Tuesday, Mar 31, 2026

VCU Qatar goes remote after Iran threatens to strike college campuses

March 30, 2026

Heciel Nieves Bonilla, News Editor Andrew Kerley, Executive Editor VCUarts Qatar has closed its campus in Doha and moved classes fully online after Iran threatened to strike American college campuses in the Middle East on Sunday. “Amid the ongoing regional situation the university has moved to remote operations and public access to its premises are not available,” a statement posted on the VCUarts Qatar website reads. “Information on scheduled activities will be communicated to individuals directly.” VCU did not respond to requests for further comment by The CT.  The decision came after Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps made a post on X stating all American universities in the region are now “legitimate targets,” warning students, faculty and staff to stay away for their own safety. The threats by the Iranian government were a response to reported strikes by the United States that damaged buildings belonging to Tehran’s University of Science and Technology and the Isfahan University of Technology.  “The reckless rulers of the White House should know that from now on, all universities of the occupying regime and American universities in the West Asia region are legitimate targets for us until two universities are struck in retaliation for the Iranian

Natalie Bowen wins SGA Presidential election 

March 29, 2026

Heciel Nieves Bonilla, News Editor VCU Student Government Association Press Secretary Natalie Bowen has won the race to become the body’s next president for the 2026-27 academic year.  Bowen — a third-year history and mass communications student — won with 44%, or 634 votes, according to the SGA. They noted “record-breaking” participation with 1,441 total votes cast.  Bowen wrote in an email that she has congratulated her fellow electeds for senators and other positions, and is grateful for the conversations she has had with students and her fellow student government members. “I’ve been in SGA for three years, and I have never felt so inspired by and proud of a group of senators, and I know we will make a really great team,” Bowen stated. “SGA is here to help in any way we can, and we have a huge team of hard-working and passionate Senators, so please never hesitate to connect with us.” During SGA’s Presidential debate on Monday, Bowen made a case for increasing efficiencies in the organization and engagement with VCU administration, according to a previous report by The CT.  “A big part of the role of president is to meet with administration multiple times a week,

I love Richmond

March 25, 2026

Jalyn Thomas, Contributing Writer  I have been going to VCU for four years and, consequently, have lived in Richmond for four years. But I only recently started immersing myself in the Richmond community.  When I first started out at VCU, I didn’t see any point in trying to be part of the community that Richmond had to offer — I never thought that I would be here for longer than the four years it took for me to get my degree.  I was obviously wrong about that. Unbeknownst to past-me, I am going to be here longer than initially planned.  While looking for apartments and jobs in the city — a feat of considerable difficulty — I have been constantly asking myself why I decided to stay. The answer is simple; Richmond’s community just has so much to offer. A previous editorial published in The CT helped me put things in perspective.  The article reminded readers that VCU is in Richmond and that “we are visitors to this city.” I believe this is a great way to put it — we are first and foremost in Richmond, not the other way around.  That notion has made me think about how

‘Never again’ is happening now. We need to acknowledge it.

March 25, 2026

Kylie Grunsfeld, Staff Columnist As a Jewish woman who grew up within a Jewish community, I have found that a lot of people are very protective of the Holocaust and its history. Many are resistant to the idea that there might be another genocide — or an attempt at one — comparable. Its devastation is, all things considered, recent history. Victims of the concentration camps are alive today, and many families still carry that trauma with them. Members of my own family were victims.  The Holocaust was a tremendous tragedy, immense in scale. It stands as one of the most devastating events in human history. But we cannot pretend that it is the only tragedy of its kind.  We say “never again.” As Americans and citizens of the world, we pledge ourselves to making sure that no tragedy like the one that happened to my people — and to all the other populations victimized — ever happens again.  And yet.  In the decades after the Holocaust, there have been numerous atrocities that bear striking similarities. There were the Japanese internment camps — more accurately renamed as concentration camps by Asian American scholars — in America, the incarceration of Uyghur Muslims

