Friday, Feb 27, 2026

News

Five years after Adam Oakes’ hazing death, VCU community weighs-in on prevention

February 25, 2026

Heciel Nieves Bonilla, News Editor Molly Manning, Managing Editor “The medical examiner said if anybody would have called and got Adam help, he would be alive today.” These are the words of Eric Oakes, the father of Adam Oakes, a VCU student who died before the end of his first year from hazing in the Delta Chi fraternity house in 2021. Feb. 27 marks the five-year anniversary of his death as the university and its students continue hazing prevention efforts. Adam was pledging the Delta Chi fraternity when he died by alcohol poisoning at an event Feb. 27, 2021. Both the national Delta Chi organization and VCU suspended the fraternity from campus the day after his death, per a previous report by The CT. After a seven-month-long police investigation, 11 people, including a VCU graduate and non-student, were indicted. His family then released a statement listing things to be learned from the death of their 19-year-old son and the ensuing arrests. VCU and the Oakes family issued a joint statement in September 2022 following their agreement and settlement payment of $995,000 to the family from VCU and the Commonwealth of Virginia. The agreement included strengthening the requirements for students’ Greek

Campus unions fight to be included in collective bargaining bill after halftime snub

February 25, 2026

Andrew Kerley, Executive Editor Heciel Nieves Bonilla, News Editor Campus unions across Virginia are fighting to ensure their inclusion in pending legislation to repeal the state’s ban on public employees’ collective bargaining rights. Public-sector collective bargaining is the ability of state-employed workers to have a recognized union — giving them the right to lobby for better working conditions and negotiate their contracts. Public-sector collective bargaining was banned in Virginia after an incident in 1943, when 28 Black women who worked as maids at the University of Virginia’s hospital walked out in protest against unfair pay and negotiated new wages for themselves. Campus unions have been advocating for a repeal of the ban at the Virginia General Assembly for years. This session the repeal was introduced again, according to a previous report by The CT. It is backed by the United Campus Workers of Virginia — including the VCU chapter — as faculty, staff and student employees fall under the public worker umbrella. The House of Delegates Appropriations Committee removed higher education employees from their version of the bill earlier this month. The Senate’s version currently still includes higher education employees, but now discounts home health care workers. Lawmakers will have

VCU POLL: Many Virginians voted with democracy concerns in mind

February 25, 2026

Sal Orlando, Assistant News Editor The L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs released a new Commonwealth Poll on Feb. 10 with results showing Virginians are concerned about democracy and civic norms. Virginians were motivated to vote this past election to maintain democracy and civility, with 41% naming it their top issue, according to the poll. Of those polled, 32% said the top issue faced by legislators during the current General Assembly session should be threats to democracy. “Right now, the biggest safeguard to our democracy is how people are reacting to it in public opinion polling, not how Congress is reacting to it, not how our allies are reacting to it — but the president seems pretty nulled by those things, he doesn’t seem to care,” said Christopher Saladino, an associate professor of political science. Saladino said President Donald Trump changes his policies and orders when public opinion shifts. Virginia Democrats recently released their proposed congressional district map that would likely give Democratic representatives a 10-1 majority in the state, per a previous report by The CT. Similar moves have been made in California and Maryland, following redistricting done by Republicans in Texas, which removed Democratic seats

Remembering Raymond Boone, founder of the Richmond Free Press

February 25, 2026

Heciel Nieves Bonilla, News Editor “East Suffolk Cagers to meet Courtland Wednesday Afternoon” read the first headline in the Library of Virginia’s record attributed to Raymond Boone, founder of the now-shuttered Richmond Free Press. The article was published Jan. 20, 1953 and is an initial touchpoint for the career of Raymond Boone, a native Virginian, who established himself as a pillar of the community, reporting in Richmond and nationwide. At the time of that publication, Raymond Boone attended East Suffolk High School in what is now the City of Suffolk, Virginia, but in 1954 was part of Nansemmond County. He was 14-years-old. The short piece appeared in the still-active Suffolk News-Herald, but Raymond Boone also spent his high school years writing for a school newspaper he founded. At a meeting of the school’s press club on Oct. 28, 1952 recorded in the Suffolk News-Herald, Raymond Boone shared a sentiment he would carry throughout his career. He told the group a news reporter “should be, in general, tactful, energetic, accurate, ambitious, aggressive and truthful.” It was a time of legally sanctioned segregation in Virginia, and much of his continued work for the News-Herald appeared in its “Colored News” section. His wife

