Wednesday, Mar 25, 2026

Meal swipe donation proposal pushed to 2027

March 25, 2026

Kayla Munecas, Contributing Writer The bill that would allow Virginia university students to donate their unused meal plan credits did not pass the General Assembly this year. State lawmakers voted to continue debating the proposal in the 2027 session. The bill was introduced by Sen. Danica Roem, D-Manassas, and would have allowed students to voluntarily donate their unused meal swipes to be distributed for use by other students at campus dining halls or on-campus food pantries, such as the VCU Ram Pantry, according to a previous report by The CT. Roem was successful in establishing the “Hunger-Free Campus Food Pantry Grant Program” in 2025 to fund campus pantries and fight food insecurity. The new bill would have required universities to allow students to donate their swipes in order to remain in the program and receive grants. Roem told The CT one issue lawmakers took with that part of the proposal was a perceived unfairness of students donating swipes their parents had paid for. Roem feels that assertion assumes students have a traditional, nuclear family, middle-and-upper class path through college and ignores the many students who put themselves through college with grants and with alternative family structures. “Then the next part

Richmond’s sewer system fixes see mixed funding future

March 25, 2026

Heciel Nieves Bonilla, News Editor The plan to strengthen Richmond’s water system could receive $50 million in state funding over the next year — but a utility cost hike in Mayor Danny Avula’s proposed city budget indicate a need for further funding for the city’s infrastructure needs. The state funding is meant to support Richmond’s combined sewer overflow control project and is part of Virginia’s next budget set to be finalized during a special legislative session starting April 23. The sewer project legislators plan to fund is one of several water system improvements in the city’s last capital improvement plan, which covered fiscal years 2022-2026. It involves building structures to divert water during high water intake events, and improving the capacity of the city’s Wastewater Treatment Plant, a different facility in Southside. DPU public information manager Rhonda Johnson said the proposed state funding would specifically support the design and construction of the Shockoe High Rate Disinfection facility, the largest item in the project and a key element of controlling James River contamination. The $50 million to continue the project is short of the $80 million for several water infrastructure projects Avula requested last year in a letter to former Gov.

I love Richmond

March 25, 2026

Jalyn Thomas, Contributing Writer  I have been going to VCU for four years and, consequently, have lived in Richmond for four years. But I only recently started immersing myself in the Richmond community.  When I first started out at VCU, I didn’t see any point in trying to be part of the community that Richmond had to offer — I never thought that I would be here for longer than the four years it took for me to get my degree.  I was obviously wrong about that. Unbeknownst to past-me, I am going to be here longer than initially planned.  While looking for apartments and jobs in the city — a feat of considerable difficulty — I have been constantly asking myself why I decided to stay. The answer is simple; Richmond’s community just has so much to offer. A previous editorial published in The CT helped me put things in perspective.  The article reminded readers that VCU is in Richmond and that “we are visitors to this city.” I believe this is a great way to put it — we are first and foremost in Richmond, not the other way around.  That notion has made me think about how

‘Never again’ is happening now. We need to acknowledge it.

March 25, 2026

Kylie Grunsfeld, Staff Columnist As a Jewish woman who grew up within a Jewish community, I have found that a lot of people are very protective of the Holocaust and its history. Many are resistant to the idea that there might be another genocide — or an attempt at one — comparable. Its devastation is, all things considered, recent history. Victims of the concentration camps are alive today, and many families still carry that trauma with them. Members of my own family were victims.  The Holocaust was a tremendous tragedy, immense in scale. It stands as one of the most devastating events in human history. But we cannot pretend that it is the only tragedy of its kind.  We say “never again.” As Americans and citizens of the world, we pledge ourselves to making sure that no tragedy like the one that happened to my people — and to all the other populations victimized — ever happens again.  And yet.  In the decades after the Holocaust, there have been numerous atrocities that bear striking similarities. There were the Japanese internment camps — more accurately renamed as concentration camps by Asian American scholars — in America, the incarceration of Uyghur Muslims

