The Commonwealth Times; September 10, 2025 by VCU Student Media Center

Departments combine as VCU pushes forward with academic repositioning

HECIEL NIEVES BONILLA Assistant News Editor

‘ICE IS NOT WELCOME HERE’: How Richmond business owners are fighting back

ETHAN YORK Staff Writer

ANDREW KERLEY Executive Editor

As President Donald Trump continues his surge of immigration enforcement across the nation, Richmond business owners are taking a stand on behalf of immigrants in the community.

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 2024. Gov. Glenn Youngkin issued an executive order in February directing the Virginia State Police and Department of Corrections to fully cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, and requested that local police departments do the same.

In response to ICE’s presence in RVA, dozens of businesses — from toy stores, to book shops to pizza places — have opted to display “ICE IS NOT WELCOME HERE” signs on their storefronts.

The signs — created and distributed by the nonprofit Richmond Community and Legal Fund — list the rights of businesses and citizens, intending to show citizens what to do if confronted by ICE. They are written in both English and Spanish.

“ICE does NOT have the authority to stop, question or arrest anyone at will — even in a public business,” the signs read. “No one can enter a private area of this business without permission or a judicial warrant.”

The CT spoke to three business owners in the Carytown shopping district about why they are choosing to take a stand.

ICE FLYERS Continued on page 9

The VCU English and Foreign Language departments within the School of World Studies are being merged into a new department with the potential name of the “Department of Language and Literature.” Multiple programs focused on innovation and entrepreneurship will also be integrated into University College, the existing umbrella department for interdisciplinary work.

ACADEMIC REPOSITIONING

Continued on page 2

Google invests in new Chesterfield data center project as energy costs rise

MOLLY MANNING

News Editor

A new Chesterfield data center is expected to begin construction by the end of the year as part of Google’s new $9 billion investment in Virginia announced in August by Gov. Glenn Youngkin and Google president Ruth Porat at Brightpoint Community College.

The investment will also expand existing locations in Loudoun and Prince William Counties, according to Data Center Dynamics.

Increased and continuous construction of data centers will coincide with Dominion Energy’s monthly rate increase for customers, proposed at the State Corporation Commission’s 2025 biennial rate review.

Dominion’s proposal would add $10.51 a month to customers’ energy bills starting in 2027, according to Virginia Mercury. In addition, customers would face another $10.92 average monthly increase for fuel costs, bringing the combined increase to around $21 over the next two years.

DATA CENTERS Continued on page 2

From left to right: VCU President Michael Rao, Provost Beverly Warren, Board of Visitors Vice Rector Steven DeLuca. Photos by Kieran Stevens.

News

ACADEMIC REPOSITIONING

Continued from front page

VCU leaders describe the changes as a push toward administrative efficiency, innovation, market expectations and enrollment concerns.

A VCU task force convened in 2023 to implement a plan to produce a “more academically attractive and more efficient university.” Its goals included “restructuring” the College of Humanities and Sciences and the merging of University College with the DaVinci Center for product development and the VCU Transformative Learning program into a new, yet-to-benamed college.

The task force’s final recommendation stated the College of Humanities and Sciences would “remain intact,” but would absorb the Focused Inquiry department from University College. The change came after 14 layoffs of Focused Inquiry staff, despite pleas from students and faculty — including 95% of the faculty senate.

Interim dean Andrew Arroyo described the changes as integral to the identity of VCU in a press release.

“Many universities have programs in interdisciplinary studies, experiential learning or innovation, but it’s rare to see all three combined into one college the way we’ve done at University College,” Arroyo said.

VCU’s interim — and former — provost Beverly Warren described University College changes as part of a focus on “emphasizing modularity, interdisciplinary access and innovation readiness” in an email Arroyo collaborated on. Warren plans to elaborate on this description at a presentation for the Board of Visitors on Sept. 11.

DATA CENTERS

Continued from front page

Citizens and local environmental organizations began presenting cases and commenting on the review on Sept. 2 — the SCC is expected to share rate proposal decisions in December.

Rates are determined based on costs of doing business, rate classes based on use, reliability and expected future demands, and economic and industry changes, which must be approved by the SCC, according to Dominion.

Northern Virginia is the data center capital of the world, but it’s a common misconception that this “Data Center } Alley” has stopped rezoning land for data centers, according to Julie Bolthouse, director of land use for the Piedmont Environmental Council.

Northern Virginia currently has 200 million square feet of space — the equivalent of 1,500 Walmart Supercenters — of approved unbuilt data center plans and 60 million more under construction, according to Bolthouse.

Bolthouse said it is important to restructure the way energy usage is paid for through these rate classes so that data centers pay a higher proportion of the costs, in addition to utility tariffs — minimum charges for certain lengths of time to ensure that if energy is requested it is either used or paid for either way.

“The costs are going to add up, the more we build, the more those costs add

Warren also described the broader repositioning as shaped by faculty, staff and students. Faculty, according to Warren, were part of a “deeply collaborative” process with the provost’s office to implement the task force’s recommendations.

We are working very diligently to be efficient and to realign the funds that we have. ‘What programs do we need to stop, do we need to phase out? What are the programs that we’re rolling out in AI, some of these innovative areas?’”

Meredith

Weiss, VCU’s chief financial officer

“Budgetary efficiency is part of the conversation, but it’s not the driver,” Warren said. “This is about faculty-led academic innovation. We’re building structures that allow us to respond nimbly to student needs, job market shifts and emerging technologies. Yes, there are cost savings, but they’re in service of a more agile, inclusive and future-focused university.”

Laura Middlebrooks, an associate professor of foreign language in the School of World Studies, explained that, to their knowledge, the other departments in the school are staying intact. Middlebrooks

Stories of the week

national: The man who tried to assassinate President Donald Trump last year, Ryan Routh, began his trial in a Florida court Monday. Routh pleaded not guilty and is representing himself. international: The French government collapsed as Prime Minister François Bayrou was ousted following a confidence vote Monday after only nine months in office.

said it made the most sense organizationally to combine the Foreign Languages department with the other language the school already teaches — English.

“Last year there was some focus group work done, and both foreign language and English faculty met officially for the first time to discuss what the future might look like with joint collaboration,” Middlebrooks said. “And this semester, we have begun to meet formally as a combined group.”

Faculty and staff have been involved throughout the process to the extent that the “shared governance” structure of university administration will allow, with budget considerations also playing a role in the change, according to Middlebrooks.

“I will certainly recognize that there are some extraordinary budgetary and fiscal pressures,” Middlebrooks said. “It's going to be more difficult to get funds for faculty and research travel, and that’s just a reality with which we are dealing. It just means the university has to be a very careful steward of its resources, and faculty are also part of that decision process.”

VCU’s chief financial officer Meredith Weiss said a key aim of the university is to make its operations efficient during her remarks at a Board of Visitors meeting on Sept. 4, calling VCU Virginia’s “most efficient institution.”

