VCU has introduced new efforts to protect pedestrians and students, including yellow signs on campus with the messages “heads up, phones down” and “look both ways.”
Pedestrian safety is the number one safety concern for students, faculty and staff of VCU after two students were killed last year in traffic on Laurel and West Main, according to VCU News.
“I’d definitely say that’s probably a big concern just because of how many people there are and how fast the drivers drive,” Taylor Wilson, a first-year forensic science student, said.
Wilson said she feels the new signs will at least provide a more definitive marker of where sidewalks end and intersections or streets begin, “especially for freshmen who don’t quite know where the streets stop and end.”
A VCU Pedestrian Safety Study was published in September 2023 by Kimley-Horn, an engineering consultant based in Richmond. The study includes recommendations to improve safety through the use and installation of infrastructure such as speed tables, “No Turn On Red” signage and curb extensions.
Following the report, the city of Richmond installed 13 speed tables on high-traffic streets and 14 “No Turn On Red” signs at intersections near the Monroe Park campus, according to VCU News. Speed tables, which are long, flat speed bumps, are found to reduce car crashes by up to 64%, according to the Federal Highway Administration.
These speed tables have proven effective on the VCU campus, according to Brian McNeill, VCU’s director of public relations. McNeill shared that on West Cary, the speed tables reduced the top recorded speeds from 91, 85, 78, 65 and 57 mph in January 2023 to 56, 48, 47, 46 and 43 mph in March 2024.
VCU Police have also done pedestrian safety outreach around campus in the past, including passing out flyers that have the message “stop, look, cross” and educating pedestrians about safety concerns such as navigating crosswalks, according to VCU News.
Fourth-year interdisciplinary studies student Charley LaPlume said she hasn’t taken much notice of the new additions for signage and infrastructure, but that having a lot of other people walking around makes her feel safer.
“They’re probably good for some people to pay attention to. I think I’m a very alert person in general, but I guess those features are nice to have,” said LaPlume.
As far as safety, LaPlume said she heard many stories of people getting in accidents on Broad Street
“I have seen a lot of people riding scooters and such in the streets, the streets are also pretty narrow so I feel like that doesn’t help,” LaPlume said.
‘Heads up’: New signs around campus aim to alert pedestrians
VCU and the city have planned additional speed tables for Harrison, Cherry and Laurel Streets, and are investigating more possible locations for additional speed tables and curb extensions, according to McNeill.
Mayor Levar Stoney allocated $21 million of the 2024 fiscal budget to focus on slowing and “calming” traffic, according to VPM News.
Second-year communication arts student Nick Heath said he hopes the new signage will make pedestrians take a second to think about not using their phones. He feels that because he is conscious as a pedestrian, safety is not a large concern for him.
I do hope that it gets some people to maybe think for a second about having their phone out while they are crossing the street.”
Nick Heath second-year communications art student
Clean River Ahead: City approves plan to address sewer overflow
JACK GLAGOLA
News Editor
ELLIE WALTMAN
Contributing Writer
The James River might just get cleaner — the City of Richmond announced on Aug. 14 that a project to fix the combined sewer and stormwater overflow is going forward, according to a press release.
Richmond’s 150-year-old sewer system is a combined system, which means the pipes carry both wastewater and stormwater. When heavy rains or storms come, the sewer overflows and sends wastewater laden with bacteria like E. coli into the river, making it unsafe to swim in for some time afterward, according to CBS 6.
The city has worked to clean up the river dramatically since 1970, the press release
from the City of Richmond stated. Over three billion gallons of overflow water are treated now, and the city aims to treat 90% of all stormwater — amounting to five billion gallons. The Commonwealth Times reached out to the Department of Public Utilities via email and phone but received no response. Paul Bukaveckas, an environmental ecology professor at VCU, explained the risk the waste poses.
“These days, the main issue at hand is not the ecosystem but the human health issues caused by possible pathogenic bacteria being released into the water that we swim and kayak in,” Bukaveckas said.
See RIVER on page 2
One of the new “heads up, phones down” signs at Cathedral Place. The signs appeared all over campus this fall as part of the university’s pedestrian safety initiative Photo by Jerry Pleasant III.
Stories of the week
national: Hotel workers across the country went on strike Sunday, Sept. 1 over poor working conditions and low pay. international: Israelis erupted in protest on Monday, Sept. 3 after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rebuffed a deal to return hostages.
RIVER
Continued from front page
Organic matter, such as human waste, is decomposed by water which lowers the water’s oxygen level, and the sewer system was not originally designed to send the water to a treatment plant, according to Bukaveckas.
“The issue of low oxygen levels has been solved mainly due to our water treatment plants,” Bukaveckas said.
Melany Chinchilla, a student at VCU, said the city should invest in solving the waste problem for good.
“If the city pushed more funding towards keeping the river clean, it would solve the problem,” Chinchilla said.
Spencer Chapman, a third-year art communication student, said she keeps a close eye on the river forecasts and the state of the James River.
“I spend a fair amount of time at the river,” Chapman said. “It’s definitely been a focal point in the news this summer. It’s concerning seeing as most of our recreation in this city is brought in because of our rivers. It’s depressing knowing we haven’t been able to swim in them safely most of the time.”
Election Day is coming up, here’s what to know
JACK GLAGOLA
News Editor
AMANY BOUALI
Contributing Writer
Election Day is only 61 days away. Voters will decide who the next president will be on Nov. 5 — Republican and former President Donald Trump or Democrat and Vice President Kamala Harris?
Here’s what to know to make sure every vote counts, according to the Virginia Department of Elections:
Virginia residents can register online at any time until Oct. 15. Early in-person voting begins Sept. 20 at a local registrar’s office. Registration offices open for early voting on Oct. 26.
However, Virginia has same-day registration on a provisional ballot until Election Day.
