The Commonwealth Times; October 6, 2021

‘LOST CAUSE’

Monument Avenue residents call for rehearing of Lee statue removal case

KATHARINE DEROSA

News Editor

HELEN MARIE TAYLOR AND OTHER MONUMENT

Avenue residents submitted a petition to the Supreme Court of Virginia to request a rehearing of the Robert E. Lee statue removal case.

The statue was removed on Sept. 8 and the petition was filed on Sept. 29, less than four weeks after the removal.

Patrick McSweeney is the lawyer for Helen Marie Taylor and other plaintiffs, who include John-Lawrence Smith, Janet Heltzel, George D. Hostetler and Evan Morgan Massey. All made efforts to block the statue’s removal. A majority of the plaintiffs are residents of Monument Avenue, according to the Supreme Court of Virginia’s decision to remove the statue.

Part of McSweeney’s argument lies on the 1889 Joint Resolution, which states that the Commonwealth of Virginia must hold the Lee monument and the area around it “perpetually sacred.”

“The Court failed to apply its own precedent that specifically held that the joint resolution in that case was enforceable,” McSweeney stated in the petition.

in the summer of 2020 and renamed it Marcus-David Peters Circle, in honor of a VCU alumnus who was shot and killed by a Richmond police officer while experiencing a mental health crisis on Interstate 95.

A fence was erected around Marcus-David Peters Circle on Jan. 25 by the Virginia Department of General Services in anticipation of the statue’s removal, according to a release from DGS that morning. At the time, a date had not yet been set for Lee’s removal.

The fence is still standing as of Oct. 5. There is currently no update on when the fence will be removed, despite the statue’s absence, according to DGS spokesperson Dena Potter.

Alena Yarmosky, senior communications advisor for Northam, referred to the petition as “a lost cause,” in an email.

the Virginia Capitol’s Old House Chamber and action from protesters to remove Confederate monuments themselves.

“Every branch of government has spoken — including a unanimous ruling from the Supreme Court — in support of a more inclusive, just Virginia,” Yarmosky stated. “It’s time to move on.”

Senior health, physical and exercise science major Madison Turner said she agrees with the court’s decision to remove the statue, since Richmond residents “obviously” didn’t want the monument to remain in place.

“One street and one neighborhood doesn’t have the power to decide for a whole group of people,” Turner said.

Gov. Ralph Northam stated the resolution could not be enforced, because the commonwealth cannot be forced “to engage in expression with which it disagrees.”

Community members reclaimed the area around the former site of the monument

The Virginia Supreme Court backed its decision regarding the monument’s removal on six different recent events, including: the establishment of Juneteenth as a holiday, Northam’s removal of the Lee and Stonewall Jackson holiday from Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the removal of a Lee bust from

Turner said she witnessed Marcus-David Peters Circle used for cookouts. She thinks the area could be used as a community space to “uplift” Black voices and businesses.

“It should be like a family place, and like rewrite history so it’s not all a negative connotation,” Turner said. “Make it something happy.”

COURT ANNOUNCES UPCOMING DATES FOR DELTA CHI FRATERNITY BROTHERS

See DELTA CHI on page 3

The Robert E. Lee monument was removed on Sept. 8 by the Virginia Department of General Services after more than a year of legal entanglements. The public was able to view the removal. On Sept. 29, Monument Avenue residents filed a petition to rehear the case. Photos by Jon Mirador

One street and one neighborhood doesn’t have the power to decide for a whole group of people.”

Madison Turner, senior health, physical and exercise science student

VCU freshman Adam Oakes was found dead on Feb. 27 at a West Clay Street residence after attending Delta Chi fraternity event. Photo by Wessam Hazaymeh

Stories of the week

national: Former Facebook product manager Frances Haugen gave internal research which shows the negative impact of the company to journalists.

international: The Catholic Independent Commission on Sexual Abuse in the Church found French clergy members abused more than 200,000 minors.

COVID-19, the flu and seasonal allergies: KNOW THE DIFFERENCE

EMMA CARLSON

Contributing Writer

WITH THE FALL SEASON COMES FLU season, and during a COVID-19 pandemic, it can be difficult to differentiate between flu symptoms, COVID-19 symptoms or fall allergies, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Both COVID-19 and the flu can either cause symptoms or none at all, known as asymptomatic status. Some of the most common shared symptoms of the two respiratory viruses are fever, cough, shortness of breath, sore throat and body aches, according to the CDC.

Richmond and Henrico Health Districts spokesperson Cat Long noted that individuals who are experiencing flu-like symptoms should get tested for COVID-19.

“Because symptoms of flu, COVID-19, and other respiratory illnesses are similar, the difference can’t be determined on symptoms alone,” Long stated in an email. “Testing is needed to tell what the illness is and to confirm a diagnosis.”

Symptoms of seasonal fall allergies include itchiness of the eyes, mouth and nose, sneezing and a runny or stuffy nose, according to the Mayo Clinic.

On average, COVID-19 symptoms appear five days after infection, where

Cough

Shortness of breath

Sore throat

Body aches

Headaches

Runny/stuffy nose

Fatigue Chills

Vomiting

Diarrhea

Loss of taste/ sense of smell

flu symptoms appear one to four days after infection, according to the CDC. In addition, those infected with COVID-19 are more contagious and able to spread the virus for a longer period of time than those with the flu.

VCU leaders felt it was safe to once again implement a fall break this year because we are now operating in a vaccinated environment, with more than 98.6% of our student body in compliance with the university’s vaccination requirement.”

Michael Porter, VCU spokesperson

Flu vaccines are offered annually, and the best time to receive a flu shot is at the end of September and beginning of October in order to have lasting

protection through the peak of flu season, according to Long.

Senior political science and homeland security student Avani Verma plans to get a flu shot this fall, and has gotten one through the university in the past. Verma only has one in-person class, and said she would not have been opposed to remaining off campus for finals.

“So many of my classes are already virtual or hybrid, so it wouldn’t make much of a difference to me,” Verma said.

