Mar 2nd, 2023

The Marlin Chronicle VIRGINIA WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY

THURSDAY 3.2.23 || MARLINCHRONICLE.VWU.EDU

Tuition freezes, room and board to increase

BY RHIAN TRAMONTANA rjtramontana@vwu.edu

On Feb. 6, President Scott Miller announced in his weekly Nota Bene that tuition will be frozen for the 2023-24 academic year, marking the sixth year the university has frozen tuition.

The tuition freeze was made possible in part through private donations that increased the school’s endowment from $60 million in 2015 to $126 million in 2022.

The John A. Trinder Center for Advancement has worked to help these initiatives to grow the university’s endowment and create a philanthropic campus culture.

These initiatives have been encouraged by the administration.

“Cost containment has been a priority of our administration,” President Miller said. “We completed our ‘Transformation Now!’ fundraising campaign on June 30, 2022, and that

campaign exceeded its goal by over $81 million.”

With the tuition freeze in the past years, prices have increased in other areas of campus.

“Room and board will increase, but this is not in exchange for the tuition freeze,” Miller said. “We cannot control the rising costs from our many vendors that help us provide quality student housing and services. Therefore,

See TUITION Page 2

Rhian Tramontana|Marlin Chronicle Information provided by Assistant Director of Residence Life Elyse Rosen.

Esports seizes 4th in new tournament Esports hosted its first in-person tournament with 14 other teams.

BY CHLOE BOOHER crbooher@vwu.edu

& COLETTE KEARNEY cmkearney@vwu.edu

Ross Winner|Marlin Chronicle A shooting occurred adjacent to campus behind the Chesapeake Bay Academy building on Thursday, Feb. 16.

‘There was no thinking.

There was just acting and adrenaline.’

On Feb. 25, 15 schools competed in a Collision on the Coast Esports tournament in the Town Bank Arena, Beverly Hall and the Esports Arena. George Mason University won the tournament and was awarded $1,000. King University got second place and was awarded $700. New Jersey Institute of Technology got third place and was awarded $500. Virginia Wesleyan came in fourth place and was awarded $300.

According to Esports members senior Brandon Kwon, senior Bailey Miller and junior Garrette Kellam, the teams in the tournament played their bracket in best of 3, 5 and 7 with double elimination. In the end, teams who placed in the top four received prize money ranging between $300 - 1,000.

Over the last four years, no collegiate tournament for Esports had been in-person like the one Kwon and his team planned. Invites were sent

See ESPORTS Page 7

A nearby shooting on Thursday, Feb. 16 frightened campus and led to calls for clarification regarding LiveSafe, security protocols.

BY CONNOR MERK ccmerk@vwu.edu

A shooting occurred near campus on Thursday, Feb. 16 shortly after 5 p.m., which caused student-athletes at their practices to immediately pause practice and run to seek shelter.

Confusion and fear grew on campus due to a delayed LiveSafe message from campus officials.

A Virginia Beach Police Department tweet at 5:39 p.m. said, “VBPD is investigating a call that came in at 5:11 p.m. for a shooting in the 5700 block of University Place. One victim, conscious & breathing, has been transported to a local hospital.

No suspects in custody. No further information available at this time.”

At 5:44 p.m., there was a LiveSafe notification with a broadcast message sent via the app as well as an email that said, “disregard notification, no threat to campus off campus incident.”

LiveSafe is a mobile app that is free and voluntary that only requires a VWU email address to register. The information on this app comes direct-

ly from the VWU Campus Security Department. Students, faculty and staff are strongly encouraged to have the app so they can receive text, email and push notifications in the event of an emergency scenario.

At 6:01 p.m., an email from Senior Vice President Keith Moore said, “Earlier this evening, University officials were notified of a possible threat adjacent to campus. After investigating, it was believed that given the proximity to Broyles Field it was best to have community members shelter in place.”

Moore added, “However, in the process of sounding the siren and sending notification, it was learned that the threat had been mitigated, which prompted the LiveSafe message to disregard.”

In an interview with the Chronicle, Moore recounted the situation and said the VBPD gave a courtesy call to the security gate on campus that there was an incident off campus. The call initiated the decision by campus security to stop people from entering or leaving campus in an attempt to steer people away from Baker Rd.

Greek life works to recover from pandemic woes

BY BREANNE BESSETTE bebesette1@vwu.edu

Greek Week at Virginia Wesleyan University for the Spring semester was held in early February.

Greek Week provided an opportunity for participants in Greek life to represent

their organizations and for students to learn more about the fraternities and sororities that are active at VWU. Greek life is an essential part of most universities.

Fraternities and sororities provide college students with communities on

“[Campus security] didn’t wait for direction. They went into our offcampus assessment process to determine if there was an actual threat to campus,” Moore said.

If there was an immediate campus threat, they would have immediately alerted the campus community. In this case, they investigated the legitimacy of it first. The administration also wanted to have a full understanding of the situation before giving directions.

“Until we determine that there is cause for concern, we don’t want to cause concern,” Moore said.

The administration decided to side with caution knowing that there was no suspect in custody and that it was close to campus. This led to the sounding of the siren, which is one of two parts of the alert system. The other part is messaging, which was delayed.

“No sooner did we start the alert process, we received better information and that was two words: no

college campuses whose networks often extend nationwide.

As of the 2022-2023 academic year, Virginia Wesleyan University has eight total fraternities and sororities on campus. There are two sororities under the Panhellenic conference, two fraternities under the Interfraternity Council, and four fraternities/sororities under the National Panhellenic Council. The fraternities and sororities on campus continue to grow and develop but maintaining these communities is

@vwuesports on Instagram|Courtesy Left to right: Senior Bailey Miller, Junior Garrette Kellam, Senior Brandon Kwon and freshman Trent Hammer celebrate after achieving fourth place in the Collision on the Coast Tournament. on Feb. 25

Alysse Scripter says thanks, goodbye to VWU athletics Page 7

See SAFETY Page 3 not without its challenges.

Greek life has experienced a tumultuous couple of years as organizations try to recover from the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I was one of the very first initiates after Covid hit, but two years had passed since any new members had been initiated. Covid hit us hard and in my opinion, hit all Greeks hard,” President of Alpha Phi Alpha and sophomore Judah King said.

See GREEK Page 4

Dr. Lawrence Hultgren|Courtesy

Movie review: Ant-Man and the Wasp Page 10

Mel Lhuillier|Marlin Chronicle

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Thursday March 2, 2023 The Marlin Chronicle marlinchronicle.vwu.edu

News

757 gaming platform teaches health, offers students rewards

BY CYRIL COEFIELD ccoefield@vwu.edu

A site released by EdLogics, Rewards for Healthy Living, was made to help teach people in the 757 Hampton Roads area about the importance of mental and physical health in a fun way.

The program is now making its way to the Virginia Wesleyan campus. When walking around, students can sometimes see flyers for prizes they could win by engaging with the site.

Kayleigh Poggioli, the assistant to the senior vice president, has been one of the biggest supporters of promoting the site on campus.

“It's basically a gaming platform that teaches about health literacy. It also provides incentives for individuals who utilize the app,” Poggioli said.

The site covers a wide range of topics pertaining to health.

“It’s really cool because it teaches people about things like mental health. The other day I got an email about symptoms of strokes and what can trigger that,” Poggioli said. ”It's just really educational but in a way that's not boring.”

This idea and site has been completely public only since 2020 when the free, community based rewards launched.

Before it was mainly a site used by employers.

“The platform began 10 years ago, and it's been an operational product in the employer setting for at least seven years. The free community based rewards for healthy living platform, though, was launched in early 2020. Because they wanted to ensure that, after the pandemic started, there was credible information about COVID-19 that they could get out to the public,” Poggioli said.

The process of promotion of the site includes prizes which feature the site and school on them as well as events put in place to help make the site more popular on campus.

The promotion process was helped by Poggioli. “We started the rollout process to promote it on campus. So we put things up like posters, we gave out VWU water bottles, we did tabling events, we did stress balls, things like that, that were branded with VWU and Rewards for Healthy Living,” Poggioli said.

The site is slowly catching on as more posters and events get put up for it. “I've seen students get really excited about it,” Poggioli said.

The site has already dispatched awards for some students. “I did see some people on campus who already won things like gift cards or donations to the local food bank

Rhian Tramontana|Marlin Chronicle Advertisement for Rewards for Healthy Living shows possible prizes up to $5,000 for playing games. or like cash prizes. So people on campus are playing it,” Poggioli said.

The more participants play games on the site, the more points and opportunities they have to win prizes. “The more activities you do, the more times you can get entered in to win prizes and cash and stuff like that, which is really cool,” Poggioli said.

The site is built so that accounts fit the individual. A person can have a personal and immersive experience with the site and it fits what they need.

“It's tailored to the individual. When you put in your own information and your health status, it actually will send you information for resources that are unique to your position, and things that you're interested in learning about,” Poggioli said.

If you’re interested in learning more about your mental health while potentially earning prizes, find the site and sign yourself up at https://www.myedlogics.com/rewards/ home.

Yearly textbook costs plague student budgets

BY HOUDA TOUCHEN htouchen@vwu.edu

The VWU student community faces challenges just like any other educational institution, and a prominent challenge is the cost of textbooks. Textbook costs is an issue that comes up every semester because of how relevant it is to students' curriculum.

For VWU, the current Scribner University Store used to be where students could find all the textbooks professors assign for their classes in their physical format.

Kim Brown, the manager of Scribner University Store, mentioned that the university adopted an online option of getting textbooks through Akademos in 2021, a full-service online bookstore and course materials platform for colleges and universities.

“The store was majorly known by its bookstore functionality, and that’s something students and staff preferred for the warm interactions and conversations that it added to their day,” Brown said.

At that time, textbooks were still expensive but students found lower-cost alternatives through other providers.

“The textbooks that VWU offers are too expensive so I go to an alternative of Amazon where I can find it cheaper and possibly used,” 2022 Alumna Savannah Roach said.

Now, the online bookstore operates automatically and adds the assigned textbooks to students’ Akademos accounts for purchasing.

The website offers options for students with varying budgets. Textbooks might be available for rent, purchase through an online marketplace, hard copies or e-books.

Following a survey on the textbook policy at VWU on the Marlin Chronicle Instagram, students voiced their thoughts. Of 55 respondents, 62% of them think textbooks are costly. In terms of utilization, 49% of the 48 of respondents said they typically buy four or more textbooks per semester.

