The Commonwealth Times; April 9, 2018

VCU’s diversity on full display at annual Intercultural Festival

The VCU Intercultural Festival featured student and community performances, alongside cultural activities and vendors, across the Monroe Park Campus on April 7.

A student organization of the same name organizes the festival, which is funded by the university

Students for Equal Adjunct Pay plan demonstration against proposed tuition hike

and held annually on Preview Day for accepted students.

“You get to meet totally different people you never thought you would meet just because this organization is very diverse and full of different people,” said director Brittany Wong, a senior information systems major.

Planning for the festival, whose activities included face paint, cari-

catures, a photobooth and henna tattoos done by student artists, started in the fall of last year, Wong said. In planning the festival, the organization tries to “change up” the vendors by recruiting different food trucks, she said.

“We try to get a diverse selection of the food trucks, the performances, the music,” Wong said. “We wanted to unify the campus.”

In order to encourage attendees to visit all parts of the festival, those who obtained a sticker from each “ocean” or section of the festival were given a free T-shirt.

“We’re here for diversity, multiculturalism and there’s a lot to do for everyone at different ages in Richmond in general,” Wong said.

Continued on page 8

Lacrosse defeats Duquesne, downs Saint Bonaventure to round out best week of season

SARAROSE MARTIN

News Editor

Students for Equal Adjunct Pay are planning a demonstration in response to reports that VCU is considering raising next year’s tuition by up to 8 percent.

“What we need is numbers.

There’s strength in numbers,” said Eric Eckhart, a member of the club.

“If we can get more people behind us it’s less likely the university can just shake off our demands.”

The group met Sunday evening to discuss plans of action for protesting the tuition hike in conjunction with the fight for fair adjunct pay for the art school. They mulled over the possibility of walkouts, sit-ins and rallies in the coming months — specifically, a rally at the opening of the Institute of Contemporary Art April 20, that is expected to have national coverage.

“It’s also the only W.A.G.E. (Working Artists and the Greater Economy) certified building associated with VCU. What that means is they are required by law to pay their employees an equitable amount,” Eckhart said. “And the irony of VCU providing the funding when we can’t even pay our own adjuncts enough money to live in Richmond is big. It’s an opportunity to get our message out.”

W.A.G.E is an organization that seeks to establish sustainable economic relationships between artists and the institutions that

contract their labor.

VCUarts adjuncts currently make $1,000 per credit hour with a six credit cap each semester, with no benefits. The university currently employs more than 900 adjuncts. A majority of VCUarts faculty, almost 200, are adjuncts.

The students plan to first address their concerns with the university’s Board of Visitors before taking up action with the state. They are demanding the university consider a tuition rate freeze and a reallocation of money from new building acquisitions and administrative salaries to cover necessary costs, rather than raising tuition.

VCU Spokesperson Michael Porter said the university has considered the possibility of a tuition freeze for students, however, it often means increases are built in before a student arrives as a freshman.

The group is also asking students and faculty to sign their open letter to President Michael Rao, addressing these demands.

“We want to bring attention to the fact that what’s happening here isn’t right, it’s a violation of students rights and we want it to be adjusted,” Amelia Rafle, a host of the event, said. “If we can get (Rao) on our side before we go to the Board of Visitors, that’s a huge feat.”

Adam Lockett, treasurer of Virginia 21 at VCU, a lobbyist group that advocates on the behalf of young people, said Vir-

ginia lawmakers are in a special session this week to finalize the budget defining what state money will be given to public universities in the upcoming fiscal year. He encourages students to visit legislator’s offices and share their concerns as a next step.

“Nothing is more real than going down to the state house and talking to these legislators — they work for us,” Lockett said.

Young Democratic Socialists at VCU hosted a protest on the potential tuition hike last week, and posted their own demands on Rao’s door. In addition to the demands Students for Equal Adjunct Pay are making, YDS is calling for better accessibility to VCU’s finances, in addition to access to the university’s real estate foundation.

This week, the Student Government Association and BOV are holding a public forum to address concerns about next year’s budget.

Students for Equal Adjunct Pay also plan to finalize demonstration plans in the next week.

“We want to talk about what you’re comfortable with and what you think your friends would be comfortable with. How do you think is the best way to go about making a change?” Rafle said.

“What we’re doing right now is about the students. Ultimately, we’d like to involve the adjuncts but right now, we’re thinking about ourselves. Let’s be selfish.”

Story on page 6

Baseball routs Towson at The Diamond, takes 2 of 3 at Dayton over weekend series

GEORGIA GEEN Spectrum Editor

Students are demanding a tuition freeze and a reallocation of funds after proprosed hike. PHOTO BY BEN RIVELIS

The LGBTQ community faces unique adversity in managing student debt, a new survey finds

SARAROSE MARTIN News Editor

The LGBTQ community faces more challenges than other student populations in managing student loan debt, according to new survey results.

Administered by the survey company Cint, Student Loan Hero — a financial education company which provides information about how people can better manage their finances — provided the survey to 11,184 LGBTQ identifying adults.

The survey found 60 percent of

LGBTQ borrowers regret taking on student loans, when only 45 percent of the general population regret the debt. Miranda Marquit, a finance journalist who helped conduct the survey, said the subject of LGBTQ individuals and student loan debt lacks research, overall. Additionally, the survey found LGBTQ student borrowers are more likely than the general population to make less than $50,000 a year. In more than half of the 50 U.S states, people can legally be fired for their sexual orientation or gender identity.

Key survey findings:

LGBTQ student borrowers regret their debt

A majority (60%) of LGBTQ student loan borrowers say they regret taking on student loan debt. Only 45% of student loan borrowers in the general population feel this way.

“So that makes it really hard to have money and take care of your finances when you can’t get a job or you’re worried about being fired from your job because of your orientation or identity,” Marquit said. “What we really need to work for in wider society is protection and also making sure they have the same access to rights and the same access to a chance at happiness.”

Almost one-third of the respondents said they had been denied financial help because of their gender identity or sexual orientation. Only 39 percent said they felt completely

accepted by their own families, often resulting in managing finances without any support.

