Volume 54, Issue 24

The Captain’s Log

STUDENTS

Former CNU Students Speak Out on their Experience with the Title IX Office

EVELYN DAVIDSON EVELYN.DAVIDSON.20@CNU.EDU

On April 14, The Virginian-Pilot published an article in which three former CNU students, Brooke Nixon, Emily Sullivan and Caroline Tsui, shared their sexual assault stories and detailed their interactions with the university’s Title IX office. They explained that the treatment they received from the Title IX office added to their already traumatic experience.

The details of The Pilot’s article quickly gained traction within the CNU community, sparking a large response from students who voiced their support and shared similar stories to that of Nixon, Sullivan and Tsui.

Following the article’s publication, the three women released an open letter to the CNU administration, outlining the specific changes that they wanted to see implemented within the Title IX office. Some of these changes include clarification on how the university will handle cases in which the perpetrator is of senior class standing, upholding university no-contact orders, increased protection for FERPA and other sensitive files and a “critical look” at the current Title IX staff. The letter garnered over twenty pages of CNU student, alumni, faculty and staff signatures.

CNU’s sexual assault awareness club, Where Is The Line (WITL), began a petition urging the university to acknowledge The Pilot’s article and start implementing the changes detailed in the open letter.

As of Tuesday, April 18, the

petition had roughly 2,600 signatures.

Club president, Faith Tanous, wrote in an email, “Where Is The Line works closely with the Title IX Office, and we don’t want to lose that connection, but we are very disheartened to hear how Brooke, Emily, and Caroline were treated. We really want to create change on our campus and within our community.”

The day after The Pilot article’s release, The Captain’s Log reached out to Nixon to talk about her story and the response she’s received from fellow CNU community members.

Nixon recently graduated from CNU in spring of 2022, but during her time at the university, she tried to

be involved in any way that she could. She was part of the Honors Program and the President’s Leadership Program, president of the Student Honor Council, president of Upsilon Pi Epsilon and a part of Serve the City.

Nixon explained that near the end of the months-long investigation by CNU’s Title IX office, from March to the end of July, 2022, she wanted to make sure the administration was aware of the issues she faced while pursuing her case. In July, she met with Interim President Adelia and brought with her an extensive letter she wrote about her concerns that included transcripts of meetings with Title IX staff.

She heard little back from administrators after this

meeting, which prompted her to take action beyond the university.

However, going public was never her initial plan, Nixon said, “I just wanted this to be handled at the CNU level. It's not an easy thing, nor is it ever something I certainly planned to do, to publicly share my story.”

She felt unheard and believed the university community should know about the challenges she and others she knew had faced. Nixon went on to share her story with The Pilot. She told them that she was discouraged by the Title IX office from pursuing her case against the perpetrator because it would interfere with that person’s graduation.

In addition, documents containing personal information about another person’s case were shared accidentally by a CNU Title IX staff member.

Nixon told The Captain’s Log that if she could do her case over again, she would’ve gone to the police and made sure to know her rights.

After coming forward with her story, dozens of other students messaged Nixon to share similar frustrations with CNU’s Title IX office.

CNU cares about their community and all schools make mistakes, Nixon said, but all survivors deserve to have a voice too.

“Our intention is never for this to be an attack on CNU. We're doing this because we love and care about CNU and we want to work in collaboration with them to help improve this for students to come,” Nixon said.

(continued on page 6)

“Our intention is never for this to be an attack on CNU. We're doing this because we love and care about CNU and we want to work in collaboration with them to help improve this for students to come.”

Photo taken by Evelyn Davidson, News Editor

Editor and Clog Staff Contact Information

Editor in Chief

Grace Griles grace.griles.20@cnu.edu

News Editor

Evelyn Davidson evelyn.davidson.20@cnu.edu

A&E Editor

Fiona Sullivan fiona.sullivan.20@cnu.edu

Photography Editor

Savannah Dunn savannah.dunn.21@cnu.edu

Business Manager

Justin Heller justin.heller.21@cnu.edu

Sports Editor

Trey Greenwell trajan.greenwell.21@cnu.edu

Lifestyle Editor

Savannah Dunn savannah.dunn.21@cnu.edu

Head of CNUTV

Allison Silverman allison.silverman.21@cnu.edu

Editor of the Week

Grace Griles

This week I am dubbing myself as Editor of the week to say a sappy goodbye. The Captain’s Log has been a part of my life since the first week I came to CNU. I remember the rush I got from conducting my first interviews and seeing my story on the website. Through this amazing organization my love for journalism has only grown. Being Editor-in-Chief this year was such an honor. I can truly say I enjoyed every aspect of it, even the aspects that caused me stress. I am proud to say that my year as Editor-in-Chief has been a success, but I am not the sole actor in that success. My staff has done nothing but make me proud. From helping with creating crosswords, sending the budget emails when I forget, writing me last minute opinion pieces, and so much more has ensured that my year as Editor-inChief. The staff writers are all so talented and intelligent. I am so happy about the new group of people The Captain’s Log, and I can’t wait to watch what they do with The Captain’s Log from an alumni perspective. Don’t worry CLoggers you haven’t seen the last of me! I will visit! However, bye for now :)

CNU Summer Crosword!!

Answers will be posted on our Instagram @cnucaptainslog! (all past crossword answers are in our Instagram highlights)

“The Captain’s Log is free to write anything it pleases and CNU fully respects the Freedom of the Press.”

CNU Chancellor PAUL TRIBLE

Farewell to Grace Griles!

Staff writers and Editors share goodbye messages for the graduating Editor-in-Chief

"GRACCEEE- from the day I stepped into clog’s room as a shy little freshmen not knowing what the hell she was doing, you made me feel like I had a family in clog. You made the vibe so easy to be a part of and helped me break out of my shell. You were always so funny with how you started meetings saying” let’s get this over with so I can go eat” and I’ll never forget it. You’re gonna do so many amazing things in life and I hope all of your hopes and aspirations come to you." Much love, Lindsay

"Grace, It has been an absolute pleasure working with you these past two years. I am going to miss our late night debriefs with you and Evelyn and the news room rants about what is bothering us. I have so many fun memories with you and am so grateful for the friendship that The Captain's Log has brought us. Thanks for letting me crash with you for a week last summer and thanks for being a good friend and leader. I wish you the best in everything that you do!" -Savannah

"Thank you Grace for being a great leader and a even better person. You will be very successful in all that you do" -Jarrett

Connolly

Dunn

"Grace, we've been in it together since the beginning and I'm so very grateful for all that we experienced together. I can't believe time has passed so quickly and that the CLog has grown so much! It seems like just yesterday we were talking about all our big plans for the paper. You truly helped shape CLog into what it is today. Can't wait to see what amazing things you do next!" -- Love,

Ev

"Grace was one of the main reasons why I joined The Captains Log in the first place. She was the only person I knew on the eboard and even though I had never been involved in CLog before, she took a chance on me and hired me for A&E and I’ve gotten to work with so many amazing people and produce content that people enjoy which is all due to her. Going to NYC with Grace and others from eboard was such a fun time and a memory I will always cherish. Grace, you’re going to go on to do amazing things and I’m so glad you were our EIC!" -Fiona

