The Commonwealth Times; November 27, 2017

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

NEWS Student records • 2

November 27, 2017 • Vol. 59, No.14

SPORTS Tyrod Taylor • 6

SPECTRUM VHS Toys • 7

OPINIONS Trump’s tax plan • 11

Class credit

ILLUSTRATION BY MAI-PHUONG BUI

How the Republican’s tax proposal targets student borrowers

will be eliminated under the bills, which are based on President Donald Trump’s proposal released in Version of a tax cut, which September and tuition paid for by passed the U.S. House of Rep- employers will be taxed. The three resentatives and Senate Finance existing tax breaks given to those Committee weeks ago, will affect paying off student loans will be students paying off loans. merged into one.

Deductions on loan interest This means that grants cover-

SARAROSE MARTIN Staff Writer

ing tuition may be viewed as taxable additional income. The tax bill will most heavily impact graduate students, who often receive tuition waivers for teaching or research.

The waivers may be taxed as income — money graduate students never actually receive.

The tax bill also seeks to raise

Rams win one, drop two in Maui NICK VERSAW Staff Writer Men’s basketball traveled to Maui, Hawaii last weekend for a trio of marquee non conference matchups with NCAA Tournament caliber opponents. The Rams dropped a pair of games to the University of Michigan and Marquette University on either side of a dominant showing in a blowout win over the University of California.

PHOTO BY SHAYLA BAILEY

UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN The Rams fell short to the University of Michigan 68-60 in their third and final contest at this year’s Maui Invitational tournament Wednesday afternoon in Hawaii, dropping the Black and Gold’s record to 3-3 on the season Senior forward Khris Lane once again led the charge, scoring 13 points and eight rebounds in his 27 minutes of action. Sophomores Mike’l Simms and De’Riante Jenkins joined Lane in double-digit scoring with 12 points apiece.

Wednesday’s loss was perhaps the most heartbreaking of VCU’s three games in Hawaii. After trailing for most of the afternoon, the Rams took command behind a 13-0 run early in the second half.

From that point on, the two teams traded punches until Wolverine forward Moritz Wagner made the goahead layup with 1:11 remaining.

The Rams would never recover.

“I thought we had put ourselves in a position to pull it out and we just beat ourselves late in the game there,” VCU coach Mike Rhoads said following Wednesday’s loss.

“They executed down the stretch and we didn’t. I loved the fight we had to get back in it and take the lead. At that point, it’s in our grasp, but we’re going to learn the hard way through this one today that you have to finish it.”

Lane had a more optimistic outlook after the loss.

“I think we learned we can play with anybody in the country,” Lane said.

However, Rhoades was disappointed in his team’s ability to hold the late lead.

“We have to learn how to finish off games,” Rhoades said. “The biggest thing to me is that you can’t beat yourself. When you get that lead, you have to be solid on defense and you have to take care of the ball and get good shots on offense, and we didn’t do that.”

Ultimately, the newly-crowned head man saw Wednesday’s loss as a learning opportunity for a young VCU squad with little crunchtime experience.

“We just have to get better,” Rhoades added. “Sometimes you learn the hard way like we are right now. We’re going to use this to get better and better and hopefully late in games we can close them out.”

—continued on page 5

the minimum income threshold that people become eligible to pay income tax and also reduce tax rates for individuals in general.

Trump calls the bill a “middle-class tax break.”

—continued on page 3

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The Commonwealth Times

CRIME LOG

Monday, November 20 Sexual Assault B100 W. Franklin St. Pending Buglary/B&E Shafer Dining Center 801 Cathedral Pl. Pending Larceny 801 W. Franklin St. Pending Destruction of Property 934 W. Grace St. Pending Shoplifting ABC 1217 W. Broad St. Pending Larceny 101 S. Linden St. Pending Shoplifting 7-11 1101 W. Main St. Closed Fraud - Credit Card Fine Arts Building 1000 W. Broad St. Outside Agency Hit and Run 600 W. Broad St. Outside Agency Theft from Building 728 W. Marshall St. Outside Agency Theft from Building 1108 W. Grace St. Outside Agency

Tuesday, November 21 Attempted Breaking & Entering School of Engineering 301 W. Main St. Pending Theft from Building 835 W. Grace St. Pending All Other Larceny 900 Park Ave. Pending Theft From Building Brandt Residence Hall 710 W. Franklin St. Pending Trespassing Scott House 909 W. Franklin St. Closed Hit and Run 1514 W. Leigh St. Outside Agency Shoplifting ABC 1217 W. Broad St. Outside Agency

Wednesday, November 22 Drug Violation/Obstruction of Justice Laurel St. Deck 805 W. Grace St. Closed

Delegate introduces bill to withhold students’ record data FADEL ALLASSAN Managing Editor at Large The contact information of students at Virginia’s publicly funded universities is considered public information — accessible by records request. Now, a House of Delegates member is looking to change that.

Del. Tony Wilt (R- Rockingham) filed the first bill of the 2018 General Assembly session, which looks to prevent publicly-funded colleges from handing over student records data-like names, phone numbers and email addresses — to private groups who ask for it with a Freedom of Information Act request — the protocol under current law.

The introduction of House Bill 1 to the legislative docket comes after The Roanoke Times reported in October that Virginia Tech, Radford University and James Madison University handed over their student records data to NextGen America, a progressive political group which worked to elect thenGubernatorial candidate Ralph Northam and a slew of Democratic candidates in statewide and in House races. The Commonwealth Times subsequently revealed NextGen obtained the records data of more than 30,000 VCU students.

Students reported receiving text messages urging them to volunteer and vote for Northam.

A spokesperson for NextGen could not be reached for comment, neither could Democratic delegateelects in the Richmond-area. In October, a spokesperson for the Northam campaign declined to comment, but said the campaign did not receive records data from NextGen at any point in the campaign.

