Wednesday, November 4th, 2026

Spectrum

OOF! The Roblox Club has entered the chat

November 4, 2026

Elle Cota, Spectrum Editor Not every college club needs to involve networking, professional development or adding another line to a resume. Sometimes, students just want to play games and unwind.  The Roblox Club at VCU has created its own version, bringing students together through virtual games, a shared interest and taking a break from college life. The club incorporates seasonal themes into its games and events, with its first gathering held on Oct. 29 centered around a horror and thriller theme.  Haidy Abdelfattah, a third-year biology student, serves as president of the club. Her inspiration for starting the organization came from years of playing Roblox with friends and recognizing its potential to bring people together beyond the game itself.  “The feedback that I’ve gotten so far from a lot of people was that it is something that people have been waiting for and people actually are excited for and hyped about,” Abdelfattah said.  Having played Roblox since 10-years-old, Abdelfattah said its continued popularity among college students is closely tied to nostalgia and the memories associated with growing up playing the game.  Beyond the game itself, Abdelfattah said she hopes the organization gives students a sense of community and belonging.  “It’s

Unsung heroes of Richmond history

November 4, 2026

Saniyah Pullen, Contributing Writer  Across Richmond, volunteer organizations work to preserve and restore cemeteries. Many of the members of these restoration groups are descendants of the people buried in these cemeteries.  A number of Richmond cemeteries, especially African American cemeteries established during segregation, have been neglected and vandalized for decades.  Ryan Smith, a VCU history professor, has been teaching classes on the subject for 17 years.  Smith has worked closely with Richmond’s restoration groups, creating a website for information on Richmond cemeteries, and wrote the book “Death and Rebirth in a Southern City: Richmond’s Historic Cemeteries.” “Objects and buildings and landscapes are critical historical sources,” Smith said. The preservation of cemeteries is vital because they serve as historical records that reveal information about religion, race, gender, class and evolution of communities, according to Smith.  “If we learn about the past through the landscape around us, the condition they’re in really matters,” Smith said. “We’re losing essential historical information.”  Cemetery restoration groups not only impact the descendants of those buried in the cemeteries, but Richmond’s community as a whole, Smith said.  “The cemeteries became rallying points to create a new view of the city’s past in a way that was very

Spüky, scary: VCU AFO students complete eighth annual Spükhaus

November 4, 2026

Sadie Porter, Contributing Writer Spükhaus is an immersive Halloween inspired art exhibition hosted each October at The Anderson, with art created by VCU Art Foundation students. Spükhaus highlighted AFO students’ journey by showcasing their unique pieces from sculpture and drawing to fashion and video. Nathan Tersteeg, a VCU academic advisor for Art Foundation, has done the illustration of the Spükhaus skull every year since the first one in 2018.  Each year there is a different theme for Spükhaus — this year’s theme was ‘haunted mindshaft,’ inspired by the scaffolding around The Anderson.  Tersteeg’s illustration included eight notches in the skull to represent the eighth year of Spükhaus. “These students are kind of brand new to the school and they’re still trying to figure out how to make friends, how to share what they do, how to feel included and special in this environment,” Tersteeg said. Spükhaus allowed AFO students to form connections with each other and gain outside perspective on their work, according to Tersteeg.  Kendall Liverpool, a third-year photography and film student, volunteered as a ghoul guide for the Spükhaus tours. Ghoul guides dressed up in costumes and guided the tour groups through the art exhibit in character.  “Many

Ready, set, go! Ram Racing participates in Formula Society of Automotive Engineers competitions

October 28, 2026

Fakeha Naeem, Contributing writer Ram Racing is an official multidisciplinary Formula Society of Automotive Engineers student-led team at VCU with 25 to 30 team members. The program began in 2010 after a group of engineering students heard about the Formula SAE competition, according to Ronin Harper, vice president of Ram Racing and a fourth-year mechanical engineering student. Harper had a previous interest in racing, and joined the club after seeing its Instagram post.  “We want to grow as an organization and show off VCU engineering capability,” Harper said. “We look forward to having our racing car VCU-04 compete with schools like VT and UVA. I think that would be our dream.” The idea of creating Formula 1 race cars was initiated by Formula SAE in the ’80s when automotive engineering was a growing field. According to Joe Franzen, president of Ram Racing and fourth-year mechanical and nuclear engineering student, Formula SAE were the leaders who created the automotive industry standards to add student interest.  “I learnt about the club through SOVO fair and engineering student organization fair,” Franzen said. “Joining this club has helped me understand engineering challenges that our competition poses and hone my engineering skills.”  Ram Racing built

