March 1, 2017

THE MARLIN CHRONICLE Caf behind the counter: THURSDAY 3.2.17 || MARLINCHRONICLE.VWC.EDU ||

VIRGINIA WESLEYAN COLLEGE

conditions concern students

BY ASHLEY KLINE aakline@vwc.edu

According to a former security officer’s Facebook page, the officer went into the kitchen of Boyd Dining Hall after dark and made some surprising discoveries.

The security officer posted pictures of the findings on social media, such as pots filled with melted margarine along with dirty burners and fryers, that same night with the following caption, “This is part of the reason NOT TO EAT AT VWC…. EWWWWWWW THERE’S NO REASON KIDS AT VWC PAY TO EAT LIKE THIS!!!!”

Because of the concerns raised by the officer’s posted photos, the Marlin Chronicle sent a reporter and a photographer of its own into the cafeteria kitchen to ask questions and take

photos, some of which can be seen above.

Director of Dining Services Tim Lockett confirmed that the Facebook pictures seemed to have been taken in Virginia Wesleyan’s cafeteria. However, he did ensure that the college’s kitchen has passed health inspections with minimal violations. The college’s most recent health inspection was last week, according to Lockett.

Sources say that the security officer’s employment was terminated before she released the photos. The termination was not confirmed Courtney Herrick| Marlin Chronicle by school administrators.

The above appliances can be found in the back of the cafeteria.

Stay with The Marlin Chronicle for online updates on this developing story.

Hundreds impacted by VWC cyber scam

BY ASHLEY KLINE aakline@vwc.edu

Virginia Wesleyan College announced on Feb. 15 that the W-2s of those employed by the college in 2016 were compromised as a result of a phishing scam.

The scam was reported in a Nota Bene emailed by President Scott D. Miller later that afternoon.

A phishing scam obtains people’s information when scammers pose as reputable sources.

Vice President for Administration and Finance Cary Sawyer is attending to the scam’s aftermath. Sawyer said that 684 individuals were affected by the scam, both faculty and work-study students alike.

Luke Wentling, a junior impacted by the scam, said, “When I first heard about it, I thought it was just for faculty and staff, so I wasn’t really sure. Then they

sent me an email saying I might be affected.”

Sawyer explained that all affected individuals received an additional email the following day, Feb. 16. Miller said that the college’s risk managers and insurance carriers were also notified of the incident, and they have helped the college to devise a plan of action.

The college is also offering involved individuals a two-year credit-monitoring plan for free that includes fraud resolution.

“It’s our hope that everybody that was affected had the ability to get a service to lock their personal information in an expedient way to prevent them from having something occur,” Miller said.

Sawyer and Director of Human Resources Karla Rasmussen will addition-

ally be hosting meetings to answer any questions that students and faculty may have in light of the scam as well as to discuss the scam’s impact.

Miller described the response to the phishing scam as the result of “human error.”

“It was just a good, honest, long-time employee who made a mistake,” Miller said.

The employee is still working with the college. However, the college has made adjustments to its training procedures to prevent such incidents from occurring in the future. The college plans to upgrade the information that it gives staff regarding such scams.

“We’ll have a lot of education coming out. We’re exploring some other options of some programs we can put in place to

be more employee-specific and target employees with specific information to help them protect themselves and the college from these types of incidents going forward,” Sawyer said.

Sawyer said that the full impact of the scam is still unknown. Information that was included with student and faculty W-2 documents was individuals’ names, home addresses, social security numbers and salary information.

The state of Virginia flagged the information of all employees that were impacted by the scam. Little complication should arise for students and faculty who have already filed their taxes. Sawyer explained that those who file their taxes and owe money should experience no problems with their tax returns.

CONTINUED AT MARLINCHRONICLE.VWC.EDU

Plan to defund Planned Parenthood vetoed

BY JULIE AINSLEY

Planned Parenthood Services

jmainsley@vwc.edu

STI/STD Treatment and Testing Cancer Screening

Percentage

Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe vetoed the proposed bill to defund Planned Parenthood centers in Virginia on Feb. 21. The bill had passed in the Senate with a 20-19 vote.

The bill would have prevented the Virginia Department of Health from providing funds to clinics that provide abortion services to women not covered by Medicaid.

McAuliffe said that this was the right thing to do for Virginia.

“It’s important for women to have access to quality health care. This is what matters to Virginia families today,” McAuliffe said.

Virginia is home to five Planned Parenthood centers, including one locally on Newtown Road. Many of Virginia Wesleyan College’s students have gone there to complete internships, volunteer and take advantage of services such as birth control, STD testing and overall health care for both women and men.

Junior women and gender studies major Darlene Flucker previously completed an internship with the center and is the president of the Generation Action club on campus.

“Really what is funded, or matched, by the government are services like STD testing, which actually gets the most funding. That, pap smears, and birth control get the main portion of the funding,” Flucker said.

Other Women Health Services Abortion Services Other Services Contraception

Past Couple of Years Infographic by Ashlei Gates

CONTINUED AT MARLINCHRONICLE.VWC.EDU

2 The Marlin Chronicle | marlinchronicle.vwc.edu

Thursday, March 2, 2017

INTRODUCING

Starting Summer 2017 for study away and research.

SHIPP participants are eligible for:

* Summer tuition at $150 per credit hour * Research grants up to $1,000 * Summer Study Abroad grants up to $2,000 * $500 study away grants for students enrolled in ENVS283: Sustainability Seminar in Alaska or HUMS 231/431: Tale of Two Cities: Paris & Normandy * Additional study away course grants up to $1,200 with a minimum GPA of 2.7

To Apply:

* Applicants have a minimum GPA of 2.5 * Submit an application (avalible on the Lighthouse’s SHIPP webpage) * Submit a faculty endorsement

Application Deadline:

March 15, 2017 More information is available on the Lighthouse’s website.

3

COMMUNITY The

MARLIN CHRONICLE Editor-in-Chief Sarah Antozzi scantozzi@vwc.edu News Editors Courtney Herrick clherrick@vwc.edu Ashley Kline aakline@vwc.edu Community Editors Jasmine Driggs jtdriggs@vwc.edu Cynthia Griffin clgriffin@vwc.edu Opinions Editors Michael Willson mnwillson@vwc.edu Hayley Heath hrheath@vwc.edu The Weekender Editors Justin Smith jrsmith2@vwc.edu Miranda Fein mlfein@vwc.edu Sports Editors Corey King ckking1@vwc.edu Luke Chiasson lachiasson@vwc.edu Photo Editors Anthony Dellamura aadellamura@vwc.edu Ashlei Gates angates@vwc.edu Illustrations Editors Britani Daley badaley@vwc.edu Valerie Miller vgmiller@vwc.edu Online/ Social Media Editors Victoria Laughlin vnlaughlin@vwc.edu Brandon Gilchrist bjgilchrist@vwc.edu Chief Copy Editor Laurissa Senecal ljsenecal@vwc.edu Advertising Representative Sarah Antozzi scantozzi@vwc.edu Adviser

Dr. Lisa Lyon Payne lpayne@vwc.edu

The Marlin Chronicle is the official student newspaper of Virginia Wesleyan College. Staff meetings are held every Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. in Batten 217.

Signed submissions are welcome, but subject to the discretion of the editor. Letters are not edited for content, but may be edited for length. The views and opinions expressed in this newspaper may not necessarily reflect the views of the entire staff of The Marlin Chronicle or Virginia Wesleyan College.

Thursday March 2, 2017 The Marlin Chronicle marlinchronicle.vwc.edu

Spotlight: A bite of science Abigail Spahr is swimming with the sharks—or will be soon, at least. With a major in biology and a minor in marine science, her future goals are to study sharks, help preserve their habitat and educate the public about the importance of marine life.

BY MICKELLA RAST mjrast@vwc.edu

Spahr sits down and places her keys and laptop on the table in front of her. The laptop is covered with stickers of Ariel, the Deathly Hallows Sigil from Harry Potter, a coffee cup, the Disney logo, Spyro the dragon and the letters of her sorority Alpha Sigma Alpha. Last, but certainly not least, is the outline of a swimming shark with a galaxy pattern filling it in.

