How VCU is accommodating the historically large Class of 2029
MOLLY
ANDREW
JOSHUA
Contributing
VCU welcomed more than 4,500 incoming freshmen this fall — making 2029 graduates part of the largest class in four years, and possibly the second largest ever in VCU history. While the historically large number is consistent with the university’s growth, some students are concerned about whether or not campus is spacious enough to handle it.
The growth in enrollment comes alongside a 2.5% increase in tuition and a $200 increase in fees determined in May by the board of visitors, according to
VCU News. The hike, which is below the rate of inflation, was necessary to cover unavoidable costs such as state-mandated salary increases, rising utility rates and other inflation-driven expenses, VCU spokesperson Michael Porter stated.
“Even with higher enrollment, those costs outpaced tuition and state funding,” Porter stated. “The ‘net price’ for many families has actually gone down, and average student debt at graduation has dropped by 2%.”
VCU was able to meet the housing needs of all first-year students in on-campus housing this semester, Porter stated. He credited recent steps to expand capacity, including converting single rooms into doubles at the Honors College Residence Hall, adding an extra bed to most single, double, or triple dorm rooms and starting the planning process for a new residence hall on West Grace Street.
Richmond's new cat cafe is a ‘purrfect’ addition
CORA
VCU has also created “overflow space” in the lounges of Gladding Residence Center that Porter says can be used as temporary or long-term housing.
Second-year psychology student Artie Tefel lived in Rhoads Hall their first year — the oldest in-use dorm on campus after Johnson Hall closed in 2021 due to black mold — in a twobedroom converted to fit three people. One year later, they now serve as a residential advisor in the same dorm, where that triple has been converted into a quad.
Tefel said they were nervous to arrive on campus and see the newly reworked dorms after what they called “VCU’s housing crisis.”
Richmond’s only cat cafe, The Purrfect Bean, has officially opened for business. The cafe consists of an open-for-all coffee shop downstairs with a reservation-only cat lounge upstairs.
The cafe had its soft launch on Aug. 10 and grand opening on Aug. 15. The openings were met with an abundant amount of business, according to Giancarlo Afable, lead barista at The Purrfect Bean. The cat reservations drive people in.
“It is a little slower during the days, but we still are getting a good amount of business,” Afable said. “It's like, 90 people a day so far just from the cat reservations.”
The cafe is sourcing their matcha from local cart, The Exit Plan, according to Camille Proctor, The Purrfect Bean’s general manager and coffee manager.
Richmond acts to boost pedestrian safety with new curb extensions
The Department of Public Works began installing curb extensions along street corners in Monroe Ward in July as part of an effort to improve pedestrian safety. The project is expected to create road closures through April.
The purpose of curb extensions is to expand the sidewalk into the road at intersections to shorten the distance pedestrians have to cross, according to the DPW. The installations also block cars from illegally parking too close to corners at intersections, increasing visibility for drivers turning.
“The Department of Public Works has secured hundreds of millions in discretionary funding for transportation projects to change the built environment,” DPW spokesperson Paige Hairston, stated in an email.
Some of the projects include the construction of accessible sidewalks, the installation of pedestrian hybrid beacons for people crossing multi-lane streets and the conversion of intersections into roundabouts.
Second-year business student Andrew Panel said the curb extensions make him feel safer.
“There could always be more efforts, but I think this is a good step,” Panel said. “I think they’re doing a good job with adding these [curb extensions].”
VCU plans to install 10 additional curb extensions in the coming years, according to VCU News.
VCU students, faculty and staff say pedestrian safety is their No. 1 safety concern, according to VCU News. The university has made similar efforts since two VCU students died after being struck by motor vehicles in 2023,.
Construction of new curb extensions on Cary St.
Photo by Nisha Chisolm.
The Incoming freshman class marches during the annual spirit walk on Aug. 19. Photo by Kieran Stevens.
Illustrations by Lucie Bouton
Stories of the week
national: Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Maryland man who was wrongly deported to El Salvador is now being held at Virginia’s ICE Detention Center in Farmville.
international: Israel struck a hospital in Gaza Monday, killing over 20 including five journalists, Israel’s military stated the target was a surveillance camera it said was being used by Hamas.
Virginia lawmakers consider switching election schedule
HECIEL NIEVES BONILLA Assistant News Editor
Virginians are asked to go to the polls every November — but that may change as lawmakers consider shifting when our state and local elections are held.
A General Assembly panel met Aug. 20 to consider moving all elections in Virginia to biannually on even years instead of annually, with speakers detailing the potential cost and administrative benefits of the potential shift.
Virginia currently operates all state and most local elections on odd years, in addition to congressional primaries, presidential primaries and elections on even years — meaning an election is run every November and primaries run most summers in the commonwealth.
Like other states, voter turnout in Virginia is far higher in presidential election years, and sometimes jumps during federal midterm years. The former consistently garnered over 70% of registered voters in recent decades, as opposed to the lower and highly variable share in other years — including a relatively high 59.5% during the 2018 midterms, according to the Virginia Department of Elections.
Chair of the joint panel, state Sen. Schuyler VanValkenburg, D-Henrico, points to the higher federal turnout as a main positive of the proposal after studying the effects of moving to the federal evenyear schedule.
“I think at the end of the day, the two things that matter most are the voters and how government works,” VanValkenburg said. “So, if moving to even-year elections
helps voters, which I think it unambiguously does, and if it helps our government function better, it would make sense to move to even years.”
VanValkenberg estimates that any process to institute the change would take multiple years, as introduced legislation would need to be concurrent with a constitutional amendment — 2027 is the earliest that could happen.
VanValkenburg also expressed interest in changing the state budget cycle, in which governors propose a budget to be amended and approved by the legislature, allowing governors to implement two full budgets per term if it does not change with the election cycles. Changing both cycles would preserve an important legislative check on the executive, according to VanValkenburg.
John W. Nunnally, chair of Caroline County’s electoral board, spoke on behalf of the Virginia Electoral Board Association. While VEBA takes no official stance on legislation, he pointed out that towns and rural counties might face a loss of experienced election officials from an already low staff being reduced by budget reductions on odd years.
Nunnally agreed with Lynchburg Electoral Board chairman David Levy that the state should fund a mandated election deputy position, which would especially apply to jurisdictions with smaller populations. Such a protection would guarantee the retention of an “institutional knowledge holder,” according to Nunnally.
