Sept 15th, 2022

The Marlin Chronicle THURSDAY 9.15.22 || MARLINCHRONICLE.VWU.EDU

VIRGINIA WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY

Community gathers for suicide prevention

BY VICTORIA HANELINE vfhaneline1@vwu.edu

On Friday, Sept. 9, in honor of World Suicide Prevention Day, about 70 Virginia Wesleyan students walked in honor of those who have struggled, and are struggling, with thoughts of suicide. This is the second year the walk has been organized for Suicide Awareness Day, which is Sept. 10.

The event was organized both as a space of remembrance for those who have lost people or suffered from suicidal thoughts, and to bring visibility to the issue of suicide. April Christman, director of Counseling and Student Health, said suicide is rarely discussed, even though it’s a leading cause of death among young adults in Virginia.

“If someone has a broken arm you’re going to see the cast on their arm, or a

broken leg, they’re going to be on crutches,” Christman said, “but we may not be able to see that someone’s suffering with these thoughts.”

She said she hopes the event makes suicide something easier to talk about as a community. She said the outcome she wanted the most from this event was to help destigmatize asking for help, whether that’s talking to a friend or going to counseling on or off campus.

Along with Christman, Jason Seward, associate vice president for Campus Life, gave a short talk on the importance of suicide awareness before the walk began.

“We’re here for you.

We’re here for someone you know and all you have to do is say ‘help,’” Seward said during his speech. He spoke on the importance of community and ensur-

Tyler Noll|Marlin Chronicle Students write encouraging messages with chalk at the suicide awareness event on Friday, Sept. 9. ing that everyone knows there are people willing to help. He also said asking is the hardest part sometimes, and that he hopes more awareness makes that step easier.

“Among people 10 to 24 – so that’s our students, that’s you all in this location – suicide is the second leading cause of death, and it is

preventable,” Christman said. She said that the basis of prevention is community, where people learn, laugh and build connections. A strong community is a support system that can be leaned on in times of need.

After the speeches, the students walked by the library to the blue chair,

where they chalked the sidewalk outside the library with messages of support and remembrance.

“It can be really hard to look at a really big problem and not know how to fix it, so this kind of just breaks it down,” said junior Eddie McDonald, who chalked a suicide awareness ribbon with the words

‘Baby steps add up’ written on it. He said he thinks the chalk messages are really important, because people who feel the walk is too painful can see messages of support and a reminder they aren’t alone every time they pass by.

Dozens of multicolored supportive chalk

See EVENT Page 4

Roberts competes, excels at NCAA Championships

BY MIKAYLA SZUDERA mmszudera@vwu.edu

In May 2022 in Geneva, Ohio, senior jumper Geni Roberts, on the Virginia Wesleyan Men’s Track and Field team competed at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Nationals. Roberts qualified to compete in the Men’s Triple Jump event, where he ended up jumping a personal best and new school record of 15.16m.

His jump helped him claim second place and a National Runner-Up title.

Roberts described the atmosphere when entering the NCAA competition, explaining how it is hectic right when going into the

complex. He shared the intimidating image of hundreds of athletes warming up on the track, preparing for the event they’ve trained months for.

“Hundreds of teams are in the stadium because their whole team qualified, making it really intense because everyone on that track is good. All of those athletes are supposed to be competing at the higher level,” Roberts said.

Coach Cameia Alexander joined the Marlins Track and Field team in 2020 and was promoted to the Director of Men’s and Women’s Track and Field in 2021. She shared her thoughts on Roberts.“Geni

Shane Pabon|Courtesy Roberts soars during the triple jump at the NCAA outdoor championships on May 28 in Geneva, Ohio.

Professors celebrate 35 years at VWU

VWU Flickr|Courtesy

has stepped up a lot since when I first got here his sophomore year,” Alexander said. “He is really big on him not being the only one going to nationals this year.”

The multiple hours of training sessions that go into preparing for NCAA Nationals can be overwhelming and exhausting for an athlete; however, Roberts expressed that “the biggest struggle when it comes to Nationals is the mental piece. You can’t go into the competition trying to be perfect because everybody else on that track is nice, which means they’re the best in all of the Division III Track and Field programs.”

Roberts stated that he wishes his team could travel with him to Nationals to share that experience and to have support from his teammates just like the other teams competing do.

Alexander gave her perspective as a coach at Nationals regarding the pressure the competition can hold over an athlete and how intimidating it can be when going in as a solo

See ROBERTS Page

Rhian Tramontana|Marlin Chronicle Tuition data from VWU fact sheets and amounts adjusted for currency inflation.

Student loan relief plan impacts millions

BY RHIAN TRAMONTANA rjtramontana@vwu.edu

On Wednesday, Aug. 24, President Joe Biden announced his promised loan forgiveness plan for college students, which is called the Student Loan Debt Relief Plan. Government estimates assume that roughly 8 million students are already eligible because the Departmet of Education already has their income information, and each student is able to receive up to $10,000.

Teresa Rhyne, director of Financial Aid for VWU,

explained that the relief plan is meant “for any Federal Direct Loan that was disbursed to a student prior to July 1, 2022,” meaning that loans for “the current academic year will not be part of the Student Loan Debt Relief Plan.”

The disbursement of money is as complicated as the disbursement of federal loans. Money is limited to students with an income of less than $125,000 or dependents with a household income of less than $250,000, and students eligible for a Pell Grant at any time of their college

career may get an additional $10,000. According to The Virginian-Pilot, about 60% of borrowers of federal loans are recipients of Pell Grants.

The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget estimates that the plan will cost between $400 and $600 billion, with the ability to assist about 43 million people with student debt.

Rhyne states that this “plan is one-time only,” and encourages students to

See LOANS Page 2

Potter returns to Men’s Soccer for fifth year

Movie roundup: Best of the summer

Grace McGhee|Courtesy

Mel Lhuillier|Marlin Chronicle

COMMUNITY

SPORTS

WEEKENDER

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Thursday September 15, 2022 The Marlin Chronicle marlinchronicle.vwu.edu

News

Controversial books instigate debates throughout nation

BY LILY RESLINK lbreslink@vwu.edu

The banning of classics such as “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” has been in the public eye for decades, but censorship controversies have only multiplied.

Virginia is currently experiencing turmoil over book banning controversies. Parents, legislators and communities are advocating for books to be removed from schools or restricted from minors in bookstores. Many of the books under fire cover gender identity, sexual diversity and race.

According to an article from The Virginian-Pilot, a recent obscenity case that targeted the sale of two books, “Gender Queer: A Memoir” and “A Court of Mist and Fury,” at Barnes & Noble was dismissed by the Virginia Beach circuit courts on Aug. 30. These titles, and many more, are also being challenged in schools and libraries across Virginia.

While the First Amendment is the focal point of many book banning debates, the reasoning of many in the field of education extends past legality. The impact this may have on students is a prevalent concern.

Victoria “Vicky” Manning, a Virginia Beach School Board member, has been a strong voice on the side of the removal of books from schools. Her advocacy is geared towards removing, as she said in a video posted to Facebook on Aug. 9, what is “pornographic and sexually explicit library books in our schools.” In this same video, she voiced concerns about parents’ inability to monitor what their children are checking out in libraries.

In an email statement, Manning wrote that her view is that “restrictions should be placed on explicit books in school libraries just like we have restrictions on watching explicit movies.” According to Manning, the “books that are being challenged have very explicit pornographic images or language that cannot even be published by the media.” She described the content found in some Virginia Beach Middle Schools available to children as young as 10. Manning said, “Other books give detailed descriptions of sex acts and the excitement it invokes among the characters in the book. Often, these characters are minors.”

“At the very least, there must be an opt-in procedure for parents to elect for their children to read these books,” Manning said.

Students First VA (SFVA), a volunteer organization that Manning helps lead, opposes “any radical indoctrination that takes away control of parents to decide what social issues should be taught to their children,” as well as “any teachings or training based on Critical Race Theory.” The mission of SFVA largely entails removing books they deem sexually explicit from Virginia Beach Middle and High Schools.

On the SFVA blog, they say in a post from July 8 entitled “Over 60 Sexually Explicit Books Found in Virginia Beach Schools” that “This is NOT about book banning but about making sure minors aren’t exposed to harmful

LOANS CONTINUED FROM PG. 1 search for debt forgiveness through the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF). In addition, she recommends that students check the studentaid.gov website to manage their loans and watch for the release of the application, coming in October.

Even with the services being provided to lower debt, there is still doubt about the effectiveness of the plan longterm. “This may seem like a bleak outlook, but I see this as a bandaid on a bullet wound,” said Political Science student Ryan Christie.

Christie sees the forgiveness plan as “a short term appeasement that does not address the true problem, which is the extremely high cost of higher education.”

Biden has already eliminated almost $32 billion from the $1.6 trillion of outstanding student debt in America through previous plans, but according to Christie, there is still the problem in that the “whole education system has

materials.” Books Manning has challenged include “Saga (Series Volumes 1-5)” by Brian K. Vaughan and “Fade” by Lisa McMann.

The censorship issue in schools largely includes identifying the line between explicit and informative. This becomes difficult to agree on when such a wide range of perspectives are invested in these decisions.

Dorothy Yanku-Palmer, a junior in the education program at Virginia Wesleyan University, spoke on how censorship could make the creation of lesson plans very difficult for teachers.

“A lot of the materials that are being censored and banned are materials that are actually very beneficial for the lessons,” Yanku-Palmer said.