VCU Student Health Services offers free flu shots for students. Although only required for Health Science students, flu shots are recommended for everyone, according to VCU Student Health. Flu shots are especially recommended for those at high risk for serious complications, such as adults over 65, and health factors such as weakened immune systems and asthma, according to the CDC.

Appointments are required to receive a flu shot at VCU. Students can schedule an appointment by logging in to their Student Health Web Portal or calling 804-827-8047.

During the fall 2020 semester, the last day of classes on the Monroe Park campus was Nov. 24, and finals were held remotely throughout Dec. 7, according to the VCU academic calendar.

Alternatively, this year VCU will have a fall break from Nov. 22-28 before the last

COVID-19, flu and allergy symptoms

day of classes on Dec. 13, according to the VCU academic calendar. Finals will be held between Dec. 14-21.

Two weeks after being fully vaccinated, individuals can safely travel and testing and quarantining are not necessary before or after traveling, according to the VDH.

VCU spokesperson Michael Porter said the university’s schedule change came from CDC and Virginia Department of Health recommendations stating fully vaccinated individuals were safe to travel, both domestically and internationally.

“VCU leaders felt it was safe to once again implement a fall break this year because we are now operating in a vaccinated environment, with more than 98.6% of our student body in compliance with the university’s vaccination requirement,” Porter stated in an email.

For more information on symptoms of respiratory illnesses, such as COVID-19 and the flu, visit the CDC’s website. Information regarding VCU’s COVID-19 protocols can be found on together.vcu.edu.

Those experiencing respiratory symptoms can find COVID-19 testing locations in Richmond by going to rchd.com or by calling 804-205-3501.

Itchiness of eyes, ears, mouth, nose

Watery eyes

Stuffy/runny nose

Sneezing Cough (sometimes)

Fatigue (sometimes) Loss of taste/smell (sometimes)

Fever

Cough

Shortness of breath

Sore throat

Body aches

Headaches

Runny/stuffy nose

Fatigue

Chills

Vomiting

Diarrhea

Loss of taste/sense of smell (sometimes)

‘WHY AM I NOT ON THE STAGE?’:

Third-party gubernatorial candidate speaks out on exclusion from debates

SELNA SHI Contributing Writer

THIRD-PARTY CANDIDATE PRINCESS BLANDING

interrupted Republican candidate Glenn Youngkin and Democratic candidate Terry McAuliffe in the final gubernatorial debate on Sept. 28.

“I’m on the ballot. Why am I not on the stage?” Blanding stated in an email interview. “We have these two rich white men sitting up there and you don’t hear anyone reporting that I am the only Black woman in the history of Virginia to make it on the ballot.”

Blanding is running as a candidate for the Liberation Party, which was formed after the death of her brother, VCU alumnus Marcus-David Peters, according to Blanding’s campaign website.

Peters was killed by a Richmond police officer while experiencing a mental health crisis on Interstate 95.

“Substantive changes that place people above profit, and prioritize community care and safety over politics, can not be implemented under our two-party system,” according to Blanding’s website.

Blanding has received signatures from all 11 districts to appear on the ballot, according to Ballotpedia. However, Blanding stated she was not invited to the gubernatorial debate stage.

Blanding stated that she interrupted the debate to let Virginians know she is an option for governor and the only candidate who will fight to address the needs of the working class and the “Black and brown” communities.

“I wanted to let Virginians know that their censorship of my candidacy is racist, sexist, oppressive and it is a form of voter suppression,” Blanding stated. “I hope this changes the conversation to get people to think and understand that the two-party system serves itself before the people.”

The televised debate was cut into commercials after Blanding’s interruption and she was taken out of the facility by security guards, according to Blanding.

Both Youngkin and McAuliffe watched Blanding on stage as she continued to shout. Blanding was later removed from the audience and the debate continued shortly after. Neither candidate has publicly commented on Blanding’s interruption.

McAuliffe is currently leading in the polls by 49% while Youngkin is polling at 45%. The poll shows 2% of Virginians are voting for a third candidate and 5% are undecided, according to a recent Emerson College Polling from Sept. 13-14.

John Aughenbaugh, a professor in the department of political science, stated in an email that in order for a third-party candidate to win either state or

national election, it would require “significant dissatisfaction with both major political parties.”

“Third party candidates need to excel in fundraising, organization, having a base of voters, name recognition and press coverage,” Aughenbaugh stated. “Historically, many voters in the U.S. believe voting for a third party candidate is a wasted vote.”

Aughenbaugh, who holds a doctorate in public administration and teaches courses at VCU on U.S. government, said third-party candidates need to overcome more obstacles than candidates from major political parties.

“Blanding’s third party candidacy for the governorship reflects the significant dissatisfaction with both the Democratic and Republican Parties,” Aughenbaugh stated. “She has been polling well and her chances of winning are slight. However, her candidacy is drawing attention to particular

issues which major political parties might not be giving suitable attention.”

Blanding stated in an email that she believes she will win the election by going directly to the people, talking, listening and giving them another option for governor. She also mentioned that the difference between her and her opponents is that she doesn’t spend time “slinging mud at each other.”

“Spreading the word about our campaign and going door-to-door to inform people that we can win this election by mobilizing to the polls, to vote early and to tell others to look for my name on the ballot,” Blanding stated.

Virginians can register to vote online or at the Department of Motor Vehicles offices. Registration to vote or change in this upcoming election in November ends on Oct. 12. The last day to apply for an absentee ballot is Oct. 22 and early voting ends on Oct. 30 by 5:00 p.m.

COURT ANNOUNCES UPCOMING DATES FOR DELTA CHI FRATERNITY BROTHERS

KATHARINE DEROSA

News Editor

Continued from front page

Legal proceedings continue in the cases of those who were arrested for hazing freshman Adam Oakes.

Three of those arrested — Benjamin Corado, Jason Mulgrew and Alexander

Bradley — have been released on bail, according to the Virginia Judiciary Online Case Information System.

Seven remain in custody: Quinn Kuby, Riley McDaniel, Alessandro Medina-Villanueva, Christian Rohrbach, Colin Tran, Andrew White and Robert Fritz.