“Obviously, we need stronger and clearer protections to guard the personal information of our students,” Wilt said about the legislation in October. “Every political candidate and group that exploited this information should immediately stop, apologize to students across the Commonwealth and endorse this commonsense bill.”

NextGen supported Brent Finnegan, Wilt’s opponent, in his bid to unseat the Republican in the 26th district race. It also supported Chris Hurst’s winning campaign against Del. Joseph Yost (R - Pearisburg), who prior to the election, said the idea universities

ILLUSTRATION BY ELLIE KIM

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could turn over directory information without students’ consent “shocking and frightening.

Yost’s plan to co-sponsor the bill alongside Wilt was thrown by the wayside when he lost his seat to Hurst, a former local news anchor whose girlfriend, WJLA reporter Alison Parker, was murdered live on-air in 2015.

The proposed legislation limits access to any student’s records data unless that student opts-in to have their information available through a request. Students previously had to opt-out to keep anyone from accessing that information.

Meghan Rhyne, executive director of the Virginia Coalition for Open Government said having accessible student records is not a new practice.

“Twenty-five years ago, we had campus phone books with student names, addresses and landline numbers.” Rhyne said in October.

“So, it’s not a new thing for commercial or political groups to ask for student directory information and use it for their own purposes.”

Records data still exists without those phone books, which are typically no longer printed to save costs. Cell phones replaced land-

lines since that time, so it’s possible people feel it’s more invasive that cellphone information is publicly obtainable, Rhyne said, since cellphones are usually viewed more as an extension of their owners.

“Students should not have to jump through hoops to protect their own personal and private information,” Yost stated in an October news release. “And that information should most certainly not be given freely to political groups seeking to exploit student’s personal information.”

Several Republican House members expressed support for

HB1 before it was revealed last Monday. In a news release, Education Committee Chairman Steve Landes (R-Augusta) called the bill “a reasonable and commonsense step” to protect students’ privacy.

In October, Del. Kirk Cox (RColonial Heights) — who will serve as Speaker in January if current election results are certified — said the bill will have the backing of the entire Republican caucus.

“The idea is simple,” Cox said.

“Students shouldn’t have to take extra steps to protect their information; the college should have to take extra steps to release it.”

VCU plans health center in Richmond’s East End for late 2018

PHOTO BY ANNA SHCHERBAKOVA

The health and education center is set to be built in neighborhood where life expectancy is substainly low.

In Richmond’s East End, the life expectancy is 66 years — almost 13 years less than the average U.S. life expectancy of 78.7 years and almost 20 years less than someone in the West End, where average life expectancy is as high as 83 years, according to an article published in the Richmond Times-Dispatch in 2013.

That’s why Steve Markel, a local businessman and philanthropist, is funding and developing the grocery store, culinary school and apartments.

The comprehensive project will provide new resources in an area of the East End identified as a food desert — parts of the country vapid of fresh fruit, vegetables and other healthful whole foods, usually found in impoverished areas, largely due to a lack of grocery stores, farmers’ markets and healthy food The center wil be in Richmond’s East End, which has been providers — and where a majority of residents live in poverty and have designated a food desert. poor health outcomes.

“This entire project is about SOPHIA BELLETTI center are building the new center building a healthy community,” Executive Editor off Nine Mile Road near North Markel said. “It’s an opportunity 25th Street. The project is part of a to bring many community partners A collaboration between VCU, larger redevelopment initiative that together to create opportunities, VCU Health Systems and com- will also feature a grocery store, resources and healthy options for munity partners is set to develop a apartments and a culinary institute the residents.” health education and wellness cen- operated by J. Sargeant Reynolds The center is set to provide aster serving residents of Richmond’s Community College. The health sessments and screenings, nutrition East End. education and wellness center is outreach, behavioral health supThe university and its medical projected to open in late 2018. port, chronic disease prevention

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

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

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

For an off-campus emergency: 911.

and management, health education, care coordination, referrals to community providers and organizations, and research and evaluation.

This entire project is about building a health community, Steve Markel Local business owner Teams will collaborate in the center to provide assessments and screenings, nutrition outreach, behavioral health support, chronic disease prevention and management, health education, care coordination, referrals to community providers and organizations, and research and evaluation. Most services will be free by interdisciplinary teams of VCU faculty and students who are working either as a community service activity or as part of their academic program.

“This initiative presents us with

an opportunity to collaborate with the community in a new way,” said VCU pres. Michael Rao. “It is through our collective action that we can, along with our partners in the community, help create longterm, sustainable solutions to difficult social problems. Working together, our goal is to create a sustainable presence in the East End that addresses the community’s needs and demonstrates the collective commitment of VCU and VCU Health to the neighborhood.”

Currently, more than 15 VCU and VCU Health academic and clinical units signed up to offer services and programming at the health education and wellness center, creating an interprofessional training ground for students and faculty.

The 5,600-square-foot facility will include screening and consultation spaces, a community room, health education library and student and faculty space, along with ample parking, security and lighting. The center will be located adjacent to the full-service, 27,000-square-foot grocery store.

The health education and wellness center will be integrated into the customer experience at the grocery store, empowering consumers to make healthy choices and conveniently access services.

www.commonwealthtimes.org

Monday, November 27, 2017

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House passes tax bill will impact those with student loans —continued from page 1

INFOGRAPHIC BY MAI-PHUONG BUI

According to The New York Times, the bill itself could either reduce income taxes for nearly all middle-class Americans, or it could raise them by getting rid of deductions, prior tax breaks and by a failure to reduce rates enough to make up for it.

Under the current tax law, students can deduct interest on student loans up to a certain point. Students or parents paying tuition can deduct expenses for higher education. Both of these deductibles will be repealed in the House tax bill.

