The Commonwealth Times; March 29, 2023

•Womens History Month Issue•

Women-led organization promotes sustainable fashion

3

on a personal level to help combat con sumerism and overconsumption.”

The club has been growing “rapidly” recently and gaining a “bigger presence” on campus, Le said.

Le has noticed more students and clubs selling their clothes in Monroe Park and at the Compass to fundraise or get rid of clothes instead of “throwing it away,” she said.

Eco Fashion’s impact has expanded beyond VCU to the rest of the city as well, according to Le. Eco Fashion will be a part of Richmond’s first sustainable fashion weekend, which will occur the weekend after Earth Day.

“That’s just amazing because what started out as a little club at a little university spread its influence to the rest of the city,” Le said. “This year, Eco fashion has made one of its biggest impacts. So I’m really proud of the club for that.”

Le hopes Eco Fashion at VCU can “influence” other universities to start this club, she said. Le believes more universities should have sustainable clubs specifically focused on fashion, she said.

“It’s college students and young people that are going to be the change that we need,” Le said.

Eco Fashion wants to bring the club to students earlier in the education system as well, starting as young as elementary schools so kids “can grow up caring,” Le said.

Dyanna Gamarro, Eco Fashion’s vice president, said it’s “wonderful” being a part of a women-led organization.

Eco Fashion has a “really good group of women” who are respectful, kind and get “anything that needs to get done, done,” Gamarro said.

Gamarro hopes people can learn more about sustainability through the club and begin to make conscious efforts in regards to their shopping and consumption, she said.

“We never want to make anybody feel bad for the choices that they have made because everybody has shopped fast fashion,” Gamarro said. “There is no shame in that, but we do want people to make conscious decisions moving forward and try to avoid doing that and find other ways that they can still get what they want but

writing letters to Congress, she said.

“Just figuring out ways where we could get our foot in the door where we can actually make an impact past what we have right now,” Gamarro said. “Not say ing that this isn’t enough, but we do want to expand past and make an impact.”

Eco Fashion spreads awareness on how “it’s really easy” for people to do their part, said Meghna Vemuri, member of Eco Fashion’s programming committee.

“Especially in Richmond since we have access to so many thrift stores, second-hand stores and consignment stores,” Vemuri said. “It’s much easier in a city like this to learn how to shop sustainably.”

Vemuri hopes that in the future, Eco Fashion can partner with more people in Richmond and create connections in other cities, she said.

“We went to New York this past weekend and it would have been really cool to have connections with sustainability organizations there,” Vemuri said.

Vemuri said it’s “great” to be a part of a women-led organization. Le is “very

“does everything so well” and keeps the club going with all its events, she said.

Eco Fashion being women-led shows that if a woman wants to start an organization, they should, Vemuri said.

“It’s really nice that we have an organization like that here at VCU. It’s just girl power,” Vemuri said.

1. Scattered polaroids of the Eco fashion group.

2. Members of Eco fashion create stamps.

3. Members of Eco fashion create beaded jewelry. Photos courtesy of Megan Le

I hope that things change for women in this industry. But women care for women, and so it’s our responsibility to bring attention to that.”

Megan Le, Eco Fashion president

News CT

Stories of the week

NATIONAL: President Joe Biden issues emergency declaration after a tornado hits Alabama, Mississippi and Georgia

INTERNATIONAL: Over 1 million people protest as France passes pension change

‘I’m very humbled’: Librarian of the year hopes to continue helping people

NATALIE BARR Staff Writer

The Estelle Brodman award for Academic Health Science Librarian of the Year, given from the Medical Library Association, or MLA, was awarded to VCU’s own — Emily Hurst.

The award recognizes the accomplishments of mid-level career librarians with less than 16 years in the field, according to Hurst. Hurst’s career spans 15 years, with eight years at VCU. Hurst is the deputy director and head of the research and education department for the university’s health science library.

“I’m really overwhelmed and very humbled by the award, because there are so many other people in our organization that inspire me,” Hurst said. “It’s a really humbling experience to see that my peers and people who have been my mentors, have nominated me for this award.”

A small majority of librarians who identify as women end up in the administrative or management positions; Hurst hopes to be a mentor to inspire others to become leaders, she said.

“Helping people get the skills that they need to be successful in their careers is really important to me,” Hurst said.

Hurst has type 1 diabetes and her diagnosis led to spending a lot of time in clinics and medical facilities, she said. Hurst was always interested in the history of public health but did not know this was a specific path she could pursue until graduate school, she said.

She graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a degree in library science, landed an intern-

ship in a health sciences library and remained in this field ever since, Hurst said.

“I’ve always found my place in health sciences libraries,” Hurst said.

Hurst manages an 11-person team to facilitate training and collaboration with all five schools on the medical college campus to make sure library services are at the level needed to keep up with research, she said.

