Wednesday, April 29th, 2026

Features

Professor teaches VCU’s first Asian American history class 

April 29, 2026

Burke Loftus, Staff Photographer VCU’s Department of History now offers a new course, Intro to Asian American History, the first of its kind in the university’s history.  Second-year political science student Trina LaFortune is a Filipino American from Annandale, Virginia. Growing up in Northern Virginia, she said most of her knowledge of Asian American culture came from conversations with her family, who immigrated to the United States from the Philippines in the early 2000s, and other Asian immigrant families. “We only highlighted ‘Asian studies’ in junior and senior year, and that was the extent of it,” LaFortune said. “There [are] a lot of Asian people in NOVA. Even then, my education just had a narrow scope of what Asian American history was.”  In the fall of 2025, LaFortune’s focused inquiry professor, Frank Cha, announced to the class that he would be teaching an Intro to Asian American History course in the spring — asking students to email him if they were interested. “Part of me was like, ‘Oh my god, this is representation,’ but also part of me was like, ‘No, I think I’m just more curious to see what else I can learn,’” LaFortune said. “I wanted to see

Latino Virginia project captures untold oral history 

April 22, 2026

Heciel Nieves Bonilla, News Editor “[In Spanish] I feel that I have found [Richmond] needs many changes. And that there is a lot of need out there. And before, when I had recently arrived, I couldn’t see that either — because normally when we arrive we submerge ourselves in a job, in long hours, and we don’t see that.” That is the experience of Richmond resident Claudia Leolo, captured in the Latino Virginia Oral History Project, which involved conducting over 140 interviews with Virginians who share a background or heritage in Latin America. The research was led by VCU associate professor of sociology Gabriela León-Pérez and associate professor of history Daniel Morales. León-Pérez said their main goal with the interviews was to dispel myths and stereotypes about Latin American migration. “In some cases, yes, it’s because of better economic opportunities, but also it can be for family reunification for families that have been separated, it can be due to domestic violence in the country of origin, or for better educational opportunities,” León-Pérez said. Research dives into identity, diversity of experience Virginia was home to more than 1.19 million immigrant residents in 2024, according to the Migration Policy Institute, more than

VCU R.A.A.C.E address injustice, teaches equity 

April 22, 2026

Maeve Bauer, Spectrum Editor  The VCU School of Social Work Radical Alliance for Anti-Racism, Change and Equity, or R.A.A.C.E, was formed in 2020. Their mission is to address the racial injustices that exist in the field of social work, in the past and today.  It is a focus of RAACE to level the playing field of academia, according to Lisa Borntrager, Ph.D. student and co-chair of R.A.A.C.E. They hope that the organization can bring about a more diverse and equitable environment.  Check your bias To do this, the board hosts different events that break down the barriers of these conversations. Just this last month they have hosted three of their own events. “Check Your Bias,” by Ra-Twoine “Rosetta” Fields, challenged participants to confront their own biases.  Fields challenged students and faculty to acknowledge their own biases and confront them. He brought different hypothetical scenarios to the crowd surrounding different racial, social and religious groups and asked participants to answer honestly what they thought. “Y’all are being nice,” Fields claimed, as the group danced around what they wanted to say, scared that they would say the wrong thing. However, in this room, there was no right or wrong, just honest. As

Birding class teaches students to conserve wildlife, and contemplate their own

April 15, 2026

Andrew Kerley, Executive Editor Every week, a dozen or so students get up at the crack of dawn and haul themselves into vans for a sleepy drive to beyond campus boundaries. The students are taking VCU’s avian ecology and conservation course, or as most of them put it — “birding class.”  In the class — and the corresponding VCU Avian Ecology Lab — students open their eyes and ears in order to spot and study the winged wonders of Virginia. Through their tranquil expeditions they learn quite a bit about birds, and perhaps a little bit about themselves. Beyond campus boundaries On a Friday in early March, the birding class drove far from campus to the Harrison Lake National Fish Hatchery — a prime spot with clear views and tall trees, inviting their subjects of study. Riding in their vans — promptly named Vanessa, Van-Halen or Vincent Van Gogh by students — they chirped about all of the modern fixings young people use to share their bird passion. There is eBird, the definitive app for recording and sharing one’s sightings — as well as Birdle, a daily guessing game akin to Wordle. Unloading at the hatchery, associate professor Lesley Bulluck