The Senate bill does not include any changes to tax credits or tuition waivers. However, it does include provisions that would put an extra tax on some private colleges with large endowments and eliminates certain state and local deductions.

If passed, the House will have to either attempt to pass an identical bill or go through a conference process where compromises are made.

President of the Association of American Universities, Mary Sue Coleman, said the bill doesn’t seek to benefit students.

“Congress seems eager to redirect these funds to the federal government’s coffers, with no clear benefit to America’s hardworking

students and their families,” Coleman said to Chemical and Engineering News.

Senators Mark Warner (D-Virginia) and Tim Kaine (D-Virginia) released a statement on expressing concerns about the bill’s plan to eliminate the Federal Historic Tax Credit, “a provision that Virginia uses to draw in new business, create jobs, and revitalize cities and towns.”

In the past, Gov-elect Ralph Northam (D) said raising taxes in general would hurt the state’s bottom line.

In a tweet Trump stated, “If Democrats were not such obstructionists and understood the power of lower taxes, we would be able to get many of their ideas into Bill!”

The 52-seat Republican majority Senate will vote on their version of the tax bill Thursday or Friday.

Trump will meet with Republicans Tuesday to go over the agenda in the hopes for a major legislative victory. At least six Senate Republicans have not yet formally supported the tax cut package.

INFOGRAPHIC BY KIM PETERS

Richmond welcomes new mental health facility for children

HIBA AHMAD News Editor The Virginia Treatment Center for Children has a new home thanks to VCU Health, the Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU and a $56 million grant from the General Assembly.

The VTCC focuses on addressing and providing resources for children dealing with mental health disorders ranging from anxiety to depression and providing gender and sexuality related mental health resources.

“When VCU assumed stewardship of VTCC in 1991, we recognized the importance of

providing children in the community and commonwealth with high-quality mental health care,” said VCU President Michael Rao in a news release. “I am proud of the work done by the health care experts at VTCC to ensure that every child has a chance to succeed.”

Roughly 1 in 5 minors suffer from severe cases of mental disorders, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.

In 2013, the NIMH found 1 in 10 children nationwide, or 2.6 million adolescents, experienced some form of major depression. Of those, 7.7 percent of minors said that it caused

them severe impairment.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found some of the most common mental health disorders include ADHD, which affects 8.5 percent of children between 8 and 15 years, mood disorders and major depression.

Marsha Rappley, CEO of VCU Health and vice president of health sciences, hopes the new center will inspire mental health facilities across the country.

“It eases the stigma surrounding mental illness and improves access to care,” Rappley said in a news release. “We’re also doubling space to train future

generations of children’s mental health providers and conduct innovative research initiatives that will enhance treatment and prevention efforts.”

The VTCC will provide inpatient and outpatient services to children from across the state — 50 percent of which come from outside of the Richmond metropolitan area.

The new center will include some of the most updated features in psychiatric care including, private inpatient rooms with accommodations for a parent to spend the night; 20 outpatient consult rooms; occupational, recreation, art, music and play

therapy; inpatient school programs; a gym and recreational areas; gardens and greenspace.

The center will also include the Children’s Mental Health Resource Center, which will serve as the research branch of the new facility. The goal is to pioneer new treatments to better equip health professionals in tackling and diagnosing mental health disorders.

“We look forward to opening our doors to children and families, and to a new day for children’s mental health care in our community,” said Deborah Davis, CEO of VCU Hospitals and Clinics.

The VTCC originally was located in a 50-year-old building but is now located in a more modern facility downtown that has a warmer and comforting environment, according to a VCU news release.

Mental health facilities have notoriously been depicted as dark and unwelcoming. The VTCC challenges that stereotype by providing a space that is backed by years of pediatric psychiatric research.

The new two-story, 190,000 foot facility will begin to accept patients in early 2018.

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news

The Commonwealth Times ADVERTISEMENT

Holiday events in RVA Dominion Energy Garden Fest of Lights at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden $5 – $13 Friday, Nov. 24, 2017 - Monday, January 8, 2018 (Closed Dec. 24 & 25); Nightly 5 - 10 p.m.

A holiday tradition featuring more than half-a-million twinkling lights, hand-crafted botanical decorations, model trains, holiday dinners, warming fire with s’mores and hot chocolate(for purchase); nightly family activities & more. The region’s ultimate holiday extravaganza!

The Byrd Theatre presents: A John Waters Christmas-Live Performance Wednesday, Dec 20, 2017

Our Byrd Tradition Continues!

It’s A Wonderful Life Dec. 24th-Christmas Eve at 7:15pm Dec. 25th Christmas Day at 7:15pm & 9:45pm

The 34th Annual Dominion Energy Christmas Parade Saturday, Dec. 2, 2017 at 10 a.m.

The parade will depart from the Science Museum on W. Broad Street and continue east to 7th Street. This beloved Richmond tradition attracts more than 100,000 spectators each year from everywhere in Virginia, with thousands more enjoying the live television broadcast.

For many Richmonders, the parade kicks off the Christmas season.

The parade will feature a very special Grand Marshal, holiday floats, marching bands, huge helium balloons, and, of course, Santa himself! This year’s parade will continue the grand celebration of fun and excitement for all!

Downtown Richmond Grand Illumination James Center, 1051 East Cary St. Downtown Richmond lights up during the holidays.

Head downtown to see the office buildings outline in lights, plus the James Center Tree & the reindeer.

Grand Illumination will be held Friday, Dec. 1 from 5:55 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Downtown Richmond will remain lit through the holiday season nightly.

Richmond Tacky Lights Tour featuring The Live Grinch The Richmond Times-Dispatch Tacky Lights page (richmond.com/holiday/tacky-lights) is your guide to over-the-top holiday light displays in Richmond, Virginia. Download the RTD Tacky Lights app from the App Store.

