U.S. NEWS RANKS
VCU AS NO. 69 PUBLIC UNIVERSITY
EMILY GRINSTEAD Contributing Writer
Virginia Commonwealth University was recently ranked No. 69 among top public universities by the U.S. News & World Report in the 2025 ranking released on Sept. 24.
This is a seven-point increase from the previous year, when VCU ranked No. 76, according to VCU News.
There really are no negatives to more people learning about the great programs and opportunities that VCU is providing its students and the greater Richmond community.”
Jeffrey Kraus, director of executive communications
VCU now ranks higher than James Madison University, which ranks No. 78 on the list. However, VCU still ranks lower than the University of Virginia and the College of William & Mary.
The ranking, conducted over the past academic year, is determined by 17 factors,
some of which include graduation rates, social mobility and peer assessment, according to the U.S. News & World Report website.
These rankings are an important tool for prospective students considering their post-secondary education, as well as an important tool internally in measuring the university’s progress, Jeffrey Kraus, VCU’s director of executive communications, stated in an email.
The university’s strategic plan, Quest 2028, outlines an enrollment goal of 32,000 students in the next four years. The university’s enrollment has steadily increased over the last two years, according to Kraus.
Kraus stated he does not foresee any negative impacts with the higher ranking, such as decreased access for local students.
“There really are no negatives to more people learning about the great programs and opportunities that VCU is providing its students and the greater Richmond community,” Kraus stated in an email.
Max Elliot, a third-year pre-med student, said VCU is not as competitive as other schools, but it makes sense it is ranked higher.
“I feel like it makes sense that it’s a little higher up. I feel like VCU is really good with diversity,” Elliot said. “You see lots of different types of people — we also have a campus across the world.”
Ashleigh Smith, a second-year STEM student, said VCU’s values of diversity and inclusion and its leadership are at odds.
“I feel like VCU has a really hard time with listening to student voices and they don’t really take into consideration everybody, especially since VCU is such a culturally diverse school,” Smith said. “Yeah, it feels like the people on the board don’t really represent the values of the students.”
Jasmine Dixon, a first-year student, said rankings did not personally matter to her when applying to college.
“I do not believe they matter because when I applied to VCU, I didn’t really look at the ranking. I did it more on the commute, more on me being familiar with the area.” Dixon said.
Teddy Calhoun, a second-year advertising student, said there are many factors that go into choosing a college.
“They mattered a bit I guess, like especially if I saw a university had a low ranking and a low graduation rate that definitely would matter to me,” Calhoun said. “But there are a lot of other factors as well. I guess the programs and the location.”
Tytiana Brown-Weathers, a first-year student, said she did not really consider rankings when applying to college.
“I already narrowed everything down based on where it is and how close it is to me,” Brown-Weathers said.
Zayna Osmani, a first-year business student, said VCU is an underrated school and people do not give it “credit where it’s due.”
“Because, you know, on top of how beautiful the campus is, and then like how good the academics are here — I think it’s just very underrated,” Osmani said. Osmani said she is “100%” proud to be a student at VCU.
“I’m very proud to be a Ram. I think VCU has been the one college that I’ve toured that I felt like most at home and all the people here are very, very nice,” Osmani said. “All the faculty are very accommodating, very sweet, and I feel nothing but love and welcome since I’ve been here, so I’m very proud.”
All the faculty are very accommodating, very sweet, and I feel nothing but love and welcome since I’ve been here, so I’m very proud.”
Zayna Osmani, first-year business student
VCU rose to No. 69 in the U.S. News and World Report’s 2025 ranking of public universities nationwide. Last year, VCU was No. 76 in the list — a jump of seven places. Photo by Jerry Pleasant III. Collage by Zach Montgomery.
Stories of the week
national: The Department of Justice sued Virginia on Oct. 11 over its removal of ineligible voters from registration lists after the 90-day deadline.
international: An Israeli airstrike in Gaza ignited a large fire at a hospital where people were sheltering on Oct. 14, killing four.
VCU looking to purchase Altria’s research center
ANNABEL GRANGER
Contributing Writer
VCU may expand its campus again with the potential purchase of the Altria Center located at 601 E. Jackson St. The building would be turned into a research center, Grant Heston, a VCU spokesperson, told Virginia Business.
The building holds tremendous potential to accelerate VCU’s nationally recognized research programs that improve the health and well-being of Virginians.”
Michael Porter, vice president of public relations
“The building holds tremendous potential to accelerate VCU’s nationally recognized research programs that improve the health and wellbeing of Virginians,” stated Michael Porter, VCU’s vice president of public relations, in an email.
The center will house some of VCU’s Academic Health Sciences programs, Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center research functions and VCU’s Medicines for All Institute, according to Porter.
VCU’s research programs are nationally recognized, making new and modern research centers a priority for the university, according to Porter.
“The National Science Foundation ranks VCU as a top 50 public research university; this recognition comes despite a significant need for new, modern research facilities,” Porter stated.
VCU research has received funding from a variety of federal awards that
have recognized VCU as a top U.S. public research university, according to VCU’s 2023 research and innovation annual report.
The additional space provided by the Altria Center would allow for new research labs, classrooms and conference spaces supporting interdisciplinary research, Porter stated.
Although there has yet to be an official plan to buy and rebuild the center, the sale has been discussed for over two months, according to Porter.
The cost of the Altria Center is estimated to be $275 million, according to an article by Virginia Business. It is still cheaper than building a brand new research center, which would cost more than $700 million, Porter stated.
Porter also stated VCU would add around 450,000 feet to the building if purchased.
“The acquisition of this facility would attract the best global talent including faculty
and students to the region and advance VCU as an internationally recognized research institution,” Porter stated.
“An agreement would need approval by the school’s board of visitors, Gov. Glenn Youngkin and the General Assembly,” according to a report from the Richmond Times-Dispatch.
A representative from the Altria Center could not be reached by The Commonwealth Times by publication time after multiple phone calls and emails, but they have made previous statements to other publications.
