The Commonwealth Times; Sep. 26, 2018

THE INDEPENDENT PRESS OF VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY VOL. 60, NO. 6

COMMONWEALTHTIMES.ORG SEPTEMBER 26, 2018

Discussing Fear A night with Pulitzer Prize-winner Bob Woodward Story on page 2

Bob Woodward, an investigative reporter and associate editor of The Washington Post, covered his most recent book and President Trump’s political climate. Photo by Erin Edgerton

Virginia secretary of education visits with VCU veterans

SPORTS

CHIP LAUTERBACH Contributing Writer

the Year in 2016. Last year, Gov. Ralph Northam appointed Qarni as the 19th Secretary of Edhe Virginia Secretary of Education of the state of Virginia, ucation Atif Qarni spoke to a assuming office on Jan. 13, 2018. group of VCU military veterans “When I first came home, I was at Cabell Library Sept. 21. withdrawn and sometimes quick The event — organized by to anger,” Qarni said. “I do know Military Student Services Dithat without the prospect and the rector Stephen Ross — focused eventual structure of being an edon what veterans go through ucator, I would have struggled in when transitioning from their those first few months of returntime in the armed forces back ing to life and society.” to civilian life.

Emphasizing the need for “This was a really wonderful veterans to reach out to those collaboration,” Ross said of the who came before them, Qaevent, which was a collective efrni said the governor tasked fort between MSS, VCU Military him with developing programs Veterans Alumni Council and the geared toward helping veterans Office of Government Relations. in transition at Virginia colleges “Without the hard work of all and universities. those involved we wouldn’t be “We owe it to our brothers enjoying this wonderful afterand sisters who have sacrificed so noon with Secretary Qarni.”

Secretary of Education Atif Qarni. Photo by Chip Lauterbach much to secure our liberty here Qarni, a native of Pakistan, in America and abroad,” Qarni talked about his experiences candidly, more mature manner than an average said. “We need to let them know that we spanning from his 1996 enlistment in the 26-year-old man. have their backs.”

Marine Corps after finishing high school “I made a deal with my parents, because Ryan Tompkins, a U.S. Army veteran to coming home from the invasion of Iraq my father was very proud of me and gung- at the event who will attend VCU next after March 2003. ho about me joining the military — he said semester, said he was happy to see the Sec“Coming home from Iraq I had to focus,” it was what an immigrant was supposed to retary of Education speaking to the univerQarni said. “My wife had just given birth do,” Qarni said. “But my mother was abso- sity’s veteran community. to our first child and I knew I was going lutely against the idea, so I agreed to join “I think it shows that Governor Northam to move on from the Marine Corps. It was the reserves and go to college.” and his administration are very understandthen that I decided that I was going go After pursuing higher education, Qarni ing of the challenges faced by the Virginia into education.” became a teacher in civics, mathematics veteran community,” Tompkins said. “And After leaving the military, Qarni said and U.S. history, teaching classes at Beville how supportive the Governor and his adthat because of his time in the service, he Middle School in Prince William Coun- ministration are of veterans finding a new was able to focus on his aspirations in a ty. Qarni was named Dale City Teacher of path through higher education.”

T

NEWS Tobacco grant 3

SPORTS Kaepernick ad 5

SPECTRUM Latin Ballet 9

Junior midfielder Siad Haji scored twice in the 2017 A-10 Tournament.

Photo by Raelyn Fines

Men’s Soccer conquers Monarchs; Women dominate A-10 foes Story on page 6

Sophomore midfielder Samantha Jerabek has scored a team-leading seven goals this year. Photo by Shayla Bailey

OPINIONS Flipping phone 11

2 The Commonwealth Times

Stories of the week

national: Christine Blasey Ford, survivor of an alleged sexual assault by Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, will testify at the Senate Judiciary Committee Thursday. international: Journalist Weem Al Dakheel became the first woman to anchor a major nightly news program in Saudi Arabia on the state-run program Al Saudiya Sept. 20.

Nationally acclaimed journalist Bob Woodward delivers speech to Richmond community NIA TARIQ News Editor Associate editor at The Washington Post and veteran Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter Bob Woodward visited VCU Tuesday to present his speech on “Truth, Freedom of Expression, Democracy and the Age of the American Presidency.”

The renowned author’s appearance took place in the W.E. Singleton Center for the Performing Arts and was met with a crowd of hundreds of Richmonders and VCU students. His visit came exactly two weeks after the publishing of his most recent book titled “Fear: Trump in the White House,” which sold more than 1 million print and electronic copies in its first week.

Woodward reminisced about his time investigating the Watergate scandal with his Post colleague Carl Bernstein — the reporting that ultimately resulted in former President Richard Nixon’s resignation in 1974.

He also discussed the current state of American politics and the work that went into “Fear.”

Woodward, renowned for his work with Carl Bernstein on the Watergate scandal in the 1970s, visited VCU’s Singleton Center and took questions from the audience. Photo by Erin Edgerton

LESSONS FROM WATERGATE “There is a war on truth. You have to deal with truth,” Woodward said. “Truth is the foundation of how we have our debates and people make their decisions.”

This, according to Woodward, will always be the case — be it 1972 when the first reports of the Watergate scandal broke or the investigation into alleged Russian interference in the 2016 presidential race, which has precipitated many questions surrounding the validity of Trump’s presidency.

Woodward attributed some of his motivation during his coverage of the Watergate scandal to his former boss — and first female publisher of The Washington Post — Katharine Graham.

“The leader has to know what’s going on, be intellectually involved, but the leader’s hands-off — doesn’t tell people how to do their job,” he said about Graham.

Woodward said Graham’s zeal for the truth outmatched the risk of damaging the Post’s reputation after Nixon secured his reelection months before the Watergate story broke.

“When we went to go interview people during this period, they would slam their doors in our faces [and] the Watergate burglars — the five men who broke into the Democratic headquarters — were being paid for their silence,” he said. However, Graham instructed Woodward that he “[not] hold back, be more aggressive and keep working on this story.”

Journalists sign up to take risks, Woodward said.

“That’s the business we’re in and we have to keep working at it,” he said.

Since many of Woodward’s findings have been based on anonymous interviews, he said he relies heavily on written sources.

“I would always ask people, ‘Do you have any documents or notes?’ And they would say, ‘No, absolutely no,’” Woodward said.

“Well, I’ve learned over the years, there’s no one who has ever worked in the White

House or the Supreme Court or Congress that doesn’t take a little memorabilia home.

You have a love affair with documents when you’re in my business.”

Given the current climate of distrust toward news media in the U.S., this type of attention to detail in the journalism industry is important for establishing credibility.

“We have become, willfully, members of a political dynamic, rather than trying to call it down the middle, trying to deal with facts,” he said of civilian news consumption.

When he asked who in the audience had a news source they trusted, Woodward was visibly taken aback by the sea of raised hands he was greeted with.

“We have to be able to get beyond what we’re seeing in the news every single day,” said Richmond resident and speech attendee Theresa Gee. “We have to be able to feel that there is some hope beyond what we’re told.”

Gee said she hopes Woodward can help the public progress from this point in its relationship with the news media.

“We got through the Watergate issue, now we need to get through this,” Gee said.

Woodward affirmed journalists’ constitutional right to do their jobs has never been categorically denied — even in the Trump era — and that fact should not be ignored.

“We do have the First Amendment. No one has closed us down,” Woodward said. “I think that is important and we should feel good about it.”

“REAL POWER IS … FEAR” “‘Fear’ just came out — Trump loves it,” Woodward joked. “He accused me of being a Democratic operative.”

The book’s title comes from an interview between Woodward, Post reporter Robert Costa and then-nominee Trump in March 2016, during which Trump said, “Real power is — I don’t even want to use the word — fear.”

“A lot of times I have to put it down because it makes me sad,” said Prince George resident and speech attendee Charlotte Rhodes. “Because the information in it is

so disturbing — so much of it we already knew. But just, to read it, grabs my heart. It makes me angry also.”

Richmond resident and VCU graduate Kelly Lawson said he is also reading Woodward’s book and has a negative view of Trump’s White House due to the Russia investigation.

“I feel like Trump is guilty, Lawson said.

“I feel like his actions speak louder than his words and he is guilty of something — but what exactly that is, we don’t know.”

Although Lawson said he attended the speech to hear Woodward’s take on the matter, Woodward successfully dodged a question from a member of the audience asking about what he “most admires” about Trump, insisting the audience draw conclusions for themselves.

