The Commonwealth Times; January 19, 2022

VCU requires students get booster shots for spring semester

VARSHA VASUDEVAN Contributing Writer

CU IS REQUIRING ALL STUDENTS eligible to receive a COVID-19 booster shot to report having one by Feb. 1 for the upcoming spring semester, according to the VCU Together website.

This requirement applies to all VCU students “except those with religious or health exemptions, and students enrolled in VCU’s entirely online programs,” according to the website.

Anju Mathew, a senior studying biomedical engineering, said the required booster shots were an appropriate measure if VCU plans to keep classes in-person.

“I’m okay with it because it seems like classes are still in-person, or there’s in-person activities, so they’re not shutting down campus,” Mathew said. “I understand why they’re doing it.”

University spokesperson Mary Kate Brogan stated in an email this decision

was made following recommendations and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Virginia Department of Health and VCU’s own medical experts.

“The decision to require boosters was based on data that pointed to the level of protection vaccines and booster shots provide,” Brogan stated.

The combination of two doses of the vaccine as well as the booster shot is considered “fully vaccinated,” according to an email from ONE VCU: Better Together Master Plan.

Detected in December, the Omicron variant has been found to spread quicker than the “original SARS-Cov-2 virus,” according to the CDC website. The decision to require an additional booster shot for students was announced amidst the spread of the Omicron variant of COVID-19.

VCU decided to proceed with in-person classes for the spring semester after weighing the severity of COVID-19 and the “benefits of in-person classes and activities,” Brogan stated.

“VCU’s high student and employee vaccination rates, coupled with our successful mitigating health and safety protocols, led to the decision to continue in-person classes and activities as planned,” Brogan stated.

tining, students who test positive for COVID-19 are now required to quarantine for five days starting from their most recent exposure, according to the VCU Together website.

Senior biomedical engineer student Anju Mathew said she disagreed with CDC’s change in guidelines, because of the risk of spreading COVID-19 to others.

“At the end of five days, if you still have COVID-19, you have the chance of spreading it to other people,” Mathew said. “If they [the CDC] said 10 days before was, like, the good standard, I was just confused on why they [the CDC] switched to five days.”

Cat Long, the public information officer in the Richmond and Henrico health districts, said the reduction in the quarantine period was because symptoms presented more quickly with the Omicron variant.

To mitigate the extreme number of hospitalizations and shortage of tests at VCU Hospital, VCU Health is postponing “non-urgent surgeries and procedures” and encouraging community members to vaccinate,” Brogan stated.

“Many of our hospitalized COVID-19 patients are unvaccinated. This means that vaccination is protecting people from severe illness,” Brogan stated. “We are urging everyone eligible in the community to please get vaccinated or schedule a booster shot.”

In adherence to the CDC’s updated recommendations on quaran -

“With some of the other variants, it might take more time between when you’re exposed to when you become positive and develop symptoms, but with the Omicron variant, it’s shorter,” Long said. “We tend to know sooner than previously whether or not we have COVID-19, so we’re able to reduce the quarantine guidelines.”

Along with booster shots, eligible students are required to document vaccination and complete the Responsible Together Course before arriving on campus and cannot participate in activities on campus otherwise, according to the VCU Together website. The requirement for students to be masked indoors has also been maintained by the university, according to the website.

Long said it is permissible for institutions to stay open as long as they monitor the number of outbreaks and ask infected students to stay home.

“For K-12 or colleges, I would not say it’s irresponsible for them to be open,” Long said. “But we just need to make sure that we stay very diligent about all the prevention methods that we have in our toolbox.”

I’m okay with it because it seems like classes are still in-person, or there’s in-person activities, so they’re not shutting down campus. I understand why they’re doing it.”

Anju Mathew, senior biomedical engineering student

Illustration by Rena Bridge

Stories of the week

VCU Center for Environmental Studies Students will partake in research for Virginia’s Scenic Rivers Program

MAE OETJENS Contributing Writer

THE VCU CENTER FOR ENVIRonmental Studies entered a formal agreement beginning this spring with the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation following a student-conducted study for Virginia’s Scenic Rivers Program.

