L 3-1

Field Hockey:

9/1 St. Mary (Md) L 3-1

9/5 @hood W 4-0

9/6 @gouCher L 2-0

Victorious

BY KELLIE LAGOY kalagoy@vwc.edu

Virginia Wesleyan Athletics got their name on yet another list to display its many successes. VWC appeared at No. 40 stack. com for the 50 Best Colleges for Female Athletes. It was in ranks along with the University of Connecticut and other prestigious Division I schools.

Stack.com created a list of 50 schools toward the end of April that highlighted which schools were best for female athletes. The criteria were based on the number of times a team has made an NCAA appearance, the percentage of female students participating in sports and opinions from 75,000 students.

Many in the Athletic Department were ecstatic about the news because this makes

Virginia Wesleyan even more attractive to potential athletes. Stephany Dunmyer, assistant director of athletics and head women’s basketball coach said she holds this accomplishment close to her heart.

“It is very exciting recognition for our school. From my perspective, I don’t ever feel like I’m going to work. I love coming in to my job, and I hope that’s what the student-athletes feel,” Dunmyer said.

Not only is this another accolade VWC Athletics can pat itself on the back for, but it is also a way of bringing fresh talent to the school every year.

“I think it is another talking point. With our recruits, we’re always like, ‘You need to come to campus, you have to be on campus to get a feel for what we have to offer.’ You can’t really explain it, it’s a commu-

nity feel. But it’s just another thing we can highlight,” Dunmyer said.

This is a large success for the female sports teams at VWC, because at most games they tend to have a smaller crowd than male sports games do.

“I think that any time our female sports teams get the recognition that they deserve, it’s always a good thing. I think from, this is my personal standpoint, my perspective, not having football is a great thing for female athletics. Because I do feel like there is a good level of equality, and although, yes, we would like to have more people in our stands sometimes, and we don’t get the following that men’s basketball does, but we’re really able to build off of them. I think we partner up so well,” Dunmyer said.

Mix it up

After a year of successful business, the only mixer store on Shore Drive in Virgina Beach, Mix It Up, continues to attract customers to their craft beer.

An Alumni’s one of a kind business is off to a great start and is providing the needs of beer and drink enthusiasts alike.

KELLIE LAGOY kalagoy@vwc.edu

Less than 10 miles away from Virginia Wesleyan College, former Marlin Amberly Carter is reveling in the success of her business, Mix It Up.

Mix It Up is exactly what its name implies. It is a mixer store that carries everything from Red Bull to craft beers, and it happens to be right next to the ABC store on Shore Drive between the Lesner Bridge and Great Neck Road.

Carter graduated from Wesleyan in spring 2013 with a Bachelor of Arts in communication. She took a typical career

path following graduation before she and her boyfriend, Coleman Ferguson, decided to step away from their jobs to open Mix It Up.

“Right after college, I went to work for a forensic engineering firm, totally different field. My boyfriend worked at ABC and the spot became available. It was something we had always talked about, putting a mixer store beside the ABC store, and we called to see how much the rent was a month. We said, ‘let’s do it,’ and we did it. It exploded a lot bigger than we thought it would get,” Carter said.

Just recently, Mix It Up recieved local and national news coverage for selling lo-

cal craft beers, as well as selling Not Your Father’s Root Beer, the newset soughtafter trend in alcoholic beverages. The business was featured in the Wall Street Journal in August for its sale of the adult root beer.

Mix It Up has only had its doors open for about 10 months, and even with its growing success, Carter and Ferguson still haven’t seen a true paycheck. Every penny earned goes right back into their business. This hasn’t discouraged Carter from loving her job.

“It’s tiring. We work seven days a week, and we are here 15, 16 hours a day. It’s a lot of work, but it’s so much fun. You

never actually feel like you’re working,” Carter said.

The successes have been large, and gratifying and Carter and Ferguson plan to expand Mix It Up even further.

“We’re getting ready to expand. We’re doing Growlers, Flights and Pints next door, and that’s set to open Nov. 15. That’s exactly one year to the day that we opened this one [Mix It Up],” Carter said.

Carter said she remembers her time at Wesleyan fondly, and she had two pieces of advice for those looking to start their own businesses: “don’t be scared,” and “remember to take marketing.”

Music fills the beach area over holiday weekend

The American Music Festival is an annual event for just about anyone in the area, offering music and fun for all.

LASHAWNDA WHITE lcwhite@vwc.edu

If you’re from the Virginia Beach area, then you probably already know about the 22 Annual American Music Festival. If you’re new to this area and haven’t heard of it, now’s your chance to learn all about it! It’s one of the largest outdoor concerts on the East Coast, bringing national and local musicians together to perform in one place. For three days, the Oceanfront floods with people looking to hear the sounds of various genres of music, such as country, R&B, jazz and rock.

