Anti-Trump ‘No Kings’ protest draws record crowd to Richmond
BEN MARTINDALE
Contributing Writer
AVA MOREHEAD
Contributing Writer
An estimated 20,000 people flooded Richmond on Sunday to participate in the latest anti-Trump “No Kings” protest following unprecedented actions by the president’s administration. The gathering brought a diverse crowd of different ages, identities and ideas to Capitol Square.
The estimated number of participants was double that of the last “No Kings” protest in June, which had an estimated 10,000 people — numbers not seen since 2020, according to previous reports by The CT.
James, a Richmond resident who declined to share his last name, carried an American flag to the protest, which he said represented hope. He came out because he believes America is heading in a dangerous direction.
NO KINGS Continued on page 3
So are the resources they preovide
MOLLY MANNING
News Editor
MAEVE BAUER
Spectrum Editor
CORA PERKINS
Assistant Spectrum Editor
The first thing to greet partygoers at a recent “First Caturdays” rave was the smiling faces of cat ear-wearing volunteers. They sat behind a table lined with menstrual products, opioid-overdose antidote naloxone and pamphlets and zines about mutual aid and human rights — all free resources.
The rave was held at Powers BMX Shop, where bike ramps for bunny hops and tail whips the garage are turned into DJ stands, and the space outside is used as a stage for fire spinners and local artists.
“That’s really what this stuff funds, everybody’s artistic vision and creating a space where people feel safe to
explore themselves and their interests and their hobbies and their flow,” said Maeve Fasce, a volunteer. “Yeah, just get a little weird, a little fun and listen to music. And I see all people from all walks of life come here and it is reallyamazing.”
At tendees were told they must ring the bell hanging at the edge of the check-in tent on their way into the event for “good luck.”
In junkyards, under bridges and in the furthest reaches of Richmond, do-it-yourself music venues have provided people with alternative spaces to safely party for decades. But as the city develops and demographics change, the scene has shifted to more established venues that do not provide the same resources to attendees.
VENUES Continued on page 11
But don’t pretend Republicans are innocent. Yes, Jay Jones was wrong.
KATIE MEEKER
Opinions & Humor Editor
MAYA SUNDERRAJ
Assistant Opinions Editor
On Oct. 3, only 32 days from election day, Virginia’s democratic attorney general candidate, Jay Jones, was caught in a highprofile scandal — leaked text messages from 2022 saw Jones advocating for the deaths of former state House Speaker Todd Gilbert and his family.
Republicans nationwide have condemned Jones’s behavior, with many calling for him to drop out of the race.
Even President Donald Trump weighed in, calling Jones’s comments “sick and demented jokes.”
While many of Virginia’s democratic officials have issued statements disapproving of Jones’s actions, most have not called for his withdrawal from the race. This dismissal has roused further criticism from the right, with conservatives using it to fuel their tale of leftist violence. This narrative has risen in prominence exponentially since the assassination of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk last month, and Jones’s text messages are the perfect supplement.
Still, this portrayal is shallow and suspicious at best. It intentionally does not wholly encompass America’s problem with violent rhetoric and political violence.
JAY JONES Continued on page 12
DIY
Protestors march down Broad Street during the “No Kings” protest on Oct. 18. Photo by Burke Loftus.
The “First Caturdays” rave at Powers Bike Shop on Oct. 4. Photo by Molly Manning.
Stories of the week
national: After three weeks of the government shutdown, the Senate has failed for the 11th time to pass a resolution. This shutdown is now the third longest in American history.
international: Thieves stole eight pieces of jewelry from the Louvre museum in Paris, France this Sunday. The heist brought into question the security measures in place at the Louvre.
closed last September due to safety concerns noticed during repairs to its sewage pipe, sewage overflow has been a continuous problem for the James River due to the city's outdated sewer and
Richmond can’t pay to fix its water on its own The mayor’s new proposal hinges on Virginia’s next Governor
HECIEL
NIEVES BONILLA
Assistant News Editor
The city of Richmond is working to fix its backlog in repairs to its water system with multiple projects after continued distribution issues and a water crisis that left hundreds of thousands of people with little to no drinkable water for days in January.
On Jan. 6, most city residents and many in surrounding counties were left without potable water, and later running water at all, after a power outage during a blizzard flooded Richmond’s Water Treatment Plant and shut down its IT system.
Mayor Danny Avula sent a letter to Gov. Glenn Youngkin on Oct. 8 requesting $80 million in state funds split between the next two fiscal years. The money would support capital improvements to the water system while “minimizing the need for further rate increases.”
Avula told The CT the letter also included a list of needed capital investments along with the flat sum, and those ideas were “vetted by the region.” Avula has been coordinating with the Regional Group on Drinking Water Strategy — which includes the governments of Richmond, Chesterfield, Henrico and Hanover.
“We do check in on a regular basis,” Avula said. “At this stage, we are looking forward to the governor convening a group of us to talk about how to build support and hopefully have the governor place some investment in our water treatment plan in the budget.”
Avula’s requested $80 million hinges on the approval of the Virginia General Assembly and the governor. While
Youngkin will submit a budget proposal to the General Assembly in December, he will not give it final approval in the spring. That duty will be left up to whoever is elected as the next governor.
Local resident Owen Martin was one of many Richmonders who bore the brunt of water troubles back in January. He is skeptical the plans to fix the system will go through.
“The water crisis was terrible,” Martin said. “A lot of restaurants were shut down, I definitely remember boiling a lot of water. Yeah, mid. Will it get fixed? Probably not. Is that $80 million really gonna go to fixing that? We’ll see.”
The city has already allotted over $190 million from fiscal years 2022-2026 to the upkeep and improvement of stormwater, water distribution and wastewater systems, according to its capital improvement plan.
This includes increasing the “wet weather treatment capacity” at the city’s Wastewater Treatment Plant and drainage improvement projects in Shockoe Bottom and Battery Park.
Scott Morris, director of the Department of Public Utilities, shared a draft for a 10-year plan to fix and maintain the treatment plant, including goals to backup power sources and replace aging infrastructure through 2027.
Maintenance of public utilities in Richmond — like water and sewage — are paid for through both utility bills and property taxes. Individual homeowners pay a disproportionate share of the costs because of Richmond’s high number of publicly owned lots, according to Samuel Parker, a Richmond Times-Dispatch reporter who has covered the system.
“[The city] has so much untaxable real estate because the state government’s here, because VCU is here, it’s constantly cash strapped,” Parker said. “It’s dependent utterly on single family homeowners for most of its revenues […] The state government has very little obligation to the city in terms of utility bills and real estate taxes. And I think the city could make an argument that it’s time to pay up.”
Richmond’s main water treatment plant is over 100 years old, according to the city’s public utilities webpage, and though it has been upgraded and expanded, its age makes backlog upkeep difficult compared to surrounding localities.
On top of that, some of Richmond’s largest customers for water are the surrounding counties, which depend on the city’s aging infrastructure for much of their supply.
Richard Meagher, a political science professor at Randolph-Macon College and host of the RVA’s Got Issues podcast, said the crisis reflects a national problem of lack of investment in infrastructure.
“Mayor Avula’s request to the governor reflects an unfortunate reality — local government lacks the resources to adequately address necessary improvements, let alone regular maintenance,” Meagher said. “If we’re going to address our infrastructure crisis, we absolutely will have to rely on state and federal funding.”
Meagher noted the mayor has taken action on immediate improvements since January, and does not expect the water crisis to repeat itself this winter — but warned that it “doesn’t mean there [won’t] be another infrastructure crisis in our future.”
The Pipeline Trail in Richmond on Sept. 25. The trail
stormwater overflow systems.
Photo by Molly Manning.
Mayor Danny Avula.
Photo by Andrew Kerley.
Collage by Raya Freeborn.
Community pushes for Papi’s reopening after nearly a year of closure
BRYER HAYWOOD
Contributing Writer
The City of Richmond closed Papi’s, one of its few LGBTQ+ night clubs, in 2024 due to multiple health and safety violations. But some community members say the bar’s closure was unwarranted and are pushing to reopen it.
