The Commonwealth Times; April 24, 2019

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VOL. 60, NO. 29 APRIL 24, 2019

Sit-in to stand up

Special Section Inside

At VCUarts, complaints of ‘problematic’ environment lead to protest FADEL ALLASSAN News Editor

W

‌hat started as an incident of perceived racial bias has become ‌ a rallying cry for students at VCUarts, who are demanding the university’s administration make changes to address what they describe as a non-inclusive environment within the school.

Students are voicing frustration with faculty and administration over issues they say began even before a professor

NEWS Master Plan 3

SPORTS Golf coach 4

stoked outrage when he called security on his black colleague in October.

For decades, the School of the Arts has been an emblem of distinction at VCU, recruiting top artists and faculty from across the country. Like the university at large, the school professes itself as diverse and welcoming. But last week, more than 40 students challenged that notion. During a sit-in protest at the Office of the Provost, they brought a list of demands regarding faculty they say have not fostered an inclusive environment for people of color and those

SPECTRUM Monestary 8

in the LGBTQ+ community.

“The arts school in general has had a lot of issues with faculty being discriminatory, making racist comments, things happening and not being reported, or things being reported and nothing happening as a result,” said Hannah Van Buskirk, a senior art history major and one of the sit-in organizers. “What we’re trying to do is force the school to listen to us.”

See SIT-IN on page 2

OPINIONS Farewells 9

2 The Commonwealth Times

Stories of the week

national: Washington lawmakers voted to remove a parent’s ability to claim a personal or philosophical exemption for the measles vaccine. The number of measles cases nationwide this year has now passed 600. international: The Islamic State group claimed responsibility Tuesday for the Sri Lankan Easter bombings. The death toll as of publication was 321.

SIT-IN

VCUarts students gathered in the Office of the Provost last week to protest lack of inclusion for students of color and LGBTQ people. Photo by Raelyn Fines

Students voice complaints about arts school faculty Continued from front page The demands include: • Mandatory training that “dismantles white supremacy and other systems of oppression for current faculty, staff and new hires” • The demographics of VCUarts professors match the diversity of the student body by 2021 • The creation of a template for inclusive curricula or syllabi that include people of color, LGBTQ and non-western perspectives • An additional course evaluation in the middle of the semester • A midterm student climate survey to assess students’ satisfaction with their learning environment

when a professor who she said is Asian told her she had “obstructed” black identity by not including the faces of black characters in a monoprint.

“It doesn’t make any sense,” Credle said.

“That’s not her place.”

Holly Alford, director of diversity and inclusion for VCUarts, said problems stemming from critiques are among the most common complaints she hears from students. In the past two semesters, Alford has organized voluntary training sessions tailored to artists, including one this semester aimed at critiquing work from other cultures.

“I’m trying to ensure that it does not get to a point where we have students, faculty or staff members who consistently stay here and who are consistently doing things and sometimes do not realize what they are doing,” Alford said.

“To me recognizing the bias is half the problem.”

Alford also organized two voluntary workshops for unconscious bias for the School of the Arts this semester. Alford organized a workshop for painting and printmaking faculty

and graduate students last semester. All faculty and graduate students attended the workshop.

The School of the Arts also held a forum on inclusivity in March, which Alford said almost 200 people attended.

Alford is part of a university-wide task force aimed at curbing individual and systemic bias.

The task force has four work groups focusing on diversity and education; communications, data systems and reporting; student and employee support; and accountability models.

For the most part, the work groups are either in the research or draft phases of developing recommendations for changing university policy, with no clear timeline for progress.

At last week’s sit-in, members of the university’s administration agreed to send timely updates on the task force’s developments to all arts students.

“I have that in writing,” Alford said.

Among the stated demands of students at the protest was that the demographics of VCUarts professors match the diversity of the student body by 2021.

In 2016, about 80% of the arts school’s

In a climate survey conducted in February, about half of the 243 students, faculty and staff who voluntarily responded reported having experienced or seen incidents of bias or mistreatment based on gender identity, race or color. Among those who reported such incidents, about twothirds indicated the person responsible was a faculty member.

Several students in the painting and printmaking department said in interviews a lack of black professors is particularly detrimental at a time when black artists like herself are making identity-based art.

“At this point, I always get nervous about critique,” said Angelica Credle, a sophomore painting and printmaking major. “We get anxious because we don’t know if we’re going to get offended or not.”

Critiques are an integral part of the arts school. After students complete their projects, the work is presented to their classmates for feedback.

More than 40 students voiced sentiments against VCUarts faculty and administration.

Credle took offense during a fall critique Photo by Raelyn Fines

170 faculty members were white, according to university statistics. Black people made up about 5% of faculty. Hispanic or Latino, Asian and biracial faculty were about 4% and Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders made up fewer than 3% of faculty. There were no Native American professors.

“Are we working on it? Yes. Have we made improvements in the School of the Arts? Yes. Are we where we want to be? No,” Alford said. “There’s a lot of places where we aren’t where we want to be.”

For months, the issue of Javier Tapia, the professor who is suing university officials after he called security on his black colleague, has been hot-button on the third floor of the Fine Arts Building on Broad Street, which houses the painting and printmaking department.

Many students at the sit-in asked about how they could prevent Tapia from returning to campus and whether it was possible to remove his tenure status. University officials declined to comment on Tapia specifically, but divulged information on the process for removing tenured faculty.

Grace Ebacher-Rini, a sophomore class representative in the sculpture department who attended the sit-in, said she plans to meet with Gypsy Denzine, senior vice provost for faculty affairs, to discuss ways to get students involved in the tenure process.

Alford agreed to continue meetings with organizers of the sit-in, including Van Buskirk, Credle and Luis Vasquez La Roche, a first-year printing and printmaking graduate student, to discuss ways the school can meet the list of demands.

“Our students know how to creatively and artistically express themselves — I always say that,” Alford said. They have the ability to ensure that their educational needs are being met.”

Spectrum Editor Andrew Ringle contributed to this report.

Wed. April 24, 2019 3

‘VCU is an active gentrifier’

Student organizations criticize new Master Plan

HANNAH EASON Contributing Writer Student organizations are speaking out more than a month after the Board of Visitors approved the university’s One VCU Master Plan.

Nathan Land, outreach coordinator for Amnesty International at VCU, said the Master Plan’s expansion “comes with many thorns.”

Land said in an email that VCU uses words like “diversity” and “equity” in their future plans without taking actions that benefit most members of marginalized communities.

“Rather than centering our community for true collaborative efforts, VCU is an active gentrifier,” Land said, “pushing out local businesses like Jamaica House and displacing homeless folks, all while increasing police presence and jurisdiction.”

The One VCU Master Plan projects the future of Monroe Park and MCV campuses. Image courtesy of VCU Jamaica House, on Broad Street near the Grace and Broad Residence space. A new University Student Commons er-Plan” initiative against the master plan Center, was forced to relocate to downtown will replace the Thalhimer Tennis Center, before it passed. after the VCU Real Estate Foundation ter- located adjacent to Cary Street Gym. A flyer found on Twitter for the Oct. 30, minated owner Carena Ives’ lease, Ives told The Young Democratic Socialists of 2018 event states, “VCU’s ‘Master Plan’ repRichmond BizSense. Ives opened Jamaica America at VCU said the group is con- resents the continued extension of universiHouse at its West Broad location in 1994. cerned by a lack of community involvement ty control over the greater Richmond area.”

“We’ve been at that location for many in the master plan.

The flyer states that the plan gentrifies years, not knowing when they were going “[The plan] did not adequately work with and subjugates the urban space between to do anything with the property,” Ives told the community and evaluate its position as a Monroe Park and MCV. Free University Richmond BizSense. “It’s bittersweet for us gentrifying force,” the organization’s page said at VCU could not be reached for comment. … we would have liked to stay at the location, in a direct message on Twitter. “Besides this, Local neighborhoods also find faults in but it’s time for us to move on.” it’s being used as an excuse to consistently raise the plan. Oregonhill.net posted an open letThe One VCU Master Plan, approved tuition and create more revenue for the univer- ter in regard to the One VCU Master Plan March 22 by the Board of Visitors, unifies sity which has detrimental effects on students.” in September during the drafting stage of Monroe Park and MCV campuses and The One VCU Master Plan states that the plan. The website states the letter was guides their developments over the coming more than 176 meetings were held prior sent to Meredith Weiss, vice president for decade. The plan guides the development to the plan’s passing, ranging from public VCU administration. of VCU Health through increased patient open houses to one-on-one interviews with The letter requests VCU not spread furprivacy and consolidated hospital services. deans and senior leadership. ther south of West Cary Street into Oregon On the Monroe Park Campus, the plan VCU caught strife from some student Hill Historic District and that VCU limits includes the demolition of the University organizations before the Board of Visitors building heights to three or four stories on Student Commons and T. Edward Temple passed the plan. Free University VCU, a po- the north side of Cary Street. The letter Building to provide room for a new green litical student organization, held a “Count- states the neighborhood has not received

commitment from the university on these issues.

“Oregon Hill residents have pointed out that since VCU has a Memorandum of Understanding with the distant country of Cuba,” the letter states, “it is perplexing why VCU cannot engage with a Memorandum of Understanding on these two points of neighborhood concern with VCU’s adjacent neighbor, Oregon Hill.”

The plan includes reimagined campus “front doors” and green spaces for both campuses. Streetscapes will extend down Broad and Franklin streets in-between Monroe Park and MCV. The Master Plan aligns with the university’s existing plans, “Quest 2025: Together We Transform” — which addresses the rising cost of higher education and the school’s goal of national prominence — and VCU Health’s “Vision by Design,” which aims for top-level research, education and health care.

VCU President Michael Rao and Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney are optimistic about another city redevelopment project, which encompasses changes to Navy Hill, a neighborhood near the MCV campus. The redevelopment of the Navy Hill district was endorsed by Levar Stoney in November 2018 — projecting a new arena to replace the Coliseum, over 2,000 additional housing units and a new conference and tourism hotel. The plan requires approval from Richmond City Council.

“We highly value VCU’s contributions to the life of our city, and as it continues to prosper and expand its footprint in Richmond,” a spokesperson for Mayor Stoney stated in a press release. “We look forward to productive dialogue with both the university and the Commonwealth of Virginia on the importance of supporting city services.”

Marcus Messner to replace Hong Cheng at Robertson School FADEL ALLASSAN News Editor The Robertson School will have a new interim director come this summer, according to an email sent to its faculty and students.

Marcus Messner, who is currently the school’s deputy director, will replace outgoing director Hong Cheng, who will become dean of the School of Communication at Loyola University, Chicago.

Messner will take the director position a year after starting as associate director in July 2018. He is a professor in the school’s journalism sequence, teaching courses on social media and global communications.

Messner, who has more than 110 academic publications, studies the effects of social media on journalism, public relations and health communications. In 2014, he was recognized with the Excellence in Scholarship Award by the College of Humanities and Sciences. The College also recognized him as an Eminent Scholar in 2018.

VCU gave him the Distinguished Teaching Award in 2017.

As the Robertson School’s associate director, Messner helped launched the

school’s speaker series, which began in January.

The series included a panel on journalists covering Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam’s blackface scandals in February; a discussion on female empowerment by Martin Agency CEO Kirstin Cavallo and a talk on the weaponization of social media.

Cheng joined the School of Mass Communication in 2013 as the director. He came to Richmond from Ohio University, where he was a tenured professor in the E.W. Scripps School of Journal- Messner helped launch the Roberton School’s speaker series that began in January. CT file photo ism. Before that, he was a professor at Bradley University.

Cheng has a doctoral degree in mass leadership of the Robertson School during “It has been a very pleasant and produc- communications from Pennsylvania State the last six years, ” wrote Montserrat Fuentive experience to team up with you since last University and a master’s in international tes, dean of the College of Humanities and July,” Cheng wrote to Messner in an email to journalism from Shanghai International Sciences, in the email. “I know that the faculty and students. “While I will continue Studies University. He will begin his duties Robertson School will continue to excel to fulfill my duties faithfully until my depar- at Loyola in July, replacing Acting Dean under Marcus’s leadership and will carry ture in the summer, I will do everything I John Slania.

