The Commonwealth Times; October 4, 2023

YOUNGKIN CALLS FOR MICHAEL RAO TO STEP DOWN AS VCU HEALTH PRESIDENT

SELNA SHI News Editor

TEAGAN HARRINGTON

Contributing Writer BRI STEVENS

Contributing Writer

Gov. Glenn Youngkin called for VCU Health governance changes last week after VCU Health exited the Clay Street development project in June, stated Christian Martinez, Youngkin’s deputy press secretary, in an email.

Youngkin sent a letter to the General Assembly this past week and called the project failure a “wake-up” call to the flaws in the VCU Health governance, according to Martinez. He recommended replacing the VCU Health president Michael Rao, reducing doctors and eliminating legislators from the board.

Youngkin also stated he wants someone “with the experience and time commitment” to lead the health system and suggested Rao to stay as an “ex-officio” member.

The Clay Street development was intended to be a “multi-building project” that would’ve cost VCU Health $325 million, according to the Richmond Times Dispatch.

Marlon Levy, interim CEO of VCU Health, stated that the project was going to replace the city’s decaying Public Safety Building. VCU Health paid a one-time payment of $79.2 million to the City of Richmond to exit the project.

“This [$72.9 million] was funded by VCU Health operating funds; it represents less than 2.5% of our annual operating budget,” Levy stated.

VCU Health was committed to paying the City of Richmond $600 million over a 25-year lease to develop the project, stated

associate vice president for public relations at VCU Michael Porter in an email.

Rao oversees the health board, but does not have operational power, according to the Virginia Legislative Information System.

Rao stated to Richmond TimesDispatch that he supports Youngkin’s recommendations to step down as VCU Health president. VCU and VCU Health are already working on making the recommended changes that will begin this upcoming spring, Rao stated.

“I shared then my belief that healthcare has changed so much and so rapidly, VCU Health board of directors requires a chair 100 percent devoted to the health system, similar to how the president of the University of Virginia is not chair of its health system board/committee,” Rao stated.

In a different statement, Rao stated that VCU Health has hired Saul Ewing, an independent law firm to assess the Clay Street project.

Rao also stated that VCU and VCU Health will commit to being more transparent, as VCU Board of Visitors was unaware the project was failing, according to the Richmond Times Dispatch.

Porter shared a presentation by Saul Ewing on the observations of Clay Street project failures and improvements for future VCU projects.

Saul Ewing described the origin of the Clay Street project as “born out of the ashes of Navy Hill.” Navy Hill was turned down by the Richmond City Council in 2020, proposed to be a multi-building project similar to the Clay Street project.

Ewing also suggested in the presentation open communication between VCU Health and VCU.

Many VCU Health students are unaware

of the Clay Street project but think it was too expensive.

Dhruv Patel, a third-year pharmacy student, said it’s “insane” that the project could’ve cost millions.

“That’s insane. I feel like the money could have been used for better things. Especially since this project also failed,” Patel said.

Another VCU Health student Julia Smolen said that the project failure is disappointing because VCU Health is wasting so much money.

“Disappointing is the first word that comes to mind. They put a lot of money into that, and it could have been used in a lot of other areas that need to be grown,” Smolen said.

Smolen said the money could’ve been contributed to students who are doing residency.

“I think this is more than just a VCU thing, but I think VCU could contribute [to residents]. But I think that residents are underpaid, and overworked,” Smolen said.

Smolen thinks that there needs to be governance changes to VCU Health, she said.

“I think that when there are enough problems, change is gonna only bring good things into affirming what went wrong,” Smolen said.

VCU Health Building

Photo by Kaitlyn Fulmore.

Protestors rally in Monroe Park against Youngkin’s anti-trans policies

ELLIOT SKELTON

Contributing Writer

A group of around 50 could be seen in Monroe Park, on campus and in the Richmond area on Friday, Sept. 22. They were protesting Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s 2022 Model Trans Policies.

model policies for how schools are to treat transgender students in 2022, according to the model policies. This model includes “Guiding Principles” for schools and teachers to follow when they are made aware of a student who identifies as transgender. The second principle states that schools should defer to parents to make the best choices for their students. This includes deciding names or pronouns, and any social or physical transitioning of the child’s gender.

The third states that parents should be “fully informed” about any important matters regarding the child, which now includes any attempts at a social transition within schools that is not occurring at home.

The protest’s organizer, Ranger Ballesen, chose to host it Friday because it was the first day of early voting in Virginia. Ballesen said he wanted to make sure everybody knew that “this wasn’t just a social issue, this is also a political issue.”

Many VCU students attended the rally, including Mary-Catherine Kate, president of the LGBT future educators at VCU.

Vivian Williams, a first-year student who has recently gone through the public school system said she is worried about the new anti-trans policies and sympathized with the struggles that students may face.

“I am here because I am freshly done with going through the public school system as a trans person,” Williams said. “I am very concerned about everything being

Parents and members of the Virginia ACLU and an organization, He She Ze and We, are concerned about the impact of these policies and attended the rally.

Shannon McKay, a parent of a transgender child and the executive director of He She Ze and We, attended the rally because she felt it was important to support

“Disappointing is not strong enough of a word,” McKay said about the new policies. “Students need protections in place regardless of zip code. Every student deserves respect and dignity.”

The 2021 model policies stated that students should have their choice of name and pronouns respected by staff, with no need for proof or contacting home. McKay says it’s “devastating to see the roll back.”

