Wednesday, Mar 25, 2026

Spectrum

The women rocking Richmond’s hardcore scene

March 18, 2026

Cora Perkins, Assistant Spectrum Editor  Behind the distorted tracks and stage dives that have long made Richmond a beacon for hardcore music, the women performing, shooting and attending these shows have been the backbone of the scene for years. Richmond has long been known as an influential city for hardcore music. From house shows packed to the brim with fans of slam drums and moshing, to record stores dedicated to stocking their shelves with heavy riffs and powerful vocals — Richmond has put its love on display. Kimmy Rivera, the vocalist for local post-hardcore band Athera, has loved music since she was a child.  “Growing up, me and my siblings would play Guitar Hero almost every day,” Rivera said. “My older brother was really into nu metal at the time and as I always looked up to him, I naturally liked it too.” Once Rivera started at VCU, she made it her mission to go to more local shows, attending her first Richmond show at Cobra Cabana, an essential bar and venue in the neighborhood of Carver.  “There, I saw Sick Of It All and Wasted Space. I was with Sonny and Jackson [of Athera] and I had the most

Zines, poems, photos and more to be found at Agony Books

March 18, 2026

Cora Perkins, Assistant Spectrum Editor  Tucked near the heart of downtown, Agony Books, a Black-owned specialty bookshop and gallery, has become a meeting ground for dialogue, art, culture and community.  Books on art, critical theory, culture and history line the shelves — and squeezed between them are zines that create a sense of life in the store. Art from a multitude of creators lines the space. Founded in 2021 by David Jaycox and Jesse Feinman, the store focuses on photography, design, critical theory and political commentary, according to its website. Jaycox initially reached out to Feinman with the idea for Agony because of what he built with his publishing practice, Pomegranate, according to Feinman.  “I was 25 at the time and the world felt really endless and big,” Feinman said. “I think it’s not so much that there wasn’t something being met, but maybe that a conversation could continue further, new things could be introduced, and I guess I saw myself as a good person to facilitate something like that.” The people behind Agony try their best to keep the selection in store from feeling stale or predictable, according to Feinman.  “When the project first started, we were much more

Third space Passion Project upgrades, moves closer to campus

March 18, 2026

Maeve Bauer, Spectrum Editor  Since her teenage years, Lydia James dreamed of opening a communal space to support people who just want to belong. The now 29-year-old did not think that dream would come true until her 30s. However, just this past Saturday marked the grand opening of the new location of Passion Project, a third space for anyone who needs it.  Located at 1039 W. Grace St., it holds a lot of the same features as the old one downtown —  including, the free community fridge at it’s front door stocked with water and other food essentials for whoever needs them.  What will be a first at the new location is its art studio space. James finds that it is important to create room for all people to have a creative outlet to take what they feel inside and bring it out.  “I believe that art is anything you do to express yourself. There is no such thing as bad art, I tell everybody that,” James said. “Art does not have to be something you do on pen and paper, doesn’t have to be crochet. It could be poetry, music. It could be anything.” James is still processing the

How advocates have protected the south’s last stronghold for reproductive care

March 18, 2026

Maeve Bauer, Spectrum Editor  Virginia is on the cusp of codifying an amendment enshrining access to reproductive care in the state constitution. The commonwealth is the last state in the southeastern United States with access to abortion past the first trimester.  Though there is access to abortion in Virginia, many women, transgender people and gender-non-confirming people still struggle to secure reproductive health care due to income inequalities, lack of education and general stigmas. Advocate groups have been working to support each other and maintain equity in access for those seeking reproductive care in the state.  Planned Parenthood Advocates of Virginia have been collaborating with democratic legislators for four years to amend the state’s constitution. Their proposed change would enshrine protection for multiple reproductive needs — fertility treatments, contraceptives and abortions in the state legislature. Voting for the amendment will open in late September and close on Nov. 3.  “This has been a long road to get to this and we know that Virginians overwhelmingly support the right to make their own health care decisions free from government interference or criminal punishment,” said  Jamie Lockhart, the executive director of Planned Parenthood Advocates of Virginia. Planned Parenthood Advocates of Virginia works to

The women rocking Richmond’s hardcore scene

Spectrum Editor March 18, 2026

Cora Perkins, Assistant Spectrum Editor  Behind the distorted tracks and stage dives that have long made Richmond a beacon for hardcore music, the women performing, shooting and attending these shows have been the backbone of the scene for years. Richmond has long been known as an influential city for hardcore music. From house shows packed to the brim with fans of slam drums and moshing, to record stores dedicated to stocking their shelves with heavy riffs and powerful vocals — Richmond has put its love on display. Kimmy Rivera, the vocalist for local post-hardcore band Athera, has loved music since she was a child.  “Growing up, me and my siblings would play Guitar Hero almost every day,” Rivera said. “My older brother was really into nu metal at the time and as I always looked up to him, I naturally liked it too.” Once Rivera started at VCU, she made it her mission to go to more local shows, attending her first Richmond show at Cobra Cabana, an essential bar and venue in the neighborhood of Carver.  “There, I saw Sick Of It All and Wasted Space. I was with Sonny and Jackson [of Athera] and I had the most fun ever,” Rivera said. “Ever since then I’ve been going to shows with them and here I am now.”  Rivera said she would love to see more women and queer people in the hardcore scene.  “Being the vocalist in Athera, I am honestly super proud and grateful that I can be in a position doing what I love, and hopefully giving other women and young girls the representation the scene needs,” Rivera said.  Sherri Powell, vocalist of Hanahaki, is mainly self-taught other than a short phase of middle school chorus classes and vocal training for commercials when she was young.  “I actually taught myself how to scream by yelling at traffic on my commutes to school,” Powell said.  Being a woman in a mostly male-dominated field has been difficult, Powell said.  “Sometimes I have a bit more leverage in who I speak to when I say I’m part of the band, but more often than not I feel like I’m never taken seriously or I’m largely dismissed,” Powell said. “Sometimes people try to talk to my bandmates instead of me, assuming I’m just someone’s girlfriend there for accessory and not a member.” Powell said she has had to grow a

The women rocking Richmond’s hardcore scene

March 18, 2026

Cora Perkins, Assistant Spectrum Editor  Behind the distorted tracks and stage dives that have long made Richmond a beacon for hardcore music, the women performing, shooting and attending these shows have been the backbone of the scene for years. Richmond has long been known as an influential city for hardcore music. From house shows packed to the brim with fans of slam drums and moshing, to record stores dedicated to stocking their shelves with heavy riffs and powerful vocals — Richmond has put its love on display. Kimmy Rivera, the vocalist for local post-hardcore band Athera, has loved music since she was a child.  “Growing up, me and my siblings would play Guitar Hero almost every day,” Rivera said. “My older brother was really into nu metal at the time and as I always looked up to him, I naturally liked it too.” Once Rivera started at VCU, she made it her mission to go to more local shows, attending her first Richmond show at Cobra Cabana, an essential bar and venue in the neighborhood of Carver.  “There, I saw Sick Of It All and Wasted Space. I was with Sonny and Jackson [of Athera] and I had the most fun ever,” Rivera said. “Ever since then I’ve been going to shows with them and here I am now.”  Rivera said she would love to see more women and queer people in the hardcore scene.  “Being the vocalist in Athera, I am honestly super proud and grateful that I can be in a position doing what I love, and hopefully giving other women and young girls the representation the scene needs,” Rivera said.  Sherri Powell, vocalist of Hanahaki, is mainly self-taught other than a short phase of middle school chorus classes and vocal training for commercials when she was young.  “I actually taught myself how to scream by yelling at traffic on my commutes to school,” Powell said.  Being a woman in a mostly male-dominated field has been difficult, Powell said.  “Sometimes I have a bit more leverage in who I speak to when I say I’m part of the band, but more often than not I feel like I’m never taken seriously or I’m largely dismissed,” Powell said. “Sometimes people try to talk to my bandmates instead of me, assuming I’m just someone’s girlfriend there for accessory and not a member.” Powell said she has had to grow a

Zines, poems, photos and more to be found at Agony Books

March 18, 2026

Cora Perkins, Assistant Spectrum Editor  Tucked near the heart of downtown, Agony Books, a Black-owned specialty bookshop and gallery, has become a meeting ground for dialogue, art, culture and community.  Books on art, critical theory, culture and history line the shelves — and squeezed between them are zines that create a sense of life in the store. Art from a multitude of creators lines the space. Founded in 2021 by David Jaycox and Jesse Feinman, the store focuses on photography, design, critical theory and political commentary, according to its website. Jaycox initially reached out to Feinman with the idea for Agony because of what he built with his publishing practice, Pomegranate, according to Feinman.  “I was 25 at the time and the world felt really endless and big,” Feinman said. “I think it’s not so much that there wasn’t something being met, but maybe that a conversation could continue further, new things could be introduced, and I guess I saw myself as a good person to facilitate something like that.” The people behind Agony try their best to keep the selection in store from feeling stale or predictable, according to Feinman.  “When the project first started, we were much more

Third space Passion Project upgrades, moves closer to campus

March 18, 2026

Maeve Bauer, Spectrum Editor  Since her teenage years, Lydia James dreamed of opening a communal space to support people who just want to belong. The now 29-year-old did not think that dream would come true until her 30s. However, just this past Saturday marked the grand opening of the new location of Passion Project, a third space for anyone who needs it.  Located at 1039 W. Grace St., it holds a lot of the same features as the old one downtown —  including, the free community fridge at it’s front door stocked with water and other food essentials for whoever needs them.  What will be a first at the new location is its art studio space. James finds that it is important to create room for all people to have a creative outlet to take what they feel inside and bring it out.  “I believe that art is anything you do to express yourself. There is no such thing as bad art, I tell everybody that,” James said. “Art does not have to be something you do on pen and paper, doesn’t have to be crochet. It could be poetry, music. It could be anything.” James is still processing the

How advocates have protected the south’s last stronghold for reproductive care

March 18, 2026

Maeve Bauer, Spectrum Editor  Virginia is on the cusp of codifying an amendment enshrining access to reproductive care in the state constitution. The commonwealth is the last state in the southeastern United States with access to abortion past the first trimester.  Though there is access to abortion in Virginia, many women, transgender people and gender-non-confirming people still struggle to secure reproductive health care due to income inequalities, lack of education and general stigmas. Advocate groups have been working to support each other and maintain equity in access for those seeking reproductive care in the state.  Planned Parenthood Advocates of Virginia have been collaborating with democratic legislators for four years to amend the state’s constitution. Their proposed change would enshrine protection for multiple reproductive needs — fertility treatments, contraceptives and abortions in the state legislature. Voting for the amendment will open in late September and close on Nov. 3.  “This has been a long road to get to this and we know that Virginians overwhelmingly support the right to make their own health care decisions free from government interference or criminal punishment,” said  Jamie Lockhart, the executive director of Planned Parenthood Advocates of Virginia. Planned Parenthood Advocates of Virginia works to

‘Shocking and salacious’ poets, dancers come to Gallery 5 this weekend

March 18, 2026

Maeve Bauer, Spectrum Editor Gallery5 is hosting “Wild at Heart,” a poetry reading featuring some of Richmond’s most zany poets this Saturday, March 21. There will be a variety of variety shows and poetry readings, with doors at 5 p.m. and the show starting at 5:30 p.m. “Wild at Heart,” is not your average poetry reading. The night will start out with  “shocking and salacious truths from Joe Mack, Kathryn Schmidt and Layla Thakkar.” Audiences will then hear a set from Sophie Colette, a Richmond-based, New York-frequenting indie pop artist. The night will end with an eye-popping show from the “Ballerina of Burlesque” Kayy Lovely — who is “sure to rip your faces off in the most sensual manner,” per the show’s Instagram. This will be Lovely’s fifth time performing at “Wild At Heart.” Though Richmond is her home — having taught a body positivity movement lecture at the University of Richmond — the performer has traveled the northern hemisphere, recently making her international debut in Montréal, Canada at the “Bagel Burlesque Expo.” This is not “Wild at Heart’s” first reading. The group started in 2024, after the creator of the event, Nate Waggoner, did a Richmond edition of “Red

Puppet master teaches students how to create, care for foam friends

March 4, 2026

Fakeha Naeem, Contributing Writer  VCUarts Theatre, in collaboration with Virginia Repertory Theatre, returned with Puppetry 102, the second class puppet related workshops, with Mary Nagler, an artist and a puppeteer with 40 years of experience working in the performing arts.  The workshop was structured in a lecture format and took place from 5 to 6 p.m. at the Singleton Center. It was similar to the first Puppetry 101 event, which was held Feb. 4.   The second class offered students a more hands-on experience exploring a technique called “flat patterning,” which uses flat sheets of foam and their natural bend to make shapes. Nagler brought in a “naked puppet” and then showed attendees how to start building upon its base. She spoke extensively on the techniques and material used to construct the “snap head” and mouth construction. “I feel capable, and more welcomed in the business, learning different aspects of costumes and ways to improve skills,” said Audri Ulm, a fourth-year theatre student who attended the workshop. In her previous workshop Nagler walked students through the types of puppets that are being used in the industry such as shadow puppets, marionettes, hand puppets and table puppets. She brought in some of

How VCU student movements evolved through the decades

March 4, 2026

Maeve Bauer, Spectrum Editor  Catherine Colombo, Contributing Writer Since its inception in 1968, VCU has seen the work of student activists, journalists and free thinkers shape campus culture.  The VCU Libraries Special Collections and Archives department created an exhibition, “Voices of Change: Student Advocacy and Action from the Archives,” that delves into the very  student movements that have made the “uncommon,” urban campus what it is today. Special Collections held a panel last Thursday with four VCU alums who discussed their time at VCU and the different protests they were involved in. Panelists included Dale Brumfield, IBé Bulinda Hereford Crawley, Krissi Vandenberg and C. A. P. Ward. It was moderated by interdisciplinary studies director Vineeta Singh.  The four panelists studied at VCU at different times. Together, their words strung together an overall picture of student movements from the 1970s to the modern day. Many of them cited VCU as a second home — and they all held similar beliefs of building and relying on community.  “That’s where voice starts,” Crawley said. “People actively talking is where we make change.”  The exhibition was created in 2025 as a way to highlight movements throughout the years that have created an overall net

Documentary to show Byrd to about environmental impact of military

March 4, 2026

Molly Manning, Managing Editor Director and journalist Abby Martin is bringing a preview of her second feature film “Earth’s Greatest Enemy” to Richmond’s Byrd Theatre on March 10.  The documentary explores the United States military’s environmental impacts as the No. 1 polluter in the world and its exemption from international climate agreements.  The screening is from 7 to 10 p.m. and tickets are available for either general admission for $10 or solidarity admission for $15, giving viewers the option to support the screening tour. Martin will hold a virtual Q&A after the film.  Ben Cronly, executive director of the Byrd, noted the showing is a private rental of the theatre, and as such is only the rental venue for the screening — they do not endorse or oppose the content, he stated.  Abby Martin, who is also the creator and director of Empire Files, a 501(c)(3) media non-profit with a journalistic focus on U.S. foreign policy and militarism, said the film zooms out and tries to approach the topic in a historical and holistic way.  Martin said the film gives a myriad of examples of how the system perpetuates “collective insanity and collective suicide.” She said the topic felt like

Introducing VCU’s unofficial Yaoi Yuri Club

March 4, 2026

Sapphira Mohammed, Copy Editor Cora Perkins, Assistant Spectrum Editor From the iconic couple of Ilya Rozanov and Shane Hollander from “Heated Rivalry,” to the doomed ship of Rodney the Ram and WebstUR the spider, yaoi is everywhere.  Paralleling this intensity are the quintessential ships of Apple Jack and Rainbow Dash from “My Little Pony” and Villanelle and Eve Polastri from “Killing Eve,” bringing yuri to the table.   If you are looking for a place to celebrate those touchy-feely romances, the RVA Yaoi Yuri Club is your home.  The unofficial campus club held their second PowerPoint night on Feb. 28 at Franklin Terrace. Students shared presentations on gay ballroom dancers, original character Vocaloid websites and even an educational lesson on pronouns in Chinese and Japanese. Though the club has been meeting since September, its creator remains anonymous. The reasoning? The club bloomed out of a joke comment on an anonymous forum, according to third-year business administration student and club president Xiu-Bei Herbst. Herbst was on YikYak, a social media app that lets users comment and post anonymously with their campus’s fellow students, when someone commented about a Yaoi Yuri Club meeting with a time and place attached. The post went viral