VCU political science professor Alex
Keena agrees with VanValkenburg on the importance of increasing turnout and pointed out that the demographic character of odd-year elections has historically favored some voters over others.
“Whereas in the past, this electorate used to benefit southern Democrats, in the 21st century, it has generally favored the Republicans because older, wealthier and well-educated voters tend to be more conservative,” said Keena.
Keena is not convinced by the argument that odd-year elections focus on state issues better than the alternative, particularly when it comes to gubernatorial elections.
“The media tends to frame our elections as a referendum on the performance of the president, as a ‘bellwether’ and a preview of public sentiment before the midterm elections,” Keena said. “So if anything, holding our elections in odd-numbered years tends to make our elections all about national politics.”
Graphic by Marty Alexeenko.
Illustration by Lauryn Baynes.
“I see it when I’m walking to get food or when I’m walking with my friends to other dorms,” Tefel said. “I mean, the SOVO Fair was packed, it was crazy. Most of the classes that I’ve been to have been mostly full.”
Tefel said they doubt VCU’s plan to build a new dorm on Grace Street will make a sizable dent in the demand for on-campus housing, and thinks Johnson Hall should be reopened. VCU should be more selective with how many students they admit.
The new housing project on West Grace Street is expected to house 1,000 beds for students in semi-suite and apartment-style rooms, and will be completed sometime between now and 2026, according to the ONE VCU Master Plan.
“I just think there’s gotta be some way of balancing it, but I’m also a 19-year-old and I have no idea how to run a university,” Tefel said.
First-year enrollment is up by 6.6% between 2024 and 2025, according to VCU.
Kiersten Fultz, a second-year forensic biology graduate student, said she noticed that it is definitely more crowded now than in her past years on campus, but that it is nice to see more people.
“I haven't been on campus too much yet, but I have noticed that the library is already pretty full and I had to really look for an open spot already and school just started,” Fultz said. “I feel like there might need to be more third spaces where people can hang out, that's not just the library.”
VCU associate history professor John Kneebone said faculty and students often feel the investments the university makes are not for them, but for the sake of continued expansion.
“There’s always been the complaint from faculty and students that investments have never really been in education,” Kneebone said.“They tend to be in buildings and programs, and then the faculty and students are left to make the most of it.”
Kneebone said VCU has “always been crowded for space,” partly because Virginia requires dorms to pay for themselves through tuition, making universities reluctant to build new housing without guaranteed occupancy. He added that enrollment growth has historically come before resources catch up.
“I see this as good news for VCU and for colleges in general — even though expansion often comes before all the resources are fully in place,” Kneebone said.
= 125 students
Richmond to build more affordable housing as costs rise
YENNI JIMENEZ ACOSTA
Contributing
Writer
Richmond is working to build more affordable housing in response to high eviction rates and housing demand as Richmonders and students grapple with rising costs.
The city announced that $7 million from the Affordable Housing Trust Fund is going towards eight housing projects — when completed, these projects would add a total of 580 affordable living spaces to Richmond, according to a press release.
Richmond has the highest eviction filing rate nationally, and Virginia has the highest filing counts, according to Eviction Lab. The city’s housing market is rated 13th out of 158 cities in housing development, while Virginia ranks 19th in the United States, according to Construction Coverage.
Richmond’s share of houses with costburdens — when more than 30% of one’s paycheck is going to paying rent or housing
costs in general, is 52%, and the proportion of Richmonders with severe cost-burdens is 29.5%, according to the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies and Census Bureau.
The median cost of rent in the city is $1,300 a month, while the median household income sits at $45,700 annually.
A YouGov survey found that 73% of Virginians believe the state lacks affordable homes, according to a press release. State lawmakers have worked to remedy the lack of affordable housing by introducing legislation that would limit how landowners raise their prices on older homes.
The Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority receives federal funding from the Department of Housing and Urban Development. The RRHA program assists over 17,000 families with affordable housing, according to the RRHA website.
“We manage 3,246 units of public housing across six family communities and six senior communities. We also provide housing subsidies for roughly 5,000 individuals who use Housing Choice Vouchers to rent homes in the private market,” RRHA spokesperson Angela Fountain said. “In addition, there are approximately 10,000 people on our waiting list who are seeking affordable housing through RRHA programs.”
Fourth-year kinetic imaging student Savannah Figueroa struggled to find affordable housing close to campus, especially with included utilities and in a safe area.
“Most off-campus housing around VCU has skyrocketed to roughly $900 per person in a 4-person apartment — and it’s not even top-quality housing, so the pricing isn’t really justified,” Figueroa said. “I struggled
for a while to find something partially affordable considering I barely have time to work a part-time job.”
Fourth-year international business student Nelie Ceron-Cruz said she thinks VCU is pushing housing prices up around campus as well.
“If everything has VCU’s name on it, sooner or later we’re going to have to end up moving farther away from campus. Not everyone can afford these insane prices,” Ceron-Cruz said.
New affordable housing sprouts up in Highland Grove.
Photo by Molly Manning.
Graphic by Marty Alexeenko.
CONSTRUCTION
Continued from front page
“Since 2023, when VCU President Michael Rao, Ph.D., commissioned an independent study to identify and prioritize pedestrian safety improvements, there has been steady progress to make our environment safer for all travelers, including speed tables, pedestrian-leading intersections, ‘No Turn on Red’ signs and more,” Jake Burns, VCU Police public relations specialist, stated in an email. VCU is in full support of any efforts the city is making to improve pedestrian safety, Burns stated.
“VCU has been committed to enhancing pedestrian safety for a very long time. VCU has unique dynamics and challenges like no other part of the city,” John Venuti, the head of emergency services and public safety at VCU, stated in an email. “Continued focus, enforcement, education and awareness has been the ongoing strategy to keep the VCU community safe.”
In addition, the DPW announced in July that a new traffic signaling project is set to be implemented this fall. With the new system, traffic signals will be connected to the city’s Emergency 911 Call Center and the GRTC Operations Center, “ensuring realtime responsiveness”, according to the DPW. The three main goals for the project are to boost transit reliability, increase the speed of emergency response and provide safe access for all.
T. B. Smith Community Center reopens in Richmond’s southside
Contributing Writer
The T.B. Smith Community Center recently reopened at a new location in Richmond’s southside on Ruffin Road, which includes 30,000 square feet of facilities for community members to enjoy, according to Tamara Jenkins, Richmond public information manager .