Oct. 25 is the last day to apply for a mail-in ballot. Eligible voters can apply on the Department of Elections Citizen Portal.
VCU students living in dorms can register to vote at the campus polling location but must register under the mailroom at 207 N. Laurel Street, not their residence hall. Only eleven of the 187 ballots cast in the 2022 midterm election were counted due to this, according to Amanda Wintersieck, a political science professor and advisor for VCU Votes.
VCU Votes, a voter outreach program, will hold several voter registration drives throughout the semester for students, including one on National Voter Registration Day on Sept. 17, according to Kelsey Jones, an advisor at VCU Votes.
After it rains, the James River often fills with sewer waste, which contains many sickening bacteria. The city’s plan to solve the overflows is going forward. Photo by Arrick Wilson.
Montgomery.
How students stay healthy on campus
ABDULLAH KARABATEK
Contributing Writer
Food is one of the top concerns among college students alongside mental health and stress, according to Medicat.
Only 17% of students reported eating three servings or more of fruit, and 29% reported eating three or more servings of vegetables daily, according to a study conducted by the American College Health Association.
Food prices increased 5% from 2022 to 2023 — fresh fruits and vegetables respectively increased in price by 0.7% and 0.9% that year, according to USDA. However, sugar and sweets increased in price by 8.7%.
Andrew Carr, a second-year art student, said he goes to the dining halls and shops for groceries. He said he focuses on protein so he tries to maximize the “cost per calorie.”
“I switched up the way I ate over the summer because I started cooking for myself, I started watching what I ate,” Carreron said.
Ammar Mohiuddin, a third-year biology and bioinformatics student, also buys his own groceries and cooks for himself.
Mohiuddin said he puts in effort to have the recommended amount of three meals a day.
“I wake up an hour or more before my earliest class or whenever I am leaving to make sure I have time for breakfast,” Mohiuddin said.
The NCHA study found over 50% of students had breakfast almost every day. Mohiuddin said when he eats breakfast he leans towards fruit rather than a cereal that is high in sugar.
“The biggest thing for me is I avoid eating sugar, I am not really necessarily adding those unhealthy snacks,” Mohiuddin said. “I am just
I feel it allows me to be full.”
Mohiuddin said by replacing snacks with fruit he also gets to save money.
When faced with the challenge of balancing nutrition with cost, many students turn to campus dining options like Shake Smart or Shafer Court, which offers several “mini-restaurants,” according to VCU Dining.
Second-year graphic design student Angelina Arias said she shops for her own groceries and considers how much she’s spending.
Arias said she uses her swipes at Shafer because it has “a bit of everything” and although she sees nutrition as a priority, her classes can cause plans for meals to fall through.
Arias said education on proper nutrition could also be another key component of incorporating proper nutrition into someone’s diet.
“I would also say I did not learn much about nutrition in my school,” Arias said.
“I don’t worry about what I eat, I just try to make sure I’m eating enough,”
Andrew Carr second year art student
Chris Chavez, a third-year student and member of the club soccer team, eats on campus with swipes. He said he likes to go to Panda Express and thinks Subway is the healthiest choice.
“If you want to eat healthy, you have the option to,” Chavez said.
Chavez said he eased himself into cooking for himself by making his own breakfast before getting access to a bigger kitchen.
“I would meal-prep some chicken, some rice, some vegetables and put that in Tupperware for a day or two of eating,” Chavez said.
Brendan Carreron, a second-year communication arts major, has a small meal plan and also eats at local restaurants. On campus, he tends towards Shake Smart, which he thinks is the healthiest.
“Every other place on campus is fast food,” Carreron said.
Carreron said he tries to prioritize nutrition over cost now, although he said choosing healthy food all the time “comes at a cost.”
Illustration by Llily Gordon.
Stat
of the week
VCU fourth-year Luisa Fasold scored the game-winning goal to give Rams field hockey the 1-0 win over American University, according to VCU Athletics.
Press box: You can bet I hate sports betting
KYLER GILLIAM Contributing Writer
Both the NFL and College Football are gearing up for the season, but a true evil is rearing its ugly head once again: sports betting.
Sports betting is everywhere, and to be quite frank I am sick of it. Every show, network and podcast has some type of sportsbook sponsorship.
Want to learn more about the questionable Vikings secondary? You have to hear this ad for DraftKings. Want to know how Tennessee’s roster fares against a competitive SEC? Here is $5 worth of promotional credit from PrizePicks to make a bet.
Season previews are riddled with betting lines, spreads, overs and unders; I am tired.
I want to watch preseason football content without the forbidden apple of sports betting being dangled in front of my face.
The culture that sports betting creates enables gambling addiction, especially in young adults. Its advertisements are everywhere younger people inhabit.
In online spaces, there is a constant reminder of how to make quick money if you can pick the right numbers on a five-leg parlay.
The sportsbooks have made sports gambling accessible to the average person after the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act in 2018. The act restricted states’ access to legal sports betting,
allowing the betting industry into their states.
The sportsbooks have their own apps where people can gamble, instead of having to go through a bookie or casino to gamble. These apps have advertisements everywhere and there is no escaping. It preys on young adults, as well as minors who are not old enough to legally gamble.
People in their early 20s are the fastestgrowing demographic of gamblers, according to the American Psychological Association.
The growth of sports betting goes further than the average consumer, it impacts the athletes as well.
There have been many instances where professional and collegiate athletes were caught
Former Raptors center Jontay Porter received a lifetime ban from the NBA for violating league gambling rules, including betting on his own team’s games, according to the NBA.
The culture of sports betting breeds ugliness from fans when athletes don’t reach their betting lines. Fans harass athletes on social media, blaming them for the money they gambled away. Direct messages or untasteful posts that ridicule athletes for not living up to an imaginary number that someone else placed on them are absurd.
