The Commonwealth Times; November 2, 2022

SARAH HAGEN Contributing Writer

IRGINIA’S CONGRESSIONAL

midterm elections are set for Nov. 8, where constituents will vote for their house representatives.

State district lines were redrawn in 2021, meaning residents may have different representatives on the ballot than they did previously. All 11 seats are up for reelection this year. VCU’s campus is in the 4th District, which has been represented by Democratic incumbent Donald McEachin since 2016.

Republican Leon Benjamin is challenging McEachin again. Despite the fact that Benjamin lost once before to McEachin in 2020, Benjamin is running against him this year.

VCU political science professor John Aughenbaugh said Benjamin has more name recognition after running once, which could give him a better chance than the past year.

“Many observers in the first contest were surprised that Benjamin did so well,” Aughenbaugh said. “So maybe the thinking is, ‘now that I have greater name recognition, I might actually be more successful in the second contest.’ I’m not entirely sure if that’s going to make a difference.”

Name recognition is important for many voters, so much so that 94.7% of House in-

cumbents were reelected in 2020, according to OpenSecrets. However, it may not be enough to override the advantages that incumbents have, according to Aughenbaugh.

Leon Benjamin has endorsements from Gov. Glenn Youngkin and Lt. Gov. Winsome Sears, according to Benjamin’s website. Aughenbaugh said that may not be enough to push him over the edge.

“Political science research suggests that endorsements typically help candidates for party primaries,” Aughenbaugh said. “Endorsements don’t help all that much in general elections.”

Aughenbaugh compared it to a letter of recommendation for a job — it helped Benjamin get on the ballot, but it may not do much for him beyond that.

In the 7th District, there is another race to watch. Democratic incumbent Rep. Abigail Spanberger narrowly won against Nick Freitas in the 2020 election, and now Republican newcomer Yesli Vega is challenging her. Spanberger is not a traditional democrat, leaning more towards the middle than the left, which has gotten her elected in a more conservative area, according to Aughenbaugh.

Infographic by Madison Tran Information compiled by Sarah Hagen

Continued from front page

The redistricting could lead to trouble for Spanberger in her quest for reelection, according to Aughenbaugh. With her new district, she has to reintroduce herself to a whole new group of voters. The other variable has to do with the president.

“Historically, in midterm elections, the president’s party, especially in the House of Representatives, you typically see a decline in those candidates from the president’s party,” Aughenbaugh said. “I don’t know if that’s going to affect representative Spanberger. But it would not surprise me if she won reelection even though her district is so different from the one she won last year.”

Vega, despite being a new name against an incumbent, could have a better chance because of this, according to Aughenbaugh. If voters aren’t happy with the job that the president is doing, they vote for the opposing party of the president.

If a voter ends up in a different district than they were in previous years, they could end up voting for another candidate, but Aughenbaugh said it isn’t common.

“Research doesn’t suggest the redistricting is a major reason why people who previously voted stop voting,” Aughenbaugh said.

It causes more competitive races which can lead to people switching parties and even more voters, according to Aughenbaugh.

The major problem in midterm elections is the lack of turnout, but according to Aughenbaugh, redistricting in this case may cause more voters to come out because the races are more competitive.

Redistricting often results in gerrymandering, the act of manipulating boundaries to favor one party over the other, which Aughenbaugh said is a big reason for lack of turnout. When a constituent doesn’t feel like their voice matters, they’re less inclined to vote.

“If you don’t have a meaningful choice, that’s not democracy,” Aughenbaugh said. “That’s one click better than a dictatorship.”

Voting isn’t the only way that students can participate in politics — they can go out and participate in their community, according to the chairman of College Republicans of VCU William Faber.

Faber said the best way for students to ensure a win for their favored candidates is by supporting their campaigns with grassroots methods. Phone-calling, texting and door-knocking are all ways that students can support their candidates. Faber said that the College Republicans have helped Republican candidates with door-knocking campaigns across the state, as well as with campaigns across the country.

“Just go out and go to their local party,” Faber said. “Or they can come to us, and

we’ll point them in the right direction.”

VCU students should watch more than just the 4th District election because the state as a whole affects them, not just the district they live in, Faber said. There will most likely be a Democratic win in the 4th District, but that doesn’t mean the state will end up going a certain way, especially with a Republican governor.

Faber said that as part of College Republicans, they watch races around Virginia to root for their candidates and try to predict who will win. In the 4th District he thinks Benjamin will lose to incumbent Rep. McEachin. Faber said Jennifer Kiggans in the 2nd District is “looking very good” despite going against an incumbent. He said the same goes for Yesli Vega in the 7th District.

Historically, in midterm elections, the president’s party, especially in the House of Representatives, you typically see a decline in those candidates from the president’s party.

John Aughenbaugh, VCU political science professor

Faber encouraged VCU students to get involved in politics, no matter what party they’re part of or what they believe in. He said apart from voting and joining clubs that align with their interests, protesting is also a good option.

“If people want to get their voices heard, I think protesting is going to be the way to do it,” Faber said. “That’s how Gen-Z seems to be doing it.”

The Commonwealth Times reached out to VCU Young Democrats for an interview four times but did not get a response back.