Brett Aliotti dresses up as the "Live Grinch" on select Friday and Saturday nights throughout the season. He's become a Richmond staple and a favorite stop on the Tacky Lights tour.

He also decorates his house (1411 Pennsylvania Ave., Glen Allen) with 40,000 lights, many “Grinches”, the Abominable Snowman and many multi-colored lights. New this year will be a guest book that people can sign and leave comments.

The Live Grinch will appear from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday nights, weather permitting, on the following dates: Dec. 8 & 9, Dec. 15 & 16, Dec. 22 & 23

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Stat of the Week

Monday, November 27, 2017

5

Shaka Smart’s Texas Longhorns gave the No. 1 Duke Bluedevils everything they could handle in an 85-78 overtime loss on Friday. UT is due at the Siegel Center next Tuesday.

PHOTO BY SHAYLA BAILEY

Rams win one, drop two in Maui

Sophomore wing De’Riante Jenkins posted a career-high 27 points on 11-15 shooting in the Rams’ win over the University of California in the Maui Jim Maui Invitational.

—continued from page 1 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA

VCU thumped the Cal Golden Bears 83-69 in the team’s first consolation game Tuesday evening in Maui.

It was all Jenkins Tuesday, as the sophomore swingman put up a career high 27 points on 11-for-15 shooting. The Eutawville, South Carolina product also racked up 11 rebounds and drained 5 threes on the night.

“I just went out and tried to be aggressive,” Jenkins said following the win. “[Issac Vann] went down yesterday and he’s a big part of the team, so I had to step up.”

Rhoades -- who is known to harp on the importance of defense — was quick to interject and point out how that translated to Jenkins’ offensive game Tuesday.

“It was because of his defense,” Rhoades said. “He played great defense today and it carried over to his offense.”

Rhoades said he was happy with the way his team bounced back after what was a heartbreaking loss to Marquette Monday.

“I’m really proud of our guys’ response from yesterday,” he said.

“I told these guys last night and today that the team that gets over yesterday’s game will give themselves a better chance. They did a

good job of focusing on what we had to do.

“I thought our defense was much better today,” Rhoades added. “I thought we rebounded and our guards got much more involved on the glass early on in the game, and that set the tone. We shared the ball and I thought we did a much better job of getting the lane and making some plays.”

MARQUETTE UNIVERSITY

The Black and Gold dropped their first game in this year’s Maui Invitational tournament when they fell to the Marquette Golden Eagles 94-83 Monday afternoon in sunny Hawaii.

Monday’s contest was a shootout, as the two teams combined for 23 made threes on the afternoon, but ultimately the Rams could not keep up.

Sophomore guard Malik Crowfield led the team in scoring with 17 points after nailing five of his seven attempts from beyond the arc. Senior forward Justin Tillman and fellow sophomore Jenkins joined the sharpshooting swingman in double digits, racking up 15 and 11 points, respectively.

Monday’s loss was perhaps more painful than normal after sophomore wing Issac Vann went down halfway through the game’s second half with what was later diagnosed as a high an-

kle sprain in his left leg. Vann — the Rams’ second-leading scorer with 12.5 points-per-game — will be re-evaluated this week, Rhoades said.

Rhoades blamed Monday’s loss on lapses in defensive focus — something his team has struggled with to this point in the season.

“We have a lot of fight and we can score the ball,” he said, “but we’ve got to guard. I think for the guys want to go play and ‘ball out,’ as I like to say, but you’ve got to get tough on the defensive end. If you want to beat teams like Marquette, you have to get stops and consecutive stops.”

Ultimately, though, Rhoades said the blame falls on him and

his coaching staff and added that the kind of defensive focus he demands is something that will come with time.

“I love the fight of my team,” Rhoades said. “I love how much they love playing with each other, they care about each other, they celebrate each other’s successes.

Now it starts with me. We’ve just got to get better and better on the defensive end.”

The Rams look to bounce back when they return to Richmond to take on the visiting Appalachian State University on Tuesday night at The Stu.

PRESS BOX

ZACH JOACHIM Sports Editor The Buffalo Bills benched starting quarterback Tyrod Taylor, a Hampton native who played at Virginia Tech from 2008-2011, last week in favor of rookie fifthround pick Nathan Peterman, sparking widespread speculation regarding the organization’s motives behind the decision.

At the time, the Bills sat at 5-4, good enough for the sixth seed in the AFC playoffs if the season had ended then. Typically, teams with winning records don’t make changes at the quarterback position, but Bills coach Sean McDermott pulled the trigger on Taylor — who has completed 178 passes for 11 touchdowns, three interceptions and 1,842 yards this season — anyway.

Peterman proceeded to throw five -- yes FIVE interceptions in the first half against against the Los Angeles Chargers in his NFL debut. LA won 54-24.

Granted, McDermott is in his first year and the Bills roster is in a transitional period. McDermott drafted Peterman while Taylor signed with Buffalo under the Rex Ryan regime. The easy answer is the Bills were trying to see what they had in the young, untested Peterman, while Taylor is a known veteran commodity.

The motives behind this benching, however — just like the public criticism of Cam Newton’s on field antics and the NFL’s refusal to sign Colin Kaepernick — are not simply football related.

The NFL has long ostracized the Black quarterback. Tyrod Taylor, Cam Newton and Colin Kaepernick are examples of a stigma that has long held quarterbacks of color under a microscope, placing higher standards for them on and off the field.

Warren Moon, the only Black quarterback in the pro football Hall of Fame, wrote a book titled Never Give Up On Your Dream: My Journey on his battle with this disproportionate standard.

The ‘thinking’ positions down the middle were the ones that we weren’t allowed to play.