GalaxyCon 2026 was gay nerd heaven

March 25, 2026

Sapphira Mohammed, Copy Editor Superman, Bumblebee, Pompompurin and Frank-N-Furter all walk into the same bar. Why? Because they just got back from GalaxyCon, obviously — the annual convention filled with some of Richmond’s finest entertainers and performers.  GalaxyCon LLC is a convention company based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, that organizes comic book and anime conventions in the United States. The company has hosted the convention in Richmond since 2019.  Actors, directors and entertainers from all areas of pop culture media come to the convention to speak on panels and meet fans. This year included actor Hayden Christensen from “Star Wars” and the director of “Scott Pilgrim vs. The World,” Edgar Wright.  Inside the exhibition hall is Artist Alley, a designated area in a convention where artists display and sell their work to convention attendees, according to GalaxyCon’s website.  Austin Vestel, a Salisbury, Maryland-based corset maker and leather worker, has been vending at conventions for 15 years. He said conventions like GalaxyCon have been a huge help to his boutique, Corset & Cogs. “I quickly learned that in a weekend, I could make what I made in an entire month in my physical location,” Vestal said. “So just getting my work

The women behind Ink Magazine: Decades of alternative art and culture

March 25, 2026

Sapphira Mohammed, Copy Editor Ink magazine is a student-run alternative publication that prints issues every semester with out-of-the-ordinary themes such as “cyber,” “sex” or “freaks.” The magazine is unlike other student publications at VCU, but its first issue was unique for a different reason — it was a newspaper created by and for African American students. Reflections in Ink was created in 1978 by the VCU student branch of the League of Black Journalists and the Black Student Alliance, according to VCU Libraries. African American students had just integrated into the college and wanted to create a newspaper based on their collective experiences, according to Marilyn Campbell, one of Reflections in Ink’s founders.  “As a media team, we sought freedom through expression — voicing our truths, reflecting our experiences and embracing the realities of our time,” Campbell stated. “As students, our purpose was to pursue academic dreams while working side jobs, volunteering to gain experience and grounding our ambitions in the lives we were living.” With technical assistance from The CT and information from the Third World Coalition, Reflections in Ink’s first issue was released in March 1978. They noted that it would be the only issue funded by student

PRESS BOX: Could Kyler Murray return to baseball?

March 25, 2026

Hayden Braun, Staff Writer Kyler Murray is no stranger to crossroads. Once the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 NFL and the No. 9 overall pick in the 2018 MLB draft, Murray chose a career in football over baseball.  After being released by the Arizona Cardinals, Murray signed with the Minnesota Vikings — however, he again finds himself at a crossroad. If things don’t work out in the NFL, a return to baseball could still be on the table. During his time in Arizona, Murray showed flashes of elite production but struggled to sustain long-term success. He threw for over 20,000 yards and 121 touchdowns while adding more than 3,000 rushing yards across seven seasons, according to ESPN.  Murray’s best season came in 2021, when the Cardinals opened the year 7–1 and looked like legitimate Super Bowl contenders.  However, the team collapsed down the stretch, losing five of its final seven games before being eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the Los Angeles Rams. Murray struggled in that loss, throwing for just 137 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions in a 34–11 defeat.  Murray’s time in Arizona never met expectations despite his talent, as injuries

PRESS BOX: Phil Martelli Jr. expanded VCU’s legacy

March 25, 2026

Drew Thompson, Sports Editor  Almost a year ago to the day, VCU announced Phil Martelli Jr. as the new men’s basketball head coach, replacing Ryan Odom.  Martelli came from a long coaching pedigree but had a relatively short career to this point, only having coached at Bryant University for two seasons before coming to VCU.  VCU is among other mid-major giants, and its expectations reflect that. Many fans — myself included — went into this season anticipating some growing pains.  Martelli inherited a squad that housed zero returning starters from the previous season. Not only that, but the non-conference schedule Martelli crafted featured more heavy hitters than Ram fans may have been accustomed to.  VCU was voted the top team in the 2025-2026 Atlantic 10 preseason despite all of this. Early non-conference losses to Utah State University, North Carolina State University and New Mexico University left people worried about the remainder of the season.  Those worries only grew when VCU started A-10 play with a 2-2 record, however from this point on a switch flipped with the team. After the conference loss to George Mason University on Jan. 10, VCU ended the season winning 17 of its last 19 games. 