Each is a nod to her passions but only one represents her future.

“My interest in sharks is kind of a new thing, to say the least. Originally when I came here I planned on being a vet and then I got really dedicated to marine biology and any sort of marine life,” Spahr said. “And then that kind of slowly awakened this interest in sharks, I guess…I think they’re fascinating.”

Spahr gestures with her hands as she talks, moving them rapidly as her voice picks up speed.

“Sharks aren’t evil. They play a very important role in our environment,” she said. “I feel like the ocean is lost on a lot of people, like they don’t realize how much of our livable space is ocean.”

When Spahr’s hands begin knocking repeatedly against her loose hair, she absently shoves it over her shoulder and continues.

She talks about the behavioral analysis she did on the sharks at the Virginia Aquarium, her plans to work in the shark tank once she’s scuba-certified and the type of study-away trips she thinks would be interesting. On the last topic, she adds that she’s consulting with her professors about potential study-away opportunities and her next steps.

When asked about her dream job, the response comes easily and quickly.

“If I could have any job in the world I would honestly just sit in the water and observe sharks. I really want to be out there, and in the water, doing a lot of the field research,” Spahr said.

Spahr shrugs good-naturedly and admits that she hasn’t gotten much further than that in her plans. “I know I want to be in the field study-

ing them, I just don’t know what aspect of it.

That’s the hardest part right now.”

Despite this, she has faith that she will end up where she’s meant to—namely, in the salty blue with her finned friends.

Ashlei Gates| Marlin Chronicle “Whenever I go out in the ocean it just kinda feels like this is where I need to be.”

Although her interest in sharks is fairly new, her love for the ocean began early in life.

She recalls watching documentaries as a child and being vaguely interested in the ones that featured savannah animals, or forest creatures. But the documentaries that captured her full attention were the ones about the ocean.

“That’s when I really remember zoning in as a kid,” she said. “I’ve always been intrigued with marine life… the interest has really always been there, but it wasn’t until college that I kind of figured that that’s what I want to do

Marlins Declassified

Graduation survival kit

BY JASMINE DRIGGS jtdriggs@vwc.edu

1. “Consider living some place you have never lived before, especially in a big city. This is the perfect time to make a move, and there are three ways you can do this: (1) go to graduate school, (2) get a job offer, or (3) live with a friend or relative while you seek employment. Take advantage of your mobility when you are young and have few responsibilities. - Kathy Merlock Jackson, professor of communication.

2. “Get an internship. Gain as much experience as you can in an area that interests you the most to ensure that is the route you would like to go upon graduation. - Takeyra Collins, visiting instructor of recreation and leisure

Britani Alyse| Marlin Chronicle

Marlins help the military

BY BRIANNA KIDWELL bnclarkson@vwc.edu

The Marlin Chronicle Virginia Wesleyan College 1584 Wesleyan Drive Norfolk, VA 23502 757.455.3311

“As a former collegiate student newspaper editor, professional journalist and long-time advisor for the Society of Collegiate Journalists, I understand the role and value of student media at a liberal arts college. Virginia Wesleyan College proudly supports the editorial independence and press freedom of student-edited publications.

We believe that student editors have the authority to make all content decisions and consequently, assume full responsibility for decisions they make.”

--Scott D. Miller, Ph.D President

for a living.”

Virginia Wesleyan College also made her aware of a conservationist issue that Spahr has taken up with passion: shark finning, or the removal of a shark’s fins.

“One of the biggest impacts for me was last semester in Marine Biology, when Professor [Soraya] Bartol showed this video of the shark-finning trade. This undercover journalist went to these areas and he just panned across the ocean of like all these sharks with their fins cut off and they’re just sitting there and suffocating…It’s like an entire ocean floor covered by carcasses of sharks.”

Sharks breathe by ram ventilation, or propelling themselves through the water. Without their fins, they are unable to swim, and so they sink to the ocean floor and slowly suffocate to death.

Though this is a well-known and recorded phenomenon, the finning trade is largely unmonitored and unmanaged. In part, this is because of the negative culture surrounding sharks. Spahr compares it to overfishing tuna, which became a widespread issue after it was found to harm dolphin populations.

“Dolphins are something that they can be like, ‘It’s cute, it’s adorable.’ It’s harder with sharks, because people see them more as evil.”

Besides habitat conservation, one of her goals after graduation is to help dispel the myths about sharks, and bring the populace around to a better understanding of the creatures Spahr fondly calls “ancient” and “majestic.”

For now, however, the only fish she’s playing with is significantly smaller than a shark: Polaris, an opal dragonscale betta fish. He nibbles her fingers as she feeds him and dreams of water far larger and more splendid than anything man-made.

“I definitely think that this is the right career choice,” Spahr said. “It might not be the one that makes me rich, but it’ll be the one that makes me happiest.”

Thomas Reinhold| Marlin Chronicle Military members stand in line for the job fair in the CMAC.

Numerous employers came to the Jane P. Batten Student Center, seeking the perfect employees for their companies, when Virginia Wesleyan College recently hosted the Hampton Roads Military Hiring Event on Wednesday, Feb. 22.

The event was from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and had been advertised not only on Virginia Wesleyan College’s campus and website but also on multiple job fair websites.

This hiring event was not necessarily for the students who currently go to Virginia Wesleyan College but was more of a hosting ground for service members and veterans in need of jobs and seeking new forms of work. VWC will be hosting a “Career Day” for its stu-

dents on March 14, run by the Career Services Department.This will be a career day for VWC students, especially those near graduation, to explore and find jobs and internships.

The organizer of the hiring event, Sharalyn Saliger, is the program manager for Futures Inc., where she helps create events for service members and veterans to find civilian jobs when they finish their service. These job fairs are conducted throughout the nation and match employers with job-seekers.

At the job fair, the Jane P. Batten Student Center was packed with men and women dressed in their best to impress their potential employers. Feedback about the event was positive.

4 The Marlin Chronicle | marlinchronicle.vwc.edu

Thursday, March 2, 2017

CAMPUS Laura Robusto countdown Mathematics major March 2nd Abortion and Faith: AntiAbortion Reasoning, Effective Communication Time: 7:00 p.m.- 8:15 p.m.

Location: Blocker Auditorium Jacqueline Hawkins will discuss the reasoing behind the anti-abortion stance. The event is sponsored by Virginia Wesleyan College’s Center for the study of Religious Freedom and the “Mediating Religious Center” series. Free and open to the public.

March 9th Lynne Hartnett: From Women’s March to Reveloution Time: 11:00 a.m.-12:00p.m.

Location: The Lighthouse Historian Dr. Lynne Hartnett will speak on the occasion of he 100-year anniversary of the outbreak of the Russian Revolution on March 8, 1917, International Women’s Day.

March 9th D.C. Day Time: 7:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.

Location: Washington, D.C. Students, faculty and staff join the Lighthouse Center for Exploration and Discovery for a day in Washington, D.C. Busses depart from the Jane P. Batten Student Center parking lot at 7 am.

Reservations are required.

The cost is $5. Register and pay in Clarke Hall, Office 109

by Friday, March 3.

BY JASMINE DRIGGS jtdriggs@vwc.edu Q: “What is your favorite memory as a freshman?”

A: “A really funny memory was my first hall get-together with the other women from first-floor East Hall. We went to get sushi, which I really don’t care for, and while I was moving tables to make a huge table for all of us to sit at, a glass soy-sauce bottle fell onto the floor. The bottle not only broke, but soy sauce went everywhere and a few drops splashed into Kristen and Stephanie’s eyes. Soon after that incident, they became my best friends.”

Freshman Q: “What is something that you will never forget about Virginia Wesleyan College?”

A: “I will never forget the opportunities that VWC gave me and the leadership and individual growth that I experienced here. From doing research to doing an internship to being on executive boards, I don’t think I would have gotten so much experience at any of the other schools I was looking at..”