Much of the details Woodward discussed in “Fear” were based on interviews that relied on the principle of deep background — an understanding that he would use the information given to him but not attribute it to the interviewee, keeping them anonymous.

Woodward said the methodology behind his visits with sources was vital to the success of their reports. While covering Watergate, he and Bernstein “had to go see people at home, we had to knock on doors,” in order to extract information on deep background. Woodward said he thinks more journalists should use the same technique.

“People unfortunately do not tell the truth on the record most of the time,” he said. “I think we need more deep background or background sources because then you can get the truth. Too many lies are on the record.”

Though Woodward stressed the importance of journalists’ refraining from partisan influence, he used rhetoric throughout the speech indicating President Donald Trump has introduced a never-before-seen atmosphere in Washington.

“We better wake up to what’s going on in the White House,” Woodward said. “God help us if we have a crisis because that’s when presidents and their administration and their team are tested. If there’s no team,

if there is a living, vibrating nervous breakdown going on, they can’t deal with a crisis. And crises come to the presidency all of the time.”

Woodward said a common thread exists among U.S. presidents — the hubris that comes with securing an election.

“There is a kind of self-validation when you are elected president that none of us in our lives get: you rose to the top,” he said. “In the case of Trump … everyone said, ‘It won’t work, you can’t do it.’ What do you think that that means to President Trump emotionally?

It means that ‘I’m right, they’re wrong.’”

Although it is typical for a president to enjoy their victory and newly assumed power, Woodward said, Trump’s work as president has been largely unorthodox and not aligned with the established precedent.

“Trump was elected to be a disruptor,” he said. “Presidents live in the unfinished business of their predecessor.

There has to be a framework — some of the old order — that you’re going to use. That all works. That is the house we have to live in. You can’t burn it down.”

Woodward made a comment in reference to the introduction of “Fear,” in which he tells the story of Gary Cohn, former economic advisor to Trump, removing a letter from the president’s desk that would have removed the U.S. from the United States-Korea Free Trade Agreement — therefore threatening a necessary U.S. presence in the Korean peninsula — if it had been signed.

Presidents live in the unfinished business of their predecessor. There has to be a framework — some of the old order — that you’re going to use.

That all works. That is the house we have to live in.

You can’t burn it down.”

Bob Woodward, associate editor of The Washington Post “What’s different about this White House? Nothing,” Woodward posited. “But the phenomenon of [White house staffers] stealing papers from the president’s desk — I’ve never heard of or seen that before.

Trump has made the country numb. But people in my business can’t get numb. We’ve got to be very aggressive. But I think you can be very aggressive and be fair.”

CORRECTION In the Sept. 19 issue, an article titled “A progressive group wants a Confederate flag gone from the Capitol” mistakenly identified Jefferson Davis, the president of the Confederate States of America, as a “Confederate general.”

Wed. September 26, 2018 3

VCU’s Center for the Study of Tobacco Products receives nearly $20 million grant The Center for the Study of Tobacco Products at VCU received a nearly $20 million grant for a five-year project focused on predicting the outcomes of government regulations on tobacco products, such as e-cigarettes.

The grant was awarded by the National Institutes of Health and the Food and Drug Administration Center for Tobacco Products.

Michael Southam-Gerow, chair and director of graduate studies in the Department of Psychology, said the grant helps CSTP have an impact on public health around the world.

“The Center for the Study of Tobacco Products is already a world leader in helping policymakers and the public understand how emerging tobacco products work on the body and what their longer-term impacts are on physical and behavioral health,” Southam-Gerow said. “The new project lets them continue and expand on this work.”

CSTP is one of nine Tobacco Centers of Regulatory Science across the country that provide research to the FDA in efforts to ensure U.S. tobacco regulations are supported by scientific evidence.

CSTP director and VCU psychology professor Thomas Eissenberg said the goal of the study is to give the FDA tools to predict whether certain tobacco-related regulations would be helpful and if they have unintended consequences.

methods to help inform regulatory policy for tobacco products.

According to Montserrat Fuentes, dean of the College of Humanities and Sciences, the 2013 grant “provided numerous opportunities to VCU students for engagement in experiential learning while applying their knowledge to significant social problems.”

The FDA announced Sept. 14 that Juul and other e-cigarette companies must provide ways to keep these products out of minor’s hands. If these companies do not comply within the 60 days, they could be forced to take flavored e-cigarette products off the market.

VCU junior Ryan Carter — who occasionally uses an e-cigarette — said there could be more effective options to the rising use of e-cigarettes in teens.

“I think there might be a way to take it Despite a decrease in the freuqency of tobacco use among teenagers in the past down by levels,” Carter said. “It might be decade, e-cigarette use has increased over 10 percent since 2011. Photo by Jon Mirador what’s necessary, but I don’t think it’s what would be the best decision.”

“We’re trying to inform regulations that though the FDA’s data shows an overall Carter also said although he hasn’t seen protect the health of nonsmokers who decline in tobacco use among teenagers the numbers yet, he thinks minor usage of might be encouraged by marketing to try between 2011 and 2017, e-cigarette usage e-cigarettes right now is not as much of a electronic cigarettes or other tobacco prod- surged from 1.5 percent to 11.7 percent in problem as people might think. ucts,” Eissenberg said. “And also protect the same time span.

“It might be a growing problem, but for the health of smokers by making sure that According to Alison Breland, co-princi- now I think we’re good,” Carter said. if they were to use an electronic cigarette pal investigator for the grant and assistant According to a press release by VCU in an attempt to get off tobacco cigarettes, research professor in the Department of Public Affairs, the new grant does not inthat they’re not using something that is also Psychology, this project’s goal is to help the clude taxpayer money. The funding comes harmful to their health.”

FDA find regulations that protect public from an FDA law requiring tobacco comThe illegal sale of e-cigarette products health and decrease teen e-cigarette use. panies to provide money to support reguto minors has been a major part in the In 2013, CSTP received a five-year, latory action.

FDA’s push for further regulation. Al- $18.3 million grant to create evaluation

Low academic achievement connected to future drug abuse, studies suggest

934,462 individuals were studied for a mean period of 19 years to observe the effects of academic achievement (AA, expressed through grade scores) on risk of future drug abuse (DA).

According to the study, increasing academic achievement by one grade score at age 16 should decrease the long-term risk of drug abuse by approximately 45 percent.

DRUG ABUSE

Lower academic achievement could be associated with future drug abuse, according to research conducted by a VCU professor in the Department of Psychiatry.

Dr. Kenneth Kendler — who is also a psychiatric researcher with the Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics — had his recent studies published in JAMA Psychiatry, a publication belonging to the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Multiple professionals from Sweden’s Lund University and Karolinska Institute — who Kendler considers experts and very close colleagues — networked to conduct the study which found that “lower [academic achievement] had a significant association with risk of subsequent [drug abuse].”

Data analysis was conducted on over 930,000 participants, for more than 15 years. The team examined registries from Sweden, where school is mandatory for children between the ages of 7 and 16.

Swedish medical, criminal and pharmacy registries were used to identify individuals who suffer from drug abuse.

The results suggested academic achievement at 16 years of age and risk of drug abuse into middle adulthood had a potentially causal relationship.

“These results provide empirical support for efforts to improve [academic achievement] as a means to reduce risk of [drug abuse],” the report stated. “Students who succeed academically tend to develop positive attachments to school, facilitating their commitment to prosocial lifestyles that reduce risk of [drug abuse]. Those who lack this bond are more prone to deviant behaviors.”

The researchers deemed these findings important, in part because of the need for the implementation of better, cost-efficient drug abuse prevention. The study also concluded that programs which improve academic achievement during adolescence would result in substantial reductions in the risk of long-term drug abuse.

There were also some personal motivations behind the study, according to Kendler.

“I’m trained in psychiatry,” Kendler said. “I certainly have seen a number of patients, and also some friends, whose lives have been very seriously derailed by drug abuse.”

Kendler said it has been very difficult to find effective prevention for drug abuse in the past. That is what he said made this project exciting — being able to access a vast well of data was helpful in drawing legitimate conclusions about the nature of drug abuse.

Kendler said theories exist arguing that drug abuse is an infectious disease, and he wants to work toward validating or disproving those claims.

“We’re actually trying to develop and potentially collaborate with people who have mathematical models for the opioid epidemic that have been based on infectious disease models and apply that to drug abuse data in Sweden,” Kendler said.