It’s an incredibly terrifying time to be a trans teacher, to be a queer teacher. As an educator, we have a duty to step up and do what’s right for our students, and I know that this is what’s right for students.”

Mary-Catherine Kate, president of the LGBT future educators at VCU.

Disappointing is not strong enough of a word. Students need protections in place regardless of zip code. Every student deserves respect and dignity.”

Shannon McKay, a parent of a transgender child and the executive director of He She Ze and We

Group protesting against Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s 2022 Model Policies regarding transgender students. Photo by Kaitlyn Fulmore.

Group protesting against Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s 2022 Model Policies regarding transgender students. Photo by Kaitlyn Fulmore.

TARAZHA JENKINS

Contributing Writer

A colorimetric breathalyzer that can catch a popular cannabis component within minutes has been developed by a VCU professor.

Emanuele Alves, an assistant forensic science professor at VCU, teamed up with Wagner Pacheco, a postdoctoral fellow from the Universidade Federal Fluminense in Rio de Janeiro, to work on the device.

“Our goal is to be able to detect THC in exhaled air, and our idea is to create a test that we can give a fast result in a range of concentrations that is similar to what we see in alcohol breathalyzers,” Alves said.

THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol, is a psychoactive component found in cannabis, also known as marijuana. If THC is detected, the device will change colors, like an at-home COVID-19 test or “pH papers,” Alves said.

“The nice catch about that device we are developing, it’s able to give negative results for CBD if only THC is present and vice versa,” Alves said.

CBD, or cannabidiol, is found in hemp and is a part of the cannabis family, but does not have psychoactive effects like THC. CBD is oftentimes sold in smoke shops, gas stations and hemp stores in Virginia, yet its legality varies state by state.

The device produces different colors when THC or CBD is present, so it doesn’t have the problem of giving a false positive, according to Alves.

Alves and Pachecho received a grant from the Department of Justice’s Research and Development in Forensic Sciences for

Criminal Justice Purposes fund in 2022 to begin their research on the colorimetric breathalyzer, according to the National Institute of Justice.

“The goal of this device is to improve road safety. It’s not like, ‘Oh, I want to put everybody in jail,’ it’s not that, but at least people should be conscious,” Alves said.

The VCU professor received threats after she did an interview on TV about her work on the breathalyzer.

“I was kind of upset about it,” Alves said. “My husband was truly upset and he was afraid,” Alves said.

Alves said the pair is not working on the breathalyzer to judge impairment.

“There are other groups working in impairments and THC, ” Alves said. “How the legislation, law enforcement, policies are going to be using — it’s not our goal to determine — I’m not working on this to determine if a person is impaired or not.”

Virginians do not view mairjuanaimpaired driving as more risky than other dangerous behaviors, according to research. Sixty percent of Virginians view texting as “extremely dangerous,” 49% for alcoholimpaired driving and just 26% for cannabis-

influenced driving, according to a recent survey conducted by the Virginia Cannabis Control Authority, or CCA.

The researcher said there are several studies that need to happen to make the connection between impairment and THC side effects.

“However, I would like people to be conscious that if you use marijuana there is a possibility of you to be impaired — so don’t drive, because you can be caught,” Alves said. “I’m not against or in favor, I never used drugs and I don’t judge who use drugs, it’s not my business.”

Nature Scientific Reports data states that detection of THC in exhaled breath and blood does not directly correlate with recent cannabis consumption or impairment, according to a report by the National Organization for Reform of Marijuana Laws, or NORML.

“NORML has long argued against the expansion of drug detection testing and has instead opined in favor of the greater use of performance-based tests,” said JM Pedini, executive director of the Virginia chapter of NORML.

There are products available today like

DRUID and AlertMeter that measure a person’s impairment, according to Pedini. Virginia’s cannabis laws have wavered in the past two years under the GOPcontrolled House and Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s administration.

Cannabis possession became legal in July 2021 with hopes of recreational sales by 2024. Individuals 21 years old and older can possess up to one ounce and may grow no more than two plants in their residence. However, cannabis consumption is illegal in public and while driving, according to the CCA.

A legal recreational marketplace has yet to be established, despite 60% of Virginia voters supporting recreational marijuana sales, according to Christopher Newport University poll.

“It’s entirely possible that the outcome of the November election will influence the direction of cannabis policy in Virginia,” Pedini said. “Retail sales for adult use have yet to be enacted, directly because of the Youngkin administration’s opposition in doing so.”

Former Gov. Ralph Northam and the Democrat-led legislator pushed for decriminalization and recreational sales. Youngkin has vowed for tighter regulation on Virginia’s hemp industry, according to Richmond Times Dispatch .

Joseph Guthrie, commissioner of the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services told the Daily Progress that Youngkin was not interested in legalizing recreational use of marijuana. The research pair hopes the first prototype is completed by 2025.

VCU- developed THC breathalyzer sparks curiosity and concerns

Emanuele Alves developed a breathalyzer that detects THC. Photo courtesy of Alves.

‘David versus Goliath’: Richmond casino up for referendum again, faces pushback

KATIE FARTHING

Copy Editor

LELIA CONTEE

Contributing Writer

ARIA LOVELACE

Contributing

Writer

Richmond City Council approved the proposed ONE Casino + Resort on June 25 to be on the ballot come the Nov. 7 elections.

The casino was previously up for referendum in 2021, but lost with 49.05% of the vote, according to VPAP.

