The Commonwealth Times; October 16, 2017 by VCU Student Media Center

BEST SMALL, NON-DAILY —2017 Virginia Press Association The independent press of Virginia Commonwealth University

October 16, 2017 • Vol. 59, No. 8

SPORTS Men’s soccer • 6

OPINIONS SPECTRUM Richmond Folk Festival • 8 National debt • 11

PHOTO BY ERIN EDGERTON

NEWS Gubernatorial race • 2

New-look Rams put on a show for fans ed than in years past, as it marked the debuts of newly-appointed coach Mike Rhoades and 10 new Rams basketball officially players. In front of a packed house, kicked off its 2017-18 season Sat- several of the new faces gave fans urday with the annual Black and reasons to be excited for the upGold Game at VCU’s Stuart C. coming campaign. Siegel Center. Following the departure of fanThis year’s inter-squad scrim- favorite big-man Mo Alie-Cox, mage was perhaps more anticipat- many saw a glaring hole for the NICK VERSAW Staff Writer

Rams down low. Those would-be fears were dissuaded Saturday as the Rams’ new frontcourt put up an impressive showing. Graduate transfer Khris Lane led all scorers with 15 points, propelling his Gold Team to knock off their Black Team counterparts 56-45. The former Longwood University Lancer rounded out the stat

sheet, chipping in 9 rebounds, 1 steal and 1 block. “He knows how to put the ball in the hole,” Rhoades said of his fifthyear big. “You’re going to see a lot of good things from him this year.” Lane was joined by Gold teammate and fellow big-man Marcus Santos-Silva, as the freshman recorded the game’s only double-

double performance with 13 points and 11 rebounds. Rhoades said he’s been extremely impressed with the progression Santos-Silva has made over the course of the offseason. The Taunton, Massachusetts product has lost over 30 pounds since arriving on VCU campus this summer. “He bought into his body and

ILLUSTRATION BY ALLISON VERJINSKI

PHOTO BY ELIZABETH HUMPHRIES

The notorious “Sign Guy” wants to provoke you. Don’t buy in.

VCU Volleyball’s winning streak is now the longest active streak in the country at 18 in a row.

Volleyball continues to boast the nation’s longest active win streak, as they extended it to 18 straight matches over the week-

end. The Rams haven’t lost a match since Sept. 1, and they are 27-1 in their last 28 sets.

George Mason The Rams cruised to an 18th

straight victory against George Mason University on Saturday. The Rams’ offense stood up against the Patriots, as they only trailed once in the entire match. After winning the first set 25-13, the Rams never looked

continued on page 5

OPINIONS

Volleyball wins keep coming

RODNEY ROBINSON Contributing Writer

work ethic,” Rhoades said. “He’s going to be a big piece for us.” Several of Santos-Silva’s fellow freshman also had strong showings in their first taste of Siegel Center action.

back, winning in straight sets for the 7th time in conference play. The Rams hit .357 in the match, marking their second-best total on the season. continued on page 7

RACHEL TERRELL Contributing Writer The VCU compass is the campus hotspot for those who have a point to prove. From pastors, to Planned

Parenthood volunteers, to Black Lives Matter members — there always seems to be someone protesting against or advocating for something. continued on page 11

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The Commonwealth Times

CRIME LOG Monday, October 9 Simple Assault B500 W. Broad St Closed Hit and Run B900 W. Main St. Pending

Obama, Trump and Pence throw hats in heated Governor’s race

Shoplifting ABC Store 1217 W. Broad St. Pending Larceny B1300 W. Broad St. Outside Agency Shoplifting Dollar Tree 1510 W. Broad St. Outside Agency Motor Vehicle Theft B700 Kinney St. Outside Agency Shoplifting 7-Eleven 937 W. Broad St. Closed

Tuesday, October 10 Shoplifting 7- Eleven 221 W. Main St. Outside Agency Shoplifting 7-Eleven 221 W. Main St. Outside Agency

ILLUSTRATION BY IAIN DUFFUS

Drunkenness B500 W. Franklin St. Outside Agency Hit and Run B300 W. Main St. Outside Agency Shoplifting ABC Store 1217 W. Broad St. Closed Destruction of Property 200 W. Cary St. Pending Shoplifting ABC Store 1217 W. Broad St. Closed

Wednesday, October 11 Theft MCALC 1000 Floyd Ave Pending Trespassing 805 W. Grace St. Closed Drug Violation 1200 W. Marshall St. Closed Drug Violation/Drunkenness 920 W. Franklin St. Closed Drug/Alcohol Violation 201 N. Henry St. Closed Embezzlement 7-Eleven 122 S. Belvidere St. Outside Agency Drunkenness B1300 W. Broad St. Outside Agency

Thursday, October 12 Trespassing 7-Eleven 1003 W. Grace St. Closed

SARAROSE MARTIN Staff Writer ZOBIA NAYYAR Contributing Writer National political figures are chiming in on Virginia’s governor race as a Christopher Newport University poll indicates a 7 percent lead for Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam, the Democratic candidate, over former Republican National Committee chair Ed Gillespie. Vice President Mike Pence joined Gillespie, the Republican nominee, on the campaign trail Saturday in Abdington. His predecessor, Joe Biden, campaigned with Northam at a roundtable discussion the same day. Former President Barack Obama will join Northam on the trail Thursday in Richmond. “The only hope for leadership we have is at the state level,” Biden said Saturday. “You have to win to ... give people hope we are not falling into this know-nothing pit.” The Wason Center at CNU polled 928 registered voters Oct. 2-6 and found all three Democratic candidates take the lead for the upcoming election, which includes the race for governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general. However, 6 percent of likely voters remain undecided. “Typically what happens is that Republican voters, I call them shy

Republicans, won’t tell you what they’re going to do on election day and then they go vote for the Republican candidate,” said Quentin Kidd, Wason Center for Public Policy director. “So I expect the race to be closer, you know, it’s not going to be a 7 point win on Northam’s part.” Of the 616 likely voters that were polled, 49 percent were supporters of Northam and 42 percent were supporters of Gillespie. For lieutenant governor race, Democrat Justin Fairfax leads with 48 percent of the support over Republican Jill Vogel’s 40 percent. Attorney general Democratic candidate Mark Herring leads with 51 percent of the support compared to 40 percent for Republican John Adams. Virginia’s Attorney general Mark Herring joined The Young Democrats at VCU during a phone bank at VCU to campaign for Northam and encourage students to vote on Election Day. “Our youth are our future,” Herring said. “It’s really important for them to make sure that their voices are heard and your vote is your voice.” Despite attack ads by Gillespie on the issue of crime and gangs, the poll found neither Gillespie supporters nor Northam supporters find crime or gang activity to be an issue in their communities.

However, the candidates and their supporters differ strongly on the issue of illegal immigration. Thirty-three percent of Gillespie’s voters think illegal immigration is a problem in contrast to to the 6 percent of Northam supporters who feel the same way. “We asked those questions in part because the Gillespie campaign has made all of that an issue in this campaign, so we wanted to understand who those issues were important to,” Kidd said. “What it makes me think is the whole push on this sanctuary cities, illegal immigration and gang stuff that Gillespie is pushing is really fundamentally about stimulating his base - making his base excited about him.” Getting Republicans out to the voting polls may be important to Gillespie because of an expected low voter turnout. According to the Virginia Department of Elections, in 2015 only 29 percent of Virginians voted in the November gubernatorial election. According to Kidd, they’re estimating a turnout of about 40 percent this year. Robyn McDougle, the faculty director for the Wilder School’s Office of Public Outreach, said that Virginia’s voter turnout for the gubernatorial election is notoriously low because it is off cycle with the presidential election.

“We are one of two states in the country who have an election this year for their governor,” McDougle said. “So that’s why you hear people talk about all the time voter turnout. It’s so important because we know in general it’s low. Low voter turnout means fewer people out there, bigger impact on the vote casting.” Elias Hakin, historian of The Young Democrats at VCU, plans to vote Nov. 7, but also encourages fellow students to get out and vote. “The change that we’ve always wanted to see, we start making happen now, and I think because of that, we all need to be civically engaged, not just voting, but going out and making phone calls, talking to your friends, being educated and aware of all the issues that affect not just yourself but your fellow Virginians and fellow Americans,” Hakin said. In contrast, Links Edwards, a VCU freshman, is among the population of Virginians who will not be at the polls on Nov. 7. He feels neither of the candidates support issues of importance to young people, such as the environment. “All the candidates are terrible honestly, they’re all supporting you know, pipelines and this nasty stuff. It’s a losing vote no matter who you choose really,” Edwards said. “I don’t think anyone is really enthusiastic about Northam. I think peo-

ple only think Gillespie is a piece of shit, which he is.” The Wason Center’s survey also included a test ballot for the House of Delegates and found Democratic candidates lead Republican candidates 49 percent to 38 percent. Virginia’s elections are of interest to both parties nationally, as the results may give insight to next year’s midterm elections. About 120 CNU students helped conduct the Wason Center poll, calling landlines and cell phones across the state with a margin of error of plus or minus 4.3 percentage points. The survey is the first of four weekly polls the Wason Center will release up until election day on Nov. 7. “Ralph Northam and the Democrats have a slight advantage but it isn’t overwhelming and that’s really what the race is all about,” Kidd said. “Can Northam and the Democrats hold on to their small advantage going forward or are Gillespie and the Republicans going to be able to overcome that advantage? So the next 27 days will be really critical in terms of answering that question.”