In the future, Kendler said this team has plans to continue studying the data already at their disposal to further understand drug abuse.

“If you think hard,” Kendler said, “There are often ways of using data that we already have to be able to answer really important questions about the nature and treatment of psychiatric drug abuse disorders with a great deal of scientific rigor.”

“Academic Achievement and Drug Abuse Risk Assessed Using Instrumental Variable Analysis and Co-relative Designs,” published in JAMA Psychiatry Infographic by Jiff Smifth ADVERTISEMENT

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SEBASTIAN GRANT Contributing Writer

ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT + DRUG ABUSE ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT

LOGAN REARDON Staff Writer

4 The Commonwealth Times

Henrico to provide EMS training for patients with heart failure devices Saturday NAOMI GHAHRAI Contributing Writer The Henrico County Division of Fire, in partnership with the Weil Institute of Emergency and Critical Care Research at VCU, will host an emergency medical services event on managing left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) and total artificial heart (TAH) patients Sept. 29.

LVADs and TAHs are mechanical circulatory support devices used as treatment options for heart failure patients. LVADs are pumps implanted in a patient’s abdomen and attached to the heart in order to help pump blood from the left ventricle to the aorta — the main mechanism for carrying oxygen-rich blood to the rest of the body. TAHs fully replace the heart in cases of biventricular failure.

VCU is one of the national leaders in TAH implants, said Dr. Joseph Ornato, department chairman of emergency medicine at VCU Medical Center and medical director of the Richmond and Henrico fire departments.

“This event is a giant step in the new national standard of training, and I am excited to provide for the Richmond community,” Ornato said.

The Joint Commission, a non-profit organization accrediting and certifying healthcare programs, awarded VCU Medical Center’s VAD program its gold seal of approval in 2008.

These devices “are more common than [they] used to be,” said paramedic and EMS instructor Johnna Chandler. “You would be surprised how many people actually have them and you do not even realize it.”

The percentage of U.S. heart failure patients 75 and older with LVADs rose from three percent in 2003 to 11 percent in 2014, as reported by Mitchel Doler in The Hospitalist, a newsmagazine of the Society of Hospital Medicine.

At the event, participants will rotate through a series of stations including lectures and hands-on experience with volunteer LVAD or TAH patients.

Ornato, along with VCU Health cardiologist Dr. Mary Ann Peberdy, organized the event with the support of several VCU and Richmond health organizations.

“I would probably attend this event because it seems really interesting and I’ve never seen this type of patient in the field,” said Liz Lott, a student and Virginia Beach emergency medical technician.

According to Dr. Stephanie Louka — a clinical instructor in the VCU Department of Emergency Medicine — as of 2015, American Heart Association guidelines for cardiovascular life support did not include information on the assessment and treatment of an unconscious mechanical assist device patient.

The guidelines for administering chest compressions — an essential part of CPR — were ambiguous and different hospitals and EMS

Left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) are mechanical circulatory support devices that carry oxygen-rich blood from the heart to the body for heart failure patients.

Image from Wikimedia Commons systems diverged in their treatment of unresponsive mechanical assist device patients.

In 2017, the American Heart Association published a detailed, evidence-based approach for unconscious or cardiac-arresting patients with mechanical assist devices.

These findings helped shape better guidelines for supporting patients with LVADs and TAHs. “VCU remains actively engaged in being at the forefront of advanced therapies

for end-stage heart failure,” said Dr. Daniel Tang, VCU Health Pauley Heart Center cardiothoracic surgeon.

The EMS education training will be held at the Henrico Fire training center on East Parham Road. Only 100 certified EMS providers — with priority given to paramedics — can attend Sept. 29, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Certified EMS students can register for this event at ctcce.vcu.edu.

Nonprofit CEOs who opt for lower pay lead more effective organizations SARAH ELSON Contributing Writer

Freshman business student Jake Saar said he was not surprised to hear the result.

“I guess that’s normal, [CEOs] get paid relatively the same; some are actually good people and put it back to the community,” Saar said.

Student Aisha Khalifa, also a freshman in the business school, said she had concerns regarding the fairness of lower CEO compensation.

“It’s good that [the CEOs] serve more people in the community when they earn less, but it can be unfair to them because they could be working hard,” Khalifa said.

“I think they should be paid according to the amount of time and effort they dedicate to their job.”

During the study, Reina sought to answer the questions of if making information on lower CEO salaries publicly available results in social capital, and if this results in an increased desire for involvement in the organization and improved performance.

Reina said a lower income may not be a significant factor in helping an organization if the CEO truly cares about the organization’s cause more than the compensation.

“If you are knowingly making less and you go into the nonprofit sector,” Reina said, “theoretically it should be less about money and more about making a difference.”

For more information on the study, visit jpna.org.

Nonprofit CEOs who choose to have lower-paying salaries than their colleagues run organizations that serve community members more positively, according to research conducted by two professors in the VCU School of Business.

The study, co-authored by Christopher Reina and Joseph Coombs, was published in the Journal of Public and Nonprofit Affairs. Titled “Serving Others at the Expense of Self: The Relationship between Nonprofit CEO Compensation and Performance in Trade and Professional Associations,” it was co-conducted by Marina Saitgalina and Andrew Bennett, two assistant professors from Old Dominion University, the latter of whom is a VCU School of Business alumnus.

The sample for the study was taken from the 2010 Association Executive Compensation Benefits survey, conducted by the American Society of Association Executives.

“Because [the study is] observational and because we used data that was already existing, it’s hard to draw definitive conclusions of whether people who make less money actually have firms that perform less, or better,” Reina said. “But, we see a trend in that those firms in which we see a CEO that makes less money than some of their peers are performing better when it comes to the number of individuals served.”

This means a causal relationship was not established by the study, therefore it Professors Christopher Reina and Joseph should not be assumed that all companies Coombs co-authored the CEO study. with CEOs who are paid less will have an Images courtesy of VCU School of Business increase in productivity.

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Wed. September 26, 2018 5

Stat of the week

Field Hockey’s win against No. 11 Old Dominion University was its first win over a ranked opponent since 2009.

Press Box

Nike, Kaepernick subvert Trump’s weaponizing of professional sports ZACH JOACHIM Executive Editor “Believe in something, even if it means sacrificing everything.”

Nike set the sports world ablaze with its 30th anniversary “Just Do It” ad campaign, featuring the already-iconic slogan and narration

by NFL free agent quarterback Colin Kaepernick.

The words, emblazoned across Kaepernick’s face on posters and ringing through television sets and smartphones across the country, refer to the maligned quarterback’s willingness to sacrifice his career for his beliefs. Kaepernick has been blackballed by NFL owners since kneeling during the national anthem in 2016 to protest police brutality and systemic oppression against people of color.

Kaepernick charged in federal court that the NFL conspired to prevent him from signing to a team, an allegation the NFL denies. On Aug. 28, an arbitrator denied the NFL’s request to dismiss the claim.

A hearing is expected before the end of the year.

Through the ad campaign, Kaepernick and Nike are seeking to lead the conversation hovering over the professional sports landscape from its currently divisive place to an inclusive and unifying one. Although this marriage between civil rights protest and capitalism is somewhat uncomfortable, the effect has proven wildly successful, particularly from a business standpoint.

A disclaimer is necessary before we unpack this artfully audacious marketing strategy — I am white. I believe vociferously in Kaepernick’s original message as well as his right to kneel during “The Star-Spangled Banner,” a right that my father served 35 years in the Navy to defend. But I will avoid that debate in this article because my privilege leaves my voice no agency to discuss the subject.

Across social media platforms, negative reactions to the ad received the most attention — if you haven’t seen the videos of burning Nikes, you live under a rock. But if you think this isn’t exactly what Nike intended, you don’t have a very firm grasp on the currently tempestuous relationship between sports and politics. Or you’re in denial, like our president Donald Trump who took to Twitter — as usual — to bash Nike.

“Just like the NFL, whose ratings have gone WAY DOWN, Nike is getting absolutely killed with anger and boycotts. I wonder if they had any idea that it would be this way?”

Trump tweeted Sept. 5. “As far as the NFL is concerned, I just find it hard to watch, and always will, until they stand for the FLAG!”

Trump, who practically invented using negative coverage to serve a personal agenda, weaponized professional sports to divide our country. He has manipulated public perception of Kaepernick’s protest to the point that NFL owners felt the need to ostracize Kaepernick in order to placate the conservative portion of their fanbase. The president is, to an extent, right when he says NFL ratings have taken a hit. But Nike and Kaepernick are laughing all the way to the bank, beating Trump at his own game.

