The Commonwealth Times; March 4, 2020 by VCU Student Media Center

STAFF EDITORIAL

SGA members threw away more than our newspapers See STAFF EDITORIAL on page 5

COMMONWEALTHTIMES.ORG @theCT

THE INDEPENDENT PRESS OF VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY 2019 Newspaper Pacemaker Winner

VOL. 61, NO. 22 MARCH 4, 2020

BERNIE FALTERS ACROSS VA

SUPPORT STRONG IN VCU PRECINCTS

Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont visited Richmond ahead of Super Tuesday but failed to take Virginia in the primary. Photo by Megan Lee

VCU students head to polls for Super Tuesday, many favoring Sanders

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Joe Biden defeated Bernie Sanders in Virginia. Sanders secured a majority in Charlottesville, Floyd County and Harrisonburg.

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Super Tuesday results by Virginia localities

Bloomberg’s spending has been a point of interest among voters and candidates alike. At his Richmond rally last Friday, Sanders expressed his disdain for Bloomberg’s tactics. “Bloomberg has every right in the world to run for president,” Sanders said, “but he doesn’t have the right to buy the president.” Bloomberg has spent $233 million on digital and TV ads, according to The Washington Post. Fox Business reported that his total spending was up to $312 million on ads as of Monday.

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Although she isn’t a fan of the other candidates, Schwartz said she would vote for any Democrat in November. “The one person I would really have a hard time voting for is Biden,” Schwartz said. “I don’t think he’s coherent, and I don’t think he deserves to go into the White House again.” On Feb. 29, Biden gained traction with black voters in the South Carolina primary winning over three out of every five black voters, while Sanders received one out of every five black voters, according to CNN. Bloomberg, the former mayor of New York, announced his campaign on Nov. 24, late in comparison to other candidates.

RESHMAN BUSINESS FOUNDATIONS major Jordan Gayle was going to vote for Indiana mayor Pete Buttigieg, but after he dropped out, he decided to vote for Bernie Sanders. Like many VCU students, Gayle said that he would vote for any Democratic candidate in November for the 2020 Presidential Election. “They’re all pretty better qualified than the current president,” Gayle said. Virginia participated in primaries on Tuesday, known as “Super Tuesday” along with California, Texas, North Carolina, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Colorado, Tennessee, Alabama, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Utah, Maine, Vermont and American Samoa. Despite enthusiasm for Sanders on college campuses, Biden pulled ahead of his main competitor on Super Tuesday, winning the majority of states, including Virginia, where he received 49 of 99 total delegates. Sanders received 19. After Super Tuesday’s 13 primaries, Biden’s delegate total sits at 305 and Sanders has 243. To receive the nomination, a candidate needs 1,991. After Amy Klobuchar, Buttigieg and Tom Steyer dropped out like clockwork days before Tuesday’s primaries, some voters had to pick another candidate at the last minute. Steyer dropped out on Saturday, Buttigieg on Sunday and Klobuchar on Monday. Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren and Michael Bloomberg are the remaining Democratic nominee hopefuls. Nationwide, Warren has 18 delegates and Bloomberg has secured eight. Emily Helft, a VCU employee at the Student Accessibility and Educational Opportunity Office, said Buttigieg’s decision made it easier for her to vote for Elizabeth Warren.

“They kind of made the decision for me by dropping out,” Helft said. Helft also said there could be confusion because candidates who dropped out of the race still appear on the ballot. “I was very confused when I went to vote this morning that their names are all still on the ballot,” Helft said, “which I feel like is going to cause a lot of confusion for people whose votes aren’t going to count for anything.” Helft said she would vote Democratic in November, no matter who the nominee is. On Monday night, Klobuchar and Buttigieg announced their endorsements of Biden.

KATHARINE DEROSA Contributing Writer

27 NORTHAMPTON

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36. Waynesboro 37. Williamsburg 38. Winchester

2 The Commonwealth Times

Stories of the week

national: Former Vice President Joe Biden swept the southern United States, winning the Super Tuesday primary elections in North Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama and Arkansas. international: The novel coronavirus has infected more than 90,000 people worldwide, as the head of the World Health Organization said it is operating in “uncharted territory,” CNN reports.

BIDEN SWEEPS VIRGINIA

FORMER VICE PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN CAME OUT AHEAD IN ALL BUT THREE LOCALITIES IN THE STATE AND ALSO WON PRIMARIES IN ALABAMA, ARKANSAS, MAINE, MASSACHUSETTS, MINNESOTA, NORTH CAROLINA, OKLAHOMA, TENNESSEE AND TEXAS. SEN. BERNIE SANDERS WON IN CALIFORNIA, COLORADO, UTAH AND VERMONT.

Joe Biden

53.3%

706,218 VOTES

52 DELEGATES

Joe Biden was the 47th Vice President of the United States under the Obama administration. Prior to that, he was a Delaware senator from 1973 to 2009. Biden’s plan for education beyond high school includes investing in community colleges by providing two years of community college or a high quality training program without debt. He would also expand or fix existing debt-relief programs. The former vice president has campaigned to eliminate private prisons and mandatory minimum sentencing. Biden supports buyback programs for assault weapons, universal background checks and a national firearm registry.

Bernie Sanders

306,429 VOTES

23.1 %

joebiden.com

20 DELEGATES

Bernie Sanders is seeking the Democratic presidential nomination a second time after losing to Hillary Clinton in 2016. He began his political career as the Mayor of Burlington and has served as a Vermont senator since 2007. Sanders’ platform focuses on taxing the wealthy, protection for the environment, women’s rights, funding for arts and youth programs and affordable housing. He also plans on implementing a “housing for all” plan by using government expenditures to pay for construction and rental assistance. This plan would cap the increase of rent to no more than 3% the rate of inflation. Sanders’ Medicare plan gives all people access to medical services including vision, hearing and dental.

Elizabeth Warren

The proposed bill makes it illegal to sell similar private health insurance. Prescription costs would be dependent on income and funded by a 4% income tax and a reallocation of the current governmental spending. Sanders wants to cancel all student loan debts, give felons the right to vote while imprisoned and abolish U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, commonly known as ICE. berniesanders.com

1 DELEGATE

Elizabeth Warren, a U.S. senator from Massachusetts, has campaigned on ending corruption in Washington by raising taxes on income, capital gains, corporate income and financial institutions. Warren has campaigned on free higher education, eliminating student loan debt and boosting teacher pay. She plans on capping these benefits to households who earn more than $250,000. If she wins, Warren has vowed to raise the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour. She’s also proposed plans to ban fracking and reduce carbon emissions and supports the Green New Deal,

142,801 VOTES

He has not supported Medicare For All, a national program that would guarantee health insurance for every American, but would expand coverage. He’s open to letting states decide whether to legalize marijuana and has campaigned on scrapping previous marijuana convictions. To fight climate change, Biden supports the development of nuclear technologies. Biden has been criticized for his handling of “redlining,” a process by which neighborhoods deemed too risky for lenders to issue mortgages were outlined in red. Those lines were often drawn around primarily black areas.

which would transition the U.S. to renewable energy. Warren, who has served in Massachusetts since 2013, supports a voluntary buyback program for assault weapons, universal background checks and a national firearm registry. She is not in favor of limits on abortion, supports Medicare For All and hopes to lower drug costs by government production of prescription drugs. elizabethwarren.com

10.8%

Michael Bloomberg

128,401 9.7% VOTES

After serving three terms as the mayor of New York, Michael Bloomberg has run his campaign on gun safety, climate change, education, women’s rights and health care. The billionaire owns Bloomberg L.P., a financial, software and data company that employs 20,000 people. He says that as the mayor of New York, he created nearly a half-million jobs, expanded health insurances to 700,000 people, reduced the city’s carbon footprint, and cut the incarceration rate by almost 40%. Bloomberg plans to build a more effective background check system. He wants to close the “boyfriend” loophole, which allows domestic abusers to have guns,

despite having criminal convictions or restraining orders. Bloomberg would lead a nationwide initiative to rebuild infrastructure with 100% clean energy technology, reducing carbon pollution by 50% by 2030 and to net zero carbon by 2050 or sooner. As mayor of New York, Bloomberg implemented “stop and frisk,” a policy that allows police officers to temporarily detain, question and search residents. That policy was criticized for being overwhelmingly used against black and Latino people. mikebloomberg.com

Wed. March 4, 2020 3

Bernie Sanders supporter Pilar Waters waves a mask of the candidate’s face and cheers during Sanders’ Richmond rally on Thursday. Photo by Enza Marcy