Midterm elections consistently have less turnout than presidential elections, especially among young people according to research by the Nevada Current. Virginia now offers same day registration, so voting is still possible even if you’re not already registered.

of the

Stories

week national: David DePape is facing two felony charges for the assault and attempted kidnapping of Paul Pelosi. international: Over 150 people are dead and 82 are injured after being crushed in a Halloween crowd in Seoul, South Korea.

‘UNDER THE

SKIN’:

VCU Libraries launches social justice lecture series

GABRIELA DE CAMARGO GONÇALVES Managing Editor

BHAVYA PULUGUJJU Contributing Writer

VCU Libraries launched its annual social justice lecture series last week with an inaugural speech on racial disparities in health care by journalist, author, editor and educator Linda Villarosa.

The social justice series consists of one annual lecture; there are also lecture series that have been around for decades that the library sponsors, according to Irene Herold, VCU dean of libraries, university librarian and series organizer.

“As always, I hope that they [attendees] come and listen and critically think about the content and carry away — whether it’s new knowledge or just furthering their knowledge and ability to think about these issues,” Herold said.

Health disparities is an important topic for the current climate, along with the exasperation of marginalized communities and underrepresented minorities’ treatment in healthcare, Herold said. Richmond is “the perfect spot” to raise these issues and engage in dialogue looking at the city’s history, according to Herold.

A Black woman with an advanced degree, such as a master’s degree, is more likely to die or almost die than a white woman with an eighth-grade education, according to Villarosa.

“We cannot blame our poor health outcomes, as a country, and our inequality racial inequality only on poverty. It’s not only about race. It’s not only about poverty,” Villarosa said. “It’s got to also be a question of discrimination and racism both in society and in the healthcare system itself.”

Villarosa’s lecture went along with her 2022 book “Under the Skin: The Hidden Toll of Racism on American Lives and on the Health of Our Nation.”

“Even as science races to confront COVID-19 and other diseases, racism in society and medicine is a more difficult virus to kill,” Villarosa said during the lecture.

Throughout the course of history, physicians like J. Marion Sims played a large role in uncovering the injustice faced by African Americans, according to Villarosa. Sims was a doctor, known as the father of gynecology, but better known for doing inhumane experiments on African American women.

It is a stereotype that African American people may have the greatest pain tolerance, which was used to justify inconceivable cruelty during the enslaved times, according to Villarosa.

“Difference means inferiority in this country, so when you’re using a genetic explanation, it turns it into something that is different or wrong about a black body, which is causing these health disparities,” Villarosa said.

Villarosa went on to explain how trained Black medical professionals are not taken seriously in the United States. According to her, Fatima Cody Stanford, a doctor at Massachusetts General Hospital and instructor at Harvard Medical School, was on a plane from Indianapolis to Boston when she noticed a passenger in distress. In the process of assisting her, she got asked by a flight attendant if she was actually a doctor.

“The one thing that I latched onto is when the activist Audre Lorde, the writer, and brilliant person before she passed away, I asked her naively ‘Is racism going away?’ And she said ‘when it goes out, it goes out ugly,’” Villarosa said during her lecture.

After Villarosa’s lecture, VCU fresh-

Linda Villarosa presents her speech at the first social justice lecture series. Photo by Kobi McCray

Linda Villarosa gives a presentation showcasing the negative impact of discrimination in the medical industry discussed in her book 'Under the Skin' at VCU. Photo by Kobi McCray

VCU chooses not to participate in asset manager diversity study

ANDREW KERLEY Contributing Writer

VCU is one of 34 universities that chose not to participate in a recent study that was conducted regarding the diversity of employees managing their assets, according to the Knight Foundation.

The study was conducted by the Knight foundation, an American nonprofit organization seeking to support a “more effective democracy” by funding journalistic and scientific projects, according to its website.

The mission of the study was to encourage greater transparency in the management of both higher education and philanthropic funding, with respect to the diversity of asset managers, according to Ashley Zohn, vice president of learning and impact at the Knight Foundation.

The Knight Foundation conducted the study in tandem with Global Economics Group, which received all data gathered and calculated their statistics. The study was in partnership with New York University’s Stern Center for Business and Human Rights, which helped with university outreach.

Global Economics Group and the Knight Foundation began assessing the degree to which the 25 wealthiest private and 25 wealthiest public universities and colleges hire asset management firms owned by women and racial or ethnic minorities in fall 2021, according to the Knight Foundation.

Of the 50 colleges and universities consulted, only 16 opted to participate, with 10 of them being private. University of Texas System, Harvard University, Stanford University and the 13 other schools that did participate collectively hold 54% of the group’s total assets, according to the Knight Foundation.

The 34 colleges and universities that opted not to participate collectively hold 46% of the sampling frame’s assets. Among them were VCU and University of Virginia.

“We are disappointed that only 16 out of the 50 universities that were invited to participate chose to share their information,” Zohn said. “Because of that, we weren’t able to aggregate statistics to create an industry-wide benchmark.”

The Knight Foundation measures diversity by the number of women and racial or ethnic minorities in a firm, being those who identify as Hispanic, Black, Asian or “other,” which includes Indigenous people and Pacific Islanders. The term “diverse owned” includes both women and racial or ethnic minorities, according to the Knight Foundation.

“We have found that only 1.4% of U.S. based assets are managed by diverse owned firms,” Zohn said. “That disparity is very significant given how that number compares to the general population.”