David Sutton, a spokesperson for the Altria Center, stated in an interview with Virginia Business that the center wasn’t listed for sale but they are open to the potential sale that VCU approached them with.
“If the deal comes to fruition, Altria plans to construct a new research facility in Richmond,” Sutton stated in Virginia Business.
VCU recently expressed interest in purchasing the Altria Center, the tobacco company’s research building, in order to accommodate the university’s increasing research needs.
Photo by Hassan Lowery.
Demolition commences on West Grace Street
MAX WALPOLE
Contributing Writer
Construction workers spent the past few weeks demolishing several buildings that were purchased by VCU on West Grace Street.
The buildings, formerly the sites of Erika’s Restaurant and Cloud Hookah Bar & Grill, were acquired by VCU as a part of the ONE VCU Master Plan, an initiative directing the development of VCU’s campuses over the next decade.
The VCU Board of Visitors approved the ONE VCU Master Plan in March 2019, according to its website.
Under the plan, West Grace Street is to be turned into a campus “main street,” including small pocket parks and outdoor furnishings along the street. New buildings with space for retail, restaurant, academic and student housing use are also to be built, according to the plan’s website.
A proposal for a West Grace Residence Hall was added to the plan in March, and the VCU Board of Visitors voted in support of the addition in their September meeting, according to Michael Porter, VCU associate vice president for public relations.
Construction supervisor Scott Messe said once the demolition was done, work will start on a new building. The building will be a four-story mixed-use building with two restaurants on the bottom floor and 21 apartments on the upper floors, according to Messe.
Messe estimated that construction on the new building will be complete by roughly July or August 2025.
VCU student Zephyr Conrad said that they were skeptical that the new student housing would be affordable.
Conrad said that considering the new building will be so close to campus as well as Plaza Artist Materials and several restaurants, they expect the cost of living there to be upcharged.
“It’s just like, we can’t afford it,” Conrad said. “I can barely afford to live in a dorm at this
month for living above a restaurant.”
Ellis Chang, an art student, said he is glad that the construction workers created a corridor where students could walk past the work site, as the construction made the sidewalk inaccessible to pedestrians.
“I know there’s some construction going on right in front of the Brandt and Rhoads Halls where it’s just completely cut off, and you have to cross the street if you want to keep going,” Chang said. “So I appreciate that they’ve put a little, like, walkway there.”
Chang said he was looking forward to visiting the new restaurants set to be built on the bottom floor.
“I think I’m excited to see what restaurant they put there because I’m always up to try new food,” Chang said.
Tom Doland, a longtime resident of Richmond, said West Grace Street was a much different place during the 1980s.
“That was the place to be. There was just
everything. There was probably at least five different bars and nightclubs there, maybe more,” Doland said.
He said the more “legitimate” nightclubs were located downtown.
“But if you just wanted to go to the seedy places where they did, like, gothic night and punk night and stuff like that, that was all right there on Grace Street,” Doland said. “You couldn’t turn around without running into somebody with a giant mohawk or something crazy.”
Doland said he started noticing changes to West Grace Street around the mid-‘90s when VCU began buying up properties along the street, replacing locally owned businesses with chain stores and restaurants.
“It just started to feel like VCU was trying to sort of sanitize it for your protection,” Doland said.
Doland said he believes this shift towards a more controlled, corporate
environment came at the expense of local hangouts which developed naturally.
“They’ve moved away from organic sort of community spaces that kind of pop up on their own, and there used to be a lot of those,” Doland said. “They didn’t set out to be that. It just sort of happened that way, but now VCU is trying to sort of engineer it that way to make it so that it’s perfect in the way that they think perfect should be.”
Doland said he laments the loss of the colorful community that thrived on West Grace Street throughout the ‘80s and early ‘90s.
“And when all you’re left is, you know, trying to present a shiny clean image and make a good tidy profit, then sometimes other things get lost,” Doland said. “I don’t think it’s on purpose. It just happens that way. But I will go on the record as saying
Demolition work began on two buildings on the 900 block of Grace Street a few weeks ago. There are plans for a mixed-use development including restaurants and apartments, according to construction supervisor Scott Messe. Photos by Arrick Wilson.
Guest speaker emphasizes peace, justice amid war in the Middle East
ABDULLAH KARABATEK Contributing Writer
Palestinian anthropologist and professor Sa’ed Atshan visited VCU’s campus on Oct. 9 for a guest speaker event titled “On Faith, Peace, and Justice: Reflections from a Queer Palestinian Quaker.”
Atshan spoke about trying to instill peace and creating a peaceful environment in the Middle East and beyond. He said this starts with “a vision for justice and for equality for all Palestinians and Israelis.”
The vision of justice and equality starts with a ceasefire and negotiation between the two countries, according to Atshan.
“The United States has to stop supporting Israel unconditionally,” Atshan said.
He believes the United States should stop heavily funding Israel’s military and leave resolutions to the two countries, minimizing involvement from other parties, he said.
Atshan said people should seek to learn more about this conflict.
I think that we educate ourselves. We lobby our elected officials to be more fair-minded and more even-handed. We stop sending the ammunition, the weapons that are killing civilians.”
Sa’ed Atshan, anthropologist and professor
“I think that we educate ourselves,” Atshan said. “We lobby our elected officials to be more fair-minded and more evenhanded. We stop sending the ammunition, the weapons that are killing civilians.”
Atshan said his vision for peace stems from a comprehensive, global understanding of the conflict. He emphasized the importance of being informed and taking action and said individuals must take personal responsibility. By doing so, they can contribute to creating collective power, a crucial element in his approach to peace.
Atshan said education is being impacted the most in Gaza.
“Nowhere is the assault on education today more severe than in Gaza, where people are experiencing genocidal violence,” Atshan said.
Atshan urged those who were interested in resolving this conflict to look and educate themselves on what is going on around the planet.