“First of all, a lot of it has to do with education and changing mindset and making sure we’re targeting that community,” Marquit said. “The other issue is we really need to start, in our culture, having wider acceptance because a lot of the time when we talk about LGBTQ we talk about it in terms of tolerance but that’s not the same thing as acceptance.”

This survey is the most recent study released by Student Loan

LGBTQ borrowers are more likely than the general population to make less than $50,000 a year

More than half (53%) of the LGBTQ respondents in our survey report making less than $50,000 a year, exacerbating their difficulties in affording student loan payments. On top of that, you can still be fired for your sexual orientation or gender identity in more than one-half of U.S. states.

Hero. The company often releases surveys studying how student loan debt affects different populations. “There’s a fairly decent size percentage of our population struggling with these issues. I think we don’t think about it a lot,” Marquit said. “You know, education and awareness are very important. And now that we have some of this information it can help us move forward.”

Less than half of the members of the LGBTQ community feel completely accepted by their families

More than a quarter of LGBTQ student loan borrowers feel their debt is unmanageable

Twenty-eight percent feel like they can’t manage their student loan payments. Only 26% of LGBTQ borrowers think their student loans are “very manageable.”

The LGBTQ community is less prepared for retirement

Only 47% of those in the community have a retirement savings vehicle, compared to 56% of the general population.

Almost one-third of LGBTQ respondents report being denied financial help

Only 39% of our respondents say they feel completely accepted by their families. Additionally, 33% report being kicked out of their homes at some point due to their sexual orientation or gender identity. When seeking financial help and services, 32% of LGBTQ respondents say their gender identity or sexual orientation was a factor in being denied services.

VCU Health to sponsor new GRTC rapid transit bus line

FADEL ALLASSAN Managing Editor

The two largest health systems in central Virginia are partnering to sponsor Richmond’s forthcoming rapid transit bus line. The Bon Secours and VCU Health systems secured joint sponsorship rights of GRTC Pulse, the high-capacity rapid transit line which will debut this summer, in a deal which will earn the cityowned transit company $6.4 million over the next 15 years.

“As the region’s largest safetynet provider, we know that reli-

able transportation plays a key role in creating healthy communities,” said Deborah Davis, CEO of VCU Hospitals and Clinics, in a news release. “We will also use buses and bus stops for community health education, encouraging riders to learn about health screenings and reducing risk factors for conditions such as heart disease, stroke, obesity and diabetes.”

A line on the Pulse system will run through VCU’s downtown MCV campus and stop at the corner of Broad and 12th Street by the Capitol. Another line will stop at Willow Lawn, about a mile from St.

Mary’s Hospital, which is owned by Bon Secours.

“Quality transportation provides access to jobs, health care, affordable housing and educational institutions,” said Bon Secours CEO Toni R. Ardabell in the release.

“Our colleagues at VCU Health are the perfect partners in this effort to support Richmond’s new rapid transit system because we are aligned in our missions of bringing health and wholeness to the communities we serve.”

City officials said the $64.9 million Pulse bus system would be finished October of last year, when

construction first started in August 2016. But the project has continued into the spring as the company which was hired for the work, Lane Construction, nears its June 30 deadline, which was outlined in its contract with the city. This has come to the consternation of business owners along Broad Street downtown, who say the ongoing construction has put a dent in their bottom lines.

The partnership with Bon Secours and VCU Health will look to address the social conditions that impact health, including transportation, officials with the three par-

ties said in a news release.

“This investment in our Pulse service is an investment in the mobility and continued development of our community,” said GRTC CEO David Greene. “It represents a great partnership and a sustainable revenue source that will assist in operating the line and maintaining our level of service to the Richmond area.”

The $6.49 million Pulse bus system project is expected to finish June 30, after missing it’s first deadline in October of last year, according to city officials.

SGA, BOV set to clear the air on tuition hikes in public forum

The Student Government Association and Board of Visitors are looking to provide clarity on the university’s mulling over a tuition hike.

The organizations will host a public forum, in which students are encouraged to come with questions, this week, following last month’s

announcement the university is considering raising tuition for the 17th year in a row.

The forum will be on Wednesday from 6 - 7:30 p.m. in room 250 of the Cabell Library. VCU Vice President for Finance and Budget, Karol Kain Gray, will have a presentation at the event.

The university’s budget proposal includes a potential range of 6.8 to 8.1 percent raise in tuition, contin-

gent on the state’s budget, which will be finalized in May. Tuition increased by 3.8 percent last year and has increased every year since 2001. VCU officials are pointing the finger at a decline in state funding, which they say are the catalyst for increased tuition.

Tuition in 2016 was 74 percent higher at the average Virginia university than in 2006, according to the Richmond Times-Dispatch.

VCU dean removed from his position after former governor’s harassment lawsuit

Managing Editor

A university official who was sued for harassment by former Virginia Gov. L Douglas Wilder, says he has been removed from his post on false claims and is counter suing, the latest episode in a saga which has pitted Wilder against the dean of the school bearing his name at VCU.

John Accordino will no longer head the Wilder School despite his denial of the accusation, university officials told the Richmond Times-Dispatch. Accordino says he was removed from the position, but university officials indicate the decision was mutual.

“The situation has caused a considerable amount of distraction from the core business of the Wilder School,” said VCU Vice President and Provost Gail Hackett in an email to faculty and staff obtained by the Times-Dispatch.

“Although Dean Accordino specifically denies allegations in the lawsuit and will defend himself against them, in consideration of the greater mission of the school and the university, he has agreed to step aside.”

Hackett, along with President Michael Rao, is named in the suit, but university officials declined to comment, citing pending litigation. Wilder’s complaint, which was filed in the Richmond Circuit Court March 19, says Rao refused to properly address Accordino’s actions and Hackett conducted a “farcical and corrupt investigation” after Wilder met with her and Rao to notify them of Bega’s allegations.

Accordino will receive an additional $80,000 in “supplemental pay” over the next three years from VCU, the Times-Dispatch reported. He will spend the next year and a half on paid “study-research leave” before he returns to teach as a tenured faculty member in the fall of 2019.

