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FRANCIS
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There was a catch to planning a honeymoon in Virginia Beach for assistant baseball coach Chris Francis. In fact, he had a little more planned than just quality time with his new wife. “One day he just said that he had to go see some guy about a thing,” said wife Meghan Francis. "Then he comes in talking about the possibility of us moving to Virginia Beach." The “guy” he was going to see was Virginia Wesleyan's head baseball coach Nick Boothe, and the “thing” was the assistant coaching job at the college, which is a long drive from their home in Cortland, N.Y. where Francis coached as a graduate assistant for Ithaca College.
According to Francis, it took his wife six months to get used to the idea of moving to Virginia, but he needed a quality coaching position away from Ithaca, which could not pay him. A decision had to be made between Wesleyan and Emory College in Georgia. "That made it easier, because Meghan could handle 10 hours away from home but not 26 hours," said Francis. "But I would not recommend you to do that to any of your wives."
Francis graduated from Ithaca College in 1997 with a bachelor's degree in communications and sports Information. He was also captain of the baseball team. As a pitcher Francis earned Regional All-American honors his senior year with a 5-0 record and an ERA of 2.62. After his career, Francis headed to the University of Rochester to work on his master's and to help lead the baseball team as an assistant coach to two ECAC New York titles and a regional bid.
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| Photo by BLADEN FINCH Members of the baseball team pray together before the game. |
After two years at Rochester, Francis got the graduate assistant's job at his alma mater, where he completed graduate work and received a master's in sports psychology. Once his studies were over, he needed a full time job, and luckily the position at Virginia Wesleyan was waiting for him. "It was just funny how things fell in place," said Francis. "It was all about who you know and who you work for."
As a head FBI agent, Francis' father Mike had an ex-partner who had transferred to the Norfolk area. By coincidence her son was involved in Virginia Wesleyan and Nick Boothe's AAU baseball program, and one day in random conversation Boothe brought up the idea of getting a topnotch pitching coach. "A good friend of mine basically told me all about him," said Boothe. "He had a good personality and a good track record at Ithaca. But the rest is hard to explain, because Chris just seemed to fall right into place." Francis' main job is to handle the pitching staff, which had never really been the focal point for Virginia Wesleyan baseball. In fact, consistent pitching has been the missing link at Wesleyan for years.
"Since I have been here, as hitters we have always had to score a ton of runs to be successful and carry the team," said senior outfielder T.J. Adams. "But this year our pitching staff is amazing, and our success has been riding on their arms." Francis had turned around a pitching staff that has struggled in the last two years to be a dominant force, no matter the competition. In years past the team's earned-run average had fluctuated between four and six runs a game; where this year the Marlin’s pitching staff is not only leading the ODAC conference in pitching but it is only giving up just over one earned run a game. "Chris has had a profound effect on our pitching staff," said Boothe. "He has refreshed our program."
The Ceramic Designers Association held its 6th annual Empty Bowl Charity Dinner on Mar. 14 raising over $12,000 to feed the hungry. This is the fourth year the event was held at Virginia Wesleyan College. The Empty Bowls project is designed to generate an awareness of the many people who go hungry every day. For a $15 donation patrons received a modest meal featuring a coffee bar, entertainment and a handcrafted bowl.
The Empty Bowl charity project began in 1990 by a Michigan art teacher who helped his students find a better way to raise funds to support a food drive. It evolved a class project to make ceramic bowls for a fund raising meal. Those who attended dinner were served a meal of bread and soup. Patrons were encouraged to keep the bowl as a reminder of hunger in the world. The originators developed this concept into Empty Bowls, a project that provides food and support for soup kitchens, food banks and other organizations that fight hunger.
Ceramic artists and students worldwide have raised millions of dollars to combat hunger. Phil Guilfoyle, a ceramics professor at Virginia Wesleyan, and his students donated their time and talent in making bowls for the event. "He encouraged the students to participate and contribute," said Diane Hotaling, director of community services. A silent auction, featuring handcrafted items from local and international artist, was also held to help benefit the hungry. According to Hotaling, 90 percent of the proceeds will be divided to assist several ministries in the surrounding community.
"Tickets went on sale in the Scribner book store for the event and were sold out a month in advance," said Hotaling. Flowers for the event were provided by the Virginia Beach Council of Garden Clubs. The event also received a 20 percent discount and flower donation from the Norfolk Botanical Gardens. "This event allows our entire community to give of their talent and abilities to help so many in need," said Fran Dumville, chairman of Empty Bowls.
Empty Bowl events have proven to be very successful raising money and awareness for hunger and food issues in America. "It's a real salt-of-the-earth kind of event and wonderful community collaboration for Virginia Wesleyan College community," said Hotaling.
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| Photo by BEN RUEHLMANN This banner hangs from the railings in the Batten Center. In order for the Potato Drop to be successful the Virginia Wesleyan community must get involved. |
The Community Service office is hard at work planning and preparing for the 45,000 pounds of potatoes that are going to be dumped on campus April 9th for the second Potato Drop in Wesleyan history. The Potato Drop, sponsored by the Society of St. Andrew and the Southeastern Virginia Bank, is a community service activity that collects surplus potatoes from local farmers and distributes them to more than 116,000 people living in poverty in our area. Hosting an event of this magnitude is a huge opportunity for the campus community.
The first Potato Drop was in 2001, but there is a small twist this year. Virginia Wesleyan will be competing against Roanoke College. Roanoke will have the same amount of potatoes dropped on their campus, and from that time until noon officials will keep count of the number of bags of potatoes that are filled by students and loaded in the truck. "We need students to stop by the potato pile and fill a bag or two on their way to class," said Diane Hotaling, director of community services. "This is a fun event and fosters group activity and community involvement."
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| Photo by BEN RUEHLMANN Jackson (left) and Clarke (right) help Hotaling (center) make one of the 3,000 bags needed for the Potato Drop. |
The event's success rests on the campus community's shoulders. Before the potato truck actually pulls up to the Godwin building parking lot to drop its load of potatoes, volunteers will have mesh bags waiting to be filled. Sophomore Erica Clarke is involved in getting students together to make these bags and support the potato drop. "As soon as I get back from Spring Break," said Clarke. "I'm going to make the Grille Bag Central." Clarke and other volunteers will set up stations around campus where students and faculty can take a few minutes to show their support by helping make the 3,000 mesh bags needed for the potatoes.
Senior Rachelle Jackson is working to help prepare for the drop as part of her internship. "By targeting the dorms, we hope to recruit around 150 volunteers," said Jackson. "At the statue of John Wesley, there will be a public countdown to the Potato Drop for everyone to see. We want to inundate the campus with potato fever." A pep-rally is scheduled for Apr. 8 when Virginia Wesleyan will play its own version of Hot Potato: Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head will be crowned.
A representative from the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia will be in attendance to share with the campus how much our efforts will aid the community. “The spokeswoman will try to show that this event includes more people than just us,” said Clarke. “We will be making a difference in other people’s lives by participating.”
The pep-rally will also pay tribute to spring sports teams, in an attempt to get more people to show their support. President William T. Greer Jr.’s son William is the director of community services at Roanoke College, and he an Hotaling have arranged for the competition during the Potato Drop. It looks like the winner of the competition will have "bagging" rights over the other.
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