“During the spring semester, I had to buy six textbooks; some were rented, and some were online. Overall, I can say I used two of those six properly and fully,” sophomore and Education major Hannah Rotenbach said.

According to the Education Data Initiative, the average college student spends between $628 and $1,471 annually for

Mel Lhuillier|Marlin Chronicle books and supplies as of the 2021-2022 academic year.

One reason behind this expensiveness is market monopoly.

According to Business Insider, the five biggest publishers - Pearson Education, Scholastic, McGraw-Hill Education, Cengage Learning, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, control around 80% of the textbook market. They also encourage students to purchase new textbooks through restricted access with special codes and new frequent editions.

On the other side, there are websites that aid in gaining access to free textbooks regardless of their restricted legality or range limitations.

“There are many websites dedicated to giving access to textbooks to both low income communities and college students,” senior and Mathematics major Shaun Guernsey said.

Guernsey mentioned free options such as Academia.edu, library genesis and Zlibrary.org.

However, U.S. authorities confiscated the domains of Z-library.org for its illegally downloaded e-books in Nov. 2022.

Another issue that was reported by students - even before transitioning to the digital platform - is the usage of the books that the university requires students to buy.

Isaiah Luckey, a junior majoring in Business, said that he has never bought a textbook from any platform because the textbooks don’t get used significantly in class and the material provided with his own research is enough for him to achieve the expected learning outcomes.

Thinking about the issue as a community urges individuals to also think about solutions and alternatives.

TUITION

CONTINUED FROM PG. 1 we must increase room and board at a comparable rate to rising costs in these areas.”

Director of Residence Life David Stuebing attributes the rising cost of housing to inflation. “The numbers for next year are not out yet, but typically the increase is comparable to the annual inflation rate,” Stuebing said.

The prices for all housing will increase by a determined percentage based on inflation. “The primary drivers of increases in room and board costs are the non-negotiable costs the university must pay, including utilities like electricity and water, food and produce costs for dining, the cost of paper and cleaning products through housekeeping, and so on,” Stuebing said.

Room and board prices have risen significantly in past years as well, typically following inflation trends.

Between the school years of 2019-20 and 2022-23, room and board prices have increased by about 10.87% across campus. While prices differ, the percentage increase is about the same for each village and housing type.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the inflation of the buying power of the U.S. dollar from 2019 to 2023 is 19%.

While the rises are necessary, Miller acknowledges that it is not ideal for the students.

“Of course inflation is an issue, but we are fully committed to affordability. We know students and their families are feeling the effects of inflation everywhere so we’ve done our very best to control our costs,” Miller said.

According to a VWU news brief from Feb. 8, 98% of the university’s students receive financial assistance. Last year, VWU students received more than $2.7 million from the Virginia Tuition Assistance Grant (VTAG).

According to the University of Richmond website, the VTAG amount for each eligible student the 2022-23 academic year was $4,500. The amount is determined by the number of eligible students and the funds allocated by the General Assembly.

In addition, a privately funded Work & Learn program supplements work study programs.

Alec Gordon, a freshman biology major, offsets costs by working on campus. “I'm an ambassador. So I work on campus and then if I become an RA next year that also helps,” Gordon said.

For Gordon, the cost of school was a major factor in his decision to come to VWU. “I was worried my parents would have to pay way too much,” Gordon said.

The news brief also emphasized the importance of value over cost. “Prospective students and their families are also encouraged to think value, not just advertised cost,” the brief said.

News

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Thursday March 2, 2023 The Marlin Chronicle marlinchronicle.vwu.edu

Study pods generate mixed response New study pods in Clarke Hall exemplify university efforts to invest in technology development.

BY LILY RESLINK lbreslink@vwu.edu

In the constant scramble for universities to possess the most advanced technology in education, Virginia Wesleyan University strives to stay ahead of the curve with new gadgets rolling in to finish off recent Clarke Hall renovations. Among them are the human-sized transparent boxes known as “Study Pods.”

Associate Vice President for Campus Life and Operational Management Jason Seward said being on par with the technological innovations of other universities matters to VWU. Seward said these renovations were executed with the collaborative input of faculty, students, workforce development and the university’s partners at NetTek, a local tech company. The renovations all aligned with “being cutting edge in what the latest, greatest technology is.”

“You go to any kind of new space that’s young and vibrant and entrepreneurial, they have these types of pods where folks can come out of a meeting or come out of a class and want to write a thought down quickly or maybe send an email but don’t want to sit at a loud table,” Seward said.

A sign posted on the front of these study pods prior to their completion read: “Need a quiet space to study? Reduce the noise around you? Duck in to take a call? The Study Pod is for you!”

The sign listed the features including noise reduction, a worktable with “comfortable seating,” lighting, a fan and USB charging. It also noted that the pod circulates through a complete air change every two minutes.

The group study pods arrived later, having to be carried piece-by-piece into the elevator and up to the second-floor Learning Center. A hub for resources such as peer-tutoring and test accommodations, the Learning Center qualifies as a fitting place for the study pods.

The initial appearance of the two singleperson pods in the lobby of Clarke Hall mystified the Marlin community. Reactions grew stronger as they considered logistics.

Students realized that every person who

enters the building will pass by anyone who uses the pod, creating the effect of being watched.

Sophomore Kaitlyn Duswalt said she finds the public placement of the single pods a bit awkward and would feel uncomfortable using one.

At first, junior Brice Johnson said he found them weird because of their “space age” feel, but warmed up to them after trying it. “When I stepped in there, it felt really calm and just like a quiet study space,” Johnson said.

“The ones up in the tutoring area have two benches, a table and a computer,” Johnson said, adding that he prefers those over the single pods.

Nonetheless, Johnson said he thinks that people, including himself, will use them.

He also thinks the library would be a good place to add more of them.

Kayla Bissette, senior and student worker at the Learning Center, is also more optimistic about group study pods, but unconvinced by the single pods.

“I’ll feel like a goldfish,” Bissette said, about using the single person pods. “I look at that booth even when there’s nobody in it, so when there is somebody in it, or I know if I were to be that person in it, everybody’s going to be looking.” Because of this, Bissette said that trying to study in that pod would only increase stress.

As for the pods in the Learning Center, Bissette said that noise is not often a barrier, but she could benefit from the pods with simultaneous sessions occurring.

“I think that the tutoring pods, when used and shared properly, those will be helpful.”

In comparison to the previous normal table layout, Bissette said “I can see where it would allow for a more focused session.”

Brynna Lister, sophomore and Learning Center tutor, said they find the study pods unnecessary. Lister said the room is generally quiet already.

Similar to Johnson, Lister thinks the library would be a more appropriate location for the pods given its higher space availability and likelihood to have more distractions.

However, much of the new technology seems to be going into Clarke. As for what

SAFETY

CONTINUED FROM PG. 1 threat,” Moore said. “We needed to pivot the messaging that went out.”

A tailored message was ready to go out about seeking shelter but it was changed to the message that was ultimately sent out, stating that there was no threat. The administration was told ‘no threat’ by a lieutenant in the VBPD. Moore explained how VWU was one of the first universities in the commonwealth to adopt a messaging alert system after the 2007 Virginia Tech shooting which led to the usage of the LiveSafe system.

There is a LiveSafe dashboard at the front gate and reports can come in from any campus member, which show up on a map. This alerts campus security as well as Moore, Associate Vice President for Campus Life and Operational Management Jason Seward, Director of Residence Life David Steubing and Assistant Director of Residence Life Elyse Rosen in the form of an email receipt in live time.

“I can see what comes in and it’s often at night: a lot of noise complaints. I’ll see a noise complaint and I don’t get concerned that much because I know someone will go check it out,” Moore said. “If there’s something of greater concern, I’ll call the gate and go ‘what’s up with that?’”

For notification logistics, there are pre-written messages such as one for a tornado warning as well as the ability to make custom notifications. Those alerts are made in conjunction with campus security and administration.

Regarding the athletics response to the situation, Moore said they reacted “absolutely spot on” because they practiced sound situational awareness.

“If you detect a concern or something that could be considered a threat, you vacate. That’s exactly what they did. Coaches left the field, players left their equipment and along the way, they even notified the Women’s Lacrosse team,” Moore said.

Hearing the shot fired, seeing the VBPD update, reading news reports, hearing the campus siren and receiving campus alerts left people confused and scared.

Freshman Jonas Juetz, a player on the Men’s Tennis team, was at practice when he saw the baseball and softball players running through the parking lot behind the tennis courts to enter the Jane P. Batten Student Center.

“We were just wondering ‘what’s happening?’ and then the coach from softball started shouting like 10 to 15 times but we didn’t identify that it was him until we heard ‘shooting, go in!’” Juetz said. Then, Juetz and his teammates ran from the court to get inside.

Juetz got information from the baseball and softball players but believes if there is a shooting, information should come directly from the university.

“The LiveSafe notification was way too late. Before the LiveSafe came in, our group chats were full of ‘Guys, take care.’ I feel like that definitely has to be handled better next time,” Juetz said.

At the time, he did not fully realize what was happen-

else is confirmed to be coming, Seward said for classrooms in Clarke, “We’ve got state-of-the-art touchscreen projectors, so there’s no more whiteboards.”

Additionally, Seward said there will be an investment lab designed for student use where, through Brown Financial, students will be able to trade environmentallyfriendly stock.

In the Finance Lab upstairs in Clarke, students will be able to work at “two trading portfolio stations that are in real-time connected to the stock market and track, trade, buy, sell.”

In President Miller’s Feb. 20 Nota Bene, Miller said, “The Finance and Investment Lab gives all learners the opportunity for real-world training and experience to develop much-needed life skills for financial decision-making in their personal or professional lives.”

Seward also highlighted technology that has been present in Clarke, such as the cyber security map that tracks attacks live on an international scale.

Bissette said that universities seeking the latest and greatest can stem from various intentions, “What is the motivation behind updating the technology? Are we doing it because it’s something that students are saying that they need, or that professors are

saying would be helpful, or is it an advertising thing?”

Bissette acknowledged that as a student worker, she doesn’t know the ins-and-outs of the university’s resource allocation and therefore cannot fully flesh out an opinion on technological expenses.

However, Bissette said she thinks the university should first ask, “Are the basic technological needs met?” She suggested a chromebook renting system for students in need as an example.