People that identify as white make up 59.3% of the US population, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

“Finance is a field that a lot of college graduates are gonna go into, and it’s also a field in which a lot of people can build wealth for future generations,” Zohn said. “Therefore, we think that it’s important to increase the representation of women and people of color in the finance field.”

The Knight Foundation approached VCU about the study last year, according to Bruce MacDonald, chief investment officer at VCU Investment Management Company.

VCU Investment Management Company, a nonprofit organization run by VCU, is exempt from taxes under Virginia law for some nonprofits, according to VCU Investment Management Company.

“Our understanding of how the study was run is that we would have sent the names of our managers to the study directors and they would then determine the diversity of those managers,” MacDonald said.

VCU Investment Management Company opted not to participate because they are binded by a nondisclosure agreement and another provision restricting the use of their names, according to MacDonald.

“We were concerned that by participating we would have been in violation of those agreements,” Macdonald said.

Of the 16 colleges and universities that participated, 12 allowed Global Economics Group to analyze them independently, while the other four chose to self-report their own data, according to the Knight Foundation.

We are disappointed that only 16 out of the 50 universities that were invited to participate chose to share their information. Because of that, we weren’t able to aggregate statistics to create an industry-wide benchmark.

Ashley Zohn, vice president of learning and impact at the Knight Foundation

“It seemed like the self-reported data was more limited than the study data,” MacDonald said. “The main study showed the asset managers categorized as ‘women owned firms’ or ‘minority owned firms.’ However, the self-reported data only showed ‘diverse owned firms.’ To me, it made the participants seem like they weren’t cooperating.”

The Knight Foundation’s preference is that they receive the full asset management roster, rather than self reported data, according to Zohn. If one university knows that a firm is diversely owned, and another university is using that firm, we make that data common across the study.

The Knight Foundation reached out to VCU again in September, according to MacDonald. They emailed them back on Sept. 21, requesting to have a conversation in order to better understand how the data would be used.

“I would like to understand how they would use the data, so that we would not be in violation of our legal agreements,” MacDonald said. “We want to find a way to participate, and we do believe in the mission, but we need to be able to engage with them.”

The Knight Foundation reiterated that they would be happy to see VCU participate in their ongoing study, which they are currently collecting data for.

16 institutions participated

University of California System

University of Chicago

University of Colorado

Columbia University

Duke University

University of Illinois

Michigan State University

Princeton University

Rice University

Rutgers University

University of Texas System

Vanderbilt University

participants

Dartmouth College

Harvard University

University of Pennsylvania

Stanford University

VCU Investment Management Company has the ability to share all the same data that the Knight Foundation would be finding in their research, according to MacDonald. The organization provided their self-evaluated data to The Commonwealth Times.

“We wouldn’t want to make it seem like we weren’t being forthcoming,” MacDonald said.

29% of VCU Investment Management Company is minority owned, being those that identify as Hispanic, Black, Asian and Indigenous, according to MacDonald. The firm is 1% woman owned, bringing the total of diverse-owned managers to 30%.

However, a portion of VCU Health System’s assets and all of the MCV Foundation’s assets are managed by an entirely different, third party service provider, according to MacDonald. No information regarding the diversity composition of that firm is known.

“One of the biggest problems in the industry is that when we hire outside managers, there's a smaller opportunity set for women and minority owned firms,” MacDonald said. “I think every participant in investment management has to play a role in changing that, and that means getting more underrepresented people in the industry.”

34 institutions denied participation

Boston College

Brown University

California Institute of Technology

Carnegie Mellon University

Cornell University

Emory University

University of Florida

Georgia Institute of Technology

Indiana University

University of Iowa

Johns Hopkins University

Kansas University

The University System of Maryland

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

University of Michigan

University of Minnesota

University of Missouri System

University of Nebraska

New York University

University of North Carolina

Northwestern University

University of Notre Dame

The Ohio State University

Pennsylvania State University

University of Pittsburgh

Purdue University

University of Southern California

University of Virginia

Virginia Commonwealth University

Washington University

University of Washington

Williams College

University of Wisconsin

Yale University

Stat of the week

VCU RECEIVES MILLIONS IN DONATIONS for Athletics Village

ARRICK WILSON Sports Editor

CU received donations for the Athletics Village project which will house 41.7 acres of facilities for tennis, soccer, outdoor track and field and indoor multipurpose facilities, according to VCU Athletics.

A new tennis facility inside the VCU Athletics Village received a $1 million donation from the West Charitable Trust, along with a $2.5 million anonymous donation, according to VCU Athletics.

VCU men’s tennis head coach Anthony Rossi said the new village will not only affect the sport, but the fan experience as well.

“A new tennis facility will give us an opportunity to compete for top recruits nationally and internationally,” Rossi said. “It will also give fans an incredible tennis experience.”

The money donated will be used to help develop the United States Tennis Association-style courts at the new VCU athletic village, according to VCU Athletics.

The project will be a game-changer for the young men and women who will be able to call it home. The ways in which this will change the student-athlete experience are, quite honestly, much deeper than most will ever know.”

Dave Giffard, men’s soccer head coach

The new tennis facility within the upcoming VCU Athletics Village will replace the current Thalhimer Tennis Center, featuring 12 outdoor courts and six indoor courts, according to Kowalczyk.

The new tennis facilities will help develop a growing tennis community in Richmond. Kowalczyk stated.

“In addition to developing an underdeveloped corridor in Richmond, the tennis facility will also serve the large, vibrant tennis community in Richmond. There will be a shared use agreement with the community,” Kowalczyk stated.