GalaxyCon 2026 was gay nerd heaven

March 25, 2026

Sapphira Mohammed, Copy Editor Superman, Bumblebee, Pompompurin and Frank-N-Furter all walk into the same bar. Why? Because they just got back from GalaxyCon, obviously — the annual convention filled with some of Richmond’s finest entertainers and performers.  GalaxyCon LLC is a convention company based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, that organizes comic book and anime conventions in the United States. The company has hosted the convention in Richmond since 2019.  Actors, directors and entertainers from all areas of pop culture media come to the convention to speak on panels and meet fans. This year included actor Hayden Christensen from “Star Wars” and the director of “Scott Pilgrim vs. The World,” Edgar Wright.  Inside the exhibition hall is Artist Alley, a designated area in a convention where artists display and sell their work to convention attendees, according to GalaxyCon’s website.  Austin Vestel, a Salisbury, Maryland-based corset maker and leather worker, has been vending at conventions for 15 years. He said conventions like GalaxyCon have been a huge help to his boutique, Corset & Cogs. “I quickly learned that in a weekend, I could make what I made in an entire month in my physical location,” Vestal said. “So just getting my work

The women behind Ink Magazine: Decades of alternative art and culture

March 25, 2026

Sapphira Mohammed, Copy Editor Ink magazine is a student-run alternative publication that prints issues every semester with out-of-the-ordinary themes such as “cyber,” “sex” or “freaks.” The magazine is unlike other student publications at VCU, but its first issue was unique for a different reason — it was a newspaper created by and for African American students. Reflections in Ink was created in 1978 by the VCU student branch of the League of Black Journalists and the Black Student Alliance, according to VCU Libraries. African American students had just integrated into the college and wanted to create a newspaper based on their collective experiences, according to Marilyn Campbell, one of Reflections in Ink’s founders.  “As a media team, we sought freedom through expression — voicing our truths, reflecting our experiences and embracing the realities of our time,” Campbell stated. “As students, our purpose was to pursue academic dreams while working side jobs, volunteering to gain experience and grounding our ambitions in the lives we were living.” With technical assistance from The CT and information from the Third World Coalition, Reflections in Ink’s first issue was released in March 1978. They noted that it would be the only issue funded by student

Women’s tennis outclasses University of Richmond

March 27, 2026

Marcus Leary, Contributing Writer  VCU defeated the University of Richmond Spiders 4-1, losing just one singles match to their cross-town rival. The win advances the Rams 9-8 overall and 3-0 in the Atlantic 10. VCU head coach Rifanty Kahfiani said she would be “lying” if this matchup did not mean anything, but it is also the same as every other game. “It’s right across the road and they’re a good team. It has a little bit more something to it,” Kahfiani said. “We just keep telling our players to focus on what we can control. Focusing on practice and fighting from beginning to end.” VCU second-year Sara Alba and first-year Viktoria Lackova finished their match first, dominating Richmond first-year Beatriz Guerra and fourth-year Elizabeth Novak 6-1. VCU second-years Andrea Magallanes and Sofia Jane Thorne beat Richmond third-years Lainey O’Neil and Lucy Webber 6-4. This win gave VCU the edge on doubles, earning the Rams their first point of the afternoon.  The Black and Gold extended their lead when third-year Isa Andrade beat Novak in two sets. Winning 6-1 in the first and 6-0 in the second.  While Andrade took care of business on court two, the Spiders did the same

PRESS BOX: Could Kyler Murray return to baseball?

