Saturday, October 17th, 2026

News

VCU students organize walkout to protest sexual violence in wake of Cornell lawsuit

October 14, 2026

Sal Orlando, News Editor Tadek Wieczorek, Contributing Writer Around 90 people attended a walkout against sexual violence on Oct. 10, organized by the National Organization for Women at VCU and the Feminist Generation Richmond chapter. The protest follows a lawsuit filed by Jane Doe against Cornell University and seven Cornell Chi Phi fraternity members, alleging she was raped and drugged by the men at a frat house in 2024, according to ABC news. The walkout’s organizers demanded that VCU be transparent about who they are holding accountable for sexual violence. Rebecca Weil, founder and president of NOW at VCU, said she organized the event on very short notice, posting about the walkout only three days before. “I am watching in anger as the institutions that are meant to protect us are failing us,” Weil said during her speech. “I’m watching as the police, as the attorney generals, as the administrators, are just now pretending to care.”  Weil said she does not believe VCU is doing enough to support students who are victims of sexual assault. “I want to make people care and I want to show not just VCU as an institution, but also the people who make up VCU,”

Richmonders honor history of Gabriel’s Rebellion at 24th annual gathering

October 14, 2026

Saniyah Pullen, Contributing Writer Ellie Waltman, Managing Editor The Virginia Defenders hosted its 24th annual Gabriel Gathering on Oct. 10 to educate and honor the history of Gabriel’s Rebellion, which occurred 226 years ago.  The event took place on Oct. 10, the day that Gabriel was executed, and was used to discuss how Gabriel’s story and the lessons learned from it could be used in current justice issues today.  The event featured speakers from the Virginia Defenders and unionized workers from United Food & Commercial Workers Local 400, APWU Local Retirees Chapter, Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden Workers United and the United Campus Workers of Virginia.  Gabriel, historically known as Gabriel Prosser after being given the last name of his enslaver, Thomas Prosser, was born into slavery in 1776. At 23 years old, he began to plan a rebellion with over 2000 enslaved people to forcibly take the Capitol and the Virginia State Armory to bargain for the release of Governor James Monroe in exchange for freeing Virginia’s enslaved population, according to the Library of Virginia.  On August 30, 1800, the planned rebellion took a sudden turn when a severe storm forced Gabriel to delay the event. Some enslaved people who

SGA led partnership provides students with free monthly STI and HIV screenings

October 14, 2026

Kayla Muñecas, Assistant News Editor.  A partnership between VCU Student Health, the Student Government Association and the Minority Health Consortium is making free HIV and STI screening available for students on a monthly basis.   The next event will take place on Oct. 27th, on the second floor of the VCU Student Health Services building at 1300 W. Broad St.  The project was initiated by SGA’s former secretary of state, Maddie Funk, according to SGA delegate Sollina Abraham. Funk witnessed a similar free screening service at the College of William and Mary, which was funded by their SGA, and felt inspired to do the same at VCU, according to Abraham. The partnership was led by Dr. Shannon Green, director of VCU Student Health and worked on by SGA delegate Sollina Abraham and former SGA delegate Arjun Nair.  One of the biggest obstacles in creating this event was finding sufficient funding, but with the help of nonprofit organizations in Richmond, it was made possible, according to Abraham. A collaboration with the Nationz Foundation, an LGBTQ+ advocacy organization, led to a first trial, which took place in the Student Commons in December of 2025. At the trial, 150 donated screenings were conducted.  “It

VCU construction focuses on new builds despite concerns for its aging facilities

October 14, 2026

Madeleine Biondi, Staff Writer The ONE VCU Master Plan expands major construction projects while largely opting to decommission old buildings rather than repair. VCU uses the Six-Year Capital Plan, prioritizing capital projects with large-scale construction and substantial funding. Funding for maintenance is state-derived while construction project reserves are sourced from the state, university and public-private partnership, according to the plan’s website. CoStar, an online real estate company and one of VCU’s notable corporate investors, is working in tandem with the university to create the CoStar Center for the Arts and Innovation as a consolidation of both visual and performing arts. The multidisciplinary building for theatre, music, dance, cinema and the Da Vinci Center aims for use in 2028, according to the VCUArts website. Brian McNeill, VCU’s Public Relations Director, explains that VCU typically reserves maintenance funds for immediate needs rather than renovation projects. “An important outcome of long-term master planning is to demolish facilities that are beyond their useful life and construct new,” McNeill said. “Generally, when facilities reach the end of their useful life, the most cost-effective long-term strategy is often to decommission and redevelop rather than continue accumulating deferred maintenance costs on aging infrastructure.” 87 of the 200

