The Commonwealth Times; Jan. 22, 2020

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VOL. 61, NO. 16 JANUARY 22, 2020

PRO-GUN PACK

Gun rights advocates gather in a dense crowd near Bank and 9th streets during Monday’s Second Amendment rally. Photo by Jon Mirador

One arrest made after 22,000 attend pro-gun rally, protesters trickle onto VCU campus HANNAH EASON News Editor ANDREW RINGLE Managing Editor When VCU freshman Mya Jackson saw men decked in camouflage and wielding AR-15s through Monroe Park, she immediately texted a photo to her mom — who asked, “why are you outside?”

More than 20,000 people rallied in support of the Second Amendment near the Capitol on Monday, but flags, “Guns Save Lives” stickers and firearms made their way to campus.

“There was this giant freaking pickup truck, and it had a semi-automatic gun strapped on top,” Jackson said. “It was huge.

It was insane.”

One arrest was made after 16,000 gun rights activists poured into the streets surrounding the state Capitol to protest gun control legislation on Monday.

Mikaela E. Beschler, 21, of Richmond, was charged with a Class 6 felony for wearing a mask in public near the Library of Virginia around 1:30 p.m on Monday.

According to the Capitol’s social media accounts, the arrest came after an officer

warned Beschler twice to remove the mask.

“We are all thankful that today passed without incident,” Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam said in a statement. “The teams successfully de-escalated what could have been a volatile situation. This resulted from weeks of planning and extensive cooperation among state, local, and federal partners in Virginia and beyond.”

Freshman Sydney Sherman said that her mom was worried about the rally, although guns are not uncommon in her hometown.

“I live where gun stores are, where people believe in guns,” the Warrenton, Virginia, native said.

Although her mom picked her up and drove “pretty far” from Richmond, the prelaw track student said protesters filled the restaurant, eating lunch.

Beginning before the sun rose, protesters expressed frustrations toward Northam — many called for his removal and referenced the governor’s admission of having worn blackface — and toward gun control bills advancing through Virginia’s General Assembly.

The estimated 6,000 protesters on the Capitol grounds were calm compared to the thousands roaming the downtown area, many of whom were heavily armed.

Holding flags that read “Don’t Tread on Me” and “Come and Take It,” armed men stood in a circle early in the morning.

The sun was still rising behind the Capitol building, and gun rights advocates flooded into 9th Street, singing the National Anthem in unison.

Many wore orange stickers that read “Guns Save Lives,” and some were also wearing camouflage hunter gear, blaze orange, combat boots and cowls or ski masks.

Tim Brown, a senior and environmental studies major, attended the rally and said he thought that gun legislation took power away from the people and handed it to the government.

“A lot of people felt scared, but we felt safe because it’s people that will die for you and protect you like we’re fellow Americans,” Brown said. “Just to have a huge event with 20,000 people carrying guns and have nothing happen, no injuries, no deaths.”

Senior Laszlo Nemes said the news media was trying to push a narrative ahead of the rally.

See GUN RALLY on page 2

Campus graffiti under investigation, suspect charged Photo by Sarah Elson

Story on page 4

2 The Commonwealth Times

Stories of the week

national: Nine people are dead and 440 have been sickened after a new respiratory virus spread from China to Thailand, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and the United States. international: CNN reports an Indiana mother, accused of causing her 2-month-old daughter to die because of methamphetamine poisoning, may have passed the drug through her breast milk.

Del. Amanda Chase, R-Chesterfield, spoke to Monday’s crowd bearing an American flag purse. “This is the straw that broke the camel’s back,” Chase said. Photo by Jon Mirador

Gun rights advocates bear rifles, military garb outside Va. Capitol GUN RALLY Continued from front page “The media is trying to push this ‘white supremacists, neo-Nazis, it’s going to be the next Charlottesville, stay inside,’ and nothing happened,” Nemes said. “Everyone’s smiling, everyone’s having a good time and everyone was showing the government ‘good luck taking all of our guns when you try to.’”

There was one entrance to the Capitol grounds at 9th and Grace streets, where people had to cross through metal detectors operated by police officers. Police checked bags and removed some cigarettes and lighters, while also turning some away who brought heavy camera equipment or firearms. The Virginian-Pilot reported that security was searching bottles of Advil and requiring people to take sips of drinks they were bringing in.

Midlothian resident Doug Barrier stood at the corner of 9th and Franklin streets holding a sign that read “More Patriots Than You Have Handcuffs.” Barrier said the high security around the Capitol grounds discouraged him from moving closer to the rally.

“I think the most dangerous decision today was to put up that fence and to trap people inside there. I wouldn’t go over there,” Barrier said. “You get in and you only got a couple of exit points. That’s an extremely dangerous situation. Why would the governor of this state do that?”

Barrier said the recent gun control legislation proposed by Northam is only to help the governor gain favor with “extremists in his party.”

“The governor indicated that we’re all white nationalists, racists and the scum

of the earth,” Barrier said. “Well, we’re not. The majority of the people here are just hardworking Virginia citizens.

That’s what we are.”

Edward Layton, an outdoorsman and sportsman from Wood County, West Virginia, said gun legislation left rural community members vulnerable in counties with smaller sheriff ’s departments.

“The people that are in the rural areas, the farmers and the sportsmen that are out there, response times from law enforcement at a minimum is 45 minutes to an hour for them to show up,” Layton said.

“We’ve got counties in our state, and in the western part of this state as well, that may only have three or four deputies on duty for the entire county.”

A man who identified himself as Ted West held a sign that said “Gun Rights = Civil Rights.” He said the Second Amendment protects the rights of minorities.

“The Second Amendment is about arming the people the government doesn’t want armed, which means minorities fighting for their rights, which means gay, lesbian, trans, bisexual,” West said. “Everyone who is conscious that if they go out at night, and are maybe too open about who they are, they might have to fight.”

Calling himself a liberal, West said he was happy Virginia became blue in November’s election. But he said he disagrees with the Democratic-led gun legislation.