Environmental science professor James Vonesh taught the scenic resource and policy assessment course, which led to the collaboration with DCR in 2020.

The students in the course evaluated an 11 mile stretch of the James River. They analyzed the river based on a 14 point criteria from the Virginia’s Scenic Rivers Program and made a formal recommendation that the section should be added to the program, according to a report created by the class.

“Not only is it a case study and handson opportunity for experiential learning, but it also means that it’s a real world product,” Vonesh said. “If you go to the scenic rivers webpage, you’ll find our reports there. They [the students] are actually playing a small role in this real process of the scenic river designation in the state.”

The criteria for the Virginia Scenic Rivers Program includes researching the river’s historic features, public recreational access, overall aesthetic appeal and water quality, according to the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation.

The Virginia General Assembly, which is responsible for granting approval for the

KATRINA LEE News Editor

VCU’S MINORITY POLITIcal Leadership Institute is being reinstated after a two year COVID-19 related hiatus.

Virginia Scenic Rivers Program, will make a formal decision on the 11 mile stretch studied by the class on Wednesday, Jan. 19.

“We will know after tomorrow whether or not the work the class did play a role in helping to designate a new scenic section of river in Virginia,” Vonesh stated in an email on Jan. 18.

“We got to talking and decided to try a class on scenic resources that at the end of the semester there would be a project that would be useful, not only for students but for the scenic rivers program,” Crump said.

Crump worked with Vonesh to develop the partnership between VCU and the Department of Conservation and Recreation.

how the land was used, what the population was along that section of the river,” Boardman said.“It was one of my favorite classes that I took at VCU.”

I did a lot of research as to what the zoning was around that section of the river, how the land was used, what the population was along that section of the river. It was one of my favorite classes that I took at VCU.”

Jesse Boardman, VCU alumnus

Virginia’s Scenic Rivers Program is a staterun program that designates protected rivers and streams, according to the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation.

Professional landscape architect Lynn Crump is a retired state scenic resources coordinator for the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation. She was involved in working with VCU to evaluate the James River stretch for the Scenic Rivers Program.

Minority

The Minority Political Leadership Institute is an eight month program where students experience politics first

Nakeina Douglas-Glenn, director of Grace E. Harris Leadership Institute, which is part of the L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs, explained that the goal of this program is to create a “generation of leaders and professionals” who understand public policy, decision making and civic engagement.

“Students pick a piece of legislation from the most recent General Assembly session that they are interested in and they try to understand the racial implications of that legislation,” Douglas-Glenn said.

Applications for the Minority Political Leadership Institute next available session are due Oct. 15 and costs for the program are currently $3,425, according to the programs website.

The program was put on a two year hiatus in an effort to limit the spread of COVID-19, according to Douglas-Glenn.

“During this program, we travel around the state to try to learn more about the communities in our quest to really promote equity. We thought it would be responsible to not bring new people into communities and further the transmission rate of COVID-19,” Douglas-Glenn said.

“The program is set up to recognize the significant scenic, recreational, natural and historic features or river segments in Virginia,” Crump said. “It is a very grassroots driven program. Rivers don’t get studied unless the localities support it.”

Jesse Boardman, a VCU alumnus who graduated with a bachelor’s in environmental studies in 2018 and a master’s in environmental studies in 2019, took the scenic resources and policy assessment class in 2018.

“I did a lot of research as to what the zoning was around that section of the river,

The collaboration with DCR and the Virginia Scenic Rivers Program is continuing throughout Spring 2022, but the class will not be offered again until the fall. Registration for fall classes begins on March 29, according VCU’s academic calendar.

Vonesh plans to spend the spring figuring out a “qualitative assessment of scenery,” a subjective way to measure the beauty of a research location.

“One person might think this is beautiful, and another person might not. And so how do you score scenery? And so that’s something that really draws from the fields of aesthetics and things like landscape architecture,” Vonesh said.