The large stage is located on the beach at Fifth Street, with smaller stages located at the Dairy Queen Grill and Chill on 17th Street Park, 24th Street Park and 31st Street Park. The festival takes place over Labor Day weekend and attracts tourists and residents alike. Sarah Heskett, a junior at Virginia Wesleyan, is a resident of Virginia Beach and is familiar with this attraction.

“I don’t live too far from the Oceanfront, so I’m used to all the different events that take place here, but my family really enjoys this festival,” she said. “My parents

are into jazz and R&B and really enjoy the live atmosphere and the array of bands. I personally like the fact that it takes place on the beach. I love the beach and music, so it’s the perfect experience to me.”

The Oceanfront at Virginia Beach is a hotspot for tourism with the wide range of activities offered. When at the Oceanfront, you have many different things to do, from soaking up some sun and relaxing on the beach, to walking on Main Street enjoying the different shops and restaurants. The American Music Festival adds to this charm. Past performers at this festival include wellknown acts like Daughtry, Train, Third Eye Blind and Sugar Ray.

The wide array of musicians offer something for everyone who will attend, so this festival targets a broad audience, unlike other concerts and festivals. This year’s lineup is just as exciting as in the years that preceded it. The Steve Miller Band will be making a return, after having drawn the largest crowd back at the 2007 American Music Festival according to BeachStreetUSA.com.

The Wailers, an iconic reggae band that has sold over 30

million albums worldwide, took the stage Saturday, Sept 5. Sheryl Crowe, a nine-time Grammy award winner with 27 Grammy nominations, performed Sept 6. These are just a couple of performers that compose part of an eclectic lineup.

Sophomore Ruta Habtemariam said she had never heard of the American Music Festival but was interested in going once she knew of some of the musicians attending.

“I don’t know many of the performers, but I would go and check it out. I like different types of music, and I think this would give me a chance to expand on my music catalog. I’ll definitely be seeing if I can go,” she said.

The festival has always taken place Sept 4 to Sept 6. It draws large crowds every year. The American Music Festival offers something for all music lovers. While giving many musicians a larger platform, the festival gives some new musicians the opportunity to make a name for themselves. The college provided shuttles to and from the Oceanfront, so that students would be able to attend the event. If you missed out on the festival this past weekend,

Good eats: the best places in town

Doumar’s, on Moticello Ave., is yet another restuarant with great foods and affordable prices to check out in the local area.

WYNTER BOND wcbond@vwc.edu

If you’re looking for good, cheap (cheaper than Cookout!) food with a little bit of history attached, look no further than Doumar’s Cones and BBQ.

As for the historical factor, the founder of the restaurant, Abe Doumar, is credited with creating the world’s first ice cream cone in 1904 while at the World’s Fair in St. Louis. A local vendor had ran out of plates (how ice cream was previously served) and another nearby vendor was selling waffles. Doumar rolled the waffle into a cone shape, and filled and topped it with ice cream. Doumar later took this venture and opened a stand at the Ocean View Amusement Park. In the 1930s, Doumar’s Cones and BBQ opened in downtown Norfolk.

THE MARLIN UNDERTOW / By Courtney Herrick

DOWNLOAD THIS:

Victoria Secret’s new app “Pink Nation” Are you a fan of Victoria’s Secret? Does your significant other adore gifts from there? If you answered yes to either question, then you should download the new app “Pink Nation.” The recent app allows users to set up an account free of charge and get exclusive deals and details. Users can also use the app to conveniently shop from their smartphone without using their web browser!

This drive-in restaurant has everything from the famous pork barbeque that brought culinary personality Guy Fieri to sample it himself, to desserts like strawberry shortcake. Since you don’t even have to leave the luxury of your car to enjoy what Doumar’s has to offer. You’re totally free just kick back and blast your playlist to your heart’s content. Think of a Sonic drive-in vibe, minus the roller skates.

The barbeque is no doubt the star of Doumar’s menu, proving to be a customer favorite over the years. The variety of thick milkshakes are a favorite of the Norfolk scene as well. The ultimate crowd pleaser, though, has to be the ice cream with fresh cones made every day by hand. “There’s a big difference about the crunch, the taste and the freshness,” said Fieri when his show Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives visited the Norfolk hotspot back in 2008.

LISTEN TO THIS:

The Weeknd’s new album: Beauty Behind the Madness: This album was written and composed by Canadian native artist, The Weeknd. It was released just days after classes began here at VWC. The album contains songs that have already been played on the radio such as “Can’t Feel My Face” and “The Hills,” but there are so many more songs on the album that have yet to be heard!

WATCH THIS:

Your movie will be deleted in 3…2…!

This is your last chance to catch hit movies like “The Wolf of Wall Street” and “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” on Netflix this month. Both of these movies along with many others will be deleted from the Netflix queue by the end of September. Catch those movies and more before they are gone!