Wednesday, September 9th, 2026

Spectrum

Alpha Phi Omega: Strengthening one another through community

September 9, 2026

Ariel Lebow, Contributing Writer Alpha Delta Iota, Virginia Commonwealth University’s chapter of the national service fraternity Alpha Phi Omega, is a Greek Organization committed to improving the world and building a community of like-minded peers since 1994. APO is a service fraternity, meaning they are gender inclusive and centered around community service.  There is a one month long rush period to join APO that teaches the club’s history, including how it was founded and its transition to becoming a gender inclusive organization. The rush helps acquaint pledges with organization expectations. Abby Hollis, a fourth-year who has been a member of APO since her freshman year, has served multiple semesters on the E-board. “I was completely new to Richmond and it helped me figure out what Richmond was,” Hollis said. “The people in Alpha Phi Omega know Richmond very well and are always really nice and were willing to answer questions that I had about Richmond.” Pledges are assigned bigs that guide them through the adjustment to collegiate life, forming friendships as they help them integrate into the community. Grace Smith, APO’s vice president, loves that APO is a collection of diverse students from different majors coming together. APO members are

Henrico comes alive with jazz at Deep Run Park

September 9, 2026

Deborah Aguilera, Contributing Writer Richmond-based jazz musician Chan Hall brought his music to Deep Run Park on Sept. 6 for Jazz in the Park, a free community event hosted by Henrico County. The event, held from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., gave attendees an opportunity to experience live jazz in an outdoor setting while learning more about Hall’s work as a musician. The performance provided Hall with an opportunity to share his approach to jazz while connecting with a local audience. Hall said his pursuit to become a jazz musician was inspired by listening to Chick Corea during his time in high school band. “I took a trip to Washington D.C at the Kennedy Center,” Hall said. “I saw a jazz trio in the lobby and ever since I saw that jazz trio that made me want to play jazz and everything.” The jazz scene in Richmond is booming, according to Hall. “The musicianship is incredible,” Hall said. “It’s a lot of music, a lot of jazz. You can walk down the street and hear jazz in Carytown, outside, or in Relever. It mixes with the culture here.” Hall described his experience in Richmond as great and he has a

Park Raiser brings back joy of creativity, building community engagement through art

September 9, 2026

Fakeha Naeem, Contributing Writer Set in The Galley, courtesy of Black Iris, an art gallery and social space club, had live murals and art pieces for auction. Park Raiser, an event held on Sept. 4, at 321 Broad St., offered a glimpse into a world full of color, friendships and community built through art. Despite the unpredictable weather, with intense heat and downpouring rain, the event was abuzz with art enthusiasts across all ages, watching and supporting artists as they painted murals live.  The free fundraiser to support the art park was unique because the organizers blended live music and art from noon to midnight.  The live painters included Jesse Smith, Jason Ford, Anna Perdue, Tedi Kuma and Barry O’ Keefe.  The Little Giant Society, a nonprofit whose mission is bringing Richmond’s first public art park to life underneath the Manchester Bridge, was created alongside vice president Kathleen Cortez and marketing director Ben White, according to Ian C. Hess, director and president of the Little Giant Society. Hess gained inspiration while visiting FlevoPark in Amsterdam, where he discovered pylons stacked one after another with graffiti work.  The nonprofit was unintentional, and instead put together in the spur of the moment

Planting a new future; Scott’s Addition raises funds for park

September 9, 2026

Elle Cota, Spectrum Editor Families gathered around tables, dogs moved through the crowd and live music played at Brambly Park from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sept. 6 for the Plant a Park Fest, an event to raise money and awareness for the first permanent public park in Scott’s Addition. Plant a Park Fest was a collaboration between the Capital Region Land Conservancy, Brambly Park and the Greater Scott’s Addition Association. Performances included Afro-Zen Allstars, Jared Stout Band, Painted World, Prabir, Tiara & Andrew, Sun V Set and Brian Caperton. Proceeds from ticket sales and a portion of food and beverage sales went toward the permanent public green space effort. Matt Szucs, Capital Region Land Conservancy donor relations manager, said the festival grew out of a broader fundraising effort for the proposed park. Kevin and Christy Berry purchased the Norfolk Street property in 2012 for a little more than $200,000. After retiring and moving to Colorado, the couple sought to preserve the green space that they had created on the property. The property was appraised at about $2 million. The Berry’s agreed to donate $1.4 million in land value, while the CRLC and its partners worked to raise $600,000