According to data science and marketing technology company 4C, mentions of and comments about Nike rose 1,678 percent immediately after the ad was released. Mentions of Kaepernick skyrocketed 362,280 percent. As reported by CBS News and Huffington Post, Nike’s market value has spiked by nearly $6 billion since the sportswear giant released the controversial ad. In recent weeks, Nike’s shares have been performing at an “all-time high,” according to CBS. Last week, Reuters reported the company has sold out 61 percent more merchandise since the Kaepernick ad.

Nike’s most-engaged audience profile is “Made It and Know It,” 4C Chief Marketing Officer Aaron Goldman told MarketWatch. “Made It and Know It” is one of 70 consumer categories identified by 4C through analyzing social media

I know what you’re thinking -— it makes me a little uncomfortable too. Nike is monetizing Kaepernick’s civil rights protest. But hey... capitalism, right? The company is fighting Trump’s fire with an inferno of plausibly disingenuous marketing genius. What’s important is that Kaepernick, who has been with the company since 2011, signed off on it.

“We must confront systemic oppression as a doctor would a disease,” Kaepernick said at the ACLU of Southern California’s 2017 Bill of Rights Dinner. “You identify it, you call it out, you treat it and you defeat it.”

Although the ad encompasses a wider range of identities and issues than Kaepernick’s original protest, the core of his message persists.

“Be bigger than basketball,” Kaepernick says. His words repose with a clip of LeBron James speaking in front of his “I Promise” school, an elementary school in James’ hometown of Akron, Ohio, aimed at aiding at-risk youth.

James’ school is directly focused on ending the cycle of systematic oppression that Kaepernick originally set out to combat. Through the inclusive ad, Kaepernick extends an olive branch to you and Illustration by Mckenzie Bunting me. It’s not quite “love trumps hate,” platforms. These people are successful in but that’s the idea. their careers and personal lives, and tend Nike and the now-iconic Kaepernick to allocate money to entertainment, travel are urging the country to band together beand online streaming. Goldman noted why neath the shadow that is the White House.

Nike would target “Made It and Know It” They are subverting Trump’s continued efthrough its new ad campaign. forts to politically manipulate stakeholders in professional sports simply because they know what anybody who loves sports knows in their hearts — sports will never be divisive. Sports are inherently quite the opposite; they are a force of inclusion with We must confront the power to bring people of all identities systemic oppression together. An “agent of change,” to use the words of our Online Editor Kayleigh Fitzas a doctor would a patrick, a transgender woman inspired by disease. You identify it, the ad. you call it out, you treat Nike has a history of confronting systemic oppression with its ad campaigns. In it, and you defeat it.

1995, the multinational corporation used Colin Kaepernick “Just Do It” to focus attention on women’s rights in sports. The same year, Nike “Racial equality is a top concern for this featured Ric Munoz — an HIV-positive audience, along with causes like clean water marathon runner — in an ad. Nike makes access and gun control,” Goldman said to billions of dollars off these causes, but it also MarketWatch. invaluably contributes to the conversation Well, bravo, Nike. Yay capitalism? surrounding them. The ethical implications “It’s all unfolding like a well-laid script,” of this somewhat uncomfortable marriage said Jason Gay of The Wall Street Journal between capitalism and civil rights are a in his article titled “Colin Kaepernick and conversation for another day.

Nike, Starring You and Me.” “Nike’s marFor now, be inspired. Love trumps hate keting team must be sitting in the rafters — let sports be the source of what they truly like a playwright opening night.” are. Love, not hate. Just Do It.

6 The Commonwealth Times

Women’s Soccer topples conference foes; Men conquer No. 20 Monarchs MEN’S Sophomore forward Jared Greene’s two goals in a two-minute span led Men’s Soccer to victory over No. 20 Old Dominion University, 4-0, Sept. 19.

“The thing that I am pleased with was that we improved defensively, we kept the zero, and I think that was a good positive step for our team,” Men’s Soccer head coach Dave Giffard said of his team’s performance.

It was a slow-moving first half as a combined 19 fouls were called in the first 45 minutes. The Monarchs outshot the Rams 7-5 in the first half, but the Rams led in shots on goal 2-1.

Senior forward Kelly Graves was named women’s soccer team captain during her junior year at VCU. Photo by Shayla Bailey

[The shutout] gives us a strong mindset because we know how strong we are defensively, and we also do know that we can score attacking,”

NOAH FLEISCHMAN Contributing Writer

Jared Greene, sophomore forward

giving up the goal early in the first half,” Martin said of her team’s performance. “I thought it was a gutty performance with the ground as wet as it was. I thought we WOMEN’S did a good job of keeping the momentum omen’s Soccer won both of throughout the game.” their games this past weekThe Rams outshot George Mason 28-10, end against two Atlantic 10 including 14-3 in the first half. Sanderson foes — VCU took down St. had four saves on five shots on goal from Bonaventure University 3-0 Sept. 20 and the Patriots.

George Mxason University 3-1 Sept. 23.

Sophomore midfielder Samantha Jerabeck ST. BONAVENTURE led the way with four combined goals.

“Sammy’s been awesome for us this seaThe Black and Gold travelled to New son,” VCU head coach Lindsey Martin said York Sept. 20 to take on St. Bonaventure of Jerabeck. “Last year she played outside in their first conference match and walked back for us and did a really good job. We away on top with a 3-0 shutout victory, proalways knew she had an attacking mental- pelled by Jerabeck’s two goals. ity, [but] we needed her back there. To see “Tonight was a strong start to our her get to play up top and now get on the A-10 campaign,” Martin told VCU Athstat sheet as much as she’s been, it’s a really letics. “We asserted ourselves early on in good thing to see.” the match and were eventually rewarded with three good goals. It was a solid team effort from all 21 who stepped on the pitch GMU this evening.”

Rain lingered over Sports Backers StaVCU started shooting early as sophomore dium Sept. 23, leaving a layer of water on forward CiCi Fox shot in the seventh minthe playing surface as the Rams defeated ute of the match, but her attempt was saved inter-state rival George Mason 3-1. by the St. Bonaventure goalkeeper. Fox finEmma Van Der Vorst broke the scoreless ished the match with two shots, both on goal. tie in the seventh minute to put the Patriots The Rams kept their feet on the pedal in up 1-0 early in the first half. Van Der Vorst the first 30 minutes as they racked up four caught redshirt-senior goalkeeper Audrey corner kicks and three shots on goal.

Sanderson out of position, as she was high Jerabeck put the Rams on the board first in the 18-yard box, allowing George Mason as Friedrichs sent a cross into the 18-yard to score first as the ball went over Sander- box for the midfielder to find the back of son’s head. the net in the 44th minute.

The Rams answered minutes later as Tallent scored the Rams’ second goal freshman forward Idelys Vazquez sent a of the match in the 60th minute for her cross from the touchline into the box for first goal of the season. Tallent scored three Jerabeck to control and hammer it home goals, all game winners, and had two assists from the six-yard box. last season.

VCU pulled ahead in the second half as Jerabeck scored again in the 79th minute junior defender Susanna Friedrichs scored as she caught the St. Bonaventure goalkeepon a penalty kick in the 53rd minute. er out of position for an open net to shoot at.

Jerabeck scored once more in the second Sanderson recorded two saves as St. half on a shot from just outside the 18-yard Bonaventure had seven shots, two on goal. box off a pass from junior midfielder Alyssa Tallent. The tally was Jerabeck’s second of The Black and Gold continue their run of the match and seventh of the season. conference games, going up against the “It wasn’t our best 90-minute perfor- University of Dayton Sept. 27 and Duquesne mance, but we responded really well after University Sept. 30.

W

The Black and Gold broke open the scoring as freshman forward Martin Ngoh scored on a 45-yard pass from junior midfielder Siad Haji. The 39th-minute goal was Ngoh’s first in his collegiate career.

VCU took the 1-0 lead to the halftime break but were not comfortable with the thin margin.

“I think after the goal in the first half we relaxed a little bit and thought, ‘Oh good, the job is done,’” Giffard said. “[ODU] got some more service and got better in some areas than they did in the first 32 minutes and I wasn’t liking that vibe.”

