Monday, Feb 2, 2026

Opinion

Renee Good shouldn’t have been the tipping point

January 28, 2026

Maritza Baptiste, Contributing Writer Every time the state kills someone, our reaction is tainted by racial bias — whether we realize it or not.  We watched as President Donald Trump increased the presence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers in cities across the country. We watched as people were dragged out of their homes and thrown into detention camps. We watched as at least 32 people died in ICE custody in 2025.  The deaths of these individuals — most of whom were people of color —  passed through the news cycle with little to no coverage. Now the city of Minneapolis is in unrest over the killing of Renee Good, a white woman, at the hands of an ICE officer.  There were general protests against ICE across the country, but not like what we are seeing in Minneapolis. The cause has garnered national attention and outrage online. Politicians are rushing to either defend ICE or condemn “violent” protests.  The unrest has only been exacerbated further by the ruthless killing of Alex Pretti at the hands of ICE officers this past Saturday. We are witnessing the appointment of a new martyr in a cause that fights against authoritarian practices that

The Democratic Party is ruining its reputation with the trans community

January 21, 2026

Laurel Bowen, Contributing Writer The transgender community is under threat from both Republicans and Democrats — yet it hasn’t been painted as such. It is often the opinion of Democratic editorialists, voters and cisgender allies that transgender people simply must vote for the Democrats and they will be safe.  It is preached that if we don’t vote for them, the Republicans will annihilate us — they will rip away every right we have won. The truth of the matter, unfortunately, is not so. Even during Democratic presidencies such as the Biden administration, the Republican Party continued to attack us. In the midst of those attacks, the Democratic Party only became a bastion of indifference and hostility — both with the wholesale abandonment of efforts to protect transgender people and with some politicians even actively working against us. For example, Rep. Thomas Souzzi, D-New York, stated, “I don’t want to discriminate against anybody, but I don’t think biological boys should be playing in girls’ sports.”  The use of “biological boys” itself is an act of de-legitimization of trans women who do participate in these sports. It also erases the existence of transgender men by not acknowledging them. The transgender community does

Why is dialogue in today’s television and film unbearable?

January 21, 2026

Jena Salem, Contributing Writer There has been a drastic shift in the quality of screenwriting in the past few years. Whenever I bring myself to tune into the latest hit show or critically-acclaimed movie, it ends with me switching off the television. It has left me wondering — what happened?  I put together a list of popular shows currently airing and another with beloved programs that premiered decades ago. After rewatching them all, the former shared one common denominator — quality dialogue.  Compared to their predecessors, listening to the conversations written in modern-day television and film is insufferable. Each show falls under the two extremes of a spectrum.  On one end, there are the overcompensating “intellectuals.” Every line out of a character’s mouth is pretentious, as if they’re competing over who can sound the smartest. Nothing about what they say depicts realistic, digestible discussions.  It becomes tiresome for an audience to sit through, and eventually, we lose interest. A telltale sign of poorly-written dialogue is when the literary pendulum swings too hard in one direction. In other words, if an author feels the need to exaggerate how people talk to each other, this industry is the wrong fit.  Screenwriters should

No climate for old men: The problem with the Dominion Chesterfield Energy Reliability Center

January 21, 2026

Benjamin Uttenweiler, Contributing Writer Northern Virginia-based AI data center growth has Dominion Energy scrambling to meet demand. They must increase their capacity to generate power, and they want the rest of Virginia to foot the bill. Dominion proposed a series of small methane plants that could be turned on to meet spikes in demand. The site of the coal-fired Chesterfield Power Station already has the infrastructure to accommodate the first such plant, The Chesterfield Energy Reliability Center (CERC). I attended a public hearing on the Department of Environmental Quality’s decision regarding the CERC’s Air Pollution Permit. After notable politicians, like Lt. Gov. Ghazala Hashmi, spoke against the CERC, and slick, reptilian lawyer-types from Dominion argued for it, the floor opened for public comment. Despite the droll reputation of local politics, the comments were highly entertaining, albeit in the voyeuristic, repulsed-yet-enthralling way a video of a pimple being popped is.  The CEO of Columbia Gas was in attendance, and he actually had the gall to give a folksy speech posing as a local homeowner going on about what a good neighbor Dominion is. There were a number of elderly, uniformly white men who spoke in favor of the plant in impassioned