Professor teaches VCU’s first Asian American history class 

April 29, 2026

Burke Loftus, Staff Photographer VCU’s Department of History now offers a new course, Intro to Asian American History, the first of its kind in the university’s history.  Second-year political science student Trina LaFortune is a Filipino American from Annandale, Virginia. Growing up in Northern Virginia, she said most of her knowledge of Asian American culture came from conversations with her family, who immigrated to the United States from the Philippines in the early 2000s, and other Asian immigrant families. “We only highlighted ‘Asian studies’ in junior and senior year, and that was the extent of it,” LaFortune said. “There [are] a lot of Asian people in NOVA. Even then, my education just had a narrow scope of what Asian American history was.”  In the fall of 2025, LaFortune’s focused inquiry professor, Frank Cha, announced to the class that he would be teaching an Intro to Asian American History course in the spring — asking students to email him if they were interested. “Part of me was like, ‘Oh my god, this is representation,’ but also part of me was like, ‘No, I think I’m just more curious to see what else I can learn,’” LaFortune said. “I wanted to see how Dr. Cha would teach a class that wasn’t [focused inquiry] as well.” According to Cha, LaFortune is now taking VCU’s first official Asian American history course.  “We’ve always had those [history] courses, but I think we need to expand our perspectives a little bit more,” Cha said. “When we look at the trajectory of Asian American history, there are very strong parallels to what’s happening in the world right now.” Before teaching this course, Cha exclusively taught in the Department of Focused Inquiry. According to Cha, the 2025-26 academic year is the first in which focused inquiry professors have been able to teach outside of the unit after its transfer from the University College to the College of Humanities and Sciences in January 2025. Cha was offered the opportunity due to his expertise in the subject.  In 2013, Cha earned his Ph.D. in American studies from William & Mary, his dissertation focusing on Asian Americans in the South. While there, he taught Asian American history and literature courses. His work as a doctoral student helped launch what is now the Asian & Islander Pacific American Studies program at William & Mary. “I feel like our course catalog should, in

Latino Virginia project captures untold oral history 

April 22, 2026

Heciel Nieves Bonilla, News Editor “[In Spanish] I feel that I have found [Richmond] needs many changes. And that there is a lot of need out there. And before, when I had recently arrived, I couldn’t see that either — because normally when we arrive we submerge ourselves in a job, in long hours, and we don’t see that.” That is the experience of Richmond resident Claudia Leolo, captured in the Latino Virginia Oral History Project, which involved conducting over 140 interviews with Virginians who share a background or heritage in Latin America. The research was led by VCU associate professor of sociology Gabriela León-Pérez and associate professor of history Daniel Morales. León-Pérez said their main goal with the interviews was to dispel myths and stereotypes about Latin American migration. “In some cases, yes, it’s because of better economic opportunities, but also it can be for family reunification for families that have been separated, it can be due to domestic violence in the country of origin, or for better educational opportunities,” León-Pérez said. Research dives into identity, diversity of experience Virginia was home to more than 1.19 million immigrant residents in 2024, according to the Migration Policy Institute, more than

VCU R.A.A.C.E address injustice, teaches equity 

April 22, 2026

Maeve Bauer, Spectrum Editor  The VCU School of Social Work Radical Alliance for Anti-Racism, Change and Equity, or R.A.A.C.E, was formed in 2020. Their mission is to address the racial injustices that exist in the field of social work, in the past and today.  It is a focus of RAACE to level the playing field of academia, according to Lisa Borntrager, Ph.D. student and co-chair of R.A.A.C.E. They hope that the organization can bring about a more diverse and equitable environment.  Check your bias To do this, the board hosts different events that break down the barriers of these conversations. Just this last month they have hosted three of their own events. “Check Your Bias,” by Ra-Twoine “Rosetta” Fields, challenged participants to confront their own biases.  Fields challenged students and faculty to acknowledge their own biases and confront them. He brought different hypothetical scenarios to the crowd surrounding different racial, social and religious groups and asked participants to answer honestly what they thought. “Y’all are being nice,” Fields claimed, as the group danced around what they wanted to say, scared that they would say the wrong thing. However, in this room, there was no right or wrong, just honest. As

Birding class teaches students to conserve wildlife, and contemplate their own

April 15, 2026

Andrew Kerley, Executive Editor Every week, a dozen or so students get up at the crack of dawn and haul themselves into vans for a sleepy drive to beyond campus boundaries. The students are taking VCU’s avian ecology and conservation course, or as most of them put it — “birding class.”  In the class — and the corresponding VCU Avian Ecology Lab — students open their eyes and ears in order to spot and study the winged wonders of Virginia. Through their tranquil expeditions they learn quite a bit about birds, and perhaps a little bit about themselves. Beyond campus boundaries On a Friday in early March, the birding class drove far from campus to the Harrison Lake National Fish Hatchery — a prime spot with clear views and tall trees, inviting their subjects of study. Riding in their vans — promptly named Vanessa, Van-Halen or Vincent Van Gogh by students — they chirped about all of the modern fixings young people use to share their bird passion. There is eBird, the definitive app for recording and sharing one’s sightings — as well as Birdle, a daily guessing game akin to Wordle. Unloading at the hatchery, associate professor Lesley Bulluck