She also said that topics such as race and LGBT+ identities can be introduced to children early through lighthearted books that feature characters with diverse identities “interacting with one another and having fun.” Tanku-Palmer said,“It is important for children to learn that no matter your race, what you identify as or whatever it may be, that they are all equal."

Dr. Kathy Merlock Jackson, a professor of Communication at Virginia Wesleyan University, said she thinks it’s important to just get kids reading. She thinks that school districts should be “teaching children to become critical readers and be able to evaluate texts themselves, rather than to eliminate materials that someone deems inappropriate.” According to Jackson, “Books reflect different viewpoints. And that’s what an education is.”

Jackson teaches courses in media studies and has an educational background in American Culture. She said that “Books address issues that people need to talk about…, and maybe you don’t agree with the book, but you can’t broach that topic to even express your disapproval if you don’t read it.” She said she thinks most teachers are very mindful of what materials they bring into school.

“Books reflect different viewpoins.

And that's what an education is.”

Dr. Kathy Merlock Jackson Professor of Communications Book banning is often thought about in the context of popular dystopian media like “Fahrenheit 451.” While the reality is on a much smaller scale, the impact may still be large.

For many in the field of education, this raises concerns about the influence of book banning in K-12 on students who go on to pursue higher education.

Stephen Leist, the head librarian of Virginia Wesleyan University’s Hofheimer Library, said that the impact of ballooned to costing a small fortune.”

Much of the rise of the cost of college is because of inflation and a lack of economic security, as well as the downturn in enrolled students since the COVID-19 pandemic and the higher salaries for faculty and staff, NBC News said.

Therefore, this plan will be helpful to the “lower-income students,” but this was before the cost will be “transferred to society as a whole,” Christie said.

Criofan Shaw, a senior at VWU, believes that the loan forgiveness plan will have “a positive effect on the debt of most borrowers.” Shaw would also like to see the federal government taking more initiative. “I think Biden is doing the bare minimum in order to boost centrist Democrats in the upcoming election,” Shaw said.

Shaw believes that the federal government has an “innate responsibility” to help eliminate college debt. “If we can continue to send tens of billions to Ukraine,” said Shaw, “we can wipe out federal loan debt.”

For the 2022-23 school year, VWU has frozen the cost of tuition. However, when looking at trends across the

Carley Tantlinger|Marlin Chronicle The controversial book "Gender Queer" is available to be read in the Hofheimer Library. book banning goes beyond academics.

For students heading to college, Leist said that book bans in grades K-12 can make them “ill-equipped to deal with the diversity that they are going to be thrown into.”

He said that residential students must often share their living space with people who are very different from them, “and to make that year work, you have to figure out a way to coexist.”

He went on to say that part of the value of a liberal arts education, “whether it’s Virginia Wesleyan or any other institution of higher learning, is to challenge you. Challenge you to think more deeply about issues. Because this is what prepares you to engage with the world.”

Leist described their procedure for evaluating a book challenge at Hofheimer Library. He said that depending on where the book categorically falls, that respective librarian to that academic division is responsible for “making a decision whether or not the challenge has merit.”

About two years ago, Leist said he had a book challenge from a student worker concerned about an outdated racial term in the title. Leist said he discovered that this book was a chronological compendium of primary sources, such as articles from Black newspapers from the antebellum period to the Jim Crow era. He said this would be a necessary resource for students doing coursework on Black history in America. His final decision was to not withdraw it from circulation, and it is still available to check out today.

Leist recalled a story of a parent expressing to the Vice President of Academic Affairs at the time, Tim O’Rourke, their dissatisfaction with the assigned reading for Virginia Wesleyan University first-year students, “How to Tell Toledo from the Night Sky” by Lydia Netzer. In response, O’Rourke said, “if your son came here to have his current worldview confirmed, he came to the wrong place.”

country, the rise in tuition is more clear. According to educationdata.org, college tuition inflation averaged 4.63% annually from 2010 to 2020. Additionally, after adjusting for currency inflation, the cost of college tuition has risen by 747.8% since 1963.

The fact sheets published by VWU are available at the institution’s website, beginning with the year 2003. In 2003, the undergraduate tuition was listed at $19,200. By 2021, the tuition had risen by 87.55%, totaling $36,010.

When considering currency inflation, the change seems less drastic. Today, that $19,200 is comparable to about $30,915.

Consequences of the loan forgiveness plan will be seen in the coming months, as will possible changes or additions to federal loan forgiveness plans. “Those who had to take out private loans to assist with tuition on top of federal loans (like myself),” Shaw said, “will still be in a pickle, but that does not mean I cannot be happy for others or recognize that I will still benefit from this forgiveness plan.”

Campus Pride awards five stars for inclusivity

BY JALEN BROWN jmbrown2@vwu.edu

The Campus Pride Index is a system that ranks a college or university’s commitment to creating an LGBTQ friendly environment. The index is owned and operated by Campus Pride, the leading national nonprofit organization in creating more LGBTQ friendly college campuses.

On Aug. 24, Campus Pride released the most recent rankings and awarded Virginia Wesleyan with a five star rating on the Campus Pride Index. VWU is among the top forty LGBTQ-friendly campuses and universities in the index, which currently includes over 230 colleges and universities.

Oliver Chauncey, a junior at VWU and a member of Spectrum, the LGBTQ+ group on campus, was surprised by the five star rating that VWU received. “I feel like probably no school should have a 5/5 rating; I'd give us a 3/5 rating,” Chauncey said. Chauncey also questions the term “LGBTQ-friendly,” saying that they “wouldn't go so far as to call us LGBTQ-friendly; it's closer to LGBTQ-nonantagonistic.”

Chauncey pointed out issues within the faculty awareness and Resident Life policies, saying that they have “heard stories from other students about professors frequently slipping up, outing their deadname to the class.” In terms of guest policies, Chauncey says that Virginia Wesleyan’s “makes no provisions for gender non-conforming or trans students/guests and is heteronormative with its

Campus Pride|Courtesy policies.” Even with the recent addition of more genderinclusive housing on campus, there is still room for improvement in Chauncey’s eyes.

Moving forward, Chauncey would like to see more Safe Space training for the administration, teachers and staff.

“We could improve by making Safe Space training mandatory (like hazing training is),” they said, “but I find it un-

likely that admin would consent to that occurring- which is a bad sign for their outlook on queer students.”

The former president of Spectrum, senior Jordan Gilliam had some similar opinions as Chauncey. For example, when Gilliam was asked if our school deserves the rating we have for being LGBTQ-friendly, he said “No, not even a little, we are a solid 3 on a good day.”

He was also asked if VWU deserves any kind of award for being LGBTQ-friendly. to which he said, “No, I do not feel that they do, however the school will swear that we are involved in some fight for equality but the students will tell you otherwise.”

Both Chauncey and Gilliam were asked what they thought our school could improve on to make the university more LGBTQ friendly. Chauncey simply said “Hire more queer staff. Make safe space training more accessible for students and mandatory for faculty.” Gilliam said “Well, they can start with sending out the preferred pronouns list that was sent out to administration before school started, give students the ability to change their names and gender on their official college documents, and have more living on campus geared towards LGBT students, etc.”

Neither Gilliam nor Chauncey think that VWU deserves a five but rather a three. However, we do have some improvement suggestions from both parties so that we do have something to potentially push for. LGBTQ students deserve just as much of a voice as any other student on campus.

News

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Thursday September 15, 2022 The Marlin Chronicle marlinchronicle.vwu.edu

Meet SGA: New year, new leadership President: Junior Eddie McDonald

Majors: Political Science and Sustainability Management Childhood Dream Job: Firefighter Favorite Movie: “Tarzan” Favorite Book: “Swiss Family Robinson” Inspirational Quote: “Baby steps add up!” - Eddie McDonald Dream Vacation Spot: Maine Favorite Meal: Iced coffee…

Best Character Trait: Can always lighten the mood with a joke

Vice President: Senior Joey Mueller

Majors: Theatre and Political Science Childhood Dream Job: Inventor Favorite Movie: “Baby Driver” Favorite Book: “Greenlights” by Matthew McConaughey Inspirational Quote: Anything by Eddie McDonald Dream Vacation Spot: Anywhere without commitments/responsibilities Favorite Meal: Quesadilla Casserole Best Character Trait: Reliable

Eddie McDonald|Courtesy McDonald presents at Spring 2022 Port Day.

BY ADRIEN VINOT PREFONTAINE avinotprefontaine@vwu.edu

Student government is definitely not a boring group to be a part of. Student students might have a lot on their plates, but at the end of the day, SGA is helping out the campus community by making changes that aim to benefit all students by creating a better living and learning environment.

This is exactly what Eddie McDonald is part of. It’s important to know who is helping your voice as a student to be heard by the administration. Eddie is a junior at Virginia Wesleyan University and he is a current co-captain of the VWU Swim team.

McDonald “grew up in Kailua, Hawaii

[and has] lived in Chesapeake for the past 7 years.” To this day, he still has a love for the water and Hawaiian soda, which is conveniently sold at the Poketastic near the VWU campus.

He seeks to become a “reforestation forester for the United States Forest Service, [and hopes] to get involved in local politics once [he] settles down.” This goal was further helped by the fact that McDonald spent the summer in Idaho working with the United States Forest Service.

McDonald is passionate about many social issues, such as “mental health, environmental sustainability, and justice,” all of which are areas in which he hopes to make improvements for the VWU campus.

Joey Mueller|Courtesy Headshot of Joey Mueller.

“Creating positive change in my community is of the utmost priority to me!” McDonald said.