March 25, 2026

Hayden Braun, Staff Writer Kyler Murray is no stranger to crossroads. Once the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 NFL and the No. 9 overall pick in the 2018 MLB draft, Murray chose a career in football over baseball.  After being released by the Arizona Cardinals, Murray signed with the Minnesota Vikings — however, he again finds himself at a crossroad. If things don’t work out in the NFL, a return to baseball could still be on the table. During his time in Arizona, Murray showed flashes of elite production but struggled to sustain long-term success. He threw for over 20,000 yards and 121 touchdowns while adding more than 3,000 rushing yards across seven seasons, according to ESPN.  Murray’s best season came in 2021, when the Cardinals opened the year 7–1 and looked like legitimate Super Bowl contenders.  However, the team collapsed down the stretch, losing five of its final seven games before being eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the Los Angeles Rams. Murray struggled in that loss, throwing for just 137 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions in a 34–11 defeat.  Murray’s time in Arizona never met expectations despite his talent, as injuries

PRESS BOX: Phil Martelli Jr. expanded VCU’s legacy

March 25, 2026

Drew Thompson, Sports Editor  Almost a year ago to the day, VCU announced Phil Martelli Jr. as the new men’s basketball head coach, replacing Ryan Odom.  Martelli came from a long coaching pedigree but had a relatively short career to this point, only having coached at Bryant University for two seasons before coming to VCU.  VCU is among other mid-major giants, and its expectations reflect that. Many fans — myself included — went into this season anticipating some growing pains.  Martelli inherited a squad that housed zero returning starters from the previous season. Not only that, but the non-conference schedule Martelli crafted featured more heavy hitters than Ram fans may have been accustomed to.  VCU was voted the top team in the 2025-2026 Atlantic 10 preseason despite all of this. Early non-conference losses to Utah State University, North Carolina State University and New Mexico University left people worried about the remainder of the season.  Those worries only grew when VCU started A-10 play with a 2-2 record, however from this point on a switch flipped with the team. After the conference loss to George Mason University on Jan. 10, VCU ended the season winning 17 of its last 19 games. 

MARCH 25 RECAP: How every VCU team did this week

March 25, 2026

Ben Martindale, Staff Writer Baseball at Virginia Tech University VCU fell to Virginia Tech 11-8 despite scoring eight runs for the second consecutive game.​​ The game started slow but picked up in the fourth inning with both teams driving in four runs. Going into the sixth inning the game was tied at five runs apiece. Virginia Tech pulled ahead from that point on, driving in six more runs en route to the victory. Lacrosse at Davidson College VCU beat Davidson 7-4 in a back-and-forth matchup. The Rams opened up the scoring as first-year Kate Unzicker scored with 12 minutes remaining in the first quarter. The two teams settled into a defensive battle from then on. Davidson scored two consecutive runs to take a 2-1 lead. The Rams bounced back to take a 5-3 lead by the 12 minute-mark of the third quarter. Davidson managed to score one more goal, but VCU controlled the remainder of the game. Women’s tennis vs George Mason University VCU cruised past George Mason 4-0 in an Atlantic 10 matchup. The Rams found their groove early, winning the doubles point after winning matches on courts two and three. In singles play, second-year Sara Alba continued the

Martelli signs contract extension through 2031-32 season

March 23, 2026

Hayden Braun, Staff Writer VCU men’s basketball head coach Phil Martelli Jr. signed a contract extension that will keep him with the Rams through the 2031–32 season, according to VCU Athletics. The extension comes after a standout first season in which Martelli led VCU to a 28–8 record, a share of the Atlantic 10 regular-season title and the A-10 tournament championship.  The Rams also earned an 82–78 overtime victory over No. 6 University of North Carolina in the first round of March Madness, marking the program’s first NCAA Tournament win since 2016. VCU’s 28 wins are tied for the second-most in program history and the most by a first-year head coach ever, according to VCU Athletics. Before Martelli’s time at VCU, he built a strong resume at Bryant University, where he posted a 43–25 record over two seasons as head coach and led the Bulldogs to an America East championship as well as an NCAA Tournament appearance. Martelli acknowledged the support behind the VCU program in a statement. “I am grateful to the players and the staff who believed in the vision and worked tirelessly to ensure its continued success,” Martelli stated. “We are very fortunate to be at such

