The Commonwealth Times; October 17, 2018

MARCHING FOR MARCUS-DAVID PETERS

Advocates call for increased consideration during mental health crises

SARAH ELSON Contributing Writer

Hundreds of marchers donning maroon took to the streets demanding justice and reformation for the death of Marcus-David Peters, who was fatally shot May 14 by a Richmond police officer off Interstate 95.

“We have gathered here today to put on notice each and every elected official that chooses to remain silent when these matters of injustice transpire,” said Antonio Redd, associate minister at Second Baptist Church, West End.

See PETERS MARCH on page 2

Festival returns for 14th year

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Three-time gold medalist holds skills clinic for Volleyball

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Amnesty International members were among the students participating in the march against police brutality held in Peters’ honor. Photo by Michel Maulding

Political science department chair Ravi Perry was one of the speakers during the march, saying Peters’ case highlights the complexities of police brutality. Photo by Michel Maulding

Misty May-Treanor’s visit fulfilled a promise to her college roommate.

Photo by Jon Mirador

Kenny “Blues Boss” Wayne was among the dozens of performers at the Folk Festival. Photo by Shayla Bailey

Richmond Folk

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It’s a bit easier for some of us to rally when the cop is white, when the chief is white, when the mayor is white. But the tragedy of Marcus reminds us that this was never about a few bad apples. I don’t know about you, but I’ve had a bad apple, and it doesn’t taste like murder.”

Ravi Perry, VCU political science chair

Hurricane Michael made landfall as a category 4 storm Oct. 10 in Mexico Beach, Florida, as the third most intense hurricane in U.S. history.

Saudi Arabia is preparing a report to acknowledge that Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi was killed during an interrogation.

Hundreds turn out for Justice and Reformation March

cy contacts rather than the police when he stormed off from work in the midst of what appeared to be mental health crisis earlier

countability Project, which focuses on establishing a civilian board to review police personnel records and creating transparency between civilians and the Richmond police department.

“I’m out here because there’s an epidemic. Black men are being systematically murdered — it’s genocide,” participant Mary Atkins said. “Because of the color of my skin, I am charged with a mission of privilege where I have to speak up, stand out.”

The march continued until the crowd reached the Richmond Police Headquarters. VCU political science professor and department chair Ravi Perry gave a speech detailing the history of police brutality.

“The context of Peters’ death — caused by a black officer in a police department with a black chief who reports to a black mayor — complicates the structural inequalities present in police departments across the country,” Perry said.

The marchers shouted “shame, shame!” as hotel workers and guests watched the scene

Lacette Cross, a pastor at Restoration Fellowship, gave a speech outside the hotel admonishing Peters’ coworkers for exhibiting implicit bias during the apparent mental

“There are racist power structures at play which prevented seemingly good and well-intentioned folks — who worked with Marcus [Peters], who saw Marcus, who spoke to Marcus,” Cross said. “And instead of calling for help, they called the police.”

The Jefferson Hotel did not respond to requests for comment.

Several other groups showed support for Peters and Justice and Reformation, including Advancement Project, ICE Out of RVA and Second Baptist Church, West End.

Among the groups was a coalition called the Richmond Transparency Ac -

Perry said the death of VCU alumnus Marcus-David Peters is a tragedy that extends far beyond the scope of the university or the City of Richmond.

“Let’s be honest,” Perry said. “It’s a bit easier for some of us to rally when the cop is white, when the chief is white, when the mayor is white. But the tragedy of Marcus reminds us that this was never about a few bad apples. I don’t know about you, but I’ve had a bad apple, and it doesn’t taste like murder.”

After Perry spoke, Blanding gave a speech to end the march. She recalled the events of the day of the shooting for the crowd.

“On May 14, 2018, Marcus was unarmed, completely undressed, and experiencing a mental health crisis,” she said. “My brother Marcus-David Peters needed help, not death.”

For more information concerning future events with Justice and Reformation, visit the group’s website justiceandreformation.org.

Supporters marched in different cities nationwide advocating for increased officer accountability.

Photo by Michel Maulding

The march began at the Siegel Center and concluded at the Richmond Police Department headquarters. Photo by Michel Maulding

It’s not something we’re doing to celebrate or have fun — or to just mobilize and say we did it,” Blanding sad. “We’re marching to hold our elected officials and our police departments accountable for the unjust killings of black and brown people at the hands of those who are sworn to protect and serve.”

Princess Blanding, Marcus-David Peters’ sister

PETA pushes for VCU to end opioid testing on lab monkeys

EMMA NORTH

Contributing Writer

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals posted an article Sept. 25 accusing VCU of mistreating lab monkeys and lying about where monkeys are sent after research.

The article, titled “Drugs, Lies, and Documents: Pulling Back the Curtain on a Monkey Laboratory,” was posted on PETA’s website and said VCU originally stated monkeys used for opioid addiction research were being sent to a sanctuary. PETA said Will Lowrey, an animal advocate lawyer, discovered this to be untrue after requesting documents from VCU under the Freedom of Information Act. VCU declined to provide a statement confirming or denying the allegations.

Lowrey made the discovery that VCU was giving chronic doses of cocaine, heroin, oxycodone and fentanyl to monkeys and observing them as they experienced periods of withdrawal from the drugs, according to PETA.

I think a short-term thing that VCU could do is come out and officially commit that they will retire the primates to a sanctuary. If not now then once they’re finished with experiments.”

Will Lowrey, animal advocate lawyer

With the exception of cocaine, the drugs used on the monkeys fall under the opioid category — drugs that bind with pain-relief receptors in cells. When used incorrectly, opioids can become addictive.

Virginia’s 2016 rate of opioid deaths was slightly higher than the national average, at 13.5 per 100,000 persons, compared to 13.3, for a total of 1,130 opioid-related overdose deaths, according to the National Institute for Drug Abuse.

Lowrey, a 1994 VCU graduate, became interested in the medical testing conducted on monkeys at VCU after reading about it in a February Richmond Times-Dispatch

article. VCU told RTD it would cost the university thousands of dollars to pull addiction research records on the monkeys, which Lowrey said he saw as a challenge.

Associate Dean of Research and Graduate Studies in VCU’s School of Pharmacy Aron Lichtman said the university has a long history of conducting opioid research for medication development in order to deal with human pain. He said the research aims to find a method with reduced cases of dependence and addiction.

“This research on opioids is being done on every level, to the extent that you can simulate this — that’s great,” Lichtman said. “We just don’t know enough about addiction to only use a computer simulation model.”

Animal testing requires proper funding and approval from organizations such as the National Institute of Health and U.S. Public Health Service.

Animal testing “has to address important scientific questions and it has to at some level have something to do with public health or medicine or treating diseases,”

Lichtman said. “Maybe about 10 percent of the grants will get funded so it really has to have high significance.”

While Lowrey and other animal activists may not see the “utopia” in which animal testing comes to a halt, Laura Rossacher, VCU Health assistant director for public affairs, said animal testing is slowing.

“The use of large animals in research is significantly decreasing nationally and at VCU as more non-animal models are available to researchers,” Rossacher said.

“I think a short-term thing that VCU could do is come out and officially commit that they will retire the primates to a sanctuary,” Lowrey said. “If not now, then once they’re finished with experiments.”

By filling out a form at the bottom of PETA’s article on its website, concerned citizens can contact VCU directly and request the monkeys be sent to an accredited sanctuary.

“We want VCU to know that people care about this issue,” Lowrey said. “We want that care manifested by calls, emails and Facebook posts.”

Children’s

Hospital of Richmond at VCU and Bon Secours for partnership for better pediatric care

LOGAN REARDON

Staff Writer

The Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU and Bon Secours Health System have announced a partnership to bring advanced pediatric care to central Virginia.

Care will be provided at the Bon Secours St. Mary’s Hospital’s new medical office building, to be built on Libbie Avenue. The new 55,000-square-foot, three-story building is set to begin construction in March 2019 and be completed by fall 2020.

The organizations said the new building will “improve access and convenience for patients and their families.”

“When you look across the country, strategic relationships are a proven way to enhance quality and ensure sustainable pediatric care in a changing healthcare environment,” said Elias Neujahr, CEO of Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU. “Our organizations have provided expert and compassionate care to children and families for decades. Now, we are sharing our unique strengths with one another to

ultimately improve the health of children in our community and beyond.”

Neujahr also said this collaboration will bring parts of the academic medical center to the Richmond community, including access to potentially life-changing clinical trials. The two organizations will share practices and protocols for certain conditions — such as asthma and diabetes — to improve the quality of care for patients.

The organizations say it will be several years of work and planning before patients and their families can access the combined care of Bon Secours and the Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU. Both organizations will make guidelines and protocols in the new building for specialties such as cardiology, general surgery and neurosurgery, among others.

Meeting the growing needs of the Richmond community will be another priority of this partnership.