REPORT: VCU better than national average, but still ‘hostile’ for Muslim students

February 25, 2026

Kayla Muñecas, Contributing Writer A report from the Council of American-Islamic Relations released Feb. 11 categorized VCU as a “hostile campus” for Muslim students. The university was ranked as less-hostile than the average of the universities studied. Approximately 2,000 Muslim students attend VCU.The report, which observed 51 universities and colleges across the country throughout 2025, aimed to gauge the prevalence of Islamophobia on campuses, as well as measure institutional support for Muslim students and their allies. The CAIR’s findings can serve as a “roadmap for improvement,” and can encourage higher education institutions to create safer spaces for their Muslim students, according to the report. There are three possible categories that universities can fall into in the report: “unhostile campus,” “under watch campus” and “hostile campus.” Under watch campuses are defined as campuses that have demonstrated inconsistent support of Muslim students or have exhibited harmful behaviors. Hostile campuses are defined as those that have been deemed repressive or discriminatory towards Muslim students. VCU received a score of 45 out of 100, which, despite earning the institution the lowest ranking category, still fell above the average score from the CAIR’s findings. Of the 51 schools that were examined, 47 were seen as

ARCHIVES: AFAM students had to fight for their major

February 25, 2026

Andrew Kerley, Executive Editor While many VCU students enjoy being African-American studies majors in 2026, it took decades of protest and advocacy by some of the most outspoken voices on campus to achieve such a status. Early days VCU became VCU when Richmond Professional Institute merged with the Medical College of Virginia in 1968 — now making up the Monroe Park and MCV campuses respectively. VCU’s first full semester was the fall of 1968. The new school launched with two AFAM courses: “AAS100-Africanism,” taught in Williams House, and “AAS201-Intro to Afro-American Studies,” taught in Hibbs Hall.  The courses were organized by a committee at the request of students, as there was no full AFAM department at the time. AAS100-Africanism — an “exploration of the works of the Black man” — was in such great demand that the newly-launched school had to open up another course section, according to CT archives. Three new 200 and 300-level courses were added the following Spring. One group, Students for an African Philosophy, was very prominent on campus in the early years of VCU, according to CT archives. One record shows they received a sizable portion of funds raised by the student activity fee. SAAP

Democrats remove three VCU Board of Visitors members

February 19, 2026

Andrew Kerley, Executive Editor The Democrat-majority Virginia General Assembly voted last week to remove three members from VCU’s Board of Visitors — the school’s highest governing body. Among the removed members were the final appointees of former Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin: real estate developer Lara Tyler Chambers and tech employment firm founder Lori Jennings. Also removed was CoStar CEO Andy Florance, a member initially appointed by former Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam and reappointed by Youngkin — and whom VCU’s new arts building is being named after. The VCU Board of Visitors now has three vacant seats going into its first full meetings of the semester on Feb. 26 and 27. Gov. Abigail Spanberger will be able to fill the vacancies, as well as make the four routine appointments the governor typically makes every summer — meaning seven members of the 16-member body could be Spanberger appointees before the 2026-27 academic year begins. The Office of the Governor declined a request for comment by The CT to clarify if Spanberger will fill the vacancies and appoint new members to the VCU Board of Visitors this semester, or even before their upcoming meetings. Virginia Senate Democrats, VCU and the VCU Faculty Senate

At VCU, Jewish students search for unity in wake of Gaza protests

February 19, 2026

Sapphira Mohammed, Copy Editor “I’m in a weird place right now with my Judaism when it comes to my beliefs about Israel,” an anonymous VCU student said. The anonymous student, Jewish by ethnicity and religion, said the teachings they received about Israel before Oct. 7, 2023 only consisted of praise for the country and included no mentions of conflict with Palestinians. “What’s happening to the Palestinian people is a genocide and I absolutely believe that the Israeli government is not right at all,” the anonymous student said. “It’s just a very thin line, because I do have a history with Israel, but my love for it is within my memories and my experiences.” The anonymous student’s viewpoint is growing in popularity. Nearly four out of every 10 Jewish Americans believe Israel has committed genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, according to a September 2025 Washington Post survey. Over six in 10 believe Israel has at least committed war crimes. “When I transferred to VCU post-Oct. 7, I have felt a bit isolated when it came to my community,” the anonymous student said. “So it’s been difficult to join any of the Jewish orgs on campus, because I don’t know where I