“We are working very diligently to be efficient and to realign the funds that we have,” Weiss said. “‘What programs do we

need to stop, do we need to phase out? What are the programs that we’re rolling out in AI, some of these innovative areas?’”

VCU deputy chief financial officer David Allen said the combination of programs is not a priority of the university, and that cuts tend to come as responses to the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia or student interest.

“I think it’s always been a look of the university to see what programs we offer and how best to optimize that,” Allen said. “The focus was not ‘we want to combine academic programs or eliminate them’ or anything like that, the focus was ‘how do we want to offer things to students?’ Even the programs that have been proposed for phasing out are very few.”

Allen said program creation and removal also depends on career demand, including the increased interest in AI driven fields.

“So some of it is trying to transition it to what the market wants, what the market expects, not necessarily saying ‘this class doesn’t have student demand so we’re gonna close this class or this individual program,’” Allen said.

up, unless we fix the structure that those costs are under,” Bolthouse said. “That’s what we’re focused on in the recent biennial rate case in front of the SCC on Dominion Energy.”

Dominion’s proposal would create a new rate class for data centers which are currently included with other large manufacturers. Rate classes are designed to determine charges for electricity use based on customer types, such as residential, commercial and industrial.

Should the new class be introduced, businesses within the class would also be required to sign a 14-year contract to ensure they will pay their proposed energy costs

regardless of actual use and consumption.

Communities with data centers suffer environmental impacts from their development, according to VCU associate professor Damian Pitt, associate director of policy and community engagement for the VCU Institute for Sustainable Energy and Environment.

Pitt has researched the localized air impacts of data centers, citing their backup natural gas and diesel generators as pollutants of the communities that they are located in, which are often communities of color.

“The neighborhoods that have lower education attainments and higher non-white percentages are

statistically more likely to have higher levels of potential exposure to particulate matter emissions from the data centers that are permitted there,” said Pitt.

Tim Cywinski, communications director for environmental nonprofit Sierra Club Virginia, said that AI is the goal of tech companies and they are all competing to be the best at it. There are no national or state-wide safeguards to prevent big tech from continuing to develop while taking advantage of the surrounding communities.

“Google’s AI endeavors require a ton of space, a ton of energy and a ton of water. You just can't do that in an urban area. So what’s essentially happening is artificial intelligence is being built on the backs of poor rural areas,” Cywinski said.

“Chesterfield is a rural area that has a lot of space and they don’t care that there’s a lot of people who moved there and live there because of the rural character of it.”

Virginians are already struggling with electricity price increases, forgoing basic goods to afford them, Cywinski said, adding that big tech companies have not been paying their fair share.

“That’s an impossible choice these people are in. ‘Am I going to keep the heat on in the winter or am I going to buy food? Or medicine? Or gas to go to work?’” Cywinski said. “That’s the position they’ve been putting themselves in, data center development has been actively making those people’s lives worse.”

VCU chief financial officer Meredith Weiss.

Photo by Kieran Stevens.

Illustration by Theo Norton.

ELECTION 2025: Virginia delegates could decide the fate of same-sex marriage

SAKINA KAZMI

Contributing Writer

All 100 Virginia House of Delegates seats are up for election on Nov. 4. The elected members will vote on whether or not to amend the Virginia constitution to codify marriage rights in the Commonwealth as Supreme Court threats put federal protections in jeopardy.

Same-sex marriage is protected on the national level by the Supreme Court’s landmark decision over the 2015 Obergefell v. Hodges case. Over 10 years later, Kentucky county clerk Kim Davis — who once refused to issue a marriage license to a same-sex couple for religious reasons — petitioned in August for the high court to overturn the ruling.

Should the majority Republicanappointed court revisit the case and overturn it, Virginia would revert to a 2006 ban on same-sex marriage written into its constitution.

The Virginia General Assembly passed resolutions earlier this year to establish an affirmative right to marry regardless of sex, gender or race. To amend the constitution the body must pass the amendment a second time in 2026, after which it will be taken up by Virginians in a referendum the following November.

Two amendments are on the table: House Joint Resolution 9 would codify

the right to marriage, while Senate Joint Resolution 249 would repeal the previous law that defines marriage as only between men and women.

Sen. Adam Ebbin, D-Alexandria, introduced SJ 249. He was the first openly LGBTQ+ person elected to the Virginia General Assembly as a delegate in 2003. In 2011, he became the first openly LGBTQ person elected to the Virginia Senate.

“It’s obvious that democrats are supportive of LGBT rights and Republicans are a threat,” Ebbin said.

SJ249 passed with a vote of 58-34 — the 34 votes not in favor were all from Republican delegates.

“Democrats are supportive of LGBT rights, and the Republicans are a threat,” Ebbin said.

Neither the Democratic or Republican candidates for the 78th district, which includes VCU, responded to requests for comment, but incumbent Del. Betsy Carr, D-Richmond, voted in favor of the amendments earlier this year.

While the decision will fall to the General Assembly, the gubernatorial candidates have also made their stances on the issue clear.

Democratic nominee and former congresswoman Abigail Spanberger’s campaign platform notes her belief that no Virginian should face discrimination based on race, ethnicity, religion, disability

or who they love. She voted to pass legislation for legal protections for same-sex and interracial couples as a congressional representative for Virginia’s seventh district.

Last year, Republican candidate Winsome EarleSears included a handwritten note of personal objection to House Bill 174, a bill prohibiting officials from denying marriage licenses based on sex, gender or race. She wrote that she was “morally opposed” to the bill’s content, according to Virginia Scope.

Richmond maintains a perfect score of 100 in the 2023 Municipal Equality Index, which evaluates municipalities based on their inclusivity in laws, policies and services for the LGBTQ community.

Equality Virginia, an organization that advocates for the LGBTQ+ community, made a Facebook post on Aug. 13 bringing attention to Davis’ petition.

“There’s no reason for the Supreme Court to take this case and unsettle something that has been so good for children, families and the larger society,” the post stated.

The organization is encouraging Richmonders to vote in the upcoming

by Andrew Kerley.

election to elect a progressive majority in Virginia’s top political offices.

Third-year biomedical engineering student Isha Satapathy is the vice president of Queer Middle Eastern, North African and South Asian Students at VCU. She said legislative cases that support LGBTQ+ rights make their community feel secure.

“The fact that gay marriage was accepted in some semblance of legal structure was very reassuring for a long time, and now that it [may be] taken away, it is very stressful,” Satapathy said. “Every law and SCOTUS decision is a plug in a dam, to stop the dam from bursting and eradicating all of [people’s] rights.”

VCU, Reynolds launch dual admission program for community college students

MOLLY MANNING

News Editor

A new dual-admission program between VCU and J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College launched with a signing ceremony on Sept. 8 at Reynolds’ downtown campus.

The program, dubbed “NEXT Step” (Navigating Educational eXcellence Together), will support community college students in their transition to VCU.

Students can save money by completing the first two years of a bachelor’s degree at community college and transferring their credits from Reynolds to VCU. Academic advising and transfer maps will ensure the credits apply to degree requirements.

