Thursday, September 17th, 2026

News

‘Thank you, Mr. Paul’: BOV’s only response to parent’s concerns over police-student altercations during 2024 encampment

September 16, 2026

Sal Orlando, News Editor  Kayla Muñecas, Assistant News Editor VCU’s Board of Visitors provided no response to remarks and a letter from Andrew Paul, the parent of a VCU alum during the Sept. 11 meeting. Paul’s letter included a call to action demanding oversight from the Board over VCU’s use of police force on its students. However, the BOV did not issue a response to Paul or the public.  The letter posed two questions: “What oversight action has the Board of Visitors taken, if any, regarding VCU’s police attack on its own students on April 29, 2024?” and “What were the results of that oversight? Or if no action was taken, please explain why with a relevant, substantive answer.” Paul stated in his remarks that VCU has no evidence to support their claims that actions taken during the altercation were appropriate, did nothing to resolve the altercation, is undeserving of public trust, is lucky no one was more seriously killed or injured, ignored public petitions and outcry and restricted students’ self-expression. Paul said when he initially heard about the altercation, he was shocked, but understood the situation may have been blown out of proportion. The day after he heard the

VCU students raise awareness for vascular disease with new initiative

September 16, 2026

Skye Hathaway, Copy Editor  Young adults are usually not concerned about blood clots, but VCU students Sarah Ralston and Mollie Wheeler are looking to change that by working to educate college students on deep vein thrombosis.  While blood clots often affect older individuals, young people are still at risk of being affected, according to Ralston. She said it is important for students to be able to recognize the signs and symptoms of a blood clot in order to medically advocate for themselves. Ralston and Wheeler, both second-year Doctor of Physical Therapy students, created the project after meeting a father who wanted to spread awareness for DVT in young women after losing his daughter. Together, they work to teach young people about what causes DVT and how they can identify it. While putting posters up in an exam room at the Medical College of Virginia campus, Wheeler said that she and Ralston spoke to the medical director for VCU Health, who had sent two college-aged women to the hospital for DVT concerns that summer.   DVT may appear as a small patch on your leg or arm, which young people may brush off as a bruise, Ralston said. DVT most commonly occurs

Both Virginia and Richmond propose changes to Flock Safety cameras amongst backlash

September 16, 2026

Madeleine Biondi, Staff Writer Saniyah Pullen, Contributing Writer Restrictions enacted by the Flock camera company and local legislators limit access and use of Automation License Plate Reader data following a growing number of ending contracts and safety concerns. Since their 2023 introduction, Virginia has a total of 3,285 Flock cameras — technically named Flock Falcons — statewide, with 99 located in Richmond, according to rva.gov. Over 20 of Virginia’s counties, including Goochland and King William have ended their contracts with Flock, according to Cardinal News. Gov. Abigail Spanberger called for collaborative legislation that protects privacy and policing after stating that the demands to prohibit Flock cameras are ‘overly simplistic,’ according to WTOP.  On Aug. 13, Flock camera CEO Garrett Langley established new restrictions to limit data retention length and implement safeguards against misuse that will be instated in January 2027, according to a Flock press release. Richmond stated that law enforcement agencies use the data received from Flock cameras to investigate missing and endangered persons, stolen vehicles, and limited ongoing investigations. When starting an investigation, officers are required to input a valid reason code, which allows them to view findings.  Richmond Chief of Police Rick Edwards acknowledged community concern in

Cámaras de Flock en Richmond ven nuevas regulaciones siguiendo preocupaciones de la comunidad

September 16, 2026

Madeleine Biondi, Staff Writer Saniyah Pullen, Contributing Writer Legisladores locales y Flock, una compañía de cámaras, están implementando nuevas regulaciones en un esfuerzo para combatir el número de contratos cancelados, trayendo nuevos cambios en el nivel local y federal. Desde que introdujeron las cámaras en el 2023, Virginia tiene más de 3,285 por todo el estado. 99 de esas cámaras están en Richmond, según rva.gov. Más de 50 agencias y 20 condados en Virginia, incluyendo Goochland y King William han salido de sus contratos con Flock, según Cardinal News.  La gobernadora Abigail Spanberger pidió legislación colaborativa que protege la privacidad, después de decir que las exigencias para prohibir las cámaras eran ‘excesivamente simplistas,’ según WTOP.  El 13 de Agosto, el director ejecutivo de Flock, Garrett Langley, estableció nuevas restricciones para limitar cuánto tiempo se guardan los datos colectados y evitar el uso incorrecto de las cámaras. Tomarán efecto en enero del 2027, según un comunicado de prensa. La ciudad de Richmond afirma que agencias de la ley usan los datos colectados por Flock son para investigar personas perdidas, vehículos robados, y ayudar con investigaciones sin resolución. Al iniciar una investigación, es requerido que los oficiales entren un código de motivo