Lister shared a related opinion. “Schools should pursue education alongside technology, but I feel like the budget could have been used instead to update some of the chalkboards to whiteboards, or something of a more pressing matter like maintaining elevators for disabled students,” Lister said.

On the contrary, some students praise these technological additions. As a tutor for the Learning Center, junior Gavin Prouty has first-hand experience using the group study pods.

Prouty said, “The school should put a priority on technological advances because it helps add to students’ experience. The new study pods are a great way to show the school’s intention to improve and bring students to Clarke.”

Carley Tantlinger|Marlin Chronicle Student studies in pod in the Learning Center shortly after construction finished.

ing and did not have any other thoughts except to grab his stuff and run.

“It’s overwhelming, but I feel like the pain would have been bigger if I would have heard the gunshots,” Juetz said. “There was no thinking. There was just acting and adrenaline.”

Senior Brooke Morris, a Women’s Lacrosse player, was at practice when she heard multiple shots and the sirens of the first responders.

“When we heard the shots, one of my coaches made the remark that they sounded really close,” Morris said. “But given our school’s proximity to Norfolk, we brushed it off because we hear gunshots relatively frequently.”

Then, the athletic trainer got a call and told the assistant coach that everyone needed to seek shelter immediately.

The lacrosse team left most of their equipment on the field and ran to the locker room in Trinder Center.

“In the short run from Birdsong to Trinder, I thought about the headlines I had read about the Michigan shooting. I felt worried for all of my friends who were not with me. I was fearful of what could unfold in the coming minutes,” Morris said.

“This campus is full of adults who have a right to know what may threaten them at the institution they pay to attend.”

Brooke Morris -- Lacrosse They were told to stay in the locker room while the coach communicated with others to make sure all athletes were inside. During this time, Morris texted her friends to ensure they were in safe places but found out none of them knew there was any potential threat.

Additionally, Morris stated that she had been in the locker room for nearly ten minutes before the LiveSafe siren went off. She believes that it came far too late because if the threat breached campus, only those on Broyles and Birdsong fields would have been aware.

Morris found the follow-up email sent by Moore after 6 p.m. disappointing.

“There was no disclosure of what happened near campus. What does the threat being ‘mitigated’ mean? That the shooter was caught? That the shooter is far from campus?

That it was a false alarm?” Morris said. “This campus is full of adults who have the right to know what may threaten them at the institution they pay to attend.”

Morris was also alarmed by how it seemed campus security had a lack of urgency to alert the campus of this threat.

According to Morris, this incident has not been forgotten by those who were on the fields that day and she doubts

she will ever be able to forget how she felt when she ran into the locker room.

Sophomore Erin Andrews was in the Monumental Chapel and Beazley Recital Hall for Vox Vera rehearsal when she first heard of a potential campus threat. She heard the news from another student that said everyone was supposed to be on lockdown even though there was no direct communication from the university at that point. Then, she saw the VBPD tweet that explained the incident.

“I am really grateful for how Dr. Mortensen handled it.

We had the keys to the chapel, so he locked all the doors,” Andrews said. “I know where the key to the upstairs music library is kept, so I got that and we went upstairs and sheltered in place.”

Andrews still feels safe on campus but believes the situation could have been handled better, especially with communication.

“I’m sure that there are all kinds of folks involved in making a decision like this and I understand that. My understanding is that as time went on, they set off the sirens and then realized they didn’t need to, but we were all kind of left in the dark,” Andrews said. “I hope that we can learn from this experience that we may not be as prepared as we think we are.”

Sophomore Emma Lankford first heard about the shooting from her roommate who saw it in the news. “My friends were in a panic and none of us knew what was going on, and not hearing anything from the school directly added to my anxiety surrounding the situation,” Lankford said.

She was in the Boyd Dining Hall at the time and felt a sense of panic as she saw those in choir sprint upstairs in the Monumental Chapel. “I thought something was seriously wrong and felt scared for the students out in the open who knew nothing because they didn’t have a friend who told them as I did,” Lankford said.

She also believes VWU handled the situation poorly because of the lack of a timely notification of a potential campus threat. Lankford felt unsafe because she did not know a protocol or idea of what to do.

The LiveSafe message at 5:44 p.m. that stated there was no threat made her reaction feel invalidated because of the situation being so close to campus. “This occurrence does not make me feel safe in school,” Lankford said. “Seeing the chaos erupt with no instruction or warning from the school until after the fact is scary to me.”

This shooting made her realize that they can occur at any time, anywhere.

“Seeing the tragedy of the recent college campus shootings, then experiencing the anxiety that our school could be next, makes me extremely cautious and alert at all times,” Lankford said.

Recently, VWU held an Active Threat Presentation with the Federal Bureau of Investigation Norfolk Branch on Thursday, Feb. 9 for students, staff and faculty. This event focused on situational awareness, see something, say something and run, hide and fight. Moore said there will be another FBI training in the fall.

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Thursday March 2, 2023 The Marlin Chronicle marlinchronicle.vwu.edu

The

MARLIN CHRONICLE Editor-in-Chief Connor Merk ccmerk@vwu.edu Managing Editor Rhian Tramontanta rjtramontana@vwu.edu News Editor Lily Reslink lbreslink@vwu.edu Rhian Tramontanta rjtramontana@vwu.edu Community Editor Victoria Haneline vfhaneline1@vwu.edu Carey Seay clseay@vwu.edu Opinions Editors Samantha Silvia sgsilvia@vwu.edu Madelyn Yale mgyale@vwu.edu Sports Editors Colette Kearney cmkearney@vwu.edu Shirell Washington sawashington@vwu.edu Weekender Editors Mikayla Moscatelli mamoscatelli@vwu.edu Sasha Saxon ansaxon@vwu.edu Photography Editors Carley Tantlinger catantlinger@vwu.edu Ross Winner rawinner@vwu.edu Illustrations Editor Mel Lhuillier mnlhuillier@vwu.edu Online Editor Jack Mowatt jmmowatt@vwu.edu Copy Editor Kirkland Butler kwbutler@vwu.edu Engagement Editor Breana Mahoney brmahoney@vwu.edu

Community New club plans cardboard box camp-out Students Against Continued Homelessness (SACH) promotes awareness of local homelessness through outside-sleeping event.

BY KAMAL WOMACK krwomack@vwu.edu

VWU’s Students Against Continued Homelessness (SACH) held their first meeting on Feb. 8 at 7 p.m. in Blocker Auditorium. The host was SACH President and freshman Aiden Foley, who spoke on the origins of SACH and their mission of bringing awareness of homelessness to the VWU community.

The meeting lasted approximately 30 minutes and there were around a dozen attendees for the event. Foley gave a presentation to explain the details of the homelessness cause and how he intends to bring awareness of homelessness to the community.

In the first part of his presentation, Foley explained how his interest began because of his involvement in other established organizations that worked to solve the problem and raise the awareness of homelessness.

One group he mentioned was Students for 60,000, which began in the 1980s, and whose name refers to the number of homeless people VWU Flickr|Courtesy in New York City at the time. Foley said that he The 2018 VWU Shack-A-Thon event took place from Nov. 14 - 18 on Batten Lawn. met Students for 60,000 in New York City while in high school. by simulating the “homeless experience” for people are susceptible to being homeless now Throughout high school, Foley actively college students by having them sleep outside, more than ever. organized local trips to help the homeless in New generally in cold conditions, in cardboard boxes.

After background information on the York City. He spent many hours volunteering at Each participant is required to raise at least homelessness cause, Foley explained the value the Long Island Harvest, which is the largest $100 to be given to local homeless shelters and of his current efforts to raise awareness and his food bank in Long Island. In addition, Foley food pantries. In 2018, a Shack-A-Thon was intention to host a new Shack-A-Thon. spent time volunteering at local food pantries. held for three days and two nights from Nov. “I think this event can be so valuable, because Foley also ran an event called the “Midnight 14 to Nov. 18 on Batten Lawn. Groups of VWU I think not only can we raise money, but what’s Run,” in which his high school group would take students participated in different events such more lasting is the awareness when you have food, bags of clothes and hygiene products to as clothing and food drives and donation bins people that are not only aware of the fact that the homeless. Foley said that he was able to do for books, shoes, clothes, hygiene products and homelessness exist, but aware of the causes of it, this consistently throughout high school, only canned goods were set up around campus and in and the fact that there are plausible solutions,” pausing for some months due to COVID-19. the Community Service Office.

Foley said.

Foley then recounted how his past actions In his presentation, Foley also highlighted This sentiment was echoed by freshman and directly led to his current VWU group, Students important statistics related to homelessness in SACH Secretary Isaac Awogboro, who said that Against Continued Homelessness, that he is the United States. Statistics that he presented it is important for more people to hear about involved with today. He discussed how he showed that the homeless population that was this. “Aiden did a great job explaining what wanted to bring the experience and lessons he “unsheltered” dipped between 2014 and 2017, SACH is,” Awogboro said. learned in high school to his college experience. but it has increased since with a current total Another SACH member and VWU student “I had a hand in organizing a lot of of approximately 225,000 people in the United Brynn Dajc said they were in class with Foley, volunteering by working with our teachers, our States from a low of 175,000 seven years ago. and they were inspired by seeing him take the advisors actually, and learned that you do what Foley noted this might be due to a difference initiative and so they joined the group. The you have to do to make an event like this run. in productivity versus wages since 1973 (74.4% meeting ended with conversations between the And I really just wanted to bring that wherever vs. 9.2%) and that wages are not keeping up audience and SACH members about plans for a I went. So here we are,” Foley said. with rising economic demands and that more future VWU event.

According to Foley, Shack-A-Thon works

Sandler Center presents student artwork

BY CAREY SEAY clseay@vwu.edu

On Monday, Feb. 13, the Sandler Center for the Performing Arts, Sandler Center Foundation and the Virginia Beach Cultural Affairs Department hosted an opening reception for the 2023 Virginia Wesleyan University Student Art Showcase from 6-8 p.m. in the Sandler Center Art Gallery mezzanine lobby. The showcase

presents a variety of artwork created by students of various majors at VWU. “This exhibition celebrates themes of campus life, vitality and an undeniable force of nature seen in the creative production of Virginia Wesleyan University students,” Alex Dye, Media and Communications Coordinator II at City of Virginia Beach Cultural Affairs Department, said.

Marketing Director Andrew Steiner alsteiner1@vwu.edu Advisor Dr. Lisa Lyon Payne lpayne@vwu.edu

The Marlin Chronicle is the official student newspaper of Virginia Wesleyan University.