Hong’s legacy.” could to facilitate the transition. I know you “I would like to take this opportunity will continue to shine in this new role.” to thank Hong Cheng for his exceptional

4 The Commonwealth Times

Stat of the week

Lacrosse beat George Mason 13-12 for the first time in program history April 20 en route to its second straight A-10 tournament appearance.

Ball reflects on 20 years leading Golf NOAH FLEISCHMAN Sports Editor

Playing golf on a professional level is different than other sports — very few From Cary Street Gym players get contracts. They to Gladding Residence have to earn their paycheck Center, VCU has grown every week by making the and evolved from what it weekend cut. If they don’t, used to be 20 years ago. The they are not paid. same can be said for VCU’s “If they go out there golf team. and don’t play good that Something that has not week and miss the cut, they changed, though, is the don’t make a dime,” Ball team’s head coach, Matt Ball. said. “They spend $1,500 to “What hasn’t changed? $2,000 every week, and they Everything has changed,” may not make a dime. FiBall said. “From the way it nancially, it’s not like having looks, the way it runs, golf a contract knowing you’re has changed completely. Evgoing to be able to pay the erything is done a lot nicer. bills. They don’t even know The equipment is better, the how they’re going to pay for student athletes are treated the next meal or the next way better. In every way it entry fee sometimes.” has changed.”

The players that make Ball was introduced as Coach Matt Ball, left, is the second-longest tenured coach at VCU, coaching golf for 20 years. CT file photo it in the professional ranks golf coach in 1999 — 12 use their toughness to withyears after he graduated from VCU — as Ball said. “And as far as anyone can recollect, holds the program records for single-sea- stand the grind of working their way to the the first full-time golf coach in program it’s the only time in NCAA history that a son and career scoring average. Adam was PGA Tour. history. He made his return to the program father coached two of his kids.” also named Atlantic 10 Player of the Year “To see the struggle that they go through after playing under coach Jack Bell, who in both 2015 and 2016 while playing for and endure and come out on the top end of spent 17 years at the helm of the team. his father. that,” Ball said, “it’s absolutely amazing to During his time on the team, Ball was “That was the greatest thrill and one of see how difficult it is.” named to the Golf Coaches Association of the greatest treats in my life other than Even though Griffin and Campos have America’s Academic All-America team in them being born,” Ball said. “It was just re- reached the pinnacle of golf, Ball said they We won the conference 1987. On the course, Ball won two events ally cool. All of my pro friends, their kids are not the toughest players he’s coached at championship, went to in his four years. don’t play golf and they’re all jealous.”

VCU. That title is Vincent Nadeau’s.

“I’m really the first full-time coach that Ball is a decorated coach as well, receiving Nadeau played three seasons for the the NCAA Tournament we’ve ever had,” Ball said. “I always like to twice Colonial Athletic Association Coach Rams after transferring from Purdue. In his together. And as far as teach, so working with talented kids and of the Year and A-10 Coach of the Year.

VCU career, Nadeau won two event titles anyone can recollect, how good they could be is what drew me Under Ball’s guidance, many players are and had four top-five finishes. to coaching.” playing professionally after leaving VCU. “He had Crohn’s disease, and he’s recentit’s the only time in Ball is the second-longest tenured coach at Notably, Lanto Griffin — who has made ly just seemingly kicked cancer’s ass. He’s NCAA history that a VCU, behind Director of Tennis Paul Kostin, starts on the PGA Tour — and Rafa Cam- the toughest kid that I ever had,” Ball said. father coached two of who has coached the Rams for 29 years. pos, earned a win on the Web.com Tour “And I talk about him to every player that Ball has led Golf to seven conference this season. comes in here.” his kids.” titles and 12 tournament victories. But “Most of them when they come, that’s Ball uses Nadeau’s story to inspire playMatt Ball, Golf coach the highlight of his coaching career was their dream, [to make the PGA Tour],” Ball ers because of his grit and toughness. He — “somewhat selfishly,” he says — coachsaid. “All of them are willing to win, but not called Nadeau the “toughest son of a gun ing both of his sons in the 2013 NCAA Ball’s sons were both decorated players everybody is willing to do whatever it takes you ever met at 5-foot-6.”

Tournament. during their collegiate careers in Richmond. to win. Those that make it, they’re extreme“There was no way any golf course was “We won the conference championship, The older of the two, Matthew Jr., won five ly talented, gifted, want it really bad and going to beat him,” Ball said. “He always went to the NCAA Tournament together,” tournament titles. The younger, Adam, they’ve got a lot of guts.” figured out a way.”

Historic win vaults Lacrosse into A-10 tournament ANDY RIDDLER Contributing Writer Lacrosse won its third straight game April 20, knocking off George Mason on senior day 13-12 in a nail-biting finish, as senior midfielder Clare Murphy scored the game-winning goal with 1 1/2 minutes remaining.

“I am so proud of her,” said coach Jen O’Brien. “She played so smart today, she took really great chances, great risks and that’s a senior out there.”

The win not only clinched the Rams’ spot in the Atlantic 10 tournament — it also marked the program’s first win over George Mason.

Saturday wasn’t the first time Lacrosse found success on senior day. Last season, the Rams knocked off Massachusetts — snapping their 61-game A-10 winning streak — and locked their seat in the A-10 tournament for the first time in program history.

Senior attacker Molly Barcikowski

played her final game at Cary Street Field and did not disappoint. She matched her season high with five goals — three in the first half — and added two assists to set career highs in points, goals and assists.

“We know it’s really important to get Molly going early,” O’Brien said. “She is so smart and she has really been pushing the ball and dodging hard. And that opens up lanes for everyone else.”

The Rams held and lost a late three-goal lead, surrendering three unanswered goals in four minutes to the Patriots to tie the game.

Senior midfielder Sky Hyatt scored one goal in the game — her 45th of the season — and added three assists to her career.

VCU will face Saint Joseph’s in the first round of the A-10 tournament, and Senior midfielder Clare Murphy scored the game-winning goal with just over 1 1/2 O’Brien said she is up for the challenge of minutes remaining in the contest to beat George Mason. Photo by Gessler Santos-Lopez facing a team that has troubled them before.

“We’re going to a team that we haven’t program history and most recently fell to The Rams earned the No. 5 seed in the beat yet,” O’Brien said. “So we’re going to Saint Joseph’s March 29 17-13 in Phila- A-10 tournament and will face off at George enjoy it for a little bit.” delphia.

Mason against No. 4 Saint Joseph’s April 25 The Rams are 0-4 against the Hawks in at 1 p.m.

Wed. April 24, 2019 5

Gillispie rises to new heights on the mound NOAH FLEISCHMAN Sports Editor Many elite Division I pitchers have been on the mound their entire lives from Little League to high school. But junior right-handed pitcher Connor Gillispie is an outlier.

“I played mostly shortstop and corner growing up, but then my junior year I popped on the mound and I was throwing 90 [miles an hour],” Gillispie said. “So I was like screw it, I’ll be a pitcher.”

The Earlysville, Virginia, native boasted a 0.66 ERA his senior year at Miller School. That season, he logged 56 strikeouts and only walked 10. Gillispie’s impressive numbers earned him the Virginia Independent Conference Player of the Year after his senior campaign.

In his freshman season wearing black and gold, Gillispie posted 38 strikeouts and walked 19 batters in 12 appearances.

“Always had a good arm,” coach Shawn Stiffler said. “As a freshman [he] had high strikeout numbers, but he was kind of like a walk-the bases-loaded, strike-them-out type of guy.”

When Gillispie took the mound his sophomore year, he turned a lot of heads.

“He’s just grown each year,” Stiffler said.

“He had a solid freshman year. Then he came in as a sophomore, and I think surprised some people.”

That season, he logged 18 starts, striking out 97 and only walking 20 batters.

faithful to his work.”

This season, Gillispie has recorded 77 strikeouts — best in the Atlantic 10 — and walked 14 batters. His ERA fell again, this time to 1.92.

Stiffler credited the improvement over the past two seasons to Gillispie’s addition of a slider to his repertoire, as well as his relationship with pitching coach Mike McRae. “To me, it’s been the biggest jump for him,” Stiffler said. “His command has gotten better. He’s on a great page with McRae; they have a great understanding with each other. It’s just really taken off since their relationship started, Connor [Gillispie] has taken off and gotten better each week of the season.”

McRae arrived in Richmond before last season, and Gillispie has drastically improved since.

Junior right-handed pitcher Connor Gillispie has become comfortable with Gillispie has a 1.92 ERA this season while his slider, using it to his advantage and rackrecording 77 strikeouts in 56.1 innings ing up strikeouts. pitched. Photo by Gessler Santos-Lopez “I think the biggest thing for me is my slider command,” Gillispie said. “I can pretty Gillispie watched his ERA fall from 4.31 his much throw it whenever I want, it’s a tough freshman year to 2.57 his sophomore year. pitch to hit and not a lot of people want to But Gillispie did not sit back after a pro- hit that. So, it’s easy to get ahead with that ductive sophomore season, Stiffler said. He and I put a lot people away with it.” worked even harder.

Gillispie leads the country in starts with “And now he made another jump from 14 this season. pretty good to really good … Those are the “Connor [Gillispie] wants the baseball,” toughest jumps to make,” Stiffler said. “He’s Stiffler said. “He’s extremely competitive. continued to evolve, he’s continued to push And to have a guy that you know wants to himself. He’s continued to push his com- take it every opportunity he can is a nice mand and make his pitches better. He’s very feeling as a head coach.”

PRESS BOX

The Warriors should remain title favorites following Cousins’ injury RYAN GRUBE Contributing Writer Normal, fair-weather, bandwagon or otherwise, the Golden State Warriors’ fan base was shocked when starting center DeMarcus Cousins went down clutching his left quad in Game 2 of Golden State’s opening round matchup against the Los Angeles Clippers.

As Cousins suffered in pain just four minutes into the contest, panic-stricken fans started denouncing the Warriors’ title chances.

It’s a common practice for NBA fans every year — they give up on their team’s chances following a devastating injury to a key player like Cousins.

But in Golden State’s unique case, the odds shouldn’t change. They are still the undisputed favorites to capture their third consecutive NBA Finals championship.

The Warriors maintain an all-star-oriented lineup — consisting of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant and Draymond Green — who collectively average 82.2 points.

Along with those four all-stars, coach Steve Kerr has two capable backup centers: Andrew Bogut and Kevon Looney.

Bogut offers the Warriors experience and adept passing in the front court. The former No. 1 overall pick previously spent four seasons — 2012-2016 — with Golden State and knows the system well.

“I knew I was coming in as an insurance policy, to an extent,” Bogut said

Junior distance runner Ashley Brown placed fourth in the 800-meter with a time of 2:13.13. CT file photo

15 top-10 finishers pace successful performance at Virginia Challenge RYAN GRUBE Contributing Writer Track and Field battled tough weather conditions Friday, but the team was able to bounce back Saturday, recording 15 top-10 finishers to close out the Virginia Challenge April 19-20 in Charlottesville.

WOMEN’S Even though they didn’t score in Friday’s early field events, the Rams were quick to the podium when it was time to hit the track.

Freshman mid-distance runner Chanelle Hodges got things going for the Black and Gold with a first place victory in the 400-meter with a time of 55.59.

Junior distance runner Ashley Brown continued VCU’s hot stretch from there.

Brown delivered a fourth place finish in the 800, crossing the line with a time of 2:13.13.

After events were suspended Friday, senior thrower Camora Sanders kicked off Saturday with a 10th place effort in the shot put. She launched a toss of 15.04 meters to crack the top 10.

Sophomore jumper Aliyah Newman added a ninth place finish in triple jump, posting 12.36 meters.

MEN’S

Illustration by Steck Von

after Game 2. “I definitely didn’t anticipate starting in the playoffs, but unfortunately with the freak injury to DeMarcus [Cousins], that’s what the circumstances are.”

Meanwhile, Looney provides youth and a scoring spark off the bench. In his reserved role, the 2015 First Round pick has quietly averaged career-high points and rebounds in 2019 with 6.3 and 5.2, respectively.