Sullivan

"Grace has been the best Editor in Chief, it has been wonderful working and getting to know Grace better!! She is the best leader and makes everyone feel empowered and supported. The Captain's Log and writing is her passion and it really shows through her work ethic and how she conducts meetings, layout, and everything in between!! I am going to miss Growles after she graduates but I know she is going to go on and do important and powerful things :))" -

Maggie Gammons

"Thanks Grace for all the work you've done for the paper in your role as EIC, can't say enough how approachable you were for someone starting out in the Captain's Log. We'll miss you!" -Cam-

eron Tomaino

"We wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors! We cannot thank you enough for all of the hard work you put into our magnificent newspaper. Can’t wait to see what the future holds for you!" -Justin

Heller

"Thank you for always being so kind and welcoming from the moment I first started writing for Captain's Log! As EIC you made writing for you so fun and easy! I wish you the best of luck with whatever plans you may have after graduating! -Katherine

Zickel

"Thank you Grace. From Panera being a Recession Core to scrambling for a projector at the media center, you made CLog a welcoming environment for everyone. The support you gave me when I abruptly joined the editing staff this past semester is something I will never forget. I wish you the best of luck in Kentucky!" -Trey

Greenwell

Famous People Running for Office

Staff writer shares their thought on the recent phenomenon of famous people running for office

JARRETT CONNOLLY JARRETT.CONNOLLY.20@CNU.EDU

Once upon a time, it was strange and rare for celebrities to run for public office in America. Only a few like Al Franken, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jesse Ventura, and Ronald Reagan actually ended up winning. But ever since Donald Trump, a former media personality, was elected President, it seems more and more celebrities are throwing their hats in the ring. Cynthia Nixon, Kanye West, Dr. Oz, and Caitlyn Jenner have all unsuccessfully sought office in the past few years and other celebrities such as Alyssa Milano, Dwayne Johnson, and Matthew McCoughney have all reportedly considered major political bids. Now with the 2024 elections only a year away, we are seeing Boy Meets World actor Ben Savage make a run for Congress for California’s 30th Congressional District and The Good Doctor actor Hill Harper is running for Senate in Michigan (both as Democrats). It seems more and more likely that your favorite singer or actor may take a swing at a major office, but is that really what we need in the already chaotic political climate?

On one hand, the majority of our Congress, according to the Congressional Research Service, is made up of businesspersons, lawyers, and people who have worked in politics prior to election so some job diversity would not be terrible. But another demographic worth noting is that over half of the US Congress are millionaires, according to the OpenSecrets nonprofit. It's a hard sell to have celebrities, already affluent in their own right, to run to represent the people. One of the biggest points made against Dr.Oz in his unsuccessful attempt to run for Senate in Pennsylvania, was that he was an out of touch celebrity with 11 homes and $200 million dollar net worth. We need job diversity but maybe more educators, more social workers, more blue collar workers is the answer rather than more millionaires.

There’s also the question of why. Why would someone who already has a tremendous amount of influence and power need a political office. It is hard to shake the idea that it's a stunt for attention. You’d be hard pressed to find someone who believes that Kanye West’s runs for president are a serious venture on his part and not a desperate grasp for more attention.

When you look at the celebrities who have successfully been elected, it's a mixed bag. Jesse Ventura had mixed to positive reception to his time as Governor of Minnesota, while Arnold Schwarzenegger left the office of Governor of California with a

record low 23% approval rating. The presidencies of Reagan and Trump have been polarizing in their own right as well. It's hard to push the need for celebrity politicians when the celebrities who become politicians don’t do their job exceptionally well.

I’m not denying that some celebrities genuinely wish to help their communities and create change but is public officer the way to do it? There is charity, activism, and other ways to do that. But if public office is the way, why not run locally. Mayorships, city councils, stage legislatures, school boards, soil inspectors, etc do more to actually affect people in their day to day lives. But ultimately, it's still a matter of trying to sell to the voter that a affluent and successful celebrity is the most qualified person to help repair your roads or lower the crime rates.

New Harry Potter TV Series

Staff writer shares their thought on the announcement of the reboot

FIONA SULLIVAN FIONA.SULLIVAN.20@CNU.EDU

On April 12, HBO officially announced that they would be bringing back more Harry Potter; but not in the way that you think. There had been rumors for a while but Warner Bros finally stated that they would be creating a 10 year Harry Potter TV series that “will be a faithful adaptation of the beloved Harry Potter book series by author and executive producer J.K. Rowling.”

Many people, along with myself, are upset when it comes to hearing this news for many valid reasons. The first most obvious reason is that it just seems unnecessary. The last film, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, only came out about twelve years ago and the series as a whole are still fresh in many people’s lives with devoted fans watching the movies every year and cable channels having Harry Potter weekends.

Most of the actors in the movies are all still fairly young too with the kids now being in their 30s and it would be a disgrace to all of them who spent over ten years working on this iconic adaptation only to be forgotten by a new group. Award winning actors like Alan Rickman, Helena Bonham Carter, Maggie Smith, and Gary Oldman all portrayed their characters so perfectly that, despite having many other amazing projects, many people only remember them for Harry Potter. How can they be replaced? Answer: they cannot.

What makes even less sense is that two years ago HBO Max hosted a Harry Potter reunion that was full of nostalgia, laughter, and pure joy so why order for a new TV show to be made when you just had a reunion of the actors that was well received by many audiences? It’s a choice that myself and others on the Internet wholeheartedly disagree with but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t other Harry Potter stories that can’t be explored.

Many fans have been want-

ing there to be a Marauders movie for years now which would explore the backstory of Harry’s parents and their time at Hogwarts. Others think that The Cursed Child which is a play could be turned into a movie with new, older actors as The Golden Trio and I think it would be great to go more into Dumbledore’s history which we saw a little bit of in Fantastic Beasts. In its statement, HBO said that the show would be a departure from the films yet in the announcement video, the clip had the same exact design of Hogwarts in the background and the famous theme song written by John Williams.

Many Twitter users expressed their confusion with one saying, “The trailer for the new Harry Potter TV show having the same theme tune as the movies is stupid. I mean that’s nothing new with reboots but it is literally just gonna be the same thing all over again with a new cast lol. What’s the point? (I know the point is to make money.)” I personally hope that this show doesn’t end up happening because I can’t imagine a Harry Potter universe where The Golden Trio isn’t played by Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint and I don’t want younger generations to see that. Besides, the movies were pretty accurate to begin with. Some reboots can be successful like the Disney + Percy Jackson series which hasn’t even come out yet but has many people excited. However, Harry Potter is such an iconic franchise that no one should be messing with it. It led to a theme park and studio tour and comfort movies. Nothing will ever be able to replace that.

Screenshot take from New York Times

An Interview with the New SGA President-Elect: Kate Bennett

A current Junior majoring in political science and philosophy, Bennett has been a part of SGA for three years and is also a member of Phi Alpha Delta Pre-Law Fraternity, the Student Diversity and Equality Council, and the Panhellenic Council.

As Chief of Staff, she primarily worked internally, assisting with SGA’s day to day functioning by handling the Google Drive and calendar, making sure that everything is running smoothly in meetings, and taking minutes of said meetings. However, as president, she will now be networking with administration on a higher level and having face-to-face communication constantly.