Sanders rallies in Richmond ahead of Super Tuesday, but falls short in Virginia KATHARINE DEROSA Contributing Writer Farmville native Red Walker has been campaigning for Bernie Sanders since 2016 but said that he is willing to vote for any Democratic candidate in November — the same way he said he voted for Hillary Clinton in 2016. “We just really believe in him; believe he’s gonna do it this time,” Walker said. Walker feels disdain for those who would refuse to vote in November if Bernie didn’t make the ballot, and said he believes Democrats should do everything they can to ensure Donald Trump does not win another term. Sanders outperformed Biden in precincts near VCU but did not carry the same momentum across the state and nationwide. Sanders only won in three Virginia localities: Charlottesville, Floyd County and Harrisonburg. Sanders secured his home state of Vermont, along with Utah, Colorado and California. Out of the 1,991 delegates needed for the Democratic nomination, Sanders has secured 243, and Biden has secured 305 Sanders supporters filled the Arthur Ashe Junior Athletic Center during a rally for Democratic presidential candidate on Thursday, ending his speech with a call to action. “Please come out to vote,” Sanders said before thanking the crowd and heading off the stage. “Let us have the largest voting turnout in the history of Virginia primaries.” Zakawani Symister, a 21-year-old from Chesterfield, Virginia, said he wouldn’t vote for any candidate besides Sanders because his second favorite candidate,

Andrew Yang, dropped out of the race on Feb. 11. “I just don’t see anyone else that got my attention,” Symister said. “He’s the only person who got me out of my house.” Throughout his speech, Sanders spoke of his major policy proposals, including: • “Medicare for All,” a program that would grant health insurance to all Americans • Restoring the status of people eligible for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program • Ending the sale and distribution of “assault weapons” • Legalizing marijuana federally • Creating free public universities nationwide and increasing teachers’ salaries to at least $60,000 a year • Climate change policies based on the ideas of the Green New Deal Sanders has also campaigned on limiting restrictions on abortions, raising the minimum wage and reducing homelessness. Sanders’ comments about abortion caused the crowd to erupt into cheers of “Bernie” while stomping their feet on the floor and on the bleechers. “It’s women who have the right to control their bodies, not the government,” Sanders said. The rally attracted students from VCU, including Brittany Ofori, a freshman psychology major, who said she was excited about Sanders’ ideas for college tuition and student debt. “I was excited to go,” Ofori said. “I had never been to anything like this before.” Sanders’ comment about immediately legalizing marijuana through an executive order caused the crowd to start cheering over him before he could finish his sentence.

VCU freshman Ian McCoy, a Sanders supporter majoring in history and minoring in political science, said he was excited about the potential legalization of marijuana and clearing the records of those who have been arrested in connection to the drug. “I’m not a huge supporter of government as a whole,” McCoy said, “but Bernie is the closest thing I’m going to get to what I want.” The rally began with two musical performances and four speakers. Del. Elizabeth Guzmán, D-Woodbridge, the first Latina to be elected to the Virginia House of Delegates, introduced Sanders.

This young generation is the most progessive generation in the history of America. They’re anti-everything that Trump is for.” Bernie Sanders, Democratic candidate “When people tell me that Bernie is not electable, I will tell them that it’s not true,” Guzmán said during her speech. “He is the front-runner. He has won Iowa. He has won New Hampshire. He has won Nevada.” Pete Buttigeg, who has since dropped out of the presidential race, beat Sanders in Iowa by only two delegates and .1% of the vote, according to Politico. Sanders previously won the New Hampshire primary and Nevada caucus.

Sanders said young voters could contribute to a landslide election by turning out to vote at the same rates as older demographics. “This young generation is the most progessive generation in the history of America,” Sanders said. “They’re anti-everything that Trump is for.” Sanders urged young people to take action during his speech. “Your complaints don’t mean anything,” he said. “What means something is standing up and fighting.” The senator from Vermont also took the opportunity to discredit his competitors, specifically mentioning former Vice President Joe Biden and former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg. “Bloomberg has every right in the world to run for president,” Sanders said, “but he doesn’t have the right to buy the president.” Sanders said Biden was a “good friend” of his before criticizing his campaign for the presidency. “Joe is not going to bring new people into the political process,” Sanders said. Not everyone at the rally was an avid fan of Sanders. Zella Gray, a retired postal worker from Henrico, Virginia, said she was unsure of who she was voting for and wanted a chance to listen to what Sanders had to say. Gray also said she’s considering voting for Elizabeth Warren, Amy Klobuchar and Biden. Since the rally, Klobuchar has dropped out of the race, along with Buttigeg and Tom Steyer. Buttigeg and Klobuchar both announced their endorsements of Biden on Monday night. “I would like more clarification on Medicare for All,” Gray said. “I am eligible to Medicare this year and in researching Medicare, there’s a lot of things that are not being answered.”

4 The Commonwealth Times

Officials show support after seizure of newspapers HANNAH EASON News Editor VCU, the Richard T. Robertson School of Media and Culture and a Virginia delegate are among many who have condemned the seizure of more than 800 newspapers that were taken from The Commonwealth Times’ kiosks on Monroe Park campus, following an article outlining conflict in the Student Government Association. A group of SGA senators called for the impeachment of President Breanna Harmon on Friday after witnesses reported that some leaders seized stacks of the publication from newsstands.

“VCU supports its independent student journalists and does not condone censorship in any form.” The Division of Student Affairs “We always support free press, and are extremely disappointed by the two members within SGA and David Greene, who blatantly attempted to censor free press and the Commonwealth Times,” read a statement from SGA senators. According to a calculation from Student Media Center Director Allison Dyche, the total production costs for the issue were $1,847, based on printing and payroll for staff members, not including professional staff hours. Each issue is valued at $1, based on a policy published at the bottom of The Commonwealth Times’ masthead. The policy states that each student is allowed one free issue, and each subsequent HANNAH EASON News Editor

paper is $1. Three student workers in the Commons, who asked to remain anonymous in fear of retaliation from their employer, independently told The Commonwealth Times they saw Commons Director David Greene remove a display copy of the newspaper on Wednesday. The statement referenced SGA President Breanna Harmon and Student Life Chairwoman Raelyn Davis as two students who took newspapers from kiosks around campus. When reached via phone call, Harmon declined to comment on the incident. VCU spokespeople have not responded to questions regarding whether Greene was involved in the removal of the newspapers. The Commonwealth Times’ news editor Hannah Eason saw an SGA member and an unknown student removing all copies of the newspaper Wednesday night from a kiosk outside Trani Life Sciences Building. A student worker in the Commons, located adjacent to a Commonwealth Times kiosk, said she saw a member of SGA removing all of the newspapers from the box. She said Harmon was with the person who was taking the publications. “Not the president but another member, I don’t know her name, took the whole stack and they started to walk towards the president,” the worker said. “They just went upstairs and they came back down with only one paper. So I’m pretty sure they just threw them out.” On Feb. 26, The Commonwealth Times released an article about conflict within the SGA. Several members of the organization, including Vice President Alexia Guzman and Chief of Staff Taylor Maloney, detailed experiences of conflict and allegations of harassment. Speaker of the SGA Senate Udhanth Mallasani said the options are limited for members to resolve issues within the organization.

Papers were taken from more than 10 kiosks on campus. Photo by Jon Mirador “We’ve tried to hold, time and time and again, the advisors and our administration accountable,” Mallasani said in the Feb. 26 article. “Our only way of holding them

accountable is by taking it to the judiciary, taking it to the senate, or taking it to the advisors.”

SGA members await police report before presidential impeachment

SGA members said Monday they will wait until the release of a formal police report before moving forward with articles of impeachment against SGA President Breanna Harmon following the seizure of copies of The Commonwealth Times’ Feb. 26 issue. Harmon did not attend Monday’s undergraduate senate meeting. Senator Daniel Cordero-Laske said an article written by The Commonwealth Times on conflict in the organization reflected negativity within student government, instead of progressive policies or improvements for student life, but did not disagree with the term “toxic” to describe SGA. “Every one of you has at some point or another witnessed those in charge argue with ill manner, break decorum considerably, speak poorly on another member’s character, spread misinformation or disregard another person’s failures,” Cordero-Laske said. The community engagement committee member said the SGA helped him grow in terms of leadership and a “sense of belonging.” Cordero-Laske said he did not think this year’s leaders should be able to lead next year, and said the current members are timid. “The abysmal number of participants in this upcoming election is nothing less

SGA Election Updates • Student Government Association elections will be held March 18-20 and are open to all students. • Former election chair Jordan James stepped down from her position on Monday. Sabeeka Khan, who has stepped into the position, stated in an email that six candidates who were disqualified after not filling out a campaign finance report will not be on the ballot. • President, vice president and senator positions will be up for election. Applications are still being processed, and at this time the ballot is not finalized.