NEXT Step students can also access VCU facilities and events.

During a speech President Michael Rao said it is a way for Reynolds students to be a part of the community throughout their entire higher education journey.

“This will give students who are interested in being a part of both Reynolds and VCU a way of being able to connect to VCU resources right away,” Rao said. “We want to find ways to make it smooth so that students know where they’re going, they’ve already been on that campus, they know the environment.”

Both Rao and Reynolds President Paula Pando discussed the importance of students not only completing a degree, but being prepared to enter the workforce following graduation.

“We can always do better there, to ensure that our students are not just transferring to VCU,” Pando said. “[But] that our students are transferring to VCU in their program of study, graduating with a degree of value

in the field that they love and that they’re passionate about and that they can earn a living wage and contribute to the vibrancy of our region as a result.”

Rao emphasized the efforts the university is making to ensure students graduate with professional experiences and internships to contextualize their textbook and classroom learning.

The schools want to focus on students graduating without unnecessary credits by providing community college students with advising resources specifically tailored to their bachelor’s degrees.

NEXT Step is available to Reynolds students with high school diplomas or GEDs, who have a 2.00 cumulative GPA on their first 12 credits attempted and plan to enroll in a VCU degree with an approved NEXT Step transfer map.

The program will initially accept 50 to 100 students, with an aim of increasing enrollment annually.

Seth Sykes, associate vice president of transfer initiatives at VCU, said the goal is to eventually receive as many students as possible through the program, including expanding beyond Richmond to other community colleges in Virginia.

Sykes also mentioned Reynolds’ dual enrollment high school programs, the Advanced College Academies, which allow high school students to earn an associate degree and then transition to a four-year college.

“What we’re hoping is that those associate degree holders will want to come to VCU,” Sykes said.

Manuella Escobar, a Reynolds graduate and international VCU student

who transferred through the Mellon Pathways program, serves as a spokesperson for NEXT Step. She said the community at Reynolds supported her throughout her two years there, as well as during the transfer process.

Students have many different responsibilities and backgrounds, such as speaking different languages or being from other countries, having children, one or multiple jobs or acting as caregivers, according to Escobar.

“People need their community, and transfer students need a community that’s tailored to them,” Escobar said. “College

all four years as an international student without beginning at Reynolds.

“It’s vital to acknowledge that there are students who have different pathways to university, that they have different experiences, different life conditions,” Escobar said. “Being able to not only understand them, but recognize them early on and acknowledge them can really make a difference in their education journey.”

Photo

VCU president Michael Rao and Reynolds president Paula Pando unveil the new 'NEXT Step' at a signing ceremony on Sept. 8.

Photo by Molly Manning.

Stat of the week

Women’s soccer third-year forward Jazmin Jackson scored her first career goal in the 84th minute to give VCU the win over the United States Naval Academy, 2-1.

Hawa Doumbouya finds her home on the court at VCU

ALEXIS WASHINGTON

Assistant Sports Editor

From street basketball to the Siegel Center, Hawa Doumbouya is a 6-foot-7-inch third-year forward whose game is as bold as her journey.

VCU women’s basketball added transfer Doumbouya, with three seasons of eligibility remaining.

“I’ve grown up in New York when I used to live in the Bronx, I used to really just be outside, playing [basketball] with grown men all the time,” Doumbouya said.

Doumbouya said she developed her game off the court by watching YouTube videos of NBA guard Kyrie Irving. Doumbouya admires how Irving controls the game and slows it down when everything around him is moving fast.

“So when I touch the ball, I kind of just try to implement that to my game,” Doumbouya said.

Doumbouya started her journey playing high school ball at Our Lady of Mount Carmel School and Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) for Nike Elite Youth Basketball League and Team Takeover. Coming out of high school, she was a fourstar recruit by ESPNW.

Doumbouya appeared in 13 games as a first-year at the University of Maryland, where she averaged 2.1 points and 1.5 rebounds, according to VCU Athletics.

She then traveled to the University of Virginia following her first year, but she did not see the court and redshirted her second year.

Faith and family, especially her grandmother, kept her rooted through the process, Doumbouya said.

“She’s basically like my best friend, so every time I have a conversation with her, I could be feeling so anxious and just going through a lot, and talking with her would just keep me grounded,” she said.

Doumbouya enjoys Richmond because it reminds her of home in New York. She said she is ready to start her new journey with VCU.

“I could say with everything in me, I 100% believe that every person on this staff, really has my good intentions and heart,” Doumbouya said. “I could also say that they all 100% believe in me.”

Head coach Beth O’Boyle said she is excited to have Doumbouya on the team. Coming off a 12-19 record last season, the coaching staff brought in players from different programs who all share one goal: to compete for a championship.

“She is a dominant post player, obviously, with her height, but she’s a really great passer,” O’Boyle said. “She’s great vision around the floor.”

O’Boyle explained her plans to utilize Doumbouya’s size on both ends of the game.

“She sees the floor well, so we’re going to play off some of those passes, but then when it’s single coverage, we’re going to tell her to go strong and finish,” O’Boyle said. “She does have a really nice touch around the hoop.”

Doumbouya really wanted to be part of VCU’s program, which really stuck out to the coaching staff, according to O’Boyle. She describes Doumbouya in three ways: strong, funny and having a high basketball IQ.

“I think just there’s a strength that she plays with, that it’s almost like a quiet strength,” O’Boyle said. “I think she doesn’t even quite realize yet how dominant she can be.”

Doumbouya is able to see the floor very well during gameplay which is a testament to her game.

She also has a good sense of humor that comes out in a caring way, O’Boyle said. Doumbouya often plays with O’Boyle’s daughter during practice, always smiling at her.

Doumbouya will make her VCU debut when the team takes on the University of Maryland Eastern Shore on Nov. 5 at the Siegel Center.

She is a dominant post player, obviously, with her height, but she’s a really great passer. She’s great vision around the floor.”

Beth O'Boyle, head coach

(Top) VCU redshirt second-year forward Hawa Doumbouya joins the Rams for the 2025-2026 season.

(Left) Doumbouya talks with Commonwealth Times Assistant Sports Editor Alexis Washington.

Photos by Kieran Stevens.

Cal Raleigh deserves to be the American League MVP

HAYDEN BRAUN

Contributing Writer

Seattle Mariners player Cal Raleigh, also known as “Big Dumper,” is in the midst of the best catcher season of all time, passing Salvador Perez’s 48-home run season from 2021, according to The Sporting News.

Raleigh leads the league in home runs with 53 at the time of writing, according to the MLB. He is also the first catcher to win the home-run derby championship, adding to his historic season.

The big debate on who should be the American League’s MVP is between Raleigh and New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge. Judge has the better numbers at bat in nearly every category, from batting average, on base percentage and slugging percentage, according to Stathead.