Q: “What is the most exciting thing you’ve done as a Marlin?”

A: “When I did my internship at Cru’s International Headquarters in Orlando, Florida, we went ziplining when it was storming outside and when I still had a sprained ankle. Part of the zipline went over a gator pond and it was really exciting. Even though I had the time of my life, at the end of the day, my ankle was killing me.”

Q: “How do you think Virginia Wesleyan College has helped to mold you into the woman that you are today?”

A: “I think the opportunities here have given me a confidence in myself that I’ve never had before. I have grown to have more of a reliance on God with all the obstacles and trying times that I have gone through while at VWC. Finally, VWC has helped me mold into a woman who has a heart for the world and a love for the people in it.”

Q: “If you had to leave the underclassmen with one piece of advice after your senior year, what would it be?”

A: “Never think that a professor is not going to bring doughnuts. All the professors want to help you, even if it’s just by bringing doughnuts. Don’t think that a professor won’t do anything for you as a student.”

Britani Alyse | Marlin Chronicle Activities: • Wesleyan Scholor, NSF-STEM Scholars program, • Sigma Zeta Science and Mahematics Honor Society • Beta Beta Beta Biological Honor Society • Omicron Delta Kappa National Leadership Honor Soceity • Phi Eta Sigma National Honor Society • Eta Sigma Phi Latin Honor Society • Cru (Campus Crusade for Christ) • Math Club • Science Club • Vocaholics A Cappella Club

March 13th Challenges of Religious Freedom around the Globe: 2017 Time: 7:30 p.m.- 8:15 p.m.

Location: Boyd Dining Center David Saperstein, will speak on the work to promote religious freedom around the world and to fight persecution, discrimination, and genocide by groups like ISIS.

CRIME BLOTTER

Courtesy|Thinkstock February 17 9:29 p.m. |Trespassers Batten Center No description.

February 25 9:49 p.m. |Controlled Sub C Lot No description.

February 26 5:02 a.m.|Visitor B Lot No description.

February 27 10:15 a.m. |Closed Batten Candy stolen from office.

Laura Robusto| Courtesy

Senior

Ashlei Gates| Marlin Chronicle

A new approach to public speaking

BY CYNTHIA GRIFFIN clgriffini@vwc.edu

Each time someone opens their mouth to speak or give a presentation, they are doing some type of public speaking. However, a lot of people don’t have proper public speaking skills. That’s when the Learning Center comes in. The new speech lab inside of the Learning Center opened a few weeks ago.

Kim Fahle, the coordinator of writing services in the Learning Center, said that the topic of bringing a public speaking tutor to the Learning Center came up when faculty began to think that students needed to have a resource available to help them with oral presentations. This is especially important since many students make formal presentations during Virginia Wesleyan College’s Port Days.

Michael Cotter is now the head of the speech lab. He has a background in print and broadcast journalism and has taught technical writing and literature courses. Cotter said he hopes that the setup of the speech lab will aid as many students as possible.

In the speech lab, students can come in to get help with any type of oral presentation that they may have to prepare for. If they are taking a public speaking class, Cotter can help students with everything from creating an outline to practicing their actual speech.

One thing that is special about the speech lab is that students can come in and record themselves delivering their speech or going over a presentation.

This tool is something that Cotter has used in the past with some of his own students.

“Videotaping the students is a good way for students to get feedback on how they are doing,” Cotter said. “The only feedback that students usually get is on paper, so with the recording, they can go back and watch themselves do their presentation.”

When students visit the speech lab, they can also get help with preparing visual aids to go along with their presentation. It is important not to have too much information on the PowerPoint slides.

The lab is not limited only to those who are taking a public speaking class.

Students can come in to practice presentations for any class. Multiple students can use the room to practice for group presentations with or without the tutor.

Although public speaking is not a required class at Virginia Wesleyan College, Cotter said that he believes that everyone should have some sort of public speaking assistance.

“First impressions are important. The first exposure that someone has with you is communication, when you shake their hand and open your mouth. So you need to make that first impression count,” Cotter said.

Even though it has been open for a few weeks, the speech lab hasn’t gotten much foot traffic.

“There are all kinds of student support on campus. This is just another one that’s more personalized,” Cotter said.

R.I.P.

to our friend “Big Daddy Cat”

Val Miller | Marlin Chronicle

BY JASMINE DRIGGS jtdriggs@vwc.edu

On Feb. 20, 2017 the catfish in the fishtank in the Jane P. Batten Student Center was found floating inside the tank. After the company that is in charge of the fishtank arrived, the catfish was pronounced dead. The catfish died from a skin bacteria that is called ich. William Harrell, Associate Director for the Jane P. Batten Student Center, referred to the catfish as “Big Daddy Cat.”

5

OPINIONS

Thursday March 2, 2017 The Marlin Chronicle marlinchronicle.vwc.edu

Freshmen in Village IV

BY JULIE AINSLEY jmainsley@vwc.edu

I remember my freshman year like it was yesterday.

Freshman year was a time when I was figuring out who I was while also navigating my new environment at VWC. To say that it was difficult is an understatement.

One thing that helped me integrate into the VWC community was living in communal-style housing.

I had a great roommate, entertaining hallmates and a fantastic RA who were all within a close walk if I needed to talk to someone. Sharing bathrooms and showers may not be ideal for most people, but I think that communal style living is essential.

When I heard new students were coming into the Batten Honors College, I was excited. I was intrigued to see how the culture of our campus would be affected. But when I heard they would live in Village IV, I had mixed feelings.

If you don’t know what the Batten Honors College is, it is the replacement for the Honors and Scholars program here. The program will admit 40 students, with 20 of them getting full-tuitions cholarships.

This program is so great for our community. It is bringing so many different kinds of students to our campus.

It will also bring in greater opportunity for this group to be successful on campus and in its future. But what I am worried about is the new Marlins having the opportunity to fully integrate into the campus community.

I feel as though there is a stigma about living in the

Val Miller|Marlin Chronicle townhouses and not coming out of your house. I have seen it, and I am worried that the luxury of honors housing will keep our new students contained, especially at a time when they are at their most vulnerable.

As an RA for first-year students, I had the job of not only being a resource for my residents, but also integrating them into the community. This was the most important part of my job because if freshmen do not feel like they will fit into the community, they will leave. Those first few weeks are crucial in this aspect and communal living helps with that.

Now don’t get me wrong, I do think that this is a prestigious opportunity and the students deserve to be recognized with the luxury of living in Village IV. These students worked hard to get here and they deserve to have the best of the best. But I think that they will miss out on the opportunity to live as a communal community in a hall.

I think those involved in integrating these students will have a hefty job. They need to make sure they are programming and building relationships with our Batten Honors students so that they can have a great Marlin experience.

No recognition for Dean’s List

BY MICHAEL WILLSON mnwillson@vwc.edu

College can be a difficult time. We spend long, countless hours writing essays, doing readings and studying for exams. Our hard work really pays off when we receive a good grade, whether it is 3.5 or a 4.0. There is only fivetenths of a point’s difference between a 3.5 and a 4.0, but it can still make a difference in how the college recognizes you.

At Virginia Wesleyan College, we have the Dean’s List and the President’s List. The Dean’s List is a list of students who achieved a 3.5 GPA and above. It shows that

you are among VWC’s best and brightest. It is also a great thing to put on your resume, especially if you make it multiple times. The President’s List is for students who specifically achieved a 4.0 GPA. You can find both lists on Virginia Wesleyan College’s website. The President’s List, however, can also be found on the college’s Facebook page and was in a Note Bene.

The President’s List is fairly new. It came about after President Scott Miller’s first semester at Virginia Wesleyan College in the fall of 2015. When Miller’s predecessor, Billy Greer, was here, there was no President’s List. Students who earned a 4.0 were put on the Dean’s List along with the students who earned a 3.5. The only difference was that there was a small reception for the students who earned a 4.0.

I am not against the idea of having a President’s List.

