VCU offering free COVID-19 testing amid students’ winter break worries
Sanjana Ravulapalli, Contributing Writer Mass communications major Julia Daum is heading home and traveling out of state during winter break. But due to Richmond’s case numbers, the sophomore said she will get a precautionary COVID-19 test before she returns to Fauquier County. As the end of the semester approaches, students are preparing to head home […]
VCU cancels spring 2021 break, students react
Sanjana Ravulapalli, Contributing Writer VCU will have a phased return to campus in January but will not have a spring break, according to a university release on Thursday. Some students are critical of the decision to remove the traditional mid-semester break, while others say it is not “the end of the world.” Junior public relations […]
BLM mural makes statement in arts building
Sanjana Ravulapalli, Contributing Writer As students enter VCU’s Fine Arts Building, large black letters on the floor lined with the Pan-African colors of green, red and yellow spell “Black Lives Matter.” The students and artists behind the project say it’s a good first step in holding VCUarts accountable for its statements in support of diversity […]
Student orgs shift to virtual operations
Sanjana Ravulapalli, Contributing Writer Tables, signs and business cards usually line Floyd Avenue during the SOVO fair, as hundreds of student organizations recruit for the semester, but this year, the event was shifted online. With low attendance and a smaller audience, some clubs have turned to social media to recruit. Senior homeland security major Nadya […]
VCU policing model to adapt civilian review board
Sanjana Ravulapalli, Contributing Writer In an update to its public safety model announced on Friday, VCU will transition from policing the community to “equitably and more holistically fostering the safety and well-being of every individual” on campus. The new model will start with the creation of a safety and well-being advisory committee, which will be […]
VCU students contemplate August return to campus
Sanjana Ravulapalli, Contributing Writer VCU is slated to reopen on Aug. 17 for the first time since an abrupt closure during spring break, but between rising COVID-19 cases and the option to take some classes online, some students are contemplating their return to campus. Adam El-Zoobi, an incoming freshman business major, has one class with […]
Job opportunities, grad school bar some VCU students from returning for Dec. commencement
Sanjana Ravulapalli, Contributing Writer Seniors at VCU and many other schools across the nation won’t be walking across a stage to receive their diplomas in front of loved ones in May. VCU will host a ceremony for all 2020 seniors in December, but for some — due to job opportunities and graduate school plans — […]
Mass via Zoom: VCU students miss out on celebrating April’s religious holidays together
Sanjana Ravulapalli, Contributing Writer This year on Easter Sunday, parents didn’t get to watch their children race for pastel eggs at church, extended families weren’t able to celebrate Passover together, and the sense of community Ramadan provides won’t be the same for many this month. Despite this, VCU student organizations are using virtual methods to […]
Stuck on campus? Here are some resources available to VCU students during the COVID-19 outbreak
Sanjana Ravulapalli, Contributing Writer Campus dining Swipes and dining dollars can still be used at select locations around campus. Many on-campus dining locations will stay open with adjusted hours. Panda Express, Market 810 and MCV and Monroe Park Einstein Bros. Bagels will accept swipes from open to close. To ensure student safety, VCU Dining Services […]
Influencers dive into public relations, advise students to do ‘due diligence’ when promoting products
Sanjana Ravulapalli, Contributing Writer Three social media influencers discussed working with public relations, the future of social media and advice for current mass communications students at a panel discussion for the Richard T. Robertson School of Media and Culture’s Speaker Series on Tuesday. The discussion was moderated by VCU professor Hailey Spencer. Kait Curnow is […]