Dominion Energy and NextEra merger causes concerns among citizens

September 16, 2026

Tadek Wieczorek, Contributing Writer Local citizens voiced their energy cost concerns to a panel of Virginia Democrats on Wednesday, Sept. 9, at the Energy Costs Listening Tour.  The tour, hosted by Lt. Gov. Ghazala Hashmi, was designed to allow energy experts, politicians and Virginians to discuss the Dominion Energy and NextEra merger. Present were Del. Charlie Schmidt (D-Richmond), Del.Leslie Mehta (D-Chesterfield), Del. May Nivar (D-Henrico), and Shelby Green, an expert on mergers from Florida. Two Virginia Senators, Schuyler VanValkenburg (D-Henrico) and Mike Jones (D-Chesterfield), were in the crowd.  Virginia’s main electric utility company, Dominion Energy, is prepared to merge with Florida-based company NextEra in what would be the largest public utility corporation in history, according to Dominion Energy.  NextEra is already the largest public utility company in the U.S. by market capitalization, according to Yahoo Finance.  Virginia’s State Corporation Commission is closely reviewing the potential impacts of the merger. On Sept. 10, numerous Virginia localities, including Richmond city, decided to formally intervene in the process, according to CBS6.  Among the top frustrations voiced at this meeting were heightened electricity costs for residents, alongside data center demands and extreme weather.  Kelsey Bagot, a former NextEra senior attorney and current member of

Confederate statues leave Capitol Square as Richmond rethinks its history

September 16, 2026

Maddy Thurber, Staff Writer Richmond removed three Confederate statues that stood in Capitol Square on Friday, Aug. 28. The statues relocated to battlefield sites managed by the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation. The Virginia General Assembly authorized the removal and the relocation in the final budget.  Former Virginia Sen. Adam Ebbin introduced Senate Bill 636 in January, which called to have the Department of General Services remove the monuments. The bill passed the Senate 21-19 in February and was later tabled by the House Appropriations Committee in March. The budget allocated 1.79 million to the Department of General Services to relocate the three statues and gift them to the SVBF. Ebbin, who initiated the relocation, said a former member of the General Assembly approached him about it several years ago. He said he pursued the relocation as leaving the legislature because he did not want to miss the opportunity to act. The statues were of Thomas J. Jackson, William Smith, and Hunter Holmes McGuire. The removal of the statues is part of a broader movement within Richmond and across the U.S Southeast to remove Confederate monuments from public spaces. In 2020, Richmond City Council authorized the removal of the Robert E.

VCU BOV votes to combine several Master of Science programs

September 16, 2026

Sal Orlando, News Editor The Virginia Commonwealth University Board of Visitors voted to consolidate six Master of Science programs into one in a Sept. 11 meeting. The M.S. in Anatomy and Neurobiology, M.S. in Microbiology and Immunology, M.S. in Biochemistry, M.S. in Human Genetics, M.S. in Pharmacology and Toxicology and M.S. in Physiology and Biophysics will now become one program: the M.S. in Biomedical Sciences, according to the proposal. Each program’s discontinuation is reasoned to be from a struggle to uphold “sufficient student enrollment.” A range of one to six students are enrolled in the six programs. The changes will take effect this year, however students currently enrolled in the program will still be able to complete their original degree, David Oglethorpe, assistant vice president for Academic Affairs Communications, stated in an email. The merged programs will no longer admit students at the beginning of the Fall 2027 semester. Faculty who teach in any of the discontinued programs will continue teaching in other programs in the School of Medicine. Staff who are involved in the program will continue in other programs in the department, college or school. “The academic affairs team is consistently evaluating demand and viability of all of

VCU celebrates historical LGBTQ+ group with celebratory marker

September 9, 2026

Olivia Rine, Staff Writer Nearly 50 years ago, VCU’s Gay Alliance of Students — otherwise known as GAS, won a historic court case against VCU. This October, a historical marker will be rewarded in celebration between the Commons and Temple building, according to VCU News. A group of students founded GAS at VCU in September of 1974 as the first openly LGBTQ+ student organization, according to the Virginia Museum of History and Culture. The school originally denied the society’s application for official recognition, which led to the historical federal case that was ruled in favor of the GAS. When GAS submitted their application, it was not sent to the VCU Office of Student Life, but instead the Board of Visitors, which was an unusual practice. The VCU BOV ultimately rejected their application, claiming that it was not in the best interest of the institution. The GAS was the only one denied in the 1975 school year out of 145 organization applications. According to Justia, this led one student to sue Alfred T. Matthews, Dean of Student Life and Wyndham B. Blanton Jr., member of the Board of Visitors, for recognition as an official organization, and to grant GAS with the

‘Thank you, Mr. Paul’: BOV’s only response to parent’s concerns over police-student altercations during 2024 encampment