Warren Moon, Hall of Fame Quarterback “You have to look at the history of pro sports in this country to understand how slowly things changed in the NFL with certain positions,” said Moon. “In football, the ‘thinking’ positions down the middle -- quarterback, center, [inside] linebacker — were the ones that we [African-Americans] weren’t allowed to play.”

According to the annual racial and gender report card published

by TIDES, The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sports, the NFL is almost 70 percent black.

Only 19 percent of NFL quarterbacks and 22 percent of head coaches are Black.

To be fair, this issue runs much deeper than one position. Quarterback is far from the only position indicative of the NFL’s racial divide.

There is nearly a 50-50 split on the offensive line, yet to Moon’s point, more than 81 percent of centers are white. Cornerback is the blackest position at a shocking 99.4 percent, while kickers and punters are the whitest at a similarly jarring 97.8 percent.

Carolina Panthers rookie running back Christian McCaffrey became the first white tailback drafted in the first round in more than 40 years in April. The ‘skills’ positions -- running back, wide receiver and defensive back — are generally dominated by Black players. The running back position is 86 percent Black, and wideouts are 84 percent players of color. McCaffrey feels his skillset is placed under a comparable microscope.

“A lot of people don’t give me credit for my skills and talent,” McCaffrey said at this year’s NFL combine. “I have a chip on my shoulder at all times. I’m constantly trying to prove myself.”

The underlying point is skin color drastically affects the NFL’s perception of a player’s skillset, regardless of position.

It’s important to recognize, however, that quarterbacks are forced to deal with this reality more than the rest of the league because signal callers are the faces of NFL franchises, and organizations seek to manipulate and sell them vastly more than any other position.

The real problem is, a full 100 percent of majority owners in the NFL are white.

Marquette King, the NFL’s only Black punter who is famous for his eccentric persona, isn’t worried about letting other people’s perceptions affect his love for the game and drive to be the best at his position.

“When you see African-American kids, they’re usually the ones that play receiver, cornerback and all that. The positions that show physical ability. Well, if you think about it, physical ability is shown when you punt and kick a ball,” King said to The Undefeated.

“It’s more of a skill. So if you’re mentally strong, I think that shows a lot too. It takes a lot of mental and physical [strength] to punt and kick a ball. A lot of people can’t do that. I’m going to let you talk s— to me right now, but I’m [going to] win. You know why? Because I got the mindset and the motivation to do what you can’t do.”

Regardless of what position you play, it’s important that every young football players approaches the game with King’s mindset in tow.

ILLUSTRATION BY IAIN DUFFUS

Tyrod Taylor and the NFL’s racial divide

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The Commonwealth Times

Women’s basketball drops fifth straight to open season ADAM CHEEK Contributing Writer Women’s basketball posted an 0-3 record over the past week, falling to the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Georgia State University and Mercer University, the latter two matchups taking place in the Georgia State Thanksgiving Classic tournament. The Black and Gold fell to 0-5 on the season.

MERCER

PHOTO BY SHAYLA BAILEY

Despite 18 points and 10 boards from freshman guard Tera Reed, VCU fell to the Bears of Mercer University Sunday afternoon by a final of 70-54.

VCU beat themselves as much as the Bears did. The Rams committed 21 turnovers leading to 24 Mercer points. The Black and Gold couldn’t make up for their sloppy play on the offensive end either, as they shot 33 percent from the field on the afternoon.

Reed led all scorers Sunday and has amassed an impressive 64 points over the first five games of her freshman campaign. She’s averaging 12.8 points and 6.8 rebounds per game in a starting role right off the bat.

Sophomore guard Jailyn Maddox was the only other Ram in double figures against Mercer. Maddox poured in 12 points on 4-8 shooting.

VCU’s young, dynamic guard duo of Reed and Maddox has been an early bright spot in an otherwise disheartening campaign for the Black and Gold, who only sport two upperclassman on their roster.

GEORGIA STATE

Georgia State hosted VCU for the opening game of the GSU Thanksgiving Classic on Friday. VCU nearly survived a late rally by the Panthers, but were ousted at the last moment to fall to 0-4.

Although the Rams were 0-3 to begin the season, the team put up a dominant first-half effort against Georgia State, finishing off the half with a 37-20 lead. The half kicked off with a 7-0 run. The 17-point advantage featured an overwhelming second-quarter by VCU, as the Rams outscored Georgia State 21-8.

However, the Panthers rallied back in the third quarter, besting the Black and Gold by 10 points. The Rams stumbled in the final frame as GSU put up 17 points. VCU could only manage five and the matchup concluded with Georgia State barely edging the Rams 61-56.

Junior forward Bria Gibson led the VCU offense with a career-high 15 points, while Reed added 11 of her own to the effort. Maddox scored another 10, with fellow sophomore guard Nyra Williams tallying 5 points, a career-best, 8 assists and 3 steals.

The Rams’ defense held GSU to a 32.7 shooting percentage from the floor, while the VCU offense achieved a 42.3 percentage. The real difference was made at the free throw line, as GSU went 22-26, while the Black and Gold finished just 8-18.

Volleyball is currently ranked 36th nationally and boasts the nation’s longest active win streak at 27 consecutive macthes. Objective observers paint Friday’s matchup with Pitt as a toss up.

Volleyball draws Pitt in first round FADEL ALLASSAN Managing Editor at Large Volleyball will play the University of Pittsburgh on Friday at 5 p.m. at the Bryce Jordan Center at Pennsylvania State University in University Park, Pennsylvania.

The Rams recently won the Atlantic-10 tournament in a 3-2 victory against Dayton. Prior to that, they won the A-10 regular season conference title — their first since 2009 — with a perfect 14-0 record.

The No. 36 Rams are in the midst of a stellar season, which includes an ongoing 27-game winning streak — the longest active streak in the country -- and a 30-2 overall record. The Black and Gold have achieved a perfect record at home.