Petition Garners over 2,500 signatures and Community Demands Change

Story continued from cover

EVELYN DAVIDSON EVELYN.DAVIDSON.20@CNU.EDU

During the first week of April, CNU’s Student Government Association held elections for their 2023-2024 Eboard and students were able to vote for the candidate of their choosing on The Compass from April 3 to April 7.

Current Chief of Staff Katelyn Bennett was elected as President of SGA. The Captain’s Log spoke with her about her goals for the upcoming year and the initiatives she plans on taking to both lead the executive board and continue to advocate for the student body across campus.

Bennett first gave an overview of what SGA does as a whole, since many people may not have an accurate idea as to how delegates help the CNU community.

“Our primary goal is to bridge the gap between students and administration by filtering concerns and being a resource for people. We want to be able to bring the students’ perspective to administration,” Bennett said.

If a student has an issue but does not feel comfortable speaking it aloud, Bennett said that the SGA executive board and delegates are open to communicating any idea or concern and will maintain anonymity.

“Lately we have had a lot of dining hall initiatives come to us with cross contamination and people not being able to eat certain things,” Bennett shared when asked what actions have been taken by SGA recently.

“We’ve been really good at getting in contact with dining hall services and with Ramadan, we have been working hard on making sure that dining halls are accommodating when people are allowed to eat and that there are resources off campus that people can go to if dining halls aren’t open,” she said.

Speaking on her goals for the upcoming year, Bennett mentioned how she was already coming up with new events for the student body to enjoy, “I really like our event Light the Night and when we come back at the beginning of spring semester, everyone’s a little tired and I want a similar event around spring semester, just to bring the same excitement around the year.

We’ve also done a lot of impromptu open forums in the past which have been successful with people coming in and having active conversations with administration while we mediate them. So I would love to make those forums more intentional.”

Communication is key when it comes to inside the delegation and since there are many different committees, another one of Bennett’s goals is to eliminate any negative distinctions that might be seen between the executive board and delegations.

SGA holds biweekly delegation meetings that are open to everyone and students are welcome to join and bring their ideas to the table or just watch and listen. While her term as president doesn’t begin just yet, the CNU community is excited to see how Katelyn Bennett and the rest of the incoming executive board make a difference on campus.

The Captain’s Log also talked with Emily Sullivan, another CNU alumnae whose story was featured in The Pilot article. In her time at CNU, Sullivan was part of the Marching Captains, Zeta Tau Alpha fraternity and Student Honor Council. She majored in political science with a double minor in psychology and leadership studies. Sullivan originally planned to double major, but dropped one of her majors so that she could graduate a semester early. Sullivan graduated in December 2019, because she felt it was too difficult for her to stay at CNU after her experience. The Title IX investigation concluded by deeming her a willing participant, reported The Pilot. When asked why she felt it was important to come forward, Sullivan told The Captain’s Log, “It's one thing to have your body violated, but it's another to have those who are supposed to protect you also violate you.”

Tsui, a 2020 CNU graduate, was told that there would be a task force created for the Title IX office, but that never happened, reported The Pilot.

She added, “I am still in therapy to this day. And the trauma that I'm dealing with, is dealing with how the institution failed me instead of getting over my rape.”

Sullivan explained that she had to take two classes with the person that she said raped her, depsite the university imposing a no-contact order. In addition, she alleges that she was discouraged from running for President of the Student Honor Council because she had been outspoken about her negative experience with CNU’s Title IX office.

When asked if she was nervous to speak out, Sullivan said she expected a negative reaction similar to the response she says she received in 2018, instead, she has been moved to tears by the positive response by the community.

Navigating the Title IX process, Sullivan said, “I had to decode this policy on my own at 19 with PTSD, afraid out of my mind because my rapist lived on the floor beneath me in my residence hall.” Now, Sullivan and many others want transparency and accountability for the entire process.

Sullivan had met Nixon when they both interned for Fear 2 Freedom, the sexual assault awareness non-profit founded by Rosemary Trible. Sullivan became connected with Caroline Tsui, the third CNU alumna to speak in The Pilot article, when she was compiling narratives to present when filing a complaint with the Office for Civil Rights.

When asked if she was nervous to speak out and why she felt it was important, Tsui wrote in an email to The Captain’s Log, “People have been messaging and telling me how brave I was, but I didn't feel brave, just scared. But I knew the Title IX process at CNU was so backward, stressful, and just plain wrong that it needed scrutiny. I couldn't just let it continue quietly ruining student's lives.”

WITL hosted an open forum on Monday at 6 p.m. where students could ask questions, voice frustrations, and share their own experiences. Students and faculty filled a lecture room in Luter Hall, with so many in attendance that several stood for the duration of the forum. Both Nixon and Sullivan were in attendance and briefly spoke.

Late Monday morning, Thompson issued an email to the CNU community, acknowledging that she had read the open letter. She also said she will meet with WITL’s leadership later in the week to go over what was learned from the open discussion and intends to share this with fellow CNU administrators. Thompson pledged to “listen and engage with our student leaders to continue these conversations and find our best way forward together.”

The Captain’s Log reached out for an official statement from the university on Friday evening and they responded Monday evening, reiterating Thompson’s pledge and stating that they were pleased about the open forum.

“It's one thing to have your body violated, but it's another to have those who are supposed to protect you also violate you.”

FIONA SULLIVAN FIONA.SULLIVAN.20@CNU.EDU

Kate Bennett, photo courtesy of Kate Bennett

"I couldn't just let it continue quietly ruining student's lives."

Title IX office sign, photo by Evelyn Davidson

On April 12, 2023, the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) announced new federal vehicle emission standards to help combat climate change.

According to CBS news, President Biden signed an executive order that stated 54% of all new vehicles sold in the U.S. by 2030 will be electric, with as many as 2/3 by 2032.

According to CNBC, electric vehicle sales only made up 5.8% of the 13.8 million new cars sold in the country last year.

The EPA Press Office stated that the new proposals would avoid sending nearly 10 billion tons of CO2 emissions into the atmosphere, equivalent to more than twice the total U.S. CO2 emissions in 2022. They would also help to reduce America’s reliance on approximately 20 billion barrels of oil imports.

The EPA added that since 2020, there has been a 40% increase in the number of electric vehicle chargers, with over 130,000 public chargers now in the country. The Biden Administration plans to increase this number to 500,000 by 2030, CNBC reported.

Pentagon Secrets Leak Over Discord Chat Rooms

National News Updates

As of last week, government and official media have confirmed that sensitive documents have been circulated to tens of thousands of users of the Discord App, a social messaging platform. These documents were from early March, detailing the composition of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, NATO deployments, and several ongoing intelligence operations. The leak exposed weaknesses in the Ukrainian Armed Forces to Russian observers, has created a string of diplomatic incidents, and has dangerously exposed the U.S. spy network’s operations in several enemy countries.

Jack Teixeira, 21 and a member of the Air National Guard, was taken into custody by law enforcement. According to reporting done by the New York Times, which includes interviews with members of the close circle that Teixeira originally shared the documents to, the man is not a whistleblower. Unlike previous huge leaks of information, outrage about wrongdoing or government policies does not appear to have been a factor. Instead the leaks were done to inform a close circle of friends, Teixeria having grown close to members of the Discor5d community over the pandemic.