While neither Bogut nor Looney possess Cousins’ well-known stature, their scoring and passing production effectively fills the void. The two-man tandem of Bogut and Looney have combined to average 15.4 points and 11.7 rebounds in the team’s first three postseason games.

The Warriors aren’t going to dominate teams in the paint — instead, they’ll overwhelm their opponents with consistent outside shooting.

Cousins’ arrival didn’t change Golden State’s offensive style of play. The team still managed to finish the regular season with a franchise-best 1,087 3-pointers.

Rather than relying on their centers for steady scoring, the Warriors utilize their big men as passing options for open shooters on the perimeter.

Cousins has been a proven scorer throughout his career, and his average of 16.3 points and 8.2 rebounds were certainly beneficial, but it isn’t necessary for Golden State’s success.

The skillful outside shooting from Curry, Thompson and Durant will continue pacing the Warriors in their playoff run.

Though Cousins’ injury is unfortunate, it shouldn’t alter Golden State’s playoff outlook. The Warriors are still well on their way to a three-peat of the NBA Finals in 2019.

Like the women, the men were unable to place in the top 10 in the opening day field events.

Later on, junior sprinter Chukwuezugo Aguolu completed a team sweep of Saturday’s 400-meter with another first place finish for the Rams, finishing with a time of 48.19.

Redshirt-senior sprinter Nicholas Buckingham added a sixth place finish in the event, clocking in a time of 49.26.

Senior jumper Bashir Idris put the Rams on the board in Saturday’s field events with a 7.45-meter leap to take home fourth place in the long jump. Idris also finished sixth in the triple jump invite, recording 14.87 meters.

The 110-meter saw junior sprinter Ian Davis take fifth place with a time of 14.08.

Freshman hurdler Sebastian Evans crossed the line with a time of 55.70, contributing a fourth place finish in the 400.

Freshman hurdler Emmanuel Waller added an eighth place effort in the 400 with a 53.59 mark.

Track and Field makes its way to the Atlantic 10 Outdoor Championships May 4-5 at UMass.

6 The Commonwealth Times

Baseball wins big Saturday, Spiders walk off Sunday ADAM CHEEK Staff Writer Baseball trekked across town to Richmond over the weekend, as the Rams took one of three games. Severe storms moved Friday’s game to Saturday, forcing a doubleheader.

SUNDAY The Rams and Spiders battled for 11 innings in Sunday’s feature, and Richmond came out on top with a 5-4 win.

In the 11th inning, Richmond’s Mark Ready grounded a ball back to senior right-handed pitcher Benjamin Dum, who tried to beat the runner at home for the force out, but was a step too late.

The Spiders struck in the bottom half of the first, with Anthony Forte blasting a two-run home run to right. VCU matched that total in the third, tying the game at two after junior infielder Brett Norwood also hit a two-run home run.

In the top of the fifth, junior infielder Paul Witt singled to right field, scoring sophomore outfielder Hogan Brown and advancing Norwood to third. Sophomore utility player Liam Hibbits then lofted a single into center, scoring Norwood and VCU up by two.

However, RBI hits by Richmond’s offense knotted the game up at four, tying it once again. The next five frames featured zeros across the board, with neither team gaining an advantage and neither bullpen cracking.

Both teams used at least three pitch-

ers, with VCU’s sophomore starter Justin Sorokowski putting in nearly five innings of work. Sorokowski struck out six and allowed four runs.

Freshman right-handed pitcher Evan Chenier then took the mound for 2.1 innings; he allowed no hits in 10 batters faced and struck out one. Dum then entered the game, striking out two but inheriting the loss after Richmond’s walk-off.

came in the opening half of the sixth inning to push the lead to 11.

GAME 1

SATURDAY GAME 2 The Rams dominated the Spiders in the second game at Pitt Field, winning 16-3 and racking up 13 hits.

Saturday’s second game featured the Rams’ offense at their best — the team put up 16 runs over five innings against the Spiders’ pitching.

Witt went 3-for-3, driving in seven runs, two on a two-RBI triple. Sophomore infielder Zac Ching and Norwood also recorded three hits each, and Norwood added two RBI. Starting senior pitcher Jack Alkire went five innings with three strikeouts, walking three and allowing two runs. Freshman left-handed pitcher Jaden Griffin and freshman right-handed pitcher Danny Watson relieved the Rams on Saturday, each throwing two innings.

A Witt base hit and a wild pitch put VCU up 2-0 in the top of the first, but a Richmond two-run homer tied it up in the bottom of the inning. Three Rams recorded

Freshman right-handed pitcher Danny Watson pitched two shutout innings in game two against Richmond, allowing one hit and striking out three. Photo by Gessler Santos-Lopez RBI in the top of the second inning, and five Black and Gold players crossed the plate to put VCU up 7-2.

Norwood then plated junior outfielder Alex Taylor in the top of the fourth to extend the lead to six. Five more VCU runs

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The opposite occurred at the first game Saturday, as both offenses put up respectable performances, but Richmond edged out the Rams 8-5.

Brown and Hibbits each put up two hits, with Brown knocking in a run and Hibbits scoring two of his own. Taylor also drove in a pair of runs, while Ching and junior infielder Steven Carpenter added one apiece.

Taylor drove in Hibbits in the top of the second to open up the scoring, and Brown drove in Carpenter soon after for a 2-0 lead.

The Spiders tallied a pair of runs in the bottom of the inning, taking a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the fifth after an RBI double. Taylor, Ching and sophomore catcher Hunter Vay notched an RBI apiece in the top of the eighth to retake the lead with a two-run advantage, but Richmond rallied to tie in the bottom of the frame.

Richmond senior catcher Kyle Schmidt put the final nail in VCU’s coffin, blasting a three-run shot to walk it off for the Spiders in the bottom of the ninth inning.

The Rams will take on George Washington at home for a three-game weekend starting April 26 at 6:30 p.m. They will then host Virginia for the Duel at The Diamond April 30.

VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY

Vol. 60 — SPECIAL

817 WEST BROAD STREET

April 24, 2019

RICHMOND, VIRGINIA 23220

Tel. (804) 828-1058

The CT celebrates its 50th anniversary

CT HISTORY 3

COVERAGE HIGHLIGHTS 6

REFLECTIONS 8

2 COMMONWEALTH TIMES —Wednesday, April 24, 2019

After 50 years, The CT honors its history

By Georgia Geen Executive Editor A few months ago, Ryan Rich, the design editor, and I were clicking through the archives of The Commonwealth Times when we happened upon a cover that caught our attention. The first issue of The CT featured a young woman in late ‘60s garb holding a sign. The design work, the dress collar, the entire image felt like a relic.

The date on the publication was Sept. 10, 1969. It didn’t take long to realize the significance of the upcoming calendar year.

“Let’s put out a special issue for the 50th anniversary,” Ryan said, or something to that effect.

He mocked up a front page mimicking the design of The CT’s inaugural publication, and the concept was born.

This special section aims to recreate the design of the first issue of The Commonwealth Times, — as closely as possible when our tools involve almost exclusively the Adobe Suite — and showcase some highlights of our history. It’s far from comprehensive; 50 years can’t be condensed into eight pages. What I hope we’ve achieved is an eclectic mix that gives a taste of all The CT has been: a “rag-tag” community of students, a player in the underground scene and a hub for award-winning journalism.

The issue’s design is born out of a reverence for the work of the people who had fewer tools than we do. It combines

different elements from the paper’s design over the years to indicate the range of processes and aesthetics.

Five decades have brought changes to the staff and our content. Gone are cheeky house ads for recruiting new staffers — which discouraged “narcs” and anyone “ugly,” “too busy” or “over 7 mos. pregnant” from applying in 1971. Our only hand-drawn artwork is a few thrown-together, ironically bad comics published out of necessity. Glancing over past mastheads indicates the staff used to be male-dominated — with the exception of a few semesters, the opposite has been true for most of the paper’s recent history. And while our racial diversity, especially among higher-up positions, isn’t always commendable, it’s better than it used to be.

But at its core, not much has changed about the paper.

Our office has moved many times, but it’s still a medley of a hangout spot, a high-stress and somewhat dramatic newsroom and, occasionally, an overnight residency for the sentimental editor or staffer in need of housing. We still get together for a drink — or 10. The Commonwealth Times was, is and will always be a magnet for talented, hardworking journalists with varying levels of dedication to punctuality. It’s an honor to follow the legacy established by my predecessors and to have played a role in bringing our history to light.

CT archives

The very first cover of The Commonwealth Times featured Jeri Cutler-Voltz, who started the School of the Performing Arts in the Richmond Community, or SPARC, in 1981.

Commonwealth Times 817 West Broad St., Richmond, Va. 23284

Georgia Geen Executive Editor

Ryan Rich Design Editor

Saffeya Ahmed Managing Editor

Evan McGrady Distribution Manager

Fadel Allassan News Editor

STUDENT MEDIA CENTER

Noah Fleischman Sports Editor Andrew Ringle Spectrum Editor Brianna Scott Opinions Editor Steck Von Illustrations Editor

Allison Bennett Dyche Director Mark Jeffries Creative Media Manager Jacob McFadden Business Manager Emily Furlich Assistant Business Manager

CT archives

The CT’s back page had a “call to action” for students to join the paper by contributing their writing, photos and illustrations.

REPRESENTED FOR ADVERTISING BY THE

VCU Student Media Center

A DEPARTMENT OF The Division of Student Affairs 817 W. Broad St., Richmond, VA. 23284

Member Virginia Press Association

Published weekly (during the school year) except holidays and examination periods.

Cover image Illustration by Sammy Newman

COMMONWEALTH TIMES —Wednesday, April 24, 2019 3

History A CT editor challenged a preRoe v. Wade abortion law

By Fadel Allassan News Editor Bill Royall was no bystander as the United States underwent a decade packed with social changes.

The former CT executive editor was something of a maverick, and the newspaper he led in 1971-72 was a reflection of that.

With nude photography and ads for vibrators, the CT spreads were a monument to the remnants of the counterculture of the 1960s that prevailed into the following decade.

The newspaper, which was in its first year as an entity independent from VCU, was also a testament to the First Amendment — a cornerstone of journalism. Royall believed so firmly in the press freedoms enshrined in one of the nation’s founding documents that he nearly paid a big price for it.

Royall took the risk when he approved an advertisement for an abortion service in Washington D.C., where abortion was legal, in the school newspaper. Campus papers around the country ran ads funded by Planned Parenthood.

But at that time in Virginia, state law made it illegal to encourage abortions via lectures, advertisements or any other manner.

“I had a feeling that that law wouldn’t stand up in court,” Royall said decades later.

The ad ran. So did an editorial written by Royall on behalf of his staff, explaining they did not believe the law aligned with the First Amendment.

“In this week’s issue of The Commonwealth Times, we have found it necessary to knowingly break the law,” the article read. “The only quick way to get rid of this unfair law is to bring it to court. We trust that a fair state court and almost any federal court would find this law unconstitutional and strike it down.”

Royall said the newspaper became the talk of the town when it came out on Jan. 6, 1972. The staff of The CT did not hide from what they published, either.

Staff members went to the state Capitol and passed out copies.

Royall said the Commonwealth’s Attorney in Richmond at the time said he had broken the law and that he should expect to be arrested soon. Royall immediately lawyered up, hiring an lawyer intent on protecting people’s civil liberties.

The Student Media Board called Royall for questioning and gave the editor the reprimanding he expected. Members of the board feared running the ad could affect VCU’s allocation of state funds by the state legislature at a time when the university was particularly cash-strapped.

The board eventually decided to not punish Royall.

Royall said The Commonwealth Times’ faculty advisor, George Crutchfield, was fully supportive. So were members of The CT staff, who remained unfazed throughout the ordeal.

“It was the usual laughing and joking about it the entire time,” Royall said. “People were asking

me what I was going to eat in jail.”

In a letter to the editor in February, Sharon Naiman, a member of the D.C. chapter of Women’s National Abortion Action Coalition, called the effort “praiseworthy” and said it “stands as an example for the news media as a whole.”