Richmond adopts resolution to restrict disclosure of residents’ immigration status

October 14, 2026

Deborah Aguilera, Contributing Writer Richmond City Council unanimously approved a resolution on Sept. 28 directing Mayor Danny Avula’s administration to establish a citywide “Trust Policy” governing how city employees handle residents’ immigration information and cooperate with federal immigration enforcement.  The resolution, introduced by 9th District Councilmember Nicole Jones, aims to establish clearer boundaries for the city’s involvement in federal immigration matters while maintaining trust between local government and immigrant communities, according to the legislation. In May, Richmond announced additional restrictions on federal access to its automated license plate reader data and reiterated that the Richmond Police Department does not enforce federal immigration law or coordinate with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Avula announced last week that the city will not renew the contract with Flock, but may sign anew contract with a different ALPR vendor, according to VPM. Under the new resolution, the administration is directed to develop formal regulations by Jan. 1, 2027, outlining how city employees may handle and disclose immigration-status information, subject to applicable laws and exceptions. Mira Signer, the mayor’s press secretary, stated in an email that it is a resolution that should direct the administration to develop a policy intended to protect residents’

‘Morale is low, but camaraderie is high’ VCUarts students respond to exclusion of fall ‘26 seniors in spring exhibition

October 14, 2026

Ellie Waltman, Managing Editor  VCUarts seniors in the Painting and Printmaking department graduating this fall were informed that they could not participate in the upcoming 2027 Spring Senior Exhibition held at the Anderson. This follows the department’s failure to inform the students who are graduating in December that they had to participate in the Spring 2026 Senior Exhibition to have their work featured.  The Anderson, a student exhibition and programming space located on Franklin St., hosts each senior exhibition to allow students the opportunity to learn about connecting their work to public audiences. Sophie Nave, a fourth-year Painting and Printmaking major, said the students in the department learned about this rule during their orientation for the presentation of their work.  The seniors were invited to the Anderson for an orientation walking them through the process of exhibiting. “The way we found out was truly by happenstance,” Nave said. “We get about 10 minutes into this orientation presentation, and the director is telling us about this Canvas course that’s going to have all the information on it,” Nave said. The graduating class would not have learned of this rule if the director of the Anderson had not responded to further questions

Two SGA members resign over discontentment with leadership

October 7, 2026

Sal Orlando, News Editor Two former VCU Student Government Association members resigned from the association last month over a series of grievances. Rosalyn Harper, a former SGA senator, stated in an email that she resigned from the association because it had reached a point where staying a senator would mean complicity with a “culture of retaliation, systemic hostility and bad-faith governance.” “Student government should be an environment where emerging leaders advocate for their peers and defend the vulnerable,” Harper stated. “Instead, I found myself constantly fighting an executive board that marginalized disabled members, policed peers’ personal backgrounds, suppressed democratic dissent and weaponized microaggressions against anyone who pushed back.” Harper stated that two main incidents caused her to step down, one being the “bad-faith targeting” regarding disability accommodations last semester. She stated that she watched leadership penalize a disabled senator over dress code mandates and conceal the Judicial Board ruling that excused him. “When I advocated for accessibility, [then] Press Secretary Bowen pulled me into a private, unsanctioned meeting to audit that student’s wardrobe and dismissively suggested he purchase alternative business attire — completely ignoring the financial realities of working-class students,” Harper stated. Harper stated that the second incident was the

VCU’s first-generation student population reaches a new high

October 7, 2026

Maddy Thurber, Staff Writer VCU’s class of 2030 has the most first-generation college students in university history. The university’s current first-year profile lists the number of first-generation students at 40%, according to VCU News. VCU reported that 36.9% of freshmen were first-generation in fall 2024, compared to 36.5% in fall 2023, according to its 2024-25 annual report. Hernan Bucheli, vice president for Strategic Enrollment Management and Global Initiatives, said VCU has taken a more “intentional approach” to reaching students who may not have a traditional roadmap to college. “We do not simply want to enroll more first-generation students, we want to create the conditions that enable academically prepared students to thrive, earn their degrees and fully realize the value of a VCU education,” Bucheli said. VCU defines first-generation students as those whose parents or legal guardians did not earn a bachelor’s degree. For these students, entering college can mean learning how to navigate higher education without family members who have gone through the experience themselves, according to VCU admissions. VCU offers support through You First at VCU, which provides programming, mentorship and opportunities for first-generation students to connect with faculty and staff. The university’s First-Generation Student Success and Research Center