The Rams came back out firing in the second half as they added eight more shots, including seven on goal. “[The approach] was not taking our foot off the gas and see what happens offensively,”

Giffard said. “They are a young group and are not very experienced in those different situations, so we had to learn and say, ‘Okay, we got through it and we are up one goal, but we’ve got some work to do defensively.’”

Greene recorded his first goal in the 54th minute as the Monarch’s goalkeeper misplayed a pass back to him allowing Greene to steal the ball, go around the keeper and shoot on an empty net.

In the 55th minute, Greene found the back of the net again on a cross from Haji to put the Rams ahead by three.

“The first emotion I had was I was definitely very happy,” Greene said of his two goals scored in less than two minutes. “[I am] working very hard in training and to finally just be in the right spot at the right time with the great ball from Ryo [Shimazaki].”

Redshirt-senior midfielder Joseph Gonnella added the fourth and final goal in the 62nd minute. The tally marked Gonnella’s second of the season after failing to record a goal in his first three seasons with the Black and Gold.

Sophomore goalkeeper Mario Sequeira recorded his third shutout of the season after shutting out opponents eight times last year.

The shutout victory over Old Dominion is the Rams’ fourth of the season. In 2017, VCU had eight shutouts, propelling them to the NCAA tournament.

Ram Stat Sophomore forward Jared Greene earned A-10 offensive player of the week. Sophomore keeper Mario Sequeira earned A-10 defensive player of the week. “[The shutout] gives us a strong mindset because we know how strong we are defensively, and we also do know that we can score attacking,” Greene said. “It is uplifting because we have amazing defenders and everybody on the team defends, so it really is a big help.”

Next up, the Rams go on the road for a conference game, traveling to compete against La Salle University Sept. 29 at 7 p.m.

Redshirt-senior midfielder Eli Lockaby started all 19 matches as a junior.

Photo by Raelyn Fines

Wed. September 26, 2018 7

Field hockey usurps No. 11 Monarchs ANDY RIDDLER Contributing Writer

time with a goal by Rebecca Birch, assisted by Alexandria Brewer and Marlee McClendon, off a penalty Field Hockey won two games last corner at the 55-minute mark. weekend over conference rivals University Freshman defender Litiana Field of Richmond and nationally-ranked Old stepped in as a hero for VCU, scorDominion University to stretch its winning ing the game-winning goal — assiststreak to four. ed by sophomore midfielder Maite Sturm — off a penalty corner to give the Rams a 3-2 lead with 12 minutes OLD DOMINION left to play.

VCU conquered the No.11 Monarchs of VCU’s defense held Old DominOld Dominion University 3-2 in a back- ion without a shot on-goal for the and-forth affair Sunday in Norfolk, giving rest of the game to claim its first vicVCU its fourth win in a row. tory over a nationally-ranked team Graduate midfielder Shannon Pereira — since 2009.

Sophomore midfielder Svea Sturm has appeared in every game this season, scoring two goals who also recorded an assist — started the and compiling a shot on goal percentage of .800. Photo by Shayla Bailey scoring with a goal off a rebound following RICHMOND a shot by sophomore midfielder Svea Sturm almost 12 minutes into the game.

The Black and Gold defeated the Rich- six-minute mark, McNamara extended the Sophomore defender Emily van Hijfte Old Dominion answered with a goal in mond Spiders Sept. 21 by a final score of lead for the Rams. She finished with three added a goal and an assist in the second half the 27th minute from junior forward Erin 7-2 at Cary Street Field. VCU scored five goals and an assist, marking her third con- to help cap off the scoring for VCU. Huffman, assisted by Alexandria Brewer, unanswered goals to pull away for its third secutive game with a hat trick.

VCU recorded 31 shots, 15 of which leading into halftime with the score tied. straight win.

After the Spiders clawed back into the were on goal. Richmond finished with ten Senior forward Emily McNamara gave Pereira started scoring early for VCU, game with two goals of their own, the Rams shots, and six on goal.

VCU its lead back two minutes into the sec- notching a goal less than two minutes into regained their two-goal lead with tallies by ond half with a shot to the bottom left cor- the game on an assist from Litiana Field. Maite Sturm and McNamara before the The Rams will spend the weekend traveling ner of the net — her 16th goal of the season. Field finished the game with three assists. end of the first half. Maite Sturm finished to compete against St. Francis College Sept.

The Monarchs responded again, this Scoring off a penalty corner near the with two goals in the win over Richmond. 28 and Bucknell University Sept. 30.

­ olleyball sweeps trio of V conference matches RODNEY ROBINSON Contributing Writer

After three game cancellations as a result of Hurricane Florence, the Rams defended their turf and swept three games at home.

DUQUESNE

JMU The Rams rallied to beat James Madison University in a five-set thriller Sept. 17.

After VCU took the first set, JMU went on a run and won the next two. With the Rams’ backs against the wall, they edged the Dukes in the fourth set, 25-23. VCU managed to push past the Dukes in the fifth set 17-15, after withstanding three JMU match points.

Junior middle blocker Jasmin Sneed fueled VCU’s comeback on Monday, finishing with nine kills and hitting .444.

She was also a force on defense with seven blocks. Sneed came up big in crunch time on Monday, with four kills and a block in the fifth-set tiebreaker, a set where the Rams trailed 14-12 before closing the match on a 5-1 run.

The Black and Gold balance continued for the early season. Four different VCU players recorded double-digit kills — Giommarini led the pack with 19. Freshman libero Alyna Draper recorded 21 digs in an outstanding defensive effort.

The Rams extended their Atlantic 10 winning streak to 19 matches Sept. 23 against Duquesne University. The Dukes threatened to force a fifth set tie-breaker, rallying to tie the Rams in the fourth set, 23-23. However, junior opposite hitter Gina Tuzzolo spiked a kill, followed by a knuckling serve from junior Madalon Simpson, to close out the match.

The Rams’ story was their balanced offense — VCU had five different players record 10 or more kills in the matchup. This balanced attack from the Rams continues to be their staple.

Junior outside hitter Vicky Giommarini led the Rams with an all-around great performance on Sunday. Giommarini spiked 13 kills on the day, with 13 digs and three The Rams look to extend their three-game blocks on defense. win streak as they go on the road Sept. 28 The Black and Gold hope to build on to take on St. Louis University. this balanced attack as they go deeper into conference play.

LA SALLE VCU won its first A-10 matchup of the season Friday against La Salle University three sets to one. After a tough first set, which featured 15 ties and five lead changes, VCU managed to take sets two and four to close out the match.

Tuzzolo led the Rams offensively with 15 kills. The junior hit .265 on the night and recorded three blocks. Giommarini turned in another all-around performance for VCU in its conference opener, spiking 13 kills on just two errors. Giommarini served five aces and recorded nine digs.

VCU’s defensive effort was extraordinary in the matchup. The Black and Gold had two players with at least eight blocks, while La Salle hit .188 from the field.

Sophomore outside hitter Paula Neciporuka had seven kills against La Salle. Photo by Elizabeth Humphreys

Raceway debuts new fall features ADAM CHEEK Staff Writer Richmond Raceway unveiled the finished product of its nearly year-long renovation process over the fall race weekend from Sept. 21 and 22, with features including landmarks and a brand-new fan experience within the infield and garages.

[It’s an] awesome racetrack, I love coming here. I finally won a fall race at Richmond.”

Kyle Busch, 14-year cup veteran After the track broke ground on “Richmond Raceway Reimagined” immediately following the 2017 fall race festivities, the raceway planned to debut the partially-completed layout in the spring with several of the new amenities making their first appearance over the fall race weekend. Schedule changes for both series moved Richmond into the first round of the playoffs, and the track hosted its first-ever postseason races in 2018.

One of the renovations’ main focuses involved the DC Solar Fangrounds, which included a walkway that stretched the length of the garages, allowing attendees to view the teams working on the cars even closer than before. Prior to its installation, fans only saw one end of the cars from the garage walk.

Other fan amenities included pace car rides for attendees prior to Saturday’s event.

As for the weekend’s events, Toyotas from Joe Gibbs Racing completed a sweep in a mirror image of April’s races at the venue, with Christopher Bell and Kyle Busch taking home victories. The team also completed a season sweep of all four Richmond races with the two drivers — the first time the same drivers have swept both series’ races at the Virginia track in a single year. Emporia’s Elliott Sadler made his final Richmond start and

finished sixth, while Manassas’ own Mason Diaz made his Xfinity Series debut.