than a problem that is simply the image of SGA, how we represent the students and how we represent ourselves as members,” Cordero-Laske said. “There are no political parties here.” Chief of Staff Taylor Maloney said it hurts to see incidents in the SGA be “boiled down to petty workplace drama.” She said she attempted to fix problems within the org internally but felt there was “no way out.” “Talking about someone’s domestic abuse, talking about someone’s relationship with their parents, talking about how you wish someone would kill themselves is not

petty workplace drama,” Maloney said. “It has an effect on people.” “I want to say looking forward, I’m sorry,” Maloney said. “As a leader, I’m sorry but will not apologize for standing up for myself.” SGA Senator Jed Baul released a statement on Instagram stating he considered resigning from his position due to a lack of accountability for leaders, saying Vice President Alexia Guzman and Maloney should be “supported for their courage to share their experiences.” Guzman and Maloney spoke to The Commonwealth Times detailing allegations

of harassment for a story published Feb. 26. “SGA deserves leaders who want to change VCU for the better,” Baul wrote. “We cannot continue to be portrayed as an organization that no one wants to be part of. We need to enact change and be the voice for this student body. And that starts now.” Former SGA member Ayanna Santana said the organization looked “like a goddamn fool” during the senate meeting Monday. “As I’m looking you all in the face, I’m truly and honestly disgusted by how the leadership team has treated you all,” Santana said. “That article that was written, the first one, it is incredibly disgusting that we are airing out our dirty laundry to everyone at this university.” Santana said she was part of SGA during the incidents that were outlined in the Feb. 26 article and didn’t see anyone throw away any newspapers in the Commons on Wednesday. Former SGA member Spencer Vincent advised members to go to their advisors over conflict instead of going to the media. “Let’s not take the dirty business and put it out there because it’s not looking good,” Vincent said. “It was Black History Month, and I’m seeing an article about toxicity, and it’s all African Americans. Let’s not do that, you know, I’m saying let’s be smart with our situations.”

Wed. March 4, 2020 5

STAFF EDITORIAL

Holding elected officials accountable is part of our job When members of the Student Government Association threw away hundreds of copies of our newspaper last week, they didn’t just censor an unflattering story and violate the First Amendment. They destroyed the photos, illustrations and stories produced by the entire staff and disrespected the countless hours and sacrifices necessary to report the news at VCU. They discarded Spectrum Editor Iman Mekonen’s section dedicated to Black History Month and the stunning illustrations produced by Illustrations Editor Karly Andersen. They got rid of stories featuring student athletes written by the sports section. Contributing Writer Katie Hollowell’s story on a potential boost to VCU’s state funding went in the trash. Designer Andy Caress spent hours on a creative page design for a story featuring singer Shy Lennox, just for it to get thrown away. Opinions Editor Tagwa Shammet’s piece on the controversy around UVa’s multicultural student center was tossed out along with many other stories, photographs, illustrations that took hours to produce, edit and design. As journalists at the independent student newspaper, it is our responsibility to provide as much transparency as we can into the happenings and processes at our university. We fulfilled our journalistic duty by reporting on conflict within SGA and by making every effort to contact all leaders involved in order to get the complete story. Meanwhile, SGA members, serving as

state actors as the governing body of a public university, violated the First Amendment to which they are bound by violating our freedom of the press.

SGA members, serving as state actors as the governing body of a public university, violated the First Amendment to which they are bound by violating our freedom of the press.”

Illustration by Andrew Caress

What you missed this week in the General Assembly HANNAH EASON News Editor

The CT staff

ANDREW RINGLE Managing Editor

Those who did not respond to questions have no right to be angry at the publication of the story — they rejected multiple opportunities to have their voices heard. Furthermore, they fail to understand the fundamental role of journalism as a means to hold elected leaders accountable. That responsibility doesn’t change just because we’re operating within a university instead of the professional sphere. This unsigned staff editorial reflects the official opinion of The Commonwealth Times’ editorial staff.

amendment added language that would require a screening once per year for two years, instead of annually. The Senate requested a conference committee on Monday.

POLITICIANS GET STUCK IN ELEVATOR ON WAY TO ENDORSE BIDEN

BILL PROHIBITING UNAUTHORIZED SOLID WASTE DUMPS PASSES HOUSE AND SENATE

Former Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe tweeted a photo on Monday of himself and Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney, along with nine other people, stuck in an elevator on their way to a news conference at the state Capitol. Richmond firefighters got the group out of the elevator after about 30 minutes. The conference was held for state delegates to endorse former Vice President Joe Biden ahead of Tuesday’s primary election.

HB 1352 prohibits solid waste disposal on an unpermitted facility, and states that unauthorized waste on a person’s property can be used as evidence. The bill passed the House and Senate, and now awaits the signature of the governor before it can become law.

HOUSE AND SENATE NEED CONSENSUS ON BILL GRANTING PAROLE

A bill that would reestablish parole in Virginia is now being discussed by a conference committee after having passed the state Senate with a substitute. Although the House of Delegates passed House Bill 33 in a 52-45 vote, the Senate passed it with a substitute that the House rejected. Now, both chambers must come to a consensus before arriving in the governor’s office. BILL REQUIRING SCREENING FOR POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION GOES TO CONFERENCE HB 42 would require practitioners to screen for postpartum depression in women who are pregnant or have been pregnant in the last five years. A Senate

RACE REQUIREMENT BAN EARNS FULL SUPPORT OF GA A bill out of the General Assembly would end the requirement for couples to identify their race before filing marriage records with the state registrar. Sponsored by Sen. David Sutterlein, R-Roanoke, SB 62 has received unanimous support from Virginia lawmakers. SPEED CAMERAS TO BE ALLOWED NEAR SCHOOLS, HIGHWAY WORK ZONES Current law requires police officers to chase down a speeding car in order to give the driver a ticket. HB 1442 would change that, allowing police to install speed cameras at highway work zones and school crossing zones. Each camera would take a series of images to gauge vehicle speed, and any driver exceeding 10 mph over the speed limit would receive a ticket in the mail.

6 The Commonwealth Times

Stat of the week

Senior hurdler Ian Davis won the 60-meter hurdles at the A-10 Indoor Championships for the third consecutive year on March 1.

Men’s basketball fails to close out game against Duquesne

Freshman guard Bones Hyland, left, scored 13 points against Duquesne. Sophomore guard KeShawn Curry logged five rebounds. Photos by Megan Lee NOAH FLEISCHMAN Sports Editor

hroughout the entire season, the one message from coach Mike Rhoades has been to finish games. Men’s basketball hasn’t been able to make that happen consistently. On Tuesday night, the Rams had the opportunity to close the door on Duquesne in regulation but couldn’t manage, falling in overtime 80-77 at the Siegel Center. The black and gold had the ball with under 45 seconds remaining in the contest when senior forward Mike’l Simms couldn’t inbound the ball. The turnover gave the ball back to Duquesne and lost the Rams a chance of scoring.

“We came close in big games, games we should have won, we just didn’t finish,” junior forward Marcus Santos-Silva said. “We got to finish or we’re going to be at the end of the season having a lot of regrets.” Against the Dukes, the Rams were able to stop Duquesne’s momentum in the final minute of regulation, but they couldn’t convert it into points. “We’re making great drives and not finishing through contact and length,” Rhoades said. “We had a couple untimely turnovers. That hurt us.” The Rams led by as many as 12 points in the contest, but Duquesne clawed back when the black and gold didn’t make a field goal for more than six minutes.

“Logging the game and just being defensively sound and make sure we get the rebound,” Santos-Silva said. “When it comes to tournament time … we get that one game, and it’s win or lose.” Junior forward Mike’l Simms said when the team wasn’t logging the game, they threw up some 3-pointers that may not have been timely. The black and gold finished the night 6-for-20 from beyond the arc on the night and only 3-for12 in the first 20 minutes. “We’ve had a lot of close, but not good enough,” Rhoades said. “There’s got to be a collective responsibility to get over the hump. At times we’ve shown it but not enough.”