The casino is a joint venture between Urban ONE, a Maryland-based Blackowned media company, and Churchill Downs Incorporated, a Kentucky-based entertainment company, according to the Resort Casino City Council presentation.

It will be located at 2001 Walmsley Blvd. and 4700 Trenton Ave., spanning 97 acres, and include 250 rooms, a casino, 55-acre park, production studios, entertainment videos and more, according to the presentation.

Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney stated the casino is a good opportunity for Richmond and thanked the City of Richmond’s Resort Evaluation Panel for their vetting of the proposals, according to a City of Richmond press release.

“The project will create over 1,000 good paying jobs, generate a significant amount of new revenue for the city and establish an additional economic engine in South Richmond,” Stoney stated.

Others are opposed to the casino. Richmond Lodge No. 1 of the Good Lions, a nonprofit organization that holds charitable gaming events in the Southside, filed to appeal the City Council’s decision.

The organization is appealing on grounds that the “Council has exceeded to authority delegated to it by the General Assembly” and the “Council violated the Constitution of Virginia by selecting the Operator through a no-bid process in 2023,” according to the motion.

Paul Goldman is the founder of No Means No Casino, a local committee campaigning against the ONE Casino + Resort.

Goldman said he is worried about the exploitative nature of casinos and how it could impact Richmond’s community. He was a leader in the 2021 campaign against the casino and is advocating against it again in 2023.

“It isn’t just David versus Goliath, it’s David versus Goliath’s whole family,” Goldman said, comparing the campaign against the casino to the biblical story of a young boy fighting a giant.

The casino was originally marketed as the first Black-owned casino in the country, but he’s not sure that remains true or relevant, according to Goldman.

“It doesn’t matter who owns it. It doesn’t matter whether it’s union jobs,” Goldman said. “This exploits the poor and the working class. You could try to cover it up with all kinds of other stuff. Paper it over. But sorry, it is what it is.”

Goldman said the city council shouldn’t have put the casino on the ballot a second time, let alone the first time.

“Just because you have the right to do something doesn’t make it the right thing to

the right to vote, but they shouldn’t have put it on the ballot.”

Goldman spends Wednesday mornings campaigning against the casino with students at VCU, he said.

“The group that should be the most against the casino is the group that should be the strongest believer in social justice, which is the students in Richmond,” Goldman said.

SAUCE, or Students Against Unconscionable Casino Exploitation, a student-run branch of No Means No Casino, set up a table in the VCU University Student Commons on Sep. 25 and spoke with students about the casino.

VCU junior and group member Casey Marin said she joined the organization after taking time off school to work in politics and saw the casino referendum was coming back.

A large concern is the out of state companies involved and their lack of

instead, Marin said.

“It’s not at all about us as a community, as a city,” Marin said. “But I have a lot of faith in the community of Richmond to stick it to them.”

SAUCE is worried about how the casino will impact college students, according to Marin.

“We’re in college. There’s very heavy drinking,” Marin said. “With the casino down the road that leads to alcohol abuse, gambling, addiction.”

Ariana Gonzales, a senior biology student, said she didn’t know much about the casino and its impact. She had only seen advertisements about the jobs and economic growth it could offer.

“I’m pro-jobs for the community, but I don’t know in what ways it would affect the economy, such as raising prices in Richmond, or inflation in the area, or surrounding area from the casino,” Gonzales said.

Another VCU student Nate Strong said the casino could offer new opportunities but there are

“We have a lot of addiction problems in Richmond, and I feel like addictive personalities would certainly be drawn to

Catalina Lara, a junior business and management student, said the casino could bring in a lot of money, but she knows casinos bring up a lot of issues. “It’s good for business, it’s good for the economy, but it’s bad for some people,” Lara said. “I don’t know if gentrification comes into play, I don’t know, but it could be Jonathan Harewood, a Richmond resident and owner of the Bland Gallery, rents out a house on the Southside.

“I’d rather they have an arena, sports arena so I could bring in revenue for the city,” Harewood said. “They already got one [casino], Rosie’s.”

Harewood said he doesn’t support casinos but understands people that do.

“I don’t care for it really. I don’t condone gambling,” Harewood said. “But people got to make their ends meet.”

UrbanONE and Churchill Downs did not respond by the time of this article’s publication.

Casey Marin and Paul Goldman host table in University Student Commons. Photo by Katie Farthing.

Illustration by Killian Goodale-Porter

Stat of the week

VCU FIELD HOCKEY BEATS UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS 1-0 IN A TOUGH FOUGHT VICTORY

ANDREW MCGHAN

Contributing Writer

VCU women’s field hockey won a competitive 1-0 game against University of Massachusetts on Friday.

Friday’s match was the 15th time these two programs played each other dating back to 2012, according to VCU Athletics. VCU has five wins and 10 losses.

Head coach Stacey Bean said she doesn’t pay attention to the historical record between the two programs, but has a lot of respect towards UMASS’ field hockey program.

“I don’t think either one of us discounts the other team and looks at the overall record in terms of the history,” Bean said. “This is just a really important conference game for us, and taking care of it on our home field, that’s kind of a point of emphasis for us.”

VCU’s tactic coming into Friday’s match up was to put pressure on UMASS’ defensive line, according to VCU freshman forward Mora Marrero.

“It was very important, our press, because they are a very vertical team,” Marrero said. “So we have to make sure we are closing the middle to them.”

Both teams had tons of chances to score in the first, but they could not because of how great both goalkeepers were playing,

according to Bean.