Larceny 1416 W. Marshall St. Outside Agency Theft 1200 W. Marshall St. Outside Agency Simple Assault 810 W. Grace St. Outside Agency Theft 1418 W. Marshall St. Outside Agency Trespassing 614 N. Lombary St. Closed Drug Violation 905 W. Grace St. Closed

Friday, October 13 Simple Assault 203 N. Lombardy St. Outside Agency

Download the VCU LiveSafe mobile phone app to report crimes anonymously.

For an on-campus emergency: (804) 828-1234. For an off-campus emergency: 911.

INFOGRAPHIC BY KIM PETERS

To contact the VCU PD: (804) 828-1196.

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Monday, October 16, 2017

New high-speed rail to ease burden on commuters from Richmond to D.C. A public hearing was held at the Main Street Station concerning the Washington, D.C. to Richmond Southeast High Speed Rail (DC2RVA) project. The Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT) and the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) are spearheading the DC22RVA project. The high speed rail project seeks to make improvements and increase capacity of the existing railway system. DC2RVA aims to compete with air and auto travel between the two cities, primarily focusing on commuters. The hearing was lead by Emily Stock, manager of rail planning at DRPT. Among those who attended were Councilwoman Kim Gray of Richmond City and Eugene Trani, the former VCU President. While everyone at the hearing agreed to expanding public transit, there was a dispute whether the project should be a single station rail versus DC2RVA’s proposed two station rail at the Boulevard site. “I represent the second district in the city of Richmond and I support the single station rail stop at the Boulevard site,” Gray said. “The two station site is costly and does not shave off enough time.” The entire project is expected to cost over $55 million with the majority of the funding to directly from the FRA. In addition to the high cost of the two station rail, it also inter-

feres with the Sacred Ground Historical Reclamation Project. Ana Edwards, representative of the Sacred Ground Historical Reclamation Project, attended the hearing and expressed their concern with the interference of the plan for a Memorial Ground Park — a nine-acre park remembering the slave trade in Shockoe Bottom. However, the two station rail

We want to make it clear that we’re going to be vigilant to make sure these sites are protected. Ana Edwards, representative of the Sacred Ground Historical Reclamation Project involves a three story parking garage that is set to be built on top of the proposed location of Memorial Ground Park. Edward is also concerned about the welfare of Richmond’s African Burial Ground. “We want to make it clear that we’re going to be vigilant to make sure these sites are protected,” Edwards said.

PHOTO BY CASEY COLE

EMMA GAUTHIER Contributing Writer

The Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation and the Federal Railroad Administration are spearheading the project.

Joseph Rogers, a Richmond resident, also voiced his concern about the DC2RVA project interfering with a historical site. “No matter what it would cost you, if it is impossible to develop this station without stopping Memorial Ground Park, then it’s a no

go,” Rogers said. This project is one section of a much larger project called the Southeast High Speed Rail Corridor. Tier II is the rail system stretching from D.C. to Richmond; however, the entire rail system stretches from Boston to Miami.

The DC2RVA project planning began in 2014. The project is currently in the preliminary engineering phase, which is anticipated to be completed this year. Passenger service is estimated to begin in 2025, depending on funding availability.

Currently, there are only two round-trip trains between D.C. and Richmond — DC2RVA wants to add a third round-trip. The hearing has a 60-day formal comment period through Nov. 7.

CoStar gifts VCU with $25 million, CEO says Richmond can win Amazon FADEL ALLASSAN Contributing Writer About a year on from moving its research and operations headquarters to Richmond, one of the fastest growing companies in the country is extending its philanthropic arm to VCU. CoStar Group, a research and analytic company for commercial real estate, will gift the VCU School of Business with $2.5 million to start a professorship, the university announced Thursday. “In establishing the CoStar Group Endowed Chair in Real Estate Analytics, we aim to bring the intersection of big data and real estate together to bring more transparency, velocity and efficiency to the global commercial real estate

market,” said Andrew Florance, founder and CEO of CoStar. “Dr. David Downs, Alfred L. Blake Endowed Chair of Real Estate and director of the Kornblau Institute, and his team have done a tremendous job in taking a leadership role in developing the next generation of real estate professionals, and we want to provide VCU with the resources necessary to support and grow that effort.” Florance founded CoStar in 1987 and the company was listed in Forbes magazine’s 2017 list of 100 most innovative growth companies in the world, it was among the top10 in the software and services category. In 2016, CoStar chose Richmond as the location for its new headquarters after an extensive

national search, adding more than 700 jobs to the Richmond-Metro area — the bulk of which pay in the range of $60,000 annually. “Just less than one year ago, CoStar committed to a future in Richmond with the announcement of our global research headquarters downtown,” Florance said. “The state and city made it possible to come to Richmond, and Virginia Commonwealth University is a key component of our incredible success here over the past year.” Florance met VCU Business Dean Ed Grier at the 2016 VCU Real Estate Trends Conference, that’s when a strong relationship between the company and school began, according to a news release from VCU. Students have had an impact on the company. Of all

CoStar’s employees, 165 are VCU graduates, comprising a third of those employed Richmond headquarters. “We are thrilled and excited to receive such a generous gift from CoStar,” said Ed Grier, dean of the School of Business. “The VCU School of Business and CoStar are natural partners with our common focus on creativity, analytics and innovation. We couldn’t have a better partner for our university and community.” Organizations and individuals fund endowed chairs to build partnerships with a university and its students — who represent the future workforce, Grier said. Increasing the number of endowed positions, and faculty support in general, is one of the pillars of the

Make It Real Campaign for VCU, the largest fundraising campaign in the university’s history with a $750 million goal. VCU Pres. Michael Rao said the company has become a “wonderful partner” to the university in its year in the River City. “We are grateful they chose to locate in Richmond and work so closely with VCU — a city and university rapidly becoming known for being forward-thinking and innovative,” Rao said. “I look forward to the many opportunities our students will have as a result of the CoStar Endowed Chair in Real Estate Analytics.” Florance gave the City of Richmond a nod and wink as well when he said it has a shot at landing a deal with Amazon for its new

headquarters. The commerce and cloud computing giant is searching for a second home base. Florance, who was lab partners with Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos in Princeton, said like himself, Bezos could find Richmond an ideal destination. “The whole educational system [in Virginia] led us to feel confident to make the call to come here,” said Florance. “We couldn’t be happier. There’s something in the water at VCU that produces fantastic people for commercial real estate.” The Richmond-area is reportedly one of three locations in Virginia Amazon is considering, along with Virginia Beach and Northern Virginia.

DHS introduces new measures to monitor social media of immigrant communities HIBA AHMAD News Editor The Department of Homeland Security will collect information from social media accounts of naturalized and permanent residents starting Oct. 18. The move has raised red flags for privacy and immigrant rights groups around the country because the agency has not said how the information will be used. This change in policy comes as a way for the DHS to streamline their databases on new arrivals and persons living in the United States, legally or illegally. This change follows steps taken by the Trump Administration to implement ‘extreme vetting’ systems for new arrivals. In May, a new questionnaire was released for visa applicants that required all social media handles from the previous five years and biographical data including home addresses, travel and more from the past 15 years. Tracking of social media and general online activity is not an unfamiliar practice. The Central Intelligence Agency and the National Security Agency are notorious for their surveillance of immigrants and communities of color following the 9/11 attacks. According to the Federal Register, the amendment to the agency’s policy plans to, “...expand the categories of records to include the following: country of nationality; country of residence; the USCIS Online Account Number; social media handles, aliases, associated identifiable information, and search results.” Chris Whyte, an assistant professor in the L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs, specializes in cyber conflict and security. He said the point of

interest is why the DHS is looking into permanent and naturalized citizens and what exactly the agency plans to do with the information. “The part about permanent and naturalized citizens is extremely vague,” Whyte said. “We don’t know to what extent the government is going to monitor and collect data on individuals like myself who is a permanent resident, or my sister who is a naturalized citizen. The question is: when does the collection stop once a person has become a fully integrated citizen?” According to the Federal Register, the DHS mentions tracking social media accounts isn’t necessarily a new policy, but under the Privacy Act, they wanted to be transparent about their methods of collection. Whyte suggested that legal challenges to the agency’s data collection may arise on two fronts: if the DHS turns to internet service providers for user information or if they continue monitoring people who are completely out of the immigration process. Internet service providers like Verizon and Comcast have records of all online activity of their users. As of now, there are no regulations on what user information ISPs can release to those who come asking for it. “If it comes out that they are collecting data on people who are fully out of the immigration process and are naturalized citizens then those people have the standing to bring a constitutional challenge to this kind of policy,” Whyte said. Cyber security experts speculated these policy changes arose from the San Bernardino shooting in California where two terrorists lead an attack on an office party in 2015. One of the shooters, Tashfeen Malik, had private messages on her social media accounts from