One member within Teixeira’s Discord social group spread the information to more public forums. Where only a dozen people knew before, now thousands of people have access to this information, and it has now spread even further. The American Government has drawn criticism for allowing such a low ranking national guardsman access to these materials, and already are reviewing the policies and workplace culture that allowed for such a massive leak to occur.

Suffolk Man Found Guilty of Taking Indecent Photos of Coworkers

Unfortunately, the Commonwealth of Suffolk’s witness, a CSI forensic technician, stated that she was unable to break the security of Geronilla’s cell phone. This means that the accusation against Geronilla cannot be confirmed because the forensic technician could not access the contents of the phone, WAVY also reported.

The judge in charge of Geronilla’s trial, determined that there was enough evidence to see the motive and intent behind Geronilla’s actions, thus making him guilty.

Geronilla was given a 90-day sentence and a 70-day suspension and was immediately handcuffed after being taken into custody, WAVY reported. Despite this, the judge in charge of the case gave Geronilla a total of 7 days to consider filing an appeal, along with a $1,500 fine and is prohibited from using any device that possesses the ability to take a photo.

During the trial, the victim recalled that at the time of the incident, she was at her station typing notes for work when she noticed the phone between her feet with the camera opened and facing up.

Wavy also reported that two other female coworkers have come forward about the same issues with Geronilla. In these instances he would pretend to be on a phone call when other’s moved near.

Another anonymous witness said she had a similar interaction with Geronilla in October of 2021; she passed him in a hallway, felt him near her, spotted the camera and walked away rapidly to get away from him. Wavy confirmed that no police call was ever made.

Geronilla now has until Monday, April 17, 2023 to decide if he wants to appeal, WAVY reported.

Thomas has served on the nation’s highest court since 1991. For the last two decades, Thomas has reported on required financial disclosure forms that his family received rental income equaling hundreds of thousands of dollars from a firm called Ginger, Ltd., Partnership. The real estate firm was launched by his wife, Ginni Thomas, and her family members in 1980. According to a Washington Post report, that firm has not existed since 2006.

State incorporation and property records show that a separate firm was created that year and assumed control of the company’s land leasing business. Thomas has continued to report income from the nonexistent company in recent years, with no mention of the newer firm, Ginger Holdings, LLC, on the forms. CNBC reports that Thomas reportedly disclosed between $50,000 and $100,000 in income from the old firm annually.

This marks the latest question around his financial practices after a recent ProPublica report revealed Thomas had accepted secret luxury trips from Republican mega donor Harlan Crow for more than two decades in apparent violation of a financial disclosure law. ProPublica reported that Thomas failed to report the trips on his financial disclosures. It was later reported that Thomas sold property to Crow, which he failed to disclose as well.

Thomas released a statement claiming that colleagues told him he did not have to report the vacations and that he has always tried to comply with disclosure guidelines. He has not publicly addressed the property transaction.

LINDSAY.DEYTON

LINDSAY.DEYTON.22@CNU.EDU

Giovanni Geronilla, 43 of Suffolk, VA, has been found guilty of taking indecent photos of his female coworker after being accused on July 25, 2022. Geronilla is being charged with a misdemeanor, WAVY reports.

The charge on Geronilla came after being accused of putting his phone under the dress of his female co-worker.

Clarence Thomas’ Financials Investigated

ALYSSA TILLMAN

ALYSSA.TILLMAN.22@CNU.EDU

Clarence Thomas, the 74-year-old conservative associate justice of the Supreme Court, has recently been questioned about his financial practices.

In addition to the recent revelations about Thomas’s financial relationship with Harlan Crow, ProPublica cited a period in the 2000s in which Thomas failed to disclose his wife’s employment until the omission was reported by a watchdog group, Common Cause. The Washington Post reported that Ginni Thomas earned more than $686,000 from the conservative Heritage Foundation between 2003 and 2007, but Thomas checked a box labeled “none” for his wife’s income during that period. He had done the same in 2008 and 2009 when she worked for conservative Hillsdale College.

The Senate Judiciary Committee’s Democratic majority called for an investigation into Thomas’ noncompliance with disclosure requirements on Monday. The committee announced in a letter that it would hold a hearing “in the coming days” on “the need to restore confidence in the Supreme Court’s ethical standards”, CNN reported.

KATHERINE ZICKEL KATHERINE.ZICKEL.22@CNU.EDU

Electric Car charging symbol, photo from Unsplash

CAMERON TOMAINO CAMERON.TOMAINO.22@CNU.EDU

Gavel, photo from Unsplash

Discord logo, from Wikimedia Commons

Map of the world , photo from Unsplash

Clarence Thomas, photo from Getty Images

RJ JONES RAYMOND.JONES.22@CNU.EDU

This year’s NFL Draft is quickly approaching and it could be different from any draft in recent memory.

After trading two firstround picks, second-round picks in 2023 and 2025, and star wide receiver DJ Moore to the Chicago Bears for the No 1 pick, the Panthers will likely pick a quarterback. The main question is which quarterback will the Panthers take off the board?

Initially, the Panthers seemed poised to take former Ohio State Buckeye CJ Stroud with the first pick. The 21 year-old already possesses the accuracy and anticipation of an elite NFL quarterback. Stroud has the highest floor of any quarterback prospect this year and will likely become a good NFL starter.

NFL Draft Preview

An Unpredictable Spectacle

With that being said, Carolina will have a tough decision on their hands as there are a few other elite prospects.

Another quarterback the Panthers have scouted is Anthony Richardson. The Florida quarterback has displayed elite arm talent and athleticism throughout his college career and the pre draft process. His extraordinary speed paired with his 6’4” 231 pound frame makes him a true generational prospect.

Richardson’s only area of concern is the lack of production in his college career. As a starter for the Gators, Richardson struggled in several games. This past season, he threw for 17 touchdowns and nine interceptions last year. Richardson did use his mobility to add nine rushing touchdowns to his total. If Richardson can fix his decision making and process-

ing speed, he can be a generational quarterback in the NFL.

The last quarterback in contention for the first overall pick is Bryce Young. The Alabama signal-caller had the best college career of any quarterback prospect in this year’s draft, going along with a Heisman trophy in 2021. He has drawn comparisons to Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson with his elite scrambling and playmaking abilities. Some of Wilson’s criticisms during his pre draft process are the same for Young.

Young has been ridiculed for his size and it is finally starting to affect the way he is looked at. Standing at just 5’10” and weighing 194 pounds, Young is tremendously undersized for the position.

Overall, Young should be able to play at an elite level in the NFL regardless of his size.

The main concern is his durability. While Young never sustained a serious injury in college, NFL teams are not sure he can play a full season without something happening.

The Houston Texans have the second pick in the NFL Draft and they are likely to choose one of the quarterbacks Carolina does not take. The Texans are said to be high on Bryce Young so their hope is that the Panthers choose Stroud or Richardson first overall.

Houston has also been interested in Alabama defensive end Will Anderson. His unique blend of size, speed, and pass-rush moves makes him a can’t miss prospect.

The Arizona Cardinals are slotted to pick third and have been rumored to want

Will Anderson. If he is available at the third pick, Anderson will likely be a Cardinal.