“The firearm is an enhancement of equality between people,” he said. “You could argue that it makes things more dangerous, yes. But it makes people more equal, which I value higher.”

Executive Editor Georgia Geen contributed to this report.

Men stand outside of the Capitol Square holding firearms. Guns were banned from Capitol grounds, with metal detectors and bag searches at the gate.

Photo by Andrew Ringle

Wed. January 22, 2020 3 1

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1. Many protesters carried signs to convey their message. Two men hold signs reading “Anti-Racist, Pro-Gun,” and “Gun Rights are Trans Rights.” 2. A protester waves a Texas flag depicting an assault rifle and the phrase “Come and Get It.” 3. Inside of the Capitol grounds, a woman poses with her sign, “I want gay married couples to protect their marijuana plants with guns.” 4. Radio Host Alex Jones was seen throughout the day, speaking to a crowd that followed him. Here, Jones starts a “USA” chant on Capitol grounds. Photos by Jon Mirador

4 The Commonwealth Times

Illustration by Karly Andersen

VCU tobacco expert, 5 others reject claim that e-cigs are ‘95% safer’ EDUARDO ACEVEDO Contributing Writer A member of the VCU Center for the Study of Tobacco products, along with five other nicotine experts, are working to disprove the claim that e-cigarettes are “95% safer” than cigarettes in a recent editorial published in the American Journal of Public Health.

“People say it’s much, much safer ... but we really need to look to the future to see what the true disease of these products are,” said Simon Chapman, emeritus professor of public Health at the University of Sydney.

The claim that e-cigs were 95% less harmful arose in the 2015 Public Health England Report. A group of 12 experts in human health sciences ranked 12 products containing nicotine against 14 criteria that addressed harm to self and others. They concluded e-cigarettes are 95% safer to use than combustible cigarettes.

Without any hard evidence to back their claim, the experts determined that e-cigarettes pose 5% of the risk cigarettes do. An article was published subsequently in the American Journal of

Public Health reporting that e-cigs are “95% safer” than combustible cigarettes.

Thomas Eissenberg, co-director of the Center for the Study of Tobacco Products at VCU, said the “95% safer” statement is a factoid, or speculation reported and repeated so often that it is widely regarded as fact.

Co-writers of the “Invalidity of an Oft-Cited Estimate of the Relative Harms of Electronic Cigarettes”: • Aruni Bhatnagar, American Heart Association Tobacco Regulation Center, University of Louisville • Simon Chapman, School of Public Health, University of Sydney, Australia • Sven Eric Jordt, Department of Anesthesiology, Duke University School of Medicine • Alan Shihadeh, Maroun Semaan Faculty of Engineering and Architecture, American University of Beirut in Lebanon • Eric K. Soule, Department of Health Education and Promotion, East

Suspect charged in campus graffiti; abstract benches removed for cleaning, evaluation SARAH ELSON Contributing Writer A suspect has been charged in connection to graffiti on a VCU sign that serves as a bench outside of the University Student Commons, a VCU spokesperson said.

The seating area, located on Main Street between the Student Commons and T. Edward Temple Building, was cleaned after the Jan. 10 incident. Police records show the damage was less than $1,000.

Police identified VCU student Henry C. Blancett, 18 of Richmond, as a suspect in the incident. Blancett was

“My mind was blown when I read it of protonated nicotine, or ‘nicotine salts,’” in 2015 because of their own admission said Eric Soule, one of the co-authors of that there wasn’t a lot of evidence on the editorial. which to base these estimates,” Eissen“The devices have changed such that berg said. “I mean, I’m a scientist, right? they’re clearly more dangerous than If I don’t have evidence, then I don’t they were back in 2013,” Eissenberg make statements.” said. “The liquids have changed, and they Eissenberg and the other experts on have ingredients that were never even cigarettes and public health published the considered back in 2013.” editorial earlier this month.

If the “95% less risky” or According to a section “95% less harmful” stateof the editorial titled, “Toments sounds familiar, it’s day’s Electronic Cigarettes because they’re some of Are Different,” the 2013 the vaping and e-cigarette estimate could have been industry’s taglines to get valid six years ago, but smokers to quit cigarettes is outdated now. and switch to their alternaAdvancements in e-cigative devices. rette technology since 2013 “They won’t stop using have made the products it until they’re forced to more powerful with unstop using it,” Eissenknown consequences. berg said. “That ’s been “Compared to e-cigathe history of the tobacco rette products available industry all along. They in 2013, e-cigarettes todidn’t put health warnDr. Thomas Eissenberg Photo by Tzeggai Isaac day can operate at higher ings on packs of cigapower levels and many use rettes ‘til they were forced liquids with higher nicotine concentra- to put health warnings on packs tions including the recent introduction of cigarettes.”

VCU added the concrete benches on Dec. 29 and contracted general contracting company SRC Inc. to install them. The VCU sign was installed last semester after the bricks were laid in areas to widen student pathways near Main Street.

SRC Inc. Superintendent Sam Nolan said VCU previously had problems with

the benches. Nolan said skateboarders and bikers were damaging them.

“It just became obvious that they were destroying them, chipping the concrete and then also being dangerous,” Nolan said.

Nolan said this is the first time the VCU bench has been vandalized since the installation.

charged with destruction of property, a Class 1 misdemeanor, in connection to the graffiti on Main Street.

VCU spokesperson Mike Porter said the university police department had been investigating reports of graffiti prior to Wednesday’s incident. This and similar incidents are still under investigation by VCU Police, Porter said.

The white, abstract benches have been removed from campus for cleaning, and VCU Facilities and Management is evaluating other locations where they can be “used and better protected,” said Carolyn Conlon, communication director for the The graffiti has since been removed by VCU Facilites and Management. administration division.