Previous students in the program assessed policy like Virginia’s Fair Housing Law, which made discriminatory practices in residential housing illegal in 2018, according to the Virginia legislative information system website.

The program also analyzed the establishment of charter schools in Virginia and other policy decisions passed by Virginia’s General Assembly, according to the Minority Political Leadership Institute website.

“The team projects these students do in the program when they analyze policy around racial equity, teaches not only the technical skills of how to be a team player but also teaches students to unpack legislation so they can make meaning of it for these communities,” Douglas-Glenn said.

Delegate Lashrecse Aird, an alumna of the Minority Political Leadership Institute, served Virginia’s 63rd House District until her term ended last week. She was in the 2011 session of the program.

“Prior to being in elected office, this program was my first experience of looking into the different areas of the commonwealth of Virginia through a policy lens,” Aird said. “This program gave me a leg up to have a better understanding of policy and how it can have unintended consequences for minority communities.”

VCU mass communications graduate Taryn Anthony was in the Minority Political Leadership Institute during its 2018 session. She said that her experience in the program prepared her for her current work environment.

“In my group during the program, no one looked alike, sounded alike, or we did not all vote alike, which taught me how to approach any issue and taught me how to have meaningful conversations with others,” Anthony said. “This program also helped me put a magnifying glass over the difference between equality and equity.”

During her time in the program, Anthony and her team analyzed policy that dealt with a grocery store investment fund policy that selected areas for new grocery stores in an effort to fight food insecurity.

“We looked at legislation that had been filed, and there seemed to be no reason for the selected areas for new stores,” Anthony said. “We looked at the levels of income and saw needs for fresh groceries and reallocated the stores to those areas for it to actually be effective.”

Anthony expressed that she felt this program is not just for people who want to run for office, but for anyone who wants to “serve their community.”

“My personal opinion is that I believe any person who votes, needs this program. At the end of the day, the elective officials’ role is to work on behalf of all of their service areas,” Anthony said. “Part of holding them accountable, is making sure everyone is being heard and watched out for. ”

national: The federal government launched a website that allows people to order up to four free COVID-19 tests that will be sent directly to individuals’ households.

international: A large asteroid made a relatively close pass by Earth this Tuesday around 4:51 p.m.

Political Leadership Institute reinstated after a two year COVID-19 break

Lynn Crump, the coordinator for the Virginia Scenic River Program, talks to the class about considerations for designating scenic rivers in the field. Courtesy photo from James Vonesh

Students in the program analyze policy decisions that are made at the Virginia General Assembly Building at 100 Bank Street Richmond, Virginia. Photo by Kaitlyn Fulmore

Stat of the week

RESULTS

MEN’S BASKETBALL LOOKS TO EXTEND COMPETITIVENESS INTO CONFERENCE

PLAY AS SEASON CONTINUES

ARRICK WILSON Sports Editor

THE VCU MEN’S BASKETBALL team was on a four-game winning streak from late December to January. The Ram’s run was put on a pause, due to COVID-19 cancellations and postponements, three days after their Dec. 15 win, preventing the team from playing for 21 days.

Head basketball coach Mike Rhoades commented on the short hiatus, expressing that the team will not use the pandemic as a justification for not being able to play. Rhoades also communicated the team will take action to play no matter what.

“In regards to COVID[-19] with a basketball team, I knew once one or two guys got it. It might spread like wildfire like it’s doing everywhere,” Rhoades said. “We’re just not making any excuses. If we play with six guys or 15, so be it. We’ve got to be ready to try to win the next game.”

The black and gold’s defense has been key to their success, ranking ninth in the nation in best defense and first in the nation in best three-point defense, according to the NCAA. Rhoades said the pro gram takes pride in its havoc defense, making it an emphasis.

“We work on it [three-point defense] every day, and we take great pride in those numbers because, as we all know a team that makes a bunch of threes — is hard to beat, and it’s been a huge emphasis now,” Rhoades said.

Key players for the Rams have been senior forward Vince Williams Jr. and sophomore guard Adrian “Ace” Baldwin Jr. The pair of teammates are continuing their success from last year, after both were named to their respected All-Conference teams by the Atlantic-10 Conference.