VCU students organize walkout to protest sexual violence in wake of Cornell lawsuit

October 14, 2026

Sal Orlando, News Editor Tadek Wieczorek, Contributing Writer Around 90 people attended a walkout against sexual violence on Oct. 10, organized by the National Organization for Women at VCU and the Feminist Generation Richmond chapter. The protest follows a lawsuit filed by Jane Doe against Cornell University and seven Cornell Chi Phi fraternity members, alleging she was raped and drugged by the men at a frat house in 2024, according to ABC news. The walkout’s organizers demanded that VCU be transparent about who they are holding accountable for sexual violence. Rebecca Weil, founder and president of NOW at VCU, said she organized the event on very short notice, posting about the walkout only three days before. “I am watching in anger as the institutions that are meant to protect us are failing us,” Weil said during her speech. “I’m watching as the police, as the attorney generals, as the administrators, are just now pretending to care.”  Weil said she does not believe VCU is doing enough to support students who are victims of sexual assault. “I want to make people care and I want to show not just VCU as an institution, but also the people who make up VCU,” Weil said. “I want to show them that we are here for them, and not here for VCU.”  Weil said the people in the VCU Title IX office care deeply about what they do, but she believes Title IX as an institution is not designed to hold rapists accountable or reduce sexual violence.  “I see these posters around [saying] ‘We’re in the red zone,’” Weil said. “Okay, what the f*ck are we doing about that?” Zateya Jackson, a member of Feminist Generation Richmond, said she acknowledges the resources that VCU offers to students, but feels that people who do come out about their experiences with sexual violence by those in power at the university will not be taken seriously by VCU. “VCU has services out there, but they’re not easily accessible and they’re not proclaimed,” Jackson said. Jackson said given that some women are accused of lying after coming out about sexual assault, VCU needs to show that they support victims and investigate reports. “As women and as people, we want to know if we are sitting next to a rapist, we want to know if we are sitting next to someone who sexually assaulted somebody, because that puts our

Richmonders honor history of Gabriel’s Rebellion at 24th annual gathering

October 14, 2026

Saniyah Pullen, Contributing Writer Ellie Waltman, Managing Editor The Virginia Defenders hosted its 24th annual Gabriel Gathering on Oct. 10 to educate and honor the history of Gabriel’s Rebellion, which occurred 226 years ago.  The event took place on Oct. 10, the day that Gabriel was executed, and was used to discuss how Gabriel’s story and the lessons learned from it could be used in current justice issues today.  The event featured speakers from the Virginia Defenders and unionized workers from United Food & Commercial Workers Local 400, APWU Local Retirees Chapter, Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden Workers United and the United Campus Workers of Virginia.  Gabriel, historically known as Gabriel Prosser after being given the last name of his enslaver, Thomas Prosser, was born into slavery in 1776. At 23 years old, he began to plan a rebellion with over 2000 enslaved people to forcibly take the Capitol and the Virginia State Armory to bargain for the release of Governor James Monroe in exchange for freeing Virginia’s enslaved population, according to the Library of Virginia.  On August 30, 1800, the planned rebellion took a sudden turn when a severe storm forced Gabriel to delay the event. Some enslaved people who

SGA led partnership provides students with free monthly STI and HIV screenings

October 14, 2026

Kayla Muñecas, Assistant News Editor.  A partnership between VCU Student Health, the Student Government Association and the Minority Health Consortium is making free HIV and STI screening available for students on a monthly basis.   The next event will take place on Oct. 27th, on the second floor of the VCU Student Health Services building at 1300 W. Broad St.  The project was initiated by SGA’s former secretary of state, Maddie Funk, according to SGA delegate Sollina Abraham. Funk witnessed a similar free screening service at the College of William and Mary, which was funded by their SGA, and felt inspired to do the same at VCU, according to Abraham. The partnership was led by Dr. Shannon Green, director of VCU Student Health and worked on by SGA delegate Sollina Abraham and former SGA delegate Arjun Nair.  One of the biggest obstacles in creating this event was finding sufficient funding, but with the help of nonprofit organizations in Richmond, it was made possible, according to Abraham. A collaboration with the Nationz Foundation, an LGBTQ+ advocacy organization, led to a first trial, which took place in the Student Commons in December of 2025. At the trial, 150 donated screenings were conducted.  “It