“The partnership between a leading academic medical center and a strong regional health care system recognizes that children’s health care is unique,” said Amy

Knight, chief operating officer of Children’s Hospital Association. “By working together — rather than in parallel — children and families will have access to state-of-the-art, coordinated and highly-specialized pediatric care close to home.”

Both Bon Secours and VCU Health have long histories of providing services to the Richmond and central Virginian communities. Public services provided by the MCV campus, such as cancer treatment,

neurosciences and transplant procedures, have been highly praised by the public.

“We firmly believe that we can best meet the needs of our communities as partners,” said Deborah Davis, CEO of VCU Hospitals and Clinics at VCU Health. “We are building on a history of collaboration that includes clinical care and extends beyond hospital walls, driven by our commitment to create healthier communities.”

Bon Secours plans to build a new medical office building, to be completed by fall 2020, improving community accessibility.

Photo by Raelyn Fines

The Engineering Research Building, currently under construction, will feature a vivarium for animal testing. Photo by Teresa Bricker

Rhesus monkeys, pictured above, have been used for VCU opioid research.

Photo by Raveesh M S, Wikimedia Commons

Prominent neuroscientist visits VCU, discusses health benefits of physical activity

CHIP LAUTERBACH

Contributing

Writer

Wendy Suzuki, an influential neuroscientist, author and professor at New York University, spoke to VCU students and faculty Oct. 9 about the positive effects of physical activity on the brain.

Suzuki presented her lecture, “Practical Neuroscience For Everyday Life,” during which she explained how being active — specifically through aerobic exercise — benefits the brain and can improve prefrontal cortex activity and help strengthen the hippocampus. Author of the book titled “Healthy Brain, Happy Life: A Personal Program to Activate Your Brain and Do Everything Better,” Suzuki gave her lecture in the Harris Hall auditorium. The event was sponsored by the VCU Department of Kinesiology and Health Sciences.

During the lecture, Suzuki said the cognitive abilities of lab mice improved after the introduction a running wheel into their environment. These findings led Suzuki to study the effects of exercise on humans — her students — through a class she taught at NYU.

“We did a one-semester-on and one-semester-off exercise routine. Half of the students started with a sedentary semester and half of them started with an exercise semester — then they switched in the next semester,” Suzuki said. “What we found was the exercise semester resulted in improvements in the immediate recall of the logical memory subset, and we saw significant improvements in reaction times when performing cognitive tasks in the exercise group when compared to the sedentary group.”

Suzuki included audience participation with a demo of the aerobics she taught her class which included punches to the left and right while chanting in

unison, “I am strong now.” The demo provided insight into what Suzuki did with her NYU students and a moment of levity for the audience.

While aerobic exercise isn’t a cure for neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, Suzuki said, it can im-

prove brain function.

“With increased levels of aerobic exercise, you are increasing the size of the hippocampus and the prefrontal cortex which leads to better function of your brain,” Suzuki said. “[Therefore] it will take longer for any neurodegenerative disease to affect

cognitive performance.”

Finishing to thunderous applause and a standing ovation, Suzuki then spent time speaking with students and answering questions. She also spoke one-on-one with students and faculty who stayed after the Q&A session ended. Student responses were positive and personal.

“Her research is amazing and pretty interesting,” said VCU student Daniel Bajnoczy. “And I believe, because I have applied [these practices] to myself with working out before classes, I feel much more alert and awake and into the subject matter of my classes.”

With increased levels of aerobic exercise, you are increasing the size of the hippocampus and the prefrontal cortex which leads to better function of your brain. [Therefore] it will take longer for any neurodegenerative disease to affect cognitive performance.”

Wendy Suzuki, author, professor at New York University

Another VCU student in attendance, Ashlee Dull, said she thought the presentation was funny, while also educational. “[Suzuki] is a woman of knowledge,” Dull said. “I found that the affirmations of her research with the effects on mood and memory were fascinating.”

Association focusing on heart health in black community visits Richmond

such as healthcare, the more high quality results will come to the table,” Harris said.

Harris explained that diversity among medical practitioners is important as it breaks a wall in patient-doctor relationships when both parties are of the same race.

“My primary care physician is African-American — that alone is a neutral thing,” Harris said. “But, because he’s providing excellent care while also relating to my experiences — not just clinical issues but also social determinants of health — we have a shared understanding.”

From a student perspective, Harris said doors are closed to students when they consider a degree and don’t see their identity represented in the field.

ty outreach, Allen said each of the panel members were “decision-makers” in their hometowns.

“These are the ones who influence policy,” she said. “They have the ability to push the needle and make a change in terms of the social disparities in the community.”

Attendees learned about cardiovascular health-related products and programs. People also partook in free screenings and tests for genetic cancer, HIV, general heart health and diabetes, among other conditions. Rite Aid also provided free vaccinations for the upcoming flu season.

SHIRIN PODURY

Contributing Writer

Richmonders gathered Friday and Saturday at the Greater Richmond Convention Center for the Spirit of the Heart program, hosted by the Association of Black Cardiologists (ABC).

ABC sponsored the event to facilitate a discussion on ways to increase diversity among cardiologists.

Founded in 1974, ABC “realized there was a great disparity in minority communities as [it] relates to cardiovascular disease for representation and community work

nationwide,” said Hope Allen, a producer of the Spirit of the Heart program.

The Health and Education Fair was the conclusion of three events hosted Oct. 1213. Preceding it was outreach training for health advocates and professionals as well as ABC’s Community Leaders Forum, focusing on “The Impact of Diversity on Cardiovascular Disease.”

Kevin Harris, VCU associate vice president for Academic Health Sciences, works closely with ABC and was involved with the event’s production.

“Research shows us that the more diverse a group is when dealing with complex issues

Director of the VCU Health Division for Health Sciences Diversity Adrien DeLoach said it is important to recruit black students as science majors.

“Minorities are represented [as] only 10 percent in healthcare,” DeLoach said.

He highlighted that the lack of diversity among medical practitioners might perpetuate the health disparities and leave a lasting gap between majority and minority patient care.

Other speakers and panels were introduced throughout Saturday’s four-hour-long fair. Topics included “Diversity in Clinical Trials,” “Child Obesity,” “Organ & Donor Tissue Donation” and “Women’s Health.”

Noting the importance of communi -

Other booths advertised discounted services — such as mental health awareness and nutrition — offered by both local and national organizations for certain areas.

“What was really interesting for me was the genetic testing for cancer,” said attendee Cassandra Thomas. “To be able to see my risk, as I have a predisposition, is very important.”

As for student involvement, both Harris and Allen agreed that youth should be encouraged to consider careers in science, technology, engineering and math. They also said seeing doctors working with passion outside a hospital setting is essential to solving diversity issues in the community.

“It’s important [for everyone] to see that doctors really care when they don’t have the white coat on,” Harris said. “They still want to treat people and they have a continuing passion for health.”

Suzuki said exercising benefits brain areas like the prefrontal cortex, which controls planning and decision-making. Photo courtesy of WendySuzuki.com

Cancer screenings were among some of the free services. Photo courtesy of Hope Allen

VCU medical device team tackles diabetic sleep complications

JACKSON GRIGSBY Contributing Writer

The Medical Device Development and Prototyping team at VCU has set out to change the way diabetics monitor their blood sugar and, perhaps, improve the quality of a good night’s rest.

VCU professor and Chair of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Erdem Topsakal is leading a team of developers to create a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) to help diabetics regulate blood sugar levels.

The team is part of Vertically Integrated Projects, a nation-wide research program. Unlike traditional research projects where students work independently and are individually graded, the VIP program is a multi-year, multidisciplinary program that allows students to work on a team led by faculty and graduate students throughout their college careers.

Ryan Green is one of Topsakal’s graduate students and the lab manager working with the team to develop their projects. According to Green, the continuous glucose monitor under development would be inserted under the skin, unlike most available monitors. The monitor would connect to a device via bluetooth and sync its data in an app.

Most CGMs need to be replaced regularly. The team is prototyping an array of sensors that would be inserted on the arm.

When a sensor dies, the next one in line would be activated.

Amie Bonner, a junior at VCU, was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in 2012. She experiences both hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia — low and high blood sugar, respectively. She looked into getting a CGM, but said she needs to review their expenses before devoting money to one.

In addition to monitoring glucose, the

VCU promotes police chief to administrative role overseeing public safety

“Under [Venuti’s] leadership, VCU Police has become known for its responsiveness and strong community partnerships,” said VCU Vice President for Administration Meredith Weiss in a statement for VCU News. “He transformed VCU Police into a national leader in campus safety.”

During his time as chief, Venuti pushed for a safer and less threatening city-campus experience for students, faculty and community members. He implemented the “You Have Options” program — which encouraged the reporting of sexual assaults — and mandatory body cameras to increase officer accountability and lessen the odds of excessive force.