Outside of SGA, McDonald is a big fan of the movie “Tarzan,” and said that he “would always pick it out from Blockbuster” for his family’s Friday movie nights.

You can catch McDonald longboarding around campus at any time of the day, so might as well stop and chat about “Tarzan” with him.

McDonald loves this campus and this is why he tries, as the president of SGA, to make it a better place to be in. His “favorite part about campus is the old growth forests and the trails we have through them! Going for a walk is a great way to decompress

after a busy day!”

Need to bribe McDonald? It’s helpful to know that his favorite meal is breakfast.

A plate of pancakes and an iced coffee go a long way when putting McDonald in a good mood.

According to McDonald, SGA is going through many changes because of the work that he and Vice President Mueller have put in.

Before McDonald became president, Mueller was the head of SGA. They have worked hard to transition SGA from a student council to more of a “fully functioning student government.” Stay up to date with this transition through Instagram and following issues of The Marlin Chronicle.

SGA Photo Gallery

Eddie McDonald|Courtesy Willie Harrell holds a SPCA puppy at Spring 2022 Coffee and Cuddles event.

Eddie McDonald|Courtesy Eddie McDonald and Ashleigh Lockard hold sign at Spring 2022 Coffee and Cuddles event.

Eddie McDonald|Courtesy Audrey Roberts holds a SPCA puppy at Spring 2022 Coffee and Cuddles event.

Eddie McDonald|Courtesy Student wears fire gear at 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb to support local fire department.

SGA legislation sparks change in campus

BY ADRIEN VINOT PREFONTAINE avinotprefontaine@vwu.edu

Making change in the campus community is what the Student Government Association (SGA), led by President Eddie McDonald, is seeking to do, primarily through a series of new bills. SGA is the go-to if students feel there is change that needs to happen at VWU. SGA “is basically students working for students,” McDonald said. According to him, they are the “go between the administration and the student body.” When there are “issues that students are having,” McDonald said, “whether it be parking, the elevator broken in the apartments, Title IX policies or marijuana policies, SGA works with the administration on behalf of students.”

McDonald is the president, which, according to him, means that he “presides over the student senate.” His job is to manage the “agenda, help the student senators to write legislation that they want to bring up, lead meetings and make sure people feel comfortable talking.” The Student Government Association meets every Monday and every Thursday he meets with the administration to discuss what issues were brought up at the meeting with the student senate.

One of the bills that SGA wants to introduce this year focuses on mental health. “Mental health is super important to me,” McDonald said. “I have a lot of respect for Director April Christman and the amazing work that she’s doing, but I think SGA can help advocate for students in certain ways. I would love to see our campus’s impatient policies and procedures published for all students to see, and then compare them to other universities to identify areas for improvement.”

SGA Events

Currently, SGA consists of student senators from each class, with the freshmen senators voted for September of fall semester. McDonald hopes that in the coming years, there is enough participation for three to four senators per class, but he is pleased that the diversity of SGA is comparable to the diversity of VWU, and that there is currently a 1:1 ratio of males to females.

Over the summer, McDonald talked with other college students involved in the student governments of Penn State and George Mason University, and they said that they follow a legislation process based on the University of Virginia’s student government.

This legislation process is intended to make change happen more efficiently by allowing all senators to propose bills that get discussed with the administration. This is what SGA is going towards, making change in the community more efficiently by being very clear with the administration as to what they want/need.

McDonald is working closely with the student senate to draft their own legislation to make this new process go smoothly.

An example of the new legislation for the fall semester is the free condom dispensers that are being placed in V1 and V2, outside security and outside Student Health.

“Most students are sexually active, and STIs have been on the rise,” McDonald said. “It’s important to have two condoms dispensers that are stocked outside V1 and V2.”

Overall, the “SGA of the past is a completely different group than the one we have today,” McDonald said. He said that “In years past we’ve been held back by a lack of participation but this group is quite the opposite.” In the future, McDonald hopes that “SGA has a larger presence

on campus and that the student body sees the group as an avenue to solve problems.”

Anyone with comments or suggestions for SGA is welcome to scan the QR code to lead them to the SGA comments form or find one of the officers in person. Follow @sga.marlins on Instagram to stay updated on meeting minutes and SGA events.

Scan the QR code!

Submit your ideas and suggestions!

Upcoming open Coffee and Cuddles: Oct. 13 meeting: 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Sept. 26 Greer 255 Batten Student Center

@sga.marlins

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Thursday September 15, 2022 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 Rhian Tramontanta rjtramontana@vwu.edu Community Editor 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 Grace Rietscha glrietscha@vwu.edu Engagement Editor

Community Anti-hazing training educates students

BY CAREY SEAY clseay@vwu.edu

This past April, Gov. Glenn Youngkin signed a bill requiring all schools of higher education, both private and public, to mandate hazing prevention training for each student organization. This bill, called Adam’s Law, orders all current, new and potential members of student organizations to attend a hazing prevention training session. Adam’s Law also requires all Virginian institutions to publicly report all violations of the institution’s code of conduct or federal and state laws pertaining to hazing.

Adam’s Law was created in memory of Adam Oakes, a Virginia Commonwealth University freshman who died of alcohol poisoning while pledging for the Delta Chi fraternity in February 2021. As a result of Oakes’s death, the VCU fraternity was suspended and the 11 individuals involved were charged with related crimes.

Since his passing, Oakes’s family has been advocating for more awareness of the dangers of hazing. Adam’s Law was brought in front of Virginia’s General Assembly at the beginning of this year and was passed with nearly unanimous support.

With the new implementation of this antihazing legislation, institutions are not only required to mandate hazing prevention training for student organizations, but they are also required to publicly report all hazing incidents.

The publication of this information is required

by Adam’s Law and the Clery Act of 1990, which includes all campus crime data. The dissemination of this data enables prospective students to make a sound decision when deciding which institution to attend.

In an effort to bring awareness to the threat of hazing, Virginia Wesleyan University now hosts hazing prevention workshops at the start of each semester. Attendance to the workshops is required of all active, new and potential members of student organizations. “​​It’s an exciting time because we’re moving into a full on operation out of COVID,” Director of Student Activities Sarah Guzzo said.

“I’ve noticed a renewed energy around student organizations, which I’m excited for.”

With student organizations getting back into the full swing of planning and hosting events, it is important that the dangers of hazing don’t go unnoticed. To ensure this, VWU is actively promoting anti-hazing initiatives.

“I wanted to bring back the leadership Lunch and Learn, that is typically at the beginning of each semester, which incorporates healthy team building activities, goal setting and expectations

CONTINUED FROM PG. 1

Marketing Director Rowan Stuart rwstuart@vwu.edu Advisor Dr. Lisa Lyon Payne lpayne@vwu.edu

The Marlin Chronicle Virginia Wesleyan University 5817 Wesleyan Drive Virginia Beach, VA 23455 757.455.3311

“As a former collegiate student newspaper editor, professional journalist and long-time advisor for the Society of Collegiate Journalists, I understand the role and value of student media at a liberal arts institution.

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.”

--Scott D. Miller, Ph.D President

for events,” Guzzo said. “The Lunch and Learn was already on the agenda for the school year, so it was easy to include educational information about hazing, what it is and how, as student leaders, you can curb it and prevent those behaviors within your organization.”

Student leaders were the first to attend VWU’s hazing prevention workshops, so they were able to encourage anti-hazing behaviors from the start of the school year.

“Seeing statistics from Virginia and the rest of the United States was eye opening,” Brian Hostetter, VWU senior and vice president of Phi Kappa Tau, Epsilon Delta Chapter, said. “Upon joining our fraternity, we spend several hours learning about hazing and the zero tolerance there is for it within the national fraternity, so I believe it is important for not only Greek life, but all student organizations to learn about preventing hazing.”

While all current, new and potential members of student organizations are also required to attend these workshops, members of sports teams are not. This is partly due to the fact that these teams are not listed in those required by the law, and also partly due to the fact that sports are not included in VWU’s definition of “student organizations.”

According to VWU’s Student Handbook, “Students have the right to organize into special interest, academic, social or service groups at the University; provided these groups do not violate the University’s non-discrimination policies and that, they align with institutional values.” These groups must “register with the Office of Student Activities each semester.”

EVENT

Breana Mahoney brmahoney@vwu.edu

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

Staff meetings are held every Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. in Batten 217. Signed submissions are welcome, but subject to the discretion of the editor. Letters are not edited for content, but may be edited for length and mechanics. The views and opinions expressed in this newspaper may not necessarily reflect the views of the entire staff of The Marlin Chronicle or Virginia Wesleyan University.

Connor Merk|Marlin Chronicle

Student organization leaders attend leadership Lunch and Learn in Brock Commons on August 26.

Tyler Noll|Marlin Chronicle

For its second year, VWU’s Suicide Awareness Walk returned and showed a big turnout.

messages decorated the chalk square by the blue chair, proclaiming to everybody that people who are suffering from depression or thoughts of suicide are not alone; that there are people willing to listen.

“We’re basically just saying, ‘Hey, I care about you,’” said Miranda Taylor, a senior who helped set up the event. She said that sometimes it’s really hard for people to reach out because of fear of being judged by peers, but events like these help people understand that there are people willing to listen.

One of the ways she helps is wearing a green bandana, which signifies a person involved with the campus initiative The Bandana Project.

These students are trained to recognize signs of painful mental health scenarios and assist people who are suffering.

“We may not be like certified therapists, but we’re here to listen and help with anything that we can,” Taylor said, her green bandana promi-

Although our sports teams are groups that align with our institutional values, they are not considered “student organizations.” Still, the dangers of hazing apply to athletics as well.