People are more worried about the $50 they wasted than the actual human on the other side of the screen.
Hopefully, this will get better, but I have a feeling we won’t. The gambling companies, the professional sports leagues, lawmakers and the influencers selling the product are making boatloads of money.”
Kyler Gilliam, Contributing Writer.
in the morning. We don’t need more naive young adults turning into degenerate gamblers, and we don’t need athletes attacked for not playing up to an imaginary standard.
Hopefully, this will get better, but I have a feeling we won’t. The gambling companies, the professional sports leagues, lawmakers and the influencers selling the product are making boatloads of money.
The sports betting industry generated $10.9 billion in 2023, according to Sports Business Journal.
That number is expected to grow. With corporations and investors generating billions of dollars and the demographic of young gamblers continuing to populate the gambling market, this is a problem that we
VCU women’s basketball prepares for season ahead
KEMAW Staff Writer
The Rams released their upcoming nonconference schedule for the 2024-25 season in early August.
This schedule includes teams that the black and gold have a history with, like Old Dominion University, as well as new teams they have yet to face off, like Long Island University, according to VCU Athletics.
The Rams concluded their 2023-24 season with an overall record of 26 wins and six losses and a conference record of 15 wins and three losses, finishing third in the Atlantic 10 conference, according to the Atlantic 10.
As the Rams prepare for their upcoming season, head coach Beth O’Boyle said she is excited for what’s in store.
“I think it was a terrific year last year,” O’Boyle said. “There’s a really great foundation
and culture with our team and coaching staff and it should be an exciting season again.”
The black and gold also made history after a record-breaking attendance of 6,054 at their home game against George Mason, alongside having a good season, according to VCU Athletics.
The Rams are looking forward to going after that record, according to O’Boyle.
“We have Temple on a Friday night,” O’Boyle said. “Going after that record attendance again for our support her game.”
In addition to Temple University, the Rams will be competing against the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Howard, ODU, Rider University, James Madison, East Carolina State, Delaware State and Long Island University during their non-conference play, according to VCU Athletics.
From these opponents listed, redshirt second-year guard Deniz Torgut said the Rams
are eager to face off against ODU because they lost the last game.
“We’re gonna beat them this year,” Torgut said.
The Rams have a long-standing history with ODU, dating back to 2010, with VCU having 11 wins and seven losses against the Monarchs, according to VCU Athletics.
The black and gold will also participate in the Cancun Challenge being held in Cancun, Mexico in late November, according to Cancun Challenge.
This is a challenge the team is looking forward to for many reasons, according to redshirt fourth-year guard Grace Hutson.
“We’re excited to travel to Cancun,” Hutson said. “But, also, I enjoy playing in neutral sights, other than home games, because you can’t really rely on the fans to bring the energy, you as a team have to bring your own energy.”
This three-day competition will consist of
the Rams having back-to-back games against Providence College, San Diego State University and the University of Wisconsin, according to Cancun Challenge.
VCU is no stranger to the Wisconsin Badgers after facing them in the Paradise Jam in 2022 and securing a 75-67 win, according to VCU Athletics.
Hutson said she’s excited to face them again to see if securing another win will be attainable. There’s a lot to look forward to for the Rams this season but being consistent, staying disciplined and trusting the process are three things the team is setting as their goals, according to VCU redshirt second-year guard Deniz Torgut.
“We’re trying to get better results than last year,” Torgut said. “We’ve set some goals from last year and we’re actually excited about it.”
BERSABEH
Illustration by Killian Goodale-Porter.
Photo by Anthony Duong.
Rams butt heads with the Tribe, lose 2-1
HAYDEN BRAUN
Contributing Writer
The VCU women’s soccer team suffered a 2-1 loss against William & Mary on Thursday, Aug. 29.
VCU second-year forward Kendyl Sarver came out with a shot on goal at the two-minute mark in the first half. Although it was a missed shot, she set the tone to start and it eventually led to her first goal of the season.
“I felt it coming for the last three games. I definitely wanted to get some momentum going,” Sarver said. “I can’t understate how awesome that was. But it definitely doesn’t feel as good when you don’t win.”
VCU had a total of 13 shots, out shooting their opponent’s 10 total shots in the game, according to StatBroadcast.
Neither team was able to finish a chance during the first half, and the game was tied 0-0 heading into halftime.
“There were times where we were bending, but we didn’t break,” said Lindsey Martin, VCU head coach.
The team talked about different defensive schemes during halftime, but overall decided to stick to the original game tactics, Martin said.
“We talked about a couple of ways to defend against them, playing short out of
the back. But other than that, we stuck to what we thought was going to be the successful game plan,” Martin said.
In the second half, VCU fourth-
Unfortunately, it’s a loss, but it’s the best we played for 80 minutes, but those last eight minutes we have to learn from.”
Lindsey
Martin, VCU head coach.
year goalkeeper Allison Karpovich had 3 saves with 2 goals allowed, according to StatBroadcast.
Her first save came at the beginning of the second half and gave VCU momentum, which led to the game’s first goal of the night.
Sarver scored a goal with an assist from fourth-year midfielder Kanna Matsuhisa at the 57-minute mark.
VCU was up 1-0 but then committed back-to-back penalties, earning the Rams two yellow cards.
The first of two yellow cards led to a goal from the Tribe’s second-year midfielder Lindsay Wilson to tie the game 1-1 at the 85-minute mark.
Two minutes later, William & Mary’s fourth-year forward Leah Iglesias scored the game-winning goal, which gave the Tribe a 2-1.
“Unfortunately, it’s a loss, but it’s the best we played for 80 minutes, but those
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last eight minutes we have to learn from,” Martin said.
The team will take this loss into practice to help prepare them for their future matchups, according to Martin.
“We’ll be taking it into training as we head into this week. Obviously, we got a tough schedule ahead with UVA, Maryland and Wilmington, but we’re getting to where we need to be, hopefully in time for the conference,” Martin said.