VCU women’s tennis head coach Vivian Segnini said the new facilities will not only affect the community in Richmond, but VCU internationally.

“It will also attract tennis players from other regions in the country and internationally as well and Richmond’s tennis will grow and VCU will be in the radar of even more people,” Segnini said. “There are only reasons to be happy about this change.”

VCU men’s soccer head coach Dave Giffard said having new facilities will

change and improve the possibilities available for the program at VCU.

“The project will be a game-changer for the young men and women who will be able to call it home,” Giffard said. “The ways in which this will change the student-athlete experience are, quite honestly, much deeper than most will ever know.”

VCU’s track and field programs currently train year-round on the outdoor concourse of the Stuart C. Siegel Center, according to Jon Riley, VCU men’s and women’s track and field head coach. Training outdoors means that the teams have to shovel snow off of the track in order to practice, which takes a toll on the runners’ legs, Riley said.

“The athletic village’s indoor track facility will be a game-changer. It will not only change how we train, but it will also allow us to attract more tier-one prospects,” Riley said.

The athletic village project is expected to be done in phases and will take roughly five to seven years to complete.

CT Sports’ pick of the week

BERSABEH KEMAW

For this week’s CT Sports’ pick of the week, I have the Philadelphia Eagles defeating the Houston Texans in week nine of the NFL regular season on Thursday, Nov. 3.

The Eagles have remained undefeated in the regular season with a record of 6-0, crowning them as the only undefeated team in the NFL.

Key players for the Eagles this season have been quarterback Jalen Hurts,

who has a total of 1,514 yards this season, as well as wide receiver duo A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, according to ESPN. The Eagles have an elite offensive line, as well as a great defensive line, who are both assisting in securing wins on the field.

The Texans hired head coach Lovie Smith this season, who believes that quarterback Davis Mills will continue to get better throughout the season, according to the NFL.

Although Mills has been making noticeable improvements throughout the season so far, it’s just not enough to carry

the team to a win. The Texans also struggle with a weak defense that has allowed for opposing teams to run many yards and secure numerous touchdowns.

The Texans have a record of one win and four losses, with one tied game, placing them last in the AFC South division, according to the NFL.

Wide receiver Nico Collins, who is the season leader in receiving yards for the Texans, was an anticipated key player for the team. However, with his questionable return due to a groin injury caused by their game against the Raiders, it is not looking

too sunny for the Texans, according to ESPN.

The Texans and Eagles have only met five times, and each time, the Eagles have defeated them, according to The Football Database.

The Eagles should be able to keep their undefeated streak against the Texans with their strong offensive and defensive line, along with their key quarterback.

Stat of the week: VCU sophomore Kendall Phillips finished in No. 74 at the Atlantic 10 Championships, while sophomore Nia Warren finished No. 66, according to VCU Athletics.

Christopher Kowalczyk, assistant athletic director for VCU Athletics Communications, stated the new facility will house more courts in comparison to the current village tennis courts at Thalhimer Tennis Center.

Contributing Writer

Sports Backers Stadium is located near the eventual construction site of the VCU Athletic Village. Photo by Alessandro Latour

VCU men’s basketball’s new additions will help them go far

THAILON WILSON Staff Writer

FFrom transfers to freshmen, VCU men’s basketball added some key pieces that will help the team in the upcoming 2022-2023 basketball season.

The coaching staff worked together in order to find, evaluate and sign recruits — as a result, they were the No.1 ranked recruiting class in the Atlantic 10 Conference, according to 247 Sports.

The recruiting class consisted of four star recruits: Alphonzo “Fats” Billups, Christian Fermin, Obinnaya Okafor and Toibu “Tobi” Lawal.

Billups is a 6-foot-7-inch combo guard with playmaking, shot-making prowess and no slouch on the defensive side. He was also ranked in the top 100 in the ESPN 2022 Recruiting Class.

Billups said in an interview with college recruiting and sports website ON3 that he believes the game style of VCU fits his own.

“I picked VCU because I feel it’s the best for my type of playstyle,” Billups said. “The coaches are great, the players are great, and the school is great.”

His playstyle surely matches with VCU’s style of fast pace offense and suffocating defense. He will without a doubt make an impact as a shot making defender.

Fermin, who also was a top 150 national prospect, is a 6-foot-10-inch center from Pennsylvania who is known for his athleticism and sneaky shooting ability, according to the Pocono Record. Fermin will be the tallest member on the team and will be a great addition for defense and rebounding, according to VCU Athletics.

The diamond in the rough prospect however, is Lawal. Lawal is a 6-foot-8-inch forward from London who has a vertical inside the 40-inch range. He dunks every ball he touches and he is able to block shots that come his way with his leaping ability.

VCU has added the necessary pieces to be competitive in the A-10 again this year. The team has added a bunch of pieces that help to round out the team as a lot of other teams in the A-10 had lost key pieces to graduation.”

Thailon Wilson, Staff Writer

Lawal should be a possible dynamic duo with VCU point guard Adrian “Ace” Baldwin Jr. who is a good lob setter. Lawal will catch those lobs and be an instant spark plug for the team and will spark hype for the fans.

VCU head coach Mike Rhoades said in an interview with The Commonwealth Times last month that Lawal’s athleticism and work ethic will be important for this team.