Photo by Sarah Elson

What you missed this week in the General Assembly HANNAH EASON News Editor ANDREW RINGLE Managing Editor FIREARMS SUBCOMMITTEE HALTS REPUBLICAN-BACKED GUN BILLS In a Tuesday meeting, the Democratic-led subcommittee killed several gun laws backed by Republicans. Provisions included loosening concealed carry permit requirements in House Bill 161, allowing guns in places of worship in HB 596, and allowing those injured in a gun-free zone to file a civil claim for damages in HB 162.

BILL SEEKS TO BAN HOLDING CELLPHONES WHILE DRIVING A press conference was held Tuesday in support of HB 874, which aims to prohibit holding a personal communication device while driving a motor vehicle. Current Virginia law prohibits reading or typing messages on such a device while driving, although holding one is legal, except while driving in a work zone.

SENATE OFFS LEE-JACKSON DAY, FAVORS ELECTION DAY HOLIDAY The Virginia Senate voted 22-18 to remove Lee-Jackson Day, which commemorates Confederate generals Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson, and make Election Day a holiday. The measure was supported by all Democrat senators and Republican Sen. Siobhan Dunnavant of Henrico.

Wed. January 22, 2020 5 HOUSE BILL ELIMINATING RACE FROM MARRIAGE RECORDS ASSIGNED TO HEALTH SUBCOMMITTEE Friday, HB 180 went into the Health, Welfare and Institutions sub-committee.

The measure would eliminate the requirement to disclose race on marriage records filed in the State Registrar. The bill — sponsored by Del. Mark Levine, D-Alexandria — is in a committee with a 6-3 Democratic majority.

GA PASSES EQUAL RIGHTS AMENDMENT, MORE THAN 4 DECADES AFTER CONGRESS On Wednesday, both chambers approved the Equal Rights Amendment, becoming the 38th state to back the measure that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex. While the amendment passed in Congress in 1972, only 35 of the necessary 38 states had ratified it by the 1982 deadline.

Women in Virginia celebrated the passage — which Gov. Ralph Northam and Democratic legislators have stated as a priority in this session — but Assistant Attorney General Steven Engel said the resolution is no longer before the states.

NORTHAM DECLARES STATE OF EMERGENCY Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam declared a state of emergency in Richmond that was enforced from Friday until Tuesday, effectively banning firearms from Capitol Square ahead of the Citizen Defense League’s Lobby Day pro-gun rally.

The deadline for filing legislation in the 2020 session was Friday, Jan. 17.

Illustration by Rey Carlson

‘MANPOWER WALK’ gears up to combat gun violence

ANYA SCZERZENIE Contributing Writer

Hill is originally from Richmond and now lives in Sacramento, California. He said he was inspired to create his first anMotivational speaker Dwayne Hill ti-violence march, “Faith Walk,” in Richis organizing a men’s march in Rich- mond in 2015 after repeated murders mond to combat gun violence within the in his community. black community.

“I had a friend who had two friends The march of the Stop the Violence murdered within 24 hours of each Movement, also called Manpower: Walk other,” Hill said. of Champions, will be held July 18 at 3 p.m.

“Please bring your sons, your nephews, and every male you know to be a part of history right here in Richmond VA,” Hill wrote in his Jan. 3 Facebook post. “We The murders, the have all heard that old saying that black men can’t come together, and that we can’t missing girls, the drugs fix what’s happening in our communities. … people are just not Well, family, I want to break that myth getting along at all. in half.”

Homicide is not just a black issue. It’s an allRichmond issue.”

Dwayne Hill, Stop the Violence Movement organizer

Dwayne Hill will hold the march on July 18 at 3 p.m. Photo courtesy of Dwayne Hill

The Manpower: Walk of Champions march was conceived after the murder of nine-year-old Markiya Dickson, who was shot and killed in a Richmond park during a Memorial Day cookout in 2019.

“I prayed and asked God for a sign,” said Hill, who was once a minister-in-training and describes himself as a Christian. “We had a little girl, Markiya Dickson, murdered in a park, and that brought me back to what

Attendees marched in the Richmond “Faith Walk in 2015. After several murders in his community, Dwanye Hill was inspired to organize the rally. Photo courtesy of Dwayne Hill I was supposed to do. When Markiya Dickson passed away, I challenged the men of Richmond to step up.”

Even though the march is still six months away, many Virginia residents are already making plans to attend or volunteer at the event. The event is being planned through Facebook.

Hill said he doesn’t know what the turnout will be, but he hopes that people who participate “are the ones that really care.”

“The murders, the missing girls, the drugs … people are just not getting along at all,” Hill said. “Homicide is not just a black issue.

It’s an all-Richmond issue.”

Hill said he feels black men need to participate in marches since black women have been the ones to lead activism efforts in the past.

“I think in my community, the women have stood up more,” Hill said.

The march’s planned route starts on Hull Street and finishes on Belt Boulevard in the Woodland Heights area of Richmond.

Hill wrote on Facebook that he was inspired by similar marches in cities like Baltimore. The photo he used for his Facebook post, illustrating what the march in Richmond might look like, comes from a black men’s anti-violence march in Baltimore.

6 The Commonwealth Times

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8 The Commonwealth Times

Stat of the week

Coach Mike Rhoades earned his 300th career win after the Rams beat St. Bonaventure on Saturday 91-63 at the Siegel Center.

Senior center Danielle Hammond is shooting 65.4% from the free-throw line this season. Photo by Megan Lee

Danielle Hammond’s presence in the paint leads women’s basketball

NOAH FLEISCHMAN Sports Editor Danielle Hammond grew up playing volleyball, and her priority as a middle blocker in high school was always to block everything from going over the net.

Her sport may have changed, but Hammond’s goal didn’t as she became a defensive presence in the paint for VCU’s women’s basketball team. The net disappeared, and blocking a basketball became second nature to her.

“I got to basketball and there wasn’t a net between us, so it was a lot easier to go and get a block,” Hammond said.

This season, Hammond is on pace to break her career-best 49 blocks from last season — she has 36 this year.

Not only does Hammond anchor the Rams’ defense, but she is the team’s second-leading scorer, averaging 10.3 points.