“While I would support your right to print these advertisements, I would question whether you are doing a service to your readers by so doing,” wrote Robert Duvall in the same issue. “I would question whether these agencies are providing a legitimate service, or in fact, whether they are trying to make a quick profit from women in difficult circumstances.”

Royall said he has never had a stance on whether abortion should be legal, despite it being one of the most controversial issues of the time.

“It wasn’t that I was pro or anti-abortion,” Royall said. “We thought that students needed to know this information. We also wanted to test the law.”

“I was ready to go to jail for it.”

Bill Royall

It was an activist endeavor on Royall’s part. He saw what he viewed as an unjust law and decided to challenge it.

“I was ready to go to jail for it,” Royall said. “I had already been to army basic training at that point so nothing could scare me.”

CT archives

This abortion services ad, which ran in The CT, was similar to those published across the country in 1972.

The Commonwealth’s Attorney never sent anyone to arrest Royall, and he was never taken to court. Royall said the General Assembly revised the legislation in question months later, changing it to make only promoting or encouraging “illegal” abortions a crime. It was “absolutely” because of The CT’s abortion ad, Royall said.

Royall went on to work for the Republican National Committee,

working with the 1972 re-election campaign of Richard Nixon, which he said “didn’t fit the profile” of someone who had advocated for loosening speech laws surrounding abortion.

“There were some people who were smarter than me,” Royall said, “but there was no one better prepared for the job because what I learned at The Commonwealth Times and VCU.”

1992 CT staff writer wanted by the FBI after disappearance

By Hannah Eason Contributing Writer It was June 1992 when CT Sports Editor John Medeiros rushed home from work to catch the Stanley Cup Finals on TV. W hile his other roommates sat in the living room, he went into his roommate Keith Lennon’s bedroom to watch the game. Lennon was a CT staff writer.

It wasn’t until Medeiros sat down that he realized there was no television, and the entire room was empty. All that was left was the bed and dresser.

“He was only there that morning,” Medeiros said. “There was nothing that we knew of him that made us give it a second thought.”

So, he watched the Stanley Cup on a different TV.

Days passed, and Lennon’s roommates were pushed to a point of worry and curiosity.

Medeiros and his other roommate, Jeff, went to the Richmond airport to see if Lennon’s car was there.

They found it — with the keys inside — and drove it back to their house. Only a few days later they received a letter from Lennon from Hope, Arkansas.

“It was his goodbye to us,” Medeiros said.

Medeiros said they learned from Lennon’s mother he stole more than $250,000. A CT article from Aug. 30, 1993 states Lennon pleaded guilty to embezzling almost a quarter million dollars from a Seattle hospital where he worked. When Lennon’s roommates thought he was going back to Seattle to visit his sister, the 29-year-old was

CT archives

FBI fugitive Keith Lennon was never found after he disappeared in 1993. actually making court appearances on the West Coast.

Lennon was declared a fugitive by the FBI after failing to appear in court for his sentencing,

where he faced 35 years in prison. Richmond FBI agents interrogated Medeiros and his fellow roommates on Lennon’s whereabouts.

“He just plain disappeared,” Medeiros said. “He’s never been found as of this day.”

While Medeiros contributed to the coverage of Lennon’s disappearance during the early ‘90s, he also contributed the name “Spectrum” when the paper was renaming the arts and entertainment section.

The section was originally coined “Folio,” but the name lacked the vibrancy that art brought to VCU through community theater, dance shows, authors and artists. Medeiros caught the new idea from his favorite hockey team, the Philadelphia Flyers, and their new arena at the time, the Spectrum.

“Think of it this way — it’s the different colors of the rainbow, and it could represent different things that you cover, arts and entertainment,” Medeiros remembered pitching in a meeting.

As the sports editor, Medeiros filmed the 1992 NCAA Field Hockey Final Four hosted by VCU at Cary Street Field. The tape was distributed to other college sports stations and broadcasted on television. Medeiros also witnessed VCU’s entrance into the Metro Belt Conference, which opened the doors to compete against bigger athletic schools across the nation.

“I think we had more impact than we really knew,” Medeiros said. “You don’t really realize it when you’re there.”

4 COMMONWEALTH TIMES —Wednesday, April 24, 2019

The evolution of CT flags

By Ryan Rich Design Editor Over the past 50 years, The CT has revamped its visual identity numerous times to adapt to new design trends and technologies. These changes are most noticeable in the paper’s flag, or nameplate, on the front page.

A flag can transcend a simple logotype to embody a mission or reflect the paper’s ethos. Minute changes in color and arrangement aside, The CT has had 30 distinct flags, as of 2019.

Certain CT flags truly encapsulate an era in time. For example, consider the flags in the right-

Sept. 1969 – Feb. 1971

hand column. With the advent of desktop publishing in the early ‘90s, it became easy to stretch and skew type, as well as to add effects like drop shadows and gradients. CT designers during this time might have benefited from the mantra: “Just because you can doesn’t mean you should.”

In the grand scheme of things, it’s rare for a CT flag to last more than a few years. But considering the rapid turnaround of convicted young journalists, that makes sense. As the staff turns over, so will the visual identity of the paper and the emblem that represents it: the flag.

Aug. – Dec. 1989

Jan. – Feb. 1990

Sept. 1969 – Feb. 1971

Feb. – May 1971

Feb. – March 1990

April – May 1990

Sept. 1971 – May 1972 Aug. 1990 – March 1992 Sept. 1972 – May 1973 March – Dec. 1992 Sept. 1973 – May 1974

Sept. 1974 – April 1975 Jan. 1993 – Oct. 1997 May 1975 Oct. 1997 – Aug. 2000

June – July 1975

Sept. 1975 – April 1976

Aug. 2000 – Dec. 2001

Jan. – Feb. 2002

Feb. 2002 – March 2003 Sept. 1976 – Dec. 1979 March 2003 – June 2006

Jan. – March 1980

March 1980 – April 1983

Aug. 2006 – April 2013

July 1983 – April 1989 July 2013 – April 2018 April – June 1989 Aug. 2018 – present

Alumni recount CT memories Stephen Hicks, reporter, 2005-2007: I always enjoyed being able to go to the office.

It would usually be at night pretty late when people are editing stories and trying to make sure that everything is good. I've always felt like The CT was like a really great collection simply of smart people.

I've always considered myself to be somewhat of a cool nerd, and The CT had the right amount of nerdom, but along with coolness where you felt as if you were informed, you were engaged.

“The Commonwealth Times is forever going to be stamped in my memory.”

Stephen Hicks

I'm super appreciative of that. I'm just thankful — I think The Commonwealth Times is forever going to be stamped in my memory as a place that afforded me a lot of opportunities and trusted me enough to execute [them].

Christian Finkbeiner, staff writer, co-news editor, executive editor, 1998-2000: We had to paste [the paper] up on flats, all the pages, put it in a shed in an alley somewhere.

Our printer was the Hopewell News. They would pick it up by 6 a.m. and print it.

That driver came up to that shed in the alley at 6 a.m., and if they weren’t in there, he left.

There were times we missed the deadline, so I had to take the flats and drive down to Hopewell, which is not a brief drive.

Another time, I was young and didn’t know that a tabloid paper, the pages have to be in multiples of four. I sent them 14 pages — you can’t have a 14-page tabloid. I got a call at 6-something in the morning. “There’s no such thing as a 14-page tabloid.” So I had to drive from my house in Southside, go into the production room, put together another flat, put public service announcements on it and drive it down to Hopewell.

It was an interesting time, but we were in there. And for me, I felt, actually for the first time, like a real journalist. I had found something I had a passion for, but it was always an adventure. It was a great time. That’s what really got me to love newspapers and journalism.

Melanie Seiler, copy editor, co-news editor, executive editor 1993-1996: We worked hard and played hard. We were a tight-knit group who spent most of our waking hours together. Many takeout dinners eaten over the light tables in the layout room. Trips downtown to see Pat McGee.

Gessler Santos-Lopez

Dale Brumfield, The CT’s art director from 1979-1981, climbs the stairs inside Milheiser House, the building where the newspaper used to operate.

Cramming for tests because we’d skipped all of the classes before then to get the paper out.

Jim Meisner Jr., writer, associate editorial editor, 1991-1993: We had a couple of years there where we were kind of on our own when there was very little oversight. What happened when I was there — let me say it right now, I was against it — they published an April Fool’s front page edition that made fun of the president and the sport’s manager, the athletic director, and I think there were allusions to prostitutes.

Because it was so, so close to libel, we had to take the cover off [every copy] and replace it.

The whole front page was one big parody, then you turn the front page and the real cover is on the inside.

Gail O’Hara, staff writer, calendar editor, folio editor, 19861988: It was a lot of fun. It was a strange group of people, probably not as diverse as it is now. I looked at The Commonwealth Times’ website, and it looks like there’s a little more diversity happening now, which is good. But we did have an interesting crew, and I had a lot of fun writing.

It was just like any other place where you’re not paying people for their content … whatever comes in.

Sharon Richardson, staff writer, folio editor, 1980-1981: I loved Milheiser House, because by the time I started working with them we were in Milheiser. I just loved the fact that here we were the student newspaper in this gorgeous historic building.

The CT had its moments of silliness, but for the most part it was hard-hitting journalism, and I loved that. There was a lot of camaraderie, especially in those early years for me. It just was this really great collaborative and creative process.

One of the things that struck me almost right away, The CT was almost entirely male. But it was collaborative, you didn’t have to fight to be heard. If you wanted to pitch a story idea, you weren’t

dismissed because you were a woman.

I think I was the lone [black editor]. I do remember having to constantly fight, remind them to sort of broaden the outlook a little bit. When there’s not diversity on a news staff, you are missing important stories or different perspectives on a story because that’s not your reality, so you don’t even know to consider.

Dale Brumfield, art director, 1979-1981: We didn’t consider ourselves a campus paper. We considered ourselves a community paper. We were picked up by a lot of non-students, which is great.

Probably one of the most controversial stories we did while I was there on a punk rock band called Dickey Disgusting and the Degenerate Blind Boys. It turns out, Dickey is basically a male prostitute during the day. So that’s what we say in the story.

The story was full of f-bombs and vulgar language. The story comes out called “I’m Nasty and They Don’t Like It.” That story hit like a nuclear bomb on campus. [President Edmund] Ackell sees it and goes crazy, saying it would ruin the reputation of the university. Then he did something he never should have done; he threatened to pull funding from The Commonwealth Times. The president of the university threatened to pull the newspaper’s funding because of a story he didn’t like. That, to us, was the worst form of censorship that you could do.

Bill Royall, staff writer, executive editor, 1971-1972: The camaraderie of the staff — the laughs. Back then, we had to set type and run it through a glue machine. So we were there until two or three in the morning writing headlines and trying to make them fit.

Where the provost’s office is now, we used to be on the third floor of that building.

The balcony that overlooks Shafer Court, we’d sit on that balcony and talk about stories.

It was a great experience.

COMMONWEALTH TIMES —Wednesday, April 24, 2019 5

Former CT staff emphasize importance of student media Stephen Hicks, reporter, 20052007: I think first it gives the student the opportunity to get involved and have some knowledge of the inner workings of putting together a publication.

It gives a platform for students and faculty and everyone else to have a hub of information that's not coming from the university, that's not being filtered through the university's PR department. It provides a community for young writers who want to be able to connect with the world and also connect with their people at a school or in the city.

Christian Finkbeiner, staff writer, co-news editor, executive editor, 1998-2000: Especially when you’re dealing with academia, there’s a lot of egos and, excuse my language, but ass-covering.

You have an independent student press to go out there and find what’s really happening — otherwise, when you get news, from my experience, from the administration, all it is is spinning good news. It’s important to have someone to go out there and beat the bushes and find out what’s really going on.

“It’s important to have someone to go out there and beat the bushes and find out what’s really going on..”

Christian Finkbeiner

Melanie Seiler, copy editor, conews editor, executive editor 1993-1996: Working at The CT informed my career trajectory.