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Virginia Wesleyan University 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.”

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Carley Tantlinger|Marlin Chronicle Senior Risa Yanagita displays her drawing, “VWU Landscape,” on Monday, Feb. 13.

GREEK

CONTINUED FROM PG. 1 The pandemic served as a huge obstacle to many of the practices that are necessary for growth in Greek chapters on campus. Limitations established because of the pandemic made recruitment and participation strenuous for many fraternities and sororities.

“I remember my whole rush process was very unorthodox, we usually have a set way of doing everything but when Covid hit it kind of threw it out the window,” Sigma Nu President and junior Henry Handley said.

Greek life serves to build communities on campus and each fraternity and sorority has their own unique focus. Many fraternities and sororities seek to involve their members in community service, promote academic excellence and engage in campus participation.

A common goal made by leaders of Greek life on campus is to increase engagement in community service and campus activities. Increased participation also leads to better recruitment and retention as students have opportunities to interact with Greek members.

Recruitment this year is essential to many fraternities and sororities because of how badly the pandemic affected recruitment and participation.

Greek life is hopeful that participation will begin to resemble that which was pre-Covid now that the intensity of the pandemic has declined.

“My hopes for the chapter are never to be in the place we were when Covid happened because no matter what, I want the chapter to be in a

The exhibition features the work of around 45 students of beginning drawing and painting courses at Virginia Wesleyan.

“They were challenged towards an individual, unique use of imagery as a means of telling a story; the goals that we might use, the artistic endeavor, the creative act as a venue for introspection and communication,” Professor of Art, Director of Undergraduate Research and Curator of Exhibitions for the Neil Britton Art Gallery John Rudel said.

Along with the various illustrations and paintings placed on display at the Sandler Center, ceramic and photography pieces are also included.

“The student artwork celebrated in this exhibition, the ceramics, the photography, the drawing and painting, it reflects the force of nature that is evident in the creative production of intellectual endeavors of Virginia Wesleyan students,” Rudel said.

A senior elementary education major and studio art minor, Lindsey Creekmore, was ecstatic to have her work on display. Creekmore, a member of Professor Sharon Swift’s Photography II class, has two photographs in the exhibit. One is of an old red truck sitting in her grandparents’ backyard, and the other is of her Mustang’s steering wheel.

“It’s exciting,” Creekmore said. “I definitely made my mom take pictures of me with my photos.”

The exhibition will be on display until April 11.

place where they’re self-sufficient, self-sustaining and future members won’t have to worry about engagement or about having to make a name for the chapter,” King said.

Despite its slow but steady recovery from the pandemic, Greek life struggles at times with other challenges. One of the biggest hindrances to recruitment is the social stigma that surrounds fraternities and sororities.

Over the years, Greek life in general has generated a bad reputation; fraternities and sororities in films are often depicted as disrespectful, unintelligent party houses. In contrast to this stereotype, Greek life organizations generally have goals to promote the betterment of students on campus.

The Greek life at Virginia Wesleyan University is also increasingly diverse regarding members’ interests, demographics and fields of study.

Despite Greek life being vastly different from what is depicted in popular culture, many of the stereotypes drive people away from joining.

“I most certainly came to college thinking I wouldn’t join a fraternity because I thought they weren’t good people. But once I got to know some of the guys they were the nicest guys I’d ever met, and I thought I might give this fraternity a shot, and it was definitely one of the better decisions I’ve made throughout University,” Handley said.

Greek life has seen growth and development on campus over the last few years, but it has certainly not been without its challenges. Leaders and members of Greek life continue to promote growth and inclusivity in their chapters. The social community provided by Greek life and its opportunities for campus engagement continue to draw new recruits.

The Marlin Chronicle | marlinchronicle.vwu.edu

Thursday, March 2, 2023

5

‘Hollywood, Teach Us to Pray’ hits big screen VWU Professors Minnis and Lindvall unveil new movie about the history of prayer in Hollywood.

BY PHOEBE COX pecox@vwu.edu

On Feb. 28 at 7 p.m., the campus community was able to view Virginia Wesleyan faculty Dr. Terry Lindvall and Dr. Stu Minnis’ documentary film “Hollywood, Teach Us to Pray.” Being open to the university, it was the first time the film had premiered besides the showing of it at the Naro Expanded Cinema in downtown Norfolk on Feb. 5.

Although the film was relatively new to the Wesleyan audience as a whole, the production of it has extended many years back, all the way to 2006 when Lindvall presented a workshop on the general topic of it at the 19th Annual Virginia Film Festival.

Following that, he wrote a book titled “God on the Big Screen: A History of Hollywood Prayers from the Silent Era to Today” in 2019 which led to him creating the film itself.

The structure of the film begins with scenes of people calling out to God for all sorts of things from needing help to expression of frustration. It moves through whole prayers themselves and concludes with “amens.” “If you follow the movie itself, it is a prayer,” Lindvall said.

In talking about his inspiration for the idea of looking at the correlation between prayer and movies, Lindvall said, “I think my interest in prayer is that there’s probably more prayer in Hollywood movies than there is at Virginia Wesleyan, except at final exam times.”

Although prayer is often seen strictly in a religious context, Lindvall posited that the appeal of the film does not rest on whether or not you are religious. Viewers do not have to be Christian to be interested in the subject of Christian prayer in movies.

Lindvall assured that if you are interested in movies in general, it will be engaging to you.

“It’s amazing to see how many films have used prayers in significant ways,” he said.

Minnis, an editor of the documentary film, held a similar viewpoint, agreeing that the film appeals to a wide audience. In 2009, Minnis was a part of the creation process for a different documentary film with fellow faculty member Dr. Steven Emmanuel.

Titled “Making Peace With Vietnam,” Minnis said that it was more of a “conventional documentary structure…

You have interviews, and then all the footage surrounding the interviews was footage we shot on the ground in Vietnam.”

The difference with making “Hollywood, Teach us to Pray,” was that there was no pre-existing footage. It is a “clip and interview documentary,” meaning that it consists of a variety of movie scenes interspersed with commentary and explanatory dialogue.

Because the structure of the film’s organization is based upon the exploration of movie clips, multiple genres are represented in the documentary. Pieces from anything like Martin Scorsese’s “Silence,” a historical drama, to the comedy “Table Manners” are featured, allowing for a large range of audience to connect with the material.

Minnis said, “the comedy stuff tends to be what gets the best response, but I tend to like the more serious-minded stuff.” Being able to include both creates a more complete and diversified experience that engages a wide pool of interested viewers.

Ross Winner|Marlin Chronicle Left to right: Professors Stuart Minnis and Terry Lindvall at the opening of “Hollywood, Teach Us to Pray.”

Lindvall further elaborated upon this point by explaining the value of both the serious and the comedic. “I think that the serious and the comic go side by side. One can be both serious and comic,” Lindvall said.

Comparing this concept to how ideas can be translated throughout languages, he asserted that circumstances could be translated and understood both seriously and comedically, enabling both to be represented in films and for both to be the context for prayer.

Minnis touched upon the significance of being able to share this project that took so much time with the Wesleyan community. Prior to the showing, he said, “I want people… to see it, especially other faculty and students who have heard us talking about working on it for three years now.”

Lindvall was particularly excited for everyone to see the great effort and intention those who worked on it put into it. Eager for people to “realize what an artist Stu Minnis is,” his admiration for the process and labor of the work was clear.

For any who might see the film in the future, Lindvall encouraged them to “stay beyond the credits,” as hidden scenes were concealed at the end of the credits. He said, “It’s like a prayer. Sometimes you think someone’s prayer should be over, but it’s not. The prayer keeps going on and so does the movie.”

Terry Lindvall|Courtesy “Hollywood, Teach Us to Pray“ movie poster.

A Capella Festival: Vocal instruments & ‘Pitch Perfect’

‘Pitch Perfect’ Music Arranger Deke Sharon workshops a cappella performances with VWU, local high schools.

BY VICTORIA HANELINE vfhaneline1@vwu.edu

The A Cappella Festival, held on Feb. 24, was a musical performance by Vox Vera and local schools, all of whom received coaching from Deke Sharon.

The performance, held in the Susan S. Goode Fine and Performing Arts Center, included contemporary hits like “Uptown Funk” by Mark Ronson and “Shut Up and Dance” by Walk the Moon, all arranged by Sharon. Sharon was the music director and arranger for “Pitch Perfect” and is considered one of the primary founders of contemporary a cappella.

A cappella is a field of music that involves singing with no instrumental accompaniment. Contemporary a cappella, such as that sung by Pentatonix or in “Pitch Perfect,” involves vocal instruments, a technique similar to beatboxing that Sharon pioneered in college, according to his IMDB bio.

“I love when we do events like this,” Jacob Barnett said.

Barnett is a Virginia Wesleyan alumnus who graduated last year who sang with Vox Vera for the performance. “It’s always such a pleasure getting the younger minds out here.”

Barnett, a Music Education graduate, said that he loved these kinds of events because they showed younger people that there can be a career in music.

The performance included nine different schools of all age groups, from Peasley Middle School to Tidewater Community College. Sharon said that he taught these workshops to inspire young people to sing. He said inspiring the singers at the performance was amazing, because they would spread that passion.

“They are going to go back to the schools, and they’re going to sing for their student body and they’re going to inspire other people to join choir,” Sharon said. He said that being in choir was great for kids, because they were happy and interconnected with other kids as a result of choir.

Sharon talked about how choir gave people a sense of community and a group they could belong in. “It’s very hard to feel alone when you sing in a choir,” Sharon said.

Matt Rapach, who is the conductor for Jamestown High School, said it was an amazing opportunity for his students to learn from Sharon, a leader in his field. He said that their library included many pieces by Sharon already.

“It was a once in a lifetime opportunity for us,” Rapach said, referring to working with Sharon. He mentioned how learning contemporary songs was a big draw for his stu-

Victoria Haneline|Marlin Chronicle Virginia Wesleyan’s Vox Vera and Director Bryson Mortensen onstage before performing for high schoolers. dents, but they also genuinely enjoyed the medium.

Barnett said that the contemporary music was a big change for him. “I was originally not super thrilled about it, because I come from a more classical music background,” Barnett said. “But the things that he said and the things that he helped us work through immediately stuck with me.”

