After 11 years, 159 wins, an ODAC Championship and a national tournament bid, Terry Butterfield, head men's basketball coach at Virginia Wesleyan, was fired. "The athletic and administrative departments are making some positive changes toward golf and basketball," Assistant Athletic Director Joanne Renn said. "We are looking forward to the upcoming seasons in both sports." Butterfield, who doubled as the men's golf coach, enjoyed his best season of basketball in 1993 when he led the Marlins to a 19-9 record claiming the ODAC Tournament Championship and recieving the schools first national bid since 1981. In that same year he was named ODAC Coach of the Year. This season the Marlins finished fourth in ODAC with a record of 13-13. "I was suprised to hear that he was fired as head men's basketball coach," said freshman golfer Patrick Kanipe. "I did suspect a coaching change in golf, though."
"I was totally suprised that he was fired," freshman basketball player Lawrence Combs said. "He did so much for me this year, mainly by recruiting me when he had never seen me play. I played football at Central Connecticut, and he just took my high school coach's word on my skills on the court." "In my four years here at Wesleyan, Coach Butterfield has done a lot for me both on and off the court," said senior basketball player Nathan Hale. "I am disappointed he was let go. I feel that Coach Butterfield was a good person and I'm sad to see him go."
No person was more suprised about Butterfield's removal than Butterfield himself. "I have done nothing to disrespect this school or its athletic programs," Butterfield said. "I feel that I have built a good program filled with talented playersand have produced many winning seasons. I feel my basketball program was well respected by other schools, and I have worked hard for 11 years to keep it that way. I really do not understand why they have made this decision at this point, but I will pull together with my family and friends to get through this time."
Butterfield, father of three girls, has been the sole provider for his family since moving to Virginia Beach. "At this point in time I have few avenues to venture into because of the limited coaching positions in the area," he said. Butterfield's replacement has not yet been made, although Assistant Coach Dave Macedo has been the popular choice among the returning basketball players. "We will just have to see," said Macedo. "I have no idea at this point who will recieve the head coaching job." Butterfield will also be rememebered for big wins over top-ranked Hampden Sydney in '98 and a last-second win over second-ranked Christopher Newport University in '97. Members of the Virginia Wesleyan administration and staff were not willing to discuss the situation at the press time.
What started as a joke, became a fun experience for Virginia Wesleyan's Assistant Men's Lacrosse and Women's Soccer Coach, Tripp Heilig. "It really began as a joke," said Heilig. "The other Lacrosse coaches dared me to call the guy." Upon hearing about tryouts for a kicker for the newly established arena football team, the Norfolk Nighthawks, Heilig was 'dared' to try out. Suprisingly, the Nighthawks were interested in him. Heilig showed up, and out of the three kickers trying out, Heilig kicked the longest field goal.
"I had never kicked a field goal in my life," said Heilig. Actually Heilig never played football in high school or college. He's played recreationally, but that was about all. Soccer and lacrosse are his forte. After the third tryout, the Nighthawks picked their kicker, but it wasn't heilig. Division I kicker from Rutgers ended up eith the glorious title. but that was okay for Heilig, after all it started as a joke.
"It was a fun experience, I got to meet Bruce Smith, and I got to play football with a bunch of guys in Scope," said Heilig. Heilig, however, wasthe second choice for the position. Should anything happen to the current kicker, Heilig is just a phone call away. "And that," said Heilig, "was my short-lived career as a Nighthawk."
Census 2000 has been in the news for some time, and it finally hit the campus of Virginia Wesleyan College. April 17 and 19, VWC students gathered in the Boyd Dining Hall to fill out census forms. Lina Cottingham, Director of Residence Life, said, "Students assume they will be covered in their parents' form. I don't think that students understand its importance." The Census is required by the Constitution to record the population of the U.S. every ten years. This population includes everyone: citizens, future citizens, homeless, and illegal aliens.
There are two kinds of forms-the long and the short. Filling out the form is required by law, but the long form is only given to one in six people. The long form includes six pages of of more personal and detailed questions designed to get a statistic sampling of the population. Senior Katie Wick said, "I think the census is very important, but I would question its accuracy in getting detailed information from one in six people." Charles Erb, a census enumerator, explained that much effort goes into including all members of the population. To get an accurate count, he visits colleges, nursing homes, prisos, soup kitchens, outdoor shelters, and disabled infant centers. He also said that there are different ways to make sure that everyone is included. The main way is by mailing forms to homes and having people fill them out. A person who cannot read or write would be interviewed, and if a person is not capable of responding to those methods, the census will be based on their records.
The main purpose of the census is to count the population, but the results are also used to determine congressional zoning and districts. Also, the long form influences welfare and educational systems by locating the areas with financial need. Freshman Ellen Law said, "It is important to the financial development of the United States." Erb points out that many people think the long form is too personal and tend to ignore it. "Many people object to the personal information," said Erb, "but we are sworn that no personal information will be attatched to statistics."
Erb also said that while the statistical informaiton is available to everyone, the personal information is self-contained in the census building. The information is kept in a "hacker-poof" computer that is not online. As students at Virginia Wesleyan filled out the census, many were more concerned with the proces sof filling out the forms. They thought it was confusing and unorganized. "It was very unorganized," said Freshman Heather Lambeth. "I think the census people should have come by the halls instead of a mass of people in the dining hall." In order for the census to be most effective, everyone must participate. Those who refuse to fill out the census could be at risk for a monetary fine.