“He’s got a lot of great potential and upside — he plays really hard. He’s just super athletic,” Rhoades said.

This recruiting class has a lot of potential for the future of the program, but VCU also looked to the NCAA Transfer Portal to add some key veteran experience to boost the team’s success as well.

In the transfer portal, the Rams picked up University of Michigan junior guard Zeb Jackson, University of Michigan graduate forward Brandon Johns Jr. and University of Hartford senior forward David Shriver.

Jackson is a combo guard who has very high leaping ability that is similar to Lawal at a smaller 6-foot-5-inch frame. Jackson also has shotmaking ability that will be important points for the black and gold.

Shriver is a designated shooter pickup by the Rams this offseason. VCU has great shotmakers who can also shoot very well in Baldwin and guard Jayden Nunn, but the team doesn’t necessarily have a defined sharpshooter — Shriver fits right into that role.

Shriver shot 5-from-7 from the three point line in a scrimmage on Oct. 22 against Villanova University in Washington D.C., according to Bracket Forecast. Shriver accumulated 15 points just from downtown.

Johns is also coming from the University of Michigan, with a lot of veteran experience and ability to help the team. Johns showed his versatility in the black and gold game in which he scored 13 points and four rebounds.

Rhoades said Johns is a great presence and his ability to play shows on the court.

“He’s been so much fun to coach since the day he got here. Positive energy, so into it, loves VCU,” Rhoades said. “You would have thought he’s here for four years. Pretty cool, but when he gets on the court, he can play.”

VCU has added the necessary pieces to be competitive in the A-10 again this year. The team has added a bunch of pieces that help to round out the team as a lot of other teams in the A-10 had lost key pieces to graduation.

GAME RESULTS

OCTOBER 25

WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL - VS. DAVIDSON LOSS 3-1

OCTOBER 28

WOMEN’S SOCCER - VS. NO. 6 SAINT JOESPH’S LOSS 1-0 Atlantic 10 Tournament

WOMEN’S FIELD HOCKEY - VS RICHMOND WON 2-1

WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL - AT LOYOLA CHICAGO LOST 3-0

OCTOBER 29

MEN’S SOCCER - AT ST. BONAVENTURE WON 2-0

MEN’S BASKETBALL - VS. SHIPPENSBURG WON 88-53

WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL - AT LOYOLA CHICAGO LOST 3-0

WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY - AT ATLANTIC 10 CHAMPIONSHIPS 15TH OUT OF 15 Mechanicsville, Virginia

MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY - AT ATLANTIC 10 CHAMPIONSHIPS 14TH OUT OF 15 Mechanicsville, Virginia

VCU freshman forward Christian Fermin tries to grab a rebound in a scrimmage against Shippensburg University on Oct. 29. Photo by Guy Enkh

‘The Ultimate Show’: Art exhibition commemorates late VCU professor

LEAH LANDRY Contributing Writer

The diversity in the artwork of the late VCUarts professor Myron Helfgott is apparent in the space of the 1708 Gallery.

The gallery invites guests to view “Myron Helfgott: The Ultimate Show” until Dec. 4. The exhibition is curated by the gallery’s executive director Emily Smith and co-curated by Al Calderaro.

The title of the show came from Helfgott’s love of wordplay, Calderaro said. It started as a working title, but it stuck as time went on.

“As far as we know, this will be the last show in Richmond of Myron’s work,” Calderaro said. “It sort of implies, ‘This is it. You need to see this show.’”

The exhibition features 38 works of art, according to Calderaro. Helfgott was Calderaro’s professor while attending VCUarts graduate school for sculpture. Calderaro has curated exhibitions for Helfgott in the past.

“The biggest problem we had was there was so much great work that it was hard to pick,” Calderaro said. “That’s a good problem to have. That helped a lot.”

This is not the first time that Helfgott’s work has been featured at 1708 Gallery, according to his daughter Megan Helfgott. Megan Helfgott said Myron Helfgott was supportive of the gallery since its opening in 1978.

“It seemed like a good fit because of its history and because of the board and Emily’s willingness to have a show for Myron,” Megan Helfgott said. “Having Al [Calderaro] onboard was critical. I’m just behind the scenes.”

Myron Helfgott drew inspiration from a variety of sources, ranging from art history to Zen Buddhism, according to 1708 Gallery’s website. An untitled piece in the exhibition reflects Myron Helfgott’s interest in spirituality.

“There’s a portrait of Howard Risatti. There’s another figure behind it, and it’s Buddha lurking in the background,” Calderaro said. “It’s emblematic of Myron’s involvement with Zen Buddhism. It wasn’t like he was going around talking about it, but it was always in the background.”

Myron Helfgott was a professor in the

Department of Sculpture + Extended Media at VCU from 1968 to 2003, according to 1708 Gallery’s website. He served as the chairman of the department in his last two years of teaching.

“Like any professorship, being involved in your discipline allows you to bring things to the classroom,” Megan Helfgott said. “He really took his job seriously in all forms. He was going to continue to work as a scholar in his area, but also he was going to try to be the best teacher he could be.”

Matthew Brett, an adjunct professor at VCU and a graduate of the school’s sculpture program, was instrumental in the logistics of the exhibition. He was brought on with Shelia Gray and Katherine Lang by Megan Helfgott to document the artwork left in Myron Helfgott’s studio, according to Brett.