VCU Qatar goes remote after Iran threatens to strike college campuses

March 30, 2026

Heciel Nieves Bonilla, News Editor Andrew Kerley, Executive Editor VCUarts Qatar has closed its campus in Doha and moved classes fully online after Iran threatened to strike American college campuses in the Middle East on Sunday. “Amid the ongoing regional situation the university has moved to remote operations and public access to its premises are not available,” a statement posted on the VCUarts Qatar website reads. “Information on scheduled activities will be communicated to individuals directly.” VCU did not respond to requests for further comment by The CT.  The decision came after Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps made a post on X stating all American universities in the region are now “legitimate targets,” warning students, faculty and staff to stay away for their own safety. The threats by the Iranian government were a response to reported strikes by the United States that damaged buildings belonging to Tehran’s University of Science and Technology and the Isfahan University of Technology.  “The reckless rulers of the White House should know that from now on, all universities of the occupying regime and American universities in the West Asia region are legitimate targets for us until two universities are struck in retaliation for the Iranian

Natalie Bowen wins SGA Presidential election 

March 29, 2026

Heciel Nieves Bonilla, News Editor VCU Student Government Association Press Secretary Natalie Bowen has won the race to become the body’s next president for the 2026-27 academic year.  Bowen — a third-year history and mass communications student — won with 44%, or 634 votes, according to the SGA. They noted “record-breaking” participation with 1,441 total votes cast.  Bowen wrote in an email that she has congratulated her fellow electeds for senators and other positions, and is grateful for the conversations she has had with students and her fellow student government members. “I’ve been in SGA for three years, and I have never felt so inspired by and proud of a group of senators, and I know we will make a really great team,” Bowen stated. “SGA is here to help in any way we can, and we have a huge team of hard-working and passionate Senators, so please never hesitate to connect with us.” During SGA’s Presidential debate on Monday, Bowen made a case for increasing efficiencies in the organization and engagement with VCU administration, according to a previous report by The CT.  “A big part of the role of president is to meet with administration multiple times a week,

Opinion

I love Richmond

March 25, 2026

Jalyn Thomas, Contributing Writer  I have been going to VCU for four years and, consequently, have lived in Richmond for four years. But I only recently started immersing myself in the Richmond community.  When I first started out at VCU, I didn’t see any point in trying to be part of the community that Richmond had to offer — I never thought that I would be here for longer than the four years it took for me to get my degree.  I was obviously wrong about that. Unbeknownst to past-me, I am going to be here longer than initially planned.  While looking for apartments and jobs in the city — a feat of considerable difficulty — I have been constantly asking myself why I decided to stay. The answer is simple; Richmond’s community just has so much to offer. A previous editorial published in The CT helped me put things in perspective.  The article reminded readers that VCU is in Richmond and that “we are visitors to this city.” I believe this is a great way to put it — we are first and foremost in Richmond, not the other way around.  That notion has made me think about how

‘Never again’ is happening now. We need to acknowledge it.

March 25, 2026

Kylie Grunsfeld, Staff Columnist As a Jewish woman who grew up within a Jewish community, I have found that a lot of people are very protective of the Holocaust and its history. Many are resistant to the idea that there might be another genocide — or an attempt at one — comparable. Its devastation is, all things considered, recent history. Victims of the concentration camps are alive today, and many families still carry that trauma with them. Members of my own family were victims.  The Holocaust was a tremendous tragedy, immense in scale. It stands as one of the most devastating events in human history. But we cannot pretend that it is the only tragedy of its kind.  We say “never again.” As Americans and citizens of the world, we pledge ourselves to making sure that no tragedy like the one that happened to my people — and to all the other populations victimized — ever happens again.  And yet.  In the decades after the Holocaust, there have been numerous atrocities that bear striking similarities. There were the Japanese internment camps — more accurately renamed as concentration camps by Asian American scholars — in America, the incarceration of Uyghur Muslims