Accordino filed a countersuit March 30 seeking $150,000 in damages, accusing the former governor of defamation and interfering with his contract with VCU. In the countersuit, Accordino says

Hackett and Rao privately support him, but removed him anyway out of fear of Wilder.

Wilder’s suit asserts Accordino called Bega “obscene names,” threatened to fire her, accused her of violating human resources rules and “questioned and insulted her intelligence.”

When Wilder met with Rao, Hackett and Kevin Allison, Rao’s senior assistant, Hackett assured everyone present that Bega did not want to report Accordino to the university, according to the court document. However, the lawsuit says Bega later denied to Wilder she had ever told Hackett that and stated “unequivocally” that she wanted to move forward with a complaint to the university.

“Upon being confronted with Ms. Bega’s statement, it was conceded Ms. Bega had never stated

that she did not wish for her complaint to move forward,” the court document states.

The lawsuit says Wilder told Rao and Hackett that the provost’s office was “compromised and unable to faithfully process” Bega’s complaint. Wilder reported Accordino’s actions to VCU’s Office of Human Resources as sexual harassment, and racial and sexual discrimination.

The suit says Wilder, who holds the rank of distinguished professor at VCU, was not present when the incident between Accordino and Bega occurred, but Kristine Artello, an assistant professor at the Wilder School, notified Wilder of the incident.

Accordino has been the dean of the Wilder School for one year. Before that, he held the position on an interim basis since July 2016.

On March 21, VCU President Michael Rao presented the Board of Visitors a budget which is 3.7 percent larger than last year’s. In the past four years, VCU has lost $34.3 million in state cuts. The plan may be altered when the state’s budget is finalized in May.

A number of students have aired their grievances at the university for raising tuition again. Some students with VCU’s chapter of

the Young Democratic Socialists of America staged a protest against tuition hikes on campus Thursday.

A group of adjunct professors seeking better wages from the university also voiced complaints, saying the university’s refusal to raise adjunct pay doesn’t pair well with its recent real estate investments.

“They continue to link a hike in tuition to pay adjuncts a livable wage yet we continue to have

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building acquisitions, we continue to have one of the highest paid state employees work for VCU, which is President Rao,” Tom Burkett, an adjunct in VCUarts, told the Commonwealth Times last week, “yet we can’t come up with money to pay living wages to contingent faculty.”

FADEL ALLASSAN

FADEL ALLASSAN

Managing Editor

VCU officials claim a decline in state funding may result in a tuition increase for the 17th year in a row. A forum April 11 is scheduled to discuss next year’s budget and hear student concerns.

Vice President and Provost Gail Hackett and President Michael Rao are named in harrassment lawsuit.

Stat of the Week

Golf senior Allister Balcombe shot a first-round 69, pacing VCU with a 12th place finish at the Irish Creek Intercollegiate.

Baseball tames Tigers, grounds Flyers in 3-1 week

JESSICA WETZLER Staff Writer

Baseball improved its record to 21-11 last week with a win over Towson University Tuesday and a pair of victories over Dayton University in a Friday doubleheader, but failed to sweep the weekend series, falling to the Flyers in a Sunday matinee.

Dayton - Sunday

VCU dropped its only game of the weekend to Dayton Sunday afternoon in the third and final game of the A-10 series by a final of 6-1.

Sophomore right-hander Sam Ryan took the loss after allowing two runs on five hits in four innings of work. Ryan struck out three Flyers.

Senior infielder Daane Berezo collected VCU’s only RBI on the afternoon. Freshman utility player Hogan Brown and sophomore catcher Josh Simon each doubled. Dayton out-hit the Rams 13-5.

Similarly to game 1 on Friday, the bottom of the seventh was the breakout inning for the Rams. VCU scored five runs as Dayton made four pitching changes in the inning.

Brown opened the scoring in the seventh with an RBI double to center. Ensuing runs came from two errors, a hit by pitch to Berezo with the bases loaded, and a wild pitch.

Sophomore starter Connor Gillispie sailed through six innings of scoreless work, giving up only three hits and striking out eight.

The other bulk of scoring by VCU happened in the bottom of the fifth inning, as sophomore infielder Paul Witt doubled in a pair of runs while Brown notched his first RBI of the game. Brown’s hit drove in Witt to put up a three spot in the inning.

The Black and Gold’s other run came in the bottom of the fourth, as an RBI single from sophomore infielder Brett Willett gave the Rams a 2-0 cushion as Gillispie kept up his strong start to the ballgame.

Dayton’s only run of the ballgame broke up VCU’s shutout in the top of the eighth, as a wild pitch from junior right-hander Jack Alkire brought in the Flyers’ lone run. A leadoff walk and a single set up the opportunity to score in the inning.

VCU did a majority of their damage in the seventh and eighth innings during the first game Friday, scoring a combined six runs to bring in a strong lead. Sparked by a huge RBI triple from Berezo in the seventh, Witt and senior infielder

Mitchel Lacey followed suit with RBI singles to put the Rams up 6-1 headed into the eighth inning.

Dayton responded with a threerun score at the top of the eighth to pull back within two runs, as a pair of singles and and a wild pitch brought the score within striking distance at 6-4.

The Rams brought the lead back up to five runs after they responded

with three runs in the bottom of the eighth. Back-to-back singles from Simon and Lamb scored a pair, followed by a sacrifice fly from Lacey, extending the lead to 9-4.

Simon’s first RBI of the game opened up the scoring, as an RBI single up the middle put VCU on the board in the bottom of the second.

Dayton tied the game in the fourth, as Connor Echols singled in a run off senior right hander Sean Thompson to tie things at 1-1.

Lacey broke the tie in the bottom of the fifth, jump starting a lead the Rams wouldn’t give back with a double down the line. The hit scored two runs, putting VCU up 3-1 at the time.

Thompson pitched a strong

game, going 7.1 innings, scattering seven hits and allowing three runs. He struck out seven in his longest outing of the season to date.

Baseball started the week swinging, kicking off a new winning streak Tuesday against the Towson Tigers. VCU’s 14-game-streak was snapped last Saturday against St. Louis University.

Wasting no time getting on the board, the Rams opened up with a five-run first inning with back-toback walks to Lamb and Berezo.