Williams currently leads the team in points and rebounds, according to VCU Athletics. Williams’s trust in his teammates is exemplified through his play, often having assists in games.

“I feel like I definitely pass up a couple shots — I put a lot of trust in my teammates. And I feel like, if I hit them right where they shoot at, nine times out of 10, they’re gonna knock it down.” Williams said.

Baldwin came back after recovering from a torn Achilles tendon injury in early June, according to VCU Athletics. The Baltimore native has led the Rams in assists and won seven straight games since

his return in early December. Following his comeback, Baldwin said playing again has “felt great” and he’s enjoying his time playing with his teammates.

“I felt great, to be honest. I’m happy to be out there with my brothers, they’re pushing me every day and I’m just playing by ear by the coaches and the trainer,” Baldwin said in a press conference after the Florida Atlantic win.

Rhoades said he believes that Baldwin’s overall gameplay makes his teammates better. The sophomore guard leads the team by commanding the offense, Rhoades said Baldwin can “set the tone offensively and defensively.”

“Everybody knows he’s a very good player,” Rhoades said. “The greatest compliment you can get in a team sport is you make your teammates better, and I think Ace [Baldwin] does that.”

The point guard has risen to the occasion for the Ram’s becoming a leader on offense and defense. Senior forward Vince Williams believes that Baldwin has the ability to guide his teammates, with the trust of the VCU coaching staff.

“I feel like coach Rhoades and the coaching staff put a lot of trust in him [Baldwin] and he can set the tone on his voice,” Williams said.

Despite the team’s optimism for the upcoming season, Rhoades said he realizes the reality of the pandemic on future games.

“I’ve never been a guy that looks ahead,” Rhoades said. “I’m not in charge of COVID[-19], none of you are in charge of COVID[-19]. None of us are. We have to deal with it — so we’re just not complaining about it.”

The Rams will host a home game against the Saint Joseph’s Hawks on Jan. 22 at 2:30 p.m., at the Stuart C. Siegel Center. For ticket information, visit vcuathletics.com. The game will be televised on USA Network.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL - VS. ST.JOESPH’S

WON 72-64

ATLANTIC 10 CONFERENCE

JANUARY 11

MEN’S BASKETBALL - VS. GEORGE WASHINGTON WON 84-57

ATLANTIC 10 CONFERENCE

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL - VS. MASSACHUSETTS

LOST 72-60

ATLANTIC 10 CONFERENCE

MEN’S BASKETBALL - AT ST. BONAVENTURE

LOST 73-53

ATLANTIC 10 CONFERENCE

JANUARY 15

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL - VS. FORDHAM LOST 54-48

ATLANTIC 10 CONFERENCE

WOMEN’S TENNIS - AT FURMAN LOST 5-2

MEN’S TRACK

3RD OF 9 VMI TEAM CHALLENGE (Lexington, Va.)

WOMEN’S TRACK 3RD OF 9 VMI TEAM CHALLENGE (Lexington, Va.)

JANUARY 18

MEN’S BASKETBALL - VS. DAVIDSON

LOST 63-61

ATLANTIC 10 CONFERENCE

Indoor track sophomore Lauryn Freeman has been named the Atlantic 10 Track Performer of the Week for events held Jan. 2-16.

(From left to right) Senior guard Keshawn Curry, sophomore forward Josh Banks and freshman guard Jayden Nunn all drive to the basket to score for the Rams. Photos by Alessandro Latour and Kaitlyn Fulmore

Photo illustration by Jayce Nguyen

On this day

Exhibition engages visitors with a sonic experience

SAFIA ABDULAHI Contributing Writer

NEW YORK BASED ARTIST JEREMY Toussaint-Baptiste combined his passion for music and art in his sonic exhibition “Set it Off” which allows people to step in a dark space and explores topics such as uncertainty and the Black experience in America.