Wed. March 4, 2020 7

Left: Calvin Duncan reflects on his time with the Isner family in his office at Faith and Family Church. Right: A photo that hangs in Ducan’s office from his playing days at VCU, left to right: Michael Brown, Calvin Duncan, Mike Slagel, Rolando Lamb. Photos by Megan Lee

From basketball to church, Duncan inspired by past

NOAH FLEISCHMAN Sports Editor

played against Montclair, college scouts showed up to watch an opposing player. After the game, the University of VirginIn high school, Calvin Duncan didn’t go ia scout was impressed by Duncan’s play, so to school often and his grades suffered. It he called the school. When he heard about hurt his chances of playing basketball at the Duncan’s grades, he changed his mind, and next level, so something had to change. the program was no longer interested in Duncan took a trip to Oak Hill Acad- him. That’s when he transferred to Oak emy in Mouth of Wilson, Virginia, during Hill Academy. his junior year to visit the school. He met with the president of the school, Robert ‘IT SAVED MY LIFE’ Isner, who told him that he had a fourthgrade reading level. Today, Oak Hill Academy is known The Isners told Duncan three things: for producing high-level high school basThey believed he had the aptitude to im- ketball players, sending them to Division prove, some people don’t test well, and they I colleges and eventually the NBA. Stars were willing to give him an opportunity at like Carmelo Anthony and Rajon Rondo the school if he worked for it. made their way through the school over the “They were very intelligent individuals, last two decades. and they were the first to ever tell me that Duncan, who joined the school when I was smart,” Duncan said. “For some- the program was in its early years, said he body intelligent to tell you that you’re in- helped build it to what it is now. During his telligent, you just have to work on it, that two-year career at the private school near means the world.” the North Carolina border, Duncan led the team to a 60-1 record and a national ranking his junior season. EARLY YEARS During that junior year at Oak Hill, Duncan’s mother died five days after he Duncan’s aunt suffered a stroke. A year latwas born from a previous illness. His father er, she died. The Isners, the couple who gave was never present, so his aunt adopted him him a chance at the school, became his suras a newborn. rogate parents — he was like family to them. He grew up in Linden, New Jersey, an He improved his grades and was able to urban area in the northern part of the state. do well enough on the SAT, a goal he estabDuncan said it was the worst area of the lished when he set foot in the school. Duncity and it would have been easy to be influ- can then received a scholarship from VCU. enced by people on the street selling drugs. “Basketball became an instrument that Basketball was the thing that kept him gave me a platform for me to display my out of trouble. skills, my ability and my talents to put me “When I was 12 years old, I played in a position to get my education paid for,” in the PAL, the police athletic league,” Duncan said. “It saved my life.” Duncan said. “That right there gave me In Richmond, Duncan became a cena taste of ‘Wow, I can do something terpiece of the Rams’ lineup after a breakgood.’ At that time in my life, basketball out sophomore season. He averaged 17.4 meant everything.” points and 5.2 rebounds during his secHis aunt worked in a factory, so he often ond season with the black and gold, leadskipped school to play basketball outside. ing the Rams to their second NCAA When Duncan and Linden High School tournament appearance.

During his sophomore campaign, a landmark law passed in Congress giving Martin Luther King Jr. a national holiday. The night that was passed, Duncan dedicated his game to King and exploded for a career-high 30-point performance. “That’s the greatest moment in my life because it was more than just basketball,” Duncan said. “Basketball was just a platform for me to be able to share with other people something that I felt was important.” Duncan posted similar numbers his senior season playing at the Coliseum — 17.3 points and five rebounds — leading the Rams to another NCAA tournament appearance and a No. 11 final ranking in the AP Top-25 poll. His jersey is one of the five that have been retired by the program and hangs high above the floor at the Siegel Center.

“I was the 30th best selection or player in the world at that time,” Duncan said. “What did you do to get to that place? Now, I can share with others because I know what it takes to reach the apex of your career in something. That motivates me.” PASTOR DUNCAN

In 2004, Duncan founded the Faith and Family Church in Richmond and rented out a church space. “I wanted to make a difference in people’s lives, not just being an entertainer,” Duncan said. “Basketball, that was a chapter in my life. I wanted to be in a position to be able to help people to reach the apex of their career.” Duncan established the church in the city where he went to college because he had fallen in love with Richmond. He said one reason why he attended VCU was that NBA DRAFT he could see himself living in Richmond After graduating from VCU, Duncan after his basketball career was over. was selected as the 30th pick of the 1985 Now, Faith and Family Church have two NBA draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers. They buildings: a new church that was built last traded him to the Chicago Bulls, where he year and a community center. signed his contract. Working at the church has helped DunIt was his dream growing up, when he can live his life’s mission: to empower peoplayed on asphalt courts near his house, to ple to reach their God-given potential. play in the NBA. He even had the opporThe church works with young men and tunity to play with eventual NBA Hall of young women, mentoring them to become Famer Michael Jordan. better people. It also works with the young But Duncan walked away from the NBA boys at Chalkley Elementary School in to follow his faith. Chesterfield once a week for an hour during “To be able to play with such greatness the school day. was a phenomenal opportunity,” Duncan “When I see young people, I see me in said. “But my personal convictions, my them,” Duncan said. “I want to leave a mark.” spiritual convictions at that point in time Duncan knows what it feels like to pointed me to play with Athletes in Action.” struggle and work toward a goal. Athletes in Action was a basket“What motivates me is there’s a Calvin ball team that played exhibition games Duncan, who may not be the best student,” against high-level competition while also Duncan said, “but there’s somebody out spreading the gospel. there like the Isners who said you have the Duncan said playing with Athletes in aptitude to do this work.” Action instead of the NBA allowed him to be an example by living what he believed in.

8 The Commonwealth Times

Men's basketball lost in its first overtime game of the season against Duquesne at the Siegel Center on Tuesay night. Photos by Megan Lee

Duquesne’s late basket propels Dukes over Rams

NOAH FLEISCHMAN Sports Editor

With less than a minute to play, freshman guard Bones Hyland missed two free throws as the Rams led by 2 points. Duquesne’s Lamar Norman Jr. went the other way and hit the game-tying layup with 5.6 seconds to play to send the game to overtime. In overtime, Duquesne and the black and gold traded punches until the Dukes’ Baylee Steele knocked down a 3-pointer that proved to be the difference in the contest. Duquesne won in overtime 80-77 Tuesday night at the Siegel Center. The Rams shot 50.8% from the field on the night. Duquesne recorded a 47.4% mark from the field.

Junior forward Marcus Santos-Silva led the way with 24 points and eight rebounds for VCU. The Rams started on a 6-0 run, fueled by the black and gold’s big men: Santos-Silva and freshman forward Hason Ward. VCU forced two Duquesne turnovers in the run. Santos-Silva logged 4 points and three rebounds in his first two minutes of play. The black and gold went on another run midway through the first half, holding the Dukes without a point for just over two minutes. VCU logged its first 16 points in the paint, which senior forward Mike’l Simms said was emphasized heading into the game. “We know inside out is our bread and butter, so we put a lot of pressure on the defense by finishing inside, and it opened

up the court for us and our threes to fall,” Simms said. “It was a big emphasis for this game to take it inside.” Both teams fell into a period in which nothing was working, failing to score for more than two and a half minutes. Simms hit a 3-pointer to end the drought at just over three minutes. The Rams closed the half shooting 1-for10 from the field. VCU shot 40% from the field in the first half, including 3-for-12 from deep. Duquesne logged a 48% clip from the field in the first 20 minutes. “I thought our first half defense was maybe the best of the year,” coach Mike Rhoades said. “Our second half defense really hurt us. We gave up threes and we gave up offensive rebounds, which was a huge emphasis.” Midway through the second half, San-

tos-Silva scored 7 straight points, including three layups and a free throw. Duquesne went on a 7-0 run late in the second half, forcing four black and gold turnovers. The Rams were held scoreless and didn’t score for close to three and a half minutes. Late in the second half, the Rams didn’t record a made field goal for more than six minutes. “We just went away from feeding the inside,” Simms said. “We went away from it, and we didn’t log the end of the game. We was just chucking threes here and there and wasn’t getting stops on the other end.” Santos-Silva ended the Rams’ drought without a field goal, recording a steal at midcourt and laying it in.