“Deexceptionalizing Palestine, Israel — and recognizing that what we’re seeing there resonates with so many conflicts around the world,” Atshan said.
Atshan said examining a conflict externally and evaluating elements from other situations globally is another way to resolve tension.
“There are also reverberations that are common with so many different episodes in history and in the present,” Atshan said.
Atshan explained that in Gaza, many educational institutions that serve hundreds of thousands of people are being destroyed, severely impacting
access to education. All 12 universities in Gaza have been damaged or destroyed by strikes as of March, according to Le Monde.
“For over a year, an entire generation of children and students have not been able to access education because of the war,” Atshan added.
Atshan said the war is taking a personal toll on him, having affected
“We need United Nations peacekeeping troops to protect Palestinian civilians who lack any form of protection,” Atshan said. Musbah Anwari, a second-year biology student, said Atshan’s presentation was “really eye-opening.”
Anwari said the current generation gets a lot more news from social media.
“With all the social media now — TikTok, Instagram — I feel like the audience is definitely getting more news to them than we would before,” Anwari said.
She said the talk helped expand her perspective.
“It made me see all the different ways people are affected, not just from one standpoint of being in the West, but also seeing how people are being affected in those major current events,” Anwari said.
Palestinian scholar Sa’ed Atshan gave a talk on Oct. 9 about his vision for peace in the Middle East. He called for the United States to stop sending arms to Israel and for people to become informed and take action. Photos by Kieran Stevens. Collage by Zach Montgomery.
Stat of the week
VCU fourth-year setter Taylor Aguano led the Rams with 33 assists in their 3-1 win against Saint Louis University on Friday, Oct. 11, according to VCU Athletics.
Scouting Report: VCU vs the University of Massachusetts
VCU women’s soccer will face fellow Atlantic 10 conference-member, the University of Massachusetts, here in Richmond at Sports Backers Stadium on Oct. 27.
The CT Sports staff chose their notable players for this upcoming matchup.
ALEXIS WASHINGTON
Contributing Writer
Allison Karpovich - The fourth-year goalkeeper is set to protect her home territory against the University of Massachusetts. Karpovich earned her second A-10 Defensive Player of the Week honor on Oct. 8, according to VCU Athletics. This season, she hit a careerhigh of nine saves in a game against the University of North Carolina Wilmington and Loyola University Chicago, according to VCU Athletics. Karpovich blocked has 42 goals this season. She is three saves away from breaking her record of 45 goals saved in one season, according to VCU Athletics. Karpovich shot-stop ability will earn VCU a win against UMASS.
MALACHI KEYS
Contributing Writer
Kanna Matsuhisa - The fourth-year midfielder will be one of VCU’s biggest threats in terms of getting shots on goal against the University of Massachusetts. Since her first year, Matsuhisa has been a valuable asset and contributor to the Rams on both offense and defense. In her second year, she made the all A-10 second team. Now 13 games into the season, the fourthyear has five goals scored and one assist, according to VCU Athletics. Look for Matsuhisa to get shots on goal for the Rams and be a playmaker, helping her teammates get involved in this matchup against the Minutemen.
ANDREW MCGHAN
Contributing Writer
Bella Recinos - The fourth-year midfielder is one of the University of Massachusetts’ biggest offensive threats to the Rams. Recinos has scored eight times in 14 games this season, according to UMass Athletics. She has taken the most shots on the team with 35, and the player with the second most only has 25 shots. Recinos is also a workhorse for UMass. She has played a total of 1,214 minutes this season which ranks her No. 3 on the team for minutes played, according to UMass Athletics. She has played a full 90-minute game seven times this season so far. For UMass to win against VCU on Oct. 27, Recinos will need to play a big role.
JENNY ALLEN
Contributing Writer
Ella Curry
Ella Curry is a core player for the University of Massachusetts. With Curry’s athletic ability to attack the goal while holding down the midfield, she will make it a challenge for VCU to take home the win. In the 2023 season, Curry was named to the Atlantic 10 All-Academic Team, CSC Academic AllDistrict Team and earned UMass Athletics Fall Scholar-Athlete, according to UMass Athletics. Curry has already proved her skills as she was named A-10 Offensive Player of the Week this season, according to UMass Athletics. Curry totaled two assists, helping lead the team to a 4-2 victory against Fordham University on Sept. 26, according to UMass Athletics. Curry’s playing tactics and powerful offensive mindset will require VCU to step up their game.
Look for Matsuhisa to get shots on goal for the Rams and be a playmaker, helping her teammates get involved in this matchup against the Minutemen.”
Malachi
Keys, Contributing Writer
VCU
UMass
Kanna Matsuhisa from the 2024 season. Photo by Anthony Duong.
VCU to move conferences?
I don’t think so
KYLER GIILIAM
Contributing
Writer
With basketball powerhouse Gonzaga University moving to the Pac-12 Conference from the West Coast Conference as a non-football member, it has opened the question of VCU being a target for conference realignment.
Gonzaga and VCU share the absence of a football program. However, VCU falls short of the dominance of Gonzaga’s basketball program, holding them back from joining a conference like the Atlantic Coastal Conference or the American Athletic Conference.
VCU has the opportunity to grow its basketball program. Being located in Richmond, VCU has access to fertile recruiting grounds, such as the DMV, Charlotte, North Carolina and even here in the Greater Richmond area. VCU has the opportunity to attract a plethora of talent from its backyard.
Fan investment is also high at VCU, creating one of the most ruckus environments in mid-major basketball.
Richmond is also a decent-sized market with no professional teams to compete with but lacks the financial investment needed to compete at the Power 6 level.
Universities like Gonzaga or Southern Methodist University have the full financial backing of boosters that VCU currently does not have.
The investments help cover Name, Image and Likeness expenses for athletes, offsetting the cost of moving conferences and pay top salaries for quality coaches, or retaining ones that have big offers from other universities.
VCU needs a stronger booster base to achieve the next level of athletic excellence.
