The Commonwealth Times; January 23, 2019 by VCU Student Media Center

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VOL. 60, NO. 17 JANUARY 23, 2019

HAVOC

Story on page 5

Photos by Erin Edgerton

Lettering by Saffeya Ahmed

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL RANKED ONE OF THE BEST DEFENSES IN THE NATION: *According to NCAA rankings

Field Goal Percentage Defense

Scoring Defense

Junior center ranks in A-10 top 10 for blocks this season

3-Point Field Goal Defense

Rams maintain win streak after defeating Rhode Island

Stories on page 6

NEWS GRTC routes 2

SPORTS Student managers 7

SPECTRUM Linking Park 10

OPINIONS Black journalists 13

2 The Commonwealth Times

Stories of the week

national: U.S Senator Kamala Harris, D-Calif., announced Jan. 21 she will run for president in 2020. international: A proposed Philippine law would make children as young as 9 years old criminally liable, putting them at risk of detention in adult facilities.

GRTC reroute disadvantages lower-income areas, study shows HANNAH EASON Contributing Writer

Not to scale. Source: GRTC Routes

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Bus frequency

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Infographic by Mai-Phuong Bui

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The Greater Richmond Transit Co. reroute inadequately serves Richmond’s low-income neighborhoods, according to a recent study from VCU’s Center for Urban and Regional Analysis. Low-income neighborhoods are largely limited to low-connectivity routes, the study found. Low connectivity means a rider may have to change buses several times to reach their destination. The comparison between old and new routes found a 22 percent decrease in residents within a quarter mile of a transit stop. The study also observed job accessibility through GRTC, which improved by six percent. “ W hile GRTC has taken a forward-thinking approach to improving job accessibility, there is still room for improvement related to improving transit access to affordable housing,” said Sarin Adhikari, research economist at CURA and member of the study. The issue of low connectivity is partly due to GRTC giving more attention to “frequency over proximity,” said Fabrizio Fasulo, CURA director and study member. Fasulo and Adhikari said low-income areas are often less populated, and therefore have fewer GRTC riders. “Whoever lives [in low-income areas] needs public transit much more than other people,” said Adhikari, “Others have options. They don’t have options.” Adhikari suggested extending routes to low-income areas, “even if [GRTC] is losing money.” Neighborhoods in the East End such as Mosby, Whitcomb, Brauers, Peter Paul and Fulton have the lowest connectivity to public transit services. Southside neighborhoods near Jefferson Davis Highway, Hull Street and Midlothian Turnpike have equally low connectivity. Sarah Pentecoste, VCU alumna and frequent GRTC Pulse rider, said she was frustrated with the GRTC’s low frequency in the Fulton area. “That area is already unserved, and those riders have to walk several blocks to get to a bus stop already. And now it’s not even coming as frequently,” Pentecoste said. “It makes that trip a lot harder for people who live in that neighborhood.” Aaron Simmonds, a GRTC rider who grew up in Southside and Henrico, said he didn’t ride GRTC until moving to downtown Richmond. “It’s kind of messed up how they don’t really have access further out,” Simmonds said. “It’s easy for me [downtown], who doesn’t really need it, compared to other people who do.” Out of more than 32,000 residential units within a quarter mile of a transit stop, only 48 percent of those bus stops have fair to high connectivity. Almost half of lower-income residents do not have access to high-connectivity GRTC routes. Routes with higher connectivity are not only faster, but lessen the risk of missing a connecting route. Adhikari said that while GRTC has made some routes faster, the rerouting decreased the number of low-income residencies located within a quarter-mile of bus stops by 22 percent. Nearly 20 percent of residential units were within a quarter mile from a transit stop. More than half of residential units

GRTC routes to Short Pump from selected Richmond neighborhoods

The VCU study found the GRTC reroute decreased the number of high-frequency routes in low-income areas. As shown above, residents of Mosby Court and neighborhoods near Hull Street, which are low-income areas, have to make more stops to get to Short Pump than people living near VCU.

were over three-quarters of a mile from a transit stop. While there is a lack of coverage in residential areas, the reroutes have improved access to job centers, particularly Short Pump and west Henrico. The study showed additional access to 11,400 jobs within a quarter mile, an estimated six percent increase. 24,600 jobs are located within a half-mile of transit stops, proving an 11 percent increase. The connection between housing and job centers showed a “huge improvement,” Fasulo said. In a statement, Fasulo said the city is responsible for ensuring

that “the whole community” benefits from economic expansion. “This is especially important for the marginalized and disadvantaged communities in the region that have felt, and rightfully so, left behind in past developments,” Fasulo said. The study primarily focused on individuals living below the poverty level, individuals of color, those with limited English proficiency and those who are dependent on public transportation. Public transportation access for this population could provide a “big picture look” at the equal access in the region, according to the study.

Fasulo and Adhikari said these observations are part of a larger study, which will later take into account renters, homeowners and those dependent on public transportation. “The Great Richmond Reroute” is the first major update since downtown’s electric trolleys came to a halt in 1949, according to the GRTC website. This update came at the same time as The Pulse, the city’s first bus rapid transit system. GRTC has been jointly owned by the City of Richmond and Chesterfield County since it was purchased from private owners in 1973. GRTC did not respond to request for comment.

Wed. January 23, 2019 3

VCU eliminates full Campus Connector route after GRTC deal WALTER CHIDOZIE ANYANWU Contributing Writer Following a Dec. 11 announcement, VCU discontinued its Campus Connector bus route Jan. 2 in favor of an express system as part of a year-long pilot program that allows students, faculty and staff to ride Richmond public transportation for free. The partnership between VCU and the Greater Richmond Transit Company — a government-owned transit company based and operating in the Richmond metropolitan area — began last August.

“I feel like [VCU] could easily take a poll for people at [Cabaniss] or people that ride the bus often. There are better places [stops] could be placed.” Belton Harris, VCU freshman “We recognize how important it is to collaborate with riders and the city on improvements to the new network while remaining budget-conscious,” said Gary Armstrong, chair of the GRTC board of directors in a statement. “This kind of partnership allows GRTC to evaluate service enhancements that were not possible without VCU’s investment.” Spokesperson with VCU Parking and Transportation Jonsette Calloway said the partnership came as “a recommendation in a campus-wide parking and transportation study.” It is, according to Parking and Transportation, an opportunity to provide the VCU community with greater access and different means to explore the city.

The GRTC Pulse has 14 different stops, one of which is located Broad Street on VCU’s Monroe Park Campus. Photo by Jon Mirador However, this change hasn’t been popular with some students. VCU student Shanice Hicks, who lived in Cabaniss Hall — a dorm located on the MCV campus — in 2016 was one of several students who expressed dissatisfaction on Facebook following the launch of the new system earlier this month. “Students are also going to be forced to have to pay for transportation such as Uber & Lyft to get to specific destinations that the Campus Connector doesn’t even come close to,” Hicks said in a Facebook post. “Attempting to rely on the RamSafe/ GRTC could potentially increase the risk for safety issues as well.” The new route leaves five of the orig-

inal stops: James Branch Cabell Library, One Capitol Square, 8th and Main streets, Sanger Hall and J. Sargeant Reynolds. The express route does not include any stops between the Monroe Park and MCV campuses, while the original Campus Connector route did. Hicks said the remaining stops are some of the least-used by students. The original route included a stop in front of the School of Business, located at 301 W. Main St. The closest stop to that building is now a half mile away at Cabell Library. VCU student Belton Harris — a freshman living in Cabaniss Hall who takes classes at the School of Business — said he spends 12-15 minutes waiting for the

Connector, only to arrive at the library and walk 10 minutes in the opposite direction to attend classes. “I feel like [VCU] could easily take a poll for people at [Cabaniss] or people that ride the bus often,” Harris said about the potential for a different system. “There are better places [stops] could be placed.” The response from other members of the VCU community has been “overwhelmingly positive,” according to VCU Parking and Transportation spokesperson Jonsette Calloway. She said several students and employee say they utilize the service “multiple times per week.”