Wed. March 4, 2020 9

From putting out fires on the mound to fires on the ground

ADAM CHEEK Staff Writer

He was warming up in the bullpen during the 2010 season with the Baltimore Orioles when he noticed his pitches weren’t as effective as they once were. It was his sixth year in Major League Baseball. That’s when Cla Meredith knew it was time to retire. “I was incredibly fortunate to be able to do what I did,” Meredith said. “I don’t recall really blinking when it was time for me to hang it up, I knew that I couldn’t do it anymore physically.” Meredith, a former VCU baseball star, returned to Richmond after hanging up his cleats to pursue his childhood dream of becoming a firefighter. The day he got the job, he celebrated at a place he spent a lot of time at while playing with the black and gold: The Diamond. “I remember the day I got hired, and I cried,” Meredith said. “I cried, and that night, we went to a [Richmond Flying] Squirrels game. I remember just sitting there drinking beer, a few rows behind home plate, and I remember just how at ease I felt, like that transition was over.” Meredith got a job with the Chesterfield Fire Department, his first position in the field. He spent six years in the MLB on three teams, primarily the San Diego Padres, a team he played with for four years. Meredith is currently a firefighter with the Henrico Fire Department. The Richmond native posted a career ERA of 3.62 in the big leagues, appearing in 286 games. Meredith was able to transition from professional baseball to another career, somePRESS BOX

thing that other players often struggle with. “You hear about it all the time, players unable to go from that lifestyle and moving to something else, it’s incredibly hard,” Meredith said. “I had this identity for so long, and then it was gone. I was fortunate enough to get hired and almost five years later, here I am.” Prior to his professional stint, Meredith played under coach Paul Keyes at VCU. “I would run through that wall right there for Coach Keyes,” Meredith said, pointing at the side of the firehouse garage. Meredith said Keyes reminded him of his dad, and they developed a friendship over his time with the Rams. Keyes died of cancer in 2012. Meredith honed an unconventional style of pitching — sidearm — and it came from emulating big-league infielders like Cal Ripken Jr. “I remember my dad telling me every once in a while you drop down to a lower angle, show the batter a different look, different release point, you might throw them off,” Meredith said. The reliever is VCU’s all-time ERA leader with a 2.52 mark. He posted a 1.19 ERA in 2003, which was an all-around stellar season for the Rams. VCU posted a 46-13 overall record. “We had the best pitching staff in the nation that year,” Meredith said. “We had a very good chance of winning.” He was playing pool with friends in his Monument Avenue apartment when he got the call that he had been chosen in the 2004 MLB draft by the Boston Red Sox. Meredith was selected in the sixth round. Two days later, the then-junior was

in negotiations with that year’s eventual World Series champions. One year later, Meredith’s major league debut with the Red Sox came at Fenway Park, the second game of a doubleheader against the Seattle Mariners. He was sent up from Double-A within the span of a couple days. Meredith said it was the first time in his career he was nervous before a game. “I couldn’t even feel my body,” he added. “It was the first time in my life where I physically couldn’t execute because I just was so nervous.” After three appearances Cla Meredith has been a firefighter for more than five years. in the American League Photo by Adam Cheek with the Red Sox, Meredith was traded to the San Diego Padres to play living a different life,” he said. “I’m literally in the National League. on the complete opposite coast of the counOnce Meredith switched coasts and try. At some point during the day, it would leagues, he realized he had an extra advan- hit me like, ‘Wow, I’m in the big leagues. tage on the mound while he established This is my life.’ And I couldn’t have been himself as a middle reliever. more grateful for the opportunity.” “Even though I was a rookie, the NationMeredith, who has been a firefighter al League hadn’t had a sidearmer in it for for more than five years, didn’t want to be a number of years,” he said. “It didn’t take known as the baseball player who happened me long to realize even though I wasn’t very to serve the community. He wanted to esexperienced, these hitters have never seen tablish himself as a firefighter. me before. I had the advantage. … I was out “I wanted to kind of develop a reputation there every night, throwing 87-90 mile an as being good at this job,” Meredith said. hour sinkers and sliders.” “Not just the firefighter who used to do this.” The major-league experience was like nothing else he had ever been a part of. Sports editor Noah Fleischman contributed “Being out there [in San Diego] was like to this report.

Rams’ seniors aren’t to blame

JOE DODSON Contributing Writer Coming into the season, men’s basketball was predicted to finish first in the Atlantic 10. That hasn’t gone as planned for the Rams, and fans on social media have directed much of their displeasure towards the seniors on the team. A big reason for the hype was the return of five seniors who had plenty of starting experience going into the year. After losing five straight games in the A-10, many fans have given up on this team. Confidence from the fans plays a big part in players’ performance, so giving up on our seniors in their final season only makes things worse. A member of a VCU basketball Facebook group claimed that 90% of the team’s faults are due to the seniors. Another in the group commented that this senior class has the most unrealized and wasted potential of any class at VCU. During redshirt-senior guard Marcus Evans’ final college season, he has been bombarded with criticism over his form. The pressure of a new 4-star recruit in freshman guard Bones Hyland on the roster has only made the criticism worse. Fans have compared Evans and Hyland all season. Due to his high scoring volumes, Hyland has been a beacon of hope this season. Some fans on social media wanted Evans’ starting role to go to Hyland as early as January.

Evans has had a couple of cold streaks, along with multiple injuries, but he scored 25 points against Alabama State and played a huge role in beating LSU with 15 points. Instead of taking this less-than-stellar season off after several injuries, Evans has embraced a new role. He has become a mentor for Hyland and is often seen giving words of advice on the court and from the sideline. Senior forward Mike’l Simms was averaging 2.4 points during the Rams’ five-game losing streak. At last Saturday’s win against George Washington, Simms

proved the seniors are still committed to this season. He took on a larger role, as the team was missing four key players. Simms went 4-for-5 from 3-point range, while adding six rebounds and a steal. Despite many fans counting out this season and this group of seniors after losing five straight, Simms put in effort and got VCU back in winning form. This season has been difficult for redshirt-senior forward Issac Vann, who has dropped in scoring and rebounding. Even though there have been calls for less playing time for Vann, coach Mike Rhodes has kept him as a starter. A lot of fans tend

Illustration by Karly Andersen

to overlook the reality that Vann’s defense is essential to the team’s success. If this year has done anything, it has shown just how great a future VCU can have. Hyland and Marcus Santos-Silva have been impressive, as well as sophomores Vince Williams and KeShawn Curry, who both have taken big steps in their development. As fans look ahead, our seniors are focused on the now. The seniors have done amazing things over the years, and with their final A-10 tournament just weeks away, anything is possible.

10 The Commonwealth Times

On this day

In 1933, President Franklin D. Roosevelt was inaugurated as the 32nd president of the United States and promised to lead the country out of the Great Depression.

From left: Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney, Nell Draper-Winston and Associate Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art Sarah Eckhardt in the “Working Together: Louis Draper and the Kamoinge Workshop” exhibit in the VMFA. Photo by Aerin Fortes

Read-in celebrates black identity and personhood through art and literature AERIN FORTES Contributing Writer JIANA SMITH Contributing Writer

Assistant Curator Amber Esseiva and Tobias Wofford, an assistant art history professor at VCU, read the literary work. “I was kind of interested in the duality that they speak of — not being from here, being born in a place like Africa but also living in the United States, being gay in a world that is very heteronormative in a lot of ways,”‌Esseiva said. “The split that people have to make between identity is really interesting to me.” Esseiva believes that art is an important piece of black history. She said culture — art and music included — would be nonexistent without black people. “It reminds people many expressions are rooted in the black American experience in a lot of ways, and the African experience as well,” Esseiva said. The final reading was given in the Evans Court Gallery. Dozens gathered in the exhibit space of “Working Together: Louis Draper and the Kamoinge Workshop” to listen to Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney. Also speaking was Nell Draper-Winston, the younger sister of Louis Draper, the Richmond native who helped found the Kamoinge Workshop, which was organized as a support system for

black photographers. Established in the 1960s, it sought to expand the horizons of African American artists searching for their identities.

Richmonders came together in a chic, music-filled space for an evening of black art and literature on Thursday at the VirThe diversity of this ginia Museum of Fine Arts’ annual African American Read-In. crowd is a reflection This year’s event highlighted five works of what our mission throughout the museum, each with an acis here at the Virginia companying literary piece chosen by the museum curators and read by a distinMuseum of Fine Arts — guished figure in the city. to bring all the citizens The president of the VMFA’s board of of Richmond together to trustees, Dr. Monroe Harris, spoke highly of the crowd’s participation in the Black be able to celebrate,” History Month event. Dr. Monroe Harris, president of “The diversity of this crowd is a reflecthe VMFA’s board of trustees tion of what our mission is here at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts — to bring all the citizens of Richmond together to be Stoney and Draper-Winston spoke in able to celebrate,” Harris said. front of photographs from the Kamoinge One highlighted work was “Tightrope: Workshop depicting young black teenagContinuous Rotation Servos” by Elias Sime, ers from Harlem and the Bronx. a visual artist from Ethiopia. The piece, conDraper-Winston went first, reciting structed from reclaimed electronic compo“Harlem” by Langston Hughes, who she nents and wire on panel, is a commentary on his hometown of Addis Ababa. “It talks about the landscape of Addis Ababa right now, which is one of the largest dumping grounds of electronic waste,‌”‌ said VMFA Modern and Contemporary Art Curator Valerie Cassel Oliver.‌“So what you’re looking at is taking this detritus, these wires from computers and parts from printers and creating something extraordinary from them.”‌ Oliver chose “Tizita for Rafael” by Dagmawi Woubshet to go alongside “Tightrope” due to its themes of in-betweenness and Woubshet’s Ethiopian heritage. Institute for Contemporary Art Attendees await to celebrate the VMFA’s annual event. Photo by Jiana Smith

claimed as one of her favorite poets. Aside from his talent and that she remembers him being so handsome, Draper-Winston admires Hughes because he stepped up to guide her brother. “[Hughes] had seen some of my brother’s photos,” Draper-Winston said. “He could see the passion. He could see different things in the photos, and he took Louis under his wing and became a mentor to him, and I really appreciated that.” Stoney proceeded, reading Hughes’ 17-stanza “Let America Be America Again.” The poem is a fierce analysis of freedom in the United States. The poem reads “I am the young man, full of strength and hope, / Tangled in that ancient endless chain / Of profit, power, gain, of grab the land!” Stoney recited these lines with a strong volume. The poem emphasizes the idea that although black youth are still American, achieving the American dream is much more difficult for them than white immigrants. “Tightrope:‌Continuous Rotation Servos”‌ is in the VMFA’s 21st Century Gallery. “Boy and H, Harlem” can be found in the Evans Court Gallery.