According to a national survey conducted

by Alfred University in 1999, “Over 325,000 athletes at more than 1,000 National Collegiate Athletic Association schools participated in intercollegiate sports during 1998-99. Of these athletes: More than a quarter of a million (250,000+) experienced some form of hazing to join a college athletic team.” To add to this, “Approximately 158,823 athletes nationally were expected to participate in drinking contests as part of their initiation onto a collegiate athletics team.”

More recent statistics from a study completed in 2008 found similar results. This study, “Hazing in View: College Students at Risk,” discovered that 74% of students involved with varsity athletic teams experienced at least one hazing behavior. It also found that 64% of those involved in club sports experienced hazing as well.

Despite these statistics, athletic teams at VWU are still not required to attend hazing prevention workshops. However, coaches are encouraged, and expected, to promote anti-hazing behaviors among their teams.

With National Hazing Prevention Week coming up (Sept. 19 - 23), VWU encourages all students to become aware of the dangers of hazing and to practice anti-hazing behaviors.

Marlin Nation’s hands don’t haze.

nently displayed.

Seward said that suicide is not something that should just be talked about only on Suicide Awareness Day, but year-round. He also said it is important to give people resources, to let them know they aren’t alone, and to help however possible.

“I’m a firm believer in you don’t have to be everything to everybody. … somebody benefited today, I know it,” said Seward, looking out over the chalk. He said he was very moved by all the messages chalked on the pavement.

If you or someone you know is in need of help, there are numerous resources on campus for you. You can talk to a friend, talk to a student with a green bandana or stop by the counseling office. Counseling offers a quiet space to relax, and a counseling session can be scheduled with April Christman or Brandon Foster by emailing them at achristman@vwu.edu or bfoster@vwu. edu, respectively. They can also be reached by phone at 757-455-3131 and 757-455-5730.

The national suicide hot line, for immediate help, is 988.

The Marlin Chronicle | marlinchronicle.vwu.edu

Thursday, September 15, 2022

5

Student Involvement Fair attracts big turnout

BY PHOEBE COX pecox@vwu.edu

A beloved Virginia Wesleyan University tradition, the semi-annual Student Involvement Fair, was held on campus on Sept. 2. From 1:30-3:30 p.m., a Friday walk through The Grille did not mean just passing a few clusters of people. It meant navigating mazes of tables and excited students, all gathering together to either promote their own organization or hear about new ones.

In order to be accepted as an official student organization on campus, five or more members, a faculty or staff advisor, an established executive board of at least two people and a written constitution are all required. Once all of this information is submitted via an online form to Student Activities, accepted organizations are given the green light to participate in the Student Involvement Fair if they choose to do so.

And the various clubs, fraternities, sororities and honor societies of 2022 all took great advantage of that green light.

This year’s Student Involvement Fair had a large turnout with about 40 of the registered student organizations on campus setting up tables and campaigning for participation.

A huge benefit of the fair is that it allows organizations to get a feel for how par-

ticipation will progress for the semester.

Sophomore Jessica Wilson, vice president of Marlins Go Green, expressed how important the Student Involvement Fair was for her club.

“We can reach a lot more students and tell them about all the different opportunities we have for them,” Wilson said.

Both Wilson and accompanying junior Cecelia Aten, president of Marlins Go Green, were excited about the involvement fair giving them the chance to let new and returning students know about upcoming events. With a sustainable art contest happening this fall and the Earth Day event returning with an even larger expansion, Aten was eager to “try and get the VWU community involved with helping the environment … and finding resources for outreach to help make a better impact.”

Junior Sasha LaPonte, president of the Tabletop Gamers Guild, was also eager to get people involved, especially with activities being able to happen in-person.

She expressed excitement about “actually seeing people face-to-face for once and not just being on Discord” this semester.

With the hopes and intentions of setting up multiple DnD games and more, she was thankful for the Student Involvement Fair giving her organization the opportunity to advertise. Saying that “gathering people is always sort of the main issue,” she and the

Carley Tantlinger|Marlin Chronicle

40 student organizations participated in the Student Involvement Fair to recruit this year.

Thinkstock | Courtesy

Carley Tantlinger|Marlin Chronicle

Spectrum presents their organization to potential members in the Jane P. Batten Center.

Tabletop Gamers as a whole are looking forward to the ability to expand and include many more people in their adventures.

Club Soccer, led by senior Ethan Labelle, also has many adventures planned for the fall. With games scheduled against other club soccer teams from Old Dominion University, University of Mary Washington, Christopher Newport University, William & Mary and Longwood University, a busy season is in store.

Fellow club member Eric O’Dea, also a senior, expressed his love for the club.

“It’s a great way to make friends with similar interests and do something that we all love and have in common,” O’Dea said.

Labelle agreed and reflected on how playing soccer in the club was “just like back in the day without the competitive or time commitment of a varsity sport.” They are overall both eager to get a kick out of the busy season.

Some organizations had to temporarily “shut down” the past few years since a virtual method of meeting did not make sense. Such was the case with the Martial Arts Club which has technically been around for five years but has recently been reactivated from taking a two-year break.

President Matty Taylor, a junior, expressed that the club’s intentions for the fresh semester are to “do a lot of cool events including self defense seminars, discussions of foreign countries martial arts and other things like that.” He is a member of the Bushin Kan Iaido Dojo at VWU and is passionate about the growth of this revitalized organization.

Junior Brice Johnson, vice president of the Martial Arts Club, stated that the club is “really about the focus and the mind and the meditation… that’s what we try and find everyday we’re in the dojo.”

Iaido, the type of art they practice, is described by Taylor as “the art of drawing the samurai sword,” and they are guided towards learning it by their instructor Dr. Steve Emmanuel who has been studying Iaido for thirty years. They look forward to further developing and deepening their organization as they continue to advance themselves through it in the process.

Overall, the Student Involvement Fair of 2022 was a buzz of connectivity for students. It presented an opportunity for organizations to introduce themselves and had the effect of allowing many more to get involved in campus activities.

CRIME BLOTTER

August 24 1:32 p.m.

Vandalism

Sciences Lot vehicle keyed

August 29 11:35 p.m.

Vandalism

Godwin Lot vehicle egged

September 4 5:37 p.m.

Vandalism

Godwin Lot mirror broken

Faculty celebrate 35 years, decades of friendship

BY CAREY SEAY clseay@vwu.edu 35 years ago, in 1987, Drs. Linda Ferguson and Denise Wilkinson both stepped foot onto the campus of Virginia Wesleyan University, which was then Virginia Wesleyan College, for the first time. Since then, Ferguson, professor of Management, Business and Economics, and Wilkinson, professor of Mathematics, have both grown to love the family-like community of the University.

“While my house is in Suffolk and part of my heart is in PA, VWU is my home,” Ferguson said. “It is filled with my family to include my current, and 35 years of former, students and colleagues.”

Coming to VWU, Ferguson and Wilkinson both had a similar teaching experience under their belts. Ferguson began teaching and coaching at her hometown high school in Middletown, Pa., before moving to a community college and then finally coming to Virginia Wesleyan. Similarly, Wilkinson began as a graduate teaching assistant in Tennessee and then spent two years at a community college in Kentucky.

She eventually moved to Virginia Beach in 1987 and began her career at VWU. “I have to say the time has moved by quickly; however, there have been many

SCAN ME!

changes on this campus in 35 years,” Wilkinson said. “When I first began, the math department used a mimeograph machine to make copies of our hand-written quizzes and tests. We could always tell when someone was making copies, as the machine’s duplicating fluid put off a distinct fragrant aroma.”

Since coming to VWU in 1987, both professors have made unforgettable memories with the campus community. Ferguson shared that she never expected to “play a Wooly Mammoth in a theater production, take students on a dozen study abroad adventures, serve as a dean, director of strategic planning and faculty team advisor or work with [her] students on a project for the FBI and be a liaison to the Alumni Board over the course of three and a half decades.” Adding to this, Wilkinson and her husband were even able to have their wedding reception in the Boyd Dining Center in 1995.

Ferguson and Wilkinson express that they are both honored to continue to be a part of such a welcoming environment here at VWU, as they are excited to see what the future holds. “[Our] learning continues with the saturation in the liberal arts infusing our daily interactions, the opportunities for growth into new ways of teaching, the demands of

VWU Flickr|Courtesy

Drs. Denise Wilkinson (left) and Linda Ferguson (right) have worked at VWU since 1987.

evolving technology and feeling the effects of our campus filling in spaces that were early dreams of our founders,” Ferguson said.

Both professors also express their overwhelming appreciation for their friendship.

“I didn’t know many faculty at first, so I connected with Linda Ferguson right

away,” Wilkinson said. “We had both started the same year, and I was drawn to her bubbling and welcoming personality.”

With 35 years at Virginia Wesleyan University already behind them, Ferguson and Wilkinson look forward to the many years they have ahead of them as a part of our campus community.

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6

Thursday September 15, 2022 The Marlin Chronicle marlinchronicle.vwu.edu

Loan forgiveness offers a “step in the right direction” The Biden Administration presented its student loan forgiveness plan that would forgive thousands of dollars of loans for each eligible individual.

BY JOEY MUELLER jmmueller@vwu.edu In late August, as college students across the country prepared to return to campus and as graduates braced for the resumption of student loan payments, President Joe Biden announced a plan to forgive up to $20,000 in student loans for anyone who received Pell Grants and up to $10,000 for those who make less than $125,000 a year or have a household income of less than $250,000.