Her defensive play helps the Rams’ offense, as the team feeds off turnovers and transition play. “[Hammond] has done an excellent job at really rebounding for us, and on the

defensive side that’s huge for us to ignite our transition,” coach Beth O’Boyle said.

“When she can really control that paint with blocking shots, it just really gets our energy going.”

When she can really control that paint with blocking shots, it just really gets our energy going.”

Beth O’Boyle, coach

Senior center Danielle Hammond was an A-10 Third Team selection last year.

CT file photo

For Hammond, it’s her offense that sparks her strong defensive play.

“I feel like the better I do offensively, that gets me more hyped to stick defense and maybe get a block — or stick good defense and hopefully we go back on offense and I can try again,” Hammond said.

In most games this season, Hammond has been double-teamed, and at times she’s triple-teamed by defenders. She worked on passing out of a double-team with assistant coach Kirk Crawford this summer.

By taking defenders away via the double-teams, Hammond allows her teammates to get open on the perimeter.

“That is opening up spacing and timing for our guards, and our other players just have more time on their shots,” O’Boyle said of the attention given to Hammond.

“That really gets the flow of our offense going really well.”

Even when she has multiple defenders on her, Hammond has a nose for the basket.

She either converts on the layup or draws the foul.

That knack to find the rim has led Hammond to the top of the Atlantic 10 in field goal percentage at 62.5% — more than 6% higher than the second highest. Last season, Hammond logged a clip of 58.7%.

O’Boyle attributed Hammond’s noticeable uptick in field goal percentage to her improved footwork.

“You watch just her feet moving and just her body control with it, and sometimes I’m amazed about how she can even get the shot off,” O’Boyle said. “She really does a great job with us when she catches the ball in the paint.”

With that high field goal percentage and the improved footwork, O’Boyle said she is confident that when Hammond has the ball in the paint, she will find a way to score.

“She’s consistently done it, no matter what type of defense she’s facing: zone, man, double, triple,” O’Boyle said. “She makes really good decisions with the ball.

We like when she gets paint touches.”

As Hammond’s progressed as a player, the team has too. The Rams won only seven games in her sophomore season before they logged the nation’s best turnaround last season, winning 24 games.

“As long as I can try to establish myself, it opens the floor up for the rest of the team, and we can play better basketball,” Hammond said.

Wed. January 22, 2020 9

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Curry, Vann lead Rams over Saint Joseph’s NOAH FLEISCHMAN Sports Editor Over the last six games before Tuesday night, redshirt-senior forward Issac Vann was 2-for-13 from beyond the arc.

On the road at Saint Joseph’s, he knocked down two threes for the second game in a row.

Vann wore a grin on the bench during a timeout after knocking down the second 3-pointer. That basket pushed the Bridgeport, Connecticut, native over 1,000 career points, a milestone he was nearing over the last four games.

The Rams knocked off the Hawks 7360 Tuesday night in Philadelphia, the second-straight win for the black and gold.

VCU logged 14 steals in the contest and had 10 players record at least one steal.

Saint Joseph’s relies heavily on 3-pointers, and the Rams limited them to shooting 33.3% from deep.

“The way they play is different than everybody in the league — they got to beat you by making threes,” coach Mike Rhoades told Ram Radio’s Mike Litos.

“They didn’t get into a consistent rhythm offensively, which was huge.”

The Rams used a 9-0 run early in the first half, sparked by a freshman guard Bones Hyland 3-pointer from the top of the key to take a 7-point lead.

In the early going, Havoc took control of the Hawks as it forced five steals in the first 10 minutes of the contest. The Rams turned Saint Joseph’s over 11 times in the first half, scoring 14 points off the turnovers.

The Rams forced 18 total turnovers, scoring 19 points off the Hawk errors.

“For them, it’s a low possession game,” Rhoades said. “It’s like other teams having 36 [turnovers]. That was huge.”

Senior guard Malik Crowfield, who missed eight games with a broken bone in his wrist, scored on back-to-back layups

late in the first half. The LaPlace, Louisiana, native also hit a 3-pointer midway through the half to mark his first points since Dec. 7 against ODU. The Rams limited their mistakes in the first 20 minutes, only recording one turnover — a Saint Joseph’s steal. VCU also held the Hawks to shooting 1-for-12 to close out the first half.

In the second half, sophomore guard KeShawn Curry logged 7 of his teamhigh 13 points.

“I think his approach this week in practice the last seven, eight days has been really good,” Rhoades said. “It’s amazing when your mind’s clear, you’re doing the right thing, how well you play and he did that.”

Midway through the final 20 minutes, redshirt-senior guard Marcus Evans took a hard fall and was down holding his head.

He was taken to the locker room after getting up and did not return.

“He passed the concussion exam,” Rhoades said. “He passed it, so he’s not even in it. He said he’ll be fine and ready to go Saturday.”

The Chesapeake native returned to the lineup Tuesday night after missing the St. Bonaventure game with a concussion and the flu.

Crowfield picked up where he left off in the second half, nailing a 3-pointer from the corner to push the Rams’ lead to 18 — the largest of the night — and cap a 7-0 run. He finished the night with 10 points, shooting 4-for-5 from the field.

“He makes open shots and he makes the right play,” Rhoades said on Crowfield.

“I think he sometimes soothes the offense. … He does a good job of picking his spots and moving the ball.”

The Rams return to Philadelphia Jan. 25 to play La Salle at noon in their second straight road game.

Men’s hoops surge past Bonnies

Hyland’s 21 points propel the Rams to 91-63 win, snapping two-game skid

Top: Senior forward Mike’l Simms logged 3 points against St. Bonaventure. Bottom left: Senior guard De’Riante Jenkins recorded five assists and five rebounds Saturday afternoon.

Bottom right: Freshman guard Bones Hyland made five 3-pointers in a career-high 21-point performance against St. Bonaventure. Photos by Jon Mirador

10 The Commonwealth Times

PRESS BOX

Astros’ punishments need to shift focus

NOAH FLEISCHMAN Sports Editor

Sign stealing has been common practice in baseball since the game’s inception.