VCU Police has seen a decrease in the use of force by its officers more than 66 percent, according to a statement by VCU News.

team is developing a system that would automatically deliver glucose to counteract hypoglycemia. Hypoglycemia is common during sleep for Type 1 diabetics, so when people experience symptoms they are typically alerted by a service dog, CGM alarm or waking up in a cold sweat.

“When a diabetic sleeps, their blood sugar tends to tank,” Green said. “The idea is to develop a system that monitors blood

glucose, and when there is a low concentration of it, inject dextrose in response, eliminating the need for an alarm to go off to wake them up to alert them to eat or drink.”

MACK LABAR

Contributing

Writer

VCU announced Oct. 4 that university Chief of Police John Venuti was promoted to associate vice president of public safety for VCU and VCU Health — a position that entails strategizing with the local community on issues such as institutional safety and emergency planning.

Venuti held the chief of police position for nine years. In the interim — while VCU searches nationwide for a successor — he will serve as both chief and vice president of public safety.

Under his watch, VCU became one of 1,200 national institutions of higher learning to gain accreditation from the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators.

This accreditation allows VCU to attract more qualified personnel for public safety and police department jobs. It also assures parents and potential students of the quality of VCU’s security and safety. Additionally, VCU is one of only three Virginia schools to attain this accreditation, along with the University of Richmond and Virginia Tech.

Nicole Downey, president and co-founder of T1D Rams — a VCU student group for Type 1 diabetics — said she has heard of this problem. Downey, a runner, frequently experiences hyperglycemia. Her current CGM has no basal rate and does not take her exercise into account.

“Diabetes is annoying,” Downey said. “You try to stay on top of it, but even doing that doesn’t help. It thinks it knows my body, but it doesn’t know my schedule.”

To find out more regarding the CGMs, contact Topsakal — the program’s director — at etopsakal@vcu.edu.

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John Venuti. Photo courtesy of University Public Affairs

Students are developing a revolutionary continuous glucose monitor that does not need to be replaced as frequently as current models. Photo by Jackson Grigsby

Diabetes is annoying. You try to stay on top of it, but even doing that doesn’t help. It thinks it knows my body, but it doesn’t know my schedule.”

Nicole Downey, president and co-founder of T1D Rams

Activity board pushes to improve homecoming, faces negative student feedback

MORGAN MACENKA

Contributing Writer

VCU will celebrate its 16th annual homecoming week Nov. 4-11, with about 20 events hosted by the Activities Programming Board.

“I would really like to promote homecoming more,” APB Director Sabrina Rusli said. “I feel like since we are an institution without a football team, the school spirit sometimes lacks around VCU. This can cause a lack of awareness for our homecoming week.”

Building from previous experiences for improvements, the largely student-led organization said the group tried its best to come up with events that students will enjoy and attend based on what they and their peers would want. Two of the biggest events of the week will take place at the very end of the week — the VCU Men’s Basketball game on Nov. 9 at 7 p.m. and the Ramfest concert Nov. 10 at 7 p.m.

Singer Ella Mai is the concert’s headliner — but choice has come under scrutiny by students. VCU students took to Twitter to express discontent with the concert line-up, criticizing the breakthrough Mai’s most popular song “Boo’d Up” and the fact that Mai was not an option on the survey of possible performers sent out by APB earlier in the semester.

“Ella Mai and Young Crazy?” VCU senior Sean Moore tweeted. “Boo’d [Up] and Get dumb go but...? Yet another homecoming concert L for VCU.”

Mai will be accompanied by rappers Saweetie and Young Crazy as openers —

the latter of whom is a native of Hampton Roads and was chosen after winning a contest between local rappers.

Mai will be the first woman to headline a VCU homecoming concert.

APB Coordinator for Student Programming Cidnye Weimer said the organization’s members are constantly thinking about what works, what does not and how they can improve every year.

“Something we did differently this year that we haven’t really done in the past was a live entertainment survey last spring

to gauge student interest on what music genres students like, how much they would pay for tickets and what artist they might be interested in,” Weimer said.

Once the group had a basal list of popular names submitted by the student body, APB conducted a second survey with openers and headliners.

“It was a good process for us,” Weimer said, “because we knew who was available and if we could afford them.”

What students may not know about planning the homecoming concert is

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that “it is not a simple and easy process,” Weimer said. APB works with a middle agent — who is paid to research available artists, how much they cost and help with negotiations.

“There are industry standards we are supposed to follow,” Rusli said. “This is why we start in the summer to account for the variability of response times between artists and the middle manager.”

For more information about homecoming, visit homecoming.vcu.edu.

Complaints about the 2018 concert include that singing acts are less crowd-hyping than rapper Travis Scott’s 2016 performance.

Photo by Geo Mirador

Stat of the week

Senior middle blocker Tori Baldwin (477) and junior middle blocker Jasmin Sneed (442) now rank first and second, respectively, in all-time blocks at VCU.

Olympicvolleyballlegend MistyMay-TreanorvisitswithRams

KAYLEIGH FITZPATRICK

Editor

Online

Rare are the moments when collegiate players get the opportunity to meet a legend of their sport. Volleyball experienced that moment Oct. 14 when three-time Olympic gold medalist Misty MayTreanor visited the team’s locker room before its match against George Washington University prior to giving a skills demonstration.

It was a day that had been circled on the calendar since the summer and heavily advertised in the past few weeks For the players, it was a chance to meet an idol.

“It was really exciting for a lot of us,”said junior outside hitter Gina Tuzzolo “We heard about Misty May so much, especially when a lot of us were starting to play volleyball You hear a name and you never think you would get to meet someone that famous and has had so much success.”

Senior opposite hitter Julia Adler said she’s been a fan of May-Treanor for years.

“It’s crazy for me,” Adler said. “To hear her insights on being a player at the best

stage, the Olympics, and to know she was at our level once was so cool.”

May-Treanor — who retired from competing following her third gold medal in the 2012 London Olympics — jumped at the chance to speak to the VCU team and the Richmond community.

“I never turn down an opportunity if a university asks me to come,” May-Treanor said. “I’m here for the love of volleyball. If people have a passion for volleyball and want to bring me in, then why not? I am so passionate about [this sport]. Volleyball is growing tremendously and it’s fun to see the levels on the Midwest and the East Coast growing and changing the power balance of the NCAA.”

Sunday’s match also fulfilled a promise May-Treanor made years earlier. Her college roommate’s daughter earned a volleyball scholarship and May-Treanor promised her friend’s daughter that she would see her play collegiately at least once. That finally happened Sunday. Ironically, the player she had promised to see was Jaimeson Lee, a setter for George Washington.

“I always told you I’d come see you play,”

May-Treanor said during a halftime speech to the crowd, her voice cracking with emotion as Lee came onto the court to give her a hug. “But I’m sorry Jaimeson, I have to say, ‘Go Rams.’ Today, it’s all about VCU.”

my J. West Club of the Siegel Center. She brought her gold medal from the 2012 London Olympics, signed autographs and took pictures with the group of more than 100 fans who waited to get a moment with her.

“It’s great so many people turned out here today,” said Stuart C. Siegel, a VCU donor and the arena’s namesake, who was also in attendance. “Originally we were told by her agent that she wasn’t going to sign autographs or bring her gold medal, and of course she’s doing both. It’s such a marketing opportunity and community event for her to be here.”

After the match, May-Treanor participated in a brief Q&A session with the crowd before giving a mini-skills clinic. Later, she pulled out her gold medal again and took a photo with the team at center court, allowing the players to touch and wear it.

Prior to the match, in addition to addressing the volleyball team, May-Treanor spent an hour greeting fans seated in the Tom-

“I look up to her, so it’s unreal that I get to see her,” said junior middle blocker Jasmin Sneed. “All her words of encouragement and all her advice are really sitting in with me. I’m just soaking everything about this moment in.”

Olympian Misty May-Treanor earned three gold medals in volleyball in 2004, 2008 and 2012. Photo by Jon Mirador

Volleyball is growing tremendously and it’s fun to see the levels on the Midwest and the East Coast growing and changing the power balance of the NCAA.”

Misty May-Treanor, Olympic gold medalist

Volleyball remains undefeated in A-10

KAYLEIGH FITZPATRICK

Online Editor

Volleyball finished a sweep over the weekend, defeating George Mason University 3-0 Oct. 12 and George Washington University 3-1 Oct. 14. The Rams (12-7, 7-0 Atlantic 10 Conference) extended their conference winning streak to 23 matches and their overall season winning streak to eight.

Sunday’s match provided additional significance with the presence of three-time Olympic gold medalist Misty May-Treanor. The announced attendance of 1,134 was the largest home crowd in more than nine years.