VCU will be taking on the University of Virginia on Thursday, Sept. 5 at home in Sports Backers Stadium at 7 p.m.
VCU second-year forward Kendyl Sarver celebrates with her teammates after giving the Ram’s a 1-0 lead over William & Mary. Photo by Anthony Duong.
Scouting Report: VCU vs Virginia Tech
VCU women’s volleyball will face Virginia Tech University at the Siegel Center on Friday, Sept. 6. The CT Sports staff chose their notable players for this upcoming matchup.
MARCUS LEARY
Contributing Writer
Anja Kujundzic
Second-year libero Anja Kujundzic is a defensive advantage for the VCU Rams. In her first season with the Rams, she played in all 30 matches and all 113 sets, according to VCU Athletics. She was selected to the Second Team All Atlantic-10 as well as the All-Rookie Team, according to VCU Athletics. Kujundzic set two freshman records in total digs, with 570, and digs per set, with 5.04, according to VCU Athletics. Kujundzic was a vital part of last season’s win over Fordham University in the A-10 tournament, 3-2, setting an Atlantic-10 tournament record with 39 digs, according to VCU Athletics. The Hokies will have a challenging time scoring if Kujundzic is on the court.
ETHAN YORK
Contributing Writer
Alicja Jaryszek
The third-year outside hitter is set to be an offensive weapon against Virginia Tech. This is her first year with VCU, but at Coastal Carolina University she averaged 1.83 kills per set in 14 matches, according to VCU Athletics. The 6-foot-2 inch hitter helped lead Central Wyoming Junior College to a 25-11 record in 2022 as well, according to VCU Athletics. That same season she racked up 345 kills and averaged 2.06 digs. Jaryszek played for Poland’s Tauron league in 2021 and helped lead her team to a third-place finish at the national tournament. Jaryszek has shown she is ready to set her team up for success.
JENNY ALLEN
Contributing Writer
Leandra Mangual Duran
The 6-foot outside hitter Leandra Mangual Duran is ready to block and tally up points against VCU. Duran is a graduate student who had her debut at Virginia Tech in 2023, playing 84 sets and starting in 24 of them, according to HokieSports. Last season, Duran had a total of 660 total attacks and 219 kills, setting her personal career record with 17 kills against Delaware State, according to HokieSports. With 206 digs, averaging 2.45 per digs per set, VCU will have to sharpen their attack to tally up points against Duran and the Hokies. Duran ranks third on the Hokies team for most service aces, recording 22 last season, according to HokieSports.
ANDREW MCGHAN
Contributing Writer
Hayley Pearce
The second-year right-side hitter looks to build upon her success from last season. During Pearce’s first season she was listed fifth in kills with 122 and third in total blocks with 43, according to HokieSports. The Hokies lost some of their strongest players from last year, including three of their top five leaders in kills and their top two leaders in total blocks, according to HokieSports. With holes in the Hokies’ defense and offense this season, Pearce must be the player to step up if the Hokies want to continue their success from last season. With her stellar freshman season, I believe Pearce is up for the challenge.
AUGUST 29
WOMEN’S SOCCER VS. WILLIAM & MARY LOST 2-1
AUGUST 30
WOMEN’S FIELD HOCKEY VS. AMERICAN WON 1-0
AUGUST 31
MEN’S SOCCER VS. HIGH POINT TIED 1-1
WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL AT ARIZONA LOST 3-1
SEPTEMBER 1
WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL VS. BOISE STATE LOST 3-0
SEPTEMBER 2
WOMEN’S FIELD HOCKEY AT MONMOUTH LOSS 4-3
On this day
In
Richmond art institute showcases three new fall exhibitions
LAUREN HALL
Contributing Writer
The Institute for Contemporary Art is showcasing three brand new exhibitions in the Fall 2024 season: “Dear Mazie,” curated by Amber Esseiva; Loie Hollowell’s “Space Between, A Survey of Ten Years;” and Caitlin Cherry’s “Eigengrau,” according to the ICA’s press release.
These new exhibitions are open to the public at the ICA from Friday, Sept. 6 to March 9, 2025.
“The ICA truly wants to be this resource to the student body, where they can come and see working artists’ work on view, and that could be an inspiration to them about how they might want to show up in their future careers,” Meredith Carrington said, the ICA marketing director.
Carrington believes there is a lot of beauty in the diversity of the programs at VCUarts and in the broader community, she said.
“I hope that everyone who comes into the ICA this fall season will find a real point of personal connection — I think there’s something for everyone,” Carrington said. “We value all types of art. We value many voices.”
“Dear Mazie” is an exhibition inspired by Amaza Lee Meredith, founder of the fine arts department at Virginia State University and the first known Black queer woman to work as an architect in the United States, according to Amber Esseiva, associate curator at the ICA.
Esseiva started with extensive research of Meredith’s archives at Virginia State University, she said. She spent approximately two and a half years there — going through Meredith’s artwork, documents, architectural blueprints and photographs.
“Then I set out to figure out what I would do with her legacy as it is left in the archive,” Esseiva said.
Since the ICA highlights contemporary artwork in their exhibitions, Esseiva decided to use Meredith’s art as inspiration for artists to create new contemporary art pieces, she said.
“This show does address many different disciplines like art, education, architecture, contemporary art, curatorial, practice, archival, practice and activism. And for that, I think this exhibition has a diverse range,” Esseiva said.
Esseiva expects that viewers of the “Dear Mazie” exhibition will be shocked if they are unfamiliar with Meredith, her work and her legacy, she said.
“I think it will leave students with the idea that there are many different ways to be an artist,” Esseiva said. “You can be an artist and work in an administrative capacity. You can be an artist and work in the built-in environment. You can be an artist and have sensitive relationships to your students.”