Before the performance, students workshopped their songs for twenty minutes with Sharon over the course of the day, starting at 11 a.m. on the day of the concert.

“I’ve been singing for so long,” Barnett said. “Just in the twenty minutes I got to work with him, I immediately noticed some great differences in my voice and how I can perform.”

Sharon said that choir is an amazing opportunity for students. He said that while most education is intellectual, music classes offer not only intellectual learning but interpersonal and emotional learning.

“So many aspects of what it means to be human are taught in a way in music classes, particularly vocal music, and in theater classes that just can’t be taught anywhere

else,” Sharon said.

Jason Tesauro, the introductory speaker at the event, said in the opening speech that singing was a great way to teach people the power of diversity, which he said was the strength of our country.

“Everybody needs each other, because when they come together, what they make is stronger,” Tesauro said.

Sharon said that he believed a cappella was the best way to get people to reconnect with singing, calling it a “gateway drug” to singing because it uses popular music. He compared it to reading, where once they get into it with the simpler pieces, people will explore harder pieces of their own interest.

Sharon said that before recorded music, everybody would sing, and that our ancestors probably sang before language was developed. He said a cappella is an amazing way to reconnect with that past.

“When a person sings in an a cappella group, they get an opportunity to really reconnect with the way humans existed and interacted from the beginning of what it meant to be human,” Sharon said.

Opinions

6

Thursday March 2, 2023 The Marlin Chronicle marlinchronicle.vwu.edu

Let’s hear applause for social workers

BY SAMANTHA SILVIA sgsilvia@vwu.edu During the month of March, social workers get their chance to be appreciated.

A month of appreciation is more than many people get, but social workers deserve recognition for the amazing work they perform every day of the year. Arguably, in times like these, social work is an incredibly important and needed field.

Social workers are employed in many settings, such as hospitals, schools and in different levels of government. They work to improve the functioning of individual clients, our institutions and communities and ultimately, our society, advocating for anyone in need.

Social Work Month is celebrated every year by the National Association of Social Workers, a professional organization dedicated to guiding and promoting the field of practice. Each year during Social Work Month, a theme highlights the advancements and issues that social workers have faced. This year’s theme is “Breaking Barriers.”

Since its early years as a profession, social workers have had to break barriers to gain resources for their clients and to educate others about the profession. Many social workers are women, and many of

those women are members of a racial Not only did she author much of the New minority groups who “break barriers” for Deal federal programs (1933-1934) that themselves as well. revitalized our nation during a very diffiMarch is also Women’s History Month. cult time, she worked tirelessly throughThis month of remembrance allows us to out her life to advance workers’ rights in acknowledge the America. work done by Another social worker women social who is “breaking a workers. Severbarrier” is Halaeal American valu Vakalahi. As the women political current President of leaders are, or the Council on Social were, social Work Education she is workers at the first Indigone time. enous woman A few to hold that of these title. women We do not include often learn Frances about these Perkins, women or their current Deputy contributions, just Secretary of as social workers State Wendy often do a great Sherman and deal of difficult Karen Bass the Mel Lhuillier|Marlin Chronicle work behind mayor of Los the scenes with Frances Perkins and Karen Bass arm in arm.

Angeles. Let me clients and put a spotlight constituents on one of those women, Frances Perkins. often garnering very little attention.

Frances Perkins (1880-1965), former Social workers are case managers, poliU.S. Secretary of Labor, was the first cy makers, therapists and change makers woman to serve on a presidential cabinet. in various organizational settings. They’re

educators and legislators. They pick us up when we’re down, dust us off and assist us in getting us back to where we want to be, no thanks asked for.

They’re not in it for the money, they’re in it to change their community, and the world, for the better.

We need social workers today and tomorrow. We need more people who are up to the task of improving our city.

For those who want a job that helps people from many different backgrounds and who want to spur change in their community, social work is the place to start.

The next time you learn about the New Deal, or how therapy can show someone how to improve their situation or about an older person being able to leave their job and retire, know that social workers are behind it. They are woven into the fabric of every area of progression in our country and our world.

Take this month to learn more about what social workers do for our communities and take some time to thank the social workers in your life.

Samantha Silvia ‘25 is a Social Work and Sociology double major. She is a writing consultant in the Writing Center and enjoys reading in her free time. Contact her at sgsilvia@vwu.edu.

Shifting prescriptions from pharmacy to field Why use harsh medications when we can capitalize on safer herbal treatments?

BY MADELYN YALE mgyale@vwu.edu This past January Term, I had the privilege to take BIO-375 for Topics in Tropical Biology. This course entailed a nine-day trip to Belize.

Although this was a Tropical Biology course, I also had the chance to delve into my own research regarding herbal remedies versus pharmaceuticals.

Being from the United States has certainly trained our brains to automatically hunt for a pharmaceutical drug to help relieve our symptoms and illnesses.

What I mean by this is that the average American might invest in a bottle of ibuprofen (generically known as Advil) to quickly alleviate a headache. However, as the world of pharmaceuticals has been

Madelyn Yale|Marlin Chronicle A parent palm with seedlings that are used in making pharmaceuticals for prostate cancer.

growing and modernizing, we are starting to test the limits of various drugs.

If someone has a health issue, it is commonly solved with a pharmaceutical drug. Socially and economically it has grown to be a part of our routine. Health insurance is needed for many to afford these drugs due to the costly bills. The dependency on these drugs has become second nature. The United States needs to change this mentality and start to use herbal treatments before prescribing harsh medications.

Since there are so many options and brands of medicines that work and ultimately relieve the annoyance of any indisposition, it is hard to think of this current ‘norm’ as a negative. Strong, addictive medications are being prescribed for diseases, and unnecessary tolerances are being built up in immune systems, causing ineffectiveness.

With our extreme hyperfixation on pharmaceuticals, we start to run into what is referred to as polypharmacy, or the use of multiple drugs at a time.

With various drugs in the human system, we have to not only investigate if these prescriptions will help the illness, but also if they will have any major reactions with other medications.

Unfortunately, some negative polypharmacy drug interactions have led to death.

It is not common knowledge what interactions drugs have with other prescribed drugs, so it is up to the prescriber to be aware of adverse effects. With that being

said, keeping a chain of communication of a list of prescribed medications between multiple doctors for one patient is both strenuous and challenging, causing plenty of chances for a patient to find a negative interaction the hard way.

While studying the environmental aspects of Belize, I was able to investigate how medications were used within the country. To my amazement, Belizeans did not favor harsh drugs like the U.S. does. It was more common for the community to grow their own crops to help mend their bodies naturally.

One downfall with natural remedies compared to pharmaceutical drugs is that herbal treatments require time. For example, one of our hosts, Cheyna, spoke to me in great length about her recent encounter with falling ill. While Cheyna had used herbal treatments to restore herself back to health, this method took, as she stated, “twice as long.”

Along the hiking trip on her 1,000 acre property, my foreign eyes recognized the herbal treatment as leafy, luscious vegetation. To Cheyna, these plants were what had solved her short term and long term relief for various diseases throughout her lifetime.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Cheyna was able to help restore her energy, immune system strength and relieve her pain through various herbal remedies cooked in teas and meals.

Another guide that I had conversed with, Israel, had also shared his experi-

ences with various doctors from his local community and how they had mainly studied the use of herbal treatments.

Israel believed that herbal treatments are overall better and less harsh on the human body based on his past treatment plans. In fact, he informed the group that Belize serves as a central hotspot for herbal treatments for trade in the United States and in Canada. For example, within the baboon sanctuary we visited, we passed by palm trees. The seedlings of palms during the dry season were sent to Canada to make medication to help fight prostate cancer.

Both of these interactions I had with Israel and Cheyna proved that the harsh pharmaceutical drugs used in the United States were not favored within the Belizean borders. It was widely acknowledged that these herbal treatments were safer and more accessible than harsh drugs.

The United States could benefit from these alternatives. Weaning off our dependency of pharmaceuticals could minimize negative polypharmacy effects and prescription orientated addictions while saving the average American and insurance company thousands of dollars.

Madelyn Yale ‘24 is a Biology PreMedicine major and currently works as an EMT in Hampton Roads for medical transport. Contact her at mgyale@vwu. edu.

Homelessness: A structural issue

It’s time to shift the blame for homelessness from the individual to American institutions.

BY AIDAN FOLEY adfoley@vwu.edu The United States has a large homelessness problem, with over 580,000 Americans classified as homeless as of 2020, and our government doesn’t seem too keen on ending it any time soon.

The problem of homelessness is that it’s often framed around the guise that people experiencing it are financially irresponsible or lazy, and that their situation is ultimately their own fault.

While there are circumstances where people end up losing it all because of their own decisions, this argument provides an excuse for a defunct social safety net and a disconnect between the government and the governed. It ignores how systemic issues affect all of us.

Leaving aside the federal minimum wage, which has remained stagnant at $7.25 since 2009, the actual purchasing power earned in an hour’s worth of labor has decreased greatly since the 1970s.

This is due to a number of factors, one of the big ones being austerity politics.

In order to control government spending, policymakers often decide to cut ‘non-essential’ services and raise taxes.

These kinds of policies have been

documented to raise unemployment and worsen conditions for average people all over the country, but lower inflation.

When unemployment is high, wages don’t grow because employers can offer lower wages and people are forced to take those jobs to survive.

Workers are also losing overtime pay, becoming victims of wage theft and receiving less benefits with ‘gig-economy’ jobs like Uber, Doordash and Lyft.

Our government has put more and more focus into lowering inflation at the cost of your pay, your benefits and your livelihood. Inflation as an excuse also manifests itself in product costs for average people.

The cry of inflation has been all we hear on the news as we face price increases in everything from gasoline to cartons of eggs and everything in between. The truth is, at the same time that we see stagnant wages and hear the woes of business owners, the largest corporations are posting record profits.

The people that own the corporations are growing their wealth while raising our prices and claiming that it’s to match inflation, while our wages have remained the same.

Billionaires like Bill Gates, Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos saw a total increase in

their wealth over the pandemic of about $4 trillion. That’s the equivalent of ten months of full-time minimum wage labor from every single person in the United States, spread between 2,365 people at the top. This will undoubtedly only get worse unless we implement policy changes to tax this wealth and ensure that the people working to create it get their fair share.

Many Americans live paycheck to paycheck, meaning that they have no money left month to month after paying expenses like electricity, water, car insurance, food, gas and everything else necessary to survive.