Hurst hopes the library team will continue to grow and become more involved in research and grant writing as the university becomes more recognized for their research involvement, she said.

“People think of libraries as all these books, and that’s true, but we have a lot of resources, we also have all this expertise and skill that we can bring to the research team,” Hurst said.

The award process begins with nomination forms and three letters of support. An awards jury scores each nominee based on required criteria and the individual with the highest score is selected as the winner, according to Teresa Knott, associate dean of VCU libraries.

Hurst is a known leader within the department and has contributed in many ways to the university’s health science library; Knott knew Hurst would be a worthy nomination, and hopefully winner, Knott said.

“She is just so accomplished in so many ways. I just look at her, and I’m like, ‘how do you have time to do all the things that you do?’” Knott said.

Hurst has been the head of research and education since she started in 2014, landed her current title four years later and provided strong leadership for the health sciences library’s largest research

unit, Knott said.

The university’s health and wellness library has a strong partnership with VCU hospital to help patients find and understand medical information; Hurst plays a big role within outreach, Knott said.

“The highest percentage of questions that public libraries get are actually on health information topics,” Knott said. “Through the health and wellness library and Emily’s effort, we’ve done training with Richmond Public Library, Chesterfield and Henrico on how to find high-quality health information from reliable sources.”

Hurst constantly thinks of ways to elevate a student’s experience with the library, according to Knott.

“She’s just very active, smart and good at identifying opportunities that will advance what the libraries are trying to do,” Knott said.

Julia Esparza, associate director of the health science library at Loui siana State University, wrote a letter of support for Hurst’s nomination, she said. Esparza knew Hurst when she worked with the National Library of Medicine in Texas and from the south central chapter of MLA, Esparza said.

Esparaza described Hurst as dynamic, considerate and adaptable when teaching; Esparza was very willing to submit one of Hurst’s nomination letters, she said.

“I was very honored to be first of all asked because Emily has reached a lot of people throughout her career,”

Esparza said. “Knowing that one of my letters would be one of three that would help support her, I felt very honored about that.”

Esparza understands what winning this award means, as she is a past winner herself, she said. A consideration for nomination means “you are the best of the best” in this field and to win means you have shown strong leadership and contributed to research, according to Esparza.

She was not surprised Hurst won the award, Esparza said.

“The first time I met her I thought, ‘this is someone who’s got a great future,’ and she just blew that away,” Esparza said. Estelle Brodman Award winner Emily Hurst. Photo courtesy of Emily Hurst.

VCU RELEASES ITS 2021-22 FISCAL YEAR REPORT

VARSHA VASUDEVAN

Staff Writer

JACK GLAGOLA

Contributing Writer

VCU released its 2021-22 annual report which focused on the university’s innovative and “uncommon” brand, according to the report.

The report aimed to highlight VCU and VCU Health’s achievements and initiatives, according to Brian McNeill, VCU director of public relations, stated in an email.

“A team in VCU Enterprise Marketing and Communications sought to illustrate VCU and VCU Health’s major achievements in the areas of research and innovation; diversity, equity and inclusion; education and student success; and patient care,” McNeill stated.

These areas were goals of “Quest 2028: One VCU Together We Transform,” a plan that outlines the university’s course of action and vision from 2022-2028, according to the initiative’s website.

The university made $3.7 million in revenue and spent $4.6 million in total. Additionally, VCU raised $239.3 million

in a record-breaking annual fundraiser, according to the report.

The previous annual report highlighted areas of student achievements, research, innovation and health equity, according to the report.

VCU enrolled a total of 28,919 in both the 2020-21 and 2021-22 fiscal years, according to the reports. There were 48.2% of total minority students enrolled in the 2021-2022 year, the report stated.

Sincere Slade-Reading, a first-year political science student and Student Government Association undergraduate president, said VCU should reevaluate how they run the Monroe Park campus.

“VCU does not run like a school. It runs like a corporation,” Slade-Reading said. “That’s unfair to students — I think they need to run the school with a different business model than the hospital.”

She said the budget should also be more transparent so students can know exactly where their tuition money is going.

“They get a lot of grants, and tuition is very high,” Slade-Reading said. “Out-ofstate tuition is the highest of any Virginia school. I think we need to understand why.”

Slade-Reading also mentioned how

fundraising for VCU is lower due to a smaller proportion of wealthy people attending the school.

“When VCU students graduate, they go into the workforce. They don’t have time and money to donate,” Slade-Reading said. “But if you look at schools like UVA, they get a billion dollars in fundraising.”

The “Honor the Future” fundraising campaign at the University of Virginia has raised over $4 billion since its launch in 2019, according to UVA Today. VCU’s largest fundraising year only raised $239 million, according to the report.

“That’s something we need more of; I think that will help a lot,” Slade-Reading said.