City officials cited overcrowding, unsafe structures, improper food storage and broken fire alarms among the reasons for shutting Papi’s down. The club was also operating without a nightclub permit.
Papi’s owner Adrienne Londoño said she was unaware she had to apply for a nightclub permit before opening the establishment.
After correcting the violations, Papi’s was allowed to reopen temporarily in January as a restaurant but not a nightclub — meaning it could offer food and drinks but not after midnight.
Later that month, city officials returned to Papi’s and shut it down again due to more violations, including nightclub activities after midnight, overcrowding, and broken exit signs according to The Richmonder.
The original building occupancy limit was 57 — Londoño later applied to raise the occupancy limit to 214 and the city accepted her application in May.
The health inspector also noted a sink for handwashing had a kitchen towel rather than disposable hand towels or an air dryer.
The Planning Commission, the city agency responsible for the “orderly development of the city,” voted in favor of granting Papi’s a nightclub permit that would be valid for 18 months despite the bar not having an ABC license. Now, City Council will vote in November to decide whether to issue the permit or not.
In July, the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority revoked Papi’s license to sell alcohol. The Virginia ABC requires
Anti-Trump
‘No
that 45% of a restaurant’s annual gross sales come from food and non-alcoholic beverages, and no more than 55% of gross sales can come from alcoholic beverages, excluding beer and wine.
It is illegal in Virginia for any establishment to sell alcohol without also selling food. Some restaurant owners believe this law is outdated and have pushed for it to be repealed or amended.
Over 80% of Papi’s sales came from alcohol during its first two years open, according to Londoño, who said they are unable to reapply for an ABC license until 2026.
Papi’s is located in the Shockoe Slip district in Richmond. Londoño and her husband own three other businesses in the Shockoe area called La Bodega, Mamacita’s Sports Cantina and Queens Comfort Latin Kitchen.
Some Shockoe business owners are opposed to Papi’s reopening. The developers that make up the Shockoe Partnership sent letters to Londoño saying they think Papi’s should not be given a nightclub permit due to the previous violations.
‘IT’S DEVASTATING TO NOT HAVE A SPACE LIKE PAPI’S ANYMORE’
Many in the Richmond community were saddened to hear about the closure of Papi’s, as the club had become a safe space for the queer community and people of color alike. Lodoño said people of all ethnicities frequented the establishment.
“Whether it was the show or the DJ afterwards, you knew the night was gonna be good there,” said Melanin Monroe, a drag performer and former event host at Papi’s. “We are already limited in the amount of places open specifically for our community so losing one is very concerning for me, especially in today’s political climate.”
Kings’ protest draws record crowd to Richmond
C ontinued from front page
“This isn’t right, I don’t think anything the current administration is doing is correct,” James said. “I don’t think they’re doing anything for the good of the American people as a whole.”
The protest began in Capitol Square and turned into a march down Broad Street.
People echoed chants such as “hey hey, ho ho, Donald Trump has got to go,” before arriving at Monroe Park.
“No Kings” brought out not only residents, but members of other communities. One protester, Glen, came all the way from London, United Kingdom. He said he was moved to join the protest by his belief in nonviolent demonstration.
Another performer, Jasmen Clitopatra, said the first raid of the club was a traumatizing experience, as it was during one of their performances.
“It’s devastating to not have a space like Papi’s anymore,” Clitopatra said.
Papi’s employees were concerned about their financial security after the club closed, and there was a lot of initial uncertainty about the reasons for the closure, Clitopatra said.
Other bars such as Babe’s of Carytown and Godfrey’s regularly host drag events. While other bars may feature the same kinds of events or atmospheres, Papi’s is one of few Miami-style bars in Richmond, according to OutRVA.
“The atmosphere at Papi’s was different from other queer clubs,” said Lavender Menace, a drag performer and winner of
“We saw the participation plans and thought this is something we need to get involved with,” Glen said. “We’d like to express our views eloquently and peacefully. Just getting out and doing something.”
Many protestors carried signs with antifascist and anti-authoritarian statements. Kenny, an Air Force retiree, joined the protest out of fear that American democracy is failing.
“I understand what’s going on in this country,” Kenny said. “I’ve been in authoritarian countries before. We’ve fought in a few, and I just can’t see Americans wanting this.”
Protestors chanted phrases of resistance such as “there are no kings,” “shame!” and “free Palestine.” Some participants placed large letters in front of the Virginia State Capitol building to spell out “TAX THE RICH.”
Omar, a Richmond native, noted his Middle Eastern descent and desire to support Palestinians as reasons to protest.
“I don’t agree with the politics of who’s in office right now, but more than anything, this is a chance to get out and protest,” Omar said. “To show the government and other Americans that we are here and we have something to say. A big part of it is the genocide that’s happening in Gaza, that’s a big reason why I’m here.”
Claudia, another attendee, said she remembers protests in the 1960s, and was moved to tears when talking about the current state of America.
“Every day I wake feeling sick to my stomach about what's going on,” Claudia
the Mx. Papi’s title, as well as Mx. Virginia Pride 2025.
Menace noted that with the closure of Papi’s, fewer people are going out in general.
“The crowd that went to Papi’s isn’t going to the other spaces,” Menace said. Londoño said she had difficulty selling food at Papi’s, but is willing to expand the food menu so that she could meet the 45% requirement.
Londoño said she opened Papi’s in 2022 with the intention of bringing a piece of Miami to Richmond and creating a safe space for queer people and people of color. People celebrated various life milestones like birthdays at the club. Some people met their spouses at Papi’s.
“Everything I wanted to achieve with Papi’s, I achieved,” Lodoño said.
said. “This fascist regime wants us to feel helpless. Our country has never gone through this; this is the worst time in our history. Why wouldn’t I be here?”
A number of speakers addressed the packed Capitol Square, including representatives from 50501(50 Protests, 50 States, One Movement), Richmond Defensa, the Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL), the Richmond Education Association, Prisoner’s Rights Clinic, Virginia Prison of Conscience and the Virginia Prison Justice Network.They emphasized the need to band together, remain hopeful and vote.
Speaker Alyssa Gonzalez, an organizer for PSL, urges citizens to say no to what’s happening in the current administration.
“Say ‘no’ to a war on black and immigrant neighborhoods,” Gonzalez said. “Say ‘no’ to a war on democratic rights and civil liberties. What’s happening here in the U.S. is tied to a broader global history of exploitation, of intervention and most importantly, resistance.”
TRUMP, YOUNGKIN AND REPUBLICANS PUSH BACK ON NATIONWIDE PROTESTS
Last week, The Republican Speaker of the House of Representatives Mike Johnson called the then-approaching protest a “hate America rally,” according to WUSA9.
Richmonders dance at Babe’s of Carytown, one of the LGBTQ+ bars in the city, on Sept. 18. Papi’s, another queer bar in Richmond, has been closed for nearly a year after city officials discovered health and safety violations. Photo by Kieran Stevens.
Protestors march down Broad Street at the second “No Kings” protest of the year on Oct. 18. Over 20,000 protestors marched to show solidarity against the Trump administration’s actions. Photo by Burke Loftus.
VPM News reported on Friday that Gov. Glenn Youngkin mobilized the Virginia National Guard ahead of the rally. An internal document showed a prepared task force made up of a “Quick Reaction Force” and “Ready Reaction Force” was set to be staged outside of Richmond on Friday, including a “NonLethal Weapons Platoon.”
The protest ended up remaining peaceful from start to finish and there were no signs of a National Guard presence.
An AI video was posted on Saturday to Trump’s Truth Social account that seemingly depicted the president flying a fighter jet, wearing a crown and dumping feces on American protesters. Numerous Republican elected officials and pundits
criticized the protests and denied the large crowd numbers.
Still, Richmonders carried the Saturday protest to 4 p.m. It ended in Monroe Park with more anti-Trump chants, mockimpeachment petition signings and a performance by the Richmond rock band Dead Billionaires.
With less than a month until Election Day — over 60 “No Kings” events were held across the commonwealth, from Northern Virginia to Hampton Roads, according to organizers. Nearly 2,700 events were held nationwide.