The $20 million facility includes amenities such as an indoor gym, playground and nature trails, according to CBS 6.
Jenkins stated in an email that she believes the center will become a point of
collaboration for Richmond citizens and add to their lives.
“Through rigorous community engagement processes, by means of surveys, neighborhood meetings and presentations, the community center becomes more than a building; it becomes a collaboration amongst designers, residents and the city for a building that truly enhances the lives of its southside residents,” Jenkins stated.
Jenkins stated that she believes the center will give citizens an inviting space to
gather as a community.
“We believe the opening of this center will have a lasting impact on the public by providing a welcoming space where people of all ages can come together, access valuable programs, and build meaningful connections,” Jenkins stated.
Jenkins stated that the center will provide a space for community members to grow and gain pride in their neighborhood. It may also be used as a shelter in case of emergency response situations.
“It’s more than just a building — it’s a place where residents can learn, grow, and feel supported. Our hope is that it becomes a true hub of community life, helping to strengthen neighborhoods, inspire future generations, and foster a sense of pride and belonging throughout the area,” Jenkins stated.
SKYE HATHAWAY
The newly built T.B. Smith Community Center stands on Ruffin Rd. in south Richmond. Photo by Jonda Stephens.
Graphic by Marty Alexeenko.
Sports Scouting Report: VCU Field Hockey vs Northwestern University
Women’s field hockey will face the reigning national champions, the Northwestern University Wildcats on Sept. 1 at Cary Street Field.
The CT sports staff chose their notable players.
YENNI JIMENEZ ACOSTA
Contributing Writer
Morena Macera — The fourth-year from Buenos Aires, Argentina, has played a total of 33 games, scored 17 goals and netted 11 assists in her time at VCU, according to VCU Athletics. Macera was a force during her first year at VCU — she got nine goals and five assists, ranked second on the team in total points, fourth in the Atlantic 10 in shots and shots on goal per game and third in assists. She was named to the National Field Hockey Coaches Association AllSouth Region Second Team and the All-A-10 First Team selection for the second straight season. Macera will be the premier player for VCU in the upcoming matchup.
MARCUS LEARY
Contributing Writer
Emma Clements — Hailing from Fredericksburg, Virginia, redshirt secondyear goalkeeper Clements is going to be a difference maker for the Rams. Clements started in 11 games last season, including a double overtime win over No. 18 ranked Old Dominion University. During the 2024 campaign, Clements was a stalwart in the goal for the Rams. Across 13 games played, she totaled 52 saves, helped lead the black and gold to five shut-outs and tallied a 73.2% save percentage. In 2023, Clements was named as an alternate to the U.S. Field Hockey U-20 National Team. If the Wildcats want to come away on top, they are going to have to work hard to get shots past Clements and in the back of the cage.
RamFest returns:
VCU Athletics kicks off the '25-26 season
DREW THOMPSON
Sports Editor
ALEXIS WASHINGTON
Assistant Sports Editor
VCU brought fans and athletes together on Saturday for the annual RamFest block party at the Stuart C. Siegel Center — kickstarting a busy season.
The event included live music, games, exclusive merchandise and autograph signings from the men’s and women’s basketball teams.
“It means the best time of the year is here,” Carolyn Coleman, a devout VCU fan, said. “We get to be with friends, or as we call them, ‘Ramily,’ and we get to meet the new players.”
This year’s festival featured a women’s volleyball scrimmage against Christopher
and long-time Rams to prepare for the regular season.
Student athletes from the baseball, track and field, cross country, and men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s tennis and women’s lacrosse teams all made appearances.
Hundreds of students and VCU fans attended the event for the opportunity to meet players like men’s basketball player third-year forward Michael Belle.
“It’s definitely exciting, because it’s great to see how many people really just support you individually and as a team,” Belle said.
For student-athletes, RamFest is just as important to them as it is to fans. Women’s track and field redshirt thirdyear thrower Desi Akaolisa always looks forward to the event.
“Seeing the whole team and then seeing other teams as well is like, okay, we’re all
Stat of the week
VCU women's soccer third-year goalkeeper Mia Pongratz had a career-high eight saves in the 0-4 loss to ECU.
Staff Writer
Ashley Sessa — The redshirt third-year is coming off an impressive season for the Wildcats in their championship campaign. Sessa was named an NFHCA First-Team All-American for her performance on the field last season, along with multiple Big Ten and NFHCA Offensive Player of the Week awards. She had 24 goals and 19 assists last season, and led the Big Ten Conference in both categories, according to Northwestern Athletics. She also ranked in the top five in Division 1 for goals and assists per game. Sessa came in clutch to advance the Wildcats past the University of Massachusetts, scoring the only goal of the matchup to send Northwestern to the national championship. While competing for Northwestern, Sessa has also been a part of the U.S. Women’s National Field Hockey Team since 2021, according to Northwestern Athletics. Sessa’s playmaking ability combined with her scoring prowess will create troublesome matchups for the Rams, and containing her will be key to a VCU victory.
BENNEY KOCH
Contributing Writer
Maddie Zimmer — Zimmer is a graduate student midfielder from Hershey, Pennsylvania. Zimmer has been instrumental to Northwestern’s success, featuring in the national championship winning side last season. Zimmer played a major role in Northwestern’s championship victory, contributing two of its five goals, including the game winning shot and assisting in another. She was awarded the NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player for her performance, for the second time in her career. This came along with an abundance of other awards she earned during the 2024-2025 season, including NFHCA Player of the Year, NFHCA All-Senior Team, NFHCA First Team All-American, NFHCA All-West First Team, First Team All-Big Ten, NCAA All-Tournament Team, Academic AllBig Ten, B1G All-Tournament Team. Zimmer is a huge part of her team, starting in every game she played in, according to Northwestern Athletics. She is expected to have a massive impact in this matchup
Check out exclusive interviews by The CT with student-athletes on the sports section’s new Instagram
VCU fourth-year field hockey player Morena Macera receives a pass.
Photo courtesy of VCU Athletics.
Fans and student-athletes gathering for RamFest; VCU Gold Rush dancer performing at RamFest. Photos by Kieran Stevens.
Press Box: Sports are for everyone
KYLER GILLIAM Staff Writer
Unifier:
A person or thing that brings others together; uniter.
That should be the word to describe sports. A commonality amongst people from all different backgrounds, cultures and upbringings. We should all unite through the spirit of competition and the pride of victory.