GEORGE WASHINGTON

VCU brushed off a slow start to the match and despite an uncharacteristic number of service errors, defeated GW 3-1 at the Siegel Center Sunday afternoon.

The teams started the match trading service errors before GW (8-11, 2-4) took a 7-4 lead in the first set. VCU took the set lead for good after a six-point run that started after a kill and block from junior outside hitter Vicky Giommarini and a kill from junior middle blocker Jasmin Sneed.

Junior opposite hitter Gina Tuzzolo proved instrumental in the later stages of the first set with a key block to extend the first set lead to 16-11. She also added three of the Rams’ final four points to win the set.

“G-money — her nickname — was on fire,” Sneed said. “I love it when they give [Tuzzolo] the ball because her heavy arm, when she terminates the ball, there’s this great energy that comes after it.”

VCU started the second set in a 4-1 hole before battling back and taking the lead aided by a key block from senior middle

blocker Tori Baldwin. On the next rotation, Sneed followed Baldwin’s lead with a block of her own. The successive pair of blocks sparked an extended VCU run that flipped the second set score from 7-7 to 22-12.

“I think they play a game with each other where if one gets one, the other has to get one too,” said head coach Jody Rogers of her middle blockers. “They complement each other so well and they really feel for each other and they support each other. The middles pick each other up and it exudes confidence when they play like that on the court.”

VCU dominated the net all afternoon as four players recorded at least five blocks — Sneed led the way with nine. For the match, the Rams out-blocked the Colonials 16-5 and held them to a .007 hitting

percentage while forcing 36 attack errors. Tuzzolo led the offensive attack with 10 kills and is the fourth Ram in consecutive matches to lead in kills.

“Today was a really fun match,” Tuzzolo said. “Our offense is so balanced and I think that’s one thing our team is good at and what makes it so hard to defend us. You know where the ball is going. We don’t have one or two go-to players, everyone is a go-to player.”

GMU

Volleyball continued to roll Friday night, defeating George Mason 3-0 at the Siegel Center. The victory extended VCU’s conference winning streak to 22 matches and its overall season winning streak to seven.

The Rams (11-7, 6-0 Atlantic 10 Conference) received an early spark after an emphatic kill by Baldwin and a key block by Sneed. VCU jumped out to a quick 7-3 lead over GMU (6-10, 4-2). During the first set, the Rams had three different runs of at least four points and three different players recorded at least two kills.

“We play as a team,” Baldwin said. “We are always looking to have each other’s backs to be there when we are needed.”

The second set was a back-and-forth affair, with VCU never leading by more than two points, until a block by Sneed — VCU’s first for the set — extended the set lead to 15-12. After trading a few more points, VCU ended the set on a 7-1 run with six points coming off of serves from junior setter Dajah Ard.

During the second set alone, VCU forced GMU into 13 unforced errors and 31 errors in total for the match.

“Our main thing was to take them out of their offense,” said head coach Rogers. “We served them hard to not allow them to get into a rhythm and that was our game plan. The kids did a great job with that tonight and you can’t ask for more.”

VCU picked up the third set where it left off in the second, starting the set with a 7-1 run and never looked back. During the run, Tuzzolo sparked the team by chasing down an errant pass out of bounds to get the ball back in play as Baldwin finished off with the kill.

“Oh it was awesome,” Baldwin said of Tuzzolo’s effort. “As a team we fed off that and just continued to roll.”

The Rams take their act on the road next weekend with matches against the University of Rhode Island Oct. 19 and Fordham University Oct. 21.

Rams charge Colonials, capture 2-1 victory

WAYNE COLEMAN

Contributing Writer

Men’s Soccer is now undefeated in five games after coming away with a pair of wins against George Washington University and St. Louis University last week.

GEORGE WASHINGTON

The first half ended scoreless as both teams struggled to find the back of the net during the Oct. 13 match. But that changed 15 minutes into the second half, as the Colonials’ graduate midfielder Haukur Hilmarsson scored on a rebounded shot to give GW the lead.

The Rams equalized 27 minutes later when freshman forward Martin Ngoh scored his second goal of the season from inside the 6-yard-box. With less than five minutes left in the game, redshirt-senior midfielder Peter Pearson slid the ball into the back of the net off a Ngoh pass to give the Rams the 2-1 lead. It was Pearson’s third score of the season

VCU’s late-game heroics earned the team its fourth win in five games, as its record improved to 8-4-1.

ST. LOUIS

Men’s Soccer remained undefeated for its fourth straight match after overcoming a defensive test that took the game to overtime against St. Louis Oct. 10. The Rams came away with a tie despite only managing four shots versus the Billikens’ 24.

A St. Louis onslaught on the Rams’ goal began near the end of the second half, but sophomore goalkeeper Mario Sequeira

held his ground, racking up three saves by the end of regulation. Sequeira added three more staves in overtime, ending the game with six total.

While the Rams’ defense held strong, so did the Billikens’. Sophomore defender Ryo Shimazaki, sophomore forward Jared Greene and redshirt-senior midfielder

Joseph Gonnella were three of four VCU players who attempted shots on goal, but

to no avail.

The physical matchup ended with 20 fouls and five yellow cards, one of which was given to Ngoh.

As the half wound down, redshirt-senior midfielder Eli Lockaby found Ngoh, whose shot only managed to hit the post.

Late into the second half, Shimazaki’s shot was saved by Billiken goalkeeper Seth Stiebel, which kept the game scoreless.

Neither team could find the back of the net in overtime to win the game. But VCU kept its undefeated streak alive with the scoreless draw.

The Rams play their final home game, which is senior night, against George Mason University Oct. 20 — their first home match in three outings.

Junior middle blocker Jasmin Sneed earned three A-10 honors in the last four weeks.

Photo by Jon Mirador

Redshirt-senior midfielder Joseph Gonnella has started in 12 out of 13 games played this season, scoring two goals.

Photo by Michel Maulding

Rams sweep Spiders, Minutewomen as season wanes

ADAM CHEEK Staff Writer

Women’s Soccer swept its slate last week, emerging with wins over the University of Massachusetts Amherst and the University of Richmond. The Minutewomen and Spiders only managed one combined goal against the Rams, as five different players scored for the Black and Gold. VCU improved to 12-3 overall and 7-1 in conference play, and has scored 30 goals for the season.

UMASS

The Rams traveled to Massachusetts to take on the Minutewomen Oct. 14, edging out the northeastern team by a score of 1-0. Redshirt-senior goalie Audrey Sanderson made five saves — giving her 46 on the season — and tallied her sixth shutout.

Sophomore midfielder Samantha Jerabek scored the lone goal of the match. The Rams and the Minutewomen practically matched each other shot for shot, totaling nine each. Jerabek’s goal came just past the 64th minute, following a scoreless first half. Jerabek also tallied the first shot for VCU just four minutes into the game.

The defensive side for the Black and Gold held the Minutewomen to nine shots, just five of those on goal. UMass managed just one shot in the opening half, later rebounding with a volley of eight in the last 45 minutes. But Sanderson turned every

shot away, and the Rams took home their second win of the week.

RICHMOND

Senior night at VCU saw the Rams host the Richmond Spiders for an in-state rivalry game. The Black and Gold routed the cross-town Spiders with a 4-1 victory, as VCU scored all four goals in the first

RAM STAT

Sophomore midfielder

Samantha Jerabek and senior goalkeeper

Audrey Sanderson earned Atlantic 10 honors, named Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week.

half, only allowing the stand-alone score to Richmond in the latter half of the game. With the win, VCU improved to 11-3 overall and 6-1 in-conference in the penultimate home game of the season, with scoring from four roster members. Sophomore midfielder Kimberly Ito and redshirt-junior defender Megan Enos netted their first goals of the season, scoring seven

minutes apart. Sanderson made four saves.

Redshirt-junior defender Amanda Tredway kicked things off with a 12th-minute shot that broke the stalemate and sent the Rams on their way, with junior defender Sarah Gibson and redshirt-sophomore midfielder Emma Kershner adding assists.

Freshman forward Idelys Vazquez put the Black and Gold up 2-0 in the 24th minute, slicing the ball past Spiders goalie Emily Wigg.

Ito’s goal came just eight minutes later, continuing the Rams’ offensive assault. Ito sailed a rocket home from outside the

18-yard box, helped by a pass from senior midfielder Maddi Santo. Enos’ goal came courtesy of senior defender Stephanie Stahl, crossing the Spiders’ goalkeeper and scoring right in front of the posts.

VCU will finish off its schedule with two more games of Atlantic 10 play. Next, the Black and Gold will travel to the University of Rhode Island for a 7 p.m. kickoff Oct. 18. The Rams will return home for the final game of the season Oct. 21, facing La Salle University at 1 p.m.