The Rundown

Spectrum

GalaxyCon 2026 was gay nerd heaven

March 25, 2026

Sapphira Mohammed, Copy Editor Superman, Bumblebee, Pompompurin and Frank-N-Furter all walk into the same bar. Why? Because they just got back from GalaxyCon, obviously — the annual convention filled with some of Richmond’s finest entertainers and performers.  GalaxyCon LLC is a convention company based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, that organizes comic book and anime conventions in the United States. The company has hosted the convention in Richmond since 2019.  Actors, directors and entertainers from all areas of pop culture media come to the convention to speak on panels and meet fans. This year included actor Hayden Christensen from “Star Wars” and the director of “Scott Pilgrim vs. The World,” Edgar Wright.  Inside the exhibition hall is Artist Alley, a designated area in a convention where artists display and sell their work to convention attendees, according to GalaxyCon’s website.  Austin Vestel, a Salisbury, Maryland-based corset maker and leather worker, has been vending at conventions for 15 years. He said conventions like GalaxyCon have been a huge help to his boutique, Corset & Cogs. “I quickly learned that in a weekend, I could make what I made in an entire month in my physical location,” Vestal said. “So just getting my work

The women behind Ink Magazine: Decades of alternative art and culture

March 25, 2026

Sapphira Mohammed, Copy Editor Ink magazine is a student-run alternative publication that prints issues every semester with out-of-the-ordinary themes such as “cyber,” “sex” or “freaks.” The magazine is unlike other student publications at VCU, but its first issue was unique for a different reason — it was a newspaper created by and for African American students. Reflections in Ink was created in 1978 by the VCU student branch of the League of Black Journalists and the Black Student Alliance, according to VCU Libraries. African American students had just integrated into the college and wanted to create a newspaper based on their collective experiences, according to Marilyn Campbell, one of Reflections in Ink’s founders.  “As a media team, we sought freedom through expression — voicing our truths, reflecting our experiences and embracing the realities of our time,” Campbell stated. “As students, our purpose was to pursue academic dreams while working side jobs, volunteering to gain experience and grounding our ambitions in the lives we were living.” With technical assistance from The CT and information from the Third World Coalition, Reflections in Ink’s first issue was released in March 1978. They noted that it would be the only issue funded by student

Sports

Women’s tennis outclasses University of Richmond

March 27, 2026

Marcus Leary, Contributing Writer  VCU defeated the University of Richmond Spiders 4-1, losing just one singles match to their cross-town rival. The win advances the Rams 9-8 overall and 3-0 in the Atlantic 10. VCU head coach Rifanty Kahfiani said she would be “lying” if this matchup did not mean anything, but it is also the same as every other game. “It’s right across the road and they’re a good team. It has a little bit more something to it,” Kahfiani said. “We just keep telling our players to focus on what we can control. Focusing on practice and fighting from beginning to end.” VCU second-year Sara Alba and first-year Viktoria Lackova finished their match first, dominating Richmond first-year Beatriz Guerra and fourth-year Elizabeth Novak 6-1. VCU second-years Andrea Magallanes and Sofia Jane Thorne beat Richmond third-years Lainey O’Neil and Lucy Webber 6-4. This win gave VCU the edge on doubles, earning the Rams their first point of the afternoon.  The Black and Gold extended their lead when third-year Isa Andrade beat Novak in two sets. Winning 6-1 in the first and 6-0 in the second.  While Andrade took care of business on court two, the Spiders did the same

PRESS BOX: Could Kyler Murray return to baseball?

