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Compiled by: Rio Ziegler

September 14, 2012 | Page 3

life

Remembering a fellow Marlin

kaci Parker

Foamapalooza
Sept. 15: 9 p.m.-1 a.m. Location: Batten Lawn This campus event is four hours straight of foam fun! Come dance and run around in a huge pool of foam on the Batten Lawn. This is an annual campus favorite that you dont want to miss.

Staff Writer

Fall Sports Tailgates

Sept. 19: Field Hockey Time: 3:30 p.m. Location: Marlin Field Sept. 22: Mens Soccer Time: 6:30 p.m. Location: Trinder Center Bring your best Marlin spirit to the fall sports teams tailgates to enjoy free food and giveaways.

Sept. 21: 2pm. Location: V2 Lawn So your mom told you not to play in the mud? Well, heres your chance! Join Student Activities and other organizations on campus as they battle it out for the Mud Games competition.

Mud Games

This summer, the Marlins lost a dear friend. JJ Adams was involved in a single car crash, which claimed his life too soon. Adams was a charismatic member of the VWC community; he was a member of Kappa Alpha Order fraternity (KA), a member of the track team for two years, an active participant in ROTC and was on Homecoming court his freshman year. He was the life of the party, said junior Luke Wade a fraternity brother. He had a sense of guidance and you could turn to him for advice. Adams was a man of many talents. Every summer after high schoolhe worked at MWP Supply, a lumber yard in his hometown of Madison, Virginia. He also played memorable roles in his churchs Christmas plays. He had an awesome singing voice, said JJs father, Joey Adams. He would always drive down the road with the windows down, and he and his thirteen-year old-sister Taylor would just sing and laugh at all the songs. Whether he sang in a play or just for the fun of it, he was a very outgoing person and enjoyed making people smile. JJ would always sing the opera song in Stepbrothers and he loved to sing Jason Mraz, said fellow senior Kassandra Stephanitsis. It was important for him to see a smile on his friends faces, even if he was not having the best day himself. His friends found it easy to talk to him about anything and everything. JJ made it his mission to lighten the stress and burdens that his friends carried with them. Countless members of the Virginia Wesleyan Community flooded JJs Facebook page with memories that all shared a similar theme: JJ could boost the happiness in anyones day. He always wanted to make you smile, said senior Brittany Camac. I will miss our car rides to ODU at 0500 [5:00 a.m. military time], said senior and ROTC participant Donald Greathouse. We could talk about anything in the world and nothing at all. Family was a top priority for JJ. He had an older sister Ashley, a younger sister Taylor and a younger brother Hunter whom he loved dearly, born October 2, 2011. The first weekend his little brother came home, all he could say was a baby over and over. He stayed up one night this summer and posted on Facebook I am the baby master because he let me feed him and rock him, said Joey Adams. His last night was spent just like every other day. He was doing something he loved most, hanging out with his friends. All he ever did was text me and say, Im gonna hang out with Tucker and Brandon if thats ok, or we are gonna float the river today, said Joey Adams. He was a true lover of life; he could always be found around campus in his red Alabama football hat with a genuine smile spread across his face. JJ enjoyed every day he was given and impacted every person he

We remember JJ Adams for his love of his family, friends and even the beach.

Kassandra Stephanitsis/Courtesy

met, said Stephanitsis. As a rising senior at Virginia Wesleyan, JJ was a young man with great potential, who had a positive outlook on his future. JJ was amazing at land navigation and had great leadership potential. I think he would have made a great officer in the United States Army and I was proud to serve with him, said Greathouse. His family and friends know JJ will never be forgotten and will always be loved. JJ lives on through Hunter, said Stephanitsis. KA held a wake for JJ where close friends came to the KA townhouse to celebrate his life. There was a time for mourning at the funeral; it was time to accept what happened and celebrate the guy he was, said Wade. Wesleyan is holding a tree planting service on Sep 22 at 11 a.m. The college will dedicate a plaque in honor of his memory and allow the campus community to pay its respects. He will always be loved and missed. He was the best son a father could ask for, said Joey Adams.