Islamic State recruiters who encouraged her to organize an attack. However, Whyte said there is awareness that the metrics used by DHS to gage immigration status and the likelihood of terrorism are systematically inefficient. “They are good at catching sham marriages on Facebook, but not necessarily terrorists who are recruiting through these platforms,” Whyte said. “I think the DHS has to be more forthcoming about how they plan to use this collected data.” The DHS hopes by taking these new measures, they will be able to create an efficient database and develop a guideline to flag any information online that could lead to recruitment, radicalization or an attack. Charlie Schmidt of the American Civil Liberties Union in Virginia said these new policies, though concerning, will be difficult to take to court. “It’s another way to keep track of people we always keep track of, but the problem is we don’t know what they’re going to use it for,” Schmidt said. He argued the CIA and NSA often collect this data and keep it on a shelf until it’s needed for national security purposes. However, the DHS doesn’t function like the other organizations, therefore there’s no clear purpose of the data collection. In terms of mass surveillance, Schmidt said it deviates from the country’s democratic values to scrutinize its population when the chances of catching a terrorist are so low. “Its crazy to think that an immigrant is going to fill out that form correctly with all of their social media handles and then catch them in the act,” Schmidt said. Five percent of VCU’s population consists of international stu-

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dents. Students come from roughly 102 countries from all around the world including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and China. Technically, under the department’s new policy, these students will all be subjected to having their social media accounts monitored. Both Schmidt and Whyte agree students shouldn’t worry about

what they are posting online more so than they did before these policies were changed, but are happy that there is conversation circulating around the topic. “It’s one of those things that’s going to take people talking about it and to stand up against these policies of mass surveillance and distrust of communities who are

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leaders within the greater American society,” Schmidt said. “In particular for students – especially students with citizenship, they have the responsibility to keep pushing the conversation and to keep advocating.”

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Author donates more than $1 million to Wilder School NIA TARIQ Contributing Writer Bestselling author and VCU graduate David Baldacci and his wife, Michelle, will give $1.1 million to the College of Humanities and Sciences. The gift, announced on Oct. 6, comes in two parts: an endowed experiential learning fund and an endowed scholarship of $100,000. The Baldacci Student Experiential Learning Endowed Fund will create monetary opportunities for students in the college to pursue supplementary learning opportunities during their time at VCU. The money will be student-oriented and support endeavors like internships, study abroad programs, entrepreneurship opportunities, professional conferences and research grants.

Montse Fuentes, Dean, College of Humanities and Sciences Much of the inspiration behind this donation came from a program that sent VCU political science students to New Hampshire in 2016. The college sought donors for the trip and Baldacci contributed. Alexandra Reckendorf, associate chair of the Department of Political Science, and several students met presidential candidates, volunteered and gained hands on experi-

PHOTO BY MICHAEL MAULDING

This gift will provide invaluable means to enhance the success of our students. The Baldacci Student Experiential Learning Fund will create new learning opportunities for students in the College of Humanities and Sciences. ence of how campaigns run while in New Hampshire. “Mr. Baldacci is very interested in increasing civic engagement,” Reckendorf said. “He was excited to learn that many students who had never volunteered on campaigns in the past continued to do so once they returned to Richmond.” Baldacci, upon learning about how confidence-boosting the experience was for those students, began to think about a more lasting contribution for others to be able to

share the same opportunities. Deirdre Condit, associate dean for Faculty Affairs for the college, said she could see the clear impact on the students who went to New Hampshire. “[The fund] will transform the lives of student in the College of Humanities and Sciences in perpetuity,” Condit said. “Some will be individual, group or class advantages.” Bethanie Constant is the senior director of development for the

College of Humanities and Sciences at VCU. She believes the Baldacci family has made a longterm investment because they really believe in VCU students. The Baldacci Political Science Endowed Scholarship is for students who Baldacci sees himself in, said Constant. He put himself through college and now wants to give back to similar students. “I was a first-generation college student who had to work through school,” she said. “I was able to get

internships because of donors like the Baldaccis.” Montse Fuentes, dean of the college, said the donation will bring unique opportunities through realworld learning. “Experiential learning is at the core of the liberal arts training we offer in the College of Humanities and Sciences,” Fuentes said. “This gift will provide invaluable means to enhance the success of our students.” More information about the fund will be available in January in-

cluding an application for students. The scholarship will be awarded to the first recipients in fall 2018. Rising juniors and seniors who major in political science, have a 3.0 GPA or higher, work full or part-time and are actively involved in their community are qualified to apply.

an equal opportunity/affirmative action university 003705-02

“ The thousands I’ll save from graduating in 4 years will kickstart my small business and my career.” – Brian O’Loughlin

SAVE UP TO $50,000.* dothemath.vcu.edu

H T A M E H T DO SA V

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* Estimated savings based on a 120-credit-hour program with standard tuition and fees, books/supplies, room, board, miscellaneous and transportation expenses and graduating in four years instead of six

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Monday, October 16, 2017

Stat of the Week

Men’s basketball kicks of its 2017 regular season campaign in just 25 days — the Rams host Grambling State University on Nov. 10.

PHOTO BY ERIN EDGERTON

New Rams impress in Black and Gold game

Point guard Jonathan Williams recorded seven points and five assists in Saturday’s scrimmage. Williams will look to fill the leadership void left by 2017 graduate JeQuan Lewis. —continued from page 1 Gold teammate Tyler Maye tallied 11 points, 4 assists and 2 rebounds, with a block and steal each. The next in a long line of fan-favorite point guards, Maye made a quick impression on VCU’s new head man, who looks forward to his progression as a floor general. “He’s getting more comfortable out there,” Rhoades said. “The next step for him is to command this team as a point guard.” Fellow freshmen Sean Mobley and Lewis Djonkam each added eight points and five rebounds in their Black Team’s losing effort. Of the Black and Gold’s five re-

turning players, perhaps the most impressive performance came from the one who didn’t log a single minute last season — sophomore transfer wing Issac Vann. The Bridgeport, Connecticut product scored 12 points during his mother’s first trip to the Stu to see her son play for the Black and Gold. Throughout the contest, Vann operated as sort-of point-forward for the Gold squad, carrying the ball up the floor on several occasions. Rhoades said this is something fans will see a lot more of during the upcoming campaign and beyond. “[Vann] has a great feel for the

game,” he said. “He’ll handle the ball a lot for us this year.” The Rams’ other returning ball-handler, senior point guard Jonathan Williams, had perhaps a quieter-than-normal afternoon at the Stu, posing a seven-point, fiveassist stat line. Rhoades said Saturday was more of a feeling-out period for the fan-favorite Williams, as the speedy point guard adjusts to his role as the team’s de-facto leader following the graduation of longtime floor-general JeQuan Lewis. “My biggest demand on Johnny is to be a great teammate, but also be a great leader,” Rhoades said. “He’s

going to have a phenomenal year.” With senior forward Justin Tillman taking a precautionary seat due to a sprained foot, the final two returning Rams — rising sophomore guards De’Riante Jenkins and Malik Crowfield -- stepped up on both ends of the floor. Jenkins put up 12 points on 5-13 shooting and Crowfield chipped in with a well-rounded 5-point, 4-rebound, 2-assist and 3-steal outing. Overall, it was a strong debut for Rhoades’ new-look Rams. The scrimmage featured a quicker pace and more full-court defense than what fans had experienced under former coach Will Wade,

perhaps suggesting the full-blown return of Shaka Smart’s famous “Havoc” playstyle. “I loved our energy and how our guys shared the ball and went after the ball,” Rhoades said following the scrimmage. “We’ve gotten better at doing what we want to do on both ends of the court; this style of play is hard.” The new head man added he was thrilled to be back in front of the home crowd at the Stu after spending three seasons in charge at Rice University. “I couldn’t sleep last night,” he said. “I came in this morning just thinking, ‘This is great.’ It’s a

great privilege.” Following the Black and Gold Game was a 10-minute womens’ inter-squad scrimmage and the annual Black and Gold Alumni Game. This year’s contest featured several Rams greats, such as Larry Sanders, Eric Maynor, Joey Rodriguez and Calvin Duncan. The Black and Gold finish off their preseason preparation with an exhibition against nearby Virginia Union University on Nov. 3.

