The Commonwealth Times

Drew Thompson, Sports Editor VCU lost 4-3 to George Washington University on Friday to start a three game series, falling back to earth after its upset win over the University of Virginia earlier this week. Neither team made much of an impact in the first inning, with both sides failing to get a hit. VCU cruised through the top of the second despite redshirt fourth-year pitcher Elias Holbert hitting two batters.

Benney Koch, Contributing Writer VCU dominated the nationally ranked, No. 67 Duquesne University on Thursday, winning 4-0. A strong doubles performance gave the Rams the momentum needed to secure a team victory in the singles. VCU second-years Andrea Magallanes and Sofia Jane Thorne took over. The pair quickly found rhythm and built a commanding lead behind strong coordination at the net.

Andrew Kerley, Executive Editor Every week, a dozen or so students get up at the crack of dawn and haul themselves into vans for a sleepy drive to beyond campus boundaries. The students are taking VCU’s avian ecology and conservation course, or as most of them put it — “birding class.” In the class — and the corresponding VCU Avian Ecology Lab — students open their eyes and ears in order to spot and study the winged wonders of Virginia.

Ben Martindale, Staff Writer Men’s tennis vs. Liberty University VCU men’s tennis suffered a tough 6-1 homecourt defeat at the hands of No. 60 ranked Liberty. The Rams were competitive early, but eventually dropped the doubles point to fall behind 1-0. Despite multiple competitive three set matches, VCU could not string together enough momentum to turn the tide. The Rams’ lone point came from second-year Erwann Bouchet, who won his match 4-6, 6-2, 6-1.

Bryer Haywood, Staff Writer Virginians will vote this November on amending the state constitution to protect same-sex marriage rights against any future, federal-level threats — and polling indicates they will likely vote “yes.” Gov. Abigail Spanberger signed a bill in February to put the question of same-sex marriage on the November ballot — one of four referendums Virginians will vote on this year.

Cora Perkins, Assistant Spectrum Editor Velociraptors, multicolored cats and new blends of creatures roamed the halls of VCU’s Commons last Saturday at the Anthro Society’s annual Richmond Fur Fair, or RUFF. The event offered panels, a photobooth, an artist alley and a place for furries, new and old, to meet and connect. Planning for RUFF started long before the announcement of the event, according to Dev Partangal, President of the Anthro Society.

Sal Orlando, Assistant News Editor The Trump administration recently reshaped federal standards on carcinogenic pollutants, adding greater risk to the Richmond area — which is designated by Propublica as a hotspot for elevated cancer risks from ethylene oxide. Richmond has two medical sterilization facilities that use ethylene oxide within six miles of each other, making the city vulnerable to higher cancer risks, according to VPM.

Benney Koch, Contributing Writer On a tennis court in Richmond, athletes gather with heavy bags of gear to clash with their blades. Donning great masks and thick gloves, fencers tap their swords before engaging with one another in quick combat. In an instant, one fighter strikes another, and they ready themselves to go at it again. It looks like something out of a historical or fantasy film, but for Zach Showalter, it is the result of nearly a decade of disciplined training.

Hayden Braun, Staff Writer VCU baseball put together one of its most complete performances of the season Tuesday night, defeating the No. 9-ranked University of Virginia 6-2 to secure its first win in the rivalry since 2022. The Cavaliers struck immediately — third-year outfielder AJ Gracia opened the game with a leadoff home run in the top of the first to give the Cavaliers a 1-0 lead. However, VCU responded quickly, chipping away slowly before breaking the game open late.

Heciel Nieves Bonilla, Editor de Noticias Richmond está poniendo un enfoque político y de planificación en la expansión de viviendas y en la asequibilidad a través de ciertos artículos del presupuesto y de el proyecto continuo para actualizar la zonificación de la ciudad. Mientras tanto, residentes se siguen enfrentando con gastos altos y una tasa alta de desahucio comparada a la nacional.