Golf competes in Bank of Tennessee Intercollegiate

Contributing Writer

Golf traveled to Jonesborough, Tennessee Oct. 12-14 to compete in the Bank of Tennessee Intercollegiate golf tournament, placing 12th out of 15 teams. VCU came into this event having placed fourth out of seven teams in the Wildcat Fall Invitational in late September.

VCU was joined by Virginia Tech and the University of Virginia as local schools competing in the event. Other competitors included 12 universities from around the country.

VCU placed right behind the University of Virginia, which placed 11th. East Tennessee State University won the tournament, followed by the University of Louisville in second and Tennessee in third.

VCU had a total score of 284 in Round

1, 293 in Round 2 and 292 in Round 3, for a final score of 869 — compared to ETSU’s top final score of 832.

VCU sophomore Sachin Kumar tied for 22nd individually with a -3 to par. Kumar had scores of 69, 72 and 72 in the three rounds, respectively, for a total of 213. S ophomore Kristian Tannum Donaldson tied for 36th with scores of 70, 70

and 76 for a total of 216. Freshman Adrian Vagberg tied for 58th with scores of 73, 76 and 72 for a total of 221.

Freshman Cam Barackman tied for 71st with scores of 79,75 and 72 for a total of 226. Junior Alston Newsom placed 74th with scores of 72, 77 and 78 for a total of 227.

The Rams had a total of 16 birdies (-1 to par) in Round 1 — of which Kumar had five. VCU also had 11 bogeys (+1 to par) in Round 1, with Barackman acquiring three.

In Round 2, the Black and Gold had a total of 12 birdies — four of which were Donaldson’s. The Rams also had 17 bogeys

Rams suffer first A-10 defeat this season

NOAH FLEISCHMAN

Staff Writer

Field Hockey split its two-game schedule this past week with an overtime win over La Salle University and an on-theroad loss to St. Joseph’s University.

LA SALLE

The Rams (8-6, 5-1 Atlantic 10 Conference) defeated the Explorers on the road in overtime behind senior forward Emily McNamara’s game-winning goal off a penalty corner.

VCU took an early lead in the 15th minute as freshman defender Litiana Field found the back of the net off a pass from sophomore midfielder Maite Sturm. Field’s goal was her fourth goal of the season.

La Salle tied the game in the 31st minute as Chloe Lucky scored on a penalty corner.

The second half was scoreless, but the Rams outshot the Explorers 6-1 in the period. VCU also held a 6-1 edge in penalty

corners in the second half.

McNamara’s overtime goal was her 20th tally of the season, extending her Atlantic 10 lead in goals to four more than the record of the second-highest scorer. She recorded eight shots in the win, five on goal.

Freshman goalie Sasha Elliott recorded two saves of three shots on goal.

ST. JOSEPH’S

The Black and Gold fell 3-1 to No. 13 St. Joseph’s Oct. 12 on the road, handing the Rams their first A-10 loss of the season.

VCU fell behind early as the Hawks found the back of the net in the 18th minute off a penalty corner from Joely Helder.

The Hawks scored again in the 46th minute as Emily Henry found the back of the net for St. Joseph’s.

Sturm prevented the Rams from being held scoreless for the first time this season, as she scored on a loose ball in the circle in the 58th minute. The tally was Sturm’s seventh of the season and

second in three games.

St. Joseph’s added the final goal of the game in the 65th minute from Anna Willocks, pushing the Hawks lead to two goals.

McNamara recorded one shot in the loss despite leading the team in goals with 19.

in Round 2, with Newsom acquiring five. Barackman had a total of five birdies in Round 3, and the Rams had 16 total in the round. VCU also had 19 bogeys in Round 3, with Newsom acquiring seven.

The Rams will travel to the Grandover Resort in Greensboro, North Carolina Oct. 26 to compete in the Grandover Intercollegiate, a three-round tournament.

SAM HOOPER

The Rams continue their stay at home, going up against A-10 opponents Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania Oct. 19 at 3 p.m. followed by a match against Wake Forest University Oct. 21 at noon.

Freshman defender Litiana Field scored one goal on four shot attempts against La Salle University Oct. 14. Photo by Teresa Bricker

In high school, freshman defender Amber DiOrio (24) earned First Team All-Conference honors three times. Photo by Jon Mirador

Rams set new records at Pirate Invitational

ANDY RIDDLER

Contributing Writer

Both VCU cross country teams traveled to Greenville, North Carolina last Friday to compete in the East Carolina University Pirates Invitational. In the final meet before the Atlantic 10 championships, both teams put up strong performances as they begin preparations for the postseason.

MEN’S

Men’s Cross Country placed fifth out of 11 teams on Friday in the 8K race, finishing with an average time of 26:14.44.

Leading the charge for the Rams was junior Bryce Catlett, who placed fifth overall out of 101 finishers with a personal-best time of 24:43.80. Catlett finished alongside a group of five runners who finished within four seconds of one another. Catlett placed just shy of nine seconds from first-place runner Nicholas Ciaccia from ECU.

Junior Lucas Sidle earned a 24th-place finish, completing the course in 25:35.37. Sidle’s time shaved more than a minute off his previous personal best time for an 8K at VCU.

Following Sidle came redshirt-junior Michael Villagomez in 47th place. Villagomez finished with a time of 26:44.97, a season-best for him at the distance.

The final three runners for VCU all finished within 16 seconds of each other, with freshman Archie Blaes finishing 53rd with a new personal record of 27:02.48. Freshman Sean Moulton also ran a new personal best, placing 57th with a time of 27:05.58. Freshman Owen Walker, who was competing in his first collegiate 8K, came in 59th with a personal record time of 27:18.68.

their hard work. I think today was a confidence boost for many of them.”

WOMEN’S

The final finisher for the Black and Gold was junior Judith White, who came in 43rd place with a time of 24:17.75.

Nicole Cook,

“I’m proud of the team today,” head coach Nicole Cook said to VCU Athletics. “They have been working very hard, and today they were able to see some progress from

Leading the way for the Rams was junior Delaney Savedge, who completed the 6K course with a personal best of 21:53.61 to earn herself a 10th-place finish in Greenville. This was the first time this season Savedge finished in the top 10.

Just behind Savedge came junior Ashley Brown who captured a 13th-place finish with a time of 22:20.48. Only eight seconds after Brown was redshirt-senior Nichelle Scott, who finished 15th out of 81.

The ladies finished with an average time of 22:45 over the 6K course but were ineligible to qualify for team scoring due to only having four runners competing in the race.

Next up, the Rams will travel to Mechanicsville, Virginia to compete in the A-10 Cross Country Championship Oct. 27 at Pole Green Park.

Men’s Cross Country placed in the top-five at the ECU Pirates Invitational. CT file photo

VCU head coach

On this day

Richmond community turns the folk up

EMMA NORTH

Contributing Writer

KATHERINE BOLLER

Contributing Writer

Musical performances, food trucks, artists and vendors lined Richmond’s historic downtown waterfront this weekend for the 14th annual Richmond Folk Festival.

Master crafters from Virginia presented Cambodian clothing, Mongolian Buddhist masks and Caribbean Carnival wear to fit the 2018 Richmond Times-Dispatch Virginia Folklife Stage and Area “Masquerade” theme.

The festival is made possible by donations, sponsorships and dedicated volunteer work. Volunteers pick up trash, sell drinks, collect donations and direct traffic.

“It’s my tenth year [volunteering],” said festival volunteer Susan Bateman. “We work two days and come back the third day just to listen.”

Folk culture revolves around the diversity of its artists — the festival’s music was not just backcountry banjo. Folk music has a different look and sound depending on its community of origin. The festival offered

a variety of performances including piano trios, gospel, salsa, storytelling, zuni, tamburitza, zydeco and classical Indian dance.

Richmond high school student Avery Sutro. “I grew up around this type of music so I always come here.”

One of the most notable performers at the festival this year was Mavis Staples. Staples — referred to on the festival’s website as one of the greatest gospel singers of all time — was formerly a member of the gospel group The Staples Singers. The group was primarily known for songs inspired by the civil rights movement.

For some, the Richmond Folk Festival is an easy way to get out and enjoy themselves, while others have a more vested interest in the genre. VCU students Maria Gruber and Alex Mischou attended the festival Friday night. Gruber, who is part of a German folk dancing group, said she listens to German folk music. But Mischou said she doesn’t typically engage with the genre.

“I came because it’s free and it’s nice out, which is when I usually do things,” Mischou said.

“My parents played [folk music] a lot when I was younger,” said volunteer and

Attendees bought handmade goods at the festival’s Marketplace, which provided artisans an area to sell items. Products for sale included African straw baskets, natural incense, shea butter soap and acrylic paint-

ings. One vendor, Pure Shea Store, sold handmade soaps, lotions and sugar scrubs and has made shea-butter-based products since 1999. All the items are made with all-natural ingredients without the use of parabens, animal products or animal testing.