Rohrbach and Fritz were both previously charged with possession of marijuana in 2019. -

ferent counts of speeding in 2019 and 2020 in Prince William County. One was qualified as 20 mph over the speed limit and one was qualified as 15-19 mph over the speed limit. White and Kuby were both charged with “failure to pay full time and attention,” meaning they were not operating vehicles with care. White’s infraction took place in 2019 and Kuby’s took place in 2018. Kuby was later charged with “failure to obey highway sign” in 2019. Corado received a traffic infraction in 2019 in Loudoun General District Court that was waived.

Enayat Sheikhzad is currently classified as a fugitive according to the Virginia Judiciary Online Case Information System. He was arrested by Virginia State Police in Prince William County and was released on bond, per a Sept. 24 release from the Richmond Police Department.

A fugitive is “any person who has fled from any State to avoid prosecution for a crime or avoid giving testimony in any criminal proceeding,” according to the Legal Information Institute.

RPD spokesperson Tracy Walker stated she has no information about Sheikhzad’s status as a fugitive when asked for comment on Oct. 5. His arraignment is set for Friday Oct. 8 at 9 a.m., according to

the Virginia Judiciary Online Case Information System

A term hearing for Riley McDaniel and Andrew White will take place on Nov. 1 at 9 a.m., Discovery, which is the formal process of exchanging information between the prosecution and the defense, is set for three of the 11 cases as of Oct. 5.

Alessandro Medina-Villanueva’s will take place on Nov. 8 at 9 a.m., Colin Tran’s will take place on Dec. 1 at 2 p.m. and Robert Fritz’s will take place on Nov. 9 at 9 a.m.

Information pertaining to court dates for the 11 individuals can be found on vacourts.gov. All events will be at the John Marshall Courts Building located at 400 N. 9th St.

CORRECTION

Last week, a story about Life-Course Examination of General Affect and Neurocognitive Changes Following COVID-19 Infection incorrectly stated VCU Health System is participating in the study. The VCU School of Nursing is participating in the LEGACI study.

The full version of the story is available online at commonwealthtimes.org

Princess Blanding, sister of Marcus-David Peters, places a flower on her brother’s memorial on Oct. 17, 2020. Blanding is running as the Liberation Party candidate in the 2021 Virginia gubernatorial election. Photo by Enza Marcy

Republican gubernatorial nominee Glenn Youngkin.

Photo courtesy Kate Magee Joyce

Democratic gubernatorial nominee Terry McAuliffe.

Photo courtesy of Michael Davidson

Eleven people were indicted on Sept. 24 for hazing freshman Adam Oakes on Feb. 26 at a Delta Chi fraternity event. Nine of the 11 people are enrolled in the Fall 2021 semester at VCU. Photo by Megan Lee

DELTA CHI

Stat of the week

CROSS-COUNTRYSTARTOFFSEASONON HIGHNOTEWITHUNDERCLASSMEN

ARRICK WILSON

Contributing Writer

THE FUTURE IS BRIGHT FOR the VCU men’s cross-country team, with underclassmen leading the way. The Rams have been stepping up to the competition with eight underclassmen at the helm; among them, freshman Kendall Phillips and sophomore Johnny White have led the Rams in their first two meets this season.

“You know, we’re all really a tight-knit team,” White said. “The gap between our scores is really small, which is a really good thing when it comes to championships.”

Wesley Stephens, the director of VCU’s cross-country team, said he isn’t surprised by hard work paying off for White. Stephens also said that as an athlete, White is dedicated, and a hard worker who does all the right things.

Men’s cross-country finished third among the competition at the JMU Invitational on Sept. 17. Phillips was a top performer for the Rams, leading the team in meets for the second time in a row this season.

“They just understand how to compete,” Stephens said.

Stephens said that the accomplishments made by young athletes like Phillips and White inspire other athletes to keep pushing, because rather than older runners leading the way — their peers are.

Phillips was also named Atlantic 10 Rookie Performer of the Week for the week

of Sept. 13-19, after placing 25th at the Spider Alumni season opener and 11th at the JMU Invitational. Phillips said he was taken by surprise by the honor, but contributed it to working hard.

I think [the men’s crosscountry team] are the type of team where, like, they’re going to rise to the occasion every time that they’re challenged and that’s going to just keep propelling us forward.”

“It felt great. I was like, sitting in study hall, I opened my phone, and then I just see a post on Instagram. They surprised me,” Phillips said, “... I’m just glad the work’s paid off.”

The Howard, Maryland, native is not new to having success; over the summer in the Amateur Athletic Union Junior Olympic Games, Phillips won first place in the men’s 2000-meter steeplechase.

“You know, Kendall is a national champion ... coming in he just won the AAU Junior Olympic National Championship in the steeplechase right before he came to VCU,” Stephens said. “So, like, three weeks before he came on campus, he won against a field of some talented, you know, runners.”

White also finished behind Phillips, placing 28th in the Spider Alumni season opener, and 12th in the JMU Invitational.

“It was a good performance from them,” Stephens said. “Still, a long way to go, but I think it’s just a good indicator that things are going in the right direction for us to see that success this early.”

With the majority of the team being young underclassmen, Stephens said that the team has largely improved with discipline this season.

“They’re very disciplined. And I’ll say, that’s the main difference of seeing a lot of successes, like the discipline of the athletes in the focus,” Stephens said.

Stephens mentioned an example of the discipline and responsibility of the underclassmen, when the athletes were late to a workout while he was out of town.

“I had to go to Texas last Tuesday and Wednesday to recruit. And I found out the men were late for the run after weights as well as the report to run out the weights,” Stephens said.

Stephens usually makes the team do pushups when they arrive late. On this

occasion, the team took the initiative to do the pushups on their own.

The underclassmen are also still getting adjusted to the longer races like the eight-kilometer run and 10-kilometer run, unlike the standard high school five-kilometer run.

“We’re all kind of new to the [eight kilometer] with that being a longer race. I think the more we do in the regular season … we’ll be a lot better off when the time comes,” White said.