Diversity and support for minority students should be more than just a marketing point, especially in a city as diverse as Richmond, Slade-Reading said.

“There is only OMSA [VCU’s Office of Multicultural Student Affairs] — they do all the work. It shouldn’t be student-led — that should be the work of the school. You put so much money into ‘this is who we are,’ why don’t you support students like me with the same effort?” Slade-Reading said.

However, VCU’s focus on being an institution for in-state students is a good thing, she said.

“They’re serving the Virginia Commonwealth area and targeting everything to in-state students. I think it’s amazing, considering that it is a public state university,” Slade-Reading said.

Kimora Hicks, a first-year biology student, mentioned the university’s budget deficit.

“If we’re spending that much money, some of it could be allotted towards housing. We have a whole new STEM building,” Hicks said.

Residents of on-campus dormitories have raised concerns about air quality, especially the alleged presence of mold in several buildings. They say the mold is the cause of respiratory symptoms that disappear when they leave campus, according to a previous Commonwealth Times article.

MJ Haskell, a first-year communication arts student, said the university’s budget deficit indicates a need for reducing expenses, especially new buildings.

“They should focus on fixing what we have already,” Haskell said.

Students look for housing as spring semester reaches final stretch

KATIE FARTHING Staff Writer

VCU students have begun to look for housing for the 2023-2024 school year.

Dorm prices tend to stay steady over the years, and if they do change it’s for a few reasons, according to Kevin Wade, senior associate director of administrative services with Residential Life and Housing.

“A lot of it has to do with just changes and expenses and quite frankly inflation changes or costs changes in general,” Wade said. “We look at off-campus rates, we look at rates of other institutions in state, we look at what our expenses are, we look at what projects need to be done.”

Johnson Hall closing didn’t change prices, but available beds decreased for returning students, according to Wade.

The closure resulted in students having a more stressful time applying for housing because there were more people and fewer available beds, according to Alamina Sesay, a sophomore computer engineering student.

Sesay is living in Cary and Belvidere Apartments, but applied for Broad & Belvidere, according to Sesay.

Upperclassmen housing is decided through a lottery system, and the amount of people that apply changes the odds of obtaining housing, according to Wade.

Sesay said she was only able to get into Cary and Belvidere because her roommate drew a low room selection number.

Room selection numbers are randomly generated and determine what date and

time students are able to search for a room, according to VCU Housing.

“When my time slot came, they told me that if I wasn’t able to get a room with her, I would not have housing right now,” Sesay said. “I just feel like they need to do better with having spaces available, especially if they gave us a time slot.”

VCU Housing sends an email to students who cannot get on-campus housing to let them know, according to Wade.

“There’s the option to sign up to get on a housing waitlist because we know there’ll be some attrition and create some additional vacancies,” Wade said. “We also have resources available for off-campus housing.”

VCU Housing also offers an off-campus housing fair and workshops for students on its website.

Wade said Johnson Hall will return as part of VCU housing, along with another West Grace housing, though the timeline is still being worked out.

Maggie Short, a sophomore psychology student, is currently living in Cary and Belvidere. She previously lived in a single room in Gladding Residence Center, or GRC, according to Short.

“I feel like both Cary and Belvidere and GRC have serious mold and dust issues,” Short said. “I was violently ill for a month and I feel like some of that had to do with indoor seasonal allergies.”

Johnson Hall was closed due to “elevated mold spores” last year, according to a previous article from The Commonwealth Times.

“There’s a protocol in place that if a student has concern over mold or air quality, whatever the situation may be, that the university does various checks and testing,” Wade said. “That’s really the main thing we’re doing. What needs to be done to prevent that from happening?”

Mekhi Ricks, a freshman finance student, will be living in Cary and Belvidere next year. The housing application process was fairly easy, according to Ricks.

“I had a leader of my group, basically, and she set everything up,” Ricks said. “All I had to do was fill out the application and go through all those steps.”

Some students live at home and commute to school to save money, according to Sharese Ogburn, a freshman pre-radiation student.

Ogburn said commuting has been okay this year but sometimes she feels like she misses out.

“Sometimes when I have fun, I’m like ‘Oh, I don’t wanna go home,’ and I wish I lived on campus,” Ogburn said. “But other times I’m tired of people, so I’m happy I get to go home.”

Claire Dilday, a senior environmental studies student, lived in Johnson Hall her freshman year and is currently off-campus.

“I liked it more than when I went into Rhoads and Brandt, those were the worst ones,” Dilday said. “Living in Johnson on my floor wasn’t bad.”

Dilday said she hasn’t lived in many places in Richmond, but her rent budget has changed over the years.

“I get more income now so my budget for rent is a little different,” Dilday said. “It’s not as much of the money that I get, it used to be pretty much everything I had.”

Jenna Bartalone, a senior environmental studies student, said students need to be careful during the house hunting process.