The exhibition at both the 1708 Gallery and Institute of Contemporary Art includes a large black cube where visitors can sit inside for a sonic and immersive experience. Toussaint-Baptiste described the intended experience of the exhibition from the audible perspective and the meaning behind “hyper-audible” for the viewer.

Biology senior Samir Kurtu said he enjoyed the conceptual aspect of the exhibit and how it was a newer experience for him.

“It’s a place where you can be in the moment, and, with it being dark inside, it allows you not to focus on your surroundings,” Kurtu said. “I think the purpose of the sound is the focal point, and you can drive yourself back to the sound when you meditate.”

The exhibition uses a car audio system as a part of the base and combines both auditory and visual art. The role of music in Toussaint-Baptiste’s life was a part of the inspiration behind the art and who he is as an artist today, according to Toussaint-Baptiste.

“It’s not about existing below the threshold of hearing; it’s about shifting the way that we think about hearing something that happens in the ears and in the head to something that happens in our entire body,” Toussaint-Baptiste said.

Music has always been a part of his life, as he has been playing music since he was 12 years old and continued throughout college, according to Toussaint-Baptiste.

“We didn’t talk about music as art in music school. We talked about music as music,” Toussaint-Baptiste said. “And that subtle shift in how and what music could do opened my eyes and mind up to like you can build a structure and have it be sonically focused.”

Louisiana State University did not offer a jazz program when Toussaint-Baptiste attended. Only western classical music was offered rather than modern music and modern music theory, according to Toussaint-Baptiste.

“Once I started doing like, the western classical thing, I don’t know, I got really tired of it or just really frustrated with the idea that the height of what it is to be a musician, in most contexts, is to play someone else’s music,” Toussaint-Baptiste said.

After he began to become frustrated, he went into a “weird act of rebellion” where he did not want to listen to classical music and he just listened to “noise” and the “avant-garde” music that his school actively refused, according to Toussaint-Baptiste.

Toussaint-Baptiste said he came to Richmond for a visit shortly after the exhibition’s curators reached out to him.

“I was running along the James River and sort of had this moment of thinking about the bodies, you know the bodies that were once considered property that were likely tossed into this river,” Toussaint-Baptiste said. “But also like the beauty of the river and the obvious power of the river and it being like the water source for Richmond.”

ICA and 1708 Gallery curators Amber Esseiva and Park C. Myers reached out to the artist because they had seen his previous work and wanted him to do a show in Richmond, according to Toussaint-Baptiste.

with art that “shakes your senses,” according to Jordan.

The ICA is known for having contemporary and modern art pieces with exhibitions entering and leaving the creative space, according to Jordan.

“I think this exhibit is really different from a lot of the exhibits that we’ve had in the past, in the sense that it is really immersive and just the nature of it feels really unique,” Jordan said.

Toussaint-Baptiste is set to continue his research presented in the “Set it Off” exhibition in his new fellowship in France called The Camargo Fellowship program. He describes what the exhibition allowed him to do as an artist in its totality.

“I was able to take these sounds that I’m able to create, and the thoughts that I’m having and make a statement or a gesture,” Toussaint-Baptiste said.

Esseiva found Toussaint-Baptiste through her interests in sound art, abstraction and performance, according to an email from Esseiva.

“Working with the artist and co-curator to realize this new project took a lot of col laboration,” Esseiva stated. “We had to identify what topics the art ist wanted to address and what form the sculpture and sound would take in the galleries.”

ICA employee Kasidi Jordan felt the artistic impact of Toussaint-Bap tiste’s exhibition and how it was different from ICA’s usual ex hibits as walking into the exhibi tion was “over whelming” and something that “immerses you”

Spectrum Editor Gabriela de Camargo Gonçalves contributed to this report.

In 1946, American singer and songwriter

Jeremy Toussaint-Baptiste.