This plan fulfills the president’s campaign promise of student loan forgiveness and makes a huge difference to millions of Americans.

The President executed this plan in order to help families who need it the most, including the 20 million Americans who will have their student debt forgiven entirely.

Some borrowers will see the relief immediately while the majority will have to complete an application. This application is to be released sometime in October with a four to six week turnaround.

President Biden also announced a final extension of the student loan forgiveness period to Dec. 31. This period has been extended a number of times

since its beginning in March of 2020.

Student debt has been a burden on this country and millions of Americans for decades, and this forgiveness plan is the largest step towards progress seen in our lifetime.

A college education does not go as far as it used to and costs significantly more than it used to, which is why it is important to make college more affordable, something progressives have been calling for since the Obama administration.

There is much more that could be done to make college affordable, but any action that would directly reduce the cost of college would be seen as too progressive for Biden to stand a chance in the presidential elections of November 2024.

This small step is already too much for many Americans. In the weeks since the announcement, social media has been rich with people stating their distaste for paying for other people’s education as well as the fairness of student loan forgiveness when thousands of graduates have paid off their loans since the pause.

Personally, this plan is a blessing as it makes my debt significantly less as well as assisting with the loans my parents took out for my education.

Whitehouse.gov|Courtesy

President Joe Biden and Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona announced a plan to aid college debt for students with low income households on Aug. 24, 2022.

I understand that the idea of governmental assistance is controversial and that the idea of being bailed out of loans that students took out voluntarily does not fit the American ideal, but student loans are a major roadblock between millions of Americans and financial freedom.

What are we to expect from our government if not assistance when we need it most? Why is it okay for banks and big businesses to receive government assistance when they need it, but when everyday people, hard-working and tax-paying Americans, are suffering under mountains of debt, government handouts are taboo?

As a Political Science student, I understand the two schools of thought on government assistance, but as a soon to be college graduate, I am incredibly thankful for the relief and now have

the opportunity to take a lower paying, more fulfilling first job now that I have an inch of breathing room in regards to my finances.

It is important for the federal government to intervene on matters that greatly affect the day to day lives of Americans. It is at the core of American history to be hesitant to accept federal overreach, but in times of great need, it is appropriate if not necessary for the federal government to step in.

It’s safe to say that a multi-trillion dollar hole in the pockets of the American public is a matter that demands federal intervention. This relief package is a great step in the right direction, but only the first of many greater steps to come.

Palmer Mine endangers Alaskan river and salmon population

Student advises against interacting with panhandlers

BY KATIE BAKER kmbaker@vwu.edu

Panhandling can be a conundrum for the United States and its cities. The problems with the practice of panhandling lie not with the people seeking assistance in the way of money or food, but instead with the way these people are going about it.

Institutions that help the poor and less fortunate, including facilities such as soup kitchens and homeless shelters, exist all across this country’s cities, and panhandlers undermine these institutions by encouraging passerby to donate to them rather than those charitable centers.

Panhandlers distract others who have the means to donate money, food or supplies to charitable organizations, both private and public.

These organizations are much more likely to make more efficient and effective use of these items than an individual panhandler by making perishable goods last longer or by getting them to the people who need them most.

The panhandling that occurs in Virginia Beach, especially around its major roadways, presents unique problems associated with the practice.

Panhandlers can often be seen mere hundreds of feet from Virginia Wesleyan University’s grounds asking for food or money.

This might not be a problem in and of itself, except that panhandlers usually stand in or around crowded intersections, taking the opportunity to solicit when cars are stopped at red lights.

These instances create situations where great danger can arise, both for the panhandlers themselves, who could be struck by passing vehicles, and the drivers, who could become victims of particularly aggressive panhandlers while stopped at red lights. In any case, this occurrence can create situations where conflict and danger for both parties can arise.

In addition to the tendency for panhandling to undermine charitable institutions both public and private as well as the dangerous situations panhandling often creates, some individuals are tempted to take advantage of the good will of others, pretending to be less fortunate in the hopes of acquiring money by panhandling.

Some say they have even seen vans dropping individuals pretending to be in need off at major intersections, and

Thirty-five miles north of Haines, Alaska, a Canadian company called Constantine has partnered with Japanese corporation DOWA Metals in hopes of establishing an industrial mine. The proposed mining site is situated uphill from salmon spawning grounds integral to the diversity and vitality of the salmon population in Southeast Alaska.

Waste from the mine is projected to drain into the Klehini River, which runs into the Chilkat River; the Chilkat River is the only waterway that is home to all five types of Pacific salmon.

If this river were to be polluted by the Palmer Mine, the salmon populations would gradually be affected.

While the mine is predicted to be active for only ten to fifteen years, the damages will be permanent.

Despite DOWA Metals’ claims that they are taking environmental precautions during their exploration of the Palmer Mine, further research suggests otherwise. I spoke with an employee of Constantine Metal Resources who explained that an impermeable layer would be placed at the bottom of a deep hole, which would then be filled with acid-generating rocks and limestone for neutralization purposes.

Several issues arise from this idea.

First, the environmental professionals are only employed for the exploration of the mine; once exploration has finished, there will be no one physically at the mine to ensure environmentally safe practices are being followed.

Second, while the acid-generating rocks may seem to be contained, the mine is in an area with a noticeable amount of rainfall and seismic activity.

It would only take a large amount of rain, which is not unheard of in Southeast Alaska, or an earthquake to leach heavy metals such as silver, zinc and copper into the Chilkat watershed.

To put this in perspective, eleven earthquakes occurred over two days in the vicinity of the Palmer Mine in 2018. Even if they build dams to store millions of tons of waste from the mine, the increased geological activity in the area will likely damage their infrastructure and permanently affect

In a critique of pandhandling, Palmisano advocates against giving to panhandlers on local streets.

BY CHRISTIAN PALMISANO clpalmisano@vwu.edu

Katie Baker|Courtesy

Baker in front of Mendenhall Glacier.

the health of the salmon found in the Chilkat River.

Lastly, Constantine Metals blatantly avoided the National Environmental Policy Act processes by shifting the location of the mine entrance from federally owned land. This allowed the Palmer Mine to avoid environmental analysis and environmental impact studies while moving forward without public input or transparency.

The pollution caused by the Palmer Mine will affect more than just the salmon population, such as the many Alaskan residents that rely on the watershed for subsistence each year.

The majority of people along the Chilkat watershed rely on salmon for survival, including the Klukwan village, which is located 18 miles downstream from the proposed mining site.

The location of the Klukwan Village was chosen by its Tlingit ancestors, who built their culture around a dependence on the salmon of the Chilkat River.

Aside from the culture that would be lost alongside the vitality of the salmon, the fishing and tourism industries would also be negatively affected. Southeast Alaska is home to a billion-dollar fishing industry that supplies salmon around the globe while allowing local communities to prosper.

While the mine may provide jobs for approximately eleven years, healthy and plentiful salmon will provide jobs for fishermen for generations to come.

Lastly, the mine will also negatively affect the approximately 4,000 bald eagles that migrate to the Chilkat River each year, bringing in 130,000 visitors and $20 million in 2017. This is a major source of revenue for local businesses and may be destroyed if mining persists.

The Environmental Protection Agency and Bureau of Land Management can be easily contacted regarding concerns for the health of the Chilkat River here: https://www.seacc.org/epablm-palmer-project.

Ross Winner|Marlin Chronicle

Placard dissuades against panhandling on Newtown Rd. and E. VA Blvd.

then later picking them up, likely to divide up the funds.

This undermines the aforementioned charitable organizations, but also other panhandlers, who are actually in need of assistance.

The practice of panhandling should be discouraged, since it undermines the institutions created by government and non-profit organizations to help the less fortunate, creates dangerous situations for both panhandlers and passerby alike, and allows unscrupulous people to take advantage of the good will of others at the expense of the legitimately needy.

It is better to put our resources into the good of the community as a whole where funds will be used to support these facilities to minimize panhandling as a whole. One can appreciate the comfort of knowing where one’s money is going.

7

Sports

Thursday September 15, 2022 The Marlin Chronicle marlinchronicle.vwu.edu

SportsHead

Emily Uzzle|Marlin Chronicle

BY COLETTE KEARNEY

cmkearney@vwu.edu

NCAA decided to change the rules on Name, Image and Likeness (NIL),and now it has been a year.

Grace McGhee|Courtesy Potter prepares to save the ball from the goal against the Greyhounds of Moravian University on Sept. 2 at Foster Field.

Potter returns to Men’s Soccer for fifth year

BY SHIRELL WASHINGTON

sawashington@vwu.edu

The extra year of eligibility because of COVID-19 has allowed many college athletes to have one more chance to play their favorite sport at the collegiate level.

Many senior athletes have taken advantage of the extra eligibility at various schools, using their fifth year as the last dance. This is the case for the Men’s Soccer team as their 2022 roster will feature All-American and goalkeeper, Griffin Potter, who has decided to use his fifth year at VWU. Having the chance to compete again, most athletes would enter the transfer portal and find a different school to go to, but Potter couldn’t leave Wesleyan just yet.

Potter expressed that he liked it here very much and the familiar surroundings made his decision easier. “Coach still had faith in me and wanted me to stay and everything that I learned at Wesleyan in the past four years is what kept me here,” Potter said.

Potter came to VWU in 2018 from Manchester, Maryland. When he got to VWU, Potter showed up and showed out.

He appeared in all 13 games of the 2018 season for the Marlins as the goalkeeper where he had 63 saves and one shutout against Hampden-Sydney College as a freshman. He continued this success after freshman year, by remaining as the starting keeper for the Marlins and by becoming a force to be reckoned with in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC).