“I think that you have to be really careful about where you live,” Bartalone said. “You have to make sure if you do decide to live off campus, to ask the right questions so you don’t get screwed over.”

I had a leader of my group, basically, and she set everything up. All I had to do was fill out the application and go through all those steps”

Mekhi Ricks freshman finance student

Sometimes when I have fun, I’m like ‘Oh, I don’t wanna go home’ and I wish I lived on campus. But other times I’m tired of people so I’m happy I get to go home.”

Sharese Ogburn, freshman pre-radiation

student

photos by Katie Farthing

Sports CT

Stat of the week

VCU baseball scored 25 runs in a win against University of South Florida, becoming the most scored for the Rams since scoring 26 last season, according to VCU Athletics.

‘Fun ride’: VCU tennis twins play final collegiate year together

ARRICK WILSON Sports Editor

Identical twins Charles Bertimon and Maxence Bertimon have played tennis together since they were 10 years old, according to the brothers. Now, the twins are entering their final collegiate year together at VCU.

The Champagne Sur Seine, France natives have been successful throughout their tenure as Rams, winning conference championships and becoming Intercollegiate Tennis Association, or ITA, All-Americans, according to VCU Athletics.

Charles Bertimon, a graduate student, chose to stay at VCU for another year because of how much he enjoys college, he said.

“It’s been a fun ride,” Charles Bertimon said. “I just love college — everything that is offered to you, the learning experience, the people, the college athletics, it’s really what keeps me going.”

Coming to college made Charles Bertimon a better person, he said.

“I took college as a stepping stone to just be the best version of myself,” Charles Bertimon said. “I wouldn’t trade that for anything in the world.”

Maxence Bertimon, a senior student, started his collegiate career at Georgia Gwinnett College, but decided to transfer to VCU to join his identical twin after one year, according to Maxence Bertimon.

Maxence Bertimon wishes he could compete at VCU for another year, he said.

“I cannot do a master, for example, just like Charles, but I would do it if I could,” Maxence Bertimon said. “I’m glad to do my last year at VCU.”

The Bertimon twins are looking to lead the black and gold this season to surpass objectives on the season, Maxence Bertimon said.

“We [are] really in the mentality that we want to be leaders for the team, and we want to help the team reach the goals,” Maxence Bertimon said.

The Bertimons became the first VCU men’s

tennis doubles pairing to reach the NCAA Semifinals, according to VCU Athletics.

“We obviously had a great season, but we didn’t expect that much success,” Charles Bertimon said. “It just came with hard work — to capitalize on that, this year we have such high standards for ourselves.”

VCU tennis head coach Anthony Rossi recruited both twins when he was an assistant at VCU, before being upgraded to head coach, according to Rossi. The Bertimon twins can be successful again this season, Rossi said.

“I think they can do something special this year,” Rossi said. “I think they can do something special once they graduate as well.”

VCU men’s tennis program has won five Atlantic 10 Championships since 2017, according to VCU Athletics. The team has garnered continued success since the twins joined the program, Rossi said.

“They’ve been a huge part of the success — the team has got better,” Rossi said.

The pair of identical twins plan on playing professional tennis together by next summer, according to Charles Bertimon.

“Right now we’re really focused on the season and getting the work done,” Charles Bertimon said. “We want to play both singles and doubles professionally, and travel internationally, trying to make it pro.”

The Bertimon twins understand how rough the process is to play tennis professionally, but they are ready for the task, Charles Bertimon said.

“We know how tough it is, we know that it’s not gonna be done overnight and it’s a long process and we [are] ready for it,” Charles Bertimon said. “I think college was a great experience to prepare us for that.”

Bertimon

VCU senior student and athlete

VCU tennis athletes and identical twins Charles Bertimon and Maxence Bertimon before practice at VCU’s tennis facility in Richmond on Wednesday, March. 22. The Bertimon twins are playing their final season of collegiate tennis together.

It’s been a fun ride. I just love college — everything that is offered to you, the learning experience, the people, the college athletics, it’s really what keeps me going.”

Charles Bertimon

VCU graduate student and athlete

We [are] really in the mentality that we want to be leaders for the team, and we want to help the team reach the goals”

Maxence

Photo by Arrick Wilson

GAME RESULTS

MARCH 22

Pick of the Week

THAILON WILSON Staff Writer

On April 2, a battle between two top-four teams in the Barclays Women’s Super League between third place Manchester City and fourth place Arsenal.

The last time the two teams met in early February, Manchester City was able to beat Arsenal, 2-1, after Arsenal attempted a comeback and wasn’t able to complete it, according to the Premier League.

Every single game and goal will matter in order to potentially move up and take first place with the top four in the league, being so close in the overall fixture of points.

Every win is three points, every draw is one point and a loss is zero points, because Manchester is currently only two points behind first place. Every game matters and Arsenal must win this game to tie with Manchester City in points.