Students focus on sustainability in dorms

WALTER CHIDOZIE ANYANWU Contributing Writer

A green living-learning community is bringing students together to create sustainability projects. The EcoVillage, sponsored by the Office of Sustainability, is located in Brandt Hall. As freshmen, students are trained and instructed to develop monthly sustainability-focused programs. Students who live in the EcoVillage work with the resident assistant of two floors to create the sustainability projects. “That worked but we found that there wasn’t a lot of engagement going on,” said Erin Stanforth, director of VCU Sustainability. “So we took it a step further with an application to ResLife asking for the EcoVillage to be a living-learning program.” This required the Office of Sustainability to develop classes that students for students to take during the first semester of freshman year. Michelle Kim, a resident advisor with the EcoVillage and member of the living-learning community herself, describes the program as having an “important role on campus.” While it has not been the most popular living-learning program

by virtue of its recent establishment, it is steadily growing in size. “I have noticed that more students from all years are beginning to join and spread awareness on the course and its content,” Kim said.

Kim said she enjoys living with other members of the EcoVillage on the same floor. “I feel like it makes our community feel more connected and it is also refreshing to know that you are surrounded by other

people who feel the same way about certain issues,” Kim said. “It also helps me understand various viewpoints that my peers hold which keeps the conversations diverse and inclusive.”

I feel like it makes our community feel more connected and it is also refreshing to know that you are surrounded by other people who feel the same way about certain issues. It also helps me understand various viewpoints that my peers hold which keeps the conversations diverse and inclusive.” Michelle Kim, EcoVillage resident advisor

Prince Deven Thomas lives in Brandt Hall where the EcoVillage is located. The project first began in 2015. Photo by Jon Mirador

4 The Commonwealth Times

Alum-turned-mayor reflects on career, family life and college memories What led to the move from the business world to politics? JW: My minor at VCU was political science. My day job has always been in IT, it is today. Mayor is a part-time gig in Alexandria so I still have a full-time job as well. I do IT work for AMTRAK, been here for 12 and a half years. I don’t think they are wildly different. I think my business experience has always helped on the political side … handling budgets, handling leadership of large organizations. Sometimes the politics even helps me in my day job. How has the balance been as a part-time mayor and working a full-time position?

Photo courtesy of alexandria.gov CELESTE CHANCE Contributing Writer VCU alumnus Justin Wilson is the newly-elected mayor of Alexandria, Virginia. Wilson graduated from the School of Business in 2001 where he studied information systems — he also wrote for The Commonwealth Times. Wilson spoke with The CT about his experiences as a student, working in information technology, juggling family life and being elected mayor.

JW: So I’ve been on council for eight years. At least I have some experience here with the balance. It’s a little more challenging as mayor, because there is more demand for time. It’s not been dramatically different. I have two kids as well, so balancing the family and two jobs is fun. I will not do it forever, but it’s fun to do it right now. What made you want to run for mayor? JW: The reason I ran for mayor is, in some ways, the reason I ran for council in the first place. Things that were issues in my community such as the success of children, infrastructure investment, economic development — vitally important issues that I felt like I had something to contribute on … You look on the council and decide whether

you’d be a valuable addition. This is my fifth election in the city, so this is not a new thing for me. I am getting used to being a mayor. How do you think your time at VCU has affected your day-to-day life now? JW: My education at VCU helped prepare me for my career for sure, and that gave me experience in elected office as well. I learned a lot from the city. Richmond was a fun place to be in school … I grew up in northern Virginia, so going down to Richmond was not something I was terribly excited about. But by about the end of my time at VCU, I really came to appreciate a lot at VCU and Richmond. My wife and I today try to go back to Richmond periodically. That’s where we first kind of started dating. So it holds a lot of sentimental value for you. JW: Yeah, absolutely. A lot of 3rd Street Diner breakfasts. Beyond the classroom, what were some of your fondest memories as a Ram? JW: I went to the very first game at the Siegel Center when it opened up. They played Louisville. Everyone expected Louisville to stomp us, because this was before the basketball program got good, and they were a nationally ranked program. VCU actually won that game. It was such

a cool atmosphere. I remember that vividly, just being a fun night to be there at a brand new stadium. I didn’t have as much of a social life as I would have preferred, but I spent a fair amount of time working. I came to enjoy a lot of my time there. We went to Strawberry Street Cafe a lot and different restaurants in the Fan. Is there anything you could offer up as advice to undergraduates who are graduating or even hoping to get into the political field? JW: As far as getting in the political field, my view has always been, based on my own experience: have a career, have interests outside of politics, be a multidimensional person, become an expert in different things and obviously give back to your community in any way that you can. In politics we have two types of people, people who want to be something and people who want to do something. I’m much more a fan of the “do-something” people. Those are the people you want there. Gain some expertise, know what you want to do and work in your community to do it. In politics today, there is a yearning for younger people and people with different ideas. There’s an impatience for politics in the country and certainly even in Virginia … they want change agents who are there. That’s what I would offer. There’s no magic recipe for any of this.

Professor joins Trevor Noah’s “The Daily Show” to discuss book SHIRIN PODURY Contributing Writer A sociology professor discussed her critically-acclaimed book on “The Daily Show with Trevor Noah” Jan. 15.

Frankly, I think we’re smarter if we listen to black women. That’s not to say that black women are always right, but black women always have the right to be heard. When you don’t model [taking] black women seriously in our public discourse it reinforces the idea that people don’t have to take us seriously.” Tressie McMillan Cottom, VCU sociology professor Tressie McMillan Cottom’s book, “Thick: And Other Essays,” consists of a collection of essays outlining the nuances of black womanhood. The essays drew from her experiences and included an array

Tressie McMillan Cottom ranks in the U.S. top 200 most influential people on educational practice in the 2019 Edu-Scholar Public Influence Rankings. CT file photo of topics ranging from healthcare to rallies protesting the Trump administration. Reviews described the work as emotionally taxing and containing uncomfortable subject matter but labelled it an essential addition to bookshelves. “There’s this theme running through the history of black women’s experience of this country and of the world that is about being nuanced,” Cottom said on the show. “And sometimes too nuanced for the world

to perceive us as we perceive ourselves. It was in that nuance where I wanted people to get comfortable.” She continued to speak on the multifaceted experiences of black women. Cottom said she wrote the book to address the insufficient portrayal of black women without labeling an overarching definition of what it means to be a black woman in this day and age. As an educated black woman, she said,

people sometimes listen to her experiences without looking into the perspectives of other black women. Trying to prevent readers from considering “Thick: And Other Essays” an all-encompassing perspective, she chose the format of “slice of life” essays. “I didn’t want to give the impression that by reading one definitive text about black women you knew everything there is to know about black women,” Cottom said. “Instead, [this gives] a slice of life in the thinking and the philosophy of black womanhood as I understand it.” Cottom told Noah all black women deserve a place in public discourse. “Frankly, I think we’re smarter if we listen to black women.” Cottom said. “That’s not to say that black women are always right, but black women always have the right to be heard. When you don’t model [taking] black women seriously in our public discourse it reinforces the idea that people don’t have to take us seriously.” She also spoke about the importance of being unapologetically black. When addressing code-switching — a cultural practice of alternating linguistic patterns and phrases — Cottom said people have the freedom to not partake in it. “I am acknowledging the fact that I have achieved certain status symbols that we tend to associate with people who don’t look like me,” Cottom said. “I want to make people uncomfortable with the fact that they are uncomfortable with me [and] reconcile with the fact that I sound like I sound, I look like what I look like and I am what I am.”

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Stat of the week

Women’s Basketball extended its win streak to seven games, including five in a row in A-10 play.

Le t te rin g b y S aff eya A hmed

Sophomore guard Tera Reed has started all 18 games for the Rams, averaging a team-high 13.4 points. Photo by Shayla Bailey

BEN MALAKOFF Contributing Writer

trong defense has carried

Redshirt-sophomore guard Niya Johnson has played 54 minutes this season. Photo by Shayla Bailey

Women’s Basketball to many wins, but it’s not the same as the Men’s HAVOC. The women are creating “chaos” on the court for this season’s opponents. The Men’s defensive style is now known by its nickname, HAVOC, and an equivalent hasn’t been widely-bestowed to the women. But the defensive style of Women’s Basketball is arguably one of the best in the nation — coach Beth O’Boyle said the team wants to generate “chaos on the floor.” “We want to get deflections. We want to use our defense to establish the tempo and to help our offense generate some points,” O’Boyle said. “We talked a little bit about being chaotic out there and just being really aggressive.” Women’s Basketball ranks second in the nation in scoring defense, field goal defense and 3-point field goal defense, according to NCAA rankings. “A lot of credit [to our defense],” said sophomore guard Taya Robinson. “We have been working on that a lot … and we talk about it as a team. When we get our defensive intensity up, we come back into games and our offense goes harder.” Chaos is one way to describe what Women’s Basketball does on the court. In a game against Fordham Jan. 16, the Rams came back from 17 points down, including holding their opponent’s offense to just four points in the last quarter. Robinson said assistant coach Kirk Crawford helped her improve her defensive skills. “He helped me work [on defense] in the summertime and during the season,” Robinson said. “I knew it was something that I needed to work on. I knew I needed to work on a lot of things, but defense was one of them.”

We want to use our defense to establish the tempo and to help our offense generate some points. We talked a little bit about being chaotic out there and just being really aggressive.”

But the “chaos” O’Boyle describes has not always characterized the Women’s defense. Last season, the Rams finished 7-22, winning only four Atlantic 10 games. The season ended in the first round at the hands of Saint Joseph’s in A-10 tournament at the Richmond Coliseum. With no seniors on the roster last year, Beth O’Boyle, Women’s sophomore guard Tera Reed led the team in Basketball coach scoring, averaging 13.8 points. Bria Gibson, who led the team in rebounds, transferred to High Point. There were some bright spots in the 2017-18 season for a team that only won seven games, such as Reed’s strong first season and an intense A-10 win against the regular season champs Saint Louis. But it was unknown to fans which direction coach Beth O’Boyle would take the team after a disappointing season. “Our offseason development was a lot about trying to get our players better,” O’Boyle said. “We actually did more offense in the summer and in the spring than we did defense. It’s just a lot of individual skills being broken down. We spent a lot of time this summer working on that.” Women’s Basketball has grown this season, reigning victorious against top programs like Wake Forest and Georgetown. Robinson is a key force behind that success — last year, she averaged 9.1 points and finished with 91 rebounds in 21 games. Currently recovering from a knee injury, Robinson now averages 9.8 points but has already tallied 80 rebounds in 18 games. Junior guard Jailyn Maddox shoots 83 She has also tied her personal season-high percent from the free-throw line this of 17 steals so far. season. Photo by Shayla Bailey “We were talking about that during the summer workouts. [O’Boyle] said she wanted to cause chaos,” Robinson said. “And we have.”

6 The Commonwealth Times

Women’s Basketball coasts to victory

NILE MCNAIR Contributing Writer Women’s Basketball cruised past Rhode Island Sunday 78-39 behind sophomore guard Tera Reed’s 16 points. The Rams extended their win streak to eight, including five in a row in the Atlantic 10 — the first time in history that VCU has gone undefeated in conference play through the first five games. After a sluggish start, VCU went on a 21-0 scoring streak lasting until early in the second quarter. Threes were the focal point of VCU’s scoring. The Rams finished the day 10-17 from three, as Reed led the way with a career-high four 3-pointers. “I would say I was just feeling it tonight,” Reed said. Dominating on both offense and defense, the Black and Gold took a comfortable 3812 lead into halftime. Maintaining a large lead, all 14 Women’s Basketball players got on the court against Rhode Island, and 13 of them scored. Coach Beth O’Boyle said she was pleased with her team’s performance. “Great overall team effort,” O’Boyle said. “Even better that we got the win here at home with these great fans.” All season, the Rams have been one of the nation’s best on the defensive side of the ball — that continued Sunday, as the team held Rhode Island to 39 and 0-13 from the 3-point line. “I think our players are really buying into our identity of defense and [it] shows on the court,” O’Boyle said.

Sophomore guard Tera Reed scored 16 points in the Jan. 20 win over Rhode Island. Photo by Erin Edgerton

VCU will take its seven-game win streak on the road Jan. 23 against George Washington and will then host Saint Louis Jan. 27.

Ram in Action: Danielle Hammond JARON NUTTER Contributing Writer Women’s Basketball center Danielle Hammond finished in the top five for blocks in the Atlantic 10 conference last season, and she doesn’t plan on stopping there. “By the time I graduate I would like to hold the record for most blocks at VCU,” Hammond said. Hammond has totaled 68 blocks throughout her collegiate career and ranks in the A-10 top 10 for blocks this season. This season, she averages a career-best 7.2 points and 61.8 shooting percentage. But the junior center’s basketball journey did not begin at VCU. Hammond attended the all-girls independent Baldwin School in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, where she averaged 13 points, eight rebounds and three blocks.

RAM STAT Hammond has appeared in 18 games this season, averaging seven points per game and 1.2 blocks per game.

Junior center Danielle Hammond has logged 68 blocks during her career at VCU. Photo by Shayla Bailey

She starred as a two-sport athlete in basketball and volleyball at Baldwin — but she ultimately decided to continue her basketball career. “I chose basketball over volleyball because basketball brings me more joy,” Hammond said. “Once I started playing basket-

Junior center Danielle Hammond scored a career-high 17 points in the win over Fordham Jan. 16. Photo courtesy of VCU Athletics ball, there was no other choice for what I wanted to do, although volleyball was a lot of fun.” Her decision to continue playing basketball led her to VCU. Now in her third season, she has played 57 games and started 16. Even with her collegiate experience and development, she said she actively looks to refine her game with hopes to play professionally one day. “The part of my game I would like to improve the most is my defense,” Hammond said. “Our team really takes pride in being a good defensive team, and I want to contribute to that in any way possible.”

Taking pride would be an understatement — Women’s Basketball ranks second in field goal percentage and scoring defense in the nation. Hammond anchors the VCU defense with 1.3 blocks per game, ranking 10th in the A-10 conference. Women’s Basketball currently sits at 13-5 with an undefeated A-10 record through five games. The team is primed not only for an A-10 championship, but an appearance in the NCAA Division I Women’s Tournament. Women’s Basketball has not made an appearance in the tournament in 10 years.

Wed. January 23, 2019 7

Senior student manager Tyrone Green (right) has been a part of the Men’s Basketball program since May of his senior year of high school. Photo by Erin Edgerton

The team behind the team

STUDENT MANAGERS

NOAH FLEISCHMAN Sports Editor

Usually, Men’s Basketball student managers spend their long working hours coordinating and assisting the team. But one time, they got to play basketball with Adam Sandler. Last April, Men’s Basketball Director of Operations Jimmy Martelli asked senior head manager Tyrone Green if he wanted to play with Sandler when he was in town for a show at the Altria. “It was just cool, he’s just a normal guy, very friendly and he left us tickets to the show,” Green said. “He shouted us out at the show, which was pretty cool. It was a great opportunity and that’s some of the things that being a manager is about.” The day-to-day tasks are a bit less glamorous than meeting a renowned comedian — manager responsibilities can range from picking up lunch to making sure towels and water are set up and helping players workout, Green said. “I call it a 24/7 job,” Green said. “You’ve got to be on call whenever the coaches need, whenever the players need.” There are four student managers that assist with the program’s day-to-day functions. Green and junior manager Michael Mann are always talking about basketball and what needs to be done. “It’s a really big time commitment, he and I communicate constantly at all hours, whether it be about laundry or travel,” Mann said. “It could be 10 o’clock, 11 o’clock at night, but we’re always ready to go.” Balancing schoolwork and a job is hard for a student manager, Green said. He’s taking all online classes in his final semester at VCU as he works toward a sociology degree. Mann wakes up early to attend his 8 a.m. class so he can get ready for practice at 2 p.m. Both Green and Mann got involved in the program because their high school

coaches knew coaches within the program, but Green had a jump-start compared to the other managers on staff. “I started being a manager before I even graduated high school because I’m from Richmond,” Green said. “I started in late May with coach [Will] Wade’s staff. I was hired because in high school I played for Kendrick Warren, his jersey is hanging in the raftors [at the Siegel Center]. He made a phone call down here and I was like ‘Yeah, I would love to work with the program.’” Warren played at VCU from 1990-1994, finishing as the Rams all-time leading scorer with 1,858 points— a mark that has since been surpassed by Eric Maynor — 1,953 — and Treveon Graham — 1,882. The university raised his number 23 to the rafters in 2005, but it is still worn on the court today by redshirt-junior wing Issac Vann. Before games at the Siegel Center, the managers set up shootaround and perform other necessary tasks to get ready for that night’s contest. “During shootaround, I usually go back and set up the uniforms and things like that for the players to make sure all the gear is correct for the game,” Green said. “By the time tip comes around, we help rebound on the court, then we are ready to go.” When the game is in action, the student managers are just as engaged in the action as the players on the bench in front of them. “They’re so much fun to have around and they’re so into it,” coach Mike Rhoades said. “They’re as excited as the players when we win a game and as bummed out as the players if we don’t win. They’re all in — they are so into it.” And when the game ends, the student managers’ nights are just beginning. “After the game we have responsibilities like cleaning up the bench, making sure everybody’s jersey gets turned in to be washed, going back to put film on coaches’ computers,” Mann said. “If they want to stick around the office and eat dinner late nights,

Junior student manager Michael Mann and other student managers set up the bench and make sure the water is set up. Photo by Noah Fleischman you want to go get them some food — you do that after the game as well.” Last year the Rams’ managers competed in the national manager games and took the crown, as they defeated former VCU coach Shaka Smart’s Texas staff in San Antonio, Texas. “Honestly it was kind of unbelievable,” Green said. “We started the manager games my freshman year, we thought we were just playing and it built into this huge thing.” The championship was a “brotherhood type of game,” Green said. Men’s Basketball Director of Player Development Darius Theus was on the Texas staff last season, so he played against one of his former teammates Joey Rodriguez. Theus and Rodriguez both played at VCU and were part of the 2011 Final Four team. The teams in the manager games can be comprised of any staff member associated

with the team, including coaches, except for the head coach. The student managers returned to Richmond in 2018 not knowing that students and faculty at VCU would recognize them for their run to the national championship. “[It] was a great experience even afterwards, people on campus would be like, ‘oh, you’re a manager on the team, you guys won a national championship,’” Mann said. “You didn’t think that people pay attention to, but you got noticed.” Even though most fans do not notice what the student managers do on the court, they continue to influence the program every day. Mann said his favorite part of the job is “being a part of something that’s bigger than yourself.” “Though the work may be behind the scenes,” he said, “you know that you’re making a great impact.”

8 The Commonwealth Times

PRESS BOX

Illustration by Sammy Newman

NFL: A diversity crisis ANDY RIDDLER Contributing Writer The next Sean McVay. That’s what teams are using as a motivator to find their next head coach, and why wouldn’t they? McVay is a football mastermind who took the Los Angeles Rams from a laughingstock to a Super Bowl appearance in two seasons. But nobody is looking for the next Anthony Lynn, the man who helped the Los Angeles Chargers win 18 of their last 25 regular season games and one playoff victory. So what has McVay done that Lynn hasn’t? Lynn’s Chargers ranked top 10 in offense and defense this season, while McVay’s Rams struggled to build an average defense this season with a roster full of pro-bowlers and the likely Defensive Player of the Year, Aaron Donald. McVay was expected to already have a coaching tree when his offensive coordinator, Zac Taylor, was introduced as the Cincinnati Bengals head coach following the conclusion of the season. What else does Lynn have to do to get to the praise he deserves for turning the Chargers around? The NFL knows there is an issue with ensuring equal opportunities for racial

minorities to serve as head coaches — in 2003, it established the Rooney Rule, which requires NFL teams to interview at least one minority for a vacant head coach position. Even with the rule, owners frequently interview a candidate of color just to check the box. For example, the Washington Redskins and the Oakland Raiders used Jerry Gray and Bobby Johnson, respectively, as sham interviews to help fulfill the Rooney Rule without having any real chance at being awarded the position. Over the last few weeks, eight head coaching jobs — five of them previously held by black men — have opened up in the NFL, but only the position with the Miami Dolphins will be filled by a black man, current New England Patriots Linebackers coach and defensive playcaller Brian Flores. That would leave the league with only four minorities out of the 32 total coaching positions — Flores, Lynn, Mike Tomlin with the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Carolina Panthers’ Ron Rivera. By comparison, over 70 percent of all league players are racial minorities. Owners are comfortable with non-white players, but God forbid a black man leads the team.

Nobody can certifiably say whether the league owners are racist or if this is just a result of implicit bias that pervades the front offices of the 32 teams. But one thing is very clear: black men have significantly fewer chances to reach the highest point in their coaching careers. The Arizona Cardinals have raised many questions about the league with their firing of Steve Wilks. Wilks, a black man, only coached for a year, inheriting an aging roster — the eighth oldest according to a PhillyVoice article — and starting a rookie quarterback for almost the entire season. There may have been only a handful of coaches in the history of the league who could have handled that, and yet the Cardinals fired him. Losing 13 games did not help his case, but the Cardinals fired him in favor of a young, offensive mind — Kliff Kingsbury — a friend of McVay’s. Kingsbury coached Texas Tech for the last six years, accumulating a record of 35-40. Following the 2018 season, he was fired and subsequently hired to be the offensive coordinator at Southern California, where the team expected him to help bring back a championship. Instead, he left after 34 days because he was offered the job with the Cardinals. Sports anchor

Dale Hansen said on WFAA in Dallas that, “Kingsbury fits all the criteria to be an NFL head coach. He’s an offensive genius, he’s young and he’s white — and not necessarily in that order.” A man who won less than half his games at Texas Tech, including years when he had Patrick Mahomes, the likely NFL MVP for 2019, received one of the 32 most prestigious head coaching jobs in American sports. Why? What had he done to warrant it? He is certainly an offensive genius — his teams have averaged 42 points since 2011 — but he never proved to be a coach who can win football games. Isn’t that what being a head coach is about? Apparently not, but it certainly helps to be white. “You work your way up the ladder, become a defensive coordinator,” said ESPN NFL analyst Damien Woody in a video he posted on Twitter. “Finally get your chance [to be a head coach], and you get fired after one season … and get replaced by a guy who was the USC offensive coordinator for all of what? 30 days?” Everybody wants the next Sean McVay, but the future for black coaches in the NFL may hinge on who can become the next Anthony Lynn.

Track and Field continues success at VMI ADAM CHEEK Staff Writer

Redshirt-senior Nicholas Buckingham was a part of the 4-x-400 meter relay that finished sixth with a time of 3:20.61 at the Keydet Invitational. CT file photo

Track and Field continued the indoor season at the VMI Keydet Invitational this weekend, taking home an array of results, a quartet of top-five finishes, over the course of the two-day event. The 4x400 relay team posted a second-place result with senior mid-distance runner Ashley Greenlee and senior sprinter Taylor Watkins leading the way. They teamed up with junior sprinters Kayla Smith and Kara Lyles to finish with a time of 3:49.55. Lyles also set a new personal best in the 400-meter, with a new time of 57.68. Redshirt-senior mid-distance runner Nichelle Scott brought home a bronze finish with a 5:06.36 time in the one-mile run, while junior jumper Janelle Cheatham recorded a fourth-place long jump effort with a 5.53-meter jump, a personal best. Men’s track and field ended the weekend on a high note as well, recording a number of top-10 results. Freshman thrower Jaekob Vollbrecht finished with a third-place effort in shot put with a 16.93-meter throw, while sophomore high jumper Xyan Xrich-

ardson took home fifth in high jump with a two-meter leap. The 4-x-400 meter relay squad recorded a sixth-place effort with freshman hurdler Daiqwaun Faircloth and three sprinters — redshirt-senior Nicholas Buckingham, junior Chukwuezugo Aguolu and freshman Emmanuel Waller — combining to clock in just under 3 1/2 minutes. Junior distance runner Lucas Sidle set a personal best and a seventh-place effort in the one-mile run with a time just under 4 1/2 minutes, while freshmen distance runners Archie Blaes and Paul Rosacia recorded new bests in the 3000. Blaes recorded a time of 9:01.69, while Rosacia was just two seconds behind. The women’s team kicked off the weekend with some podium finishes, including junior distance runner Emily Mulhern, who brought home a victory in the 5000. Mulhern clocked in at 16:57.60, a full minute quicker than the runner-up in the event. The Black and Gold 4-x-800 meter squad won the event with a time of 9:07.27. Junior mid-distance runners Ashley Brown and Judith White, as well as seniors Greenlee and Scott, teamed up to get the victory.

Redshirt-junior thrower Samantha Yankson recorded a 14.72-meter toss in the weight throw, good for 11th place, while sophomore jumper Aliyah Newman took home second in the triple jump with a 12.09-meter leap. The men’s team also started out strong at the invitational with a solid start. Senior sprinter Jamik Alexander and junior distance runner Bryce Catlett each recorded fourth-place efforts in their respective disciplines, Alexander in the 60 semifinals and Catlett in the 5000. Alexander recorded a 7.11 time in the second heat, while Catlett came home with a time of 15:19.52. Redshirt-senior sprinter Devon Thompson placed ninth out of 32 in the 500 with a time of 1:06.04, while Vollbrecht also finished ninth in the weight throw with a new personal best of 16.01 meters. The 4-x-800 meter team — composed of h distance runners Sidle, freshman Jacari Jennings, freshman Alvin Hamilton and sophomore Jordan Fountain — came home in third with a time of 8:02.14. Track and Field will travel to Fairfax Jan. 25 for the George Mason Invitational.

Wed. January 23, 2019 9

Tennis sweeps over the weekend DANIEL PURYEAR Contributing Writer

Singles play came with a Rams sweep as Diaz-Delgado only allowed one point in her match-up, and Ifidzhen fought to Tennis hosted a three-day weekend of the end with a 6-3, 4-6, 10-6 win against home matches Jan. 18-20 as both the Men’s Drexel’s Marta Martinez. The 5-0 sweep of and Women’s teams faced off against Drexel, singles and wins in two of three doubles Campbell and Georgetown. matches gave the Rams a 6-0 win in their first match play.

MEN’S TENNIS V. GEORGETOWN

WOMEN’S TENNIS V. DREXEL

WOMEN’S TENNIS V. CAMPBELL

Women’s Tennis played Drexel at 9 a.m. and Campbell on 4 p.m. Saturday. The team had no issue defeating their first match play opponents. VCU used senior captain Anna Rasmussen and sophomore Melissa Ifidzhen in its No. 1 doubles match. The European team had a tight match against the Dragon’s Cristina Corte Gonzales and Ghita Benhadi but secured the doubles point for the Rams with a score of 7-5.

The Rams defeated Campbell after taking down the Dragons 7-0 earlier in the day. Rasmussen and Ifidzhen battled again in the No. 1 doubles play match-up and came out on top of their Fighting Camels’ opponents, 6-1. Sualehe and junior Noumea Witmus also needed little effort to defeat Campbell’s Lou Regen and Inma Ramon, winning 6-0. Witmus fought till the end in singles and defeated her opponent, 6-1, (4)6-7, 10-4. The long-fought match for Witmus allowed for Sualehe to come onto the court also fighting past her opponent in a close one, 6-2, 7-6(4). The singles play gave the Rams six point in addition to their doubles point. Director of Tennis and Women’s Tennis coach Paul Kostin was pleased with the performance of the team on Saturday and wanted to get back into the rhythm of matches. “Just comes down to getting everybody to play. Next week, we play in the National Indoor, [UNC-Chapel Hill],” Kostin said. “It’s going to be a little tougher. This is a good warmup.”

RAM STAT Sophomore Kanako Yano only allowed three sets only gave up three games between two matches against Drexel and Campbell. Sophomores Marina Alcaide Bakkari and Sofia Sualehe also cruised by their Drexel match-up, finishing first in doubles with a score of 6-1. Sophomores Paola Exposito Diaz-Delgado and Kanako Yano fell short to the Drexel team of Salma Ziouti and Tara Veluvolu, 6-4.

Men’s Tennis defeated Georgetown 7-0 Jan. 20 at the Thalhimer Tennis Center. The Hoyas did not let much get past them in doubles and kept up a strong play all the way until the last serve. Junior Javier Amantegui and sophomore Rayane Alami matched up against the Connor Lee and Luke Ross team of Georgetown, leading to a nail-biter, but VCU fell short, 7-6 (4). Senior Arvid Noren and sophomore Inigo Torre Martin kept it close as well and were able to slip by Michael Chen and Charlie Sharton, 7-6 (5). Senior Philip Mobius and Inaki Rivero Crespo also mopped up their Hoya opponent with a 6-1 win. Singles continued to be close with another strong showing by Noren with a 6-0, 6-1 win and Amantegui came back from his double’s loss with a 6-0, 6-3 win against the Hoyas’ Carlos Grande. Sophomore Rayane Stable battled Chen, the strong doubles player for Georgetown, going into three sets and getting to 12-10 for the final. Freshman Stefan Petrovic faced off against Chen’s doubles partner, Connor Lee, and slipped out with a 7-5, 3-6, 6-2 win. Martin and Crespo beat their Hoya opponents 7-5, 6-0 and 6-2,6-2 respectively. Women’s Tennis heads to the Intercollegiate Tennis Association National Indoor Tournament Jan. 26 to play North Carolina at noon. Men’s Tennis will host Richmond, its acrosstown and conference rival, at the Thalhimer Tennis Center, Jan. 24 at 2 p.m.

Senior Anna Rasmussen and her sophomore doubles partner Melissa Ifidzhen went 2-0 in their doubles matches against Drexel and Campbell Jan. 19. Photo by Michel Maulding

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Senior Philip Mobius and sophomore Inigo Torre Martin defeated their Drexel counterparts in the No. 2 doubles match to earn the doubles point for the Rams Jan. 18. Photo by Michel Maulding

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10 The Commonwealth Times

On this day

In 1997, Madeleine Albright took office as the 64th U.S. Secretary of State, becoming the first woman to hold the position and the highest-ranking woman in the U.S. government.

“Linking Park”:

Bráulio Amado explores new inspiration in “Linking Park,” challenging traditional art with the use of hypertext. Photo by Jon Mirador

Graphic designer uses hypertext to refresh expectations

ANDREW RINGLE Spectrum Editor The smell of fresh paint fills the air on the second floor of The Anderson, where the walls have recently been adorned with hand-painted web addresses. A monotonous voice attempts to read the computerized language aloud, but the series of zeros and dashes in each address spawn echos of foreign, robotic tones. In “Linking Park,” graphic designer Bráulio Amado explores elements of his minimalist aesthetic within the boundaries of contemporary hypertext. The installment opened Jan. 18, following a lecture from the artist at the Grace Street Theater the day prior. The gallery is composed of hanging vinyl billboards, televisions scattered on the floor and writing on the walls. Each piece presents long-form URLs, which Amado painted onsite before the opening. When followed, the web addresses lead to visual art from the designer’s online archives, but the work is also printed on the back of each billboard. “All the links build up the exhibition,” Amado said. “I designed the exhibition in the way it would look if there weren’t any links. It’s all nature and flowers and plants, so the idea was to call it ‘Linking Park.’ Instead of showing all the plants and flowers, I just show the links.”

The new exhibit at The Anderson uses a mininalist style to redefine language and purpose. Photo by Jon Mirador At the farthest end of the room, a screen hides behind a small billboard. It projects the series of visuals represented by the hypertext without immediately revealing the alternative gallery to visitors. By obscuring that work, Amado analyzes the purpose of web addresses and their connotation of accessibility. “We’re so used to consuming art through the Internet nowadays,” Amado said.

“Clicking links is supposed to be an easy way of navigating the world, so I wanted to make it very complicated in a space that people come to look at art. You actually have to type up the URL to see it.” Since moving to New York nine years ago from Almada, Portugal, Amado has worked as a designer for Pentagram and art director for Bloomberg Businessweek. He has designed covers for Frank Ocean,

Róisín Murphy, Beck and Washed Out, and his illustrations have been published by The New York Times, Wired and The New Yorker. Today, he runs the Bráulio Amado Design Studio, teaching classes and doing commissioned work for local venues. Amado says he gets bored easily, so he is always looking for new inspiration in his designs. “Linking Park” serves as an experimental divergence from his traditional media. He wanted to try something with as simple a design process as possible, he said, thus painting each billboard on-site before the show. “I was trying to make the URLs as sloppy as possible,” Amado said. “But because I’m a graphic designer who does a lot of hand typography, it was kind of hard to not use the style I normally use. I’m not super happy because I wish it was even less designed, but the handwritten URLs add to the deeper concept of the show.” Amado’s painted texts dismantle the ease of access typically associated with hypertext and the Internet. From the abrasive lettering to the unemphatic pronunciation of each web address, “Linking Park” challenges traditional art in a humorous, yet thought-provoking fashion. Amado’s gallery will be on display at The Anderson until March 1.

Wed. January 23, 2019 11

UPCOMING EVENTS See something

WED. 1/23 Big Screen Classics: “Forrest Gump”

Enjoy a screening of “Forrest Gump” (1994) at the Byrd Theatre in Carytown. Winner of six Academy Awards, this iconic film is directed by Robert Zemeckis and written by Winston Groom, starring Tom Hanks, Rebecca Williams and Sally Field. Tickets are $5. 7:15-9:45 p.m., The Byrd Theatre (2908 W. Cary St.)

FRI. 1/25 Emilio’s Presents: VCUarts Music

Visit Emilio’s for Spanish cuisine and live entertainment provided by various students and alumni of the VCU Department of Music. For more information, visit Emilio’s RVA on Facebook. 7-9 p.m., Emilio’s (1847 W. Broad St.)

Do something Local actor and Poe enthusiast Charles Wissinger cut the cake in costume to celebrate Edgar Allen Poe's legacy. Photo by Jon Mirador

Poe Museum celebrates life of renowned author ADA ROMANO Contributing Writer The Poe Museum commemorated the birthday of Richmond’s own 19th century macabre writer, Edgar Allan Poe on Saturday with 12 hours of musical performances, readings and a cake-cutting. Born in January 1809 in Boston, Poe was the son of traveling actors who died when he was a child. After his parents’ deaths, Poe was adopted by a wealthy tobacco merchant and lived most of his life in Richmond, Virginia. In 1826, Poe began his college career at the University of Virginia and began writing poems. Not long after, he was forced to drop out due to his lacks of funds to continue at the university. He then self-published his first book, “Tamerlane and Other Poems.” After dropping out of school, Poe joined the army and attended the U.S. Military Academy at West Point only to be thrown out after eight months. This, and many other unfortunate events in Poe’s life, drove him to write some of the grim pieces he is most famous for. One of his most popular works, “The Black Cat,” was published in The Saturday Evening Post, a weekly magazine, in 1843. Poe continued to work as a poet, later publishing one of his most famous pieces, “The Raven,” which is considered one of the most well-known poems in American literature. Charles Wissinger, a local actor and Poe enthusiast portrayed the poet for the event. He took part in a reading of some of Poe’s most famous works including “The Masque of the Red Death,” which features a deadly masquerade ball and a prince’s attempts to avoid a dangerous disease. Given that Poe was a Richmond native, Wissinger wanted to come up with a way to honor his memory and keep his work alive in the River City. Wissinger and his acting group decided to host a graveyard tour in October with readings of Poe’s work. “Fancy Me Mad” pays homage to a line in another one of Poe’s short stories, “The Tell-Tale Heart.” “With that, The Poe Museum caught wind of the fact that I do Poe and they started asking me to portray him. This will be my fourth year here for his birthday,” Wissinger said. “And I’ve been doing Poe for the better part of 10 or 11 years now.” Wissinger wasn’t an avid reader growing

WED. 1/23 Blood Drive

Alpha Phi Omega and the American Red Cross are sponsoring a blood drive in the ballrooms of the Student Commons. Walk-ins are welcome, but an appointment can be scheduled at redcrossblood.org. Eat well, stay hydrated and bring an ID before donating. 10 a.m.-7 p.m., University Student Commons (907 Floyd Ave.)

FRI. 1/25 SMC Open House

Visit the Student Media Center and get involved with an independent media organization on TO campus. publiLETTER THEJoinable EDITOR cations include: Amendment Literary and Art Journal, Emanata, Ink Magazine, River City Fashion Uprising, Pwatem, WVCW and The Commonwealth Times. 3-5 p.m., Student Media Center (817 W. Broad St.)

FRI. 1/25 RVA Sneaker Ball

Enthusiasts read some of Poe’s most famous works at the event, including “The Masque of the Red Death.” Photo by Jon Mirador up and did not start taking a liking to Poe’s work until college, when he fell in love with some of Poe’s early pieces. He noted that Poe wrote more comedies than horror, though he’s only well-known for the latter. “He’s just a fascinating individual. I love the fact that there is the myth and the legend versus the real person,” Wissinger said. “Part of what I do with educating through entertainment is showing the real person, so I try to highlight a lot of the misconceptions and a lot of the flat out lies and try to make him more human, but also likeable.” Prior to his death, Poe was believed to be an alcoholic, and his use of opium along with an attempted suicide are highlighted in one of his letters to a friend, Annie Richmond, written in 1848. Poe is also criticized for marrying his 13-year-old cousin, Virginia Eliza Clemm. The two met when Clemm was only 7 years old, shortly after the death of her father. The couple eloped in Baltimore in 1835. In January of 1842, Clemm fell ill before passing away in 1847. Her death led Poe to write the tribute poem “Annabel Lee.” Tyler Minks, communications coordinator for The Poe Museum, wasn’t specifically interested in Poe when he started as an intern in 2016. But after researching for his position, Minks took a liking to the writer. Minks said almost 1,000 people attended Poe’s birthday celebration, which is the museum’s biggest event.

“We have all types of people who attend the event,” Minks said. “People from downtown, people from across the street, people from California and a lot of families.”

Wear a favorite pair of sneakers to the inaugural RVA Sneaker Ball, presented by VCU Athletics. General admission tickets are $60, including access to an open bar, hors d’oeuvres, a casino and a silent auction. A portion of every ticket sale will be donated to Children’s Hospital Foundation. For more information, visit rvasneakerball.com. 8 p.m.-Midnight, Siegel Center (1200 W Broad St.)

Learn something

WED. 1/23

Part of what I do with educating through entertainment is showing the real person, so I try to highlight a lot of the misconceptions and a lot of the flat out lies and try to make him more human, but also likeable.” Charles Wissinger, Edgar Allan Poe enthusiast Minks said he hopes to get more businesses and historical sites involved in the event to help gain exposure and popularity within the city. More information on the museum and upcoming events can be found at poemuseum.org.

Student Organization Fair

Find opportunities for part-time and hourly employment on-campus and off-campus. Pre-register on Handshake, or check in at the door. 2-5 p.m., University Student Commons (907 Floyd Ave.)

FRI. 1/25 Student Organization Fair

Learn how to get involved with more than 500 registered student organizations on campus. The fair will be on the second floor of the Student Commons. 11 a.m.-2 p.m., University Student Commons (907 Floyd Ave.)

MON. 1/28 Student Budget Workshop

Join Off-Campus Student Services to learn basic budgeting skills, including living expenses, savings, debt and personal value. Noon-1 p.m.

12 The Commonwealth Times

Students at “EarthHacks” use hardware, art, text and software to solve environmental problems with innovative solutions. Photo courtesy of EarthHacks

All-day “hackathon” engages students in environmental problem-solving WALTER CHIDOZIE ANYANWU Contributing Writer “EarthHacks,” a 24-hour hackathon, returns for its second year Jan. 26-27 as student teams, with access to mentors and other resources, discover novel answers to global problems. This year’s event will focus on corporate sustainability, public health, biotechnology medical waste and energy efficiency. The first event, hosted in March 2018, sought to explore solutions — no matter how small — to environmental problems affecting the world today. “[We] wanted to provide an avenue for people to be able to do something,” said

Stephen Fong, VCU associate professor and EarthHacks mentor. “And by doing something, I mean thinking about it more deeply, diving into it, and saying, ‘I want to learn more about this … is there some solution we can think about?’” EarthHacks, he said, is a way to provide people interested in environmental issues the opportunity to have focused discussions and potentially yield some solutions. “And it doesn’t have to be an overly complicated solution. Sometimes the solutions are simple,” Fong said. “There are small adjustments we could get people to make right now that could alter the long-term results.”

The first EarthHacks focused on pollution, renewable energy and conservation technology. Held overnight at the museum, participants took breaks from hacking to enjoy exhibits during the 24 hours. “The first year, it was kind of an experiment for us, to see how an environmental hackathon would go and how the museum setting would be,” said Sanjana Paul, EarthHacks co-founder and lead organizer. Paul studies electrical engineering and physics as a senior at VCU. She said one of the goals of the event is to focus on “exponential innovation.” “This hackathon is not limited to just engineers, it is not limited to just STEM

majors,” Paul said. “We want people from all backgrounds to come because environmental problems are everyone’s problems.” EarthHacks’ solutions may involve hardware, art, text, software and other materials, according to the EarthHacks website. Projects vary on the problems each team focuses on solving. “The way we go about our daily lives sometimes isn’t really in the best interest of human well-being,” Fong said. “Extrapolating long-term … short-term maybe it doesn’t make that big a difference, but after a while, there’s a cumulative effect.” To register for EarthHacks, visit earthhacks. vcu.edu.

“Glass” cracks under pressure BRANDON SHILLINGFORD Contributing Writer As a huge fan of both “Split” and “Unbreakable” — the first two films in M. Night Shyamalan’s recent trilogy — the thought of those two films tied together was exciting. And while it may have seemed like a smart decision to tie the two films together, they are tonally and stylistically different. “Glass” fails as a finale to what could’ve been one of the greatest trilogies of all time. When Shyamalan unveiled “Split,” a particular twist at the end of the movie tied the film to his masterful sophomore effort, “Unbreakable.” In the following months, hype surrounding the series reached a fever pitch until an inevitable third film, “Glass” was announced. “Split” operates as a taut and suspenseful thrill ride, while “Unbreakable” dissects the superhero genre as a low-burning morality study about a man struggling with grief. Shyamalan tries his hardest to build a bridge between the two tones, but his attempt falls flat. Once “Glass” moves past its superior first act, the latter two lose any momentum built by the film’s first 30 minutes. It lacks the

energy of “Split” and the mystery of “Unbreakable.” The film overstays its welcome in a prolonged — albeit effective — finale, with a “twist” the film really does not earn. Beloved characters from both films return, played by Bruce Willis, Samuel L. Jackson and Anya Taylor-Joy. And while the latter two give memorable performances in limited screen time, Willis resigns himself to what he’s done for the last decade — sleepwalking through the entire movie. “Glass” isn’t without positives, though; creative production design and some interesting set pieces inject some much-needed energy into the film. But this movie belongs to McAvoy, who I wholeheartedly believe was robbed of an Oscar nomination in 2018 for his dynamic performance as Kevin Wendell Crumb in “Split.” McAvoy shines as his 24 completely distinctive characters, giving one of the best performances of the 21st century. With a slight twitch in his face, he changes characters in the blink of an eye. Within the span of 10 seconds, he can be funny then terrifying, charming then repulsive. The man is one of the industry’s best actors and it would be a shame to see his great work go unnoticed again. It’s hard not to appreciate the sheer

Illustration by Emely Pascual

ambition of “Glass,” and I really hope the negative response this film gets doesn’t dissuade Shyamalan from taking more risks. We need more filmmakers willing to take the big swings, even if it means missing a few times. With that being said, Shyamalan fought

an uphill battle all along. Was there ever any way to please fans of “Unbreakable” and “Split” all while creating a satisfying conclusion to both? Ultimately, “Glass” isn’t up to par and serves as a disappointing conclusion to a trilogy with loads of unfulfilled potential.

Wed. January 23, 2019 13

Quote of the week

There is nothing more majestic and sublime than the quiet testimony of a people willing to sacrifice and suffer for the cause of freedom. — Martin Luther King Jr.

Illustration by Summer McClure

CBS, your 2020 election team is

DISGRACEFUL BRIANNA SCOTT Opinions Editor

his week marks the second year of the Donald Trump administration since his 2017 inauguration. 2020 is rapidly approaching, which means it’ll be time for the presidential elections once again. CBS recently showcased its 2020 election team in a tweet, but it’s severely lacking in one way: there are no black journalists. While there are people of color on the 12-member team, it is not representative of the nation’s demographics — black people make up nearly 14 percent of the U.S. population. When associate producer Ben Mitchell tweeted out a picture of the election team, it was met with swift criticism online. U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., tweeted, “This WH admin has made having a functional understanding of race in America one of the most important core competencies for a political journalist to have, yet @CBSNews hasn’t assigned a *single* black journalist to cover the 2020 election. Unacceptable in 2019. Try again.” The primary problem with the CBS election team lacking black journalists is the fact that black people are continuously unrepresented and their power is undervalued. Race plays a critical role in elections. This was exemplified in the recent 2016 presidential election and the previous 2008 presidential election.

In a 2017 report, Pew Research Center found that the black voter turnout dropped in the 2016 presidential election for the first time in 20 years, declining nearly seven percent between the 2012 and 2016 elections. When we have conversations about diversity, people tend to tune out because diversity is seen as a “trend” or used as a bargaining chip. There needs to be a diverse group of journalists covering the elections to foster discussions that may not happen with a homogenous looking election team. It is fundamental to have an election team that look like the constituents who are voting. Bias or oversights could arise in the reporting conducted by an election team that does not reflect the general U.S. population. U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., is working with the Congressional Black Caucus to hold CBS accountable to its commitment to diversity. Waters met with CBS executives, and in an article posted on Essence, Waters gave a statement following the meeting. ”CBS admitted that the initial 2020 campaign team did not reflect the diversity that the company had committed to,” Waters said in the statement. “And revealed that in the coming months they will unveil a more diverse and inclusive slate of African-American journalists and journalists from a wide range of backgrounds and experiences.” Companies claim to have a commitment to diversity until it’s time to fill roles. Why is the inclusion of black and other

minority journalists an afterthought? In an article published by The New York Times, it was revealed that only two of the more than 20 reporters who covered the 2016 presidential campaign for the Times were black — the rest of the reporters were white.

Why is the inclusion of black and other minority journalists an afterthought?” Brianna Scott, opinions editor Some may say the reason no black journalists were included is that they might not be qualified. It’s a valid concern, but the overtones of racism are strong. For any job, having the right skill set and qualifications is necessary, but it’s unbecoming of people to assume there aren’t any black journalists who are qualified to cover a presidential election. Qualified black journalists exist, but more often than not, news companies aren’t hiring them or aren’t investing time in them. In an analysis published by Columbia Journalism Review, a 2013 study by the University of Georgia reported black students who graduated with a degree in print or broadcast journalism were 17 per-

cent less likely to find a full-time job than non-minorities. A 2017 study done by The American Society of News Editors showed that people of color accounted for almost 17 percent of employees in newsrooms, and women made up almost 40 percent of newsroom employees. A 2016 ASNE study reported that Hispanic, black and Asian women made up less than five percent of U.S. newsrooms. Newsrooms remain predominantly white — just turn on your TV and see who is anchoring the evening news. It’s discouraging to see how difficult it is for black journalists to not only get hired but for their value to be undermined. As a journalism major, I already see the lack of diversity in the field of mass communications. At VCU’s Robertson School of Media and Culture, less than 15 percent of the professors are black. People shouldn’t be hired because they will fill some diversity quota a company needs to meet. “Freedom’s Journal” was the first black-owned newspaper in America. Owners John Russwurm and Samuel Cornish stated in the first issue, “Too long have others spoken for us, too long has the public been deceived by misrepresentations.” In 2019, this message still rings true. Representation is critical in media and black journalists must be given equal opportunity to report on issues that significantly impact the black community.

14 The Commonwealth Times

Burger King run at the White House CHRISTINA BURGESS Contributing Writer It’s White House tradition to host a celebratory dinner for the winners of the College Football Playoff National Championship. The Clemson Tigers, this year’s winners, were not greeted with the same treatment as years before. The current partial government shutdown — which the U.S. entered Dec. 22 after President Donald Trump insisted that Congress fund a $5 billion border wall — has affected more than 800,000 federal employees, according to a New York Times article. This shutdown, the longest in history, has affected employees at the White House as well, including the kitchen staff. Short a kitchen staff, Trump paid for the Clemson Tigers’ dinner out of his pocket. The celebration’s menu surprised many. The commander-in-chief has received backlash for the disrespectful gesture of serving fast food to the Clemson team. The football players and coaching staff were welcomed with a candlelit dinner of cheap and unhealthy junk food: McDonald’s, Domino’s Pizza, Wendy’s and Burger King. There were gravy boats filled with dipping sauces and quarter pounders stacked high. Even the fries were removed from their normal packaging and placed in cups with the presidential seal. Before the football team entered the dining room, Trump told members of the press, “I will say the Republicans are really, really sticking together. It’s great to see because we need border security.” With the president’s history of fabricating numbers, it was no surprise he exaggerated how much food he ordered for the team. In a video posted on ABC, Trump

said to reporters, “Do we give you some little quick salads that the first lady will make, along with the second lady — they’ll make some salads. I said you guys aren’t into salads,” Trump said. “Or do I go out and send out for about 1,000 hamburgers? Big Macs. So we actually did. We bought 1,000. Burger King. All American companies. Burger King, Wendy’s and McDonald’s.” But in a video posted on Twitter, there were only 300 hamburgers on display. Trump took to Twitter, his favorite social media platform, to brag some more.

video saying, “I thought it was a joke.” But it wasn’t. These boys were indeed in the State Dining Room feasting on pizza and nuggets off the White House’s fine china. This inconsiderate act does not reflect well on how the administration treats the tradition and raises questions regarding the legitimacy of our president. Trump has made numerous comments bashing football players who choose to take a knee during the National Anthem at games in protest against racial injustice and police brutality. Trump tweeted less than five months ago that football games are no place to protest and that players should, “Stand proudly for your National Anthem or be Suspended Without Pay!” It’s odd for Trump to act supportive of football teams but in the same breath criticize those who are exercising their right to free speech and protest. Celebrities such as Ayesha Curry, Quavo and Michael Strahan have offered to give the team a proper feast with food like lobster and steak. To some, this dinner may seem like a minor accomplishment for the players. But the bigger picture is that the Clemson Tigers deserved more than a table decorated with Illustration by Steck Von fast food. These are boys who give their all to “Great being with the National Champi- their collegiate team and are not given nearly on Clemson Tigers last night at the White as much as they deserve. House,” Trump said in a now deleted tweet. The administration’s decision to feed “Because of the Shutdown I served them the players fast food because of the govmassive amounts of Fast Food (I paid), over ernment shutdown speaks volumes. This act 1000 hamberders etc. Within one hour, it proves the ridiculous measures the current was all gone. Great guys and big eaters!” president is willing to go to to advance his Clemson’s football team is comprised of agenda. Turning a celebratory dinner into high-performance athletes on special diets an endorsement about a wall to keep out — one that certainly doesn’t include an array black and brown immigrants is disheartof fast food. It’s out-of-touch for Trump ening. While this may seem like a fleeting to think what was served was appropriate. incident, it speaks larger to our president’s One of the football players was caught on big ego and small heart.

MAKE YOUR HOME

ON CAMPUS

AND BE STEPS AWAY FROM hanging out with friends . __________________ VISIT HOUSING.VCU.EDU TO APPLY. The Housing Application opens Jan. 18—Feb. 8.

Wed. January 23, 2019â&#x20AC;&#x192;15

THE CT STAFF EXECUTIVE EDITOR Georgia Geen geengr@commonwealthtimes.org MANAGING EDITOR Saffeya Ahmed ahmeds@commonwealthtimes.org

Very Little Pulp by Adam Goodman

NEWS EDITOR Fadel Allassan news@commonwealthtimes.org SPORTS EDITOR Noah Fleischman sports@commonwealthtimes.org SPECTRUM EDITOR Andrew Ringle spectrum@commonwealthtimes.org OPINIONS EDITOR Brianna Scott opinions@commonwealthtimes.org MULTIMEDIA DIRECTOR Erin Edgerton photography@commonwealthtimes.org AUDIENCE EDITORS Alexandra Zernik zernikal@commonwealthtimes.org Michel Maulding mauldingms@commonwealthtimes.org ILLUSTRATIONS EDITOR Steck Von illustrations@commonwealthtimes.org STAFF WRITERS Logan Reardon, News Adam Cheek, Sports STAFF COLUMNISTS Shaun Jackson, Opinions jacksonsk@commonwealthtimes.org

5 Hours Death by Erin Joo

STAFF ILLUSTRATORS Sammy Newman Erin Joo Summer McClure

VCU STUDENT MEDIA CENTER DESIGN EDITOR Ryan Rich ryan@ryanrichdesign.com GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Mai-Phuong Bui Jeffrey Pohanka Andy Caress designers@vcustudentmedia.com ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVES Gabbi Bernardo Dana Cantor Miles S. Hicks advertising@vcustudentmedia.com (804) 828-6629 WEBMASTER Chrislin Hearn webmaster@vcustudentmedia.com DISTRIBUTION MANAGER Evan McGrady distribution@vcustudentmedia.com DIRECTOR Allison Bennett Dyche abdyche@vcu.edu (804) 827-1975 CREATIVE MEDIA MANAGER Mark Jeffries mjeffries@vcu.edu

First week & Last week by Steck Von

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

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

16 The Commonwealth Times

For answers to this week’s puzzles, check commonwealthtimes.org/puzzles every Friday at Noon.

Los Angeles Times Crossword Puzzle

PASS

By Paul Coulter