EDITORS NOTE: The CT decided to withhold the last names of some protesters to protect their identities, per their requests.
spelling out
ATTORNEY GENERAL DEBATE:
SAL ORLANDO Staff Writer
Incumbent Republican Attorney General
Jason Miyares and former Democratic Del. Jay Jones went head-to-head in their first, and likely only, debate to become the commonwealth’s next top prosecutor on Thursday.
The debate — held at the University of Richmond — amassed greater attention from voters following leaked texts from 2022 in which Jones mused hypothetically killing the House of Delegates Speaker at the time, Todd Gilbert.
MIYARES REPEATEDLY ATTACKED ON JONES ON HIS SCANDALS
The candidates each received a list of possible topics prior to the debate that would be asked about, but not the specific questions. Both of them agreed not to interrupt each other.
Miyares opened by recalling his work as attorney general, particularly his focus on aggressively prosecuting violent offenders and fentanyl dealers — before quickly shifting to attacking Jones for his recent scandals and inexperience.
“He’s never prosecuted a day in his life,” Miyares said.
Jones opened by acknowledging his focus to “put Virginia first.” He apologized for the text messages he sent regarding Gilbert and said he will be accountable for his mistakes.
“I’m sorry to Speaker Gilbert, I’m sorry to his family, I’m sorry to my family, and I’m sorry to every single Virginian,” Jones said.
Miyares said if Jones were truly sorry for what he had done, he would stop running for office. The incumbent attorney general repeatedly attacked Jones on his text scandal, as well as another regarding Jones’ conviction and community service for driving 64 miles per hour over the speed limit on I-64 in 2022.
JONES ATTACKED MIYARES FOR WORKING WITH TRUMP
Jones shifted the conversation to Miyares not standing up to President Donald Trump, labeling the attorney general as a “Trump cheerleader.”
“This race and the stakes of this race are very clear about whether or not you want someone to do what Donald Trump says,” Jones said.
Miyares was asked how he would protect Virginia schools from political influence in Washington following the Trump administration’s pressure on the University of Virginia to sign a compact that would align the university with his policies.
“Our schools, under our leadership, have been protected and vigorously defended and always will [be] because I’m a product of Virginia’s universities and K-12 education,” Miyares said. “Our higher ed system is indeed the crown jewel of the commonwealth.”
Miyares repeatedly said that if Jones wanted to fight Washington, he should have run for Congress instead.
CLASHES OVER CLEAN ENERGY
Miyares and Jones attacked each other over their energy policies.
Jones has been a vocal critic of Dominion Energy, Virginia’s largest energy company, polluter and political spender. He won his primary race without the backing of Dominion, but rather Clean Virginia, a political action committee that funds candidates who pledge not to take money from Dominion.
Miyares criticized Jones for his support of offshore wind farms projects in Virginia, and claimed that Virginia’s carbon footprint is the same it was 15 years ago.
“He [Jones] votes for 100% of the offshore wind project in Virginia, $10 billion on the back of rate payers and taxpayers,” Miyares said.
Jones argued that the environment is being threatened and clean air and water
Miyares attacks Jones over texting scandal; Jones calls Miyares a ‘Trump cheerleader’
must be prioritized in order to protect it. He said Dominion must be held accountable.
“I will make sure that we have a clean environment, we hold these corporate polluters accountable and we lower costs here for Virginians who are feeling the squeeze,” Jones said.
Jones noted that Dominion Energy is Miyares’ highest campaign donor — which is true, aside from the Republican Attorneys General Association.
MIYARES SAID JONES WAS ‘UNFIT’ TO LEAD PUBLIC SAFETY
When asked to respond to Miyares’ attacks on his ‘soft on crime’ policies, Jones mentioned his three-pillar public safety plan: cracking down on violent crime, getting illegal guns off the streets and protecting children.
Jones talked about “taking out” the largest “ghost gun” manufacturer in the country while working as assistant attorney general in Washington. Ghost guns are homemade, often 3D-printed and untraceable firearms.
Miyares repeatedly claimed that Jones would not be able to pass a background check, given his personal scandals, and that he was unfit to lead law enforcement.
After Miyares claimed Jones said he “hoped cops would die,” Jones interrupted, refuting the claim. Miyares fired back.
“Let’s be clear, there is a reason why the Fraternal Order of Police, the PBA [Police Benevolent Association] and every single major law enforcement association in the state of Virginia has not just endorsed me, Jay, they said you need to drop out,” Miyares said.
BOTH CANDIDATES AGREED TO ENFORCE IMMIGRATION LAWS
Miyares claimed that “every state has become a border state” because of the Biden administration’s immigration policies. “My job is to protect the innocent and go after these transnational gangs that are hurting Virginians, which we have done,” Miyares said.
Jones argued that, though immigration laws should be enforced, the focus must be on due process for those involved.
The full attorney general debate is available to watch on YouTube. Virginians can participate in early voting until Nov. 1. Election day is on Nov. 4. Voting information, locations and hours are available at elections.virginia.gov.
VCU released a new Commonwealth Poll on Tuesday showing Democrats leading by narrower margins in the races for governor and lieutenant governor — and Republican Jason Miyares overtaking Democrat Jay Jones in the attorney general race.
Democratic gubernatorial nominee Abigail Spanberger is leading her Republican opponent and incumbent
Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears by five points, seven points smaller of a margin than VCU’s July’s poll.
Democratic lieutenant governor candidate Ghazala Hashmi continues to lead her Republican opponent John Reid — but now only by a one-point margin.
Jones faced the steepest drop of any candidate in the poll, falling five points from July. He now sits at three points behind Miyares.
Jones, a former delegate, has been hit with multiple scandals since the beginning
of October, most recently the uncovering of his texts from 2022 in which he mused hypothetically killing the then-House of Delegates Speaker Todd Gilbert.
The governor and attorney general debates occurred earlier in October, and candidates are now doing their final stretch of campaigning ahead of the Nov. 4 election.
President Donald Trump has now endorsed “the Republican candidate” for governor. He also endorsed Miyares after Jones’ scandal came out.
Spanberger has recruited national figures including Barack Obama, Pete Buttigieg and Bill Nye for her final stretch of events.
Visit commonwealthtimes.org/category/ news/election-2025 for more information on the candidates and their positions.
Virginians can participate in early voting until Nov. 1. Election day is on Nov. 4. Voting information, locations and hours are available at elections.virginia.gov.
Protestors hold letters
“Tax the Rich” in Capitol Square at the second “No Kings” protest of the year on Oct. 18. Over 20,000 protestors marched to show solidarity against the Trump administration’s actions. Photo by Burke Loftus.
Former Del. Jay Jones (left) and incumbent Attorney General Jason Miyares (right) shake hands at their first, and likely only, debate at the University of Richmond on Oct. 16.
Photo courtesy of Mike Kropf/Richmond Times-Dispatch.
Sports
Stat of the week
Sit down with exciting new men’s basketball recruit Jordan Tillery
BEN MARTINDALE
Contributing
Writer
First-year guard Jordan Tillery knew he wanted to be a hooper at a young age. He was introduced to basketball through his older cousins, where he began refining his skills in the rough and tumble environment of the backyard.
It was through these humble beginnings that Tillery discovered his passion for the game and a desire to play at a high level.
“I always wanted to be a [Division 1] basketball player,” Tillery said. “The main goal is the NBA, but I’ve always wanted to be a D1 basketball player.”
Tillery plays a unique brand of basketball, featuring an aggressive style of slashing, playmaking and defense that has shades of NBA talents like the Thompson twins.
“I watched a lot of Paul George and stuff like that, but now it’s more like Amen Thompson and players that get downhill, make plays for others and play defense,” Tillery said.
Tillery is a three-star recruit, top-100 prospect and was a standout athlete at Dr. Phillips and Oak Ridge High School in Orlando, according to 247sports. He also played a season at the legendary IMG Academy, which he said prepared him for D1 basketball before signing with the Rams.
“It helped me more on the mental side honestly,” Tillery said. “I feel like if I’d
went into college my 2024 year, I wouldn’t have been ready mentally to go through things that I’m prepared to go through right now.”
Tillery has a team-first mentality and said his main goal is to win a chip.