Wed. March 4, 2020 11

Students explore identity, share stories at ‘Human Library’ FABIANA ACOSTA Contributing Writer Everyone knows the phrase “never judge a book by its cover.” However, it not only applies to books, but to individuals as well. On Thursday night, VCU students participated in the Human Library, where people told their stories of identity and history through poetry and spoken word. “I believe in trying to inspire more diversity and inclusive conversations to be more respectful. To treat people with kindness and try to get to a betterplace of understanding,” said Jed Baul, a sophomore who was inspired by past Human Library events and performed this year. THE STORIES Baul shared his story “To the Parents,” in which he spoke about family and culture, appreciating the endless love his parents gave to him. He also touched on learning to live in a dynamic Asian household as a young boy. Having emigrated from East Asia to the United States, Baul hasn’t seen his home country since moving to the United States at 4 years old. “Growing up in a Filipino-Catholic household, it’s all about our family, built on emotional connection,” Baul said. “Making

Illustration by Erin Joo

sure that everyone was being taken care of, that we support them and just trying to uplift each other.” His free-verse, spoken-word piece tackled the joyful and tragic moments his parents faced while raising a family, emphasizing how home is the people who make you feel secure. He described the true meaning of a family tree and how precious it is never to forget your own roots. “I choose to do spoken words and write in free verse,” Baul said. “For me, it works out well because I know to me, it’s 100% authentic, it’s 100% real. It’s my story and not anyone else’s to tell.”

At the end of his performance, Baul told the crowd how much he loved his mom and dad, wishing his mom a happy birthday. Another speaker, senior Sweatha Kovvuri, focused on the subject of culture and learning about one’s ethnic background in her spoken word piece, “My Morning Routine.” As she described her routine, she repeated the idea of stripping away pieces of yourself. “Heritage is your history, it can be in the way we look,” Kovvuri said. “For me, one of the reasons why I think everyone is beautiful is because there is history written

on your body. The way you look is generations of genetics that have been passed down, and that’s who you are.” Kovvuri described the power of curiosity, how seeing people of different ethnic backgrounds made her see a possibility of not having to sacrifice oneself or one’s heritage. She cites being in VCU Globe as a source of her curiosity for other cultures. From the scent of curry attached to her clothes to focusing on the value of the bindi, she said there are no flaws in displaying her culture, and there are no stereotypes to follow. There is only embracing who you are. “Almost all the Indian women in my family wore a bindi, and I am the first one not to because I’m first generation,” Kovvuri said. “So I wanted to identify the bindi not only as a part of my culture, but as my way of feeling connected to the women that have come before me.” BACK ON THE SHELVES At the end, performers tucked the bookmarks to the end of their page of their books and ended their performances. “I thought the event was a nice way to get people to share their personal stories in a safe environment,” said attendee Jamal Samuels-Madagu. “It allowed people to gain an insight on what other people may have going on in their lives.”

‘All the Bright Places’ fails to keep onscreen integrity AARON ROYCE Contributing Writer The opening scene of “All The Bright Places” begins with Theodore Finch, played by Justice Smith, running through his neighborhood. He comes across Violet Markey, played by Elle Fanning, standing on the ledge of a bridge she might jump from. Finch interrupts her, asking what she’s doing. He joins her on the ledge, offers her his hand, and she presumably comes down. This scene preemptively shows that mental health and suicide are key to the protagonists and the plot. “All the Bright Places” is a young-adult romance novel that’s been lauded for its realistic depictions of teen mental health. The book has been adapted into a Netflix film, however, which falls flat on numerous accounts. Finch and Violet are on opposite sides of the high-school food chain. Finch is an outsider who people nickname a freak for his behavioral outbursts, and Violet is a seemingly popular girl whose sister, Eleanor, died in a car accident months prior. After they become class project partners and explore the landmarks of their Indiana town, they begin to fall in love, help each other deal with their internal battles and discover positive parts of their lives such as their environments, family and favorite things to uplift themselves. By omitting details that made the original story emotional, realistic and compelling, the film loses its rawness and becomes bland. Context is left for viewers to assume, which makes the movie hard to understand — and those watching it are left to guess the film’s plot points with little guidance. Finch and Violet don’t interact again until he makes an Instagram post about their encounter, asking her to be his partner for the class project. Social media wasn’t part of this moment in the book. The opening scene is a sharply different

take on the book’s opening scene, where Finch and Violet are both contemplating suicide by jumping from their school’s clock tower. The novel showed both main characters as complicated individuals with their own sets of clear struggles. It emphasized the pain of fighting silent battles, the importance of treating people with compassion and the disorientation from emotions that feel uncontrollable. In the film, the audience learns that Violet has been distant from her family and friends since Eleanor’s death. In the book, this affected her social life as head cheerleader. Violet’s hobbies, aside from an old blog she shared with Eleanor, aren’t mentioned in the film. As our culture has grown more open in

discussing mental health, it appears this film is quite timely. Although it is a teen romance, Violet and Finch’s struggles and disorders aren’t romanticized, but shown as context for their behaviors. This is realistically appropriate by not making them the character’s only features, but just parts of their lives that they try to help each other work through. However, the stark lack of details leaves viewers uninformed about what Violet and Finch’s specific struggles are. Violet is presumed to have depression and suicidal thoughts, while Finch’s bipolar disorder, which was clearly identified in the book, isn’t noted at all. In the novel, Finch’s disorder was undiagnosed but shown through mood swings and his attendance of a support group for having suicidal thoughts. In the movie, his

mood fluctuations could indicate to the audience that there’s something more to him, but ultimately nothing is disclosed. “All the Bright Places” doesn’t adhere to the specific aspects of the original book outside of general themes. By not fully engaging with the entire text, the movie doesn’t have the same depth and understanding. Even the film’s ending is left for viewers to assume, making it less devastating because of a lack of context and details depicted in the book. From this sharp lack of faithfulness to the original novel alone, there isn’t much to make “All the Bright Places” worth watching — even if you’re just killing time with a Netflix binge. Rating: 2/5

Illustration by Ashlyn Rudolph

12 The Commonwealth Times

Slam poets compete at Writer’s Den MILAN BREWSTER Contributing Writer

All eyes were on poet Frederick Eberhardt, also known as Breeze, as he stood on the dimly lit stage, performing with power in his words as he detailed his journey with false love and hopes that his son has a better experience with the emotion. Eberhardt was among the performers at the Writer’s Den of Richmond’s monthly poetry slam competition on Thursday, where poets presented original pieces. The room expanded with the loud expressions and words that escaped each writer’s mouth.

I was being honest and having fun. ... I tell my truth and come from a very authentic place and let the chips fall where they may.”

The top three winners of the night were Eberhardt, Quelimane Jones and Phuncansee. The winners will come back to compete in March for the grand slam competition, which will determine who will represent Richmond at the regional and national level. Jones, who got second place, said she loves being around creative people and the inspiring environment of the poetry slam. “I was being honest and having fun,” Jones said. “I tell my truth and come from a very authentic place and let the chips fall where they may.” Jones spoke about past experiences with love, society and the power of black women. Eberhardt, who won first place, said poets as a whole encompass many descriptors. “We are ratchet. We are sophisticated. It is about tapping into those emotions,” Eberhardt said. “You are talking personally to that person through your poetry.”

UPCOMING EVENTS See something

THURS. 3/5 Poetry and Jazz Tasting

The River City Poets will host a Poetry and Jazz Tasting, where local poets will showcase bits of their poetry in under five minutes. To reserve your spot to share poetry or for more information, contact the River City Poets at rivercitypoets@gmail.com. 7 - 9 p.m., C’est Le Vin (15 N. 17th St.) Free.