The festival food ranged from event-style fried meals to exotic cuisine. There were stands with extra-long corn dogs, french fries and a variety fried desserts. Trucks and stands sold dishes with international origins, such as empanadas, gyros, dumplings, jerk chicken, tacos and soba noodles. The festival also had some southern classics like seafood, burgers, cornbread and barbecue.

With more than 220,000 attendees last year, the Folk Festival continues as a staple of Richmond’s cultural scene. With the help of donations and volunteers, the festival remains free to the public.

“I like [the festival] because it brings in diversity [and] representation of different cultures,” said beverage sales volunteer Deanna Fierro. “It’s just a safe and fun environment for everybody. [The festival] is one of the most fabulous things Richmond does.”

The Radio Corporation of America (RCA) was created on Oct. 17, 1919.

The sound of folk music varies depending on its origins. This year’s Folk Festival featured piano trios, gospel, salsa, zuni and tamburitza. Photo by Shayla Bailey

“I like [the festival] because it brings in diversity [and] representation of different cultures. It’s just a safe and fun environment for everybody. [The festival] is one of the most fabulous things Richmond does.”

Deanna Fierro, volunteer

Left: Performers came from places all over the country including California, Louisiana and New York. Right: More than 200,000 people attended the festival, and Mavis Staples’ performance broke festival records for largest audience at a single performance. Photos by Shayla Bailey

Good times are lost in “Bad Times at The El Royale”

Five strangers, five secrets and one rundown hotel that reveals all truths. This is the set-up for screenwriter and director Drew Goddard’s ensemble crime film “Bad Times at the El Royale.”

Filled to the brim with great actors, a clever script and Goddard’s artistic direction, this should be the recipe for a classic. While not an unenjoyable film, “El Royale” is weakened by inconsistent pacing and overabundance of material.

Set in 1969, the film takes place at the El Royale hotel, a once-bustling establishment that rests on the border between Nevada and California. Five strangers sign into the hotel for the night, but they all come with more than just physical baggage.

Here lies the film’s major issue: pacing. The opening moments of “El Royale” — when the characters sign in and their intentions for being there become less obscure — seem to go on for more than 30 minutes. Major plot developments throughout are bookended by flashbacks for each character, mostly revealing how they got to the hotel.

While an interesting premise, the execution worsens the crawling pacing prevalent in the beginning. Dialogue scenes drag on and on; the mysteries and characters are not interesting enough to carry the audience’s attention. These scenes needed something more to make them work — perhaps more emphasis and impact in the filmmaking.

The film also stumbles in trying to juggle so many plotlines at once, feeling like multiple movies where we spend half the runtime catching up on what we missed. Each character is interesting, but only Bridges’ and Erivo’s characters stand out as the most entertaining and fleshed-out.

Because they are so well-realized, it becomes confusing when the film switches focus to Johnson’s story, which becomes the center of the last hour or so. Bridges and Erivo become side characters at this point, but they were the only ones we truly knew or cared about for the first part of the film. The final 40 minutes feel dragged out, moving at a snail’s pace when it’s clear the movie is trying to evoke feelings of tension and excitement.

There are many wonderful, shocking and entertaining moments that save “El Royale” from being unbearable. Individual scenes, performances, lines of dialogue and cinematography kept me from being completely uninvested.

LANDON ROBERTS

Contributing Writer

Damien Chazelle’s “First Man” opens on a dark, cramped cockpit shaking viciously while piloted by Ryan Gosling’s Neil Armstrong. His eyes are filled with fear and panic until the cockpit is suddenly illuminated by the sunlight reflecting off the Earth’s horizon in the upper echelons of the atmosphere. Relief, followed by astonishment, washes over his face as he hovers in the vast beauty of space. He then begins to plummet and the fear returns.

All of this terror, beauty and astonishment carries throughout the rest of the film. These feelings soon lead to an unforgettable, visceral and dazzling experience.

The eight years of trials and tribulations Armstrong had to endure before the Apollo 11 mission that made him an American hero is the fulcrum of “First Man.” While this characterizes the basic synopsis, there is so much more to the film regarding the man inside the spacesuit.

Armstrong’s complexity is mesmerizing. All the insecurities, fears and determination he experienced is felt through Gosling’s stoic performance. His subtle changes of demeanor throughout the film with every loss he experiences add a sense of weight and suspense to an outcome everyone is aware of.

Gosling’s moments of vulnerability are incredibly believable as well. His quivering lip and fight to hold back tears in moments of distress help show why Armstrong is considered a hero today — he was just a man who had to overcome many obstacles.

He did not overcome these obstacles alone, however. His wife, Janet Armstrong, is masterfully portrayed by Claire Foy. She brings a fiery intensity which encapsulates Janet’s concerns for their family while also trying to support all his endeavors to the best of her ability. Scenes of her nervously

sitting hunched over the radio during the Gemini 8 and Apollo 11 missions while also tending to the children’s needs gives the audience an authentic look at how important she truly was to her family.

While all these performances help depict the scale of this arduous journey, the directorial work by the Academy Award-winning Chazelle puts you directly in Armstrong’s shoes. When Gosling approaches the Gemini 8 shuttle, the corridor shakes and hanging lights sway, ramping up the intensity and puting the viewer in his perspective, experiencing his fear.

Chazelle’s constant implementation of close-up shots also allows the audience to notice every expression the actors bring, creating a deeper connection to this true story.

A cornerstone of this film, of course, is the interstellar aspects — specifically outer space and the moon. Created using using computer-generated imagery, these aspects made for some breathtaking moments. The vast empty space surrounding the shuttle in certain scenes brings a strange beauty to the serene void confirming why Armstrong and many others were allured by the mission. The recreation of the moon is incredibly realistic as well, making the scenes on the lunar surface feel tangible.

All of these emotionally impactful scenes are supported by a beautiful score that at times seemed whimsical, and at others suspenseful. This makes the danger of the journey feel incredibly real while making the payoffs feel magical.

“First Man” combines a variety of filmmaking aspects to create one of the greatest depictions of Armstrong and his mindset during his times at NASA while also creating an unforgettable experience that deserves to be seen on the biggest screen possible.

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“El Royale” has a promising beginning, where the actors spend time trying to sign into the hotel as the mysteries begin to build. Everyone is on display here: Jeff Bridges, Jon Hamm, Cynthia Erivo, Dakota Johnson, Chris Hemsworth and Lewis Pullman all act wonderfully. The script is also hilarious and well-written, conveying small character details that compliment each performance.

The cinematography and direction are equally impressive. Goddard makes great use of one-takes and symbolic framing, creating iconic and effective imagery. The acting, writing and filmmaking consistently impress throughout the nearly two-anda-half-hour runtime, making it somewhat bearable during the slower points.

The themes of redemption and morality also kept my attention, but only for so long. Yet, I’m not sure I fully understand what the film’s trying to get at, with many ideas feeling scattered. I’m hoping to give the movie a second viewing to see if these issues remain now that I know where it’s going.

I desperately want to love “Bad Times at the El Royale.” It has the ingredients of a great film — in fact, one that I would particularly enjoy. The end result is a slow-moving mess, but it’s not unworthy of your time. If you have the time and the patience, “El Royale” is worth a stay, at least for one night.

SAMUEL GOODRICH

Staff Writer

“First Man” is an out-of-this-world experience

Illustration by Ellie Erhart

Illustration by Ash Rudolph

The themes of redemption and morality also kept my attention, but only for so long. Yet, I’m not sure I fully understand what the film’s trying to get at, with many ideas feeling scattered.”

Samuel Goodrich, staff writer

Richmond Zine Fest embraces diversity, welcomes newcomers

ANDREW RINGLE

Contributing Writer

Starting with a series of informative lectures and ending with an exhibition of more than 100 artists, the 12th annual Richmond Zine Fest promoted an environment embracing zine-makers of all backgrounds and welcoming newbies to the alternative artform.

Held at the Richmond Public Library, the festival began Friday with a workshop on the safe and proper administration of Narcan, a drug used to block the effects of opioids and to treat overdoses. The day continued with workshops from zine artists including Alison Thompson, Karlena Sakas and Dash Shaw.

“Zine Fest is more than just a capitalist exchange of goods,” said Richmond Zine Fest co-organizer Celina Nicole. “It’s about being part of a community and creating an increase of education.”

Nicole started organizing the festival in its third year after attending the first year and tabling at the following event. Her work includes “Mean Girl,” “I Hate Dating,” “Instaku” and “Nikki Minaj Haiku Zine.”

“The librarians are so incredibly supportive of Zine Fest,” Nicole said.

The event was previously held at Diversity Richmond, but moving to the downtown public library has allowed organizers to expand programs and attract larger audiences.

“A library is all about providing people with access to information,” Nicole said. “So there’s really no better place for supporting independent publishing and the sharing of information.”