Pitt won a share of the Atlantic Coast Conference with a three-set

UNC GREENSBORO

VCU visited UNC Greensboro on Tuesday, with the Spartans having posted a 3-1 record to open the season.

The matchup opened in favor of the North Carolina-based team, as a first-quarter surge left VCU in an early 25-8 hole. The Black and Gold rallied to outscore the Spartans 2011 in the second quarter, leaving them trailing by only eight going into halftime.

Greensboro edged the Rams in the third stanza of the game by two points, with the 18-16 quarter edge giving them a 10 point lead. VCU fought back in the fourth, scoring 17, but the Spartans continued their hot streak, tallying 20 points of their own to seal the game.

Although the Rams fell to 0-3 with the loss, Reed put up 13 points and Williams added a career-high 10 of her own.

Freshman guard Delphynia Sparks added another 10, and Gibson tallied eight points and 11 rebounds.

We are all rising as one, everyone is on the same boat paddling at the same time.

When one falls, we all pick her up, there is no one left behind.

Tori Baldwin, Junior middle blocker

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Women’s basketball will look to get in the win column Wednesday evening when they take on the University of North Carolina at Wilmington in the Tarheel state. The Rams next home game is Wednesday, Dec. 6 against Old Dominion University.

sweep against the University of Virginia. The victory gave the Panthers a 25-6 overall record and an 18-2 mark in the ACC. Junior middle blocker Tori Baldwin has four A-10 player of the week honors this season. Sophomore middle blocker Jasmin Sneed and senior libero Rebekah Strange are right behind her with three.

Two outside hitters, senior Alica Kandler and sophomore Vicki Giommarini, each have weekly titles under their belts.

“The amount of time, dedication and love this team has for this sport is the reason we are doing so well,” Baldwin told the CT. “We all are rising as one, everyone is on the same boat paddling at the same time. When one falls, we all pick her up, there is no one left behind.”

Sophomore guard Jailyn Maddox is averaging 10 points and 3.2 rebounds per game this season.

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Monday, November 27, 2017

7

On this day On Nov. 27, 1991 Freddie Mercury, gender-bending icon and lead vocalist of Queen, was buried in West London Crematorium after dying from HIV/AIDs on Nov. 24, 1991.

PHOTOS BY SHAYLA BAILEY

“Toys of the ‘50s, ‘60s, and ‘70s”: Playing through history

“Toys of the ‘50s, ‘60s and ‘70s,” is one of the largest visiting exhibitions to come to the Virginia Historical Society.

Talkov said the increased focus on child safety during the 1960s and ‘70s is shown through the exThe Virginia Historical Soci- hibition. A child’s environmental ety’s exhibition, “Toys of the ‘50s, test kit from the 1970s includes ‘60s and ‘70s” reflects U.S. history safety warnings, while a similar toy and culture with the display of over from the 1950s did not.

400 objects and many accompanying narratives.

After opening in February of this year, the exhibition’s stay was extended until Dec. 31 as a result of positive visitor feedback. “Toys” is one of the largest special exhibitions brought to the VHS, featuring well-known toys like Barbie and Mr. Potato Head, in addition to hundreds of others.

“Our economy was booming [after World War II] and I think that parents wanted to give their children everything that they possibly could,” said Andrew Talkov, VHS Vice President for Exhibitions and Publications. “There was this huge consumer movement. I think that from the sort of long story of American history, you see the culture represented in the toys.”

The prevalence of toys relating Andrew Talkov, VHS Vice to technology during the 1960s President for Exhibitions was a result of the Space Race, such and Publications as the case of the Alpha-1 ballistic missile toy which was invented “Things like toy guns, for inin Richmond. Makers of the toy stance, have gone through a sigwanted to encourage the study of nificant development to make rocketry while creating a fuel for them look less realistic over time,” the rocket which was safe for chil- Talkov said. dren, Talkov said.

As conveyed by information in GEORGIA GEEN Staff Writer

By the 1970s, there was more... attention being paid to childhood development that was separate and distinct from children just being sort of small versions of adults.

the exhibition, the middle of the 20th century brought with it a cultural anxiety around child-rearing.

Many toys that have learning components are found throughout the exhibition.

“Children’s education was always a part of toys in this period,” Talkov said. “ But I think that by the 1970s, there was more...attention being paid to childhood development that was separate and distinct from children just being sort of small versions of adults.”

The exhibition is divided into three sections displaying the popular and significant toys of each decade. Several reconstructed living rooms are included, each one designed around a popular toy from the time. For example, the 1960s living room is inspired by the Barbie Dream House with bright pinks and zebra-printed accents.

Television became a significant part of life in the U.S. across the three decades represented by the exhibition. In 1954, over half of U.S. households had a television; in 1958, the number rose to 83.2 percent.

“The TV was not only a way to promote childhood toys...television shows became a generator of toys, too,” Talkov said.

Some examples of this phenomenon, the linkage of toys to children’s media, are shown in the exhibition, including Star Wars action figures. Talkov speculates

The exhibit is designed to encourage interactive engagement with toys. this is the major similarity between toys of the 1950s, ‘60s and ‘70s and those of today, that both are inspired by popular culture of the time.

Other major events of the time period also influenced the production of toys, such as the Civil Rights movement leading to diversification of toys and their advertisements.

“The toys are just reflective in many ways of what’s happening in the larger story of our country,”

Talkov said. “The children represented in the commercials become more diverse than they were 20 years earlier. The toys become much less gender-specific than they were 20 years earlier.”

Despite the fact “Toys of the ‘50s, ‘60s and ‘70s” focuses on toys and children from decades past, Talkov said people of all ages should be able to enjoy the exhibition for a variety of reasons.