The first step was to clean and organize the artwork, according to Brett. The next step was to set up a studio with a backdrop to take photographs of each piece. The final

step was to plug information into a database and store the artwork in preparation for the exhibition.

Although Brett only met Myron Helfgott once while he was a freshman, the process gave him a deeper knowledge of his artistry.

“Working on this project has been very interesting because there’s 30, 35 years of artwork in the studio and a lot of it’s very personal,” Brett said. “I feel like I came to have a pretty good understanding of him doing this job.”

Since she didn’t set up the show, Megan Helfgott said that seeing the art through Brett, Gray and Lang’s eyes was interesting. She said she hopes the younger generation of artists learn something new as they don’t get much exposure to this type of art.

“There would be times when they discovered things in the art. It was almost like through this process of the show and organizing the work, Dad’s able to be a teacher one more time,” Megan Helfgott said.

On this day ‘Arrested Development’ debuted on Fox Network in 2003.

Professor Helfgott’s collection of artwork on display at the 1708 gallery. Photos by Sarah Giardino

Award-winning comedian performs at Richmond comedy club

PEGGY STANSBERY Contributing Writer

People gathered at Richmond Funny Bone Comedy Club and Restaurant to enjoy food, drink and a show from Emmy-nominated writer and award winning stand-up comedian Josh Johnson this past weekend.

New York Comedy Festival named Johnson New York’s Funniest Comic at Caroline in 2018, according to Richmond Funny Bone’s website. He is also known as Comedy Central’s “most watched comedian ever” with over 40 million views across its platforms.

Johnson’s comedy career began in Chicago where he pursued stand-up, he said.

“I was going to open mics and trying to do as many shows as possible. That really led to me taking it really seriously and making a job out of it,” Johnson said.

“You get to say things the way you want to say them and you get to talk about whatever you want to talk about,” Johnson said. “There’s nothing that’s prescribed for you really and that’s why I enjoy it the most and why it feels most different to other things.”

Johnson said his stand-up sets are mainly observational. He tells stories from his own life and pokes fun at things people sometimes take too seriously, such as socioeconomic status and COVID-19 vaccines. Johnson hopes his stand-up makes people laugh and helps them see how connected humans are, according to Johnson.

“The overall theme is trying to find a universal thread that we all connect to,” Johnson said. “Something that lets people know that even outside a given experience or all the ways we categorize ourselves and each other that we are mostly the same. This is the main drive behind what I talk about and why I have the approach I have.”

Johnson said he hopes people found a “universal experience” while having fun at his sets at Richmond Funny Bone this past weekend.

Wingle said he was a fan of Johnson’s work before hosting for him and found Johnson to be hilarious and enjoyed his delivery and stage presence.

Johnson has two albums, “Channel Black” and “Some of the Best of The Josh Johnson Show, Vol. 1.” He is the co-host of two podcasts, “The Josh Johnson Show” and “Hold Up,” according to Richmond Funny Bone’s website.

“I think the thing that really led me to comedy was that it was the most fun I was having doing anything was that. So I just wanted to really pursue that more and get better at the thing that made me happy,” Johnson said.

Johnson said he met people who helped lead him towards working in late night TV while doing stand-up shows. He currently writes on The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, performs with Noah on his “Back to Abnormal” tour and previously wrote and performed on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, according to Richmond Funny Bone’s website. He has appeared on CONAN and Netflix as well.

“I think I always thought I would work in TV, but I wasn’t sure that it would be late night. I think it sort of took me there in a way by really pursuing comedy,” Johnson said.

Johnson said he finds stand-up comedy so special because he has such an open and direct line of communication with the audience.

Comedy show attendee Matt Bean wasn’t familiar with Johnson’s work before coming to his show at The Funny Bone but enjoyed Johsnon’s calm demeanor and how interactive he was, he said.

“I liked how he asked people in the crowd what they did and was making jokes off of that,” Bean said.

Attendee Lalla Blue also enjoyed Johnson’s interactive nature, according to Blue. Blue said she enjoyed how Johnson’s humor wasn’t too vulgar as well.

“I appreciated that he kept it entertaining, like he engaged the audience,” Blue said. “It was a good show and he was a great performer, very funny. It was great comedy and a great atmosphere.”

Kenny Wingle, local Richmond comedian and VCU alum, hosted Josh Johnson’s show at Richmond Funny Bone, he said.

“My job as a host is to get through the crowd at the beginning and get them ready for comedy,” Wingle said.

You get to say things the way you want to say them and you get to talk about whatever you want to talk about. There’s nothing that’s prescribed for you really and that’s why I enjoy it the most and why it feels most different to other things.”

Josh Johnson, stand-up comedian

Kenny Wingle performs stand-up comedy at Funny Bone. Photo by Guy Enkh

Logan Nielsen performs stand-up comedy at Funny Bone. Photo by Guy Enkh

Josh Johnson performs at Funny Bone. Photo by Guy Enkh

Film festival returns to Richmond for spooky season

KARYN COOK Contributing Writer

The Magic of Horror Film Festival will be returning to Richmond for its annual festival on Nov. 5-6 at the Firehouse Theatre.

The festival grew to become a celebration of the horror genre itself, with the first live festival being in 2019 as an online screenwriting competition.

chance to have their work shown, while also praising the horror field. A variety of mediums are allowed, such as movie trailers and art, according to the website FilmFreeway, where all submissions are received.