Lacey, Witt, and junior infielder Zac Ching collected a hit a piece,

giving the Rams a 3-0 lead without an out. The next two outs came from an RBI groundout by Brown, followed by a sacrifice fly from sophomore infielder Steven Carpenter. By the time Towson was able to get a shot, the Black and Gold had a lead of 5-0.

Towson scored their first run in the bottom of the first, as Richie Palacious sent a solo homerun over the left field fence to make the game 5-1 after one inning. That hit and run were the only ones given up by starter Sam Ryan all game.

A combo of back-to-back-toback doubles in the top of the sixth gave VCU its sixth and seventh runs of the game. Willett, Simon, and Lamb traveled to second base

consecutively, putting up two more runs for the Rams. The Tigers final run came on a wild pitch in the 6th, as Curtis Bafus lost the grip on a 3-2 fastball. The ball went to the backstop and allowed a runner on third to score. The game was called after the sixth inning due to weather and poor field conditions, leaving the Rams to walk of the field with a 7-2 win. Baseball will return to action Wednesday at the Diamond when they welcome Virginia Military Institute to the Capitol for a 6:30 p.m. first pitch.

DAYTON - FRIDAY (2)

Sophomore right-hander Connor Giliispie is 5-1 this season with a sparkling 1.54 ERA.

dayton - sunday

DAYTON - FRIDAY (1)

TOWSON - TUESDAY

Sophomore catcher Josh Simon is hitting .222 with 11 RBI and nine runs scored this season.

PHOTO BY MIKEY MAULDING

Doing away with one-and-done

ZACH JOACHIM Sports Editor

In light of an ongoing FBI probe into the NCAA, calls for widespread reform of college basketball’s recruiting practices and regulations have taken hold of the sports landscape.

One of the many coaches (the investigation targets more than 30 schools) caught up in the national scandal is former VCU skipper Will Wade. Yahoo Sports reported the NCAA was looking into Wade’s recruiting practices dating back to his time on Broad Street, although Vice President and Director of Athletics Ed McLaughlin quickly quelled any unrest here at home.

“At VCU we believe in operating at a high level and do not compromise when it comes to integrity in any aspect of our department,” McLaughlin said. “As such, the De-

partment of Athletics has conducted a thorough review of all of our compliance records and all information we have pertaining to our men’s basketball program. We have found no evidence of any wrongdoing.”

This investigation seeks to uncover a national epidemic stretching from Broad Street to Baton Rouge, Louisiana to Tucson, Arizona. Sadly, the prevalence of these allegations across the country has most accused parties brushing them off as insignificant. Arizona’s Sean Miller casually returned to coach his team in the postseason after taking a leave of absence due to reports of paying players.

“Obviously you’re disappointed,”

Wade said. “But it’s the way of the world these days. You just move on. The season doesn’t stop. The world doesn’t stop. I try and focus my attention on the things that need it and the things that I get a return on in-

vestment for.”

In other words — don’t hate the player, hate the game. You were always adept at hiding easter eggs between the lines weren’t you, Will? Veiled in Wade’s comments is a standoffish insistence of the reality that most high profile college basketball players are paid. But paramount in his insinuations is a challenge to the NCAA, FBI, NBA and all other detractors — do something about it.

Wade asks us to take a step back and remove onus from coaches who are only participating in a broken system. There is only one viable option, aside from regulating player wages, for curtailing this widespread, nonchalant dismissal of recruiting scandals — end Adam Silver and the NBA’s broken one-and-done rule.

Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott called out the NBA in hopes of reinstituting decorum to this shit-

Colonial Relays

Davis, Sheehy shine for VCU

Staff Writer

VCU track and field delivered solid performances over the weekend at the Colonial Relays in Williamsburg, with junior Ann Sheehy taking second overall to provide one of the best results of the event for the Rams.

On the women’s side, the team improved to a 20.5-point total, and the Rams ranked just outside the top 10 of a 49-school field. Sophomore Ian Davis helped VCU get off to a hot start for the men’s squad, earning points in hurdles, and VCU ranked 31 out of 50 schools.

For the women’s team, Sheehy’s overall second-place finish came in the 400-meter hurdles, bringing the best finish of the day for VCU with a time of just over a minute. Junior Can-

dice James tied for sixth, adding a 5.5-point contribution of her own in the 200-meter run. Senior Amiaya Carey won the high jump for VCU, beating out 16 opponents, and sophomore Samantha Yankston took home an eighthplace effort in the hammer throw, recording a 43.18-meter result.

On the men’s side, Davis recorded a strong effort in the 110-meter hurdles, giving a thirdplace output with a 14.68-second time. He also tied his career best in the hurdling event, a mark he originally set on March 9. Freshman Jacob Greenless recorded a 49.14-meter toss in the hammer throw, a new personal best and good for ninth on the scoring charts, placing seventh in the University group.

Sophomore Osawaru Oghagbon also added a 14.86-meter mark in the shot put for a second-

place finish, tying his career best from the previous week’s event.

Seniors Kareem Payne, Bigal Harrison and Kahlil Shepard, all set new bests during the event.

Jumper Xyan Xrichardson, a freshman, cleared with two meters of room, taking ninth. Junior Devin Bethea also set a new personal best in the 100-meter dash and posted an 11.16 time on the day. Bethea also placed 34th out of 64 total competitors. Freshman Willie Schwartz took part in the hammer throw, setting a new personal record with a 42.84 mark.

Instead of competing on the final day of the Colonial Relays, the Black and Gold returned to Richmond to take a few days’ break prior to their matchups in the George Mason Invitational on Saturday, April 14.

show of ‘adults’ exploiting talented young athletes.

“It’s our sense that (getting rid of one-and-done) would be an important step in terms of having more clarity of purpose and mission so that those young men that really solely focused on wanting to get paid to play basketball, they can go do that,” Scott said.

Scott insists ending one-and-done will also benefit less touted players who wish to stay all four years and carry out their college education.

“And those that are interested in the tremendous benefits that higher education has to offer and being student-athletes and working toward a degree and all the other benefits that you get from that, they come to college sports,” Scott said.