Loie Hollowell, a VCU alum, emphasizes the joys, pleasures and hardships of womanhood in “Space Between, A Survey of Ten Years,” according to Chase Westfall, the interim executive director of the ICA.
“Space Between, A Survey of Ten Years” captures the complexities of having a female body, highlighting themes of sexuality and motherhood and revealing the deep connection between these aspects and the female form, Westfall said.
“What’s really unique about her approach is that it brings sort of reverence and crassness and candor and humor and
kind of rawness all at the same time — all of those flavors are there simultaneously,” Westfall said.
Westfall hopes the recent repositioning of the ICA within the VCU School of Arts can mean even more successful, meaningful connections between VCU and the ICA’s resources, he said.
“I’m hoping that it can be really inspirational for the students,” Westfall said. “With these exhibitions coming up this fall is a great example of the kinds of synergies that have been there in the past, but can again be strengthened as we move forward.”
Caitlin Cherry’s “Eigengrau” has strong common themes, involving social media and the way technology reflects and distorts our perceptions of the identities of women — especially women of color, Westfall said.
Playing on this idea of distortion, Cherry makes use of hallucinogenic color as a way of nodding to the distortions, literally and figuratively, that are produced by screens, Westfall said.
“I think that there’s something a little unsettling and something that sort of makes you feel a little estranged and surreal, and I think that’s really part of the kind of uneasiness and uncertainty that I think Caitlin wants you to experience,” Westfall said. “You know, the fantasy that becomes a nightmare of how bodies are commodified and eroticized in media space.”
Westfall also hopes VCU students viewing “Eigengrau” will reflect on these larger forces, he said.
“All three exhibitions have this in common, where we’re sort of seeing into these spaces that are normally kept out of our kind of frame of view,” Westfall said.
I hope that everyone who comes into the ICA this fall season will find a real point of personal connection — I think there’s something for everyone. We value all types of art. We value many voices.”
Meredith Carrington ICA marketing director
1998, Larry Page and Sergey Brin founded Google. It started as a research project at Stanford University.
Amaza Lee Meredith, the first known Black queer woman to practice as an architect in the United States. Photo courtesy of the Institute for Contemporary Art.
‘Mountainscape’ by Loie Hollowell.
Photo by Melissa Goodwin. Photo courtesy of the Institute for Contemporary Art.
‘Crichoues Indignation,’ by Caitlin Cherry; installation view
Photo by Melissa Goodwin. Photo courtesy of the Institute for Contemporary Art.
Richmond filmmaker debuts film, appreciates local connections
“It’s a lot of life experiences put into an hour and fifteen minutes.”
Ken Brisby Richmond filmmaker
MAEVE BAUER Contributing Writer
Ken Brisby is a local filmmaker who’s been in the film industry for close to a decade. Their debut feature-length film “Mom, I’m On Drugs” premiered on Friday, Aug. 30 at Cobra Cabana.
The movie follows five teens and how one night can change everything, according to Brisby. They pulled inspiration from their own life, friends’ experiences and different things they have heard and seen at parties.
“It’s a lot of life experiences put into an hour and fifteen minutes,” Brisby said.
After showing in Richmond, the movie will play at different film festivals along the East Coast, according to RVA Magazine and Brisby.
The original screenplay was created in 2015 and after going through multiple edits and title changes — the film was born, Brisby said.
It was frustrating to get the project started at first, due to lack of money and general attention to the project, according to Brisby.
Brisby grew up in Annandale and moved to Richmond for school, they said. After moving they said they truly found their place.
“As soon as I got here for college I never went back, even for summer vacation. I just got a job and started doing my own thing,” Brisby said.
Brisby was grateful for their connections throughout Richmond when filming, they said.
“We kind of had free reign because people knew me or other people involved in the project,” Brisby said. “I think that made Richmond very important.”
Some places in the film are GWARbar and Valley Road Warehouse, according to Brisby.
Brisby was a very hands-on director, they said. They were responsible for the script, special effects and building the set.
“I realized it was a lot harder to find everyone I need, so I just started learning everything myself,” Brisby said.
They explained how they are still finding a creative process with this being their first film, Brisby said.
“I wanted to learn each and every department so I knew what they were going through,” Brisby said.
They hope audiences will have fun watching it, Brisby said.
“I didn’t want the film to be a huge dramatic event or a horrific event or all fantasy — I kind of wanted it to be a mix,” Brisby said.
Richmond local Sarah Dowd played Stephanie, one of the leading characters.
Dowd said she would describe her character Stephanie as someone who feels lost when her best friend moves away, as well as facing the death of her mother.
“They’re really just struggling with reality and on the verge of leaving, and then this crazy night happens and it sort of gives them a new perspective,” Dowd said.
This was Dowd’s first time acting — she got involved in the film after becoming friends with Brisby, she said. She was originally going to be an extra in the film, but they needed someone to play Stephanie and asked her.
“It was a little hectic for sure, being a part of an independent production,” Dowd said. “There was a schedule we all tried to
adhere to, but there were a lot of late nights as well, it was fun chaos.”
Though this was Dowd’s first film, she said she felt the transition into her role wasn’t too difficult. She explained how she felt similar to the character and used her own relationship with her mother as an emotional guide.
On the contrary, Davis Erney, the actor who played another lead, Jason, did not feel a similar connection to their role, they said. They describe their character as a nerd with three friends and “definitely a virgin.”
Erney wants audience members to have fun watching the movie, they said. The film is about people coming together over trauma and the supernatural.
One of their favorite things about the film is how open it is to queer identities, they said. Erney is non-binary and played a male character. They commented on how refreshing it was that they were able to have a transgender character in the film without it being centered around their queerness.
Ailsa McCutcheon is a friend of Brisby’s and the owner of Savannah — a dog featured in “Mom, I’m On Drugs.”