Not only has it been acceptable — it’s been encouraged.

Well, mostly. It’s been encouraged if players can figure out the pitcher’s signs or his tells when he sets to deliver the pitch.

What is against the rules, however, is using technology to assist in stealing signs.

That’s what the Houston Astros did for most of the 2017 season — a season in which they were atop the baseball world, winning the World Series.

When The Athletic’s Evan Drellich and Ken Rosenthal brought the scandal to light, the league opened an investigation.

The MLB’s investigation confirmed what Drellich and Rosenthal reported and brought more answers to the forefront.

The report said the scheme was “player-driven” and it even mentioned former Astros outfielder Carlos Beltrán by name as a participant. The league’s punishment, however, did not reflect that.

“Approximately two months into the 2017 season, a group of players, including Carlos Beltrán, discussed that the team could improve on decoding opposing teams’ signs and communicating the signs to the batter,” the report said.

Illustration by Ricardo Rodriguez

AJ Hinch, Houston’s manager, and Jeff Luhnow, the general manager were suspended for one year. Owner Jim Crane fired both just one hour after the MLB handed them their punishment. The Astros were fined $5 million — the maximum amount the league can fine teams — and they lost their first and second round picks in both 2020 and 2021.

If the scheme were player driven, then the players should have been suspended and fined for their involvement in it. Yes, that means suspending or fining most of the 2017 Astros team, but they broke the rules. The MLB would

have suspended them if they found out they all were taking performance enhancing drugs, and both the sign stealing scheme and PEDs are used to gain a competitive advantage.

But the league neglected to punish the players in any form, and that should be its next step in the scandal.

Houston was using a camera set up in the outfield that was pointed at home plate, angled right at the opposing team’s catcher. The video feed was sent to a monitor in the tunnel between the dugout and the Astros’ locker room. There, a few employees sat and deciphered the signs the

catcher was putting down to see what pitch was coming.

Once they figured out the pitch, they would bang on a trash can and the sound was heard on the diamond, so the batter knew what pitch was coming. This was real-time sign stealing, which is banned by the MLB. What’s missing from the punishments?

The players.

At the Astros FanFest on Saturday, several players were asked about the investigation. All deflected the questions or delivered rehearsed statements. Astros star third baseman Alex Bregman recited the same statement each time he was asked about the scandal.

“The Commissioner came out with a report, MLB did their report, and the Astros did what they did,” Bregman told reporters.

Bregman should have answered the questions genuinely, even if it was a ‘Hey, we messed up.’ Instead, he gave reporters the same rehearsed statement.

The players need to be held accountable for their actions because, like Bregman, they can’t even own up to their mistakes.

The main way of holding the players accountable for their actions is the league handing down suspensions and fines — and that hasn’t happened.

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Wed. January 22, 2020 11

On this day

In 1973, the U.S. Supreme Court’s Roe v.

Wade ruling legalized abortion in most cases.

Illustration by Evan McGrady

Mac Miller’s posthumous album is a comforting, personal goodbye IMAN MEKONEN Spectrum Editor There’s something chilling about hearing an artist’s music after they’ve died, but it’s to a different degree when it’s newly released music.

On Jan. 8, Mac Miller’s family released a statement on social media to announce that Miller, who died from a drug overdose in 2018, was in the process of recording music with collaborator Jon Brion to accompany his previous album, “Swimming,” before his death.

The project, “Circles,” was made to complement “Swimming” to be referred to as “Swimming in Circles.”

Brion worked on completing the album after Miller’s death. It was released as Miller’s sixth studio album and first posthumous album on Friday.

Posthumous albums, or albums released after a musician’s death, are a hot topic of discussion in the music world.

We’ve seen these projects from artists whose lives tragically ended in the middle of their music careers, such as The Notorious B.I.G’s “Life After Death” in 1997, or

Michael Jackson’s “Michael” in 2010 and “Xscape” in 2014.

While posthumous albums provide fans with one last glimpse at new music from the beloved artist, it also raises questions of whether the album is staying true to the artist’s vision.

I couldn’t help but wonder whether “Circles” would sound as authentic as his original music.

My doubts were extinguished after I finished listening to the album for the first time.

HERE’S MY REVIEW OF “CIRCLES.” It’s hard not to get sad while listening to this album.

The tone is reminiscent and lighthearted with his usual themes of looking back on life, love and mental health.

It’s also chilling to hear a dead artist sing about death.

In “Woods,” Miller says “I’ve spent my life livin’ with a lot of regrets / You throw me off my high horse, I’d probably fall to my death” I remember watching the music video for “Self Care” about a week before Miller

died and getting goosebumps all over after I found out he died. The video depicts him being buried alive in a casket.

Miller’s unique raspy voice is oddly comforting in the introductory track, named after the album, as he sings about unknown fates.

Overall, the album strays away from Miller’s traditional rap style. His jazz-singer pipes aren’t just heard in almost every song, including “Hand Me Downs” and “Complicated” — it’s a talent that absolutely shines on this album. It’s something that emerged gradually throughout the progression of his albums.

Heavy experimentation with the overall sound by way of live instruments and electronic beats is spotlighted throughout the album. The piano on “Everybody,” drums and guitar on “Surf ” and dreamlike synth beats on “I Can See” and “Blue World.”

It’s impossible to know if both albums achieved Miller’s vision, but if he left it up to interpretation, I would say they have.

The album concludes with the reflective and melodious “Once A Day,” which features an abrupt ending on a literal high

note. He sings “Once a day I try but I can’t find a single word,” repetitive of the opening line. This leaves the listener wondering in all aspects, “Is this it?”

It is, sadly. I can’t and won’t speak on behalf of his fans all around the world, but I feel a sense of satisfaction and contentment knowing I’ve been given a proper send-off to his music and life, instead of the unexpected shock that his death brought.