“As far back as I can remember I feel like I was born with the ball at my feet.

I’ve played with youth programs and kept progressing, you know, travel [team] and to club [team] and now I’m here,” Potter said. “I had a little bit of knowledge about [VWU] already since my brother played lacrosse and graduated from here, but for me, it was kind of just getting out of the state, because I’m originally from Maryland, and the beach was definitely a big thing because for me I loved going to the beach growing up.” Potter also mentioned that he had been to Wesleyan many times before deciding to come here.

Over the past four years, plus the two recent games that were played this 2022 season, Potter has had an incredible soccer

career as the commander of the cage. He has played in a total of 59 games, started in all but one, and played a total of 5,331:32 minutes for the Marlins. He has only allowed 88 goals, with 325 saves, 13 total shutouts and has a 22-26-6 for his record of wins, losses, and ties.

Men’s Soccer Head Coach Chris Mills will be starting his 10th season with the Marlins, and Potter has been there for half of it. “Griffin showed up to one of our ID camps and we hadn’t seen him play and I saw him on the other end making a couple of saves and started to watch more closely, then that’s kind of how we found him,” Mills said. He also mentioned that Potter had committed then decommitted, then called back in the summer to see if room was still available on the team.

Potter was the top recruit again this year in some way for goalkeepers and Mills explained that having the ability to get a 5th year All-American for one more season “kind of trumps going after an incoming guy.” However, Mills is fortunate to have him one last time and expressed that the energy and leadership Potter brings helps out the entire team. “I think he’s come a long way and in the five years he continued to get better every year and a lot of that success I give to Coach Wheaton, he’s our goalie coach, I can’t take too much credit for that,” Mills said.

Being a goalkeeper is no easy feat and is the hardest position to play in soccer. There are a lot of mental and physical abilities that only goalkeepers usually possess.

Physically, many have great coordination, solid catching skills, wonderful agility and fast reflexes, and it does help to be tall to be able to jump up high enough to catch the ball. Potter is 6’5’’, so he is pretty much up there. However, it does take being mentally tough to be a goalkeeper.

“Being a goalkeeper, mentality-wise, a lot falls on your shoulders and being able to stay calm and trust situations play a big part,” Potter said. “It is a whole different perspective of the field and the combination of both physical and mental things that help me succeed.”

Junior midfielder, Alex Moody, had met Potter during the COVID-19 school year,

athlete. “It is not the same energy going to Nationals by CONTINUED FROM PG. 1 yourself compared to teams that have 15 to 20 teammates competing,” Alexander said.

Another senior on the Track and Field team, Wesley Burton, shared admiration for his team by giving some insight on the team culture. “The team is full of fun people that work really hard and will joke with each other but are always locked in,” Burton said. “Geni as a leader is super positive, is extremely talented, and wants everyone to learn so he is naturally someone that the team already looks up to.”

As one of the few seniors on the Track and Field team, Roberts falls into a leadership role within the group as Alexander explains, “this year he is taking a really big leap of leadership with the team, encouraging the guys and the girls to do what they’re supposed to do: be the best you can be in the classroom and out of the classroom.”

Roberts has been described as a soft-spoken person, but has grown comfortable with his team and confident enough with his skills to speak up more this year to encourage his teammates, pushing them to be their best selves. Alexander said, “I’ve appreciated that so much from him this year and I am looking forward to seeing how well he can help lead the team this year.”

The team continues to encourage Roberts on the day-today and hold him accountable by making sure he is doing what he is supposed to do and “being where he needs to be because winning is not easy for him, he needs to work hard and still needs to feel that support from the team as well,” Alexander said.

so he did not get to interact with and get to know Potter. However, during Moody’s sophomore year, Potter and Moody got closer.

“He’s a good guy and he’s become one of my good friends here, hung out with him a lot over the summer at the beach and trained with him,” Moody said. In terms of team culture, Moody expressed that the team loves him and that Potter is like a rock back in goal and that the team knows when the ball is headed back to Potter that he has got it handled.

Mills described Potter as passionate, as a leader and competitive. “I would say those three things, anytime you watch him play you can just tell the competitiveness he has, the passion he has in the game, and obviously he has grown into that leadership role within our group,” Mills said.

Moody echoed some of the same sentiments, as he described Potter as very knowledgeable, caring and “a good person off the field, like if you need something, text him, he’ll respond within like 10 minutes.”

Moody also mentioned that Potter is kind of like the dad of the group because he’s the oldest player.

Potter shared his advice to goalkeepers that will come after him. “Don’t be scared and don’t be shy of your abilities because being a goalkeeper is hard, and being confident in your abilities and being confident in your team and being prepared for whatever challenges are thrown at you,” Potter said.

After VWU, Potter would love to keep playing soccer at a higher level, possibly professionally, but also wants to be an advocate for mental health in studentathletes. Potter is a Psychology major here, and ideally, he wants to start in a coaching position, and with his degree in Psychology, he potentially wants to be a mental health specialist. “I want to be that avenue for student-athletes to come and talk to like whether they’re struggling with something on or off the field,” Potter said.

Potter and the Men’s Soccer team will return to Foster Field at the Tassos Paphites Soccer Complex in Virginia Beach, Va., on Sept. 17 at 6:00 p.m. against the Covenant College Scots.

On July 1, 2021, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) changed their rules on Name, Image and Likeness (NIL), allowing athletes to profit off their name, image and likeness. Although NIL profit has only been around for a year, we have already seen drastic changes especially for an organization that has always been about amateurism.

Now if you follow NCAA, you have probably seen some collegiate stars at the DI level cash in on some NIL deals.

For example, University of Connecticut Women’s Basketball star junior Paige Beckers made a deal with the sports drink Gatorade and became the first NCAA athlete to partner with them. You have maybe even seen Tiktok star and junior Louisiana State University gymnast Olivia Dunne partner with multiple big brands like American Eagle and Bartleby, a study tool for students.

There is a huge misconception that you have to be a big DI star that plays for a super popular sport like football or basketball at a huge school like Alabama or Duke to cash in on these NIL deals. That is not true, there are plenty of athletes at smaller DII and DIII schools that are also cashing in on this new opportunity.

For example, Caleb Eagan is a wide receiver at East Texas Baptist University in Marshall, Tx. a small town close to the Louisiana state line. Eagan, although he played a lot of his career at Texas A&M, has been able to cash in a deal with a local Dairy Queen and with a company called Elite Athletic Gear, all while being a DIII athlete at a school that only has about 1,500 students.

There are some negatives from NIL that are being brought to life a year after its passing. At the 2022 NIL Summit held this past June in Atlanta, Ga., Tiktok star and Ohio State Lacrosse player Mitchell Pehlke went around and asked athletes about some of the negatives of NIL. Unsurprisingly some of the answers were mental health, kids becoming millionaires, taxes and the more well-known athletes at top power five conferences, like the Atlantic Coast Conference, Southeastern Conference, Big 10 Conference, Big 12 Conference and the Pac-12 Conference, getting more of the bigger deals.

Schools that help their students get agents to help with their sponsorships will be more successful than schools that leave it to the athletes to do it on their own. That would probably improve the mental health of those players even if it is by a little.

ROBERTS

Cameia Alexander|Instagram Roberts receives All-American recognition with Coaches Cameia Alexander and Richmond Letterio.

Burton compares the difference in Track and Field and points out that other sports get to have the opportunity for their entire team to travel with them regardless if all athletes are competing. The whole team enjoys to cheer their teammates on but can only do so much when not in the competition arena. “Geni is basically going out there by himself sometimes with two other teammates so it is a lot harder to feel that support from far away,” Burton said.

Roberts is looking to continue his academic career at a graduate school to further his studies in either Sports Management or a Business program. He will enter the transfer portal in December to continue his jumping career, hopefully to find a University that meets his academic and athletic requirements.

NCAA|Courtesy Roberts stands on the podium at Outdoor Nationals with his trophy for second place in the triple jump.

8

Third time’s the charm: Purrington named as cross country coach

BY COLETTE KEARNEY cmkearney@vwu.edu

In late May of 2022, Virginia Wesleyan University announced the new Head Coach of Cross Country as Ryan Purrington, marking its third coach in four years.

He is also the assistant director of Track and Field. Prior to coming to VWU, he was the director of Cross Country and Track and Field at Randolph College.

His love of running came in part from his high school cross country coach. “I was dragged kicking and screaming to my first cross country practice, [but] I fell in love with it and had phenomenal teammates,” Purrington said. “I went to Randolph and ran there for four years and started the track and field program there.”

After Purrington graduated, he coached for three-anda-half years at the high school level before going back to Randolph and leading their program for four years.

When Purrington returned to Randolph he coached Prince Charles, VWU Assistant Men’s Lacrosse Coach.

Purrington said he coaches to help athletes be the best they can be. “You know, for me, it’s much more important for folks to be happy, successful individuals coming out of college and I try to embody that,” Purrington said.

He said that the big draw for him to come to VWU was him seeing it as one of the top programs in the area when he was running for Randolph. “Where cross country has been in the past isn’t necessarily up to our potential. I know track and field with Geni, Jaylyn and Landry have shown what our potential is,” he said.

Purrington mentioned how he wants to replicate that with Cross Country and he is excited to help foster that and become one Alysse Scripter|Courtesy

of the best teams in Division III. The training Purrington has brought is different from last season. “It’s more relaxed and a lot more friendly than last year,” senior Colton Spence said.

Spence also described Purrington’s coaching style.