“Our youngest audiences prob-

ably relate to toys that they recognize,” Talkov said. “I think the exhibit is best experienced as a group because it is really fun, the one thing I see every time I’m in there is people talking about their toy memories.”

Tickets for the exhibition are $10 for non-members of the VHS and free for members and children under 18.

Add Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri to your favorites list.

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SAMUEL GOODRICH Staff Writer When fall transitions into winter, film studios and distributors enter a rat’s race to release their best films in a variety of genres in hopes that the impact of their work will put them in the running of winning some of the most coveted film awards in early 2018.

One such film making the rounds in Oscar predictions is the darkly comedic drama “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri.”

While the initial word-of-mouth set impossibly high expectations, this is one of the films living up to the hype, becoming one of the most well made, well scripted and well acted films I’ve seen all year.

Frances McDormand, who is one of the few actresses to have won an Academy Award, Tony Award and an Emmy Award, plays

Mildred, a mother whose daughter was raped and murdered seven months ago. With the police failing to find a suspect in that time, Mildred decides to pressure them by buying out three billboards asking the police chief why he hasn’t done anything yet. Mildred must now face the consequences of her actions, as everyone in the small town of Ebbing has an opinion.

McDormand gives an Oscarworthy performance, portraying Mildred as a revenge-fueled badass and a hopelessly lost mother seeking answers. Her character is complex with relatable flaws, making her all the more endearing. This is balanced out by the moments when McDormand show off her comedic and dramatic abilities, reminding everyone she’s an amazing actor.

Every other major character is just as complex and likeable. They never become too exaggerated; they

all feel eccentric with three-dimensional emotions. Sam Rockwell plays a local cop named Dixon who is detestable at first, but induces sympathy by the end, all without feeling out of character.

The myriad of complex characters is supported by a brilliant script full of hilariously witty lines and genius construction. Many scenes left me laughing long after and the emotional beats don’t feel out of place, surprisingly fitting into the darkly-comedic tone.

In fact, “Three Billboards” excels in challenging audience expectations. From the moment it began, I felt I knew exactly where the film was going and how each character would be portrayed. Yet, as the story played out, I realized all my expectations would be completely destroyed before the credits rolled and I still wasn’t prepared for some of the turns the film took.

My expectations of how the themes would be handled were also dashed. The entire film focuses on the tension between revenge and forgiveness and how individuals come to their own conclusions of which side they fall on. While the movie has no definite answer as to which is better, the way these two responses are explored is beautiful to watch and oddly hopeful.

This feat of storytelling, character development and exploration of theme is what separates “Three Billboards” from other Oscar contenders, at least out of those I’ve seen. The complex performances mixed with the rewarding script help to elevate this revenge drama into one of my favorite movies of the year and a must-see for anyone looking for great cinema.

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The Commonwealth Times

ILLUSTRATION BY GRACE HUNSINGER

8

Nuanced perspectives on Thanksgiving GEORGIA GEEN Staff Writer Many people associate Thanksgiving with family, but, for a number of Native American people, the day marks a reminder of genocide and colonization.

VCU Art History and Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies student Daisy Matias is of half indigenous American descent and her view of Thanksgiving has changed in recent years.

“I have educated myself more on the struggles of indigenous people and my connection to those struggles, and have come to realize the true horror of the colonization which Thanksgiving is celebrating,” Matias said.

The origins of the holiday are complicated, but widely associated with the beginning of English colonization. An often overlooked celebration is that held

by English settlers of Virginia in 1619 in honor of the day of their

arrival in North America. Thanks- an exact origin. giving’s modern tradition claims Beginning in 1970, the United ties to a 1621 feast for which the American Indians of New EngWampanoag, a Native American tribe located in modern-day Massachusetts, amassed food for the Pilgrims, as the English settlers are known today.

It wasn’t until 1637 an official I have educated “Day of Thanksgiving” was declared myself more on

by Massachusetts Governor John Winthrop. The feast was in cel- the struggles of ebration of the return of a group of English settlers from a massacre in indigenous people, which hundreds of members of the and my connection Pequot tribe, located in modernto those struggles, day Connecticut, were killed.

Thanksgiving wasn’t an official and have come holiday until 1863; President Lincoln declared it following the vic- to realize the tories in Civil War battles in Vicksburg, Mississippi and Gettysburg, true horror of the Pennsylvania. Complicating mat- colonization which ters further is the fact both Native American and European cultures Thanksgiving is had harvest celebrations that re- celebrating. sembled modern-day Thanksgiving, making it difficult to pinpoint Daisy Matias, Student

land organized an annual National Day of Mourning which includes a rally and march in Plymouth, Massachusetts. The event is held on Thanksgiving each year and brings in Native and non-native supporters from across the country.

Jordyn Laravie, who studies Political Science and Psychology at VCU, describes the origins of Thanksgiving as “awful.”

“I don’t really celebrate Thanksgiving as the holiday itself, I just use the day because we often have a get-together with family,” Laravie said.

She feels most people today don’t celebrate the actual holiday.

Rather, “you’re just spending a day with your family and eating turkey.”

Matias said she “[goes] through the motions” of Thanksgiving with her family, but doesn’t intend to continue celebrating it in the future.

“I try my hardest to raise awareness about the true history behind Thanksgiving at this time of year,” Matias said.

Robert McGuire, a history student at VCU, also associates Thanksgiving as a day to spend with family, saying he gets to see people he doesn’t normally see. He views the origins of the United States as imperialist and “not necessarily the best history.”

McGuire feels it would be challenging to change the way Thanksgiving is celebrated in light of the holiday’s origins.

“It’s hard to change tradition like that,” McGuire said.

College was the first time McGuire was exposed to problematic aspects of Thanksgiving’s origins, since public schools don’t include those details in their curriculum, he said.