Richmond swordfighter ranks among world’s best

April 15, 2026

Benney Koch, Contributing Writer On a tennis court in Richmond, athletes gather with heavy bags of gear to clash with their blades. Donning great masks and thick gloves, fencers tap their swords before engaging with one another in quick combat. In an instant, one fighter strikes another, and they ready themselves to go at it again.  It looks like something out of a historical or fantasy film, but for Zach Showalter, it is the result of nearly a decade of disciplined training. Showalter, founder of the Scuffletown Fetterfechters, is currently ranked No. 10 in the world at longsword in Historical European Martial Arts, or HEMA.  What began as curiosity after watching an online video has grown into a competitive career and a central role in shaping Richmond’s expanding HEMA scene. “I thought it was the coolest thing,” Showalter said. “I was like, I have to do this.” HEMA is a martial art practiced through historical European fighting systems. Athletes read centuries-old manuals to adapt them into a modern, historically researched sport where they can compete against one another.  While HEMA is sometimes mistaken for LARPing — live action role playing — or Olympic fencing, the historical aspect and study balances

Fringe Fest artists bring whimsy and weirdness to annual festival

April 15, 2026

Molly Manning, Managing Editor Richmond’s Fringe Festival brought performances of art, music and theater to venues across the city last weekend, fostering connections between Richmond locals, viewers and performers from all over the country. Fringe Fest is a queer led event created in 2020, focused on a curated set of events and performers and framed around a profit-sharing model arts and creativity event that aims to “cross-pollinate” people in Richmond through performance and mutual aid, according to their website.  The festival ran from April 10-13 and kicked off with workshops at the Virginia Repertory Theater and a “Fring-aoke Sneaky Opening Party” at Fallout on Friday night. With RuPaul as the backdrop on every screen in the room, Fringe lovers, artists and performers gathered to usher in the long weekend with karaoke classics like Amy Winehouse, Mariah Carey and even a little Weird Al.  For Paolo Garbanzo — a Richmond native, VCU alum, juggler, comedian and Dungeons and Dragons aficionado, karaoke means Prince’s “Raspberry Beret” or an attempt at a Tenacious D song.  Garbanzo is spending the first April in 12 years in his hometown, and had a new version of his show this weekend — Decide Your Endangerment, a fast-paced

William Thomas researches solutions to health inequities, including his own disease

April 8, 2026

Sapphira Mohammed, Copy Editor Fourth-year biology student William Thomas has been conducting research at VCU on curing sickle cell disease, the very same disease he has lived with his entire life. Thomas has had his eyes set on becoming a doctor since he was a kid. Fascinated by his own doctors, Thomas wanted to learn more about how his body worked when going to appointments for his sickle cell. Now, Thomas is in the business of figuring out how all bodies handle sickle cells in order to cure himself and other minorities who are disproportionately affected by the chronic illness. Sickle cell disease is a condition that causes red blood cells to become rigid and deform into a crescent, or sickle shape, according to the CDC. Sickled cells die early and often become lodged in small blood vessels, restricting blood flow, which can lead to serious health problems such as pneumonia, heart disease and strokes. Thomas was diagnosed with the illness at birth, but only reckoned with what that meant when his high school science teacher taught his class about the disease. At that point Thomas began falling in love with the subject. However, his interest in research came during

In Richmond, competing ‘No Kings’ protests reveal divided leadership, complicated movement

April 2, 2026

Andrew Kerley, Executive Editor Richmond had not one, but two anti-Trump protests on Saturday, as ideological and strategic disagreements between organizers led them to hold separate demonstrations. In downtown Kanawha Plaza, 50501 Virginia held a diverse rally alongside a coalition of progressive community organizers that turned into a march through some of the city’s busiest streets.  A mile away in Monroe Park, RVA Indivisible held a “No Kings Freedom Fest” with music, canvassing by local Democratic parties and high-profile speakers such as Lt. Gov. Ghazala Hashmi.  The different approaches by the two Richmond organizations, which previously worked together, revealed a rift that has been festering for months — reflecting national disagreements on how to best dissent against the unprecedented second Trump administration.  Third ‘No Kings’ smaller than last Richmond protest A number of demonstrators said they were confused about which protest they were supposed to attend. The crowds at both Kanawha Plaza and Monroe Park — even if combined — were smaller than the first two major “No Kings” protests in Richmond.  A June 2025 march attracted an estimated 10,000 people, and an October 2025 march reached 20,000. On Saturday, only 3,000 people showed up to Kanawha Plaza, and 5,500