“Honestly, I don’t have any personal goals, I just want to win an [Atlantic 10] championship and experience March Madness this year,” Tillery said.
Tillery shows an impressive mindset, but his character is only half of what makes him so special. At 6-foot-5 inches, he is an elite athlete with an exciting skillset and an incredibly high ceiling on both ends of the floor.
“Jordan is a super high character guy, he comes from the right places, he’s got the right foundation,” VCU head coach Phil Martelli Jr. said. “It was pretty apparent asking around what his make-up was, the work ethic, the care about winning, he has all that. He’s someone we want here.”
Former VCU head coach Ryan Odom originally recruited Tillery before taking a coaching job at the University of Virginia.
Tillery’s future at VCU was uncertain for a time as the program transitioned to Martelli Jr. — but a phone call led to the Rams retaining Tillery.
“It goes back to that character piece when we asked around,” Martelli Jr. said. “The other thing is he was somebody that really wanted to be at VCU and that speaks
VCU first-year guard Jordan Tillery joins the Rams for the upcoming season.
courtesy of VCU Athletics.
volumes. As a prep school guy, you can field a lot of phone calls if you want to, but he made it very apparent right away that he wanted to be at VCU, that he was excited to be at VCU.”
Jordan is a super high character guy, he comes from the right places, he’s got the right foundation. It was pretty apparent asking around what his make-up was, the work ethic, the care about winning, he has all that. He’s someone we want here.”
Phil Martelli Jr., VCU head coach
Tillery looks to have an incredibly bright future ahead at VCU, and the fans want him to be here just as badly as he does. “We’re ready, hopefully they’re ready,” Tillery said. “Go Rams!”
Tillery will make his official VCU debut when the team takes on Wagner College at the Siegel Center on Nov. 3.
Women’s basketball brings talent from across the world to one court
ETHAN YORK Staff Writer
As VCU women’s basketball team prepares for tip off on Nov. 5 at the Siegel Center, fans of the Black and Gold will notice something unique about the roster: a global presence that reaches far beyond the city of Richmond.
The Rams have eight players representing six countries, displaying a very diverse roster compared to other teams in the Atlantic 10 conference.
VCU added second-year guard Katarina Kneževic, who hails from Belgrade, Serbia. Kneževic played for the University of Arizona during her first year before transferring.
Two Rams come representing Spain: third-year forward Lucía Sotelo and firstyear guard Laia Crespín. While this is Crespín’s first year repping black and gold, Sotelo looks to keep contributing for the Rams. Last season, Sotelo played in 25 games and was named to the All A-10 Rookie Team in her first year, according to VCU Athletics.
Second-year forward Isabel Whitelaw comes all the way from Shepparton, Victoria, Australia. Whitelaw has international basketball experience from playing for the Victoria Country U18 team in the Australian Junior National Championships, according to VCU Athletics. She played in 25 games for VCU last season, and had a career high of six points and three rebounds against the University of Richmond.
Two international students come from Canada: first-year guard Patricia Augustin and fourth-year guard Mary-Anna Asare. Augustin is from Longueuil, Canada and looks forward to making an impact for the Rams. She represented Canada’s U18 team in the Women’s Americas Championship and averaged seven points and four rebounds per game, according to FIBA Basketball.
Asare, from Pickering, Canada, hopes to finish out her fourth year at VCU strong. She made the A-10 All-Academic team and Second Team All-A-10 in the 20242025 season. Asare averaged 16 points per game for the Rams last year, scoring double digits in 25 out of 30 games.
Redshirt third-year forward Ann Zachariah joins the Rams this season representing is Kerala, India. She spent her first year at Howard University where she averaged
15 points per game before playing at Colorado State University last season. Zachariah looks to provide offensive opportunities for the Black and Gold this season.
VCU has also picked up fourth-year center Tanya Tkachenko, who comes from Berdainsk, Ukraine. Last season she represented Herner TC, a basketball club in Germany, where she played in 23 games. Despite being 21 she has had an impressive career, playing for Ukraine at the FIBA U20 Women’s European Championship Division B in Craiova, Romania in 2023.
Compared to other teams in the A-10 conference, VCU stands out in terms of international diversity. George Mason University only has two international players on its women’s basketball roster, while crosstown rival Richmond has none.
VCU brings talent from all across the world to the Siegel Center. Blending all of these players from all corners of the world is a great show of chemistry and unity for
VCU third-year forward Sulaiman Abdul-Mateen scored his first career brace in the 3-0 win against Loyola University Chicago.
Photo
VCU women's basketball team in a huddle. File photo by Arrick Wilson.
A failed system: The Kyren Lacy tragedy
HAYDEN BRAUN
Contributing Writer
There were so many questions left unanswered when the news first came out that Kyren Lacy took his own life, especially after his alleged negligent homicide and hit-and-run charges.
His death came just days before a grand jury was set to hear the case from the December 2024 car crash — authorities initially said he caused the accident, a narrative that is now under fierce dispute.
Lacy’s lawyer Matt Ory came out with new evidence in a video segment on Oct. 3 from Louisiana news station HTV10.
Surveillance footage shows Lacy likely did not cause the fatal crash as he was about 72 yards behind the collision when it happened.
Ory also claims the driver of the vehicle that fatally struck the victim Herman Hall allegedly told authorities she swerved to avoid a gold truck, not Lacy’s Dodge Charger, as was previously reported. Lacy did pass four people illegally in a nopassing zone but was not “actively passing” any vehicles at the time of the collision, Ory later clarified, according to People.
Louisiana State Police stated Ory’s claims are misleading because he hasn’t shown the full video. Their crashreconstruction analysis used 21 surveillance videos that together “clearly show” Lacy’s car illegally crossing into oncoming traffic,
forcing other drivers to take evasive action that led directly to the fatal collision, according to Bleacher Report.
A lot of people, myself included, were left asking not just why, but how it came to this outcome.
A star at Louisiana State University who just declared for the NFL draft facing serious legal allegations being crushed by unfathomable public scrutiny as well as institutional failure.
The case isn’t just a standalone incident either — it shines a harsh reality on how institutions often fail college athletes, from law enforcement, legal systems and the media to the universities themselves.
Social media will always be reactionary, and I wish people who claim to be journalists or work for big media outlets actually had journalistic integrity. When the news first broke, everyone automatically assumed he was guilty, completely disregarding the legal principle of “innocent until proven guilty.”
Jack Mack of Barstool is one of many who helped push a negative narrative around Lacy. Mack shared a news article about Lacy’s charges on X and added an out-of-context screenshot of Lacy doing his touchdown celebration, paused at a moment where it seems like he’s making gun gestures.
“Kyren Lacy is wanted on homicide charges, I tweet a photo of Kyren Lacy pretending to shoot somebody, called racist, all you can do is laugh,” Mack wrote in a tweet after receiving backlash from his original tweet.
Mack is a joke of a journalist and shouldn’t claim to be one after pushing such a dangerous and racist narrative around Lacy. Mack later gave an actual apology and posted a GoFundMe link to support Lacy’s family after Ory came out with the claims of Lacy’s innocence.
“I apologize for this tweet and want to properly acknowledge that I was wrong,” Mack said in a tweet. “I judged based off evidence reported and could have waited for further evidence to come out, like it did today.”
It doesn’t matter that Mack apologized. What’s done is done, and he can’t ever take back what he said or what his actions may have caused.
Lacy was young with his whole life ahead of him. It’s truly heartbreaking to see the collapse of someone put under so much pressure, surrounded by systems unwilling to help or uplift him. Whether Lacy is indicted or not, the real tragedy is that he had to fight this battle alone.
Residential Life and Housing (RLH) during the summers of 2024 and 2025. She was recognized as a spotlight recipient for her outstanding dedication and hard work throughout the summer. From organizing materials for arrivals to ensuring every guest felt welcome, Paris’s diligence made a lasting impact. Her attention to detail, positive attitude, and proactive mindset enhanced the Conference Services experie nce for both guests and the RLH team. Thank you, Paris, for your remarkable contributions and the difference you’ve made at VCU!
The Tailor-Tale Heart: Edgar Allan Poe inspired fashion show
DAIJAH HINMON
Staff Writer
Black crows are scattered throughout a dimly lit room. Bells echo off walls lined with dead tree branches; eerie music sets the scene as poems are read and stories are told with every stitch.