“Since we’ve known each other, probably like 2018, 2019, they were like, ‘Can your dog be in my film?’” McCutcheon said.
McCutcheon is grateful her dog can be involved in this film, she said.
“My dog’s going to get to live forever in this movie of our friends’ and loved ones’ that is so well done,” McCutcheon said. McCutcheon said she caught the test screening of the film.
“Seeing it all come together was so cool, I think I probably cried,” McCutcheon said. “Ken’s put their heart into this, and the way it came together is just so beautiful.”
Ken Brisby, director of ‘Mom, I’m On Drugs,’ stands on stage at Cobra Cabana, preparing to premiere his locally made film. Photo by Teairrah Green.
‘Mom, I’m On Drugs’ merchandise for sale at the film premiere. Photo by Teairrah Green.
African festival returns to Richmond, celebrates cultural unity
Afro Fest has been a yearly celebration of African cultures throughout the diaspora since it began seven years ago, according to a local news article.
This year’s event was hosted on Saturday, Aug. 31 at the Dogwood Dell Amphitheater. The event yielded several returning and new musicians, dancers, food vendors and business owners.
Omilade Janine Bell, president and artistic director of the Elegba Folklore Society and art vendor at the festival, said both cultural unity throughout the diaspora and the celebration of indigenous African identities are important.
“Because it’s all one, and this festival helps to demonstrate that,” Bell said.
This deep respect and appreciation for ancestral and cultural connection is evident through the cultivation of this festival, according to Bell.
“I will say that the Elegba Folklore Society’s Cultural Center is just a few blocks away from the VCU campus— we have programs that are happening, we have cultural history tours, we have festivals, we have performances, we have opportunities to learn about how we got to where we are. So we invite the students to come on down,” Bell said.
Paul Pace, a first-time attendee of the festival, described how he found out about the event through flyers posted on Broad Street.
Pace came to the event to learn more about African art and health practices, he said.
Attendees Caleb Mcfarlane and Sydnee Bass came to the festival together in the hopes of learning and observing more about the diverse cultures of each African region, they said.
“I wanted to learn more about different cultures and I’m having a lot of fun,” Bass said. Mcfarlane expressed his enjoyment of art and music from different cultures. He said he felt implored to explore the various displays of African art and music that the festival had to offer.
Eunice Turkson, CEO of AfriEducational Plus, secretary of African Community Network and third-time vendor coordinator at the festival, said she wants Ghanaian heritage and culture to shine through via her clothing, headwraps, jewelry and accessories for sale.
“This event is for the celebration of cultures. Anyone who buys from here is gonna buy authentic Ghanaian outfits which fit so well — so beautifully,” Turkson said. “The cooks and chefs are cooking so many delicious foods. We have Togo, we have Senegal, we have Liberia and a mix of Jamaican food.”
Turkson also appreciated the beauty of the diverse cultural community created both during the preparation of this event and the event itself, she said.
Tahsheca Bowen and Raymond Agoutinyarkho of Dadi’s Kitchen and second-time vendors at the festival said the origins of the event stemmed from African creators throughout Virginia. They emphasized the importance of perspective as well.
It is important to broaden the narrative when it comes to experiencing Black and African cultures, according to Bowen.
“As a Jamaican, and I think as somebody from a different culture, if you don’t experience African culture, I’d say you’re missing out. I traveled to Ghana last year, and it was a culture shock,” Bowen said.
Bowen described how social media has a tendency to depict places like the United States as superior to Ghana and other African countries, when that is in fact, not the case. She was excited to share her culture and meet new people at the festival.
When one travels the continent of Africa they will see the beauty and cultural diversity throughout each respective country for themselves, Bowen said. She hopes attendees take the good food and African spirit from Afro Fest with them.
A performer wearing traditional African clothing takes the stage at Afro Fest. Photo by Kobi McCray.
LAUREN HALL Contributing Writer
Performers take the stage at Afro Fest. Photo by Kobi McCray.
Quote of the week
“The aim of argument, or of discussion, should not be victory, but progress.”
— Joseph Joubert
VCU Dine strikes back
LAUREN PRATTIS Contributing Writer
A new school year means new friends, new classes and a new screw-up from VCU Dine.
This semester, VCU Dine is using Grubhub, a mobile food-ordering app, in combination with physical kiosks at all of the school’s dining locations.
As I stood in a 45-minute line for the third time in a week, I began to wonder why VCU would make such an abrupt change to the system that was working perfectly fine before.
At the end of last semester, some of VCU’s more popular dining locations — Chick-fil-A and Einstein Bros. Bagels — started to allow Grubhub orders and, from what I recall, it was a complete nightmare. At peak hours, Einsteins had to shut down in-person orders to accommodate the overwhelming number of online orders.
Every student, regardless of whether they are on a meal plan or not, is forced to use either the kiosks or the app, leaving both customers and workers too frustrated to even step foot into the warzone the VCU Student Commons has become.”
Now, in-person ordering is not even an option. Every student, regardless of whether they are on a meal plan or not, is forced to use either the kiosks or the app, leaving both customers and workers too frustrated to even step foot into the warzone the VCU Student Commons has become.
Chick-fil-A is arguably the most popular dining location on campus, and where I have experienced the most issues with the new way of ordering. There is a perpetually long line of people waiting to use the kiosks — I have stood in line for almost 15 minutes to just order my food.
Once you approach the kiosk, you have to go through the time-consuming process of entering your phone number and name to be sent a verification number, which will need to also be entered back into the kiosk to order. It is extremely timeconsuming and can be flustering, especially if there is a long line of people waiting behind you.
To place an order, you can use a credit card or Apple Pay, but those with a dining plan are forced to use their VCU ID. Previously, students could use the GET Mobile app with a personalized QR code
to swipe instead. I know personally, as an off-campus student, I do not carry my VCU ID with me at all times. It is just one small issue, but it is also one extra step for a student on the go.