Bell won Friday night’s Go Bowling 250, becoming the first NASCAR Xfinity Series regular to sweep both Richmond races in a season. Bell overcame the night’s frontrunners to do so, as Justin Allgaier and Daniel Hemric performed well but crashed and faded, respectively. Last week’s first-time winner Ross Chastain ended up second, running near the front for his third and final race in the No. 42 entry.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. led 96 laps and looked to be on his way to winning potentially the final race of his career. However, after a caution was thrown, Earnhardt fell back to second after pit stops and Bell rallied to take the lead and win.

It was also an emotional moment for Bell, as Sprint car racer Greg Hodnett was killed in a crash the night before.

Saturday night’s Federated Auto Parts 400 had an air of intrigue and desperation, as Richmond hosted its first-ever Cup Series playoff race at the track. After an eventful first-round race at Las Vegas last weekend, Richmond seemed to be the only normal track remaining in the opening playoff round. With the Charlotte “roval” (racing on parts of the oval and road course) next week and rain expected in North Carolina, teams looked to Richmond to go out and win and lock themselves in to the round of 12.

Busch methodically passed his way through the field as the race progressed.

Only three cautions plagued the evening, and Brad Keselowski emerged as the dominant car late in the event. Keselowski wore out his tires holding off a charging Busch, fading as the M&M’s Toyota passed him.

The rest of the race was issue-free for Busch, as he cruised to his 50th career victory at one of his historically best tracks.

Additionally, the 14-year Cup veteran finally won the fall race after coming close many times, acknowledging the fans and praising the racetrack in his post-race interview with NBC reporter Rutledge Wood. “[It’s an] awesome racetrack, I love coming here,” Busch said. “I finally won a fall race at Richmond.”

8 The Commonwealth Times

On this day

The Beatles released “Abbey Road” on Sept. 26, 1969.

New director emphasizes ICA’s international role GEORGIA GEEN Managing Editor Dominic Willsdon’s first impression of Richmond was strong — one of scenic walks along the James River and visits to Carytown’s iconic bookstore, Chop Suey, places he considers just as valuable to visual culture as art galleries.

Set to begin his position as executive director of the Institute for Contemporary Art at VCU Dec. 1, Willsdon is getting to know the city in a series of trips from his home in Oakland, California. For the last 12 years, he’s been the Leanne and George Roberts Curator of Education and Public Practice at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. Though much of his professional life has been concentrated in larger cities — such as San Francisco and London — Willsdon hails from Liverpool, England, which is comparable in size to Richmond.

“That sense of powerful, deep-rooted civic culture that a medium-sized city can have is actually quite interesting to me,” Willsdon said. “These can be terrific places to set out, to explore what’s going on in contemporary culture.”

The ICA first popped up on Willsdon’s radar when Chief Curator Stephanie Smith was appointed in Sept. 2016. The two didn’t know each other, Willsdon said, but he was familiar with her work. Around the same time, he began tracking the ICA’s development.

“It was really interesting to me to see this brand new institution, which I think really has a chance to break the mold on what university-based art institutions can

do,” Willsdon said. “I’ve long felt a kind of affinity with the university context and how that context could be interesting to think about contemporary art.”

Willsdon’s interest in art began in childhood, but academia didn’t pique his interest until later in life — he wasn’t necessarily “top of the class” in high school, he said. It was through creativity, design and art that he gained a sense of achievement and an understanding of the world, which created a path through which he returned to academia. Willsdon holds a Ph.D and master’s degree in philosophy from the University of Essex, England, in addition to a master’s degree with honors in fine art from the University of Edinburgh in Scotland.

“The environment of art was really important to me at a very young age for just understanding how to orient myself to the world,” Willsdon said.

As part of his second-to-last visit to VCU before beginning the position, Willsdon said he’s excited to be at the university this week for the first time since the semester began. He traveled to the ICA this summer and viewed the inaugural exhibition, “Declaration” before it closed Sept. 9.

“I think [Declaration] is a tremendously bold opening gesture for a young institution and I think it was recognized as such very broadly,” Willsdon said. “It shows a nimble character that the program can have and the way in which an institution can respond to what’s going on in the world in a much more agile way, much more than a larger museum.”

This responsiveness is important to Willsdon, both for political and non-political topics. To him, the ICA “can and should”

Willsdon wants to see the ICA explore practices like exhibitions, talks and performances.

Photo courtesy of Lesley Bruno explore different practices — such as exhibitions, talks and performances — equally.

“All of these things can be channels for thinking about experiencing what’s going on in contemporary life,” Willsdon said.

Using VCU as a platform, Willsdon said, the ICA can perform these functions on an international scale. His background and connections will enable global discussions and contributions. Though no partnerships

or collaborations are ready to be announced, Willsdon said the ICA’s international network will be a topic of discussion early-on.

“This really needs to be an institute that people are talking about in other countries,” Willsdon said.

Willsdon will return to VCU for the Oct. 17 opening of the ICA’s fall exhibitions, “Hedges Edges, Dirt” and “Provocations: Rashid Johnson.”

A review of Spooky Cool’s disorienting debut “Every Thing Ever” QUENTIN RICE Contributing Writer Richmond-based psychedelic rock band Spooky Cool released their debut EP titled “Every Thing Ever” — a two-faced, sinister odyssey of anthemic psychedelic rock, experimental time signatures and ghastly vocal harmonies — on Aug. 3.

The EP opens with “Strange Rooms,” starting with some disorienting mathy guitar riffs that never seem to land on a resolute point. The tune then transitions to grungy guitar chords under glistening vocal harmonies by Zac Hryciak and Paula Lavalle.

The next track, “Black Wine,” is a single that has been out for some time. The song begins with drum beats and muted, percussive guitar strikes before opening up into huge, anthemic pits of guitar chords and soaring solos. Some of the guitar riffs create an artificial dissonance by subverting the listener’s expectations and taking new, experimental routes. The lyrics here describe the musical landscape quite aptly, as Hryciak and Lavalle wail “a vision of the end / Wish it were a dream / Crashing of the vile waves / Stacked up tall / Casts a shadow over every being.”

“Heaven’s Sway,” which comes next, almost sounds like a demented show tune with its twisted yet playful, bouncy guitars.

One thing the band does exceptionally well is effortlessly weaving in and out of sinister and comforting musical passages — this song exemplifies that talent. This dichotomy

Paula Lavelle and Zac Hryciak are the lead singers of Spooky Cool. Photo by Quentin Rice shows up in many different forms; perhaps the most haunting is the juxtaposition of the gorgeous vocal harmonies singing of bodies writhing in pain.

The EP closes with the eponymous “Every Thing Ever” that contains all of the record’s defining attitudes and motifs. The buildups compare to those of “Bohemian

Rhapsody,” with moments of striking comfort that rise up from diabolical pits of distorted guitar, bouncy show-tune guitars and harmonies with an anxious space between them that rescue the listener from the often devastating musical backing.

Every idea on this EP feels fresh. Nothing feels recycled and it all fits, despite

- or perhaps because of - its juxtaposition.

“Every Thing Ever” is a fantastic peek into another realm of devilish Broadway-esque math rock that feels like a trip into the psychedelic, interstellar album cover that accompanies it. It is well worth the long wait anyone following the band has endured.

Wed. September 26, 2018 9

Latin Ballet shines light on diversity

JAYLA MCNEILL Contributing Writer

Featuring diverse casts, dynamic costumes and intense choreography, the Latin Ballet of Virginia has been committed to preserving Latin American culture, promoting awareness and fostering community involvement through dance theater for more than 20 years.

Founded in 1997 with about 20 students, the Latin Ballet of Virginia (LBV ) has grown exponentially. Now one of the state’s premier professional Hispanic dance companies, LBV has expanded to include two dance schools in Virginia and regularly performs locally, nationally and internationally.

To Ana Ines King — the founder and artistic director of the acclaimed LBV — the group’s productions represent far more than just dance theater.

“We tell the story through dance theater of who these people are,” King said. “[The audience] is learning not only history, but the power of the culture, traditions and legends.”

The latest step in this mission is LBV’s original production “VICTOR, The True Spirit of Love,” which premiered at the Grace Street Theater Sept. 7. This production told the true life story of Richmond local Victor Torres and his path from drug addiction to redemption. Torres moved from Puerto Rico to Brooklyn, New York in the 1960s where he endured substance abuse and gang activity. Today, he is a minister and founder of New Life for Youth, a non-profit rehabilitation center that includes two homes in Richmond.