There is no in-between here. These kids are either exponentially talented and risking millions of dol-

lars by playing at the collegiate level, or they are moderately talented and seeking to parlay their athletic prowess into an education and future. Are some kids unsure which side they fall on? Of course. But getting rid of the one and done rule would provide a measure of clarity to this convoluted decision making process.

These are kids. We owe them more transparency than they have been allotted in this process. The NCAA can investigate every school from Broad Street to Tucson if it wants — they will continue to find the same thing.

“You got to have thick skin if you’re going to do this job; that’s part of it,” Wade said. “You know, it comes with the times. It comes with coaching at the high level. You’re disappointed, but it’s part of it.”

ADAM CHEEK

Sophomore Ian Davis earned VCU its first six points of the Colonial Relays in the hurdles.

Lacrosse wins pair of tight conference road matchups

Contributing Writer

Lacrosse won a pair of hotly contested A-10 matchups on the road last week with a 13-8 victory over Saint Bonaventure University Saturday after downing the Dukes of Duquesne University 11-9 Friday evening.

For the second part of their two game road trip, the Rams went up to New York to face off against the St. Bonaventure University Bonnies. The Black and Gold pulled out a hard fought 13-8 victory in the frigid Allegheny foothills.

two ground balls Saturday at

The Bonnies were a winless team desperate for a victory, so this was no easy game for the Rams. VCU started off fast, getting a 2-0 lead in the first five minutes.

Junior midfielders Sofia Emond and Claire Murphy scored early goals for VCU. The Bonnies responded by two goals of their own back to back — Destinee Johnson and Rylee Arnold scored for the Bonnies.

The remainder of the first half was neck and neck, even though VCU either held the lead or was tied throughout the period. The Black and Gold led 6-5 going into the break.

VCU heated up out of the locker

room, scoring three straight goals and pushing their lead from 6-5 to 9-5 quickly. All three of the goals were unassisted.

With twelve minutes remaining in the game, redshirt junior midfielder Sky Hyatt scored once again. This was her third goal of the game, giving her a hat trick on the day. Just to put the cherry on top Hyatt scored her fourth goal of the day with six minutes remaining. Hyatt was the catalyst for VCU. The Black and Gold ended up stealing one on the road with a final score of 13-8.

Tennis drops two weekend road matches

Contributing Writer

The Rams came up short in a tightly contested matchup against Middle Tennessee State University on Saturday, falling to the Blue Raiders 4-3.

After losing the first doubles’ match, the Rams won the next two matches to secure a doubles point to open the match. Behind the great play of junior Vitor Lima, the Rams took a 2-1 lead, gaining early control in the match.

In a back and forth matchup, the fate of the match came down to court 3. Junior Philip Mobius was in a tightly contested match with the team competition on the line. After losing the first set, the junior extended the game by winning the second nail-biting set, 7-5. However, his opponent Chris Edge edged him in the final set to secure the win for Middle Tennessee State.

Lima won his 10th match of the year, cruising to a straight set victory 6-1, 6-3. Junior Arvid Noren continued his great play in the No. 1 singles position as he improved to 2-1 on the first court.

This marks the second consecutive April loss for the Rams after finishing 4-3 in the month of March. The Black and Gold will look to bounce back Wednesday, April 11 against the Tribe of the College of William & Mary.

The women’s tennis team lost a heartbreaker Saturday against East Carolina University 4-3. After two previous games at home, the Rams traveled to East Carolina Saturday where they were narrowly defeated by the Pirates.

VCU staged a comeback effort with victories on courts No.1 and 3 to steal the doubles point early on. Junior Anna Rasmussen and sophomore Kanako Yano secured the point with their 6-4 victory.

Freshman Paola Exposito Diaz Delgado and Marina Alcaide Bakkari pulled out the second and third points for VCU with wins in singles action. The match was decided in Rasmussen and Yano’s singles matches, which they both

Lacrosse started a two game road trip last week with a journey to Pennsylvania to take on the Dukes of Duquesne University, where the Black and Gold pulled out a back and forth 11-9 victory. The Rams were looking to end a two-game skid in this game. The contest was back and forth through both halves. VCU still held a 2-1 lead through the first ten minutes of the game, with the two goals coming from Emond and junior attack Molly Barcikowski. Barcikowski’s goal came out of the free shot position. The Dukes came back strong and took their

first lead of the game right before halftime — Jill Vacanti scored twice to help Duquesne take a 4-3 lead heading into the break.

Coming out of halftime, the Dukes scored within the first minute of the second period, giving them their largest lead of the game at only two points.

VCU quickly got out of that two point deficit and once they took the lead, they never trailed again. Barcikowski tied the game at 6 apiece with just over fourteen minutes remaining.

Sophomore midfielder Keriann Mctavish put the dagger in the Dukes and secured the victory for the Black and Gold when she scored

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with just over one minute left. Mctavish was one of multiple Rams who scored more than two goals in this game.

Joining her were teammates Barcikowski, junior midfielder Blaire Langeler, and sophomore attack / midfielder Isabella EvansRiester.

VCU went on to win 11-9 to break their losing streak and star their road trip 1-0.

The Black and Gold finished off their two game road trip undefeated and will face off against George Washington University next Friday.

lost in three sets.

Women’s tennis returns to action Tuesday at 3 p.m. at James Madison University.

RODNEY ROBINSON

Junior midfielder Olivia McGrath (21) secured

St. Bonaventure. VCU’s pair of victories improves them to 4-8 this year.

NILE MCNAIR

st bonaventure

duquesne

men

Javier Amantegui and Victor Lima dominated the No. 1 doubles court Saturday, 6-4.

women

PHOTO BY MYLES FRANCISCO

On this day

Winston Churchill became the first honorary U.S. citizen on April 9, 1963.

Cultural groups perform at festival

continued from page 1

Junior exercise science student

Maame Owusu said the festival was a way for attendees to see different cultures and for prospective students to see VCU’s diversity. As one of the festival’s vendors, she sold handmade clothing and accessories from her line, Santwa Couture.

Owusu said she first started sewing when she got bored during a hurricane. She was in middle school at the time and has continued throughout high school and college.

“Of course, I’m not majoring in it so I’m not able to do it as often, it’s kind of like a hobby to me,”

Owusu said.

