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Virginia lawmakers skip bill reversing restrictions on campus speech, expression

March 4, 2026

Andrew Kerley, Executive Editor Virginia lawmakers last month chose to hold off on requiring universities to lessen their restrictions on student speech, expression and demonstrations on campus. Public universities in Virginia, including VCU, created new Campus Expression and Space Utilization Policies ahead of the 2024-25 academic year. They came at the behest of former Republican Attorney General Jason Miyares following a series of pro-Palestine encampment protests that led to over 100 arrests. VCU’s updated policy includes new rules that prevent students from protesting in certain spaces, such as the Compass, and requires them to pre-register for large gatherings. It also places restrictions on sign sizes, amplified sound, chalking and wearing masks to conceal one’s identity. “The First Amendment of the United States Constitution requires VCU to strike a balance, allowing the widest latitude for free expression and debate while maintaining order and an educational environment free from disruption,” the policy states. “It allows VCU to regulate the time, place and manner of expression.” House Bill 1473 was introduced by Del. Charlie Schmidt, D-Richmond, a VCU professor and constitutional lawyer. He was arrested “a lot” while protesting as a VCU student himself in the early 2000s. The proposal would have required

Attendees decry campus expansion at board of visitors meeting

March 4, 2026

Bryer Haywood, Staff Writer Students and concerned Richmonders warned VCU against unchecked expansion and disinvesting in the Richmond community at the VCU Board of Visitors meeting on Feb. 26 and 27 — the first since the General Assembly removed l three of its members. Those removed were real estate developer Lara Tyler Chambers, tech employment founder Lori Jennings and CoStar CEO Andy Florance, according to a previous report by The CT. In his report, President Michael Rao addressed the cuts to the board and expressed sadness about the departure of Chambers, Jennings and Florance. He reflected on each of their contributions to the board and looked back fondly at their achievements. Rao mentioned that Florance — whose company is the namesake of VCU’s new arts and innovation center — was a good friend of his. He said he will miss him in Richmond. The Office of the Provost declined to comment on the removals. The Office of the President did not respond by deadline. Board reforms stall in General Assembly Currently, there are four representatives on the board of visitors who represent undergraduate students, graduate students, faculty members and staff respectively. All four of them are non voting members and

VCUarts faculty call out job cuts, low morale

March 4, 2026

Researchers find new genetic information on Marshall Street Well victims

March 4, 2026

Media literacy and mental health go hand in hand

March 4, 2026

Urjita Mainali, Contributing Writer There’s no escaping the news these days. The algorithms that shape social media are ubiquitous to today’s culture — pushing the news to the front of our feeds. Worse, these algorithms tend to promote the most miserable news because it drives engagement. This incentivizes people — and even some news networks — to promote the worst headlines, sometimes even making them up. This issue has only exacerbated with the increasing quality of AI generated photos and videos. Like many students on this campus, I’m personally invested in justice for sexual assault victims and for the protection of women and young girls. My social media algorithm seems to know this. Every feed on every platform has shown me every update on the Epstein files. Even though I care about this issue, it’s hard for me to see and read all these updates due to their explicit and disturbing content. There’s really no “one size fits all” formula for media literacy, in the same way that there’s no single understanding of mental health. However, frequent exposure to these updates have left me hopeless and despairing. Despite this, it didn’t feel right to me to turn away from media

Yes, the whitewashing in ‘Wuthering Heights’ is a big deal

March 4, 2026

Kylie Grunsfeld, Contributing Writer The internet has been abuzz with conversation surrounding director Emerald Fennell’s adaptation of Emily Brontë’s 1847 novel “Wuthering Heights.” One of the adaptation’s larger controversies is Fennell’s decision to cast Jacob Elordi, a white man, in the leading role of Heathcliff, an explicitly non-white character. Fennell is not the first director to make the decision to whitewash Heathcliff; the character has been played by Tom Hardy, Ralph Fiennes and Laurence Olivier in past adaptations. So why is Elordi’s casting such a big deal? First, we have to understand the role that Heathcliff’s race and skin color plays in Brontë’s novel. It is not simply a decision Brontë made offhandedly — it is the reason why Heathcliff is treated the way he was and why he eventually turns into the man that he did. It is Heathcliff’s perceived otherness that keeps him and Catherine, the anti-heroine of the book, from each other. How did Fennell justify the treatment of Heathcliff as “other” if skin color was not involved? She just decided that keeping him as lower-class would be enough. Fine. The story still works. It starts a far less poignant, thought-provoking conversation, but it works. But if