“VICTOR” audience member Phoebe Ashley praised the cast’s ability to “bring to life” and encapsulate the pain and anguish of a drug addict’s lifestyle.

UPCOMING EVENTS See something

WED. 9/26 Sherlock Holmes

Catch the 2009 mystery film “Sherlock Holmes” starring Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law and Rachel McAdams at the Byrd. $5; can be purchased online or at the door.

9:30 pm, The Byrd (2908 W. Cary St.)

Do something

FRI. 9/28 – 9/29 Lewis Ginter Fall PlantFest

Savannah George as “Cherry” and Roberto Whitaker as “Victor.”

Photo courtesy of Emily Lewis Ellie Martinez, Torres’ younger sister, said the performance brought back significant feelings and memories.

“It brought tears to my eyes,” Martinez said. “It was just very, very tender, very soft, very emotional.”

Roberto Whitaker, 25, who played the title character of Victor and has been performing with the company for more than five years, noted LBV’s dedication to inclusivity and cultural awareness.

“With this company, it’s just culturally diverse and sensitive,” Whitaker said. “We don’t just dabble into West African [dance] and not try to understand their tribe, their history, [and] not try to understand how to elaborate this through our physical speech.”

This October, LBV will travel to New York to perform “NuYoRican,” a production based on the experience of Puerto

Ricans migrating to the U.S after World War II. The company will then travel to Mexico in November to perform “Mujeres” to impoverished and underserved communities. “Mujeres” is a production that pays tribute to three Mexican women who significantly influenced Spanish and Latin American culture.

“When we understand our people, when we understand where we come from — when we understand the struggles and hardships that we’ve been through,” Whitaker said, “everybody gets to know a little bit about themselves.”

LBV’s next local performance will be for Hispanic Heritage Day at the Children’s Museum of Richmond Sept. 29 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Grab a wagon and join dozens of vendors and gardeners in purchasing plants for the fall. Plants will range from wellknown classics to rare, exotic plants.

There is no fee for PlantFest, but the admission fee for the garden is $13 for adults; free for children.

9 a.m.-5 p.m., Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden (1800 Lakeside Ave.)

SUN. 9/30 Love Your Body: Yoga for Women

This therapeutic yoga class serves as a safe space for women to “explore and heal the body and mind.” The class includes meditation, breathing techniques and posture work. No experience required. No pre-registration necessary.

Arrive 10-15 minutes early.

12:30-1:30 p.m., Project Yoga Richmond (6517 Dickens Pl.)

THURS. 9/27 Study Abroad Fall Fair

Spooky fun haunts “The House With a Clock in its Walls”

Join the Global Education Office for their annual fall fair to explore the various study abroad opportunities available through VCU. Representatives, students, program providers and Education Abroad staff will be available to answer questions and share information.

10 a.m.-2:30 p.m., Commons Plaza

SAMUEL GOODRICH Staff Writer

Learn something

The first day of fall — aka Halloween season — rolled around early last week. Not only have spooky decorations and fun-sized candy filled the grocery store aisles, but horror films are hitting the box office, capitalizing on Halloween spirit for thrills and chills.

“The House with a Clock in its Walls” aims to capture the child-like passion and love for magic and bizarre rituals. While the film will appeal to the oddball children of the world, its attempts to please a wider audience prove to be its largest hurdle.

Set in the 1950s, “The House” follows Lewis Barnavelt, a young boy whose parents recently died in a car accident. He is sent to live with his eccentric uncle Jonathan, who turns out to be a warlock living in the titular house. Lewis soon becomes determined to learn magic from Jonathan and their next door neighbor, a once powerful witch named Florence Zimmerman.

Points must be awarded to the set and costume designers who clearly had the time of their lives crafting the house and wardrobe.

There are so many eccentric details in the creepy vintage items and gothic architecture.

There’s also a clear love and passion on the part of director Eli Roth, who strays from his normal gory horror affairs to make a fun family film that adores the bizarre and weird. It’s difficult not to see “The House” as a file Roth made for his younger self as the narrative obsesses over hexes, spells, ancient texts and old rituals.

sculpture explosively poop mulch, it feels forced and just does not work. The same can be said for the side plot where Lewis tries to fit in at school — a plotline audience members outside the target demographic have seen countless times before.

The film is at its best when it simply reveals its love for the creepy, the weird and the dark. In fact, “The House” is not afraid to touch on darker subjects, like divorce or coping with trauma. The main theme tackles how ignoring trauma is harmful, and channeling those emotions into what you love will ultimately be for the best.

While not handled as well as in more dramatic films, it’s still nice Illustration by Sammy Newman to see these issues touched upon in children’s media.

The adult actors also have a blast on In general, I was hoping the movie camera. Jack Black as Jonathan does his would play out more like “Coraline” or normal man-child routine but adds a bit of “Monster House,” where the movie actually flair to keep it from being obnoxious. Cate becomes scary. This film never goes too dark Blanchett as Florence is exquisite, able to or intense — a few creepy dolls provide the express so much in a simple look or elicit a most thrills. It isn’t necessarily a bad thing laugh from a line delivery. because the movie provides a safe and invitThe only actor who drops the ball is ing place to experience the joys of fear that Owen Vaccaro as Lewis. Despite being re- horror media is beloved for. sponsible for holding the film together, Vac“The House with a Clock in its Walls” is caro has poor comedic delivery and is only a great primer for the Halloween season, for slightly better in the dramatic moments. adults and children alike. Its quirky oddness While not horrible, his below-average act- and obsession with magic is endearing and ing distracts the viewer at times. entertaining. The intended audience will Similarly falling flat are the film’s bizarre have a blast with this film, but adults are attempts at childish humor. Whenever sure to see the story beats and twists from “The House” stops its fun and engaging a mile away. plot of magic discovery to show a hedge

TUE. 10/2 TO THE EDITOR LETTER Learn to Fix a Flat 2

Come learn from bicycle experts about the common causes of flat tires, how to prevent them and how to fix them. There will be bikes available to experiment with, but feel free to bring your own bike.

Free admission, just make sure to register online. Eight spots left. Registration closes when workshop begins.

6-8 p.m., VCU Outdoor Adventure Program (130 S. Linden St.)

WED. 9/26 For the Love of Art: Michael Taylor and the “Fountain” of Change

Join the ICA’s Faculty-in-Residence Chioke l’Anson and VMFA Chief Curator Michael Taylor for a discussion about artist Marcel Duchamp’s innovative work.

Free admission!

6-7:30 p.m., Institute for Contemporary Art at VCU (601 W. Broad St.)

WED. 10/2 Meet VCU’s Authors: Incoronata (Nadia) Inserra

Assistant professor in the department of Focused Inquiry, Dr. Inserra describes how tourism, translation and world music have transformed the tarantella tradition. n her book, “Global Tarantella: Reinventing Southern Italian Folk Music and Dances,” she examines the reassessment of gender relations in the Italian South.

4-5 p.m., Cabell Library room 250

10 The Commonwealth Times

Quote of the week

“There are people who take rumors and embellish them in a way that can be devastating. And this pollution has to be eradicated by people in our business as best we can.”

— bob woodward

Average size woman, plus size model MARGARETTA SACKOR Contributing Writer

When a young girl is told her body size is too big to be like the models on the pages of magazines she’s steadily turning, it breaks The average starting size for a plus-size her whole world apart. Insecurities of nevmodel is size 12. I wear a size 12, I weigh er fitting into that world manifest into bad around 200 pounds, give or take a few, and eating habits. You stop eating regularly atI’m told I don’t look it. tempting to shrink your waistline...just a “You are not that fat.” little bit. You drink more water to disguise “You sure you weigh 200lbs?” the hunger. You eat little bits of snacks here “Nah, you are just fat in all the right places.” and there and later attempt to throw it all up. I know because that girl was me.

Today, I am more confident than ever but the fact still remains: stereotypical body norms alienate women all over the world every day, even me. I wake up in the morning, look at my belly in the mirror and feel disNo one wants to be gusted. I look at my chubby face and get mad. called fat but we learn Bodycon dresses don’t look good on to cope with it. We me because they show all my bumps and rugged round edges. My thighs seem to accept that word and jiggle on their own as I walk. They rub toturn it into something gether, burning and creating bumps on my meaningful for us, us upper thigh.