The style of kente shirts she sells

originates in Ghana, where Owusu is from. She said she tries to add modern elements to her styles, so the shirts can be worn casually or formally. Her mother, for whom the clothing line is named, serves as inspiration.

“I think [the clothing line] is pretty cool because you get to wear something that’s not from your local H&M, Forever 21, just to kind

of spice up your wardrobe,” Owusu said.

The Lebanese Student Association, a student group started last fall, performed the Dabke, a traditional folk dance. The group’s festival performance was its first time performing on campus, though the members do regular dance performances around Richmond, said LSA President Mya Khoury.

“This is a dance that the people of Lebanon love to do at events, parties, weddings. It’s a big deal,” Khoury said. “It’s basically just three or four steps, depending on how intense you want it. We get fancy with it, we freestyle a little.”

The performance began onstage, based around variations on a circular formation. Dancers later moved into the crowd, circling the audi-

ence in a long chain. “At events like this, we like to get crowd interaction because people get more hype and excited,” Khoury said. “We go around the crowd, we grab everyone and we want to teach them how to do it so they can partake in our culture.”

Forum discusses mental health in Black community

All mental illnesses are stigmatized, but the effects of that stigma manifest differently in the Black community, said Black Minds Matter founders at a forum hosted at the Academic Learning Commons on April 4.

“There’s a stigma regarding mental illness, period. But specifically in communities of color, it’s a little bit different,”said Black Minds Matter co-founder Taneasha White. “A lot of African Americans are reluctant to discuss mental health issues and seek treatment due to the types of stigma.” This stigma is enforced by family members who don’t support the idea of going to therapy, according to co-founder of Black Minds Matter Brittney Maddox. The fact that there are few Black therapists contributes to the lack of Black people attending therapy.

“I can’t talk about my race in that [White] space because I don’t feel safe,” Maddox said. “You want to feel safe when you are vulnerable.”

Audience members reflected on their experiences of family-induced stigma surrounding mental health care. Some said family members had told them they should be able to handle their situations alone, being that their ancestors had been enslaved.

But it’s the intergenerational trauma from slavery and structural racism that cause mental health problems for some Black people, White said.

During slavery, Black people weren’t given the time to process and recover from the trauma they experienced, White said.

“That, to me, is one of the beginning stages of self-stigmatization and having to repress your emotions and not being able to seek out help even if there were help,” White said.

There’s

A trend of medical malpractice against Black people has also contributed to a sense of reluctance toward therapy, White said. She discussed examples like that of Henrietta Lacks, a Black woman whose cancer cells were taken without her knowledge or consent and used to create the HeLa cell line, which has been used for research and commercial purposes.

In addition, the “father of modern gynecology,” James Marion Sims,

used enslaved Black women for his experiments without anesthesia.

“Coupled with occurrences like that are folklore that your grandma and your aunts said, like ‘Stay off that corner, come back before the streetlights turn on,’” Maddox said. “That’s rooted in ‘if I don’t see where you are, in my presence, I don’t know if you’re safe or not.’”

Throughout history, Maddox said, Black people have been viewed as a utility and a “big driver of money” in the U.S.

“With that there is the recurring theme of not having agency over your body,” Maddox said. “If a Black person isn’t basically quiet or submissive, they are seen as a threat that needs to be taken down.”

The criminal justice system worsens mental health issues for incarcerated people, White said. She referenced the case of Kalief Browder, a Bronx high school student who was put in solitary confinement for two years for a crime he was later found innocent of. After being released, he committed suicide, likely because of mental and physical abuse he experienced in prison.

Oftentimes, those with mental illnesses are dubbed as violent, incompetent and without hope for recovery by the general public, White said.

“None of these narratives are true,” White said. “We have seen time and time again, people of varying professions and education levels and races and backgrounds live with their mental health condition.”

Student and community groups performed music and dance works throughout the duration of the April 7 festival.

GEORGIA GEEN Spectrum Editor

a stigma regarding mental illness, period.

But specifically in communities of color, it’s a little bit different.

Taneasha White Black Minds Matter co-founder

Student artist promotes South Asian representation

GEORGIA GEEN Spectrum Editor

One of Sumaat Khan’s goals in creating artwork for the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month was to represent darker-skinned South Asian people.

The junior studying kinetic imaging was recruited through the Asian & Pacific Islander-Student Alliance (APSA) to create the illustration, which reflects the heritage month’s theme, “Sailing Oceans.”

“I think a lot of people, when they hear about an Asian heritage month, they don’t think about South Asians in their definition,” Khan said. “Places like India and Bangladesh and Pakistan, they’re often not included in it, just considered subcontinental despite the fact that they’re in Asia.”

Khan — whose family is from Bangladesh — has experienced this.

“[People] would be like, “What do you mean you’re Asian?” and expect something else or think I was Middle-Eastern,” Khan said.

Southeast Asian and Pacific Islander people also face a lack of representation in Asian narratives, Khan said. East Asia, consisting of nations like North and South Korea, Japan and China, tends to be overrepresented in comparison to other cultures.

“We only see this one type,” Khan said. “I think with the lack of representation, people assume that there isn’t anything to be celebrated about these cultures, even though they’re really rich and beautiful,” Khan said.

This lack of representation is in spite of the fact that the number of Indian and Filipino people living in the U.S., about 6 billion as of the 2010 census, outnumber the Chinese American population at 4 billion.

Khan said they also wanted the illustration to challenge typical Asian beauty standards and show queer representation, being that

many people don’t realize there is a significant LGBTQ Asian population. The blending of the figures’ hair into the scenery is reminiscent of the “Sailing Oceans” theme, which acknowledges the importance of nature in many Asian cultures, Khan said.

“As I was drawing it out, I liked the idea of their hair turning into the ocean and their hair turning into the sky,” Khan said. “That just kind of came out when I was draw-

ing.”

Khan said they hope to create comics or do storyboarding in the future. Much of their current work, which includes photography, features people of color and addresses themes like sexual assault.

APSA, of which Khan is a member, hosts discussions to bring to light issues faced by Asians and Pacific Islanders. Khan said the organization is inclusive of members of other races, too.