Five years after Adam Oakes’ hazing death, VCU community weighs-in on prevention

February 25, 2026

Heciel Nieves Bonilla, News Editor Molly Manning, Managing Editor “The medical examiner said if anybody would have called and got Adam help, he would be alive today.” These are the words of Eric Oakes, the father of Adam Oakes, a VCU student who died before the end of his first year from hazing in the Delta Chi fraternity house in 2021. Feb. 27 marks the five-year anniversary of his death as the university and its students continue hazing prevention efforts. Adam was pledging the Delta Chi fraternity when he died by alcohol poisoning at an event Feb. 27, 2021. Both the national Delta Chi organization and VCU suspended the fraternity from campus the day after his death, per a previous report by The CT. After a seven-month-long police investigation, 11 people, including a VCU graduate and non-student, were indicted. His family then released a statement listing things to be learned from the death of their 19-year-old son and the ensuing arrests. VCU and the Oakes family issued a joint statement in September 2022 following their agreement and settlement payment of $995,000 to the family from VCU and the Commonwealth of Virginia. The agreement included strengthening the requirements for students’ Greek life eligibility, designating Feb. 27 as an annual hazing prevention day and a day of remembrance of Adam and other alcohol regulation and hazing prevention guidelines. Adam’s parents founded the Love Like Adam Foundation to support students, families, law enforcement officers and others with hazing prevention education through spreading awareness and information about hazing, as well as providing scholarships for high school students. Their documentary “Death of a Pledge: The Adam Oakes Story” recalls the night of Adam’s death and includes interviews from his parents and a few Delta Chi members who were involved. The state of Virginia enacted “Adam’s Law” in 2022. It requires universities to provide hazing prevention training and education to all new, potential or current members of student organizations. It also requires the advisors of student organizations to receive hazing prevention training. Universities must now maintain and publicly report actual findings of violations of the institution’s code of conduct or law violations pertaining to hazing that are reported, per a previous report by The CT. Eric Oakes is pleased with the results of Adam’s Law, and said he is happy with the way VCU has implemented it. He noted that hazing remains a problem statewide, and

Campus unions fight to be included in collective bargaining bill after halftime snub

February 25, 2026

Andrew Kerley, Executive Editor Heciel Nieves Bonilla, News Editor Campus unions across Virginia are fighting to ensure their inclusion in pending legislation to repeal the state’s ban on public employees’ collective bargaining rights. Public-sector collective bargaining is the ability of state-employed workers to have a recognized union — giving them the right to lobby for better working conditions and negotiate their contracts. Public-sector collective bargaining was banned in Virginia after an incident in 1943, when 28 Black women who worked as maids at the University of Virginia’s hospital walked out in protest against unfair pay and negotiated new wages for themselves. Campus unions have been advocating for a repeal of the ban at the Virginia General Assembly for years. This session the repeal was introduced again, according to a previous report by The CT. It is backed by the United Campus Workers of Virginia — including the VCU chapter — as faculty, staff and student employees fall under the public worker umbrella. The House of Delegates Appropriations Committee removed higher education employees from their version of the bill earlier this month. The Senate’s version currently still includes higher education employees, but now discounts home health care workers. Lawmakers will have

VCU POLL: Many Virginians voted with democracy concerns in mind

February 25, 2026

Sal Orlando, Assistant News Editor The L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs released a new Commonwealth Poll on Feb. 10 with results showing Virginians are concerned about democracy and civic norms. Virginians were motivated to vote this past election to maintain democracy and civility, with 41% naming it their top issue, according to the poll. Of those polled, 32% said the top issue faced by legislators during the current General Assembly session should be threats to democracy. “Right now, the biggest safeguard to our democracy is how people are reacting to it in public opinion polling, not how Congress is reacting to it, not how our allies are reacting to it — but the president seems pretty nulled by those things, he doesn’t seem to care,” said Christopher Saladino, an associate professor of political science. Saladino said President Donald Trump changes his policies and orders when public opinion shifts. Virginia Democrats recently released their proposed congressional district map that would likely give Democratic representatives a 10-1 majority in the state, per a previous report by The CT. Similar moves have been made in California and Maryland, following redistricting done by Republicans in Texas, which removed Democratic seats