This means people can’t save money, and won’t be able to make a down payment on a home if they don’t already own one.

This forces people to rent, which accounts for 36% of households. Not only does renting make you pay for something you’ll never own, rent inflation hit a 40-year high this past January, showing how unrealistic it’s becoming to live on an average salary.

Now at this point you may ask yourself, “How does this connect to homelessness?”

As prices increase, wages stay stagnant, and as average people lose their

VWU Flickr|Courtesy A shack from Virginia Wesleyan’s 2017 Shack-a-thon stands by the Batten Center.

own autonomy, they get pushed out of the housing market. What this does is create a society of renters, a society where you don’t own anything and falling into medical debt can put you on the streets.

Average people like you and me end up bearing the financial burden for conditions imposed on us by the elite, but this continues only if we remain silent. Systemic reform is possible, and the workers of this country can regain our collective bargaining power through direct action.

Aidan Foley ‘26 is majoring in music and enjoys singing in two of Virginia Wesleyan’s choirs. Contact him at adfoley@vwu.edu.

7

Sports

Thursday March 2, 2023 The Marlin Chronicle marlinchronicle.vwu.edu

ESPORTS CONTINUED FROM PG. 1

Ryan Hunt|Courtesy Sophomore Omari DeVaux cheers after a play against Guilford College.

Men’s Basketball ends at quarterfinals

BY COLETTE KEARNEY

cmkearney@vwu.edu

Virginia Wesleyan’s Men’s Basketball team lost in the ODAC Tournament quarterfinals to Hampden Sydney College 78-69 on Friday, Feb. 24 at the Salem Civic Center in Salem, Va. The game started out very strong for the Marlins with sophomore guard Omari DeVeaux scoring the first 5 points for the team.

Hampden Sydney came back and went on a 8-0 run in the middle of the first half, later in the first half the Marlins evened the score to 28 with the help of a 13-5 run.

Hampden Sydney pulled back ahead by

5, but the Marlins brought the score back to within two at halftime.

The score stayed close for a majority of the second half, but Hampden Sydney went on a 9-0 run with 2:29 left in the game. The Marlins pulled it back to within four.

At the end, Hampden Sydney got their free throws and their last minute shots to seal the game by nine.

DeVeaux led the team with 22 points and junior Eric Rowland led the team in rebounds with nine. DeVeaux’s performances all season long landed him on the ODAC All-Conference team.

This loss marked the end of the season for the Marlins. They ended their season 17-9 with a 8-8 record in conference play.

out to several schools to see if they were interested in participating and from there, the VWU team started organizing with the school to have certain locations available for the matches to be played. Each team paid a registration fee which went into the prize pools and all profits made went back into the event.

The team also asked for the Grille and Coastal Market to be open for the day so the other teams could remain on campus for the matches and be able to enjoy some food.

Rocket League is a vehicular soccer video game with rocket-powered cars.

The game includes single-player and multiplayer modes that are played online.

Players control a rocket-powered car and use it to hit a ball towards the other team’s goal area to score.

The players can also pick up a speed boost by passing their cars over marked space on the field, enabling them to quickly cross the field, use the added momentum to hit the ball or ram into another player’s car to destroy it.

A player may use a boost when in the air to propel themselves forward in flight, allowing players to hit the ball in the air.

After a great start in the upper bracket, the VWU blue team made it to semifinals against New Jersey IT and lost in a best of 5, placing them in the lower bracket.

The VWU white team, also in the upper bracket, played New Jersey IT, losing in round 1 for best of three. In the lower bracket, the VWU white team played Mary Washington, losing in a best of three.

Finally, the VWU blue team played King A in the semifinal round, losing in a best of five. In the final match of the day, George Mason and King A played in a best of 7 games, with George Mason placing first in the tournament.

Hailey Schumacher|Courtesy Members of the VWU Esports Rocket League team participate in the Collision at the Coast tournament on Saturday, Feb. 25.

Scripter says goodbye

BY ALYSSE SCRIPTER

ascripter@vwu.edu

Dear Virginia Wesleyan, I am now closing a chapter here at VWU, where I have spent the last three years as the Director of Athletic Communications for a wonderful group of student-athletes and coaches!

These three years have been some of the hardest but most rewarding years in my career. I came into this position during the network outage in December 2019 and a few short months later the world came to a halt due to COVID in March 2020.

We came back in the fall of 2020 for in person classes while participating in no sporting events, but then went on to play all 22 sports in the spring of 2021. This was very, very challenging as a single person office. I leaned heavily on my work study students to help make it through these

challenging times and grew to love and appreciate each and every one of them over the years.

While my three years here have been knowledgeable and challenging, I have made some of the best relationships with students, interns and coaches, as well as other co-workers throughout the university that I will cherish. It warms my heart knowing that I was able to help a few, or maybe more, students learn about future potential careers and grow into incredible young adults before my eyes.

I will miss the days where my office is full of students just hanging out between classes, or chilling with me for the day, just because they enjoyed being in shared company. I will miss the basketball games where we have eight strong up on the track cheering on the Marlins and solving life problems during timeouts. My kids know that I am always there for them and my

Dr. Larry D. Hultgren|Courtesy Alysse Scripter and work-study students at the VWU Men’s Basketball game. door is always open.

While my time here has come to a close, I want to share some wisdom I have learned while at VWU. Take that step that challenges your comfort zone. Talk to someone you ordinarily wouldn’t. And greet everyone with a smile, and a nice pair of boots, and it might just be the bright

spot in their day that changes the rest of the day’s outcome for them. A little kindness goes a long way!

And most of all, It’s a Great Day to be a Marlin!

Alysse Scripter

Swimming sets records at ODACs

BY JOSH HELLER jmheller@vwu.edu

Virginia Wesleyan University Men and Women’s Swimming competed in the 2023 Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) Swimming Championships on Feb. 8 - 11 in Greensboro, NC. The women’s team finished in sixth place out of twelve teams competing and the men’s team finished in eighth place out of the eight teams competing.

Sophomore Lauren Hendricks was named to the Women’s All-ODAC third team for the second time of her career, specifically her 5th place performance in the 200-yard freestyle with her time of 1:58.79. Hendricks also made the A-final in the 100-yard free, finishing seventh overall.

In addition, all five relays finished in the top eight to score points for the Marlins.

Despite a last place finish, the men’s team is still optimistic because there are only four swimmers on the team. Freshman Cael Long earned his team the most points and achieved a personal best in the 100yard butterfly. To his surprise, Long swam a 51.19 which is a new school record.

“51.19 was not the time I had in mind.

I was looking for a NCAA Division III National cut time in the 100 butterfly,” Long said.

He was also a part of the school’s record-breaking 800-yard freestyle relay along with swimmers junior Stuart Reyes, freshman Logan Schohn and junior Eddie McDonald.

Kristian Ramkvist|Courtesy VWU Swimming team on deck at the 2023 ODAC Swimming Championships.

Schohn also had a few record breaking moments at the meet. He broke three individual records. Day two of ODACs he broke his own 500-yard freestyle record, lowering it to 5:04.28. While racing in the mile, at the 1000-yard mark, he split a 10:36.00, which then led Schohn to a new team record in the mile of 17:31.45.

Other moments for the men include McDonald having three personal bests in all his events, 500-yard free, 200-yard free and the 200-yard breaststroke. His teammate, Reyes, also got himself a new personal record in the 200-yard free,

swimming a time of 2:01.84. The men finished their regular season with a record of 1-6.

Despite all the smiles and happiness, not all swimmers had the same spirit nor level playing field before swim meets. Long has a rare form of nocturnal epilepsy called autosomal dominant nocturnal frontal lobe epilepsy (ADNFLE).

Long has several different types of monitors that give alerts at night. Every seizure he has is recorded on video with a timestamp so he can share with his neurologist.

“The night before my prelims swim of the 100-yard butterfly, I had a major seizure in my sleep. The next morning after the seizure, all of my muscles and joints hurt badly, and I had a severe migraine. I still had a lifetime best time for this event, but I feel that I have much more speed in me. I have three more years of ODACs to look forward to,” Long said.

Freshman Abi Carlson took on ODACs for the first time in her life and was excited about her experience and rejoiced about all the people who helped her get there.

“I have so many great memories from this freshman season, but ODACs is the highlight of these past few months with the team after all of the hard work we put in during training, I have so many people in my life that inspire me to be a better person, a better athlete and a better student.

My family, my teammates, my coaches, my friends… they’re a huge part of my journey, and I wouldn’t be here without them,” Carlson said.

Feeding off of each other’s energy has made the team stronger; the girls will keep the expectations high for next season.

“My teammates are so awesome.

They’ve all been so encouraging, starting right from the beginning of the season. I’m super grateful for the friendships I’ve made on the team. They are some of my favorite people to be around, and I always love seeing the way they support each other on and off the pool deck,” Carlson said.

On the women’s side, the Marlins went 4-4 overall during the regular season.

8

Thursday March 2, 2023 The Marlin Chronicle marlinchronicle.vwu.edu

Roberts jumps to next level After being named a 5x NCAA All-American, Geni Roberts, a track and field athlete, plans to jump at graduate level.

BY MK MORRIS LARKIN

mmorisslarkin@vwu.edu Geni Roberts is a senior on the Track and Field team here at Virginia Wesleyan. He is a 5x NCAA All-American and has plans to continue his academic and track career at the graduate level.

Roberts started track and field in high school. He said, “I got into the sport because my high school coaches asked me to run track and I decided to run it.”

He was a walk-on for the Track and Field team but he quickly became one of the strongest members of the team.

Roberts said, “My favorite memory is getting here freshman year, and not having a coach, and working 10x harder because it was needed [and I] still made nationals after not having a coach.”

He started his college career in 2020 with indoor track and field. He won the men’s triple jump with a 14.43 jump and was ODAC Male Rookie of the Year.

In 2021, Roberts got ODAC All-Conference honors in the long and triple jump for Indoor Track and Field.

In the Outdoor season, he placed 6th in the triple jump and 11th in the long jump at the National Championship meet. He was ODAC Field Athlete of the Year.

In 2022, for the indoor season, he placed second place in the long jump and sixth place in the triple jump at the National championships. He won the ODAC championships in both the long and triple jump.

For the outdoor season, he placed second in the National Championship in the triple long jump and won in both the long and triple jump at ODAC. These are just a few of the many achievements that he has earned throughout his years at VWU. Roberts said his proudest accomplishment was “getting three All-American titles in one season.”