Press Box

The Broad Street Bullies are back ZACH JOACHIM Sports Editor

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After HAVOC took a figurative hiatus during Will Wade’s tenure on Broad Street, the uptempo, hectic, fullcourt style of play long associated with VCU basketball will once again be synonymous with the Broad Street Bullies. Zach Joachim Sports Editor

Last spring, Final Four assistant coach Mike Rhoades returned to Richmond with a manifesto in tow. “We’re gonna play fast, we’re gonna play exciting, we’re gonna get after people,” Rhoades said at his introductory press conference. “And we’re gonna win.” This sentiment was music to the ears of RamNation. VCU led the country in steals and turnover margin in 2012 and has failed to repeat this impressive feat since. Most of us, myself included, thought HAVOC walked out the door to the University of Texas at Austin with Shaka Smart in 2014. We were wrong. The truth is it was, in fact, hiding in the lone star state, just not in Austin with Smart and the Longhorns. After HAVOC took a figurative hiatus during Will Wade’s tenure on Broad Street, the up-tempo, hectic, full-court style of play long associated with VCU basketball will once again be synonymous with the Broad Street Bullies under Rhoades, the former head coach at Rice University in Houston. While Wade preferred to run a slower, controlled style of offense and pick up opponents defensively at half court, Rhoades’ 2016-17 Rice team ranked 18th nationally in tempo and 21st in scoring offense at 81.5 points per game. Junior point guard Marcus Evans — who accompanied Rhoades from Houston to Richmond — scored 1,350 points on 938 field goal attempts over two seasons in the lone star state. Evans led Conference USA in scoring last year. In comparison, former VCU

point guard JeQuan Lewis scored 939 points on 678 attempts over the same two-year span. Granted, Evans and Lewis are unique floor generals who excel in different facets of the game, but both were the undisputed engines of their respective scoring machines. Their numbers are indicative of the stylistic contrast between their coaches. Coaching aside, Wade and Rhoades’ personalities further embody the differences between their regimes. Wade emitted an admittedly energetic yet contradictorily buttoned-up persona congruent with his Tennessee roots that always felt removed from the VCU community. Meanwhile, Rhoades is all Richmond. Seriously, search his name on Google Images — the first thing that comes up is a grinning Rhoades with a bloody mouth and missing tooth next to a VCU Final Four banner hanging in Franklin Street Gym. It’s freaking perfect people. This attitude could, and should, return VCU to the ‘glory days.’ In January 2013, the Black and Gold sat at 16-3, owners of the nation’s second longest active win streak at 13 games and ranked 19th in the country, the first time since 1985 VCU had cracked the AP top 25. “Our plan is, over the course of a 40-minute game, to wear the other team down,” Smart said in a Tuesday afternoon press conference that January, with his team on the brink of becoming the most successful regular-season team VCU has ever touted. “Depth is extremely critical. We love to play 10, 11 guys and some teams play only six or seven. Again, over the course of a 40-minute game, that’s got to work to your advantage, if you get the game going fast.”

Then, our world came crashing down around us. A heartbreaking tournament loss to Ohio State followed by Smart’s shocking announcement that he would be departing for Texas left RamNation numb. VCU may have trademarked the word HAVOC, but at the time, what felt like rock bottom had many wondering if we had seen the last of the infamous chaotic style that had propelled us to heights never before imagined in the River City. Yet, it is 2017, and the ship remains afloat. For all the criticism he has received since leaving, Will Wade worked wonders in extending VCU’s streak of tournament appearances and 24-win-seasons while at the helm on Broad Street. He may not have played or carried himself exactly how RamNation wanted him to, but Wade did his part to bridge the gap. The Broad Street magic that made national headlines in 2011 felt dormant, but not lost, under the Will Wade regime. Now Rhoades returns to release HAVOC and awaken the Broad Street Bullies. Turns out, they were hiding in Franklin Street Gym the whole time. We just didn’t notice because we were spending too much time in the shiny new development facility. “Chance favors the aggressor,” reads the wall of said facility. Too long have we lost sight of that powerful mantra. No more. Mike Rhoades is back in town RamNation — and he brought HAVOC with him.

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RAM IN ACTION

Olivia McGrath

work with professors to make up benefit, and self achievement. work assignments, and any important notes I missed from lectures.

NILE MCNAIR Contributing Writer In her time at Fairfax High School, lacrosse junior midfielder Olivia McGrath earned three time Fairfax MVP honors and was a four time letterwinner. Not only is she a highly talented Division I athlete, she is also a highly acclaimed student. McGrath forced 13 turnovers last spring in 12 games started. Off the field, she is a business major and two-time U.S lacrosse Academic All-American. This spring, McGrath will look to lead the Black and Gold to their first winning season.

How do you find time to be a top tier student and a full time Division I athlete? Time management is something I’ve worked on a lot. The biggest thing is keeping track of my priorities. There is a downside which is I might have to lose out on social events but I do make sure to keep a routine everyday of going to practice and right after going to class. Our schedule is set for us since I’m an athlete so it makes it a lot easier. I make sure to be organized and on top of all my things. PHOTO BY ERIC MARQUEZ

Which is more stressful — student or athlete? Depends on time, what classes and my interest in class. During the season traveling makes it hard to keep up in my classes. You must

McGrath has scooped up 30 ground balls and won 43 draw controls in her VCU career.

Does that stress ever effect you play? Sometimes at practice, major assignments can be a distraction, but coach keeps us in the moment and focused on the task at hand. That same distraction doesn’t happen during the games, only thing on my mind during games is winning.

What career do you want to pursue after graduating?

Do you consider yourself a leader on this team?

My freshman year was the first year VCU had D-1 lacrosse. Being this is only the third year of the program, this was the first year where the younger players look up to older players, asking for simple things like best food places for off the field. As well asking for the some tips and tricks that will work on the field.

What is the benefit of fall ball?

Working in sports marketing, staying involved in sports — I actually started an internship here at VCU in sports marketing department to see what the business is like and if I really want a career in that field.

Bringing in new rules, getting time to adjust to those new rules, asking refs about the rules is a huge benefit because it helps get the nerves out and help bring in new players so they can adjust to the team’s style of play.

Is there anything that overlaps between academics and lacrosse?

Why did you chose to play for VCU?

Time management is essential in both. Work ethic is one of our team’s values. Not every drill in practice or assignment in class will be your favorite. But I know all my hard work is for a greater purpose.

Which do you get more out of, academics or lacrosse? I get different things out of each one. Lacrosse is more the work of multiple players and a staff group coming together to succeed. Academics is more of a personal

My first visit was in my junior year of high school, I didn’t want to play in Virginia but VCU did recruit another teammate I had in high school so I decided to visit. Once I did I fell in love with city, coach and opportunity to start program which is very unique. Also, I got to pursue the major I wanted because coach liked that I was in the honors college. Just felt meant to be.

FADEL ALLASSAN Contributing Writer Men’s soccer’s five-game winstreak, which lasted almost a month, ended Saturday night in an upset. The No. 18 ranked Rams outshot their opponents George Washington University 26-5 and dominated possession at home, but in the end were reminded soccer can be a cruel sport as they conceded two goals to the visitors before grabbing one back in the end. Redshirt-senior midfielder Francesco Amorosino, redshirt-junior midfielder Peter Pearson and senior midfielder Rafael Andrade Santos would’ve been disappointed not to hit the back of the net early on. Each had attempts on goal in the game’s opening 10 minutes. Against the run of play, GW put a dagger in the Rams’ hearts in the 22nd minute. The Colonials’ senior

midfielder Oliver Curry scored off a free kick from 35 yards out — the ball took a bounce before it snuck into the far post past VCU’s freshman goalkeeper Mario Sequeira. After the Colonials maintained the one-goal advantage through halftime, VCU brought the same beast, but a different animal to the second half — bombarding the GW goal with 17 shots, ensuring the Colonials’ goalkeeper, junior Thor Arne HÖfs, was kept busy for 45 minutes. However, George Washington again scored against the run of play in the 79th minute when junior forward Dylan Lightbourne put the ball in the back of the net, making it 2-0. VCU finally got on the scoresheet in the 83rd minute when junior midfielder Lyndsey Moreland found Amorosino from a long way out. The D.C.native made no mistake in front of goal, finishing the shot past HÖfs and maybe, the

team hoped, catalyzing a comeback for the Rams. The Rams certainly fought for that outcome, managing to register four shots in the game’s last eight minutes. The Colonials were no pushovers, however, and managed to get their own opportunities on goal. But a comeback wasn’t on the books — at least not on this starry night in Richmond. VCU’s impressive run of wins — spanning five games in 26 days — is over. The team’s loss was also its first in the Atlantic 10 Conference this season. In addition, the team’s run in the NCAA Top-25 rankings could be over. If that’s the case, the Rams will have a chance to fight to be considered in next week’s rankings when they face George Mason University in Fairfax Wednesday a—nd Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia Saturday.

PHOTO BY JACOB MEDLEY

Nationally ranked men’s soccer sees win-streak end in crushing loss

Sophmore forward Siad Haji has recorded three assists and six shots this season.

Scoreboard

Men’s soccer

VCU

Women’s soccer VCU 4

Bonnies 0

VCU

U of R

Volleyball

VCU

GMU

Field hockey VCU 4

Davidson 2

VCU

UNC

STAT OF THE WEEK

2 Field hockey’s Emily McNamara scored twice against Davidson, giving her sole possession of second place on VCU’s all-time scoring list.

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Monday, October 16, 2017

Field hockey upends Wildcats, falls to Tar Heels ADAM CHEEK Contributing Writer

PHOTO BY ALEXANDRA JONES

Field hockey ended their two-game week at the .500 mark, as the team upended the Davidson College Wildcats by a score of 4-2, but fell to the No. 5 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Tar Heels 4-1. The Rams now sit at 10-5 on the season. Junior forward Emily McNamara was the standout player for the Black and Gold over the course of the two games, scoring two goals, while senior midfielder Spencer Tossone added a goal and an assist.

UNC

Sophmore forward Niki Malancone redshirted last season due to injury.