SAT. 3/7 ‘Matilda’ Screening at the Byrd Theater

The Byrd Theater will show “Matilda” (1996) directed by Danny Devito. The film, starring Devito himself, follows Matilda, a neglected girl with telekinetic powers, on her journey at a new school. For ticket information, visit the theater’s website. 10 a.m., The Byrd Theater (2908 W. Cary St.) $4

Do something

SAT. 3/7

Words Over Waffles Writing Workshop

The Writer’s Den is hosting a monthly workshop to help with all writing techniques and styles. The workshop will host many writers and spoken-word artists from the Richmond area. For more information, visit The Writer’s Den website. Noon - 2 p.m., Brewer’s Waffles (1311 Hull St.) Free.

Quelimane Jones, poet Founder of the Writer’s Den and host of the event Roscoe Burnems said in addition to poetry slams and competing regionally and nationally, the group holds writing and performance workshops the first Saturday of every month. “With poetry you get a little bit of everything, you never know what’s going to touch the stage,” Burnems said. “They can perform love poems, political pieces or very culturally inspired work, it just all depends on the poets. People come out to have fun and hear great poetry.” The poetry slam had three judged rounds. Eleven poets participated in the first round; the top seven scorers moved on to the second. Then, the top four from the second round went on to the final round.

SUN. 3/8 Persistence: The Saga of Women’s Suffrage

Maymont is hosting an event to celebrate the 100-year anniversary of the 19th Amendment, which gave white women the right to vote. The celebration will include the “Mrs. Dooley” controversy, the struggles of black women during the time and the overall history of the women’s suffrage movement. To purchase a ticket, visit Maymont’s website. 2 - 3 p.m., Maymont (1700 Hampton St.) $12

Learn something LETTER TO THE EDITOR

FRI. 3/6

First Fridays ArtWalk at Elegba Folklore Society

The Elegba Folklore Society will host a First Friday walk for patrons to look at artwork in the space. The event will provide food and an array of music. For more information, visit the organization’s website. 5 - 9 p.m., Elegba Folklore Society (101 E. Broad St.) Free.

WED. 3/11 A Conversation About Feminism The Virginia Library will hold a discussion after its screening of the Netflix documentary “Feminists: What Were They Thinking?” The post-film chat will encourage informed and detailed conversations about the realities of the topics highlighted in the screening, as well as the film itself. For more information, contact Emma Ito at emma.ito@lva.virginia.gov or 804.692.3726. 6 - 8 p.m., Library of Virginia (800 E. Broad St.) Free.

Counter-clockwise from bottom left: poets Caroline and Phucansee, who go by their artist names, host Roscoe Burnems and Quelimane “Q” Jones. Photos by Megan Lee

Have suggestions for the events calendar? Email spectrum@commonwealthtimes.org

Wed. March 4, 2020 13

Quote of the week

“You have within you the strength, the patience and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.” — Harriet Tubman

Tea time with Tagwa

FAREWELL, BLACK HISTORY MONTH TAGWA SHAMMET Opinions Editor Tea timers, it’s time to say farewell to our favorite — and shortest — month of the year: Black History Month. Throughout the month of February, we celebrate the accomplishments of black Americans across history. This year, we were super lucky because we got an extra day. While our time has unfortunately come to an end, I want to highlight some of my favorite moments in black history and why they mean so much to me. THE HARLEM RENAISSANCE The roaring ’20s was a time of roaring racism and classism. It is a time constantly associated with rich white folks fighting for their right to drink. Meanwhile, black Americans were fighting for the right to be treated as humans. During a turbulent and deadly time, black Americans utilized their uncanny ability to find beauty in the madness. The Harlem Renaissance was the embodiment of black culture. An explosion of art, literature, music and so much more; it’s easy to see why it was nicknamed “The Golden Age” of black culture. As a writer, I consider myself an artist. My writing, ranging from journalism to poetry, is a way of expression and compassion when speaking is just not enough. If it weren’t for the Harlem Renaissance, I wouldn’t have a sense of culture and history to draw from. The Harlem Renaissance is an inspiration for all black artists. ANGELA DAVIS’ ACQUITTAL For as long as I can remember, Angela Davis has been my idol. A woman of elegance and intelligence, she is everything I aspire to be and more. In 1970, Davis, like many black Americans, fought and resisted against the abuse from white folks who hoped to keep the community down. But in October of that same year, Davis became an enemy of the white state, landing on the FBI’s Most Wanted list. Set to be charged with conspiracy, murder and kidnapping by an all-white jury, it seemed like the black woman’s life was over. However, Davis was acquitted by that same all-white jury in June, 1972. A sharp and brilliant woman, she is both an inspiration to women and black people. RISE OF BLACK POWER Stories like Davis’ were highly common during the ’60s and ’70s. Black Americans began publicizing their fatigue and frustration with the disrespect and neglect. They were fed up. Because of the separation of races already created by white folks, black people realized their biggest weapon: themselves. Aligning themselves behind one another, black Americans across the nation began priding themselves in their ability to be great. Supporting each other’s economic endeavors

created black economists such as Andrew Brimmer, who served on the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve from 1966 to 1974. The most important thing the rise of black power did was focus black anger and sadness on educational and political institutions. There was a high demand for more representation in classrooms and policy. In 1968, Shirley Chisholm became the first black woman elected to Congress, and black power catapulted her toward a bid for the presidency four years later. Today, black power is still a uniting force for all black Americans. THE OPRAH WINFREY SHOW On Sept. 8, 1986, history was made yet again by a strong black woman. The Oprah Winfrey show aired nationally, and the daytime talk show was wildly successful. Later on, Winfrey became one of the most, if not the most, powerful and influential woman in America. Using her popular platform, Winfrey discussed the realities of being black in America, while never failing to provide positivity. Her show taught its viewers self-improvement tactics and inspirational methods. Winfrey was an inspiration to all. Winfrey is a household name. When I hear her name, I think of a black woman who paved the way for those like her in ways that were unheard of. ELECTION OF PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA Finally, the man of the hour: President Barack Obama. A man of elegance and intellect. A man with the greatest sense of command and respect. A man who made history in 2008. In third grade, my teacher assigned the entire class with the task of writing a letter to the president. I had just immigrated back to the U.S., and my teacher wanted me to write a letter to the most powerful man in the world. “Americans are weird,” I thought. But I obliged. I don’t remember what I wrote but I do remember never receiving a response. So, from that day, I promised to do so well in life that President Obama would respond to me in person. Because of him, I have the opportunity to do well in life while still in the realm of politics and law. President Obama is the man who allowed black children to see themselves in the White House. While black history is found throughout this nation, I wanted to also highlight the great coverage by The Commonwealth Times of black history in the making here in Richmond. PRISON REFORM ADVOCATES READ INMATE LETTERS AT STATE CAPITOL RALLY

Hannah Eason, news editor of The Commonwealth Times, covered a story that highlighted the selfless activism of family members of incarcerated people and supporters who gathered at the Bell Tower in Capitol Hill. The rally was led in January by the V irginia Prison Justice Network, an organization that works to reform the Virginia Department of Corrections. I pride myself in being a prison reform activist. As a black American, I know the brutal reality of mass incarceration, particularly its resemblance to slavery. Furthermore, as a future lawyer, I’m aware of the racist policy that utilizes the criminal justice department as an institutional and systemic barrier against the black community. BASKETBALL ALUM DRAWS FROM CHILDHOOD HARDSHIPS TO GUIDE YOUTH WITH FREE CLINICS One misconception I despise is that athletes aren’t allowed to use their platform for more than just their sport. “Shut up and dribble” is one of my biggest pet peeves. Noah Fleischman, sports editor for The Commonwealth Times, wrote a profile piece on a former VCU basketball player who has worked to give back to his community. Lionel Bacon has used his knowledge of the sport to educate the youth of Richmond. He serves as the vice president of philanthropy for the Virginia Home for Boys and Girls. “I’ve always enjoyed feeling like I was impacting somebody else’s life positively,” Bacon said. This quote encapsulates the energy of Black History Month. We are meant to empower one another and make sure we are comfortably secure in our successes.

Illustration by Karly Andersen

GRAPHIC DESIGN PROFESSOR DRAWS INSPIRATION FROM HAIR SALONS Finally, I want to not only shout out an article, but also a writer. Iman Mekonen, the spectrum editor for The Commonwealth Times, is an empowered, witty and graceful black woman who uses her journalistic talent to cover the amazing arts and culture of the community. I can’t discuss black history without giving her some of the spotlight. While Mekonen has covered an array of black art and culture, one specific story truly impressed me. She did a Black History Month profile on Nontsikelelo Mutiti, an assistant professor of graphic design at VCU. Mutiti, a native of Zimbabwe, creates art resembling black hair styles. “I didn’t want to paint or make artwork for the art market that we had that kind of automatically privileged the white community,” Mutiti said. Similar to those who led the Harlem Renaissance, Mutiti is using her art to educate the public on black culture, and provide art to a new audience of her black peers. Black Americans are the backbone of this nation. Throughout history, time and time again, the black community has escaped the torture and terrorism their white counterparts have subjected them to. So, as we bid this great month farewell, do remember: Black history is American history. And that’s the tea.