Puppet master teaches students how to create, care for foam friends

March 4, 2026

Fakeha Naeem, Contributing Writer VCUarts Theatre, in collaboration with Virginia Repertory Theatre, returned with Puppetry 102, the second class puppet related workshops, with Mary Nagler, an artist and a puppeteer with 40 years of experience working in the performing arts. The workshop was structured in a lecture format and took place from 5 to 6 p.m. at the Singleton Center. It was similar to the first Puppetry 101 event, which was held Feb. 4. The second class offered students a more hands-on experience exploring a technique called “flat patterning,” which uses flat sheets of foam and their natural bend to make shapes. Nagler brought in a “naked puppet” and then showed attendees how to start building upon its base. She spoke extensively on the techniques and material used to construct the “snap head” and mouth construction. “I feel capable, and more welcomed in the business, learning different aspects of costumes and ways to improve skills,” said Audri Ulm, a fourth-year theatre student who attended the workshop. In her previous workshop Nagler walked students through the types of puppets that are being used in the industry such as shadow puppets, marionettes, hand puppets and table puppets. She brought in some of

How VCU student movements evolved through the decades

March 4, 2026

Maeve Bauer, Spectrum Editor Catherine Colombo, Contributing Writer Since its inception in 1968, VCU has seen the work of student activists, journalists and free thinkers shape campus culture. The VCU Libraries Special Collections and Archives department created an exhibition, “Voices of Change: Student Advocacy and Action from the Archives,” that delves into the very student movements that have made the “uncommon,” urban campus what it is today. Special Collections held a panel last Thursday with four VCU alums who discussed their time at VCU and the different protests they were involved in. Panelists included Dale Brumfield, IBé Bulinda Hereford Crawley, Krissi Vandenberg and C. A. P. Ward. It was moderated by interdisciplinary studies director Vineeta Singh. The four panelists studied at VCU at different times. Together, their words strung together an overall picture of student movements from the 1970s to the modern day. Many of them cited VCU as a second home — and they all held similar beliefs of building and relying on community. “That’s where voice starts,” Crawley said. “People actively talking is where we make change.” The exhibition was created in 2025 as a way to highlight movements throughout the years that have created an overall net

VCU slugs past Dayton, punches ticket to March Madness

March 15, 2026

Drew Thompson, Sports Editor No. 2 VCU overcame No. 4 University of Dayton 70-62 in the Betterment Atlantic 10 championship for its second straight conference title. VCU won the tip and started the scoring with a stepback three from first-year guard Nyk Lewis. A layup on the following possession from second-year guard Brandon Jennings got the Rams to an early 5-0 lead. Dayton opened its scoring with a three from second-year forward Amaël L’Etang, before VCU redshirt fourth-year guard Jadrian Tracey responded with a three of his own. Rams second-year guard Terrence Hill Jr. continued his spark off the bench from yesterday with a fadeaway jumper from just inside the arc to keep VCU up five. The Flyers answered back with a three from fourth-year guard Javon Bennett and a jumper by L’Etang to tie it up, before Hill hit his first three of the game to regain VCU’s lead. VCU continued to stay narrowly ahead, but Dayton was always just behind as both teams traded makes halfway through the first. VCU third-year guard Tyrell Ward scored an immediate five points off a three and a layup through contact. Dayton hit a three to disrupt the momentum, however third-year forward