The CT was my first foray into managing a team and building successful structures. My work as executive editor solidified my desire to work professionally in newspapers. I aimed to become

Bobby Miller

a managing editor of a major daily. Today, I manage a team of 34, and many of my challenges are the same as during my CT days. Plus, my current VCU team would tell you that I'm still an extra tough editor and a guardian of AP Style — % versus percent is KILLING ME. Jim Meisner Jr., writer, associate editorial editor, 1991-1993: The level of professionalism, we just learned it from the people before us. The people before us taught us, then we taught the next people, and they taught the next ones. The level of professionalism ended up with a really good product that we were all really proud of.

Sharon Richardson, staff writer, folio editor, 1980-1981: It covers issues happening on that campus that the local media may or may not pick up on, they may not be aware of it. It covers the issues that matter to, particularly the students on that campus, but also

Notable CT hate Compliled by Georgia Geen, Executive Editor “It was a clubhouse atmosphere where they made quite clear who they favored and who they did not, and most of the ones they didn’t eventually stopped just trying … The ‘C’ also stands for ‘circle-jerk.’” — 2016 blog post from former opinions writer Sean Korsgaard “The Commonwealth Times is a sorry excuse for a paper … Simply put, the Commonwealth Times sucks (present tense and, most likely, future).” — Alexander Fogle in a Feb. 26 1991 letter to the editor to The CT

the faculty and staff. The other thing is, I think it gives student writers, artists and editors an outlet — a creative outlet to learn how to be citizen journalists.

It’s people learning how to look around their community, whatever that community is, take note of issues or things that need to be brought to people’s attention and then present the information.

Bill Royall, staff writer, executive editor, 1971-1972: The experience you get, it's similar to an internship. Especially as executive editor.

I learned a lot, and I think a lot of other people did too. The people who were on The CT during that time by in large turned out to be very successful in life.

“It’s people learning how to look around their community, whatever that community is.”

“I did not like the quality of writing in The Times. Every place I’ve been we’ve always had a very active student newspaper that I’ve enjoyed, except this place. It’s no secret.” — former VCU President Dr. Edmund Ackell in an interview with The CT published Sept. 21, 1981 “[The CT is] a defensive little group of kids that think they have this wonderful mandate from students for existing.” — anonymous VCU journalism student in Dec. 7, 1980 letter to the editor to Richmond Times-Dispatch “I feel I really don’t need to cite any more examples of how worthless the Commonwealth Times is, because the paper speaks for itself. Besides, no matter what I say here, it would not influence any half intelligent person because they most likely have already formed a similar opinion of the Times.” — Roy Manuel, urban studies student, in an April 22, 1980 letter to the editor to The CT

Bill Royall

“The ‘C’ also stands for ‘circle-jerk.’”

Sean Korsgaard

“I see you stooped to a new low …

I'm speaking of the bare ass you so proudly bannered on' your ‘centerspread’ in last week’s issue. What do you think you’re doing? ... (Mind you at this point that I’m not making any reference at all to the disgusting copy accompanying the photos, stuff about barber poles on some fellow’s wong; for example). … Good God I say. Clean your act up. Larry Flynt one day, and for God’s sake, I hope it will be Jim Jennings the next!!

Hoping you roast in Hell, I close sincerely yours.” — Oscar Willis Le Guereye, human sexuality and juvenile justice, in Feb. 28, 1977 letter to the editor to The CT

CT archives ABOVE: The CT ran this cover in the issue that featured an interview with the VCU president.

BELOW: A letter to the editor complained of The CT's publication of this image.

CT archives

6 COMMONWEALTH TIMES —Wednesday, April 24, 2019

Coverage highlights Reliving the magical run to the Final Four

By Noah Fleischman Sports Editor Men’s Basketball has a tradition of making the NCAA Tournament, playing in the Big Dance eight of the last nine years.

The streak dates back to 2011, when the Rams made their magical run from the First Four to the Final Four — the first team to accomplish the feat.

The bid to the tournament in 2011 was something few people on campus thought would come to fruition, as the Rams were on the bubble to get in. There was so much uncertainty that coach Shaka Smart did not even hold a viewing party with the team, a common trend today.

When Adam Stern, the sports editor of The CT, found out the Rams were in the tournament, he was driving on the highway headed home from Richmond.

“I remember when I was on my way home, I was on the interstate, and I was driving up and my buddy was just updating,” Stern said. “And all the sudden he said we made it. We weren't even watching the live [broadcast],

and I remember just flipping out.”

The Rams were selected to face the University of Southern California in the First Four days after Selection Sunday. So, Stern and two others were sent to Dayton, Ohio, by the Student Media Center to cover the game.

VCU ended up cruising past USC and was slated to face Georgetown in the First Round in Chicago, so just like the team jetted to the next location, Stern and company followed days later.

The Rams trounced Georgetown just like USC, and CT staff started to realize the run was becoming something historic.

“We went to Chicago,” Stern said. “I think we beat Southern California by like 10 to 15 points and sure enough again, we blew out Georgetown. That's when we started realizing it was something special going on.”

The CT trio trekked through the entire tournament covering the Rams run, traveling from Chicago to San Antonio, Texas, where the Rams faced Florida State in the Sweet 16.

“We had basically won three blowout games in a row. Finally,

CT archives

Men's Basketball won the Southwest Region Championship and advanced to the Final Four after beating Kansas 71-61.

Florida State gives us a tough game, and we end up winning on a basically a buzzer-beater

by Richmond native and legend Bradford Burgess,” Stern said.

“Next thing you know, we're in the Elite Eight.”

Burgess’ buzzer-beating shot put the Rams in the Elite Eight against Kansas. Stern said that he thought the run was going to come to an end facing the No. 1-seeded Jayhawks.

“I thought we might win because we were playing incredible.

But in the back of my mind I was like, OK, like you’re being unrealistic. Today’s when you go home,” Stern said.

After the Rams beat Kansas and clinched a spot in the Final Four, Broad Street was flooded with VCU students and fans celebrating the win. Stern said during the postgame press conference, the players watched

videos of the party in the street.

With the Rams playing on the national stage, Stern rubbed shoulders with many sports writers and personalities he read and saw on television every day.

“Walking in the media center, you’re walking next to guys like that who have been covering college basketball for like 20, 30 years,” Stern said. “Greg Doyle at that time, who is now with the Indianapolis Star, he was a big CBS sports writer and I got to meet him.”

Stern and company also had an interesting encounter in a restaurant at the Elite Eight in San Antonio, Texas.

Pat Forde, a sports writer for Yahoo, bought the CT trio a round of drinks at the restaurant.

“We went out to a bar and literally Pat Forde, the Yahoo writer, was there,” Stern said. “One way or another he ended up realizing that this table of us were VCU fans, and literally like Pat Forde just bought us a round.”

The experience was a lasting memory and one Stern said he will never forget — including when Forde bought them drinks.

How The CT covered major school shootings when ‘nothing like this had happened before’

By Georgia Geen Executive Editor When Pat Kane first heard about the shooting at Virginia Tech, he thought it might be a cover story — they’d look for a local angle and watch out for a vigil. But then the number of fatalities started to climb.

“Another former editor called me and just said, ‘I mean, you got to get going,’ because once that number hit you know, 20,” Kane said, “it was clear it was one of the worst mass shootings of all time.”

Kane, the executive editor, grabbed three reporters, and the group made the hours-long drive to Blacksburg after that phone call on April 16, 2007. That day, a student at Virginia Tech shot and killed 32 people before shooting and killing himself inside the school’s Norris Hall.

The Commonwealth Times won the national Society of Professional Journalists Mark of Excellence award for its breaking news coverage of the shooting. The print edition published three days afterward was filled almost exclusively with related

stories — on the main events, the vigils, campus safety and the role of Facebook following the shooting. Kane wrote in a Style Weekly piece that the staff finished production at 4:38 a.m. the day of publication.

“There are some mixed feelings about winning an award for one of the worst tragedies in American history,” Kane said.

Despite those emotions, Kane said the staff could have made choices that wouldn’t have led to the quality of coverage it produced. It was the end of the semester, after all, with only a few issues left and graduation looming.

“I could have said, ‘No we’re not going to Tech.’ We could have said, ‘You know, it’s the end of the semester, everyone’s stressed out,’” Kane said. “But I think we did kind of dig deep and decide to put in the work.”

Kane, who was previously photo editor, took photos, and the group found itself among national media — Katie Couric, who was then with CBS, took Kane’s seat at a press conference.

When going about for manon-the-street interviews, Kane

CT archives

Executive Editor Pat Kane took photos at Virginia Tech following the shooting. said they were often mistaken for Virginia Tech students. They had to “constantly” tell other journalists, “Sorry, we’re not [Virginia Tech] students, we’re reporters too.”

Adding to the confusion was the fact that reporter Stephen Hicks’ letterman jacket — which was actually from his cousin’s high school — had colors similar to Tech’s. Students there initially thought he was representing their university’s paper, not The Commonwealth Times, until he introduced himself and indicated otherwise.

“Students seemed to gravitate toward me,” Hicks said.

For Hicks, it was important for him to “step his game up” when covering the shooting. He said he was “floored” when Kane called him months later to tell him about the Mark of Excellence award.

“It was a really great feeling,” Hicks said.“I was able to respond to Pat’s phone call and I was able to make myself available to be

a part of a team effort to cover such an important moment.”

Virginia Tech wasn’t the first school shooting in the 2007 staff ’s memory. The Columbine shooting, which The CT covered by sending a photographer and a reporter to Littleton, Colorado, had occurred eight years previously when Hicks was in middle school.

A journalism professor at the Robertson School of Media and Culture, Wilma Wirt, urged the executive editor at the time, Christian Finkbeiner, to send someone to cover it. She footed the bill for the plane tickets, Finkbeiner remembers.

“I thought, ‘ What? Why would we do that, we’re a student newspaper,’” Finkbeiner said. “If she hadn’t gotten the plane ticket, we obviously wouldn’t have done it. Once she said this is something we should do, we jumped on it.”

High school wasn’t that far in the distance for most staffers,

which Finkbeiner said influenced the coverage. That made their perspectives different from those of journalists working in national media. But the shock was universal.

“It was an aberration, it wasn’t like today where it’s an issue,” Finkbeiner said. “This was an isolated event, nothing like this had happened before.”

Hicks was a teenager when Columbine happened, right as members of his generation were “coming into ourselves.” The proximity of the Virginia Tech shooting, and the fact that many VCU students were peers of the victims, “colored” The CT’s reporting, he said.

“I was in middle school when Columbine happened, but I was an adult and I was reporting when Virginia Tech was happening,” Hicks said. “A lot of these folks were my peers … I could have easily been in that room.”

COMMONWEALTH TIMES —Wednesday, April 24, 2019 7

CT archives

Before Richmond’s own heavy metal band grew into the mainstream, members of Gwar were interviewed by two staff writers from The CT.

Gwar was in The CT before it was cool

By Andrew Ringle Spectrum Editor On Halloween in 1986, Shafer Court became the bloodied landing pad for a team of alien rock stars. Their Friday night setlist included songs like “U Ain’t Shit” and “AEIOU.” The concert was photographed by Bob Hedler of The Commonwealth Times, and images of the costumed musicians appeared in the newspaper five days later.

Gwar is a heavy metal band that started in Richmond during the 1980s, and its core membership, although frequently rotating, often included VCU students. Their performances are notoriously grotesque, often portraying intense onstage violence while spilling fake blood, semen and urine onto the audience.

“Gwar is what you might call an anti-pretension, performance art, speed metal thrash experience,” read a 1987 Folio article in The CT. The section is now known as Spectrum. “It’s a pro-

duction, a parody, a bloody, violent as hell show. Gwar wants to ‘flood the world with blood.’”

Since their first concerts in Richmond, the band has grown into expanded media, like trading cards, comic books, signature beers and — as of 2015 — a restaurant in Jackson Ward. The band keeps a close relationship with its hometown, which lead singer Dave Brockie called, “a cultural oasis in a world of mediocrity.”

Each band member portrays a character, and together, the cast assembles into a group of interplanetary warriors sent to Earth after causing problems in their homeworld. They have made several televised in-character appearances, including interviews with Joan Rivers and Jerry Springer.