Women’s soccer sinks Spiders, Bonnies

Davidson

Davidson split their goals over the two halves of the game and struggled to get past Kownurko the entire match. Kownurko faced six shots total, turning away four of those. Emily McNamara scored two goals over the course of the game — moving into sole possession of second place on the Rams’ all-time scoring list — and had a gamehigh six shots, including four on goal. Junior midfielder Jessica Mays notched the first goal of her career, while freshman midfielder Maite Sturm also added a score to bring the VCU total to four goals. McNamara’s first goal came off a penalty corner, with assists coming from Tossone and senior defenseman Natalie Bohmke. VCU never relinquished their 3-1 halftime lead.

The Black and Gold took care of business against the Davidson The Black and Gold will next host Wildcats Friday afternoon, win- the St. Francis University Red Flash ning 4-2 and tallying their 10th on Friday, Oct. 20, with the opening win of the season. faceoff tabbed for 3 p.m.

good fight with four shots on goal to VCU’s six. Redshirt junior keeper and Tennessee native Audrey Sanderson made VCU proud with her fifth shutout on the season, saving all four shots on goal from the Spiders. The four saves by Sanderson put her past the 50 mark on the season. With the first half came a strong attack from the Rams. The Black and Gold outshot the Spiders 5-1 before knocking in their first goal on the sixth shot. Junior forward Julia Suarez played the ball to freshman midfielder Kimberly Ito, who slammed it into the lower left corner. This was Ito’s second goal of the season and Suarez’s third assist, tying her with redshirt sophomore Amanda Tredway for the most points on the season at nine. VCU hosts Rhode Island University (3-12, 0-1) on Thursday, Oct. 19 at Sports Backer’s Stadium before heading to conference-leading La Salle University (13-3-1, 8-0) on Sunday, Oct. 22 for the Rams’ final regular season game.

PHOTO BY JACOB MEDLEY

first half with a total of 12 shots, but were not able to sink any. VCU’s high paced offense did not let the Bonnies get close enough to get a shot off in the first half. Women’s soccer (8-4-3, 4-2-2) After the first 45, St. Bonavencompleted a perfect week with a pair ture started giving the Rams a of conference victories. The Rams little challenge — the Bonnies headed to face cross-town rival the started the second half with a shot University of Richmond (2-11-1, 2-4-1) sent wide and another at the 59’ on Thursday, Oct. 12 and hosted Saint that redshirt junior keeper Audrey Bonaventure University (1-13-3, 1-5-2) Sanderson had to step in for. on Sunday, Oct. 15. Samantha Jerabek, freshman midfielder from Chesterfield, got St. Bonaventure her first goal of the season in the 60th minute from 30 yards out into The Rams fought hard to beat the upper right corner. out the St. Bonaventure Bonnies VCU got its fourth goal when with 20 shots in a full 90 minutes, junior midfielder Maddi Santo winning 4-1. played the ball low behind the VCU started quickly with a Davidson back line, passing it to goal by senior defender Megan junior forward Julia Suarez for her Dell in the first two minutes. Dell to finish it. Credit for the assist knocked it in off of a penalty kick goes to Santo and junior defender for her second goal of the season. Stephanie Stahl. The Rams did not give the Bonnies a second to breathe, scoring Richmond only 50 seconds later. Freshman midfielder Lyndsey Gutzmer fired The Rams traveled seven miles in her second shot of the season off over to the University of Richof an assist by Swedish senior de- mond on Tuesday where they beat fender Amanda Hallesjo. their rival and A-10 opponent, 1-0. The Rams kept pressing in the The Richmond Spiders put up a DANIEL PURYEAR Contributing Writer

The Rams fell in a 4-1 defeat at the hands of the UNC Tar Heels on Sunday, as the Black and Gold struggled to pin down the visitors and limit their offensive output. Tossone tallied VCU’s only goal on her only shot attempt. The other shot attempts came courtesy of

McNamara, who added three total shots and two on goal, as well as an assist on Tossone’s score. VCU compiled four shots, three of those on goal. The Black and Gold scored their lone goal against the Tar Heels in the second half, almost 54 minutes into the game. The Tar Heels’ four goals came from four different players, as senior goalkeeper Chessa Kownurko managed to record a .500 save percentage on the game, saving four of eight shots on goal. UNC outshot VCU 14-4, and tallied six penalty corners, as opposed to the Rams’ two. VCU’s five saves proved to outdo UNC’s two, and UNC concluded the game with 36 fouls, while the Black and Gold only committed 24.

Junior defender Hannah Fox attended Maury High School in Norfolk, Va, where she recieved all-Tidewater Team honors.

PHOTO BY ELIZABETH HUMPHREYS

Volleyball maintains nation’s longest streak

Middle blocker Jasmin Sneed (No. 2) has blocked 13 shots in 119 attempts this season. —continued from page 1

VCU was led defensively by junior middle blocker Tori Baldwin. Baldwin racked up six blocks on the day, while sophomore middle blocker Jasmin Sneed added two. Senior libero Rebekah Strange had another great game as she recorded 15 digs, shoring up the back line for VCU. Behind Strange, VCU had a slight advantage on the day in digs, 44-36.

ton University on Friday, Oct. 13. The Rams improved to 6-0 in A-10 play The Black and Gold were led offensively on Friday, sweeping all six conference opby senior and sophomore outside hitters ponents with their stout defense. Gina Tuzzolo and Alicia Kandler. Tuzzolo Their defense was the story again in led the attack with 12 kills, hitting .455 on this matchup, as George Washington hit the day. Kandler registered 11 kills and hit a paltry .107. The Rams out blocked the .333 from the field. The Rams hit better than Colonials, 12.5 to 5. Blocking was a major .300 for the 3rd time in conference play. contributor to forcing George Washington The Rams’ blocking carried over from to commit 26 hitting errors on the day, as George Washington their previous matchup against George they were never able to create much space Washington. VCU held the patriots to .105 in front of the net. hitting. The Rams had 10 blocks on deVCU rode their defense to a 17th The Rams played mistake free volleyfense, while the Patriots only recorded five. straight victory against George Washing- ball Friday, allowing them to stay ahead

— George Washington committed nine service errors, while the Rams only committed three. Strange made it tough for the Colonials to execute kills and aces, as she registered 17 digs. George Washington had nowhere to hit all night long, as four players recorded at least four blocks for the Rams. Junior outside hitter Julia Adler registered five blocks, while sophomore outside hitter Vicky Giommarini and Baldwin tallied four blocks apiece. VCU was anchored by Sneed once again, producing eight blocks for the Black and

Gold. The superior blocking for the Rams disrupted the offensive flow of the Colonials, forcing them to commit a slew of errors, a huge deciding factor in the match. The Rams were led on offense by Tuzzolo, who recorded nine kills, hitting .333 in the match. Giommarini added eight kills, while Strange served two aces. Volleyball looks to keep the good times rolling on the road against Fordham University on Friday, Oct. 20 at noon.

spectrum

Monday, October 16, 2017

The Commonwealth Times

On this day

Legendary Motown package tour started in Washington D.C. in 1962 and featured Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder and the Supremes.

Richmond Folk Festival lights up riverfront One of Virginia’s largest festivals, the Richmond Folk Festival, brought thousands to Brown’s Island last weekend for the 13th year. One of the vendors set up in the crafts marketplace is Martin “Rafiki” Owino of the online art and print shop, K’ Owino Batiks. In his first year at the Folk Festival, Owino sold his pieces of art called “batiks,” which are paintings on cotton fabric. He does this by layering wax and natural dyes on cotton fabric, a technique passed down from generation to generation. “Everything I make is one of a kind,” Owino said. “Nobody can find it anywhere.” Owino said his work depicts, and is inspired by, African life in Western Kenya where he’s from. Owino said his art is helping Americans learn about his culture through his work. “I want people to know that I live in a good community,” Ownio said. Owino was one of the several vendors depicting African culture. Among the items for sale were African inspired jewelry, traditional clothing and handmade leather bracelets. There were local vendors set up as well , including Studio Two Three. Jake Urbanski is one of the instructors and operations manager of the nonprofit community art studio. The booth had clothing, including T-shirts and bandanas, as well as decorations. “It’s social justice and Richmondcentric,” Urbanski said about the Tshirt designs. “So, it’s think global, listen local. We’re proud of our city, but we’re also trying to improve it as we know how.” The items for sale had social-justice oriented slogans like “Women’s

PHOTO BY SHAYLA BAILEY

EMILEY BAGALAWIS Contributing Writer

There were dozens of musical performances from a variety of genres during the three-day Richmond Folk Festival. rights are human rights” as well as Richmond-focused items which featured images of Virginia with a heart over Richmond. Studio Two Three uses a screenprinting technique for t-shirts, totes and wood signs. For bigger items such as tapestries they use a stream rolling technique. “They were all printmakers,” Urbanski said about Studio Two Three’s start. “They decided to pull their efforts and share all the

equipment they had and rented a studio. [Executive Director] Ashley Hawkins went to VCU for nonprofit management and turned what was this little co-op with four people into a non-profit studio for bigger outreach.” To keep the festival free, volunteers walk around with orange buckets asking for donations. Each year, about 1,300 people volunteer at the festival to help set up and take down the event, as well as sell

Making sexpectations great

“We enjoy the diversity of the acts,” Diggs-Brody said. “It always seems like there’s a presence from certain cultures that are always here. There’s always Latino, Native American, Central American, South American artists. There’s always an African or Caribbean influenced group. There’s lots of folksy, country, bluegrassy type music.”