Earning a 4.0 GPA is not an easy accomplishment. I agree that students who earn this GPA deserve to be recognized, but that does not mean that students who earn a 3.5-3.9 should be ignored. While the President’s List was on Facebook and in the Note Bene, the Dean’s List was nowhere to be seen. I had to Google it in order to find it.

Students who make the Dean’s List work just as hard as students who make the President’s List. They deserve the

same recognition. There is no reason why they should not be recognized. The college used to post the Dean’s List on social media before the President’s List was established.

Dean’s List students should not lose that recognition just because there is also a President’s List.

I feel that by only recognizing the students who made the President’s List, the college is creating a hierarchy. It’s almost like they are saying, “Oh, you made the Dean’s List? That’s nice. Look at all of these students who made the President’s List. Let’s celebrate them instead.”

Some people have made the argument that recognizing the students who made the Dean’s List is like giving a child a participation trophy. I see it more as earning a silver medal. Yes, the best athletes win the gold medal, but the second-best win the silver. While silver is below gold, they earn their medal with the same amount of dignity.

Let’s do the same with the students who make the Dean’s List. Post it on social media and mention it the Note Bene just like with the President’s List.

This is not to downplay the students who made the President’s List. Earning a 4.0 GPA is a huge accomplishment and they deserve to be recognized, but that doesn’t mean that the students who made the Dean’s List should be neglected.

Personally, I find the fact that the next bachelorette is going to be black is really exciting and I think that it’s about time. I have always been a fan of both shows but the lack of diversity on them has always bothered me. Of course every season there are black contestants on both “The Bachelor” and “The Bachelorette” but there are usually only two or three out of 25 and even then they are lucky if they last two or three episodes before they are sent home. Almost every couple who gets engaged on the show ends up breaking up months later. I often wonder if it would be different if they had a more diverse group of contestants.

That’s the interesting thing about Rachel Lindsay. She has made it pretty far on “The Bachelor” this season and as of last week she is still on there. As well as being the

first black bachelorette, she is also the first bachelorette to be announced while she was currently on the show. Of course because the show is shot so far in advance it is obvious that she isn’t the one that the current bachelor Nick Viall ends up with in the end, so we’ll just have to wait to see when she gets sent home.

I think that Rachel Lindsay is a great choice for the next bachelorette. She was always nice and friendly, and she had a decent career and has had little to no drama on “The Bachelor.” I only hope that everything works out great when she has her own chance at finding love.

To say I’m excited is an understatement. The show is set to start filming in a few weeks and will premiere in May. So you can believe that I will be front and center in my living room ready to watch history be made.

New Bachelorette brings diversity

BY CYNTHIA GRIFFIN

clgriffin@vwc.edu

After 12 seasons of “The Bachelorette” and a combined 33 seasons of “The Bachelor” and “The Bachelorette” franchises, Rachel Lindsay is the shows’ first black bachelorette.

I have always been a fan of both “The Bachelor” and “The Bachelorette.” I don’t watch it religiously, but it is one of my guilty pleasure shows. It has the right amount of romance and drama that a girl needs.

For those who don’t know about the show, it’s a dating show on the ABC network. It first started with “The Bachelor” and then the creators of the show branched off and created “The Bachelorette.” “The Bachelor” starts with one single guy who is “the bachelor” and during his season he dates 25 women at the same time. At the end of each episode one girl, sometimes two, are sent home during the famous rose ceremony. The show follows that process until the bachelor gets down to the final two girls.

On the season finale, the Bachelor chooses to propose to one of the girls and the other girl is unfortunately dumped.

The plus side of getting dumped on “The Bachelor” is that you’re likely to be the next Bachelorette.

“The Bachelorette” is set to the same premise as “The Bachelor,” only instead of 25 women there are 25 men, and at the end of the season the final two men propose to the bachelorette and she accepts one of their proposals.

Rachel Lindsay, the first African American Bachelorette.

Chicago Tribune|Courtesy

6 The Marlin Chronicle | marlinchronicle.vwc.edu

Thursday, March 2, 2017

An immigrant’s perspective

BY MARIA GARCIA mlgarcia@vwc.edu

I am an immigrant and a junior criminal justice and psychology major. I am also a senator and representative of the Student Government Association (SGA). I am honored and I am so blessed to be a Marlin and a scholar of Virginia Wesleyan College.

As an aspiring student leader, I am humbled to say that learning English as my second language made me the person I am today. I am here to represent my fellow immigrants and students of our campus, Virginia Wesleyan College. I am here to stand my ground to help represent, to fight and to rectify the misleading information about deportation. I am also here to fight for the undocumented immigrants who do not have any criminal records. As the saying goes, “If there is a will, God will give us the way to stay.”

I came to America 29 years ago looking for a place where people pull together to make their dreams come alive. I was born and raised in the Philippines, and coming to America is the one thing I never dreamt of. God made the way for my family and me to be here in America away from half of my family.

The transition was not easy. I suffered from a lot of insults and discrimination because the language was not the one I grew up with. I have shed a lot of tears during my stay in America. Believe it or not, even my nanay (mother) called me crazy when I told her that, for many years, I had been dreaming of returning to the Philippines. I guess it will never happen if my very own family won’t allow me to go back and be

separated away from my new family here.

As an authorized resident of America, I am here to help and assist people in the process of filling out all the necessary papers to become an authorized resident.

Eight years ago when Obama’s administration executed an order to reform the immigration laws to deport and separate families, I did not see any resistance and major dispute about the executive order. However, when Trump did it? People went upside down. Deportation has been the topic of immigration reform for a very, very long time and it is about time to really implement the laws to fix this nightmare.

It has nothing to do with the president and it is not about the temporary ban of immigrants.

Stop resisting and start accepting that we have a new president and we have to obey the law. It not about being rich or poor, it is about fixing the broken and corrupted government. Like many others, I came from a poor family who dreamt that one day God would hear and answer our prayers to make a difference in the lives of many who struggle in life. The time has come and the time is now to help my fellow immigrants to fight a good fight of faith that if we immigrants do our duty and are part of the solution and not the problem, then maybe we can resolve the broken system and move on.

Sometimes we the people have to lose our battle and but aim to win the war, especially when it comes to immigration laws. We all agree that immigration is broken and this is our chance to fix and resolve all our problems and stop hiding and running away from the authority. We must all redeem ourselves to be free from the bandages and the shadow of fear of the unknown. As an immigrant, the battle is not with the president and his administration but is with the American-born citizens of this country. Many Americans think that immigrants are a threat and a burden to the American people, but that is not true.

As I represent my fellow immigrants, I want people to know that we immigrants are also an asset to this country and to the American people and we deserve to be respected like Americans too! As an immigrant and a law-abiding citizen of this country, I respect what is right and condemn the wrong and we as immigrants expect the same from American people. We don’t ask much from this government. We only ask to be treated as human beings with the same dreams as others do. We want to live freely and be liberated from the insults and discrimination from the American people.

Sharing culture through music

BY JONATHAN JOYNER jrjoyner@vwc.edu

We live in a world where music plays an extremely vital role in spreading human culture in daily life. Music has played a major role in the world for centuries and has become one of the main ways that various countries around the world spread their culture. This tradition of culture spreading through music continues to this day. Each area of the world brings its own style, with the United States being a central point for this culture spread. At our country’s founding, traditional and classical music were the typical thing.

Europe seems to be where our country’s taste in music began.

A major genre that was influenced by European bands, most famously the Beatles, is classic rock and roll in the 1960’s. The Beatles helped to define the genre of rock and roll. In today’s culture, Europe, as well as many other parts of the world, has joined what I call the “pop culture movement” that found its beginnings in the 1960s era. “Europop” found its beginnings around the same time that the United States found its start in the “pop culture movement.” European culture, mainly in music, has significantly influenced our culture here in the United States of America.

A very popular genre of music that has spread to the United States in the last few decades is the various types

of Asian pop and rock music. Common genres we hear about are J-Pop, K-Pop, Idol music and Japanese rock.

The Asian culture has built significant roots in the United States through its music.

