The Commonwealth Times; April 12, 2012

BRIEFS

On the cover:

Photo illustration by Mel Kobran

Local & VCU National & International

Former VCU police officer pleads guilty to child porn charges

A former Virginia Commonwealth University police sergeant has pleaded guilty to five counts of possession of child pornography and was sentenced to two years and 10 months in prison, according to the Virginia Attorney General's Office.

James Edward Deford Jr., 35, of Chesterfield County entered the plea Tuesday in Chesterfield Circuit Court.

Authorities said Deford was identified through an investigation into the trading of child pornography over peer-to-peer networks on the Internet. An undercover Richmond police officer came in contact with an individual on the Internet who was making computer files containing child pornography available to share with other users, authorities said.

During several online sessions in 2011, the undercover officer downloaded a total of six files containing child pornography directly from Deford, authorities said.

Officers then obtained a search warrant for the defendant's home and seized computer equipment containing files showing prepubescent children engaged in sexually explicit conduct, authorities said. Further, Deford admitted to downloading and possessing child pornography on his computer, the authorities said. He was arrested in November.

Brief by the Richmond Times-Dispatch

Nelson trial set for December; capital case may be dropped

Henrico County Commonwealth's Attorney Shannon Taylor says she is assessing whether to move forward with a rare capital-murder case involving fetal homicide and may proceed only on a first-degree murder charge carrying a life sentence.

A Henrico judge on Tuesday set aside two weeks in December to try Chesterfield County resident Gregory L. Nelson Jr. in the slashing death of his pregnant girlfriend Susana Cisneros, 24, who was days from delivering the couple's child when her body was discovered by her family behind a West Broad Street restaurant.

Sergio Cisneros, the brother of the victim, said Tuesday that the family has confidence in Taylor and is leaving legal matters to the lawyers. “There has been so much pain already; we want to put this all behind us,” he said.

If convicted, Nelson, now 28, could become the first person in the state sentenced to death under a 2004 statute that creates a capital offense when an expectant mother is killed and her fetus is also willfully targeted and dies.

The fetal homicide statute does not include a lesser offense, such as involuntary or voluntary manslaughter.

Brief by the Richmond Times-Dispatch

Navy compensating those affected by jet crash

Residents who lost their homes after a Navy jet crashed into their apartment complex began picking up government checks Monday to help them pay for food, clothing and housing over the next two weeks as they try to figure out where they'll live.

Dozens of apartment units were destroyed or evacuated Friday when the F/A-18D Hornet hit the Mayfair Mews apartment complex shortly after taking off from nearby Naval Air Station Oceana. Several people were injured, but nobody died when the plane slammed into the apartment complex's empty courtyard.

Navy officials estimate that 63 people living in 46 units were affected by the crash. Initial payments started at $2,300 for individual residents, with more going to those with families.

Brief by the Richmond Times-Dispatch

Tulsa residents want death penalty in shootings

Within hours of shootings that terrified Tulsa's north side and left three people dead, leaders of the predominantly black community declared the spree a hate crime and warned of a possible vigilante response.

Quick arrests relieved many residents and ended talk of more violence, but community leaders still want the case treated as a hate crime. “We have to send a message,” one said Tuesday.

But with a first conviction under Oklahoma's hate crimes law carrying only up to a year in jail, some questioned whether it was worth the effort. The family of one victim and some residents said they'd rather see prosecutors focus on getting the death penalty.

Jake England, 19, and Alvin Watts, 33, have been held on suspicion of first-degree murder and other charges since their arrest Sunday. They are expected to be formally charged during a Monday court appearance.

While police have not described the shootings as racially motivated, they have said one motive may have been revenge for the fatal shooting of England's father by a black man. A day before the shootings, England apparently wrote a Facebook post saying Thursday was the second anniversary of his father's death, using a racial slur and lamenting that “it's hard not to go off.”

Brief by the Associated Press

2nd-degree murder charge in Trayvon Martin shooting

The neighborhood watch volunteer who shot 17-year-old Trayvon Martin was arrested and charged with second-degree murder Wednesday after months of mounting tensions and protests across the country.

George Zimmerman, 28, could get up to life in prison if convicted in the slaying of the unarmed black teenager.

Special prosecutor Angela Corey announced the charges but would not discuss how she arrived at them or disclose other details of her investigation, saying: “That's why we try cases in court.”

Second-degree murder is typically brought in cases when there is a fight or other confrontation that results in death and but does involve a premeditated plan to kill.

Corey would not disclose Zimmerman's whereabouts for his safety but said that he will be in court within 24 hours.

Brief by the Associated Press

Bombers kill 16 police, civilians in Afghanistan

Taliban suicide bombers killed at least 16 people on Tuesday as they stepped up their fight against Afghan forces slowly taking the lead from U.S. and international troops.

Attacks this week have included deadly bombings far from the main theaters in the south and east, underscoring that the Taliban and its allies retain the capability to strike over wide areas of the country. The violence comes at a pivotal time for the U.S.-led coalition as it forges ahead with plans to hand over

The Afghan army and police are now in charge of security for areas home to half the nation's population, with coalition forces in a support role. The coalition hopes to keep handing over control until Afghan forces are fully in charge by the end of 2013, with all combat troops scheduled to withdraw from the country by the end of 2014.