With the fourth pick in the draft, the Indianapolis Colts will almost certainly draft a quarterback. They are said to be very high on Anthony Richardson.

The Seattle Seahawks have the fifth pick in the draft and are looking to add an edge rusher to the roster. They are considering Tyree Wilson, a speed rusher out of Texas Tech. Wilson uses his 6’6” 276 pound frame to dominate offensive lineman.

The other edge rusher Seattle is considering is the opposite of Wilson. Nolan Smith has become a desired player since his amazing combine. The Georgia pass rusher uses his speed to overcome being undersized. Either way, Seattle should get a great edge rusher for the future.

Every NFL Draft has sleeper picks and this year is set to be the same. Oregon Corner Christian Gonzalez has shot up draft boards since the combine and with good reason; his fluidity allows him to shadow receivers perfectly. The Detroit Lions are expected to pursue him after they parted ways with former third overall pick Jeff Okudah in a trade with the Atlanta Falcons.

Takeaways from the NBA Playoffs First Weekend

RJ JONES RAYMOND.JONES.22@CNU.EDU

The NBA playoffs are off to a hot start. The first games of each series are done and they have given us so many moments that will shape the entire postseason.

The Boston Celtics trounced the Atlanta Hawks with a 112-99 win. A 29 point double-double from Jayson Tatum and a 25 point double-double from Jaylen Brown allowed the Celtics to cruise past the Hawks.

Hawks star Trae Young was held in check by the Celtics defense. As a result, first year Hawk Dejounte Murray had to step up, finishing with 24 points and eight rebounds.

The Miami Heat and the Milwaukee Bucks series has been marked by injury. With four minutes left in the first quarter, Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo took a hard fall and was unable to return to the game.

Milluakuee fought hard for a comeback but could not complete it. Forward Khris Middleton led the team in scoring with 33 points and guard Jrue Holiday recorded 16 points and 16 assists.

A Wild Weekend

Heat forward Jimmy Butler led the way with 35 points and 11 assists to lead the Heat to a win.

Without Giannis, the Bucks looked flat. They will need the Greek Freak back to win the series.

The New York Knicks were able to edge out a win against the Cleveland Cavaliers behind a 27 point game from guard Jalen Brunson. Knicks forward Julius Randle was a key contributor, recording 19 points and ten rebounds.

The Cavs were spearheaded by guard Donovan Mitchell, who had 38 points and eight assists. The rest of the team will need to contribute more if they want to win Game 2.

The Philadelphia 76ers were able to roll over the Nets in a 121-101 victory. The Sixers looked dominant in this matchup. Three Sixers: James Harden, Tobias Harris, and MVP favorite Joel Embiid recorded 20 or more points in the win.

Mikal Bridges attempted to will Brooklyn to a win with 30 points but could not.

The Denver Nuggets de-

molished the Minnesota Timberwolves in a 109-80 win. Nuggets guard Jamal Murray was able to lead the Nuggets with 24 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists. Center Nikola Jokic added 13 points and 14 rebounds.

The Suns and the Clippers played a great game. They had a back and forth affair in which both sides traded baskets throughout. Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard helped lead the team to a Game 1 win with 38 points.

The Suns big three of Kevin Durant, Chris Paul, and Devin Booker all were able to score more than 20 points apiece but the rest of the team did not contribute enough to get the win.

The Sacramento Kings were able to beat the Warriors to win their first playoff game in 17 years. Led by

a 32 point performance from guard Malik Monk and a 38 point game from guard De’Aaron Fox, the Kings got the three-point win.

Warriors guard Stephen Curry did everything to win the game for the Warriors but it was not enough. He scored 30 points in the loss.

The Lakers were able to beat the Grizzlies in game one behind big games from two role players.

Forward Rui Hachimura and guard Austin Reaves combined for 52 points to lead the Lakers to a win.

Grizzlies star guard Ja Morant sustained a wrist injury in the game which sidelined him for the rest of the contest. The Grizzlies will need Morant back for a chance to win the series against a resilient Lakers team.

NFL logo taken from Flickr.

NBA logo taken from ESPN.

“The first games of each series are done and they have given us so many moments that will shape the entie postseason.”

CNU Women’s Club Rugby Interview

Members of the Team Speak on their Passion for Rugby

Last week, I got the honor and privilege to speak to some incredible women and their coach about what rugby means to them and why they love what they do.

First, I interviewed Emma Murphy who is a junior and is majoring in Communications with minors in leadership, photography, and video art. One of my questions to Murphy was why she joined rugby.

“One of my best friends, we work together, we had our on campus job, she came up to me and she said ‘you should play rugby’ and I thought ‘I don’t know, I play soccer, and I’ve never played rugby before’ and she said ‘just do it, it’s a super welcoming community, everyone’s so nice and it’s a pretty fun sport to pick up’ so I came to one practice and I have been on the team ever since,” Murphy said.

Another player I had the privilege to speak with is Chloe Grell. She is a sophomore with majors in communications and political science. One question I asked Grell was how she prepared for a big game.

“I come to practice, and then it’s really just getting in the mindset…there is no higher level than club so it’s really good to treat it like a club game and still have fun with it…but we can reap the benefits of winning games and building a good program,” Grell said.

Another teammate I got to speak with is Madeline Stitch. She is a sophomore with a major in environmental studies. I asked Stitch what made her want to join rugby.

“I’ve always been into odd sports, especially contact sports since this is one of the only contact sports for women. I was really interested in it, and I heard it was a really welcoming community, so I had to check it out,” Stitch replied.

The next person I had the honor of talking to is MJ Johnson. She is a senior with a major in Biology. I asked MJ how she hoped to see the team flourish after she graduates.

“I really wanna see more numbers, just getting the name out more and getting people to come out and try it,” Johnson said.

As I was interviewing some of the teammates, I got to talk to some of the

team’s newest members. One of them includes Haley Dewitt. She is a freshman with majors in kinesiology and neuroscience. One question I asked her was what she thought the most rewarding part of rugby was.

“The passion everyone puts in, so when you do really well, you feel it and the team is so rewarding in itself. Everyone goes up, we all compliment one another, we’re all so stoked for each other because we all meet our goals and when we meet our team goals it’s really good to just be on the same page as everyone…and plus we’re undefeated so that’s very rewarding within itself,” Dewitt said.

The last teammate I had the honor of interviewing was Isabella Sangiuliano. She is a freshman with a major in Cellular-Molecular Biology. One of the first questions I asked Sangiuliano was what she does to prepare for a big game.

“I normally get lots of sleep the night before, I try to drink as much water as I can because I’m always dehydrated, and if it’s the day of the game, I normally have something small to eat. Most of our games are normally in the morning. But other than that, I don’t really have a routine. I try to get myself hyped once I get to the field,” Sangiuliano said.

Not only did I get the privilege of talking to the rugby teammates, I also had the privilege to talk to their coach, Dr. Andrew Higgs. One of the questions I asked Dr. Higgs was how he chooses to prepare his team for a big game.

“They (the team) might disagree, I try to keep it relatively low-key. Mostly because I don’t know that additional stress has ever helped anybody perform better. So truthfully, I try to prepare like it’s a normal game. They’re all very smart, they all know the stigs in just about any game we’re playing, whether it’s a friendly or a competitive tournament, or something of that sort. They all know the stigs and I don’t need to tell them, so I just try to keep things normal, and routine as possible,” Dr. Higgs responded.