“We try to encourage more

Asian people and be more socially active and inclusive in their daily lives,” Khan said. “We’ll have topics about Asian-American history and a lot of things that were done to us throughout history and what we can do today to combat that racism.”

Khan said they look forward to attending OMSA’s career roundtable, to be held in the OMSA office on April 20, from 7 to 9 p.m. The event, co-hosted by APSA, will bring together Asian and Pacific Is-

lander students of different majors to discuss their careers.

Khan hopes this event will represent Asian students in majors outside of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

“I think people have the stereotype that Asian people are only in the STEM field,” Khan said. “I’m really interested in that, because being an art student who’s Asian, I’ve gone through a lot of conversations about how that works and how that’s ‘odd.’”

Other OMSA events include a public art show in Cabell Library between April 9 and 13; a zine workshop hosted by APSA at Cabell Library at 6:30 p.m. on April 16 and Hump Day Dialogues in the OMSA office on Asian American history and Asian “minority myths” on April 18 from 2 to 3 p.m. and April 25 from noon to 1 p.m., respectively.

“I really hope that a lot of people go out and want to celebrate our culture and appreciate it,” Khan

GOODRICH

SAMUEL

Staff Writer

Few filmmakers have created their own niche like Wes Anderson has. Directing and writing his own movies for more than 20 years, Anderson is well-known for his perfectionist filmmaking and comically stilted dialogue mixed with gut-punch emotion.

All of Anderson’s films have the same dollhouse cinematic style, which proved successful in the stop-motion film, “Fantastic Mr. Fox.” Anderson returns to this style of animation with “Isle of Dogs,” a visually impressive film that is ultimately held back by Anderson’s indulgences.

Taking place in the near future, Japan is overrun by dogs with a contagious disease. Mayor Kobayashi deports all infected dogs to a trash wasteland island where the canines must fend for themselves. Soon after, Atari, a young pilot, crash lands on the island and searches for his dog, Spots, with help from a group of the island’s dogs.

“Fantastic Mr. Fox” was the first Wes Anderson film I saw, and I soon became a fan of his writing and filmmaking style. He often deals with themes of father and son relationships and outsiders trying to find their place and growing up.

That film stood out with its uniquely detailed stop-motion animation. While other films like “Coraline” try to hide the flaws in the animation of objects and characters, “Fantastic Mr. Fox” indulges in these uncanny details.

This makes for a charming style that works perfectly with Anderson’s clever writing and controlled cinematography.

“Isle of Dogs” retains the charming and detailed animation, but on a much larger scale. Tons of disposed items like food and bottles litter the island, while Japan itself is vibrant and artistic. Anderson’s ability to expertly frame a scene leads to intricate and beautiful shots. It’s always a treat to see this style of animation on the big screen and the end result is a spectacle.

The models for the dogs themselves are quite detailed, with visible individual hairs, bones, scars and even general disfigurements littering the cast of dogs.

The script is well-written, with Anderson’s iconic conversational style and detached voice acting leading to some hilarious moments. The dogs are all voiced by English-speaking actors, who do a good job, but rarely stand out. Bryan Cranston as Chief gives the best performance, but even he feels more like a voice than an actor.

Sadly, Atari is the only human character with any emotional depth, while Cranston’s Chief is the only dog the audience gets to know. The characters and plot are disappointingly light, making it difficult to care about anything beyond the relationship between these two characters.

Every other character, besides translators, speak in Japanese without subtitles, unless provided by the plot. This is used not only as a comedic device, since the

dogs don’t speak Japanese, but also to connect the audience more to dogs as audience avatars.

This choice does heighten the film’s style, since we can still understand what’s going on without the dialogue and opens more avenues for interesting interactions, but it does beg the question of why “Isle of Dogs” is set in Japan.

I originally hoped that Anderson would tie the foreign setting more into the plot and the themes, but it seems to only be used as window dressing to decorate the story of friendship and growing up.

While the imagery is beautiful and the homages to older Japanese cinema don’t go unnoticed, it feels like Anderson is concerned only with the perceived look of Japan influencing his film, and not how the reality of Japan could change his film. I admit the references and iconography help to make the film more stylish, but it ultimately feels hollow.

By the end, I wasn’t exactly sure why Anderson wanted to make this film, and why a team of talented animators would spend so much time and effort animating this. It’s a fun film that hits as many Anderson tropes as it can, but it never strives to be anything beyond a cute dog movie done with unique animation.

“Isle of Dogs” is an entertaining film worth seeing in a theater. It also makes it one of Anderson’s weaker films, as it has very little going for it beyond the visuals. Still, I had a great time watching it, but it’s difficult not to be disappointed when there was so much potential.

“Isle of Dogs” is cute... and very little else

opinions

Quote of the week

My Journey with Islamophobia

AMNA KAYANI Contributing Columnist

Residential Life and Housing sent an email to students on March 30 about anti-Muslim social media threats that were supposed to take place April 3.

“We want our Muslim students and our community to know that we are actively engaged in their safety,” the email stated.

The anti-Muslim social media posts the email was referring to were the “Punish a Muslim Day” fliers which had been circulating in the U.K. and on social media. The fliers distributed were very similar to hate letters sent to mosques in the U.S. and have led to a counterterrorism investigation by U.K. police. Hours after I received this email, a video of a man punching a hijabi teen in a hospital in Dearborn, Michigan appeared on my timeline on Twitter. I didn’t know how to react.

As a young Muslim woman myself, I haven’t known how to act since the murder of Nabra Hassanen Nabra Hassanen was a young girl from Reston, Virginia who was brutally assaulted and mur-

dered on her way back to her mosque. Her case sparked emotion in the Muslim community, including mine. This horrific crime affected me heavily, I was shocked. Hassanen and I lived in the same city, went to the same high school, attended the same mosque and, most importantly, shared the same faith.

When the police claimed Hassanen’s case wasn’t a hate crime, I, along with most Muslims in this country, refused to accept it. I refused because I knew how this country treated Muslims. I have seen the disrespect my mother receives for her accent and attire, I have heard the arguments against my faith from politicians and I have felt the word terrorist on my skin since the 7th grade. It has always been there and I have always known it.