However, people forget what being a catcher means. Raleigh is playing one of the most

physically demanding positions in baseball, in which offensive output is not necessarily a must. He is putting up elite numbers in homers, RBIs and on-base percentage plus slugging percentage (OPS), being top 10 in each of his categories while catching in over 100 games, according to the MLB.

Raleigh also has so much positional value as Wins Above Replacement (WAR) heavily favors catchers who hit. He is posting a top-tier WAR while anchoring the defense, and that alone should give him an edge. Raleigh is top 10 in seasonal WAR and No. 2 in offensive WAR.

Judge is not carrying that defensive load or managing a pitching staff like Raleigh. MVP stands for “most valuable player,” it is not just a statistical award. While stats have some influence, they are not the sole factor.

Raleigh has been the key piece in the Mariners’ playoff push this season, who sit No. 2 in the American League West, and hold the No. 6 in the American League.

There is a narrative edge to Raleigh winning AL MVP. Writers love a story, and a switch-hitting catcher leading the Mariners’ playoff push would get massive attention. There have only been 12 catchers to win MVP since the award was first introduced, and if Raleigh wins he could be the 13th catcher all time to take the title.

Raleigh can still write history, even with the season coming to an end. Less than 21 games remain before the playoffs.

Raleigh still has a chance to reach 60 home runs. This would be an AL record, allowing him to smash one of if not both of Judge’s home-run records — 58 in 2024 and

62 in 2022. Raleigh still has a 32% chance of reaching 60 home runs at the time of writing, according to sabermetrics writer Dan Szymborski.

Raleigh can also put out the greatest batting season by a Mariner ever if he passes Ken Griffey Jr.’s 56 home-run record.

As much as Cal Raleigh deserves the MVP award, his historic season has already redefined what it means to be an elite catcher. Judge may have the better batting average, but Raleigh’s value is measured in more than just statistics — it is measured through leadership and endurance.

The Mariners have a good chance at making it to the playoffs in October, and if MVP truly stands for most valuable player, then the award should go to Cal “Big Dumper” Raleigh.

courtesy of

Collage by Zach Montgomery.

Illustration by Zoë Luis.

ETHAN YORK

Staff Writer

DANIEL POINTER

Contributing Writer

VCU women’s soccer won 2-1 in a close game against the United States Naval Academy on Sept. 4 at Sports Backers Stadium.

VCU started the game off driving into USNA’s half of the field, showing ferocity early into the match.

The first shot of the game came eight minutes into the first half from USNA first-year forward Jessica Black, but she was stopped by VCU third-year goalkeeper Mia Pongratz.

VCU struggled defensively as USNA got another shot just 20 seconds later, this time from USNA second-year forward Kayana Adlam, but Pongratz came up big for VCU again.

USNA continued its onslaught 20 minutes into the first half, with three shots to VCU’s zero, according to StatBroadcast.

VCU started regaining its offensive composure 25 minutes into the match, with redshirt third-year forward Jensyn Lins getting a shot off following a corner kick.

USNA saw an opportunity from a goal kick with a fast offensive break by first-year forward Sona Gonzales, but she folded under the VCU pressure with a weak shot.

VCU first-year midfielder Tatum Scialdone tried to get VCU on the scoresheet with just under six minutes

Women’s soccer ships Navy back to the academy in tight game Panthers maul Rams:

GAME RESULTS

SEPTEMBER 2

to go in the first half, but her shot was denied by USNA second-year goalkeeper Natasha Stramrood.

VCU seemed to find its stride in the game as the first half ended with three shots on offense and two saves on defense, while USNA ended with four shots and one save, according to StatBroadcast.

USNA started the second half with the ball, but both teams found themselves in a stalemate for possession in the first five minutes.

USNA finally broke the deadlock as Black tactfully maneuvered her way to the goal and punched in the first score of the game five minutes into the second half.

The Rams tied the game back up thanks to fourth-year forward Kendyl Sarver, who snuck in her first goal of the season at the 60-minute mark.

This was Sarver’s first goal coming off a knee injury that cut her last season short after only five games.

“It means everything to me,” Sarver said. “I think you come back from something like this, and you get to a point where you want to excel.”

VCU continued to steamroll USNA’s defense, taking a total of 11 shots 23 minutes into the second half.

Pongratz continued to be a savior for VCU, stopping another USNA assault with 20 minutes remaining. She credits her big game to working with her former teammate, goalkeeper Allison Karpovich.

“Looking up to Allison, it feels great to kind of step into that spot and it’s huge shoes to fill,” Pongratz said. “It feels good to get those stats up because it’s a gritty win tonight.”

Pongratz finished the game with four saves, helping to keep VCU’s hopes alive.

VCU found the net again with five minutes remaining in the match thanks to third-year forward Jazmin Jackson, who took advantage of USNA’s tired defense at the 84-minute mark.

Jackson — who was coming off an ankle injury — scored the first collegiate goal of her career to give VCU the win.

VCU finished the game strong, ending the match with its first home win of the season.

VCU head coach Lauryn Hutchinson, while proud of the team’s victory, has her eyes set on the opponents ahead.

“We’re going to continue what we’ve been doing, we’re going to figure out our strengths, and continue to follow the details to find success,” Hutchinson said.

Men’s soccer remains winless at home

KYLER GILLIAM

Staff Writer

YENNI JIMENEZ ACOSTA

Contributing Writer

VCU men’s soccer fell short 3-1 against the High Point University Panthers on Sept. 5 at Sports Backers Stadium.

The Rams’ tough non-conference schedules continue to prove to be a challenge. The Rams only win came against in-state rival Old Dominion University, according to VCU Athletics.

VCU still has not grasped its first athome win, creating a slow start to the season.

High Point’s aggressive defense gave redshirt third-year forward Daniel Lugo an early shot on goal that VCU third-year goalkeeper Trevor Maloney saved two minutes into the game.

VCU’s offense curbed the Panthers’ defensive intensity and scored the first goal of the game, with redshirt third-year midfielder Lucas White sinking a shot assisted by graduate student Camilo Cami at the eight minute mark.

Cami gave White all the credit for his assist.

“Lucas was in the right place, and he did all of the job,” Cami said.

After White’s first goal of the young season, both teams’ defenses dominated for most of the first half.

VCU head coach Dave Giffard praised the team’s first half performance, highlighting their ability to create opportunities in the box.

“First 38 minutes, we did very well and created a lot of high percentage chances,” Giffard said. “We got more runners in the areas, in the box, and so that was a good step.”

The Panthers broke the game’s offensive dry spell with a late first-half offensive surge.

High Point first-year forward Prosper Adagani evened the score with a header off a cross pass from fourth-year Celestin Blondel 39 minutes into the first half.

High Point got a penalty kick at the 43-minute mark, allowing fourth-year midfielder Jefferson Amaya to score with a shot to the left side of the goal.

The Panthers ended the first half 2-1.

VCU Second-year defender Nikita Hayes said that the team was still uplifting each other after High Point’s back-to-back goals.

“Keep our head up if the game is not going our way,” Hayes said.