“Professor Marston and the Wonder Women” is refreshingly conventional SAMUEL GOODRICH Staff Writer Before I see any movie, I try to not look at reviews. With the prevalence of Rotten Tomato scores and social media, this is nearly impossible. So when looking up what time to see “Professor Marsden and the Wonder Women,” I discovered the majority of critics are in love with this film. Seeing this praise did raise my expectations. As a junior at VCU, I had to read the book “The Secret History of Wonder Woman” by Jill Lepore, which details the story of the creator of the superhero. I was excited to see how this unconventional story of polygamy, BDSM and radical feminism would be translated to the screen. “Wonder Women” tells the mostly true story of Dr. William Marston, his wife Elizabeth and their mutual lover Olive Byrne. The three met while Byrne was a student of the Marstons, where they realized that Byrne loved both William and Elizabeth. From there they lived

an unconventional life, embracing sexual taboos and raising a family. Eventually, Marston created the Wonder Woman comic, using it as a way to support his lifestyle and promote his radical feminist ideas of domination and mutual submission. “Wonder Women” is a radical film in premise, aiming to not only tell the story of these eccentric and intelligent people, but to promote acceptance of their way of life. The Marstons and Byrne have a genuinely cute and desirable relationship, where there is mutual respect and love to go around. In order to get this across, director Angela Robinson decides to shoot this film in a traditional way. What I mean by this is that the cinematography, the music and even the way the story is told is similar to other feel-good, historical dramas. This artistic choice is at once the film’s greatest strength and weakness. By focusing on the actors, Robinson allows everyone to give fantastic performances. Rebecca Hall as Elizabeth Marston is the stand-out, as she is at once cynically open-minded, but also tragically aware of societal judgement. The bland style also works to normalize the outlandish subject matter. Scenes of t h r e e s ome s , e x per i ment-

ing with BDSM gear and emotional practices of domination and submission are presented in generic ways. The music is forgettable, the camerawork is static, occasionally showing off an impressive shot or performance. Because of this, I left the theater feeling underwhelmed. The film played out as I was afraid it would: overly dramatic and unsurprising. Yet, that’s also the brilliance of “Wonder Women.” It’s impressive that Robinson had the insight to direct this movie like every other drama. By normalizing the events of these people’s lives, she’s making a progressive statement — saying the exploration of domination and human desire is not something to shy away from. While I initially came to this review feeling negatively about the movie, I can’t deny how much I’ve thought about it. I think the fact that I had to even consider why I was underwhelmed, why I walked out confused despite the excellent aspects of this film, show how powerful “Wonder Women” is. The film aims to present this odd story in a way that accepts the events as normal and even desirable. Because of this, Robinson is ultimately successful. That also means I personally didn’t enjoy the film. Yet, I would still recommend this movie to most people and the more I think about it, the more I start to like and admire the icon simply known as “Wonder Women”.

STR AT I O N BY I A IN

ity versus “expectations,” said Fatima Smith, assistant director of The Well. Smith, Quarless and their colleagues redirected the discussion to tackle “sexpectation” issues and other questions which are not often asked, that have been recognized through their experiences with students in their professions. “It takes more than a position to have healthy sex,” Smith said. Be prepared with the proper tools like body consciousness through acts of masterbastion to develop a healthy pyschological sexual environment.” Quarless and Smith gave detailed explanations of the functions of reproductive organs and their varying functions. For example, the shape and direction of female’s sexual organs react dependending on their partner, the timing of the month, their state of mind, explained Quarless and Smith. They encouraged students to pay attention to body reactions to varying sexual positions and experiences. “Notice changes in breathing… [and] just because you do one sexual act with one person doesn’t mean you should [or have to] do it with [all your partners],” said Smith. The program with ended with a brief education condom game and condom distribution. They also encouraged students to reach out and share their experiences with their friends as they look forward to part three of the Great Sexpectaions series on Nov. 7 at 7 p.m.

always out of town. “It’s a Richmond event,” DiggsBrody said. “And it’s also folky which I think represents the city in a way. It vibes with I think what a lot of people feel the city gives to them.” Digg-Brody said compared to previous years, this years festival doesn’t have as many big name acts. However, she thinks that’s good because she gets to hear things that she’s never heard before.

IL L U DUF F US

person shared their list with the audience. Body part names ranged The VCU Wellness Center from the classic household and the Center for Cultural references to original expresExperiences and Prevention sions of teams’ creativity. The hosted part two of the Great employees for the CCEP and Sexpectations series in the The Well, facilitated this acUniversity Student Common tivity in order to break the Salon last Tuesday. barriers of sexual taboos that The event helped students deter students from particitake more of a healthy ap- pating in informative sexual proach to sex and minimize discussions, said Mona Quarthe focus on what they call less, senior prevention spethe tube sock mandingo porn cialist at the CCEP. “sexpectation” emphasized popular culture, according to its organizers. As the clock approached 4:30 p.m. and the Wellness Center employees and volunteers set up matching condom games, students filled the seats and waited for the fun. The icebreaker activ- Just because ity called “condom sense” involved listing the steps to take you do one when initiating sexual rela- sexual act with tions in chronological order. The steps started from describ- one person ing how to establish consent, which organizers said can be doesn’t mean revoked at anytime, and end- you should [or ed with the final step of tying the condom into a knot and have to] do it properly disposing of it. In an effort to build the with [all your comfort zones for students, partners],”. the hosts divided the audience into five groups to put a competitive twist on the Fatima Smith, Assisremaining activities. The tant Director of The second activity required the students to make a list of as Well many nicknames as possible for body parts and sexual acts. They also brought attenAs the team discussions tion to the synonymity of sex began, the room filled with with violent acts like “bangmore laughs than the expect- ing” and “smashing.” The ed nervous looks. Each team patterns in sexual ideology of came up with an assorted list female body parts as food and for each category in one min- male body parts as aggressive ute and each team’s spokes- introduce the issue of realNYASIA MILAN WILLIAMS Contributing Writer

merchandise, conduct donation collections and give out information. Last year, more than 125,000 people attended to celebrate American culture through music, food and vendors. One of the volunteers at one of the information tents was first-time volunteer, Kayla Diggs-Brody. She and her husband attended previous festivals while they attended VCU. They had always wanted to volunteer, Diggs-Brody said, but were

www.commonwealthtimes.org

Monday, October 16, 2017

Richmond’s Indian Festival Celebrates 35 years of culture

“Hear Me” gives Native American artists voice to their history

PHOTO BY GEORGIA GREEN

If you wandered into the Greater Convention Center from Oct. 14 to Oct. 15, you may have been greeted by the sight of three girls performing a traditional dance salutation to the Hindu elephant-god, Ganesha, on one of the Center’s massive stages. The girls are dressed in traditional Indian sarees all in varying shades of reflective jewel toned blues, greens and purples. Their hair was tied back with distinctive white-floral decorations winding down their braids and under the stage’s large fluorescent light, the gold jewelry they adorned reflected into the crowd creating an almost shimmer like effect into the attentive audience. The small statues of the dances was juxtaposed not only by their presence which captured youthful fun and dedicated faith, but the behemoth poster behind them with the words, “Festival of India,” written across. The Festival of India originated in the parking lot of John B. Cary elementary in 1982, according to a description given to Richmond Magazine. Back then the festival was just a small gathering of Richmond’s small Indian community. 35 years later, what was once a modest gathering and celebration of culture, has become a massive two-day annual festival attracting thousands who seek community and culture. This years festival took place on first floor of the Greater Convention Center. As with previous years, the festival was hosted by the Hindu Temple of Virginia based in Glen Allen, and was entirely volunteer run. “I’ve volunteered, I don’t know, maybe six or seven years now,” said volunteer Goti Patel. “I do it because it’s for our community, it’s a way to keep in touch with culture. Even if someone is sponsoring the festival we are not vendors here to sell our stuff, we are volunteers for good cause.” The festival is run as a nonprofit, with proceeds helping the temple in various philanthropic efforts and in community outreach efforts. According to Rahari Ramagiri, who attends a local high school and has grown up around the temple and the festival, volunteering year after year is one of the many traditions in the community. “I’ve volunteered for longer than I can remember and it’s the same thing every year but I’ve seen it bigger and more diverse, ” Ramagiri said. “When I was younger, I did the classical dances on the stage but as I got older, I’ve stopped doing them so now it’s exciting to see the younger kids get a chance to do something that has become just part of life.” Volunteers commandeered the dozens of food stands which featured a multitude of traditional foods. Variations of well-known Indian dishes and snacks, like biryani, curry, lassi and samosas were present in abundances. However, the festival stuck true to its theme

Murphy Adams beads QR codes to create interactive art pieces on the Native history of six of Virginia’s rivers.

GEORGIA GREEN Staff Writer Three artists from the Virginia Museum of Fine Art (VMFA) exhibition, “Hear My Voice: Native American Art of the Past and Present” spoke on preserving and innovating their cultures’ Oct. 13 at a panel discussion held at the museum. The exhibition, which opened on Aug. 19 and will run until Nov. 26, includes a blend of newer and older works — many of the latter heralding from the 19th century. Several of the older works, mostly a collection of what can be considered practical objects like beaded moccasins and intricate baskets, were accompanied by educational audio clips.