“We had our chances, we just didn’t put the biscuit in the basket,” Bean said. “Both goalkeepers I thought were outstanding, I think their goalie and ours are two of the best in the conference if not the region.”

At halftime, VCU talked about not maintaining focus in the second half and to finish strong, according to graduate student goalkeeper Sheridan Messier.

“We knew that we had to stay locked in all 60 minutes of this game because it is a tough team that we’re playing, UMASS, a really good competition,” Messier said. “So we just wanted to continue to play our game and do what we do well.”

In the second half, Marrero started a counterattack on the left side of the field and passed the ball back post to VCU sophomore Josephine Jense, who scored the game winning goal.

Coach Bean was ecstatic that they scored on the back post, she said.

“Finally scored on the back post, made me happy,” Bean said. “You can make a living there if you go on and put your stick down, good things happen.”

UMASS had a couple of one on one chances to score, but each attempt was stopped by Messier.

“It was definitely a little stressful in those moments, but I just went in with the mentality that ‘I got to win it,’” Messier said.

Both Marrero and Messier have been recognised for their play this season, with Marrero winning A-10 rookie of the week three times and Messier winning A-10 Defensive player of the week once, according to VCU Athletics.

The team doesn’t really pay attention to who gets certain awards, but are happy that the whole team is getting recognised for their play compared to not receiving any recognition last season, according to Bean.

“Well this group don’t really care who gets recognized,” Bean said. “They just actually enjoy the fact that we’re finally getting recognized by the conference because last year no matter how we played, or what we did, we weren’t getting that.”

With the win against UMASS, VCU improves to two wins and one loss in the A-10 Conference, according to VCU Athletics.

Even with the improved record the team is already on to the next game, according to Messier.

“It definitely feels really good,” Messier said. “We’ll celebrate this but then, come Sunday, we’re going to be locked in ready to play St. Louis on Friday.”

Junior cross country runner Lauren Tunnel placed first at the Paul Short Run Women’s College Brown 6K with a

VCU will play Saint Louis University away on Oct 6 at Chaifetz Pavilion.

VCU women’s field hockey celebrates a goal.

Photo by Andrew Hill.

Scouting Report:

VCU MEN’S SOCCER VS DAVIDSON

The VCU men’s soccer team will be facing off against the Davidson College Wildcats on Oct.7 here in Richmond. The CT sports staff chose the key contributors for this Atlantic 10 matchup.

VCU

NATHANIEL SEMUNEGUS

Contributing Writer

William Hitchcock - The junior midfielder currently leads the team in goals with two goals scored so far into the season, one against North Carolina and one against Massachusetts. Last season, he made 13 starts in 17 appearances, took 8 shots in the midfield position, recorded one assist and finished with 1,117 minutes of playing time, according to VCU Athletics. He scored three goals, his freshman year including one game winner against Charlotte. Before joining VCU, Hitchcock was a two-time state champion and a two-time All-District honoree. He also earned second team AllState honors in Texas.

ERICA SIMPSON

Contributing Writer

Andrey Salmeron - The freshman midfielder has scored one goal this season and played a total of 782 minutes over the course of 10 games, according to VCU Athletics. Salmeron currently has a season high of five shots against Saint Louis University, according to VCU Athletics. In VCU’s matchup against the No. 1 Marshall University, Salmeron was named game leader as he had two shots to lead the Rams with one shot on goal, according to VCU Athletics. He has been a contributor to many of VCU’s offensive plays over the course of the season.

DAVIDSON

BERSABEH KEMAW

Staff Writer

Vincent Bennage - The junior forward has scored five goals this season and gained 13 points, according to Davidson Wildcats. He leads the Wildcats in both goals and assists. Bennage was named the offensive player of the week by the A-10 conference on Sept. 6, according to Athletic 10. He has been a key player for the Wildcats in getting them wins or ties. Bennage had one goal, two assists and five shots in the Wildcats’ match-up against Furman University, according to Davidson Wildcats. He started in all 16 games his sophomore year and was selected to participate in the A10 all-rookie team as a freshman, where he led the team in goals scored and total points according to Davidson Wildcats.

THAILON WILSON

Sports Editor

Alonzo Clarke - The sophomore midfielder has started in eight of the team’s nine games and has contributed three goals and two assists during this span, according to Davidson Wildcats. Clarke is second on the team in both assists as well as goals for the team, according to Davidson Wildcats. The midfielder plays multiple positions for the Wildcats as shifting from midfielder to defender, according to Davidson Wildcats. Clarke has already contributed more goal contributions this season than his entire freshman campaign, according to Davidson Wildcats.

Illustrations by Killian Goodale-Porter.

PICK OF THE WEEK

Edison Barboza will knock out Sodiq Yusuff

ALEXIS WASHINGTON Contributing Writer

The No.11 ranked featherweight Sodiq Yusuff and No.13 ranked Edison Barboza as the main event on Oct. 14 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada.

This will be the first time these two meet up, according to ESPN.

Even though Yusuff is coming back from a winning streak, Barboza is a veteran fighter with 13 years in the UFC and will knock out Yusuff.

Yusuff vs. Barboza is such an anticipated fight that it is listed on the 10 biggest fights to look forward to in October, according to UFC.

Yusuff, who is in the 145 lbs. weight class, will make his return Saturday night with a 13-2-0 record. He herniated a couple of discs in his back which led him to be out, according to MMA Fighting.