Stephens expects senior Hisham Vohra to play an important role for the team. In 2019, Vohra earned A-10 all-conference honors and in 2020 he placed 61st in the 5-mile competition at the A-10 championship.

“You know, he’s [Vohra] one of the ... top 20 distance runners in our conference,” Stephens said.

Vohra has already started playing a hefty role, as he led the Rams to 10th place at the Paul Short Run on Oct. 1, finishing among the top 50 in the race.

“I think [the men’s cross-country team] are the type of team where, like, they’re going to rise to the occasion every time that they’re challenged and that’s going to just keep propelling us forward,” Stephens said.

The Rams’ cross-country regular season will conclude on Oct. 15 with the XC23 Invitational. The A-10 championships will be on Oct. 30 in Cedarville, Ohio. NCAA regionals follow on Nov. 13 in Louisville, Kentucky.

VCU men’s soccer freshman midfielder Damian Gallegos was named Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week.

From left to right: Cross-country senior Hisham Vohra alongside freshmen Kendall Phillips, Christian Arello and Jaden Luczak. Photos by Kaitlyn Fulmore

Wesley Stephens, Director of VCU’s cross-country team

Photo Illustration by Jayce Nguyen

TRUST THE SCIENCE: Unvaccinated NBA players should prioritize health, safety

GAME RESULTS

SEPTEMBER 30

WOMEN’S SOCCER - VS. SAINT LOUIS

WON 1-0

Atlantic 10 Conference

OCTOBER 1

MEN’S CROSS-COUNTRYAT PAUL SHORT RUN 10TH OF 41

WOMEN’S CROSS-COUNTRYAT PAUL SHORT RUN NTS

FIELD HOCKEYAT MASSACHUSETTS

WON 1-0

Atlantic 10 Conference

VOLLEYBALL - VS. GEORGE MASON

WON 3-1

Atlantic 10 Conference

OCTOBER 2

MEN’S SOCCER - AT LA SALLE

WON 2-1 (2OT)

Atlantic 10 Conference

OCTOBER 3

FIELD HOCKEY - AT PROVIDENCE

WON 1-0

YANNI KOUIROUKIDIS

Contributing Writer

TO ME, THE DECISION TO GET MY COVID-19 vaccine was a no brainer. I felt as though this was the best option to keep me and my family safe. I rolled up my sleeve and attended my appointment at the VCU University Student Commons as soon as I became eligible.

Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving is one of the biggest players in the league to recently avoid giving a concrete stance on his vaccination status, while Washington Wizards shooting guard Bradley Beal attempted to avoid answering questions about his own unvaccinated status.

I received my vaccines, but I’m not going to play over 70 basketball games against the world’s best athletes. These players need to get vaccinated not only for their health and safety, but for the betterment of their team.

Besides the health and safety risks staying unvaccinated would cause the players, it would just simply be an inconvenience. For example, if Beal were to not get vaccinated he would have to sit in different sections on both team flights and dinners. Unvaccinated players would also have to use isolated lockers and undergo daily testing during practices and games, according to the NBA’s new COVID-19 protocols.

Besides the damage to the team and their own safety, they’ll also be hurting their pockets as unvaccinated players are going to be prone to fines and reduced salary.

Since the NBA first suspended its season on March 11, 2020, the league has gone through two seasons and is now in the process to start another season Oct. 19.

Opening night is only two weeks away and yet there is still a feeling of uncertainty around the league surrounding one very big topic — the COVID-19 vaccine.

Beal was originally slated to make the trip to Tokyo for the Olympics this summer to play basketball for Team USA.

However, due to health and safety protocols he was unable to make the trip to compete for a gold medal.

During the Wizards media day on Sept. 27, Beal voiced his concern with how vaccines are being “forced” on players.

“I don’t feel pressure [to get vaccinated],” Beal told members of the media. “I don’t think you can pressure anybody into doing things, or putting things in their body.”

When asked to clarify his comments on the vaccine, Beal questioned breakthrough cases, or cases in which those vaccinated are still getting COVID-19.

“I would ask the question of those who are vaccinated,” Beal told the press, “why are you still getting COVID?”

I’m disappointed in Beal’s comments, especially due to the fact that he missed the Olympics solely based on his vaccination status. I figured that after losing out on that, he would just accept the fact that the vaccine is needed for both his health and safety. As of right now, Beal is still unvaccinated because of the 60-day waiting period that is needed to get the shot after contracting COVID-19.

Both Beal and Irving have avoided taking a concrete stance on their vaccination status. Leaving a lot of the questions by saying “no comment” or wishing to “keep it private.”

Irving is arguably one of the most skilled basketball players to ever play the game. His seven NBA All-Star Game appearances and 2016 NBA championship title speak for themselves.

Even so, one of the game’s biggest players has recently found himself surrounded in controversy due to his vaccination beliefs.

Due to COVID-19 protocols, Irving was unable to attend the Sept. 27 media day for the Nets in Brooklyn, according to the Associated Press.

Golden State Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins is another player that has spoken out against getting vaccinated.

Wiggins attempted to file a religious exemption and speak out against the vaccine on several occasions, but his exemption was denied on Sept. 24 by the NBA, according to a press release from the league.

The Warriors announced that Wiggins recently received his vaccination, according to a ESPN report from Monday. Wiggins confirmed he has been fully vaccinated with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which will allow him to be fully vaccinated and immune prior to the Warriors’ Oct. 21 home opener against the Los Angeles Clippers.

According to local ordinances in both New York City and San Francisco, athletes are required to be vaccinated. If they aren’t vaccinated by the start of the season they will be unable to play in all of their home games. And in cases like Irving and Beal, their teams would suffer tremendously without their presence on the court.

Beal is the Wizards’ best player and was second in the league last year in points per game, with 31.3, and Irving is a seven-time All-Star and one of the most popular faces in the league.

Although Irving is in Brooklyn with both James Harden and Kevin Durant, fans can look back at last year’s playoff loss against the Milwaukee Bucks to see how Irving’s absence affected the team, which was due to an ankle injury.

The NBA has stated that they will not mandate players to be vaccinated as a league, according to ESPN. However, if a player is playing for a team that requires vaccination and they aren’t vaccinated, they will miss competing in home games without pay, according to NBA spokesperson Mike Bass.