Roberts throughout the years has grown into a strong athlete. He stays focused and centered on his goals even during competition.

Director of Men’s and Women’s Cross Country and Track & Field Cameia Alexander said, “A lot of athletes go to the national meet and they get to the national level and they kind of choke. Geni is just not that athlete. I know that he’ll show up at championship season.”

His work ethic has improved throughout the years. He enjoys going to practice and learning from his coaches.

the

the

Director Alexander made it clear that Roberts is not just reaching for the top not just in his athletic career but in his academic career as well. He hopes to continue his sports and academic career at graduate school.

She said, “He’s trying to go on and get a scholarship somewhere and he’s had a lot of good offers and I think something that’s driving him now is to be able to be better so you can get a really good offer.”

Roberts is excited to continue his track and academic career. He said, “Recruitment for grad school is very time consuming, and demanding. It’s been fun and a very unique experience, due the fact that I didn’t get recruited

Ryan Purrington|Courtesy Senior Geni Roberts jumps during the triple jump event at the 2023 ODAC Indoor Track and Field Championships on the campus of Roanoke College.

Scoreboard

Schedule

to run anywhere. I just walked onto Virginia Wesleyan.

Overall I have committed but won’t make it public until track is over for the year.”

Track and Field Jumps Coach Dr. Richmond Letterio is one of Roberts’ main coaches. Both Alexander and Letterio hope to see Roberts take first place at ODACs and Nationals.

Coach Letterio said, “I want to see him cap off his senior year and VWU career with a national championship.”

Roberts is excited to go to nationals and try for the win.

At the most recent ODACs, he broke the meet record. He wants to continue to get better and better.

Regarding what helps him prove the most, Roberts said, “I think having both my ankles taped so they don’t get hurt and keeping a level head and staying humble keeps me improving. My teammates also help me get better by supporting, and pushing me. My coaches Richmond and Cameia helped me and molded me into being my best self.”

Roberts’ work ethic is a main focus for him currently.

He has improved his ethic during practice greatly since his freshman year. He has grown as a teammate to help out during practices and is very encouraging during meets and practices.

“At meets, he’s making sure everyone’s getting up and cheering,” Director Alexander said.

Roberts has high hopes for the team. He wants to see the team win at ODACs and have more of the team go to Nationals.

Both coaches seem to have a similar idea of one of Roberts’ best meets and jumps. “My favorite jump was his first jump at outdoor NCAAs this past year because he set a personal best on his first jump with a 15.16m (49’9”). His best before that was 14.73m (48’4”). So it was a personal best by almost a foot and a half and all the other coaches were demanding that they re-measure because there was no way it was correct. So we just said let’s do it again, and on the next jump he went 15.11m to quiet everyone,” Coach Letterio said.

“It felt great because I work too hard for someone to discredit my work,” Roberts said.

The Marlins return for their outdoor season over spring break as they host the annual Betty S. Rogers Spring Break Invitational on March 17-18 at the Betty S. Rogers Track and Field Center in Virginia Beach.

Thursday March 2, 2023 The Marlin Chronicle marlinchronicle.vwu.edu

THEWEEKENDER

PAGE 9

What’s the buzz... Marlins at work Lucky Cup

Sasha Saxon|Marlin Chronicle Junior Britni Arrington works as a barista at Coaster Coffee, and serves an order of a dirty chai and a chocolate croissant.

Coaster Coffee

BY SASHA SAXON ansaxon@vwu.edu

Across from Northside Park, a mere ten minutes from Wesleyan’s campus, lies a barista’s playground and hub for community interaction.

Coaster Coffee, on their website, defines itself as a neighborhood-focused shop that sprung into existence as “an answer to the increasing demand for a neutral community meeting place in the greater Ocean View area.”

Started by the [OV] Church, it is a non-profit business, with all of their profits feeding the surrounding community by–once again listed on the website–“feeding the hungry, building community gardens, teaching kids the arts and helping people who are out of work secure employment.”

Coaster Coffee seems to expand their latte flavor menu just as much as they do their creative forms of outreach.

Virginia Wesleyan’s very own Britni Arrington-a junior on the swim team–has worked as a barista at Coaster since May of 2022. A local of Virginia Beach, Arrington has been a regular since it first opened six years ago. “I’ve always loved that place and I have so many fond memories of going there in middle and high school,” Arrington said.

Coaster is most aptly described as cozy and always naturally lit, Arrington said, “It’s got study booths and tables you can hang out with your friends at. You can sit at the bar and watch the baristas and chat. We baristas like to play our playlists that we’ve made, so those vibes are also immaculate. My coworkers have great music taste.” Open Monday through Saturday, from 7 a.m. until 5 p.m., caffeine addicts, studious stu-

dents and anyone in need of a pastry make up the list of regulars pouring through Coaster’s doors.

After working there for nearly a year, Arrington reaffirmed Coaster Coffee’s mission statement, saying, “A unique thing about Coaster is how many regulars we have. Our mission is to serve the Ocean View community and we do just that. I love getting to know everyone that comes in.” Customers know that Coaster provides more than just caffeine. It’s a space to collaborate and communicate, with a small store section, books to browse and even a children’s toy set, to complete the family-friendly space.

Aiding in the developmental impact it has made on the community, Coaster’s menu supersedes and outranks any commercial coffee shop.

Frappuccinos, lattes, smoothies and tea compose only half of their drink options, all of which are completely customizable. Their syrups and sauces range from raspberry to hawaiian caramel, with seasonal and specialty flavors on the occasion. As for food, the options are slightly more limited, but one could easily grab an egg bite and chocolate croissant for breakfast or a turkey on ciabatta for lunch.

As an experienced barista with time to experiment behind the bar, Arrington said, “My favorite thing to order changes all the time because everything is so good. Right now, I’m kinda obsessed with the apple chai or our cherry cordial.”

Coaster Coffee is the quintessential minimalist coffee shop, catering to the diverse community genuinely. Before you plan your trip remember, if you bring your own mug, cup or tumbler, you’ll receive a 20% discount.

Sasha Saxon|Marlin Chronicle Junior Edward McDonald gives a double thumbs up behind the bar, at 17 Hands, and serves a latte with a lemon blueberry scone.

17 Hands Coffee and Robin Simms Bakery Edward McDonald, a junior on the swim team at Virginia Wesleyan, began working for 17 Hands at the beginning of his junior year. McDonald said, “I had previously worked as a lifeguard, at Chick-fil-A and in the Forest Service, but I wanted a fun job that paid well during the school year. Being a barista was the perfect fit for me!”

The name, 17 Hands, is an equestrian reference based on the owner’s ownership of two horses.

This theme is studded throughout the warm and earthy interior–carousel horses and silhouettes mingle with the rustic vibe. An open floor plan provides seating around multiple sides of the bar, which allows customers to be entertained by watching baristas craft their beverages.

With warm weather returning, a plethora of exterior tables compensates for minimal indoor seating. However, since the shop is open from 6:30 a.m., 7 a.m. on Saturdays and Sundays, until 7 p.m. everyday, there should be no issue finding a quiet nook in which to read or people watch.

Because of their bakery partnership, not only does 17 Hands serve coffee, tea lattes, hot chocolate, steamers and alcoholic beverages, but quiche, cakes and cheesecakes, biscuit sandwiches, scones and cookies. Familiar cakes, like confetti, are intermingled with new flavors such as biscoff cheesecake or lemon and lavender scones.

Aesthetically scrawled on their chalkboard menu is a prolific list of flavored syrups and specialty drinks created by the baristas themselves.

Options such as a butterbeer or strawberries n cream latte enables regulars to spice up their orders.

Their version of a brown sugar shaken espresso allows caffeine addicts to level up from Starbucks. 17 Hands even pays homage to multiple cultures with Asian and Latin inspired drinks.

Additionally, the team at 17 Hands is more than happy to assist customers in creating new flavor combinations–no customization is a bother. McDonald said, “My favorite thing to order on the menu is a drink I designed: The Jack Johnson. It’s a banana pancake latte with whipped cream and caramel drizzle.”

The intimacy of a small business truly creates a sense of community and appreciation. Paper hearts adorn the pastry cases, revealing grateful patrons’ favorite orders. After working for nearly half a year, McDonald said, “We’re definitely a neighborhood coffee shop, but we’re also in close proximity to Regent University, so we have quite a diverse community.” The clientele encompasses “mom’s clubs, law student study-groups, daddy-daughter dates and whole families,” McDonald said.

Tucked away in the corner of the Chimney Hill shopping center, the Lucky Cup is an eclectic treasure trove, disguised as a coffee shop. Their mission, as stated on their website, focuses on sustainability–not only environmentally, but through funding opportunities for socially and economically disadvantaged youths. Only an eighteen minute drive from campus, it’s a great place to get away from the library, Batten or Greer.

Willow Baker, a Virginia Wesleyan junior on the field hockey team, has been working for Lucky Cup for over a year. Baker said, “I started working at Lucky Cup Coffee Shop due to how close it was to my house,” although Baker worked at the Cypress Point location, when it closed due to management issues, she was still able to continue her job. “I could not think of a better coffee shop to work at,” Baker said.

The unassuming storefront might deceive you, as the interior of Lucky Cup is extensive.

Despite the ample seating and large study room, the atmosphere is relaxed and homely. Cans are stacked by the entrance for a local food drive, murals paint the walls and coffee puns decorate signs scattered throughout the shop.

Baker said it best, “The atmosphere is amazing! We have a library section that is quiet and perfect for studying as well as finding new books to read. We have a give-a-book-bring-a-book policy so feel free to trade in some books! We have a kid’s corner that is full of children’s books, puzzles and a train track.” The rest of the store is set up perfectly for friends to enjoy each other’s company, listening to nostalgic tunes and sipping on one of their numerous beverages. Even if you’re by yourself, the baristas are a wonderfully friendly team, able to balance complicated orders and maintain conversation.

Be prepared to occupy a table for a while, as Lucky Cup is open from 7 a.m. until 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays. Their flavorful and reasonably priced menu is designed to sustain you through your stay with extremely customizable sandwiches, as well as a mountain of pastries and desserts.

Unlike many coffee shops, Lucky Cup features many specialty drinks–blends of syrups and sauces that sport cute names like campfire (essentially a toasted s’more). Their options range from caramel apple butter to toasted almond mocha and even elderflower. If none of their specialty drinks appeal to you, you are free to choose as many syrups as you desire from their list, which

covers traditional flavors, the fruity/floral and even sugar-free options.