Alpha Phi Omega: Strengthening one another through community

Spectrum Editor September 9, 2026

Ariel Lebow, Contributing Writer Alpha Delta Iota, Virginia Commonwealth University’s chapter of the national service fraternity Alpha Phi Omega, is a Greek Organization committed to improving the world and building a community of like-minded peers since 1994. APO is a service fraternity, meaning they are gender inclusive and centered around community service.  There is a one month long rush period to join APO that teaches the club’s history, including how it was founded and its transition to becoming a gender inclusive organization. The rush helps acquaint pledges with organization expectations. Abby Hollis, a fourth-year who has been a member of APO since her freshman year, has served multiple semesters on the E-board. “I was completely new to Richmond and it helped me figure out what Richmond was,” Hollis said. “The people in Alpha Phi Omega know Richmond very well and are always really nice and were willing to answer questions that I had about Richmond.” Pledges are assigned bigs that guide them through the adjustment to collegiate life, forming friendships as they help them integrate into the community. Grace Smith, APO’s vice president, loves that APO is a collection of diverse students from different majors coming together. APO members are required to do thirty hours of community service each semester, by partnering with organizations within and outside VCU to achieve this goal.  “In APO we do a lot of service together and within those service events, they can be through the campus,” Smith said. “Sometimes we partner with different orgs, like with the blood drive or the Richmond marathon.” APO also teaches leadership to promote the professional development of its members.  “I also plan different conferences that happen for APO and through that you can sign up for leads courses, which look really good on resumes,” Smith said. “It’s basically just leadership training and tells you how to facilitate different groups when you’re going to be a leader.” APO holds friendship events each semester, along with its weekly brotherhood meetings. These events range from bowling and roller skating to cozy movie nights. Alexia Jennings, chapter president for APO, has been a member since her second semester at VCU. “It’s really like a second family, we’ll naturally hang out because we like spending time with each other, while being able to give back to the community that we live in,” Jennings said. For more information, you can contact APO directly on

Alpha Phi Omega: Strengthening one another through community

September 9, 2026

Ariel Lebow, Contributing Writer Alpha Delta Iota, Virginia Commonwealth University’s chapter of the national service fraternity Alpha Phi Omega, is a Greek Organization committed to improving the world and building a community of like-minded peers since 1994. APO is a service fraternity, meaning they are gender inclusive and centered around community service.  There is a one month long rush period to join APO that teaches the club’s history, including how it was founded and its transition to becoming a gender inclusive organization. The rush helps acquaint pledges with organization expectations. Abby Hollis, a fourth-year who has been a member of APO since her freshman year, has served multiple semesters on the E-board. “I was completely new to Richmond and it helped me figure out what Richmond was,” Hollis said. “The people in Alpha Phi Omega know Richmond very well and are always really nice and were willing to answer questions that I had about Richmond.” Pledges are assigned bigs that guide them through the adjustment to collegiate life, forming friendships as they help them integrate into the community. Grace Smith, APO’s vice president, loves that APO is a collection of diverse students from different majors coming together. APO members are required to do thirty hours of community service each semester, by partnering with organizations within and outside VCU to achieve this goal.  “In APO we do a lot of service together and within those service events, they can be through the campus,” Smith said. “Sometimes we partner with different orgs, like with the blood drive or the Richmond marathon.” APO also teaches leadership to promote the professional development of its members.  “I also plan different conferences that happen for APO and through that you can sign up for leads courses, which look really good on resumes,” Smith said. “It’s basically just leadership training and tells you how to facilitate different groups when you’re going to be a leader.” APO holds friendship events each semester, along with its weekly brotherhood meetings. These events range from bowling and roller skating to cozy movie nights. Alexia Jennings, chapter president for APO, has been a member since her second semester at VCU. “It’s really like a second family, we’ll naturally hang out because we like spending time with each other, while being able to give back to the community that we live in,” Jennings said. For more information, you can contact APO directly on