My opinion on this matter is simple — trust the science. I guarantee that these players who are skeptical of receiving the vaccine are not more educated than the scientists behind the COVID-19 vaccines. They do not have the doctorate degrees that the scientists who researched the vaccine do. There’s no way that these players did as much research as the scientists who were backed by billions of dollars.

Trust the science, be a reliable teammate, and get the vaccine. These athletes are ultimately hurting their teams in the end if they continue to decide against it.

WOMEN’S SOCCERAT MASSACHUSETTS

WON 2-1 (OT)

Atlantic 10 Conference

WOMEN’S TENNIS

OVERALL 9-15

ITF W60 (Berkeley, CA)

Sept. 27-Oct. 3

VOLLEYBALL - VS. GEORGE MASON

WON 3-0

Atlantic 10 Conference

OCTOBER 4

WOMEN’S TENNIS

OVERALL 7-4

ITA Atlantic Regionals (Lynchburg, VA)

Oct. 1-4

UPCOMING GAMES

OCTOBER 6

MEN’S SOCCER - VS. DUQUESNE

7 p.m.

Atlantic 10 Conference

OCTOBER 7

VOLLEYBALL - AT DAYTON

6 p.m.

Atlantic 10 Conference

OCTOBER 9

MEN’S SOCCER - VS. SAINT

LOUIS 7 p.m.

Atlantic 10 Conference

FIELD HOCKEY - VS. DAVIDSON

1 p.m.

Atlantic 10 Conference

VOLLEYBALL - AT DUQUESNE

5 p.m.

Atlantic 10 Conference

Illustration by Lauren Johnson

On this day

JIANA SMITH

Contributing Writer

AFTER A SILENT year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Richmond’s riverfront will once again be full of visitors enjoying art, music and food. The Richmond Folk Festival is returning to the city’s riverfront from Oct. 8-10 as an outdoor, in-person event for its 17th anniversary.

Erika Gay, Venture Richmond’s marketing and communications manager, said that the organization is excited about the folk festival’s in-person return.

“Everybody is ready to get out and have a good time with the Richmond community,” Gay said.

Venture Richmond, a local nonprofit organization that promotes downtown Richmond through activities and marketing, produces the festival. The organization also produces events like the 2nd Street Festival in Jackson Ward and the Dominion Energy Riverrock, an outdoor sports festival.

This year’s festival will be around the same size and scope as previous in-person festivals, according to Gay.

The Richmond Folk Festival started in 2005 when Richmond won the bid for the National Folk Festival, a three-day traveling culture festival that changes cities every three years. When the National Folk Festival left after 2007, the Richmond Folk Festival started in 2008 in its place, according to Gay.

Richmond Folk Festival returns in-person for 17-year anniversary

sponsors each stage, allowing the festival to be free for guests.

Gay said the festival is well-liked because of the diverse American subcultures it showcases.

The Virginia Folklife Area and Stage, sponsored by the Richmond Times-Dispatch, is dedicated exclusively to Virginia-based performers and artists.

One group performing on this year’s Virginia Folklife Stage is Richmond-based Piedmont blues band Justin Golden & The Come Up. The group consists of artist Justin Golden, bassist Chip Hale, lead guitarist Nate Hubbard, keyboardist Tyler Meachum and drummer Lance Koehler, according to Golden.

Golden said he is excited for the band’s first-ever performance at the folk festival.

“It’s not just folk music like the name suggests, but it’s all kinds of music that represents all American culture, and in music and crafts and storytelling and food,” Gay said. “We really pride ourselves on finding all kinds of music and having a sampling of everything.”

The festival includes five stages and 30 performers from different cities and genres. A different Richmond corporation

“Since August or September 2019, we haven’t played a full set,” Golden said. “I’m hoping it exposes us to a much wider audience, a newer audience.”

Every year, the festival commissions a different artist to design the poster. Only Richmond-based artists have designed the poster since the festival’s founding in 2005. This

year’s design was created by VCU alumnus Mickael Broth, who said he was “honored” when he was commissioned for the poster design.

“My first memories of the folk festival are seeing the poster and knowing that it was a big component of the festival,” Broth said. “So it was like, ‘Woah, this is a big honor and something I want to do the best job I can on.’”

The poster features a colorful witch in an iconic broad brim hat strumming a guitar.

Witches are a common motif in Broth’s artwork, according to the artist.

“In American folklore and folk history, the witch has a very interesting and rocky past,” Broth said. “I think that’s something I’ve always connected with, this character that’s feared, misunderstood and persecuted, but at the same time this aspirational figure, strong and connected with herself and nature and the past.”

Festival attendees are encouraged to wear masks and social distance as per Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Virginia Department of Health guidelines. Vaccinations and masks are required for festival volunteers, while vendors are required to wear masks but do not need vaccinations, according to the festival’s Health and Safety page.

Venture Richmond CEO Lisa Sims stated that vaccines, masks and social distancing are tools to help minimize the spread of COVID-19 in a September press release.

“Our hope is that everyone will be a Good Neighbor to their fellow attendees by using each of these tools,” Sims stated in the press release.

Attendees can receive a COVID-19 vaccination at the event Oct. 9 and 10 from 3-5 p.m., according to the page.

Last year the festival was held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic and featured a television program, live-streamed performances and radio broadcasts.

Sims stated that the organization was excited for the return of an in-person festival. “We’re doing everything we can to make certain that the Richmond Folk Festival is the same exceptional event you’ve come to know and love,” Sims stated.

For an event schedule and full list of performers and vendors at the Richmond Folk Festival, visit richmondfolkfestival.org.

In 1926, Babe Ruth becomes the first player in the MLB to hit three home runs in a World Series game.

Since August or September 2019, we haven’t played a full set. I’m hoping it exposes us to a much wider audience, a newer audience.”

Justin

Golden musician

Bluegrass musician, Dale Ann Bradley, performs at the 2017 Richmond Folk Festival with Mike Sumner on banjo, Tim Dishman on bass, Scott Powers on mandolin and Matt Leadbetter on dobro.