Before placing an order on the kiosk, the screen shows an estimated wait time as well as how many people are in front of you. When the order is finally placed, you receive a text message from Grubhub with your order number and its status.
The constant updates on orders is a good idea but just like the estimated wait times on the kiosks, it is never accurate. At Einstein Bros. Bagels, the staff will mark the orders as complete on the TV screens, and students will get a text message their order is ready when in reality, it hasn’t been made yet.
The confusion stems from half of the orders coming from the kiosks and half of them from the app, making it more difficult than it needs to be for a student wanting to grab a bite to eat in between classes.
During my time at VCU, I have figured out just about how long each dining location takes to complete an order. If I had an hour in between two classes, I used to be able to go to any dining location, place an in-person order and have my food within 20 minutes with enough time to eat. Now this is almost impossible to do without being late to class or having to take my food with me — which is both extremely disruptive and inconvenient.
The Grubhub app seems like it would be both fast and convenient, but in reality, you are met with wait times just as long as those ordering in person at the kiosks are. Most dining locations now have TV screens that track the status and progress of the orders, but just like the kiosk screens and the text messages, they are inaccurate.
Once you receive a text saying your order is ready, you must use the app to scan a QR
code on the restaurant’s signs to “confirm your order.” Again, it seems like a good idea, but depending on how busy it is at the restaurant when your order was placed, your food may not be ready — once again proving the wait times to be misleading.
On top of inaccurate wait times, the lack of immediate communication with an on-site dining staff member means not accurately being able to know which items are in and out of stock and can lead to orders with incorrect ingredients.
One of the biggest changes from VCU Dine is that Pod Market no longer offers a self-service option.
On days when the lines were a bit too long to be able to get a full meal between classes, students could stop at Pod Market to pick out a snack or two and quickly check themselves out. Now, all orders are processed through a cashier.
The longer lines are not the fault of the
workers but are created due to the fact there are only one or two people working at a time.
VCU Dine needs to revise their entire system. Most universities in the United States — for example, the University of Virginia and the University of Tennessee Knoxville — have started to transition to mobile ID cards with a few exceptions.
The easiest solution to VCU Dine’s problem would be to either require every student to get the app, or scrap the Grubhub idea entirely and have people order solely via the kiosks. Having both is confusing and overwhelming for everyone involved.
If VCU Dine ever fully transitions to an entirely mobile ordering system at all dining locations — with someone available to take an in-person order if needed — it could be a successful change. As it stands now, the new system has the right idea but the wrong execution.
Illustration by Victor Romanko.
Let’s discuss discussion boards
NATALIE MCEWAN
Contributing Writer
Picture this: It is 11:45 p.m. on a Sunday evening and you are going to bed relaxed. For once, you got all your assignments done way before their deadlines. You are under the covers and about to close your eyes when suddenly you realize you forgot to respond to your classmates’ discussion board posts.
You jump out of bed, fumble for your laptop and type out the thought provoking, groundbreaking, never-before-seen response that will be sure to open your classmates’ minds: “Hey, you! Great response! I really agree with — insert semi-niche point here — have a great night!”
Sighing, you close your laptop knowing you can now sleep soundly through the night.
After noticing post after post and reply after reply look eerily similar on every discussion board I have been assigned, I began to think more about what they are meant to accomplish in the classroom.
If you are in a university classroom today, chances are you have encountered more than a few discussion boards. They gained more popularity when educators wanted to make sure students in virtual classrooms were still engaging with the texts and their peers on a deeper level during the pandemic.
In my experience, however, discussion boards are shallow. They pale in comparison to an in-person class discussion, and there are far better options for the virtual classroom to accomplish these learning objectives.
Now, I should make a disclaimer here. I am not an education professional. I do have a lot of experience from the student’s perspective, though.
Discussion boards are supposedly meant to benefit students and help them engage
In my experience, however, discussion boards are shallow. They pale in comparison to an in-person class discussion, and there are far better options for the virtual classroom to accomplish these learning objectives.”
with the reading on a deeper level by meaningfully reflecting on it. They are meant to help students show up to a discussion-based class more prepared, help them exchange ideas with their peers or help those who are shy or socially anxious get participation points.
With many students simply replying rehashed versions of the same sentence on every discussion board, however, they often do not fully engage with any of their supposed benefits. This leaves an experience where students are not as likely to take discussion
board assignments seriously or remember the discussions as well as those from an in person class.
As an English major, I am already forming opinions and conclusions by reading a text. I do not believe discussion boards make students any more prepared than they would be by just doing the readings.
Having to pull thoughts out of my head and type them up for a discussion board on top of having an in-person discussion just feels redundant. To ensure I am staying on top of the readings, I would rather take an easy reading quiz over a discussion board any time.
In a productive class discussion, people might crack jokes, debate back and forth, disagree, bring up new points or share personal anecdotes, but hardly any of this happens on discussion boards. I believe this is due to their public nature.
Discussion boards almost feel like social media posts — writing them feels permanent in a way speech does not. Ironically, the opposite is true because writing can be revised. While what you say in a class discussion occurs in the moment, a written board post is viewed that entire weekend and can be reviewed or edited whenever one wishes.
Classmates are reluctant to engage with each other on discussion boards as bluntly as they would in person, with the convention of “proper” written language acting as a restraint. Instead of speaking casually, the posts and replies often follow a script of what a “proper” discussion board post is supposed to look like.
Now, I will admit, I probably should not be the person speaking on whether discussion boards are effective for gauging participation for shy students. Ask anyone who has had a class with me — I am one of the most talkative people there.
However, I can name a few alternatives that would help engage people who do not enjoy talking in class. For example, private reflection assignments allow students to use writing to fully immerse themselves in and engage with texts without the pressure to respond to classmates.