OOF! The Roblox Club has entered the chat

Spectrum Editor November 4, 2026

Elle Cota, Spectrum Editor Not every college club needs to involve networking, professional development or adding another line to a resume. Sometimes, students just want to play games and unwind.  The Roblox Club at VCU has created its own version, bringing students together through virtual games, a shared interest and taking a break from college life. The club incorporates seasonal themes into its games and events, with its first gathering held on Oct. 29 centered around a horror and thriller theme.  Haidy Abdelfattah, a third-year biology student, serves as president of the club. Her inspiration for starting the organization came from years of playing Roblox with friends and recognizing its potential to bring people together beyond the game itself.  “The feedback that I’ve gotten so far from a lot of people was that it is something that people have been waiting for and people actually are excited for and hyped about,” Abdelfattah said.  Having played Roblox since 10-years-old, Abdelfattah said its continued popularity among college students is closely tied to nostalgia and the memories associated with growing up playing the game.  Beyond the game itself, Abdelfattah said she hopes the organization gives students a sense of community and belonging.  “It’s just to make a welcoming community for all VCU majors, no matter who you are, what you believe in, whatever,” Abdelfattah said. “I just want to make a very welcoming community to anyone to just come and just play.” Burhan Buttar, a fourth-year philosophy and biology student, is the club’s chat moderator, helping members stay connected through platforms such as Instagram, Discord and GroupMe.  “Most of our members, we don’t regularly play,” Buttar said. “It’s more so just a chance for us to get to know each other, pass time with each other and just take a scheduled break from our classes, from our work and it’s a very easy way to do so because of how accessible the game is.”  Rather than requiring the purchase of a separate console, Roblox offers a free platform with a wide variety of games suited to different interests, Buttar said.  “It’s really nice for forming that sense of community with low financial investment,” Buttar said. Buttar said the club attracts students across different academic years, with many first and second year students attending. “I think it’s just the aspect of having something more fun to do rather than always being bogged down with,

OOF! The Roblox Club has entered the chat

November 4, 2026

Elle Cota, Spectrum Editor Not every college club needs to involve networking, professional development or adding another line to a resume. Sometimes, students just want to play games and unwind.  The Roblox Club at VCU has created its own version, bringing students together through virtual games, a shared interest and taking a break from college life. The club incorporates seasonal themes into its games and events, with its first gathering held on Oct. 29 centered around a horror and thriller theme.  Haidy Abdelfattah, a third-year biology student, serves as president of the club. Her inspiration for starting the organization came from years of playing Roblox with friends and recognizing its potential to bring people together beyond the game itself.  “The feedback that I’ve gotten so far from a lot of people was that it is something that people have been waiting for and people actually are excited for and hyped about,” Abdelfattah said.  Having played Roblox since 10-years-old, Abdelfattah said its continued popularity among college students is closely tied to nostalgia and the memories associated with growing up playing the game.  Beyond the game itself, Abdelfattah said she hopes the organization gives students a sense of community and belonging.  “It’s just to make a welcoming community for all VCU majors, no matter who you are, what you believe in, whatever,” Abdelfattah said. “I just want to make a very welcoming community to anyone to just come and just play.” Burhan Buttar, a fourth-year philosophy and biology student, is the club’s chat moderator, helping members stay connected through platforms such as Instagram, Discord and GroupMe.  “Most of our members, we don’t regularly play,” Buttar said. “It’s more so just a chance for us to get to know each other, pass time with each other and just take a scheduled break from our classes, from our work and it’s a very easy way to do so because of how accessible the game is.”  Rather than requiring the purchase of a separate console, Roblox offers a free platform with a wide variety of games suited to different interests, Buttar said.  “It’s really nice for forming that sense of community with low financial investment,” Buttar said. Buttar said the club attracts students across different academic years, with many first and second year students attending. “I think it’s just the aspect of having something more fun to do rather than always being bogged down with,

Unsung heroes of Richmond history

November 4, 2026

Saniyah Pullen, Contributing Writer  Across Richmond, volunteer organizations work to preserve and restore cemeteries. Many of the members of these restoration groups are descendants of the people buried in these cemeteries.  A number of Richmond cemeteries, especially African American cemeteries established during segregation, have been neglected and vandalized for decades.  Ryan Smith, a VCU history professor, has been teaching classes on the subject for 17 years.  Smith has worked closely with Richmond’s restoration groups, creating a website for information on Richmond cemeteries, and wrote the book “Death and Rebirth in a Southern City: Richmond’s Historic Cemeteries.” “Objects and buildings and landscapes are critical historical sources,” Smith said. The preservation of cemeteries is vital because they serve as historical records that reveal information about religion, race, gender, class and evolution of communities, according to Smith.  “If we learn about the past through the landscape around us, the condition they’re in really matters,” Smith said. “We’re losing essential historical information.”  Cemetery restoration groups not only impact the descendants of those buried in the cemeteries, but Richmond’s community as a whole, Smith said.  “The cemeteries became rallying points to create a new view of the city’s past in a way that was very