High Point fourth-year defender and midfielder Nick Herb scored a goal and kept the rout going at the 50-minute mark.

Goalkeeper Maloney slipped during Herb’s attack on the goal, giving him an easy goal.

Lucas White received a red card at the 55-minute mark, ending the day for the Rams’ lone scorer. The Panthers were awarded a free kick from the foul but did not score.

The red card was for violent behavior, which will keep White off the field for the Rams’ next game. Coach Giffard was displeased with the call.

“Very difficult red card for me to swallow,” Giffard said. “Now, the game is a little bit academic.”

High Point dominated the flow of the game after gaining its two-goal lead in the second half, outshooting the Rams 9-1 and continuing VCU’s losing streak at home.

VCU second-year forward Deniss Hayes and first-year forward Hakim Musabbah waiting to come in the game.

MSOC VS. CAMPBELL UNIVERSITY DRAW 1-1

SEPTEMBER 4

WVB VS. UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA LOST 1-3

WSOC VS. UNITED STATES NAVAL ACADEMY WON 2-1

SEPTEMBER 5

WVB VS. APPALACHIAN STATE UNIVERSITY LOST 2-3

FH VS. COLLEGE OF WILLIAM AND MARY LOST 0-3

MSOC VS. HIGH POINT UNIVERSITY LOST 1-3

SEPTEMBER 7

WSOC VS. OLD DOMINION UNIVERSITY LOST 1-2

Photo by Kendall Lott.

VCU third-year forward Jazmin Jackson celebrates her game-winning goal surrounded by teammates.

Photo by Kieran Stevens.

Spectrum

On This Day

On this day, Sept. 10, 2000, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical “Cats” ended its 7,485-show run, the longest-running show until Lloyd Webber’s “Phantom of the Opera” passed it.

Student film ‘ TOTAL personifies the feeling of

CORA PERKINS

Assistant Spectrum Editor

“Total Knockout,” a student-made short film about a girl who seeks solace at a party through drinking, premiered at the Grace Street Theater on Sept. 6.

Knockout, a timid girl, must fight against the personified Liquid Courage, a pro-wrestler who appears to her during her drunken delirium.

The premiere was bursting with color; storyboards, artwork, streamers and solo cups filled the theatre. Students, friends and family who came to see the premiere bustled through the lobby and buzzed about the designs and storyboards. Nearly every seat was filled.

Twin sisters Malia and Karina Achico — both third-year VCUarts students — wrote and produced the film together.

Karina served as director and Malia played the lead role of Knockout.

The idea for the film came to them one late night in 2024, according to Karina.

“I had just wrapped on another project I was working on and was kind of in a creative rut,” Karina said. “Malia and I stayed up one late night just talking about stories we wanted to tell and after reflecting on everything that we had gone through in our freshman year, seeing how alcohol can impact people and how it affects confidence, we were like, ‘we think it would be a fun story to tell.’”

“Total Knockout” is a little over 12 minutes long, full of wrestling action and the ‘dramedy’ that accompanies a 21st birthday party. Mixed media elements and hand-drawn animated effects give the film a vibrant, comic book feel.

Laughter from all corners of the theatre interrupted the film multiple times. The crowd erupted with applause as the credits rolled.

The Achico sisters elaborated on what they hoped to accomplish with the screening in an interview with The CT.

“We can create a space where people can laugh, cry, do anything, it’s just that’s the space that we want to create,” Karina said.

The two hope that people remember the film was an experiment, Karina said.

“There’s a lot of mistakes and successes, but just take it for what it is,” Karina said. “It was a fun experience that we just would like to share with as many people as we can.”

The sisters also screened a behind-thescenes documentary showcasing the film’s production, which was done with the help of the 2025 VCUarts Undergraduate Research grant, according to Malia.

“I think this grant definitely pushed this project further than what we were anticipating,” Malia said. “I think it really came down to just enthusiasm with the people and you know, just general student creativity, just wanting to contribute to just an idea and so forth.”

Attendee and communication arts student Jack Conigliaro left the premiere with the film’s theme of responsible drinking on his mind.

“I would say maybe just be mindful, be responsible when it comes to drinking, especially at parties, because there’s going to be people that you are not going to know,” Conigliaro said.

“Total Knockout” is viewable on its website, along with research done for the project, behind-the-scenes photos, development information and art for the film.

A still of the main character Knockout, played by Malia Achico, sitting alone at a party. Photo courtesy of Malia Achico.

VCU alum’s art installation tells story of two unique roommates Also, they're cats

MAEVE BAUER Spectrum Editor

“The Ballad of Kiki and Lucifer,” a 16-piece art installation currently viewable at the Artspace gallery in Stratford Hills, follows the trials and tribulations of two cat roommates navigating through this thing we call life. The tale is told by their owner, local artist Dana Frostick, through acrylic paint and Sharpies.

Kiki is the calico cat, and the tabby cat is Lucifer — though they did not start with those names.

“He was Sunny. I got him home, I realized that was not an appropriate name for him, because he’s prickly, you know?” Frostick said. “He’s just kind of the devil incarnate.” It did not take long for Lucifer to get acquainted with Kiki, according to Frostick.

“We were cautious with them. Particularly, because she [Kiki] is so much smaller than him [Lucifer], but they assured us at the Richmond Animal Control that she would be okay because, as they put it, ‘they used her to test out the dogs,’” Frostick said. “They would put her in a room with new dogs to see how they did with cats because she’s not scared of anybody or anything. She’s not aggressive, but she’s definitely self-assured.”

Each painting at Frostick’s exhibition is taken from her photos, captured through layering paintings of the cats on top of each other.

The paintings show the feline friends in a dream-like environment. As they float through differing scenarios exploring life together, from the first time they met, to Lucifer showing Kiki the catnip hookup.

Frostick is known for her abstract style, and as she transitioned into representational art, she said that she found that cats are a good medium for conveying human emotions.

“Their expressions and their interactions are kind of universal for us animals,” Frostick said. “There’s the mild distrust, there’s the acceptance, there’s the kind of fun, there’s a bit of anger here and there.”

Frostick has been a member of Artspace — a nonprofit that has served as a venue and gallery for nearly four decades — since 2000, but she has been active in the local scene for far longer. Born and raised in Richmond, she attended VCU in the 1980s to study sculpture, which she said helped get her foot in the door of the art world, even though she did not graduate.

Artspace president Susan Cary praised Frostick’s contributions to the gallery and said she has helped form and run the space over her 25 years of involvement.

“To be a part of Artspace means you’re supporting the art community,” Cary said. “She has supported so many artists over the years since Artspace has been opened. She drew me to Artspace.”

Artist Kathleen Westkaemper, Artspace’s longest existing member, has known Frostick since she joined. Westkaemper said the whole community has witnessed the evolution of Frostick’s art and recalls her journey from her first exhibition to now.

“She started doing the doodles, before that she was more realistic, and then she went very abstract, and now she’s kind of combining the two and getting some elements of realism into it,” Westkaemper said.