I basically went back to the beginning of really enforcing wht my message is about, givng voice back to all the pieces that were broken, Virgil Ortiz, artist All the featured artists are Native American and many blended traditional techniques with modern materials or innovations. “I put [my work] through my experiences and my knowledge,” said beadwork artist Molly Murphy Adams during the

panel. “It might look native to an audience, but it also has a lot of elements that are very contemporary, very modern, very much about fashion.” Murphy Adams described the painstaking process of creating beadwork, which comes from her family and tribe, the Oglala Lakota. The piece she created for this exhibition, “Map: Commonwealth Project,” represents a break from the “rigidity of trying to make it perfect,” she said. “I’m not full native, I’m from a very mixed background so that always reflected in the materials and the imagery that I used,” Murphy Adams said. The embroidered and beaded silk map depicts six of Virginia’s rivers. From afar, its six accompanying panels appear to be decorative, but Adams incorporated an element she doesn’t think has been done before in beadwork art. “As far as I know, I’m the only person beading QR codes,” Murphy Adams said. Visitors to the exhibit can scan the codes with their smartphones to learn about the evolution of the names of the six rivers. Murphy Adams said she hoped visitors will understand the significance of the language the names represent. Virgil Ortiz creates largescale pottery similar to that created by the Cochiti tribe, of which he is a member, during the late 19th century. “I was born into a family of potters,” Ortiz said during the panel. “All of the masters are dying out. The families that are left behind with them have a hard time continuing this tradition because everybody has a job off of the pueblo.” “Steu” and “Cuda” are large ceramic figures painted with geometric designs featured in “Hear My Voice” and are also part of Ortiz’s “Pueblo Revolt 1680/2180” series, which

combines ceramic figures and science fiction photography to engage and educate youth. The Pueblo Revolt was an uprising of indigenous people against Spanish Conquistadors in what is present-day New Mexico. “When the non-natives first arrived at the pueblo, they had destroyed a lot of the figurative pottery and pottery in general,” Ortiz said. Ortiz’s “Taboo” series, which he discussed during the panel, features work similar to that displayed at “Hear My Voice.” The series gears towards political commentary, which was a traditional aspect of earlier pottery as the Cochiti witnessed western migration of non-natives. Many of those original pieces were also destroyed, Ortiz said. “I basically went back to the beginning of really reinforcing what my message is about, giving voice back to all the pieces that were broken,” Ortiz said. Jeremy Frey, of the Passamaquoddy tribe, is an eighth-generation basket maker. Like Ortiz, he discussed the decline in the art form through the generations. “The basket tradition is a long, long tradition that was really suffering as far as carriers of the tradition and knowledge of the craft,” Frey said during the panel. Frey has begun to use new materials for his baskets, such a cedar bark, which isn’t traditionally used. However, all of his materials are still locally sourced, he said. Frey’s piece, “Deception” is on display at “Hear My Voice.” The piece is tightly-woven, which is part of Frey’s artistic style and has warm colors brought out by natural dyes. “The whole basket is kind of innovative,” Frey said. “From the very beginning one of my initial goals was to try and master and bring back and even create new things that were deeply based in tradition.”

ILLUSTRATION BY MAI-PHUONG BUI

SIONA PETEROUS Spectrum Editor

of authenticity and food stands also highlighted equally traditional, though lesser-known dishes to the western world like Kachori, a flattened fried flour ball stuffed with lentils and spices and falooda, a dessert made with chia seeds, rose syrup and varying flavorings. “For real, I come for the food. I mean really, look at it,” said festival attendee Lakshmi Aggarwal. “No, I’m joking, kind of. It’s wonderful to find comfort and culture in tradition and it’s something I didn’t quite appreciate until I left the area for school.” Agarwal grew up in northern Virginia before attending university and later settling in California. She said she comes home twice a year and attending the Festival is a way to connect with her family after long periods spent apart. “It’s rare that my visits line up with the festival but it’s nice when it does,” Agarwal said. “Also, Dilwali is next week which makes this even that more fun because I can feel people’s anticipation, it’s like our Christmas.” Just as Agarwal notice, the 2017 Indian Festival had an additional tone of festivity and excitement since it is just one week shy of Dilwai — one the holiest holidays in the Hindu religion. Diwali is also commonly called the “Festival of Lights,” and celebrates the return of the Rama, the incarnation of the god Vishnu, after winning a battle against the demon king, Ravana. “It doesn’t matter that I’m not Indian, everyone here is open and wel-

PHOTO BY GEORGIA GREEN

“Four Seasons (Fall)” by Wendy Red Star is show as part of the VMFA’s exhibit.

coming,” said Brianna Brown who attended the festival for the second year in a row with her husband. “I came Saturday and I’m here today because we’re meeting new people, hearing new sounds, trying new foods and learning about traditions like Dilwali.” In addition to traditional foods, songs and dance, the festival featured a stands selling jewelry and clothing — similar to the traditional sarees of the young girls dancing bhangra on the stage — for competitive prices. This market-style selling of clothing is commonly found in India. “This is how we buy clothes and foods and anything else we need whenever we go back to India,” said Vindhya Patel “There is definitely a sort of ironic comfort in this competitive chaos happening so far away in Richmond.” The festival emphasized not only celebrating Indian culture in Richmond and exposing non-Indians to the subcontinent’s rich history, but in exploring universal similarities between people. “Our cultures are completely different but it’s also so similar I’m surprised.” said Abeba Haile, an Eritrean immigrant who settled in the area five years ago after living in Washington D.C and Dubai for fifteen years. “My family isn’t Hindu and we don’t speak Hindi but the spices used it the food, the value of culture and family and even this market set up like the old cities back home and in the Middle East it’s very similar.”

spectrum

10 The Commonwealth Times

in Richmond Corn mazes / Pumpkin things

Walks

Great Pumpkin Fest King’s Dominion 16000 Theme Park Way Doswell, VA 23047

The 13th Annual Richmond Zombie Walk

When: Select weekends from September 23 – October 29, 2017 Cost: Included with general admission tickets.

Saturday, October 28, 2017 the actual walk will begin across the street from the Byrd Theatre (2901 W Cary St, Richmond, VA 23221) in Carytown immediately after at about 2:30p.

Haunted Things

Parties

Scream Forest 14437 Stone Horse Creek Road, Glen Allen, VA 23

Quirk Hotel's Halloween Bash Quirk Hotel transforms into 'The Grand Richmond Hotel' for a Wes Anderson inspired Halloween Bash with music, dancing and best costume contest!

Pre-walk meet up/staging area location at 1pm will be held at Boat Lake at Byrd Park (on Boat Lake Drive).

Open October 19, 20, 21, 22,26, 27,28,29,31 Gates open at 7pm and the screams start ~7:30. Tickets are sold until 11pm on Fridays & Saturdays and until 10pm on Thursdays and Sundays.

$20.00 Cover 21 and Over

EERIE NIGHTS GHOST TOURS OF RICHMOND 17th St. Farmers Market (Main St. Side) 100 N. 17th St.

Sat, October 28, 2017 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM EDT Quirk Hotel 201 West Broad Street

October 20, 27,31 8:30-9:30 $14.00

www.commonwealthtimes.org

opinions

Monday, October 16, 2017 11

Quote of the week

“Regardless of the health benefits the pill can provide, it’s intended to prevent unwanted pregnancy and if a woman wants to take it for that reason alone, so be it.” - Katie Bashista

Keep religion out of my health care

new document. One of its most controversial claims is that the morning after pill is a form of early abortion. They state the pill “may not only prevent conception, but also may prevent implantation of an embryo.” ABC News reported that Princeton researcher James Trussell says the evidence that has most recently come out of studies shows “there is no post-fertilization effect.” The Trump administration claims the Obama administration’s moves to make birth control easier to access had no direct impact on decreasing unintended pregnancies and abor-

tions. Not only is this claim false, it also ignores the fact women take birth control pills for more reasons than preventing unwanted pregnancies. Birth control pills are often prescribed to treat dysmenorrhea, which is a condition in which menstrual pain becomes more severe than normal. Dysmenorrhea can either be primary or secondary; primary meaning it’s only caused by a menstrual cycle and secondary meaning there are other factors contributing to pain and discomfort. One of the outside factors that can contribute to dysmenorrhea is