MARCH 25 RECAP: How every VCU team did this week

March 25, 2026

Ben Martindale, Staff Writer Baseball at Virginia Tech University VCU fell to Virginia Tech 11-8 despite scoring eight runs for the second consecutive game.​​ The game started slow but picked up in the fourth inning with both teams driving in four runs. Going into the sixth inning the game was tied at five runs apiece. Virginia Tech pulled ahead from that point on, driving in six more runs en route to the victory. Lacrosse at Davidson College VCU beat Davidson 7-4 in a back-and-forth matchup. The Rams opened up the scoring as first-year Kate Unzicker scored with 12 minutes remaining in the first quarter. The two teams settled into a defensive battle from then on. Davidson scored two consecutive runs to take a 2-1 lead. The Rams bounced back to take a 5-3 lead by the 12 minute-mark of the third quarter. Davidson managed to score one more goal, but VCU controlled the remainder of the game. Women’s tennis vs George Mason University VCU cruised past George Mason 4-0 in an Atlantic 10 matchup. The Rams found their groove early, winning the doubles point after winning matches on courts two and three. In singles play, second-year Sara Alba continued the

Martelli signs contract extension through 2031-32 season

March 23, 2026

Hayden Braun, Staff Writer VCU men’s basketball head coach Phil Martelli Jr. signed a contract extension that will keep him with the Rams through the 2031–32 season, according to VCU Athletics. The extension comes after a standout first season in which Martelli led VCU to a 28–8 record, a share of the Atlantic 10 regular-season title and the A-10 tournament championship.  The Rams also earned an 82–78 overtime victory over No. 6 University of North Carolina in the first round of March Madness, marking the program’s first NCAA Tournament win since 2016. VCU’s 28 wins are tied for the second-most in program history and the most by a first-year head coach ever, according to VCU Athletics. Before Martelli’s time at VCU, he built a strong resume at Bryant University, where he posted a 43–25 record over two seasons as head coach and led the Bulldogs to an America East championship as well as an NCAA Tournament appearance. Martelli acknowledged the support behind the VCU program in a statement. “I am grateful to the players and the staff who believed in the vision and worked tirelessly to ensure its continued success,” Martelli stated. “We are very fortunate to be at such

VCU’s season ends at hands of Illinois in round of 32

March 21, 2026

Drew Thompson, Sports Editor After a historic first round, No. 11 VCU fell to No. 3 University of Illinois 76-55 in the second round of the NCAA tournament.  VCU won the tip before Illinois opened the scoring on a second-chance layup. The Rams found themselves at a disadvantage early, as first-year guard Nyk Lewis went down with an injury in the opening minute that took him out for the rest of the game.  Fourth-year forward Barry Evans started VCU’s tab with a transition layup to tie. Illinois responded with a 9-0 run while VCU struggled through a three-minute scoring drought.  VCU second-year guard Terrence Hill Jr. provided the spark once again, hitting a step-back corner three to bring the early deficit to 11-5.  The Rams still lagged behind while the Fighting Illini stayed hot. VCU started the game with two makes in 13 attempts while Illinois was six for 10 seven minutes in.  Illinois continued a 14-3 run, but Evans brought VCU some life with a corner three.  Second-year guard Brandon Jennings scored his first points with a three, before third-year forward Michael Belle and third-year guard Tyrell Ward combined for a transition lob, bringing the deficit to 20-13 halfway