Brief by the Associated Press

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Proposed changes to Code of Conduct could allow punishment for students charged with crimes outside of the university.

In this section: Proposed Code of Conduct could change university's disciplinary discretion • 4 University responds to Genocide Awareness Project • 5

VCU Police volunteer during Sexual Assault Awareness Month

Mason Brown Staff Writer

Forcible sex offense numbers

(including sexual assault and forcible fondling)

2011 Forcible Sex Offense total: 11

Sexual assault: 1 on campus, 3 Richmond

Police (RPD) handled

Forcible Fondling: 4 on campus, 3 off campus

2012 (1/1/12 - 4/9/12)Forcible Sex Offenses

total: 3 to date

Sexual assault: 1 on campus, 1 Richmond

Police (RPD) handled

Forcible Fondling: 1 on campus

SEXUAL ASSAULT AWARENESS MONTH CALENDAR

April 18 Sexual Assault Prevention Presentation hosted by female students housed in Low Rise Residence Halls - Officer Rebecca Ellison will be facilitating a safety presentation advising the students of the VCU Police and the resources that are available to them as well as providing them with crime prevention information.

April 20 Sexual Assault Prevention Information Table, Shafer Dining Center- Officer Matt Ruland and Officer Ellison will be manning an informational table about the VCU Police and the resources that are available to students, staff and faculty and providing crime prevention material.

April 23 "Where is the Line?" Celebration Event, Larrick CenterVolunteers from VCU Police will be assisting the "Fear to Freedom" Personnel with putting together 500 kits for adults and children. VCU Police will also provide an escort for the VCU pediatric ambulance to the emergency room drive for delivery of the kits.

April 26 Sexual Assault Prevention Information Table, Jonah Larrick Student Center - Officers Ruland and Ellison will be manning an informational table about the VCU Police and the resources that are available to students, staff and faculty and providing crime prevention material.

VCU students received a crime alert about a sexual assault that took place minutes away from campus on March 28. The alert was a reminder of the reality of sexual assault on campus.

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and VCU has teamed up with VCU Police and global nonprofit group Fear to Freedom for events to raise awareness through events being held on campus throughout the month.

Fear to Freedom, an organization dedicated to helping aid and recover victims of sexual assault, has helped arrange two events for the campus this month: “Take Back the Night,” a march and rally against violence and “Where’s the Line,” an event that lets students and volunteers assemble aid kits for victims of sexual abuse.

According to global nonprofit Fear to Freedom, one in four girls will have been sexually molested, often before the age of four.

On Monday, April 23 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Larrick Student Center on the MCV campus, the Fear to Freedom will host the event “Where’s the Line.” Students and volunteers will assemble 500 kits containing toiletries, clothing, toys and sexual assault information and resources for victims. The kits will be delivered to VCU Medical Center to be given to adults and children who are there as a result of sexual assault.

VCU Police will also be on hand for several events, distributing information and answering any questions students may have. VCU Police chief John Venuti said the event is an opportunity to get information to the students.

“The goal of the VCU Police Department during the month of April is to raise awareness and prevention of sexual assault as well as prevention and awareness of intimate partner violence,” he said.

Several VCU police officers and Venuti plan to volunteer for events throughout the month.

Events include an event at Shafer Dining Hall on April 20, where officers Matt Ruland and Rebecca Ellison will host an informational table with resources that are available to students, staff and faculty.

VCU Police will also be on hand during the “Where’s the Line?” event and providing escort of the kits for delivery. All of the events attempt to raise awareness on what to do as a victim and ways to prevent sexual assault.

At VCU, the number of forcible sex offenses – which include sexual assault and forcible fondling – has gone down since last year. In 2010 to 2011 academic year, VCU had 10 offenses, with five on campus. Since January there have been three total, with two on campus.

According to Venuti, keeping friends close is a good way to help them help you prevent sexual assault.

“VCU police recommend, when attending social events, to go with friends and to leave with friends,” Venuti said. “Don’t leave your friends behind. If consuming alcohol, make or bring your own and don’t take any open beverages from anyone. Consume alcohol in moderation so that you can care for yourself and your friends. Don’t isolate yourself, and let a sober friend know where you are and who you are with.”

He also encourages female students, faculty and staff to participate in the Rape Aggression Defense training, or RAD.

April is also dedicated to aiding victims of sexual assault and educating people on what sexual assault is and what to do if one becomes a victim.

Venuti said calling for help from police or one of the many resources available is the best option if students, faculty or staff have questions about something that happened to them, or if they think they have been assaulted.

“I want students to know, if they think they have been sexually assaulted, to call the VCU Police,” Venuti said. “If they are unsure about contacting the police, call someone and let them help you. ” CT

Proposed code of conduct could expand university’s disciplinary discretion

Mark Robinson Assistant News Editor

A proposed code of student conduct would give the university more discretion to discipline students who are charged with a crime, but not yet convicted of it.

