Sports briefs
MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY
Joey Wingo (Richmond/Lee-Davis) had the top finish for VCU at the Tribe Open this past Saturday. The senior finished 14th overall in the 8K event, which was unscored, with a time of 27:22. Senior Jay Wyss (Richmond/J.R. Tucker) finished 16th with a time of 27:30.
The Rome report
College Football
North Carolina lost to Virginia this past Saturday. While UNC losing to the Cavaliers was a surprise, the way they lost the game was even more surprising. Virginia drove 82 yards to score a game-tying touchdown with 47 seconds left. Instead of trying to win the game in regulation, UNC coach Butch Davis opted to kneel on the ball twice and send the game into overtime.
This week
FIELD HOCKEY
Fri., Oct. 24, @ William & Mary, Williamsburg, 7 p.m.
Sun., Oct. 26, @ Old Dominion, Norfolk,
1 p.m.
MEN’S SOCCER
Wed., Oct. 22, @ Georgia State, Atlanta, 3 p.m.
Sat., Oct. 25, @ Towson, Towson, Md., 1 p.m.
WOMEN’S SOCCER
Fri., Oct. 24, vs.
Spirit Fest to replace Madness this year
VCU Student Government Association is making alterations to the annual October pep rally formerly known as Ram Madness. SGA is instead naming it Ram Spirit Fest . at least for now. Ram Spirit Fest will be at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 22 at the Stuart C. Siegel Center.
Chemistry, dialogue fuel ‘Appaloosa’
“Appaloosa” harks back to the westerns of old, when gunfights were exciting but not necessarily gratuitous-the lead character wooed by a mysterious damsel.
The structure even mirrors that of the classic western ideology: Two gunmen (Viggo Mortensen, “Lord of the Rings,” and Ed Harris, “A Beautiful Mind,”) are hired to clean up a town and restore it to the hands of businessmen.
Sculptor rediscovering himself
Abandoned by the previous teacher who could not deal with rowdy students, Ian McMahon walked into the torn-up classroom of a Baltimore inner-city elementary school.
McMahon faced the challenge of being the only art teacher for 580 students some of whom had been coloring for two months.
Letters to Editor
Dear Editor,
When former U.S. President Bill Clinton’s arrived Oct. 12 on the VCU campus, many students and Richmond locals gathered within the VCU Commons Plaza.
The campus courtyard, usually only inhabited by those eating or socializing between classes, has an abundance of space in which to sit or walk.
Rally madness hits Richmond
Last week was filled with former presidents and lipstick-wearing pit bulls. I attended Sen. Barack Obama’s rally with former President Bill Clinton at VCU Oct. 12 and Sen. John McCain’s rally with Gov. Sarah Palin at Richmond International Raceway Oct. 13-and lived to tell the tale.
Black and Gold fear pink slips
Students are rushing to secure jobs as the plummeting stock market has helped the job-loss rate soar to its highest point in five years. The burden of tuition increases has made students wary of their financial futures.
Even some well-known corporations are struggling to keep their head above water as meager third and fourth-quarter projections are beginning to take a toll.
Tightening the purse strings: VCU trims budget
Statewide budget cuts announced by Gov. Timothy M. Kaine will take their toll on VCU, who must cut costs by 5 percent, or $10.1 million, by June 2009.
Where the brunt of the budget cuts will fall is yet to be determined, but VCU’s Board of Visitors is considering a wide array of options including – but not limited to – larger class sizes, fewer course offerings and the possible elimination of some majors or degree programs.