Opinions

14 The Commonwealth Times

Illustration by Karly Andersen

Hey SGA, you going to throw this paper away, too? BRYCE RANDALL Contributing Writer It was a Wednesday afternoon. I was making my way to a Commonwealth Times kiosk to pick up this week’s paper, only to find three different kiosks completely empty. Then, I saw the story. Members of the Student Government Association had completely cleared out copies of the paper throughout the Monroe Park campus. Ah, don’t you love a classic case of censorship? Could you even begin to imagine the horror that would have followed if the president of the United States started throwing out copies of The Washington Post? Oh wait, we all, aside from members of SGA, know about the Nixon presidency. I could feel my blood boiling as I read the story. The audacity of campus leaders to dictate what can and cannot be seen by other students — these are the people the student body elected to office, the people who are meant to serve us and represent us.

In case they’re unaware, The Commonwealth Times is an independent student-run publication. We, just like SGA, have the wellbeing of the student body in mind. The news story that ran on Wednesday detailed the conflicts and personal issues rooted within the organization’s leadership. I can attest that news editor Hannah Eason reached out to all names mentioned in the story multiple times, but some did not respond for comment. I’m not a news writer, so I had no connection to the writing and reporting of the SGA story that caused so much controversy. However, I am a contributing writer for the opinions section of the paper. So, let me reiterate this to any member who threw away our papers: You didn’t restrict the story, you just hurt more than a dozen other people who worked diligently to get the paper out. The story was on the front page of the paper. There were 11 other pages you damaged in your censorship vendetta. Listen, I truly don’t care about your

personal problems with the story that ran, but I mean this wholeheartedly: Grow up. We are not children, you cannot attack an entire publication by throwing away all of our papers. If you didn’t like what was written, there were plenty of appropriate reactions such as writing a letter to the editor, reaching out to the news section or a really crazy idea — to have actually responded to Eason’s questions prior to the publication of the story. Censorship of the press doesn’t do anything but heighten the situation. For example, this SGA story would not have blown up as much if some of its members didn’t throw away the papers. The attempt at censorship is what intrigued people to read it. Because of the limited amount of papers, people have been more active about picking them up. Not to mention, all stories published in the paper can be found on the publication’s website. Moreover, I’ve heard members have said they are innocent of all of the

allegations presented in the original SGA story. Well, I hate to break it to you, but throwing away the papers makes you look guilty. In fact, a group of SGA senators has called for the impeachment of the organization’s president. Looks like you did more harm than good, huh? Throwing away The CT’s papers also resulted in both the university’s and VCU Police’s involvement. You see, these members obviously thought this was just a matter of hiding the paper. In reality, this is a matter of financial property damage. According to calculations from Student Media Center Director Allison Dyche, the damages were estimated at $1,847. This includes the diligent work hours of staffers as well as printing and delivery costs. My anger toward SGA has nothing to do with the original story and all to do with them trashing our work. I had a story in that paper. And now, I have another story in this paper. I wonder if they’ll throw this one away, too.

Let’s try this one last time: Quit playing games with black culture BRYCE RANDALL Contributing Writer Black History Month is officially over. I’ve gotta say, we did not end it on the best of terms. Apparently, some people still think that cultural appropriation is permissible. I don’t know how many times y’all need to hear it, but not everything the black community produces is for you. We have Nikita Dragun to thank for bringing us to this conversation once again. Dragun is a YouTuber and beauty influencer

from Virginia who is no stranger to scandals — including showing up to the MTV Video Music Awards walking three crawling men on leashes. Her latest scandal certainly takes the cake though. In an Instagram live story that was posted on Feb. 20, Dragun was seen sporting a dorag and an exceptionally dark tan. As expected, she received backlash on social media for her appearance because she is not black and had no reason to be wearing a do-rag. Do-rags vary in definition, but they’re often worn by the black community to develop the “waves” hairstyle, in which curly

Illustration by Jeffrey Black

hair is brushed or combed out then flattened and pressed to create the signature ripple-like pattern. As part of the process, a do-rag is worn to preserve the hair’s moisture, compress the hair and hold it in place. To the point of the issue, Dragun made an attempt — in a now-deleted tweet — to defend herself from the mass criticism she was bombarded with. Dragun argued that do-rags are used to protect wigs from flyaways, friction, and frizz, which only resulted in more backlash. On the surface, this seems like your classic case of appropriation. The internet is constantly accusing non-black celebrities, such as Ariana Grande and Kim Kardashian, of “blackfishing” or adopting black features through heavy makeup, tans, textured or artificial hair and photo filters. Looking beneath the surface though, the Dragun situation seems to be more than just another predictable blackfishing story. Any celebrity, or human being for that matter, who has ever plugged into the social media universe is well aware of how quickly drama can start and spread. As a result of this, the majority of us think twice before streaming, uploading and posting. Taking another glance at the screenshot of her Instagram story, this case of blackfishing seems a little too obvious. Her appearance had the potential to spark controversy, which brings into question if this

was an honest and unlucky moment or a stunt to gain a little publicity. To be completely honest, I am not mad at Dragun. I am not even really surprised. I am just disappointed and upset. On one hand, if this scandal was intentional blackfishing and appropriating aspects of black culture, that’s a sad and desperate way to get a little bit of fame and attention. On the other hand, if this was actually an accident, Dragun’s attitude about the incident was still disrespectful and insensitive. The day after her Instagram story, in the height of the drama, she made a post to Twitter saying she didn’t care about the backlash. I can’t speak for the rest of the black community but I know that at the moment I read her post, I felt cheated and disrespected. Not only was a piece of my culture taken and made a mockery of, but the person who took it couldn’t even be bothered to offer up a simple apology. The lessons that can be taken from this whole scenario are simple and things most of us should already understand: It is never okay to steal from another culture, and if you’re going to have the nerve to steal from another culture, the least you could do is handle the situation respectfully and show some appreciation.

Wed. March 4, 2020â&#x20AC;&#x192;15

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

That Time of Year by Ellie Erhart

MANAGING EDITOR Andrew Ringle ringlea@commonwealthtimes.org NEWS EDITOR Hannah Eason news@commonwealthtimes.org SPORTS EDITOR Noah Fleischman sports@commonwealthtimes.org SPECTRUM EDITOR Iman Mekonen spectrum@commonwealthtimes.org OPINIONS EDITOR Tagwa Shammet opinions@commonwealthtimes.org PHOTO EDITOR Jon Mirador photography@commonwealthtimes.org AUDIENCE EDITOR Alexandra Zernik zernikal@commonwealthtimes.org ILLUSTRATIONS EDITOR Karly Andersen illustrations@commonwealthtimes.org STAFF WRITERS Adam Cheek, Sports Ryan Grube, Sports STAFF ILLUSTRATORS Erin Joo

Capitalism by Kayleigh Conroy

VCU STUDENT MEDIA CENTER DESIGN EDITOR Jeffrey Pohanka designers@vcustudentmedia.com GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Andy Caress Rey Carlson Kamryn Gillham designers@vcustudentmedia.com AD SALES ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Harrison Powers advertising@vcustudentmedia.com (804) 828-6629 WEB MANAGER Chranjitpandian Murugapandi web@vcustudentmedia.com DISTRIBUTION MANAGER Evan McGrady distribution@vcustudentmedia.com DIRECTOR Allison Bennett Dyche abdyche@vcu.edu (804) 827-1975 CREATIVE MEDIA MANAGER Mark Jeffries mjeffries@vcu.edu

Let Me In by Mai Lan Ireland

SALES & BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER Dominique Lee leeds3@vcu.edu (804) 827-1642 OFFICE MANAGER Owen Martin martinso@vcu.edu

ABOUT THE CT The Commonwealth Times is the award-winning independent student newspaper at VCU, since 1969. The CT staff maintains all editorial and operations discretion. There is absolutely no prior review by the public, university or VCU Student Media Center administration or staff. The Executive Editor writes and manages the Operations Budget.

ADD YOUR VOICE The opinions pages of the CT are a forum open to the public. Contributions are welcome by email to Tagwa Shammet, by mail or in-person at 817 W. Broad St., Richmond, VA 23220. Opinions expressed are those of individual columnists and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Commonwealth Times. Unsigned editorials represent the collective opinion of The CT staff. The Commonwealth Times strives for accuracy in gathering news. If you think we have made an error, please email the appropriate section editor. Corrections will appear on the news pages and/or online. One CT per person. Additional copies can be purchased at the Student Media Center for $1 each.

16 The Commonwealth Times

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