Henrico comes alive with jazz at Deep Run Park

September 9, 2026

Deborah Aguilera, Contributing Writer Richmond-based jazz musician Chan Hall brought his music to Deep Run Park on Sept. 6 for Jazz in the Park, a free community event hosted by Henrico County. The event, held from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., gave attendees an opportunity to experience live jazz in an outdoor setting while learning more about Hall’s work as a musician. The performance provided Hall with an opportunity to share his approach to jazz while connecting with a local audience. Hall said his pursuit to become a jazz musician was inspired by listening to Chick Corea during his time in high school band. “I took a trip to Washington D.C at the Kennedy Center,” Hall said. “I saw a jazz trio in the lobby and ever since I saw that jazz trio that made me want to play jazz and everything.” The jazz scene in Richmond is booming, according to Hall. “The musicianship is incredible,” Hall said. “It’s a lot of music, a lot of jazz. You can walk down the street and hear jazz in Carytown, outside, or in Relever. It mixes with the culture here.” Hall described his experience in Richmond as great and he has a

Park Raiser brings back joy of creativity, building community engagement through art

September 9, 2026

Fakeha Naeem, Contributing Writer Set in The Galley, courtesy of Black Iris, an art gallery and social space club, had live murals and art pieces for auction. Park Raiser, an event held on Sept. 4, at 321 Broad St., offered a glimpse into a world full of color, friendships and community built through art. Despite the unpredictable weather, with intense heat and downpouring rain, the event was abuzz with art enthusiasts across all ages, watching and supporting artists as they painted murals live.  The free fundraiser to support the art park was unique because the organizers blended live music and art from noon to midnight.  The live painters included Jesse Smith, Jason Ford, Anna Perdue, Tedi Kuma and Barry O’ Keefe.  The Little Giant Society, a nonprofit whose mission is bringing Richmond’s first public art park to life underneath the Manchester Bridge, was created alongside vice president Kathleen Cortez and marketing director Ben White, according to Ian C. Hess, director and president of the Little Giant Society. Hess gained inspiration while visiting FlevoPark in Amsterdam, where he discovered pylons stacked one after another with graffiti work.  The nonprofit was unintentional, and instead put together in the spur of the moment

Planting a new future; Scott’s Addition raises funds for park

September 9, 2026

Elle Cota, Spectrum Editor Families gathered around tables, dogs moved through the crowd and live music played at Brambly Park from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sept. 6 for the Plant a Park Fest, an event to raise money and awareness for the first permanent public park in Scott’s Addition. Plant a Park Fest was a collaboration between the Capital Region Land Conservancy, Brambly Park and the Greater Scott’s Addition Association. Performances included Afro-Zen Allstars, Jared Stout Band, Painted World, Prabir, Tiara & Andrew, Sun V Set and Brian Caperton. Proceeds from ticket sales and a portion of food and beverage sales went toward the permanent public green space effort. Matt Szucs, Capital Region Land Conservancy donor relations manager, said the festival grew out of a broader fundraising effort for the proposed park. Kevin and Christy Berry purchased the Norfolk Street property in 2012 for a little more than $200,000. After retiring and moving to Colorado, the couple sought to preserve the green space that they had created on the property. The property was appraised at about $2 million. The Berry’s agreed to donate $1.4 million in land value, while the CRLC and its partners worked to raise $600,000

Tag, you’re it! Ultimate game of tag held in Monroe Park

September 9, 2026

Elle Cota, Spectrum Editor For one hour on Sept. 3, Monroe Park looked less like a downtown Richmond park and a little more like a playground. More than 100 people gathered from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. for Infection Tag, a free event organized by Ruckus, a community-based organization focused on providing resources and spaces bringing love. The group was led by Odist Powell alongside his longtime friend, Joe Armstrong.  The event featured four rounds of tag, each lasting around 12 minutes. The organizers sectioned off portions of the park near S. Belvidere St. and W. Main St. so participants could run without disrupting others using the space.  At the beginning of the event, Powell asked participants to stretch physically and mentally by talking to someone new. At the beginning of each round, organizers selected one person to be “it.” After giving the other players 10 seconds to scatter, the runner in a pink pinnie jersey chased them down. Each person tagged grabbed a pink pinnie jersey or sweatband before rejoining the game as another tagger. Powell drew inspiration from an event he attended in New York City in February called Wrestling Speed Dating, hosted by the organization Grown Kid,