There will always be a feeling of inferi‘plus size’ girls.” ority. Thoughts of self-hate screaming you Margaretta Sackor, VCU student aren’t good enough, you don’t look good in your swimsuit, nothing looks sexy. Sometimes, heels feel like they are squeezing your I am an average-sized woman living in feet in or you are too heavy to walk in them.

America but I could be a plus-size model.

Body contour clothing doesn’t help but you I’m not saying being a plus-size model still buy tons of Spanx but at the end of is bad. I’m talking about what being called the day it all rolls into your body. You even plus-size does to the mental stability of try out a revolutionary body corset everywomen. Plus size is just a nicer way to say one is talking about but it suffocates you so fat - to say you aren’t welcomed into the it’s a no-go. thin-girl social club.

When I go shopping in my favorite Ironically, plus-size modeling has stores and realize my size isn’t on the regturned into one of the most accepting in- ular racks, but rather in a special section of dustries in the beauty world. But imagine its own, it’s cringe worthy. The goal is to what those women had to go through to make it easier to find but it feels more like get to where they are. a beaming red light singling me out.

Illustration by Steck Von

I still go to the “other” sections and pick up clothing I know won’t fit, later just ripping apart my self-esteem further. I’ve feel stuck in a sort of limbo at times. The other sections definitely don’t fit, but the plus-size sections don’t always fit around my waist.

Now there’s a general rule in the plussize modeling world: your waist should be 10 inches smaller than your hips. Unless I’m lucky and find a pair of jeans made to contour my body, I’m stuck with jeans that either fit around my thighs but are too big on my waist, or jeans that I can barely pull over my thighs but fit my waist. This is the

uncomfortable truth of wearing plus-size clothing - nothing fits properly.

No one wants to be called fat but we learn to cope with it. We accept that word and turn it into something meaningful for us, us “plus size” girls. We’ve turned it into a term of acceptance, welcoming other women to feel confident when called that word. The irony is that no matter how confident you’ve come to be within the word, the damage of years of personal torture is already done.

An ode to self care Recommended listening while reading: “20 Something” SZA Is there some sort of indicator to know you’re doing the right “thing” in life?

Like, is our generation expected just to sacrifice happiness for the sake of a good paycheck?

First, take a deep breath. You might feel unfulfilled right now, but I think you’re exactly where you need to be. I have been thinking about this a lot as a 20-something myself, and let me tell you — I have friends who have graduated and are working jobs that don’t pertain to their degree at all just to get by. At the same time, I have friends who work jobs in the field of their degree, have full benefits and paid time off. The one thing we all have in common is we have no idea what we’re doing. Our generation wants control over

our destiny so badly when in reality, no one has control over the grand scheme of things. We are so fixated on failing to be successful or never finding love that we fail to realize that we are successful and loved, and we have been this whole time. Even if the pace you are going isn’t the one you want now, you must remember it does not matter what pace you go so long as you do not stop.

or whatever else you’d like to imagine. I do catch myself thinking about these things, but I always pull back to realize that all of these markets are constantly changing and might be completely different by the time we reach the point in our lives when we’ve decided we want those things. Be smart with your finances. Having a little money saved never hurt anybody, regardless of the economic climate.

How do we reconcile with trying to buy a house; make payments on a car, utilities, health insurance, etc; saving for retirement and all the other so-called adult things of life?

I feel indebted to my parents to keep them financially secure as they age, and that puts a lot of strain on our already nonexistent relationship. I don’t want to leave them high and dry. How do I care for them and establish healthy boundaries to preserve my own sanity?

I’ve always contended that if you are willing and able, it is your moral imperative as a human being to make the world a slightly less heinous place. Of course, this is not an issue that can be answered within a certain word count. But as young people, we must realize the power that we have and what is ours to inherit. We have so much potential as a collective. Once we are able to realize and galvanize that power, we can become the shift we want to see whether it be socially, economically

Even though your relationship is not all it could be, they have provided and cared for you thus far, so it is only natural to feel indebted to them. Formulate a plan!

Especially as we begin to recognize our parent’s mortality it is important to think about their future. The tides have shifted and the tables have turned — now it’s your turn to take care of them. But at the same time you must remember that you are your

own being and self-perseverance must also be prevalent in your plan. If you are able to, communicate with them consistently about how you feel and your plan going forward once you’ve hashed it all out.

Don’t let them push your buttons. Parents know exactly which buttons to push because half of the time, they are the ones who installed them.

Illustration by Alex Hwee

SHAUN JACKSON Staff Columnist

Wed. September 26, 2018 11

Me and my flipping flip-phone CAITLIN BARBIERI Opinions Editor

iPod Touch life is a cheap way to go, it isn’t the most convenient.

Despite their inconvenience, my two Getting a smartphone is a life-changing phones create a detachment from social event for many millennials. For me, that day media that anyone can benefit from. I have never came. all major forms of social media but my two My primary tool of communication is phones greatly limit my ability to use them, an LG Extravert. Ever heard of it? No? and therefore force me to be more present Oh, that’s because it’s a flip phone. I walk in my daily life. around with my flip phone and a fifth genIn high school, I hated having two eration iPod Touch. Between those two de- phones. I was embarrassed because I was vices, I am a functioning millennial. different, but today, my flip phone is just another quirk that makes me who I am. I love my flip phone because it is durable, reliable and cheap to replace. It is also a great conversation starter. People see I have two phones and almost always assume I am a drug dealer — which I am not.

I love my flip phone My flip phone only allows me to send because it is durable, and receive calls and texts. I can’t access email, check any social media and I can reliable and cheap to barely take pictures. Through my iTouch, replace. It is also a great I can do all those things and take plenty conversation starter of pictures, but only if I have access to the internet via Wi-Fi. People see I have two When I was younger, finding Wi-Fi was phones and almost my mission. I constantly searched for it and always assume I am a asked people for their Wi-Fi passwords.

My two phones were a source of anxiety drug dealer–Which I because they felt like a crux that threatened am not.” my ability to stay connected. I was worried that during the three hours I didn’t have Caitlin Barbieri, Opinions Editor Wi-Fi, something incredible would be posted on social media and I didn’t want to be Since I am still on my father’s Verizon the last person to hear about it. cell phone plan — and he does not want However, in my naivety and anxiety, I to pay for data — having two phone has failed to realize no one ever posts anything become my life. While the flip phone and that incredible.

Recently, I decided to stop asking my friends for their Wi-Fi passwords in an attempt to force myself to be more present.

Being able to actively let go of social media and focus all my attention on the people around me helped me have more organic fun and become a better friend.

I realized when one person starts using their phone, it causes a chain reaction and everyone starts scrolling through their timelines and sending texts. My friends and I appreciate each other more without being

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glued to our phone screens, because the time we spend together is more meaningful.

I will admit, in my attempt to distance myself from my smart device, my communication skills have suffered. But my mental health and relationships have improved. I’m not focused on staying connected with the internet — I’m focused on staying connected with the people in front of me. My two phones are not a crux. They are a reminder to maintain a balance between staying connected, both online and in-person.

Illustration by Adam Goodman

12 The Commonwealth Times THE CT STAFF EXECUTIVE EDITOR Zach Joachim joachimz@commonwealthtimes.org MANAGING EDITOR Georgia Geen geengr@commonwealthtimes.org NEWS EDITOR Nia Tariq news@commonwealthtimes.org SPORTS EDITOR Jessica Wetzler sports@commonwealthtimes.org

Fatherhood by Ryan Rich

SPECTRUM EDITOR Katie Bashista spectrum@commonwealthtimes.org OPINIONS EDITOR Caitlin Barbieri opinions@commonwealthtimes.org COPY EDITOR Saffeya Ahmed ahmeds@commonwealthtimes.org MULTIMEDIA DIRECTOR Erin Edgerton photography@commonwealthtimes.org ILLUSTRATIONS EDITOR Steck Von illustrations@commonwealthtimes.org ONLINE EDITOR Kayleigh Fitzpatrick fitzpatrickk@commonwealthtimes.org SPECIAL PROJECTS DIRECTOR Fadel Allassan allassanfg@commonwealthtimes.org STAFF WRITERS Logan Reardon, News reardonlj@vcu.edu Adam Cheek, Sports cheekan@vcu.edu Sam Goodrich, Spectrum goodrichs@commonwealthtimes.org STAFF COLUMNISTS Shaun Jackson, Opinions jacksonsk@commonwealthtimes.org STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS Shayla Bailey baileysl4@vcu.edu

the perfect exact right amount of the right people by Josh Cromwell

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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.

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Senior Year by Steck Von