Spüky, scary: VCU AFO students complete eighth annual Spükhaus

November 4, 2026

Sadie Porter, Contributing Writer Spükhaus is an immersive Halloween inspired art exhibition hosted each October at The Anderson, with art created by VCU Art Foundation students. Spükhaus highlighted AFO students’ journey by showcasing their unique pieces from sculpture and drawing to fashion and video. Nathan Tersteeg, a VCU academic advisor for Art Foundation, has done the illustration of the Spükhaus skull every year since the first one in 2018.  Each year there is a different theme for Spükhaus — this year’s theme was ‘haunted mindshaft,’ inspired by the scaffolding around The Anderson.  Tersteeg’s illustration included eight notches in the skull to represent the eighth year of Spükhaus. “These students are kind of brand new to the school and they’re still trying to figure out how to make friends, how to share what they do, how to feel included and special in this environment,” Tersteeg said. Spükhaus allowed AFO students to form connections with each other and gain outside perspective on their work, according to Tersteeg.  Kendall Liverpool, a third-year photography and film student, volunteered as a ghoul guide for the Spükhaus tours. Ghoul guides dressed up in costumes and guided the tour groups through the art exhibit in character.  “Many

Ready, set, go! Ram Racing participates in Formula Society of Automotive Engineers competitions

October 28, 2026

Fakeha Naeem, Contributing writer Ram Racing is an official multidisciplinary Formula Society of Automotive Engineers student-led team at VCU with 25 to 30 team members. The program began in 2010 after a group of engineering students heard about the Formula SAE competition, according to Ronin Harper, vice president of Ram Racing and a fourth-year mechanical engineering student. Harper had a previous interest in racing, and joined the club after seeing its Instagram post.  “We want to grow as an organization and show off VCU engineering capability,” Harper said. “We look forward to having our racing car VCU-04 compete with schools like VT and UVA. I think that would be our dream.” The idea of creating Formula 1 race cars was initiated by Formula SAE in the ’80s when automotive engineering was a growing field. According to Joe Franzen, president of Ram Racing and fourth-year mechanical and nuclear engineering student, Formula SAE were the leaders who created the automotive industry standards to add student interest.  “I learnt about the club through SOVO fair and engineering student organization fair,” Franzen said. “Joining this club has helped me understand engineering challenges that our competition poses and hone my engineering skills.”  Ram Racing built

A knight out in Monroe Park

October 28, 2026

Wilder Rodriguez, Contributing Writer Knights and squires head into battle as arrows buzz overhead and swords clash. This is not a scene from a history book or a medieval blockbuster, but rather one in Monroe Park, amongst Richmond’s bustling city and its towering buildings.  Instead of steel swords and iron-tipped arrows, these knights and squires are armed with the finest foam in all the realm.  Cambria Battlegames is a Live Action Role Playing community based in Richmond headed by a dedicated group of VCU alums. They host practices each Thursday at 5 p.m. at Monroe Park.  Buck Helmke, also known as Sir Stone Wyndhaven, is a part of the core leadership group who founded Cambria Battlegames. Helmke said that the group began in 2006 when he and his roommates were still students at VCU. While on a camping trip, Helmke’s roommates unexpectedly discovered LARPing and excitedly reintroduced it to him.  The early days consisted of small practices in Monroe with only members of the household, Helmke said. “Our best recruitment is literally just sitting here in the park fighting and people will walk up and ask,” Helmke said. “We’ll teach anybody to fight.” Helmke said that the community attends larger

A hauntingly good look; The special effects artists of Richmond

October 28, 2026

Siloe Brown, Contributing Writer In the fall, the world of special effects makeup takes center stage in Richmond, where artists can show off technical skills in true Halloween spirit. SFX is an art form that uses makeup and prosthetics to create convincing tricks of the eye. It is prevalent in show business, using makeup, props and moving elements to better immerse viewers in a film, music video or magazine imagery. Red Vein Army  Founded by Ryan Sligh, Red Vein Army is an artist collective in Richmond that has haunted the community for the past 15 years.  Sligh and his team work to make their productions as memorable as they are terrifying. He said his love for creating began as a child building haunted houses in his parents’ basement, but he did not pursue SFX as a career until 2011 when he received his first opportunity. Sligh’s first haunt was Scares That Care in Williamsburg, a nonprofit charity organization that raises money to help children in need. It assists with the living and medical expenses of burn survivors and breast cancer patients by hosting events and auctions centered around horror. Sligh said the experience solidified his passion to create the Red