Photo courtesy of Jeremy Touissaint-Baptiste

The installation of Jeremy Toussaint-Baptiste’s “Set it Off” at the Institute of Contemporary Art and 1708 Gallery in downtown Richmond exhibits the James River and the Black experience. Photo by Lily Doshi

An expansive overview of the exhibit space displays the dark cubes attendees immerse themselves in. Photo by Lily Doshi

Photo Illustration by Gabi Wood

“I was able to take these sounds that I’m able to create, and the thoughts that I’m having and make a statement or a gesture”

Jeremy Toussaint-Baptiste, Artist

Notes reflecting on her latest album titled “The Damsel,” and discussed how the pandemic moved Lunsford to live-streaming during the album’s release in 2020.

Lunsford is also the frontwoman in “Erin & The Wildfire” and said she began her band as a couple of college students in Charlottesville, Virginia who made music for fun.

Online Platform HearRVA Draws

Attention to Local Richmond Music Scene

MIA RICHARDS Contributing Writer

THE MUSIC SCENE IS ALWAYS GROWING, and according to the online platform HearRVA, Richmond, Virginia could be the best place to start making long lasting connections with other musicians.

HearRVA is dedicated to securing local artists with connections within the Richmond community and is gaining traction in the city’s emerging music scene. The platform consists of curated playlists, vlogs, local event information and Liner Notes, a podcast featuring local musicians.

The founders Rian Moses-Hedrick and Elijah Hedrick have lived in Richmond since 2006, but the duo stated in an email that HearRVA’s journey began while they were traveling out of the country. After traveling to 17 different countries for 11 months, they realized they could experience scenery, history and art back in the city they knew best, according to the Hedricks.

“The city has so much to offer, and we weren’t taking advantage of its gifts,” the Hedricks stated. “We came back to the same house but with a new attitude — getting to know our city better.”

By creating a space for the community to immerse themselves in new albums, artists and events, HearRVA gives opportunities for new artists to expand and market their music.

The duo continues to develop HearRVA as a stepping stone for striving artists to grow by giving them the necessary tools, connections and opportunities to be spotlighted, according to the Hedricks.

“When we started HearRVA, zero people knew who we were,” the Hedricks stated. “It’s grown bigger than we imagined in such a short time and we are still growing. All of this happened during the pandemic, so we are eager to see what happens with no limitations.”

At the start of HearRVA, interviews were with emerging artists that the Hedricks knew well, had seen at events or by reaching out to those who sparked their interest. Now, they have artists who reach out to them to be interviewed on Liner Notes, the Hedricks’ podcast that promotes the Richmond music scene.

“It [COVID-19] showed us community. A lot of artists were losing a lot of gigs. When that happened, we wanted to help support them, and so HearRVA because of that just kind of sprung up,” the Hedricks said. “We were trying to share ways to help support the local musicians around.”

HearRVA’s first podcast guest was Richmond native Devonne Harris, known as DJ Harrison. Harris is a producer for the band Sons of James with singer Rob Milton and the keyboardist for funk and jazz band Butcher Brown, according to Harris.

ESPN released a re-recorded rendition of rock’n’roll pioneer Little Richard’s 1956

“Rip It Up” with Butcher Brown’s version as their pre-game hype song for “Monday Night Football” during the 2020 National Football League season, Harris said in the podcast.

“A sense of being a part of history in that way just being from Richmond and getting that amount of press, like ‘those guys did this, they are a part of that lineage,’” Harris said.

The job of a producer is to find their way into the artist’s world, their “vision,” according to Harris. Elijah Hedrick and Harris also discussed Harris’ role in the music industry and the Richmond scene.

“People are starting to pay close attention to Richmond in general with the groundwork that we laid off of legit hard-work, time and effort,” Harris said. “No façade, no smoky-mirror, no magic tricks. Everything is authentic and real.”

In a later episode, the Hedricks interviewed Erin Lunsford, a folk singer-songwriter from Fincastle, Virginia on Liner

“Elijah’s questions blew me away because they were so thoughtful and so researched,” Lunsford stated. “He actually listened to my solo album, read interviews I’d given about the meaning behind the lyrics, and then had follow up questions.”

After moving to Richmond in 2018, Lunsford found that Richmond has a challenging environment for the artist to “climb higher and play better,” Lunsford stated.