At 20 years old, Regé was sharing his work with artists all over the world, including France and Australia. The things he saw were, at the time, taboo subjects, including graphic violence and sexuality.

“Punk and underground culture, especially queer culture, have always been a central aspect of zine festivals,” Regé said. “People might not be that psyched about it, but artists have the freedom to express it. If you have some kind of negative interests or desires, putting it into artwork is the best expression.”

On Saturday, artists of all backgrounds presented their work to audiences. While guests had the option to buy zines for prices as low as one dollar, many zine-makers traded work amongst themselves.

“Zines are way more about sharing ideas than they are about making money,” said Richmond Zine Fest co-organizer Brian Baynes. “While everyone is here selling things, it’s not uncommon to find trading happening as well.”

Baynes is the artist behind several zines including “Cool Hiss,” “Presenting the Byrd Theatre” — which showcases the history of the Carytown establishment — and “Crunch: A Taco Bell Fanzine.”

Richmond artist Cree Renee was among many displaying artwork. For her first time tabling at a zine festival, Renee showcased colorful prints and a stack of her most recent zines.

“Making zines is a way to express your-

self, by yourself, without anyone else’s help,” Renee said. “It’s great that it’s being held at a library, because it’s really important for these kind of events to be accessible to everyone.”

UPCOMING EVENTS

See something

WED. 10/17

“Friday the 13th” (1980)

Attend a showing of the classic Halloween film “Friday the 13th” as part of Big Screen Classics at The Byrd.

7:15 pm., The Byrd (2908 W. Cary St.)

SAT. 10/20

Radical Queer Self Love: A Prose and Poetry Read

This event, hosted by Pwatem Literary Journal, features readings and performances centered around the development and perseverance of queer identities.

5-7 p.m., Greenbrier Cafe and Coffeehouse (1211 W Main St.)

Do something

FRI. 10/19 – SAT. 10/20

50th Annual Richmond Oktoberfest

Enjoy food, beer and entertainment inspired by German culture for the 50th year in a row at the Richmond Raceway. Tickets are $15 at the door and $12 if purchased in advance. Visit richmondoktoberfestinc.com for more information.

Friday, Oct. 19, 6 p.m.- midnight, Saturday, Oct. 20, 3 p.m.- midnight, 600 E. Laburnum Ave.

For more information on the Richmond Zine Fest, including an archive of previous festivals, visit richmondzinefest.org.

SAT. 10/20

RVA Booklover’s Festival

Join more than 40 published authors and poets performing readings and giving book talks along with crafters and local food vendors. There will also be open mics, a costume contest for kids 12 and under and first lady of Virginia, Pamela Northam, will be giving a talk on literacy. The event is free and open to the public and any net proceeds will be donated to local literacy organizations.

10 a.m.- 4 p.m., Jefferson Park (1921 Princess Anne Ave.)

SAT. 10/20

The RAMble: Walk for Wellness with VCU Health Docs

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Join doctors and health professionals from VCU Women’s Health Center and Massey Cancer Center every third Saturday of the month for a walk and health talk. For more information, call the VCU Massey Cancer Center Integrative Health program hotline at (804)-828-8478.

8:30-9:30 a.m., 9200 Stony Point Pkwy (meet at the entrance by Panera)

Learn something

SAT. 10/17

Wednesdays in the Workshop:

Friday’s workshops ended with a presentation from cartoonist Ron Regé Jr., who gave a lecture on the esoteric history of Wonder Woman, focusing on the heroine’s mythological costume design.

Visiting Richmond from his home in Los Angeles, the artist opened his newest exhibition at The Anderson gallery later on Friday. “The Word of First Thought” showcases Regé’s zines and independent comics, which closely analyze the lesser-known history of religion and spirituality.

Regé has been making zines since the early 1990s. He said he hasn’t stopped creating since. He learned about the artform while attending Massachusetts College of Art and Design.

“As soon as I figured out that I could make these things, I got a job at a Xerox shop,” Regé said. “Before the internet, zine-makers shared a very expansive underground culture. We did not give a shit about whether or not straight people in the normal world knew if we existed. It wasn’t about getting popular.”

Introduction to electronics: DIY Banana Piano with Arduino

As part of VCU Libraries’ Innovative Media department’s Wednesdays in the Workshop series, learn how to build a banana piano using the software platform Arduino. The workshop is free and open to all members of the VCU community and provides hands-on experimentation.

3-4 p.m. The Workshop in the Cabell Library basement

SAT. 10/20

Block 9 Conference 2018

Learn about the latest advancements in blockchain engineering and hear from experts about how to utilize this and expand blockchain in our communities. This event is a collaboration between VCU’s College of Engineering, CryptoVA and Block Star Inc. Tickets can be purchased online and more information can be found at b9c.org.

8 a.m. - 5 p.m. VCU Commons Theater

Zine Fest is more than just a capitalist exchange of goods. It’s about being part of a community and creating an increase of education.”

Celina Nicole, Richmond Zine Fest co-organizer

Making zines is a way to express yourself, by yourself, without anyone else’s help. It’s great that it’s being held at a library, because it’s really important for these kind of events to be accessible to everyone.”

Cree Renee, Artist

Artists often trade zines in addition to buying other creator’s work. Photo by Elizabeth Humphreys

Quote of the week

“We must restore hope to young people, help the old, be open to the future, spread love. Be poor among the poor. We need to include the excluded and preach peace.”

Giving sight to blind faith

CAITLIN BARBIERI Opinions Editor

At 13 years old, I was confirmed into the Catholic Church. I spent hours shopping for the perfect white dress, memorizing prayers and preparing for my big day. That day came and went, and now, almost 10 years later, Catholic is the last thing I identify as.

My departure from the Catholic Church was a gradual experience fueled by my increasing independence and free thinking.

It’s not just the Catholic Church I am opposed to — it’s all organized religion. The morals and ideas of religion are positive, but the guidelines and practices are what lose me.

The ideas of “thou shall not steal, kill or commit adultery” are morally sound, but divorce shouldn’t be a sin. I shouldn’t be shamed by an entire institution for having premarital sex.

Religion is supposed to provide guidelines for living the best life you possibly can, but those guidelines are not realistic.

When I was younger, I was convinced I would go to hell because I said curse words and was mean to my brother. My Sunday school teachers made me feel bad just for being a kid. Their teachings didn’t motivate me to be a nicer person, they just fostered feelings of self-hate.

Honestly, if an eight-year-old is going to hell for saying “frick” and punching her brother (who deserved it), is anyone in heaven? Hell and purgatory must be pretty packed.

These strict rules, guidelines and extreme shaming drove me away from the church.

While I don’t always make the best decisions, I don’t have any regrets — but the church tells me I should.

That doesn’t mean I am not a moral person, though. I have a set of morals I live by, but when I deviate from them, there is no priest judging me on the other side of the confessional.

There are moments I consider returning to the pews and the hymns, but every time, I remember the church brings me more

stress than comfort. Without the Catholic Church, I am able to evaluate myself without feeling as if I am also being judged by a massive moral institution.

However, I also lose any strong beliefs I once had in the meaning of life. Now I realize the meaning of life is an ambiguous and deeply personal concept, but occasionally I do miss believing in something.

I could still believe in the idea of heaven and hell without practicing Catholi -

cism, but I struggle with how to get there. I struggle with picking and choosing the parts of religion that I like — including the celebrations, traditions and sense of community — and as a whole, I cannot support the institution.

So I choose to live my life the best way I can and hope that if there is a God, they will judge me on my actions and not my ability to blindly conform.

Lavender Summit: developing identity through community

BRIANNA SCOTT

Contributing

Writer

National Coming Out Day was last week. And I have to say, I can’t be the only one who didn’t know there was a designated day for coming out. That could be because I haven’t been comfortable with my own sexuality since the day I figured out I wasn’t straight, many awkward moons ago in middle school.

It wasn’t until I was riding a bus loaded with other queer-identifying folks for a weekend-long event in Williamsburg that I finally got a sense of the community I was missing.

The Lavender Empowerment Summit transformed my life in only three days — and that’s not an overstatement.

I always kept myself at an arm’s distance from the LGBTQIA+ community. I didn’t feel validated in my sexuality because I didn’t identify as lesbian or bisexual. I didn’t feel queer enough because I mainly dated men. I didn’t feel that I encountered any oppression because of my sexual orientation. Most of all, I just didn’t know how to talk about it — especially as a black woman.

The intersection between being black, queer and a woman is interesting and difficult. Growing up, I had no one to talk to about it. My childhood best friend was bisexual and a close friend of mine in high school was gay, but I wasn’t predominantly surrounded by other non-straight folks un-

til I came to VCU.