September 16, 2026

Sal Orlando, News Editor  Kayla Muñecas, Assistant News Editor VCU’s Board of Visitors provided no response to remarks and a letter from Andrew Paul, the parent of a VCU alum during the Sept. 11 meeting. Paul’s letter included a call to action demanding oversight from the Board over VCU’s use of police force on its students. However, the BOV did not issue a response to Paul or the public.  The letter posed two questions: “What oversight action has the Board of Visitors taken, if any, regarding VCU’s police attack on its own students on April 29, 2024?” and “What were the results of that oversight? Or if no action was taken, please explain why with a relevant, substantive answer.” Paul stated in his remarks that VCU has no evidence to support their claims that actions taken during the altercation were appropriate, did nothing to resolve the altercation, is undeserving of public trust, is lucky no one was more seriously killed or injured, ignored public petitions and outcry and restricted students’ self-expression. Paul said when he initially heard about the altercation, he was shocked, but understood the situation may have been blown out of proportion. The day after he heard the news, Paul said he went on a deep dive to find all of the information available.  “It only seemed to confirm that VCU made a very dangerous decision to attack its own students with riot police against students who were otherwise peaceful and it was unnecessary,” Paul said.  VCU Police was involved in the altercation and later conducted the investigation into the incident. According to VCU spokesperson Brian McNeill, the investigation’s conclusion was that the university’s response was in compliance with protocol. Paul says that an in-depth investigation by the Board of Visitors is necessary, regardless of who was in the wrong, in order to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future.  “IF VCU IS RIGHT AND CONFIDENT IN ITS DECISION, IT SHOULD WELCOME AN UNBIASED INVESTIGATION – LET’S LEARN ALL THE FACTS,” read Paul’s remarks to the BOV. Paul explained that even if the university was not at fault for the altercation, it is only right for an organization to investigate “crisis-type incidents.”   Paul mentioned he was born in Ohio in 1970, the year of the Kent State shooting, where four students protesting the Vietnam War were fatally shot by authorities. In response, protests broke out across the

VCU students raise awareness for vascular disease with new initiative

September 16, 2026

Skye Hathaway, Copy Editor  Young adults are usually not concerned about blood clots, but VCU students Sarah Ralston and Mollie Wheeler are looking to change that by working to educate college students on deep vein thrombosis.  While blood clots often affect older individuals, young people are still at risk of being affected, according to Ralston. She said it is important for students to be able to recognize the signs and symptoms of a blood clot in order to medically advocate for themselves. Ralston and Wheeler, both second-year Doctor of Physical Therapy students, created the project after meeting a father who wanted to spread awareness for DVT in young women after losing his daughter. Together, they work to teach young people about what causes DVT and how they can identify it. While putting posters up in an exam room at the Medical College of Virginia campus, Wheeler said that she and Ralston spoke to the medical director for VCU Health, who had sent two college-aged women to the hospital for DVT concerns that summer.   DVT may appear as a small patch on your leg or arm, which young people may brush off as a bruise, Ralston said. DVT most commonly occurs

Both Virginia and Richmond propose changes to Flock Safety cameras amongst backlash

September 16, 2026

Madeleine Biondi, Staff Writer Saniyah Pullen, Contributing Writer Restrictions enacted by the Flock camera company and local legislators limit access and use of Automation License Plate Reader data following a growing number of ending contracts and safety concerns. Since their 2023 introduction, Virginia has a total of 3,285 Flock cameras — technically named Flock Falcons — statewide, with 99 located in Richmond, according to rva.gov. Over 20 of Virginia’s counties, including Goochland and King William have ended their contracts with Flock, according to Cardinal News. Gov. Abigail Spanberger called for collaborative legislation that protects privacy and policing after stating that the demands to prohibit Flock cameras are ‘overly simplistic,’ according to WTOP.  On Aug. 13, Flock camera CEO Garrett Langley established new restrictions to limit data retention length and implement safeguards against misuse that will be instated in January 2027, according to a Flock press release. Richmond stated that law enforcement agencies use the data received from Flock cameras to investigate missing and endangered persons, stolen vehicles, and limited ongoing investigations. When starting an investigation, officers are required to input a valid reason code, which allows them to view findings.  Richmond Chief of Police Rick Edwards acknowledged community concern in

Cámaras de Flock en Richmond ven nuevas regulaciones siguiendo preocupaciones de la comunidad