If VCU were able to increase booster
involvement, it still would be tough to move up in the athletic hierarchy because of our lack of national brand recognition.
Conferences look at national recognition when deciding to add new members. Gonzaga’s success in the NCAA tournament has gained them notoriety across the county, while VCU is still holding onto its Final Four appearance in 2011.
VCU would need to gain more national recognition and postseason success to gain access to a better conference as a nonfootball member.
Richmond is also a decent-sized market with no professional teams to compete with but lacks the financial investment needed to compete at the Power 6 level.”
Possible candidates for VCU’s new conference are the American, Big East and ACC.
The American seems like the most obvious choice for VCU to go to. The conference is already home to non-football member Wichita State.
The American also has a media rights deal with ESPN, according to the American Athletic Conference.
The American also lost the University
of Central Florida, the University of Cincinnati and the University of Houston to the Big 12 in 2023, according to ESPN.
The conference might still want to regain some power and VCU could help, but not having a football team can make the Rams less desirable compared to a school like James Madison University or Appalachian State University.
The Big East is a basketball-centric conference where VCU’s football status does not matter.
However, VCU might not fit culturally with the Big East schools. The Big East current iteration is backed by the “Catholic 7,” and VCU isn’t a Catholic-affiliated university.
Finally, VCU may not be up to standard when it comes to competing in the Big East. The Big East is home to the back-to-back National Champions University of Connecticut Huskies, and the conference has won five of the last 10 National Championships.
VCU would need to have more continued success to be considered for the Big East.
The ACC seems like a long shot without a football team. However, it might be a waiting game for the Rams. Florida State and Clemson have open lawsuits about leaving the conference, according to The Athletic.
If dominoes fall correctly and the current ACC implodes, VCU might have a path to gaining membership in what remains of the Mid-Atlantic’s most powerful conference. But at this moment, I don’t see that path materializing.
Gonzaga rising to the ranks as a nonfootball school still gives hope for VCU to climb the athletic mountain. However, there are clear obstacles VCU needs to overcome to get a seat at the big boy table.
Gonzaga rising to the ranks as a nonfootball school still gives hope for VCU to climb the athletic mountain. However, there are clear obstacles VCU needs to overcome to get a seat at the big boy table.”
Illustration by Killian Goodale-Porter.
CT Sports’ pick of the week: Niners versus the Chiefs
BERSABEH KEMAW Staff Writer
For this week’s pick, we’re heading to the NFL for a matchup between the San Francisco 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs.
The two teams will play at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California on Sunday, Oct. 20 at 4:25 p.m.
The Chiefs will walk away with a win, as they are one of the two remaining undefeated teams going into week seven, with a 5-0 record.
Though the Niners have had some good performances thus far, they currently have a record of 3-3.
They also have a huge hole in their offense with the injury of running back Christian McCaffrey who is a team essential player.
McCaffrey, the 2023 NFL Offensive Player of the Year winner, suffered a calf injury early in training camp, resulting in him sitting out for the preseason, according to Newsweek.
The Niners finally released an update
on his status and have clarified that they do not plan on him returning for their game against the Chiefs, which puts the team in an interesting position, according to CBS Sports.
The Chiefs, on the other hand, have had an amazing start to the season.
Though their wins have not always been significant, they make sure to come out on top at the end.
Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes hasn’t been performing to the expectations placed on him going into the season, but nonetheless, he’s making enough smart plays to win, according to the NFL.
The Chiefs have had to make adjustments after the loss of wide receiver Rashee Rice, who just underwent surgery to repair his LCL, according to the New York Post.
Both teams are facing similar shortcomings as far as injuries are concerned, but I think by now NFL fans have learned to not bet against Mahomes and the rest of the Chiefs.
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Illustration by Victor Romanko.
Redhawks sink their talons into the Rams, 4-2
MARCUS LEARY
Contributing Writer
The VCU Rams field hockey team fell to the No. 8 ranked Saint Joseph’s University Redhawks in a tight defensive matchup, 4-2.
VCU is now 8-4 overall and 2-2 in the Atlantic-10 conference. The Rams are still fourth in the A-10 field hockey rankings, according to the A-10.
The Rams started the game off with possession but quickly lost the ball on a turnover.
The Redhawks offense advanced quickly to VCU’s half of the field, keeping the ball there for a majority of the first quarter.
VCU’s defense stayed aggressive, forcing the Redhawks to pass the ball around.
Saint Joseph’s fourth-year midfielder Sol Borensztein capitalized off a VCU foul at the six-minute mark of the first quarter by putting a shot past the goalie to put Saint Joseph’s up 1-0.
The Rams’ offense tried to answer back with a penalty corner with 3:30 left in the first period, but the shot from third-year midfielder Morena Macera was blocked by the Hawks’ defense.
Both defenses held strong for the rest of the first quarter, with neither team getting a shot off.
The second quarter started off similarly to the first, with the Redhawks passing the ball around the VCU defense.
The red and white threatened to go up 2-0 at the 8-minute mark of the second quarter, but the corner shot from Saint Joseph’s fifth-year forward Manu Ghigliotti went wide right.
VCU scored their first goal of the game with 3:37 left in the second quarter when fifth-year forward Skyler Padgett got behind the Hawks’ defense and scored oneon-one with the goalie.
The VCU offense continued to fight for the rest of the second quarter but wasn’t able to put any more shots in the back of the net.
Despite neither team being able to capitalize off of their corner shots in the first half, the Rams and Redhawks were tied 1-1 going into halftime.
VCU head coach Stacey Bean said there were some missed opportunities on the field.
“For us, it’s taking care of what we need to take care of,” Bean said. “Their goals came from our mistakes, rather than them being better than us.”
The first goal of the second half came 40 seconds into the third quarter with a corner-shot goal from Saint Joseph’s fifthyear midfielder Bridget McCormick.
VCU’s offense held possession of the ball in the third quarter, passing it around in Redhawks territory and threatening to score on back-to-back corner shots but missing both.