Baker, when asked about her favorite order, said, “My personal favorite currently is our Busy Bee iced latte with oat milk. My favorite food item is a sausage egg and cheese on a croissant with added avocado spread.” If espresso is not your cup of tea, they do offer hot chocolate, hot teas and CBD coffee.

Sasha Saxon|Marlin Chronicle Willow Baker serves up a Lucky Cuplatte, as her coworker prepares another drink.

Mel Lhuillier|Marlin Chronicle

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THEWEEKENDER

Judy’s Sichuan Cuisine

BY KYLEA MCCAREL ksmccarel@vwu.edu

On the inside of Judy’s Sichuan Cuisine, the walls are beautifully painted with murals depicting traditional Chinese women and bao dumplings. Each table is set with intricately designed blue and white plates and silverware with chopsticks.

The style of dining at Judy’s is different from your ordinary dinner spot. Food is presented family style with larger portions and is meant to be served to each person on their individual plates.

“We like to serve our food as traditional as possible,” Judy Sun, the owner, said. The idea behind their style dates back to the traditional Chinese way of living. “We like to serve the authentic way,” Sun said.

When asked what the most popular dish was, Judy had a hard time coming up with one. “Everybody is different, it’s hard to say,” Sun said.

Their menu, while only a few pages long, offers a wide variety of dishes that caters to vegans, vegetarians and most food allergies.

“We have something for everyone, tofu, vegetables, noodles,” Sun said. Judy prides herself on their options which all stay true to the traditional flavor profile of Sichuan cuisine and says that what “tastes good [is] most important.”

Dining at Judy’s Sichuan Cuisine is an experience like no other Chinese food restaurant. “We didn’t know what to expect for our first time,” Chandler Howrey, a Virginia Beach resident, said.

Upon entering the establishment, Howrey and

Mel Lhuillier|Marlin Chronicle his friend were immediately welcomed with a smile and sat at the last open table. “It was really busy for seven on a Sunday night,” Howrey said. Their waitress greeted them fairly quickly despite a busy dinner service.

Ordering is quite easy as each menu item is accompanied by a small description for customers unfamiliar with the dish. “Our waitress let us know the food is served family style so we decided on hot and sour noodles and soup dumplings to share,” Howrey said.

One of the dishes they ordered, “Xiao-longbao” or soup dumplings, can take anywhere from fifteen to twenty minutes to make. The chefs in the kitchen individually prepare all eight small dumplings by hand, made to order. The outer shell is a softly steamed wonton wrapper with a variety of fillings. The most popular soup dump-

Quantumania: tiny heroes, big thrills

By RYAN ABRAHAM rsabraham@vwu.edu

“Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania,” directed by Peyton Reed, sees Ant-Man and the Wasp get trapped inside the Quantum Realm. Unlike previous films’ brief exploration, “Quantumania” lives up to its title, as the film is predominantly set inside the Quantum Realm, with the film’s heroes having to face off against Kang the Conqueror.

Kang the Conqueror, portrayed by Jonathan Majors, is the highlight of the film. Majors’ performance is nuanced and menacing, causing him to rank among the best of Marvel’s villains. Kang is joined by M.O.D.O.K., played by Corey Stoll. Stoll’s M.O.D.O.K. serves as a comedic relief character in the film and is one of the funniest parts throughout.

A primary focus of the film is the dynamic between Paul Rudd’s Scott Lang, or Ant-Man, and his daughter, Cassie Lang, played by Kathryn Newton. Both actors give strong performances that cause

mkdzwonkowski@vwu.edu

Spring semester is just five weeks in and all college students can think about is summer break. It is the perfect opportunity to enjoy themselves with zero schoolrelated stress attached. With so many things to do around the area, students have endless chances to make some awesome memories.

Virginia Wesleyan University is right in the middle of one of the hottest tourist spots, especially during the summer. The beach is a huge hit, as there is no better way to relax than to the sound of the waves crashing. When the weather starts getting warmer, the students flock to Chic’s Beach.

It is a college student’s dream location, with free parking, little to no children and the whole beach to themselves–on a good day.

After a day at the beach, there is nothing more exhilarating than going to a concert and what better place than the Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater.

The amphitheater is 12 miles away from campus and has been a popular destination in the Virginia Beach area since 1996. It gives the fans an experience of a lifetime with its attractive backdrop, an open outdoor venue that seats about 20,000 people. Additionally, there are an endless amount of options for food. Food trucks offering meals from cheeseburgers to tacos, and even alcoholic beverages.

The lineup for this summer is diverse– even if you’re not a fan of pop or country genres, there are others being showcased such as rock, rap and shock rock. In May, Janet Jackson, the queen of pop, is coming to the amphitheater to give the parents, faculty and staff a night out!

The summer of 2023 has become the summer of music festivals in Virginia Beach, with the Beach It! and Something in the Water returning to our coast. Virginia Wesleyan Marlins have a huge advantage being so close to some of the hottest events this summer. Between the line up at the Veteran United Home Loan Amphitheater, and the Beach It! Festival at the Virginia Beach OceanFront, locals and students are

file and tingly numbing sensation. All waitresses at Judy’s Sichuan are highly informative on the effects and flavors of all dishes before serving.

The food at Judy’s Sichuan Cuisine can become habit forming and ruin your usual Chinese takeout order as nothing will compare to their immense flavors and fantastic service. You will no longer be able to settle for less than Judy’s when ordering on a Friday night in.

With two locations open, be sure to stop by and say hi to Judy as she is always working and happy to see you. The Virginia Beach location is a short drive from campus, near Town Center and a full online menu is also available on their website at www.judyssichuancuisine.com.

Kylea McCarel|Marlin Chronicle Xiaolongbao, steamed buns, from Judy’s which is located in Town Center.

drive to stop him. The moments in which Michelle Pfeiffer and Jonathan Majors share the screen are the strongest scenes in the film, as the actors’ performances cause the tension between their characters to be just as engaging as the film’s action sequences.

Rounding out the main cast is Michael Douglas’s Hank Pym, who has a smaller role than in the previous movies. However, the Mel Lhuillier|Marlin Chronicle character still stands out due to Douglas’s more comedic perforthe viewer to be invested in their characters’ bond. Paul Rudd’s mance in this entry, as his character’s fascination with ants is a performance once again causes Ant-Man to come across as a lik- recurring gag.

The Quantum Realm itself features memorable visuals, as it able underdog, as the character struggles to protect his family while being out of his element. Kathryn Newton is a welcome addition to features vibrant and colorful visuals that alternate between more the cast, as she captures Cassie’s journey to becoming a hero with abstract environments and “Star Wars-esque” environments. The a suitably charming awkwardness that turns to confidence as the Quantum Realm lends itself to exciting action sequences, with the film’s “probability storm” sequence and its third act finale being film progresses.

The film’s other titular hero, Evangeline Lilly’s Wasp, is given the standouts.

Overall, “Quantumania” is a more comedic entry in the “Marvel surprisingly little to do in the film. Despite this, the character does have some strong moments and Lilly gives a good performance Cinematic Universe,” which is grounded by the film’s focus on its family dynamic and strong performances, specifically from Rudd, despite the limited amount she is given to work with.

Instead, the film focuses more on the original Wasp, Janet Van Majors and Pfeiffer. When combined with the action and visuals Dyne, played by Michelle Pfeiffer, who was previously trapped in of the Quantum Realm, these elements cause “Quantumania” to the Quantum Realm. Pfeiffer is one of the strongest aspects of the be the best entry in the “Ant-Man” franchise, and an entertaining film, as she perfectly balances her character’s fear of Kang and her entry in the MCU.

VB hosts diverse set list

By MADISON DZWONKOWSKI

ling is made with a pork mixture.

Each must be made with an exact amount of filling and soup so they don’t burst before eaten.

The technique to create these special dumplings is traditional and takes practice to make perfect.

They are served piping hot in a bamboo steamer basket. “The food here is nothing like the usual Chinese takeout, it’s so much better,” Howrey said.

The other dish Howrey’s group ordered, hot and sour noodles, calls for the use of the sichuan pepper. Dating all the way back to 221 BC, the style of Sichuan cuisine is one that’s been popular for thousands of years throughout Chinese history. Focusing on the unique flavor profile of the sichuan pepper, this cuisine is like no other.

The versatile pepper can be grown in two varieties. While the green sichuan pepper has a more mild taste than the red pepper, both are highly desired. The sichuan pepper in both colors creates a tingling sensation in the mouth and a slight numbing feeling on the tongue due to the presence of hydroxy-alpha sanshool. This particular sanshool is a molecule found in many Chinese herbs and plants. The citrus-like flavor in combination with the tingling effect is what makes Sichuan cuisine so popular.

Judy’s hot and sour noodles take on a flavor that is different from what typical taste buds are used to in American cuisine. The citrus flavor from the sichuan pepper combined with rice wine vinegar creates a sour taste while also combining with chili oil for heat.

This dish is popular with more experienced Chinese food eaters due to the intense flavor pro-

Thursday March 2, 2023 The Marlin Chronicle marlinchronicle.vwu.edu

in for a treat.

After a three year hiatus, Something in the Water is finally back at our beach.

Despite minimal information about the setlist and who is making an appearance, the 3-day VIP admission has been sold out due to all the hype.

There are still other passes available, such as the 3-day general admission pass priced at $299 with the option of 3-day shuttle pass priced at $50. The shuttle pass includes parking at the Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater with a public transport shuttle to the Oceanfront. The shuttles will run all day and will end an hour after the music ends each night.

Beach It! is an all country music festival with big hits like Luke Bryan, Miranda Lambert, Thomas Rhett, Cole Swindell, Brothers Osborne and so many more. The Festival is from June 23 - 25, located at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront from 5th to 8th street.

Passes for this festival include the 3-day general admission pass, 3-day VIP pass and 3-day VIP reserved pass with prices starting at $249 and ending at $1,149 respectively. For active military, retired veterans and first responders discounted passes are available through Vet Tix. They also have a payment plan for your purchases called Layaway. The event will also offer lockers to guests to rent, to store their personal belongings safely.

There are so many opportunities to hear good music, and make awesome memories this summer. Go out and adventure each weekend. Make your summer worth every minute, and don’t leave it with any regrets!

Mel Lhuillier|Marlin Chronicle