This injury was a major stepback in his fighting career and could potentially be a disadvantage on Oct. 14.

The last time Yusuff was in the UFC octagon was last October when he defeated Don Shainis, according to ESPN.

Barboza is also coming back from a win in April after defeating Billy Quarantillo with a 23-11-0 record, according to ESPN.

He knocked him out in the secondround by hitting the brawler, combined with a timed knee. Quarantillo fell to the ground in the blink of an eye, according to UFC.

They both have the same fighting style-striker; when someone strikes their opponent they are trying to take them down by a punch, elbow, knee or kick, according to ESPN.

Sodiq has a striking accuracy of 49% with 884 attempts and Barboza has an accuracy of 44% with 2,845 attempts, according to UFC.

This upcoming match will prove if Barboza can keep his dominance and defeat Yusuff by knocking him out within three rounds.

GAME RESULTS

SEPTEMBER 28

WOMEN’S SOCCER AT LA SALLE LOSS 1-0

SEPTEMBER 29

WOMEN’S FIELD HOCKEY VS. #17 UMASS WON 1-0

WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL VS. DUQUESNE WON 3-1

SEPTEMBER 30

WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY PLACED 17TH OUT OF 43

MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY PLACED 7TH OUT OF 47

MEN’S SOCCER AT LOYOLA CHICAGO WON 2-1

WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL VS. DUQUESNE WON 3-1

OCTOBER 1

WOMEN’S SOCCER VS. SAINT LOUIS LOSS 1-0

VCU WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL

VIOLET VELASQUEZ

Contributing Writer

MALACHI KEYS

Contributing Writer

The VCU women’s volleyball team continues their winning streak as they beat Duquesne University on their home court for their third consecutive win this past Friday night.

At the beginning of the first set, the Rams came out red-hot and built an early 3-0 lead over Duquesne; a lead they upheld for the entirety of the first set.

Multiple Rams participated in the killing spree as setters junior Taylor Aguano and graduate student AnnaBelle Tomei were making big time connections with their middle blockers and outside hitters.

Senior middle blocker Jasmine Knight lit up the stat sheet, acquiring four kills and a block in the first set.

VCU won the first set 25-17.

The second set was considerably more competitive than the first. Both teams were neck and neck for most of the set.

VCU struggled to dig out the ball and block during this set. Seeming to be down by a point or two, the Rams stayed within striking distance.

Late in the set, the Rams took a 26-25 lead. On the set point, the Dukes began a three consecutive point streak to shut out the Rams and take the second set 28-26.

“This was a team that we should have come out and owned the game a little bit more,” said head coach Tim Doyle Knight collected the first points of the third set for the black and gold and evened the score to 3-3 at the start.

VCU maintained their lead as they held the Dukes at 15 points and ended with 25.

DOMINATES DUQUESNE, 3-1

This was the final stretch the Rams needed to ensure their win.

The intensity rose during three separate point challenges, two out of three awarded to the black and gold.

The frequent breaks surprised the rams and affected their playing style, according to senior outside hitter Ana Brangioni.

“When there’s a lot of breaks it can become challenging to refocus,” Brangioni said.

Duquesne started the fourth set with possession, resulting in a kill by VCU junior opposite hitter Parker Hartzell.

Knight dominated the stat sheet as she obtained 14 of her 19 points in the fourth set and assisted the Rams in maintaining the lead, according to StatBroadcast.

Duquesne opted for a timeout well into the set, resulting in another point scored on VCU’s behalf.

As the score rose to the high 20s, VCU juniors Hartzell, Brangioni and Knight collected the last few points to secure the last and final win, according to StatBroadcast.

The Rams celebrated their win and took a lot of useful information with them to practice, according to coach Doyle.

“We are happy with the dub 1-0 tonight, but I think there’s a fire for the next games where we need to come out and make more of a statement,” Doyle said.

The VCU Rams will host Fordham University at the Siegel Center on Oct. 7 at 1 p.m.

Photos by Andrew Hill.

On this day

In 1976, Barbara Walters joined Harry Reasoner at the anchor desk of the “ABC Evening News” for the first time. She became the first female anchor for a U.S. network evening news program.

‘PRESENT IT IN AN UNEXPECTED WAY’:

Artists use design to draw attention to women’s rights

It addresses a critical topic that encourages conversation and raises awareness and empowers communities to work towards a more equitable and productive future through the lens of design,”

Spectrum Editor

Artists from around the world use design to capture viewers’ attention while informing them of the gender inequality women face globally.

The exhibition “Women’s Rights are Human Rights” will be displayed at The Branch Museum of Architecture and Design from Oct. 6 through Feb. 17, 2024. The exhibition will include posters addressing gender-based inequality, violence and discrimination made by women and men from different cultures, perspectives and attitudes according to the museum’s website.

The museum will host accompanying programming such as daily screenings of the film “Some American Feminists” and a workshop in conjunction with the YWCA, according to Heather Ernst, The Branch’s acting director and curator of the exhibition.

The Branch chose to host the exhibition because it aligns with its mission as it showcases the impact of design communicating social issues, Ernst said.

“It addresses a critical topic that encourages conversation and raises awareness and empowers communities to work towards a more equitable and productive future through the lens of design,” Ernst said.

Design is an effective platform for spreading social justice because it can inspire people visually, bring attention to certain causes and inspire conversation, Ernst said.