VCU second-year goalie Emma Clements held strong and saved two goals at the eight-minute mark of the third quarter.
The Redhawks offense continued to dominate until the very end of the third quarter when Ghigilotti sent a through ball to second-year forward Erika Culp who scored with 20 seconds remaining in the third quarter.
The Redhawks led the Rams 3-1 going into the fourth quarter.
The black and gold started the fourth quarter off with possession and held it on their side of the field.
The Rams scored their final goal of the game three minutes into the fourth quarter when Macera knocked in VCU’s first corner shot of the game, cutting the Redhawks’ lead to 3-2.
Macera said she believes her team will keep fighting no matter what the score is.
“We always keep going,” Macera said. “We don’t care about the scores, we always want more.”
Both teams exchanged runs until the Redhawks scored the last goal of the game with 10 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter when fifth-year back Julia Duffhuis
We always keep going. We don’t care about the scores, we always want more.”
Morena Macera, third-year midfielder
VCU first-year forward Lotje Aalderink dribbles past Saint Joseph’s defender. Photo by Kayelyn Tate.
VCU fourth-year midfielder Camila Rosenbrock at Cary Street Field on Oct 11. Photo by Kayelyn Tate.
On this day
In
Activism through art: Honoring lost lives in Gaza one year later
GHAILAH NYEANCHI
Contributing Writer
A large, red sculpted poppy flower surrounded by 12 beds of smaller flowers all made from various materials shone brightly in the middle of the VCU Commons Plaza on Oct. 7.
The flower sculpture was a part of VCU’s Students for Justice in Palestine organization’s art installation on Oct. 7, which was one of many “Rage Week” events hosted by SJP from Oct. 7 through 11. The “Rage Week” events commemorated one year of “genocide” in Palestine by the Israeli occupation, according to their Instagram.
SJP partnered with sculpture students and anyone willing to volunteer for the project, said Cristina Sayegh, campus outreach for SJP.
universities that no longer stand in Gaza, Sayegh said.
SJP wanted to connect with VCU students while also honoring the Gazan universities, Sayegh said.
The art installation also included a poppymaking station with materials attendees could use to create their own poppy flowers and add to the piece.
Making the art installation part of “Rage Week” was important because there needed to be new forms of protest, according to Sayegh.
A lot of people are unsure of how they can help because they aren’t able to donate or explore other traditional forms of protest, Sayegh said. Making art presents a new opportunity for solidarity.
“Everyone has a talent,” Sayegh said. “Everyone has the ability to help in a way.”
Servin feel like her voice was being heard, she said.
“I think art has been used in many kinds of ways to show somebody’s voice,” Servin said. “It’s a gateway for a lot of artists to speak.”
A lot of times people don’t pay attention to what artists have to say until they make a piece about it, Servin said.
“Art has had such a huge impact on a lot of movements,” said Sereen Haddad, leadership chair for SJP.
The student organization chose to incorporate the art installation as part of “Rage Week” because they wanted something students could interact with, according to Haddad.
The installation served to remind students that lives are still being lost one year after the start of the conflict in Gaza, Haddad said.
11:45 a.m., also included a vigil at 6:30 p.m., according to SJP’s Instagram.
“We want to acknowledge that there’s a place where people get to hold their grief as well,” Haddad said. “All that is very important in this kind of movement.”
In addition to the art installation for “Rage Week.” SJP also hosted a walkout and march on Oct. 7, an all-day fundraiser at Halal Munchies on Oct. 9 and a film screening in partnership with the Progressive Jewish Student Union on Oct. 10, according to Haddad.
The point of all the events is to come together and stand in solidarity for those suffering under occupation in Palestine, Haddad said.
“We want to come together as students and as a community to make a statement and say that we stand for Palestinian liberation,”
Kacee Boone, a political science and African American studies fourth-year student, stumbled upon the event while
“I think it’s awesome,” Boone said. “I think any way that you can support Palestine should be
1793, Marie Antoinette, queen consort
Sereen Haddad and a fellow SJP member lead a march towards the Virginia Israel Advisory Board building. Photo by Bilan Osman.
Students and visitors could create their own poppy flower to pay their respects for the lost lives in Gaza. Photo by Bilan Osman.
Forum presents mayoral candidates, their plans to support creatives
Contributing Writer
Virginia Repertory Theatre hosted the Arts & Culture Mayoral Forum on Oct. 8 to discuss the importance of arts and culture in the Richmond community. All five mayoral candidates: Andreas Addison, Danny Avula, Michelle Mosby, Harrison Roday and Garrett Sawyer were present at the forum.
The mayoral candidates shared their distinctive plans for how they would work to protect the creative community in our city at the event.
My goal as mayor is to make sure every child can be inspired artistically, be able to create and explore who they can be as an adult.”
Andreas Addison, mayoral candidate
“From our local artists and musicians to small businesses and cultural spaces, Richmond thrives on creativity,” Sawyer said. “As a local government, we need to ensure that artists have access to all the resources and spaces they need to create and share their talents.”
Avula said he feels that art and culture are the most powerful ways to promote community healing in our city today.
“The affordability of our city is a key factor in the success of the Richmond arts and culture scene,” Roday said.
Mosby expressed that at the end of the day, we need leadership not only dedicated to making Richmond a better place to live, but willing to expand our arts and culture standing.
“My goal as mayor is to make sure every child can be inspired artistically, be able to
create and explore who they can be as an adult,” Addison said.
Richmonders were invited to engage with these potential leaders and voice their concerns on the subject matter.
Through an online questionnaire, attendees asked questions about candidates’ varying stances on the intersection of arts and politics.
The forum was held by CultureWorks, an organization whose mission is to “strengthen artists and arts and culture organizations to increase their impact in our region,” according to its website.
President of CultureWorks, Scott Garka, opened the event with statistics on Richmond being a distinguishably artistic city.
“In 2023, USA Today ranked Richmond the No. 2 city for street art in the United States,” Garka said. “In 2024, CNN named Richmond its best town to visit in the U.S., due to the arts and culture present in the city.”