Manchester City forward Khadija Shaw is the leading scorer in the Barclays Women’s Super League, according to ESPN. Her goalscoring prominence will be important in the matchup against Arsenal.

This game will be similar to last game with a back and forth game, that may have some huge table shifting proponents, but Manchester City’s offense with Shaw’s goal scoring ability will be too much for Arsenal and Manchester City will be the victor.

PRESS BOX: Gender inequity impacts women’s basketball

BERSABEH KEMAW

Contributing Writer

March Madness is arguably one of the most anticipated and watched sporting events in the country.

This college level basketball tournament, that is single elimination, brings an intense level of competitiveness and hunger to the game of basketball, which has always been enjoyable to watch for viewers and fans all around.

Although March Madness is a well-known tournament, the center of attention and spotlight has always been prominently placed on the men’s NCAA Division I teams, rather than the women’s teams.

Gender inequity in basketball has always existed. However, Stanford University sports performance coach Ali Kershner posted a photo exposing the NCAA for its facilities at the women’s tournament in 2021. An outrage about the mistreatment of women in sports

began nationally, according to NBC.

The exposure of the facilities led to many outcries from players and coaches. It also sparked an investigation into the treatment and handling of women’s basketball, as well as a 118-page report, according to Yahoo Sports.

The difference in comparison between the men’s and women’s facilities for March Madness was undeniable. The women, for starters, did not have access to a weight room until they made it to the Sweet 16 round of the tournament. Even then, there were limits in place for how much weight the women were allowed to have in their facilities.

Molly Binetti, a performance coach at South Carolina University, stated on Twitter sarcastically to show her feelings about the difference in equipment and facilities.

“A weight room will be available once you advance to the Sweet 16…,” Binetti stated. “-2 racks -2 bars -Dumbbells up to 50lb because women can’t lift

more than that”

Texas A&M senior forward N’dea Jones was one of many players who spoke out about the controversial post, according to USA TODAY.

“It’s been like that for years. It’s not something new. I think it’s worse now because we are in a bubble, and we can’t control a lot of the things that we normally would be able to control,” Jones said. “We can’t leave. We have to use the amenities that they give us.”

The NCAA has also received much backlash for the gap in expenses dispersed for women and men’s basketball during the tournament.

In 2019, reports showed there was a $13.5 million gap between the two groups. The association budgeted a whopping total of $28 million for the men’s tournament, whereas for the women’s tournament, they only budgeted $14.5 million, according to The New York Times.

Not only is there a lack of funding when it comes to college women’s basket-

WOMEN’S LACROSSEVS. DAVIDSON

LOST 8-7

MARCH 24

WOMEN’S TENNIS - AT TULANE

LOST 4-3

MEN’S BASEBALL - AT SOUTH FLORIDA

WON 18-3

MARCH 25

WOMEN’S TENNIS - VS. TULSA

LOST 4-2

MEN’S BASEBALL - AT SOUTH FLORIDA

LOST 9-0

WOMEN’S LACROSSEVS. DAVIDSON

WON 15-5

MARCH 26

MEN’S BASEBALL - AT SOUTH FLORIDA

WON 25-15

MEN’S TENNIS - AT CORNELL

WON 4-2

ball, but there is also a lack of coverage and attention.

Within the past 30 years, there has not been much change seen when it comes to the coverage of women’s sports, according to a Purdue University research.

In 2022, the women’s March Madness tournament averaged about 634,000 viewers per game, which was a 16% increase from 2021, according to the Associated Press.

South Carolina University’s win over the University of Connecticut at the championship game in 2022 brought in 4.85 million viewers, making it the most watched women’s title game since 2004, according to ESPN Press Room.

However, this year, the first two rounds of the tournament have averaged a record of 391,000 views, a 28% increase to last year’s stats, according to Associated Press.

On the other hand, the men’s March Madness tournament averaged a total of 10.7 million viewers in 2022, according to the NCAA.

The immense disparities between men and women’s college basketball shows how much growth and advancement is desperately needed when it comes to women’s basketball and the treatment it rightfully deserves.

Illustration by Liv Weatherford

Spectrum CT

On this day

Rihanna

FOR THE GIRLS: Spectrum Editor’s list of things to do

CHLOE HAWKINS Spectrum

Editor

It can be hard to find activities in a place you’ve lived in for years. The idea of ordering a pizza and staying in always sounds good, but here are some entertaining things to do in Richmond with your closest group of gals.

MURAL PHOTOSHOOT

There are many unique and colorful murals around Richmond. Dedicate a day to get dolled up, put a cute outfit on and take photos in front of them — this is a chance to learn more about the city’s arts and culture scene, and get cute outfit pictures in the process.