According to the 20-page document, the university would be able to pursue disciplinary action against a student or student organization “without regard to the pendency of civil or criminal litigation in court or criminal arrest and prosecution.”

The proposed code of student conduct would allow the university to carry out judicial proceedings prior to, during or after criminal or civil cases were held in court.

“If someone does something egregious, now it’s very clear that it will impact your standing with the university,” said Charles Klink, Ph.D, associate vice provost for student affairs and enrollment services.

The proposed code establishes a

wider breadth of sanctions that would allow VCU to withhold a student’s degree if a student has pending disciplinary proceedings with the university. A student’s completion of a university imposed punishment could affect graduation status, according to the document. The changes expand the university’s disciplinary breadth under the current rules and procedures. A clause added in 2004 allowed the university to discipline students after a conviction in the court system.

In February, VCU student Carolina Perez was killed in a drunken-driving crash when the car she was riding in was hit.

Varinder “Vick” Chahal, the accused driver of the car that hit the car Perez was riding in, is a VCU student. He is charged with aggravated involuntary manslaughter and is scheduled to appear in court May 2.

The senior accounting major’s lawyer said Chahal, who is free on $25,000 bond, hopes to finish his degree at VCU. Under current policy, Chahal is exempt

from punishment from the university until his court proceedings conclude.

Every three to five years an administrative committee is responsible for reviewing university policies. Revisions to the old rules and procedures began last March.

A larger student population, more students living on campus and advances in technology contributed to the decision to write a new code, Klink said.

“It served its life well,” Klink said, “but it was time to move to something a little more modern that was written in a way that’s easy for students to understand it.”

The proposed code of student conduct would replace the university’s current rules and procedures, which were written in 1979.

The revised code attempts to clearly define the university’s expectations for students, prohibited behavior and university sanctions for violating the code, Klink said.

There are two scheduled public forums that student, faculty or staff can

Students ask administration for Follow Up apology after last week’s demonstration

Mechelle Hankerson News Editor

VCU administrators met with students Tuesday night to discuss what to do in the aftermath of displays from an anti-abortion group on campus last week.

Associate vice provost for Student Affairs Charles Klink, dean of Student Affairs Reuban Rodriguez and director of the University Commons, Tim Reed asked students what they thought the university could do to address their concerns and complaints.

Ultimately, students suggested that they would appreciate some sort of statement from the administration.

Last Wednesday and Thursday, a national anti-abortion group, the Center for Bio-Ethical Reform came to VCU to demonstrate with a display that featured comparisons of abortion to historical genocides and photos that the group claimed to be pictures of abortion.

Many students claimed the photos were not accurate, in addition to objecting to the offensive nature of the whole display.

Freshman Amber McNeal organized a protest on Facebook during the second day of the Genocide Awareness Project's demonstration at VCU.

McNeal told the administrators at Tuesday's forum that she thought nothing short of an apology would be acceptable.

“It may seem inappropriate, but I

would like for it to be an apology ... to anyone who was triggered or found it morally offensive,” she said.

Vicki Yeroian said she stood outside protesting the display for four hours because of the misuse of the word “genocide” in the display. Yeroian said she is Armenian-American, and even if VCU does not issue an apology, she said she thinks the university should address the inaccuracies many students took issue with in the Genocide Awareness Project's display.

“Regardless of the stance VCU takes on that demonstration, I really think its absolutely necessary that VCU comes out with something that lets people of ethnic groups that have been (victims of genocide) that lets them know ... that there (was) some misinformation about genocide,” she said during the forum.

In addition to listening to students' suggestions following the demonstration, administrators addressed concerns regarding the university's demonstration policy.

According to Reed, VCU's policy for on-campus demonstrations hasn't been revised since November of 1990.

At VCU, there must be designated areas for anyone to exercise First Amendment rights. The university can control some things – like time, place and manner – but can't do much about a demonstration's content, Reed said.

Students however, wanted more explanation that the university's explanation of how the First Amendment

applied to demonstration policies.

Senior Jara Connell told administrators she wanted more explanation than what was given to her.

“I don't understand why (the First Amendment) is the only response from the administration,” she said. “That's the easiest one, certainly, and it's an important one, but its not the only issue at hand. This issue isn't only about free speech, this is about a students right to attend class (at) their university, feeling safe the whole time.”

Connell and other students said they felt as though the display targeted specific groups of students and was overly offensive because of its graphic nature and bold comparisons to historical genocides.

“I think its important that we protect students right to free speech, but I also think its important that VCU protect female-bodied students' right to walk to class without being equated to Nazis in Germany for making personal health decisions,” Connell said, referencing the display's comparison of abortion to the Holocaust. “That's not in the constitution, but tons of VCU regulations are not in the Constitution.”

Reed, Rodriguez and Klink made no commitment to students at the forum that the university would make a statement or issue an apology. CT

attend to voice their opinions on the code: April 18 from 6 to 7 p.m. at the Academic Centre on the Monroe Park Campus and April 26 from 6 to 7 p.m. at the Larrick Student Center on MCV campus.

