|
Back to Previous Stories |
Previous Stories: Spring 2006
|
Virginians Vote on Same Sex Marriage
Virginians will go to the polls in November to decide
whether to amend the state Constitution to outlaw gay
marriage and civil unions in the commonwealth. In late
January, the Senate joined the House in approving the
proposed constitutional amendment and legislation to
hold a statewide referendum at the general election on
Tuesday, Nov. 9. The Senate voted 28-11 in favor of the
constitutional amendment (Senate Joint Resolution 92)
and accompanying legislation to conduct the referendum
(Senate Bill 526). The vote was along party lines: All
28 Republican senators voted for SJR 92 and SB 526. Of
the Democratic senators, five voted for the proposals
and 11 against.
Read
More.... |
Soccer Standout Looks to Further Her Career
After finishing their 2005 campaign
28th out of 308 schools rated by the NCAA Women’s Soccer
Division I Programs, it is no doubt that VCU has a
successful women’s soccer team. And with good teams come
good players. Jen Woodie is a senior and a second
year captain for the VCU women’s soccer team. She has
received many awards for her soccer talent such as being
named to the First Team All-Colonial Athletic
Association in voting by the league’s head coaches. What
can be better than that? How about an invitation to try
out for the under 21 Women’s National Soccer Team?
Read More... |
Armed
Robberies
According on annual crime tracking survey, Richmond is
the fifth most dangerous city in the country - running
close behind such cities as Detroit and St. Louis.
Recently, VCU Campus Alerts and the the Richmond Police
Web site have been reporting an increase in the number
of armed robberies. Some VCU students know all too
well that the crime rate is high in Richmond. Student
Bridgitte Withers was robbed this fall as she walking
home with a friend one evening. She says first noticed
something was wrong when the man started walking closer
to them. As she pulled her friend over to the side of
the walkway, the man moved in on them.
Read More...
|
Back
to Bowling?
Across the country bowling may be making a comeback, and VCU
students are playing a part. According to Jerry
Schneider of the American Bowling Congress, the early
1960s marked the peak of bowling alleys. At that time
there were around 10,000 bowling alleys in America -
today there are only about 6,000. The number of
league bowlers reached its peak in the late 1970s and
1980s, when the sport had about eight million people
involved in leagues.
Read
More...
See slide
show... |
The James River: An Amazing Transformation
The James River was once one of the top 5 filthiest
rivers in the United States. But now, it is a whole
different story. Readers of Blue Ridge Outdoors magazine
voted the James River Park System the #1 urban park in
the country in 2004. The magazine says this well-known
Richmond park is “a treasure chest of natural beauty”
for outdoor lovers. It is known nationwide for
white-water rafting. Park Manager Ralph White was named
Best Trail Guardian by the same magazine. He says that
legislation, like the Clean Water Act that regulates
river maintenance, is partly to thank for the river’s
revitalization.
Read More...
See
slide show...
Hear about the river...
|
The ABCs of an HBCU
Deciding on a college can be a difficult decision
for many students, and black students often struggle
with the choice between historically black colleges and
universities (HBCU) or a more diverse college, like VCU.
Historically black colleges and universities are defined
as any black college or university with a mission to
educate black students and is accredited by a nationally
recognized accrediting agency. HBCUs enroll 14% of the
black college students in America and make up about 3%
of all institutions of higher learning.
Read More... |
Educating Illegal Immigrants
While the United States prides itself on offering its
citizens the “American Dream” of going to college and
getting a good job, some college-age people in Virginia
may soon find that dream just out of reach.
Virginia House Bill 262 would prohibit illegal
immigrants, including children who were brought here by
their parents, from attending public colleges and
universities in Virginia. The House of Delegates passed
the bill on a 67/33 vote earlier this month. Delegate
Frank D. Hargrove Sr. (R-Hanover) sponsored the bill. He
says his reason for the bill is simple; he believes
legal residents should take priority over residents here
illegally.
Read More...
|
Misuse or Drug Abuse?
According to a recent story in the Washingtonian,
college students are using the prescription drug
Adderall as a study enhancer. Doctors typically
prescribe the drug to people with Attention Deficit
Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), but many students without
the disorder are taking the pills. A family physician at VCU Health Center, Dr. David
Nelson, said that for people without the disorder the
drug can improve concentration to extremely high levels.