Remembering Raymond Boone, founder of the Richmond Free Press

February 25, 2026

Heciel Nieves Bonilla, News Editor “East Suffolk Cagers to meet Courtland Wednesday Afternoon” read the first headline in the Library of Virginia’s record attributed to Raymond Boone, founder of the now-shuttered Richmond Free Press. The article was published Jan. 20, 1953 and is an initial touchpoint for the career of Raymond Boone, a native Virginian, who established himself as a pillar of the community, reporting in Richmond and nationwide. At the time of that publication, Raymond Boone attended East Suffolk High School in what is now the City of Suffolk, Virginia, but in 1954 was part of Nansemmond County. He was 14-years-old. The short piece appeared in the still-active Suffolk News-Herald, but Raymond Boone also spent his high school years writing for a school newspaper he founded. At a meeting of the school’s press club on Oct. 28, 1952 recorded in the Suffolk News-Herald, Raymond Boone shared a sentiment he would carry throughout his career. He told the group a news reporter “should be, in general, tactful, energetic, accurate, ambitious, aggressive and truthful.” It was a time of legally sanctioned segregation in Virginia, and much of his continued work for the News-Herald appeared in its “Colored News” section. His wife

REPORT: VCU better than national average, but still ‘hostile’ for Muslim students

February 25, 2026

Kayla Muñecas, Contributing Writer A report from the Council of American-Islamic Relations released Feb. 11 categorized VCU as a “hostile campus” for Muslim students. The university was ranked as less-hostile than the average of the universities studied. Approximately 2,000 Muslim students attend VCU.The report, which observed 51 universities and colleges across the country throughout 2025, aimed to gauge the prevalence of Islamophobia on campuses, as well as measure institutional support for Muslim students and their allies. The CAIR’s findings can serve as a “roadmap for improvement,” and can encourage higher education institutions to create safer spaces for their Muslim students, according to the report. There are three possible categories that universities can fall into in the report: “unhostile campus,” “under watch campus” and “hostile campus.” Under watch campuses are defined as campuses that have demonstrated inconsistent support of Muslim students or have exhibited harmful behaviors. Hostile campuses are defined as those that have been deemed repressive or discriminatory towards Muslim students. VCU received a score of 45 out of 100, which, despite earning the institution the lowest ranking category, still fell above the average score from the CAIR’s findings. Of the 51 schools that were examined, 47 were seen as

ARCHIVES: AFAM students had to fight for their major

February 25, 2026

Andrew Kerley, Executive Editor While many VCU students enjoy being African-American studies majors in 2026, it took decades of protest and advocacy by some of the most outspoken voices on campus to achieve such a status. Early days VCU became VCU when Richmond Professional Institute merged with the Medical College of Virginia in 1968 — now making up the Monroe Park and MCV campuses respectively. VCU’s first full semester was the fall of 1968. The new school launched with two AFAM courses: “AAS100-Africanism,” taught in Williams House, and “AAS201-Intro to Afro-American Studies,” taught in Hibbs Hall.  The courses were organized by a committee at the request of students, as there was no full AFAM department at the time. AAS100-Africanism — an “exploration of the works of the Black man” — was in such great demand that the newly-launched school had to open up another course section, according to CT archives. Three new 200 and 300-level courses were added the following Spring. One group, Students for an African Philosophy, was very prominent on campus in the early years of VCU, according to CT archives. One record shows they received a sizable portion of funds raised by the student activity fee. SAAP

Democrats remove three VCU Board of Visitors members

February 19, 2026

Andrew Kerley, Executive Editor The Democrat-majority Virginia General Assembly voted last week to remove three members from VCU’s Board of Visitors — the school’s highest governing body. Among the removed members were the final appointees of former Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin: real estate developer Lara Tyler Chambers and tech employment firm founder Lori Jennings. Also removed was CoStar CEO Andy Florance, a member initially appointed by former Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam and reappointed by Youngkin — and whom VCU’s new arts building is being named after. The VCU Board of Visitors now has three vacant seats going into its first full meetings of the semester on Feb. 26 and 27. Gov. Abigail Spanberger will be able to fill the vacancies, as well as make the four routine appointments the governor typically makes every summer — meaning seven members of the 16-member body could be Spanberger appointees before the 2026-27 academic year begins. The Office of the Governor declined a request for comment by The CT to clarify if Spanberger will fill the vacancies and appoint new members to the VCU Board of Visitors this semester, or even before their upcoming meetings. Virginia Senate Democrats, VCU and the VCU Faculty Senate