Sports can often be an exclusionary space for both athletes and fans who fall outside the norm of dominant culture, however.
From the current administration’s attacks on transgender athletes, to the overall classism, racism, misogyny and homophobia that persist in sports, finding that unifier is becoming difficult.
Sports should be able to excite everybody, and we as sports fans should make strides to create a welcoming environment for anyone.
Trans athletes are experiencing an unruly amount of scrutiny, especially under President Donald Trump’s administration making it unsafe for many to present their authentic selves.
In 2024, NCAA President Charlie Baker stated that he had knowledge of fewer than ten trans athletes who competed in NCAAsanctioned sports, according to The Hill.
With nearly 500,000 athletes competing in the NCAA, trans athletes make up less than 0.002% of NCAA athletes to Baker’s knowledge.
The Trump administration has made constant attempts to “keep men out of women’s sports.” The rhetoric has been
insanely transphobic and dismissive of trans women.
Instead of ostracizing a small number of trans athletes from the sports they love, we should be finding ways that trans athletes can compete in their respective sports safely and freely.
Sports are a big part of our culture in the United States, as most of its spaces are dominated by straight men. Our heteronormative society still plays into gender essentialism, allowing homophobia and misogyny to run rampant in sports while anything besides masculinity is ostracized.
Athletes identifying with diverse backgrounds are often ridiculed, particularly when they discuss their experiences and advocate for change.
Dismantling the heteronormative culture of sports is paramount to the safe inclusion of women and the LGBTQIA+ community. However, discrimination is not only reserved for people who fall under this umbrella.
Discrimination is embedded in the fabric of the United States, and it is no different in sports.
Racism from fans, organizational leaders and others in the sports community creates a hostile environment for people of color who want to engage with sports.
Addressing the systemic and interpersonal racism that affects our society will ultimately lead to a safe space for people of all colors to engage with
Fiona Minter brings experience and expertise to the new Field Hockey season
JENNY ALLEN Staff Writer
VCU field hockey elevated former volunteer coach Fiona Minter to a full-time assistant coach, joining head coach Stacey Bean and assistant coach Shannon Pereira.
Minter took the opportunity to become a volunteer assistant coach in February 2025 for the Rams. She dedicated her free time to help plan and oversee Ram practices, as well as travel to their spring games.
Minter spent her first year in college as a student at American University, where she started all 17 games for the field hockey team. Minter then found her way to Old Dominion University, where she finished out both her field hockey and undergraduate career.
Minter proved her coaching abilities with Nexus USA Field Hockey, a pipeline program to the USA Junior National Team. In this role, Minter developed and exceeded performance standards while overseeing both individual and team growth.
each other and unify through sports.
One of the steps to addressing systemic racism in this country is fixing the socioeconomic gap created by years of oppression. The gap is still felt within the sports community.
Sports have progressed to a point of financial exclusivity — youth sports in particular.
High-brow sports like golf, tennis and lacrosse have always had financial barriers to play, while soccer, track and field, football and basketball were widely accessible.
Recent rising costs in fees and equipment have made even those sports increasingly harder for kids from lower socioeconomic backgrounds to enter however.
A survey conducted by the Aspen Institute showed that spending on youth sports had increased by 46% over the last five years.
Minter recently completed her master’s degree at VCU with a concentration in rehabilitation and mental health. She strives to incorporate it into her coaching style to go beyond helping players succeed on the field.
“I can provide them resources, notice some signs, recognize, maybe reaching out at points and connecting them to the right resources that are needed for each athlete,” Minter said.
Minter believes it is crucial for coaches to understand the challenges that come along with being a student-athlete, especially in recent years after name image and likeness deals were established. Coaches should be checking on student-athletes’ overall college experience as opposed to just focusing on their athletic performance.
“One of my things that I took away from my experience is, like, how to be not just a good coach on the field but off the field for being supportive of them in other ways,”
Minter said. “Not everything has to be about your playing experience. Your college coach can impact you in a lot of other ways.”
Minter plans to use her degree to support athletes, along with her own student-athlete experience to make a connection with players.
“I've been through the recent challenges that they have,” Minter said. “I've experienced it firsthand.”
Despite her time as a student-athlete and coaching at the national level, Minter says volunteering has given her the best insight on what a full-time job with VCU would look like.
“I kind of got a small glimpse of what coaching would look like, and then was able to have that vision and then tailor it to what it would look like full-time moving forward,” Minter said.
Bean praised Minter on her maturity, trusting her to pass on her knowledge and
Youth basketball and baseball thrive on parents who have to pay team registration fees, tournament fees and travel expenses for games that could end up across state lines. This system helps generate the $40 billion business of youth sports, according to the New York Times.
A study by the American Academy of Pediatrics shows pricing children out of sports that were widely accessible decades ago only strains the connection sports can have on a developing mind. Ensuring affordable access to a variety of sports is integral to making sports accessible for everyone, especially young athletes and fans.
It is the duty of all sports fans, athletes, league representatives and elected officials to ensure sports are a safe space for everyone. The great unifier of sports will help create a welcoming community regardless of background.
enhance the team's strengths. Minter’s mentality will add a significant amount of diversity to the team and coaching staff, which is why she is the right fit for this position, according to Bean.
The team’s ultimate goal this season is to win the Atlantic 10 Championship. In order to do so, Bean highlights that the mission is to focus on overall season progress rather than each individual game.
With a season-long approach, Bean is confident that Minter’s new role will help achieve the team’s championship vision.
“Between myself, Fiona and Shannon… you just can't put a price tag on it,” Bean said.
VCU assistant coach Fiona Minter. Photo courtesy of VCU Athletics.
Illustration by Zoë Luis.
Spectrum
New York to Richmond:
Jazz duo plays at the Hofheimer
DEVYNN ALSTON
Contributing Writer
Acute Inflections, a jazz and R&B group from New York City, looks to create an inspiring and proud environment for their audiences.
The duo is coming to Richmond on Aug. 31 to play at the Hofheimer Building in Scott’s Addition as part of their “Soulful Sounds” tour.
Acute Inflections formed 13 years ago through spontaneity, according to singer Elasea Douglas and bassist Sadiki Pierre. They were supposed to perform in a band with others, but they never showed up, forcing Douglas and Pierre to perform as a duo. The crowd relished in the performance, and the pair have been Acute Inflections ever since.
The duo consists of only a singer and a bass player, so they must get creative to include percussive elements throughout their shows, according to Pierre. Acute Inflections is entirely self-produced.