But, Nelson said, “It’s never considered good medicine
to take drugs that aren’t prescribed for you.”
Read More...
|
Bike Gangs
Bike gangs are a growing phenomenon here in Richmond.
These aren’t your ordinary bar-fighting, Harley-riding
gangs, though. Groups like the Cutthroats, Loners, and
Bikes not Booze are a new form of gang - their ride of
choice, the bicycle.
Read More...
See slide
show...
|
Getting
the Boot
Good parking spaces
are hard to come by in a big city like Richmond. In most
places the parking limit is 1-2 hours, if you exceed
that limit you’ll receive the ever-so common bright,
green parking tickets that can be seen on the
windshields of several cars. In the past, motorists who
didn’t pay three or more parking tickets had their cars
towed by parking enforcement. Many people still
didn’t pay their parking tickets. So the city is
cracking down with the Enhanced Parking Immobilization
Program, or booting, as many people call it. The city
expects to recover 800,000 dollars in unpaid parking
tickets.
Read
More... |
Real World Experience
As college students graduate,
they often times lack experience in the real world. The
Fashion Department is helping students prepare for
careers with their educational philosophy of including
“practical application of both knowledge and skills.” One way that the Fashion
Department helps their students prepare is by helping
them find internships. Holly Alford, assistant professor
of Fashion at VCU, attributes a lot of their internship
success to alumni help. “We have a very good alumni
connection line, meaning a lot of students will actually
get on our alumni base, call our alumni, find out what’s
open, and they go interview, and they get the position,”
Alford said.
Read
More...
|
Putting Your Best Foot
Forward
Many people already think they know the basics of a
standard job interview: dress professionally,
don’t chew gum, cover your tattoos and turn your cell
phones OFF. But many Richmond-area businesses have
changed their interviewing style. University career
center coordinator Darlene Ward Thompson says most
employers now utilize behavioral interviewing.
“It’s a way that employers will ask students or alum
very pertinent questions about their work experiences in
hopes that their previous experiences will be a window
or a way to look at what the student or candidate will
do in real world experiences currently," Thompson said.
Read More... |
Another Winning
Season!
The Rams squeaked by William & Mary 62-59 in
the opening round of the CAA Tournament, but then fell
to Hofstra in the quarter finals. The Rams did not
receive a post-season invitation. Under
fourth-year head coach Jeff Capel, the Rams posted a
19-10 overall record and went 11-7 in the Colonial
Athletic Association.
Read More... |
Protecting Yourself Online
VCU Information Technology Staff is investigating a
computer security incident after finding key logger
software on certain campus computers. The intrusive
software records users key strokes and can compromise
personal information. As the software
records the keystrokes it stores them in a hidden file
on the computer. Then whoever installed the software
can come behind users and attempt to steal any personal
information he or she finds. For example, the file may
show the keystrokes to an online bank address. Then the
next stokes typed could very well be passwords or
account numbers.
Read More... |
Local Muslims
Speak Out
Controversy over freedom of speech
and respect for religion is flaring up in Richmond and
around the world. The trouble started after a Danish
newspaper published cartoons depicting the Islamic
prophet Muhammad. The tenants of Islam prohibit the
images of prophets. One cartoon showed the prophet with
a bomb wrapped up inside his turban. Many people feel
the cartoons were insulting to Muslims.
Read More...
|
College
Students Go Hollywood!
Eight college students are picked to live in a decked
out mansion and have their lives taped for a semester.
What happens next is good television and pure drama.
BET’s reality show, College Hill gives an inside look to
historically black colleges and universities.
Neighboring school Virginia State University was chosen
as set for this year’s season of College Hill.
Read More...
|
Attracting the Best
Nurses
The shortage of nurses has reached a critical
stage in many parts of the nation. The Bureau of Labor
Statistics estimates the shortage will reach one million
by the year 2010. The VCU Health System reports it’s
been able to stay ahead of the curve in part because of
the Health System’s reputation for nursing and patient
care. Recently the VCU Health System was recognized
with Magnet status, an award given for nursing
excellence by the American Nursing Credentialing
Center.
Read
More... |
Relay for Life
Here's proof that one person can make a difference!
Joseph Srukl is one of the dedicated students who helped
organize VCU's first-ever Relay for Life event to raise
money for the American Cancer Institute's research.