Lav Summit, which is organized by VCU’s Office of Multicultural Student Affairs, is open to all LGBTQIA+ college students. The goal of Lav Summit was to provide a safe space for students to discuss their experiences and issues within the queer community. It was also designed to help students gain leadership skills by empowering them to use their voices to educate others and be confident in their identities.

Most of the weekend was filled with educational presentations and panels along with ice-breakers and social activities to

get to know other students. Presentations covered topics from asexuality and ableism in the queer community to queer representation in media and mental health in the queer community, among others.

There was also space made for queer and trans people of color (QTPOC) to have discussions. For me, this was one of the most crucial and transformative aspects of the weekend. I can’t separate my queer and black identities — they intersect and influence one another. Mainstream media creates an image that the only queer people are gay white men, but even going back to

the Stonewall riots, black queer icons like Marsha Johnson are important figures in LGBTQIA+ community and history.

QTPOC need to have their own spaces to have discussions on how to navigate this world in our skin. I had never been in a QTPOC-dominated space before I arrived at Lav Summit. Being in that space — in a room full of other people of color who identified as queer in some way — made me feel welcome in a way that I never had before.

Over that weekend, I met people around whom I felt I could be my authentic self, unapologetically. During the QTPOC meetings, I was able to say what was on my mind without fear. Many other people told me they could relate to what I shared pertaining to my experiences as a queer black woman.

I learned it’s OK to be complicated and still figuring yourself out — it doesn’t make you less valid. We have our whole lives to figure ourselves out and getting to a point where you can be OK with that is important. If you keep trying to tell yourself who you are, rather than allowing yourself to discover that on your own time, you’re going to end up trying to be something you aren’t.

Coming out of Lav Summit, I have people who will look out for me if I need them to — people who will continue to learn and grow with me. Everyone deserves that, regardless of race, gender or sexuality. This is my thanks to everyone I met at Lav Summit — the Lav Pals and the courageous QTPOC folks.

— Pope Francis

Illusttration by Sammy Newman

Illusttration by Steck Von

A woman’s destruction, a man’s convenience

MARGARETTA SACKOR

Contributing Writer

I was in middle school when I was sexually assaulted. I never thought of it as sexual assault until my senior year of high school. Before then, I had seen the incident as being my fault. I had caused the problem — I had said yes. I was 13, I knew right from wrong, so who am I to blame someone else? That thinking is flawed. I had no idea what right or wrong was. I was manipulated into doing something I never wanted to do — and no, I will probably never report it.

Many encourage survivors of sexual assault to report, but I believe reporting does more damage mentally to the victim and rarely leads to justice being served. According to RAINN — the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network — out of every 1,000 rapes, only 310 are reported and six of those cases will result in the perpetrator being incarcerated.

I didn’t report because I blamed myself and I didn’t stop blaming myself until the end of my freshman year in college. I thought no one would believe me, especially considering the perpetrator was a favorite of teachers and students. He played sports and led the school to victories. No one would ever believe the weird black girl. I still haven’t reported because it sometimes seems like this is a boy’s world — the justice system has that exact mentality. It feels like everyone is backing the perpetrators but no one is standing behind the victim as they crumble inside.

The saddest part is that if there is a conviction, there is only a 69 percent chance the person will spend time in jail. So here is another way to look at it: out of the 39 percent of cases reported to the police, there is only a 16.3 percent chance the assailant will end up in prison, according to the Sexual Assault Response Services of Southern Maine.

I didn’t want to put myself through the emotional devastation taking him to court would entail. I don’t want to relive that day again for the rest of my life when I am finally starting to let go and be okay. I can’t put my family through the agony of seeing me in pain when in my gut, I know he won’t go to jail. I already know how this will end, it’ll be turned into a he said-she said battle and when I become emotional on stand, it’ll be cause for disbelief. I will have to deal with people calling me a liar — telling me I’m trying to ruin his life; calling me a slut, a dumb bitch and every other name they

can think of.

You ask us victims why we don’t report, then turn around and call us liars when we do. Society turns its back on survivors of sexual assault. There is never a convenient time to speak out about sexual assault. But I guess it was just convenient for him to sexually assault me. Sometimes it takes a lifetime to work up the bravery needed to report, but then we’re told it’s been too long for any proper evidence. As if the deterioration of my mental state and the nights I stay up crying myself to sleep aren’t evidence enough. When there is proper evidence and witnesses, we are told there isn’t. In situations like the recent hearings on sexual assault allegations against Justice Brett Kavanaugh, Christine Blasey Ford didn’t report — and probably never would have — until learning of her alleged assailant’s nomination. Anita Hill spoke out against Justice Clarence Thomas under similar cir-

AnOdetoSelfCare

shop at PacSun and wear Vans or is that a kids thing?” I can still do my taxes, but I also really enjoy children’s cartoons and animated films. Like, are there things I’m supposed to “give up?” I just feel like there’s nothing defining about the gap between 21 and 30 so I’m feeling confused and lost.

I recently had a huge issue with both of my mental health disorders going a little bozonkers and taking things over, so I was at their whim recently. What’s a good way to stay in control even if you feel as though you’ve completely lost it?

cumstances. The approval of these two men to the highest court in the nation further proves the justice system doesn’t care for sexual assault victims.

There’s a certain mental struggle survivors go through just to make it through the day. We have to pep-talk ourselves into getting out of bed, showering, putting on clothes and even stepping out of the door. Being sexually assaulted leaves you in a dark room alone where you have to force yourself to keep pushing. You have to find a reason to keep going — anything to keep you alive. There’s the constant belief that your perpetrator will return. Once you’ve been sexually assaulted, you are afraid to go out. Even the slightest touch can send you back into that moment. People don’t understand why you are constantly closed off, but I don’t know how to explain my sexual assault to my loved ones.

Once a report is made, an investigation starts. Strangers tear apart your world to determine whether you are lying — it’s next-level invasive. You go through hours of questioning, trying to recall a specific moment while holding back tears and shivering. Your personal belongings are put into evidence bags and stored away in lockers. You might have to stand naked in front of a male while he photographs your body, especially the parts that have already been violated. Your family and your friends are questioned. The door is open to strangers to form opinions about your decisions. All that could be done and the one who sexually assaulted you might never see the inside of a jail cell. But I’ve formed my own cell within my body, mentally rotting away while he lives his life perfectly fine.

Reporting isn’t as easy as it sounds. Healing takes a long time — sometimes it might take a lifetime. It’s time we stop punishing survivors as if they haven’t already gone through enough. As if they aren’t having to learn to rebuild themselves from scratch on their own, learning to be comfortable in their skin again. To all the people questioning the decisions of someone who has been sexually assaulted — you can’t begin to understand how it feels.

SHAUN JACKSON Staff Columnist

I’ve been thinking lately about how society places such an impact on certain milestones. Like, at the age of 16 you can drive; 18 you can smoke, vote and go to war; 21 you can drink. But then it all just stops. It’s weird. Like, I have superficial moments where I’m just like, “Can I still

We have been socially groomed to think our lives are supposed to be in a certain state given what age we are. Let me be the first and last to tell you — it’s all a lie. I do not think there is anything you are meant to “give up” if it brings you tremendous amounts of joy. Not to mention there are phenomenal shows like “Steven Universe” and “Adventure Time,” for example, whose target demographic is children but the show has very adult undertones meant for an older audience. The transition to adulthood is difficult and quite frightening at times. It’s nice to have things that provide a vacation from the often-tumultuous reality we tend to face day-to-day. Take a deep breath and enjoy whatever media you choose to ingest. I was once told if you have your cake and eat it too, your hips will get wide — but in my humble opinion, a little bit of curves ain’t never hurt anyone!

As someone who has bipolar disorder (type II), I feel you on a spiritual level. As I’ve gotten older with age, I have become more accepting of the fact that sometimes I can’t do things like get out of bed and face the day and that is alright. It can take awhile to understand that it is OK to not be OK. Sometimes you have to take a mental health day for yourself, evaluate how you feel and do whatever you see fit to piece yourself back together. If you have the means and resources and don’t already do so, find counseling, therapy — whatever you want to call it. It’s nice to have someone to speak to who sits outside the realm of your everyday life. You are so much more stronger than you know, and you’d be foolish to think otherwise because of a bad day.

How do you marry the ideas of “nothing matters” with the importance of working for social change to alleviate others’ suffering?

I personally contend that if you are able to, at every opportunity you get, it should be your moral imperative to make the reality you live in better for yourself and others. A good friend of mine said to me once, “We cannot comprehend the design, just as a raindrop cannot comprehend a river valley.” My bottom line is — absolutely nothing has to matter for you to be a good person.

I can’t put my family through the agony of seeing me in pain when in my gut, I know he won’t go to jail.”

Margaretta Sackor, Contributing Writer

Illusttration by Steck Von

Illusttration by Alex Hwee

Billie Ellish

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