“I can be percussive with tapping on the strings,” Pierre said. “I can be percussive with just rubbing the hand up and down on the strings … I can tap the body of the bass.”
The duo tries to explore with their music by revamping older songs, according to Douglas.
“We do a lot of our own takes on or covers of other popular songs that might have initially been rock songs, or pop, and we would slow it down and do it jazzy, or do it R&B or do it Latin,” Douglas said.
Acute Inflections take their roles as perfomers seriously, hoping audiences recieve their message.
“We have social responsibility as artists and people in the forefront,” Douglas said. “People who are in the limelight, we have to take the responsibility of the influence that we have and the ripple that it causes.”
Acute Inflections attract a mature audience with their blues and neo-soul influences, and the crowd tend to feel a lot more joyous after a performance as opposed to the start, according to Douglas.
“We want them to feel inspired and proud that they took a chance on something new, because a lot of people who come to our shows, it’s their first time, and they always say they’re just giving this thing a chance,” Douglas said.
The duo pulls influence from the Harlem Renaissance.
“We chose a 1920s or Harlem Renaissance look because that was a time when we as Black people were at our peak in our confidence,” Douglas said. “In our power of being our best selves, we were displayed in our best way.”
Acute Inflections has gained a solid following, according to Tricia Fogle, their personal assistant.
“The audience loves what they do and really appreciates their type of vibe; classy and elegant, and so their numbers seem to be growing,” Fogle said.
Acute Inflections will perform two shows on Aug. 31 at 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. at the Hofheimer.
On This Day
Aug. 27, 1939, Heinkel He, the world’s first turbojet-powered airplane, took flight.
Water Lantern Festival lights the way at Dorey Park
As the sun set over Dorey Park on Saturday, with the lively chatter of families blending with mellow music, gentle ripples carried hundreds of glowing lanterns across the water.
The Water Lantern Festival, a small event that began in 2017 in northern Utah, had its third annual gathering in Henrico at Dorey Park on Aug. 23.
The tradition dates back to Obon, a Japanese holiday rooted in Buddhist and Shinto beliefs, where families release glowing paper lanterns into water to guide the spirits of their ancestors back to the afterlife.
While the Water Lantern Festival draws inspiration from those spiritual origins, the focus is more universal, according to marketing manager Tess Rowser.
“We want it to still honor the tradition itself, keep that peak moment, but then the programming around it has been refined and streamlined, while keeping the launch of the heart of the event,” Rowser said.
Organizers are intentional about where they set up. Their goal is to create an atmosphere that feels memorable and
meaningful — Dorey Park is a perfect example, according to Rowser.
“There’s this beautiful backdrop on the pond and just this thick grove of trees that is mixed for the most beautiful mirrored effects from the light lanterns on the water,” Rowser said.
“It's really a great space for people to spread out and families to enjoy the evening.”
Beyond the lantern launch itself, the community truly brings the festival to life. The event partners with booths, local food trucks, musicians and artists to create a night that reflects the spirit of the city it lands in.
“We add more family-friendly activities,” Rowser said. “So even if you’ve attended before, knowing that, ‘okay, I’ll still get
the launch, I’ll still get that beautiful, mesmerizing display on the water, but have these different games and shows and opportunities to win merch and different activities to keep it fresh.’”
During the festival, guests are encouraged to inscribe their own messages on the lanterns. It is a chance for attendees to release a part of themselves into the world.
“I think it’s freeing,” attendee Lorna Graham said. “You don't have to worry about what anyone thinks, and you’re kind of just putting it out there and then letting it go, and I think there’s a lot of beauty in that.”
For some attendees, even a small pause can bring clarity to a life caught in a cycle of tasks and pressure.
“Sometimes it’s hard to just mind a moment and to breathe honestly,” attendee Annie Zheng said. “I think being in this space, the weather’s really nice, and just writing down all your hopes and dreams is
something I don't take enough time to do.”
The water lanterns use sealed LED lights with non-removable batteries, instead of candles with open flames, to minimize environmental impact. The team conducts a full cleanup after the event — collecting every lantern using buoy lines to ensure no materials are left behind. The components are then recycled or reused at future events. What began as a small community gathering has grown beyond its roots. It serves to unite strangers, honor stories and light the path forward together.
ELLE COTA
Contributing Writer
Acute Inflections, a Jazz/ R&B duo from New York. Photo Courtesy of Acute Inflections.
‘Baddies’ take over Brown’s Island in new community walk
DAIJAH HINMON Contributing Writer
Social media influencer Molly Bish introduced “RVA Baddie Walk” to face a hard reality many Richmonders share: making friends has been difficult since the COVID-19 pandemic
Bish joined TikTok in 2020 for fun, but after having a viral moment on the app, she started to take it seriously. Her content was mainly Richmond-focused, a mix of vlogs and wellness videos. Locals messaged her in search of friends in the area.
Bish decided to make a TikTok video calling all Richmond “baddies” to come together and enjoy the outdoors.
The “RVA Baddie Walk” on Aug. 23 was an event created for people who wanted to put themselves out there and find community, according to Bish.
“There is so much opportunity for community, and if there’s one thing about Richmond, we are some unique, cool individuals,” Bish said.
Bish noticed that a similar theme in the comments of her videos about the event was how difficult socializing has been since the pandemic.
“I think we’ve all, in a way, become socially awkward,” Bish said. “Humans aren’t meant to be alone. We are meant to find each other, and that’s not just in romantic relationships, but platonic as well.”
The goal of the event was to aid people in building their social skills back up and form friendships with other Richmonders, according to Bish.
“There’s been so many times where I see everyone else really finding a community in Richmond, and I think I maybe held myself back from not joining it sooner,” Bish said.
Events like the Baddie Walk are perfect
for people who work from home who do not get the opportunity to see others often, attendee Heather Healy said.
“I thought it had such a great turnout,” attendee Gem Abadam said. “I just moved to Richmond about six months ago, and I thought this was a great opportunity to meet new people and see new sights around Richmond.”
There are two more events planned; on Sept. 6 at 10 a.m. and Sept. 17 at 6 p.m. Locations have not been determined, but fans can vote on the Baddie Walk Discord to decide on the walks’ locations.
Baddies walking at Brown's Island for RVA Baddie Walk on Aug. 23. Photos by Kieran Stevens.
Reservations are currently booked out for the next week, according to Proctor.