A few of my favorite murals that are close to campus are “Robed Woman Surrounded by Roses” at 1001 W. Grace St., “Blue Haired Woman” at 114 W. Cary St. and “Spider Witch” at 825 W. Cary St.

RICHMOND THEATERS

The performing arts scene is very large in RVA, with theaters like the Firehouse Theater, Altria Theater and the Coalition Theater. All of these theaters are close to VCU’s campus, and include shows ranging from poetry slams, comedy shows and musicals.

Picture this: a girls’ night out to the theater, with snacks and unforgettable memories.

LEWIS GINTER BOTANICAL GARDENS

Lewis Ginter has a number of themed gardens and events, like floral design classes and lessons on creating nature journals. Tap into your feminine side by taking in all the vibrant colors and connecting with nature with a group of friends.

QUIRK HOTEL

People often think of hotel beds and room service when thinking about the Quirk hotels, but they have much more to offer, including an art gallery, gift shop and rooftop bar. Both of these spaces are aesthetically decorated with pink and white undertones and are located next to and within the hotel building, located in the Jackson Ward community. Quirk Hotel staff has also curated a Spotify playlist that can be listened to while experiencing these space.

ART EXHIBITIONS

There are a number of art museums in Richmond, both walking and driving distance from campus. These include The Anderson, Reynold’s Gallery, the Visual art studio and Gallery5. Whether you are into the arts scene or not, embracing all of the art that Richmond artists have to offer is a fun time and experience.

released her single “Umbrella” featuring Jay-z, going to No. 1 on U.S. Billboard Hot 100 for seven weeks in 2007.

Illustrations by Killian Goodale-Porter

‘AD MOM’:

EMILY RICHARDSON Staff Writer

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF advertising Jess Collins, wears many hats at VCU — not the least of which is running CreateAthon at VCU, an annual “creative sprint” event where teams of students develop branding materials or campaigns for local nonprofits, Collins said. Students enrolled in the elective course MASC 497 are part of the “core team” assigned to each nonprofit, and are supported with the help of volunteers during the event, Collins said. This year’s event concluded last Saturday morning.

“It’s insane, but it’s also just fun,” Collins said. “You’re doing it for nonprofits, so it feels good. It’s one of the biggest and longest-living events at this school.”

This is Collins’ fourth year teaching the CreateAthon course, she said, though she started teaching at VCU as an adjunct professor in the fall of 2015.

Working in the advertising industry is “very competitive,” and it can be difficult to

find a mentor, which is part of the reason she felt drawn to teaching, she said.

“So much about what you do in advertising isn’t even the work product, it’s the confidence, it’s the presence, feeling like you can command a room,” Collins said. “I found that early in my career I didn’t feel like I had that.”

Collins never thought she would be a professor, she said.

“I had never taught, I just thought this could be fun,” Collins said. “I just realized that I loved it so much.”

Hailey Fitzgerald, Ad Club’s account manager and teaching assistant to Collins’ CreateAthon class, said Collins’ students can count on her for support, affectionately calling her their “ad mom.”

“She’s one of the professors that definitely goes above and beyond for her students, like, she still has connections with people that graduated five years ago,” Fitzgerald said. “She’s just one of those people that’s gonna be somebody I can rely on.”

Collins also teaches a course called “Completeness,” a senior-level campaigns class where students compete for a single,

“real-life” client. Her goal as a professor is to prepare students for work in the industry, Collins said.

“I teach mainly all real-life stuff, because you gotta practice,” Collins said. “I mean, I’m scary, but clients are scarier.”

She’s one of the professors that definitely goes above and beyond for her students, like, she still has connections with people that graduated five years ago. She’s just one of those people that’s gonna be somebody I can rely on.”

Hailey Fitzgerald, CreateAthon TA and Ad Club account manager

Aside from teaching classes like CreateAthon and Completeness, Collins is also the Ad Club faculty advisor. Ad Club gives advertising students professional development opportunities like agency tours and guest speaker events, according to Collins.

Collins’ impact on students in the advertising program is “nothing short of inspirational,” according to Sarah Stork, Ad Club’s content manager.

“I’ve known multiple students who didn’t care about school until they took her ‘Awareness’ class, and then they were like,

‘Oh, this is a real thing, this is a moneymaker and this could matter,’” Stork said.

Collins has always had a productive, “zero or 180 miles per hour” mentality, she said.

“I just am better productive,” Collins said. “If you give me 30 tasks, I’ll complete them like a machine. If you give me two, I’ll wait until the very last minute to get them done.”

Collins said she feels lucky to be a professor and that there’s “nothing like” being on a college campus.

“People think I’m lying, but it keeps me youthful and energized,” Collins said. “Especially because I teach mainly seniors, even though everyone’s stressed out about finding jobs and all that. There’s an eternal optimism that I love.”

Assistant professor supports ‘real-life’ learning, professional development

Jessica Collins poses for a headshot.