With this in mind, Garka expressed his specific concerns about the need for the protection of arts and culture in the Richmond community.
“The impact of COVID was significant on many of the businesses and retail spaces in the arts district specifically,” Garka said. “The racial justice movements and protests added another layer of complexity.”
Garka said he feels these challenges in conjunction with recent inflation trends continue to negatively impact the city, the arts district and disproportionately the artists elevating the city’s creative profile.
“I believe there are a plethora of things that the city government needs to do in order to help Richmond’s art and culture community to thrive,” Garka said.
CultureWorks hosted a table at the event with information on all of the candidates and voter registration details. They hoped to successfully get those interested in arts and culture registered to vote.
All City Art Club, a collaborative arts project focused on the improvement of the community in Richmond, also organized and hosted the forum.
Founder of the All City Art Club, Silly
I believe there are a plethora of things that the city government needs to do in order to help Richmond’s art and culture community to thrive.”
Scott Garka, president of CultureWorks
Genius, said he understands the impact art can have on the community as a graffiti artist and mural painter himself.
“We’ve spent the past few years shouting from the rooftops about the lack of support for the arts,” Genius said. “The momentum from events we’ve done has put us in rooms with a lot of different organizations that sympathized with us — so we decided to join forces for the forum as the issues we were raising affected every corner of the creative community.”
All City Art Club bridges the gap between the community and citizens. Art makes people feel good about where they live, giving residents a sense of pride in their community, according to its website.
“‘Richmond, the little city that could,’ has kind of taken it as far as it can just on the strength of the community itself,” Genius said.
This forum is an opportunity for all of the mayoral candidates to speak about how they will take action as mayor to uplift and enable our creative community to continue doing the work they love to do, according to Genius.
Genius said he hopes that this forum will communicate to the incoming mayor and city council members that Richmond’s creative community needs substantial, tangible and continuous support.
“Right now it feels like all of the success of our creative community is in spite of the city, not because of it,” Genius said.
“That’s not a relationship that can sustain the heights we’ve climbed to. I aim to walk away from this forum with city leadership committed to helping our artists flourish.”
People can help this cause daily by encouraging their elected officials to support the things the community loves, Genius said. If city leadership doesn’t step in, Richmond risks losing all the things that give it character.
Native Richmonder Lezza Jay said they came to the event to get the individual candidates’ thoughts on how they plan to protect the art community.
“Art has always been at the heart of Richmond — that is one thing that has never changed in all my time here,” Jay said. The creativity in the local area helps grow the community and brings people together who have shared interests, Jay said.
“My favorite part of the city is all of the beautiful murals painted on the Victorianstyle buildings near my house,” Jay said. “It reminds me that the city is full of art, new and old.”
Jay said it is important for Richmond to have people in power who have a solid, strategic plan in place to truly protect the arts and culture vital to the interconnection of the city.
BRAXTON HARE
Mayoral candidates sitting on the Virginia Repertory Theatre stage at the Arts & Culture Mayoral Forum on Oct. 8, ready to discuss art and culture in Richmond. Photo by Braxton Hare.
Southern American photography comes to Richmond
CAROLYN SLINGLUFF
Contributing Writer
“The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice,” as famously stated by Martin Luther King Jr., has inspired progress in the United States for decades since the Civil Rights Movement, according to Sarah Kennel, the Aaron Siskind curator of photography and director of the Raysor Center at the VMFA.
It also inspired “A Long Arc: Photography and the American South since 1845,” which chronicles over 175 years of Southern history, Kennel said. The photography exhibition opened on Oct. 5 at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts and will run until Jan. 26, 2025.
The exhibition was co-curated by Kennel and her former colleague, Gregory Harris.
“A Long Arc” was created at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, Georgia where Kennel was a curator before joining the VMFA in 2021. It includes an archive of more than 180 photographs depicting the American South, according to the VMFA website. The last time the exhibition was open was in 1996 at the High, Kennel said.
She is excited by the emergence of
what she considers to be very interesting contemporary photography in the South, Kennel said. She also wants to uplift new career artists as she believes photography is a really powerful tool that shapes ideas of who we are.
“The kind of culture and politics and discussions that have been happening, especially in the American South, are really, in many ways, emblematic of a lot of the discussions we’re having right now in this country about what it means to be an American,” Kennel said.
The exhibition aims to address the larger historical perspective behind many of our existing and emerging American values, as well as display the complexity and diversity of the South, Kennel said.
As you walk through, the exhibition is split up by era, beginning with 1845-1865 and ending with 2000-present. Kennel said she hopes visitors experience the photographs by feeling the myriad of emotions and the tensions between progress and regress that are illustrated in each section, rather than just seeing them.
“I think of it more as a microcosm of America. The exhibit does cover a lot of
really tough moments in history, but it’s not a uniform, linear story,” Kennel said.
The VMFA held a talk in their Marble Room on Oct. 10, where Kennel did a deep-dive into the seven different sections of the exhibition and the photographs displayed in them.
Amani Jefferson, a graduate student at George Mason University, attended Kennel’s talk. She is earning her master’s degree in art management and hopes to be a curator herself one day, she said.
She loved the talk as she found the exhibition to be very impactful and resonated with Kennel’s passion for working with living artists as well as archival work, Jefferson said.
“The pictures were kind of smaller at the beginning, and then they transition to these bigger photos, and I thought, that’s a way of kind of transitioning into, OK — we’re kind of bigger than what we were — but we still acknowledge the fact that we have these tribulations or these trials that we go through, and it’s not forgotten,” Jefferson said.
Celeste Fetta, the Joan P. Brock director of education at the VMFA, said the “longer arc” of the exhibition informs us on the past, but also the future of photography. A historical foundation can help newer Southern
photographers tackle questions in their work such as what it means to be contemporary today and how history has influenced that, Fetta said.