Reading quizzes are another alternate assignment that help ensure students stay up to date with course material. In the virtual classroom, breakout rooms are a way to facilitate discussion through a screen, while in a physical classroom, allowing students to turn to a partner to discuss instead of the entire room could help more students comfortably break the ice.
Even less common assignments, such as asking students to keep a blog or work on a creative project throughout the semester, mitigate some of the awkward pitfalls of the discussion board by giving students agency over what they can create.
Discussion boards are awkward and surface-level. There are many equivalent assignments that exist to accomplish the same goals in more effective ways. As far as this discussion on them goes, I would be happy to leave these boards in the past.
Illustration by Gabriella Denney.
Joke of the week
“I had cards printed up saying I’m a private eye, so I guess until someone prints up some cards saying I’m not, I am.” — John s wartzwelder, “ the time machine did it”
Where in the world is Rodney the Ram?
DYLAN HOSTETTER
Opinions and Humor Editor
It was a hot, sticky August day and I had just woken from a nap in the middle of class. My professors were never happy with my narcoleptic tendencies, but what did I care — I’m a private detective. I’m the last line of defense between order and chaos, and also I stayed up past my bedtime.
Rodney the Ram was missing. The case had taken over my mind, I just couldn’t crack it. He was a staple around campus — giving uncomfortable side-hugs to incoming freshmen and staring down crowds of sports games with those cold, unfeeling eyes of his. For all anyone knew, that could have all been over.
It is not every day a case like this comes across my desk. I spend most of my time surveilling cheating boyfriends or pretty much anything that gives me an excuse to use my binoculars — those things were expensive.
I wasn’t new to the detective game, either — just last semester I exposed an underground racketeering operation. I caught a couple of students selling stolen tennis rackets behind the gym before they jumped me and beat me with the merchandise. You’ll never catch me envying a tennis ball ever again, that’s for sure.
The VCU Police had said nothing about the Ram’s disappearance. This worried me — could it have been an inside job? Why would VCU want to silence their own mascot? Were Rice Krispies Treats really getting smaller, or were my hands just getting bigger? Maybe that was a question for another day.
I approached my one connection within the force later that night. He was an odd sight, sitting alone on a street corner atop a shiny new chrome bicycle.
“How’d you afford the new wheels, Jay?” I asked him. “Taking bribes again?”
“What’s it to you, gumshoe?” he asked. He often dismissed me this way, but calling me “gumshoe” was just plain offensive. You step in gum once and it sticks with you for the rest of your life.
“Don’t worry, I’m not a jealous man, just an honest one,” I said. “Unlike you, I like to
do my job.”
“Oh yeah? And what job would that be?” he said with a sly smile. I had to temper my emotions — the last time I punched a man with a badge I got banned from a Six Flags.
“Cut the nonsense, you know the Ram is missing,” I said, flicking his badge. “Just because I don’t have one of those shiny shields pinned to my shirt doesn’t mean I’m not going to do something about it.”
He said he hadn’t heard anything about a missing Ram, and I didn’t know whether to believe him or not — I never was good at telling when people were lying. One time somebody told me that if your hand is bigger than your face you may have cancer, and when I put it up to check, he kicked me in the groin. That’s my fault for surrounding myself with the wrong crowd.
I’ve learned many lessons in my time as a private eye, enough to know I wasn’t going to get any information out of him. I needed something out of this interaction though, so I tipped him off his bike and ran like the wind. A cheap laugh is nothing compared to the satisfaction of solving a case, but I have to take what I can get.
I just couldn’t see how no one knew anything about Rodney. I couldn’t really see anything because it was dark outside — which is probably why I didn’t see the figure calling to me from the alleyway.
“Pssst! Hey, you in the trench coat and fedora,” the voice said. “You’re a private detective right?”
I was nervous to be summoned from a strange alley voice, but was happy the trench coat finally paid off as a fashion choice. I sweat away 12 gallons a day wearing this thing in the name of brand recognition.
I approached the alley to find a beautiful girl waiting there. You might call her a femme fatale, if you saw women as some sort of stock character archetype — which I of course do not. I’m an ally after all. I cried when Ruth Bader Ginsberg died.
I asked her what I could help her with, and she told me she had information.
“What kind of information?”
“About the Ram,” she said.
“What Ram?”
She was starting to get angry. “You know, the Ram.”
“The Los Angeles Rams?”
“No, Rodney the Ram!”
Little did she know this was all a subtle detective trick to make sure she was on the level — I knew what she was talking about the whole time. You pick these tricks up if you stay on the job long enough. Contrary to what people say, I only pretend to be as dumb as I look.
Before I could say anything else she began to slowly back into the darkness and whispered, “The compass points east.”
With my fast-acting private-eye brain I quickly decoded her message. Once outside the library and on the Compass, I began to walk east. It wasn’t long before I happened upon Monroe Park and the severed head of Rodney the Ram sitting on a park bench.
Well, severed may be the wrong adjective. I assumed it was severed before I learned Rodney the Ram was actually just a
guy in a costume. Just because I’m a private investigator doesn’t mean I know everything.
The guy in question was resting easy on the other side of the bench puffing on a watermelon-flavored vape.
“Rodney, where have you been?” I asked. He looked confused. “First of all, my name’s not Rodney. It’s Kevin,” said Rodney. I refuse to refer to him by this obviously fake alias.
“But you’ve been missing. I’ve looked everywhere.”
“Missing? I just took the day off, man,” he said. “What’s your problem anyway? What’s with the trench coat, and why are you so sweaty?”
Editor’s Note:The characters and events depictedinthisstoryarefictitious.Anyresemblancetorealpersons,livingordead,is purelycoincidental.
Illustration by Liz DeFluri.
The Perfect Club Doesn’t Exist... by Anthony Duong