Photo courtesy of Dave Parrish Photography

VCU alumnus Mickael Broth holds up this year’s 2021 Richmond Folk Festival poster. Broth, a Richmond-based artist, was commissioned to design the poster. This year’s festival will be held in person and will feature Richmond musicians, vendors and restaurants. Photo courtesy of Mickael Broth

VCU alumnus Tony-nominated for Broadway’s ‘SLAVE PLAY’

ZAHRA NDIRANGU

Contributing Writer

VCU alumnus Blair Russell remembers the moment when he was nominated for a Tony Award, he was surrounded by the silence of his Mexico City home in October 2020.

“I remember when the nominations came out because we were still in a weird time during the pandemic,” Russell said. “It was exciting, but it felt really small. You could only have that moment with yourself.”

Russell served as a producer for the Broadway show “Slave Play,” written

by Jeremy O. Harris. The show was nominated for 12 Tony Awards, the most in Tony history for a play, according to the Tony Awards.

“There was a sense of pride, there was a sense that things are changing and that people care and are going in and seeing the story, and it’s speaking to the Broadway community and the nominators and the critics,” Russell said. “To have all of that and to have audiences being really joyous was really, really great.”

Russell graduated from the VCUarts theater program in 2012 with a degree in stage management. He credits the program for its constructive nature that mirrors the

realities of the professional theater industry as an integral element to his success.

“I was always the kind of person who wanted to get in and get my hands dirty,” Russell said. “I always felt that the VCU program was very hands-on and very practical. The way I worked as a stage manager at VCU is the way I worked as a stage manager in my professional career.”

The play centers around the story of three interracial couples who are seeking to rekindle their intimacy with their respective partners, turning to slavery role-play to do so, according to Russell.

The show has been lauded as both controversial and brilliant in the theater world, with the New York Times calling it “one of the best and most provocative new works” and the New York Post naming it “Broadway’s most thoughtful mess.”

“I would never describe ‘Slave Play’ as a crowd pleaser,” Russell said. “I think that is important. I love a show where you’re happy and cheering at the end and everything wraps up in a nice bow, but I don’t need to produce those shows.”

The thought-provoking nature of “Slave Play” is the heart of the story, according to Russell. He insists that being prompted to reflect is one of the most important aspects of theater.

“I went to see the show at New York Theatre Workshop and I was stunned,” Russell said. “It was months of thinking about it before I could make a decision to produce it, which is how I knew it was something I wanted to be a part of.”

By the end of Tony night however, the show had lost every single one of its nominations and left empty-handed.

“I wasn’t upset,” Russell said. “I wasn’t surprised and I wasn’t angry. I would be angry if the system that was in place was different and the outcome was still the same. But we haven’t changed the system.”

Bonnie Brady, head of the VCU stage management department, said that Russell’s career as a producer has encouraged theater students to think outside of their specific degrees within the theater program.

“We say ‘listen guys, take what you get from VCU theater and allow it to inform everything else that you do,’” Brady said. “They can realize that just because they’re a lighting design student here doesn’t mean they can’t go out and do greater production areas in the industry.”

For VCU theater professor Tawnya Pettiford-Wates, Russell’s involvement with “Slave Play” highlights the importance of authentic tellings of Black stories and the lack of Black stories in mainstream theater.

“It is incredibly important for Black people to tell our own stories,” Pettiford-Wates said. “Because I think when they are contextualized through the lens of the white gaze and the frame of the commercial theater industry, often the story majors on the trauma of the Black experience.”

Pettiford-Wates said that the Black theater experience draws its audiences to look within themselves.

“Audiences in the Western model of theater are allowed to be spectators, they’re allowed to be voyeurs, they’re allowed to look in or look away with no responsibility,” Pettiford-Wates said. “Black theater calls people in the experience to witness the story and then be responsible for what you have witnessed. You cannot unsee what you’ve seen, and you cannot unhear what you’ve heard.”

Brady said she is elated for what Russell’s success means for current students in the VCUarts theater program.

“I’m really excited for him and for what that sets up for our current students, it helps them set some goals and believe that it can happen,” Brady said.

I was always the kind of person who wanted to get in and get my hands dirty.”

Blair

Russell, VCU alumnus

“Slave Play” follows three interracial couples as they use slave role-play to rekindle their relationships. Photo courtesy of Blair Russell

Blair Russell. Photo courtesy of Blair Russell

“Slave Play,” produced by 2012 VCUarts alumnus Blair Russell, was nominated for 12 Tony Awards this year. Photo courtesy of Blair Russell

2nd Street Festival returns to Jackson Ward, celebrates Richmond community

MACKENZIE MELESKI

Contributing Writer

THE 2ND STREET FESTIVAL MADE ITS return to Richmond on Oct. 2-3, after a yearlong hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Richmond’s historic Jackson Ward neighborhood.

The festival, and its location in Jackson Ward, has been a local tradition for 33 years. This year the two-day event included live music, along with a variety of food vendors, a marketplace and Artists Row for attendees to shop at. The Richmond Metropolitan Antique Car Club was also present and vintage car owners displayed their customized vehicles along Marshall Street.

“Our family has been coming to the festival for years,” festival-goer Sarah Robinson said. “We love the music and getting to see our friends.”

Jackson Ward, which is considered by many residents to be “the Harlem of the South” and the birthplace of African American entrepreneurism, is a historically Black neighborhood. Throughout its history, it has been a safe haven for Richmond’s Black community to practice creativity through art and music, according to Venture Richmond.

The event was organized by Venture Richmond, the nonprofit also responsible for the Richmond Folk Festival and Dominion Energy Riverrock. Venture Richmond is an organization that promotes tourism in Richmond and organizes events. Mayor Levar Stoney is the president of the organization, according to their website.

The festival organizers strive for the goal to “celebrate the rich culture of the historic Jackson Ward neighborhood,” according to the website.

“We are proud to host an eclectic mix of some of the city’s most exciting events,” Venture Richmond’s website stated.