During the 1980s, The CT called Gwar, “a cross between Kiss and Blowfly and the Circle Jerks and Spinal Tap from hell.”

Gwar was founded in 1984 by Canadian singer Dave Brockie who sang and played bass for a

punk band named Death Piggy. Brockie met VCU students Hunter Jackson and Chuck Varga at the Richmond Dairy, an abandoned milk-bottling factory in Jackson Ward that was refurbished into an apartment complex. In ruins, the space was illicitly rented out to artists and musicians.

Jackson and Varga were making an amateur science fiction movie in the Richmond Dairy while Death Piggy was using the space for rehearsals. After meeting the two, Brockie wanted to use Jackson’s movie costumes to stage a fake opening performance for his band.

Clad in homemade alien armor, Gwar — then called “Gwaaarrrgghhlllgh” to allude to the parody group’s only catchphrase — had their earliest performance. What started as a joke eventually developed into Death Piggy’s replacement.

In a 1987 issue of The CT, Gwar members Brockie, Russ Bahorsky, Sean Summer and

Steve Douglas were interviewed by staff writers Frances B. Tartan and Gail O’Hara.

“Death Piggy is the whole reason Gwar came into existence except for the genius of Hunter Jackson, who is a bizarre man working in the bowels of the Richmond Dairy,” Brokie said in the interview. “Death Piggy met Hunter and we saw these costumes and we knew that they needed to be draped on our bodies, that they needed to be alive.”

When O’Hara was the editor of the Folio section in 1988, Gwar made it onto the front page of the paper. At the time, O’Hara said, the band embodied an artistic movement of the decade.

“It was some kind of like cartoonish cover and it was a little bit silly and raunchy,” O’Hara said about the coverage 31 years later. “But it felt like a fun thing to do at the time, even though it probably was the most juvenile, silly thing that I ever saw go into The CT while I was there.”

CT archives

The Commonwealth Times covered Gwar’s Halloween performance at Shafer Court 33 years ago.

The band received mainstream attention during a brief part of the ‘90s, and today they’ve sold more than 800,000 records.

Since Brockie’s death in 2014, none of the original members remain.

Alum reflects on early CT coverage of the gay liberation movement

By Walter Chidozie Anyanwu Contributing Writer The Stonewall riots of the late ‘60s ushered in an era of inquiry into what it meant to be a member of the LGBTQ community in the U.S. At that time, many other groups of people were struggling for acceptance in the country, but the least visible of them were people who identified with the gay liberation movement.

For many whom Stonewall might’ve affected, it was a time for change: change not just in the way the country treated gay people, but in the way they were seen as well.

In December 1971, a few years after Stonewall, The CT ran a story on the progression of gay liberation efforts in Richmond.

Mike Whitlow was one of two reporters who went out to conduct interviews with VCU students.

“We thought it would be an interesting story to cover,” Whitlow said. “I was totally naive [to the issue]. It was a very personal confrontation of my own naivete

about such things.”

Whitlow said covering this story gave him the opportunity to both change personally and also understand the importance of the movement, especially to those who would’ve been directly affected by identity bias.

Richmond was a bit moderate at the time, but still far from what it is today in terms of acceptance of sexual identities. A lot of what used to be considered non-normative behavior was frowned upon, so members of the LGBTQ+ community often found themselves in hostile situations.

The members of Richmond’s Gay Liberation Front met with Whitlow and his colleagues in an apartment on Grove Avenue.

The meeting yielded one singular theme: They just wanted to be who they were, Whitlow said.

The reporters were drawn to the story because of the relative invisibility of the movement in Richmond, mostly because it was dwarfed by the progressive public’s preoccupation with civil

CT archives

A 1971 CT article featured an illustration of a hydra with a Ho Chi Minh quote widely used by revolutionaries. rights and women’s rights.

“We were at the front end of a little story,” Whitlow said. “We wanted to ask, ‘What’s going on? Why can’t these people be themselves?’”

It has been more than 40 years since the story came out, and Richmond has grown more and more progressive. Whitlow believes it has something to do with VCU’s presence. The university, he said, became an incubator for all sorts of ideas and points of view.

The ‘70s and ‘80s were periods of radical social reform, with victories claimed on many fronts by minority groups, but it hasn’t been more than a decade since the LGBTQ+ community saw big changes such as the legalization of same-sex marriage.

“Are we at the right place yet?

I don’t know, I don’t have a really good insight,” Whitlow said. “But to me, the benefit of that story [was that] it contributed to that gumbo that was VCU at the time.”

While his story did not receive any significant public backlash, Whitlow believes it had something to do with the conversation around sexuality being brought to the forefront of social discourse in Richmond.

“I hope that that little article had an influence on [peoples’] worldview,” Whitlow said.

8 COMMONWEALTH TIMES —Wednesday, April 24, 2019

Reflections

Stop paying lip service to inclusivity

By Brianna Scott Opinions Editor As we reflect on the past 50 years as a student newspaper, I want to reflect on and critique the lack of inclusivity at this newspaper that holds a weird place in my heart.

This newspaper has given me a platform that allows me to express my opinions on issues that I’m passionate about. This newspaper has no shortage of coverage on issues related to diversity.

This newspaper holds VCU and its population accountable to our school’s commitment to diversity.

However, inside the newsroom, that platform is no longer present. Inside the newsroom, diversity appears to be about aesthetics rather than taking actions to make sure our newsroom not only reflects the population of our student body, but that we are valuing and learning from the minority voices who contribute to The CT. Inside the newsroom, we don’t hold ourselves accountable to implement diverse and inclusive efforts.

Based on data from the 20182019 school year, 13% of students

at VCU are Asian, 17.3% are black and 8.3% are Hispanic or Latino. Just under half of students are white.

In terms of gender, which doesn’t specifically include non-binary and transgender representation, VCU is over 60% female versus nearly 40% male. There is no demographic data based on this report of LGBTQIA+ students.

Taking a peek at the SMC professional staff page, there are currently no people of color, and that is painfully present when you walk into the SMC on Broad Street. Before the current SMC Director Allison Dyche joined, professional staff was strictly comprised of white men.

The CT’s staff has evolved over the past 50 years in terms of diversity. We originally were a publication that was run predominantly by men and little to no people of color or queer staff members. The staff has always been small, so it isn’t possible to have representatives of every background.

Looking at our current masthead, not including contributing staff, about half of our staff is

Lindsay Hart

white, almost a third is Asian and the remainder is black. Currently, women dominate our staff. When it comes to our LGBTQ+ staff, the numbers are even smaller.

It’s refreshing to see, but it’s not what it could be.

I’m the only black woman on staff this year. I’m not the first black woman on staff; I’m not even the first black opinions editor. But it’s hard feeling like I’m alone in this.

Often, I feel left out of conversations about how we operate as an organization because I’ve only been on staff for a semester and because a lot of the time, I’m the only person questioning the environment that seems to be set in stone — an environment that is quite neglectful of students of marginalized backgrounds.

We are the Student Media Center. We produce content that is a means of communication to the student population. But we really don’t reflect our students who go here. We have the power, as an independent student media organization, to foster an environment that is conscious of diversity and not afraid of handling conflict. We have the power to

Police brutality: 50 years later

By Alexia Holloway Contributing Writer As she mourned the brutal death of her only son, Emmett Till, Mamie Till-Mobley garnered the strength to utilize the media to bring attention to the disrespect of black Americans everywhere. Throughout the civil rights movement, the powerful activists of the time employed media coverage to further their mission to bring equality to black Americans.

Photos of black people being sprayed with fire hoses and attacked by police dogs surfaced, broadcasting to the world the inhumane treatment of the black community. This atrocious display to the country, and the world, forced Americans to come out of their ignorance and ask themselves: How can this country treat its own citizens with so much hate?

On March 3, 1991, Rodney King was brutally beaten by a group of Los Angeles police officers, suffering more than 11 fractures. The video shows officers tasing and beating King on

Emely Pascual

California State Route 210. It is brutal and disturbingly violent.

Despite the assault being caught on tape, the four officers shown in the video were not convicted: three were acquitted of using excessive force on King and the fourth received no conviction due to a hung jury. The verdict sparked outrage and widespread damage to Los Angeles in the infamous 1992 LA Riots.

While I understand that it is impossible for a relatively local and small publication like The Commonwealth Times to cover every world event, the lack of Rodney King and the LA Riots coverage by the CT was disappointing. The only pieces I could find that remotely covered this

story were editorial pieces by staff writer Jim Meisner and editorial editor Rick Withers. Nevertheless, neither of the pieces name the Rodney King incident specifically.

Meisner writes about his typical apathetic reaction to many police brutality cases, which changed when he saw the frustration and pain in the LA riots. But because there were no specific stories about King or the riots, readers were most likely unaware of the extent of the situation. While I do not always agree with media’s emotionally manipulative tactics, showing raw factual images can cause change. Presenting images of black people being abused

not tolerate bias or discrimination in our newsroom, as well as set guidelines and a code of conduct. We have the power to be more rigorous in recruiting students of varying backgrounds in terms of race, gender, sexuality and religion — and not just writers, but also designers, illustrators and photographers. In that recruitment, we would not just do it for numbers and looks.

We recruit because we want to be a well-rounded newspaper.

This is what I would like to see in the future.

When I became opinions editor, it just so happened that my entire team evolved to be mainly black women. This wasn’t intentional. Is my team diverse in terms of race? No. But we are diverse in terms of ideas, and that’s a key element of diversity.

It can’t just be about what people are, it’s who people are.

Now when it comes to the inclusive effort, it’s not enough to give everyone a seat at the table.

You have to listen to those at the table. That’s the first step.

Having discussions about bias and discrimination is uncomfortable. We are being confronted

with the fact that we are all biased, prejudiced or discriminatory in some manner. Again, we have the power to confront that and unlearn problematic behaviors and thoughts.

We can’t be the best newspaper that I absolutely know we can be, and will be, if we don’t make more of a genuine effort to be inclusive rather than just paying lip service to it. You can say you want to be inclusive all you want, use a few minorities on staff as props and call it a day.

It means nothing if you don’t actually support the minorities you have on staff already and find better ways to uplift them.

I’ve made it my mission to be the loudest voice in the room, the biggest elephant in the room, that angry black woman who has a right to be angry because I refuse to tolerate something as minuscule but hurtful as a microaggression, to something as overt as acts of discrimination.

At The CT, as students, we have the ability to truly make a difference in the white, male-dominated realm of media.

Let’s start today.

during the civil rights movement caused citizens to hold the U.S. accountable.

If reports of the incident had circulated around the campus, students could have begun having the tough conversation that comes with talking about how racism has emotionally and physically impacted black Americans. If The CT had covered the attack of Rodney King, it could have helped VCU students and Richmond citizens hold their local police officers accountable.

Nowadays, I do commend The CT for its coverage of race-related issues. The murder of Marcus-David Peters, a VCU alum, was an important story for The CT. Peters was a black man undergoing a mental health crisis who was shot and killed by black Richmond police officer Michael Nyantakyi.

This happened right here in Richmond, in our backyard, right on Interstate 95.

A video surfaced of Nyantakyi using his taser on Peters and after the taser failed to go off, he shot Peters twice.

The CT successfully spread the word of the murder in both the News and Opinions sections.

Writers also contributed their

views on the video and urged others to watch it.

The CT has covered the murders of Trayvon Martin and Michael Brown, both instances of police brutality that catapulted the Black Lives Matter movement. The paper also covered the murders of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile.

The Commonwealth Times serves as the voice of a university that prides itself on diversity and inclusivity. Much of The CT’s reporting reflects a common consensus in our community, publishing stories that emphasize the evolving nature of our society.

The CT’s cold silence concerning Rodney King shows a campus that perhaps was unaffected by the incident in the early ‘90s.

However, The CT’s consistent coverage of race issues, including those that occur on campus, reflects a socially aware campus that is willing to take the necessary steps to create a less racially charged community.

Wed. April 24, 2019 7

On this day

In 2012, “Veep” debuted on HBO, starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus. The political satire has aired for seven years.