“I hope that people see that design can be used as a tool to communicate social issues,” Ernst. “And specifically, regarding women’s rights, that we still have a lot of work to do.”

This exhibition originally premiered in September 2016 at Massachusetts College of Art and Design and since then has been installed in galleries and museums around the world, according to Elizabeth Resnick, organizer and curator of the exhibition.

Resnick created this exhibition to shine a spotlight on gender inequality, she said. Having been a design educator for the past 40 years, she also had the motivation to show art and design students visual graphic design solutions that inform and educate the population on issues.

Resnick hopes this exhibition brings a better understanding of the situation existing around the world for women, she said. For change to happen people need to be informed and believe that this inequality exists.

Inviting, finding, locating and interacting with the artists featured in the exhibition has resonated with Resnick, she said. Since they are not participating for financial gains but because they feel a need to have a say about the issues in the world, she said.

“Whether it’s posters, films, painting, sculpture, creative people have a duty of some level, to use their creativity in positive ways,” Resnick said.

When artists create work to educate a population and spread a message, this work must be shared and seen in person as it’s more effective when seen at its intended scale, Resnick said. The scale allows the work to reach out and grab the viewer, allowing them to resonate with it.

“That’s what’s so important about attending these kinds of exhibitions because the posters are printed the size that they were designed — the size that they are meant to be seen at,” Resnick said. “It’s a very powerful, visual, visceral experience for any human being.”

political and environmental topics.

Their featured posters in the exhibition highlight fistula, acid violence against women and sexual slavery, according to Drueding. They hope their art raises awareness around these topics, as many of them, such as fistula, are rarely discussed.

Fistula is a medical condition that women suffer from; it’s a very intimate injury, which is why people don’t often talk about it, according to Drueding.

Acid violence against women acts as retribution in some cultures, used for instances such as a woman going to school or talking to a man not approved by the family, according to Drueding.

The show has grown since the first exhibition, as many designers see genderbased inequality as an important issue, Drueding said.

“This fight was a lot more difficult than I initially thought,” Drueding said. “Over the recent years, I realized that misogyny is alive and well in many, many parts of the world and it’s not going to go away anytime soon. It’s not going to go away unless women really stand their ground.”

The posters in the show feature a variety of styles, messages and information surrounding gender-based inequality, she said.

As designers, they are trained to cut through noise and have the power to attract attention to their messaging, Drueding said.

Elizabeth Resnick, organizer and curator of the exhibition

When Resnick first created this exhibition, she invited designers who used strong conceptual and highly developed visual solutions to express their messages, she said. Some of these designers included graphic and poster designers Alice Drueding and Joe Scorsone, who have three posters featured in the exhibition.

Drueding and Scorsone create their work together in collaboration through conversation, according to Drueding. The majority of their work focuses on socio-

“It’s very easy to ignore the messages around us because there’s so many, and many of them are familiar, so you see something that’s familiar, and immediately you can just miss that,” Druedling said. “But with art, you can present it in an unexpected way.”

Artists must use this power responsibly and as a way of contributing to the conversation, Drueding said. She hopes people leave the exhibition changed by what they’ve seen.

“An image has this ability to kind of live on in your head,” Drueding said. “So if you project a really powerful image to someone it can have real staying power, so that long after they’ve seen the work, the image and all the ideas that it’s going to generate continue to percolate in someone’s mind.”

PEGGY STANSBERY

That’s what’s so important about attending these kinds of exhibitions because the posters are printed the size that they were designed — the size that they are meant to be seen at. It’s a very powerful, visual, visceral experience for any human being.”

Heather Ernst, The Branch’s acting director and curator of the exhibition

The exhibition at the Fairfield University Art Museum. Photo courtesy of ‘Women’s Rights are Human Rights.’

VCUarts Theatre students collaborate to produce SUPERNATURAL THRILLER

EMILY MCCAULEY

Contributing

Writer

From acting in the show to choreographing fight scenes, students have been working together on various theatrical aspects to produce the upcoming mainstage VCUarts Theatre production.

VCUarts Theatre students and faculty present “Let the Right One In” from Oct. 5 through 8 at W.E. Singleton Center for the Performing Arts. The supernatural thriller is directed by Wes Seals, according to the VCUarts website.

Kayla Brown, theater major and stage manager for the show, said theater students feel very excited to share their work with the audience.

“This process has been six or seven weeks so far and the show’s just really coming together,” Brown said.

For “Let the Right One In” the students and faculty had rehearsals every weekday for four hours and on Saturday for five hours, according to Brown.

“I’m in charge of gathering information at the weekly production meetings from the departments of scenic, costumes, lighting, sound and I also have a team that helps with that,” Brown said.

The show uses combat and blood and works to hide the tricks so the audience doesn’t see them, according to Brown.

Brown hopes the audience feels a deep connection with the two main characters and leaves the show with a lot to think about, she said.

want to feel,” Brown said.

The horror show includes many technical and theatrical elements, and working with the elements is a new learning experience for many of the students, according to Fio Lo Presti, a theater major cast as Eli in the show.

The students have been working hard in rehearsals to ensure the technical details are both realistic and spectacular, according to Lo Presti.

Horror is a hard genre to pull off in person, but it is cool looking when done well, Lo Presti said.

“Majoring in theater, I have been able to expand my knowledge about theater and what it takes to put on a production and be a part of this career, and it’s really helped me in ways outside of theater and acting,” Lo Presti said.

It is important for the students to experience the role they are studying in a hands-on manner, said Bonnie McCoy, chair of the Department of Theatre at VCU.