However, after listening to “Swimming” and “Circles” together, this ending seems to flow directly into “Come Back To Earth,” the opening song of the former.

This reinforces the never-ending “Swimming in Circles” concept that I hope to never stop hearing.

After “Swimming” was released, my listening experiences before and after Miller died were completely different. It goes to show how much emotion can affect an experience when listening to an album for the first time.

It’s truly a “Blue World” without Miller, but it’s more comforting to know the album was released by his family and close collaborators, avoiding the expectation of inauthenticity from a record label.

12 The Commonwealth Times

‘I Wore Her All Around Me’ is more than just pictures hanging on a wall MILAN BREWSTER Contributing Writer A story of home lies behind a white quilt with pink and blue patches draped from the wooden beams inside the Rump Gallery in North Richmond.

The quilt is surrounded by pictures in wood frames, displaying locations that Southern photographer and artist Trish J. Gibson uses to symbolize home.

Gibson, a 2018 VCU MFA alum who teaches in the photography and film department, shares themes of Southern tradition, queer connectivity, loss, growth and generational inheritance in her newest exhibit, “I Wore Her All Around Me.” The show had its opening reception at the Rump Gallery on Saturday.

“There are a lot of things going on [in the exhibit], but I am mostly thinking about connectivity and Southern traditions, because I grew up in rural Tennessee,” Gibson said.

“Also, thinking about being queer and growing up in the rural South.”

“I Wore Her All Around Me” conveys loss through memories of the artist’s grandmother. Some photographs showed her own home in Richmond, as well as both her grandmother’s home and childhood home.

“These are places that I considered or still consider home,” Gibson said, referencing an image of her parent’s home. “The windows and the shadows of the window are thinking about entry points into a home space.”

Around the gallery floor during the opening reception were little mementos, such as a green toy worm and her grandma’s sweatshirt.

The exhibit displayed family memories, such as a quilt that reminded her of the loss of her grandmother, who helped raise her.

The quilt in particular was one of the last things that Gibson talked to her about before she died in 2018.

VCU photography and film lecturer Peter Cochrane said Gibson’s work shows a transformation.

“It [the photos] works well with the material of natural wood and the soft whites she used for matting,” Cochrane said. “She really let her art become part of the space she is in.”

Poems based on the work of writer Dorothy Allison are included in the display, typed on pieces of paper. Gibson used the leftover paper from her MFA thesis for the writings.

Gibson said she chose to display the writings to connect her recent work with her past.

“I’m tying threads together of connectivity of the last work I did to now,” Gibson said.

The poems concentrate on her Southern upbringing and the idea of growth through loss and development.

“I feel very close to the exhibit — like I had entered someone’s home with all the pictures of her homes and the quilt just hanging to see right when you walk in,” said event attendee Rachel Martinell. “It’s like you’re stepping into her home.”

Left: Southern photographer, writer and VCU alum Trish J. Gibson. From top: VCU students Liza Hazelwood and Rachel Martinelli view Gibson’s photograph “Jean” (2019); the featured quilt suspended on a wall of the gallery; other featured photographs in Gibson’s newest exhibit, “I Wore Her All Around Me.” Photo by Enza Marcy

Wed. January 22, 2020 13

UPCOMING EVENTS

VAILA’S VIEW

See something

THURS. 1/23 ‘A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood’

The Byrd Theatre will host a screening of ‘A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood’ directed by Marielle Heller. For tickets, visit byrdtheatre.org.

7:15 p.m., The Byrd Theatre & Foundation (2908 W. Cary St.) $4

FRI. 1/24 ‘Rough Cut 2020’: Student Film Screening

VCU’s Department of Dance will present the first annual screening of dance films titled “Rough Cut 2020.” The films are the collection of work from various students from the School of Arts. For more information, contact Lea Marshall at lemarshall@ vcu.edu or 804-828-2020 or visit the VCUarts Department of Dance’s website.

7:30 p.m. Grace Street Theater (934 W. Grace St.) Free.

Illustration by Gabbie Benda

Early year film releases begin the winter slump VAILA DEYOUNG Contributing Writer The beginning of each new year feels like the worst time for movies. Oscar nominations have just been announced and plenty of decent films from the end of 2019 are still playing in theaters.

But somehow, January and February feel like the most boring period of the year with new releases.

There are a few chunks of the year generally designated for film studio dumps.

These months, (typically January and going into February) are referred to in the film community as “dump months.”

The fall and early winter months are considered the best time of the year for film, because this is when most of the critically acclaimed festival films have their wide release, right before award season.”

Vaila DeYoung, contributing writer Quite literally, dump months are the time of year when movie studios dump the movies that were originally supposed to come out in the fall but didn’t due to poor reception.

Because studios would rather put out more profitable films, dump month films get pushed back to January or February.

However, studios can sometimes misjudge how well a film might perform at the box office.

The financial goal of a theatrical release is to at least earn back the initial budget of the film, and hopefully more.

In January, more often than not, films tend to underperform at the box office.

According to imdb.com, “Underwater”

was budgeted at around $80 million, but only has made $27.4 million worldwide since its release date, Jan. 10.

Many films are technically released earlier in the year at film festivals, such as Sundance at the end of January, and Cannes Film Festival in the middle of May. Critics and people involved in the industry get to see these films much earlier than the general public, but this gives the films a chance for a rolling release.

If films are well received at festivals, they will continue to have screenings in bigger cities like New York and Los Angeles. From here, they typically have a national release, and the public is finally able to see the film.

The fall and early winter months are considered the best time of the year for film, because this is when most of the critically acclaimed festival films have their wide releases, right before award season.

By the time of the film’s wide release, it is usually during the time of year where people have more disposable income, and they have anticipated these movies will come to a theater near them.

The average spending on entertainment is considerably low in January because many people are still recovering financially from the holidays.

As mentioned on mtv.com, film studios are fully aware that the average moviegoer has less spending money in January. Because of this, studios would rather save the movies that they think will perform better at the box office for later in the year, and instead dump the less favorable, or more niche films in January.