Fawley is a film and theatre producer. As an actress, she also leads ghost tours around Richmond. Fawley said she met her business partner Shiva Rodriguez at a film audition years ago.

“I auditioned for a feature film that she was directing in Florida. I had been working in theatre up until that point but wanted to try my hand at film,” Fawley said.

“We wanted to provide not just an opportunity for filmmakers to screen their films and win awards, but also a chance for them to get valuable feedback. Our panel of judges gives detailed feedback along with the scores they submit on each film, and this feedback is shared with the filmmakers regardless of if they are accepted into the festival or not.”

The festival began as an online-only event in 2018, according to Lowrie Fawley, the co-creator of the festival. The festival aims to give screenwriters and producers recognition and the

Fawley said the only background she had in horror was working at a haunted house based in New York from 2005-2007.

“Horror had always been one of my favorite genres, and I worked in live haunts in several places, most notable Blood Manor in NYC for three years,” Fawley said.

After seeing their chemistry, the pair decided to start their own company and then a festival, according to Fawley.

“We ended up working well together, forming our own horror film company Rogue Chimera Film, LLC,” Fawley said. “As an offshoot of that, having screened a number of our films in other festivals, we decided we wanted to start our own festival.”

The festival has a variety of benefits for participants, other than just having their film shown, according to Fawley.

“We wanted to provide not just an opportunity for filmmakers to screen their films and win awards, but also a chance for them to get valuable feedback,” Fawley said.

“Our panel of judges gives detailed feedback along with the scores they submit on each film, and this feedback is shared with the filmmakers regardless of if they are accepted into the festival or not.”

Rodriguez is a director, practical effects artist and screenwriter. The best part of the experience for Rodriguez is the opportunity to help and promote filmmakers, she said.

“I really enjoy helping these independent films get some attention, especially since many do not have the ability to do a lot of promoting themselves,” Rodriguez said.

Hundreds of film submissions are sent each year, with only 40 films being accepted to screen at the festival, according to Fawley. Tickets range from $10 for a one-day pass to $15 for a weekend pass, with a variety of sessions included such as a mix and mingle event, and a red-carpet photo session.

Judges consist of a variety of individuals with film experience, however they remain anonymous to the competitors so no hard feelings come up in the future, according to Fawley. She said winners of the festival receive a trophy in the form of a skeleton and promotion on the festival’s social media.

“Horror is often considered to be an ‘easy’ genre for filmmakers, which I honestly do not agree with,” Rodriquez said. “I love seeing unusual stories they come up with and have a great appreciation for how creative they have to be in order to produce their films on extremely low budgets.”

Filmmaker Jordan Selander said horror is his favorite genre, with its rollercoaster-like aspects. His film “No Grave for the Dead” is premiering at the festival on Saturday. The film was initially a music video and doesn’t contain any dialogue — instead it

features a ghost ballet dancing, according to Selander.

Selander said he had ideas, but all of them were shot down, so the production was put on halt.

“For the idea, all I saw was a ghost in ballet pointe shoes dancing in a graveyard. I pitched this idea to nearly every local band I ever spoke to, and they all kindly said the story wasn’t a fit for their band,” Selander said. “So we had the idea for nearly 10 years.”

The idea came to fruition in 2021 when he decided to gather a group and make a short film for fun, according to Selander. He said he submitted it on FilmFreeway, and it received great feedback.

He submitted it to Magic of Horror, and it is scheduled to run this weekend, according to Selander. He said he is looking forward to the festival, with a mix of anxiety and excitement.

“Ultimately, you need to enjoy the moment after all the hard work the crew put into it. If I had to pick one, I’d say I’m more excited right now, but that might change the day of the screening,” Selander said.

Lowrie Fawley, film festival cocreator

The Firehouse Theatre presents The Magic of Horror flyer. Photo courtesy of Lowrie Fawley

Quote of the week

“Don’t look away. Look straight at everything. Look it all in the eye, good and bad.”

ISHAAN NANDWANI Opinions Editor

The 1983 film “El Norte” is one of suffering. It follows the journey of two indigenous siblings from Guatemala, Enrique and Rosa, as they head north to flee the harrowing conditions of their home country. Like so many other immigrants who seek asylum in the United States, their hardships only seem to multiply after they leave Guatemala — from crossing the border illegally and the looming possibility of deportation to working in exploitative conditions once they finally reach the states.

The film does not shy away from showcasing the horrors of the migration experience. There were countless moments watching that I felt myself holding my breath, afraid of the next obstacle that Enrique and Rosa would face. “El Norte” may not be a comfort movie, but nevertheless warrants deep exploration and understanding.

Whether through film, literature, or media, we’re constantly exposed to distressing stories and headlines from across the world, from the Russian invasion of Ukraine to the murder of Mahsa Amini in Iran. While it’s easy to ignore these issues and the discomfort they cause, we can no longer do this — for the sake of all those who suffer.

There is one particular scene from “El Norte” that affected me deeply. To cross the U.S.-Mexico border undetected, Enrique and Rosa crawl through rat-infested sewers, with nothing but darkness and a putrid stench for miles on end. The tunnels are small and constricting — a nightmare for a claustrophobic like myself. Listening to Rosa’s deafening screams as a swarm of rats attacked her and Enrique in the dark sewers for what seemed like an eternity, I wanted to close my eyes and shut out her pain. I wanted to look away and pretend that it wasn’t real — that it was just a movie, and that the characters would find their happy ending.