This music is mainly conveyed through the internet on websites like YouTube. This is especially how K-Pop became famous in this country.

Anime encouraged the popularity of Japanese pop and J-pop. The J-pop genre had its beginnings back in the ’60s and ’70s, while taking the world by storm mainly in the ’80s and moving forward up to the present day. KPop mainly found its roots in the ’80s and ’90s era when

Britani Alyse|Marlin Chronicle pop music was at its peak worldwide.

Other parts of the world with major cultural influence through music were Africa, to the east, and the Latin American regions to the south. Africans used various instruments to play music, including a wide range of drums, rattles and double bells. African music seems to be mainly based in tradition; this holds true even to this day. African music inspired quite a bit of Latin American

musical styles. This can be seen in many of the Latin American dances like the rumba, the conga and the bomba, as well as many others. Latin American music itself has influenced other cultures, especially in the United States., because we have citizens from all over the world through which this genre has spread to us.

The music of our own country has influenced world culture. American rock and roll influenced many parts of the world along with European rock and roll. American pop became known all around the world as well. All these genres became known all over because bands in these genres toured the world spreading our culture and musical styles and influencing every country we went to.

A very famous U.S. genre that is loved by people worldwide is jazz music which found its beginnings in the late 19th century going into the early 20th century. Jazz, a mix of blues, folk music, classical music and many other genres, took this country and the world by storm. In the 1920s, this genre really took hold of the musical world.

People loved it, it was danceable, it was catchy and you could feel the emotion and power that went into each piece. I could go on all day talking about this.

Music has been a main method of communicating cultures throughout history. There is still a lot of stuff I did not even mention and I apologize for those readers of different cultures who think I did not go deep enough into a particular culture’s style. I, myself, love almost all music genres listed above as well as many of those I did not even list. Some people in this world say that this spreading of culture could be seen as some new method of imperialism. I, myself, do not believe this because I believe that each cultural group shares its styles. It is because each cultural group spread its music that many of the known musical genres in existence today came to be.

Rescue efforts for horses in need

BY STEPHANIE SINGER smsinger@vwc.edu

Val Miller|Marlin Chronicle

What do you think of when you hear the word “horse?”

Perhaps you imagine wild mustangs, the spirits of the old west. Maybe you remember the Chincoteague and Assateague ponies on the Eastern Shore from reading Marguerite Henry’s books. The Lipizzaner Stallions may leap into your mind, kicking mid-air in manège and prancing in piaffe. Maybe you visualize equestrian events, where horse and rider display the highest athleticism and the closest bond. Stronger than all these images, maybe you hold memories of a horse you knew and loved.

According to the Humane Society of the United States, more than 25,000 horses are neglected each year in the United States alone. Some estimate that that number is much higher, because many cases go unreported. This is partially because people don’t always know what to do when they see a neglected horse.

Many neglected horses are severely underweight.

The outlines of bones protrude from a ragged, dull coat. They slump when they walk and the stars in their eyes no longer shine through. Aside from malnourishment, neglected horses face other plights.

Veterinarians don’t come for check-ups, so the horses are often sick. Sometimes their teeth haven’t been rasped by an equine dentist. This causes their sensitive mouths to bleed and develop sores. Other times, the farrier (who takes care of the hooves) hasn’t come for entirely too long.

Stories of horse neglect don’t always make the news. A recent exception happened in Washington County, MD In August 2015, a group from the Humane Society of Washington County were conducting a welfare inspection when they came across a nasty surprise: horses emaciated from

underfeeding and dehydration. Their hooves had grown to three feet in length, coiling around their lower legs like hardened snakes. Deep piles of manure surrounded them. A veterinarian hadn’t seen them in at least 15 years. Two of the horses were rescued, but one had to be euthanized.

If you see a neglected horse and want to help, you probably aren’t sure how. For starters, make sure you’re doing so legally.

Some areas have “ag gag” laws that prevent third parties from documenting farm conditions. While pictures and videos make for solid evidence, they could also land you in a pile of stall muck.

Usually, animal cruelty laws apply to household animals. They don’t provide the same protection to farm animals. Horses usually fall in the dangerous middle, where the line between pets and livestock is unclear.

Once you know how the laws work, take action.

However, don’t try to handle the situation yourself; call the experts. Animal control, horse rescue organizations, and humane societies are better suited for the job than you are.

If they ask where you found the neglected horse, tell them the most specific location that you can.

If you can’t give an exact address, then proximity to a well-known landmark will work. When the authorities come, let them handle it.

Aside from alerts, you can aid neglected horses in other ways. Donating to humane societies or rescue operations is a common method. If you can’t give money, give time as a volunteer. You can also petition for more effective animal cruelty laws.

The number of neglected horses is currently within the thousands. Help bring that number to zero.

7

SPORTS

Thursday March 2, 2017 The Marlin Chronicle marlinchronicle.vwc.edu

Men’s lacrosse wins home opener

BY KASEY NEWCOMB klnewcomb@vwc.edu

The Virginia Wesleyan College Men’s Lacrosse team defeated Greensboro College at home on Feb. 25 by a score of 14-7. This was the Marlins’ first home game of the season. Last year the Marlins finished with a record of 10-7. Virginia Wesleyan College was picked fifth in the ODAC preseason polls for the year.

The Marlins and Greensboro were tied at the end of the first quarter. However, junior Joe Couture started the second quarter by scoring in just 38 seconds off an assist from Matt Baldwin. Virginia Wesleyan College scored the next six goals, making the score 10-4.

The Marlins were outscoring Greensboro by 3-1 in the fourth quarter with goals from senior Andre Brummitt and senior Eddie Desiderio. Couture came in strong helping the team with a man-down goal.

Senior, Andre Brummitt, who is an attack and midfielder, appeared in 14 games last year as a reserve.

“Going into the game today, I was just thinking that we need to come out strong and set the tone early,” Brummitt said. “We needed to get the win at home.”

Brummitt scored the first goal of the game in the first 36 seconds, showing Greensboro just what the Marlins were capable of.

“Scoring the first goal was huge for us to be able to set the tone early and get the momentum on our side,” Brummitt said.

Madison Smith |Marlin Chronicle The Marlins also have All-ODAC Third Team honorees Tyler Conn and Duncan Haight providing a spark for Men’s Lacrosse opens its season at Birdsong Field.

VWC. Last year, Haight finished with a second-high in the ODAC with 94 ground balls and third place in face-off Virginia Wesleyan College will travel to Christopher percentage with .551. Couture will also be a huge asset Newport University on March 1 for a 7 p.m. start. to the team this year helping the Marlins in the midfield.

The Marlins last faced off against the Captains of CNU Couture set a career best for goals in a game with three. on March 23, 2016 at Birdsong Field. The Marlins lost

the contest by a score of 16-9. Josh Currier led the Marlin effort with six goals.

CNU is 1-2 on the young season, while the Marlins will look to improve on their 1-1 record when they square off against the Captains.

Sports Information |Courtesy Tyler Conn carries the ball up the field.

Women’s lacrosse suffers setback

BY KASEY NEWCOMB klnewcomb@vwc.edu

Anthony Dellamura |Marlin Chronicle Meghan Schallock gets control of the ball.

The Women’s Lacrosse team opened its season on February 22 against No. 18 St. Mary’s. Last year, the Marlins finished their season with an overall of 4-13. They were picked to finish eighth in the ODAC preseason polls. The team lost three starters from last year including AllODAC honoree Shannon Ruffalo, but will return ten players who will add experience to the team.

The Marlins were

outscored by 12-2 by the first half, falling short 15-5 by the end of the second half.

Junior Megan Schallock, All-State First Team and All-ODAC First Team, scored a goal for the Marlins within ten seconds of St. Mary’s scoring their second goal. Last year, Schallock appeared in 17 games and led the team with 61 goals, 15 assists, 76 points and 32 turnovers. Schallock had a season best of 12 points out of nine goals

and three assists against Randolph-Macon.