The VMFA will hold multiple additional presentations and events related to the exhibition over the next couple of months. Details and tickets can be found on the VMFA’s website. Among them is the “VMFA Photography Challenge: ‘Destinations,’” according to Fetta. The challenge encourages community members to upload their photography with the #VMFAPhotoChallenge to Instagram or Facebook for the chance to be featured by the VMFA on social media.
Admission is free for VMFA members and children under six. Otherwise, tickets are $8 for youth and students with a valid student ID, $12 for adults and $10 for seniors ages 65-plus and groups of ten or more. A ticket grants admission to both “A Long Arc” and “American, born Hungary,” another photography exhibition at the VMFA.
The March from Selma, 1965, Matt Herron. Photo courtesy of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.
Lee Square, Richmond, Va., 2020, Kris Graves. Photo courtesy of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.
Quote of the week
“Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.”
— Henry Ford
Rams register! Your votes matter
JESSICA HOLGADO Contributing Writer
It is frustrating to see so many eligible voters, especially students, sitting out during such an important election. With so much at stake, it is surprising that many have yet to even register. Why are so many people not participating in a country that prides itself on democracy?
With the upcoming election, it is more important than ever for students to understand the power and necessity of voter registration. It is not just a box to check; it is a way to make your voice heard on both local and national issues.
I remember my experience registering to vote — it was a mix of excitement and frustration. It was my freshman year, and I was thrilled to finally have a say in shaping my community and future during the November 2022 general election.
Voting for the first time was a bit scary, but I was lucky to have my roommate going through the same process with me. Even then, I still felt frustrated for those who were struggling with it.
Many students felt lost when it came to voter registration. They had questions about what documents were necessary, how to track important deadlines and where to find trustworthy information. It was hard to see so many capable and passionate individuals hesitate to register simply because the process seemed too complicated.
The challenges do not stop at registration. Many people go to great lengths to cast their votes. Some drive hours to reach their polling stations, while others even fly to their home state to ensure their vote is counted. These obstacles make
it even harder for people to participate in the voting process, highlighting the need for more accessible and straightforward voting options.
This experience made it clear to me how many barriers still exist in our voting system. While I was eager to get involved, I could not help but worry about those who felt discouraged or excluded. I wanted to help my peers navigate the registration process so everyone could share in the excitement of making their voices heard.
It is disheartening to think students face unnecessary challenges just to register. The confusing paperwork and vague deadlines can make the whole process feel daunting. This makes it seem like the system is more interested in keeping people out than welcoming them in.
The history behind voter registration really stood out to me, as it follows this pattern of confusion. It was initially designed to make voting more difficult for low-income individuals, those with less education and immigrant citizens.
This system aimed to keep certain groups from participating in democracy by introducing requirements like literacy tests, poll taxes and complicated registration processes. These requirements discouraged many from voting.
The legacy of voter suppression affects us today, as many of the same challenges still exist, making it harder for marginalized groups to vote. Recognizing this background is important because it shows why voter participation is not equal and highlights the ongoing struggle for fair access to the ballot. Because of these challenges, it is crucial for us to push through and make our votes count. We can impact local elections,
shaping important issues like public transportation, housing and education. Our voices contribute to the larger democratic process, shaping the future of our country.
We should also celebrate progress that has been made. Community movements and dedicated individuals have worked hard to expand voting rights and make registration easier. We can keep that momentum going by staying informed and getting involved in efforts to improve voter access.
There are also many resources to help us navigate registration. Websites like Vote.org and the Virginia Department of Elections provide clear instructions and deadlines, and VCU also has student organizations dedicated to voter engagement.
Organizations like VCU Votes Student Coalition and Young Democrats at VCU work to educate and mobilize students to participate in the electoral process. It is up to us to take advantage of these resources and ensure every Ram’s voice is heard.
Registering to vote is more than just a civic responsibility — it is a powerful statement of our commitment to democracy. Overcoming the obstacles that still exist today allows us to honor those who fought for our right to vote and paves the way for a more inclusive and representative future.
We can encourage our peers to get involved by sharing information about registration deadlines, hosting discussions about the importance of voting and even organizing events. The more we talk about it, the more likely others will feel empowered to participate.
Ultimately, we can make sure our votes count and inspire others to do the same. Every vote matters, and together, we can create a brighter future for all.
It is disheartening to think that students face unnecessary challenges just to register. The confusing paperwork and vague deadlines can make the whole process feel daunting. This makes it seem like the system is more interested in keeping people out than welcoming them in.”
Illustration by Daisy Nguyen
LAUREN PRATTIS
Audience Editor
We have officially reached midterm season. That means long hours at the library, extralarge coffees and dreaded group projects. I have dreaded these assignments since I was in high school and college has made me hate them even more.
For starters, you rarely get to pick who you work with. This forces you to spend an exorbitant amount of time with strangers who have little to nothing in common with you besides the class. Awkward small talk mixed with dissimilar interests makes for a less-than-pleasant environment.
In my personal experience, most classes do not build in time to work on these projects. It is difficult to schedule group meetings outside of class time because of how people’s calendars barely align. With students balancing work and extracurricular activities, coordinating a time to meet becomes impossible.
It feels unfair to expect students to add
one more thing to their packed schedules, so most often, video chats replace in-person meetings in a library study room.
I hate having to meet on Zoom. In cases where the project is also a presentation, groups never get the chance to fully rehearse and work out any kinks before it is time to present.
Effective communication is essential for a good grade. When multiple people get involved in something, there is so much room for communication errors. Different communication styles, misunderstandings and delayed responses lead to confusion and a lot of wasted time.
I have found myself waiting many times for a group member to complete their assigned section or clarify details of a project. As my Canvas to-do list continues to grow, so does my anxiety.
To curb some of it, I typically like to finish my work far before the due date, giving me ample time to proofread and make necessary changes.
I self-identify as type A personality, especially when it comes to schoolwork.
Grappling with group projects
My work is done hours, if not days, before I have to turn it in. I will admit I can be a bit intense when it comes to maintaining my grades and staying on top of things.