Kassandra Stephanitsis/Courtesy Former student Neil Calloway, junior Luke Wade, the late JJ Adams, alumnus Jordan Bonduraunt and seniors Brittany Camac and Kassandra Stephanitsis gather to celebrate life.

Ready, set, go Greek!

Greek men (left and right) meet with potential new members during Rush Week in oder to bond and join them in brotherhood. Sorority women (middle) rejoice in Bid Day Celebration. Sarah Skipper

Thomas Mills & Rachel Balsley/Marlin Chronicle

Staff Writer

What does it mean to be in a sorority or a fraternity? Being part of a Greek organization means having lifelong brothers and sisters. The inclusiveness and backbone that comes with being a part of a chapter would be one of the most appealing things about Greek Life in my opinion, said sophomore, Trisha Kohansby, recruitment director and member of Phi Sigma Sigma. Also, they provide a lot of academic support, like a little family. I wasnt really interested in going Greek, but the alumni really made me feel important; they were persistent and comforting, remarked Luke Wade, president of Kappa Alpha. Joining a sorority or a fraternity lets you have ample opportunity to excel in your community. You can participate in community service, obtain leadership skills and network within the Virginia Wesleyan community. One of the values of Tri Sigma is to develop strong womanly character, said junior, Jasmine Rivera. Since becoming a Greek woman, this value in particular has helped me develop my passion for speaking out for womens rights. So, how do you become involved? Last week, the three fraternities on campus, Phi Kappa Tau, Kappa Alpha and Sigma Nu, held Rush Week where they each had events that interested students could participate in. Starting last night, formal recruitment weekend for the

Panhallenic sororities began. The Panhallenic sororities on campus are Phi Sigma Sigma, Alpha Sigma Alpha and Sigma Sigma Sigma. There are also two Divine Nine sororities on campus, Zeta Phi Beta and Alpha Kappa Alpha, which do a separate intake process. Women interested in the Divine Nine sororities or any Greek organization can visit the Student Activities office for more information. The key to getting involved is attending events and meeting the members to find where you belong. Becoming involved in fraternity life has given me a chance to make new friends and be a part of a group with similar goals and values that I see in myself, said freshman and potential new member of Sigma Nu, Dan Mulford. During Rush week, the Greek men asked about the ambitions and goals of those interested in going Greek and got to know the potential new members. They look for gentlemen, men with similar values and guys who want to have fun. Its exciting to meet guys that have values that fit with ours. Sophomore, John Davis, said when asked about the turnout of Rush Week, Thats always awesome! Once the events finished, the men sat and discussed who would best suit their fraternity. Once chosen, the fraternity personally delivered the invitations to their potential new members. Phi Kappa Tau ended up receiving seven new men. Sigma Nu gained four new members, while Kappa Alpha took 10.

The first night of sorority recruitment was an information night held last night, Sept. 13. It was a night to ask questions and learn about Greek Life. Interested students signed up, paid the small recruitment fee and will continue with the events throughout the rest of recruitment weekend. The final ceremony, Preference Night, will be held tomorrow, Saturday, Sept. 15. This event means interested women are one step closer to possibly receiving a bid on Sundays, Bid Day Celebration. My excitement feeds off of the girls coming out for recruitment, said Kelsey Curtis, senior and member of Sigma Sigma Sigma. During the hall sweep the girls had good questions about Greek life and showed great enthusiasm to be a part of the Greek community. Greeks have the chance to better themselves through community service, lots of academic support, and their brothers and sisters are always there to help with lifes experiences. Phi Kappa Tau sophomores, Xzavier Darden and Robert Jordan describe what it means to them to be in a fraternity, The overall experience of bettering ourselves through Greek life is a great opportunity. It allows us to branch out in the Virginia Wesleyan community and pass on our knowledge to future brothers. Joining a sorority or fraternity has a significant impact on students, so it is important to choose wisely! Make sure the chapter you chose is right for you. Each chapter will hold more events throughout the semester for interested men and women to attend and get more information on how to be a part of Greek life.