An email sent out last week linked to the proposed code and a site where students could comment on it. Student feedback has already led the committee to review the wording of the “demonstrations/riot” clause of the document, Klink said.

“Ultimately, if people feel like they’ve been heard and that we’ve been responsive to their concerns, I think they’ll feel more like it’s their document and that they have some investment in it, which is what we want,” Klink said.

Klink said the committee is working with the SGA on the document.

The committee will be collecting feedback until May 1, Klink said. If the revised code is approved by the Board of Visitors, it will take effect by the start of the 2012-2013 academic year. CT

Thursday, April 5

Alcohol violation Monroe Park – A male visitor was arrested for possession of an open container of alcohol in public.

Grand larceny Student Commons, 907 Floyd Ave. – A female employee advised that an unknown person(s) removed items from an unsecured location.

Grand larceny Cary Street Gym, 101 S. Linden St. – A male student advised that an unknown person(s) removed items from a secured location.

Grand larceny Goshen Market, 826 W. Broad St. – A female student advised that an unknown person(s) removed an item from an unsecured location.

Grand larceny Rhoads Hall, 710 W. Franklin St. – Change in case disposition

Petit larceny Cabell Library, 901 Park Ave. – A female student advised that an unknown person(s) removed items from an unsecured location.

Trespassing 421 W. Broad St. – Two male visitors were arrested for trespassing.

Friday, April 6

Drug offense Rhoads Hall, 710 W. Franklin St. – Two male students were arrested for possession of marijuana.

Disorderly conduct At the corner of West Grace and North Harrison streets – A male visitor was arrested for disorderly conduct.

Drug offense Cary Street Gym, 101 S. Linden St. – A male student was arrested for possession with intent to distribute within 1,000 feet of a school and possession of marijuana with intent to distribute.

Fraud offense 7-Eleven, 1003 W. Grace St. – A male visitor was arrested for defrauding a convenience store.

Motor vehicle theft 1335 W. Broad St. – A victim stated that an unknown person(s) stole a vehicle.

Saturday, April 7

Disorderly conduct At the corner of West Cary and Belvidere streets – A male visitor was arrested for unlawful entry into the street.

Drug offense Rhoads Hall, 710 W. Franklin St. – A male student was arrested for possession of marijuana

Theft from motor vehicle 1125 W. Grace St. – A male victim advised that an unknown person(s) removed items from a vehicle.

Sunday, April 8

Alcohol violation 400 block of West Broad Street – A male visitor was arrested for possessing an open container of alcohol in public.

Alcohol violation EE Parking Lot, at the corner of West Grace and North Belvidere streets – A male visitor was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol.

Assault offense Club Xscape, 814 W. Grace St. – A female student advised that a known person assaulted her.

Monday, April 9

Alcohol violation 900 block of West Cary Street – A male visitor was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol.

Trespassing West Broad Street Deck, 1111 W. Broad St. – A male visitor was arrested for trespassing.

One-on-one with 2012 men's basketball recruit Mo Alie-Cox • 7 Baseball's April schedule • 8 Men's basketball season-ticket sales rise • 9

Baseball matches seasonhigh for runs in rout of VMI

David Moffatt Staff Writer

After two scoreless innings, VMI catcher Matt Winn connected ferociously with a pitch and watched it soar into left field. That ball would not come back. The VCU baseball team, however, would; the Rams scored 18 unanswered runs, winning the game 18-1 on Tuesday evening.

After Winn's solo shot, senior Seth Cutler-Voltz would calmly dismiss the next two batters to close the inning, punctuating the sequence by striking out Keydet senior first baseman George Piccirilli. The home run was the only earned run he would allow in six innings.

The Rams' bats didn't wait long to retaliate. Their run began in the bottom of the third inning when sophomore Bill Cullen hit a worm-burner to left field, earning a single. Second baseman Jordan Weymouth followed by connecting with a pitch that forced an error, one of five committed on the night by the Keydets. In succession, first baseman Brent Mikionis would put the ball into play and bring in two runs.

The Rams would go on to score 16 more unanswered runs, eight coming in the fifth inning alone. Cullen was the star of the night, the top highlight being his line-drive to center field that would turn into an inside-the-park home run, his first homer on the season. He finished the game leading the Rams in practically every major category; he had five hits in six at-bats, scored four runs and drove in five. Cullen was just a triple away from hitting for the cycle.

The VCU squad was coming off a disappointing three-game series against

conference rivals George Mason, in which they were swept at home. They certainly did not need any more added motivation to come out and give a strong showing against a struggling VMI team. That being said, the players on the team will tell you that playing an in-state opponent like VMI raises the stakes.

"It's a bunch of guys that we used to play with. ... We've been playing with them since we were little kids," Cullen said when asked about the pre-game motivation for the team.

"It's about us," said VCU associate head coach Shawn Stiffler, commenting on how his team overcame the adversity of the Mason sweep to hand the Keydets their worst loss of the season. "The biggest thing we did tonight was that we competed for every at-bat. We didn't take a single at-bat off."

It was certainly an all-around effort for the Rams; five players finished with multiple hits, four players had multiple RBIs, and the team as a whole did not commit a single defensive error.