These projects bring together students with widely varying approaches to academics, meaning there is bound to be a clash in management styles.
One of the major challenges in group projects is the varying work ethics and work styles of members. Pairing a highly motivated student with another who likes to start the entire assignment 12 hours before it is due leads to lots of stress and tension.
Certain group members feel they need to pick up the slack of their partners in order to meet self-set standards and get their desired grade. This makes difficult semesters even harder and more overwhelming. Depending on how the class is set up, a group member missing a deadline for submitting mediocre work will affect everyone’s grade, not just the person who missed the mark.
In some of my classes, part of the project includes writing a self-assessment and a critique of your group members. This creates
a new dilemma — on one hand I do not want to be responsible for someone not doing well in a class, but on the other, their grade should reflect their effort.
In a lot of cases, hardworking students are dragged down while those who contribute less get all the benefit of a good grade. The fear of not being recognized for your effort is yet another spark of anxiety.
These projects are supposed to reflect real-world working scenarios, but they are piled onto other stressful academic requirements. There have been multiple times throughout college when I was balancing several group projects while also having to study and complete other homework assignments.
I understand professors add group projects to the curriculum for good reasons. They offer insight into future jobs because they enforce collaboration, but it is difficult to see this silver lining while in the thick of it.
I know these projects are a necessary evil, but I wish there was a way for some students to instead have an alternate assignment.
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Illustration by Layla Carmouche
Mold Buddy
Joke of the week
“I treat my body like a temple. A temple of doom, but a temple nonetheless.”
— Jim Gaffigan
My apartment is maybe not the cleanest place on Earth, but that’s not always a bad thing. It just means that sometimes I’m a little too lazy to clean a fork, straighten some magazines or change my bedsheets — so what?
I’m sure there are plenty of 21-yearolds whose apartments are much more disgusting than mine. I once saw a video on YouTube of a hoarder cooking peaches and hotdogs in his bathroom sink because his kitchen was too cluttered. That’s who you should be worried about — not me.
My roommate doesn’t seem to mind the mess. Maybe that’s because I look the other way when he stores his little experiments in our fridge — he’s a biology major. Once I was reaching for some left-over ziti and almost fondled a half-dissected frog.
I thought he had taken it too far one day when I opened the fridge and saw what I can only describe as the moldiest piece of bread ever to exist. I mean this thing was all kinds of colors — unnatural colors. I think one corner was a fuzzy purple.
I asked him what the deal was and he promised me it was a super-special experiment and made me swear not to touch it. I told him since he was cool about that time I accidentally threw away his collection of vintage ZooPals plates, I could let it slide.
I kept a close eye on this moldy bread though, and watched him closely as he
began dripping some sort of neon-green liquid from a syringe onto it. With every drop, it seemed like the mold grew larger. I told him the whole experiment seemed a little weird, but he said, “Don’t you think it’s a little weird you haven’t washed your bed sheets since May?” and stormed off.
Everything was fine and dandy until one day I opened the fridge to find a large, pulsating green mass had appeared on top of the bread. At first, I thought I must have been hallucinating because I could have sworn I saw it blinking. My roommate jumped in front of me and slammed the fridge door shut before I could see any more.
Later that night, I felt something strange slinking its way up my chest, and I opened my eyes to see a small pile of mold waving at me. I would have been scared out of my wits if it didn’t look so friendly. Its little chubby cheeks and warm smile were like if a human baby and a pug baby had a baby, and that baby, for whatever reason, was really happy to see you.
While it couldn’t speak, it could gesture, and through a complex game of charades, it explained to me that my roommate’s experiment had given him life. I couldn’t imagine being born from a moldy piece of bread all alone in the cold, dark fridge — but I could relate to being lonely.
One time in middle school, a teacher sent me out in the hall for misbehaving and forgot all about me. She started playing a movie for the class, and all I could do was watch longingly through the small window by the door.
I vowed from that moment to be its friend, and my little mold buddy never left my side. We did everything together — cooking, cleaning and even homework. Its little moldy mits were the perfect size to help me spread peanut butter on my sandwiches, and dextrous enough to type the keys of my laptop while I dictated my essays.
It was happy to help, but after a while, I could tell something was off. It enjoyed spending time with me, sure, but I was no substitute for a friend of its own kind. My mold buddy also needed a mold buddy.
I couldn’t just ask my roommate to do his experiment over again, namely because he didn’t know the first one had succeeded. I had been keeping my little mold buddy a secret for fear of him taking it away. To be fair, he technically was its father, I was more of a fun uncle — a “funcle,” if you will.
After swiping some chemicals from my roommate’s nightstand, I grabbed a piece of bread and went to work. I felt just like “The Absent-Minded Professor,” although I don’t
think Flubber could give you a lung infection. It was harder than it looked to get the right mixture, but before I knew it, I had this slice of bread glowing a vibrant, moldy green. The new mold lurched to life, and soon, as its eyes began to open, a familiar warm smile grew on its face. It was perfect. My little mold buddy finally had a friend of its own kind — but I knew what that meant. There comes a time in every mold parent’s life when you have to accept your mold doesn’t need you anymore. You have to let them explore the world for themselves, make mold friends and get their little mold hearts broken — one day even release little spores of their own.
As I watched the pair of mold buddies meet each other for the first time, tears welled in my eyes. It’s not every day you witness something so beautiful. Without my little mold buddy to look after, I’m going to have a lot more time on my hands — maybe I can finally get around to changing those sheets.
Illustration by Nathan Varney.
DYLAN HOSTETTER
Opinions and Humor Editor
Bug by Cassidy Davis
EV CHARGING
By Zhouqin Burnikel
Los Angeles Times Crossword Puzzle
CHARGING
By Zhouqin Burnikel
Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis
Los Angeles Times Sunday Crossword Puzzle
Edited by Patti Varol
Edited by Patti Varol
EV CHARGING by Zhouqin Burnikel