Although proof of COVID-19 vaccination was not required upon entry, a vaccination station was set up on the corner of 1st Street and Marshall Street; on Oct. 1, festival attendees could be vaccinated the day before the festival. Online registration in advance was required in order to be vaccinated.

The festival was able to return this year with precautions. Festival organizers asked all guests to adhere to the Virginia

Department of Health’s COVID-19 safety guidelines. Guests were not required to wear masks due to the festival’s outdoor setting. They were, however, recommended when in areas where crowds were more congested. Guests were also encouraged to maintain social distancing.

“I really love seeing everyone outside and celebrating together,” VCU student and festival-goer Madison Cox said, “it’s really special after being in quarantine for so long.”

This year’s festival featured Richmond-based musicians such as Plunky & Oneness, Nathan Mitchell and Mighty Joshua.

Plunky & Oneness, a jazz duo based in Richmond, is one of several musicians returning to the festival. Plunky & Oneness has performed at the 2nd Street Festival for the past 15 years. This year, they were the headlining act. The jazz duo is composed of J. Plunky Branch and P. Muzi Branch, according to their website.

“We’re really looking forward to coming back this year,” J. Plunky Branch said. “It’s been great to see the festival grow over the years.”

EDITOR'S LIST OF FILMS TO WATCH

“The Edge of Seventeen” (2016)

High schooler Nadine is considered by everyone in her life, including herself, to be an outsider, especially because her older brother is the school’s star athlete. When her best friend starts dating her brother, she has to navigate growing up while dealing with adult problems without the support of her friends and family.

Available on Netflix | 94% Rotten

Tomatoes

“The Hate U Give” (2018)

When teenager Starr Carter witnesses the violent death of her childhood friend at the hands of a police officer, she takes on the role as the voice for justice as varying racial issues circle through her community. Amid gang violence, police brutality and going to an affluent white school as a Black girl, Starr must find her own voice and learn how to use it.

Available on Netflix | 97% Rotten

Tomatoes

“Instant Family” (2018)

“Instant Family” follows a young couple as they go through the foster process to unexpectedly adopt three siblings, an older teenager who has no interest in being a part of their family and two younger children. As this couple tries to navigate the difficult process of being parents, they learn that family doesn’t always have to mean connection through blood or culture.

Tomatoes

Available on Hulu | 81% Rotten

“Sleeping With the Enemy” (1991)

Starring Julia Roberts, this bone-chilling thriller follows a young woman as she tries to escape her abusive and controlling husband by faking her death, although she soon finds that her husband doesn’t intend to let her go without a fight.

Available on Hulu | 20% Rotten

Tomatoes

“Set It Up” (2018)

According to the VDH, large outdoor gatherings are medium-low risk for COVID-19. While the risk of transmission is lower than with indoor events, due to the high volume of the crowd there is still a chance of transmission when proper safety precautions are not taken. The risk of transmission lowers when people are fully vaccinated, wear masks and keep a safe distance from others. The VDH recommends that all people get vaccinated and continue to practice social distancing.

The vendors at the festival comprised of local creators and artists, and many were Black-owned small businesses. Food vendors included Mama J’s Kitchen, Chef Mamusu and The Neighborhood Scoop. Artists’ tents lined 2nd Street to sell their handcrafted goods.

Among those were dessert-themed candle makers Ciara and Sean Beasley, who own and operate Honee Beaz Candles.

“The festival is all about supporting the community,” Ciara Beasley said. “We’re honored to be a part of it.”

Two overworked assistants working for workaholic bosses in New York City try to set them up in order to make their lives easier and less stressful. Through staged kiss cams, not-so-coincidental run-ins and sweet letters attached to flower bouquets, the assistants will do anything to get out of work early.

Available on Netflix | 92% Rotten

Tomatoes

“Vice” (2018)

Based on the true events of Dick Cheney serving as running mate and later vice president to former President George W. Bush, Christian Bale plays Cheney, showing how he manipulated the United States government system in order to benefit himself and reshape various aspects of the country in the time leading up to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Available on Hulu | 65% Rotten

Tomatoes

Have suggestions for our watchlist? Email spectrum@ commonwealthtimes.org.

I really love seeing everyone outside and celebrating together It’s really special after being in quarantine for so long.”

Madison Cox, VCU student

A crowd fills a block in Jackson Ward during the last performance at the 2nd Street Festival on Oct. 3. Photo by Megan Lee

Richmond locals walk around Jackson Ward during the 2nd Street Festival on Oct. 3.

Photo by Megan Lee

Quote of the week

“No person is your friend who demands your silence, or denies your right to grow.”

— Alice WAlker

Tea Time with Tagwa

JUSTICE IS ON THE WAY FOR ADAM OAKES

TAGWA SHAMMET Opinions Editor

Tea timers, when I think of justice, I think of accountability. My mind immediately jumps to the concept of holding someone accountable for their misdoings. For the longest time, justice has felt more like a fantasy than a reality. I’ve seen countless of innocent people’s lives be ruined and justice never be served; nobody is ever held accountable.

It felt like justice had finally been served to the family of VCU freshman Adam Oakes. Eleven people were indicted on Sept. 24 in relation to Oakes’ death, which occurred seven months prior, on Feb. 27.

Oakes was pledging to join the Delta Chi fraternity chapter on campus, when he was found dead on Feb. 27 after attending a Delta Chi event. He died of ethanol toxicity — which is a type of alcohol poisoning — according to the Richmond Medical Examiner.

The Oakes family says that he was forced to drink a bottle of Jack Daniel’s whiskey as an act of hazing from the fraternity. Since then, they have been pushing to make hazing a felony.

This hazing incident created an uproar on campus and across the nation. Oakes’ extremely avoidable death brought forward discussion regarding hazing, Greek life, peer pressure and so much more. Most importantly, Oakes’ story forced us all to reevaluate our kindness with one another.

ISHAAN NANDWANI

Contributing Writer

RIPPED T-SHIRTS CAUGHT IN WIRE. Crosses with names faintly etched in them. A lone teddy bear, ragged and covered in dust. These were some of the sights I saw this past summer at the U.S.-Mexico border in Nogales, Arizona.