Lights, camera, mayhem: 48 Hour Film Project

October 28, 2026

Saniyah Pullen, Contributing Writer Every fall, the 48 Hour Film Project in Richmond hosts a horror film project — with a twist — local filmmakers only have 48 hours to plan, write, shoot and edit their original short films. The Richmond 48HFP began on Oct. 9 at 7 p.m. and ended on Oct. 11 at 7:30 p.m.  The recruitment process takes place 10 weeks before the films’ creation. 48HFP hosts events during that time to connect possible participants and audition actors to form full teams, including a “how-to” event that provides information on the project and its process.  The films come with the requirement of specific elements involved in the film: a designated character, a prop and a line of dialogue. Lisa Giles, city producer of the Richmond 48 Hour Film Project and VCU alumna, has worked with students in Virginia for over 20 years.  Giles said that 48HFP gives students the opportunity to learn about themselves as filmmakers.  “It’s the best way to put your creativity to the test, to see how you respond under pressure, being in this environment where things are going to go wrong and you have a deadline to meet,” Giles said.  Giles said that

The art of being understood

October 28, 2026

Elle Cota, Spectrum Editor A textbook can explain the body, but it cannot contain every experience of living in one. Through color, texture and form, artists communicate what words alone often cannot. “Embodied Knowledge,” a juried exhibition at VCU Health Sciences Library, brings together work that explores the perspectives of disabled artists’ work reflecting experiences of illness, disability, healthcare and survival. The title “Embodied Knowledge,” reflects the understanding people develop through navigating healthcare, including the trial and error involved in finding care teams that listen to and understand them.  Xavier McDaniel, a senior painting and printmaking student and arts and social programming director for VCU’s Disability Advocacy and Accessibility Caucus, curated the exhibition.  “It’s important to highlight that disabled is an umbrella term and that there are many people out there who don’t consider themselves disabled,” McDaniel said. “I always include, ‘Are you neurodivergent? Do you have a chronic condition? Chronic illness?’ Like all of those things fit within this term of being disabled.” The open call attracted 44 artists from the Richmond community, each having the opportunity to submit three pieces. The final exhibition features 19 works. McDaniel said he wanted the space to encourage people’s engagement with what

Inside The Bellwether Garage: How a Church Hill repair shop built a free community stage

October 21, 2026

Emma Benton, Contributing Writer On a typical day, The Bellwether Garage operates as a motorcycle repair shop in Church Hill. Once a month, Grant Mathews and Lauren Albee, owners of The Bellwether Garage, clear enough room for amps, musicians and a crowd, turning the garage and surrounding property into a free neighborhood concert space. The Bellwether Garage Sessions started in 2023 and has grown into an event that draws hundreds of people without ever charging admission. As Bellwether heads deeper into fall and toward colder weather, the series faces a new test: how to preserve the casual, open atmosphere that helped it grow while adapting to shorter days and a crowd that now extends well beyond the immediate neighborhood.  At Bellwether, the shows do not operate like a typical venue, and the garage does not separate performers from the audience with a raised stage, barricade or bar crowd. Musicians play close to the people watching them, while neighbors, families and Richmond concertgoers move through the same space. Mathews and Albee have tried to preserve that neighborhood character as the sessions have grown. They live on the property, which means every concert takes place at their home and inside a residential

The Shafer Alliance Theatre encourages dramatic solidarity

October 9, 2006

A black Abraham Lincoln impersonator lies dying on the edge of the stage. His brother has just assassinated him in a heated brawl over money. This is the final scene of “Topdog/Underdog,” a show about race, brotherhood and the struggle to break free from a destructive past.

Weird News

October 9, 2006

Thieves go nuts

Earlier this week, thieves, coined “nut-nappers,” broke into Scott Phippen’s almond farm in Central Valley, Calif., making off with 88,000 pounds of nuts, which have a street value at around $260,000.

David Sedaris takes the stand at the Landmark

October 5, 2006

The Landmark Theater was filled with the young and old as folks from Richmond and beyond came to see David Sedaris on his lecture tour Tuesday night. Sedaris was being presented by the University of Richmond’s Modlin Center for the Arts and was sponsored by the Steven Barclay Agency.

Black.White. lacks color

October 5, 2006

I swear, John Howard Griffin would be spinning in his grave if he saw what was released on DVD just last month.

Don’t know who John Howard Griffin was? He was the journalist who wrote the internationally-renowned book “Black like me”, which was published in the early ’60s.

Richmond experiences a little Elf Power

October 5, 2006

On Tuesday night, Richmond welcomed back the psychedelic sounds of folk rock band Elf Power. Making their first appearance in Richmond in 10 years, Elf Power took to the stage at the Hyperlink Caf