“Everything is planned out and he’s pretty professional with it. We know what we are doing for the whole week,” Spence said.

Junior Cecelia Aten mentioned how intense the training has been. “Coach P has definitely brought immense amounts of knowledge to the team, and has led us all to higher levels of training,” Aten said.

With this season being Aten’s first season running cross country, she did not know how it was going to go. “I have surpassed most of the goals that I had set for myself, with the guidance of Coach P. I am really excited for the rest of the season, just based on how the first few weeks of training is going,” Aten said.

Both Purrington and Spence mentioned how exciting it is to have a full team for ODACs for the men’s team, which is something they did not have last season.

“If we can keep working hard and progressing and staying healthy, we can contend for the top half of the conference,” Purrington said. “If everything goes perfectly, I think this team could be a top three team on the men’s side.”

For the women, the goals are similar. After having enough runners to score at the conference meet last season, Purrington mentioned how it is all about building off of that. With a big group of runners close together, they have been pushing each other which can lead to what Purrington hopes is a team result in the top half of the conference.

Both Aten and Purrington had positive thoughts on the results of their first meet of the season, which was the Blue Marlin Invitational held on Sept. 3.

Purrington mentioned how this meet was sort of a workout just so they could move onto campus when they did. “It’s kind of like NFL preseason where it’s really good to get the win and I think we raced really, really well,” Purrington said.

the

Schedule

the

Scoreboard

Thursday September 15, 2022 The Marlin Chronicle marlinchronicle.vwu.edu

Madelaine O’Brien|Courtesy Coach Ryan Purrington coaches his athletes at the Blue Marlin Invitational on Sept. 3.

Both teams won the meet with competition from NCAA Division II schools and a NCCA school. This was the first time the meet had been held since 2006 and Purrington mentioned how he hopes he can make this an annual tradition and host some more meets in the future.

Two juniors, James Johnson and Jason Golub, have stepped into leadership roles as upperclassmen for the men’s teams which Purrington highlighted. “James and Jason have really taken the freshman under their wing,” Purrington said. Whether it’s helping with homework or just reaching out, he praised Johnson and Golub for team spirit, along with sophomore Landon Crooks.

On the women’s side, Purrington mentioned senior Marranda Hansford and Aten and the leadership they have brought to the team. “Cece invited everyone to a pasta night just as a team which I think is really cool, they have done a really good job welcoming a team half of which are freshmen and newcomers,” Purrington said.

Both teams race again Friday, Sept. 16, when they travel up to Christopher Newport University. Stay tuned for the next few issues of the Chronicle where we will introduce the other new coaches.

Thursday September 15, 2022 The Marlin Chronicle marlinchronicle.vwu.edu

THEWEEKENDER

Take me to Pop’s diner

PAGE 9

BY MIKAYLA MOSCATELLI mamoscatelli@vwu.edu

Thinking of stopping to get a nice breakfast on your free mornings? Pop’s Diner Co. is the place to go. With it being only a four minute drive from Virginia Wesleyan, it’s worth the short wait to get to the vibrant orange brick building.

Everyone is welcomed in the diner with smiles and positive energy. The wonderful waitresses and hostesses wear cohesive, yet different Pop’s shirts, but their service is always coupled with a genuine smile, or a joke. Pop’s Diner’s kitchen is stacked with the most wonderful home-cooked menu of breakfast items. If you’re looking for the best waffles around and a full stomach, this is the place. Waffles and your other favorite breakfast and lunch items can be enjoyed at Pop’s Diner from 7 a.m. until 3 p.m., everyday of the week.

Driving by and seeing those bright yellow letters draws everyone’s attention to this homey breakfast and brunch stop. However, the food and experience are the main reasons customers stay loyal.

Brooke Underwood, junior and member of Wesleyan Choirs, had described Pop’s atmosphere as, “super homey, definitely really relaxed and cozy. Everyone at Pops is extremely nice.”

Ciarra McCarthy, hostess of the North Hampton location, told us that Pop’s had been local to Virginia Beach for 10 to 12 years.

Specifically, the North Hampton location has been there for only five years. “I would recommend our waffles for the first time since we do have the best waffles. Our most popular waffles are the ber-

Mikayla Moscatelli|Marlin Chronicle A delicious order of chicken and waffles, with coffee, at the Virginia Beach Pop’s location. ries & cream, B.M.W. Waffles (bacon infused waffles topped with maple glaze), and the most popular item is Chicken & Waffles. For savory options we also have the best Omelet, our most popular is the Captain’s Omelet, and we also have burgers,” said McCarthy.

Abby Veylupek, junior and member of Alpha Sigma Alpha, described her service as, “Welcoming and the servers were friendly.

The customer service was good, and our waitress was very sweet and attentive. I would definitely go again and I would recommend it to others.” This is just one of many recommendations Pop’s Diner receives daily.

Their hours are Monday through Sunday from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Pops is available for dine-in, curbside pickup and delivery during

their business hours.

With three locations, it’s hard to deny the attraction of their restaurants for your next breakfast or brunch. If you’re a student at Virginia Wesleyan, a commuter or a local resident, you’re not going to want to miss out on the action at Pop’s.

You can find Pop’s near you at 5720 Northampton Blvd, Virginia Beach, at 1432 Greenbrier Pkwy, Chesapeake and 2808 Sabre St., Virginia Beach.

Visit popsdinerco.com and @popsdinercompany on Instagram.

A home to living history in Norfolk

BY SASHA SAXON ansaxon@vwu.edu

Nestled within the Waterside District’s array of modern mammoth skyscrapers, restaurants and shipyards, lies one family’s house—now a home to living history. Hunter House Victorian Museum boasts a vastly different experience from the Chrysler Museum or even the Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA).

Hanna Kirby, the director of Operations and Communications at Hunter House, described the residence as having a “lack of boundaries between you and the artifacts.” This level of personability allows visitors to engage with the humanity of everyday life left by the Hunter family from the previous century. Nothing is on display—you are part of the exhibit.

Visiting Hunter House is more than just historical education. From the moment you turn into the neighborhood, you step backwards through time and the sounds of bustling Norfolk fade away. Cobblestone streets pave the historic boulevard and guide you to the welcoming Brownstone facade of the late Hunter family’s home. The grandiose arched doors beckon passersby into the wood-paneled foyer where period furniture, wallpaper and architectural characteristics compose the backdrop of a Victorian family’s lifestyle.

The Hunters were a well-traveled and well-to-do family of five—James and Lizzie, with their three children: James Jr., Harriet and Eloise. Their lush home features status symbols from the time, such as oil paintings, relics from travels and expensive children’s toys. Their wealth is evident. However, James Hunter Sr. was a self-made man, whose previous investments still fund the museum today.

Atypical for the time, all three children never married. Instead,

Hanna Kirby|Courtesy Exterior view of Hunter House Victorian Museum, located on W. Freemason Street, in Norfolk.

they stayed active within their community sphere via political movements such as the suffragette movement, or serving others through James Jr.’s career as a cardiologist and a medic during World War I. Despite their family’s legacy, the end of their lineage meant that when the youngest, Eloise, passed, she donated the family’s home to become what it is today, “a museum of decorative arts and furnishings from the Victorian era,” according to the website.

As part of the Hunter House team for two years, when asked about her favorite part of the home, Director Kirby mused that her “favorite part of the house [was] the sense of discovery,” for the staff and audience.

Even though the museum has been open to the public for years, docents and historians are still uncovering pictures, postcards and details from the Hunter family and local donors. These miniature revelations further reveal the personalities and dispositions of James, Harriet, Eloise and other Victorian-era individuals. For viewers, this personable experience helps them achieve a deeper appreciation and connection to history.

The museum’s team has done a phenomenal job “preserving local heritage, [inspiring] an appreciation for the broader historical narrative, and reach[ing] diverse communities through inclusive, accessible education, and innovative programming,” in accordance with their mission statement.

Located at 240 W. Freemason St., Norfolk, the museum is a mere eighteen minute drive from Virginia Wesleyan’s Campus. Tours, self-guided and scheduled, are available from April to December, Wednesday through Saturday, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.. As for admission, for the rest of 2022, entrance fees have been waived.

Visit their website to learn more about events and programs, or to contact a team member to plan your visit.

S ummer

mo v ie r o undup

BY RYAN ABRAHAM rsabraham@vwu.edu

“Top Gun: Maverick”

Mel Lhuillier|Marlin Chronicle

“Prey”

​ ulu’s “Prey” (2022), directed by Dan H Trachtenberg, is a prequel to the “Predator” franchise. Set in 1719, it focuses on a Comanche warrior named Naru, played

by Amber Midthunder in a strong performance, as she tracks a threat to her tribe that is ultimately revealed to be an alien hunter known as a Predator. The film features exhilarating action sequences, as Midthunder’s Naru attempts to survive and outwit the Predator.

Naru learns from her encounters with the Predator, and the film has these lessons tie together to make for a satisfying final showdown. The film also features beautiful shots throughout, thanks to cinematographer Jeff Cutter’s portrayal of the nature Naru must trek in her hunt. All of this causes “Prey” to be a must-watch, even for those who are not already fans of the “Predator” franchise.

“Bullet Train”

“Bullet Train” (2022) is an action-comedy directed by David Leitch, starring Brad Pitt as Ladybug, a mercenary tasked with retrieving a briefcase on a bullet train. His mission becomes more complicated as he encounters other mercenaries on the train with their own missions. This results in a twist-filled and engaging adventure for the viewer.