“We're trying to release the schedule between like two and three weeks out in advance,” said Proctor. “We booked out really fast for sure.”
Reservations to meet the cats are mandatory. They cost $20 per person on weekdays and $25 per person on weekends.
The cost helps the cafe take care of the cats’ food and litter, as well as staff to care for them, as 16 cats are in the lounge at a time, according to Proctor.
Purrfect Bean is open Wednesday through Sunday — the coffee shop’s hours are 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., and the cat lounge is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Continued from front page
“Pretty much anything we can source locally, we do here,” Proctor said. “Which I think kind of sets us apart from a lot of other coffee shops.”
Purrfect Bean has partnered with Purring Hearts VA, an independent cat rescue, to help find homes for cats. All of the cats at the cafe are available for adoption.
The coffee shop features a wall of Polaroids that showcases every cat that has been adopted, along with the new owners.
There is an influx in kitten adoption, however, Purring Hearts enforces a rule to ensure socialization, according to Proctor.
“If you're getting a kitten, then you have to get a second kitten as well. If they're 3 months, and there's not another animal in the home,” Proctor said.
“It's almost as if we are the foster parent for all of the cats,” Proctor said. “They're not going home, and they're staying here. They stay here full-time until they're adopted.”
The adoption fees are dependent on the breed and may be more expensive for rarer breeds, according to Claire Sylvain, the cat manager at Purrfect Bean.
“We mainly try to highlight the cats that are not as sought after,” Sylvain stated in an email.
“The adoption fees to expect are $150 for one and $275 for two.”
A Richmond relic renovated
Byrd Theater gets new seats
MAEVE BAUER Spectrum Editor
The Byrd Theatre opened its doors in 1928 and has woven itself into the fabric of Richmond.
The theatre is currently in the process of replacing their auditorium seats.
The seats are made to be more comfortable, as they also plan to create two more accessible platforms, according to Ben Cronly, Byrd’s executive director. They finished the renovations for the middle aisle and balcony, and are now working on the side aisles.
The seats stay true to their original designs, with purely functional updates. They plan to make the back of the seats thinner to give viewers the option to lean back further, according to Cronly.
“The plan of our foundation is to restore the entire theatre back to the way it was in 1928,” Cronly said. “That includes redoing the marquee, we’re adding back the blade sign, which is the vertical sign that had ‘Byrd’ in vertical letters.”
Cronly feels that the Byrd helped Carytown make a name for itself.
“When the Byrd was built, that was just a residential neighborhood,” Cronly said. “There weren’t any shops or anything, so when the Byrd was built and was opened, many of the homeowners realized, ‘Hey, the Byrd is bringing in 200 people a night. We could start selling goods out in the front of our houses.”
Silent films were accompanied by the Mighty WurliTzer Organ, installed by the Randolph WurliTzer Company, according to The Byrd’s website.
Cronly implemented the organ to be played at every show in 2023, excluding sensory-friendly and midnight shows.
One man has been the house organist at the Byrd for 29 years: Bob Gulledge.
Gulledge originally started playing the organ for his church. When he was 12,
he visited the Byrd for the first time and fell in love with the WurliTzer.
“We moved to Richmond in 1965, and Easter week, they brought a group of us to the Byrd,” said Gulledge. “I had never seen or even heard of a theater organ before. The big sound rolled across the theatre and the big bass note, and then the spotlightcame on, and the console came up out of the pit. At that point, I was hooked.”
Gulledge trained under Eddie Weaver, who played on the Byrd’s organ from 19611981, according to Gulledge.
“He came down here from the Loews, which is where he was from 1931 to 1961. He was around 50 years … I’m a short timer,” Gulledge said.
Gulledge enjoys his time at the Byrd and feels as though he’s gotten to know the audience.
“I grew up here. I learned to play here. I like the people I work with. I really do enjoy the people,” said Gulledge. “I very much appreciate when they tell me how much they enjoy. This is probably the single most played theater organ in the United States.”
Pete Peterson, a manager and projectionist, loves the building for many reasons.
“I love film history, and it was built in such a cool time for films, where they were new,” said Peterson. “I love all the different movies we show, and we’re not just showing what’s coming out.”
Peterson says the original characteristics of the building — the chandelier, organ, paintings and marble — help bring people in.
“It kind of gives off the vibes of a prestigious theater, like a live performance theater, but you know, movies. It’s kind of fancy, but it doesn’t gatekeep the public,” Peterson said. “It keeps the tradition alive by showing movies, and I feel like it allows the public to experience a lot of movies that they wouldn’t otherwise.”
Byrd Theater employee changing the marquee. Photo By Cam Dorsey.
CAT CAFE
Illustrations by Lucie Bouton.
RVA Spotlight
Features
One stoop at a time:
StoopingRVA’s local legacy
MOLLY MANNING News Editor
What do a swordfish-shaped pillow, a stuffed boar’s head and a slightly smelly window AC unit have in common? These are all items that have been “stooped” in Richmond. Instagram account Stooping RVA documents furniture, décor and other gems left on the curb for anyone to claim.
“Stooping” is described as a way for people to furnish and decorate their homes at no cost by searching for and bringing home discarded furniture, art or other goods, according to a Yahoo Life article.
StoopingRVA has been “circulating free finds” in Richmond since 2020, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, and they have since garnered over 17,000 followers. The idea originally stemmed from StoopingNYC, an Instagram account founded in 2019 that now has over 484,000 followers, according to the Wall Street Journal.
A Richmonder continually noticed the free items left on the street when people were moving and decided to create a stooping Instagram for Richmond, which accumulated over 200 followers the first day, according to RVA Mag.
The account relies on the community to run. People send direct messages to StoopingRVA about items they see or are giving away with a location. The administrator then shares them on the account. After the post is up, people often comment when items are gone — sometimes a race ensues as users scramble to get to the free finds first.
In an episode of RVA Mag’s “It’s Still Our City” podcast, StoopingRVA’s admin shares that some people think donating or selling items to thrift stores feels almost immoral, knowing their items may be sold for more than they initially paid because of the high thrift prices in Richmond.
The account is only for free things, as yard sales and Facebook Marketplace-type selling are not welcome, the admin said on the podcast. Instead, they support another user who created “yardsalerva”, a page for information about local yard sales.
Stooping poses a solution, or partial remedy, to the almost 10 million tons of furniture landfilled every year, according to EPA reports.