Senior Jaquelyn Gabaldon put up one goal shortly before the end of the first half. Gabaldon is the only senior for the Marlins this year, with four juniors stepping up to help guide the team.

Head Coach Megan DiCave is beginning her fourth year coaching for Virginia Wesleyan College.

“At halftime we talked about playing our game and how we

need to possess the ball better and have solid possessions,” DiCave said. “We didn’t always capitalize on our possessions, but we did a better job of maintaining and keeping possession.”

The Marlins started the second half with Becca Winslow scoring off an assist from Schallock. Schallock then proceeded to score another goal for the Marlins within two minutes of Winslow scoring a shot off the

board, making that four goals for the Marlins.

Schallock lead the Marlins with two goals and an assist with Becca Winslow adding two goals in the second half.

Behind the net was Ally Bodicky, making 17 saves, with Alexis Pulliam splitting time and saving three shots.

VWC will play at Christopher Newport University on Wednesday, March 1 at 4 p.m.

Golf ready to hit the links

BY AMANDA ARCHER acarcher@vwc.edu

With the addition of a new coach and a women’s team and the loss of star golfer Evan Cox, the VWC Men’s and Women’s golf teams face many challenges this upcoming season.

Junior golfer Kevin Duffy looks forward to the team playing to its full potential this semester.

“I’m feeling anxious for this season. We didn’t have a good fall, to say the least, being the top ranked team at some events and not playing to that potential.

I am waiting for the tournament that everything finally clicks for us and we play well and to our potential, which I believe will happen this semester,” Duffy said.

First-year Head Coach Rick Bidnick comes to VWC from the staff of Nansemond-Suffolk Academy.

The Men’s and Women’s golf teams will compete in their season opener on March 9 at the Beach Break Tournament, hosted in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

The men are led by freshmen Lance Wheeler, Carter Morgan and Jacob Laughlin, sophomore Seth Johnson and juniors Kevin Duffy and Peter Scrimgeour.

Although the women will not compete as a team this season, they will rely on freshman Maggie

Kingora and sophomore Hannah Turner to lead them as the first female golfers in school history.

While they are still adjusting to the process of forming a team, both Kingora and Turner still have their personal benefits to performing well this season.

“The benefits of being a firstyear program would be that we get to go to every tournament on our schedule because we don’t have to qualify for them. Another benefit is that we have a legacy as the first women to start the women’s golf program at VWC. We have laid out the pathway for the future female golfers of VWC,” Turner said.

One of the biggest challenges the Marlins will face this year is learning to adapt to a new coaching staff. They have had to make adjustments to their typical practice schedules and how they function as a team.

“We love our coach and he loves us back. At practices he makes us work on specific things that normally will happen in events and how to prepare for it.

It is very positive and relaxing when you know your coach has the utmost confidence in you even when you don’t yourself, and with Coach Bidnick I feel that he knows we are a good team

and can do great things,” Duffy said.

The women’s team will not have to endure the pressure of competing as a team but instead have to start a legacy for the future female golfers of VWC. They will lay the foundation for generat ions of female golfers, an opportunity that is both exciting and challenging for the lone freshman and sophomore.

“Words cannot describe how happy I am. I have always known that I wanted to play a sport in college and this was before I had ever played golf. Once golf came into the picture, I knew that this was going to take me somewhere.

This sport brought me to Virginia Wesleyan College. Regardless, when I visited I knew there was no women’s team, but I had every intention of helping this school start one. And now one year later, we have reached that goal and I couldn’t be happier.” Turner said.

If adapting to a new coach and adding in a women’s team wasn’t a big enough challenge, the Marlins will also have to recover on the course after losing national champion Evan Cox to the University of Kentucky. It will be a tremendous loss for the Marlins this season. However, the three incoming freshmen on

the team, each of them scoring in top rankings during the fall season, including previouslymentioned Laughlin, will be a vital part of ensuring the team’s overall success.

“As a freshman I want to push the other guys to become better, and I also want to push myself to become better. I feel that we have a chance to make a run at an ODAC championship. We have some new faces that are going to make an impact and teams are really going to sleep on us,” Laughlin said.

Duffy is also hoping to make a strong impact on the success of the team.

“I want to be a leader this season and next, whether that is at an event at practice or around campus. I want to be a good example for our younger guys and girls as well as potential recruits so they feel comfortable with the team. My knowledge with golf and with tournaments should give me confidence to play the best I can and to encourage my teammates in every way possible,” Duffy said.

Kevin Duffy |Courtesy Carter Morgan tees off at a tournament on Feb. 24, 2017.

8 The Marlin Chronicle | marlinchronicle.vwc.edu

AT A GLANCE BASEBALL:

Thursday, March 2, 2016

Basketball honors seniors

MARCH 05 OSWEGO ST DH 12:00 & 3:00 PM MARCH 07 AT CHRISTOPHER NEWPORT 2:00 PM MARCH 11 EASTERN MENNONITE DH 12:00 & 3:00 PM

SOFTBALL: MARCH 01 SWEET BRIAR* DH 2:00 & 4:00 PM MARCH 03 BEACH BLAST CASE WESTERN RESERVE & WESTERN CONN. STATE 2:00 & 4:00 PM MARCH 4 BEACH BLAST #7 MANHATTANVILLE 12:00 KEUKA 2:00 MARCH 07 WILLIAM PACE DH 2:00 & 4:00

Anthony Dellamura| Marlin Chronicle Seniors Alexis Platt and Crystal Strother smile for the cameras with family members on Senior Night.

BY BRIANNA CLARKSON bnclarckson@vwc.edu

On Feb. 15, the VWC Men’s and Women’s Basketball teams celebrated the careers of their seniors Alexis Platt, Crystal Strother, Tim Jones, Justin Watson, Khory Moore, DeLante Victory, Andre Banks, Aaron Sturdifen and Kaelin Poe. This is an important annual tradition in VWC sports.

Unfortunately, on senior night the women’s team fell to Emory and Henry College by a final score of 73-61. Strother led the team in her last game with 20 points and 8 rebounds.

Things went a little better for the men’s team and they were able to send their seniors off with a 83-51 win over Randolph College. All the seniors scored at least 7 points, highlighted by Victory’s 10 point, 6 rebound effort.

Senior night is a time to recognize the hard work and dedication the seniors have put into the team after four years. It is also an opportunity for the rest of the team to hear why each senior chose to attend

Virginia Wesleyan College.

Moore, a senior from Arlington, Virginia has been a part of the team for four years.

He had a lot to say about David Macedo, VWC’s Head Basketball Coach, when discussing the reasons why he decided to bring his talents to Virginia Wesleyan College.

“I came to VWC because Coach Macedo was the only coach who was recruiting me out of high school and throughout the whole process he showed me the most loyalty, and I knew that was the kind of coach I wanted to play for,” Moore said.

Jones, from Richmond, Virginia, also had mentioned that the main reason he decided to come to Virginia Wesleyan College was because of Macedo.

“I came to Virginia Wesleyan because I love to win and this was a perfect fit for me. I knew I had a loyal coach to push me to my full potential and never give up on me,” Jones said.

Not only has Macedo been the main reason behind most of the senior’s VWC

attendance as they have continued on their journeys at Virginia Wesleyan College, Macedo has sought to teach them valuable lessons about life.

“He is awesome. A great man, a respectable man. I wouldn’t have wanted to play for anybody else and he has taught me so many valuable life lessons that I will take with me when I graduate. He shows us what it means to work hard and be loyal, he shows us what it means to be a great father and so much more. I love the man,” Poe said.

As their season comes near to an end, the seniors get ready to leave VWC and reflect on their past four years.

“My favorite part about the team is the way everyone can just be themselves and it is a true brotherhood. It’s amazing to know the people that are around you will always have your back at all times to include the whole Marlin family too” Jones said.

The seniors explain that VWC has not just been a place of education for them but an actual home.