Notorious “Sign Guy” provokes students continued from page 1

ILL US TR AT ION

BY AL LIS ON VE

RJINS KI

The past week has been no exception. If you’ve been anywhere near the library lately, you’ve seen the drama ensue firsthand. Perhaps you’ve been offended by a protester’s hateful words or simply rolled your eyes as opposing students yelled at each other. Whatever your relation is to the conflict, you’re most likely better off ignoring it. The majority of compass protestors just want to provoke you. Please don’t give them that satisfaction. The wave of demonstrations and debates is spearheaded by the now notorious “Sign Guy,” who has made it his duty to patrol the compass each day, armed with a handwritten sign and some choice words for anyone who decides to argue with him. He is evidently very committed to sharing his viewpoints with VCU’s campus. On Oct. 4, the compass was occupied by a flock of students and police officers, centered around “Sign Guy,” who was reportedly screaming racist remarks. A few students took the liberty of leading a counter-protest, which mostly involved screaming over the man as the crowd cheered them on. While it’s always satisfying to see VCU students bond together for the sake of combatting oppression,

the individual at the center of the compass was clearly uninterested in hearing anyone else’s point of view. Boasting a sign that renamed VCU to “Very Cucked University,” the man was blatantly indifferent to the crowd gathered around him. Since he’s been back at the compass with a freshly discriminatory sign nearly every day since, the massive response from students clearly did nothing to deter him. A 2016 poll conducted by Gallup indicated 69 percent of the college students surveyed believed colleges should be able to restrict “using slurs and other language on campus that is intentionally offensive to certain groups.” There were no further questions asked regarding what these restrictions would entail, so it is unclear where exactly college students draw the line on offensive speech. On Oct. 9, “Sign Guy” wrote anxiety was simply due to paranoia. While this assertion may obviously have been offensive to individuals with genuine, medically diagnosed anxiety, other students may have read it as a synonym for “stress” and hardly batted an eye. As long as offensive material is a grey area, it will be impossible to place black and white regulations on free speech. Until those boundaries are laid down, college students are virtually forced to deal with whoever

decides to pop up on their campus and spew hatred that day. Although going head-to-head with someone who exudes hatred may feel good at the time, it ultimately isn’t worth wasting your breath. Chances are the only thought running through that individual’s mind is a mental pat on the back for successfully provoking you. Obviously, there are instances in which speaking with a protestor may be worthwhile. If the person is calm and shows a genuine interest in having a thoughtful argument, then you both may actually benefit from discussing your respective ideas. This isn’t to say that those who have previously argued with “Sign Guy” or anyone like him are in the wrong. If you feel obligated to stand up for your beliefs, you have the freedom of speech with which to do so — just don’t be too hopeful for any sort of meaningful conversation. The reality is that no one toting a sign with an aggressive one-liner actually wants to educate themselves. Whether right or wrong, that person is already dead-set in their opinion. Spouting alt-right viewpoints at a notoriously liberal college is simply begging for a reaction. Don’t be the one to provide it.

a separate condition called endometriosis. This is when tissue that normally lines the uterus begins growing outside of the uterus. Endometriosis is incredibly painful and interferes with a woman’s ability to have children. According to the Seckin Endometriosis Center, the condition affects 176 million women worldwide. Birth control pills are proven to treat severe period pain and weaken a woman’s chances of developing endometriosis, ovarian cysts and ovarian cancer. On top of that, oral contraceptives can help treat acne, anemia and anxiety.

This is where my personal grudge against anyone that tries to limit my access to pills comes in. When I was a junior in high school, I woke up every morning in a fit of cold sweats and dry heaving that lasted anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour, sometimes causing me to miss school that day. After suffering through this for a few months I decided to see a doctor. They concluded that my sudden, seemingly incurable anxiety was a result of a hormone imbalance and prescribed me a low dosage of birth control. I went from having an anxiety

attack every single day to having maybe a total of three since I started taking the pill. The women in my family also have a history of endometriosis and ovarian cancer so being on the pill for health reasons is undeniably the best option for me. Regardless of the health benefits the pill can provide, it’s intended to prevent unwanted pregnancy and if a woman wants to take it for that reason alone, so be it. According to the LA Times, the U.S. abortion rate hit its lowest point in 2016 since the procedure became legal in 1973. Although there wasn’t any direct study linking this to birth control, the Obamacare regulations allowing greater access to birth control is likely the biggest contributor to this finding. It feels as though the contraception issue isn’t solely based on a company’s religious or moral objections. This feels like an attack on female sexuality and our ability to remain safe while taking part in a natural and normal human activity. If my birth control was suddenly not covered by insurance, I would be paying roughly $14 every month for my pack of pills. I am currently in a financial state where I would be able to pay that for the remainder of the year, but some women are not so lucky. Contraception gives women the opportunity to be in control of their bodies and offers several health benefits unrelated to having sex. The Trump administration’s new regulations could deprive millions of women of a basic right to a safe and affordable means of medication.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Here’s why the national debt isn’t real To the editor: The budget deficit and national debt have cozily found their way back into the national discussion. With the release of President Trump’s tax plan, the blue moon has arrived and both parties have come together to discuss bipartisan concern over what the plan will do to our debt and deficit. Twenty-one out of 26 economists surveyed by Bloomberg News agreed that the tax plan will increase the budget deficit. By how much is a more nuanced answer. The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget (CFRB) estimates that the plan would increase the debt by $2.2 trillion within the next decade, but there have been other projections. But contrary to mainstream liberal belief, the exploding deficit isn’t a reason to oppose the plan. There’s a vast array of reasons to oppose the administration’s tax proposal. First — the average American will only see their taxes cut by 15 percent, while most of the plan’s tax cuts would go to individuals with much higher incomes. This will do little to raise consumer spending, which is what allows businesses to make a profit, create jobs and make investments. Second — the estate tax repeal. This tax only affects 0.2 percent of households, and is a much needed policy tool to fight against the dangerous trend of growing wealth inequality. That’s why you reject the plan. It’s a bad plan. Not because of the deficit. Here’s why I say we shouldn’t use an increase of the national debt as justification to reject this already ineffective plan: The national debt isn’t real. It’s more of an illusion. Now, before you close this newspaper and dismiss what I say, let me walk you through something. How do most people think

ILLUSTRATION BY ERIN VEST

The Trump Administration put into effect a new rule allowing any company or nonprofit group to deny contraceptive coverage in their insurance plans for religious or moral reasons. The new mandate weakens Obama-era regulations which required employers to cover birth control methods in their insurance plans. With this rule, the Trump administration is ignoring scientific data and disregarding the various reasons women take birth control aside from avoiding an unwanted pregnancy. The guidelines for proving a company’s refusal is based solely on religious or moral reasons are thin, which makes it easier for companies to deny contraception coverage. It’s my understanding after reading the document that the companies this rule is intended to accommodate are essentially religious in nature. For example, in 2014 the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Hobby Lobby after they argued the government’s law requiring them to provide contraceptive coverage went against their religious beliefs. The court ruled privately owned companies could also object on religious grounds. The Department of Health and Human Services have said they expect only those companies that have already tried to sue against the Obama-era rule will seek exemptions, but this doesn’t justify the incorrect claims the Trump administration has made in its

ILLUSTRATION BY YEWEI WANG

KATIE BASHISTA Opinions Editor

government finance operates? Government taxes us, and if they don’t collect enough revenue for what they wish to spend on, they’ll borrow the rest. Right? Wrong. That’s not how it works. Think about it for a moment. Where does the United States dollar come from? I’ll give you time to think. Got it? Okay. If you guessed anything other than the United States government itself, you’d be wrong. In 1971, when President Nixon took us off the gold standard (a monetary system where we pegged the value of the dollar to gold) the United States government became the monopoly issuer of the United States Dollar. All other dollars issued elsewhere, are counterfeit. So why would we need taxes to raise revenue? The dollars in your pocket and in your bank account that you will use to pay taxes did not even exist until the government issued or “printed” them into existence. The truth is, we don’t need taxes for revenue. We did under the gold standard, but now that dollars originate from the government itself, it must spend before it taxes, not the other way around. In other words you could argue that in 1971, the national debt, became the national debit. In today’s monetary system, the deficit is an accounting identity indicating how much more money the government put into the economy, than it took away in taxes. In 2016, our budget deficit was $585 billion, and the net increase in financial assets to the economy was, you guessed it, $585 billion. Professor Scott Fullwiler, the

James A. Leach Chair in Banking and Monetary Economics at Wartburg College, discovered in his research that the net savings/ financial wealth of the economy equals the government deficit to the penny. The balance sheet is to exact too be a coincidence. In fact, getting rid of the national debt would bring the money supply to zero. Imagine the disaster that would follow if not a single person in a country of over 300 million in population, had even a penny to their name. So why do we have taxes then? This is a topic for a different discussion. But to summarize, taxes are still needed to drive demand for the currency. Since it’s not backed by gold, governments must use taxes to create an incentive for people to use the dollar. In rare occasions, like right after the first World War, the economy can be doing so well that we max out our capacity and inflation follows. Then, we use taxes to directly remove money from the money supply, therefore lowering inflation. The Trump tax plan is bad. A lot of his ideas are bad. And that’s all we need to oppose something. If it’s a good idea, support it. If it’s a bad idea, don’t support it. But the United States and its government need to wake up, stop thinking about economics through the lense of the system we had before 1971 and start investing in its people.

-Taylor Nguyen

comics

12 The Commonwealth Times

Busy Bee by Adam Goodman

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(watched -What The Health — once) by Iain Duffus

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. The CT’s Operations Budget is a reflection of independent advertising revenue accumulated throughout the previous academic year(s). Operations expenses include salaries, phone and internet, postage, professional memberships, award submissions and banquets, FOIA requests, programming costs and travel. Each spring, the CT staff elects the next year’s Executive and Managing Editors, who then hire the remaining staff.

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

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