Viewers have enjoyed Frostick’s compositions of the photos, according to Westkaemper. Many have commented on the lighting, colors and layering.

“The way the cats are layered and everything, the likenesses of their personalities and their being are captured,” Westkaemper said. “She really knows these cats, and she loves them.”

The Ballad of Kiki and Lucifer opened on Aug. 22 and will stay open until Sept. 20 Information on how to purchase artwork in the instillation can be found on Frostick’s website.

Accessible Richmond art vending machines dispense creativity

SAANVI VOOTLA

Contributing Writer

At the Gold Lion Community Cafe in Manchester, plant-based foods and handbrewed chai are aplenty. But a hidden treasure is waiting to be found inside — a vending machine that offers more than just snacks.

Aaryanna Nijjar-Simmonds, who prefers to be referred to by her artist name Disco Bunny, created her art vending machines to fulfill a mission: to combat discrimination and adversity by making Richmond’s local art more accessible.

The machines feature a diverse array of artwork from 25 local artists in various mediums, including clay works, micropottery, resin and more.

The idea of an art vending machine is not new, but it is a modern approach to the design, according to Bunny.

“There is quite a large barrier to entry within these art markets as well, and I knew I couldn’t be the only one facing this,” Bunny said. “So, why not a vending machine?”

To overcome those barriers, Bunny set out on a journey of implementing the vending machines across Richmond, she said. The machine at Gold Lion opened in August, following the first machine at SCRAP RVA in Northside. She is currently searching for a third location.

“It is real art made by real people,” Bunny

Bunny documented her journey with her “Vend and Snap” series on Instagram, in which she uses interactive videos to showcase the work it took to implement the machines. Support from the community has made the series fulfilling. The rise of the vending machines in the area has become a way for the public to engage with the city’s art scene outside of areas like the Arts District and VCU.

“A lot of us put in a lot of labor and love into our pieces, and it was great working with Aary [Bunny], albeit virtually, on this project,” said Jyoti Lyttle, an employee at Gold Lion and artist whose work is featured

Bunny’s project as the machines spring up across the city.

“It’s really cool being able to showca se local artists in a way that’s accessible to folks,” McNamara said.

Richmonders can learn more about the project on Disco Bunny’s Instagram (@heydiscobunny) or her website (discobunny. world). Artists can apply to have their work sold in the machines in October.

A customer buying a piece of art from the art vending machine at SCRAP RVA. Photos by Bri Stevens. Collage by Milena Paul.

Artwork of Kiki and Lucifer at the Artspace Gallery. Photos by Kieran Stevens.

RVA Spotlight

Features ‘ICE IS NOT WELCOME HERE’

The Birdhouse Farmer’s market, every Tuesday from 3-6:30 P.M. is a perfect way to spend an afternoon and is reaching its closing months as November approaches.

How Richmond business owners are fighting back

World of Mirth

World of Mirth is not the average toy store — and it certainly is not just for kids. Its shelves are covered in unique items, from games to puzzles to build-it-yourself items like LEGOs. It is also a popular destination for young adults to pick up Sonny Angels, Smiskis, Jelly Cats or whatever the moment’s popular collectible is.

Their “ICE IS NOT WELCOME HERE” sign hangs over a backdrop of streamers next to a pride flag with the message “EVERYONE IS WELCOME HERE.” At World of Mirth, ICE agents just don’t make the cut.

World of Mirth has been a Richmond staple since 1992 and has been owned by Thea Brown since 2018. Amid a news cycle flooded by reports of ICE raids on businesses and courthouse ambushes, often by agents wearing unmarked clothing and no badge — it was a “combination of everything” that pushed her to put up the sign.

“I think obviously, it’s more important to be a good human being, and treat people the way you want to be treated,” Brown said. “If you can't stand up and speak up for the weakest of us, then you’re not a part of your community.”

Brown has close friends living in Los Angeles, one of the cities that has seen the harshest immigration enforcement. Some of her friend’s family members have resorted to sending their children to shop on behalf of their undocumented family members.

“At this point, they’re being illegally kidnapped and taken and deported to countries that they may not even be from without due process,” Brown said. “Any time that there’s an issue with someone’s constitutional rights and basic human rights being taken away, you have to do what you can.”

Zorch Pizza

Rob Zorch opened one of the city’s favorite pizza places as a food truck back in 2018, with their brick and mortar Carytown store springing up in 2021. Their business is not about much other than making “really good” pizza, Zorch said. Many Richmonders would agree they meet that target.

Zorch had a simple reason for putting up a sign at their front entrance.

“I think ICE is bulls**t, and I think what they’re doing is ridiculous,” Zorch said.

Zorch said he is angry that people coming to America to work and make a living are being detained.

“There’s people coming to America that want to work here,” Zorch said. “ICE is basically showing up in plain clothes and not showing identification, basically taking people off the streets, out of restaurants.”

Zorch has always hated Trump since he was first elected — for being a “sexual predator,” for mishandling the COVID-19 pandemic and generally being “horrible for the country, he said. But it is part of the Republican strategy to keep flooding the public dialogue and overwhelm people with actions.

“It’s been eight months now, and there’s already been all this s**t that’s happened,” Zorch said.

Zorch warned that Project 2025, a conservative policy blueprint made for President Trump to reshape the American government, is coming to fruition. Trump distanced himself from Project 2025 on the campaign trail but has since enacted parts of the agenda in office, including efforts to end diversity initiatives and dismantle the Department of Education, as well as mass deportations.

“And if Republicans start winning all the midterms and s**t too then they’re gonna start doing what they call election reform, which is gonna make it so that we don’t have much of a voice anymore,” Zorch said.

Shelf Life Books

“We have a store whose mission is to represent underrepresented voices, which includes immigrants,” said Chris McDaniel, owner of Shelf Life Books. “We think it’s important that their rights are protected.”

McDaniel, along with her husband Berkely, have owned Shelf Life since 2021, and the store has been in business for over two decades.

“We can’t stop ICE from coming into a public space, but we want to send a clear signal to our customers that we know our rights as a business,” McDaniel said.

Shelf Life is a beacon of literature in Carytown, offering gently used and new books that often push against the status quo. One of their shelves is entirely devoted to Palestinian literature.

“The government is taking certain things that we took for granted away all of a sudden, and that’s not a great feeling,” McDaniel said. “It’s time for all of us to be a little more active in expressing not just our opinions and our voices, but with action.”

McDaniel is critical of capitalism, but admits they are participating in it by operating a business, she said. But they are not in it to get rich.

“We’re in this to stay in the business of providing an opportunity for people to exchange ideas and information,” McDaniel said. “What’s important to us is making enough money to continue the mission — and the mission is representing underrepresented voices. The mission is caring for our community.”

but we want to send a clear signal to our customers that we know our rights as a business,” McDaniel said.

Shelf Life is a beacon of literature in Carytown, offering gently used and new books that often push against the status quo. One of their shelves is entirely devoted to Palestinian literature.