Another question I asked Dr. Higgs was why he thinks rugby is set apart from other sports at CNU.

“Rugby is a global sport. It has a unique culture. It is by the standards of most sports,

extremely inclusive… generally, rugby is considered to be the most inclusive sport. Especially from a body type standpoint, the saying is that there is a position for every body type whether you are slow, or fast, are you large or small, we have a position you can play and excel at which I love. From a women’s sports standpoint, there are no other contact sports with this level of violence and aggression and physicality available to women in the major sports. Basketball is very physical, soccer is very physical, but there is not a tackle sport for women like there is football for men unless you are an outlier…so here, this is usually the first time most of my players have ever tackled anybody, which is always a fun experience when we get to the first tackle practice… there’s nothing else like it from the standpoint

of physicality. I think all sports would say they have a high level of camaraderie, but it’s really sort of solidified in rugby culture…and when it’s done, you slap hands with your opponent and have a hug and sit down on the sideline, hydrate, and chat about what a great game we all just played. It’s very, very unique, in my opinion. Some of my best friends that I ever made were people I’ve played against, and I think that’s a really cool and unique aspect of the sport.”

After speaking with everyone and hearing why they are passionate about such a unique sport, I feel the need to tell everyone to try out for rugby. These ladies have poured their time and love into this sport. The coach has committed himself to both the game and his team. I have never seen such passion and love from a single sports team than I have from the CNU Women’s Rugby team.

Coming soon in CNU Sports:

*Games listed are happening at CNU

April 19th

*Women’s Tennis

CNU v. North Carolina Wesleyan College

Location: Newport News, VA

Time: 3:00 PM

*Men’s Lacrosse

CNU v. Southern Virginia University

Location: Newport News, VA Time: 4:00 PM

April 21st

*Women’s Softball

CNU v. University of Mary Washington

Location: Newport News, VA

Time: 4:00 and 6:00 PM

April 22th

Men’s Baseball

CNU v. University of Mary Washington

Location: Newport News, VA Time: 1:00 PM

To look at events off campus and for future weeks, visit cnusports.com

Christopher Newport University logo taken from Pinterest.

“Rugby is a global sport. It has a unique culture. It is by the standards of most sports, extremely inclusive.”

A student directed one act coming soon to CNU Everyone Is Worthy In ‘Identity’

JARRETT CONNOLLY JARRETT.CONNOLLY.20@CNU.EDU

On April 24th, the play Identity will be shown in the Ferguson Studio Theatre (otherwise known as the black box). The one act play is directed, produced, written by, and acted in by Robin Bryant, a senior and theatre major, with a double concentrate in acting and directing, here at CNU.

According to Bryant, the play follows a young trans person in high school who is finding themselves and struggling with high school life and their own identity. “The point of the play is to show people that trans people are just people too and they aren’t big scary monsters and just people who exist.” Bryant emphasized that the point of the play is to show that trans people have the right to exist and that the play is a deeply human look at trans life.

Bryant has been working on the play for over a year as part of her thesis, writing it last year and then putting it together most of this year. Bryant showed resilience in balancing putting on the production and finishing up her final year at CNU, despite many roadblocks and repeated sacrifices. Bryant specifically cited the department’s Program Coordinator Laura Devlin as a major help in getting the play cast and the word out there.

Student directed plays are a rarity at CNU and Bryant hopes more will come, stressing that CNU should invest more in facilitating student playwrights and directors who have stories to tell. Bryant also hopes that her play will contribute to trans representation in the arts, where she feels there is still far too little.

“If you’re writing a play (with a trans character), you have to risk losing a good chunk of any audience…which sucks but it’s the way things are right now.” Regardless of all the potential blowback, Bryant insists on telling trans stories and showing people how trans people are people who are deserving of re-

spect.

Bryant has been promoting the show via word of mouth, social media, the theatre department, and by placing posters (which you may have seen with lockers painted with the trans flag colors on the poster) around campus. While she isn’t expecting a major turnout, she hopes people will come see the play and hopes it will have an effect on them. Identity will be performed one night only on April 24th at the Studio Theatre in the Ferguson Center at 7:15 PM, with doors opening at 7:00 PM and the play’s admission is free to all.

Dead Man’s Cellphone A Review of TheaterCNU’s final show

FIONA SULLIVAN FIONA.SULLIVAN.20@CNU.EDU

This past weekend, TheaterCNU performed their last show of the 22-23 season with the play Dead Man’s Cellphone by Sarah Ruhl.

A synopsis from the Department of Theater and Dance’s website describes the play as such:

“An incessantly ringing cell phone in a quiet café. A stranger at the next table who has had enough. And a dead man – with a lot of unfinished business. The adventure begins when Jean answers “Hello?” in this quirky modern comedy by MacArthur “Genius” Grant recipient and Pulitzer Prize finalist Sarah Ruhl. The play takes us on the odyssey of a woman forced to confront her assumptions about morality, redemption, and the need to connect in a technologically-obsessed world.”

This preview obviously leaves much to be interpreted and going to see the play with zero expectations or any knowledge is truly the best way to experience the story, though the ending still felt very confusing. The main theme of the play is how social media and technology have the ability to unite and isolate society in the modern age.

Jean, played by Audrey Shoop, is the one who discovers Gordon dead at a cafe and proceeds to hold on to his cellphone throughout the entirety of the play and meet his family and mistress, all while making up lies about her relationship with Gordon, how he died, and how he felt towards his family. Obviously, this leads to chaos and hilarity but also recognizes the addiction that comes from technology and wanting to be connected with people as Jean had never had a cellphone before or people that truly cared for her.

of Identity curtesy of Jarrett Connolly

Junior Audrey Shoop had an absolute standout performance and embraced the endearing awkwardness that Jean presents so much while also displaying raw emotion

in such a truthful way that the audience can’t help but root for Jean. Shoop also had many impressive monologues and though it was often just them on stage talking, the energy never stopped flowing and Shoop moved the plot in an impressive, forceful direction.

Other standout performances include Kevin Brunette as Gordon and Alexandra Lagos as Mrs. Gottlieb, Gordon’s mother. Though Brunette doesn’t speak throughout the entire first act and is on stage several times acting dead, he blows the audience away with a fifteen monologue at the beginning of Act II that never seems stagnant and the sardonic humor he utilizes as Gordon is extremely effective.

Mrs. Gottlieb, on the other hand, is a dramatic, overbearing mother who doesn’t seem to care about much but herself until it is revealed at the end that she is the person that Gordon loved the most. It could be said that Lagos’s performance easily made the show and her reactions and facial expressions were priceless with the audience constantly laughing.

Overall, this was the perfect play to finish the 22-23 season for TheaterCNU which is made even more exciting by the fact that this play wasn’t even originally supposed to be produced at CNU. The characters were all over the top while still worthy to root for and the plot left the audience in reflection and curiosity which is how shows should always leave their audience.

Are Timothee Chalamet and Kylie Jenner Dating?

Believe it or not, this is an actual relationship that could be progressing each day. Papparazzi had been spotting them for a while now with Jenner’s car being spotted at Chalamet’s home and seeing them on dates according to Buzzfeed. However, these were all mostly rumors and most people refused to acknowledge that they could be an item.