Other forms of entertainment, such as winter sports, play a role in traffic to the movie theaters. In snowy climates, people would rather not go out to the movies, but instead stay home and watch TV and American football games during this time of year.

Some examples of dump month films from 2019 were “Escape Room,” and “A Dog’s Way Home.”

“Escape Room” performed well at the box office as a low-budget horror film, but was not received well critically and

declared “rotten,” receiving a score of 50% on Rotten Tomatoes.

Do something

FRI. 1/24 SoGal: Female Entrepreneurs Meeting

VCU’s da Vinci Center will host “SoGal,” a monthly event to connect female student founders and those interested in entrepreneurship for networking opportunities, workshops, resource sharing and more.

To RSVP, visit the event’s Eventbrite page.

For more information, contact Kendra Cabler at cablerka@vcu.edu.

4 p.m. 807 S. Cathedral Place, Free.

FRI. 1/24

January and the following winter months can also be a very stressful time of year, so I’ll find myself putting on a classic, or trying a movie on a streaming service that I may have missed during its initial release.”

Vaila DeYoung, contributing writer “A Dog’s Way Home” was budgeted at $18 million and earned back $76.1 million. However, this film wasn’t well received either, garnering a 60% score on Rotten Tomatoes.

I’m not saying these films are in any way bad or that I personally dislike them, but I’d be lying if I said I was anticipating a January 2020 film release.

During this time of the year, I like to catch up on those Oscar nominated films to prepare and have my opinions ready by the time of the awards.

January and the following winter months can also be a very stressful time of year, so I’ll find myself putting on a classic, or trying a movie on a streaming service that I may have missed during its initial release.

Streaming services are great for this time of year too, because I don’t have to leave the house. I’m saving money by not going to the movie theaters, and spending my monthly streaming subscription money more wisely by getting more use out of them than I usually would.

So, this isn’t the best time of year to head to the theater. Instead, do as I do, and stay in and stream.

VCU Health Orchestra Concert The VCU Health Orchestra will host a benefit concert for the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart’s Pipe Organ Fund. For more information, visit the Richmond Cathedral’s website.

7:30 - 9:30, Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, (800 S. Cathedral Place) Free.

TUES. 1/28 VCU Men’s Basketball vs.

Richmond

The Men’s Basketball team will host the LETTER TO THE EDITOR University of Richmond Spiders at the Siegel Center. For ticket information, visit vcuathletics.com 7 p.m. Stuart C. Siegel Center, 1200 W. Broad St. Prices vary.

Learn something

SAT. 1/25 MLK Legacy Day Service

The Activities Programming Board will celebrate the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. with spoken word performances. For more information, contact Ashli Phillips at phillipsar3@vcu.edu.

5 p.m. - 7 p.m. Commonwealth Ballrooms, University Student Commons (907 Floyd Ave.) Free.

TUES. 1/28 Budget Workshop

The Off-Campus Student Services Organization will host the first monthly workshop to educate students on financial literacy when it comes to making a basic budget, savings, paying back debt and more. For more information, contact Lisa Mathews-Ailsworth at offcampus@ vcu.edu or 804-828-4514 or visit the organization’s website.

1 p.m. - 2 p.m. Student Leadership and Engagement Center, The Commons, Suite 229 (907 Floyd Ave.)

Have suggestions for the events calendar? Email spectrum@commonwealthtimes.org

14 The Commonwealth Times

Quote of the week

“We adopt the means of nonviolence because our end is a community at peace with itself. We will try to persuade with our words, but if our words fail, we will try to persuade with our acts.”

— Martin Luther King Jr.

Illustration by Karly Andersen

PROTECTING THE SECOND AMENDMENT SHOULDN’T COME WITH LOADED THREATS

TAGWA SHAMMET Opinions Editor

Rally. Next to sit-ins and petitions, it is one of the most popular forms of demonstration in the United States today. Thousands upon thousands of civilians congregate in one space to either advocate or protest a firm belief they hold. Citizens use their First Amendment right to assemble to voice their concerns. The Women’s March.

Pride. The Black Lives Matter movement.

And on Monday, the thousands of people protesting gun control at the Virginia Capitol were added to the mix.

The right to bear arms is one of the biggest discussion points in the United States today. We have been fighting this domestic war for the past two decades, unfortunately to no avail nor agreement. This Monday, the conversation took a terrifying turn. On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, thousands of gun rights activists gathered at the Virginia State Capitol. They used their First Amendment right to assemble in an effort to protect their Second Amendment right to bear arms, as if their arms were being threatened.

After the shooting in Virginia Beach last year, Democrats have made gun control a priority in 2020. They are not trying to ban guns, contrary to the extremist belief. They are trying to regulate accessibility to firearms in hopes of minimizing gun violence.

The Virginia State Senate has recently passed three bills that will soon arrive at the House of Delegates, where a Democratic majority will likely vote in favor of the legislation. These bills require background checks on all buyers, limit purchases of handguns to one a month and provide local governments the jurisdiction to ban guns in parks and public spaces.

Some protesters took their peaceful demonstration and turned it into threats against the Capitol. On Friday, Gov. Ralph Northam declared a state of emergency in Richmond.

Isn’t this country tired of having the same conversation that is more concerned with material violence than the lives of human beings? I know I am. I am tired of turning on the TV to be greeted with yet another shooting. I am tired of the “guns don’t kill people, people kill people” song. I am tired of this country dividing itself over a contraption that has taken thousands of people from this world far too early. I am tired of people never learning.

But that’s not what I want to talk about.

I want to talk about the demented belief that violence will some how provide an answer. For the people who threatened the Capitol building, what were you hoping to gain? Correct me if I’m wrong, but I’m certain that intimidating Northam and the entire Virginia Capitol will not help your argument. Your constitutional “right to bear arms” becomes irrelevant when you browbeat the entirety of the Virginia government.