McDaniel is critical of capitalism, but admits they are participating in it by operating a business, she said. But they are not in it to get rich.

Graphic by Marty Alexeenko.

Continued from front page

ICE FLYERS

(Top Photo) World of Mirth Owner Thea Brown. (Right Photo) Shelf Life Books owners Berkely (right) and Chris McDaniel (left). Photos by Ethan York.

Art of the mart Richmond corner shops that serve more than convenience

ETHAN YORK Staff Writer

VCU is surrounded by a colorful combination of small shops and corner stores for when students need a little more than a late-night 7-Eleven run. No matter which neighborhood they call home, Richmonders and VCU students have their go-to “mart.”

Local markets across Richmond are not just a place to stop in for late-night ice cream — they are a safe space to grab a little comfort amidst busy lives, whether that comes in the form of a cup of hot coffee, a killer concert or the best deviled eggs in the city.

Lombardy Market

Sitting in the heart of the Fan district, Lombardy Market has been serving Richmond for decades. The landmark has been open for nearly 40 years, recognizable by the bright yellow font above their storefront.

The Lombardy Market offers more than just snacks, with full meals available behind a glass display case. While it is well known for its sandwiches and crisp salads, the most well-loved item on their menu is their deviled eggs, with a sign outside their store boasting them as “The Best Deviled Eggs in RVA.”

The market’s prices make it student-friendly, and in addition to all the essentials, they support the community by offering local brands like Richmond Coffee Co.’s brews and Sous Casa’s burritos.

Only a short walk from campus — Lombardy Market thrives as a Richmond staple and neighborly hotspot for a majority of its customers. This is one of many perks for store manager Ryan Alloway.

“There’s a lot of regulars in the neighborhood, so it’s a great opportunity to be plugged into the local community and kind of be there for people,” Alloway said.

Graphic by Marty Alexeenko.

A front view of the entrance to Lombardy Market.

Photo by Burke Loftus

They love it here, they love our hot deli because everything is made fresh here, like the soups and the sandwiches. We try to keep everything as local as possible, and we’ll go out of our way to satisfy our customers to get it right.”

Deborah Raines, Strawberry Street Market cashier

Strawberry Street Market

Walking down Strawberry Street, there is more to love than just the name. Amidst the shops, restaurants and bustling sidewalks sits the Strawberry Street Market.

The market’s specialty is a small deli that prepares fresh food in the back — the aroma of cauldrons of soup, baked goods and neatly prepared sandwiches constantly sits in the air.

Strawberry Street Market is right across the street from Scuffletown Park, an iconic green space known for its live music, picnics and hordes of Richmonders passing their afternoons or evenings together. It provides a natural spot to sit and enjoy a treat or late lunch from the market.

Cashier Deborah Raines is a familiar face for regulars. Her favorite part of the job is interacting with the Richmond locals and VCU students.

“They love it here, they love our hot deli because everything is made fresh here, like the soups and the sandwiches,” Raines said. “We try to keep everything as local as possible, and we’ll go out of our way to satisfy our customers to get it right.”

Mocha

Mart

Oregon Hill’s Mocha Mart has recently set itself apart from other markets with its weekly concerts.

Every Thursday and Friday, people strolling by their unassuming parking lot late at night hear booming music coming from the frozen aisle. Local DJs and rappers from all over Richmond come to perform at Mocha Mart. Music lovers gather to enjoy both tunes and drinks, making it the perfect blend for both food and rhythm junkies.

Owner Sal Alshami said he is proud to host the concerts. He strives to give local artists a voice and an opportunity to grow.

“We’re a market that supports people who enjoy music, and more and more people started taking note of it, and it kind of became a staple in Richmond City in just a year,” Alshami said.

These concerts are often followed by an explosion of activities outside of Mocha Mart, such as food trucks and local vendors to meet other attendees while enjoying the live music.

Mocha Mart is one-of-a-kind as a favorite daytime market for a snack on the way home from class or work, revisited later in the evening to listen to a DJ or play pool on the store’s table.

We're a market that supports people who enjoy music, and more and more people started taking note of it, and it kind of became a staple in Richmond City, in just a year,”

Sal Alshami, Mocha Mart owner

A DJ setup at Mocha Mart.

Photo by Burke Loftus

An outside view of the entrance to Strawberry Market.

Photo by Burke Loftus

Quote of the week

“Man, not tank, shall prevail.”

— Adania Shibil, Minor Detail

We are paying the price of politics with the lives of children

gun owners. Yet Congress refuses to act, because doing so risks angering the NRA, manufacturers and donors who profit off of endless violence. Many argue that no law could have prevented these tragedies, but that completely misses the point — no single policy eliminates all harm.

Seatbelt laws did not eliminate all traffic deaths, but it minimized them. Anti-smoking campaigns did not eradicate lung cancer, but they raised awareness. The same logic applies to gun control. Each layer of protection makes another calamity less likely. It took the Uvalde, Texas and Buffalo, New York shootings to push lawmakers to pass the 2022 Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, but the law was more of a suggestion than a mandate, and its contents — which funded the alternative, “agreeable”

solution of mental health resources for schools — have been gutted by the Trump administration. There have already been at least 44 school shootings in 2025, according to CNN, which averages over one shooting per week. Firearms are now the leading cause of death amongst American children and teens, surpassing car accidents and illness. We are losing a generation, yet statistics on death are treated with the same indifference as a weather forecast. That numbness has become apathetic politicians’ greatest ally.

These shootings should make people uncomfortable, and their preventability should make us angry. Communities can hold vigils and schools can practice lockdown drills, but nothing will happen until policymakers treat this crisis with the urgency it deserves. Each filibuster and “now is not the time” statement is a deliberate choice to let the cycle continue.

We do not need more thoughts, prayers or empty hope. We need laws that reflect the value of children’s lives over the power of interest groups and lobbyists. We need leaders who refuse to accept gun violence as a normal part of our lives — who understand that action is not optional.

Until then, the silent toll of political gridlock will continue to grow. America remembers the shooter’s right to bear arms, but not the innocent child forced to stare down the barrel of a gun.

Graphic by Marty Alexeenko.

To be environmentally conscious, you need to consider nuclear power

AMY MCDONALD Contributing Writer

It would notn’t be a stretch to say the majority of VCU’s student body can agree that global warming is an issue. The next step is figuring out Next, we need to agree on how to address it.

During K-12, students of my generation were taught that global warming is caused by greenhouse gasses being released into the atmosphere from burning fossil fuels. The fix? Renewable energy — solar panels, wind turbines, hydro-electric power, and geothermal sources.

My wonderful physics nerd of a father, however, said differently — he said the real “fix” was nuclear power.

Nuclear power can seem daunting

with the associations of Chernobyl, Fukushima, and even nuclear weapons — but many people you may have unknowingly interacted with nuclear power unknowingly. For example, the popular summer destination of Lake Anna in Louisa county, just northwest of Richmond, was originally created asmade as a reservoir to act as a water coolant for the North Anna Power Station, a nuclear plantnuclear power plant.