VCUarts Theatre faculty’s role is to give theater students the supervision and oversight to ensure they are prepared to enter the profession once they graduate, according to McCoy.

“Let the Right One In” is an award winning Swedish movie many people are familiar with, but the VCUarts Theatre production is its own unique show, McCoy said.

These students are learning to set up blood effects and the experiences each production brings have important learning outcomes the students can use in the real world, McCoy said.

Ivana Thompson, theater major and associate fight choreographer for the production, said VCUarts Theatre gives students an opportunity to have agency over what they do.

“I am working alongside the main fight choreographer who is Tippy Hart – she is one of the faculty members at VCUarts Theatre – and our job is to create violence that helps to move the story along,” Thompson said.

to Thompson. Main themes in the show are survival and companionship in a crazy world, according to Thompson. She hopes the audience feels connected to the show.

Tickets are $15 and discounted tickets are available for students, alumni, seniors and VCU community members, according to its website.

“I hope they laugh, I hope they cry. I hope that they just feel all the feelings they

Students learn new skills, such as stage combat, from their VCUarts Theatre professors while collaborating, according

I hope they laugh, I hope they cry. I hope that they just feel all the feelings they want to feel,”

Kayla Brown, VCUarts Theatre major and stage manager

VCUarts Theatre students and faculty prepare to rehearse. Photo by Arrick Wilson.

Vodou drumming clinic shares Haitian music, culture, history

GARY DAVIS

Contributing Writer

The sounds of traditional Haitian drumming echoed throughout the James W. Black Music Center Recital Hall on Sept. 27. Participants gathered on stage with percussion instruments in hand and joined in rhythmic expression.

The Haitian Vodou drumming clinic hosted by Ches Smith and the drummers of his group We All Break was free to attend and open to anyone, regardless of prior experience.

Vodou, pronounced “Voh-doo,” is the religion of the Haitian people, according to Daniel Brevil’s website, a We All Break member. Vodou drumming is an expression of the Vodou religion.

Brevil has studied Haitian music and culture over the past 25 years, he said. At the clinic, he helped guide participants to play along with their own instruments.

Vodou drumming played a big role in the Haitian Revolution from 1791 to 1804 as a unifying force, Brevil said. The flag of Haiti features the motto “L’Union fait la force,” which means “Union makes strength.”

Vodou is stigmatized in America, perpetuated by zombie movies and other forms of media as synonymous with negative black magic, said Markus Schwartz, a We All Break member. In reality, Vodou is ancestry, spiritual connection and all the forces of the natural world.

“It’s not inherently negative,” Schwartz said. “It could be used in a negative or a positive way, the same way that you could say that the word energy could be used in a negative or a positive way.”

The people of Haiti struggle with an onslaught of harassment from outside forces to this day, Schwartz said. The Dominican Republic closed access to its border with Haiti this year, claiming that Haiti broke a treaty from long ago, leaving Haitians with no access to a river that runs through their own country.

“If you go there now, the Haitians are coming together to put their strength together to build that canal without proper tools and without trained engineers,” Schwartz said Drumming sustains them as they work to access the water, Schwartz said. At any protest or march, you will always see people drumming in one form or another for the same reason.

within rhythm and rhythm instruments,” Schwartz said.

Vodou drumming and its influence aren’t as widely known in the United States as other countries’ musical offerings, so it’s especially important to teach people about the art and culture of Haiti, Schwartz said.

“There’s so few of these sorts of things being offered,” Schwartz said. “There’s so few people like Daniel Brevil in our country who have that ability to really expose the depth of the beauty of the culture.”

VCU student Connor Loftis was one of the attendees of the clinic. Loftis had no exposure to Vodou drumming prior to the event, he said.

“I would really be interested to find out more about the roots of Haitian percussion and the music and the dances that all combine to create this really great percussive experience,” Loftis said.

Rhythm exists in anything, like the movements of flames of a fire or the cyclical

“People show up because even without understanding why, they just innately understand that

There’s so few of these sorts of things being offered. There’s so few people like People show up because even without understanding why, they just innately understand that there’s a power of unified force within rhythm and rhythm instruments.”

Markus Schwartz, We All Break member

We All Break instructs attendees to sing along at the Haitian Vodou drumming clinic. Photo by Bilan Osman.

VCU Latin community has stories, experiences to share year round

SOFIA HUSSAIN

Contributing Writer

VCU’s Office of Multicultural Student Affairs hosts various events from Sept. 15 through Oct. 15 in honor of Latin Heritage Month, according to its website.

One of those events includes ¡Muevete!: Latin Dance Nights, which occurs each Tuesday in Monroe Park and features various Latin-inspired dances, according to its website. The next dance night will be on Oct. 3 and will highlight Cumbia, Merengue and Salsa.

“What I am hoping people take away from Latin Dance nights is a sense of feeling free, a sense of feeling the music and understanding that this form of dance comes from a particular culture that is enriched with great vibes and fun energy,” said Joshua Lockhart, the associate director at OMSA.

Latin Heritage Month celebrations at VCU help the exposure of Latin culture and prioritize a feeling of inclusivity at VCU and new students feeling welcome, Lockhart said.

OMSA prioritizes the promotion of Latin cultural events so students of the Latin community can feel more welcome celebrating their culture when joining VCU, Lockhart said

Dance is a very important part of Latin culture, according to Leslie Quiroz, co-president of the Latinx Student Association.