The complex plot is plussed by excellent performances from the entire cast, especially from Pitt, Joey King, Brian Tyree Henry, Aaron Taylor Johnson and Hiroyuki Sanada.

On top of the strong performances, the film features strong fight choreography and a witty sense of humor, causing “Bullet Train” to be a fast-paced thrill ride for audiences.

“​ Top Gun: Maverick” (2022), directed

by Joseph Kosinski, features Tom Cruise returning as his character, Maverick, from the original “Top Gun” (1986) film. Cruise gives a strong performance, as Maverick attempts to teach new pilots in the “Top Gun” program.

The rest of the cast also delivers strong performances, with the main standout being Miles Teller’s Rooster, the son of Maverick’s deceased friend and co-pilot, Goose. Maverick finds himself hesitant to train Rooster, providing the emotional conflict of the movie, which Cruise and Teller portray excellently.

The film also features thrilling action scenes which see the pilots fly in various combat scenarios that will keep the audience on the edge of their seat. Due to the combination of action and well-written and performed character drama, “Top Gun: Maverick’’ dominated the summer box office.

“Nope”

J​ ordan Peele’s “Nope” (2022) stars Daniel Kaluuya and Keke Palmer as siblings OJ and Emerald Haywood as the owners of their financially struggling family ranch.

After discovering that there is an alien creature flying near their town, the pair decide to capture footage of it in order to raise the money they need to save their family business.

Both Kaluuya and Palmer give stellar and grounded performances, causing their characters to be likable and relatable to the audience. ​While Peele’s usage of suspense in the film is also a standout, he also manages to blend in comedy and a sense of wonder into the film as well. This causes “Nope” to capture the lightning in a bottle of a classic Spielberg blockbuster, such as “Jaws” (1975) and “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” (1977). However, “Nope’’ is still distinctively Jordan Peele’s movie, as he delivers a stirring theme on the dangers of trying to capture spectacles.

Thursday September 15, 2022 The Marlin Chronicle marlinchronicle.vwu.edu

THEWEEKENDER

PAGE 10

Dig in to some Sandy Buns on 31st

Mel Lhuillier|Marlin Chronicle 5 out of 5 buns for flavor and family dedication.

BY KYLEA MCCAREL ksmccarel@vwu.edu

Located right in the heart of the Virginia Beach Oceanfront on 31st Street is a brand new sweet spot so delightfully named Sandy Buns. Sandy Buns, a cute play on words, offers a new way to treat yourself healthily. From decadent Cinnamon buns with the most perfect amount of sweet to their new signature “Swirlwhiches,” Sandy Buns has created new ways to give into your sweet tooth.

Siblings Scott and Kristen Houghton conceived the family owned bakery at the oceanfront based on their mom’s, Theresa Houghton, delicious homemade cinnamon rolls.

The small local business differentiates itself from a typical sweet shop by offering mostly vegan products.

“We wanted to appease all walks of people … lifestyles and journeys, for fitness and health,” said Kristen who is vegan herself.

Their number one signature item is a healthy twist on the classic cinnamon bun. The $5 “Classic” as they call it is a large freshly baked bun rolled with their secret cinnamon mixture that is then baked to perfection and topped with vegan cream cheese frosting. “It is the softest, fluffiest dough we spent months testing and creating,” Theresa Houghton said.

For an extra $2 you have the option to “Make it Sandy!” and build your own bun. This includes a wide variety of spreads, toppings and drizzles. From raspberry curd to bacon bits, strawberries, honey and peanut butter sauce the options satisfy the need for sweet or savory.

The other tantalizing menu option is their signature savory Swirlwhiches. If you are looking for something a bit more filling, they offer pesto infused, sundried tomato and italian herb sandwich bread that you can fill with your choice of select deli meats and cheeses. Swirlwhich bread, as they have coined it, is similar in concept to a cinnamon bun as they take typical tasty ingredients and swirl them into the dough.

Kylea McCarel|Marlin Chronicle Sandy Buns’ classic roll with vegan cream cheese frosting is one of the many recipes of the Houghton’s.

They have also created a “Sweet Heat” sauce for those looking to spice up their palettes. “I wanted to create a different kind of sandwich that my taste buds dreamed of eating. Hoagies and subs are overrated,” Scott said.

Other products they offer that are more of a grab and go style are the enticing “Cinnaminis,” smaller versions of the signature classic, and their most recent invention “Sandy Chicks.” Sandy Chicks are chickpeas that are roasted in house and tossed in Everything Bagel or Peach Bourbon seasoning. They are prepackaged and available in two sizes for those on the go.

As hard as starting a new business can be, Sandy Buns believes they truly set themselves apart from the rest of the bakery community not only with their vegan products but with their long term experience as a family owned business.

Head baker Theresa Houghton has an extensive history of being a pastry chef and employed her children Scott and Kristen at a young age to work at their family food truck selling different fried dough products. They would travel to different spots and Scott and Kristen became familiar with the process of owning and operating a small business. “I always felt comfortable with dough and I feel I understand it,” Kristen Houghton said.

These childhood experiences have made Scott and Kristen what they feel to be the perfect team. “My brother and I wanted to start some sort of business concept” said

Kristen and being familiar with dough, creating Sandy Buns and their signature rolls felt like second nature. With the help of their mom’s decadent recipes and their own dreams and concepts Sandy Buns was born.

Opening back in the middle of July, business has been slow, but they are hoping for so much more as they embark on new community outreach. “We have some things in the works,” says Kristen Houghton.

They are currently working with the non-profit organization Pandas Fight Against Cancer. Pandas Fight Against Cancer is a local Hampton Roads nonprofit that benefits people in the area battling with cancer by helping with hospital bills, running toy drives during Christmas, and even back to school supply donation drives.

They have come together to develop a unique t-shirt design and plan on giving a certain percentage of their sales from National Cinnamon Bun Day, Oct. 4, to the local non-profit. If you are looking to help them in their fundraising efforts, they invite customers to come out on Oct. 4 as they are offering free Cinnaminis if you like and follow their Instagram and Facebook pages. This in turn helps both local entrepreneurs and you even get to taste the flavorful fun that is Sandy Buns.

You can follow them @sandybunsva on Instagram and Facebook. You can find Sandy Buns at 348 Laskin Rd, Virginia Beach, VA 23451.

LockerRoom boasts mystery van and vintage finds

BY ELIJAH JENKINS emjenkins@vwu.edu

The LockerRoom is a minority-owned vintage clothing, sneaker store and barbershop in Norfolk. The high end store can be found in the heart of the downtown area, within walking distance from the waterfront and Scope Arena. Owned and operated by city natives, The LockerRoom embodies the, “For us, By us,” mantra, offering customers several ways to benefit from their service.

Flea market meets garage sale meets boutique, the inside of this storefront consists of a carefully curated display of shirts, pants, jackets, sports jerseys, license plates, action figures and a number of other eclectic artifacts spanning several decades.

In addition to purchasing authentic vintage clothing, patrons can sell their goods outright or on consignment as well as propose a trade.

Every LockerRoom employee is given the autonomy to carry out any of the three. The result is the constant exchange of a wide variety of random merchandise allowing the store to support a diverse set of customers.

Owning this collection of clothing and paraphernalia is quite the accomplishment, especially when considering where the store began. In just over two years, The LockerRoom has turned that rack of clothes into a multifaceted staple in the community.

Diversity and creativity being the ethos of the business, all who are associated with The LockerRoom never stop coming up with unique ways to promote the business.

All of The LockerRoom’s employees are eager to inform you about their weekly raffles held every Monday via Instagram Live, showcasing the individuality and animation of whichever employee is hosting.

Employees can be seen jumping up and down and offering expensive shoes to viewers, oftentimes for less than half of their listed value. The genuine excitement they show should expect some confusion given they are intentionally losing money.

The concept of a raffle or giveaway is not uncommon amongst retailers but the rate at which The LockerRoom holds them is excessive. However, this obscure tactic led them to try even more distinctive methods to manufacture engagement.

One of which being their mystery van, mimicking the van used by Scooby Doo

Elijah Jenkins|Marlin Chronicle Top left: The Scooby Doo inspired mystery machine serves as a pop-up shop for customers in Hampton Roads.

Top right: The LockerRoom features an array of sneakers and shirts.

Below: The minority-owned small business also sells action figures and eclectic artifacts for buyers. antics the store will come up with.

Locals and newcomers alike should all check out The LockerRoom in downtown Norfolk. The easygoing, welcoming vibe along with the unique interactive shopping experience engages the customer from the door to the checkout line.

The LockerRoom is open Monday to Saturday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. with weekly live sales via Instagram Live on Mondays starting at 7 p.m. The LockerRoom is located at 426 Granby St. Norfolk, Va. Follow them on Instagram and Facebook @LockerRoomNFK.

If you have an idea about interesting places for students, reach out to: and Mystery Incorporated. Tagged with The LockerRoom on the side of the blue and orange van, filled with clothes and shoes, employees ride around the city ready for an impromptu pop up shop while simultaneously promoting the store.

If you are lucky enough to be in the area for one of The LockerRoom’s scavenger hunts, you may find a pair of Air Jordans

behind a dumpster on Main Street. Each of these are ways they are distinguishing themselves from other retailers and people are taking notice. Whether it’s climbing a tree for a free shirt or trading a bag of nacho cheese doritos for a new pair of shoes, 13,800 people and counting have followed The LockerRoom on Instagram to stay up to date with whatever quirky, innovative

Weekender Editors

Sasha Saxon at ansaxon@vwu.edu and Mikayla Moscatelli at mamoscatelli@vwu.edu