“Fast furniture” is a growing concern among environmentalists, according to the New York Times. This furniture is massproduced, cheap for consumers and readily available at sites like Wayfair and Amazon. While the furniture is affordable and arrives quickly, it is only built to last a few years and is often tossed out.
Rather than opt for cheaply made and unreliable furniture and furnishings, some prefer to scour the internet and the streets for free, used goods. Conversely, community members would often rather leave their unused or unwanted items on curbs (or stoops) for neighbors instead of throwing them out.
STOOPING STORIES
Merry Nunnally, a second-year finance student, scored some unexpected treasures with the account’s help. Nunnally said one of her stooping quests began with a trip to pick up a new dress form, but it was gone when she arrived. Instead, she ended up heading to the location of a second post where she discovered a wooden John Lennon poster.
“The John Lennon [poster] was so much fun, because it just felt like I had finally, like, really found something that was so me,” Nunnally said.
On another adventure for free items, Nunnally said she saw a post for a yard sale that was ending, the hosts giving the rest of their wares away for free, and immediately headed over in search of clothes. A friend called her asking if anything was left, and she let him know what was up for grabs while she waited for him to arrive.
“I was like, ‘Okay, I'll hold down the fort. By the way, there's this silicone horse mask there. You want me to hold on to that for you? ” Nunnally said. “And he was like, ‘Yes, absolutely, do that.’”
Nunnally’s friends also found items like lamps and music equipment for their new apartment from the yard sale. There is a competitiveness to finding the items since it works as a first-come, first-serve system, with people sometimes even falsely claiming that items are gone to steer others away.
“If you're playing tricks and telling people that everything's gone, when everything's not gone, you're cheeky, and I respect that,” Nunnally said.
Richmond community member Audrey Boone used the stooping account to help furnish her new apartment. She brought home storage items, chairs, carpet, a pair of roller skates, a skateboard and a bungee chair she says she uses every day.
“I just like that people want new homes for things. Furniture is so expensive, it’s so expensive, so it’s nice that people just give out things they’re not using anymore,” Boone said. “It’s definitely a Richmond staple.”
Shahar Smith, a Richmond teacher and VCU alum, has been following StoopingRVA since nearly the beginning, in 2020. She has never had the opportunity to grab anything for herself, but donated a dresser through the account, leaving it on the curb. She introduced her neighbor to the concept when he saw someone taking photos of it and later leaving with it.
Smith said the process can feel safer than having to meet up with someone to buy an item.
“You get rid of the face-to-face aspect of it,” Smith said. “It’s not as dangerous as possibly trying to meet somebody through
Facebook Marketplace and going through that whole strange transaction.”
Grace Sager, a third-year craft and material studies student, has followed the account since she moved to Richmond her freshman year and found a pink couch on StoopingRVA. She thinks it is a great example of community members giving back to each other.
It’s definitely a Richmond staple. It’s been used by me for several years, a bunch of my friends use it, I love the concept, I love all the stuff that’s there and it’s free!”
Audrey Boone, community member
“The people were super nice, and strangers off the street offered to help me get it in my car. Everyone's so nice about free stuff because I think everyone can love free stuff,” Sager said. “I easily would’ve paid like, $100 for a couch like that, and so the fact that I found it for free, I like to brag about it. It’s so beautiful, it’s nice that people in the community are really generous with stuff like that.”
Sager found other unexpected goods in addition to her couch.
“There was a house a few blocks down from where I live and they had a bunch of free stuff outside and there were these two creepy haunted-looking baby dolls and I just took them,” Sager said. “We haven't had any paranormal experiences yet, but they do look pretty cool in our house.”
She appreciates the time and energy the administrator puts into the account.
“It takes a lot of time and energy to check those DMs and post stuff and update comments and things like that,” she said. “It shows that they really appreciate the free community and the stooping community, and I have a lot of respect for that because that’s not easy.”
The account admin declined an interview with The CT and asked to remain anonymous, but we would like to thank them for the magic of StoopingRVA!
Check out Small Friend Records & Books under the stairs at 1 N Lombardy Street, they have new and used finds for lovers of every genre.
Photos courtesy of @stoopingrva on Instagram. Collage by Zach Montgomery.
Opinions
STAFF EDITORIAL
Israel is committing genocide in Gaza.
Why The Commonwealth Times is changing its
style guide
The Commonwealth Times has published over 20 articles discussing the devastation of Gaza by the Israeli Defense Forces, and the dozens of student protests at VCU that followed. None of them directly referred to the conflict as a “genocide.”
The Associated Press stylebook — the most widelyused set of guidelines for journalists — instructs the events that have occurred since Oct. 7, 2023 should be appropriately referred to as the “Israel-Hamas War.”
We, the staff of The CT, believe the standard verbiage recommended by the AP is inadequate, and our continued use of it would be misleading to readers.
The term “genocide” was first used in 1944 by Polish-Jewish jurist and Holocaust survivor Raphael Lemkin, according to the Holocaust Museum. Lemkin — appalled by the lack-of-term for the Armenian Genocide that occured decades prior — spent his life petitioning for an international law to describe and prevent the destruction of groups.
“Genocide is directed against the national group as an entity, and the actions involved are directed against individuals, not in their individual capacity, but as members of the national group,” Lemkin wrote.
Lemkin’s work availed at the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Genocide. The United Nations adopted a definition for the term, though it strayed from Lemkin’s original outline.
Article II of the Genocide Convention contains a narrow definition of the crime of genocide, which includes two main elements:
1. A mental element: the "intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such"; and
2. A physical element, which includes the following five acts, enumerated exhaustively:
1. Killing members of the group
2. Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group
3. Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part
4. Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group
5. Forcibly transferring children of the group to another group
Lemkin died before the UN gave the world’s first ever genocide conviction with the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda in 1998.
According to international law at the time, no genocide occurred in the world throughout the half-century between — not in Bangladesh, Cambodia, Bosnia or anywhere else — but history tells us that was not the case.
The criminal tribunal for Rwanda was established through resolution 995 of the UN Security Council — which is primarily responsible for international peace and security. The resolution only passed because it was not vetoed by one of the five permanent members of the council established at its founding: Russia, China, France, the United Kingdom and the United States.
The five permanent members were chosen as members of the Allied Powers during WWII — not for their moral clarity. Permanent members can veto any resolution against their national interest.