Sewists of all kinds strut down the runway in their own elaborate creations inspired by Poe. From black feather dresses to steampunk top hats, talents of all mediums were shared.
Community group Richmond Really Sews held the fourth annual “Poe Sewciety Frocktails” on Oct. 18. The organization collaborated with The Poe Museum to tailor outfits inspired by the haunting beauty and gothic elegance of Poe.
Karen Swerling, the founder of Richmond Really Sews, tried to find friends
to sew with after moving to Richmond in 2016. She was able to build a community during the COVID-19 pandemic after people began asking her to put a group together online.
“We welcome everybody,” Swerling said. “But the catch is, there’s always a catch, our mission is to come together in friendship. period.”
The event told the story of Poe while walking to the rhythm of his poetry, Swerling said. Poe has been remembered for his horror and eerie storytelling; however, his poems are romantic, sweet, soft and beautiful.
“You’ll never see another fashion show like this ever,” Swerling said. “Nobody has done this. Walking to poetry, telling history and telling a story about a great writer.”
The process of finding pieces that perfectly matched the vision was difficult,
sewist and model, aided by her power wheelchair, Donielle Kearney said. She ended up reusing a previously owned dress and thrifted pieces to create her outfit.
“It’s just a little bit of an adjustment doing it in the chair,” Kearney said. “Just trying to make sure that your design process is in check.”
The group members helped fine-tune the outfit and made sure everyone was prepared and happy with the final products, Kearney said.
“It just really made me feel at home,” Kearney said. “I love it anytime I get to sparkle.”
When people can blend poetry and fashion, it makes poetry more accessible and builds fun spaces to come up with ideas for new things to create, said sewist and model, Anna Umbreit.
“I would say in a time when so many
things are polarized,” Umbreit said. “I love the idea that some forms of art inspire other forms of art.”
Sewing is a skill that gets overlooked and is often done behind closed doors, Umbreit said. The fashion show provided her a platform to show off sewing skills and creations that she otherwise would not have the opportunity to share.
The inspiration came from the essence and atmosphere of that time and echoed that into the design of the outfit, sewist Gillian Thompson said. The outfit consisted of dramatic points that were trendy back in the 1820s and the colors seen in gardens.
The dress incorporated metal beading, implementing poetry with sound, Thompson said. The addition of the sound movement with the recitation of the poetry aided in combining all the elements.
the grand opening by showing “Faust,” an
A model walks at “the Poe Sewciety Frocktails” channeling gothic goddess energy. Photos courtesy of Richmond Really Sews.
Left: ‘Quoth the ravenʼ Edgar Allen Poe impersonator. Right: Models and seamstresses behind the scenes at ‘the Poe Sewciety Frocktails.’ Photos courtesy of Richmond Really Sews. Collage by Milena Paul.
Artists Against Deportations collective seeks to protect and uplift
DEVYNN ALSTON
Contributing Writer
Roughly 20,000 people marched through Richmond for Saturday’s anti-Trump “No Kings” protest — some of them being members of the Artists Against Deportations collective, a newly formed bundle of creative activists standing with the Latino community across mediums.
Over 50 local visual artists, musicians, writers and even culinary artists make up the collective, which formed in light of surging immigration enforcement actions under President Donald Trump.
As artists, we have a lot of both cultural power and cultural sway by using our different mediums to help serve our community.”
Neve Coppersmith, one of AAD’s leaders
Virginia is a hotspot for immigration enforcement, data shows. Over 2,000 Virginia residents received deportation orders in March alone — 300 of whom were in the Richmond area. Arrests in June 2025 were six times higher than in June 2024.
The Hackensaw Boys, Solera, Art School and the Auricular — a popular local music publication — are all among the growing list of over 200 groups who have signed a petition calling out “Trump’s war on immigrants.”
“For Latinos living in the United States, their violent displacement is the faded reflection of the violent political and economic intervention waged upon their home country,” the petition reads. “And this goes beyond Latin America. From Argentina to Burkina Faso, from Palestine to Korea, migration is manufactured.”
Artists Against Deportations, or AAD, is a direct evolution of Richmond Defensa, a community organization that alerts locals through Telegram and WhatsApp when Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, is conducting operations around the city.
“As artists, we have a lot of both cultural power and cultural sway by using our different mediums to help serve our community,” said Neve Coppersmith, one of AAD’s leaders.
AAD brought local rock band Dead Billionaires to the “No Kings” protest to perform a set in Monroe Park, once the march concluded. They played their song “15 Words,” the lyrics of which read “F*** white supremacy wherever it stands.”
Warren Campbell, Dead Billionaires’ lead singer, said
performing allows him to use his privileges beneficially. His favorite part of advocating through his music is the ability to stand up for others.
“People are scared of the things going on right now, and being loud and standing up to it is important,” Campbell said. “Using my privilege as a white, cisgendered male, I can do what others can’t.”
Another group that signed the petition was “Punks4Liberation” a group of volunteers looking to focus the hardcore sound towards liberation and advocacy. They provide mutual aid to Richmonders and serve as crowd marshals for the “No Kings” protest.
A protester going by the name “Judas” runs “Punks4Liberation.” He has been an active organizer of “No Kings” events in Richmond.
“At the heart of the hardcore genre is advocacy, so if you are anything less than an ally or a supporter, you shouldn’t consider yourself a fan of the genre,” Judas said.
Members of Artists Against Deportation at Richmond’s ‘No Kings Protest’ on Oct. 18. Photos by Jose Segovia.
Neve Coppersmith, a leader of Artists Against Deportations, talking about the group's ideals and mission. Photos by Jose Segovia.
Features
RVA Spotlight
Ever been strolling through the Fan neighborhood and come face-toface with a dinosaur? That’s Alan the Raptor, he lives in a yard at the intersection of Floyd and Strawberry Streets and is usually sporting some festive garb. Go say hi if you haven’t made his acquaintance yet!
Vampires, werewolves and witches, OH my! ApeekintoVirginia’smostblood-pumpingattraction
RACHEL NICHOLAS
Contributing Writer
MAEVE BAUER
Spectrum
Editor
When the sun sets and the moon comes out, the monsters come out to play — and the lambs of Virginia come to slaughter at Red Vein Haunted House.
Red Vein — based in Ashland — is one of Virginia’s more famous, or infamous, depending on who you ask. It is a fearful farm, complete with four different attractions all contributing to one story. This year was themed around bringing back Emily Redvyn, the feared “Ashland Witch.”
Guests start the horrid trip by entering the asylum, then move into the corn maze, venture through the woods and finally end at the house of Emily Redvyn. They are sent through tight hallways with flickering lights, foreboding music and plenty of jumpscares.
Actors come from all places, strategically hidden throughout the haunt to give guests the scare of their dreams — or nightmares.
As they exit, attendees are shot out at the gift shop where fangs, t-shirts and all things gory are available for sale. Many, though out of breath and frightened, are awestruck at the grandeur of the attraction.
“The production is pretty great,” said Virginia local Mari Torres. “There’s so many different areas and themes, like it has everything. At one point, we were all alone and it felt crazy, but it was so good. ”
WJLA ranked Red Vein first in haunted attractions throughout Virginia, citing its lack of reliance on “special effects and horror film reproductions,” and said their creation of original myths and legends is the best unsettling experience a guest could ask for.
It was also rated best in the state by fans on Scurryface, the leading organization for haunts and haunters. Voting for the best attraction in the U.S. will close Nov. 3.
The haunt was started in 2015 by the Red Vein Army, according to Ryan Sligh, Red Vein’s CEO. Sligh started Red Vein Army 15 years ago as a group that encompasses all things haunt, including prop makers, scenic designers, makeup artists and actors.
“I established relationships with different haunts around Virginia and with different haunt owners around Virginia,”
Sligh said. “I started just working at their attractions as line entertainment and just taking some friends around. Then after a couple years we started getting hired to do their line entertainment, so then it became a business.”
Sligh has been haunting Virginia for the past 20 years, starting out as a scare actor for other haunts and picking up skills like set design, managing, lights and sounds.