Meal swipe donation proposal pushed to 2027

March 25, 2026

Kayla Munecas, Contributing Writer The bill that would allow Virginia university students to donate their unused meal plan credits did not pass the General Assembly this year. State lawmakers voted to continue debating the proposal in the 2027 session. The bill was introduced by Sen. Danica Roem, D-Manassas, and would have allowed students to voluntarily donate their unused meal swipes to be distributed for use by other students at campus dining halls or on-campus food pantries, such as the VCU Ram Pantry, according to a previous report by The CT. Roem was successful in establishing the “Hunger-Free Campus Food Pantry Grant Program” in 2025 to fund campus pantries and fight food insecurity. The new bill would have required universities to allow students to donate their swipes in order to remain in the program and receive grants. Roem told The CT one issue lawmakers took with that part of the proposal was a perceived unfairness of students donating swipes their parents had paid for. Roem feels that assertion assumes students have a traditional, nuclear family, middle-and-upper class path through college and ignores the many students who put themselves through college with grants and with alternative family structures. “Then the next part

Richmond’s sewer system fixes see mixed funding future

March 25, 2026

Heciel Nieves Bonilla, News Editor The plan to strengthen Richmond’s water system could receive $50 million in state funding over the next year — but a utility cost hike in Mayor Danny Avula’s proposed city budget indicate a need for further funding for the city’s infrastructure needs. The state funding is meant to support Richmond’s combined sewer overflow control project and is part of Virginia’s next budget set to be finalized during a special legislative session starting April 23. The sewer project legislators plan to fund is one of several water system improvements in the city’s last capital improvement plan, which covered fiscal years 2022-2026. It involves building structures to divert water during high water intake events, and improving the capacity of the city’s Wastewater Treatment Plant, a different facility in Southside. DPU public information manager Rhonda Johnson said the proposed state funding would specifically support the design and construction of the Shockoe High Rate Disinfection facility, the largest item in the project and a key element of controlling James River contamination. The $50 million to continue the project is short of the $80 million for several water infrastructure projects Avula requested last year in a letter to former Gov.

Opinion

I love Richmond

March 25, 2026

Jalyn Thomas, Contributing Writer  I have been going to VCU for four years and, consequently, have lived in Richmond for four years. But I only recently started immersing myself in the Richmond community.  When I first started out at VCU, I didn’t see any point in trying to be part of the community that Richmond had to offer — I never thought that I would be here for longer than the four years it took for me to get my degree.  I was obviously wrong about that. Unbeknownst to past-me, I am going to be here longer than initially planned.  While looking for apartments and jobs in the city — a feat of considerable difficulty — I have been constantly asking myself why I decided to stay. The answer is simple; Richmond’s community just has so much to offer. A previous editorial published in The CT helped me put things in perspective.  The article reminded readers that VCU is in Richmond and that “we are visitors to this city.” I believe this is a great way to put it — we are first and foremost in Richmond, not the other way around.  That notion has made me think about how

‘Never again’ is happening now. We need to acknowledge it.

March 25, 2026

Kylie Grunsfeld, Staff Columnist As a Jewish woman who grew up within a Jewish community, I have found that a lot of people are very protective of the Holocaust and its history. Many are resistant to the idea that there might be another genocide — or an attempt at one — comparable. Its devastation is, all things considered, recent history. Victims of the concentration camps are alive today, and many families still carry that trauma with them. Members of my own family were victims.  The Holocaust was a tremendous tragedy, immense in scale. It stands as one of the most devastating events in human history. But we cannot pretend that it is the only tragedy of its kind.  We say “never again.” As Americans and citizens of the world, we pledge ourselves to making sure that no tragedy like the one that happened to my people — and to all the other populations victimized — ever happens again.  And yet.  In the decades after the Holocaust, there have been numerous atrocities that bear striking similarities. There were the Japanese internment camps — more accurately renamed as concentration camps by Asian American scholars — in America, the incarceration of Uyghur Muslims