Vetos by the U.S. and other members of the council undermine sovereign nations’ “Responsibility to Protect,” which stipulates a duty of collective action by the international community “when a particular state is clearly either unwilling or unable to fulfil its responsibility to protect or is itself the actual perpetrator of crimes or atrocities.”
The many eliminationist statements by Israeli leaders and the vast, open destruction of life, land and property in Gaza has led many scholars to determine a genocide is occuring. Over 60,000 people in Gaza have been verifiably killed throughout the “war,” and Israeli intelligence suggests 83% were civilians, according to +972 Magazine, a news outlet by Israeli and Palestinian journalists. The evidence amounting to mass-killing in the region is irrefutable.
What has occurred in Gaza over the last 22 months is perhaps the most recorded genocide in history — with videos of the ongoing bloodshed unavoidable across social media platforms.
Institutions are often late to accurately describe genocide when it occurs.
As a newspaper, we have discussed: “When is it an appropriate time to refer to something as a Genocide? When the AP stylebook deems so? When the United Nations — often governed by the perpetrators of the crime — serves a conviction? Or years later, after the genocide has already occured, and it is too late for our reporting to make an impact?”
The Commonwealth Times is a newspaper of record, but also a newspaper of change. It exists in conversation with the conventions of traditional reporting, but is also written by students of a world they have the power to shape — by students pursuing timely, challenging analysis often not provided elsewhere.
As a student-led news source, we must prioritize not only record-keeping, but also strive to ensure the many horrors of that record are not repeated. That is why we believe breaking with the AP Stylebook is necessary.
The CT is changing its style guide to refer to the “Israel-Hamas War” as the “genocide in Gaza,” and will not hesitate in its commitment to truth in the future.
Editor’s Note: Staff editorials by The Commonwealth Times are written and edited by all members of staff. The content of editorials is voted on by staff members and must be unanimously agreed-upon ahead of publication.
THE COMMONWEALTH TIMES STAFF
Quote of the week
“Conscience doth make cowards of us all.”
— William Shakespeare, Hamlet
So, you’ve been diagnosed with senior year jitters
JALYN THOMAS Contributing Writer
Many students will graduate this year — myself included — whether or not we feel prepared to go out in the real world.
A week before classes started, I was thinking about what I had accomplished in past years. I have a half-baked website, an unorganized portfolio and a habit of doubting my future.
I have constantly asked myself, “Who really feels like they have done enough during their years at university?”
Although those who have known what they want to do since childhood have probably achieved more than me, I cannot think too hard about them. Despite my setbacks, what is important is that I eventually figure out what I want to do.
I have spent much of this summer comparing my life and career to others. But now, I want to focus on the present.
If you are in the same boat, then you have also looked at others and wondered how they got their opportunities or seemingly know what to do. I came to the conclusion that it is about pursuing what you want. If you hold back, you will not achieve what you want. Three years ago, I was a freshman — I blinked and now I am a senior who does not know what may happen after college.
While this is advice for seniors to not be worried they are not doing enough, it is also advice to freshmen to do whatever feels right.
There will always be opportunities out there. While some may not entirely align with your ideal career trajectory, the experience is still worth it. I wish I had this mindset as a freshman that actually spent time nourishing his own interests.
To me, the concept of senior year jitters consists of comparisons between the self and others, but it can also be an opportunity for self-reflection.
The beauty in all of this is how greatly the college experience varies in this community at VCU, with everyone making up the different sides of the same disfigured coin.
Comparison is inevitable — what matters is what you do with it. I wish someone told me this, and to not pressure myself too much when trying to figure my life out.
No path is linear, especially in university. I believe the best course of action is to find out what you truly want and then go for it. Still, there is no need to rush.
SEBASTIENNE BOWERS
Contributing Writer
Cringe. A label we love to throw at one another, and a core part of our cultural lexicon. I do not need to define it — you know what it means.
You happen to see a bunch of LARPers in the park while driving past? Cringe. Someone is loudly singing along to a song despite the bustling world around them and people staring? Cringe. A classmate is wearing something you would not be caught dead in? Cringe.
You feel it — the clenching of your teeth, the hair on the back of your neck standing up. A particularly bad instance of it might even make you avert your eyes and retreat to the crueler parts of your mind. It seems almost everything today is cringe. My friends occasionally ask me if what they are wearing is okay — “If you saw me and did not know me, would you laugh?” When my best friend asks if what she is wearing falls under the sprawling umbrella that is “cringe,” I try not to wince. Her outfits are always beautiful, purposefully chosen and delicately adorned, yet she is scared. She is frightened of this other that lurks in each and every one of our minds.
In defense of sincerity
This deeply troubles me. Online, I see people talking about how thankful they are for not being recorded while dancing at public events like a club or a wedding, scared of being posted and deemed cringeworthy.
Who can blame them? Who can blame anyone that sees themselves in the grips of an abysmally sardonic public? We live in a time of surveillance — everyone has a camera in their pocket or hand, the shutters waiting to “snapsnap-snap.”
“This will be great for Instagram,” they say. “Twitter (this writer refuses to refer to Twitter as ‘X’ on principle) will love this. My views will increase. TikTok will finally shell out.”
Do not get me wrong— I love social media. I have had a Tumblr account since 2011, use Instagram daily and rotting my brain on TikTok is a highlight of my day. I am not knocking social media itself but the exploitation of one another on it — those who take advantage of non-consenting people who are just trying to live their lives.
I hate that we have all built this panopticon in our heads, an evil collusion of nefarious beings always judging our slightest move.
When you think about sincerity, what do you picture? Do you imagine your parents expressing their love? A deep apology you once uttered through tears? Whatever comes to mind is a demonstration of the deep and wondrous nature of being human and the wondrous thing we call empathy.
When people decide to be themselves — whatever that may entail — that is sincerity.
The person who decides to tattoo their entire body with anime tattoos is sincere. The person who swings a wooden sword, hell-bent on defending the kingdom of Monroe Park, is sincere. The trans woman deciding to wear a skirt or makeup for the first time in her life because she can is sincere. The individuals protesting against the Palestinian Genocide are sincere. Your friends and your loved ones are sincere. At some point in your life, you have been, are currently and will be sincere.
Many people throughout your life will take your sincerity and try to twist it, mutate it and reject it. You must ignore that horrible coven of nay-sayers in your head and live your truth.
To be cringe is to be free.
Illustration by Naomi Coger.
Illustration by Ro Horner. Collage by Zach Montgomery.