Renee Good shouldn’t have been the tipping point

January 28, 2026

Maritza Baptiste, Contributing Writer Every time the state kills someone, our reaction is tainted by racial bias — whether we realize it or not.  We watched as President Donald Trump increased the presence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers in cities across the country. We watched as people were dragged out of their homes and thrown into detention camps. We watched as at least 32 people died in ICE custody in 2025.  The deaths of these individuals — most of whom were people of color —  passed through the news cycle with little to no coverage. Now the city of Minneapolis is in unrest over the killing of Renee Good, a white woman, at the hands of an ICE officer.  There were general protests against ICE across the country, but not like what we are seeing in Minneapolis. The cause has garnered national attention and outrage online. Politicians are rushing to either defend ICE or condemn “violent” protests.  The unrest has only been exacerbated further by the ruthless killing of Alex Pretti at the hands of ICE officers this past Saturday. We are witnessing the appointment of a new martyr in a cause that fights against authoritarian practices that primarily affect minority populations.  The martyr we have chosen to represent said cause is a white woman.  This isn’t to say that Good being killed by ICE is any less wrong or horrific, but the response to her death has been shockingly disproportionate in comparison to the countless others killed by ICE, many of whom were people of color.  We must recognize that this country is still deciding whose suffering matters and whose doesn’t. In 2020, we had widespread protests against police brutality — against the killing of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and many others. Millions took to the streets or to social media. People contacted their elected officials to enact changes in the law.  That didn’t come without pushback — counter protests, paid leave for corrupt police officers and dog-whistle terms used to demonize the unarmed people of color who were victimized by police.  George Floyd and the other Black people who were victims of police brutality were not allowed to be victims. Instead, they were called drug addicts, thugs, criminals and domestic terrorists — and we let it happen. When that same racially-charged rhetoric is turned against a white woman though — alarm bells went off.

The Democratic Party is ruining its reputation with the trans community

January 21, 2026

Laurel Bowen, Contributing Writer The transgender community is under threat from both Republicans and Democrats — yet it hasn’t been painted as such. It is often the opinion of Democratic editorialists, voters and cisgender allies that transgender people simply must vote for the Democrats and they will be safe.  It is preached that if we don’t vote for them, the Republicans will annihilate us — they will rip away every right we have won. The truth of the matter, unfortunately, is not so. Even during Democratic presidencies such as the Biden administration, the Republican Party continued to attack us. In the midst of those attacks, the Democratic Party only became a bastion of indifference and hostility — both with the wholesale abandonment of efforts to protect transgender people and with some politicians even actively working against us. For example, Rep. Thomas Souzzi, D-New York, stated, “I don’t want to discriminate against anybody, but I don’t think biological boys should be playing in girls’ sports.”  The use of “biological boys” itself is an act of de-legitimization of trans women who do participate in these sports. It also erases the existence of transgender men by not acknowledging them. The transgender community does

Why is dialogue in today’s television and film unbearable?

January 21, 2026

Jena Salem, Contributing Writer There has been a drastic shift in the quality of screenwriting in the past few years. Whenever I bring myself to tune into the latest hit show or critically-acclaimed movie, it ends with me switching off the television. It has left me wondering — what happened?  I put together a list of popular shows currently airing and another with beloved programs that premiered decades ago. After rewatching them all, the former shared one common denominator — quality dialogue.  Compared to their predecessors, listening to the conversations written in modern-day television and film is insufferable. Each show falls under the two extremes of a spectrum.  On one end, there are the overcompensating “intellectuals.” Every line out of a character’s mouth is pretentious, as if they’re competing over who can sound the smartest. Nothing about what they say depicts realistic, digestible discussions.  It becomes tiresome for an audience to sit through, and eventually, we lose interest. A telltale sign of poorly-written dialogue is when the literary pendulum swings too hard in one direction. In other words, if an author feels the need to exaggerate how people talk to each other, this industry is the wrong fit.  Screenwriters should