While the layman might be drawn to the gaudy run total, the pitching staff put forward a great performance as well. Cutler-Voltz earned his third win on the season, dismissing 18 batters on 95 pitches, totaling an impressive 10 strikeouts. Redshirt sophomore Seth Greene also impressed in a relief role, striking out the side in the eighth inning to set up Chris Shaklee to close.

The Rams (18-15) go on the road this weekend to face the Blue Hens of Delaware (17-16). The Hens are three games ahead in the conference standings, and VCU would love to put a dent in that lead. CT

Photos by Chris Conway

Sophomore Bill Cullen had five hits in six at-bats and was a triple away from hitting for the cycle.

One-on-one with 2012 men’s basketball commit Mo Alie-Cox

Quinn Casteel Assistant Sports Editor

Editor's note: Below is a Q-and-A with 2012 men's basketball commit Mo Alie-Cox conducted by CT assistant sports editor Quinn Casteel. Cox, a senior at Middleburg Academy, signed with VCU in May 2011. This season, he led Middleburg to a 27-11 record while averaging 14.6 points, 8.3 rebounds and 4.7 blocks per game.

QC: How was this high school season different for you, knowing that you’re coming to VCU in the fall?

MA-C: Last year I wasn’t really known because I came from public school – I came from South County and no one really knew about me. This year it was like every gym I walked in, people were like, ‘Oh, he’s going to VCU; he’s going to VCU.’ Teams really targeted me to make me pass the ball more, and I had to affect the game in different ways, rather than just playing one-on-one with the guy that was guarding me. Also, my teammates looked up to me more, and it was a great experience.

QC: Was there anything you were doing differently, either in practice or outside of practice, that you were working on to try and improve your game before coming to college?

MA-C: I was working on my shooting a lot more. I would use the shooting machine on a daily basis, I would go running more to get my conditioning up, and me and a couple players would work out together every day. VCU does a lot of shooting and running so I knew I had to improve on those areas.

QC: What was it like for you watching VCU this year, especially late in the season in the conference tournament and the NCAA Tournament?

MA-C: Watching them was real great. I’ve met a bunch of them and talked to them, seen them play on TV. People would also be Tweeting me, texting me like ‘Your team’s playing; your team’s playing.’ People hadn’t really talked about VCU before the Final Four, but now everyone knows them. It’s great to see they’re getting nationally recognized a lot more.

QC: What have your interactions been like with Coach Smart, and what did he say that really made you want to come to VCU?

MA-C: The thing that Coach Smart told me was that if you work hard, great things will come. I’m not a person who wants things to come easy; I want to work hard for stuff, and I want to earn it. He also said that on our team everyone gets to feel like family; that was the key thing.

QC: There were a couple freshmen this year that came in and did one thing really well – Briante Weber would enter a game and get a bunch of steals, and Treveon Graham would drive the lane and get to the free throw line. What’s the one thing that you can come in and do really well, right away at the college level?

MA-C: I can come in and rebound real well and play defense. I bring a lot of toughness to the court and I can pull down a lot of offensive and defensive rebounds.

QC: How excited are you about playing in the HAVOC system, and how do you think your game fits in?

MA-C: I’m real excited about playing in the HAVOC system. I love running up and down the court, I love getting steals and I like to run the floor and get a lot of dunks in transition.

QC: You’re a 6-foot-6 power forward. Is that the type of game you think will fit in well, considering you’re a little bit short for a power forward, but maybe it helps you run the floor better?

MA-C: That was one thing that made me want to come to VCU because I’m kind of an undersized big man. Their four man can really roam around a lot more, shoot, run the floor and play on the ball a lot more. It’s not just a typical post player who just sits on the block and posts up. So yeah, I think my style of play fits in really well.

QC: Who’s the one VCU player that you’re most looking forward to playing with next year?

MA-C: The guy I’m most looking forward to playing with is Briante (Weber). He’s a real energetic guy, gets people pumped up, and he’s a real confident player.

QC: Is he one of the guys that you’ve talked to before?

MA-C: Yeah I’ve talked to him before. He was my escort when I came for my official visit, and we would talk back-and-forth throughout the season.

QC: Is there another player, past or present, who was your favorite to watch at VCU?

MA-C: I really enjoyed watching Eric (Maynor) and Larry (Sanders) play together; they had a real good connection.

QC: You seem like a student of the game; do you have a favorite NBA team?

MA-C: Yes – my favorite team is the Lakers, but my favorite player is Dwight Howard.

QC: Do you have a Finals prediction?

MA-C: I’ll go with the Thunder and the Heat. But I don’t know; anything can happen in the East with LeBron and all them. But I like the Heat over the Thunder.

QC: We haven’t had a player with cool hair in a while – can we confirm that the dreads will be intact come the start of the season?

MA-C: Yes: the dreads will be intact.

QC: Last question – what’s one interesting fact that we at VCU should know about Mo Alie-Cox?

MA-C: One thing that people might not know about me is that I like to watch cartoons a lot. When you look at me, people don’t think I’m that chill and laid-back. But I like to watch a lot of Disney Channel.