The Rundown

Spectrum

GalaxyCon 2026 was gay nerd heaven

March 25, 2026

Sapphira Mohammed, Copy Editor Superman, Bumblebee, Pompompurin and Frank-N-Furter all walk into the same bar. Why? Because they just got back from GalaxyCon, obviously — the annual convention filled with some of Richmond’s finest entertainers and performers.  GalaxyCon LLC is a convention company based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, that organizes comic book and anime conventions in the United States. The company has hosted the convention in Richmond since 2019.  Actors, directors and entertainers from all areas of pop culture media come to the convention to speak on panels and meet fans. This year included actor Hayden Christensen from “Star Wars” and the director of “Scott Pilgrim vs. The World,” Edgar Wright.  Inside the exhibition hall is Artist Alley, a designated area in a convention where artists display and sell their work to convention attendees, according to GalaxyCon’s website.  Austin Vestel, a Salisbury, Maryland-based corset maker and leather worker, has been vending at conventions for 15 years. He said conventions like GalaxyCon have been a huge help to his boutique, Corset & Cogs. “I quickly learned that in a weekend, I could make what I made in an entire month in my physical location,” Vestal said. “So just getting my work

The women behind Ink Magazine: Decades of alternative art and culture

March 25, 2026

Sapphira Mohammed, Copy Editor Ink magazine is a student-run alternative publication that prints issues every semester with out-of-the-ordinary themes such as “cyber,” “sex” or “freaks.” The magazine is unlike other student publications at VCU, but its first issue was unique for a different reason — it was a newspaper created by and for African American students. Reflections in Ink was created in 1978 by the VCU student branch of the League of Black Journalists and the Black Student Alliance, according to VCU Libraries. African American students had just integrated into the college and wanted to create a newspaper based on their collective experiences, according to Marilyn Campbell, one of Reflections in Ink’s founders.  “As a media team, we sought freedom through expression — voicing our truths, reflecting our experiences and embracing the realities of our time,” Campbell stated. “As students, our purpose was to pursue academic dreams while working side jobs, volunteering to gain experience and grounding our ambitions in the lives we were living.” With technical assistance from The CT and information from the Third World Coalition, Reflections in Ink’s first issue was released in March 1978. They noted that it would be the only issue funded by student

Sports

PRESS BOX: Could Kyler Murray return to baseball?

March 25, 2026

Hayden Braun, Staff Writer Kyler Murray is no stranger to crossroads. Once the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 NFL and the No. 9 overall pick in the 2018 MLB draft, Murray chose a career in football over baseball.  After being released by the Arizona Cardinals, Murray signed with the Minnesota Vikings — however, he again finds himself at a crossroad. If things don’t work out in the NFL, a return to baseball could still be on the table. During his time in Arizona, Murray showed flashes of elite production but struggled to sustain long-term success. He threw for over 20,000 yards and 121 touchdowns while adding more than 3,000 rushing yards across seven seasons, according to ESPN.  Murray’s best season came in 2021, when the Cardinals opened the year 7–1 and looked like legitimate Super Bowl contenders.  However, the team collapsed down the stretch, losing five of its final seven games before being eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the Los Angeles Rams. Murray struggled in that loss, throwing for just 137 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions in a 34–11 defeat.  Murray’s time in Arizona never met expectations despite his talent, as injuries

PRESS BOX: Phil Martelli Jr. expanded VCU’s legacy

March 25, 2026

Drew Thompson, Sports Editor  Almost a year ago to the day, VCU announced Phil Martelli Jr. as the new men’s basketball head coach, replacing Ryan Odom.  Martelli came from a long coaching pedigree but had a relatively short career to this point, only having coached at Bryant University for two seasons before coming to VCU.  VCU is among other mid-major giants, and its expectations reflect that. Many fans — myself included — went into this season anticipating some growing pains.  Martelli inherited a squad that housed zero returning starters from the previous season. Not only that, but the non-conference schedule Martelli crafted featured more heavy hitters than Ram fans may have been accustomed to.  VCU was voted the top team in the 2025-2026 Atlantic 10 preseason despite all of this. Early non-conference losses to Utah State University, North Carolina State University and New Mexico University left people worried about the remainder of the season.  Those worries only grew when VCU started A-10 play with a 2-2 record, however from this point on a switch flipped with the team. After the conference loss to George Mason University on Jan. 10, VCU ended the season winning 17 of its last 19 games. 