Customers’ expectations have increased over the years in the industry, which Sligh said encourages him and his team to come up with new and exciting ways to keep them coming back.
Sligh references the term “Potter effect,” which describes being fully immersed in a fictional world, from the moment you step out of your car to the second you walk back.
“That’s our ultimate goal and every year we get better at it,” Sligh said. “We’re adding more and just growing out from that space. When you first walk onto the area known as Red Vein, you’re immersed in that environment.”
Scare actors help bring the sets to life, filling guests with terror as they traipse through these haunted hollows.
A TIGHT-KNIT FAMILY, OR CULT
The actors at Red Vein hold a special bond with one another, some even describing the feeling as “cult-like.” On scare days, they start gathering at the farm around 5:30 p.m. dinner is provided to them each night as they hang around, talk and get into monster mode.
After donning their costumes, actors make their way over to the makeup trailer. Each wall is decorated with bloody heads, ghoulish masks and mockups for the perfect scary look.
VCU alum Emily Legge has been in the scare acting business since 2015. Going through haunted attractions as a guest in high school convinced her how fun and different the job would be compared to other local options, she said.
“After we’re done scaring for the night, we all like, gather around this big bonfire and exchange stories from our favorite scares of the night,” Legge said. “The managers nominate which person in their attraction had the best scare of the night and they give us a little pin. It’s just a fun little tradition that we do each night that just makes it feel more like a community than just a job.”
Before the actors head to their places for the night, they huddle together for a “pregame” meeting. Kitty Barnes, Red Vein’s chief operating officer, gave a moraleboosting speech while the actors cheered and stretched for the haunting that awaits.
When all the “lambs” or guests, have been scared for the night, the actors convene for one final meeting where
they talk about their favorite moments, according to Legge.
The feeling of family is shared among the actors, especially with Maddox Barnes, Kitty’s son.
Barnes just started his first year at VCU as a theatre performance major, but Red Vein has given him 10 years of acting experience, starting at just eight years old as a jester in a Jack in the Box.
“The adult would sing the first couple verses of the nursery rhyme ‘Ring Around the Rosie,’” Barnes said. “I would pop out of the box and say ‘they all fall down.’ It was an amazing feeling at eight years old to be affecting older people in that way.”
Barnes recalls guests sprinting away and feeling like the most powerful eight-yearold in the world.
Most scare actors at Red Vein agree that the feeling you get from scaring is like no other.
“You can never do anything like that when you’re not scare acting, so it is indeed very very powerful,” said Barnes.
Tickets can be found on redvein.com to check out this year’s frights. They also hold Christmas scares for those looking for something a little less jolly. Red Vein is more than haunted houses, as they offer a year-round escape room and seasonal haunted tours throughout Ashland.
As they say at Red Vein before the scaring starts, “have fun, slaughter lambs.”
Red Vein Haunted House in full swing for spooky season. Photos by Abriana Ridgley.
Richmond’s DIY venues are disappearing So
are the resources they provide
butterfly effect of positivity.
What is a DIY venue?
DIY venues are usually not designated event spaces. They can be anywhere a drum set or spinning table will fit — from someone’s living room or backyard to empty warehouses.
Many DIY venues are often tailored to queer people, people of color and neurodivergent folks, from the music they play to the environments they provide. Creating separate spaces away from the amps to destimulate is common, unlike many traditional concert halls and beer gardens.
The “First Caturdays” rave and mutual aid fundraiser was organized by the Party Liberation Foundation in partnership with Mutual Aid RVA, better known as MAD RVA. To them, community support both inside and outside of rave scenes is a part of what makes events worthwhile.
There is plenty of overlap between partygoers at events like “First Caturdays” and groups like MAD RVA. The nonprofit’s main operation is the Meadowbridge Community Market, a free grocery and supply store. During the January water crisis, MAD RVA distributed thousands of water bottles to people in need.
Fasce, a newcomer, emphasized the family aspect of PLF. They not only show up for the greater Richmond community at raves — there is a lot of interfoundation support within the members’ day-to-day lives.
“I think that our team, the people who are part of us and do set up and break down every event, are such integral parts of their community even outside of PLF,” Fasce said. “We all come together and use our skills to create art on the biggest scale that we can muster.”
Kaylin Howard, a member of both PLF and MAD RVA, said community support is vital.
“You got to put your own mask on first, but also you have to help each other,” Howard said. “When you’re in these like, smaller collectives, it’s like, ‘all right, we see each other, we need help, we’re going to help each other.’”
Howard has been able to join other groups through the support she has gotten from PLF. The close-knit nature creates a
DIY events like “First Caturdays” make space for unique vendors and performers. Many PLF members are fire spinners, sculptors, aerialists, poets, painters and artists of all types — bringing “Burning Man” to backyards. They also hold workshops with instruction for anyone interested in fire spinning.
Information for DIY events is mostly circulated through independent social media pages, such as the RVA RAVERS Facebook group and the organizers’ Instagram pages. The most remote events usually have coordinates, not addresses. Attendees may have to message organizers privately for addresses.
DIY venues shutter across the river city
While some DIY mainstays like Gallery 5, the nonprofit that has hosted First Fridays for years, help uphold some aspects of Richmond’s weird nightlife, more venues and organizers disappear every year.
The Wharf, officially known as Richmond’s Intermediate Terminal Warehouse, once stored salt and oysters before it became a popular destination for raves — until Richmond announced plans to revitalize the dilapidated site in July, according to VPM News.
The Deck, a backyard of a home on Cary Street, known for the tree revelers who frequently climbed mid-set, hosted various 18+ events for several years, including “Goth Prom.” The venue quietly closed in [specific year].
There was also the Imperial Lounge on Main Street that brought DJs and rappers from across the country to perform on their second-floor stage in Richmond, until the ceiling caved in earlier this year.
Community Service was a legendary series of parties oriented for Black and queer Richmonders that carried the “NOTAFLOF” sentiment: No One Turned Away for Lack of Funds. They operated out of an old junk yard in Manchester before ending their lease last summer, though they still hold occasional shows at different venues.
Most notoriously, Grace Street’s Strange Matter closed its doors in 2018. The space was a hub for all things underground, alternative and hardcore for nearly a decade.
929 W Grace St has held many names throughout decades — dating as far back as when Grace Street was known for punk bars and porn theatres — but is currently
being held hostage by land owners unwilling to develop it. Bands still cover the empty building’s glass walls with show fliers to this day.
Closures of these spaces that were central to Richmond’s rave and underground music scene in past years coincide with the introduction of new venues.
Tamia Franklin, better known in the rave community as srryforpartyrockin, started spinning sounds last year. She credits the shift to the cutdown on venues in Richmond, especially around VCU, the change in attendees and their attitudes and fewer events being planned by DIY organizers.
The rave scene has become more mainstream, causing event prices to rise, Franklin said. The responsibility to create a safe and affordable DIY space that does not get shut down before it starts is becoming increasingly harder.
“I threw a rave once, and I was charging $15 at the door, and low-key I never want to do that again, because I would never pay $15 for an underground show,” Franklin said. “Nowadays, people are charging like $20-$25 and we’re college kids, and most of the rave scene is. We’re not here to spend money, we’re here to enjoy the music and enjoy the community.”
The rave scene follows the core ideas of “plur” — peace, love, unity and respect — but the crowd brought in by new venues values those principles less and less, Franklin said.
Moving to bigger, more corporate spaces
The Camel and The Canal Club — more established, older spaces — are noted by Forbes as iconic venues frequented by less mainstream artists, naming Richmond as “The Underground Music City Everyone Needs to Visit.” Spots like The National and The Broadberry have hosted musicians of nearly every genre.
Newer concert spaces like Allianz Amphitheater and Ember Music Hall have popped up around town and have been criticized for high prices, a lack of music tailored to Richmonders and for being created by out-of-town developers.
According to Elika Nikouee, a fire spinner and frequent raver, Richmond’s electronic dance music and flow scene was dormant from 2018 to 2023.
A resurgence in the scene started out with smaller DJs hosting events at DIY venues, then it grew into something new.