UPCOMING EVENTS See something

FRI. 4/26 “The Pirates of Penzance”

VCU Opera will perform the comedy by W.S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan. An encore performance will be held Sunday at 4 p.m. in the Sonia Vlahcevic Concert Hall.

7 p.m., W.E. Singleton Center for the Performing Artists (922 Park Ave.) $15, discounts available

FRI. 4/26 “Material Pursuits”

BFA seniors from Craft and Material Studies will present their work in an exhibition.

5-8 p.m., Studio Two Three (3300 W. Clay St.) Free

FRI. 4/26 Amendment Film Festival

Amendment Literary and Art Journal will host its fourth annual film festival, featuring student-made films on social, cultural, political and progressive themes.

7 p.m., Room 1165, T. Edward Temple Building (901 W. Main St.) Free

VCUarts celebrated 90 years on April 18. Events began with a frosted cake followed by student performances and exhibits.

Photo courtesy of Kelly Kerr

VCUarts celebrates 90th anniversary with music, dance

IMAN MEKONEN Contributing Writer WALTER CHIDOZIE ANYANWU Contributing Writer Ninety years ago, Theresa Pollak taught the first art class at VCU. Today, VCUarts is the No. 1 public arts school in the country with 3,021 students, offering 17 bachelors degrees and five masters degrees.

Last Thursday, the school hosted five events to commemorate its 90 years of creativity, growth and innovation. The events ranged from music and theater performances to art exhibitions led by specific VCUarts departments.

As a part of the celebration, VCU’s music department hosted a performance from student musicians using instruments created by those in the craft and materials program.

The event marked a collaboration between the two departments, led by assistant professors Bohyun Yoon of the craft and material studies program and Justin Alexander of the music department. Alexander said the craft students showed their work and brought it to the music department in December, where the percussion

ensemble class had been working on a piece for the event.

The instruments varied in design and composition, from hollow terracotta balls kicked across the floor to wooden houseshaped drums.

“We were looking for something new, something challenging,” Yoon said of the collaboration. “That’s the great thing about our school … instead of playing the guitar or drums the conventional way, we can create unconventional things to make new sounds.”

The event was held in Rashid Johnson’s “Provocations” exhibit in the Institute for Contemporary Art. “A lot of the music piece was inspired by his work,” Alexander said. “But the two main ideas that came out from his description of the work were location and closely tied to that is migration.”

Alexander said the percussion class was inspired by those themes, and they incorporated them into the music.

“The idea was just a collaboration between visual arts and music,” Alexander said. “And finding a way for the students to work together, to get to know each other, to be creative in a way that they haven’t done before.”

The theater department performed “The Three Musketeers” to wrap up the celebration.

Photo by Jon Mirador

The Anderson gallery held a showing of graduate artwork later that evening.

The 2019 MFA Thesis Exhibition featured work from 14 graduate students that spanned various artistic mediums and covered a broad range of topics.

MFA kinetic imaging student Ruiqi Zhang had work on display at The Anderson. His piece, an audio-visual exhibit, was projected onto the wall and there were small blankets on the floor, inviting guests to relax.

The visuals were styled in such a way that it appeared as if he was being interviewed, while also incorporating aspects of the social media phenomenon of short video clips.

Zhang noted the connection people have to mobile devices and how modern technology has evolved to the point where we record a lot of our lives on our devices.

“Ordinary people are trying to build their own autobiographies online, continually posting their daily lives,” Zhang said.

His piece uses relevant examples of public videos by stitching them together, as if to tell a story. He said the video could mean anything to anyone.

One particularly eye-catching exhibit was Peter Cochrane’s “The Wild Beasts,” a collection of hyperrealistic photographs of different kinds of flowers.

Cochrane said each photograph was dedicated to a queer person in his life who had become like family to him — as they had been there for him during tough periods — and the specific flowers bore a code that related to each person.

On a larger scale, Cochrane’s exhibit explored the idea of nature and how it has been used against queer people; in the past, many considered queer identity to be against nature.

The celebration rounded out with two concurrent events: a performance from dance seniors and a retelling of “The Three Musketeers” by the theater department.

The play was directed by David Leong and Josh Chenard.

Do something

THURS. 4/25 Headshots

Photography seniors will shoot high resolution headshots to raise money for their program. Walk-ins are welcome, but appointments can be scheduled online at the group’s Facebook page.

3:30-8 p.m., Room 209, Pollak Building (325 N. Harrison St.) $10 per image, prices vary.

MON. 4/29 Herbert Hirsch: Celebration of Life

The political science department will honor the memory of Herbert Hirsch, a professor who would’ve turned 78 on Monday.

7-9 p.m., Room 1107, Academic Learning Commons (1000 Floyd Ave.) Free

Learn something LETTER TO THE EDITOR

SAT. 4/27

VSA’s Black April Chao House

The Vietnamese Student Association is hosting a “Chao House” to learn more about Vietnamese history and to remember the Fall of Saigon. Food will be provided.

6:30-8:30pm., West Grace North (830 W. Grace Street.) Free

SAT. 4/27 Topic Tour: “Black Women and the Power of Re-vision”

VCU religious studies professor Isabelle Richman will host a topic tour of Cauleen Smith’s exhibit “Give It or Leave It.” The tour will be about black woman preachers and visionaries.

1-2 p.m., Institute for Contemporary Art (601 W Broad St.) Free

SAT. 4/27 Richmond NEDA Walk

The third annual National Eating Disorder Association walk will feature music, games and food. All money raised will go towards programs for the association.

Register online before April 26 at 3 p.m.

In-person registration will be available the day of the event.

9-11:30 a.m., University Student Commons (907 Floyd Ave.) Free

8 The Commonwealth Times

God’s Gouda

1

Sisters in Albemarle County monastery practice self-sustained lifestyle ERIN EDGERTON Multimedia Director The 13 Sisters of Our Lady of the Angel monastery believe God has a plan for everyone. When Sister Barbara arrived on the newly purchased 507-acre farm in central Virginia in 1987, she was surprised to find an abandoned cheese barn filled with ready-to-use machinery. Without much hesitation, Sister Barbara and the others realized God’s plan.

The first rounds of cheese made by the Sisters was in 1990. Their semi-soft, mild Dutchstyle Gouda comes in 2-pound wheels. The Sisters use it to make grilled cheese sandwiches.

Tucked in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, down a lengthy stretch off Route 250, over a bridge, through the woods and at the end of a gravel road sits Our Lady of the Angels Monastery perched on the hillside. This is where the Sisters live a self-sustained lifestyle filled with prayer, devotion and cheese-making.

Their day starts around 3 a.m. with a morning prayer. By 7 a.m., Sister Myriam leaves mass early to turn on the autoclave.

The windows of the cheese room grow

2

foggy as the room heats up to a proper cheese-mixing temperature. By 9 a.m., Sister Maria forms ovals around steel presses, and by 11 a.m., the machines cut the sheets of cheese mixture into cubes. Sister Miriam takes the cubes and squeezes them into molds. They work in shifts and wear scrubs and rainboots in the barn — it’s a full-day affair.

“This work is good,” Sister Eve Marie said. “It becomes sort of mindless and allows us to work for God in ways similar to prayer and our studies.”

3

4

1. Sister Maria stirs the cheese Thursday morning in Crozet, Virginia. Thursday is cheese-making day at the monastery and the Sisters take shifts in the barn. The cheese is stirred in 20-minute increments. “We always say the secret ingredient is love and prayer. You get out what you put in,” Sister Maria said. 2. The Sisters listen to Psalms read during mid-day prayer on Sunday. Sister Mary, left, and Sister Myriam are wearing white bonnets because they are considered juniors, still proving themselves as committed Sisters of the monastery. 3. Sister Barbara shakes hands with Amber, their 13-year-old golden retriever, before giving her a treat. “Every time you pet her it is like she has died and gone to puppy heaven,” she said. “God must have created dogs to deserve the most love.” 4. Wheels of Gouda rest before being bathed in red wax. This is the final stage in the cheese process before it is packaged and sold. Photos by Erin Edgerton ADVERTISEMENT

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Wed. April 24, 2019 9 BRANDON’S ANGLE

‘Native Son’ is an inconsistent adaptation of contentious classic BRANDON SHILLINGFORD Contributing Writer “I don’t want to know anything about your system of ethics. The strength is of the morality of the man who stands out from the rest, and it is mine.”

When 20-year-old Bigger Thomas speaks these words through harrowing narration toward the end of the second act of “Native Son,” it’s difficult to assign meaning to them.

But as the film progresses, the purpose of that dialogue becomes painfully apparent.

“Native Son” is an adaptation of Richard Wright’s infamous and incredibly influential 1940 novel. It stars Ashton Sanders from “Moonlight” as Bigger, a young black man thrust into the upper echelons of society after taking a job as a chauffeur for a wealthy white family.

It’s also the directorial debut of conceptual artist, Rashid Johnson, whose sculpture “Monument” is featured at the Institute for Contemporary Art at VCU, and his background in art is apparent in this feature.

This film has creative cinematography, innovative lighting and unique costume design. Johnson’s visual masterpiece proves

his spectacular eye for color, space and shot composition.

It also crafts its own incredibly singular sense of atmosphere and tone. Its cinematography and ethereal score put the viewer on edge, creating tension that grips the viewer and doesn’t let go until the closing moments.

Technically, “Native Son” passes with flying colors. It falters, however, in its adaptation of the controversial source material. While the novel would absolutely be considered problematic due its depictions of African Americans and of sexual assault, much of its power comes from seeing Bigger’s descent into desperation and how his increasingly horrific actions cause him to examine himself and the world around him.

“Native Son” tries to cut much of this out, which is undoubtedly the right decision for the adaptation, but it loses its powerful impact in the process. After much of the original material is removed, the film is left with empty narration and half-baked themes.

Its strange pacing does itself no favors — the first act particularly drags on. There’s a sense the filmmakers didn’t care much about setting up the climax.

However, one of the themes that carries over very well from the novel is identity

Illustration by Steck Von

and what being black really means. In both the book and the film, Bigger doesn’t have much of a personality. He’s used as a blank slate for not only viewers to cast their generalizations of black men onto, but the characters as well.

In the book, Wright paints Bigger as a victim of circumstance, attributing his appalling crimes to his environment and the way he and other black people are treated.

White and black characters alike try to box Bigger into a category, asking him if he likes things like rap or basketball and

saying he isn’t really “black.” But, as said by his girlfriend Bessie — played by Kiki Layne of “If Beale Street Could Talk” — “When they made Big, they broke the mold.”

Bigger defies many traditional stereotypes placed on black men, but a huge part of why this comes through so effectively in the film is Sanders’ performance.

Sanders is a rising actor I’ve been watching closely since his performance in “Moonlight” as teenage Chiron. In “Native Son,” he gets his first opportunity as a leading man and doesn’t take it to chance. Sanders has an incredibly commanding screen presence, moving from surprising sensitivity to shocking displays of rage and cruelty in mere seconds.

While “Native Son” is at times narratively disjointed and doesn’t hit all of its thematic targets, it’s exceedingly ambitious and an absolute visual marvel. It operates as a powerful calling card for its transcendent leading man.

“Native Son” is ultimately a challenging and undeniably thought-provoking work of cinema that any fan of the book, or of film, should see.

Rating: 3.5/5

Netflix’s ‘Special’ presents intersection of sexuality and disability The first episode of Netflix’s newest original series begins with the main character face-planting and a child screaming in reaction nearby.

The pilot is one of eight short episodes in the first season of “Special,” which premiered on the streaming service April 12. It was written and produced by Ryan O’Connell, who also stars in the show as the semi autobiographical Ryan Hayes, a 28-year-old gay man with cerebral palsy.

VCU’s Office of Multicultural Student Affairs, or OMSA, and Student Accessibility Educational Opportunity, known as SAEO, hosted a screening of the first two episodes of “Special” on April 16.

The show follows Hayes’ everyday encounters as he comes to terms with his identities. He keeps his disability a secret and is hesitant to reveal the true nature of his insecurities from his co-workers, friends and romantic partners.