MARCH 25 RECAP: How every VCU team did this week

March 25, 2026

Ben Martindale, Staff Writer Baseball at Virginia Tech University VCU fell to Virginia Tech 11-8 despite scoring eight runs for the second consecutive game.​​ The game started slow but picked up in the fourth inning with both teams driving in four runs. Going into the sixth inning the game was tied at five runs apiece. Virginia Tech pulled ahead from that point on, driving in six more runs en route to the victory. Lacrosse at Davidson College VCU beat Davidson 7-4 in a back-and-forth matchup. The Rams opened up the scoring as first-year Kate Unzicker scored with 12 minutes remaining in the first quarter. The two teams settled into a defensive battle from then on. Davidson scored two consecutive runs to take a 2-1 lead. The Rams bounced back to take a 5-3 lead by the 12 minute-mark of the third quarter. Davidson managed to score one more goal, but VCU controlled the remainder of the game. Women’s tennis vs George Mason University VCU cruised past George Mason 4-0 in an Atlantic 10 matchup. The Rams found their groove early, winning the doubles point after winning matches on courts two and three. In singles play, second-year Sara Alba continued the

Martelli signs contract extension through 2031-32 season

March 23, 2026

Hayden Braun, Staff Writer VCU men’s basketball head coach Phil Martelli Jr. signed a contract extension that will keep him with the Rams through the 2031–32 season, according to VCU Athletics. The extension comes after a standout first season in which Martelli led VCU to a 28–8 record, a share of the Atlantic 10 regular-season title and the A-10 tournament championship.  The Rams also earned an 82–78 overtime victory over No. 6 University of North Carolina in the first round of March Madness, marking the program’s first NCAA Tournament win since 2016. VCU’s 28 wins are tied for the second-most in program history and the most by a first-year head coach ever, according to VCU Athletics. Before Martelli’s time at VCU, he built a strong resume at Bryant University, where he posted a 43–25 record over two seasons as head coach and led the Bulldogs to an America East championship as well as an NCAA Tournament appearance. Martelli acknowledged the support behind the VCU program in a statement. “I am grateful to the players and the staff who believed in the vision and worked tirelessly to ensure its continued success,” Martelli stated. “We are very fortunate to be at such

VCU’s season ends at hands of Illinois in round of 32

March 21, 2026

Drew Thompson, Sports Editor After a historic first round, No. 11 VCU fell to No. 3 University of Illinois 76-55 in the second round of the NCAA tournament.  VCU won the tip before Illinois opened the scoring on a second-chance layup. The Rams found themselves at a disadvantage early, as first-year guard Nyk Lewis went down with an injury in the opening minute that took him out for the rest of the game.  Fourth-year forward Barry Evans started VCU’s tab with a transition layup to tie. Illinois responded with a 9-0 run while VCU struggled through a three-minute scoring drought.  VCU second-year guard Terrence Hill Jr. provided the spark once again, hitting a step-back corner three to bring the early deficit to 11-5.  The Rams still lagged behind while the Fighting Illini stayed hot. VCU started the game with two makes in 13 attempts while Illinois was six for 10 seven minutes in.  Illinois continued a 14-3 run, but Evans brought VCU some life with a corner three.  Second-year guard Brandon Jennings scored his first points with a three, before third-year forward Michael Belle and third-year guard Tyrell Ward combined for a transition lob, bringing the deficit to 20-13 halfway

Comics

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