Photo courtesy of Jessica Collins

Opinions CT

Quote of the week

“They’ll

Ride-or-die trope leaves women in the dust; it’s time we let it go

BREYANA STEWART Contributing Writer

“Down to ride to the very end, it’s me and my boyfriend,” Beyoncé belts on Jay-Z’s classic “03 Bonnie and Clyde.”

We’ve all heard — and likely used — the term “ride-or-die” at some point in our lives. It’s been continually depicted on our screens through music, television and film. Some may use it to describe their family, while others may crown their closest friends with the title. However, the expression is widely used when discussing romantic partners, particularly women.

Dictionary.com defines the phrase as “a colloquial expression of extreme loyalty to someone or something.”

A partner that is loyal to you no matter the circumstance or cost is something most people wouldn’t dare pass up. If you would’ve asked me a few years ago, I would’ve jumped at the chance myself. However, as I’ve grown older and wiser, I’ve learned that the idea often leads to more harm than good.

Women who find themselves in a rideor-die type of relationship are often left carrying the load and frequently end up with the short end of the stick. Male part-

Understanding the complexity of love

KOFI MFRAMA

Opinions Editor

I’ve never been in a relationship. I’ve never even had so much of someone liking me romantically or reciprocating my affection. As an observer of love, the fanfare surrounding it has always been lost on me. Everyday, I have more and more questions about the concept and with all the conflicting narratives that exist both online and offline, I could surely use some guidance.

Thus, I’ve employed the help of my friends, some who’ve been in relationships spanning three months to three years, to cut through the clamor and noise and get right to the heart of what it means to be in love.

VCU students Quan’Drez Mason and Austin McGhee finally mustered up the courage to talk to each other after being mutuals on Instagram for quite some time, according to McGhee. After a few hangouts, the two decided to make it official in early February and have been in love ever since.

“Learning to love someone is considering everything about them — pros and cons — and accepting them for things that they don’t necessarily like about themselves,” Mason said. “It’s

ners who crown their significant other with the title often use it to excuse their perverse behaviors and habits, such as cheating, lying and even physical abuse.

On the other hand, that same grace is usually not extended to their female counterparts. In fact, men have even stated that even if their partner forgives them for cheating, they would not do the same, according to The Good Men Project.

The one-sided trope forces women to settle for less than they deserve. It con-

just wanting to be around them and share experiences, like wanting to tell them everything and just experience life together.”

McGhee believes it’s love’s specificity that gives it its gravity.

“It’s more than a bond, it’s more than a partnership,” McGhee said. “When you say you love someone you really really have like a special connection within that you have with no one else.”

It’s this type of connection that’s always been fascinating to me. Love has always been more of a conscious decision to choose your partner over everyone else — a kind of mutual exchange of self.

I also had the chance to talk to my friend Stewart Anderson who is a thirdyear at VCU. He and his girlfriend of three years, McKayla Gantz, met in high school. Stewart admittedly loves a lot of things, but the love he has for Gantz takes precedence over everything.

“I just throw it [the word “love”] around like it’s nothing, but there’s only one person who carries the context of being the person that I want to spend my existence with — and that would be McKayla,” Anderson said.

Their connection got even deeper their senior year as they began planning out their prom outfits together. They officially began dating in March 2020, but COVID-19 would alter their relationship just as quickly as it began.

Unable to meet in person, the two spent most of their early quarantine days on FaceTime with one another.

With the pandemic making us interact more virtually than ever before, I’ve wondered how this has impacted our perceptions of love and relationships. Many of my friends’ relationships be-

vinces women that the only way they are deserving of love is if they absolve themselves of their boundaries and allow their partners to mistreat them.

I vividly remember my most toxic relationship and the baggage that came with it. If he lied to me, I forgave him. If he was unfaithful, I blamed myself and forgave him. I did it all under the guise of unconditional love.

I believed that if I continued providing him with that unconditional love, then

gan on an app, but what impact does Tinder or Hinge have on how we give and receive love?

“I think online you can sometimes assume a person’s one way and it could be a little bit of a letdown when they’re the complete opposite when you meet them in person,” Mason said.

As someone who spends a lot of time online, I find myself bombarded with all kinds of relationship content. This is no surprise to me because love is everywhere: It’s in every song, in nature, and every time I go outside it seems like everyone is holding hands.

It’s inevitable that people share their experiences with love on social media. However, for every cute couple edit, there’s a video of some more than questionable relationship advice. Specifically, so much of this advice perpetuates a traditional, patriarchal view of relationships that we as a society have worked to dismantle: “The guy should pay for this” or “the girl should behave like that.”

As a gay man, I’ve always wondered how I should navigate this rhetoric. Anderson uses differ ent interpretations of what a rela tionship is “supposed” to be to get a deeper understanding of his own.

eventually he would treat me the way I deserved — but he never did.