No climate for old men: The problem with the Dominion Chesterfield Energy Reliability Center

January 21, 2026

Benjamin Uttenweiler, Contributing Writer Northern Virginia-based AI data center growth has Dominion Energy scrambling to meet demand. They must increase their capacity to generate power, and they want the rest of Virginia to foot the bill. Dominion proposed a series of small methane plants that could be turned on to meet spikes in demand. The site of the coal-fired Chesterfield Power Station already has the infrastructure to accommodate the first such plant, The Chesterfield Energy Reliability Center (CERC). I attended a public hearing on the Department of Environmental Quality’s decision regarding the CERC’s Air Pollution Permit. After notable politicians, like Lt. Gov. Ghazala Hashmi, spoke against the CERC, and slick, reptilian lawyer-types from Dominion argued for it, the floor opened for public comment. Despite the droll reputation of local politics, the comments were highly entertaining, albeit in the voyeuristic, repulsed-yet-enthralling way a video of a pimple being popped is.  The CEO of Columbia Gas was in attendance, and he actually had the gall to give a folksy speech posing as a local homeowner going on about what a good neighbor Dominion is. There were a number of elderly, uniformly white men who spoke in favor of the plant in impassioned

‘New year, new me’: A once tired sentiment given new meaning

January 14, 2026

Jalyn Thomas, Contributing Writer 2026 is the year of change. It’s the year of the horse — a symbol of freedom, energy and responsibility. It’s also a year that, unlike years past, I have not heard people use the phrase “new year, new me.”  This phrase used to dominate conversations around the new year, so much so that some considered it a “cringey” thing to say. Growing up and seeing people hate on the sentiment was confusing. What’s the point in discouraging someone who is just trying to change for the better? Though this year the phrase seems scarce, there have been new variations of its message. Vision and mood boards for the new year, craftier counterparts of the phrase, have seen a surge in popularity. But what could have brought on this change? Why do people seem to have given up on “new year, new me?” Maybe people have become overwhelmed by change — the current administration has turned our culture and society upside down, leaving many upset and confused. This year feels exponentially different already, with everyone finding new ways to cope with the shifts within our culture. Maybe the change that people seek this year is not

LETTER: Gender divides in STEMM start earlier than you think

January 14, 2026

Chineme Jeanfrances Onukwughara, PhD Candidate, VCU Chemistry Whenever we think of the gender gap in STEMM (science, technology, engineering, math and medicine), the adult woman often comes to mind. However, the seeds planting the disparity are often sown much younger than you might think, as early as pre-adolescence.  According to the World Health Organization, adolescence for girls is typically between the ages of 10 and 19, the period where physical, psychological and behavioral changes occur. The phase is also the onset of puberty and is associated with drastic hormonal changes.  An adolescent girl faces physical, cognitive, emotional and psychosocial changes capable of influencing their learning choices.  Another significant aspect to puberty is menstruation in girls. Many struggle to manage their periods and often deal with extended severe cramps, lower back pain, nausea, headaches, fatigue and heavy flow, causing them to be absent from school and/or lose focus when present.  Additionally, period poverty comprises of access to sustainable and affordable sanitary products across the globe. To what extent do these developmental struggles reshape the priorities and motivations of young girls in embracing science and technology?  There are also social and cultural stigmas, as well as a lack-of or inadequate menstrual hygiene

Richmond has a pedestrian safety problem. Public transportation could be a solution.

January 14, 2026

Katie Meeker, Opinions and Humor Editor As Richmond begins the new year, it has seen a recent uptick in tragedy — multiple people, including the beloved director of the Valentine Museum Bill Martin, killed in pedestrian-related traffic accidents.  Richmond has some of the riskiest drivers nationwide, according to Axios. While traffic-related deaths in the city have declined since 2022 (a year that saw a record-high 26 deaths), the average is still higher than the 2017-2019 decline.  For the past year, City Hall — in collaboration with VCU — has committed to a global strategy called “Vision Zero,” an initiative aimed at preventing traffic-related fatalities.  The program has since taken a few main courses of action: building infrastructure that promotes pedestrian safety, such as curb extensions and crossing signs; increased police presence to ramp up speed enforcement; and initiatives such as “Heads up, Rams!” to educate and enhance pedestrian awareness. The rollout of these programs, while efficient, is still ongoing. In Richmond, there were 13 traffic-related pedestrian deaths in 2025. In just the past three weeks, we have seen six. Richmond’s pedestrian safety issue is better classified as a crisis.  Mayor Danny Avula addressed these recent concerns directly in a Jan.

We pay the price when nursing isn’t ‘professional’

January 14, 2026

Shiny Chandravel, Assistant Opinions Editor If you want to fully understand the health care crisis, don’t look at the trauma bay — look at the waiting room. I work as a patient care technician in an emergency room, assisting nurses with labs, IV lines, patient care and flow of the floor. Yet, the most stressful part isn’t at the patient’s bedside, it’s behind the front desk of the waiting room, deciding who can afford to wait. It’s weighing the feverish baby against the grandpa with chest pain. As more critical patients arrive, rooms become scarce. Patients are seen spilling into hallways, chairs and eventually, as a last-ditch effort, the waiting room. As a tech, I once helped a patient who had been in the emergency room for 16 hours. He was angry, and understandably so. His story was not unfamiliar, but what stood out the most to me was what he said. “The nurses just want to keep me waiting long enough so they get paid more. I know how these games work,” he said. I immediately became angry — not at him, but at how wrong, yet widely-held that belief is. As daunting as it feels to be a

CT seniors say farewell

December 3, 2025

Sarah Hagen, Managing Editor This whole semester, I have hounded staff and contributors about getting their articles in on time. It only makes sense that I didn’t start writing this until it was past due.  It isn’t easy to sum up what the past three-and-a-half years have meant to me in a few hundred words, but I’ll try my best.  I joined The CT in my freshman year as a contributing news writer. My very first article was published on the front page, something I flaunted to friends, family and anyone who would listen. It feels like a decade has passed since then.  When I came to VCU, I was an anxious, insecure student who had trouble ordering food at Shafer. I felt like an imposter when I first joined The CT — I used to toss my phone across the room when the Google Doc editing notifications came through, sure my articles were being ripped apart.  A few years and a couple of articles later, I still overanalyze and overthink absolutely everything, and I think I always will. But my time at The CT has changed me fundamentally — it has made me a better, more confident writer, journalist,

Over-advertisement

October 26, 2006

While I fully believe in both the right to free speech and the right to freedom of religion, I also believe there is definitely a problem with over-advertising on VCU’s campus. Recently while trying to get from the Life Sciences building to the Honors building, my path was blocked by a group of what I can only call “religious fanatics.

Your Turn Letters to the Editor

October 26, 2006

At the marriage amendment forum in the Commons on Tuesday, I chose to stand with my back to Delegate Bob Marshall during his three-minute monologue to open the event. Afterward, several people asked me why I did this; I decided to explain my actions.

Delegate Marshall has made a legislative career out of being both a misogynist and a homophobe.

Ban PowerPoint

October 26, 2006

PowerPoint should be banned in the School of Business. I can’t speak for the other colleges of study at this university, but I am almost positive that VCU business students would agree this multimedia crutch is almost never utilized to its full potential in a lecture class.

Opinion in Brief

October 23, 2006

Sen. Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut lost his party’s primary in Connecticut earlier this year. Lieberman’s support of many hated GOP policies simply made him one of the first casualties of an anti-Bush backlash, it was believed. Recent reports by the Hartford Courant suggest this notion might be a little farfetched: Lieberman is breaking away with a lead of around 17 percent among those likely to vote, indicating that he may be supported by over half of Connecticut voters.

A moral imperative

October 23, 2006

“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” “Love your neighbor as yourself.” “Love your enemies.” Revolutionary words from a revolutionary man – Jesus Christ. As Christians we are called to be Christ-like and reflect him in our everyday lives. Through our actions, people will be drawn to him.

Another brick in the wall?

October 23, 2006

Advising. It’s a word that pretty much every student at VCU dreads. But why? Why is it that one simple word holds the power to strike fear into the hearts of VCU students campus wide? Because of one plain, yet obvious, fact: the academic advising department, to put it nicely, sucks.