“It’s people like Elijah and Rian and the HearRVA crew that make me so proud to be in this scene with folks who truly lift eachother up and mention your name in a room of opportunity” Lunsford stated.

The duo strives to remind artists that musicians are able to flourish in Richmond, and that to be successful they do not have to seek out into cities like Los Angeles or New York City, according to the Hedricks.

“They can find the same sounds they crave from super stars, right here in the city any day of the week,” the Hedricks stated. “Richmond, Virginia will soon be the city that out of state musicians and creatives flock to.”

Spectrum Editor Gabriela de Camargo Gonçalves contributed to this report.

Elijah Hedrick talks to Richmond emcee and artist Radio B for HearRVA’s podcast Liner Notes that features different artists and creators in Richmond. Photo courtesy of Tommy Caprara

“They can find the same sounds they crave from super stars, right here in the city any day of the week. Richmond, Virginia will soon be the city that out of state musicians and creatives flock to.”

Rian Moses-Hedrick and Elijah Hedrick, Founders of HearRVA

Illustration by Rachel Farzan

Quote of the week

“As the pages that follow confirm, race may not be a reality, but racial thinking is, and, as such, warrants closer examination.”

— James shapiro, “shakespeare and the Jews”

MONICA ALARCON-NAJARRO

Contributing Writer

FROM BOOSTER SHOTS TO THE HIGH demand of COVID-19 tests, 2022 is bringing the same pandemic anxiety from last year, but with more cases. The new year has already been filled with people hopping between pharmacies searching for COVID-19 testing after going out and celebrating the beginning of 2022.

The Omicron variant has snuck its way into the lives of people around the world. The variant is known for spreading much more easily than the original SARS-CoV-2 variant, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

Because of this, several universities, including Harvard and George Washington have decided to start their first weeks of classes online.

The pandemic has already taken most of my college experience away. As I’m graduating this semester, I hope that the pandemic will be a thing of the past. However, I’m fully aware that it will take way more time than just this semester for things to go back to normal.

VCU has decided to predominantly return to in-person academic instruction for the spring semester, with nearly 70% of all courses face-to-face in comparison to the 57% from the fall. Students must continue to wear masks during campus-life events and are required to report a booster shot prior to Feb. 1.

I personally prefer my classes to be in person rather than online, but I know that others may not feel the same way and have concerns over classes being face-to-

• New Year, • NEW VARIANT

face with cases rising. I wasn’t as scared to attend my classes in-person last semester because of the social distancing and mask guidelines.

As of January 14, Richmond has 36,150 active, meaning still in the infectious phase, COVID-19 cases according to the Virginia Department of Health. In comparison, at the beginning of the fall 2021 semester there were around 100 COVID-19 cases in Richmond according to the Virginia Department of Health.

The increase in the number of COVID-19 cases due to the Omicron variant makes me hope that VCU will be flexible and lenient

Youngkin’s first few days

ISHAAN NANDWANI Opinions Editor

Following his inauguration as Governor of Virginia on Jan. 15, Gov. Glenn Youngkin immediately signed 11 executive actions into law.

These actions include ending the use of the Critical Race Theory in K-12 public education, allowing parents the decision of whether their children wear masks in public schools and rescinding the vaccine mandate for state employees.

Since the U.S. shutdown due the pandemic in March 2020 and the racial reckoning that ensued a few months later, issues of mask and vaccine mandates and racebased education in schools have been under major contention.

The Critical Race Theory (CRT), in particular, has long been under assault from conservatives clueless to its actual meaning or intent.

First of all, several sources including the Brookings Institution, the California School Board Association and the Association of American Educators have shown that CRT is not taught in K-12 public schools to begin with, and is predominantly explored at the university level on an elective basis. The Association of American Educators reported 96.9% of educators surveyed were not mandated to teach CRT. This begs the question: what is really under attack?

The answer: to avoid discussing race. The real backlash we’re seeing is the deluded belief that the education system brainwashes students into a liberal agenda from a young age, fostering white guilt and self-hatred.