“It’s a way to tell stories without using words,” Quiroz said.

Even when it’s not Latin Heritage Month, VCU organizations continue to put in effort to collaborate with the LSA and prioritize the exposure of Latin culture, Quiroz said.

“VCU has done an amazing job with inclusivity within the different minority groups,” Quiroz said. “Especially with our amount of diversity. It’s very beautiful seeing different cultures connect.”

Rashel Ferrufino Aguirre, co-culture chair of LSA, said she was greatly influenced by the promotion of Latin culture when she first joined VCU. Connecting with the rest of the Latinx community and engaging in events helped her feel more welcome, Aguirre said.

Aguirre hopes that her dedication to celebrating Latin culture, aside from Latin Heritage Month, can do the same for incoming students, she said.

Arly Cadozo, LSA historian, said there is more recognition regarding Latin culture here at VCU in response to the celebration

of Latin Heritage Month. Cardozo hopes that VCU can continue to expand exposure and appreciation during the rest of the year.

There are many members of the Latinx community at VCU, and one of the main goals of Latin Heritage month celebrations is reminding everyone in the VCU community that LSA is here and honored to celebrate their culture with everyone, Cadozo said.

“Our club is the reason why people don’t forget that Latin celebration is not only a monthly event,” Cadozo said. “We have stories to tell, stories to share and experiences that need to be talked about throughout the whole year”

VCU has done an amazing job with inclusivity within the different minority groups, especially with our amount of diversity. It’s very beautiful seeing different cultures connect.”

Leslie Quiroz, co-president of the Latinx Student Association

Our club is the reason why people don’t forget that Latin celebration is not only a monthly event. We have stories to tell, stories to share and experiences that need to be talked about throughout the whole year”

Arly Cadozo, Latinx Student Association historian

Instructor teaches attendees dances at ¡Muevete!.

Photo courtesy of the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs.

Quote of the week

“I

CHILDREN ARE, THE IN FACT, BEING LEFT BEHIND

KOFI MFRAMA Opinions Editor

My mother never read to me as a kid. She didn’t have time to. After her 12-hour nursing shifts, she would come home tired to the bone. By the time she made us dinner and situated my brother and me, barely managing to steal some minutes for herself, the day had seemed to run out of hours.

Though she may not have been able to devote as much time to our learning as she would have liked to, her belief in education echoed through the halls of the tiny two bedroom apartment we lived in. As a result, my brother and I excelled in school despite our lack of resources.

Recently, videos of educators lamenting their students’ educational shortcomings have been all over my social media. TikTok user @qbthedon seems to have catalyzed this conversation. In his initial video, he claims that his 7th grade students are still performing at a 4th grade level.

He also states that it is incredibly difficult to make a student repeat a grade if they aren’t meeting the proper learning benchmarks.

His situation is no anomaly. Many other educators used his video to express their own concerns with their students’ academic progress.

There’s plenty of evidence to prove their claims.

At the beginning of both the 2021–22 and 2022–23 school years, public schools reported on average half of their students were behind grade level, according to a survey by The School Pulse Panel.

It’s easy to blame this issue on the COVID-19 pandemic but public schools reported that 36% of their students on average were behind grade level prior to the pandemic, per the same report.

En-large, those who saw that initial TikTok video and took part in the dialogue placed blame on parents for not being involved enough in their child’s education. Unlike the parents they criticize, my mother was always cognizant of how we were performing in school. She knew the report card schedule like the back of her hand — asking us what needed to be done to correct a bad grade and congratulating us when we did well.

But being an involved parent is no easy feat. As the country continues to plummet into economic disarray, parent involvement becomes even harder.

Inflation and cost of living have increased so much that parents are working more and more to keep up, according to Bankrate and The Wall Street Journal.

Every hour spent at work, scraping up just enough dollars to barely get by, is an hour taken away from investing in your child’s education by simply being there to offer guidance.

It’s easier to place an iPad in your children’s hands after a long day at work than to devote emotional energy into raising them.

Moreover, the fundamental miseducation of our youths is sewn deeply in the fabric of our society — and the way we’ve formulated education.

No Child Left Behind, an educational program brought forth by former President George W. Bush in 2002, made schools more data-driven and learning more testing-focused, according to Business Insider. Though it may no longer be in practice, its impacts still remain.

Many people agree that our current education system is incredibly data-driven with 64% of students in a Washington Post survey saying too much emphasis is placed on testing. A majority also said the best way to measure the success of a school is not through tests but by whether students are engaged and feel hopeful about the future.

Additionally, student experiences have been dampened by overcrowded classrooms and antiquated teaching methodologies that don’t prepare them for the modern world. Teachers are leaving academia due to low pay and poor treatment. Schools are underfunded and many of the funds they do receive are egregiously mismanaged.

Education can only be truly reformed when society stops denying children the autonomy they deserve. Instead of building spaces where children can learn and be challenged in an empathetic and fruitful way, they are unfairly punished, pathologized, medicated and dehumanized.

My mother sacrificed so much to invest in our education. However, if she was unable to, that shouldn’t have impacted the quality of our learning.

The systems in place are incredibly unempathetic to parents and children alike. The repercussions of this societal cruelty will reveal themselves when we pass along our world to a generation failed by modern education.

Illustrations by Vivian Trinh

Perspective by Lois Heden

Fall Vibes by Lily Robinette

Ghost Love Fall Too by Emma Krutko

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