However, everything changed when US Weekly published a story that had a source speak on the two celebrities. “Timothee is a total gentleman and treats [Kylie] with respect. He’s very charming and he makes her laugh, and

he’s easy to talk to. Although he may not seem like her type, they have really good chemistry,” the source claimed.

According to Buzzfeed, the two met through Jenner’s sister Kendall who was already friends with Chalamet which made the relationship easier to form. Entertainment Tonight offcially confirmed the couple on April 17 where another source stated the following: “They are keeping things casual at this point. It’s been really fun for her because

it feels a lot different than her past relationships. She’s having a lot of fun.”

While it may seem like things are going well for Jenner and Chalamet, Twitter had a lot of different thoughts. One user made a joke and tweeted “The KarJenners are really collecting skinny white boys like Pokemon.” Another made a reference to CHalamet’s Wonka movie that’s supposed to be releasing in theaters soon.

“The only Kylie x Timmy scenario that makes sense is if she hired him to dress up as Willy Wonka for Stormi’s chocolate factory themed bday like let’s bfr.”

While they still haven’t made their relationship official in public yet, it’s only a matter of time and who knows, maybe Timothee Chalamet will be spotted on an episode of The Kardashians in the near future.

Photo of Audrey Shoop and Kevin Brunette curtesy of TheaterCNU’S Instagram

Poster

Photo of Kylie Jenner and Timothee Chalamet from E! Online

‘Miss Americana and the Heartbreak Prince’ Are No Longer ‘End Game’

Taylor Swift and Joe Alwyn have officially broken up

Taylor Swift and Joe Alwyn have reportedly called it quits after six years of dating. On April 8th, ET released an article claiming that the two had broken up a few weeks before, stating that there was no animosity between the pair.

Fans were hesitant to believe the article due to the constant rumors that surrounded Swift and Alwyn’s relationship. They have kept their relationship very private since they first met in 2016 and throughout their relationship there have been many false rumors surrounding them. Such as, them being engaged, or married, or pregnant.

Swift has written many songs addressing her reactions to these rumors, such as her song “Paris”, where she writes, “privacy sign on the door and on my page and on the whole world, romance is not dead if you keep it just yours.” and “Lavender Haze” in which she says, “all they keep asking me is if I’m going to be your bride, the only kind of girl they see is a one-night or a wife.”

However, many reputable major news outlets quickly picked up the story, causing fans to wonder if this was actually just another rumor.

Soon after the article came out, Swift was spotted having dinner with friends

in New York City. The pictures caused fans to speculate whether the rumors were true or not. Many believe that she was still wearing her Tiffany & Co “J” necklace. However, there was no clear picture of the necklace so it was hard to confirm. Also, she was just a short distance from Cornelia Street, which has a huge connection to Swift and Alwyn’s relationship. While some fans see it as just a coincidence, many believe that Swift only gets seen out in public when she wants to be and that this sighting is significant due to the timing.

Eventually, PEOPLE magazine seemingly confirmed their break-up, citing a source close to the pair. The source claimed that the break up was due to them having different personalities and that in the end, they just didn’t fit together. They also said that Alywn was struggling with Swift’s level of fame.

Many fans think Swift has been subtly hinting at the break up during her tour. Early on, she swapped out her song “Invisible String”, a song fans believe to be about her relationship with Alwyn and how they’re relationship was fated, to “The 1”, a

song about wishing things worked out with an ex.

This past weekend Swift was in Tampa, Florida for her first show after the rumors broke. Many fans believe she was alluding to the break up when she stated, “So, we have a lot to catch up on, don’t we?” She then went on to say, “It’s been a really long time since I’ve been on tour. And to say that a lot has happened is an understatement.” Neither have publicly confirmed or denied the rumors, however given the private nature of their relationship it seems unlikely that they would say anything at all.

Carole Baskin Didn’t Kill Her Husband! Or Did She? An update on the long lasting mystery

ALYSSA TILLMAN ALYSSA.TILLMAN.22@CNU.EDU

During a resurfaced November 2021 interview with ITV’s “This Morning” talk show, Carol Baskin alleged that her ex, who was declared legally dead in 2002, was actually alive and well. Baskin rose to fame with the 2020 premiere of Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem, and Madness, which explored the world of big-cat breeding. The show centered on “Joe Exotic”, a breeder and former zoo owner who is now in prison, and his longtime feud with Baskin. After the series’ debut, there was much speculation that Baskin had something to do with Lewis’ death when he disappeared six years after the couple’s wedding. She has never been charged and has denied being involved with his disappearance.

Baskin claimed that her missing ex-husband, Don Lewis, was found alive in Costa Rica, but almost two years later, the discovery is just now going viral. Lewis disappeared in 1997 when he was 59, and would be 84 if he’s still alive today. He has not made any public appearances or statements that would debunk the rumors of his death.

Lewis’ vanishing in 1997 is chronicled in Netflix’s series Tiger King, and the theory that Lewis was alive was first floated in the sequel. In the series, producers show documents, allegedly from the Department of Homeland Security, that describe Lewis’ whereabouts in Costa Rica. It’s unclear if the documents are legitimate. Carole said in an interview with

People Magazine that she was unaware of the documents until they were aired on the show, and that she had contacted Homeland Security asking for a copy of the documents.

The New York Post recently reached out to law enforcement regarding Lewis’ disappearance. Fentress Fountain, public information officer for the sheriff’s office, told The Post that “The investigation into Don Lewis’ disappearance remains a priority for the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, as do all missing person cases”. There’s still an open missing-persons case for Lewis, and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s

Office told multiple news outlets that the office still considers Lewis missing.

AMANDA EACHO AMANDA.EACHO.22@CNU.EDU

Photo of Don Lewis from Tampa Bay Times

Left: Taylor Swift and Joe Alwyn exiting a party featured on Entertainment Tonight. Right: Swift and Alwyn from In Touch Weekly

Make The Switch

Benefits of using green to-go boxes

EVELYN DAVIDSON EVELYN.DAVIDSON.20@CNU.EDU

CNU Oddities

Staff writer lists strange things to see around campus

JARRETT CONNOLLY JARRETT.CONNOLLY.20@CNU.EDU

To say CNU is a normal campus would be a lie the size of the Ferguson. Weird things are prone to happen on campus, but blink twice and you might miss these five creepy, funny, and downright odd things.

1.CNU Banana

3.Chaos Trible

Do you eat all of your meals at the dining hall? Maybe you only eat there once or twice a day or only during the weekdays. Either way, if you take your food to-go, you’re probably going through a lot of throwaway takeout boxes. Instead of using one-use takeout containers all the time, consider using the reusable to-go boxes offered in the dining halls.

You might be wondering, what to-go boxes? How do you even get one? Well, the great news is, there is already a fund on your Captain’s card for these boxes.

All you have to do is ask for a green to-go box at the front desk of either CNU dining hall. Staff will swipe your card and the built-in “Go Green” fund will pay for the box. When you’re done with the box, just rinse it off and on your next visit to the dining hall, exchange it for a new box. Alternatively, if you want to return your used to-go box, but don’t want to immediately get a new one, you can ask for a wooden coin. Hold on to that wooden coin so that next time you feel like using a to-go box, you can exchange the coin for a clean box. It’s that simple!