We are taught that if love is conditional, then it isn’t real. The idea of unconditional love is pushed in order to absolve people of accountability, and it is frequently used to manipulate us into settling for things we often shouldn’t. The truth is that love should be conditional, and it should have boundaries.

Boundaries protect us from emotional trauma, and they teach us to value ourselves and our needs over another person. Relationships are a contract and should be treated as such. If the rules of said contract are broken, then it should be terminated.

Women are conditioned to believe that we must go through hell and back in our relationships in order to prove our loyalty, but that narrative is far from the truth. Women are deserving of healthy love from the start, and we shouldn’t have to prove that to anyone.

Love shouldn’t have to be taught, and we shouldn’t have to “raise” a healthy, suitable partner. It is time to cease the ride-ordie narrative and begin holding our partners accountable for their actions.

“It helps us understand the type of people that we are; it helps us understand boundaries in our relationship,” Anderson said. “I think we’re able to carve out our own definition of what we’re supposed to be.”

Many people online tend to live in absolutes when it comes to dating, ignoring the fact that people are complicated and nuanced thus our relationships will reflect that. Every piece of advice seems to be another mind game to trick someone into liking you — it’s like we’ve lost the art of being genuine.

I’m a little less cynical than I was before, I think I believe in love a tad bit more, but I’m not sure I’ll ever have complete clarity on the subject. Love is so complex and I doubt any of us will truly ever understand it. All I hope is that everyone can experience true love at some point in their life — however it decides to manifest itself.

tell you you’re too loud, that you need to wait your turn and ask the right people for permission. Do it anyway.”

— Alexandria Ocasio Cortez

Illustration by Victor Romanko

Illustration by Mikayla Lindsey

My Mom’s A Cup of Pencils by Anthony Duong

EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Gabriela de Camargo Gonçalves decamargg@commonwealthtimes.org

MANAGING EDITOR

Hollyann Purvis purvishm@commonwealthtimes.org

COPY EDITOR Anna Chen chena@commonwealthtimes.org

NEWS EDITOR Selna Shi news@commonwealthtimes.org

SPORTS EDITOR Arrick Wilson sports@commonwealthtimes.org

SPECTRUM EDITOR

Chloe Hawkins spectrum@commonwealthtimes.org

OPINIONS EDITOR Kofi Mframa opinions@commonwealthtimes.org

PHOTO EDITOR Alessandro Latour photography@commonwealthtimes.org

AUDIENCE EDITOR Andrew Kerley audience@commonwealthtimes.org

ILLUSTRATIONS EDITOR

Killian Goodale-Porter illustrations@commonwealthtimes.org

STAFF WRITERS

Varsha Vasudevan

Natalie Barr

Emily Richardson Peggy Stansbery Thailon Wilson Katie Farthing

VCU STUDENT MEDIA CENTER

DESIGN EDITOR

Clare Wislar designerssmc@vcu.edu

What’s In Bloom At VCU by Aubrey Premock

GRAPHIC DESIGNERS

Fiona McMichael

Madison Tran Clare Wislar Tess Wladar Solimar Santoyo designerssmc@vcu.edu

DIRECTOR OF STUDENT MEDIA

Jessica Clary claryj@vcu.edu

CREATIVE MEDIA MANAGER Mark Jeffries mjeffries@vcu.edu

BUSINESS MANAGER

Owen Martin martinso@vcu.edu

The

What I’ll Miss Most From Spring by Danielle Murphy

The

pages of

are

open

the public. Contributions are welcome by email to Kofi Mframa, by mail or in-person at 817 W. Broad St., Richmond, VA 23220. Opinions expressed are those of individual columnists and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Commonwealth Times. Unsigned editorials represent the collective opinion of The CT staff.

The Commonwealth Times strives for accuracy in gathering news. If you think we have made an error, please email the appropriate section editor. Corrections will appear on the news pages and/ or online. One CT per person. Additional copies can be purchased at the Student Media Center for $1 each.

COPYRIGHT

The Commonwealth Times is the award-winning, editorially independent student news source for Virginia Commonwealth University. All editorial content is determined and produced by students. Opinions expressed in The Commonwealth Times are not necessarily those of the college. All content © 1968-2023 The Commonwealth Times. No part of The Commonwealth Times may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher. All rights reserved.

TYPOGRAPHY

All of the typefaces used in this issue were created by female typographers. The typefaces are Athelas, Textbook New and Blenny.

SPLIT A RIDE

By Dylan Schiff & Matthew Stock

SPLIT A RIDE

By Dylan Schiff & Matthew Stock

Edited by Dylan Schiff & Matthew Stock

Los Angeles Times Sunday Crossword Puzzle

Edited by Patti

Varol and Joyce Nichols Lewis

Edited by Patti Varol and Joyce Nichols Lewis