“There was like no scene from like, 2018 to 2023, and then 2023 the scene started and it really blew up in 2023 and this year,” Nikouee said. “Huge artists are starting to come to Richmond, we’re starting to become [a] really bigger scene/EDM hub.”
Nikouee credits the resurgence of the underground scene to MEEP, a Richmond-based DJ. He started hosting events himself, inviting other DJs to collaborate with him and use his own equipment, sparking a continuously growing community.
LOSO, the speakeasy-style club behind Thai restaurant Sabai, welcomes DJs every weekend. The space reopened in 2024 out of what was formerly known as The Jungle Room, and also focuses on electronic or EDM.
Paige Advocate-Ross and their roommates have been hosting shows at their home, The Rabbit Hole, since 2022. It is one of the last-standing house venues for alternative music left in Randolph following the closures of Spiral Mansion and the Cactus Shack.
Advocate-Ross said they created the venue after seeing how unsafe Richmond’s scene was for women. They wanted to host various genres to showcase all of the city’s music.
The Rabbit Hole has held a Planned Parenthood fundraiser and a community organizing night, where they distributed food, period products, clothes and pamphlets with various resources.
More established venues typically have higher ticket prices, causing a financial barrier for some, Advocate-Ross said. However, they hope larger venues will allow local bands more of a platform, playing with the bigger names coming in. Many DIY organizers are still involved in the scene, just in different ways.
Advocate-Ross said they are unsure if bigger venues have resources like naloxone and fentanyl testing strips available, but they have seen an increase in drug use and addiction.
“I think it’s just so important to get people out of corporate spaces,” AdvocateRoss said. “When you’re at a DIY venue, whether it be under a bridge or someone’s house or like the backyard or something, it feels like you’re just kind of in someone’s space with everyone else.”
MAEVE BAUER
Spectrum Editor
CORA PERKINS
Assistant Spectrum Editor
MOLLY MANNING News Editor
Continued from front page
The “First Caturdays” rave at Powers Bike Shop on Oct. 15.
Photo by Molly Manning.
DIY VENUES
Opinions
Quote of the week “Wonder. Go on and wonder.” — William Faulkner, “The Sound and the Fury”
Anthropocentrism is human nationalism
JESSICA VIGIL
Contributing Writer
What defines consciousness? Scientists have not agreed on a common answer. Some say it is awareness of one’s own existence, while others say it is the ability to communicate. A lot of people say it is empathy.
But why does human empathy seem to stop when it comes time to apply it to other species in the animal kingdom? We have built businesses right through their habitats. We sell their bodies and provide them with trash in return. We have created farms and factories to mass kill them, and then we still have the nerve to let thousands of their bodies go to waste.
Before I had a name for this double standard in human morality, I used to call it “human nationalism.”
Last semester, I was ranting to a friend about an essay I read that kept emphasizing the “mindlessness” of fish and how only children could believe in their consciousness. I rambled about how fish mourn and communicate and how
ignorant the author’s assumptions were. At the end of my rant, my friend said, “You know, there is a word for that, right? It’s ‘speciesism.’”
I always called it human nationalism because it seemed a lot like U.S. nationalism. Thinking our country is superior to others and thinking that we have the moral right to colonize and conquer the world — as an AfroIndigenous Apache, I know this idea all too well.
“Speciesism,” “anthropocentrism” or “human nationalism.” Whatever you call it, the reality is the same — human supremacy is an unfounded societal norm and a comorbidity of white supremacy.
Peter Singer, who popularized the term “speciesism” in his book “Animal Liberation Now,” said there are two types of speciesism. The first is the idea that only homo sapiens are deserving of moral status. The second is the idea that animal cruelty only considers domesticated animals.
What is it about undomesticated animals that causes humanity to lose empathy? If it is how they hunt for themselves — our food
is mass-produced and bred to die, and still, according to environmentalist Vandana Shiva, 50% of food in the United States is wasted.
Just because the majority of humankind gets its food at grocery stores doesn’t mean the blood of the animals we eat isn’t on our hands. Just because wild animals can look their prey in the eye doesn’t make them savages. Arguably, it is more moral. In many ways, the norms around food production in capitalistic societies keep us from being self-sufficient.
Anthropocentrism is a colonial mindset rooted in white supremacy and capitalism.
Part of why people don’t consider animals capable of morality is that they are seen as “uncivilized.” This same Eurocentric idea that “civilization” equals “consciousness” was used to keep Black people enslaved during the Enlightenment and to justify the genocide of Indigenous peoples during colonization.
The Doctrine of Discovery — a 1493 legal document once used to prevent Native sovereignty in U.S. courts — states that by law of all “civilized” nations, “the Indians
Yes, Jay Jones was wrong.
But don’t pretend Republicans are innocent.
KATIE MEEKER
Opinions & Humor Editor
MAYA SUNDERRAJ Assistant Opinions Editor
This does not mean Jones should be exonerated — his “joke” was hateful and in poor taste. But Republicans are using these incidents to construct an inaccurate image of political violence in our country that must be understood.
Take the hunt for Charlie Kirk’s assassin as an example. Before the alleged killer, 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, was caught, Trump attributed the assassination to “a
radical left group of lunatics” in a speech.
Many Republicans followed suit and directed a particular level of vitriol towards the unconfirmed suspect they assumed was liberal and transgender.
Without any evidence, Rep. Nancy Mace declared the shooter was trans, using hateful, transphobic slurs in a street interview after the incident, and wrote “bring back the death penalty” in an X post.
During a livestream on his Infowars channel, conservative influencer Alex Jones said, “This is a war, this is a war, this is a war.”
After it was revealed that Robinson came from a Mormon, Republican background, attitudes on the right shifted in his favor. Mace instead called on people
to “pray for such an evil, lost individual,” a far cry from her earlier statements.
While Trump and the GOP officially declare “ANTIFA” a terrorist organization in the recent surge of highprofile political violence, they ignore the actual perpetrators and advocates of this violence — themselves.
Two of the shooters allegedly behind Trump’s assassination attempts, Ryan Routh and Thomas Matthew Crooks, were registered Republicans.
had not individual rights to land; for the lands occupied by each tribe were not used by them in such a manner as to prevent their being appropriated by a people of cultivators.”
Native Americans lost and continue to lose rights to land because we see land as something with rights of its own — something a part of ourselves, our families and our communities. The violence colonizers feel entitled to inflict on marginalized groups stems from and coincides with their entitlement to inflict violence on the Earth.
Robin Wall Kimmerer from the Potawatomi tribe states in her book, “Braiding Sweetgrass,” that in Native thinking, humans are often seen as the little siblings of Creation — the species who have the least life experience and, as a result, the most to learn.
We have much to learn from the world around us — it is time to humble ourselves and recognize our spot in the animal kingdom.
Illustration by Lauren Smith.
Illustration by M Moreira.
JAY JONES
Opinions
Vance Luther Boelter, the man who reportedly assassinated Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark, was described as conservative. Assassinations are not the only realm of political violence in which Republicans hold prominence. In January 2024, when an activist told Republican Rep. Andy Ogles that their taxpayer dollars are funding the ongoing genocide in Gaza and the death of children, Ogles responded, “I think we should kill them all.”
What is the point in all of this? Why do political actors condemn “political violence” yet continue to manipulate and perpetuate said language?
The answer is engagement.
It does not matter if you are the U.S. president or a political commentator, the rule still applies — provocative language and ragebait keep the eyes of both supporters and opponents focused on you. It is easier to gain attention over controversy than benevolence, and the doors to power, money and fame open when the media’s spotlight is trained on you. Why aren’t Democrats capitalizing on incidents like the Jay Jones scandal? How can Democrats capitalize on the Republicans’ violent rhetoric similarly without falling victim to the same moral and ethical pitfalls? There might be room for the Democratic Party to evolve if it grew claws and opened itself to internal criticism.
Take the current Democratic nominee for the upcoming New York City mayoral election, Zohran Mamdani, as an example. Mamdani is notable for being nonpartisan and quick-witted in his critiques of his competition, existing infrastructure and public policy. His campaign is a striking example of what it means to break the iron mold of the Democratic Party and its preoccupation with civility politics.