After much thought I asked myself, has Islamophobia always been there? Have I ignored it and tried to push it to the side? Did I

only see it on social media? My journey with Islamophobia has been a confusing one. It includes the events of 9/11, the Muslim travel ban, “Punish a Muslim Day” and the death of Hassanen. When people attempt to push me farther from my faith, I am more drawn to it. Islamophobia in this country has a long and exhausting history, one that has been constant. It is an obstacle we have faced in the past, present and as a young Muslim, I hope to abolish in the future. I commend VCU for taking the steps to ensure safety of all their students. It is acts like these which will help us move forward. I pray this country overcomes its hatred and for the sake of my fellow Muslims, hopefully in the near future.

Coming of age: The power of youth advocacy

MARLON MCKAY

Contributing Columnist

The millennial generation is known for never taking anything seriously, spending too much time on their cell phones or playing video games. A survey by Reason-Rupe found 71 percent of Americans from other generations believe millennials are selfish and 65 percent believe they’re entitled.

This group of young people is not technically even millennials.

According to Pew Researcher, a millennial is a person who was born between 1981 and 1996. The United States Census Bureau says the birth years range from 1982 to 2000.

Anyone born after these dates is considered part of “Generation Z.”

Yet this generation is constantly labeled as millennials not only because of ignorance, but as an insult.

To some Americans, the term millennial is synonymous with words like lazy and self-centered.

When you stand back and look at the generation, especially amid of recent political events, it’s clear there’s more to this generation than they’re given credit for.

Names such as Emma Gonza les, Cameron Kasky, David Hoggs and Sarah Chadwick are making

headlines for taking a stance for change. These survivors from the Parkland shooting are the faces for #NeverAgain, a student-led movement for stricter gun regulations to

Columbine. This was only the beginning of their efforts against gun violence. Taking inspiration from previous movements, like the Civil Rights Movement in the 60s and the Women’s March, they planned the March For Our Lives in D.C., where participants shared how their lives have been affected by gun violence.

Cities all around the country felt the power of this generation. More than 800 major cities across the nation participated in the march from Chicago, Illinois, Salt Lake City, Utah and right here in Richmond.

The concept of a student-led activist movement shouldn’t be shocking. Throughout history, there have been plenty of youth-led fights for change. For example, the Greensboro sit-ins in 1960 started when four Black teenagers sat in the “Whites only” section of a Woolworth store to fight for civil rights. This trend spread across the nation soon thereafter. Nearly 60 years later and young people

their communities.

Ross Losapio, a program administrator in VCU Globe, said as millennials get closer to the legal voting age, their voices will be bet-

at any age, yet that obstacle didn’t stop them. Rather than wasting their time away on the internet with dating and video games, like many assume they do, these teens

LTE: The Myanmar/Rohingya Muslim Crisis

professor at VCU. Millennials offer more to society than they’re given credit for and this movement is just proof that there is a spark there. Yes, there are still those who are addicted to their cell phones and video games, but that doesn’t, and shouldn’t, overshadow the capabilities this generation as a whole possesses.

Dear Editor, Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, has been in the process of what some view as ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya Muslim population from the Rakhine State. Extensive murders, rapes and arsons have taken place between the two groups, leaving the minority population with little hope to survive if they were to stay in their region. Because of this, hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims have left their oppressive country for others such as Malaysia, Thailand and primarily Bangladesh.

Journeying through murky waters while facing innumerable condi-

tions along the way like starvation and disease create a narrative of a displaced people solely searching for somewhere to settle and receive ethical human treatment.

The history of Rohingya Muslims dates back to the 19th and early 20th century, a time when the Arakan Kingdom was a formidable force and British-Indian rule was in effect in India’s southwest region. The advent of Burma’s independence in 1948 granted sovereignty to the Burmese government to treat the Rohingyas immorally on several spectrums including citizenship, marriage and childbirth.

Tactics implemented in Burma’s 1948 citizenship policy created an

atmosphere where they could not legally become citizens, in turn leaving masses of people stateless. Recent reform in the 1990s has allocated minimal rights to the Rohingyas through the usage of white cards, which are symbols of temporary residency in Myanmar and a form of identification. However, white cards do not give full or even partial citizenship to the distressed population of Muslims under persecution and play a role in enthralling the current mistreatment of the Rohingyas.

Marriage for Rohingyas is only feasible if they go against the regulations of their religion. In order for two Rohingyas to get married,

a picture of the bride without her headscarf on must be shown to authorities along with proof that the groom has shaved his face, both of which are in contra with Rohingya tradition. Along the lines of childbirth, Rohingyan couples are only allowed to have two children. When these elements are implemented all at once on these individuals their lives become much more strenuous and ill-fated, leaving them no other choice but to flee in hopes of a better life elsewhere. The lack of action from the country’s leader and Nobel Peace Prize Winner, Aung San Suu Kyi, also appropriates their decision to journey away from their homeland.

If the leader of your country won’t even flash a hand to help, what else is there to do?

Bangladesh continues to be a hotspot for Rohingya refugees but living conditions and lack of quality food create more problems for them as refugee camps continuously become overcrowded. Nearly one million refugees are scraping away at rations donated by the international community to survive, and the number continues to grow. What will be the solution to this situation? On behalf of Myanmar, military action would need to cease and full recognition of Rohingyas would be a necessary element for reform. Even if this were

to become a reality, the amount of ethical tension and discrimination that would be at the forefront of Rohingya Muslims’ lives in Myanmar and the Rhakine State might prove to be just as detrimental and destructive as its military interaction with them. Solving this series of callous events will require extensive amounts of help from the international community to help this group of people that has been ravaged for simply existing.

—Lawrence Jones III

I have seen the disrespect my mother receives for her accent and attire, I have heard the arguments against my faith from politicians and I have felt the word terrorist on my skin since the 7th grade. It has always been there and I have always known it.

—Amna Kayani

When people attempt to push me farther from my faith, I am more drawn to it.

Amna Kayani

Marlon McKay

The widespread participation in marches across the country shows the ingenuity and power young people possess.

Pizza or Books? by Iain Duffus

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