QC: What’s your favorite show?

MA-C: Phineas and Ferb. CT

Photos by Chris Conway

Mo Alie-Cox signs his letter of intent to VCU in May 2011.

VCU BASEBALL APRIL SCHEDULE

Apr 13 at Delaware 3 PM

Apr. 14 at Delaware 1 PM

Apr. 15 at Delaware 1 PM

Apr. 17 at Longwood 7 PM

Apr. 20 William & Mary 6 PM

Apr. 21 William & Mary 3 PM

Apr. 22 William & Mary 1 PM

Apr. 25 Virginia 7 PM

Apr. 27 at Old Dominion 6 PM

Apr. 28 at Old Dominion 6 PM

Apr. 29 at Old Dominion 2 PM

by Chris Conway

Photo

Men’s basketball sees boost in season ticket sales

Staff Reports

That VCU’s Stuart C. Siegel Center has been built up as one of the best environments college basketball has to offer is no secret.

The Rams have sold out 18-straight home games, a school and Colonial Athletic Association record. VCU boasts 57 wins over the past two seasons including a trip to the Final Four in the 2011 NCAA Tournament followed up by an appearance in the Round of 32 this past March.

The Rams’ following is at an alltime high and the numbers are sheer evidence to support the claim. In the past month the VCU ticket office has taken 500 new season ticket deposits on top of the more than 2,900 they had last year. Since the school’s first-ever appearance in the Final Four, there have been more than 1,200 new seasonticket deposits.

The school reserves 1,500 to 2,000 tickets for students depending on VCU’s opponent and the time of season. That partnered in with the booming season-ticket sales will already account for nearly 5,500 tickets for each game next season. CT

Photos by Chris Conway

In this section:

Interesting People: Wood-knocking and its effects on juju • 11 Album review: Bassnectar, “Vava Voom” • 12 Rachel's Mailbox: Pay is always okay • 13

English majors’ semi-annual Read-a-Thon brings all-day Whitman to the Compass

Samantha Foster Assistant Spectrum Editor

From 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. this past Tuesday, the VCU Alpha Rho Chapter of the International English Honors Society hosted their semi-annual all-day Read-a-Thon, using Walt Whitman’s poetry as their topic throughout the day.

“As English majors, we want to do something that has to do with English and literature,” said Belvia Fisher, senior English education major and member of the chapter. “A lot of people in our group have also done theater, so it’s fun for them to quasi-perform something.”

The Read-a-Thon consisted of Walt Whitman’s most well-known poems, including “Song of Myself,” “I Sing the Body Electric” and “O Captain! My Captain” as well as any other Whitman poem requested.

“We had a poll (on what to read aloud). I’m glad we’re doing poetry because that’s easier to read in a short amount of time,” Fisher said. “We tried to choose something that is long enough to read all day, but will still be entertaining.”

Also considered for the Read-a-Thon was The Canterbury Tales, said International English Honors Society chapter president and senior English major Michelle Palmer.

“Dr. Harrison (chapter advisor) suggested (Walt Whitman) … but I wanted to do (The Canterbury Tales) in old English,” said Palmer.

Throughout the day, Whitman’s poetry was recited loudly by different chapter members and passersby who asked if they could also read a poem. Graduate student Brandon Basile joined the reading for an almost musical rendition of “O Captain! My Captain!” which grabbed the attention of the Compass.

“I have class with (one of the members of the chapter), so I decided to stop and see what was going on. I’ve been doing poetry since high school and actually came out here to play my guitar and sing,” Basile said.

The Read-a-Thon acts as the Alpha Rho Chapter’s only current fundraiser. Chapter members asked family and friends to pledge them money for the number of pages they would read.

“We’re trying to raise money for events, flyers, and if someone wanted to join but is low-income, we could help them. I would love to raise money for charity (in the future),” Palmer said.

Last semester’s fundraiser was miser-

able and snowy, Fisher said. The plan had been to have a donation jar by the reader, but legal issues did not permit this since a police officer must be present for there to be a donation jar, said Palmer.

“We read from Grimm’s Fairy Tales, and everyone thought it was the Bible,”

Fisher said.

The chapter also brought along signs last semester to advertise why they were there and what they were doing. This semester, they did not bring signs, but simply stood on the brick walls around the Compass and recited the poetry louder.

“We wanted to do things for English major dorks,” Palmer said. “They want to learn to publish. They want to read Whitman. This is basically a place for literary nerds.” CT

President of the VCU Alpha Rho Chapter of the International English Honors Society Michelle Palmer reads Walt Whitman's “Song of Myself” to the Compass during the semi-annual Read-a-Thon.

Interesting People

Friday the 13th edition

In celebration of the upcoming Friday the 13th, the CT asked VCU students what superstitions they believe in.

“When I see birds up ahead I feel like they’re going to s--- on me.”

“I tend to avoid walking under ladders. I guess it’s bad luck.”

“I touch the clock at 11:11 for good luck.”

“I don’t f--- with juju.”

“(Friday the 13th) is going to be a Friday, so it’s going to be fun. I’m just worried that I’m going to be hacked to death by a guy with a hockey mask.”