Growing up, my father taught me about the misunderstood necessity of nuclear power. His sources included the various books and studies he read, the podcasts he listened to, and even a subreddit he was banned from (I find this last point extraordinarily funny and mention it as often as possible).

I was told about nuclear power’s high energy density, low levelized cost of energy, and minimal carbon output. He also educated me on all of told me

about the plot holes found into antinuclear argumentsperspectives — that the waste is actually very manageable and even recyclable, the danger of radiation is over-estimated and reactor disasters are misunderstood.

I cannot overstate the harm produced from the chemical chains of carbon and hydrogen that make up oil, coal and natural gas. In just about every single instance of human intervention with hydrocarbons, the results are just atrocious. For instance, 99% of all plastics are made up of fossil fuels, with 60% of all plastic waste ending up discarded in the environment. You may know that plastics are synthesized from hydrocarbons.

Despite this, But it is still important to recognize the short-falls of renewable resources such as solar, hydroelectric, and wind. These include ere is the wide variability of energy generation rates, limited energy capacity and the increased demand of rare earth elements for electrical transition as well as renewable infrastructure.

I have had some unexpected interactions regarding nuclear power since engaging with the liberal space of VCU’s student

body. Finding individuals with similar views on nuclear energy is more uncommon than I had expected. I tend to get (appropriately) giddy when I am able to discuss nuclear power with a like-minded peer.

I understand the reluctance to consider nuclear power, finding unbiased interpretations of information on energy production and consumption is difficult. There are powerful parties interested in discounting nuclear energy as a viable primary source; why invest billions into nuclear power infrastructure when paying millions towards renewable energy has better positive social capital?

Nuclear energy costs so much money, but sustainability requires large upfront capital investment. Instead, billions are being invested by people (who will likely never feel the visceral impacts of global warming) into the environmental terrors of generative AI and the genocide in Gaza.

I believe we need carbon neutrality, done with a primary source of nuclear power and secondary grid integration of renewable sources. We need regulatory infrastructure of career civil servants devoted to nuclear power for the advancement (not at the expense) of humanity.

We don’t just need protests, we need a plan

URJITA MAINALI Contributing Writer

I have been thinking about a protest I attended earlier this month at Monroe Park.

I could hear the speakers’ chants as I walked towards the stand at the center. Joining the crowd, I could not help but notice that the audience was largely older white folks. Looking around, I was met with an array of different cardboard signs and flags.

Their slogans ranged widely — from advocating for anticapitalist change to protecting women’s and workers’ rights. There was anti-racist rhetoric and demands that ICE leave the city streets. They called for abortion rights — for an end to the genocide in Gaza. There were even anti-pollution signs.

All are incredibly important issues relevant to the current political moment, often stemming from the same few systemic conditions. However, messaging leaped around the political compass and made the demonstration feel disorganized and confusing.

It was a Labor Day protest held in honor of workers’ sacrifices, calling for expanded rights and condemning the workplace and societal conditions that demand such sacrifices. But I could not help but wonder what the demonstration looked like to passersbys.

The protest was organized by 50501 Virginia, an organization that is part of a national movement that has held numerous protests across all 50 states since President Donald Trump took office.

Like many of the actions organized by 50501, it lacked a cohesive message. It is not the only one. Protests across the country have been equally unfocused. I recently transferred to VCU from D.C., where the People’s March and similar demonstrations have been a regular occurrence.

While these demonstrations have built large coalitions and pulled them together, the momentum seems to stop there. These organizers have worked hard to create communities, but many events still lack clear goals or direct calls to action.

When these protests end, people go home without a plan to come back the next day. Over the summer, the 50501 summoned over 10,000 people to march on the state Capitol in June, only to go radio silent for the rest of the summer.

In these kinds of demonstrations many attendees — notably older white people — show up at the last minute to hold signs and chant, but rarely to organize. The demographic was noticeably absent from the protesting streets in between Trump’s presidential terms, despite the same struggles being ongoing and decades old.

Now, it is younger people who are absent. From my experience, when young people feel there is no impact from certain organizing events, they will not show up. What motivates them is the prospect of changing circumstances for everyday people, and recent demonstrations have not provided a roadmap to that change.

The Labor Day protest did arrive with one clear call to action, however — voting. Tents and volunteers were ready to help attendees register to vote this coming November. But voting alone does not change the status quo. We need more than just condemnations of Trump and his fascist actions, but also for the system that allowed him to take office.

Coalitions need to use their momentum to platform direct action. Building mutual aid networks, bail funds and local support systems are all critical ways that we can begin to change the status quo. Most of the work happens when nobody is looking or making any noise.

Our communities have come together to fight fascist power grabs and centuries of systemic oppression, but the real change happens when we imagine a world after the regime is over — let’s start building it now.

Illustration by Aiden Dvalidze.

Illustration by Zoë Luis.

Straight is the new gay

CAMDEN TASKER

Contributing Writer

Straight men have become my arch enemy for one reason — they dress better than me. Since the conclusion of the world wars and the growing involvement of women in factory jobs, modern western fashion has evolved from just being classified as “masculine” or “feminine” to including a secret third option — “androgynous.”

As androgynous fashion grew in popularity within the LGBTQ+ community, so did the concept of “signaling” — the practice of wearing specific items that indicate what community the wearer belongs to. It is a political statement. Carabiners, for instance, have been a popular signaling item worn by lesbians since the 1980s.

Fashion operates in a cycle. We constantly see the reuse of styles from decades past in our modern age, including the queer fashion trends of the 80s. As carabiners come back into style, it is straight men donning them on their belt loops — they are colloquially known as “performative men” on social media. There is even a contest for who embodies that title best happening in Monroe Park on Sept. 19.

In the past, I would see a guy with a carabiner, dyed hair and painted nails and assume he was a part of the LGBTQ+ community. These days I can barely tell. It makes me wonder — is it my own bias that generates these assumptions, or is the style just signaling in the modern day?

Although fashion is a mirror for our lives and our environment, there is a part of me that badly wants to contain queer fashion to myself.

Carabiners are not the only example of mainstream fashion appropriating the queer community. Things like unisex styles, flannel shirts, men painting their nails and the cuffing of pant hems all have origins in queer culture.

The aspect of this issue that hurts the most is that queer people have been ostracized for decades because of how they act and dress. Now that being queer is “fashionable,” the style is reduced to just a trend. People crave the uniqueness gained from being queer, but do not understand the hardships that come with that identity.

Queer identities have far more presence in culture today than they had in the 80s, and the queer voices that did make it into the media back then were often gross mischaracterizations. These days, we have a better representation of queer identities, so queer trends are allowed to enter the mainstream fashion cycle. It is inevitable for non-queer people to adopt these trends and interpret them as their own.

In the end, I cannot tell someone what they can or cannot wear. My suggestion is this — wear what makes you feel happy, not whatever trend you see on the internet. Trends are just a projection of a desired, unauthentic persona. Uniqueness is what you make it.