VCU decimates St. Joe’s en route to A-10 championship

March 14, 2026

Drew Thompson, Sports Editor No. 2 VCU men’s basketball advanced to its fourth consecutive conference championship appearance after beating No. 3 Saint Joseph’s University 77-64 in the Betterment Atlantic 10 tournament. VCU won the tip and opened the scoring off a quick layup from redshirt fourth-year guard Jadrian Tracey. St. Joe’s responded on the following possession, before a second layup gave it an early 4-2 lead. Despite the opening basket, VCU struggled to find paydirt early. The Rams suffered through a two minute scoring drought with four straight misses to start the game. The tempo was high in the opening four minutes with both teams getting shots up early in their possessions. VCU’s Tracey hit a corner three to regain the lead, and first-year guard Nyk Lewis followed with one of his own. The Rams defense picked up from where it left off in the quarterfinals, forcing the Hawks on a five minute scoring drought and capitalizing with an electric 21-2 run. “We definitely feed off any type of energy we get, especially from the fans travelling out here just to see us compete,” VCU second-year guard Terrence Hill Jr. said. St. Joe’s disrupted the run with a three, but

VCU hounds Duquesne in A-10 quarterfinals

March 13, 2026

Drew Thompson, Sports Editor No. 2 VCU took on No. 7 Duquesne University in the Betterment Atlantic 10 quarterfinals on Friday. VCU fought through a sluggish offensive start with a stout defense to come out on top 71-66. Duquesne won the tip and immediately opened the scoring with a three and an alley-oop to get a quick five point lead. VCU redshirt fourth-year guard Jadrian Tracey responded with his own three, however the Rams lagged behind early. The paint was virtually nonexistent for VCU in the opening five minutes, with all its points coming from behind the arc and getting blocked twice inside. VCU continued to struggle offensively with five consecutive misses and a three minute scoring drought. Duquesne took advantage with fluid passing and three straight makes to increase the lead to six. The Rams’ first-year guard Nyk Lewis disrupted the Dukes’ momentum with a timely three eight minutes in. Third-year forward Michael Belle followed it with VCU’s first points in the paint. Duquesne pulled ahead with a deep three, however Belle continued to find his shot inside with the Rams trailing. VCU quickly brought it back with a 6-0 run featuring a second-chance layup from Tracey, a transition

Women’s basketball looks to future after coach swap, losing season

March 13, 2026

Jenny Allen, Staff Writer VCU’s season came to an unfortunate end after Duquesne University stole its lead in the second half, taking a 60-52 victory. Atlantic 10 tournament results The Betterment Atlantic 10 2026 Women’s Championship tournament began with Duquesne winning the tip, sinking two quick buckets for the first points of the game. The Rams had electric energy in the first quarter as they prevented the Dukes from scoring for over seven minutes. The Rams’ adrenaline closed out the first quarter on top 15-10. VCU carried their momentum into the second quarter with impressive plays on offense and defense from third-year forward Lucia Sotelo and second year guard Katarina Knezevic. Going into the half, VCU led 30-19 and shot 37% from the field goal compared to Duquesne’s 21%. The Rams came out of the locker room with hopes to keep their lead up. However, the Dukes’ abruptly stole the Rams’ buzz, taking the lead for the first time since the first quarter. VCU tried to fight back but Duquesne did not let up and regained their lead as they entered the fourth and final quarter. The Rams’ continued to fall behind. The Dukes’ rhythm stretched into the final quarter.

VCU guard Terrence Hill Jr. takes second year leap as A-10 championship looms

March 4, 2026

Alexis Washington, Assistant Sports Editor VCU entered this season under new head coach Phil Martelli Jr. with a lot of questions. One of the biggest was “How will the offense look, and where will the scoring primarily come from?” Terrence Hill Jr. was the answer. The spark comes off the bench for VCU, and it arrives with Hill, a multi-skill second-year guard from the West Coast. Before making his mark in Richmond, Hill split his high school days between football and basketball — following in the footsteps of his father, who played both sports. Basketball runs deep in his family. Hill’s aunt, who recently passed away, played as well, but it was not until one particular game he realized his full potential. “We played against Cleveland High School,” Hill said. “Dame Lillard actually came to a game, and I hit a game winner while he was there. So that kind of was like a moment. I was like, ‘wow, this is kind of crazy.’” As a high school senior in 2024, Hill was named Portland Interscholastic League Player of the Year, to First Team All-State and to the Oregon School Activities Association’s 6A First Team All-Tournament. Hill brought that same