Matias said her perception of Thanksgiving was also altered by her experience in American schools, in which the holiday was portrayed “as a time to dress up like ‘Indians’ and learn about the friendship of the ‘Indians’ and ‘settlers.’” Now, she associates Thanksgiving with

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genocide and the colonization of the Americas.

The relationship between settlers in New England and the Native Americans in the region was not so peaceful as is portrayed to many students. Upon their arrival to the region, the Pilgrims stole Wampanoag winter provisions which were part of a graveyard for those who had died in a plague brought on by Europeans. Conflict arose, until a treaty was signed which heavily favored European settlers.

VCU Kinetic Imaging student Bailey Chasser said she wasn’t aware of details behind the origins of Thanksgiving. For her, the holiday isn’t about celebrating history, but a time to spend with family.

“It could also help if you turn [Thanksgiving] into something good,” Chasser said, suggesting the holiday be used to help feed others.

www.commonwealthtimes.org

9

Quote of the week “While many opponents of tax reform cite potentially negative effects it could have for middle class incomes and blue state incomes, college students are another demographic that should be concerned over these changes.” -Taylor Nguyen LETTER TO THE EDITOR

ILLUSTRATION BY IAIN DUFFUS

opinions

Monday, November 27, 2017

Republican tax cuts could hit college students hard Under current law, this would be tax free. Under the House proposal, for example, if a university decided to reduce a graduate student’s tuition by $20,000, that would be treated as income. This is effectively a reduction of the amount a school waives from tuition because students never actually get to spend their waivers for other things. This means they’ll be forced to use some of the money they receive on tuition payments on paying taxes.

There are 461,000 graduate students in the United States that could potentially face a hefty tax increase; 7,800 of them are VCU students. Additionally, 27,000 undergraduate students would be affected because the House bill also eliminates waiver deductions

The Fate of these benefits will mainly depend on which aspectsof the House and Senate version of the tax bill make it into the final version - Taylor Nguyen

given to the children of university employees and students whose employer covers tuition. This is because of the changes the Republicans might try to make on tax benefits given to students and employees of universities. The fate of these benefits will mainly depend on which aspects of the House and Senate version of the tax bill make it into the final version; the House version is much more aggressive towards tuition benefits for college students, while the Senate version is much more generous with regards to college students.

According to calculations done

by Eric Bronnenkat, the Head of Tax for Betterment, an online investment firm, a student whose tuition is $10,000 per semester, the national average, could see their

taxes raised by $3,765 a year. The Senate’s version, however, protects these deductions.

If a grad student needs to take out student loans when tuition waivers aren’t enough, they could also find themselves paying more in taxes. The interest a student pays on their student loans is currently allowed to be deducted from what that student owes from their federal income taxes by as much as $2,500, but this deduction is eliminated under the House version.

But wait, there’s more. The House bill kills the Lifetime Opportunity Credit, which offers financial assistance to those who attend undergraduate studies for more than five years. And both versions eliminate student loan forgiveness in the event that the

student has become disabled or has passed away. Under the new tax reform, parents or someone else would have to pay back the student loans of the disabled or dead student.

President Trump is scheduled to meet with Senate Republicans on Tuesday to discuss the details of their reforms and the Senate will hold a vote as early as Thursday.

After that, the two bills will most likely be consolidated into the final version. Until then, all we can do is wait.

-Taylor Nguyen

Ode to Self Care SEAN JACKSON Staff Columnist

As a lesbian, I’m very much attracted to females. When I interacted with a transgender man that seemed interested, I had a little identity crisis. But I also got good vibes from this person. In situations like this, should I give it a chance?

If you’re vibing and feel comfortable, I would definitely give it a go. A lot of the time relationships can, and should, teach us new things about ourselves and avenues that may have not been explored otherwise. You gain nothing from denying yourself experiences and emotions you haven’t felt before.

ILLUSTRATION BY IAIN DUFFUS

To the editor: Pres. Trump and Congressional Republicans are only a few steps away from achieving their long awaited goal of passing tax reform.

While many opponents of tax reform cite potentially negative effects it could have for middle class incomes and blue state incomes, college students are another demographic that should be concerned over these changes.

The part of the tax plan affecting college students the most are the changes the plan will make to how tuition waivers are treated.

A tuition waiver is when a school reduces or eliminates the amount a graduate or doctoral student must pay in tuition in exchange for work for the school, such as research or teaching.

When do you know that you’re happy in life? Do you think there’s a certain realization where it should click? If so, what would it be?

I don’t think there’s one overall indicator of happiness in life. It’s not an excessive amount of a chipper attitude or an all-encompassing feeling of completeness. If you can come to the realization that you can look at the smaller things in your life and find happiness in the minutest detail you are most likely some variation of happy or content.

This of course is going to vary from person to person but, for example, if you’re content with your work, job, whatever you do and the company you keep — you’re probably happy.

My partner has admitted to getting off from choking and general rough stuff during sex. We’ve tried it out a few times and it makes me feel really uncomfortable. I want her to enjoy sex, but I’m at a loss at what to do!

Well the first step is to advocate for yourself. Sex should always be three things: safe, fun and consensual! Use this as an opportunity to open up a dialogue between you and your partner and discuss your bodies, what you like and don’t like and figure out together what you folks can do to make sure every party is satisfied.

What can I do to stop missing someone?

This can be quite difficult to navigate depending on how and why your situation ended. Sometimes there is not a “because” or a “why” in a situation and you have to muster up everything you have and find closure intrinsically. It sucks at first, but as time progresses and you gain hindsight, you may find yourself in a better place than where you started.

If you’d like to send Shaun a question you can submit it via email at Jacksonsk@commonwelathtimes.org or anonymously at Lascivious-Witch.

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