September 16, 2026

Madeleine Biondi, Staff Writer Saniyah Pullen, Contributing Writer Legisladores locales y Flock, una compañía de cámaras, están implementando nuevas regulaciones en un esfuerzo para combatir el número de contratos cancelados, trayendo nuevos cambios en el nivel local y federal. Desde que introdujeron las cámaras en el 2023, Virginia tiene más de 3,285 por todo el estado. 99 de esas cámaras están en Richmond, según rva.gov. Más de 50 agencias y 20 condados en Virginia, incluyendo Goochland y King William han salido de sus contratos con Flock, según Cardinal News.  La gobernadora Abigail Spanberger pidió legislación colaborativa que protege la privacidad, después de decir que las exigencias para prohibir las cámaras eran ‘excesivamente simplistas,’ según WTOP.  El 13 de Agosto, el director ejecutivo de Flock, Garrett Langley, estableció nuevas restricciones para limitar cuánto tiempo se guardan los datos colectados y evitar el uso incorrecto de las cámaras. Tomarán efecto en enero del 2027, según un comunicado de prensa. La ciudad de Richmond afirma que agencias de la ley usan los datos colectados por Flock son para investigar personas perdidas, vehículos robados, y ayudar con investigaciones sin resolución. Al iniciar una investigación, es requerido que los oficiales entren un código de motivo

Dominion Energy and NextEra merger causes concerns among citizens

September 16, 2026

Tadek Wieczorek, Contributing Writer Local citizens voiced their energy cost concerns to a panel of Virginia Democrats on Wednesday, Sept. 9, at the Energy Costs Listening Tour.  The tour, hosted by Lt. Gov. Ghazala Hashmi, was designed to allow energy experts, politicians and Virginians to discuss the Dominion Energy and NextEra merger. Present were Del. Charlie Schmidt (D-Richmond), Del.Leslie Mehta (D-Chesterfield), Del. May Nivar (D-Henrico), and Shelby Green, an expert on mergers from Florida. Two Virginia Senators, Schuyler VanValkenburg (D-Henrico) and Mike Jones (D-Chesterfield), were in the crowd.  Virginia’s main electric utility company, Dominion Energy, is prepared to merge with Florida-based company NextEra in what would be the largest public utility corporation in history, according to Dominion Energy.  NextEra is already the largest public utility company in the U.S. by market capitalization, according to Yahoo Finance.  Virginia’s State Corporation Commission is closely reviewing the potential impacts of the merger. On Sept. 10, numerous Virginia localities, including Richmond city, decided to formally intervene in the process, according to CBS6.  Among the top frustrations voiced at this meeting were heightened electricity costs for residents, alongside data center demands and extreme weather.  Kelsey Bagot, a former NextEra senior attorney and current member of

Confederate statues leave Capitol Square as Richmond rethinks its history

September 16, 2026

Maddy Thurber, Staff Writer Richmond removed three Confederate statues that stood in Capitol Square on Friday, Aug. 28. The statues relocated to battlefield sites managed by the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation. The Virginia General Assembly authorized the removal and the relocation in the final budget.  Former Virginia Sen. Adam Ebbin introduced Senate Bill 636 in January, which called to have the Department of General Services remove the monuments. The bill passed the Senate 21-19 in February and was later tabled by the House Appropriations Committee in March. The budget allocated 1.79 million to the Department of General Services to relocate the three statues and gift them to the SVBF. Ebbin, who initiated the relocation, said a former member of the General Assembly approached him about it several years ago. He said he pursued the relocation as leaving the legislature because he did not want to miss the opportunity to act. The statues were of Thomas J. Jackson, William Smith, and Hunter Holmes McGuire. The removal of the statues is part of a broader movement within Richmond and across the U.S Southeast to remove Confederate monuments from public spaces. In 2020, Richmond City Council authorized the removal of the Robert E.

VCU BOV votes to combine several Master of Science programs

September 16, 2026

Sal Orlando, News Editor The Virginia Commonwealth University Board of Visitors voted to consolidate six Master of Science programs into one in a Sept. 11 meeting. The M.S. in Anatomy and Neurobiology, M.S. in Microbiology and Immunology, M.S. in Biochemistry, M.S. in Human Genetics, M.S. in Pharmacology and Toxicology and M.S. in Physiology and Biophysics will now become one program: the M.S. in Biomedical Sciences, according to the proposal. Each program’s discontinuation is reasoned to be from a struggle to uphold “sufficient student enrollment.” A range of one to six students are enrolled in the six programs. The changes will take effect this year, however students currently enrolled in the program will still be able to complete their original degree, David Oglethorpe, assistant vice president for Academic Affairs Communications, stated in an email. The merged programs will no longer admit students at the beginning of the Fall 2027 semester. Faculty who teach in any of the discontinued programs will continue teaching in other programs in the School of Medicine. Staff who are involved in the program will continue in other programs in the department, college or school. “The academic affairs team is consistently evaluating demand and viability of all of

photo by Becca Schwartz

Price spike endangers EpiPen users

October 24, 2016

Walking away from a life-saving medicine is not easy, but VCU sophomore and Walmart pharmacy technician Mehran Stanakzai says he has seen people forced to