Read
More...
See Slide
Show... |
Crew Call
Call it crew, call it rowing, or just call it fun!
VCU’s crew season is officially underway and all 30 team
members say they are ready to row. With practices that
start at 5:15 in the morning, it takes commitment and
dedication to be a part of the team, but Coaches Megan McLaulin and Ellen Zienta say there’s still room for
more students to get involved.
Read More...
|
Strut Your Stuff
It's Richmond's biggest fashion show of the year.
On March 31st VCU’s fashion department hosted the 2nd
annual Strut Fashion Show. The collaborative effort
brings together fashion design students, student models,
local retail stores and VCU's Division of Student
Affairs and Enrollment services.
Read
More...
See Slide Show... |
It's a Festival!
VCU’s Intercultural Festival Week was a weeklong
celebration of the many cultures represented by the
students who attend VCU. This year’s 4th annual
celebration started on April 3 and each day featured new
multi-cultural exhibits and activities. From Chinese
tattoos to Chinese film, henna paintings to piñata
hitting, festival-goers got a good dose of learning
along with their fun.
See Slide Show... |
Inspiring Spring Break
Getting up at 7 a.m., clearing debris, tearing down
moldy walls or putting up drywall are not the typical
Spring Break activities. But several groups of VCU
students headed to the Gulf Coast Region this year, to
spend their spring breaks helping victims of Hurricane
Katrina Six.
Read More...
See Slide Show...
|
B-boys Unite to Teach
Although breakdancing or b-boying is rarely in the media
spotlight today, some VCU students are making it their mission
to ensure this complex art form is not forgotten. Alexander Moy
and Bryan Irvin started a breakdancing class this semester that
meets on Wednesday nights at 8 p.m. in the Cary Street Gym. Moy,
Irvin and their classmate, Gavan Rush, use this class to teach
anyone willing to learn, a few moves from their arsenal.
Read
and See More...
|
Goodbye Coach Capel
VCU head coach Jeff Capel surprised players and fans on
April 11 by resigning as the men's basketball
head coach to take a similar job at the
University of Oklahoma in Norman, OK. The news came only
a month after he had signed a contract extension that
would have kept him with the Rams through the 2012
Season.
Read
More... |
Turning Wood Into Art
Mark Sfirri is a furniture maker and
sculptor from New Hope, PA, who specializes in woodturning. He
recently held a demonstration for students in the new
woodturning program at VCU. Sfirri’s work is included in the permanent
collection of the Renwick Gallery in Washington, DC, the
Minneapolis Institute of Art, the Mint Museum of Craft & Design
in Charlotte, NC and the Museum of Art & Design in NY.
Read
More... |
Tag! You're It!
Most people have
never played a game of competitive laser tag. In fact,
most people don’t even know that it exists. In Laser
Tag, intensity and fast moving action fill the arena as
players give it all they have to help their team win.
Read
More...
|
Sun Safety
The National Cancer Institute is
sponsoring a new skin cancer prevention program
through the VCU Health Systems. Researchers
from the Massey Cancer Center are helping people learn
how to protect their skin better and reduce their
chances for skin cancer using a survey and a special
camera.
Read More... |
Staying Safe Online
The murder of VCU student Taylor Behl had one unexpected side effect…it
alerted many people to the dark side of one internet
phenomenon. Police first linked suspected killer Ben Fawley to
Behl by looking at her profile on a popular web site called
MySpace.com. Personal blogs linking Behl and Fawley became the
center of the investigation.
Read More... |
Tuition
Costs Going Up
The next time you receive an e-mail or instant message from someone you don’t
know…you may want to think twice before replying. The person on
the other end could be a dangerous predator.
For the third year in a row, tuition and on-campus
housing costs at VCU are going up. This time the
increase is 5.3%, which is the lowest tuition increase
of any Virginia state University. The 5.3 % increase
roughly translates to about $655 more for an in-state
undergraduate student living on campus.
Read
More... |
New
Coach Named
VCU acted quickly last month after Jeff Capel announced he’d
be leaving for Oklahoma. Within two weeks, they’d named Anthony
Grant from the University of Florida as the new head basketball
coach. InSight talked with several players who say they’re
looking forward to the 2006-07 season with Grant at the
helm.
Read More... |