Sophomore, Scottie Gilg, a member of The Student Sustainability Commission, shared why she chose to ditch the single-use to-go boxes. She wrote, “I chose to switch to the green reusable boxes because I wanted to take steps to become more sustainable in college. It can be difficult to be sustainable because it is easier to use single-use items and then be done with it, but

every small step and every item I reuse is taking those steps.”

If that isn’t reason enough, here’s a few other benefits of switching to reusable to-go boxes!

The reusable to-go box is sturdy and won’t get soggy

Don’t you just hate when your paper to-go container gets all soggy and disgusting? No one wants a box that leaves little wet sweat marks on every surface.

“The amount of times I have almost dropped my food when using the normal boxes because how flimsy they are is wayyy too often,” writes Gilg.

The reusable to-go boxes are similar to tupperware, so you don’t have to worry about the container falling apart with your food still inside.

The box keeps your food warm for a longer amount of time

Busy college students are always on the move and sometimes they don’t have time to eat their meal right away. When you pick up a one-use takeout container from the dining hall, the food goes cold pretty quickly. For instance, sometimes Gilg walks to work with her dining hall food, but it loses all of its heat by the time she arrives. Luckily, the green to-go boxes are made of a thick, sturdy plastic that traps heat.

You can fit more food in it

Sometimes you may want a little extra food for later. Instead of worrying about overstuffing those flimsy paper to-go boxes, rest assured that the reusable boxes will hold plenty of food.

If you have been to any CNU event in the past couple of months, you’ve seen the banana. Whether she’s riding through campus or just standing there by the Ferg, you will see the CNU Banana, decked out in the banana suit and sunglasses. She’ll just appear randomly and then as quickly vanish. She’s even gotten pictures with Chancellor Trible. Unlike most cryptids, this banana is approachable and likely doesn’t bite.

2.CNU Squid

There’s no warning for when it appears, it just does. Every couple of months, CNU students walking by the time capsule will find an actual dead squid placed upon the circular capsule. The CNU Squid is a time honored tradition by random, non connected students who place a squid onto the capsule for other students to find and admire. It’s one of the most recurring pranks on campus for years now. It has also been placed in the plaza and under the bell tower.

In the past few days, hundreds of random black and white photos of Chancellor Trible with the words “Chaos Incarnate’’ have randomly been placed around campus. While a lot of them have since vanished, they were a sight to see when you would enter the Torggler and there are these photos of Trible EVERYWHERE. Who placed them there? We’ll never know. But the real question is how much in print funds were used to print those pictures?

4.Plastic Babies

When you’re in the library, desperately trying to find the words to hit the minimum pages for an essay or are in Einsteins trying to caffeinate yourself, reach under a table and see if you can find a small plastic baby. There must be hundreds of these tiny things everywhere on campus. What do you do when you find one of them? Who knows.

5. Luter 4th Floor

Who said CNU doesn’t have liminal spaces? The almost barren hallways are eerie and there’s something unnerving about Luter’s 4th floor and the general hiddenness about its existence. If you find a mirror, chant “Set the world on fire” nine times and see what happens when Captain Chris appears behind you.

Green to-go boxes in Regs taken by Savannah Dunn

Door to Luter 4th floor halllway taken by Savannah Dunn

Sophomore brings new NPHC organization to campus

Richardson discusses how Sigma Gamma Rho aligns with her values

SAVANNAH DUNN SAVANNAH.DUNN.21@CNU.EDU

Christina Richardson, a CNU sophomore, is the founding member of a new organization to campus, Sigma Gamma Rho. The technical term for the chapter is Neru at CNU until chartered.

Sigma Gamma Rho is one of the Divine Nine sororities under the National Pan-Hellenic Council and has been dedicated to serving the community for over a century.

Established in 1922, Sigma Gamma Rho originated in Indianapolis, Indiana with seven young educators, and in 1929 “became an incorporated national collegiate sorority,” according to the sorority’s website. “The dynamic women of Sigma Gamma Rho have built and sustained a well-known and well-respected reputation for leading positive change to help uplift the community through sisterhood, leadership, and service,” the website says. Richardson knew she wanted to be a part of Greek life at CNU, but did not feel that the existing organizations were the right fit for her. “A simple google search made me realize that another sorority existed that more so aligned with my values and views,” Richardson said. After reaching out to her sister, Richardson was able to get into

contact with the alumni chapter President at Old Dominion University.

Richardson said, “From there I contacted numerous people in order to get the chapter founded. It was a very lengthy process but it was definitely worth it.”

Throughout the process of bringing the chapter to CNU, Richardson struggled because she was not allowed to talk about it. “It was really hard especially when you’re with your closest friends. You just want to talk to them about the whole thing and want to get their support when it comes to it,” Richardson said.

“Pretty much the only support I had was my sister.

That’s why she was so instrumental and that’s why I gave her a shout out during the neophyte presentation because if it wasn’t for her I probably wouldn’t be here right now.”

To become a chartered chapter, Richardson must recruit at least four more members. She plans on connecting with more students through the involvement fair in the fall.

“One thing about Sigma Gamma Rho is that

we are always more quality over quantity so even if we don’t hit the amount of members to charter the organization this fall, I am still looking forward to doing community service with those members and just being able to do work on the campus and introduce some leadership development on to the campus that people might not be aware of and just introduce some events on to campus,” Richardson said.

The slogan of Sigma Gamma Rho is “Greater Service, Greater Progress.” Service to the community both locally and nationally has been the large focus for the organization and one that drew Richardson in. Richardson put emphasis on the difference between philanthropy and service: “Philanthropy is kind of fundraising in order to receive funds and giving those funds to the organization which is helpful, but service is actually getting down and doing the dirty work for the organization that may not be the coolest thing to do, but it is needed for whatever the

organization is.” That is one of the things that Richardson says she loves about the sorority. “Everyone is willing to put their best foot forward regardless of what it is.”

Out of the many organizations that Sigma Gamma Rho partners with, a big one is March for Dimes, a national nonprofit organization to help mothers and babies no matter their wealth, gender, race, or geography. Richardson said, “We work very closely with that and we have a lot of national projects that we work on in order to help support that.”

“ One of the ones that I thought was the coolest is that we have a partnership with the US olympics swimming team for a program called swim 1922,” Richardson said. The program helps the black community learn how to swim. “Historically because

of different things with Jim Crow and people pouring acid inside of pools, it sparked a lot of fear in the black community to not learn how to swim. I believe it’s about half of the black community that doesn’t know how to swim and the goal is to try and help with that,” Richardson said.

When asked what she wanted to highlight, Richardson said, “I would definitely highlight a little about [the] National PanHellenic Council because it’s really cool that I get to work with those individuals and make the black Greek organizations a lot bigger on this campus.”

Richardson also mentioned that she is excited to work more with NPHC, NPC, and IFC. “It is really cool to see where it all goes -when we [collaborate] together.”

Richardson doing a soroity pose taken by Savannah Dunn

Richardson posing in her soroity colors taken by Savannah Dunn

Phoenix Fest

All photos taken by Amanda Eacho

grace.griles.20@cnu.edu