For a moment, I did just that. Enrique and Rosa never find their happy ending. Rosa eventually dies from an infection caused by the rat bites, and it is implied that Enrique commits suicide. They die searching for a place they can call home, but the only solace they find is in death.

I felt ashamed for looking away, because the truth is that “El Norte” is not just a fictional story: It represents a reality for so many immigrants crossing the southern border, even 39 years after the film’s release. It might be easier to pretend that reality doesn’t exist, but it does.

Many of us have experienced moments

of wanting to escape the discomfort of disconcerting issues, as we live in relative privilege. We can turn the page when we come across these issues — after all, they’re not our lived reality. We sympathize with the plight of those refugees in Ukraine or protestors in Iran, but can never truly understand their experiences — but at the very least, we should try to. Ideally, when it’s possible, we should go beyond exposing ourselves to uncomfortable content, fully immersing ourselves in the fight on issues that matter to us, whether through service or organizing. I believe that those with privilege should maintain a greater social responsibility to positively impact the most vulnerable members of society.

While “El Norte” may have been a difficult film for me to get through, it’s one that I have since revisited multiple times. Migration and conditions affecting immigrants in the U.S. are issues that I have directly worked on, volunteering for migrants in Richmond as a medical interpreter and English as a second language instructor and on the southern border at a migration center.

To truly make a difference in the lives of these individuals, it was essential for me to let go of how what I saw personally affected me, taking that critical step towards understanding.

NICHOLAS BARAHONA Staff Writer

ELCOME TO NICK’S PICKS

Join me, Nick Barahona, on our journey through the city of Richmond where I review and showcase the different cuisines and restaurants in close proximity to campus, from the lens of a VCU student. I welcome you to an exciting time ahead filled with great deals and good eats.

Searching for good late night eats brings us to a restaurant with the self-proclaimed title “Famous Quesadillas.” Today we check out Bodillaz, a departure from usual late night spots like McDonald’s or Cookout.

Bodillaz is located at 916 W. Broad St., right next to the VCU School of the Arts building — a short, five-minute walk from Monroe Park.

Bodillaz offers a wide variety of allstar fast food options such as quesadillas, wraps, burgers, sandwiches, wings, fries, nachos, onion rings, mozzarella sticks and chicken tenders.

Their most loved and bestsellers are featured in the menu as “RVA Favorites,” which consists of three different selections: the “No Way José Quesadilla” with breaded chicken, onion rings, fries, bacon, ranch, barbecue and the restaurant’s bo sauce; the “Shrimp Quesadilla” with onion, green peppers, buffalo and cajun spice; and the “620 Wrap,” with

fried chicken, bacon, onion rings, fries, lettuce, cheese, ranch, barbecue and bo sauce.

The restaurant is open Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., but what separates Bodillaz from other restaurants in its proximity is that it is one of the latest ones open on Friday and Saturday night. Friday hours are 11 a.m. to 3 a.m. and Saturday hours are noon to 3 a.m., making it a hotspot for college students and locals to enjoy a bite after dark.

As you enter Bodillaz, you are immediately faced with the kitchen, which makes up almost half of the space and resembles a bodega setup. There are a few tables and seats for dine-in, though the restaurant is more suited for takeout. Just like the colors on the Bodillaz logo, the restaurant is filled with red, green and yellow.

I ordered six wings and the “No Way José” quesadilla. The wings come in four different sauces: buffalo, spicy barbecue, honey barbecue and a combination of all three sauces to make the “TRIPPS” sauce.

The wings were about $7, which is reasonable for a half dozen order. The value you get for the price is great, as the size is large and there is plenty of meat and sauce on the wings. The quesadilla cost me about $12, which is relatively high, but its size was significant. Filled

to the max with chicken, onion rings, fries, bacon and sauce, this is a meal you will have a tough time finishing in one sitting.

I was equally happy with the combined taste of the chicken and sauce. There was no dryness to the protein and definitely no hold on the sauce. The addition of ranch was the finishing touch needed to make these wings some of the best I have had in Richmond.

The quesadilla comes in four servings. It had a lot going on inside of it in terms of filling and taste, so it was a tad bit overwhelming for me. However, the sauces added a delightful fla vor to the mix.

You can’t ask for much more from a restaurant like Bodillaz considering that its ser vice goes through the late nights on Fridays and Satur days. Even during its regular hours, there is something for everyone.

If you are tired of the same old fast food options around campus, I suggest that you give this place a try. Though you may not find in credibly cheap prices, for the val ue and location you are still getting one heck of a deal.

Bodillaz is a Richmond staple that is an easy thumbs up and a 4.5 out 5 stars overall.

AS ALWAYS, EAT UP!

For all things food, feel free to check out @nxreview on Instagram and TikTok for

— Henry Miller

Illustration

Illustration by Killian Goodale-Porter

Pumpkin

by Clare Wislar

Late to Class by Rena Bridge

by Maddie Martin

By Christina Iverson

Complete the grid so each row, column, and 3-by-3 box (in bold borders) contains every digit, 1 to 9. For strategies on how to solve Sudoku, visit sudoku.org.uk

Edited by Patti Varol and Joyce Nichols Lewis

Edited by Patti Varol and Joyce Nichols Lewis

Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis

The Mepham Group