A chapter for everyone

September 2, 2026

Elle Cota, Spectrum Editor Richmond Public Library is a place for more than just book borrowing. Throughout the year, its programs give adults, seniors and families opportunities to learn, create and connect at no cost. In an age of instant messages, Hannah Kilgore, an adult services senior librarian at Richmond Public Library, opens the room for something slower: handwritten letters. Kilgore has hosted many events, including snail mail, a quarterly program where participants can write letters to friends and family or sign up for a pen pal. The program typically draws four or five people, many of them younger adults wanting to reclaim their time and space.  Kilgore became interested in the program after her own experiences with pen pals, including a long-distance friend she has exchanged physical mail with over the years. Handwritten correspondence offers a different experience from digital communication because it requires people to slow down and be more intentional about what they say, Kilgore said.  “I think something like sending letters or physical media is something that can preserve sort of regionalism, in a way, and then you’re sharing a piece of your home with someone else,” Kilgore said. The library gives people a space to

New leadership opportunities on campus at Saxbys student-led cafe

September 2, 2026

Zahraa Hadi, Contributing Writer The line stretched outside Snead Hall, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Business, as students gathered to celebrate the opening of Saxbys, a new cafe. However, this was more than a place to grab coffee. Saxbys held its grand opening on Aug. 25 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., featuring balloons, speeches, free meal samples and merchandise. At the center of the celebration was a student: Saxby’s first VCU student CEO, Sean Campbell, who cut a ceremonial ribbon to officially open the cafe. The cafe is designed to give students more than just an ordinary job. Through Saxbys, students can take on leadership roles and gain hands-on experience running a business, from operations, to marketing, to finance while still in school.  The program reflects the school’s emphasis on transformative leadership, said Bryan Brown, dean of the School of Business. Students can take on meaningful responsibilities while learning to lead ethically and support the people around them.  “When we think about leadership, we don’t just think about any form of leadership,” Brown said. “We talk about transformative leadership, where we want to create and encourage leaders to be ethical and to care about others.” Their emphasis on students

A club building more than models; VCU’s Gunpla Builders

September 2, 2026

Wren Hodgson, Contributing Writer Virginia Commonwealth University has more than 500 student clubs and organizations, but some have gained less traction than others.  Gunpla Builders of VCU is a student-run club focused on building Gundam plastic models, a Japanese science fiction media franchise, with around 98 members. Members meet weekly to assemble, customize and discuss their favorite mecha kits. The club meets every Thursday at 5 p.m. in Harris Hall, room 2129. The club meets weekly, but also hosts multiple club-wide events throughout the semester.  Sri Challuri, treasurer of Gunpla Builders of VCU, has been a member of the club since his first semester. “All of our hobbytown trips are really fun because it’s that moment where newcomers, they kind of see the wider kind of designs Gundam has,” Challuri said. Challuri, who is from Northern Virginia, was pleasantly surprised to have a community of people who share the same interests.  Meetings are casual and welcoming to those of all skill levels, Challuri said. Members get the chance to enjoy showing people that their passion is appreciated and continue to encourage them. Ian Tombleson, president of Gunpla Builders of VCU, has been a fan of Gundam since he was a

BAND SPOTLIGHT: Certified Donkey Brains; The beauty in ‘stealing each others bandmates’

September 2, 2026

Maeve Bauer, Executive Editor  Every other Wednesday an eclectic mix of local musicians gather to give the people of Ripple Ray’s, a restaurant and bar in Carytown, a taste of Certified Donkey Brains. The mixed-genre rock band is made up of Matt Weiser, Walker Caskie, Nate Rice, Travis Full, Brian Holloman and Lynne Holloman.  For those who are fans of FX’s 18 season long show, “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” the name might invoke memories of the season 10 episode “Reynolds vs. Reynolds: The Cereal Defense.” In which, Frank Reynolds, with the assistance of Charlie Day, proves to the rest of “the gang,” that by the power of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Frank Reynolds is declared, “To not have Donkey Brains.”  While Weiser and Caskie were brainstorming ideas for a name, Weiser came up with Certified Donkey Brains. As most musicians do, they double checked online to see if anyone else had the name. Instead, he rediscovered the “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” scene and decided that it was a match. Weiser even commissioned the artist who made the Donkey Brain certificate in the show and printed out copies for their show on Aug. 26. The members of Certified Donkey