“I don’t walk under ladders. Even though I don’t believe it, I still avoid it.”

“I always knock on wood. I’m a big wood knocker. If you spill over the salt, I have to throw it over my shoulder.”

“I’ll knock on wood. If you run though a yellow light, you put an “X” on the window for good luck.”

Andrew GreGory BioloGy Sophomore

FrAnk moSS politicS Sophomore

thereSA rAmirez Sculpture FreShmAn

hArdinG couGhter GrAphic deSiGn Sophomore

tAron wAre Sculpture FreShmAn

rAchel Bennett elementAry educAtion Sophomore

GrAhAm BArneS environmentAl StudieS FreShmAn

ABA mFrASe-ewur creAtive AdvertiSinG FreShmAn

Samantha Foster Assistant Spectrum Editor

Amber-Lynn Taber Staff Photographer

Album review | Bassnectar, ‘Vava Voom’

Patrick Maguire Contributing Writer

Bassnectar, stage name of San Francisco-based electronic-music DJ and producer Lorin Ashton, is taking over the music scene this summer with an abundance of performances at music festivals across the country. “Vava Voom,” his second album release in less than a year, was released April 10 but, for visitors to Rolling Stone’s website, the album has been available for listening in its entirety since April 6.

“Vava Voom” features 11 new songs, including multiple collaborations with other artists. The album explores new sounds but still highlights Bassnectar’s creative spontaneity, resulting in an intensely vibrant and energetic album.

The intro to the album “Vava Voom” is collaboration between Bassnectar and hip hop artist Lupe Fiasco. The song features Lupe free styling to experimental electronic beats. The single for the album “Ugly (feat. Amp Live)” starts out with a fast drumroll until Bassnectar drops the wobble bass. The song “What (feat. Jansten) asks the listener “Are you ready?” before blaring an insane rumbling bass. The track relies heavily on a synthesizer to give the song a pleasing groove.

“Pennywise Tribute” takes the album in a different direction altogether. This

song combines electronic music with punk rock featuring lyrics by punk-rock band Pennywise. Not Bassnectar’s usual style. “Do It Like This (feat. Ill. Gates)” has an echoing bass blasting throughout the song. Bassheads will surely be a fan of this song because it exemplifies Bassnectar’s traditional sound. “Butterfly (feat. Mimi Page)” has a nice melody with a slower tempo and harmonious lyrics.

With his first album “Freakbeat for the Beatfreaks” released in 2001, Bassnectar has since released an extensive amount of singles, EPs and albums and is well known for his eccentric light shows that accompany his performances. A following of fans – “Bassheads” –travel far and wide to attend his concerts, which have included festivals like the Electric Forest, Wakarusa, Coachella and Electric Daisy Carnival, his own Bass Island festival (details on Bass Island II are forthcoming) and New Year’s Eve 2011 at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn. His last album, “Divergent Spectrum” reached No. 6 for top-10 album sales on iTunes within 10 hours of its release.

Bassnectar performed this last weekend at Lollapalooza in Brazil before kicking of his Vava Voom tour on April 11 in Indianapolis, Ind. and is scheduled for a stop at the National on April 25. CT

Rachel’s Mailbox  with Rachel Weatherly

Dear Rachel,

My boyfriend gets mad at me when I try to pay when we go out. He thinks it’s degrading but I just like to take care of him. How do I convince him that he’s not less of a man just because a woman pays for dinner?

Juliet, 20

He certainly is not less of a man! If anything, most women at that restaurant probably thought he was awesomely humble and gentlemanly for refusing to adhere to traditional gender roles. Or poor and sad. Either way they are probably really jealous of your relationship and for that you should be so proud. You go girl.

If you’re still worried about him sulking off into the corner because you beat him in the credit card race to the bill, I can help. I don’t want him to think that he has to feel bad because you are obviously richer than him, so here are a few ways you can convince him that he’s just as much of a man as you are.

• Cut the pockets out of all of his pants. That way when he goes to pay – whoops! His money will be gone and you’ll have to pay. He won’t feel degraded, just confused.

• Play a silly joke on him and fill his wallet with Barbie credit cards and Monopoly money. The restaurant will force him not to pay and he can’t blame his anger on you.

• When you go to pay, ask him to hold your hand while you sign the receipt. That way he’s not only “helping” you pay, but he’s also making you feel special.

• If he’s feeling less manly, make dinner a challenge! Try blindfolding him through the meal, or better yet, play Russian Roulette with his utensils because using a knife as a spoon is NOT easy.

• When you see him getting angry, start singing him a fun bar mitzvah song. This way you’re letting everyone in that establishment know how manly of man your man is.

• Tell him to pretend he’s your brother and it’s his birthday. Doing this will get rid of the hassle of the relationship dynamic, so you’re free to spend, spend, spend! When you force your partner to undergo transformation, only do so slightly – anything too drastic and he might start disregarding every social construct. We don’t want him missing your birthday or the eventual child support checks. Degradation is no longer a factor in your delight of a relationship. You are welcome.