March 25, 2026

Hayden Braun, Staff Writer Kyler Murray is no stranger to crossroads. Once the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 NFL and the No. 9 overall pick in the 2018 MLB draft, Murray chose a career in football over baseball.  After being released by the Arizona Cardinals, Murray signed with the Minnesota Vikings — however, he again finds himself at a crossroad. If things don’t work out in the NFL, a return to baseball could still be on the table. During his time in Arizona, Murray showed flashes of elite production but struggled to sustain long-term success. He threw for over 20,000 yards and 121 touchdowns while adding more than 3,000 rushing yards across seven seasons, according to ESPN.  Murray’s best season came in 2021, when the Cardinals opened the year 7–1 and looked like legitimate Super Bowl contenders.  However, the team collapsed down the stretch, losing five of its final seven games before being eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the Los Angeles Rams. Murray struggled in that loss, throwing for just 137 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions in a 34–11 defeat.  Murray’s time in Arizona never met expectations despite his talent, as injuries

PRESS BOX: Phil Martelli Jr. expanded VCU’s legacy

March 25, 2026

Drew Thompson, Sports Editor  Almost a year ago to the day, VCU announced Phil Martelli Jr. as the new men’s basketball head coach, replacing Ryan Odom.  Martelli came from a long coaching pedigree but had a relatively short career to this point, only having coached at Bryant University for two seasons before coming to VCU.  VCU is among other mid-major giants, and its expectations reflect that. Many fans — myself included — went into this season anticipating some growing pains.  Martelli inherited a squad that housed zero returning starters from the previous season. Not only that, but the non-conference schedule Martelli crafted featured more heavy hitters than Ram fans may have been accustomed to.  VCU was voted the top team in the 2025-2026 Atlantic 10 preseason despite all of this. Early non-conference losses to Utah State University, North Carolina State University and New Mexico University left people worried about the remainder of the season.  Those worries only grew when VCU started A-10 play with a 2-2 record, however from this point on a switch flipped with the team. After the conference loss to George Mason University on Jan. 10, VCU ended the season winning 17 of its last 19 games. 

MARCH 25 RECAP: How every VCU team did this week

March 25, 2026

Ben Martindale, Staff Writer Baseball at Virginia Tech University VCU fell to Virginia Tech 11-8 despite scoring eight runs for the second consecutive game.​​ The game started slow but picked up in the fourth inning with both teams driving in four runs. Going into the sixth inning the game was tied at five runs apiece. Virginia Tech pulled ahead from that point on, driving in six more runs en route to the victory. Lacrosse at Davidson College VCU beat Davidson 7-4 in a back-and-forth matchup. The Rams opened up the scoring as first-year Kate Unzicker scored with 12 minutes remaining in the first quarter. The two teams settled into a defensive battle from then on. Davidson scored two consecutive runs to take a 2-1 lead. The Rams bounced back to take a 5-3 lead by the 12 minute-mark of the third quarter. Davidson managed to score one more goal, but VCU controlled the remainder of the game. Women’s tennis vs George Mason University VCU cruised past George Mason 4-0 in an Atlantic 10 matchup. The Rams found their groove early, winning the doubles point after winning matches on courts two and three. In singles play, second-year Sara Alba continued the

Martelli signs contract extension through 2031-32 season

March 23, 2026

Hayden Braun, Staff Writer VCU men’s basketball head coach Phil Martelli Jr. signed a contract extension that will keep him with the Rams through the 2031–32 season, according to VCU Athletics. The extension comes after a standout first season in which Martelli led VCU to a 28–8 record, a share of the Atlantic 10 regular-season title and the A-10 tournament championship.  The Rams also earned an 82–78 overtime victory over No. 6 University of North Carolina in the first round of March Madness, marking the program’s first NCAA Tournament win since 2016. VCU’s 28 wins are tied for the second-most in program history and the most by a first-year head coach ever, according to VCU Athletics. Before Martelli’s time at VCU, he built a strong resume at Bryant University, where he posted a 43–25 record over two seasons as head coach and led the Bulldogs to an America East championship as well as an NCAA Tournament appearance. Martelli acknowledged the support behind the VCU program in a statement. “I am grateful to the players and the staff who believed in the vision and worked tirelessly to ensure its continued success,” Martelli stated. “We are very fortunate to be at such

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