Indeed, conservatives have donned the idea that even discussions about the existence of privilege or systemic racism have

in

with students missing classes. It makes me feel uneasy that someone might attend class asymptomatically and spread Omicron unknowingly.

If case numbers rise at VCU, the university needs to take necessary steps to make sure that students can transition online. Another survey should be sent to the student body to see how the majority of people feel about returning to classes in-person.

Some students who are returning back to campus have mixed feelings about the new variant and classes being in-person.

Charlotte Mulder, a junior majoring in political science and history at VCU,

sees the positives in both online and in-person classes.

“I think that I do get more out of in-person classes because I’m forced to be more present when in the classroom as it’s easier to get distracted and get away with paying less attention when classes are online,” Mulder said.

However, online classes allow for more flexibility with students if they were to get COVID-19 and wouldn’t want to miss lectures, Mulder added.

When it comes to VCU’s decision on starting in-person, Alexandra Pereira, a junior majoring in medical laboratory science, isn’t comfortable going into the spring semester.

“I think VCU going in person immediately is a bad call and I feel like they [VCU] are doing it because they don’t want to lose money or make things more complicated at the expense of their students,” Pereira said.

In addition, two weeks online would be able to give students another layer of safety as cases are skyrocketing, as of now, Pereira added.

Although an additional two weeks could act as a buffer for students as COVID-19 cases increase, COVID-19 will continue to be in our lives — we’re just learning to live with it.

From what we’ve experienced so far in this pandemic, I feel that we are slowly going to transition back to our normal pre-pandemic lives further on into 2022. I’m looking forward to living life normally and I can’t wait for the day where we can talk about this pandemic in the past tense.

office are an expected disappointment

no place in education. Last year in Loudoun County, right-wing parents pushed to eliminate school board members just for requiring implicit bias training. If that’s not absurd, I don’t know what is.

There’s a difference between discussing race and political indoctrination. Youngkin claims that the way race is taught in schools — perpetuated by CRT — prevents students from developing free will.

But that’s not what is happening at all. In addition to the view that race is a social construct, CRT encourages a deep exploration of systemic racism and the structures that perpetuate it, seeking to unearth how racism might occur in latent ways. This idea coupled with the fact that CRT is not embraced at the primary school level proves that Youngkin’s attacks on how race is approached in schools are unfounded.

Personally, I fervently believe that all children should be free to form their own opinions, nor should they feel ashamed of who they are. But Youngkin calling the state of the education system today “divisive” because race is a part of the curriculum is dangerous and ironically, is divisive in itself — it creates a stigma surrounding discussions about race.

Having the hard conversations about race is not always easy, but is essential. For example, all students need to know that of all groups, Black men bear the highest risk of being killed by the police in their lifetime. This is two times more likely than men of other races, according to a study published in the Proceedings of the National Sciences of the United States of America.

These statistics should be presented objectively, and students should be encouraged to explore

their identity. Youngkin’s attack on CRT further divides us and prevents us from having these important discussions.

On the other front, Youngkin’s new policies surrounding COVID-19 further put students and their family members at risk.

I understand how frustrating the pandemic is, but we can’t turn a blind eye to what’s happening. Cases are exponentially increasing with the Omicron variant. People are still dying every day.

In his action to eliminate mask mandates in elementary schools, Youngkin states that the decision of a child to wear a mask should fall to the parent for reasons including that they cause “discomfort” and “children wear masks incorrectly.”

Well, I have news for you, Youngkin. I have many cousins in elementary school, and I’ve interacted with them for extended periods of time while they were wearing masks. They didn’t show

any inability to wear a mask. It’s not rocket science, and any slight discomfort that stems from mask wearing is a small price to pay for our community’s safety.

I’m also shocked by Youngkin’s decision to make vaccines optional for state employees. Employees of the state should set an example for the rest of Virginians. If there was ever a time to get vaccinated, it’s now. I’m all for free will, but the last thing our state needs right now is a governor who deemphasizes COVID-19 precautions.

In short, Youngkin’s first few days in office have been, well, disappointing. I’m not optimistic that things will get better for the remainder of his term, but for the sake of our state, they must.

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