– Rachel

In this section:

Arizona bill would criminalize online speech • 14 New potential warning labels cross freespeech line • 15

Proposed bill endangers freedom of speech for Arizonians

Katherine Johnson

Columnist

Arizona’s state legislature recently passed a bill that resembles the infamous standards of SOPA and PIPA. If passed in its original context, free speech would be eliminated from the Internet. The bill is an update to a law that applies to telephone call and would now expand to any electronic or digital device, according to the Huffington Post.

After a negative response from the public, legislators are working to amend the bill before sending it to Arizona’s governor. If passed without the amendments, it would be against the law to annoy, threaten, offend and use profane language, among other variations of these same terms. Those against the bill argue that it violates the right to freedom of speech.

While it’s important to emphasize that threatening or harassing someone through any means is wrong, it’s almost impossible and a violation of individual rights to implement a law that enforces these standards.

If someone were to violate this law, they could face a $2,500 fine, serve six months in jail or be placed on probation for three years. The law would even apply to a personal exchange between friends that involves “profane” language.

Based on the consequences of the proposed bill, it’s clear that almost anyone who uses the Internet today would be breaking the law. For example, most shared links, videos and private chats that take place on socialnetworking sites would be illegal for

Arizona citizens.

While the bill addresses an important topic, the legislators went about trying to fix the problem the wrong way. If implemented, the bill would surely cut down the number of hateful messages sent by anonymous users on the popular site Tumblr, but what about those who are simply sharing a joke with friends or playfully teasing through instant messaging or Facebook?

Instead, the best way to eliminate the keyboard confidence epidemic is by educating kids on appropriate Internet use. As an alternative to the bill that limits free speech, the Arizona government could implement a program similar to Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) that addresses cyber bullying. In a world that now

relies on technology, kids must also be educated on how to use it and learn what’s appropriate.

The best case to support this may be the number of teen suicides that have occurred in the past few years. In many of these situations, teens took their own lives after being bullied for their sexuality, both in person and online. With the rise of cyber bullying and kids becoming tech-savvy at younger ages, it was diligent of the legislators to realize that something must be done to prevent threats and harassment sent from electronic devices.

If it passes, the bill needs to become more specific about what is illegal. If not, almost everyone would

be in danger of breaking this law, and it would be almost impossible to enforce in the digital realm.

The best way to end this type of behavior is by getting to the root of it. Teaching children that their behavior on the Internet has consequences and it’s not right to personally attack someone in person or online is more practical, and probably more effective in the long run than passing a bill to fix the problem. CT

ILLUSTRATION BY MARLEIGH CULVER

Graphic images might be coming to cigarette packages

Shane Wade Opinion Editor

Remember those anti-abortion demonstrations last week? Remember the graphic images that were displayed?

How would you feel if similar images were posted on cigarette packages?

Pending a federal court appeal, new cigarette packages with such warning labels may fill store shelves in the near future. These packages are meant to inform and disturb smokers and potential smokers, encouraging them to quit the habit while dissuading others from beginning.

Whether you smoke or not, these government-sanctioned actions should disturb you. Whatever you think of the tobacco industry, they have the right to advertise their product without being bullied by a disapproving government.

The dangers and affects of smoking are widely known. From elementary school classrooms to everyday television sitcoms, children are taught about its dangers, as well as stereotypes about

smokers.

Showing smokers the effects of smoking is useless; they already know and feel the effects daily. They experience it through their harsh coughs, the drain on their wallets, the smell on their clothes and the stares they receive. It’s one thing to educate the public; it’s another to bully them.

Displaying blatantly graphic images that offend upon sight is not a tactic any organization, whether it be antiabortion or anti-smoker, should use. Such tactics show a disdain for the innocent and faint of heart.

Furthermore, where does the line end? Will our beloved Twinkies and Girl Scout cookies be next? Should there be similar labels on guns and ammo

packets?

A wide variety of industries and companies, intentionally or inadvertently, hide the dangers and risk associated with their products. Why single out the tobacco industry? If we are going to steal the proverbial horse, let’s do it outright. There’s plenty of companies to go after in the agricultural and food-processing industries. We can start by ending the process of including the “pink slime” food additive in our meats. Surely the national epidemic of obesity ranks on par with the health issues associated with smoking. Requiring companies to put graphic warning labels on their products is akin to abridging their free speech. Although

I don’t believe in corporate personhood, attempts to humiliate and humble corporations shouldn’t adversely affect the people.

As evil as tobacco companies might be, it isn’t becoming for us to stoop to this level. We’re already becoming rapidly successful in decreasing the number of smokers in America; we’ll never naturally get the number down to 0 percent, but our efforts so far have been immensely successful. We need not compromise ourselves to such ends.

It’s not the government’s job to nanny and lay out the entirety of a health issue like smoking for us; at the end of the day, it’s our body and our choice. Let the truth be known, but don’t shove it down our throats. To that end, the graphic warning labels are just a semblance and physical manifestation of the underlying problem.

In our government’s attempt to save us from medical illness, they risk poisoning our liberty and misplacing our freedom. CT

“In our government’s attempt to save us from medical illness, they risk poisoning our liberty and misplacing our freedom.”

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