Walking across the border’s fence, I felt a sense of deep melancholy as the stories of people who sought refuge in a place they had dreamed of flooded me. Yet it was this so-called asylum that failed them in the end, reducing their lives to nothing but symbols along a fence that has claimed the lives of too many.

Each month, thousands of migrants from Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean attempt to cross the southern border of the U.S. for reasons including greater economic opportunities, an escape from political turmoil and the chance that their children will have a better life.

This journey of immigration is harrowing and dangerous with a low probability of success, yet millions do it anyway. The situations the migrants face in their home countries are so horrifying that they are willing to risk it all — even death — for the slight odds that things could be better.

Yet despite the distressing journey path these migrants have taken, we still view them as the other — illegal aliens attempting to overrun our country with drugs and trafficking, when this could not be farther from the truth. These migrants are hardworking individuals, with hopes of pursuing the same “American dream”

Eight people were arrested on Sept. 24; seven of them were being held in VCU Police custody, while one was held by the Virginia State Police but was eventually released on bond. The remaining three individuals turned themselves in on Sept. 27; the 11 have not yet been convicted of any crimes.

My initial reaction to the news that 11 people had been indicted was disgust. I felt my stomach churn as I saw the mug shots, displaying faces of the people that were connected to the death of an innocent boy.

My disgust quickly turned to anger. I looked at their faces and envisioned them hazing Oakes, forcing him to drink his life away. And for what? For some distorted belief that by drowning Oakes in alcohol, it will somehow make them closer — make them brothers?

“Well, at least they did the right thing and turned themselves in,” I overheard from two girls behind me in line at the Cabell Library Starbucks as they were discussing the indictments on that same Sept. 27 night.

I’ve always been fascinated by our society’s ability to praise the absolute bare minimum. First of all, the right thing to do would have been to not haze Oakes. His family will never be able to hold their son again, so please spare them from this narrative that these three boys did them a favor by turning themselves in.

Furthermore, turning yourself in after you’ve already been indicted is not an act of bravery — it is inevitable. The least these people could have done was treat Oakes with decency and kindness.

Those individuals did not encourage a brotherhood; instead, they defaced the integrity of their organization and ruined the lives of an entire family and community. Worse than all, their actions could be the cause of Oakes’ death.

All 11 people indicted were charged with “unlawful hazing of a student,” and six of them were also charged with “purchase, giving alcohol to a minor.”

Hazing is considered a class one misdemeanor in Virginia that can bring about 12 months in jail or a $2,500 fine — in some cases, both.

Neither one of those options seems like a fair punishment for killing Oakes.

Quite frankly, these charges are disrespectful. Oakes’ death was a direct result of his over drinking. The same overdrinking that only happened because these 11 people forced it onto him. So, excuse me if I don’t find these charges to be harsh enough.

I can honestly say that I don’t think these 11 people had the intention to kill Oakes that night. However, they did. Their actions resulted in his death. And the re percussions for their actions must be ade quate enough to fit their actions.

They took that innocent boy away from his family and ruined the family’s life for ever. $2,500 does not even begin to make up for that. No amount of money will ever compensate for such a tragedy.

Additionally, no amount of jail time will bring Oakes back. No amount of jail time will give him the opportunity to live his life again. No amount of jail time will reverse this injustice. However, this accountability will have to serve as justice for now.

We need to be more intentional with the way we treat one another. The toxic ideology of hazing and aggression linked with pledging fraternities must cease. The desired brotherhood Oakes was looking for must be less of a fantasy and more of a continued reality.

that we follow. And we must see them as such.

At the border, these migrants are met with disgust, discrimination and excessive force by the United States. On Sept. 26, images and videos of U.S. Border Patrol agents on horseback whipping Haitian migrants in Del Rio, Texas, circulated throughout the country.

This is absolutely unacceptable and deplorable. After the transition from the Trump to Biden administration in January, we were promised that things would be different — no more kids in cages, family separation or damaging rhetoric that we had felt the impact of for so long.

The media clearly spotlighted human rights abuses, defined by the United Nations in their Universal Declaration of

Human Rights as “deliberate maltreatment of groups of humans beings including violations of generally-accepted fundamental rights.”

After bearing witness to the human rights violations by Border Patrol officers against the migrants from Haiti, it’s evident that there is still much work to be done in both our treatment of migrants and reforming our immigration policy.

Despite these shortcomings, it’s nevertheless important to recognize that progress has been made. Under Biden, 12,400 Haitian refugees were admitted into the U.S. and allowed to remain in the country — something that never would have happened under Trump.

It’s not directly the president’s fault that Haitian migrants were treated in

such a dehumanizing way; rather, it’s more than likely that the Border Patrol agents who lashed out against the migrants were Trump loyalists.

But despite that fact, our immigration system remains broken. Our country was founded on the backs of Black people who were brought here in chains, and it’s no accident that they are still the ones who suffer.

Haitians are no ordinary group of migrants. They are predominantly Black, and they have faced a long history of prejudice from the U.S. In the 1970s, Haitians in detention centers were subject to poor and harsh environments, and immigration policy was even argued to target Haitian migrants, according to an article by Time magazine.

Today, Haiti is a nation that still stuffers from instability and corruption. Haitian President Jovenel Moïse was assassinated by mercenaries on July 7, and the country was hit by a devastating earthquake in August that killed thousands.

Haitians migrating to the border are being treated with a viciousness that has persisted through the decades, which is, in some ways, unsurprising. It’s a story that is deeply entrenched in America.

But it’s a story that needs to end.

Through my time at the border, I’ve realized that we can’t approach this crisis by looking at migrants as numbers and statistics, but as people — humans with stories and idiosyncrasies, whose lives are worth so much more than a memorial at the border fence. People in our government and immigration system may have dissociated themselves from this idea, but we can’t give up this fight.

Illustration by Karly Andersen

Illustration by Cecilia Ford

Treatment of Haitian migrants is a clear human rights violation

Communi-tea by Lauren Johnson

What a Waste (GRC Edition) by Audrey Garrett

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