The show is formatted like a web series — each episode runs 12-17 minutes. It is based on O’Connell’s 2015 memoir, “I’m Special: And Other Lies We Tell Ourselves.”

As the series continues, Hayes evolves into someone who is proud of his identity and starts to create the life he wants. A discussion on the show’s content and the representation of disability in Hollywood followed the screening.

The audience talked about the influence actors and actresses in Hollywood have and

whether they can play roles outside of their ability status, sexual orientation or even race.

“We accept that when it comes to the LGBTQ community, disabled community and portrayals in the media, non-disabled actors play disabled characters and straight actors can play gay characters,” said SAEO Director Ian Kunkes.

O’Connell has received praise for playing a role that fits his own identity, since he is gay and has cerebral palsy.

“It feels very different when you know that the character is portraying their own lived experience,” Kunkes said. “It feels more authentic, and you can tell the difference.”

Kunkes asked the audience whether it’s acceptable for non-disabled or straight actors to portray those characters in Hollywood.

“Is it that as a society, we’d rather see something we’re more comfortable with or something that fits our own idea of what somebody’s life should be like?” Kunkes asked. “Does Hollywood believe that we can’t handle authenticity? Or is it that as a society, we prefer to see someone on-screen that we know, even if we know it’s not a real portrayal?”

In the show, Hayes comes to terms with his white privilege and realizes how fortunate he is to have his unique life.

“I like the fact that they’re recognizing that he’s a privileged white male with challenges and acknowledging that in certain ways,” said OMSA Director Greta Franklin.

A few students shared their experiences seeing actors in movies and TV shows who do not identify with the role they play.

“Special” also addresses other identities through Hayes’ friends and co-workers.

Hayes’ best friend Kim, played by Indian American actress Punam Patel, talks about body size and promotes body positivity.

“Popular portrayals of different identities

are something that we look for every day.

We look to find ways that we can identify with people on screen, and that can be different for all of us,” Kunkes said. “When something like ‘Special’ comes along, I think it’s a show to be celebrated.”

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Graduate and Professional School Fair Explore now. Plan ahead.

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IMAN MEKONEN Contributing Writer

Wednesday, April 24, Noon-3 p.m.

University Student Commons Richmond Salons 907 Floyd Avenue Wondering if grad school or a career change is right for you? Come meet VCU representatives showcasing their programs.

Stop by, take a look around, ask questions and explore your options.

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3/14/19 12:15 PM

10 The Commonwealth Times

Quote of the week

“I am running away from my responsibilities. And it feels good.”

— Michael Scott

Farewells nyone who has been around The CT or the SMC as a whole can tell you that I have been here for a minute.

Three years ago, my best friend and executive editor at the time Sarah King came to me with a proposal to turn my two-hour advice show that was airing on WVCW, but being retired, into an advice column.

Thankfully, I said yes and have not looked back since.

I’m not really sure of the nature of these things, so I’m just gonna try to say thank you without crying over my keyboard.

Zachary, thank you for always putting up with my histrionics and loving me unconditionally in lieu of my flaws. To my former opinion editors, Caitlin: Thank you for helping me get An Ode To Self Care to being the best it can be, you are a goddess among mortals and I love you.

Katie Bashista, thank you for always being meticulous with your section and being you, you are the original Cool Girl. Brianna! Thank you for being unapologetically Black, Queer and living and practicing Self-Care. You made me feel as though I can truly live through my work, and while our time together has been short, but I wouldn’t change a second of it.

Fadel, you’re the funniest man I have ever met and probable the best journalist.

Georgia, you were handed a lot, all at once, and you executed everything flawlessly, the world is absolutely not ready for you.

Ryan, you are my favorite person on this planet, excruciatingly good at what you do and hilarious as hell you, and the design den folk are everything to me!!!

Gregory Weatherford, Lauren Katchuk, Mark Jeffries, Jacob McFadden and Allison Bennet-Dyche, thank you for teaching me how to behave and being a parent, mentor and friend whenever I needed one.

And finally, Sarah King, the fiercest warrior I know and my best friend, I would not be here if it weren’t for you, and I love you until the end of time. Thank you all so much for reading, submitting and being here with me on this incredible journey.

– SHAUN JACKSON, Staff Columnist

CT graduates say goodbye

I

’m just another person out of the thousands of people who are closing out another chapter in their life. If I wrote a memoir about my experiences as an undergraduate, I think the title to this chapter would be “Teenage angst perseveres.”

I’m a shell of the person I used to be four years ago. A shell that was once filled with rage and passion that would spill out onto the floor beneath me. But over time, that rage and passion dwindled.

As a teenager, I desired so badly, to the point of nausea, to no longer be this person who sat in the shadows and let life pass her by. My teenage self would be gravely disappointed at the person I currently am, because that’s exactly what I’ve done: allowed my life to pass me by.

When I was 15 years old, we read “The Catcher in the Rye” in my 10th grade English class. I distinctly remember my teacher at the time telling me she could tell how much I loved the book and how much I related to Holden Caulfield.

Holden Caulfield is a peculiar, narcissistic character who is an angsty, hypocritical misanthrope who craves human connection.

Well, shit. It’s me.

This is still me. When you live in a city where nearly everyone has a chip on their shoulder, you’re no longer so special for hating everyone.

I had this pop-punk mentality growing up, hating my washed-up town and wanting to get out. And I got out. I escaped to Richmond of all places. I had a clean slate that I dipped in permanent blank ink the moment I got here. Now I want to escape Richmond.

The thing is, there’s nothing in Richmond I should be running from. There was nothing in my hometown I should have been running from.

I’ve always been running from myself.

You think the whole world is out to get you, when in reality it’s you standing in your way.

T

Illustration by Steck Von

All the angst I have for the world comes from a place of being so terrified of myself.

So scared of not knowing how to connect with people, not knowing how to love myself, not knowing how to live this life without any fears.

So I ran. And I ran, and I ran, and I ran, and I ran, until I hit a wall. A wall so tall it appears limitless. But it’s a wall I must climb over to reach the next chapter in my life. I no longer want to be confined to the shell of the person I used to be.

Graduating means I must climb this wall. I can’t run anymore.

I have to begin the journey of finding out who I am and discovering what is out there beyond the bubble of Virginia.

And for all the angst I have inside of me … I do have a lot of love. Even if I won’t admit it.

I have so much love for the people who helped get me to where I am today, even if they will never know it. Even you, reading this — you helped me get here.

The list of people I want to thank is longer than you’d expect from someone like me. From my classmates in the Robertson School to my co-workers at Ackell, to the CT staff, my Opinions team and the people who oddly ended up in my chaotic life along the way — thank you so much.

That wall. It’s really tall and it’s really scary but I’m going to climb it. I’m going to get on the other side and start this journey.

You’re going to have to start your journey one day too. You can’t be afraid of it.

“We all want to be great men and there’s nothing romantic about it. I just want to know that I did all I could with what I was given.” – “I Just Want To Sell Out My Funeral” by The Wonder Years

here are no windows in the room where we produce this paper every week. There is trash everywhere, and nobody wears nearly as much deodorant as they should. Finding an outlet to charge your laptop is harder than finding Ole Nessie in the James. But if we had to produce the paper in a sewer, and if everyone clocked in after running a 5K without showering, and if we could only charge our computers using potato batteries, I’d still show up every day with a smile on my face.

I’d like to thank every editor, writer, photographer and designer who has dedicated even a modicum of effort to this paper in its 50 years of existence. Although each of us has inhabited only a small microcosm in the universe that is The CT, we have all made our own tangible and pertinent impact on its legacy.

To Eric and Desiree, thank you for your guidance and patience when I first started here and knew nothing. To Kim, MP, Andy and Jeffrey, thank you for your friendship, hard work and inability to form a coup against me as your editor.

All the best.

– BRIANNA SCOTT, Opinions Editor

– FADEL ALLASSAN, News Editor

– RYAN RICH, Design Editor

Farewell, bitches <3 – SAFFEYA AHMED, Managing Editor

See page 8 – ERIN EDGERTON, Multimedia Director

–30–

An Ode To Self Care SHAUN JACKSON Staff Columnist I want to ask you for advice, but I have a very long story to tell before I can ask…

I’m not sure what’s going on here.

But I gather that, like myself, you’re the long-winded type, which I don’t mind at all. In the future, include your email in your submission to me. I’m more inclined to answer you privately than to put your whole life story up.

Recommended listening while reading:

“BEFORE I LET GO” Beyoncé

I keep on having to ask the guy I’m with to wear a condom, and he makes the biggest fuss about it. It wouldn’t be so bad, but he knows I had an abortion and don’t even want to risk something like that again. He says he will stop, but tell me what I already know.

Girl, he has already disrespected you with his actions, so his words are nothing but moot. You deserve respect and so much more. You deserve better than him, and it will hurt for a minute or two, but you will be better for it and so much happier once you remove him from your life.

I came out to my dad. He says that he still loves me, of course, but he said that hopefully I will be able to turn straight one day. I’m not sure what to do.

Please help.

Darling, you don’t have to do a damn thing. Your father does. He has to be the one to change. And I have no doubt that he is indeed a decent man that loves you, and gradually that ignorance will wear away into compassion, then understand-

ing, then acceptance. It will take time, but be patient and stay strong.

I recently slipped out of my long-term relationship and immediately fell into a new man. Is this why all rebound relationships are doomed to fail?

I contend the only reason that rebounds fail is because they are constantly being defined by the previous relationship, which is understandable but also detrimental to this new dynamic. If you have enough respect for your new partner to stop considering the relationship a rebound, then that won’t be the reason it fails.

Wed. April 24, 2019â&#x20AC;&#x192;11

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

Thanks by Erin Joo

MANAGING EDITOR Saffeya Ahmed ahmeds@commonwealthtimes.org NEWS EDITOR Fadel Allassan news@commonwealthtimes.org SPORTS EDITOR Noah Fleischman sports@commonwealthtimes.org SPECTRUM EDITOR Andrew Ringle spectrum@commonwealthtimes.org OPINIONS EDITOR Brianna Scott opinions@commonwealthtimes.org MULTIMEDIA DIRECTOR Erin Edgerton photography@commonwealthtimes.org AUDIENCE EDITOR Alexandra Zernik zernikal@commonwealthtimes.org ILLUSTRATIONS EDITOR Steck Von illustrations@commonwealthtimes.org STAFF WRITERS Adam Cheek, Sports Quentin Rice, Spectrum STAFF COLUMNISTS Shaun Jackson, Opinions jacksonsk@commonwealthtimes.org STAFF ILLUSTRATORS Sammy Newman Erin Joo Summer McClure

Hermit Crab Revealed by Ellie Erhart

VCU STUDENT MEDIA CENTER DESIGN EDITOR Ryan Rich ryan@ryanrichdesign.com GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Mai-Phuong Bui Jeffrey Pohanka Andy Caress designers@vcustudentmedia.com ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVES Gabbi Bernardo Dana Cantor Miles S. Hicks advertising@vcustudentmedia.com (804) 828-6629 WEBMASTER Chrislin Hearn webmaster@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 BUSINESS MANAGER Jacob McFadden mcfaddenjc@vcu.edu ASSISTANT BUSINESS MANAGER Emily Furlich smc_assistant@vcustudentmedia.com

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 Brianna Scott, 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.

12 The Commonwealth Times

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

Los Angeles Times Crossword Puzzle IT’S ALL IN THE GAME SHOW

Sponsored by

L o s A n g e l e s Ti me s Sun d a y C ro s s w o rd P u z z l e

By Gary LarsonEdited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis

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Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis

Summer in the pool? Learn to swim and improve Lo swithAaquatics! n g e l e recsports.vcu.edu s Ti me s your form

IT’S ALL IN THE GAME SHOW

Sunda y C ro s s w o rd P u z z l e Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis

It’s All in the Game Show by Gary Larson

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By The Mepham 1 2 Group 3 4 Level DIFFICULTY LEVEL 2

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1/15/19 Complete the grid so each row, column and 3-by-3 box (in bold borders) contains every digit, 1 to 9.

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