MARCH 12 AT CHRISTOPHER NEWPORT DH 1:00 & 3:00

MEN’S LAX: MARCH 01 at CHRISTOPHER NEWPORT 7:00 PM MARCH 04 at METHODIST 3:00 PM MARCH 08 DELAWARE VALLEY 7:00 PM MARCH 11 at ROANOKE * 1:00 PM MARCH 17 WASHINGTON AND LEE * 7:00 PM

WOMEN’S LAX: MARCH 01 at CHRISTOPHER NEWPORT 4:00 PM

Anthony Dellamura| Marlin Chronicle Senior Andre Banks and his family pose for photos before the Senior Night game on Feb. 18.

Basketball falls in ODAC tournament

BY COREY KING & LUKE CHIASSION ckking1@vwc.edu & lachiassion@vwc.edu

In rank No. 6, the VWC women’s basketball team was upset by No.11 Shenandoah by a score of 73-82 in the first round of the ODAC tournament on Feb. 21, 2017.

Outscored by 26-11 in the first quarter, the Marlins responded in the second quarter to take the 39-37 lead at the start of halftime. They struggled in the fourth quarter, shooting 7-22 from the field and 1-7 from behind the arc. They were outscored 27-15 and saw their season end to the Hornets.

Sophomore guard Jayla Harris lead the way for the Marlins with 30 points while junior NiAsia Caldwell and sophomore Amanda Gerni each netted 12 points in the contest.

The Marlins finished the season at 1313 and 8-8 in ODAC play, which is an improvement from the 9-17 (6-10) record from a season ago. They will look to

improve next season as they return key players Jayla Harris, Naeemah Morris, NiAsia Caldwell, Amanda Gerni and Raya Berkley, who all started in at least 16 games, with Harris and Morris starting in all 26. Caldwell and Gerni both averaged at least 10.0 points per game while Harris finished with 19.7 points per game, which was good for third in the ODAC. The Men’s Basketball team’s season ended on Feb. 25 in the ODAC semi-finals, when it lost to top-seeded Guilford College by a final score of 67-64. After upsetting No. 4 seeded Lynchburg two days prior, the Marlins fell just short of another comeback.

Andre Banks led the way with 15 points, Tim Jones pitched in with 14 points and Khory Moore had 11 points. Kaelin Poe contributed with six rebounds and two blocks.

“I felt like we fought hard and competed

the entire game, we just came up short,” Banks said.

The Marlins finish the year with a 19-9 record and a 10-6 record in ODAC play.

Next year, the team will look to Keijon Honroe, Khalil Barnette, Lamont Steward and Percy Bert to replace the six graduating seniors. Honore leads all returners in scoring with 9.0 points per game. Steward averaged 3.0 rebounds during his freshman campaign, which also leads all returners.

Although Banks will graduate in May and not be with the team next year, he is confident about the returning talent.

“I expect another very athletic team that will have weapons everywhere,” Banks said.

The Marlins will be young, but under Head Coach Dave Macedo, they will look to be competitive in the ODAC during the 2017-2018 season.

MARCH 04 at METHODIST 12:00 PM MARCH 07 COAST GUARD 6:00 PM MARCH 10 GREENSBORO 6:00 PM

*= Conference Game DH= Double Header

NiAsia Caldwell gets fouled on her way to the basket.

Anthony Dellamura| Marlin Chronicle

THEWEEKENDER

MARCH 2, 2017

PAGE 9

INNOCENT OBJECTS ON CAMPUS Luisa Adelfio’s Innocent Objects exhibit can be viewed at the Neil Britton Art Gallery until April 14

BY FARAH HAIDARI fahaidari@vwc.edu

BY JUSTIN SMITH jrsmith2@vwc.edu

BY MIRANDA FEIN mlfein@vwc.edu

Luisa Adelfio’s “Innocent Objects” exhibit opened Feb. 9 in the Neil Britton Art Gallery at Virginia Wesleyan College and will be on display until April 14.

This exhibition displays a variety of materials including stone, paper and glass.

Archetypes and symbols, cultural memory, the intersection of science and spiritual practices, including meditation and chanting, are the themes present in Adelfio’s exhibit.

“This show addresses spiritual meaning in the material world. ‘Innocent Objects’ explores the personal and cultural meaning that humans give to the physical world and the objects in it. Objects are innocent, and have no meaning until we project our ideas onto them,” according to exhibit’s biography.

Adelfio is an alumna of Wellesley College, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in arts in fine arts and art history. She has won multiple awards for her work, including Best Collection of Work from Wellesley College and the silver medal for Dedication to Art and Science from the Royal Society of Arts.

Dr. Rudel, the Batten associate professor of arts and curator of exhibitions, organizes the shows presented in the gallery, including “Innocent Objects” opening and reception. The artist talk during the opening night was a favorite for many attendees.

Sue Erickson, the director of the Hofheimer library said she enjoyed the talk because she learned more about Adelfio’s artistic process.

“I really enjoyed the gallery talk. I’m not sure we’ve had quite that kind of a talk before where the artist really talks about her work,” Erickson said. “I really enjoyed hearing about how she used books as a mold for the casting, for the glass pieces that are in there. Those are things I wouldn’t have figured out.”

Lydia O’Connor, a junior majoring in art, liked how Adelfio used everyday objects in unique ways.

“There’s this one panel that kind of reminds me of hieroglyphs but it’s made from glass. It was kind of cool because it relates back to history which I really enjoy,” O’Connor.

Anthony Dellamura | Marlin Chronicle Adelfio’s “Innocent Objects” explores cultural meaning in physical objects.

A WALK ON THE WILD SIDE First Landing State Park offers options for warm-weather adventures

BY MIRANDA FEIN mlfein@vwc.edu

As the winter months reach an end, new opportunities for fun, low-cost recreation in Virginia Beach emerge.

Of course there is Virginia Beach’s Oceanfront scene, a hot spot for both locals and tourists when temperatures start to rise, but if you are making the trek to the Oceanfront, you could also consider traveling a few miles farther down Shore Drive to First Landing State Park for your warm-weather adventures.

First Landing State Park is Virginia’s most-visited park, drawing in visitors with numerous trails to hike and bike, wellkept campgrounds and even a beach.

The Oceanfront can be a great place to spend a sunny day, but unless you pack your meals and park down the strip to avoid the lure of shops and high parking fees, that can put a dent in your bank account. A day visit to First Landing State Park, offering beach access and scenic trails, is only $4 on weekdays and $5 on weekends.

Do more than just visit, but experience nature on one of First Landing’s 10 trails. Visitors can immerse themselves in the wilder side of Virginia Beach, exploring the cypress swamps, bays, marshes and the animal life within.

Each trail is marked with a difficulty level of easy or moderate to help hikers assess which trails will best fit their personal needs.

For those looking for a shorter adventure, the easy trails (marked with a circle) range from half a mile to a mile in length and, according to the park, “are easily accomplished by all users, including the elderly and those with physical or mental disabilities.” The moderate trails (marked with a square) offer a longer trek from one to seven miles in length. According to the park, “healthy people can accomplish the trail with little risk of injury or fatigue.”

At the heart of First Landing State Park’s trails is the Trail Center. The Trail Center is open from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. daily from April through October. Here visitors can find information and maps for each of the park’s trails. There is also a display available to give visitors a view of the wildlife they could experience before they hit the trails.

Visitors looking for a day of leisure can spend their day soaking up the sun at First Landing State Park’s Chesapeake Bay Beach.

A perk of the Chesapeake Bay Beach is that it typically remains uncrowded, especially in comparison to the Oceanfront during the height of tourist season.

First Landing has placed four boardwalks that lead onto the beach between the parking area and the waterfront to not only provide ease of access for its visitors but also to protect the plant life within the dunes that separate the park from the beach. In order to further preserve the nature at Chesapeake Bay Beach, the beach is not regularly cleaned, which means

you are more likely to find seaweed or other debris along the shoreline.

Kaitlyn Upton hasn’t visited First Landing State Park in years but has fond memories of the park. “My grandparents used to have a trailer and they’d travel around to different state parks and stay in them and help work them,” Upton said.

