VCU, University of Richmond form historic partnership

Eugene P. Trani has done it again.

Making it his personal mission to clean up the streets of downtown Richmond, Trani has purchased the University of Richmond campus and merged it with the VCU campuses.

VCU, which was already the largest urban university in the state of Virginia, is now able more majors to its diverse student body.

Although VCU students resisted the change at first, they are now coming to grips with what has become reality.

Kitty McDaniel, a junior majoring in underwater Japanese basket weaving said she is slowly adjusting to the change.

“At first I felt awash in sea of popped collars. I almost bought a pair of khakis,” she said.

U of R students are also settling into life between merged campuses.

Christopher Macgregor IV, a first-year law student from the former U of R campus, said he wasn’t sure if he liked the newly merged curriculums.

“On the way to class the other day, I noticed a man peeing on a dumpster,” Macgregor said. “I’m pretty sure he wasn’t a student.”

Unfortunately, the transition has produced a rise in crime, most notably robberies.

Jim Shakey, a self-identified street prophet who recently received robbery charges, explained the rise in crime.

“Ya know, VCU students have a certain level of respect for those of us who are disadvantaged, but these Richmond kids – I had one tell me I needed to pull myself up by my bootstraps. Well that’s kinda hard when I ain’t got no boots, so I took his!”

Buffy Vanderbilt, a business major from Connecticut, said adjusting to the level of panhandling has been hard for her.

“It’s so hard seeing the economically disabled washing themselves in the Monroe Park Fountain, but sometimes I just don’t have any money,” she explained. “I once had a man follow me for two blocks asking me to write him a check for $2. Later that week I looked in my bank account and I was missing $2,000!! Needless to say I’m a little more skeptical now – I just take them to the ATM with me.”

To help ease the transition VCU added VCU 103: Surviving the City to the list of courses.

Joshua Copeland signed up to teach the course because he thought many U of R students might feel overwhelmed by life downtown.

“A lot of the students approached me after the first class with additional questions,” Copeland said. “They would ask me things like, ‘Is it okay to ask a bum if he can break a $100 bill?’ or ‘I’ve heard the train station in Shockoe Bottom is beautiful at night, what’s the quickest foot path down there after 10 p.m.?’ and it’s been great for me to help them.”

The transportation situation received a revamp with the merger.

In an effort to save money, the transit buses will now only run from Monday to Thursday. From Friday to Sunday students will be allowed to drive any vehicle with a license plate from a New England state that fits 5 or more students.

While not perfect, the results have been positive.

“I always wanted to do my part to help the environment,” James McCallister, a pre-law student, said. “Now I can. Half of the week I can ride the bus and for the other half my Excursion becomes a high-occupancy vehicle!”

Andrew Cain, a history major, said the best part of the deal has been all of the new experiences.

“I’d never driven a Suburban before,” Cain said. “Now I know that not only can it fit 8 people comfortably, but it absorbs most of the impact when you hit a tree!”

The university is currently in talks with Richmond city officials to absorb the property between the Monroe Park and Medical Center campuses.