VCU construction focuses on new builds despite concerns for its aging facilities

October 14, 2026

Madeleine Biondi, Staff Writer The ONE VCU Master Plan expands major construction projects while largely opting to decommission old buildings rather than repair. VCU uses the Six-Year Capital Plan, prioritizing capital projects with large-scale construction and substantial funding. Funding for maintenance is state-derived while construction project reserves are sourced from the state, university and public-private partnership, according to the plan’s website. CoStar, an online real estate company and one of VCU’s notable corporate investors, is working in tandem with the university to create the CoStar Center for the Arts and Innovation as a consolidation of both visual and performing arts. The multidisciplinary building for theatre, music, dance, cinema and the Da Vinci Center aims for use in 2028, according to the VCUArts website. Brian McNeill, VCU’s Public Relations Director, explains that VCU typically reserves maintenance funds for immediate needs rather than renovation projects. “An important outcome of long-term master planning is to demolish facilities that are beyond their useful life and construct new,” McNeill said. “Generally, when facilities reach the end of their useful life, the most cost-effective long-term strategy is often to decommission and redevelop rather than continue accumulating deferred maintenance costs on aging infrastructure.” 87 of the 200

Richmond adopts resolution to restrict disclosure of residents’ immigration status

October 14, 2026

Deborah Aguilera, Contributing Writer Richmond City Council unanimously approved a resolution on Sept. 28 directing Mayor Danny Avula’s administration to establish a citywide “Trust Policy” governing how city employees handle residents’ immigration information and cooperate with federal immigration enforcement.  The resolution, introduced by 9th District Councilmember Nicole Jones, aims to establish clearer boundaries for the city’s involvement in federal immigration matters while maintaining trust between local government and immigrant communities, according to the legislation. In May, Richmond announced additional restrictions on federal access to its automated license plate reader data and reiterated that the Richmond Police Department does not enforce federal immigration law or coordinate with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Avula announced last week that the city will not renew the contract with Flock, but may sign anew contract with a different ALPR vendor, according to VPM. Under the new resolution, the administration is directed to develop formal regulations by Jan. 1, 2027, outlining how city employees may handle and disclose immigration-status information, subject to applicable laws and exceptions. Mira Signer, the mayor’s press secretary, stated in an email that it is a resolution that should direct the administration to develop a policy intended to protect residents’

‘Morale is low, but camaraderie is high’ VCUarts students respond to exclusion of fall ‘26 seniors in spring exhibition

October 14, 2026

Ellie Waltman, Managing Editor  VCUarts seniors in the Painting and Printmaking department graduating this fall were informed that they could not participate in the upcoming 2027 Spring Senior Exhibition held at the Anderson. This follows the department’s failure to inform the students who are graduating in December that they had to participate in the Spring 2026 Senior Exhibition to have their work featured.  The Anderson, a student exhibition and programming space located on Franklin St., hosts each senior exhibition to allow students the opportunity to learn about connecting their work to public audiences. Sophie Nave, a fourth-year Painting and Printmaking major, said the students in the department learned about this rule during their orientation for the presentation of their work.  The seniors were invited to the Anderson for an orientation walking them through the process of exhibiting. “The way we found out was truly by happenstance,” Nave said. “We get about 10 minutes into this orientation presentation, and the director is telling us about this Canvas course that’s going to have all the information on it,” Nave said. The graduating class would not have learned of this rule if the director of the Anderson had not responded to further questions

Two SGA members resign over discontentment with leadership

October 7, 2026

Sal Orlando, News Editor Two former VCU Student Government Association members resigned from the association last month over a series of grievances. Rosalyn Harper, a former SGA senator, stated in an email that she resigned from the association because it had reached a point where staying a senator would mean complicity with a “culture of retaliation, systemic hostility and bad-faith governance.” “Student government should be an environment where emerging leaders advocate for their peers and defend the vulnerable,” Harper stated. “Instead, I found myself constantly fighting an executive board that marginalized disabled members, policed peers’ personal backgrounds, suppressed democratic dissent and weaponized microaggressions against anyone who pushed back.” Harper stated that two main incidents caused her to step down, one being the “bad-faith targeting” regarding disability accommodations last semester. She stated that she watched leadership penalize a disabled senator over dress code mandates and conceal the Judicial Board ruling that excused him. “When I advocated for accessibility, [then] Press Secretary Bowen pulled me into a private, unsanctioned meeting to audit that student’s wardrobe and dismissively suggested he purchase alternative business attire — completely ignoring the financial realities of working-class students,” Harper stated. Harper stated that the second incident was the