The refreshing pace of this mayoral race proves one thing: we find the controversy surrounding Virginia’s upcoming election so captivating because it highlights just how desensitized American society has become to violence, ostracization and party loyalty over policy — meanwhile, Democrats prioritize keeping their hands clean of blood and bad manners.
Violence and violent rhetoric are so wildly prevalent and overwhelming in our current culture that it is normalized, even expected. So yes, while Jones was wrong, it matters more that his actions are but a drop in an ocean of harmful rhetoric and real, tangible damage.
Amidst all of this, it is hard to step back and see the big picture: Political violence is committed every day by the GOP, and America is sprinting headfirst into an era of fascism.
Those convicted over their participation in the Jan. 6 attack are pardoned — students
protesting the funding of a genocide are arrested.
Black and Indigenous students grimace as they are taught a whitewashed history of America — in Washington, D.C., a nominee for United States special counsel brags about his “Nazi streak” and writes that Black holidays should be “eviscerated” over messages.
Children urinate themselves in fear under their desks as gunshots sound in the hallway outside their classroom — meanwhile, fireworks go off during Charlie Kirk’s memorial service.
Now is not the time for handwringing and impartial condemnations — Democrats must turn their anger into collective, tangible action. Civility has little place in politics; the GOP has made that perfectly clear. Therefore, it feels futile to see Democrats try to hold the moral high ground over Republicans in their attempts to gain power. It is a flimsy bandage over the gaping, bleeding wound that is the United States’ current downward spiral into fascism.
As the index of events in American politics grows jam-packed and overwhelming, Democrats have to grow a spine. They must respond to the cries for help from the people they are supposed to represent and take a definitive stand against the rampant acts of political violence and the looming threat of autocracy.
Supporting staff unions is supporting student success
Contributing Writer
For as long as I can remember, the people who make our education system run — the people who are considered some of the most essential workers in our country — have been fighting for protections in the workplace.
Teachers and educators face a variety of challenges in their careers, ranging from a lack of funding to a lack of appreciation rooted in particular cultural values. More recently, I have heard of the support educators need as they face the impacts of COVID-19 in classrooms, including worsening student behavior and a crucial need to assist missing educational milestones.
As teachers and education continue to be attacked through legislation and rhetoric, protecting our education system is an issue that goes beyond maintaining a standard of workers’ rights — it is how we build stronger and more supportive classrooms and school communities.
Virginia is currently a right-to-work state, which means workers are not required to join a union as a condition of employment. This weakens the bargaining power and membership of labor unions overall, leading to poorer working conditions and lower wages.
Despite this, university workers have continued to fight for the right to unionize, with organizations such as the United Campus Workers of Virginia spearheading movements across the state.
Unionizing is a mutual relationship between the employees of an institution, students and the university itself. When working conditions are protected and power is granted to the worker, staff and faculty can create a stronger school environment that supports the students.
That isn’t limited to just educators. It includes librarians, student success staff, advisors and faculty. It also consists of the custodial, dining hall and residential services staff — groups often made up of student workers — that maintain student life and school operations every day.
But giving our educators and staff more protections and bargaining power does not just impact the school community — it affects our education itself.
Right now, our professors and faculty do not make the decisions on what we learn and how we learn it. Instead, a partisan board of Visitors appointed by Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin does.
While they are meant to mainly oversee financial policy, they have developed a focus on attacking education. Youngkin’s board has begun to interfere with our
curriculum, making controversial moves such as their decision to cut the school’s racial literacy requirement in 2024.
The decisions and powers given to VCU’s BOV directly impact the working conditions of staff and faculty, and consequently, the quality of education students receive at the university. The VCU chapter of the United Campus Workers — developed by and for VCU staff — often says “our working conditions are your learning conditions.”
When decisions about curriculum are taken out of the hands of educators, professors are forced to work in an environment of stress and fear — professors have scrambled to rewrite syllabi at the last minute as decrees from higher powers have invaded our classrooms and decided what we can and can’t learn about.
It’s not hard to see how the BOV’s involvement in curriculum will impact education. Professors may feel the need to cut essential texts or conversations from classrooms because they are “controversial,” which is especially damaging when these subjects are meant to develop the critical thinking and communication skills educators are trying to impart.
For staff directly involved in student support, such as advisors and those working in the Student Accessibility and
Educational Opportunity office, the toll of managing each student’s success demands they be protected and empowered in the workplace.
Simply put, no student goes through college successfully without meeting their advisor, and so many students with disabilities — like myself — would be struggling without the work of SAEO. If they have deep concerns about their jobs and their ability to support themselves, how will they be able to support an entire student body?
Abigail Spanberger and Winsome Earle-Sears, Virginia’s current governor candidates, support right-to-work laws. It’s essential to know the deep history of these laws, rooted in years of racism and working-class oppression. These continuous attacks on education target the curriculum that reveals and works to dismantle the impact of these histories. Students will feel the impacts of this battle, but we can secure our future success and further education by supporting those who make it possible. We need to have the backs of all university staff — professors, students and contract workers alike.
Illustration by Jayden Smirnova.
URJITA MAINALI
Opinions & Humor Editor Katie Meeker contributed to this article.
Is my body worth the cost of college?
MARTIZA BAPTISTE
Contributing Writer
While studying in the library with friends during my freshman year, we noticed someone had written the black market prices for different organs on a whiteboard — $160,000 for a liver and $200,000 for a kidney.
We laughed and joked about paying off our tuition by selling an organ or two. It was just a joke — but it was rooted in a very real fantasy of coming out of school debt-free.
While most students have not had to resort to selling vital organs of course, many are compelled to sell their bodies in other legal and more socially acceptable ways to make ends meet.
Donating plasma and eggs are among the more common routes students take to ease their financial burdens. In dire circumstances, some have been recorded making multiple donations a week to qualify for a cash bonus, according to a study done by Georgetown University.
Plasma and egg donations are often marketed as altruistic ways to help others, but they also come with substantial compensation. The underlying medical risks are rarely advertised — omitting dangers like nerve damage, infertility and even death — and desperate patients are left making uninformed decisions about their bodies for money.
For some students, particularly those facing extreme financial pressure, surrogacy becomes a last-ditch effort to achieve some sort of economic stability.
Although less common due to its physically and emotionally taxing nature, legal complexities and lengthy commitment, surrogacy offers a substantial financial incentive to those looking to pay off their student loans.
This trend has dark implications. Students deciding to carry someone else’s child for money shows just how dire things can be for young people with the rising cost of tuition and the devaluation of a college degree.
Surrogacy has grown in popularity in recent years, with celebrities like Lily Collins, Kim Kardashian and Chrissy Teigen opening up about their decision to use this form of conception. While many have spoken publicly about their own health struggles or experiences with infertility, few seem to opt for adoption. Unlike donating eggs and plasma or selling your organs, there is no limit to how many times a person can be a surrogate. Surrogates are compensated, on average, $60,000 per birth. This sort of money-toservice ratio raises serious ethical concerns. Can we truly rely on the consent of the surrogate if there is a potential danger of financial coercion?
Pregnancy takes a massive physical and emotional toll on a person. It can impact long-term health, mental well-being and employment. And yet, we are allowing the surrogacy industry to put a price tag on labor.
This phenomenon isn’t anything new. Surrogacy is only the modern version of a much older arrangement — the wet nurse. Historically, wealthy white families
employed poor women of color to breastfeed and care for their children, according to a study done in the Journal of Southern History.
In the American South, enslaved Black women were forced to serve as wet nurses, a cruel tradition that we see echoes of today.
Today, surrogacy offers a more legally sanitized version of this same dynamic. The core remains unchanged — the wealthy exploit us while the working class bears the physical and emotional cost.
Our bodies are not vessels for the 1%, and we should not allow our autonomy to be bought. While we can advocate for ourselves and our bodies, exploitation is the only way for some people to stay afloat. Sometimes to stay alive, our lifestyle choices must go against our ideals.
As students, we shouldn’t be forced to choose between a lifetime of debt or bodily exploitation. We deserve an education that doesn’t ask us to potentially sell our bodies to afford it. Until serious changes are made, the price of a degree may be far greater than just tuition.