Northam’s state of emergency temporarily banned all weapons, including firearms, from the state Capitol’s grounds. This action angered protestors, and the Virginia Citizens Defense League — the primary hosts of the rally — tried to contest the declaration in court. Fortunately, the Virginia Supreme Court upheld Northam’s gun ban. If these gun rally protesters’ intentions were to object peacefully to recent gun control legislation, they really don’t need their guns to do so.

So, you can imagine my disheartening surprise when I woke up Monday morning to a group of men walking through

Monroe Park with their firearms. I, like many students, made sure to stay away from any and all Capitol activity. Yet, as I was on my way to a service event to honor Martin Luther King Jr., I was sickened to see what seemed like a small militia walking through our park. I heard the shocked exclamations from fellow students who were on the bus with me. The men all carried firearms, orange stickers that read “Guns Save Lives” and proud smiles. I cannot fathom how these protesters continued smiling knowing they had just terrified a bus full of college students.

Your constitutional 'right to bear arms' becomes irrelevant when you browbeat the entirety of the Virginia government. ” Tagwa Shammet, Opinions Editor Just a mile from Monroe Park gathered nearly 22,000 people, all defending their Second Amendment rights — or so they say. While there were no weapons on the actual Capitol grounds, adjacent to it stood 16,000 protesters, many of whom were armed. The Washington Post detailed an altercation between a protester and Paul Karns, a bystander. Karns asked the teenage protester why he was carrying such a large gun, a “massive .338-caliber Lapua precision rifle” to be exact. I don’t know about

you, but I didn’t have a single clue what that gun looks like. And so I looked it up. I’m 5 feet, 4 inches tall. This gun could reach my shoulder. It is enormous.

A protester responded to Karns by saying: “If the military has it, then I can have it.” Oh, the arrogance. This is the deranged thinking of many protesters on Monday.

The military trains its members for months on end, day in and day out. Leaders try their absolute best to ensure trainees do not misuse their firearms and cause harm to others. Thus, what would make any civilian think they deserve the same freedom when it comes to firearms as those trained by professionals?

Of course, it wouldn’t be a conversation about guns if we failed to mention neo-Nazis. Despite the State of Emergency, many white supremacist organizations and militias atteneded the rally. The three men arrested by the FBI were found to be connected to a group called The Base. The Base is a white supremacy organization that claims “Violence is the only way” to protect the white race. This is exactly why civilians should have no right to carry massive guns.

As a woman of color, my right to breathe becomes threatened by these men’s right to bear arms.

Protesting is a right that should be provided to all citizens of this world. We are all entitled to speak our minds and should never be silenced by others. However, there is a large difference between protesting injustice and threatening the safety of others. Luckily, nobody was injured during this rally. As this state progresses with new legislation, conversations regarding gun control need to be had in better ways. I may not be your local gun rights advocate, but I’m sure that holding a gun to the heads of our leaders isn’t what will help you keep your guns.

Wed. January 22, 2020 15

THE CT STAFF EXECUTIVE EDITOR Georgia Geen geengr@commonwealthtimes.org

Like Like by Ellie Erhart

MANAGING EDITOR Andrew Ringle ringlea@commonwealthtimes.org NEWS EDITOR Hannah Eason news@commonwealthtimes.org SPORTS EDITOR Noah Fleischman sports@commonwealthtimes.org SPECTRUM EDITOR Iman Mekonen spectrum@commonwealthtimes.org OPINIONS EDITOR Tagwa Shammet opinions@commonwealthtimes.org PHOTO EDITOR Jon Mirador photography@commonwealthtimes.org AUDIENCE EDITOR Alexandra Zernik zernikal@commonwealthtimes.org ILLUSTRATIONS EDITOR Karly Andersen illustrations@commonwealthtimes.org STAFF WRITERS Adam Cheek, Sports Ryan Grube, Sports STAFF ILLUSTRATORS Erin Joo

Wonderball by Ky Williams

VCU STUDENT MEDIA CENTER DESIGN EDITOR Jeffrey Pohanka designers@vcustudentmedia.com GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Andy Caress Rey Carlson Kamryn Gillham designers@vcustudentmedia.com AD SALES ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Harrison Powers advertising@vcustudentmedia.com (804) 828-6629 WEB MANAGER Chranjitpandian Murugapandi web@vcustudentmedia.com DISTRIBUTION MANAGER Evan McGrady distribution@vcustudentmedia.com DIRECTOR Allison Bennett Dyche abdyche@vcu.edu (804) 827-1975 CREATIVE MEDIA MANAGER Mark Jeffries mjeffries@vcu.edu SALES & BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER Dominique Lee leeds3@vcu.edu (804) 827-1642

2 AM by Mai Lan Ireland

OFFICE MANAGER Owen Martin martinso@vcu.edu

ABOUT THE CT The Commonwealth Times is the award-winning independent student newspaper at VCU, since 1969.

The CT staff maintains all editorial and operations discretion. There is absolutely no prior review by the public, university or VCU Student Media Center administration or staff. The Executive Editor writes and manages the Operations Budget.

ADD YOUR VOICE The opinions pages of the CT are a forum open to the public. Contributions are welcome by email to Tagwa Shammet, by mail or in-person at 817 W. Broad St., Richmond, VA 23220. Opinions expressed are those of individual columnists and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Commonwealth Times.

Unsigned editorials represent the collective opinion of The CT staff.

The Commonwealth Times strives for accuracy in gathering news. If you think we have made an error, please email the appropriate section editor.

Corrections will appear on the news pages and/or online. One CT per person. Additional copies can be purchased at the Student Media Center for $1 each.

16 The Commonwealth Times

For answers to this week’s puzzles, check commonwealthtimes.org/puzzles every Friday at noon.

Los Angeles Times Crossword Puzzle FLIGHT OF FANCY

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Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis

By Pam Amick Klawitter

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Contact Dominique Lee @ leeds3@vcu.edu Los A n g eles Tim es

Sunda y C r o sswo r d P u zzle Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis

Flight of Fancy by Pam Amick Klawitter

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