Overnight stays at First Landing State Park range from $24 to $32 per night for campsites, with options of primitive-style sites without water or electricity or regular sites that have water and electric hookups. Each site also offers its own private picnic area and is within walking distance from bathhouses with hot showers, bathrooms and dishwashing sinks.

For more information on the adventures that await you at First Landing State Park, you can visit its website at www. first-landing-state-park.org, contact the park by phone at (757) 412-2300, or visit the park itself. No matter what adventure you choose to pursue at First Landing State Park, they ask that you take only pictures and leave only footprints in return.

YOU DON ’ T WANT TO MISS THIS ...

Norfolk Admirals Hockey vs. Elmira Jackals @ Norfolk Scope 201 E Brambleton Ave Norfolk, VA 23510 03.03.17 | 7:30 P.M. - 9 P.M. Nu Soul Revival Tour @ Chrysler Hall 215 Saint Paul Blvd Norfolk, VA 23510 03.03.17 | 8 P.M. - 10 P.M. A festival celebrating R&B and soul music.

Paddle and Hike @ Northwest River Park 1733 Indian Creek Rd Chesapeake, VA 23322 03.05.17 | 10:30 A.M. Journey to the South Pacific 3D @ Mariner’s Museum 100 Museum Drive Newport News, VA 23606 03.09.17 | 9 A.M. The 2017 Shamrockin’ in Ghent @ Historic Ghent 1500 Colley Ave Norfolk, VA 23508 03.10.17 | 6 P.M. - 10 P.M. Brain Candy Live! @ Chrysler Hall 215 Saint Paul Blvd Norfolk, VA 23510 03.12.17 | 7:30 P.M.

Brent Hoard | Courtesy Immerse yourself in nature on one of the park’s ten trails.

Shamrock Marathon @ Resort Area 31st Street & Atlantic Ave Virginia Beach, VA Virginia Beach, VA 23451 3.19.17 | All day event

THEWEEKENDER

THIRD BEACHED WHALE

PAGE 10

MARCH 2, 2017

Whale washed ashore just 10 days after two were beached

BY JUSTIN SMITH jrsmith2@vwc.edu

Imagine waking up one warm Sunday morning to go to the beach. The sound of the waves fill the air, sandcastles litter the shore and just out of the corner of your eye ... you see a beached whale.

Val Miller| Marlin Chronicle That was the scene on Feb. 12 when a juvenile humpback whale washed ashore in Virginia Beach near 80th Street. The Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center estimated that the whale was 2 to

MUSIC VENUES The 757 area has many venues for artists and music lovers

BY CHRIS BATTLE cdbattle@vwc.edu

With the sudden but welcomed arrival of spring comes an earlier concert season.

Acts like Chance The Rapper, JoJo and many others are slated to come to some of the venues located in the Hampton Roads region.

These venues provide an energetic environment for everyone, whether an up-and-coming band looking to make its debut or just a music fan.

Many underground artists and events have been held at Shaka’s Live since its inaugural year in 2014. Located at the heart of the Oceanfront on 19th Street, the venue has been the center of many rock fests and other indoor indie festivals and also doubles as a nightclub on weekends.

Musicians laud it as the best venue for local artists.

“Shaka’s offers an unprecedented level of quality in house that you simply can’t find anywhere else as a local band. Shaka’s is the best in the area. And they just keep improving,” Give ‘Em Hell Kid Drummer Casey House said.

House added that the sound quality is superior. “(Shaka’s) mixes amazing sound and lights while learning your songs and stage performance over many shows to fine-tune your sound,” House said.

Shaka’s is also known for its variety of featured artists. Voss Rollins, a local rapper and avid concert attendee, said that they “bring niche artists you don’t usually see in Virginia.”

Some of these artists include rapper Pouya, rockers Mickey Avalon and Squinto and indie bands and musicians such as Joyce Manor.

A mainstay of downtown Norfolk, The NorVa has hosted many of music’s biggest names such as Prince, Snoop Dogg, The Flaming Lips and Evanescence.

Opening as the NorVa at the turn of the new millennium, the stage was christened by the Godfather of Soul, James Brown. In 2013, Rolling Stone Magazine named the music hall No. 16 of the Best Big Rooms in the nation.

“The NorVa is a good venue because it had a lot of space, and it feels like a venue that could get packed and still have a good vibe,” said local rock singer Ryan Polesko.

Polesko knows just how to maximize his enjoyment during a concert at the venue.

“If you are standing to the right or left of the stage, you are only going to get one kind of sound. The best spot to stand is in the back by the sound panel because you

really get a full perspective of the entire concert hall and all the music,” Polesko said.

However, House adds that they aren’t quite helpful to local bands, as well as some of the simple information most concert goers typically like to have.

“They rush you on and off stage without providing even a basic sound check and give you a mediocre sound overall,” House said. “They are extremely unorganized with things like load in times, set times, and any general info like where to park.”

The Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater, also known as the Virginia Beach Amphitheatre, is another wellknown venue for Hampton Roads locals.

Many know this venue for its high-profile concerts, with acts like No Doubt, Lil’ Wayne, and even Barack Obama making appearances there.

Locals also will note its many name changes, the latest being the Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater. It opened in 1996 as the Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre.

It seats 20,000 and has lawn seats for concertgoers outside the main stage seating.

Casey House is a big fan of the Vans annual Warped Tour, saying that it’s “really cool,” but that the cons outweigh the pros.

“For big acts on main stage, I don’t really like sitting down for shows, whether it be on the lawn or the seats,” House said.

“The food is better, but more expensive.

It’s honestly a totally different experience.”

However, Voss Rollins says that the lawn seating is probably the best part of the venue, along with Shaggfest, a locallyrun music festival.

At the heart of downtown Norfolk, the Norfolk Scope has been a mainstay for all events, including Norfolk Admirals hockey games, the International Tattoo Festival, and many concerts with guests like The Jackson Five and Trey Songz.

It was built in 1971 and designed by architect Pier Luigi Nervi, who unknowingly created the world’s largest reinforced thin-shell concrete dome. It also is home to an in-house restaurant, Showcase Restaurant.

Though Rollins can’t explain why he likes the venue so much, he summed it up with, “It serves its purpose.”

Polesko is not too fond of the venue. “[There are] too many people and the experience is not as personal,” he said.

4 years old and weighed 13,000-16,000 pounds. Propeller wounds were found on the animal.

Dr. Alexander Costidis, the stranding response team coordinator for the aquarium, said the whale was originally reported on Feb. 11 off Cape Henry, just inside the Chesapeake Bay. “Throughout the day we attempted, unsuccessfully, to get local assets to tow the carcass to a beach for us,” Costidis said. “Additional sightings showed the carcass drifting out of the bay and headed south rapidly.”

Before nightfall, the aquarium deployed a team to Rudee Inlet where the team took tissue samples and photographs of the propeller wounds on

the carcass. The whale then grounded on the Oceanfront overnight, according to Costidis.

Although scientists from the aquarium found multiple wounds on the humpback whale, a true cause of death cannot be established until all lab reports are completed, Costidis said.

“Our findings from the internal examination are strongly supportive of an antemortem vessel interaction. We are quite confident the whale died due to getting struck by a very large propeller,” Costidis said.

Once the autopsy was completed, the whale was cut up and buried near the dunes on the beach. Costidis said the preferred disposal method is burial.

This is not the first beached whale that the Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center has had to deal with. They normally see one beached whale every year, according to the aquarium. However, this month saw three beached whales in the span of 10 days.

The aquarium does not know exactly why three separate whales were killed by vessels in such a short period of time, but their staff does have their theories. The frequent vessel traffic in the bay waters could be a factor in determining the cause for these whale deaths, but the aquarium isn’t ruling anything out.

“There is some suggestion that the whales are using the shipping channels quite a bit,” Costidis said. “If that is the case, we assume that their prey schools are using the deeper waters of the shipping channels and the whales are just following, but there are likely numerous reasons.”

As of Tuesday, Feb. 28, aquarium officials released information about a fourth beached whale. The humpback was found over the past weekend at the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge.