The Commonwealth Times; January 30, 2019

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VOL. 60, NO. 18 JANUARY 30, 2019

See POLICE JURISDICTION on page 2 The Richmond City Council was met with resistance from protestors when it passed an ordinance that will nearly double VCU Police’s jurisdiction. Photo by Erin Edgerton

Marchers demand increased state education funding CHRIS WOOD Contributing Writer HANNAH EASON Contributing Writer The Virginia House of Delegates announced a 5 percent increase in teacher and support staff salaries as attendees of a march and rally outside the Capitol pushed for increased funding in public schools Monday.

The marchers, who used the hashtag “Red4Ed” on social media, wore red and chanted as they walked from Monroe Park to Capitol Grounds in the downtown area. The group — comprised of teachers, students and parents — advocated for increased salaries, renovated school buildings and additional staffers.

Virginia Education Association President Jim Livingston decried outdated technology, old textbooks and insufficient funding in a speech he gave to the crowd of thousands.

“It’s time for legislatures to get on board or get out of the way,” Livingston said. “We’ve reached a point where legislatures need to come up with the money or we’ll replace them.”

Livingston said the state needs to re-evaluate its formula for distributing funds to school districts.

The increase in teacher and support staff salaries is in addition to the 3 percent increase included in the state budget. Gov. Ralph Northam proposed the additional 2 percent increase, which passed in the House, but still needs Senate approval.

The House of Delegates announced an additional salary increase as protesters marched in Richmond. Photo by Erin Edgerton

NEWS MLK Week 4-6

SPORTS Radio Broadcaster 6

SPECTRUM Winter Ball 11

See EDUCATION RALLY on page 3

OPINIONS Kamala Harris 13

2 The Commonwealth Times

Stories of the week

national: President Trump agreed to a deal Jan. 25 to temporarily reopen the government, ending the longest shutdown in U.S. history. international: At least 40 Venezuelans have died in recent protests over a power struggle between President Nicolas Maduro and self-appointed president Juan Guaido.

City Council votes to expand VCU Police jurisdiction SARAH ELSON Contributing Writer

should leave if they are not homeowners.

The remark led to a heatAn ordinance approved in a 7-2 vote by ed discussion between the the city council at a raucous Monday night councilwoman and attendmeeting will greatly increase the scope of ees. After the argument the VCU police department’s jurisdiction council called for a brief rein Richmond. cess, the council immediateThe proposal was sponsored by Mayor ly reconvened and approved Levar Stoney and presented at Monday’s the measure. council meeting by VCU Police Chief Jon In the preceding moVenuti and Richmond Interim Police Chief ments, Councilman MiWilliam Smith. It will almost double the chael Jones probed Venuti area where VCU police — who have the about diversity in his force same arrest authority as Richmond’s force and on whether VCU Po— can patrol and enforce the law. lice could adequately police Council President Cynthia Newbille the area if officers did not sent the session into recess as it considered represent the diversity of the ordinance Monday after a discussion the student population. about racial diversity in VCU’s police force “I believe that the basic initiated heated back-and-forth. tenant of community po“I do not appreciate color being brought licing is for the police force A council member probed VCU Police Chief Jon Venuti about diversity in the force. into this, because I know that when we call to reflect the community it Photo by Erin Edgerton 911 we don’t get on the phone and say, send serves,” Jones said. me a white officer, send me a black officer,” Many students and residents cited con- ica. “They kind of acted contrary to that it’s entirely unnecessary,” O’Shea said. said Councilwoman Reva Trammell after cerns about over-policing when they voiced knowledge, and so I’m very disappointed The department currently has 99 officers. her colleague Michael Jones brought up the their opposition to the change. in the council.”

A department spokesperson told The CT issue. “We do have in the past asked to have “I find it unfortunate that they passed it Richmond resident Mallory O’Shea said they do not plan to increase the number a ‘Hispanic-speaking’ police officer in my because they had and opportunity to hear she was concerned about areas that would of officers. The security firm RMC Events, district so they can communicate with some from the constituency that’s currently most be surveyed by the Richmond and VCU po- which is contracted to VCU, will not be afof the citizens.” affected by VCU PD,” said Nicholas Da lice forces and the security firm contracted fected by the expansion.

After some laughter from the audience, Silva, president of VCU’s chapter of the by the school.

Trammell suggested those who laughed Young Democratic Socialists of Amer“It’s an incredible amount of policing and

Unfinished Business

Students returning to finish bachelor’s degrees get extracurricular help EMMA NORTH Contributing Writer

dedicated to improving college life for students with an experience like her own.

Whether it’s a three“It seemed like there year break, or 30, returnwasn’t really anything that ing from time away from connected with me as an school to finish a bacholder student,” Boyd said. elor’s can be difficult for “Starting out I was just students. Known as nonhoping to find some friends, traditional students, they some people I could consometimes struggle to nect with.” connect with the rest of Boyd’s push for recruitthe student body, which ment first started when is mostly fresh out of she presented at VCU’s high school.

Pathways to Womanhood That ’s why Glynis Empowerment Summit.

Boyd — a 49-year-old Among those pulled into student returning to get the organization was Chrisan English degree after tina Davis, a junior study20-year hiatus — starting international relations. ed a support and service “I found that I could not group called Retro Rams relate to the majority of my last semester. The orgaclassmates,” Davis said. “I nization helps nontrahave loved meeting other ditional students make people in my age group that connections and find a Glynis Boyd (right) founded Retro Rams to help nontraditional students I can ask questions without sense of belonging. with their college experience. Photo by Emma North feeling old.”

Boyd, like many nonSophia Entzminger, a traditional students, started college when in and started looking for student organi- junior Spanish major and Retro Rams she was younger, but did not finish. She zations to join, but struggled to find any. member, listed the challenges nontradidecided to put school on hold after she While VCU does have services for trans- tional students tend to face. Some of them was offered a job with the city in 1997, just fer, military and first-generation students, include dealing with new technology, difa year after she transferred to VCU. Boyd found it hard to find something tai- ferent teaching styles, having to work full The plan was always to come back and lored for students like her. time, changing careers, transitioning out of finish school, Boyd said. When she did in That’s when Boyd took actions into her military service and having to take care of the fall of 2017, she took her time to settle own hands by creating an organization a parent or child.

“While I don’t think all of our fears, concerns and issues are unique,” said freshman business administration major Melissa Denisco-Morici, “I do feel that we have less resources and finding people that we can connect with that are in similar life situations is more challenging for us.”

Last semester, Boyd and other Retro Rams founders presented a list with 10 suggestions to Charles Klink, the Senior Vice Provost for Student Affairs. Boyd said, we discussed creating a workgroup to ensure nontraditional students involvement on campus and adding component of new student orientation that is designed for non-traditional students.

“More support programs and class time slots are needed for the nontraditional student,” Davis said. “Many older or returning students sway over to the expensive career colleges because they cater to that demographic by offering more night classes and online classes.”

This semester, the Retro Rams are focused on continuing to grow as an organization and finding a sense of community.

The organization hopes to help keep these students connected to VCU and possibly provide a scholarship in the future.

“I envision Retro Rams having dual purposes, definitely the support aspect and also becoming involved with the VCU community,” Boyd said. “I think having fun and being social is important but it’s also important to nurture that part where you give back.”

Wed. January 30, 2019 3

EDUCATION RALLY

Thousands of students and teachers call for school reform teacher in Stafford County, commented on where the public funding is most needed in the school system.

Sarah McMillen, a second-grade teacher in “I can’t choose between more pay or more Chesterfield County, said teachers in the school teachers, but it needs to be both,” Kopsak said.

“We have a caseload of 170 students with classsystem face multiple problems including missing out on lunch breaks because they have to rooms of about 30 [students], and that is just watch children or attend meetings regarding not manageable.”

Kopsak said 600 teachers left last year, and SOL requirements. McMillen said most people there are currently 41 open positions. do not realize how difficult being a teacher is.

“I dare anybody to swap jobs for a day and say I Teachers are unable to fully support themdon’t deserve twice what I make,” McMillen said. selves independently under the current set salary, The state’s public funding formula was reKopsak says. vised in 2009 as result of the recession and has “I can’t support one of my students to become not been reversed, despite the fact that Virgina teacher. I cannot encourage them to do that,” Kopsak said. “Because it’s not physically sound ia’s economy has recovered since then. to be an independent person and a teacher.”

“It’s impossible to support a family on what we make,” said Clairy Carleton, an English Michael Snead, a high school journalism high school teacher at Open High School. “It’s teacher in Stafford County, commented on why criminal and it’s a civil rights issue, and we’re teachers are quitting their jobs. pissed off.”

“We do have people who just leave the proVirginia ranks 34th in the country for teachfession entirely,” Snead said. “But for the most er pay, according to the National Education part, it’s people who go to a county or a few Association, despite having one of the lowest counties away that do the same job, more or less, poverty rates in the country. Education funding but for a lot more money. So we lose the people in the state has dropped by 9 percent since 2009. who had the real desire to be in the classroom.”

“The constitution of Virginia says that school Cathy Crane, a reading specialist in Fauquier funding is a shared responsibility between the County said that often teachers can’t afford to live in the same areas they teach. state and locality,” Livingston said. “Our push Virginia ranks 34th in the country for teacher pay. Photo by Erin Edgerton is on the General Assembly because there have “This is everything. We want to do what’s been a lot of localities who have been paying for and VCU alumna, said some school buildings life better.” best for our kids,” Crane said. “We want to have “I’m here because I want to support the edu- money for supplies in our classrooms, for techyears for things the state has not been funding.” are “falling apart.”

Cody Sigmon, an eighth-grade English “It’s the state’s responsibility to take care of cators who teach in Virginia because they’re not nology, and for us.” teacher in Chesterfield County, said Virginia them,” Keating said. “The students don’t deserve getting paid very well,” Elinor said.

Elementary student Holden Carleton said needs a state-wide solution to funding issues. to be in a building where there are holes in the “Our teachers are resilient and they still want he appreciates his teachers.

“Across the state you gave gigantic disparities, ceiling, or mold on the wall.” to teach even though we’re bad and underfund“They mean a lot to me,” Carleton said. because you’re only as capable of funding your Elinor Harris, a fourth grader at Mount Ver- ed,” said Lux Aghmo, a high school student at “Without those teachers school would be totalschools as your tax base,” Sigmon said. non Community School, attended the rally to Richmond Community High School. ly pointless.”

Carly Keating, a middle school math teacher show her support for her teachers who “make Tiffany Kopsak, a high school journalism

Continued from front page

Marchers used the hashtag “Red4Ed” on social media, sported red clothing and signs and sang organized chants to show support for the cause. Photo by Erin Edgerton

Political science professor Herbert Hirsch dies at 77 FADEL ALLASSAN News Editor Political science professor Herbert Hirsch, who galvanized generations of students and peers to confront the world’s most staggering and intricate questions, however grievous or opaque, died Jan. 21 after a stint of illness. He was 77.

Hirsch was an accomplished scholar and author whose expertise on genocide and human rights was revered in academia. The professor dedicated his life and research to understanding and precluding one of society’s most odious phenomena — political violence.

“He was always looking for ways to involve our students in our research,” said political science professor Judyth Twigg, who was a close friend of Hirsch’s. “His voice, his commitment to his colleagues and students, and most of all, his determination to rid the world of political violence, will be missed beyond words.”

about their field day in and day out,” wrote Kaylin Cecchini, a junior political science major who took Hirsch’s genocide and human rights course, in a Facebook post. “I I am grateful for the am grateful for the impact he has made on impact he has made on myself and the global community he was so intent on helping. We are worse without myself and the global him, but better because of him.” community he was so He is survived by his wife, Susan; son, intent on helping. We Mark and daughter-in-law, Maureen; daughter, Karen and son-in-law, Tony are worse without him, Forte; daughter, Candy and son-in-law, but better because of Tony Taylor; daughter, April Sullivan; sonhim.” in-law and daughter-in-law, Thom and Anne Harrison; son-in-law and daughter-in Kaylin Cecchini, VCU student law, Bob and Alison Massey and grandHirsch inspired those around him to be children, Matthew, Katie, Hannah, Holden, the best people and scholars they could be, Genevieve, Mikey, Molly, Emily, William, developing strong personal relationships with Lizzie and Ruth. those in his satellite. Students in the depart“He taught me how to be a caring and ment often scrambled to register for his compassionate person,” his daughter April classes before their rosters reached capacity. Sullivan said.

“I’ve never seen someone so passionate John Aughenbaugh, a professor in the

department who described Hirsch as a mentor to him, wrote about Hirsch’s impact on his life in his column on the political science Facebook page.

“When he first came to visit my office in another building on-campus, I was often … afraid that he was going to yell, tell me how I needed to improve or how he was unsure someone with a non-political science degree should be teaching politics,” Aughenbaugh wrote. “Eventually though, my fears were allayed as I recognized that beneath his rants and often sharp words was a person who cared deeply about me.”

Katie Bashista, an alumna and former Commonwealth Times editor, took politics in film with Hirsch and Aughenbaugh last semester. She said she enjoyed Hirsch’s “unique input.”

“Such an intelligent, interesting man with a great sense of humor,” Bashista said. “I’m lucky to have taken one of his classes. My thoughts are with his friends and family.”

4 The Commonwealth Times

Visions in the name of love Events honor Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy, illustrate progress yet to be made

RPS superintendent: Race a key factor in underfunding CHRIS WOOD Contributing Writer Richmond Public Schools Superintendent Jason Kamras spoke at Cabell Library Jan. 24 about what he perceives as a lack of funding and racial inequality in Richmond schools.

As one of the events in a weeklong series held by VCU commemorating the life of civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr., Kamras contrasted the reality RPS faces and King’s vision for education.

“Richmond Public School students are every bit as brilliant and creative and dynamic and empathic and funny as any other kid in America,” Kamras said. “There’s nothing broken about our kids. There’s a whole lot broken about our system.”

Kamras talked about his experiences visiting Richmond schools. At the end of every visit, he asked the children one thing they would change to make their schools better.

“It wasn’t about the teachers. It wasn’t the technology. It wasn’t even the food,”

Kamras said. “It was ‘Mr. Kamras, will you fix the bathrooms?’”

Kamras said he went into the bathrooms afterward and found stalls without doors and mold on the walls. Soap dispensers with no soap were hanging off walls covered with cracked tiles and graffitti, he said.

“I believe a big reason for that is because most of our kids are African-American,” Kamras said. “If our system was 100 percent white kids, I bet you the city would have found the money to fix the bathrooms.”

Kamras has identified racism as one of the biggest problems contributing to a lack of funding for Richmond schools since he became superintendent in 2018. He has also focused on the lack of upper-level courses offered by the district.

“When I got here last year, I went to Armstrong high school. I said, ‘Hey tell me about your AP classes,’ and they said they only have one,” Kamras said. “How can we expect greatness from our kids if we don’t give them the opportunity to be great?”

Kamras ended his speech by saying the

Jason Kamras has headed Richmond schools since 2018. Photo Courtesy of Kevin Morley/ VCU Marketing country’s greatness lies in the fact that peo- dom truly become a reality for everyone in ple can point out what is not right and keep America,” Kamras said. “And I think we can pushing for a better future. all agree that is certainly not the case today.”

“Things like liberty, justice and free-

Alphas hold Martin Luther King Jr. Day candlelight ANYA SCZERZENIE Contributing Writer About 100 participants gathered in Richmond on Martin Luther King Jr. Day for a candlelight vigil and march Jan. 21 in remembrance of the late civil rights icon, despite below-freezing temperatures.

After a performance of a short song by the Black Awakening Choir, attendees silently walked from the Depot on Broad Street to the Shafer Court Dining Center while holding candles. Marchers then gathered on the first floor of Shafer in Rodney’s for a reading of King’s “I Have a Dream” speech.

The event was organized by the Theta Rho chapter of the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, the first black Greek-letter organization in the U.S. King was a member of the historic organization at Boston University.

“We’ve been doing this event for eight years,” said Kari X. Richardson, one of the organizers. “This is the first time the wind chill has been so bad, but the fact that people came out despite the weather shows how much of an impact King had.”

The Theta Rho chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha held its eighth march in Martin Luther King Jr.’s honor. Photo Courtesy of Kevin Morley/VCU Marketing The group of mostly black students unit- in the U.S. can-Americans.” ed with peers of all races to pay homage to “For me, it’s just about thinking about VCU has designated a week in temporal one of the most prominent figures in Amer- how privileged I am,” Stuckey said. “Sixty proximity to Martin Luther King Jr. Day ican history. Among those who participated years ago, I wouldn’t have been able to have for observance of the holiday since 2014. was VCU alum Shawn Stuckey, who said the job or education I have. I just want to King has impacted his life as a black person remember all the things he did for Afri-

Wed. January 30, 2019 5

Virginia congressman underscores fair housing as central civil rights issue ZACH ARMSTRONG Contributing Writer In the Jan. 25 installment of the university’s week-long Martin Luther King Jr. celebration, U.S. Rep. Donald McEachin, D-Va., discussed discriminatory housing policies at VCU’s Institute for Contemporary Art. McEachin delved into King’s commitment to equality in housing — a domain in which black people have historically faced prejudice — while criticizing the Trump administration’s rollbacks of policies aimed at mitigating housing injustices.

King’s influence on the advancement of progressive housing policy is among the many hallmarks of his legacy. President Lyndon B. Johnson began his push to urge to Congress to pass the Fair Housing Act on April 5, 1968 — just one day after King was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee. The law was the first in the U.S. to protect buyers and renters from landlord and seller discrimination. “[King] understood that housing is more than shelter,” McEachin said. “Where we live impacts our access to healthy foods, it impacts where our children go to school, it impacts the jobs we can get and the cultures to which we are exposed.”

Congress signed the act into law one week

Freedom Movement — which made ambitious demands for fair housing, access to jobs, wealth generation and other issues — marchers were met with opposition, and King was struck in the head with a rock.

“In the face of all this unconscionable violence he remained undaunted,” McEachin said. “The principles of fair housing was just that important.”

The Department of Housing and Urban Development, which enforces the Fair Housing Act, is also the only cabinet department currently headed by a black person. But McEachin said cabinet secretary Ben Carson has undermined some of the law’s key protections for minority groups with moves like delaying investigations in discrimination cases, canceling housing choice vouchers and trying to reverse policies that make it easier to use those vouchers in wealthy areas. McEachin is one of many Democrats who say these actions could severely hurt low-income peoIn the face of all ple and make minorities more vulnerable this unconscionable to discrimination.

McEachin said Trump’s budget appropriaviolence he remained tions for the department “particularly impact undaunted. The seniors with disabilities and working families, principles of fair depriving them of decent shelter.”

He praised the university for taking the housing was just that week to commemorate the civil rights icon, important. noting that VCU’s events are in the spirit of his legacy.

U.S. Rep. Donald McEachin, “This is just an awesome way to honor D-Va. and remember Dr. King,” McEachin said, McEachin said the commitment shown “through programs and conversations that will

by King, Johnson and their contemporaries bring us to better places to show us how we who fought for policy change contrasts with can truly make a difference in our community.” the efforts of the Trump administration.

Rep. Donald McEachin represents part of Richmond and some surrounding areas.

Photo by Shayla Bailey after King’s assassination, underscoring King’s profound impact on an issue which he was an outspoken advocate for. In the summer of 1966, when King held a rally for the Chicago

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WALTER CHIDOZIE ANYANWU Contributing Writer The CEO of the American Civil War Museum spoke at Cabell Library Jan. 23 about social justice through the lens of some of Martin Luther King Jr.’s work and writing.

Christy Coleman’s work at the museum involves documenting history in addition to providing historical context to help the general public understand contemporary issues.

People of ill will are organized and they play a long game. This could not be more prophetic.”

Christy Coleman, CEO, American Civil War Museum “I chose to take that theme of social justice to encourage people through his words and through some of the experiences that I’ve had that social justice work can take on a variety of forms,” Coleman said.

She quoted a number of King’s speeches in her remarks, including the 1964 speech he gave when he accepted the Nobel Peace Prize and excerpts of a speech he gave in

1965 after the Selma marches.

“In each of those pieces he tells us three big things,” she said. “The first is that we can’t sit around and wait for justice, it doesn’t happen that way. You have to put in the work. Secondly, he tells that even as difficult as the work will be in the days ahead, you have to maintain your hope.”

The third lesson, Coleman said, is people shouldn’t be distracted by those acting in bad faith.

“People of ill will are organized and they play a long game,” Coleman said.

“This could not be more prophetic.”

Coleman’s commentary emphasized key points like being deliberate and stepping outside conventions and understanding “what we’re doing and why.” She urged people to be intentional, which she described as “making sure we lay out the steps that we’re going to make to achieve the goals that we hope for in the social justice arc.”

She commented on the role of public history in relation to social justice, saying she works in the field of history to promote social justice.

“If we are consistently telling each other half-truths and we’re not getting to the meat of the history,” Coleman said, “then we are missing the valuable lessons that are there.”

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6 The Commonwealth Times

Stat of the week

Former VCU golfer Rafael Campos earned his first victory on the Web.com Tour Jan. 24 at The Bahamas Great Abaco Classic at the Abaco Club.

Robby Robinson (left) has been broadcasting Men’s Basketball games since 2008. Photo by Erin Edgerton

The team behind the team

RADIO BROADCASTER NOAH FLEISCHMAN Sports Editor For more than a decade, Robby Robinson has been painting the picture of the hardwood at the Siegel Center in the minds of those who tune in every night.

Robinson has sat behind a microphone illustrating Men’s Basketball’s biggest moments for the last 11 years, including the 2011 Final Four run. He said his favorite moment was VCU’s win against Florida State.

“Winning at the very end and getting that bucket by Bradford Burgess and then advancing to the Elite Eight,” Robinson said as he recalled the NCAA tournament run in 2011. “That whole threeweek span between going to Dayton and making the Final Four, I think anybody that says that’s not their best memory just collectively, probably wasn’t paying a ton of attention.”

Robinson serves as the play-by-play broadcaster for Ram Radio on Fox Sports 910 and general manager of VCU Sports Properties. He said he’s wanted to work in radio since he was 5 years old.

“I grew up in Atlanta listening to Braves games,” Robinson said. “So I went to college and I worked at a local radio station in Charlottesville, then I got into the

sales side of things as well as the broadcasting side of things.”

The University of Virginia graduate broadcasts every Men’s Basketball game on top of his role with VCU Sports Properties. He started working at VCU in 2008 and called the decision “the best timing anybody could have in the history of professional timing ever.” “[It was] Anthony Grant’s last year, so it was Eric Maynor’s senior year,” Robinson said. “It was my first year doing games [at VCU].”

Robinson manages advertisements at Men’s Basketball games, whether it’s radio broadcast, on-court promotions, signs around the Siegel Center or other forms of digital advertising. His job also includes looking for businesses that want to advertise products or services to VCU fans. Robinson and his team create ways to present the businesses’ message to the fans at home games.

“That’s 95 percent of my job,” Robinson said. “The broadcasting side is phenomenal and I love it, but it’s a small piece of what I do.”

Preparing for a game broadcast and performing his day-to-day duties on the sales side is a balancing act for Robinson.

“In an ideal scenario, I’m doing all of my prep work the night before,” Robinson said.

“I try to do that the night before and then

the whole day of the game, especially for home games, is getting ready from the sales side of things to make sure clients’ gameday stuff is ready to go.”

Sometimes I sit there when I call the game and I can’t believe I’m this close to the action,” Robinson said. “Like I could literally reach out and grab [redshirt-junior guard] Marcus Evans if I wanted to and somebody’s paying me to do this, which kind of blows my mind.”

Robby Robinson, radio broadcaster

Robinson takes about an hour of his time on gameday to set up his equipment and record a pregame interview with Men’s Basketball coach Mike Rhoades. Once he finishes the interview, Robinson flips back into sales mode until performance of the national anthem.

“Sometimes I sit there when I call the game and I can’t believe I’m this close to the action,” Robinson said. “Like I could literally reach out and grab [redshirt-junior guard] Marcus Evans if I wanted to and somebody’s paying me to do this, which kind of blows my mind.”

Robinson played baseball at Virginia for four years, so when the Rams face the Cavaliers he gets to return to his alma mater.

“People always ask me, ‘who you pulling for today?’ and I pull for the Rams,” Robinson said.

I know coach Rhoades, I know the players a lot more than I know the [Virginia] guys. I’ve been at VCU for 11 years. I was only there for four years.”

Robinson said he loves every minute of his job and doesn’t take it for granted.

“I’m still waiting for someone to show up and say, ‘alright, this part of your life is over, we’re going to wake you up from this dream,’” Robinson said. “If you love doing something, figure out a way to do it until you get to the point to where somebody wants to pay you to do it.”

Wed. January 30, 2019 7 PRESS BOX

Every rose has its thorn

ADAM CHEEK Staff Writer Seventeen major league records. Ten seasons of 200 or more hits and 4,256 total. On any other day, these statistics would mean a first-ballot induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame, maybe even unanimous.

In Pete Rose’s case, however, it does not.

Rose’s baseball betting resulted in loss of Hall of Fame eligibility. Then-commissioner A. Bartlett Giamatti ruled that Rose would never be nominated for enshrinement.

However, with alleged performance-enhancing drug users such as Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens on the current Hall of Fame ballot, it begs the question of just how damning Rose’s actions were compared to players who used those substances. Considering how iconic Rose became off his talent and on-field presence, there is no reason why he shouldn’t be given reconsideration.

The Hall of Fame exists to celebrate the greatest players the game has ever seen, commemorating their on-field performances and excellence. The annual election stands as a testament to their abilities, electing players who receive more than 75 percent of votes each year.

Rose played baseball in the major leagues for almost 25 years, primarily for the Cincinnati Reds. He compiled a page in the MLB record books that is seldom seen in the annals of baseball history.

Nicknamed “Charlie Hustle” for his aggressive demeanor on the field, Rose won three World Series, three batting titles, one MVP award and two Gold Glove Awards, appearing in 17 All-Star Games at a record five different positions.

Rose had a lifetime batting average of .303 in just over 14,000 at-bats and scored more than 2,000 runs. His career wins above replacement ranks 40th all-time at 79.7, meaning that — in sabermetric terms — his teams would have lost nearly 80 additional games without his presence.

As a manager, Rose allegedly bet on the

The case for Pete

Illustration by Emely Pascual

Reds to win. The accusations of his betting surfaced in 1989. This meant he would likely play or manage the best that he could every time he set foot in the dugout. In a loose comparison, most players do that now in a way, albeit legally — they sign massive contracts, contracts which will not be renewed or offered if they do not play their best, in essence betting on themselves to perform as highly as possible.

“Charlie Hustle” eventually admitted to the allegations in 2004, saying he never bet against the Reds — the team he played for

and then managed after his retirement — but some believe he did.

Repeatedly considered for reallowance onto the ballot, Rose has never been successful, denied by Giamatti’s succeeding commissioners Fay Vincent, Bud Selig and Rob Manfred.

Admittedly, Rose broke a clearly-outlined policy in the MLB rulebook prohibiting any type of betting while as a player, manager or otherwise involved with a team. However, the MLB’s drug policy — the Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program — is

a similar full ban on a player’s involvement with performance-enhancing drugs.

All players are barred from the use and possession of performance-enhancing drugs, and Bonds, who set the all-time home run record in 2007, and Clemens are two of the most prominent alleged users since the steroid era began in the late 1990s. Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa were also under this blanket of scrutiny for their use of performance-enhancing drugs, including steroids and other substances. McGwire admitted to his use in 2010 and Sosa tested positive a year prior.

Despite the numerous records McGwire set in his famous 1998 “home run race” with Sosa, he never received more than 24 percent of the votes for hall of fame induction during his 10-year span of eligibility. Sosa has never been a factor during his current run.

Meanwhile, Bonds and Clemens are nearing the end of their ballot eligibility, but are inching toward the 75 percent needed for induction. This increase in votes is attributed to the fact that young people aren’t worried about players using steroids.

This goes against the history of the sport, however. Baseball was built and has long survived on the appreciation and incorporation of natural talent. If we are giving that up now to some degree, there’s no reason why Rose should not be reconsidered.

The allegation that Rose would influence games to favor his bets falls into the same quandary as performance-enhancing drugs. The players that use performance-enhancing drugs are influencing — and controlling — their outcomes, enhancing statistics and averages.

While the steroid era will forever tarnish America’s pastime, it should never be forgotten that one of the greatest players to ever step onto the field is barred from the Hall of Fame. Pete Rose, possibly the greatest hitter of all time and a baseball icon, will likely never see his name emblazoned in gold on a wooden plaque in the building’s hallowed halls.

Unbeaten no more, Tennis falls in Ohio Tennis traveled to the ITA Kick-Off Weekend Jan. 25-28 in Columbus, Ohio, falling short in all four matches.

MEN’S VCU lost to Cornell Jan. 27, 4-1, with the lone Rams point coming from winning doubles.

Senior Arvid Noren and sophomore Inigo Torre Martin defeated Konstantin Kirovski and Daniel Soyfer, 6-0. Senior Philip Mobius and junior Inaki Rivero Crespo secured the point for the Rams as they knocked off Joe McAllister and Lev Kazakov, 6-3.

Singles play did not go as well — the Rams were swept 4-0. Sophomore Rayane Stable fell to Cornell’s Alafia Ayeni 2-6, 1-6. Noren was defeated by Kazakov after fighting to the end of the first set, falling 5-7, 1-6. Cornell’s Soyfer knocked Mobius off 3-6,1-6. Torre Martin was the final Ram to fall as Evan Bynoe beat him in three sets 6-4, 4-6, 1-6.

“We have learned a lot from this weekend,” junior Men’s Tennis player Javier Amantegui told VCU Athletics. “The team is motivated and ready to get back to work for our next matches. We are on the right track, we just need to believe more in ourselves and try to play a little bit more aggressive at some points.”

WOMEN’S The Rams played Jan. 27 and fell to Michigan State 4-0. VCU fell in three singles matches and two doubles matches, but were victorious in the other doubles match.

VCU started off doubles with a win as sophomores Paola Exposito Diaz-Delgado and Kanako Yano defeated Nicole Stephens and Lauren Lemonds, 6-1. Sophomore Melissa Ifidzhen and junior Noumea Witmus lost to Emily Metcalf and Maja Pietrowicz, 6-2. Sophomores Marina Alcaide Bakkari and Sofia Sualehe fell to Davina Nguyen and Samantha Memije, 6-2.

Sualehe fell to the Spartans’ Nguyen 6-0, 6-1 as the first match to finish between the two squads. Yano lost to Emily Metcalf 6-3, 6-0 and was the second match to finish. Spartan Nicole Stephens knocked off Witmus 6-2, 6-4 and was the final match to finish, securing the win for Michigan State.

Coach Paul Kostin said to VCU Athletics that the team “came out flat,” and the fact that senior Anna Rasmussen couldn’t play because she had a fever didn’t help.

“I didn’t think we plaed well enough to make it up, but give [Michigan State] credit,” Kostin said. “They jumped on early and we just couldn’t catch up. Overall, we fought hard but came up short.”

Men’s Tennis will return to action Feb. 1, hosting ETSU at 2 p.m. Women’s will return home to play Davidson Feb. 3 at 11 a.m.

Senior Arvid Noren was ahead in the second set of his match 2-1, when his match went unfinished against Cornell Jan. 27. Photo by Jon Mirador ADVERTISEMENT

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NOAH FLEISCHMAN Sports Editor

8 The Commonwealth Times

Ram in Action: Corey Douglas ANDY RIDDLER Contributing Writer From Houston, Texas to Tallahassee, Florida, sophomore forward Corey Douglas’ path to Richmond is not like that of his teammates. Douglas has appeared in every Men’s Basketball game so far — including 10 starts — averaging 3.4 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.9 blocks to help propel the Rams to a 13-6 record.

Douglas arrived at VCU after spending last season with Tallahassee Community College where he averaged 13.3 points, 7.9 rebounds and 2.7 blocks. He previously played for Men’s Basketball coach Mike Rhoades at Rice for the 2016-2017 season where he appeared in nine games, starting eight. The CT sat down with Corey to discuss his first season at VCU. Why VCU? Just really the culture itself, everyone knows about VCU. Coach Rhoades and the coaching staff I had already known prior from being at Rice. It just felt like the right fit for me.

What is it about Rhoades that makes you so comfortable playing with him? Why did you follow him to VCU? He is an honest guy. Everything he says is what he is going to do. It is more than just basketball. He is a real family guy, and that is one thing he talks about — that this team is

a family and I took hold to that.

How did your year at Tallahassee Community College help prepare you for your transition to VCU? Originally at Rice I ended up getting hurt, I only played maybe nine games. So just playing at TCC, it got me back in shape.

Just being able to get back on the floor and get comfortable and really starting to build confidence.

You have made a name for yourself on the defensive end so far this season — second in the conference in blocks per game — is that something you try to focus on bringing to each game?

It’s just whatever the team needs. But most of the games, it has been me blocking shots or altering shots and just being there to help the defense.

Is there any player you try to model your game after?

Kevin Garnett, Al Horford and Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Do you have any pregame routines? Any go-to music that you like to listen to before the game?

I really like mellow R&B type of music now. That’s what I try to listen to relax me.

My pregame ritual, I always like to wear my

Sophomore forward Corey Douglas has a team-high 38 blocks this season.

Photo by Erin Edgerton socks inside out.

What are you looking to improve the most over the remainder of the season?

More so with my offensive game.

Just being more aggressive. Scoring the ball in the post.

Favorite place to eat in Richmond?

Wow — that is tough, too. I’m going to go with The Village.

What is it like playing in the Stu in front of Ram Nation?

It is amazing. That atmosphere, being in there with all of those people going crazy. It is a great feeling.

What are your goals for the rest of the season?

Just continue to do whatever the team needs, finish out [Atlantic 10] play, win the conference tournament and make it to the NCAA tournament.

Rowdy Rams’ spirit contributes to stadium environment DANIEL PURYEAR Contributing Writer Before seeing the starting lineup, court or opposing team in the Siegel Center, you’ll find students draped in black and gold, filled with energy. Rushing in an hour and a half before the tip to be the closest to the court, the Rowdy Rams are some of the most notorious student fans in college basketball.

The Rowdy Rams make up the VCU Athletics student section, designed to cheer on all VCU Athletics events, but Men’s Basketball is the most popular.

“Rowdy is a way of being,” said Kaileigh Robertson, senior and two-year Rowdy Rams president. “You radiate excitement and positivity in order to show to devotion and passion towards the group that need our support.”

These “rowdy” students and VCU basketball lovers are led by a board that consists of four positions.

Any full-time student can become a Rowdy Ram for $35, which gives students tickets to all home basketball games, first access to away games and benefits with local sponsors.

With the deep run of the 2011 VCU Men’s Basketball team to the Final Four in the NCAA Division I Tournament, the Rowdy Rams gained fame alongside the esteemed tournament run. With any winning sports team comes a loud and boisterous fan base. The Rowdy Rams grew and were awarded the 2013 Naismith Student Section of the Year Award, beating out 157 other Division I schools.

Some outsiders may see the loud students yelling chants every game and wonder, “what is the point?”

“Our goal as a student section is to bring students together to be spirited for all VCU collegiate sports,” Robertson said. “We express our spirit through our continued passion and energy to bring energy and life into every sport, game and athlete’s dream.”

Robertson has attended VCU basketball games since 2014 and will graduate in May after five years of celebrating success and cheering on award-winning athletes.

Although Rowdy Rams are most notorious for their basketball attendance, it is not all celebrating dunks One of the loudest areas in the Siegel Center on gameday is the student section, the home of the and 3-pointers.

Rowdy Rams. Photo by Erin Edgerton “I think one of my favorite memories was this past games and being a Rowdy Ram is a great The Siegel Center is a special place for year when Women’s Volleyball went unde- way to do that.”

Rams and basketball fans alike. Basketball feated for 12 games within in-conference The energy and enthusiasm of the Rowdy insider for CBS Sports Jon Rothstein credits play,” Robertson said. “Our women fought Rams isn’t just for the students participating the environment of the stadium. so strong the whole season to be able to stay — Robertson said it can affect the perfor“A VCU home game at the Siegel Cenreigning champs of the [Atlantic 10].” mance of the teams as the crowd of students ter. More life altering than a 10-day trip to As the wins come, so do the fans. Even chants “V-C-U, V-C-U” to motivate players. Europe,” he said in a tweet. when the Rams lost coach Shaka Smart “I think our impact is huge especially While the Rowdy Rams are not the only to Texas and missed their first postseason with our teams that don’t have the turn- fans at the Siegel Center, these “rowdy” stuplay in seven years, the fans continued to out like Men’s Basketball,” Robertson said. dents start chants, create connections with show up.

“VCU has a reputation that our fan base the student athletes and make their way Freshman Taylor Jackowski came to runs deep and that we always come to be every game, regardless of snow or freezing VCU after one of the worst seasons for ‘rowdy’ and we stand by it.” conditions.

Men’s Basketball in recent years.

Robertson said VCU’s student section “The Stu is full of magic, but only when “I have always loved sports. I used to play can be “alarming” to opposing teams. our students are there to fill it with life and many myself,” Jackowski said. “So it was just “Our energy can’t be replicated,” Robert- energy,” Jackowski said. “It makes the games natural to come to college and be excited to son said. “When VCU gains momentum in the that much better, and the players that much attend different sporting events. I like hav- game, havoc erupts and the energy within the more motivated.” ing school spirit, and going to basketball Stu is something that no team can prepare for.”

Wed. January 30, 2019 9

Women’s Track and Field runs Patriot Games NILE MCNAIR Contributing Writer Women’s Track and Field dominated the competition at George Mason’s 2019 Patriot Games Jan. 25-26, leaving with several first-place finishes. The Men’s team only participated on the second day, ending the day with strong group and individual performances.

WOMEN’S Sophomore multi-event athlete Courtney Higgins had an impressive performance, finishing first in two runnings.

RAM STAT Freshman Jaekob Vollbrecht set a new personal best in shot put with a throw of 17.11 meters en route to winning the event.

Higgins finished first place in the long jump with distance of 5.44 meters. She also finished in first place in the 800-meter run with a 2:29:27 time.

Senior multi-event athlete LeClare Beres was Friday’s other standout Ram

Women’s Track and Field won five different events at the Patriot Games Jan. 25-26.

Photo courtesy of VCU Athletics.

for the women’s team. Beres had three top-five finishes: 60-meter hurdle, shot put and high jump.

VCU had both first and second place finishes in the 60-meter dash. Junior sprinter Alexis Willis finished first with a time of 7.90, and teammate senior sprinter Latrice Morris finished right behind her with a time of 7.91.

Mid-distance runners Nichelle Scott and Ashley Greenlee added to the first place finishes on Saturday. Scott was first in the 500-meter dash, while Greenlee was first in the 400.

MEN’S Junior hurdler Ian Davis secured the only first-place finish in the 60-meter hurdle.

The Rams finished fourth in the 4-x400 meter relay as Davis, freshman hurdler Sebastian Evans, freshman multievent athlete Mykalee Atkins and junior mid-distance runner Matthew Pittman led VCU to a time of 3:28.87.

Two Rams finished in the top three for different events. Sophomore high jumper Xyan Xrichardson placed third in the high jump, while Chukwuezugo Aguolus finished third in the 200-meter dash.

Track and Field will travel to Lynchburg, Virginia Feb. 2 for the Liberty Flames Invite.

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Reed’s playing status up in the air NOAH FLEISCHMAN Sports Editor

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Sophomore guard Tera Reed is a game-time decision Wednesday against Massachusetts. Reed missed Jan. 27’s win over Saint Louis due to an injury.

This was the first game this season that Reed missed after starting the first 19.

“She is one of our best defenders,” coach Beth O’Boyle said. “She uses her length really well and she can really disrupt the other teams’ best players and she chases them around. She plays with a great intensity on the defensive side.”

The Rams used their deep bench against the Billikens to earn the 57-47 victory. Junior center Danielle Hammond came off the bench and scored a team-high 13 points and four blocks and sophomore center Sofya Pashigoreva recorded seven points and seven rebounds.

“They both just are hardworking players,” O’Boyle said. “[Pashigoreva] just starts the game out running the floor and she gave us a big start to the game against Saint Louis and then [Hammond] has been coming off the bench and it’s just our huge spark.”

VCU’s defense ranks second nationally in three categories: field goal defense at 31.4 percent, three-point field goal defense at 22.4 percent, and scoring defense at 49.6 points.

The Rams defense will be put to the test against the Minutewomen’s guard play led by Jessica George and Hailey Leidel. George and Leidel have combined to shoot 46 percent from beyond

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_________________________ Sophomore guard Tera Reed averages 13.1 points while totaling 41 assists and 24 steals in 19 games. Photo by Shayla Bailey the arc this season. Coming off the bench for UMass is Bre Hampton-Bey, who has shot 40 percent from the field this season.

“So we’ve got to make sure we know where they are at all times and be really active with high hands and really make sure that our ball screen defense is on point,” O’Boyle said. “We’re going to see a lot of that.”

The Rams and Minutewomen tip-off at 6 p.m. Jan. 30 at the Siegel Center.

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10 The Commonwealth Times

On this day

In 1969, The Beatles performed their last live concert on the roof of Apple Corps HQ in London. The impromptu show lasted 42 minutes before the police arrived and requested the volume be turned down.

Gray Gibson has developed ideas for original characters, including “The Comeback Kid,” a boomerang-wielding cowboy. Photos by Jon Mirador

Student illustrator discovers personal style, plans for career

ANDREW RINGLE Spectrum Editor Within the pages of a small black sketchbook, illustrations of cowboys, dinosaurs and aliens come alive with vibrant colors and careful lines. On the cover, a bright red sticker in the shape of a futuristic ray gun arms the little book, guarding its bounded pages.

For a while before college, drawing was really stressful. But I’ve gotten used to doing art that isn’t for myself.

Whether it’s for the school or eventually for a company, it’s still an escape for me. ” Gray Gibson, student illustrator The drawings belong to VCU sophomore Gray Gibson. He has mimicked famous illustrators since elementary school, but he recently started drawing original characters. As he explores his own style today, his future and the reality of drawing for hire looms ahead of him.

“It’s just something that came natural-

ly to me,” Gibson said. “As a kid I never thought, ‘I want to be an artist.’ It was just something I did.”

Both of Gibson’s parents are artists, and his sister recently graduated from VCU with a degree in graphic design.

“I remember my dad giving me this book about the art of ‘Batman: The Animated Series,’” Gibson said. “I still have it today, but that’s when my interest for comic books was launched. Around the end of elementary school, I realized this could be what I want to do for the rest of my life.”

Today, Gibson immerses himself in the style of comic books to create a personal escape from the real world.

“Nothing against the more mundane subjects, but in science fiction and fantasy there’s more imagination,” Gibson said.

“You can really do anything with it, and there’s so much creativity poured into the characters and creatures of the genre.”

Gibson finds inspiration from a collection of comic book artists, including Chris Samnee, Darwyn Cooke and Ryan Heshka. But he said many of his recent ideas have spurred from collaborating with his classmates.

“I found myself really paying attention to the stuff my friends have been doing,” Gibson said. “That’s motivated me to do art more than these professional, big-time artists I’ve been following.”

Because of the environment Gibson enjoys at VCU, he said his focus has shifted as an artist. While he still wants to be a comics illustrator, he no longer wants to work for big names such as Marvel and DC. “I want to do my own stuff,” Gibson said.

“My style has heavily been influenced by vintage and retro aesthetics. I’ve been digging into old comics and pulp magazines, because the stuff in there is so unique.

Comics from the ‘50s have such a unique perspective on the future, and it’s just fun.”

One of the characters Gibson has created is called “The Comeback Kid.” The cowboy wields a boomerang as a weapon against his primary foe — the stingray that killed Steve Irwin.

This summer, Gibson wants to take his work to the annual Richmond Zine Fest.

While he has personal concepts, he said he wants to adapt them for the comic marketplace

and make them more accessible for readers.

“Basically, it’s to make money,” Gibson said. “If this is going to be something I want to do as a career, I need to figure out what people are going to buy and what the cost of that will be.”

Gibson said he struggles with the capitalist reality of making art, but he wants to find ways to make money from his own style.

“For a while before college, drawing was really stressful,” Gibson said. “But I’ve gotten used to doing art that isn’t for myself.

Whether it’s for the school or eventually for a company, it’s still an escape for me.”

Several artists have inspired Gray Gibson’s work, giving him a foundation to use in his own personal style. Photos by Jon Mirador

Wed. January 30, 2019 11

Students, faculty celebrate at Winter Ball WALTER CHIDOZIE ANYANWU Contributing Writer Students and faculty dressed to a T for the 15th annual MCV Winter Ball Jan. 26 at Main Street Station, which brought students and faculty together for a night of music, dancing and food.

Held by the Student Government Association, the ball was slated to begin at 8 p.m. and go on until 1 a.m. the next day. Attendees arrived in crowds, and at about 9:30 p.m., the ball started to take off.

Previous Winter Balls have been held in hotels and other similar spaces. But this year, the organizers sought to bring guests together under one space that would accommodate them comfortably. The recently renovated Main Street Station was the place to do it.

“What we wanted to do is have an open space that allows students to be engaged all together,” said David Greene, director of the University Student Commons and Activities, “and this historic building is a great place for that to happen.”

Greene said the aim of holding the ball at Main Street Station was to avoid having the guests separated into different sections as they would be in an hotel. The grand terminal of the station provided both the glamour and atmosphere that took the event to the next level.

“What we wanted to do is have an open space that allows students to be engaged all together and this historic building is a great place for that to happen.”

David Greene, director of the University Student Commons and Activities Originally billed as the “MCV Winter Ball,” the event was open to every VCU student who wanted to attend. Green

UPCOMING EVENTS See something

THURS. 1/31 State of the University

VCU President Michael Rao will give the State of the University Address in Room 303 of the James Branch Cabell Library.

Seating is limited and available on a firstcome, first-served basis. Doors open at 10:30 a.m. A live webstream of the speech will be available on vcu.edu and VCU’s Facebook page. RSVP at go.vcu. edu/sotu2019 11 a.m., James Branch Cabell Library (901 Park Ave.) Free.

FRI. 2/1 Opening Reception: “Surface Tension, Surface Tenses”

A new exhibit from photographic artists Daniel Everett and Leah Beeferman is opening at The Anderson. “Surface Tension, Surface Tenses” explores additive disruptions in photographic images.

6-9 p.m., The Anderson (907 1/2 W. Franklin St.) Free.

Do something

THURS. 1/31 The MCV Winter Ball invited students from both campuses to enjoy the music. Photos by Erin Edgerton said the goal of the 15-year tradition is to celebrate students. Its origins on the MCV campus give it the name “MCV Winter Ball.”

“We wanted to make sure if it was going to be a celebration,” Greene said, “that it would be a celebration open to all students.”

While most attendees were from the MCV campus, many undergraduate students also went. One attendee described it as a “college prom.”

Ashley Moore and Lenice Jackson, two freshmen biolog y majors who attended the ball, said they never thought they’d experience anything like it at VCU. “People hear ‘ball’ and think it’s going to be a formal event,” Moore said. “But this is way more fun.”

Jackson said that it was an event she’d like to attend again in the future.

“I don’t do a lot on campus because I’m always busy. So getting out on a nice night and being able to dress up,” Jackson said.

“I’d definitely come back.”

Some of the professional students on the medical campus saw the event as a chance to let loose before the semester gets into full swing.

Dr. Ray Colello, an associate professor of anatomy and neurobiology, described the ball as “successful” and said it gave his students the opportunity to blow off some steam while the semester was still getting started.

“They work really hard and this is their chance to experience some normalcy,” Colello said. “Tomorrow they’ll wake up and get right back to studying 10-12 hours a day.”

Jad Elahmad, communications director for the SGA and a senior in the School of Business, said the event was sold out.

“I went to last year’s ball just as a student, but I was part of SGA. Compared to this, I would say both were a success,” Elahmad said. “But this year, there were more people, we hit a thousand tickets and sold out actually. So this is definitely one of the biggest events.”

Violence Awareness Day Food Drive

Join Alpha Kappa Delta Phi for a food drive to support of women escaping violence. The group is collecting canned food, cereal boxes and non-perishable snacks to donate towards YWCA Richmond, a group focused on helping women, children and families in Richmond.

11 a.m.-2 p.m., University Student Commons (907 Floyd Ave.) Free.

FRI. 2/1 Black History Month Kick-Off Event

To start off Black History Month, join members of the Black History Month Planning Committee for an event featuring music, food and tabling from groups.

There will be several other events throughout February, and information can be found at omsa.vcu.edu.

5-7 p.m., Rams Lounge, University Student Commons (907 Floyd Ave.) Free.

Learn something LETTER WED. 1/30TO THE EDITOR Stalking and Relationship Breakups

Join VCU’s Wellness Resource Center for an information session defining the boundaries between a difficult relationship breakup and stalking.

3-5 p.m., Virginia Room B, University Student Commons (907 Floyd Ave.) Free.

WED. 1/30 Hidden Histories of Medicine, Slavery and Resistance

Yale University historian Carolyn Roberts will speak about the ways African-American medical practitioners used medicine to heal their communities during slavery.

This event is presented by Science Pub RVA in partnership with VCU’s Science, Technology and Society Program.

6:30-7:30 p.m., The Speakeasy (526 N. 2nd St.) Suggested ticket price of $7, 21+

TUES. 2/5 Study Abroad Spring Fair

Find a study abroad program for summer or fall 2019. Students will be able to speak with study abroad staff, returnee students and faculty program leaders.

Ten students will win a $500 study abroad award..

11 a.m.-2 p.m., Shafer Court Dining Center (810 Cathedral Place) Free.

Attendees at the MCV Winter Ball dance in celebration under vibrant lights. Although previous Winter Balls have been at hotels, this event was held at Main Street Station, which offered more room for dancing. Photos by Erin Edgerton

12 The Commonwealth Times

Snubs and surprises spotlighted in Oscar nominations reveal IMAN MEKONEN Contributing Writer It’s that time of year again. Oscars memes are flooding social media and film connoisseurs are rushing to see all of the critically-acclaimed movies — it’s Oscars season.

The Academy Awards, also known as the Oscars, have been the center for political gestures, nodding to the “Time’s Up” movement against sexual harassment. The 2016 #OscarsSoWhite boycott started in response to the historic absence of nominees of color in the leading and supporting actor categories.

“I’ve been watching the Oscars every year since I can remember,” said Katarina Docalovich, a sophomore studying cinema and english. “I remember when Kathryn Bigelow was the first woman to ever win best director in 2010. That was a really inspiring moment for me. I will watch them every year until I die, even if I don’t enjoy it.”

The Oscar nominations were announced Jan. 22, hosted by actress Tracee Ellis Ross and comedian Kumail Nanjiani.

Without further ado, here’s the rundown.

“Roma,” Netflix’s first film nominated for best picture, is a Mexican film about a family and their domestic workers living in 1970s Mexico City. The film was nominated for ten awards, including best director for Alfonso Cuarón. “Roma” leading actress Yalitza Aparicio is the first indigenous woman recognized for an Oscar, receiving a best actress nomination.

Another best picture nominee in the running is Marvel’s wildly successful film, “Black Panther,” about the eponymous African-born comic book character. Its nom-

Illustration by Steck Von

ination in the category marks Marvel’s first ever for best picture, and it is also the first superhero movie nominated for the category.

Many were surprised to see “Black Panther” director Ryan Coogler wasn’t recognized for the best director category after achieving immense success and praise for the movie, with seven total nominations.

Another surprise came to Spike Lee, a

director in the film industry for more than 30 years. Lee received his first best director Oscar nomination for “BlacKkKlansman.”

Given his critically-acclaimed movies and bold portrayal of African-Americans throughout his filmography in “She’s Gotta Have It” and “Malcolm X”, this seems like it’s a few years too late.

Many people were also shocked to see “If

Beale Street Could Talk,” a drama about an African-American love story based on the James Baldwin novel, without a best picture or best director nomination.

“That was full of excellent cinematography, writing, direction and acting,” said freshman cinema major Eli Bilderback. “I definitely think it should have been nominated for more awards.”

Barry Jenkins, director of “Beale Street,” was nominated in 2017 for his direction of “Moonlight,” which won best picture that year.

2018 has been a great year in movies, which is reflected in the nominations with highlights in diversity and representation in film. Out of nine best picture nominees at the 2018 Oscars, five showcased women and people of color in leading roles. That representation has further increased with the 2019 nominations, where six out of the eight movies recognized feature diverse leading roles. Representation has increased since the 2016 #OscarsSoWhite backlash.

This isn’t to say the 2019 Oscars have gotten off to an easy start. More than a month after Kevin Hart stepped down as 2019 host in response to outrage over homophobic tweets from 2011, the Academy Awards are still without a host.

“I always love this season because it gives me and my friends and peers a chance to talk about what we love,” said Kendall Loan, a sophomore cinema and psychology major.

“I love film’s ability to inspire and allow us to see and imagine life not as it is, but as it could be.”

The 91st Academy Awards will broadcast Feb. 24 at 8 p.m. EST on ABC.

LANDON’S OUTLOOK

“The Kid Who Would Be King” is the hope we need right now “The Kid Who Would Be King” presents a world of slowly-spreading hate, bigotry and xenophobia caused by fear-mongering politicians. The modern take on the classic King Arthur tale may seem heavy, but director Joe Cornish brings a witty, whimsical sensibility that will inspire generations to come.

In a divided modern London, an ancient evil villain called Morgana is reawakened. The only person who can bring peace is a hero who wields the Excalibur, King Arthur’s legendary sword. That hero ends up being a 12-year-old boy named

Illustration by Lindsay Hart

Alex and his ragtag group of friends. The group sets off on a journey to slay Morgana and bring peace to the world.

The theme — that children represent the future — is obvious, and its presentation is well-handled. The quick-witted dialogue packs some brilliant and amusing critiques of Brexit and the Trump administration while also remaining digestible for the entire family. While the film analyzes society, it also emphasizes basic lessons such as honesty, kindness and perseverance.

However, it never presents these lessons as pandering — they provide incredible weight to the story.

The cast, which mostly consists of child actors, executes the heavy dialogue perfectly. Louis Ashbourne Serkis as Alex carries many emotional scenes and is a figure of nobility and purity. The young hero creates a figure for many children to look up to.

While there are some heavy scenes sprinkled throughout the film, the fun is never lost. The supporting cast, which plays the knights of the round table, brings enjoyment to the big screen. However, Merlin is a true standout, portrayed by both Angus Irmine, who plays Merlin’s younger self, and Patrick Stewart.

Whenever Merlin’s magic is drained, there’s a comical transition from Irmine to Stewart. Irmine’s bright-eyed personality brings a liveliness to the magic, while Stuart handles the more weighty scenes in an amusing manner. No matter who portrays Merlin, there is always a childlike glee to his character.

Morgana, played by Rebecca Ferguson, is the true embodiment of evil and serves

as the perfect villain. Her home’s set design echoes a practical ‘80s aesthetic, even though it’s mostly computer-generated. This same aesthetic is also presented through her underlings who are truly terrifying and evoke the camp of films like “The Neverending Story” and “Labyrinth.”

The film only stumbles with its action scenes. The ideas and set pieces are great, but they aren’t executed as well as they could be. All of this mostly comes from the poor green screen use. An action-oriented third act feels a little bloated because of this, but it never truly distracts from the enjoyment as a whole.

Not all of the action scenes falter. A car chase near the beginning of the film has some innovative ideas that lead to a hilarious punchline.

Despite its few action-related shortcomings, Cornish has delivered a film that holds an important message many children will retain — they can make change. That message is what we need during a time of divisiveness and anger. “The Kid Who Would Be King” is the cure to this pessimistic world we live in and should be seen by everyone.

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LANDON ROBERTS Contributing Writer

Wed. January 30, 2019 13

Quote of the week

Build a system that even a fool can use, and only a fool will want to use it.

— George Bernard Shaw

Kamala Harris’ attorney record doesn’t paint a full picture

BRIANNA SCOTT Opinions Editor

M

y social media timeline flooded with posts praising U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., when she announced her bid Jan. 21 for the 2020 presidential election. It was full of people excited that someone of her essence could replace President Donald Trump.

Since her announcement, Harris’ record as California’s former attorney general and San Francisco district attorney has come under scrutiny. It is easy to judge Harris based on what she did as an attorney, but diving beyond the surface reveals more.

Harris’ past criminal justice reform rulings have caused me to pause rather than have a knee-jerk supportive reaction. As someone who advocates for prison reform and has seen how incarceration disproportionately affects black and brown folks, specifically children, I found myself confused and wary of Harris.

In 2004, Harris didn’t seek the death penalty against a man accused of killing a police officer. But a decade later, Harris defended capital punishment in California. Black people make up 13 percent of the population, but 42 percent of people on death row in state prisons are black and account for 35 percent of those executed, according to the NAACP. Harris also supported a new California truancy law in 2011, which states parents of kids who are chronically absent from school can be found guilty of a misdemeanor and face a fine up to $2,000 as well as a year of incarceration, depending on the circumstance. Truancy disproportionately affects black and brown families and is a factor in the school-to-prison-pipeline, according to The Washington Informer, all of which Harris knows.

“We know chronic truancy leads to dropping out, which dramatically increases the odds that a young person will become either a perpetrator or a victim of crime,” Harris said in her inaugural speech back in 2011.

Harris did implement the first statewide implicit bias and procedural justice training in the U.S. Open Justice is an initiative that advances Harris’ “Smart on Crime” approach. The website provides data on arrest rates, in-custody and arrest-related deaths and law enforcement officers killed or assaulted.

Illustration by Jeffrey Belfield

In 2015, Harris initiated “Back on Track - Los Angeles,” a program meant to reduce recidivism rates. The program “helps former offenders reintegrate into their communities and assists them with housing needs, child support services, financial literacy training, and employment,” according to its website.

But Harris did not take a stance on a ballot that reduced certain low-level felonies to misdemeanors.

When researching Harris, my negative reaction toward her was instantaneous — her rulings and views contradicted each other.

Until I realized how naive it was to believe this was not a nuanced situation.

The job of an attorney general is to fight passionately and aggressively uphold the laws of their state and the nation. An attorney general is the top legal officer of their state. They don’t necessarily always write the laws or legislation that they are required to uphold. To put it bluntly, attorneys general are essentially law enforcement.

Our criminal justice system isn’t broken.

It’s working the way it was always intended to, which makes reforming it difficult because people can’t see the way the structures are set up.”

Brianna Scott, opinions editor Our criminal justice system isn’t broken.

It’s working the way it was always intended to, which makes reforming it difficult because people can’t see the way the structures are set up. The system has always been designed to disproportionately affect people

of color, immigrants, LGBTQ+ individuals, women, criminals and those in poverty.

Harris has referenced the “false choice” dilemma in many tweets and in her memoir, “The Truths We Hold: An American Journey.”

“It is a false choice to suggest you must either be for the police or for police accountability,” Harris said. “I am for both.

Most people I know are for both. Let’s speak some truth about that, too.”

The “false choice” is a type of informal fallacy where we think a situation presented is “either/or” but in reality, there is another option.

It’s a false choice to think that attorneys general can only make decisions that align with their beliefs or make no decision at all.

They have to answer difficult questions with answers they don’t believe in.

It’s a false choice to think you must either support all of Harris’ decisions or not support her at all. You can support some, but not all.

This is a nuanced situation and we must treat it as such. We should not ignore Harris’ rulings as an attorney general but we should consider why she ruled the way she did. Being a politician is a game and you have to play the game right — even when it means people will hate for you it.

I can’t say for certain how I feel about Harris, I feel quite blasé after researching her. I’m tired of the mantra that we must “vote for the lesser of two evils” because it is used as a “get out of jail” card for politicians who have made problematic decisions.

It’s a pipe dream to expect politicians, lawyers, judges, and prosecutors to be able to do what is “just” when the law itself isn’t always fair. Once you enter into historically-biased power structures, you are on a completely different playing field.

Harris has spoken out in response to recent backlash over her decisions on criminal justice reform.

“The bottom line is the buck stops with me and I take full responsibility for what my office did,” she said. “There are cases ... where there were folks that made a decision in my office and they had not consulted me and I wish they had.”

This seems like a half-attempt to take responsibility while also shifting the blame.

With power comes difficult decisions that are always going to affect people negatively.

We always have a choice at the end of the day. For Harris, those choices could have jeopardized her career.

If I’m going to question what Harris did as an attorney general, who is required to uphold the law, then I also must question why the laws are set up the way they are.

In Martin Luther King Jr.’s letter from the Birmingham Jail he said, “One has not only a legal, but a moral responsibility to obey just laws. Conversely, one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws.”

We must be critical of our government and the way it is designed.

If I’m going to question what Harris did as an attorney general, who is required to uphold the law, then I also must question why the laws are set up the way they are.”

Brianna Scott, opinions editor Accountability is one of my favorite words because it scares people. I have no idea when the word garnered such a negative connotation. Holding people responsible for their actions does not mean we no longer can support them, it just means we are being critical.

We should continue to be critical of Harris and anyone else who runs for election in 2020.

If we vote blindly without critique and research, then we are insulting our culture of democracy.

14 The Commonwealth Times

Karen Pence teaching at an anti-LGBTQ+ school doesn’t surprise me BRIANNA SCOTT Opinions Editor When news broke that Karen Pence, Vice President Mike Pence’s wife, was returning to Immanuel Christian School to teach art, many were baffled. The school has a reputation for being anti-LGBTQ+. But most people expected it because of Mike Pence’s history of being less than supportive to the LGBTQ+ community, to put it lightly.

Immanuel Christian School admissions policy reads, “We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic background. We do, however, attempt to be discerning in the area of Christian belief and practice.”

Barack Obama required companies with Some may have thought, including mylarge federal contracts to prove their self, that the legalization of gay marriage compliance with LGBT protections and in 2015 would end discrimination against other labor laws those in the LGBTQ+ community. That • Reversed an Obama policy that allowed couldn’t be further from the truth. transgender students attending public These types of policies aren’t new at schools to use bathrooms based on their Christian schools. In 2012, the Supreme gender identity Court ruled that “Churches and other re- • Released a proposed 2019 budget that ligious groups must be free to choose and would eliminate funding for the AIDS dismiss their leaders without government Education and Training Centers and interference.”

Special Projects of National Significance States including as Virginia, North Carthat both run under Ryan White HIV/ olina, Texas and Wyoming have no prohiAIDS Program bitions for discrimination based on sexual • Banned transgender people from servorientation or gender identity in state law. ing in the military, which the Supreme Under Trump and Pence, the threat of Court recently upheld discrimination against the gay community heightens every day. Here are just a few things Given this context, it’s bemusing that the Trump administration has done in the last Pence felt it was “offensive” that news outtwo years threatening LGTBQ+ rights: lets are “attacking” Christian education. In a clip posted on Twitter, Pence said, “We have • Reversed the directive, “Fair Pay and a rich tradition in America of Christian Safe Workplaces,” which under President education and, frankly, religious education

Illustration by Sammy Newman

broadly defined. We celebrate it. The freedom of religion is enshrined in the Constitution of the United States.”

If Pence is such a champion of First Amendment rights, he should know people are allowed to have opinions about his family’s beliefs.

I find it offensive that the Pence family believes they are being attacked when more than 6,000 hate crimes were reported by the FBI in 2016. More than 1,000 were based on sexual orientation and 124 on gender identity.

In 2018, The Williams Institute reported there are over 3 million LGBTQ+ youth in the U.S. Of those, 150,000 identify as transgender. Over half of LGBTQ+ youth live in states that do not have any mandates that protect them from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.

“27 percent of LGBT students have been physically harassed at school because of their sexual orientation; 13 percent have been physically harassed because of their

gender identity,” according to a 2015 report by the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network.

The Pence family does not represent every Christian. Yet, the Pence family and Immanuel Christian School is sending a clear message that they are okay with being intolerant of people with differing identities.

The school’s parental agreement states, “I acknowledge the importance of a family culture based on biblical principles and embrace biblical family values such as a healthy marriage between one man and one woman.”

In an article published in The New York Times, a 2013 employment agreement stated, “Homosexual acts and lifestyles are clearly perversion and reprehensible in the sight of God. Persons so involved cannot be employees of Immanuel Christian School.”

This is no longer in the employment agreement, according to the Times. The agreement also has been removed from the school’s website after news broke of Karen Pence teaching at the school.

It’s disheartening that there are people so vehemently against the LGBTQ+ community. Homophobia and transphobia transcend religion and affect laws that impact people negatively, causing hate crimes.

Most kids are born into religions. There are likely kids at Immanuel Christian who are queer and afraid to come out for fear of expulsion, judgement and violence.

Homophobia and transphobia transcend religion and affect laws that impact people negatively. We should be teaching children to be tolerant of people different from them, not that segregation and discrimination are acceptable ways to deal with people different than you.

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

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56 Fed. agents

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1/30/19 Complete the grid so each row, column and 3-by-3 box (in bold borders) contains every digit, 1 to 9.

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